Caroline's Flight of Passion

In flight, Caroline felt her palms sweating as she watched the green hills and trees pass under her.

She wasn't worried about losing control, however. Although flying the small ship over the mainland and toward the island was taxing on her concentration, it responded to her thoughts and not just the movement of her hands. So no amount of slippage would cause a crash.

The reason for her excitement sat in the co-pilot's chair with a faint smile on her lips. Isamura didn't amuse easily, but Caroline had a way of stumbling over her words when the two of them were close and she found it to be an endearing quirk.

As was usual when she visited home, Isamura was wearing a tight but practical outfit that left the shoulders and arms free from constraint. It wasn't surprising to her that this aroused Caroline; when they made love it was her shoulders and arms that were first to feel the caress of Caroline's hands. The same hands now rested on control sticks in front of the pilot's seat, the fingers flexing slightly as Caroline made a course adjustment. When Isamura stole a glance, her eyes were drawn to those hands and, remembering what they could do, she couldn't help but feel a little excited herself.

"So when are you going to teach me how to fly one of these?" Isamura asked.

"Oh, you know, when I've got some free time," Caroline said, stumbling again for words, "and when you are free too. It might take a few hours to get you to the point where you can actually pilot with some skill. But it's a very forgiving craft."

"I suppose it's just as well I was planning to spend some of my free time with you?"

"Really. Only some of your free time, you say?" Caroline said half-smiling.

"Indeed. But I will be thinking of you, always."

"Well, the feeling's mutual."

Each thinking about the other, they sat in silence comfortably the rest of the flight. When they were close to their destination, Isamura pointed out a small clearing in a forest where they could leave the jumper.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I hope you can find your invisible ship when we come back," Isamura commented as they set out on foot.

"I have a keen sense of direction. Oh, and one of these," Caroline said, holding up a small hand-held device. "Useful when you want to open the door to your invisible ship without groping blindly."

"Well if you ever need someone to help you grope blindly, let me know," Isamura said with a grin.

"I could use someone for that right now, actually." Caroline cut in front of Isamura and kissed her affectionately.

Isamura did as she suggested and let her hands roam down Caroline's body unabashedly. She felt Caroline's slender fingers running trails up and down her back.

"How was that?" Isamura asked after they had been kissing and fondling for a good three minutes.

"It was good," Caroline replied, breathless and flushed. "Why exactly are we stopping?"

"I just thought that well, we could finish this when we're somewhere safer."

"Safer? You mean this place isn't safe?" Caroline glanced around nervously.

"It's not a place where we should hang around too long. But then, that makes it the perfect place to leave the ship."

"And the reason we shouldn't hang around for too long?"

"There are predators on the lookout for a pair of easy human snacks," Isamura said bluntly.

"It would have been nice to know that earlier," Caroline said, drawing her weapon.

"Don't worry, if anything were moving around nearby I would have heard it," Isamura assured her.

"In time to pull away and say 'duck' I suppose?"

"You know what I can do in a few seconds."

"No argument there," Caroline muttered under her breath.

They walked a while, wary of the dangers in the forest. Whether or not she simply didn't hear as keenly as Isamura, Caroline never once heard a hungry predator following them, but she held onto her weapon and glanced backward vigilantly. So focused was she on what might be behind them, she nearly collided with Isamura when she came to a sudden stop.

"Why are we stopping now?"

Isamura lowered her voice to a whisper. "I heard someone," she said.

"Are you sure?" Caroline glanced casually about, thinking she might see whomever else was out here, but around them she saw just the forest and the thick natural carpet.

"A single individual, approaching from several hundred paces behind us. Whether they mean us harm, I cannot say. But I would prefer to be cautious."

"All right. Let's circle around a bit, maybe we'll get a look at them."

The pair meandered through the forest, taking care not to get completely lost, but although Isamura would sometimes hear more footfalls in the crunchy forest floor, they saw nothing of their mysterious stalker.

"Whoever they are, they're good," Caroline conceded after they'd completed their fifteenth turn.

Isamura paused for thought a moment, weighing their options. "We should make for open ground," she suggested, "unless you want to stop and chat with them."

