—-chapter 12—-

Morning came, and Brynjolf woke up on the floor, where he had made his bed. His body ached from the hard surface. Looking over at Allustria, she was in the exact same position he had left her in.

He got up, groaned, and stretched. Rubbing his neck muscles and popping his back. He smiled at the woman in front of him. Remembering her beauty and silliness of the night before. Wondering what she would remember. Deciding to let her sleep off the hangover she'd most likely have, he headed to the market. Thinking he could snoop around town and see what this place has to offer.

He made his way to the Gildergreen and spotted the Companion's hall. Not quite his kind of crowd. His eyes trail up the mountainous stairway, leading to the jarls castle. He thought it better to keep out of there as well. Instead he decided to wander through the living quarters.

Scanning the area, Brynjolf smiled upon finding the Hall of the Dead.

"Found you~" he kneels next to a patch of deep purple flowers with thin, triangular petals, and a yellow stamen.

Brynjolf spent his time alone prepping for the journey back. He gathered food and a set of camping supplies. Soon, he returned to their room to pack up their things, so it would all be ready once Allustria was awake. Filling a tankard of water, he dropped the flower stems inside, and set it on the nightstand next to the bed, along with a cup of water for her to drink. His ears perked when he overheard someone talking through the balcony doorway.

"Yeah, a cold wind is blowing in from the east. Seems like they're getting a snowstorm out there. Gotta dress warm!" The farmer says.

Brynjolf sighs. He didn't want to have to stay another night. Thinking of Allustria, who always seems to be underdressed, he heads out once again, in hopes of finding a couple of cloaks to wear.

Allustria wakes and bolts up, looking for Brynjolf.

"Oh, bad idea—" She found a bucket next to the bed and hurled last night's contents into it. After spitting out the taste, she attempted to look around again, squinting her eyes from the light. Her expression softens when she spots the nightshade flowers next to her. She smiled to herself, knowing Brynjolf had picked them for her. She brought them closer so she could inspect them.

Last night's events were pretty foggy, but she did remember entering the tavern with her new dress and having the intent of putting on a show. Looking around the room, she was able to put together that they at least slept separately, so perhaps her attempts at wooing the man hadn't worked. It's for the best though, what's the point of having fun with someone and not being able to remember it the next morning? Although… she did notice that her corset had been loosened. But everything else was as it was, so perhaps he just wanted her to be able to breathe while she slept. Very considerate of him.

Everything was packed up, so she pocketed the flowers, slung her pack onto her back, and carried his bag down to the bar.

"Did you happen to see where my friend went?" She asked Hulda, who offered her a fresh cup of tea and breakfast.

"Who, that handsome fella? Heard him talkin' to one of the farmers about the storm that's a brewin', then he headed to the market."

"He is handsome, isn't he?" Allustria giggled.

Once Allustria was finished eating, she headed out to look for him. It was noticeably colder today, and she hated herself for selling her fur armor to get this sexy little dress. But still, it covered more than her leather armor would, so the dress she wore.

"Ah! You're awake. Here, put this on." Brynjolf appeared behind her and swirled a cloak over her shoulders. "We better get going if we want to beat this storm. I have everything we need, so let's go!" He took his pack from her, dressed in a cloak himself, and headed for the city gates.

Allustria's heart was beating noticeably faster as soon as she saw the man. She felt embarrassed for some reason. She tried to remember if she did anything worthy of feeling like that, but couldn't seem to remember anything past arriving mid party, and sitting on his lap. Her blush deepened… oh yeah.

There was a hefty wind blowing in from the mountains. The empty fields made it more apparent. With no trees to break it, the wind just about knocked them over! They hurried to Shadowmere, who seemed happy to see them. Capes billowing this way and that, Allustria tucked her head down, pinning her hair to her chest to avoid a horrible tangled mess.

"Maybe…. You should drive…" Allustria suggested, still feeling a little dizzy from last night. Brynjolf nodded and took the front half of the saddle. He helped her up onto the back and gave Shadowmere a light kick to begin their journey.

Allustria seemed to just keep finding things to feel more and more flustered about. The saddle was on the bigger side, but still not made for two. The way her groin was sliding towards Brynjolf's hips was quite the thing to stir up her imagination. Also, the fact that he was in this seat last time made her head spin. What he must've been thinking…

An icy wind blows Allustria back to reality and she wraps her arms around him for stability. Burrowing her hooded face in his back.

