"Her Protector Revealed" Log Date: 6/27, 7/5, 7/10, 7/18, 8/7/01 Log Cast: Kaiulani, Benja Log Intro: At last, the patience of Pandion Kaiulani has come to an end. Now that she has discovered how to find her mysterious protector out in the oceans -- now that she has learned his _name_ -- she has had no other goal in her head but to prove to her family that he means her no harm. And she has had no other thought in her head but the joy she has felt in Benja's arms. But her guards still diligently watch over her, and her cousin has shown no interest in what she's had to say. And so the proud young Pandion noble has come to one conclusion and one conclusion alone: To be with Benja, to get the proof she needs that will let her family accept him, she must leave the Korallion. Kai has told no one save her one sympathetic guard, Ronan... the Acolyte Naiadre, who has taught her telepathy, and who she has succeeded in convincing that she is doing the right thing... and her sister, though she has had to resort to leaving Alamoana a letter, for she cannot bear to look her sister in the eye and tell her she is abandoning her. That is the one plaintive note in the maiden's resolve, even as she braces herself to head out for what may well prove her biggest adventure to date.... ---------- There's nothing left to do, not really. She's spoken with the First Acolyte of Pasiphae. Her conscience has dictated that she speak to her sister, but Kaiulani could not quite bring herself to tell Alamoana her plans face to face. And so she has acquired parchment and pen, sequestered herself away in a private corner and poured out her heart to her sibling through the strange lander art of writing. She has entrusted the letter to Ronan, who alone among her guards seems to have at least some vague inkling of sympathy for her. And Ronan it has been who has seen her safely alone to the passageway into the ocean, out of the Korallion. *Are you _sure_ of this, my lady?* has been his only question, with an anxious glance out into the water as if he does not quite believe that this mysterious guardian of Kaiulani's will be a better protector than the trusted guards appointed by the Decemvir. And Kaiulani has smiled at the homely young man, letting her gratitude for his help roll out of her thoughts and embrace his in a rush of color and light. *I'm sure.* And she's swum off into the night, heading for that secret network of tunnels, praying to the Waters that Ronan's pledge will hold true and she will have time to find him... Find _Benja_... ... before she is missed. But Benja is not in his cavern seclusion today. So, if the maiden seeks him there first, she'll find naught but an empty watery bed. In fact, he has made her another gift, and thinking that his lady is safely within the comfort and protection of her family guards inside the Korallion, he has taken this time to head to the place that has become their special hiding place for things he wishes to give her. It has taken him months to do, but he has managed to create a delicate, beautiful necklace to adorn his love's neck. It is crafted of silver cord and sports several polished pure black sharks teeth. Each tooth is the color of onyx, and is etched with an intricate little scene of places he has watched her. Among coral beds, within riotous waves and walking among the market place.. They are tiny, but decernable if one looks close enough. Between each tooth is set a perfect ocean pearl, irredescent white to contrast the black, and to match her hair. It is well known that sharks teeth are rumored to bring one luck and protection, and in that favor, the rarity of pure black sharks teeth makes them all the more sought after. And he has collected them all. For her. Swimming into the little coral cave, his grin is broad, his thoughts dancing over what she might look like wearing it. Foiled! Indeed, Kaiulani has gone to the secret tunnels first, impulse overriding the more sensible conclusion that he might well be in the closer place, the hiding place. And thus, it is with consternation that she emerges from the waves to creep into the network of tunnels, whispering the name that she treasures even above the lovely things her protector has made her... and then calling it out more boldly, all to no avail. Where can he _be_? _I'll get myself lost in here,_ she tells herself fretfully, at last backtracking out the way she came, standing silhouetted in moonlight with her hair hanging in wet tendrils about her face, her lip tucked under her teeth in anxious thought. It is not quite the auspicious, adventuresome beginning she'd hoped for... but what can she do about it? She has brought her precious gifts to the hiding place, one by one -- all but the pipes, from which she is loathe to be parted. It seems to her at last that if she cannot find him with voice or mind's call, perhaps she can do it with music? And so she wades out again into the surf, in search of a rock upon which to perch, where she can bring her pipes up to her lips and begin the first few silvery notes of her call into the night. As a siren might call young men and enthrall them with her music, so works the magic of those pipes against Kaiulani's lips. For after placing his prescious gift upon the coral of their hiding place, Benja swims to the surface of the water to check the placement of the stars and moon, so that he might know the time. In doing so, his ears are treated with the melody that wraps about his heart and tugs him in the direction of those rocks upon which sits his lady. Swimming silently through the gentle waves, he is cautious to approach within the shadows and gaze up through the moonlight to the maiden sitting atop the jagged fissure. Feeling his heart skip a beat at this illusion of Kaiulani, for it must be an illusion, what would she being doing out at this time of night, and alone... He closes his eyes and smiles, enjoying the fantasy his mind plays upon him for a moment. When he looks upward again, he fully expects to see another musician playing upon the rocks, but again, it is Kaiulani, bathed in a luminescent moonlit glow. When he is able to catch his breath from the delight that floods through him, at last, he adds his own voice to the song, low, baritone, perfect pitch, answering his own siren's call. It _worked_...! Startlement shoots through the maiden as, at last, her idea pays off. Her notes skip a few beats, but then she brings them back again, the sweet clear voice of the pipes rising up in counterpoint to that low thrumming masculine voice. And in a second descant above the pipes, her thoughts roll out in a surge of hope and nervousness, *Benja?