Spirits of the Earth

        Theodore Wrenthis, filthy rogue, and the man that lived the identities of Canis Rufus, the Red Wolf, and Ryk Handelaar, wealthy merchant, gave into the exhaustion that had been chasing him for many days. So many things had happened, from the battle in the streets of Arca with Mountain Cats, to rescuing Owl from her goblin captors. Einin now laid completely nude under the covers on his bed, Chora sitting at her bedside, waiting for the exhaustion of the healing to wear off and the young noble lady to rouse. Rufus was on the floor, filthy, but asleep. As soon as Chora had come in to care for Einin he had put himself in front of his door and willed his exhausted mind to stop all its planning so he could get a few winks. There was so much to deal with, he needed to be as rested as possible.

Einin slept like the dead, but eventually she began to rouse. The first thing she noticed was a complete lack of pain. She slowly flexed her arm under the covers, but it didn't hurt, and a roll of her ankle produced no pain. Healed? Really? She didn't open her eyes for a while, though, even as her mind raced. Instead, she kept very still and listened. Her dreams had been strange, dreams of chaos and the faint recollection of Rufus charging in, but they had gone dark after that, and it seemed too good to be true. It smelled different, though, and sounded different, but she was afraid to open her eyes. Smed said he had a shaman, after all. He could have fixed her this round. And the longer she played at sleeping, the longer she was left alone.

Except she didn't feel the press of iron against her skin.

Finally, she held her breath and pried her eyes open and saw--completely unfamiliar surroundings. It wasn't the tent, but a nice looking room, but her heart still hammered wildly in her chest as she looked around, prepared for the worst--and then her eyes landed on the woman sitting by her bedside, and her throat tightened with realization.

It was real, and the relief that rushed over her then was damned near crushing.

Gods be damned, she was not going to cry now!

Jerking upright so she was sitting, not quite yet noticing details like that she was naked and that the sheet had slipped down, she looked around the room with her heart in her throat. "Oh gods. Where's Rufus? Is he okay?"

        Ever alert, even in his sleep, Rufus heard Einin's exclamation, though the actual words didn't register. He leaped to his feet in an instant and drew his blades without hesitation. He crouched low and quickly scanned the room with his uncovered eye. Upon seeing no threat his eye moved over to Einin, and her bare chest. In the chaos of her rescue, he did not find the opportunity to behave in his usual lecherous manner. It didn't seem appropriate anymore for some reason. Perhaps his recent engagement. He turned away, and sheathed his blades.
        "Perhaps you should cover yourself."
        Chora, seeing the color fully returned to Einin's cheeks, stood. She used sign language to communicate something to Rufus, and then she slipped through the panel in the wall that lead to the hidden passage to her rooms.

No sooner had the words left her mouth when Rufus was there, blades drawn, and Einin felt another rush of relief. With a sigh, she slumped back against the pillows and forced herself to breathe normally again. Thank gods. And how weird, too, that she hadn't realized until this moment that she would have really cared if something had happened to him--her "enemy"! The thought, right then, had legitimately scared her.

And then he turned away and mentioned covering up.

Indeed, the color did come back to her cheeks. Grabbing the sheet, she jerked it up to her neck, but even though she was blushing, right then it didn't seem to matter as much as it would have another time. Maybe it was because she was still a little groggy--or maybe it was because...well...gods, it felt a little pointless to be worried about that now, when she was covered in blood, when she had been marched around half naked for the better part of a day, and after, well...everything else. Rufus had seen a lot more than just her breasts; he'd been inside her. It felt like such a minor thing, and she didn't have the energy to care when her emotions were doing all sorts of weird things, bouncing all over the place.

She wasn't even sure what she was trying to feel.

Einin tucked the sheet under her armpits to keep it in place and took a deep breath, because she was still feeling...choked. "Sorry," she muttered, and didn't really know why she was apologizing. "I'm decent now. Anyway, Rufus, I..."

Well, now that he was here, she had no idea what to say. Her tongue was tying itself up and her words were getting twisted.

"You, uh...you found me, huh?" She cracked a brief grin, and felt tears welling up.

        This whole emotion thing was new to Rufus. Even his Ryk persona had little practice at actually feeling. He could hear the emotion in Einin's voice, knew she was on the verge of an emotional display. Luckily his room was protected. Nobody would see what he did next. He pulled down his eye patch and walked to Einin. He took her chin in his hand and directed her gaze into his.
        "You're safe now little bird."
        Standing by the side of the bed, he embraced her, pressing her face into his leather armor. He stroked her hair tenderly, in an almost fatherly way. He hadn't realized how attached he'd become to the fledgling Owl.
        "We'll renew your training with greater fervor when you're ready. And perhaps we'll add some curriculum that will help keep you out of situations like that. Of course, we'll have to deal with your parents first. You can stay here or we can smuggle you to my estate until you're ready to go home. No doubt Jarrett will wonder where you've been. And you can meet Dylanna, and our son Sam."

Gods damn him.

She was getting teary, but so far, she thought she'd been doing pretty good at holding it together. But the instant she met his eyes and he told her she was safe, and called her 'little bird', which had been so mocking before but now sounded anything but...

Well, so much for that.

She collapsed into his arms and embraced him tightly, face buried against him and hands curled against his back as she sobbed. She didn't care if it was childish; she'd needed that hug, and felt a little safer for it. Once the dam was opened, though, it was hard to stop, and it was funny how everything felt worse now that she was safe. When she'd been stuck in that place, her only real thought had been as to how to survive the next few minutes. Now, as Rufus spoke and held her and stroked her hair, the horror of it all began to really sink in. It began to register as real. She clung a little tighter as he mentioned her parents, a new wave of anxiety going through her.

Einin shook her head and mumbled thickly against his armor between breaths, "No, no, no, I can't go back home." Her breath hitched and she forced herself to continue. "I can't. He was trying--he was trying to find out my name. He's gonna hurt them."

        "Your home is safe," Rufus said to her as she blubbered on his armor. A previous version of him would have been disgusted by Einin's weakness, by her tears. Now he only felt sympathy. She was broken and afraid, and he would protect her. "There are Wolves at your house now, they are watching all the entrances. Your parents will be kept safe. Surely with you missing they have called the guard. The Queen protects her Nobles." He continued to stroke her hair as she clung to him. A tiny moment of clarity had him thinking how absurd this all was, but he waved it away as he placed a fatherly kiss on top of her head. "I'll not let anything happen to you little bird."

Einin calmed a little as he assuaged her fears with sense, and she drew in a long, shuddering breath as she tried to control her tears. He was right. With her missing, they would have called the guard. Of course, that would also mean that her identity would be easy to find in the commotion. But with the Guard and Wolves, surely they would be safe, right?

She nodded against him, sobs slowly turning to shaky sniffles. "Thank you," she said, and drew back a little only to rub at her eyes--and adjust the sheet so it didn't slip again. She lowered her eyes, keeping them on the sheets in front of  her.

"I-I'm sorry, I--" Einin paused to collect herself. "I lost the sword you gave me. And the potions, though...though I got use from one, at least. I-I thought I could take them, though--they're little and weaselly!--and then--" Deep breath. She wiped her eyes again. "Well, I gave them a little hell. I hurt them a bit. I think I pissed him off pretty good, too. I didn't stop fighting, Rufus. Even when--"

She shook her head and wiped her eyes again. "Gods, I was so stupid."

        "I don't know about stupid," Rufus said to Einin, "perhaps a bit naive." He sat in the seat Chora had vacated on her departure. "You've had a very soft life. You were confident in your abilities, and overreached. You are alive, you are safe, that means you get to learn from this. You're very bright, you will take all the lessons from this that can be."
        Now that Einin was awake, Rufus started undoing the straps of his armor. Pulling the magically enhanced leather armor away from his chest, he revealed a shirt that had chain sewn into the upper sides and armpit. It was a new addition after taking a shaft under his raised arm. He'd have it magically strengthened when he had time. He moved to a raised bronze basin and poured hot water from a steaming pitcher. He pulled off the shirt and a padded vest baring his bare chest and back. He was lined with old scars, from the many wounds he'd received before Chora had brought her magic potions to the gang. He dipped a cloth into the basin and began to wipe the grime away from his body.
        "I'll draw you a real bath," Rufus said, as he cleaned himself, "I have a very nice tub," he gestured toward one of the adjoining rooms. "I'm sure a nice long soak in water that stays hot will be something you'll enjoy. It'll give you a chance to relax and think. I'll teach you it's magics so you can use it whenever you like, if I'm not here."

That made her feel a little better, and a little less foolish. Honestly, Einin had been worried that he'd think less of her, that he'd be disappointed in her epic failure. She was still kind of afraid to ask what had happened during her rescue; there had been other Wolves with him, and she was terrified that her carelessness had risked more lives than just her own.

Sitting back, she watched him remove the armor, but didn't particularly feel scandalized for doing it. Another time, and her heart would have leaped with excitement, him undressing while she was naked beneath a sheet, but now? Right them she didn't feel much of anything. Pleasures of the flesh were the furthest thing from her mind after what she'd been through. She simply watched, taking in his scars. He would know a little about learning from mistakes, then, wouldn't he?

"A bath. Really? Gods. I'll admit, that sounds amazing." Einin glanced down at herself. What wasn't covered in dried, flaking blood was covered in dirt, and her pink hair was stained reddish-brown. The bed sheets were going to be a mess. "I'm practically marinated in this shit--pfffft." She cut off with a dry, weak laugh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, ha ha. I'm witty without even trying. If you don't get the joke, they tried to eat me. This arm?" She flexed her once broken one. "Meat tenderizer. Can you believe that?"

She laughed again, as she had done during her capture, because it was still hard to process. Shaking her head, she looked back up at him. "Erm. Sorry. I'm just--I don't know. I, ah...I don't really think I want to be alone. I don't know if I want to think?" She rubbed her temples and took a deep breath, trying to fight back a little surge of panic. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. It's, um..."

She worked moisture back into her mouth and looked back up at him. "Has anything like this ever happened to you? I mean, not...obviously, not exactly like this, but...you know."

He certainly had a lot of scars.

        Rufus continued to towel himself as he responded to Einin's inquiry. "Nothing so extreme," he told her, "but I did break both my own thumbs to escape manacles in a torture chamber. They had already broken a few of my other fingers, so I was prepared for the pain. Still hurt like hell though." As he finished his rub down, he pulled a clean tunic from a wardrobe and pulled it on over his head. It was bright white, not a color he often wore. He began reapplying his fake nose and whiskers as they talked. "Kia was with me that day, as I killed two guards, my torturer, and scaled a wall with broken fingers. It was not long after that I left Zantaric to come here."

Einin winced at that description. "Nothing so extreme, and yet you mention torture chambers," she said, hugging herself and shaking her head. "Why were you taken? Weren't you young when you lived there?"

Perhaps it wasn't the most cheery subject, but it at least kept her mind busy, which she sorely needed. And besides, he knew a lot about her. She knew barely anything about him.

        Rufus grinned at the fact that Einin had remembered any of his history. It was evidence of her sharp mind, and he was pleased.
        "Indeed I was young," he told her, "I had recently killed my mentor and taken a few magical things from him," he looked at the magic gloves sitting on his desk, and flexed his toes in the magic boots he wore, "and I also took back my freedom," he paused in his telling to inspect the nose in his mirror. "What I didn't know, was that Defalcat had been all that stood between me and some dangerous men that wanted me dead," he picked up makeup and began applying it to his face, creating crags and blemishes with skilled hands. "As is often true of powerful men, my captors fell to hubris. They wished to inflict great pain on me before granting me death. I broke my thumbs and stole back my freedom again. I have never been caged since. I will die before I give up my freedom again." Rufus told the tale, said each word, so calm and deliberate. It was the armor he wore to protect himself from the only fear he allowed himself to have. The fear of failure. It was this armor that protected him from hubris, and kept his emotions contained. Paired with healthy amounts of vigilance and paranoia, Theodore Wrenthis had survived to become a very powerful duality. Now his identities were blurring together, Theo was beginning to peek out from behind the curtain. Emotions were turning his faces into one man, and now he had new fears.
        Rufus applied soot to his face with a soft brush before turning to Einin. "How do I look?"

"Heh...seems that's the downfall of captors, huh? We have that in common. Hubris, as you put it I guess, is probably one of the things that kept me alive. Lucky us, eh?"

Einin rubbed at her eyes, glancing away. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. When you were young. I never said anything before, but...you know." Yeah, she remembered. But back then, she had been fighting him. Back then, he was just a villain.

