A Tale of Two Mercenaries

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Zaira can almost Ranir's voice in her head again, but she doesn't let his words conquer her thoughts again. Yes, Arean has lied to her about the magic, but he did so for a cause that she cannot dispute. The knight has proven again that he saved her, and by keeping in the dark about his magic, he allowed for their relationship to grow to a point where she wouldn't bolt at the sign of a magic spark. Now, she sits with his head in her lap while he tells her how it pained him to keep such information from her. She pushes his hair away from his closed eyes as he continues to speak, but she doesn't have the heart to tell him to stop and sleep. He hadn't minded her fingers on his cheeks, so her hands continue to move, sometimes trailing down his neck.

"It's okay," she whispers when there's a moment's pause in his speech. His eyes have caught the falchion and he shifts in topic, causing Zaira to fall silent again. She only caresses his head while he talks, doing her best to support him and his weakened voice. However, when he tells her to keep the sword, a weapon she has little experience with, she pulls back slightly. The sword had been his and he had carried it through his hardships, so why couldn't she do the same?

"I'll keep it by my side," she says, "and I'll pass through the fires of my own fears, just as you have." She puts the sheathed falchion against the cot on the ground before her hands drift back to his face. "Now, you need to rest, alright? I'm not taking no for an answer." Straightening up, she huffs and blows the dwindling candle out, leaving the tent in darkness. "I'll be here when you wake up, I promise." She leans back down to place another soft kiss on his forehead before she places her chin in her hand and places her elbow on her knee. It's a crude sleeping position, but now that Arean is with her again, she's not letting him leave her sight. Her free hand stays against his head, fingers tangling themselves in his blonde hair. Despite her exhaustion, she doesn't fall asleep. She's in the habit of keeping watch over Arean as he sleeps, just as he's done for her, and she won't stop now.

"Good night, Arean. And thank you for trying to find me."
 
Her fingers make trails across his face, neck, and through his hair. Arean's eyes stay shut for the majority of her movements. She is gentile when she caresses his neck and when she places a kiss on his forehead. Not even he is immune to her affections. His heart turns soft in his chest and it expands and contracts with every breath he takes. The knight wonders to himself when she speaks about passing through her own trials, if one has already been growing comfortable with magic. She will have to if they are going to be together. But no words can describe how Arean feels when her fingers leave a icy tickle down his spine or how his heart pounds and pounds against his ribcage, trying to be free. All he wants is to be able to tell her how he feels. But he has never told a girl about love before.

"Please go to... sleep too, Zaria," Arean whispers gently, a hand reaching up and behind him so that he may press his palm to her waist. His fatigue makes his lids grow heavy and fingers barely touch her with the strength he once possessed. "I will not... stand for you resting in the position you... are in right now. All you need to do is… lie down here too. Sleep... by my side so I may… reassure myself in… my dreams that you… are... still here." But his words are losing their steam, sleep grasping him quickly enough. "And that I… still have you… in the morning." But now that the tent is dark, her eyes have no adjusted well to the lack of light. Arean mouths that all he ever wanted was her before passing out in her lap as promised by his condition.

So his dreams are filled with ways that he can impress her to make her love him. But what his subconscious fails to realize is that he already has her love. She has accepted him as much as she can. He had expected her to storm from the tent when he revealed he had magic or at least threaten him with hurtful words. But she surprised the knight by calmly telling him, despite the pain in her eyes, that she needed to worry about that when he was done healing. She cares more about him and his health than her fear of what he has become. But will she learn to love the new Arean, a magic wielder, just as much as she loves him as a knight? Arean dreads to know the wrong answer. At least in his dreams he can kiss her back with all his might and combined passion that he can muster. In his dreams, he is not close to death. He whispers her name throughout the night.
 
Before she can give a reply, Arean succumbs to his exhaustion and falls asleep in her lap, just like she told him to. However, his hand still brushes her waist and her fingers still comb through his hair. He wants her to move, but now that he's unconscious, she doesn't want to stir lest he wakes up. After careful consideration, Zaira decides that he's not likely to wake up given how close to death he's been for some time. She lifts his head from her lap and replaces the pillow where her legs were. Watching him, she makes sure Arean doesn't move before she stands up and stretches.

The last time she shared a bed with the knight, she had been drunk and unable to function properly. Now, no alcohol clouds her judgement and mars her thoughts. She can think clearly enough to know that if anyone sees them in the same bed, something will happen. Still, the poor man spent his last few words asking if she would sleep by his side, if only for reassurance that she won't leave. Zaira hardly thinks she needs to prove such a thing to Arean, but she can't say it now.

