Chapter Summary: Miranja finally gets her dearest wish fulfilled.

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They woke up stiff, sore, and cold – their fire had burned down to embers during the night. Faendal stoked the fire back up and they had a meager but warming breakfast of snowberries and warmed mead. Before they left, Miranja just had to climb all the way to the topmost crag to have a look at Skyrim from the highest point in the province. To her surprise, she found an enchanted pickaxe up there. It was a clear morning, and the view was breathtaking. She did her best to etch it into her memory, as she didn't feel she would be inclined to make that climb again, at least not for a long time. When she came back to the dragon wall, she bid a fond farewell to Paarthurnax, and he sent her off with a blessing.

Miranja and Faendal spent long enough in High Hrothgar to ask Arngeir if he knew anything about where to find an Elder Scroll, but he expressed derision toward such things, saying that those 'blasphemies' were more of interest to mages, and suggested that the College of Winterhold would be a good place to start. It was mid-morning by the time they returned to Ivarstead. Miranja collected her now-dried clothes from the porch of the inn and bought some more food provisions from Wilhelm, then she and Faendal headed back down the mountain toward Windhelm.

As they walked, she let Faendal get ahead of her so she could drink him up with her eyes. His broad shoulders and confident saunter made her crazy. Her thoughts returned to the sexy time she'd had with Anoriath and Elrindir last night. It had done her a world of good after so much stress.

The memory was so fresh in her mind, she couldn't stop thinking about how delicious it would be if she could just raise Faendal's interest and talk him into some naughty behavior. Before the Bosmer brothers, she'd gone without sex for a good three months – one of which she'd spent keeping very busy in Skyrim – and playing with Anoriath and Elrindir had awakened the sleeping dragon, so to speak. Her desire for Faendal was becoming unbearable.

Near Fort Amol, she and Faendal were attacked by two wolves, but Miranja employed her recently learned Kyne's Peace Shout and they were able to continue on undisturbed. Unfortunately, before the Shout could recharge, they encountered two bears and were forced to defend themselves. As usual, Faendal charged right in, screaming and slashing with a war axe. Miranja quickly employed her oakflesh spell and then switched to double-casting flames. Faendal had already finished off the first bear before Miranja's flame spell could take down the second, so he finished off the second one, too. She was, once again, both frightened and aroused by the sight of Faendal with his eyes blazing, nostrils flaring, and bear blood spattered across his face. He had almost single-handedly killed two large, dangerous animals where most men would have fallen to a single bear.

Miranja was collecting bear pelts for Temba Wide-Arm, so she and Faendal spent the next half hour skinning the bears. Faendal showed her using one bear for an example, and she copied his actions on the other bear. It was gruesome work, but she felt proud that she was learning some hunting and survival skills. Faendal cut some haunch meat from one of the bears, and after letting the blood drain from it, he wrapped it carefully in some spare wax cloth and secured it with some twine he'd brought. He put the meat away in his pack to cook the next time they stopped for a meal. They rolled up the pelts and Faendal carried them under his arm, shifting them from arm to arm as he tired. His jerkin was getting bloodstained, but the pelts were too big to fit in his pack with all his other supplies.

When they reached Mixwater Mill, Miranja wanted to cross the river to check out Cronvangr Cave and a small shack on the opposite bank. Faendal was all too happy to drop the pelts outside the cave entrance while they explored.

Miranja had wrongly assumed that they could explore the cave and still make Windhelm before it got too late. They could tell by the webs and egg sacs outside the cave that there would be frostbite spiders inside, but neither of them were prepared for the vampires they discovered in a different part of the cave. By the time they emerged from the cave, it was after ten o'clock. If it wasn't so late, Miranja would have liked to go back to Mixwater Mill and ask Gilfre if they could shelter in the worker's house for the night, but she didn't want to disturb the woman if she was already sleeping, and she didn't want to trespass.

They made their way to the shack, disposed of the sabre cat that had made its home inside and some mudcrabs occupying the area outside, and checked out the interior. They had to clear out the remains of the previous human resident , presumably eaten by the sabre cat. Miranja had to marvel for the hundredth time at how quickly she'd gotten used to killing and death since coming to Skyrim.

