Post by Lisa on Jul 9, 2011 7:48:13 GMT 10
Title: Unveiled
Rating: PG
Couple: Kara/Halef Seif
Event: Love Long Jump
Words: 1,044
Summary: She’s a shaman, but in many ways she’s still an outcast – and the one thing she’s always wanted is love.
“When I was a child, you saved me from a beating,” Kara said softly as she bandaged his hand. She knelt before him, wishing Kourrem was there. She had always been better with wounds.
“I did?”
She thought it odd that he could forget something so important to her. But she was not the only child he’d saved from being cast aside by others in the village. “Yes,” she answered. “I’d lost my temper again, and knocked over several tents with my magic. The women thought I should be beaten, but you put an end to it.”
“Ah, yes – I remember.” The sun – at her back – shone on his smiling face. He looked more handsome to her than usual, though an ugly bruise was coloring on his cheek. Raiders were always after their herds, and Halef Seif always led the charge among the warriors.
“Why did you save us?” She devoted her attention to his hand again, wrapping it firmly. “Kourrem, Ishak and me?”
“Because I knew you had magic.”
Her eyes flicked up to his again, questioning.
“I lost someone very important to me once – before you were born. And it was because of her magic.”
“Was she cast into the desert?”
“Yes.” His voice was heavy with sadness. “I spoke for you and Kourrem because I knew I couldn’t let it happen again.” He never spoke Ishak’s name, and she didn’t know if it was because of superstition, anger or regret.
“Where is she now?” She felt hot suddenly, and her heart pounded as she waited for his response. Clumsy hands tied off the bandage and she fell away from him, kneeling back to rest on her heels.
He did not look at her, and didn’t answer – which was an answer in of itself. Flexing his hand experimentally, he nodded at her in satisfaction.
“I’m sorry.”
“She didn’t control the winds, the way you can,” he said, rising from his seat. “But she would have been useful to the Bloody Hawk.”
“Any kind of magic is useful,” Kara answered. “The shaman school has taught me that.”
“The Woman Who Rides Like a Man taught you that. Walk with me,” he suggested, heading away from the cluster of tents that marked the middle of their village. They walked often together like this, sometimes discussing life in the village, other times talking about whatever came to mind. She looked forward to the evenings when he would suggest it, and had told him as much once. Occasionally she would pretend that he was a young man making a lover-like gesture. She didn’t tell him that, though she supposed her affection for him was as visible as the sun.
When they were long out of hearing range, he addressed her again. “Have you missed Kourrem?”
“More than you could imagine,” she said wistfully. “I hope she is happier, but my tent feels ten times larger without her personality filling it.”
He laughed. “And how do you feel about being the sole shaman of the Bloody Hawk?”
“It was alarming at first,” she admitted, “but I’m finding that I like it far more than I thought I would.”
“And what if you were to become the headwoman of the tribe?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “We’ve done so well without one,” she said breathlessly. “Why change now?”
He ceased walking and, when she paused, turned to look at her; his expression was mild. “Because I find that change can be a good thing. Because your tent is suddenly too large for you, and mine always has been too large for me. Because I would very much like you to be my wife.”
“Only the last reason is a good one,” she whispered, unable to meet his gaze.
“A very good one.”
“The people won’t like it,” she said reluctantly. “All riches gained by the tribe when an enemy is slain are divided in three, and a third goes to the headman and a third to the shaman. It would be greedy to have so much for one tent.”
He took her hand and pulled her to him. “We will forfeit our right,” he said, his voice low. His arm snaked around her, holding her far closer than she was accustomed. “But I would forfeit my position as headman, if it were to gain you in my life.”
“The Voice chose you.”
“And I choose you.”
“Why me?” she whispered, gazing up at him. He was not much taller than her, but she felt like a child next to him. “Do you want me because I remind you of a woman you once loved?”
“No.” With his free hand he reached up and grazed her veiled cheek with his thumb. “I want you because my heart decided to love you. I was hoping that yours had done the same.” He caught her gaze and held it until she pulled the veil away entirely.
She had never removed her veil in a man’s presence since she’d donned it six years earlier, other than in the midst of magical workings. It was impossible not to flush with him gazing at her bare face, but she was pleased that he looked at her with such naked affection. Gently cupping her face in both hands, he closed the small gap between them, kissing her sweetly.
It was strange, for a girl who’d dreamt of sweeping romance and first kisses, to finally receive hers. She had been an outcast – even after being accepted by the tribe, it was under the condition that her magic made her different. She was somewhere between man and woman, desirable, seemingly, to none. And here, now, she was kissed by a wise headman who professed love for her. She kissed him back tentatively, worried that she was somehow doing it all wrong and that he would never want to touch her again. And she would be ruined.
But when he pulled away, his dark eyes alight with something she couldn’t identify, she knew that she had not failed to please him. “Be my wife,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.
“I will,” she answered, closing her eyes. A sigh of relief escaped her, barely noticed by Halef as he moved to touch his lips to hers again.
