Ren shook the rain from her cloak before taking it off. She was happy to find this little bar and inn out in the middle of nowhere. Apparently it was the only one for miles around because it was full to the brim with patrons in the bar. Everyone was seeking shelter from the rain. A welcoming fire burned in the gigantic fireplace on one wall imparting its warmth and light into the room packed full of people who further warmed themselves by imbibing alcoholic drinks. A couple of shots of whiskey sounded good right about now. Possibly with a beer chaser. Then she could get a good night's sleep. Hopefully.
"Can I help you, Miss?" the rotund middle aged innkeeper behind the desk inquired. His eyes traveled the length of her body from her head to her feet.
Ren wondered if he was trying to assess her profession by the tight black clothing she wore or if he was using his imagination to picture her body underneath. An assassin by trade, she wore a black shirt and black pants that fit her like a second skin. The clothing needed to be form fitting to allow her freedom of moment with silence without being loose enough to catch on anything.
"Do you have any rooms left?" she asked, draping the sopping wet cloak over her arm.
"You can hang that over there," he told her, pointing to the hooks on the wall where coats and cloaks were hung. Weapons such as swords and bows were propped against the wall underneath them.
"I'd rather not," she rejoined, hugging the cloak to her body. There were hidden pockets and straps sewn to the thick waterproof lining that held her weapons. She lowered her eyes to the closed registry under his hand to remind him why she was still standing here. "How about that room?"
"Oh, yes," he said as if just remembering. He flipped open the book, rifling through the pages before running his chubby finger down the columns of names connected with room numbers. "You're in luck little lady. I have one room left. Room 15 on the third floor."
"Lucky me," she returned with relief. She gave him a tight smile when he flipped the book around and handed her the quill that had been sitting in an ink jar on the desk. "Do you offer such a thing as a hot bath?"
"It will cost you extra," he informed her gruffly, watching her sign her name.
Of course she was not signing her real name. She never used her real name because that would just be stupid and careless. Reaching into the coin purse that was also sewn into her cloak, she sorted through the coins, using her fingers to determine which was a gold coin by the size and weight. Withdrawing the gold coin, she flipped at him. Although it was a lonely life and sometimes the guilt could be crushing, her chosen profession paid well. On nights when the nightmares kept her awake, the gold and silver in her pocket was of no comfort. The lightning flashed outside and seconds later the thunder followed. It startled her both times making her heart beat faster and her stomach tumble uncomfortably. She hated storms.
"I'll have it ready in your room in about an hour. Until then, why don't you have yourself a drink?" he suggested, grinning broadly at her.
"You're reading my mind, good sir," she stated with feigned sweetness.
Ren made her way into the room overfilled with people. All of the tables were taken and many people were standing around because there were no available seats. Shockingly, there was one stool open at the end of the bar against the wall. From that corner she could see the whole room including the staircase that led upstairs. She liked being able to see everything at once without leaving any blind spots. Watching her back was of utmost importance so someone could not sneak up on her and stab her in it.
"What'll ya have, sweet cheeks?" the overly friendly bartender asked. The faux familiarity was an integral part of his job. She understood that concept. He was tall and dark skinned with muscles galore. His bald head had been polished to a high shine and glittered in the candle and firelight like the mutiple gold piercings in his ears and face.
"Whiskey, three shots. When I finish those, I'll have a beer, my good man," she replied in an equally flirtatious manner. She liked men. On a night like this, their bodies could bring her great warmth and comfort.
"I like a woman who knows what she wants," he said, sitting the three small glasses down on the counter in front of her. He filled each one to the brim.
Ren held his black eyes that were like shiny glass marbles before picking up the first shot. She brought it to her lips, downing it in one gulp. The brown liquid burned her throat and warmed her belly. Each successive drink spread the warmth further through her body. Before she set the last empty shot glass down on the bar, a tall glass of bubbly golden liquid covered with two inches of snowy white foam was waiting for her.
"You're my favorite man in the place tonight," she complimented him, picking up the glass.
"Yeah, and with good reason," he countered with an amused smile. He reached across the bar, wiping away the line of fluid that dribbled from the corner of her mouth. "Slow down there gorgeous. I'll give ya another one. Life can't be all that bad for you."
