____________________________
| |
/)| KRISTEN'S BOOKSHELF |(\
/ )| DIRECTORIES |( \
__( (|____________________________|) )__
((( \ \ > /_) ( \ < / / )))
(\\\ \ \_/ / \ \_/ / ///)
\ / \ /
\ _/ \_ /
/ / \ \
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
o o
o The Bookshelf Directories offer a very wide variety of stories. o
o They have been submitted by people from all over the world. Also o
o from alt.sex.stories (Newsgroups). There is no particular order o
o other than offering them to you in alphabetical directories. o
o o
o All works are copyrighted to the author and may not be used for o
o profit without obtaining the author's permission in advance. o
o o
o Lest we forget!!! This story was produced as adult entertainment o
o and should not be read by minors. o
o o
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Journey to Carlin (6/6) (mf, fantasy, cons)
by Remmelt de Haan <remmelt@kosterix.icce.rug.nl>
***
The forest was wet when it stopped raining. A bold squirrel that
popped its head out in the open air was scared back inside its tree
when it heard the drumming of hooves.
A brown horse with a cloaked and hooded rider came galloping down
the old trail.
Revelc drew his hood tight and ducked to prevent dripping branches
from lashing water in his face. He'd sheltered in that cave too long.
He coaxed Leaper to greater speed.
He hoped Milan would be packed and ready to go once he arrived.
After a moment's consideration he chuckled to himself. Milan would
find a way, any way, to stall their departure. He couldn't really
blame him, not when it was over half a year since he'd last seen his
home village.
The trees became blurry shades, as if Leaper sensed that they were
nearing their destination, the glade of Vilarre.
Revelc hoped they would be able to make up some of the lost time.
Splitting up the group so that everybody could attend to their own
affairs had already been a bad idea, but leaving them alone during
the entire five days of the Wine Festival would be tempting the Gods.
Free time and sovereigns to spend were a dangerous combination among
his companions. They might well be broke, in jail, or both by the time
Milan and he arrived. Maybe the women could keep the lads in check,
he pondered. Ukko had certainly piped down a bit since Abigail had
joined the group. The two of them seemed to get along. More than once,
when she had thought noone was watching, he'd seen her staring at Ukko,
something which had caused a painful stinging in his chest. When she
had sparred with Ukko in the mornings, he had watched from afar. He
had tried to become friends with her but it was obvious she saw only
the leader, the withdrawn sorcerer.
Revelc pulled the reigns as the trail gave way to a steep drop.
The woods grew lighter. He was nearing the edge of the forest and
suddenly they were out of the treeline, riding into the hills. Revelc
let Leaper follow the forest's edge, turning north.
Stop deluding yourself, he told himself. You only want to spread
those long legs of hers anyway. It's lust, not love. Still, he envied
Ukko, who was probably losing a lot of sleep over her. Or under her,
he thought dryly.
He realized that the distance between them was exactly what allowed
him to fantasize about her. His thoughts drifted towards the other girl
in the group. In the beginning he had thought of Miriam that way, even
though it was obvious she only had eyes for Gdansk.
On a warm summer day when the others had gone off to the nearby city
of Sistharn, Miriam and he had gone swimming in the lake. When she had
exited the water he had breathlessly watched her curves, covered only
by a long silk shirt which clung in all the right places. She had lain
down to catch some rays and he had followed suit, lying next to her, but
keeping a healthy distance. Neither of them had spoken a word, but in
the evening, around the fire, she had thanked him.
"For not trying anything," she smiled. "I don't mind that you look
at me. I'm flattered, actually, but... I've got this ankh here, you see..."
He nodded. Her holy symbol.
After she poked the fire with a branch, she added: "I like you a lot,
Reef, and had I not taken vows, who knows what might have happened today."
She sat next to him, fingering the ankh and stared into the fire. "It is
difficult sometimes," she went on. "I always hoped that Dance and I...
you know..." She sighed. "I know it sounds trite, but I hope we can be
friends. I still /want/ to be friends with you. I just can't give you
anymore." She leaned over and kissed him lightly on his cheek.
"Even though I sometimes wanted to," she added softly.
Her candidness had melted away his initial envy and they had been
close friends from that moment on. And he had stopped daydreaming about
her. One simply didn't think of friends in that way.
He dismissed the matter by focusing on business. The Duke would
be growing impatient by now. It had been a month ago since he had send
word to Carlin that they had recovered the 'goods'. The reward would
enable them to pay off various debts at inns and weaponsmiths and allow
each of them to spend a handsome amount of sovereigns in any way they
wanted.
Revelc wondered what they'd do after that. Unless the Duke had
something else he wanted done, they'd be out of a job again. And it
was difficult enough already to get employ when most of their exploits
had and still required discretion. It also didn't help that the name
'Purple Hood' was on everybody's lips when people spoke of adventurers.
Teejay DiMarco and Snag Nitzan were known throughout the land. Miraculous
feats (most of which true, Revelc grudgingly had to admit) were ascribed
to them. The Purple Hood wouldn't have any trouble keeping the sovereigns
rolling their way.
Popular gossip in the last town had placed the Purple Hood near
the Udikerntan mountain-range, at least a two weeks' ride from Carlin.
