1 comments/ 14299 views/ 8 favorites When The Hope Was Lost By: Aflame It was a wretched and rainy twilight as she rode with her shoulders slumped miserably along the mud clogged trail leading to Culberry town. The only sounds were the sucking noises of the horse's hooves separating from the muck and the hiss of the downpour. She despised riding in the rain. The way her grey cloak flopped and slapped against her leather clad legs in the blustery wind annoyed her and the unpleasant smell of wet horse, wet leather and wet wool only made being cold and soaked to the skin worse. Her horse shook its mane, jingling the bit and the wind blew the flecks of water warmed by his body onto her numbed hands and cheeks. It was useless to try and keep her hood up in this type of weather which meant not only was her fair hair drenched slick to her head, but incessant drips trickled into her eyes, reddening them and making the angry green stand out all the more sharply. It was in this sorry state that Lin and her horse plodded over the small bridge across the river outside the town's wooden walls. She had enough coin for a meal and board in the inn but that was as far as she could stretch. A festival was starting and the main event was a tournament of swords, a series of duels with no armour. Death strikes were against the rules but fatalities were common. The prize was 700 pieces of gold. How distasteful and distressing she found this whole business of killing people, it was her only way of supporting herself now that her last safe haven had been destroyed. Her heart clenched tight as the realisation washed over her again. "Corman" A choked off sob escaped her. Corman her oldest and dearest friend, her lover, gone forever. She would never hear him laugh or sigh or snipe at her again. Never again would she see his eyes intent on a piece of metal as he tested it twisting it this way and that in his rough hands, never again would he would pull her close for a hasty kiss as they sparred together, no matter how she tried she could never beat him. He was the one who had taught her. He always said that to make a perfect sword you had to be a perfect swordsman. It hadn't saved him though and the ring of his anvil was now forever stilled and stained with his blood. She gasped raggedly and bit down hard on her lip. No more quiet tears slipping into the dark. She could go for months now without the crippling memories creeping up on her. She couldn't bear the emptiness of it. It was not pain, she could handle pain. It was numb, black loneliness, and it was engulfing her slowly. First her sisters, then her mother and now Corman, all taken in violence and pain. She had seen the light of life go out first hand. She carried all of their deaths with her as her penance for what she now did. And yet she was all the more dangerous for that. Her once laughing face had changed to a hardened mask of perpetual pain. With the death of her lover she had felt her heart break apart, and all mercy kindness and love had been flung away with the shattered pieces. "If anything ever happens to me...just keep going Lin," He had made her promise. She cursed him for that. Blinking the rain and the tears out of her eyes again she cast about in the gathering dark for an inn. Down a winding street slashed at irregular intervals with bright streaks of light from windows, she saw a creaking sign bearing the crude picture of an ox's head above a hearth. Nudging her horse with anticipation they trotted smartly towards it. She dismounted in a splash of mud outside the half full stable behind the Ox Head. Untying her pack slowly due to her frozen fingers she took her time to look around the warm fragrant stable. Finally the last swollen knot loosened and swinging her liberated pack over her shoulder she led the horse over to a small form nestled in a pile of hay. She nudged the stable boy with her foot and a bleary eyed head emerged. "Yah?" He mumbled sleepily. "Here," She said abruptly thrusting the reins at him, "Make sure he's dried down well and gets a good feed. I'll know if he isn't treated properly." She watched the boy stumble to his feet to grasp the dangling reins. He seemed to be sleepwalking as he led the large wet animal into an empty stall. He started to fumble with the saddle straps releasing them too soon; the whole thing slid and fell with a dull slap in a sodden heap on the other side of the horse making the animal look round curiously. "Be careful boy." warned in a soft and dangerous voice close to his ear. With a guilty cringe he whipped his head round. Lin had followed him silently into the stall. He studied her more carefully than before, his eyes travelling from her hand resting on the tip of the sword hilt just peeking from behind her waterlogged cloak down to the long cruel looking daggers almost but not quite fully concealed at the top of one of her mud spattered boots and up her strong slender legs and body to her hard green eyes. Mouth ajar, he nodded once nervously with a strong feeling she knew he had intended to hang up the tack sling a rug over the horse and snuggle up in his nest of hay again. After a long considering look she turned on her heel and walked slowly out the stable door. The boy breathed a small