by A L Wright
“Wait, please wait,” she said, coming to a stop herself.
Yosan and her grandfather stopped walking and looked at her curiously.
“I think I should speak with him first. I know that you want to talk with him about my father, but he may be more willing to listen once he and I discuss why I left the Keep first.”
“I suppose that is fair enough. Go on ahead. Vera said he is staying in the room east of yours. Yosan and I will be in the Library. Bring him to us when you are ready.” The Patriarch and his comrade turned around and walked away, leaving her gathering enough courage to push her forward one more time.
Bolstered just enough to move once more, Nikka walked quickly down the hall and was to the room next to hers sooner than she realized. She stood for a moment outside the closed door, preparing herself. Just as she raised her fist to knock the door swung open wide.
The look of shock on Victor’s face was confusing to Nikka. Both of them just stood there, he staring at her like he had just seen her for the first time. And she staring at the face of the man she realized she hated to be separated from.
Nikka’s already outstretched hand reached forward toward Victor’s cheek, her fist uncurling into seeking fingertips. As her fingers made contact with his face, Victor closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He then reached up and curled his fingers around her hand snugly, and stepped back pulling her into the room with him.
He opened his eyes just as a tear slipped down Nikka’s cheek. Victor dropped her hand and placed both of his to each side of her face, kissed her on the forehead, then pulled her into a tight embrace. It had never felt so good to wrap her arms around someone as it did right then.
“I thought I had lost you, Princess.”
“You could never lose me, Victor. I have always been right here.” The warmth of his chest gave her comfort and courage to speak freely.
“I came to the palace seeking you, and heard that you and Friesa were slumbering. Yes, you would have been safe. But I still would have lost you.” His cheek rested on the top of her head now.
“Victor, Tynen slumbers with Friesa. She has always fancied him, and he returns that. He has always been so aloof about it though, it is no wonder you could not tell. Why were you so sure it was me in there?” She drew back a few inches to look up at him.
“It does not matter now. You are safe, and I am a foolish man.”
“We are both the fools. You did not want to break my trust or my father’s by approaching me with your feelings before. And I am the fool that let it be that way,” she said. Being this close to him was intoxicating and made her breath come short.
“But Princess…”
“Shhh, I am not your Princess. I am just a woman standing here waiting for you to kiss me.”
Before she could draw another breath, Victor’s lips came down against hers. He kissed her gently, leaving soft whispers across her lips. Then he kissed her more firmly, while bringing her body solidly against his. Nikka had no idea how long they stood there, clinging to one another, kissing each other like their lives depended on it.
Without breaking their embrace, Victor swept her up and carried her across the chamber, deftly avoiding tables and stools. Gently he laid her down upon his bed holding himself above her, never breaking their kiss.
Nikka slid her fingers up into his short hair, then down his neck and muscular shoulders and arms. The man was built like a brick. It was no wonder he was a guard, a protector. He had always protected her. And she hoped he always would.
She reached back up and began unbuttoning his shirt and had managed to get three buttons undone before he finally broke their kiss to ask her a question.
“What are you doing? This is dangerous ground, my Princess. I am afraid I will reach a point that I cannot stop myself.”
“I am already at that point, Victor. I have never been more ready for this in my life. You are the only thing, person, I want now or ever.” She continued to unbutton his shirt, then finishing with the last one, slid her hands inside and under it to stroke the bare skin across his stomach and chest. His chest had a light layer of dark curls that felt velvet smooth against her hands. Her touch elicited a rumbling groan from Victor, his head drooped low while he was lost in the sensation.
Victor looked up at her suddenly. “Nikka, I barely have any self-control left. I need to touch you,” he growled.
“You finally called me by my actual name. Victor, please, show me how it feels to be touched.”
Standing up, he pulled her up and over to the edge of the bed to sit in front of him. He shed her of her short riding cloak, then her deerskin jacket. He ever so slowly undid the buttons of her shirt, watching her face as he did so. Several agonizing moments later he pulled her shirt away and began to unlace the short riding corset that was underneath. With only a few laces to loosen, he pulled the contraption free and dropped it to the floor. He stood staring, eyes roving over her for several minutes and she began to feel self-conscious.
“Victor? Is there something wrong?”
“You are perfection. I just want to remember this moment for eternity.” Finally, he leaned forward to kiss her, grabbing her around the waist with both arms.
Victor slid her back to the top of the bed, laying them both out skin to bare skin. Nikka gasped at the shocking feel of it, how it made her head swim. Never could she have known how wonderfully amazing this would feel. She could only wish that he would not stop, would never stop.
And he did not disappoint her.
It was only some time several hours later, that she remembered she was supposed to bring Victor to her grandfather. Curled up against him, tight in his strong embrace, she decided that her grandfather would just have to forgive her.
Chapter 23
After an only slightly-awkward entry into the Patriarch’s chambers, they got down to business discussing their next step. Victor was relieved that he was left mostly out of the discussion, as it avoided pinning him down with the fact that he had only a few hours ago ravaged the Noble leader’s granddaughter.