Revelc prayed to Monchar, the Traveller, that the rumour was true. For
a moment he indulged himself in one of his fantasies: that one day /their/
group would be famous and /their/ names on everybody's lips. The day they
wouldn't have to take anymore crap from corrupt cityguards or armourers
whose work was shoddy and prices were steep. The day they wouldn't have
to rely on anyone but themselves.
Revelc smiled to himself.
A shrill whistle coming from high up in a tree brought him out of
his reverie. He had just passed the outer watch of Vilarre. He sat up,
threw off his hood and straightened his back.
The path widened and gave way to a small valley. Surrounded by walls
of pine and grassy hills on the side and a rocky cliff on the far end lay
the glade of Vilarre. A few wooden terraces and roofed entrances into the
side of cliff and the hills were all the constructions he could see. A
few halflings were hauling carts with crates and barrels. As Revelc slowed
Leaper to a trot he heard the bleating of sheep coming from behind the
eastern hills. Something moved in the undergrowth to his left and he
ignored it, knowing he would be hard-pressed to discover the second watch.
Milan had told him once that they were so good in hiding in bushes they had
green growing in their beards.
"Afternoon, stranger." An elderly halfling in a wicker chair tipped
his hat to him as he dismounted.
"I'm Revelc. I've come to see Milan of Perakta."
The halfling got up and said: "I will get him for you. You can take
the horse to the brook over there if you like."
Revelc nodded.
A few minutes later Milan emerged from one of the houses, smiling as
usual.
"Revelc! Good to see you. Come on, unsaddle that horse," he said and
gestured impatiently.
Revelc groaned inwardly.
"I told you I was picking you up in four days. We have to be in Carlin
tomorrow night."
Milan walked up to Leaper and patted him with a pudgy hand. Leaper
whinnied and bend down to nuzzle the halfling's neck. "Hey big guy. I can
tell you need some rest," Milan said gently, scratching the stallion's wet
nose.
"Milan, we're going!" Revelc hissed. "Get packed, we got a lot of
miles to cover before sundown."
Milan rubbed the bridge of his nose and frowned. "Ummm... we have a
small problem."
"You're not stalling this time, Milan!" Revelc warned him.
Milan looked hurt. "Stalling? I wouldn't dream of it, Reef!"
"So we're leaving," Revelc repeated, just to be sure.
"We're leaving," Milan agreed, nodding solemnly.
Revelc crossed his arms and said sternly: "Now."
The halfling raised a little finger. "There's just this small matter
of a party that..."
Revelc exploded. "NO!" he yelled. A faint echo rolled off the cliff
wall. Several halflings turned and looked at him.
"But Reef..."
"Nyakta, nareh, nrak tal, NO! We are going now - we have a schedule
to keep and we..." Revelc paused to pull Milan's fingers out of his ears.
"Reef, stop yelling," Milan sighed. "It's grandfather's party."
Revelc fell quiet. He knew the old man's birthday was in the middle of
winter. He also knew halflings needed scant reason to throw parties but
there could be only one other reason they dedicated a party to someone.
Milan nodded, confirming his suspicions.
"We buried him the day before yesterday," he said. "Today we feast in
his memory. Since you knew him as well, you're invited."
"I'm sorry... I didn't know."
Milan shrugged. "We all knew it was coming. He settled his affairs
weeks ago - said his goodbyes. So it didn't really come unexpected."
Revelc made a quick calculation. If they would leave tomorrow before
noon and didn't stop until sundown and got an early start the day after
that, they would arrive in Carlin only half a day later. It would have
to do, he decided.
"Why not yesterday?" he asked as he started to unsaddle Leaper.
Milan shrugged again. "I think some of the women wanted some more
time."
Milan led him through the long corridors of the... Revelc realized
the word 'burrow' wouldn't do the house justice. It was an entire
system of corridors connecting halls, rooms and man-sized closets.
There was a niche with a glow basket every ten feet. The floor was
tiled in bright colors and had recently been cleaned.
"This place looks like an inn, Milan," he commented.
Milan grinned. "I told you, although our family isn't big we still
have lots of visitors each month."
Revelc heard noises of a crowd as they took another turn. Bright
light fell into the corridor between two opened doors.
"The smoke room," Milan announced. They entered a tiled room with a
high ceiling. The guests were standing in small groups, chatting and
laughing, and most of them indeed smoked their pipes. Excess smoke was
filtered out of the room via an ingenious system of pipes and conducts
close to the ceiling. Daylight fell through three large circular windows.
Milan introduced Revelc and they mingled among the others.
Everywhere Revelc looked, he saw a field of curly heads. He was
tempted to sit down, but there wasn't a chair in sight and he could
hardly sit on the ground while everybody else was standing. He hunched
his shoulders and bend his head as far as he could.
Just when he stretched and rubbed his neck in frustration, a woman
stepped in the door opening. For a moment Revelc couldn't decide whether
she was a human child or a halfling woman; she towered over the others
by at least a headlength. She smiled and beckoned him.
Revelc excused himself and made his way across the room towards
the hall and the woman standing there.
"I'm Yanni of Perakta, Milan's sister," she said. "Welcome to our
house."
"I'm Revelc," Revelc said.
Yanni shot another glance in the room and wrinkled her nose. "Let's
get some fresh air," she suggested. "We can sit on the back porch."