* Even as she plays, her gaze flashes this way and that, searching the waves and the interspersed patches of shadow and moonlight around her. There is no response to her mind's call. The black void of nothingness. And yet, the voice that sings along with her pipes is unmistakable. A deep, melodious tenor that remains on perfect course with the song, falling into it, allowing it to drown him in this unexpectedly devine moment. His green eye'd gaze rests upon the luminescent beauty of his love, passion filling the tune coming from his throat. The shadows, as always, hide him from view, and he waits until a proper lull in the song before he lets it fall and asks in the voice which should be familiar enough to her now, "Why do you risk your life to sing to the moon, Kaiulani?" the name drips from his lips like a savored wine. "It is dangerous." Where _is_ he? Kaiulani lowers the pipes, her head turning this way and that as she seeks him out, trying to pinpoint where he must be hiding in the rocks that surround the one on which she perches. Over the ongoing rush of the waves hitting those same rocks, she calls out breathlessly, "I did it to call you...! I could not find you in the tunnels -- did you hear me calling?" She was calling him? The very idea sets his heart to racing all over again. "I heard, and I came." He speaks just loud enough to be heard over those waves. Concern then fills his voice as he darts a look around, searching for predators, "Are you well, Kaiulani? Is there trouble?" He asks into the darkness, a bit of a rumble in his voice. Danger. Should anyone trifle with his beloved, they will be sorry. The maiden drops the pipes to dangle from the thong about her neck, her hands then moving to support her against her perch as she sits up as straight as she possibly can, all her senses trained in the direction of her unseen protector. Every line of her slim body broadcasts anxious expectation, and so does her expression, eyes wide and hopeful under the wet loose strands of pearlescent hair that have escaped her coral headpiece to fall across her brow. "No trouble," is her reply, delivered along with a smile that lights up her face before turning abruptly shy. "And I'm well... I came... to be with you...!" Were it not for the rushing waves against the rock, surely Benja's swallow could be heard like a thunderclap. His eyes widen and his breath catches. She came to spend her evening with him! She left the security of her home and safety of her guards to steal away and spend the night with him. So many things rush through his mind! The places he can show her, and thoughts of where they might not be found for one evening of bliss before he must return her to her home. A whole night with her! Grinning from ear to ear, he reaches up a hand toward her. His face is still hidden within the shadows, but from that shaded part of the rock emerges a strong, scarred hand, beckoning her down to him. "Then come, and be with me." He replies much more smoothly than he expected to. His voice didn't even crack! There, there he is, and Kai needs but a glimpse of that big hand before she's off the rock, into the water, and arrowing for that shadow that hints at another tunnel opening out into the waves. How had she missed it? But no, never mind, she tells herself gleefully as she scrambles down to find her guardian. Her protector. The man she... loves, she thinks giddily, recollecting her conversation with Naiadre, back in the Temple of Pasiphae. She is an ocean-sprite descending, her water-slicked form gleaming in the moonlight. And in moments, she's reached the place where she saw the beckoning hand. "Benja," she breathes, both in greeting and in delight. The hand reaches for her own, to draw her into the shadows with him. It is more out of instinct than anything else, for he has, in this moment, forgotten that she's never looked upon his face. He has become so accustomed to fawning upon her image in his mind, that it seems odd now that she has no idea what he looks like. It will come back eventually, for it has been the focuse of a major portion of his existance, to keep from view. "Kaiulani" He responds in the husky deep voice of breathless adoration. All he wants is to pull her against him, feel her body against his again, smell the sea in her hair, and kiss those lips... And all at once she is _there_, so that the hunter can do those very things. Her small white fingers close about his, leading the way for the rest of her to eagerly follow. It takes no effort at all for her arms to find his form in the shadows, and the moment she's done that, they twine around him. "I haven't stopped thinking about you," she confides, "since last we met...!" Benja wastes no time in wrapping her in the warmth of his embrace, holding her closely, nuzzling her hair gently so that he may breathe in its scent. The wing-like fins close about her shoulders, giving evidence of their existance for the the first time. No, it has not been clothing that brushed her skin before, as she might have thought. The deadly spines within are docile and even soft in a scaley sort of way, at the moment. He smiles as he dips his head down to catch her lips in a heated, longing kiss. When at last he breaks it the words are whispered against her lips, "...Never stop thinking about you, Kaiulani." Sultry and raspy in the intimate tone. _Fins_, comes the thought across Kai's mind, in a rush of realization. It reminds her of one of the many questions she wants to ask her protector, now that she has risked everything to come and be with him. But the kiss that claims her mouth drives it from her consciousness for as long as his lips are against hers -- and it takes several more breathless moments before she remembers. Quivering, pulling back just far enough to try to raise her gaze and make out Benja's features, the maiden pleads, "Come out into the light...! I want to see you!" The request strikes an unexpected chord of fear within the large shark hunter. How can he refuse her request? Yet, once she sees him, it will be over. His years of lurking in shadows and guarding from a distance... the only world he's ever known, it will be gone. His anonymity will be no more, and she will then be able to spy him in a crowd! And what a lovely thought that is! That he