Traveling Malcontent

Love and Hypothesis – Chapter 4

"You were quiet during dinner."

They turned down a hallway towards their rented room. Casavir had dressed up a bit but was not in his armor and Avera had worn her dress for him.

"Hmm." He looked concerned, "I'm sorry Avera. I have been thinking about Sir Grayson. I hope it did not ruin supper for you."

"No. I wasn't sure how to speak to be honest. That was amazing food! Thank you. But it may not be such a good thing to think too much about him. This night is our celebration."

Two figures stepped out from the shadows. Swords were in their hands and they beckoned towards them, "Money now." Announced the smaller of the two thugs.

"He did rather upset me." He jumped back from the one assailant's swords.

Avera ducked and punched her attacker in the abdomen, "His words are not worth worrying about."

Casavir grabbed then twisted his mugger's wrists, making him drop his swords, "They still upset me."

"They upset me too." She flung herself under the second man's arms, grabbed him by the wrist and used his weight and momentum against him so that he fell on his face. She crushed a foot into his back as she pulled on his arm.

"So what shall we do about this?" He grabbed the other man by the face and held him aloft.

She twisted her mugger's arm until his sword dropped beside his head, "Edmund has chosen to take me on. He seems like a much easier person to get along with than Grayson ever could be."

He slammed the back of the man's head into the wall, "I know both men. I believe that Edmund was the better choice of knight to have you as his squire in the first place."

A lady walked into the hall then ran for guards.

Avera slammed her weight down, smashing her knee into the thug's back and broke his arm, knocking him unconscious, "I agree."

Casavir dropped his unconscious assailant, "But what Grayson said. It was cruel and that I cannot abide or forget. Maybe there is some truth to what he says about the dancing though."

Two guards ran into the hall and Casavir pointed to the dark clad men on the ground. He once again took his woman's arm.

They got to the door of their room and Avera used the key, "In what sense?"

"The dances you performed could be considered … extreme."

They walked into the room and she stretched. He gave her an appreciative look as he closed the door, "Yes and had he asked me in a better manner I may have done as he wished. But he didn't. He compared me to a trollop right away and that got me upset."

"You had every right to be upset about that." He tossed their backpack onto the floor and looked about. It was a very good room which sported a second room that held a large round tub with faucets in it. He had wanted only the best for his lady.

She walked around the bed. It was very large and looked quite comfortable, "I wasn't going to dance like that around others anymore anyway."

He strode towards her as he read an enlargement scroll. She put her head on his shoulder as he got to her, "It is not something that I would have wanted you to continue but it is your choice."

"I caught you. I only wish to dance for you."

The back of his hand rubbed against her exposed cheek, "Avera … about my past. I believe Grayson may be correct that it could damage your reputation."

Her arms wrapped around him as his wrapped around her. She reveled in his strength, "You were acquitted of any wrong doing. Mordren is dead so he cannot spread anymore tales. If people wish to believe lies then we can do nothing about it."

"That is true but … our relationship is in a sense … scandalous."

"Paladins do not choose relationships if it is only short. Everyone knows that."

"It still concerns me."

"Is there any way I can help you feel better?" She squeezed herself against him and nipped his shoulder blade.

"Just be mine and all will be well."

She kissed the indent of his neck where it met his body, "You know I am yours. Body, heart and soul."

"Did you mean what you said earlier?"

"About?"

He put his fingers under her chin and made her look into his eyes, "That if I had not made a move that night … our first night … that you would have tried to encourage me with a personal dance?"

Her smile warmed him, "I knew you would be in to talk. And to give me a back rub. I figured that I would try to work it in somehow."

His mouth descended on hers and they wrapped their hands behind the other's head, making their kiss lengthen from gentle to passionate. He moved backwards, her still tangled up with him. Their kiss continued as he got them to the extra room and turned on the water.

A hand flicked the band on her ponytail off so her hair could fall free, then ran the length of her back. He enjoyed as she arched and gasped into his mouth. The tub filled to the level he wanted so he turned off the tap and tested it. The heat was too much so he moved his lips to her neck as she started removing his shirt.

"So my lady," His breath tickled her throat and made her stop what she was doing as she shivered in reaction, "How would have this dance gone?"

"That is hard to say." She finally got his shirt off and just stood there admiring his body. A finger traced along his scars, "I would have started it out simple so as not to startle you off." She twirled around him to give him an idea of what she meant, "But from there it would have depended on your reactions."

