Heirot

Tenele listened to him. She stared at the blade, her hand moving but not really doing much good for buffing. That seemed like a wild story. She'd thought it was a joke. The God of Darkness, binding the souls of two people. "I shouldn't have brought that up. I'm sorry. It must cause you a lot of pain to have lost him... and then what happened with me has only added to that." Tenele stood up and put the sword away. She stood in front of him, patting him on the head lightly. "Don't give up."

Tenele was a little thankful for the fact that she only had one lover to try and fall back in love with, and not two. It would be overwhelming... and what would have happened had she only fallen for one of them, instead of both.

Vlad didn't quite meet her eyes, but he showed her a smile. "You don't need to worry about me." He slid his sword back into its rack. "Maybe we should call it a night. It sounds like you could use some more sleep after yesterday."

Tenele nodded. She could use sleep, that was true, but she also felt like he was running away from her. Only fair, after she ran away form him yesterday. "Okay," she replied softly. "Thank you for the fighting lessons. I had a lot of fun. I'll see you tomorrow."

Tenele hesitated before placing a quick kiss on the top of his head. "Good night." She waved at him before leaving the training area.

Vlad swallowed hard. Her touch tingled on his scalp. "May I walk you home?" he asked, rising.

Tenele paused, smiling softly. "Sure, thank you."

"I've spoken with Sinead about your situation," he said as they walked. "A ship is being prepared. A large vessel wasn't available, but we'll have a crew ready to set sail tomorrow morning. Please prepare your things for the voyage before you go to bed. The maids will come for them in the morning. I'll travel with you to Hajara, and if there is a way to bring your memory back, we will find it."

Tenele blinked. "What about Tenara? Who is going to take care of her while we are gone?" It felt so sudden, and he hadn't mentioned anything during their date. Tomorrow? It wasn't that she didn't want to go, but their felt like so many other things she had to do before then.

"Talon and Tenara will come with us," Vlad said. "It's short notice, but the voyage was already planned, and it seems this is the only ship leaving until the end of the month."

Tenele sighed. "Good," she whispered. "Its not that I don't trust people here. Okay, it is that I don't trust people here, but I also don't want her to be alone. Okay. We will be ready by morning. Thank you, Vlad." She opened the door to their room. "Good night."

Vlad nodded. "Night."

He stood outside the door for long enough to feel silly for it, and then finally went back to Talon's tower. He knocked before entering, but his temporary roomy seemed to be out at the moment. Vlad walked to the box he was living out of and lifted out a small wood-carved box. He traced the carving with his finger, and lifted the lid.

He would never hold him again. He might never hold either of them again. He had to get a hold on himself. He had to accept it, deal with it. But staring at the bright metal inside the box, all he could think about was the warmth of the people he'd loved. It gave him a bittersweet comfort.

"We are going back to see Papa?" Tenara asked enthusiastically as she danced around her packing mother.

Tenele, thinking that Tenara meant Vlad, nodded. "Yes," she laughed, thinking the child's excitement was adorable, but not quite sure why she transitioned from calling him daddy to papa.

She rubbed her weary eyes and stuffed the last article of clothing in. Tenele didn't know much about Hajara, so she prepared both their trunks with clothing for every possible scenario.

Not too long after she closed the lid of them a man came to take the trunks to the docks.

"Yay!" Tenara squealed as she watched him wheel them away. She clutched her doll tightly to her and spun around. "Papa! Papa! Papa!"

"Daddy and Uncle Talon should be here soon," Tenele told her.

Vlad knocked on the door, Talon close behind him. "Ready to go?" he called inside.

Tenele laughed. "Yes, especially Tenara. She is very excited," Tenele told him. "They just took our things away, so they should be loaded by the time we are there.

Tenara charged her father and leaped at his legs, wrapping her arms around them. "Daddy!" she mused, transitioning from Papa to Daddy.

Tenele cocked her head, smirking. "Such a silly little girl."

"Snack!" he greeted playfully, scooping her up under the arms and lifting her high over his head. "Did you pack your bathing suit? It is a long swim to Hajara."

Tenara giggled. "I don't know," she laughed. "Mommy packed."

"She's got every type of article of clothing from bathing suite to winter coat," Tenele laughed. "I think she's covered.

Talon chuckled. "We shouldn't find too much snow in Hajara," he told her. "Its a desert land save the random oasis. Outer islands are tropical, but the mainland is sand."

"Oh," Tenele replied, feeling about silly for packing the furs then. "Oh well, we have them anyway."

Tenara reached down, ruffling her father's hair while he held her up. "Yay! We'll see Papa!"

Tenele turned her attention to her daughter, and her face said it all. She wanted to ask, but she didn't. Instead she just followed Talon as he led the way to the docks.