looking at Ghenath sat talking with Cormak a few yards away. She was dressed in linens like the Gurlanka and her long hair shone gold in the fire light.
Marakon snorted. ‘Beautiful, yes. But most turned out to be cowards. And a few,’ he nodded towards Ghenath, ‘are the best people I have ever had the honour to fight beside.’
Jarlain looked at him as if pondering something. ‘I see the war within you. You are probably the strangest man I’ve ever met, able to see clearly the worst in people, but also the best. You are strong in many ways, but carry a painful past, and yet you fight so fearlessly and ferociously. After so many tortured lifetimes, and remembering them, I doubt I would have the strength nor the will to carry on.’
‘I have no choice but to carry on,’ he shrugged. He held her close and they sat in silence, listening to the sound of the people talking before the pyre, the moans of the wounded behind them inside the Elder’s house, and the sound of the sea in the distance breaking on the shore.
‘When will you go?’ she asked.
‘Soon. We have already stayed too long. As soon as Hylion, Lan and everyone else has rested.’
‘How will you go?’
‘The same way I came. The boatman, Murlonius. I just have to call him, he is waiting for me. He too is cursed. He can never set foot upon mortal physical shores again, though that is all I know of it. I think he is ancient. An Ancient, even.’
‘I would like to meet him. In this world there’s nothing but pain, sadness and loss.’ Jarlain shook her head. ‘I wish that Seadevil had killed me.’
He looked down at her, saw her eyes fill with tears. He bent to kiss her cheek, wanting to kiss away her tears, but instead he found her lips. She parted them and he kissed her. He kissed her harder, feeling her own need match his. She gave the softest moan with her eyes closed. His heart was pounding, his own desire surprised him. He should not want her the way he did, not when Rasia was waiting for him with his children, for spirit’s sake. Was it possible to love two people equally? He drew away reluctantly.
‘Take me into the trees,’ she breathed.
He looked down at her, her brown eyes stared unblinking up at him. He would leave soon, never to return. Could he deny her? Could he deny himself and forever wonder? Gently he picked her up and carried her into the dense jungle. Soon he would leave her forever, and that awful thought drove his actions and drowned out the voice of guilt.
Marakon stopped in a sandy clearing within the trees. The sea was only a few yards away, and the ocean lapped at the shore.
Rasia would like it here, he thought with a half smile. The white beaches and tall palm trees would remind her of her own childhood home on the coasts of South Frayon. She would want to swim naked in the moonlight, her long copper curls floating out around her. He loved Rasia but he couldn’t deny his feelings for Jarlain. He felt bad, felt confused.
He set her down on her feet and held her close. She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes once more, and he bent to kiss her, long and gentle. He could hold her and kiss her and enjoy these last moments together. Nothing more. Then he would be back in Rasia’s arms with their sons running around them, where he belonged.
He pulled back, guilt and desire battling within him. It is only a kiss, he told himself, though he wanted more. It had been so long, months too long. He felt torn in his stomach. After a moment, he pushed the guilt away and bent to kiss her with certainty. She drew him down to the floor smiling, making the tears curve around her cheeks. She lay down, her long dark hair spread out around her.
‘You should have a husband, many will love you,’ he said, stroking her stomach.
‘I don’t want one,’ she shook her head. ‘Children, maybe. Lovers, yes. But a husband, no, and it’s forbidden for an Elder anyway. The only husband I would have, is you.’ She trailed
Marakon snorted. ‘Beautiful, yes. But most turned out to be cowards. And a few,’ he nodded towards Ghenath, ‘are the best people I have ever had the honour to fight beside.’
Jarlain looked at him as if pondering something. ‘I see the war within you. You are probably the strangest man I’ve ever met, able to see clearly the worst in people, but also the best. You are strong in many ways, but carry a painful past, and yet you fight so fearlessly and ferociously. After so many tortured lifetimes, and remembering them, I doubt I would have the strength nor the will to carry on.’
‘I have no choice but to carry on,’ he shrugged. He held her close and they sat in silence, listening to the sound of the people talking before the pyre, the moans of the wounded behind them inside the Elder’s house, and the sound of the sea in the distance breaking on the shore.
‘When will you go?’ she asked.
‘Soon. We have already stayed too long. As soon as Hylion, Lan and everyone else has rested.’
‘How will you go?’
‘The same way I came. The boatman, Murlonius. I just have to call him, he is waiting for me. He too is cursed. He can never set foot upon mortal physical shores again, though that is all I know of it. I think he is ancient. An Ancient, even.’
‘I would like to meet him. In this world there’s nothing but pain, sadness and loss.’ Jarlain shook her head. ‘I wish that Seadevil had killed me.’
He looked down at her, saw her eyes fill with tears. He bent to kiss her cheek, wanting to kiss away her tears, but instead he found her lips. She parted them and he kissed her. He kissed her harder, feeling her own need match his. She gave the softest moan with her eyes closed. His heart was pounding, his own desire surprised him. He should not want her the way he did, not when Rasia was waiting for him with his children, for spirit’s sake. Was it possible to love two people equally? He drew away reluctantly.
‘Take me into the trees,’ she breathed.
He looked down at her, her brown eyes stared unblinking up at him. He would leave soon, never to return. Could he deny her? Could he deny himself and forever wonder? Gently he picked her up and carried her into the dense jungle. Soon he would leave her forever, and that awful thought drove his actions and drowned out the voice of guilt.
Marakon stopped in a sandy clearing within the trees. The sea was only a few yards away, and the ocean lapped at the shore.
Rasia would like it here, he thought with a half smile. The white beaches and tall palm trees would remind her of her own childhood home on the coasts of South Frayon. She would want to swim naked in the moonlight, her long copper curls floating out around her. He loved Rasia but he couldn’t deny his feelings for Jarlain. He felt bad, felt confused.
He set her down on her feet and held her close. She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes once more, and he bent to kiss her, long and gentle. He could hold her and kiss her and enjoy these last moments together. Nothing more. Then he would be back in Rasia’s arms with their sons running around them, where he belonged.
He pulled back, guilt and desire battling within him. It is only a kiss, he told himself, though he wanted more. It had been so long, months too long. He felt torn in his stomach. After a moment, he pushed the guilt away and bent to kiss her with certainty. She drew him down to the floor smiling, making the tears curve around her cheeks. She lay down, her long dark hair spread out around her.
‘You should have a husband, many will love you,’ he said, stroking her stomach.
‘I don’t want one,’ she shook her head. ‘Children, maybe. Lovers, yes. But a husband, no, and it’s forbidden for an Elder anyway. The only husband I would have, is you.’ She trailed
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