Chapter 16 Wildflowers
"Lynn. Wake up, Lynn.", Eliza's worried face hovered over Lynn’s. "Lynn? Are you ok?"Lynn opened her eyes. For a brief moment their eyes met. Lynn eyes lingered on Eliza’s, then turned down towards her lips.
"He wants to kill us all.", Lynn whispered. "But, he can't kill what’s between us."
Eliza sighed and held Lynn even tighter. "It's almost morning.", she whispered
Lynn felt strangely peaceful. She gave Eliza a long soft kiss and dropped off to sleep. Eliza lay awake, watching over Lynn and softly singing an old Barovian lullaby.
"I understand this was the only one following you, correct?", Guy said motioning to the fire.
"As far as I know.", Weamar replied.
"This is the only one I've seen.", Marinae added.
"Well, if you don't mind I'll tail you for a few days just in case.”, Guy replied, “These things do tend to travel in packs."
"That would be most appreciated.", Weamar said bowing slightly.
"You two should go and get some sleep. I'll clean up here.", Guy added.
"I don't think I can sleep.", Marinae mused as she and Weamar headed back to the Inn. Ollison stayed behind, standing over the burning remains of the werewolf and leaning on his musket.
Marinae still needed a shot of whiskey. She knew that there was no way that she was going to get back to sleep. Back in the Golden Mushroom she spotted the glass that she had poured hours earlier still sitting on the counter. She drank it and poured herself another. The alcohol took the edge off her nerves but she couldn't help but shudder whenever her mind wandered to the dream of her mother.
Rambis climbed out of her robe and jumped up onto the table. “Scary dreams.”, he thought to her.
“Did you see them, too?”, Marinae asked.
“Parts.”, Rambis answered, “You showed them without meaning to. It was strange. Not a normal dream.”
“I think you're right.”, Marinae replied.
Marinae poured herself an ale and sat down at a nearby table. Rambis crawled into her lap and soon fell asleep. Marinae absently rubbed the cat's ears and sipped on the ale, waiting for the dawn.
Lynn rolled over and gave Eliza a kiss.
"Good morning.”, Eliza answered, “How are you feeling?"
"I feel wonderful today.", Lynn said as she began kissing down Eliza's body.
Eliza lay back and let Lynn do as she pleased. She sighed and closed her eyes. Lynn moved her hips over Eliza’s head and showed her the sixty-nine position. The enjoyed each other until the sun came up.
Still coasting on the waning feelings of pleasure, Eliza lay on her stomach propped up on her elbows. She looked out the window at the coming day. "I suppose we should go get cleaned up." She grins a little. "Unless you have anything else you want to show me."
"That field outside of Sturben where the wildflowers grow.", Lynn said, "Let's go there."
With a child's energy Eliza hopped up and quickly slipped into her robe. Lynn put on her clothes, armor, and cloak. Today she went without her blindfold, and left her hood so that it only covered her hair. Eliza gave her a lingering kiss and then smoothed out her robe. Then they headed downstairs.
Shortly before dawn, Jake sleepily entered the main room. "Hello, lass.”, he said seeing Marinae bent over one of the tables with a mug in her hand. “You’re up early."
"I had trouble sleeping.", Marinae replied. She handed Jake some coins for the ale and whiskey. "I didn't want to wake anyone else just for a drink."
"No problem.”, Jake assured her, “You’re welcome to help yourself. Maybe it was something you ate?"
"Perhaps.", Marinae answered to Jake’s chagrin.
Weamar limped down the stairs and greeted them both. He sat down at the table with Marinae, contemplating breakfast for a few moments.
"Morning, Weamar. Oh, my what happened to your leg?", Jake asked with a concerned look.
"I was bitten rather badly during the night. It's OK though.", Weamar assured him.
"Bitten by what?", Jake replied.
"The werewolf that followed me here, and then to Lekvarest. We had some help and now it's a charred corpse.", Weamar spoke as matter-of-factly as he could, hoping that Jake wouldn’t make a big deal of it. But it was not to be.
"That's wonderful!”, Jake exclaimed, “Err, that it's dead not that it bit you. You won't be turning into one of those thing will you?"
"No, our help came from a church hunter, who treated me for the bite on the spot.", Weamar said flatly, trying to kill the celebratory mood.
