Ch. 7B Strange bedfellows
Bishop figured that it was now safe enough to release her arms, and when she didn't pummel him or smash anything else over his head, he drew her into a tight embrace and kissed her deeply. Dee put her arms around his neck hesitantly at first, but then returned his kiss. She had taken the sane, logical part of herself that screamed "Run!" and locked it safely away. He was right, she had wanted this since the first time she saw him and she was right, her friends were wrong about him. He was sweaty again from the fight and the exertion of trying to control her, and he gave off that spicy scent that lured her before. She gave in to her urge and licked his neck then kissed him again. He shivered and whispered, "Now isn't this better than trying to kill each other?"
She whispered back, "Can't you do anything else with your mouth?"
He slipped his hands down to her full, round bottom and gave her a hard squeeze then lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he carried her to her bed, where he dropped down with her. Dee touched his chest and ran her fingers through the thick fur that covered him there. He wasted no time in stripping off her nightshirt and the silver symbol of Milekki she wore on a cord around her neck. She snatched the symbol from him and hung it on the bedpost. He grabbed her and pushed her back on the bed and smothered her with kisses until she returned them as ardently as he gave them. He loosened the drawstring and pushed his trewes out of his way. Now that he had her subdued, like a hungry beast tearing into its prey he thrust into her fully then continued relentlessly with no tenderness in the act, nor was he disuaded by her gasp of pain.
After an almost embarassingly brief time for him but what seemed like an eternity for her, and just when she was beginning to feel some pleasure, he cursed and shuddered and collapsed on top of her. They lay there for a few minutes catching their breath, neither of them moving, then he rolled off and lay beside her in silence. Often this would be his cue to fasten his trewes and leave. It had been a long time since he'd been with anyone that he wanted again once it was finished, and as he caught his breath, he was already stirring with desire for her again. He turned on his side and regarded her staring glassy-eyed at the ceiling, reaching out to toy with her braid as he worked the tresses free and combed them out with his fingers.
She lay there thinking, "That's it? That's what everyone gets so worked up about?"
He leaned over her and nuzzled her neck before he buried his face in her hair said, "Not bad. Not bad at all."
She was silent for a moment before she rolled over on her side away from him with her knees drawn up and her arms folded across her chest as his words sunk in. She thought incredulously, "Not bad? Not bad? That's it?" She replied dismissively, "Yeah? I've had better."
He snorted at the obvious lie, but even he had to admit he had been brutal. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. "Yeah? I'm sure you have. You should have told me, and now you know what happens when you get a man so worked up you push him over the edge, sweetheart. Besides, it's early and we're just getting started."
And now that his beast's hunger was sated, he could afford the time for tenderness. He leaned over her, held her face in his hands gazing at her before he kissed her softly on her forehead, then slowly on each eyelid, then on her cheeks, then tenderly on the mouth over and over until she responded to his kisses again. He worked his way down her neck and throat before returning to her mouth. He drew back to look at her and asked, "Better?"
She nodded, so he continued his way down her long, shapely body. He hadn't really looked at her before. He had seen her, but that memory had been lost in the initial passion. His first impression was that of a bear. No wonder one had chosen her as a companion. She was powerful, with muscular legs and arms and shoulders, but she had enough weight on her that there was no doubt she was a woman. Bishop had been with a few warrior women before who had been so lean and muscular that he had an uncomfortable sensation of being with another man and almost couldn't finish.
He cupped her full round breasts and ran his thumbs over her large pink nipples before exploring one, then the other with kisses and licks and soft bites until he learned what drove her wild. He traced the scar between her breasts with his tongue then continued down past her ribs down her taut belly then down her long legs down to her feet, paying particular attention to places he had found on other women that were especially sensitive.
He took his time making his way back up her legs, nipping hard enough to leave a few marks on her inner thighs before he touched her with the lightest flick of his tongue then paused, looking up at her with a evil grin and asked, "Should I go on?" She murmured, "Gods, Bishop! You're evil!" and grabbed his hair. He chuckled and attacked with his mouth and tongue and fingers until she cried out his name, one hand clutching the sheet in spasms while the other twisted in his hair. Then he pushed off his trewes and took her again, but this time she matched his thrusts and his passion.
