Private Tales Under the Stars

[Sierra]

"Oh," eyes were lost in those bright blues of his a moment too long before they managed to track down to his unfinished wood-work. The apprentice felt warmth blossom on her cheeks and knew it was more than the jungle heat around them.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Thoughts of last night slipped into her head. The feeling of hugging Hal on the beach. How happy she'd been that it had been him on the beach. Those strong arms of his around her, holding her up even with that leg of his. The feeling of his head pressed against her hair.

It was strange being in an environment so far from the Academy. Far from eyes of the Archons. Far from eyes of their friends - Luther and Talus...if they lived. Far from rules that had been ingrained in them since they'd been taken with other, unspoken rules still hovering in the humid air between them.

"Have you thought about what you want to do after we graduate?"

If they graduated. If they survived the final step.

 

[Harry]

The way she looked in his eyes... He felt a tightness seize his chest, and hearing her thank him with such gentleness caused the heat in his ears to rage.

“No, I haven’t thought that far,” His voice trailed off, “It would be the same anywhere I went. These hands would cause ruin. The only difference being who it is that orders me.”

He looked at his hands, as if he were looking down at something covered in filth. His innocent, boyish smile had quickly faded away following her inquiry.

 

[Sierra]

Picking up a stick, her stormy-blue eyes averted from his. The suddenly serious look on his face felt like walls going up. But not that high. The walls between them would never be that high because it was Hal. He may have icy hands but his heart warmed her own to a dangerous level.

Stick traced senseless lines in the dirt as she let the silence stretch between them.

The next question was dangerous. Hal could easily drag her before the Academy when they got back and have her executed for such a question. But she couldn't stop it from tumbling from her lips.

"Have you ever thought about running away?"

 

[Harry]

He finally looked up from his hands when she took the stick up in her hand. They both sat in silence as the end of the stick circled through the dirt, leaving shallow indentions between them. Then, his eyes traveled up from the dirt to his friend's face as yet another question escaped her lips.

"Of course," He admitted with a soft tone, "Who hasn't?"

He held one hand in the other, his thumb anxiously rubbing against his palm as if he were about to expose some dark knowledge.

"But, when I would think of running, I just couldn't see myself following through with it."

What he wanted to say, was that he couldn't see himself leaving her there alone.

 

[Sierra]

Gaze flickered up to Hal. Those crisp blues of his drew her in.

Damn him.

"I don't think Luther or Talus has ever thought about it," she pointed out quietly. Fingers scratched at her arms. The saltwater from last night was making her skin itch. She probably needed to get it off soon.

"Why couldn't you follow through with it?" Auburn-brows scrunched in question along her forehead. Her fiddling with the stick stopped.

 

[Harry]

Hal remembered extending a hand to Sierra several years ago. It was a dark, gloomy day. The ground beneath them was dark and wet from a recent rainstorm. They were mere children, not knowing why they were separated from their families nor understanding where they were.

The ones that cried were struck on the arms. Any that comforted the crying were beaten even worse.

Hal, even years after, could remember the expression of that poor little girl that stood next to him. Strands of auburn hair stuck to her cheeks which were wet from tears. Her arm, red and welted from being harshly struck. That day, the young boy reached out and took her hand in his, showing her an innocent smile. It was a gesture that did not need words to accompany it.

I am with you.

Hal still has the three scars across his back from the lashing he received.

Then, another memory came to him. An Apprentice stood above him, sword raised overhead. It was in the Falwood. As his classmate attempted to bring the sword down on him, an arrow through the neck halted the finishing blow.

Hal remembered being completely stunned as a girl, grown and beautiful, strode up to him, long auburn hair bouncing with every step. A hand extended to him, to help him rise from the ground. Stormy grey eyes, similar to the sky on day they first met, looked down on him. Her gesture said what words did not.

I am with you.

He would always remember how on that day he and his friends gathered to survive the Falwood. But, more than anything else, he would always remember those strong eyes looking down at him.

Hal had sat in complete silence as he recalled those two moments. A gentle smile stretched his cheeks.

“If I ran away, then I wouldn’t have been with you anymore.”

 

[Sierra]

She was caught between maintaining her persona of the strong, silent type as Hal spoke and wanting to erase that small distance between them to feel Hal's arms wrap around her like they had last night. Caught between rules of decorum the Academy had beaten into them and the freedom this moment - this island - offered them.

