Chapter 147: Sparring and swearing
I asked Leah to go through a quick training with me, an in-joke spar to loosen our limbs and shake off the gloomy thoughts . Under the open area of her room, we practiced basic movements and happy exercises, our laughter merging with the friction of rubbing clothes and quiet thud of feet. For a brief time, there was the illusion that the burden of our worries had been shed behind us, and that there remained nothing but the unadulterated exhilaration of motion and fellowship.
After a while, a knock came at the door, and Calista stepped in, she greeted me respectfully and then turned to Leah with a smile as she started at Leah with adoration "It’s time for me to show you what I promised to show you.," she moved on in her drawl voice, and then there was an expression of tenderness on Leah’s face before Leah placed her hand in Calista’s and headed off, I said goodbyes to them as I quietly exited Leah’s room, shutting the door gently.
With the laughter and camaraderie still fresh in my mind, I walked to the quiet of the lake shore. I left the pack house and walked along a narrow, curving trail until I was in a secluded spot close to the water. The lake lay before me, a broad, serene mirror of the muted hues of the late afternoon sky. The gentle lapping of water against the shore and the gentle rustle of wind through the reeds created an oasis of calm.
I sat myself down at the water's edge, my toes floating above the water, and shut my eyes to simply be in the outdoors. Here, in the calming embrace of the lake, I let my mind ramble where it wished. I remembered the day's laughter, the sweetness of friends, and the moving confidence in Leah's voice. Each ripple of water on the lake, each whistle of wind, brought me back to a soft whisper that life consisted of an endless number of soft moments, a tapestry embroidered with both tears and joys, made of twine.
It wore me down bit by bit as I stood by the lake, under a stagnant solitude that healed and re-made me. The atrocities of yesterday and uncertain challenges tomorrow out in the distance waited for me, overshadowed by the serene beat of the water and the steadfast pulse of my heart. I closed my eyes and let the soft breeze clear out any lingering load which had lingered, promising to rediscover such instants whenever I might require a reminder that such ordinary matters were still available.
As dusk gave way to a balmy evening, I felt the acute pull of home, a sense of longing for the comforting arms that had always enveloped me to its bosom. While the quiet of the lake shore was forever stamped on my very being, I returned to the pack house and went to Grayson's room. I needed his warmth after a day of partying and playful intimacy.
The corridors glowed softly with the dim light of evening as I walked towards our shared haven. I opened the door and was a bit disappointed that he wasn’t there, I sighed as I went to take a shower, then I slipped into bed, I was about to fall asleep when I heard the door open and close quietly, then I was surrounded by Grayson's calming, warm aroma, a blend of pine, leather, and a hint of something purely him. I felt the bed dip as powerful arms encircled my waist . I shifted in his arms, and his furrowed grey eyes locked on mine with an expression of love.
"Althea," he whispered gently, his voice a soothing touch, "I love you, and I'll protect you with my life." They were words, loving words, words that sounded like vows, tender and obstinate and fashioned out of that sort of impenetrable devotion that made it seem safe. His lips caressed and soft, tracing the curve of my neck to the curve of my collarbone. I held on tighter, the thudding beat of his heart a calming melody that pushed the weariness of the day away.
For one impossibly long, heavenly minute, I allowed myself to be lost in the warm aloneness of his arms. Every stroke of skin, every whispered word, appeared to keep the broken fragments of my heart together, mend me. There in that sacred space, his arms wrapped me in love and his gentle lips branded his vow upon my forehead, I could feel the world outside recede until all that was left was the quiet, unspoken vow of our love.
The night descended upon me as I lay sleeping in Grayson's arms, the rough sound of the pack house growing distant.
No indication of anything else; I don't recall that night. Wrapped up in the hot heat of our combined warmth, I considered the day, a day of easy enjoyment, warm smiles, and gentle repair. I recalled the exciting practice game, the breakfast syrup under the sycamore tree, and the pleasant walk downtown. I recalled Leah's sorrowful secret and the way the friends' laughter stitched a quilt of happiness that filled even the densest shadows with light.
Every smile, every joke, every moment with him were now a valuable strand in the fabric of my existence, a tapestry with, even with the weight of fate and age-old magic, the golden radiance of love and friendship. In this refuge, I expressed gratitude to those who lent purpose to my life and the daily joys that I had reminding me of the greatness of life.
As slumber drew near, I burrowed deeper into Grayson, the warmth of his body and gentle voice a lullaby. "Thank you, Grayson," I whispered into the blackness. "For every moment of laughter, every tear, every breath of joy we'll find." His gentle touch of lips upon my forehead was a vow that regardless of what the world held for me, I would always be protected in his embrace.
Sleeping off into dreams, I shut my eyes with a heart brimming with hope and with an unuttered strong inner determination that tomorrow too would consist of the simple golden delights of life. I vowed to myself that the bonds of friendship and love would ever remain the beacon light even in the blackest night.