After Zaira stands there for a few moments, she finally pins down her choice. Shifting the blanket resting on Arean's body, she pushes it aside long enough to slide onto the cot. She rests her head on Arean's shoulder and pulls the thin blanket back over them. Only now does she see how tired she is, for when she closes her eyes, the last thing she remembers is Arean's body against hers and how much she misses his body heat. She releases a deep breath and drifts off into sleep.

Even when the sun burns bright in the morning, Zaira still sleeps. Such a reunion between her and the man she loves has taken its toll on her body. She has gotten only a few hours of sleep each night, less than a healthy amount, ever since she left Ranir's castle. Now, her sleeping form is relaxed and unwound in Arean's cot, one leg curled around his own and her long hair splayed out on his chest. Her locks unbound themselves from the ponytail during the night and so her hair is free to tangle, the tips of her hair tickling Arean's arm. For once, the huntress is sleeping in peace.
 
Unlike the other times where Arean had shared a close, rather intimate, sleeping arrangements with Zaria, this time he is less stiff. Maybe she will blame it on the lack of energy his body has to tense up but Arean knows that the stress of a dragon does not loom over the both of them. All those other times, he was sacred to give into his true, loving, nature and succumb to the consequences of living his life the way he wanted to live it. Now, he and Zaria can be together. That is… if she would take him after all that has passed between them. She needs time to think. One side of his brain told him in his sleep. No, you must tell her how you feel and if she still returns your feelings, only then will see accept you for who you are. You cannot keep lying to her. That's what the other side of his brain tells him and Arean knows what is right.

When he wakes up, Arean hardly stirs from his position, not wanting to wake up Zaria. He smiles, the part of him that doubted her taking up his offer to sleep beside him proved wrong. What his eyes see are a peaceful set of dreams locked away underneath hair and closed eyes. Without making too much noise, Arean scoots himself closer to Zaria, enjoying their proximity too much. But most of all, he enjoys the way the sides of her lips curve upwards as gently as possible. Only if he was looking for it at such a distance, would Arean be able to find that smile. Even in her dreams, she is happy now that she is with him.

That's a good sign. His brain reminds him in a whisper, the lips of his turning up to reflect her own. Since his energy always peaks in the mornings, before the real labor starts, Arean starts with his first order of business. Instead of moving back and away from Zaria, he takes a risk and gently closes the gap between them in every way he can. His body turns more towards her, his hand pressing against her abdomen or back depending on her position. Its the safest place for him to be for he fears that being too close to the south or north would only get him into trouble. So he waits when she doesn't stir from her sleep and doesn't fail to take every opportunity to inch their heads closer together.

Out of all the dreams that replayed themselves in his mind of what Zaria would feel like against his fingers or taste like against his lips, nothing can fantasize the real deal. While she sleeps, Arean licks his lips, looking down to hers more often than not. He wonders if he could get away with kissing her in her sleep so that she will never find out. Well, never find out as in not find out right now. An excited horror of a seed grows in his throat, lips already dry even though he just licked them. Her breath falls out of her open mouth, chest rising and falling to the beat of her own heart. The final step completes itself. He moves his head one more meter and their foreheads press together. He closes his eyes, simply breathing in her as he gages her shallow breathing to see if she has awakened or not.
 
Zaira doesn't move as Arean does. She doesn't stir even when his hand slides along and rests on her back. Her head rests on his chest and her left hand is curled into a loose fist tucked under her chin. She's fast asleep, peaceful rest gracing her body for the time being. As Arean shifts to face her, her eyes tighten and a soft whimper leaves her as her head tries to burrow deeper against his chest. Her dreams have consisted of spending time with Arean, finally perfecting that aim of his, and when she helps him, she would get kisses for her reward. It seems an odd concept for Zaira to think about, but her subconscious has taken over for the time being. When Arean presses his forehead to hers, Zaira's hand uncurls and pushes against his shoulder.

It takes her a moment or two to fully wake up after Arean moves. When her eyes open, she finds herself blinking and Arean's face comes into view. Yes, he is handsome to her, and it would have been a nice sight to wake up to if she'd been expecting it. Alas, she was not, and her first reaction is to jerk away from him. However, she moves the wrong way and ends up knocking her head against Arean's. Immediately, she sits up, not even noticing Arean's hand around her back. "Sorry," she says, "I... I wasn't expecting to wake up next to you." Realizing how odd it sounds, she quickly adds, "Not that I didn't want to, it's just that I thought I'd be awake and you'd already be... gone." A pink hue of embarrassment sweeps across her face and Zaira tries to hide it by leaning and kissing him on the forehead. However, this only adds to the blush and she turns and looks down at the ground in a very pointed search for the leather strip used in her hair.

