Darque Wants

by Diana Steele

  John could see that Lillian was thinking. He saw her jaw clench as she tried to fight back a tear. It was clear that Danielle had touched a nerve. Something she had said had brought up painful memories for Lillian.

  “You belong with people who will love you for who, and what, you are,” Danielle said.

  “You're right,” Lillian said suddenly. “People back home don't really care about me. They only care about me because of my title and that's not love at all.”

  “In Camp Outcast, you can shed your title and be loved for what is in your heart.”

  “I would like to stay here, Danielle,” Lillian said.

  “Welcome home,” Danielle said with a wide smile. “All we ask is that you carry your own weight. We travel to survive the harsh wastelands so you must be able to keep up. Can you handle that?”

  “Of course,” Lillian said sounding excited. “Where do I get a tent?”

  “You will have to build one with whatever you can find,” Danielle explained.

  “Until you find material, you are more than welcome to stay with me,” John said, interrupting the conversation.

  John blushed as Danielle and Lillian both stared at him. John was just as surprised by his outburst as they must have been. It wasn't uncommon for people to share tents, it was just unusual for strangers to share tents.

  “I have an extra mat for you to sleep on,” John continued.

  “Can't I stay with you?” Lillian asked Danielle.

  “Sorry, but I don't share my tent. I like my privacy,” Danielle said.

  “Then I guess I will stay with you,” Lillian said to John.

  Lillian walked out of Danielle's tent with John and towards the edge of the Camp where John had pitched his tent. On the walk back, in the full moon's light, she thought about the conversation she had just had with Danielle. She had never known that her grandfathers had been so cruel. Her Grandfather Strotwater had at least acted in what he thought to be in the best interest of his people, but both of them had made their laws based on nothing but anger and hatred.

  “Danielle is mixed-blood, right?” Lillian asked John as they entered his tent.

  “Yes, of course,” he answered.

  “So, she can't be any older than 20,” Lillian continued.

  “What's your point?” John wondered.

  “How is she Queen of the Outcasts? Don't the older people feel the need to lead?”

  “Danielle grew up with the rest of us Outcasts children,” John explained. “Back then, one of the older women was leading us. One day when she was 16, Danielle went missing in a sandstorm. We searched for days and we never found her. About two weeks later, Danielle just came walked into Camp. We were all so excited to see her and people kept asking her where she was. She never answered us. She just said that she was lost in a dark place, but she found her way back and she knows where to find food. Back in those days, food and water were hard to find. We followed her and she led us to a whole pack of wild boar. After that, we all just started doing what she said and nobody has ever really questioned it,” John said as he lit a fire and set up an extra bed for Lillian to sleep in.

  “Don't you find that a bit odd?” Lillian asked.

  “A lot of strange things happen in the Flatlands. Some people say these lands are cursed or haunted. I've seen things that I can't explain. After a while, you just accept strange things and try not to ask too many questions,” John said lying down in his bed.

  “What were you doing by the river?” Lillian asked, lying down in her own bed next to John's.

  “When we get this close to New Atlantis, I sneak across the river at night. With all the construction work going on at the palace, a lot of scrap materials get thrown into a big pile in the forest. Usually, it gets burned by the Builders. If I can get to it first, then I take as much as I can back to Camp and we use it to build or repair tents or weapons or whatever we need to do,” John explained. “What were you doing by the river? I've been sneaking over for almost 10 years now and I've never been caught.”

  “I overheard my Grandfather, the King, say he only loved half of me. I was upset so I ran. Then I saw you. I've never seen people on that side of the river so I followed you,” Lillian said.

  “That sounds terrible. I've heard stories about people in New Atlantis being cruel to Tribals and mixed-bloods like us, but I can't imagine how it must feel to hear that from your own family,” John said rolling over to his side to look Lilian in the eye.

  “That's the second time that has happened to me,” Lillian said fighting back a tear.

  “What do you mean?” John asked.