sigh of relief and turned to his dripping charge. They didn't get many people like her in the sleepy town. The taproom went silent as she entered as usual. Sweeping her gaze quickly around the low ceilinged smoke filled room she spied an empty table in the corner furthest from the fire but near to the stairs leading to the upper floors. Her boots clunked softly on the wooden floor as the conversations started up again around her. Peeling off her cloak and dropping it with a splat over the spare chair she sat down with her back against the wall and adjusted her sword so that it was less conspicuous at her hip. A pretty girl with brown curly hair in an apron approached her corner weaving familiarly through the tightly packed tables and bodies near the fire. Lin clenched and unclenched her fists trying to get the heat into her hands and looked up into the girls smiling face. "Would you like some warm cider?" She asked pleasantly taking in Lin's wet hair and red hands. "There's also the stew if you want something to fill the gaps. You look all done in." "I'll take both. And a room if you have it." She replied looking around the room again carefully from under her eyebrow, noting the frequent furtive glances from most of the men at her white shirt which was soaking. She was too tired and full of aches to care. She felt a sudden prickle on the back of her neck as her hair stood on end. She slowly turned her head to the dark corner opposite her. A lone figure in a long cloak was sitting at a small table, his large hand resting on the table grasping a mug. He had his hood up and his face was completely hidden but she felt the intensity of his stare. Her eyes travelled down his shrouded figure. With a professional eye she noted his wide shoulders and long thick legs which were stretched out and crossed at the ankles. Judging by the huge broadsword propped against the wall he was here for the festival too. He suddenly looked away as she unconsciously tensed her shoulders thinking of facing him in the arena, he looked formidable. "We do have a room actually. You're lucky because were nearly always full during the festival. The weather must be keeping people away. Terrible for the town. Can't abide all this mud. It washes down from the hills. Raining for a whole two weeks you know –" "Yes I noticed that," Lin interrupted impatiently not taking her eyes off the man. "The food and then the room if you please." She looked mildly affronted by the curt dismissal but shrugged and bustled away to fetch the food. The man tossed what remained of his drink into his mouth and unfolded himself from the chair. He turned towards her slightly and seemed to hesitate but then strode out the door letting in a gust of cold wind as he left. Lin relaxed then wearily rubbed her hands over her face and pressed the heels of her hands into her raw eyes. She was used to men reacting badly to her. No man likes a woman who can beat them in a fight and the fact that she carried weapons always called a stir. She was looking forward to a good night's sleep. She always felt so tired. She was suddenly annoyingly aware of the weight of her wet hair down her back and dragged it forwards to wring it out as the girl came back with a large bowl of steaming stew and a mug of cider. Lin pressed some coins into the girl's hand and proceeded to wolf down her meal. She burned her tongue but didn't care, she didn't even taste it. It had been days since she had eaten anything solid and felt its warmth spreading through her. When she had scraped her plate clean she stood up and stretched trying to get rid of her stiffness while surreptitiously eye the room. A few of the men stared bleary eyed at her as she strained against her damp clinging clothing their eyes snagging suddenly on the long sword dangling from her hip and quickly looking away. Stooping wearily to pick her pack and her cloak up from where it had slithered under the table she beckoned to the girl to show her to the room. She picked up her mug of cider and followed the girl up the stairs. The room was sparse but cosy with a simple rug softening the rough wooden floor and a large bed against the far wall. Opposite it was a small shuttered window. A cheery fire crackled in the hearth and a pitcher of water with a matching basin was perched on a small table beside it. "Goodnight miss." chimed the girl as she closed the door. With a short sigh Lin strode over to the fire dropping her pack and unbuckling her sword as she went. She spread her still dripping cloak over the part of the table that wasn't taken up by the pitcher and started to unpeel her shirt and trousers. As an afterthought she lifted the pitcher and bowl from the table onto the hearth and spread the rest of the table with her clothes. She stood naked before the fire letting the heat wash over her. Finally when she was warmed through she crawled under the blankets concealing a dagger under the pillow and sunk immediately into a deep dreamless sleep. Lin knew something was wrong before she opened her eyes. It wasn't morning yet and there was an oppressive silence all around her. She was facing the wall when she opened her eyes. The light from the fire had died down. She suddenly felt a presence in the room behind her. That