Breaking Free - Edin's Story Pt. 03

Edin

Ashe yelped for perhaps the hundredth time in that hour as Edin pressed a cool cloth over the man's bee stings. He shook his head but couldn't but smirk to himself, watching as the powerful-looking hunter yelped and twitched under his touches. He sighed and leaned back, waiting for the man to calm down before trying to apply more of the medicine to the red angry welt on the man's face and arms. Ashe was flushed with embarrassment as he nodded for him to continue.

It took another hour to get through it all, but eventually, all his stings were cleaned and treated. Ashe walked around the house hissing and whimpering every so often as he tried to go back to his day-to-day routine. Rolling his eyes at the stubbornness of the man, he grabbed the chalk and slate.

'You did enough rest for the day. I can close the chicken coop and check on the goats and cows,' he wrote out before shoving the slate in front of the man's face. Ashe hesitated for a moment before he sighed under his breath and limped outside to finish washing himself and his clothes from the mud and dirt. Edin moved past him and strolled about the yard, taking time to rest when he needed or felt dizzy.

The chickens were trained to go into their coop just before sundown, currently, a few were still milling about near the coop. With a few hisses and arm motions, he got them all to go in. He closed the latch and did a perimeter check to make sure the fox fence around the coop was strong and in place. After making sure the chickens were safe he made his way towards the small barn and goat pen. The goats had enough water to last the night and all of them were still feeding just fine off the hay they were thrown earlier that day.

The cows were chewing their cud and stood in a group on the far side of the pasture. Ashe preferred the girls closer to the barn at night, so Edin made his way towards the bovines and prodded them along. The cows were docile and older, so thankfully they didn't give him too much trouble as he headed them towards the barn. When all four of the beasts were at a satisfactory distance close to the barn, he double-checked their feed and water then left them to their business.

Returning to the house, he was stopped in his tracks.

Ashe was outside near the large wooden barrel that they used for clothes washing. He was currently shirtless and soaking his muddy clothing in the water before ringing them out and repeating the action several times over. Edin watched with a critical eye, the man's body was toned from constant work, muscular arms and shoulders matching his neck while his lower belly had a small layer of fat just below a few of his etched abdominals.

He looked healthy and unbreakable. Edin glanced down at himself. What was he? Awkward with long limbs that didn't match his body, several pounds underweight because of Lord Gareth's commands. He had muscle tone, but nothing that matched Ashe. Comparatively, he was pale and soft, while Ashe looked tanned and hardened by life. Edin felt a strange sort of jealousy rise up in him, Ashe got to live a life. Every day he got to wake up and choose what he wanted to do. He didn't get told or commanded. Ashe was given the ability to just...be what he wanted.

Edin went from working in an orphanage to living in a House of Red. His every day was set with a schedule. He was forced to work to stay alive and then was asked to be thankful for what little he was given. Sometimes he felt more like an object than a person. He was just a decoration, something to put in the corner and look at. Maybe occasionally bring it out and use it before setting it aside and forgetting. But...today, Ashe went out of his way for him, put himself in pain for him.

To get him, honey, so that he could fulfill one of the few tiny dreams he had. He put his hand to his chest. There was a strange tightening sensation there. He didn't understand fully. First with his commune and now this, was the Lady in Red truly telling him something?

He felt water land on his face, taking him out of his thoughts. He glanced over and saw Ashe grinning from ear to ear as the man made a flicking motion with his fingers and more water splattered over him. In an instant, he rushed as fast as his body would allow and scooped up the muddy water with two hands and splashed them towards Ashe. The man gave a stifled yelp before dancing away. His choking laughter filled the space as the two of them danced about one another, splashing and flicking the water at one another.

When he was half drenched, sweat on his brow, grinning like an idiot as he smiled from ear to ear, he held his hands up in a truce. Ashe relented and held his hands up as well, the two of them taking the chance to catch their breath. Edin lowered himself to the ground, sitting in the sparse grass that grew near the house as he watched Ashe go back to his washing. The man dumped out the half barrel he was using to wash in and filled it with fresh water from the well that was off the side of the house.

