The First Meeting

Summary: Arendin meets Rain for the first time, in the very first life they lived together
Warning(s): Spanking (one single swat); D/s; some references to violence and minor character death
Scribe's Note: Arendin and Rain have been reincarnated multiple times, and have therefore had different names throughout their previous incarnations. However, as many of those names have been lost to the mists of time, I will stick to using the same names they went by in their last life together.
Brief background: Arendin and Rain have reincarnated over and over throughout the centuries, each life causing them to come into conflict with the Ancient One and his servants. But how did it all start?
I hope you enjoy!

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The man slowly, carefully, raised his spear, his attention focused on the deer that was grazing peacefully just a few short feet from him. He closed one eye, aiming at the deer's neck. If he could throw the spear true, if his aim was good enough, he'd be able to pierce the animal through its neck in a clean strike that would kill it easy and quick.

Arendin had no wish to see another living creature suffer, even those he had to kill and eat to survive.

Drawing his arm back, Arendin kept the rest of his body as still as stone as he threw his spear and watched it fly in a graceful arc towards the animal.

His aim was true, and it pierced through the deer's neck. The animal stood frozen for a few seconds, then slowly toppled to the leafy ground.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was still noticeable enough for Arendin to flinch. He held his breath, hand resting on his sheathed dagger, waiting to see if the deer's death would draw anyone to his location.

While there was no sound or sight of anyone, Arendin couldn't quite relax. This forest wasn't one that was familiar to him, and he'd already been travelling through it for three days, which was why he needed to resort to hunting for his food.

Satisfied that there was no sign of anyone, Arendin stepped out of the undergrowth and made his way towards the deer's carcass with slow, careful steps. He crouched down next to the body, whispering a silent prayer of thanks to the animal's spirit, and pulled his spear free of the deer's neck in one swift, fluid movement.

Drawing his dagger from its sheath, Arendin began to carefully skin the deer. Not far from where the carcass lay was a large rock and he carried the skin over to it, laying it out with care to ensure it would dry in the sunlight.

"I hope you do not intend to waste that animal." A low, melodious voice came from behind him.

Arendin turned swiftly, his hand going to the sword that was sheathed on his back, but his movements were caught short by the being who stood behind him.

Standing just slightly shorter than Arendin, who was himself a tall man, was an elf. Silver hair cascaded down past lean, slender shoulders, shimmering brightly in the sunlight that shone down on him. His ears tapered to delicate points, and his slanted eyes were a deep azure in colour, regarding Arendin with a steady gaze. Much like Arendin himself, the elf was clothed in a tunic and breeches, though they were better made and fitted the elf's body better than Arendin's own clothing did his.

Arendin lowered his hand and straightened to his full height. "Is this your home?" he asked.

The elf didn’t reply, instead studying him with an inscrutable expression. "You travel alone. Not with the other humans who have entered this forest?" His eyes widened slightly as Arendin's body stiffened with tension. "Ah. They are not allies. Are they your enemies?"

"I would prefer not to meet them if I could avoid it." Arendin kept his voice carefully neutral, but even though he knew he should be staying on his guard, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the elf. He'd seen elves before, of course, though not many. But none as beautiful as the one who stood before him. "My name is Arendin," he said. "May I know yours?"

The elf studied him for a few moments before finally answering, "My name is Rain."

"Rain," Arendin repeated. "I was going to prepare a meal. Would you like to join me?"

A tiny smile touched at the corners of Rain's lips, softening the stern look on his face. "Do you often invite strangers to join you for a meal?"

"When I meet them in a place that is unfamiliar to me." Arendin shrugged and gave Rain a sheepish smile. "Is that a yes?"

"It is. And I thank you. Your offer is very kind."

Arendin lowered his pack to the ground and removed his supplies from it: a cooking pot, a stone and flint, and a pouch of herbs he kept with him for this purpose.

"I will collect firewood," Rain murmured, before melting back into the shadows as if he had never been there.

As he waited for the elf to return, Arendin began to cut pieces of meat from the deer's body. Even with two of them eating, they wouldn't finish the whole deer between them. He dropped enough meat for two of them into the cooking pot, then put the rest on the large rock to dry out.

By the time Rain returned, carrying a pile of sticks, Arendin had used the stone and flint to start a small fire. He gave the elf a grin as Rain added the wood to the fire, allowing it to grow enough to allow them to cook. Then, he poured water from his waterskin into the pot and set it onto the fire, then added in some of the herbs. "Is there a stream nearby? I will need to refill my waterskins."

