Sanria had managed to get Colin to let her go outside on her own. After his kidnapping, he followed her everywhere, reluctant to let her out of his sight. Convinced that to do so was only to let Arlenia come in and take *her* away instead - to kill her to get her out of the way. Sanria had a hard time believing it at all. It only took her asking Colin if it were possible that her dissatisfaction with him before her memory loss might have been due to his overbearing nature for him to relent. And such is the way she found herself outside, picking herbs, with the sound of soft footfalls assaulted her ears.
The man was dressed in brown robes with a long staff and looked utterly lost - but he knew her name. In an effort to calm her, Sanria also learned the stranger's name, Thasmudyan. She sent Orn inside as she spoke to Thasmudyan. She told him about her husband being kidnapped. She told him about Throm dying, which seemed to perplex the man - if her Throm was here, then how was he dead. The question hung in the air, as Sanria tilted her head in confusion. Colin had always said things between them had never worked out. How could this man think that Throm was her husband?
Before anything further could be said, a very frazzled Colin rushed from the cavern. "Thasmudyan? Well, hi there."
"Hello, Colin. Good to see you're doing well."
"Y-yes, you as well. You have been away for a while."
Sanria could hear the tension in Colin's voice. Something here wasn't right. Colin held a certain something... fear. "Were you a friend of Throm's?" she asked the stranger.
"We... were all friends," Colin interjected. "I'm sorry Thasmudyan, you'll have to excuse Sanria. You see, her memory..."
"I'm just sorry I broke the news like that. I wasn't sure if you were good friends or..."
Sanria could say nothing as the men spoke about the length of time Thasmudyan had been away. She could remember nothing of which they spoke, and whenever she did attempt to speak, Colin spoke for her. Only when they explained how long it had been in terms of her pregnancy, how Orn had been given the ability to grow quickly because of him - did Sanria suddenly understand who this man was. She had just come face to face with her ex-husband. And Colin knew it.
Vanishing Gladiator
Arlenia's eyes were red, swollen, puffy, and full of tears that marched a never-ending parade down her face. Things were perfect the night before. They made love so loudly that Sanria had to have heard it. Colin even agreed that what they did would drive away his ex wife. Then she woke up to find his side of the bed empty. No one had seen him leave, which drove Arlenia into such a frenzy that even Brant and Hector avoided her.
The knock at the door brought her momentarily from her sobbing. Banion smiled gently and put his hands on her shoulders. He brought her into a hug and patted her back. "There, there."
"Banion, he - he..."
"I heard, child. So our plan did not work as it should. Perhaps it was not meant to be."
"But, he's the father of my child, Banion. What can I do?"
"Nothing - let him be."
"No... no..."
Arlenia pulled away from Banion, wiping furiously at her eyes. She turned them on him, her teeth bared, her eyes looking wild. "I know. I'll kill her."
Banion stepped into the hut, gripping Arlenia by the shoulders, giving her a light shake. "No, child. There will be none of that."
Arlenia looked up, her features smoothing. "Of course not. Of course."
"Good. You will heal, and you'll raise a perfect child." She smiled as Banion left and then sunk down into the chair, staring at the fire. She would have her child, she would deliver it to Colin, and she would dispose of Sanria in a way Colin wouldn't suspect. She patted her stomach and whispered into the fire, "four more months to go."
The knock at the door brought her momentarily from her sobbing. Banion smiled gently and put his hands on her shoulders. He brought her into a hug and patted her back. "There, there."
"Banion, he - he..."
"I heard, child. So our plan did not work as it should. Perhaps it was not meant to be."
"But, he's the father of my child, Banion. What can I do?"
"Nothing - let him be."
"No... no..."
Arlenia pulled away from Banion, wiping furiously at her eyes. She turned them on him, her teeth bared, her eyes looking wild. "I know. I'll kill her."
Banion stepped into the hut, gripping Arlenia by the shoulders, giving her a light shake. "No, child. There will be none of that."
Arlenia looked up, her features smoothing. "Of course not. Of course."
