Men of Shienar, Women of Arad Doman

She frowned. "You weren't this drawn-back this morning. What is the matter? I'm not as skittish and easily terrified as i might have..." she blushed slightly "come across this morning."

This was an odd Domani for certain. Instead of wrapping him in swaddling and feeding him compliments she was honest and straightforward. Then again, he supposed she wasn't actually seducing or trading -- she was only making conversation.

"Yes, i bloody suppose so. I'm not used to spending too much time with Womenfolk, you see. Besides, most borderlander women are not as you."

She mouthed 'Womenfolk' with an amused expression. "Really? I couldn't tell..." She reached forward to feel the kettle. "So you are not married?"

"Light, no!" He shivered. A wife would be the last thing that he wanted. Someone to mourn him when he died, nothing to leave her except his weapons, armour and some coins and possessions. No, he did not want to marry. "Those who want to should, of course". He added belatedly.

"You're right though. There is no real need to marry. There are plenty of things more exciting then making a family, having children..." She grimaced, shaking her head. "This" She gestured to the room, the outside, perhaps indicating her entire profession "is more than enough."

He didn't respond. They seemed to agree, though in different ways.

"Ah. The tea is done." She poured two cups.

He wasn't really one for tea, but it would be rude to decline. He drank the tea, not entirely faking the pleasure. It had a nice bite to it, a certain bitterness. "It's good." He commented.

"The best Tremalking black. Expensive, but well worth the cost. Rum?" Her lips curved as she held out a small, clear bottle holding transparent, golden-brown liquid.

He blinked but then took the bottle, gratefully splashing a generous amount into the cup. She did the same, in about equal amount too. When he raised his eyebrows, she gave him an innocent look.

"What? Women can't enjoy rum?"

"Not if you ask them." He replied dryly.

"Well, they don't know what they're missing. Nothing warms the body like good tea and good rum." Her glance flickered over his body and she gave a suggestive smile much more suitable to the Domani that she was. "Well." She added. "Almost nothing."

He gave a sombre nod, this time returning the favour of appraising her in turn. He had seen her in the bath, and she was attractive. If she thought him some prim Tairen or Cairhien simply because he showed women the respect and distance they deserved, she would quickly learn that she was wrong.

Once a woman made her interest in him clear, there was little shyness left to him.

She didn't seem to mind though. On the contrary, she stretched languorously on the chair, a gesture that showed off her fine curves further.

"Is it true that you Domani merchants sometimes...." He fumbled for a somewhat proper phrase "entice men to trade with you?"

She chortled, shaking her head. "Not lest we truly want to. Weeell..." She trailed off, frowning. "i suppose the inexperienced ones of us sometimes make men think we promise more then we mean too." Her eyes sparkled. "In that case, the woman can either abandon dignity and run" Her tone didn't indicate whether she had done this. "or pay the price. Pay the price and consider it a lesson well-learned." She sipped the strong, alcohol-infused tea and laughed softly.

"So.." he frowned. "Why so open with me? Not that i am a customer, but i am a man."

"A fair question." She said with seriousness. "The...games are tiring. Oh, they have their uses, most assuredly. I would not have a tenth of the wealth i have today, had i not used them. But for....private settings" She gestured to the room, to him. "They're superfluous, are they not?"

Her smile grew as she noted the extent of his gaze on her. "You're a man, I'm a woman...." She let it trail off, but what she had said was explanation enough.

"So why so....skittish" he used her own word to describe her "this morning?" He smiled.

"Well, as to that" she countered, sniffing. "some things just aren't proper, you know. Odd customs. Odd but...i suppose, interesting." She licked her lips to catch the last taste of tea and rum, holding the now-empty cup in one hand with her little finger raised in an oddly delicate manner.

"Interesting? How?" He failed to see how someone naked was all that interesting. Actually, now that he considered it, his gaze lingered longer on women who were dressed to catch men's eyes than on those who walked around naked -- if he had a choice In where to look, that was.

"Contrary to our...flippant reputation however, Shienaran, you will only be the tenth man who has enjoyed my....company." Her gaze had begun to smoulder and she seemed to be musing to herself.

"Oh?" He replied and his lack of surprise seemed to disappoint her, making her pout ever-so-slightly. "And what makes you think I'll agree to such a thing?"