was why she had awoken. There was someone watching her silently. She cursed herself for failing to bar the door somehow. Her heart started to beat harder and she slowed her breathing. She knew that if it was one of the beer soaked drunkards from the taproom there was no real threat but somehow she knew it wasn't. Sighing and stretching slightly as if dreaming she slid her hand under her pillow for her dagger. It wasn't there. She clenched her teeth. She would have to go bladeless then. She heard a soft step towards the bed where she lay, then another. She felt a strange sense of helplessness, she was alone, naked and without a weapon in the dark and a building sense of terror robbed her of a plan. As the steps reached the bed and stopped she felt a light touch of warm fingertips on her bare shoulder. She couldn't move. This was so unlike her to be frozen. The fingertips moved slowly down her arm leaving a tingling in their wake when something snapped inside her. Her other arm flew up and grabbed the fingers. She whirled her body around and upright twisting the fingers hard with her strong grip and tried to grab at the dark figure that loomed over the bed and strike with her knee. She managed a handful of cloth before the figures other hand whipped up and wrapped itself around the back of her neck pulling her tight his body. It was a large rough hand and it was strong. So it was definitely rape he planned. She spat out a guttural outraged growl and drove her knee up into his groin. He let out a deep pained grunt and doubled over. A large piece of shirt ripped off in her hand as she lunged for her sword. Before she could reach it the man hitched his foot around her ankle and she smacked into the floor. He was on top of her before she could recover and grabbed her wrists pinning her to the floor with his weight. She writhed and snapped wildly, trying for any opportunity to escape and do serious damage to this malicious intruder. She was in a rage and no longer terrified. She knew how to fight and he would get nothing from her without being injured. She managed to get a leg free and rolled the attacker off her, his grip tightened on her wrists and she was pulled on top of him. She aimed to bite his face but he used her trapped hand to push her over onto the floor again. They were dangerously close to the fire now and low as it was Lin knew she could be badly burnt. She pulled hard at her left hand and almost managed to yank it free when he slammed himself on top of her again crushing himself onto her naked body. The light from the embers fell onto his face and she gasped and suddenly stopped struggling. The face was so familiar as if glimpsed from a dream. But it couldn't be...he was dead. They had told her so, shown her the how her the blood. They dragged his body away they said. She'd had no hope. His hair was an inexplicable colour, all shades of gold and red, and the thick curls of it were bound at the nape of his neck. A few strands had worked themselves free in the struggle and framed his face. He wore a short beard which hugged the chiselled planes of his cheeks and chin and accentuated several new scars. And his eyes. His eyes were a deep rich blue flecked with silver and glowed with an intensity that took her breath away. He seemed just as enthralled with Lin. His eyes roved over her face taking in her almond shaped grey green eyes, her full lips and the smattering of freckles that were sprinkled lightly over her small nose. His eyes then moved to her shining fair hair, which all unbeknownst to her was just as richly coloured as his. It was fanned out in a tumbling mass on the floor and glinted in the light of the fire. His eyes locked with hers and she felt a jolt in her stomach. "I know you..." he said softly in a melodious voice smiling gently. "How did you get here? How did you find me?" she whispered. She was no longer angry; she was no longer filled with anything but wonder for this man. Those eyes. "I'm here for the festival. The tournament has a valuable prize. I had given up hope of finding you" He said simply, his voice caressing the words as he gazed into her face. She became aware that he was no longer holding her wrists and slowly brought her hand down and tentatively traced her fingertips over his brow then down a deep scar in his cheek. She hesitated her heart pounding and looked full into his eyes and traced his lips slowly. They were smooth and soft and full of promise. His eyes half closed at her touch and he kissed her fingertip tenderly. She whispered softly "What happened to you? Why didn't you ever come back? They told me you had been killed and your body dragged off. I almost...but you made me promise. I couldn't live without you." His eyes flashed open and he looked away from her. "Thieves ambushed me in the forge. They heard I was making some valuable swords for the Duke. There were five of them." He sighed heavily and shook his head. "They didn't reckon on me being there in the middle of the night. There was a fight of course and I was injured badly but I killed two of them before I got a clout on the back of the head. They dragged me off alright but I was alive. I probably looked dead to whoever saw it. I couldn't get away. They sold me to a Baron