There was a chest with some gold and a few items they could sell in Windhelm. There was a single bed and a couple of cooking pots, so they built a fire in the firepit, spread out the bear pelts bloody side up near the fire to dry, and cooked the meat Faendal had saved.

While Faendal tended the meat, Miranja diced up and pan-fried one of the potatoes she carried and sliced up a leek from the little garden outside to mix in for flavor; Faendal declined her offer to cook one for him, explaining that the Bosmer were strict carnivores. Eating or killing plants was taboo in their culture, but he was okay with her indulging.

Miranja was a little incredulous to learn that Bosmer didn't even use herbs to flavor their meat – even pepper came from a plant. Salt was the only seasoning they used. In her eyes, they didn't know what they were missing, but she respected Bosmer culture and found it rather fascinating. Faendal went on to say that most Bosmer outside of Valenwood were laxer in abiding by the rules; he himself lived in a log home with a thatch roof and used a wooden hunting bow. And of course, he worked at a lumber mill and chopped wood for a living. But he at least tried to abide by the food rule. Even Bosmer in Valenwood occasionally used wood and other plant materials that were imported from other provinces.

"Bosmer also eat their fallen enemies," Faendal said with a devilish smile, hoping to shock her further. "But of course, if I were to abide by that rule while traveling with you, there's no way I could ever eat that much meat."

Miranja gave him a sidelong gaze and a twisted smirk and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

They kept a careful watch while the food cooked, as nearby carnivores would be attracted to the smell of cooking meat. They had a delicious dinner, cleaned up and packed away their dishes, then Miranja cleaned up the bed and the area around it to make sure there were no spiders or other vermin. Once that little matter was attended to, they checked once more for any nearby predators, stripped down, let their hair down, and waded to the water with their soaps and washcloths to bathe in the moonlight and wash away the dirt, sweat, and bear blood. Before he washed himself, Faendal washed his jerkin before the blood could set in and hung it over the end of the cooking spit where it could dry near, but not too near, the fire.

Faendal washed her back for her; he went about it a little more slowly than the times before, and she enjoyed it and felt her libido stirring, but she chalked up his dawdling to his being tired from all the physical activity. She returned the favor with equal languor, lusting at the sight of his long, wet hair falling over his broad, freckled shoulders. She wanted to kiss those shoulders so badly, she nearly trembled with her desire and with the effort of resisting the temptation.

Later that night, while Faendal sat on the chair he'd pulled to just inside the empty doorframe to stand the first watch, she lay in her bedroll on the bed, looking up at the stars peeking through the holes in the ceiling, and imagined actually kissing his delicious shoulders, kissing his neck, his ears, his mouth. She yearned to know how it felt to be in his strong arms, how his body would feel on top of her, how his hard cock would feel inside her as he loved her. She envied Camilla his affections. Pent up with sexual frustration, she waited until she felt he would believe she had fallen asleep, and then, noting that Faendal's attention was turned outdoors, she began quietly pleasuring herself. She had to make an effort to regulate her breathing so Faendal wouldn't realize what she was up to.

Cautiously glancing over at him out the corner of her slitted eye, she saw that he was rocking a bit, slowly and rhythmically at first, but each time she chanced looking at him he seemed to be moving a little quicker. She realized that he was indulging himself the same way she was. Oh, if he was as frustrated as she was, then perhaps... She spoke up, startling him.

"It seems we're in the same boat tonight, eh, Faendal?"

"Wh-what?" He answered without turning toward her, adjusting his clothing hurriedly.

"Were you thinking about Camilla?" she teased, putting a suggestive tone in her voice.

"No," he denied, but she could see his ears turning red in the combined moonlight from outdoors and firelight from indoors.

"It's okay if you were," she gently assured him, getting out of her bedroll and walking over to him in her smallclothes. "To be honest, I was having trouble sleeping because I was thinking about you."

Faendal turned toward her as she approached, and the expression on his face was a mixture of embarrassment and hope. "Actually, I was thinking of Camilla, but I was also thinking of you."

"You mean… both of us together?"

