Love Birds Among the Flowers (ReonaxArian) Fin

[Rhea Izar]

Reona looked up with a smile at the touch, but there were tears in her eyes. She sniffed, "Ah, it's still very hard to say, even after so long...anyway, the soldiers came back. I don't even know whose side they were on, or even who the sides were. They came through to take provisions and forced themselves on the townspeople, ransacking and taking whatever they wanted. They even took several women and defiled them..." Reona's eyes became dark, "Myself included...I...put up with it, for the children's sakes. Then the soldiers left...and they burnt down our village, destroying everything so the enemy would have nothing to gain by finding us. I don't know...there was no logic in those men any longer, they had become beasts."

She stared down at her tea, her fingers curling around Arian's hand, as if to remind herself of the present, "I had...been taken to the barn for a....'farewell'...it was brutal, and they left me there, bleeding. I passed out and...when I woke up, I heard the screams." The tears began to fall and she closed her eyes, once more seeing the village of ages past, "I ran, my ripped clothing falling about me...the children had been locked in the cellar, the house set on fire above them. I ran into the house, into the flames..." Her breathing began to get a little harder as she spoke, "I was so paniced...my clothes and hair caught fire, my skin smouldered...but I ran to the cellar door and tried to pry the desk from atop it, the children screaming for me. I-I couldn't move it, it was so heavy."

Reona was sobbing now, setting her cup aside and putting her face in her hand, her grip on Arian tightening, "The ceiling collapsed on me. I had only a few more seconds before everything went black. I reached out and...touched the crack in the door where I saw the small hands, trying to tell me they couldn't breath. I assume they all died along with me. When the other army came through, they realized what I had done and took me to have a warrior's burial. I had sacraficed myself...but for what? I...failed." She began to quiet, the tears still falling, trying to steady her breathing as she came back from those dark memories, "Over the ages, I forced myself to forget everything...and I did...all but my first name. But...shadows like that...never truely leave you."  

[Sabra Knight]

Anger flashed through Arian's eyes as he heard about the beasts who called themselves soldiers. He'd always hated war and fighting, but to hear this made the spirit wish he could've been there to kick some hide. To ransack towns might've been okay, but to defile the women which including Reona?! That was...definitely unforgivable!

Lacing his fingers with Reona's, Arian scooted closer to her. As her tears began to fall the spirit squeezed her hand, comfortingly. The whole fire sounded horrible...and Arian really wished that she hadn't died in such a way.

His free hand moved to her cheek and wiped the tears away as she sobbed. "Shh...shh..." He whispered softly, "It's okay, Reona...you tried your best for them. I know that the children whether they lived or died truly love you for that. You gave them a new life after they were orphaned and always thought of them first until the very end. I'm sure that they appreciated all of your kindness...and loved you dearly."

Keeping her hand in his, Arian maneuvered around so he could hug Reona tightly. "Reona...you truly are amazing." He whispered once more this time softly in her hair as he pulled her close.

 

[Rhea Izar]

Reona sat there in Arian's arms, breathing deeply, trying to calm herself. She slowly lifted her other arm and rested it on his back, her wings shifting behind her as she sniffled. "I'm sorry...I told you it was a bad story..." Despite her pain, she noted that he smelled...really nice. She smiled then and gently pushed him back, nodding, "Thank you. I...do feel a little better now. I...really haven't told anyone that before." She squeezed his hand, feeling very warm and grateful. She looked to her cup and sighed, "Ah, the tea is cold now..." She said.  

[Sabra Knight]

"Yes, you did." Arian answered softly, his eyes flickering brightly in the warming sunlight. His wings were pulled close as if making a small shelter while Reona calmed her crying. It was after she gently pushed him back that the spirit realized how close he'd been sitting next to her.

His cheeks barely showed the warmth spreading across his face as Arian scooted back. Not too far, but far enough to give Reona some room. "You're...you're much welcome." He answered, clutching tightly at the cup in his other hand.

At her other comment, the spirit looked at his own cup and slightly grinned. "Guess it is..." His gaze warm, Arian looked back up. "But I'm sure even cold that it's still just as delicious."

 

[Rhea Izar]

Reona smiled, "You're very kind, Arian. I'm happy that I ran into you today." She said, picking up her cup, "Would you like me to reheat your tea?" She asked, the cup in her hand already steaming hot. She felt so much more...light. Airy...happy. She really did feel so much better after speaking with someone about what happened, to get it out in the open...  

