Soulmates Across Borders

Chapter 20

Solí and Pango approached the destroyed village of Itaone, on the lookout for lilac shrubs.

Her heart leapt. Off on the far side of the village, lilac bushes now grew where none used to be. She drifted forward, and as she circled the village and the field came into full view, she gasped at what she saw.

The fields beyond the far side of the village were filled with lilac bushes. It was almost as much as the beaver tribe had growing in their field.

Do you see the lilacs? Solí said. Thanks to their bond, she and her wolf could speak to each other while in mist-walking form.

It seems your soulmate kept his word. Pango followed behind her in his misty state.

I can sense him nearby, Solí said.

What should we do?

Let's stay in mist form and see if we can find him.

There might be others nearby. We need to keep our guard up.

Shit. I didn't bring any weapons with me, Solí said.

For now, let's just look around. We won't have to fight at all if we stay in our mist form.

Very true. She drifted through the lilac bushes, searching for Aer'ehk, her misty body humming from traveling such a long distance. She sensed Pango moving off to search the other side of the new lilac field.

She could sense Aer'ehk nearby, but she couldn't see him. Was he hiding? This baffled her. Maybe he watched her from afar to see what she would do.

She had no idea how she was going to gather all this lilac. Her soulmate had covered the field in purple petals. The thought put a smile on her misty face. He had professed his devotion to her by growing these flowers. Now she could denounce her betrothal to Tokah and have a future with Aer'ehk. She couldn't stop smiling at the thought.

We need to talk with Waiata and see what the wise women will allow us to do, Pango reminded her.

You're right. But a promise is a promise. Now that Aer'ehk has professed his love for me, I must keep my end of the bargain.

Pango let out a mental snuff. That was a foolish and rash thing to promise.

You're right, but it's too late now to take it back. Solí made her way through the field, drifting around as she zeroed in on Aer'ehk's position, until the morning grew warm. Maybe he wanted to keep his distance and give her some space.

Suddenly, she happened upon him in the field. He had fallen asleep, his body partially hidden by the lilac bushes as he lay in the grass. He must be exhausted after spending all night growing these lilacs. She knew from experience that performing makutu for extended periods of time was draining on the body and soul.

There didn't seem to be any other beastmen here. Pango, is it safe?

I don't see anyone, in the village or surrounding forest. We seem to be the only ones here.

I want to wake him up and try to say thank you.

Be careful.

I will.

She waved her misty hand, and the mist makutu melted away. She knelt down and pushed the lilacs aside. The sun's early morning rays shone down on Aer'ehk, making the fluffy gray fur on his wolf ears shine. She put her hand on his shoulder as he lay on his side.

The contact filled Solí with a rush of bliss as her spirit awakened. She gasped as the blissful sensations rushed over her. Touching him awakened her very soul in a forceful way that overwhelmed her completely. She came down to all fours and huffed for air.

Aer'ehk stirred awake and slowly sat up, giving her a smoldering gaze. "Solí," he said, and then he added a few words in his language.

"I can't understand you," she told him, shaking her head while holding her hand up.

He snatched her hand in his.

Her heart leapt. She felt that wave of bliss wash over her again. She saw the look on his face as he held her hand. He felt it too. They sat in the grass facing each other, holding hands and breathlessly staring into each other's eyes as their spirits swirled about their spines.

He caressed both of her hands together, gave them a soft pat, and then kissed her hands.

She felt herself hesitate. They couldn't understand each other. She couldn't tell him she had to leave and bring back help to gather all these lilacs. She couldn't tell him that she would come back. That she'd break off her engagement with Tokah somehow. That she really wanted to be with Aer'ehk.

She couldn't explain that she wanted to figure out a way that they could be together.

She didn't know what else to do, so she leaned into him and gave him a giant hug.

Aer'ehk returned the embrace. She felt a pulse deep within herself. It was her mana awakening at the base of her spine. Her spirit had never woken up by force like this. She held on tight to Aer'ehk's back, breathing in the soft scent of him; he smelled pleasant. She was unable to place the scents. It was certainly not by chance that he smelled this way. He must have bathed with more than just water to scrub away the dirt and sweat.

In contrast, Soli hadn't bathed in a few days. She probably smelled horrible. She was immediately embarrassed, and she tried to pull away, but Aer'ehk gripped her arms tight.

He gazed deeply into her eyes. Then his gaze drifted down to her lips, and suddenly, he pulled her into a kiss.

The contact made her spirit swell. It swirled at the base of her spine. The exhilarating rush of energy took her breath away. They stayed locked at the lips while they breathed in huge gasping breaths through their noses. The sensations washing over her overwhelmed her senses, and she grasped his hips tightly and brought her tongue to the edge of her lips.

The sacred circle at the base of her spine hummed.

Solí, Pango interrupted.

What? She pulled back and looked around. Do you see someone?

No, that's not it. I want you to stop and think about what you're doing. You don't know this man. Get a hold of yourself, alright?

You're right. She stood up and took a step back. She was lucky Pango was here. She almost made a mistake she couldn't take back.

Aer'ehk stood and smiled and said something, but she could only listen to the low rumble of his voice and wish she could make sense of his words. He brushed the hair away from her face and continued to talk to her, his gentle words washing over her.

He reached out and held her hands in his, gave her two kisses on her hands, and said something in his strange language, which sounded so much different when it came from his lips. No longer the ugly guttural language of the enemy, she now heard the softness of the consonants, and the elegance of the vowels. It sounded like poetry to her, though of course she couldn't grasp the meaning.

"Are you leaving?" she asked when he turned away.

He responded by pointing back toward the river. He would return to his duties, and she would be left to gather as many lilacs as she could carry.

He pulled her into a goodbye hug. The swirling mana at the base of her spine now felt more familiar instead of strange and overwhelming. She breathed and reveled in the sensation of her spirit rejoicing at the reuniting of these two souls that had spent far too many years of their lives apart.

He pulled away and pecked her on the nose with a cute little smile. Then he patted her upper arms and clearly said goodbye in his language.

"I'll see you in my dreams tonight," Solí said even though he couldn't understand her. Then she pointed to the sun in the sky and gestured with a wide sweep of her arm to indicate that the sun was traveling across the sky and setting. Then she put her hands together and lay them to the side of her head and closed her eyes. He smiled and nodded, and she hoped he understood.

She stood and watched him walk away until he disappeared around the tall lilac bushes.

~*~

1367 Words ~ 23459 Total