The Priestess Ch. 02

Elias awoke as soon as his little priestess started to move. The soft red light of the rising sun made her hair glimmer exotically. As her tiny, naked form removed itself from his embrace, he thought about what he should do. The chances were she was going to relieve herself, and if she tried to run he knew he could catch her quickly. Still, the opportunity to be cruel was very tempting. A large part of him wanted to accuse her of trying to escape. He imagined how she would cower, eyes large and full of terror. He longed to wrap his thick hands around her little throat and choke her as he forced his thick cock into her dry, tight tunnel.

As Sophia left their bed, he listened to her moving through the grass. Once he heard the sound of her pissing, he decided he would wait for her return. He thought back to the night before, and the unease that had filled him when he had been rough with her. As she settled back into the crook of his arm, he tightened his grip around her. She froze.

"Glad to see you return safely, priestess. There's lots of vicious beasties in these parts." Elias made his voice rough, and a little threatening.

"I hadn't thought not to return," Sophia stammered back. Elias kept his eyes shut, but knew how worried she must look. He could feel the tension in her body as she lay beside him. A thrill ran through him as he thought about the panic she must be feeling. He kissed the top of her head, and decided to sleep a little longer.

There was no way Sophia would be able to get back to sleep. She lay staring at the roof of their shelter, body stiff. If Elias thought she was trying to escape he would surely hurt her. The thoughts of what he might do to her upset her greatly, and by the time Elias stirred beside her, she was in a state. Her mind couldn't let go of the images of the whores he had killed. There had been a lovely, leggy brunette who had been left broken on her bed, her limbs at odd angles. Elias could easily do that to her.

Sophia jumped as Elias propped himself up on one elbow, turning to face her as he did. Her heart was thumping in her chest, her breath coming in pants. He frowned at her, his grey eyes growing cold. Roughly, his hand closed around Sophia's shoulder. The grip was cruel and painful. This is it, she thought.

"Do you feel that?" He whispered somewhat urgently. Sophia nodded, tears spilling from her eyes. "Do you feel how strong I am?" Again she nodded. "I won't let anything hurt you," he hissed, releasing his grasp and rubbing at the marks he had left, "I was only teasing you." It took Sophia a moment to work out what he was talking about.

"The wild animals?" she stuttered, uncertain.

"Yes, Sophia. There is nothing scarier than a rabbit out there." Looking again at his eyes, Sophia came to the realisation that he was angry with himself, not her. Throwing her arms around his thick neck, Sophia covered his face with relieved kisses.

Surprised when he claimed her lips, Sophia kissed Elias back hesitantly. His hard body felt good against her, but in the back of her mind was a deep rooted fear, as well as a sense of guilt. Take pleasure in him. He will not hurt you. Jerking back from Elias, Sophia gasped. She had always been a little sceptical when her High Priestess had told her that the Goddess spoke to her, but now she knew it was true. A tinkling laughter filled her head before it faded, leaving a frustrated man before her eyes.

Suddenly, Sophia found herself pinned to the sheets. Her wrists were gripped in Elias' left hand, whilst the fingers of his right stroked the base of her throat lightly. He was between her thighs, his hardness pressing against her opening in a clear threat. "You will tell me what's wrong, Sophia. What did you see last night that caused you to fear me so."

"I told you, I saw my sisters-"

"-Do not lie to me, Sophia." Swallowing thickly, Sophia considered her answer. Before she had had a moment to think, Elias gripped her nipple and twisted viciously. Writhing in pain beneath him, she told him the truth.

"I know what you like to do to women," she spluttered.

Looking down at Sophia's face, Elias froze. He released her, springing to his feet and turning away. Shame flushed through him at the excitement he had felt moments before. No wonder the priestess feared him. He had heard that the priestesses had visions, that the Goddess spoke with them, but he had never expected it to be true. Running a hand through his hair, he turned back to the meek little woman in his bed.

She sat with her hands clutching the sheets to her. Her knees were drawn up and her shoulders hunched. Elias could see how afraid she was. To think, she had slept next to him thinking that he may tear into her at any moment. He could see that the trust had gone completely from her. It put a whole new spin on her reactions that morning; she had been afraid of his anger, not of the animals he had said lived nearby.

