Author's Note: annnd, here's the required amount of steaminess (aka, Guy and Catrine's reunion) )
The giant man, John, huffed in response and shook his head slowly, staring at Roy.
Roy gulped and turned back towards Catrine, "First, before we tell you where your husband is, tell us what you have to exchange." He nodded at his own words, "Yup, that's how this will work," he added more confident in himself.
Hope rekindled in Catrine heart. He must still be alive, somewhere in this expansive forest. She pulled Sir Mathew's purse away from her belt, the coins within jingling as she shook the leather bag.
"200 crowns, good sirs, for my husband. For my husband, alive."
Roy's eyes grew wide once again, "Two hundred crowns!" He turned to the giant still holding her horse's bridle, "two hundred crowns, John! Good thing you didn't kill him."
A shiver ran down Catrine's spine, her greatest fear almost a reality. She shook it away. "Now, if you want the 200 crowns, you will tell me where my husband is."
Roy practically drooled looking at the full moneybag, "Over the next hill. We dragged him over there since he was knocked out. Tied him to a tree." Roy pointed over towards Catrine's left.
"Show me, and then you'll get your money."
"No, we take the money now," John spoke up, his deep voice shocking Catrine. He took one step over, standing beside her and grabbing the purse from her hands. "He's over there. And now, we go," John answered, motioning for his men to retreat.
Alone again, Catrine kicked her horse into motion, furious that the outlaws left, but that's what you expect from such men. At least she knew Guy was alive. Or at least, she desperately hoped so.
###
Over the hill. Catrine shook her head, riding her horse as quickly as she could around the thick trees. So many trees, and Guy could be tied to any one of them. Finally at the crest of the hill, Catrine pulled her horse to a stop, craning forward to listen for any sound.
Nothing.
She rode her horse slowly, checking every tree she passed down the hill's steep slope, right and left, front and back. Soon, the trees became so dense, Catrine's horse couldn't navigate easily. She dismounted, tying her horse off to a branch nearby. After stroking her mare's neck to calm it down, Catrine walked onward down the steep slope, pushing past branches and treading through thick grass. As the hill leveled off, the trees began to separate more; less undergrowth grew up around the trees. Catrine grew more and more panicked as she passed each tree; she was over the hill and yet she couldn't find Guy.
Frustrated and fighting back tears, Catrine leaned against the large oak right in front of her. Tears began welling up in her eyes, and Catrine reached to her side, pulling Guy's dagger from her belt again. She dug in the dirt in front of her with the shining blade, filled with anger at herself—angry that she didn't fight beside him, angry that she had wasted a day and a night fighting with him.
Catrine quieted her mind, listening to the soft sound of the blade in the dirt, then she picked up a rock beside her, beginning to sharpen the blade with the rock's smooth edge. The scraping sound numbed her mind. Until something moved behind her, something on the other side of the tree.
"Who's there?" a deep voice asked.
Her heart thrilled within her. Guy's voice. Catrine looked at the dagger and the rock in her hand, filled with joyful mischief knowing that Guy was alive and right behind her. She continued to scrape at the blade, louder and faster than before. Standing up, Catrine began to silently move around the tree, still scraping.
Guy's breathing became more audible behind her, "If you're going to kill me, do it quickly," his voice was gruff in frustration and fear.
Catrine laughed as she rounded the tree's girth, "I've already tried to kill you once. On our wedding night. And I don't think I can even try again."
Guy turned to face her voice, standing on the opposite side of the tree, his eyes covered with a blindfold and his hands bound by rope above his head. "C-Catrine?" he stuttered, "How did you find me?"
Laughing again, Catrine dropped the dagger and rock to the ground, removing his blindfold gently and tracing her fingers along his jaw line, "With lots of luck and the help of Sir Mathew's 200 crown-filled purse."
Guy smiled, blinking his eyes to adjust to the sunlight. "Thought I told you to save the Sheriff."
"You did," Catrine smiled, eyeing his bonds above his head, "but I thought that such an order from you was… overbearing, Guy."
