Fascination

Summary: See chapter one

Disclaimer: See chapter one

Warnings: See chapter one

A/N: Why am I not getting any reviews? I think I've gotten 1 new review since chapter 9. And I know people are reading this, I have stats of over 3600 hits. And stats don't lie. C'mon people, I need reviews to keep the story alive! Just drop a line or two once you've finished reading… I really do want to hear what people like or dislike about the story. I would especially like to read feedback on chapter 11. So read and review (please).

Chapter Twelve: Stars

"I can see the smoke rising from Peterny, Nel. We need only cross this hill!"

Hoisting the straps of her leather sack over her shoulders, Nel gritted her teeth at the lack of a formal address. Usually this did not irritate her, as her immediate subordinates often referred to her by name only, although only those who were acquainted with her on a more personal level as friends. But for some reason, it irked her that this boy considered himself on such intimate terms with her now that they were on a private mission. He was a mere cadet, while she was a Crimson Blade!

Jahin paused at the top of the hill, standing in the weakening sun of the twilight and waiting for Nel to catch up with him. He reached upwards to tighten the thin piece of leather that kept his long hair away from his face, tucking a few loose strands back into his ponytail.

"Cut it off."

He turned to the approaching woman with a quizzical look. "Cut what?"

"Your hair. Cut it off."

"Why?" he asked, a bemused expression on his face.

Because the way you keep flicking that damn rat tail over your shoulder makes me want to scalp you with my daggers, she retorted silently.

"It will only get in the way if we have to fight," she replied instead, hoping that she at least sounded logical. "Besides, shorter hair is easier to manage."

"…"

A hint of a smile teased the corner of his mouth and the scarlet haired warrior saw red. The way he looked at her, you would think he was deciding how best to put a sulking child in their place without making them cry. Nel hated being patronised. Without a word, she pushed past him and he stared after her with an amazed expression.

"…Nel!"

When she heard him call her name, she walked faster and he was forced to run to catch up with her. Jahin grabbed her arm and she spun around, dust swirling beneath her feet.

"What is wrong with you?" he demanded angrily, twisting her arm in his grasp.

"I am not the one with the problem here, Jahin! You are!"

His mouth fell open, but quickly snapped shut. "Explain what you think my problem is, Nel," he demanded coldly.

She twisted out of his grasp, her face reddening in anger. "That is Lady Nel to you, cadet!" she snarled. "I am not one of you 'buddies' that you can refer to on such a casual basis, I am your superior!"

"Are you serious?" he asked, disbelief spreading over his near perfect features.

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

Standing there with the dust staining her exposed skin gold, and her vivid scarlet locks blowing freely in the breeze, not to mention her hands poised at her hips to retrieve her daggers in an instant should she need them, then yes, she did in fact, look deadly serious.

"I cannot believe you would pick such a time to reveal how shallow you truly are!" he snapped, making a derisive sound deep in his throat. "How, in the name of all that is good and holy, did you become a Crimson Blade? Your sister is in enemy hands and you still concern yourself with formality?"

Reluctant tears sprang to her eyes and Nel brushed them away with one swipe. She opened her mouth to retort but found none. Abruptly, she turned on her heel and strode away down the hill, heading for the open Palmira plains that lay beyond the trading town of Peterny. Jahin cursed to himself and took off after her.

"Nel, wait!"

When she heard the approaching footsteps, Nel broke into a run, the supplies bouncing lightly on her back.

He flung his own supplies over one shoulder, wondering what could possibly be eating away at Nel to make her act like this. Since they had departed from the Royal city only a few hours ago, her behaviour had been erratic and tense. It made sense to assume that this was simply because Neris was behind enemy lines, but that alone was not enough to bring a Crimson Blade to the brink of absurdity. At least, it should not be.

"Damn it, Nel, stop this foolishness!"

She continued running, determined not to let him see her confusion and humiliation. Nel did not blame him one bit for shouting at her, if she had been in his position she would have wanted to punch the living hell out of herself. But as much as she was tempted, she could not keep running forever and she slowed down, allowing him to catch up with her.

"What…" he panted "is the matter with you?"

Green eyes narrowed and before she knew what she was doing, she punched him in the face. Her fist connected solidly with his cheekbone, and he flew back with a startled 'oomph'. His mouth hung open and he gazed at her satisfied expression with astonishment.

"You bitch!" he exclaimed, rubbing the red imprint of her knuckles on his cheek. Now it was her turn to look stunned and her eyes widened dangerously.

