Romantic Shorts
Feb. 21st, 2012 03:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kallian_endrisKallian knew she would have to speak with Ser Declan. After all, he had saved her from the clutches of the templars. That meant she owed the Wardens twice-over now, and a sizable portion of that debt to Declan himself. Still, she found it difficult to find the nerve to go see him, and decided to wait until she had worked out what she wanted to say. She fell asleep, trying to imagine how it would go...
After camp had been set up for the night, Kallian waited patiently until he was alone. Admittedly, the idea of being alone with him made her a little nervous--how often had she heard stories or borne witness to what human men did when they got young female elves alone with them?--but Declan did not seem like that sort, and this wasn't a matter she wanted the others in their group to listen in on. Finally, taking a deep breath, she knocked as best as she could at the opening of his tent.
"Ser Declan?" she asked timidly, "I don't mean to bother you, but... may I speak with you, please? Privately?"
"Yes, of course. Come on in," he said, sounding a little bit surprised. It wasn't often that Kallian spoke up, let alone directly to him. "What's on your mind?"
"About what happened with the templars..." she said hesitatingly as she came in and sat down. He nodded, watching her with a sort of bemused interest. Kallian blushed, her eyes demurely downcast. "Ser... The reason I came to the Wardens was because, many years ago, they saved my life among many others when they protected the alienage during the darkspawn siege at Denerim. I owe a debt to the order that will take me a lifetime to repay. And then, you... You could have given me over to the templars and kept a clean conscience. You would have been well within your right to do so. But... you protected me. You saved me from them, and you didn't have to. I now owe the Grey Wardens twice what my life is worth... and much of that debt, Ser Declan, I now owe to you,” she explained. "I... do not have much, but I am healthy and strong enough to get by, so if there is anything, anything at all, that I can do to repay you for what you have done, you need only name it, and I shall do so without question or complaint."
For a while, the Warden didn't say anything. He just looked at the elven mage, letting her words sink in. "...anything?" he said at last, sounding vaguely amused. Kallian nodded.
"Yes, ser. Anything I am capable of doing. I am not strong in a fight, but I could work in the infirmary, or tend fires, do laundry, work as a scullery maid... Or... wherever you might need another pair of hands," she offered shyly, still not looking directly at him.
"Kallian. Look at me." He said her name with such kindness that it startled her. Still, she obeyed, looking up into his face. "Listen. It's part of my job to make sure you're kept safe under my watch, whether you're a mage or not. You don't owe me anything. It isn't that I don't appreciate what you're trying to do. But you're smart, kind, strong, beautiful... More than you give yourself credit for. You aren't a servant, Kallian. And I won't take advantage of you by making you to do anything you don't want to do."
"Beautiful?" she repeated blankly, her ears twitching. Kallian wasn't sure she was much of a judge of human beauty, but Declan seemed handsome enough. Especially the eyes, which were warm and honest.
"No one ever told you that?" he asked. Kallian shook her head, and began to realize how very close the quarters were here. She blushed and looked away. He touched her cheek softly. "You don't have to be afraid of me," he said, his tone gentle. The elf looked back into his blue eyes. He seemed so kind and trustworthy.
"I'm not," she whispered, and was surprised how true those words were. He nodded, satisfied with her answer, and the next thing she knew, he was kissing her. It was an unexpected gesture, and Kallian almost pulled back just on reflex. Almost. His lips were so tender against hers, so sweet, that she soon found herself yielding, her arms finding their way around his neck. When he pulled back, he gave her a slightly questioning look, as if... as if asking for her permission. Kallian was speechless. In her experience, no one so much as bothered to ask an elf if she wanted anything. But this Warden... he was not like other human men. Finally, she nodded.
“I will not hurt you,” he promised, smoothing back a lock of her dark hair behind her ear, his fingers carefully tracing over its tip. Slowly, his hand followed the curves of her neck and shoulder, brushing aside the tumble of her long hair until his fingers found the laces on her bodice. He did not rush, undoing them with a steady, deliberate hand. As he pushed the fabric out of the way, he lightly kissed her neck, and then her shoulder. Kallian gasped softly as his sword-callused hands moved to cup the swell of her bared breasts, sweeping his thumb across the nipple in a tender caress, amazed at how responsive she was to his touch. No man, let alone any human man, had ever made her feel this way, she thought as he slid the rest of her clothes off her slim body.
