"The Heir Presumptive" (closed)

[LoriDean12345]

(OOC: Caution opening links at work!! )

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Early afternoon:

Camilla tried her best to appear as though she wasn't taking peaks at Walton's manhood. But she was failing horribly. Even after she'd helped him get the waist of her father's underpants up over his nearly horizontal shaft, she continued to glance at it out of the corner of her eye, amazed.

"Thank you, Miss Camilla," Walton said.

She felt her hand in his and flinched a bit, unsure of what he was doing. Then, he kissed the back of her hand. Kissed the back of her hand! No one had ever done that before! Camilla felt her face explode in yet another blush, and she diverted her gaze downward … right to the pole extending from Walton's groin. She diverted again, this time to the side.

"I hope you can forgive my...state."

Camilla didn't immediately understand what Walton meant by that. Then, it occurred to her and she giggled. She pulled her hand back and took a step back, embarrassed as she knew why Walton's cock was erect. He'd explained it to her.

Venturing a quick glance at his crotch then raising her gaze to his face, she smiled playfully and responded softly, "You are forgiven, sire. It's … it's my fault … because … I am a beautiful lady … yes?"

Camilla didn't believe that, of course. She's always thought she was rather plain looking. She hadn't always thought that, In fact, for most of her early life, she's thought she was beautiful, pretty, cute, or whatever other word her Parents used to describe her at the time.

Then, just after she'd entered her teens, Camilla and her parents had made their only two trips ever into the Town of Warrick to trade their bumper stock of vegetables. There, Camilla had spied the most beautiful of women in the doorway of a building. They wore bright dresses that dramatized their incredibly voluptuous figures; their hair was big and bold; and their faces were painted to highlight their eyes, cheeks, and lips. They were phenomenal to the still stick-figured Camilla.

Of course, she didn't know that they were brothel whores, and her mother -- who quickly blocked Camilla's view of the beauties -- certainly didn't explain it. To this day, the teen still believed that the women must have been Ladies of some Noble's Court.

That same autumn, the Highwaymen of the Wailing Woods had made one of their visits to distribute some of their ill gotten gains and to purchase some of the Mama's dehydrated onions and Papa's Rolled Smoke Leaf (def). Yet another amazing woman had been traveling with them. The Highwaymen had stayed the evening in the lower field, near the stream, to nurse an injured horse. And the next morning, Camilla had happened upon the woman she would learn was named Zelia as she bathed.

The young teen watched the goddess from the thick shrubs, amazed that a woman would look like that. Camilla's mom didn't look like that. Camilla certainly didn't, either. Since then, the Breck family's only child had blossomed a bit, putting a few more inches into her height, bust, and hips. But she would never be what she understood to be a beautiful lady … what Walton had thrice said she was.

Camilla helped Walton down to the milking stool again, telling him that she needed to change his bandages. She peeled away the wet, slightly reddened bandages, grimacing at the sight of the wounds on the front and back of his side. Oh, they looked considerably better than it had the first time she'd seen it; Nalla's stitches had remained in place, and the poultices they'd been applying had prevented the red and puss that Nalla had said was called infection.

"I need to clean it, but I need fresh water," Camilla told Walton. She stood, snatched up the bucket, smiled to the man, and said playfully, "Don't go anywhere."

She ran off and didn't return for almost fifteen minutes. When she hurried into the tack room again, she rambled on about how she'd had to get hot water from the stove but her Mama was there and … ramble ramble ramble. Camilla was nervous because while she'd been gone, she'd decided to ask Walton a question that was … well … the only word was inappropriate!

She had a new, clean rag with which she carefully cleaned around Walton's wounds with the hot water. As she did so, Camilla intentionally let her elbow just ever so barely touch the lessened but still noticeable hump in the man's lap. Almost immediately, his manhood once again made itself very obvious, pressing the cloth of the underpants upwards. Camilla pretended not to notice but again probably failed.

After applying the cream Nalla had taught her to prepare, then the poultice filled with … well, a lot … Camilla again wrapped the bandage strip around Walton's waist. She performed all her first aid with a little more contact of her fingers to his skin than was necessary; she smoothed the wrap to his torso with a soft touch.

When she was finished, she offered Walton one of her father's shirts, not knowing whether he would want to wear it or not. She sat back with her haunches on her ankles, looking up into his eyes with a nervous expression. Her hands, which had been so calm while tending to Walton's wounds were now trembling in her lap.

She looked away for a moment, then asked with an almost inaudible volume, "Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

She listened to his response, hesitated a moment, then rose to her feet. She leaned to look down through the center of the barn; she could see her mother in the garden now and could hear her father chopping wood. Looking back to Walton, she tentatively reached up to the bowed string holding her dress tight across her bosom and ever so slowly pulled at it until it fell loose. Camilla hesitated, then pulled her gown from her shoulders. The simple dress fell to gather around her ankles, leaving her in only a slip.

Camilla's eyes were on the ground between her and Walton, unable to look into his eyes. She was sure his gaze would be set upon her breasts. She was sure he would be unimpressed: the Ladies in Warrick and Zee had all been some voluptuous in their bosom; and her nipples were so different, large and round and -- like now -- even more so when they were subjected to the cool of the open air.

She couldn't imagine that Walton would find her beautiful now...

 

[WatchingCloud]

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Early afternoon:

Camilla blushed at his apology. "You are forgiven, sire. It's … it's my fault … because … I am a beautiful lady … yes?"

"Hardly a fault," he said. "But, yes, because you are a very beautiful woman who inspires... Thoughts."

He probably shouldn't have said that, but he could hardly hide the truth that was trying to poke its way out. After an awkward moment, Camilla got him seated back on the stood and looked at his wound - improving but in need of attention. She bade him wait while she fetched fresh water and prepared the herbs provided by Nalla. Her application of that medicine involved a few more inadvertent brushes against his renewed erection. His reconsider came so often and easily in her presence, he was almost overcoming his embarrassment.

She bound the wound with fresh cloth and offered him one of her father's shirts. He declined, not wanting to risk getting blood on it.

Camilla sat back, looking nervously up at him. Softly, she asked, "Do you really think I'm beautiful?"

He met her gaze and smiled reassuringly. "Absolutely, without reservation. And that's if my body hadn't already betrayed the truth of the matter."

Camilla cast another quick glance at the tented underpants, then rose and peered down toward the end of the barn. Walton was unsure her intentions until she turned back to him and began tugging at the string holding her dress tight across her bosom. What was she thinking? What was he thinking, allowing this to happen?

Slowly, she continued until her dress was loose enough to fall from her shoulders and pool at her feet. Under her simple dress was nothing more than a thin wisp of a slip which barely concealed the details of her figure. Her hips were still narrow, but hinted at the figure she'd eventually fill out. Her breasts were...perfect...with full, rounded nipples protruding prominently. Chloe was a beautiful woman, befitting her station, but Camilla's provincial innocence took her beauty to a different level. It was something that connected with Walton in a way he'd never experienced, harkening back to his modest roots.

Camilla's gaze was centered on the floor midway between them. Was she fearful of his reaction, or suddenly stricken with modesty after revealing so much of herself to him?

He should politely discourage her. His betrothal to Chloe was not to be taken lightly. But how could he shatter such a perfect young woman who'd risked herself before him, who'd rescued and cared for him? He owed her his life.

Walton rose from the stool, careful of his wound. Between the pain and the awkwardly tenting erection, the couple steps it took to close with Camilla were awkward. With one hand he took hers and with the other he raised her chin until she made eye contact.

"I've seen many a beautiful woman during my time in service," he said. "To my eyes, not one is your equal."

He leaned in and placed the softest of kisses on her lips.

 

[LoriDean12345]

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Early afternoon:

As Walton rose from the stool, Camilla very nearly stepped back away from the man. Instinct had the girl shivering from fright; she was so vulnerable at this moment, bared from the waist upward before a man she'd only known for two days.

