Avarice Unfortunate Sons CH 23

Love Struck

They lay on an old gray blanket hand in hand, staring up at the cloudless azure sky. It had been difficult for the new couple to find moments alone in recent days. However, in the late afternoon, they had stolen away, hoping that no one would miss them for a few hours.

"It will be strange to have a home again." Aurianne pondered out loud as she watched a lone hawk hover over the dune country. Her mind momentarily wandered to the only home she could remember with any clarity. The simple but homely two-roomed hut she had shared with her mother. Though they had shared many happy memories. It was still somewhat painful to recall what had happened there.

"Yes, it will be, but our cottage is coming along nicely. Then maybe we can get some real privacy instead of sneaking away like teenagers." Jhary chuckled, lightly squeezing her hand.

"I hope that this time we can all live in peace. No more battles, no more hardship." Aurianne said wistfully. Yet in her heart, she knew this could not be. Life in New Town would still present many challenges, she was sure.

Jhary also hoped this, but he wrestled with the idea of steady domesticity, of being forever tied to one location. Could he seriously cease his wanderings? He knew the answer; he could not. But how could he tell her that, after he had promised otherwise?

"Were you a wayward teen?" Aurianne wondered aloud. A smile of contentment curled her shapely lips, and her clear blue-green eyes shone as she traced the hawk in its sudden descent to the riverbank below.

Jhary was glad of the change of subject. "I was a little. Mum was always on tour. I did a lot of homeschooling on the road so she could still care for me. I saw a lot of the country; we once even toured Europe."

"Oh, that sounds exciting." Aurianne shot back enthusiastically. "It was just the mundane suburbs for me, but that memory is hazy. I was really little then. My mother was one of those ladies who never went where society wanted her to go. Alternative... is the word I'm looking for."

Jhary nodded, rising onto one elbow, turning toward her. He could hardly believe that the beauty who lay by his side had pledged her love to him. He had often dreamed of this moment, but he had never thought those dreams could come true. He loved Aurianne with a love so fierce and huge that even his ballads could not do it justice. She demanded a serious symphony.

His lips met hers in an indulgent, passionate kiss. Then he withdrew, hovering above her and studying her intently. Her vibrant red hair had come loose of her braid and cascaded around her like a sea of fire. An untouchable Amazon, a goddess. Never had the bard beheld such a perfect woman. A balance of strength and pure beauty. With a fantastic attitude and mind to match. He would, he decided, write an epic song about her. He wondered what she would think, or even if he could dare share it.

As if reading his thoughts, Aurianne laughed lightheartedly at Jhary's seeming fixation on her.

"You would think you had never seen a woman before. Now, I know that's not true; the ladies all love you, so what are you staring at?"

"Just... Just... you?" He kissed her playfully on the tip of her nose.

She laughed and continued, "Anyway, how on earth do you memorize all that music and write your own songs?" Aurianne was fascinated by Jhary's endless creativity.

"My mother passed her gift down to me. I was never formally trained. There was always talk of sending me to school in Europe, but it never eventuated. Then came the war. That put an end to that. I've pretty much been able to just pick up any instrument, play something a few times, and it sticks. And, yes, I enjoy writing my own material. Sometimes a tune comes into my head, and I have to jot it down; the words usually come later. That one thing I always hated about being out here... is... the silence. However, it inspires me to play and write to try and fill the void."

"That's understandable." Aurianne turned to face him. Their lips met again, and their eyes closed.

Jhary pulled her to him as he fumbled with the lacing on her restrictive leather corset.

"God dammit!" Jhary cursed, his lips still on hers. Failing to loosen her bodice at all.

Aurianne laughed as well.

"Why are these things so tight?" He muttered in playful exasperation.

"It would not do for me to lose it in battle." Aurianne quipped playfully. Assisting Jhary in his quest.

"I don't know, I think if you did, the battle would cease," Jhary remarked, as he gazed, love-struck, at his lover's perfect breasts and belly, as her clothing came away.

He showered her in kisses. The specter of Rachel was still there, lingering vaguely, but now in his love for Aurianne, Jhary had made a truce with his past.