Until You’re Safe and Sound

A short story

It was another one of those rainy mornings. In a bedroom on the second floor of a small cottage made of stone in the middle of a forest, Lenna Rayne lay in bed, staring at the raindrops on the windowpane while lying against the chest of a man who had only entered her life about two months ago, now sound asleep, breathing softly down her long, blonde hair.

‘Alex wouldn’t believe this,’ Lenna mused to herself, thinking about her brother who normally left her here for months before coming home. He’d only been back recently, meeting ‘the stranger who wasn’t anymore’, Cliffe before leaving again on another one of his dragon-slaying trips. He hadn’t said much about Cliffe, except that he liked the idea of having someone to take care of her while he was gone. Alex trusted Cliffe enough, but then he had no idea that when he’d asked Cliffe to ‘take care of’ Lenna, things would come this far. Not that Lenna had seen it coming either. It had just happened.

This was the first time for Lenna Rayne. First time that she had ever truly fallen in love. It had happened so suddenly that sometimes she felt as though she had dreamed it all. Sometimes she’d wake up expecting to find herself alone in bed, only to find him right beside her. Then she’d smile that contented smile before lying against him, waiting for him to wake up.

She didn’t know it, but Cliffe was awake, enjoying every second of not having to wake up immediately. With the rain pouring outside, and most of his chores settled yesterday, there wasn’t really much for him to do. Maybe he’d be able to spend the whole day with her if nothing came up. That was definitely something to look forward to.

Truth was, there wasn’t really anything else to look forward to, for Cliffe. He had no dreams to chase, no family or friends save for the ones Lenna shared with him. When Lenna had first found him, injured in the middle of the forest, she had nursed him back to health and provided a home for him, since he had nowhere to go. Cliffe had amnesia. No memories of his past whatsoever save for his first name, which always served as a reminder to how incomplete he was. He was just Cliffe, for now, but he planned to someday be Cliffe Rayne, though that was a thought he hadn’t shared with anyone yet.

Aside from the fact that Cliffe had no memory, there was another reason why he still held back ever so slightly when it came to loving the angel who had saved his life, and that was the fact that he was a werewolf. Every night he would transform into the stuff of nightmares to humans almost everywhere, despite the fact that he had complete control of himself when that happened. In werewolf form he could still talk, laugh and on rare occasions, sing, keeping his fangs far enough away from any humans so long as they didn’t bother him. Lenna knew this. Still she’d get into bed with him every night despite that fact, sleeping by his side until morning would come.

Until recently, the local village which was situated not too far off from Lenna’s cottage had been kept unaware of the presence of a werewolf near their settlement. It was only common sense for Cliffe to not reveal himself to the villagers, since humans didn’t take too kindly to werewolves most of the time. They’d come for him with pitchforks, torches, the whole enchilada.

But find out about Cliffe, they did, and it wasn’t by accident. Lenna had introduced Cliffe to them, and they had welcomed Cliffe without fear, for they too understood what it was like to be feared by other people. The villagers, including Lenna weren’t exactly normal people either, truth be told. They were witches, often wrongly accused of using ‘black magic’, magic that was forbidden by the Mage Council, the ruling authority when it came to magic affairs in the world. Here they had their own hidden community, deep in the forest where no one would suspect anything.

And so it was that this place had truly become home for Cliffe, so much that he secretly wished that he wouldn’t ever get his memories back, for fear of having to leave when that happened.

He hadn’t had so much as a single flashback since he’d first arrived here. He wasn’t recovering, and he was glad for it.

“How long have you been awake?” Lenna asked suddenly, a smile appearing on her face.

Cliffe refused to open his eyes, smiling as well. “I’m not awake,” he grinned. “I’m still asleep. I just don’t feel like waking up today, if you know what I mean. It’s so cool and airy with the rain pouring outside…everything just feels…perfect.”

Lenna moved closer towards him, kissing him passionately on the lips before withdrawing, a grin on her face as she said, “You’re waking up now unless you want to stay hungry tonight. I need you to run to the village and pick up some vegetables from Farmer Oakwood, if you don’t mind. It’ll just be a quick run. Go, come back, and then we can spend the rest of day in bed if you want.”

