The Storm's Own Son (Book 3) (14 page)

Sorya reached her hand between his legs, gripped him hard and began to stroke. "I… have missed… this!" she said, voice almost hoarse with passion.

Still gripping her by the hair, he tilted her head again to kiss her. She parted her lips hungrily, and he pressed his mouth to hers. He forced his tongue inside her, and she battled it with her own. She stroked him wildly. He gripped her bottom hard, then slipped a finger in between and inside. She half-screamed as she began grinding her hips against him.

Then, without warning, he took her in his arms as if she were weightless, carried her to his bed and bent her over the edge. She shivered, breath panting expectantly. He pinned her down with one hand at the back of her neck and spanked her hard across the bottom with the other.

She gasped with mingled pain and pleasure.

He gripped her hip, forced himself almost violently inside her, and began thrusting wildly, fast and hard. The bed shook.

"Yes!" she screamed, "Yes! Unh! Yes! Unh! Yes…"

She released, juices soaking the bed, then again, and then a third time.

He unleashed inside her, so forcefully that she screamed again, and so soon that she looked over her shoulder in surprise, for their nights had been long in Carai.

Then, immediately, he began again. Hard and fast and deep inside her. He laughed, and without explanation, added, "It's going to be a long night."

She startled, sucked in her breath, squirted her juices again, and somehow managed a reply, "Oh… yes, please! Till I'm sore!"

"There are a lot of ways to make you sore." he added with a wicked smile of his own

"As if… mmm… that's new!" she gasped.

That got her another hard spanking as he pounded her against the bed.

~

The early morning air was cool up here, as the sun rose over the eastern sea. They'd walked along the walls all the way to the furthest tower on the north side of Avrosa. Tall and built half in the deep water around the promontory north of the harbor, it offered sweeping views of the sea and countryside. Talaos posted guards on the floor below and on the adjacent stretch of wall, but they had the top of the tower to themselves.

Katara stood at the battlement and watched gulls dive on the seashore. She wore her northern garb. Talaos thought she still seemed guarded, reflective, with emotions locked away. Sorya stood behind Katara, in her black dress from the night before and a plain gray cloak borrowed from Talaos. She was smiling as she braided the Northwoman's golden hair.

Talaos watched them with a contented smile, then took a spot at the battlement to Katara's right and surveyed the shore below. He wore his knee-length dark gray military tunic, baggy pants, and black boots. His cloak of office as dictator was thrown back over his shoulder.

"It is strange to think," said Katara, "that ships landed on that shore to the north, unloading thousands of enemies, and there the gulls play and the waves lap without care."

Sorya answered, "In Carai, I used to look for things like that, little bits of peace, when I could get away from whatever trouble I was in at the time."

"From trouble in the north, to trouble in Carai, to trouble here," replied Katara. "Much like you, Sorya, or like Tal, it follows me, and I follow it."

Sorya finished braiding Katara's hair and went to stand by her left side at the balcony, pressing close as a fresh breeze blew from the sea. Katara took her hand.

"There's a reason we're all together," said Sorya quietly, with a wry smile. "Though I think Tal's more of a creator of trouble, maybe the lord of trouble."

"I have enough titles at the moment, thank you," smiled Talaos.

Katara watched as soldiers in the vast camp to the west began to form up for morning drill and their other tasks for the day. She let go of Sorya's hand and stepped back from the wall to face Talaos. The three of them stood close. She lowered her gaze, and spoke to him.

"My lord, may I ride with you today to see the army?"

"Yes," he replied, "and tomorrow you will ride with me to war."

She then added, with repressed intensity, "And you will have me, my lord?"

He replied, "Yes, tonight."

Then Katara smiled, and raised her eyes to his. He extended his hand and she took it. Then she took Sorya's again, and finally Sorya took his. They stood close in their circle, hands clasped, as brightening sunshine warmed their skin.

~

Talaos rode through the camp with the Madmen behind him. Katara rode up to his side. He had never seen her on horseback before, but was not surprised she was an expert rider. She'd put on a chain shirt over her outfit from the morning. Her gray eyes gleamed, and her long golden braids shone in the sun.

"Good morning again, my lord!" she said brightly.

"And you, my love," he replied.

"I have never seen an army together so large," she said. "How many did you say?"

"When Warlord Kurvan returns, we'll have more than thirty-seven thousand."

They rode past a company of heavy cavalry, trotting out of camp to practice maneuvers in their full armor, with oval shields at their side. The men saluted Talaos, and he returned it.

"It must take a great deal of food to feed them all, and equipment to supply them. Will your supplies last?" she considered.

"It does, but we have enough to last a while. Our opportunities will run out much sooner, and so we prepare."

Katara listened as they rode, and watched the activity around them with interest. Then she turned with another question. "My lord, leading so many must take a lot of planning and cooperation among your captains, and a great many of them at that."

Talaos nodded, "It does. In Hunyos, armies have senior commanders who discuss plans in council. Below that are officers called tribunes, then captains and decurions. Each has their place in the chain. The chieftains of the hillmen don’t use titles of that kind, but their families and clans have an order of their own. "

"There is a lot of experience in war here," she answered, "however different it is from what I learned at my father's side. Where do your companions fit? The Madmen here?"

Talaos grinned, "They're my friends, from the time we were ordinary soldiers."

Kyrax interrupted, "Damned fucking right, and don't you forget it!"

Katara turned in surprise, then watched for Talaos's reaction.

"Katara, meet Kyrax," laughed Talaos, "and while we're at it, Larogwan, Firio, Halmir, Vulkas, Imvan, and Epos."

