MU2 Chapter 20:81 – Dinner For Two

  The plan was to climb down in the morning. Since we didn’t know how deep it was, the climbing experts would make their way down in stages. The hope was that there would be ledges we could use as resting points if necessary to reduce the strain of the climb and set up the rappelling points in stages.

  There were some obvious sticking points with the plan, including the amount of ifs it was built upon. Then there was whatever was flying around in the mist. Paying attention to both the face of the cliff and keeping an eye out for any potential attack was going to make this a very dangerous job.

  Which is why I had a problem with Harper volunteering to do it.

  “What the actual fuck, Harper? This is practically suicide!”

  She sighed and looked at me calmly. “Finn, I’ve been here a lot longer than you and have experience with this kind of thing. Hello, Infiltrator!” The last she said with a double-handed gesture, as if she were presenting herself.

  “I get that, but I worry about you. You’re my friend. I don’t want to see you die a needless death.”

  “What’s your solution, sending someone less experienced to try to do the job and then die horribly?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You kind of did.”

  I thought about that for a moment. “You’re right, I kind of did. Honestly, this whole thing has me stressed out.”

  Laughing, Harper punched my shoulder. “This is what I live for! Getting into and out of dangerous situations is kind of my thing.”

  I rubbed my shoulder where she had hit me. “And you’re such a higher level than me. Guess I’ve got to remember that.”

  “In the meantime, I need you rested and ready for going down there. It’s going to be dangerous, and I can’t be watching out for you all the time. I’m going to need you to pull your weight, Finn,” she said. “Especially when I am going down there. The Allied Army will come for you. And us, but mostly you. I don’t know how long it will take, but eventually they will get their asses in gear.”

  “Wait, what? I thought we got free of them,” I said worriedly.

  “The military machine is slow to warm up, but then it moves with speed and precision,” Captain Rebecca said, joining us.

  Harper snorted. “I don’t think I’d put it that way. Really, it’s more like a sleeping bear.”

  “Can we stop with the metaphors and similes? Are we going to get caught with our pants down or not?” I asked, looking back and forth between the two women.

  The two smiled at each other. “We are not, Finn. You might if you’re not careful,” Harper said.

  “I’ve scouts out in relays, so we’ll know exactly when the Allied Army is coming,” the captain added. “Besides, that’s the last thing we need to worry about tonight.”

  It took me a while to find Vessa, as the expanded 303rd expeditionary force had basically adopted her. I will be the first to admit that watching all these battle-scarred soldiers cooing and playing with her was fricking hilarious. She was absolutely enjoying all the attention, and had checked in with me periodically. But her ability to tell me where she was exactly was lacking.

  The camp was way too fresh for any mental mapping on either of our parts. After seeing she was okay and expanding her circle of friends, I went off to find my curly-haired Cleric.

  She had set up our camp closer to the chasm in a little dip in the ground with some bushes. She had pointed out the spot to me earlier with a look in her eyes that promised much. The space was spruced up with some light material tied to the bushes to give a greater semblance of privacy. A small fire crackled in the center of the space, with our bedrolls laid out on the other side of it.

  There was a small pot of stew steaming on a rock next to the fire and two bowls within easy reach. Arilyn was pulling matching cups out of her saddlebags and looked up at me with a widening smile.

  “About time you showed up,” she said. “I was beginning to think you’d fallen off the edge.”

  “Well, I’m sober, so edges aren’t as tricky,” I replied.

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  Arilyn pulled out a bottle of wine with a throaty laugh. “I think we can fix that, love,” she purred.

  “I am thirsty,” I said smoothly. “And that stew smells heavenly.”

  There was a hitch in her smile, but then she blushed. “I made it myself.”

  I sat down next to her as she used a ladle to stir the stew and serve it up, handing me one of the brimming bowls and a spoon. Thanking her, I carefully blew on it. The first taste was still a little hot but was tasty. “This is fantastic! Where did you learn to cook like this?”

  “I’m glad you like it,” she replied, pleasure suffusing her voice. “I’ve had some excellent teachers over the years. My searches for knowledge have led to several kitchens.”

  I blew on another spoonful as she poured the wine, savoring the balanced flavor. “Mmm, I didn’t know how hungry I was.”

  She smiled, sipping her wine as I finished the bowl of soup. When I was done, she replaced the bowl with a cup of wine.

  “Thank you, that was delicious,” I said before gesturing to the campsite. “You did all of this—the food, the atmosphere. What’s the occasion?”

  “Us. You and me. I… I just want tonight to be special. I don’t want to think about what we’ll have to deal with in the days to come, just you and me.”