Cliffe opened his eyes, putting on an annoyed look on his face. “No, the fun’s gone by the time you get back in bed. Let’s just spend the rest of the day by the fireplace.”

“Whatever you want, wolf boy,” Lenna replied, before getting out of bed slowly. “I’ll go prepare a list.”

And she left the room, taking all the warmth away with her, but not the contented smile on Cliffe’s face.

-

The rain had cleared up a bit by the time Cliffe reached the village. His boots were already soaked with mud, and the brown coat he wore was already drenched. Shivering slightly, he made his way to the grocer’s at the edge of town, run by Wallis Oakwood and his son, Tyler. From what Cliffe had heard, Wallis’ wife had been caught and burnt at the stake a long time ago, before they had come here to settle down where they would be safe. Tyler had been 5 years old when that had happened. Somehow Cliffe felt like the boy had grown up bitter. Even today, he had never seen Tyler so much as smile at him. At first he’d had thought that Tyler didn’t trust him, which was odd considering the fact that the rest of the villagers treated him as though he was one of them. But when Lenna had told him about Tyler’s story, he’d decided to let the matter slide.

He passed Riana, Lenna’s best friend as he walked into the village. The girl smiled at him as she passed, her direction clear: Lenna’s cottage. Cliffe couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed. He wouldn’t be able to have Lenna to himself today. But then he’d had almost everyday already, and he liked Riana. The girl was just as warm and friendly as Lenna. Sometimes they even looked like sisters to him.

As Cliffe stepped into the grocer’s, he found Tyler sitting by the desk. The black-haired youth did something completely out of character that day. He looked at Cliffe and called his name.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” he said, getting up and walking briskly towards him. “It’s important.”

Cliffe’s eyes narrowed. “What is it?” he asked plainly, masking his surprise at the fact that Tyler was even talking to him.

“I was digging through one of my mother’s spellbooks last night,” he began, his voice barely a whisper. “And I found something that might just interest you. You still haven’t regained any of your memories, isn’t that right?”

Cliffe shook his head, suddenly beginning to feel uneasy. “None,” he said.

Tyler’s eyes shone with a kind of excitement Cliffe had never seen before. “I’ve found a spell, a potion that can bring your memories back. Not all at once of course, but once you consume it, every night when you go to sleep, your memories should come back to you slowly. Bit by bit.”

Silence.

Cliffe couldn’t find the right words to say, probably due to the fact that he couldn’t find the right emotions to feel. Was this truly a cause for happiness? He’d been wrestling with the fact that regaining his memories could mean his departure for months now. He wasn’t sure if he’d be happy if he’d be shown images of another life which he would be obligated to return to, not when he had found so much happiness in this one. What if there was another woman in his life? Another lover, or wife even? Was he prepared to say goodbye?

Cliffe didn’t answer immediately. Silently, he turned around and started walking for the door.

He walked back out into the rain, without looking back for even a moment. He quickened his pace and eventually went into a jog. He was just about to start running as fast as his feet would carry him when-

“Cliffe, wait!”

Tyler came running after him, carrying a small glass bottle with clear blue liquid inside. Sighing, Cliffe stopped running and turned around to face Tyler, still indecisive of what he was going to do now. Wordlessly, Tyler placed the bottle into Cliffe’s hands before stepping back.

“At least just hold on to it,” he said. “I understand that this is all happening rather suddenly, and you’re probably having doubts on whether or not you want to use it.”

‘Not so much doubts as fears,’ Cliffe thought to himself bitterly.

“But if you make up your mind, and when you want to use it, two drops in a glass of water before going to bed should do the trick.” And at that, Tyler turned around and headed back towards the store.

Cliffe watched him go, standing frozen for a while as the rain started to grow heavier. He looked at the bottle in his hands, sighed, and tucked it into his pockets before he started heading for home.