Edin studied the man's movements, the flex, and the sway of his body as he heaved bucket after bucket of fresh water into the barrel again. Edin stared after the man, unable to take his eyes off Ashe's frame. His mind went back to that hug from earlier, how warm and firm the man's body felt against his. What would happen if the man hugged him now? Would he be as warm? Probably, and what would those muscles feel like against him? How would the man's hands feel caressing him? He had to hold back a shudder. Mouth dry, he swallowed and glanced away, feeling embarrassed by his thoughts.

He gave the man one last look over, then turned away, a strange aching in his chest and flesh. He went inside and attempt to make bread with honey. The least he could do for the man who risked the anger of bees to get him the luxurious sustenance of honey.

Several hours later, after copious amounts of flour, praying and second-guessing. His loaves were complete. Two of them that smelled similar to the ones that were made back at the House of Red. Only they looked paler, not as rich. Maybe it was too much flour. He didn't understand how Ashe made it look so easy, how he didn't get bread dough all over his fingers when he kneaded or made it.

He glanced nervously towards Ashe, wondering if the man was judging his creation. If he was already debating if going through all the suffering of this morning was worth it. The man standing across from him glanced at him, the red welts on his face and arms had lessened some thanks to the medicine but still look angry and rather painful to Edin.

Ashe pointed to the bread, tilting his head to the side and lifting a brow. His way of asking if he could try one. Gulping, Edin nodded. His heart was racing in his chest, stomach feeling queasy, he never had been a nervous person, but for some odd reason...he was. He was afraid that he had failed, that Ashe wouldn't like the bread and be disappointed in him. That thought hurt the most, and he hated how he couldn't explain why.

Ashe took a nearby knife and cut off two pieces of the bread, he buttered both before giving him one piece and taking the other for himself. The man lifted it to his lips, hesitating as he held the slice there. Waiting for him. Edin took his slice and, at the same moment, the two of them bite into the bread.

It was over-floured. But he could taste the honey. He could TASTE the honey. It wasn't exact, not would it ever be, but it was the flavor he was looking for. That sweet comfort, it had worked! He hadn't failed. He practically jumped in celebration, startling Ashe and making him drop his slice on the table's surface. Edin held up a hand in apology and scarfed down the rest of the piece, swiping away any of the crumbs.

He glanced over at Ashe, who pondered over his slice of bread, smiling to himself and nodding. Carefully, the man grabbed the slate and chalk and scribbled something down before turning it towards him.

'It makes me happy to see you smile so much. I'm glad I went this morning' Ashe had written out. Edin didn't know how to respond. Instead, he just remained silent and nodded. He glanced down at the loaves of bread, feeling heat rise to his cheeks.

It wasn't until they were eating dinner, yet another stew around the fire, that he leaned over and tapped Ashe's shoulder. He had finally written out his simple reply to the man.

'I'm glad you went too. Thank you, you make me happy,' he had said. He did his best not to catch the man's reaction. Instead, he just stared into his soup. The small bits of brown meat floating in the rich broth, a few chunks of vegetables and beans mixed in.

They didn't talk that much tonight, both of them in their own thoughts for most of the night. Just staring into the fire. It wasn't awkward or strained, at least not to Edin. It was peaceful and contemplative and Edin relished the ambiance. Eventually, he felt a finger tap his knee. He glanced over to read the slate being held out at him.

'Going to bed. A long day. Thank you for the bread,' The man wrote out, a soft smile on his lips. Edin nodded in thanks and stood with Ashe, though he didn't exactly know why. Perhaps he was of the mind to go to bed as well?

Ashe's gaze flickered over him, then with little warning, the man stepped up towards him and hugged him. Edin froze, not knowing what to do or say, he felt warm and safe, but as well...the hardness of the man's body, the heat, his scent it all swirled in his mind giving him several mixed signals of what was going on. In the end, he swung an arm up and hugged back. Abruptly, Ashe pulled away, in the firelight he could see the pink blush on the man's cheeks as the silent man added a piece of wood and scattered the coals to let the fire burn low and slow throughout the night.