Jake breathed a sigh of relief, "Praise Ezra. Well, what can I get you all this morning?"
Damon groggily made his way down the stairs. He didn't look like he had slept very well.
"Pleasant dreams?", Marinae asked with a smile.
Damon slumped down in a chair next to her. "How'd you guess?", he said rubbing his eyes.
"I think all of us had nightmares of one kind or another. You'll be happy to know there's one less wolf chasing us now.", Marinae said nodding at Weamar.
Damon rubbed his brow, "Well that's good to hear. Hope this is the start of a trend. Then we'll be done with the deal in a couple days." He chuckled and scratched Rambis' head.
Marinae described her dream to Damon in every detail.
"How lovely. Mine was...”, Damon began to feel sick as he remembered his dream. He decided not to share it. “Mine was bad too."
Eliza and Lynn soon joined them looking altogether happy. Jake greeted them warmly and served everyone breakfast. Marinae idly wondered what sort of dreams the others had had overnight and how bad they were. It didn’t seem like Eliza or Lynn had any. Lynn took a seat. She still avoided eye contact with the others, but everyone could see her smiling face. Eliza was smiling too and bubbling with excitement.
Damon turned to Lynn and Eliza and asked, "You two didn't happen to have any odd dreams did you?"
"Yes.", was all that Lynn said. She began digging into her meal, savoring every bite.
Eliza glanced at Lynn, then replied to Damon, "I didn't dream last night. Not that I remember, anyway."
Damon nodded to Weamar, "What about you? Strange dreams?"
"Yes, I dreamt I'd become a werewolf.", Weamar said munching on a sausage, "Which is what prompted me to go out last night."
Eliza set her fork down, "What happened last night?", she asked.
"I went werewolf hunting, and together with Marinae and a church hunter we found and killed it.”, Weamar said with little fanfare. “I'm tired of my dreams coming true."
"You killed the wolf?", Lynn said with a spark of hope.
"We did.", Weamar answered.
Lynn felt wonderful. Everything was getting better. Her meal smelled wonderful and tasted as good as anything she’d ever eaten. She was actually tingling with excitement about what was to come.
"Are you alright?", Eliza asked Weamar and Marinae.
"I'm fine.”, Marinae answered, glancing at Lynn, “Weamar was the only one bitten this time."
"I was bitten, but that's been taken care of.", Weamar explained.
"Apparently, if we can handle silver without exploding into flames or something, we ‘should be okay’ as the hunter put it. He tossed me a silver..." , Marinae hesitated, not knowing what the silver ball was, "I don't know the word for it."
"Mustard?", Marinae added.
Eliza knelt beside Weamar and looked quizzically at Marinae, "Silver mustard?"
Marinae gave up, "No matter. It was a silver ball."
Eliza laughed a little and asked Weamar, "Where did it bite you?"
"On the thigh.", Weamar replied.
Eliza placed her hand on Weamar’s leg. She closed her eyes and spoke softly. A tingling sensation spread through Weamar’s leg. Looking a little drained Eliza stood up and smiled.
"Good as new.", she said.
Weamar agreed. "Thank you, that feels much better."
"I owe you two so much.", Lynn said, gushing uncharacteristically, "For ridding us of the wolf. And for the night before last too."
Marinae remembered her dream. "We need to talk about that ring of yours.", she said to Lynn.
"That was in my dream.", Lynn replied. "When I took it off, the spell was broken."
"So you can remove your ring?", Marinae asked.
Lynn took off her glove and removed the ring. Like in the dream, the ring resisted but slipped off after some pulling.
"It's harder to take it off now. But I can.", Lynn said.
Eliza finished her meal and asked Lynn, "May I see it?"
Lynn handed Eliza the ring. Eliza rolled the ring between her fingers, looking at it closely.
"It's so pretty.", Eliza gasped.
As she examined the ring it suddenly began glowing bright red and became very hot. The searing metal burnt Eliza's fingers and she dropped it to the table with a yelp. When it settled, the ring returned to its silver shade.
"Are you alright?", Lynn asked quickly.
Eliza gripped her hand, holding back her tears. "I'll be ok."
"What's wrong?", Lynn asked. Her voice filled with concern.