-

“They were closed,” Cliffe said as he closed the door behind him. He turned towards the fireplace to see Lenna and Riana sitting side by side, poring over a spellbook. Seeing the cauldron out of the cupboard, lying at the corner of the room with bags of herbs in them, Cliffe realized that it would possibly be hours before he’d have Lenna to himself again. Sighing, he walked up the stairs, back towards his room before closing the door behind him.

He set the potion bottle on the table before sitting down on the bed, taking off his coat and tossing it aside. He then slumped back and stared at the ceiling, letting his mind wander. And that was never a good thing. It took him back to a few nights ago, while Lenna and Cliffe were lying awake in bed.

‘Our home used to be beside a river, back when mom and dad were alive,’ Lenna’s voice rang in his head. ‘Once we were done with our chores, Alex and I’d run along the river just to see how far it went. Dad never let us go far though…’

‘Must’ve been nice, growing up with a brother,’ Cliffe smiled, stroking her hair gently.

‘Maybe you have a brother,’ Lenna said, looking up at him. ‘Maybe you even have a sister.’ She started laughing. ‘That must’ve been neater, growing up with you.’

Cliffe shook his head. ‘I might’ve been a brat.’

Lenna got up and leaned closer. ‘Oh I know you were. It just works because I was a brat too when I was younger. Alex was the ‘disciplined’ one then. Now look at us… I’m the one who stares at him disapprovingly when he comes home covered with wounds and smelling of beer.’

Cliffe laughed. ‘I doubt I’ll ever be able to imagine Alex being the good one…’ As his voice trailed off, he slumped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. ‘You miss your childhood, don’t you?’

Lenna shook her head in response, ‘Not that much. If I hadn’t grown up, I probably wouldn’t have met you. Guess that’s a fair trade-off. And the fact that my childhood is past is the reason why it makes such a good story.’

Cliffe hadn’t slept that night. He watched as Lenna slept, warm and safe in his arms.

‘I wish I had stories to tell you,’ he sighed. ‘If only…’

Back in the present, Cliffe sat up from bed, saw the potion, and made a decision. He got up and walked over to the table, grabbing the bottle before heading over to the writing desk by the window where the jug of water was. He did as he had been instructed, pouring the water into a glass before adding two drops of the potion. It dissolved quickly, and Cliffe drank it down quickly before slamming the glass down on the table.

Silence. He stood still, looking at the empty glass on the table, as though waiting for something to happen.

‘Nothing…’

He was just about to breathe those words when his head started to throb. Groaning slightly, he staggered back to bed before slumping down, overcome by a sudden weariness induced by the potion. His mind never leaving Lenna who was still downstairs, he drifted off to sleep.

-

‘Cliffe?’

Hearing the sound of laughter, with the light of the sun falling on his face, he opened his eyes to see a girl smiling back at him. Laughing, the girl tugged him by the hand, forcing him into a sitting position.

‘Wake up you lazy ass!’

He wasn’t in his room anymore. That much was for certain. He was sitting in a field of grass by a crystal clear river, the flowers around him in bloom as a clear sign of spring. Meanwhile the girl was running in circles round him, laughing loudly. There was something infectious about her laughter that made Cliffe smile, and before long he was laughing as well.

‘Ellen, sit still why don’t you?’ Cliffe sighed, not realizing that he knew the girl’s name until he had said it.

The girl was possibly no younger then ten, no, she was ten. Cliffe just knew. She had long brown hair and dark brown eyes to match his. There were red ribbons in her white dress, and her smile itself was sunshine. She was a handful to handle when she was in her active moods, and on beautiful days like today, it was impossible to keep her inside.

‘You promised!’ she exclaimed suddenly, stamping her foot.

Smiling back, Cliffe stood up, all of a sudden remembering what it was he had promised.

‘Fine,’ he said. ‘But get one word of this to Ma, and I’ll toss you into the river, you hear me?’

‘Promise,’ she grinned, the way little girls did when they didn’t really mean it. Not that it mattered though. Cliffe had made the promise first, and thus owed her to keep his. His smile widening, he walked ahead, away from the river towards the forest.