She poured more tea, adding more rum as though the conversational topic was favourite books or the weather. His sudden and possibly unexpected response did not seem to faze her at all.

"Experience". Was her answer, delivered with a confident look and an obviously practiced toss of her long hair.

"All that to thank me for not laughing at you for falling down the pool like a drunk oarsman?"

"I didn't -!" Her reserve cracked then. She broke off the heated comeback, colour rising in her face. "That is to say..." A considering look crossed her face and she seemed thoughtful. "No. Not only that."

He raised his eyebrow.

"You're well-set up. You're tall." She nodded to him where he sat -- he was perhaps a little more than a head taller then her. "You're strong. You..." her smile deepened. "smell very good."

He blinked at that last part.

"I usually do not like foreign men, you know." She confessed. "Too strange. Yet the way you looked at me in the bath..." Melisa smiled. "Not at all like other Shienarans and not drooling like a Tairen who has never seen a woman nude. I liked it."

She had much to learn, it seemed. It had only been an accident -- usually such looks were reserved for private settings, even from him. Still, this was a private setting. He looked back at her without saying anything, but appreciating the fine curves she showed off.

"Nothing to say?" She wanted to know.

He shook his head, reaching out to grasp her wrist not holding the cup.

"Something you want to..." her gaze fell to his hand "do?" She carefully put the cup on the table.

He stood up, guiding her to her feet before picking her up with both hands clasping her waist, lifting her to his level.

Her gaze fell to his hands and when she looked at him, a smile graced her lips. "Strong" she mumbled again and leaned in, parting her lips.

The ferocity of his kiss caught her off-guard but she quickly adjusted. He kissed her fiercely, tasting the distinct touch of strong rum on her tongue. The sensation of such a rough drink on a woman was strangely exhilarating. Her hands moved confidently through his short hair, along his arms and chest, familiarly feeling their way along the corded musculature of his torso and arms. Approving murmurs came through between kisses.

He held her close, feeling the soft contours of her body through the fabric of her shirt. Her eyes widened, but instantly softened when he cupped her breasts. She pressed against his body when he held her buttocks, stroking them with circular motions with both hands.

Her hands deftly unbuttoned and opened his shirt, pulling the garment open and kissing his chest and neck, her soft hair brushing his neck and chin.

"Mm...very good." She murmured, slowly stepping down from his grip. "You know what you're doing."

"Just because I've never been married doesn't mean I'm a novice -- with women or otherwise." He responded dryly, giving her a light smack on her rear.

Melisa smiled, her fingers toying at his collarbone

He grasped her wrist, pulling her towards the bed. When the back of her legs bumped against the wood, he pulled her dress from her shoulders to see pale, now-familiar skin.

She looked up at him, lips parted. The domani's breathing was laboured and her hands traced the biceps of his upper arms.

He pulled her dress down with a firm movement, exposing her shift, and cupped her breasts in his hands.

"Ah..." Her eyes widened at the sudden movement and she leaned up on tiptoes, kissing him deeply while he fidgeted with the shift.

Her hands came to rest on the lining of his breeches as she pulled them off, tearing the garment down with a certain degree of roughness.

He wasn't surprised. Most Shienaran women were much more forward when in private.

"Come here." He pushed her closer, then leaned her back over the small bed, leaning atop of her while exposing her upper body completely.

"Mmm..what do you mean to do to me, soldier." She whispered, not exactly phrased as a question. Her light-blue eyes sparkled with badly-restrained excitement and she raised her arms above her head, lifting her full breasts further.

"Take you, woman." He replied coarsely, cupping her chin in one large hand, stroking it with two fingers. "Take you and give you something to remember from Shienar."

"Oh yes...i could definitely use that." She spread her legs. "You think negotiating deals is the best we can do? The real fun begins when you get us into bed..." her hands came up, fingernails running along his spine.

He responded by kissing her hard, his hands pulling at the lower part of the dress, then tearing the fabric when it refused to give way easily.

"Oh! My dress!" She exclaimed but then smiled, pulling hard at his breeches to pull them off completely. "My shift too?" She asked with an innocent look to her face, a look quickly erased when he moved close again and kissed her.