If only you knew, she thought to herself, forcing a smile to her lips. Ren had just come from murdering a man. However, he was one of the few she believed deserved it. She would have willingly killed him for free and called it a matter of feminine justice if she did not need the money. The wife had paid her handsomely to set her free from the man who had beat her and her children on a daily basis. A reprehensible drunk and shameless lecher, the man had abused his family while finding other victims to prey upon in the form of young girls whose bodies and minds he ruined by acting on his selfish, sick desires. What bothered her so much about this man was not killing him but the things he had done, the people he had scarred, before she was able to take him out. Sometimes she fancied herself to be a secret hero, saving those who no one else could save. It made dealing with her actions just a little easier. Without saying a word, another beer appeared before she finished her first. This guy was going to get a big tip tonight for taking such good care of her.
From the corner opposite her, a rowdy group of guys caught her attention. There was four of them sitting at a table in front of the fire. One was a big guy who appeared to be exceedingly uncomfortable because the other two were arguing. A red head whose temper was as fiery as his hair and the other was a sweet looking brown haired guy who appeared completely put out with his friend. The fourth looked to be pretending what was happening beside him wasn't; probably because he had inadvertently incited the verbal debacle.
Ren watched them carefully attempting to figure out what was going on. The fourth young man with shaggy brown hair finished off his beer and excused himself with a laugh. Apparently he was not part of their group. Everyone traveled in groups it seemed except for the few people like her. Her eyes riveted themselves to the red head when he jumped to his feet and leaned across the table to yell at his friend. His hair was short and wild, poking out in all directions from his head. His hair was as untamed as his temper. She liked red heads. The ones she had encountered were passionate, cantankerous, and moody, prone to acting on whims and changing their minds like the wind changes directions. This one seemed to be no exception. They eventually settled down as she continued to watch them. The red head visibly pouted, his almond shaped eyes narrowed into slits of anger while he jutted out his bottom lip with his arms crossed over his chest. His friend looked sad while he quietly sipped his beer.
Ren nursed her beer, biding her time until her bath would be ready. Her eyes kept drifting back to the table in the corner. Eventually little red began to talk, making comments full of bullshit and bravado in reference to his fighting skills. He signaled for a bar maid to bring him a beer, throwing out an idle, lascivious compliment about her ass which he stared at as she walked away. When the woman came back with his beer, he smiled and thanked her politely before commencing to toss out another perverted phrase this time about her breasts that were nicely displayed in the low necked dress.
Ren chuckled to herself. He was one of those types of men. A salacious creep who talked and talked, making big claims and nasty comments, but never acting on any of it because he was too scared way down deep. Shallow and foul mouthed, lusting after women but never acting on it. He was the type to peep through knotholes in bath houses and peek through almost closed doors hoping to get a glimpse of a naked woman. She laughed again. Dirty minded and annoying, but harmless. Her mind began to wander, pondering what a guy like that would do with a woman should he be given the opportunity to act on his sex fueled day dreams. She drained the glass and set it down with a satisfying clunk. Her body felt lighter, her mind comfortably numbed. It was time to head up stairs to her room.
"Nothing else, sweetheart?" the bartender asked with an expression of disappointment on his face. She could not tell if he was letdown because she no longer needed his services or because she had not asked him to join her later for a different type of servicing.
"No, thank you. But here," she said, sliding a gold coin across the counter to him.
"It's not that much. Besides, I enjoyed it," he told her, leaving the coin on the bar.
"Take it, please," she encouraged him, turning around to walk away before he could protest again. She enjoyed being generous to people who treated her well, who brought her just a little bit of happiness in her cold, dark world. Besides, she could die tomorrow. What good would a pocket full of coins do her then?
Ren approached the stone stairs realizing that her path would lead her right past the redhead. His back would be to her, but she would have to walk right by him to reach the staircase. She wanted to invite him upstairs. It would be fun to see if he would act on the invitation. He was small built, barely taller than her and bearing a compact, slim frame. He was not the usual type of man she pursued. Tall, muscular men like the bartender were her usual type but it never hurt to try something new. He had to be strong since he was a Dark Knight; she could tell by his clothing. She would never have guessed his guild affiliation by his body type.