But Camilla stood her ground, forcing herself to be brave. A chill ran up her back, exploding her skin with goose flesh. Was it the chill from the sudden exposure? Or was it the unknown of what might happen next?

What happened next surprised Camilla. Walton told her that she was equal in beauty to the many women he'd ever known … and then he kissed her!

Camilla's eyes widened in shock as she pulled her face back, then stepped back. She crossed her arms over her breasts, hiding them as her gaze dropped to the ground again. She suddenly felt silly … and no childish. She'd bared herself to Walton, essentially inviting him to do just as he'd done … if not more. And then she covered up and backed away?

She lifted her gaze to him for a quick look before looking down again … at which point she caught sight of his protruding groin. Camilla's mind was racing with thoughts, half of which conflicted with the others. She shouldn't be here … but there was no where else she would want to be. She shouldn't be half naked before this stranger … and yet she'd been wanting to show herself to him all day. And she shouldn't be desperate for more contact with Walton, such as another kiss … but...

Camilla lowered her hands to once again expose her breasts to the man, then stepped forward until her breasts -- now swelling and shrinking with excitement -- almost contacted him. Walton was so much taller than Camilla that her painfully swollen nipples were level with his lowest ribs. She forced herself to look up into his eyes … reached her hands up to his muscular chest … stood on the toes of her boots, and pressed her lips to Walton's again.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Early afternoon:


Walton couldn't quite believe he'd actually initiated a kiss with another woman. She took the kiss, but then quickly pulled back and moved to cover herself with her hands. He'd made a terrible mistake.

Camilla looked back down at his crotch and seemed to come to some sort of decision. Her arms dropped back down and she stepped back toward him, the tips of those delectable breasts nearly touching him. Rising on her tip-toes, she reached for a kiss that he met. Her hands braced on his chest and the kiss lingered, uncertainty becoming certain, fear becoming confidence.

Walton wrapped his arms around her as they kissed and pulled her gently into him. Her breasts pressed into his bare stomach, scant inches above his wound that seemingly no longer hurt, while his erection poked into her stomach. His hands roamed up and down her back, savoring the smooth warmth of her skin.

He knew this was wrong but simply could not help himself. Neither, seemingly, could Camilla.

As their kissing grew impassioned, Walton's hands roamed - one toward her barely covered butt and the other up her side until it grazed the side of a breast. He held back from cupping it entirely for fear of pushing this innocent girl too far, too fast.

 

[LoriDean12345]

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Early afternoon:

Camilla's body trembled from head to toe as the sexual excitement building within her. She had no idea what she was doing, as Walton could probably tell by the way her lips seemed to follow clumsily behind the movement of his own. She let him pull her against him, sending an almost painful chill of delightful surprise up her spine.

It felt so incredible, and Camilla knew in an instant that this was something she'd always wanted without ever knowing what it was.

Then she felt one of the man's hands reach down and grasp a young, firm butt cheek through the thin slip's fabric as the other slipped up and found the outer curve of an equally firm breast. Something told Camilla that that was farther than she was supposed to allow the stranger. She tensed suddenly, then pushed herself out of Walton's arms. Her gaze fell instantly to the ground once again; her arms hid her breasts again as well. She snatched up her dress and held it to her bosom, hesitated, then looked into Walton's eyes … and smiled.

"I have to get back," she said as she quickly slipped the dress back over her head. Then, hesitating and glancing toward Walton's groin again -- the tent in his crotch looked bigger than ever! -- she giggled and just before running away told him, "I'll be back with supper later."

She didn't get far, though, turning to return and rush up to throw her arms around Walton's waist -- forgetting the wounds -- and kiss him on the lips. She giggled again, telling him before running off yet again, "Don't go anywhere, love. I'll be back."

 

[WatchingCloud]

Wailing Woods
Afternoon/Night

Gauld was more relieved to be leaving the farm with Nalla than he was distressed at her presence behind him in the saddle. He feared being spotted or recognized by someone sympathetic to the Count. Such people were probably few and far between out in these parts, but...

Nalla insisted on stopping at her cabin for additional supplies, uncertain what Kitts' condition might be by now and not wanting to be caught lacking something. It was hours out of the way, but he wouldn't question her judgment. They rode in silence and slowly he came to accept her constant touch around his waist.

At her cabin, she insisted he help. Gauld balked, but finally relented. Nalla was all business, quickly gathering herbs and tiny jars and other medicines he didn't recognize. Each was handed to him for careful packing in her bag. He was flattered by her trust in him to handle these precious items. He also appreciated her treating him like an ordinary man despite his awkwardness and silence around her.

Finished, they were back on his horse and riding through the trails to the thicket. His preference was always to take a circuitous route to befuddled any pursuit, but time was precious. He could come back later and obscure their tracks. Still, the riding was slower than usual due to the second rider. They made a couple quick stops for relief and then had to slow when darkness fell. Nalla made a few efforts at polite conversation, but he had trouble answering in more than one word responses. He desperately wished he could carry a better conversation. She didn't seem to take offense, though, and remained polite.

Finally, the glow of the thicket's cook fire came into view. It was already quiet, with most asleep for the night. Granny, however, was waiting for them. Nalla was off the horse before Gauld could even offer her assistance. He could just make out Kitts laying on a pallet inside the cave, not far from the fire. Chloe was sitting attentively by his side.

Gauld was saddened to have Nalla's attention so abruptly shift away from him, but that was the nature of things with him. He just hoped she'd be able to help their leader.

 

[WatchingCloud]

The City of Pratt
Night


Baran never saw Caitrin again that day, though his thoughts were often with her. He did briefly bump into Leo in the Inn's common room late in the afternoon. He subtly but pointedly suggested the new couple should leave town immediately and conspicuously so as to avert any possible chance of blame for what was to come rebounding on the young lord. Leo accepted the tip, apparently confident in Baran and his sister's ability to enact revenge on the man responsible for his father's killing.

After sunset, Baran reunited with Freeda at the appointed intersection in a quiet part of town which was comprised mostly of warehouses and businesses that didn't need to rely on foot traffic. He filled her in on the details of the day - which were rather thin once he glossed over everything involving Caitrin - and in turn listened to the results of her intelligence gathering.

He then filled Freeda in on his plan to get Jardin alone where they could do the deed. He'd arranged for a carriage driver to arrive at Jardin's house two hours after sundown with a message that he'd been sent to collect him by "his visiting friend." As long as Jardin wasn't too suspicious, it would get him alone and where they could quietly dispatch him.

The part of town Baran had selected was quiet this time of night - mostly warehouses and businesses that didn't need foot traffic. Some people lived here, but there were ample dark shadows and darker alleys. He and Freeda took up positions and waited.

Finally, the clatter of hooves and wheels on cobbles approached and Baran tensed, hand on the hilt of his sword. Somewhere in the dark around the corner would be Freeda, similarly eager. The carriage came to a stop and Jardin, alone in the back, began to question the driver's intentions.

"It's me, Jardin," Baran said, stepping out of the shadows.

"Ah," Jardin said, quickly hiding his surprise as if he'd expected this all along. He squeezed his bulk out of the back and stepped to the cobbles. Baran tossed the driver a few coins and the carriage hurried off.

"Too many people at our planned morning meet," he said. "But you already knew that."

Even in the dark, Jardin's expression was conflicted, probably trying to figure out what Baran knew or suspected.

"There were," Jardin said. "You were smart to stay away. That's why I came to you - observant and good instincts."

"The Astute."

"Mmmm." Jardin looked around, increasingly nervous. "Why are we here? Surely you could have picked a quiet place with better drink."

"I wanted to introduce you to another associate of mine."

Freeda stepped from the shadows and her demeanor caused Jardin to take several steps back...right until he felt Baran's dagger poking him in the back.

"You wouldn't!" Jardin said, half blubbering. "After all we've been through for Pratt."

"Which Pratt is that? I swore my loyalty to the crown, not whatever has been left behind."