When she finds it, she seems to have recovered from her stutter. "Are you feeling better? Hijkar showed me how to make the medicine you need. I should probably give you some since I didn't last night." Her start as Arean's caretaker hasn't taken off quite as well as she might have wanted. "Did you sleep alright?"
 
Arean stops his advances when her hand pushes against his shoulder. "Oh," he breathes out, seeing that even in her dreams, she is pushing him away. If she really wanted him, she would have accepted his inbound kiss. But now the concept seems stupid to the knight, his throat closing up from any words that he could say right now. Only to fuel his thoughts, Zaria jerks away from him quickly, his arms recoiling quickly against his chest before she can register that they had been holding her at all. Her reaction took him by surprise, the knocking of their heads together eliciting a groan from him and nothing more as he too pretends to wake up. "What the…" he grumbles, rubbing the spot where she had knocked into him in a futile attempt to cure it.

But the flushing of her cheeks tells Arean another story and even more so when she leans in and kisses his forehead. Now the poor man is confused, his brows knitting together and breath hardly leaving his mouth without shaking. "What?" he questions rhetorically, trying to calculate all that she is saying for she is speaking so fast just like a gust of wind travels through the valley. "I… If anyone is leaving, it's you, Zaria. I can… hardly get out of… bed," he motions with a relaxed hand towards the tent flap, "by myself. Let alone run away from… you. Why would I even want to? I'm the one who wants… you close." But as he says his words, she is already looking for something on the ground. He lifts his chin up, trying to pull his chest up too but only a pressure builds in his neck and his head falls back down on the cot. He cannot help her look.

"Zaria," he asks calmly, reaching over to place a hand on her arm that quickly slips down to her hand, "you need to just calm down." Arean's head is already spinning from all the turns they both had just taken in the last few seconds. He thought he was going to kiss her, she maneuvered out of the way, then set her lips upon his forehead. The whole deal. "Then when your mind... is clear, stop worrying, and focus." When she takes a few noticeable breaths, Arean finally answers her questions, "Yes, I slept well. But, you know... that I passed out anyway so sleep was destined in my schedule. But… I'm happy that you stayed so close to me… I'm sure its a comfort and what kept me sleeping." He closes his eyes for a moment, sucking in a deep breath and turning to lay on his back. "I'm always better in the mornings than at night. After midday, my energy is lost but now, I'm sure I could handle myself a little better than most."
 
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Zaira forces herself to stop and breathe. She's worrying too much about Arean. She's never been one to let her emotions rule her thoughts and there's no reason to start now. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, noting that his hand slides over hers. She realizes his words are in line with her thoughts and turns to look at him. He's on his back with his eyes closed, but she gives a slight smile anyway. She can't be sure that he feels that way about her next to him because he has missed her or because he has wanted someone by him. She decides not to focus on that for the time being. She slides her hand away from his for just a moment to tie her hair back up in a ponytail. When she's finished, her hand reaches up to stroke his hair.

"I didn't mean to move away from you so quickly. I'm sorry if I hurt you," she says, her finger untangling a few strands of his blonde hair. She takes the time to really look him over, the dark brown eyes inspecting his body and face. "Waking up next to you is... Well, the last time that happened, I was drunk." She closes her eyes, recalling the memory before deciding that what she needs to think about is the man right in front of her. Her thumb rubs against Arean's temple softly as she thinks.

"Arean, I do have to admit that I'm not quite sure why Ranir did what he did to you. As much as I hate that man, he did heal me." Her free hand drifts to the one visible, black scar on her arm, the dark line cleanly healed by magic. "If he did that, why did he take your magic?"
 
A portion of Arean's muscle has been shed from the draining that Ranir insisted upon. Its not like Arean could fight back. But more importantly, Ranir threatened to kill Zaria if Arean tried to resist this drawing of his magic for that man's own purposes. Arean had, and still to this day has, no idea if Ranir was telling the truth. If he killed Zaria, that would mean that Arean's power would dwindle. But Arean did not think of such logic when his mind whirred inside of his head while deep in that cell in the ground. Even so, even if now Arean doubts Ranir's abilities, he wouldn't put it past the mage to siphon some other power out of Arean's anger that would come from Zaria's death. The past is, after all, a playground of what could have been. Arean just tries to focus on what his present is. He has Zaria. They are safe. They are … together. But not in the way Arean wishes.