  “I grew up in Oldwoods with my father's people. When I was 14, I was supposed to go on my first hunt. My entire tribe barred me from the hunt and my grandfather, the Chief, took their side. It broke my heart,” Lillian said, still choking back tears.

  “We have all been rejected by the Valley,” John said reaching out to put a supportive hand on Lillian's shoulder. “That's why most of us kind of hate the Valley and the people in it. Outcasts are a tighter community than any in the Valley because we all know what it is like to be rejected. That shared pain makes us all very close. We are all one big family and you are part of that now. You can leave that pain in the past.”

  “It seems that way around here,” Lillian said putting her hand on John's. She really appreciated his kindness and hospitality. She could sense that he was genuinely concerned about her feelings and not worried about what he could gain from her. Someone treating her like that was a rare moment for her and it had never happened with anyone outside of her immediate family.

  “So, you know about my family it seems,” Lillian said trying to lighten the mood a bit. “What about your family? Are you close to your parents?”

  “I used to be very close to my mother. She moved to the Flatlands to join the Outcasts before I was born,” John said with a drop of sadness in his voice. “She died a two winters ago. Normally, we move to the Southern Wastelands when winter comes where it is warmer. That winter came early and we were stuck in the Flatlands when the first snows came. My mother died before we could get over the mountains.”

  “I'm very sorry to hear that,” Lillian said feeling pity for John. “I assume you don't know your father.”

  “No,” John said. “I only know that he was a Builder that worked on the palace. I don't even know if he knows I exist.”

  It was Lillian's turn to comfort John this time. She sat up and could see the sadness in his eyes. Reaching over, she took his hand and squeezed it tightly. “Thank you for giving me a place to stay,” she said attempting to lift his spirits.

  “It's my pleasure, Princess,” John said smiling. He wiped a tear from his eye and winked at her.

  Lillian giggled and smiled. The way he called her “Princess” and winked at her reminded Lillian of the way her father did the same thing with her mother. Suddenly, she thought about her parents and how they would feel when they discover that she has vanished. They will worry and assume that she was kidnapped or murdered. She felt so selfish for just running away.

  That thought was immediately replaced with the very fresh memory of her grandfather's conversation with Lord Erik. She wasn't even certain that her parents would actually miss her. They may even be glad that she is gone.

  Outside the tent, Lillian could hear a large animal shifting rocks under its feet as it walked. She heard it grunt and reached for her bow. John saw her and grabbed her arm.

  “Relax. It's just a lion. He won't come into the Camp. As long as we are inside, we are safe,” John said trying to calm Lillian down.

  Despite John's calmness about the lion outside the tent, Lillian was worried. She had only heard stories about lions and how violent they could be. Out of fear, she moved her bed closer to John's. With each step of the lion outside, she shifted closer to John. Soon, she was lying directly next to him. John must have sensed her fear and he wrapped his arm around her. Lillian felt calm and safe in his arms. With t
he feeling of his breath on the back of her head and his strong arm wrapped around her waist, she finally began to relax. Her breaths became deeper and deeper, matching the rhythm of John's breathing, until sleep finally overtook the two of them.

  John woke up the next morning to the sound of trumpets. He knew that sound meant that Danielle was calling a Camp meeting. He saw that Lillian was still lying in his arms sound asleep. He shook her gently to wake her up. She slowly opened her eyes and stretched out her arms and legs.

  “What's going on?” Lillian asked when she heard the trumpets sound again.

  “Danielle is calling the Camp to a meeting. Come with me,” John said.

  John led Lillian out of the tent into the early morning sunlight. He stood for a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the brightness then walked towards the center of Camp with Lillian following closely behind.

  When they arrived in the center of Camp, John and Lillian found a place to stand among the other Outcasts as they all gathered around Danielle's tent. After a few minutes, Danielle appeared and began to address the Camp.

