Trigger Warning: blood, lots of blood, Gods, why is there so much blood?
Okay, so... this is my first fanfic that I've written in what... five years? I've been working on personal projects and writing a book as a hobby but dang, this stupid game has me under it spell. I really love all the ships from this game, I literally don't dislike any of them. Even thought Astarion is my personal fav, I feel like Halsin doesn't get alot of love. Gale is heavily featured in this fic because I think he's funny. I may not know a bunch about the druids and the magic system, but I followed my heart and made this 11K word fic because I felt like it. And we all know, deep down, this is just porn with plot. If, for any reason at all, you have critique or questions, please don't hesitate to reach out! I haven't finished the game but I think this will still fit in with the themes and the story. This takes place between Act Two and Three, after you heal Thaniel and Moonrise Towers.
The sun was hardly at the crux of its path in the sky when Halsin came forward to speak to you. You were a few yards from your group, in the shade of some trees busying yourself with cleaning your blade. It was a shortsword, sharper than a razor with a worn hilt from use. The metal gleamed with the bright shine of the noon sun, flecked with coins of shadows from the leaves.
He made an effort to make as much noise as he could as he approached, not wanting to startle you with a weapon of destruction in your hands.
He had a thin scratch on the hollow of his cheek, the smallest ribbon of blood pouring from it. You fought the urge to reach out and banish that rust-colored smudge with the pad of your thumb. You stayed your hand, suddenly aware that the rest of your party were feet away.
"What is it?" Your voice was a touch raw from shouting orders all morning, you already felt haggard, even as your body didn't show it.
A weariness sort of hung over him like a shadow, but it couldn't have been tiredness. You hadn't been gone from camp more than four hours, most of that spent ridding Faerun of a few more wretched goblins. They had been fierce, yes, but their rudimentary farm tools and half-starved worgs had been nothing compared to your group and took less than half a thought to extinguish. It had become second nature to you, fighting.
Your weapon had melded itself into an extension of your arm and even your dreams had become blood-stained battlefields. You hadn't been a bad fighter before all… all of this, but your body had grown firmer, stronger, and your need to rest had whittled away to only a few hours every other day, along with everyone else in the group.
So it wasn't exhaustion that clouded his broad shoulders, no… Was it… anxiety?
"I know I only speak for myself," he began, and your mind flared with a wave of understanding.
Yes, he is anxious, you thought as you studied his face more. His eyes barely glanced to look at you, which was very unlike him. He instead focused on the gold and green leaves shimmering above you, his jaw taut. But what about?
"But you would be doing me a great service if we returned to camp for the rest of the day."
You had been expecting something, but not this. You tilted your head up for a better look at the sky past the cover of the trees.
"I know what you're going to say," he said. "But returning to camp is of the utmost importance right now."
Becoming the evident leader of these rag-tag warriors came with surprises and strange requests and you always tried your best, but this was a puzzling one.
"Do you care to explain why?" Your voice seemed to draw him out of his meditation of the leaves, but his gaze was glassy, vacant. Something was troubling him.
"It's the autumn solstice," he said plainly, as if that fact was written across the sky in flaming letters.
Seasons and holidays seemed to pass undetected on the road, so this fact came as a surprise to you. "So it is," you said, a half-smile teasing your mouth. "I don't see what that has to do with us."
Halsin shook his head, his chestnut hair tumbling so beautifully your breath almost caught.
Focus, idiot. Listen to what he has to say, the voice inside you growled.
"Not with you all," he said, his chin jerking towards the group. "With me. Druids have a responsibility to mediate upon nature and its bountiful gifts, yes. But there is more to it than sticking your hand in the dirt and saying a couple of words."
"If only it was. Maybe then I'd become one."
A smile finally broke out across his face, even if they didn't reach his eyes. "The Oak Father would be better off with you, that's for certain." Heat rose to your face. "As High Druid of my order, I have a responsibility to partake in the rituals that are necessary to perform each solstice, no matter if you're trying to save the realm or not. But I understand that my request is unusual and spoils your plans even if you don't admit it. I can head back to camp and send someone in my stead. That way, your mission doesn't go ignored."
You ignored the last part of his statement. "What sort of rituals?"
"Bloodless ones, mostly," He shifted. "If that's what you're wondering. For the most part, it's like a celebration."
An unwilling finger tapped against the metal of your weapon, your thoughts twisting in your head. Finally, as you rose from your place and shouldered your pack, you threw Haslin a knowing look. "I think it prudent that all of us return to camp together. I'd like to see what the Oak Father considers to be a party."
"I appreciate your generosity," he said, the uneasiness from earlier slipping back into his tone. "But if we all go back you have to understand that this ritual is a private affair, not a public one. I'll be going into the woods tonight alone."
You shrugged and sheathed your blade. "Makes no difference to me. I'll take any excuse to hit the sack early." Before you started towards the rest of your party to tell them the news, you hesitated.
"If you knew that it was the solstice, why did you come out with me this morning?"
Halsin straightened a little upon hearing the question, the strength you've admired for months returning to his frame. "Because you asked me to."
The day slipped into the afternoon with ease and you idled away the hours with a nap and cooking. You rarely had time to cook anything these days, a traveler's diet mostly consisted of dried pork and cold cheese. But having extra time today allowed time for you to scheme and plan. It began by looking through all of the mud-caked packs that lived in the center of the camp, near the firepit.
You scored a few potatoes from Karlach's pack and a fistful of herbs from Gale's, but the real surprise was the bloodless rat corpse at the bottom of Astarion's.
You reminded yourself to tell him off for that later, but for now you occupied yourself by washing the vegetables you had procured from the packs in the stream that ran beside your camp.
You were scrubbing the dirt from the potatoes when you heard footsteps approaching. Thaniel was moving towards you, a bundle of leaves in his small hands. Even though he had been in your band for months, you were always startled to see him; startled by his smallness and apparent youthfulness. It always took a few moments to remind yourself that he was older than you, older than everyone in the party, actually.
"Hello, Thaniel," you said cheerfully, scrubbing at the surface of the potatoes with the brush you had found in your own pack. "Happy Solstice."
"You're probably the happiest person I've ever seen scrubbing potatoes," he said by way of greeting.
He kneeled beside you, the crisp green leaves in his hands tumbling out and carried away by the current of the stream.
"How are you planning to celebrate? Y'know, being the embodiment of nature and all?"
Thaniel snorted and spat, another stark reminder that he was in every sense, a child. You leaned away from him reflexively. "Nothing much. Gotta do a few small things before I go to bed tonight."
