Marcius and Belndia

Marcius and Belndia shuffled into the cave, their torches in one hand and swords in the other. The cave wasn't deep, but was big enough for their party to spend the night. The other plus was that it didn't look to be the current home to any critters. The two warriors looked at each other and nodded.

"This should do fine," Marcius said. "Last thing I wanted to do was fight something else defending its home."

Belndia nodded. "I feel like I could sleep for a week."

Marcius grinned. "So does that mean you want first or last watch tonight?"

She groaned as she turned and left the cave. "I guess for now I'll settle for getting out of this armor."

"I can second that," Marcius said. "I feel like I've been in this chain for days."

They stepped out of the cave and found their three companions setting up camp. Marcius hadn't been sure about traveling with them, but after their battle today with the band of gnolls, he no longer worried. Each of them more than held their own, even when things had threatened to spin out of control. Each, including himself, was untested outside of controlled settings, but that was no longer the case. Denka, their mage, had shown not only a deft touch with her spells, but her knowledge of the gnolls, as well as anything else they needed to know, was uncanny. Their priest, Willim, showed true grace under pressure as he used his god-granted powers to heal both Marcius and Belndia on numerous occasions. Grig, their sneakiest member, the one Marcius still kept a close eye on around the treasure, proved himself more than worthy on the battlefield. Grig's training allowed him to blend into the shadows and sneak up on enemies. Marcius wasn't sure they would have won today if Grig hadn't thrust his dagger into the back of the unsuspecting gnoll chief. The rest of the clan fell into disorganized chaos after that, and the group had cleared them out rather easily.

Then there was Belndia. Marcius had been reluctant to share the front line duties with a woman, even if she was as big and strong as him. She even chose to fight without a shield, instead opting for two broadswords. He viewed his role as that of protector, and that would be virtually impossible without a shield. After watching Belndia with her two swords, though, he no longer worried. It was true; a good offense could equal good defense.

"There's a stream about a hundred yards south," Willim said. "You two might want to head down there and clean off your armor. If you bring back some firewood for tonight, we'll excuse you from camp preparation duties."

"Thank you," Marcius and Belndia said at the same time. They grinned at each other about that and headed off.

"A nice, cold mountain stream will be nice," Belndia said as they were about halfway there. "But I wish I could bathe in a royal palace. That is luxury."

"A royal palace?" Marcius said. "You've bathed in a royal palace?"

She gave him a shy grin. "Only once. I may be a warrior from the north, but I do occasionally like to feel like a woman."

Marcius looked at her, practically for the first time as a woman and not a warrior. Underneath the chainmail and blood stains, she really was quite attractive. War gave her muscles most women did not have, though she was far from bulky, as many male warriors were apt to get. Her body had a sleek quality that gave her feminine curves an extra something. Her breasts were hard to see beneath her armor, but he imagined they'd need to be on the smallish side or they'd get in the way of her expert swordsmanship. Moving up her body, her face had a peculiar quality he could not quite describe, other than to say she looked like a Woman of the North. He could best say it had a look that was sweet, yet the warrior in her brought out a bit of sour, which both interested and attracted him.

"I think I'd like to see that womanly side," he said with a sly grin.

She winked at him. "Play your cards right and I may let you."

He smiled and their talk turned to the day's battle. His mind was only half in the conversation as he wondered if he could seduce her down at the stream, which, when they arrived, turned out to be larger than expected. Instead of just dabbling their feet and scooping the water to their bodies, they'd be able to step in and wash away the grime of battle and travel. Maybe seduction would be easier than expected.

Both warriors sat on the hard-packed dirt bank and removed their boots. This section of the stream moved slowly, so it was practically a pond, yet it had enough movement to keep unwanted critters from finding a permanent home. Marcius slid his chainmail shirt off and checked for damage. It looked fine, not a weak link anywhere. He knew it was thanks to his shield, which needed a trip to a blacksmith to repair all the dents in it. An earlier inspection, though, proved it would make it until they returned to town in a few days.