will be able to -meet- her gaze from time to time. That she will know it is him, even if others do not. His gills flex slightly as he swallows again. It is an act of absolute trust for him to show himself to her. For, if she does this to fetch him in, and gain his trust, so that she can point him out to her guards, his life will surely be over. But he will not deny her the request. Slowly, he moves through the water, now more still than before, with only slow moving waves. First the moonlight shines down upon his dark, wet hair, and then spills over his face, intense green eyes gaze back at her for a reaction as she is allowed to see him for the first time. Perhaps it will spark a memory of that boy so very long ago, but most likely not. None the less, the expression in those fearless eyes bears an undeniable love and trust for the woman he looks upon. Kaiulani says nothing even as Benja leads her out of the tunnel's shelter, keeping her hand twined with his while she wades with him out into the surf. She _can't_ speak, for wonder crashes over her in a wave as more and more of his frame is revealed to her hungry, curious eyes -- and then as he turns to face her, her breath seizes up in her throat. Even her thoughts tumble to a halt under those green eyes and the full impact of their stare. Then, slowly, shyly, she steps close once more. Slowly, shyly, her other hand lifts up to make contact with the coppery planes of Benja's cheek. The shark-tooth shaped scar beneath his eye wrinkles slightly with his tentative smile, causing it to look almost like a teardrop. His breath has stopped, and he is certain his heart has as well. Her touch, so soft and gentle upon his cheek! His eyes close and his face leans into those fingers gently, craving more of their caress. It does not take long for his gaze to come back to hers though, cautious, curious about what she thinks, but showing no lack of confidence in his feelings for this young woman. The object of all his desires. He will not speak, for he does not wish to disturb this magical moment. A moment of pure honesty and trust. Their first. No more masks. No more shadows. Her white fingertips trace the shape of that scar, but they do not stop there. They track slowly along his cheek, down to his jaw and the beard that softens the line of it, and up again to his brow and his hair. Back at last, to the scar... till her hand comes to rest with her palm against his cheek. If absolute trust is reflected in the rugged face of the hunter, Kai's holds stunned amazement. To his unwavering confidence, she answers with a flush of pink that rises up in her cheeks as her gills flex at last, to pull in the air she's forgotten to breathe. And to the love in the eyes that have secretly adored her from afar for years, her own take on a thunderstruck roundness. Benja cannot help the shiver that runs down his spine at the delicacy of her touch upon his face. His eyes do not waiver from her own as she looks over him for the first time, studying every nuance, and thoroughly enjoying the color that suffuses her complextion. He too breathes, eventually, and smiles softly. After a few moments he tilts his head in silent question, brows raising. The unvoiced 'well?' in his expression is palpable to Kaiulani, even without the aid of readable thoughts; it abruptly makes her giggle, just a little. And then she tentatively reaches out with her mind, offering up in simultaneous shyness and trust of her own the impact he has had upon her -- as if the sight of him is a hammer to her breast, making it difficult to keep breathing, or keep standing in the waves that roll past her legs. * Benja... you are beautiful...!* If only he could hear those thoughts. If only his mind were not a total blank when she reaches for it. His expression remains the same, though there is a touch of roguishness that enters his smile, since she does not look away. He may not be completely experienced in how to woo a woman, but the natural manner in which he offers such a smile has proven in the past to be even more effective than he's realized. And in the past, he hasn't even had that pure, unquestionable affection in his gaze either! Rather than spend the rest of the night in this awkward silence, he ventures forth to ask, "Uhhh, come with me? Guard can find you easy here." He offers a hand to her again, a little less confident than a moment ago, for lack of a response from her in regards to his appearance. That ever so slightly rakish smile sends a delicious, dangerous weakness through Kaiulani's knees, and it is almost... but not quite... enough to distract her from something else that abruptly crystallizes within her mind. What is it, that blankness when she reaches for him? Why is it that now, eye to eye, with that trust she can see radiating from every detail of his expression, he does not answer her thoughts... and indeed, speaks aloud? Her head quirks for just a fraction of an instant, taking in that miniscule lessening of the hunter's confidence before she takes up that offered hand and gives in return a warm, brilliant smile. "You're right," she murmurs, " and I don't want them to find me for a _long_ time...!" Impulsively, then, she sweeps forward to wrap her arms up around his neck and pull her mouth to his ear so that she can whisper into it with all the shy wonder and desire she'd sent coursing through her thoughts, "Benja... you are beautiful...!" Benja's arms are quick to tighten about her as she hugs him, and her breath upon his ear, just after saying that she does not wish to be found for a long time, makes his blood race all the more. It takes a moment before the words she chose sinks into his psychi, and slowly he pulls back, brows drawn down in confusion. Beautiful? He's not /beautiful/. He's... He's a man. Men are not called beautiful, as far as he knows. Slowly his lips drop downward at the corners. "I am Benja. Not beautiful. /You/ beautiful." Me... man. But that is unspoken as he believes his point will be gotten with these few words. With a reproving frown at her, he gives little chance for her to respond though, his hand seeking hers to drag her down into the water with him, where no more words can interrupt them for a while. Hmph. Beautiful. Not a girl. Kaiulani abruptly giggles at that stern expression -- and telepathy or no, perhaps she senses the hunter's intent. "Glorious," she breathes then, and she manages as well to get out "Magnificent--!" before her hand is