The elf watched in fascination as he peeled off his own clothes. That he was tall and strong was evident from the first moment she had met him. But now she was able to appreciate Declan’s lean lines and sculpted muscles. Her heart skipped a beat as she took in the length of him. It wasn’t that she was per se unfamiliar with the male body--she was a healer, after all, and a certain amount of anatomical knowledge went with the territory--but never had she imagined experiencing it in such an intimate setting. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, and nervously she reached over to touch him, feeling the warm skin under her fingers. It was amazing to watch him respond to her gentle strokes, the light kisses she brushed over its surface. Her curiosity mounting, she flicked out her tongue to taste him--a bit of salt and musk, but not unpleasant--eliciting a low groan from the Warden.
A moment later, he was pulling her up against him, kissing her fervently as his hands ran over her creamy skin, which tingled in the wake of his touch and sent flickering heat through her veins that made her ache with desire--a desire he soon answered as he moved between her legs, his skin fever-warm next to hers. He moved carefully, but Kallian still cried out as he claimed her virginity, more from the intensity of the pleasure than any fleeting pain. He held her close in his strong arms, and Kallian clung to him, sighing with each thrust, the sensations building deep within her core until she could contain them no longer, a keening wail tearing out of her throat as the heat burst forth, her muscles clenching all the way down to her toes...
Kallian awoke with a start, her heart pounding. She could still feel the sweat on her skin, cooling in the night air. The fire had not yet left her body, and she squirmed. Maker’s breath, what had brought that on? She groaned and rubbed her forehead. It was difficult enough for her to muster up her courage to speak to the Warden--now how was she going to manage it?
"If the words won't come, let your actions speak for you." That had been the advice that he had been given by the First, one upon a lifetime ago, when he was a completely different man and circumstances weren't what they were now - but the words held true, and when words failed Genikon, he turned instead to something a little more concrete. He started out subtly, at first; Kallian was just as shy and skittish as he was, but he showered her with little kindnesses, portions of meat and water added to hers from his share, or lavender and marigolds left outside her tent, blossoms that she later tucked into her dark hair - holding back bushes and branches so that she could pass them unimpeded, sitting quietly with her at the fire when she drew the short straw for the long night watch - small things, but small things could be greater than the sum of their parts.
Her smiles were rare and bright as sunshine, and he found himself craving them, doing more and more to earn them even though they never shared a spoken word. They traveled, and he walked alongside; they fought, and he held back and protected her, peppering enemies with arrows should they so much as glance in the direction of the timid mage. Genikon was a Warden, and that implied a certain amount of courage and leadership... but in Kallian's presence, he found that when courage did not suffice, kindness could easily do so instead.
And then it came - middle of the night, darkspawn ambush, the members of the camp boiling out of their tents into the darkness, in various states of undress and almost none of them armored. Genikon had his bow at the ready, but when given the choice between taking the blow or letting the genlock snatch Kallian, the former Dalish chose to take the blow - and then when it was all over, the little healer dragged him quite firmly by the arm into her tent and made him sit down, and she sat there and tended the wound with her own hands, carefully cleaning it and just as carefully refusing to look him in the face.
It wasn't much of an injury, really; he'd suffered worse during his Joining, and the scratch across his arm and shoulder couldn't taint what was already tainted - but it brought them close, closer than they ever had been in the narrow confines of her quiet tent. Perhaps he was still lightheaded from the rush of battle - yes, that must be it, because otherwise he never would have been brave enough to lift his hand and tip up her chin, to lean forward so slightly, just enough that their lips brushed, featherlight and sweet. She froze in place, and Genikon's heart plummeted, for a moment the Warden convinced that he had dared too far, crossed the line, made an irreparable mistake and he was going to somehow have to figure out how to apologize - but she threw her arms around his slender shoulders, and if she was trembling it was not from fear, but relief. That simple kiss was enough to unstopper a well of conversation (what was there to be afraid of, now? Everything that needed saying had already been said, without a single word spoken) and though they did not proceed much farther that night, their paces mutually slow and gentle, neither did Genikon leave until well until morning. It was not the last time that he spent the night in Kallian's tent, either. .... although if the other members of their ragged little band proceeded to applaud every time he left it in the morning, he and Kallian might be returning to Amaranthine by their Maker-damned selves.
