Leo and the Dragon Ch. 02

"I thank you for that generous offer, but-" Leo began. Tear cut him off with a swipe of her hand.

"You won't get rid of us that easily. If you companion still has trouble accepting us for what we are then she needs to get her head straight," Tear snapped, brooking no argument.

"Maybe we can ... persuade her?" Arach smiled, bending over and offering Leo a peek between her thighs as she slowly picked up her undergarments.

"I don't think that will be quite so easy," Tear sighed. "She's from a raided village, after all, and those people are relentless in their grudges. Maybe eventually she will realize that clinging to that hatred will change nothing, but now? She's furious."

"Nevertheless, we have to try," Leo said softly, fetching his horse which quietly had trotted to the side of the stream, nibbling on some interesting grasses. He swung his armoured bulk into the saddle.

"Can I ride with you? At least until we've found that mad woman of yours?" Arach asked, now fully dressed and armoured.

"If you don't mind that it's a little uncomfortable," Leo answered, extending a hand. Arach smiled, shook her head and rose from the ground, magically floating upwards until her head was level with Leo's. Then she laced her fingers with his and pulled herself onto the warhorse's back, wrapping her arms around Leo's body.

"Where are your manners, sweetheart?" Tear scolded, gently.

"I must have left them at Oak House," Arach grinned, cuddling against Leo's cloaked back.

"Lucky for you I can ride too," Tear remarked, beginning a soft song. Her hands traced patterns into the air, each movement trailing silver streamers. A moment later, the light seemed to solidify and an indistinct silvery horse-like shape materialized. With a chuckle, Tear levitated onto its back, threading her hand into the the diaphanous mane of her light horse.

"Let's go and find your friend before this spell dissipates," she said, urging on her spectral mount. Leo nodded and followed suit, wondering what he'd got himself into.

***

"No fucking way," Shilana snarled, bristling.

They had found her some time later, watching the sun sink into the roaring ocean below. Even now, she refused to turn and look Leo in the eye.

"Listen, I do respect your feelings-" he began, but Shilana cut him short, turning on her heel to face him, eyes blazing, sparks of lightning arcing between her hands.

"No, you don't. If you had respected my feelings, you would have refused their offer outright. Now, as things stand, I have to ask you. Me? Or them? Who will it be, Leo?" she almost screamed.

Arach and Tear watched them both. Leo was glad they didn't try to interfere.

"Shilana, listen-" he started but, again, the furious elf woman cut him short.

"It's simple, Leo. Either me or them. You can't have all of us. I refuse to even talk to them," she snarled.

"That's a pity," Arach murmured, an angry scowl pulling at her lips.

"Shut the fuck up, girl," Shilana hissed, turning her attention back to Leo.

"Won't you at least listen to them?" he asked.

"No. I will not listen to them. I will not share the road with them. I will, under no fucking circumstances, share a camp site with them and I will not trust them with my life in battle against your blasted dragon," Shilana yelled.

"It's settled then. Come, Arach. I think we are not wanted here," Tear said, without malice in her voice.

"I wish I could knock some sense into that thick skull of hers," Arach said, brazenly challenging the furious mage with a long look. Shilana raised her hand, the sparks focussing in her palm. Leo quickly stepped between her and the dark elves.

"Fine. If this is your decision, so be it!" Shilana shrieked. She snarled a quick incantation and vanished, leaving Leo to stare at empty space.

"But... I didn't say anything," Leo sighed, dropping his outstretched hand.

"I think her mind was made up already. It's not your fault. If anyone is to blame, it's me," Tear said softly, coming up to stand next to Leo. "I shouldn't have insisted. I didn't realize it was this bad."

"Really? She wanted to trample us earlier, love," Arach snorted. "That's pretty obvious to me."

Tear turned to face her smirking companion. "We need to talk, later. You're not helping right now." Turning back to Leo, she said, "Do you want to return to Storm Harbour for the night, Leo?"

"Maybe I should. I didn't pack much in the way of provisions, and no tent or bedroll. Shilana said she'd provide things with her magic."

"You could share with us. Our tent is easily large enough for three," Tear offered.

"Only if you let me help set up camp. I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality," Leo smiled gratefully.

"I think we have a deal, good sir," Tear beamed, breathing a kiss onto Leo's cheek.

