Bard's Tale 04 - Holly Wood

"Yes, they have," she confirmed.

"Will you please check, Tia?"

"I will begin with myself," she said. Setting down her napkin, the priestess stood and went to the restroom. Standing in front of the mirror over the sink, she prepared herself to see the results alone, but her sisters and husband hovered in the doorway.

With a short acknowledgment to the goddess, Tia held her holy symbol in her hand and cast detect pregnancy. Her vision shifted a bit, and she stared at her reflection, holding her breath. As the magic completed, the priestess gave a shuddering exhale. There on her face were the faint, shadowy bands around her eyes indicating she carried a child. Focusing a moment, she knew the child was one-quarter elven, but she'd expected that. A girl the spell told her, which she noted with joy. And healthy. As her pregnancy advanced, the band around her eyes would darken.

"I'm pregnant," she managed. Then smiled in relief amid the happy congratulations from her sisters and husband.

Turning around, she looked at both Tahna and Mindal. Tahna had the band as well. She carried his son. One quarter elven and healthy. Mindal, however, had no band around her eyes. Tia swallowed. Disappointing for her youngest sister, but not insurmountable.

Briefly, Tia reminded herself that the fertility spell wasn't a guaranty of pregnancy. Over the past few days, Mindal could have become pregnant, but if there was something wrong with the egg or the sperm, or the combination of the two wasn't right, her body would reject it. Realistically, for Tia and Tahna, too, it was still early yet. Problems could yet arise. And severe body trauma could also cause her body to end the pregnancy.

Both sisters awaited her announcement anxiously.

"You're pregnant, too, Tahna." Elation on the monk's face. "I'm sorry, Mindal. Not yet."

The bard gasped, pulling her arms up around herself, her breath shaky.

Reison immediately turned her around and embraced her. "It's okay, Songbird." Leaning down, he kissed her lips gently. Lifting her chin, he gazed into her green eyes. "It happens, right? It just means you and I get to keep trying."

"Mindal?" Tia queried. "Would like me to cast fertility for you?"

"Yes, please." Then Mindal leaned her head against his chest, seeking comfort.

Leaning over, Tahna kissed Reison on the cheek. "Why don't you spend today and tomorrow with Mindal? You can talk and make love. Spend some quality time alone together."

Reison mouthed a thank-you to Tahna, then kissed the top of the bard's head. "That sounds like a perfect idea, Mindal, don't you think?"

Instead of answering, Mindal turned to her oldest sister. "Will you check me out? Make sure there's nothing wrong with me?"

"You've been pregnant before--" Tia began.

"Please, Tia!" Mindal begged.

"Of course, Mindal. I'll do that first."

Clearing her mind, the priestess began the spell assess health. A combination of divination and necromantic magic, the advanced magic revealed a combination of detections about the body, such as whether one was diseased, carried parasites, the age of the person, their overall fitness, endurance, revealing any impairments due to past injury, and in Mindal's case, her capacity to become pregnant.

Briefly examining Mindal, Tia smiled at the results from the magic. "You are within the normal range of fertility, physically you are at an optimum age for conceiving, and there are no obvious outside impediments. I'll cast fertility on you, and relax, little sister. I will make sure there are plenty of towels under your butt, and that Reison keeps fully regenerated for you. All right?"

Burying her face into his chest, she gave a muffled, "Thank you."

Tia cast the spell, and they exited the restroom. Tahna put her hand on Tia.

"What are your plans now, Sis?"

Tia pursed her lips. "Well, they are going to be occupied, so I guess I should go shopping. We've eaten all the snacks on hand in the room. We should consider getting fresh travel rations for our trip to the capital."

"Then I'm going with you. It'll be good for them both, giving them some alone-time and it'll give me something to do."

Tia nodded. "We should get dressed for going out then. Do you want to know what you carry?"

Tahna shook her head. "Maybe later, so we can both get the news."

The sisters found Reison sitting at the couch, Mindal curled on his lap.

The priestess stopped next to them. "Tahna and I are going to go out for a while. Anything either of you want us to pick up for you while we're out?"

"Surprise us," he said.

"Chocolate," Mindal said forlornly.

"Chocolate? What's that?" he inquired.

"An expensive treat, when it's available," Tia answered, moving next to her husband. "I'll get some if the shops have any." She cast a regenerate spell on him, then the older sisters retired to the bedroom to dress for their shopping trip.

