Prayer for the Traveler
Chapter 4: Stealth, It's a Fickle Thing
May 2, 2010
They continued to make their way through the forest, Duncan explaining the country of Antiva to her and what he knew of the Antivan Crows.
Erin thought Antiva sounded like a beautiful place to vacation, if it weren't run by assassins. Who the hell runs a country that way? This was indeed a strange place.
Erin felt a chill down her spine and visibly shivered, at that same moment, Duncan grew quiet and stopped dead in his tracks. He motioned for Aiden to come closer and said to them both in a whisper, "There are darkspawn nearby, just a scouting party. Twelve I think, including an emissary. Erin, Aiden, the emissary must die, they cast spells and without a mage on our side, we are at a disadvantage. They are usually at the back of the group and hardest to get to.
"Erin, I do not wish to give your presence away so soon, if you can, please refrain from changing form. If it means the difference between life and death, use your best judgment. It is imperative that neither of you get their blood in your mouth. You will become tainted and the only cure is death. Erin, I believe stealth would be appropriate now. If you can get to the emissary undetected, that should be your first priority."
Erin nodded in understanding, pulled her hood over her head, placing the mask hidden inside over her nose and mouth, and slipped into the ether.
Duncan smiled, that was a pretty clever trick. He knew of stealth, but to be able to become completely invisible without relying on shadows was not quite the same.
Duncan led them quietly through the dense trees toward their quarry. It was getting late in the afternoon and the forest was heavy in shadow where the groves were thickest. Very quickly, they heard them, crunching through the forest without a care of the noise they made. Duncan and Aiden each ducked behind a tree, Erin simply waited for her orders and prepared for possible missile fire in her direction. Moments later, the darkspawn began appearing as they climbed the rise leading to Erin and her companions. They were on alert; they had obviously sensed Duncan.
Suddenly, two genlock rogues appeared out of nowhere on either side of Duncan. Aiden quickly dispatched one with his shield while Duncan parried and feinted around the other, slicing its throat in one smooth action. The rest of the darkspawn growled in defiance and charged at them. Duncan yelled, "Erin, the emissary, NOW!"
She saw what must be the emissary at the back of the darkspawn group. It had a staff and she had played enough video games to know that meant "caster class". She flitted through the space between herself and her prey. My God, these are some UGLY creatures, and the smell? Why do they have to stink; their appearance truly is enough without the smell. The emissary was mid-cast when Erin sliced the creature from shoulder to hip in one graceful swing of her Katana. It was over so quickly, the others had not noticed her before she slipped back into stealth.
She released her Kyoketsu-shoge from her waist, threading her left hand and wrist through the ring at one end and folding the chain to gather slack until she had a target. She unsheathed the business end of the weapon with her right hand and began the familiar dance that was part and parcel to this weapon. They were outnumbered, but they had their enemy flanked; Duncan and Aiden in front and Erin behind them. She took stock of everyone's position and likely path through the darkspawn, then she slipped once more from the shadows as she let lose her weapon on the unsuspecting darkspawn.
She struck her target in the head and it immediately fell. Retrieving her weapon with a graceful swing of the chain, she began the process of spinning it effortlessly around her limbs while continuously assessing the field. She felled one darkspawn after another with the incredible quickness and precision only the masters could teach. Six more were dead before they even knew she was behind them. Duncan quickly dispatched the last two Aiden had been taunting and holding off with his shield.
Duncan was in awe. The fight was over almost as quickly as it had started. His new recruit had performed extremely well; he would be perfect paired with a rogue or two. But Erin, she was an absolute marvel. She said she was well trained, but he now believed that was an extremely modest understatement. He surveyed the darkspawn, making certain they were all dead. When he came to the emissary, he went still. He slowly tilted his head to the side and with a smirk asked, "Now, which of those weapons can do that?"
She strode over to Duncan until she was standing on his left side, almost touching him. With her right hand, she drew her Katana reverently from its ancient sheath on her left hip and held the blade in front of the two of them. "This one", she said with a sense of pride she was unable to mask.
Duncan had not seen the blade itself before now. It was truly a magnificent weapon. Her pride in wielding it was unmistakable. Who wouldn't be proud of such an item; it was more art than a mere blade. "Do you mind?" he asked as he tentatively reached for the hilt.
She willingly placed it in his hand, with a warning, "These blades are known to be the sharpest instruments ever made."
