The Ride

"Will you grow your hair out for me?" she had asked him softly. It was almost like he could hear her voice in the memory.

She’d stolen his prayer book  Again. It was something she did often, picking his pockets at any given moment during the day. He’d come looking for it, needing to search no farther than the nightstand next to her bed.

He searched through the pages, looking for the latest poem or musing she might have left him if she’d had the time. She returned to her room soon after, catching him stealing it back. That didn’t stop her, though, from crossing and joining him on the bed.

He remembered laying with his face curled forward so he didn’t destroy her pillow or her mattress. He had already destroyed multiple pillows trying to get used to the spikes again. She, Amia, was sprawled across his chest, smiling down at him. His smile faltered as she made her request. "My dove, do you know how silly I’d look?" He’d asked her.

"Not silly at all," she said with a gentle smile. "I think you’d look quite handsome." But she didn’t push the issue any further. She asked him at least once a day. He didn’t want to grow his hair out; it was already long enough. He always hated telling her no, but… He breathed out and glanced away a moment before returning his gaze to her. "Even at the end of a long day, you’re still the prettiest lady on the planet.”

She blushed, cheeks darkening to a deeper blue. “You really think so?” she asked, letting the pleased smile spread over her face.

"I know so." He remembered saying. They had discussed their day; Amia had told him of the class of students she and Kuurea were now responsible for. Each of the women had three young charges. She and Kuurea had been responsible enough for such things where he and Taeriix had not. Their supervisors had dubbed them both too wild.“Did they wear you out? Are you tired now my little dove?”

"Not tired. I could use an evening ride, though," she said in response to his question.

"An evening ride you say?" he teased, half growling in the back of his throat. His mouth grew wide once more in a wicked grin as he shifted beneath her. "And just what kind of ride?"

"Oh!" she squeaked, blinking in surprise as she held tightly to him to keep her balance. "I… I meant…" but the smile stretched across her face, regardless. Color crept into her cheeks, a dark blue-purple staining her pale blue skin.

"Well land or air.." He prompted, despite the innuendo. He chuckled at her blushing, the color in her cheeks making her all the more beautiful. Both hands were raised to her sides helping her to keep upright.

She grinned and nuzzled his nose with her own before deciding, “Air!” He knew that would be her answer. It was her favorite form of travel, he’d discovered over the years.

He leaned forward and kissed her once more. “Nether ray it is… You know, we’re going to have to stop borrowing others’ nether rays and get our own one day… Eventually, they’ll begin to notice their mounts go missing.” He laughed and sat up with her.

They had decided to borrow Nikkoli’s nether ray, Kass. It was no trouble to take the beast from the stables. His brother-in-arms was on duty this evening, after all. They took off skirting across the valley climbing the high mountain in the center on the back of the green striped creature before following its slope in sharp decline towards Terokkar Forest. Mosur took his time on the flight, making sure to pull all the tricks he’d learn with Ty. He rolled Kass midair, dipped her, spun her, even directed her into sharp dives.

And all the while, Amia’s laughter echoed in his ears.

The sound of her laughter echoed for him now. The bittersweet feeling consumed him, making him at once happy and forlorn.

Mosur held Amia tight against his chest, one strong arm wrapped across her stomach while the other held the reins.  She had fit so well against him. Like puzzle pieces, he thought now. It was as though each had been made specifically for the other.  His Rook to her Dove. The thought brought the smallest of smiles to his lips, and heartache mingled with happiness, creating a bittersweet aura about him.

He pulled a sharp left when the ray had expected a right and they slammed into a tree. Kass’ right wing had been gouged rather severely, and the beast shrieked in pain. Moe’s  right leg throbbed where he’d hit it against a thick branch, slicing through the thick pants he’d worn. He pulled Kass to a stop, letting her hover in the air.

“Are you okay?” Mosur asked. He saw her nod her head in the dark. “Not hurt are you?” He couldn’t help asking a second time. She shook her head and her breathing evened out before he heard her speak again.

“No. I’m fine, my Rook.” She answered him just before the shrill calls and caws of the arakkoa broke the peaceful silence of the night. They weren’t directly visible through the trees, but the arakkoa seemed to know their direction. Arrows and darts rained down upon them, and despite his best efforts, Mosur could only block so much from his love and their nether ray. He hugged his arms tight around Amia and urged the beast on, they were in the wrong territory and unannounced.

Kass, the ray, had become startled at the loud noises that continued to haunt the air. It had turned its soft underside toward their attackers, and when they didn’t move out of range fast enough, a second wave of darts and arrows hailed from the dark underbrush. Unable to keep to the skies, Kass rolled violently in an effort to protect herself and the three of them plummeted to the ground.

