The Bowyer's Tale

"Of coursh he did!" She smacked my arm. "Ashif that ashhol Barakva washn't enough! Ugh, I'm gonnabe shore tomorrow."

I finally realized she was drunk. Then that she'd come back because she'd promised I could fuck her ass. I suddenly didn't care who Barakva was; my clothes joined hers on the floor and I joined her on the bed. She tried to roll me on my back the same time I tried to kiss her and we banged heads.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, that hurtsh!" She rocked back and forth, holding her head. "Watch what you're... hey, you don't look sho good!"

With my eyes red, my hand bandaged, and the sheets tangled around me, I must've been quite a sight even by candlelight. I sure felt like one. Just then I remembered something she'd said, so I laughed and repeated, "You should see the other guy!"

I didn't realize it for a second, but suddenly Arsalin was crying. She kept saying something about "Lion's hearth" or maybe "Lie on shirt." I never found out.

"Lionheart." The tanner was little less confused. "She knows a man called 'Lionheart.' I saw him-"

"No," the fisherman whispered. "She... yes."

Sarasa waited for him to go on. Nothing moved but the shadows on their faces.

Karan spoke gently, "There were parts of my story I didn't want to tell. I didn't think I'd say so much about what Arsalin and I did. I left some personal things out. So I won't ask you to talk about anything you don't want to. But I'm afraid too. I'm afraid because I know you're a braver man than me, but something I don't even know about has frightened you. So you don't need to tell-"

"No!" A strange resolve set the fisherman's face and they had their first good look at his bloodshot, amber eyes. "No, you should know. I can't run any longer. And... and you should know about Lionheart too!" He ran his fingers through his thinning hair. "I... I need time to think about this. What to say."

Rain drummed, fire crackled, and the thunder steadily drew nearer. Eventually Sarasa continued.

There's nothing worse than holding a crying woman and not being able to help her. Except wondering if it was my fault maybe. With one of the guys back home I could've just said it was alright and maybe made a joke about it. That seemed more what she'd want than hugs and pats on the back, you know? But I had no idea what she was crying about in the first place!

Finally she said something like, "Tomorrow."

I nodded and lay back. The candle was slowly burning down, but I wasn't gonna get up to snuff it. I was just dozing off with her warm on top of me when she looked up and asked if she could suck me again.

I'll never say no to that from a woman like her, but I'm still glad she always asked.

Her warm mouth was heavenly, but she didn't seem to want to really get going like earlier. That was actually sorta a relief. I drifted off to sleep without even realizing it.

I woke hard and raring to go with bright sun through the skylight. She was still suckling me under the blanket! Fuck that felt good!

Arsalin shook off the sheets to sit up as she woke. She stretched and yawned, looking more like a big cat than ever, then smiled at me. "Good morning, handsome."

"Sure feels like one." I yawned too. "I don't think I ever slept so well." It was true, though partly just because it was the first time in three weeks that I didn't have to wake up at dawn to march again.

She laughed that way she had, then winced at the light. "Urgh. That wine you people make is strong stuff."

It sure was. I had a twinge of a hangover myself and I hadn't had any since lunch. Yeah, it was about then that I began to realize I'd really fucked the snowreader. Shit, that wine was a lot stronger than ale.

She seemed to follow what I was thinking and clapped my shoulder, "You did good, Sarasa! Saválas never saw a hair on Talávan's head."

It still weirds me out that she called the king by his first name.

Arsalin noticed my wrapped-up hand and reached down into one of the pouches of her discarded belt. "Don't tell me he pulled a knife to defend his honor!" She came back up with strips of white linen. "Boiled clean. Here, let me take care of that for you."

I undid last night's crude bandages and told the story while she worked skillfully.

"A poisoned war wound? Good thinking." She giggled and stretched again. "So are you ready? I don't feel like getting out of bed yet." Damn it, she was just too hot for words when she winked.

I always wake up hard, but spending all night in her mouth- and thinking about fucking her ass- had me ready to burst.

She leaned way over the side of the bed, balancing with a leg in the air, and rummaged through something on the ground. Gods, the way her dewy, brown and pink pussy peeled open...

"Got any of the oil I gave you left?" She had to ask again. "I think I left mine in Saválas's room. Or maybe Barakva's. Like hell I'm going back there." She grinned and wriggled so I could look right into her while she re-checked the clothes on the floor.

