Chapter Seven

It had begun to rain that evening, un-relenting, a monsoon-like downpour for so early in the season. It was making the ground boggy and slick with mud. It was no condition to travel in, but they had no choice. They had spent the afternoon taking cover and running quickly from place to place. The floor of the valley was awash with soldiers and firing. He feared for her life with every boom of the cannon guns. Even when it felt like they were out of range, the ringing of gunshots echoed down the valley, making it seem like they were still within range of the soldiers.
Ashwin didn't want to stop walking until the sun was completely down, they didn't want to waste any travel time. Even making a camp fire in a secluded spot or if they were very lucky - another cave - was risky. At night soldiers could see firelight from miles away.
He broke out of his thoughts when he felt Emma slip in the mud behind him. They were drenched, their legs plastered in muck and their muscles aching. He pulled her up off her knees, and keeping her hand in his, kept up the march.
The thought of losing her in a crossfire or some other horrible incident had made him realise the depth of his fondness for Emma. It would be to his utter desolation if she were somehow killed. The possessive feeling he had experienced during their kiss had been proof even then, that he wanted her to be his. He wouldn't admit it to her, but he was almost glad that she didn't have to go home. He wanted to stay with her, to be her protector, to be anything she needed him to be. It was foolish thinking he knew, but he couldn't deny his feelings when they were so obvious to him.
She slipped again, pulling him back. 'I'm sorry' she mumbled, lifting her dress from the mud. He pulled her wet body back up once again, lifting her easily in his arms.

'Don't apologise.' He had to stop himself from kissing her once again. Instead he placed her back down, taking her hand and continuing the relentless walk to safety. The storm that was rolling in, showering them with rain, was worsening. The warm weather of the day was fading, and it would not do any good to be wet and cold. It would not be safe to continue in this weather after much longer.

'When will it be safe to stop for the night, Ashwin?' she asked, her voice faint with exhaustion. 'I admit that I am feeling quite hungry by now, not to mention a little wet.'

'We will stop soon,' he replied, smiling at her polite way of complaining. He scouted as they walked for anywhere that would offer suitable shelter from what was looking like a heavy storm. 'Keep your eyes alert for anywhere that we can shelter' he told her over his shoulder.

'I'll do my best' she replied.

They continued through the dense jungle, following subtle animal trails that cut through the mass of trees and plants. They tried to stick close to the walls of the valley, where caves and outcrops could offer shelter.
The temperature was beginning to drop rapidly and Ashwin was getting more and more worried by the minute. He could not risk one of them catching fever. They were soaked, hungry, tired, and now cold. He turned back to Emma. The wind was picking up and he had to speak louder, 'we might have to make a tent in the hollow of a tree and try our luck. There doesn't seem to be any other option.'

They found a large tree and managed, despite the wind, to clip Ashwin's army tent up to form a low swooping structure. It would not do, he thought. The wind and rain meant no fire, and they needed to get warm.

'Ashwin!' Emma called out to him through the increasing gale of wind. Her wet hair whirled in the wind, becoming stuck on her cheeks. She was further away up the slope, pointing at something. 'Look!'

He hurried to her, and could have almost jumped for the joy which surged through him. A rocky outcrop up the slope protruded out from the mountain side, offering a small but cosy natural shelter beneath it. He ran to fetch their supplies, and headed back up. Together they secured his tent cloth to the top of the outcrop and pinned it down into the ground, completely encompassing the space and offering a wind barrier to the natural elements. It was only up close that he realised how small the space was. It was only a little higher than his hip, but it was deep and dry at the back where the rain had not yet touched. Emma headed in first, then he, securing the last peg into the ground as he retreated backwards into the small overhang.

On his hands and knees, he double checked the pegs were in tight, and wouldn't fly away in the night. The fabric shuddered slightly with each gust of wind, but otherwise looked secure. He looked at Emma, snugly lying at the back of the cave, her eyes already shut as if asleep. Her wet white dress revealed every thing below it. He couldn't stop himself from staring, now that their crisis was over. Her nipples, hard from the cold, pressed against the wet fabric at her breast. The dress clung to the dip in her waist and rose up to her hip, dipping down again to reveal the shape of her beautiful legs. He broke his eyes away. More important things needed to be done.
He searched his pack and brought out some matches, which miraculously had stayed dry. There was some leaves and twigs at the back of the overhang which were dry, which he collected and started a small but cheery fire. He got out his little metal kettle and stuck his arm outside holding it to fill it with rain water. He set up the apparatus over the fire and hung the kettle to boil. He then took off his tunic, laying it as flat as he could near the opening. He also kicked off his boots and trousers, so that he was only in his underlinen.
Normally he wouldn't dare in front of a lady, but becoming dry was an urgent need. If not he would catch his death of cold.
He then turned his attention to Emma, she needed to get warm. The young woman was shivering, looking deathly pale and still soaking wet.
'Emma, come here, have some tea. You need to warm yourself.'