As she neared the table, she put on her best and most becoming smile in hopes of catching his eye. It worked like a charm. His brown eyes met hers and latched onto them. At least he was bold in that way, maintaining direct eye contact with her as she strode toward the table. Spurred on by his show of confidence, she leaned down to speak to him. The black as night hair that had come loose from her braid moved forward and brushed against his cheeks as she brought her face close to his. She smiled when his mouth gaped open and his eyes widened.
"What's your name?" she asked, her eyes lowering to his mouth. His pointed pink tongue slid out to wet his dark pink lips before he spoke.
"Ranta," he answered.
His voice was was not deep but had a sexy rasp to it. "Ranta, my room number is 15 if you would like to come join me."
"Uh...o-okay," he stammered in response.
Ren stood up to walk away. She doubted he would act on her invitation. She would leave her door open a bit just in case he decided to come by and take a peek at her while she was taking her bath. Sometimes she did not understand the motivations that drove her to do such stupid, destructive things. It was those same nonsensical impulses that had prompted her to become an assassin in the first place. While walking up the stairs, she pulled the tie from her hair, shaking out the braid. Before she arrived at her room, she started to unbutton the black leather vest that she wore over her stretchy black shirt that covered her down to her wrists and up to her chin. She entered the room without completely closing the door.
The room was clean and nice. An oil lamp burned on the small square table sitting in the corner. A big wooden tub filled with steaming hot water sat In the middle of the room. The only other sparse furnishings in the room included a bed and a chair in addition to the table holding the lamp. The bed looked soft and comfortable, covered with a quilt that could be a family heirloom.
You're being careless, the small part of her mind still capable of reason warned her. The rest of her senses including her common sense had been dulled or put into a slumber by the alcohol. There was a hook on the wall to hang her cloak that desperately needed to dry. She took off her clothes and hung them on the straight backed wooden chair to dry.
White tendrils of steam curled from the glass like surface of the water beckoning her to come inside. Being quite tipsy made it a little difficult to maneuver her way into the massive tub that was waist high on her. The manager had outdone himself. She had not expected such luxury. There was a towel, clean and white, hanging on the edge of the tub. She sank her body into the hot water allowing her head to disappear under the surface. Being under the water felt great, like she was in a completely different world. She felt safe like nothing could touch her here - not even the awful memories she could not wipe from her mind. Unfortunately, the need to breath forced her to leave her soul soothing underwater world. She patted her face dry with the towel before leaning against the side of the tub. Her eyes closed as she turned her face to the ceiling. The whole world could just go to hell for the next few hours. She had found a haven from the noise and fury of this scary place that she still did not understand. Like others, she had no idea how she had gotten here or why she was here. There was this sense that they belonged elsewhere that there were things they could not recall from another life different from this. But it didn't matter. Like being stuck in a bad dream, there was no waking up to find herself safe at home - wherever that actually was.
A noise, the soft scraping of boots outside her door, caught her attention. Ren's belly quivered with excitement. So he had bravely taken her up on her offer after all. That was a fantastic surprise. She sat up straighter, allowing her breasts to rise above the surface of the water. An audible gasp could be heard from the other side of the door. She smiled. Scooping up a handful of water, she poured it over her shoulder, allowing her fingers to follow the rivulets that flowed down her chest. Her fingers moved over the round top side of breast following the curve to cup the underside to hold it in her hand. Her breasts were not too big but they weren't small either. They were heavy too which could sometimes be a major inconvenience sometimes, for instance, while running. Knowing he was looking at her aroused her. Although she would never admit it to herself, she had her own little perverse tendencies that she kept well hidden. Her upper teeth caught her lower lip as she pinched and squeezed her nipple into a hard peak. Her other hand raised from the water to give her other breast the same treatment. Heavy breathing, panting like a dog who had been running for miles, drifted into her room through the sliver of space in the door.
"You can come in. I did invite you after all," Ren spoke shattering the tense quietness between them. She lowered her hands away from her breasts as he entered the room. His face was as red as the tunic he was wearing over his brown leather pants that had undoubtedly gotten a lot tighter in the crotch. She moved to the other side of the tub to be closer to him, leaning against the side with her hands folded under her chin that she propped on the edge. "I didn't think you'd come."
