Here is this week's installment. In this chapter, we see what happens to Frost after her little run in with the Fetish Shamans. Frost then discovers how Keltar truly is, and is quite upset about it. Life is about to get very complicated for the sorceress. WARNING: this chapter contains some adult situations, hence the M rating this story has.

Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!

XIV

Pain seared through Frost, forcing her awake. Her eyes slowly opened, and were greeted by the sight of Luther standing above her. It was an odd sight however, for Luther was clad in the light leather padding he wore under his armor, and not in the armor itself. The only time Frost had seen Luther without armor was when he was wounded. She tried to sit up, but a throbbing pain in her shoulder stopped her advance.

"Take it easy now, lie still and rest." Luther said soothingly, placing his hand on her forehead and pushing her down gently.

"What…..what happened?" Frost mumbled.

"Think back, try to think. What's the last thing you remember?" Luther answered.

"I don't remember much, just the flames, the heat. Then I teleported back into the other hallway."

Panic rushed through the sorceress. The flames had licked at her face. Instantly she was very worried about scarring and any other cosmetic damage. She brought her hands up to her face, and touched gently. The act caused pain to scream through her in so many ways. Her left arm protested, a burning sensation spreading down her arm. Her face stung where she touched it. She seemed to ache all over.

"Don't worry about your face. I got to you in time to prevent any scarring. Your face is swollen, but in a week or two, there will be no signs of what happened." Luther reassured her.

Relief, mixed with the exhaustion from the little movement she had attempted, washed over Frost. She allowed herself to settle back and rest. As she settled in, she noticed something strange about how she moved. Her left shoulder was wrapped in bandages, covering the gaping wound the flayer's knife had left in her. Pain throbbed inside this injury, memory of the agony experienced when it was inflicted.

But there was something more that wasn't right, and it took Frost a moment to put her finger on it. Suddenly it dawned on her. She was naked! Mortified, she attempted to clutch at the covers feebly, as if there was some need to do so.

Luther laughed. "Be at ease Frost, it was not I that disrobed you, though I'd love to have the pleasure. A few of the women in town helped get you situated in bed here, and they made sure I didn't see anything"

Frost relaxed a bit, relieved she hadn't been seen in such a compromising state.

"You need to rest, here you go." Luther said, holding a handful of herbs under her nose.

Frost felt her mind go foggy almost instantly. Right as her eyes began to close, she saw Luther rise and leave the room. As sleep overtook her, it dawned on her just what the paladin had said. He had made a suggestive comment, an affirmation that he found her attractive. It was the first time he had said such a thing to her. For some reason, maybe from the pain, maybe from the sleeping herbs, this thought brought warmth to Frost's heart that she had never felt before.

Luther ambled out of the small wooden house that was serving as a makeshift hospital for Frost, and headed west across the small bridge to the main town square. He looked around for something to occupy his time while he waited for Frost to recover, but found nothing. With nothing to distract his mind, Luther found his thoughts returning again to Frost, and his feelings.

He was slightly embarrassed at what he had said to her about her lack of clothing and all, but he figured she would have no memory of it. He didn't mind even if she did remember, he truly had come to accept his feelings for her. He prayed that she felt the same for him, but could come to terms if she didn't. He would protect her either way.

Her relationship with Keltar had cooled considerably. Something had happened between them after arrival, though he knew not what. It seemed to him that Keltar wanted something from her that she was not willing to give. Luther had grown to know Frost well enough to know her interest had waned in the barbarian. Keltar seemed to be losing interest as well, though they did flirt back and forth once in a while.

Luther allowed his thoughts to wander with him as he shuffled around town, repairing his armor, chatting up locals, and doing anything else he could think of to pass the time between check ups on Frost.

Two weeks passed before Frost was well enough to move about again. Time truly was wasting, but Luther knew he could not take on the quest against Diablo alone. He needed Frost, and Keltar surely was an immense help as well. He did not strike out with just Keltar though, for deep down he did not trust the barbarian. It was nothing tangible, maybe it was because of the fact that he had caught Frost's eye, but something about the man bothered Luther. Luther waited for Frost, and if the world be damned by it, oh well.

Early in the morning, Frost slowly made her way from the small house that had been her recovery room into the light of the day. Luther noticed her emergence and quickly made his way to her.

"Are you feeling better, Frost?" He asked anxiously.

"Yeah, I'm doing better now." Frost answered. "Where's Keltar?"

"Oh, he's been spending most of his time over at the tavern with the Iron Wolves. I haven't seen much of him in a while now, to be honest."

Fury boiled within Frost. She had allowed herself to be Keltar's, and this is how he repays her for the honor? She could not let go, nor blow it off because of her pride. The only reason she was bothered by his lack of interest in her well being was because she couldn't stand the idea of someone who was enraptured with her ever losing that feeling. It was an affront to her ego.

Frost turned to storm off to the tavern, but Luther stopped her by holding her right elbow gently.

"Wait a moment please, before you go off to tear into him." Luther begged.

"Why? What do you want? Let go of me" Frost protested.

"I have a gift for you, a little something I picked up with you in mind."

Frost's eyes sparkled, and she made no effort to pull away from him. A gift would be a major stroke to her ego, something she desperately needed. She turned and displayed her best smile.

"I thought that would stop you" Luther chuckled. He then brought his hand from behind his back.

