This is my first effort in public writing. I hope you all enjoyed the first part, and continue to read all of the others. Any comments or suggestions are welcome.
A special thanks to Nifty for posting this story. They took a chance cause the first part was a bit depressing.. but don't worry.. sometimes you must face the darkness before you see the light. The light will come soon enough.. thank you for your patience.... Corey
PART II
"Are you OK?" The voice asked. Soft, soothing, Melodious...
'Wait... why am I hearing anything?' Andy thought.. 'where am I?' He felt a sharp pain in his head as something touched it.. 'I never thought being dead hurt.'
"You are lucky be alive" the voice said "The River of Dreams never gives up those who enter it's embrace."
Andy opened his eyes slowly... and squinted against the sunlight. 'Wow, how long have I been out?' He wondered....
"River of what?" he asked looking at the source of the voice... he Immediately choked.. it was HIM... it was SCOTT...
'That's odd' he thought.. 'why did I never notice that Scott's ears had points......'
Andy sat up quickly, and immediately regretted his rash decision. The pain filling his head made him very dizzy. He leaned over to his left and looked around.. He remembered falling from the Cliff.. remembered the water and the cold... and he remembered the warm arms around him.
What he did NOT remember was the sky he saw overhead. Thin clouds failed to cover the Brilliant night sky, the stars burned clear and bright, more beautiful and intense than he had ever known them to be before. No lights dimmed their brilliance, or the brilliance of the pale blue moon that hung In the sky.
"Blue Moon..." he croaked hoarsely
"You are awake I see" said the soothing voice "I had feared you might never awake"
Andy looked to his right, and saw the face that belonged to those warm arms. He looked so like Scott, but so different... Ethereal, graceful, his face was full of gentle warmth and concern. his brilliant green eyes caught the night light like a pair of perfect emeralds shining at him in the dark. His raven-black hair shone with a blue similar to that of the moon. And then there were the ears, gently upswept and perfectly proportioned.
The beautiful stranger stretched out his hand to gently touch Andy's left temple.. the very spot where Scott had hit him. The touch shot an electric jolt through Andy's body, and left him tingling when the hand pulled away. Andy blinked a couple of times and noticed his head felt clearer, and when he touched his temple, he could feel the bruise was gone...
"What did you do to me?" Andy asked in wonder
The figure giggled softly "You tease me.. you should know well that all of my people can heal minor wounds and ills, it is why we live so very long.."
"Your people?"
"Yes silly.. I am an Elf of course" the figure smiled " my name is E'RinAsane'ta." he bowed his head in greeting "but you may use my first name E'Rin.. Asane'ta is my family name" the figure, E'Rin, looked at Andy, as if expecting him to recognize him. When Andy obviously didn't know who he was.. he seemed pleased.
"I am Andy" Andy said "I'm sorry, I don't understand what's going on... There are no such things as an Elf, and why is the Moon blue?"
E'Rin blinked in suprise "The moon has always been blue, and I am here, so Elves obviously exist. Is there anything else you do not understand?"
"Where am I?" Andy asked "Am I dead?"
The Elf's laugh was clear and light. 'So beautiful' Andy thought.
"No, Indeed, you are very much alive.. though only the Gods know why." E'Rin cocked his head to the side as he looked at Andy. "In all the history of the River of Dreams, only three people have ever been pulled from its Grasp. You are the Third, the last two were a Thousand years ago. But you should know that. They were the greatest leaders your people have ever known."
Andy's confusion was turning to panic "Where is the town? where is Haven?"
E'Rin gasped. "Haven?" he asked in a quiet voice "did you... come from Haven?" He looked closely at Andy. For the first time he noticed the strange pack the young man carried, and the odd clothes. Haven was the place the Two Kings of Man had come from.... Could it be that this person was of their line?
"You know it? where is it?" Andy asked. Suddenly he was desperate to get back to the Life he had tried so very hard to escape. "please help me get back"
E'Rin touched his hand to Andy's shoulder "I do not know how to get there. I only know it is a place of Legend from which Heroes have come.. and we need such a hero in these Dark times. The Orks have organized and have begun to overrun our kingdoms.. my own people have been driven from our forests, and the Orks have been hunting me ever since." E'Rin stopped to take a breath "Will you come with me? Will you help me find my way back to my people?"
