Ashlan's Story

Ashlan slowly raised herself from her seat. My God, this is really real. This woman, Sorceress, she’s telling me the truth. “I… I need some fresh air.” She ran out the door and stopped on the porch looking around her. It didn’t look different, but she could feel it. There was no way to describe the feeling inside of her, but it was there. Something had changed. Sitting down on the steps, she rested her head in her hands, her elbows on her knees. “I’m not crazy. This is real.”

“Of course it’s real dear.” Miss Rianneth had followed Ashlan out, hoping the poor child wouldn’t faint when the realization hit her. Sitting down beside Ashlan, she placed her hand on Ashlan’s back and began rubbing small circles to try and comfort her.

When Ashlan dropped her hands, she felt Bain nudging a hand and absent-mindedly began petting him, drawing comfort from the small act. “How?” Raising her head, she looked around at the forest surrounding the cottage. “Everything looks so similar.”

“Our worlds are practically identical. One of the biggest differences are the creatures in this world. While there are humans, like you, in this world, there are also elves. We live together peacefully, for the most part.” A smile graced her features and she suddenly looked much younger to Ashlan. “I have studied your world. What you would consider myths, legends, and lore, are real in our world.”

Reaching a hand into her pocket, Ashlan pulled out her cigarettes and lighter, if anytime she had needed a cigarette, now was that time. “How did I get here?” She took a drag off of her cigarette and exhaled. “I mean, one minute I’m walking through the forest, enjoying the day, and the next thing I know, I walk through a circle of stones and bam, the wind is knocked out of me and…” Raising her head, she looked at the sorceress, “That’s when it happened, didn’t it?”

Miss Rianneth looked at her and smiled. She was a bright child indeed. “Aye, it is. Another big difference is the magic in this land. Now, there is magic in your world, however, the majority of people in your world were never able to harness that energy and use it. In your world, they burned and tortured those who were blessed by the spirits with that power. Witchcraft was considered evil and the work of the devil. We embraced the magic of the land, and looked towards the spirits of the land to help guide us in how to use that magic.”

“Magic?” Ashlan took a final drag off of her cigarette, put it out, and put the butt in her pocket. “That’s what brought me here?”

“Yes and no.” Rising, Miss Rianneth offered her hand to Ashlan, who didn’t hesitate to take the hand offered. “Follow me and I will try to explain.”

They followed the path in the forest back to the circle of stones Ashlan had appeared from. “This,” Miss Rianneth said, as she released Ashlan’s hand and pointed to the stones, “is a summoning circle. I use it to help amplify my powers and channel them more effectively.” She stood in the center of the circle and motioned for Ashlan to join her. She saw the hesitant look in her eyes and just smiled. “Come child, it shall not hurt you, nor will it take you anywhere.”

Swallowing her fear, she joined the sorceress in the circle. As the sorceress offered her hand, Ashlan took it, and immediately felt another bolt of energy shoot through her body. The wind suddenly picked up and swirled around their bodies, leaves, and flower petals being picked up from the forest floor to swirl around their bodies.

“Do not fight it.” Miss Rianneth said, in barely a whisper. “It shall not hurt you. You can feel it, can you not, the energy that is flowing through your body flowing through your body?” She released Ashlan’s hand and smiled as the wind died down.

Ashlan walked from the center of the circle and sat down on the same fallen log she had sat upon before. “I think that is the weirdest thing I have ever felt in my life.”

“It is not something to fear. It is the magic flowing through you.” Miss Rianneth sat beside her. “There are a number of different factors that must be met in order for me to perform the spell I used to bring you here. One was that you truly wanted to be brought here. While you didn’t know where here was, your spirit did. You had never felt comfortable in your world. You always thought there should be something more. The only time you had truly been happy was that one summer you spent at the cabin.”

Ashlan looked up from the forest floor as the sorceress rose and walked into the center of the circle once again. The wind blew a few strands of hair around her face, as the wind caressed her while she watched the sorceress, almost as if enchanted.

“You always felt different, even as a child. You felt there was something different, something special inside of you. As you grew older, you pushed those thoughts away, putting it off as a silly little child’s imagination. Then, about a year ago, that feeling started coming back. That is why you left your life and sought refuge at the cabin.” Slowly, she began to walk towards Ashlan.

