Wolf-Shifter

Dancing among the Stars part 8

Later that night, the members of Sheeva Intre sat around a small fire. The soft twilight around them and the silence was a comfortable one, but was soon broken by young Bialas, who pulled out a drum from his pack and said: "Anyone want to practice?"

Some nodded and Sheila turned to Namid, "Up, up you get! You're dancing too!"

"But I have no clue—" she protested.

"Dance one to Ylva and Helaku." Elita said, going into a tent.

"Follow me." Sheila said, "I may have something for you to wear."

She followed the boa into a tent and found Sheila rummaging in a trunk; Namid looked over the emerald boa's shoulder and gasped at all the bright clothing and jewelry.

Sheila finally pulled out a long silver skirt, slit in the side to give the dancer more flexibility and a slightly revealing white shirt with dragging sleeves. Around the waist of the skirt was a belt of black and white beads. The shirt was purposely tight around the elbows with tiny silver beads along where it tightened, to where the flowing sleeves began at mid forearm.

"It's beautiful." Namid gasped.

"Go put it on." Sheila ordered, putting the clothes in Namid's arms and pushing her behind a screen.

As soon as Namid was dressed, she came from behind the screen and Sheila's eyebrows rose, "Rakab's not going to be able to resist you with that!"

Namid laughed lightly. "Is it too…much?" she noticed much of her skin was revealed, mainly around the thighs and legs, but not too much to make her feel modest.

"Nope." Her friend shook her head, grinning, "Not at all." " Now go out there and wait, I'll be out soon."

Exiting the tent, she noticed Alida and Elita were dressed in matching gold and fawn brown skirts and shirts with small headdresses of gold wings. Branwyn was dressed in black and violet skirt and shirt with a silver headdress, which had a small opal hanging from it.

Ginger came from a tent dressed in a violent red skirt and a blue shirt, her red curls hanging loose down her back. She called out to some of the men who where dressed in very loose shirts and semi-tight breeches all in very deep, passionate colors.

Sheila came out of the tent, dressed in a light cream shirt and light green skirt with her blonde hair tied in a braid.

Senka and Yrel sat by the fire, instruments in hand. As the group began to stretch and position themselves, the stars and the moon shone bright as Namid took a fleeting glance at the sky.

Bialas began with a slow beat and Yrel blew a few soft notes with his wooden flute. As Namid began, her hands crossed at the wrist on her chest, and slowly, as the beat quickened and the flute following in sweet passionate glory, she raised her arms to the sky, hips swaying with the beat, imagining the freedom of the hunt and the pounding beat of the deer's hooves as they fled. The beat soon quickened and she remembered watching the Shadowed Den dancers, as she was lost to the music, swaying in the midst of the dance with her eyes closed.

As Rakab watched by the fire, desire flowed viciously through every vein, and his mind reeled, screaming for him to dance with the young woman he loved, under the soft seduction of the moon...Before he'd realized it, he'd stood up and entered the circle of dancers, and was dancing himself behind Namid, bodies so close yet mind's so far.

He smiled softly, his violet eyes on her, glazed over and burning with the fervor he wished to give. His heart fought with his mind but neither won as the thief unconsciously slipped his arms around her waist.

Namid gasped in surprise when the arms slid around her slender body, upsetting her rhythm for a few quick moments. "Dance on, my violent fire, let me not steal your beauty as you have my heart…" Rak murmured in her ear. She could feel his breath, warm and sweet, against the skin of her neck, and she relaxed, letting him hold her as the music went on to swirl around them.

Violet eyes met silver-green and hands sparked with the meaning of the music as hips swayed and hearts beat, mind's unconsciously remembering the intimacy and warmth of a kiss and of love.

Yet their hearts, chained from the other by a single alliance, were ordered to remain in Sheeva Intre. Cold silence.

It was a silence they bore alone, every day, but lately they felt the burden growing heavier and becoming harder to carry. They were growing apart with every morning but their hearts were bringing them together all the same. At night, it didn't matter if they displayed affection, for in the dark no one really paid attention to love affairs. Rakab considered this thought and smiled as the music faded and the dancers went off to change.

Namid turned to follow the others, when Rakab caught her arm, "You were beautiful, my star-dancer." He briefly kissed her cheek, "Sleep well." He then walked in the direction of his own tent and disappeared inside.

The young woman turned to go but cast a final glance behind her. She remembered the dance…it was a dance of love, she remembered now. Like the serpiente's Namir-da, the wolf's dance was more intimate and close, for she knew wolves mated for life.

Had Rakab become, in a sense, her mate?