"You're not going to the party in the woods? I thought you'd be the guest of honor."
"Pshh," he sucked in a laugh. "They don't need me there, only my spirit. Besides, I don't want to watch a bunch of naked drunk people dance around all night."
Your brows rose in surprise and you forgot your potatoes for a second. "They dance naked in the woods to celebrate the solstice?"
"Yeah, until dawn," he said. "Then another ritual starts when the sun is rising, right at dawn. They chant and sing, dance some more and pack it up once the sun rises. It's actually kind of boring, except for the hunting."
"Hunting? Like, to eat?"
Thaniel snorted again, his hands busy folding the sheets of leaves into strange angles. "Not that kind of hunting. You see, the druids usually split into pairs or groups to hunt each other. There's no killing involved, but… you get the picture."
You were happy that Thaniel spared the details. "I never knew how… exciting the solstice could be."
"Oh, yeah." The leaves in his hands slowly started taking shape, and you finally realized what he had been constructing. "I can tell you where you can find the party, if you want."
You were startled at his words. "Is that allowed?"
"As long as you don't interfere with the morning rituals, I don't see why not."
Every alarm in your head was telling you to reject his harmless aid and more importantly, respect Halsin's privacy. What had he said? I'll be going into the woods tonight alone.
What would the druid do once he found out that you had been spying on him and his order? Especially during an important celebration? How betrayed would he feel?
"I better not, Thaniel…" You stopped. Your thoughts raced back to the Emerald Grove. "But just in case something happens, if for some reason they need my aid…"
Thaniel smiled, his dusky skin looked like it was glowing. He lowered his voice. "They won't be far from here, just up the cliff. Follow the path where this stream forks and head towards the sounds of the drums. Haslin has put an enchantment over this camp in case one of the druids got too close to it while hunting, but that doesn't mean you can't leave."
Your mind was whirling but your body felt still, confident that what you were scheming was just and reasonable. Your eyes wandered from Thaniel back to the fire pit, where a few of your party had gathered to see what you were going to serve for dinner. Halsin stood with them, towering over them as he laughed and spoke to them. As if he sensed you, as if there were an invisible tether pulling his attention to you, his eyes found yours, even as you stood as still as a doe in the shadow of an elm. A hunter's eye could find his prey even in total darkness however, and his attention had been peaked by your knowing look, even though you tried to hide it.
A fighter you absolutely were, but a hunter you were not.
You tore your thoughts and eyes away from him and willed yourself to stand, aiming to grow closer to him and the fire even as your feet and head felt heavy as lead.
"Thanks, Thaniel." You said in a low voice, the basket of produce you had brought with you in your arms.
"Anytime," he said, as he lowered his contraption of leaves into the stream, his small hands dipping into the cold, clear water. The small boat drifted away, slowly at first. Then the green sail faded to a startling orange, and the hull shifted to crimson as the stream carried it further away, rocked gently by the pebbles and the pull of the water. You barely had time to catch the change of the boat's color before it grew to a blazing gold, sailing away faster than imaginable. As it dipped out of sight, you heard Thaniel speak to himself in hardly a whisper before you felt the first nip of autumn air slide over your bare arms.
Fall had finally come.
Your dinner of potato and leek stew made your eyelids heavy and the lulling roar of the fire didn't aid in this either. You sipped at your mug of coffee, willing yourself awake, telling yourself that you had to go to the party or else goblins or another flesh-eating monster would take advantage of the druid's drunkenness tonight. Halsin had slipped away not even an hour before, when the sun had disappeared behind the mountains and the sky was washed in lilac. No one had noticed, save you and Thaniel. You had shared a passing glance before he yawned and stretched and said he was going to bed as well.
You knew the magic over the camp had dampened the sounds of the druid's celebration, but you could have sworn that you caught the solitary notes of a drum beat or an alto's low chanting as you bid your time by the fire with your companions. You were sure they would sleep well, with their bellies full of stew and an eventful day ahead. You were positively vibrating with anticipation for all of them to go to sleep, but kept your cool as each one retired and the sky faded to black.
Finally, as Wyll tore himself from the fire to retire, you were left only with Gale. You drew your wool blanket around you as you stood and downed the last swig of coffee in your mug.
"I think I'll sleep in my tent tonight," you told Gale, who was busy rummaging in his pockets for something.
"Damn, I thought you would at least be up for one round of cards," he said as he pulled the weathered and abused deck from a drawstring bag.
You raised a brow. "Cards have never been my thing. Shadowheart enjoys playing more than I do."
"Indulge me, then," he said, his eyes burning bright in the light.
You sat back down, afraid of blowing your cover. You were sure the druids would be in the throes of their celebration by now, unprotected and vulnerable. "One game, then bed."
The words came out more curtly then you wanted, but Gale didn't seem to notice. He shuffled the cards with the same flourish of a back alley gambler, producing some annoyance from you. Finally, as he dealt the cards and you subsequently lost, you threw the blanket back over your shoulders.
"Are you sure you're not that tired?" Gale asked, hunched over his cards as his hands idly scrambled them. "I can give you a few pointers before you leave."
"Like I said," you said, keeping the bitterness from your tone, "Cards aren't really my thing."
"Just like drinking coffee before bed isn't?" he retorted, his fingers still caressing the threadbare cards. "Don't think I hadn't noticed."
Heat bubbled to your cheeks, your hands going cold. Your arms instinctively crossed over your chest, shielding you. "I don't see how what I drink is any of your business, Gale."
"It is tonight," he said matter-of-factly, his focus on the woods beyond the fire. "Halsin asked me to keep an eye on you."
Cold seeped further up your fingers; heat gripped your entire face with fiery hands. "Why would he do that?"
"Don't act surprised. He's a very private man and you, my dear, tend to not respect anybody's privacy. You are insatiably curious." He turned back to you, a grin on his face. "That's what I like about you."
"Do you know what they're planning to do?" You asked him, surprised by the tinge of terror that gripped your words. "Unprotected, unguarded? They could all be killed."
"They'll be fine. They'll have wards around them just as we do here."
"What if the wards fail, though? What if they're all too drunk to notice the blades pressed to their bellies before they're run through? Someone has to tend to them."
"They have Halsin," Gale reasoned.
"He's just one man," you snapped. "A great man, a damned good fighter too. But even he needs to be guarded."
"He's asked me to keep an eye on you and I intend to fulfill my duty. Please don't make this hard for me."