"Why wouldn't I?" he questioned her, scratching the back of his head self-consciously. He avoided meeting her curious gaze that looked him over thoroughly.
"Are you going to join me?" A grin of amusement tilted her lips when his wide eyes met hers.
"Y-yeah," he stuttered. He sat down on the edge of the bed to remove his boots.
Ren observed his every movement with an approving, inquisitive eye. He removed his maroon shirt to reveal a thin, trim body without any defined muscle save the smooth bulges across his biceps. She chewed her lower lip as he pushed down the leather pants he was wearing. His hips formed a v that naturally drew the eye downward. The unavoidable and hard proof of his manhood pointed at the ceiling reaching half way up to his belly button. She gulped as her eyes roamed from the swollen dark pink head down the thick shaft where one large visible vein pulsed. The skin of his thighs was a creamy white color in comparison to the rest of his lightly tanned body. His muscles were firm and smooth along the length of his short legs. He looked sturdy and strong from the tips of his wild red hair down to the toes of his bare feet.
"Come on," she encouraged him, extending her hand to him. His fingers were rough and calloused from brandishing a sword and doing daily chores. She pulled him into the tub and right into her arms. For a long moment, she affectionately embraced him, resting her cheek against his heart that slammed into his sternum with each beat. When his fingers tangled themselves into her long, straight damp hair, she sighed with satisfaction. She enjoyed the closeness of another human body. It brought her solace to the feel the life and strength that flowed from another person into her.
"What do I do?" he inquired, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Whatever feels right," she answered, raising her head from his chest to look at him as he hovered above her. He was on his knees in front of her, but she was the one paying homage to him. Whatever kind of person he was, he would be her god for one night, and she would worship him with her body. Tomorrow they would both go back to their lives and this night would become a sweet memory to maintain them on a lonely night when their hearts knew no comfort.
Ren closed her eyes when he lowered his head to kiss her. The kiss was tender and searching. Although his personality exhibited in the bar had been aggressive, almost vicious, none of that was displayed in his kiss. Her hands rested on his waist, her fingers splaying over his narrow hips. He continued to kiss her, exploring her lips as if he wanted to test every nerve before going any further. She moaned against his lips when his fingers glided down her neck, tickling her slightly from the light touch. Taking that as an invitation to deepen the kiss, his tongue slipped through the small gap between hers. His tongue probed her mouth, tasting every inch while his hand enclosed her breast. A small cry was muffled by his mouth as he pinched her nipple with almost painful intensity. A rush of pleasure followed the pain, making her sigh with bliss. She whimpered when his lips were unexpectedly torn from hers.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," he whispered, pressing the palm of his other hand against her cheek as he looked down at her.
"It's okay," she assured him, her eyes jumping back and forth between his. His irises were a dark mahogany brown. She could barely see into his eyes since they were half closed and glazed over with desire. Inclining her head toward him, she pressed her lips to his neck. She kissed him again, just a few millimeters lower, bringing a sigh from his lips. Blood pooled in her lower belly and thighs making them feel full and uncomfortable. She continued covering his neck with kisses, going lower each time. He was so warm, his skin so soft under her mouth. She felt like she could not get enough him. But there was so much more of him left to explore. Her lips enclosed his light pink nipple drawing a groan of appreciation from his throat. His fingers curled into her hair, pulling a little when she sucked gently then licked over the hardened nipple.
"You never did tell me your name," he sighed. He moaned longingly when she sucked harder while stimulating his other nipple with her fingers.
"My name doesn't matter," she returned, pulling him over to her until he straddled her body. His erection fitted itself between her breasts, pressing to her sternum.
"Please, tell me," he implored her barely able to speak as she squeezed her breasts together to surround him.
"Ren," she answered, immediately feeling sick that she had told him her real name. She never told anyone her actual name.
"Ren," he repeated breathlessly, tilting his hips. He pulled her hair until she leaned her head back so he could gain access to her lips. "Oh, Ren."
