Thank you for everyone who reviewed!!! I breathe them like oxygen
Disclaimer: Jess-a-bear eats her neighbour's poop, and I don't own esca.
(just kidding about the poop thing to all the literal folk out there)
ATTN: This chapter isn't for the squeamish. If sexual and non-consentual sexual things gross you out/offend you, don't read on. You've been warned.
--------------------------
Clay Pigeons
-------------------------
When Ava came to, she was all alone in a cold, deserted, stone room. Her arm immediately started throbbing with dull, agonizing pain, although it seemed to have subsided. Trying to collect herself, Ava attempted to sit up, but something was stopping her. She was chained to the floor. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see what the room was for. It was a holding chamber. It was poorly lit, with deep shadows just out of the light's reach, but from what Ava could tell, Ryoun was not there.
She turned her attention back to her throbbing arm. She attempted to flex it, but was met with peculiar results. It didn't move. Realization donned on her. Ryoun had twisted her arm back so far and so forcefully, that he had actually dislocated it. She shifted her weight so the chain attached to her useless arm was pulled tight, causing her arm to lift up. Pain jolted like electricity through her arm. This, Ava thought, Is gonna suck. Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself completely over to the side of her good arm, causing her injured arm to be pulled taut against the chain and an angle perpendicular to her body. The pain was excruciating, mind numbing. Still she pulled more. She was getting to the point where it hurt so much she was pulling in quick, panicked breaths, and grew dizzy. Still she pulled harder. She could feel her mind threatening to loose consciousness once more, the pain so great all she could see was black and bright blue and yellow kaleidoscopes ebbing into her distorted vision. And, suddenly, it was over. Instead of blacking out again, the flashing colors and blackness faded, leaving her in the desolate room once again. The excruciating pain had subsided to a dull throbbing in her shoulder. Ava looked down at her hand and tried flexing her fingers. Five fingers wiggled in response. Ava exhaled in relief. She had done it; her pulling had caused her dislocated arm to pop back into its socket. She didn't even think that would work.
With that out of the way, Ava considered her options. Obviously, the chains weren't going anywhere. They had stood up to her abuse, and were made of solid iron as thick as her thumb at its thinnest points. She had just started attempting to slide her hand out of the cuffs when she heard a noise in the corridor. Ryoun was whistling as he approached. Ava frantically started spitting and wrenching her hands against the cuffs in a futile attempt to get them out. Ryoun pushed open the door, causing it to slam loudly against the wall. He was smirking at her maliciously, and his armor jacket hung open, revealing the light blue shirt underneath.
"Managed to fix your arm, did you? Well, that's more than I expected from you. I'll give you that. But it's of no consequence; it won't help you." Ava growled under her breath. Focusing inwardly, she tried frantically to tap her powers and blow the shit out of the restraints. Instead, she was instantly met with a stab of sharp, white-hot pain searing through her skull, causing her to cry out in pain.
She heard a malevolent chuckle somewhere close to her, and she looked up to see the cruel smirking face of Ryoun. There was something in his eyes that made her extremely nervous.
"Let me go. You've made your point." She said looking down. "I'm sorry for embarrassing you, but don't you think this is a little much?" Ryoun said nothing, the carefree smirk on his face never changing as he moved closer to her feet, brought his leg up, and smashed it down on Ava's foot. Shattering pain shot up her leg as she screamed out. When the bright white cloud in her vision dissipated, she saw the now unsmiling, out-right cruel face of Ryoun a mere foot away from hers.
"Sorry?" he breathed, dangerously low. "You aren't even close to sorry yet," and with that he pulled out an ivory handled dagger from his waistband, and ran it along her cheekbone and down her neck. He guided the tip of his dagger into the neckline of her armor jacket, and with a swift movement, had sliced through the length of it and tore it off of her in one swift motion. Abashed, she couldn't even react as he did the same with her pants.
Now, stripped to her underwear and helpless, Ava realized exactly what kind of position she was in. Ryoun only grinned wolfishly as he started towards her, unbuckling his pants along the way.
---~---~---~
Dilandau sat, submersed in the darkness of his quarters, shielded from the bright mid-day light. He wiggled farther down into his plush mahogany-and- leather overstuffed chair and topped off his glass of Vino. He recounted the events of the previous night in which his late night rendezvous with Marrienne, the new kitchen maid. At least he thought that was her name.