  Drinking deeply of my wine, I looked into her bright eyes. “Just you and me,” I said, feeling like this was it, everything that I ever wanted or needed. “I could—I could get used to this.”

  Arilyn’s expression changed, softening into something more accepting yet intense. She leaned closer, her breath slowing. “Careful,” she murmured breathlessly. “You say things like that, and I’m going to start believing you mean it.”

  Her eyes searched my face, her vulnerability almost shocking me. I started to lean in, and she grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me into an intense kiss.

  Suddenly, Arilyn was pulling my poncho over my head, and I was helping her out of her vest and blouse. The warmth of her skin touching mine overwhelmed my mind. Her touch, her scent. Her lips upon mine. All I could do was focus on her.

  We lay with her in my arms, her head on my chest as I lay on my back. I couldn’t help but smile as she traced her fingers on my stomach. We had just… I almost couldn’t believe it. This amazingly hot and wonderful woman had somehow decided that I was good enough to be with?

  I opened my mouth to say something clever, but then closed it. I didn’t know what to say. What the fuck could I say? Thank you? That was awesome? You are my heaven? I could feel myself tensing up. I did not know how to deal with this moment.

  She moved her leg over mine with a contented sigh, and I relaxed. I didn’t want this moment to end. I couldn’t believe that she could want me, but here we were, and that was all that mattered. The flickering fire gave enough heat that neither of us was reaching for the blankets, and the warm light was just right.

  For the first time in I didn’t know how long, nobody was chasing me. I wasn’t in pain. I didn’t have to fight or fear. Everything was wonderful, as long as I didn’t mess it up. And I couldn’t help but feel that this was right.

  Despite that, I felt as though I should say something. Something clever to seal the deal. Instead, I pulled her closer to me. She seemed content with that and snuggled closer.

  “I don’t want this to end,” I said without thinking and cringed inwardly. That sounds so stupid. Why did I say that? I tried not to groan. It was so cheesy and immature. She was going to see through me and regret everything. I tensed up, waiting for her to pull away. For her to tell me I wasn’t man enough for her or that I was too cringe.

  Arilyn tensed for a moment, and I just knew she was going to pull away. It hurt in a way that was all too familiar. But then she relaxed against me, and her fingers stopped tracing patterns on my stomach and chest.

  “Finn…” she said hesitantly.

  I froze, knowing this was the point where she was going to reject me. I had said too much, and it was no longer fun for her. This was a movie I’d seen, and I readied myself for rejection because I was suddenly too much for her to handle. Or not enough to be worth her time.

  Her hand moved absently to my side, wrapping around the best it could. Which was not what I was expecting by any means. She moved against me, as if she was unwilling to move away from me, no matter what.

  “Hey, don’t do that,” she whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  She moved closer to me, if that was even possible.

  “But,” she said softly, and I could feel the hesitation in her very being. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  She was quiet for a moment, her fingers resting on my side. Which was not what I was expecting at all.

  “I…I didn’t lie to you, not really. But there’s a lot I didn’t tell you,” she said gently. “Arilyn is my name. But that isn’t all of it.”

  “What do you—” I started before she put her fingers on my lips.

  “Let me finish, love,” she whispered.

  I nodded, waiting for her to tell me what she meant.

  She breathed slowly, her fingers tightening on my side as she looked away for a moment, embarrassed.

  “I didn’t want tonight to be different,” she said quietly. “I just wanted to be Arilyn. With you.”

  I drew in a deep breath. “Arilyn… what are you saying?”

  She turned and looked into my eyes determinedly. “Finn, when I said that I worked for the Goddess of Knowledge and Love… that wasn’t the whole truth.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked dumbly.

  She looked into my eyes, holding my gaze. “I don’t work for her… I am her.”

  Her hand and body tensed, as if she were expecting me to pull away. I didn’t know what to do. “You’re… her?” I asked.

  Arilyn nodded.

  I realized that I was still holding her close to me, and I didn’t want to let her go. I didn’t know what to do.

  “But you’re still Arilyn,” I said firmly. I continued to hold her close to me.

  She let out a breath that I didn’t know she was holding. “Yes, I am. I will always be Arilyn for you. But Finn?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are you sure you understand what that means?”

  My mind raced, trying to catch up to what she was saying. She was a Goddess. She was my Arilyn. The same person, yet it didn’t make sense.

  Yet… she was in my arms, and she was holding me back like she never wanted to let go.

  A part of me didn’t care, as long as I could still be with her. “I… I don’t know,” I admitted.

  That was enough for her, as she snuggled closer. I held her tight, listening to the slowing rhythm of her breathing.

  But in that moment, I knew it would never be that simple.