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Damien
The storm was gone.
It had lasted most of the night, and only in the early morning hours had it finally begun to wane, having vented its fury over the valley below his mountainside home. Damien raised a hand to block out the sun’s light, looking way across the valley floor.
The Outpost was just beginning to dig itself out. One of the dragons was outside, winds swirling as they cleared rooftops and pathways between buildings with ease. There were many little ways in which control of the wind could be used to make life easier.
Damien had selected this particular cave on purpose. There was no way he was going to be out of sight of Anna, and so he’d picked a high vantage point where, with subtle manipulations of the air around him, he could refract the light and still see far enough to make out what was going on. Which meant line of sight.
“We have to go back,” Anna said quietly.
He jumped, not having heard her approach while lost deep in his thoughts.
“Sorry,” she said, coming up to nuzzle into his arm.
“I was just distracted.”
“By what?”
He looked down at the top of her head, and then using his left arm, condensed the air in front of her face and pointed. “That.”
“Wow,” Anna breathed, looking through the makeshift binoculars. “This is pretty neat. You can see the outpost from here.” She was silent a moment. “You were watching it. Waiting for me to arrive.”
Damien nodded. “I didn’t want to be away from you for a minute longer than I had to. When I saw you wander away, I rushed down and across the valley to meet you.” He smiled to himself, a memory of the thunder of his heart as he’d approached, eager to see her, but apprehensive of the greeting he would receive.
“We need to go back to it,” she said quietly. “We can’t stay up here.”
“Already?” he asked, knowing she was right, but having hoped that maybe she would stay up here with him for another day. Just the two of them, snug in the warm cave and in each other’s arms, nothing to worry about. Free to be together.
“Yeah, already.” Anna wrapped her arms around his waist from the side as she cuddled up to him. “You know that too.”
“They’re going to have issues with us,” he pointed out.
“We’ll solve them.”
“It might not be that easy.”
Anna shrugged. “Nothing worth having ever is.”
“They might try to imprison us.”
“Then we’ll have to make sure we have a reason for them not to do that.”
He grinned. “Your resiliency never ceases to amaze me, Anna. You are just a remarkable woman. Never change.”
“Thank you.” She squeezed him.
“But what kind of reason can we give them?” he wanted to know.
“The only reason. We find a way to close the portal.”
Damien had suspected that she was going down that route. He too could not think of anything else that would keep them out of further trouble. Not after the way he’d sent the mage packing. That was going to earn him a reprimand no matter what. But if they could close the portal before others arrived from Winterspell, then perhaps they could negotiate.
“You’re thinking if we can close the portal, they’ll just agree to call it equal? No praise or reward, but also no punishment?”
“That’s my hope. I can’t think of a better option,” she said. “Can you?”
“No,” he said softly. “Not for a lack of trying, though.”
“I know, Damien,” she said, unclasping her hands from around his waist so she could rub his chest with her right arm. “I know. But if we close it, one of the biggest issues facing our peoples will be gone. The witches will be able to rest easy and feel more comfortable providing shelter to the rest of your people as we find them.”
“Seems like a bold plan. I’m not sure I trust in your Coven enough for them to just relax once it’s closed, but it definitely should put them at ease, I’d say.”
“Exactly. And your people can relax, knowing that you’re safe. That the enemy you were fighting, that destroyed your planet, is gone. Never to return.”
Damien could see her logic. It made sense. He just hoped that the others would see it the same way.
“Master Loiner won’t rest easy,” he said. “She’ll make a big stink about it no matter what we do.”
“That’s a problem down the road,” Anna said. “We have to close the portal first. Do that, then we can plan from there.”
“Will the others let us come back?” he wondered, thinking of the other witches. He wasn’t worried about Rane or Altair, as they wouldn’t care a lick. They thought the witches were being ridiculous and uptight about everything. Anything to be a thorn in their side would please those two.
“I think so,” Anna replied slowly as she thought about his question. “Bowen was the biggest problem, but she’s gone now, back to Winterspell to tattle on us. The others...most of them are just resentful about being sent out here; they don’t really dislike me one way or the other. So, if we are nice to them...” she trailed off.
Damien sighed, knowing what she meant. “I promise I won’t beat anyone up unless they threaten us.”
Anna arched an eyebrow.
“I won’t strike first?” he amended.
She smiled happily. “Much better.”
Damien rolled his eyes but didn’t protest. “Well, I’m ready when you’re ready, I guess.”
Anna thought about it, then tugged his hand, pulling him back into the cave. “Maybe not quite yet,” she said. “What’s another half hour or so, right?”
Damien followed. He was going to cherish this time, because once they left his little makeshift lair, neither of them knew what the world would have in store for them.