The fire wasn't the only thing burning low and slow throughout the night. Edin tossed and turned for most of the night. Unsure about a lot of things, what was going on between the two of them? Not knowing if it was proper, not knowing if he was worthy of having the thoughts he had. Ashe was too good, too pure for the likes of him. He deserved someone better, who could actually help around the farm, who knew what they wanted in life. He didn't have that. He was a wanderer, lost and without purpose.

He'd just drag Ashe down. But never had Edin wanted to drown so desperately with someone before.

Without meaning to, his hands wandered his body, in the darkness and in the shadows cast by the fire. He pretended the hands touching him were more worn, heavier, and thick. His legs parted imagining someone else was there. Ashe, large and muscled, hovered over his frame, bodies grazing against the other. Powerful hips pressed against his, and eventually, a hand drifted to between his legs, clamping over his cock, it throbbed in his hand, gushing pre-spend over his fingers as he stroked desperately, his touch not enough.

He didn't even have the patience to touch himself in the back. All he did was stroke his cock with one hand and squeezed his scrotum with the other. Imagining every last part of Ashe he could call upon as he worked himself faster to his peak. His hips pushed upwards, thrusting into the friction and heat. He didn't think of the Lady in Red, didn't think about anything else, couldn't see anything else except Ashe.

Ashe. Ashe. Ashe. The name repeated in his mind before he heard himself moan it softly. A shudder tore through him. Then another, and another as he leaked, and leaked. Biting down on his lower lip, eyes pinching tightly, he finally came. A mind-shattering experience that bowed his back off the cot, his cock twitching sporadically as shot after shot of his spend landed over his belly and hip.

He settled there, panting and shivering. The vision of Ashe shirtless floating in his head as he drifted down from where he had gone. Perhaps the Lady in Red was guiding him then, even though he didn't feel worthy. Who was he to question? Still, only time would tell if the Fertility Goddess and selected right.

After that day, things changed between them. It was a gradual shift that Edin both welcomed and feared. Every morning now they greeted one another with a quick hug, nothing that lingered and something that could even be mistaken for an accidental brush against each other. But it happened every day. Neither made a comment about it, and neither of them tried to stop it.

When Edin's wound had fully healed, and he could actually walk about outside and do work without needing breaks or rest, he joined Ashe in the daily chores.

Ashe, as always, was patient, and repeatedly showed or wrote out how to do things for him. Edin learned to milk goats and mend the fencing. He learned to sneak his hand under a brooding hen and take her eggs from her before she attempted to hatch them fully. He learned how to better make bread, as well as how to churn butter. The days blended in together, some of the days so humid the two of them removed their shirts to work in the garden or to cut the long grass around the property, stacking it up to dry so that they could store it in the barn for winter.

Edin didn't mind those days. It gave him the chance to take in Ashe's powerful frame, soaking it into his memory so that in the evening when the two of them went to bed. He could stroke himself to completion, imagining the man's muscled body over his. Ashe's face hovering above his, pained in ecstasy, his hot breaths falling across his face. Hard hands pressing and squeezing him, holding him close and not letting go. Long gone were the days of communing with the Lady in Red. Now he communed only to imagine Ashe. In the morning, he would pretend nothing out of sorts happened and he'd go about his day, holding his secret close to his heart. 

Sometimes, they went into the woods together, finding fallen trees to cut for firewood or to forage for different herbs. Edin knew a few, but Ashe knew far more. Not only did the man teach him about herbs, he also taught him to set traps for rabbits and other small creatures. Slowly expanded his knowledge as each day went by.

Edin felt more at peace with not only this small farm tucked away in the words but also with himself. Learning skills and being able to actually assist Ashe for once felt...rejuvenating. He felt like he was truly living for once. That thought had hit him like a bolt of lightning, making him stop in his current task. Scouring out the pot in the sink.

Ashe, who was beside him, caught on to his frozen stature and prodded him gently. He turned to the man, unsure of how to write it to be understood by the other. He dried his hands, reached for the slate and chalk, and wrote.

'I just realized that I'm happy here, and for once I've had a choice,' he explained, showing Ashe the slate. The man nodded affirmingly, a smile curling on his lips as his far too endearing eyes that moment practically twinkled. Ashe reached forward and took up his piece of chalk, writing out a single word in the slate's corner.

