Page 11 of A Tale of Mirth & Magic

“We should get some sleep,” I found myself saying. “You said you’re tired. It’s been a long day for both of us.” I spread out fully on my bedroll again, trying to take deep breaths without her hearing them.

After a moment, she said, “I suppose you’re right. Good night, Barra.”

“Good night.”

Elikki yawned, stretching hugely, arms reaching up to the dark sky. Her large breasts pressed against thin linen. At some point earlier she’d taken off the red corset and just wore her cream undershirt now; soft full curves filled my vision. I could see the hard nubs of her nipples through the fabric as she loosened up her arms and back. They looked chilly. I should hold them, warm them up. Tug that shirt down and take them into my hot mouth, one after the other…

I quickly rolled over, facing away from her. Closed my eyes. I heard her tamp down the fire and then whisper, “And good night, Pebble” as she settled onto her bedroll.

This was going to be a long evening.

5

ELIKKI

I was going to seduce the fuck out of this man.

Barra clearly wanted me, that much was obvious now. Despite how things went earlier at the tavern, he was definitely changing his mind. When I ate my chocolate toastie by the fire he practically drooled. And I know I saw him staring at my tits just now. I’d tested my theory with a casual little bedtime stretch. Success! I felt vindicated.

Snuggling into my bedroll—with the very comfy blanket he’d given me, much better than my tatty old one—I gazed at his broad back. I wonder why he wasn’t just letting himself be into me. At the tavern, now here. We’re practically outlaws on the run together. And for the goddess’s sake, we were stranded in the woods with a cozy fire and no one around for miles! It was undeniably hot.

With anyone else, I bet I’d be rolling around on the ground by now, enjoying some lovely, mutually satisfying fucking in the crisp night air. Instead, Barra and I were apparently just going to… sleep? What an odd man.

Surely if there was someone in his life romantically, he would have told me when I asked. Or if he really wasn’t attracted to me—hard to imagine—he would have just lied and said there was someone. That was his out. But he hadn’t said anything. Just looked uncomfortable with the painful effort of sharing some minor personal facts about himself.

There was a moment by the fire when I almost thought Barra was going to do something. I could feel his eyes on me. Finishing the last bit of my bread, I pretended not to notice. Didn’t want to spook him. But I saw him shift in my peripheral vision, sensed his focus. I got that pleasant prickle spreading across my chest and down through the belly. When we came together, I thought, would he grab my elbows and pull me to my feet? Kiss me hard and slap my ass harder? Stroke my skin softly, treat me like delicate glass? I couldn’t wait to find out. Everyone was different.

But there was no way I was making the first move. He had turned me down earlier… abrupt and inelegant though my pickup attempt was. I wasn’t taking the risk of being rejected again. So if Barra wanted me, he had to be the one to initiate.

Now. Now! Just say something. Or touch me. I had yelled at him in my head. But the moment passed. Frustrated, I’d swallowed my disappointment and went to gather some firewood. And then just minutes ago when he’d freaked out about my hand—that was… nice. Surprisingly nice. His expression, filling with fear and concern. For me. I still felt bad for accidentally scaring him so much, but to be honest, it was also kind of pleasant to see someone worry about me like that. I can’t remember the last time a person showed that kind of care without wanting something in return. I turned in my bedroll, shifting to my back so I could watch the stars glinting above. Goddess, it was cold—but at least it was a beautiful, clear night.

Barra’s unexpected concern was probably why I rambled all that about my magic—showing off in the small ways I safely could, but also telling him the truth about how I can’t exactly control my power. I rarely shared my limitations with anyone. In my experience, it’s a mistake to tell people what your weaknesses are. I’ll probably regret it.

But for some reason, I found myself trusting Barra. Just a little. He was so damn sincere, really seeming to mean whatever he said. I loved how every feeling and thought flicked across his expressive face, and the way his words always seemed to match up with what I saw there. Most people—myself included, I could admit—wore some kind of mask, hiding or pretending what they wanted.

Not Barra. This man had such a complete lack of guile. It was… refreshing. Like the first crunchy bite of a carrot after days of eating soups and mushy porridge. Substantial. Real. A welcome change.

Above, the stars glimmered back at me. A despondent howl sounded from the forest—a wolf?—but I felt oddly safe. With one thumb, I rubbed the B that I’d hastily carved into my bangle earlier and thought about the way he’d looked as I’d ran my fingertips over his hand. Such a simple touch. But crouched over me, a torn look in his eyes, he’d seemed frozen in place by it. I had been so certain right then that he was going to kiss me.

Now, wrapped in his blanket that smelled of mint and horse, I forced myself to mentally shrug. Tomorrow’s a new day. Another day, another sexual escapade! I watched Barra’s chest rise and fall in slow deep breaths. He must be asleep now. After a few more minutes, I heard a low rumbling sound. The ground beneath me vibrated.

He was snoring. Gently, and in calming waves. I struggled to keep my eyes open. But moments later, I slipped off to sleep.

When I next woke, it was freezing. The fire’s weak embers barely gave off any heat. A cold wind crept harshly across my face, reaching through my blanket and clothes with icy fingers.

I heard hoofbeats on the road nearby, loud in the night’s quiet. That must have been what had woken me. That and the voices.

“… just figures he’d insist we set off in the middle of the goddess-damned night. So demanding, that one.”

Two, maybe three, people. It sounded like they were close by—too close—but I knew the tree line of our clearing should cover any sign of us. I could see the brightness of their lanterns swinging, but no details of them, which boded well. Our own embers were barely visible. Barra’s rumbling snores were steady and quiet enough that they blended into the sounds of the forest night. It was cloudy, the moon’s light muted. We were safe.

Still, I slowly slipped one hand down to the comforting hilt of my belt dagger, tucked in its leather sheath. It didn’t hurt to be prepared.

“Long as his coin is good, I don’t care. We need an easy bounty, and I wasn’t tired anyway.”

The grumpy first voice replied, “Yeah, well, you have that insomnia, right? Doesn’t make a difference to you.”

“Hey, now. Let’s not turn on each other already,” a third bounty hunter piped up. “Keep your eyes peeled for any sign of them. Probably will be far ahead of us on their way to the inn, but the sooner we snatch her and get back to Felsith, the sooner we get our payment.”