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ArdenThe rain made quick work of the fire, and I directed my men to help move the family whose house had been struck to a nearby barn, where they could stay for a couple of nights until we could repair their house. They finished quickly, and with a nod, I dismissed them to their drinking and debauchery for the evening. The revelry in the town square would be done for the night, but the tavern was still open. My men would be hung over, but they would all report for work in the morning.I headed to the edge of town and up the hill to my headquarter where I usually slept. Lt. Ford caught up with me halfway there and fell into step next to me.”Fun night for the boys,” he said, by way of greeting.I nodded in agreement. “So long as they’re at work in the morning.”He nodded in return, accepting the reminder. We walked together through the rain in companionable silence.”You and Sadice seemed to be having a good time,” he finally ventured.”We got caught up,” was all I offered.”Old friend?””We met at the beginning of the war. I was stationed in her town.”He nodded. “Does she know?”I stopped and looked directly at him. He faced me.”She does not… exactly. Spit it out.” I glared mildly at him.He didn’t back down, but met my glare with the open look of a trusted friend. “She deserves to.””That’s hardly your place to say,” I told him stiffly.He nodded again. “As your second, you’re absolutely right. As your friend, it’s my duty to say it. I’ve watched her over the past weeks. It’s clear she has a thing for you and, your pardon, but it’s clear you have a thing for her as well.”I opened my mouth to tell him to stay out of it, but he spoke quickly.”This war has taken something from all of us. You have been given something back. Not all of us have that. I think she can handle it.” He smiled. “She’s tougher than she looks.”I glared. “Are you done?”He looked up at the sky as if contemplating. “I could be. Are you going to see her tonight?””I wasn’t.””You should.” And with that, he turned and went back toward town.”And you should tell her everything,” he tossed over his shoulder, as he walked away.I watched him go until I was sure he was really leaving. Then just stood there in the pouring rain.I couldn’t tell her everything. It was more than I could deal with on most days. I wouldn’t inflict that on her. That wouldn’t be at all fair.And yet, I found myself wanting to. She had been there when this war started. Despite my silences and withdrawals, she had always sought me out, drawn me close, and kissed away my nightmares. Why couldn’t I let her do that again? Why couldn’t I just be with her, and let that be enough? Why couldn’t I just be?No. I shook my head and started walking again. Eight years was a long time. She didn’t deserve my pain.And yet, instead of going to my own quarters, I soon found myself standing in front of her door. It took me a full ten breaths to dredge up the nerve to knock.For long moments, nothing happened. My heart pounded. Just when I had about given up, she opened the door.My heart smote me when I saw her face and the redness of her eyes. I had done this. I had made my love cry. Before I could move, Sadice grabbed me by my shirt front and pulled me inside, slamming the door behind me, and shoving me against it. She held me at arm’s length with both her hands gripping my shirt. Her eyes bore into mine, and fresh tears fell onto her cheeks.”Why are you here?” she asked. Anger and hurt made her voice tremble.I didn’t know what to say. All my reasons suddenly seemed very selfish and ill-considered.”Why do you keep doing this to me?” She pounded my chest with her fist bahis şirketleri twice, then three times. She glared at me, but as I just stood there, unable to speak, her anger melted into hunger, and without warning, she pushed herself against me and kissed me. Her breasts heaved into mine, her strength of emotion making them swell against her night shirt. I kissed her back, hard. All the longing I’d locked away so tightly gave way like a dam, sweeping through me, igniting all my senses.Sadice jerked me to the bed and, without a word, demanded I satisfy her. We made love, but it was aggressive, harsh, even brutal. I fought to keep the fire at bay. I’d never seen this kind of passion from Sadice, and it was intoxicating, threatening to undo all my hard-won control.When we were done, I lay panting beside her, my fists clenched, and I could almost see the steam coming off them. Sadice didn’t seem to notice. Slowly, as my heart rate slowed, control came back, and my hands cooled. I relaxed.