The Road to Heronwall

Wearily, Katryn heaved herself up the bed to lie beside her partner, resting her head in the crook of her shoulder. Merialeth remained where she was, panting loudly, before curling up at the bottom of the bed, causing the other two women to move their legs out of the way.

"I'm glad we did this," whispered Ariawyn, "if only I'd known earlier."

"We have plenty of time ahead. I'm not leaving you yet."

The elf wrapped her arms around her, and they kissed again, holding it for a long time. They lay together, cuddled on top of the sheets, Merialeth almost forgotten. Soon, the archer fell asleep, but the other two were still gazing into each other's eyes. They began to caress each other's bodies, still kissing mouth to mouth, taking joy in each other's warmth and comfort.

They didn't climax again, not that night, eventually falling asleep in each other's arms. But they didn't need to; it was enough to be together.

***

Tyravel blinked in the bright sunlight as he stepped out into the courtyard of the Leaping Fish. The wagons were lined up inside the palisade, waiting for the signal to depart on the next leg of their journey. The carters and guards, those who remained, were subdued and sombre, and the scholar suspected that they had been slow to get ready as a result. Feribel wasn't pushing them; the situation was as bad for him as it was for them.

Rrehdkaz hadn't been there when he woke up, but he could see her now, over with the caravan. She wasn't looking in his direction, and he did nothing to prompt her to do so. It had been good; he couldn't deny that, but it was best that he not talk about it to anyone else.

He climbed into the back of the wagon he had been travelling in the previous day, noting that somebody had at least managed to clean most of the blood away. Not quite all of it, perhaps, but enough not to be too horrifying.

After securing the little luggage that he had, he looked out of the back, to see the three women leaving the main building of the inn together and heading in his direction. It might just have been his own guilt at what had happened with the Usathi woman last night, but he thought that they looked overly nonchalant, as if hiding something. Perhaps they were just putting on a brave face against the carnage of the previous day.

Merialeth in particular, was unusually subdued, greeting him gruffly as she joined him in the wagon and trying to avoid catching the eyes of the other two. The paladin and healer were next inside, sitting next to each other, but looking awkward when they caught him looking at them. Katryn even blushed and turned away.

He couldn't think why. It's not as if they had been doing anything last night.

There was a call from the head carter and the wagons began to move towards the open gate of the palisade. Ahead stretched the road to Heronwall, bringing who knew what new adventures?