The three of them cross the bridge and follow the road that hugs the river. As soon as they reach the mountain range, it begins to snow. Lightly at first, then falling down hard in large white clumps.

"If this keeps up, we'll need to find shelter!" Brynjolf yells so Allustria can hear him over the wind and river. They kept going until the path was barely visible.

"There's a cave up ahead I think. I remember seeing it before the tower." Allustria points in the direction.

They pass the bandit tower that they cleared out the day before, and follow the sloping path. Shadowmere hesitated and slowed his pace to prevent slipping. They passed the raging waterfall and Allustria pointed out the cave she remembered.

They found a clearing in the terrain to cross the river. The water was surprisingly shallow and a small bank with trees growing from it sat in the center. Crossing it, and back into the water, Brynjolf and Allustria dismounted once they reached the other side.

Allustria tried to pull Shadowmere into the cave with them, but he wouldn't have it. So instead she told him to hide in the shadows, and wait for them until the storm passed.

In the cave and out of the cold, they head through the tight tunnel and make it to an opening. There are bedrolls splattered with bones and blood. They glance at each other, and continue onward, weapons at the ready. Smashed tables and wooden structures decorate the cave floor. They continue through another tunnel and emerge into an even bigger opening, full of pines, a small pond, and a beautiful waterfall at the far end of the cave. Skulls and assorted bones scattered across the cave floor, and finally the stench hit them.

"Trolls." Brynjolf concluded. "I hate trolls." Allustria nodded in agreement.

"I need to start carrying a bow. I don't know how many I could take with just a couple of daggers."

"I don't want to find out." He said, lightly placing his fingers on her shoulder, turning her around to head back instead of fight.

They found a spot near the entrance, deciding to stay by the bed rolls they passed earlier. That way they can make a quick escape if they're ever spotted.

Avoiding the bloodied beds, Allustria sat, wrapping herself up in her dark gray cloak. She leaned against the damp wall, thumping the back of her head against it.

"How long do you think this storm will last?" She asked. Brynjolf sat a foot or so away from her.

"I don't know. Hopefully not long."

It was quiet. They tried to ignore the smell of dried blood and foul odors that oozed from the cave.

"Thank you for the flowers." Allustria said, remembering them just now. Brynjolf smiled.

"Don't mention it."

Allustria started to shiver from the cold rock pressing against her back. She scooted forward, trying to find a comfortable spot, but failing.

"Here," Brynjolf opened up his matching cloak and she eagerly crawled inside. She lay between his knees, wrapped up in the fabric, hood up, and leaned against his chest. He closed his arms around her and she felt an immediate relief from his heat radiating off of him. Both happy to be sharing each other's warmth. Sitting in comfortable silence, keeping an ear out for danger, they both rest and save their energy while not quite falling asleep.

While they waited, Allustria tried her best to remember last night. Flashes of moments from her dancing and falling into the lap of a man flickered through her mind like a fading dream. She remembered checking to see Brynjolf's reaction from his seat at the bar. His eyes glued to her, but not of jealousy. More like he was enjoying the show. When someone had caressed her thigh, she honestly thought about cutting off those little fingers, but then saw Brynjolf lick his lips, setting her loins aflame, So she let it slide as part of the performance. That seemed to be as far as her memory would let her traverse.

She let the sounds of his breathing distract her. A mindless finger traced the stitching in his leather armor. Wondering what he might be thinking about now.

An hour or so passed. Brynjolf decided to go out and check the weather's progress. Allustria reluctantly left her spot on his chest and let him go. He was only gone a moment before returning to her to give her an update.

"It's letting up a little. I bet the snow will stop in another hour or so."

"Good. I want to get out of here."

Brynjolf sat across from her. Thinking of what to talk about to pass the time.

"Do you… remember last night?" He asked.

"Not really," She sighed. "Why? Did I do something embarrassing?"

"No, not at all," Brynjolf laughed. "You were the center of attention, alright, with your beautiful dancing." Taking note that she didn't remember asking him to kiss her.

"Oh~ I'm glad you enjoyed it." She smiled.

"I did… Quite a bit actually…" Allustria blushed at his sincere remark.

She looked around the cave, getting bored, and decided to wander around. Peeking around boulders and things to see if the previous campers left anything interesting.

