Once Upon a Dream

by Megan Derr

  "No," Tihan said, frowning. "I was told to report here to protect a mage and help him solve the riddle of the cursed rats."

  Kaleo frowned in his turn. "My missive said nothing about my needing help."

  Tihan shrugged, then grinned, but this time there was something smoldering in it. "Well, if you don't need my professional services, pretty pied piper, I'm more than happy to offer other services."

  "I'm certain I could use you for both," Kaleo said, smiling in return, reaching out to tug playfully at Tihan's dark blue tunic. He had another moment of surprise when Tihan obediently moved close, and reached out to tweak Kaleo's nose, just barely brushing over his lips before his hand fell away.

  Then that smoldering smile again. "I have a room already," Tihan said, "if, say, you wanted to eat in peace and quiet, discuss the job…my services…"

  Kaleo smiled, and turned to have the barkeep send the food to their room.

  Upstairs, finally alone, he wasted no time sliding into Tihan's arm, slipping his own underneath Tihan's tunic to get at the beautiful body he had not seen in months.

  Dressed, Tihan appeared ordinary enough. Handsome, if not beautiful, though he had always taken Kaleo's breath away. His hair was a brown so dark is could almost pass for black, though with enough sun the ends lightened a bit. Short, with a hint of a wave. Sunshine also brought out the small smattering of freckles that Tihan absolutely hated, and Kaleo loved. His nose was slightly squashed and crooked looking, from being broken on more than one occasion. He was tall and broad and fit, an especially fine agent of the king.

  Kaleo tugged Tihan's tunic away, revealing how magnificently unordinary he was when the clothes came off. Tihan was from the far south, the plains where people said life still had a barbaric edge to it, though anyone who had actually been there knew better. Except, perhaps, for the tattoo work. That still had a wild edge to it.

  Wrist to shoulders, down back and chest, all the way down until the edges just brushed along the tops of his thighs, was an intricate, scrolling body tattoo. It all meant something to the plains tribes, and Tihan periodically went home to have more added to it—the last time they'd seen each other, the work had stopped right at the bottom of his back. Now it continued on down, curving over his ass cheeks as Kaleo stripped his clothes away to see more and more. Marks of battles, achievements, his tribe and place in it, all his travels….the various knots and whorls and calligraphy-like work all held some significance.

  Kaleo moved around Tihan's body, touching whatever he could reach, dragging his mouth along Tihan's back, biting back a moan at the feel and flavor of the man he had sorely missed. He struggled not to wonder if someone else had done this recently, if he was just one more bed warmer or if his touch in particular had been missed.

  He froze as his hands met something new across Tihan's abdomen. Pulling away, he turned Tihan around and stroked his fingers again over the livid, only recently healed scar that ran the length of Tihan's gut, icy fear cooling his blood. "Tihan…"

  Tihan's hand curled around his own, pulling it away from the awful wound. "Ran into a bit of trouble couple of months ago, but a mage was near to hand and managed to save me. Looks worse than it was, I promise." He chucked Kaleo under the chin, and drew him close enough to kiss. "Don't frown so, I'm perfectly fine."

  Kaleo nodded and opened to the kiss, not bothering to keep back his moan this time, kissing back hard to drive away the fear that still coiled in his own gut. A wound such as that…if a mage had not been close, and obviously skilled, Tihan would have died. Such wounds were most often fatal, as it was rare anyone was close enough to heal it within the small frame of time that was the only chance.

  Hands shoved beneath his own clothes, and Kaleo shivered as his skin was brushed by cold air and hot, calloused hands. When Tihan pushed, he went easily down upon the bed, the roughness of the blankets still another delicious contrast.

  He sank his hand into Tihan's hair as that talented mouth went to work on his chest, Tihan knowing precisely where and how to bite and suck and lick, working his way down with agonizing slowness. When he finally drew close to where Kaleo most wanted his mouth to be, still Tihan insisted on torturing him, choosing instead to nibble at the soft skin of his inner thigh, touch and taste the sensitive skin where thigh met groin—then finally, finally, the bastard took his cock.