She slowly sat up and crawled closer to the fire. Ashwin lifted his palm to her usually warm rosy cheek, feeling the freezing flesh with concern. He reached for his blanket and sleeping mat, both of which were a little damp despite his waterproofed pack, and set them up at the back of the shelter where it was most dry and warm.

He didn't know how to broach the subject of removing clothes, but he knew she needed to warm up, and the little fire alone wasn't going to do it.
'Emma, please don't think ill of me when I ask this - but you need to take off that wet dress. You will catch a fever for certain.'

She looked at him with wide blue eyes, immediately drawing her arms over her chest in defence. 'I will not do such a thing.'

'Your skin is like ice,' he urged her. 'You can wrap yourself in the blanket until your dress is dry, but please, you must.'

She eyed the blanket, then looked back at him, the uncertainty in her eyes turning into resolution. 'Okay, but first turn around.'

He did as he was told, waiting until her signal before looking. She was wrapped in his blanket, her bare legs sticking out from where the blanket was't big enough to cover. The thought of her completely naked body underneath it sent a wave of welcome heat through his still chilled body. She glanced at him and then away, a faint colour appearing on her cheeks and a little smile on her face.

The two ate the last of the travelling food, drank some tea, and, exhausted, retreated to the back of the cave to sleep. Ashwin made sure Emma had the sleeping mat and blanket, and that she was close enough to the fire's small but greatly appreciated heat.
He lay behind her, listening to the sounds of the raging storm outside. He felt cosy, but still a little cold, and still nervous about soldiers finding their spot.
As if reading his mind, Emma rolled over so she was facing him, her head poking out of the blanket. Her drying hair created a halo of soft fluff around her head. She was so close, so warm and beautiful, he longed to hold her and never let go.

'I can see that you are cold and wide awake Ashwin. You don't need to be nervous about the soldiers. We are well hidden.' her soft voice and closeness made him shiver.

'I hope you are right.' he said, his eyes not able to leave hers.

'Come here,' she urged him to come closer. He swallowed thickly, his arousal already evident in his underlinen and cursing himself for how easily she could see it. 'I can't, it's not…its not proper.'

She looked away, and he could see her trying to find the right words in Nepali to say something important. She looked back up at him and took his hands in hers bringing them close to her heart, warming them.

'Ashwin, I - I, I need you. I need you to hold me tonight. I'm sorry if you don't want to, but I have to tell you that…that I need you. I want you to always be in my life, you make me feel like no one else, so safe and warm and loved. Even if it's not true, I just…' she stumbled on her words, 'I just want you, need you. You have done so much for me, I think that I am in love with you.'

He had been holding his breath, not daring to believe the words which fell from her lips were real.
'Emma, I don't know what to say, only that I never thought I would hear these words from you,' he cupped her cheek with his palm, looking at the face which he had come to adore. Her eyes were bright with hope at his caress. 'I have loved you since the moment I found you. All I want to do is protect you, to hold you close forever, to make you my woman. Will you let me? My angel?'

He kissed away the tears of happiness which flowed freely from Emma's eyes, moving to her cheeks, her nose, her lips. He couldn't believe he was kissing her, that he was on top of her, her half naked body his to possess. He kissed her deeply, passionately, all their pent-up emotions releasing in a tidal wave of unrestrained love. Her hands were in his hair, the blanket forgotten. His hands were on her cheek, then her neck, kissing the pale skin of her throat, breathing in her sweet scent mixed with the fresh taste of rain water. She let out a soft gasp as he pressed himself against her, his tanned toned body flush against her soft, pale skin. Her soft gasps and moans were creating a surge of desire straight to his engorged manhood. Her back arched as he sucked on the delicate skin of her neck, pleasure washing through her in waves of tingling bliss. Everything felt new and she gave herself fully over to the sensations he was so eager to bestow.