who liked to watch a fight. By the time I escaped you had moved on from our house. I didn't know where you had gone and nobody knew anything." He sighed again remembering. "I waited for a year, but I couldn't stand being around your things anymore. It hurt too much." "It doesn't matter." He said stroking her hair. "I found you finally. You're not easy to find even though you leave a lasting impression. I thought you would have found someone else but I had to see you." "There was never anyone else. I couldn't...they never seemed...right. They weren't you." She said smiling. With his hands resting on the floor by her head he bent his head slowly, her breathing quickened. It had been four years since she had been kissed, since she had been touched with anything resembling gentleness. He kissed her softly looking into her eyes. His kiss was sweet and tender and tasted of summer. She closed her eyes to the pleasure of it. Corman. Her Cor. He was hers and she was his. She had blotted out those memories to avoid the pain. Years of forgotten love struck her like a wave. His kiss, his touch. How had she ever forgotten? She opened her eyes. He seemed surrounded by a golden corona and happiness made his eyes glow her hands came up around his wide shoulders and clutched him desperately. He wrapped his strong arms around her and drew her slight form tight to him. "I'll never let you go again." He promised into her hair. "Never Lin." He gently picked her from the cold floor and carried her to the bed. He laid her on the blankets and looked down at her naked form. His eyes travelling over her pale neck and shoulders to her small firm breasts, down her flat yet gently rounded stomach and over her shapely hips. He had forgotten just how beautiful she was. How tiny and perfect. Her breath was coming in gasps now her heart pounding and the heat building between her legs he could see it in her eyes. God how well he knew that look. He was taller than her by a foot and a half and was twice her size, muscular and tall. She always used to say how much she loved him being so much bigger than her he remembered, how she said it was like being embraced by a bear. She reached out to him yearning to be closer. His blood thundered in his veins as he looked at her. He could stand it no longer; he ripped off the remnants of his torn shirt and stripped off his trousers. He stood over her naked breathing hard his magnificent cock standing proudly and then he pounced on her, kissing her lips and neck hungrily, running his hands down her body to cup her buttocks in his strong grip. He moulded himself to her and she gasped softly into his mouth as his throbbing cock pressed into her tender wet folds teasing her. So familiar, so wonderful, so drenched in love. All the time she was drinking in his presence. Her skin flushed and her eyes shining. She reached up and ran her hand up his well muscled back over his shoulders onto his chest. She revelled in the texture of the thick and silky blond hairs that grew there as he gently slid his manhood over her dripping slit again and again. She moaned and arched her back. His grip tightened inexorably on the tender flesh of her buttocks squeezing so tight it brought her exquisite pain; one of his hands released his grip and slid up her body to cup her breast teasing her pink erect nipple between his fingers. He kissed and kissed her as if he was a starving man at a feast. She grabbed handfuls of his thick hair and pulled his lips down tighter penetrating his mouth with her hot tongue, exploring and enticing. He broke apart to catch his breath and groaned deeply into her neck as her juices ran freely coating his cock and making it slick and sensitive as he guided her ass with his hand. "Take me Cor. Take me now... please." She begged lustily kissing his neck and digging her nails into his back. He slowed his pace and looked deep into her eyes. With a slow movement of his hips his throbbing cock slid between the wet swollen folds of her and rested agonisingly against her waiting pussy. He lowered his head to clamp his mouth onto her nipple and clamped down nibbling and sucking and driving her wild. When The Hope Was Lost Ch. 02 The dust we had kicked up in the exercised yard hung in the still air and settled on my sweaty arms and face. The staff was weighing heavy in my hands and the sun was burning the back of my neck but Joseph called to me to start again. With a groan I hastily blocked his jab and swung a stinging blow at his thigh. He managed to block it and brought his staff up quickly to knock the mine wildly to one side. I managed to keep a grip on it with my other hand but he hooked me behind my back and caught me in the circle of his arms pulling me in close to his hard chest and smirking at me. He had been doing that all day as we practiced and it kept making me smile at his cheek. I twirled out of his grasp and feinted and struck until it felt like my arms were running with blood. Finally I held my hand up and thumped the end of that accursed stick onto the ground and leant on it trying to get my breath back. "Water?" I croaked. I could feel my eyes straying to a crude stone trough in the shade of the kitchen wall. It looked wonderfully cool. "A good idea." He grinned