"Hard for you? One of my men is out there throwing himself into harm's way and you're asking me to sit by idly?" A spark shot up in your brain, as bright and harrowing as the next sentence out of your mouth. "Do I seem that bad of a leader to you? To let my men die on my watch?"
Gale's face softened, even as his eyes became hard chips of ice. "Hold on there, I never said—"
"It was implied, Gale. Don't act innocent to your own cutting words." The cogs were turning into place, the game set now. Gale and Shadowheart could have their cards, this was the game you liked to play. "I thought we were allies."
"We are."
"Then act like it," you snapped. You turned to the edge of the woods, where the stream was waiting to take you to Halsin. "Come with me."
Gale started but you cut him off. "They'll need more than just me if there are those who wish to harm them tonight. I need your help. Aid me in protecting Halsin and you'll get to keep your promise to him. You'll be keeping an eye on me the whole time."
"I— shit, shit! How do you do that?" He stood, rigid as a board. "Let me get my things."
The moon steeped through the trees as thick as twilight, making everything pale blue and silver. It drove you half-mad, not being able to have a clear sight of everything around you, but you clung to the darkness like a lover, thankful for its protection. Gale proved to be faithful to his word and prowled silently beside you. You both moved towards the sound of the drums in the distance, his face growing grimmer by the second.
"Lighten up," you whispered to him as you stalked closer to the sound. "Maybe you'll get to see something you've never had the chance to see before."
"I don't want to be here in the first place!" He shot you a piercing look as you told him to keep quiet. "Lower your voice, she says. She who walks louder than a bull thundering over a lake of broken glass."
You elbowed him in the ribs. "Sorry, I stumbled just there."
The butt of his quarterstaff bumped into the back of your knee. You nearly toppled over. "Sorry," he said icily, "My hand slipped."
"Bastard," you hissed. You hand rose— to do what, you weren't sure, but just as you did, Gale pointed to the area just ahead.
"There," he whispered. "Firelight."
You both crouched low to the forest floor, hugging the shadows the towering trees offered. You moved closer, careful not to step on fallen limbs and twigs. You were thankful for the blanket of pine nettles that dampened the sound of your footsteps as you crept ever closer to the rings of orange light.
You slipped between the trees near the edge and peered into the clearing, fully visible thanks to the circle of bonfires that flared as bright as the sun in the center of the small clearing. You could feel the heat pouring off the fires.
Cinders flew into the air, smoke billowing up in towers of misty gray. The smell of roasted root vegetables and baking spices drifted towards you, delectable and sweeter than you could have ever imagined.
Between you and them, you saw dozens of figures dance in long fluid dresses and robes, silhouetted by the overhanging cliffs that were cloaked with vines and late summer flowers. Clay pots full of a mysterious liquid passed from hand to hand, wine or… something else, you couldn't decide.
Many of the people dancing and singing were druids you recognized from the Emerald Grove, even as painted runes caressed their cheeks and flowed to their exposed necks and arms. Ribbons flowed from their plaited hair, shining in an array of color; brown, orange, gold. Colors of the fall.
There, near the edge of the dancers and musicians tapping on their tambourines, bleating out half-sung chants and hammering on their drums, stood Halsin. He stood out from the crowd because of his height, yes, but instead of the uniform of a long robe, his bare tanned chest stood out against the sea of stark white. A wreath of yellow leaves and berries adorned his head, his neck heavy with garlands of ribbons and flowers. He looked like a prince among his doting crowd, a flock of attendants stood at attention around him, pawing at his arms and laughing at his words.
You didn't resent them, how could you? You longed to be out there, blue paint smeared across your face, a hand firm upon his strong arm as you talked about the music and how lovely he looked.
You were moving forward before you could notice. Gale's hand struck out to hold you back.
He didn't dare call out a warning. You already knew. Exposing yourself could be disastrous.
Instead, you watched as Halsin made his rounds around the clearing, his attendants ever at his side. They served him dates and cups of the mysterious liquid as he mingled and talked, attentive to whoever he was speaking to, courteous and lively as ever.
The party continued like this for an hour or so, but with no way to keep track of time, you had no idea. The whole night could have passed away and you wouldn't have noticed as you observed the queer celebration, concealed and secret.
The music died off with little warning and a buzz of excitement rose through the air as the quiet laid over the crowd. Near the cliffs, a mossy mound served as a podium as a druid rose to speak. At this distance, it was hard to tell if you knew her or not, but you could see the shock of red hair that flowed past her waist. Her voice rang loud and clear even from where you were.
"Oak Father's blessings upon you all," she began. A few of the crowd repeated it back to her. "Another year has passed and we find ourselves together again, celebrating the passage of time, the passing of the seasons and the continual love of our eternal god. Nature has blessed us with life, with love, with courage and enlightenment. Our only wish is to impart a sliver of that gift back to our Father, which is why we are gathered tonight. Drink, be merry, dance in celebration of our health and our love. Be fruitful and multiply, bless this earth with love. Bless your own bodies with love for each other. Search the world for that love, share it with the Oak Father, and blessings rain upon you."
Now, she spoke in a strange tongue you couldn't make out. You turned to Gale, his eyes reflecting the circle of fires ahead.
"What is she saying?"
Gale shook his head, concentrating. "Something about the Oak Father, no surprises there... and... and a game, a game to be played at the Solstice the will make you... us... strong. Not for the light of heart or the unbelievers... Four seasons, four wounds. No, that can't be right. What would that have to do with wounds?"
Even as he spoke, the red-headed woman spoke louder and louder until her voice became a wail, charged with a fire in her heart.
"Prey... or pray? She needs a volunteer... brave...," He looked at you, puzzled. "I don't understand any of this."
Her screams reached a pitch, and quick as a flash of lightning, she transformed into a lithe gazelle and bounded from the podium into the woods, followed by snowy owl that rose from the crowd.
It was as if a shift had rippled through the druids in front of you. A yearning erupted from them, palpable and hungry. Even Gale sensed it. He gripped your shoulder, meaning to pull you away but you resisted, intent upon watching the transformation.
Magic coursed through the air, metallic and smelling of bitter water. The crowd began to shed their clothes, discarding their robes in piles near the fires. They continued to dance, but the moves had changed, charged with something sensual and feral. It seemed as though they blended into one another, shifting into their animal forms but still quite human, as if they existed in-between.