He glanced over at Belndia and saw her having trouble with her own armor. Unlike his which slipped relatively easy over his head, hers was fitted with clasps in the back. She couldn't get them unhinged.

"Are the clasps damaged," he asked, "or are you injured?"

"I'm not hurt, but, yes, I believe the clasps are broken. I have them set so they don't pop loose easily, but I've never had this much trouble with them. The rest of the armor looks to be in good shape."

He looked over but didn't see any apparent damage. He tried to pop them loose, but he didn't have any luck either.

"Can you pull it over your head?" Marcius asked.

Belndia shook her head. "Perhaps you could help. Maybe together we could get this off of me."

He stood and tested how tight the chainmail shirt was to her skin, and found it close, but loose enough where it should come off without too much discomfort. He pulled, and combined with wiggles and shakes from her, it came off. When it did, it also pulled her undershirt free, leaving her topless. Marcius tried not to stare, but didn't succeed. As he guessed, her breasts were quite small, less than a handful each, but they stood firm, as did her pebble-sized nipples. He ached to put his mouth down onto her chest and suck and nuzzle her.

"Never seen a naked woman before, eh, Marcius?" she said with a wicked grin.

"I have, but . . ." He caught himself before blurting out that he wanted her. "I apologize, Belndia. I shouldn't have been staring."

She laughed. "Stare all you like. I'll be staring at you, I'm sure."

He liked where this was going. This might not take much seduction after all. Or maybe he wasn't the one doing the seducing.

She slid out of her padded leather pants and stood before him naked as the day she was born. He'd never seen a more beautiful woman. He muscles, from head to toe, gave her a firm, menacing, yet strangely feminine look. None of the bar wenches or whores he'd been with matched anywhere near her. Plus, her pussy was shaved smooth, something he'd never seen. He assumed it had to do with comfort and hygiene under her armor, but in his eyes, it added to her charm and beauty.

"You've had a good eyeful, Marcius," she said. "Now it's your turn to disrobe. I refuse to be the only one standing here in the nude. Besides, from the smell of you, you need this bath more than me."

He grinned and pulled his undershirt off. After all the traveling and fighting, it felt good to have the slight breeze hit his bare chest. As he pulled off his own padded leather pants, he glanced up at Belndia. A hint of a smile on her lips proved she was enjoying the show.

Once they'd placed their clothing and armor aside, she grabbed his hand and led him knee-deep into the stream. He gasped when the freezing water bit into his skin, but she just sighed. "Reminds me of baths back home," she said.

While she quickly submerged and began rubbing the water all over herself, he stood wondering if his toes were turning blue. She looked up at him and laughed.

"You can wade into a line of killer gnolls, yet a little cold water holds you at bay?"

"It's not just a little cold water," he said, shivering. "It's freezing water straight from the snowcaps of the mountains."

She laughed again. "How about if I offer myself as a prize? Will that tempt you into the water?" Her eyes moved down to his manhood. "I bet I can change that from leather to iron for you."

Marcius smiled. He wasn't used to being the one chased, but he had to admit he liked it. Looking at her naked flesh encased in the water, he knew he wouldn't be hard to catch, but he decided to hold out a little longer, just to tease her.

"You truly are a worthy prize, m'lady, but one must always exercise caution in unknown situations."

A wicked grin lit her face. "True, but I think we both know where this is leading, so the unknown is taken out. Therefore caution is unnecessary. I'm not one of the ladies of the court who you must woo for weeks on end. I'm a warrior woman from the north, and we can worry about the courting process later, if you'd like."

He returned her wicked grin. "So you're interested in me courting you?" He could imagine nothing finer than to take her for his wife.

"No, right now I'm interested in you fucking me. We'll see after that. Now either jump in or I'll pull you in."