  Kaleo cried out, hips rising to meet Tihan's wicked mouth, and hazily Kaleo thought he heard a knock upon the door, but then Tihan's tongue made him shout again and he heard the rattle of someone setting a tray on the floor in the hallway.

  Cheeks hot, he nevertheless encouraged Tihan with touch and noise and movement, until he came so hard the world around him ceased to exist, and came back only slowly. He had no more time to gather the scattered pieces of his mind, however, before Tihan's fingers were pressing inside him, slick and warm.

  Tihan kissed him, warm and slick with sweat against him, amber-flecked green eyes hot and bright, like jewels in the sunlight, and focused entirely upon Kaleo. Tihan nibbled and licked at his lips, sucking on his bottom lip before kissing him deep and hard, fingers all the while stretching and teasing.

  Then the fingers withdrew, and Tihan was pressing inside, and Kaleo eagerly spread to accommodate him, fingers digging in to the broad shoulders, head falling back on a long, needy groan. His own cock, so recently spent, was already stirring back to life. He was always eager for Tihan. Always.

  "Missed this," Tihan said with a groan, holding entirely too still for a moment, panting, before kissing him again and finally moving. Slow at first, pulling out and sliding back in—then he began to move in earnest, thrusting hard and deep, nearly making Kaleo dizzy with it.

  They came within seconds of each other, and Kaleo thought he came first but could not say for certain.

  When everything finally calmed down again, and he could breathe properly, he gave Tihan a lazy, sloppy kiss. "I'm glad you're my assistant," he said with a smile. "Much better than doing the job alone."

  Tihan grunted and slowly withdrew, making Kaleo groan. "I'll get your food," Tihan said with a laugh, kissing his brow.

  Kaleo tried to reply, but it was interrupted by the sudden growling of his stomach, which made Tihan laugh again. Making a face, he bundled up in the blankets and enjoyed the view as Tihan fetched his food.

  He ate quickly, stew and bread and a hot, sweet pudding, chased with more ale. All the while Tihan was silent, merely watching him, lazily stretched out beside him on the bed. Finally Kaleo finished, and set the tray aside on the floor to be returned downstairs later. He reached out to pet Tihan's stomach, fear stirring again as he stroked over the scarred flesh that was even more livid for being surrounded by the beautiful, intricate tattoo.

  Tihan caught his hand, and dragged it up to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to the open palm. "You need not worry, Kaleo. Have I not just proven I am perfectly fine?"

  Kaleo's mouth twitched. "I suppose so," he conceded, then smirked. "Though, if you wanted to offer more assurance later, I would not protest."

  Tihan's eyes smoldered as he yanked Kaleo down to lie atop him, teeth grazing his throat. "Gladly," he murmured, then said huskily in Kaleo's ear, "Pretty Pied Piper, won't you play me a song?"

  "What song shall I play thee?" Kaleo asked softly, hating the way his heart sped up.

  "Play me a lullaby," Tihan said, lips moving soft but sure across Kaleo's, familiar and sweet, and if Kaleo felt a crushing disappointment, well, that was his own fault.

  Nodding, settling down to rest comfortably along Tihan's side, he half-sung, half-hummed a lullaby until they both drifted off to sleep.

  *~*~*

  He wasn't certain what woke him at first, and then was immediately distracted by the way sometime in the night, he had wound up on his side, with Tihan pressed up behind him, his arm wrapped possessively around Kaleo's waist. Tihan was hot against his back, breaths soft and warm against his neck, and Kaleo wished he could wake so the rest of his life.
/>   Then he heard the music.

  Immediately wistful thoughts fled, mind focusing on the music, the magic of it—there was another sound mage in the village.

  Behind him, Tihan's breathing abruptly changed, and he tensed with waking, but never moved.

  "Get dressed," Kaleo said softly. "Someone is casting a spell with music."

  Tihan said nothing, merely obeyed, pulling away and sliding from bed, reaching for his clothes as Kaleo hummed a few notes to light the candles.

  Any other time he would have been more than happy to enjoy the view, and relish the feel of Tihan's eyes upon him, doing the very same. Now, however, they were all business. They had already neglected duty too long in favor of one another.