As Rufus finished up his makeup and asked her opinion, Einin looked back at him--and flashed a tired smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes; she was still a ball of nerves with terrible memories tugging at her mind. But she tried. "Terrible," she said. "Hideous. So, in other words, almost perfect. There's just a little room for improvement."

With a wave of her hand, she illusioned a mustache onto him, a ridiculous, twirly kind stereotypical of villains. Her lips twitched and she snorted. "Much better."

It probably wouldn't last long. She had trained herself to trick her mind into believing the changes to her hair and eyes, so it would likely fade once he looked into the mirror. But it amused her, at least, because it made him look ridiculous.

        "I hold nothing personal," Rufus said, "After all, you're the hero in this story," he looked at Einin with some seriousness, and raised his hand to pet his mustache in a nervous way. He felt the change she had made to it, and paused. He twirled the right side of it a bit before wiggling his nose in discomfort. He looked at himself in the mirror and it melted away, which was fine by him. It had felt strange, not quite like his hair. "I do see myself as the misunderstood villain of this tale. I don't pretend to be a good man, just to have positive motivations behind my actions." He ruffled his hair, and rubbed soot into it. The rich red color quickly dulling as the dirt and ashes were worked in to the wet locks. "I don't know how I'm gonna manage being a husband and father now. Who ever thought I would have a family? Not me." Rufus looked over at Einin a bit shocked at his words, "I haven't told you yet. I'm engaged. Dylanna Swinden. I've mentioned her. Her son is mine, and," his tongue felt thick and heavy, the words caught in his throat, "I love her." His head fell, a look of shame at this admission of weakness, spread across his face.

"Whoa, what?" Einin blinked owlishly up at him. She remembered him mentioning Dylanna before, and he'd mentioned her just a few minutes ago--her and his son. But for some reason it hadn't clicked. Probably because she had been a wreck, and her worry for her parents had trumped curiosity.

"You're engaged now? And a father? When did this happen? You leave for a few days and come back with a family..." She trailed off, mind reeling. He was engaged. He had a family. Confusion swept over her, a tightness clenching in her chest, but she wasn't in the right emotional state to understand it, when she could barely understand the trauma she'd just survived.

"Look at you. Rescuing me, settling down, getting all mushy, being a father. You're just a softy at heart." She paused, noting his shamed look, and couldn't help the flash of bitterness she felt, but tried not to show. She pushed it away before she could linger on it; with everything else that was going on in her head, she didn't want to touch it. Not yet. And it didn't even feel real, even as she spoke.

"That's not a bad thing, you know. You said you love her. Act happy about it. Most people don't get to marry for love."

Including her.

And then, with a forced laugh, she added, "Though I suppose that ends our fake engagement that was never a thing because the last one's still going. Hrm. I'll have to create a back-up plan. I'd been pretty fond of that plan, I'll have you know."

        "It also ends my plans to continually bed you," Rufus smirked at Einin, in a very Ryk fashion, "I don't think Dylanna would like that. And thus your body is safe from my lecherous touch." As true as the words were, the humor of it returned his spirit. Or at the very least, allowed him to slip his mask back in place.
        It was true, he was marrying for love. That was something that few rich or powerful people had the opportunity to do. He hadn't considered marriage a possibility at all before. Perhaps if it benefited his dual lifestyles, but not for love. This was a miracle for him, and a curse. He would now be married to a noble, and so given that title himself. A son though, and a wife he loved, these were weaknesses that could be exploited by his enemies. There would always be the danger of his identity being discovered. Now he would have to tread even more carefully.
        "You're engagement to Jarrett is a bit problematic. Isn't it?"

Einin couldn't help it. She barked a laugh, and it felt strange in her throat, a strange mix of genuine amusement and...sadness. After going through hell and back, it was a little slice of normalcy, which she appreciated, because she just...really needed to feel like things would be normal again. And yet...it was a reminder.

He was engaged.

"Yeah...too bad for you, huh?" she said, and pulled the sheet a little tighter around her.  "I guess it's probably for the better. I'd like to marry for love, too." As soon as the words left her mouth, she gave another bitter laugh.

"Improbable as that is. But yes. The engagement's...problematic. I have to end it, but then I'll be unengaged. But if I continue it, I'll be married. But if I do end it, I'm back on the market, and it's back to, well...probably getting married off to someone, whoever my parents deem a good match, political or otherwise. That's how they were married. It's the way things are. It worked out for them, but I'm not...I can't do that."

        Rufus couldn't help feeling sorry for Einin, but perhaps there was something he could do for her.
        "Why don't you find someone in your world that will fit your life?" He looked at her seriously, "I can give you profiles on the men you find suitable and we can decide which ones to watch and learn more about. Maybe there's a husband you could blackmail into never touching you, or maybe there's one out there you could actually come to love."

Einin arched an eyebrow. "In other words, you're actually offering to play match-maker?" she said with a grin that was part amused, part incredulous.

Shaking her head, she picked some blood flakes from her hair. "I suppose there's nothing lost from doing that. Though...gods. You know, Rufus, I've never been in a hurry? Or even...really all that interested? I've just always found it awkward, this whole marriage thing. Maybe it's the pressure? There's been a lot of pressure, and it just--it makes me feel sick, and then I panic, heh. But it's just--I suppose I've just always had this romantic notion that if it was to happen, I'd meet my husband by chance, and we'd fall in love like some dumb story. You know, get to know him first. Maybe meet a knight, and we could be knights together. Haha, right?"

She frowned and hugged herself. "I'm not so keen on marrying someone I have to blackmail into not touching me. What kind of person is that? I just...don't want to be rushed into anything, or forced into it. Marrying a stranger? I don't...I don't think I'm ready for something like that."

Ugh. Einin realized as she was speaking that even Rufus's idea was making her feel stubborn, and giving her cold feet.

        Rufus could sense Einin's discomfort with this conversation. She seemed to grow physically smaller, taking up less space on the bed. It made him feel like protection her, and that meant dropping the conversation. So he did. He tried to think of a smooth segue to use, but he was sure she'd probably notice anyway. That didn't really matter though. If the topic made her uncomfortable, then it was no longer going to be discussed. He'd let her be the one to broach the subject in the future. Instead he moved to her.
        "Ready for another ride?" Without explanation, or waiting for her to reply, he bent and scooped her up into his arms. As he pulled her from the bed, the covers wrapped snugly around her, he gave her a small smile. "Time to get all the grime off of you." He'd carried her this way before, but the action had been leading to something sexual. This time it was tender and caring, without the lustful groping. He carried her through his bedroom, down a short hall, and into an adjoining room with a beautiful and luxurious bath. He gently set her on a slipper chair next to the bath and then proceeded to show her how to use it.
        "The wizard that made it for me called this spigot like spout a faucet. You turn this left handle with the ruby to the left to get hot water. The one on the right with the sapphire turns right for cold water. You can blend them to your own preferred temperature. The magic of the tub keeps the water from losing any heat unless you add cold to it, and it keeps it always clean." Rufus smiled a bit wider than was usual for him. He loved showing off his toys, and this was one of his favorites. "You'll also notice that the tub will never overflow, no matter how hard you try, and when you step out you'll be completely dry. It's a pretty amazing piece of work." He looked then to see if she was impressed at all. "I have one that could comfortably fit five people back at my estate."

Scooped up into his arms, Einin gasped and grabbed onto the blanket with one hand out of reflex, and threw the other arm around Rufus's neck to hold on. She had been about to ask just what on earth he was doing when he spoke and she realized this must mean it was bath time.

Thank every god and goddess in heaven and Earth. She was so ready to not be covered in three types of blood and who knows what else. She was trying not to think of it--and with a slight pang of unease, she realized she actually hadn't seen what she looked like at all yet.

She shoved the thought away and smiled back at Rufus. "All this carrying. I'm going to forget how to walk!" she teased.

Soon they were in the bathing room. Settled on the seat and bundled in blankets, Einin paid close attention to Rufus's tutorial and leaned forward with interest. What he said sounded far too good to be true! It didn't lose heat? Water didn't need to be toted in first and heated over a fire? Never overflowed? You stepped out and were dry?! She stared at the tub with wide eyes, and then at Rufus when he looked at her--and, indeed, impressed didn't begin to cover the expression she was wearing.

"Soooo...you're saying you're going to get me one, too, right? That's what I'm hearing right now," she said at last and flashed him a winning smile. "Or you're saying I'm going to be coming here a lot. Because one of those things is absolutely true and I don't particularly care which one."

Rising to her feet with the blankets still wrapped around her, she paused a moment to collect her bearings, because her legs felt a little shaky. Probably because she hadn't eaten, or she was still a ball of nerves. Moving to the tub's side, she reached out a hand and turned one knob and passed her hand under the water--ice cold--and then turned it off before turning on the other and feeling the water then. True to Rufus's word, it was hot enough she jerked her hand back in surprise before giving a delighted laugh.

"This is amazing! No, seriously, Rufus, you realize you're never getting rid of me now, right? I reeeally hope you understand the gravity of what you've just done."

        Rufus smiled at Einin's improved mood, and at the wonder she expressed. The tub was one of his favorites. Investing in untested magics was a big deal to him, and though most often it was fruitless, things like this were worth the money.
        "You are welcome down here anytime, though I think it best you maintain your Owl disguise down here. Einin is always welcome at the Handelaar estate as well, and like I said, my tub at home is much larger. Though we should be careful that I don't see you naked too often. I must avoid the temptation of your amazing body." He stood to leave, and give her her privacy. "I'm famished, so I'll be fetching a meal for myself. Is there anything you would like? I'll see if it's available this early in the morning."

Einin fiddled with the knobs as Rufus spoke, turning on both and testing the waters until hot and cold blended into the perfect mixture of just rightness.

"Oh, trust me, I'll be taking you up on that. You'll get sick of me!" she said, absently passing her hand back and forth beneath the water's stream. "Anyway, yeah! I could use some food. I'll take whatever you've got!"

She paused, grimaced. "Just, uhm...yeah, no meat. Anything else is good! Now shoo!" With a playful grin, she flicked water at his face. "I wanna test this thing out!"

        Before Rufus departed, he grabbed a small wooden bottle off the nearby vanity and tossed it to Einin.
        "That is my soap," he told her, "A Sorcerer that lives in Connlaoth, of all places, makes it. It's completely fragrance free. Keeps things from smelling you. Plus it suds the water well. You can hide under the bubbles when I bring back food." He noticed as he was turning to leave that her butt peaked through the blankets around her. What a nice butt it was, he was going to enjoy her upcoming blush. "That way I won't see any more of your splendid nudity. One last glance at your amazing backside is enough to make me happy for the rest of my life." And he only waited for her cheeks to color before he turned to go. It was time to get some food in both of them.

Einin caught the soap in a one-handed grab and gave it a curious sniff. Indeed, it didn't smell like anything. Maybe it smelled like the bottle itself if she really tried.

"Thanks!" she said, and poured some of the soap under the water's stream. Immediately, it began to suds up--and she realized she may have poured in a little too much, considering its current rate-of-suds. Oh well! That meant more coverage, she supposed!

Speaking of coverage...

"RUFUS!" With a scarlet blush, Einin whipped the blanket over her bottom so fast it was a blur, and it was lucky that Rufus was well on his way out, because the only thing that saved him from getting a soap bottle bouncing off his head was the now closed door. She had it raised in her hand, ready to chuck it at him, and glowered at the shut door.

Jeez. Fiance or not, it looked like some things never changed...

Rubbing her hot face to try and rub out the blush, she waited a few seconds to be sure that she was truly alone before she let the blanket drop. Moving fast, she slipped into the tub, and whatever agitation she'd felt melted out of her as the water soaked into her muscles. She sank in to her chin, then held her breath and dunked her head to get her hair wet. When she came up, bubbles were piled onto her head, and she couldn't help but laugh.

This was amazing. And the bubbles? Well, shit. She didn't care if she was old enough to marry. For a few moments, she could forget what had happened mere hours ago as she enjoyed the warm water and, like anyone else in her position would do, played with the bubbles instead of going straight to scrubbing.

When Rufus returned, he'd find her with a pointy bubble hat, a sudsy goatee, and a handful of bubbles ready to toss at him. Of course, she'd also made sure to pile the suds around her high enough to obscure her chest. Not taking any chances there!

