Rough Draft 1
Well, I started on this a couple of months ago, and finally got around to finishing it. Some tense agreement issues, I do believe, and yeah, yeah, overblown and dramatic yada yada, but haven't had a scene this vivid in my mind in a while now. Mebbe eventually I'll write the others. :-D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The lovers met beneath oak trees; stars winked through the canopy of leaves above. Erdra of Taniling moved silently on the grass, paused to listen for a moment, then sang softly to the forest in the Old Tongue:
"My love has eyes
unlike the sun;
from deepest woods,
thence do they come.
The joy, the love,
the life within
bring many a joy -
how not? 'tis him..."
The shadows across the glade moved, and her smile lit her face as Meraldren of Ardales moved forward to greet her. He swung her into a fierce hug, then spun with her and set her gently upon the land with a kiss.
"Forgive me. They kept me late tonight." She smiled at him, pleased to see him joyful for a time.
"Ah, to be greeted by your song, I should wait a thousand years and not begrudge the time." He grinned, knowing it looked foolish, then pulled her close again. "And tonight, of all nights... Yes, tonight is worth the wait."
She chuckled. "A night with you is always special, of course... but does something add to it I can't recall?"
"I have our answer."
Her smile faded, and she sighed lightly. "Meral..."
"No, my love, it's true." He reached into his tunic and removed a small bag. He tipped it, and two smooth wooden rings slipped out. He took her hand, hesitated, then slipped one onto her finger at her nod. The other went on his own, and he caressed her cheek gently.
"Meral, you know it cannot be. Our families will not stand for it - they would pull us apart, or banish us."
He laughed quietly. "We stand as the greatest Spellcasters our families have seen in generations. They will not banish us... and we shall make it so they cannot pull us apart without losing us."
"What do you mean? There's little we could do to persuade them..."
He nodded, then gestured toward the ring he now wore. "This is the answer. A year's work it's been, but these will ensure they dare not separate us."
Her smile was cautious. "Your words bring me joy, but frighten me at the same time. How will they 'dare not' separate us?"
"I told you one year ago today that I would find a way for us to be together. I've searched long and hard into the nature of lives, and hearts... and souls. These rings will bring us together as two have never been one; as our bodies join - our hearts already one - our souls will cleave and cling to one another. They will not dare to pull us apart, for fear of weakening not only our Spellcasting, but our very life-force. We will be married, or dead."
The horror on her face was unmistakable. "Soul magic has been forbidden for centuries, and for good cause. We cannot - must not - tinker with our very essence! The dangers..."
"Are well worth the reward. Us - together - acknowledged and recognized, no longer hidden within this wildwood."
She shook her head. "No, we cannot. We've known since the beginning that it could not be. All our lives we've known that we'll wed for family, for politics, and that our love, while wondrous, can never be more than it is."
"We knew, yes, but now we know differently. It can! We can be together, have a family, a life together." His passion flared against her fear. "We can have everything! Everything we've longed for, everything we've whispered of in the dark. You once said you would give anything for those dreams..."
"Anything, yes, but not my soul! I love you, with all my heart, but I cannot-"
"You can! We can! It's already done, already prepared. The next time we join our bodies, it will be done, and none will be able to undo it!" Shadows moved across his face as he spoke, and something dark was growing in his eyes. Her loving, passionate man... she knew there was darkness within him, but it never swam to the front of his eyes, never frightened her as much as this talk of merging souls did.
"Yes, Meral, I've wished we could be together, more than anything... But to magic the soul, to magic the very essence of who a person is... I do love you, but I will not sacrifice my soul for us. I wouldn't want you to sacrifice your soul for us, either. What would we be? Two half-people, mixed spirits, without our individual consciences. That's not life, and it's not love. I would be with you as myself, and yourself, and us, not simply us."
She tried to pull away, but he held her too tightly. "Meral, you're hurting me."
"Hurting you?" Now he pushed her away, and lightning flashed within his eyes. "A year I've sought, a year I've spelled, to find a way to be together, on promises you made here, in this very grove! We can have everything, everything we've dreamed of! For years we've dreamed, hoped... or I have."
The hurt and bitterness in his voice compelled her forward. "Meral..." She placed a hand on his cheek.
"No!" A sudden blast of power knocked her to the ground. He froze.
"I'm sor-" His words were cut off as her own power shoved him back, and he stared at her in shock, in fury.
She froze, as well. She forced herself to let loose her power, to calm herself. "Oh, Mera-"
"So be it, then! You won't be with me, then begone!"
