Chapter 8

Raimi lay panting in the sawdust watching Brax crawling over with a grin on his face "let's call it a draw, what do you say? Raimi" Raimi chuckled wiping the blood from under her nose from where his elbow had accidentally caught her "a draw till next time, I'm just out of shape" Brax laughed "that's as good an excuse as any, I was going to use it my self" Raimi laughed and sat up with a groan, Brax grinned "why do you think I'm not moving yet" Raimi chuckled "you better start moving soon or you'll be so stiff you won't be able to walk tomorrow" Brax grinned "that's what the hot oil pool and a few good pints of ale are for." Raimi stood up and put out her hand to Brax, pulling him up "I don't have either and I'm not exactly sure what ale is but my bathing pool will work just fine for getting out the kinks." Brax stared at Raimi in shock "you've never had ale?" Raimi chucked seeing the look on his face "I don't know if I have or not, it's a name I've never heard before" Brax groaned stretching his back "well then let's go have a pint or two and find out."

Brand and Revanche looked up from the account books they had been going over, Natalie carrying a tray with some snacks on it, Bitsy with a tea tray, the two laughing and giggling. Brand raised an eyebrow "well which one came crawling out first?" Natalie laughed "neither they called it a draw, their both staggering to the house now, I think heading for the oil pool, I heard Brax say something about a pint of ale." Bitsy grinned "Keebler is pouting because on a draw he can't collect on bets, he was sure Brax was going to get pounded into the ground and had put all his money on Raimi." Brand laughed "who did you have your money on?" Bitsy chuckled "Raimi of course, we girls have to stick together." Natalie laughed pointing out the window, Brax and Raimi walking like two old crippled people, helping each other up the back steps chuckling at each other. Brand noticed Revanche frowning fiercely down at the books but said nothing with Natalie and Bitsy in the room.

Brax shoved a tankard into Raimi's hand "drink up" taking a long swallow of his own letting out a long sigh, Raimi took a small sip then grinned widely "it's mead, that's what we called it, I haven't had any in years and years" with a deep Mmmmmmmmm of pleasure she took a drink. Brax grinned "there's plenty where that came from" starting to strip off his clothes, Raimi turned her back "ummmmm isn't that against your rules or something, or is it just women who can't do it?" Brax slipping into the hot oil sighed "do what?" Raimi drinking her ale with her back still turned shrugged "undress down to nothing in front of people." Brax chortled "I don't care about rules, I wanted to get my body in this oil before I got too stiff, you better do the same." Raimi shook her head "that's ok I'll wait until I get home." Brax took a long swallow of his ale and chuckled "if your worried about me bothering ya, don't, I don't care for women in that way, I prefer my little man, who better get his butt home soon." Raimi shook her head "I just don't like being naked in front of people, I'm fine drinking my mead." Brax chuckled "I only see one person here but suit yourself, what do you think of our ale?" Raimi laying on her stomach her head hanging over the bathing pool washing her face grinned "I think it tastes almost as good as our mead." Pulling off her boots and socks Raimi dove into the bathing pool, swimming back and forth, she laughed "so much for rules, now they can tell me I shouldn't be swimming in my clothes" going to the side of the pool she took a drink of her ale then went back to swimming laps. Brax groaned just watching her "you're going to tire yourself out doing that." Raimi laughed "I do it twice a day, you should try it sometime." Brax groaned again.