        Alko had been a step ahead of him. With the chaos of the Den dealing with Rufus returning, the large number of injured and dead Wolves, and the other underlying torrents, the bartender had managed to make food. Rufus returned to Einin not long after he had departed, Alko in tow. He was juggling three trays stacked with plates, Alko was carrying two. They brought an assortment of eggs, potatoes, vegetables, beans, rice, bread, and pastas. There was a variety of sauces and dips, but only one small plate of meat. Einin may not have been in the mood for it after her ordeal, but Rufus needed the protein. They placed the trays on a table and then the two of them carried the table over to the tub. They exchanged words, that were all in the common tongue, but made no sense in the order or combination. The one word that stood out to Einin was her name which was supposed to be kept secret here in the Wolves Den.
        "I hope you enjoy the food Lady Einin," Alko said before turning and leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.
        "That was Alko," Rufus told her, "he is much more skilled at making food and mixing drinks than at thieving. He's a remnant of my Zantaric days. You can trust him more readily than you trust me." Rufus grabbed a chair and dragged it over to the tub. As he sat down he picked up a slice of bacon from the table that was now within easy reach of Einin, and shoved it in his mouth. He had noticed her bubble art and now gave her a funny grin. Then he saw that though her skin had mostly come clean, the ugly marks on her flesh were remaining. He reached forward and took her by the arm, pulling her forward, out of the water, exposing her nudity.
        "Lemme see," he said, craning his neck to get a look at her back. "Still there. That's unfortunate," he said with a frown. "We can get rid of all the scars, but it will be painful. Tonight, or this morning I guess, probably isn't the time for it." He let go of her arm then, returning his attention to the food. He was too focused on feeding himself to take notice of her response to being pulled to a position where her breasts were exposed. Really he was so hungry and tired he didn't even notice her exposed breasts, as pert and perky as they were.
        "You should probably eat while it's hot," he stuffed a sausage link in his mouth. "There's a robe on that screen you can wear," he pointed, gesturing blindly with his fork as he took a bite of a carrot. "You're not much shorter than me so it should be fine."

Einin had been braced and ready to blow a handful of bubbles at Rufus, but when another man entered the room alongside Rufus, her eyes went wide with surprise and she sank up to her chin in the frothy water. Rufus was one thing; after everything that had happened, she felt comfortable enough in his presence. For that matter, she trusted he wouldn't bring anyone around her that would hurt her.

But that didn't mean she wanted an audience!

Even if it was an audience that came bearing platefuls of food.

No, on second thought...that was acceptable. For the smell hit her nose then, and Einin's stomach rumbled, reminded that it had been days since she'd eaten more than an apple.

Though when the man said her real name, that rumbling turned into a panicked churning until Rufus reassured her. "Oh," she breathed, relaxing again, and returned his silly grin with a sheepish one. She knew she looked ridiculous. But before she could do much more than turn her head to look at the meal those two had brought her, Rufus suddenly took her by the arm and pulled her forward and partially out of the water.

"H-hey!" Einin yelped, taken off guard, and she had to grab the edge of the tub with her free hand to keep her balance. Which, of course, left her exposed. The quick change from warm water to cool air was not kind on her as gooseflesh rose along her skin, and more sensitive areas responded in kind. Einin's face flushed with more than just the heat of the bath and she shrank back from Rufus as a strange, new mix of emotions mingled with the usual embarrassment: shame, and a hint of fear. It was instinctive more than anything; she didn't fear Rufus or his intentions. But she had spent the last day--or more, she didn't know, time had ceased to exist--chained and naked, beaten and slashed, dragged around, threatened with rape and death. Here she was safe, but she was still just as naked and felt just as vulnerable.

The moment passed just as quickly and, with a gasp, Einin sank back into the water when he released her. She curled up, arms around her belly, throat tight, and breath a little more shallow than usual. She drew a slow breath to try to control her pulse and realized a couple beats too late that Rufus had been saying things, and she should respond.

"I'll, uh, I'll get out in a bit," she finally said. Probably silly to be worried about him seeing anything now--he'd already seen, and touched--tasted--everything. But even knowing that, she still felt body shy. Committed man or not, she was...confused. She still hadn't fully grasped what it meant that he was engaged.

Einin rubbed her arm.

"As for the scars..." She couldn't help but shudder, even in the warmth. She had refused to look at them, but she knew what was there. "I think I want them dealt with sooner rather than later." It was bad enough to have the memories, but to have the evidence etched into her skin?

"At this point, there's no pain I can't bear. In fact..." With a humorless laugh, she pushed wet hair from her face and looked up at Rufus. "As crazy as it sounds, I think I could use some good pain."

        Oh my, Alko had apparently found a pear. It was sliced and laying on a plate, and Rufus grabbed a piece and shoved it into his mouth with a sigh. He loved pears. It was a weakness. He only half heard Einin mention she wanted the scars removed this morning, that she could use some good pain. It took it a moment to register, and his eyes widened a bit and he looked up  to see the way she was sitting. He immediately rose and took the one step it took to reach her.
        "Hey, you okay?" He sat on the floor by the tub and scooped up some suds. He spread them onto her face like a beard as she sat curled up. Then he flicked just a little water at her face. "You know what?" he asked her, "I was planning on taking care of some urgent matters in the Soot Wolves, but they can wait. I'll have to go see Dylanna tonight, but today I'm gonna stay with you. Everything will be okay." He reached into the tub and pulled her slowly toward him. His sleeves soaked up the water as he pulled her close to be held. Like a wick, they drew the moisture from her as well quickly becoming soaked. The magic that dried you as you left the tub wouldn't work for him, as he was not in the tub, but he didn't mind. He pressed the side of his face into the top of her wet head, and his new makeup began to melt onto her. Seeing it from the corner of his eye he pulled away. After peeling off his prothesis, he dunked his face into the water and began rubbing at it vigorously to remove the paint. When he was finished, the water came clean with the magic of the tub, but he was even more wet than before.
        "Why don't we get you measured and fitted for a new suit of studded leather armor?" He gave Einin a nice smile as the water dripped from his face, some of the soot in his hair running at the temples. "I was thinking something Owl themed." He smiled at the very obvious idea.

Argh, nooo. Rufus wasn't supposed to ask the dreaded question, you okay? Because Einin wasn't okay, but she was trying to hold it together, and that question, of course, reminded her of how not okay she was. Like a magic word, it made her eyes burn as tears welled up and her throat tightened with emotion, but she blinked hard against them and smiled a crooked smile when Rufus spread bubbles on her face and flicked water at her.

Try as she might to hide it, she supposed it was obvious. That was a pretty crazy thing to say, but she meant it. And judging by his words, Rufus knew.

Selfish as it was, Einin felt flooded with relief knowing he'd spend the day with her. She nodded at his words, a few tears slipping free--though she hoped it wasn't noticeable as they mixed with the water on her face--but it became harder to hide them when he assured her everything would be okay. Looking away, she wiped at her face and pretended she was just washing it, until he pulled her into an embrace.

This time, Einin didn't resist.

The gesture was softer, slower, and didn't startle her as being pulled from the water had, and the tension soon melted out of her muscles. She leaned into him, head resting just under his cheek, and closed her eyes. The gesture was safety, and a reassurance that matched his words, and when he pulled away it felt too soon.

When she saw why, however, she couldn't help but give a halfhearted snort. "Hah. You're melting." And while he cleaned off the makeup, Einin dunked her head to wash off the makeup that had no doubt gotten all over her.

She came back up, both of them dripping water, and parted the curtain of her hair so she could see him. She blinked water from her eyes. "Owl-themed studded leather armor?" she repeated, a small smile curving her lips. "I like the sound of that."

Einin tilted her head to get some water out of her ear, and her wet bangs flopped across her face. "Ah...thank you, by the way. For staying," she said, looking down at the water. "I know you've got a lot to do."

        "I have quite a bit to take care of, but it can wait," Rufus told Einin. "Someone's been causing trouble, and one of my leaders is missing. The organization is supposed to be able to work even with chaos among us. With the way the leader changed so often before I took the reigns, I think they can survive for a while if I take care of personal things. Alko will bring me reports and I can take care of things from here."
        Rufus leaned in and gave Einin a light kiss on her forehead. "What would you like to do?"

"I...I think I wanna get rid of the scars," Einin said quietly, expression going distant. Ever since Rufus mentioned the scars, she had a hard time thinking of much else, though she'd been trying hard to hold herself together and talk about the things Rufus brought up. But as soon as he asked what she wanted to do, her mind reeled right back to that.

Sitting back in the tub a little, no longer caring what the bubbles did or didn't cover as her mind went to darker places, she rubbed at her shoulders, idly scratching at them. Her back felt itchy. Not because it really was, but because now she was hyper-aware of the scars, and was imagining she could feel the shapes of the letters, etched into her skin. PIGEON. Gods.

She shivered despite the warmth of the bath. "I really don't want that in my skin. I-I just...I want him gone."

        Rufus grimaced at that. He could understand wanting to remove the evidence of the ordeal. He wore his scars as reminders, as a badge of honor, but many saw them as fuel for nightmares. Part of him thought Einin should keep it, but the look on her face stopped him from telling her so. He reached out and stroked her delightful pink hair. Free of the grime, and cleansed by his soap, it had a lovely wet glean to it. He leaned in and tipped her head up so her eyes met his.
        "For luck," he said to her, "and for strength." He gave her a small kiss on the mouth. Affectionate without lust, it was a very loving kiss, almost like one would give family. Almost. There was just a hint of the desire he had for young Einin, in the press of his lips. He pulled back slowly, after the brief exchange, and gave her a sweet smile.
        "It's going to hurt worse than when that goblin carved it into you," Rufus told Einin. "I will hold your hand, and we'll give you a leather strap to bite down on. I'll have Alko bring you a strong drink to dull your senses, but not too much. Drink makes you bleed, and blood will make the cutting messy. Chora is going to have to flay off the section with the word," his expression was sour as he said the words. "Then when you drink a potion to heal it, the skin will be fresh and smooth. We've used the technique to remove deserters brands, slave tattoo's, and many other marks that are supposed to never come off," he explained. "I can have them come now if it suits you. It's best to do it in the warm comfort of the bath. Not to mention the ease of cleaning it away."

Rufus kissed her, and Einin felt her throat tighten and eyes burn with sudden, repressed emotion. She felt the subtle desire there, and the affection, and it made her chest ache as she remembered, with sudden clarity, that he had a fiance now.

And it wasn't her.

Abruptly, it felt crushing. He'd told her earlier, she'd heard, but she hadn't really accepted and now, feeling vulnerable already, that tender reminder just made her feel worse.

"I didn't feel it when he carved me. I wasn't awake," Einin muttered, voice slightly choked. She looked away and wiped quickly at her eyes before hugging herself again. "Not for that, at least. I, um, I was awake for everything else...you didn't even see everything they did." She drew a deep breath, face pale as she felt along the edges of the scars with her fingers. She was trying to talk herself up, to not feel panicked by the graphic depiction Rufus was painting (flay, blood, messy, cutting), and though she wanted those scars gone more than she wanted to not hurt, it was still nothing short of terrifying.

"I sneaked a potion. He undid all that progress, though, but...I just mean...what I'm trying to say is, it'll be okay. It can't hurt worse than everything they did and, um..." She drew a finger across one of the letters, stomach recoiling at the texture. "Like I said...I...I want good pain. To replace the bad. I hope Chora's blade hurts worse. So I can forget his knife hurting me, but remember Chora's knife taking it all away..."

Taking it all away. Even as Einin said it, she realized it sounded nonsensical, as though Chora could cut and bleed away the nightmare. As though erasing the last day or so was as simple as slicing away the scars.

As though another bit of slicing would distract her from other pains.

"So...sure. They can come now. I mean, what's some more stabbing, right?"

        Rufus winced at her words, more stabbing. He didn't want to subject her to this but it was what she wanted, and so he made it so. He kissed the top of her head before he rose, and he exited shortly. A few short minutes later, or perhaps an eternity, depending on your point of view, he returned with Alko and Chora. Alko had a bottle in his hand that he offered to Einin while Chora and Rufus carried in a cauldron. The cauldron, holding a small amount of wood and parchment, was placed next to the tub. Chora pulled a stool over, and Rufus brought a low table. Rufus knelt beside the tub and explained exactly what they'd do while she drank what Alko gave her. In the mean time, Chora set out her tools, and started a fire in the cauldron.
        "Chora is going to use a sterile blade to cut beneath the scars. Then she'll cut to each side, then across the top. This is so the blood will not run down into her work and make the blade slip. She's going to spread a numbing paste across your back, so the cuts you won't feel much. The paste does little for what comes next," he told her grimly, "she's going to slice your skin off completely. The flaying will be terrible, but you mustn't jerk, flinch, or flail. That could cause the skin to tear off, and enduring her digging up a new piece to grab hold of will be nearly unbearable." He knew his words were likely terrifying Einin, and he looked to check Chora's progress. Already she was leaning Einin forward, drying her back and spreading on the paste. The fire burned fiercely beside her, and she held her blade at the ready. Alko took the drink from Einin, and handed her a leather strap to bite down on, then he exited the room. He didn't have the stomach for this kind of thing. As his Little Bird put the strap between her teeth, Rufus put out his hands for her to hold onto, and his eyes met hers, lending her his strength.
        "We'll start when you're ready," Chora said in her soft voice, "just give me a nod."