"There is." Rain lowered himself gracefully to the grass on the other side of the fire, sitting opposite Arendin. "After we have eaten, I will show you where it is."

"Thank you." Arendin looked into the pot of boiling water for a minutes before he asked again, "Do you live in this forest?"

"No." There was a hint of sadness in the elf's voice as he admitted, "I am a refugee, seeking a home of my own. My own was destroyed. Burned to ash by a powerful enemy."

Arendin looked up, catching a glimpse of deep pain and grief behind those azure eyes. "I'm sorry." His voice carried a note of deep sympathy. He understood, all too well, the pain of losing a home. "My family...." He swallowed hard and took a deep breath, closing his eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. "Those who have pursued me here hope to...to finish what they started. To...take my life along with the rest of my family's." Not one had survived the brutal massacre at his farm. He'd only survived because he'd hadn't been there at the time.

The elf was silent, but Arendin found his hand grasped in a gentle grip. He opened his eyes and found himself looking into Rain's eyes.

"I'm sorry," the elf whispered.

Arendin slowly turned his hand over and gripped Rain's in return. They sat there for a few moments, Arendin just taking comfort from the first person who had offered it since he'd lost his family.

The scent of cooked meat drew his attention back to the present and Arendin reluctantly let go of Rain's hand. He pulled his pack towards him and took out two rough-hewn bowls and utensils. He then shared the stew between the two bowls and handed one to Rain.

"Thank you." The elf took the bowl.

They ate the stew in silence. Arendin didn't see the need to speak, and it seemed that Rain didn't either. When he'd finished his stew, Arendin took his second waterskin out of his pack and drank some of the water before holding the waterskin out to Rain.

The elf took the waterskin with a nod of thanks and drank some of the water after he'd finished his own stew. "Would you like me to show you to the river now?" he asked.

"I would. Thank you." Arendin put out the fire, then covered the remnants with the foliage. He glanced up, feeling Rain's eyes on him, and gave a slightly sheepish smile. "I don't want to leave any sign of my presence behind."

Rain nodded and handed the waterskin back to Arendin, then began to lead the way out of the little clearing.

Arendin walked next to the elf, stealing sideways glances at Rain. As the sound of rushing water reached his ears, Rain turned his head slightly and caught Arendin looking at him. "Haven't you seen many elves before?" he asked, with a trace of amusement in his voice.

"Not many," Arendin admitted. "The farm...we didn't get many visitors before. And then, of course..." His voice trailed off and he took a deep breath, turning his attention to the water as they reached it.

The river sparkled in the sunlight that gleamed through the trees, appearing like a shimmering sea of sapphire. Arendin knelt on the riverbank and began to carefully wash the cooking pot, bowls and utensils in the water. Once they were clean, he refilled his waterskins and then stood up, glancing towards Rain, who was standing only a few feet away from him. "Are you staying in the forest?"

Rain shook his head. "I'm travelling through it. Much the same as you are. Searching for a place to belong...."

"Why don't you travel with me?" Arendin suggested impulsively. "I'm searching for somewhere to live as well. And...once I have somewhere I can belong, I want to stop the person who killed my family."

"You're on a quest for revenge?"

"No," Arendin said. "I've seen people consumed by vengeance, and that isn't a way I want to live. But I do want to stop anyone else dying needlessly."

"That is a noble purpose." Rain studied Arendin's face for a few moments before he nodded. "I have nowhere to belong. I think I would like to accompany you."

Arendin smiled, feeling a spark of happiness in his chest. "If we return to the clearing, I'll pack the meat away, so that we'll have supplies for a few days, at least. And then maybe you can lead us out of the forest? Afterwards, we can decide where we can travel next." When Rain nodded in agreement, Arendin turned and began walking back in the direction they'd come from.

They were only a few feet away from the river, the sound of the rushing water quietening the further away they got, when the sound of harsh, rough voices reached Arendin's ears. He stopped in place, freezing, and reached out, grasping Rain's arm in a firm, insistent grip.

Rain stilled next to him; head cocked to one side.

"Are you sure that whelp's here in this forest?" one of the men asked the other. "We've been travelling through this forest for days and theree's no sign of him."

"It's the only way he could have come," the second man answered. "But if you want to return to the Ancient One and tell him that one of the children escaped, you can leave to report to him now. Maybe he'll be understanding and forgiving of the failure to kill the entire family."