*****Sadice slept with her back to me. Before, she had always snuggled against me, tucked into my arm, so I knew she was still mad.Fair enough. I had put her through fresh hell since arriving. My fault.And yet I found myself grinning into the blackness. Eight long fucking years of bloody war, and here I finally was, lying next to the only woman I’d ever loved, her soft skin pressed against mine, her hair brushing my face, her soft breathing soothing in its calm rhythm.I rolled toward her back, and wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close. She sighed in her sleep and pressed closer to me. I smiled again.Maybe it would work out after all.*****SadiceMoans and jerks roused me from the best sleep I’d had in years. It took me several breaths to remember where I was and that Arden slept against my back. A warm glow suffused me, and I snuggled back into her. She was still here.A low growl and violent twitch surprised me to fuller wakefulness, and her hand fell against my skin, almost burning it. I gasped and pushed her hand away from me, but she didn’t wake. Another moan and jerk.”Arden.” I twisted to face her and flinched again as her white-hot hand bumped against my skin. I lay her arm down her side, and her fist clenched. I shook her gently.No response. Another convulsion. Her hands fell to the cot, and smoke began to rise from the canvas. I started up in surprise and shock. Flames began licking up from the bed, and Arden still didn’t wake.”Arden!” I yelled, and fell out of bed, grabbed the bucket of water, and emptied it onto her.She leaped all the way to her feet in one fluid motion and crouched against the wall in a fighter’s stance, growling. I stayed on my knees on the other side of the bed and watched her with wide eyes.Slowly, slowly, she seemed to wake up. Her legs gave out, and she fell onto the floor and retched. I crossed the small room, and approached her cautiously, avoiding her hands, but placing mine on her forehead, and pulling her to me. To my relief, she didn’t resist, but leaned into me. She put her head in her hands and rubbed at her face.”I’m sorry,” she said, through her fingers. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.””It’s ok,” I said, not sure if it was. “I think you were having a nightmare.”She nodded, and lifted her head, but didn’t meet my eyes. “Did my hands burn you?”I blinked. “I don’t think so. But they were hot.” I wished she would look at me. “Why were they so hot? Why did they set the bed on fire?”She stared at the far wall so long, I didn’t think she would answer. When she shivered, I stood to tend to the hearth. While my back was to her, her husky voice bahis firmaları reached me.”We were all going to die at Dragon’s Mountain. We knew it before that last battle started. I didn’t think we would last the day, but when the sun went down, we had made it to the Dragon’s Den and were able to regroup just outside it. There were so many of them, so few remaining of us. So many friends dead.”She stopped. I poked needlessly at the fire and waited.”We charged in, led by the king himself. Half of us were gone in that first wave.”She stopped again and swallowed loudly. I would’ve brought her water, but I’d thrown it all on her and the bed. And I didn’t want her to stop talking.”A rumor had been making the rounds the night before. That if you drink dragon’s blood, you gain their powers. The men were betting against each other, wagering which of them would be brave enough to do it. Turns out none of them were. Not even the king.”I had heard that rumor too, and, like the rumors of dragons, had shrugged it off. Now I wondered if I had been wrong about that too. I felt numbing ice crawling up my limbs, even though the fire was burning pleasantly now.”Only I was dumb enough to do it,” she said in a whisper.I turned to look at her, and she met my gaze, her eyes black, her hands glowing red hot. Flames started to lick up her arms.A knock pounded against the door, startling us both.”Captain Arden? Is Captain Arden here? Healer Sadice?”I glanced at the door, and then back at Arden. The flames were gone, and her hands had returned to their normal tan. I tossed her shirt and pants at her and pulled my nightshirt over my head. In a moment, she was dressed and at the door. She jerked it open as Lt. Ford raised his hand to pound again.He saluted quickly. “Sir, reports just came in of Kantians attacking Sangita. They counted fifty, but there could be more.”Arden nodded. “I’ll be up there in a moment.”Lt. Ford nodded briskly, cast a quick, knowing smile at me, and turned to leave. Arden closed the door, and stood there for a moment, her hand still on the handle.I went to her, running my hand up her back. She shivered, and I flushed with pleasure, realizing Arden was here, present, mine.Mine. And dragon-touched. What did that mean for us?She turned to me, uncertainty clouding her face.”You have to go,” I told her, thinking she didn’t want to leave me here. I knew she would come back. She had stayed. She had told me her secret. She trusted me.She nodded, but the uncertainty didn’t leave. And she didn’t move.I touched her face. “It’s ok. I know you’ll be back.”She nodded again and then glanced at her hands. “I’ve changed, Sadice.”I couldn’t breathe. Was she going to reject me again?”I don’t…” Her face reflected her anguish. “I don’t want to hurt you.”I reached up, tangling my fingers in her hair, and slowly pulled her in, kissing her full on the mouth, savoring her taste and smell and essence. She moaned and pulled me in closer.When she pulled back for air, I met her gaze. “Just don’t turn me away.”Apology filled her eyes again, and I kissed her in acceptance.”Now go,” I told her. “You’re needed.”