"Uh... it's... I think it's in a pouch on the belt," I waved vaguely toward the pile.

I was leaning in to kiss her between her muscular, brown legs but she closed them and sat back up with the bottle in hand. "It's still full!"

"Oh, yeah!" It seemed funny when I told her. Like the whole story was funny I mean, some joke I'd played on a country priest. "He got out the holy oil for lighting the altar fires and we used that!"

We both laughed. She popped open the little jar and dipped her fingers before handing it to me. "Alright, a deal's a deal, big guy." She reached down to slick her ass up.

I couldn't believe what I was saying, but I had to say it. Especially when I saw her wince again. "Look, uh... what's your name?"

"Arsalin," she purred.

Such a strange name. I'd always kinda assumed everyone just had the same sort of names as us Davasaners. Except the Tir Lindrani I guess. I hadn't thought about that much. "Well, Arsalin, I mean, I know we had a deal." I really couldn't believe I was saying this. Me! "But you don't have to do this."

She quirked up one eyebrow like she couldn't believe I'd said so either. Then she reached her hand back into the oil jar. "I want to."

It was hard not to just pounce on her, but I slicked myself up with the lukewarm stuff till I was almost dripping on the bed.

"You're big and this one creep last night was pretty rough," she growled, "Start off slow, Sarasa."

I said I would and then tried to roll her over the same time she tried to push me on my back. I was just about to let her do things her way when she turned over onto her hands and knees. "Alright, then," she gave her butt an inviting smack and nodded over her shoulder, "You trusted me, I'll trust you."

The sheets rustled as I climbed up behind her. Her ass felt just perfect in my hands; smooth and soft but strong and firm underneath. She wriggled a bit and helped get us lined up and comfortable.

I was admiring how sleek and pretty she was when I noticed all the long scars on her back again. I slid a finger along one. It felt so wrong compared to the rest of her skin. Rough and bumpy. She shivered and I stopped, but I just had to ask, "Did someone... cut you?" It didn't really look like a knife-wound. Not that I'd seen lots of those.

She sighed. "Are you gonna fuck me or ask me a bunch of questions?"

Now that she mentioned it, I had a bunch of questions and she'd promised me a bunch of answers. I said so and she grumbled but finally told me, "Alright, handsome. But only because I like you. Some pirates tied me to their mast and whipped me. Now before you go swear blood vengeance, I already fed them to the sharks. So you can stay right where you are. And maybe slide forward just a bit."

The tanner turned to the fisherman. "Wait, wait. You said you saw her get the scars on her back. She sure didn't have them when I met her. Are you a --"

"No! No, I'm no pirate!" Fury flared in his coppery eyes. "Never." He stomped a boot on the earth floor, "Never a pirate. Let the boy finish his story. I'll tell you everything."

The "boy" eagerly went on.

She didn't need to ask twice! After the snowreader I had some idea what to expect, so I pushed softly till I felt her just starting to open for me. She was tight as a vice, but I finally got my head in. It was easier after that. And so hot it might've hurt if it wasn't so good!

Her whole body seemed relaxed and I could hear the little shlicks as she fingered herself. Bit by bit I slid in a little further. Now and then she'd gasp and I'd stop and massage her beautiful butt till she asked for more. She was deeper than a lot of girls' pussies and there was only an inch or two left when I bottomed out. Fuck, I was close to coming already since she'd been sucking me all night. I stopped dead.

"Don't worry," Arsalin cooed, "The morning's still young. Give me your cum." I didn't have a choice when she started gently squeezing all over. Gods, it felt so good to come inside her. How did she even do that? And the way she smiled back at me! I gasped and held onto her perfect ass while I filled it. "Mmm, that's right. Let me have it all."

She moaned softly with every hot pulse then licked her lips as I finished, "Almost as good as feeling it pour down my throat. Hey, don't pull out! I want to feel that cock get hard again." She was so tight that I could actually feel her pull her fingers out of her pussy before she tugged my hand. "Come on, big guy, I want to feel you on top of me."

I was afraid I'd crush her if one of my hands slipped or something, but I settled down over her back till I could feel her heart beating next to mine. She seemed so small like this. I mean, she really was --especially compared to me- but she seemed bigger walking around.