  He finished dressing first, and waited as Tihan strapped and buckled his sword and daggers into place, secreting other things upon his person that remained a mystery to Kaleo, even after their long and intimate acquaintance.

  Finished, Tihan moved soundlessly to the door and opened it. Kaleo followed silently after him, down the stairs, across the empty tavern below, and into the street. Outside, the streets were filled with rats. They were everywhere, a mass of shadows come to life beneath the witching power of moonlight and the midnight hour. They streamed from doors and windows, barrels and crates, every nook and cranny and crevice. They crawled over the tops of his boots, and Kaleo struggled against an urge to kick and crush them.

  "What's going on?" Tihan asked in a low undertone, intended for only Kaleo to hear.

  "Re-enchantment," Kaleo said, closing his eyes and listening carefully to the soft music he could just barely hear over the fervor of the creeping, scuttling rats. "Musically cast spells much be renewed. The more powerful the spell, the more often it must be redone. This spell is powerful and intricate; it probably has to be recast every night. Offhand, I can hear the spell emboldening the rats, persuading them to remain here, making them even hungrier than they would normally be…and over them, a slight coating of fear. Whoever the mage is, he's making the rats extra terrifying."

  Tihan grunted. "That would explain why they bother me, when they never have before. I grew up using them for target practice." He frowned. "But if it's just a slight coating, that would not explain the fear weighing down the villagers. They're damn near drowning in fear."

  "What do you mean?"

  "You really were hungry and tired," Tihan said with a soft, fond laugh, shaking his head. "You'll notice it tomorrow, if I haven't worn you out overmuch." He winked, then sobered again. "There's a pall over the village. They act normal, but it's just that—acting. Beneath the surface, they're all cowering in terror. Like the rats are preferable to whatever would result from fighting back. If that's the case, it's a bloody miracle the king was contacted at all on the matter, and that we were sent here."

  Kaleo worried his bottom lip as he thought. "So they are being held hostage, or some such. We must find the reason for that, and the mage. One, of course, will bring the other…but the mage, I think, will not be easy to find."

  "No?" Tihan asked. "Sound mages are few and far between, are they not? I've only known two others besides you. He can't be that hard to find in a village this size, even accounting for the surrounding countryside."

  "If it were that easy, I would have already felt him—lovely distractions aside," Kaleo replied. "I did not even sense my type of magic was being used. Only my well-trained ears heard the song at all. I would wager you did not hear it until I said something."

  Tihan nodded, fingers drumming idly on the hilt of his sword. "So he's blocking." He sighed. "Let's hope this one doesn't jump out of the bushes and gut me like the last one."

  Kaleo tensed, head snapping around to stare at Tihan. "Is that what happened?"

  "Yes," Tihan said with a grimace. "We never sensed the bastard at all. At least I was with the mage I was meant to be protecting. Like I said, though, I'm fine now. Shouldn't have mentioned it, except now I really hate when mages block."

  "Well, we're not hunting for him now," Kaleo replied. "I'd prefer to start investigating during the day, see what we can glean from what the villagers do and do not say."

  Tihan nodded. "These rats are creeping me out. Why are they all out here?"

  "Succumbing to the music. They're running off to school, essentially," Kaleo said. "Once the spell is recast, they'll disperse and all will return to relative normalcy." He tilted his head up, closing his eyes to listen to the music once more. "It's beautiful spell work, really. It must have taken months to compose."

  "You could do better," Tihan said.

  Kaleo shook his head, and opened his eyes. "No, I couldn't. I can't control more than one or two animals at a time, and only the more willing species. There's no way I'll be able to break this spell…I'll have to try something else, but that is for another day, after we better understand what we're facing."

  Tihan looked as though he wanted to argue, and the faith and loyalty that implied warmed Kaleo all the way to his bones. He wasn't as good as Tihan thought, but it was nice Tihan believed so strongly in him. He hadn't known Tihan thought so highly of his skill.

  "Let's go back to bed," he said, taking Tihan's hand. "There's nothing more we can do tonight. At least we have an idea of the challenge before us."

  "A city held hostage by rats," Tihan muttered, and led them back inside, still holding firmly to Kaleo's hand. "That is a new one on me, and I thought myself well past being surprised by this job."

