(Mabry Aldaran & Flidais: Mabry Slemmons; Rafael Lindir: Laura Lulli; Jorik Hastur: Jurij Gosso)

Rafe closed his eyes and breathed deeply. In and out, and then in and out again, trying to relax himself like the leronis had taught him what seemed to be an eternity of time ago. His mind was frantically trying to find a way out...but it didn't seem to exist.

He opened his eyes, tryind to recognize something familiar, but to his surprise, he wasn't anymore in Flidais' nest, and everything was grey around him.

Oddly, he was able to move his arms and legs again, and, even more strange, he wasn't wearing his travel clothes anymore.

He cast a look around and he saw her.

She was beautiful. Damned exciting. The most stunning woman he had ever seen.

Rafael could barely imagine to have been in love with someone else but this...goddess. Yes, that was the word.

She was wrapped in her own flaming hair, and her dress did leave very few to imagine...yet he was feeling like ripping it to see what was hidden in it.

Rafe wasn't able to think clearly about anything but taking her...there. On that odd grey ground. Possessing her until his strenght left him, like the beast he was feeling.

A slow smile lifted the woman's gorgeous lips.

In a flash of consciousness, Rafael managed to think *How could she be pleased with my lust...*

But then, there she was. He was sure he hadn't seen her walking towards him. An istant she was far, and the next she was touching his chest.

Shivers ran through his back, as he kissed her, brutally, almost eating her.

The woman answered his kisses with a similar fury, and a moment later, they both were naked *how did she make this* bound in a terrible, yet fascinating fight....

Flidais murmured to himself as he wiped the dust from the table. A most amusing day! Two visitors, and a visit from his dear dear aunt. He sniffed with slight mirth at that. His father had never gotten along with "Auntie Sharra", and neither had he. He wasn't exactly pleased that Sharra had the man either, but for what she could give him, how could he refuse? Anything was worth that, even considering what she would gain from this man? Even he could see what she wanted. The man held in every vein, what she had long sought - a mortal in whom the blood of her brother ran strong enough. A mortal in whom every gene had combined in the way necessary, for the one thing she sought - a mortal daughter.

But, to Flidais, this did not matter. Not with what Sharra had promised him. The name. The name by which his father's could be summoned. His father, Hastur, son of Aldones, mortal brother of Sharra. The one name he did not know. All the other riddles of his father's past had one by one been laid bare to him. There was only this one left. And Sharra, he was certain, knew the answer. And for that, he would sacrifice anything.

Rafael kept on kissing an fondling the woman for what he thought being ages. He just couldn't get enough of making love to her, even if this wasn't the correct name for that. It was lust, animal passion. Fire, fire in his veins, a red fury behind his eyes, and not being able to think to anything else but having sex with her.

After a while he regained enough consciousness to notice that the woman's hair was burning, but he couldn't feel the heat. When he looked better, he saw that both of them were surrounded by the flames...but just when he was about to understand what was going on, her mouth cover his again, and she started again with her maddening kisses, going down his chest, and more down again...

Once again, Rafael tried to take his breath, and succeeded. The woman *who is she?* rested in his arms, her hair burning quietly withouth fire on his arm.

Fire. Fire in her hair and fire all over her exciting body. How dangerous she was.

*She's never spoke a single word* pondered Rafe *still I saw a precise purpose under her passion. Too controlled, even in her lust...What does she want from me...*

Rafe began to feel frightened. And also a bit guilty, even if he wasn't able to tell why...nevertheless, his thoughts had been enough to wake the woman.

She liftes her incredible eyes on him, and a memory stroke Rafael all of a sudden.

A pair of incredible blue eyes, looking lovingly into his...ELIADHA!!

The woman screamed in rage, the first sound she had been giving since it all had begun.

"How do you dare to think to anyone else but me!!" and she tried to take control of Rafe again, with knowing movements, touches and kisses.

But it was too late. The flames hit Rafe's memory again, and at last he remembered.

Flidais' nest, a little statue and Mabry fainting beside him...