seized and Benja's dark form is descending into the water. Willingly she dives into the waves after him, her pulse beginning to speed up at the reality of what she's actually _doing_. This, _this_ is an adventure unlike any she has ever had, and joy veritably radiates from every portion of her being. And even as she goes, she giggles within, charmed and mischievously elated that now she has a whole new dimension of her protector to explore... his moods. Benja is unaware of his moods, as none have ever really been close enough to him, to allow him to take note of how his moods might effect them. It will be an adventure for certain! This little maiden might not know what she's gotten herself into! Glorious? Magnificent? A smile works its way onto Benja's lips again. Those are good words. If it were possible for his chest to puff out while swimming, it would be. Pride radiates from him as her excitement and joy does from her. Strong webbed fingers hold hers tightly as he leads her off into the deep, far away from where the guards might look for her. He will have her to himself tonight. All alone... Tonight... and if Kaiulani has anything to say in the matter, many successive nights as well, for all that she has only the beginning of inkling of what such intimacy and privacy might mean. Catching his smile, she fires back a scintillating one of her own, her feet kicking deftly behind her to give her the speed to keep up with the man at her side. So _swift_...! She can well believe now, seeing him sluice through the water, that this is a man capable of hunting sharks. Eagerly she matches his pace, her gaze sweeping forward to mark where they're headed and then back again to drink in the sight of Benja. Benja feels her extra effort to keep up with him, and casts a challengingly playful grin back at her, then picks up the pace, slipping through the water with elegant ease and accuracy. He knows his lady well, if even from a distance. He knows her thirst for competition, be it competeing with the waves that seek to dash her against the rocks, or racing with the dolphins. And he will not disappoint. He presses forward with a gleeful excitement. So long he has dreamed of speeding along beside this beauty, taking the place of the dolphins she dared to best. It is not only the exertion that causes his heart to pound so wildly within his chest, but also the elation that she is here with him, holding his hand and letting him guide her into the night, into the open sea where none of her guards can ruin it for them. Perhaps she is unaware of the intimacy that might become of such a defiant act, but it is certain that there are many thoughts running through Benja's mind of how best to take advantage of this one night he has with his love. Words aren't necessary, though Kaiulani's thoughts churn with emotions she wants to express -- delight, a surge of ready willingness to meet the challenge in the hunter's smile, and a blossoming curiosity as to the implications of what exactly she's just sensed about him. That strange nothingness when she reaches for his mind... and yet, he is obviously a Son of Water. What does it _mean_? It doesn't frighten her, for she is unshakeably certain of the warmth she has seen in his voice and his eyes and in his smile, and the care and affection with which he has touched her. Held her. Protected her from harm. _Kissed_ her. A wonderful nervous warmth shoots through her system, fast and furious like the bubbles streaming in her wake as she swims along beside him, eager to see wherever he chooses to take her. The immediate vicinity around Haven is far too dangerous to linger in, and so it takes some time to reach a place where Benja feels it is safe. It does seem he knows exactly where he is headed though, for he does not falter in his direction. When at last he reduces his speed, he comes to the side of what looks like another cave. He turns and smiles boyishly at the maiden, as if this had been something he's thought about quite a bit. Giving a tug to her hand, he pulls her closer again, looking deeply into her eyes. There is just enough light given by the glowing lichen to let her see his loving expression. He does not waste much time though before he moves his arms to enfold her again, and press his lips to her own, mildly hungry, but not over much... yet. Here under the surface, Kaiulani's hair hangs in pearlescent curls about her in the water, catching little glimmers of light from the lichen and framing her face in a cloud of white. She slows to a halt as Benja does -- and at his smile, feels her heart skip a beat or two in reaction. Dangerous, that smile. Intoxicating. It almost distracts her from realizing what he is about, but once she does she sweeps forward anew, her buoyant hair drifing around the both of them as she answers that offered kiss. His mouth is sweet and soft, yet ruggedly manly. His tongue sweeping against her lips to beg entrance. His body is hard against her soft curves, muscles tense and pleasant to be pressed against. For that is what he does, press her to them, warmly. Just to be this close to her is a pleasure he never believed he'd ever experience, but that hair floating about him, tickling his face as her lips seduce him with their untrained eagerness to meet his own. Were he on land, his knees would surely buckle. A low rumble of pleasure finds its way into the kiss, vibrating gently against her mouth. One hand slides up her back and tangles itself tenderly within her hair. How he loves this girl! His heart beats so wildly he is certain she can feel it. Perhaps she could, if her own heart weren't pounding almost audibly to her senses. But it is -- and she gasps as her lips are met, her body pressed against in that cocoon of soft fins and muscled arms. Her own smaller ones twine about the hunter's neck, anchoring her there in his embrace as she presses to him in return. Ocean is in her lips, salty, sublimely warm and wet... but along with the tang of the mother Waters that can be drunk from her mouth, there comes a taste that can be only _Kaiulani_. She is breathless by the time she must pull her mouth away, but she retreats only the barest fraction, enough to gaze wonderingly into the green eyes of the hunter. The maiden's face is alight, her expression suggesting that she may well be blushing if she were up out of the currents, and her gaze momentarily flicks past Benja to glimpse her new surroundings. Unspoken question comes into her