Roderick and Gorlana

Gorlana slipped out smoothly. With the hood of Walden's dark cloak pulled up she already looked like she'd slip through the shadows with ease.

"Go while you can," Roderick whispered, and stepped away.

He watched her go two steps ahead, then spin around and grab him for one last kiss.

He took in the feel of her soft lips and ran his tongue affectionately over her sharp fangs and tasted her deft tongue, savouring it, breathing in her scent one last time and making damn sure he would remember it forever.

"Thank you Roderick. I'll never forget you," Gorlana breathed passionately, running a tender claw through his hair.

"I'll never forget you either," he whispered hoarsely.

Then suddenly she turned away, and was gone into the dark night.

...

Roderick adjusted the pack on his back and marched on along with his army, sweating in the afternoon heat. A despondent stare was on his face, looking straight ahead and trying to focus on the march up the hill and nothing else. They had broke camp yesterday after a day's search came up empty for Gorlana and any other survivors of the battle. It was the only positive thing his mind could latch on to. At least they hadn't found her. At least she was alive, and he'd saved her.

He had slipped back to the celebration fire that night without anyone having noticed he had ever left. Every minute that passed without any alarm being sounded made Roderick pray a small thanks to the gods. Finally, after about an hour, voices starting yelling and the curses and searches began. Thankfully no one suspected him. He and the other soldiers had trouble sleeping that night for very different reasons.

The road at the edge of the long ridge of hills passed out of the trees to an open area and a beautiful vista of forested hills spread out before them to their left, under the shimmering sun. Roderick turn his head and stared, wondering where she was. All the beautiful scenes of the world couldn't hold a candle to the way Gorlana had made him feel. He knew he must be in love. Anyone would laugh at him if he told them, he knew, but he couldn't imagine what love could possibly be if this wasn't it.

She was still out there, somewhere, the most amazing girl he had ever met. He knew he more than likely would never see her again though. Never look in those beautiful purple eyes, never feel her lips and warm thick body against him, never smell that scent that had filled him with such driving purpose. It felt like his life had nothing to offer him anymore. What good was anything if he couldn't be with her? He had survived the battle. He had lived to breathe another day, yet he couldn't help himself from thinking, as he closed his eyes and a secret tear rolled down his cheek under his helm...

I want to die.