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Spring

By: drewdaddy



Spring, a time a rebirth, fresh beginnings, a time of lust. Well, everyone is a bit aroused during spring, doesn't it seem so? A certain beach house suggested this lustful time to be true. It was a two story house in a sort of L-shape, with a pool and Jacuzzi in the backyard, and a path leading down a cliff to the beach. A young couple were staying there for spring break, to enjoy the pleasant company of the beach, being from St. Louis and all.

Sean and Liz had been partying at Mardi Gras their first week of spring break in St. Louis from St. Louis University. But they felt it was time to relax, so they rented a beach house, what's more serene than the crashing of waves at dusk, with the stars?

They got to the house and Liz said, "Oh Sean, this is a great house, it's kinda big, but it's just perfect, it's too bad we only have two days here. Let's check it out." Sean agreed and they entered, it looked as though another couple had just stayed there, so the house wasn't musky, and just aired out to the perfect temperature with a salty smell of the ocean to fell it. They were all ready with their bathing suits on to hit the waves.

They wandered to the backyard, to check out the pool and, of course, the beach. Sean took a quick glance at the pool, and then ran out to see the beach. He ran straight for the ocean and dove right in, the water was warm, and the waves kept coming. Liz slowly followed Sean, enjoying the atmosphere, watching the seagulls, as the wind blew by, Liz's nipples hardened, and she knew this place really would be perfect. She sat on the beach watching Sean body surf, and have a great time, thinking about how much she loved him, and how great it was to be here.

Sean washed ashore and got up to see Liz sitting there looking gorgeous, as always, "Why don't you join me here, the water's great!" Sean ran up to her, drenching wet, and gave her a big wet hug, and a salty kiss. "That trip tired me out, I think I'll take a nap here on the beach, I'm gonna go in and get towel." Sean nodded and said, "That sounds fine, hey, I'm gonna go get some food, okay? I'm gonna go shower off real quick and I'll go to a supermarket. I shouldn't be more than a half hour, k?" Liz had a simple nod as a reply and walked with Sean back up to the house. Sean hopped in the shower, and after rinsing off a little, threw some clothes on. Up in the master bedroom, out the window, he could see Liz lay out a blanket. He walked down stairs, and headed out in his car to find some food.

Liz tried napping for a while, but she couldn't get comfortable, so she decided to go back up into the house and explore. As she looked through the different rooms, she found a room that still had some stuff that looked like it was left over from the couple that was there before them. "I wonder what all they left?" she asked herself. She found a hairbrush on the bed, a couple travel magazines on a desk, and a Kleenex on the nightstand. She noticed a half open drawer from the nightstand, so she looked inside, and was half shocked to see a long 9" vibrator sitting there. "I guess there are better ways than a hand" Liz remarked.

Sean piled some chips, hot dogs, chili, and lots of other junk food into his cart, and went over to the checkout line. While waiting in line behind some lady with a ton of groceries, he saw a box of condoms hanging, Oh, I'm all out , I'd forgotten? He thought to himself, so he grabbed them and threw them on the belt. The lady in front of him gave him a disgusted look, so Sean just scowled back. As he was driving home, he some surfers at a beach down from him, and thought how great it would be to live here. Sean pulled up to his temporary house, and unloaded his groceries into the kitchen.

He went out back right away to check on Liz, and saw the blanket she had laid out, but she wasn't there, and there was sand blown onto it. He was kind of curious, so he went back to the house to look around. While he was walking toward the master bedroom, he heard a heavy breathing sound coming from one of the rooms. He opened the door to see Liz laying on a bed with her bottom half way down, pumping herself full with a giant vibrator. Her left hand was under her bathing top, massaging her right 34B breast. Her shoulder-length sandy blonde hair was strewn across a pillow, and her eyes were closed covering her glistening green eyes. Her mouth was slightly open, as she breathed hard, and moaned every once in a while. 

Sean loved Liz's smallish, but firm breasts, her nipples were large and plump, and Sean loved to suck on them. His dick instantly became hard as soon as he saw her gorgeous shaved vagina in between her perfectly thin, tan legs. Liz moaned more and more, and then she opened her eyes to see her love staring at her, with his and down his pants. Liz's cheeks became red, and she pulled the vibrator out of her, and pulled her swimsuit bottoms up, and removed her hand from her boob. She felt awkward, but she liked the sight of her 6' boyfriend. Sean had short, curly brown hair, and small sideburns. His eyes were green like hers, and he was dark and tan all over. She loved his big muscles, and his 7" penis even more.

"I didn't even know you had one of those" Sean said to try and break the awkwardness. "Oh, well, I found it here, and rinsed it off. I just wanted to try it, I've never used anything like it before, and well, uh.." Liz's eyes wandered. "Was it good?" Sean asked, truly wondering. "Well, um, yeah, it was an awesome feeling, much better than a couple fingers I guess. But never near your amazing cock." Liz got out.

"Geez, that thing is huge, I don't know about that." said Sean. "Yeah, it filled me up deeper than I could ever imagine, it was hard to get it all in at first. I noticed you have a huge boner though, did you like what you saw?" Liz asked. " I loved what I saw, I saw you baby, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever laid my eyes on. Let's see if I can work this doohickey." 

Sean picked up the wet vibrator, it smelled so strongly of Liz's sweet pussy aroma. Liz laid all the way down on the bed, staring at Sean, as he bent down and kissed her long and deeply, and whispered "I love you baby". Sean started kissing down Liz's neck down to her breasts. He licked up the middle of her cleavage, and slid a hand up and over her left breast, and removed her top. He could see Liz's right nipple was sore and hard from her rubbing it so much, so he started to lick it, and gently suck on it, as his other hand started twisted and pinching her left nipple to a hard point.

Liz felt her breasts being fondled, and it felt so good to her, so she pulled her swim bottoms all the way off exposing her soaking wet vagina. Sean saw this, and worked his way down to her perfect shaved slit, and licked all her juices up, sucking her of what she had created earlier. Sean loved the taste of Liz's juices, and when he was done indulging himself, he turned the vibrator on and slowly inserted it into Liz's slit, he saw it slide over her clit, down into the depths of her sexual tunnel, Sean slid it deeper and deeper, till all 9" had filled her up.

Liz moaned , and started rubbing her breasts again, moving her hips as her lover started pumping her new vibrating friend in and out of her. As Sean did this, he pulled out his cock, it felt good to have it free from his the restraints of his suit. His head was wet with precum, and his hand got sticky as he started masturbating to the flow of the vibrator and Liz's hips. Sean stroked his dick up and down, occasionally rubbing his head with his thumb, while his other hand pumped a fake vibrating dick into his girlfriend, as her legs moved around with pleasure, and her hips pushing against his hand and the dildo. Liz saw Sean masturbating, and it turned her on even more, it increased her feeling of ecstacy and joy. Her clit was being probed and vibrated by the dildo, and she was massaging and squeezing her breasts, as she felt a powerful orgasm coming over her. Her body started to feel all tingly and she continued to push against Sean's hand and squeeze her nipples, and then it all came to a climax, where she felt her vagina explode a feeling of pleasure throughout her body. She closed her eyes and let it take her over.

Sean felt Liz's body tremble and orgasm, and brought him to an incredible orgasm himself. He left the vibrator in Liz's pussy and brought his cock over to her breasts, and shot his hot load of cum all over her breasts and hands. As Liz felt his load on her chest, she licked it up from her hands, and rubbed it all over her breasts, using it as a lubricant to massage her nipples. She felt the vibrator still in her cunt, and as her nipples were being probed, she came to another orgasm, less powerful, but still overwhelming her.

When she was finally done, she lay on the bed naked, and soaked with sweat and orgasmic juices from her vagina. She smiled at Sean who smiled back, sitting there staring at her, his dick was limp now, and her nipples were soft and puffy again. "Come on, let's go get something to eat, and take a relaxing swim afterward." Sean offered, and Liz took his hand as they went downstairs.

"Look at all this junk food! Oh well, I guess I am a bit famished, let's eat." "I'll fix you something, you can sit and relax somewhere." said Sean. "K, thanks Sean." replied Liz and went to go watch the ocean. A while later Sean came out and they both ate while watching the sun finish setting over the sparkling ocean. "Man, there really is something magical about the ocean" said Sean. "Yeah, but it's really cold, and salty." remarked Liz. Sean picked up Liz's and his plates and trash, and headed back for the house while saying, "Well, you know, we have a heated pool right here, all to ourselves, too." Liz got up from the beach, brushing the sand off her butt and thighs.

Liz saw the pool, and that Sean had turned the lights on, she walked up to it, and dipped her toes in, and the water seemed very warm, so she walked over to the shallow end and walked in down the immersed steps. The warm water felt great compared to the chilly ocean breeze, so she sat down so the water was just below her shoulders and her hair. Skinny dipping, and water in general had always been a fetish of hers, so she started to become aroused again. In the warm water, she started twisting her large puffy nipples, rubbing her hands around her breasts, she could barely lift her boob up enough to lick the nipple, which made it almost instantaneously harden. 

Just then Sean came out, and as Liz stared at his great dick hang there, she felt a need for it in her. She was becoming very horny at this thought, so she continued rubbing her breasts, the way she knew how to get the most pleasure. Sean saw this and thought how great this day was, and was most likely going to be. Sean, however, had a major fetish to seeing girls masturbate, and the sight of the most beautiful woman in the world to him masturbating, shot him up the wall. His cock began to harden, and he started stroke it, extending it to his full 7 inches. He used his thumb to rub his head like usual, getting some precum flowing, and then used it to lubricate him and start masturbating.

Both Liz and Sean continued to pleasure themselves to each other, as Sean walked into the pool up to Liz, when they met, they embraced in a kiss filled with true love and passion. Their tongues intertwined and they slowly immersed themselves into the water, and down underneath, till everything was blurry with a light shining far away. As they came back up for air, Sean ran his fingers through Liz's fine wet hair, and kissed his way down her neck. Liz rubbed and massaged all parts of Sean's body, rubbing her hands all over him, feeling his strong build, and how it moved so elegantly through the water. Sean brought Liz's chest just above the water, leaning her back, as he kissed his way down the center of her wet chest, between her breasts, licking, sucking, and kissing. Having her tits come up into the cold night air sent an arousing chill through Liz, and her plump nipples quickly hardened. Sean noticed this, and moved over to the cool nipples and flicked the end of them with his tongue, and licked all around them, kissing them once or twice. He started to almost french Liz's nipple, as his mouth covered it and all around in, and he probed the nipple with his tongue, and came off it sucking it into a fine point.

Liz sunk back under water to warm herself up more, and led her hands to Sean's crotch. She rubbed under, and over his balls and then trailed a finger up his dick, and probed the head, and then went down the top. Liz dunked her head under water, under Sean's penis, and breathed out large air bubbles that rose past Sean's dick. Sean let out a moan as the bubbles rose past him, it was a new erotic feeling he'd never experienced before. On her way up, Liz gave Sean a quick suck, and emerged back up. 