"After you." Caroline gestured for her to take the lead.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For ten minutes or so they briskly walked to the edge of the forest. When they were within sight of the sparsely-vegetated lands beyond, Isamura turned sharply. "Go on ahead without me," she urged Caroline, "they pursue us more urgently now. Go and I will follow when I am able."

"I'm not leaving you behind!" Caroline replied, her voice strained with emotion. Now she too could see the solitary figure closing on their position.

Isamura pulled her close, gazing intently into her eyes. "I do not intend to come to harm, Caroline. Trust me, we will meet again soon."

Before Caroline could argue further, she had run back the way they had come, in the direction of their pursuer. As she departed Isamura spoke aloud unfamiliar words of arcane power, presumably to ward herself for battle. Caroline she was rooted to the spot for a moment as she wrestled with her feelings, but then she did as Isamura had asked and made for open ground, not looking back as she ran.

As she intercepted their pursuer, Isamura was able to get her first look at him and guess his intent. An orc clad in dark green brandishing a pair of short swords thundered towards her, eyes burning with murderous cunning.

She paused for several moments as he came closer, long enough to draw on the energies for her offensive magic, and chant aloud the trigger words. Isamura sent a crackling sphere of light forth from her outstretched hand. It struck the ground and exploded at the orc's feet, causing him to sail into the air and land hard on the ground.

This didn't kill him, not by a long shot, but gave Isamura a moment to draw her own blade and assume a defensive stance.

The orc picked himself up and roared angrily. Having lost its weapons in the dense forest floor, he drew a single stiletto blade from his belt and advanced with a vengeful glint in his eyes. Without warning he lunged forward, demonstrating his superior reach, but his strike was deflected easily by Isamura's weapon.

She seized this chance to strike back, slashing expertly at the orc's midsection. He recoiled and clutched his wound, but kept his blade raised. Now the two combatants circled warily, each waiting for an opening.

Isamura darted in and cut low to the orc's thigh. But he had anticipated her attack and with a calculated swipe he opened a cut on her upper arm.

She retreated a couple of steps, grimacing at the painful laceration. As her heart started to beat faster she could hear a steadily louder thrum in her ears, and feel the rising urge to fight or flee. This urge did not merely prepare her body but also catalysed the process of energising her spells.

Quickly Isamura raised her injured arm and chanted the trigger words for the first offensive spell that came to mind. There was a crackle of electricity and then a burst of lightning shot from her hand and struck the orc full-on. He twitched and writhed uncontrollably for several seconds, then fell to the ground like a chopped tree trunk.

Then there was a crash of footsteps from elsewhere in the forest, but for some reason Isamura found it hard to focus her hearing. Her head spun and she felt sick to the stomach. As she steadied herself against a nearby tree, she caught sight of a woman bearing toward her weapon in hand. However, when this new arrival saw the half-fried orc lying nearby, she slowed her approach and sheathed the weapon.

"Hey hero, are you all right?" she asked Isamura, touching her shoulder with one gloved hand.

"I feel dizzy."

The woman examined Isamura's injured arm and shortly concluded, "I'd say you've been nicked by a poisoned blade. The orcs around here often make use of foul substances." She grabbed Isamura as she started to buckle at the knees and added, "Whoa there hero. You're not going to be walking out of here, I hope you don't mind me carrying you off somewhere safe."

"Who are you?" Isamura asked, gazing at the woman's face, trying to decide if she could trust her.

Her would-be saviour seemed concerned and at the same time a little exuberant, almost as though she lived for the opportunity to rescue others. "My name is Mirala," she answered simply.

"Well, since you're the only one who can get me out of here, I don't mind your rescuing me, Mirala." Isamura steadied herself by putting her arms around Mirala, and her eyes shone with gratitude and maybe a little exuberance of her own as she was scooped into her arms.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The two of them made slow but steady progress, leaving the forest behind and travelling across the grassy lands. Isamura got weaker as the poison ran its course, but Mirala was adamant about getting far away from the forest before starting any treatment.