"What if you were to teach me some … moves?" He pulled her forward, wrapped his arms around her and undid the laces on the back of her dress.

"Just follow and do whatever feels best."

His lips found her neck and she gasped happily, "Like that, my lady?" He went back to her neck making it so she could not speak for a while. That neck was so easily enticed.

She resumed the slow dance and they moved together as if their bodies were fluid.

As they turned about Casavir gently began removing her dress, in small, concentrated actions. At first he used his hands to slip the sleeves over her arms then she wrapped a leg around his waist and leaned back so he could move the material over her chest.

He nuzzled his face into her cleavage making her sigh contentedly. His tongue made a sweep of her chest then enticed her even more as he continued to indulge in her flesh. She whimpered as he played with her breasts making her motions become more frenzied.

A small sound, almost like a wolf chuckle, escaped her. Casavir grinned as he knew that sign. If she made the sound normally, it was just a cute little chuckle that made him twitch in reaction … but in the heat of love making … it meant she was starting to loose control and it made him twitch with expectation.

It took very little for him to get her to this point. Just as it took but a word or look to make him want to rip her clothes off and take her wherever they stood. He was pleased that their attraction for each other was so strong … if not awkward when he had to fight off his urges in public. He was never getting rid of his favored style of armor that covered this interest.

As he pulled his face from her chest, she flung herself forward and forced him into another passionate kiss. She growled as she nibbled on his lips. As he tried to get some form of control back, she slid down his chest, kissing along the way until she reached his trews.

Before he could do anything, she had hauled his slacks down and he had to lean against and hold onto the side of the tub. His breath came out in gasps as he allowed the sensations to flow over him. There was not much way that he could do anything else. Her actions elicited a low rumble from deep inside him. Oh how he wished to scream! But they were in an inn and that would not be neighborly.

Next time he was renting a cottage, in the woods, away from civilization just so he could fully let loose!

His eyes rolled into the back of his head as she continued to work with his lower body. She gave him a breather to remove his boots and get his pants all the way off him then continued, making him fling himself back again from her passionate administrations. He knew she loved it when he squirmed for her.

Evil woman. His evil woman.

A chuckle for their joke escaped just before a moan ripped through him. Then he lost his control. He grabbed her as she moved up his abdomen, pulled her dress down and off of her then lowered her to the ground. As he did so he grabbed a couple of towels to place behind her head. Then he returned her favor. He made her fling her head back and forth until it seemed she couldn't move anymore. Then he would wait for her panting to slow and make her do it again.

Finally, he took her. They moved together wildly, letting go and calling each other's name as they rocked back and forth. Their bodies convulsed from their efforts and they lay panting on the ground.

They looked into each others' eyes for a long time. Just admiring the depths and smiling contentedly. They felt like they were drowning in those expanses of blue, as it always had been since they first met.

Then he lifted her and brought her to the tub where they lay contentedly in each other's arms. At least until their scents encouraged them again and they went back to their passionate activities.

nnn

Avera and Casavir entered the Flagon, hand in hand and smack dab into a yelling match among the women of the team. The two silently backed up and were about to escape when Sand noticed them.

"Well, if it isn't our infamous leader and paladin! Come join the fun. I am sure that the paladin will enjoy this."

The two stood in place and cursed under their breaths as the yelling stopped.

Neeshka squealed in delight, "Good! You can break our tie!"

Shandra, Neeshka, Qara and Elanee stood while the men sat with a variety of expressions on their faces.

Sand seemed very amused, sitting back in his chair with his feet on the table and a mug in hand.

Khelgar had his hands over his ears and was lightly singing, "La la la la I can't hear you!" It made the two try not to wonder what could have forced the dwarf to this.

Bishop was at his favorite table chortling under his breath while petting a similarly happy Karnwyr. Except, it was only Karnwyr who had his tongue dangling out of his face.

Grobnar … well, Grobnar was being Grobnar dancing from foot to foot with a vacant smile on his face humming to himself.

Duncan and Sal were hiding behind the bar serving customers from there.

"You two have bad timing, lass!" Her uncle called while pushing Sal out from behind the bar to get some tea for his niece.

The two carefully picked their way to their chairs.

Avera sighed, "I may regret this but what tie?"

"Well, here's the deal." Shandra leaned over the table, getting right to the topic, "We are trying to figure out who out of the men would get jumped first."