A fox flew from the crowd into the blue-washed forest, followed by a hare. A pair of bucks pounded the dirt with blinding speed as they raced from the clearing, chased by a large doe. They were followed by more animals: sheep, leopards, mountain cats, badgers. The exodus of animals startled you, afraid that one would find you hiding in the pitch dark near the clearing. You hand instinctively twitched to the hilt of your knife, but you kept your cool. If any of them find you out, you definitely didn't want them to find you with a weapon in your hands.
Most of the druids stayed in the crowd, uncaring of prying eyes as they carried on with their dance. In their half-human, half-animal forms, pairs and groups licked and bit each other, teasing as you would a lover. Some wandered from person to person, trying to find a stretch of skin that hadn't been licked.
You hadn't realized you'd lost sight of Halsin until he popped back into your vision, a gangle of bodies hanging off of him like his arms were tree limbs.
Heat grips your entire body as you watch a woman rise from the swell of bodies to fold her arms about his neck, her bare breasts pressing against his naked chest. Your breathing hitches as she leans forward to kiss him. His eyes close and accepts the kiss willingly, his large hands cradling the naked dips of her waist. He's lost to the swell, the ecstasy of it all, and you hardly feel guilty for watching. Something has stirred deep inside of you, a largeness, a want.
You want… you want—-
A ferocious breeze skittered across the forest floor and picked up into the clearing, blowing hard into your back. You hardly have time to react as you see Halsin's face shift to the trees in front of him, gazing towards where you're hiding. Looking… at you.
"Shit." You heard Gale whisper. You had forgotten he was there. "Shit. Time to leave. We gotta go now."
You didn't want to leave, but you're reminded of Gale's promise, of what could happen if Halsin knew you were there.
You shifted away from the trees edging the clearing, keeping your eyes on Halsin the whole ten seconds it takes to shuffle away from where his gaze has landed. You moved as quickly and quietly as you could and just as you mean to stand to sneak away—-
Snap!
You looked dumbly at the broken twig beneath your boots, the betraying stick and your traitorous feet. Then at Halsin. But he wasn't where he was before. In the few seconds you had looked away, he had moved forward, shaking off the last of those who clung to him. He was heading straight for you. Looking right at you.
"Run!" Gale shouted before taking off himself and it takes every iota of willpower you have to move your traitorous feet back, fleeing from the clearing and the orgy that had just erupted.
You ran in the dark as fast as you could, shame burning at your cheeks.
Halsin must have already known you were there, why not turn around and beg his forgiveness? Why were you running at all? He wouldn't have harmed you for looking, no. He was a gentle man and even in his anger all he would do was give you that stern look of his that made you a puddle at his feet.
But, Gods, the look he had given you before you started to run. There was something alien in his expression, something fierce and wild. Dangerous.
Gale was only a few paces ahead of you, but you quickly overtook him, a second wind breathing into your taut limbs, bidding you to run, run to camp, run from him.
You must have lost Gale because soon there were only the sounds of your own footsteps and in the distance behind you, you heard Halsin running after you. It sounded as four feet barreled in the dark towards you, but you knew Gale hadn't returned.
You ran in the direction you had come from, towards the cliffs that overlooked the river and your campsite. Soon you would be past the wards that were set up by the same man that chased you now. If only you could reach them—-
Your knees gave way as the ground dropped out from under you, sending you tumbling into the darkness. You thought fast and tucked your arms and legs in close, making the impact a fraction as bad as it could have been. Your brain rattled in your skull, but no cuts, no broken bones. You scrambled up, hands dusting the ground for a way to pull yourself up.
A paw lashed out from the darkness and pulled you forward as your stomach lurched. You knew who it was before you could see the fur give way to the outlines of his scars.
"Halsin, please." Your chest heaved as you tried to catch your breath, trying to explain why you had invaded his privacy and taken upon yourself to seek out the druids. "Please, I just wanted to—"
The hand that held your wrist tightened as the other darted behind your head, gripping the roots of your hair in his grasp. He wrenched your head back, harder than you anticipated, and you let out a labored gasp. Your free hand shot up to his chest, trying to push him away.
"I could smell you in the wind." His voice was gravelly, raw. "I could find you blind."
"Halsin, what—"
His head dipped down, burying his face in the crook of shoulder and his teeth bore down on the soft flesh on your neck. He bit you and he bit hard.
A gasp shuddered through you, louder and more panicked than before, making your entire body quiver. His body responded in turn, pressing against you, making your feet useless as he pushed you back, stopping only when you felt the rough bark of a tree scratch at the back of your braced arms. With hardly any effort he forced your hands away from his chest and dragged them over your head. Finally, he leaned away from your neck which stung as the cold night air blew across it.
His features had softened again, as if chomping on your neck had cleared his mind of whatever had converted him to someone— something else.
"I've marked you so that you may pass through these woods unscathed and hopefully untouched."
"Marked me?"
"I bit you just now."
"Yes, yes, I understand that part," you breathed. "But what does it do? How does that protect me?"
"These woods are full of druids chasing down their partners in celebration of the Hunt. The bite marks you as my quarry and that usually means that you will remain, well, mine. The mark will save you from any wandering eye." A look flickered across his face, something similar to shame. "You shouldn't have come here tonight. But there will be time to recompense later. Two paths lay before you, now. Either you can return to camp unharmed and wait for me there or…. You partake in the Hunt."
Your hands twitched in his grasp but he made no effort to release you. The trees above groaned from the blade of wind slashing through them and you fought the urge to do the same. You weren't thinking clearly, and you were worried that it would mar your judgment greatly. But you knew, deep down, that you wanted him.
"Thaniel said that the Hunt meant…" You swallowed. "Something else."
Halsin shook his head. "Of course it was Thaniel. I should've known he would have put you up to this." He angled his head closer to you, so that your eyes were level. "It's true that the Hunt ends with the hunter and the prey laying together, yes. But there's another element to the ritual. Something Thaniel neglected to tell you in fear that you would refuse to come."
Your mouth felt dry, thick with paste. "What is it?"
"If you agree to the Hunt, you will have to take the blade at your side and attempt to wound me with it. Four strikes is all it takes to complete the game, and the Hunt will be over. But I will be in my animal form the whole time, attempting to run you down or maim you. I can't hold back or else the magic will grow weakened by my unresolve to hunt you."
Your stomach churned at the thought of harming him, willingly sticking a blade in his side and trying not to aid him. To do it not once or twice, but four times?
"What happens if I return to camp right now?"
Halsin's shoulders shifted. "The magic that keeps us strong weakens with every broken ritual during the hunt. Only a few of the strongest partake in an attempt to strengthen us as a whole. I've only done it a handful of times in my life. As their leader, my completion of the Hunt grows our power tenfold. But if I'm unable to finish…"
"You'll grow weaker."