"Judging from the wound it inflicted on that emissary, I don't think I will argue." he said it as he turned the Katana in his hand, admiring the scroll work embossed along the blade.
Erin continued, "They are an ancient tradition to the Japanese people of my world; hundreds of years old. This particular weapon was crafted over 1000 years ago by a Japanese master smith specifically for the order. While this sword is a Katana, it is also called kotÅ, or "old sword" because it was made during what was considered the pinnacle of the craft in Japan."
She had stopped talking rather abruptly, causing Duncan to turn slightly to see her expression. She had gone solemn, very solemn, while discussing the weapon's history.
She looked up at him then and with restrained tears in her eyes said, "Duncan, the sword in your hand has been passed from my brothers and sisters in the order for generations upon generations. Every one of their sacrifices is held within its steel. It is all that is left of them. There are no stories of great adventure, no medals, no heroes' welcome when they returned home, just the knowledge that they were successful and able to bring this blade home to be passed on to the next Traveler. That is the true measure of the success of our order, right there, in your hand. That so many have wielded it in battle yet it remains in our possession still. I do not wish this tradition to end on my watch. It is my greatest fear."
He handed the hilt back to her and she sheathed the weapon as she turned from him and walked away. She did not want him to see the weakness in her eyes, she was there to save them, not burden him with her concerns.
He had been wrong, she wasn't like him; she was him. She understood everything it meant to be a Grey Warden. She walked the same path he walked. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew full well this did not go along with her plan to keep her pain from him. He would not wish to be coddled if the situation were reversed. All the same, he needed her to know that her admission was ok, but now was not the time.
They looted what they could from the Darkspawn and continued on their path a short while longer before making camp for the evening. Erin's mood had changed again and her playful smirk and flirtatious comments returned. Her confident swagger was back in her step and she exuded strength, grace and sex-appeal.
XXX
Duncan chose a camp site with a hot spring so they could bathe, but also because it was quite a distance from where they had fought the darkspawn. This took them slightly off course and they would have to make double time the next day to reach Ostagar at a reasonable hour.
Erin offered to hunt down some dinner before it got too dark and borrowed Aiden's longbow for that purpose. She saw no reason to spend cartridges from her own, unique weapon when he could resupply his so easily. Aiden volunteered to find wood and any roots they may be able to cook for dinner. Duncan announced that he would take advantage of their hospitality and take his bath.
Stealth made hunting so much easier. She procured dinner for the evening with the quick slaying of five quail. How wonderful that they had quail, it was her favorite game bird. They were small though, and she noticed Duncan had a rather healthy appetite, so she made sure to get a couple extra. She used the stream as a guide back to camp. She caught a glimpse of someone moving about just ahead of her, but mostly obscured by the trees. She sensed nothing, but just to be safe, she slipped into stealth and advanced on the obscured image in complete silence.
She picked her way through the trees and realized that there was steam coming off the water here. This must be the hot spring Duncan spoke of. Then it hit her, that's Duncan and he could very well be nude. Oh, she was curious, so very, very curious. She decided she could approach without him knowing it and sneak a peek at this legendary warden thing. It would just take a second and she would be off again.
She crept slowly forward until she could see him clearly. He was definitely well built. He had his back to her and what a fine back it was. She had always been a sucker for wide, muscular shoulders and his build did not disappoint. Her eyes trailed down his back, ever so slowly, relishing every curve of the man's muscles. Now THAT is a fine ass. He began to turn and she feared she was caught, but he was just getting his clothing that he had piled to his left. "Oh, that is certainly legendary", she thought to herself as Duncan's more profound embellishments were exposed to her.
Oh, it had been far too long; she was a weak, weak woman. Mustering all of her strength NOT to tackle the poor, naked man, she turned silently back up the stream from where she had come and then proceeded to take a direct path to the campsite. At least she would not appear to be coming directly from where Duncan had been.
She got to camp just before Duncan, holding the quail up so he could see she had been successful. Aiden appeared shortly after with more firewood. Duncan said he and Aiden would prepare dinner so she could go take a bath. A thought occurred to her, she shouldn't have any idea where this hot spring was. Ahhh, this was perfect. "Duncan, could you point me in the direction of this hot spring? I am aware of the stream's location, but not where we are to bathe, specifically."
"Of course", he replied, "get your things and I will take you there".