‘You’re going to have to be able to keep up though.’

-

Laughter.

Sunshine.

Screaming.

Blood.

Her voice, singing over the sound of the river.

A howl rising above the sound of teeth digging into flesh.

His smile reflected in her eyes.

Fangs stained with blood reflected in the water.

Still more screaming.

-

And then there was the river. Her lifeless body in his arms and tears flowing down his muzzle, he stood with his waist into the water, lowering her gently to the water’s embrace.

Blood on his hands.

-

Cliffe opened his eyes with a start, jolting upright immediately. Beside him, Lenna lay sound asleep, the moonlight shining in through the window onto her face. Panting, his face covered with sweat, Cliffe got up from bed slowly before heading to the writing desk, where the potion bottle was.

‘That can’t have been my past…,’ Cliffe whispered to himself, picking up the bottle. ‘There’s something wrong with this thing…’

He raised the bottle above his head, planning to throw smash it onto the floor.

And his eyes fell on Lenna.

‘Maybe you have a brother. Maybe you even have a sister. That must’ve been neat, growing up with you.’

And Cliffe put the bottle back carefully onto the desk. Maybe he had taken it at the wrong time. He decided he’d try again tomorrow night.

‘Then I’ll have stories to tell you,’ he whispered to himself. ‘About my sister, Ellen. And how she didn’t die. How she’s still alive somewhere, probably married. Let’s go see her.’

Silently, Cliffe slipped back into bed beside Lenna.

Outside, it had started to rain.

He woke up earlier than Lenna that morning, and got out of bed immediately. It was still raining, like the day before, but for some reason he just didn’t feel like staying in bed today. There wasn’t really anything for him to do, but there was a certain kind of unease now, whenever he lay beside Lenna. He couldn’t really explain it yet, but he hoped that by tomorrow everything would be clear. Tyler hadn’t mentioned exactly how much time the potion would take until his memories would be restored completely. As Cliffe walked for the door, he contemplated paying Tyler a visit to ask for the specifics. But then he realized that he didn’t really mind. He wasn’t in that much of a hurry yet. If there was anything he was in a hurry to clarify, though, it was whether Ellen was still alive, and if she wasn’t, who or what killed her.

“Hey.”

Cliffe turned around with a start when he heard Lenna call his name. Seeing her sitting up, he managed a smile and said, “Good morning. I was just going to get breakfast ready.”

Lenna smiled back, yawned and stretched before lying back in bed. “Since when do you cook? Either way, I’m not that hungry. Why don’t we just have today to make up for yesterday? Let’s just stay in bed….”

Cliffe shook his head. “I’m sorry, I’m just…hungry. Must’ve been because I missed dinner last night,” he sighed, quickly walking out the door before Lenna could pursue the subject further.

As Cliffe ate alone at the table that morning, seeing the fact that Lenna was stubborn about not getting up, with or without Cliffe, he let his mind wander to the effects of the potion he’d took the night before. Before taking it, his biggest fear was that he would be reminded of another woman, another commitment that would force him to leave Lenna. He had been so worried about that detail that he’d completely forgotten that there were other things to worry about too.

Like if he was even a good person before he had come here.

He found himself looking at his hands every so often, almost as though expecting to see blood there. Of course, his hands were clean now, but what worried him now was if, other than the blood of the wild monsters he’d slain since he’d got here, there was the blood of someone else there- the blood of a little girl, his little sister. Again, he contemplated getting rid of the potion, but his curiosity held him back. Besides, even without the potion, theoretically his memories would return to him eventually anyway. Better now than later, when his love would have grown so much that he would not be able to make decisions clearly.

He acted normal around Lenna for the rest of the day. He listened while she read him stories by the fireplace. He helped her prepare dinner and clean up the house. When the rain cleared, they went walking outside by the river. There was no conversation between them then. There never was when it came to their evening walks. All there was were hands held together and a silent kind of conversation between the two, requiring only the sense of sight and touch. That part of the day had been the hardest for Cliffe. It was hard not to look at Lenna and the river without recalling the images from his dream, but he kept his mouth shut anyway and continued his charade, telling himself that the time would come where he would tell her, when he was ready to do so, when he had something good to tell her.

