Happily Ever After

Hushhhh

Hushhhh…

A streak of gold slicing through the woods. Wolf? No, too thin, too fast. Deer? Too vicious, too lethal.

Her?

Zelgadis and Lina were heading back to Seyruun. Yeah, it was the last place he wanted to go, but there was a mage faire there this week, and Lina wanted to go, and…

Okay, so it was complete bullshit. He wanted to be near Amelia and he knew it. And Lina knew it, too.

"Zelgadis Greywyrds, there is no way in hell you are going back to Seyruun. All you're going to do is let yourself sink deep into depression and go back into your shell again. I don't think so."

"So why have we been heading in that direction for the past week? It's only about a day's travel away."

"… purely subconscious."

"Gourry's living near there, isn't he?"

"NO! …well...maybe… I don't know…"

"ah." Zelgadis crossed his arms and leaned back. They had set up camp in a shaded glen off the road, and were currently roasting the mound of fish Lina had caught. Lina was impatient, as usual, and had neatly scorched her tongue on the fish that weren't cool enough to eat. Therefore, she was cranky, couldn't taste anymore, and wasn't exactly talking very well. You know when you're really tired and can't feel your tongue? Well…

Lina simply glared at him.

Zelgadis shrugged.

"Fine. We'll go there for a little time, and then we'll leave, okay?"

"Fine."

They sat in silence.

Seyruun, home of thousands of humans and non-humans alike, filled with wonder and excitement all wrapped up in a peace so profound that you would almost believe in miracles. The city was alive with streamers, music, and flashes of brilliant color lighting the gray, overcast sky. The feeling of happiness pervaded the cold, pre-winter air as the chill was fended off with bright cloaks and scarves. The mage faire was filled with a pervading sense of happiness and well being, further promoted by the impending winter celebration that year. Everyone and their cat were out buying gifts for the solstice, and everyone and their cat were filled with cheer and good feelings.

Except for the two people most in need of a good source of happiness. Two foreigners trudged through the gates, muttering and swearing about the blizzard that blew up out of nowhere just out of town. No one knew them, and no one paid attention and the redhead and her cloaked companion stalked between the stalls.

"Having fun?" Lina let out a harsh whisper to her companion, trying to ignore the biting cold that pervaded even her magic lined cloak. She hated the cold, she really did. Lina tried without success to hold the cloak closer to herself and keep the biting air away from her shivering form.

Zelgadis merely snorted in response. Both of them were cold, wet, exhausted, and miserable. Neither of them wanted anything but a warm bath and a soft bed, something that was obviously lacking in available inn rooms. Lina wanted to scream.

Zelgadis wasn't much better off. He had the advantage of a better cloak, which kept the biting chill of the wind from slicing through the openings in it, but it didn't stop the deep ache the cold brought….and he couldn't shake the deep rooted feeling that there was something following him, watching him, marking him. He'd tried to shake off the feeling-nothing sane would be out in this weather when they were in the wilderness, and nothing wild would go into the city. But the feeling only intensified as they passed through the gates, making the usually cold and sarcastic, now freezing and cranky Zelgadis into a very evil-feeling chimera of immediate destruction.

Or at least that's what it felt like to Lina.

"Zelgadis Greywyrds, if you glare at one more pedestrian as though you were the angel of death, you will be gelded in a severely unpleasant manner and have your means of reproduction shoved halfway down your throat!"

"Shut up."

The tiny redhead stopped short and spun to glare at her sulking companion. He glared back sullenly-the glare of someone who knows they just said something stupid and feels badly about it, but are too cranky to admit it.

"What did you say?"

I'm dead already, might as well make the most of it. Zelgadis glared. "I said shut up. I'm sick of your whining, your complaining, your bitching and moaning every time you aren't completely sated and satisfied. You haven't shut up the entire way here, and I'm tired of hearing you whine about the same shit I'm going though. So shut up and do the world a favor."

Lina made a small 'oh' with her mouth, turned, and smiled sweetly.

Shit.

"Is that so, Zelgadis? Well. Isn't that nice."

"Lina--"

"Then you can run off on your own, I guess. Seeing as you don't want me around."

"I didn't say that--"

"You most certainly did. Fuck off, asshole, and fend for yourself."

Zelgadis would have followed, he really would have, but a snowball hit him square in the face. By the time he'd wiped the freezing slush from his face, Lina was gone.

Damnit.

SYLPHIEL DEL NADA AND GOURRY GABRIEV'S WEDDING.

PLEASE ARRIVE ON DECEMBER 10, EARLY MORNING.

FESTIVITIES WILL LAST AT THE PALACE UNTIL SUNRISE.

Everyone in the entire city head the enraged shriek that tore through the air, and if you had been close enough you would have seen a furious redhead ripping the sign savagely from the palace wall.

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