Without waiting for his response she bounded down the hall.
Revelc chuckled and decided he could do with some fresh air. The hall
made another turn and became an ante room, filled with coats and boots.
When he opened the back door he found himself on a fenced wooden platform
similiar to the ones in the glade. Yanni was squatting near a few bushes,
gathering berries. Rolling meadows stretched out around them, small
clusters of pine here and there. The herd of sheep he'd heard earlier
grazed in the distance. Revelc inhaled the fresh air and sighed. It had
been a while since he had seen such a peaceful scene. He lowered himself
onto the porch and leaned against one of the posts.
"Thanks," he said. "I needed to get out of there."
"You're welcome," she smiled. "Us tall folk have to stick together,
no?" She winked as if to remind him of the big secret.
Revelc grinned, recognizing the halflings' nickname for humans.
She gave him a handful of red berries. "Well, you were standing there
all hunched up like a weeping willow. And I didn't see you smoking so I
figured you don't like smoke rings anymore than I do."
She smoothed her dress and sat down next to him. "Typically Milan,
leave a human guest in a room full of halflings and not getting him a
chair."
"Milan's a good friend," Revelc said. "I'm sure it wasn't intentional."
"He should learn to think before he does."
Revelc laughed out loud. "I couldn't agree more," he grinned. "We've
been trying to drum that into his thick skull for the past two years."
Yanni smiled somewhat ruefully. "Thickheadedness runs in the family.
There's a tale about my great-great-grandfather who, as a young man, fell
and hit his head on a rock. The rock was smashed."
Revelc chuckled and ate a few berries. He was wondering how to treat
her, on what level he should talk with her. Like most halflings she had
an ageless appearance which seemed to shift from childhood to adolescence
and back again.
"Do you sit here often?" he said at last.
"Oh, I wish I could," she sighed. "No, this is actually the first
moment I have to myself in almost a week."
"You mean you aren't here to entertain me?" Revelc teased.
"I can walk around on my hands, if you like," she offered and smiled
a lopsided smile.
Revelc smiled with her, but was growing embarrassed. He was not sure
to respond. Was she young enough to be disappointed if he didn't persue
it or old enough to be offended if he did? Whatever her age, he felt
already out of his league. He decided she had to be older and that she
was just playing with him.
"I thought that nobody worked during a period of mourning. What did
you have to do that couldn't wait?"
"The trading of the harvest, of course," she said. "The traders do not
like the caravans falling behind in schedule, even if they're only have
to travel to Korinth and Carlin."
Revelc turned and looked at the meadows. It was mostly grassland; he
had no clue where they cultivated crops, or indeed which ones.
"You won't find any cornfields here," she said. "We grow beetroot,
field beans, asparagus, leek and rhubarb. We're the second largest producer
of rhubarb and beetroot in the north. Only the glade of Tavanny has a
larger yield, but that lies ten days further to the south."
"What do you trade it for?"
"Barley, spices, nuts, anything we don't have enough of and that can
be put in deep storage," she said. "And sometimes we have to act as
middle-man and store goods from one caravan for another."
"And you're in charge of all that?" he asked in disbelief.
She nodded and smiled that knowing smile again. Revelc nearly blushed.
"I like to organize," she said. "Want some more berries?"
Milan stood, ticked the rim of his glass with a knife and announced:
"A toast!"
All guests stood and raised their glasses, cups and goblets.
"To Iddan of Perakta. A fine brother, father, uncle, grandfather and
grand-uncle. A man of considerable wit, humor... and he was also a great
chess player!" Milan sipped his drink. Several guests cheered and made
to do the same. He quickly swallowed the wine and continued: "In his
memory, we eat, drink and be merry!"
"Eat, drink and be merry," echoed the crowd. There was the tinkling
of glasses and then the conversations resumed.
Revelc sat at a small table with an obscure elderly halfling named
Halbig, Milan's younger sister Jala and Yanni. The sisters had given
had given the old codger a few strange looks at his claim that he 'was
an uncle of a friend of Milan's aunt who was sadly unable to attend'.
But the old halfling paid no heed to it and was clearly enjoying himself.
Bemusedly they toasted with him.
"So..." Halbig put a hand in front of his mouth and suppressed a
burp. "Where do you, young fella, know Iddan of Perakta from?"
Revelc glanced at him. The subtle distraction told him Halbig wasn't
as besotted as he looked.
"Well, I first met him in Em Ventar," he started. "I think it was
about three years ago, before I met Milan. I wanted to visit a friend
at the School of Sorcery and when I got there, I saw a halfling loudly
arguing with three mages."
Yanni held up a carafe. Revelc nodded gratefully and she refilled
his glass.
"Grandfather loved to argue," Jala said. She looked a lot like her
taller sister, except for her close-cropped black hair. "What was it
about?"
Revelc grinned as he remembered the scene.
"Well, Iddan was waving about with a scorched chessboard and wanted
his money back. Apparently he had paid rubies to have it protected
against fire. One of the mages managed to calm him down enough to ask
what had happened. And Iddan says deadpan: 'A dragon breathed on it.'"
The others laughed.
"I thought they would have a fit!" Revelc told them. "They cursed
and yelled that he was a fool to go dragon-hunting in the first place.
