[The picture above is from Deviantart. I stumbled across it and thought it looked exactly like Aide and Tessmia!]
Aide's POV;
He walked across the frosty ground, the earth cracking beneath his feet. The wind blew through the trees and pulled softly at his hair.
It was strange being home.
So many years had passed, yet everything looked the same. The small creek that ran through the woods, strangely enough still running despite the frozen weather, was exactly how he remembered it. The trees that were colored white from snow crystals, and glinted in the sun's light, were just as beautiful. The view of The Cold Sea across the cliffs, which he had gazed upon so many times, still amazed him. It was all the same. Yet for some reason, it wasn't.
The village had expanded since. The kids were growing up. His friends looked different.
But even as everything had changed, he realized that it wasn't his home that had changed. It was him.
"Well well, if it isn't my Hero," He heard a beautiful melodious voice speak to him in Elven. "Out looking for trouble?"
A smile formed on his lips at the sound of his friend. He glanced over his shoulder and sent her a smile. "Hello, Sunshine."
Tessmia came up to him, her soft golden curls bouncing as she jumped over the roots and rocks. She wore a white, airy dress that flowed in the soft wind. How she was still without a mate was a mystery to him.
"What are you doing out here alone?" He asked her in Elven. "You know it's not safe."
"I'm not a little girl anymore, Hero. I can take care of myself. I don't need you to rescue me again." She smirked, and he smirked back.
He thought back to the first time he met her. He had been out wandering the woods when he heard a scream and the sound of splashing water. He had run towards the sound and found - what he at the time had though was a siren - a golden haired girl, drowning in the wild waves of the tides. He had jumped in, saved her from the water and pulled her to shore. When she came to consciousness and looked up at him with her big blue eyes, the first words from her mouth had been, "My Hero."
Later he had met Kai who turned out to be her brother. He had adopted her nickname when he saved him from falling off a cliff. He remembered how he had pulled him up, and finally, when he was safe on the ledge again, Kai had looked at him with a smirk on his lips and exclaimed; "My Hero!"
After that, they had been inseparable. Kai convinced him to join their village, and well, from there on he finally had a place to call home. After that, their relationship had developed, but that was a completely different story.
"I know," He replied when his mind finally brought him back to the present. "But the last time I saw you, you were just sixteen. I have the right to worry."
"Oh-oh," She suddenly said, after noticing a flicker of something on his face. She rose a brow. "You have that look on your face. What's wrong?"
He rose a brow back at her and sat down on a small stone ledge. "I have a look?"
"Yeah. You get this sort of... sad, concerned look in your eyes," She replied and took a seat next to him. "You press your lips together and get a crease between your brows," She ran a finger over the area between his brows. "You should stop that, it makes you look old."
He laughed loudly at her accusation. "Old? How about yourself? You've grown quite a bit since I last saw you."
"Was that flirtatiousness I detected?" She said and rose a sassy brow. "I thought we closed that chapter years ago."
"We did. But I can't not notice you've developed," He said and eyed her up and down. She had grown into such a beautiful woman. Last time he saw her, she was still a young girl.
"Easy on the compliments there, Hero," She said, chuckling at his observant gaze. "Kai's going to kick your ass if he hears you."
"He can bring it," He chuckled. "How've you been?"
"Nah-ah," She sternly said and wiggled her finger at him. "We are not avoiding this. Tell me what's bugging you, then we do 'how've you been'."
He sighed at looked down. There was no avoiding talking about things when it came to Tessmia. She knew exactly what to do and say, and she would plague him for days if he didn't tell her.
"It's the human girl."
"What about her?"
"She's in love with me."
"I know."
He rose a brow at her. "You know?"
She shrugged casually. "We talked a little last night, while Kai was busy getting you drunk. The subject came up."
He sighed. "Yeah, well you know how I work. I've been pushing her away, and it hurts her."
"I can imagine. Have you talked to her about it?"
"Several times, but she doesn't listen. So a few hours ago, I go talk to Shea," He told while looking at the water stream. "Dom told me yesterday that she had information we needed."
"Oh," Tessmia frowned when she knew where this was going. "Did she want the usual deal?"
"Yes. I took her to the edge of the forest, to seal the deal--"
"You really know how to make love sound unattractive."
"It wasn't love, you know that," He replied. "But as we begin, Emaia showed up."
"Ouch," Tessmia carefully hissed. "She saw you?"
"Yes."
"How did she react?"
"How do you think?"
"She stormed off?"