So it was well after sunset when Mirala set her burden down and made camp. By that time Isamura had become visibly paler and shivered uncontrollably, so the first thing Mirala did was to cover her with a blanket and get a fire going. Then she prepared the remedy for the taint present in Isamura's blood, using crushed herbs from her pack. Although it wouldn't neutralise the poison, it would help Isamura survive its effects.

Mirala brewed the herbs into a potent, sweet-smelling tea and then gave it Isamura to drink. She sipped at it slowly, smiling her thanks to Mirala.

"You fought off that orc bravely," Mirala praised her as she tended the fire. Despite the risk of giving away their position, it was better to have some light to see any friendly or unfriendly face by.

"I was merely buying time for my companion to escape," Isamura replied quietly. "But I'm glad that it didn't cost my life."

"You are fortunate, as well as brave and beautiful. Is there a name besides 'hero' I can call you?"

"My name is Isamura," she replied, "and I thank you for the compliment. The tea's not bad either." She raised the cup to her lips and drank, eyes full of remembered exuberance as she wondered what Mirala had in mind. Certainly there was something between them, but it seemed that Mirala was guarded with her feelings. Even if she chose to acknowledge that there was more warmth here than the camp-fire, Isamura had a feeling that she wouldn't take advantage of someone in a weakened state.

She realised then that Mirala had said something to her while she was distracted by her chain of thought. "Sorry, what did you say?" she asked.

"I said that the recipe is one that has been passed down through the generations. My people have been at odds with the orcs before and have become wise to their cunning. That is how I reached you in so short a time -- I was tracking the orc as he was tracking you."

"Well that's reassuring to know." Isamura tugged the blanket down a little and sat up a bit, examining her wound which to her eyes looked as though it was starting to mend. "This is probably going to sting for a while," she commented.

"Yes, um, it will," Mirala said, her hesitant voice betraying the excitement she felt as she stared at Isamura's chest, covered as it was. "When we make it to the village, we can get a healer to take a look at it."

"I wouldn't mind if you looked me over just now," Isamura suggested with a grin.

For a moment it seemed that Mirala would stay where she was, until she gave a nod and scooted closer to Isamura to examine the arm. She took it in both her hands and examined it from shoulder to fingers. Then she lifted Isamura's hand to her lips and kissed it gently.

"Looks fine to me," Mirala told her, smiling as Isamura's hand caressed her mouth and cheek.

"Would you like to see the rest of me?" Isamura asked, enticing her further by tugging the neckline of her outfit down so the swell of her breasts was foremost in view.

"Isamura... you need to rest," Mirala said reluctantly. "It's not that I don't want to see more, but I would like that to happen when you're clear of mind."

"I am clear of mind, Mirala. My mind tells me that you're a charming young woman and that I should try to seduce you into a night of passionate lovemaking under the stars."

Mirala laughed off her audacious suggestion and shook her head. "There may come a night when we make love, but it is not this night."

"I'll hold you to that."

Mirala pulled the blanket up and eased her down. "Get some rest, Isamura."

Isamura settled down and closed her eyes. As she rested, she thought about Caroline and what might have happened to her. Though she regretted sending her on alone, Isamura felt she had made the best decision under the circumstances. However as Caroline was alone and unfamiliar with the natives - not to mention lacking anything to trade -- she would probably find this night to be difficult.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Caroline shivered a little in the cool night. She had walked from one end of the town to the other, looking for a place to rest, but in many cases the innkeepers didn't believe her story or have any pity for a penniless stranger in strange clothing.

So she stood at the threshold of the last inn with some trepidation. But the feeling of warm air brushing her pinched cheeks compelled her inside.

Inside she found a young woman standing by the fire, which seemed to by dying out. She seemed lost in her thoughts and didn't notice Caroline until the doors snicked shut.

"Good evening," she said. "I'm sorry, but I was just about to close up. If you're looking for a bed for the night, you best be moving on, m'lady, for I have none to spare."

"I've been everywhere else," Caroline replied, "and unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any welcome for a weary traveller with no coin. But I won't trouble you with my story. Good evening to you." She smiled graciously and turned to leave.

"How is it that you have traveller so far without any coin?" asked the woman incredulously.

"I'm from a faraway place where acquiring wealth and material possessions is less important than the pursuit of peaceful co-existence and the betterment of all."