Rating: PG
Couple: Kara/Halef Seif
Event: Love Long Jump
Words: 1,044
Summary: She’s a shaman, but in many ways she’s still an outcast – and the one thing she’s always wanted is love.
“When I was a child, you saved me from a beating,” Kara said softly as she bandaged his hand. She knelt before him, wishing Kourrem was there. She had always been better with wounds.
“I did?”
She thought it odd that he could forget something so important to her. But she was not the only child he’d saved from being cast aside by others in the village. “Yes,” she answered. “I’d lost my temper again, and knocked over several tents with my magic. The women thought I should be beaten, but you put an end to it.”
“Ah, yes – I remember.” The sun – at her back – shone on his smiling face. He looked more handsome to her than usual, though an ugly bruise was coloring on his cheek. Raiders were always after their herds, and Halef Seif always led the charge among the warriors.
“Why did you save us?” She devoted her attention to his hand again, wrapping it firmly. “Kourrem, Ishak and me?”
“Because I knew you had magic.”
Her eyes flicked up to his again, questioning.
“I lost someone very important to me once – before you were born. And it was because of her magic.”
“Was she cast into the desert?”
“Yes.” His voice was heavy with sadness. “I spoke for you and Kourrem because I knew I couldn’t let it happen again.” He never spoke Ishak’s name, and she didn’t know if it was because of superstition, anger or regret.
“Where is she now?” She felt hot suddenly, and her heart pounded as she waited for his response. Clumsy hands tied off the bandage and she fell away from him, kneeling back to rest on her heels.
He did not look at her, and didn’t answer – which was an answer in of itself. Flexing his hand experimentally, he nodded at her in satisfaction.
“I’m sorry.”
“She didn’t control the winds, the way you can,” he said, rising from his seat. “But she would have been useful to the Bloody Hawk.”
“Any kind of magic is useful,” Kara answered. “The shaman school has taught me that.”
“The Woman Who Rides Like a Man taught you that. Walk with me,” he suggested, heading away from the cluster of tents that marked the middle of their village. They walked often together like this, sometimes discussing life in the village, other times talking about whatever came to mind. She looked forward to the evenings when he would suggest it, and had told him as much once. Occasionally she would pretend that he was a young man making a lover-like gesture. She didn’t tell him that, though she supposed her affection for him was as visible as the sun.
When they were long out of hearing range, he addressed her again. “Have you missed Kourrem?”
“More than you could imagine,” she said wistfully. “I hope she is happier, but my tent feels ten times larger without her personality filling it.”
He laughed. “And how do you feel about being the sole shaman of the Bloody Hawk?”
“It was alarming at first,” she admitted, “but I’m finding that I like it far more than I thought I would.”
“And what if you were to become the headwoman of the tribe?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “We’ve done so well without one,” she said breathlessly. “Why change now?”
He ceased walking and, when she paused, turned to look at her; his expression was mild. “Because I find that change can be a good thing. Because your tent is suddenly too large for you, and mine always has been too large for me. Because I would very much like you to be my wife.”
“Only the last reason is a good one,” she whispered, unable to meet his gaze.
“A very good one.”
“The people won’t like it,” she said reluctantly. “All riches gained by the tribe when an enemy is slain are divided in three, and a third goes to the headman and a third to the shaman. It would be greedy to have so much for one tent.”
He took her hand and pulled her to him. “We will forfeit our right,” he said, his voice low. His arm snaked around her, holding her far closer than she was accustomed. “But I would forfeit my position as headman, if it were to gain you in my life.”
“The Voice chose you.”
“And I choose you.”
“Why me?” she whispered, gazing up at him. He was not much taller than her, but she felt like a child next to him. “Do you want me because I remind you of a woman you once loved?”
“No.” With his free hand he reached up and grazed her veiled cheek with his thumb. “I want you because my heart decided to love you. I was hoping that yours had done the same.” He caught her gaze and held it until she pulled the veil away entirely.
She had never removed her veil in a man’s presence since she’d donned it six years earlier, other than in the midst of magical workings. It was impossible not to flush with him gazing at her bare face, but she was pleased that he looked at her with such naked affection. Gently cupping her face in both hands, he closed the small gap between them, kissing her sweetly.
It was strange, for a girl who’d dreamt of sweeping romance and first kisses, to finally receive hers. She had been an outcast – even after being accepted by the tribe, it was under the condition that her magic made her different. She was somewhere between man and woman, desirable, seemingly, to none. And here, now, she was kissed by a wise headman who professed love for her. She kissed him back tentatively, worried that she was somehow doing it all wrong and that he would never want to touch her again. And she would be ruined.
But when he pulled away, his dark eyes alight with something she couldn’t identify, she knew that she had not failed to please him. “Be my wife,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.
“I will,” she answered, closing her eyes. A sigh of relief escaped her, barely noticed by Halef as he moved to touch his lips to hers again.