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ForevaXena's FanFic . . .
Forest
Elf
(Sequel to Dark
Elf)
by J Falconer
Disclaimer:
Xena,
Gabrielle etc belong to MCA/Universal and Ren Pics, and anyone else who has an
interest in Xena Warrior Princess, not me.
Copyright ©2000:
The characters in here belong to me. All
rights reserved. No part or whole of this work may be copied or used in any
shape, form, or manner whatsoever without the author's express written consent.
If you want to use them, all you have to do is ask... nicely.
Violence
disclaimer:
This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their aftermath. Bit more graphic
than usual (enter, stranger, at your risk ... here there be icky bits), but
readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of depiction may wish to
read something other than this story.
Love/Sex
warning:
This story depicts a love/sexual relationship between two consenting adult
women. If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal in
the state or country in which you live - move along, move along, nothing for you
here ...
Cover
by Deb Kern
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PROLOGUE
Head
bowed, Sunstar allowed memory to come flooding through her, remembering the
glowing blue eyes, her source of strength bound to the simple promise not to let
any harm come to her. Out here, she spoke to Nightshade on the wind, telling her
of her pain, unable to let her spirit go. The piercing grief that had haunted
her every waking moment had passed, but it had been replaced with a pain so deep
she knew she would never recover.
Suddenly,
she looked up, interrupted deep inside by a sensation she could not name. She
looked all around at the trees, receding into the darkness, broken heart beating
solidly and steadily as it had for so long. Quietly she got up and went to the
trees.
"Nightshade?"
she asked softly, heartbroken, aching. "Please Nightshade, you promised to
follow me. Please I am begging you, come back to me. I can’t live without
you."
Concerned,
her guard came to full alert, silently following the Princess into the night.
Following
her heart and her inner senses, she approached a thick, ancient tree, seeing a
flash of dark cloth. Eyes tearing, she watched it become more solid as a tall
half elf stepped into view, glowing blue eyes liquid with tears, an ugly red
scar winding down her sculpted features. Without missing a beat, Sunstar blindly
threw herself forward into the strong arms, senses filled with the sweetly
feminine scent of the half elf, mixed with an indefinable essence that was
purely Nightshade.
Feeling
her fears recede, heart filling with joy and love and a sweetness so profound it
hurt, she gripped the half elf tightly. It was Nightshade, Nightshade who had
promised to protect her, Nightshade who had held her, wiped her tears, brought
her home, and now made her whole again.
Nightshade
held her tightly, reveling in the sensation of the vibrant body pressed against
hers, that she had missed so much, arms encircling Sunstar with an intensity
that was almost painful. Her dark soul was brought forth into the sun again at
the acceptance and love she saw shining clear in the emerald green eyes that
looked up into hers.
"Sunstar,"
she said softly, velvety voice caressing the Princess, streaming into her,
healing her damaged soul.
"Is
it really you Nightshade?" Sunstar asked, broken voice cutting through the
half elf’s heart. "You’re not a dream?"
"Yes,
it’s me," she said softly, lovingly. "I promised to protect you and follow
you, and I’m here now."
Sunstar
could wait no longer. Slipping her arms around Nightshade’s neck, she breathed
in the whole womanly, feminine scent of the half elf, and pulled her down to
claim her lips in a deep, soul-healing kiss. Nightshade instantly responded with
fiery passion, holding her close, supporting her, until they broke for air.
"I
love you Nightshade," said Sunstar simply, trying to calm her wildly beating
heart, senses fuzzy.
"I
love you too," said Nightshade simply. "I couldn’t stay away. I had to
take just one more look at you."
"Please
don’t leave me again, Nightshade. I’ve already proven to myself that I
can’t live without you."
"I
am with you now," said Nightshade, smoothing the tears away from the elven
Princess. "My life is empty without you. I have seen some of the sunlit world,
but it means nothing without you."
She
leaned down again, and kissed fresh tears from her soulmate’s eyes, working
her way down to the soft lips, claiming them again, sparks flying all the way
through her once dark soul, the fire of Sunstar’s love burning brightly within
her.
"How
did you survive?" asked Sunstar. "When Windwalker went looking for you, all
he found was the fallen King. You and Hemlock were gone."
Nightshade
looked down into the familiar green eyes that had haunted her every moment since
she had first seen them. "Hemlock couldn’t use his teleportation spell with
your people so close, so he dragged me off into the bushes to wait for them to
leave. I was unconscious but recovered a lot faster than he thought I would. He
will trouble us no more." She remembered wrapping her fingers around his neck
with contemptuous ease, robbing him of the power to chant, eyes bulging as her
strong fingers stole his life.
"Why
didn’t you come to me earlier?" asked Sunstar.
"I
couldn’t. I had to learn to begin to forgive myself for some of the things I
had done before I could come to you again."