"Good. You will heal, and you'll raise a perfect child." She smiled as Banion left and then sunk down into the chair, staring at the fire. She would have her child, she would deliver it to Colin, and she would dispose of Sanria in a way Colin wouldn't suspect. She patted her stomach and whispered into the fire, "four more months to go."
Saving Guardian
The door to the hut opened and Colin's massive frame momentarily blocked the light. "Colin!"
"Shhhh," he hushed her as the door closed behind him and no sooner than they were left in the darkness than Colin closed Sanria in a massive hug. "They've kidnapped me, they took me and have been drugging me."
"You didn't leave on your own accord?" Sanria asked, careful not to wake Orn or speak too loudly.
"Of course not. Why would I?"
"The note..."
"What note? I didn't write a note." Colin shook his head. "We have to leave here. If I have to take them all out to clear the way I will."
"No, there must be another way."
There was another way. Colin would go back to Arlenia. Convince her of his love, and return by night to collect Sanria and Orn. Sanria would then cast another moonwell and they'd escape back to their home. It was a perfect plan - Sanria just didn't count on the convincing being what it was - as loud as it was... Colin being with Arlenia, right beside her. Sanria felt a sickness in her stomach, a knotting, and knowing she had time, she let tears flow from her eyes.
From the time of the final peal of pleasure until Colin arrived in the hut, Sanria doubted Colin's story. How could he truly want to leave and be able to do that? She felt like a pregnant cow - one of many - one in a herd. She kept her thoughts shoved deep down as Colin returned.
They left without arousing any sort of suspicion. Orn's limbs swung limp in his father's arms, the child in a deep sleep. Sanria cast the moonwell and watched Colin step through before following. That night, with Orn back in his own bed, Sanria listened to Colin telling her everything that had happened. His kidnapping, his drugging, his three-week absence. She thought of the days she had spent with the note in her hand - feeling lost and alone - night spent dreaming of another man while Colin spent those same night in another woman's bed. She felt sick.
Though Colin had explained, cajoled, and helped her to understand why he did what he did - deep in Sanria's mind, a damage had been done. The love she felt before Colin left had been tried, it had been isolated, and most recently, it had been insulted. She wouldn't let him know it. She'd try not to let him see it. But Sanria loved with conditions. Sanria waited for the next shoe to fall.
"Shhhh," he hushed her as the door closed behind him and no sooner than they were left in the darkness than Colin closed Sanria in a massive hug. "They've kidnapped me, they took me and have been drugging me."
"You didn't leave on your own accord?" Sanria asked, careful not to wake Orn or speak too loudly.
"Of course not. Why would I?"
"The note..."
"What note? I didn't write a note." Colin shook his head. "We have to leave here. If I have to take them all out to clear the way I will."
"No, there must be another way."
There was another way. Colin would go back to Arlenia. Convince her of his love, and return by night to collect Sanria and Orn. Sanria would then cast another moonwell and they'd escape back to their home. It was a perfect plan - Sanria just didn't count on the convincing being what it was - as loud as it was... Colin being with Arlenia, right beside her. Sanria felt a sickness in her stomach, a knotting, and knowing she had time, she let tears flow from her eyes.
From the time of the final peal of pleasure until Colin arrived in the hut, Sanria doubted Colin's story. How could he truly want to leave and be able to do that? She felt like a pregnant cow - one of many - one in a herd. She kept her thoughts shoved deep down as Colin returned.
They left without arousing any sort of suspicion. Orn's limbs swung limp in his father's arms, the child in a deep sleep. Sanria cast the moonwell and watched Colin step through before following. That night, with Orn back in his own bed, Sanria listened to Colin telling her everything that had happened. His kidnapping, his drugging, his three-week absence. She thought of the days she had spent with the note in her hand - feeling lost and alone - night spent dreaming of another man while Colin spent those same night in another woman's bed. She felt sick.
Though Colin had explained, cajoled, and helped her to understand why he did what he did - deep in Sanria's mind, a damage had been done. The love she felt before Colin left had been tried, it had been isolated, and most recently, it had been insulted. She wouldn't let him know it. She'd try not to let him see it. But Sanria loved with conditions. Sanria waited for the next shoe to fall.
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