"I will drop you off at the next town we ride through." His voice was brusque and matter of fact, hiding the sorrow he felt at losing the naïve beauty so soon.

"No," the priestess blurted out, much to his surprise. Her big blue eyes looked more panicked at the prospect of him leaving her than anything else. Of course, he thought, she had spent a life in the temple and knew no one. He was a fool to think she would survive long on her own.

Approaching her slowly, he watched as she recoiled in a way that was all too familiar to him. Even his sweet faced Lisa had cowered before him in the end.

"Let me try," she begged, quietly. Her eyes looked anywhere but at his face. He sighed. The scar must seem as repulsive as the rest of him to such a sheltered, fragile creature. He cursed his own idiocy at thinking she would want him. What did it matter if he tried to be gentle? She was just too good for him.

Sophia watched the warring emotions on Elias' face. The thought of failing her Goddess made her brave. Creeping forward, and watching the weariness in her soldier's eyes, she caressed his scarred cheek. It occurred to Sophia that he was as vulnerable as her, in his own way.

"Promise me you'll be gentle," she pleaded, meeting his eyes. He seemed shocked by her consent. Giving herself to him was the last thing that Sophia wanted to do. She longed to know the reasons behind his brutal behaviour, wanted to spend time with him where other people could keep her safe but, above all, she wanted to flee.

Laying herself back on the blankets, Sophia shut her eyes and spread her legs wide for Elias. It felt like an eternity before his fingers tentatively found her thigh, stroking it as he settled once more between them. His lips brushed hers, softly, encouragingly. She urged herself to relax under him, but couldn't. Every moment she was waiting for him to treat her roughly.

Large hands skimmed her sides before massaging her breasts. As Elias' fingers found her nipples, a whimper escaped Sophia.

"Easy, priestess," he muttered against her lips. His lips left her mouth, replacing his hands at her breasts. She gasped as he nibbled gently, then flicked the hard points with his tongue. His mouth felt so hot and moist that Sophia felt her stomach clenching. Her whole skin was tingling as his tongue lapped a path down her stomach. Knowing what she did about him, she didn't understand how Elias could excite her so quickly.

As Elias licked the taught skin of Sophia's stomach, he couldn't help noticing how tense she still was beneath him. He bit the soft swell of her hip as he found her slit with his fingers. Probing her dampening entrance with the tip of a finger, he heard Sophia whine. Minutes before, he thought he would never be welcomed inside her again. Even if she was prostituting herself for his protection, he couldn't afford to scare her any more for fear of losing this intimacy.

Shifting his body down the bed, Elias slid his hands under his priestess' pert arse. Forcing her to tilt her pelvis, he looked at the cunt that was spread open before him. She wasn't half as slippery as he wanted her to be when he fucked her.

Stretching out his tongue, he tickled the plump lips lightly, enjoying the sound of Sophia's horrified gasp.

"Please, this isn't...clean." Elias chuckled against her in response, enjoying her squirming at the sensation. Lazily, he lapped at the juices trickling slowly from her. She tasted good. Plunging his tongue mercilessly inside her hungry cunt, Elias buried his face in her. He trailed a path from the tiny puckered arsehole, all the way up to her swollen, twitching clit. Sucking it fiercely into his mouth, he rolled it between his lips, letting his teeth graze it occasionally.

As Sophia's hands wound in his hair, he smiled. Elias knew he had her. Backing off a little, he starting to flick her clit with his tongue. By the sounds of her panting, he was keeping her right on the edge of orgasm. The pressure of her hands built on his head as she tried to force his face against her. Her hips bucked, desperate for more stimulation. At this point he could make his lusty little priestess agree to anything, he thought.

"Please..." she panted.

"Please what?" He whispered against her feverish flesh, causing her to groan.

"Inside me, please." Satisfied, he sucked hard. Sophia's slender thighs clamped down around his head as she writhed in pleasure. Taking his chance, Elias moved his body over hers and slammed his cock into the tight, pulsating hole that was waiting for him. He groaned as his priestess whimpered with the sudden pain. She was so slippery, and felt so good, he couldn't help forcing as much of his length in to her as he could. Elias could feel the end of her, and knew how much discomfort he could cause. His hands bunched in the blankets as he fought the temptation.

