Akira Rises (15 page)

“Move out men.” Dimitri gave the order with a firm but pleasant tone of voice. He took the lead and signaled for Akira to follow single file, a few riders behind himself. It was time to return to the mountain. It smelled like snow in the air. With luck, they would have time to purchase the rest of the supplies they needed for the winter in the mountains and have an evening to spare. The villagers had been given a list to fill when he and his men had descended the mountain, and they had ample time to fill the orders while Dimitri and his men attended to the business of kidnapping Baron Rolfe’s daughter and returning her to her very worried mother. It was time to make one last visit to the tavern, let the single men have some feminine company before they climbed up through the pass, missing the comforts of the fairer sex. The men were jovial, looking forward to a hot meal, an ale or two, and perhaps a hot bath to remove the travel dust.

He led the way out of the meadow, then signaled a scout to go ahead. So far on this foray and supply replenishing chore, no thieves had accosted them for the gold they carried. The gold they carried was to pay the villagers and farmers for the White Roses' winter supplies. Each of his men carried a bag of heavy coins. No wagon carried their treasure, for it would have been an easy mark for thieves. Dimitri wondered what type of message the boy behind him carried. He set his mind to his task. He would know soon enough if it had anything to do with security on the mountain.

Before the sun was high in the cloudy sky they reached the sleepy looking village of the foothills so aptly named Foothill Village. Akira followed the men to a stable where an eager young boy was happy to lead each horse to a separate stall. Akira was reluctant to leave Pegasus’s care to someone else, but she longed for a bath, and clean clothes. She unsaddled him herself and checked again quickly for any signs of saddle sores or heated joints. She slipped the very young stable boy a coin to take extra special care of Pegasus. Satisfied Pegasus was no worse for wear and in need of nothing but some fresh hay, water and some grain, she patted his neck, told him to behave himself and grabbed her belongings and headed for the village inn.

At the only inn in the small village, a very young maid flashed her eyes and battered her long eyelashes at Akira. The maid was young in years but there was an old aura about her. Akira ducked her head and muttered her desire for a meal, and her desire for a room with a hot bath. She paid from the small satchel she had around her neck. Obviously her disguise was still intact as the maid kept flashing come hither looks at Akira, which made Akira cringe. The young maid showed Akira to her room upstairs, and it was with relief that Akira shut the door behind the winking eyes and the come hither sashaying ass. She unrolled her fur robe and untied her small bundle of clean clothes. She organized and laid her clean clothes on the bed. It seemed a good idea at the time. She decided to eat while the hot water was being heated and carried to the tub in the middle of her room.

As Akira descended the stained well-worn wood plank stairs that brought her back to the dining room she observed the leader, Dimitri, was already settled at a large table and drinking ale. Akira eyed him from across the room. His eating manners were far better than any man's manners she had ever seen at home. He wiped his fingers, chewed with his mouth closed. Perhaps she had been too broad in her condemnation and disgust of all men. She reminded herself that her mother spoke highly of her own father and brothers. Akira was tempted to like him. He had offered protection, shared his campfire, and did not pry into her business.
Would it be different if he knew I’m female? Would he try take advantage of me?
Akira eyed him carefully, trying not to get caught staring. Dimitri did not notice her interest but the young maid certainly did. She slammed down Akira' venison and mashed potatoes in front of her.

“One of those!” She huffed and rolled her eyes in disgust at Akira. She poured a glass of ale for Akira, leaned close to give Akira a bird’s eye view of her plump breasts and whispered, “I’ve it on good authority he does not like boys. He likes wenches.”

It took a second or two for Akira to comprehend what the girl meant. Akira's face burned. “Little bitch” she growled back. “Perhaps gentlemen like ladies and not wenches like yourself”. The young maid rolled her eyes at the insult and flounced off, much to Akira's relief.

Akira was left in peace to enjoy her meal. Each time the tavern door opened she was aware of who came through. Thoughts of Baron Rolfe kept her on her guard. She finished her meal quickly, talking with no one other than the cheeky girl who had served her. Eager to freshen up, and rest on a soft straw filled mattress she climbed the stairs and returned to her room. It was a pleasant surprise to find her bath already drawn with a drying cloth laid across a chair near the steaming tub. Akira was more than ready to ease her body into a steamy hot bath. She had never ridden so far and her muscles were not used to the amount of riding she had done. A bar of lye soap was set on the drying cloth. Akira closed the door to her room and latched it shut.

