Tegan and Taj- An awkward romance

Rasera had never seen war, never been caught in its chaotic vortex as that such as Racksom, but even from where she had been, she was affected by it. She was sad for their people and the losses over pointless fighting. Mask had sent her away for her protection, told her to go to an unfamiliar town and gave her easy directions but she had gotten caught up in the war and the refugees that had not traveled as far east as the rest.

And now she was lost. Again. A frustrated sigh was torn from her lips as she sat along her small fire that she had made. She watched as the fire danced before her and became lost in thought for Mask. Why didn't he just go with her and not enter that stupid war? She winced at her own words, knowing Mask had done it to help and that stupid wasn't the right word. She sighed, looking down and picking up a nearby stick, throwing it into the fire. "Mask...where are you...?" She asked aloud, hoping silently that the stars above her would answer her call and bring him to her and not find out he had died in battle.

Rasera was so lost in thought herself that she didn't hear the pounding of hooves until they were literally in front of her, and then they stopped. Confused, she looked over to see a horse not far from her, it was looking in her direction and had no rider. Rasera stood, being careful not to scare the beast away as she got closer to it. (though it seemed like it wasn't going anywhere) "Are you lost?" She asked in a soothing tone, coming out of the light of the fire and into the moonlight where her eyes could adjust better.

This horse had a striking resemblance to Sorrahkin, and slowly she reached out, petting its mane. "You couldn't be..." She said and only then did she hear the groans and wheezing of someone. The rider must of gotten thrown off! Running over to his side and dropping to her knees, she gripped the man by the shoulders and turned him to face her to check for injury. "Are you oka-" Her sentence stopped abruptly and her eyes grew large. Laying in front of her was Mask, no Akar, alive and well...well good enough for being thrown off a horse. But she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Akar...?" She asked, not daring to touch him further in case he wasn't actually real.

Rasera was glad that Mask made the first move because otherwise she was unsure if she would ever be able to move again. Slowly once she realized that his solid mass was against her and not some vision she made up was hugging her she slowly wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "Idiot...I thought you had died or something..." There were tears in her voice that soon came to life and feel down her face in silver streaks. "Remind me to thank Sorrahkin later for throwing you from her..." She tried to laugh, all too relieved to see him alive but it came out a little strangled with the tears she was shedding.

Rasera couldn't help the faint smile and light blush that came to her face when Mask treated her so gently. He was also so caring of others. She found herself smiling the horse came over and started to nudge her, and she leaned up patting her on her neck. "I've missed you too." She said, and looked back to Mask. "Of course." She answered easily, standing and grabbing Mask's hand with an unconscious thought to lead him back to where her little fire had been. "Its not much, but its camp." She said, only then realizing she had been holding his hand and released him quickly.

"Did...you find your sister...?" She asked once she sat down, only half guessing the answer. She had guessed if he did, he would not have tried to return for her. And she had accepted that as something that would happen once she did return. She had come to terms with the idea but it was harder to think of losing him all together.

Rasera looked at him sadly and felt the change of emotion in him, this was happening a lot more often as of late. And, as per the norm pain went slicing through her head and she couldn't help the feather light touch that she had to apply to her temples. At least she was getting used to it now...

"I've been...." She thought for a moment and then her shoulders sagged, "Lost." She admitted, knowing he was probably going to tease her. She had a horrible sense of direction and it had never changed, not once. "I swear I was on route where you told me to go and then refugees from Racksom needed help here or there..." And not to mention when she came in physical contact with an overly emotionally distressed person her splitting headache had returned. She left that part out, giving him an apologetic smile. "I hadn't meant to worry you...I seem good at doing that."

Rasera smiled at him, happy that he was so worried over her. She thought about her eating habits. "i suppose I have..." She wasn't entirely sure but she wasn't dying of hunger. "What about you?" She reached out, placing a hand on the side of his mask where his face would be. She gently took both halves off. "I'd hope this would be okay around me by now." She smiled softly, placing the parts on the ground.

Rasera felt a little guilt that had made him jump but soon let it go once he said she was okay to have removed his mask. He had never mentioned his home town before this and she had just assumed it was something about not wanting to bring up memories of his sister. She touched the pieces of mask sitting at her side and looked sad, sad for him. "You aren't some criminal that I never knew about right?" She tried to ask with some amount of humor, not wanting to upset him if the subject was still far too touchy for him to deal with.

Rasera listened carefully to Mask's words and felt sorrow for him. She knew how important it was for him to find his sister and know that she was alive and well. She leaned back on her hands and thought about it for a long moment. He never shared his past with her back when they traveled before. It didn't really help that De'lure had been there and the memory brought a smile to the corners of her lips. When she looked back to Mask there was a burning curiosity to know fully what had happened the night his sister was taken.

"Ma-Akar..." She blushed something fierce for a short moment and then pushed passed it. "What happened that night? If you don't mind me asking?" She said, her second question was really only asked to be polite and hoped that he would open up to her.

Rasera listened with a sympathetic look on her face and didn't move until he was finished talking. He was so angry, the air felt as if it were thick with tension as his eyes bore into the fire. She felt her heart race in her chest, having never seen Akar angry before and she was a little scared. But she knew who this was, knew Akar for his generally gentle manner.

Rasera leaned in slowly, leaning down to moving carefully to place her hand on his arm to give him quiet comfort. His story was so sad, so full of emotion that Mask had never shown never made himself vulnerable enough to show.

Being pushed away was one of the lasts thing she had expected aside from being slapped in the face. The force of his push had knocked her to the ground and on her back. If wasn't a hard fall or anything just something that was surprising. She looked up it him in shock, unsure what to say to him and it wasn't until he snapped back to reality did she move from where she had fallen. There was something she felt that she didn't expect, hurt. It had hurt to be pushed away from him when she thought he had been making progress. She sat up and pushed herself up on her knees. Before she could try and tell him she wasn't angry or hurt he had began to back away.

Rasera tasted fear in her mouth, a slightly tweak of it that he would run off into the darkness and not return to her due to his guilt. Without any conscious thought, Rasera quickly stood, taking a few short steps to close the distance between them and wrapped her small arms around his much larger frame. "Please, Akar, I'm not hurt or angry, I promise." She whispered, holding onto him hoping that he wouldn't push her away again now that he had come back from his anger.

"It's okay Akar...I really understand..." She said, closing her eyes as she leaned against the solid wall of his chest. She relaxed against him and gently rubbed her hand against his back in an attempt to calm him further. She knew she was safe with him and emotions were hard to control even more so for someone not used to feeling them. He's kept it inside for so long.

Rasera pulled back ever so slightly to look at at him, to make sure guilt wasn't haunting him at least so much anymore. "I know it was an accident and I'd never think you would mean to hurt me." She smiled gently, trying to get him to do the same, to feel a little better and physically show she was alright. "Are you okay thought?" She wasn't sure.

Rasera had kept her gaze on him, her deep blue eyes filled with compassion and understanding. At the mention of going to bed she suddenly felt the weariness seep into her bones. She had been walking all trying to get to a town to rest for the night and get directions. She found herself looking at Mask, her arms had still be around him even after he dropped his.

The slight movements of the mare brought her attention to the slightly awkward situation that she had put herself in and with a dark blush on her face, Rasera moved away from him in a feminine retreat. She gave him a nervous smile in apology. She still had Mask's cape on her, and she looked down to it. It had his scent on it and was warm and she couldn't help the smile on her face. After a moment she turned and handed him back his cape.