They both swam over to the steps where Sean sat down on them, and Liz kneeled on the pool floor facing him. She started stroking his long hard cock with both her hands, going up and down as quickly as she could, squeezing at different moments, slowing down, and then speeding up again. Sean loved the way Liz's hands moved up and down his shaft, he could never imitate such a feeling when he masturbated. He felt her hands massaging his dick, getting every ounce of pleasure she could, rubbing all over, and jacking him off faster and faster. He felt himself being overcome with an orgasm, and as Liz steadily continued to work her hands, his dick started convulsing, throbbing, and then load after load of hot white sperm dispersed into the pool water. Liz kept going, as Sean writhed and moaned with pleasure, till it was all over.

"Wow, that was awesome Liz, you get better every time" remarked Sean. Liz was overcome with such and immense amount of arousal, and she was so horny, she didn't even bother to respond, she just sat up out at the edge of the pool, letting her legs dangle in, and then she spread her legs wide open, revealing a dripping wet, plump, red, completely shaved vagina. Sean took a moment to stare at her perfect pussy lips, and then slowly swam over. Sean took his hand and started rubbing his flat four fingers in circles around her crotch, and then in figure eights to add to the excitement.

Sean moved his hand down Liz's inner thigh, and did the same with his other hand, moving down her legs, and then back then back up to her crotch. He brought both his hands up rubbing a finger over her asshole, and then back up, and used his two forefingers to spread her gorgeous lips apart, revealing her dripping cunt. Liz felt pretty much the same way about how Sean played with her vagina as Sean did about her jacking him off. She was chilly as the air blew past her wet body, but the feeling she was getting was enough to overcome that. She laid down on the cement, as Sean continued to spread her open, and started feeling and rubbing all over her body. 

As Sean dove his first finger into her, Liz arched her back, and rubbed her hands from her stomach up over her breasts, and the back down around her nipples. Sean inserted his whole finger all the way into her hole, and he could hear her start breathing faster and harder. Sean twisted his finger inside her, and started working it in and out while twisting it around. Then he moved his finger around in circles, and then put in other finger. He repeated this with two fingers until he could manage a third one in there. Liz felt Sean slip his third finger into his cunt, and felt them twisting around inside her. She was reminded of the vibrator, and knew a toy could never compare to Sean's magic fingers. 

After a while of finger fucking Liz, Sean wanted a taste of her magnificent pussy, so he took his two fingers and spread her lips open a good amount, and licked straight up her slit. Feeling Sean's wet strong tongue slid over her slit gave Liz a tingly feeling, and she squeezed her nipples unintentionally. Sean started licking up and down Liz's pussy, tasting her scrumptious juices, and gently sucking on her clit ever once in a while. Liz started moving her hips around, lifting her butt off the ground. Liz positioned herself in such a way that she could slip her middle finger, into her asshole, and start pumping her finger in there, while she played with her boobs, and Sean ate her out. Sean was sucking hard now, probing his tongue as deep as he could go into her. He lifted his head up, stared at how good Liz looked, and spit on her pussy. Liz felt the erotic sensation, as Sean went back to sucking and licking her, and she knew she was ready. Liz removed her finger from her asshole, stopped playing with her breasts, and sat up. Sean loved the taste of her so much, he kept going, until she got back into the water. It felt so good to get back in the warm water, Liz thought.

Sean came up and french kissed her, he knew what she wanted. As Sean rubbed her perfect breasts, he inserted his throbbing hard penis half way into her. Liz felt the pure ecstasy of Sean's cock impaling into her vagina. Sean pushed himself all the way into her, and she felt her pussy tighten around his cock, which felt better than any feeling in the whole world. Sean grabbed Liz's tight ass, and started pumping his cock in and out of her, slow at first, and then so fast, that Liz's breasts were jiggling, and she had to hold herself up against the wall. 

Sean was in almost a drugged state of happiness as he continued to pump and thrust in the warm water of the pool, Liz was enjoying all of it, as she brought Sean's head in to feast on her breasts. Sean followed without reluctance and sucked and kissed and licked Liz's nipples as he felt her cunt grasp around his cock upon every insertion. Liz stroked her hands along Sean's back, and dug her fingers into his skin as Sean fulfilled her every erotic desire. As the two lovers were now locked together physically and mentally, the world started spinning, and they both could feel a sensation rising up inside each other. Suddenly, they both reached a point of climax, a point of pure ecstasy, as they both experienced a full on orgasm at once, and as Sean continued sucking and thrust his penis all the way into Liz, she felt herself cum again and again through powerful multiple orgasms. 

Sean shot the rest of his load deep inside Liz, as Liz's vagina erupted with female ejaculation, which dispersed into the rippling water of the pool. Finally, after both minds were brought back down to Earth after one of the most mind blowing sexual experiences they'd ever been through, they were still, with a sort of an aura of love for each other around them.

They slowly floated back to the steps and sat down looking into each others eyes, kissing, and knowing that there would be many more happy, pleasurable moments far into the future.

Spring



Hey guys!

Long time, no see. I missed doing audio stories so much, I had to make a comeback. I hope everyone (new listeners and old listeners) like this springtime offering, and love the exploration into a naughtier, more "exhibiton-y" side of me.

As usual everyone in this story is 18 years or older and incredibly consenting. ;)

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Click Here to listen: .mp3 format or .ogg format. (18.5 min/mp3)

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Spring 1971: Carol's Mom



Spring 1971 found David struggling along in his freshman year in college. This story is about his next door neighbor and a most unlikely tryst.

David has previously been featured in stories such as: caught peeking in "Summer 1970", losing his virginity in "Fall 1970 parts 1 and 2", enjoying the fruits of his labors in the "Summer 1971" series, and other more current tales. 

This is an entirely separate story which can be read alone. Hopefully you will enjoy this so much you'll give the others a read.

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1. Introduction.

Spring 1971 found me almost nineteen years old and plugging gamely along in school. I wasn't doing as well as I'd hoped, or as well as was expected of me by others. I chalked that up to too lofty expectations on all of our parts.

It wasn't because of too many extra-curricular activities, that much was certain. Fresh from losing my virginity in the fall of 1970, I had managed to avoid getting laid that entire time since, but not from lack of effort.

I was seeing a girl that lived next door to me, Carol. We had been neighbors for a few years, and suddenly had started getting interested in each other. Interested might be an exaggeration on my part. I think it was more a case of laziness than anything else. She was next door and thus very accessable. There's also something to be said for watching a girl grow up over the years and finally becoming a woman

She was a reasonably attractive blonde with nice legs and apple sized breasts, which I had groped early and often in the relationship. Not a real blonde either, and that I knew by going down on her pussy frequently as well. 

Light brown was the color down there, and a wonderfully abundant thicket there was. I was certain that she would have had delightfully appointed underarms as well if she listened to my request for leaving them alone. That was not something she thought attractive, but I was none too fond of the less than religious manicuring she irregularly gave to them either. Hair or bare, I requested nicely, to no avail.

Our activity thus far had fallen short of my objective, which was the joining of hearts, souls and bodies in the rapture of intercourse. I had gone down on her numerous times, which I enjoyed greatly. Carol had returned the favor, twice. The pleasure had not been mine, unfortunately. 

My first blow job was destined to go down in history as my worst, or at least that was my hope. My poor member was subjected to the worst abuse imaginable. Carol's teeth raked my poor dick so badly that I was tender down there for a week. She claimed it was because my cock was too big, or more precisely, too fat for her to suck. I insisted that she didn't know how to do it, and should ask some of her girlfriends for advice. Carol denied lacking the proper skills and even offered to provide a list of satisfied customers that would attest to her talent. The second attempt was equally uncomfortable for me and I aborted the act before serious damage took place.

We compromised on her giving me hand jobs, with Carol doing a little lip and tongue work on the head. Each night that we would make out, inevitably we would end up naked and I would go down on her. Afterward she would bring out the vaseline and pump away. Carol claimed to enjoy it, especially the times when she would make me shoot high in the air. I enjoyed it more than I would have if I had been doing it myself, but still longed to make love to her, or make like if you will. So far, no amount of condom waving and pleading had met with any success.

Carol was a senior in high school, but I wasn't robbing the cradle here, as she was a month older than yours truly. She had been held back a year in school at some point; the result of excessive absences she claimed, but you didn't need to get into a prolonged conversation with the girl to make you have doubts about that.

Carol was a nice enough girl though, and we had a lot of fun when we got together. I knew I was just killing time with her, and think she felt the same way about me. Carol had been making noises of late about me taking her to her senior prom, an event that I was interested in about as much as a hot lead enema. It was almost time to think about parting ways, if only to give her a chance to rope some other sucker into taking her to the thing.

So it was on a warm Thursday afternoon in early April that I found myself in my room trying to study. I had the stereo going and the window open, two sure ways to distract me enough to insure a half-hearted learning experience.

I had Arlo Guthrie's "Running Down the Road" album playing, and during his rendition of his father's song, 'Oklahoma Hills', I heard a voice singing along with Arlo from across the driveway next door. Not singing well, but she knew the words.

It was Carol's mother wailing away, and I stuck my head out of the window and applauded when the song was over.

"Thank you Davy" Carol's mom yelled over at me. "Now there's music I can listen too. Makes me think about growing up back home!"

I had thought that she had come from North Carolina, so I didn't get the connection, but what the hell? I put the needle back to the beginning and cranked it up louder. After it was over and the duet ended she called back over to me.

"C'mon over if you get the chance Davy, I got something to show you."

I told her I would and shut the books for the day. Mrs. Elliot was a real piece of work, and always entertaining. Besides, I was running low on cigarettes, it was a chance to bum a couple of smokes from her. Chances are she was already half loaded by now, it being a little after one o'clock.

2. A cocktail with Carol's mom. 

I don't know what time of the day she started drinking, but she could put it away. Four Roses was her beverage of choice, and she would lean on the kitchen counter and put them away like you wouldn't believe. Straight too, mind you. None of that watering down or mixing it for her. The smell of the stuff alone was enough to make my stomach churn.

When I went next door and knocked, I heard her yell for me to come on in. She had assumed her position leaning on the counter, with a tumbler half filled with Four Roses right beside her.

We exchanged pleasantries, and she offered me a drink. 

"You have anything to mix it with?" I asked hopefully, and got a snicker in response.

"There's some ginger ale in the refrigerator Davy" she told me. "Drink it straight, it'll put some hair on your chest! Looks like you got that already though."

Shrugging in embarrassment, I poured a very weak highball and bummed a cigarette as well. Lucky Strikes, no filter and nasty as hell. Free though, which was a lot better than shelling out fifty cents for a pack. 

I had brought the Arlo album over and she got excited when she saw it, and put it on the stereo in the living room.

"Here Davy, this is what I wanted to show you" she said motioning toward a picture on the counter. 

It was a picture of her taken when she was probably around twenty, which had to be about thirty years ago. She was an attractive woman back then, and I mentioned how good looking she was.

"Wow, you were really a looker, Mrs. Elliot" I said.

"I had them chasing me back then alright" she chortled. "I didn't run away from many of them either. And do me a favor. Call me Virginia, will ya? All of that Mrs. crap you deal out makes me feel ancient! Enough of that polite and gentlemanly shit! Besides, I don't get it from anybody living here, so I ain't used to it."