Ashlan rose as the sorceress left the circle and took both of her hands. “You were right. There was something different, something special about you. You were in the wrong world Ashlan. You belong here, among others like yourself. It was your want that allowed you to pass between worlds. Your want, and your magic, is what brought you here, along with a little help from me.” She smiled and led Ashlan back through the forest in silence.

As they reached the cottage, she spoke again. “The energy you felt passing through you, was your magic awakening. It lay dormant inside of you for many years because you were not taught how to use it.”

When they were on the porch, Ashlan sat, trying to digest all the information she had just learned. It was true, everything the sorceress had said about her life and feelings were true. She had never felt comfortable with her life. Anytime she had accomplished her goals, she was always left wanting more.

As she sat, she felt something pulling at her. She couldn’t describe the feeling. It was as if she was meant to do something. She rose and turned to the sorceress. “There’s another reason I’m here too, right?”

“Aye, there is, however, there is somewhere we need to be shortly. Come with me, and we shall find you something to wear. Our clothing is different from yours and while I plan on telling those we are meeting, I do not wish, or can not tell others we might see along the way why it is your clothing is… odd.” Turning to walk into her home she chuckled as she heard the annoyance in Ashlan’s voice as she repeated, “Odd? Well, everything here is much more than odd to me.”

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Dayne walked onto his porch as Kylan and Aidan readied the kitchen for the arrival of The Sorceress. Looking to the sky, he saw the clouds trying to consume the last of the sun. He heard the snap of a twig and smiling turned, “I was wondering if you would make it before…” As he trailed off, all rational thought left his mind as he looked upon the most breathtaking woman he had ever seen in his life. The last few rays of the sun seemed to shine down upon her, her auburn hair appeared to glow a deep golden red as the rays kissed a few blonde streaks in her hair. Her eyes were the most beautiful green he had ever seen, more beautiful than any jewel known to man. Her ivory skin glowed briefly, and then dimmed as the sun was swallowed by the storm clouds, and his intelligence started to slowly flow back into his brain.

Ashlan’s heart almost stopped when the big man turned to face them. Never in her life had she experienced that pull, that flip, her stomach did as his eyes met hers. She felt the blush rise on her cheeks as he watched her walk towards him. He was a giant of a man, close to six foot six if her estimation was correct. He was broad across the chest, making him appear as sturdy as a mountain, she guessed him at around 225 pounds. He had brown hair, which curled at the base of his neck. A full beard graced his face. It was slightly unkempt, but for him, it worked. His baby blue eyes followed her as she stopped at the bottom of the steps as Miss Rianneth greeted him.

“A good afternoon to you Dayne.” Miss Rianneth smirked as Dayne forced himself to turn his eyes onto her, instead of Ashlan.

“Aye, it is a good afternoon. The spirits will be gracing us with rain.” He saw the smirk cross Miss Rianneth’s face. He rolled his eyes and turned. “Come, Kylan has some food and drink for us while we talk.” Without being introduced to Ashlan, he walked into his home.

Miss Rianneth looked to Ashlan as the blush faded from her cheeks. “I shall warn you. Dayne can be the most irritable of men. He will annoy you and say things, which you may not like. He can be somewhat of a hothead when he wants to be. He is probably the most stubborn man you will ever meet, but he is loyal, and I trust him with my life. Come dear.” Taking Ashlan’s hand in hers she walked up the steps and into the house.

Inside the house, Kylan was preparing tea while her husband, Aidan, set some tea-cups and plates on the table, along with the pastries and bread Kylan had prepared. He glanced through the door to see Dayne standing straight, staring out towards the forest. Walking to the doorway, he looked to where Dayne’s eyes were fixed and saw a woman in a light green dress standing next to The Sorceress. He watched the interaction between the two, and the short conversation between Dayne and Miss Rianneth. When the conversation seemed to be ending, he quickly turned away and walked towards his wife. In a hushed voice, he whispered, “I think things are going to be very interesting.”

Turning around with the teakettle in hand, she looked at her husband. “What are you talking about?” Then Dayne walked through the doorway with a perturbed look on his face. “Well then, who swapped your ale for piss?”

Aidan chuckled, then seeing the look on Dayne’s face, he cleared his throat, putting an abrupt halt on the laugh that was building and leaned in to whisper in his wife’s ear. “I don’t think it’s a wise idea to poke the bear right now.”

