A Shadow at Dusk

 

 

Chapter 16

Shada followed about five meters behind Talon as they made their way across the irregular terrain of the forest.  She was a bit surprised that the ground continued to be so uneven and rocky as they had traveled some distance from the mountains.  At some points they had virtually ended up having to help each other across the more difficult areas.

 

Shada was tired, dirty and a little fed up with the entire situation.  She hoped that Skywalker was correct in his theory that the disease ravaging the world had to have originated in the forest, and that they would found it soon and come to some resolution about it.  Shada had definitely had enough of the planet, and for the first time, was thinking longingly of Coruscant and her small, comfortable apartment there.

 

The tall man in front of her stopped and arched his back, his hand rubbing along the side of his narrow hip.  She figured he was as tired and sore as she was.  What they really needed was a nice, long soak in a hot tub and a warm, comfortable bed, she thought, as her eyes rested appreciatively on his tight, rounded buttocks.  She had to admit the man certainly knew how to fill out a pair of hiking trousers.  A rather wicked thought entered her mind and she mentally slapped herself.  Shada D'ukal, behave yourself!

 

In truth, the thoughts formulating in her mind shocked her a bit.  She wasn't one to overlook a good-looking man when he was about, but she had rarely, if ever, done anything about it   Sexual relationships in general were something that she had never felt that she needed on a regular basis.

 

Yet, lately...

 

Talon turned his head, smiling slightly at her over his shoulder.  Something fluttered like a captured bird in the pit of her stomach, and she licked suddenly dry lips.

 

She wanted him!  And that realization was as stunning to her as if the sky had abruptly decided to fall onto her head.  She had never...not once...had such a physical reaction to a man standing meters away from her!  Yet, her senses were suddenly assaulted, overcome by the memory of his skin against hers as they had lain in the bedroll, the feel and taste of his eager mouth when he kissed her, the touch of his big hands as they had slid along her body, caressing and stroking.

 

Lost in her memories, she stumbled clumsily over a rock hidden in the mossy, thick grass of the forest ground and almost fell, catching herself awkwardly.

 

Shazza! she chastised herself.  Don't be a fool.  He has hardly spoken to you since last night.  What makes you think he would even want to...again? 

 

He told you he wanted to talk, she argued with herself.  And you know what it's about.  But what if he said it was all a mistake, that she had been right in the first place...that a relationship like that between the two of them would ruin everything they had worked almost two long years to build.

 

"Shada!  You okay?"

 

She looked up to see that Talon had climbed onto a small knoll directly in front of them.  His face was anxious and she knew he must have seen her almost fall.  "I'm fine," she called.

 

He nodded and then beckoned her over.  "Come here.  I want you to see this."

 

It took her a few minutes to climb the knoll, but he grinned at her expression when she finally reached his side.  "Can you believe this?"

 

She couldn't.  The sight that greeted her was incredible.  A small, shallow stream, about two meters wide, flowed across the length of the knoll and fell over the edge in a sparkling cascade of brilliantly clear, crystal-clean water.

 

Talon knelt and dipped his hands in the sparkling brook, cupping them together to hold a small amount of the water.  He held it up to her.  She glanced at him, puzzled, and he said, "Feel."

 

She put her fingers in the water and looked at him quickly in surprise.  "It's warm."

 

He nodded, his grin almost splitting his handsome face.  "There must be a hot spring up there somewhere."  He lifted his head toward the area where the knoll rose up higher and disappeared into the darkness of the trees.  Standing, he walked over to the waterfall.  "Look at this."

 

Shada followed him.  The water dipped over the edge and dropped down into a modest-sized, rounded pool about ten meters below.  The warmth of the water caused a thin, wispy mist to lie over it, and Shada's skin already tingled with the possibilities the water offered.  A bath, she thought longingly.  A nice, long, soothing, warm soak.  It sounded marvelous.  She closed her eyes, remembering how she had wished for a hot-tub not so long ago, and now...here it was.  When she looked at Talon, her smile rivaled his.