"Give me a little more weight. Ahhh." She nuzzled my cheek, "Tell me more about home."

There wasn't much else to say. "I don't want to go back yet. I want to see the rest of the world."

"Good!" She shifted down to one forearm so she could jill herself again, "Good, you want to go see somewhere else?"

"Uh, yeah. Maybe Tir Lindran." I settled down lower with her, feeling her whole warm, supple body with mine. It was sort of natural doing this with her somehow. Nice too. Too nice to focus on talking.

"Can't help you there, you're --mmm- going to Virse next I bet. Nice place."

Gods, her ass felt so good, but, "Virse? What? Why?" All I knew about Virse was there'd been some war with them when I was a kid. Didn't go anywhere since the rest of the League joined in.

"Classified information, soldier!"

I laughed just a second. "Wait, so... so there's gonna be war? Really?" It couldn't be.

"Really. Saválas called for it last night and the Grandmoot agreed."

I couldn't believe it. We'd all been so sure this war talk would go nowhere. But she sounded like she meant it. But how would she know already? But wait, she'd been with the king last night or something. And what about the steward? They'd been talking about something big at that meeting.

"Mmm," she was squeezing me inside her again. "Ask me something else, we've got a deal."

All I could think of was the war and the king and I tried to ask about that. Wasn't easy.

She leaned her head against mine and whispered, "Yeah, me and the king what?"

Come to think of it, that was another question. "You... uh. I thought the king had a... a queen." I was pretty sure I'd heard something about that when I was little. A Veirandrani woman or something.

She shook her head, "I don't screw anyone married or promised. Not really married anyway. They hate each other. She lives back in Veirandr with her family. Hasn't been here in years."

"What the fuck?" It was just another thing I should've known about but never thought to ask before leaving home.

"Politics," she grimaced. "His father said he had to marry her; her father said she had to marry him. A damned fool way to try to make a real alliance. It's not like they share their lands or anything. One'll die, the other'll remarry, and it'll be like the whole stupid thing never happened."

I'd never heard of us fighting Veirandr anyway, but I did live across the whole country from them. "So... why'd they hate each other?"

She shrugged under me. "He says southern women are frigid. I'm sure she'd say he's a boor. Mostly I think they just didn't want to like each other, so they both found fault. So she took her first chance to not come back after a visit home and by then Saválas was king and told her to stay there. Now he's waiting for her to try to remarry and she's waiting for him to want her back or something."

"Fat chance with you around!" I laughed weakly. Everything was so fucked up here.

"Damn right!" She giggled. "Honestly, I think that's why he likes watching me screw other guys."

"What?"

"Well I mean, I think he likes knowing I love the screwing itself. That I'm not just fucking him for politics. Hildreir- that's the queen- only let him bed her on their wedding night because she had to."

"Is it true what he says about girls down south?" I'd sure skip seeing Veirandr if it was.

Arsalin snorted. "Fuck no! There wouldn't be any Veirandrani if they didn't like a good screw as much as anyone else. But they're ashamed of it. Women here are too. In most places really. All our lives people tell them us fucking's wrong and dirty and we're wrong and dirty if we like it." She cracked her neck. "It feels like you're ready to try again. Me too."

I sure was. I knelt back up and grabbed her hips to slide out, then in again softly.

"A little faster," she pushed back at me.

Her ass felt even better now that it was full of cum. But the best part was how into it she was, fingering herself hard and panting into the pillow. I could've watched that for hours and I had to ask, "Whoah, what's it feel like for you?"

"So fucking good! You've got an ass too; find a man you like and try it sometime!" She started sucking her other fingers.

"Rather," I sped up again for her, "Not."

"Didn't like, mmm, didn't like the priest?"

"No!" It was true. I'm glad I tried it, but I never want to screw another guy.

The tanner nodded understandingly.

"Maybe with me then," she winked back at me. "Saválas has me --nngh- use toys on him sometimes. He's got one that-"

"Gods, what doesn't he like?" I really didn't want to hear about my king getting fucked.

"Just -ahhh- just a little deeper, big guy," Arsalin put her hands on her butt to spread it for me.

I thought I'd take over fingering her pretty pussy, but she caught my hand. "That's mine." It wasn't a tone you could argue with. She put her hands on her tits, "How about these lovelies instead?"

