Shadow War campaign In-Game: Chapter 71- Fash and Tren

[Strifeter]

Tren shrugs and chuckles a little.

"I suppose so. Vin I need your expertise here. Where we are now do you think we could easily be ambushed?

[Navarre]

Vinnrog rubs his nose and looks around the area.

"It good place to stop. Aphra smart."

"But she's tired. Would have been better up on rise there."

"If you want, me hustle on up to top of hill and keep lookout while she rests. Give you chance to rest too and have sandwich."

"If me see any trouble, me signal you with mirror. Not hard to catch sunlight on day like this."

[Strifeter]

Tren nods.

"That would be great Vinrog thank you. I will be depending on your expertise a lot over the next few days. If there is any danger make sure first you can get out of there quick."

[Navarre]

Vinnrog grins and nods.

"No worry. Me have as much to live for as you, uh-huh?" he says, patting you on the shoulder and looking toward Serena and Inoke, who are settling in for a rest and a bite to eat.

He adjusts his bowler and moves surprisingly quietly for a big man as he disappears into the trees. You find yourself with a few moments to rest, eat, and quench your thirst.

[Strifeter]

Tren sits down to eat but remains slightly on edge waiting for Vins return.

[Navarre]

You rest for over half an hour. It is a needed respite and you already find yourself hoping for dusk.

Aphra languishes in the shade of the trees. She lays in an undignified fashion on her back, her canine feet sticking into the air and her arms spread out like wings.

Serena takes a few minutes to review some book or another, as you've seen her do a thousand times. You know it is best to leave her to her thoughts at such times.

But soon enough you find her lying with her head on your outstretched legs. Despite the stickiness of her skin, your hand seems at home as it lightly strokes her head and hair.

She watches Inoke, who is eating half a loaf of hard bread with one hand and drawing shapes in the dirt with a stick using her other. Serena speaks lowly.

"She's an odd one, hmm? She looks every inch as barbaric as her mate but she seems more clever by half."

"It's easy to see she madly in love with Vinnrog but I can't say I see what he offers her other than I'm betting he's 'big', if you follow me."

"Love is a strange thing. It seeks it like air and try to hold it as much in vain."

"It is our greatest strength and weakness, to be certain. Sometimes I despise myself for letting it cloud my judgement."

"I love you, pet. You know this. But Bronwyn loved her father just as truly and look at the ruin to which it led her."

"I still miss her. I find myself wishing, every day, she were still alive."

"Her absence is like there is part of me missing. It is a dull ache I can often push to the back of my mind, but it is always there just the same."

"Yes, I miss her and I want her back. ... Is that stupid of me?"

"If you believe me to be stupid you are the only person alive who could live to say it freely, so don't miss you chance," she giggles a little; that soft sound reserved only for your ears.

[Strifeter]

Tren smiles at the giggle

"I wouldn't call you stupid for missing someone you considered close. You knew before her mind had been shattered and ultimately when she was still a girl. I guess I will have to give up the opportunity."

Tren looks over to Inoke.

"From what I know of Inoke and Vin. Vin saved her from the clutches of dark tomorrow in the old timeline. There is something that binds the two of them together but I have yet to figure out what."

[Navarre]

Serena tries to nod but, with her head lying on your legs, cannot. She rolls over, one exquisite leg sliding into view from beneath her leather skirt as she does so.

She places her hands under her chin and lays her head back on your leg. Her right hand slides soothingly over your outer thigh.

"I used to wonder if you have saved me or doomed me. I was happy in Moonshadow Manor. I had a best friend and even something much closer to parents than I ever had with Kassandra."

"Marcus and Lark loved Bronwyn, I have no doubt. It is difficult for me to believe in this soulless nature of vampires when I saw how they cared for her."

"They cared almost as much for me. It was the only thing I ever knew that was close to love before I learned to love you."

"I suppose maybe what I miss is family. I have spent half my life making my way at your side and, as much as Mordelus has taught me, it was never 'family' to me."

"I wish there was a connection to all of this. Something that would endure beyond me. Something I create with you."

She pauses, for quite a long moment.

"Tren...do you ever think about..."

She lets her voice trail off, a look of regret crossing her face that she spoke at all.

[Strifeter]

Tren looks at her.

"Yes I have. I suppose I have been selfish in taking that away from you when in reality I was trying simply to keep everything the way it was before we showed up there."

Tren holds her cheek and looks into her eyes.

"Maybe starting a family would be a change for us wouldn't it. I mean I have saved two universes already. WHats to say this one I take a back seat and let the others handle it a bit more."

[Navarre]

Serena sighs to herself.

"Because you're going to outlive me be about 650 years? Tren, pet, you'll even outlive our own child."

"I think one of the worst things in the world would be to outlive your own children. I don't want that for you."

"You should think of the future and what you can have. Hell, you'd be better off with this Elf woman we're tracking than with me."

[Strifeter]

Tren shakes his head.

"I didn't spend ten years in hell to run off with some elven woman. I truly love and adore you. Yes my kind lives longer but we are accustomed to the draw backs of such. I would never deny the world of bringing an offspring into this world. Especially with on who would be lucky enough to have you as it's mother."

Tren pauses.

"My future is with you and cannot see any other outcome I would want to be in."

[Navarre]

Serena smiles. It is not the coy, aloof smile she provides to everyone else but the warm, loving smile that causes her whole face to light up right down to the sparkle in her hazel eyes.

"I love you too, Tren."

A kiss, moist and exhilarating, finds your lips as Vinnrog enters the clearing.

"Hey now. No time for that. We have walking to do," he grins.

Aphra is on her feet and ready to move as Inoke is helped up with a loving hand from Vinnrog. He looks at you.

"Thought I saw something moving ahead, about a mile. Couldn't see what it was but it moving away from us so maybe nothing."

"Should hit edge of forest in morning. You ready, lover-boy? ha ha"

[Strifeter]

Tren smiles.

"I am always ready, lets move out."

[Navarre]

Shouldering your gear once again, you all move out into the forest. The sun is nearly overhead now, giving you little shelter even beneath the trees.

Serena is rather quiet. You can only surmise she is thinking about your earlier conversation.

You leave her to her thoughts, as is always best to do. Still, a smile plays at your lips when you feel her soft manicured hand slip into yours.

You keep a close eye out for whatever Vinnrog saw  but the forest seems very quiet.

[Strifeter]

Tren listens intently to the forest.

"It may be best to shoulder a weapon everyone. This forest is quite."