eyes; to what sanctuary has she been brought? Benja savors that taste as if it were the most delicious in the world, for to him, there could be no finer delicacy than this woman. As she pulls away, he smiles again, and finally releases her body so that he can find her hand once more. With an excited flash of a grin, he leads her through a small hole that seems to be a cavern entrance. It is dark for some time, no light at all, but once through the somewhat twisted tunnel, light shines brightly through the water. There are glowing lichen all over the walls, to light the view, and suddenly the water can be broken. As he leads her to the surface she can see a small hidden paradise. An oasis beneath the rock. A bubble of air has been been trapped here it seems. Sand has gathered and formed little islands, of plush softness. It is bare, at the moment, except for one particular little island that is set upon with all the things that Kaiulani has left him to carry off for her. All are arranged neatly, with obvious care. It is a rare place, and one where they could be for years without being found. "Ohhhh..." Now that her head has broken the surface, her breath is free to take wing in sound once more, and Kaiulani treads water for a few moments as she turns her head this way and that to take in everything she can see. As her gaze flits across her treasures, all of the things she has cherished aside from the pipes which still dangle on their thong around her neck, her attention comes back to the hunter anew. "You've saved them," she enthuses, her voice echoing high and soft and clear in the cavern. "Oh, Benja... what a _place_...!" Benja beams with pride at the reaction she gives, exactly the reaction he'd always imagined from her. "I did." He nods firmly, his grin almost reminiscent of a young boy whose been praised for not breaking something. "You like it?" He asks, stepping up onto the sand. It is then that she is able to look upon his full form. Taught muscles and broad shoulders, glistening in the water and low light. His wing-like fins hanging down from his arms with an angelic sort of appearance. "I hoped you like it." Not perfect speech yet, but he's trying. And Kai, as he climbs up out of the lapping wavelets, momentarily forgets to breathe entirely. Her gaze tracks the hunter's motions as the water sheets down off his muscled form, and the flush that the ocean's relative coolness had kept off her cheeks now pinkens them in earnest. Readily she wades out in his wake, though now far more of attention has been commanded by Benja himself than by this refuge in which they now shelter. Just as wide as his is her smile, though hers is shyer. "Yes," she asserts, "I _do_ like it -- we'll stay here then?" Benja turns back to her, his hand automatically seeking her own. "We will stay." He nods, "If you wish it, Kaiulani." He smiles again, looking into those bottomless eyes of hers that seem to fetch him in so readily. A squeal and a splash can be heard from the other side of the little cavern hideaway. Benja looks in that direction and grins, "Otters like it too." He chuckles. And then a touch of uncertainty sets in. What does he do now? He's dreamed of bringing her here for so very long! He's dreamed of her reaction, he's dreamed of how she would like it... but now what? Otters? Here? Kaiulani's gaze flashes in that direction as well for a moment, and she resolves to seek the little creatures out and observe them at their play and perhaps even join in it at her earliest opportunity -- but for now, her fingers curling about Benja's, she focuses with all her heart upon _him_. Even as he suffers that little niggling uncertainty, she steps up to fill in the void. "I have so _much_ I want to tell you," she says, even as her gaze keeps drinking him in. Her fingers cling to his hand, and even that hand is lavished with a wondering gaze, each little scar explored with her sight. "I-I-I barely know where to start... but now that we're together, and we're going to be together, we'll have time, won't we?" Benja's strong fingers entwine with her soft, delicate digits as he looks down at her. There is only the slightest trace of discomfort as she keeps looking over him, obviously still getting used to her being able to look at him, and not over or through him as just another face in a crowd, or a shadowy wraith. His smile is filled with almost the same amount of wonder though, and a touch of excitement as well. The low raspy tone of his voice is like a caress as he speaks quietly. "We stay til you want go. -- want /to/ go." He corrects himself. With a gesture toward a comfortable looking patch of sand, where they can lean back against a wall, he invites. "Sit?" "Yes," affirms the lass, settling down readily and lithely upon the sand, though never releasing the big scarred, tanned hand she holds as she does. She does not miss the effort at proper syntax, but shows no particular surprise at it -- after all, it took her some time to master how to condense her thoughts into speech. But it does bring to mind what she's fairly sure she has observed tonight, and so she looks at him searchingly as the two of them sit. "You'll have to be patient with me," she says then, a rueful and winsome smile curling her lips. "I get excited, and I lose track of my words..." But then the smile eases down into an expression of absolute earnestness, and her free hand ventures up again to touch the hunter's cheek. "I... _do_ need to use words, don't I?" The question is simple enough, and gently spoken, yet it brings to mind all the shame and pain that Benja has endured throughout his life. The rejection from any beneath the waves, the fear, the ridicule. Sharp green eyes leave those of Kaiulani, but they do not fall in shame, they lift to the opposite wall in stubborn acceptance. He brought this on himself. He will take her scorn for his crippled existance. He will endure her rejection now, and he will console himself with the memories of her expression in seeing him, and seeing this place. He will keep those thoughts hidden deep within and let them comfort him to his grave. With his jaw set, his fingers release hers and he stands again, walking over to the water and looking down into it, his back to her, droplets still slithering down his muscles. He says nothing. Oh dear. Kaiulani swallows hard, alarmed not by what she has inadvertantly discovered -- but by the abrupt change in the mood and stance of the man who has brought her