Favours Ch. 06

Tatiana fumbled awkwardly with the clothes Bran had bought her. They'd spent the night in silence, with Bran sleeping on the floor. She'd had a restless night, almost missing waking up next to him and his warmth. And now she was trying to get changed into the dress he had bought her. It was a simple dress made of a durable fabric. It had long sleeves and laced up at the front. It even had a hood that she could pull up to hide her face. He'd also bought a sturdy leather belt to cinch it at her waist and a pair of boots. She'd abandoned her mortal clothes, figuring they were thoroughly ruined. She felt somewhat awkward wearing the dress without a bra on underneath, but her clothes had a stench that she didn't want to spend time trying to get rid of. She was glad he'd thought of getting her tights and underwear, even if he had forgotten to get her a bra.

"Tatiana," Bran called, knocking on the door.

"Come in," she said, her fingers still fumbling with the laces at her front.

The door opened, and she felt Bran's presence. She turned to face him, or at least, she hoped she was facing him.

"Do you want a hand with that?" he asked. She nodded, giving up on trying to get the lacing perfect. He took a step closer to her, and she could feel how warm he was. His deft hands undid the lace gently, exposing more of her chest than she felt was necessary. Her cheeks flushed as she stood there, while he re-did the lace at the front of her dress. She placed a hand on either side of him to steady herself.

His skin brushed against hers, and she wondered if he could tell how much she seemed to react to his touch. It wasn't the sudden electricity she had felt from Robin, but more of a gentle build up.

"There, much better," he said, as he finished fastening the laces. He didn't step away from her, and she swallowed nervously at how close he was.

"Thank you," she whispered. Her visions of him protecting her swam to the forefront of her mind, of him announcing he had claimed her, of him leaning down to kiss her.

She bit her lip. It would be so easy to reach forward and kiss him. But was she betraying Robin if she did? It's not like they'd committed themselves to each other.

Or at least, she thought they hadn't, but he'd gone ahead and claimed her and not told her. Indecision flickered across her face, but then Bran was stepping away from her and the moment was gone. She let out her breath and wondered how red her cheeks were.

"We should get going," he said, clearing his throat. "I couldn't get us a horse, but there's a road that leads from here to Cloud Lake, and from there we can get to Ice Crown quite easily."

"What's going to happen to me when we get to Ice Crown?" she asked anxiously.

"I'm not sure," Bran answered honestly. "But I'll make sure they don't harm you."

Tatiana's vision of Sidheag leaping at Bran floated to the surface of her mind. They lost all their bargaining power if they weren't willing to harm her. She felt Bran's hand take hers and guide it to his upper arm. His touch pushed the vision out of her mind, and she focused on him leading her out of the tavern.

She was glad to leave the river behind, leaving the thought of malicious undines behind. She wondered what lay ahead of them on the road though, the vision of the man still weighing on them heavily. They walked arm in arm, Bran gently guiding her. They weren't walking with the same sense of urgency that they had for the past few days, almost as if he too was reluctant to end up in Ice Crown. She didn't mind, she was content for them to take as long as they could to get there.

"So, Miss Tatiana," Bran said when they were well clear of the village. "How did you end up in the clutches of Robin?"

She smiled. Tatiana was grateful they weren't spending the day in silence again.

"Well, I had just broken up with my boyfriend," she answered. "And I thought a nice hike would be perfect for doing some introspection."

"Ah, the old 'lures you astray and then trick you' routine," Bran laughed.

Tatiana nodded. "I believe it's quite a common trick," she said. "Except, I didn't think fairies existed, obviously."

"It's very popular, or so I'm told," he replied.

"Have you ever been to the mortal realm?" she asked curiously.

"No, most of the gateways are guarded by the Seelie. It's partly why they're much stronger than the Unseelie Court. They get to visit the mortal realm and make deals with unsuspecting mortals such as yourself, whereas we're mostly cut off from it."

"I don't understand how mortals make you lot stronger."

"It's complicated," Bran said, pausing. "Have you heard of a Faustian bargain?"

Tatiana nodded. "A deal with a devil?"

"Yes, it's kind of like that. Your link to Robin, for example, if you owe him a favour, means that he can tap into your soul. You don't lose anything, but having that link amplifies his power somewhat. And each mortal that is devoted to him amplifies his power a bit more. And then, if you were to pray to him, you would also make him stronger. It's complicated."