With great relief she peeled off her dirty dusty clothes and released her breasts from their tight bindings. She unbraided her waist length hair and gave her scalp one good long scratch. Testing the water with her fingers she found it hot and inviting. She relished the heat as she climbed in and sank down. It felt delightful. It was soothing. She sighed with pleasure. She slid down until her head was under the water, then sat up and rubbed the bar of soap across her head until it lathered up, and all the grit, ash and oils were lathered away. Humming as she bathed, she scrubbed every inch of her body until it tingled. With her scrubbing done, she soaked up the soothing heat until the water cooled, losing its ability to keep her warmly immersed. With reluctance she rose up, for she could not call out for another bucket of hot water. She used the bucket of rinse water beside the tub for her hair. With a shiver, still standing in the tub she used the rough but clean drying cloth and toweled her hair first. She stepped out of the tub, then dried the rest of her body as best she could.

A knock on the door signaled the maid had returned. “More hot water?” the voice behind the door asked.

“No thanks,” replied Akira, remembering just in time to deepen her voice.

“Anything else you need, young master?” The voice was suggestive. It was not hot water being offered.

Akira cringed with annoyance. The young maid was persistent. “No, nothing needed. You can come back and empty the tub later.”

“Shy, are we?” suggested the persistent voice.

“No, just tired, enjoying time alone,” growled Akira. The maid knocked again on the door. Akira decided she needed to act like an annoyed man. Throwing caution to the wind, Akira raised her voice. “Now piss off before I jam this drying cloth up your ass!”

“Well suit yourself, hoighty toity!” exclaimed the offended maid, stomping off. “One of those that don't like girls. Wouldn't be so bad if'n he fancied women folk as well as men.” Her voice was loud and carried.

Her loud parting shot made Akira want to follow through with her threat. She hoped no one else heard the little bitch. She vigorously rubbed her hair and ended up with tangles.

The snubbed and threatened maid rolled her eyes and mimicked the voice behind the door. She had very little experience of being turned down, especially by fancy boys, who wore girl’s undergarments. She had snooped when she filled the bathing tub. “Snotty sort,” the maid murmured. She made an ugly face. She lost her train of thought as a new opportunity presented itself. The handsome warrior Dimitri was ascending up the stairs. Not one to miss an opportunity she quickly abandoned a lost cause. She licked her lips provocatively. She batted her eyelashes. The object of her attentions eyes met her eyes, and pointedly ignored the inviting body language of the young woman in his path. Two snubs in a row was two too many.

“Since you don't seem to like girls, why don't you try the young gent next to your room. He's very attracted to you. Says he'd rather tumble with you under the sheets rather than me. Queer and disgusting lot you are! No accounting for good taste.”

She smiled smugly when she saw a shocked look and an angry look appear on the face of the man that had snubbed her. Seeing his face redden she picked up her skirts and flounced down the hall and down the stairs. She congratulated herself for being smart enough to know when to make a hasty escape down the stairs. She congratulated herself for finding out the young gent had a secret fetish for female attire. A look of satisfaction crossed her face. Her nose went up higher as if she thought herself to be quite intelligent.

Dimitri looked stunned! He made a motion towards his room then stopped. Anger was building. He looked at the door to his room. He looked down the hall. Erastus was looking out his bedroom door with his eyebrows raised.

Erastus coughed to cover a laugh He snorted. “Oh man, you are so pretty even the young men fancy you!” He laughed. Perhaps he was a little drunk. When he saw the twitch of Dimitri’s lip he sobered up momentarily and closed his door, but not fast enough miss hearing Dimitri tell him to sard his horse. Erastus collapsed on his bed. Belly full, sated with ale he fell asleep not knowing his playful teasing was the wind to fan the spark of temper the young maid had already lit.