Oh, god, she screamed internally as he moved his hips in fluid, slow thrusts. Her mouth was devoured by his ardent kiss as her lips separated to issue a moan. She liked his sudden show of dominance as he held her mouth firmly to his with one hand cradling the back of her head while his other hand moved downward so he could stroke the nipple of one the breasts rubbing him the right way. Sex could bring out the beast in some men, and she definitely liked what it did to him.
"What's wrong?" she asked in a panic when he suddenly stopped, pulling away from her.
"Nothing. I just want to do something else," Ranta explained, rolling backwards and pulling her with him.
The water sloshed over the side of the tub from all of the movement of the two people.
"Oh, dear!" Ren exclaimed, hoping the water did not soak through the floor boards to wet the people in the room below. She quickly forgot about that when he lifted her up slightly to position her over the top of him. Her fingers found their way into his short, misbehaved locks when she felt the head press against her entrance. With one thrust of his hips, he entered her, bringing a short sharp cry of ecstasy from her lips. "Oh, Ranta!"
"Mmmmm, I like it when you scream my name like that," he mumbled against her neck, shoving into her forcefully.
Ren yelled out again not only because it felt good but because he had wanted to elicit that reaction from her. She wanted to urge him on, to motivate him to continue pushing into her with all of his strength. At the moment, she needed to have him hard and fast, to drive her over the edge into oblivion. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding his head close to her body. His grunts and groans stimulated her, adding to the pleasure he gave her each time he thrust himself deep inside of her. She thrust her hips back at him, countering each of his strokes. Their pelvic bones sometimes met with bruising force as they pushed each other to ever increasing heights of ecstasy.
"Ranta, you feel so good," she whispered in his ear, wrapping her body around him as he drove himself into her with abandon.
"Oh, so do you," he panted, pulling her mouth down to his. His teeth nipped her lower lip before he issued a lengthy, plaintive moan.
"I'm almost there," she told him because she could tell he was about to come. She opened her eyes, watching his expression shift between pleasure and pain as he experienced the desire to release but withheld doing so until she reached climax first. Although she wanted to continue watching each beautiful movement of his face, the mounting pleasure forced her to close her eyes. She pressed her open mouth to his neck to stifle her moans that raised in volume with each thrust of his hips. At last she reached the pinnacle, issuing a muted scream that vibrated her lips against his neck.
"Oooooh, damn," he sighed, his body shuddering under hers as he experienced that blessed final release of bliss that careened through his body and overflowed into hers.
"Ah, that felt so good," Ren gasped, her breathing rapid and shallow. She dotted his face with tiny little kisses of gratitude.
"It was my first time," he confessed, almost sounding ashamed. He pressed his face into her chest, puckering to kiss her breast that was under his lips.
"What?" she inhaled sharply, pulling his face back so she could look at him. Guilt dampened her elation that made her feel as if she were soaring above the clouds. "Your first time. I had no idea. I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry about it. It's not that big of a deal," he remarked off handedly, shrugging his shoulders. He would not allow his eyes to meet hers. "I'm glad it's gone." He raised his hand showing her his open palm. "I've had lots of experience with this though."
Ren giggled hugging him to her. She still felt a bit guilty for taking his virginity, although she shouldn't because he had willingly given it up. That explained why he was content to watch, bragging about things he had no real experience with yet. She kissed his lips briefly before standing up. The water had grown cold, and it was time to get out. She pulled the towel off the side of the tub to quickly dry off before handing it to him. Despite the fact the room was comfortable due to the heat from the fire downstairs rising to warm it, she got into the bed sinking into the goose feather mattress while curling up under the quilt.
Lightning flashed, filling the room with white blue light. The thunder that followed made her jump. The storm was still in full force outside. She shivered and squeezed her eyes closed when the lightning blinded her again.
Ren opened her eyes to see Ranta picking up his clothes from the floor. When he sat down on the bed to dress, she moved to sit behind him putting her arms around his waist. She kissed the back of his neck before pressing her forehead between his shoulder blades.
"Stay with me. We have one night together. Take the whole night to be with me. Although it's fleeting, I don't want to miss a minute," she said, feeling his body stiffen. Was he in a hurry to get away from her? Did he regret having sex with her? She withdrew her arms from around him, sitting up straight until she no longer touched him.