Without another word, her hands slipped down to grasp the jewelled hilts of her daggers. Jahin anticipated the movement, and whipped towards her, lashing out with his left leg to sweep her off her feet. Nel landed on her back with a dull thud, dust swirling around her. In an instant Jahin had straddled her, effectively pinning her to the ground.

"Your concentration seems to be a little off today, Lady Nel. I should not have been able to get you on the ground so easily. Does emotion affect you that greatly? What a pathetic display for a Crimson Blade!"

She glared at him hatefully. "Get. Off. Me. Now," she hissed.

"Not until you shut up and listen to me."

Nel opened her mouth, no doubt a stinging retort on her lips but Jahin clapped a hand over her mouth. She would have bitten him, but the leather gloves covering his hands were too thick for him to feel any pain.

"Now is not the time to pull rank on me, Nel, even if I am only a cadet. Out here, none of those rules matter. All that matters is that we rescue Neris by any means possible and I fail to see how the hell we are even going to reach Airyglyph if you continue acting like such a child! You want to let out your anger? Fine. Then hit me again. As long as we reach Neris before they kill her," his voice cracked and he swallowed hard before continuing, "you think I give a fuck what you do?"

She only stared at him, tension hanging in a dense cloud between them.

Jahin flung his hands up in agitation. "Go ahead, Nel, hit me! Let out the rage before you explode and get us both killed!"

"I am not going to say this again: get off me."

He regarded her for a moment with darkened eyes before he rose and held out a hand to help her up. Nel ignored the offer, placing one hand threateningly on her dagger, as if daring him to touch her. "Have it your way," he said shortly, straightening his bag on his shoulders.

Nel remained still, watching him walk away through half shut eyes. "Jahin."

The young soldier paused, his hair blowing gently in the evening breeze and he waited for her to continue. Was the Crimson Blade actually going to apologise to him?

"Draw your blades."

Apparently not.

His eyes narrowed and his gloved hands slid down to the long twin daggers at his side, gripping the hilts to draw them out of the sheaths. "I accept your challenge, Lady Nel."

Her smile was oddly grotesque, like an open wound on her face as she gazed fixedly at his back and started towards him. His head was tilted, listening to her approach and she could see the tension of his muscles in his slender limbs, and her breath quickened in anticipation of a fight.

Jahin held himself ready for an attack, should she rush at him with daggers raised or a blast of runological force. No, Nel would not be so foolish as to use her magic in Aquarian territory, since even the most basically skilled runologist would be able to sense them. Or so he hoped. This was an unpredictable Nel, hence a highly dangerous woman. His eyes flicked back when he saw a flash of scarlet in his peripheral vision and he tensed as he heard the scratching of her footsteps in the dirt, suddenly throwing himself around, his daggers ripping down to meet her blades. But his daggers met nothing but air.

Nel walked past him, looking back to meet his confused gaze. "I need to kill some monsters, you idiot. I can't very well kill you."

The brunette let out a deep breath, sliding his daggers back into their sheaths. "Very funny," he muttered quietly to himself, also starting to feel the need to kill something. "Stupid woman. I could have hurt her."

Keep telling yourself that, an inner voice told him cynically. One on one, she would have had you beaten in seconds.

Jahin growled irritably, fighting the urge to run over to her and pick a fight. Swallowing his pride, he followed her reluctantly.

"So, you decided you would rather work with me than against me?" he called, jogging to catch up with her.

Nel barely gave him a glance as he walked beside her. "Neris would never have forgiven me if I killed you. For some obscure reason that has never been clear to me, and never will be, she cares for you. As long as she does, Jahin, you are safe from my blades."

You have always hated me, Nel, haven't you?

As he lost himself in his thoughts, the vacant and cold expression that he normally wore stole over his face, the one that was most familiar to Nel. She considered him for a moment, noting how much more relaxed he seemed outside of the castle walls. He did not seem quite so arrogant, so aloof. He seemed almost… human. Remembering their brief embrace, she almost stopped in her tracks at the revelation that struck her.

Was it possible that she had been wrong all along?

"Why?" she asked abruptly.

"Why what?" he asked, a crease marring his flawless brow.

"All the women. And I know there have been many, Jahin, some of them were friends of mine. I have to know why."

"That is a very personal question, my lady. One that I might add is none of your goddamn business."

Or perhaps she had been very right.

"It is my goddamn business because you told me you're in love with a woman who happens to be my sister, the only family I have left. So yes, Jahin, it is my business."

