Forbidden Love of the Jitany
2nd Edition

Chapter 1

Anastasia, a noble lady of good house, sat astride a graceful mare. The lady tossed an errant curl away from her face as she surveyed the desert landscape. She had ridden into the wasteland to find an item that might save her father's life. Her father's rival, Lord R___, had demanded a perfect crystal from the southern wasteland in exchange for the antidote to the slows poison her had administered to Anastasia's father. If she did not comply within the week, her father would surely die a horrible death in slow torture.

Raising a hand to shade her eyes from the bright sun, Anastasia saw a cloud of dust on the horizon. A moment of study resolved that the dust cloud was created by a lone rider on a dark horse. Anastasia's heart beat quickly. He was, no doubt, one of those nomadic raiders who made these wastelands a dangerous place for a single woman alone. Looking around, the lady realized there was no easy cover within several leagues. Determined not to give up without a struggle, Anastasia slapped her faithful mount, and held tight to the reins while the mare scrambled over sand and rocks with more speed than grace.

Tomas cursed when he was close enough to catch a first glimpse of his quarry of the last half hour. She was no threat to his clan. She was one of those silly noble ladies, most likely in the wastelands in pursuit of a dare, or a foolish errand of spurious origins. He cursed again, more violently, when she urged her horse to furious flight. The fool woman would break her neck!

Spurring his faithful mount, Charger, Tomas took full advantage of his knowledge of the wastelands, and directed Charger towards firmer ground, gaining speed at the expense of now-useless stealth. His horse galloped thunderously across the plane of crystal, leaping over an unexpected fissure with grace.

'STOP!' Tomas yelled at the noblelady, who seemed to hesitate at the sound of his voice before renewing her determination to escape his pursuit.

Anastasia saw the fissure too late. Not braced for the shock of a sudden halt, the delicate lady went flying over her beast's neck when it stopped abruptly at the edge of the narrow crystal chasm. Stunned by the impact, Anastasia barely registered the tenderness with which the lone nomad lifted her onto his own horse before she passed out.

Chapter 2

Tomas set watch over the unconscious woman. He blamed himself for her current state. If he had not been so clumsy, she would never have known he was following her, and never had urged her faithful horse on that senseless dash across the crystal shards of his rangeland. She was beautiful in the reflected moonlight, and Tomas regretted every circumstance that brought her to this place.

Her face was smooth and unlined. In sleep, she seemed as innocent as a child. He had a sudden urge to kiss her into consciousness, like a shaman breathing life into a dead man. But Tomas recognized the urge for what it was: the ridiculous fantasies of a man too long without a woman. Hidden in this wondrous cave of crystal, Tomas felt safe enough to wrap a blanket around himself and let the horses stand guard against the dangers of the night.

The noise of booted feet crunching priceless crystals underfoot woke Tomas out of a light sleep. Without thinking, he scooped the still-sleeping woman into his arms, and whistled for Charger to follow. Charger took the reins of the mare into his teeth and led her to safety. Venturing deeper into the cavern system was risky, but Tomas knew it was their only chance for safety. He could not fight while the woman was still at risk.

The movement jostled Anastasia out of a strange dream about crystal palaces that sang for offerings of blood. "Wha...? Where am I?" Anastasia asked in a weak voice.

Tomas hushed her urgently. "We must be quiet. Marauders are in the cavern."

"But...!" Anastasia began to object, but found herself unable to speak with the Jitany man's bold mouth came down on her own with a crushing kiss. Several breathless moments later, he released her lips.

"Now hush," he told her, but did not release his hold on her.

The couple crouched in a a dark corner of the cavern, wrapped in each other's arms. Anastasia watched the darkness carefully for any sign of movement, but was constantly distracted by sensations of the close embrace she found herself in. Her heart quivered like a frightened rabbit, eager or afraid for something she dared not name.

"Are they gone?" Anastasia dared to whisper after what seemed to her an eternity.,

"It will be morning, soon. They'll move at dawn, to escape the heat of the day. They obviously needed shelter as desperately as we did. The locals generally regard this cavern as haunted. I'm just glad I heard them before the saw us. Now hush, and see if you can get a little more sleep." He released her, and moved to sit several feet away.

Anastasia tried to settle in, but her body ached from her earlier fall and a strange restlessness infected her. Her mind obsessively replayed the moment of their lips touching. Anastasia was appalled by her sudden attraction to this lawless Jitany roamer. She looked up to see him watching her with a peculiarly intense expression on his face.

"What?" she asked softly.

The Jitany just shook his head silently and looked away.

"But...!" Anastasia began to protest, but remembered the need for silence almost too late. Looking apologetically at her erstwhile rescuer, Anastasia tried to relax on the awkward surface of rough crystal. Almost despite herself, she found herself yawning and in a few moments she'd drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

In dreams, Anastasia watched crystal castles drink the blood of innocents while barbarians invaded from the. The sight of countless multitudes crying with the agonies of crystalline torture transmuted, and the sight of her father tied to a large crystal outcropping under a dark and threatening sky filled her with a premonition of severest dread.

Tomas watched the woman sleeping uneasily, and wondered if he ought to wake her. She cried out and he rushed to her side, knowing that it was too late. Her scream echoed off the many crystals lining the small cavern, resonating and amplifying her voice, carrying it straight to the ears of their enemies. All Tomas could do was lean protectively over her as the marauders rushed into the cavern with mayhem on their minds and their clubs in their hands.