And that night, upon returning from the tavern at the village with Lenna, Cliffe took the potion.

-

He was running. The sun would set at any moment now, and then it would begin. Last night he had killed the local barkeeper on his way home. A case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a mistake, mostly his rather than the dead person’s. Had he paid attention to the symptoms, he would have been known earlier, and would have probably managed to either restrain himself or at least get himself a good distance away from the village so that he wouldn’t risk hurting anyone else.

And after tonight… well it was obvious now that he couldn’t stay. His mother didn’t know, and his father was just as clueless, which was just as well because they would be the ones rousing the village people to go after him with pitchforks and torches were they to find out what he had become.

He had made a serious miscalculation on that day, however, and had left the house later than he had originally planned, held back by a last minute errand his mother had sent him on. And so it was that he had not made it far away enough in time for the beast to take over.

-

She had followed him.

The realization came the moment he opened his eyes the next morning, for her face was the first thing he saw. He was lying on the forest floor, with ants and flies surrounding him and...

Her.

Her lifeless eyes were still open, still holding the shock and horror from what she must have seen.

His hands were stained with blood.

-

The river would wash the blood clean. The river would wash everything away. She used to like it so much… now it would be her final resting place. Her lifeless body in her arms, he proceeded slowly, carefully into the water.

-

Cliffe woke up with such a start that Lenna instantly woke up as well. Outside it was still dark and the rain was at its heaviest, pounding mercilessly on the windowpane. Panting, Cliffe instantly got up on his feet and stumbled for the door, grabbing his coat as he did so.

“Cliffe? What’s going on?” Lenna asked, starting to panic.

Cliffe didn’t answer. Couldn’t answer. He ran down the stairs, nearly breaking down the front door before he ran out into the night towards the forest, without looking back.

-

Just as much as Cliffe’s sudden departure had been rash and sudden, Lenna’s response was almost just as immediate. Seeing Cliffe get up so suddenly, snarling, Lenna’s first thought would have been that there was something inside the house, or something trying to get in. When Cliffe had left without saying a word, right out the door, Lenna knew that there was something more. Not bothering to change, Lenna ran down the stairs and out the front door, completely forgetting the crossbow that she’d under normal occasions never leave home without as long as Cliffe wasn’t with her.

Which was just as fine, because she wasn’t planning on coming home without him.

With the heavy rain and the thunderstorms in the distance, Lenna doubted that she would ever catch up with Cliffe. That didn’t stop her from running, however. Her mind was set on him and him alone. Soaking wet and the hem of her robes stained with mud, she pressed on, shouting his name over the sound of the rain.

He heard, but he did not reply. All he could think of now was getting away. His tears mixed with the rain coming from above, and his heart screamed for him to stop and turn back. Still he pressed on, driven on by an almost mechanical urge to run and keep on running until he would not be able to press on any further.

‘What am I doing?’

He tripped on the root of a tree and stumbled forward onto the ground. His fur and coat now stained with mud, he got up slowly.

‘I killed her. I’m not sure if I did it with or without control over this cursed body, but I killed her.’

Realizing suddenly how tired he was, he moved closer towards a nearby tree, taking shelter from the rain.

‘But I have perfect control now… It won’t happen again.’

‘Are you seriously willing to take that risk?’

He curled himself up into a ball and lay there in the mud, crying for his world to end.

And that was when he heard her scream.

In a response that was just as instantaneous as his response to the dream, he got up quickly, a look of wild panic appearing in his eyes. Forgetting everything else, he started running again, only this time he was running back towards her.

He ran faster than he would have ever thought possible, surprised at how much energy he suddenly had considering the fact that only moments ago he had been exhausted. He didn’t dwell too much on the details, however. As much as getting away had been the only thing on his mind when he had left the house, getting to her was now the only thing he was allowed to concentrate on.

‘She came after me. All the way into the forest! If anything happens to her I’ll never forgive myself. I was supposed to take care of her, damnit!’