Sunstar
looked at her, every inch of Nightshade’s beautiful face burned into her soul,
joy overwhelming her.
"I
love my family, make no mistake," said Sunstar, reaching up to trace
Nightshade’s scar with a gentle hand. "But I know what living without you is
like, it’s no life at all. I can’t live another day without you, and I’d
give all this up in an instant for you."
"Your
parents will never accept me," said Nightshade sadly, wanting to go with
Sunstar for all she was worth. "And you can’t give this up."
"Then
they will have to learn to live with it, because I need you, and I won’t have
you leave me again."
Those
words cut into Nightshade like nothing else had. The guilt of her past still
occasionally overwhelmed her, but she had met new friends in the outside world
who also had accepted her, helping to find forgiveness, and had persuaded her to
go home to her beloved Sunstar. Still gazing at Sunstar’s face, she smiled
gently, eyes glowing a soft, pure blue, love shining brightly in them and in her
heart. She made her final decision.
"I
will never leave you, unless you cast me out," she said.
"That
will never happen," said Sunstar, kissing her again, tasting her. Then, "We
had better go back to my home and finish this, because I don’t know how much
more I can take."
Nightshade
burst out laughing, a full rich sound, joyful. Sunstar slipped from her grasp
and took Nightshade’s hand, knowing she would never let go again. The elven
guard encircled them, relaxing, following them as they began to make their slow
way back to the elven city. Nightshade and Sunstar remained close to each other,
hands entangled, each enjoying the closeness of the other.
They
began to walk back towards the Forest Elf city, Shimmering Moon, hands
entangled, guards trailing behind them. The moon was bright enough for the
forest elves to see by comfortably, the trees of the forest standing straight
and tall in the velvety darkness. The elves barely left any marks of their
passage, the wildlife sleeping undisturbed under the canopy of the starry night
sky. The honor guard of elves followed their mistress and her lover silently,
ever alert for signs of the drow. The Princess’s oldest bodyguard, Jarrod,
moved ahead of the small party, to ensure their passage would be smooth.
Sunstar
reveled in the closeness of Nightshade, her warm hand, solid strength, and
silent presence, her promise of safety held above them, knowing the half elf
would never allow any harm to come to them.
After
her return home, Sunstar had looked deep within herself, not knowing if
Nightshade had felt the same way about her. Profound, aching regret that she
would never have the opportunity to ever tell her had always been foremost on
her mind.
Those
fears had now vanished. Nightshade was with her. Nightshade had come back to
her. Nightshade returned her love deeply and passionately. It was almost a
dream, and every now and again, Sunstar would sneak a look at her beautiful
lover, as though to assure herself that she was, indeed, awake.
Nightshade
gave her gentle companion one last quiet and sympathetic look. Wordlessly, she
nodded, and gently squeezed the forest elf’s hand, the action speaking louder
than her words ever could. She loved Sunstar with all her heart and soul. While
she had been out in the sunlit world, she had vowed never again to sully the
young elfmaid’s life with her own dark presence, but every moment of her
existence had been haunted the ghost of gentle emerald eyes. Her friends had
brought her tortured secret out of her, and her last promise to follow Sunstar.
Nightshade could not be persuaded by any means to reveal her love to the
Princess, but her friends had convinced her that she should honor the promise
she’d once made. She did not, they said, have to tell Sunstar of her love, but
she could at least visit and show Sunstar that she was alive and well.
So
she’d made her way to the Forest Elf lands, some inner sense drawing her to
the spot from which Sunstar had been taken so long ago. She’d seen the young
Princess kneeling on the ground, head bowed, distress showing in the taut set of
her shoulders. She’d only meant to briefly show herself, ensure that Sunstar
was in good health and happy amongst her people, then leave with a minimum of
discomfort to all concerned. But that had not happened; before she was fully
aware of what was happening, Sunstar was in her arms, and they were irrevocably
bound together by their mutual love.
Now
they were on their way back to her homeland, and though they had sworn they
would never leave one another, there was the small matter of Sunstar’s people
to deal with. They would never accept a half elf, let alone one that had been
raised by the drow, was by blood a half drow.
Sunstar
loved Nightshade with all her heart, that was true; but she already knew how her
father would react to the half elf. Her Father! She could already hear what he
would have to say on the matter.
"Sunstar,
she is a drow. You know first hand what they are like! How could you? You would
be much better off with Windwalker." His vivid green eyes, so like her own,
would flash and bore into her, making her feel no older than a six year old
elfling.
Well,
that would not happen. Sunstar would not allow her father to gain the upper hand
in this particular struggle.
"Sunstar,"
asked Nightshade quietly, feeling Sunstar’s hand tighten in her own. "What
is the matter?
Sunstar
looked deep into the calm pools of blue, almost missing a step in the forest
path. As always, Nightshade was there to catch her. Sunstar smiled, a small, sad
smile.