*****Three anxious days passed without a word from the west, where Captain Arden had gone to fight back Kantians. The first two days, soldiers who had been stationed in the eastern towns came through on their way to join Arden, but, of course, they had no word of the battle. None of them stopped.On the fourth day, Private Goff and another soldier came riding back into town at a gallop. Skidding to a halt by the infirmary, where I was working, they both leaped from their mounts and met me as kaçak bahis siteleri I came to the door.”Captain Arden wants you to come with us,” Goff said between pants. “You’re sorely needed.”I didn’t hesitate, but quickly packed some herbs and bandages, and followed them to three fresh horses that had been saddled in a hurry for us. The sun was high in the sky as we mounted up, but Goff scowled at it.”It’ll take us at least the rest of the day to get back,” he said, kicking his horse. “Let’s go.”We rode hard, alternating between a canter and a trot, as our horses needed a breather, and travelled faster than I ever had to the westernmost town in the valley. The sun sank below the horizon as we left the last town behind us. Then we were climbing up the mountainside to the pass, and as we crested, faint sounds of battle reached my ears.”They’ve pushed us back,” Private Goff snarled, and the other soldier, I still hadn’t caught his name, grunt in response.I peered through the trees, but didn’t see anything. Goff nudged his horse forward, and down we went, almost to the river. The clang and shouts of battle got louder, as did the rushing of the river.”Where are your wounded men?” I asked, pushing my horse up next to theirs. Looking down, I saw through the sparse trees into a large clearing next to the river, where men battled viciously. I couldn’t tell who was who in the deepening darkness, but I did spot a glow that seemed to move as a man. The glow grew and then a part of the light left the glow and a fireball sizzled across the river and landed amidst men manning a small catapult. They scattered.With a jolt of shock, I realized I was watching Arden form and throw fire. Horror washed over me as I stared, unable to move as I watched Arden, again, form a fireball and let it fly across the river, further igniting the catapult. “This way,” Goff barked at me and nudged my horse along the back of the battle.I followed him dumbly. Soon we were in a small clearing, a little further away from the fighting, and a small fire illuminated more than twenty men lying about in various states of battle wounds. I almost fell from my horse when I dismounted, but Goff was at my shoulder and caught my arm.”Can you help them? We’ve almost fifty men out of commission.” He motioned to the men lying prone.I nodded, pushed my stabbing fear down, and knelt by the closest man. Goff went to the soldier’s other side, and bent over him, as I examined the wounds. Deep cuts and a blow to the head had knocked him out. I could bandage everything up, and he would likely live, but I understood why Arden had sent for me. She needed men back out on the battlefield.Touching the man’s arm, I sent my magic into him, and let it close the wounds and bring swelling down, sending blood back to where it was helpful. With a gasp, he woke up and sat up, clutching at his sword. Goff grabbed his arm before the man could swing at me.”It’s ok, Doren! You’re fine! Healer Sadice made you better.” Goff patted Doren’s shoulder until the man’s wild stare settled on me, and he smiled in recognition.”Healer Sadice,” he said gruffly. “Many thanks.”He gripped my hand, and then lumbered to his feet, already heading back into battle. Goff nodded at me and then turned to the next man lying prone on the ground, clutching at his stomach.And so the night passed, one man after another. It took me… I don’t know how long, to make it through the group of men around that fire. I know my strength was waning long before all the men were healed. Goff stayed by my side, fed me, and helped me stand when my strength gave out.When every man had been touched and sent on his way again, I collapsed by the fire and passed out. It felt like only moments later, Goff was touching my shoulder to heal another soldier being helped to the clearing. I healed him and passed out again.
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