Chapter 9: A New Beginning
It had been a slaughter, the pirates that were immediately around him being the first to fall, using his claws and teeth as weapons. Zista had tried to restrain him with the whip, but he had caught its line with his bare hands and yanked it from her grasp, hence the lacerations on his hands. He had discarded the whip after that, preferring to use more ‘personal’ weapons to tear into the pirates. Oddly, he didn’t remember killing Zista: it was likely she slipped away while he was occupied with her minions. Then again there was so much chaos he couldn’t tell if he had killed her or not: same with Tzosha.
The conscious world started seeping back into his mind, the sounds of birds chirping and the warmth of the sun on his skin. Wait. Birds? Sun? He opened his eyes to find himself back in his own home. Was that whole ordeal just a bad dream? No, he quickly realized when he felt how much his body ached as he tried to sit up and his hands were bandaged.
How did I get back here? He thought. The answer came when a familiar face walked into the room: it felt like the weight of a thousand worlds was just lifted off his shoulders. “Tzosha…”
Tzosha, who looked a little weak but otherwise healthy and wearing a simple robe, smiled and sat on the bed next to him. Unable to control himself, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her the best he could with his injured hands. If his own hands hadn’t been so thickly bandaged, he would have felt the bandaging on her back. “I was starting to worry that you would never wake up.” Tzosha said as she hugged him back. “I…hope you didn’t mind that I gave you a bath….”
Trazu felt the heat of a blush when he got that mental image. Without thinking he blurted out. “Of course I do…I wanted to be awake for that.” Tzosha laughed and gently pushed away from him. “So…what happened after I blacked out?” He asked.
“We were alone when I came to.” Tzosha explained. “All the pirates were either dead or had fled. I was able to free myself the rest of the way and carried you outside. Don’t give me that look Traz…you’re not that heavy and you know it, though it was still difficult considering my own injuries.” Trazu huffed but didn’t say anything, nodding for her to continue. “I found a landspeeder, but couldn’t find the keys for it and I didn’t know a thing about hot rigging the thing. Fortunately someone came by and did it for me.”
“Who?” Trazu asked.
“It was a scruffy looking human. Didn’t give his name, but claimed to know you. He didn’t stick around though, after starting the speeder up for me.”
“Rane…” Trazu said quietly. “It had to be.”
“Must have been. He stopped by not long before you woke up, to drop this off.” She reached under the bed and pulled out a long object: it was his sword. “He said not to lose it again.”
Trazu chuckled as he accepted it and set it beside him. “Yep…that was Rane. Wish I was awake to tell him I didn’t lose it on purpose.”
“There’s….something else…” Tzosha said, sounding slightly nervous.
“Oh? What’s that?”
“Well, while you were taking your long nap I have been thinking. Actually…it was something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.” She reached back under the bed and pulled out a box that was a foot wide and long and half a foot high. “I was surprised they didn’t loot the house when they captured me. A good thing…as this…cost me a lot.”
“What is it?” Trazu asked, curious about what’s in the box. He reached for it but Tzosha pulled it away.
“Before I show you, there’s something I must ask first.” She said.
“Ok. And what is that?”
“Well…I was wondering…I mean…we’ve known each other for while now and been through a lot so I….would you…I was wondering…” She sighed, frustrated with herself. “Gods I sound so stupid…” She looked up him, an expectant look in her eyes. It seemed she was hoping he would know what she was trying to ask, but Trazu was clueless, his face having a puzzled look to it. With another sigh she put the box on his lap. Trazu studied the box for a moment. It was a very plain looking box, no telltale markings on it and a simple hinged lid. With some effort he opened the lid.
The inside was filled with silver velvet wrapped around a cushioning foam. In slots molded into the foam were two long golden bracelets. One was smaller then the other, but both bore the same design, which was simple, yet elegant. At first Trazu didn’t get it, but then it slammed into him like a herd of stampeding paralopes.
He stared at her, his mouth agape: Tzosha only gave him a small, some what bashful, smile. Trazu gave her a look that plainly said ‘why me?’. Tzosha reached up with one hand and stroked his cheek. “Despite your…short comings…” She said. “I’ve grown very fond of you Trazu. You didn’t have to help me all those times…in fact, most T’Doshok wouldn’t have, but you did. A T’Doshok with a heart like yours is a rare thing Trazu and you have captured my heart. I only hope I managed to catch yours…”
Trazu was quiet for a long time. “You did…” He said finally. “But I didn’t know…wasn’t sure want it meant…until now. Is this…?”
“’Unusual for us?’” Tzosha finished for him. “Yes and no. No in that marriage arrangements between families is rather common, even expected. Yes, because for two T’Doshok to actually develop such feelings for each other is rather rare, or at the very least, not publicly displayed.”
“I see.” With a bit of effort he lifted the smaller bracelet out of its place in the box. “I’m guessing this one is mine?” He said with a small smile.
Tzosha giggled, leaned over, and kissed him.
