Lost in the Light Ch. 11

Tamain opened his eyes. At his side, curled up against him slept his new beloved, Lysia. It was pity, more than anything, that first drew him to her. She was a weak, meek creature that needed his help as she was now wrapped up in a dangerous web spread all over the neutral lands. If he didn't take her under his protection, she wouldn't last much longer -- even among her own people. As odd as it sounded to him, it was what made him so affectionate towards her. He fancied the idea of having a lady to protect. He brushed the stray hair from her face as she slept.

Among Zecairins there are no meek women. Zecair wastes little; if one is not capable of ruling, then they are ruled or they are dead. The Rulers are haughty, powerful, unapproachable, and treacherous. The ruled are sycophantic, obsequious, and secretly scheming of becoming a Ruler -- equally treacherous. Tamain wanted a lover he didn't constantly need to be suspicious of. That ruled out Zecairin women. Human women were nice, but they lacked Zecairin stamina and they became very contrary once a month. It was a biological aspect he had never quite wrapped his head around. There were other races he had bedded... Cutharins, Ergosts, even a cute little Chibbit half his size. But most of them shunned him after their foray was over. Zecairins were not tolerated for long. He had never thought he'd find what he was looking for in an Elthairin -- the butchers of his people. Such warm thoughts settled his senses and he closed his eyes to resume his sleep.

But the splash of water snapped them wide awake again. It was quickly followed by the wet sloshing of booted foot falls -- a single pair. Lysia still slept soundly next to him; he could rouse her, but the only escape route was past whoever was intruding on their secret cavern. Tamain could not put her in harm's way, not until he had trained her properly to defend herself. If he engaged this intruder, she would be left defenseless. If he tried to flee with her, she would be at equal risk. His only option was to hide.

Subtly, he called the elements together and created a dome of ice to hide them. It was thin, any thicker and his next trick wouldn't work. The ice started to turn a purplish hue to mimic the crystals that grew in this secret cavern. A slight adjustment to the ice crystals, and he made his view through it one-way. With the camouflage complete, he waited and watched the distorted image refracted through the ice shell. Silently he cursed himself for being careless, he should have set a trap or two, or at the very least an alarm ward at the water tunnel leading to the cavern to give them more time to prepare.

Lysia shivered in her sleep from the growing cold. Tamain wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. The ice dropped the temperature inside the dome, a critical flaw that could undo his effort if their intruder was smart.

A person strode into view from around the large central crystal, and Tamain's blood chilled to his bones. An Elthairin Leaf Knight with sword in hand cautiously investigated the area. When the Elthairin turned to face their direction, Tamain silently cursed under his breath when he saw the telltale glow of heat vision magic coming from the elf's eyes. It was unnecessary in this cavern illuminated by the natural glow of the crystals, but it was the obvious choice of an Elthairin Leaf Knight tracking someone. A certain runaway trainee perhaps...

"I see you Zek," Valel's voice said coldly in the darkness and he locked his stare right at Tamain. Tamain dispelled the camouflage and gently roused Lysia. He sat up and stood as she wiped the sleep from her face and tried to make sense of her surroundings.

"Valel?" She asked sleepily and stood up. Tamain pulled her behind him and put himself between her and this Elthairin Knight, Valel.

"Release her," Valel commanded and pointed his sword level with Tamain's neck.

"Not to you," Tamain said evenly, but made no move. Surprise would be his weapon, and he would wait until the last possible moment to ensure its success.

"Valel!" Lysia blurted out and shouldered past Tamain. "Stop this!" She spread her hands out to block him from Tamain. The Zecairin wasn't sure how to take this change of roles. But she looked just as beautiful from behind as she did from the front. Her long brown hair flowed straight down her back, free of its braid and slightly disheveled from their love-making. The pale pink light basked her naked skin and revealed every delicate curve and every dimple. He wanted to take her right now, right in front Valel. But now was not the time for such thoughts, and Tamain quickly pushed them aside.

"Whatever you have done to her, undo it Zek." Valel said coldly.

