They lay there in the sun for an unknown length of time,
Renamon gently holding the slimmer body of Rika close to her own. The
girl's breathing gradually dropped off, and Renamon realized that she
had fallen asleep.
'Must have been the wine,' Renamon thought with a smile.
Rika's red hair fell gently about her face. A beautiful,
lively face, that was rendered peaceful by the balm of sleep. She was
such a mass of contradictions, Renamon wondered if she would ever
fully understand her. She could be as hard as rock guarding the honor
of her lands, but also held a gentle side, like when she granted Kari
and Yolie's petition. She always sought to do what she thought was
right, no matter the personal cost.
'And what of I?' Renamon wondered. She still didn't understand
the instant connection she had felt upon meeting Rika. She didn't know
why she couldn't slay the girl as commanded by the guildmaster. And
she certainly didn't understand how a girl like Rika had so quickly
become the focus of her entire existence. But Rika was that focus,
there was no denying that.
Rika snuggled in a bit closer to the warmth of Renamon's fur.
'And what will I do when the time comes for her to leave me?' Renamon
wondered. Someday, she would find a way to stop the assassins of Lord
Takato, freeing Rika from needing her as a bodyguard. 'And what will
happen to me then?' she thought sadly.
Rika stirred, then she looked up sleepily into Renamon's eyes
with her own shockingly green ones, "I would never ask you to leave
me."
"I... said that aloud?" Renamon blinked in honest surprise.
"No," Rika shook her head, her own eyes widening somewhat. "I
heard what you were thinking, when you were holding me," Rika
murmured.
'What on earth?' Renamon wondered. She stepped away from Rika
carefully to ask her, "Did you hear that?"
"No," Rika looked a bit shaken, "it only seems to work when we
are touching."
Renamon nodded slightly, and Rika could see from the grave
expression on her face that she was thinking furiously. "First I will
take you back home," she finally said, "Then I will leave immediately,
never to return."
"No!" Rika exclaimed, then softly, "Why?"
Renamon hesitated, "You heard my thoughts, Rika." More softly
she added, "You know how I feel about..." she trailed off.
"Me," Rika nodded thoughtfully. Gathering up her will Rika met
Renamon's eyes, "If I have become the focus of your life, so too have
you become the focus of mine. To be parted from you, it would be like
losing a part of myself."
"Rika, you don't understand," Renamon started to say, only to
be cut off by the younger woman's curt gesture.
"You're right, I don't understand," Rika said intensely, "I
don't understand why having you protect me makes my heart skip a beat.
I don't understand why I can miss you even when you're gone only a few
moments." She smiled wryly, "I don't understand why, when you're
holding me in your arms, I want you to do so much more."
At that last statement, Renamon blushed slightly, making Rika
wonder if she too might share that certain desire.
"I don't understand any of it," Rika smiled gently. "But the
only way either of us will ever understand," she finished, "is if we
stay together."
"I didn't know," Renamon said softly. She smiled at Rika
tentatively, and Rika felt her heart lift as she smiled back.
"So what do we do now?" Rika quietly asked her.
With a teasing little smile Renamon said, "First we get you
dressed, then I'll take us both home. And together we'll try to figure
out what's going on."
Rika flushed a bit, noticing that yes, she was still prancing
about in just her bra and panties. With all the excitement, she had
forgotten her state of undress. She quickly picked up her now dry
clothes from the grass with a slight blush, "Good idea."
Renamon kept her head averted while she packed the wine and
food away in the storage cache, only rising one Rika gave her a wave.
She offered her hand to the girl, "Shall we?"
Rika took that hand, bracing herself for another rush of
thoughts and feelings, only to feel nothing unusual. "It didn't happen
again," Rika said softly.
"No, it didn't," Renamon agreed, "interesting." She swept Rika
up into her arms again, holding the girl close.
"I wonder why?" a frowning Rika wondered. It had been very
strange, feeling and thinking what Renamon had done, but it had also
felt good, somehow. She was even a bit surprised to realize that she
actually missed it.
"I don't know," Renamon murmured as they left the little
oasis. "I wish I knew more about my kind," she said as she silently
made her way down the cliff and into the forest, "such knowledge might
answer a great many of our questions."
"There is a man who claims to be a mystic in the village,"
Rika offered, "he says that he knows a great deal of the creatures of
magic. He might be able to help."
"Indeed," Renamon murmured thoughtfully, "what is his name?"
"Henry, I believe," Rika frowned.
They moved through the forest greenery almost completely
silently, swiftly coming into sight of the small town. Stealthily they
made their way unobserved to the castle itself, then finally up to
Rika's own set of bed chambers. Renamon put Rika down gently, and for
just a moment Rika got a flash of reluctance from Renamon.
The kitsune straightened smoothly, "We should let Rio know
that we've returned."
"Do we have to?" Rika sighed.
Renamon was visibly fighting back a smile as she said, "The
poor fellow had been dealing with your absence for nearly a day. We
can at least let him know you've back."
"He's going to yell at me again," Rika noted.
The smile Renamon gave her was wicked, "You mean, he'll try to
yell at you."
Rika had to smile back, "True."
Thankfully, Rio was so happy at finally having Rika back home
that he didn't even yell at her. Also, the forbidding presence of
Renamon glowering down at him probably also helped in his decision to
hold his tongue.
Tired, Rika began to retire for the night under Renamon's
thoughtful gaze. Rika climbed into her bed, then she looked up at
Renamon expectantly.
"What?" Renamon blinked.
"Aren't you going to guard me from nightmares?" Rika asked
with a little smile.
"I thought... well, after today..." Renamon fumbled.
"Please?" Rika mustered as much appeal as she could and put it
in her eyes.
"Oh course," Renamon gently lay down by Rika, enfolding her
safely in her arms.
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