Jardin's eyes flicked constantly between Baran and Freeda. "The Barons decided Merion was no longer good for the kingdom. They followed proper protocols."

"So, it's really all just business, then? And you sent me on a suicide mission for...what?"

Jardin's expression darkened. "So you did turn traitor? I wasn't sure before, but..."

"Traitor? To whom, exactly? What you asked of me didn't come from the crown. Who? I can guess a few names, but I want them all."

Jardin snorted. "Why? What would you do with them? Try to kill them all? Foolish and pointless. That's awfully idealistic, coming from you."

Baran had to concede that point, but didn't much care. "Guess he's all yours then," he said to Freeda.

Jardin watched her nervously, but spoke over his shoulder to Baran. "Funny. I'm not sure if your father would be proud or disappointed in you, Baran."

His father?

 

[LoriDean12345]

The Thicket
(The Highwaymen's Hideout)
The Wailing Woods

Night:

Her and Gauld's arrival at the Thicket couldn't have come a moment sooner for Nalla. She desperately needed this ride to come to an end. Between the rolling of the horse's back against her womanhood, her years-long self imposed celibacy, and the feel of the large, powerful man against her bosom as she held her arms around his lower torso, Nalla was sopping wet between her thighs and about ready to rip Gauld's trousers off to cure one of her ailments.

If her brother hadn't been injured and possibly dying, Nalla would have done just that by the end of the hours long ride through the darkness. Instead, once they'd arrived at the Thicket, she slid off the horse, commanded Gauld to bring her bag of treatments, and walked away from the topic of her fantasies as quickly as she could.

Halfway to the entrance, though, Nalla found herself face to face with Granny. The women stared at one another in silence for a moment, then -- finally-- Nalla feigned a friendly smile, nodded respectfully, and curled around the older woman toward the cave entrance.

It was only then, as Nalla was passing, that Granny murmured barely above a whisper, "Witch."

Nalla stopped short, but didn't turn to face the woman. She contemplated a reaction for a moment, then instead continued onward. She reminisced -- both fondly and not -- about the incident that had left her estranged from Kitts and, in return, from Granny and the rest of Highwaymen who had been part of the band back then.

There had been a great many incidents over the years that had led people to call Nalla a witch. Most of those misunderstandings had occurred because most people were so ignorant, relative to Nalla to anyway. She had knowledge about things -- particularly medical things, which the ignorant still associated with Magic and Religion -- that few other people had, including many of the Alchemists who served the Nobility and Royalty.

It wasn't Nalla's fault that these people couldn't imagine, let alone accept some of the things she knew to be true. Infection, for example: Nalla believed that there was an animal so small that the human eye couldn't see it; that it fed and breed on Human Misery; and that it could be killed with the herbal and other natural remedies that she had discovered.

It wasn't witchcraft. But then, Nalla hadn't put a lot of effort into convincing others that it wasn't either. In fact, she often added a bit more drama and black magic-like production to her work for the purpose of fortifying her reputation as a witch.

Nalla preferred that some people believe her to be a Practitioner at times. It kept some of them away from her when she preferred a lack of company; it caused awe and interest in her by others, particularly those who needed her services and could compensate her accordingly; and it led to a unique sort of respect for those not afraid of her powers.

And … then there was the incident between Nalla, Kitts, and Kitt's then-lover … the reason for her estrangement from him. Nalla had had a different ending in mind that night, the night she used a hallucinogen to trick her brother into claiming her virginity.

For as long as she could remember, Nalla had had a deep, yearning lust for her slightly older brother. Oh, it hadn't physical; it was spiritual. Nalla had believed then -- and still believed today -- that to open her mind to the potential of experiencing and learning from all the world had to offer, that Kitts and Kitts alone had to claim her innocence. Only the person closest to her could do it, and as their father wasn't in her their lives at that point, her brother was the one to have the honor and responsibility.

Kitts had declined, of course: after all, he was her brother! And he didn't share her sometimes whacky beliefs about knowledge and the gaining of such, not that anyone did. But Nalla had been convinced. She'd long experienced vivid, detailed, erotic dreams in which she would come to learn great things only after a man entered her and claimed her innocence … and in those dreams, Kitts's face had been the only one Nalla had ever recognized.

So, she'd inconspicuously practiced with the hallucinogenic properties of the Red Veined Mushroom … then, when she had her concoction just right, she put a dose of it in her brother's tea and crawled into his bed. She didn't know how much of the evening Kitts remembered; she didn't know how much of the evening Kitts remembered accurately, because of the drug's properties.

What Nalla did know was that the next day, Enid-- Kitts' then-lover -- had come after her in a fit of anger … with a knife and a yearning to use it. Nalla couldn't know what Kitts had said to the young woman; hell, Kitts had still been in a stupor well into the next evening, so it was likely that even he didn't know what he'd said to Enid.

Nalla had never spoken of the night or what came next with her brother.

And what came next was that Enid knew all about what Nalla had done and wanted so desperately to kill the Witch. Unfortunately, a scuffle led to Enid's knife sinking into Enid's heart. Kitts' lover died in his sister's arms just half a day after that sister had claimed the needed dose of his seed within her.

Kitt's mind had still been swimming with the hallucinogen, so … did he truly understand all that had happened? Nalla's witchcraft had been blamed for Enid's death, of course. And Nalla had fled the Thicket rather than force her brother to make a decision about what to do with her.

Nalla had never returned to the Thicket … until tonight. Oh, she'd seen some of the Highwaymen from time to time; she was, after all, the only healer within a day's ride of the hideout. Some had believed her innocent of witchcraft, simply a victim of Enid's anger and jealousy. And they hadn't held the accident against her.

Granny wasn't one of them.

Rather than defend herself now, though, Nalla continued past the old woman for the cave. As she neared, the stranger sitting next to Kitts turned to look her way. Nalla didn't recognize the woman, but she recognized the desperate expression on her face. Incorrectly, Nalla wondered how long her brother and the young beauty had been finding their joy together.

"You are the healer?" the woman asked with a tone of hope. When Nalla only nodded, the stranger said, "I've done all I could … cleaned the wound … bandaged it. It needs stitches, though, but I don't have what I need."

Nalla knelt next to her brother and began surveying the work already done on him. He was shaking and sweating profusely, the fever ripping through him by now. Without hesitation, she began giving the woman orders concerning hot water, bandages, and more.

"I'm Chloe," the unfamiliar female said at some point.

Nalla looked up into the young beauty's face, studying her, then asked bluntly, "Are you my brother's lover?"

Chloe's eyes widened. "Kitts is your brother?"

When Nalla only stared without emotion, Chloe answered nervously, "No, no! I'm not his lover. I'm his hostage."

Chloe gave a quick rundown of how she'd come to be here while Nalla began removing Kitts' bandages to get a better look at the wound. She cut into Chloe's story with, "You did well. The wound will heal. We only have to battle the infection."

"The what?" Chloe asked innocently.

Rather than explain the concept, Nalla only sent the other woman off to begin the preparations for producing the poultices and other treatments. As she knelt close to the man, Kitts opened his eyes, focused … and for the first time in over three years spoke to his sister...

 

[WatchingCloud]

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Early afternoon through evening:

Walton knew he'd pushed things too far, too fast, foolishly letting his body and desire take over. Camilla looked embarrassed as she stepped back and then hastily covered up with her dress, yet her smile told a different story. She'd liked it, wanted it, and was simply (and wisely) slowing things down.

Camilla explained she needed to get back to her work. After dressing, she glanced at his conspicuous erection again, clearly of mixed feelings on the matter. She hurried forward and gave him a big hug that he did his best not to yelp in pain at. She added a quick but meaningful kiss.

"Don't go anywhere, love," she said as she hurried out of the tack room and barn. "I'll be back."

Walton had to get himself back down to the floor and his makeshift bed, a process painful enough to wipe away his lingering arousal from the encounter. As he laid there, alone, her word "love" echoed around his mind with significant ramifications. It was wrong in so many ways to lead her on, not the least of which being his own betrothal to Chloe. Yet every other part of his body said it was so very right.