I laughed when I thought of her family. Besides Carol, there were two other sisters and a brother. Mr. Ellis was husband number three that I knew off, and was only the father of Carol and one sister. The other two I assumed had been products of the first two marriages, and the three different last names in the household made for interesting but snide comments by the neighborhood gossip guild.

Now about fifty, Virginia was not nearly as good looking, of course, but far from a total wreck. She had put on considerable weight in the passing years, but it had taken a weird distribution on her body.

Mrs. Elliot... I mean, Virginia, was about five foot ten, with long, curly dark brown hair. She was heavy set from the waist up, with solid but large arms bigger than my own. She had a ridiculously small butt in comparison with the rest of her body, and legs that really were pretty nice looking. She had the look of a waitress or a barmaid, with a wisecracking attitude and a world-weary appearance.

You would never notice any of that right away when you first saw her. There was no way you could get beyond her most obvious physical features, no matter how hard you tried. It was like trying not to notice an elephant in the room.

Virginia had large breasts. That statement is just as descriptive as saying Wilt Chamberlain was tall. The sheer size of her breasts was almost scary. It was hard to picture what they would look like without that heavy duty contraption she wore, and I couldn't imagine where you would be able to buy something like thatanyway. 

Her breasts went down to her waist even with the harness, and the way those incredible torpedoes swung in front of her was almost cartoonish to watch. Mrs. Elliot didn't wear clothes to accentuate that enormous bosom either, usually wearing bulky flannel shirts. Today was no exception, as she was wearing a red and white checkered shirt with the sleeves taken off. The top button of the blouse was undone however, and my eyes were drawn to her astonishing cleavage, causing me to stare despite my best efforts not to.

As we talked, I felt that something was a little different today than other times I had spoken with Mrs. Elliot. She was always friendly, and usually a little off color as well, but today she was speaking with even more of raunchy tone. Maybe it was the fact that no one else was home, or maybe she was a little more wasted than usual. Perhaps a combination of both.

"Carol won't be home until late today" Mrs. Elliot informed me. "Damn wingnut has detention again. They caught her smokin' in the girls room."

"Again?" I said. "How many times is that this year?"

"I lost track" Mrs. Elliot admitted. "So, you'll have to wait to get your rocks for a while Davy!"

I felt my face flush in response to Mrs. Elliot's insinuation that I would be making attempts at her daughter's goodies and I assured her that my intentions toward her daughter were throughly honorable.

"Aw, cut the B.S. Davy, and anyway Carol ain't my daughter, she's Ted's!" Mrs. Elliot cackled loudly while pouring another belt of whiskey, and splashing a little in my glass before I could stop her. 

What a freakin' convoluted family this was, I thought to myself. I had always assumed that Mrs. Elliot was Carol's mother, with Carol calling her mom all the time and everything. Apparently Ted, her current husband, had brought Carol into this low-rent Brady Bunch from a previous union of his own. Geez, you needed a scorecard to figure out who was who in this place. I was getting stange vibes about this whole situation.

3. Cornering David.

"Don't play innocent with me Dave" Mrs. Elliot said while leaning forward and exposing more of that Grand Canyon cleavage. "Bet you ain't gotten into Carol's snatch yet either, have ya?"

I mumbled a response that seemed to suggest once more that I wasn't after Carol in that way, a statement that sounded even dumber than it reads. 

"Ah, she's too tight assed" Mrs. Elliot said in derision. "Says she's trying to save herself for her husband. Damn, ain't no way she's gonna get a husband unless she puts out. Girl ain't no rocket scientist, in case you haven't noticed."

I didn't know what to say, so I just stood there and watched an ice cube do laps in my glass as I jiggled it around. I was starting to feel really nervous, and almost choked when I belted down the drink, forgetting that Mrs. Elliot had spiced it up before.

"You gettin' anything off her Davy?" Mrs. Elliot asked, walking away from the counter and coming over to me. 

Mrs. Elliot reached toward me and went into my pocket, pulling out the match book that I had stashed in there. She smiled wryly as I jumped at her touch. Mrs Elliot then lit her cigarette, taking a deep drag before putting the matchbook back in my pocket.


I felt sweat cascading down my spine, and I was feeling a little lightheaded in response to what I feared was about to happen. I considered saying goodbye, turning around and walking out. Briefly considered it, and didn't do it. Why didn't I? I wasn't attracted to this woman. Or was I?

"You play with her titties, dontcha Davy?" Mrs. Elliot said, standing so close to me I could smell the tobacco and booze oozing out from her pores. "She's got a cute little pair on her, I got to admit that Davy. 'Course, it ain't the same as grabbin' on to a real woman, though. You know what I mean?"

"I guess... uh... I don't know" I stammered lamely." Carol's a great girl and umm... "

"Sure she is Davy" Mrs. Elliot said while leaning toward me even closer. "Except I don't think she's giving you what you need. If she was, you wouldn't be staring at my jugs like you're always doin', would ya?"

"Er... um... I'm sorry. I... I... didn't realize I was staring at you" I spit out almost incomphrensively, my eyes looking around for an exit. 

"Don't be sorry boy. You lookin' makes me hot. Feels nice to have a young buck like you giving me the once over" Mrs. Elliot said with a little slur to her voice. "Big strappin' boy like you, I'll bet you're packin' a lotta pecker down there too. Carol said you've got a big one, but you don't mind me checking for myself, do ya?"

I started to laugh at that crazy terminology but my laughter was choked off when Mrs. Elliot's hand swung down and grabbed a handful of me. Grabbed it quick and accurately too, and I fell backward halfway into the pantry in shock.

"Where you goin' there Davy?" Mrs. Elliot said while she kneaded my crotch with an iron grip. 

"What if somebody comes home, Mrs. Elliot?"

"You worry too much Dave," Mrs. Elliot said, "and for the last time stop calling me Mrs. Elliot. It's not nice to call somebody by their last name when they've got your stuff in their hand. Mmmm... feels nice too. Nice and big."

"It's not big" I grunted, becoming aroused despite my terrified and intimidated self.

It wasn't big, measuring at barely six inches every time I measured it if I strained enough, and what the hell was Carol doing talking to her mother about my dick anyway? You never heard Marcia Brady talking to Florence Henderson about cocks, at least no Brady Bunch episodes that I had caught.

"Lemme be the judge of that Davy" Mrs. Elliot said. "Why don't you get your hands busy, boy? You've been staring at them long enough. Go ahead, you know damn well you want to."

Mrs. Elliot grabbed my hands and put them on those massive breasts, squeezing my hands into those oversized pillows. Meanwhile, she had managed to get the blouse unbuttoned the rest of the way and parted it for me, allowing me to grope her through her bra, which felt like it was steel reinforced when I grabbed it. 

Mrs. Elliot grinned at my efforts in hefting her tits and shrugged the blouse off her shoulders. As she reached back to unhook her bra, I saw immense tufts of dark brown hair peeking out from under her arms. While I would have enjoyed a more prolonged view of that, my attention was diverted when her bra came unhooked and her breasts fairly exploded out of their restraint.

"Bet you ain't used to anything like those, are ya Davy?" Mrs. Elliot asked pointedly, and clearly I hadn't. Who had, besides all of her husbands, I figured. One girl I had been intimate with had big breasts, but nothing like these. 

Mrs. Elliot's breasts hung down to her waist, the huge bell shaped jugs capped with aureolas the size of drink coasters. I grabbed them and tried lifting, but the sheer weight and size made that nearly impossible, so instead I squeezed and kneaded the doughy globes as Mrs. Elliot went back to groping me. 

I pulled on her thick brown nipples, and was instructed to be as rough as I wanted with them. Soon I was pulling and twisting them like I was milking a cow, and all Mrs. Elliot did was let out a soft moan.

My belt was getting undone, and Mrs. Elliot had my jeans down around my ankles before I knew what hit me. As her hand went back to grabbing me through my fruit of the looms, I was embarrassed when I felt the wetness where my cock had drooled in excitement. Mrs. Elliot was kind enough to not mention it, and was more interested in getting underneath my briefs.

She bent down and tugged them down roughly, and I felt my cock spring out from under the passing elastic, where it was immediately seized by Mrs. Elliot pudgy hand. She held it by the base of the shaft and pulled on it with a swift and twisting motion that seemed intent on removing it from my body. I groaned in response, which made Mrs. Elliot snicker.

"Like that Davy boy?" she asked as she milked my cock with an intensity that made my knees weak and threatened to cause a premature end to the fun. 

"You ain't so long down there Davy, but man oh man, this sucker is really thick!" Mrs. Elliot commented. "If you ever put this log into Carol you'd split that little girl in two."

All I could say in response was to make little grunting noises, as I squirmed and tried to get Mrs. Elliot to ease up on me. 

"What's the matter Davy? Gettin' a little excited are ya?" Mrs. Elliot cackled and acknowledged my affirmative nod. "Ever had your cock sucked? Really sucked, I mean?"

The croaking noise I made was supposed to be an I don't know, but it didn't matter to Mrs. Elliot. She knelt down with a little difficulty and as I looked down, she turned her head as if to cough, and fiddled around like she was taking gum out of her mouth. When her head emerged from behind her hands, she looked different, but I couldn't put my finger on why.

In any case, it was irrelevant as I watched her lips slide over the mushroom crown of my cock. She was nibbling and working her tongue around it, while working her way down. Her head began to bob up and down the length of my tool and soon her nose was disappearing into my pubic hair.

Now she was grinding her face into my crotch, having taken the entire thing into her mouth and seemingly looking for more. As she went up and down, it felt like my cock was going through a series of rollers, and the feeling was indescribable. There was no way I could hold back much longer, as her head kept crashing into my groin, driving me back further into the pantry.

I reached up to brace myself on a shelf, and sent a lazy susan spinning around by mistake. A box of Aunt Jemima pancake flour went over the edge and the Vermont Maid syrup girl kept spinning past me on that merry-go-round as I felt my orgasm begin. I had no chance to warn Mrs. Elliot, and I don't think she was interested in one anyway.

My cock erupted into Mrs. Elliot's eager mouth, and she pulled me deep into her as my cock jerked wildly. She seemed to be sucking harder, as if to siphon the seed out of me, and it kept spurting out in what felt like an impossible quantity.

My orgasm gradually faded, but Mrs. Elliot seemed not to have noticed, as she kept sucking madly away on my slowly deflating dick. It was starting to feel uncomfortable but her mouth kept sliding up and down energetically on my soon rubbery instrument. I thought about pulling her head off of me, since there was no way I was going to recover from that very quickly, and this was not very pleasurable for me. 

Maybe it was the fact that I so rarely had the experience of such a wonderful act, or the fact that I was not sure when such a thing would ever happen again, but for whatever reason I let Mrs. Elliot keep going. I tried to lean into the shelves of the pantry in a more comfortable way, and even started straightening out the things on the shelf as Mrs. Elliot's mouth pulled and stretched my cock relentlessly.




Spring 1971: Carol's Mom



Mrs. Elliot's right hand came around me and started squeezing my ass in time with her oral efforts, as her left hand began rubbing me in the area between the base of my shaft and where my balls began. I started getting the feeling of something waking up inside of me, much to my disbelief.

