Private Tales Read between the lines

[Zana]

Zana dropped the man she had been about to torture further to the ground. He lay there dazed as Talus spoke. The hand on her shoulder was warm through her shirt and she tugged off her helmet, shaking her head slightly to move the hair out of her eyes, before she turned her gaze to watch him. He was quite an inspiring speaker, she thought, her lips twitching ever so slightly into a smile. Perhaps not the most uplifting one, but the kind you wanted to hear on the battlefield. It was honest and yet somehow he made you still want to do your best even if the odds were horrific.

A silence seemed to descend over the regiment once Talus had finished speaking and, very slowly, she raised her hand and peeled his hand from her shoulder. Her hand lingered a moment more than necessary before she let it drop.

"I will teach you what I can," Zana spoke next and this time she let just a little of the edge drop from her voice. "To begin with a simple shield," she didn't give them time to recover. Being able to work when exhausted was important and if they could do it in this state they would find it easier on the field.

"Dreadlords have a natural inclination towards magic, we are chosen because we demonstrate these at birth. No other reason. It matters not if we suckled at the teat of a noblewoman or the wife of a ship builder. But, this does not mean just because you did not have a violent awakening of magical potential that you have none," her eyes scanned the ranks and landed on a familiar face.

"Lola," she motioned the girl forward. "Let's start with you."

For the rest of the day Zana drove them hard. There was no break for lunch or water. She pushed them to the edge of what they could handle then pushed them further. By the time the sky was beginning to darken though the majority of them had control over a shield that could deflect one of Zana's energy strikes. For most of them, having that would have stopped them falling on their backs in Zana's first attack.

"That's enough for today."

Even Zana was tired though Talus was probably the only one who would be able to tell it. She had had to excuse herself twice as particularly bad visions had hit her, once causing a nosebleed. But she hadn't so much as uttered a word of complaint. She lent on her sword just a little too much and there were smudges under her eyes.

 

[Talus]

Talus helped where he could throughout the day. He did not know as much as Zana, but he did his best to evoke what little knowledge he had. By the end of the day he did not have the same tired eyes as her, and he still stood rigid as if his earlier thoughts still plagued his mind.

As his troops slowly wandered off the training field complaining of aches and pains, talking of what they had learned, Talus walked passed them. A few thanked him, other saluted him, and still others only gave him weary smiles.

A bitterness touched his tongue. "Do the same for her."

He told some of the soldiers quietly as he walked through a crowd of those attempting to thank him. They glanced at him a moment, but he caught sight of Lola nodding her head emphatically.

Slowly the Dreadlord made his way towards Zana, his eyes fixed on her with a hard expression. To anyone watch it would almost appear as though he meant to confront her.

"Afraid I'm going to have to send you home." He told her, his voice barely biting back into neutrality. "I have some Pasta calling for me at home, can't be bothered with anything else."

She'd be able to feel the turmoil still rolling through his chest even as he said the code they had created.

 

[Zana]

Zana straightened when Talus approached and watched him warily. His emotions had been another thing she had to try and overcome all day. It was like a tide seeking to drag her under and drown her. It had just turned into white noise as one point and she was struggling to decipher was he was feeling anymore. The code eased some of that doubt. Faintly one corner of her lips twitched upwards.

"I have a hungry Wolf to deal with anyway," she hoped the returning code would ease his mind a little.

Come home with me. She pushed images of the bed through his mind. Zana didn't think she would be able to do much more than sleep when she got back.

"Same time tomorrow, Major?" as she picked up her shield and slung it over her shoulder Grey trotted back to her side.

 

[Talus]

The smallest hint of a smile touched his lips, but it was there for just a second. "I'll see you there."

It was an innocuous enough saying, but Zana would know what he meant. The ache in his heart, the hurt that still rolled over him, and the small droplets of love that fell among the storm would hopefully reassure her of how he felt.

His eyes lingered on her for a moment, smile flittering for a brief second. "Dismissed, Dreadlord."

Talus waved a hand at her in what might have been a vague salute, and then turned around to walk off the field.

By the time Zana made it home to her townhouse she would find Talus already sitting in the chair that he had practically claimed as his. The armor he had worn on the training field had been neatly stacked in her hallway, boots placed besides it.

His sword leaned against the wall there too, resting.