Of course, she had been just as eager for him as he had been for her. It was wonderful to finally feel the freedom of honesty with Nikka. He hadn’t realized how wearisome it had been, holding everything back from her yet maintaining as constant of a presence in her life as he had done. Of course, a healthy dose of respect for her father had helped him to keep that distance as well.
But there was no distance between them now. It was like after all his walls had come crashing down, he had only needed to wait for the dust to clear to see that there she was, waiting for him. He couldn’t help but see her in his mind, the way she sat in front of him last night. Proud and strong, and beautifully bare.
Nikka’s hand squeezing his shoulder brought him back to reality. Hopefully she had been paying attention to everything that was being said. He could scarce remember a word.
“The solution for this problem is quite easy, my old friend.” Yosan was saying. “We just need to fetch my old chamber.”
“And we’ll discuss with my father about approaching the villagers near the Keep,” Nikka pitched in.
“This would keep from taxing the system I have in place with the humans here in Noble’s Rest,” The Patriarch stated. He was currently sitting in his chair behind the desk, fingers steepled in front of him.
“And we could approach the southern villages for volunteers once Friesa and Tynen awake and are finished with your chamber,” Nikka said to her grandfather.
“My only worry is that our world will be overrun with Nobles by the time we finish this war that has not even fully started yet. We fought for the preservation of human life before, I would hate to see us end it in order to defeat our enemy again,” The Patriarch mused. “But if things are as bad as we fear, then we will need many Noble fighters at our disposal.”
Victor spoke up. “What is the difference between now and then, my Lord?”
“Then, the damnable creatures were concentrated in o
ne place at a time, and at the end, in the Northern Reaches. And we had armies of undead behind us, fighting. Now the sightings of goblin hordes come in from every corner of the land, in large numbers. And we have no army besides our own. Split up the numbers we have now, and we will be spread desperately thin.”
“And if the ancient one is still alive as I fear, then we cannot afford to split up and take him on,” Yosan added.
“Ancient one?” Asked Nikka.
Yosan ran a hand over his face and looked suddenly weary and old in spite of his magically-given youth. “He is what is called a wyrm. His burrows ran under the mountains of the Northern Reaches, and we thought then that we had finished him when we collapsed all the tunnels.”
“Hielrich the Deep Dweller,” The Patriarch mumbled.
Yosan fell into silence, reliving his dread of the creature that was just named. Victor could only give life to the old war in his imagination. He had never seen The Patriarch use his magic blatantly but knew that the man was strong and seemingly fearless. To see both warlocks lost in such a state of deep reverie made him nervous.
Victor was not good with nervous. He was much better with actions.
“My Lord. I believe first things must come first. Let us travel to the Keep and speak with Prince Dartein, and then gauge what sort of success we may have there with human volunteers.”
The Patriarch stood. “Quite right, and well spoken. It is still early in the night, we could get a good start. I just have a few orders to leave with Vera.”
Vera. Victor had had no idea what part the sly Noble woman played in the palace until now. Palace informant and spy was a great position for her. She definitely had the right personality for it.
The Patriarch and Yosan shuffled out of the library door to make preparations. Nikka snuggled into his side as he stood up and put his arm around her. As he kissed the top of her head she whispered.
“Let us go confront my father.”
She may be nervous about what Dartein would think of their union, but nothing in the world would keep him apart from her now.
✽ ✽ ✽
Two nights later they were riding across the plain just south west of the Keep. They were approaching the old structure when they heard yelling and the sound of metal clashing on metal. Fighting!
Spurring on their tired horses they flew the rest of the way. As they approached they could see hordes of goblins pressing in from the north, with rangers, fighters and a few humans opposing them.
Sheer numbers were against them and Victor could tell that the defenders were tired by their sluggish movements. Yosan had pulled ahead of their group on his large mount who never seemed to tire, and rode straight into the thick of the fighting.
“He always was a show-off,” The Patriarch snorted and spurred his horse onward.
Victor could see a faint bluish glow begin to emit around The Patriarch, and was able to see it still after Mortul drove his horse into the crowd of goblins chasing after Yosan, who now had a globe of blue light around himself as well. The two blue glows stopped moving, and then suddenly flashed brilliantly, pulsing the glow outward through the goblins. Dozens of the creatures dropped dead in an instant, leaving the two warlocks standing alone once more, the blue light expired.
Victor looked over at Nikka and saw that she wore the same slack-jawed expression that he was probably wearing right then. Their mounts had come to a stop with no direction from their riders. Their riders had been too distracted by the sudden and unexpected display of magic.
Nikka looked over at him and grinned, then kicked her horse into a gallop riding after her grandfather, her path now cleared of goblins. Victor was about to follow when he spotted Dartein next to the wall of the Keep, leaning over something. Trotting towards his Prince, he saw that what was on the ground was actually a very large man with blood pooling around him.
“Victor, my friend!” Dartein yelled to him as he approached.
