Liam stared out into the woods. He stood before the ambassador's residence far from all inhabited regions. It was his winter domicile. Liam did not perceive anything of the party going on in the adjoining rooms down the hall. All windows opened to the other side of the huge wooden cabin. The full moon was beginning its way across the sky, bathing the woods in a pale white light. The snow glittered and reflected the light just beautifully. He felt strange, somehow totally detached from reality.

A squeaking noise from the wooden door alarmed Liam that someone had opened it. He did not turn around. A small beam of light from within the cabin fell golden onto the snow and vanished again when the other closed the door. Liam had no desire to begin a conversation with whoever had come out here. He had left the party he had escorted Da'an and Zo'or to. Lately he was not feeling very sociable. There was so much he had to think over. His breath condensed in the crystal clear cold air. He leaned on the railing before him.

A shadowy form appeared to his right and put his hands on the balustrade. Liam turned his head slightly into the intruder's direction. Blue eyes glowed in a serene face. Liam straightened into a standing position.

“Zo'or.”

“Major”, they acknowledged each other's presence, “don't let yourself be disturbed by me. I only wished for solitude for a time; which it seems you already found before me.”

Liam met Zo'or's soft gaze. He had never seen him so calm, so normal. Zo'or was not the usual hateful self he so often displayed.

Both of them stared out into the wilderness. Liam became nervous; it was not often someone experienced the Taelon in such a strange mood. Only a few months ago Liam had rescued Zo'or from certain death after a shuttle-crash over the North American wilderness. There in a wooden cabin not unlike this one behind him the dying alien had shown some of what lay beneath the surface of the cold uncaring synod leader. He had appeared quite young to Liam, although Zo'or had to be at least several human generations old, but Taelons did not count the years like humans did. He often wondered if Zo'or could recall those events and if he regretted his inability to remain behind his mask. Now he stood out here with him. Liam glanced nervously over to the young alien. In this moment Zo'or turned also and their eyes met.

In the Moonlight there can be no Disguise...
 

“Why are you out here, while your fellow humans are all amusing themselves in there?”

“I did not feel like 'amusing myself' and these are not my friends. No . I came here because I can just be myself here, not a Companion Protector. Here I could just be myself without the masks, the manipulations and the intrigues of my 'fellow humans' as you called them.” ,as if he could ever be his real own self anywhere, “And you?”

The Taelon stiffened and Liam suddenly asked himself if he had gone too far with this question. The alien just turned his gaze back to the fabulous view before him. He did not meet Liam's eyes when he answered.

“I sought the solitude here for very much the same reasons as you, Liam.”

He met Liam's questioning gaze .His eyes flashed and then he avoided Liam's look as if he had already said to much.

In the Moonlight there can be no Disguise,
I can see the Lightning in your Magic Eyes.
In the Darkness somebody's watching me,
there' a shadow over your Magic Eyes.
 

Was there maybe really more to the Taelon Synod Leader than met the eye? The doubts that had made themselves felt during and after the crash came back to haunt him.

“I have not thanked you before for saving my life. Thank you, Liam.”

“Actually the Taelon healers saved your life not I.”, Liam squirmed under the gaze of the young alien.

“Nonsense! Without your help the healers would not have had the chance to heal me. I would not have survived without your help.”

The answer was far more violent than Liam had anticipated. What was it that Zo'or suddenly began to thank him? If he didn't know it better he'd have thought the Taelon was drunk. But the alien's eyes were clear and blue as some pools he had once seen when visiting the Yellow Stone National Park. They even glowed a little in the white near-darkness under the moon they shared. He felt his gaze being drawn into those blue pools with a depth that no human eye possessed. There was a hunger in them Liam had never recognised before. It was the look of a starving soul, but what would a Taelon be starving from except energy? Zo'or did not appear to be fatigued. The blue eyes released him when Liam blinked. He backed away from the Taelon a little; feeling his magic eyes still on him. What was going on here? Legends said that under the full moon strange things happened. He guessed the legends were accurate. Zo'or's mood resembled the serene mood he had been in when he had known he was dying. Silence danced through the woods around them.

The comfortable silence stretched into an eternity while the moon steadily followed its set course over the firmament.

Liam stared off to the side; Zo'or on the edge of his vision. The alien had not moved for quite some time. Suddenly the young synod leader swayed; groping for support at the railing before him. Liam caught him in time to prevent him from falling. He had done that before once at the Cloister. Fragmented memories drifted around in his mind. Zo'or's facade began to flash. A blush spread over his form, making him shudder violently. A light discharge crept over Liam's fingers to tingle all its way up to his head.

And all of a sudden for the first time Liam really understood. It was as if this understanding had opened a hidden door in his mind and he felt himself being flooded with what was behind it. He welcomed it with open arms.

A hand covered Zo'or's, that had cramped onto the railing in an effort to steady himself. A warmth spread from his hand to wrap his body in a wonderful feeling of security, making the Ka'ath'am's tremors cease. He looked down and saw Liam's hand covering his, emanating a familiar greenish glow.

“So that's why...!” A long finger covered his lips and silenced him tenderly. No words were needed. Li'am took the slender hand into his own. A mind seeped slowly and hesitantly into his, slowly twining its tendrils of thoughts with the other's. Zo'or lost himself in the feeling of this mind creeping closer. He did not wish for this to end now. Once he had the taste of what and who could be his he had decided to go on with the wondrous emotions and feelings it produced in him. This first hunger had to be stilled. He sighed in relief as he just let himself be swept away in this storm of emotions.

 
* * *
 

The reality began to seep back into Zo'or's perception. He felt warm, protected, secure and cared for. Li'am supported Zo'or's back with his chest. Li'am's fingers were still twined with his and the arms which surrounded him glowed softly in a green hue. His head rested on Li'am's shoulder. He raised his look to his Other's eyes. Now he could see what lay behind the mask of the loyal protector, the being of light lying beneath that human facade. Beautiful alien.

There in his soul was a part that had always felt hollow, unused. It had been filled now, a part of his Other's soul had taken permanent residence there as a part of Zo'or's had done with that particular part of Li'am's essence. None of them would ever have to fear being alone again.

“Strange things happen under your full moon.”

“Yes, indeed.”

Li'am smiled, eyes flashing green.

In the Moonlight there can be no Disguise,
I can see the Lightning in your Magic Eyes.
In the Darkness somebody's watching me,
It's a secret Message in your Magic Eyes.
 

This smile held the promise of things to come.