  “I have decided that it is time for us to move again,” she began. “I believe that we will find food in the east at the foot of the Red Mountains. It is a long journey, but it is time for us to move on from this place. Eat a hearty breakfast and pack your belongings. We will be moving in three hours.”

  “Great, I still have to get my sled from the river,” John said to Lillian as they walked back towards his tent.

  “What sled?” Lillian asked.

  “We all have sleds or carriages to carry our things when we move. I was going to use mine last night to scavenge, but I ran off without it when you scared me,” John explained.

  “How long will it take you to go back for it?” Lillian asked.

  “Too long,” John said. “By the time I get back to Camp with it, everyone will be ready to leave and I won't even have had breakfast.”

  “As a way of thanking you for sharing your home with me, why don't you let me start breakfast. I can have food for you and your things packed up by the time you get back,” Lillian offered.

  “That would be great!” John said thankfully. “I'll be back as fast as I can. There are some pans and some dried meat in a green box in the tent,” he said to Lillian as he began walking off.

  John trusted that Lillian would be able to manage making breakfast and packing while he was away. She grew up being a Hunter so Camp living would come naturally to her. John ran as fast as he could back to the Eagle River and found his sled still hidden away in a patch of brush.

  Dragging his sled behind him, John rushed back to Camp. When he arrived back, most of Camp was packed away and ready to leave. He walked back to his site and saw Lillian struggling to break down his tent.

  “I'm back,” he said walking up to Lillian. “Do you want some help?”

  “I'm fine,” she said working on untying a knot. “I've got your things packed away and your food is waiting for you. I made fried eggs and bacon. I already ate so you go ahead and eat.”

  “Where did you get the eggs?” John wondered.

  “I traded a few strips of meat for them, I hope you don't mind,” Lillian told him.

  Impressed, John said, “I don't mind at all. You are a natural Outcast.”

  John finished his breakfast quickly then helped Lillian with the rest of the packing and loaded his tent and belongings onto his sled. The trumpets blared out across the Camp again, signaling that it was time to move. John wrapped the leather harness around his chest that attached him to his sled and started walking, dragging his entire life behind him.

  “Do you want help with all of that?” Lillian asked seeing the amount of weight on the sled.

  “Thanks, but I don't need it,” John told her. “I built this to slide across the Flatlands like a fish slides through water. I don't even feel the weight.”

  “Impressive,” Lillian said walking along side John.

  John and Lillian walked together through the rest of the day, only stopping briefly for lunch. He really appreciated Lillian keeping him company during the journey. As they walked on, the shared stories of his childhood and growing up in the Flatlands. He told her about summers in the Southern Wastelands and how much he enjoyed swimming in the giant lakes when the ice finally melted. In turn, Lillian told him about her youth in the Valley. He enjoyed listening to her stories of running through the forests chasing deer and rabbits and enjoying sunny days in the meadows.

  When the sun started to dip below the Red Mountains, Danielle ordered everyone to make Camp for the night. While John set up the tent, Lillian began preparing dinner. After dinner, they went to bed. At first, Lillian would sleep on her own cot, but as the night went on and they continued talking, Lillian would move closer and closer until she was in his arms again.

  This pattern continued over the next few days as the Outcasts moved closer and closer to the Red Mountains. John really enjoyed Lillian being with him. He found himself not only attracted to her beauty, but also her spirit, strength, and independence. He started to wish secretly that Lillian would never make her own tent and that she would stay with him forever. After four days of walking, they finally reached the base of the mighty Red Mountains. John and Lillian set up their campsite just as they had been doing and sat down for dinner together when it was all finished. John sat at the table across from Lillian and looked deep into her eyes.

  “Thank you for this,” John told her.

  “It's just some meat and eggs,” Lillian said smiling.

  “Not just this dinner, I mean for being so helpful with the journey. Helping me set up and break down the tent, walking and talking with me, it's all been very helpful,” John said.