He had seen her over the last week or so, and could easy work his charm on her. Small glances when they were serving dinner in the Dragonslayer Hall. Whispered words at chance meetings. Anyway, it had proved effortless, and within days they had ended up in the darkened tower in the hangar, tangled and sweating. He didn't think he'd see her again. He always enjoyed the challenge, but hated it when they caved so fast, and therefore grew bored quickly.
He sipped his Vino. He could remember the look on Ava's face when she realized what was happening. There was something distantly troubling about it.
The door slammed open. Folken stood in the doorway, his arm extended outward, holding the door open. Dilandau responded wordlessly by hurling his half-full glass at Folken, it shattering against the door mere inches beside his head, missing on purpose. Folken hadn't even flinched. Instead, he spoke in a soft but hurried voice.
"They found Ava," was all he said. Funny, was she missing? Dilandau thought. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her since she walked in on his little love fest. But he had slept in this morning and spent what had passed of the afternoon in his room, more or less.
"Good Job. They found a Dragonslayer. It's nice to see all the Zaibach tax dollars are turning out such high caliber soldiers," Dilandau said impertinently. Folken rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Follow me, Dilandau. You need to see this," Mildly curious, but mostly annoyed, Dilandau swept up the Vino bottle and trudged after Folken grumpily. They walked for a time, winding down increasingly obscure corridors until they reached a smallish hallway. Far along, hunched in a corner floor, was an odd dark shape. As they got closer, Dilandau could make out the Black-and-Blue of Dragonslayer armor.
The two of them rushed over, to where they saw Ava huddled in a corner, dirty, shaking, and vacant. She didn't even seem to notice them approaching. As they stopped before her, Dilandau could see the grime on her face, and the clean tearstains slicing straight through the dirt, like a fresh fingerprint on a frosted window.
Folken knelt down beside her and touched her shoulder. She immediately flinched, and pulled herself away into the farthest corner.
"Relax, Ava. It's only us." Folken said gently. Ava looked at him with wide, frightened eyes. "I-I know. Don't touch me.sir," She said, curling her knees up to her chin and eyes darting back and forth between Folken and Dilandau. Something had seriously disturbed her.
"What happened?" Dilandau asked. She opened her mouth as if to say, hesitated, and turned away, new tears streaming. As she turned her head, Folken noticed a crusty substance in her hair.
"What's in your hair?" Folken said, perplexed. Without looking at him, her eyes widened, as if remembering something. "He-He..Into my hair," She said uncomfortably, recalling the memory
----- ---
Ryoun sat on Ava's chest, crushing her lungs as she gasped for air. "Open your mouth" he said. Inches from her face, Ryoun was quickly pumping the shaft of his naked, stiff cock. Ava turned her head as far away as she could, and was rewarded with a sharp backhand to the cheek. Immediately, Ryoun let out a moan. He struck her again, and gasped passionately. White-hot spunk spurted out onto her chin and lips, to which Ava cried out in disgust. When Ryoun had collected himself, he looked down at her, and smeared the cum on her face with his hand, some in her hair, watching in fascination. Then, he punched her again. "I said Open." He then reached behind him, and forced his hand between her legs, she tried to clamp them shut, but was struck again, leaving a wet stain across her other cheek. He forced his fingers inside her. Ava whimpered. He then looked down at her and smirked.
"I thought you'd get off on that, you fucking slut." He pulled his fingers out and licked them clean.
----~-- ----~-----
Ava trembled, and forced her curled-up body farther into the corner of the dim hallway, clutching her armor jacket tighter around her. She fought back another wave of hot tears.
"He's-Ryoun is still in there," she choked out, indicating the stairwell nearby that lead down to the holding chambers. Folken rose to his feet and started towards the stairs. "It was an accident!" she whispered loudly, and hiccupped. Dilandau slid down the wall close to her.
"What do you mean?" he said, raising an eyebrow. Somewhere in the Holding Chambers, they could hear a hollow shout of surprise, and moments later Folken was back, huffing.
"He's dead," He said, looking at Dilandau. Dilandau rolled his eyes again. "Stop speaking in riddles you moron. Who?" Folken looked at Ava uncomfortably, understanding finally what had happened.
"Ryoun. Stabbed in the chest." Ava jumped and looked at him fearfully. Dilandau noticed that her armor jacket had been ripped open, so it had to be held shut, and that she had nothing on underneath it. In addition to that, her boots were gone and her pants didn't fit at all. He doubted they were even hers.
