Old Legends

Chapter 9 - Sela

I can hear Than crying next to me as I soak in my mother's fountain. My heart yearns to comfort him and ensure he no longer hurts. I want to reassure him I'm going to be ok. I want him to take his hands out of the pool before it caused permanent damage, but I can't get myself to speak. The pain from the water eating my skin is so great I can't even move my fingers. All I can do is force myself to start crying so maybe Than would realize the water was slowly sucking the life from me.

"Than, I don't think she's coming back. Your hands are going to be destroyed, you need to let her go." I hear Dagon say. When did he get in here? Was he always here?

"No, her hands are still warm. She's still breathing... I haven't lost her yet." Than whispers, tightening his grip on my hand.

Dagon gasps. "Than, get her out of the water! She is still alive and I'm no genius, but I don't think she will be for much longer! Look at her face." In an instant, I feel two sets of hands on me, pulling me from the water to rest on the hard ground.

"Her skin is all red." Dagon states.

"You think I don't realize that?" Than snaps.

As the water dries on my body, I start to feel the pain. I desperately try to claw at my skin, but it takes so much willpower to even twitch my fingers. Everything hurts. I feel like I'm being burned alive, but also like I've been left in a frozen lake for too long. My mind is foggy with the throbbing sensation. I wince, my muscles spasming as the cold fire rages against my skin.

"She's alive!" Than cries. His arms wrap around my body and the shock is a welcoming reprieve from the torment. I do my best to focus on the way his bare skin feels on mine. The pain simmers down, replaced by the sensational lure my soul has for him. I need to figure out why our bodies reacted to one another this way, but for now, I welcome its respite.

I gain control of my body again. My eyelids flutter open, allowing the imprisoned tears to stream down my face. "...T...Th...Than." I struggle to whisper.

"Oh Sela, I thought you were dead. Everyone gave up on you... Said there was no hope for you. But I couldn't give up that easily. I don't know what it is about you, but I know I need you. I don't know why, but I can't live without you now." I struggle to keep my eyes open, but I can feel that Than has picked me up. The cool air from outside rushes over my skin and I shiver. He continues walking us somewhere. Suddenly I'm laying on the furs that crowd my bed. Than brushes my hair out of my face and presses a kiss to my forehead. Whispering against my skin, he assures me "Rest for now. You just killed one of the holy children, you must be exhausted." He turns to leave, but I grab his arm. Understanding my gesture, he crawls into the bed next to me.

He remains at my side, his arms wrapped around me. As I fall into a slumber, I dream of a beautiful weaver. She sits at a loom creating an intricate cloth. She reaches for a different color of thread that doesn't match the color scheme of the one she's chosen. She weaves one line of that off-color and returns to her original color scheme. Hanging from a rack is another cloth that must be where the odd thread came from. What draws my attention is the single line of color that doesn't match. It is the same hue as the one she is currently weaving. I smile in my sleep and don't dream the rest of the night.