(Exalted 2.5) To Defend Against a Snake in the Grass: P.1 Felindra's Reconciliation

The Great Prince of the Forest's hooves clopped proudly along hard packed earth between the mountain passes north of White Wall and south of Ice Home. The great reindeer’s name was Aegis. With chocolate brown fur and a 14 point wrack, he was a paragon of his species—like the man who road him.

Carnelian Skies guided Aegis with his knees and his mind. Six foot six with golden brown curls, wearing a green cloak over fine lamelar carefully fitted to his broad shoulders and narrow waist. Green eyes scanned the mountainside. One big hand rested lightly on his lance, and the crossbow suspended from his saddle was loaded.

A band of assassins had already tried to disrupt the trade agreement he was carrying to and from White Wall for the Profitable Men. They'd been mere mortals. He'd not even had to inflict and long term memoir of the battle worse than a handful of missing teeth. (He was considering naming his mace for that attribute...)

Still, he didn't wish to be taken by surprise if more were to arrive, now that he had the documents signed for his father. Another trade venue open for them that wouldn’t mean doing business with guild merchants who trafficked in addiction and human misery.

It wasn't a big step towards saving the world, but it was work he did with pride.

It was a nice sunny day today and not far from Carnelian path stood a lonely female reindeer. Felindra stood a little farther into the forest look at the strange man, he was tall and so white compare to her. She wonder if he truly was her mate reincarnated. She position herself so her shadow wont be seen by him. Having a reindeer that show a scorpion as a shadow it would be rather strange.

It wasn't very long that she was in this country and she needed to eat and keep warm and her current form wasn't helping, She saw the strange beast with fur and strange horn. She has hunt it down and killed it to take her heart and strength. She ask the beast forgiveness for her action and she thanked it for it's sacrifice.

She heard the sound of more of them and then she saw him. Big, strong and so pale. She followed him for a couple of days and when he took an interest in her presence, she fled each time. Now she was ready to meet him but she still wanted to study him before she take any move. The best way she found for this would be to pass as an ordinary reindeer and get into his herd.

So she stood there waiting to see what he would do after all it was a couple of days he saw her around his herd.

Even in summer, the ground was lightly dusted with powdery snow now. Hardy scrub pushe dup throuhg it, allowing the reigndeer to feed. The smoke on the horizon told his watcher that they were near a city.

Carnelian wanted to hurry to get the scroll delivered, but that beautiful reigndeer doe who kept appearing and slipping away drew near once more. Carnelian glanced at her occasionaly. He let her watch as he unsaddled Aegis and groomed the buck, feeding him hot oats and carrots.

When at last he was done, he took a simple halter anda handful of carots, then slow, quietly aproached the skitish doe. "Hello there, girl. I know ou're not used to being in a coralle--even one this big. But i think Aegis likes you. i do too." he held out a carot from a few paces away. "Come taste our hospitality."

Felindra look at him and she was almost giggling inside look at the funny situation of a solar trying to seduce a lunar as if she was a normal doe. She smile internally but she move closer to him. For some reason taking the form of the doe for so long as some effect on her as she found the carrot quite appealing and the great reindeer stag seem more then pleasant to see. She always wondered what it would feel to be taken like the normal beast she was.

She move closer and she took a bite a that carrot at least to play the game she had instill but she realize that now she had move her shadow could revealed her to him. At least he would know that something wrong. She do as her instinct told her hoping he would be too happy to notice.

RE: To Defend Against a Snake in the Grass: P.1 Felindra's Reconciliation

Carnelian Skies crooned softly tot he reindeer, puffing on her nose. He fed her a few more carrots and began to lightly caress her muzzle. A growing sense of deja vu made the scene increasingly more surreal to him. As if he'd already done so, Carnelian looked to the reindeer's shadow. His eyes went wide.

Then they fluttered shut for a moment. Turning back to the reindeer, he spoke softly, “I dreamed this. You are not what you seem to be... You are..”

"Do you see that person?” the golden, resonant voice of the Sun echoed to them from the dawn of time. “She is yours. Love her, treasure her, and rule her. She will support you and love you for ten thousand life times, and you will always be stronger together than the sum of your parts.”

The hastlani looked back tot he shadow, then back to the doe. “Calissa...” he whispered. “Your name is Kalissa.”

Felindra eyes suddenly went wide open, "he remember" she thought. She turn and ran away as fast as she could. Knowing wha she had did and what it had cost her. If he remember that was too much painful for her. She ran away crying, now that he knew, he will surely track her down to kill her or make her pay for what she did.

She stop and tears came to her eyes. She had killed her own child and she killed him after that, because she was convinced that he was hiding the fact that he was becoming insane and that he did bad thing to their children, her little boy and her little girl, her little treasures that she had willingly taken their life. She wasn't an assassin, she was a monstrous murderer.

She stay there crying all her tears, remembering her life as if it just happen, the pain of her act, coming back to her, The life less body of her child into her arms as she was crying for them and cursing him for it. Now she was cursing herself for it.