"I didn't do it! I mean, not intentionally, it was an accident." She cried. Folken put his arm reassuringly on his shoulder, and this time she only flinched slightly, instead of pulling away.
"You need to tell us what happened," he said gently. Ava looked at her feet in embarrassed resignation, and the events poured out. Dilandau listened without comment, still in his spot against the wall, as she huddled back in the corner and recounted in a quiet deadpan voice how Ryoun had abducted her, chained her up, beat her, and violated her in countless horrifying ways. It wasn't until now that he noticed the forming bruises on her cheeks or her arms. What disturbed him most of all was the things he had done to Ava. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Ryoun was heartless, and very likely sociopathic, but never had he dreamed he would be stupid enough to violate the code to not harm one's fellow soldiers.
----~---~--
Ava re-counted the grim memories with horrifying severance. She spoke vague details about him assaulting and abusing her, but in her mind, she kept playing the final events over and over again.
-----~--
Ryoun kicked her legs apart, and knelt down on her already bruised pelvis. He crossed his arms and examined a fingernail lazily. Immediately, she wriggled her left foot against a raised cobblestone in the floor, as she had been doing earlier, pushing against the metal nail that held the strong iron cuffs shut.
"So, What do you suppose the big lesson behind this is?" he said, still nursing a fingernail. Ava glared up at him bitterly from her helpless position.
"Sorry, I must have missed that. Of course, an arrogant pig such as yourself may not see the lack of merit in tying up and abusing another soldier." He bit down on his nail sharply and looked at her, eyes cool as ice.
Her head snapped to the side. He had punched her. Again. "You just can't figure it out, can you? Show some respect, you ill- mannered tramp. And just for that, I think you need to learn your place." He knelt forward, intending to kiss her savagely while undoing his pants again. Before he could drive it home, however, Ava spit hard into his eye. He shot upright like a stuck pig.
"Incontinent prick," she hissed. He stared at her for a moment, unfettered hate on his face. Just then she felt the bolt in the cuff on her left leg finally tug out, and her foot shot up. At that same moment, Ryoun had drawn his ivory-handled dagger from his belt and was bringing it forward. Ava couldn't react as the dagger got in between her well-placed kick to his solar plexus. With a sickening crunch, Ryoun's dagger pierced his chest. Realizing what had happened, Ava drew her foot back right away, shocked.
He stood for a moment, took a shaky step forward, and let out a noise that was a cross between a cough and a gargle, splattering blood down his front. Then, he fell forward, landing on Ava. She knew right away he was dead. While she couldn't reach one hand to the other, she could certainly reach Ryoun's pocket, and with shaky horror and relief, drew the key out.
---~----
By the time she had finished, Folken and Dilandau were somewhat dumbfounded. Ava looked at them with pleading eyes, begging for comfort and for reassurance. Folken looked to Dilandau, then back to Ava.
"I know that was difficult to do, but thank you. It's very important you told us." Folken knew the shame that accompanied female sexual abuse or rape victims, and didn't notice the covert but searching looks she was giving Dilandau. Instead, he stood up with purpose, and motioned for Dilandau to do the same. "I'm going to.take care of this," he said. "Dilandau, take Ava to the infirmary, she needs to see one of the Madoshi." As if cued, both of them cringed at the same time. Folken went back down the stairs to Ryoun's body, and Dilandau waited patiently for Ava to get to her feet. She stood up, took one step, and gasped out, stumbling forward. Her foot was still smashed from when Ryoun stepped on it.
With one liquid movement, Dilandau swung her arm over his broad shoulders and swept her up into his arms. He carried her through the halls, silently, with Ava snuggled against his warm, solid chest. She closed her eyes. It was odd, how relaxed she was now in comparison to an hour ago. And it was also curious, she reflected while breathing in Dilandau's scent of red wine and sage, how to be in a vulnerable, helpless position with one man can have a totally different, totally reverse effect on you.
Some may call Dilandau insane, foes reduced to tears at the mere threat of him, but she knew that being carried through the Vionne by him, comfortable in that solid, powerful, was the most reassuring thing to her.
------------------------------------------------------ Mamma mia, that was .. Quite something to write. Please let me know what you think
For all those interested, I've started something of a mailing list, alerting people when I update. If you're interested, please say so in your review, and don't forget to leave your email addy! ^^
Thanks again to all those who reviewed. I love you.