It felt like an eternity. Einin just wanted it to be over already, before she lost her nerve--because despite her bold words, she really started to fret while Rufus was gone, her stomach twisting itself into knots. This was crazy. This was so, so crazy. Was she really going to let them skin her? Just to be rid of some ugly scars that were already healed, and that she wouldn't even be able to see most of the time?

Yes. Yes, she was.

By the time Rufus returned with his small entourage, she felt sick. And it certainly didn't help as she watched Chora set up her tools, her eyes taking in all those sharp, ominous torture instruments. She jerked her eyes away and happily took the bottle from Alko, and she tipped her head back and started to gulp it down, even as Rufus explained. It burned her throat and nose, but she didn't care, and sucked it down like it was honey.

She wanted to be really, really drunk for this.

She didn't stop drinking until Alko took the bottle from her, and she reluctantly relinquished it. Wiping her mouth, she leaned forward as Chora directed her, and shivered at the cool touch of the paste. Looking up at Rufus, she gave him a harrowed look.

"I think I could have been spared the details," she said stiffly, her imagination already taking his description and running wild with it. "I'm not sure that made it better." And then she took the leather between her teeth and clamped down, her breath coming out fast through her nose. She was feeling blessedly tipsy now, at least, and it was starting to build up to mild drunkenness, and she prayed that would dull it more.

She grabbed Rufus's hands and squeezed them, looking up at him. This was her decision. Her choice. It was what she wanted, and though it scared her, she couldn't live with those scars. She couldn't.

So, time to bleed away the nightmare.

Glancing over at Chora, she gave a small nod, then looked back to Rufus and sucked in a deep breath, biting down on the leather harder.

        Chora began her gruesome work. The paste must have been working, because Einin didn't flinch at the contact of the knife. The first four cuts would feel like nothing more than some pressure. Chora had to cut deep enough that the scars would be removed on the first try. It would not be an experience Einin would want to endure a second time. She cut across with the crookedly marked letters, not quite deep enough to expose the muscle, but nearly. The next two cuts were quick and easy. Straight lines down, the guiding path of when she peeled the flesh away. The last was nearly as crooked as the first, going along the course of the poorly scrawled word. Once finished Chora rinsed her blade in the warm tub water and watched the blood disappear. She set it aside and reached for her next tools. A thin and flexible knife, so sharp it could slice through hardened leather, and a long handled clamp.
        Chora pushed the blade into the top cut and turned it in at an angle. She began to cut under the skin that had been sectioned off. As the area came loose, she grabbed it with the clamps and began peeling it back as she cut. The pain would horrible, though improved with the strong drink and the numbing paste. Chora worked quickly knowing that even with her senses dulled, the pain could cause Einin to pass out and go into shock. Luckily the skin did not tear or break, so it came off fairly quickly. She dropped the excised flesh into her cauldron, poured something over it, and the flames grew rapidly. Something magical prevented the scent of burning flesh. Instead the smoke smelled of lavender. Chora moved quickly around to hand Einin a double dose of healing potion, and then moved to watch the girls back heal. She had to make sure that she hadn't missed anything.

At first, it wasn't so bad. There was pressure, so Einin knew Chora was working on her, but she kept her eyes ahead and her grip tight on Rufus's hands. Maybe the drink and paste would be strong enough after all. Maybe she wouldn't feel it, or much at all. Maybe Rufus had only been preparing her for the worst case scenario, and had built it up as something nightmarish so she'd be relieved when it only hurt moderately.

Yeah, she was completely wrong.

Suddenly, the pain came, raw and brutal, and for a moment it stole Einin's breath away so she couldn't breathe, couldn't cry out, could only reel in shock from the intensity of it. No, no, she had this. It was bad, but not excruciating, she could do this, she could do this...

She whimpered and bit down on the leather, hard enough that her jaw ached, and squeezed Rufus's fingers until she heard a joint pop--his or her own, she wasn't sure. More flaying, and fresh agony ripped through her back, burning like fire and stabbing like knives, and it steadily intensified. She could feel the pressure of something being pulled, hear a subtle, fleshy sound, and the coppery smell of blood soon wafted through the air. More pain, peeling flesh. Einin screamed around the leather and clenched her eyes shut and bore down against the pain as best as she could, tears escaping from beneath her shut eyes and dripping down her chin. It wasn't long before she was choking out sobs, but she tried hard not to move, tried hard to control her shaking, even as her head swam and she started to feel sick and faint, and then--

Chora held a potion out to her, and Einin let go of Rufus's hand only so she could grab it. She spat the leather out into the tub and gulped the potion down, choking on it between body wracking sobs. It worked blessedly fast. Sweet relief soon spread to her back as the flayed flesh healed, and before long the pain was just a memory--a horribly vivid memory.

Trembling, Einin set the vial down on the ground beside the tub and collapsed forward with a shuddering sob, resting her arms against the rim of the tub and burying her face into her arms as she cried. It was over now, but Kia, Rufus hadn't been joking, and she struggled to get a hold of herself, though she couldn't stop shaking in the aftermath.

        Rufus nodded in thanks to his once lover, and always trusted associate. Chora gave a grim smile and a nod of her own, and retreated from the bathing room. She took her implements with her, leaving the cauldron for later. The lavender scented smoke of Einin's devoured flesh still drifted up from the dark iron vessel. It blessedly covered the smell of blood in the air. Rufus leaned passed Einin, splashing warm water up her back, rinsing away the remainder of the blood there, as he inspected the new flesh. It was flawless. He gently rubbed her back and leaned in to kiss right at the center of where the word had been. He fetched the leather strap out of the water and tossed it aside, then stroked his hands through her hair. Her body was clean, and the reminder of her nearly deadly encounter had been removed, and she was crying out some of her pain and fear. These were all good things. She would need time for her mind and soul to heal, but she would heal.
        Rufus made a decision, and reached into the tub wrapping his arms around Einin. "Come here," he said, as he lifted her from the tub. The magic of the tub dried he, but left his arms wet as he cradled her. He carried her, nude, back to his sleeping chamber, setting her on the queen sized bed. He left her there and exited back to the bathing room, disrobing as he went. A few minutes later he returned. He was wearing only a pair of loose white smallclothes, and he looked freshly bathed. He carried the bowl of fruit Alko had brought, and the bedding that had been wrapped around Einin when he carried her earlier. He set the fruit on the bedside table, and spread the bedding across Einin. He made sure all the locks on all his doors were fully secure, then Rufus, or perhaps Ryk, climbed into the bed beside Einin. He did not let her fuss or object. He pulled her nude form to him, wrapping his arms around her, and simply held her.
        "Sleep Little Bird," he told her, "if you fear nightmares, there is a tonic in the drawer there that will give you dreamless sleep. I am going to hold you, like I did the night you stayed at my home, you will be safe, and you will sleep. I need to sleep as well. Today you rest and I keep you safe."

Einin calmed a little under Rufus's caresses, as they reassured her, grounded her, and brought her back to herself. It was over. It was all over. The deed was done, she was in the bath in Rufus's quarters, the evidence of her nightmare was gone, it was over, and she was safe. She'd hoped the intensity of this experience, done was for a positive reason and with her consent, would replace her memories of torture, but as it turned out, that wasn't really how it worked. Partway through the flaying, she'd gotten flashes of memory, of being naked and cut back there, and she was still trying to shove it out of her head as Rufus kissed her back.

But then he lifted her out of the tub, and she curled into his arms, and found he let her go too soon. She could have happily stayed in those arms much longer, and the bed, though comfortable, felt far colder, lonelier. Turning onto her side, she curled into a ball and wiped at her closed eyes with a hand. The tears were still coming, and she was still shivering, but she was slowly coming back down from the horrible place she'd gone.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she heard Rufus return, and felt the softness of the blanket falling over her, and the gentle pressure on the bed that told her he was climbing in. Then, she felt his warmth as he slid in next to her--and then he was pulling her against him, and she tensed, her body heating. She was naked! And from the feel of it, as her back pressed against his chest, he practically was, too! And though he'd held her like this before, it had been after they'd made love, and a confusing flood of emotions rushed through her.

Einin let out her breath slowly, having realized she was holding it. And then, after a tense moment, she let herself relax, and turned around in his arms so she could press her cheek to his chest and curl against him. This way, she could hear his heartbeat, and right then that gave her comfort.

"Is this...is this okay?" she asked at last, voice small. She sniffled, closing her eyes again. "Doing this? You're engaged now."

        "It's fine," Ryk said, pulling Einin in close. Her nude body against his did stir desire in him, but he kept it mostly in check, he didn't want to pitch a tent right now. Ryk stroked Einin's hair and back tenderly, he kissed the top of her head softly. "You need me, and I'm here for you." He embraced her warmly, holding her tight against his side for a few moments. Then his embrace softened and he returned to stroking her sweetly. His intent was to soothe her to sleep, and then let himself drift off as well. After some rest he'd have to send for clothes that she could wear, and he'd take her to visit his armorer first thing.
        As he lay holding the beautiful young Lady Beirne, he ticked off a list of things that he'd prepare to keep her safe. He had much work to do now that he was back in Arca. Why couldn't the machine work flawlessly without him at the helm? The Soot Wolves were not in the best state, but he knew that he still had personal things to tend to. After Einin was taken care of, he still had to deal with Dylanna. Things were not going to slow down any time soon. It was best he enjoy the rest he got now. It wasn't easy running a mercantile empire and an underworld organization.

"Okay..."

Einin trailed off and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep. She was exhausted; her sleep before hadn't been real sleep, but the sleep of someone who'd, well...passed out from torture. It hadn't been restful. She needed it, and she was mentally, emotionally, and physically drained, enough that she felt if she did get to sleep, she wouldn't have to worry about nightmares.

Right now, it wasn't nightmares that were the problem.

Curling in a little tighter, she nuzzled her cheek against his chest, enjoying his gentle stroking, and clenched her eyes tighter. Just go to sleep. She was tired enough to. But the problem was her mind wouldn't shut up. With nothing to distract her, she couldn't stop thinking--about what had happened, about what was happening now...

About recent news.

A few more tears slipped out, wetting Ryk's chest, and she wiped them away quickly. "I guess this'll be the last time for this, huh?"

        "It may be," Ryk replied. He didn't know what the future would hold. He would do his best to keep his oaths to Dylanna, but his fondness for Einin, and his desire for her, were real. Keeping his body's reactions in check was not an easy task, with Einin lying nude against him. He continued to stroke her hair, and caress her body as she lay there. He kissed the top of her head again before giving her more reassuring words.
        "No matter what, I will always be here for you," he whispered, "I may be a despicable criminal, but you've shown me I still have a heart." Ryk rubbed his face into Einin's hair, taking in the scent of her. He would not likely have many more opportunities to enjoy her, in any sort of intimate way. He wanted to kiss her mouth, taste her again, tell her everything would be okay, distract her with gentle and sensual touches. She felt so frail, and Ryk wanted to take care of her.
        As his mind locked in on the feeling of her soft breasts pressed against him, the rising in his loins grew, though he managed to partially subdue it. He hoped she wouldn't notice the partial erection. If she mentioned it, or touched it -even accidentally- he knew he would not be able to keep it down. If she encouraged him, he feared it likely he'd give in. He hadn't yet promised Dylanna fidelity, and so he would not feel guilty about anything he did with Einin. He knew how Dylanna would feel about it though, so he would try his best to just lay there, holding the beautiful young woman. Hold her, and keep her and keep her nightmares at bay.

"I know," Einin said, clenching her eyes shut to hold back tears. "I know we're...friends. Right? And that's not going to change. I just..."

She let out a shaky breath, fighting to keep herself together, but it was hard when she was laying here like this with him, naked and pressed against him skin to skin, knowing this would be the last time.