Iddan shouted that he only played chess with one and that he'd had no
idea that the guy was such a sore loser."
Yanni choked on a gulp of wine and went into a fit of coughing.
Laughing out loud Halbig patted her on the back.
"Grandfather never told this!" Jala giggled. "I wonder why."
"Well, it went downhill from there," Revelc admitted. "He stamped
one of the mages on his toes with the side of the board and was ready
to pound on another. I tried to calm things down but they kicked us
both out of the Hall. I don't think he ever got his money back."
"Imagine that," Halbig said in wonder. "Iddan losing an argument."
At this point the first course was served. Or rather, a steady
flow of steaming dishes started to emerge from the kitchen.
Halbig leaned over and whispered: "The stuffed boar in spearmint
sauce is very good."
Revelc wondered how often he invited himself to these kinds of
parties. He chose a light vegetable dish and a big slice of watermelon.
During dinner the guests changed seats, but Revelc didn't know whether
this was to meet new people or to sample more dishes.
Halbig and Jala soon took off, leaving Yanni and him alone.
Revelc glanced over his shoulder and saw Milan a few tables away,
talking to a blond halfling girl, his arm draped over her shoulder.
Milan's eyes caught his and he frowned at Revelc.
Confused, Revelc shrugged and went on with his dinner.
"Revelc, do you want anything else?" Yanni asked.
"Oh no," he said quickly. "I'm a light eater. I've got all I want
right here."
Yanni giggled and Revelc reddened. That hadn't come out the way he
intended.
"So where are you off to in the morning?" she asked.
"Carlin."
"Ahh, the Wine Festival..." Yanni laughed softly. "Lazy bunch,
huh, scouring the country side for festivals and parades."
"Well, I'm sure the others will have a great time," he grudgingly
admitted. "But we are there to deliver a few things to the Duke of
Carlin - then we'll move on."
"If I have to believe my brother you guys are always moving, never
staying anywhere."
Revelc shrugged. "It's not always easy, trying to be just there
where your services are needed. Most of the time we arrive too late."
Yanni thoughtfully chewed some meat off a chicken leg.
Revelc realized with embarrassment that he had slipped into his
leader role again.
"It took me four summers before they let me do the job," she
suddenly said. "I know it's rough when you have to prove yourself."
She sipped her wine. "Especially when you haven't convinced yourself
you're doing the right thing."
Revelc nodded.
"Just yesterday, a Korinthian trader tried to pull the wool over
my eyes," she continued. "We bought eight tons of barley, half of which
is meant for the south. He showed me a sample and got angry when
I wanted to check other sacks. So we checked the whole lot and found
out 34 of them were spoiled. Summer mold."
"What did you do?"
"I suggested that he would take his wares to Tavanny if he ever tried
something stupid like that again. Never fails. Their tradelines to Tavanny
run through dangerous territory, and none of them wants to spend a fortune
in sovereigns to guard their caravans."
"Good for you," Revelc smiled. So there was a tough trader hidden
behind that ever-smiling face.
Dinner moved on and the second and third course followed. Revelc had
eaten enough but considered taking an extra bowl of strawberry pudding.
"Why are we sitting on our own?" he asked after a while.
Yanni looked around and shrugged. "I think this is the non-smoking
corner," she said. "Wait, here comes Milan."
"Hey Reef, hey sis," Milan said cheerfully. "Why don't you come
over there to sit with us?" He waved noncommittally to a group of young
halflings. They were loud and boisterous, drinking ale from an open
barrel specially placed at their table. They were also smoking heavily,
mixing Taplow Blue with the even heavier Dropmore Purple. Clouds of
smoke slowly drifted into their direction.
Revelc and Yanni looked in the direction Milan pointed and exchanged
a look of mutual understanding.
"No thanks," Yanni quipped. "I like to see who I'm talking to."
"I think we're fine here, Milan," Revelc said.
Milan squinted and looked from Yanni to Revelc and back. When neither
of them said anything he left without saying a word.
Yanni watched him go with a frown on her face.
"Be sure to take him along in the morning," she said in a low voice.
Revelc's spoon halted in mid-air.
"Why, what was that about?" he said. "He already gave me some strange
looks some minutes ago."
Yanni sighed. "I'm sorry about that. Apparently he thinks he must
look after me again. As if I'm a helpless pup. No, no, don't look! He's
still watching."
Whether it was the wine or a desire to get back at Milan, he didn't
know, but Revelc suddenly wanted to add some fuel to the fire. He visibly
put his hand over Yanni's and said: "Let's ignore him, Yanni. Sometimes
he needs to be put in place."
She tore her eyes off Milan and looked at him. She broke out into
another smile. "You're right, Revelc. Let him stew."
"Call me Reef, ok?" Reluctanctly, he withdrew his hand and continued
eating the strawberry jello.
"Tell something about yourself," Yanni said. "I've been talking about
me all evening; I'm surprised you haven't fallen asleep."
Revelc laughed. "I'm a boring guy, really."
"Really?" Yanni chuckled. "Then tell me how a boring guy can become
group leader."
Revelc thought back to that spring evening in Peer Lesk's Tavern in
Korinth. He had entered with no intentions other than a room for the
night, unlike some of the younger people present. Back then he already
had the gift to size up a situation in a few moments so what the veteran
adventurers said came as no surprise. It was how they said it that made
him sympathize with the youngsters.