"I’m
just thinking about my father," she said softly.
"I
thought so," responded Nightshade. She gently held up their entwined hands.
Sunstar’s knuckles were white; staring ruefully at them, Sunstar privately
winced at the possibility of having causing her lover discomfort.
"I
don’t know" she began, not sure what to say that would not upset the
half elf. "It doesn’t matter."
"Actually
Princess, it does matter," came a smooth, masculine voice from behind her.
Sunstar’s
internal eyebrows raised. Stopping, she turned to find the speaker. It was her
oldest bodyguard, Jarrod, slipping back beside her, just returned from scouting
ahead to make sure that the forest was safe for them to travel through.
"Yes,
Jarrod?" asked the Princess, unconsciously raising an eyebrow, Nightshade
standing behind her so their bodies touched, watching him closely.
The
tall elven scout looked down at her earnestly.
"That
is a drow. Your father will not be pleased," he said firmly.
There
was a hissing intake of breath from the Princess. She snuck a quick glance at
her lover, who showed no sign of reaction to the elf’s words. Sunstar knew
that Nightshade’s hearing was the keenest of any she encountered, and that the
half elf must have had heard him. Not one hour into her new home, Nightshade was
already subject to prejudice and unkindness. Sunstar felt her temper begin to
flare.
"My
father will be pleased at my choice. He is a good father in addition to being a
just ruler. He has always wanted the best for me anyway," she said, hoping she
would not have to reprimand Jarrod.
"That
may be so, but this is a drow. You have first hand knowledge of them. They are
brutes! No more than animals!"
Again,
Sunstar cast a sidelong glance at Nightshade. Nightshade had given up the
pretence that she could not hear them, and was now openly pinning the scout with
her glowing sky blue eyes, her only sign of tension.
"Jarrod,
that’s enough," Sunstar said firmly, every inch the elven Princess. "You
will show respect to the one who brought your Princess back to you unharmed."
"Unharmed?
Brought you back unharmed? If you had not run off like a small elfling, these
… pigs would not have caught you to begin with!" His brown eyes, furious,
bored into her, radiating hatred for Nightshade.
Sunstar
pulled Nightshade close, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, and stared
directly into his livid eyes. She felt her temper snap.
"Jarrod,"
she said coldly and quietly, "you forget your place. When I want your opinion,
I will ask for it. Leave me alone before I say or do something you will
regret."
Jarrod
was now openly staring at Nightshade with pure malice in his normally calm brown
eyes. Sunstar inwardly winced, anger burning almost beyond her control at the
bodyguard.
The
guards, who had been studiously ignoring the confrontation up until now, turned
slightly to stare at the irate princess in shock. She was known for her
even-handedness and gentleness, and this was completely out of character.
Barely
bothering to snap a salute to his princess, the fuming bodyguard turned on his
heel and left them. The mood of the guards had changed; there was a silent air
of hostility directed toward the princess and her consort growing in strength.
Sunstar did not care; she did not really need them now that Nightshade had
returned to her.
"Let’s
continue," she said coldly to the rest of her retinue. They saluted her, their
features expressionless masks, but they were still clearly ill at ease in
Nightshade’s presence. The group continued on through the forest to Shimmering
Moon, an almost disrespectful distance between the guards and their Princess
with her lover.
Nightshade
remained expressionless, oblivious to the increasing beauty and magic of the
Elven forest. Her grip on Sunstar’s hand remained loose and relaxed, though
her senses were fully alert for any signs of possible danger to her beloved
Sunstar. At the first words of the bodyguard, a small ember of dread flared in
her heart. She loved Sunstar with all her heart, that much was true, but the
forest elves would never accept her as one of their own ... they would always
harbor doubt over where her loyalties lay, whether she would revert to the ways
of the drow. She wondered how long Sunstar would truly stay with her.
"Nightshade,"
said the elven Princess softly. "Never doubt my love for you. I meant what I
said: If my people will not accept you, then we will leave. I waited for so long
for you, and I never want you to go away from me again."
It
had hurt Sunstar so much to run from her beloved when the dark elves had found
them. She had never been able to forgive herself for that and leaving Nightshade
square in the path of danger. Then when Nightshade had been lost... She took a
deep, shuddering breath, unable to follow the train of thought that never ceased
to tear open old wounds.
Nightshade
smiled gently. "I love you Sunstar, and I promise never to leave you again."
Sunstar
flashed her a brilliant smile. She knew the value of Nightshade’s promises.
She pulled the half elf to a stop, and slipped her arms around Nightshade’s
neck. Gazing deep into the gently glowing blue eyes, she slowly kissed the half
elf deeply. Nightshade instantly responded, tasting the young elfmaid, dark
heart completely lost to the savior of her soul.
But
the ember of doubt still smoldered deep within her.
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