Setting the teakettle on the table she smiled, and when she heard the creak of a board on the porch, she raised her eyes to the doorway to greet Miss Rianneth. However, the woman she saw wasn’t the woman she was expecting. She looked to her husband, who was smirking, then to Dayne, who was trying his best to look surly, and then back to the woman. “Yes Aidan, I do believe things will be most interesting.”

Ashlan stood in the doorway, nervousness finally starting to hit her, as two new faces stared at her, save for the giant of a man, who seemed bound and determined not to look at her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and moved to allow Miss Rianneth to enter. The woman smiled at her, and some of the anxiety left her.

Miss Rianneth took note of Dayne ignoring Ashlan, and hiding a smirk said, “Why don’t we all sit? I’m sure you are all anxious to find out what is happening, and who this woman is.” She gestured towards Ashlan.

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As the storm raged outside, the three sat in utter amazement as Miss Rianneth relayed the story of how Ashlan came to be in their land. While Kylan and Aidan let there faces show their thoughts, Dayne kept his hidden, not even his eyes gave away his wonder.

Ashlan sat in silence, listening to Miss Rianneth explain how she was able to bring her to this world. She hadn’t understood anything she had said, but upon looking at the others, she saw them nodding their heads in understanding, hanging on to her every word, and occasionally asking questions. Her gaze landed on Dayne. He sat in silence, his face expressionless.

She could tell he was listening. His eyes were focused solely on Miss Rianneth. So while he listened, she used that time to study him more. Some people she could read well. She had been blessed in that regard. Often referring to it as her ‘Spidey Sense’, it had come in handy many times. There was one instance in college, before she had met Grant. A boy in her freshman English class had been watching her for the past week or so, she had noticed, but didn’t think anything of it. He had stopped her after class one day, asking her to study with him some time. She didn’t like the look in his eyes. It’s hard to put into words what she saw, but they were cold. She didn’t see warmth, and it scared her.

She had, as politely as she could, declined the offer, and then told him she needed to get to her next class across campus. She could feel him watching her as she walked away from him, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose as a chill ran through her body. Having late classes hadn’t bothered her before, but that night as she walked back to her dorm, she had an uneasy feeling. It was a warm fall night, but despite the heat, she was shivering inside. Feeling as though someone was following her, she turned off the sidewalk, and cut up over the hill towards the other dorms. As she broke off the path onto the sidewalk that was a few hundred yards ahead of her, she looked over her shoulder and saw the boy chasing after her.

She ran to the main doors and pulled, but they wouldn’t open. At this point, she turned around to see were he was, only to have his hand cover her mouth as he began to pull her away from the building. Luckily, before he had pulled her into the bushes, a group of guys came out of the dorm, saw what was happening, and proceeded to pull him off of her. The one guy sat with her while one ran back inside to call campus security, and three others held the one chasing her down on the ground.

She had later found out that he was responsible for a series of rapes that had taken place on campus the last semester, and since he hadn’t been caught, decided that he would start again. That was when she figured out she could read people. She had always been a pretty good judge of character, but from that day on, she listened to what her ‘spidey sense’ told her about people. She had learned, that with most people, their eyes told everything about them.

As she sat and watched Dayne, neither his face nor his eyes, gave anything away.

Since she couldn’t tell what he was thinking, she decided to just enjoy the view of him. She studied every feature on his face, his lips, nose, eyes, lashes, the way his hair fell on his face. Everything she could see she tried to memorize. If this was just a dream, she wanted to remember him when she awoke. Beautiful wasn’t the word to describe him. He was the most ruggedly handsome man she had ever seen. Feeling her heart speed, and her stomach flip, she decided it was time to stop looking at him.

When she realized that Miss Rianneth was just about finished telling them how she had come to be in their world, she turned her eyes away from Dayne, and focused her attention back on Miss Rianneth.

As Dayne sat and listened to what The Sorceress was saying, he noticed Ashlan’s study of him. She was very good at hiding her observation. Had he not been one of the King’s guards, he would not have noticed. He had learned many things while he was in the military, one of them being multitasking. Right now, for instance, he was listening to what The Sorceress was saying, seeming to focus only on her, however, he was studying this new woman, watching her watching him.

While her body language showed that she was listening to the conversation around her, her eyes gave away her observance. He noticed her shiver, and her eyes darkened slightly. It only lasted for a few seconds, but in that time, he came to the conclusion that he never wanted to see that look, a frightened look, ever appear on her face again. Slowly it was replaced with another. Her eyes lightened and gained an almost misty look while a blush started to rise on her cheeks. He knew that look, no question. It was want.