Withdrawing slowly, the lithe body beneath him continued to twitch on his cock. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Elias eased back in to the tight sheath that was milking him. Roughly, he palmed Sophia's breast, twisting and tugging at her nipple. She whimpered, and he could see her wincing in pain. He picked up pace, fascinated by the way his girl panted in time with him. Taking her lips in an almost violent kiss, Elias lost control. His body seemed to override any care or concern he had for his priestess, hitting the end of her with every thrust. He grunted, then shuddered, his hands clenching around the soft flesh of her hips.

"Elias, please," he heard Sophia moan. He wasn't sure if she was desperate for him to continue or to stop, but at that moment it didn't matter; just hearing her lilting voice pleading took him over the edge and he spilled into her.

Rolling off the trembling priestess, Elias pulled her body against his chest. He lay still as she took deep, struggling breaths, hiding her face in her tangled hair. With long, soothing movements, he stroked her back. Sated, he started to feel a little guilty for scaring her. He had been too rough with her luscious tits, and had hammered her silky cunt for all it was worth.

Eventually, Sophia's shuddering stopped. Elias wondered if she had fallen asleep, and waited patiently to see if she stirred. By now he had wanted to be on the road, but he was happy to stay longer if she needed to sleep. As Elias started to drift into sleep himself, he found himself wondering exactly what Sophia knew about him. He hoped she had merely seen the rough sex, not the dead whores.

Startled out of his pondering, Elias tried to cling to Sophia as she pulled away from him.

"I should wash," she mumbled, not making eye contact. Releasing her, Elias remained quiet. He watched her scurrying away with a sense of confusion about what to do about her.

With her back flush against Elias' chest, and his groin melded to her, it was challenging for Sophia not to think of their morning activities. After briefly thinking her death was imminent, Sophia now felt a lot more relaxed around the solider. He had been kind to her since they left, offering her plenty of chances to get off the horse and stretch.

"Where are we going?" She finally dared ask, her soft voice almost lost in the breeze.

"Today we will stop in Eastfield, a large town not far from here. We should be there by nightfall," Elias replied. He lifted a hand from the reign, brushed her hair aside, and laid a kiss on her neck. It made Sofia shiver with pleasure despite the summer heat. She had wanted to know where they were headed on their journey, not just where they were going today. She chided herself for not being more specific, but wasn't comfortable asking again.

"Is it a nice place?" she asked instead.

"It's much like any other town in that some areas are nicer than others. You'll see for yourself soon enough." Tensing in the soldiers arms, Sophia turned as best as she could to look at Elias. In the pit of her stomach was a worm of worry; she was afraid that he would leave her in the town, and that she would therefore fail her Goddess.

"You will keep me, Elias, won't you?" Sophia almost slipped from the horse as he chuckled.

"I don't own you, priestess." Elias' hands gripped her shoulders and turned her around so that she was facing forwards again. It wasn't the first time that she had come close to falling. Her thighs ached from gripping the horse, they were rubbed raw despite the trousers she wore under her dress, and between her legs throbbed with every step from Elias' rough handling.

"Before, back in the temple -"

"- was bullshit," he finished for her. Sophia was glad that he couldn't see the look on her face. Cursing was not something that she had been brought up to tolerate. "Priestess, what I said then was for the benefit of the men listening. If you want to leave me, I will happily assist you."

Sophia fidgeted, confusion weighing heavily on her mind. Elias had kept her the first night for sex, she knew that. He had told her to accompany him yesterday, but had told her that he would leave her somewhere safe after a while. She understood better his comments about him ruining her innocence; she felt sullied by the things she had seen him do. She wasn't really sure if she was his prisoner or not.

Soon enough, trees started thinning and people started passing them on the road. As the outskirts of the town came into view, Sophia started to wonder about where they would stay and what they would eat. Adrenaline was coursing through her system at the thought of all of the people. Suddenly, Elias seemed a lot safer. It was true, sometimes, that it's better the devil you know.

The first thing Sophia noticed was the smell: the foul stench of excrement seemed to be a base for other smells to build upon; acrid and bitter, the scent of smoke layered unpleasantly on top; soured ale and tart wine perfumed the air whenever they passed an inn; roasting meat, simmering vegetables, and baking fish created a sickly layer of fragrance that might have been pleasant if not for the others; finally, the scent of thousands of unwashed bodies assaulted the senses. It was nothing like the open country air, or the delicate incense of the temple that she was used to. Even the army camp had smelt more appealing.