The feeling suddenly increased tenfold when the fingers that had been squeezing my butt cheeks suddenly slipped in between them. I lurched backward as I felt her stubby finger poking around my asshole. Mrs. Elliot probed roughly as my cock surged back to life between her lips, soon becoming as hard as a rock again.

I looked down at Mrs. Elliot, her head thrusting savagely up and down my cock, which had taken on an almost purplish hue after what had to be fifteen minutes of non-stop sucking. It felt so incredible I felt I had to say something.

"Ohhhh god, Mrs. El... sorry, Virginia. That feels so good!" I exclaimed, gasping again as her free hand began churning my balls roughly.

Mrs. Elliot looked up at me as she pulled up off my cock momentarily, and she smiled, but she looked strange. Almost like she was a totally different person.

Then it hit me. As she went back to sucking my engorged member, I looked down on the floor next to her knees. It was a surreal moment, as I saw her dentures sitting next to her smiling at me. I was disgusted for a second, but was brought back to earth by the incredible sensation her mouth was bringing to me, and I tried to put that vision out of my mind.

I had no time to think much more about this turn of events, as Mrs. Elliot struggled to her feet, and brought me over to the kitchen table. She brought me over in a rather unusual way; as I was dragged over there with my cock in her hand, pants and underwear at my ankles, and moving like a prisoner in leg irons.

She pulled her stretch pants and panties down and pushed a kitchen chair away from the table, bending over it. Her pale ass was staring back at me, the butt cheeks sagging a little before her positioning tightened things up. No words were exchanged, as I guess I was expected to know what to do next.

I did, sort of. Cock in hand, I came up between her legs and ran it around down there. I soon felt the head of my cock rubbing into wet hair, so I took the chance and rammed in.

A classic case of the blind squirrel finding the nut here, as a lucky shot was all it was. I felt my dick slip into a moist opening that was a little tighter than I had expected. Mrs. Elliot groaned as I forced myself into her and began thrusting into her hard. She fell onto the table from the force of my efforts, and was soon grabbing onto the green vinyl tablecloth for dear life.

I wanted to reach down and hold onto those collosal tits of hers, but they were mashed under her on the table. My hands slid up and ran through the thick jungle of hair under her arms, amusing myself as I pounded away. The ticking of the clock on the wall above the table, my body slapping into Mrs. Elliot's rump and her guttural grunts in reaction to my thrusts were almost timed perfectly. 

I felt Mrs. Elliot's pussy contract around my dick, and seconds later she let out a wail of delight. Her hands clenched the tablecloth, almost yanking the thing clean off, and I watched helplessly as a little sugar bowl fell off the other side, breaking when it hit the floor.

Mrs. Elliot paid no mind, however, so what did I care? I kept humping away into her, watching drops of sweat fly off of me and land on the chalky white skin of her back. I noticed for the first time she had a small Betty Boop tattoo on the back of her shoulder, now faded with age, and my mind tried to picture her when she had that done. I wondered if she thought while that was being done that decades later some goofy teenager would be looking at it while screwing her as she was bent over her kitchen table.


I heard Mrs. Elliot started moaning again, and the table started lurching harder as I tried to get her to orgasm again, hoping the sound of it would help me cum as well. Her pussy clenched around my dick once again, not as intensely as the first time, as I tried to join her. Her pussy was sloppy wet at this stage of the encounter, and it was getting tough to keep this thing going.

Looking over toward the refrigerator, as the sound of the motor coming on startled me a little, I saw a picture of Carol held up by a magnet. What if she came in and saw me slamming my cock into her mom like this? What would she say? If they sat around talking about a guy's dick, who knows what she would say about this?

For whatever reason, that scenario brought me to orgasm rather quickly, and I shot my load into Mrs. Elliot. Not nearly as wonderful an orgasm as the first one, but good enough for me.

My cock fell out of Mrs. Elliot soon after, and after I pulled my sweaty self off of her and we pulled our clothes back on, I helped her clean up the mess we had created. We did this in silence, neither of us able to find the right words to say now. I said goodbye and went back next door, leaving the Arlo album behind forever, but taking away some wonderful memories that have remained fresh in my mind even after all these years.

Epilogue.

I broke up with Carol a few weeks after this adventure, or maybe she broke up with me. I can't recall, and I guess it really doesn't matter now, does it?

Mrs. Elliot and I remained cordial after that, but there was never a repeat performance of that crazy afternoon. I never spoke of it to anyone except my best friend Kenny, until now that is. I think maybe I was ashamed of what had happened and who I had done it with, but for the life of me I don't know why.

Mrs. Elliot's family moved away a couple of years later, the whole crew splitting up after she broke it off with her husband. I was a junior in college at that point, and Carol had a baby and was rumored to be knocked up for a second time by then. Apparently her vow of celibacy ended soon after I did.

I spoke to Mrs. Elliot just before they moved out, wishing her and the rest of them well. I called her Virginia that day, as I did ever since our afternoon together. 

Just before she turned away, she apologized to me for that day. She said she always felt guilty about taking advantage of me like she had, and blamed it on experiencing a bit of problem with alcohol during that time. 

I feigned surprise about that revelation, told her that she was being silly, and that I looked upon it as a wonderful experience, and something that I would always remember, which it was. She seemed relieved and happy to hear that, and I was glad we parted that way.

****

This is the end of "Spring 1971 : Carol's Mom". I hope you enjoyed it, and I thank you for reading it. As always, your comments are welcomed and appreciated.



Spring



Each spring, as the buds of the trees and bushes swelled toward blossoming, the people would begin to feel a swelling and growing in certain parts of themselves. They would be restless, unable to sleep or rest. Dreams of warmth and bare flesh seeped into their winter slumbers.

Deep in the temple they knew preparations were underway for the great spring festival. Each year the priests and priestesses of the temple arranged an elaborate ceremony to insure that the fields and fruit trees, the sheep and cattle, all would grow fertile and bear, each unto its own kind.

They knew also, that a beautiful young woman was receiving instruction in her part in this ritual. They knew that each day she would be bathed in warm, fragrant water, softly dried and then rubbed with rich, scented oils. Her legs and thighs would be massaged with these oils; then her belly and hips; finally her breasts too would be gently rubbed, the nipples softly tweaked.

Then, the dancing lessons would begin. Two handsome, strong young priests of the temple would stand on either side of her. The drums would begin a slow rhythm and the flutes softly played an ancient melody. The priests would begin to stroke her body through the red and purple silks that had been draped about her. They began at her feet and slowly wound their way up her legs. Then they each placed a hand on her belly and drew wide circles on it. As their hands reached her breasts they removed the silk that covered them. There her breasts were revealed. They were full and the nipples were hard and dark. Her breathing was quick and shallow. At that point her partners began to sway her back and forth between them. The rhythm quickened. The young men, with large erections now, began to kiss and caress the woman. Her breath came in pants. Their hand slipped down to the purple silk covering her mound of Venus. As they pulled the silk aside, one could see that the soft hairs covering the mound were damp already with maiden dews.

At this point, the music stopped, two temple priestesses came and took the priests away for relief and the young woman was led back to her room.

Her body was on fire but there was to be no help for her...yet. She sank down into the piles of soft cushions, longing to relieve the fire in her belly. But there was always an old woman there with her to stop her hands as they wandered down to the point of her torment. 

"You will soon be relieved of your yearnings, "she said. "And you will know all the delights that a man can give to a woman. Be patient and know that you will be fulfilled." 

The baths continued, the "dance" lessons progressed and outside, in the fields and forests the days were getting longer and warmer.

In the villages and small farms, the men were often found huddled together. They spoke in whispers of who would be chosen this year. They remembered years past and the men selected to perform in the spring rites. They spoke of one man, so huge when aroused, so skilled that even the virgin priestess would scream, that he was selected year after year until he was gray haired but still potent. And how women wept when he died, he had introduced so many of them to the pleasures of the body.

They joked each other..."You would be so scared you won't be able to ..." 

"Have the priests been watching you at the baths? Maybe it is you they will select! "

Finally the day arrived for the rites of spring that would ensure the fertility of the land.

Crowds gathered before the temple square; children at home with their grannies. The women came too, knowing that before all was done, there would be priests moving through the crowd to select for themselves a partner.

Around the edges of the crowd stood the priestesses. They watched the men surge to the front for a better view. They looked at each one...who would be a likely partner for Spring when she finished her dance?

On a raised courtyard the beautiful Spring [for that was who she would be today] was led forth by her two priests. The music began and she swayed back and forth between her partners. The men in the crowd began to breathe deeply as if having just run far or worked hard. The robes about their loins began to shift and move about of their own accord. 

The priests began to stroke Spring's legs and thighs. Then they removed the first silken scarf. Her breasts were revealed as beautiful with large, erect nipples and swollen. They rubbed scented oils on them and Spring let her head fall back as she submitted to their caresses. The priestesses watched the men in the crowd. Who looked to have the strength, the power to ensure success? They came to certain men and pulled aside their robes. This one looked good, that one was large but was he skillful? 

The dance went on with the priests becoming erect and urgent themselves. They caused Spring to move her hips in a slow circle as they pulled aside the last silk scarf. There for all to see was Spring, breasts swollen, nipples erect, her mound thrust forward, searching for relief, the hairs bedewed with lust. 

The priestesses grabbed one man by his engorged member and brought him forward to the platform. There they stripped away his clothes and revealed a powerful man, ready to perform his part. The priestesses rubbed his penis with oils, to enflame him even more and also to smooth the de-flowering about to occur.

The priests lay Spring back on the couch provided and spread her legs. They continued to massage her breasts and nipples as her lover approaches. He knelt between her legs and slowly lowered himself upon her. He entered and then stopped to answer the question that the high priests must ask," Is this the virgin Spring you ravish?" He must stop his forward thrusts and withdraw his member. He then turned to show that his penis is indeed covered with virgin's blood. Then he returned to complete her de-flowering. Slowly he entered her and began a rhythmic motion as the priests continued to squeeze her nipples. One slid his hand down between Spring and her lover and found that tiny point of all pleasure and began to stroke it. All could see she was covered in sweat and breathing as if in a race...as indeed she was...a race for the relieve she has sought for days now is about to be bestowed. Her legs drew back, her back arched and a scream issued from her throat that tells all that Spring has come and all will bloom again. Her lover and consort bellows like the bulls in rut and the rites are completed as his seed spills into her belly. 



Spring



A whirl of dust followed the stranger's heavy boots into the inn. The card game in the corner stopped for a breath, looked him over with disinterested eyes before returning to the hands. A young woman with the blackest hair looked him up and down, the smile on her face didn't reach her eyes and she turned back to her conversation. The wooden door banged shut behind him, the wind died, the searing heat was left behind and the stranger's shoulders sagged as a sigh left him. The barkeep looked up and gave him a nod, "Ain't seen you here before." He said. The stranger crossed the floor to lean up against the bar.

"Not been here." He shrugged. The barkeep looked around a moment before catching the eye of the black haired girl. With a brief signal she walked over.

"What can I do for you?" she asked.

"Man here's a new comer, you mind explaining things while I fix this?" he said holding up some glasses. She nodded and turned to the stranger, giving him more of a look over this time. Under his hat, she could make out dark hair poking out, brushing his jawline. Silver-blue eyes fixed her with a distant stare and she supressed a shudder. She realised he towered over her and she took the smallest step back, two guns were strapped to his hips, almost hidden by the long great coat he wore.