He was holding a shining silver dagger in his hand. The blade was nearly twelve inches long, and inlaid with beautiful symbols and markings. The hilt guard appeared to be made of pure gold, and shone brightly in the morning sun. The hand was inky black, the same tone as Frost's hair, and appeared to be made of some kind of rare and unusual metal. The pommel of the weapon was made of a single, dazzling sapphire. The entire piece was ornate enough to be ceremonial, but the extreme sharpness of the blade suggested otherwise.

Frost's breath caught in her throat. "Is that…." She trailed off.

"Yes it is, my dear. This is Wizardspike, the ultimate weapon for a mage. Cain himself verified the identification. I figured you were the ultimate sorceress, so you deserved the ultimate weapon, right?"

Luther replied, savoring the look on the young woman's face.

Frost gingerly took the weapon from Luther, feeling its magical energies filling her. She felt her abilities jump instantly with the dagger in her hand. "What did you have to give for this?" she asked.

Luther's face clouded a small bit. "Don't worry about that. Just know that it was worth it." Luther did not have the heart to tell her he had to sell the magical necklace his wife had given him along with his wedding ring to afford the dagger. Nor did he tell her that he did not know the dagger was Wizardspike, but he had taken a huge gamble on an unidentified knife and had just been lucky.

Frost was overwhelmed with emotion. The gift did serve to puff her ego, but no one had ever given her such a thing before. Not a gift that was so valuable, so meaningful. Luther did this because he wanted to, not because he wanted something from her. Such purity was alien to Frost, and it moved her deeply.

Tears streamed down her face, and she leapt forward into Luther, throwing her arms tightly around the paladin. She pressed herself against him, her cheek holding tightly to his.

"Its okay, its okay" Luther repeated to her, holding her tightly.

"No, thank you" Frost whispered between sobbing breaths.

Frost allowed one more moment to pass before she pulled slightly away from him. He did not try to keep her close to him, he did not try to impose his will on her. At that moment, Frost finally understood what she truly wanted from love, and what she wanted in a man. She wanted a man that would be there when she needed, one that would swoop in and protect her. She also wanted him to give her room, allow her to breathe. Finally he would have to understand her well enough to see through her bravado, to see the wounded little girl that lay underneath.

She instantly realized that the man she so desperately needed had been standing in front of her the entire time. He was unmoving in his support of her. He truly believed in her, and thought the world of her. He wasn't afraid of her, and it seemed that now he was no longer afraid of his own feelings either. Frost knew that these feelings were real, and they weren't a passing interest. Something inside her heart told her that these feelings for Luther were honest and true.

Frost decided it was time to act on these feelings, now that she was so sure of them. Instead of disengaging the embrace, she just drew back slightly, and gazed into Luther's eyes. She brought her hands up to his face, holding his cheeks gently. She would not allow him to get away this time. Frost leaned up and kissed Luther ever so gently.

This time, Luther did not pull away, or even attempt to. He kissed the young sorceress back, gently at first, and then with fiery passion. He pulled her tight against himself, and his lips seemed to speak to Frost of his yearning for her. She was surprised by his intensity, though that was not a bad thing in her eyes. She wasn't aware of just how much he had fallen for her before this moment.

Frost decided to show her strong feelings as well. She moved herself harder into him, and slightly lower than she was. She then slid up him, never once breaking the deep kiss they shared. As she reached the peak of her upwards slide, she opened her mouth. She was offering her entire body for him to explore. Luther's hands began to move in acceptance of the invitation, but instead, suddenly, pushed her hard away, ending the blissful kiss.

Once again, Frost was completely baffled. A puzzled look spread over her face.

"You are spoken for, my dear. I cannot dishonor you like this." Luther explained.

Frost had forgotten about Keltar, and didn't mind that she had done so. She was slightly annoyed by Luther's old fashioned beliefs, but also knew it spoke volumes to his character.

"That relationship must end before we can continue" Luther said gravely.

"I'll go take care of that right now!" Frost said, eager to cement the new relationship. It had taken Luther a very long time to come this far, and Frost wasn't going to start all over again.

Frost walked towards the tavern on the western island. She fully intended to tell Keltar that it was over, and in such a way to make him leave the party. The last thing she wanted was to be around him. She knew he would be crushed, but at this moment, she did not mind.

"Where's Keltar?" Frost demanded of the trio of Iron Wolves gathered around an old wooden table in the corner.

"First room at the top of the stairs, but I don't think you should go up there" the tallest Wolf answered.

Frost gave the man a hard look. She held out her hand, allowing it to become engulfed in magical flames.

"I don't think a half wit mercenary mage should dare tell a master sorceress what to do, do you?"

The man shifted uncomfortably. He had obviously decided trouble would be a bad idea. "Whatever you say, sorceress." He replied sarcastically.

Frost smiled smugly, and went up the stairs.

The door was closed tightly. Frost reached for the crude knob, but stopped when she heard voices floating into the hallway from beyond the door. One voice was unmistakably Keltar's, but there was another voice, a softer voice as well. Giggles and slight gasps reached Frost's ears. The sorceress stopped and listened closely.

"Oh, Keltar, that's very nice!" the female voice said playfully.

"I'm glad you like it. How about having a closer look?" Keltar answered.

The woman giggled, and then there was a moment of silence. Then the sound of Keltar breathing heavily pushed into the hall.

"Oh yeah, that's it. Do it more like that. Don't stop" Keltar breathed heavily.

Frost could not believe her ears. She flung the door open and was met with a sight that would change everything.