Audrey of Farmerton (Andoran's Realm Book 1)

by M. Gregg Roe

  He was still sound asleep, so she quietly got out of bed and went to wash up and dress. When she came back out, she found him sitting on the bed in his underpants and rubbing his eyes.

  “Was it worth the wait?” she asked with a saucy smile.

  “Most definitely,” he replied, grinning. “Now do I have to wait another … ten months?”

  Audrey put a finger on her chin and wrinkled up her face. “Let’s see. Maybe only six months this time.”

  “How about now instead?” he asked eagerly.

  Was he really suggesting that? She frowned at him and said, “No. Breakfast is now. Maybe tonight if you’re good. Go get dressed.”

  “All right.” He went into the washroom and closed the door.

  She waited for him to finish, wondering if she had once again taken things too fast. When he emerged, the two of them walked to the dining room and she immediately noticed someone new there.

  A young woman was standing by one of the tables speaking with Alessandra. She was incredibly sexy and had huge breasts. She was clad in a tight, low-cut, dark blue dress that hid very little. Then Audrey noticed the dark hair and violet eyes and she gasped. Gods! That’s Aliva! Without her deceptive makeup and baggy clothing, she was astonishingly beautiful.

  Audrey couldn’t contain herself. “Aliva! I had no idea that’s what you looked like normally.”

  Aliva half-smiled and nodded. “Yes. It’s both a blessing and a curse. But this is actually the way that I’ve dressed most of the time until recently. That was part of the problem.”

  “That’s right,” said Saxloc. “I’ve seen Aliva’s amazing cleavage many times before.”

  Audrey playfully punched him in the shoulder and they both sat down at the table already occupied by Alessandra, Julien, and Siljan. She noted that Julien couldn’t seem to keep from staring at Aliva’s chest. Clearly, he hadn’t seen her dress like that before. Siljan looked half-asleep as always, but Audrey noticed her staring at the two of them with suspicion and was suddenly worried.

  As they were finishing eating, Ariel strode in smiling and announced, “The Novox caravan just arrived. We’re loading it today, and it’s leaving early tomorrow morning.”

  Audrey turned to Saxloc and asked, “We’re going back with a caravan?”

  “Yes. I forgot to mention it yesterday. It will take longer, but it should be much safer.”

  “Why didn’t we just wait a couple of days and travel here with the caravan?”

  He grinned. “And miss being attacked by wolves? Actually, this caravan left Rohoville days before we did. They ended up getting snowed in on the way to Maratana. Hankin was worried because we didn’t pass it on the way here as it headed back to Rohoville.”

  “Okay. I guess I’ve fought enough wolves for now.”

  She would be able to ride in the wagon part of the time. That was definitely a relief.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  After breakfast, Saxloc donned his combat gear and headed outside. Ariel had also told them that there were going to be practice bouts all morning and that Gabriel had already agreed to participate. Julien had requested their assistance to help train the temple guards.

  Audrey put on her cloak and went outside to watch. Some of the temple guards looked like barbarians to her. They wore crude wood and leather armor, and they favored axes and spears for weapons. Others of the guards were armed and armored much like Saxloc and Gabriel. It was bitterly cold, and she only watched briefly before returning inside. Saxloc handily defeated one of the barbarian guards. Gabriel barely managed to defeat Ariel, due to the combination of her quickness and her use of two weapons.

  Back inside the temple, Audrey put her cloak in the room and then went to look for Alessandra. She found her in the room with the stone tub, and Isadora was also there. Their clothes were neatly folded and placed on chairs. Alessandra had her arms on the edge of the front of the tub and was resting her head on them with a look of pleasure. Isadora was at the far right and only her face visible. Her eyes were closed, and her long hair swirled in the water as if alive.

  “Audrey!” exclaimed Alessandra with a big smile. “Come join us!”

  She considered it. The temple was practically deserted right now. All of the males were outside practicing and would be for some time. Except for Hankin. He kept disappearing and was probably skulking around collecting information for Celebern. She decided that it was worth the risk. And besides, if she refused, then Alessandra would probably use magic to persuade her.