"I fail to see what difference it makes," he answered flatly, his eyes cold once more. "The decision of whether or not I am worthy is up to Neris alone. What makes you think you can change that?"

"I don't presume to be able to dictate whom she chooses, but I can sure as hell influence that choice. You think she would consider anyone I would openly despise?"

A sneer twisted his mouth. "You can be quite cruel when you set your mind to it, you know that?"

"Oh no, Jahin. This isn't cruelty; this is reality. You think you can waltz off with all those other woman, and finally claim my sister when you tire of them? Do you think I would allow her to waste her life like that? She deserves a man as pure of spirit as she is!" The look she gave him clearly stated that he was not that man.

He shrugged. "How could I ever expect you to understand?" he asked, directing the question more to himself than her.

"Try me."

"No."

The answer visibly upset Nel and two identical spots of angry red appeared on her cheeks. So he wouldn't even care to explain his behaviour to her? "Once we get Neris out of Airyglyph," she warned, "I will make sure that she knows what an arrogant bastard you really are."

He moved closer to her, looking directly into her eyes. "And I will be sure to tell her what a selfish bitch her sister truly is!"

"You egotistical- I'll tear off your head with my bare hands once I get the chance and no one is going to stop me!" she snarled. "It will take every soldier in Aquaria to protect you from me!"

Fury crossed his face in a wave and he opened his mouth to deliver a scathing retort, when a deafening roar shattered the silence of the evening.

"WHOARGH!"

Nel swore, her hands flying instantly to her daggers. "What the hell was that?" she exclaimed, glancing all around her to pinpoint the direction of the feral scream. It would be difficult to fight, she realized quickly, because they were so close to the walls of Peterny. Sure enough, she could already hear warning shouts and see torches flaring into life.

"I don't care what it is," Jahin said grimly, grasping his own weapons. "I'm more interested in where it is." He glanced at Nel, who stood motionless. "Nel, we cannot fight here."

"I know, genius," she snapped. "If it attacks, we will have no choice but to draw it away to the Palmira plains. But we run first, we have no time for a fight."

"We should fight it," he replied. "Running is second priority."

She glared at him incredulously. "And Neris is the first! You want to fight this beast now? We have no time. I know I said that I wanted to kill a monster, but really…"

"If it attacks the city," he said slowly, as if explaining a complicated problem to a child, "we have to fight it. It would be cowardice if we ran and left the Peterny runologists to defend the town alone."

"It might not even be a dangerous monster!" she said in exasperation. "I would think that these runologists are capable of defending Peterny!"

"It is a dangerous monster," he said quietly, a strange bleak expression on his face. "I have heard the cry before. They are Nassar beasts from the Glyphian region."

The blood drained from her face. "Nassars from Airyglyph? But how?"

Nassars were monsters of legend, with one exception: they were very real. Lumbering behemoths with an abundance of strength, they were the terror of the Glyphian mines and caves where they dwelt. They vaguely resembled dragons, but were covered in a shaggy fur rather than scales and were not nearly as agile. With their jagged teeth and claws made for ripping flesh, they were very dangerous creatures, known for their habit of attacking and eating people.

Jahin shook his head; raven hair swishing. "I don't know. But we have to intercept them before they reach the outskirts of the city walls."

Nel was already heading in the direction of the second scream that ripped through the dusk. "They're attracted to light, aren't they?"

"Yes, but how are we going to do that without attracting attention from the Peterny runologists?" he asked, following her closely. "It will be a miracle if we manage to pull that off!"

There was a grim smile on her face. "That is a risk we will have to take."

Without saying another word, both soldiers ran in unison to the crest of the next hill, crouching low as they flattened themselves to the ground, peering over the crown of the rise. Considering their conditions, Nel would be amazed if they could pull off a fight in complete anonymity. The stars were already visible to be sure but the rising moon was only half full tonight, which meant their only source of light was a few weak rays.

Another cry chilled her to the bone and she made her decision as she reached into her bag to pull out her cloak.

"Here. You'll need this." She would have asked him to tear his own cloak, but hers was a better and thicker quality.

Jahin turned his head to see Nel offering a ragged blindfold to him. "A blindfold? What for?"

"I'm going to blind the Nassars once we draw them to the plains," she said, rising and dusting her knees. "It will make it easier to kill the whole pack. You can provide a light strong enough to draw them there, can you not?"

"Yes, but why do I have to be blindfolded?"

"Do you really want to be blinded at the age of nineteen?" she snapped. "The spell I'm going to use could burn your eyes out."

