Chapter 3: Love Comes To Us All

Your voice is the melody of the gods

Your beauty astounds me

The world surrounds me with a grace that comes from you

Your eyes ... the strength of steel

Your eyes ... passion fulfilled

A flower of freedom you are

With every word spoken my heart is more open with the ways of kindness and care

Though it was your voice that first attuned me to your fire of life and desire

It is your smile that radiates compassion and warms the world for all to share

With no disrespect meant

I could not help but put this to pen

Your voice and beauty soothes me

And for that I would say thank you the most gracious way I know

A poem of adoration

May the world treat you kindly

For a flower of freedom you are

Night and day Allan's thoughts are filled of this beautiful flower of a woman that he found growing in the middle of wheat fields in a sleepy little village called Tyme.

Thunderheart no longer laughs at him. He understands the loneliness, and the hesitation of the unwillingness to involve one so pure such as she with a wandering warrior-poet such as himself. Though his deeds are unselfish and his needs are few, he still feels like his presence can be the world's downfall. Now Thunderheart laughs.

"Damn, I hate when he reads my thoughts like that."

Every morning Allan gets himself presentable so that the brownest eyes he's ever seen won't be disappointed when they fall on him. Her eyes still wander to the sword hanging at his side and a little frown plays across her pretty delicate face, but long has he been conditioned to stand strong and vigilant against even the smallest of wrongs.

While Allan is out in the fields working with the men, Emma has taken to doing something she is keeping secret from Allan. Whenever he asks about it she just smiles.

While making his way back into the village for lunch, Allan is met by a young boy of the village named Tommy, and he asks, "Allan, Emma says you are her knight. Is that true, huh, is it?" Half the village is standing there listening.

Allan can see Emma is feeling a little uncomfortable, so he goes over to Emma, gets behind her and puts his right arm around her waist and kisses her hair, "Yes, young sir, I am indeed Emma's knight."

The young boy runs off singing, "Emma and Allan sitting in a tree." the whole village smiles, even John.

They spend every second they can with each other. Both of them know it is building towards something unspoken but wonderful just the same. "Allan."

"Yeah, darling girl."

"You know the village is going to send someone to get supplies from the town of Fernly. I thought we would work it out so we are the ones to go to town, and we can spend a couple of nights there." Emma looks up at Allan with those piercing powerful beautiful brown eyes with hope radiating from them.

"I like the way you think, milady." Emma smiles demurely.

"You know, John, I think maybe I'll take Tommy with me and I'll get the supplies we need. I'll take good care of your wagon."

Allan and Emma are listening in, and Emma nudges Allan in the ribs. "You know if that dragon is still out there, I think since I am the only warrior in town, I should be the one to go." Emma smiles.

Allan looks down at Emma and cocks his head to get her to chime in, "Oh, yeah, and I can show him the way and around the town."

All the town's folk agree, but John just smiles. He is no fool.

"Every morning the same ritual, but today is special, for Emma and I are to ride to the neighboring town to do some trading for the whole village. Some needed tools too hard to make in the village. Special spices for the meals at night, I will be sure not to forget those. We'll probably get some meat to be jerked, since they can't raise much of their own here. Other than that which will fit in the barn, and for the deer Emma and I hunted and shared with the village, because as you know, if cattle are to be left outside the walls to graze they will become something else's food." Allan is talking to himself as much as he is to Thunderheart.

"Today I will wear my brown riding pants and the new dark green shirt that Emma made for me herself. She will be pleased that I am proud to have others see me in it. With my black boots and my sword at my side I am ready." He goes outside.

"Good morning, milady. I see you are ready before me. What a surprise."

"Did you think I would let you off that easily?" she teases.

"Well, one could only hope."

"Humph." she says, and starts off in the wagon without him.

"Hey," Allan says, "Wait for me."

She only turns and smiles, but does not wait. Thunderheart steps on his toe to get him going. Whether to watch over Emma, or to pursue the little brown mare named Sox that is pulling the wagon, is unknown. The mare got her name Sox because of her white feet. Allan catches up with her at the southern entrance of the village, and falls into step beside her.

"A beautiful day for a ride, no, milady?"

"Indeed it is, good sir. If you are riding my way you are welcome to keep me company. That is, as long as you don't annoy me."

"Did I forget to tell you, Emma, that you are looking particularly ravishing today?"

"Yes, you did. Have you learned your lesson well?" She says giggling, and then just falls apart laughing as they continue down the road.

When Allan said she looked ravishing it was an understatement. Her medium long dirty blonde hair is pulled back in a simple ponytail, and she is wearing a newly made green dress that goes down to her calves and matches the color of the shirt she has made him.

"I see you've chosen to wear the shirt I made for you. I'm pleased." she adds.

"Emma," Allan says seriously. "Long after this shirt is unwearable, will I carry it and cherish it for all time."