 

"We can camp down there," he said, pointing at the east bank of the pool where a grassy, flat area led into the water.  "This must be the reason everything's still so green here," he continued.  "The warm water has kept the cold from affecting the grass and plants."

 

"It's amazing that there was a snowstorm on the mountain, yet it still looks like the warm season here," Shada agreed, glancing over the knoll into the pool again.  It was quite shallow near its banks, but was of a good depth near the waterfall.  Her yearning must have been visible on her face, because Talon grinned again.  "You have first turn in the pool.  I'll set up camp while you bathe."

 

She looked at him.  "Are you sure?"

 

He nodded.  "Go and enjoy yourself."

 

She started down the knoll toward the pool, but Talon stopped her.  "Why don't you take what you need from your backpack and then let me have it?  I'll set up your things in the camp."

 

"All right."  She knelt in the soft, spongy grass and took some things from the pack, then lifted it up to him.   "I won't be long."

 

"Take your time," Talon said, starting down the rather steep embankment toward the east side of the pond.   "It could be a long time before we get another opportunity." 

 

 

*************************

 

 

The pool was all that Shada could have hoped for - clean, warm, relaxing.   She stood near the waterfall, letting its balmy spray dampen her tired, dirty face.   She had waited until Talon had disappeared round the grassy embankment that virtually hid the waterfall from sight before shedding her clothes.   It hadn't taken her long to undress as she had swiftly removed the zenji needles from her hair and waded into the water, almost having to stifle a cry of pleasure as the gentle water caressed her body.

 

Everywhere around her, the sounds of the forest pulsed with life, the cries of a group of avians in a large tree echoing even over the crash of the waterfall.   She poured some cleaning liquid into the palm of her hand and began to rub it until she had a thick, foaming lather. 

 

She spent some time cleaning her body, shaking her head at the ingrained dirt under her fingernails.  After a while, she began washing her dark hair, pulling it onto her head and working the lather into it.   Then she stepped nearer the waterfall, dipping her head under its steady stream, letting it wash the suds from the long, elegant strands.

 

Several meters away, Talon finished setting up the tiny camp.  In Shada's backpack he had found a small, portable tent, obviously meant for one person, so he had set it up for her and laid out his bedroll not far from it.

 

He also dug a small hole and piled some twigs and small branches into it, planning on lighting a fire when the big sun finally dipped behind the huge trees.  It would grow considerably cooler then. 

 

He rummaged around in his backpack, found some ration bars and a tiny pot with which to make some much-needed caf.   He sat the things down near the makeshift campfire, wishing they had some real food to eat.   His stomach had been rumbling and grumbling most of the afternoon, but the ration bars would have to do.

 

He sat on a small rock near the camp and began unlacing his heavy boots.  Hauling them off was a major relief and he sat for a moment, wiggling his toes inside his socks and enjoying the freedom his feet were experiencing. 

 

Finally, he decided to check Shada's pack one more time, searching for anything he thought she might need when she had finished her bath.  His hand encountered some soft fabric and he pulled it out, realizing immediately that it was her small towel.

 

He glanced behind him at the pool, but Shada was out of sight and he figured she was somewhere near the waterfall.

 

He stood, debating whether he should take her the towel or not.  There wasn't any doubt that she would need it, but would she resent his intrusion while she bathed?  They weren't exactly on terms where they were used to seeing each other without clothes. 

 

She didn't have any on last night, he reminded himself, smiling faintly.  Or at least she didn't after you removed the few she had gone to bed in.

 

Making a quick decision and turning before he could change his mind, he walked to the edge of the small pool.

 

He didn't see her at first, but then she emerged from behind the waterfall, throwing her head back and smoothing the water from her long, sable hair.

 

He stopped in his tracks, his mouth falling slightly open, the forgotten towel hanging limply in his hand.

Seeing her as she was now was completely different from the night before in the bedroll.

 

Her arms were over her head as her hands moved through her hair.   Her well-shaped breasts were taut and high while the water lapped gently at her slender waist.