"They won't work here you know." She said. He frowned. "You're weapons, they won't work here, none of them do."

"What is this place?" he said, pulling out his poke tin and rolling a cigarette.

"It's the Inn-" her words were cut off by a thundering crash, one of the windows shattered inwards. The stranger's guns were in his hands in half a heartbeat and she heard three clicks before he stopped firing.

"Don't work, right." He said. She turned to look at the smashed in window, a huge figure, draped with a red cloak, lay among the pile of glass, a hammer clutched in one hand. The figure coughed, once, twice, before clambering to his feet.

"What is this place?" he demanded. As he moved, the window behind him reformed, the floor clear of glass. The stranger with the guns starred at it, a frown on his face.

"Right, this is the Inn of all Locations, only found by those that know where it is or by those that need it most. Weapons don't work here, it is a sanctuary. There are rooms upstairs if you require them, the food is the best you'll ever taste and they serve anything you could possibly want. My name is Mattie, I was enjoying a quiet drink with an old friend before you two turned up, make your introductions." She said.

"Thor." Boomed the blonde haired new comer flashing her a winsome smile.

"Roland." The other man said, placing a cigarette between his teeth and lighting it.

"Having trouble Mattie?" the man she'd been chatting to joined her at the bar.

"No," she replied.

"So this is a safe house?" Roland said.

"The only true safe house left. Ain't nothing that can get you here, not mage hunters, not nothing. I'm Cathal by the way." He said inclining his head.

"Nothing can get me!" Thor said, signalling the barkeep.

"Like nothing put you through the window?" Mattie said raising a delicate eyebrow.

"Well..." he said waving his hand in the air, "I was winning until that unfortunate incident." The barkeep appeared at that moment and took the order from each of them.

"What passes for currency here?" Roland asked before laying a hand, or even his eyes, on the cool ale placed before him.

"What passes for currency where you live?" he replied. A gold coin appeared on the bar as he extinguished the smoke in a tray that hadn't been there a moment ago. "I don't have change for that." The barkeep said with a knowing smile.

"Don't expect it."

"I'll start a tab." 

Roland nodded and took a long draft of the ale. Mattie watched the exchange with a fascinated look before turning to Thor, "What about you?" she said. Thor smiled that smile again before pulling a foreign coin from a hidden pouch.

"This is a coin of the Aesir, forged by my own hand, with Mjollnir herself." He said indicating the hammer at his side. The barkeep nodded and slid both coins across the bar and into a draw underneath.

"This shall do." He said, turning away. The four took their drinks and settled into one of the vacant corner booths. Cathal pulled out his two Widow-makers and began dismantling the weapons. Mattie thought about pulling out her spell book but rejected the idea; it would be rude to do so with two strangers sitting there. She sat instead, trying not to stare at the two men opposite her. They could not be more opposite to each other. Thor, with his open face and warm smile was a complete foil for Roland's dark frown. Thor's blue eyes were warm; his blonde shoulder length hair reflected the soft light of the sun, making it look like summer hay. She could make out well formed neck muscles and his shoulders looked like they could carry a house. He was well proportioned, that much was certain and she dragged her eyes to the vista out the window. 

"What are those anyway?" Mattie said, turning her attention back to Roland's guns. "Cathal, you might find this interesting." She said nudging her companion with her elbow. He looked up as the gunslinger placed both weapons onto the table next to the crossbow bits.

"The guns of my line, they were my fathers before me, and his before him." He said. They were similar in shape to Cathal's crossbows, but missing the cross pieces. The handles were slim and made from the smoothest wood she's ever seen. The slender barrels were made of cold metal and the blue steel barrels looked perfectly made.

"How do they work?" Cathal asked. Mattie could see the curiosity in his eyes, for a moment she thought he was going to touch the weapons but a look from Roland stopped him.

"The same as yours do." He said.

"What put you through the window?" Mattie asked turning to Thor.

"Hmm. My brother." He replied, "Loki."

"Why did he not follow you in?" Roland asked, holstering the guns and taking a long draft of the ale.

"He didn't put me through that window. That was just the one I fell through. He threw me through the one in my father's hall. We were fighting over something but I cannot remember what. It seemed so important at the time." He said with a shrug, "Less so now. How about you? What's your story?"

"I was travelling through a desert. I was chasing someone, I'm sure I was. I... I don't remember. I think it was important to me." He said. He took his glass and drained it.

"How did you two end up here then," Thor said, turning back to Mattie, his blue eyes dancing in the light. She glanced at Roland and found him attentive in his own way. Cathal looked up and nodded.

"We been partners in business for more than a few years now. This place has been a sanctuary from those that would see us both dead. The place found us, much as it found both of you. From now on, you'll be able to find it when you need it, should you treat it well." Cathal explained.

"Business?" Thor asked, raising his brow.

"Business." Cathal said.

"And what would that entail then?"

"Bounty hunting, cards," he replied.

"Where do you come in?" Roland said looking at Mattie.

"I find people are open to suggestion in some ways. I can influence choices with a thought and influence how they play." She said, flicking her eyes to the table and back up again. She wasn't sure but she thought she saw the twitch of a smile at the edges of his mouth. Maybe. "Failing that, I can burn people with fire." That got a definite smile, it wasn't warm but it was a start. His long legs brushed against hers under the table and she shot them out the way with a blush. He didn't appear to notice.

"So, you're a card sharp and you're a mind reader?" Thor said, "This is not an honest living."

"It feeds my family." Cathal said, "I do what I have to, who are you to judge that? It aint the worst of my sins, nor is it the best but that's the way of it."

"Do you have family then?" Thor asked.

"It's complicated."

Thor waited for Cathal to elaborate. Mattie knew he wouldn't. She let out a sigh, took a long drink and fixed her best bar-maid smile. "What about you?" she asked Roland.

"Once. The world has moved on since then." He said, a faint sadness crept into his voice but he didn't elaborate further. Cathal returned to cleaning his crossbows. 

"What do you do for fun around here?" Thor asked, "It seems pretty quiet."

"Most of the guys are out at the moment, there is rather a crowd sometimes. Vin plays the violin when he can be persuaded into it. We play cards-"

"We don't cheat here."

"Of course not, it won't work here, even magic is blocked."

"How far does that work?" Roland said.

"Just inside the building, we can go outside and duel if we get really bored. We can't be attacked by anyone outside but we can harm each other. There are targets and such as well for crossbows and er... guns?" Mattie said.

"What about hammers?" 

"Of course." 

Thor drained his mug and pushed himself up. "Well, come on then. Why are we still sitting around here? There's sport to be had and ale to be drank!" He fixed Mattie with a grin and she found herself standing before she knew what she was doing.

"Well?" she said, turning to her two remaining companions, "Why not?" They both looked up at her, she gave them both her best smile. Roland stood, picked up his glass, swallowed the remains and nodded. Cathal followed. "Ok, it's round the back so we'll head out through the garden." Mattie led them both through the bar and out into the sunshine. The lush garden exploded into the senses. The bombardment of smells from the flowers, the splashes of colour seemed harsh after the cool browns of the inn. The warm sun brushed Mattie's skin, she commandeered a picnic bench and pointed at the targets. "There you go lads." She said.

Roland sat next to her as Thor took in his new surroundings. "I was walking through the desert, how is this even possible?" he asked her. He looked around, his eyes wide, a complete lack of understanding pattered across his fine features.

"I can't explain the magic of this place, just that it is." She replied, picking a nearby red flower and brushing it against her cheek. "I don't question it, I hate the idea of not being able to find it anymore. It is a place of wonder, and we all need some wonder in our lives. Time stops here, I can resume my life exactly where I left it. I don't understand it but it is marvellous."

"Show me out here what you can't do inside." He said. Mattie shrugged, snapped her fingers and a flame appeared above her index finger. Roland's let out a sly whistle as she walked the fire over her knuckles much like a pirate may walk a coin.

"I can launch flame at people if I want to. I can use the other elements too if I want to but I find fire the easiest to manipulate." She said.

"And the mind?" he said. The barkeeper brought them all more drinks, Mattie nodded to him as he set the drinks on the table before taking his leave. She looked at Cathal, who was reassembling his crossbows, showing Thor how they went together but not letting him touch the delicate weapons.

"I am a renegade. What I do is not allowed by the guild. I can manipulate other people's minds but every time I do so, every time I cast magic, I leave a signature, I am tracked by beings called Mage Hunters. I'm almost scared to tell you about it if I am honest." She said.

"You said yourself it was safe here."

"I know but it makes me nervous still. I'll do it on you; it will be easier than explaining it." He nodded and she smiled, laying the flower on the table next to her drink. She blanked her mind and searched out. She found Cathal, his thoughts focused on the work before him, so clear and determined. The animal strength of Thor was next to him, interested, friendship radiated from him with a vibrant hum that was infectious. She almost broke her concentration thinking about it. She turned away from the two and searched for the one. Roland's signature was darker than any she'd ever seen. She swallowed but nudged against his mind, a slight brushing of her will sliding against his. Nothing. She pushed her will, imposing her mind over his, not to gentle this time. Still nothing. She tried once more, this time screaming the order at him as loud as she could. Nothing; just blackness. She let it rest.

"And?" he said with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. She was beginning to think was all he could manage in that department

"I don't know." She said, looking away and at the floor, "I've never... I couldn't touch your mind at all."

"Years of a sort of magic of my own I expect." He said.

"Oh?"

"It's a method of finding out the truth from someone who sleeps. I can do so to you if you want, though I don't think you have lied to me." 

"I haven't and as kind as you are for the offer, I don't think it would be wise. I don't know how I would react to your divinations, it may well be erh... explosive." She said, looking away. She felt the weight of his gaze on her, heavy, cloying. She breathed a little easier when he turned his attention to the other two with them. Mattie smoothed the folds of her long skirt flat before turning to face the others as well. Roland got to his feet and sauntered over to Cathal and Thor.

"You want to show me how those work?" Cathal asked, indicating the guns at his side. He shrugged and both men walked to the targets, she couldn't help notice the delightful shape of his calves; the way his jeans caressed the muscles, his long coat hid what was beyond but she caught herself pondering it anyway. She blinked and forced her eyes away and focused on the targets instead.

"Something interesting over there?" 

Mattie jumped. "God's Thor." She said.

"Sorry."

"I didn't hear you approach is all." She said, she picked up her glass and sipped her wine, "Are you not joining the contest?"

"Aren't you?" he asked raising an eyebrow, "Or are you content to enjoy the view?" Heat rose in her cheeks 

"I-" Thor graced her with another one of his lovely smiles. 

"Not that I blame you of course and I didn't mean to embarrass you. Are you joining us?" he asked again, a more serious tone in his melodious voice.

"Thor, the only thing I can throw is fireballs and those targets are not designed for my type of fight." She said, returning his infectious smile. "For that we'd need to go from here and I don't know if I can follow you, or if you can come with me either." She shrugged.

"That's a real shame, I'd like to have seen you." Thor said draining his third mug of ale.

"I can still watch you. Go and show Cathal how it's done." She said.