Talus himself leaned forward in the chair, his arms propped up by his knees, face buried within his palms as he softly breathed in and out. Through the bond she would still feel that raging storm of emotions, the undefined anguish that had lingered for a day.

 

[Zana]

It could never be a straight journey home, Zana thought as she pushed open the door finally. She had been waylaid twice, firstly by a new Luana Dreadlord who had been stationed on the watch of the gates, and next by one of her superiors who had enquired after some assistance the day after morrow on an expedition into the Falwood forest. She would have to mention it to Talus, though from what she understood the Guards god more breaks than Dreadlords so perhaps she wouldn't even be needed that day.

If the bond hadn't told her she was inside Grey did by the way he practically yanked the door handle out of her hands. She gave a small noise of irritation.

"Manners," Zana sighed as the wolf bundled his way over to Talus, squirming between his legs and the way he held his head to litter his face with kisses and press his wet nose against his warm skin. She ran a hand down her face as she kicked off her boots and dropped her own armour unceremoniously on the floor before following her wolf's lead.

"Darling?" her voice was soft as she shooed Grey out of the way and crouched in front of him, her hands on his knees.

 

[Talus]

Talus gently stroked his hand over Grey's head, petting the Wolf and smiling down at him as he desperately tried to pull him back from that depth.

The expression slipped away as Zana softly pushed the hound away, taking his place a moment later. Pain shot through him, and his hands pulled away from his face as he slowly reached out and touched her face. "I'm sorry."

He said softly.

"I'm sorry for what I said." Talus whispered, still remembering the sense of pain that had come from her. "I'm sorry."

His teeth clamped shut. "I just..."

The darkness swirled for a few moments, his hands slowly drawing over her cheeks as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I hate them, Zana." The admission almost hurt in it of itself. "I hate that I had to say those things for them. I hate that I felt like I had to. I hate how it made you feel. I hate that we're in this city. I hate that we have to save them."

Tears welled in his eyes. "I hate them all so much. All of them. The Guard. The Citizens. The Nobles. Every last one of them."

His fingers curled against her cheek.

"I hate that they take you from me. I hate that they get to love. I hate." A broken, shattering pain lurched over him as he bit back a sob.

Why was he always the weak one? Why did he have to lean on her?

It wasn't fair.

 

[Zana]

One hand stayed on his knee but the other came up to gently rest over the hand that sat on her left cheek. She turned into it, kissed the soft inside of his wrist.

"It's ok my love," she meant it, the feeling was paramount through the bond even as he apologised again and again. "I know," she murmured after each consequence sorry, her eyes raising to his as she leaned her cheek into his hand. Her eyes closed when he leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. There was a spike of shock at his admission but it gave was to understanding as she felt it first then heard it from his lips.

"I know, I know. Oh my darling," Zana's heart ached as it came pouring out of him. She hadn't wanted to cause that and thought quietly once more to think of a better way to hide these more negative emotions. He had such passion for what they were doing and these kinds of thoughts would ruin that. She stood slowly and sat on the arm of the chair, pulling him against her.

"I've got you," her fingers stroked through his hair in slow soothing movements. "I understand," she pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Let it out," her hand ran down his back and began to move in slow circles. "It's ok to cry, to be mad, my love."

 

[Talus]

A powerful sob wracked his body, fingers tightening into his palm as he clutched them into tight fists.

He wanted to scream, yell.

Rage boiled inside of him, anger, hatred. It swept over him like a tidal wave. So powerful was his passion that he could almost feel his magic prickle beneath his skin. Over his entire body Zana would see the small wisps of ghostly smoke, an air of power surrounding him as he nearly fell back into that depth he'd taken them to the day before.

The storm roiled, rolled, rushed. It consumed him, grabbed at him and would have dragged him down into the darkest depths if it were not for her touch.

Her words echoed in his ears as he cried, his body shifting against her as he tried desperately to gather himself. Guilt pulled at him. "I'm sorry."

He said the words again.

"I'm so so sorry." He breathed, tears spilling down his face. "I'm sorry I'm so weak."

Was that the center of it all? Was that what it was?

"I just want you to be safe." Yes. "I want you to walk with me, be with me, stand at my side."

All his life he had been alone. His entire life had been about himself, about what he could become. Yet none of it mattered when he was with her. Talus no longer cared for himself, no longer thought of him, only them. "I don't know if I'm strong enough for this. I don't know If I can hurt you again. I don't know If I can watch them..."