Staggering down the hall sloshing with each step Raimi giggled, her boots under her arm as she went looking for Bitsy. Natalie came out of the library and started to chuckle watching Raimi, her boots kept dropping, each time one fell she would stare down at it like "how did that happen" then bend over to pick it up almost falling over. Raimi seeing Natalie giggled and grinned sloshing towards her "I think it's time to go home, can you pop me over there, I really need to figure out that popping thing." Looking down Raimi giggled "here Hellhound you carry them" she said dropping the boots in front of Hellhound who had been busy lapping up the puddle of water at her feet. Natalie started laughing, Bitsy looking over her shoulder giggled "should we offer her a cup of coffee or just go put her to bed?" Natalie grinned "I think she is past coffee." Revanche stepped past his mother and Bitsy, with a frown he looked at Raimi just shaking his head "you're a mess." Raimi frowned back at him "well dragon boy, I maybe a mess but I'm a clothed mess, so don't go frowning at me." Staggering a little Raimi called Hellhound who was sitting wagging his tail her boots in his mouth and headed for the front door. Natalie and Bitsy looked at each other then at Raimi and Revanche. Raimi jerking open the door almost fell out and down the steps, with a giggle she grabbed the door frame "look out Hellhound it's a drop down." With a loud sigh Revanche walked over "you can't go home in this state, you're too drunk." Raimi glowered at him "oh yes I can" taking an exaggerated step out the door, with a giggle she said to Hellhound "you take the lead, I don't remember what direction it's in." With a shriek Raimi went slipping and sliding down the stairs. Revanche ran down the stairs "are you all right?" he quickly asked. Natalie, Bitsy, now joined by Brand stood up at the top of the stairs watching with interest. Raimi glowered at Revanche "this is all your fault" glowering back. He growled "it's not my fault you drank too much, that's your own fault." Raimi snapped "yes it is, it's your fault I was wrestling with Brax." A fierce frown on his face Revanche snapped back "now your blaming me for getting pummeled into the ground?" Pulling herself up by the stair railing Raimi glowered "I did NOT get pummeled! All I was doing was taking Renlock's suggestion and getting used to being touched by a male, so I would be able to let YOU touch me dragon boy." Revanche snarled "don't blame your personal problems on me and you looked pretty pummeled from where I was standing." Brand leaned down and whispered to Natalie and Bitsy "am I wrong or did the implications of what she just said fly right over his head?" Both of them nodded with a sigh "Natalie, Rav really needs to have a talk with that boy and get his head out of the account books for awhile." Raimi sniffled "I was not pummeled, I'm going home!" Before Revanche could say another word Natalie went rushing down the stairs "I'll take you home dea.r" Revanche snapped "pour her into bed where she belongs, Mother." Raimi glared "like you would know huh." Natalie gave Revanche a "will you be quiet" look and took Raimi and Hellhound home.

Natalie got the soggy wet clothes off Raimi, not finding any of the night gowns that she had sent over, she dressed Raimi in a cool sleeveless cotton nightdress, dried her hair a little bit more and suggested she climb into bed. A sniffling Raimi shook her head "I'm going to go feed Hellhound he needs his supper." Natalie rolled her eyes and went to hang Raimi's clothes up to dry in the pool room, going back into the kitchen she found Raimi on her hands and knees under the table "that's my chicken Hell not yours, give it back!" Natalie laughed "I'll get you something to eat Raimi, let Hellhound have the chicken, you don't want it now anyway." Raimi crawling out from under the table grinned "I know but it's the principle of the thing." Natalie put a bowl of soup and some bread and butter on the table for Raimi "here you are, you'll probably feel better if you eat a little something." Raimi sat down staring at the bowl of soup "I don't know why Rev doesn't like me anymore, he used to come over and talk through the window, now he doesn't come around anymore and if he does it's only to get upset with me." Raimi sighed then shrugged "oh well I don't care if he comes around or not anymore he can just rot in his ink." Raimi sniffled as she ate her soup "that's not fair, it was my fault I just didn't know the rules that's all but just because the rules are different here doesn't mean I'm going to change" Raimi muttered belligerently. Natalie not quite sure exactly what Raimi was talking about chuckled "I don't think anyone is expecting you to change Raimi, you're enjoyably unique just the way you are." Raimi laid her head on the table and started to cry "that's just it I need to change and I'm scared, but today I proved to myself I can at least try to make a stab at it." Natalie handed Raimi a napkin "what do you need to change, and why are you scared?" Raimi wiped her eyes and blew her nose "I'm scared Natalie, really scared to try and let a male touch me and that's what I need to change, I'm trying, I'm really trying, I don't want to spend the rest of my life scared." Raimi blew her nose again "that's not me, a scared Raimi isn't me!" Natalie smiled kindly "well dear I don't think now is the time to try and work out problems like that, why don't you go to bed and tomorrow we can talk." Natalie got Raimi into bed, waited for Hellhound to come back inside, made sure everything was put away then went home.