Sal brought a pot of tea and mugs then escaped back to the relative safety behind the bar.

Casavir poured a mug of tea for himself and one for the hobbit, "Mugged?"

Neeshka shook her head and took over with a flourish, waving her tail excitedly, "Ok … here's the hypothesis!"

The little woman realized what type of thing this had to be about because of how her friend was acting, "Oh no."

"Just wait, girl. This gets interesting." Sand giggled as he sipped his tea.

"You just giggled you bookworm. That was very unmanly and is why we removed you from the running!" The sorceress snorted.

"I can assure you, you ignorant princess, that I have wooed many a woman."

Qara puffed herself up, "And it is words like 'woo' which make me believe you lie. I don't think you have ever been with any woman."

Sand gasped in offense and was about to give her what for when Avera waved Qara back, "Leave Sand alone Qara. He's not what you think."

"Thank you, my dear!" Sand lifted his chin and drank some tea.

"And how do you know that? I thought you had a paladin under your belt? Or are you hiding a mage under your skirt too?"

Both Sand and Casavir snorted out their drinks. Qara sighed, pulled out a rag and wiped the table.

"Sand is a very nice person but he has never been my type. Casavir and I had a nice stroll last night and noticed Sand taking a pretty little brunette with long, curly hair into the park."

The sorceress sniffed in disbelief, "And what makes you think it wasn't a guy or that they were not just walking?"

Avera shrugged, "Because I had to tell Kathin to stop following them because she could smell the … essence of more … and she only likes watching heterosexual activities."

Khelgar finally took his hands off his ears and stopped singing. He blinked away at the hobbit, apparently fighting between surprise and hilarity.

A snort sounded off from beside her. Casavir had snorted on his tea and was now choking. He turned his face to look into the hobbit's eyes, his cheeks red.

"Your animal companion is a pervert!" Yelped Shandra, "She should have found Bishop! Not you!"

The ranger shrugged in acceptance of the statement.

"That's the reason I always unsummon her before we do anything." She raised an eyebrow as she noticed the ranger now sitting in the seat at the other end of the table with Karnwyr beside him, "It came in handy as a teen though. Her affliction kept me from being beaten up so much."

"How could that help you from being beaten up?" Khelgar gave the woman an amused look.

"You even try to beat on me and I'll tell Jenny's father what you did with her behind the roses on the south end of her property."

"But …" Casavir coughed, "That's blackmail!"

"Yes and for a person my size, when you have bullies about to beat the crud out of you it comes down to using your feet to run, blackmail or killing and for some reason parents get a little upset if their kids start showing up under the marshes."

The paladin looked at her in surprise.

"Oh come on, Casavir! It's not like I dropped a whole bunch of bodies in the mere!"

He smiled at her and went back to his tea.

Sand raised an eyebrow, "So how many did you drop off there?"

The paladin started choking on his tea again and Avera rubbed his back, "I never dropped any in the mere."

"So where did you put them?"

The paladin's choking got worse.

Avera snarled as she turned to Bishop, "I didn't put any anywhere!" She rubbed Casavir's back then stood on her chair and put her cheek on his head, "It's ok. Nothing like that happened."

The paladin calmed down enough to try to drink his tea again when Bishop snickered, "Then how many did you leave there?"

She lifted her head and yelled, "Dammit Bishop! Only one!"

Mouths dropped. Casavir snorted tea out his nose and started choking again. Qara wiped the table with a sigh of resignation. Bishop and Karnwyr grinned.

"Lass, if ye keep this up ye'll have another body to leave in the mere and I tell ya I ain't carrying him all the way there!"

"We can always make a litter and take turns dragging him there." Bishop said helpfully as Karnwyr barked.

Avera frustratingly put her forehead on the top of Casavir's head as he stopped choking. The larger man turned a cold look towards Bishop. He took a few moments to contain himself before addressing the hobbit, "Wha ... ?" He gasped intelligently.

She slid down to her chair, "I was … darn how old was I?"

Karnwyr barked happily and lolled his tongue out.

"Right. Fourteen, thanks." Bishop glanced out of the side of his eyes at the dire wolf, "This predator showed up and started killing children for the heck of it. He seemed to prefer kids with brown hair and light brown eyes but he'd kill any child. Very weird idiot. Anyway, he got hold of two girls and a boy before anyone even found a body. No one could find him and one of the men who searched ended up dead as well. They wanted to get Father to hunt him down but he was on the trap lines. Few can find Father when he's trapping or hunting."