"Its… its okay." The knight shrugs as best he can, shoulders barely moving against the tight cot. "You didn't hurt me." Arean lies through his teeth, a gentle frown playing on his lips than disappearing once she starts to speak again. His eyes open, her melodic line that her fingers travel around his temple soothes the knight. For a huntress, her touch is gentle, something that Arean always knew she had within her. This woman cares for him like nothing he has ever seen before. She would raid an entire bandit camp looking for him, he is sure, as well as leave the comfort of his possible existence somewhere away from her to be able to find him again. His mouth opens again, just wanting to say her name. He feels as though his gaze would do enough.

While she ponders, he shifts his hands about his sides, finding the best area and angle for him to hoist himself up. Zaria questions next, her fingers stopping their work to help him sit up on the cot. With no distractions, Arean stares at her, a small smile on his face. After all the questions she asked him, all the pain he is going through, the knight smiles. Its obvious to him that she still loves him despite the momentary lapse in his observations when she first woke up. "It's because Ranir knows one of the most obvious secrets about me, Zaria." He whispers this time, catching her attention so that she turns his way. But instead of her eyes catching his own, she finds him staring at a middle ground. Her lips.

"You see," he breathes, inching closer to her in order to feed her curiosity, "there is a very good reason that Ranir took me in like he did and made me weak as I am now." Licking his lips, they feel chapped and cracked from his sickness but he cares not. A hand comes up and removes her fallen hairs from her face for the first time since she has been reunited with him. The hand immediately makes contact with her cheek as he smoothes his fingers over each line her face provides him. "There is a magic in you that takes a hold of me." He proceeds to inch closer, her scent becoming potent in his nostrils as he breathes in, trying to calm his pounding heart. "I did not have magic before because I did not know you and therefore, it could not be unlocked."

With poise, he stops when his nose touches the side of hers, their breaths twisting together in the air before them. His other hand holds her head steady, hand around the back of her neck. "I need you. Your love. Only then may I fuel my own for you. I love you. Only then…" But he cannot resist her any longer, his lips coming to snatch hers before she can speak to the words that are lingering in her ears. His fingers tighten with restraint, his kiss steady and foreword. It won't be until she returns his lips with a rhythm of her own that he will part his and let her, let them, enjoy the textures and tastes of each other.
 
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Zaira's hands pause on his head as his arms shift around and she moves to aid him in sitting up. He's been laying down and she sees his motion as progress for the day. Her questions seem to go unanswered and a scowl starts to fold her lips and her head turns. Then, Arean speaks and her name hangs on the end of his words in a soft whisper. It's enough to make her head turn back, though her eyes swirl with confusion. "I don't understand," she says. She turns on the bed so her legs rest over the side, though she still faces him. She knows Ranir has powerful magic, but for him to take Arean's magic would mean that Arean's even stronger than him. Considering that the knight showed no signs of ever possessing magic when she first met him, Zaira can't decipher how he now knows about his own abilities.

She doesn't have to worry for long, for Arean's hand distracts her thoughts and causes her listen to him. His fingers are gentle, though she attributes that to the fact that he can't apply pressure to much of anything in his state. Still, it doesn't stop his hand from running along her face, and for once, she finds she doesn't mind the contact. His words, however, throw more confusion into the mix. "Me?" she asks, disbelief coating her voice. "But I don't have any...." She trails off as he moves closer but she doesn't stop him or his words. Her dark orbs flick about, studying his face before she blinks and feels his nose brush hers. She wants to interrupt his admittance of love, but Zaira finds that she has no voice with which to do so. She only manages to breath out before his lips press to hers, and that's when she finally lets go of her fear that he will never love her.

One of Zaira's hands curls into Arean's hair while the other brushes along his neck. Just as Arean discovered, Zaira knows now that her dreams would have never hold up against the real thing. Despite his illness, Arean's lips move softly against her own and she responds in kind. After his lips part, Zaira scoots closer to him, her hand running along his chest. Her body urges her along and her thoughts are quick to turn of things she had only imagined, but part of her doesn't want to push the tentative motion too far. There's that and the other tiny thought that she needs breath. Reluctantly, Zaira relinquishes her hold on Arean and pulls away.

"I... I thought you didn't," she says, her eyes downcast for a short second. "I wanted to tell you that I... I loved you too, but... you know how I am with words." A slight chuckle leaves her lips and her head shakes once. "I'm sorry that I doubted you, or that I didn't tell you." Her hand still traces random patterns on his chest and she looks back up at him. "After Ranir told me you had supposedly left, I thought that I was never going to see you again and that I would never get the chance to say anything about... how I felt."
 