Out of the corner of his eye, Arendin saw that Rain had gone stiff and tense, his face pale. When the elf shifted, hand going to the sheathed dagger at his waist, Arendin quickly shook his head and tightened his hold on the elf's arm. "Don't," he whispered. He could feel the tension in the elf's arm.

Rain closed his fingers around the hilt of his dagger and drew it free. "There are only two of them," he whispered back. "And they work for the Ancient One. Anyone who forms an alliance with him is dangerous. Evil."

Arendin didn't know who the Ancient One was...but he knew that the two men had murdered his whole family. He gripped Rain's wrist tighter and whispered, "They're too dangerous to confront directly."

Rain didn't say anything, but he shook his arm free of Arendin's grip and began to stride forward.

Arendin's heart leaped into his throat and the bitter taste of fear filled his mouth. In his mind's eye, he could see the bodies of his family, throats cut and eyes staring sightlessly at the sky. Even his little brother and sister, too young to be trained as fighters yet...too young to be a threat to anyone...had been mercilessly slaughtered.

In his mind, Arendin saw the limp, broken body of the elf among them, Rain's silver hair stained with blood and his azure eyes closed forever.

Before he thought about it, before he could second-guess himself, Arendin brought his hand back and delivered a firm swat to the elf's backside.

Rain's gasp was nearly soundless, and he jerked around, staring at Arendin. "What are you doing?!" he demanded, gripping the dagger in a firmer hold and raising it, aiming it at Arendin's own heart.

Arendin swallowed, but didn't step back. Instead, he raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture and murmured, "I found my whole family slaughtered by those men. I will not allow anyone else to die at their hands."

For several long, tense seconds, the two of them stared at each other. Then, slowly, Rain lowered his dagger and straightened from his tense stance. His cheeks were flushed, whether with embarrassment or anger, Arendin wasn't sure. "So you decided to smack me."

"To be honest, it seemed like the best way to get you to stop rushing headlong into danger." Arendin took a deep breath. "I know there are only two of them, but there are also only two of us. And my family wasn't helpless or untrained. When I returned to the farm, everyone was dead. Even my...." He had to stop talking, as tears threatened to fall.

Rain's eyes softened a little and he slowly sheathed his dagger once more, an uncertain, nearly shy look coming over his face. He looked up at Arendin from beneath lowered eyelashes and whispered, "I am sorry."

Arendin breathed out slowly and gave Rain a tiny smile. "I don't want them to kill anyone else. Not if I can do something to stop it."

A grave look came over Rain's face and he glanced back over his shoulder before he sighed and turned his attention back to Arendin. "The Ancient One sent them to kill your family. Your whole family. Do you know why?"

"I don't know who the Ancient One is," Arendin admitted. "As to why he chose to have my whole family killed...I don't know that either. My parents were soldiers in the King's army, but that was before I'd been born. If they had any enemies from that time, or anyone held a grudge against them, I believe they would have told us...if only to ensure we were on our guard."

Rain frowned. "The Ancient One has been an advisor to the Kings going back as far as any elf I have known remembers. But it has long been understood that he has his own goals that may not always align with the safety and wellbeing of this kingdom. His actions against you and against my own home have not been sanctioned by the King. Those men are not part of the King's army."

"Do you think we should travel to the castle and petition the King for aid?" Arendin asked. "Surely he would see justice done, if we told him of the Ancient One's crimes against us?"

"I would like to believe that justice could prevail over the Ancient One's schemes...but I do not truly believe the Ancient One will even let us close enough to the King to petition him. And if we were to travel to the castle unprepared, we will do nothing but put ourselves in danger." Rain took a deep breath. "I don't think it's a bad plan, but I think we need more evidence of the Ancient One's crimes than just two of us claiming there are men acting on his orders."

Arendin wasn't surprised by the response, but it hurt to have the faint spark of hope that had flared in his chest get extinguished so fast. "Then there's no real change in what we were planning to do," he said quietly. "We'll find a home. We'll make one together. And we'll help anyone else who the Ancient One hurts."

"Together." Rain's smile was tiny as he echoed the word, looking into Arendin's eyes. 

"Together." Arendin took a deep breath and nodded. He held a hand out to the elf, his palm facing upwards in invitation.

Slowly, almost reverently, Rain reached out and placed his hand in Arendin's, cementing their decision to move forward together.

The End