Natalie sighed and sat down in her favorite chair rubbing her temples, Rav watched her for a moment then got up and stood behind the chair rubbing her neck and shoulders "is the unusually warm weather getting to you too? Revanche came in a short while ago snorting flames left and right." Natalie shook her head "I admit the weather is getting me down but something has come up and I'm really not all that sure what to do about it if anything, once again the clucking mother hen." Gently rubbing her temples with his fingers Rav purred soothingly "why don't you tell me about it." Natalie told Rav about what had happened at Brand's and what Raimi had said at her cottage. Rav chuckled picking Natalie up and sitting down setting her in his lap "even if Raimi can't find a way to deal with her sexual problems, I for one am glad to see the fur fly between the two of them, even before Chloe's death Revanche was sinking into a dull staid middle aged accountants life and he is still a young healthy man, he needs more then numbers in his life, remember the young man who played his way across Europe, remember the Italian dragoness, he used to laugh, have fun, fly soaring with a dragons roar, neither of us have seen or heard that in a long time. Since he has been home he has relaxed, loosened up started to smile and laugh, some of the boyhood mischief coming out again from time to time like that hound he gave Raimi." Natalie sighed nodding she knew he was right "darling he is trying so hard to ignore her sexually he even missed the pointed statement about wanting him to touch her." Rav blinked "he missed that?" Natalie nodded, Rav grinned "then we'll just have to work it into the supper conversation won't we." Nedra purred quietly in Rav's ear "my ohhh sooo sweet muffin just don't allow him to go to her cottage this night for Nedra shall be with the ohhh sooo tipsy one trying to lessen her fears." Rav chuckled and gave Natalie a kiss "care for a cool swim before dinner?" Natalie Mmmmmm'd at the thought.

Revanche sat down to dinner with a sigh "I don't think it has cooled down at all even this late in the evening, I gather that's why we're eating so late." Natalie nodded "I thought perhaps a late meal might be better considering how warm it is, wouldn't you be more comfortable without your jacket on? Dear, there's no need to dress so formally now that your home." Revanche shrugged out of his jacket "I'm just used to dressing for dinner, I forget I don't need to here at home." Rav smiled "if it doesn't cool down anymore tonight I'm going to be sleeping on a beach later on." Revanche chuckled "that's not such a bad idea." Natalie sipping her iced tea smiled and kicked Rav under the table, Rav raised an eyebrow at her then chuckled. "I hear Brax and Raimi had an interesting day, I'm glad to see that she is getting over some of her worries, especially with that "so I would be able to let YOU touch me dragon boy" comment, does she call you that often?" Revanche almost choked on his ice water "when did she say that?" Natalie hmmm'd "while you were fussing at her about being pummeled, I think that comment didn't go over very well with her, considering it was a draw after all." Rav took a few bites of his dinner "not that it really matters, since Raimi told your mother at the cottage that she didn't care if you came around anymore or not that you could rot in your ink for all she cared." Natalie arched an eyebrow at Rav "that was tipsy talk, why would she try so hard to get in a wrestling match with Brax so she could get used to a male human touch again if she didn't really care, but of course a wrestling match with someone like Brax isn't quite the same thing as a wrestling match in bed, that I doubt she is up to handling, but at least she recognizes there is a problem and is trying to do something about it." Revanche looked at his mother "is that what she was doing? Natalie smiled "that's what she said, dear." Rav chuckled "a few more wrestling matches should do it, just as long as they don't kill each other, Brax is frustrated with Chad gone, she is frustrated but hasn't figured that out yet, it should be fun to watch." Natalie laughed "Chad is supposed to be home day after tomorrow so I doubt we will be seeing much of Brax for a while, I guess we'll have to wait for another match, my monies still on Raimi." Revanche stood up "it's too warm to eat, I'm going to toss a blanket out on the beach and sleep there, good night mother, father" and left the room. Rav winked at