"Yeah." He looked away with mild embarrassment as he said it, but his eyes quickly returned to her, and he was having trouble keeping his eyes on her face.

"Oh, you naughty boy," Miranja smiled, eyes twinkling. "Hmm… yeah, I think I would gladly have a threesome with you and Camilla if the opportunity arose. Truth be told, I've been keeping my hands to myself because I figured you only had eyes for Camilla. I mean, you and Sven both seemed pretty serious about trying to court her, like any day the two of you could come to blows over her." She settled on her knees in front of him on the threshold.

"She is a beautiful and intelligent woman," Faendal acceded, "but so are you. You have a lot of similarities, both in looks and personality. But I'm trying not to compare you; I see your differences, and your own personality is just as attractive to me. I love how you hold your own in a battle, and how you're willing to take instruction, and how passionate, uninhibited, and straightforward you are. I even love how headstrong you can be sometimes, because you can also admit when you're wrong. You don't smother your 'fire,' if you know what I mean. But even though you're getting pretty famous in Skyrim, you're remarkably humble – usually." He smiled wryly at her, but by now she was no longer listening to his compliments. One thought dominated her mind.

Praise the gods – he wanted her! Miranja's throat was constricted with lust, and she could hardly breathe. "Faendal, I've wanted you so badly for so long. Can we-?"

Before she could finish her question, Faendal leaned forward with a groan and pulled her head toward him to kiss her hungrily. She grabbed him by the shoulders for balance as she straddled his lap. She felt an entire swarm of butterflies rise up in her belly as he reached into her bra and pulled her breast free, filling his mouth with her flesh and rolling his tongue around her hardening nipple. She helped him remove the bra and he mouthed her other breast, stiffening that nipple as well. Gooseflesh covered her whole body, and she panted and trembled with passion.

Miranja held the back of his head with one hand and reached down with the other to grab his firm buttock, prompting him to tilt his pelvis up against her so she could feel his hard cock through their clothes. She was literally dizzy with the thought that yes, she was finally getting to touch him and be touched by him in the way she'd been longing for. She was mad with wanting to simply tear his clothes off and get him as naked as she was right now.

Faendal moved back up to taste her mouth once again, and while they kissed forcefully and passionately, he worked his hand into the front of her panties and touched her hot center. She was incredibly wet, and his fingers slid deliciously over her throbbing clit as he searched for her opening, eliciting an anguished moan from her throat. He tried to push his middle and ring fingers into her but the angle was too awkward. Miranja happily obliged him; she put one foot down on the floor for leverage and tilted her hips up so he could go deeper into her.

"Gods, you're so wet," Faendal murmured against her lips, and she bit his lower lip and ran her tongue across it. Meanwhile, she was fumbling at his clothing, lifting the front of his fresh jerkin and trying fervently to untie the drawstring of his pants, dying to see and get her hand – and lips – around that cock. Finally, she got the right bit of string in her fingers and pulled the bow knot loose; she thrust her hand down the front of his pants and seized the object of her intense desire. It was already oozing in anticipation, and she toyed with the sticky fluid, rubbing it into the head of his lusty tool with her thumb as she stroked him sensuously.

"Let me suck you," Miranja begged, letting go of his cock to tug at the waistband of his pants.

"After I taste you," Faendal countered with a devilish grin. He gently pushed her off of his lap and stood up, then swept her up into his arms and carried her over to the bed. He laid her down carefully enough, but roughly yanked her panties down her legs and over her feet. As she had with Anoriath just two nights prior, Miranja kept her legs modestly together until Faendal put his hands between her thighs and pushed them apart. Faendal gazed upon her for a moment, devouring her with his eyes before getting into a comfortable position to feast on her succulent nether lips. He leaned on his left shoulder, wrapping his arm around her thigh, digging his fingers into her supple flesh. She would have bruises there in the morning, but she would cherish them. She was in heaven, mentally pinching herself at having Faendal's deft tongue in her slit, his lips sucking her clit, and his fingers once again plumbing her depths.