"Your father hunted people?" Bishop was surprised by that.

"When it was necessary he would. He had given up adventuring before I was even born. But where was I? Oh yes, I went to get some mushrooms and the creep met me out there."

"That would have been dangerous and scary." Elanee stated.

Avera shrugged, "Not really."

"Bullies worried you. Why wouldn't a killer?" Shandra gasped.

"I had reason to not worry in the woods. But when he came after me, I stabbed him in the leg with my knife and he yelled, 'Why do they always stab me in the leg?' I remember that because it was just too darn funny! We ran about and he chased me in a circle. I finally peeved him off enough that he didn't watch what he was doing, fell and we ripped open his throat."

"Wait. We?" Casavir raised an eyebrow.

Karnwyr barked and got a huge grin on his face.

"Yeh. We." She smiled at the dire wolf and he lolled his tongue out at her, "The elders found the body and put it up to my friends protecting me. They were able to figure out that he was some ranger or trapper from a place called Red Watch or something like that. I forget what was overheard because I didn't get a good picture from the wolves."

Elanee cocked her head, "Red Fallow's Watch?"

"Yeh that's it."

Neeshka snorted, "Well since the paladin can now be assured that his woman is no horrible mass murdering wench … let's get back to what we were originally talking about!"

"Oh yes!" Called Shandra, "Now what we were fighting over was who a woman would take."

Casavir blinked and pushed his tea away from himself so that he would not have any more choking fits, "Who a woman would take?"

Avera rubbed an eyebrow, "Ok. The particulars of the theoretical situation please."

Qara shook her head, "If all of the guys in our group were out camping and a woman came along wanting a liaison, which man would she choose?"

"So what have you come up with?"

Shandra shrugged, "It's a tie between Casavir and Bishop."

The paladin dropped his head to the table and moaned in distaste, "Please no."

"How long does this woman have?"

"Just the evening." Neeshka smiled at the paladin's head.

"And all the men are there?"

"Except Sal and Duncan." Elanee added.

"Thank the gods!" Sal praised the ceiling.

"So some woman is just interested in a fling, has limited time, sees the men in a circle, watches them for a bit and decides she's going to try for one?" Avera licked her lips, "Does she have any type of spell to coerce them?"

"No."

She patted Casavir on the back, "I'm sorry love but she wouldn't choose you."

Casavir sat up with a hurt expression, "What?"

"With your armor? It takes so long to get that off of you. Sorry."

Bishop grinned happily.

"But it also wouldn't be Bishop."

"What?"

"With the pickup lines you use? And that temperamental sneer? It isn't worth fighting through that ... especially if you only have a few hours to do anything."

Casavir kept a blank expression on his face, trying not to look pleased that the ranger was a non-choice. Why do I care that neither of us won that? This is silly.

Neeshka blinked, "So who do you think?"

"Well … Sand is a wiry little bugger,"

"Such a pleasant description but please go on. I'm sure you will make it up somehow."

"And it would be very easy to get that robe off of him."

Sand squeaked, "Hey! Oh wait. You're right."

"But it is easy to see that any woman after him would need to make him understand that she has an active mind and that takes time."

"At least you understand the importance of intelligence."

"Don't even look at me lass! I'm not interested in anyone who isn't a curvy dwarf woman."

"Racist!" Called Qara.

"You wouldn't have to worry anyway, Khelgar. You wear platemail."

"So that leaves … Grobnar?" Shandra gave the gnome a look and turned to Avera.

"What? You called?" Grobnar asked while smiling away, blissfully unaware.

"Don't discount innocence and easy to remove clothing. Innocence can be trained; they often enjoy learning and are happy to please."

Casavir gave Avera a half grin and snickered but did not say a word.

"You mean like the way you were when the paladin got you?" The sorceress chimed in.

"Maybe." She sipped her tea and watched the expressions.

"What can I be trained to do?" Grobnar asked calmly, "I'm willing to learn! Yes I am! Grobnar Gnomehands is always willing to learn something new! So … what do you want to teach me?"

"See?"

The women threw up their hands and walked away, Bishop went back to his table, Grobnar followed Shandra about asking what they wanted to teach him, Khelgar and Sand sat back to drink their drinks ... and that left them with a quiet table. Finally.

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