"Uuughh, I just wish we were home already. I hate being cold."

"Don't forget the hot springs on the way!" Brynjolf reminded her. She jumped back into his view, a fresh look of excitement on her face

"Oh yeah!" The cloak still tightly wrapped around her, she eagerly waddled back to him. He laughed at her silly nature.

"Let's go check the weather again!" She grabbed her stuff and headed down the tunnel.

"Already?!" Brynjolf had to hurry and catch up to her.

It was still lightly snowing, but the visibility was clear.

"Come on! It looks clear enough now, let's go!" She waited for Brynjolf's approval before calling for Shadowmere. He nodded, so she whistled and waited for the horse to emerge from his shadowy sleep.

The two of them get on and cross the river once again. Following the road, until coming to a fork and checking the sign. They decide to take the high road, passing a Stormcloak fort. Arriving at a bridge, they break off the path and cross the river. It was still snowing lightly, but they felt a slight warmth in the breeze from the hot springs ahead. Finally they had arrived! Heading past a few pools, they found a nice spot with large flat rocks to set up a small camp.

They unloaded their packs. Brynjolf had enough supplies to set two tents, as well as some firewood. Once the tents were up, they made a small campfire between them. Allustria happily dropped to her knees in front of it, holding her hands above the flames.

By the time they had gotten the camp up, the snow had stopped and the sun was lowering into the horizon. Brynjolf took both of their cloaks and hung them up to dry. Along with his armor, he sat with Allustria at the fire in his white cotton shirt and brown pants.

Once the sun had set, and they properly warmed up, Allustria looked to the steaming pools around her.

"Ready for a swim?" She gives him a raised eyebrow.

"Of course. But First, I gotta take a piss." He jumps to his feet, "Go on ahead." And trudges into the forest to find a bush to relieve himself on.

She watches him disappear and slips out of her clothing, keeping it by the fire to stay toasty. Allustria dips her toes in to check the temperature, and steps in. Sighing at the perfect temperature, She wades further out to a deeper area and enjoys the warmth, fully submerging herself.

—-

Brynjolf hears rustling a few paces away. He leans to look. A small fox wanders by, and high tails it in the opposite direction when it sees him standing there. He tucks himself back in his pants and buttons up. Shoving branches away as he makes his way back through the forestry. He emerges and sees their tents a little bit further than he was expecting. He must've gotten a bit turned around. He spots Allustria's clothes hanging with her cloak, but no Allustria.

While scanning the area, a shadow under the water catches his eye, at the far end of the pool. Allustria's moonlit hair emerges from the water. She's facing away from him, scrubbing her scalp and squeezing water out of her hair.

By the Gods, she was naked. He takes cover behind a bush to assess the situation. The clouds had parted and moonlight reflected off of her wet hair. It lit her curves in just the right way. He leans forward to get a better look and his foot presses down on a stick, snapping it. He ducks just before Allustria turns toward his direction. He holds his breath and shuts his eyes, trying to decide if it was okay to spy on her like this… she knew he'd be back soon, right? He waits a moment, before taking his chances at looking up again. He sets his eyes back to where he last saw her, but she's gone.

"You're going to have to do better than that, to sneak up on me~" Allustria's lips brush against the tip of his ear. Her breath on his cheek sends a chill down his spine.

Brynjolf's heart jumps up into his throat. "You, Lass… are terrifying." He says once again, deciding that he liked it. He turns toward her to see her sly smile.

"You have no idea~" she almost purrs

That remark causes him to turn a bit red. Her hair is slicked back, but draped over her shoulders and down her chest, censoring her from his view.

"Now… do me a favor… take off your clothes.." She leans in, his heart is pounding now, cheeks flushed. He's captured in the glow of her eyes. Her soft lashes flutter as she blinks slowly. Enticing him in with her slightly parted lips. She places a hand on his shoulder, tracing her fingers on the soft cotton. "And take.. " she pressed her palm firmly against him "A bath!"

With one giant shove, Allustria uses an arm and her bare toes against his back to push him into the spring water!

She's cackling over his surprise. Brynjolf splashes and gasps for air. Once he gets his footing on the slippery mineral coated floor, he swipes his ginger hair out of his eyes, leans forward to catch his breath, and looks at the devil who almost drowned him.

