A Paladin's Training Ch. 03

He had given his tussle with the huge, red-eyed wolf - Elaina had said it was a Direwolf - some thought. Had he been a little quicker, the wolf would never have gotten him down; he had almost been killed due to lack of skill.

He had been training intensively for more than an hour now, and wasn't the least bit tired; he felt like he had energy for days, bubbling up from his Gift and giving him strength.

Jeira had left early in the morning, wanting to get back to the farm, but he hoped he would see her again before too long. He could feel her presence, some miles to the east, in the direction of her farm. Happiness and contentment flowed from her end of the Bond, which in turn made Aran feel the same.

"Make sure your feet are planted before you swing," Elaina instructed from behind him. Gone was the sultry, delicious woman from last night, replaced by a focused mentor that brooked no nonsense and punished foolish mistakes. She was dressed in a shirt and breeches and sturdy, knee-high boots; clothes suitable for training. He like the way the morning sun illuminated her straight, shoulder-length flaxen hair, though his mind was focused on what he was doing, for now.

Aran nodded automatically as he widened his stance, accustomed to her teaching. He swung a few more times, deliberately planting his feet beforehand, so as to further implant the feeling into his memory. "Elaina," he asked as he worked. "I was curious about learning the sword. Is there anything you could teach me?"

"Oh? And what's wrong with the weapon you have?" She asked with one eyebrow arched.

Aran thought for a few moments, but didn't stop his exercises. "Well nothing, I suppose. It's just that I've always wanted to see what wielding a sword would feel like."

"Bah!" Elaina scoffed, though it was light-hearted. "Men and their swords! I swear to Aros, you're all the same. What's wrong with having a good, heavy mace at your belt?"

Aran grinned, but kept working. He was circling the yard as he moved through his sparring forms, as if he were fighting invisible opponents, and Elaina would pass through his vision every so often as he wove and spun. "Nothing at all," he replied, ducking under an imagined sword thrust. "But still, I wonder. Have you ever carried a sword?"

"Not by choice," Elaina said wryly. "Smythe insisted on teaching me in my first year, though I didn't take to it well. All dancing and prancing and complicated movements. I prefer a simpler weapon; the mace is what it is, and pretends to be no more. Once I forged Shatter, I never looked back."

Shatter was Elaina's simply but beautifully made spiked mace, which she'd forged herself under the tutelage of Master Smythe when she was his pupil. Aran had never seen her use the wicked weapon, but Elaina said that when she was in danger, Shatter would break anything it hit.

"Where is Master Smythe?" Aran asked. "Is he far away from here?" There was silence from Elaina, and as Aran pivoted into a parry, her face came into view. A distinct touch of sadness crossed her gorgeous face.

"Ironshire," she replied, sighing reluctantly. "Several days north from here, if you're walking. Smythe is expecting you."

Aran's mace halted mid-swing, and he turned to face Elaina. "What?"

She crossed the yard to stand before him, her emerald eyes drawing him in. "Our time together is at an end, for now," she said quietly. "You must go and learn from Smythe; there is much he can teach you."

Aran had desired this woman ever since the day he'd met her, and they had just become lovers the day before yesterday. Aran had never been happier in all his life, but now he had to leave? "You want me to go?" He asked, almost in a whisper. His mace fell to the ground as he studied Elaina's pretty face.

She shook her head, setting her fair hair swaying. "No! I don't want you to go, stud. I would love nothing more than for you to remain here with me, but your destiny, I think, is not to live in a backwater Chapel, hiding from the world."

"Why can't you teach me?" He knew the question was pointless -- if she was the right one to keep training him, then why would she send him away? - but he would have done anything to find a way to stay with her.

She smiled up at him, squinting a little in the sunlight. "I've taught you all I can, stud, and you soaked it up like a sponge. The little I haven't taught you can be learned easily enough from Smythe. He's been around a long time, and knows fathoms more than I."

"What if you came with me?"

She stepped in close and leaned her forehead against his chest, not caring that his shirt was soaked with sweat and sticking to his skin. "I want to, Aran, more than you know, but my place is here, at my Chapel, at least for now."