After saying their goodbyes, Tia and Tahna left the pair cuddling on the couch. Downstairs, Tia placed the order for lunch for Reison and Mindal, including an extra sampler selection from the dessert menu.

Tahna smiled at her. "You still spoil our little sister rotten, you know."

"Her heart's the gentlest. She sometimes blunders along, but she means well."

Outside the inn, Tia insisted they hire a carriage. The monk, excited about the chance to stretch her legs, grumbled but gave in to her sister's wishes.

"We have markets to visit," Tia explained. "Not just food and treats, but I want to stop by the garment district. We are now part of House Whisper Wind. A stop to the Lord Herald's Office. Urthel Whisper Wind's arms should be available for us to examine, and to purchase a copy for ourselves. We need some heraldic swatches made. Some with the Whisper Wind arms, and some combined with House Landers. Pieces that can be sown onto gowns or dresses for us. And for him, too."

Tahna nodded, pleased at the idea, and imagining wearing his House arms on a fancy dress and seeing his reaction.

"Besides, his birthday is in a few days. While he consoles Mindal, we get to figure out some gifts that he will like, gifts from all three of us. What do you say, Beautiful?"

Startled, the warrior monk looked at her. "That's what he calls me. You've never called me that before."

"You are his beautiful Tahna, aren't you? Let's get the heraldic pieces contracted for first, as they'll take the most time. Then we'll shop for new supplies of rations, snacks, and such. That should take us to lunch time. We'll eat out and discuss any ideas we have to gift him with, and then we'll make it happen."

Tahna shook her head in amazement. "I normally don't like shopping. But I think it will be fun hanging out with you, Tia. And the idea of getting Reison something that he really likes? I'm in."

With that, the monk loudly whistled, raised her hand and shouted out, "Taxi! Taxi!"

* * * * *

Reison and Mindal kept each other company, talking quietly together. For a time, they dozed on the couch, at least until lunch arrived. Seeing the extra desserts, Mindal felt cheered that her big sister had made the effort to make her feel better.

After lunch was finished, he asked to practice more music with her. Her first impulse was to continue moping. But a look from him dispelled that notion. So they settled onto chairs at the table, did minor adjustments to his mandolin, using Mindal's Rose to play by.

She let him pick the song, and when he started the chords to The Gypsy Rover, a song they'd sung together after just meeting, Mindal was unable to stop herself from smiling as she joined in. Like a balm, music lifted her ache and disappointment and washed it away, igniting joy within her heart once again. Rover was followed by Glenarm Bay, Turra Market, Muirsheen Durkin, Good Luck to the Barleymow, and Sweet Strabane. Then they played Farewell to Carlingford, replacing Mary Doyle with Medhbh Whisper Wind.

They both smiled at that. Then, thinking of his parents and how they'd parted, they both lapsed into silence.

Reison was the first to speak. "I still don't know what was on my mother's mind when she said all those crazy things."

"It wasn't you, Reison. We all know that. If nothing else, you should probably write to Miriel. And, I'll write to her, too. Introduce myself and my sisters, and let her know we think of her as our sister now."

"It'll take a long time to get there, won't it? Four or five days, I'd think."

Mindal narrowed her gaze in amusement, putting Rose back into her case. "You think so? Tia has this amazing device . . . Here, let me show you." Going to Tia's desk, she took out a piece of paper, and wrote out,

Reison, you are my sweetheart. Love, Mindal

Curious, he set down his mandolin, and peered over her shoulder. He chuckled at her message.

The bard folded up the paper, and taking a bit of sealing wax, closed the letter. Turning it over, she wrote out, Reison Whisper Wind, Inn of The Pixie Palace, City of the Suns, Tildor. Turning to him, she said, "Go into the bedroom, stand there, and wait."

"Okay . . . " He looked back twice while she watched him do it. Once he was around the corner, she pulled back the lid and dropped the letter into Hadrian's Mailbox.

She laughed when she heard his exclamation of surprise. He came out, holding the letter. "It just popped in, floating in front of me. How did it do that?"

Mindal looked at him sideways. "Maybe it appeared by magic?"

Chagrined, he laughed. "Of course. Usually one thinks of magic for making thunder and lightning, great fireballs and other sorts of noise and mayhem. This is cool. What if someone wants to respond?"