wiping his own brow and leaning on his staff. With a sigh of relief I loosened my long fair hair from its leather thong and hurried over to dunk my head and drink my fill. When I threw my head back to clear my hair from my face I felt the cool weight of it slap against the back of my already sweat soaked shirt. Little rivulets left cool tracks down my spine. "You fight very well you know." He sounded genuinely pleased. "Thank you." I shuffled sideways to make space for him. "I always did learn quickly. There are only so many ways to hit someone." "I can see where you are coming from Lin. As you put it, it does not really lend itself to glory and skill." He smiled as he said it. A little cynical smile that quirked up the corner of his mouth and made his grey eyes crinkle at the corners. He dunked his own head and came up rubbing the dust from his face and neck. As he stood I surreptitiously looked him over as the water ran down his chest and back. He was wearing only a loose pair of cotton trousers tucked into heavy leather boots, he had discarded his shirt when we had begun. His torso was compact, muscled in the way of a man who lives an active life. His movements were fluid with the unconscious economy that a good fighter possesses. Being not excessively muscled or tall his strength was deceptive and his skill with the staff was well known. That was why I had sought him out to train with. I had been travelling from place to place for the last few years as a hired sword. A general fighter, body guard or soldier as the opportunity presented itself. It was a dark time in my life. I had lost everything. Ever since I roamed lost and alone, wishing to die but not possessing the courage to end my own life. A few months after being flung from my home I wandered into a village with no name. It was night and I hadn't eaten in two days. A man spotted me stumbling along and attacked me. It was when my body was pinned against the gritty stone wall, with the pungent stench of old sweat stinging my nose and a grabbing hand forcing my skirts up that I found the strength of a cornered animal, the courage of prey. I failed to die that night. I failed to be degraded and used. I took my rage, my hurt, my betrayal and my grief and used it I went too far. I looked down on his bloody corpse...that mangled face, and I knew what I had become. I took his knife and money belt and paid for a hot meal and a room for the night. I never looked back. My skills and strength began to grow. I was fast, strong and deadly. In the back of my mind I knew that as I went into every fight I was expecting to die. I wanted it, but I wouldn't die cheaply, my instincts wouldn't allow it. It was a few weeks ago that I came to the town of Culberry to enter a tournament. It had a good prize for the victor. It was a miserable night, I wanted rest and food and nothing else. Corman chose that night to stride back into my life. He snuck into my room in the dead of night and woke me. I still don't know what he was thinking, I doubt he even was, but he took me that night. A long night of passion such as I hadn't experienced for years. I had let the love in me die as I thought he had. I awoke that morning as he slid his arm from under my head. His heavily muscled back was turned to me as he sat on the edge of the bed, his head and shoulders bowed as if the weight of the world rested solely on him. He told me he couldn't stay with me. That he had left for my own safety in the first place. As he dragged on his clothing I shamed myself by pleaded with him to stay, to at least tell me why, but he refused. I caught his face gently before he opened the door and turned his face to look at me. "So this is it?" I asked. I could feel the sorrow building but my eyes stayed dry. Perhaps my store of tears was spent. "You let me think that you had died. Made me mourn you. Watched from afar as our house was taken away and I was left with nothing, only to come back when I don't need you, and use me for one night. Was I always something that was good for as long as it was convenient? No do not answer. I am finished. I did not think it possible but you have broken my heart again. You know nothing of what I have been through. I'm sure you can imagine what can befall a woman wandering alone on the roads." "No!" He breathed. His voice deep and outraged. I felt true fury burst from me heart. He caught my hand and tried to pull me to face him but I snatched it away. His face was stricken when I looked back. I turned away again, I didn't want to see. "I left to save you." He began his voice constricted and getting louder. "You have no idea what we were facing." "No I don't." I said picking up my clothes and putting them on quickly "but I know what happened. I think I would rather have died. No, I know I do." "If you feel that you must leave then I suppose you will, and nothing I can say will change your mind. I could never change your mind even at the best of times. I hate you for what you're doing to me. For what you already have done to me. I don't think I'll be able to forgive you. But know that I love you Cor. Fool that I am." He gathered me up and his arms trembled as he held me convulsively tight, my head barely brushing his chin, just like I remembered. I