"Substiantly."
"Back there, in the clearing…"
He shook his head again, his long hair tumbling. "That wasn't the Hunt. That was just... some late night entertainment. As soon as I left that clearing to chase you, I agreed to the terms of the game." His gaze softened. "But that doesn't mean you have to. You didn't understand the gravity of your presence here. This is not your task to complete."
You paused, your lips pressed together, thinking. "I want to help you, but this could end badly either way," you said. "Either I stab you a bunch of times or your magic grows weaker, right?"
"Yes."
"But…," You bit your lip. "You would become stronger if I finish this ritual?"
Halsin dipped his head, a nod.
"And I get to have you after?" The words spilled from your mouth without a thought. Your cheeks burned.
His hold on you tightened, constricting you closer to his body. He seemed to grow bigger in that moment, larger and more dominating than you had seen him before. He slipped the hand that bound your wrists together to your chin and angled your head up. "I'd make it more than worth your while," he whispered.
You hardly hesitated. "Then I accept."
At the sound of those words, Halsin released you and stepped back. "Produce your weapon."
You brought the dagger at your side into your palms, flat side up. You held it up to him. He placed a hand on it and mumbled a few unintelligible words until the blade glowed with the light of a star.
"It has officially begun," Halsin said, lowering his hand. "I'll give a twenty-second head start."
You sheathed the blade. "I only need ten."
You had landed your first hit five minutes after initiating the Hunt, providing you with a false sense of hope that this would be over soon. That had been half an hour ago, and you were sure that either Halsin was tending to his wounds or resorting to stalking you rather than charging head on. It had been terrifying the first few moments after the Hunt had begun, as he transformed into his bear form and released a terrible roar. It shook you to your core, knowing he was eager to drag those furious claws across your throat, disregarding the fact that you had known him for months.
But the thought of being stalked through these dense woods was another level of terrifying. The only source of light was your enchanted blade, guiding you through the dark.
Every now and again you heard singing coming from the direction of the clearing, and you couldn't help but feel like the druids were forming bawdy songs about you. Laughing at your foolishness to agree to be Halsin's prey in this sick and twisted game. Their songs seemed to be mocking your greed and your lust, your terrible knack of getting yourself into fucked up situations.
You moved from the clearing to the other side of the bluffs, sticking low to the ground. You knew your glowing weapon would give away your position at any moment, but you couldn't see the gnarled roots beneath you without it.
After wandering further up the bluff, you came across a small stream of water, trickling so quietly it sounded like a chorus of bells. You sheathed your weapon and knelt for a drink, savoring the crisp water as it slid down your parched throat. You dipped your hands in and scrubbed at your blood-crusted nails.
Halsin's blood. That made your stomach twist.
A laugh echoed from the dark. Had you accidentally gotten too close to the clearing again? You had meant to skirt around it completely; you had a sneaking suspicion that Halsin might scout the area around it in hopes to find you in familiar territory.
You couldn't help but sate your curiosity. You moved closer to the sound of the woman's laugh, past the cluster of aspens that grew near the edge of the stream. The grove was so dense you had to squeeze past the trunks to draw nearer to the source of the sound. Eventually you found it: a pair of moonlit women laid naked upon a rock, one straddling the other as they fondled and caressed one another, eliciting peals of laughter from them.
They were engrossed with each other. They didn't notice you crouching near the edge of the grove, watching in wonder. You thanked your lucky stars for their diversion and moved to leave, not wanting to ruin their celebration in completing the Hunt.
Suddenly, a knot of aspens began to quiver on the other side of the grove, near where the two druids laid. Their heads shot up, alert to the unwelcome surprise. With hardly any warning, the shadowy figure of a bear charged from the dark trees, aimed straight for you. You didn't waste your breath screaming. You turned from where you came and sprinted, a duet of happy laughter and a blood-thirsty bear on your heels.
As you squeezed past the close-knit trees that you had just come from, a stroke of luck passed your way. You turned to see the bear's broad shoulders attempt to push past two young aspens, the trunks bending slightly to the bear's hulking form, but not breaking. It began to squeeze Halsin in its grip, making it impossible to move forward. He snapped at the air with his great maw, drool dripping from his teeth.
You immediately twisted on your heel and brought forth your blade, your eyes cutting to the exposed column of the bear's neck. You drove the blade in once, twice— you went in for the final blow but the bear let out a loud moan. You hesitated.
The moment gave Halsin the time needed to shake his shoulders free from the grip of the two trees, retreating back into the dark, a trail of blood following his wake.
You cursed yourself for your momentary weakness and inability to strike the fourth and final hit. You heard the women cheer for you once more before you banished yourself from the grove, following the direction Halsin had gone in.
You lost the trail halfway up the bluff, as if he had vanished. You followed a path from the stream further up the rise of the cliffs, hoping for some other sign of which way he went. You had no idea what time of night it was, how far off dawn might be. It couldn't have been more than an hour or two until dawn.
A horrible thought crossed your mind. What if the Hunt went unfinished before you could deal Halsin the fourth blow? The ritual you had started—unable to complete— would make not only him weaker, but the entire group of druids. They were depending on you to finish him, as impossible as it seemed at the moment. Resolve flowed through you, a fighter's instinct, a gluttonous want to win.
You had to find him first. You focused on the ground, watching for blood trails or paw prints in the underbrush. You struck gold once more as the first splash of blood appeared under the glow of your blade, fresh and wet.
You knew Halsin was close, the smell of his blood thick in the air. You were nearly level with the earth, moving as silently and imperceptible as a shadow. A low moan sliced the stillness, and your heart dropped. Another groan of pain quickened your steps past a bramble of vines and there, in the torch glow of goblins, laid Halsin, ropes anchoring him to the blood-covered ground, immobile and hemorrhaging more blood than you thought possible.
You had been right, goblins were prowling these woods in an attempt to capture a druid and they had— they had captured their leader. You cursed yourself again, fiercer than before. If only you had stayed in camp, you wouldn't have drawn Halsin out of the clearing and started the Hunt unwillingly. Now, here he was, fallen to these wretched goblins who wanted his head.
Anger pulsed through you, hungry and vengeful. It didn't matter if you had your companions by your side or your armor. You charged from the underbrush and whipped your blade into the seam of their bellies, polluting the ground with the worms inside them. You dashed around in the torchlit and cut each one into strips, bile rising in your blood, feeding your anger. They made a pathetic attempt to rally against your attack, but you had taken them unaware, and that advantage would win you the fight. You made quick work of them, sustaining a few cuts and blows yourself before the last one had fallen. It was as if you had slaughtered a herd of bleating lambs.
