eena

They went back to scooping up breakfast, licking the mess off their fingers. Soon the pile of berry mush was gone and their tongues were dyed a nice midnight blue. Ian seemed in a good mood, sticking his tongue out playfully at his best friend. Eena did likewise, right back at him. She was happy he was smiling, even if his teeth were purple. (You__e too much fun, Eena,) Ian announced in her mind. (I__ really glad we__e friends.) (Me too,) she agreed. (Best friends.) Ian leaned back on his hands and watched the waves roll in from far off. The swells were building into large, flat-crested waves. (Angelle never thought like you do. You__e creative and kinda crazy. Her thoughts were always more simple and, well_..normal.) (Yeah, well, deadly dragons and evil witches tend to suck all the normal right out of you,) she grumbled. (I suppose.)

But you will die, Amor

I know they don__ respect the lives of others___ortals,_ he specified, __ho exist for a brief moment and then die off.__er voice rose as she argued with him. __ speak of people with very valued lives, Edgar. It may seem like a moment to you, but to me it is eternity.___hat makes no sense.___t makes perfect sense, Edgar! Life is valuable__eriod. And because mine can be easily taken away, it becomes even more valuable and precious. Yours, you take for granted because you__l never lose it. Mine, I cherish because it__ fleeting. For that reason alone I can argue that my life is of the greatest worth.__is eyebrows pulled together over a tangled scowl. She couldn__ tell if he was trying to understand her reasoning or if she had merely managed to upset him.__ever mind,_ she mumbled. __ don__ think you can appreciate what you__e never experienced.__hat works both ways, Amora.___hatever.

Derian pulled the blanket snug around himself. __his is my added assurance._ Eena__ nose wrinkled. __t__ your what?_ __f you recall the last time we were here standing in this very spot, you pelted me with neumberries._ He held up a single berry before popping it into his mouth. __ doubt you would risk soiling your blanket, so I figure wrapping it around me this way I__ pretty much assured safety from any potential attack._ He winked playfully, and she laughed out loud. ____ afraid you don__ know me half as well as you think,_ she announced. Aiming low, she flung a sizable berry at his calve. It hit its mark.__hoa, whoa!_ He lowered the blanket to cover his legs. __ou can__ hide yourself entirely, Derian,_ she said, aiming for his face. He ducked, raising the blanket like a shield in the process.Another round of ammunition pelted his ankles before he decided it was time to fight back. Eena found herself bound up in her own blanket, arms wrapped securely at her sides. She laughed nonstop, unable to move within his strong hold. Derian leaned forward until their noses touched, and then he kissed her giggles silent. He kept her in the blanket, snug and close to him, but Eena managed to wriggle an arm free and drape it around his neck, holding his lips in reach. She uttered a quick count in between kisses.__even,_ she breathed.Derian paused, his mouth a whisper away from hers. It tickled when he spoke. __o, no, Eena.___o what?___o counting. Not today. No ground rules.__he barely uttered a partial ___ay_ before his mouth covered hers again. His hot breath tasted like breakfast. He fixed his hands on each side of her face, and the blanket fell to the ground. As the intensity of their kisses grew hungry, he gripped her cheeks more securely. Eena could feel the air electrifying around them. Her heartbeat drummed__xcited and anxious. __erian_ she breathed. But he didn__ stop. She felt his hand move to support her neck while the other slid down her back, urging her closer. She brought her arms together and pressed against his chest, somewhat objecting to the intimacy.__erian_ she tried again. But he covered her mouth with his own.She pushed more firmly against him without success. Her protest weakened as his kisses softened. The fervor subsided, and she could feel her wild pulse even out. Amidst a string of supple kisses, Derian__ breathing slowed. He planted his lips on her forehead for a moment before squeezing her tenderly. She snuggled up against his warm chest. __ne ground rule,_ he whispered in her ear. __e stop when you say __hen.____hen,_ she uttered.__kay,_ he agreed.Then, as if the thought had just occurred to her, she stepped back to look up questioningly at the captain. __asn__ there a leftover sandwich in that basket from last night?__is lips formed a guilty smile as he confessed, __es__nd it was delicious.

Brazen it out! Throw away the scabbard! Grit your teeth, buckle down, and die with your boots on! Or in other words, be determined and resolved until you accomplish the thing you set out to accomplish.

Don__ simply exist in this world, but grasp life__ potential by the jacket. Dare it to be all it can. Make life historical__ gripping account of accomplishment. Make life a mystery__ challenging, bold adventure. Make life heartfelt__n enduring, poetic romance. Whatever it is you make of your world, live the fairytale.

Ian was a good man__onest, trustworthy, loyal, and of honorable character. His desire to keep his promise to Angelle and to be a respectable servant of Harrowbeth would always take president over any personal feelings, no matter how intense or gratifying they might be. He would never betray Harrowbeth. He would never cheat Derian or Angelle. He would never deceive his queen, even if in so doing he would find a love and happiness they both longed to share. His commitment to what he saw as right meant more.

The most difficult challenge an honest man will ever face is having to choose between duty and love.One creates a man of honorable character__ life worth dying for.The other creates a vulnerable soul that madly yearns for either death or immortality.