She settled for a reaction in-between.

"Hal," voice caught partially in her throat, the warmth behind those three letters radiating even above the humidity of the jungle they sat in. They'd been forged into weapons for Vel Anir. Sierra, like the others, fought to survive and live up to the standards set before them. To serve Vel Anir well. She was beginning to wonder if she'd betray her country for the man sitting across from her.

She blinked and stood abruptly. She was too nervous to share her feelings beyond what had already slipped.

"I'm going to the river to wash this saltwater off."

 

[Harry]

The way his name was spoken was almost intoxicating to the young boy. His racing heart beat so furiously, so passionately, that it almost made him choke up. Were it not for his leg, he would have thrown himself into her arms to feel her warmth, the only proof that the situation they found themselves in was indeed happening.

Then, she suddenly rose. Hal’s body flinched in response, and he thought of rising to his feet as well.

“The river,” His voice trailed off in a near-dejected manner, “Right. The salt is irritating, huh?”

His gentle smile became wider by the slightest bit, almost appearing sad. Had he said something wrong? He had given her an honest answer, one that contained his sincerest feelings. Was it not what she wanted to hear?

He didn’t understand what his racing heart meant, nor did he understand the heat he felt in his face and ears. Sierra’s expression, too, was something unlike he had seen from her.

Yet, as she abruptly rose and diverted the subject away from his passionate admission, he couldn’t help but feel as if he was denied of... something.

Their upbringing left them completely inexperienced to handling feelings and emotions such as what they felt there in the jungle. Thus, it made Hal completely confused when so many emotions had rushed through him within such a short time.

He leaned against the wooden structure behind him, took the bow in to his hands, and silently began to whittle at it.

 

[Sierra]

Sierra had never felt this much of anything before. She was used to muting her own emotions in addition to those around her. Hal was making it very hard to stay level.

She gulped and retreated toward the river, giving Hal a final look when she thought he wouldn’t notice.

What the hell was wrong with her? What if he was just saying all these things to use her? She dismissed that thought almost as immediately as it came.

The scary thing was that she knew it was real.

The sound of moving water grew louder up ahead. Finding a large rock, she began taking off her things, partly lost in her own thoughts.

 

[Harry]

As he shaped the bow into a usable state, he began to have doubts regarding his own feelings. Was it safe to look at Sierra this way? To look at her as more than a fellow a Apprentice- to look at her as a woman. He didn’t think of his own safety, but instead was concerned about hers.

They were far from the Academy. Far from the rules that constrained them.

Even if it was fleeting, he wished to love.

His grip tightened on the bow as his thoughts continued.

 

[Sierra]

There was a small pool where the river slowed down on this part of the river. With her boots, clothing, and knives securely on one sun-warmed rock, Sierra waded in.

Have mercy.

The girl exhaled softly as the water curled up around her neck. Head tilted back, auburn strands fanning out behind her in the water as she took a moment to float. Now this. This was glorious. At the Academy they didn't get much time just to soak and relax.

Her skin was already feeling better.

She wondered if it would do good to have Hal wash that wound of his. And she didn't wonder anything much at all as she stared lazily up at the sunlight being filtered through the branches above her. She easily lost track of time.

 

[Harry]

Hal didn't keep track of time as the sharp edge of ice shaved the bow, but a significant amount of time must have passed. The bow itself was completed and using twisted plant fiber, Hal completed the makeshift gift. He smiled, proud of his work, and propped it against the wooden shelter. Finding himself with nothing to do, his mind began to wander.

He thought of their mission, the assassination that went well. Then, he was grateful that Luther and Talus were not with them. It seemed that only Sierra and Hal survived. And, Sierra...

His heart rate rose before he could even begin to form thoughts about her, and he found himself short of breath for a moment. He leaned back against the hut and let out a deep, deep breath.

After several minutes of idleness, Hal rose. It had been a while since Sierra left. Using the surrounding trees and hanging vines around him to keep his balance, he limped in the general direction of the river, somewhat concerned for his friend.

 

[Sierra]

By the time Hal decided to check in on his friend, he'd find her in the middle of the river. Wet hair dripping down her bare back. She was scrunched over, hands full of her clothes as she washed and scrubbed them the best she could in the river without any soap.

The river waters lapped just above her waist.

And if Hal came in time, he'd see her standing there, boots still back on that sun-warmed rock.