Only when the last one fell that you turned you attention to the injured and bleeding bear in the center of the light. You neared him, and he gave a swipe of his claws in return. You jumped back, surprised. You had almost forgotten about the terms of the Hunt, how he would try to maim you until the fourth blow. But you couldn't cut him down while restrained like this. That seemed morbid, closer to cheating the Oak Father of a proper Hunt than anything.
You bent as close to him as you could without being in the range of those obsidian claws, and cut the ropes that bound him. He staggered up, the fur of his belly and throat drenched black with blood. A gush poured from him, splashing to the forest floor in a sickening sheet.
Your face twisted to see this beautiful creature torn to ribbons like this, knowing you had to keep going until the game was set.
You raised your blade.
Halsin let out one last roar then charged.
You dodged the first but fell victim to the second charge, weakened by a gash on your calf thanks to one of the goblin's scimitars. Halsin rolled you, teeth clamping around the arm that brandished the enchanted blade. You screamed, feeling the bone crumble inside you as he twisted his head away, your blood staining his teeth.
He snapped his head forward again, aiming for your head, intent on wrenching your skull from the rest of your body. You squirmed and kicked him in his gushing stomach wounds, struggling to transfer the sword from your injured hand to your good one. You buried your knee into the gash in his belly, your pants immediately becoming slick. Blood and guts squelched from the twisting of your leg and Halsin let out a roar that shook the entire bluff. Your good hand finally gripped the worn hilt of your blade, and with a quick flick of the wrist, buried it deep in his chest. The crunch of bone was enough to make you gag, but you trained your face into a mask of indifference as you felt him retreat, the blade still stuck in his chest.
You stared dumbly at it, terrified. What if you had gone too far? All you knew is that he would pay the price.
"Halsin..."
A flash of light and he was back, returned to his human form with the gore-covered blade in his hands. You took a step forward, your disfigured arm cradled to your chest, but He lifted a hand to stop you. He wrenched the blade from his body, which glowed brighter than a ruby. The blade. The blade was still glowing. Was the game not over?
"Please," you whispered. "Let me help you." Your eyes stung but you would not let your tears be the last thing he would see before death. "Please."
You could smell the magic enter the woods before you felt it. Over the stench of goblin blood and shit, the familiar notes of rusted iron and bitter water flooded the air around you, building itself into a whirlwind of energy around him, taking the shape of smoke and gold-tinged stars. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished, the cuts and gashes on his body molding itself back into pristine smoothness.
His eyes flashed to you, as if he misunderstood something, but then the memory clicked itself back into his brain. He moved towards you, his newly-healed hands placing themselves upon your shoulders.
"The Oak Father rains his blessing upon us," he said softly, his voice filled with so much happiness it nearly broke you. "You fought bravely, little one. You've given me a gift that most have never had the strength to do. I thank you."
As carefully as he could, he reached for your arm and touched the tips of your purple-tinged fingers to his lips. In the trenches of adrenaline and panic, you hadn't realized how badly your arm hurt, along with the welts and cuts on the rest of your limbs and face. But now, with a surge of almost holy magic, your skin knitted itself together and cooled the ache of your limbs. You felt your bones shift back into place, fitting into one another like pieces of broken pottery. You breathed a sigh of relief as the healing magic swarmed you, a sensation similar to small bees crawling over your body, kissing your wounds better with the whisper of their wings.
After the fluttering feeling had disbanded and folded itself back into the night, you looked down at both of yours and Halsin's clothes.
"I fear I'll never rid these robes of your blood," you said grimly.
"Nor I," he said, his hand still holding your own close to his mouth. He ran your fingers over the taut line of his upper lip. "I understand if you wish to return to camp now. You've earned your rest." His eyes closed. "More than earned it."
You swallowed, afraid to speak the wrong words. "I understand if you need your rest as well, Halsin," you said. "But if you're still… able to—"
He opened his eyes, understanding and full of light. "Come with me."
You left the gory and nasty scene behind you two, one of the goblin's torches clutched in his grasp. The other held your freshly-healed hand, leading you through the dark. A sudden noise made your stomach drop.
"I can hear the thrush singing." You couldn't help but keep the disappointment out of your tone. "Dawn isn't far off."
"We will have time, little one." Halsin's voice soothed you, even as you shifted your gaze to the mountains in the east. "The Oak Father will allow us the pleasure owed to us for completing his Hunt."
He led you down a ravine choked thick with brambles and thickets, but Halsin maneuvered his way through it as if he knew it like the back of his hand.
"Few know of this place and even less know how to get there," he said. "It's an old spring that bubbles from the earth and holds the clearest water I've seen in all my years. I hope you appreciate its beauty as much as I do."
At last, the pale stones surrounding the springs came into view, gleaming silver in the mysterious light. The waters that rippled in the pool beyond glowed an eerie blue, mysterious and strange. A lump formed in your throat at the sight.
"It's beautiful."
"So it is," Halsin said, but you had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't looking at the spring.
You stepped forward, pulling him behind you. You carefully untied your boots and removed your socks, and dipped your feet into the spring. It was cold and made your skin tingle.
"Shall we swim?"
He nodded. You stripped off your pants and tunic, completely unaware that this would be the first time he had seen you unclothed. Once you had shed every article of clothing off, you went into the pool, eager to wash the blood off of your skin. You breathed out a sigh as you floated on the surface, the soft ripple licking the rigid skin of your nipples. You shivered as you let out a laugh, one that was charged not by the sensation, but the thought of all the insane events that had taken place tonight. You could have laid their forever, content to have your thoughts keep you company as you floated in the water.
You twisted yourself to look back at Halsin, who was waist deep in the water, his eyes closed again. His palms stretched across the calm surface of the water, his face relaxed. You moved towards him, digging your feet into the soft silt of the pool so you wouldn't fall over.
You lightly placed your hand over his forearm, but his eyes did not open.
"Don't stop swimming on account of me," he said coolly. "Dawn is a far way off for you and I. There is no need to rush."
"Who said we were rushing?" You kept your hand where it was and gently led it to the dip of your waist.
His lids opened halfway, staring at the place where your skin met his hand. "We will be if you keep doing things like that."
You leaned in close, your shoulder brushing his upper arm. "I've never been the patient type."
He grinned. "So I've heard."