***
And a short sweet ending. So, what you guys think overall? Any gaping plot holes I need to address? (mind you there is going to be a sequal)
It had been a slaughter, the pirates that were immediately around him being the first to fall, using his claws and teeth as weapons. Zista had tried to restrain him with the whip, but he had caught its line with his bare hands and yanked it from her grasp, hence the lacerations on his hands. He had discarded the whip after that, preferring to use more ‘personal’ weapons to tear into the pirates. Oddly, he didn’t remember killing Zista: it was likely she slipped away while he was occupied with her minions. Then again there was so much chaos he couldn’t tell if he had killed her or not: same with Tzosha.
The conscious world started seeping back into his mind, the sounds of birds chirping and the warmth of the sun on his skin. Wait. Birds? Sun? He opened his eyes to find himself back in his own home. Was that whole ordeal just a bad dream? No, he quickly realized when he felt how much his body ached as he tried to sit up and his hands were bandaged.
How did I get back here? He thought. The answer came when a familiar face walked into the room: it felt like the weight of a thousand worlds was just lifted off his shoulders. “Tzosha…”
Tzosha, who looked a little weak but otherwise healthy and wearing a simple robe, smiled and sat on the bed next to him. Unable to control himself, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her the best he could with his injured hands. If his own hands hadn’t been so thickly bandaged, he would have felt the bandaging on her back. “I was starting to worry that you would never wake up.” Tzosha said as she hugged him back. “I…hope you didn’t mind that I gave you a bath….”
Trazu felt the heat of a blush when he got that mental image. Without thinking he blurted out. “Of course I do…I wanted to be awake for that.” Tzosha laughed and gently pushed away from him. “So…what happened after I blacked out?” He asked.
“We were alone when I came to.” Tzosha explained. “All the pirates were either dead or had fled. I was able to free myself the rest of the way and carried you outside. Don’t give me that look Traz…you’re not that heavy and you know it, though it was still difficult considering my own injuries.” Trazu huffed but didn’t say anything, nodding for her to continue. “I found a landspeeder, but couldn’t find the keys for it and I didn’t know a thing about hot rigging the thing. Fortunately someone came by and did it for me.”
“Who?” Trazu asked.
“It was a scruffy looking human. Didn’t give his name, but claimed to know you. He didn’t stick around though, after starting the speeder up for me.”
“Rane…” Trazu said quietly. “It had to be.”
“Must have been. He stopped by not long before you woke up, to drop this off.” She reached under the bed and pulled out a long object: it was his sword. “He said not to lose it again.”
Trazu chuckled as he accepted it and set it beside him. “Yep…that was Rane. Wish I was awake to tell him I didn’t lose it on purpose.”
“There’s….something else…” Tzosha said, sounding slightly nervous.
“Oh? What’s that?”
“Well, while you were taking your long nap I have been thinking. Actually…it was something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.” She reached back under the bed and pulled out a box that was a foot wide and long and half a foot high. “I was surprised they didn’t loot the house when they captured me. A good thing…as this…cost me a lot.”
“What is it?” Trazu asked, curious about what’s in the box. He reached for it but Tzosha pulled it away.
“Before I show you, there’s something I must ask first.” She said.
“Ok. And what is that?”
“Well…I was wondering…I mean…we’ve known each other for while now and been through a lot so I….would you…I was wondering…” She sighed, frustrated with herself. “Gods I sound so stupid…” She looked up him, an expectant look in her eyes. It seemed she was hoping he would know what she was trying to ask, but Trazu was clueless, his face having a puzzled look to it. With another sigh she put the box on his lap. Trazu studied the box for a moment. It was a very plain looking box, no telltale markings on it and a simple hinged lid. With some effort he opened the lid.
The inside was filled with silver velvet wrapped around a cushioning foam. In slots molded into the foam were two long golden bracelets. One was smaller then the other, but both bore the same design, which was simple, yet elegant. At first Trazu didn’t get it, but then it slammed into him like a herd of stampeding paralopes.
He stared at her, his mouth agape: Tzosha only gave him a small, some what bashful, smile. Trazu gave her a look that plainly said ‘why me?’. Tzosha reached up with one hand and stroked his cheek. “Despite your…short comings…” She said. “I’ve grown very fond of you Trazu. You didn’t have to help me all those times…in fact, most T’Doshok wouldn’t have, but you did. A T’Doshok with a heart like yours is a rare thing Trazu and you have captured my heart. I only hope I managed to catch yours…”
Trazu was quiet for a long time. “You did…” He said finally. “But I didn’t know…wasn’t sure want it meant…until now. Is this…?”
“’Unusual for us?’” Tzosha finished for him. “Yes and no. No in that marriage arrangements between families is rather common, even expected. Yes, because for two T’Doshok to actually develop such feelings for each other is rather rare, or at the very least, not publicly displayed.”
“I see.” With a bit of effort he lifted the smaller bracelet out of its place in the box. “I’m guessing this one is mine?” He said with a small smile.
Tzosha giggled, leaned over, and kissed him.
***
And a short sweet ending. So, what you guys think overall? Any gaping plot holes I need to address? (mind you there is going to be a sequal)