Tatiana frowned. "Sounds like it." She wasn't sure she liked knowing that this sort of deal was made with her unknowingly. "So do all fey have magic powers?" she asked, changing the conversation.

"To varying degrees, yes," he answered. "Some of us are shape shifters like me and Sidheag, some of us have elemental based magic like Finnean and your Robin, some of us specialize in potions, so on and so on. And then some of us are just magic by virtue of being, but can only barely tap into it."

At mention of Sidheag, Tatiana shuddered. The vision of Bran running the wolf-woman through was still seared into her mind.

"Are you cold?" Bran asked, concern in his voice. "I tried to find you a warm dress, but we can find a coat for you in the next village."

Tatiana shook her head. "No, your Sidheag scares me, is all," she reassured Bran, giving his upper arm a squeeze.

Bran laughed. "She has that effect. I promise she's not all bad, she's fiercely loyal to her friends," he said. "She just doesn't stand for the Seelie or anyone sympathetic to them."

Tatiana smiled, but she could feel a pressure on her chest. She wondered if she should tell him of her vision. But if she told him, she'd have to tell him that he claims her, and she wasn't sure she wanted to accidentally propel him into that fate or not. Perhaps she'd tell him if he did claim her.

The day wore on as they walked. The afternoon came and went, and they let out a collective sigh of relief when they stopped to make camp in the twilight. The next village was still a day's walk, Bran surmised.

He'd managed to swipe some food from the village before they left, and she was grateful to be eating cheese and bread, instead of berries and mushrooms that he foraged. They huddled together around the small campfire, leaning against each other for warmth.

There was a peculiar familiarity that came with having travelled together for the past few days. Tatiana was finding it harder and harder to think of him as her captor, even though she knew that ultimately that's what he was. She knew they were destined for Ice Crown, where the Queen of the Unseelie would determine what to do with her, but she struggled to keep that in mind when Bran gently applied the salve to her eyes and wounded arms, his touch igniting something inside her. She tried to ignore the feelings and focus on Robin, but Robin was getting harder and harder to focus on.

--

They woke the next morning, once again curled up together. For warmth, Tatiana told herself sternly. Nothing more and nothing less. But that didn't explain why she enjoyed his arms wrapped around her. She tried not to dwell on it as they hit the road again, this time in much higher spirits.

Her vision hadn't come to pass yet, but there was no point stressing over it until it happened. Instead they had a merry breakfast and set out for the next village in a leisurely pace, arm in arm. Her face hurt less, and she hoped it was a sign of the salve working and her vision returning.

"Can you describe the country side for me?" Tatiana asked after a short while walking in silence, the only noise the sound of her stick tapping along the road.

"Of course," Bran obliged. He described the gentle rolling fields to their left, filled with crops or livestock. To their right, the forest looming over them, filled with dark leafy green trees. Any new or interesting part of the landscape he described as they approached it, giving Tatiana an idea of what the world around her looked like. He described the village coming into view as they came upon the crest of a small hill, a stream running through the village and cutting the countryside in two.

As they began their descent down the small hill towards the village, Tatiana felt herself have another vision.

She was in a room, in her nightgown. The door opened, and she watched as Bran stumbled in, locking the door behind him. In the vision, Tatiana could see that he was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, a bruise forming on his right eye.

"Are you okay?" Tatiana heard herself ask, rising from her spot on the bed. Tatiana's vision self was still blind, awkwardly finding her way towards Bran who had taken a seat at the small table.

"Yeah," Bran answered, his voice gruff. "Got in a fight. You should see the other guy."

Vision-Tatiana gave Bran a deadpan stare with her blind eyes. She was slightly off though, her stare looking at the wall next to Bran.

"What happened?" Vision-Tatiana asked, crouching in front of Bran.

"Just some idiots mouthing off, it's nothing to worry about," he said, slipping his hand in hers.

The vision faded, and Tatiana shook herself as she adjusted to the blindness again.

"What did you see?" Bran asked curiously.

"You're going to get in a fight," she answered honestly. "You'll get a nasty cut and a black eye. I don't think it's a serious fight, and I don't know who with or what over though. I think my visions are restricted to my own future."

