Remember When it Rained, Part Two
by Vedek Jariel (as told by ZL)
71209.18
Following Part One
by Vedek Jariel (as told by ZL)
71209.18
Following Part One
(...continued)
Soon, he'd be leaving too. He would be taking up his studies as an intern at the Vedek Assembly, and life would go on. He would learn to live without her, somehow.
He had no other choice.
He had hoped it wouldn't end this way, that there may have been something more for him to take away with him. At least the peace of knowing that he'd told her plainly how he really felt, and that she could carry that knowledge with her to draw strength from even if they were apart. That at least, would have been some small comfort. But he hadn't told her plainly. He'd just. . .choked.
As things stood, the very last thing he would remember was standing in that damned over-crowded dining room, listening to the children singing Peldor hymns as Liis stood in the doorway of the kitchen, her expression telling him that she had wished for a different ending, too.
He heard a small noise. It sounded like scratching at the door. He wondered if the small gray tac that lived in the sanctuary to keep the rodents at bay was trying to pay him another late-night visit.
Camen had been known, in the past, to be good for a small midnight snack for the little creature, and it was obvious that it favored his company above anyone else's.
He was in no mood for such company tonight, though. He tried to ignore the scratching, but it grew louder and more persistent. Finally, he thought he heard a hushed voice.
"Jariel, wake up."
He bolted. It was long past midnight, and no one was to be out of their room. Who would break the rules and risk reprimand from the Vedeks in the morning?
Then it dawned on him. Who else?
He grabbed the candle holder from the nightstand and moved for the door, pulling the knob forcefully with one swift jerk, and silently he cursed the heavy wooden thing as it creaked open.
"Liis," he blurted, and she put her finger over his lips.
"Shhh."
He reached out for her arm and felt that her clothing was soaking wet. He pulled her into the room quickly and closed the door behind.
"Liis," he repeated, as her clothing rained water onto the floor and it began to pool at their feet. "If you get caught here,"
"I'm leaving in the morning, Camen, what can they do to me?" she whispered.
"But," he was about to object that it could still cause plenty of trouble for him, but he didn't get the chance.
Vedek Timal, who had been wandering the halls and conducting nighttime bed-checks on the younger novices, heard the noise of the door opening, observed the trail of water leading to Camen's door, and became suspicious. He knocked on the door loudly now, and at hearing his voice, Liis froze, eyes widening.
"Jariel? Open the door." Timal demanded.
Jariel opened the closet door and shoved Liis inside.
"Just a minute," Jariel took a deep breath before opening the door once again. "Can I be of service to you, Vedek Timal?" he asked, as calmly as he could.
"I heard noises, in the hall. There is a trail of water on the floor. Is someone in the building?"
"Oh, it was just Scruff," Jariel replied casually, waving his hand. "You know that sneaky tac. He got caught out in the rain and he came in trying to find a treat and a warm bed. I wouldn't let him up on mine because he was so soaked, and he is now sulking underneath it."
Jariel had no gift for lying, in fact, he was so horrible at it so never usually even made any attempts at untruth. But thankfully the room was only dimly lit, the Vedek was half blind, and he was also far too frail and stiff to bend over and actually check under the bed to see if the animal was actually there.
"Awful lot of water to be brought in by one tac." Timal thought aloud, furrowing his wrinkled brow. "but then, I suppose we have had a very active rodent season this year and he has been mousing all the time."
"He's put on a lot of weight," Jariel concluded. "So, there's nothing to worry about. He'll come out from under the bed when he's ready, and I'll let him out. I'll send him through the window, so as not to disturb anyone again."
"Very well." Timal, seemingly satisfied, turned back toward the hall. "In the morning, see if you can do something about the hinge on that door. It's awfully noisy."
"You can count on it." Jariel muttered under his breath, quickly adding, "goodnight."
"I am glad that there won't be a need for reprimands in the morning. I do hate giving out reprimands. Goodnight, Jariel." The old man retreated, and only after Jariel heard the exterior door to the hall close, did he open the closet and pull Liis out.
"He won't be back." he sighed with relief. Liis nodded. It was then that he noticed she was shivering.
Her hair was a mess, and hung in dark, silky strands against her cheeks. They dripped small rivers of water down her face. Jariel set the candle down, and brushed the streaks away with his fingers. He took the cover from the bed tried to put it over her shoulders.
"Why?" he asked softly.
"You have to ask?" she whispered, pushing the blanket away.
