Chapter 7

Later than night Ariel and Nathan had a seat at a table in the Inn.

They were planning on leaving early the next morning as Nathan wanted to confront Keith immediately about being used for such criminal activities. He wasn't happy with being used like he was.

As they had dinner before they called it a night, Terrance and Rory insisted they buy the first two rounds of drinks to make up for their earlier rude actions.

"Since we didn't get the introductions out of the way earlier," said Terrance now with a wide smile, "let me do it now. I'm Terrance Combs and this is my partner Rory Goffner. We are with the Phalanx of Rebirth guild. Have you heard of us?"

"No I can't say we have. We've not been here all that long," said Nathan

"Well we are just starting out, so that is to be expected. But we take jobs that no other guild will take. We've been on this one for about a season. Every couple of months someone comes and tries to steal that gem from the town, but we've always protected it," said Terrance.

"But how do you know its Keith who's doing it?" asked Ariel.

Suddenly Terrance's smile evaporated and he was scowling and looking away.

"There were two mages who came here a few months back to try. They didn't know that we move it from time to time so they came in the middle of the night to try and steal the gem from what they thought was the Mayor's house.

"I was staying with the gem at it current hiding place as it was my turn to guard it that night and Terrance went back to the house we were staying at.

"Sometime in the middle of the night Terrance got up to use the privy and while outside the house caught fire and burned very quickly down. I mean it went up like it was made of paper and there was hardly anything left of it at all. But there was a woman in the house with him. She was still sleeping and she was killed," said Rory sadly.

"She shouldn't have been killed. I was supposed to protect her. That's what men do. They protect the women they are with. What good am I as a man if I can't even do that?" asked Terrance savagely. It was apparent that this recounting was painful for him.

"You know, you might be surprised how easily a woman can protect a man as well," said Ariel softly as she looked at Terrance.

Terrance had the good gracious to blush as he remembered how easily she destroyed his sword. Ariel felt better about being able to distract him for a moment from his pain.

"But Terrance killed one of the mages with his bare hands before he knew he was there, and disabled the other one. And before the second one died he told us he worked for his master this Keith person," finished Rory.

"What did they look like?" asked Nathan. Something about this bothered him.

"They weren't all that descriptive, just run of the mill men, but they were both wearing black robes with gold trim. I just thought that, that was an odd choice for thieves," said Rory.

Nathan and Ariel both looked at each other as they realized what that meant.

"But tell me how are you so good with your swords there. I wouldn't have guessed an attractive lady as you would be a warrior. Is the big guy just your work partner or is he your arm candy?" asked Terrance now smiling big at Ariel.

It was obvious that he was use to using this smile to attract the ladies and to her it felt like he was trying to capture her eyes with his.

"Where I'm from young girls learn to use weapons as soon as they hit maidenhood. I was one of the best in my training. As for the man next to me, this is my man, and has been so for seasons. And he will continue to be mine and the only man ever for me," finished Ariel softly, but both of them couldn't miss the undertone to her statement.

"We have been married for a number of seasons and we are very happy with each other," said a smiling Nathan as Ariel reached over and put her hand on top of his possessively.

"I hope I didn't offend you, but a fellow has to try or he'll never know when a woman is available," said Terrance without a hint of remorse to his statement.

"If you don't mind I think I'll try my luck with some of the other ladies around. Excuse me," said Terrance as he rose from the table and approached some of the serving women walking around.

"Don't mind him. He likes his ladies, but you wouldn't want anyone at your back besides him when you're in trouble. Save maybe your wife there. She handles a wicked blade," said Rory smiling.

"But how long have they been attacking the town?" asked Ariel.

"About every one or two months someone tries to come here and take what's not theirs. And they either usually try to kill their way to it or they just try and steal it, but you are the first ones to just talk to anyone before the killing started," said Rory as he smiled.

"But how did you get involved with this? Did you imply that no other guild wanted the job?" asked Ariel.

"The problem was that a little over a season ago, they started raiding the town trying to get anyone to tell them where the gem was. And since no one would tell them anything, they would still kill anyone they came across who wouldn't tell them.