Teejay DiMarco, blademaster extraordinaire, had told them: "Go back
to your classrooms, your libraries and your practice yards. You don't
have what it takes and you probably never will."
Revelc realized that much of his antipathy against the Purple Hood
stemmed from this first impression of Teejay. It might be unfounded,
unfair and indeed unreasonable, but from the moment that he had sat down
at the table next to the two young priests and the even younger mage
apprentice, he had nurtured it, cultivated it and it had kept him going.
"Reef?"
Revelc snapped back to the present.
"Sorry... you got me thinking," he said. "I guess they needed
someone to look up to, someone to bring it all together and I happened
to fill that position."
He only had wanted to buy them a round of drinks and cheer them up.
But when one of the priests, a girl named Miriam, had asked what made
them so much better, he had felt compelled to explain. And as the
night became the early morning he had suddenly run out of reasons
why they /shouldn't/ give it a try.
"And since I was a bit older, not necessarily wiser, mind you,"
Revelc said, "they thought I had all the answers. And because a leader
knows all the answers, or at least can maintain the illusion that he
does, I became theirs."
Yanni, who had been listening with interest, rested her chin in
her hands. "And do you?"
"Have all the answers?" Revelc laughed dryly. "Gods, no. The only
thing you learn when you grow older is how much there is you don't know."
"It's a wise man that knows his limitations," she replied.
Revelc threw up a blackberry and caught it with his mouth.
"You say you still have to prove yourself to others, no?"
Yanni nodded.
"That means nobody's looking at you for answers yet. Treasure that
freedom," he told her. "Providing answers is very exhaustive."
Yanni was silent and Revelc wondered if he should apologize for
sounding so fatalistic.
"I think it's time I retired for the night," he said softly.
She nodded and got up. "I'll see if your room is ready. Wait here,
I'll be right back."
He nodded and stretched languidly. At the other side the party was
still in full swing. He noticed Milan sitting between two halfling
girls, who kept him occupied. Halbig was playing chess with the elderly
halfling who had first greeted him when he had arrived this afternoon.
Jala stood among yet another group, holding a goblet and giggling just
a little bit too loud.
Yanni put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, I'll show you your
room."
They halted at the last door of the corridor.
Yanni opened the door and said: "Mind your head." Revelc realized she
was not just being considerate. Being the tallest in a family of halflings
she probably spoke from experience.
The hearth had been lit a few hours earlier to drive away the cold.
A huge bed, large enough for four people, four humans, stood against the
back wall. Yanni walked over to a small table and lit a candle.
"How did you get that bed in here?" Revelc asked, puzzled.
"We built it in here," she replied. "Most of the wood came through that
window."
She walked around the bed and lit another candle in the corner.
"It's... big," Revelc said. It was pretty darned big. A good example
of halfling enthusiasm that got carried away.
"You're just not used to beds," she quipped. "You sleep in the field
and the forest all the time."
Revelc decided to let it rest. She turned to him.
"There is fresh fruit here," she said, pointing at a large bowl. "There
is water, ale and wine."
"Thank you, but I really have had enough," Revelc smiled. "I'm hungry
nor thirsty."
"Is there anything else I can do? Anything you need?" she asked.
"I appreciate you looking out for me, Yanni, but..."
"Anything at all?" She folded her hands and smiled demurely.
Revelc hadn't drank so much that he didn't catch the implied statement.
But he could be wrong, so there was no way he was going to take the risk
of following up on it.
Yanni smiled to herself. How obvious did she have to put it?
"The company of a woman, Reef?"
"You have a house of pleasure in the village?" he asked in disbelief.
She laughed softly. "No, silly. I meant my company."
A silence fell. Revelc was lost for words. Her proposition had struck
him like a bolt out of the blue.
"We want your stay here to be as comfortably as possible. Tradition
requires noone sleeps alone in this house tonight and that includes you."
She moved closer to him. Revelc backed down until he bumped into the bed.
He slowly sat down.
"Milan said you do not like to speak of the women in your life."
She jumped on the bed and scooted over to him.
"Apparently Milan does," Revelc mumbled. If his sister had asked about
these things, no wonder Milan had become suspicious.
She sat on her knees and started massaging his shoulders. He was
surprised by the strength in her hands.
"Feel good?" she enquired casually.
Revelc had to admit that it did. But he turned and gently took her
hands. "Look Yanni... you are very nice..." he started.
Yanni smiled.
"Too young?" she said. "Too small? Tell me Reef, what do you see when
you look at me? Be honest."
Revelc looked down at her freckled face and long, brown hair. Her
uptilted nose and the dimples in her cheeks when she smiled gave her an
ageless appearance. One moment she looked like a twelve-year-old girl,
another as an adolescent woman.
"I see a pretty young girl," he said at last.
Yanni wriggled her fingers until their hands intertwined. Forcing his
hands down she brought their faces close together.
She said softly: "I'm eighty-five summers old. Snotnose."
Ouch, he thought. Of course, she was an adult and wanted to be treated
as one. The dimples appeared again and took the sting from her remark.
"It's alright," she said. "It's easy to forget my age. My eyes would
probably show you the years."
