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[Arlin]

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Arlin patted his pouch as he sat down on his stool. He had invited Arcana because he had a surprise waiting for her. He had taken several hours, and many, many failed tries, to make her a three course meal of fish and seafood, especially from around Vesper. He had cooked it all himself, and set it all up in his private garden high atop his fortress.

Arcana strode through the door, looking stunning as usual, despite being dressed only in battle armor. Arlin greeted her with a warm smile and a fond hello. She smiled, a bit weakly, and sat down across from him. They chatted idly about their experience the other night at Poet’s Garden. The meal upstairs in the garden could wait a few more minutes.

The conversation turned to Arieus, one of Arlin's least favorite subjects.

"Did you see his face the other night? He looked absolutely furious," she said. Arlin merely shrugged, and stated he didn't pay much attention to, what he considered, a pitiful knight.

Arcana looked down, picking idly at the table. Even someone as dense as Arlin could sense something was amiss, and he figured it had to do with Arieus.

"Alright, so what'd he do?" Arlin interrogated.

Arcana looked up at Arlin, and spoke in a quiet, steady tone. "It’s not what he did or didn't do." She paused. "It’s what I did."

Arlin looked at her oddly, waiting for her to continue.

"I love him."

No! No no no no! Arlin screamed inside his head. No, maybe he had heard her wrong. "Come again?" he asked, pleaded. She couldn't be serious. She couldn't....not after everything...

"I love him, Arlin," she said with a helpless shrug.

How could she be so distant, so calm about this? Arlin’s heart plunged. He wanted to scream, to die, to kill, to fly away, anything - he just didn't want to hear this. He wanted to run. He never ran from anything. But he wanted to get out of there. He looked past her, to the exit. If he ran, what would she think of him? He couldn't. He must stay. But he couldn't fight...

"I know, I never mentioned anything of him to you. I don’t know if I should say more now or not ." No, you didn’t you two timing, no good, venomous harpy, was all Arlin could think. He wanted to scream it, but still he couldn't do anything. Arcana’s jaw clenched as if he’d slapped her as she read his expression. “There was *nothing* between he and I like you are thinking. Nothing,” she said emphatically, though Arlin hardly heard her.

Arlin looked down at the floor, his fist clenched tight. He wished he could dig a hole out of there. Just run away. Just kill something. That was all he knew. Death. That was his trade.

He finally managed, in a hushed whisper, "So...that’s it then?"

She said something, but Arlin didn’t hear her. He didn’t want to.

"I did...*everything*...for you..." He threw his arms out wide, but spoke in a quiet, almost venomous tone. "Everything..."

By now, her head was in her hands; Arlin cared, but he didn't. How could she do this... why? ... Everything he had done… He stood up.

"Just too good fer a half-breed eh? I shoulda expected as much from a *knight*."

She stood up now as well, her eyes ablaze with anger. "How could you even think that of me, after all we did together!?" she cried. At least she didn't deny it. A small victory for what was amounting to be a massive defeat for the half-ogre. A small voice in his head whispered that he’d hardly even given her time to form the words of a denial. He crushed the sentiment ruthlessly.

"Everythin' I changed about mahself was for you! I did it all fer ya!" he almost screamed.

"I didn't want you to change for me!" she spat back. "I wanted - still want - you to be your own man, for your own sake!"

She started to go on, but he cut her off as he slammed his palms flat against the table, and he bellowed down at her. "I am my own man!"

He stopped. It was true. He had done all this for Arcana...because he loved her, he admitted to himself. But he had still done it though. All those hours....*days*...searching for that accursed archery scroll, but he had done it. Leaving behind the mercenary life, the tavern wenches… he had done it. He had truly become his own man. She approached him now, and slowly took something out from under her armor from around her waist.

"I doubt you'll ever believe me, but I’ve cared about you. I always will." He knew she did. "Here," she said, reaching up. His necklace. She hadn't forgotten his necklace... What he had considered the most precious thing on the planet to him. Next to Arcana. "You earned it the day you disbanded the Black Dogs," she whispered as she slid it over his head. He looked down at her a moment. Damn the Book of Destiny. If he ever got a chance, he'd burn it.

He lifted it off his head, and held it in one massive, gloved fist. "No." he uttered, quietly. He didn’t want it. He didn’t need it. He didn’t need love. "You need to leave...now," he spoke in a cold, emotionless voice as he turned his back to her. He stood there and waited for the heavy iron doors to thud to a close behind her. When he was sure she was gone, he dragged himself upstairs to his garden to think.

The aroma of fish permeated through the air. Damnit... he had forgotten about the meal he had cooked, solely for her. With one mighty swipe of his hand, he knocked the table, contents and all, from the roof, sending it smashing to the ground. Two small items fell out of his cloak. Earrings, sapphires ones. He had picked them up, because they reminded him so much of Arcana’s eyes. Beautiful, clear, deep blue. He loved those eyes.

He collapsed to his knees, still holding his necklace in his right hand. His heart felt like it would explode. His head filled with too many images and thoughts to describe. He looked down at his hands, and then brought them to his face.

Arlin wept.
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As the fire fades to night, remember always the ember that started it all.

[Arcana]

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Arcana felt both horrible and overjoyed, her emotions swinging wildly back and forth, though horrible was currently getting the upper hand. How had the half-ogre who’d once abducted her from her home over the bodies of her slain guards, had her sold on the block as a slave, and been a womanizer of legendary proportions, come to feel so much for her?

She’d just left the House Gauntlet after meeting with Duchess Molly. She’d intended on getting her knight back from the Lady’s service, but it had not gone without trouble. Arieus, of course, was Molly’s own general and leading a war effort in Luna. No, so sorry, but Arieus could not be released from his service just now. He was needed most desperately here, for the very survival of House Gauntlet. Yet Molly was an old friend, and had long seen what was dormant between Arcana and Arieus and was not umoved. In the face of her sympathy and kindness, Arcana had simply dissolved into tears before her friend. She felt like a foolish girl, crying so. Yet after being faced with Arieus’ apathy, her wrenching meeting with Arlin, and now not even having Arieus’ sword at her side after all of it, the strain had stretched her composure beyond endurance.

She explained to Molly what had happened since Arlin’s return to the realm. How they had long been friends, even through long years of warfare, and that when he returned they found their feelings ran beyond mere friendship. Arlin’s had apparently come to far surpass even that. Molly, of course, had rarely heard tavern gossip in her life and was quite amazed to hear the tale for the first time. She offered what consolation she could, relating some experiences from her own life. Arcana smiled and took her leave, though she felt little better.

She’d saved her love… yet very probably destroyed a friendship. She’d thought she’d regained her right arm for her beloved order of Knights… and yet she hadn’t. Win or lose… she should be certain by now… but she wasn’t.