You reached up to cup his face with one hand, the other still firm on top of the place where rested his own on your waist. An offending streak of blood marred the hollow of his cheek, right where you had seen the cut this morning. How badly you had wanted to reach out and wipe it away and hadn't been able to. Whether it was because you were frightened to show your feelings, afraid of what your companions might think, if he would admonish your advances… you weren't sure anymore. But here, in a dark corner of the forest with the powerful druid in your arms, you weren't afraid anymore, of any of those things.
Your thumb swiped the bit of blood away, unsure if it was yours, his, or one of the dead goblin' gazed raked across his bare body with an appraising expression lacing your features. It settled on the soft roundness of his belly peeking above the surface of the water.
"My, my," you laughed softly. "The bear sure loves its honey."
"Are you implying something about my physical appearance?" Halsin scoffed. "I'll have you know I could easily tear that log over there in two."
"What? That rotted-out log? My grandmother could do that."
Suddenly both hands were firmly wrapped around your hips. "I could tear you in half, if I so wished." His face lowered to yours, the light in his eyes dancing. "I could bend you in half as easily as a reed in my hands."
You jerked your chin up, coaxing him. "I dare you to try."
He didn't, even as you wished he would've, and you could have an excuse to whoop his ass again. Instead, he lowered his lips to yours and gave your hips a firm squeeze. His mouth was soft upon yours, but there was a hunger, a want that burned behind the tenderness. That hunger had followed him from the clearing to here.
Had followed you.
Your hands wove their way around his neck but retreated as they came away wet. You grimaced at the sight of blood coating your hands.
Halsin flashed you an apologetic look.
"Let's get you cleaned up."
You tore a clean piece of your ruined tunic and soaked it before you busied yourself with scrubbing yourself and Halsin clean. He let you tend to him quietly, the distant hum of mourning doves echoing softly around you. You didn't know how much time had passed, yet morning still had not come. Maybe the Oak Father had placed a spell to keep the sun from rising just for you. The thought made you shutter.
"Is the water too cold for you?" His back was turned to you as you took your time wiping the dried patches of gore and blood from his broad shoulders.
"No," you said in a hushed voice. You wiped the last bit of crimson away from his acorn-colored skin, the rag coming away pink. "It's perfect."
As if the earth itself had shifted, an understanding dawned across the two of you, a peaceful agreement to let the strange and beautiful night draw to a close.
You moved silently to stand in front of him, your hands sprawled across his chest. His skin felt hot, flushed against your icy fingers. He bent down to kiss you again, his mouth feasting on the pleasure of yours. His hands slid to your hips, past them, to the curve of your ass and even past that. His hands hooked themselves around the bottom of your thighs and yanked them, drawing you out of the water, your legs hooked around his waist. Water droplets raced down your skin and made your limbs tingle as he continued to kiss you fiercely, his legs moving to bring you closer to the edge of the water. He placed you gently on the edge of a smooth rock ledge, a wall of vines and branches hanging over you, covering the blanket of stars above.
His body pressed against you, the water splashing against his calves.
He pulled away for just a moment, examining your face in the dim light away from the torch and blazing stars. His eyes flickered to the place where he had bitten you hours before, gone now since he had healed you.
"Would you like me to do it again?"
His question made you raise your brow. "I thought biting would be Astarion's thing."
Halsin made a noise, something similar to a groan and a laugh. "I'd rather not hear another man's name on your tongue right now."
You wove your fingers through his hair. "Fair." You drew in a deep breath of his scent, of pine and smoke. "I want you to mark me, Halsin."
Not a moment's hesitation passed before his teeth were bearing down on the flesh of your neck once more, eliciting an unbidden moan from you. His searing bite traveled all the way down your throat to your breasts, where he took his sweet time torturing you with his mouth. Afterwards, his longing kisses traveled further down to between your legs. He lapped and sucked to his leisure, drawing out long wails of pleasure before he returned his mouth to yours. His tongue tasted sour, like a freshly cut lemon. The taste of you on his mouth drove you half-mad, the icy pricking on your neck and breasts making you want him more than ever before. You drew him to where you were on the rock, posing him so that you could crawl over and straddle him. He was more than ready, and slid into you without much guidance. The feeling of him inside you lit your mind on fire, banishing all thoughts except for the pleasure of knowing he wanted you. He gripped the flesh of your ass hard, undoubtedly leaving marks. You rode and rode, hardly caring to dampen your own sounds of pleasure.
If the Oak Father can command the sun to slow its rise, you were sure he could spare some sound-dampening spells as you fucked the highest-ranking druid in his order.
Both of you finished in what felt like seconds, and you dismounted, panting hard and slumped against the rock wall. You leaned against him.
"Okay," you said, your chest still heaving. "Maybe I do have a tendency to rush things."
You felt his arm wrap itself around your shoulders, drawing you close. "That may be true." His breathing became less labored. "But I'll never berate you for being too eager to find your own pleasure. I had a great time."
You shifted your head to look at him, to see him peering down at you, a soft smile playing on his lips. You tilted your head towards him, offering a kiss. He took it gladly.
"Seeing as I fumbled that a bit," you began. "Do you think the Oak Father will give us time for one more round?"
Halsin's laugh reverberated throughout the cove, vibrating through your very core. "You would test this old man's limits thus? You're bold for the suggestion, I'll give you that."
"So… no?"
"I'll say…" His words drifted off. "We'll have plenty of time."
"How long?"
He leaned down to your neck, his breath tickling the shell of your ear. "Swim, why don't you? I like to watch."
You obeyed and slunk into the ripples of the water, thankful for the chill water to cool the ache between your legs.
You could have passed days in that hidden cove; years if Halsin had been more willing to hear you out. He reminded you again and again how much he adored having you here, all to himself, but kept trying to convince you to return to the druids with him.
Even as he begged to leave, he respected your wish to stay. You were both each other's prize for completing the Hunt, and neither one of you would ever have their fill. He took you in every way imaginable, in whatever form you chose. He was soft when you asked, rough and hard as you could take. You both hardly slept, eager to figure out all the possible ways your bodies could fit together. It was a wonder you were both able to carry on as long as you did without sleep or food. Maybe that was one more the blessings given to you.
Still, he knew better than anyone else the best way to grab your attention, and he did so right after he had pulled his mouth away from you.
"I'll still be willing to lay with you after this," he repeated. "At camp, on the road, in front of a crowd if that's what you want."
"It still feels like a dream," you said, even as you felt the real spasms of your orgasm deep inside you. "I'm scared to leave and wake to find I'm still in my tent. Alone."
