by K. L. Thorne
“That would be all we need, to start a forest fire.” Lori laughed, turning her attention to the rocks. She started laying them out neatly.
“It wouldn't be ideal.” Lephas grinned, slicing into the rabbit. It was more difficult this time. The flesh was cold and solid, making it a challenge to pull the fur away but he would manage. It wouldn’t be pretty, but it would be edible.
“Why are there so many skeletons in here? It's creepy.” Lori shivered, kicking what appeared to be the ribcage of some sort of large rodent away from the fire.
“This is an old bear den,” Lephas replied, barely containing his mirth at the shocked look the faerie gave him. “Don't panic – the emphasis is on 'old'. It's been unoccupied for a long time.”
“I should hope so. I've never even seen a real-life bear before.”
“There are lots of them out here. They don't travel in packs like wolves, so you don't tend to run into them all that often, thankfully.” He flipped the rabbit over in his hands.
“Like wolves?” Lori gaped. “You mean there are wolves out here too?”
“Well, yeah. Don't tell me you've never seen a real-life wolf either?”
“Not before Karn I hadn't!” the faerie cried.
“Wow, really? There are wolves all over the place in these woods. I'm surprised we haven't seen any so far to be honest. Though the weather has been pretty poor, so maybe they've holed up in their dens.”
“I'm glad we haven't. That would be awful,” Lori spluttered.
“Wolves are fine.” Lephas shrugged. “They wouldn't be interested in us anyway, not unless they were starving to death and had no other options. They tend to avoid civilisation as much as they can.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Lori muttered.
“It’s the truth. Wolves mean no real harm, but bears? That's a different story. I wouldn't fancy running into one, especially at this time of the year. They get aggressive when they're hungry and aren't afraid to fight you if you get in their way.”
Satisfied that he had skinned and gutted the rabbit to the best of his ability, given the poor light and rigor mortis that had set in, Lephas scooted to join Lori on the floor by the fire.
He hastily piled together handfuls of dried foliage. It would burn quickly, but there was plenty of it going spare. There were even some larger, thicker branches where it appeared the bear had dragged half a tree in to the den.
“I thought bears hibernated during winter?” Lori asked curiously.
“Most do, but there are sable bears in this part of the forest. They tend to roam all year round. They're big so the cold doesn't bother them too much and they're fast enough to catch deer, so they manage to find food even in the depths of winter.”
“That's terrifying.” The faerie gazed up at him, eyes wide.
“They are pretty fearsome.”
Lephas struck a match and held it to the fire. It lit easily and the flames coursed through the dried leaves. In seconds the fire had taken hold and began crackling and flickering.
The heat from these flames was far greater than their pitiful fire from the previous night. Lephas sat near it for a few moments, enjoying the warmth on his face.
“I hadn't realised how cold I was.” Lori took her gloves off and held her small, pale hands out towards the fire.
Lephas nodded in agreement, before reluctantly moving away to prepare the rabbit for cooking.
“Keep an eye on that fire for me. Those leaves won't last for long. Just keep throwing more branches in – the thicker it is, the longer it'll burn.”
Lori snapped a few dry twigs and threw them dutifully onto the flames. Lephas stripped a thick branch of its leaves and speared the rabbit with it.
He sat back down beside Lori and placed the meat into the fire.
“I think maybe we should try to keep some of this for tomorrow, if we can.” Lephas suggested, turning the spit in his hands. “I'm not sure what we're going to do for food tomorrow yet.”
“Which reminds me...” Lori dragged his pack to her side and rummaged through it. She silently produced the metal pot and got to her feet, brushing the dust and debris from her behind.
“I'll go get some snow.” She wandered back towards the cave entrance, returning moments later with the pot full. Her hair was covered in a generous layer of snowflakes, she shook them free.
“I take it it's still snowing out there then?”
“It's still falling pretty heavily,”” Lori replied and sat herself down heavily beside him once more. She placed the metal pot into the embers as he had taught her.
“If it would let up, just for a day or so, a bit of sunshine would start to thaw the worst of it. It would make our journey a lot easier,” Lephas sighed and turned the rabbit again.
“How are you feeling today?” Lori asked.
“Sore. I've broken ribs before, but usually Haros fixes them right up. It's been years since I’ve had to heal anything of any significance on my own. I'd forgotten how painful it is.” Lephas grimaced.
“How did he learn how to heal anyway? I thought you said it was forbidden?” The faerie probed curiously.
“It is. Very much so.” Lephas nodded. “When Haros was a child, he was sent to a secret underground school where they taught him the basics.”
“So, demons can't usually use majick then? Not without being taught, I mean.”
“Not usually, but that’s not a hard and fast rule. There are some rare individuals that are born with a natural ability that don't require teaching.” He paused.
Should he tell her about Raxx? Lephas glanced across at the princess.
She had her legs pulled up in front of her with her arms wrapped around them, resting her chin against her knees. Lori's eyes sparkled with genuine interest. Surprisingly, the commander realised he trusted her.
“I have another friend, Raxx,” he continued. “He was born with a natural affinity.”