  “Okay,” she replied as she walked forward into the room. “I have been missing my tub back home.”

  “So,” asked Alessandra casually, “do I need to move Saxloc out?”

  “No. We are both happy with the current arrangement.”

  Audrey quickly disrobed and placed her clothing on an empty chair. As she walked toward the left ladder, Alessandra grinned and said, “Very nice. Your training has certainly paid off.”

  She paused, feeling a little embarrassed. “Yes. It definitely has. But it’s not exactly easy. I wish we had something like this tub at the school.”

  “Actually, Grasapa said the same thing the first time she came here to see Ariel. So maybe she will eventually.”

  Audrey nodded and then climbed the ladder. She slowly lowered herself into the water. It felt fabulous. After a few minutes, she completely submerged for a moment in order to wet her hair.

  “What heats the water?” she asked them, and then realized that she still didn’t know what heated the water in the mansion.

  It was Isadora who answered with her eyes still closed. “There is a hot spring deep beneath the temple. The water is piped up for this bath and to many other places. It is very clean, and we use it to make our wine.”

  “I see. Thank you for explaining, Isadora.”

  Audrey tried to emulate Isadora’s bathing style. Soon she was resting comfortably with her eyes closed and her legs stretched fully out. Her tub at home wasn’t large enough to do something like that.

  “That’s enough for me.”

  Alessandra started to climb out the right side, and Audrey couldn’t resist opening her eyes to peek. The woman definitely had a shapely and sexy body, but she was also a little fat around the waist.

  A few minutes later, she heard Isadora stand up and begin to climb out. She didn’t want to be left alone in the bath, so she also climbed out. Isadora was very slim, and Audrey thought that her small breasts perfectly suited her. After the two of them had toweled off and dressed, Audrey asked her, “Do the men use this bath too?”

  Isadora’s face showed no emotion as she replied, “Yes. As a rule, women use the bath in the morning, and men in the afternoon.”

  “What about in the evening?”

  Isadora showed a trace of a smile as she answered, “Anyone may use it then. For any purpose.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  After lunch, Saxloc went to the bath. Audrey took a walk outside to see more of the area. She ended up being given a tour of the winery by a friendly bearded man named Gustav. It was quite interesting, and he even let her taste some of the wines.

  There was a going-away party planned for that evening, so she went back to the room and spent time trying to get the wrinkles out of her new dress. Saxloc’s dress clothes were in much better shape. He obviously knew from experience which ones best survived being stuffed in a backpack.

  Everyone dressed up that evening. Gabriel looked quite handsome, and Hankin was dressed all in black as usual. Siljan and Ariel were both wearing dresses, but Ariel looked uncomfortable, as though she wasn’t used to it. Alessandra was wearing a skimpy white dress that barely covered her breasts, and she was soon noticeably drunk. Isadora wore a tight dress with a very deep V-neck. Audrey thought that its dark green color went well with her hair. Isadora kept casting disapproving looks at Aliva, and Audrey wondered if she was jealous of Aliva’s beauty.

  Audrey approached Siljan and said, “Siljan, when that big white wolf blasted us
with cold, it really hurt. I’ve never felt anything like it. You were even closer to it than I was, but it didn’t seem to bother you. Are you just used to things like that?”

  “That’s part of it. But that leather armor I wear is enchanted. It protects me somewhat from magical attacks.”

  “That was magic?”

  “Yes. Something that ridiculous is always magical,” explained Siljan. “Those first wolves we fought were just animals, but the white ones aren’t natural.”

  Audrey paused a moment to think before asking, “Where did you get that armor?”

  “It’s basically a hand-me-down. My father and his friends killed this evil cleric named Rahilda who was wearing it, and I ended up with it.”

  “Didn’t you meet a Rahilda in that other world?” asked Audrey.