 

Talon stood like a man who had been pole-axed, stunned into complete stillness, yet conscious of the stirrings in his groin as his body responded to hers.

 

He hadn't made a sound, yet suddenly she turned, her dark eyes catching his.

 

"I..." he started and stopped, confused.  Why was he there?  Desperately, he tried to think and then remembered.   "Ta…towel…" he stuttered, holding it out to her.

 

They stared across the pool at one another for what seemed like an eternity.  Talon's mouth was dry as a Tatooine desert, but he made no movement to leave.

 

Shada turned more toward him, her head lifting slightly, her eyes never leaving his.  "Bring it to me," she called softly.

 

He didn't even think about what he was doing, but immediately started into the water, drawn like a moth to a flame.  He wondered briefly why a smile flickered across her beautiful mouth, but he forgot about it when she didn't say anything.

 

Finally, he stood before her and he held out the towel, realizing suddenly that it was soaking wet.  He must have trailed it in the water without even realizing it!

 

She took the towel from him and tossed it onto a small, moss-covered rock near the waterfall.   When she turned to him again, she put her hand against his cheek, cupping it while her thumb ran gently along his mustache.  "You have beautiful eyes," she whispered.

 

"You have beautiful everything," he responded hoarsely.

 

She smiled slightly, her thumb now moving to caress the line of his bottom lip.  "They're such a pale blue, so striking.   In this light, they almost look silver."

 

He put his hand on hers, holding it against his mouth.  "Shada," he whispered, his breath warming her fingers.  "I..." His words caught in his throat when she eased her hand from his and began to undo the buttons on his shirt.

 

He swallowed, but said determinedly, "Shada, if we do this, I want all of you."

 

Her hand stopped and she looked up at him.

 

"I know that last night we almost..." He took a long shuddering breath.  "But I've thought about it all day and I meant what I said back at the hut in the village.   I won't make love to you unless...  Shada, I need the commitment.  It would kill me if you decided to leave someday.  I love you...and I want you...forever."

 

Shada had been fingering the last button on his shirt but she stopped, her dark gray eyes catching his.  They stared at each other a long moment.

 

"I love you," he repeated.

 

She stared at him a moment longer and then, taking a deep breath, said gently, "And I...I love you too."

 

Talon closed his eyes briefly, savoring the moment.  When he opened them again, she was watching him patiently, a slight smile playing about her mouth.  He slid a hand under her damp hair, cupping her neck, gently pulling her toward him.  "Shada..."

 

"Talon, be quiet," she suddenly ordered, stepping closer to him, the warm water swirling around them.  "For a man, sometimes you talk way too much."

 

Smiling, he bent to kiss her, but she moved slightly, turning her face away and his lips landed on her cheek.  Slowly, her hands came up and she slid his shirt off his shoulders.  She leaned forward, pressing her open mouth to his collarbone, her tongue leaving a tingling, sizzling trail as she slowly made her way to his throat.

 

 

**********************

 

 

 

He tasted of salt, along with an almost elusive, dry woodsy flavor, tinged with the green fragrance of the forest around them.  It was a totally masculine spiciness that made her feel weak in the knees.

 

She wanted to lie with this man, to hold him close for the rest of her life and feel his lean, hard body against hers.

 

She licked the little hollow at the base of his throat, then began to suck on it, pulling the skin into her mouth and worrying it gently with her teeth.  She could hear that Talon was breathing harshly, and she smiled a bit, sucking harder on the skin, knowing it would leave a bruise.

 

"Shada," he groaned above her, his big hands roaming over her sides and down along her hips.

 

She forgot about his throat, suddenly pressing her slim body closer, her mouth covering his in an urgent kiss as her hands slid down his long arms, pushing the sleeves of the shirt off him.  After some minor tugging, it floated off behind them, became caught in the waterfall and disappeared from sight.

 

When Talon had kissed her that first time after she arrived at the village, Shada had been conscious of his mustache, how it had scratched and almost pricked her in places, but now she loved it as it softly moved across her upper lip as he eagerly returned her kiss.