"Oh you're going to get it now, Lass." he's bearing his teeth, with a slight smirk. She's standing at the edge of the small ledge she sent him flying over, laughing to the stars. She has a fur blanket clutched to her chest, covering about half her body, while her long moonlit hair covers the rest.

Brynjolf jumps forward, water splashes everywhere, and yanks at the pelt. She about chokes on her own fit of giggles when realizing she's going to plummet into the water as well. She spreads her arms out, wildly, to try and catch herself, but just lands chest first right into the man.

They both struggle to break the water surface. Allustria's hair is plastered over her eyes. She peels it away, revealing a scowl, but then snorts and a smile goes with it. Brynjolf is letting himself float back now and splashes her.

"Fine, I'll take a bath. Now that we're even…"

Allustria raises an eyebrow "um, you're the one who tried to catch a sneaky perv" She lifts her chin, catching the moonlight on her face. "I get a freebie since you pulled me in~"

He narrows his eyes at her. She's still somehow totally covered by her damnable hair.

"Fine. I'll take a bath. " he repeats himself, ignoring her threat. Brynjolf wades over to their camp site. Sloshing out like a waterlogged sack of potatoes.

Allustria swims through the shallow water, following him. She peeks over the edge of the pool to watch him undress.

The spring water reflects the moons and stars beautifully, making it just bright enough to see. Brynjolf kicks off his waterlogged boots, and peels off the soaked white shirt that was clinging to him, showing off his strong back. Allustria twists her toes together in anticipation. He loosens the ties around his waist. She can see the curves of his lower back disappear into his leather pants. He pauses for a moment, holding his hands on the top hem of his trousers, but stops.

Fully aware he's being meticulously watched, he decides to leave his pants on for his bath, just to frustrate her. He smiles to himself, hearing Allustria's quiet huff of disappointment. She silently slips away into the depths, like a snake.

Brynjolf wades into the water and finds a nice place to relax in before beginning to bathe.

The two of them finish cleaning themselves as best they can. They leave a larger than necessary gap between the two of them. Maybe taking a few glances to check if the other is still there. Brynjolf splashes his face one more time and wipes down his arms. He looks back and sees that Allustria has already made her way into the fur blanket in hand and her long hair covering her backside.

She hangs the fur blanket over by the fire to dry overnight then ducks into her tent. Brynjolf floats in the warm water for a while, letting it soak to his bones.

Deciding he's finished as well, Brynjolf wades over to the camp. He peels off his pants, regretting his decision to bathe with them on, and sets them by the rest of his armor, which was already almost dry from the flames. He wraps himself up in his wool cloak and finds a seat by the fire pit.

Allsutria comes out of her tent and is braiding her long hair. Her torso wrapped in a thin white fabric with a heart shaped chestline. It's twisted around and tied at the side, making an asymmetric shape. The bottom of the material swoops along her right thigh, then comes up the side of her left leg. Just begging to be touched.

He can feel himself begin to throb below the blanket. He shifts in his seat to adjust his growing member into a more comfortable spot. Something he's gotten quite used to, these past few days…

Allustria joins him by the fire, sitting across from him. She finishes her hair into two long braids, then spins a couple of fish that she had stuck by the fire to cook, making sure they get evenly toasted. Her arm presses against her chest as she leans to one side, causing her breasts to be pushed together.

'She must know what she's doing to me..' Brynjolf drinks in her beautiful body. The light from the fire reflected onto her, showing every curve.

"Looks like the food is done." She says, grabbing one of the pierced fish and handing it to him. He accepts. She sits rather close to him. He can see a clear view of her cleavage now. The light from the fire washed over her beautiful skin. They eat in silence. Brynjolf keeps his eyes on every move she makes.

"Do you like what you see?" Her voice was low and smooth. It pierces the silence between them. A blush burning in her cheeks, feeling his eyes on her.

"Yes I do, as a matter of fact… That sweet roll looks rather appetizing."

She gives him a mischievous look. Setting her meal down, she gets on her hands and knees and crawls to the dessert. Brynjolf freezes, he can't look away. The curve of her hips, barely covered in the white fabric, was almost too much for him. He licked his lips. They're little game of teasing each other was making him ache for her. He felt himself throbbing beneath the cloak. Wanting so badly to feel her body against his. To kiss every inch over and over again. To hear her moan with the pleasure he brought her.