Natalie "think we gave him enough to chew over for tonight?" Natalie winked back "ohh I would say so." Revanche lay on a blanket on the beach, listening to the sound of the gentle surf, with a sigh he turned over staring out at the water, for weeks now he had been trying to figure out when his interest in Raimi had gone past a friendship with friendly banter into something more, he wanted her so badly he hurt, he had stayed away on purpose not wanting to make things more difficult, he knew it wasn't easy what she was dealing with. The night she had accused him of wanting to use her, he was more angry at himself then at her because she had been right. He knew she didn't know how tempting she looked in that satin nightdress or what seeing her in it had done to him, he had seen the fear on her face when he had felt his whole body start to ache with need for her as he slid the strap of her nightdress up, he should have just chuckled and told her he would take her another night he wasn't in the mood or something, he should of made light of it not raged at her. He sighed again, now Raimi was furious with him and he didn't blame her, he had made a fool of himself at Brand's today acting almost like an overbearing father, good grief he wasn't that old, when had he started acting old? Nedra purred softly rubbing against a sleeping Raimi, Hellhound's head came up, his ears perking, Nedra hissed slightly "my ohhh soo large one Nedra shall send you into a sleep to chase bunny treats, she does not need your puppy mischief tonight." Raimi slowly woke up and groaned as she tried to move, Nedra chuckled with a purr "you have given your body ooohhh sooo much tiring stress today my bonne bou'che, Nedra she shall relax you." Raimi blinked "ohhhhh you're the cat woman Nedra, what are you doing here?" Nedra licked Raimi's cheek I have come to help the ohhh soooo confused and frightened one, yes Nedra she knows this is what is needed." The woman Nedra smiled down at Raimi "come Nedra shall rub soothing oils into your tired aching muscles and we shall talk among ohhhh soooo many other enjoyable things." Raimi oh'd finding herself on her stomach naked and Nedra's fingers rubbing some sort of wonderful smelling oil into her neck and shoulder muscles, Raimi squeezed her eyes shut as a small groan escaped her lips as Nedra's fingers in small circles pressed and pushed against her muscles. "You do not fear or shudder at Nedra's touch my sweet bonne bou'che, if Nedra were to with soft restraints tie you to the bed would you fear Nedra? No because she is a woman." Raimi gasped to find her wrists and ankles tied to each post of her bed with long silk cords, yet Nedra was right either because she trusted Nedra or because she was a woman Raimi just felt a sense of surprise. Nedra purred as she worked her fingers down over Raimi's back muscles, her thumbs pressing deeply with long soothing strokes "if Nedra were to touch your ohhh sooooooo lush bottom, would you fear Nedra?" Raimi shook her head groaning as her back muscles eased with each touch of Nedra's hands, Raimi jumped a little as Nedra's hand cupped then started to stroke the cheeks of her bottom. Nedra purred deeply her hands moving to the back of Raimi's thighs, her long fingers finding each muscle and rubbing it firmly, she let her fingertips slide along the inside of Raimi's thighs just barely brushing against her sex "do you fear Nedra will hurt you sexually my ohhhhh soooo creamy one?" Raimi gasped even as she shook her head, her eyes wide trying to watch over her shoulder, unable to move. Nedra purred with a chuckle "doubt not my sweet one that Nedra shall return to touch you again." Her hands moving to the back of Raimi's calves kneading and rubbing firmly, at Nedra's words Raimi felt her the muscles of her bottom contract. Nedra smiled with a purr "yes anticipate my touch, yet still you do not fear Nedra do you?" Raimi shook her head, feeling her heart beating faster, she shivered again in the heat as she felt Nedra's hand start to glide up the inside of her thighs. With a purr Nedra picked up the crystal oil bottle and poured a small stream along the crease of Raimi's bottom, as her fingers started to rub over Raimi's slick sex Nedra purred "does Nedra bring you pain or cause you shame in your bondage my sweet delicacy?" Her hands clinched Raimi gasping shook her head unable to say a word. Raimi gasped again to find herself on her back still tied to the bed, Nedra smiled with a purr "do you see the difference in