Feldare Tales: A Dark and Stormy Knight
He shook his head again. "No," he whispered, "I do not even recognize this."
"Miss Nadia, if you could point me to the nearest settlement, I will remove myself from worrying you any longer," he said, rising to his feet. "You have done more than enough in helping me at all."
"No, you're not fit to travel far yet," she said. "Morrovale is still four hours from here by foot." She thought a moment. "I have a small cabin about half an hour from here, though. We can go there and let you mend a bit before going to the village."
"A good idea, and I thank you again for offering me the hospitality of your cabin," he said, a stunning smile crossed his face, and she felt her heart leap at the sight of it. Down girl, she thought to herself, he's just being polite.
As they walked the half-hour to the cabin, he belted the sword to his hip and offered to carry the little pack of documents if she wearied of it. She shooed him off of that idea, saying she routinely carried animal carcasses miles, and that this was a paltry burden.
"You are a huntress, then?" he asked, his eyes showing a measurable amount of awe.
"Yes." Her skin blushed slightly at his attention. "I hunt for a living, anyway." She remembered that the ancient Syrisian gods had a figure called the Huntress, a woman who was the master of archery and the bane of anyone who defiled her wood.
The man stood about her own height, which was slightly shorter than most of the youths she had spent time with. She smiled as she regarded him, though, he was slim and well-knit of frame. A errant thought crossed her mind, wondering what he looked like under the felt padding.
He turned his pale blue eyes upon her rich brown ones. "The Huntress has ever been my favored spirit," he said. "She not only inspires me to courage, but I find her incredibly arousing, if I may be so bold. All that subdued power and lethal skill simply causes my mind to grow hazy. To know you are a woman in her image causes me to grow a bit thoughtful of those matters."
Nadia blushed pink at that thought, but her lips curled up in a smile. If she aroused him, she was definitely glad to know it. "Perhaps your mind did take quite a blow, good sir," she giggled. "For few find me arousing in any way."
"Then they are blinded by their stupidity," he said. His voice had an edge of hostility to it that made Nadia a touch nervous. The tone moderated, however, and he said, "You radiate competence. An aphrodisiac without compare."
Their eyes met for a brief moment. "You are a most complimentary traveling companion," she said. "One might think you had a ulterior motive."
Something had changed in the man's demeanor, perhaps his own confidence was returning. His eyes moved down her body, over her fitted shirt and buckskin leggings worn under a short skirt. It all rather hugged her form tightly, as loose clothes tended to get caught on branches when one ran. "Perhaps I do, actually, though I did not realize until you mentioned it." he replied. "If you find my attentions unwelcome, please say so."
"I will," said Nadia as she turned and started walking again.
The man grinned behind her, realizing she did not say to stop. As he followed behind her, he noticed her gait had changed slightly, and that she walked with a bit more, well, wiggle, than before.
True to her word, there was a tiny cabin nestled among a few old oaks. It looked as if it were used only intermittently, which was just the case. She went within and chased out a small flock of finches. "Squatters!" she yelled in mock anger.
Chuckling the man walked into the cabin as well. It was simply a large room, three paces by five. The furniture in here had been made by hand, but seemed serviceable. It consisted of a bed, a table with chair, and a small rack for hanging things upon. "All the comforts of home," he said, cheerily.
She smiled over her shoulder at him. "Of course, milord," she curtsied. "Quarters fit for a king." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke and he smiled at her again.
As her heart lub-dubbed and turned over in her chest, she decided that she needed to distract herself before she made a fool of herself with this lovely man. As she tried to squeeze by him in the doorway, he put out an arm. Despite the slimness of his limb, it felt as solid as a steel bar when she pushed against it. She thought a moment that he held the door jamb, but no. When she looked, his arm hung in the air. She blinked at how strong he must be to stop her dead with just his arm and a negligent motion.
He grinned. "Thank you, Nadia," he said. "I am fortunate, indeed to not only be found by a huntsman, but additionally for being found by the most beautiful of the Huntresses." His voice was low and somehow more intense now.
"You are welcome," she murmured nervously. "And I still think you're a bit addled to think me anything but plain." Her face blushed deeply at his compliments, and her eyes turned to him. "But I don't mind you speaking such sweet words to me, for they do feel good, I hear them so seldom."
He touched her face with his cool, slim hand. "You will hear a lot of them so long as I am about," he stated, his eyes level and locking her gaze to them. "And I probably will not be going until you make me."
Now, she was nervous. This was a little too much, too fast, even for her admittedly unregimented pattern of courtship. "Sir," she said. "You are a handsome man, and can have your way, likely, with most women." Her eyes finally broke contact with his. "And even me, if you sought it. But, I beg you not to abuse that One-given ability. Don't play games with my heart."
His eyes softened at her almost plaintiff appeal. "I do not intend to," he said, and his fingers touched her cheek again. Her head came up to gaze directly at him again. He leaned forward and kissed her gently, his lips were soft and very warm, and just a touch moist.
She at first thought that the lightning had charged him with energy, for she felt a jolt of it pass through her entire body, causing her muscles to twitch and then lock into place. He did not part his lips, or move his hand from her cheek, he simply gave her that small, lingering kiss, then pulled away. "I will not take advantage of you," he said. "And though I know not who I am, I do know I am not a man who would toy with your emotions."
As his fingers slipped off her smooth cheek she felt her muscles finally unlock and she leaned back against the frame of the door. With an effort, she kept her breathing from becoming ragged and short. She, however, could do little to control the moist feeling that ran down the inside of one thigh. With a great swallow, she turned back toward the small clearing the hut sat facing.
She looked behind the hut and found her cache of firewood and brought in an armload. The man was sitting at the little table and pouring over the papers. "I still do not know what these say," he murmured. "Are you certain they were mine?"
She nodded. "Well, they were on a horse you were riding," she confirmed.
He grinned. "Let us hope it was my horse," he chuckled. "Somehow, I do not think I was a horse thief."
Her expression became mixed. "Unless you go about stealing horses in full knight's armor, then no."
He looked at her. "I wore the armor of a knight?" he asked. "Where is it now?"
"It was badly damaged by the lightning, and further by my removing it from you so that you could sleep properly, its joints had been welded by the heat," she answered.
He nodded. "I am amazed I survived this incident," he said. "I had wondered why I was wearing a felt suit of padding."
"There are some other clothes under those floorboards, some may fit." She pointed to a spot near the bed. "My old mentor gave them to me so that I could modify them for my own use, but I never got around to it."
He stuffed the parchment back into the pack and knelt next to the loose floorboards, pulling them aside he took out the bundled clothes. The bundle he sat upon the table and opened it, looking through the clothes within, they were clean and well-made, if not finery.
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LADIES IN NUDE
Russian Brides
LADIES IN NUDE
Russian Brides
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