Dimitri’s face reddened even more. He looked at the door next to his. Crow had the other room to the right so the foul mouthed fool had to be behind the door in front of him. The dispersion on his character could not be ignored now, especially with three ales under his belt. He kicked the door in, prepared to lay a sound beating on the crass fool behind the door. The door flung open.

Akira gasped, too shocked to scream. It was hard to tell who was more shocked. Dimitri stood still... appalled that before him stood a naked young woman with a tangle of long wavy black hair hanging down her back. She was wide eyed in justifiable fright at his explosive intrusion. He looked about the room. There was no man, young or old, in the room. Dimitri felt like an ass. His anger fizzled like a fire doused with a bucket of water.

Akira stood frozen in shock for a few seconds before her wits came back. She grabbed for the drying cloth that she had just placed on the chair while she tried to untangle her tresses. She held it up in front of herself, speechless. Just as she had thought the leader named Dimitri was perhaps likeable for a man, he had crashed into her room looking as if he wanted to tear her apart. Her disguise must not have fooled him. She suddenly trembled in fear.

Dimitri quickly turned his back to preserve the shocked young woman's modesty and started to apologize. The door swung closed on its own, hanging on to its rough hand hewn frame by one hinge.

He started to say he was sorry, but his apologetic words did not get past the young woman’s actions to protect herself. When Dimitri turned his back to preserve her modesty, Akira grabbed the empty wooden rinse bucket and swung it at the back of his head. Had it not been for the wet floor it may have connected soundly. She slipped. The heavy bucket missed its intended target, smashing onto a broad strong shoulder. After the bucket connected, the chagrined Dimitri instantly turned to protect himself from the distraught young woman, grunting as the pain registered. He grabbed at her arms, tripped over the bucket and crashed to the floor taking her with him. She landed on top of him of with hair fanning about her head like a temptress. Her long hair fell across his chest.

The young woman caught her breath. She was enraged. “You are a beast, Dimitri, whoever in the seven hells you are! A filthy pig like all the rest!” The words ground out with all the venom only a female could muster. She looked like she wanted to scratch his eyes out, but his hands were tightly gripping her wrists.

Dimitri 's mind raced. She’d called him by name, but he would have sworn he never met the beautiful indignant hellcat before! He would have remembered such a fetching female. She spat the words at him. He looked away from the tantalizing firm breasts bobbing as she struggled. Hell! She was trying to knee his groin. His rolled her over onto her back. She struggled fiercely, skidding them over on the plank floor, until he had her securely pinned.

“Calm down,” he grunted. “I’m not going to hurt you!” The hair covering her face parted and revealed her eyes. He knew those eyes. He had seen those eyes recently. He saw the dove tattoo on her pinned wrist. Confusion made him look even closer. He looked about the room. There, on the floor, were the clothes of Suraj! Where was Suraj? It was in that second he realized that it was Suraj's eyes he was looking into. Suraj was not a boy! Not a young man at all! His eyes widened as his mind raced. Could this be the girl he had sought? The girl needing rescuing? He had been under the impression the girl he sought was much younger. Her voice interrupted his suspicious thoughts.

“If you did not intend to harm me, why did you burst into my room?” Akira ground out between her teeth.” Her voice was feminine, angry, and frightened. He was overpowering and her strength was no match for his. She ceased digging her heels into the floor to try slide out from underneath him.

“It was a complete misunderstanding. I was led to believe there was a man who besmirched my character in this room. I was about to defend my honor.”

“If you had any honor you would get off me and hand me a covering.” Akira's words were brave but her heart was thudding in her chest. “It is now my honor needing defending!”|

“If you promise to stop hitting, spitting and scratching like a wild cat I shall release you.”

Akira looked up him with icy blue eyes. “If I’ve your word you will not harm me, I shall refrain from killing you!”

Her brave words amused him. “Kill me? Who has who pinned down on the floor?”

“I shall pull the splinter out of my ass and stab you in the eye with it!” The bravado in her voice faded as she assessed her situation.

Dimitri laughed despite the ache in his shoulder.

“Seriously, you are heavy and there is a splinter from the floor in my rear end.” That he laughed at her was her undoing. Tears welled up in her eyes. Never had she found herself in such a vulnerable position. It was easier to be brave and fearless when one was not naked.