Chapter 3

The marauders dragged Tomas into the main chamber, dumping him off to one side. Anastasia was escorted a bit more gently, and shoved to her knees at the feet of their leader. He regarded Anastasia with an expression she would almost characterize as kind. In his hands was the largest flawless crystal Anastasia had ever seen.

"As you can she, we don't let the Jitany get away with things like this," the leader said.

"Like this?" Anastasia asked, rather confused.

"He was going to take advantage of you and ransom you back your family for a princely sum. That's how these rock-lickers live." The marauder followed Anastasia's gaze back to the giant crystal he was still casually caressing. "You like this crystal?"

"It's a beautiful crystal. Where did you find it?" Anastasia couldn't help think that a crystal so perfect would surely pacify her father's rival, but with any luck she could find one of her own.

"Why, right here, of course. This is the largest flawless crystal in existence, and it has been hidden here since Paraceln's death. Until now." The marauder stroked the planes of the large rock lovingly. "I wonder what it's good for."

"Well..." Anastasia took a deep breath. "If you're looking for something good to do with it, it would help me greatly."

The marauder looked thoughtful. "It would? Hm... I wonder how."

"My father has been poisoned, and a crystal like that, a large, perfect crystal from the gitany lands, was what his rival asked in ransom for the antidote. And so that's why I need the crystal," Anastasia explained to the cruel man, pleading with him.

"Hah! You are a feisty wench. I like that. Come, be my barbarian queen and we will ride the wasteland together, and forget Lord R___ and his twisted schemes."

Anastasia regarded the bandit suspiciously. "But I never told you the name of my father's nemesis!"

"Paraceln's teeth!" The marauder laughingly cursed. "Well, we'll just have to kill you."

Just then, the first rays of sunlight entered the cavern, reflecting off crystalline surfaces to strike to large perfect specimen in the bandit's hand. Anastasia threw herself into the shadows where Tomas lay, and heard horrible sizzling noises as the crystal's power proved too much for the pack of marauders.

Chapter 4

Eventually Anastasia found the courage to open her eyes, She was lying half across Tomas, who was slowly regaining consciousness. "Are you all right?" he croaked, raising a hand to Anastasia's tear-streaked face.

"I'm fine, but you...!"

Tomas waved her objection aside. "Look in my pouch. There should be a small packet of herbs." He described the symbol with which it was labeled, and instructed her to bind his wounds with the herbs. "That will speed my healing. In fact, I'm feeling better already." Carefully he let Anastasia help him sit up and survey the carnage. The marauders all displayed violent burns, but the crystal had fallen out of their leaders hand, and rolled under a shady outcropping.

Thinking quickly, Anastasia shaded the crystal from the rising tide of sunlight with a scrap of dark cloth from her riding habit.

"What will you do with the crystal?" she asked. "Return it to it's hiding place?"

"It has been discovered once, it shall be discovered again. I'd rather like to let you have it," Tomas speculated.

"But..."

"Oh, no. Not to bargain for your father's life. The antidote is a simple matter, I have some in my pack. You do not need to deal with the cur who poisoned him. But take the crystal as a gift." Tomas looked away. "I would like you to have it."

"I shall guard it well," Anastasia promised, a lump of tears in her throat. She wasn't sure why it should mean so much.

They rode together to the lands Anastasia knew well. One last, desperate passionate kiss and she tore herself away. Her father needed her, but her heart would always belong to Tomas.

Epilogue

Anastasia's father was regaining his health and good spirits. To celebrate his recovery, and to secretly rejoice at the unexpected death of his rival, Anastasia helped him plan a party that would not long be forgotten in the realm.

Still heartsore, and longing for Tomas, Anastasia maintained an outward semblance of cheer, but in her quiet moments, a sad look overcame her face. Her father worried about her, but hoped that time would erase the memories of whatever hardship she had endured because of him.

The day of the party a swift horse galloped across the lands dividing their estate from that of their former rival, The new lord at the estates across the river had taken possession of the lands, and wished to introduce himself to his new neighbors. Reluctantly, Anastasia's father invited him in. The heir of his deceased rival was not someone he wished to offend, however he might like to shun all memories of the torture done by him.

"Sir, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Anastasia's father was surprised at the charm and grace this young man possessed. He seemed nothing like his predecessor. After a few moments of conversation, the new lord coughed quietly and broached a sensitive topic of conversation. "I know that there has been bad blood between our families, but I wish that to end. It seems to me that we might do well to arrange an alliance. You have a daughter named Anastasia, correct?"

Anastasia's father paled. It would be a good match, politically, but he could not take the risk that this new lord was any better than the old one. "I'm sorry, but you'd have to ask her first." It was an easy way to weasel out of making a decision.

"Ask me what?" Anastasia came into the room, then stopped as she caught sight of their visitor.

"Anastasia, this is Lord Tomas, who has inherited lord R___'s estates."

"Tomas?" she asked quietly. "How?"

"Anastasia," Lord Tomas invested the word with quiet passion, as he stepped toward her. She was wearing a pale pink kimono, and outlined against the window of her father's study, she looked like a creature of light. "I was sent to the Jitany because my mother knew that should my uncle have the raising of me I would become as twisted and cruel as he. But now that he is dead, I have inherited, and am once more allowed to claim my ancestry."

Anastasia's father watched her face transform to one of rapturous joy. "Oh, Tomas!" she breathed, throwing herself at the handsome new lord.

"I think that's a yes," Anastasia's father commented dryly.

Their engagement was announced that night, and they married shortly thereafter and lived a long and happy life.