She decided it best to pare down her attire before going to the spring and stripped down completely before putting her blouse, leggings and boots back on. The blouse was sheer, but she was wearing a bra and decided that was fine. She emerged from her tent with the necessary items and change of clothes and he motioned for her to follow him. She moved cautiously to the spring's edge as if she had never been this way before.
"Just be careful not to get too close to the source, it gets quite warm and I wouldn't want you burning anything way out here without a proper healer on hand." She giggled and thanked him.
She removed the rest of her clothing and slipped into the warm water. It eased the tension from her muscles and relaxed her in a most pleasant way. Natural hot springs were definitely a gift from God. She used the soap to get the darkspawn blood out of her blouse. While the rest of her gear was extremely resistant to staining and could just be wiped down, this garment required cleaning. She liked the blouse; it made her look a bit like a pirate.
XXX
After she had finished bathing and applying a small amount of leave-in conditioner to her hair, she decided she better get out before she fell asleep. She exited the water and realized it was quite a bit cooler than she had expected. She rushed over to grab her towel, which was, to her surprise, being held out to her by Duncan.
"You are not the only member of our small party skilled in stealth."
Oh, she was caught. He must have known she had tried to secret a peek at him. The smile on that man's face was beyond devilish as he raked his eyes slowly over her naked form while holding the towel out of her reach. Not a difficult thing to do, considering their size difference.
"Now now Erin, you had a lot of time to ogle me, I think it's only fair I be given the same. I do believe you need to turn around though."
She sighed then, he had won yet again. "I guess that is only fair", she said in her best defeated voice. And with that she began to turn so that he may get the same view she appreciated earlier.
"Slowly, if you don't mind."
She looked at him over her shoulder with no small amount of surprise at how very forward he was being.
"Superb view. You are indeed in remarkable shape for your age."
She turned on him then and asked very playfully, "Are you saying I'm old Duncan?" She reached for the towel once again, and he snatched it from her reach, again. But this time, he pulled her to him and wrapped the towel, and his arms, around her. She did not resist, rather, she leaned in to him until his warmth enveloped her. The moisture from her recent bath had soaked through his shirt and he could feel her against the skin of his chest and stomach. He reached for her chin and lifted her head so they were looking at each other.
There was an incredible longing reflected in her gaze and Duncan could tell she would not resist him if he asked for more. "You are anything but old Erin." And he kissed her. Reverently and passionately he kissed her. Using her tongue, she teased his upper lip and he took the opportunity to slide his own into her mouth. He deepened the kiss; fingers tangled in her hair at the back of her head.
Just as he was about to begin exploring lower with his other hand, she shivered violently. "I.. I'm sorry, you are freezing!" he said with the sudden realization she could very well get sick if he didn't get her warm quickly. He pulled away and wrapped the towel around her more securely. He helped her pull her clean sleep shirt over her head and turned while she put on her pants. "Get in your bedroll, I will collect your things and bring them to you."
He didn't have to tell her twice, she scurried off while wrapping the towel around her wet hair to help abate some of the cold.
As he gathered Erin's things, Duncan thought he should feel ashamed for behaving so poorly, but it felt so good to let go for once and she was such a delightfully willing participant. He felt young again around her, like the defiant young man he was when he was first conscripted. He determined that he could very well be facing his end, and if that were true, he wasn't going without a fight. Not in this, not with her. He would have this woman before either the Archdemon or his calling took him.
With his resolve firm, he headed back to camp. Glancing at Aiden he said sternly, "You get first watch, four hours, and you may want to put a little distance between yourself and her tent." With that, he retrieved his bed roll from his tent and tapped on Erin's to announce his arrival.
Erin unzipped her tent and Duncan slid in. He watched as she pulled the strange fastening closed again. "That is a remarkable invention" he marveled as he placed her things out of the way before continuing, "Do you mind helping me with these bedrolls?"
Erin wasn't quite sure what to think; maybe he was just concerned about her warmth? Or maybe he had every intention on finishing what he started earlier. "Sure, um, let me see what you have there. We can lay yours beside mine and cover them both with your blanket. My sleeping bag unzips and should cover us both."
Duncan decided she knew what she was doing and just got out of the way while she made up their bed. After she unzipped her sleeping bag, he pulled it from her hands, set it aside, and lifted her deftly into his arms, positioning her on her back before sliding over her and covering her mouth with the most passionate of kisses.