His jaw tightened.

"I don't know if I can watch them not understand who you truly are." The love of his life. The woman that had saved him from being just another miserable shell.

His head turned towards her, his hands slipping onto her as he tried desperately to pull her closer.

Talus felt pathetic, broken, undeserving of what Zana was. His love for her burned through his chest and out into the bond, his every feeling clear.

 

[Zana]

Zana had to shut her eyes to deal with the wave of anger that hit her through the bond. She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly as she pulled him closer against her chest and rested her chin on top of his head. Gently she began to rock them as he cried and raged against the unfairness of their situation. She said nothing as he let it out, told her what was making him so upset, whilst she rocked them and ran her hand slowly through his hair or down his down his back.

Of course she understood it. She no more wanted to stand there and ignore him than he did. Zana wasn't going to lie and say that it didn't hurt her he had felt it like a slap across the face. That was her own weakness and she would get better, colder, when they were together in public in order to deal with it. That wasn't on him but yet here he was in tears for the slight discomfort he caused her. It made her worry more what he was going to be like when the vision interrogation happened again.

A soft sigh.

"My darling," as he pulled at her she slid into his lap sensing he needed to just hold her tight. "I don't care that they don't know who I am, it's better for them to see me as a House Dreadlord. They've grown to used to you, you're too human, they love you and that's not a fair representation of what we are truly like," her fingers continued to trail up and down as she spoke in soft tones, sending her love through the bond like a healing balm to the anger. "History will remember the truth of the matter when this is over, when we can go to Karak," she pressed a kiss to his head. Her eyes flickered to Grey who quietly put his head on their now shared lap and a faint smile traced her lips as she reached down and petted the wolf with her spare hand. He whined, sensing the sadness in Talus and pressed himself closer.

"If this is too much I understand, I can be reassigned, I can push for someone like Sloan to come and train your men," her fingers lingered in his hair as she played with a soft strand. "Or..." she took a breath. "Dreadlords being married isn't unheard of, Ashur would see it as a sign you had been won by Luana. We could at least have a reason to be publicly less cold with one another," she placed another kiss to his head.

 

[Talus]

He listened to her every word, the explanation, the reasoning. He felt the emotion and comfort pouring through the bond, felt her soft kisses and hands upon himself. It drew him back from those depths, pulled him closer to the surface.

"No." It was a firm rejection of the idea of her being reassigned. There was no one else who could do the job in the same way Zana could. The trust they had together was what made all of this work, the reason The Guard had even allow it at all. "It has to be you."

He just had to be stronger.

Talus shivered slightly, his hand reaching out to cover hers as she slowly pet Grey on the head. Eye sclosed, and he took a breath as he pulled himself together. He stared down at the Wolf, felt Zana pressed against him.

How lucky he was to have such a problem.

The woman he loved, her...their pet both looking out for him while he complained simply because he was too weak to stand without them. His fingers slowly stroked over hers. "But."

Slowly he breathed, looking up at her.

"I want to marry you." The words were firm, but he didn't let her speak. "Not because of them, and not yet."

Talus' arms tightened around her. "I won't let them dictate our lives. I will marry you Zana Vjollca, but when it's right."

Why wasn't it right yet? Why didn't he fall to his knees and beg her right then and there? Because he had a plan, and only one piece of it was missing now.

Slowly he took in a breath.

"It's this I have to remember." He said softly. "These moments. Us."

His hand ran over Gray's muzzle. "This little fool."

The future.

"I'll be stronger." He told her softly. It was already something he had resolved to be, something that he knew he needed to be. For her. Not for them. Not for the Vel Anir. Not for the people. For her. "I'll be stronger."

Talus said as he softly kissed her, leaving out the all important words. For you.

 

[Zana]

It felt as though her heart might hammer its way out of her chest as he spoke. She had joked about the idea of marriage back in Karak after he had called her his wife but she hadn't realised the idea had cemented in his mind and become a goal for him. Zana considered them as much as married; how could anything be closer than the bond they had between them? Marriage was just a public declaration of what she already knew and it would bring unwelcome attention for now. But the idea he wanted that, that he was determined to get it and announce to the world how they felt? It made her heart ache.