Afterwards they lay together entwined kissing lightly, drowsy but content. He lay there thinking "I really should go," but he was very comfortable lying there. "I'll go in a few more minutes," he told himself before he made a pillow of her breasts and drifted off to sleep. Dee heard his breathing relax and then a soft snore. She kissed the top of his head and joined him in a more restful sleep than she had had in weeks.
Some time before Lathander's first light chased the darkness from the sky he awoke and sat up on the side of the bed. She stirred as he moved and feeling guilty, he leaned over and kissed her before whispering, "I should get out of here. You know your uncle doesn't like me much, and I don't want to cause trouble if he sees me leaving your room. Besides, you know how your friends like to gossip." It was such a convincing lie, he believed it himself. He looked around until he found his trewes on the floor and slipped them on.
She sat up and watched him and replied, "You're probably right."
He stood and grabbed his towel from the floor. To anyone who met him in the hall, he would look like he was on his way to the bath. She stretched and stood and walked leisurely over to him. He watched her approach him in the dying candlelight and felt himself grow hard again.
"What are you looking at?" she asked as she put her arms around him and kissed him softly.
He kissed her back and chuckled, "I'm looking at you. I can't get over how much you remind me of a bear." He wasn't sure how she would take that, and he braced himself in case she felt insulted and smacked him.
She beamed and gave him another kiss. "Thanks. It would almost be worth studyin' druidism just to be able to take the form of a bear."
He nipped at her bottom lip and murmured, "You would make a good bear."
She raised an eyebrow and pressed back against the bulge pressing against her hip.
"It's all your doing, sweetheart. But I suppose I don't have to leave just yet." He took her hand and led her back to the bed.
By the time they finished, the candles had burned out and dawn's light filled the room with a harsh red glow. He sat up and said, "Now I really should get going." He took her chin in his hand and kissed her then ran his thumb lightly over the angry bruise under her eye. "You have any healing potions left?"
She leaned over him and dug through her pack on the floor next to the bed, and he gave her exposed backside a squeeze. "I have one left. Want to share it?" She sipped half of the potion and handed the rest to him as she felt its warmth spread through her. "Don't think it's going to do much for either of us though."
He took the potion and considered it, then handed it back. "You look a lot worse than I do."
"Yeah? You haven't seen yourself then," she said with a chuckle.
"Yeah? That bad? I think you bruised a few ribs and broke my foot too."
She kissed his ribs and said, "Good. Now you know I'm not defenseless."
He lay back, hoping she would kiss him lower. "Ah, but his holiness will want to kill me if he catches sight of you, and I'd have to kill him instead. They don't understand how things get heated. You know paladins do it through a hole in a sheet."
She smacked him lightly and gasped, "You're lying! They do not. Do they?"
He nodded sagely. "They do, and even then it's only after an hour of prayer and only for procreation."
She gave him a look like she didn't quite believe him.
He chuckled and stood to leave again and was halfway disappointed that she didn't stop him this time. He paused at the door and turned to look at her lying on the bed watching him dress. "See you tonight?"
"I'm supposed to go out with Neeshka and Shandra out to the Mask, but I'll tell them I have a headache."
He grinned and said, "I'll meet you here then?" He hesitated a moment longer. "Oh, and Dee? You know about wild carrot and hensbane? There's lots growing down by the marsh. Don't know if your father taught you about those, but just make a fistful of both into a tea so we won't have to worry about any complications."
She lay back with her arms behind her head and answered lightly, "My foster father gave me that lecture right after he found out I had my first monthly. But don't worry, contraceptive potions are one of Sand's best sellers."
He considered that. "Yeah, I can see that down here he'd do a brisk business. So you'll get some today? Your life is complicated enough right now without having to worry about making another one."
She sighed and answered, "Yes, I know, I'll go first thing. Sand hardly sleeps anyway, so he's probably already up." He watched as she stood and pulled on a long tunic and her boots.
"Oh, and the knife?" He nodded at the knife on the table and shrugged. "As long as you're going over there. I guess the one thing I can think of about it was that it never seemed to need sharpening, and it sliced through the thickest hide. Don't want you to have to deal with Elven sarcasm before breakfast."
He grinned and opened the door slowly and peered out to see if anyone else was about, then seeing no one, slipped outside. He could still smell her all over himself, and just thinking about her smell and her taste almost made him turn back. But then he thought better of it and went to his room for a tunic then summoned Karnwyr and strutted with him to the common room. Karnwyr looked at him inquiringly as he trotted along beside him. "The pack leader chose you," more of a statement of fact than a question. Bishop just grinned at what that implied to the wolf and scratched him behind the ears.