NEXT CHAPTER: A dark day for the Dragonslayers, and Ava's trouble isn't over yet.
ATTN: This chapter isn't for the squeamish. If sexual and non-consentual sexual things gross you out/offend you, don't read on. You've been warned.
--------------------------
Clay Pigeons
-------------------------
When Ava came to, she was all alone in a cold, deserted, stone room. Her arm immediately started throbbing with dull, agonizing pain, although it seemed to have subsided. Trying to collect herself, Ava attempted to sit up, but something was stopping her. She was chained to the floor. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see what the room was for. It was a holding chamber. It was poorly lit, with deep shadows just out of the light's reach, but from what Ava could tell, Ryoun was not there.
She turned her attention back to her throbbing arm. She attempted to flex it, but was met with peculiar results. It didn't move. Realization donned on her. Ryoun had twisted her arm back so far and so forcefully, that he had actually dislocated it. She shifted her weight so the chain attached to her useless arm was pulled tight, causing her arm to lift up. Pain jolted like electricity through her arm. This, Ava thought, Is gonna suck. Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself completely over to the side of her good arm, causing her injured arm to be pulled taut against the chain and an angle perpendicular to her body. The pain was excruciating, mind numbing. Still she pulled more. She was getting to the point where it hurt so much she was pulling in quick, panicked breaths, and grew dizzy. Still she pulled harder. She could feel her mind threatening to loose consciousness once more, the pain so great all she could see was black and bright blue and yellow kaleidoscopes ebbing into her distorted vision. And, suddenly, it was over. Instead of blacking out again, the flashing colors and blackness faded, leaving her in the desolate room once again. The excruciating pain had subsided to a dull throbbing in her shoulder. Ava looked down at her hand and tried flexing her fingers. Five fingers wiggled in response. Ava exhaled in relief. She had done it; her pulling had caused her dislocated arm to pop back into its socket. She didn't even think that would work.
With that out of the way, Ava considered her options. Obviously, the chains weren't going anywhere. They had stood up to her abuse, and were made of solid iron as thick as her thumb at its thinnest points. She had just started attempting to slide her hand out of the cuffs when she heard a noise in the corridor. Ryoun was whistling as he approached. Ava frantically started spitting and wrenching her hands against the cuffs in a futile attempt to get them out. Ryoun pushed open the door, causing it to slam loudly against the wall. He was smirking at her maliciously, and his armor jacket hung open, revealing the light blue shirt underneath.
"Managed to fix your arm, did you? Well, that's more than I expected from you. I'll give you that. But it's of no consequence; it won't help you." Ava growled under her breath. Focusing inwardly, she tried frantically to tap her powers and blow the shit out of the restraints. Instead, she was instantly met with a stab of sharp, white-hot pain searing through her skull, causing her to cry out in pain.
She heard a malevolent chuckle somewhere close to her, and she looked up to see the cruel smirking face of Ryoun. There was something in his eyes that made her extremely nervous.
"Let me go. You've made your point." She said looking down. "I'm sorry for embarrassing you, but don't you think this is a little much?" Ryoun said nothing, the carefree smirk on his face never changing as he moved closer to her feet, brought his leg up, and smashed it down on Ava's foot. Shattering pain shot up her leg as she screamed out. When the bright white cloud in her vision dissipated, she saw the now unsmiling, out-right cruel face of Ryoun a mere foot away from hers.
"Sorry?" he breathed, dangerously low. "You aren't even close to sorry yet," and with that he pulled out an ivory handled dagger from his waistband, and ran it along her cheekbone and down her neck. He guided the tip of his dagger into the neckline of her armor jacket, and with a swift movement, had sliced through the length of it and tore it off of her in one swift motion. Abashed, she couldn't even react as he did the same with her pants.
Now, stripped to her underwear and helpless, Ava realized exactly what kind of position she was in. Ryoun only grinned wolfishly as he started towards her, unbuckling his pants along the way.
---~---~---~
Dilandau sat, submersed in the darkness of his quarters, shielded from the bright mid-day light. He wiggled farther down into his plush mahogany-and- leather overstuffed chair and topped off his glass of Vino. He recounted the events of the previous night in which his late night rendezvous with Marrienne, the new kitchen maid. At least he thought that was her name.