Kallian wasn't quite sure how it had begun. Her apostate status had been revealed to the Wardens on her first time on the road with them, a fact that made her vulnerable, and in dire need of their protection once it was no longer secret. Shortly thereafter, one shy elven Warden, Genikon, had seemed to claim the sole responsibility of guarding her. Never anything so dramatic as an announcement, or terribly obvious in how it was carried out, but he seemed to always be the one closest to her if ever she were in a Warden's presence. He did not even mind her magic. If anything, he seemed glad that she had it. A professional courtesy, surely. Perhaps it was a show of solidarity--they were both children of Dalish fathers whose mothers had not stayed with the clans, though they had led lives in mirrored opposite until they had met. She did not know the reason for certain.
On the road again, with him leading as a Warden, he seemed to take special care with her. Slightly more than mere courtesy would dictate. Just small gestures, though. Little kindnesses. Even when rations were scarce, he would sometimes give her a bit extra from his own to ensure she did not go hungry or thirsty. When they walked, she found him at her side, ready to hold back branches and bushes or help her over rough terrain. Should a fight crop up, he would shield her with his body, and defend her with his arrows. When it was her turn to hold night watch, he would sit with her quietly by the fire. Rarely did they speak. They didn't need to. Quiet company was enough to bring comfort in those late hours. Some mornings, Kallian had found nosegays of wildflowers--lavender and marigolds--outside her tent. Not wanting them to go to waste, she would tuck them amongst her clothes or braid them into her dark hair, but she did not know from whom they came, until she noticed Genikon looking at her with a sort of pleased pride when he saw her wearing them. Kallian never failed to be polite, to flash him a smile of gratitude, in payment for these gestures. Though they did not spend much time conversing, each for their own reasons that they did not begrudge each other, she soon considered him among her dearest friends--someone with whom she could always feel safe in this dangerous world.
Then came the night that changed everything. Darkspawn attacked them while they slept. Members of their group did not have time to dress in the surprise and chaos, most in nightclothes or other stages of undress, and almost none in armor. Kallian herself had only a linen shift to protect her, her bare feet scrabbling in the dirt as she tried to duck and evade their attackers. She screamed when a genlock reached out to grab her, but before it could lay its tainted hands on her, Genikon came to her rescue, driving it back and slaying it. Kallian could only watch, dumbfounded, as they fought--at least until she saw the blood staining the arm of his shirt.
"You're hurt," she observed as the skirmish ended, "Please. Let me heal you." Despite his protests that it was nothing, she escorted him back to her tent. It was difficult to see the wound in the lantern light. Demurely, she glanced toward him. "...this will be easier without your shirt. If you could, please...?" He did not speak as he peeled off the torn and bloodied garment. Kallian sat him down, and knelt beside him, carefully cleaning the wound. She kept her eyes on her work, all too keenly aware of how close they were in the small confines of her tent. She had never been so close to a man before. She did not let herself look at him beyond the injury she was tending, did not meet his eyes, which watched her with a quiet fascination. He was young, strong and comely, but... she did not dare act upon the stirrings she was beginning to feel. There was a faint glow of blue light as she closed the wound with her magic. "Done. Good as new," she said softly.
She moved to put her things away, but before she could, she felt his hand touch her cheek so gently, lifting her chin. For one moment, their eyes met, and then, so softly, so lightly, he brushed his lips against hers. Kallian froze, her heart pounding. She didn't know what to do. She had never been kissed before. And yet... this was Genikon. Her dear friend. The one who would always keep her safe. He would never let anything harm her. Was this, perhaps, what love felt like? She caught the look on his face as she did not dare move--that fear, that rejection. No, no. She couldn't hurt him like that. Not when she cared about him so much.
Quickly, impulsively, before he could pull away from her, Kallian wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brought her lips to his. She was trembling when she pulled back, but she smiled, brighter than he had ever seen from her before. For once, she wasn't afraid. Rather, she felt a strange, giddy relief. Genikon seemed just as pleasantly surprised as she was. Though it passed in virtual silence, a thousand sentiments were spoken in smiles, kisses and light caresses as they began the discovery of each other. He traced the delicate sweep of her ears, the hollow of her throat; she marveled at his lean muscles and the smooth planes of his bare chest and back. She rested her hand over the place where she could feel his heart beating, and he, so gingerly, did with her as well, feeling its rhythm beneath the thin fabric of her shift. A nearly-perfect unison. They did not touch each other beyond that on that first night, but Kallian fell asleep in his arms, listening to that heartbeat, and he did not leave her until morning.
