Runaway

After his very public argument with Samara, Alex walked to the logs near the crafers lodge to try and get some time to think, all the while mumbling "Th....The.....That... Ahhhh" As soon as he sat down he felt the crisp breeze on his face and he fell silent in prayer. "Please dear Gods, i know i never pray to you that much but please give me a sign.... Anything, i just need some help" Alex begins to sob, sliding his helm on to hide his tears he looks around and sees something stuck on a tree branch flapping in the wind.
He gets up to go take a closer look and finds part or a torn parchment with the words 'Dragons Den' scrawled across the page.
Looking up to the sky smiling Alex mumbles "Seriously?!" he removes his helm again to feel the winter winds biting at his bare skin, almost immediately Alex starts jogging towards east gate and as soon ah he is out the walls of Bane he breaks into a sprint heading north towards the woods.

Alex could feel the sweat drip off him as he runs through the wooded areas and over various obstacles, the only thought on his mind was Samara, he finally came to a mountain area which he proceeded to climb at full speed and within no time he was back on his feet running towards the goal.
He finally clambered back down a ladder and arrived at a beautiful lake, but Alex had no time to stop and admire the view.... He was on a mission, a mission for the gods, a mission for himself, a mission for love.
Jumping down the last drop Alex found himself in what seemed an abandoned city linked my long bridges and miles upon of hot molten rock.
Alex narrowed his eyes to shield against the heat as he ran across on bridge, then another, then another and finally he came to the last one and realised it was broken, but this wernt going to stop him, not today as with a great leap of faith Alex soared through the air and landed in a heap on the other side. Picking himself up he began to run again feeling the stich in his side worse than even as he dodged the cobwebs in his way finally coming to a maze, Alex stopped doubling over and breathing heavy, he wiped his forehead of the sweat and tried to catch his breath.
Before he could manage a chillingly familiar voice spoke from behind him "Alexander, I have been waiting for you...

Alex spins on his heel whilst drawing his sword in reaction to the faint voice.
".......Would you really hurt your ex girlfriend?" To Alexanders suprize he saw Lura Ballard heaped on the floor with her leg twisted the wrong way. "LURA?! What happened?!", Lura's eyes widen in terror as out of the darkness a ball of fire flys at her and Alex narrowly missing her head, Seeing this Alex automatically runs over to Lura trying to cover them both from the threat with his shield.
Alex could feel Lura's deep brown eyes upon him as he shields her from yet another attack, Alex shouts over the shield "What are these things?!", all the while Lura's eyes have not moved from Alex.
Felling the shield heating up Alex tried to adjust his grip only for it to seer white hot, burning into the flesh on his arm and hand.
Wincing in pain Alex tries to look over the shield seeing the attacker, "Damn fire elements!". Making Lura jump he pounces at the fiend slashing through the flames as if in a trance, his blade cutting through the air effortlessly, graceful and precise with his strikes it was not long before he has the beast on the back foot and with a final blow the flames were gone...

Lura winced in pain at the feeling in her leg as she looked over Alex, searching him for injury. "Come..." She said quietly, waving him over. She hadn't seen him.... in what seemed like years, but was no more than a few weeks. She shifted her weight onto her knees, letting out a squeak of pain as she moved he leg, but putting it aside. This was her job, she couldn't waste time on herself.
Lura had missed him... he had hurt her... twice in the same day, and she knew he would always be more loyal to Samara and love her sister more than herself, but that didn't stop her fool heart from beating that much faster when she saw him. She reached her hand out, pulling him nearer and she looked to search him for wounds, keeping her eyes from his face. "Been a while..." She choked softly. "I... missed you."

Smiling at Lura Alex lowered hid shield revealing a burn wound running around his arm and hand from holding the scorched shield.
Pushing Lura's hands away from him he spoke, this time not in his usual smooth, passionate, accented voice but this time it was hoarse and strained almost not audible over his heavy breathing "How did you get here?! Actually first, are you okay?".
Pushing the fiery red hair out or Lura's face Alex looked deep into her beautiful sparkling brown eyes

Lura just shook her head, pushing his hand away from her face and keeping her eyes down. "Let me just... fix you and then we can talk... you just need to relax." She flushed as he touched her and was thankful that the cave was dark. She sighed as she examined the burn on his arm, ripping some hem off her robe and wrapping it around his arm.
She leaned her head down as she worked, using her hair as a curtain to hide her face, her fingers worked quickly, tying up his arm. Lura moved closer to him subconciously so that she could hear his breath as he panted and she was sure he could hear her heart pounding. She finished bandaging his arm and looked up at him. "Nice haircut." She said softly, trying to fill the silence.