Arean takes the air right out of her lungs, his own respiration not sure of where to breathe. He takes air in through his mouth, only drawing in her breath, then his nose which comes to the same exact conclusion. But Arean doesn't stop, his face moving to the rhythm that they create together. He would pull her onto his lap or push her down and kiss her over and over again until they both nearly suffocate. But his strength does not allow such fantasies to become reality. For now, he wants to hold her and savor her taste or the way her lips feel when they are met with resistance when pulling away. Eventually, she demands to catch her breath, head purposely moving from his range. He wants to chase her but his body stays still.

His chest rises and falls, the pressure of her fingers only helping cure him from his ailment. "That's what... I told you, Zaria," he practically pants, his throat dry and voice cracking because of it. "It's my, my, biggest lie. You see, I couldn't bare... the thought of losing you to that dragon. For reasons unknown then, I thought that telling you such… such a thing as love would distract you from... our goal. I might have been… wrongly misguided by my… by me. But now I have done all that I can… to mend the way in which I treated… you." Now that the plague of his past is off his shoulders, Arean listens to Zaria's words about telling him of her love for him.

"You heard my speech… back by... the bandits, and every word is true. When I don't think about you, I… talk about you and when that ends, I start… full circle. You make my head spin, Zaria. My heart has been taken… and replaced with a better, stronger bonded, one. I will always… be here for you. I… always meant it when I said it. Not only because we were partners. But… because I wouldn't have it… any other way."

A smile brightens the knights sunken face, a memory on the forest floor playing in his head. "I wanted to... kiss you that night before… before your drunken escapade. I nearly did but… I too am not as sure as I may seem. You see, I pulled away because of the… shock of it all. But now, I know you should… speak through your actions when it comes… to love." His hand comes back up to her hairline, barely touching the roots of her hair. "I wish that you could not have suffered." Arean's smile turns sad at the thought, fingers withdrawing from her hair. "But now you… have all the time in the world… to tell me why."
 
Zaira feels like an innocent girl again, a strange feeling that she thought she was not capable of. She has never had the experience of love, only rouge entanglements with men for money or things she needed for the road ahead. However, Arean makes her feel like she's not the hardened, angry huntress that she seems to be. He has a way of digging into her heart and bringing out the gentle side of her. It's all these thoughts and more that cause a pink blush to lighten her cheeks as he assures her that he'll always be there. She gives him a smile but he's already smiling at her. Her eyes close at his touch, but when he pulls his hand down, she sees his expression twist with just a twinge of sorrow.

"We can wish for a lot of things, but... Let's focus on now." She doesn't let him focus on the sad thoughts as her lips press against his for a second time, the hand on his chest sliding up to his shoulder. After spending so much time wondering if Arean ever loved her, Zaira no longer worries about that. Her actions have always spoken louder than her words, and she's not changing that course of action now. In their previous kiss, Zaira had felt his desire to go farther and she lets her mouth move against his for far longer than before.

When she pulls away, she finds herself dwelling on the thoughts she told him to avoid. She doesn't want Ranir to come back, since she's sure no one killed him during Arean's escape. Ranir would not be taken down by a score of bandits, or by anything, Zaira feels. Her head descends to rest on Arean's shoulder. "Arean?" she asks, though her voice holds a tiny amount of timidness. "Do you think Ranir will come back for you? Do you think he knew all this time what... what would happen?" She recalls the night Ranir came to her while Arean slept, tempting her with ideas of killing Arean and taking the money for herself. Now, she can hardly believe those thoughts went through her mind.
 
Her kisses are more than a medicine, they are an addictive drug. They're soft and sweet at first, turning into whatever their passions allow. His head moves as well as he can with hers, chin bumping hers occasionally or lips missing their mark. But no matter his state, he keeps squeezing the air from his lungs so he may have another second of this newfound bliss between them. While his eyes are closed, all he thinks about is her. The way he makes her smile, something that he thought he would have to lure out of her. It was her trust that he had to reel in, throwing his kindness at her in an almost manipulative way.

"I thought you said we were going to focus on now?" He questions when their lips part and she speaks her mind. The weight of her head rests against his shoulder, his tired arms looping themselves around her waist to keep her tight against him. "Very well," he sighs reluctantly, his mind moving from Zaria to the man who brought him to his disgrace. What is a soldier, a knight, who cannot stand properly without some support or even speak without becoming winded. It should heal soon, he knows, and when Zaria stays by his side, the quicker the whole thing will go. He looks to the way her unbound hair twists its way down to her shoulders. Reaching out, there is no fear this time of rejection, he takes some strands between his fingers and plays with them delicately.