Aran sighed and put his arms around the beautiful Paladin. There was no point continuing to argue; he saw the sense of it all. Truthfully, no small part of him was excited at going to Ironshire -- he'd never visited the town before -- and learning from another Paladin, one even more experienced than Elaina. He still hated the thought of leaving her, however. "I suppose I'd better gather my things, then."

Elaina's arms wrapped around his ribs, and she squeezed him fiercely, until he thought they might crack. Tilting her face toward his, her lips parted, offering a kiss, which Aran took hungrily, devouring her mouth as it were the last time he ever would. Their Gifts roared in tandem as their passion flared. "Don't leave yet," she breathed, breaking the kiss. "We have time."

Right there in the middle of the wide open training yard, Elaina began to tug at the laces of Aran's shirt, loosening the sweaty garment before untucking it from his breeches and pulling it over his head. Aran did the same for her, unlacing her simple white shirt until the inner slopes of her spectacular breasts were revealed, before tugging it all the way off, leaving her bare to the waist, the sunlight illuminating her creamy, pale skin.

Again, she kissed him, pressing her breasts against his bare chest while her hands lowered to work on his breeches, which she untied deftly. The air felt good on his hot skin as his cock bounced free, released by a determined Elaina, who continued to tug his pants down to his ankles, only stopping to briefly take his engorged head into her mouth, suckling him for a few moments before getting back to her task. She was thorough; not stopping until his boots and socks were off and he was standing completely naked in the morning sunlight.

Finished undressing him, she sat back on the soft grass and reclined on her elbows, looking up at him with a very inviting smile on her full lips. "My turn."

Grinning, Aran eagerly dropped to the ground and started with her leather boots, tugging them off and tossing them carelessly over his shoulder before doing the same with her socks. Next, he shuffled forward till he was kneeling between her open legs, planting kisses on her flat belly while he worked at the knot just below her navel. Breeches loosened, he began to pull them down, working the tight material over her shapely hips and long, delicious thighs, until they finally came free.

Laying back, she stretched sexily, her arms above her head and that marvellous chest thrust upward. "I love being naked outside!"

Aran looked down at her, thinking that he'd never seen a more beautiful and erotic sight than Elaina lying naked on the grass before him, her pale skin shining in the sunlight, her thighs parted to show her bald pussy. "I could look at you for eternity, and it would never grow old," he told her sincerely, his voice thick with desire.

Lowering himself flat on the grass, he kissed his way up the inside of one silky thigh until he reached the spot at the apex of her tidy slit, then kissed his way back down the other thigh, loving the way her soft skin felt on his lips. With Jeira, he had noticed the tiniest of soft hairs on her slender thighs, almost undetectable. It had certainly not bothered him -- he had thoroughly explored Jeira's wonderful body and loved every inch -- but Elaina's skin was completely smooth.

"Don't tease me!" She complained light-heartedly, squeezing her breasts and raising her hips toward his face as he made another pass of her pussy, this time planting the lightest of kisses right on her clit. Accessing his Gift, he felt into hers and brought her to a strong simmer of pleasure; not a raging inferno, but a deep, sizzling heat that would grow stronger over time.

Elaina laughed delightedly as she felt the change, propping herself up on her elbows to look down at him. "You're getting good with that Gift, Stud. How about you put that tongue to work? My pussy is on fire!"

"Yes, Master!" Aran responded, saluting with mock formality as he lowered his head to dine on her sweet centre. She stayed propped up, looking down at Aran as he worked, closing her eyes and moaning when he hit a good spot, which was often. His own excitement grew as he manipulated her slick folds and hard clit with his lips and tongue; with their Gifts intertwined, he couldn't help but be carried along on the wave of passion and desire.

Soon enough, the busty Paladin was pulling at his shoulders, dragging him up to where she could invade his mouth with her tongue. Her voluptuous thighs encased him in a delicious vice of silky skin as she expertly shifted her hips to just the right angle, and his cock slipped inside her waiting pussy seemingly of its own accord.

The rest of the world disappeared as he fucked Elaina on the grass, his only focus was her; her moans, her sighs, the way she pulled at his back every time he thrust forward.