He dozed, woken some time later when Camilla brought him food and stole a kiss before hastily returning to her chores. He'd intended by that point to tell her about Chloe, feeling it was only fair, but in her presence he simply couldn't. An hour or so later, he heard footsteps again in the barn, only this time they were heavy. Her father! Walton was helpless in the tack room with no place to hide and no ability to flee or fight. Begging forgiveness and appealing to the man's better nature would be his only chance should he be found.

Camilla, however, came to his rescue, calling her father from the other end of the barn saying her mother needed him. Walton sensed the edge of desperate panic in her voice because he knew to expect it. Hopefully, her father wouldn't have picked up on it.

Sleep, harder this time, claimed him until a hand gently brushed his bare chest. He woke with a start to see Camilla smiling down at him. She didn't move her hand, but instead leaned forward to kiss him. This felt like a kiss that had been bottled up for hours. He responded in kind, savoring her taste.

"Dinner," she said, revealing a bit of cooked chicken along with bread and cheese in a wrapped napkin.

His appetite returning, he began eating while Camilla quickly checked and changed his bandages. She said it was looking better already, and he felt some strength returning to confirm her opinion.

She gave him another quick kiss and promised to return later. Again, he was left alone with his conflicting thoughts. As a distraction, he forced himself back to standing and slowly made his way to the end of the barn where he peered out through the crack. He could see the farmhouse in the twilight, lights visible through the windows. It seemed so idyllic, reminding him of his youth in ways he'd long since forgotten.

He returned to his pallet before pitch blackness overtook the barn. Listening to the chirp of insects and frogs and nightbirds were his only companions. Sleep, however, was not forthcoming. He realized he was too eagerly awaiting Camilla's return. He needed the companionship and...what? Visions of her smile, her body, her perfect bared breasts were unbidden but welcome.

Some time later, the barn door creaked and Walton could just make out hints of candle or lamplight. Camilla, he hoped but dared not call out.

 

[WatchingCloud]

The Thicket
(The Highwaymen's Hideout)
The Wailing Woods

Night:

Kitts knew he was in the cave at the Thicket. It had a familiar smell and sound all its own. With only the crackle of the fire and none of the usual cacophony of children, it was sometime at night. Slowly, memory returned - the injury, Chloe and Granny trying to care for him, brief moments of semi-lucidity during which he tried to swallow water or nibbles of food. He was alive, but certainly not in the best of condition. His body shivered with chill even as he felt beads of sweat on his brow.

He cracked his eyes and wondered if maybe he hadn't passed on after all. Nalla. Her dark hair was wilder than he remembered, her eyes darker still. There was a hardness in her expression, but certainly not malice. If she was here, he must have been closer to death's doorstep than he'd realized.

Kitts wasn't sure how he felt about seeing her. For three years, he'd considered how he would react when finally crossing paths with her again. Demand answers? Kill her? Forgive her? He couldn't make her undo the things she'd done and no explanation was necessary, really. Now, finally face to face, he still didn't know how to react.

Four years ago, Kitts had begun wooing Enid, the lovely daughter of a merchant who'd grown up in the shadow of Count Warrick's castle. Enid's father tolerated Kitts, though it was clear he felt him below their station. Some months later, with both convinced they would marry, one of the Count's nephews, Balder, took a similar fancy to the young woman. Enid tried to politely decline the advances, despite her father's considerable approval and encouragement. Her persistent resistance led, unfortunately, to Balder forcing himself upon Enid.

Kitts, while consoling Enid after the attack, was appalled when her father sided with his daughter's rapist, insisting that they now had to marry to make the union legitimate. Seeing no other option, Kitts confronted Balder and demanded justice - in this case a duel, as he had no legal recourse against a noble who hadn't wronged him directly. Balder, half again as large as Kitts, presumably only accepted the challenge as an amusing diversion. It took less than thirty seconds for Kitts to take the minor noble's life by sword to the throat.

The Count was furious and demanded Kitts be taken into custody for execution. Kitts, already prepared for the response, had fled into the Wailing Woods. His closest friends and sisters joined him, knowing they could be leveraged against him. The only time he returned was to help Enid escape. That marked the beginning of the Highwaymen and their stealthy campaign against the Count's injustices.

As much as he loved their outlaw life, Enid had grown fond of the luxuries of city life - access to a wide variety of foods and clothing and entertainment. They still loved each other, but Kitts sensed her devotion was now more of a sense of obligation than choice. It might not have been the storybook love he'd originally pictured, but at least they were together.

And then his sister, Nalla, started getting strange on him. She'd always been observant and studious and driven, delving into herbal lore and the natural world. She had strange notions of how the world worked and how she might better understand it. Some called her a witch and he wasn't quick to dismiss those claims, even if he knew her heart was in the right place. ...until she asked him to take her virginity.

He had no interest in laying with his sister, no matter how she tried to explain the 'why' of it. Family was family, and that was before his relationship with Enid. He rejected the notion and forbid her to even mention it again.

What Kitts had underestimated, foolishly in retrospect, was Nalla's determination once she got an idea in her head. To this day, he still wasn't entirely sure what she did to him or how she did it - some of her herbal concoctions, no doubt - but she got what she wanted. His memories of that night were simultaneously disjointed and realer than real. He knew he'd taken her, remembered breaking her womanhood, savored the feel of her body beneath his as he climaxed within her. Some aspects of the memories were difficult to pin down - things like how she looked or what might have been said or even the order of events, time seemingly all jumbled up. Other things were seared into his memory more clearly than what his senses experienced in the moment - her scent, her passion, the taste of her lips, and an overwhelming sense of rightness and connection with the everything in the world. Unlike any other memory that faded with time, these memories only seemed to intensify.

Enid had died the next day, stabbed, while he was still out of his normal mind. Those memories, thankfully, hadn't been branded into his mind like the others. Nalla fled and many accused her for Enid's death. Kitts had little doubt she'd been there, might have even dealt the killing blow, but he couldn't quite bring himself to believe she was entirely responsible. Enid had a quick temper and...

She hadn't deserved death. He hadn't deserved to be used, raped in a sense. Nalla had deserved exile, if not more.

Now, looking at her, all he could think about were those realer than real memories, the feelings he'd experienced while making love to his sister. Yes, that's what they'd done. It had been more than a simple fuck. He wanted to be angry but couldn't find it. She'd changed his life, forcefully but in ways he couldn't describe to another person who hadn't experienced the same thing.

"Nalla," he said, his voice cracking until he could wet his lips and swallow. "Did you find it? Was it worth the price?"

 

[LoriDean12345]

The Thicket
(The Highwaymen's Hideout)
The Wailing Woods

Night:

Nalla was thankful Chloe was absent when Kitts's eyes finally opened, blinked, focused, and found her before them.

"Nalla," he said, his voice cracking until he could wet his lips and swallow. "Did you find it? Was it worth the price?"

She ignored his question for the moment, having expected it for more than three years yet still not knowing how to answer it. Nalla lifted a wooden flagon filled with Morning Wine; it wasn't strong enough to intoxicate him but the process of making it purified it, making it safe to drink. Using a straw made of a reed, she urged Kitts to take a long sip, then another, and finally a third, telling he needed to rehydrate.

"This will break your fever," she told him as she forced into his mouth something that looked like wet tree moss. "Don't eat it … suck on it. Swallow the juice. Eat it and you won't be able to poop for a Moon and a half."

Trying to avoid answering -- or even contemplating -- his question, Nalla chatted with Kitts about his injury, about what she was going to do for him, and about the treatment he'd already been given.

"She cares for you," Nalla said, looking back over her shoulder at Chloe as she added more water to a large pot over an open pit fire. She glanced back at her brother, repeating the other woman's claim casually, "She says she's your captive. Are you kidnapping people now?"

Nalla literally shoved her finger into Kitts's mouth to retrieve the moss mix, tossing it aside to give Kitts an opportunity to respond if he wished. Either way, her mind was consumed by his earlier question.

