She swayed in the saddle as her horse stopped bringing her out of her half sleep as a hand nudged her leg, "Hey we're here." A male voice said.
She shook the sleep from her head and nodded, "Alright I'm awake." She twisted her body to move out of the saddle and hissed in pain sore muscles and scabbed wounds pulling tight.
"Let me help ya," her companion said and before she could protest she was pulled lightly down into his arms.
"Thanks." She mumbled glad the darkness hid her blush as she pulled away from him.
"Anytime." He said, making his way up the stairs to the small shop. He knocked and opened the door stepping in.
"Karl? You here?" he called making her jump.
"Shal? That you?" asked a short portly looking man in his mid thirties as he stepped out from behind one of the counters, "What brings you all the way out here?"
"Oh, just a job, " Shall answered with a grin.
"Anything interesting?"
"Nah, nothing' important, though this is my employer at the moment, her name's Ash."
Karl looked Ash over with a grin, "Damn you sure know how to pick 'em Shal. Pleased to meet you."
She gave him a slight smile, "The same to you."
"So you're on a job hmm?" He asked turning to Shal. Ash leaned up against the wall and closed her eyes content to let them talk for the moment.
"Yeah, but like I said tis not important. I was actually wonderin''' if you still made those creams and ointments?"
"Of course and they're better than last time I saw you, you need some?"
Shal nodded, "Yeah we got in a bit of a tussle a bit back, I need some for wounds, burns and some scars. Oh and you wouldn't be to troubled to let us use your spare room would ya?"
"Sure." Karl raised a brow with a slight grin tilting his head toward Ash suggestively.
Shal shook his head no, "Thanks, we just need some sleep its been a bit of a ride."
"Ah, I see that's why the lady looks like she's about to fall over. I'll show you the room and I'll have your stuff ready in the morning. We can catch up tomorrow.
Ash cracked an eye looking at them, "You don't have to stop on account of me I'll be okay for a bit longer." Besides I might catch a hint to Shal's past if I let them talk.
Shal shrugged looking at Karl, "Lady say's she's okay she's okay."
Karl nodded, "Alright, so how's the rest of the company?"
"Dead." Shal answered darkly.
Karl blinked, "What happened?"
"Contract went south."
Ash closed her eyes head tilted as she paid close attention.
"What do you mean the contract went south?" Karl's voice was astonished.
"Us and some of the other merc bands got used as fodder so the main Imperial army could retreat is best I can guess, think it was goin' bad for them and they didn't feel like payin' up. I got out only 'cuz some greenhorn didn't know how to use a knife."
Ash stiffened, Wait…that sounds way to familiar.
"Hells," whispered Karl, "Anyone else get out?"
" 'erd the Capitan got out, but he was 'ong gone 'fore I was good enough to do any movin'. Course that could just be a rumor and he's long dead."
"Shit..So you're a body guard now?" Karl glanced Ash's way.
"Somethin' like that, ain't got t'smarts or the skills to do much else." Shal said with a shrug.
Ash spoke up quietly, "Hey..ah.. Shal.. What was that battle you were talking about?"
He looked over at her, "The battle of Gluttonous Copse."
She paled a bit, oh shit. "Did you by any chance see who stabbed you?"
Shal shook his head, "Nah, small little bugger is all I know." She took a step back toward the door.
"Well I guess it's a good thing she was a greenhorn then huh?"
"Yeah it was…wait, " he turned towards her Karl stepping back out of the way, "I don't think I said if 'twas a girl or a boy." Ash took another step back her hands raised.
"Orders are orders, you know?"
"Aye, I stopped workin' for the Empire after that. Though I always wondered what I'd do if I meet the person who stabbed me." He took a step towards her. Is she sayin' she was the one..?
She moved back farther eyes going wide, "I-I can explain.. like I said.. Orders are orders… Imperials are stingy with their money.. always have been."
Hells she is! "Well, it seems I have meet the person who almost killed me, wonder what I should do." He took another step towards her again.
She backed up hitting the door with a wince her hand grasping the handle, "I know what I'd do." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Oh? Do tell," he growled stepping in and catching her hand on the handle and grasping tightly, "Well start speakin'"
She bit her lip and met his gaze eyes full of fear, "I-Id kill the son of a bitch." Her breath caught in her throat as he raised his arm pressing it into her chest pinning her to the door.
"You know what I'd do?" he asked leaning forward till their noses almost touched his gray eyes cold as they locked onto hers.
"N-no." She swallowed her voice cracking.
He let out a hardy laugh and clasped both of her shoulders, "I'd shake their damn hand and treat them to a drink on me. If someone bested me on t'battlefield then they beat me, no reason for revenge. Ain't enough life t'live getin' in t'petty squabbles."
He laughed again and winked, "'Sides be a waste of a pretty face to gut you."
Ash blinked a few times hear racing in her chest. "..Wait…what?"
"Which part's confusin' you the most?" he asked with a grin, "I'd be more than happy to explain it again."
"You…you…" she trailed off and then glared at him shaking his hands off her, "You are and Ass!"
Shal laughed taking a step back, "I couldn't not tease ya. And I was serious bout that drink."
"Well I better hold it to you seeing as I'm going to be needing it as you scared about 10 years outta my life!"
Shal grinned and laughed Karl stepped around from behind a shelf, "So are ya done flirting yet?"
Ash frowned, "We weren't flirting."
Karl grinned, "Sure looked like it to me, maybe I should show you the room just so you have some place to take out all the built up frustration."
Ash blushed and folded her arms Shal cutting in, "It would be nice of you to show us the room Karl, we both need the sleep."
"Alright," said Karl with a light laugh, "Follow me." He turned and made his way through the small shop to a back room with a large oak door. "Your free to use this one, its small but it's better than nothing," he said opening the door.