  Kaleo laughed. "You should know better than to think you've seen it all."

  Tihan grunted, and did not argue, merely undressed again once they reached their rooms—but this time he kept his sword close to the bed, and slid a dagger beneath his pillow.

  Sliding in next to him, pulling up the blankets, Kaleo could not help but reach out to stroke the scarred flesh.

  "It's all right," Tihan murmured in his ear. "Stop fretting, Kaleo. We have enough to worry about. I'm perfectly fine."

  Kaleo nodded, but his fretting would not go away so easily. He had been that close to losing Tihan and never knew it. He swallowed, sick to the stomach at the thought of how close he had come to living in a world that did not have Tihan. It made him want to do foolish things, like admit he loved Tihan, that this was no idle on and off love affair to him.

  But he didn't, because he did not know how Tihan would react to such words. Would they drive him away? Force an unconquerable distance between them? He would rather die than face that.

  So instead of speaking, he simply pressed as close as possible, and wrapped Tihan tightly in his arms, and fell asleep breathing in their mingled scents.

  *~*~*

  Morning came too quickly, and only reluctantly did he stumble down the stairs behind Tihan to begin solving the riddle of the rat-besieged village.

  Over black tea and porridge, he saw clearly what he had missed the night before. As Tihan had said, it was all acting. The villagers went through the motions, but it was obvious that deep down they wanted nothing more than to break down and scream in despair.

  Finishing their breakfast, they paid the room up for a few more days, then ventured into the streets. Kaleo immediately kicked away a rat that came toward him, somewhat mollified when he saw it hit the corner of a building in just such a way its neck broke.

  The villagers might be too fearful to act, but he suffered no such qualms. If he had to kill the bastards one by one, he would, though hopefully his seedling plan would eventually bear fruit.

  They wandered the village slowly, exploring every street and alleyway, every courtyard and corner, until they at last stopped to rest in the small square that boasted the primary village well. It also had several stone benches, one of which they gladly overtook.

  Kaleo started to speak, when a flash of bold color caught his eye. He watched, frowning deeply, as a man walked toward them, hand in hand with a beautiful little girl not more than six or so years of age. The man was tall, with black hair and dark eyes, wearing a brilliant scarlet tu
nic and a rich velvet cloak held fast with a cloak pin of gold and silver, encrusted with sapphires and rubies. He was breathtakingly beautiful, the dark beauty of a winter night.

  Beside him, Tihan tensed.

  They remained sitting as the man drew close to them, standing only when they saw the crest of a city mayor upon the breast of his tunic.

  He smile coldly at them, and Kaleo felt a chill. There was something…off…about that smile. Like more acting, but not the same manner of acting as the villagers. They worked to hide their fear…this man was hiding something else, but what, Kaleo simply did not know.

  The man was not scared; neither was his child, though she looked unhappy and petulant. She was his spitting image, dark of hair and eyes, with pale skin. Someday, she would be even more beautiful than her father.

  His boldness left Kaleo reeling. Obviously, this man was responsible for the rats—why was he not trying to hide it?

  "I am Joffer von Steffen," the man said, drawing himself up. "This is Ala, my daughter. I am mayor of this village. What brings a mage here, and with strong arm company?"

  Kaleo smiled, putting his own acting skills into play. "It's not his arm I make use of," he said with an unmistakable smirk. Then he pitched his voice more loudly, so that the whole of the square would hear him, if they wanted. "I am the Pied Piper, and my skills are many. I once rid a town of a plague of cats, another of a problem with spiders. I heard your fair village, lord mayor, suffered from too many rats. I have come to offer my assistance."

  Joffer scowled, something very much like fury flashing in his eyes. Kaleo had very neatly trapped him—he could not say no, they were fine, when a man declared he could rid the village of what was obviously a problem. Even now, three scuttled right over their shoes, and Tihan kicked them hard, causing them to squeal before they abruptly hit the wall and fell silent.

  Then he recovered, and gave them a cold smile. "Oh, I doubt it mage. Many have tried before you, and all of them of no small talent, and every last one failed. One even died trying. I would hate for such a fate to befall you."