"Impossible, no light spell could be that strong," he protested, "we were never taught-"

She gave him a sceptical look. "You really think cadets are taught every spell known to Aquaria? I may not have completed my own training, but I am a Crimson Blade, special student to Her Majesty. Of course I know spells that you do not."

"Well, what about the other runologists in Peterny? They might have already sent out a party to hunt the pack down before they reach the town."

Nel walked briskly ahead to a rocky outcrop jutting out of the hillside and shoved her leather bag in the shadows for safekeeping. "After we kill the Nassars, we can double back," she murmured to herself and then paused, turning reluctantly to him. "I'm going to have to alert the soldiers of our presence. They cannot be allowed to interfere if we fight. Have you learnt the crimson flare spell?"

He gave her an offended look. "Nel, that is one of the most basic spells in the entire runologist repertoire. Of course I know it."

After a minute of silence, she glared at him. "Well? What are you waiting for? Cast the damn spell!"

He glared back at her before placing his left hand over the symbol tattooed on the wrist of his right hand and raising both arms into the air, with two fingers of his right hand pointing towards the sky. A soft red glow began to emanate from the tattoo, tracing upwards over his gloved hand to form the circle of runes that flooded the dimming sky with an eerie red light. He looked back at Nel smugly and she exhaled irritably. "How do you expect them to see that?" she demanded. "Make it brighter!"

He gritted his teeth to avoid releasing the oath that fighting to get past his lips and focused more of his chi into the circle of runological energy. Immediately, the flare brightened to the point where it was almost painful to look at, but the Crimson Blade did not flinch. "Adequate, I suppose," she said grudgingly and glanced in the direction of the trading town. "I can only hope that they heed the message."

"My lord, the crimson flare appears in the sky!"

The captain of the Peterny runological guard turned in the direction of the loud cry, from where he was organizing a hunting party to kill the Nassars reported by his scouts. "But what are runologists doing outside of the city at this time of day?" he asked with a frown.

His lieutenant shrugged in reply. "Perhaps they are on route to Arias from the royal city."

"Unlikely. I have heard of no need for additional units requested from Arias," he said, shaking his head. "If there had been, we would have been notified if they were to travel by night."

Unless this is a Crimson Blade affair, he thought suddenly, which would explain the secrecy. It also explains why they would use the crimson flare. I could refuse anonymity and send out the soldiers, but the I run the risk of interfering with the mission of a Crimson Blade. No, they must be allowed to assist us without the involvement of my soldiers.

The crimson flare was a simple spell used to warn Aquarian runologists that they were to stay away from the battle, be it that the fight was already lost or that no aid was required. Usually in a battle it was only used to indicate a lost fight, but the latter was utilised in matters relating to bandits and wild beasts, or when forces where desperately needed elsewhere. Now, however, it was a strict instruction to leave the beasts to whom ever was preparing to exterminate them.

"Send the runologists back to their posts," he ordered briskly. "We will not be conducting the hunt this twilight."

"Sir?" the other soldier seemed confused but did not question his captain's order. "Then should I order the spell to be cast to give them your answer?"

"Yes. Tell them we will not interfere."

As the lieutenant hurried away, barking out the order for a runologist to send the identical rune circle into the sky, the captain turned back to the city battlements, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow before he summoned another runologist. "Zuran!"

"Yes, captain?" A slight young woman appeared in front of him, instantly snapping to attention. He drew her away from the soldiers standing watch and her eyes grew curious at his secretive manner.

"There are a group of runologists operating out of the city at this moment and I want to know who they are. Follow and identify them, but you must not be seen. Report back only to me once you have established who and what their intentions may be."

Now unease was etched across her features. "Is there any danger, sir?"

"No, but unreported operations by runologists are a concern and I would prefer to know who I am dealing with."

"As you command, sir. If they become aware of my presence, may the gods strike me down for my failure."

"May the grace of Apris be with you, soldier." He watched her hurry away with some trepidation and wondered if he was doing what was best. Zuran was a talented soldier and one of the finest stealth runologists under his command, but she was also impulsive and a tad fanatical about her religious devotions. However, when the need arose she could exercise extreme self-control, which he was sure she would for this particular mission.

If the Crimson Blades were indeed abroad this night, it was his right to know.

"Look," she said, pointing to the sky above Peterny, "We have this fight to ourselves."

Jahin glowered in her direction and did not look at the twin crimson flare hovering in the sky above Peterny as he lowered his arms. "I am thrilled beyond belief," he replied sarcastically.

