The last two months had been goddess sent for Alis.

On the first night out from the training fort she had dared to snuggle up to Klarric, fearful of what Klarric himself, or of what the Knight Champion would say. But neither of them said anything. In fact, Klarric seemed to be happy to snuggle up to her in return.

Learning that they were going to the Isles of Dunkeltal she started telling Klarric all the tales she had managed to overhear growing up. Some of them weren't even complete, but she used the made up endings she had honed over the many tellings to fellow homeless orphans.

She could tell that Klarric was interested in them, so after a week, when she ran out of stories, she started making her own up. In telling these made up stories, she somehow caught the attention of the Knight Champion himself who told some horrific stories. But the gleaming brightness of the hope that the Isles held did not diminish after she heard those stories.

How could they?

Life as an isolated orphan was hard and the only way to survive was to break many rules which ordered society required to survive. Even doing her best, she had seen many of her fellow orphans fall to worse fates than what the Knight Champion told. Not only that, but they had no chance to fight back, or back down, unlike those in the stories had.

As the weather grew colder, and she managed to decrease the distance between herself and Klarric, she started riding on the same horse as him. Breathing in his manly scent during the day and during the night, being so close to him was almost greater than the blessing she had received from Aggard.

The only reason it wasn't greater was because she had had only the single blessing from Aggard, and she would be able to be with Klarric almost all the time.

Now they had reached the City of Rynstowe, the Gateway to the Isles.

There it lay spread out before them, dark and dangerous, like a beast from the Isles, ready to pounce and devour any who dared to enter unprepared. It lay spread out along the coast as if trying to climb into the sea as if it were reaching towards the distant Isles which held treasures and dangers alike

That beast of a city seemed small and insignificant compared to the burning orange sea, which spread out beyond that. And there, hiding in the bright sea, were the shadows of the Isles themselves. Hiding the truths which Seekers sought, the treasures Hunters hunted for, and the beasts Trappers risked their lives capturing.

As Alis stood there watching the scene below her the sun started to set casting long shadows over the snow which surrounded the city. At sea the shadowy shapes of the isles hid in darkness.

Tomorrow, tomorrow she would be down in the Rynstowe and her adventure would start.

A comforting warmth pressed against her back, and wrapped his strong and muscular arms around her.

For a moment she stood there, welcoming of the warmth she gained from him, despite the chill sea breeze blowing against her face.

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Klarric brought his cheek next to hers. Now they were closer than they had ever been during the day. Feeling daring she turned to look at him. His tanned face had gained a bit more colour, unlike her.

Before she knew what she was doing she went to kiss him.

Would he return the kiss?

Would he flee from her?

Or would he just ignore what was happening?

To her joy, he kissed her back.

Then there was an unwelcome interruption from the Knight Champion. She could not believe that they had been caught in such a compromising situation. But he smiled and went back to sorting the camp out.

By now, the spell of the city, the adventure, and most of all the kiss had been ruined. So she too walked to the camp, leaving Klarric behind.

It was dark and Klarric had not yet come back, so Alis went to find him. He was still standing there, looking over where Rynstowe had been. Pale lights shone here and there, indicating where the city still was. But it seemed as if Klarric could not see that. When she touched his cheek it felt painfully cold. So Alis led him to their tent. Once inside he just lay there and let Alis undress him.

Despite the situation, she was nervous about undressing him. His lean body was much more muscular now than it had been when they had first started out. His face and one of his arms had turned an even nicer tanned colour, a colour that she wished she could share with him.

Those strong arms of his, powerful, and yet gentle. How she longed to be held by them again. On his chest was a horrid scar. It seemed to glimmer slightly in the darkened tent. It was a wound that would've killed most, especially a child. Yet he was still alive. It was also a wound that many of the other trainees had mocked him about. Sometimes even going to call him Skarric, or Skar.

As she traced her fingers over the scar, she was aware that she was touching them as a lover would. But the feeling of warmth, not only from his own chest but also the faint flow of power. A power she now recognised as from coming from a blessing of Aggard.

Even though she wanted to kiss him again, now was not the time. So she stripped off and wrapped herself around him and pulled the thick fur blankets the Knight Champion had brought, at significant cost, over the two of them.

Laying there, giving her warmth to his chilled body, she gazed upon his troubled face.

Still, somewhere deep inside of her, forming near the hope the stories of the Isles lived, a new hope sprang to life.

A hope that they could be forever together like this. Not as two strangers forced to share a cot because they were outsiders. Not as two friends, keeping each other company as they faced off against great odds.

No. Not like that.

But as two people who loved each other and stood by each other, helped each other, and who would one day form a loving family for their children. So their children would grow up strong, not wanting for anything, and be surrounded by the love of two loving parents.