"SHARRA!!"

"Yes, my love?" she gave a histerical laughter. Rafe was more and more frightened, but he spoke again.

"Leave me! What do you want from me, you..." but Sharra cut him off.

"I've already taken all that I needed, you stupid mortal" and Rafael didn't miss the strange touch she had given to her flat womb "Begone. I have no use for you. Not anymore at least, and not now."

A simple gesture of her hand, and the world turned black at Rafe's eyes, and he didn't heard anything more.

In the overworld, Sharra was alone again. A daughter!! She knew she had made it. Her plans were about to realize, at last. She had also fun, while completing her task *and what a great one. I knew he was hot since I first saw him* she thought licking her lips. Too bad that stupid mortal guy wasn't smart enough to appreciate what she had to offer. *Oh, but he liked it. Yes he really liked it*. An histerical laughter was heard again, while Sharra retired in her domain...but you could have said that there was a bit of regret in it.

Flidais looked up from the table he was still dusting. "Yes, Sharra?"

Sharra smiled triumphantly. "You know?"

"Of course, I know," Flidais' voice was slightly bored. "I suppose some good will come of this. You will be too busy for hte next nine months to cause any further trouble. Would you care for some tea?"

"Why would I waste nine months of my time on this?" Sharra laughed. "It will be two weeks at the most. I can control such things."

Flidais was ashamed; he should have know Sharra would take this path. "Your promise?"

Sharra laughed again cruelly. You think my word is any good? Suffer, dwarf. I will never tell you."

Flidais eyes grew wide. "I will have my revenge."

Sharra sniffed, "Revenge against me? Against a goddess? You are more of a fool that your father, Flidais. Despair. You will never know his resting place."

In the forest, in the meanwhile:

A soft hand was touching his face. "....are you OK? Rafe? Rafe! Oh please, what happened to you!"

Rafael opened his eyes, and cast a glance around him. Mabry, a forest, and their horses and their equipment near them. He tried to speak, but didn't managed to say anything...his throat was sore. He gave it another try.

"Mabry?" he croaked "Where are we?"

"You ask? I hoped you could know!" she tried to laugh. "I found myself lying on the ground, and when I woke up I didn't even see you. But then I looked better, and there you were. What happened Rafe? What happened?"

She was frightened. He wished he could answer to her, but he didn't know.

"I don't know, chiya. Really, I don't know." All he could remember was a really strange dream. A hot one, for sure. Even if he couldn't remember much, the mere thought still aroused him. *It must be Eli..I miss her so much...*

Mabry was looking at him questioningly, so he shook his shoulder, and said: "I suppose we have to go one anyway, right? Here, give me your hand, I'll pull you up"

But as they were leaving the clearing, he was wondering how on Darkover he could be so irresponsible to fall asleep... and have wet dreaming about his lover! during that dangerous trip to the tower...

Back in their saddles again, Rafael and Mabry headed to the tower. None of the two spoke a world for hours, both thoughtful and worried.

Rafael's mind went back to his dream over and over. Why did it seem so vivid? Flames...why the hell did the flames stick to his memory? But a strange thing was happening. As the hours, the minutes! passed, it was becoming harder and harder for him even to recall the fact of having had a dream that day.

Rafael shook his head, as he was used to do, when laran came to his mind: it had never been a matter for him to discuss. This time, though...he told himself he would have a nice chat with Lady Myria of Neskaya.

Mabry stood silent on her horse's back. Rafe's behaviour was worrying her.

Her regent, that practical boy she had somehow learn to respect (in her own way, of course) and love as the big brother she'd never have, wasn't used to those long silences, and his face was that of one undergoing a deep process of self-analysis.

And there was another thing that worried her. Where had he been, when she was unconscious? She was damned _sure_ that he hadn't been at her side when she had come to her senses...and then, all of a sudden, he had appeared, confused and tired.

