Sleek, strong, predatory. Merely a drop of water in an endless sea. The visage of beauty a reflection - designed to prevent to casual observer from seeing the depths of what lay beneath the surface. She rarely let on she was anything other than a dangerous creature, never indicated she was anything other than cold blooded other to a select few. A terror who would rend the flesh from a man's bones as soon as look at him.
But there was more.
She had been exiled from her own kind for refusing to senselessly kill, and detested the taste of human. Sent away from all she knew and into an alien realm on land. Learning the ways of land dwellers had not appealed to her, had disgusted her. Foolish, soft, emotional creatures who wore bleeding hearts on their sleeves. Dramatic and senseless. And seemed to think she wanted their attention. Too many times she had to discourage stray hands, and when 'gentler' means had not worked, blood had been shed...perhaps more often than she would have liked.
She resigned herself to a life of solitude, it wasn't so bad, really. She had the freedom to hunt when and where she chose, and no worries of the restraints her people customs came with. It was a bittersweet freedom.
And then she met him The first thing that had caught her eyes was his brilliant crimson fur. Bright colors were something regarded as highly desirable in her culture, so naturally she'd been intrigued. Not to mention he was huge. He dwarfed her, though as a minotaur, he dwarfed a lot of people. She'd introduced herself and learned his name. Horam. After that night she could be seen often returning to the land-dweller's gathering place, seeking him out, and often had met with luck.
It was not long before she was regarding him as her favorite. She had shown him her own personal retreat, a hot spring. He had joined her there more than once. She had claimed him, in her own way, she saw him as hers, and had told him in hushed tones she would fight for him. Any female seeking his attentions would be met with hostility, and perhaps brutality if need be.
She had allowed herself to soften, as he'd held her against his chest tenderly. And she knew then, she loved him. As quickly as it had happened she found herself mystified and alone, days slipped by, melting into weeks. She did not see him, did not hear from him. eyes that were usually a rich blue darkened to light-less black, so complete nothing reflected in them.
She had grown cold and brooding and irritable. Though inside her heart was breaking, she would never admit it. And then, a ray of hope. A land-dweller named Kitty, his boss, she called herself. Informed her Horam often was away at sea for many weeks, sometimes months, working for her.
Almalthia clung to these words, hoping they were true and he had not simply decided she was unsuitable. and so there was nothing to do, but wait.
And wait she would.
Though in her search for him, her favorite she had inadvertently forged two new friendships, and a business partner. Phinn traded with her things she salvaged from shipwrecks for things she liked better, often expensive gold and gems were traded for worthless trinkets of colored glass, but she liked them, and money meant nothing to her. The trading helped her to while away the time, as she waited for her favorite to return to her....
But there was more.
She had been exiled from her own kind for refusing to senselessly kill, and detested the taste of human. Sent away from all she knew and into an alien realm on land. Learning the ways of land dwellers had not appealed to her, had disgusted her. Foolish, soft, emotional creatures who wore bleeding hearts on their sleeves. Dramatic and senseless. And seemed to think she wanted their attention. Too many times she had to discourage stray hands, and when 'gentler' means had not worked, blood had been shed...perhaps more often than she would have liked.
She resigned herself to a life of solitude, it wasn't so bad, really. She had the freedom to hunt when and where she chose, and no worries of the restraints her people customs came with. It was a bittersweet freedom.
And then she met him The first thing that had caught her eyes was his brilliant crimson fur. Bright colors were something regarded as highly desirable in her culture, so naturally she'd been intrigued. Not to mention he was huge. He dwarfed her, though as a minotaur, he dwarfed a lot of people. She'd introduced herself and learned his name. Horam. After that night she could be seen often returning to the land-dweller's gathering place, seeking him out, and often had met with luck.
It was not long before she was regarding him as her favorite. She had shown him her own personal retreat, a hot spring. He had joined her there more than once. She had claimed him, in her own way, she saw him as hers, and had told him in hushed tones she would fight for him. Any female seeking his attentions would be met with hostility, and perhaps brutality if need be.
She had allowed herself to soften, as he'd held her against his chest tenderly. And she knew then, she loved him. As quickly as it had happened she found herself mystified and alone, days slipped by, melting into weeks. She did not see him, did not hear from him. eyes that were usually a rich blue darkened to light-less black, so complete nothing reflected in them.
She had grown cold and brooding and irritable. Though inside her heart was breaking, she would never admit it. And then, a ray of hope. A land-dweller named Kitty, his boss, she called herself. Informed her Horam often was away at sea for many weeks, sometimes months, working for her.
Almalthia clung to these words, hoping they were true and he had not simply decided she was unsuitable. and so there was nothing to do, but wait.
And wait she would.
Though in her search for him, her favorite she had inadvertently forged two new friendships, and a business partner. Phinn traded with her things she salvaged from shipwrecks for things she liked better, often expensive gold and gems were traded for worthless trinkets of colored glass, but she liked them, and money meant nothing to her. The trading helped her to while away the time, as she waited for her favorite to return to her....