"So, is all forgiven between us then?" Guy chuckled, raising his eyebrow.
Catrine stepped closer, feeling all around his head and into his hair, "Not quite yet." Guy winced as she reached around the left side of his head; Catrine felt the swell from where they must have knocked him out. She shook her head sympathetically as Guy sniffed in pain. Standing on tiptoe, Catrine leaned in, kissing the spot gently, feeling Guy's breath on her neck as he kissed her shoulder.
She touched him, smelled him, wanted him. But first, she needed an apology. Breathing deeply, Catrine stepped away, a smirk across her face. With one swift motion, her palm slapped across Guy's left cheek, and Guy choked out a stifled grunt. His blue-grey eyes teared in pain as he turned to look at her.
Smiling, Catrine reached up to his face and wiped away the moisture from under his eyes, "Now everything is forgiven, Guy. I'm sorry I ever listened to the Sheriff's poisoned words in the first place."
"And I'm sorry that I didn't understand," Guy replied. Then he looked above his head at his hands still tied up. "Now that we're reconciled, I think we should be… properly… reunited," Guy's deep voice coaxed.
Catrine chuckled, "I'm not quite done apologizing. I'm sorry I'm smarter, more intelligent and more cunning than you, Guy," she taunted, stepping forward just inches from Guy's body.
Guy craned his neck backwards against the tree, "Forgive me if I don't worship your intelligence every moment of my day. But now, I'd love it if my clever wife figured out how to untie me."
"Oh, I know something you'll love more, Guy," Catrine whispered in his ear as her hands already began wandering over his chest. Her fingers nimbly unhooked the clasps to his leather jacket as Guy leaned forward, trying to kiss her lips just inches in front of him. Catrine chuckled as she leaned out of is reach. She gently traced through the soft fabric of his tunic, slowly moving her fingers towards his waist and lifting the material away from his sinewy muscles.
Finding the ties to his pants, Catrine finally leaned in towards Guy, pressing her lips to his as she slowly unlaced each tie. Her kiss was forceful and hungry after being separated for so long, her passion overflowed as she finally touched and caressed Guy, no longer angry and no longer distanced.
Breaking away from their kiss, Catrine looked into Guy's smoldering eyes as he tried to lean in towards her for more, straining against his tied hands. Catrine relented, her lips meeting his again, feeling his tongue find hers. She pressed into him against the tree, kissing him harder as her hands continued up and down underneath his tunic and pants. "I'm sorry," she whispered breathlessly between kisses.
She felt Guy smirk beneath her lips, "For what, my love?" he replied, his voice gruff with hunger. "For what you've done… or what you're about to do?" he asked as he nipped her lips and chin.
Catrine pulled away entirely, "Both," she replied with a low chuckle. A sense of power flooded Catrine as she looked at Guy, helplessly bound before her. So this must be how he feels, she thought to herself. She chuckled again as she kneeled down in front of him, meeting the hungry look in his eye as Guy watched her every move.
Her fingers ever so lightly traced down his middle as she reached into his pants, pressing her lips to his firm body. She felt Guy shudder under her lips as her kisses traveled lower and lower. Her hands gently removed his cock from his leather pants, softly stroking him as she continued her kisses. He grew hard in her grasp, and she tightened her grip, slowly exploring every inch of him.
Guy's breath came heavily as he leaned his head down over her, her hair stirring gently under each exhale. Then, with a slight sigh, she leaned back, kneeling lower. She took his hardened cock in her hand and first breathed warm air over it, then she began licking him all around, wetting him with her tongue, her hands tracing along his length.
She felt him shudder as she took him in her mouth, circling around his cock with her tongue. Guy moaned as she began to suck on him harder, taking him deeper into her mouth. He leaned his head back against the tree with a pleasured sigh, "I'm so glad that you're sorry."
Catrine looked up at Guy, throwing him half a smirk. Guy inhaled sharply through clenched teeth: Catrine pulled away from him, gently grazing her teeth all along the length of his cock. She bit her lip and chuckled up at him, "I'm not that sorry."