It calms him. His short breath grows long again. He thinks upon, ponders, and realizes, all that she is saying. Ranir will come after him, he is certain. "Yes," he nods his head, "I am sure that he will want to drain every last ounce of my magic because that's what men like him do. They do not care for anything else but their legacy, not giving any shits if anyone else is alive to see them. He wants followers, not friends. We are his enemies now, Zaria, and I dare say that we need to be careful. "But I'm not sure if he knew. I would doubt him being completely dense. He must have had known something would occur, something would break me out of that jail so that I could see you again. I couldn't allow myself to sit there and rot while you left your own way and traveled away from me."

"But the truth of the matter is that my Falchion was gone. I knew you had to have taken it. When I didn't see it come back to me when I summoned all my armor and sword, a quiet part of me assured me that you had it. I worried, sure, or maybe I was too tired, too weak to worry. But that doesn't matter. You're here now. Thank you Zaria. Just promise me that you will help me right this plague of the world so that we may live without his shadow hanging over us."
 
Zaira feels the gentle tug as Arean twists her hair around his fingers. She smiles despite the subject of speech they've now come to focus on. She lets his words sink in, but a worried line creases her brow as he confirms her question. If Ranir came back, she's sure, just as Arean is, that he would come for the knight. She doesn't want to think that Arean would die if Ranir is allowed to drain him of his magic. A protective mood comes over her and she wraps her arms around his waist and holds him tight. She remains silent until he stops and the huntress glances up as he asks for her help.

"Of course I will. I want to see that man dead anyway. He put us up against that dragon and nearly got us both killed." She frowns and straightens up in his arms. "This is likely not the first time this has happened. He knew what he was looking for and where exactly the cube was. You're right about him. He had to know that you would eventually do something." She sighs, but to rub the scowl from her face, she leaves another soft kiss on his lips. She stands, pulling herself from his grasp. She moves to the vials Hijkar showed her the night before, preparing the medicine as he instructed her.

"Do you know of a stream or lake near here? I'd like to wash the dirt from my hair." She swings her hair over her shoulder, picking a tangle from her locks. "I've been on the move for a while and didn't feel safe enough to stop. While I enjoy the company of my horse, he's not too keen on sensing others."
 
Arean closes his eyes for a moment, breathing in a slow breath. The morning air is not cold as it had been in the mountains nor hot like the volcano's belly had been. This air is rather unnoticeable to Arean, chill neither taking over nor sweat starting to form on his temples. They can both relax for once, and be at ease until its time to hunt down the man who had done this to both of them. "I know you want to... see Ranir buried so deep… that not even the creatures of the earth... would want to travel down to eat his corpse." A smile brightens his face as quickly as a sword shines in the sun. "He definitely sought us... out, Zaria because he knew that… we would win."

He lets go of her hair, fingers now traveling down her arm and to her waist before she kisses him again. Then her lips touch his and he confides in himself that he wants nothing more but to sit here and exchange quiet words between the pull and push of their lips. Its only when she tries to get up that Arean whines, the soft, low, sound vibrating from his closed mouth. Even though he knows that she must leave his side and prepare his medicine, Arean cannot help but grip the edge of the bed, like a dog waiting at the window, and wait until she comes back to him. "You'll have to bribe me in some way," Arean grins, "so... that I take that medicine. Either that or you'll have... to force me to drink it."

When she asks for some source of water to wash off, Arean shrugs his shoulders. The honesty is in his eyes as they stare in her vicinity. Only liars make a point to look straight at their accuser. "But you look so... wild and have embraced… the free spirit of the world. With grime in your hair all the same." Arean waits for her response, hoping that its fruitful. "But… in all seriousness," his amber eyes close behind lidded window blinds, "I… I'm trying to remember if there is somewhere near… yes! Yeah, I remember passing a brook only ten or so miles from this bandit camp. I'm sure … if you want to talk to one of the leaders… I am sure they will talk back. They might be on the... wild side themselves, but they're good people."
 
Zaira can't help but smile as Arean tells her she has to bribe him. She knows she can think of a few ways to make him take the medicine, but she waits until he finishes speaking to answer him. However, she cannot formulate a statement since his words allude to the idea that he will not accompany her to the brook. She has yet to trust these bandits, but she doesn't comment on that part. She knows Arean is aware of how difficult it is for her to trust, even if the leader of the bandits is female. She distracts herself momentarily by mixing the medicines as Hijkar showed her, putting a small cork in the vial until she's ready to use it.