"Did it ever occur to you that when you threw me out there was only one place for me to go?" Lysia scolded him. Tamain was as shocked as Valel at her boldness. "I am not with you anymore. Not your order, not your people. I'm tired of my own people trying to kill me because I'm in the way! I haven't done anything wrong!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Her voice echoed and reverberated off the walls. Both men were equally taken aback.

Lysia was crying scared tears; she had never let her anger out like that before. But she stood her ground firmly. Valel lowered his sword.

"The two of you...?" Valel asked, trying to be delicate. "Do you know what he plans for you?"

"Freedom. Freedom is all he offered me." Lysia gritted through her teeth. Tamain relaxed. Valel returned his sword to its sheath, and ran a gloved hand over his face to wipe away the dripping water from his swim He took a moment to process her words. Lysia had reached him, but it was still a hard concept for him to swallow. "Leave, Valel."

"I need to know more," Valel said and rested his hands on the hilts of his weapons. "If I am to entrust the second most precious woman in my life to him, I need to be able to trust him."

"No you don't." Lysia argued. "You only need to trust me. This is my choice." Valel crossed his arms over his chest in defiance but started to take a step back as he reluctantly accepted her request.

"Would you help me understand this then? Or is my ignorance my penance for my greatest sin?" Valel countered trying to be friendly.

"Get out Valel." Lysia growled.

"No, wait." Tamain interjected at last. He had been content to let this play out and see just how much fire his little mouse had to stand up to this Leaf Knight. But there was an opportunity here he couldn't let slip. "He has his reasons, and something good can come of this." Lysia turned to glare at Tamain, but he threw his hands up defensively. "Hear me out. If you trust me." Lysia covered her exposed chest with her hands and stepped back reluctantly.

"Valel," Tamain started, "I am Tamain, of the Discarded." He paused to let that sink in, but Valel apparently hadn't a clue what he was talking about. "I suspect you would know what that means if you bothered to interrogate the Zecairins you encounter before you murder them. Not all of us are your enemy. But I will explain..." Valel didn't move, but merely listened stoically, almost casually. He showed no annoyance, aggression, or sympathy. Tamain coughed to clear his throat and collect his own thoughts. "Lysia is not here against her will, she can leave whenever she wants. I thought I would make her the offer of a new home, as it seems she is out of sorts with her previous one. And... negotiations ensued." Tamain looked to Lysia to see if his clever phrase entertained her at all, but the girl had returned to her cold, hardened state and locked herself away mentally. All of his hard work thawing her out had been undone by this Knight's mere presence. Tamain sighed in exasperation -- Elthairins had their own personality quirks as well it seemed.

"The Discarded," Tamain began, and stood before Valel with his hands grasped behind his back and his feet firmly planted. He was naked, but it seemed to make Valel more uncomfortable than it did Tamain. "...are exiles - Children of Zecair that have been banished because the red elixir they are given as a child did not take hold. If it did, I would be under the same 'corruption' your beloved Queen recently cured herself of." Tamain walked over to his trousers and proceeded to clothe his lower extremities. Hopefully, some modesty on his part would help Valel loosen up.

"Please extend my heartfelt congratulations to your queen. She is the only elf I have heard of that has beaten the curse." Tamain said with a smile, as he buckled on his trousers. Valel gave Lysia an aggravated look, but still remained silent. "Oh, very well." Tamain complained and approached the Leaf Knight casually. "If it will make you feel better, you may strike me for stealing her away from you. Although I doubt she views it that way." Valel looked as if he was about to take the Zecairin up on his offer, but the frankness of it all, and how he had cut right to the source gave Valel pause. But there was a sudden tremble of fear in Lysia that told Tamain it best not to tempt that tiger.

"No? Hmm," Tamain said before he could swing. "Then let me say this. We could be allies." He paused to let that settle in. "But not until this blood feud ends. Not settled. Ended." Valel gave the Zecairin a curious look. Tamain had finally said something that intrigued him. "You will need allies if you are to win back your Queen's throne. More if your kin hope to survive the hell that is coming from Zecair. It is time you started to think... unconventionally. We, my comrades and I, can no sooner lower our guard than you can. But it must start somewhere, and with someone making the first move. So let this be it." He offered Valel his hand, and the overconfident smirk on his face turned dark and serious. "This I extend to you, and you alone, Valel. Each of your kin will have to grasp it of their own accord when they have earned it. Take my hand and I swear neither myself nor any under my command will harm you nor hinder your path. It will remain offered until you grasp it, or until you give me a reason to rescind my offer."

