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actionreactionDay four of 31 days. This and the rest following were almost all actually written on time, maybe a day off. I just haven't gotten around to posting.
They met under the shade of flowers. Rare exotic flowers that bloomed only in the Rajani Jungle. Hunter had never seen or smelled them before, as he’d never been in that jungle before, and their scent was sweet and strong. But it wasn’t powerful enough to cover the scent that had been trailing him, a scent of honey, night-blooming jasmine, a trace of incense, and something else, the scent of a person decidedly female.
She came out of the brush when he stopped moving and waited in the floral shadow. She had deep golden-brown caramel-kissed skin, dark, dark eyes, and a scent Hunter had never encountered the like of before. It intrigued him instantly, as did her clothes, drapes of brightly colored cloth wrapped around her in captivating fashion. “I was wondering when you’d come out,” he said by way of salutation.
A smile curved her lips and she tilted her head. “You knew I was there? For how long?”
Hunter smiled, pale eyes piercing, to many people, unnerving. “I smelled you, your scent. Shortly before you started following me.”
She came to sit beside him, under the flowers, intrigued by his ability, and he inhaled again, noting now the incense was frankincense. They talked until it started growing dark, when she rose to return to her home. “Will you be continuing south? To Mehrdadstan?”
He may not have been planning to until then, but instinct told him to follow her scent wherever it took him. “Yes. I believe I will.”
“If you wish to sell your wares,” she referred to the skins of the animals he’d trapped, “you’ll need to seek an audience with the queen.” Hunter assured her he would, before she turned to leave. It was only after she left Hunter realized he’d been the fool not to ask her name.
He watched her go, knowing he’d follow not long after, and look – smell – for her again. He didn’t expect to find her in the throne room, where he went as she had suggested so he might speak with the queen. He hadn’t expected to find her scent here in the grand palace, to trace it to none other but on the throne itself. The throne where she sat in full regalia, Queen Scheherazade, wearing drapes of pearls over pearls, no cloth to be seen, clothing that barely fitted the word, and should instead have been described as an outfit made of jewelry. He smelled the surge in her female scent when she saw him, heard the pause and thump of her heartbeat as she rose. None but he could see the small curve of lip when she asked, “I assume you have come to seek permission to sell your wares?”
Hunter looked up at her, tall and regal on the throne’s dais. “I have.” And perhaps for more.
“Permission granted. Walk with me.” It was said without a moment’s thought, and her golden-brown arm extended reached for him as she stepped down, and he went, escorting her wherever she willed, at her side.
He was ever at her side now, guarding, watching, ever her protector, ever her Hunter. And though they met under shade of unnamable flower, he’d always think of her and jasmine in the same long deeply inhaled breath.
They met under the shade of flowers. Rare exotic flowers that bloomed only in the Rajani Jungle. Hunter had never seen or smelled them before, as he’d never been in that jungle before, and their scent was sweet and strong. But it wasn’t powerful enough to cover the scent that had been trailing him, a scent of honey, night-blooming jasmine, a trace of incense, and something else, the scent of a person decidedly female.
She came out of the brush when he stopped moving and waited in the floral shadow. She had deep golden-brown caramel-kissed skin, dark, dark eyes, and a scent Hunter had never encountered the like of before. It intrigued him instantly, as did her clothes, drapes of brightly colored cloth wrapped around her in captivating fashion. “I was wondering when you’d come out,” he said by way of salutation.
A smile curved her lips and she tilted her head. “You knew I was there? For how long?”
Hunter smiled, pale eyes piercing, to many people, unnerving. “I smelled you, your scent. Shortly before you started following me.”
She came to sit beside him, under the flowers, intrigued by his ability, and he inhaled again, noting now the incense was frankincense. They talked until it started growing dark, when she rose to return to her home. “Will you be continuing south? To Mehrdadstan?”
He may not have been planning to until then, but instinct told him to follow her scent wherever it took him. “Yes. I believe I will.”
“If you wish to sell your wares,” she referred to the skins of the animals he’d trapped, “you’ll need to seek an audience with the queen.” Hunter assured her he would, before she turned to leave. It was only after she left Hunter realized he’d been the fool not to ask her name.
He watched her go, knowing he’d follow not long after, and look – smell – for her again. He didn’t expect to find her in the throne room, where he went as she had suggested so he might speak with the queen. He hadn’t expected to find her scent here in the grand palace, to trace it to none other but on the throne itself. The throne where she sat in full regalia, Queen Scheherazade, wearing drapes of pearls over pearls, no cloth to be seen, clothing that barely fitted the word, and should instead have been described as an outfit made of jewelry. He smelled the surge in her female scent when she saw him, heard the pause and thump of her heartbeat as she rose. None but he could see the small curve of lip when she asked, “I assume you have come to seek permission to sell your wares?”
Hunter looked up at her, tall and regal on the throne’s dais. “I have.” And perhaps for more.
“Permission granted. Walk with me.” It was said without a moment’s thought, and her golden-brown arm extended reached for him as she stepped down, and he went, escorting her wherever she willed, at her side.
He was ever at her side now, guarding, watching, ever her protector, ever her Hunter. And though they met under shade of unnamable flower, he’d always think of her and jasmine in the same long deeply inhaled breath.