He had seen her over the last week or so, and could easy work his charm on her. Small glances when they were serving dinner in the Dragonslayer Hall. Whispered words at chance meetings. Anyway, it had proved effortless, and within days they had ended up in the darkened tower in the hangar, tangled and sweating. He didn't think he'd see her again. He always enjoyed the challenge, but hated it when they caved so fast, and therefore grew bored quickly.
He sipped his Vino. He could remember the look on Ava's face when she realized what was happening. There was something distantly troubling about it.
The door slammed open. Folken stood in the doorway, his arm extended outward, holding the door open. Dilandau responded wordlessly by hurling his half-full glass at Folken, it shattering against the door mere inches beside his head, missing on purpose. Folken hadn't even flinched. Instead, he spoke in a soft but hurried voice.
"They found Ava," was all he said. Funny, was she missing? Dilandau thought. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her since she walked in on his little love fest. But he had slept in this morning and spent what had passed of the afternoon in his room, more or less.
"Good Job. They found a Dragonslayer. It's nice to see all the Zaibach tax dollars are turning out such high caliber soldiers," Dilandau said impertinently. Folken rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Follow me, Dilandau. You need to see this," Mildly curious, but mostly annoyed, Dilandau swept up the Vino bottle and trudged after Folken grumpily. They walked for a time, winding down increasingly obscure corridors until they reached a smallish hallway. Far along, hunched in a corner floor, was an odd dark shape. As they got closer, Dilandau could make out the Black-and-Blue of Dragonslayer armor.
The two of them rushed over, to where they saw Ava huddled in a corner, dirty, shaking, and vacant. She didn't even seem to notice them approaching. As they stopped before her, Dilandau could see the grime on her face, and the clean tearstains slicing straight through the dirt, like a fresh fingerprint on a frosted window.
Folken knelt down beside her and touched her shoulder. She immediately flinched, and pulled herself away into the farthest corner.
"Relax, Ava. It's only us." Folken said gently. Ava looked at him with wide, frightened eyes. "I-I know. Don't touch me.sir," She said, curling her knees up to her chin and eyes darting back and forth between Folken and Dilandau. Something had seriously disturbed her.
"What happened?" Dilandau asked. She opened her mouth as if to say, hesitated, and turned away, new tears streaming. As she turned her head, Folken noticed a crusty substance in her hair.
"What's in your hair?" Folken said, perplexed. Without looking at him, her eyes widened, as if remembering something. "He-He..Into my hair," She said uncomfortably, recalling the memory
----- ---
Ryoun sat on Ava's chest, crushing her lungs as she gasped for air. "Open your mouth" he said. Inches from her face, Ryoun was quickly pumping the shaft of his naked, stiff cock. Ava turned her head as far away as she could, and was rewarded with a sharp backhand to the cheek. Immediately, Ryoun let out a moan. He struck her again, and gasped passionately. White-hot spunk spurted out onto her chin and lips, to which Ava cried out in disgust. When Ryoun had collected himself, he looked down at her, and smeared the cum on her face with his hand, some in her hair, watching in fascination. Then, he punched her again. "I said Open." He then reached behind him, and forced his hand between her legs, she tried to clamp them shut, but was struck again, leaving a wet stain across her other cheek. He forced his fingers inside her. Ava whimpered. He then looked down at her and smirked.
"I thought you'd get off on that, you fucking slut." He pulled his fingers out and licked them clean.
----~-- ----~-----
Ava trembled, and forced her curled-up body farther into the corner of the dim hallway, clutching her armor jacket tighter around her. She fought back another wave of hot tears.
"He's-Ryoun is still in there," she choked out, indicating the stairwell nearby that lead down to the holding chambers. Folken rose to his feet and started towards the stairs. "It was an accident!" she whispered loudly, and hiccupped. Dilandau slid down the wall close to her.
"What do you mean?" he said, raising an eyebrow. Somewhere in the Holding Chambers, they could hear a hollow shout of surprise, and moments later Folken was back, huffing.
"He's dead," He said, looking at Dilandau. Dilandau rolled his eyes again. "Stop speaking in riddles you moron. Who?" Folken looked at Ava uncomfortably, understanding finally what had happened.
"Ryoun. Stabbed in the chest." Ava jumped and looked at him fearfully. Dilandau noticed that her armor jacket had been ripped open, so it had to be held shut, and that she had nothing on underneath it. In addition to that, her boots were gone and her pants didn't fit at all. He doubted they were even hers.