In quick, rapidfire succession, Amia cast three levitation spells to slow their descent. After righting himself and making sure Amia was okay, he grabbed the beasts reins and began leading them quickly out of the forest. Both Amia and Kass fought him.  His dove insisted on healing him, healing the ray, before they continued, but he refused.  The closer they got to the edge of the forest, the quiet the night became.

After exiting the thick of the forest and making sure the ray was properly healed, he helped Amia into the saddle and followed after. The more he walked on it, the more his leg ached, but he didn’t take the time to see to himself until they were out of the forest and back on the open plains of the Valley.

Amia leaned back against his chest and continued to send pulses of renewal spells into both Kass and himself. He gritted his teeth when she did that, but said nothing.  His back was riddled with darts and arrows alike.  Nothing that would cause lasting harm, but nothing comfortable.  They flew till they were costing over the rolling hills of the valley once more; the moon touched blades of grass blowing gently in the evening breeze. He picked a spot and landed Kass.

When they finally dismounted, Amia rounded on him. “Let’s take a look at that leg,” she insisted.  Her tone left no room for argument.

”..Can we get these first?” He said turning around to show her a couple arrows and a few darts imbedded in his back mostly on the right side. He hadn’t said anything despite the pain and discomfort. He had wanted to get out of the forest as quickly as possible. The healing she’d done, however, would make removing at least the arrows difficult with the entry wound now closed around the shaft. She made him at least kneel down in the grass so that it was easier for her to get to his wounds.

He reached around his right side and placed a hand on his right shoulder blade, shaking his head as the memory played out. Was it that many? Maybe he embellished the memory too much after so many years. Or maybe the stories they had told to Kuurea and Taeriix were exaggerated and that he was remembering now.

"You should have said something, Mosur!" she huffed, using his name instead of her usual endearment.  She stepped forward, though, and pressed a hand to his back, curling her fingers around the arrow’s shaft and gripping it tightly without pulling.  "On three," she prompted, obviously annoyed, then paused and pulled in a deep breath.  The arrow had just barely been healed in, so it wouldn’t take much to pull it out. But it would hurt, there was no way around that. “One…"  She readied a knife that she’d pulled from her pocket. "Two…" And then she cut the thin layer of skin and pulled the arrow out.  "Three."

"That wasn’t three!" he yelped. “You said three!”

"Well maybe you should tell me when you’re injured," she shot back.  A sigh escaped her lips as she set about removing the other arrows. The darts were last to be removed, and were far easier to deal with. He sat there grumbling as she continued to chastise him for not speaking up sooner. Finally, when she was done, she moved to have a look at his leg.

The grass had been cold on his back when he laid back. He was tempted to lay back against the cool wood of the inn’s floor now as he recalled that. Amia, the darts, and the arrows had made sure to tear up one of his favorite, most comfortable shirts, so the windswept grass pressed against bare flesh in places. The leg hadn’t been so bad. It had been bruised, but by the end of it all that was left was a tattered pant leg.

"How about you my dove.. anything..?" He watched her head shake he’d either protected her from all of it, or she’d already taken care of it. "Come here then." He said and tugged her onto his chest."I’m going to remember that trick… One…two…three." He commented voice soft as he watched the moonlight shine on her raven colored hair.  She’d braided it before they left on their ride, but parts of it had come loose in the fall and the wavy tendrils of curly hair hung about her face, framing it nicely.

"You know… that was exciting." He said finally with a growing smile.

"Exciting?" she echoed incredulously.

"Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say becoming a draenei pin cushion is ‘Fun’…but I’d do it again…” He smirked. “Just for you." The smirk became a crooked smile as the worry and fear left behind from their adventure gave way to relief and amusement.

She started to laugh, unable to help herself. “Just for me?” she teased. “And what else would you do… just for me?”

"Um, that’s a hard one…." He trailed off as he watched her, letting the crooked smile remain. His gaze danced back and forth between her hair, her eyes and her lips. She was so beautiful.  The realization always hit him right in the gut, as though he’d been nailed with Ty’s massive warhammer. "I would.. take you to the stars. Ones we haven’t seen yet. I would fight a hundred demons, and then a hundred more…”  He stopped and reached up to brush the hair from her brow, the better to see her pretty face. “But my favorite of all; I’d build you a little house with two rooms," he paused then added as an afterthought, "Maybe three, and settle down somewhere nice.  Away from everyone else. Farahlon*, perhaps?"

She blinked and the teasing grin became into a gentle smile.  ”You would do all that…?” she queried. She dropped the hair she’d been twisting around her finger and bent so that her forearms rested against his chest.

"Um hum.. well that last one is questionable. Needs work, right?" He smiled more fully and chuckled.

“Questionable,” he repeated, shaking his head with a smile. “Needs just a little work.”