"Come on then," he said taking her arm and pulling to her feet, his strength was barely contained as he gripped her, even though his touch was gentle. It wouldn't take much for him to fling her into the air. She brushed him off and looped her arm through his instead. The wind caught his blonde hair and brushed her cheek. It was soft and she let out a laugh as he pushed it behind him. She unwound her arm when they reached the targets and he unhooked Mjollnir from his belt. Roland and Cathal stood on either side, facing the targets of their own. 

Cathal drew first, the crossbow sprang to action and he fired, Roland was a second behind him. Three loud cracks pierced the still air. Mattie flinched. Cathal ducked. Only Thor was not alarmed by the shots. Mattie looked up at the gunslinger and saw both his arms were outstretched with his pistols in hand, smoke rising from both weapons. Thor ignored him and hurled his hammer at the target. The weapon struck the target, knocking it backwards. Mattie looked at the other two, Cathal's arrow was dead centre, Roland's target appeared unstruck but when they walked for a closer look, three small slugs had been buried deep into it.

"Not sure how good a hammer is for this sort of target," Cathal said, a smile on his face.

"Least I didn't miss eh." Thor shrugged. Roland stood eyeing the target for a moment, shrugged and re-joined the rest of them. Mattie felt him move behind her and she swallowed. He made her feel so small when he stood there, she could smell the parched leather of his coat, the dust of the road and the trace of sweat from the desert too. She shivered and moved herself forward a touch. "We should drink more, you can teach us to play this card game of yours." Thor said, a big grin on his face.

"I can't say no to that smile." Mattie said, "Come on back inside, it's going to be dark soon. Unless you have somewhere pressing you need to be." She said. Thor shrugged, Roland remained silent. Cathal let out a sigh and nodded his head.

"It's time for me to be heading home." He said.

"Home? As in..?"

"Aye, it's about time, I aint seen my boy in months." He said, a smile creeping across his sullen face.

"You leaving now?" she asked as they walked to the door.

"While my mind's made I may as well."

"I'll meet you in..."

"Lawless. Things won't be too hot there anymore. Give me two months."

"Be careful."

"Always." He said. He gave her a quick hug before striding off out the inn. Mattie led the other two to a table near the fire and picked up a pack of cards. Thor organised more drinks for them and got chatting to the barkeep.

"I forgot to ask if you were hungry at all." Mattie said, "Which was rude of me. Did you want anything to eat?"

"I'm fine." He replied. Mattie pulled the cards out of the battered pack they were in and shuffled them. Roland watched her with such an intensity she thought she'd drop the cards.

"What's your home like then?" she asked as her hands thumbed through the deck.

"Tough." 

She left it at that, sensing that it wasn't something he wanted to discuss with her. "Do you know any card games?" he nodded so she dealt them each two cards. She watched him pick them up and a puzzled expression crossed his face.

"I don't know this game." He said. Thor returned with three drinks in his hands and banged them onto the table, spilling the ale froth in the process. He handed them out before looking over Roland's shoulder.

"What's the problem buddy, that's a fine hand!" he said clapping him on the shoulder. Roland looked as surprised as Thor on the contact but he gave him a smile that lit up his face like the first rays of sunshine on a new day. Mattie held her breath a moment while the two strangers looked at each other. "Do you not know this one?" Thor asked sitting down.

"No."

"Right, Stick." Thor said turning to Mattie.

"All right," she said, turning her own cards over. Seven and three. Useless. Thor's expression showed how useless. She turned over another card. Five, which made fifteen. "Ok, I know you have something decent so fess up." Thor flipped the cards over, an ace and a king, the perfect hand.

"This is good?"

"I thought you knew how to play this." Mattie said, "You have to make twenty one, the fewer cards you use the better. The picture cards are worth ten, an ace is either eleven or one." She explained.

"Sounds simple enough." Roland shrugged. Thor handed him a mug of ale and he took a long draft. Mattie did the same, the cool liquid slid down her throat and a warm flush began to reach her cheeks. She dealt a new set of cards and they commenced playing again. Her hand was as bad as the first; the look on Thor's face told her his was the same. Roland was unreadable. She looked at Thor first, as he sat to her right. She handed him a couple of cards before he swore and threw his hand on the table face up. His total was 23. Roland held his hand out for another card, he didn't look at her as he took it, adding it to his hand. He looked up and placed his hand face down on the table and looked up, his face a mask.

Mattie flipped her own hand, turning the cards on the table. "Why are yours on the table?" 




Spring



"Because I'm the dealer, it's so I don't cheat you." She explained looking at the Queen and a two. She flipped another card, an ace. "Not that I would dare cheat you." She said turning another card, a four. She left it at that, sitting pretty on seventeen. Not great but not bad either. Roland turned over his cards showing her eighteen, a king, a five and a three. "You win." She said. 

"It's as easy as this?" Roland asked. Mattie nodded as she scooped up the cards and added them to the bottom of the deck. The door of the inn banged open and in walked 'Zak and Vincent, both a little red in the face, both with giant grins on their faces. They staggered over to where Mattie was sitting and pulled up chairs of their own.

"Evening Mattie." 'Zak said, pushing his long braid out the way.

"Who're you're friends?"

"Cathal around somewhere?"

"Guys, slow down." She said, a smile creeping onto her face. "This is Thor and Roland, both of which found us today. Guys, this is 'Zak and Vincent, both regulars here. As I am sure you will be from now on." She said. "Cathal has gone home for a couple of months, he'll be back when he's ready, you know what it's like." She explained. 'Zak nodded and Vincent turned his attention to the game they were playing.

"You're not playing this boring old thing are you?" Vin said, "You should get yourselves a Frig board and play that instead."

"Frig?" Thor frowned (for Frig is the wife of Odin)

"Frigates. Cribbage." Vin said, "It has several names."

"I don't know how to play that." Mattie said, "And you know it." She added swatting his arm.

"I can teach you."

"Look, I don't have a head for cards, not really, that's Cathal's home. I was passing time with these gentlemen, besides, you're too drunk to teach anyone anything." She said.

"That much is clear, we should just drink more." Thor said, draining his mug. It was becoming obvious to Mattie that there was no way she was going to be able to keep up with him. The ale had already made her head a bit fuzzy. She pushed her chair back from the table and got to her feet. She felt a warm hand touch her wrist, her skin danced under his touch, her heart thumped for the briefest of moments, she looked down at Roland, he arose and removed his hat.

"What's wrong?" she said.

"Is there somewhere I can stash these things? He said, "It's getting warm in here." With that, he shrugged out of his great coat and threw it over his arm.

"Of course, just one moment." Mattie walked over to the bar and called for the barkeep. He tottered out of the kitchen and looked at her expectantly. "Can we get Roland a room? I think he's decided to stay for a bit." The barkeep looked over her shoulder for a moment and smiled.

"He looks like he needs it, what about the other one?"

"I don't know yet." She replied. The barkeep nodded and reached under the bar. He pulled out a huge key and handed it to her.

"I'll give him number eight." He said. "You'll show him up?"

"Of course." She turned back to where Roland stood watching her. "Come on." She said. She resisted the urge to take his hand so she turned to the stairs and waited for him to follow. His footsteps behind her were reassuring so she showed him the stairs and up they went. He paused a moment and looked down the corridor.

"How is this possible?" he asked.

"Oh, I should have said." Mattie gasped, "I see it all the time, I forget how it appears when you first come up here." She stood next to Roland as he looked down the corridor. It looked as much as the rest of the inn, comfortable understated and homely. However, the upstairs were far too big for the lower floor to support, the corridor extended far beyond the ground supports. Roland looked at it for a long while, "It's part of the magic of this place, it makes rooms depending on who is here. I guess the inn expected you to stay for a while."

"So, the less people staying, the less rooms needed?"

"That's right."

"You're room number eight, opposite mine." She said striding down the corridor. He followed close behind; she could sense he was there as well as hear him. "Here we are." She said handing him the key. He took it from her and unlocked the door. It swung open and he stepped inside. What awaited him was something special. Mattie stood in the doorway and smiled as he looked around. There was the largest bed she'd ever seen but then, Roland was tall, so it made sense for him to have a large bed. The drapes and furnishings were like the Grand Hotel in Lawless, plush and comfortable. There was a huge chair and a bookshelf at one end of the room, at the other, there was a curtain, behind which, would be a working cistern toilet and bath, complete with hot water.

"This is..."

"Something else." Mattie finished, "The inn creates the room depending on the needs of the occupant." She said, "My own room is beautiful, though not so plush as this. You must have been through some tough times." He didn't answer, only nodded. He set his coat and hat down on one of the dressers and turned to the sink. "I'm sorry, I should leave you to get settled, can I get you anything?" He turned to face her and gave her the most relaxed warm smile she'd seen.

"I'm famished if ever I was honest. Would you mind getting some food fixed while I fresh up?" he said. She nodded.

"Do you want it bringing up here?" she asked.

"Yes."

She left him alone at that and returned downstairs. She summoned the barkeep and requested food for Roland, as well as a couple more ales. Thor was engrossed in conversation with 'Zak and Vincent, their laughter drifted over to her and she smiled at them. Thor waved her over and she was moving before she even thought about it. "All right?" she said.

"Mattie!" Thor boomed. The other two laughed and she felt her smile wan a bit.

"Yes Thor?" she asked, knowing he was drunk.

"This is the best place I've ever been. Thanks for bringing me here." He said. She shrugged her shoulders at him but didn't argue. He wore a silly grin plastered over his face and his straw coloured hair was dishevelled, sticking out at all angles. Vincent drew Thor's attention so the story he had been telling and Mattie returned to the bar. Hot stew and fresh bread was placed on a tray with two tankards. She took it and climbed the stairs, she approached the door and knocked it with her elbow.

"It's open."

"You're going to have to help out with that, I got my hands full." She called back. Roland appeared a moment later, shirtless, hair dripping, a beige towel around his neck. Mattie nearly dropped the tray. "Oh!" was all that she could manage. She didn't know where to look and she knew her cheeks were red. She looked at the floor, her mind still exploring the contours of his lean body. He stepped aside and let her in the room. She set the tray on the table while Roland pulled a clean shirt, presumably from one of the drawers, over his head. Mattie wasn't sure she was glad he hadn't been in the process of changing his pants.

Her train of thought shattered when he spoke, "Mattie, you have been most helpful, thankee." He said, sitting himself down in front of the tray. 

"You're welcome Roland," she said, picking up her mug of ale. "I didn't know if you'd want company or not. I'm happy to leave you if that's what you want." She said, her eyes flicking to the floor and back again.

"Would you're lover appreciate you staying here alone?"

Mattie nearly spat ale, "Pardon?"

"The one who left?"

"Cathal?" Mattie frowned, "Oh God's that's not how it is, he has gone back to see his wife and son. His situation is complex, the Twelve only know, but there is nothing between us but friendship." She said.

"So you're not involved?"

"No. Not in that way."

"Then, you're welcome to stay if you want. I've had nothing but sand for company for as long as I can remember." He said. Mattie sat herself on the huge chair and remained silent while he ate. She watched him, unaware that her gaze made him feel somewhat self-conscious. The nervousness showed in the slightest of twitching of his jaw. 