"But tomorrow," he didn't know if he could stand to say goodbye to her at any other point, if he didn't say it now.
"Is the end of everything."
He hesitated. He knew exactly why she'd come before he asked the question. If he were being truthful, he would have had to admit he had dreamed that she would, that they could somehow find a span of time somewhere quiet, warm, and safe where they could just be together before she left. He had wanted nothing more.
Now that she was really here, however, he asked himself if they he could really let her go away in the morning if she stayed with him tonight. As he weighed the question in silence, she stepped forward, grabbed hold of his arms, and and pressed her lips against his. Jariel gasped.
Her wet clothes clung to her, and the drops of water in her hair made her appear as if she were sparkling as they reflected in the light from the fireplace. She seemed almost like something other-worldly.
She was so beautiful. He had wanted her so badly, for so long.
He felt his resolve slipping, and ran his hands up and down her shoulders as he returned her kiss. Then suddenly, his sense of responsibility reasserted itself.
"No." He broke away and stepped back. "We. No."
Without any emotion registering on her features, Liis nodded. He had made his choice. "Goodbye, Jariel."
She turned to the window and moved the candle away, unlocked the latch and pulled it open. She had no intention of looking back.
It was then he fully understood that she wasn't going to ask him twice, and if he sent her away, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
"Wait." He crossed the room in two swift strides and spun her around. "Please."
He pulled her into his arms, and she heaved a heavy sigh. He knew it was already too late, his heart would break in the morning whether she stayed or left.
For the first time in his life, he was going to give in to what he wanted. What he needed, to hell with the consequences. He kissed her hard, and time seemed to slow and finally stand still as he backed her up gently, towards the bed.
-=End Flashback=-
Jariel stared into her suitcase once more, and he pulled out the spare uniform tunic that he had tossed in when going through their quarters, in a hurry to bring what he could along on the trip.
He realized only now that she had worn it the day before she'd vanished, and then left it over the back of the chair where he'd found it.
As he held the garment up, he became painfully aware that it still smelled like her skin, and he buried his face in it.
A new wave of anger and determination replaced the despair he had been feeling a moment before. He was going to change the fate that the Prophets had promised for her, if he had to die trying.
He was ready and willing to give absolutely anything just for the chance to hold her, even if only one last time.
Soon, he'd be leaving too. He would be taking up his studies as an intern at the Vedek Assembly, and life would go on. He would learn to live without her, somehow.
He had no other choice.
He had hoped it wouldn't end this way, that there may have been something more for him to take away with him. At least the peace of knowing that he'd told her plainly how he really felt, and that she could carry that knowledge with her to draw strength from even if they were apart. That at least, would have been some small comfort. But he hadn't told her plainly. He'd just. . .choked.
As things stood, the very last thing he would remember was standing in that damned over-crowded dining room, listening to the children singing Peldor hymns as Liis stood in the doorway of the kitchen, her expression telling him that she had wished for a different ending, too.
He heard a small noise. It sounded like scratching at the door. He wondered if the small gray tac that lived in the sanctuary to keep the rodents at bay was trying to pay him another late-night visit.
Camen had been known, in the past, to be good for a small midnight snack for the little creature, and it was obvious that it favored his company above anyone else's.
He was in no mood for such company tonight, though. He tried to ignore the scratching, but it grew louder and more persistent. Finally, he thought he heard a hushed voice.
"Jariel, wake up."
He bolted. It was long past midnight, and no one was to be out of their room. Who would break the rules and risk reprimand from the Vedeks in the morning?
Then it dawned on him. Who else?
He grabbed the candle holder from the nightstand and moved for the door, pulling the knob forcefully with one swift jerk, and silently he cursed the heavy wooden thing as it creaked open.
"Liis," he blurted, and she put her finger over his lips.
"Shhh."
He reached out for her arm and felt that her clothing was soaking wet. He pulled her into the room quickly and closed the door behind.
"Liis," he repeated, as her clothing rained water onto the floor and it began to pool at their feet. "If you get caught here,"
"I'm leaving in the morning, Camen, what can they do to me?" she whispered.
"But," he was about to object that it could still cause plenty of trouble for him, but he didn't get the chance.
Vedek Timal, who had been wandering the halls and conducting nighttime bed-checks on the younger novices, heard the noise of the door opening, observed the trail of water leading to Camen's door, and became suspicious. He knocked on the door loudly now, and at hearing his voice, Liis froze, eyes widening.
"Jariel? Open the door." Timal demanded.