Still, Sophia found herself fascinated. The streets were bustling even though it must have been time for the evening meal. People of all shapes and sizes were hurrying about, dressed in everything from fine silks, to little more than rags. The buildings seemed cramped, the streets higgledy-piggledy. It was as if the town was organic, and had slowly spread rather than something that had been a planned and organised development. It seemed wrong to Sophia that this was the case. Up until now, her whole world had been very structured unless she was out, and enjoying nature. People had travelled for days to reach the temple of the Goddess rendering visits to other places unnecessary.

"This all seems so strange," Sophia whispered, although she wasn't really sure who she was talking to.

"Wait until you meet Vita and see where we are staying. That really will give you a shock." It didn't take long for Sophia to see the latter. In the centre of the town, or so it seemed, there stood a dingy, boisterous inn. The square that it was located on made it an obvious choice at the end a busy day, but whatever money the owners made certainly wasn't spent on the maintenance of the building.

Sophia felt Elias climb from behind her. He quickly took the horse's reigns and led them down a narrow alley way. Moss grew up the walls, and murky liquid puddled underfoot. She thanked Elias for allowing her to stay on the horse as he grinned knowingly at her horrified expression.

The stables were surprisingly clean. Fresh hay covered the floor, and a boy was on hand to take the horse. Sophia slid inelegantly to her feet, whishing she had more than sandals to wear. It was the thought that she had no possessions that made her study Elias' attire for the first time.

"What?" He grunted, as he flipped the stable hand a coin.

"I wondered how you dared to ride around, being a soldier of the enemy. Now I know." Elias wasn't wearing a single item of clothing that identified him as one of the invaders. His eyes narrowed. Sophia took a step away from him, then winced in pain as he gripped her wrist, purposefully dragging her towards the inn through as many puddles of suspicious fluid as he could. She wondered how many were due to the horses, and how many were due to inebriated customers. She had a feeling that she knew.

As they approached the open door at the back of the inn, Sophia was tugged behind her soldier. She tried desperately to see what he was protecting her from without making her position obvious. Bravery was all well and good whilst she was hidden, but she knew her legs would turn to jelly at the first sign of danger.

"- think you can take advantage of my girls like that, you piece of shit? If you so much as breathe wrong the next time you're in here, I'll have your guts decorating the walls." Sophia heard a thud, a groan, and then a man was sprawled at Elias' feet. The voice that had spoken had been coarse but definitely female.

"Glad to see you're still handling yourself, Vita," Elias said.

"Shit, give a girl some warning!" Despite the words, Vita sounded excited to see Elias. Sophia was sure that if she could see the woman's face she would be beaming. Rather suddenly, Sophia was tugged in front of Elias. Vita's face visibly dropped, leaving her with a slightly angry expression.

"Two rooms?" she enquired, her tone brusque.

"One," Elias snapped back.

"Are you sure it's a good idea after-"

"-It's not the same." With that, Vita nodded. Her eyes came to rest on Sophia making her squirm a little, but giving her the chance to study the woman openly.

Vita's hair was a dirty blonde, and scraped back behind her head. She was a scrawny woman, all sharp angles. Her face was scared from some sort of pox that had left her pasty skin pitted. With dark smudges beneath her eyes and crooked teeth, Vita certainly looked unhealthy and unappealing. Her eyes sparkled with life though, and a wry humour that made Sophia feel very naïve. The woman made her feel shy, embarrassed and a little envious.

"Vita," the woman announced, shoving a dirt smudged hand out for Sophia to shake. Bemused, and with a quick glance at Elias, she gave Vita a tentative squeeze.

"Sophia."

"I stole her from the temple," Elias announced calmly. Vita just rolled her eyes, and led them both into the inn. As they walked, Elias took hold of Sophia's hand even though she walked in front of him. His hand was rough and warm against her skin.

Once again, Sophia's senses were assaulted. The noise was atrocious. Men were everywhere, with the odd woman interspersed between them. They were raucous; shouting to one another, and banging fists, feet and tankards in emotion created a cacophony. There were men playing instruments in a corner, but they were barely audible.