"I think I failed," she finally said, voice a little choked with the effort to hold back emotion. She hated crying. She hated feeling this vulnerable. But there was nothing about this situation that was making it easy. "You warned me. Everyone warned me. And I failed. Fuck. I'm so stupid."

        "One blundered adventure doesn't make you stupid," Ryk replied. He was oblivious to the fact that Einin was talking about something entirely different. She may have helped teach him he had a heart, but that didn't make him an expert on the quickly changing direction of a woman's mind. The situation had him thinking about similar things, but his efforts to avoid those thoughts were keeping him focused away from her true meaning. He stroked her hair, and kissed the top of her head.
        "What matters is that you're safe, and that you'll learn from this. A smart girl like you will go far." Ryk tipped Einin's face up toward his so he could look in her eyes. A gently reassuring smile spread across his face as their eyes met.
        "I'll teach you everything I can," he told her softly, "and I'll keep you safe until you no longer need me." He then leaned in to kiss her, and realizing he was crossing a line he should avoid, he diverted his lips to the tip of her cute nose.

Ryk kissed her nose, and Einin winced. Already he was treating her differently--of course he was, why wouldn't he?--and it bothered her more than she expected. Returning his smile with a frown, she rolled over to put her back to him, not noticing--or rather not caring--about what she now felt pressed against her ass.

"I wasn't talking about that," she mumbled, curling into a tighter ball and clutching the blankets to her chest.

        Rolling to press himself against her, Ryk muscled his arms inside Einin's to wrap her up in his embrace. Her  mumbled words made it through the boundary he had been trying to keep up around his feelings. The smell of her, and the warmth of her body against his, combined with her vulnerable state, was noticeably arousing. There was no chance Einin didn't feel his quickly growing erection pressed against her. He nuzzled against her ear, and kissed her cheek. Then he sighed and just held her.
        "So you love me then," he said with mixed feelings. He wanted the girl. He cared for her deeply, perhaps it was love. The unfortunate truth was that as much as he wanted to explore this relationship and take it further, he loved Dylanna. He loved her and his son. He didn't want to lose them after just getting them. That didn't stop him from feeling the way he did for this sweet young woman. They would continue to spend time together, their feelings would not just disappear. Training could grow awkward if they didn't find a way to live with this, and Ryk refused to give up this friendship.
        Ryk's grip around Einin tightened and he kissed her neck tenderly, then rubbed the side of his face against hers. "Well what are we going to do about this?" His fingers began to absently twirl on her abdomen. He adjusted himself to lay more comfortably against her, his now full erection pressed into the cleft of her buttocks. "I know it doesn't help matters, me telling you this," he sounded almost dejected, "but my feelings for you have grown quite strong as well. I really am at a loss as to what should be done. I know that with my new situation, we should cut off all ties and let this settle before renewing our friendship. I don't want that though. I don't like thinking that I won't be able to see you whenever I want." He kissed her neck again, his raised heart rate creating a throbbing pulse in his cock. This was not the time to feel passionate, but he couldn't help it.
        "I'm open to suggestions beautiful," he dragged his lips against her jaw line, "can you think of anything?"

It was too much. His words, said at exactly the moment when it would hurt the most. His touches, so intimate and familiar, at a time when she felt sad and vulnerable and alone and wanted nothing more than to be reassured and loved...

It would have been so easy to cave.

But all she could think was that he had a fiance. He had a son. He loved them.

He didn't love her.

With a shuddering breath, Einin sat up and took half the blankets with her as she scooted to the edge of the bed and sat there, cross-legged, her back to him and the blankets wrapped around her huddled form. "Don't," she said, shaking her head. "Don't...don't tell me that shit now, and don't...don't touch me. Not like that. I...I dunno what to do. I just..."

She pressed the blankets to her face, mumbling into them. "You have a kid. A fiance. A family. I can't...I won't get between that. I wouldn't do that to them. I'm not that kind of person, I..." She rubbed her tears away, though more replaced them. This was so stupid. Stupid, and unfair, and she'd been such a bloody idiot, giving herself to him like that. What did she think would happen? He'd warned her. Everyone had warned her. And the worst part was, she still wanted him. She didn't want to cut off ties, either.

She took a deep breath. "Don't worry. I'll get over it. I knew this could happen. You warned me. It's not like it's not common knowledge, and...well...you love who you love, I guess. I'll figure something out."

        "We will figure something out," Ryk corrected. He moved to sit beside Einin, wrapping the covers around her entirely. He kissed her on the temple and pulled her in close, though he tried to be tender without making her feel uncomfortable. He wanted to console her, to wrap her in his arms and tell her it would all be okay. Really, he wanted to cover her in kisses, make love to her, hold her until she knew she was safe in his arms.
        He had made no vows of chastity to Dylanna, not yet anyway. She would likely demand one once he saw her again, but he hadn't yet. He wanted to take advantage of that, but he wasn't sure what it would do to Einin. He wanted her, and his feelings might be love, he wasn't sure. Love was new for him to express openly. He knew there were supposed to be different kinds of love. What was this then? He surely didn't love her like family, it was more intimate than that. Sitting with her here, tears running from her eyes, he was really struggling. His heart said kiss her, his loins said bed her, his brain was unsure what she'd prefer. For some reason he couldn't view this situation objectively. That's what feelings do to you apparently. He'd broken his own rules, and had gotten attached. Now he had to live with it.
        "We can figure it out tomorrow," Ryk said to Einin. He placed his hand on her chin and gently guided her eyes to meet his. "I have made no vows of any kind," he told her, "I will make them in time, but I have not yet. I am still the man I have always been. I honor my word to the letter, but I have made no promises." He wiped away the moisture of her tears, and with her eyes closed from the presence of his fingers he leaned in to kiss each of her eyes. "Let's share this night. Let's share our feelings completely, body and soul. There will be no regrets. We will have had our day and night of passion and love." He licked his lips, then tenderly pressed them to hers. He looked into her eyes, waiting for her reply, hoping it would be to kiss him back.

Einin wanted to say she had the strength to resist. That she could hold out and stop torturing herself. But the truth was, she didn't feel strong right then. She felt hurt, and scared after what she'd been through, and confused, and insecure, and exhausted, and in desperate need of safety and reassurance. Everything had thrown her off balance. First capture and torment, and now this, from one to the next with no time to recover. She wasn't sure what she wanted. She wasn't sure that she would have even wanted to be physical right now even if Ryk hadn't dropped the news about his family, not after what she'd been through.

Yet at the same time, she did want that. She did want the warmth of his body, and the distraction, and the pleasure to replace the pain, and the gentle words.

And he had made no vows?

It still felt wrong. She still wasn't sure if it was right. How would she have felt, if she were in the opposite position? She knew she hoped no person she was with would use that sort of a loophole. But as he kissed her, and spoke to her, she felt herself caving despite it, and when he finally kissed her lips, for a moment she was still with indecision.

And then she closed her eyes and kissed him back.

        The heat of his passion and desire was fierce, but his movements were slow and gentle. Ryk pealed the covers away from Einin's nude form, and slowly drew her into his lap, where he did not stop kissing her. He held her there, cradling her in his arms, kissing her mouth tenderly, her face, her neck, her shoulders. He nibbled gently on her lips and her clavicles. His hands stroked through her still damp hair, across her back and her breasts. He felt the goose flesh rise as his fingers passed across her skin, felt her nipples stand erect at his touch, and the gentle gasps that his touch elicited from her stoked the flame in his loins.
        Ryk's erection pressed uncomfortably into Einin's ample buttocks, so he adjusted his lovers position. He turned her to face him completely, opening her legs slowly, that she could straddle him comfortably. The length of his erect penis, still wrapped in his smallclothes, pressed against her bare sex, but he did not grind or bump against her. He simply pulled her in close, kissing her deeply, their bare chests pressed together. His fingers still traced up and down her back, raising goose bumps, and sending chills through Einin. He'd let her set the pace, he was happy to just kiss her for now. If she wanted more, she could show him, and he would give it all to her.

Whatever resistance Einin had still been putting up, it faded beneath Ryk's touch.

She shivered beneath his touches, arching against him as his fingers trailed down her healed back. It felt good, the earlier brutality she'd experienced replaced by loving caresses, and maybe it was because the skin was new, or maybe it was just because the situation was so emotionally charged, but she felt even more sensitive there this time. She clung to Ryk, kissing him back and gasping softly against his mouth, only parting from his lips when his mouth left hers to explore her neck and shoulders, and as his hands traveled over her breasts, he wasn't the only one with a fire burning in his loins.

And when Ryk finally adjusted her, coaxing her into straddling him, and she felt his cock pressing against her sex...

Even exhausted as she was, Einin couldn't help but feel the desire he stoked in her, made even worse knowing this would be it. That this would be the last time she laid with him, and maybe even the last time she felt like this. Her parents would pressure her to marry, possibly even arrange one, and...

How could you do things like this with someone you didn't feel anything for?

The thought was terrifying, and made her hold Ryk harder, and kiss him deeper, holding his face gently between her hands. It made her move her hips just the barest amount, some part of her still worried about the morality of this, but the selfish, scared, desperate part of her pushed the thought away as she pressed against his still-clothed cock, gasping at the friction of fabric against her clit. It wasn't long before his smallclothes were damp, as she grew slick with desire.

Pressing her face against his neck, she kissed him there, and quietly said, "Will you make love to me?"

        Ryk didn't speak a reply to Einin's request. Instead he stood, lifting her with him as he did. Then he turned and laid his lover down on the bed. He pulled away the mess of a bed covering and shook it out before spreading it on top of her. He pulled his smallclothes free, stepping out of them as they fell to the floor. He smiled at Einin sweetly before he climbed under the covers with her, and slid between her legs.
        Ryk did not immediately thrust inside of Einin. He first rubbed his shaft against her slick opening, drawing the moisture onto himself. His swollen glands rubbed against her clitoris, and with each stroke he kissed Einin softly on the neck. He paused to reach down and grip his cock, pressing the tip into Einin's wet slit. As he slid between her folds, he kissed her deeply on the mouth, moving his tongue against hers. He drove his cock in, all the way to the hilt, and then he stopped. Holding it in as deep as it would go, he gyrated his hips, pressing his pelvis against hers. After a few moments he began the long slow strokes of love making, sweeping Einin's hair from her face, and kissing her softly. He had the whole day to make love to her, and he planned on taking his time.

Einin whimpered as he stroked her, shuddering each time he rubbed against her clit, and by the time he slid inside her, she was more than ready for him. She held her breath at that initial penetration, then let it out as a soft moan and clutched at his shoulders, her knees pressing into his sides and face hidden against his neck as her breath came out in short pants. That first thrust always felt amazing, and the way he gyrated against her? Even better.

She gasped into his kiss, her hands tightening on him, fingers digging in until her short nails indented his skin, and she kept her feet planted on the bed so she could rock her hips and grind back against him. And when, finally, he began to thrust, long and slow, her gasps turned into soft cries.

She moved against him, clutching him tightly, though her movements were slow as his were, rather than  the frenzied pace of previous encounters. Part of that was because Einin was legitimately exhausted, but the deeper truth was she wanted this moment to last, too. Trailing her hands through Ryk's hair and gripping it lightly, she pulled him into a hard kiss, and cried out against his lips at each slow stroke, grinding against him in a circular motion each time their bodies pressed flush together.

"No...no one will hear, r-right?" she managed to gasp out.

        "Nobody will hear," Ryk confirmed, "but what would it matter?" he asked. "In this place, I am King." His thrusts remained long and slow, as he kissed his lover. Einin's cries, and the shuddering of pleasure that spread through her body, stoked the fire in Ryk. He wanted to drive into her hard and fast, but he kept his slow pace.
        Rolling partly onto his side, Ryk turned Einin toward him. He rested his head on the pillow, the tip of his nose against hers, looking into her eyes as they made love. "How's that?" He whispered the question softly against Einin's lips.

It was enough for Einin to know no one would hear. Ryk might not be worried about it, but aside from her general embarrassment at the possibility of people knowing what they were up to, it had occurred to her in a flash that to the Wolves, he was Rufus right now, and she was Einin. What if that got out? That she had been spending a lot of time with Ryk Handelaar, but was making love to the Red Wolf?

That could be...tricky.

But his words put that worry to rest.

As he rolled onto his side, pulling her to him, Einin shifted her legs to drape the one over his hip. She trailed her hand through Ryk's hair and down the back of his neck and spine, and smiled against his mouth as he asked that question.