Jariel opened the closet door and shoved Liis inside.
"Just a minute," Jariel took a deep breath before opening the door once again. "Can I be of service to you, Vedek Timal?" he asked, as calmly as he could.
"I heard noises, in the hall. There is a trail of water on the floor. Is someone in the building?"
"Oh, it was just Scruff," Jariel replied casually, waving his hand. "You know that sneaky tac. He got caught out in the rain and he came in trying to find a treat and a warm bed. I wouldn't let him up on mine because he was so soaked, and he is now sulking underneath it."
Jariel had no gift for lying, in fact, he was so horrible at it so never usually even made any attempts at untruth. But thankfully the room was only dimly lit, the Vedek was half blind, and he was also far too frail and stiff to bend over and actually check under the bed to see if the animal was actually there.
"Awful lot of water to be brought in by one tac." Timal thought aloud, furrowing his wrinkled brow. "but then, I suppose we have had a very active rodent season this year and he has been mousing all the time."
"He's put on a lot of weight," Jariel concluded. "So, there's nothing to worry about. He'll come out from under the bed when he's ready, and I'll let him out. I'll send him through the window, so as not to disturb anyone again."
"Very well." Timal, seemingly satisfied, turned back toward the hall. "In the morning, see if you can do something about the hinge on that door. It's awfully noisy."
"You can count on it." Jariel muttered under his breath, quickly adding, "goodnight."
"I am glad that there won't be a need for reprimands in the morning. I do hate giving out reprimands. Goodnight, Jariel." The old man retreated, and only after Jariel heard the exterior door to the hall close, did he open the closet and pull Liis out.
"He won't be back." he sighed with relief. Liis nodded. It was then that he noticed she was shivering.
Her hair was a mess, and hung in dark, silky strands against her cheeks. They dripped small rivers of water down her face. Jariel set the candle down, and brushed the streaks away with his fingers. He took the cover from the bed tried to put it over her shoulders.
"Why?" he asked softly.
"You have to ask?" she whispered, pushing the blanket away.
"But tomorrow," he didn't know if he could stand to say goodbye to her at any other point, if he didn't say it now.
"Is the end of everything."
He hesitated. He knew exactly why she'd come before he asked the question. If he were being truthful, he would have had to admit he had dreamed that she would, that they could somehow find a span of time somewhere quiet, warm, and safe where they could just be together before she left. He had wanted nothing more.
Now that she was really here, however, he asked himself if they he could really let her go away in the morning if she stayed with him tonight. As he weighed the question in silence, she stepped forward, grabbed hold of his arms, and and pressed her lips against his. Jariel gasped.
Her wet clothes clung to her, and the drops of water in her hair made her appear as if she were sparkling as they reflected in the light from the fireplace. She seemed almost like something other-worldly.
She was so beautiful. He had wanted her so badly, for so long.
He felt his resolve slipping, and ran his hands up and down her shoulders as he returned her kiss. Then suddenly, his sense of responsibility reasserted itself.
"No." He broke away and stepped back. "We. No."
Without any emotion registering on her features, Liis nodded. He had made his choice. "Goodbye, Jariel."
She turned to the window and moved the candle away, unlocked the latch and pulled it open. She had no intention of looking back.
It was then he fully understood that she wasn't going to ask him twice, and if he sent her away, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
"Wait." He crossed the room in two swift strides and spun her around. "Please."
He pulled her into his arms, and she heaved a heavy sigh. He knew it was already too late, his heart would break in the morning whether she stayed or left.
For the first time in his life, he was going to give in to what he wanted. What he needed, to hell with the consequences. He kissed her hard, and time seemed to slow and finally stand still as he backed her up gently, towards the bed.
-=End Flashback=-
Jariel stared into her suitcase once more, and he pulled out the spare uniform tunic that he had tossed in when going through their quarters, in a hurry to bring what he could along on the trip.
He realized only now that she had worn it the day before she'd vanished, and then left it over the back of the chair where he'd found it.
As he held the garment up, he became painfully aware that it still smelled like her skin, and he buried his face in it.
A new wave of anger and determination replaced the despair he had been feeling a moment before. He was going to change the fate that the Prophets had promised for her, if he had to die trying.
He was ready and willing to give absolutely anything just for the chance to hold her, even if only one last time.
Vedek Jariel Camen
Man on a mission
(as told by ZL)
Aboard the USS Alchemy
Man on a mission
(as told by ZL)
Aboard the USS Alchemy