Banishing Worries

Braeth'el pushed through the foliage, making his way down the narrow footpath in the heart of Eversong. The sunlight was bright and warm, slanting down through the trees as a faint breeze rustled the branches above him. In his hand he carried an envelope, the seal on it broken and the documents within it already committed to memory.

Rosellina had been true to her word, and she had compiled a complete report for Braeth'el and left it at their agreed upon drop-off. The SI:7 agent was efficient, and the intelligence she provided, while not exactly what he'd been hoping for, had at least given him a few avenues to explore in their search for Telatha. Certainly it appeared that a group matching her description was observed by Alliance intelligence passing through into Shadowmoon Valley, although whether it was by choice or under coercion it was hard to tell based on the spotty visual descriptions and distance from which the scout had seen them.

That part of the report was not what brought Braeth'el out into the woods however, for Rosellina had also fulfilled the second part of her promise. Contained within the seemingly innocuous envelope was information pertaining to Kyliska's biological father and sister. The location of their home, and a time to meet with them had also been included. Braeth'el had poured over the information, not happy at all with the fact that he knew Kyliska would want to go and see them, suspecting a trap of some sort. Rosellina may have been pleasant to work with, but she was an SI:7 agent and she had her own agenda. He would never allow her friendly facade to fool him into complacence.

Ahead the sound of a stream bubbling over rocks could be heard, and Braeth'el walked the rest of the way down the path towards the sound, his thoughts still brooding. He'd gone to seek Kyliska, only to be informed by the guards that she had seemed melancholy and had told them she was going to go tan by herself at a secluded area in Eversong. Braeth'el knew several places she liked to go for thinking (and tanning!) and had selected the most likely of them to seek her out.

As he pushed through the last bit of foilage along the path, he stopped and stared, having found the Sin'dorei he was seeking. Kyliska stood in the middle of a pool of water that was fed by the flowing stream, a glistening waterfall flowing from a rocky outcropping above pouring down into one end of the rippling water. The sunlight reflected down onto the bubbling surface, breaking into a thousand glimmers of light and bouncing around the clearing that surrounded the pool.

It was not the beautiful scenery that caused Braeth'el to pause however, it was Kyliska herself. Clad in a skimpy red and gold bikini that covered very little, she stood beneath the flowing waterfall, the liquid cascading down her sculpted, tanned body and glimmering in beads on her smooth skin. Her long bleach-blonde hair hung down her back, and her head was tilted up into the flowing water as she ran her hands through it.

She is perfection. Everything about her is absolutely gorgeous. How could I ever doubt how I feel about her? What does it matter what is contained in this file? There is not a hint of Kaldorei about her. Her skin is flawless, her ears just the right length, and her body...well, there is that to consider isn't there?

Braeth'el grinned to himself, his eyes roaming over the object of his desire and the one who had surprisingly won his heart. His feelings for Kyliska were still new and fresh; they were unusual for him and not something he'd experienced in many years or thought to feel again. Each time he laid his eyes upon her, the force and strength of those feelings became apparent again and each time they surprised him with their intensity.

None of this matters to me. Only she matters. I should just tell her that the file was never delivered, but that too would disappoint her. I can't shield her from everything, even though right now I'd certainly like to.

He stood on the edge of the pool, shifting uncertainly in place, the file in his hand almost like a burning ember so intense was his desire to be rid of it. But he knew that she would be upset if he did that, and as he considered it further, she turned and saw him.

Her face fell the moment she laid eyes on him, the beautiful smile he was accustomed to erased with a frown of worry. He knew that she was aware of what he was holding, why he was here. He could see the hidden anxiety in her expression, the constant worry over whether or not he really accepted her for what she was. He could tell in the nervous way she paused under the flowing water, standing in the thigh-deep pool and gazing at him with her beautiful fel-green eyes that she didn't know what would come next.

He dropped the folder on the ground beside him, letting it rest on the sand there, delaying the news and the further anxiety it would bring her. There was something more she needed before she was ready to face that; he knew that she needed to know she didn't face it alone.

He reached down and yanked off his shirt, tossing it over the file as if to cover that eventuality and make it disappear. He kicked off his boots and pants and waded into the pool towards her, the fresh water cool but refreshing on his skin. The spray from the waterfall filled the air with a fine mist that beaded on his sculpted muscles as he drew near to her, his hand coming out to beckon her from the waterfall.

She took his hand in her own, drawing near to her, a question in her eyes. Her lips parted to give voice to her worries, "Braeth'el...is that...?"

He smiled, pulling her close to him, her scantily clad body pressed against his bare chest, his arms wrapped around her as he looked into her eyes, "Shhh. That is something we will worry about later. First you need to know that you are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on, and that without you my world would be incomplete. Whatever is in that file is irrelevant to that. Whatever the future holds, you need to know that I will be beside you. I need to be there with you."

Her lips trembled as emotions passed through her, all of the worry that she likely was continuing to build up inside temporarily laid to rest. He drew her close, their mouths meeting in a passionate kiss that left her trembling against him and left his heart racing in his chest. He pulled her tight against him, feeling her hands wrap around his midsection and run over his chiseled stomach. His hands slid down her back, feeling the softness of her wet hair give way to smooth skin, his palm cupping her thong-clad rear as she wrapped a leg around him.

And then all of their worries were gone for a moment, the passion that had ignited between them months ago renewed once more. She gasped when he picked her up and carried her to a more shallow part of the pool, laughing as she kissed him once before he dropped her in the water playfully, sinking down into it beside her. Her hands roamed over his body, and she felt his touch on her own, the love and desire for her plain in his eyes.

The waterfall continued to to flow merrily, the bubbling sound of its waters nearly drowning out the laughter and then passion of the two lovers joined together beneath it. Abandoned on the sandy shore of the pool, the intelligence file sat forgotten and hidden beneath a pile of discarded clothing, the danger and worry it brought banished for a time and likely not to return as strongly once clearer heads examined it.

Whether it would be a good thing for Kyliska to meet her biological father or not was a moot point now, for there was no doubt in her mind that whatever happened, someone would always stand beside her and accept her for who she was.