here. Liquid concern floods through her eyes as he rises and steps away from her, and for a few moments she is stricken, wondering exactly what to do... But she does not wonder long. Just as lithely as she'd sat she leaps up again on her bare white feet, stepping after her companion in determination. And it is neither fear nor ridicule that brings a dainty hand to the small of his muscled back, as the maiden deliberately attempts to re-establish that physical connection. Nor is it fear, or ridicule, in her voice as she pronounces, "I _don't_ care, you know." Benja's brows are drawn downward as he scowls darkly at the surface of the water. His hands are clenched in defensive fists, but kept at his sides. "Everyone care." He mutters quietly. All his life they have exiled him because he could not hear their thoughts. Drawing a deep breath, his chest expands as he shakes his head at the opposite wall. "I no hear unless words." He doesn't seem to be caring much about his speech right now. "Say I should, but I no." Another shake of his head. "No good enough... For Pandion Kaiulani." He swallows, not looking at her. "She canna love cripple." He explains in the tone that suggests some one else has told him this and he seeks confirmation, while protecting himself. Her touch is a soft and subtle thing, as Kaiulani curls her arms in low around the hunter's waist beneath his winglike fins -- and beneath his tensely muttered words. By the time he is done speaking those dainty limbs are securely embracing him, and her cheek rests against his still-damp back. "Whoever told you that," she murmurs fervently, "is wrong." Surprised, and hardly daring to really believe what he just heard, Benja remains still for a moment or two. Then slowly his lips begin to curve upward and his hands loosen their fists to slide gently along the hands that are at his waist. Another swallow, gills flexing softly. "Wrong? ...But, she part of big december... they no -they won't let her." Another carefully probing question. "My family will probably be very unhappy with me," Kaiulani must ruefully admit, but her arms squeeze the sturdy form of the shark hunter tightly as she does. "And I do care for them, but--" With this, she nuzzles her cheek against that broad back before her, and an excited little tremor comes into her voice as she must indeed strive to channel her emotions into vocal speech. Her words beginning to spill out of her like bubbles, she breathes, "I also care for you, Benja...! How could I not? You are strong and brave and caring, and, a-and you have such _music_ inside you... even before I saw you I cared for you!" Benja tilts his chin down and to the side, cocking his ear in the direction of her sweet voice, as if he cannot make it out over the feeling over her breath against his shoulder. "If we... If stay together... family will kill me?" He wonders, again in that questioning statement manner. His roughened hand gentle upon the back of hers at his waist, caressing ever so softly. It was she who brought music to his lips, his voice. Her love of it as he had watched her listen and try it on her own. It is her music that is within him. /She/ is the music that sets the rhythm for his heart, she always has been. He does not fear her family, but the thought of losing her if he were to die strikes a harsh chord within him that he is unused to feeling. He swallows as he waits for the answer. The arms that hold Benja close squeeze against his middle, steadfastly, while Kaiulani marvels to herself over the simple _feel_ of the man in her embrace. Before now, he has been a dream, a tantalizing fantasy; now, he is solid and warm and real, and each and every one of her senses revels in it. In him. Moreover, her heart turns full within her, in a wave of empathy for her protector as she strives to fathom how he must have lived. No wonder he had never revealed himself to her in the past...! "Most of them don't trust you," she says then, "because you never answered me when I called... but now I know why." That soft cheek of hers nuzzles again against the muscled shoulderblade just before it as she speaks. "And there is a priestess I know, a friend, who may help us. If we go and talk to her, and she speaks with me to my cousin, I think all will be well. And if it is not..." The motion of her cheek stops, and Kaiulani finishes steadily, "Benja, I left the Korallion to stay with you, anyway...!" His life has been one of solitude and loneliness, yet he has never felt completely alone, because he has had Kaiulani to watch over. She has given him purpose and a reason to continue on. She is likely unaware of the effect she's had upon this man's life simply by being alive, perhaps some day he will tell her. "I ... did not hear you." He murmurs with a touch of irritated shame edging his tone. They do not trust him, because he could not hear her. He has done nothing but protect her, and they do not trust him, because he is crippled. Anger simmers in the tensing of his muscles, an emotion she can likely feel within her mind, righteous indignation that they would question his motives in seeing to her safety. "If tell I am cripple, they kill anyway." His hands leave hers to make fists at his sides, his chin lifting toward the opposite wall in defiance of their attitudes toward him. "No good for Pandion Kaiulani." He speaks through clenched teeth. The muscles of his back rigid beneath her velvety cheek. The last part has obviously not sunk in yet. Kaiulani draws in a breath, for aye, it seems to her that barely, just barely, she can sense something roiling within the hunter. It draws her in unerringly -- but after a few moments of concentration upon it, her head begins to throb faintly in protest. _Not yet,_ she realizes, _I'm not strong enough... could I hear him, if I were strong enough?