Well, that answers that question, she thought as she mentally giggled with excitement over her good fortune.
Duncan raised himself up so he could remove his tunic. He coached her in to a sitting position so that he could remove her shirt as well. "I think it best we make certain we are properly attired before I attempt to warm you further. Do you mind?" he said motioning to her pants. She raised her hips and began to remove them, but he took matters into his own hands and removed them himself. She was not wearing any small clothes and appeared to be fairly hairless. He was quite intrigued and wondered just how that will feel against his own skin. And what a marvelous view the lack of hair provided. If men from her world were equally hairless, he didn't care. She would have to accept him how the Maker intended.
He quickly removed his own breeches and small clothes and resumed his position on top of her before pulling her bedding over them both. He kept the bulk of his weight from crushing her by resting on his elbows, forearms tucked under her shoulders. He slid one muscular thigh between her legs and positioned the other so that he was straddling her right leg. She moaned lightly as the firmness of his erection slid over her as he moved forward to kiss her again. He groaned into her mouth as he lightly rubbed himself against her where they met. She returned the favor with every light thrust.
Breathlessly he asked her, "Are you feeling warmer now?", never stopping the light movement of his hips.
"I'm very certain you can make me much, much warmer", was her reply. He chuckled mischievously as he nibbled and licked her lips.
He shifted his weight to his left leg and pulled his right arm from under her shoulder. Slicking his fingers in his mouth, he began teasing her hard nipples while he openly appraised her exposed torso. He made certain the fire was on her side of the tent when he positioned them so his view would not be completely obstructed by shadows. He was no novice and he wanted to see every inch of this woman as he took his pleasure from her. Not being able to stand the waiting further he lowered his head to suckle each nipple in turn, while he slid his hand between her legs. She was so incredibly wet. He was going to make this last, even if it tortured them both.
He lifted her so she was as far forward in the tent as possible, leaning her back against some clothes he placed there to keep her comfortable. He then slowly traced his tongue down her abdomen. She moaned as his fingers played across the folds between her legs, all the while his mouth getting closer and closer to its destination. He had not tasted a woman in a very long time and was going to dine well tonight.
She gasped as his lips and tongue finally met their target. Gently, he slid a finger inside her, probing for her particular pleasure zone. When she moaned out and shuddered, he knew he had found his mark. He licked and suckled her, playing with her with his finger until he could feel her leg muscles tighten. He withdrew all of his attentions at once and pulled her back down to the bedrolls so they were facing each other. "We have four hours and I intend to use every minute of them well." And with that comment he thrust inside her.
He was not a small man by any means and he filled her completely. She arched involuntarily at the pleasure of it and he grasped and lifted her bottom so they did not lose contact. She peaked almost instantly and he smiled into her neck as he bit her in victory. He had not lost his touch. They continued to tease and excite each other for the next two hours until they were both exhausted and spent many times over.
Duncan pulled her sleeping bag back over them both and kissed her sweetly. Tracing his fingers along her jaw and staring happily in to her smiling eyes, he kissed her nose. "You, my delicious bedmate, are a most welcome and unexpected gift to find along the road. I think The Maker, and God, have a very interesting sense of humor, don't you agree?"
"Mmmmhmmmm, I do. Perhaps they are in league together and we are both part of a grand experiment to see what happens when their soldiers meet on the field of battle."
He chuckled, "Perhaps, if so, they certainly got an eyeful tonight."
She snuggled into the warmth of his embrace, sleep tugging at her for control, "They certainly did." And she drifted off into a most blissful sleep.
Duncan watched her for a while before succumbing himself. Two warriors nestled in each other's arms in the contented sleep of spent lovers.
~TBC~
A/N This is my very first foray into smut and I blame WitchWeaver completely. Are you happy now? I have delved the depths of my own depravity for you!
So here's the deal. I never, ever meant for the Traveler and Duncan to get so, shall we say, close. I am really not sure what this will do with the rest of my story line. In some ways, it fits right in with some of my planned angst, and in others it totally screws up later chapters and introduces what will most likely be unplanned angst.
As usual, please review and let me know what you think. Any glaring grammatical errors? Any serious continuity issues? Do you like how Erin's character is developing so far?
Sorry for pulling this back and reposting after editing. Learned a valuable lesson, do not post when tired.