| The golden light from the dying sun had just faded behind the sand dunes. Alanna of Trebond, Olau, and Pirates swoop was returning to her tent. Alanna smiled to herself, Pirates Swoop, she thought, only yesterday George had propesed to her. The festivities of today were still carring on in the distance and George was still not back yet, so Alanna crawled into her tent, she planned to stay up and wait for George, but the laughter and music in the distance lulled her to sleep. A few hours later, a gust of desert air awoke her, she turned and saw the silhouette of a man in the doorway. "George?" she muttered sleepily "That you?" The ember around her throat burned, as she saw a glint of steel in the man's hand. Somthing was wrong...she reached for lightning, her sowrd, then swore as she painfully remembered that it wasn't there. She looked up...to late! The man pounced, diving for her throat, Alanna screamed, just then another figure jumped out of the shadows pinning the attacker to the floor. In a neighbouring tent someone lit a lantern, in the dim light, Alanna could see that the second man was George, he had pinned the attacker to the ground, knife at his throat. "Who are you?" George growled "Ali ibn Nazzir, brother of the shaman of the Bloodyhawk" the man spat. "What bussiness do you have with my lioness?" "I have come to avenge the death of my brother who died at the hands of that witch! that she demon!" he screeched. He jumped up startling George, and ran into the desert night. Alanna struggled, getting to her feet, but George grabbed her arm "don't" he cautioned. Alanna turned to look at him, and in the depth of those hazel eyes saw such deep love that she couldn't refuse. "Alanna" he whispered, "I've only just found you, I don't want to loose you." Tears stung Alanna's eyes, and she burried her face in George's shirt. "There, there lass, you're to big to cry." He murmered, stroking her hair. "Thank you George" she whispered. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. He moved up her arm kissing her neck and face,gently, he caressed her lips with his own. His hands were in his her hair,tenderly, he wiped the tears from her eyes, and then his own. He scooped he up as though she was a kitten in his strong arms. He carried her over to the bed and lay her down. Gently he stroked her face, kissing her eyes and nose again, slowly moving towards her lips, when he did find them, he savoured the moment. Lifting her face with gentle hands he made her look at him. In his eyes, Alanna saw nothing but true love, tears of happiness leaked down her cheeks. Alanna had never felt more loved in her entire life than she did that night in Georges arms. |