For a moment, Carnelian was in too much shock from the bizare situation. First, dejavu to the powerful dreams he'd been having of a girl with a scorpion's shadow. Then the remebered voice of the Unconquered Sun reaching him from the mists of time. And now the she was darting away in a panic.

Snapping out of it, Carnelian whistled for Aegis. THe prince of the forest surged into motion, shaking off his blanket. The great reigndeer leaped the coral fence and ran to Carnelian, who smoothly swung up onto him, bareback.

The other reigndeer had allready vanished into a nearby copse of evergeens, but Carnelian didn't hesitate. Riding hard, he found a girl--petite and svelte with the darkest, smoothest skin he'd ever seen, curled up in the trees and weeping like her soul would break.

The powerfully built man leaped off of the reigndeer and crouched too pull the girl into his arms, stroking her hair and holding her close. "Don't cry," he whispered. "Don't cry. It breaks my heart to see you so sad."

Felindra was quite surprise to see him there. She was even more surprise to see him getting close to her and taking her into his arms. That was to much for her, she started to cry even more. "I hurt you and our child and your still here, comforting me why are you so nice. You should hate me after what i did. You should even kill me. I am a monster.".

He hushed her gently, stroking her hair, then kissing her forehead. His tight embrace both tried to comfort her and keep her from bolting again.

“Hush, my little shadow,” he whispered. “I don't know what you're speaking of. I've dreamed of you for many years. The Sun gave you to me, to love and cherish and treasure. I won't let you go.”

Felindra was surprise by what Carnelian just said. He didn't seem aware at all about her beside her name. That was really really strange to her. She look back at him wondering how she should react now that she almost told him everything. She raise her head and look him in the eyes, those marvelous eyes that made her fall so long ago. He got the same eyes.

She regain her composure and look at him "i was name Kalissa a long time ago, Now my name is Felindra."

“Felindra,” he whispered, still holding the ebony girl tight. “And mine is Carnelian Skies.”

He kissed her forehead softly, trying to comfort her. After a few moments, he whispered, “A long time ago, you said? Do you mean you remember who we were, the last time we were exalted?”

Felindra stop sobbing and look at him awkwardly "Don't you remember anything ?"

She found it a little strange that she remember everything like it was yesterday and he didn't seem to remember anything beside her name. She look around just to inquire and be sure that there wasn't any trick or trap lay out for her to fall in so he could take his revenge and make her pay for what she did, they were his children as well.

“Not a lot,” Carnelian replied softly. “I can call to mind three diferent lives, but only faint details of each, usually in my dreams. Once, we were both girls, riding to war together against a giant who's horns made the skies bleed on the back of a jade griffin. In another, I wore a crown, and you sat in my lap on a throne on the Blessed Isle. The third..” he narrowed his brow. “I think I was a scholar? Or a sorcerer? You were so young and innocent, it pierced my heart how much I loved you.”

Felindra look at him and smile, having hope for the first time in a very very long time. She took his hand in her hands and she kiss him gently "You are to sweet and yes your where all those. It might be a little hard for me to explain or maybe it's because i am a lunar instead of a solar but i remember most of those life like it was yesterday. And you made me quite afraid when you use my old name. I though that you where back to take your revenge or something. I am sorry if i starled you. You have thing to do, now i should go".

Carnelian shook his head and held the ebony girl tightly around the waist. "I'm not gonig to let you go, my little shadow. I've allready lost one girl I treasure, I don't want to loose you too."

He looked down into her eyes. Then he slowly grazed her lips with his own. "You remember it, don't you? At least as well as I do? The Sun gave you too me. Too love and cherish and command for a hundred thousand lifetimes."

Felindra look at him and at the comment of the sun that gave her to him, she lower her head in sadness "He did but since that day many thing have change and now it's even worst then it was before. Peoples are killing Solar everywhere that they reappear, the Dragon-blooded have won and thing are very bad everywhere. I am not the girl you use to know nor the one the sun gave to you to love and cherish. I am not even sure if i remember what those words really means.

She look away from him ashamed of what she had done and mostly of what she had become, what the cult as done to her they made her like the monster she was deep inside only waiting to come out and stike.

Carnelian straightened a little bit, heart warming. HE tilted Felindra's chin up to look down into her eyes. "It's okay, my litlte shadow You're stil mine. You may have forgotten these things, but i will help you to remember." he kissed her again, still soft and tender--though he held her chin so that she'd have to jerk away hard to refuse his kiss. "Or I will teach you anew."

Felindra smile to him and gladly gave him his kiss back. She was glad to kiss him it been sometime since she was kiss and she could felt his warming love engulfing her. She raise her body back up and she kiss him again leaning on his strong and powerful body. She love him the most when he a strong and powerful warrior able to tame her. Not many man been able to do that beside him.

She look at him feeling the need for his heat and feeling a certain heat deep inside her womb like it was trying to tell her something. Like it was her job to take him back and reclaim the life she took away from him. She look at him and blush feeling so hot and sweety "What now, handsome ?".

The powerfully buitl warrior gave a needy rumble as thier lips moded together. He teased at her tongue wtih his own, and nibbled at her lower lip.