Mindal let him write a response, then taking a blank piece of paper, showed him how to fold the letter.

"What's an airplane?" he asked.

"A machine that flies. There's a whole city of gnomes way down south that makes them big enough to carry people. Anyway, pick it up and toss it. There's a ten minute time limit. If you miss it, the letter stays with you. Here, pay attention. I'll show you how to fold it."

"Okay."

When Mindal was done, he threw the letter-turned-paper-airplane toward the window, then jumped when it vanished and reappeared between Mindal and himself. "Wow."

"See how that works? Now let's write to your sister."

They spent some time at the table, writing their letters. Then he watched while Mindal sealed them up and dropped them into the magical mailbox. Her smile was interrupted, though, when he scooped her up. "What--? Where are you taking me?"

"To our bedroom," he replied. "I'm going to make love to you, Mindal."

She raised her eyebrows, smiling. "Oh, yeah?"

"Not just poke you and pump you until I come either," he said, carrying her through the bedroom doorway. "When the fire in the loins is high, there's a time and place for that. But that's all I've done for days now. I'm going to kiss you and love on you, Mindal. I'm going to explore your body and learn your secrets."

By the intensity of his gaze, she knew he meant every word.

She felt heat rush to her face, and a matching visceral ember stir within her belly. Her heart was still disappointed by her sister's pronouncement. But without saying anything, Tia and Tahna had known what to do, giving her time alone with her new husband. And her beloved man had known they both loved music, and used it to help ease her disappointment. Mindal had seen more than three times his number of years. Yet at that moment, under the surety of his knowing gaze and the confidence of his touch, the bard felt very much the young blushing bride that she was.

Once in the bedroom, he set her onto to her feet. Drawing her in, he kissed her. Tenderly and slowly at first. Then with a hint of more passion. Held her tight while his mouth moved away from her responsive lips to nibble at her neck, tantalize along her jaw, then to delivering heated breath and melting wetness from his tongue tracing the rim and tragis of her ear, followed by slowly blowing air over the dampened flesh.

Heart racing and breath beginning to catch, Mindal shivered.

"What do you hear?" he asked quietly. His hands moved along her ribs and then down her back.

"Violins. Strings being plucked while others are under the bow." She nuzzled into his neck, inhaling his scent.

"Bass guitar, too?"

As he said it, she heard it joining the music playing in her heart. "Yes," she breathed.

Slowly, ever so slowly he undressed her, like he was opening up a precious treasure. By the time her shirt was off, her breasts ached for attention. Reison licked along the edges of her bra, making her more crazy. When he finally unhooked the undergarment, the bard let out a low moan, as much in happiness for finally being released as it was anticipating his mouth as it descended upon her nipple. As his tongue reached out and outlined her areolae, her hands clutched at him while she panted with growing arousal.

His mouth and fingers touched and explored her, beginning the process of memorizing what she responded to, learning more about her personal places. Reison sucked and kneaded her malleable mounds with worshipful dedication. His tongue flicked and lightly nibbled at her hardening nipples, sending tingles through her body and down her spine. Every so often, a free hand grazed ever so lightly over the skin of her back, intensifying the sensation of his mouth on her tit. The channel between her legs heated and moistened, and her lower lips began to enlarge.

Mindal ran her fingers through his hair, whimpering and sighing with approval.

Feeling his clever fingers unbuttoning her skirt, her breathing deepened, then hitched as she felt it sliding down her legs to pool at her feet. She hadn't bothered with panties, and now stood naked before him.

Rising a bit, he tried his best to inhale her breast into his mouth, one hand grasping her back, and the other hand digging into the flesh of her ass, pulling her body against his. As his mouth slowly released her, his teeth grazed, then tugged at her hardened nipple, pulling at it. Mindal gasped.

Then he moved to her other breast and again, tried to swallow it whole.

"Oh, goddess," she panted.

He chuckled, then rapidly flicked his tongue against her swollen nubbin. More tingles rippled down her back, fanning the embers within her loins. Her pussy clenched and more liquid heat flooded her channel. Reison lifted his face up, and the cool air on her wet nipple added to her arousal.

"Which goddess?" he asked mischievously.

"Both!" Mindal exclaimed. Then her eyes narrowed at him. "I'm naked and you have too many clothes on!" Her hands grabbed his shirt and pulled apart. Buttons popped and fabric tore, but her frantic hands were already pushing the cloth off his shoulders.

