Smiley and the Demigorgon's Warband

Chapter 15: The Reunion

The wind whipped through Smiley's hair as her newly acquired horse galloped across the open plains. Her heart raced just as fast, a mixture of exhaustion and determination pushing her onward. She had taken the horse from a bandit she had bested earlier, a scrappy fellow who thought a lone hobbit would be an easy target. He was sorely mistaken.

Now, with the bandit's horse beneath her and the vast landscape ahead, Smiley rode day and night, stopping only briefly to rest. She had no time to waste—the Orc King was still out there, and her friends were scattered. She needed to regroup, find her companions, and face the evil that had torn them apart.

As the sun began to set, casting an orange glow across the horizon, Smiley reached the edge of a hill. The view was breathtaking, but she had little time to admire it. She pulled the reins, slowing her horse, preparing to make camp for the night. Just as she was about to dismount, a voice echoed through the air.

"Smiley!"

Her heart stopped for a moment. That voice—she knew that voice. It was D.G.

Turning sharply, Smiley's eyes scanned the area until she saw her. There, at the edge of the forest, D.G stood, waving her arms with a look of pure relief on her face.

"D.G!" Smiley cried out, leaping from her horse and sprinting toward her friend, tears of joy spilling from her eyes.

In a heartbeat, the two of them collided in a tight embrace. They held onto each other as if afraid to let go, their tears mixing with laughter. The weight of the past days—the separation, the battles, the uncertainty—melted away in that moment.

"I thought I'd lost you," Smiley whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

"I thought the same about you," D.G replied, her arms still wrapped around Smiley. "But we're here now. Together."

As they stood there, clinging to each other, Elendir quietly excused himself, leading the horses and his Warg to a nearby stream to tend to them. He gave the two friends the space they needed, knowing that this was their moment.

Once the tears had subsided, Smiley and D.G sat down together on the soft grass, the evening air cool and comforting. They held hands, fingers intertwined as they exchanged stories about their time apart—about the challenges they had faced, the dangers they had encountered, and the lessons they had learned.

D.G recounted her time in the Misty Mountains, training with the blind couple and learning to hone her Gorgon powers. Smiley listened intently, her eyes wide with admiration. She shared her own tale of survival, how she had ended up at the Icebay of Forochel, meeting the mysterious ice fisherman named Ramos, and her determination to regroup with her friends.

They talked for hours, their voices soft and full of emotion, until the night sky was lit with stars.

As the conversation slowed and the fire they had built began to crackle softly, Smiley looked over at D.G, her heart swelling with something deeper than friendship. She could see it in D.G's eyes too—something had changed between them. It wasn't just the relief of being reunited, but something more profound. A connection that had grown in the time they were apart and had blossomed now that they were together again.

"D.G..." Smiley started, her voice soft. "I... I don't know how to say this, but... I think I've been falling for you."

D.G's heart skipped a beat. She looked down at their joined hands and then back at Smiley, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I feel the same," she admitted quietly. "I've been thinking about you every day, wondering if you were safe... and realizing how much I care about you."

The words hung in the air between them for a moment before Smiley, with a nervous but excited smile, leaned in closer. "Then... I guess there's only one thing left to do."

D.G smiled back, her heart pounding. "Yeah..."

Slowly, they both leaned in, their lips meeting in a tender kiss under the starlit sky. It was soft, gentle, and filled with all the emotions they had been holding back. When they finally pulled away, they rested their foreheads together, both of them smiling through happy tears.

"I love you, Smiley," D.G whispered.

"I love you too," Smiley replied, her heart full.

That night, as they lay beneath the stars, holding each other close, they knew they had found something special—something worth fighting for. The journey ahead would be difficult, but with each other by their side, they were ready to face whatever challenges the world threw at them.

Together, they were stronger. Together, they were unstoppable. And now, as more than just friends, they were ready to take on the Orc King and reclaim their world.