Bran laughed. "Well, that doesn't sound too bad," he answered. "Not great, mind you. But certainly, less intimidating than a bear or a madman."

"Well, don't you go getting yourself banged up too much," she chastised. "I'm not overly peachy about being your prisoner, but I prefer it to being completely alone and blind."

Bran chuckled beside her, and she smiled. Despite his jovial nature, a knot seemed to form in her stomach. She didn't particularly want him to get hurt.

The walk to the village didn't take long, and she was glad when he began to lead her up wooden stairs and into a tavern. She felt the room stiffen at their arrival though, and a feeling of unease swept over her. She almost wanted to ask Bran to leave the tavern and to keep walking, but she wrote it off as her vision making her anxious.

He secured lodging for them. She wasn't entirely sure how he was paying for it, but she heard him mention his compatriots names a few times. At mention of Finnean, the tavern keeper seemed to waive the fee entirely.

Once again, Bran led her to their room, and helped set her up to wash before heading downstairs. She bathed quickly, anxious about her vision. The knot in her stomach grew as time ticked past.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the door open and Bran stumble in.

"Are you okay?" she found herself asking just as she had in the vision. She rose and started making her way cautiously to the table she knew him to be sitting.

"Yeah," Bran answered. "Got in a fight. You should see the other guy."

She gave Bran a deadpan stare. She remembered her vision and tilted her head a few more inches to the side, to try and stare at him squarely.

"Let me guess," she said, deviating from the script in her mind. "Just some idiots mouthing off?"

Bran laughed. "Is this your vision?"

"Do you have a cut on your forehead, and were you punched in the right eye?" she asked, crouching in front of him.

"Sure do," he answered.

"What were they mouthing off about? I didn't get to hear your answer in the vision," she said, gently bringing her hand to his face to wipe the hair out of his cut. She let her memory of the vision guide her touch, careful not to scrape against his cut.

"Nothing important," he answered.

"Then why'd you get in a fight?" she prodded.

He paused, and she tried to fix him with her most determined stare. "They were just not too sympathetic to the claim they smelled on you. We're certainly in Unseelie territory. Apparently, you didn't seem like a hostage to them, so they weren't really willing to listen to reason."

Tatiana stiffened, as Bran took her hand in his. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be," he replied, pulling her hand to his cheek. He pressed his cheek into her hand, and she could feel him inhale deeply. "Though they have a point. You certainly don't seem like a hostage. You've got me sleeping on the floor and everything."

Tatiana's breath caught in her throat, and she swallowed before speaking. "You don't have to sleep on the floor," she said, her cheeks warming. A flicker of guilt sprang to life, but she squashed it before it could take root. She wasn't bound to Robin, despite his claim on her.

"No, it's okay," he said, "I feel bad enough blinding you, I don't want to make you worse by having you sleep on the floor."

Tatiana sighed in frustration, before haphazardly pressing her lips against his as best she could. She could feel him stiffen in surprise underneath her, and then his arms were wrapping around her, pulling her closer. One hand went to the back of her head, gently gripping her hair and tilting her head into a better angle. She parted her lips as he grasped her hair and slipped a tongue inside her mouth.

And then suddenly he was pushing her away, gently but firmly, his hands moving to her forearms.

"We- we can't," he said, his voice gruff.

Embarrassment washed over Tatiana, threatening to drown her. Her cheeks warmed, and she nodded, swallowing anxiously.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, pulling herself out of his grasp and away from him. Her heart was pounding, and she scrambled to her feet.

"I'm going to go wash up," Bran said, and she listened to him leave, closing the door to the washroom behind him.

As she heard the door swing shut with a click, she sighed heavily, closing her eyes against the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. She cursed herself for being an idiot. What was she thinking, kissing someone who had kidnapped her and was dragging her all the way to Ice Crown to be a pawn in some stupid war? She rubbed her eyes angrily, trying to slow her panicked breathing.

Tatiana crawled into bed, hugging her sides as she mentally berated herself for kissing Bran. Her mind was a mix of confusion and shame. She'd kissed the bad guy and gotten upset when he'd rejected her. But her visions showed him claiming her, protecting her, kissing her. And he had defended her against whatever the Unseelie in this village were saying. Frustration grew inside of her. He pulled her closer to him when they slept out in the open, he got into a fist fight over her, he got her new clothes and balm to help speed up her wounds healing process. Did he like her, or was this all some cruel joke?