I lay on top of her again so I could. We were really fucking like animals now. I kneaded her soft, bouncing breasts and licked her neck while she stuffed one hand in her gasping mouth and the other between her legs and bucked back against me. Faster and faster till the bed was almost as loud as we were and sweat ran down us both. Oh it was so good. I was gonna come again soon if I didn't slow down.

"Keep going! Keep- mmph," she licked her fingers and started squeezing with her ass, just milking my cock as I came at last. I felt her whole body tremble under me as she came too. We didn't have breath for anything but panting as we rode it out together, jet after jet. Once or twice I've come harder, but never quite so long or so fierce. And never right at the same time as my girl. That was fucking beautiful.

We didn't stop right away, just slowed as we caught our breath. We didn't need to talk; she turned her head the same time I did and we shared a long, lazy kiss. Her dreamy smile made me feel... I don't know how to say it. I was happy because I'd finally made this gorgeous little creature come. Everything was right. I was where I belonged and I knew all I needed to.

She was warm and sweaty under me. That was right. The whole room smelled like sweat and fucking again. That was right. It was quiet. That was right. I could feel my hot cum sloshing inside her. That was rightest.

I'd have liked to keep lying with her, but after a while Arsalin rolled me off and wobbled to the chair, one hand on her butt. Beads of sweat ran down her rich, brown skin and matted her hair. I was a mess myself. "Best way start the day, right?" She sat back with her eyes closed and a soft grin.

I stretched and patted the bed beside me, "Let's not start yet."

She laughed lightly. "I'd love to stay and screw you senseless, but there's a war on! I have lots to do. Sadasa for starters. And other debts to pay. And I really must find some way to get back at Barakva now that I don't need to keep him busy." She gingerly bent to pick up some towels.

"Keep him busy?" I got up and took a towel too.

"What, you still hadn't figured it out?" the tanner mocked.

"Look, I had a lot on my mind and I didn't know anything about politics there."

Karan defended him, "I didn't know much of anything about the way they ran things back home until I became the Signore's equerry. And it took a while-"

"Whatever, I was starting to get it, but I didn't see everything yet," Sarasa cut them off.

"Oh yes. That was part of the plan all along," she dried her feet and put on socks from the pile of spare clothes. "Well for a week anyway. Same thing. No plan survives contact with the enemy longer than a day or two around here. I'll tell you, it's been hard keeping everyone on the same page."

"Now hold it." I held her now-dried gown out of reach. "You still owe me some answers."

She stood up, hands on her red-brown hips. "Are you holding my dress hostage?"

It didn't really seem crazier than anything else I'd done lately.

"Look, handsome," she stepped toward me. "Do you really think I wouldn't walk back to my rooms naked with your cum dripping down my leg? One year in my profession and you forget how to blush." She had a point. She also had a knife. I'm not even sure where she got it. She twirled it around her fingers and vanished it like street magic.

I handed the dress over, but she put it on the table and sat, toweling herself off. "Look, it sounds as fucked up to me as it will to you. It's just politics here. Let me try to put it simply."

I sat on the bed to listen.

"So Saválas needs the Grandmoot's support for his edicts, right? Half of them?"

I had no idea. But I later learned she was right. Half or more. Of the members who vote.

"Well I had Asdan and a lot of others on my side from the start, but not half. So for two moons we've been persuading, making deals, and trading favors. But so did they. We'd finally got to half." She pulled on a chemise. "Then Talávan makes asses of us saying Bastrava wants peace. Asdan was sure the priest didn't have the guts to stand up to him- and, like I figured, he didn't in the end. I gave him a chance to 'forget' to vote last night and he took it." She smacked the table, "But he'd fucked things up bad. Suddenly everything was up in the air again. People we'd had were now for peace. A couple governors joined us to spite the church."

"For peace?"

She sighed. "Ok, let me start at the beginning. There's a war out west. The kingdom of Zhendry conquered its neighbors then attacked the League of the Six Republics. The League need Davasan's help. That's the war. That's why you were mustered. A lot of you Davasaners don't want to get involved, but-"

She was right there. I was one of them.

"No, listen," she put up a hand. "This is important. This is really important." It was hard not to believe her when she got so serious. "This isn't some little border war and it sure as fuck isn't about tariffs like the Zhendrians say. Listen, do you believe in magic?"