"I've missed my brother, if that's what you want to know," she finally said softly as she was stringing a very fine thread through a curved, metal needle. She was going to say more but Chloe stepped up to them with a small kettle of steaming water. Nalla thanked the other woman, then rather bluntly asked, "Can you give us a moment?"

She saw Chloe look to Kitts with concern, raised an expectant eyebrow that was noticeable even in the low light of the torches and oil lamps, then thanked her as she was again heading back to the fire. Nalla began unnecessarily warned Kitts that pain was coming and began stitching the wound on the front of his thigh. She was done quickly -- this was hardly her first suture -- and as she mixed the ingredients for a poultice, Nalla returned to her incomplete answer.

"That night … you opened a world of knowledge to me, brother … a world that otherwise would have been closed to me," she began in a volume just barely above a whisper. Her words were meant for no one other than Kitts. "I know you don't believe as I do … I know you--"

The words stuck in Nalla's throat. She contemplated a better way of saying what she'd been thinking for years. She looked up to Kitts and finished, "I know you feel I violated you. But you gave me a gift no other man could have … and I will forever thank … appreciate … and love you for that."

 

[LoriDean12345]

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Late Evening:

Camilla opened the door to the tack room and peeked inside. She was surprised -- and delighted -- to see the light of the moon at her back fall upon the face of a very awake Walton. She entered and closed the door behind her. From the gap between the door and its frame, the moonlight silhouetted Camilla's form … as she stepped out of her untied boots … then slipped her shift off her shoulders to let it fall to the old, rough-cut hardwood floor beneath her feet.

This time, however, there was no slip hiding her lower half. She stood before Walton as naked as the day she was born, the vertical shaft of light behind her just happening to cut down her backside in such a way that it illuminated the swollen folds of flesh at the meeting of her slightly parted thighs.

"May I lay with you, sire?" she asked innocently, truly fearful that Walton might actually say no.

 

[LoriDean12345]

(OOC: For anyone following our story, this post picks up simultaneously with this post (#157). It's been a while since we posted for Baran and Freeda, so I wanted to put a link here to their last involvement.)


The City of Pratt

Night:

After nearly two weeks or working closely together, Freeda and Baran were finally going to take their first serious step toward seeking revenge against those who had initiated the latest assassination attempt against Princess Ranna. As she watched her traveling partner head off into the deepening darkness of one of the City of Pratt's commercial districts, Freeda herself moved into an alley that would give her an equally advantageous view of the rendezvous point with Jardin Lopes.

Freeda was still torn about her feelings toward Jardin and his recent activities. It wasn't just that he'd paid Baran to attempt to assassinate Freeda's Grace, something Baran obviously hadn't accomplished. (His failure was less out of incompetence and more out of an uncertainty about whether he'd been about to do the right thing. Freeda had spent the last week traveling with the man and had concluded that there was nothing incompetent about him. She was convinced that somewhere deep inside, he'd known at the time and knew even better now that killing Ranna would have been wrong.)

But Freeda's thoughts on Jardin went much farther than that. The man was also suspected of having a hand in the successful assassination of Freeda's own father. To Freeda as she'd grown up, Count Frederican of Hollard had only been the man who'd knocked up her mother, not the man who'd raised her. But to Freeda's brother, Leo -- now to be the Count of Hollard -- Frederican had indeed been a loving father. Leo had been crushed by the man's killing, and that was enough to cause Freeda to slit this man's neck from ear to ear.

She waited patiently in the dark between some discarded crates just studying the street, windows, and very few people who walked down the former or appeared momentarily in the latter. Freeda had a skill for surveillance; she was a very patient person when working, a skill that had kept her alive when other less patient people she'd known had gotten themselves killed through haste.

Soon enough, she heard the clatter of hooves and wheels on cobblestone … and then … she didn't. Voices replaced them, too soft for the words to be understood but loud enough for Freeda to know there were at least four men talking. A moment later, the coach began moving again. As it passed, Freeda recognized Jardin Lopes sitting in the rear alone, leaning a bit as if trying to see what lay ahead.

Just as she expected, men hurried her way through the darkness … men with weapons drawn … men who Jardin had surely hired to not only protect him from Baran but likely kill the latter as well. Although she hadn't told her partner, Freeda had spent a portion of the day preparing for just such a betrayal. As the three men passed by the opening of the alley in which she stood, two pairs of Freeda's contacts rushed out from the dark where they'd gathered during her wait. The quartet caught the three off guard enough that she was able to sink her blade in one's back before he ever knew she was there.

The fight was over in as many seconds as there were combatants. After Freeda had tossed the lead assailant a coin purse and followed after the coach, her four saviors pulled the dead into the dark, robbed them of their values, and disappeared into the night.

She caught up with Jardin's ride just as Baran was calling from the dark, "It's me, Jardin."

She listened to them talking about their postponed meeting, then heard Baran tell his friend, "I wanted to introduce you to another associate of mine."

Freeda stepped from the shadows, resulting in a reaction from Jardin that she understood very well. He'd been expecting his men to emerge from the black, not Baran's man. She listened to the back and forth between the two men about who was betraying whom.

Remembering his promise to let her deal with the scoundrel, Baran told Freeda about Jardin, "Guess he's all yours then."

As she stepped forward, Freeda lifted her dagger before her. She tilted it a bit to let her next victim see the dark stains of blood already upon it in the moonlight falling down upon them between the buildings.

Then, Jardin surprised them both with, "Funny. I'm not sure if your father would be proud or disappointed in you, Baran."

Freeda had planned on stabbing the man several times in non-fatal places before continuing the interrogation. But now she paused and glanced between Jardin and Baran with wider eyes. It had taken Freeda and her new partner several days to gain enough trust to speak in depth to one another about their personal lives. Freeda knew by now that Baran had grown up without knowledge of his father.

So … what the hell was Jardin speaking about? Freeda's desire to hurt the man who had killed her father mixed with her desire for more information; she quickly stepped forward and stabbed Jardin in the thigh, sinking the blade just deep enough cause him to scream and drop to one knee.

"Talk, you snake!"

 

[WatchingCloud]

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Late Evening:

Walton managed to get himself to a sitting position just as Camilla revealed herself in the doorway to the tack room. Moonlight captured her from behind and he was mesmerized as she undressed before him without so much as a word. They'd both known what her intent in returning tonight was. Seeing her now, he lacked any remaining shred of will to deny her.

"May I lay with you, sire?"

She sounded so innocent, yet perhaps not as nervous as earlier. He could almost convince himself she'd done this before. More likely, though, she'd fallen hard for him and didn't want to risk him getting away without making it perfectly clear.

"You may," he said softly. "You must."

He extended a hand and took hers, guiding her to his simple pallet on the floor. To the relief of his injury, he was able to lay back, letting out an involuntary gasp before finding relief.

"It's okay," he said in response to her concern. "Still hurts a lot, but improving. You'll no doubt make me feel much better."

Walton pulled her in to a kiss that picked up right where they left off - eager and inviting. He draped an arm over her side and pulled her gently closer until they lay side by side, bodies beginning to merge while he kept his weight off his injured side. His hand explored her bare back, from bottom to shoulder, spine to...well, almost her breast. He was in no hurry and certainly didn't want to scare her off.

 

[LoriDean12345]

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Late Evening:

"You may," Walton answered softly to Camilla's inquiry about laying with him. He added quickly, "You must."

The teen was trembling even before the man reached his hand and took hers. She lay with him, letting him easily pull her to his body; he was only half naked while she was fully so, and yet Camilla still found herself suffering an almost painful shiver up her spine at the taboo-ness of it all.

She was in the arms of a man she'd only met two days ago … naked! This was so wrong and yet it felt so right! It felt natural, and Camilla found herself eagerly snuggling up into Walton's arms as their mouths kissed hungrily.