"You were the one who insisted that we fight," she retorted, even though she knew his sarcasm was not directed at the prospect of risking their mission to protect the city, but rather at her. "Come, the pack is on the move. I assume you know what to do?" she asked, watching with a raised brow as he began to walk away from her.

He nodded an affirmative. "Draw the beasts to the outer plains. Yes, I know."

"Fine," she said shortly. " And you will need to stay close to me once the fight begins."

"Why? Dangerous as they may be, they are still near mindless beasts. You think I am not capable of holding my own?" his violet eyes narrowed into slits.

"Never mind. Do what you want, Jahin. Get yourself killed, I will just tell Neris that you were too stubborn to listen to me."

Biting back an undoubtedly rude reply, he stomped past her and she followed a little ways behind, unable to stop a tiny smile from curving her lips slightly. She stopped at the foot of the next hill however and he continued without question towards the howling pack of Nassars. Nel watched him restlessly, hoping she would not have to intervene on his behalf if he could not maintain a light spell strong enough to draw the monsters deeper into the plains. Soon he was only a speck on the darkening horizon.

Drawing his chi, infused with runological energy from the rune tattoos on his body, Jahin murmured a traditional prayer to Apris and prepared to receive what was known as the light of their beloved Elicoor star. The recognizable tingling of runology crawled across his skin but he ignored the familiar rush of power, instead focusing on the glow rippling upwards as the spell gathered energy from him, feeding off his chi to burn brighter. The answer to the spell was a furious roar of animal rage.

Nel stood with her arms folded as a vivid light burst into life in the darkness below and she noted with some anger that it was quite strong. This was not a spell taught to cadets of his rank(which was quite high, but that was beside the point), which meant that Neris must have taught to him after learning the spell from her older sister. Irritation flared briefly within her until a flood of shame doused it. Now was not the time to be criticizing her sister's actions. It was quite impressive for him to be able to sustain a spell of that magnitude, even though she loathed to admit it.

The light wavered for a moment and for a second she thought he was faltering, but then he began to run, moving rapidly across the plain as the beasts gave chase.

The light that glowed from his runes was beginning to burn him and Jahin knew that he was quickly reaching his limit, as his breath came in shorter and shorter gasps. When he reached the agreed upon distance, he turned to see a seething mass thundering towards him. Abruptly, the spell faded and he dug in his pocket for the blindfold, hoping that Nel would carry out her part of the plan before he was eaten alive or trampled to death. She had better, he reflected darkly as he tied the blindfold around his head and gave in to the darkness, because he was putting her life in his hands.

Nel saw the light fade and she leapt gracefully down from the hill and flew across the plains, gathering her powerful chi to her. The herd, clustered into one black mass, were now bellowing in confusion at the loss of the light and she smiled grimly, chanting the incantation under her breath.

When the spell flared into life, she froze as her chi was drained from her in a torrent of pure energy and released from her body in a dazzling array of light. Light blazed from every rune on her body, bathing the plains in a sea of brightness.

Even from behind the thick material covering his eyes, Jahin could see the light and he bit back an admiring gasp, reminding himself that she was a Crimson Blade and was thus expected to be able to perform complex runology. But still, he had to admit, it was damn impressive for a woman so young.

The spell did not last long, but it had the desired effect as Nel listened with some satisfaction to the enraged shrieks and confused roars as the beasts were plunged into permanent darkness. She took a deep breath as her body returned to normal, her runes burning with the effort of releasing so much energy at one time. Power was not without its costs and she stumbled slightly as she unsheathed her daggers, preparing for battle.

Not far from her, Jahin lifted the blindfold in time to see her stumble and he frowned, drawing his own weapons as he ran towards her. The first beast to cross his path was young and he spun in place, both daggers slicing through its thick neck and letting foul smelling blood spurt from the wound. Another monster, stumbling with its burned eyes, trampling the body as it ran blindly towards him, catching his scent on the night air. He dealt it a series of swift blows, catching only a glancing blow on his shoulder from the flailing claws. A quick healing spell soothed the burning while he continued to fight his way to where Nel was.

"Nel!"

But the scarlet haired warrior was holding her own, blades whirling amidst a sea of writhing black flesh as she released a spell. "Flying Guillotine!"

Jahin jerked backwards as the razor sharp disc ripped perilously close to his face and sliced into the blind beasts closing in behind him. He slipped momentarily, instinctively reaching out for something to steady his balance and he grabbed onto a handful of damp fur. The rank smell of blood clung to it, adhering to his skin. His lips pulling back in disgust, he slashed the creature with his right blade, bringing up the left to deepen the wound. It bellowed in pain, snorting as it lumbered awkwardly in its attempt to gauge at him with one clawed paw.