He pulled her shift off, leaving her mostly naked with the clothing around her ankles.

Unlike some women -- even some shienaran -- she revelled in her now-nude state, eagerly spreading her legs and pushing herself against him.

He returned the gesture and they kissed for long moments before he lifted one of her legs up slightly, exposing her further.

She inhaled deeply. "Are you going to take me now, Shienaran?" The domani accent to her voice made the question smoky.

"Ah!" She gasped.

As a reply, he slammed into her hard, penetrating her to the core. She was surprisingly tight and her surprised gasp was followed by her rapid twitching, shuddering. Her fingers flexed and her eyes were closed tightly, her lips a thin and writhing line.

"Light's...mercy." She breathed, her eyes slowly opening. "Take me, Soldier. Take me hard." Her legs came up, the clothing still snug around her ankles preventing her from making too much movement.

He thrust into her, quickly establishing a dominant rhythm that made her shift and slide on the small bed. His movements were met with loud exclamations of pleasure, her fingernails drawing along the skin of his upper back.

"mmm, that's it. Take me, light yes. Oh!" She exclaimed when he thrust suddenly harder.

"Yees.." He moaned, somewhat unfamiliar with the verbal interplay. He thrust again and again, enjoying the slick, moist feel of her nether regions wrapped around his throbbing member.

"Mmm. You like Domani now...aaah! Do you?" Her body writhed in pleasure beneath his, her fingers slowly digging into his skin while tracing the scars testamentary of his long time as a soldier.

"Never disliked." He replied, moving his hands to hold her arms to the bed, thrusting several times hard enough to make the bed creak in it's wooden frame.

The movement made her whimper.

"So...forceful." She observed, her eyelids flickering. "Oh, blood and ashes! Mother's" she gasped, rocking her hips forcefully, smacking her pubic region against his impaling shaft "milk..." she groaned, fingers digging into the skin along his spine "in a cup!"

Hearing the language from her shocked him for a moment, then he enjoyed it. It wasn't every day one heard a beautiful woman speak like a dock worker. He groaned.

He took her like that for what seemed like an eternity, their bodies eventually slick with perspiration and fluid. Her hair was matted, fanned out across his thick goose down pillow.

She practically glowed with rich colour, her skin flushed and lips parted as she tirelessly ground herself hard against him.

"Such...stamina!" She whimpered, leaning up to kiss him deeply and with lips parted open to perform the action with her tongue exclusively. He was not used to that but found that he enjoyed it greatly.

Metic growled in response to her compliment, which made her shiver and close her eyes.

Her hands suddenly rose, clutching at the thick strands of matted hair and she bit her lower lip to keep her sound down to less then a muted scream rising from deep from within her throat. Her body shook, her limbs trembled and the tendons of her neck stood out as she continually bit back a wail, cumming hard.

The sensations set him off. He growled deeply, slamming down into her with brutal force hard enough to make the bed actually creak. Ramming into her heedlessly, he held her shoulders hard enough to leave marks in her skin.

"aaahhhhh.." Her climax subsided first and she settled back with a small 'thud', her mouth open as she hungrily gulped air.

He settled down atop her, dominantly holding both arms around her body.

"In...tense." The words coming from her were slurred and drunk.

He didn't respond, only stroked her body and gave her frequent kisses on her neck, ears and lips. She tasted and smelled wonderfully, very exotic.

"mmm..somehow I don't mind that I met you this morning." She murmured, settling into him and moving as close as she physically could.

"Neither do I." He replied truthfully.

"I'm glad. " She moved around, settling in completely between his arms and legs, then sighed happily. "Now let's sleep." Her voice was already drowsy and she was breathing evenly after only a few moments.

He pressed her head against his broad chest and took a long, deep breath. It had been almost a year since he'd had a woman the last time. He had missed it more then he thought he had. The warmth and the comfort was profound and he found himself stroking the strands of her hair for a long while before he too succumbed to sleep.

He awoke before the sun had risen. The room was black as pitch with the fire out. She had shifted in her sleep and one of her hands was gripping his right shoulder, her naked body laid out across his chest and lower extremities.

Metic was unused to waking like this, with company. After spotting his clothes, he tried to sneak away from the bed without waking her. No doubt she would want to sleep in until after dawn.....