  “It's really not a problem. You let me stay with you, it's really the least I can do to pay you back.”

  “There is something I want you to know,” John said standing up and walking across the table to Lillian.

  “What is that?” Lillian asked allowing John to take her by the hands and pull her up out of her seat.

  “These past few days of getting to know you, I've developed feelings for you,” John said holding Lillian's hands in his.

  “Feelings?” Lillian asked, blushing.

  “Romantic feelings,” John explained. “You are beautiful and clever and strong. I've never met a woman like you.”

  “John, I'm flattered,” Lillian said with a wide smile. “I feel the same way about you. I have just been too nervous to say anything. Nobody has ever been so kind to me in my entire life. You are such a wonderful man.”

  Hearing that, John's heart began to race. He wrapped his arms around Lillian's waist and pulled her close to him placing a tender kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, he looked into Lillian's eyes. They way she looked up at him with those brilliantly blue eyes intoxicated him. Losing control of himself, John pulled her in tightly and kissed her deeply and passionately.

  Lillian had never been kissed the way John kissed her in her entire life. The heat radiating from his lips rushed into hers and spread into her chest. She felt the blood rush though her veins as her heart pumped harder and faster.

  She felt John's hands move from her waist to her lower back as he pulled her closer to him. Lillian had never experienced the feelings she was now feeling before in her life. Her entire body operated on nothing but instinct and emotion as she wrapped her arms around John's waist, feeling the strong muscles in his back flex under her fingertips.

  John's lips parted slightly and Lillian felt his tongue begin to probe her lips. Without thinking, she opened her lips and allowed John's tongue access to her mouth. Gently and playfully, John brushed Lillian's tongue with his causing Lillian to quiver with a rush of pleasure and desire.

  The kiss intensified and Lillian's body craved more. She broke away from the kiss and pushed John down to the ground onto his bed. With John lying on his back, Lillian climbed on top of him, straddling his hips. She could feel John's excitement pressing aga
inst her virgin womanhood as she lowered onto him. She leaned down and began kissing John again running her hands up and down his torso, enjoying the solid wall of muscle that hid beneath his shirt.

  John sat up and removed his shirt, allowing Lillian to feel the warmth of his skin in direct contact with the flesh of her hands. The sight of John's muscular chest and abdomen only stoked the fire that burned in Lillian's loins. She kissed his chest and stomach, flicking his nipples teasingly with her tongue when she moved across them. John moaned with each teasing movement of Lillian's lips across his bare skin.

  Lillian felt John's hands on her backside, squeezing her firm bottom. She desired the feeling of John's hands and mouth on her body. Taking her hands off of John for just a moment, she reached up and pushed the thin straps of her tunic off her shoulders, exposing her perky breasts. She enjoyed the way John's eyes lit up with excitement when he saw them.

  “You really are beautiful,” John whispered, admiring Lillian's half exposed body and running his firm, calloused hands up and down her bare hips.

  Lillian moaned as John sat up and began to kiss her stomach and breasts, gently suckling on her nipples and biting them softly. Her muscles tightened with the sensation of pleasure and she ran her fingers through John's soft hair.

  Lillian's desire burned hotter with each kiss and touch form John on her bare skin. Her body demanded more and she could not deny herself the pleasure that she so desperately needed. She ran her hand down John's chest and past his stomach until she could feel his throbbing erection. She could hear John moan in pleasure as she wrapped her hand around it and slowly stroked it. She lifted her hips slightly and used her free hand to push John's pants down to his ankles. Wrapped up in this whirlwind of passion, John responded by removing Lillian's tunic.

  Lillian held John's manhood in her hand and aimed it at her opening. Slowly, she lowered herself down onto him. She paused for a moment when the tip entered her but continued on until she was fully penetrated. She moaned as each inch entered her and stretched her out. She paused and waited for her muscles to relax. Once the pain had passed, there was only pleasure and she felt electrical surges of ecstasy coursing through her body.