***

*** JEIRA***

Jeira Connolly hummed happily to herself as she walked the cart path that snaked through the Emerin Forest. It was a fine day, and the woods were singing with the calls of jays and the warbling of wrens and the chittering of the odd squirrel. She felt like she was floating rather than walking, and a persistent smile had adorned her face since she'd left the Chapel this morning, for never had she felt so happy and content in all her life.

She could feel Aran, back towards the Chapel, an intangible sense of his current state, both physically and emotionally. He felt focused, at present, the sensation making her think of a drawn bow. He certainly was no ordinary man, Aran Sunblade, and Elaina Fairborn was no ordinary woman, but Jeira didn't care what they were; she felt safe with them, and that's all that mattered.

Aran had been reluctant to let Jeira travel back to her farm on her own, but she had been able to convince him. The forest had been quiet, lately, at least where wolves and bears were concerned. Besides, Jeira was no milksop to flee at the sight of danger; she kept a stout staff with her when walking the wood, and it had saved her more than once. A woman did not survive very long in the Emerin without learning how to defend herself, especially when her husband often travelled.

She frowned as she considered Hamlin. What would happen when he returned home? She had thought of leaving him more than once, and now that Aran was in her life, she felt that the decision was obvious. Something had always stopped her, though, and when she imagined telling him that she didn't love him anymore, it didn't feel right, as if it wasn't completely true. Did she still love Hamlin? Was it possible to love two men?

Whatever connection Aran had created between himself and her was like something from a tale, and Jeira had not regretted it for even a second since it happened. Aran was kind, loyal and brave, and even without this 'Bond' - as he called it, which allowed her to see unobstructed into his very heart, and him into hers -- she knew she would still be deeply attracted to him. He was distractingly good-looking, with those piercing blue eyes and that clean jawline, and the shoulder-length, dark brown hair that he kept tied back. His body was fit and well-muscled, and Jeira felt a shiver of pleasure run through her as she remembered feeling him against her, their naked bodies tangled together in sweaty passion.

Aran aside, the more Jeira thought about her husband, the more reluctant she felt to leave the man, which frustrated her; why wasn't she turning around right now and running back to Aran? Yes, Hamlin was a good man, and yes, he was kind to her, but he was never there! She understood that their produce needed to be sold, as it was their livelihood, and that the best place for it was the market in Ironshire, but Jeira had a suspicion that Hamlin may have found a lover in town. She had yet to confirm it, but the feeling was unshakeable.

If Hamlin was being unfaithful, could she still be mad at him after what she'd done with Aran and Elaina? On one hand, she could indeed, for Hamlin -- if it was true -- was the first one to stray, but on the other hand, surely Jeira had more than balanced the scales with the time she'd just had with Aran and Elaina. What a conundrum!

Suddenly a massive wave of pleasure crashed through the Bond, courtesy of Aran, who was apparently in the throes of sexual ecstasy, no doubt with Elaina. Stumbling, Jeira put her hand on the trunk of a broad oak to steady herself, her breathing ragged. Her body was tingling all over, her breasts felt heavy, and her nipples had stiffened to aching points. Her pussy had flooded instantly, and there was an insistent tugging in her belly. This was not the first time Jeira had experienced this phenomenon; it had happened the day after Aran had Bonded with her, and he had later explained that she was feeling his sensations as he made love with Elaina for the first time.

Hurriedly -- not caring if anybody else happened by -- Jeira lifted her dress and touched her needy pussy, shuddering at the pleasure she felt. Soon, she had two fingers buried in her soaking snatch, and she was moaning wantonly, her head resting against her arm which was braced against the tree trunk. Several climaxes crashed through her, each one more powerful than the last, and her body rocked with the force of them. Unable to keep her legs beneath her, she collapsed to the ground with her back against the tree, and her fingers continued their assault on her insatiable sex.

***

***ARAN***

"I wish you didn't have to leave," Elaina whispered against his lips as they exchanged soft kisses. They had moved from the yard to the bath chamber, and now they were embracing in the water, Aran standing and Elaina wrapped around him, his cock buried deep in her snug pussy. The fires had been lit, and the orange light played over the surface of the water, the reflection catching in Elaina's stunning emerald eyes.