 

She broke the kiss, rubbing her cheek against his as she pressed soft, warm kisses along the firm skin of his forehead and temple.  "Talon, I want you," she whispered brokenly, suddenly overcome by a burning need for him.

 

He groaned and lifted her against him, his hands wrapping her long legs around his waist as his mouth went unerringly to her breast.

 

Shada couldn't stop the explosive cry that escaped her when he sucked a taut nipple into the warm cavern of his mouth, caressing, loving it as if it were the most precious jewel in the universe.  Sensation flew like a burning arrow from her breast to her suddenly molten core.

 

"Talon," she moaned his name again, deep in her throat, as her hands roamed frantically about his face.  "Love me, please love me."

 

But Talon had a problem.  He was as hard as a durasteel bar inside his trousers ... his wet, clinging trousers.   "My pants, Shada," he mumbled around her other nipple.

 

She obviously didn't hear him as she continued to kiss and caress him, her hands now sliding over his big shoulders, enjoying the feel of his smooth, damp skin.  She hugged him closer to her.

 

He let go of her nipple and buried his face in the valley between her breasts.  "My pants, Shada.  My pants," he groaned hoarsely.

 

She pulled back slightly, blinking her eyes as she tried to focus on what he was saying.  "What?"

 

"My pants."

 

She pulled his head up to look at him and then pressed her lips tightly together.  She couldn't stop her eyes from dancing though.

 

"Don't you dare think it's funny, woman," he growled, squeezing her fiercely.  "It's all your fault anyway."

 

She couldn't help it; she threw back her head and laughed, the throaty sound scaring a flock of avians from a tree on the knoll.  "Oh Talon, how could it be my fault?" she finally giggled.

 

"You told me to bring you the damn towel."

 

"You poor man, are you always going to do what I tell you?" she teased, kissing him gently on the cheek.

 

It was Talon's turn to grin.  "When you're warm and wet and naked ... of course I am!"

 

They both laughed and then he pulled her to him, kissing her furiously, his tongue diving deep into her mouth, his hands gripping her so tightly she knew she would carry bruises in the morning.

 

When they finally broke for oxygen, she leaned against him.  "Okay, we need to get the pants off," she murmured weakly.  She slid her long legs down his, eliciting a grunt from him as her feet sought for purchase on the sandy bottom of the pool.

 

"We could move back to the bank," she suggested, but Talon shook his head.

 

"I don't think I can make it that far," he murmured, sliding his hands along her arms.  "You're much too enticing."

 

Her nimble fingers had no trouble with his belt, unclasping it quickly.  The first button was no problem either, but then her hand eased a little lower and stopped.  "Talon, buttons?  A whole row of buttons?" she asked unbelievingly.

 

He groaned, pulling her tightly against him, trapping her hand between them.  "All right, woman, all right.  When we get back to Coruscant, I'll buy a whole rack of trousers with zippers, I promise."

 

She pulled back a little, continuing with her work, her fingers moving back and forth to undo the buttons, touching and rubbing against him through the thin, soaking boxers under his pants.

 

Talon groaned harshly, burying his face against hers, and suddenly she wanted those pants off...now!

 

The last button was almost ripped off and her hands went to his sides, pulling pants and boxers down at the same time.

 

When he finally sprang free, she put her hands on his shoulders and lifted herself against him, her slender limbs sliding along his, her toes pushing his pants farther down his legs.

 

Their mouths welded together, as if the very thought that their lips might someday part was unconscionable to them both.

 

The warm, unusually soft water flowed like liquid satin around them, caressing their naked bodies with gentle, soothing motion, but neither noticed.  They were only concerned with the touch and feel of each other, their hands roaming, exploring while they kissed with fierce passion.  The urgency to complete their joining was consuming them.

 

"Shada," Talon growled deep in his throat, their mouths parting only a fraction.  "I must...I can't..."

 

"I know," she whispered.  "But Talon, let me..." She suddenly lifted herself up against him again, her legs scissoring tightly around his narrow waist.  The water swirled and danced around them.  "I..." she began, then hesitated.