Eliza showed Lynn her hand, the tips of her thumb and index finger were severely blistered.
"Oh, no.", Lynn gasped. "I'll never wear it again."
Lynn put the ring away in her purse. Weamar called to Jake for a bowl water. When Jake returned with it Marinae cast a spell that made it icy cold. Eliza put her hand in it.
Eliza closed her eyes. "That's better, thank you."
"Would a kiss make it better?", Lynn whispered in Eliza's ear.
Eliza looked at Lynn and blushed, then she turned to the rest of the group. "I have something I want to show Lynn. You won't mind the delay will you? We'll be camping on the road anyway tonight."
Marinae and Weamar didn’t mind and Damon just nodded. Lynn ate the last bite of her meal and the two disappeared out the door. Eliza took Lynn’s hand and led her out of town. Soon they crested a hill and stretching out below was a massive field of flowers. A rainbow of blossoms blanketed the ground. The sun peeked through the slightly overcast sky. Eliza squeezed Lynn’s hand.
"It's beautiful.", Lynn said, looking over the flowing field. "And so are you."
Lynn shed her robe, then her armor. Eliza watched her while she walked backwards into the sea of flowers. Lynn shed her underclothes as well. Then she picked a flower and put it in her hair. Eliza glanced around, then when she was sure that no one else was around she slipped her robe off her shoulders. She blushed profusely.
"I've never gone without clothes outside.”, Eliza said nervously. “What if someone comes to the field?"
"We'll lie down and hide.", Lynn replied.
Eliza laughed and shed the rest of her clothes.
"Catch me if you can.", Lynn said and began running through the field.
Eliza was hot on her heels and after a short chase Eliza tackled Lynn and sent them both rolling through the flowers laughing all the while. Then the laughing turned to kissing and the kissing turned to passion. Under the warm sun and the blue sky Eliza and Lynn shared their love in a way that seemed as natural as anything else in the world.
Damon finished off his plate, "We'll be passing close to the Falkovnian border over the next few days.
Marinae shuddered.
Damon looked at Marinae, "I see you know what that means."
"Yes.”, Marinae nodded gravely, “We've had disappearances along the border with Darkon."
"What about you Weamar?”, Damon asked, “Have you ever been there?"
"No, I haven't spent much time outside of Verbrek.", Weamar replied.
"Well, whatever you've heard I can assure you, the reality is much worse.”, Damon said grimly. “We must be on guard."
Laying in peaceful bliss Eliza brushed a loose petal across Lynn's lips.
"I love you, Lynn.", she said, but before Lynn could respond, Eliza looked to the hill line and gasped loudly.
"What is it?", Lynn asked.
"I thought I saw someone.", Eliza said breathlessly.
Lynn looked around and saw no one else. She smiled, "Your imagination."
The door of the inn opened and a thin gentleman entered. It was the hunter from the previous night.
"Guy, please, join us.", Weamar said graciously.
Guy took a seat and nodded to each person. "Good morning.", he said in a serious tone.
Weamar introduced Damon to Guy, and explained to Damon how Guy helped out in killing the werewolf.
Damon shook Guy's hand. "Sounds like it would make quite a song."
Guy didn’t respond. He was all business. "You are traveling with an Anchorite, yes?", he asked.
"Yes, but she's not here right now.", Weamar answered.
"Indeed. Is there anyone else in your party who isn't here?", Guy continued.
"Yes, another woman.”, Weamar replied with an innocent look. “They're out seeing the sights together.”
Guy's expression revealed nothing. He changed the subject. "How's the leg?"
"Very well, thanks.” Weamar said, “Eliza cast a healing spell on it before she left this morning."
"I've scouted around the town all night.”, Guy said stoically. “There's no sign of any other wolves."
"You must be exhausted.”, Weamar said, “The ladies are likely to be a while yet, you should get some sleep while you can."
"Very well. Alert me when you are ready to ride. Good day, then.", Guy arranged for a room and went upstairs.
"Those two are worse than rabbits.", Marinae muttered under her breath.
"I love you, Eliza.", Lynn said softly. "I want to be your first."
Eliza looked around nervously. She rested her head on Lynn's shoulder, and clung tightly to her. "My first?", she asked.
