An ear-splitting scream rang in Gaijan's ears, and he sat bolt upright, heart pounding, searching for the source of the commotion. 

It was Nara. She was thrashing around, screaming, tears running down her face. Another nightmare. He quickly untangled her from the blankets and held her shaking body close to him. It seemed to be the only thing that woke her up from the nightmares. He wondered if the nightmares would ever stop. Eventually she quieted, and opened her eyes, looking up at him. Her eyes were filled with terror, sadness, and guilt. Like all the times before she began to sob wordlessly, and he held her until she calmed down and was ready to go back to sleep. Unlike the times before, when her tears subsided, she spoke softly.

"I can't live like this," she said, sitting up and again looking him in the face. "I can't..."

"Then don't." Nara looked puzzled. "You don't have to live this way. It may take time, but you must overcome what is making you relive what happened in your dreams."

"But how? How can I just forget about what happened? About what I did?"

"What the magic did. It wasn't your fault." Gaijan lifted a hand and lightly touched the slight bulge where the talisman lay at her throat. "The talisman is working. The magic won't break free ever again. Mage Unda said so himself. You don't have to worry about that. You can have a new life. You can start all over." She looked down at his hand touching the talisman, then lifted her own hand and placed it on top of his.

"With you?" she asked, looking up at him once more. Gaijan's mouth went dry. Nara sat up a bit, keeping her hand on top of his, her soft breath on his face. Then she closed her eyes, leaned forward, and pressed her lips to his.

~~~

Nara hadn't realized before how much she had wanted to kiss Gaijan. She thought that all she had been feeling before was gratitude for all he had done for her. But then she started thinking, why would he do all of those things if he didn't feel something for her? 

At least... she hoped he felt something. 

She pulled back slightly to catch her breath, looking up at him. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. She never could, really, he was so... private, all the time. 

Suddenly he leaned forward, and he was kissing her now, earnestly, his arm around her shoulders pulling her even closer to him, if that was possible, and his hand at her throat traveling up, his thumb stroking her cheek, holding her face close to his. A warm feeling spread throughout her body. Yes, she was sure now. He did feel something for her. She reached up with both hands, but just as her fingers were twining in his hair, he broke away, a look of shock on his face.

"I-I'm sorry," he said, scrambling away to the tent entrance. "I shouldn't have allowed that to happen." Nara felt something inside her break. 

Allowed. 

"I'm sorry," he said again, then slipped out of the tent and into the storm.

Nara sat there, numb, as tears fell from her eyes. She wanted to go after him, tell him to come back. To admit that he felt something for her. It was possible that he didn't. But she didn't think that he could kiss her like that and not feel anything. 

Allowed. 

Maybe he did feel something, but thought it was... inappropriate, or even unwelcome. But then she had kissed him first. Nara put her head in her hands. Nothing made sense anymore. And if Gaijan really didn't love her... then she had just ruined everything. How could she look at him the same after what just happened? No... The tears came faster....