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The cold of the night air was bracing, almost raw as she inhaled the scent of Whitestone. The air was always fresh, pine wafting from the forest around mixed with the burning coal of fires. There was a slight salt like residue in these stones, Vex thought, as her hands roamed the rivets in the walls. It was like a beautiful alchemical powder that had become a healing balm to her in recent months always on her tongue. A sense of grounding that the half elf desperately needed.
Tonight sleep was hard to find and it wasn’t due to the assassins the night before hand. No, it was the hollowness in her gut, the constricting lump in her throat that made her want to gasp for breath. Vex pulled at her hair nervously over and over before forcing herself to leave it. It was half the reason she kept it in its thick plait but she had forgone braiding it again after her bath. Tomorrow was the day that forced her back into his long shadow in the nostalgic sights of the Feywild and Syngorn and Syldor.
The stars were crystals shining more beautifully than any dragons horde against the awning dark of the night sky. The lights of the newly rebuilt homes were fireflies in the inky pool over the parapets and above it all the amber light of the full moon flooded the tips of the bastions bathing a lone figure in her beams. The redness of her skin was rubies and white tendrils of hair lazily undulated like eddies in the breeze high on the castle roofs.
Vex’s mouth went dry, the hollowness she felt was replaced with fire crackling in her breast. Zahra Hydris was one of the most beautiful women she had ever met. The inviting sway or her hips and tail, a teasing beckoning that always drew her in. The Warlock was strong, not just physically but with a commanding resilience that Vex found it hard to stop staring at the Tiefling at any given moment.
“It’s a cold night, my love! Join me for a drink!” Zahra’s clear voice rang across the silence, startling Vex from her thoughts. The lilt wrapped in careful lyrical intonation and huskiness of her voice drawing her over the slats with nimble and practised ease. Zahra half rose pulling herself from the slats to a sitting position, her long legs spread in front of her a playful smile on her lips and glinting fang. Vex sat next to the Tiefling taking the green bottle and taking a deep swig of the claret liquid. Tastes of vanilla danced on her tongue cloying and sweet. A welcome burn in her stomach warmed her from the cold biting air which was all the harsher away from the protective walls of the castle.
“What are you doing out here, Zahra?” Vex asked leaning into her companion – friend, confidante, something more that Vex was terrified to act upon with everything else that was going on. She passed the bottle back to Zahra who took it without looking. The storm colour of her eyes gazed to the sky, head thrown back so her hair trailed on the slats. Vex followed her gaze to the round moon in the sky, full and large, tinted slightly amber surrounded by sparkling blues and purples, ephemeral, beautiful.
“I wake, and moonbeams play around my bed,
Glittering like hoar-frost to my wandering eyes;
Up towards the glorious moon I raised my head,
Then lay me down – and thoughts of home arise.”
Zahra spoke the words with a dreamy expression and Vex knew the words were deeper than a well. A private part that the Warlock showed her, underneath the exterior a softness and longing. Vex smiled and picked a silky strand of hair from the curving red of Zahra’s horn and caressed down her cheek. Zahra’s eyes met hers a moment passed as long as the ages. Gods she was beautiful the smile and half lidded eyes that begged her to kiss, confident and resolute. So Zahra. Vex half smiled and dropped her eyes and hands in the full beam of her gaze and once again brought it to the moon.
“That was very beautiful.” Vex said slowly knowing she was blushing the heat creeping like flames across her cheeks. Zahra moved closer so their hips met side by side, and wrapped a hand around Vex’s waist pulling her close with a languid movement.
“ I heard a bard sing it once. It stayed with me all this time and on nights when the Moon is at her fullest, I enjoy her glow and guidance.” They both sat in silence passing the bottle between them. Zahra’s long fingers wrapped around the waves of her tresses. The gentle tugging a comfort to her darker thoughts. Fluttering memories of judgement and unkind words. To the coldness of her father more freezing and painful than the Whitestone breeze.
“I am going to Syngorn tomorrow, where my father is,” Vex said slowly.
“We once bonded on the fact our father’s were assholes.” Zahra said and Vex felt the shared chuckle in the heat of their two bodies and Vex looked up into the taller woman’s eyes feeling a touch of defiance and anger through the doubt.
“He very much is.” Zahra smiled down at her, pushing a curl from her face.
“And you are Vex'ahlia of Vox Machina. You have slain dragons, vampires and beholders. You helped save many from Emon on the day of the attack. People who now live here. Oh by the way, which was something else you helped free, darling.”
“I doubt that would even matter to him…” Vex trailed knowing the truth of her elven father. It had never mattered what she had done. Even when she did well in her classes it was never quite enough to matter to him. The coolness of his voice made her feel like she was always clambering to meet his expectations and yet she never knew what they were. The doubt was a wound that hurt a thousand times, never quite healing, never quite going away no matter what she did in the wide world. Zahra sighed heavily against her pulling her into the crook of her arm. Vex rested her head on the Tiefling’s shoulder.
“You are wonderful, Vex. If he doesn’t see that then that is his loss.”
“ I wish I had your confidence.” Vex felt a sharp pain in her head as Zahra pulled her hair back forcing her to look back into the silver swirl of her eyes. It was slow enough to demand attention not cause any damage. Vex was going to reprimand her but the softness of Zahra’s face made her stop. In her stormy eyes a flash of anger was there, indignation and heat.
“ My confidence comes from my own awareness of my own ability and actions.” Zahra’s words curled like smoke around her a dangerous and exciting premise. The intensity of her gaze scathed flame across her cheeks, “ The moon in the sky may wane but it is as strong as it always is and it goes on to be the greatest symbol in the night sky. Doubt is not a sign of powerlessness.”
Vex’s mouth opened, a smart comment on the edge of her tongue the usual mask ready to be pulled on. It was the earnestness that made her stop, once Vex let the words sink in. She was not telling her what she wanted to hear or patronized her with thoughts of grandeur she couldn’t live up to. Vex was burned away in the honesty. Vox Machina had done much for the world and she did not regret any of it. So what did it matter? What was the importance of gaining one cold fathers approval?
Vex reached up slowly, letting the Tiefling back away if she needed to. It was her turn to place her hands in the curtains of white snow that surrounded her. Heat rose between them breathing in each others breath. Vex could smell cinnamon, the smell of crackling fires and coal in intoxicating intensity. Warily she brushed her lips to Zahra’s. The barest of butterfly touches against the soft fullness of her mouth before scorching a trail of pressure from the sides of her mouth to the very centre. Zahra’s tail found her waist pulling her in matching her intensity playfully pulling at her hair as on hand cradled Vex’s chin keeping her there as the kiss faded.
“Thank you, dear. I will keep that in mind,” Vex said breathlessly. Zahra laughed and pressed a hot kiss to her head.
“Good. You better. I only give me knowledge to those that deserve it.” The half elf chuckled and once again lay her head on Zahra’s shoulder gazing over Whitestone as the moon spilled light over the small houses illuminating the rebuilding city. It was a little hub of bustling energy now, a far cry from the ghost town it was in the Briarwoods rule. The Sun Tree was flooded in the silver glow of the Moon’s grace and she knew finally the little sprigs and buds of leaves were beginning to appear on the old boughs. There was a surge of pride in her breast, she had every reason to find happiness in her accomplishments and damn any one else who did not agree.