What could she do? First, she would tell Lady myria about that episode, then...she didn't know. *Jorik* she sighed. *Jorik would know what to do...*

A couple of nights in the travelers' shelters that they had found along the way had really fed up the lady Aldaran.

"Zandru's hells! I'd never thought I'd be happy to arrive to that damned tower!" Mabry said crabbily, while she was saddling her horse. Again. She sweared when something metallic in the saddle stung her finger. "Ow!! I swear I won't ride at least for a month or two!!!"

Rafael seemed happy, in spite of all. Mabry retained herself from adding a crabby comment about how happy her regent was to get rid of her, and studied his face instead. After that episode in Flidais' nest, Rafe had been quite different, but now he seemed to have regained his usual mood.

This made her happy, so she avoided comments, in order not to waste the relief she was feeling.

"Chiya, I pray you. Do not swear anymore, or at least be sure to do this when noone can hear you, and Lady Myria above all!" Rafe said smiling.

After all, he wasn't happy to let her go. He thought that he was going to miss her, someway.

"I don't give a bit of Myria's opinion about me!!" Mabry stuck her tongue at him, and both of them laughed at each other facial expression.

After a few hours, the familiar shape of a tower appeared between the trees. Neskaya!!

Their long trip had ended.

Could it really, finally be over? The days (weeks? months?) she had spent on various roads, since running away from Thendara had been exceptionally long. Mabry longed for a hot soaking bath, and a sleep in a real bed - even if said bath and bed were at Neskaya Tower. She grinned at Rafe "Beat you there!" and galloped off.

Rafael laughed aloud. Not exactly a proper lady behaviour...but at least she was in sort of the right mood to meet Myria at the tower.

He pretended to take part to the challenge, but he didn't really hurry his horse, and let his lady have her victory...the last one she was going to have for a very long time.

Mabry arrested her horse nearly on the treshold of Neskaya tower. She dismounted and, panting, called for the nearest servant "Hey you! Tell your Lady Keeper that I'm here. No, you don't need to know my name. I'm sure she already knows, and she has seen my arrival!"

Rafael raised his eyes to the heavens. It wasn't going to be easy. Not at all.

Despite Mabry's behaviour, the lady Aldaran and her regent were promptly introduced to Neskaya living room, and there food and beverages were taken, to restore them.

Lady Myria, though didn't appeared. And of course Mabry was quite disappointed.

"Of course. First she pesters me about my training..and now that I'm here she doesn't even wants to talk me"

"Hush, chiya. I bet this is your first lesson. You should sit, and learn. That's all." Rafe won a cold glance and a soft grunt.

After a while, a kyrri appeared, and led the two of them to their room, where they could take a badly needed bath, and some rest as well, before the dinner with the Lady Keeper.

Facing a Keeper can be a hard task…Do want to read more?

The baby in the small basket wailed. The door of the orphanage opened, and a woman, judging by her clothing a nurse, sighed as if she had done this many times before and lifted to basket and the baby and brought it within.

The child was most beautiful in a strange way, uncommon to babies. Her - for there was no doubt that the child was female - eyes were the blue of a matrix crystal, though the Terran nurse who had brought the baby in out of the weather, could not have known that. Her hair was the red gold of a candle flame, her skin a warm golden brown - a child who looked newly born, surely could not have acquired this kind of tan, especially under the dim Darkovan skies. The nurse noticed something else too, encircling the infant's wrists were birthmarks of a a shade even more golden than her hair. The girl seemed in perfect health, but there was something strange about her.

Pinned to the simple white baby's gown wrapped around her was a note, reading simply "Aerin." It must, the nurse assumed be the child's name.

She quickly typed it into the computer, with a brief description of the baby: weight, length, hair color, eye color, estimated age, and blood type.

She placed the child in a crib in the same room as the other foundling babies. The child might be unusual, but hardly worth noting. She continued about her work.

In the Overworld, Sharra smirked.

To be continued in Aerin

Back to the RPG page

The Sweetshop | Leisha's RPG page | Other Darkover pages

This page is hosted by Get your own FREE home page