Ash stepped around Shal and looked in, "Hmm only one bed huh?"
Karl nodded, "Aye, is that a problem?" A wicked grin spread across her face, "Nah, I don't bite..hard."
Karl grinned, "Well Shal, You really got yourself one this time." Shal shook his head, "Never a dull moment with her, Thanks Karl."
Karl nodded, "Ain't a problem friend, Ill have that stuff you asked for in the morning, pleasant dreams." He gave a slight wave and headed back into the shop.
Shal nudged Ash into the room shutting the door and leaning on it quietly watching her. She glanced back at him, "Well?"
He arched a brow, "Well?"
She gave him a glare, "Well, what was that little show all about, hmm?"
He grinned eyes sparkling, "Don't tell me you didn't like it. I saw it all over your face."
She turned away from him hiding a blush, "You scared the living daylights outta me.." His hand reached out and grasped her wrist turning her back towards him.
"I could make it up to you." His voice was low his eyes catching hers.
"H-how?" She whispered.
His mouth found hers in an instant sending hot fire through her body as she melted into him. His hand snaked around her hips pulling her tightly against him deepening the kiss.
She took a trembling breath seconds later her eyes closed.
"You know..I like your hair unbraided.." his breath tickled down her jaw line as his whispered into her ear, "Will you take it out for me, please?" Her hands reached back and loosened the braid letting her long blonde hair cascade in waves down her shoulders an back.
"Mmm..Perfect," he murmured, grasping a handful of it and tilting her head back hot kisses trailing down her throat.
She bit her lip and slid her hands up his chest finding the clasp to his cloak and undoing it letting it fall to the floor. She paused a moment and when he didn't stop her she slowly started undoing each button on his shirt.
When she'd undone the last button his eyes met hers searching them quietly, "We don't have to do this you know."
She glanced down at his now bare chest eyes widening when she saw scars much like her own, "And if I want to?"
He grasped her chin and tilted her gaze back to his, "Are you wanting to because I want to or do you want to because you want to?"
"I want to." she said, a slight smirk playing across her lips, "Besides I have to pay you back for that little incident earlier."
He returned her smirk, "Is that so?"
She nodded and ran a hand up his chest again only to have it snatched and her body pushed up against the door.
"We'll see about that," he growled his mouth finding hers once more his hands finding the hem of her shirt and tugging it up off her tossing it to the floor. She shivered as his breath trailed down her jaw again, "Boots off." he whispered earning a gasp as he nipped her ear lobe.
Ash did as she was told kicking them away as they came off. He smirked and hooked his fingers in her pants pushing them down her hips, she stepped out of those too kicking them into the pile and looked up at him light color touching her cheeks.
He stepped back looking at her, "Hmm, one thing's missing." He stepped back toward her pulling out his knife and slicing the bandages free of her torso catching a strip of cloth as he did so.
She tilted her head curiously, "What are you doing with that?"
He grinned, "Give me your wrists."
She blinked, "What?"
"Just do it." he growled hotly. She put her hands forward watching as he wrapped her wrists together lightly and raised them above her head hooking them on the corner edge of the door before stepping back once more.
"Hmm, perfect." She blinked at him her face going red.
"Wh-what are you going to do?"
He shrugged his shirt off dropping it in the pile with her clothes and kicked his boots free before answering, "I'm going to gut whoever put these on your body," he said stepping back toward her his fingertips tracing a scar that crossed over her chest.
Ash bit her lip hot trails of fire coursing through her body. "But first, I'm going to fuck you. Like you've never been fucked before."
He smirked his hand sliding down and cupping her breast his fingertips tweaking her nipple earning him a gasp.
Ash strained against her bonds biting her lip as she tried not to make a sound, his lips found her neck once more nipping playfully as both hands cupped her breasts. She let out a little yelp of pleasure as he found a sensitive spot along her collarbone realizing he was making his way down her body.
"O-oh hells.." she whispered. She felt him smirk against her skin and looked down as he leaned down close to her nipple his eyes meeting hers as he flicked his tongue against it.
She gasped and let out a low moan as he took it into his mouth, her body arching slightly. He moved to the other as his hand slid down her body and grasped her thighs pulling them up and wrapping her legs around his waist. She tightened them slightly keeping herself up as he dropped his pants free his hard length brushing her thigh as he leaned in noses touching.
"Are you ready?" He asked gripping her thighs. She nodded slightly gripping the her bonds tightly with both hands.
"Are you sure?" he said smirking slightly.
"Yes!" she gasped exasperatedly.
He laughed softly pushing his hips forward finding her entrance and arching up into her groaning softly as she let out a soft whimper.
He ducked his head into her neck his hands finding the door frame and gripped it tightly, "Hold on with your legs baby." He groaned as she tightened her legs around him and thrust up into her slowly.
He picked up the pace as her body arched against him, both of them growing louder. The sound of her pleasure bringing him closer.
"P-Please..!" she cried her body arching as he thrust into her harder and harder, her cry echoed through the room as she released around him.
"Ah..gods!" he growled thrusting deeply and letting himself go.
Ash whimpered her body trembling as Shal slowly pulled out of her setting her lightly on her feet pulling the bandage off the edge of the door. He held her as she draped her arms around his neck and leaned against his chest her head tucked into his neck.
"S-so?" he whispered quietly.
She let out a soft laugh, "Y-your looking for my a-approval? I'm pretty sure I gave that too you and more. I'm so worn out I can barely stand."
He smirked, "My bad lets get those wrists untied." He pulled her arms free of his neck and cut the bandages from her wrists and then steered her toward the bed.
She crawled in and looked up at him patting the other side. He smiled softly and climbed in laying down and wrapped his arm around her gently as she curled up against him.
"Night." She whispered as she drifted to sleep.