Too bad none of the others would smell the sex on him. The men might detect something, but most city dwellers were too out of touch with their senses to tell what it was. He came around the corner and nearly collided with the druidess. "Watch out!," he shouted irritatedly, taking her by the shoulders and pulling her aside. He stood there for a moment until he saw her nostrils flare as her eyes widened. He gave her a knowing wink and walked off.
Elanee watched him, a look of disgust spreading over her features. "She didn't!," she whispered to Naloth. "She did! Why, with every other male in this city, would she settle for him?" She shook her head and looked for Neeshka to share her "concern" over their friend and her terrible taste in men.
Dee finger-combed her hair and pulled it into a quick braid as she gave him time to get down the hall then followed, going out the back way to Sand's shop. As she expected, Sand was already up at work on a foul-smelling potion. He did a double take as she approached the bench and gasped, "Sweet Mystra. Little girl, what have you been up to, hmmm? Taking on the remnants of Moire's gang alone? Fighting more Githyanki?"
She handed him the knife, ignoring his inquiring gaze. "I need this enchanted. Can you enhance the sharpness? Then I could use a healing potion too."
"Yes, I can see that. But from the look of you whenever you return from one of your excursions, what you really need is a Ring of Regeneration." He examined the knife and said, "I can add a minor enchantment with the gems and reagents you have on hand for fifty gold." He turned and took a healing potion on the shelf but looked at her and switched it for another.
She took the potion and handed him over a pouch of coins and quaffed it down. She closed her eyes and could feel the bruise on on her cheekbone fade as she stood there. "Thanks, Sand. I really appreciate it." She stood there hesitantly, looking down at the floor.
"Is there anything else, my dear? If not, I to get back to work."
Her eyes shot to the shelf that held the potion she needed, which told him everything.
He gave her a concerned look and said, "Little girl, please tell me it was consentual? If not, tell me who he is, and I'll turn him into a slug then pour salt on him." He took the bottle and handed it to her. "No charge for this one."
She took it and quaffed it down, grimacing at the taste. "It's really bitter. I don't have to drink that every time, do I?"
"No," he replied with a smirk. "One a tenday should be sufficient."
"Thanks again, Sand. I'll let you get back to your work."
She left the shop and summoned Cillian and went back to the tavern, using the back door again so she could avoid her friends, Duncan, and the breakfast rush. Little did she know that she was already the topic of conversation.
Bishop saw Duncan serving Casavir and couldn't resist the opportunity. He glanced around as if looking for her and asked, "Is our fair leader still sulking, or is she sleeping off that bottle of mead?"
Duncan wrung his hands and answered sadly, "She'll come around. She can't stay mad forever. Can she?"
Bishop put an arm around his shoulder and replied, "Well I don't know. It's pretty clear to me you knew more than you're letting on. How long would you stay mad if you'd been lied to like that, hmm?"
Casavir wrinkled his nose in distaste as Bishop leaned close and said coldly, "She probably had a late night. Her bear seemed to be agitated. I heard it thrashing around in her room." He couldn't stand the ranger, and he hated every moment he had to spend in polite conversation with him.
Bishop raised an eyebrow and replied as he walked off in a tone that implied much, "Her bear wasn't around at all last night."
Meanwhile, Elanee, Neeshka, and Shandra were whispering together in the storeroom. Neeshka squeeled, "Are you sure? I mean, I knew she had some insane attraction to him, but... ewwwww!"
"I'm positive," Elanee answered. "The scent was unmistakable. Poor Dee."
Shandra shook her head. "I don't understand. She could have gone for Casavir, and she chooses that filthy-mouthed creep. This can't end well."
Qara spotted them and joined them even though no one had invited her along. "What's going on?"
The others quickly filled her in, each adding their own theory. Qara frowned in disbelief. "Bishop? Why would he chose her when I'm so much prettier and so much more powerful? It's not fair!"
Qara stormed off leaving the others staring after her open-mouthed and diverting the topic of their converstion from Dee temporarily. But just for a few minutes, and then they inclined their heads together and whispered conspiratorially.
"Poor Dee. What can we do?," Neeshka sighed.
"Not much right now," Shandra replied, "but she'll need her friends when she comes to her senses, and if she doesn't, she'll need us even more."