When she was done, his breath was coming quickly. "As much as i'd love to make you mine on this very spot," he whsipered, "I won't make you lie down in the snow.' He lifted her in hsi arms and whistled for Aegis. The reigneer trotted alongsdie them as he carried her back towards the coral, and beyond. "I will take you to my home," he explained.

She look at the powerful Reindeer and smile but when he move with her in her arms she smile to him and made him put her down. "I would love for your to make me a women right here as well and do worry about the cold i have this, she she him her necklace, that protect me from the cold but having a nice comfy bed would be much more nicer, also i prefer to walk and stay hidden for just a little bit longer but maybe you wont mind taking this into village in your arms". She then smile and she turn into a nice weasel completely white.

Carnelian grinned as she caressed the girl who had become a weasel. He held her close and safe as he strode back to the corale. After making certain the attendants had Aegis well in hand, he helped her up under his hood and strode into Ice Home.

Felinda found herself spending a little while in a city under the snow. It was a fully unobstructed city, as great as any the second age had to offer, but the houses were only one or two stories. Above the entire city was a roof of reindeer skins and wicker atop which the snow piled up, keeping the city beneath insulated and—by northern standards—pleasantly warm. Sometimes carnelian cuddled her with one arm, others he let her ride his shoulder.

He dropped the papers he'd brought off with his father, spent a few minutes exchanging pleasantries before promising to come back for dinner the next day. A five minute walk later they were in his own home, cozy and comfortable, heated by a coal burning stove.

Felindra was quite surprise to find out that this entire city was covered with reindeer skin. That made the place warm and somewhat a little bit strange at the same time. She kept looking around as they move on and she change her point of view from time to time moving from his shoulder to the other one. He was quite massive for a man and she could easily move in her weasel form with hindering him much anyway. She look at the people and she was also trying to remember some part of her life that was not so long ago for her trying to see what was the difference between now and then seeing how they have evolved.

She look at the man that suppose to be his father and he seem quite like a nice person. Personally she not very use to be with a family in this life and when she thought of before, it is to much painful for her so she prefer to avoid thinking about she had done and what she had lost. When they finally arrive in his home, she was happy. The place was warm and comfy and for some reason she felt at ease here. She jump from his shoulder to the floor and she return to her human form. "This place is very nice, i am impress, i remember wonder of old ages and this seem almost better then what was done before. I am very glad to be here with you."

She approach him and kiss him gently "before we go on forward with anything, there is a couple of thing i need to explain to you. I just hope that in the end you wont hate me for it. Care to hear it now ?".

"We both have much to learn of each other," Carnelian replied. He cupped Felinda's ebony cheek and kissed her more fully on the lips. Then he drew her down to sit beside him on the couch. He took one ofher hands in his own and said, "Tell on now, little one."

Felindra sat on the couch beside him and she smiled to him after she kiss him back. She felt a compulsion to go further and to do more then just a kiss but it wasn't the time yet. She still needed to kept her cool and she needed to stay in control of her emotions for what she has to tell him. She gladly took his hand and she frown as she start to tell her stories "What i have to tell you will come in two part, i will let you know who i was in our last life the one that you know i am afraid of and then i will let you know some information about me right now".

She explain to him very clearly "You know that i was called Kalissa and i was your mate in that old age. You were a very important solar and you arent at your first incarnation that was true. In that incarnation you were a powerful Solar scholar looking for an answer for the Solar increasing decadence. I was your mate and the solar court Assassin. Life was nice and thing was going well, we were married and we had 4 nice child, 2 girls and 2 sons both twins. We had nothing to fear from any one and we were very happy, at least i was.

That was until you started to act strangely, secretly meeting with old and very sick Solar and going out without saying anything. You started to become somewhat violent when i was asking to much question and you were going alone to some secret place with our children. And with time it was starting to scare me more and more each day that pass. My best friend Aliel, our vizier, was saying to me that you were starting to be sick and you were conducting experiment on the children changing them slowly into monsters. I didn't believe her but the way you were acting made her word more and more true in my mind.

The terrestrial rebellion was very close and i was more and more unsure of what to do, then Aliel came with an idea. We needed to kill you before you kill everyone, we made a plan. That night we would both share your bed and when you would be exhausted i would killed you since i was the only one powerful enough to do it. So i did what i have to do. The children were sick and you did something to them, so in order to keep them young and innocent, i kill them all after you kiss them goodnight. Then i join your bed with Aliel and when you where at your lowest, i striked, but before you died, you tell me "With their dying breath. My Kalissa, they cursed us with their dying breath", then i realize my error and when i turn my back, i saw Aliel with a sword and she plunge that sword into my heart smiling.

I was devastated and i felt so bad, as i remember anything and i realize that you were trying to protect our child from the effect and you didn't do anything bad to them. The only true monster there was me killing everyone. Now you know why, you should hate me and not love me, i am a bad women and a very bad mother, i killed my own blood without even thinking about it. I am the monster in there nightmare". She bursted into tear after she finish spoking.