Lynn smiled and rose to her feet. She took Eliza's hand and led her back to where they’d left their clothes. Eliza followed, soothed by Lynn's smile. Lynn went to her purse and pulled out a phallic shaped wooden object. She turned back to Eliza and blushed a little.
Eliza looked at the object and after a second her eyes opened wide. "Oh my."
Lynn giggled and Eliza blushed again. "Is that what I think it is?", Eliza asked.
Lynn nodded. She walked over and placed the object in Eliza's hand. Eliza ran her hands over the object's smooth surface.
Breathlessly she said. "Show me."
Lynn lay down in the grass and beckoned Eliza to do the same. Eliza lay down next to Lynn growing more and more excited.
"I'll be gentle.", Lynn whispered as she kissed Eliza and slid the wooden dildo down her body.
True to her word Lynn was gentle, and slowly worked the dildo into Eliza. She kissed and caressed her the whole time, and pulled back when Eliza winced or felt uncomfortable. Eliza entrusted herself completely to Lynn, and writhed under her soft touch. Amongst the gasps and whimpers, Lynn's name repeatedly passed across Eliza's lips. Lynn lay against Eliza's body, feeling her warmth and sharing deeply in the pleasure that she was giving to her. Lynn slowly drifted into a state of pure bliss. This was something more than she had ever felt in her entire life, and she had had many lovers.
"I love you, Eliza.", she whispered in her ear. And she gave to Eliza as much love and pleasure as she could.
Eliza's body soon quaked with waves of orgasmic release. She cried out and collapsed, grasping at Lynn and pulling her close. Lynn embraced her as wave after wave traveled through her body. She held Eliza as her orgasm subsided and felt like she never wanted to let go. For a time they both lay embracing each other in the field of wildflowers, watching the clouds overhead and losing themselves in the cool summer breeze.
Then Lynn kissed Eliza, smiled, and said, "Now you get to do me."
Eliza smiled, “I’ve never...”, she began. Then she blushed.
As she so often did, Lynn gave her lover instructions. Eliza followed them and slid the dildo as gently into Lynn as Lynn had done to her.
"Slower...Deeper...", Lynn began, as she lay back in the tall grass, the wildflowers waving in the wind all about her.
"Faster...Harder...", Lynn called out as the mood came over her.
Eliza did so, and watched Lynn writhing in ecstasy. She kissed her all over and tried to bring Lynn as much pleasure as Lynn had brought her. At Eliza’s hands Lynn came as hard as she had ever cum before. Her mind went blank as waves of pleasure washed all over her. When she finally regained her senses the only thing that she felt was Eliza’s love, and that was all that she ever wanted to feel.
Eliza's voice rose barely above a whisper. "I'm yours, now and for as long as you want me."
Lynn wrapped her arms around Eliza, "And I am yours as well."
Lynn knew that soon they would have to get up and go back into town. But the thought didn't fill her with emptiness. It seemed as though everything was always going to be alright.
Damon leaned back in his chair and spun a coin across his knuckles. "So what do you think this wizard has planned?", he asked.
"Not sure, nothing pleasant though.", Weamar answered.
Damon said in a far off and uncharacteristically maudlin voice, "I don't think all of us are going to make it."
"You don't have to go you know.", Marinae replied.
Damon thought for a while and then flipped the coin into the air. "Call it."
"Heads.”, Marinae said.
Damon swiped his hand through the air, snatching the coin. He pocketed it without looking. "I'm going."
Marinae shook her head and smiled., "Now I know why mother just shakes her head when I do something like that."
Damon grinned, "I got that a lot from her too."
The sound of a group of children running and laughing flowed in the distance. It seemed to be getting closer. Lynn reached for Eliza's robe and handed it to her. Then she grabbed her own and put it on. Eliza got dressed and fixed a blossom in her hair just as the children came over the hill. The children completely ignored the women and went about with their game.
Lynn dressed underneath her robe. "This place was wonderful. Thank you for taking me here."
Eliza took Lynn's hand, kissed it, and smiled, "Let's go."
Lynn kissed Eliza’s hand in return and smiled back. "Yes. Let’s."
It was late morning when Eliza and Lynn returned. Weamar, Damon, and Marinae were waiting for them in the Inn. They woke Guy, gathered their things, and by 11 o'clock they were all ready to ride. Guy mounted up first.