"Mm....don't even think about it."

Her voice made him start a little and he cursed himself.

"I have my duties"

"Oh? Is that so?" She didn't turn. "You really have never had a woman for long, have you? You have duties here first." She told him in no uncertain terms, her arms coming around to lock him in a surprisingly firm grip.

"But we're not betrothed or married!" He protested. He had duties to perform! Not that this was unpleasant in the least. She nestled against him intimately and he quite liked that. A great deal, actually.

"And?" She demanded. "You don't lie with me and then just disappear. Oh no. Not 'til I am done with you as well."

"I have duties.." He began while she straddled his chest.

"..right here." She finished for him, mounting his cock with practised ease and drawing a sharp indrawn breath upon doing so.

He groaned. Domani!

She wasn't satisfied until she had rode him to another violent climax that made her toss her head back, whimpering against the ceiling with both hands tugging at her thick hair.. When he grabbed it, she rode twice as hard, slumping forward weakly once the tremors left her.

"You enjoyed yourself too." She pointed out while they were getting dressed.

"You made me late for my duty shift!" He replied, pulling on his shirt.

Her voice was muffled as she pulled her shift over her head. "Don't complain. Are you saying I wasn't worth it?"

"You were." Metic agreed and pulled his breeches up. He walked up behind her to help her with the buttoning of her dress, closing the individual buttons.

She looked back at him gratefully and smiled, parting her lips for a kiss.

He leaned in and obliged.

"I'm glad." Her voice was husky. "You were remarkable." She looked him over from head to toe, her gaze appreciative. "It's too bad you're not domani. You would have made an excellent lover in Bandar Eban."

"I can't be a lover here?"

"You could, I suppose. But we leave today" She informed him with a regretful sigh, running one hand across his chest.

"Oh." He felt a sting of regret, somewhat irrational considering how short a time they had known one another. Or rather, known one another's bodies. "A pity."

"Mhm." She agreed, the same sentiment clear in her own colourful eyes.

Acting on impulse, he grasped her by her hair and shoulder, leaning down to kiss her deeply. She was surprised at first, her body stiff. Then she melted, gently pressing into him an answering the kiss with affection.

It was another 20 minutes before they both left the room. The corridors were empty.

"Will I see you again?" He turned to face her, now clad in both armour and equipped with his customary sword.

"Perhaps" She said with a smile. I do travel along the Borderlands from time to time. There is good trade here, after all. And I doubt you will go anywhere. What, with the blight and all. Safeguarding humanity." Some would have sounded mocking, disbelieving or ironic, but her voice was serious.

Well, she had perhaps been here before, or seen what they guarded against during one of her travels here. To most southlanders, shadowspawn were traveller's tales.

"I will be here." He confirmed and held out a hand.

She looked at it quizzically for a moment before smiling and leaning in, kissing him deeply.

When he walked away to take the shift he had been assigned -- perhaps an hour late -- he had a small smile on his lips.

"There you are! Where have you been, sister?"

Melisa gave her sister a grimace and the five-year older woman returned it with a stern look.

"We were supposed to leave at dawn, you know. These fox pelts will fetch fine prices in Bandar Eban, but not in the middle of summer.

"I was....otherwise occupied." She answered carefully, brushing a stray leaf off her dress.

Her sister was a stately woman -- far more so then herself -- and some would call her the mind behind the entire operation that was their largest merchant caravan. She was beautiful, much like herself, yet Erise would never be found taking a common soldier to bed. If she even suspected it..

"Your dress!" Erise exclaimed. "What was his name?"

"Metic." She answered calmly, sitting down on the lavish Wagon. They had added proper, cushioned seating, protection against wind and wear. It was more of a carriage, really, except they freighted goods as well as their many possessions.

There was no point in denying it. Her sister had always been a perceptive person and she could smell a lie.

"Just Metic? Oh, Melisa. You didn't."

She met her sister's eyes with calm and strength, which took some doing.

"That is none of your business, Erise."

"One of the servants told me you met a man in the public baths. The public baths."

She felt her ears growing hot.

"So what is he? Soldier? Brawler? Servant?"

"I said it's none of your business, Erise! Okay? Be quiet about it, the light help you!"