He put the food aside and picked up his mug of ale, he turned to her and nodded, "Thankee again." 

"It's ok, you look liked you could use a friend." She said, forcing herself to stay looking at his face. His blue eyes softened a fraction and the smile on his face didn't slide off the moment it appeared. He held her gaze and she swallowed hard, wondering what he could be thinking, not sure where this could lead, not even sure what she was doing there. The little voice in the back of her mind told her she should leave but she couldn't will her legs into motion. Getting involved with this man was going to bring her nothing but trouble; she knew it, as she knew the sun would rise in the east tomorrow, but she just couldn't bring herself to move away.

"So it would seem." He said. "We should join the others before they start to think things." 

"Do you worry what they think?" she said, drinking from her mug. "I do not mind their opinions of my actions, I am my own woman and capable of defending myself if need be. The inn sees to what my mind cannot." She shrugged, "Not that I think you'd harm me." She added. He seemed to puzzle this over for a moment, "If you want to go and re-join the others though, I won't object." Could it be that she was making him nervous? Maybe this wasn't how things happened where he was from. For all she knew, what they were doing by merely sitting talking alone together was a huge social fumble. He stood and walked over to where both his guns were hanging, Mattie watched him move with a grace she wouldn't have expected. He ran a long finger down the holster and let out a sigh.

"Come over here Mattie." He said. She moved to stand in front of him. She refused to be intimidated by his height and looked him in the eye. He turned and drew one of his guns, extended his hand and placed it in hers. The weight took her by surprise, how did he lift and shoot a thing so heavy in the time he did? She turned the formidable weapon over in her sweaty hands; the handle was worn smooth from the hands of his fore-fathers no doubt. The gun was immaculate, the light filtering through the drapes shone off the blue steel barrel, the cylinder fit perfectly. She examined the weapon, not sure what she was looking for but doing so all the same.

"It's a beautiful thing." She said.

"What is its function?" he asked, his voice softer than she thought possible.

"It's a weapon."

"It's a tool for killing. Where they go, death follows." He said, "Do you understand?" 

"I'm not sure."

"The people that bother to care for me get hurt: dead. I want you to know what you're getting into before anything gets out of hand." He said. She handed the gun back to him and turned his words over, pondering the implications. He took the weapon from her, holstering it while she thought.

"Nothing can harm us here." She said. His flinty eyes fixed her, like a frightened rabbit, caught in the hunter's torchlight.

"Someday, one of us will regret this." He said.

"But this day?"

He gave her a smile that could only be described as wolfish. She swallowed. In half a step he'd seized her. His arms were as strong as they looked; enough to pick her up, spin her and hold her against the wall, enough to lift two of those revolvers. The thought lanced through her even as his mouth found hers. She was surprised at the softness of those lips brushing against hers. Her heart pounded in her ears, her back tensed, his powdery scent filled her, his damp hair tickled her cheek and she struggled to keep her legs from turning to water.

Roland's strong fingertips pushed through her thick black hair and rested at the nape of her neck, inviting her to deepen the kiss. His flavour was like nothing she'd ever tasted before; the tang of ale masked his natural zest only a fraction, he tasted like spice, with a definite undertone of cinnamon. His lips parted and his tongue pressed against her, nudging her mouth open. She squeaked in surprise and yielded, allowing him to explore her mouth. His tongue caressed hers in a way she'd never experienced before, setting alight a fire in the base of her belly. He moaned against her mouth as she curled her arms around his lean waist. He was warm to touch; she could feel the heat radiating from him through the loose cotton shirt, almost feverish. He dropped his arms and clutched her hard against him. His kiss pushed her back against the wall, becoming more forceful, more urgent. He broke for a moment, looking down into her eyes, "God this is the best place I've ever been," he muttered. She searched those washed out blue eyes of his, not sure what she was looking for, not even sure if it was there.

"Kiss me Roland." She whispered. He didn't, instead he held her, wrapped his long arms around her and holding her close. She let her own arms reach up his back and she rested her head on his shoulder. He brushed his lips against her cheek and she couldn't hold back a smile. "Are you ok?" he nodded, kissing her again, on the mouth this time. Gentle, she was surprised at how gentle he was. Mattie rested her hand on his cheek, brushing his angular face with her thumb. His tongue nudged her lips, insistent; she parted them and was lost. She let her eyes drift closed and was swept away by the soft ministrations of his lips on hers.

He scooped her up in her arms, lifting her with no effort at all; he carried her to the gigantic bed. Roland lowered her down onto the soft blankets and lay next to her. She gazed into his face, let her eyes wash over him, he looked beautiful to her and yet, so sad. Mattie pushed him back onto his back before she brushed her lips over his for the briefest of moments; she leaned over him, kissing his face. He smothered a laugh and caught her face in his hands. "Mattie, I believe I want you." He said, sounding surprised as he spoke.

"Is that so bad?" she asked, kissing his chin, moving down to nibble his Adam's apple as he thought that over. Mattie let her tongue glide down his throat, pooling at his clavicle. His stubble grazed her tongue, the sensation delightful and by the sound gathering in the back of his throat, so did he. The shirt he wore prevented her tongue roaming any further; she went to push her hands up the hem.

BANG

"What was that?" Roland asked. She shrugged, her hands frozen at the waistband of his faded jeans.

BANG.

"That better not be Thor crashing around down there." He said leaning up on his elbows.

"No. You don't hear downstairs up here, just as downstairs won't hear up here." She said with a wink, "This is something else."

Roland touched her cheek once more with his warm hands, "We should go see, this place will be here when we get back." It was not a question. She nodded and let him rise. She walked to the door, rearranging her dishevelled skirt, before stepping into the corridor. Roland followed a moment later, both guns strapped to his hips once more, hat fixed back on his head.

BANG

"Name of the Twelve what IS that?" Mattie hissed as they headed to the stairs.

"This place ever been attacked?"

"Never, it can't be. Every time there is a threat, it moves itself away. It's part of the magic of the place as far as I know." She replied. He caught her arm before they reached the stairs and pulled her back to him. He kissed her something fierce. Blood flushed to her face and she stepped into him, warmth thrummed through his body where it pressed against her. He released her as suddenly as he had seized her and descended the stairs without another word, leaving her there, more than a little dazed. Shaking her head clear, she followed him down the stairs and into the common room where everyone was standing staring at the door.

The door was gone.

Mattie glanced around the inn's common room, taking stock of who was in the place; 'Zak, Vincent, Thor, all three of them sober and looking at the empty doorframe. She spotted Nathaniel, the quiet priest of Tyr, standing with a deep frown on his face. Her head cleared, a noise that she's long ceased to hear, silenced, she reached in and touched her magic. The effect that blocked it was gone. Roland standing next to her drew both guns, Vincent unsheathed his swords, 'Zak had a knife in hand and even Nathaniel had joined them, a nasty looking blade in his hand. Thor raised his huge hammer into the air and bellowed. Then they were running, exploding through the door. What met them was nothing she'd ever seen before. Hundreds of winged monstrosities swamped the green fields surrounding the inn, some hung in the air like giant wasps waiting to sting. 

"What is this?" she whispered.

"Valkyries. Or perverted ones anyway." Thor answered. Mattie watched as Thor's hammer began to glow a pale blue, not unlike Roland's eyes she noted. "These are servants of my brother Loki, they are here for me." He said.

"You can only go if you want to." Vincent said.

"You're friends are with you." 'Zak added.

Mattie took a deep breath and formed the flicker of a flame on her hands, "You're telling me they're trying to force you away from here?" Thor nodded, "No, that's not how this place works; you can only leave when you will it." The fire on her hands built as she spoke, she could feel the heat crackle on her cheek, drying her throat. The hammer in Thor's hand began to spark, the sky darkened, the wind picked up. Mattie would have shivered but for the inferno at her fingers. 

"The time for talk is over." It was Nathaniel next to her. She looked as the corrupted beings began swaying towards them. Mattie thrust the inferno forwards. KA-BLAM! Next to her, Roland's huge guns began to do their own talking. Thor pointed Mjollnir at the flying creatures, lightning arced between one and another, jumping, filling the air with the stench of singed flesh. Then he charged into them, Vincent, 'Zak and Nathaniel followed, crying out their own cries as the creatures were engaged in battle.

Thunder cracked over head as they broke onto the wall of beings. Mattie formed smaller scorching flames now, firing them off before they could get too big. It would not do to hit any of her own people. Roland's guns cracked next to her, splitting the air with their war cries. She took a glance at her new companion, his face was a cool mask, his hands were set to their task, his mind appeared elsewhere. Where they go, death follows. His words in her head as she fired another fireball. Was it so different from her own hands? She let the next ball form bigger and she directed it at a flying monster. Its wings afire, it plummeted to the ground, crashing into one of its companions, smashing it to pieces as it skidded to a halt.

"Vincent!" she shouted, "Look out." She formed fire as she shouted, launching it at the creature that would have torn Vincent in half. She struck it in the chest as the assassin's blade appeared through its back. She didn't know whether he had planned that or not. He nodded before slashing the next creature with his other blade. 'Zak looked as though he was faring little better. She knew he was no fighter like his companion. He had a deep cut on his forehead; the blood flowed into his eyes, blocking his view. Mattie reached into the thick hem of her skirt and ripped a strip off. She ran to 'Zak and flamed the creature he was fighting. It stumbled backwards into another of its kind giving them the moment they needed. She slung the bandage around his head, tying it as fast as she could. 'Zak smiled, tossing his thick braid out of his face before re-joining Vincent; he was nothing if not determined.

Nathaniel held his own. She'd heard rumours about the priests of Tyr but never really believed them. Nathaniel had always been quiet and kept to himself, he'd never hurt anyone as far as she knew. Now she knew better. The strokes he made were sure, well trained and every bit as deadly as Vincent's were. She formed another ball of flames and launched it into the midst of the creatures. The seemingly endless amount of things had lessened at least. She turned to Roland; about to warn him of one coming at his back when he turned and blew the things head away. What was left was a mix of brains, skull and hair.




Spring



Thor was making quick work in the middle of the horde of creatures. She could see them being flung this way and that as his hammer connected with various body parts. She summoned the strength to keep making fireballs, aware all the time that soon her strength would be gone. It always came on quick when it happened, it would render her useless in the fight but she'd go on for as long as she could. She shot ball after ball into the crowd. They were getting smaller every time she cast them. Sweat poured down her face and her breath drew in ragged breaths. Gods this better be over soon. She scanned the field and the number of beings had diminished, trembling, her legs gave out and she sat on the damp ground.

"Loki!" it was Thor shouting, "Show yourself." The world flashed, the beings shimmered away. Silence followed. Weapons were lowered. A single figure appeared in the middle of the field. "I knew it was you, brother." He said.

"What is your purpose here?" Vincent said sheathing both his blades. The others did the same, all bar Roland, who merely lowered those guns. Thor silenced Vincent with the wave of a hand before turning to Loki.

"You seem to think I need a reason for being here. The only reason I need is him." He said, his voice a lilting music compared to Thor's booming commands. "I came to settle a quarrel that happened between us."