[Sabra Knight]

"Me as well...." Trailing off into an awkward silence, Arian held out his cup. "Yes, please." He managed with a small smile. Being calm was getting harder by the second it seemed.

But it was a good feeling of nervousness. A feeling that made him feel happy and a bit light headed. Really not knowing what to say next, Arian just settled for softly humming a small tune.

 

[Rhea Izar]

Reona sat her cup down and gently placed her hands on either side of the cup, warming it quickly. She then took a sip of her own drink, smiling, "Oh, that is a lovely tune...is it a song that you know?" She asked, sipping her tea again before she sat it aside and reached for her pen and pad.  

[Sabra Knight]

Holding the warm cup in his hands, Arian lifted it once more to take a drink. As it was before, the taste was delicious and made his throat tingle. Pulling the cup down from his lips, the spirit nodded. "Yes..."

Pausing he took a breath before finally admitting to his own hobby. "I sometimes find myself writing out songs and melodies. Not as much now as when I was alive though." He gave a soft chuckle, "Maybe because I'm not as bored as I was in life....?" He shook his head to correct himself, "It's just that Isira is so interesting to me being a new spirit in all...that I'd rather find out more about my new home. Yet, it seems that songs still just pop up in my mind every now and then."

 

[Rhea Izar]

Reona's eyes lit up, "Ohh, songs? I love music. Um...would...would it be too much trouble to ask if you'd sing one for me?" She asked, sitting back against her headstone and flipping her pad open on her lap, carefully dipping her ink and looking at him with a smile as she prepared to draw.  

[Sabra Knight]

((~Is very sorry for not posting in a while and that its such a short post~ ;.; ))

Looking a bit surprised Arian blinked at Reona. Did she just ask him to sing? Not that he minded...but it felt like it'd been forever since he sang out loud in front of someone.

"Umm...anything particular you'd like to hear?" He finally managed to ask in a soft voice. Already he was trying again to desperately keep up the calm and neutral face. 'I'm not surprised...I can do this...'

 

[Rhea Izar]

((Gah, I'm really sorry that I haven't posted, kinda lost track of things...))

Smiling softly, Reona thought, "Hmn...well...I could use something...happy. Perhaps a ballad of some sort?" She really didn't mean to imply for anything romantic, as ballads usually were, and was only thinking of something pretty and soothing. Of course, she didn't even consider if the other spirit would suspect anything from suggesting something romantic. "Yes, a ballad, I haven't heard one in such a very long time." She said, tapping the end of her feather quill against her cheek.  

[Sabra Knight]

(~is sorry for the wait~ ;.; I must get back into rping my spirits! )

"A happy ballad?" Asked Arian with a small grin. His mind raced, what song to sing? Should he go ahead and sing a true ballad? Surely, it was just a random suggestion Reona was giving him and not a hint for something like that. Pursing his lips Arian thought, "Give me a second to think of one, Reona." Saying that he started humming and slowly started gathering the tune for a ballad.

 

[Rhea Izar]

The female spirit smiled, "Take your time." She dipped the end of her quill into the ink and tapped it against the side, pausing as she looked up at Arian and he began humming. Her eyes softened and focused on his features, and she began to dab the ink onto the parchment in her lap, her wings shifting slightly for comfort. The black ink began to take form as she dipped, tapped, and stroked, repeating, her eyes darting from the drawing to her subject, mouth downturned softly as she focused, listening to his song as she drew.  

[Sabra Knight]

Finally Arian decided to sing one of his old favorites that hadn't been shown or even played for many. In his light silky voice the spirit song the love ballad which was at first slow and then startling fast, but as usual the song slowed at the end into a sad ending for the two lovers. Finishing the song he took a small breath. "But at least in the end their souls were finally free to be together." He half sung softly.

 

[Rhea Izar]

Reona listened closely, her pen scribbling across the parchment. At the end she smiled, a tear in one of her eyes, "That...was absolutely beautiful." She said softly, "And...I've finished your drawing." She held up the parchment to show a black ink drawing of Arian, his eyes closed, one hand motioning as he sung, looking completely into the music. One could almost hear his voice coming from the drawing itself...