 

"What?  What is it?" he groaned, feeling himself slip between her legs and nestle against her femininity.  His arms squeezed around her so tightly she grunted a bit.

 

She rubbed her face against his and said softly.  "It's been some time since I...I've had sex."

 

Talon pulled his head back to look at her, a slight smile playing on his sculptured mouth.  He pushed some of the damp, dark hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear.  "You haven't...?"

 

Shada didn't answer, just shook her head, her eyes turning to obsidian in her pale face.

 

He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the mouth, his lips caressing hers so softly, Shada felt the prick of tears sting her eyes.  "Then you do it," he whispered. "Do whatever you want."

 

Shada moaned softly and buried her face in the side of his neck.  She pulled herself up, her open mouth sucking on his cheekbone.  Then one hand crept down between them until she found him, hard and needy against her.  Gently, she moved him, positioning him carefully, and then with a quiet groan, slowly began to lower herself.

 

Talon gritted his teeth, suppressing his natural urge to thrust deeply into her.  He was determined to let her control the pace, even if, and he smiled slightly against her warm wet hair, it killed him.

 

Shada pulled herself up again, bracing her hands on his strong shoulders and then slowly lowered herself, feeling him slide higher into her.  She grimaced.  He stretched her until it was painful, but she knew it was only because she hadn't done this activity in some time.  Next time...next time, she knew they would have no difficulty.

 

She lifted her legs, sliding her thighs along his waist and felt herself settle more onto him, finally coming to a rest.

 

He groaned loudly, clutching her even tighter against him, the heat from their bodies rivaling the warmth from the steamy pool.

 

"Shada...Shada, love," he growled deep in his throat, and she smiled against his cheek, delighted with the pleasure he was feeling.

 

For a long moment, they just held one another, overcome by the sheer delight of it.  Finally, Shada began to move, only slightly at first, the tightness still a bit uncomfortable, but then she moaned, throwing her head back and grinding her hips into his.

 

Talon's hands went to her rear, supporting her, but still he let her set the pace.  She was like warm, moist velvet, clenching and unclenching around him, massaging him in ways he had never experienced before.

 

"Oh Sith!" he groaned, his hands sliding along the strong muscles of her back, as if the only thing he could do was hold on.

 

Shada didn't hear him.  She was lost in a fog of phenomenal passion.  Thought processes were stumbling, uneven, completely erratic, as her nerve endings took over her body.

 

This man...this wonderful man!  How she adored him.

 

She threw her body against his, causing them both to sway in the water, waves rapidly cascading away from them.   Soft whimperings escaped her lips and she tried to stifle them.  She was almost ashamed of the sounds she was making, but she couldn't help them, and they became louder, more severe, until her throat literally stung with them. 

 

Something was building in her, such an intense pressure that she thought she truly might explode at any moment.  "Talon, I..." she moaned helplessly.

 

But he only covered her lips with his, his hips suddenly taking control as he began to thrust fiercely against her.  Then she ripped her mouth from his, a scream erupting from deep inside her as her body went totally out of control, trembling and shuddering violently against him.

 

He continued to drive into her, deeply, relentlessly, and it was her turn to hold on for dear life until with a final thrust, he buried himself in her completely and she felt his release fill her.  Instinctively, she tightened her legs, pulling him to her as their soft cries ricocheted around the tiny pool.

 

 

*************************

 

 

The grass was soft and spongy where Talon laid her down on it.  She pulled him down beside her, pressing her damp body against his. 

 

"Talon," she whispered, a tremendous feeling of love washing over her.  It felt as if a dam inside her had burst, flooding her with all that she felt for this incredible man.  She couldn't hide it from herself anymore.  She finally had to admit that she had been in love with him for a long time.

 

She thought about all the times that they had spent together, the hours of quiet companionship in her apartment or his, usually under some pretense that they had work to do.  In actuality, any work had had been finished relatively quickly, and after a shared dinner, those evenings were spent listening to music, watching some new holofilm or in most cases, simply talking.

