Tangled Autumn

Campfire/Full moon

Warning - slightly passionate description of a kiss

     The moon was a quarter way through its journey across the sky. Its light leaked through the cracks in the canopy of the forest beside Old Corona. The moon observed through these crevices a semi-circle of tents set up around a crackling campfire, providing the only other source of light for miles around. Sat alone beside this campfire was a young couple, snuggled up close against each other.

     Cassandra stroked Ruddiger who was curled up in her lap fast asleep. Their other friends had got up from the campfire and were around the clearing doing their own thing. Eugene and Rapunzel were laid down a little ways in front of where Cassandra sat, Rapunzel pointing up at the sky describing the constellations to her husband. Cassandra knew that Rapunzel had gone through all the constellations with Eugene at some point but the Captain never complained, happy to lie back and listen to his wife's happy chattering. Lance was by his tent, packing away the cooking equipment he had used to make the meal that all of them had demolished a couple of minutes ago. Cassandra didn't know where Kiera was but Catalina was in hers and her sister's tent reading. Catalina felt it tonight, the itch to grow the claws and fangs but she wanted at least a few pages of peace and quiet before subjecting herself to the curse that the full moon brought. She could summon the wolf at will but the magic appeared to be stronger when the full moon of the werewolf myth rose, she could feel it rolling in her veins and crawling under her skin. Cassandra had spent the late afternoon with her and her sister, teaching them some sword skills and happily talking about anything in general. It had been fun and Cassandra had enjoyed getting to know the girls that she hardly knew more than their names before.

     Drawing Cassandra out of her thoughts were a soft pair of lips pressing against her temple just because they could. She looked up to her right, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she did to gaze lovingly into the gentle blue eyes of her boyfriend Varian. He smiled down at her and before they knew it, the space between their faces had narrowed as they were automatically drawn to each other like two magnets.

     "Lina! Hey Lina!" Kiera shouted as she ran out from the trees, her voice cutting through their starry eyed second like lightning. Varian cleared his throat and reluctantly pulled back from Cassandra as their moment was interrupted, she was biting her lip and smiling. Kiera poked her head through the tent flap, "Come on Catalina, hurry up!"

     "I'll be out in a second!" Catalina's called back.

     Kiera turns around to wait and catches sight of Varian and Cassandra and the awkward atmosphere between them said everything she needed to know. She smirked and crossed her arms, "Sorry to interrupt your snogging V, me and Lina will be out of your hair in a moment." Varian gave her a deadpanned look and Cassandra quickly looked down at the floor.

     "Caught them at a private moment Angry?" Lance laughed,

     "Oh don't embarrass them," Rapunzel said from where she lay in the grass,

     Catalina came out of the tent pulling her hood over her head. She unfastened her bronze leaf necklace and threw it back into her tent. "Don't worry we're going now," she smirked at Cassandra and Varian. "We'll be back soon Papa," she said to Lance, kissing his cheek as she walked past,

     "Alright, be careful," Lance said,

     "Don't get lost," Rapunzel chimed in,

    Kiera rolled her eyes, "What is this? Group Parenting?" she laughed, "You can save your meeting until after we leave,"

     "Burn off some energy while your out running in the woods please, tire yourselves out," Eugene added,

     Catalina paused and raised an eyebrow, "You are aware that we aren't your one-year-old twins right?"