_ No matter. She doesn't need the contact of minds to read his emotions, not when he broadcasts them to her in the set of his body, in the tension of his voice. And so she pulls back from him, just far enough to circle around him until her feet are in the water and she stands before him rather than behind. Her hands break their contact with him only long enough to find somewhere else to touch him -- preferably his cheek or his bearded chin, as she seeks to guide his gaze to hers. "Benja... look at me...!" Benja remains stiff as she loosens her grip and slips around in front of him. His dark gaze centered on the opposite wall while he fights to contain the anger that has begun to burn in his chest for these ungrateful people who know so little and yet hold so much power. They are like the sharks. Deadly, but dull of wit. That's it. Thats what they remind him of. It is that delightful, sweet, soft touch of her fingers upon his jawline that brings his reluctant attention back to her. He directs his eyes to gaze back into her own, strength of character and manly pride shining within them. He remains silent, waiting for what she might say. Kai's eyes brighten at this small success; up then comes her other hand, joining its mate to rest their fingers against each of Benja's cheeks. Somewhere within her, she can feel a tremor of nervous excitement: for the touch, for the set of his rugged features, for the way his stare seems to pierce straight down into her own. "_I_ decide what is good for me," she declares then. "Not my parents. Not my sister. Not my cousin, even if he is also my Decemvir. _I_ decide. Do you know why I'm here?" Try as he might he cannot stop the hint of a smile that tugs at the corner of his lips, despite his irritation. This is the woman he loves, this proud, troublesome girl who has always refused to be ruled by another. His brows furrow slightly though as he looks down into her eyes. He pauses for a few moments of obvious confusion and then slowly shakes his head, "No..." He answers honestly. All he has thought about is how badly he wanted her to be here. And how wonderful it was to have her here. It did not occur to him that there might be a reason beyond that for her to actually /be/ here. A softer green than Benja's own, the color of sunlight spilling down through the water's depths, Kaiulani's eyes brighten considerably at that hint of a smile. She doesn't try to hide the blush that steals across her cheeks, or the way her gaze dips down for a moment before she decides to look up at him again anyway for all that her face is still angled slightly downward. It makes her eyes seem even wider, and a trifle shy. "I'm here because I decided you love me," she murmurs then, and that too is a trifle shy. "I'm right about that... I hope?" Waters, that shy smile of hers is charming! That smile is going to cause him a lot of problems in the future, he has a feeling. His own smile is warm and not nearly so shy, anger nearly forgotten in light of the turn in conversation. His eyes hold hers firmly, confidently as he nods, letting out a breath of emotion to emphasize his nod and the soft words, "Yes, I do. I love you, Kaiulani." There is an underlying passion in his tone that he does not bother to hide. Perhaps he does not even know it's there. It is a husky sort of sound, edged with strength and certainty. Another tremor shoots through the maiden then, at the way that voice falls upon her ears; it can perhaps be felt in her hands, as they flutter against Benja's cheeks for a moment, before she reaches to twine her arms around his neck. "G-good," she breathes, wavelets rippling about her feet as she presses experimentally closer to his frame, entirely on impulse. "Because I also decided... I love you too, you see--" She hadn't spoken wrong; these words begin to spill out of her, their pace picking up, betraying her flustered state of mind. A little giggle escapes her too, between the words. "And I-I'd be _quite_ put out if I came all the way out here after telling Naiadre, and, and..." She trails off, only now just becoming fully aware of how she's situated herself. "And I want to stay with you," she finishes, in a small earnest voice. The feel of her hands sliding around his neck is quite distracting, but other than the slow pleased blink, he does not take his eyes from hers as she speaks. His own eyes widen and his breath catches as she proclaims her love for him. Could this be true?? His smile broadens to a beaming joyful expression. Even if it weren't true, this is the very best dream he's ever had, and he will not bother trying to wake from it, no sir! His pale green eyes search hers as if he might be waiting for the catch to such wonderful news. When none comes he lets out a happy, warm laugh and wraps his arms tightly around his little maiden, pulling her up against his chest and lifting her off the ground to spin her about a little, "You love me, Pandion Kaiulani? You love me?" he asks excitedly. Breathlessly, Kai squeals as she's caught up in Benja's coppery arms, and her voice makes a bright burst of a descant above his laughter as she giggles again, more loudly now. Reflexively she tightens her hold on him -- not out of worry that she will lose her balance, for she has absolute trust in the strength of his arms. Nor is it out of dizziness from the spinning. Rather, it's his _smile_, that expression of incandescant joy, that would knock her off her feet if she weren't already being held tight and close. It rivets her attention on his face and summons forth an answering radiant smile of her own as she gasps, "Yes...! With all my heart -- I love you!" Benja laughs again at the sound of those words, not in amusement but in pure joy. This is the very best dream he has ever had in his whole life! And so real too! The spinning slows and he allows her feet to contact the sand once more, his eyes lit with love and adoration as he meets hers again. Drinking in her features as they wear that marvelous expression, he cannot keep the smile from his face. After a moment, his eyes flick to her lips and back to her eyes, and again. Then, pulling her in close against him once more, his mouth descends toward her own, for a warm, loving kiss flavored with a hint of passion that he isn't even aware of. She loves me!! Another gasp from Kaiulani, and then her mouth has been claimed, sending a shockwave of reaction through her. Different this time, she thinks wildly, giddily. _Different because I've told him I love him! And he loves me...!