"I'm here, little one." He reached for your hand to pull it flat against his chest. "I'll want you until you send me away, until the stars fall from the sky, whatever you want me to swear by. You have an oath to save this realm. We can't accomplish that if we're too preoccupied bedding down together, ignorant to the troubles of the world."
"What good has the world done for me," you said. "Except lead me to you?"
"That's a good enough reason, isn't it?" He drew closer to you, your hand still pressed to him. "For all the other people out there, still searching for someone to cherish them, share with them this blessing we've been able to find in one another?" You felt his heart thump against your palm, as solid as a drum hammering against you.
"It is a good reason," you admitted. You drew your hand away from him and stood. "Let me wash myself and we'll be gone."
Just as you were wondering what you were going to wear on the trip back to camp, Halsin disappeared and soon returned with a bundle of clothes in his arms.
"Some acolytes left these for us." He handed you a plain tunic, fur-lined leggings and clean wool socks. You couldn't have been more pleased to see anything in your life.
The sky had lightened to the color of a fresh bruise by the time you had dressed and left the cove with Halsin, and you took a moment to fully appreciate the sincerity of the Oak Father's gift.
"How can I properly thank him?" You asked him as he led the way back to the clearing.
"Has the time come for you to become a proper druid?" He teased. "I never thought I could convert someone by having sex with them. Perhaps I should've thought of that earlier."
You swiped at his arm. "Nevermind. If the Oak Father thought we would be a good match, he was sorely mistaken and obviously cannot be trusted."
The crowd that greeted you at the clearing hummed with excitement as the sky grew lighter. A few rushed forth to give you and Halsin a rich breakfast of stewed grains and pumpkin seeds, warm bread smeared with elderberries, and a brew of chamomile and basil. You ate and drank all of it with fervor, and began to ask for more when you saw Gale out of the corner of your eye. He was busy talking to a tall brunette and the same red-headed druid that spoke at the ceremony. You approached him, Halsin close behind.
"How did you fare the night?" You asked as you strode closer.
Gale's attention turned to you, his eyes wide. "Quite well, I dare say." He looked you up and down, then at Halsin. "And I would ask how you fared, but I feel I already know the answer."
The red-headed druid leaned closer to you, her face bright and excited. "Are you the one to thank for this wonderful surge of power coursing through us this morning?" Her hand stretched out before her, a strange sort of glow radiating from her limbs. "I feel a hundred years younger because of you." She grinned at Halsin. "And you. I thought you had given up on the Hunt a long time ago. I feared we would all pass into the ether before the Oak Father would charge any druid with this much magic again."
"It was not without some challenges," Halsin said, arms crossed. "And I'm sure you are to thank as well, Chella. I've heard you had your own success during the Hunt."
Chella smiled and threw a look towards Gale. "I couldn't have done it alone. This one made fine prey for Thyra and I."
You and Gale shared a knowing glance. His face said it all. We'll talk later…
Chella and Thyra departed, claiming that the start of the dawn celebration would be soon. Halsin guided you and Gale to the edge of the clearing. "You can wait for me here or return to camp if you wish, but I'm required at the ritual for a little more than an hour." He focused on you. "You need your rest. I suggest you get some sleep before the day breaks and we're needed on the road again."
You opened your mouth to speak, but Gale interrupted. "You don't have to tell me twice! I need my beauty sleep." He waved as he trotted away. "I'll see you back at camp."
"I'll wait here," you told Halsin, settling upon a stump and drawing your legs to your chest. "We'll walk back together."
You didn't realize you had fallen asleep until you woke, startled by the swaying trees above you. You lifted your head, dazed.
"Careful, now," a deep voice rumbled above you, quaking deep in you. "You wouldn't want me to drop you."
"You wouldn't dare," you hissed. You suddenly felt strength return to your limbs, as if sleeping in Halsin's arms had been some of the best sleep you had gotten in a long time. But you would never tell him that.
"Do you want me to carry you all the way to camp?" He asked, ignoring your threat.
You scanned the forest around you. Some of it seemed familiar. "How far are we?"
"No more than another ten minutes."
You thought about accepting his offer, being tucked against his chest and cradled by his tree trunk arms seemed to be better than riding in a velvet-lined carriage. "I can walk."
"The question was: do you want me to carry you?" Halsin started, staring straight ahead. "Not if you can walk."
You tucked your arms against your chest. "Are you sure you want to be a smartass to me right now? Especially knowing I will gladly stab you at any moment?"
"On second thought…" Halsin lowered you to your feet. "I hope you know that I fear you much more than I did before."
You brushed your clothes off and glared. "You should." You cocked your head. "Just wait until next year."
A grin cracked across his face. "Gladly."
"You…" You trailed off for a moment, unsure of what to say. "You're not upset at Thaniel, are you?"
"Thaniel? Hm… maybe a bit. But then again," he took a deep breath. "He's always known what was good for me, even if I didn't realize it."
The sun was shining bright over the eastern mountains when you both returned to camp. Everything looked the same, but something had shifted... changed. Maybe it was the fact that you had changed, or maybe because the cloak of magic that hung over the forest had followed you back here. You both stopped by your tent quickly to discard of your weapon and retrieve your mug and stash of coffee beans.
Everyone had woken by then, except Gale. You had a sneaking suspicion he wouldn't be joining you for a few days.
You approached your small group of companions as they cooked their meager breakfast by the fire, almost unaware that you and Halsin had suddenly returned together.
Astarion rubbed the sleep from his eyes with the palm of his hand. "Gods, I feel like I've been asleep for months."
Lae'zel was crouched by the fire, poking the sausages roasting on the spit. "The air feels different this morning," she said absent-mindedly, as if to herself.
"It is officially autumn now," you said. But no one turned to acknowledge your presence or what you had said. You quickly drank your coffee, gave them orders to eat breakfast and join you on the road in an hour's time, only to be answered in groans and nods.
"You must be exhausted," you said to Halsin as you both walked back to the privacy of your tent.
"It wasn't an easy feat keeping you preoccupied for days."
"Days?" You gaped at him. "You believe we were in the cove for that long?"
"Days is generous," he replied. "I may have lost track of time more than once."
You blushed, staring at the rise of his lips and proud chin, the column of his neck and high cheekbones. You remembered how he felt lying beside you, inside you. The feeling of his teeth on your skin. How could you ever get enough?
"I must have positively worn you out. You can stay in camp today, if you'd like."
He peered over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching before planting a swift kiss on your lips. "Only if you ask me to."