could tell he was breathing the smell of my hair. "I wish there was something I could do to take it all away. All the wasted years and the horrible times. But to know that you are alive...I will never be sorry for that. Never Lin." His voice rumbled in his chest as he held me. I could hear his heart beating and I found myself gasping out choking tears that wracked my whole body. He held me as the storm of my emotions subsided. Kissed me. Held my hand. Then he left. After that night I felt life flow back into me again. My heart still bled, but in my confusion and hurt I felt defiance. He truly believed that what he was doing was for the best and that he sacrificed our happiness for my life. He never had trusted me with his secrets, always there was a little wall between us that I could not breach and apparently our time apart had not changed that. He had been the other half of my soul for seven years but in my despair at losing him I had forged myself another and it was made of steel. I would go on and I would really live again. I would not waste his sacrifice. The town was swollen with fighters from all over the Duchy and naturally they were noising their names about trying to intimidate each other. I wandered the narrow streets of the little town and after half a day found the man I was looking for. He was more handsome than I had imagined, with close cropped dark hair a straight nose and prominent cheekbones. He had a neat little moustache and beard around his mouth and grey eyes that were at the same time mocking and cheerful. He looked me over appreciatively as I strode across the yard behind the inn where he was staying. He was leaning on the door of his horses stall enjoying the welcome sunshine. He wore a plain green linen shirt and coarse brown trousers tucked into heavy leather boots. It did not suit him. "Hello." He greeted me simply, pushing off the door. He listened as I asked to be his sparring partner for a few days. I promised to teach him some of the tricks I had gleaned with the sword if he would teach me some of his tricks with the staff. He flirted with me as we talked and I found myself smiling at his easy humour. As we cooled down at I noticed that he was watching me looking at him from the corner of my eye. I turned away smiling to myself. I had never let myself notice the men who looked at me. I told myself I was being faithful to Cor. I found myself thinking with a strange flutter of my heart that I may have wasted many opportunities. I no longer had to be faithful to anyone. It was a heady thrill. "You haven't forgotten you promised to teach my some sword tricks have you? I'm eager to learn." I looked at him again. He was rolling his shoulders and grinning. Did the man ever stop grinning? I watched his muscles move under his wet skin. "I have not forgotten. We will have a match first I think. Your staff against my swords" "Swords? More than one?" he said dropping his arms and turning towards me "That doesn't seem very fair." "That's the point Joseph." I replied mockingly smirking at him and leaning on the trough. "It's what I'm going to teach you. It helps to even the odds. I don't have to tell you that being small can be a very big disadvantage in some situations." "True," he said lightly, "But I'm not as small as you." He ran his eyes over me in a way that made my pulse quicken "Let's get to it. So do you have practise swords I don't want to get cut up before the tournament." I chuckled "Bruises are sometimes worse. But there are some practice swords over here." I walked towards the small rack of weapons at the other side of the yard. They were rusty and battered, and also quite blunt. I picked out a sword and unsheathed it swinging it an few times to get a feel for the weight. My back was turned to Joseph but I could sense him coming up behind me so I turned slowly and found him standing very close to me looking at the sword clutched in my hand. I noticed that he was only half a head taller than me. "May I?" he asked his eyes glinting at me from under his dark brows. I felt a jolt of excitement flush through me. I moved my hand to the side and deftly flipped the sword so that the hilt faced up and offered it to him. Instead of taking the sword from me as I expected, he gently grasped the hilt around my hand and guided it away from between us. He stepped closer and stood a few inches from me his face close to mine, my breasts brushing his bare chest and he waited. I faced a choice; here was a man who was handsome and well proportioned with an affable nature and good sense of humour. He obviously wanted me. Could I be with him when I felt no love? When I had known him for scarcely a day? My body certainly didn't care. I could feel the heat rising in my chest and a tingle begin between my legs. I was very aware of the scent rising from his warm body and my hands yearned to run over his sculpted chest. It was all so strange and exciting. But could I lay with him without risking myself. I had long known I was unable to bear children but what if he tried to harm me and what if I couldn't please him; after all I had only ever been with one man. My heart suddenly smote me and my ardour almost died. Corman. Did I truly believe that he had not been with other women