Her eyes were strikingly dark blue. Framed by two smooth eyebrows they
were inviting, promising and smiling. A far cry from other, cool and
calculating eyes he had once known.
Yanni gave him ample time to look at her.
"So what do you think, Reef?" she asked at last. "Do you want to be
merry with me?"
"Merry?" he said, non-plussed.
She smiled again, showing lots of small white teeth.
"We eat, drink and be merry. Remember?" she said. "I thought you knew
about this."
"Look, I'm much taller," Revelc half-protested. Yanni rose and sat up
on her knees. Their faces were almost touching. He smelt the blossom in
her hair and her warm breath on his face.
"I'll move back and forth a lot then," she whispered.
His heart skipped beat at the lewd remark. The playful squeezes she
gave through her fingers sent tingles up his arms. This is Milan's sister,
he reminded himself. He will go nuts when he finds out!
"What do /you/ see when you look at me?" he asked her, stalling.
She cocked her head and studied him for a moment. His grey and wrinkled
eyes added a lot of years to his appearance, despite his smooth skin and
unruly mop of black hair. They had probably seen a lot for someone so
young - even though he considered himself older.
"I see a goodlooking young guy," she said. Revelc grinned but she
suspected he wasn't convinced. She suspected that all the planning,
acting as spokesman and the constant looking out for the others left
little time for himself. He /wants/ to prove himself, she thought, /to/
himself.
"You took me seriously," she added. "You listened to my chatter as
a friend. And you made me laugh. I like you a lot and I really would like
to be close with you, tradition or no tradition."
She leaned forward and kissed him warmly and comfortingly. Still
sensing his hesitation she withdrew and looked at him.
Revelc tried to sort out his emotions. He'd come to like her a lot
as well. Strictly as a friend of course, since she was his friend's sister.
But her kiss had acutely reminded him how long the nights had grown and
how much distance he had put between himself and others. She was amiable,
considerate and possessed a natural frankness that added to her appearance.
Glancing at her dress, the rise and fall of her breasts and the smooth
curves of hips and thighs he knew he desired her. He wanted the intimacy
and the comfort of her embrace.
He decided Milan would just have to learn to live with it.
"I can fetch my sister if you want to," Yanni said softly. There was
a glimmer of uncertainty in her eyes. "Jala will be more than happy to
accomodate you."
"It's your company I want," Revelc replied. "It's just... It has been
a long time for me. And I've never been with a halfling woman before."
His hand reached up to her face and hesitated.
Yanni smiled in relief, tilted her head towards his hand and caressed
it with her cheek. "I'm curious myself," she said softly. "I never had
a lover taller than me, so this is a first for both of us. Let's take it
slow, alright?"
Revelc nodded. She was graciously covering his nervousness by suggesting
the need for moderation. Even though she appeared eager, he made a mental
note not to get ahead of himself. The last thing he wanted to do was to
overwhelm her.
She kissed him again, lightly. Her lips were ever so soft and tasted
slightly sweet. Her arms came up behind his back and pulled him closer.
As their lips drank from one another her breath came in small puffs through
her nose, warming his face. He put an arm around her waist and leaned back
on the bed, pulling her on top of him. Yanni caught her breath and smiled.
She playfully licked his nose and continued kissing where they had left off.
Revelc closed his eyes and let her melt away his reservations and worries.
Between kisses her tongue entered his mouth and caressed his teeth. He tried
to make contact and they engaged in a delicious game of push and shove. His
fingers raking through her hair, he marvelled at the silky feel of her
tresses.
Yanni hummed contently when their tongues slowly circled. Her fingers
stroked his ears in concert with the wet dance of their lips. It was
getting increasingly difficult to breathe through her nose. The kissing
was exciting and she had to remind herself of her intention to take things
slow. His big hands slowly moved up and down her back, controlled strength
and tenderness. Getting out of the party dress had suddenly become a priority.
Revelc stifled a groan when she sucked on his tongue and raked her
teeth over it. His arousal heightened with every touch, every move of her.
He was careful not to let his hands wander lower than the small of her back,
at least not yet. It was a concentrated effort since the desire to find out
if the rest of her was as soft as her lips was beginning to overtake him.
Trying to think of something else, he wondered why this time it felt
so different from past experiences. Despite the differences in height
and age they were more alike than any past lover of his. They were friends
now and they still would be tomorrow - although much closer. There was no
commitment past tonight; he would leave tomorrow. The prospect of leaving
no longer bothered him, as it would have years ago. And of course, there
was no pretending between them, no personal agendas or manipulation. Her
sincerity was like a comforting blanket and her enthusiasm infectious.
Yanni felt lightheaded with his ministrations. She was swept up by
his kisses, tenderness and desperate longing combined. She wanted to give
all of herself to him. She wanted to be one with this man, her friend,
her lover. She yearned to feel his hands caressing her bare back, her
buttocks and thighs. Unable to contain herself, she briefly squeezed her
legs together so she could estimate the extent of her desire. She could
feel her little kitten, wet and waiting, screaming for attention. But
she had to wait for him. It would be in his pace and in his time.
Finally he took her shoulders and gently pushed her away. Yanni sat
up, her face and neck flushed, her eyes sparkling. She reached behind her
with one arm and broke out in a grin when her hand found evidence of
his arousal.