"Amazing," she whispered back, and clutched him harder as he moved, her breath hitching with each long thrust and little whimpers escaping her as the new angle stroked different parts of her. She was content to lay like that for a time, holding him tightly as Ryk slowly built both pleasure and arousal, but when the leg pressed against the bed began to go numb, she rolled into Ryk more.

Einin didn't have the finesse Ryk had; when she moved to straddle him, he slipped out. Climbing on top of him, she leaned down and kissed him hard on the mouth, tasting him with her tongue, her breasts dusting against his chest and the shaft of his cock trapped against her sex. She rocked her hips a little as she kissed him, sliding along him but not yet taking him into her, teasing them both as she built up the anticipation, and whimpering each time he slid over her clit. Then, finally taking mercy on them both, she reached between them and guided the tip of his cock into her, and then slid down onto him until their bodies were pressed together, taking him deep as he would go.

"You feel amazing."

        Ryk's response was to grab Einin's hips and speed her movements. Watching her body was a pleasure all in itself. He loved it. He slid a hand up her belly, between her breasts, to her neck. He stroked her face, then slipped a finger in Einin's mouth. He removed his moistened finger from between her lips and swirled it around one of her nipples. He pinched gently, making the nipple stand erect, then he began fondling the breast. His other hand still guided her movements at a quicker pace, and he watched her body arch, her hair sway.
        "Let's stay like this all day," Ryk said to Einin, "I could stare at your body all day. You're gorgeous, perfect really."

Then why are you with her? Einin couldn't help but think for the flicker of an instant, before pleasure and her own confused, conflicted thoughts drove it away. Because right then, she didn't care. Right then, she just wanted to feel loved and needed and safe and to not have to think about anything but what was right in front of her. And Ryk--Rufus--made her feel all of those things.

She just wished she'd realized that sooner.

And so she sucked on his finger, and gasped when he teased her breast, and fell into the rhythm Ryk guided her into. She grabbed onto his shoulders, clutching him hard, and captured his lips with her own, her whimpers trapped against his mouth.

"All day," she agreed breathlessly, shuddering as she rode him, before in a rather bold move she captured the hand fondling her breast and guided it down between her legs.

        Ryk gladly accepted the guiding hand. A lover that knew what she wanted, and took it, was a lover that would accept the same in kind. When Einin moved his hand between her legs, Ryk began working her clit. He rubbed at it quick, firm, strokes. He used the slick juices that now coated them both to lubricate his ministrations. His other hand moved to grip Einin's ass roughly, as she rocked back and forth on his swollen cock. He gently nibbled on her lip when she kissed him, and his tongue explored her mouth, sliding across her tongue and the inside of her teeth.

Einin's breath hitched when he stroked her, her hips jerking and legs shaking, and she clutched Ryk's shoulders tighter as his ministrations only heightened her pleasure, her nails leaving behind half moon indentations. Her kiss grew fiercer, more passionate, her nips and nibbles a little sharper, and she finally had to break the kiss and gasp for air, though it came out as a whimpering moan. She leaned into his neck and ground her hips into him, and soon she was crying out as the tension between her legs swiftly built.

Between his thick cock stroking her, and his finger working its magic, she didn't have a chance.

"Oh...oh gods...!" she cried out, her words cut off as the wave of pleasure seized her, making her tremble uncontrollably and spasm around him.

        As Einin's spasms increased, the hand gripping her ass pressed her down harder onto Ryk. He kept his other hand working her clit, as it was trapped between them anyhow, and bit her bottom lip to mix just a bit of pain into her pleasure. He always enjoyed the contrast himself, and through experience, had found that Einin seemed to as well, though in moderation.
        Ryk lifted his hips in opposition of the downward pressure he put on Einin's ass. He ground his pelvis hard against his lover as he pulled his hand free. Dripping with their mingled fluids, he put a wet slap on the other side of her ass, squeezed hard, and then slid his hand down to slip two fingers in against his cock. Ryk used his grip on Einin's overstuffed pussy, to move her up and down his cock. His thumb pressed against her puckering ass, massaging it, but not quite slipping inside, as it pulsed from the pleasure coursing through her. He'd touched her there when she'd spent the night at his home, and she'd been trepidatious, but willing to explore something new. It showed how much she trusted him, and to not betray that trust he had yet to put anything in her ass without her permission, but she had enjoyed when he licked her there, and this would give her a similar sensation.

It was almost too much, almost more than she could bear, the pleasure so intense Einin hardly knew what to do with herself as rather than let up, Ryk only increased his ministrations. She sobbed with pleasure and clutched Ryk's shoulders hard, squirming helplessly on his cock as he stroked her through her orgasm, but her cries were soon muffled by his fierce kiss and sharp bite.

She yelped against his lips, but it was a surprised sound more than a pained one. Einin didn't like much pain in her lovemaking, but she found a little roughness oddly...arousing. Just that little hint of primal power and fierceness, of possessing her completely, thrilled her all the more. Perhaps it was because she had a hard time letting go of control in her day to day life that she found submitting like this, trusting like this, all the more exciting.

She yelped again at Ryk's spank, body jerking, but then she was digging her nails into him anew and sucking in a sharp breath when he slid his fingers into her alongside his cock. Her eyes flew open in surprise and she clung hard to him, burying her face against his neck to muffle the near scream that left her as he began to move her. It hurt just a little at first, that extra bit of stretching, but it passed fast and soon she was rocking with him, her sex squeezing his fingers and cock tightly, and between that and the finger she felt lightly massaging her ass--something she never in her life thought she'd enjoy...

Gods, she didn't even know how to handle it.

"R-Ryk!" she cried out, voice rising in pleasure, no longer even thinking or caring about who might hear, if anyone. She clutched him tightly as she rode him, grinding her clit against his pelvis and sobbing her enjoyment as he filled her so completely, hitting spots inside her she hadn't known existed and sending pleasure radiating through her body until that was all she knew. "Oh gods, oh gods, Ryk, I'm...I can't...!"

She came again, the force of it rendering her breathless as she curled against him and trembled uncontrollably.

        With Einin's shuddering orgasm, Ryk could no longer contain his own. He burst inside her, filling her with his hot spunk. If this were an effort to make a child, their simultaneous climax would have been perfectly timed. As things were, the concurrent peaks brought them closer, made their bodies warm with equal pleasure and desire. Ryk slowed his movements, he wrapped his arms around Einin, and just kissed her. Slow, soft kisses. Soon his thrusting stopped, and his fingers brushed along his lovers back, in a gentle caress. He hummed his content against Einin's mouth, then cautiously rose, lifting his lover off of his slowly deflating penis.
        Ryk's strength and agility allowed him to maneuver Einin onto her side, her back against his chest. He put his arm over her and caressed her soft breasts, the touch of her soft nipples against his fingers renewing his arousal. He pressed in tight against her, his throbbing erection pressing into the cleft of her firm buttocks. Ryk pressed his lips against Einin's neck, kissing her, nibbling, licking. His hand slid down her abdomen, briefly pausing to play with her navel and stroke her tight stomach. All the workouts had stolen the soft body, he'd first held. She was a warrior now, still green, but a weapon none the less. Her greater stamina was reflected in her ability to keep up with him in bed, and he wasn't complaining, but he missed the soft, innocent Einin. The fleeting thought passed, and his hand continued to glide down.
        Quickly reaching Einin's swollen clit, Ryk's fingers stroked genlty before he slid them between her legs. Not all of his come had been trapped by her tight cunt, and it drippled out of her as he spread her legs apart and shifted his cock from between her ass cheeks, to press against her wet opening. He didn't thrust it into her yet, he just kept it there, pressed against her, only a tiny motion away from sliding inside. He moved his hand back up to her breasts, while pushing his other arm under her to get his hand to her clit. He massaged her sex, and her tits, while kissing her neck, moving his hips just enough to tease the tip of his cock into her, all the while continuing to hum his pleasure.

When Ryk maneuvered her to her side, Einin let him, flopping over bonelessly as though the strength had been leeched from her. And in a lot of ways, it had; she was already exhausted, and all this activity certainly wasn't helping!

Panting for breath, she stretched out and cuddled back against him, but she was still the furthest thing from relaxing, even though the tension had drained from her. It was difficult to relax when her body was still warm and tingly with desire; it was difficult to relax when Ryk's hands were gliding over her body, her breasts. She sighed with pleasure, shivering as he kissed and nibbled her neck, wriggling her hips as she felt his cock come to rest against her bottom. And as his hand slid from her her breasts to her abdomen and lower, she sucked in her belly with anticipation before letting her breath out in a moan when his fingers touched her clit, and she gladly opened her legs as he prompted her.

And then, Kia, she was in paradise all over again.

Einin gulped down a sharp breath as he stroked her with his fingers and cock, her body still wonderfully sensitive from her previous climaxes and invitingly slick--and the teasing only aroused her more. She whimpered, pressing her ass back against him to try to take him inside her, and she gasped as the head sank into her, though she could go no further from this angle.

But two could play the teasing game, for she worked with what she had and began to rock her hips, sliding off of him before taking him in, body tight with the pleasure of their almost fucking, of repeating that initial penetration again and again, and the pleasure of his fingers and lips, as she felt possessed by every part of him.

"Ryyyk..." she whined, her breath hitching and movements growing more urgent, because as good as the teasing felt, she wanted him inside her. She grabbed at his arm, needing something to hold onto as she squirmed restlessly, hating and loving that he could take her at any moment, that he was so close, and that he wasn't. "Ryk...fuck me..."

And her fingers tightened on his arm, her face going red, as the lewd words tumbled out before she even realized what she was saying.

        Ryk needn't be told twice. He pressed his cock forward, using his fingers to help guide it inside Einin. As he slid into her, Ryk let out a small moan of delighted pleasure. He wasted no time with gentle strokes, thrusting vigorously from the start. His bared teeth bit into Einin's soft flesh, a change from his soft kisses. He pinched and pulled at one of her hard little nipples, then squeezed her tits somewhat roughly. He'd been a little rough with her before, but not quite to this extent, so he kept it brief.  Continuing his quick thrusts into her wet slit, his fingers glid across her in a gentle caress. The stark difference to the rough treatment he'd briefly given her, would enhance the tingling sensations. He sucked in cool breaths across her neck, then breathed out gently across her ear.
        In a breathy whisper Ryk spoke into Einin's ear, "I hope this pleases you."

Einin didn't have to beg much. No sooner had the words escaped her when Ryk thrust into her, and she yelped with equal parts pleasure and surprise when he took her hard straight out of the gates. She grabbed at his arm with one hand and gripped at the blankets with the other, needing something to cling to--and she cried out sharply when he bit her.

He'd been a little rough before, of course, but the intensity of this was new. It hurt. Not badly, but enough to be uncomfortable and make her tense up, a thread of panic shooting through her accompanied by arousal. She whimpered, her nails digging into Ryk's arm hard, and froze up for a moment. It wasn't Ryk. It was just the timing. And for a second the pain, the bite to her shoulder, brought her back to a darker moment when she'd been torn into in earnest and threatened with lewd things.

For a moment she felt truly vulnerable and powerless, something that usually aroused her and still did now, but this time also scared her--but then Ryk was stroking her gently even as he thrust hard, and the moment passed. She let out a breathless gasp, shivering, for a second confused by what her mind and body were telling her, but she also didn't want him to actually stop, and found herself wanting more of it.

Good pain, she'd called it. Pain she could control. Pain she knew would stop if she asked. Pain mixed with pleasure to take away the bad. Maybe it didn't work that way, maybe it wasn't that simple, but it made sense to her in the moment.

She twisted a little, grabbing for his hair, and gave him a rough kiss, teeth nipping hard at his lip. "Harder."