"And in doing so, you have defiled the sanctity of this place." It was the bar keeper, suddenly he stood between Thor and Loki. "The companions of this place will bear no fighting, no ill will done to them or those that come here. They fight bravely, you fight like a coward. Be gone from this place. You are not welcome." He said. He seemed tall and imposing, Mattie couldn't help wonder, he had always seemed so small before.

"How do you propose to get rid of me hum?" Loki asked, turning to face the bar keeper.

"I am the keeper of the Ways. I know more magic than you have ever forgotten." He raised both hands, palm up, to the sky. Mattie felt the earth tremble beneath her, the dark sky cleared, clouds fleeing away, light poured through, bright light cast over Loki. As she drew in another breath, the bar keeper clapped his hands twice; Loki vanished. The corpses of the fallen vanished. Sunshine surrounded them all. 

"How..." Thor asked a comical bewildered expression on his face. Mattie bit back a laugh.

"Some things are best not asked." The bar keeper replied, "You and your companions fought a valiant fight. He will not be back." With that, he turned and headed back inside the inn.

"Everything alright Mattie?" Nathaniel asked. She nodded and he extended his hand to her. She took it and she staggered to her feet.

"You know how it is." She said.

"No." Roland was next to her again, guns holstered, looking at her with an expression she couldn't place. Concern maybe? She went to take a step and her legs trembled again. He had her arm in a heartbeat.

"I can only cast for a while, if I do it too much, I... it's exhausting on the body somehow. I don't feel tired as such, that comes later, it just makes me a bit wobbly." She said, knowing the explanation sounded lame. He nodded.

"Can you walk?"

"I think so." He held onto her anyway as they all walked into the inn. Once there, they flopped into the soft chairs by the fire and took deep breaths. The bar keeper came over with drinks for them all; he left them wordlessly on the table.

"Thank you all for fighting with me." Thor said eventually, handing out the glasses. The bar keeper seemed to know what all their favourite drinks were. Mattie sipped at the beautiful red in her glass and sighed. Vincent smiled as he drank the mead in his mug. Nathaniel nodded, drinking a crisp white. 'Zak's ale was cool and clean. Thor's sweet beer was perfect. Roland smiled into his glass.

"No one attacks this place." Nathaniel said.

"It was my pleasure." Vincent said. Mattie remained silent. She could feel the tug of sleep calling her and her eyes drifted shut. Someone took the glass from her hand and snugged her against them. Dusky leather drifted across her and she settled into the crook of Roland's arm. She could hear the others discussing the fight but a comfortable darkness crept over her. She thought how Cathal had never considered how such an expense of energy affected her before she surrendered completely.

* * *

Mattie was brought out of her doze by a cool hand caressing her cheek. The fingers were rough but not unkind and she let her eyes drift open. The fire had burned down to the smallest glow and a chill crept through the inn's common room. They were the only ones left downstairs, even the bar keeper had retired to wherever it was he slept. "I hate to wake you."

"You shouldn't have let me sleep so." She said.

"You looked so peaceful, besides, I drowsed too. Now it's cold and my arms dead." He said. Mattie sat up and let out a yawn. She shivered, he was right, it was cold.

"I should go to bed." She said, taking her still full glass and placing it on the bar. He nodded and stood up.

"You fought like nothing I've seen." He said.

"Speak of yourself too. I ain't never seen a weapon like yours and by the Twelve they are something. I'm glad you're fighting on my side." He was standing beside her then, his scent, dark and musky flooded her and the quietened fire in her belly flared. "It's just a shame finding out the way we did." He took her small hand in his large one and led her to the stairs without a word. Mattie followed, her breath catching in her throat, her heart beat so strong in her chest that she thought it would pound through her ribcage. He paused when they reached their opposite doors. She nodded once and he pushed the door open, leading her inside. She kicked it shut behind her and saw the room hadn't altered at all.

Once the door had clicked shut Roland stood before Mattie with a smile that lit up his face, "Ah Gods, do you know what that does to your face?" she whispered as the cares etched on his countenance slipped away. He looked at least ten years younger and Mattie was forced to wonder exactly how old her new lover was. Not that it mattered. She caught his other hand in hers and placed her lips over his in a chaste kiss.

"Mattie," he whispered her name, making it sound like the gentlest of caresses. His hand dropped hers and came to rest in the hollow of her back. His fingers splayed, gentle pressure urged her forward against him. He leaned down and returned her kiss, starting with a closed mouth that matched hers. He parted his lips and licked her lower lip, urging her to open her mouth, grant him entry to her sweet mouth. She flicked her tongue against his, drinking in his taste, her legs shivered, she clutched his forearms not wanting them to buckle under the weight of his mouth on hers. His grip on her back tightened and as his tongue thrust deeper into her, the fire in her belly jumped, threatening to consume her.

"Roland, I could kiss you and kiss you 'til the sun rose and then kiss you some more." She said, kissing his cheek, his nose, his neck as she spoke.

"Aye, then do so." He said, kissing her back just below her ear. "It is a good thing." He said. She shivered as his teeth nipped at her ear lobe, turning her world dusky pink. She knocked his hat back from his head and pushed her hands through the thick grey streaked hair, pulling his face away from her, if he did that again, she would just explode. She found his mouth again, swamped him with the kisses she'd threatened, all the while aware of the deep fire building inside her. She let her hands drop to rest against his chest, her mouth left his and she returned her attention to his throat. His apple bobbed as he swallowed, a heavy breath escaping his lips, she licked at the movement and his grip on her wavered. She lingered in his collarbone, lapping up the salty tang of sweat she found there. Two fingers under her chin lifted her face to his and he kissed her with a tenderness she'd never felt before.

"You keep at that and I won't be much for controlling myself for long." He whispered. His voice heavy in her ears. It was then she felt the stone hardness of him under his belt buckle. It matched the deep fire building inside her.

"I think we're passed that." She said, pushing her hands up his white cotton shirt. He shivered as her hands explored the contours of his lean stomach. She lifted the garment up and kissed his flat belly. She dropped to her knees and ran her hands down as she moved. She let her hands work the buckle of his belt. Once done, her deft fingers worked the awkward buttons of his jeans. She placed her lips against his hip, letting her tongue tickle there as her hands worked.

Then his hands were on hers, raising her, his arms scooped her off the floor and walked her over to the giant bed in the centre of the room. Warmth invaded her as he leaned over her. His mouth found hers once again and she was flying, the bed dropped from under her, the only thing that mattered was his mouth on hers. This time, it was his turn to roam over her, his palm reached under her shirt and tentatively touched the swell of her breast through her camisole. She could feel the tremble of his hand, there for a moment then gone. Her back arched as his calloused finger caressed her nipple, the rough skin scraped over her, delicious fire rippled through her under his touch. She kissed him then, deeper than she had before, her legs melted under the fire building in her stomach.

Mattie tugged at Roland's shirt, lifting it over his head as best she could. He smiled and moved, allowing her to remove the garment. As soon as she'd done so, he began working at the buttons of her own top. His fingers made short work of them, exposing the camisole and under-bust corset she wore underneath. He gave her a small smile. "You're going to have to help me out a bit here." He said, kissing her collarbone. She shivered and knew what he'd meant earlier.

"All right," she rolled over so her back was to him, "Laces are tied, why don't you go on and loosen them for me?" His deft fingers had the bow undone in a heartbeat and the laces tugged out in the next. She unhooked the garment at the front and laid it carefully on the floor. As she settled, Roland drew her against him, her back against him, his hardness pushing into her lower back. He ran his hand along her ribcage, onto the soft part of her belly, resting on her hip for the moment. His lips were cool against the back of her neck; the stubble on his chin grazed her, sending another shiver through her. Then his hand was pushing under the waistband of her long skirt and into the soft fabric of her panties. He parted the soft folds of her secret place and found the wetness, the building fire there. It was like being struck by one of Thor's lightning bolts when his rough hand found the small sensitive spot there. She trembled under his hand; his soft breath against her neck made the sensation the sweeter. "Oh Roland." She murmured. Her own hand reached behind her, she grasped the hardness pressed into her back. The sharp intake of breath against her neck made her squeeze that little bit harder.

The pressure on her nub increased and she gasped herself, "If this is the game you'll play." He whispered, caressing her ear with his tongue.

"It's a good one is it not." She said, pushing her hand down the front of his undone jeans. Mattie pushed the waist of his under garments out the way and curled her fingers around his velvety hard cock. She let her hand glide along the length, matching the speed at which he touched her. A deep throated moan escaped him, fleeing into the candle lit room, leaving him gasping. He pulled his hand away from her and removed her hands clasp of him. She watched as he shucked out of the rest of his clothes. Naked, he was even more wonderful than he was clothed. She smiled up at him as he tugged her own clothing off her body. Then Roland was leaning over her, his erection pressing against her slick wetness. He leaned forward, kissing her deeply. She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles, one swift motion, her back arched and he filled her. A sharp breath and she settled, getting accustomed to his invasion.

"Mattie?" he said, the slightest of frowns on his face.

"Ro'. It's been a while." She said, resting her hand against his cheek. He smiled down at her, blue eyes shining.

"I'll go easy." He said, smiling at the affectionate shortening of his name. She clenched around him then and a sort of humming noise left him. Then he withdrew his hips, brought them forward again and she was lost. The fire in her belly flared bright and she met him on the next thrust. Her hands found his hips, his found her bare breast, one hand thumbed the nipple of the left one, the other traced down her stomach where it rested as he continued his slow thrusting. The heat descended, settling at the point between them where they joined. Mattie let her eyes drift closed, letting warm pink swamp her. His forehead rested on hers then and his pushing became more insistent. More demanding. So much sweeter. The pink darkened to red and she kissed him something fierce, wanting to smother him with her mouth.

A moan, deep in the back of her throat, burst forth. Had there ever been anything as sweet as this? She didn't think so, the fire inside her was white hot now, his great sweeping thrusts brought fresh cries from her and she knew he was driving her over the edge of a great cliff that ended with the dying ecstasy they both craved. His mouth found hers, he moaned into her, filling her with sound. She broke the contact, sucked in a great breath, cried to the Gods, cried his name, over and over.

The ground fell away underneath her and a great wave of red wonder swamped her. She arched her back, her breath caught in her throat and for a few brief moments, there was nothing, just fire and red. After seconds that seemed a life time, she drew a breath, a hot ragged breath and relaxed against the soft bedding. Awareness drifted back to her, Roland's weight lay over her, as relaxed as she was, his breathing as broken as hers, his weight supported on his forearms. She kissed his stubbly cheek and let her hands hold him close to her for a long moment.

He took a couple of deep breaths before withdrawing and lying beside her. She couldn't shake the great sense of loss as he moved away from her. He kissed her forehead then and she could have cried. A lump rose in her throat and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from doing so. "Come." He whispered, lifting up the blankets, "I'd hate for you to catch a chill." They both slipped underneath, where he held her close against him.

"Roland." She said, his name a caress on her tongue. He raised his eyebrow by way of an answer.

"That was-"

"Hush Mattie." He said, stroking her hair back from her forehead. "Just enjoy the moment." A sleepy tone had entered his voice and she nodded, letting him hold her, letting his warmth seep into her. Her eyes drifted closed and as his breathing became regular, so did hers. She slept the deep sleep of the exhausted.