She was enjoying the feel of his hands all over her body when she realized that he was hesitating to touch her breasts. Camilla's nipples were very much an erogenous zone for her; she'd often found herself massaging and pinching them when she bathed in the creek below the farm. It had never occurred to her that one day she would so badly want a man to do the same with her bosom until now.

"Touch me," she whispered so softly that she felt she needed to say it louder a second time. As she rolled to her back with one of Walton's arms under her neck, she took his free hand and caressed it up to cover one of her young, firm, large breasts. "Touch me."

 

[WatchingCloud]

The Thicket
(The Highwaymen's Hideout)
The Wailing Woods

Night:

Kitts enduring his sister's treatments, knowing that whatever else she might be she was certainly skilled in the healing arts.

"She cares for you," Nalla said, looking back over her shoulder at Chloe as she added more water to a large pot over an open pit fire. She glanced back at her brother, repeating the other woman's claim casually, "She says she's your captive. Are you kidnapping people now?"

"Not my first choice," he muttered after she extracted the foul-tasting mossy concoction she'd shoved in his mouth. "But we won't last the winter without funds. Noble's carriages seemed a reasonable mark."

Chloe arrived with the water and was politely asked by Nalla to give them a moment while she handled the sutures.

"That night … you opened a world of knowledge to me, brother … a world that otherwise would have been closed to me," she began in a volume just barely above a whisper. Her words were meant for no one other than Kitts. "I know you don't believe as I do … I know you--

"I know you feel I violated you. But you gave me a gift no other man could have … and I will forever thank … appreciate … and love you for that."

Kitts wished he'd known then what he knew now, how it had been so important to her. He still didn't understand it, but if she'd experienced even some of the things he'd perceived while under her concoction that night, her actions made more sense. Still...Enid had died as a result.

He took Nalla by the wrist. He probably lacked the strength to hold her if she resisted, so he only held her gently.

"I believe you," he said, his voice barely carrying. "I might, almost, understand it. But, for my sake, I need to know what happened to Enid. The truth, no matter what."

 

[WatchingCloud]

The City of Pratt

Night:

Baran was stunned. His father? Anger, hope, suspicion - it all boiled over as he wondered what Jardin could possibly know about his father. Did he actually know who it was? If so, why had he held out all these years? Or was he just pulling the only leverage he thought he might have left to save himself?

Freeda lunged forward with her dagger faster than Baran could restrain her. Rather than kill him, however, she jabbed him in the thigh, eliciting a scream. Baran clamped a hand across the man's mouth before he could draw any more unwanted attention their way, even in the dark alley.

"Talk, you snake!" Freeda hissed.

Jardin's cries of pain diminished and Baran released his hand just enough to let the man talk. Jardin winced, sneered, and spat on the ground. "Bitch!"

Baran wrapped his hand around Freeda's on the dagger and twisted it. "Apologize to the lady, then start talking before my patience runs out."

"Fuck you," Jardin said. "If I talk, she'll kill me. You want answers and I won't give them until I'm sure I'll live. I'm worth more alive and you know it."

He was right, of course, but Baran was in no mood for torture or negotiation. He'd gotten by this far without knowing who his father was. Would it really change anything at this point? Unlikely.

"Kill him," Baran said, stepping away to let Freeda take her vengeance.

Jardin's eyes went wide. "Merion! It's Merion! And I'm one of the few who can prove it!"

King Merion? The deposed King of Pratt? Baran had assumed he was probably the bastard offspring of some minor noble with connections to the King's inner circle, but he'd never dared imagine something like that.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to give Jardin the chance to prove it or not. Even if true, what did it matter? Merion was hiding in exile if not already dead. The blood relation wouldn't mean anything, would it?

 

[WatchingCloud]

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Late Evening:

“Touch me,” she said, rolling onto her back and placing his hand upon her breast.

Walton paused in their kissing to appreciate her body and those impeccable breasts in the moonlight. Full and firm beneath his hand, he massaged gently, letting her get used to another person touching her so intimately. Her full nipples hardened under the simulation and he pinched one and then the other teasingly. She moaned in pleasure, chest heaving as if seeking greater contact.

Ignoring the pain in his side, Walton shifted down just a bit and rolled further into her side. He lifted one of her full breasts to his mouth and kissed the tip. Camilla pulled his head back down, demanding more. Acquiescing, he wrapped his mouth around her areola and suckled gently. She whimpered incoherent encouragement while he continued to suck and lick and kiss, alternating breasts.

After getting her well and truly worked up, Walton’s free hand slid down to her narrow waist and then through the thin thatch of hair between her legs. The young woman spread instinctively and Walton’s fingers soon found her wet slit. He ran his middle finger along its length, from bottom to top, pausing to give her clit a slight flick, then returning back down. Camilla whimpered under him, a tremble he could feel through his mouth on her nipple.

Walton dipped his finger inside her, foretelling a penetration to come. Lubricated, he then used that finger to focus attention around and across her swollen clit. He held her heaving body until driving her to a proper climax.

 

[LoriDean12345]

The City of Pratt

Night:

Freeda knew too well the heart break that came from growing up without the love, caring, and respect of a father. She'd known all her life that Lord Frederican had been her father; she'd known all her life that he had had no interest in her as well. It had affected her in ways she understood; it had likely affected her in ways she didn't understand, even to this day.

Baran had grown up without that love, caring, and respect, too. The difference being that he had had the additional tragedy of not even knowing who his father was! And now, to have this snake make such a claim! Freeda would have dismissed it immediately as bullshit ... except that sometimes during the evenings, when they'd settled down for the night, Baran had often spoken of his service to the King.

Just as Freeda worked directly under Princess Ranna, Baran had worked directly under Merion. And Freeda had seen something in Baran's eyes when he spoke of how the King had related to him. Even though he hadn't actually said it to her, Freeda had seen a love and respect in Baran's eyes for the now deposed leader, a look that she recognized in herself when it came to Ranna. And Freeda knew that such a feeling for Merion wouldn't have developed if that Royal hadn't had at least a deep respect for Baran, if not also a love.

Could Jardin's outrageous claim be true? Could the King have brought Baran into his immediate employ out of some paternal responsibility? Or was the man who'd they'd come here to kill just grasping for a life line?

Freeda pulled her blade from Jardin's thigh, stepped behind him, grasped a handful of hair, and -- with a knee in his spine to hold him in place -- pulled his head back to expose his knife. With her blade pressed against his throat, Freeda demanded, "Tell me about the murder of Lord Frederican of Hollard."

"What...? What, what are you talking about?" a confused Jardin Lopes asked. "Is that what this is about...? I thought--"

"Tell me!" Freeda demanded, pressing her blade against his flesh hard enough that it began cutting through. After Jardin cried in pain and fear, she continued, "Tell me about the Count's death! What was your part in it?"

With what sounded like total sincerity, Jardin professed, "I had no part in the death of the Count! I had NO dealings with the Count! I thought ... I thought this was about Princess--"

Jardin failed to finish. A gurgling coming from his mouth as Freeda's blade sliced with force across his neck, cutting through flesh, vessels, and bone in one swift, skilled motion. A spray of blood fanned out before him, catching the light of the moon which had moved overhead while the pair of them had waited.

Freeda gave the still-dying man a kick with her knee, sending him to his face on the centuries-old, worn cobblestone. Leaning over Jardin to wipe her blade on his trousers, Freeda headed away without hesitation, telling Baran, "We have to go."


West of Pratt City:

It was two hours later before they stopped at a stream to water and rest their exhausted, lathered horses. Freeda hadn't said a word since leaving the City, and only now as she watched the moon touching the distant hills was she ready to discuss what had happened.

"I know where King Merion is," she stated softly, still looking out at the moon. "Merion is in hiding in the Barony of Weston. If my Grace permits it ... I will take you to him."

It may have seemed that her mind was elsewhere ... for it was. They'd avenged Ranna of the assassination attempt arranged by Jardin. And they'd discovered what may or may not have been a stunning secret about Baran's parentage. But Freeda had taken a step backwards when it came to knowing who was responsible for the murder of her brother Leo's father ... of her father.

