Fire and Ice

1969 Words4 Pages

Beltane, a night of celebration and passion as lovers celebrate the new harvest, new love, and new beginnings. Dancing and music had filled the streets from early evening till late in the night, sweet fragrances of summer flowers braided into hair filled the streets. Lovers leaping the Beltane fires in the hopes it would bring them a child in the New Year, or just to bring luck and good health, were joined by the Seeker and his Confessor, laughing and dancing through the celebrations.

Before the night is out, many lovers sneak away into the shadows of darkness, sharing passionate embraces and joining together to celebrate their love. The Seeker had drawn his Confessor away from the celebrations, eyes bright as they laughed through the halls and into their chamber to fall gasping into their bed.

Only a few hours have passed since the festivities died down and a low rumbling in the distance warns of a brewing summer storm. Silence fills the streets of Aydendryl as the heat from the winding flagstones ebbs away into the night sky, banks of hot embers glowing softly in what remains of the celebration fires.

Through a window left open, the North wind brings with it the taste of cool rain and fills the chamber with its warm tendrils. Curtains flutter in response, the last burning candle flickers as the room is suddenly illuminated with a flash of lightning, seeking to invade the dark's territory and revealing all to the night. Within the shadows, the lightning illuminates a couple in undisturbed slumber after a night of eager Beltane celebrations. The richly furbished chamber is illuminated once more – the thunder that follows still a distant rumble. This illumination reveals a young woman, boneless in her peaceful state and pr...

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...his chin pressed to her curls as her hot breath washes over his neck. A thunder clap swallows their panting breaths as they melt into the bed, sweat cooling, hearts returning to their steady rhythm as the heavens open up and rain begins to fall.

His hand stroked the length of her spine as she shifts to the side and he slips from her body. Pressing herself to him, Kahlan remains close as she traces circles over his heart, breath deepening as waves of sleep pull her under. The Seeker tightened his hold around her shoulders and pressed lips to her forehead. "Spirits know, I love you too Kahlan." Her only response was lips against his shoulder as the storm rumbled overhead. The hot wind blew through the window once more, its strength extinguishing the candle and folding the chamber into darkness as the Seeker and Mother Confessor fell together into a boneless sleep.

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