"Soon everyone left the town if they thought they were coming for another attempt, and sometimes they would be forced to flee in the middle of an attack.

"But soon as they could they hired a guild to help. But all they could do was slow them down long enough for the town's folks to get away before they were killed themselves. Soon no one wanted a job where they were guaranteed an ugly death for helping their clients," said Rory with a grim look.

"But you both seem ok, and you said you've been at it a while," said Nathan.

"Well we're not your average fighters. And before today I'd not say that I knew anyone as fast as Terrance with a blade. Yet your wife did something in which I almost couldn't see what she did," said Rory.

"My husband is just a capable as I am, and trust me when I say that you've only seen half of our abilities with a blade," smiled Ariel as she squeezed Nathan's hand.

Both of them realized that Ariel was only using her left hand. And since they normally only used their left hand to start any fights, they both knew that Rory and Terrance would have been shocked what they could normally do.

"But no disrespect, but I'm not used to women using weapons very well around me. And certainly not being better than I am with one. We don't have any women in our guild, because we don't usually see many capable women, but we may need to change that policy," said Rory smiling.

Ariel just smiled at him.

"But what happened with Terrance. Why was he so bitter if he hardly knew his bedmate? I get the impression that he changes them often" asked Ariel as she nodded towards Terrance who was standing off a ways from them.

It wasn't lost on her that he had his hand resting on the serving girls butt and the girl made no plans or complaints about it. She just coyly smiled at him as he did it.

"He was starting to get close to the young lady who was killed. I wasn't used to him getting close to anyone, and he never seemed to settle on one woman, but she must have been special because for her he did.

"But after the mage burned down the house he became touchy around anyone that worked for Keith. Often with him after that, it was kill first and talk later. But I'm glad that you two aren't like what Keith normally sends. You seem like good people," smiled Rory.

Suddenly Nathan yawned before he couldn't stop himself.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to keep you both up. You had a long trip here, you had to fight with us, and now it's after the midnight hour. We'll see you off before you leave in the morning," said Rory.

"Thank you, and we're sorry that we were tricked, but we'll deal with Keith when we return," said Nathan giving him a grim look.

"Seems like I might not want to be Keith when you get back," said Rory when he rose and squeezed Nathan's shoulder.

"Nathan..." said Ariel softly as he closed the door.

Nathan who after closing the door had just pulled his boots off and had take off his pants, turned to see that Ariel as already naked and the moonlight coming in the window behind her was creating a picture that Nathan was finding that he just couldn't look away from.

As tired as he was he felt himself growing hard at the image she cast.

"Ariel, honey, I am a little tired do you think..." started Nathan.

"It has been almost four days. Tomorrow will be four days, you don't want me think that you're not doing your duty as my husband, do you? I just need a tiny bit of your time. All you need to do is just sit back and enjoy it," smiled Ariel as she slowly crossed the floor.

"Ariel..." started Nathan, but Ariel was suddenly in his arms deeply kissing him as she helped him off with his shirt and insistently pushed him back on the bed.

Before he realized it he was swept up into her passion and she managed to completely enflame him with her desire.

As Nathan watched her, Ariel smiled down at him with her signature smile as she started running her nails over his chest as she lowered herself on to him.

Nathan would be lying if he said that with her smile on her face he would hate to do this.

"We'll need to keep it down, as the people on either side of us have gone to bed already. Not to mention we don't want the folks on the first floor to know what were up to," said Nathan as he smiled up at her and slowly grasped a breast in each hand as he lightly pinched the nipples.

He heard her deep intake of breath as he did. Suddenly being tired was the last thing on his mind now. Now he was willing to go for a few hours with her.

"If you are on top, that might be possible, but if I have to do all the work, they'll have to live with what they get," smiled down Ariel seductively.

Nathan knew that he was going to be sleeping in late, because as Ariel leaned into kiss him again, she looked like she was going to really wring him out tonight.

As they were getting ready to leave to head back Terrance and Rory saw them to the edge of town and headed back themselves, but before they cleared the town the same little girl they saw yesterday came out of the house as they passed and waved at them.