As she turned her eyes from him to focus on The Sorceress once again, he let a small smirk grace his face. He quickly let the smirk fade, as the story was finished and Kylan began to speak.

“I did not know it was possible to transfer a person from one world to the next, let alone the fact that there is a parallel world to our own.” She reached for her tea and smiled at Ashlan.

“Aye, it is quite unbelievable I know.” Miss Rianneth reached for her tea. After taking a sip, she returned it to the table, and looked at each of them in turn. “No one must ever know the truth of who Ashlan is, and where she comes from. The information I have given you must never leave your lips to tell anyone. The repercussions of such a discovery would be devastating. Only myself, and other sorceresses know of the existence of our sister world.” Gauging their reactions, she reached for a biscuit.

After keeping quiet for the whole conversation, Dayne spoke. “So now that we know the how, could you tell us why she’s here? I’m guessing the reason is part of the change you were unwilling to talk about earlier.”

“Why must you always be so impatient Dayne?” Sighing, Miss Rianneth put down the biscuit she had picked up.

Ashlan saw the smirk come to his face as he answered and it made the butterflies reappear in her stomach. God the man was sexy when he smirked.

“Don’t think of it as impatience. Think of it as enthusiasm towards the journey you shall be sending us on.” He reached for the biscuit Miss Rianneth had just set down, and biting into it, winked.

His smug attitude didn’t last long, for as he took a second bite, Kylan reached behind him to swat him in the head. The biscuit fell from his fingers from the impact and he gave Kylan a dirty look. “What was that for?”

“Don’t you be playing that game with me Dayne.” Reaching for another biscuit, she handed it to Miss Rianneth. “You know exactly what it was you did.” She turned her gaze back to him. “And don’t you be pouting like a child. You’re near thirty, act it.”

Ashlan tried her best not to laugh, but as fast as the chuckle fell from her lips, it also ceased from the look Dayne sent her way. Once the smile left her face from his scrutiny, he turned his attention back to Kylan.

“Just remember who it is you work for, Kylan.”

“And you remember who it is that cooks your meals and keeps this house running smoothly!”

Before Dayne could say another world, Miss Rianneth interrupted. “As amusing as it is to see Dayne put in his place, I believe that it is time for me to leave. I must meet with another sorceress to discuss some new events.”

As she rose from her seat, Ashlan rose with her.

“I shall return tomorrow soon after dawn to discuss what it is that needs to be done, and how all of you are involved.” With a smile, she turned to Ashlan and took her hands. “You shall be staying here dear. I’m sorry to say there is no room in my home for any guests, plus I wouldn’t be there. There are some things I need to take care of before morning.”

As Ashlan replied in shock, “What do you mean I’m staying here?!” Dayne bellowed at the same time, “What do you mean she’s staying here!”

They looked at one another with the same look of annoyance on their faces. Ashlan continued first. “I don’t even know these people.” She turned to look at Kylan and Aidan. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you both are very nice people, and I mean you no offence.” She looked back to Miss Rianneth. “You can’t expect me to stay in the same house as him.”

Dayne was startled to agree with her. “Yeah, you can’t expect… wait.” He turned towards Ashlan. “What do you mean ‘with him’? What’s wrong with me?”

By this point in time, Ashlan had had enough of his rudeness, and let her personality take over. The time for being pleasant had passed. “Well for starters, you’re rude, arrogant, and annoying.”

“Hey, I’m not annoying.”

“Oh, I beg to differ.”

“Well, while we’re on the topic of things we don’t like about each other, let me say that I think you’re pretentious, obnoxious and…”

“I am not obnoxious nor am I pretentious.”

By this time, they were within a few inches of each other, squaring off. Ashlan didn’t even reach his shoulders. Dayne was at least two heads taller than her, if not more. While it was an amusing sight, Kylan figured that she should interrupt before things got too out of control.

As they were throwing insults at one another, Kylan walked in between them to stop their arguing.

“And another thing…” Dayne’s retort was cut short as Kylan placed her hand over his mouth.

“While this is the most entertaining thing that has happened in this home in quite a while, I must suggest that you two stop this childish game and accept what Miss Rianneth has suggested.”

“Thank you Kylan.” Miss Rianneth smiled. “Now then, as I was saying. There are things I need to take care of, so Ashlan, you shall stay here. I shall return in the morning and we will discuss this further. You’ve had a very long day, child, and I suggest you get some rest. May you all have a pleasant evening.” With that said, she turned and walked out the door.