The sight that caught his eyes, causing him to stop almost made his heart stop beating. Even the rain around him began to slow down as the image of Lenna lying against a nearby tree, blood gushing from a wound in her shoulder came into view. For what felt like the longest time, Cliffe could only stare at her, not knowing what to do.

Then he saw it. Standing only a few feet away from Lenna, was a large, bear-like creature with huge claws and spines protruding from its back. The claws were stained in blood, and that was all that Cliffe needed to know. This thing was the culprit.

If there truly was a monster hidden within Cliffe’s nest of forgotten memories, it was unleashed that night. Driven by a rage as which he’d never known before, Cliffe literally tore the thing apart, limb from limb. It ended too quickly. Much too quickly. Before he knew it, he was alone with her again.

Except that she wasn’t breathing.

“Lenna?” Cliffe asked, slightly quivering from the cold as he approached her. “Lenna, it’s over now, I’m sorry.”

He knelt beside her.

“I…I came back, you see? I’m right here.”

He touched her left cheek, expecting her to open her eyes.

She didn’t.

“I’m not the great person you think I am, Lenna. I couldn’t stay, Lenna., or at least, I thought I couldn’t stay. Now I realize that I can’t leave, either, and you know why, Lenna. So please, just open your eyes so that we can go home together!” he shouted, his voice pleading.

It took him all his courage to lean closer to try and listen for her heartbeat.

True enough, it wasn’t there. He tried again and again, tears flooding his eyes, but still the fact remained that Lenna wasn’t breathing anymore.

“No.”

Cliffe backed off slowly, refusing to believe what was now lying right in front of him.

“No,” he repeated, shouting now over the sound of the rain. Then, finally, as he knelt beside her lifeless body, he repeated the word again, barely a whimper now, lost in the wind.

-

The rain had stopped by the time Cliffe reached the river, Lenna’s lifeless body in his arms. The river would wash the blood away. The river would wash everything away. As he proceeded carefully into the water, he whispered his goodbyes under his breath, only hoping that she would be able to hear them.

“It wasn’t supposed to end this way, you know,” he said slowly, as simply as though she were walking right beside him, listening to him speak. “You should have stayed. You shouldn’t have come after me, you idiot. Now look at what’s happened…”

The water was at his waist by the time he stopped moving any closer towards the center of the river.

“Now what am I supposed to do?” he asked, his voice full of pain and misery. “Where do I go now? I killed you, Lenna. I killed you. I promised Alex that I’d take care of you…and I can’t really let go now. Until you’re safe and sound.”

“C…Cliffe?”

Her voice came softly, like a prayer answered. He looked down at her to see her eyes opening, looking up at his, blood streaming down her lips. And still she could afford to smile.

“You came back…”

Not wanting to find out if he was imagining things, Cliffe immediately turned around and started moving back to the river banks so that he could run Lenna home, or better yet, to the village.

“Put me down, Cliffe, I’m alright,” she said, strength coming back to her voice.

“But you weren’t breathing,” Cliffe replied, staring at her with disbelief. “Your heart wasn’t beating.”

“Quillbear, Cliffe, you idiot. Poison. The paralysis has sort of worn off now, and I need to get on my feet to recover, so put me down.”

Cliffe did as he was told, lowering her carefully so that her feet would touch the river floor. True enough, she was standing, even though her eyes were riddled with pain and exhaustion, she was going to live.

“You scared me,” Cliffe said, looking down with shame.

Lenna looked at him, and smiled. “It’s only fair then, because you scared me.”

-

Two days later, Lenna came into the grocery store at the village to find Tyler alone at the counter. As she entered, he stood up and walked towards her.

“Good morning, Lenna,” he said. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Lenna turned to look at him, and their eyes met. Wordlessly, she reached into her robes and pulled out a bottle containing clear blue liquid. Upon seeing this, and the firm look in Lenna’s eyes, Tyler knew immediately what was going on.