        Harder Ryk could do. He'd always been careful about where the line was with the fragile innocence that Einin had about sex. Nothing too taboo, nothing too rough. When he'd run his tongue up the crack of her ass, swirling it around, and rimming her, she'd been unsure and hesitant. In the end she'd given in to the pleasure it gave her. She'd never before asked for things to be rough though. He'd tossed her around a bit and bit her, but had always kept things playful. He knew that it was likely due to her recent brush with death, so he made a mental note to keep an eye out for signs that it was too much.
        To start, Ryk began thrusting even harder than he already had been. He gripped her hair close to the scalp and slowly increased the pressure of his pull. He used that grip to twist her mouth to meet his, and he kissed her roughly. He bit her bottom lip hard enough that it would likely welt, but not break the skin. He then pulled out of her and roughly turned her onto her back. He pulled her legs wide and stabbed his cock back into her wet cunt, and began slamming into her with abandon. While thrusting he tore two long strips from his sheet. He tied one end of each around Einin's ankles. He then lifted her legs high and slid the fabric sheets around his headboard. He handed the other ends of the improvised restraints to Einin.
        "Hold these," he told her, then kissed her hard on the mouth again. Ryk's hands kept free by having Einin hold her own legs up, he was able to squeeze her tits and pinch her nipples while continuing his fucking. His pace continued to increase, their bodies slapping together, mingling juices splashing onto the bed clothes. As rough and fast as he was going, even Ryk had a limit to how much he could hold back.
        With a rough groan he slammed his pelvis hard against Einin's, falling forward against her. He pulled the restraints from her hands, letting her legs fall around him as he ground down into his clit. His tongue sought the inside of her mouth with a frenzy as his hot semen filled Einin's pussy. Little moans escaped him, as he basked in the pleasure of their coupling, but he was far from done. Now that she'd asked to really be fucked, he wasn't going to let up now. He reached for a potion and took a slight taste, just enough to renew his stamina. He dribbled some onto Einin's lip, and the swelling quickly lessened.
        Ryk then moved to reposition his lover, flipping her onto her stomach. "Hands and knees baby," was all he said to her as he helped her get propped up. He gripped her ass tightly with one hand as he rubbed his quickly re-inflating cock between her cheeks. As soon as he was fully erect again, Ryk pushed into Einin's swelling sex. She'd likely need a taste of the elixer to go much more. He reached over to grab it again, and pressed it to her lips. Once he'd replaced it on the night table, he grabbed both of Einin's ass cheeks roughly and spread them so he could get deeper into her pussy. He slapped against her roughly, thrusting deep and hard into her. He'd fuck her until she collapsed with exhaustion. Once she was spent, he'd wind down and fill her with his seed again. He wasn't sure that would be the end either though.

Pleasure. Pain. The two blended together into a strange cacophony of sensation until Einin couldn't tell where one began and the other ended as the line between them blurred and then faded. He fucked her roughly and it hurt, yet she heard herself crying out in pleasure with each slap of his pelvis into hers, still squirmed beneath him and begged for more with her moans and her body, and she still held the makeshift restraints when he handed them to her--a thing that would have normally mortified her, to be so exposed and shamelessly spread like that.

Yet, right then, she didn't care. She felt like she was floating, both there and not there, a strange sort of dizzy ecstasy gripping her that both aroused and frightened her at the controlled violence of it all. She'd asked for it though, because she wanted it, and wanted to forget, and yet soon it was more than she could bear--

And more than she was ready for, as much as she thought she was. As much as she thought--hoped--one could just carve away or fuck away the trauma, as much as she wanted his bruises on her, his bite-marks on her, his body reclaiming her in all the ways she'd been threatened with, but on her terms...

It was too much, too soon, and she was already too exhausted and emotionally fragile.

Ryk flipped her onto her belly, and she collapsed with her face pressed against her arms, sobbing with pleasure as he pounded into her with an audible slap, and then suddenly she was sobbing for real, her body trembling from exertion and distress as that strange, euphoric state she'd gone into gave way to reality. She was so close to release, painfully close, but it was too much, too intense, and quite abruptly it was scary as she felt the control she'd been seeking slip from her grasp.

She felt helpless. Vulnerable. Powerless. And soon she was shivering and reaching behind herself with one hand, grabbing for Ryk.

"W...wait...stop..."

        Einin was sobbing with pleasure, and then it changed. As she was reaching back, whimpering for Ryk to stop, he was already slipping out of her. He knew what had happened, had seen whores that had been beaten, raped, and worse, that broke down.
        Ryk grabbed the hand Einin reached back with and pulled her up, turning her to face him. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips to the top of her head. He rocked her gently in his embrace, whispering reassurances.
        "My beautiful little bird," Ryk whispered, "you're safe with me now. Never again will I take my eyes off of you." He kissed her crying eyes, getting her tears all over his face, and smiled at her lovingly. Together they gently fell to the bed. Thoughts of their sex evaporating from his mind, all Ryk wanted was to keep her safe. He'd lie there with her, as long as she needed. The Soot Wolves could wait, even Dylanna could wait. Einin needed his strength now.

Einin curled up with Ryk, sobbing into his kisses but gradually calming, the more they just laid together, the more he just held and assured her. She clung to him, trembling, and struggled to just focus on the present, on being here. Here, in Ryk's arms, safe. She was with Ryk, in his bed, deep in Soot Wolf territory. She was okay. And yet her body and brain were at odds with one another as adrenaline raced through her and her heart pounded with remembered terror.

It had barely been a day since her rescue, and she was trying so hard to force herself to be okay that...well...

That wasn't helping matters any.

"I'm sorry," she muttered into his shoulder when she was calm enough to speak, sniffling, guilt pouring in alongside the panic because now she'd ruined this moment, ruined what was supposed to be fun and happy and life-affirming and beautiful. Had she just freaked him out now? Breaking down like that out of nowhere? The thought brought fresh tears to her eyes, the thought that she had ruined what would probably be their last moment like this.

        Ryk hadn't wanted to admit it aloud. He did not want to say it. He felt it though, and this was the right time for it. It had to be done. As painful and confusing as it would be. Einin needed it, and so did he.
        "Don't you apologize," Ryk said. He stroked Einin's hair, kissed the top of her head, and said the words he dreaded most of all. "I love you."
        "You hear me little bird," Ryk asked, tipping Einin's face up to look in his eyes. "I love you. It may be impossibly complicated, and it may be a weakness my enemies will try to exploit, but I will not lie to you. I love you." He kissed her forehead, and then the tip of her nose, and then gave her trembling lips a little peck.
        "If our lives were different," Ryk began, "our meeting, our relationship, would all be different. Perhaps we would have ended up together, married and miserable. I can't imagine how it would have turned out if I were not two men and you not two women." He gave Einin a sad, longing look. Then he hugged her fiercely.
        "I can't imagine Ryk or Rufus loving anyone as fiercely as I love you. It's only because I am both that I have come to know you as I have, and come to love you." Ryk kissed Einin's eyes and wiped her tears away.
        "You are a beautiful and amazing woman," Ryk told his young lover. "I wish that I could marry you, and fill you full of babies." He gave her perhaps his most genuine smile then.
        "You will make a great knight Einin," Ryk said, his smile making the words sound especially happy, "but you will be an amazing mother."

Ryk's words made her breath stop. At first Einin didn't think she'd heard him right, but then he tilted her head so she met his eyes, and he said the words that broke her heart.

I love you.

No, no, no, no. Why was he telling her this now? All of this. It would have been easier, so much easier, to keep it all inside herself like a secret, to deal with unrequited feelings--there would be some kind of peace in that, at least. Some kind of closure, in knowing he just didn't feel that way for her. But her chest ached with each new word he spoke, each repetition of those three words, and when he kissed her, and finally hugged her, she curled in against him and squeezed him so tightly she could barely breathe.

"You weren't supposed to tell me that," she said, voice catching on a sob, fresh tears hot against his skin. "You're not supposed to say that, you bastard. You could have said it weeks ago..."

And if he had--if she had--would it have changed anything?

"I-I gave myself to you," Einin said, a sick feeling curling in her belly. Children. Motherhood. All things that would be expected of her, but things she could not share with him. "I can't imagine doing...any of this, with anyone else. I don't want to be with anyone else. I--" And she blinked back more tears, feeling stupid and childish, the flights of fancy of a young girl, but wasn't that how it was supposed to go? He was her first. Her first love, her first kiss. She'd given him her heart, given him her body, her virginity. How could she love anyone else? Touch anyone else? The thought made her feel frightened and dirty, because if she couldn't marry him, she'd be forced to marry another, and...

How could she do that?

She didn't want to. And she didn't want to give up what she had with Ryk. The thought of never kissing him again made her chest tighten, and the thought of him kissing and loving another woman, touching her the way he'd touched her, making love to her as he'd done with her, made a fresh sob catch in her throat. Would he tell her the same things he'd told her? Call her beautiful like he'd told her so many times? Laugh into her hair and kiss away her tears and hold her as she fell asleep?

It wasn't fair. None of it was fair.

"I wanted you," she said, burying her face against his chest to hide her tears. "I was just too stupid to admit it. And now...fuck..." She didn't want to say it. She probably didn't even have to, but saying it would only make her feel worse. And yet, if she didn't, she may never get the chance again.

"I love you," she said, wiping at her eyes. "I...I have for a while. I just never...I was scared you didn't, and..." Another breath, and a bitter laugh. "Fuck."

        "I know my sweet, I know." Ryk let out a long sigh. He wanted this young woman to be his, and knew that he would feel jealous of any man Einin chose. He loved Dylanna deeply, and they had a son together. If this was that far away desert country, he'd marry them both. That would solve the problem he was now having.
        "The truth is simple, you have my heart. As complicated as that makes our lives now, I can't deny my love for you." Ryk paused, kissing the top of Einin's head. "We'll figure something out. Your training must continue, and I refuse to give up our friendship, as strange as it will be. Just because I don't take you to my bed, doesn't mean I can't still love you, and care for you in any way I can. You are my heart. Not anyone else. I love you Einin. I will never abandon you." He let out another sigh.
        "I was so looking forward to seeing you round with our child. In another life perhaps."

That was...comforting, in a weird way. It was comforting knowing he wanted to maintain their friendship, that he'd still be in her life--comforting, and heartbreaking, knowing she'd still have him, but just not in the way she wanted. Kia help her. This was why she'd been so afraid of getting involved in the first place. She should have heeded the warnings. She never should have let herself fall in love, should have never opened herself up, made herself vulnerable, and let herself live that fairytale.

She wouldn't make that mistake again, she decided.

Her breath came out a shudder as she fought back more tears, as his words fell on her heart like punches, one after the next. "I-I don't wanna lose you," she mumbled into his shoulder. "As long as you stay my...my...friend..." Gods, it was difficult to say it. Hearing it from him was bad enough. Saying it herself lent it finality. "...I think it'll...it'll be okay?" Her voice wavered, and she wiped again at her eyes, pausing and taking a deep breath past the tightness in her throat.

"I love you. I don't know how to stop that. And...and I dunno how...how to act or...gods. I don't know how to go back to how things were before and...and...fuck. We were supposed to be enemies."

It would have been easier for a hundred different reasons.

Fighting back another fresh sob, she sucked it down with a deep breath and squeezed him again, afraid to let go. "I'm sorry," she murmured, and kissed his chest. "I...know I kinda messed things up a bit ago, but...but I still want you." She took another deep breath. "We won't be able to be like this again after tonight, will we? So I...I dunno...can I at least have you until morning? One more day?"

        Ryk kissed the top of Einin's head, the tip of her nose, and then gently on the lips. He stroked his fingers through her hair, his soft smile, warm, as he looked into his young lovers eyes. His fingers danced down her back, the light caress bringing goosebumps to her naked skin. Tracing her spine to the cleft of her butt, he swirled his fingertips across her ass before giving it a little pat.
        "We are here together, and none of the rest of the world matters until you're ready for it to." Ryk whispered the words against Einin's lips before kissing her again, a bit more deeply. "I'm ready when you are little bird," he told her, "I'll leave you in control this time my love."

Einin let out a soft, bitter laugh at that. "What if I'm never ready?" she asked, shivering under his caresses, before she rolled on top of Ryk and lightly straddled his hips. She brought their sexes together, grinding slowly against his cock, but didn't take him inside her just yet. She wasn't yet ready; she still wanted him, and badly, but after her small breakdown she had to build the arousal back up, too--

Which wouldn't take long, as she rubbed his cock against her clit and shuddered at the little spikes of pleasure.

"What if I...what if I don't want the world to matter again?" she breathed, and leaned in to lay against his chest, hips still slowly moving as she pressed little kisses to his shoulders, his neck, his chest.

        Ryk continued to trace his fingers along Einin's body as she ground her clit against his throbbing erection. Each of her little kisses sent a chill through his body, enhancing the pleasure his lover was giving him. When her face drew near to his, he would kiss it, taking tastes of her lips when he was able. He left her in control of the entire situation though, letting her build up her own arousal. She'd take him inside her when she was ready.
        "You'll want to return to the world," Ryk said, "once you remember all the people out there that you care about, your desire to be a knight."
        Ryk's words were soft and slow, not wanting to shift Einin's mood too drastically. He liked what she was doing, and when he stopped talking, he let out a little moan of satisfaction. He was finding it difficult not to take control and just fuck her hard and fast. He wanted her so badly. It was important that she had the opportunity to work through this at her own pace though. So he held himself in check. His hands did wander down to her ample bottom. Ryk gripped Einin's ass in his hands, massaging it to the rhythm of her motions.
        "Oh how I'm going to miss this round ass. It's the best one these hands have ever felt."