"Hey Reef," she said coyly. "Is that a scroll case in your pocket,
or are you glad to see me?"
Revelc laughed. "Flatterer," he said.
She moved back and straddled his thighs, rubbing herself against the
bulge in his trousers. She hiked up her dress and stripped out of it.
She wasn't wearing anything else.
"I changed in my room before we got here," she said breathlessly.
Revelc looked up in awe. Most of her chest was freckled, down to her
breasts, full and firm with small nipples. Her stomach was smooth and flat,
her thighs strong, lined with sleek, feminine muscles which shifted with
her movements. Revelc let his hands slide up and down her sides. She was
even softer than he had expected.
Yanni moaned softly. After the prolonged foreplay she ached for release.
She speeded up her movements, still rubbing herself against the fabric of
his trousers. He put an arm around her waist and, thus supported, she
stretched out, her head backwards. She felt it beginning, spreading out,
slowly but surely. Dimly she felt his other arm around her shoulders. She
gasped as she felt his mouth on her stiff nipple, sucking. When his tongue
rapidly tickled the hardened nub she went through the roof.
Whimpering and trembling she pushed her breast in his mouth, grinding
herself against his hardness. Her hands gripped his shoulders with all the
strength she could muster. Her movements slowed and her grip weakened as
she floated back to earth.
They kissed again and she moved off of him. There was a large wet spot
on his trousers. Yanni smiled wickedly, reached inside and took out his
hard and throbbing member.
"Feel good?" she enquired casually as her soft hand began stroke it
up and down.
Revelc gritted his teeth. "Yanni... ahh... not so fast..." he groaned.
She ignored him and kept up the rhythm. She cupped his balls with her
free hand.
"Yanni, I'm almost... unhh, don't..."
She looked up at him and blinked in confusion.
"But you have to, Reef..." she said innocently.
He stared back, his eyes glazed and uncomprehending.
"You have to leave now so you'll last longer when you're inside me..."
she whispered. He couldn't be long now, she thought. "We'll both enjoy
it more when you stay hard inside me..." While she spoke she kept stroking
him.
Revelc strained his muscles to keep control but knew he would eventually
oblige her. Between her warm hand, her pleading eyes and her suggestive
talk he was lost.
"My kitten likes it hard... and right now it's soo hungry..." she cooed.
"It's practically... drooling." Her hand slid between her thighs and ran
two fingers through her wetness. They came way glistening. She held them
up before him, looked at them in wonder and smiled again.
"I'm drooling for you, Reef," she said softly.
Revelc moaned and erupted in her stroking hand. The first spurt hit
her neck and chin, the second her breasts. Through it all she kept pumping
his member, whispering: "Go lover... yes... that's it, go..."
Revelc slumped back and sighed.
Yanni checked herself. White streaks in her hair, cheek and across her
breasts. "Now look what you did, Reef," she admonished him. "You made
a mess of me!" She slowly spread his come across her breasts and shivered.
It was thrilling to soil herself this way and the feeling of his member
spouting in her hand even more so. Cupping her breasts and pulling her
nipples, she closed her eyes and sighed again. The warm waves lapping
at her loins grew in force again. She circled them lightly and raked them
with a nail. They grew in size and hardness again, pulsing with each
heartbeat. Replaying the moment of his orgasm before her mind's eye she
groaned between her teeth. The waves grew bigger and she knew it couldn't
be long before one of them would be strong enough to carry her to the
stars again. She thought of how his hardness would feel when it entered
her kitten. Opening her eyes she found him staring at her in a mix of awe
and lust. Locking her eyes onto his, she squeezed her nipples and tipped
over the edge. A long-drawn moan escaped her lips as the orgasm took hold
of her.
Revelc watched in a trance. So, he thought. Underneath the tough
trader was yet another creature, powerfully sensual and erotic.
Amazingly, he felt a stirring in his groin again.
When Yanni had recovered from her high, he had shed his clothes.
"You're unbelievable," he told her.
Yanni smiled sheepishly. "I never reached the stars just through my
breasts," she said. "I'm... I guess I'm pretty excited." Her eyes
fastened on his penis which was quickly regaining its former girth.
"Wow, Reef... that's quick!" she said in surprise.
"I can hardly be faulted for that," he smiled.
They embraced again, kissing, hands exploring everywhere, rolling on
the bed, pressing their bodies together in an attempt to close the distance,
any distance, between eachother.
When Revelc had occupied himself with her breasts and nipples for a
while, Yanni cupped his chin and made him look up.
"Let's mate, Reef," she said tenderly.
They separated and Revelc looked around, scratching his chin. When
they were both sitting up their difference in height became embarrassingly
obvious. If he tried the simple position he was likely to crush her small
form. "What did you have in mind?" he asked. "I don't know that many
positions."
"I'll show you," she told him. She collected all the pillows and
stacked them in a pile against the headrest. "There," she said. "Lean
back and sit cross-legged."
Revelc smiled and did as he was told.
She moved over to him and sat on his thighs, her legs on either side
of him. She flung her arms around his neck and pulled herself up. After
some manual correction by Revelc she felt his member at her entrance.
Slowly, she told herself. The last thing she wanted was to call the
village healer because she tore something in her enthusiasm. The gossip
would never end!