"With a tale like that, I'm not surprised you've been turned away by all the other inns in town."

"Does that mean you're not turning me away, then?"

"Well they may not believe you, but I can. Long ago, my sister left this town, vowing to give her wealth to others and live a humble life in the mountains."

Caroline approached the warmth of the fire and asked, "What became of her, then?"

"I haven't heard from her but I hear stories now and then. They tell of a wanderer who mends broken carts, washes clothes, and cooks a hearty broth in the villages she passes through."

"Well if it is your sister, she sounds like a decent and selfless person," Caroline remarked. "I can't say I've run into her though."

"I do miss her sometimes. It gets quite lonely here without anyone to talk to." The young woman sat down in one of the chairs facing the fire and motioned Caroline to another. "Please, make yourself comfortable for the moment. The name's Meg, m'lady."

"Call me Caroline." Now seated in front of the fire, Caroline rubbed her hands together. "You run this place on your own then?" she asked.

"Hells yes. Apart from a cook and occasionally a maid when it gets busy, I do everything here. I used to have a husband helping me out but, I threw him out for his persistent dalliance."

"You have my sympathies. The last man I was married to wasn't honest about what he did for a living."

"So what happened with him after you found out?"

"Oh, after that I never laid eyes on him again. Didn't get what was coming to him, but it was enough to have him and his lies out of my life."

"So is there someone new in your life then?"

"Yes. But.... because I'm so far from home, I may not see her again soon."

"But you want to see her, don't you?"

"Yes. I love her, very much."

Meg eased out of her chair and stood at Caroline's side, gazing down intently. "Caroline? I know that I'm probably nothing like the woman who has captured your heart but do you think that I could take her place, for a little while anyway?" She gently squeezed one of Caroline's hands.

For a few long moments Caroline stared at Meg wide-eyed. Then she gave a shrug and answered, "It's not that I don't appreciate the offer, Meg, but there is someone else already."

"Oh. I just thought I'd ask. I'm glad you're not completely alone and far from home." She smiled and tugged Caroline out of the chair and over to the staircase. "Come on, I'll show you where you can sleep tonight."

"I thought you said you didn't have any beds?" Caroline said as she followed Meg upstairs.

"I don't. But I don't like the thought of you sleeping outside on a night as cold as this." Meg showed her into a homely room with a generous-sized bed and a long couch.

"This is nice," Caroline said, looking around.

"I'm glad you like it. I actually don't bring many visitors in here. It was originally intended for the lord and lady of the inn, but now it's just mine alone."

"I don't want to impose-"

"Don't be silly. You know you aren't going to find a bed anywhere else, and I've offered you mine. Or do they have strange notions about not accepting charity where you're from?"

"No, it's fine. Thank you Meg, really."

Meg generously offered Caroline a selection of bedclothes. After some deliberation she opted for a nightgown and slipped into bed. Meg joined her shortly, sporting comfortable pyjamas.

"So what's it like, where you're from?" Meg asked.

"Peaceful for the most part. There's not much crime, and there's a good quality of life for all. And you can follow your heart, no matter where it might lead. As you may have realised, my heart is in travelling far and wide, discovering new peoples, and exploring unknown places."

"I would have guessed you liked travelling far and wide, but not much else," Meg replied.

"Well I don't just like it, it's part of the job."

"You must like your job very much then."

"I can't imagine doing anything else, no."

Meg was quiet for a few moments and then said, "I was always entranced by stories of faraway places when I was young. But when I got older, I never worked up the courage to actually go far away and see those places."

"Well I won't lie to you, you do need courage to face the unknown. But I find that on the way, you learn that fear is just a way of warning yourself of danger, and courage is pressing on despite your fear."

Meg smiled, reassured by Caroline's explanation. "Well then maybe I will travel into the unknown and uncharted regions."

"And when you come back, you can tell stories of your own. Won't that be something?"

"Yes it will." Meg was quiet for another long moment and then she asked, "So what's she like?"

"Who?"

"Your new girlfriend."

"She's interesting. I feel like I'm getting to know her, but sometimes I'm amazed by sme of the things she says and does on a daily basis. And, she's very caring and sensitive."