in the time we were apart. He was a lusty man with a big appetite. I remembered well. Almost as big as mine. I decided then and there, I would do as I wished when I wished. "I thought you wanted to see the sword." I said looking into Josephs merry grey eyes wryly. "It's not really that interesting." He breathed softly bringing his hand up to trace my collarbone where it was visible at the open neck of my shirt. My breath caught in my throat and I stepped back suddenly, causing my hand holding the sword to rip from his. Joseph was taken off guard; he stepped back with his mouth flat with dismay and his hands clenched at his sides thinking he had caused offence. He thought he had read me so well. I felt the corners of my lips quirk up into a little smile as I sheathed the sword and turned around. I dropped it back into the rack and slowly started walking towards the stables. As I reached the corner I stopped and looked back at him, he was still standing where I had left him, looking after me. "Aren't you coming?" I called across the yard with a toss of my head. The smile that broke across his face flashed mischief and lust and the knot of excitement tightened in the pit of my stomach. I turned and walked quickly over the cobbles towards the stables the sun beating down on my damp hair and lending its heat to the fire building in my body. I heard Josephs footsteps quicken behind me as I came to the large doorway and I spun about in a fighters crouch. He swiped with his arm as if to grab me by the waist but I dodged playfully out of his reach startling the horses near us and started running down the corridor in the middle of the stalls towards an empty one at the end of the row, his soft laugh sounded muffled in the hay scented warmth. It seemed so natural and uncomplicated. I reached out to open the half door as I came level with it but Joseph had ghosted quickly up behind me. He set his hand atop mine on the door and pinned me to it with his body. It startled me and I gasped as he nuzzled the back of my neck, his other hand slowly stroked up the outside of my leather clad thigh over my hip and across my belly. Before I knew it he was embracing me and kissing the side of my neck below my ear. I could feel his hardness pressing against my buttocks; he gently tugged my shirt free of my trousers and smoothed his hand slowly up towards my breast savouring the feel of my skin. The latch of the door suddenly released itself and we tumbled onto the deep straw with a whoop and a startled oath. He landed on top of me but managed not to crush me and rolled to his feet. I jumped up and stood across the stall looking at him. He was covered in straw which he was attempting to shake off and I'm sure I looked exactly the same. I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled from my throat. "Are you really laughing at me? I should make you pay for that you know. I can't just have people chuckling at me. It's bad for my reputation." He strode towards me and pushed me easily up against the wall trapping me within his arms, his hands pressing against the wood on either side of my head. "How much longer are you going to tease me?" he said playfully. "I think I'm finished." I breathed and kissed him. I brought my hands up and smoothed them over the taut skin of his back and pressed my body into his. He growled in his throat and kissed me back hungrily, his tongue seeking mine. He was surprisingly tender, his kiss deep but sweet, his hands gentle as they moved over my back and into my hair. He broke the kiss and started to open my shirt slowly. His warm fingers left a tingling line down my skin as he undid button after button. When he had finished my shirt hung open showing a strip of flesh down my torso. My heart hammered in my chest as he grasped the sides of my shirt and slowly opened it; I felt the cool air brush my breast and my nipples began to tighten. He slid the garment off my shoulders and let it fall to the floor. I stepped into his arms and pressed my bare breasts against his chest. I kissed him and dropped my hand to feel the outline of him. He was hard and warm in my hand through the coarse cloth. He held me and leaned into my touch, a low moan escaped him from between our lips. I started unlacing his trousers but he stopped me and stepped slightly away to tug off his boots. I followed his example and kicked my own boots into a corner, my trousers soon followed. I saw his own cotton trousers fly past my head as he grasped me. He was naked as me and it suited him far better than the worn clothing had. It had hidden far too much of his body. His legs were well muscled and slender and his flesh stood out eager and throbbing glistening with moisture on the pink smooth tip as he gazed down at me. He lowered his head to nuzzle my breasts and took one of my hard nipples into his mouth. It caused a shock of pleasure to run through my core. I gasped and seized his head crushing myself to him as he sucked and nibbled. He released my nipple and kissed his way up my chest and neck. I felt him press me again into the wooden wall, his hand grasped me under one thigh he lifted it up. He hovered like that and I could feel a hot probing touch as I looked into his unfamiliar grey eyes. Beads of sweat