"Ice needles!"

He fired the spell directly into its ruined eyes, the frozen needles embedding themselves into its brain and it keeled over with a deep groan. Jahin raised his head, watching Nel for a brief stolen moment. He watched her cast an array of perfectly formed Ice Daggers, twirling gracefully in a circle as the monsters around her fell as the daggers struck home. Her eyes met his for an instant and they widened with fury.

"Fool, behind you!" she shouted, dealing a swift punch to a beast as she ran towards him.

Wide eyed, he whirled around to see a claw swiping towards him and sparks flew as he brought his blades up to meet the blow. But the beast was stronger than he expected and his blades were knocked as the beast roared in fury, smashing blindly with its massive paw. The blow caught Jahin on the side of his head and he fell with a startled groan.

"Jahin!"

The last thing he saw was Nel running towards him, fingers contorting into a healing spell. As he drifted away on the warm green light, he murmured, "Neris…"

"Jahin… wake up…" His eyelids fluttered and he sighed as his blurred gaze travelled up to rest on the familiar face. "…Neris?" Dreamily, he lifted his hand to caress her face and was confused when she batted it away. "Wake up before I slap some sense into you," another familiar voice replied coldly. He blinked and his vision cleared. Nel. He sat up quickly, a wave of dizziness passing over him. "What happened?" "You were careless."

"Thanks a lot," he murmured, lying back down on the ground. She snorted and turned away, poking a stick into the small fire that was burning merrily beside him. Jahin propped himself up slightly on his elbow, staring around him. They were hidden away on the hillside, tucked away in a rocky outcrop that provided good shelter.

Far off in the distance, he could make out the indistinct shapes of the huddled bodies of the Nassars. Gently, he touched the healed wound on the side of his head, which had left only a scab of dried blood.

"You killed them all?"

"Well, they didn't just drop dead of their own accord," was the curt reply.

"Why are you so angry?" he asked, his expression bemused. "Are you disappointed that I didn't die?"

"Of course not. Don't be a fool."

"Then… why?"

Both of them watched the flames dance in front of them.

"I told you before that you needed to stay close to me, but as usual you were too stubborn to listen. Neris will want to see you in one piece, not in two or three. And consider this training."

He looked at her curiously and she glanced sideways. "You never take your eyes off of your enemy in battle, never show them your back. That kind of mistake gets you killed. You would think that after three years of training you would know that!"

"I do know that," he replied defensively. "But you…" Abruptly, he stopped and she looked at him expectantly.

"Looked so much like her and it reminded me of something," he continued.

"Reminded you of what?"

"This may seem stupid to you, but it is something Neris and I used to do quite often." Idiot, why are you telling her this? "We would lie on our backs and pretend we were sailing an ocean of stars…"

He did not notice Nel freeze next to him. "In summer, we would spend the entire night out on the Irisia fields, sleeping under the stars. Just watching them… I know it sounds juvenile, but when we did that, we were the only two people in the world."

Jahin leaned his head back, propping his neck on his arms. "I don't know why watching you reminded me of that."

There was silence before Nel spoke softly. "We used to do that, when we were children. With our father. Camp under the night sky, and he would tell us stories about the past…about the stars."

She stared into the flames. Why did I just tell him that? He has no part in any of it…but Neris shared it with him. Shared memories of our father with him.

Shared all that we have left of our father with him.

"Stories about an ocean of stars?"

Her eyes met his. "Yes."

There it was, the brief flash of hurt in her green eyes. "You didn't want to share that with anyone, did you?"

She looked as if she was going to say something and then she sighed, picking herself up and settling on the other side of the fire. "Get some rest. I'll wake you at dawn." And with that, she rolled over, tucking her cape around her.

Jahin stared at her for a few more moments before wrapping himself in his own cloak and closing his eyes. Sleep quickly claimed him and soon the crackling of the fire was accompanied by his soft snores.

Nel stayed awake, staring at the night sky above her. The noise of his snores was oddly comforting in the darkness. It reminded her of the times when she was little and had waited for hours until she could hear her father's snores, to finally feel secure enough to fall asleep.

She drifted in her memories, while Jahin drifted on the sweetness of his dreams.

Neris…

Both sailed an ocean of stars as Zuran watched from the shadows.

To be continued…