The door to the bathroom opened, and Tatiana scowled, preparing herself to confront him. She just wanted him to stop giving her such mixed signals. Stupid fickle fairies, she thought to herself. She heard him move, and she pulled herself into a sitting position.

"Tatiana," Bran said, and she hated the way her heart fluttered. She felt him sit on the edge of the bed, and her breath caught in her throat. He let out a heavy sigh, and she wanted to reach out and hug him. She stopped herself though, reminding herself that he was the enemy.

Instead, she tilted her head slightly in his direction, to indicate she was listening. His hand reached out and took one of hers, holding it gently.

"I want to kiss you," he said, his voice shaky. "I want it more than anything right now. But I can't. It wouldn't be right. I'm literally marching you up to Ice Crown to hand you over to the Queen to use as blackmail material against Robin. I can't kiss you and then do that."

"You don't have to take me to Ice Crown," she replied, her voice short. "I'm not exactly thrilled about it either."

"But then what? I betray my Court, and the only family I've ever known, and what happens after that? Too many people know I'm alive and travelling with a mortal, it's bound to get back to the Court. And then if you never show up at Ice Crown, they'll just send Sidheag to track you down and bring you there."

Tatiana frowned as her anger dissipated and a pit of anxiety formed in the base of her stomach instead. Should she tell Bran that he was to be the one to kill Sidheag? She bit her lip as she mulled it over in her head.

"I suppose I could take you to the Sunlight Citadel and Robin could protect you until you can get back to the mortal realm," he said wearily.

"And then what happens to you?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he mumbled. "I hurt you pretty badly, and I did take you hostage. By the terms of his claim, I don't think Robin could look past that."

She swallowed, nodding slowly. "I won't let him," she said resolutely.

"I don't think you'll get much of a choice," he chuckled.

"Well, then, I'll claim you," she declared, leaning forward fiercely. "You're under my protection now."

Bran's chuckle turned into a laugh. A warm laugh, that seemed to fill the room and lifted Tatiana's spirits. "I've never heard of a mortal claiming a fey," he said. "And it's certainly not as simple as that. I think Sunlight Citadel is our safest option though, but that's a long way away."

Tatiana nodded. "Sunlight Citadel it is then. And I'll be the first mortal to claim a fey."

They sat in silence for a minute, her hand still in his. He was rubbing circles into the back of her hand with his thumb. She bit her lip, desperately wanting to lean forward and kiss him.

"I'd really like to kiss you now," he murmured, breaking the silence.

She smiled and tugged his hand towards her.

His lips found hers, a hand going to the back of her head. She kissed him eagerly, her hands exploring his chest. He hadn't put a shirt on when he'd come out of the bathroom, something she was silently thankful for. He pulled Tatiana closer to him, and she eagerly scrambled out from under the sheets to straddle his lap on the edge of the bed.

She hadn't realized how much she was craving him until now. She grasped his dark locks in her hands, as his kisses moved to her neck. He snaked one hand down to her waist, holding her in place as the other tentatively fondled her breast over her nightgown. Tatiana moaned, encouraging him as he pulled the collar of her nightgown down, exposing her breasts. His mouth kissed her breast, gently biting on her nipple. She breathed his name in encouragement as he sucked on her breast, a hand fondling her ass. She could feel how wet she was, her excitement building each time he grazed her nipple with his teeth.

"Bran," she pleaded, grinding against him slightly.

His hands slipped down to his pants eagerly as she lifted herself off of him enough for him to free his cock from his pants. He pulled her nightgown up so that the folds of her dress weren't coming between them, and gently lowered her down onto his cock.

Blind as she was, she had no idea his length until he guided it to her slick entrance. She moaned as he slowly entered her, her body stretching to accommodate. He gently guided her back up, letting her catch her breath, before roughly guiding her back down, quicker this time. She felt his cock drive into her, and then slowly back out, and then quickly back in. Bran continued to speed up the tempo, his hands on her waist guiding her in and out. His mouth was still on her breast, sucking and nibbling, eliciting moans from her.