Valel took Tamain's hand without another thought. Lysia broke from her sulking and looked up, shocked. Tamain hadn't expected such a sudden acceptance either.

"The world I knew was turned on its edge when we recovered Princess Riyarra, and her friend Lysia." Valel said solemnly. "The laws of our people and the oath I have taken no longer serve the needs of my Queen, and I cannot look to those principles for guidance. I have already started to think unconventionally. I will speak to my Queen of your proposed alliance, and see if she will hear what you have to offer."

"It is a start," Tamain smiled, genuinely pleased, and shook his hand. Valel took his leave immediately and without another thought or look to them, returning by diving back down through the cavern's pond. He left Tamain stunned, and looking at his palm in disbelief. Lysia came to lean on his shoulder and looked down at his hand to try and see what he was looking at.

"Do you always have this power over people?" She asked, and rubbed her cheek against his broad shoulder affectionately.

"I could not have become the leader of the Discarded without it. Do I look like the type that would lead through tyranny?" He said and tilted his head down to nuzzle against hers. "What have I gotten myself into now, my little mouse?" he asked accusingly. Lysia pulled his face to hers and kissed him lovingly on the lips.

"Why Valel?" she asked, searching his gaze for an answer while slowly dragging her hands up his arms to drape around his neck.

"Because what he did to you is eating him alive." Tamain said sadly and caressed her cheek. "Could you not feel his pain? He took my hand because he hoped it would earn your forgiveness." Lysia looked away sadly. It wasn't something she wanted to talk about right now. Tamain took her chin and guided it back gently so he could look into her eyes. "You are no stranger to pain and suffering, why look away now?" She couldn't answer him. The question caught her off guard, and she didn't have an answer -- or didn't like the one she came up with. Tamain searched her countenance for understanding, but she tried to pull away.

"My talent is not in magic, or swordplay, not even in charming beautiful women," Tamain said softly when she finally met his gaze. "It is in reading people, and listening to the words they do not say. With my magic I can hear everything that is uttered as it is carried on the wind. But sometimes what we say is not how we truly feel, and I have come to understand the difference. That is how I have kept The Discarded alive in this terrible place."

"What am I not saying right now?" Lysia dared him with a hint of mischief in her eyes.
"That you want me to take you to bed," he smiled and stroked her cheek lovingly. "so that I won't see the pain in your heart, and the wrath and mistrust you are desperately trying to hold back."
Lysia's pretense fell away just as her forehead fell onto his chest. She wanted to sob out her pain, but it wouldn't listen to her, it never listened to her. She always had to bottle it up inside because there was nowhere else to put it. Tamain wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly.

"I, I don't know what to do with you," Lysia said oddly sober. "You confuse me, and clear my head at the same time."

"Shall I entertain your previous inclination while you deliberate?" He said with a hint of mirth. Lysia had forgotten that he could also be so pompous.

"My lord has my permission," She replied, uncertain to what he was referring, as her wits had already been dizzied by the turn of events this morning.

Tamain lifted her up into his arms, and carried her back to their fur bed. He laid her down gently and kissed her cheek, her neck, her collarbone, and further... This was a lovers kiss; soft, slow, sensual and arousing. His fingers drifted over her skin, following the curves of her shoulders, her sides, her hips and thighs.

Lysia moaned softly from his soothing touch. Her body moved and responded to his touch; stretching and arching into his lips, trying to force his path onto more sensitive and pleasurable areas, but he would have none of it. Tamain thwarted her and maintained his teasing course of paying homage to the softer parts of her body. Even the ticklish areas had been well subdued by his sensual kisses. As his tongue playfully licked the backside of her knee, and his teeth nibbled a tendon she cooed softly. All her suspicions and tensions had once again been expertly disarmed by her dark-skinned lover.