“My sister Faye was as well. Although, it's not that rare to be born with majick as a faerie.”
Now that was interesting. Lephas hadn't been aware that one of Lazuli's daughters was a majborne. Zelrus would be keen to hear about that.
“Does your sister have any specific talents? I don't know how it works with faeries, but when demons are majborne their majick tends to have a manifestation in some form or another.”
“Faye is the same.” Lori smiled brightly. “She's what we call a sun sprite - a literal walking sunbeam, in every sense of the word.”
“I bet that's a sight.”
Lori laughed. “Well, she never was any good at hide and seek, let's just put it that way. Just follow the glow and you'd find her.”
“I can imagine your father wasn't so keen on that. You said he wouldn't allow you to learn majick?”
“He wasn't a big fan, but he couldn't really do much about it. Thankfully Faye is far better behaved than I am and never really showed much interest in majick. I was insanely jealous of her when we were kids.”
“Yeah?”
“I loved my majick lessons and desperately wanted to learn more, but wasn’t allowed. Yet my little sister was effortlessly able to do everything I wanted to do and more, but was more interested in ponies than anything else.”
“I've never been taught, but I don't think I'd be any good. That sort of thing has never been my bag. Haros tried to teach me a simple healing spell once, but it just didn't stick. I'm handy with a sword, but not with a spell.” The commander laughed
“It's complicated when you have to learn it from scratch, but I was always quite studious… When I was interested in learning something, anyway.”
“I'm getting the impression that you were a difficult child?”
“Just a little.” Lori smiled sweetly.
“You haven't changed much, have you?” Lephas joked, earning himself a sour look from the princess.
“You're a fine one to talk. I bet you were just as disciplined and well-behaved as you are now too.”
; “Unfortunately, it's a curse. I never have been very good at breaking rules.”
“You realise you are right now though?” Lori shot him a pointed look. “Fraternising with the enemy and all that.”
“I suppose.” Lephas shrugged. He pulled the rabbit from the fire and looked it over – it needed a few more minutes. “I don't consider you, or any faerie for that matter, the 'enemy'. I know King Zelrus doesn't either.”
“So, it's just my father you have it out for then? Join the back of the queue for that one.” She sighed heavily and stared into the fire.
“None of us want to fight; there's been more than enough war and bloodshed between our factions over the eons. It never gets us anywhere. If he would just take on board Zelrus's requests…”
“My father will never submit. That I can promise you.”
“Yes, well, we have started to come to that conclusion ourselves over the last few years. Zelrus has a few more avenues to explore, but it seems war will be inevitable.” Lephas smiled sadly.
“Will you... Will you have to go to war if your king does?” the faerie asked quietly.
“I will.” Lephas swallowed, a pit forming in his stomach.
“I don't like that idea,” she replied simply with a small shake of her head.
“Trust me, neither do I. It's a last resort.”
“I don't think I could live with myself if you went away and...” Lori trailed off.
“Didn't make it back?”
“So many people have already died because of my family. I think it would break my heart if you joined them.” She fixed him with a haunted expression.
Lephas didn't know how to respond to that. A dull ache spread through his chest as he looked at her sorrowful expression.
Would she really be that concerned if he died? He found that hard to believe.
He supposed her feelings were probably temporary – she was young and vulnerable and he was the first man she had ever really spent any time with. It was natural that she would form a pseudo attachment to whoever her protector was.
It was alarming how empty he felt inside just thinking about it like that.
“...You're burning that rabbit.” Lori gestured to the fire.
“Shit!” Lephas turned his attention back to the meat. She was right, but he had caught it just in time.
“I think it's safe to assume it's done now,” she teased, folding her knees down to sit cross-legged. “I'm so hungry.”
“Me too.” Lephas's stomach growled in response.
He carefully picked the meat from the spit and shared the portions out, just as he had done the evening before.
They ate in silence, both ravenously demolishing the meal. Lephas watched Lori keenly - he enjoyed watching her eating. She was always totally absorbed, like there was nothing else but food in the world for a moment. It made him smile every time.
“Not that I'm complaining, but I really miss fresh fruit and vegetables,” Lori said, finally coming up for air as she finished the last of the rabbit.
“Don't,” Lephas warned. “All I can think about is proper food–”
“And chocolate! I would kill for chocolate right now,” Lori exclaimed with a groan.
“I'm not much of a sweet tooth personally, but you may have to get used to a life without chocolate, Princess. It's very rare and expensive in Banesteppe.” The demon grinned, watching horror unfold on the girl's face.
“That's... not good. Not good at all.” Lori stared blankly into the fire. Typically, she looked more upset about the prospect of no chocolate than she had been about the possibility of him dying at war. Lephas shook his head, fighting to keep from laughing.
Lori sighed. “I need to drown my sorrows. Would you care to join me?” She began digging through the bag once again.
“Sure, I’ll have a drink.” Lephas nodded and took the bottle of miscellaneous alcohol from the faerie's outstretched hand. He popped the stopper out and took a swig before passing it back.
With full stomachs and a warm fire, they chatted easily whilst they passed the bottle back and forth. Lephas wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he savoured the rare moment of relaxation.