"Gods, your pussy is so sweet," Faendal groaned, his breath hot on her wet flesh. "You don't even know how often I've thought about this. I may still long for Camilla, but I can't help wanting to make you come." His lewd, impassioned words fanned the flames in her groin even higher. She loved it when a man talked dirty to her.

"Do it," she pleaded, her voice husky with desire.

"Tell me what you like," he said, kissing her lower lips as if kissing her mouth, circling his fingers deep within her.

"Almost exactly what you're doing right now," she told him with a bit of a whimper in her voice. "Suck very gently on my clit and lick me with your tongue soft, not hard and pointy. I'm incredibly sensitive. Your fingers… are perfect."

Faendal followed her instructions to the letter, and Miranja luxuriated in his erotic attentions. She stroked his ears and the bald sides of his head, toyed with his ponytail. His hair was incredibly soft. He moaned as he worked, obviously enjoying himself as much as she was enjoying what he was doing to her. She worked her hips in time with his circling fingers and his rhythmic sucking, and when her orgasm was imminent, she grasped the fingers of the hand he had wrapped around her thigh, squeezing his hand and groaning his name as the fireworks exploded throughout her body. Faendal kept up his work, moaning with his own arousal at her spasms, easing off as she settled down, pulling his fingers out of her to stroke her as he continued gently kissing her sated quim.

"Ahhh, Faendal… that was exquisite," she sighed contentedly, still holding his hand and stroking his soft white hair with her other hand.

"You're telling me," Faendal breathed, moving up to kiss her mouth. "I love the taste and smell of you."

Miranja kissed him back with relish, not at all bothered by her own taste and scent on his mouth. Gods, he made her so hungry!

"My turn," she said. When he backed away, she got up on her knees, and Faendal rose to stand on one foot with his other knee on the bed and took off his jerkin. She greedily ran her hands over his chest and shoulders, squeezed his muscular arms, stroked the trail of hair down the center of his belly. She sucked on each of his nipples, teasing them gently with her teeth, and in return Faendal cupped and squeezed her breasts.

"These need to go," she said firmly, tugging at the loosened waistband of his pants. "Now." He pulled the trousers down past his buttocks, then sat down, kicked off his ankle boots, and worked his pants the rest of the way off. Miranja gently pushed him back to lie down on the bed, holding the base of his member in one hand and taking it all into her mouth in one go. She'd wanted this for too long to waste time with slow teasing now. She was ravenous for him. Sucking gently but firmly, moving her tongue back and forth across the underside, she slowly pulled back, enjoying the taste of Faendal's most private flesh and the sound of his passionate moan as he threaded his fingers into her hair. She hadn't rebraided it after their moonlight bath, and it was still slightly damp due to its thickness.

"You can pull my hair," she told him before voraciously swallowing his cock once again.

He closed his fingers into a fist and growled with lust, raising his hips to push himself even further into her throat. "Oh, gods, yeah, suck me… that's so damned good," he groaned in exaltation.

"What do you like best, my sexy lover?" Miranja purred, lolling her tongue around the head and stroking his scrotum. She was quite sure that she loved the scent of him as much as he enjoyed the scent of her.

"Flick your tongue just below the head, there on the underside," he urged.

She complied, sucking the head at the same time, and continuing to fondle his sac while stroking the shaft of his cock with the other hand. Faendal clamped his fingers down in her hair once more, his breath coming hard and fast, hissing indecencies through his teeth that got Miranja's heart fluttering and her crotch aching anew. Every few moments Miranja just couldn't help but to take that whole gorgeous tool all the way into her mouth and suck her way back up, but she always returned to what he had requested, and she could tell by the way his hips were jerking and his breath was hitching that he was getting close.

"I have to stop you now," she told him, squeezing him gently but firmly just below the head.

Faendal groaned in agony. "Why?"

"Because I need you inside me now, and I don't want to have to wait for you to get hard again."

She climbed on top of him and slowly lowered herself onto his rod, all the way to the balls, gasping and panting with the satisfying sensation of being filled with him. Faendal laid his head back on the bed, mouth open in a long sigh, eyes squeezed shut.

"Gods, you feel so good," Miranja breathed in sweet agony, working her hips to get him as far into her as possible.