"There are five of you, I only see four horses.", Guy said.
"I don't have a horse.", Lynn explained. "So I ride with Eliza."
Guy gave the same sense of watchfulness that the High Seeker's aid Ronaldo did. His eyebrow twitched "I see."
Back on the road once more, the landscape rolled by. At dusk they neared the Falkovnian border. Up ahead on the road Weamar could see a flicker of orange flame. As he got closer he could tell that it was a carriage, overturned and set ablaze. Guy leaped down from his horse and readied his musket. Lynn carefully dismounted and stood between the flame and Eliza. Weamar rode a little closer on his horse. He saw what looked like a person laying face down, silhouetted against the fire. Weamar dismounted and readied his bow. Marinae and Damon prepared for a fight as well. As they all approached the carriage they saw that the person on the ground was quite dead with a half-dozen arrows protruding from his back.
Damon knelt next to him. "These are Falcon's arrows."
Marinae recognized the design of the carriage. It was Sithican. But the dead man was a human, not an elf.
Cujia sniffed at the ground, wandering off the road and out of sight. Weamar looked intently in the direction Cujia was heading, then followed. A ways off the road Cujia found a pale gray shawl. There were tracks about it. One set was small and light, three others were large and heavy. The tracks milled about in the area of the shawl and led away in two directions. One trail led towards the road and the other north towards Falkovnia. Weamar looked closely at the shawl. It was stained and had the scent of blood, sex and perfume wafting from it.
“Not a good combination.”, Weamar mused.
Guy and Damon kept watch. Eliza stood behind Lynn, watching the fire. She prayed softly. Marinae got a bad feeling that they were going to have to enter Falkovnia. Weamar and Cujia soon returned with the shawl.
Marinae took a look, "This is Sithican, as well as the carriage.”
Damon’s face was grim. "Drakov soldiers were here. It seems they had their fun with the woman that owned that cloth."
Marinae nodded. Weamar frowned. Lynn became very quiet. She put her hand on her katana.
Guy continued to scan the area. "We shouldn't stay here. Let's move on. There's nothing we can do."
"What about the woman?", Marinae asked.
"What would propose we do?”, Guy replied. “Stride into the most feared police state in the core and politely request her release?"
"I've found some tracks, but I tend to agree with Guy.”, Weamar reluctantly agreed. “They have several hours lead on us."
Damon twirled his coin across his fingers. "I have... friends in the resistance.”, he said delicately, “It could be done but it would be extremely dangerous and there is the matter of our business in Dementlieu."
"I'm guessing she is, was, someone of importance, to be riding in a carriage.”, Marinae said with a hint of indigence. “But you're right. I can't see how we can help her without all of us being in danger."
"They're waiting for us.", Lynn said. "Ahead."
Marinae swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded, breathing a silent prayer to the gods. Guy returned to his horse and mounted up. He looked at everyone questioningly. Marinae looked to the north for a few moments, then quietly got on her horse. With heavy hearts the group rode on. Night began to fall.
"This close to the border, we'd best not show lights.", Marinae advised.
They made camp, but started no fire. The night passed slowly but fortunately, uneventfully. Sleeping without the ring on felt different to Lynn, but with Eliza nearby it didn't seem to matter. No dreams came that night and everyone slept deeply. But when morning came they found Damon and the shawl missing. Marinae emerged from her tent with a note in her hand. She read it to everyone.
"Marinae. I think I know who this woman is. I can't just let her be taken by those bastards. Don't worry about me. Like I said, I've got some friends there. Good luck to all of you. I'll see you again. Love, Damon"
"Shit.", Marinae added.
"Oh no. He's going to get himself killed.", Eliza exclaimed.
"He said yesterday that some of us won't be coming back.", Marinae mused.
Eliza began to get extremely worried. "Did he ever say what his dream was about?"
"He only said it was 'bad'.", Marinae replied.
"It must have been about the woman.", Lynn said.
Guy began packing up his things. "He's chosen his path."
Marinae growled, "Damn that man.", she muttered. "If I ever see him again, I'm going to break his lute over his head!"
Angry at both him and herself, Marinae packed her things and rode with the others away from Falkovnia. She wondered if she would ever see her father alive again.