Chapter 8

For the second time that day Laurel sat in front of a blazing fire combing her fingers through her hair trying to get it to dry, wrapped in a towel she wondered when the maid would either return with her clothes or bring some others for her to wear while her own were cleaned.

She giggled wiggling her toes in the thick fur rug she was sitting on, hearing the door open she was about to tell the maid to set her clothes on the chair, instead of the maid she found herself looking up at Alex as he walked into the room going over to the chair he picked up his muddy jacket as he turned he saw her, scrambling to her feet Laurel stood holding the front of the towel her breath caught in her chest seeing the look in his eyes as he dropped his jacket and slowly walked towards her. Yes, thought Laurel wanting this from the first moment she'd seen him, she let go of the towel not taking her eye's from his, she saw his eye's flair then she was being crushed in his arms his mouth ravishing hers, her hands went to his shirt front pulling it open, pushing the shirt off his shoulders she purred into his mouth as she felt her breasts pressed tightly against his bare chest. Moving her breasts over his chest she sucked in her breath feeling her hard nipples rubbing against the hair on his chest, her fingers found the front of his breeches almost ripping them open she heard him groan into her mouth kissing her hard as her hands pushed his breeches down over his hips. With a gasp Alex pulled his mouth from hers to quickly pull off his boots and his breeches. Laurel watched him with glittering green eye's, she licked her lips sensuously when he pulled her back into his arms and lowered her down onto the fur rug Laurel breathed out that she wanted him, she wanted to feel him deep inside her, thrusting deep, Alex groaned hearing her, kneeling between her thighs he told her he wanted her long legs wrapped tightly around him when he came into her, Laurel slide her legs slowly up his thighs pressing her heels against his bottom she moaned as she felt his mouth on her breast, her nails raked up his back when she raised her hips pushing and rubbing against his hard shaft, Laurel panting bite the side of his neck urgently telling him that she wanted him deep inside her, she wanted to feel his hard shaft inside her, now. Alex thrust into her pushing his hips hard until he felt the head of his shaft butting up against the top of her womb, Laurel moaned pushing up her hips to meet his thrust her whispered erotic words flowing over him, shoving his hands into her hair he held her head tightly kissing her as he rammed into her over and over again.

Both Alex and Laurel heard the door open and a woman's shocked gasp, not even looking Alex rasped "get out" Laurel heard the door slam then heard Grace "how dare you, how could you Alex, you have the nerve to fornicate with this ... this whore on the day of your nephew's funeral, I want her out, gone, now immediately." Alex sighed resting his forehead on Laurel's for a moment then turned looking at his sister "get out Grace we will talk of this later" Grace almost ran out of the room, Laurel sighed whispering "I'm sorry Alex" Alex kissed the tip of her nose "don't be" Laurel squeezed her eyes shut as the door slammed open again, she saw her clothes come flying across the room almost landing in the fireplace "I said I wanted her gone and I meant it!" Grace hissed.

Angry now Alex got up off Laurel and stood up glaring at Grace, who with a gasp grabbed his breeches off the floor and threw them at him "cover yourself for heaven sakes, have you no shame" Laurel grabbed her clothes biting her lip feeling them still cold and damp as she pulled them on, standing up she brushed her hair back out of her face. Never having been the recipient of a woman's scorn before Laurel was shocked to hear herself being called a trollop and whore. Alex pulling on his breeches told Grace to be quiet, it was only out of his good will that she and her husband even had a roof over their heads. Laurel slipped on her boots and damp jacket, reaching in the pocket she took out a piece of ribbon tying back her hair she touched Alex arm "please stop, this is your sister, she has suffered a great loss please don't make it worse by saying words that you both will regret."

Laurel picked up her lute, she blinked to see a small bag of coins tossed at her feet "there is your payment for your songs, what Alex pays you is his business!" Alex snarled at his sister "have you gone mad Grace? How dare you." Laurel walked out of the room, stepping into the shadows she squeezed her eyes shut and sent herself to the church. Silently she slipped into the church, retrieving her pack she started to leave then stopped hearing the horrid racking cough of the sick Sister, opening the door Laurel quietly went to the bed and put her hand on the old nun's chest easing the illness from her body, Sister Theresa opened her eye's for a moment looking at Laurel with kindness in her eye's Laurel sent her into a deep healing sleep then left the church.