Victor dismounted and grasped arms with his old friend.
“I see you brought my daughter back home,” Dartein said, with a small smile. His smile never did quite reach his eyes however, as he looked back to the ground.
“Who is he?” Victor asked.
“Dead if I cannot find him any help. I am not a healer, though.”
“I brought your father here, maybe he can help.”
“My father?” Dartein said, looking suddenly distraught. Then his face relaxed and he said, “That flash of light was him, wasn't it? Maybe he can help. Please go and find him.”
Dartein leaned back down to comfort the man as Victor wheeled his horse around and galloped away.
Finding the warlocks was easy as smaller blue flashes in the night led him directly there. Victor now had his sword out and slashed at the occasional goblin, but never slowed to fight in his haste.
“My Lord!” He called as he approached, hoping he did not get mistaken for a goblin. “Your son is in need of aid for a friend, can you help?”
“Where is he?”
“Over against the west wall, my Lord.”
“Keep an eye on Yosan, Victor.” The Patriarch ordered as he galloped off the field of battle, Nikka galloping after right on his heels.
Nikka winked at him as she ran by, her eyes lit up like lanterns in the night. Not knowing what to think of it, Victor turned his horse toward Yosan and the few goblins that were left.
Chapter 24
Dartein had always thought that if he were to see his father again, he would feel nothing but anger and resentment towards the man. But as he spied him trotting towards him and Matten he only felt relieved. And a bit hopeful. Over the last few days, he had come to like the passionate Matten, and truly did not want to see him perish.
Both his father and Nikka quickly dismounted and leaned down beside him next to the large human cattleman. Before either he or his father could say anything, Nikka had her hands out and hovering over the wound Matten had taken in his upper thigh. The goblin's knife had nicked the main artery and despite the tourniquet, he was bleeding out quickly.
Dartein could not help but to notice that the nails on Nikka’s hands were suddenly long and pointed like claws. As he stared the claws receded back into her fingertips and were nothing but normal nails. He almost wondered if maybe he were imagining what he had seen until her hands started to glow a soft white.
“There you go, Nikkola. Just like with the mare.” His father was murmuring to his daughter, encouraging her to continue whatever it was that she was doing. “Calm his heart first.”
Dartein saw that Matten was now breathing normally, if still a bit shallow. The large man was no longer grimacing in pain, but was now relaxed and his eyes were heavy lidded. Nikka moved her hands back down to the wound and gently pressed. Dartein expected Matten to cry out in pain, but his face remained lax.
The intensifying glow from Nikka’s hand drew his attention back to the wound. Her hands now radiated with light and warmth and there was no longer any blood running from the wound. Dartein would have thought him dead if it weren’t for his steady breathing. All at once the light went out and Nikka sat back on her heels, sweat pouring from her brow. The wound was fully sealed and was merely red and puckered like a recent scar.
“He will need rest and replenishment. The wound may be healed but he still lost a lot of blood,” Nikka said, looking up at him.
Dartein continued to stare at her in astonishment, until she leaned against him putting her head on his shoulder. He threw his arm around her and squeezed tight. At that moment Victor and a Noble whom he did not know rode over to them. He squeezed his daughter one more time before letting go and standing up.
“Victor, help me to get Matten here inside the Keep and comfortable,” Dartein said.
“Oh Victor, you should have seen it. I healed his wound!” Nikka jumped up and hugged his old friend, surprising Dartein. And he was surprised further when Victor wrapped his arms around his daughter and kissed her on the top of her head.
Standing up, his father said, “I am sure that before this war is over you will have seen more than you want of her healing powers.”
Dartein was lost with everything that was happening around him, but figured first they needed to get Matten inside. He and Victor each grabbed Matten by the shoulders and hauled him upright, placing themselves under each arm and dragging him into the Keep.
The battle over, the fighting human men joined their families in the great hall of the Keep where a large fire was already blazing. Upon seeing Matten being carried in by Dartein and Victor, some of the humans quickly made up a makeshift cot near the fire from blankets and hay. Dartein lowered Matten down gently to the bedding and then relinquished care of him over to his wife and the other women hovering nearby.
Most of the humans were still nervous around the Nobles, but in the aftermath of the battle it was a fading notion. Although several of the fighting men were staring at his Father and the as yet unnamed Noble in something like reverence.
He turned to speak with Victor, but his old friend had already moved away from him and over to one of the large tables where his daughter sat, along with his father and the stranger. He stood still for a moment, observing, while Nikka moved over making room for Victor next to her. Then once he settled on the bench she placed her head against his shoulder.
It seems her running off had finally tipped the scales, and Victor must have opened up to his daughter. He watched as the guard put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer against him. Dartein thought that maybe he should be angry with him for not speaking to him first.
But of course, Dartein had known what was between them already, even if they had not been forthcoming. No, he was happy for them both. Especially for Victor who had lost once before. At least he had been able to recover his heart. Dartein knew that his would bleed forever.