your bondage my bonne bou'che, this is for pleasure, yours and mine, yes Nedra knows deep inside you find such stimulating for this is all you have known but it was the cruelty and knowing you could not be free that fueled your anger and your fear, being touched and taken without your permission for one such as you this is to be fought against, yes Nedra knows this" her fingers deeply messaging Raimi's shoulder. Nedra chuckled to see the look of embarrassment on Raimi's face "ohhhh no my sweet delicacy there is no need, you fear to be seen naked and yet your body is soooo lovely and made for loving, you fear to think that one who might enjoy a game of bondage is somehow in the wrong, no my sweet poppet never is it wrong if enjoyed by both." Nedra kissed Raimi on the lips softly as her oil covered hands started to caress and knead her breasts, in surprise Raimi looked wide eyed at Nedra, purring against Raimi's lips Nedra licked her lips "yes Nedra is a woman, you do not fear Nedra, yet you want your lips and body touched by a man even in your fear." Raimi shook her head then nodded gasping with a small moan as Nedra bent down and licked her puckered hard nipples. Raimi's mouth fell open in shock. Where Nedra had been sitting was now a nude man, with long black hair tied back with several golden ties, his black doe eyes were Nedra's eyes, his body was sleek, yet muscular, Raimi could see the glint of oil over his chest, the slight shadow of a dark beard on his face, the look on his chiseled features was totally sensual yet totally masculine. Nedra purred asking in a deep soothing male voice "do you fear Nedra my sweet mouthful?" Nedra's large male hands cupping and caressing Raimi's breasts, Raimi opened and closed her mouth taking deep breaths, she could only stare, Raimi shivered as the male Nedra moved his hand down over her abdomen "do you fear Nedra my poppet?" Nedra asked again his lips brushing over Raimi's, gasping Raimi whispered "no." Nedra smiled "you think Nedra to be a woman, so you feel safe, but what if Nedra has always been a male, do you still fear Nedra?" Raimi squeezed her eyes tight a small moan escaping her lips as Nedra's fingers found her wet oiled sex, gasping again she shook her head. Raimi shuddered trying to push up her hips. Nedra smiled "do you fear your bondage and nakedness with Nedra?" Feeling the bed sink down slightly Raimi's eyes flew open to see the male Nedra kneeling between her wide spread thighs, his erection glistening with oil "do you fear Nedra my delightfully surprised one or do you seek release more than your fears?" asked Nedra as he rubbed his erection along Raimi's swollen waiting lips. Raimi moaned gasping, Nedra saw the fear starting in her eyes and leaned down to suckle deeply on one nipple, the tip of his shaft just barely pushing between her oiled lips. "Nedra will bring you pleasure to your release, not pain or humiliation, do you feel shame my creamy one?" Raimi shook her head licking her dry lips, Nedra purred licking Raimi's lips, sliding his hard shaft a slight way inside her "feel your pleasure, feel your body wanting and needing without fear or shame my delightful one." Raimi gasped "untie me Nedra." Nedra smiled "but of course my sweet one, you see how easy it was to ask and be released." Raimi felt the silken cords vanish from her wrists and ankles. Nedra purred deeply "now you may touch Nedra as you come to your pleasure, yes Nedra knows it will be slight but gives you a hint of much to come with another." Flexing his hips, filling Raimi to the top of her womb with his hard shaft, Nedra's muscular thighs pumped as Raimi's hands touched and caressed, reached out and clutched with her moans and thrashing body. Raimi lay under the male Nedra gasping for breath. Nedra purred as he left Raimi's body. Raimi whispered "why did you do this for me? The female Nedra smiled as she ran a cool damp cloth over Raimi's body "you see my sweet bonne bou'che, a fear if faced and confronted it no longer seems so monstrous, once again you have seen this, now all your fears have been faced it is time to be the woman, the warrior, the person Raimi, yes Nedra she knows these things, you are a lovely vibrant woman filled with need. Never fear to seek release from these needs, reach for what you want my delightful warrior." Nedra softly kissed Raimi's forehead "sleep now my sweet delicacy." Nedra watched Raimi drift off into a contented sleep and smiled, just before she left she whispered softly into Raimi's ear.