She closed her eyes and relaxed the grip on his neck. His penis, hot
and hard as an iron poker entered her, stretching and opening her. She
let out a sigh when he was completely inside her.
Revelc cupped her buttocks. She had been right. Had he not climaxed
earlier he would've joined the stars by now. He felt her inside muscles
shifting, accomodating to his size. The warm and wet friction of her
movements felt deliciously nasty.
"Feel good?" he teased her.
She opened her eyes and stared, incredulously. She laughed: "Good?
Dinner was good, my friend. This is... mmmhh..." She pulled herself up
and started to move.
"Mmmm... this is great," he sighed. "What do you call this?"
"Cat climbs Tree," she replied. "Ahh..." she sighed. "Unhh..."
Revelc grabbed her cheeks and helped her lift herself, squeezing
them alternately. No more words were needed. Gazing in each other's eyes,
their breaths mingling, they moved as one.
After a while Yanni's face was flushing again. She moaned lightly.
Revelc noticed the tendons in her arms stood out as cables; with his
support entirely too much tension just to move herself up and down. Her
eyes seemed to be concentrating on a point behind him.
"What are you doing?" he said suspiciously.
"I am..." she panted, "trying to... wait... for you."
Revelc smiled fiendishly. "Oh, don't bother," he told her. "I'm sure
your Halfling kitten can run circles around my Tall Folk pole." His hand
sneaked in between them and his thumb rubbed her button once, twice.
Yanni's eyes widened. Her breath came through her gritted teeth in
great jets. She hugged him fiercely and shivered all over. Some moments
later she looked at him again.
"You play mean," she said accusingly.
"I can't help it - I like to see you go," he replied.
He pushed a few loose hairs from her face and caressed her cheek.
Yanni started to move again, a warm and fluid motion.
"Can I ask you something, Reef?"
"Of course -" He stopped himself before adding the L-word. However
tempting, it would be unwise. She didn't appear to notice his lapse.
"Did I make you uncomfortable when we were talking on the porch?"
Revelc blushed. Not because of her question, but because he realized
those dark blue eyes would not have missed what he had tried to say.
"Yes. I didn't know what to say."
"You thought I was a little girl," she corrected.
He nodded. "I'm terrible with - children. And women."
She sensuously rubbed her breasts against his chest. "You're doing
just fine with me, love," she whispered huskily and leaned forward to
kiss him.
The past, present and future blended into the stretching of the
muscles of her thighs at each up-swing and her soft, high-pitched sighs
on each down-swing. His hands helped guide her gyrations, but at times
neither was sure which of them was dictating the movement.
Revelc felt the pressure building.
Yanni looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes, her cheeks blushing
and a sheen of perspiration on her chest.
"Yanni..." he whispered. "Ready when you are..."
"Almost..." she panted. "Almost..."
Revelc bend down and started to kiss her chest. Yanni immediately
slowed down and leaned back, offering her breasts to him. Short, cursory
licks in the valley between made her groan in frustration.
"Please..." she whimpered.
Revelc continued his oral assault, but went nowhere near her distended
nipples. Suddenly reaching the end of her patience, she pulled him up by
his ears.
"You keep that up," she growled, "and there's not going to be a next
time!"
He searched her eyes for something that would show she was joking,
her frowned eyebrows notwithstanding. Their movements froze and they
just stared at eachother.
Yanni experienced a strange and exhilarating combination of anger,
fear and pleasure, which seemed to keep her at the brink of orgasm.
Something in Revelc's eyes changed. He lifted her off his lap and
pushed her onto her back. She gasped in surprise as he pulled her arms
over her head and pinned her wrists down with one hand. His form loomed
over her, threatening. She closed her eyes in resignation as he spread
her thighs. He penetrated her roughly and started a quick rhythm of short
strokes.
Yanni was dizzy with the intense feelings. Furiously, she wrestled
to get free from his grip and his incessant pounding. Someone cried out
in unmistakable passion and it occurred to her that she was writhing
against him, not struggling to get away. The pleasure returned, fast.
Revelc grunted something unintelligble. Yanni pulled up her knees so
that she would feel him deeper inside her. She glanced down, at the dark
strip of hair, a roadsign towards their union, and her kitten, glistening
and swollen and filled with his hardness. One more stroke, and another,
and she was away, crying out incoherently, her hands cupping his ass -
hadn't they been pinned down? - her back arched, her hips straining to
get as much of him inside her, and he obliged, expanding and shooting
inside her. His arms went up around her and held her close.
For a few moments only their laboured breathing could be heard.
Revelc had no idea what to say or do. He had done exactly what he
set out to avoid: roughly forcing himself onto her. Although it had
looked as if she had enjoyed it as much as he had, he wasn't at all
sure how she felt about the whole deal.
Yanni felt embarrassed and elated at the same time. She had had no
idea she would like it so... rough. But to be honest, he had given her
exactly what she had wanted, no, practically demanded from him.
Yanni looked up at him and broke out in a big smile.
"Meow," she said.
END
--
web: www.icce.rug.nl/remmelt/index.html
"We all need to be told where we are very good as well as
where we are very, very bad. We cannot grow, otherwise."
--Pete Murphy
Kristen's collection-----------------------------------------------