Tamain came to a slow stop between her legs, and eased himself down between them. His lips traversed her smooth belly until they reached the small patch of brown hair below. His mouth nuzzled her wet womanhood before gliding those skilled lips up her inner thigh. Lysia arched her hips up to meet his lips, wanting him to devour more of her flesh despite herself. All restraint and wariness had been discarded and she wanted more of him on her skin. Her hands found his head and her fingers wound through his hair in response to her growing excitement. It was the sign he was waiting for; Tamain looked from his ministrations to her - her cheeks flush and red as she moaned softly, and her chest heaving from her excited breathing. She was ready for him.

All she had come to know of Zecairin intimacy was shallow in comparison to the depths to which his tongue reached as it parted her labia and caressed her wet folds. Lysia's body rose up to meet his tongue, her breath caught in her throat, her eyes rolled back with a flutter as her lover brought to her a new experience. As that wonderfully articulate tongue danced and caressed her exposed clitoris she squeaked despite herself. The more he manipulated that sensitive bud, the more she writhed underneath him. When finally she broke and gasped for breath, he eased back to soft caresses of her labia and allowed her to catch her breath lest she black out from trying to savor all of this new experience. From the frantic rhythm of her breathing he could tell she wouldn't last much longer, so he gave her a moment to taper off as he kissed and suckled her lips into his mouth. When she was ready, he resumed caressing circles around her bud with the tip of his tongue. His warm hands caressed her stomach and chest, and gave only momentary distractions to the building excitement within her.

Lysia peaked - instinctively grabbed handfuls of his hair, and clenched her thighs against his cheeks as her body trembled with the release of pleasure. It lasted for a good long moment before her muscles relaxed, and she cooed appreciatively as her body started to involuntarily go limp.

"Oh my shadowcat..." she tried to speak. "I've never..." she panted. Tamain crawled atop her and kissed her panting lips to silence her. She reached for his hard cock, and wrapped her fingers around it before he pulled her hand away. He kissed her fingers and her wrist.

"Another time, my lovely mouse." He smiled, before sucking one of her fingers into his mouth and biting it playfully. "I would stay here forever with you, but there are more wonders I would show you first. Starting with the rest of my world... The Discarded. Let us bathe first, then I will take you to meet them. Lend your voice to theirs so we can decide how to better assist your queen." He played with the hair around her ear, and casually caressed the tip of it.

Lysia could hardly deny him anything at this point in time.

* * * *

Valel found his Queen standing still in a new robe surveying the scenery below the side of their mountain. She seemed especially interested in the small human compound not far from the foot of it. Like typical human encampments, the tree line had been cut back, and visibility was clear on all four sides of the structure. Four long walls surrounded a generously sparse interior with a half dozen smaller buildings and one larger main building. She had found a near perfect vantage point leaning against a fallen log. Had a walker-by not noticed the bright blond hair above the bark edge, they would have missed her completely. Valel wasn't sure whether to remind her of the need for stealth, or trust she had done it on purpose.

She heard him approach and glanced slowly back over her shoulder. Valel waited respectfully for a moment, until she nodded to him to approach. As he grew closer he saw the shimmer of the illusion she had erected before her -- a camouflage to disguise her presence to those viewing from below but not from behind. His judgment had been premature, and he scolded himself for it. His Queen was more formidable than he first assessed. Valel came to stand beside her, but maintained a respectful step away.

Riyarra approached casually, came to stand before him, and leaned into him, pulling his arms around her waist as she leaned the back of her head against his shoulder. Valel was barely taller than her, and her ear was uncomfortably close to his mouth. Her casualness aside, even had it been any other woman he would have flustered at this and maintained his distance. Valel wasn't sure he was allowed to tell her no, however. Not as a knight, not as a subject, not as a male.

"Your father has suggested I take a prince-consort," Riyarra spoke softly. There was no flirtation in her voice, but a troubled thoughtfulness. "I dismissed him for a brief time so that I could collect my thoughts. I am sure your mother would recommend you before another, Lord Valel. But I am not so sure." She folded her hands over his and held them over her stomach. She kept her gaze on the Monastery below and let the mountain breeze blow over them. "What are your thoughts? Please speak honestly." Valel considered her posturing for a moment, as this was most confusing to him and very distracting.