Chapter 14

The dream vanished the moment Shanna shuddered awake.

She blinked, vague, familiar shapes above her in the darkness. An image stayed with her, floating before her eyes. It was...

It was gone. Shanna closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her dreams always fled the moment she woke, all memory of their content vanishing into the beyond. She knew she dreamed. She remembered the act of dreaming, even at times knew WHILE she was dreaming. The act of opening her eyes, for whatever reason, erased even the most vivid nightmare from her conscious mind.

Given the last vestige she had felt just then, she was thankful of that.

Now she had to get back to sleep. Shanna rolled onto her side.

There, before her, were two eyes.

"Gah!" She almost leapt back, an interesting act to perform while snuggled under thick covers. Even as she wondered if this was still a dream, as that was NOT the face of Piotr, her mind recognized the intruder. Shanna composed herself, hand coming up to her forehead. "Jesus, Anelie, don't jump out at me like that."

"Sorry."

And the girl did sound sorry. Shanna could not help but let out a tired laugh.

"Don't be, you silly girl. I'm the one that let you in here, you'd think I'd remember to expect you when I woke."

"Did you have a bad dream?"

Shanna rolled onto her back again, eyes focusing on the dark wooden beams almost unseen above. Had it been a bad dream? Probably. The emotion of it had not left her. Dread. Loss. Had it been about Piotr? Helmut? Her family?

Who could say.

"I don't mean to pry," Anelie's voice said from the darkness. Shanna shook her head.

"You aren't."

She lay there, pulling her covers up a bit. Sealing in the body heat. She heard somewhere that ninety percent of a person's heat fled through your head, but she suspected that was mostly because the rest was kept nice and snug under clothing and blankets. She thought her curly hair was thick enough to act as a rather nice insulation.

"Shanna."

"Yeah?"

"Um ... nothing."

Shanna turned on her side again. The room seemed a bit lighter, either her eyes adjusting or more starlight was coming through the window closest the bed. She probably should have the shutters closed, both to keep the heat in and for safety. An arrow through the glass would not be good...

"What, Anelie?"

"Um ... do you want a massage?"

"A..." Shanna pushed herself up on one arm, looking down at the green eyed redhead. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"You look tense, from the bad dream. I just thought..."

Shanna couldn't help it. She laughed. Shaking her head, she spoke before the girl could think she was laughing at her.

"Sorry. It's not you. Well, a bit, but ... God, there's no way you could know!"

"What?" Now the girl's curiosity was awoken. She rose on one elbow as well, long braid tossed out of the way behind her. Shanna grinned.

"Back home, in bad romance stories, people use the excuse of a massage to seduce someone."

"Oh." There was a hint of guilt in her voice. Shanna wasn't surprised to hear it. "Did it work?"

"If the writer of the story wanted it to, yes!" Shanna chuckled again. Reaching out, she poked Anelie's forehead gently. "Is this one of the things Bogdi taught you?"

"Yeah."

"Thought so! He doesn't seem the massage type, though."

"Oh, he doesn't do it. He said women have used it on him!"

They both let out giggles at that.

Shanna looked at the girl. She felt like she was a kid again, having a slumber party with her best friend. The two, or three, of them in bed together, whispering silly things. Never nude, though. Long nightgowns had been the order of the day. And never had there been sexual tension. Not that she had been aware of, at least. If one of her friends had felt something, they had kept it quiet. Shanna could feel it rolling off of Anelie. She was nervous. Frightened, even. Had Anelie even been able to sleep? Or had she been awake next to Shanna all this time, worried she would touch her the wrong way, WANTING to touch her? Hell, had Shanna tossed an arm on the girl in her sleep? That could have sent so many mixed messages, no wonder the girl was nervous! Maybe Shanna could relax her.

"I have an idea," Shanna said, sitting up. The covers fell off her upper body, the chill of the room not as bad as she expected. "How about I give you a quick back rub? Try and relax you so you can get some sleep."

Anelie stared at her, those green eyes wide. Shanna could see her swallow hard.

"Um ... sure." She rolled onto her stomach, eyes staring at the headboard. "Like this?"

"Good enough." Shanna walked on her knees across the bed, pulling the blanket off of the girl. As she did, a cloud must have floated out of the way. Starlight filled the room, illuminating the girl before her.