"You could come with me, you know," she says, tapping her finger on the small table. "It might do you some good to be out. You wouldn't have to walk. I'm sure Legs would carry you just fine." She pauses, tying up her hair to keep it out of her eyes. The fact that her strands are tangled bothers her, despite Arean's best attempts to comment on her appearance. "Free spirit or not, I like it when my hair isn't tangled and my clothes are... less free of dirt." She picks up the vial and swirls its contents together before she perches on the edge of the bed again by his side.

She clinks the vial against her nails before her left hand brushes over his arm. An itching twinge makes her palm twitch and she flips her hand over to find the burn marks. They make her want to scratch her hand and she doesn't know why. Doing her best to ignore the feeling, she glances up to Arean with just a hint of a mischievous smirk. "You know I don't want to force anything on you...," she slides her free hand up his arm and along his chest, a finger tickling along his neck, "and I'm hoping Hijkar didn't have to bribe you in order to drink this." She seems entirely aware of his attraction to her and how he's responded to the kisses. Aware enough to use it to her advantage. "So, what do I have to do in order to get you to take this?" she asks, wiggling the vial in between her fingers.
 
"I can?" He questions, looking breathlessly up to her, threatening to chuckle at her comment. Then she keeps talking and he stays quiet, loving the sound of her voice in his ear. "Well… if I don't have to walk," he contemplates aloud, "then it might be clear waters... ahead for the both of us." A chuckle does come when she grounds her own thoughts against his compliments. She returns, sitting rather close, his weight drawing towards her. The bed bends gently when she adds her weight but it does not break or snap. "But I would love to…"

But his eyes turn down when she touches his arm, watching the trail her fingers run down his arm. It excites him, perhaps too much so, to the point that he feels his breath threatening to grow short once more. "Zaria," he breathes, his words full of concern, looking down at the scattered black across her palm. "What is this?" But he already thinking of many answers. It was either Ranir or the dragon. The night before they faced that cruel beast, Arean could be certain he remembers her skin being free of any blatantly distinguishing marks. "Did Ranir?" His voice grows as angry as it can without him coughing up a lung. Grabbing her hand gently with his free one, the other holding up his weight, he resists running his thumb over the spot in question. Instead, he presses his lips to her palm before looking back up at her.

"You don't?" A brow rises, his lips already feeling dry. "I thought you were the kind of girl to hold down a man. You wouldn't take any shit and you're a girl who knows her mind." Her hand withdraws from his but he watches it as she runs it along his chest and up his arm. "Oh only if you knew what ends Hijkar went to in order to get me to drink that very vial." Arean jokes, looking from the vial in her hands to the smirk hidden in plain sight in her eyes. "You… are cruel, Zaria Hale. A cruel, cruel, woman. Using… me against myself." His fingers itch to push the vial away but, rather, he would enjoy to see where she takes her next step. "Hijkar, however, is a giant so that is to his advantage."
 
She can't focus on his comment about her hand, but she's already into their playful banter to really think about it. She wants him to take his medicine, because in the end it will help him heal, but if she has to pour it down his throat, so be it. She smiles as he tells her she's a cruel woman, but she simply shrugs. "I do need you to take it, and I am quite resourceful, as you know. I can only hope that Hijkar simply used his large size to his advantage and nothing else. Certainly nothing like...," she trails off as her hand slides up his neck and around to the base of his neck, tangling in his hair, "...this." She kisses his cheek, scooting closer on the bed.

"Besides, I would hold you down if I thought you were going to fight back. But you can't, since you're weakened as you are. It might be more fun if you were stronger. If you don't drink this, then you'll never get better." Her claim isn't entirely true, but she figures Hijkar wouldn't be forcing the medicine down Arean's throat if he thought it wasn't going to help. She glances up at him, sadness wringing her heart as she truly sees his body and how much he doesn't have. He's lost muscle and while he's still handsome, there's a ill darkness in his eyes that she wants to rid him off.

With the tiniest shake of her head, she resumes her tempting offer to ingest the likely foul-tasting medicine. She lowers the hand holding the medicine and leans up, her lips pressing against his in a swift kiss. "Please take it?" she asks, her mouth still grazing his. "I want you to feel better."
 
"You would be surprised..." Arean starts to tell her, "at that man, well giant, and his ability to get what he wants." Grinning still, the knight invites her closer when she scoots forward, seeing clearly that she does not want to talk about the scars that have changed the terrain of her skin. Maybe, Arean thinks, his magic could heal her once Ranir is gone. His magic is twisted, just like that mage's smile. Arean can't help but think that he made those scars on purpose. It would be a gift to Zaria from him for the rest of her days. If he can't at least make the markings fade, he will convince her of their beauty. Or at least what it stands for.