All Emma knew she wanted was him, all of him, forever. She was lost in his touch, his caress, there was nothing she had ever craved more. She was ready for the 'intimates' of marriage, he had just told her he wanted her as his woman. Emma had never been more certain of anything in her whole life, than of her destiny to be Ashwin's wife.
She raked her nails over his scalp as he kissed along her collarbone, his large hands roaming beneath the blanket, grazing along the sides of her body, massaging the tender skin of her hips, before squeezing her round bottom. When he began to kiss her breasts, she felt slightly nervous, only because no one had ever seen them besides her maids, but her shyness didn't last long. She gasped as his lips latched onto a hard pink nipple, sucking eagerly. His hands caressed and squeezed her large creamy mounds, causing her cry out with unbridled pleasure. It was too much and at the same time not enough. She arched her back, feeling his erect manhood bump against her inner thigh. She longed to touch it, feel it's weight in her hands.

Ashwin moved his mouth to her other nipple, licking and sucking, admiring how her skin glowed like alabaster, her perfect pink nipples and full lips reminding him of fresh strawberries against the cream of her skin. She was breathtaking, and he revelled in every moan that escaped her, the pleasure that he alone was bringing her.

Moving away from her breasts, he looked down at her rosy pink face. There was no denying that they were both fully warm and dry by now. Her previously icy skin was now warm and supple flesh, soft beneath his firm grip. He pushed aside some curls from her face.

'Are you alright?' he asked.

'Yes' she beamed at him, brining him down for another searing kiss. She moved to his throat, and then up to his ear, her breath ghosting along the delicate shell, and then she sucked hungrily on the lobe, his painfully erect manhood swelling even further. He hissed and moved her away, trying to calm his racing heart.
'Can I?' he breathed, lowering his hand to her most sacred place.
'Yes' she said, the trust in her eyes evident. She gasped as he began to stroke his fingers gently over her wet folds. She felt shaky as he applied more pressure, kissing her whilst he stirred feeling down there which she had never felt. Her hips bucked upwards as he rubbed her most sensitive spot. 'Oh!' she gasped, her hands fisting in his hair. She felt like something was building but she didn't know what.
When he slid a finger inside her and began to move it, the pleasure was like nothing she'd ever felt. 'Ashwin' she breathed into his ear.
'Emma, are you ready? We don't have to do anything you're not ready for.'

She nodded, 'I am ready. I want to be yours. I want you to take me.'

The look of trust and love in her eyes made him swoop back down for another kiss. His member was now flush against her naked folds, pulsating with the fullness of his need. He sat back up, opening her legs and removing his underlinen.
He reached down and guided his manhood to the wet core between her thighs. They both gasped as it touched her rose pink petals, gliding against the wetness of her folds. With a trembling hand he pushed the tip inside, then slowly thrust up into her.
A rough sound escaped him, the pleasure of her tightness and warmth almost too much to bear. Emma braced herself against the searing pain that marked the end of her virtue. It brought tears to her eyes, which were quickly kissed away. The feeling of being ripped in two began to fade as he slowly began to pump into her with shallow thrusts, his face still beside her, kissing her eyes, cheeks, lips and holding her body close to his. She felt loved, her muscles relaxed and soon the pain disappeared entirely.

Mounting pleasure began to build again, the same intensely blissful feeling she had felt before, but this time, the feeling built up incredibly fast. It wasn't long before she was crying out in pleasure, clinging onto his back, her nails digging into his skin. It felt so good to have him inside her. Ashwin rested his head in the crook of her neck, unable to hold himself up long enough to kiss her. He set up a fast rhythm, gripping the soft flesh of her hips with force, trying to create as much friction as possible whilst he pumped into her. Since it was the first time for the two of them, it wasn't long before Ashwin reached his climax. The white hot fire that had been building between them finally soared as he issued a final furious onslaught before spilling his hot seed deep inside her womb.

The morning found the two lovers out in the clear and sunny day. They had left later than planned, being unable to move from the heaven they had found in each other's arms. It was a long walk, and many days later that they finally arrived in a small town. Ashwin arranged transport, and the two of them escaped by train to India to marry. No one knows what happened to the couple after that, except that they lived happily ever after.

The End :)