He nodded bitterly. "Naturally I run after her, to try and explain the situation to her, but she won't let me finish."
"She slapped you?"
He rose a brow at her. "How did you know?"
Tessmia smiled and shrugged. "I know women - that, and your cheek is still slightly red. Continue."
He scoffed and then turned his attention to the water stream again. "I chase after her and grab her wrist." He held up his hand and revealed the red, burned skin on his palm. "I didn't notice she was wearing a bracelet."
Tessmia hissed again and cut a grimace at the sight. "Ouch. That must've hurt."
"Like you wouldn't believe."
"What happened next then?"
"She called me an asshole and stormed off."
Tessmia didn't speak for a moment, but simply just sat their and watched him. She studied his face. Then finally, "Do you like her, Hero?"
He smiled silently at her. "You know I don't do feelings."
"They could've crept up on you without you realizing it. She's a great girl."
"Then I should've fallen in love with you years ago," He said and smiled at her. She went silent. "You know me better than anyone, Tessmia. You know I'm a lost cause."
She didn't speak again for another moment. He knew why. She knew he was right, and that love wasn't something that just got the jump on him. He was who he was; A lone soldier.
He softly felt her hand on his shoulder, gently caressing it. "Do you remember that time Kai wanted you to throw a dagger at his heart, because he was so sure he didn't have one?"
He smiled a little at the memory. "He was angry, because he thought he'd never find love."
"Just when he had given up, two days later he met Dom," Tessmia grinned. "He attacked him, because he thought he was stealing his weapons. He didn't know that he was just checking them out."
"Love at first fight," He chuckled. "Why did you bring that up?"
"Yo, Hero!" Kai's voice suddenly came from the trees, and then his tall frame appeared. "Are you hitting on my sister again?"
He snorted as Tessmia took the liberty to reply. "Oh yeah, you should've seen him," She told while Kai walked up to them. "Tongue all the way down my throat."
Kai stopped up and shot a glare a him. "You better be fucking with me."
He rolled his eyes at his friend. "Feel free to check my mouth, Mahbrah."
"I might have to. If Dom isn't looking." Kai confidently replied and cocked a brow. "Hey, what's up? You got that look on your face."
He rolled his eyes, tiredly. "So people keep telling me."
"He broke a girl's heart." Tessmia told.
"Another one?" Kai exclaimed, then made a low whistle. "You break the hearts of so many young girls, Mahbrah. And boys, too."
"You got over me," He pointed out and leaned back on his hands. "You got Dom now."
"Damn right I do. And he's a way better kisser than you."
He let out a bark of a laughter. "I was fourteen, Kai. You can't expect a kid to be a good kisser."
"I was amazing."
"You were okay."
"You wanna say that to my face?" Kai scoffed and stepped up to him, a challenging look in his eyes.
He chuckled, and slowly shook his head. "I told you; Out of respect for Dom, I'm not laying anything on you."
"Bullshite," Kai scoffed again and took a seat next to him. "You're just afraid you ain't gonna do nothing for me."
"You know I could make you bark if I wanted too, Kai."
"Alright enough, guys," Tessmia flatly cut in. "Don't start that, remember we were being serious? Hero broke a girl's heart."
"That's nothing new under the sun," Kai waved off indifferently. "I'm beginning to think he doesn't have anything better to do anymore."
"It was that human girl's heart," Tessmia snapped, as if he was retarded. "It was Emaia. She's in love with him."
"Oh," Kai said, a serious crease forming between his brows. "Well, fuck."
He sat down next him, and together, they all three stared out across the frosty ground. They watched the landscape in silence, until Kai finally sighed and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Look at it this way, Mahbrah; After the battle, you don't have to see her anymore. She'll forget all about you and find a nice husband."
He looked over the frozen ground, letting Kai's words sink in. It was true. Her life would continue, and so would his. She would find a husband, have kids and live the safe, happy life she deserved. He would continue himself, fighting wherever he was needed. But one thing was certain; He would never lay eyes on her after the battle. He would give his goodbye, and then leave for good.
Suddenly they all heard it; Their sharp elf ears caught the sound of footsteps and the sound of rattling metal. Coats of mail. Swords.
- The King's men.
"That's impossible," Tessmia whispered and looked shocked at him and Kai. "How did they find us?"
"We're not prepared," Kai said and abruptly stood up. "We don't have enough weapons!"
"Hero," Tessmia whispered and looked frightened at him. "You have to save us."
He closed his eyes. He had to, he knew he did. But with all these humans there...
- This was going to complicate things a whole fucking lot.