Alexander shook his head and smiled saying softly "Nice haircut, is that the best you could come up with?" giggling Alex took in his surroundings and realized the gaping hole in the roof of the cavern, "Dont tell me you fell through THAT?!" pointing his finger in the direction on the hole.
Nodding her head Lura carried on cleaning his hand, wincing Alex asked "Wheres Nicko?"

"He's with his father... and yes I did, I might've broken my ankle or something." She looked up at him briefly, sitting back and absently toying with her ruby ring. “And didn’t I tell you not to be using this arm?” Lura rolls her eyes, undoing her shoe while biting her lip to hold in the whimpers of pain she wanted to let out. “What’re /you/ doing here?
Finally, she winced and let out a short whimper under her breath, hoping he didn’t hear her. She sighed, brushing her hair back. “Gods… ow.” She whisper, leaning her forehead on her knee and dropping her boot to the side as she rolled her pants leg up to take a look at her leg and gently running her fingers across her ankle

Without futher thought Alex scoops Lura up and carries her to the entrance of the cave and gentaly puts her down on the fresh snow, wrapping his robe around her to prevent the winters chill from getting to her.
Alex say "Please wait one moment i must do something..." and walking over to a wooded area he starts calling out, "Shelme?! SHELME?!" suddenly a rather tired looking, pure white dove flutters down from a near tree and lands in a heap on the floor, picking it up Alex smiles at the bird, stroking its feathers and whispering "Take this to Samara please old friend.... After that i will let you rest" and writing a quick note he attaches it to the birds leg and trowing it up in the air he watches it fly off into the distance.
Turning back to Lura he smiles saying "Come on lets get you home"

Lura wiggled in Alex's arms. "Let me go, Alex." She protested. She sighed, holding the robe around her tightly and watching as he sent the bird away. "I'm not going home. Not yet, at least." She shivered lightly. She bit her lip as she attempted to limp back into the cave. "It's too bloody cold out here anyway." She said scowling. Why did he have to come here? It was supposed to be secret where she was, she just hoped he hadn't told Samara he'd found here.
She needed some time for herself. She loved Tirrend and Nicko and Sam, but all the drama at home got to her. She need some rest, for Gods' sake. Lura finally made it into the darkness of the cave and leaned against the wall, holding the robe still around her and even while rolling her eyes at herself for doing it... taking in his smell that still clung to the robe.
'

Smiling at the stubbornness of Lura, Alex followed close behind her in case she fell. "You still haven't told me what you are doing here" Alex looked at Lura's leg still visibly swollen, "Here hold this on it" scooping up some snow he pressed it hard against the ankle.

"Why do you care?" She scowled, kneeling down and leaning her head back against the cave wall as he pressed the snow against her leg, sighing. Lura bit her lip, shutting her eyes. This wasn't what was supposed to happen, she was supposed to be Alex-free until she got him out of her system, but... here he was, had just leaped out of nowhere.
"If you want to leave... you can." She said quietly, pushing his hand away and keeping the snow to her leg herself. "I'm fine, as far as you're concerned."

Alex stood up and looked at her and blinked, "Do you want me to go?",
The air around Alex seemed to stand still, even the howling wind seemed to have stopped for a moment as Alex's heart raced awaiting the answer.
Alex's palms of his hand was sweaty and his voice shaking as he said "Well",
Alex swallowed hard as for the next few moment would change his entire life

Lura looked down and pushed some hair out of her face."No... I want you to stay." She said, quietly, admitting it no only to Alex but finally to herself. "But..." She trailed off, unable to think of an excuse. Lura looked up at him for the first time since he had come. "Do you want to go?" She said, hating the childish way in which she said it, like a whiny girlfriend. She shouldn't love him... she was enagaged to another man and some days... she absolutely couldn't stand Alex. But she did, she loved him.