Kylan took Ashlan by the hand and began leading her towards the hall. “Now, we’ll get you set up in a room and…” Her voice disappeared as they proceeded down the hall and into a spare room.

Ashlan looked over her shoulder at Dayne as she was led away. This is so not what I was expecting. With a sigh, she returned her gaze ahead of her and listened as Kylan rambled on.

Aidan had stayed quiet for the argument. It was too amusing to break up and he was sad when Kylan chose to do so. Rising, he walked to Dayne and patted him on the shoulder. “It’s not that bad, Day. She is cute after all.”

Dayne kept looking back and forth from the door The Sorceress had just left, to the hallway where Ashlan had been led. “When did this not become my home? Doesn’t anyone listen to me anymore?” Sitting down in a chair, he grabbed another biscuit.

Aidan joined him at the table. “You’ve learned a lot of different things in your life. One thing that you haven’t learned yet is not to argue with a woman. You might have fought and won many battles, but that is one battle you’ll never win.”

As Dayne sat eating his biscuit, he thought about what Aidan told him. He had to agree with him on that one. While he wasn’t happy with the fact that Ashlan would be staying with him, he was definitely looking forward to goading her into arguments. A smirk came to his face, and he didn’t try to hide it.

She was beautiful enough as it was, but when she was angry, she was incredibly sexy.

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As night slowly drifted across the kingdom of Ensia, Miss Rianneth channeled her energy into the summoning circle to first cast a spell of concealment, and then a spell of spiritual teleportation. When she opened her eyes, the spirits of the other Sorceresses from the surrounding kingdoms were around her.

The first to speak was Shyra, the sorceress from the south western kingdom of Tharnelle. “Have you found her?”

“Did you not feel the rift open and close?” Razelle, the sorceress from the north western kingdom of Arralyn asked Shyra.

Shyra closed her eyes as she answered. “You will have to forgive me. With the magic that has been stolen from the kingdom, my powers have grown weak.” She opened her eyes and looked around at the other three sorceresses. “I am dying. If the balance is not restored to the land, and the magic returned, I will not be long for this world.”

“I have found her.” Miss Rianneth answered. “She is here. I have not told her everything, for I fear that she is having a hard time as it is. I wanted to speak with all of you first before proceeding to tell her anything.”

Nalia, the sorceress from the south eastern kingdom of Sharlesse spoke. “It was the opposite of the feeling I had 25 years ago. Instead of feeling despair and grief, I felt hope and joy.”

“We might not have been able to protect her 25 years ago, however now, we have the one person who will be able to defend her with all he has.” As Miss Rianneth raised her hands, an image of that person appeared before them. “We have the man who will soon be known throughout the kingdoms, as he is known here.”

As she lifted her gaze to the image, Dayne appeared. He was sitting on his porch gazing up to the stars.

When the image disappeared, Miss Rianneth raised her eyes to the heavens as she said a silent prayer. ‘Spirits, please guide and help Dayne. Allow him to open his heart to accept the friendship, and love the woman called Ashlan will offer him.’

As the moon rose in the sky, the four sorceresses conversed and devised a plan that would hopefully restore the balance of good and evil across the lands.

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When night settled in, a break in the storm allowed Dayne to wander onto his porch and enjoy the cool night. As he sat on the steps, he wondered about Ashlan, and the whole reason for her being here. While he trusted Miss Rianneth, he knew there was something she wasn’t telling him.

There had to be more to this woman’s sudden appearance. He had felt the presence of magic in her aura, not only that, but magic as powerful as his. It was easy to detect because it was raw, untrained power. He had felt it rise as her temper grew.

He sure as hell wasn’t gonna teach her how to use it. That was a disaster waiting to happen. It was hard enough training a child, but a full grown woman, who had never used her powers before? That was just asking for trouble.

If Miss Rianneth couldn’t teach her, he’d have Kylan do it. The spirits knew, if anyone had the patience for such a task, it would be Kylan.

The wind shifted, and a scent he had never smelled before filled his senses. It was warm, sweet and musky. As he sat in the dark, he heard the creak of a board on the far end of the porch. He turned his head, and saw her standing there. The moon crept out from behind a cloud and bathed her in it’s ethereal light.