 

It had surprised her even then that they always had so much to say to one another, how vitally in tune they seemed to be.   His life had not been innocent - neither had hers - yet both found that their values were almost identical; that loyalty, friendship and an underlying sense of right had been the guiding principles of their lives, even if their chosen professions had put those ideals to test.

 

Yet, somehow, they had managed to emerge mostly unscathed, only to find in each other a kindred spirit.  No one, she thought, no one would ever understand her as he did.

 

She moaned softly when his mouth covered hers, his tongue easing gently between her teeth.  She felt her toes curl into the soft grass at the sensation and then she threw a leg over his, grimacing slightly at the cold wetness of his trousers when they touched her inner thigh.

 

It had taken them both to get his pants up over his legs again so they could move out of the water.   They had giggled and laughed like children with Talon teasing her about being too eager to tear his clothes off.   She retorted that at least she'd had sense enough to discard hers before she had gone into the pool.

 

She slid her hand down from his shoulder toward his waist, enjoying the silky feel of his chest hair running through her fingers.   His arms tightened around her as they kissed slowly, deliberately, as if trying to learn all the little secrets that their mouths held from one another.

 

Her fingers finally reached the only button they had managed to close when in the water, and quickly reopened it.

 

Talon broke the kiss and buried his face in her throat, laughing softly.  "Woman, are you trying to take my pants off again?"

 

Shada smiled. "Yes.  Do you have any objections?"

 

Talon pulled back to look down at her.  "No, none at all," he said with a grin.  "In fact, let me help you."  He sat up quickly and pulled the damp trousers down his legs.   He kicked them off, wondering briefly in what part of the pond he had lost his socks.

 

Then he turned, sliding his body along Shada's, causing them both to moan in pleasure.  They started to kiss again, neither noticing that the planet's big sun had dipped well below the line of trees.  The forest around them was growing darker and colder, but a proton torpedo could have exploded beside them and they wouldn't have been aware of it.

 

Their lovemaking in the water had been hurried, volatile, all the months of pent-up emotions igniting in a furious culmination that had left them both breathless.  But now, it was different, almost methodical as each slowly explored the other's body.

 

He's so beautiful, Shada thought, as her fingers lightly crossed over the small ridges of his ribs, falling off into the hard valley of his stomach.

 

She's so beautiful, Talon thought, his breath catching in his throat as he rubbed his face gently against hers.  He loved her so much he literally ached with it.  "Do you have any idea how crazy I am about you?" he whispered into her ear.

 

She smiled, enjoying the feel of his body against hers.   She moved closer.  "I think I'm beginning to understand," she said softly.

 

He pulled back to look at her in the fading light of the evening.  "I'm a strong man, Shada.  Give me a smuggling problem and I will solve it.  Put me in a war and I'll figure out a way to win.   I've never been a man who takes losing well, but if you ever leave me... "  He shook his head, his eyes bleak.  "I don't know what I would do."

 

Shada stared at him a moment and then said, very gently,  "You don't have to worry.  I'll never leave you."  And she knew it was the truth.   It had taken her a long time to realize just what he meant to her, but in her own way, she was very much like him; intensely loyal and fiercely protective of what she considered hers.  "I love you, Talon Karrde," she whispered as vehemently as she had ever said anything in her life.

 

His light blue eyes brightened, becoming beacons in the dim light and then he bent and kissed her, crushing her mouth almost brutally under his.

 

Shada didn't mind, returning his kiss with equal fervor.  She looped her leg over his waist again and pulled him onto her, moaning a little with the passion of the kiss.  Never had she realized that a kiss, a simple kiss, could be so erotic, so literally spine-tingling.

 

Talon pulled his lips from hers, gasping a little for oxygen, and ran his open mouth along her jaw and down onto her neck.  She arched under him, and he slid his big hands beneath her.  He loved her body, so incredibly firm, yet tender and soft in all the right places, her skin silky smooth.  He inched lower and took an already hardened nipple into his mouth, rolling it around on his tongue.  He spent some time with it, teasing it gently with his teeth, then sucking fiercely on it before turning his attention to her other breast.