Allustria grabs the sweet roll but refrains from bringing it back to him. She jumps up and runs to the other side of the fire.

"If you want it, Come and get it~"

Brynjolf felt like she was using the sweetroll as a metaphor for herself.

"Gladly…" He jumps up and chases after her. She spins and dodges, always just nearly out of reach. She hides behind the tent, and baits him into one way, then scampers off into the opposite direction. He was only able to catch her when she nearly lost her balance, swinging her arms to avoid falling back into the spring water. He ensnares her within his cloak, but she slips between his fingers, and crawls out before he can trap her.

"How are you so fast?!" He laughs and runs after her again.

Finally, he lunges and knocks her over onto her back. He pins her arms above her head, and grabs the sweetroll, taking a large bite out of it. Smiling at his win. His cloak dropped to his sides, showing his bare chest. His legs on either side of her, successfully trapping her beneath him

Allustria's heartbeat quickens. He was just gorgeous. Not to mention learning that being pinned down by him was quite the turn on. She breathed heavily from their little game of tag, and scanned her eyes all around him. The flickering light of the firepit, illuminating his alluring body. She felt her heart crawling into her throat, face flushing with heat.

The way he looked at her made her arms weak, not allowing her to even attempt an escape. He smiled down at her. Placing the sweetroll back on its plate. He puts his hand against the ground next to her head, scanning her beautiful face. He lowers his body, inching closer to hers. Half lidded eyes full of lust.

"Careful, or I might bite you~" She whispers.

"I'm fully aware of the risks…" he replies, in a more serious tone than she was expecting. Her cheeks deepen in color. Brynjolf's eyes make it obvious how serious he is about the situation.

He slowly inches closer, both hearts pounding, he pauses nearly centimeters from her lips. She hesitates, but then tilts her chin up ever so slightly and meets him into a kiss. He exhales and melts into her, relieved of her acceptance. A soft moan escaped her lips, exciting him more. He takes in her bottom lip, sucking on it and gently pulling with his teeth. He feels her smile. His heart pounds faster and his arms start to shake slightly. Allustria lifts her head, pushing more aggressively. She delicately touches his upper lip with her tongue, wanting to go further. He accepts and parts his lips, letting her in. His breath hitched and moaned. Their tongues meet and softly trace each other. She drags her tongue against his upper lip.

Brynjolf squeezes her arms, still pinning them above her head. He lowers his hips and barely touches his hardened member against her abdomen. A sharp hiss escapes her lips, and she pushes her pelvis into him, showing her approval of his arousal. They break for air and stare into each other's eyes, making sure they were both okay with where this was heading. She smiles at him, almost out of breath. Brynjolf returns the smile and lightly brushes a loose hair away from her cheek.

Releasing her arms, he places his hands on either side of her face, and pulls her into another waterfall of kisses. Sucking and licking her sweet lips, tasting her, feeling her in a way he's dreamt for so long.

Allustria uses her now free arms, and traces her fingernails down his chest. He pushes against her, letting her fingertips explore his abs and down to the waistband of his undergarments. His body shudders to her touch, feeling incredibly sensitive and a bit ticklish. She giggles, and kisses him more. He moans and presses his engorged cock against her with more force than before. She nips at his lip in return. Her warm hands feeling his body, brushing her palms against his back muscles, feeling the slight change in texture where his few scars are. She lowers her hands down to his hips, digging her fingers underneath his underwear, sliding down and grabbing his cheeks.

Brynjolf pulls back to look into her eyes once again.

"Do you want me?" He asks. Her face was full of pleasure.

She nodded, sheepishly.

"Say it." He demanded. She blushes.

"…I want you…" She whispers.

"Louder" Brynjolf pushes the tip of his cock against her, between her legs. She squeaks and bites her lip, eyebrows knitted together.

"I want you." She obeys. "I want you to make me scream with pleasure." She persuades.

Brynjolf hungrily crashes his lips to hers once again. She loops her fingers around his waistband and pushes the fabric off of him, sliding it down his strong thighs. One leg out, then the other. The cloak slipped off his backside, exposing him to the elements.

His kisses trail across her cheek, down her neck, nipping at her collar bone, and down her swelled chest, finding the thin fabric that covered her. She slips her fingers between his teeth and the covering. He looks up, wondering why she stopped him.

"Shall we take this to the tent?"