Mara - The Lady Grief (Completed)

19 The Color Grey

2651 B.C.E., City of Tmari-on-the-Euphrates

Early Fall, Month of Ululu, One Year and Six Months after Mara's Rebirth

Thelios

I impatiently wait a week. I am busy with the city, with the list of crimes and investigations and the new training regime, but my mind is never far from her. I have seen her only twice, both times from afar as she successfully manages to evade me each time.

I've sent her gifts. A necklace, a bracelet, a box of sweets, normal shit that my Recondites tell me females enjoy getting. She returned all but the sweets. So I keep sending those.

Unfortunately for the safety and security of the city, my brethren never asked me if planning was my strength. It's not.

So, it's a simple plan. Straightforward. Basically, I will enter the death temple and find my Sprite's rooms and wait for her there.

I suffer no guilt from committing a crime while the hawk tattoo sits on my throat for the entire city to see. I'm fucking desparate.

The first piece of my plan to capture my Fated falls into place as I knew it would. I stroll into the garden of the Temple of Nateos with confidence. I usually don't do simple patrol duty. As Captain I have had more serious, stressful duties.

I mumble some excuse to the two young recruits who normally do this patrol. "I will be taking this patrol. Investigation. More instruction later." They gaze back at me, uncertainty in their faces.

My brother in arms 'rescues' me from their regard. Belen, who won't stay at our barracks because he's determined to be a boil on my ass, grins madly at the two Recondites. Clapping them on the shoulders he practically shouts, "can't you see the male needs to go a'courtin?"

"Shut up, Bel," I mumble.

Astonishment lights the two recruits faces, before all three of them dissolve into laughter.

"Get lost," I growl. Pushing past them, I studiously avoid meeting their gazes. I imagine that by the time I return to the barracks every Recondite recruit and warrior will know all about Belen's joke. Gods, even the prostitutes and servants will know.

I push into the Temple proper, happy when the solid doors block out the chuckling idiots in the garden.

I heave out a breath. Well, that could have been worse, I suppose. Now, I just need to find my female's rooms and no amount of ribbing from my brother will stop me.

I walk in the general direction of the private temple. Recondites do not enter the sacred sites, but the hallways and private rooms of the priests are not off limits to us. Convenient, because eventually my sprite will have to join me in her rooms.

I follow the pull, the scent of her, into the catacombs. Interesting choice for rooms, my love. I know it's wrong, but I enter my female's private space, happy to not scent any male in her suite. There is no male in her life of any significance according to the gossip in the city. I don't give two fucks if she is or isn't virginal, but I would kill any male who tried to claim her as his.

A cold locker near a table, filled with half-melted ice, keeps a flagon of wine, a bite of cheese, and some pomegranates chilled for her. Good, she does not go hungry. I smile to myself, her generous curves told me that, but a male must make sure his female is safe and cared for, even if she is as precious and powerful as my sprite. Especially if she is my sprite.

I sneak the necklace and bracelet onto one of the shelves. I can be stubborn, too, sweet sprite, I smile to myself. I put the new box of sweets on her table.