Shanna's breath caught in her throat.

It was not the shape of the young teen, the curve of her hips, the swell of her ass. Nor was it the white skin, perfect in every way. It was what lay under that skin. Muscles. Hard, firm muscles, well defined after months of training. Even without laying a finger on her, Shanna could feel them. Feel the power, the strength.

It was like looking at Piotr.

Shanna had fallen for him because he fit her type. Strong, yet feminine. Long blond hair, yet muscular in a graceful way. Legolas, basically. How was Anelie different? How was the power in her arms, her shoulders, less attractive to her? Yes, her hips were wider. Yes, what was between her legs differed. As she stared down at the girl now, though...

Anelie shifted, as if aware of Shanna's gaze, but unable to interpret it. Her hands went to the pillow, under her head. Shanna shook herself. Moving, she straddled the girl, legs settling on either side of Anelie's just below her ass cheeks. Leaning forward, Shanna placed her hands on the girl's shoulder blades. She felt the girl shudder.

"Shh. Just relax." Shanna moved her hands over the smooth skin. It was more a caress than a massage. Just her getting her bearings, she told herself. Discovering the feel of her friend. She slid her hands down below the shoulder blades, thumbs tracing either side of her spine. Shanna's eyes followed that line down, down to where it became the valley between those two firm globes of her ass. Shuddering herself, Shanna sent her hands up again. Applying more pressure, she began kneading those muscles.

Time in that cool, darkened room seemed to stop. All that existed were Shanna's hands, Anelie's body. Her fingers pressed into muscles she herself had given the girl, long hours of training forging her lean power. Shanna traced the edges of what lay under the skin. Teased. Caressed. Her hands almost seemed to have minds of their own. Shanna did not notice when they slid down Anelie's sides. Did not catch the sharp intake of breath as her fingers brushed the sides of two breasts before returning to the job at hand. Her focus, all of it, seemed to be on the point between those shoulder blades. Below the base of the girl's neck. Shanna ... Shanna wanted to lean down. Kiss it. Kiss her friend there. Kiss her soft skin...

Shanna wet her lips, shivering. Her body heat was dissipating into the room. Only where her skin touched Anelie's was there heat. Between her legs, where they straddled the girl. Unconsciously, she widened her stance, as if to break the contact. The girl's legs followed, though, themselves spreading, not wanting to be away from the warmth that was Shanna's skin. The movement drew her attention away from those shoulders. Drew it down that long spine. Her fingers followed, tracing either side just behind her gaze, unseen. Slowly, like a bee drawn to the most perfect flower, Shanna's eyes fell on Anelie's ass.

It was raised now. Moving. Slowly ... undulating. Dazed, Shanna could only watch as her fingers made their way to the end of Anelie's spine. Made their way into that crevice. Unable to breath, Shanna saw her thumbs, briefly, touch the hole which marked the end of that line, drawing a shuddered gasp from beneath her. Her hands then spread, caressing the two white globes on either side. They were firm. Strong.

Beautiful.

Her friend's body moved faster under her hands. Shanna's caresses became firmer. A thumb again traveled to that forbidden place, drawing another gasp, a harder press up against her hands. Shanna felt her legs being pressed against as Anelie moved her legs farther out still. Felt them slide against her skin, as her position shifted. Saw that ass raise up off the bed.

Saw the shadow that was the treasure between those thighs.

She had not wanted to seduce this girl. Had not wanted to tease her, frustrate her. What Shanna did want, she did not know. Her mind was a whirl. Not since her first time alone with a boy had she felt this way. Not since Zak, his body pressed against hers, his heart felt through thin cloth. Shanna wanted ... wanted to...

Anelie...

All conscious thought gone, Shanna leaned forward. Hands on those smooth cheeks, her head lowered. Lips touched the skin between Anelie's shoulders. A gasp escaped the girl. It became a moan as Shanna let one of her hands leave those cheeks, let it slide down, between those spread legs. Her fingers felt the heat. A moment later, the wetness. The girl groaned. Shanna, eyes closed, placed kiss after kiss on the smooth back under her, her fingers slowly exploring a new world. Anelie practically shoved herself down onto those fingers, her legs snapping shut.