It wasn’t long before he began to feel the pleasant heavy sensation in his limbs and inexplicable contentment that tended to follow imbibement. Sat like this, he could almost kid himself that he and Lori were at the hearth of some lonely inn, sharing drink and stories like friends.
Or, dare he say it, lovers.
He had long since given up denying that he enjoyed the faerie's company. She was just as funny, cute and entertaining as she was beautiful and mysterious. It was a truly heart-stopping combination.
Lephas had to keep reminding himself that she was just as interested in him as he was in her. It seemed an impossibility that someone as attractive as she would be drawn to him. Every time she flirted with him or brushed against him, he had to fight the surprise anew.
Lori's fingertips brushed against his hand as she passed the bottle back to him. He took a sip and she sidled closer, ensuring their legs were touching as they sat beside the fire.
“I'm starting to feel a little warm now. I had almost forgotten what 'warm' was,” The fairie said with a slight slur in her voice and began unbuttoning her thick fur jacket.
“Just be careful. You're probably feeling warm because of the drink. People die that way, y'know,” he warned.
“I'll be alright. I've got you to look after me, remember?” Lori shot him a glamorous smile that set his pulse racing.
He watched her curiously as she shrugged out of the jacket. Her beautiful gossamer wings unfolded eagerly, extending and fluttering.
“That feels so much better,” Lori groaned and stretched her arms out in front of her with a yawn.
“Are they hurting you?”
Oriel kept his wings folded back constantly, but rarely complained. Lephas wondered if the prince had just gotten used to holding them that way or if they hurt as badly as Lori's did. He had a sneaking suspicion that Oriel probably put up with the pain so he could hide the wings he was so ashamed of.
“They ache,” the princess whined, taking a long healthy sip from the bottle. “It's okay keeping them folded for short periods, but I'm not used to having them back for so long.”
“I could always try to cut those holes I told you about? I'm no seamstress, but it might make the rest of the journey more pleasant for you?” Lephas said.
“That's sweet of you to offer, but I think my wings would freeze out there anyway. It's probably better that I keep them out of harm’s way.” Lori laughed softly and rolled her shoulders backwards and forwards.
Lephas watched her for a few moments longer before he placed the bottle carefully down by his side.
“Come here, let me see.” He gestured for Lori to turn her back to him. She obediently complied, her wings still fluttering softly.
The commander gently pressed his thumbs into the soft flesh around the faerie's shoulder blade and rubbed a small circle.
Lori groaned with a mixture of pain and pleasure. Her wings softened and relaxed under his thumbs' pressure.
“Is that where it's hurting? I don't know an awful lot about wing anatomy,” he asked, continuing to massage the muscles.
“Yeah, that feels good.” Lori sighed and allowed her head to flop forward. She leant back into his touch eagerly.
Lephas's eyes locked onto the soft, pale skin at the nape of her neck. In a rare moment of inebriated confidence, he leant forward and placed a soft kiss against her.
With her reactions dulled from the alcohol, Lori didn't startle. She sighed happily and there was an unusual gentle billowing of the air around them as her wings flickered in response.
Suitably distracted, his thumbs halted and he continued to press soft kisses against her neck. Lori turned her head slightly and cast a glance over her shoulder as she squirmed her body backwards.
Lephas untucked his legs and allowed her to shuffle herself right back a
gainst him. The faerie's wings folded in on themselves once more with little complaint. He removed his thumbs and flattened his palms against her, smoothing them down either side of her ribcage to rest at her waist.
As heady arousal began to take hold, Lephas's kisses turned to gentle sucking and he confidently tucked his hands underneath the front of Lori's tunic. He cupped her bare breasts, delighting in the small gasp it earned him.
He felt his body hardening in response to her already. They hadn't slept together yet - that was how she had put it. Lephas wondered if he was about to prove the faerie right after all.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Lori's heart raced as Lephas's big palms cupped her chest. She felt her nipples pucker and harden, sending shivers down her spine. Arousal bloomed between her legs.
With a soft, staggered sigh she allowed him free rein to touch her as he pleased. The demon squeezed and kneaded her gently and she pressed her bottom backwards firmly into his groin.
Curiosity ate at her. Other than his glorious physique, she hadn't seen much of Lephas's body and the thick leathers left everything to the imagination. She had very little idea of what to expect beneath. It was greatly frustrating.
She realised, even with the alcohol relaxing her considerably, that she was nervous. Her heart still pounded against her ribcage. Surely with his hands pressed against her, the commander could feel it?
Her mind raced. Earlier that afternoon she had been so bold and confident in her intentions. Yet now, in the midst of making them reality, her bravado was failing her.
Lephas could make her feel good, she knew that already from experience, and she trusted him completely but some inexplicable fear gripped her at the thought of baring his flesh and taking him inside her...
Lori turned abruptly and startled the demon who had been deeply absorbed in groping her. She shuffled around to face him and pressed a hand firmly against his chest. She tried to ignore how it shook.
Lephas looked at her quizzically for a moment, but allowed her to push him down so he lay on his back.