"Goddammit," Einin breathed, and bit his neck a little sharper than usual. "You don't always have to be right, you know."

Because it was true. She cared, and cared too much, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hide away forever. She would have to return, and she would want to, and she had dreams and goals she couldn't let die. But right now she wanted to be selfish and didn't want to care. She wanted to just...stay here. Where she felt safe and wanted, even though she knew she could never have what she wanted--a desire she'd admitted far too late.

She felt the bitterness welling up in her chest again, but she drove it away as his hands found her ass, and let out a breathy moan as she found the perfect rhythm for her grinding. She let out a little snort at his words. "THE best? Ever?"

He'd touched a lot of asses, after all.

Lifting her hips finally, when her rocking had her dripping with more than Ryk's seed, she reached and angled his cock against her sex, then slid down onto him slowly, her breath held as he stretched her, before she let it out in a shuddering moan as, finally, she sat in his lap, filled to the brim with his cock. She met his eyes, her face flushed with pleasure, and cracked a crooked, sad smile.

"Gonna miss this cock," she said, and reddened a little more at her usage of the word. "It's the best I've ever had."

And she stuck her tongue out at him, using humor to lessen the pain, before she began to roll her hips, and pleasure lessened that ache, as well. Her movements were slow but deliberate, back and forth and then little rolling circles, building that passion, enjoying him for as long as she could, and soon her body relaxed and her lips parted with little moans and whimpers. She rested her hands on his chest and then leaned in to capture his lips with hers, tongue exploring and tasting as she kept rocking slowly.

        Ryk was enjoying watching Einin's young body rock and bounce and swivel, feeling the slickness drip out of her. She soon took his full length inside of her, and then made an adorable face, tongue stuck out like a child. Her mood was lightening again, Ryk could feel her tension melting away. As Einin continued riding, Ryk's hands wandered again. Her nipples were quickly standing erect from his stroking and pinching, and he kneaded her breasts with his calloused warrior hands.
        Einin's beauty was like a balm. The stress of being The Red Wolf felt trivial and distant as Ryk watched his lover rotate her hips. A gentle hand on her back drew Einin closer as Ryk leaned up to put his mouth to her perky little breasts. He swirled his tongue around one nipple, then the other, enjoying the experience of tasting her. After the bath, the perfumes of the soaps made her smell sweet. The sweat of vigorous sex put a bit of salt on Einin's skin. The underlying flavor that was uniquely Einin was enhanced by these additions, and Ryk found himself hungry to taste more. Soon he was sitting completely up, still letting Einin control the speed of her ride, while he kissed and sucked and licked her neck and breasts. He made delighted grunts and moans, at both Einin's grinding, as well as the taste of her.

Oh Kia, how she was going to miss this. This heat, this closeness and pleasure and intimacy--all things she had thought she never wanted, could never open herself up to. And yet, with Ryk, she could truly be herself, truly explore without fear or judgment--and she couldn't imagine anyone else touching her as he did.

Einin gasped as Ryk's mouth and hands found her breasts, her hips grinding down against his harder in response, and soon her moans gave way to soft cries as the heat only grew. She tangled her hands in his hair to draw him against her, encouraging him as he tasted her, even as her rocking went from slow to desperate, her legs spreading wider to let him sink in deeper. She bounced in his lap, their bodies slapping together wetly as she rose and fell, wanting to feel every hard inch of him.

Her hands slid down to his shoulders, short nails digging in lightly, and she buried her face against his neck. "You...you sure I have to leave?" she breathed out, a sharp moan leaving her as she plunged back down.

        Now was not the time to have such conversation in earnest. It could derail this moment of passion and pleasure. So instead, Ryk replied in a way that would keep the mood going. "Stay forever." He laid back flat to look up at Einin. His hands slid down her body landing at her hips. He gripped her tightly and began to pull and push her, speeding the rate that she rode him. He thrust his own hips as well, leaving Einin in the position of power, but taking control of their vigorous fucking.
        "Stay here, in my rooms, and also at my estate. It's connected to the sewers too after all. Dine on the most delicious and decadent foods, and get pleasured every night."

"Please," Einin gasped out, and fell against his chest as he fucked her, her face pressed into his neck as she let him take the reins. Please let her stay. Please let her be with him. It was awful. She was awful. He had a fiance. A child. But if he asked her in earnest, right then, she would have agreed, and damn the consequences. It would be adultery. She would be a mistress. A harlot. What they did would be the tainting of something sacred, something she never thought she would be so selfish as to consider.

But she didn't want to go home.

She didn't want to face reality.

She didn't want to lose this.

And hadn't they already crossed that line?

She rocked her hips into his thrusts and kissed and bit his neck, leaving small red marks where she sucked a little too hard, feeling suddenly possessive as that familiar tension built. She clutched him harder, breath hot and sharp against his neck as she began to grind against him more urgently, her moans turning to whimpers.

It wasn't fair.

"Oh gods, Ryk...oh gods!" Her hold on him tightened as she trembled all around him, for one blissful moment unable to think or even breathe. It was almost too much, but she kept rocking against him through it, not yet ready to let him go, and captured his lips with her own.

        Ryk gripped Einin's ass speeding her thrusts against him as she climaxed. As she shuddered with her orgasm, her spasms heightened Ryk's pleasure and he released his seed into her again. He would miss this of course. The only other lover he'd ever had real feelings for had been Dylanna, and she was his fiancé now, the mother of his child. Loving Einin would make his life more interesting, and more complicated. He'd never before had to worry about his judgment being clouded by emotion. There was always an amount of separation. Not this time.
        His seed leaked from his lover as Ryk gently stood. He deftly wrapped Einin's legs around himself as he lifted her, keeping his cock inside her. While he had reached climax himself, his body was still prepared to continue, and his erection persisted as he carried Einin back to the tub. The water had never been drained from it, and though the bubbles had mostly dissolved a few still drifted across the surface. They sailed toward the edges as Ryk stepped in and slowly sat down. The warm water rose around them, magically stopping at the rim. He helped Einin shift to a more comfortable position, his erection slipping from inside her, his seed spilling into the tub and being taken away by its magic. Her back and buttocks against him, Ryk spread Einin's legs so that his cock could slide back into her. He kissed her neck as the warm water swirled around them at their gentle rocking.
        "I didn't yet have the magic tub at my estate when you stayed the night," Ryk whispered to his lover. "I thought it would be nice to show you how perfect it is for making love in."

"Of course you'd have it now," Einin murmured, pressing back into Ryk's gentle thrusts with her eyes closed. She was starting to get a little sore and tired now, a combination of physical and emotional fatigue sinking into her bones, but she still wasn't ready for this to end. It felt like if it did, she would never have this again--Ryk was moving on, and she would have to as well. And gods, was he only making it harder to accept that with each second of intimacy, each caress and thrust and affectionate word.

She didn't know how he expected her to do this. Find someone else after him? Do this with someone else? Feel the things she felt for him, toward someone else?

She didn't want to.

But she kept her tone light.

"Of course you'd have your bath of wonders now, right when my first time in it might be my last. That's just unfair."

        As they rocked and gentle gyrated in the warm water, Ryk's hand slid across Einin's body. He fondled her small breasts, rubbing and pinching her nipples. He kissed and bit the back of her neck, and one of his hands slid down to rub her clit. He could hear Einin's breath starting to become labored, even as it quickened with pleasure. She wouldn't last much longer. The healing potions that the used in the Wolves worked wonders on your injuries and ailments, but they sapped the energy from your body. That, coupled with the eventful time she'd had, and Ryk was surprised that she even had the energy she did. He worked her to another climax, and without ceasing, pushed her to two more. As the last of Einin's energy seemed to drain from her body, the pleasure he was giving her appeared to be growing too intense, almost painful. That was when he reached his own climax. His seed burst forth, filling up her pussy again. He dragged his hands ina gentle caress across Einin's body, kissing her shoulder and neck. His member slowly growing flaccid, slipped from his young lover, the semen being magicked away as it leaked from her again.
        Ryk leaned back, just holding Einin, resting there in the warm water with her in his arms. He had truly come to love her. He wasn't sure how to deal with that, but he did have a fiancé now, and a son. He'd need to try to move on, and he knew helping Einin move on would likely be a good idea. If she knew he approved of her match, then it might make it easier. He had someone in mind, but that was a thought for another time. For now he would just enjoy the feeling of his young lover in his arms.
        "You will always be welcome in my home, and here in the den."

Einin practically melted against Ryk when he fell still, eyes closed, her body shivery with pleasure and aching with exhaustion. Her chest rose and fell in breathless pants, her heart racing, and she let her head lean back against his chest as he held her, kissed her, caressed her. Each press of his lips and stroke of his fingers made goosebumps prickle along her skin despite the warmth of the bath, and she trailed her own hands down along his thighs and over his knees as she slowly spiraled down from her high. She was definitely going to be sore later on; she could already feel it in her legs and between her thighs.

But she had needed that, and she hoped the soreness would linger. She didn't want to forget this.

She didn't want to lose this.

She didn't want to stop, even though she could feel her damned body failing her.

Wrapping her arms around his arms in a hug, she squeezed him tightly. Her body ached, but his words made her heart ache more. "You're sure?" she murmured, and tipped her head back to peer up at him. "It won't be weird?"

        "There will be some strangeness at first, a little awkwardness perhaps, but it will pass," Ryk said. He fully relaxed letting the warm water swirl around them as he held Einin. He played with her hair and kissed her gently on the neck. "I value you beyond just the sex, though that has been spectacular." He grinned in his usual playful manner, and hugged Einin close. "We are thoroughly entangled, and I desire to keep you as a close friend and confidant. There are very few who know that I am more than one person."
        Ryk decided it was time to get out and so he scooped Einin up as he stood, and carried her away. Back into his sleeping space he put Einin on his bed. He went to fetch the snack tray, and then slipped a note out under his door, sending for Alko, and food with more substance that would likely come with kahv and booze, not that he was complaining.

A deep sense of relief went through her at his words, and tension she hadn't realized she'd been holding trickled away, the queasy tightness in her belly loosening.  As much as she was going to miss this, what terrified her most was the thought of losing him completely.

They could...still be friends? Still be close and in each others' lives?

This was still going to hurt, though. She wasn't sure how she would feel seeing him with his...with his wife.

His son.

She curled into him when he scooped her up, arms wrapped around his shoulders and cheek tucked into his neck, and though she shivered outside the water, she wasn't cold for long as he deposited her into the bed. She pulled the blankets over herself, burying herself up to her nose.

"Good, 'cause...you're pretty much stuck with me. I'm like a burr that's stuck to your coat, you know. Plus I've still got to get good enough at the swordswoman thing to kick your ass properly."

        "I don't think I've ever encountered a burr I couldn't easily cast aside," Ryk said playfully. "You, Little Bird, are a treasured keepsake I keep in my pocket. I will keep it near and keep it safe and only let those I trust know of its worth." He sat in the chair next to his bed eating the little finger foods from the tray. "Cucumber sandwich?" Ryk offered Einin a little square sandwich with a dill sauce and sliced cucumber. "This red spread right here is delicious," he smeared some across the bread. "Alko calls it tomato humus. It's apparently made from peas. Who knew peas could be so good?"

A treasured keepsake. Once more there was that strange pang of relief—and pain.

But she swallowed it all down as he offered her a snack, not really hungry but knowing she should probably eat anyway. When was the last time? Ah...yeah...before everything had gone wrong.

It hadn't stopped going wrong yet.

Einin sat up, grabbed one of the tiny sandwiches, and nibbled at it, absently listening to Ryk's explanation of the red stuff and only half hearing. Now that she was no longer actively engaged in anything to take her mind off of matters, reality was slowly starting to sink in—what had happened to her, how close she had come to death, and that even though she was alive and well now, she was still losing her future—A future, but the first one she had felt excited about, hopeful about.

Now he would be sharing it with someone else.

"It's good," she said, licking her fingers clean. "And what're you talking about, 'who'd think peas could be so good'? Peas are always good, this version's just better."

        "Peas are not always good," Ryk returned. "They can be good, and are usually fine, but they can be awful. Boiled pea porridge is awful." He took another bite of a sandwich in humus. "But this is the best pea anything I've ever had. I could eat it every day."

Einin stared at Ryk, nose wrinkled. "Boiled pea porridge? Why would anyone—that's like prison food or something!"