Erdra barely had time to grasp his words before his power returned and built; the last thing she saw was her beloved's angry, hate-filled face. Then darkness came, and she knew no more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The lovers met beneath oak trees; stars winked through the canopy of leaves above. Erdra of Taniling moved silently on the grass, paused to listen for a moment, then sang softly to the forest in the Old Tongue:
"My love has eyes
unlike the sun;
from deepest woods,
thence do they come.
The joy, the love,
the life within
bring many a joy -
how not? 'tis him..."
The shadows across the glade moved, and her smile lit her face as Meraldren of Ardales moved forward to greet her. He swung her into a fierce hug, then spun with her and set her gently upon the land with a kiss.
"Forgive me. They kept me late tonight." She smiled at him, pleased to see him joyful for a time.
"Ah, to be greeted by your song, I should wait a thousand years and not begrudge the time." He grinned, knowing it looked foolish, then pulled her close again. "And tonight, of all nights... Yes, tonight is worth the wait."
She chuckled. "A night with you is always special, of course... but does something add to it I can't recall?"
"I have our answer."
Her smile faded, and she sighed lightly. "Meral..."
"No, my love, it's true." He reached into his tunic and removed a small bag. He tipped it, and two smooth wooden rings slipped out. He took her hand, hesitated, then slipped one onto her finger at her nod. The other went on his own, and he caressed her cheek gently.
"Meral, you know it cannot be. Our families will not stand for it - they would pull us apart, or banish us."
He laughed quietly. "We stand as the greatest Spellcasters our families have seen in generations. They will not banish us... and we shall make it so they cannot pull us apart without losing us."
"What do you mean? There's little we could do to persuade them..."
He nodded, then gestured toward the ring he now wore. "This is the answer. A year's work it's been, but these will ensure they dare not separate us."
Her smile was cautious. "Your words bring me joy, but frighten me at the same time. How will they 'dare not' separate us?"
"I told you one year ago today that I would find a way for us to be together. I've searched long and hard into the nature of lives, and hearts... and souls. These rings will bring us together as two have never been one; as our bodies join - our hearts already one - our souls will cleave and cling to one another. They will not dare to pull us apart, for fear of weakening not only our Spellcasting, but our very life-force. We will be married, or dead."
The horror on her face was unmistakable. "Soul magic has been forbidden for centuries, and for good cause. We cannot - must not - tinker with our very essence! The dangers..."
"Are well worth the reward. Us - together - acknowledged and recognized, no longer hidden within this wildwood."
She shook her head. "No, we cannot. We've known since the beginning that it could not be. All our lives we've known that we'll wed for family, for politics, and that our love, while wondrous, can never be more than it is."
"We knew, yes, but now we know differently. It can! We can be together, have a family, a life together." His passion flared against her fear. "We can have everything! Everything we've longed for, everything we've whispered of in the dark. You once said you would give anything for those dreams..."
"Anything, yes, but not my soul! I love you, with all my heart, but I cannot-"
"You can! We can! It's already done, already prepared. The next time we join our bodies, it will be done, and none will be able to undo it!" Shadows moved across his face as he spoke, and something dark was growing in his eyes. Her loving, passionate man... she knew there was darkness within him, but it never swam to the front of his eyes, never frightened her as much as this talk of merging souls did.
"Yes, Meral, I've wished we could be together, more than anything... But to magic the soul, to magic the very essence of who a person is... I do love you, but I will not sacrifice my soul for us. I wouldn't want you to sacrifice your soul for us, either. What would we be? Two half-people, mixed spirits, without our individual consciences. That's not life, and it's not love. I would be with you as myself, and yourself, and us, not simply us."
She tried to pull away, but he held her too tightly. "Meral, you're hurting me."
"Hurting you?" Now he pushed her away, and lightning flashed within his eyes. "A year I've sought, a year I've spelled, to find a way to be together, on promises you made here, in this very grove! We can have everything, everything we've dreamed of! For years we've dreamed, hoped... or I have."
The hurt and bitterness in his voice compelled her forward. "Meral..." She placed a hand on his cheek.
"No!" A sudden blast of power knocked her to the ground. He froze.
"I'm sor-" His words were cut off as her own power shoved him back, and he stared at her in shock, in fury.
She froze, as well. She forced herself to let loose her power, to calm herself. "Oh, Mera-"
"So be it, then! You won't be with me, then begone!"
Erdra barely had time to grasp his words before his power returned and built; the last thing she saw was her beloved's angry, hate-filled face. Then darkness came, and she knew no more.