"Won't it make it harder to leave in the morning?" he questioned her without turning to look at her.
"Probably. But until then," she murmured, placing her hand on his shoulder. She smiled when he twisted his body around to look at her. "We can work on making memories that we will always have. Just think, everything we have to remember about each other will be good. We can always hang on to that. For now, I'm yours. Be happy with that."
"I am," he returned, dropping his clothes on the floor. He slipped under the covers, scooting his body over to hers to hold her.
"Act like tomorrow will never come...like tonight will last forever. Then our good-bye won't be so sad," she promised, kissing his lips gently.
"I know all too well how fleeting life can be. That we should cherish the special people we have in our lives while we have them," he said, sadness penetrating his voice and eyes.
Ren had no idea what he meant but there was definitely a deeper meaning to his words. Although he seemed shallow and uncaring, apparently he felt things deeply and genuinely. She drew him into her arms, holding him lovingly without asking any questions.
Words were left behind because there was no need to speak them. They communicated with their bodies, indulging in long kisses that they never wanted to end. Their fingers, lips, and tongues delved into a thorough and pleasurable inspection of each others bodies. Ranta experienced many other firsts that night, and before the night was over he was able to impart a first time, and probably one time only experience, to Ren. They made love over and over, neither one caring about getting any sleep. Sleep would only make the morning come faster, and they would be wasting time that could be better spent loving the other for the few moments they had.
"Ren," Ranta whispered as the first rays of golden sun started to illuminate the room.
"Yes?" she inquired, her whole body tingling as his breath drifted across her skin. She was exhausted but exhilarated at the same time.
"There's something I need to tell you before we part ways," he murmured, his fingers grazing her chest.
Ren held her breath when his palm pressed flat against her chest over her heart. Her body trembled with anticipation of what he was about to say. She feared if he asked her to stay with him, she just might give into the temptation to do so.
"What is it?" she asked when he did not say anything. She turned her head to look at him. Their heads were resting together on the single pillow and were in such close proximity that the tip of her nose grazed the tip of his. She closed her eyes when he tilted his chin to kiss her lips tenderly and innocently.
"I don't expect you to say anything in return. Honestly, I'm not even sure exactly what I mean by this considering I don't even know you. But..." He brushed away the lock of hair that had fallen over her face to cover one of her eyes. "I love you."
"Ranta," she gasped. Of all the words he could have said, she wished it had not been those. Her heart ached physically, and she placed her hand over his. She picked up his hand to bring it to her mouth to kiss the palm then each fingertip. The comment he had made during the night suddenly came to mind. She turned her head to look at him, a lopsided grin tilting her lips. "Just make sure your girlfriend here takes good care of you."
Ren giggled in response to his hearty laugh that sounded slightly forced. She kissed his lips then moved over him to start getting dressed. She needed to leave. Now. Or she never would leave. Staying in one place was dangerous for an assassin. Unfortunately, it was not one of those careers a person could suddenly decide to quite and exchange for a new one. She glanced at the redhaired young man in the bed. But if a career change was an option, she would do so quickly. However, if he knew what she had done, the heinous crimes she had committed, then he probably would not be able to bear the sight of her.
"Will I ever see you again?" Ranta asked while she was pulling on her cloak.
"I doubt it. But I want you to keep this. To remember me," she explained, reaching into one of the pockets inside her cloak. She handed him the silver coin attached to a delicate silver chain. The small coin had a heart stamped out of the middle. She had no idea what it meant or who had given it to her, but she had been wearing it when she woke up here. Her job prevented her from wearing it because what if someone saw her wearing it then heaven forbid she got caught later or left it behind somewhere. It would provide the authorities with a means of tracking her down. She could not afford that. But she felt like she could afford to leave her heart to him, that he would take good care of it, even if she never saw it again.
Ranta put the necklace on. The silver charm looked quite fetching against his lightly tanned skin. Ren leaned down to him, giving him one last kiss.
"Good-bye, Ranta."
"Good-bye, Ren."
And with those last few words, she walked out of the room and out of his life, without a thought in her head of ever seeing him again.