'Good' the man stated, offering nothing more. Until Ashe reached out and pulled him in close for another hug. This time it lingered, seconds went by. Despite that, the man hadn't let go. Edin suppressed a shudder as the man's breath fell across the back of his neck. Ashe had buried his face into the crook of his shoulder. Tentatively, Edin wrapped his arms around the man's shoulders, keeping him held close.

The two of them sighed at the same time. He swore he could feel the man's heartbeat pounding against his chest. Or maybe that was his? It didn't matter, he closed his eyes, absorbing himself in the feeling all he wanted was...all he wanted was this to not end. He felt something brush against his face. He opened his eye to watch as Ashe brushed his cheek against his. It was abrupt, probing. A questioning brush as the man paused before doing it again. Swallowing, Edin pressed his face more into the touch.

Then they were...rubbing their cheeks against the other. Ashe's bristled stubble felt both foreign and wonderful against his face. The man's scent, heather, and smoke filled his nose. He didn't question or try to stop whatever it was they were doing. It felt weird and awkward, but also at the same time, it felt entirely Ashe. The hesitance, the gentleness, the budding intimacy of the motion just felt, right.

Ashe's grip tightened around him, the rubbing of his face turned to the man pressing his mouth into the side and top of his forehead. Not exactly a kiss, just a pressing of his lips down against his flesh. Holding himself firm and flush, no space for even air to get between them. Then, without warning, the man shot back from him. Startling Edin when he had just gotten adjusted to the feeling of warmth and affection.

He was about to ask why, but noticed right away the issue. It was a prominent one, a prominently well-endowed one that filled the front of Ashe's trousers. With a red blush, the man turned away from him, grabbing his bow in the corner and running out the door for an impromptu hunt. All without putting on his boots. Edin swallowed, feeling a hollow ache in his heart.

Had he done something wrong?

Ashe

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

He thought to himself, stomping his way towards the treeline. The feeling of dirt covering the soles of his feet while grass got stuck between the spaces of his toes. He sniffed the air, scenting the bread they had just put in the oven. The nice kind with honey, the one Edin makes. The thought of the man made a vibration work its way through his chest and throat. He was going to drive the man away at this point. He didn't want that. He didn't want the man to leave. Wanted him to stay. But he didn't know how to convince him.

Edin was a Servent, he had pledged himself to the Lady in Red. Even though it felt to him wasn't exactly a choice, he still made the vow, right? Edin had skills, formal training, and the ability to go places. Where was he? Stuck on a farm, middle of nowhere alone. Always alone. He pushed his way through the forest, the undergrowth and branches clinging to his clothes and frame as he eventually found one of the many trails he had beaten down.

He walked the trail for some kind, and every so often, a sharp stone or twig caused him to jump in pain. He would snatch at his foot in frustration. He was even stupider for leaving without his boots. Damn him. Damn Edin. He sighed heavily, unable to find the will to keep moving down the trail aimlessly. He sat down on a nearby stump, an oak he had cut down last summer. He sat there, staring down at the ground, not knowing what to do.

The insistent throbbing below his belt offered an idea.

He glanced down at himself. He felt on edge, flustered, and...desperate. For years, he's wanted. But who would want to be with him? Who would want to be courted by him, to lie with him? He was a broken thing, cursed. Not worthy of anyone, he was made to be alone, his family taken from him, and only his brother escaped whatever evil lingered on him. Tainted him. What if that taint came to harm Edin? He didn't want that. He wanted the man safe.

He remembered the sight of seeing the man slip and fall, the way his head bounced against the ground, the body immediately turning slack. That unconscious face, and all that blood. The panic that had welled inside him. How he knew he had to get the man home. He couldn't let it happen again, couldn't stand by and watch as someone faded into nothing as his sister had. But Edin had survived, more than that he flourished. He went from hardly smiling or showing emotion to now... every day that soft content grin on his face, no matter what he was doing.

Ashe felt fulfilled by that grin. His mother had always smiled when she worked. It made him feel at peace to have someone close. To know they were happy that he wasn't alone. He bit his lower lip. He should have been happy with just what they had. But his stupid denied body. It wanted more, constantly wanted more.