Certainly, they were greeted with some lighthearted teasing from their companions when they caught sight of the Warden leaving the mage's tent the next day, but Kallian found she didn't mind. Genikon was with her. That was all that mattered. In the days that would follow, as often as not, when they walked side by side, it was also hand in hand. She wore the flowers he picked for her proudly in her hair, sharing shy smiles from across the way. They often shared their meals, and spent late night watches gazing at the campfire together. Sometimes, he would spend the night in her tent, but they were slow, gentle in the pace at which their love story unfolded, exchanging little more than kisses before they fell asleep in each other's embrace.
And then came the day when the sweet bud of their romance began to bloom at last. Every brush of one's hand against the other's became a lingering caress. Their gazes, so often locked, spoke of a silent longing. Each smile was a promise. By the time night fell, they were completely entranced with each other. Genikon did not even bother to set up his own tent that night, proceeding directly to Kallian's. Inside, he found her, heart racing, but ready. There was no need to say it--the look in their eyes bespoke of all the love they shared. Slowly, tenderly, their kisses smouldered in the soft glow of the lantern. Fingers tangled in dark hair. She sighed when she felt his lips tracing along the curve of her neck, her shoulder, his strong arms around her, molding her virgin body against his. Before long, their clothes lay in a tangle of linen, wool and leather, and Kallian gave herself to him willingly, melting under every touch upon her soft, pale skin. She didn't care if the others in the camp were sure to whisper about their lovemaking that night. To her, it was perfect--and she would never be afraid again so long as that perfection was everlasting.
Pavak could appreciate a good romance as much as the next elf, but Genikon and Kallian’s twisting dance of a courtship was almost painful to watch at times.
He had laughed at them, all in good spirit of course, and taken it upon himself to take them both aside at varying times to give them pointers. He let them know that he was a welcome and ready practice partner. The two of them had near identical reactions to his suggestion, blushing and looking away while mumbling or stuttering. It was time to take the situation into his own nimble hands.
Pavak finally found the two of them, huddled together in an alcove, heads close but not touching as they talked softly to one another. There was a carefully kept distance between the two of them, neither were touching. Pavak walked boldly up to them and pushed his lithe body between the two of them. They moved a bit apart, to recover their personal space, but Pavak wound his arms around both of their shoulders and pulled them close. They were too damnably polite to say no when he ask them to accompany him for the evening.
Much later, the three of them were much more relaxed. Pavak had plied the two of them with drinks until Genikon became almost loquacious and Kallian gained a silly grin on her face.
“Gen, tell me, have you been practicing shooting straight and true lately.” Pavak’s long fingers traced the rim of the other man’s cup before dipping into the remains of the red wine. He brought his damp fingers up to his lips and sucked on it; Kallian watched in wide eyed fascination.
Genikon laughed, a surprisingly warm sound, and Kallian’s attention immediately shifted to the Warden. “Ever’ day.” As the man got more and more drunk, his stutter evened out, but he was beginning to develop an amusing slur on top of his smooth Nevarran accent. Pavak found it enchanting. Genikon laughed again and started to say more, but Pavak put the finger that he had just suckled up to the Nevarran’s lips. Genikon started in surprise, looking confused while Pavak traced his lips.
Pavak tossed a smile at Kallian before leaning in to kiss Genikon. The younger man was frozen in place, but did not flinch away. Pavak touched his tongue to the man’s lips briefly before pulling back. He looked out of the corner of his eyes to Kallian, who had frozen in place with her mouth open in a surprised o shape. Pavak could feel a wicked amusement roll through him as he pulled away from Genikon and placed his hand behind Kallian’s head. He kissed her soundly, his mouth open and hot against hers. When he pulled away, he said, “It looked like your mouth needed something to do.” In a lower voice he added, “That’s what you always wanted, right? A kiss from Genikon?” He winked, adding, “Second hand is always better.”
The night progressed from there.
"They say that all men have their price," smiled Lucressia, graciously refilling Kallian's wineglass without so much as an awkward pause in the twist of her wrist. The Antivan woman really was impossibly gorgeous, and Kallian felt like an awkward, ungainly duckling next to her, but Lucressia was talking to her and being so nice that she didn't even notice how much of the Antivan alcohol she was really consuming. "And it is true, you know. Some men - or women - can be bought quite cheaply."