Alex raises his eye brows and says "Well got nothing better to do have I?!" smirking he sits down next to Lura putting his arm round her keeping her close and warm, the wind blowing towards them blows her sweet seductive scent into Alex's face, remembering all the good times they had Alex spoke without thinking "I love you....".
Shocked at the words that came out his mouth he quickly closed his eyes and fell silent.... Did he love her?
Does he still love her? All he knew is since leaving her all he could think about is the way she rolled her eyes at him, the feel of her body, the scent of her skin and the tenderness off her kiss, He missed little Nickolas as well, even thought the child was not his, he would quite happily lay his life on the line to protect Nicko...... To protect them both

But what about Samara?! What would she do if she found out Alex loved Lura again.... Would she even care?

"Are you... sure?" She said quietly, already leaning her head onto him and hugging her knees to herself. Gods.... this felt so much better than it should. "I love you..." Lura looked up at him as he shut his eyes. She bit her lip before kissing his ear gently. "I love you too." Whatever happened in this cave... wouldn't go past it. She was with Tirrend, now and he was Nicko's father, she wasn't going to leave him again... but oh, being with Alex... was so right. Lura reached her fingertips up and touched his cheek, pushing his face to face her.

Wandering alone through the western forest, Samara's mind clouds up with uneasy thoughts. "Where is Lura..? What is happening to me..? Im now thought of as a theif...? A betrayer of others...?" Silent tears fill up her eyes as she wipes them away gently. "I must be so naive.."
Samara looks up to find herself under an old eldan tree, the snow gently covering its magestic branches with blanket of purity. She gives an inner sigh, the feeling of being alone surrounds her, as the silence of the forest seems to grow louder.
Slowly she sits down beneath its covers looking out thoughtfully trying to regain some of her essence back. Moments or ages pass by, when a lone leaf falls swirling with the gentle breeze to land on her lap. Her eyes flutter open and she holds it up, her druidic senses coming to life. With a soft smile she holds it to her heart and watches through it the beauty of the earth around her, hears the silent songs of the night, and the soft whispers of the trees.
She becomes the leaf and the leaf her.
Hours later, she stands up with a peaceful smile, kisses the leaf softly and buries it underneath the snow. "Im never alone.....Ill see you next spring..", she whispers as she kneels over and helps herself up.
Silenty her petite pregnant figure finds its way out of the forest.

Feeling Lura's soft hands felt like a dream, but this was no dream, this was real.
Opening his eyes to look at Lura, Alex whispers "We shouldn't be doing this.... "
but Alex did not want it to stop, it felt so good, her being back in his arms.
Clenching his teeth he stood up, "You should get some rest, I'll stand guard till first light. Then, we move" Finally taking his eyes off her he sighed heavily and sat down on a fallen log playing with a tattered bit of cloth in his pocket which he had kept from the time Lura patched up his hand over a month ago.

Lura's jaw dropped slightly as he let go of her, walking away. "Alex...." She bit her bottom lip, watching him as he sat outside, pushing a hand in front of her face. Don't you dare cry... She thought to herself. Why was he playing with her? She loved him, wanted him.... but he had just... left her. Again. Anger suddenly coursed through her and she grabbed a rock from next to her, tossing it against the opposite cave wall with a fustrated screech, only to duck when it ricocheted of the wall back at her.

Hearing the rock hit the wall of the cavern Alex lept up sword in hand ready to protect the woman he loved, only to see Lura's face taught with anger.
Walking over he asked her "Ermm Lura, is everything okay?".
As soon as the words left his mouth he realized he should have left her well alone...

"What do you want from me Alex?" She looked up, her face not furious.... but pained. "I just... you told me you loved me... and then you just walk away?" Lura bit her lip, trying to stave away more tears. "And I'm not going home tomorrow, either.... so you can just forget that." He confused her to no end, and she needed a real answer, no more games. She couldn't handle it again.

"You want to know the truth? YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH?!!. " Alex's voice breaking sounding more angry by the second.
"The truth is i love you Lura.....LOVE, and do you even know how much that hurts?!" Tears start forming in Alex's eyes as he carries on "You decide to go off without a second thought in the middle of the woods without telling anyone.... Am i not suppose to be worried?! " Walking closer to Lura he leans in and whispers
"You just dont get it do you.... You really dont get it, all this time I have been away was to think" Alexander pulls the tattered piece of cloth out his pocket and throws it in Lura's face "You remember that?! I have been carrying that in my pocket for over a month.... I only just figured out why" Alex closes his eyes "Its because i love you, love you too much to see you with Skye.... "
Alex screams at the top of his lungs "ARGHHHH" Alexander opens his eyes looking at Lura "I dont even know what im saying, i cannot think..... I cannot breath..... I cannot sleep and most of all without you i cannot love."