Andy laughed "I don't even know where I am, How could I ever help you?"
E'Rin smiled at Andy... Now why did that smile make him feel soooo good inside?.. "You are a Sorcerer.. you will find the way."
Andy blinked "Erin.. I don't know what you mean, I don't know magic. I'm not a sorcerer, I don't know how to help you."
E'Rin almost winced inside as Andy spoke his name as Humans tended to do.. but for some reason, it didn't sound so bad coming from this Human. Actually.. he rather like hearing his name being spoken by him...
"You are upset.. and tired.. let us go to sleep, and we will begin anew tomorrow." Erin, he might as well just think of himself that way now, brushed the hair out of Andy's eyes "lie down, we shall keep each other warm this night." Erin gently guided Andy back to the ground and wrapped his arms around him and snuggled close, sharing warmth.
Soon, both fell asleep.
"JUST LOOK AT HIM!" The voice of Andy's father shattered the night "Curled up with his... BOYFRIEND" Andy shook with fear as his father spat out the words. "Get up, I'm gonna beat this out of you!"
Andy quivered in terror, he remembered how his father had been when he was younger; Drunk, abusive, Very violent. After his father had sobered up, he never hit him again. But Andy was always afraid that one day that monster his father had been would come back... and it seemed that day had come.
"Come to think of it, I think I'll give your little Boyfriend the treatment first. Kill two birds with one belt" Andy's father took off his belt. With shock, Andy noticed that the belt had metal studs! The belt came up, and quickly snapped down toward Erin's perfect face.
Without thought to himself, Andy threw himself over Erin, taking the rain of punishing blows onto himself. Stroke after stroke tore into him... his body shook under the force of the blows... shook so hard..
Erin shook Andy harder now, desperately trying to wake the Screaming boy from whatever night terror had him in it's grasp.
With a gasp Andy's eyes shot open to see Erin's eyes gazing down on him with concern in the early dawn light. Tears welled up in his eyes as he realized that his father was not here, and that it was only a nightmare. He began sobbing uncontrollably as the pain of his father's disgust in him tore at his soul...
Erin saw the tears, and felt the sobs welling inside Andy. He pulled him up and held him close, letting the tears flow down onto his shoulder. He held him this way for what seemed like forever, until the sobs subsided, and then beyond.
Erin had never held another man in his arms before, and he never knew how good it felt to share this level of closeness. Andy's tear stained face looked up into Erin's concerned face.
"My father hates me" Andy said quietly "he hates me because I am a freak, and because I am gay."
Erin let his right hand gently stroke Andy's cheek. He smiled down into the eyes of the lost stranger from the Land of Legends, and in there he saw Pain, and fear of rejection..
He saw not a hero, he saw a person.
Erin leaned over and gently kissed Andy on the lips. His kiss was full of compassion, and understanding.. And it was a kiss that Andy returned in full.
Erin broke the kiss and looked deeply into Andy's eyes. "You are not a freak." he said, his voice firm. "You are, from what I've seen, a sweet and gentle person. One I would happily call my friend." He reached out and wiped the tears from Andy's face. "Come, we should eat and get moving. The Ork Hunters are out there somewhere, and we must not get caught."
Andy got up and walked to the river to wash his face as Erin prepared their breakfast. He thought about the Elf that looked like his best friend. He was as kind and gentle as Scott had been cruel and savage. He was also incredibly cute, and apparently interested in him. Andy wanted to know more about him... wanted to know ALL about him.
Erin watched Andy as the young human washed himself in the River. Erin had always known he was gay, and it had never been a problem in his culture. He had never before kissed another man, and NEVER considered a Human.. 'First time for everything.' He thought cheerfully. When he has held Andy in his arms last night, he knew then that he wanted to kiss him, and hold onto him forever. Elves had a gift of knowing their perfect mate at first glance, and Erin knew that Andy was meant for him. 'Now all I have to do is make sure Andy realizes it too'.
After a quiet breakfast, the two started off into their journey. They followed the river upstream, moving toward it's source. As they walked on through the day, Erin told Andy the brief version of history.
I hope you all stay tuned for more. I really enjoy writing and hope you all want me to continue it. There's no sex for now, but there will be soon.
Be well all!