Despite the cold, his cock began to twitch. She noticed and her already wide smile grew wider. "I think, m'lady," Marcius said, "I'd prefer it if you dragged me in." He braced himself for the shocking cold, but he also couldn't wait.

"I think I'd prefer it, as well." She lunged at him, and he gasped at the cold on her body, and then the freezing water surrounding him. His head went under, and she held him there for a couple of seconds before pulling him up. He tried to suck in air and instead found her tongue in his mouth. He relaxed and let her mouth ravish him until the air flowed comfortably through his nose. Then he took the advantage and flipped her over. He disengaged his tongue and moved down to her breasts. The cold water made her nipples almost sharp, and he reveled in their feeling on his tongue. His gentle nibbles brought coos of pleasure from her. After a minute of this play, he reached his hand down to her smooth pussy and pushed his finger inside. Despite the cold temperature, she was burning up inside, and wetness that had nothing to do with the water flowed through her.

Belndia reached down and played with Marcius' cock. Even the cold waters couldn't keep it from stiffening up. "I told you I could turn you to iron," she said, out of breath.

He took his mouth off her breasts and went back to kissing her lips, though his fingers continued their assault on her slick womanhood. He could swear the water around her pussy was now warmer. He wondered if she felt the same about his cock, which she was expertly stroking and keeping iron stiff.

Finally, he could take no more. He pushed his fingers further into her opening and reveled in the tight, slick feeling. She moaned into his mouth and let go of his cock. He drew his hand out and lifted her out of the water. Though the ground around the stream was dirt, neither cared; they could clean off again when they were spent.

He laid her down on the ground and found his head in position with her clean-shaven pussy. Before he moved up her body, he needed to taste her, something he'd never found appealing with any other woman. As soon as his lips and tongue came in contact with her, a sharp intake of air showed she approved. He moved his tongue up and down the outside of her opening, licking every inch before he concentrated on her pearl. He knew he hit the right spot when her moans became more urgent. To further her pleasure, he dipped his finger inside of her. Her moans became very feminine squeals, which almost made Marcius laugh considering how many gnolls she slaughtered earlier. He kept his assault up for a few more minutes, until she reached down, grabbed his head, and dragged him up. "Fuck me," she growled. There was the warrior.

He pushed inside of her, causing her to gasp and him to grunt. In the back of his mind, he wondered if their companions had come down to watch yet. The two of them certainly had made enough noise. If nothing else, he was sure they'd get strange, maybe humorous looks when they walked back into camp. Not that he cared. All that mattered right now was Belndia.

As he continued to push into her, he was amazed at the difference between her and the other women he'd bedded. He didn't know if it was a trait of the Women of the North, or if it was because she was so physically strong, but her womanly muscles actually seemed to be kneading his cock.

"Keep pushing, love," Belndia said. "You've almost brought me to the heavens." Then her voice cut out and was replaced by various moans and groans.

He rammed himself into her and realized he was close as well. He moaned her name, and she grabbed the back of his head and brought him in for a strong kiss. That did it for her. She yelled out in pleasure, her womanly muscles clamping down on him. He waited as long as he could, letting the feeling wash through her, then pulled out and covered the skin of her belly with his seed. He then collapsed on top of her. Minutes passed as they lay there, stroking each others hair and face.

"It was considerate of you to not bury your seed into me," she said after her breath came back. "I usually ask my lovers to do as you did, but I lost my head in our passion. Motherhood has not called to me yet."

"You still have many years of fighting by my side, seeking treasure with me," Marcius said. "It's not possible with a child."

She smiled and kissed him. "After we've found all the treasure we need, then you can gift me with a child." She kissed him again.

"I've never known Women of the North could be so affectionate," he said.

"You've just never seen one alone with the man she loves."

He chuckled, kissed her again, and then helped her up and into the water. Though he didn't want this moment to end, they really did need to get back to reality and their companions. Treasure and adventure, after all, didn't find itself. And now he had his own treasure to protect, and the look in her eyes proved Belndia felt the same.