She had no words. He had stolen them along with her heart and her very breath with his declaration.

When their lips met her face crumpled and she pressed herself into him, her hands coming up to cup his face and hold him close. She was sure he would hear her heart so loud did it echo in her head. She didn't need him to be stronger, Zana needed him how he was. It was his humanity that anchored her and kept her sane. His humanity had brought her back from the brink in Karak, had soothed her when her magic had destroyed his home. The kiss deepened and she didn't let him go until they were both struggling to breath.

When they finally did break apart she still held him there, their noses brushing against one another and foreheads resting together so they could share one another's breaths.

She wanted to tell him he was strong, that he was far stronger than she for embracing his emotions, for standing up to Vel'Anir and the Houses, for that amazing display of power today... But they all seemed wrong in this moment.

"You've thought about that kind of thing?" she asked softly. "Marriage... a family?"

 

[Talus]

"Since Karak." Since that slip of his tongue and her little joke after it.

He hadn't been able to get it out of his mind in fact.

Everything was planned out in his head now, just how he was going to do it, when he was going to ask her, and of course the spectacle of it. She had asked him for something big, and in his minds eye that was exactly what she was going to get.

Marriage seemed a formality, in truth, but...it was one that he wanted. It was one that he would take for them. No one could deny him that right. Not the houses, not the King, not even the Gods.

He reached up his hand and gently caressed her cheek. "I know we have this bond. I know I love you, but..."

Talus shrugged.

"I want you to be my wife." He kissed her softly. "I want to be with you in that manor. Maybe get another cabin in the woods."

A breath filled him. "And yeah...maybe...maybe kids."

He'd never really thought about it before, but the idea of a family...it hit something in his chest. The idea was impossible now, not in Vel Anir, not as long as things were how they were, but after? When things had changed?

Yes. He wanted a family with her.

The thought stoked something in the back of his mind, fingers tightened on her for just a second, but he merely smiled at what the future might be.

 

[Zana]

The pure joy that filled her in that moment pushed at her skin until she thought she would burst with it. She wore his necklace at all times but nobody knew what it meant. A ring though? That was unmistakable. Zana realised, in that moment, that even though she had joked about it she did want it and had merely been keeping it from her mind because it seemed impossible. But his passion for it made her giddy. Yes, why couldn't they have this? Everyone else did and for once there wasn't a rule forbidding it.

"I want that too," to be his wife. To be his in every which way. He had taken her soul, her body, her mind. She wanted this too now like an ache in her chest. She leaned into the hand on her cheek and returned the kiss with a bright smile. This was a much happier conversation. The stresses and tiredness of the day dispersed into the back of her mind.

The idea of kids though...

That terrified her. Sloan hadn't raised a stupid girl, she was taking the right precautions and keeping track of things but there was always the possibility. If that happened before things fell apart then there would be the very real danger the child would be taken from them. Maybe not. Luana were not the worst of the seven houses but...

"I am scared," Zana confessed because he would feel the swirl of emotions no doubt. "Of that happening before things fall. Before it's safe."

 

[Talus]

Talus nodded his head in understand. Their thoughts mirrored one another, and his lips pressed in soft reassuring kisses against hers before trailing over her cheek and jaw. "I will never."

There was strength in his tone now.

"Never let anything happen to our children." It was a declaration of war, one that might not have been necessary in that moment, but solidified in his mind. He would take precautions, ensure that things were ready just in case.

Talus would burn down Vel Anir itself before he let any of the Houses near his child.

"I promise you that." He understood the work they needed to do, knew that they could not just run, but there would be no decision left to make if such a thing occurred. Not for Talus.

A flash of what might happen pulled through his mind, a sight of the future born not of magic, but an overwilled imagination. He pictured himself with Zana, whisking her away to the far side of the Spine, spending every day doting on her and...

The thought swirled in his head, and his cheeks colored for just a brief second and Zana would feel a spike of something familiar drive through the bond before he cleared his throat. "I promise."

He assured her again softly, kissing her again.

 

[Zana]

Zana returned each kiss, nodded, but there was a worry in her eyes still even if it was faint. If they ran they would be hunted and that was a whole other problem. Their life was so far from normal it was almost laughable really. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck and used the smell of him, the solidness of him here and now to anchor herself before she could spiral further. If she did she might try and seek out that future and she didn't want to know it.