  Siljan’s surprise was evident. “I didn’t know you knew about that, but you’re right. I didn’t recognize her because I had never seen the one here, but she was really surprised to see me wearing armor identical to her own. She had actually made it herself, so she was kind of confused and suspicious. I think that actually helped convince her that we really were from a different world. She was a big help to us when we were there, and she seemed really upset that the Rahilda here had been such a bad person.”

  “You know,” continued Siljan, “the weirdest thing about that adventure was meeting Morton again. The very first time we came to Alessandra’s temple I ended up fighting Morton by myself. I didn’t do very well at all. That magical gauntlet he wears is powerful, and I couldn’t do anything to stop him from escaping.

  “Then we met Morton in the other world and he was our ally! He still had that gauntlet though. He ended up dying to buy us time to escape from this underground mine we were hiding in. And now, in a couple of months, we’re going to go and try to kill the Morton here. It’s so weird!”

  Audrey nodded. “I would have to agree with you, Siljan. Then again, most of what Saxloc has told me about his adventures sounds really weird.”

  “Don’t worry. If you keep doing this kind of stuff, it will almost start seeming normal.” Siljan grinned mischievously. “So, how was it with Saxloc last night?”

  Audrey was shocked and could feel herself blushing. She was thinking about denying it, but then she smiled happily and said, “It was wonderful.”

  Her honest answer disconcerted Siljan. Hankin walked by, and Siljan instantly left to follow him.

  Aliva walked up and said, “Alessandra says that I can stay here at the temple. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

  “I’m happy for you, Aliva,”

  Aliva looked her up and down with a frown. “That dress looks good on you, but I can make you a better one. I’m really good at making sexy dresses. I made this one from an old one of Alessandra’s.”

  That was impressive, given how the dress looked on her. “I appreciate the offer, but I can’t afford a fancy dress.”

  Aliva waved a hand dismissively. “Nonsense. We’re friends now. It’s a gift. Just let me take your measurements before you leave, and I’ll have it for you when you return.”

  “Then thank you, Aliva. You can take my measurements right now if you like. I don’t think we’ll have time in the morning.”

  Aliva agreed and they went to her room. It had two single beds, two small wardrobes, and two nightstands. Aliva unfolded a sewing kit that was lying on one the beds and pulled out a cloth measuring tape, a small piece of paper, and a stylus. “Go ahead and completely undress,” she directed.

  Audrey wasn’t surprised by the request because it would make for more accurate measurements. As she finished disrobing, Aliva smiled saucily and said, “Congratulations on snaring Saxloc. I’m happy for you.”

  She hoped that Aliva was just guessing, and decided to bluff. “He’s not snared. We’re just staying in the same room.”

  Aliva raised one eyebrow and pointed to the wall opposite the door. “Your room is on the other side. You two had sex last night. Twice. I envy you.”

  Audrey closed her eyes, feeling horribly embarrassed. “Yes, Aliva, it was very nice.” She opened her eyes as Aliva began to take measurements. “What other rooms share walls with ours?” she asked.

  Aliva paused to think. “Ariel’s room next door does. Julien’s room shares a wall with your washroom, so I doubt he heard anything unless that door was open.”

  Julien probably hadn’t heard them, but Ariel certainly had. Siljan had either guessed or heard it from someone. Everyone probably knew by now, or would soon.

  Audrey had expected Aliva to simply take the usual four measurements, but she took at least twenty, and nearly half of them were of her breasts, much to her embarrassment. But Aliva seemed to know what she was doing, so she decided to just remain quiet.

  It would be interesting to see what kind of dress Aliva made for her. Aliva was by far the most voluptuous woman that she had ever seen. The dress that she had made for herself looked amazing, tracing her every curve. It was a mystery to her how Aliva’s large breasts even remained inside—they certainly didn't look secure. She was also the first woman that Audrey had felt a serious sexual attraction for.

  When Aliva finally finished, Audrey dressed, and the two of them returned to the party. She tried to go around and talk with everyone, but she kept gravitating back to Saxloc. She was soon feeling tired and a little drunk, so she told him that she was going to bed. She was happy when he immediately decided to accompany her.

