Chapter 19

Carl had lots of bad dreams that night, Tamara had left him earlier for her own room so once more he found himself sleeping alone. And just as that other night he found himself waking up in the middle of the night, dreaming that one of the assassins slowly was pushing him down, just to find that someone actually was pushing him out of his bed again. Finding the assassin to be a dream, he felt thankful over it just being Tamara. 'Baby.' He said touching her shoulder. 'Move over love, you're pushing me over the edge.' She moved slightly at the same time as she turned around facing him. He felt her breast moving against his chest and he was surprised over how big and springy they were.

Seeing Tamara clothed he never would have guessed that they were this big he thought as he started to play with her nipples. She started to move a little, moaning in her sleep. He just leaned over to give her that hot awakening kiss when he realized, to his everlasting surprise, that this in no way could be Tamara. It had to be her mother, the queen, he tried to see her better but the bad lightning in the room prevented him. To his horror he realized that he didn't even knew her name. If she was here tonight though, then she probably was here yesternight too, and that meant?

When he thought of how he had treated her last night he shuddered to himself, it was only luck and some small propriety from her side that had stopped her from calling her guards he guessed. It was strange how this place treated morals and sex, they seemed to have a much looser concept of what proper behavior meant than what he was used of, he mused to himself, as his hand continued his loving manipulation of her nipple.

All of this thinking took him probably less than some seconds and the queen who now had stopped her moaning slowly touched his cheeks with her hand. He froze unsure of what to do, now her head started to move towards him too. She's awake, he thought nervously, on the other hand it had been her own choice to come here, hadn't it? He thought, so what to do, what to do? Her lips that now almost touched him whispered her hot breath a sultry breeze. ' Is my stallion awake?'

He suddenly realized that what he had done yesternight had been right and proper by her. What the heck, when in Rome, he thought consoling his by now tattered to the winds conscience. 'So, my little mare wants to be ridden.' He stated in no uncertain manner as he firmly went on to place her on all four. 'Be still now mare, that your master can have his pleasure.'

We will leave Carl and his queen there for the moment to look back at his other girlfriends. When he and Tamara had left the Briars Inn they had left Linea in a bad state of tears and confusion, she had became so swallowed up in her little game with Carl that she in many ways had lost her touch with reality. She was in for another rude awakening as she took her despair to Dawn. Dawn listened quietly to Linea's complaints and her desperate tries to justify herself.

When she stopped at last silently sobbing Dawn just opened her arms to her and Linea, still being innocent in her emotional outlook, flew into them as if a orphaned fledgling suddenly finding shelter. 'Listen child.' Dawn said. 'When young one make mistakes, it's much better to do them young than old lass.' Linea who now at last had run out of excuses for herself became still, feeling herself warmly and safely tucked away into Dawns hold. 'Fantasy can only be reality when seasoned by love Linea. You were as a self-willed girl playing with her doll.'

Linea started to think back to how she had treated Carl lately. I thought I was loosing him she thought, and she had been jealous too, she silently admitted to herself. 'It's so difficult, I don't want to be this way.' She told Dawn. 'He won't love me anymore, will he?' Dawn looked down at her little wounded fledgling. 'Shh.' She said kindly. 'Time will tell Linea. We will love you anyway, and so will Carl. You are young, don't worry child.' And so they sat for a while, trusting into their own love for each other both feeling cared for.

Derek and Hope found them sitting like that when they came in to introduce Ainia to them. Alair who had been out shopping found them all sitting and laughing together as she arrived with a basket filled with precious herbs. 'Ainia.' Said Dawn. 'This is Alair, Alair this is Ainia, she is a swords maiden from up north seeking a quest.' They smiled at each other and Alair said. 'Nice to meet you Ainia, I just have to do this.' The other watched as Alair stretched a thread in a corner hanging up her herbs to dry some more. 'I want them to be as dry as possible.' She explained.

Dawn now sent down for food inviting Ainia to share what little they had. Ainia seemed as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders as she found herself sitting there amongst her newfound friends. She smiled and even giggled at times, a far cry from those ice-cold sword maidens one had heard of coming from the far north. 'It feels like home.' She admitted shyly to Derek when he asked. 'It is a rare thing to find oneself amongst friends so far from home.'