Because she might not get to that point in her life.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the odd spike down the bond and she raised her head to give him a curious look, noted the blush on his cheeks. She couldn't quite piece together what it all meant so she simply kissed his heated cheeks before he claimed her lips.

"I think I will try and find someone for Grey before that," a weary smile. She brushed her fingers over his cheek. "Imagine lots of tiny puppies running around the cabin," the smiled turned into a grin before she looked down to their wolf who still hadn't moved his head from their lap. "I thought he was going to eat that man of yours today. Do you see what I mean about other men now?!" Grey hadn't seemed to mind the women Zana had worked with but when she had instructed the men the wolf had made sure his teeth were permanently on display.

 

[Talus]

Talus perked an eyebrow. "You want puppies and kids running around the cabin at the same time."

Clearly his mind was a little stuck.

"Sweetheart I know you're brave but that might be a bit much even for you." With the amount of energy Grey had Talus wasn't entirely sure that he could handle a bunch of his little monsters running around. The Wolf was pretty good around the house, but he was fairly sure puppies would chew the furniture to bits in an instant.

Talus couldn't help but grimace at the thought, though her next words brought a quick smile to his face. She really hadn't been kidding.

"Well." His hands gently sailed down her body, softly grasping her hips and pulling her against himself. "He knows who you belong with."

He smirked at her, looking down at Grey and whispering to him wordlessly. Good boy.

Talus could almost swear the Wolf nodded at him.

 

[Zana]

Kids - plural?

But the image of tiny toddlers and puppies rolling around together was too much cuteness to allow her to wonder along the lines of just how many children Talus envisaged in this scenario. Instead she could only laugh at the grimace on his face as he thought of no doubt the destruction it would cause.

"Okay, maybe in the manor," the marble walls would probably be able to withstand the destruction a little better. She gently nuzzled at his cheek as for a moment they both thought on the future ahead of them when this was all over. A little pain for all that happiness would be worthwhile. His feelings seemed to be easing now and she relaxed as he gripped her hips and pulled her down into his lap properly so she was no longer holding him but rather the other way around.

"It's not funny," Zana smacked his arm playfully and gave the wolf an equally annoyed look. Grey stared back then gave a large yawn and went to jump onto the sofa opposite them now, sensing the moment of sadness had passed. "He is a menace and I blame you," she kissed his nose.

 

[Talus]

Talus smirked at her, gently returning the kiss on her nose. "I think it's fantastic."

It wasn't like Talus had ever felt a moment of Jealousy in his life. He had absolute and complete faith in Zana, not just because of the bond, though it would have been a lie to say that it didn't help.

"Makes sure no one has any salacious intent on my woman." He puffed up his chest a bit, clearly jesting with a wide smirk.

"He's a good boy." Talus told her, the thoughts of jealousy briefly reminding him of the Look she had given the sergeant back on the training field. "Like me."

His smirk still touched his lips.

 

[Zana]

"I'm sure you do," she retorted sourly, though there was a smile on her lips and amusement made her eyes look impossibly lighter. The laugh burst out of her when he puffed up his chest and she petted it gently, sweeping her hands back over his shoulders as if to ease him back down and reassure him. In truth she wasn't really sure what she would do if she were put in that position. Her icy reputation kept most men at a distance anyway but there were a few Dreadlords she had tangled with in the past when the desire had taken them both.

As he mentioned his own good behaviour her own mind seemed to also go back to the training ground and a sour expression crossed her face. Her fingers tightened on his shirt.

"I don't play nice with people who try and take what is mine," there was an edge to her words and the purple energy crackled briefly over her skin. Zana wasn't like him, she hadn't been shown the goodness of the world and the benefits of embracing emotions. Of being human. She was the perfect Dreadlord and would have still been that way if she hadn't lost a part of her soul. It felt like she was walking the razor edge of a knife and this was one of those social occasions she leaned more one way than the other.

 

[Talus]

The display of slight posession made him bite the inside of his lip. A pang of, lust shot through him, a reminder of the night before.

"My love." It had been fun to see that fire in her, watch her stake her claim without saying a single word. He wouldn't have lied about that, but at the same he would never make her purposefully jealous. Not as long as he breathed.

"You are the only one for me." He leaned in and kissed her swiftly. "The only woman I want to stare at. The only one I think about. The only one who runs through my dreams."