  Back in the room, she told him about them being overheard last night. He looked uncertain as he said, “I never thought of that. Does it bother you?”

  Audrey started unfastening her dress. “Some, but everyone’s at the party right now.”

  Saxloc pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the floor. “So we need to move things right along.”

  Audrey smiled and let her dress fall to the floor. “Exactly.”

  31

  ‡ Repartee ‡

  The caravan was ready to depart right after breakfast. The sun was out, and some of the snow had already melted, but it was still muddy. Audrey put her backpack into the wagon but decided to start off by walking alongside. Ariel gave Hankin a letter to be delivered to her parents. Aliva asked Gabriel to check on the two people that she and Siljan had helped in the Witch’s City. After speaking with the caravan guards, Hankin gave Gabriel, Saxloc, and Audrey ten silver pieces each and told them that it was payment from Novox to provide security for the caravan. Audrey was thrilled, but she hoped it didn’t mean they were going to be attacked.

  Everyone seemed to take the job of protecting the caravan seriously, so she did too. She found herself walking ahead of the caravan along with Hankin, and she noticed how he was always glancing around. She realized that he was constantly watching for anything unusual that might be a hazard or threat, and she tried to imitate him.

  “I knew you were lying to me that time when you were sending a letter,” he told her. “You clearly were doing more than just helping out around the house. You looked much more fit, and you were also moving differently. I did a little investigating and soon found out that you were training at Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy.”

  “That was clever of you, Hankin. But you obviously didn’t tell the others.”

  “No. I could tell that you wanted to keep it secret, so I didn’t say a word. I pretended to be surprised when you revealed it to everyone.”

  “Thank you, Hankin. That was very kind of you.”

  “You’re welcome. But I still can’t believe that Saxloc didn’t notice.”

  Audrey smiled and shook her head. “It is hard to believe, but Saxloc has been doing his best to avoid and ignore me for months. He’s an absolute genius when it comes to overlooking things. It’s a good thing he doesn’t do it much when he’s out adventuring.” They both started laughing.

  A few minutes later, Audrey said, “Hankin, I need to ask you for a favor. I need to get a note to a friend of mine in Farmerton. I’ve already checked, and the
caravan isn’t scheduled to stop there.”

  “And you don’t want to risk running into your parents, right?”

  “Uh … yes.” She really didn’t.

  “The note is for Violet, I assume.”

  “Yes. You’re very observant, Hankin.”

  “That’s part of my job. Violet’s husband is named Orian, and she is several months pregnant. You have an aunt named Berna with two children. Twin girls.”

  She couldn’t help smiling. “That’s exactly right. Very impressive.”

  “It’s all part of the service. Go ahead and give me the note. I’ll sneak into Farmerton and slip it under the door of Violet’s house.”

  “Okay.” She pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it over. “I was going to describe where Violet’s house is located, but you already know, don’t you.”

  Hankin grinned. “Of course I do.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  That afternoon, Audrey spent some time walking along with Gabriel. He was striding along effortlessly despite wearing armor, carrying a shield, and having a sword and crossbow hanging from his belt. She had also noticed that the backpack he usually wore was much larger than hers. Saxloc had told her that Gabriel trained for hours nearly every day, and now she understood why.

  “Gabriel,” she said in a serious tone. “I want to apologize again for you having to lie to Saxloc. I really wish that Almera hadn’t made you do that.”

  “It was not as bad as you fear. I was having some difficulty agreeing with Saxloc’s opinion of you before we had our lunch together. The Audrey that he described to me did not agree with the one that I had observed on our way to the Witch’s City.”

  “Thank you for that, Gabriel. That’s very kind.”

  “You are welcome. Will you be accompanying us when we return in the Spring to deal with Morton?” he inquired.

  “I’m not sure. I have no idea who this Morton is, and I didn’t exactly do well as an adventurer on this trip.”

  “You were of assistance to me, Audrey. You broke a rear leg of the wolf I was fighting, allowing me to easily slay it.”