 

He was vaguely aware that she was making tiny noises, her breath shuddering out of her in panting gasps.   Her long fingers were buried deeply in his hair, squeezing his head almost to the point of pain, but he didn't care.  He was intent on some unfinished business from the night before.  He inched farther down, at the same time pushing her body upward in the soft grass.

 

When he reached her lower stomach, he laid his cheek there for a moment, listening to the sounds she was making, feeling the quiver of her muscles against his face.  Finally, he scooted lower and began to press little kisses along her inner thighs, moving forward slowly.

 

Shada was having a hard time forming any kind of coherent thought; the cognitive functions of her brain had shut down, seemingly shifting all power to her five senses.  She was vaguely aware that his strong arms had eased under her thighs, lifting her from the ground and then...

 

"Oh Shazza!" she gasped, her body arching completely off the grass.  No man...no man had ever...

She tried to hold down the noises that seemed determined to burst from her, but his arms tightened around her, pulling her closer to him, and she couldn't help it, she literally howled, her cry echoing through the dark woods.

 

It went on and on, and the pleasure was becoming almost unbearable.  The pressure inside her was reaching maximum overload and she gasped hoarsely, "Talon...Talon, please!"

 

He raised his head, saw her condition and moved quickly up her body, sliding into her easily.  They both cried out with the intense feeling, then fell instinctively into a quick rhythm, knowing they couldn't last long. 

 

It was so good when it came, it was almost excruciating.  Both their bodies arched, stiffening abruptly, and they paused for a moment in mid-air before collapsing weakly into each other's arms.

 

After a long moment, Shada muttered feebly, "We will never reach old age."

 

Talon laughed softly, nuzzling against her face.  "Oh, but what a time we'll have before then."

 

They laid there for a little while longer until Talon finally noticed that darkness had almost fallen and the air blowing across their damp bodies was cool.

 

He moved to the side and sat up, peering into the dim light.  The steam rising from the heated pool seemed wraithlike in the near darkness and an eerie silence had fallen over the forest as its multitude of creatures settled for the night.

 

He glanced down at Shada, who was already halfway asleep, even though he could see her shivering in the cool air.   He stood and gathered her into his arms, no mean feat since Shada, though slender to almost a fault, was tall and lanky.   She snuggled against his chest and he walked straight into the pool, laughing a little when she awakened with a gasp as the warm water washed over her.

 

"What???"  she asked, blinking rapidly.  "What are you doing, Talon?"

 

"I thought we'd bathe again and maybe warm up a little before going to bed," he told her as he let her slide slowly down his body until her feet found the soft sand of the pool.

 

They only spent a short time in the water, conscious of how cool the air around them was becoming.  After quickly drying off with Talon's somewhat bigger towel, Shada walked to her tiny tent, catching sight of his bedroll lying near it.

 

"What is that doing there?"  she inquired, one eyebrow raised while a tiny smile played about her swollen lips.

 

"Well, I didn't...I mean...I didn't want to assume..." Talon started.

 

"I think you had better get it and moved it into the tent, then," she ordered.  "I'm not planning on freezing to death because of some misguided male chivalry on your part."

 

He burst out laughing, walked over to her and pulled her in his arms.   "Shada, I love you."

 

Shada grinned.  "I would hope so after all we've been doing."

 

Talon laughed again and then leaned down to kiss her.   It quickly turned passionate, the muscles in his arms cording as he squeezed her to him.  "I could kiss you for hours," he finally mumbled against her mouth.

 

"I rather enjoy it myself," Shada teased succinctly.  Then she shivered again.  "Let's go to bed.  It's getting cold."

 

It didn't take them long to arrange the tiny tent to their satisfaction and Talon lay on his back, Shada nestled against his side.  She was already asleep, her head on his shoulder, her warm breath filtering across his chest.

 

He slid his arm around her, pulling her a little closer, and kissed her gently on the top of her head.   He sighed and closed his eyes to sleep, feeling a strong sense of contentment for the first time in many months.

 

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On to Chapter 17 - Coming Soon

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