were beginning to glisten on his forehead and on the golden skin of his hairless chest. His other hand caressed my breast playing with my pliant flesh and taught nipple as I smoothed my hand over his muscled back and chiselled ass. I closed my eyes to hide from his eyes as he entered me. I moaned and arched my back as ripples of pleasure radiated through my core and into my whole body. He paused like that inside me. He was breathing hard and I could feel him trying to master himself. He started to move his hips, thrusting slowly, every movement eliciting little moans from me as he slid slowly in and out. "God you feel good." He exclaimed breathlessly, I moaned in response and gripped his shoulders moving my hips in time with his. I wanted to feel release. "Harder. Take me harder." I gasped, relishing the grunt of pleasure this elicited. He grabbed my other leg and lifted it up. He penetrated me even more deeply than before and he took advantage of that beginning to thrust more forcefully into me. My hard nipples dragged against his chest and my breath came in quick gasps. I could feel the ripples of an orgasm begin as he thrust harder and faster. I clasped his head in my hands and kissed him deeply, probing his mouth with my tongue. He groaned as I moved my hips to meet his thrusts. I gasped as my orgasm broke and roared through me like a riptide. I threw my head back and cried out tensing my whole body. He groaned a long low groan my muscles tightened and rippled around his cock. He came hard. I could feel his seed spurting powerfully into me again and again as he pounded deep into me. He thrust one last time and held me there against the wall gasping. His chest crushing mine, his forehead pressing lightly against the side of my neck. My heart was thudding loudly in my chest as my breathing was returning to normal and I could feel the gritty stone wall pressing into my back. Jacob released one of my legs and I lowered it to the ground not very confident that it would hold my weight. He raised his hand and cupped my face looking into my eyes with a gentle smile and then kissed me sweetly as if to thank me. It made me strangely uncomfortable. We parted well, searching through the straw for our discarded clothing and laughing easily. He kissed me once more at the door to the stable making me promise to teach him tomorrow before the first matches of the tournament started. I smiled and said nothing. He grinned that wry little grin and strode out into the afternoon sun. The day looked very good as I leaned on the door post with my arms crossed. I felt loose and relaxed but there was a strange constriction in my chest that almost felt like guilt. I did not want to admit that in my heart all I could see was a pair of deep blue eyes flecked with silver and the sound of his voice sighing my name... When The Hope Was Lost She threw her head back as he administered to her and the hot rippling sensation started deep within her he moved his hand from her ass to her pussy and slid his thumb inside her. She gasped and clenched her teeth gripping his wide shoulders in ecstasy as her orgasm built to higher and higher levels of pleasure. Panting he withdrew his hand and gripped her hips, and just as she thought she could feel no more pleasure he slid his entire length into her groaning at her slick tightness. Her reaction was electric. Her inner muscles clamped down on his throbbing cock as tight as a fist and she threw back her head, a single loud yelp of absolute ecstasy breaching her lips. He pulled her upright, grabbed her under her thighs, lunged on his knees and slammed her against the wall. She gasped wrapping her legs around his waist, tangling her hands in his hair and almost wept with bliss as he pumped her harder and harder. Going stiff then limp then stiff again as she came over and over on his cock. The rippling of her inner muscles as she came massaged him and he moaned her name wrapping his arms around her flushed sweat dewed body and holding her tight. His climax was building causing his cock to swell even more filling her completely and he let go, his balls tightened as he exploded into her, spurt after powerful spurt, she could feel the potency of it inside her striking her deep within her core. After one last thrust his tensed body was still as he held himself inside her. She panted into his sweat slicked shoulder weak with love. He gently lifted his head and nuzzled her nose his face glowing with happiness and his eyes tender and heavy with exhaustion. He kissed her softly still holding her against the wall, still inside her, staving off the moment when they would separate. "I love you" She said and kissed him then returned her head to rest again on his shoulder, wishing that this moment would never end, feeling the last five years wash away in a wave of contentment. They slid back down onto the bed exhausted and snuggled themselves under the blankets. Cor stretched out on his back, his head propped on his arm and watched the soft light from the fire play over Lin's hair. He felt happiness swelling in his chest making it hard to breathe, but then a cold thought hit him bursting the shining moment of joy. What would happen now, how could e explain that he couldn't stay with her...?