The woman was moving, all silk and smoke, and Kallian was hard-pressed to keep track of her, right up until the Antivan put her soft-fingered hands against her shoulders and began to stroke and caress, to relax the tension in her torso - "And for others, their souls are without price. Funny how priceless and worthless are so similar in words, but so different in practice, isn't it?" Lucressia was slowly drawing Kallian to lay in her lap, and the elf did so without resistance, bonelessly draping herself across the Antivan woman's legs, nuzzling absently her face and mouth into Lucressia's stomach; when Lucressia began to trail her fingers entrancingly, so very sweetly across her belly and hips and breasts, it felt so good that Kallian couldn't bear to tell her to stop.
"You, my dear," purred the Antivan, "are a treasure beyond price. So for this, I will do you a favor -" And she bent her head to brush her full lips across Kallian's ear: "Let me teach you some tricks for that Warden boy of yours.... completely free of charge."
"That isn't the look a woman in love should have."
Kallian looked up, startled, only to see the Antivan woman, Lucressia looking at her. The elf blushed. "I... I was just..." she stammered. Genikon had left her side for the moment, promising to return to her that night, and she'd been watching him go. She was anxious. By now the relationship between the two elves was no secret, but Kallian still felt like she had no idea what she was doing.
Lucressia just chuckled. "You worry too much about what he's thinking. You need to relax, sweetness," she told Kallian. Kallian fidgeted.
"...I just want to make him happy," she muttered in a quiet voice, her blue eyes downcast. Lucressia shook her head in amusement.
"Come with me." Kallian blinked, but obeyed the pretty human woman, following her to where she slept. "Have a seat," Lucressia said invitingly, fetching some strong Antivan wine as Kallian did just that. She poured a glass for each of them. "Here. This will help you relax--which is really what you need, my dear." She gave Kallian a knowing smile. "He's your first, isn't he?"
Kallian gaped, and then blushed. Was it really that obvious? "...yes," she admitted, "I just... I wish I knew what I was doing... I don't know... how..." She trailed off awkwardly, and took a long drink of the wine to try to hide her embarrassment. It made her lips burn, but went down even more easily than the few sips of precious Orlesian wine she'd had as a girl.
"Wanting a little experience, hmm?" Lucressia asked, a glitter in her eyes, "Well, the only way to get that is through practice. You could always buy it, of course."
Kallian blushed even harder. "Oh... no... No, I couldn't possibly..." she protested softly, her eyes on the wineglass in her hand. She quickly drained it.
"I suppose it's not for everyone, but you can learn a thing or two that way. Sometimes, it's a lot easier just to pay for it." She smiled and got up to refill the elf's glass. She moved with such easy grace and beauty, so impossibly elegant and glamorous, Kallian just felt all the more awkward and plain by comparison. Shy, skittish, almost-invisible little elf that she was... How was it that she had managed to catch the young Warden's attention at all, when there were women like Lucressia around? "It's not the issue of money for you, is it? Because that's less important than you might think." Lucressia smiled so warmly at Kallian that she blushed and looked away.
"They say that all men have their price," the Antivan woman said in her lilting accent, deftly refilling Kallian's glass. The elf had never had so much to drink at once in her life, but she couldn't very well say no, could she? It was so rare for a human to treat her with such kindness and generosity, surely it would be an insult for someone like Kallian to refuse. It went down more easily the more she had, and Kallian politely sipped while Lucressia talked, not really even noticing just how much she was consuming. "And it is true, you know. Some men - or women - can be bought quite cheaply."
Lucressia put the flagon back down, her hips swaying in a smoky, silken motion at she walked. It was so subtle that Kallian had trouble keeping track of where Lucressia was, up until she felt the Antivan woman gently put her hands on Kallian's shoulders, brushing aside her long dark hair. At first, Kallian was confused, until she felt those hands so gently caressing and stroking there, trying to relax the elf's stiff posture. She gasped faintly under the touch, but if Lucressia heard it, she pretended not to notice. "And for others, their souls are without price. Funny how priceless and worthless are so similar in words, but so different in practice, isn't it?" she asked, chuckling musically. Kallian nodded quietly, half-entranced by the other woman's touches. Lucressia had moved so that she was sitting beside Kallian, slowly, gently, drawing her into her lap. Kallian's head was beginning to swim from all the wine, and she offered no resistance, laying there languidly with her head upon Lucressia's thigh, absently nuzzling against the Antivan's stomach. Lucressia smiled down at her, delicately trailing her hands over Kallian's hips, belly, and the curve of her breasts. Kallian sighed, feeling a thrill like lightning follow in the wake of those fingers. The sensation was so utterly delicious that she couldn't find any words to protest, even if she had wanted her to stop.