Faendal had grabbed her by her hips and was pulling her hard against him as he pressed up with his own hips. "So do you," he answered, thrusting his cock into her with sharp jabs and holding it there for a moment each time.

Miranja ground herself against him, still marveling inside her head that she was actually, finally, fucking Faendal, and it was delicious. Eat your heart out, Camilla, she thought. Camilla was playing oblivious to Faendal's desire for her, to her own deprivation.

Thinking of Camilla reminded her of how Camilla had surprisingly flirted with her once she had begun wearing her Amulet of Mara, which got her thinking about the possibility of talking Camilla into a one-on-one tryst, and eventually maybe a threesome with Faendal. Oh, the very idea turned her on! She wanted to be able to watch and even participate when Faendal finally got Camilla into bed.

Riding Faendal's cock and thinking about watching him fuck his precious Camilla absolutely sent her over the edge for the second time, and she leaned forward to press her body against Faendal's warm chest and gobble up his sweet mouth as she wallowed in the throes of ecstasy.

Faendal couldn't know what she was thinking, but he was simply turned on by Miranja moaning his name between kisses and the fact that he'd made her come not once, but twice that night. Her hot, wet inner walls contracted rhythmically around him, and he came so hard he thought the top of his head would blow off. It had been a long while since he'd had sex with anything but his hand. His senseless moans were music to Miranja's ears, and as he thrust into her with wild abandon, she reveled in the intensity of his orgasm.

Miranja stayed on top of Faendal, resting her body on his, kissing him softly, over and over. She kissed his face, his ears, his neck, finally nestling her head against his shoulder and enjoying the feeling of those strong arms around her.

"I've wanted to do this since the day I met you," Miranja confessed. "I thought you were so handsome, and you were so lethal with that bow, it was an incredible turn-on. I was so grateful to have you with me at Bleak Falls Barrow. And I've been grateful ever since, every day I have you traveling with me. I wish I could keep you by my side indefinitely. You're a wonderful companion, if I haven't told you before."

"I wish I'd known sooner," Faendal sighed. He had gone soft and slipped out of her, and as she moved to lie beside him, he put his arm around her and pulled her close. "I'll admit, I've had to work really hard to think of boring or unpleasant things and not look at you when we've bathed together. I was so pleasantly surprised when you showed no inhibitions about getting naked in front of me. But I would have been mortified if you'd caught me with an erection. That's why I made you sleep behind me last night. If I'd known that you were attracted to me, as well…"

It was all making sense now. Miranja lifted her head and smiled salaciously at him. "We could certainly try to make up for lost time."

"That we could," Faendal agreed, smiling pretty suggestively himself.

"I feel kind of bad taking you away from your job at the mill, though."

"Don't," Faendal admonished. "I assure you, I'm having much more fun and making more money running around Skyrim with you than I ever did at the mill. Plus, I don't have to see Sven's poncy little face every day."

"What about Camilla? I'm sure you must miss her."

"Yes, but not as much as I did at first. We were getting closer, but we hadn't even really gotten to the point of handholding or kissing. I don't think she realized that I was lovestruck; I was probably way too subtle with my compliments and such."

"I guarantee you she knew, Faendal. Women are acutely aware of things like that. Is she the kind of woman who worries about what other people think of her? Maybe she pretended not to notice because she was concerned that racist people like Sven and his mother would think less of her if she was open to your courtship."

Faendal looked uncertain. "I'd like to think she's above that sort of thing, but I don't really know. She is an Imperial in a Nord village."

"Most of the people in Riverwood seem to be decent, accepting people, unlike a lot of other Nords. Except for Hilde, of course. Maybe it's just because you're vying with her son over Camilla, but Hilde thinks you're a filthy elf." Miranja gave him an impish smile. "The filthier, the better, I say."

Faendal matched her smile, stretching his neck up to bite her full lower lip. She pulled away and bit his lip in return, then they were kissing and tasting each other voraciously once again. They were still pleasing and enjoying each other after Masser had set and left Secunda alone in the sky. They wouldn't get enough sleep this night and would be very low on energy the next morning, but they'd certainly been there before, and in these moments neither of them cared.