She was barefoot, and wearing one of Kylan’s sleeping gowns. It was a crème color, long and flowing. It had wide straps, and the top fit her breasts perfectly, hugging them. A thick strip of light blue wrapped around her chest, right below her breasts, and then flowed free down to her calves. Her hands rested on the banister as she raised her face to the sky, eyes closed, with a smile on her face. The wind blew her damp locks away from her face and swirled the gown around her legs.

He wanted to just sit and watch her for as long as he could, but knew she would be upset. It would almost be worth it. Almost. He turned his head back to the sky and spoke, “Beautiful night.”

He chuckled as she jumped, startled by his presence.

With her hand to her heart, she turned and gave him a baleful glare. “If you were trying to shave a few years off my life, you managed it.”

With a smile on his face, he turned to her. “Believe it or not, that wasn’t my intention.” He turned his attention back towards the night sky that was once again being consumed by storm clouds. “Would you care to join me?”

It was the first real smile she had seen on his face. Normally, she only received a smirk. The smile was sexier than the smirk. She thought it could also be more dangerous. As her heart raced in her chest, she slowly walked towards him. When she reached him, he moved over on the steps, to allow her to sit beside him.

She hesitantly lowered herself, waiting for him to try and goad her into an argument. When he didn’t, she relaxed and gazed up into the dark night. She could see the clouds starting to light in the distance, and a soft rumbling could be heard. With a smile on her face, she gave a contented sighed. “I can’t remember the last time I was able to watch a storm like this. It’s so different than watching from in the city.”

As she sat beside him, she felt dwarfed by his size. She knew she was short, but she never thought she would be considered small. Instead of being intimidated by the size difference, she felt oddly comforted by it. He reached into the pouch at his waist and pulled out his pipe. As he lit it, she noted the size of his hands. He would be able to easily palm a basketball. His fingers, while not long and thin weren’t short and stubby either. She figured her hand would look like a child’s next to his. She was always told she had very dainty hands, with short fingers. Her engagement ring had been a size five and a half. Her hand would definitely look like a child’s compared to his.

“How so?”

“What?”

“How different is it here, than in the city?”

“Oh, well,” What was she talking about again? Oh right, watching storms.

Before she answered she paused, wondering how different their worlds actually were. “The buildings get in the way. Unless you live on the top floor in one of the taller buildings, you won’t see much. I’ve never been able to watch a storm and be able to see for miles like this. It’s amazing.”

How different were their worlds? “How tall are the buildings?”

Wrapping her arms around her, she rubbed her arms as the air became slightly chilled. “Your house is a two story house. Imagine fifty of your houses stacked one on top of the other. Some are even taller. The apartment I lived in was about fifteen of your houses. Thirty floors in the building, and I lived on the 3rd floor. I couldn’t see anything from my windows except the neighbors across the street.” A frown appeared on her face. Just thinking about it made her feel claustrophobic. It had never bothered her before, but being here just one day had changed that.

“Those are some pretty big buildings. We don’t have them that tall here. The largest building you’ll find here is the King’s palace. Even then, it doesn’t compare to what you just described.” He turned his eyes towards her and noticed the frown. He wondered if he should say anything, but decided against it.

Noticing she was shivering, he called himself a fool. Here he was sitting outside in a woolen jerkin and even he was slightly chilly. He rose to go into the house and get something to warm her.

“Where are you going?” She turned to look up at him.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

She heard him rummaging around in the house and cringed when she heard a crash. When she heard what she assumed was curse words, for they were indiscernible, she giggled. Hearing his footsteps coming towards her, she swallowed the giggle and sat there like she hadn’t heard a thing, then she was wrapped in warmth. Raising her hands, to pull the fabric around her, she brushed her hands against his.

She didn’t have time to react, for as soon as they touched, he pulled his hands away. Even though it was just a second, she felt electricity at the touch. Trying to keep her voice level, to not let him know the effect that one little touch had on her, she spoke a low thank you.

They sat in silence as the storm rolled in and watched the sky together, the lightning dancing from cloud to cloud their entertainment for the night. When the wind picked up and began blowing rain onto them, they ended their peaceful night.

When they were back in the house, she tried to hand him back the cloak he had given her. He told her to keep it, bade her goodnight, and walked up the stairs to his room.

Smiling, she wrapped the cloak around her, breathed in his scent that surrounded her, and went to her room. Her head no sooner hit the pillow than she was asleep with his cloak still wrapped around her shoulders.

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lil_merc_girl

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