 

[Harry]

He heard the river before seeing it. The sound of rushing water could be heard through the foliage. As he parted the foliage, he was finally graced with a beautiful river cutting through the island. He looked up and down, not seeing Sierra anywhere. He decided to follow the river downstream.

After some hobbling, he came upon a large rock. Placed on top where boots that he quickly recognized. He idly placed his hand on the boulder, dragging it across the rocky surface as he walked around it.

What he saw on the other side stunned him. Glowing fair skin, soaked auburn hair. He couldn’t avert his eyes from her back.

 

[Sierra]

She turned, satisfied with what she could do with the clothes. Eyes widened at Hal. Defensive instincts were hard to turn off, even if she was pretty sure they were alone on the island. Muscles in her shoulders tensed. Wet hair clinging to her chest shifted.

But as soon as she recognized that it was Hal, she relaxed. Slowly. The uncoiling of muscles from a rathik tiger ready to pounce.

"You should probably wash too," she spoke matter of factly.

 

[Harry]

“Sorry, you where-“ He stammered, “It’s been a while.”

When she turned, he had cast his eyes off to the side. In the shared bath at the Academy, he had seen her before. But out in the jungle, far from the Academy, seeing her was different.

“Right, I should.” He said, but didn’t move. There was some unease in his tone.

“You can go ahead, I’ll head back later.”

 

[Sierra]

She shrugged.

She didn't see what the big deal was. Her thoughts traveled, unknowingly, along the same lines as his. About the shared bathrooms. She'd seen it all before. Talus. Hal. Luther liked being naked in front of her a lot, actually.

But the more he stared, the more she felt self-conscious about it. Why was he staring?

"Do what you need to do but you probably shouldn't be out here alone with that leg of yours." She walked closer and tossed him her wet clothes. " Can you spread these out on the rock for me?"

She, apparently, was still more at east with her nudity than he was at her nudity.

 

[Harry]

The wet clothes hit him on the chest, and he let them fall in his arms. They were heavy. The sudden sensation of wetness had somewhat snapped him out of his trance. He laid the clothes tossed to him flat on the rock.

“What, do you think I’ll slip and float away?” He chuckled and began to work at the strings of his own shirt. He tossed it at the base of the rock when he finally got it off. Next, he kicked off his boots, and just as messily left them next to the shirt.

His body was as one would expect of an apprentice. Muscular. Scarred. Hal’s in particular was like a well-honed weapon. His strength hadn’t been with the sword like Talus. No, his strength came from his body. Hence his preference for a warhammer over the sword.

His body was covered in many small scars, and a few larger ones. The largest, however, were the three long slashes across his back.

Unaware if her eyes were on him, he pulled his pants off. The pain of pulling them down over his wound caused him to grimace.

He limped into the river until it was waist-high. He let out a hiss as his wound became submerged.

“Fuck, that stings,” He whined.

 

[Sierra]

"I wasn't sure about your swimming skills," she replied mildly, not able to help the run of her eyes across his torso. Like Hal, she had scars all over. Some larger. Some smaller. The worst was from the slash of a sword moving from hip to opposite shoulder. Swordplay had never been her strength and she'd learned it the hard way.

"And poor you," she smirked and sent a splash his way, hand moving through the lazy current of the river.

"If only Leon was here to comfort you." Auburn-brows waggled playfully.

 

[Harry]

Abdominal muscles tightly flexed as he laughed in response to her playful jab.

“Well, I managed to swim here,” He flashed a small smile. It was as if with every second on the island, the kindness that had begun to slip away from him slowly returned.

He brought a hand up to block the splash of water that Sierra sent towards him. Another laugh escaped his lips. He took in her figure, every bit of it, the smile on his face slowly fading away and being replaced by a more mesmerized expression. One of longing, or distant admiration.

“That’s the last name I wanted to hear,” He said with a roll of his eyes. He stepped closer, and with both hands, scooped water up and sent it towards Sierra.

 

[Sierra]

She blinked.

He DID manage to swim here. And so had she. It was a wonder they both hadn’t drowned. And his kindness was catching. Was this what they were really like? Who they truly were?

No academy. No wars. No punishment. No betrayal.

And his glance wasn’t lost on her. Even as she laughed and brought up her arm to shield her face from his splash. They’d never looked at each other like that at the Academy. Even in those shared showers.