Laurel shivering in the dark sent herself far from the church and the Keep. The dragoness flew through the night until she found a large ledge on the side of a mountain, heating the rocks until they almost glowed Laurel put down her pack, she curled up on the rocks absorbing the heat into her tired cold body. Laurel lay in the dark sobbing for a long time, curling her tail around her body she fell asleep her crystal tears scattered around her. Laurel stayed on the mountain ledge for three days keeping the rocks hot until her clothes were dry and her body no longer shook with shivers, her stomach rumbling with hunger that night she flew down into the forest below, she shuddered and hesitated only for a moment before bringing down a deer, carrying it back to the ledge Laurel finally filled her belly, the meat was slightly charred but at least it was hot food.

Each night for a week Laurel flew further north, during the day she stopped in small towns and villages or at farms singing for a loaf of bread or a hot meal, on occasion a tossed coin. Walking in the warm mid day sun Laurel sighed to herself, she had to start giving serious thought to what she would do for the winter, she also had to decide if she would attend this year's gathering, it was coming up soon, she wanted to see Re again, if he was there at all. Walking up into the hills Laurel set down her lute and pack, sitting down she leaned back against a tree, half closing her eye's feeling the sunlight through the tree's on her face.

Squinting her eye's Laurel blinked sure she had seen an elf go behind a large rock, not moving Laurel watched carefully, sure enough a few minutes later the elf came out running off into the woods, she saw him come back a few minutes later dragging a large stick, he stuck the stick against the rock, shoving and pushing she almost giggled hearing little mutters coming from the elf. Feeling bad for the elf who was becoming more upset by the moment, Laurel stood up and walked over to the rock "do you need the rock moved? I can move it for you, don't be frightened I won't hurt you" Laurel said softly. Laurel saw the elf peek around a tree at her, she smiled as he cautiously edge forward, Laurel bent down and carefully picked up the rock, she blinked to see another elf wedged against the hill "are you all right?" she asked in concern backing up to let the other elf feel safe. The one elf rushed over to the other making muttering sounds of distress, Laurel sitting back down offered to help saying she could heal minor injuries like broken bones and cuts.

Laurel watched the elf fussing over the other one, then glance over his shoulder at her several times, with a smile Laurel got back up and walked over, kneeling down she made soothing sounds as she looked over the injured elf, a pretty female elf who was trying not to move her injured leg at the same time she pressed back against the hill staring at the human looking down at her. Just barely touching the elf's leg Laurel healed the broken bone, then the cuts and bruises "there you go all better now" Laurel said kindly.

Going back to her pack Laurel looked up at the sky it would be dark soon, deciding to stay where she was she only glanced over once to where the elves had been moments before, now they were gone into the forest. Using her walking stick she dug out a small area then circled it with rocks, picking up twigs and sticks she set them in the small pit, getting a fire going, she pulled out a piece of bread and cheese from her pack, setting them aside she went looking for the water she could hear running, finding the small stream she filled her pail and went back to her fire. Laurel ate her bread and cheese frowning, she would have to find a town or farm soon she told herself, she chuckled to herself, the longer she was alone the more often she found herself talking out loud, soon she would be having full blown conversations with herself.

As the darkness of night surrounded her Laurel spread out her bedroll, laying down she picked up her lute, strumming her fingers over the strings she started to sing, her voice filled with tears as she sang of lost loves, of the aloneness of a world filled with harshness, she sang of damsels in distress and knights in shining armor, of death and angels until the tears closed her throat and she set her lute down crying. The forest folk drawn by her singing looked at each other feeling the human woman's deep sadness. Many stumbled back with a gasp as the woman became a dragoness her scales shining with iridescence, they watched her take to the skies her mighty wings beating the air. They talked excitedly to each other as the dragoness's roar filled the night winds, hiding behind tree' and bushes as the dragoness once again came to ground laying on her blankets she laid her head on her paws softly crooning to herself.

Laurel had reached her decision, she would go to the gathering, she needed too for the simple reason that she had to learn as much as possible about living on her own, she would need books on herbs and cures and magic spells. Opening her eye's Laurel looked at the elf slowly edging his way towards her, she could see the wariness in his eyes, the elf came to stand a few feet away from her, holding his cap in his hands she almost chuckled seeing his fingers crushing the cap. "Lady Dragon, the forest folk of Zinmer Forest want to welcome you and give our thanks for the aid you gave to one of us, it has been hundreds of years since we had a dragon living in our midst." Laurel smiled "I am Laurel, thank you for your kind welcome, I'm glad I could help your injured lady elf" the elf smiled back "I am called Murry" Laurel indicated a seat by the fire "won't you join me, I can only offer you a piece of bread and cheese but you are welcome to it."