Those sent after Orrin make a grave mistake and take his wife, Telatha instead. She is presented to Ystriel and he casts her aside in his anger. He is told her husband - the true star point was killed when they attacked the farm. Telatha ends up in slavery with no recollection of who she is or who she was.
When he finds her again she is in the company of a magical talking sword - another story in itself - and both are in trouble. Orrin joins them, not telling her he knows who she is but offering to help them escape those that are hunting her down. He suggests they pose as a married couple to maintain cover and hire on as guards to a caravan traveling over the pass. Telatha - after having gone through the years of slavery has no desire to pose as such and does not hesitate to inform him how she detests the idea. He is patient with her, as patient as he always was with everyone. The night before the caravan leaves she comes upon some information that changes her way of thinking in regards to the idea of posing as a married couple.
Thus we come to the excerpt I've chosen for you to read:
“You know,” she said
quickly keeping him right beside her, “if we are to be married…in appearance,
you know,” she cast a glance upward and caught him swallow hard at her
words. His face showed no emotion but
his eyes told her everything, told her of a pain he feared and she might
understand a little of that pained fear.
“Yes,” he agreed with a
nod. He searched her gaze, waiting for
her to speak more of her thoughts. She
almost didn’t go on such was the intensity of his gaze and her loss within it.
She touched a hand to
his chest. “We’re going to have to make
this look convincing,” she found words again.
They were probably not the most sweetest of words but they were words to
tell him she consented to his idea, this way of protecting him. She recalled the creature’s words regarding
Orrin and his living. She may not be the
only one in danger. She knew they wanted
her alive. What if they were sent to
kill Orrin as well as capture her and Narn?
All three of them were in a great deal of danger.
“Yes,” he said and took
her hand in his own, “we are.” With his
other arm he drew her closer to him. She
thought he’d kiss her and she knew the press of those lips against her own was
certainly tempting enough. “It will be
difficult,” he mused and she felt the tingle of his lips just barely touching
her own.
“It might,” she agreed
and lifted her gaze to try and hold his own, determined to see this through to
protect all of them.
“I promise,” he said,
“I’ll do my very best to make it convincing,” she felt his lips curl into a
smile.
“And I’ll do the same,”
she tried to sound strong but in truth she felt like mush in his arms.
“Will you?” He asked
and closer still, without touching, he brought his lips.
“I will,” she said in
barely a whisper.
“How far will you go?”
He asked and now his lips touched hers.
“To prove…” he tasted first her top lip with his kiss and then his
bottom lip, “…or convince?”
She didn’t know it but
the next tremble that rippled through her was mistaken by him for fear. He drew in a cool breath and leaned back to
give her some space. “We’ll start by
sleeping together,” he said in a cooler tone and led her to the bed . “Just sleep,” he assured her with a nod of
his head. “They’ll expect us to sleep
close and they’ll expect an occasional stolen kiss despite our vow that business
came before pleasure.” He took another
kiss just before gently setting her down on the bed. He knelt then and slid his hand down one calf
to remove her boot. “We’ll be expected
to know certain traits about each other.”
Her breath caught in her chest as his strong hands ever so gently
removed her boot then moved over to the other leg.
“For example,” he
continued, “you’ll be expected to know that I like my meat well done and…” he
slid the other boot off her foot and placed a hand upon each of her knees. His eyes moved up the length of her body
removing any chill she might have still felt with his warm gaze. “You’ll know I’m very fond of onions in my
stew.” He moved, didn’t really rise or
stand but simply moved, to sit beside her.
“However,” he went on
while he removed his own boots, “when we’re home…or when we were home,” he said to explain why they were not the happy
little home bodies many married couples should have been, “before times got
tough and we returned to looking for work I liked your sweet bread the best of
all your cooking. But even as good as
your sweet bread was, your gooseberry pies were to die for.” He finished with his boots then turned to
her, looped his arm around her waist and urged her to lay down beside him, both
of them on their sides. He drew her
tightly against his chest. “You’ll know
that green is my favorite color because it brings out the fire in your
eyes. You’ll know…”
She waited for him to
continue and when he did not she started to turn. His hold tightened but remained gentle. “You’ll know,” he went on and she could have
sword she heard his voice crack, “you’ll know nothing can pull my heart from
yours.”
She felt something
inside her swell. She thought she might
be dying such was the aching force in her chest. It was like she should know something. No, it was more like her heart knew something
she did not and it was mad with her brain for not remembering. The ache left with a rush of a gasp leaving
her lips.
Orrin’s lips touched
her ear once more. “It will be all
right, Tel. I promise you.”