"You, my dear," Lucressia murmured, her voice a sultry purr, "are a treasure beyond price. So for this, I will do you a favor -" A small sound escaped Kallian's lips as she felt Lucressia brush her full, sensuous mouth against the delicate point of Kallian's ear. "Let me teach you some tricks for that Warden boy of yours.... completely free of charge."
Kallian was speechless. She wanted desperately to know how to please her beloved, but never imagined anything like this. Vaguely, she had the sense that this was not proper, but between the heady wine and the sensual sweetness of Lucressia's caresses, she couldn't say no if she wanted to. Instead, she found herself nodding, practically putty in the Antivan's hands.
"I told you relaxing would help," Lucressia teased, outlining Kallian's lips with her fingertip. "Of course, a kiss is usually a prelude to something more. Done right, and not only will there be no question of what you want, but he'll be begging you for more. Like so." The next thing Kallian knew, Lucressia was kissing her, softly, sensuously. At first, the elf's eyes widened in surprise, but soon found herself yielding, her lips parting easily against Lucressia's. The warm wetness of the Antivan's tongue lightly caressed hers, the faintest touch of it running over Kallian's lips. She shivered with involuntary delight, her body tingling all the way to her toes. Genikon had certainly never kissed her quite this way. Strange as it was, Kallian couldn't deny she liked it.
"Delightful, isn't it?" Lucressia murmured when she pulled back. Kallian nodded, too breathless to speak. "Of course, that's only the beginning, sweetness. You're a healer, right? I'm sure you must be good with your hands, then. And there are so many things you can do with hands." To the elf's continued surprise, Lucressia sensual touch caressed her skin--neck, stomach, breasts, thighs and more--in ways she'd never dreamed of. And her tongue! Oh, sweet holy Maker! It made Kallian moan and mewl with pleasure so exquisite it almost made her cry. Meanwhile, the elf herself memorized the patterns crisscrossing over the Antivan's skin, proving she had learned the lessons given.
"...you won't tell him about this, will you?" Kallian asked in a small voice afterward as she dressed again.
"Not unless you want me to," Lucressia said with a smirk, "After all, some find the idea of two beautiful women together absolutely irresistable."
Kallian blushed, thanked the Antivan, and tried not to stagger on still-weak knees as she went back to her own tent. Though her cheeks burned, she couldn't help but smile. Genikon would be in for quite the surprise when he came to Kallian next.
It started out innocently enough; a rabbit caught for her dinner here, a giant furry golden head thrust into her lap there. It wasn't until Genikon drew her away from ardently rubbing the wolfmage's soft tummy, however, that she realized the red thing she kept bumping against wasn't just a second tail.
Kallian had no idea how she got into these things. One minute, she was discussing the spread of the cards before her on Eligia's table, and then somehow the conversation had shifted from cards to... um, practicalities, and next thing the elf healer knew she was sprawled across the blue silk tablecloth, skirts hiked up around her hips and the twist of her hem clenched in her teeth, muffling the aching little noises in her throat as the Rivaini explored the furthest regions of apostate territory. A stray knee sent the lamp tumbling to the floor, thankfully not shattering to a thousand pieces - cards were scattered across the table and in her hair like diamonds, the texture of one smooth piece of paper against Kallian's face somehow unbearably sensual. It didn't help one bit that the wood bit under her nails where she dug her hands into the edges of the table, or the way Eligia rolled her eyes up the length of Kallian's body, the lower half of her face obscured by the other woman's mound, but her brows and gaze unmistakably amused. When she at last chose to come up for air and spare the other woman a few moments' respite, she doffed one of her gauzy scarves and began to twist and snap the fabric, making of it a rope and of her laughing expression something indefinably darker. "Ah, mi bella," purred Eligia, Kallian shivering in combined fear and anticipation, "you have so /very/ much to learn..."