Another kiss, one placed between each short sentence. "The only one who lights the fire in my heart."

His arms wrapped around her, tugging her into a cozy embrace as his fingers sailed through the strands of her hair.

"I'm yours." Talus finished, closing his eyes and simply enjoying the sensation of her.

 

[Zana]

He would probably feel the rumble of discontent in her chest rather than hear it from where her face was pressed into the crook of his neck after he had pulled her into his embrace. His words rang true; there was no doubt that crossed her mind he would ever sway from her. But that other women would still look at him as if there was a chance still raked against her skin like fingernails on a chalkboard. The energy sparked and crackled over her for a while longer before she finally drew herself back from that edge which most certainly would have ended up in a dead guard had she been pushed over it. People needed to know he was taken.

It reminded her of the other reason she was late.

"I have that surprise for you," Zana drew her head back from where it had been resting against him so she could look at him instead. Her eyes searched his for a moment. "Would you like it now?"

 

[Talus]

He couldn't help but feel small sparks of contentment and love as her jealousy flowed through the bond. Talus couldn't have said why, but perhaps it was the simple knowledge that someone loved him enough to actually be jealous when someone else looked at him.

That fact alone made him love her all the more. "Surprise?"

In the rolling storm of everything he'd forgotten, having simply fallen into the thought of being with her. Lips quirked in a smile for a few seconds.

"Of course I'd like it now." Talus had never been much of a patient man.

It had gotten him in trouble more than once at the Academy, and even now there was an excitement to his tone. If she wasn't on top of him he might have started wiggling like an excited puppy.

 

[Zana]

Zana didn't move from his lap as she felt his growing excitement, the slight tremor to his whole body which made her smile. Her hand ran down his cheeks and then the box landed in her other, outstretched hand. Now it was her turn to wriggle a little in anticipation. She had been thinking of something since he had gifted her the necklace. It was something so physical and dominating, a piece that caught the eye and said she clearly carried someone's favour. She had wanted him to wear something similar; that would make him feel with her even when she couldn't be. It was a lot harder for men of course.

It was a small box and she held it up with both thumbs and forefingers as if presenting it to a king. She bit the inside of her cheek as they began to turn a distinct red shade.

Zana said nothing when he took it, simply watched. Inside would be a signet ring so it was easy to pass off again as a gift from someone else, or even something he had purchased himself. In the middle was a perfectly worked version of the crest that now sat on her table.

 

[Talus]

Talus spent a few seconds just marveling at the box. The last gift she had given him had made him practically explode with glee. This? This was something else entirely. A smile touched his face as he looked at her, lips pressing against hers.

He could feel the excitement draw up in her, and before she clobbered him for drawing out the moment Talus finally opened the box.

As it folded open and the ring was revealed an expression drew over his face that was hard to read. Anyone else might have thought he didn't like it or that it was too much, but Zana would be able to feel truth through the bond.

Love.

Overbearing, powerful, a tidal wave of the emotion rushing from him and into her. He couldn't speak, the words choked off as he tried to compose something to tell her. "I-i."

He'd never received such a gift, not even close.

"I love it." His thumb traced over the crest on the ring, a smile touching his lips as he glanced towards the door to the kitchen and smiled. "The crest of our House."

Joy and mirth ripped through him as he kissed her, his lips pressing against hers over and over in small loving kisses.

 

[Zana]

Zana committed every little action to memory as he turned the box this way and that, the expression on his face, the excitement as he slowly - agonisingly so - opened the box and finally saw what was inside. It was nowhere near the workmanship of the dwarfs but she couldn't be too choosy in Vel'Anir. Even so it was still a beautiful piece and she had paid the top end of the scale for the finesse of the work on getting the symbol perfect.

Her smile grew as his emotions crashed into her and she wriggled at the sheer pleasure of making him feel all of those things. But then, even though she had given him the ring, he gave her an even greater one.

Our House.

He didn't even seem to realise what he said, or if he did he said it so casually and simply as if there had been no question of it, that it made her breath catch in her throat. The quick kisses were not enough and she caught him before he could pull away from one of them and deepened it. Her hands stroked up his arms, over his shoulders, to clasp about his neck.

"I will love you for a thousand years," she said as their lips parted. "And then a millennia more, Talus."