"I didn't do it! I mean, not intentionally, it was an accident." She cried. Folken put his arm reassuringly on his shoulder, and this time she only flinched slightly, instead of pulling away.
"You need to tell us what happened," he said gently. Ava looked at her feet in embarrassed resignation, and the events poured out. Dilandau listened without comment, still in his spot against the wall, as she huddled back in the corner and recounted in a quiet deadpan voice how Ryoun had abducted her, chained her up, beat her, and violated her in countless horrifying ways. It wasn't until now that he noticed the forming bruises on her cheeks or her arms. What disturbed him most of all was the things he had done to Ava. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Ryoun was heartless, and very likely sociopathic, but never had he dreamed he would be stupid enough to violate the code to not harm one's fellow soldiers.
----~---~--
Ava re-counted the grim memories with horrifying severance. She spoke vague details about him assaulting and abusing her, but in her mind, she kept playing the final events over and over again.
-----~--
Ryoun kicked her legs apart, and knelt down on her already bruised pelvis. He crossed his arms and examined a fingernail lazily. Immediately, she wriggled her left foot against a raised cobblestone in the floor, as she had been doing earlier, pushing against the metal nail that held the strong iron cuffs shut.
"So, What do you suppose the big lesson behind this is?" he said, still nursing a fingernail. Ava glared up at him bitterly from her helpless position.
"Sorry, I must have missed that. Of course, an arrogant pig such as yourself may not see the lack of merit in tying up and abusing another soldier." He bit down on his nail sharply and looked at her, eyes cool as ice.
Her head snapped to the side. He had punched her. Again. "You just can't figure it out, can you? Show some respect, you ill- mannered tramp. And just for that, I think you need to learn your place." He knelt forward, intending to kiss her savagely while undoing his pants again. Before he could drive it home, however, Ava spit hard into his eye. He shot upright like a stuck pig.
"Incontinent prick," she hissed. He stared at her for a moment, unfettered hate on his face. Just then she felt the bolt in the cuff on her left leg finally tug out, and her foot shot up. At that same moment, Ryoun had drawn his ivory-handled dagger from his belt and was bringing it forward. Ava couldn't react as the dagger got in between her well-placed kick to his solar plexus. With a sickening crunch, Ryoun's dagger pierced his chest. Realizing what had happened, Ava drew her foot back right away, shocked.
He stood for a moment, took a shaky step forward, and let out a noise that was a cross between a cough and a gargle, splattering blood down his front. Then, he fell forward, landing on Ava. She knew right away he was dead. While she couldn't reach one hand to the other, she could certainly reach Ryoun's pocket, and with shaky horror and relief, drew the key out.
---~----
By the time she had finished, Folken and Dilandau were somewhat dumbfounded. Ava looked at them with pleading eyes, begging for comfort and for reassurance. Folken looked to Dilandau, then back to Ava.
"I know that was difficult to do, but thank you. It's very important you told us." Folken knew the shame that accompanied female sexual abuse or rape victims, and didn't notice the covert but searching looks she was giving Dilandau. Instead, he stood up with purpose, and motioned for Dilandau to do the same. "I'm going to.take care of this," he said. "Dilandau, take Ava to the infirmary, she needs to see one of the Madoshi." As if cued, both of them cringed at the same time. Folken went back down the stairs to Ryoun's body, and Dilandau waited patiently for Ava to get to her feet. She stood up, took one step, and gasped out, stumbling forward. Her foot was still smashed from when Ryoun stepped on it.
With one liquid movement, Dilandau swung her arm over his broad shoulders and swept her up into his arms. He carried her through the halls, silently, with Ava snuggled against his warm, solid chest. She closed her eyes. It was odd, how relaxed she was now in comparison to an hour ago. And it was also curious, she reflected while breathing in Dilandau's scent of red wine and sage, how to be in a vulnerable, helpless position with one man can have a totally different, totally reverse effect on you.
Some may call Dilandau insane, foes reduced to tears at the mere threat of him, but she knew that being carried through the Vionne by him, comfortable in that solid, powerful, was the most reassuring thing to her.
------------------------------------------------------ Mamma mia, that was .. Quite something to write. Please let me know what you think
For all those interested, I've started something of a mailing list, alerting people when I update. If you're interested, please say so in your review, and don't forget to leave your email addy! ^^
Thanks again to all those who reviewed. I love you.
NEXT CHAPTER: A dark day for the Dragonslayers, and Ava's trouble isn't over yet.