_ And then the thought blurs entirely as her entire system reports, thrilled and rapt, that she is engaged in activity of which it thoroughly approves. Her body bends against Benja's own, her lips meld eagerly to his, and only when her gills begin to flex to pull in air does she break away, dizzily. "Benja--" Benja smiles as she pulls away to speak his name, but he does not allow her any more than those two syllables, before his lips capture hers once more. His kiss is gentle and carressing, but just insistent enough to be alluring. Strong fingers slide up against her arm and shoulder and into her hair, tenderly urging her closer so that she does not break the kiss. His lips parting to invite her tongue within, and beg entrance to her mouth. His body is firm and muscled as he holds her against him with the other hand upon her waist, his chest shifting ever so slightly against her breasts to feel them against him. She has proclaimed her love, and now Kaiulani's slim young form begins to proclaim in several enticing ways how the hunter's touch is playing havoc with her. Quite involuntarily, she shivers within his finned arms; her mouth seems to realize what his is seeking before her mind does, and with only enough breath for a tiny little whimper of sound, she is caught up in this second, deeper kiss. Still tied into her halter, her breasts shift against Benja's chest -- and with that one subtle movement, almost everything save for the press of her form to his begins to fall away from her thoughts. It's potent, it's heady, and it makes her tremble again, aware of a building contradiction of warmth and coolness all along her skin, of dryness and wetness and Benja's breath seeming to roll down into the very heart of her being. Thoroughly enjoying the pressure of her young, innocent body against his own, Benja's hand that rested innocently at her waist slides downward gently over her bottom, pressing her hips forward minutely. His tongue is tender and gentle, and just a bit more insistent than a moment ago. Heart racing as he breathes in the scent of his love amidst the kiss, he shifts a bit more to add a sway to the embrace, a warm dance-like motion. And from deep within his throat emerges a hummed song, though several notes are missed due to his rather breathless condition at the moment. It is rather hard to concentrate on a tune, afterall, when one is drowning in a kiss this sweet. It takes only the smallest of touches to encourage her hips to slide along his own -- and before Kaiulani knows it, she is almost dancing in the arms of the hunter. Benja. Her beloved. Giddy, fleetingly wondering if this is what it's like to feel intoxicated, she submerses herself for as long as she can in the kiss. If _that_ is how he does it, then she will do it that way too-- But still she must breathe, and at last she pulls fractionally back, still leaving her lips within a hair's breadth of his own. Between the slight swaying, the rumble of song at the back of Benja's throat, and the increasingly compelling impact of his touch, she is dazed -- but not enough quite yet that she doesn't retain the presence of mind to wonder-- _What if I--_ And she lifts a hand, running it up the side of his neck till her curious fingers can trace a path behind his ear and into his hair. Benja's eyes roll closed as the tingles her fingers cause run down his neck and make every tiny hair stand up on end like electricity. The song skips a note or two as he smiles, looking down into her eyes as he holds her so close. There is a new firmness beginning to become evident as her hips press against his and his breath grows just a little deeper, "Kaiulani..." His lips whisper against her own, gaze filled with love, voice tinged with yearning. His hand upon her bottom squeezes her in against him a bit more tightly as he continues to dance with her. Hearing her name in that rich rumbling baritone, Kai shivers all over again -- and for an eternal span of minutes that she does not bother to count, for with his eyes smiling down into hers nothing else matters, she sways and bends against him. Her lips have gone full and soft where he's kissed them, her face flushed, expression mesmerized. She can feel those changes in his form, especially where his hips are pressed to hers, and the tremor of excitement courses through her all over again as she considers all the tantalizing promise of what may be yet to come. Kai's hands do not stay still, either, first one smoothing dark hair back from Benja's brow, then the other tracking down along his chest. All the while, she slides and sways against him, her voice rising up in breathless harmony with his own. Until at last, in a tender whisper, she confides, "I want to sleep in your arms tonight...!" All the instinct that is born in this animalistic man wars with his sense of decency. Decency in regards to the things he has learned from the landers about being patient and not taking a woman right away, no matter how bad you want her. His arousal by her swaying, willing body is too obvious to be disguised, and he doesn't even make an effort to do so. He continues to kiss and hold her, and feel her body so deliciously against his own. And when she makes her suggestion he grins, for his thoughts are not on sleeping... However, he will not risk insulting her by expecting her to allow him to have her on the first night she proclaims her love for him. He does not wish to ruin the dream in that manner at all. "You will," he whispers huskily against her ear just before he reaches down and lifts her easily into his arms and heads for a soft section of sand. Here he kneels down and deposits her gently, then moves in close to wrap his arms about her as they lay down, holding her tightly against his chest, keeping her safe in the cloak like fins of his arms. She is small, Benja's beloved, small and light and easily lifted -- but this time it is different. This time, she has not been put into peril, from which she must be saved. This time, she has not been left unconscious by a blow to her lovely head, unaware of her protector's embrace. Her face is alert and alight and full of her love -- and as she is swept up into his arms, she readily snuggles against him. As he carries her to the resting place on the sand, there too she snuggles up against his chest in just such a way as to suggest that the hunter's discretion is the proper course... for there is something entirely innocent and trusting in the way she nestles there, an arm curled around him. It's there, too, in how she breathes his name a final time, her voice resonant with her feeling, and her conviction that this night has gone more gloriously than she could have dreamed. She has found her protector, and learned what has kept him from her before. She has learned that he loves her -- and rejoiced in how his face blazed with happiness when she told him she loves him in return. Her life has tumbled on its ear, but she is unafraid, and eager to meet the changes her flight from home will bring-- Because now, she and Benja are together. [End log.]