"But, my dear..." Arean barely speaks before she brushes her lips against his. Every single thought inside his mind fades, disperses like a raindrop in water. "Um," is the only sound that comes from his throat, a hand moving to her hip. It's true that his hand is still warm, pressing against her more for stability than anything else. "I think you have made... A very good argument, Zaria, with as few words as possible." Pulling back his head far enough to see her entire face, he looks from the vial to her eyes and knows that she is only trying to help. But then he remembers the taste, the texture, and Arean's free hand reaches gingerly for the vial.

"When I regain my strength..." Is all he says to her, grinning again before squeezing his fingers around the cork and pulling it upwards. It pops, the sound practically echoing in the tent. "To my health and your return to my side. That's truly what is going to heal me in the end." Lifting the vial to his lips, Arean let's gravity work. It smells like rotting vegetables that belong in a compost pile. But Arean drinks it, closing his eyes, wrinkles forming on the corners of his lids. But he swallows, the itch starting inside his throat that he knows too well. Looking away from Zaria, he dips his head down and keeps swallowing as if it's tough to.
 
Her lips curve into a light smile as he drinks, understanding the foul taste of the medicine. She waits until he drains the vial before she pulls it away from his hands. "Thank you," she says, rubbing his cheek with her thumb before she stands. She pushes the cork back into the top and sets the glass container back where she found it. If Ranir had drained Arean's magic because of her, then she would be the one to eventually restore him to his power. In order to do that, she has to stay near him. However, he seems entrenched with these bandits, and she cannot bring herself to trust them. Only Hijkar has a tiny amount of her trust, and that is only because he cared for Arean when she could not.

A small huff of frustration leaves her, but she follows it up with words. "I think we should go to the stream right now," she announces, turning back to him. Her thoughts are hidden from him, for she doesn't want to talk about the bandits or trust or anything to do with the outside world. Inside the tent, she is just Zaira and he is just Arean and no one bothers them. "I can go get Legs and we can go. Just the two of us." It would be as it had been. She needed no one else by her side, not in that moment, and not ever.

Zaira steps back up to the bed, one hand reaching out to stroke his hair. Only around Arean is she willing to be touched. In any instant she could revert back to being cold and dismissive. As far as she's concerned, only the knight in front of her would receive the soft treatment and be allowed past the walls of her heart.
 
After their trip to the river, just the two of them like Zaria requested, Arean insists that she try and open up and meet some of the rogues who he has been living with for the past few weeks. All that he asks is that she eats with them. Unwillingly, Zaria declines but soon warms up to the idea when Arean tells her that she may sit next to him and never leave his side. Arean noticed more of the burns on her hands and her body as they rode towards the river, worry striking again at his core but his mouth saying nothing out of his wish to not upset her. The last thing he wants is to anger her and make her leave, even though he knows deep down she will never do that. When Zaria went to wash herself in the river, his eyes grew too tired to stay open for long and sleep soon claiming him after arriving. It wouldn't be until Zaria wakes him up that he notices his folly.

The bandits, as far as Arean could see that evening, were still on edge about freeing Zaria. Most of them still believed that this was all some sort of game, a trick, a ploy, to get closer to their leader and then kill her for the money. All they can think about it money. The night went on without a lot of jabs in Zaria's direction. Those that were cast were immediately tisked by the other members, a few chuckles here and there and then the sound of hands slapping leather armor. Arean is thankful when the meal passes, no bloodshed… yet. But he can only hold his tongue until his strength returns to him. He snapped a few times, defending his lady from their gentle harassment, but knew that his words weren't taken seriously by those who didn't trust him. There would still be snickers and laughs through the air as heads dipped down again to eat.

A week passes, Arean's strength returning to his body enough that he speaks without panting and can walk with the aid of someone's shoulder rather than their entire body. Its Zaria who he sleeps with, his arms protectively around her as he imagined many nights long ago and sometimes played out when the opportunity came. The knight believes that she is the reason for his swift recovery, some color splashing back upon his cheeks and his body announcing its hunger more often than not. Before he could barely eat, now, at least, he is finishing a quarter of a plate, then half, and now an entire meal. And all the while, Zaria stays by his side, something he couldn't be more grateful for.

"What are we going to do?" He questions one night as he lies in bed, his head resting in his linked fingers behind him as he stares up to the ceiling of the tent. "I mean… when I'm all healed. Are we going to immediately go after him?" She knows who he refers to. "I hate the thought of us sitting here while he is causing death and destruction in the world. I know its happening right around us but we're too secluded to know about it. Zaria, it worries me that we're letting him win. Letting him kill innocents for his own pleasure."
 
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