She looked to Baran with an emotion filled face. Until this moment, as she told him of her knowledge of Merion's location, Freeda was sure he would be angry at her. She'd robbed him of his opportunity to find the truth behind his parentage. Well, she hadn't, but then he hadn't know that until just this moment.

Freeda looked back to the moon, trying to sort her thoughts. So much had happened in the last few weeks, and she couldn't even begin to wrap her head around all of it. She needed to clear her mind, and Freeda only knew one way to do that.

"I need you inside me, Baran," Freeda demanded.

She turned to face her partner, reached to the bow hidden at the back of her neck under her long, wavy hair, and pulled. The bosom of her riding dress fell loose, and after a tug at the bow about her waist, the dress fell away to gather about her ankles. She stood before Baran in only her slip, her full, shapely breasts well displayed in the moonlight; their pert nipples -- swollen by excitement and sudden chill -- pointing eagerly his way.

Freeda tugged another bow at her waist, and as the slip fell away stepped out the skirt. In nothing more than her calf-high boots, she dropped to her hands and knees on the one-hand tall meadow grass. Parting her knees on the ground and arching her back downward, Freeda presented the already glistening folds of her pussy to him. She said with a demanding tone, "Now!"

 

[WatchingCloud]

West of Pratt City:

Baran was only vaguely aware of Freeda's demands of Jardin to reveal what he knew of the murder of the Count. Her own father, he vaguely recalled through his fog. Jardin claimed to know nothing of it and sounded sincere.

The next thing Baran saw was a spray of blood as she slit his throat and kicked him to the ground. The man was dead within moments and she wiped her blade clean on his back before grabbing him by the wrist and leading him away.

Anger and frustration and confusion marred his senses. He was pissed at Freeda for not getting more answers, yet she was also the one leading the way and keeping the both of them from running afoul of the night watch. He was pissed at Jardin, for either lying or having hidden the truth. He was pissed at himself for the way he was reacting, like a lost child rather than a man of action.

They mounted up, meager gear packed in haste, and were on the road in a hurry, riding hard by moonlight.

Merion. King Merion. His father? Could it be possible? Baran knew someone had taken an interest in him at an early age. Got him an education and training, then used him as a spy and eventually a specialized soldier. He'd had a chance to meet Merion on several occasions, always feeling the king respected the results he'd repeatedly produced deep behind enemy lines. But had it been more than that?

The moon was setting at some wee hour of the morning when Freeda finally stopped near a stream to rest the horses. He was about to tear into her for killing Jardin before learning more.

"I know where King Merion is," she stated softly, still looking out at the moon. "Merion is in hiding in the Barony of Weston. If my Grace permits it ... I will take you to him."

Baran turned on her, mouth open, but no words came. So Merion was still alive in exile...and hiding in Weston? Ranna knew of this? Was there some alliance or was it simply a courtesy to a deposed noble? Either way, Baran was both buoyed and reluctant at the prospect of going face to face with Merion, asking to know the truth.

"I need you inside me, Baran," Freeda demanded.

It took Baran a moment to realize what she'd said, so completely removed from anything else that had happened this night. Or ever, between the two of them. Freeda only liked women, he'd thought.

Freeda undid the ties on her dress and let it fall to the ground, revealing those pert, full breasts he'd been well aware of since the first time she'd crossed paths with him in that dungeon cell and beaten him. Her nipples were hard and inviting. Her slip soon joined the dress and, wearing only her boots, she stepped out of the pile.

In moments, his partner in this dark endeavor was on her hands and knees in the long grass. Her pussy, glistening in the moonlight, presented for him alone.

"Now!" Her tone left no doubt as to her need and impatience.

Baran was shocked at how quickly his body responded to Freeda. It wasn't her magnificent body but her demanding urgency that compelled him to action. He pulled his pants down and knelt behind her, cock already fully engorged. Freeda pushed back into him even as he was lining up with her slick slit.

Fuck, she was tight. He'd taken virgins who hadn't felt like this. With his considerably girth, he feared he might hurt her, but Freeda was sopping wet and pushed against him until he was buried to the hilt. What followed was a hard, angry, fuck through which he was finally able to unload all the emotional baggage of the night. He exploded deep inside her, holding her hips hard.

"Don't stop!" she snapped again, though more with urgency and need than anger.

Even though he'd just climaxed, Baran began thrusting again. His own cum added to her natural lubrication, heightening the sensation and keeping him erect as he pounded her even harder. Eventually, Freeda began moaning and pleading until finally unleashing a cry of delight. He held himself in place, deep within her, trembling, until she collapsed into the grass.

Baran, spent, sat beside her and then laid down on his back. Their bodies didn't touch, but he did place a hand on the small of her back. He stared up at the night sky, taking in the stars and constellations, his mind almost blessedly empty.

 

[LoriDean12345]

West of Pratt City:

It had been years since Freeda had had a man's cock inside her. It felt so foreign; even invasive. It hurt, too. She and her female lovers did not engage in penetrating activities, though -- usually only when she was with whores -- they often asked if it was something in which she wished to engage.

She knew Baran had to be wondering what was going through her head to offer up her slit to a man. He'd only ever seen Freeda with other women; in fact, on a couple of occasions when men in taverns had tried to make a move on her, she'd reacted with foul words, violence, or both.

But at times like these -- dramatic times, particularly those involving her taking life -- the only way Freeda could calm her mind and force it to think straight was to exhaust her body through the physical excursion of sex. It wasn't long before Baran's thrusts inside her had shifted from pain to pleasure, and any thoughts other than those of ecstasy had slipped from her mind.

When she realized by his sound and movement that he'd orgasmed, Freeda growled back at him, "Don't stop!"

He didn't, and not much later, with her body exploding in deep trembles, Freeda let out a long, loud cry of satisfaction as ecstasy took hold of her. She fell forward atop the undergarments placed before her and just laid there face down forever, reveling in the lasting pleasure. She knew Baran was laying next to her, face up -- his hand upon her backside was noticeable -- and she was happy that he kept his mouth shut and simply stared upwards in silence.

Finally, after the longest time during which her breathing and heart beat returned near to normal, the still naked Freeda stood up tall over Baran and said firmly, "This didn't happen."

As if to emphasize this, when she leaned over to gather her things, the first thing she lifted from the ground was her dagger, which she held out between herself and Baran. Freeda turned her bare backside to him and plodded off through the darkness to the stream's edge. She cleaned up, including an attempt to clean Baran's seed from her ovulating womanhood. She would have to visit the Alchemist when she returned to Riverwood to ensure that she wasn't belabored with an unwanted pregnancy. But for now, she only needed to get enough of their combined mess from her so that she could redress, lay out her bedroll, and get some badly needed sleep.

Freeda would rest well tonight...

 

[LoriDean12345]

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Late Evening:

“Touch me,” Camilla said, rolling onto her back and placing his hand upon her breast.

And touch her Walton did. As one hand supported his weight over her, the other found her breasts one after another, often accompanied or followed by his warm, wet lips. Camilla had imagined how good this would feel, and only now did she realize that her imagination had needed an imagination of its own. She was moaning and softly crying and writhing about at his pleasuring of her, often kissing at his face, hand, and mouth when they became available to her.

Camilla thought she was in heaven ... but when Walton's hand wandered downstream and slipped in between her thighs -- which seemed to open wider without a thought from her brain -- Camilla gave out a gasp of surprise. She clasped a hand over Walton's, pulling his away as she looked shocked into his eyes. This couldn't possibly be the right thing, could it? It was just ... it was ... well, it was simply so new and foreign and unimaginable to Camilla. There had to be something wrong with it.

And yet, after just a moment of trying to make sense of how something could feel so good, Camilla released her hold on Walton's hand and let him return to pleasuring her down there.