"I'll make time to come back, as soon as I'm able," he promised her, his heart aching at the prospect of not seeing her every day. Her hips rocked gently, stirring his turgid member inside her velvet depths. Aran had come inside her several times already, and wanted to again.

"I haven't taught you this, yet," she began, kissing him along his jawline and down to his neck, which sent tingles across his skin. "But there is a way we can visit without being physically together."

Aran's curiosity was piqued, even as he was massaging Elaina's ample bottom beneath the water. "Really? How?"

She sat back a little, hanging onto his shoulders for support, her hips never stopping their gentle rhythm. The adjusted position brought her huge breasts into view, and Aran's hands quickly shifted from her arse to her chest, kneading the magnificent orbs as she answered him. "There is another Plane, which lies beside this one," she began. "It is the Plane where Aros' power is strongest; a place where Gifted can meet, provided they have been together as lovers in this physical realm first."

"Amazing," Aran breathed, imagining what this world would look like. "How do you get there?"

Elaina smiled and touched his cheek. "I will show you, but it can't be now; we've already dallied enough. I fear it is time for you to go, Stud."

Gathering his beautiful mentor in his arms, he pulled her close and began to fuck her with strong, powerful thrusts, using his Gift to propel her to the heights of one more massive climax, in which he joined her, roaring as his cock spasmed inside her clenching cunt, filling her one last time.

She clutched him tightly as they came, and held on for long moments after. "I love you, Aran," she whispered into his ear.

"I love you," he returned, kissing her tenderly and carrying her to the steps at the end of the big bath. He dried her off before the fire, taking his time to get to every part of her perfect body before she returned the favour in kind.

All too soon, Aran was standing on the doorstep, dressed in the same clothes he'd arrived in a year ago, his pack slung over his shoulder. He turned to Elaina, who was leaning against the door frame behind him, clad in that diaphanous robe that had driven him mad with desire more times than he could count. She was smiling, but her eyes looked a little misty. "Thank you for being a wonderful teacher," he said sincerely. "And the amazing, loving woman that you are."

A tear escaped her eye, leaving a wet trail down her cheek. "You are very special, Aran. Much more than you are aware." He reached out to wipe the moisture from her cheek. "Now, go!" She ordered with a laugh. "Or I'm not sure I won't drag you back in here and chain you up!"

Thinking that didn't sound like such a bad thing, Aran kissed her. "See you soon, then," he said before turning away and striding down the white cobblestone path. He glanced over his shoulder one last time before the path curved, and waved to Elaina, who waved back before he disappeared round the bend, obscured by the shrubs that lined the path. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved her madly, and he thought she felt the same. Being without her would be tough, but he meant what he said when he'd told her he would visit, and from the sounds of it, they would be able to see each other on this Plane she talked about, which meant that -- hopefully -- he would see the beautiful Paladin again before much longer.

A sense of excitement crept over him as he exited through the wrought iron gate with its golden sunburst in the centre, and stepped out onto the road where Renn Yardley had left him a year ago. Ironshire was north, and so that was the way Aran headed, bound for Master Smythe and new learnings.

***

***ELAINA***

Elaina stayed in the doorway for some time, watching the place where Aran had waved before he rounded the bend. She wondered if he knew just how special he was, not just as a kind, loving and handsome young man, but also as a Gifted; his power was truly remarkable, and his talent matched it. He'd soaked up everything she'd had to teach him, and thirsted for more, always asking questions, always wanting to know everything there was to know. Not for the first time, she wondered if Aran was the one foretold to bring the Order of Aros out of the darkness. Seeing his abilities, she could believe it.

Elaina also considered her own feelings for Aran, which she hadn't counted on. True, he and her both being Gifted would always attract them to one another, as Elaina had learned -- and experienced -- from her former master, Henley, but it was different with Aran; there was something deeper, something intrinsic that pulled at her, as if she was tied to Aran in way different to Bonding. If this was how she felt when not Bonded to him, how would it feel when she was? She had been sorely tempted to offer, right before he left, but the memory of her last Bond had reared its ugly head, and she had let the opportunity pass, even though she was sure he would have said yes.

Finally closing the door, she headed back inside. She would attempt to reach Smythe on the Plane tonight and seek his wisdom. Henley had been alive twice as long as she had, and knew some surprising things.