She sent another splash his way and sunk down to a deeper part of the river where she could barely touch. Arms moved at the surface as she treaded in the refreshing waters. The smile never left her face as she eyed Hal.

“I always thought he had a soft spot for you.” Said in jest. Leon didn’t have a soft spot for anyone. Perhaps because he’d always be a lower level Dreadlord. Healers weren’t highly prized. Although, Sierra could see their worth beyond level ones.

And she didn’t move as he drew closer. She stayed where she was. Maybe even drawing closer herself. Hard to ignore the change in her heartbeat.

 

[Harry]

He let out a playful scoff, “Right, a soft spot...”

His eyes shot down at the shimmering water. The Academy had taken many things from them. He wondered if all their hardship and struggle had lead to this moment.

“I would’ve been a farmer,” Bright blues shot back up to meet her gaze, “Like my father, and his father before him. I probably would have married some village girl, and we would have had lots of kids. We might have grown old in that village. Instead, that future was taken from me.”

His toes barely touched the river bed as he followed her into the deep. He kept stepping closer to her.

It must have been the current. Right. The weak current was pushing him towards her.

They were close, now. So close that Sierra would be able to feel how the water’s temperature was slightly colder around Hal. He broke their locked gaze, and his eyes searched her whole face. Her nose, her chin, her full lips. Even that little scar on her lip, from where it had been split open by Igot.

A hand came up from the water, rising to meet her face. He brought it up slowly at first, almost testing her for a reaction.

He cupped the side of her face, thumb gently brushing over the scar on her lip. He had a sad expression.

“I don’t regret losing that future,” The words came out softly.

 

[Sierra]

The cadence of her heart only quickened as he drew near. And even though the water around him grew colder, she only grew warmer. Could only feel the fire growing in her veins. Along her neck and cheeks. Light eyes flickered down at the hand on her face up the arm, shoulders. neck, and face to the man it belonged to.

Her fingers drew closer to travel up that arm of his until they found purchase on his broad, muscular shoulder. Other hand came up on his opposite shoulder. It was the river, right? Deep enough for him to stand but not her. Easier to hold onto him, using his height as an advantage?

Yeah, yeah. Right.

Forearms rested against his chest. "I would've still been a merchant's daughter on the Cortosi Coast. My father might not be imprisoned," for that statement her expression changed to something a little darker. But it was hard to remain in that place with the water streaming between them and her resting against Hal. "I would've made my family enough money to buy noble status," a small impish smile. That's how the authorities had found her. Folk that entered her father's shop seemed to want to empty their pockets of coin, always leaving happy for paying double and triple what they'd pay anywhere else.

 

[Harry]

With her slender fingers finding a hold on the contours of his shoulders and the water suspending her there, she felt weightless. Her touch was warm, much warmer than anything he had ever felt from another person. It felt like the persistent coldness that swirled in him would simply melt away from her presence.

"Merchant's daughter, huh?" That little mischevious smile made his heart skip a beat. For a moment, he wondered where Talus came from. The boy always seemed to be looking forward, as if where he came from was of little consequence. Without a doubt, he was strong, but lonely, too.

"Would you have me empty my purse?" He spoke with a winsome smile. His hand still held her face. His touch was gentle as if he were afraid she would break apart should his grip be too tight. His other hand found the small of her back.

He didn't want the river to carry her away.

Before, there was some unease being around Sierra, with her being an empath. She had never taken advantage of it, as far as he knew- being able to sense what he felt. But, as he eyed soft, pink lips, a part of him wished that she would pry into his emotions.

There was no unease with her in his grasp now.

 

[Sierra]

His fingers slid along bare skin. Rough calloused hands, like her own. Though his were cool to the touch. She drew closer to him. She remembered when she was a girl in her father’s shop. Before she knew what was going on. Before she knew about magic. His emotions had been overwhelming. Not only her own, but sensing those around her. It was strange how when the little girl with auburn hair was sad, everyone seemed to be sad. Or when she was mad, her mother was particularly short tempered.

She’d come a long way since then. The instructors at the Academy saw to that. And her own work on missions. She didn’t need to peek at Hal’s emotions to get an idea of how he was feeling. Her eyes flickered between his eyes, lips, and back up to those glaciers.

Easy-smirk reflected a twinkle in her eyes now at Hal’s question as she leaned forward.

“Would you give me cause to?”