“If there was a spell that could restore Cliffe’s memories, I would have found it a long time ago,” Lenna said, her voice cold and sharp. “I know what this is, Tyler, and I know what you were trying to achieve. The only thing I want to know, is why.”

Tyler stared at her for a while, looking as stunned as though she had just told him the world was ending. Staggering back slightly, he sat back on his wooden chair at the counter, looking up at her for a while before finding the strength to talk.

“Because it’s not fair.”

Lenna shook her head, her eyes narrowing with confusion. “What?”

Tyler stood up again, pacing towards the corner of the room, keeping his distance from Lenna. “I’ve known you longer, Lenna. Much, much longer. We moved here together, and you were there when my mother died.” His eyes welled up with tears that he quickly wiped away. “And then he turns up half-dead at your doorstep and you fall in love with him? He’s a werewolf, Lenna! What can he offer you that I can’t?”

Lenna’s eyes widened slightly upon realizing what all this was about. “If I love him, then it’s not something you can wish away with potions and magic, Tyler. That’s not what magic is for,” she said in a firm and authorative voice. “And if you really loved me, you would not have done what you did.”

“But-

Before he could answer, Lenna tossed the potion bottle towards him. He ducked just in time for the bottle to smash against the window behind him, shattering to pieces. The sudden outburst of anger silenced him indefinitely.

“Forging memories is dark magic, Tyler. It probably took you a lot to get that done,” Lenna said, moving closer towards him.

“But compared to what I can do to you if you ever do that again, that was just child’s play.”

Tyler backed off, the unmistakenable look of fear in his eyes.

Almost as suddenly as Lenna had shown her anger, she hid it again, and she managed a warm smile.

“Cliffe thinks that you made an attempt and failed innocently, giving him all those fake memories. It would be best if you don’t act too oddly around him. Apologize the next time he comes in. We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you if Cliffe accidentally finds out what you gave to him, would we?”

And at that, Lenna walked out the door.

-

That night, the two of them lay together outside in the grass, staring up at the full moon. It was a beautiful night and the fireflies were out, dancing by the river side.

“So you don’t have a sister, and you did not kill her,” Lenna said. “The memories were all fake. Tyler isn’t really known for being experienced at brewing potions, and besides, potions involving memories are never really stable or dependable.”

“I’ll keep that in mind next time,” Cliffe smiled, leaning closer towards her. “It’s just that…”

Lenna looked up at him, a worried look on her face. “Finish the sentence.”

“Now I’m back to square one,” Cliffe sighed. “No memories whatsoever.”

Shaking her head, Lenna sat up, squeezing Cliffe’s hand tightly. “You idiot. Has that ever prevented me from loving you?”

Cliffe sat up beside her. “No, but I just need to be someone, Lenna. I want to have stories to tell you, and a last name, and a family that I can introduce to you-

“They’ll come in time,” she promised. “But what’s wrong with just being who you are until then? Look, Cliffe, if not having memories was a problem, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. I wouldn’t be sleeping by your side every night, kissing you at every opportunity I can get. I love you, Cliffe, regardless of you were before, and who you might become. Because I know you, and with or without a past, you couldn’t be that much different than you are now- the man I love.”

They stared at each other in complete silence for a long while, until finally, Cliffe managed a wolfish grin and said, “Thanks.”

As they lay back against the grass, Cliffe whispered in her ear, “Remind me to kiss you when the morning comes.”

Fin

Author’s Note: Yes, the Cliffe and Lenna in this story are most definitely the very same ones from Hell’s Blade. Why didn’t I just put this in as a chapter, you ask? Simple, because, one, it has nothing to do with the main storyline, meaning I won’t so much as quote this incident at any time, and two, because Book Two has more than it’s fair share of romance scenes. I didn’t want to overdo it.

I’m quite notorious among my friends for bad endings when it comes to romantic relationships in my story. So are Cliffe and Lenna going to be together when the whole story ends? I just might show them some kindness, considering they’re my favorite couple to write about, but then that might just subject them to an even more tragic ending. So will they survive or not? You’re going to have to read Hell’s Blade to find out.

Cheers.