"You think it didn't hurt when you kissed Samara and I realized that you would never ever love me as much as her? You think it didn't hurt when you just... left me?" Lura narrowed her eyes, speaking quietly. "You don't think it hurts to be away from my baby and know even when I go back, I have to go back to living without you?" She shakes her head, shoving him away from her with little to no power, almost too weak and looking away into the depths of the cave.

"But you chose that way Lura, you chose to go back to Tirrend. Not me." Alex looks at the floor hating himself for shouting at Lura "You really think i love Samara more than i could love you?" Alex smirks looking up, feeling the chill biting against his wet face as tears start to roll down his cheeks
"If i loved Samara more than i love you then why am i here and not in Trolls Bane with her?!" Almost instantly the realization kicked in, Alex really does love Lura, not Samara but LURA. Now looking down at the broken woman Alex feels his whole world spin as he sits back down on the log.

Alex speaks again but this time in a timid, quiet voice "Lura... did you mean what you just said?... Y... You... You seriously miss me that much?"

"Because Samara won't have you and I'm your perennial consolation prize." She said under her breath, still not looking at him. She was a fool, for even being here... and more of a fool for telling him... everything. She felt a tear drip down her face and quickly brushed it away. "Of course I mean it... I care about Tirrend... he's one of my best friends and he's Nicko's father... but I love you, Alex." Lura still couldn't bring herself to look at him and hugged her arms around herself. "I love you a lot... as stupid as that is."

Alex laughs out loud, "Well it weren't Samara who ended it actually, after everything that happened i could never trust her, and if you really wanted to know i told her to never talk to me again in that dove i sent" Alexander points to the sky "So please Lura don't have a go at me..." Alex walks up to Lura extending his hand to help her up

Lura looked up at him, taking his hand and pulling him down next to her, rather than get up. "I don't want to go yet, Alex..." She whispered to him softly, not letting go of his hand."Stay with me?" She didn't want this moment to end... they were alone, together... and she didn't when they would... or could... be again. She just wanted to be with him, she just wanted... him. Her hand shook lightly as it held his and she looked at him, almost pleading with him with her eyes to stay.

Alex took a moment looking at Lura, staying silent and weighing up his options before finally speaking "Of course....... M'Lady" and bowing his head he softly kissed her hand and sat next to her, putting his arm around her once again and kissed the top of her head watching the cloth from earlier twist in the wind caught in an updraft.

Moments past which seemed like hours as the young lovers held each other, finally Alex broke the silence by saying "So..... Where do we go from here?"

Lura shut her eyes, wrapping her arms around his waist as he held her, feeling for the first time in weeks... at peace. She smiled softly as he asked what was next and looked up, touching his cheek gently and pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss, before pulling away and leaning her forehead against his. "I love you." To be honest, she had no clue where she wanted to go from here... she just knew that for this moment, for this night; he was hers and she was his. And that's all that mattered to her.

Smiling Alex felt the weight lifted off his mind only to be replaced by the feeling of guilt for kissing his friends girl, but Alex had to put that to the back of his mind as for now he had the girl of his dreams in his arms.

Holding Lura felt so calming and relaxing that after a while the couple fell asleep only for Alex to be woken but a brave rabbit trying to forage for food.
Pitying the poor hungry animal Alex slid his arm out from under Lura's head and rummaged through his bag quietly finding the herbs he was meant to give Samara before their fall out.
Pulling out a bunch of sand berries he tried coaxing the rabbit over, sensing food the rabbit cautiously hopped over and took the berries right out of Alexanders hand and quickly started eating them, enjoying the fresh food.

Lura woke up with her back aching and a smile on her face. Sleeping on the cave floor wasn't the wisest of desicions, but she was with the Alex... so it was okay. She giggled quietly as he fed the rabbit, kneeling and moving her hair back behind her ear. "Morning." She said quietly, crawling nearer to him and kissing him on his cheek, running her fingers through his hair gently. "Sleep well?" Lura whispered into his ear, wrapping her arm around his waist.