Reison laughed again. "Something burning, Mindal?"

She yanked at the drawstring on his house pants. If not for his hard cock, they would have fallen off his narrow hips. Mindal reached in to free him, only to pause as her hand wrapped around his veiny, thick staff. She looked up into his eyes. The low noise she made was almost a growl of possessiveness.

He nudged her toward the bed and she eagerly stepped back. Easing onto the mattress, she scooted toward the center, still holding his warm shaft in her hand, guiding him along. The desire in his face matched her own, and she spread her legs wide in invitation.

The fat knob of his cock landed at the bottom of her wet crease. Her hand released him and she laid back, ready to receive him. Reison pushed and parted her lower lips. The heat of her core bathed him in slick heat as he pressed into her. Shifted, and pushed deeper still. By the time his cock fully opened her sheath and his balls were flush against her butt cheeks, her legs were locked behind his rear and her hands ran lovingly over his arms and chest. His body was still maturing, but already his shoulders were wider than hers.

Mindal slowly rocked her hips and he responded, sliding in and out of her slick and yielding pussy.

Arms braced, keeping him from crushing her, he said wryly, "Well, that was certainly faster than I'd intended."

She met each of his thrusts with a counter of her own, savoring the ripples of pleasure from their sexes moving in sync. "Disappointed?"

His playfulness vanished. "Mindal, being inside you is never a disappointment."

"We haven't been married that long," she challenged. "That's not much to base a judgment on."

"Your pussy feels heavenly, dear wife, and has always brought me to release. Now that I know how good you feel, I intend to open you up and fill you as often as I can."

Heat rushed again to her face. "You promise?"

"I promise." And he began giving her firmer strokes, brushing his wide crown against her womb.

Mindal pulled him down, her mouth seeking his, hungry to feel his tongue driving into her face as his thick, hard cock probed her core. She groaned into the kiss when both of his hands grabbed her butt, impaling her repeatedly with his cock.

She stood it as long as she could, reveling at the intensity of sensation, but all too soon, she needed to draw a full breath of air. Arching above her, he ground hard into her center, splaying her pussy with his thick length.

"Mark me," she said.

He released her butt and braced himself above her, easing the pace of his pumping into her sodden cleft.

"What?"

"You marked Tahna," she panted. "I'm your wife, too. Mark me as yours. You said you would."

"You're sure about this?"

"Yes!"

Amusement on his face, he said, "All right, Mindal. As you wish." And promptly pulled out of her, breaking the lock around his waist.

"Hey, what are you doing? Wait, come back here . . . "

Moving down the bed, he grabbed her legs and pushed them apart, fully exposing her wet mound. Auburn-colored pussy hair glistened, framing thick, ruddy lips that were aroused and open, showing the pink tunnel leading to her inner sanctum.

His face descended between her legs and her core clenched, anticipating his mouth lavishing mind-numbing bliss upon her engorged vulva.

Instead, his lips parked right next to the vee of her legs, on the hypersensitive inner thigh next to her leaking crevice. Then he started sucking.

Mindal yelped, struggling against his strong hands holding her down. "Reison! Reison, what are you doing?"

He rose up and his hand delivered a solid slap to her exposed butt cheek. "Stop fussing. You asked me to mark you. Now take it like a big girl. Understand?"

Reison moved back into place, but this time his tongue traced the outline of her dewy nether lips, taking extra time to coax out her clit. A second time around her center, then he inhaled part of those tender petals, flicking them about with his oral digit of wonder. Up he went, plundering as he moved, only to batter and overwhelm the now erect button at the crest of her trembling pussy.

Crying out, her hands flew to his head, fisting into his hair.

Mercifully, his mouth moved away and she heaved for air. His lips returned to her inner thigh, sucking at her flesh.

"Oh, my god," she whimpered.

Reison shifted back to her pulsing, oozing pussy, his mouth having its way with her sex. Licking, tasting, and swallowing her tangy juices, pillaging and worshiping her at the same time.

Her loins tightened harder, nearing the precipice of explosive joy. Maddeningly, he returned to her thigh. Speech became impossible for her, grunting and moaning under his onslaught.

Back to her throbbing clit, he gently circled it, blew on it, circled it, and blew on it again.

Screaming out, Mindal teetered on the cliff's edge. Her core responded by with a fresh flood of feminine slickness.