She looks quickly over to him to see if he is teasing, but he is not. She blushes almost as deep as any sunburn, but never takes her eyes from his. She holds out her hand for him to come closer and hold. In that moment Allan fights all his inner demons and decides this is his dream come to reality. Allan does not have to motion Thunderheart closer, for he knows before him what the outcome should be. As Allan reaches for her delicate hand, he worries that his callused and tainted hand will somehow hurt her. His fears are alleviated immediately, because as their hands clasp it is not hurt that he sees or feels, but tenderness.

"My word, I've had sword blasts in combat that did not shoot such a jolt up my arm as did this moment when we just touched."

Involuntarily Emma clamps her legs a little tighter. "Really?"

"Oh yes, babygirl. I am a lot of things, but a liar is not among them."

Certainly they made contact when she rode in front of him, but this is real and full of meaning.

The ride to the town is to take the better part of the morning. They ride hand in hand for many of those leagues. They ride through two smaller villages that Emma calls Hesren and Lilville. They talk about little things, and she asks him about his adventures. Allan stories to her with great flamboyance those that he thinks will not shock her. Never once does she question his motives or actions, she only wishes to see such beautiful places someday. They ride on until finally they see the huge outer walls of the town and start passing people on the road.

Three horsemen ride up to them, and one black haired black bearded fellow says, "My, isn't this cute. Maybe the little wench would like to hold my hand, too?"

Allan breaks their clasp and goes for his sword that rests on his left. Emma grabs his hand back and shakes her head no.

Then she smiles sweetly at the lucky son-of-a-mule and says, "Sorry, sir, my hand is spoken for." and then she leads their horses past them without another word.

Allan gives him his long practiced death stare, but doesn't say a word. However Thunderheart bites him on the leg and the man falls to the ground screaming. They ride on into the town and out of sight. It must be a town of a thousand citizens or more, and the usually muddy streets are amazingly paved with cobblestone and very busy with the activities of daily life.

"First, we should find lodging for the time we will be here. Then we may hunt down some supplies, so that way tonight we can find fun entertainment and not have to worry about gathering everything for the villagers tomorrow." Allan loves Emma's mixture of Irish and Tally accent. Allan had asked Edith if she was from the Realm of Animals, because her accent sounds like a tribe Allan ran across up there in a village called Watson in the Valley of Charlotte Duerre.

"Very well thought out, milady. Do you know where the best place to stay at will be?" Allan asks, already knowing she does.

"The Lion Heart Inn is where mother, father and I stayed the dozen times I have been here. It is just around this bend."

Just then a child comes running around the corner and runs right under Thunderheart's front legs. From the child's expression of fear on her face, she thinks she is dead for sure. But Thunderheart goes up on his hind legs and misses the child altogether. When the townspeople notice the goings-on, they think they see a horse about to stomp a child to death. They rush forward angrily, but their concerns fade away to amazement as Thunderheart never comes back down, but stays up on his hind legs until a man picks up and moves the child out of the way. Of course Allan is hanging on for dear life all that time, but he would have it no other way. The townspeople crowd around and marvel at Thunderheart, and give them their gratitude and friendly welcome. Many know Emma.

"I love Sox, she is my first horse to be all mine, and of course I love all animals, but there is just something very special about Thunderheart."

"You have no idea, Emma. Just wait until he graces you with his real self."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see, I'm sure."

"What Allan, tell me."

"I'm sorry, dear, but it is not my place to say. You will have to wait until Thunderheart is ready to tell you himself."

"Oh, you are just teasing me." Allan just smiles.

They then continue on to the inn, dismount and enter. It is a brightly painted establishment. It is yellow and white, and has a big red sign that says welcome. Emma knows the keeper and he knows her.

He addresses Allan and asks, "Will that be one room or two?"

Before Allan can answer Emma says, "That will be just one room, Derek."

A pair of raised eyebrows is all they receive, and for that Allan is grateful, because he doesn't know what to say. Emma never even looks up at Allan. She knows what she is doing.

"The Gods I hope she does." Allan thinks to himself.

They don't say a word to each other until they reach their quarters.

Then Emma at last speaks, "Allan, do not be angry with me, but I love you."

"Angry with you," Allan says taken aback. "You are my heart's desire, but I never would have presumed to make that choice, just in case it was not your heart's desire as well."

"I know. That is why I did it. Your honor and respect is endearing, but too damn slow."

"Milady," he says shocked, "Such language." Then he takes her into his arms and kisses her.

The kiss is strong and hard, and then it just melts away to passionate as she melts into his arms. Her left hand is on his right arm, her right hand is tangled in his medium short brown hair. His left arm holds her close by the middle of the back. His right hand caresses her lower back and buttocks. A moan escapes her mouth, as their lips moisten and their juices mingle to become one. The kiss breaks, but the embrace does not. She rests her head on Allan's chest as he holds her close.

They hold each other tight until she whispers, "I am scared, but not like I thought I would be."

"Remember, milady, you do nothing your heart and mind tells you not to."

"Of course, my knight."

They just smile at each other for a moment longer, and then finish unpacking and head out to start their tasks for the day.

They take part of the daylight to gather today's supplies, but Allan has plans of his own. "Milady, you did me the greatest honor of making this wonderful shirt for me, so I would like to buy you a present."