Soon, Camilla whimpered at Walton's skilled touch, rocking her lower body ever more rapidly, though, again, for what reason she didn't know. She'd seen her parents engaged in intercourse twice during her life, and something told her that these movements she was making had something in common with what she'd seen. But, who knew?

And then ... something incredible happened. The pleasure Walton had been causing her built to a level that her own fingers had never even imagined possible ... and her entire body seemed to simply explode in a pleasure Camilla had never thought possible.

 

[LoriDean12345]

The Thicket
(The Highwaymen's Hideout)
The Wailing Woods

Night:

Nalla knew she probably sounded like a nut to her brother. Her sincere declaration that Kitts's claiming of her virginity -- albeit while in a drug-induced stupor -- was responsible for the opening of her mind to otherwise inaccessible wonders was the statement of a madman. Mad woman. A witch!

And yet, he told her, "I believe you."

Nalla looked up from tending his wound to meet his gaze. He continued, "I might, almost, understand it."

She smiled wider, not in relief of any sort of acceptance but in humor, knowing that he was probably only trying to lessen the years of tension between them. Nalla had raped him. She'd raped her own brother. He might forgive her, to a degree; but she doubted he would ever fully understand her reasons behind it.

"But, for my sake, I need to know what happened to Enid. The truth, no matter what."

Nalla's smile faded in an instant and her gaze fell away. She simply sat there for a long moment, silent and still, before repeating what she'd said that night three years earlier, "I didn't attack Enid."

She drew a deep breath, exhaled as she contemplated her explanation, drew and released yet another, then lifted her gaze to find her brother's eyes.

"You were still under the influence of the concoction I'd given you," Nalla began. "I had been experimenting with different strengths for days ... trying to find a mix of the mushrooms and--"

Nalla realized she was getting away from Kitts's question. Was she trying to delay her answer? Or was she simply trying to give him the details he needed to understand what had happened? Probably more of the former. She diverted her eyes for a moment, hesitated, then began again.

"Before bed time, I had slipped something into Enid's tea as well ... to make her fall asleep in the bed you shared with her ... while I led you away to my own bed ... already under the influence of what I'd given you."

At that time, early in their existence -- before they were known as the Wailing Woods Highwaymen -- the band of outlaws and outcasts had been living in huts and lean-to's in the woods. Nalla had already begun her self-education into herbal remedies and such and had her own little home. She kept it a bit farther away from the other homes, and she spent a greater amount of time inside it than most did in their own.

Some of the happenings in or near Nalla's little house may have seemed questionable to those who didn't understand her. She did a lot of experimenting with the things The Mother provided her naturally from the forest. And, of course, there was the simple fact that -- since early in her life -- Nalla had become a follower of The Mother, the Goddess of All Things Natural. She wasn't the only follower of The Mother in the band, but she was the only one who did so publicly. Because it centered on a female power, as had the defunct and outlawed Burkinian Empire, the Faith of the Mother was considered sacrilege to many who followed the Polytheistic or Monotheistic religions that had one or more male Gods at their center.

Combine her experimentation and religion with the ignorance of some of the less educated and less worldly members of the band and -- of course -- Nalla had to be a witch.

"The next morning, when Enid awoke and came looking for you," Nalla continued her answer, "She found you in my bed ... in my arms. She ... she knew what had happened. She must have. She went away ... at first. You awoke. You were disoriented still. I ... I thanked you for your gift ... but ... you-- I don't think you fully understood yet what I'd done."

Nalla tried to lift her gaze to her brother's eyes but couldn't. She looked back to her fiddling fingers again as she continued. "I left my hut to ... I don't recall, maybe to pee, I don't know. There were others about the camp ... witnesses to what came next. Enid ... she rushed me. She was angry ... hurt. She felt betrayed."

Despite the differences between them, Nalla and Enid had once been friends. Oh, not life long friends or anything like that. But Nalla had liked her brother's lover, and she'd tried her best to befriend her. They'd spent long nights talking about Nalla's education into herbal remedies and Enid's prior life as the daughter of a Noble.

But that friendship became strained when Nalla's dreams became intense and detailed ... when they told her that she had to give her physical purity to her brother ... to Enid's lover.

"She rushed me," Nalla continued, her eyes glazing over. It wasn't her feelings about having killed Enid that were about to cause her to cry; it was her feelings over how this had affected Kitts so long ago and, apparently, still affected him today. "She came at me ... with a knife. Others saw it. I'm sure you spoke with them at the time. I ... I tried to stop her ... tried to explain ... tried to--"

A sob cut off the words for a moment and the first of a half dozen tears began down her cheek. "We fell. And ... when I stood ... Enid ... Enid didn't."

Nalla held her hands up before her, palms to her view, fingers splayed as she recalled that horrific day. "There was ... there was so much blood. Not mine. It wasn't mine. I knew that. I looked down ... and Enid was ... she was just staring up at me with a hurt look in her eyes ... as ... as she clutched the knife sunk deep into her chest."

She lowered her hands again, looking to Kitts for a moment before continuing, "You didn't see it happen ... but ... a moment later ... before Enid ... you came out of my hut ... saw us. You walked over. You were still unsteady as you dropped to the ground beside Enid ... took her into your arms. I don't know how much of it you remember. To be honest, at that point ... I don't even remember all that came next."

Nalla sobbed again, looking back to her hands for a moment before murmuring, "I only remember one things for certain. You--"

Another sob, then, "You ... you told me to go away. You told me--"

She reached a hand up to wipe at her eyes, finishing, "You told me I was no longer your sister. I left. Then and there."

Nalla had fled into the woods, even as Enid was dying in her brother's arms. She'd hid in this very cave for several weeks. Over that time, she'd made contact with one of the more sympathetic members of the band, Bella, another member of the Faith of the Mother. Nalla learned that Enid had indeed died, and learned that Kitts had taken the entire incident very hard. Her and Kitts' sister, Zelia, had arrived as well, learning what had happened. Zee began sneaking out with Bella to visit Nalla, attempting to get the latter to return to the band.

Nalla couldn't fix what she'd broken. She couldn't go back to the band. But, over those weeks, the two sisters made it possible for Nalla to at least help the Highwaymen when they were sick or when a mother-to-be was having delivery troubles or the like. Nalla had again relocated to a little meadow, building a cabin there to continue her newfound education, thanks to her brother.

And the Highwaymen moved to the cave.

And Nalla and Kitts never spoke again ... until this night.

"I'm sorry, brother," she whispered, knowing -- or at least fearing -- that there was nothing she could ever do to again hear him call her sister.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Breck Farm
County of Warrick
Barony of Parse

Late Evening:

Walton simply savored the young woman's reaction to his touch, the climax shaking her being. As her body came back down, he slid up and kissed her on the lips - softly and then passionately. She was so perfect under his hands and mouth.

His cock yearned for release, straining against the fabric of his underpants and pressing against her hip. The throbbing in his side, however, was a painful reminder that bending his torso - even to dress or undress - was unlikely to happen tonight. Leaning over this beauty to take her would be impossible.

Tracing his fingers playfully across her breasts, he paused in their kissing. "Camilla, love, might you again help this poor, injured man remove these clothes? I want to show you the effect you have on me."

 

[WatchingCloud]

West of Pratt City:

Late

After some time, Freeda rose and stood over him. Looking nearly straight up at her naked figure was a lovely and unusual view. He made no move to join her.

"This didn't happen."

The statement wasn't one of regret, simply a statement of how things would be going forward. He understood it. They'd been through some very difficult things lately, not the least of which was murdering a man just hours earlier. Both had needed an outlet. Freeda might be thinking of him and Teena and how this might be a problem with that. Smart.

Teena. It hadn't been that long since he'd last seen her, but it felt like he'd lived a lifetime. He tried to picture her and found it difficult in some regards already. Soon, though, they would be back in Riverbrook and he could see her again. And then what? Confront his possible father? Decide who next needed killing as part of the conspiracy to assassinate Ranna?

Worries for another night. This night, for what remained of it, unconsciousness claimed him.