She nodded gravely.

"Don't be swept away by Kyrax's charm and polish," added Larogwan.

"Polish?" she replied, perhaps processing the term.

"His good manners!" boomed Vulkas.

"Ah, I see," answered Katara, guardedly and uncertainly.

Then Halmir rode close, and bowed his head to Katara. She nodded in solemn reply.

"Lady Katara," he said, "I am of the eastern Schald, and it may be that I can translate from the south to the north. This man Kyrax is famous among us for his rudeness. Knowing him so well, it is a matter of jokes to imply he is otherwise."

"I'm rude?" interjected Kyrax, seeming genuinely confused.

Katara laughed at last.

"So your father is a king?" asked Firio brightly.

"He is," she replied, "but I am not on good terms with him anymore."

"Still, you're the first princess I've ever met!"

She smiled.

They passed several companies of heavy footmen in breastplates and low-crested helms, wielding spears and large round shields in formation training.

Katara asked Talaos, "My lord, do you have time to train with me?"

"I wish I did," he replied. "Would you like to ride with the Madmen today?"

She beamed, "I would, thank you!"

"It is an honor to have you with us, Katara," said Imvan, in quiet earnest.

"We have a certain, eh, colorful style of working together," added Larogwan. "But once you get used to it, you might find us not such bad company…"

"I think I can become used to it," she smiled, then added, “Larogwan, you are from the Seven Kingdoms, yes? How did you come to be here?”

“Aye,” he answered. “From Cor Anwin, though it has been a long time since I left. You would’ve been a little lass, if you were even born.”

“Larogwan’s older than the hills,” grinned Vulkas.

“Coming from a man the size o’ one…” snorted Larogwan, “But in answer to your question, Katara, I was in the army, and when the war ended I found things too quiet at home, and went looking for trouble.”

“You chose wisely, in coming to Hunyos,” added Epos, to the surprise of all, and without any hint of humor in his deep voice.

Larogwan chuckled, and continued, “Don’t worry, that’s the last time he’ll speak till the morrow. In fact, I found trouble closer to home. At the time, and with all due respect to Halmir, his cousins the western Schald were giving a bit of it to their southern neighbors in Voschen.”

The old warrior paused, waiting for a comment, but Halmir merely made a grim smile.

“Now Voschen,” Larogwan went on, “might be one of the Seven Realms, but its folk seemed half Northman to me, and were happy enough to crack a few Schaldic heads in return. Still, with the odds they faced, they had plenty of work for mercenaries, and I was happy to take it…”

“Tell her about the Southlands, and the snakes!” interrupted Firio.

“No lad, I don’t want to talk about the snakes again,” answered Larogwan with sorrowful-seeming shake of his head.

“Are the Southlands full of snakes?” asked Katara.

The old warrior maintained his solemn composure, though a hint of twinkle appeared in his eye, “No more than Hunyos, or not much more, but my, ah, work, took me to a place with more than I ever care to see again.”

The Northwoman nodded.

Larogwan suddenly smiled, “If I must deal with beasties, better it be a variety. Wolves and boars, for example…”

Talaos glanced over his shoulder and grinned, while Kyrax snorted.

“…or even a big lumbering ox,” continued Larogwan.

“That’s bull to you, old goat!” retorted Vulkas, without turning around.

“There’s bull all around…” added Kyrax, flatly.

Katara laughed again. Talaos thought it perhaps the lightest and most carefree he’d ever heard from her.

They rode on for a while longer, as Katara joined in small talk with the others. At last Talaos decided it was time to take his leave. “Madmen,” he said, “continue the tour of the camp with Katara, then feel free to spar, if she wishes.”

Nods came in reply.

He turned to Katara. “Till tonight,” he said.

She spurred her horse to him. He smiled and took her hand.

“Till then,” she answered.

~

Liriel greeted them at the door. They entered, and his guards waited outside. Talaos gave Liriel a kiss while Miriana watched in fascination. Liriel then greeted Miriana, and what Talaos thought to be a look of deep understanding passed between the two women.

Liriel then peered into Miriana's eyes and made a wistful smile. She put a hand to the younger woman's cheek. "You're flush with newfound power, my dear," she said.

Miriana smiled brightly.

"I remember that feeling," continued Liriel, "when I was like you, so very young, and newly in control of my gifts. Ah… But you are far, far more powerful."

"I am different." replied Miriana respectfully. "A prophetess, but I only hear the spirits sometimes, when they wish. I can't talk to them like you, and I haven't learned the things you have. If you wanted to teach, I'd love to learn from you."

Liriel warmed, "With luck, we'll have that chance. If you have time, let's talk awhile."

They took chairs. Liriel poured them a little tea. Talaos smiled.

And then began a conversation between the two women. A conversation about things in ways implicitly understood by two who lived half in the world of spirits and things unseen. Talaos thought it was one of the strangest he'd ever heard. Strange, and fascinating.

~

Katara stood before Talaos in his chamber in the old tower. The guard closed the door behind her . She was dressed in her clothes from the day, but without her chain shirt. Talaos wore loose Hunyos-style pants tucked into his black military boots, but had taken off his tunic to wash just before she'd arrived. She surveyed him, and the room, with interest.

"I like this place. It has strength," she said.

He smiled, and replied, "I do too. Better than any lavish quarters I might commandeer."

Her gray eyes took in his face and body, and his scars. However many healed, he always acquired more, and the scar on his face from the Ferox always remained, as did the slash of the glyph sword on his chest and shoulder. He was conscious of her gaze, and how much he'd missed her. He put his right hand under her chin, and she smiled.