***

The fire was crackling merrily and the smell of roasted bacon and mushrooms filled the air. Leo lazily stirred the skillet sputtering on a tripod over the campfire while Arach and Tear talked in their native tongue. Occasionally, their eyes would meet. Leo didn't understand much but, by Tear's tone, he guessed she was mildly admonishing the younger dark elf. Probably for her overly brazen behaviour. Grinning, Leo shrugged. He had to admit, the carefree attitude of the dark elven women was quite the stark contrast to Shilana's usual gloomy mood but he felt a little intimidated by their boldness. He still wore his full armour suit, fully intending to keep watch over his two companions, while Arach and Tear had changed out of their travelling clothes and wore slightly transparent, silvery robes around the camp site. He would have doubted their experience as adventurers were it not for their ever-present weapons. All in all, he felt, this was definitely an interesting arrangement, although he still hoped that Shilana would reconsider and rejoin them. He really felt her absence, after only four short, battle-filled years, she had become a part of his life, and her sudden, violent departure left a sullen ache in his stomach.

A tender hand brushed his cheek. Leo's eyes flicked open and he looked into Arach's startlingly amber eyes.

"You might stop dreaming about me and keep stirring the fry. I don't want to munch on coal tonight, you hear?" she purred. Leo sprung to the task, again stirring the skillet's content. Arach again leaned in, kissed his cheek and whispered, "If all fails, it's your meat I'd like to nibble on," into his ear.

Leo blushed.

"Hey, stop pestering the cook and help me prepare the bedrolls," Tear called from the other side of the fire.

"It's funny. You'd think such a hunk of a man could easily handle a tiny thing like me," Arach giggled, sashaying around the fire before ducking into the tent. "But he blushes like a girl whenever I touch him."

"Pay her no heed. She's still learning the ways of the surface," Tear smiled at Leo. A folded cloak came flying out of the tent and hit her in the head.

"Oh, just you wait, you little devil," Tear hissed and dove into the tent. A moment later, shrill shrieks and giggles could be heard as they tumbled around inside. Leo took the fry off the fire and began to divvy up the food, pouring generous helpings of bacon and mushrooms into wooden bowls he had at hand.

"Ladies, dinner's ready!" he called, hoping to be heard over the exuberant wrestling going on in the tent.

"Oh, how nice," a menacing voice growled behind him. Leo half-turned and looked up. Only a few paces away, a trio of twelve-foot ogres hovered just inside the fire's light. They wore roughly-stitched leathers and furs but were surprisingly well armed. Maybe deserters from one of the mercenary companies operating in the area, Leo mused.

"Yeah, gimme some," the second ogre drooled. He opened his mouth and a long, pointy tongue snaked over the gleaming ivory of his tusks, spittle dripping to the ground, beside the head of a wickedly spiked mace.

"And no sudden movements," the third ogre hissed, training a huge crossbow at Leo's face. The shiny, armour-piercing bolt didn't waver.

"And while you're at it, hand us all yer valerables... value-, fuck, yer shiny things!" the first Ogre stammered, threateningly lifting a huge, notched battle-axe.

"No one fucks with our paladin! Except us, that is!" a female voice piped up from the tent. Simultaneously, all three ogre heads swivelled, taking in Arach and Tear, robes open, hair tousled. Tear gave her wrist a little shake and a slender longsword appeared in her fingers, shining like an errant moonbeam.

The crossbow-wielding ogre snarled, "One move and he's dead!" again focussing on Leo.

"I think you don't quite understand the situation you're in, boys," Tear purred, not the least bit flustered. Leo watched her intently, trying to figure out what she had planned. His hammer was a good arm's length away from him, there was no way he could reach it in time before the crossbow-wielder fired. At this range even his magically hardened armour wouldn't stop the bolt and gods beware if he aimed for his head.

"Huh? We're bigger'n you. And you'd better drop that pointy stick of yers before anyone gets hurt," the first ogre rumbled, thoughtfully fingering his belt buckle.

"Males. Always in the dark about us women," Tear snarled, nudging Arach with her elbow. A moment later, two globes of darkness settled over the ogres' heads. Leo rolled to the side and snatched up his hammer. With a nasty thrum, the crossbow bolt buried itself in the grass where his body was just an instant before. Arach raced around the fire, picking up her sword as she ran, heading for the darkness, wearing nothing more than her flapping robe and a vicious smile. The ogres jostled and cursed inside the magical darkness.

"Ready?" Tear asked, joining Leo and grinning as viciously as Arach who was circling the globes.

"That's not the most honorable way of dealing with these brutes, is it?" Leo asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Here's honorable," Tear smirked, plucking up the bolt. "Sometimes you'll need to be a little sneaky. So, ready?"

Leo nodded grimly. "You bet."

Tear tapped his shoulder then she cancelled her globe of darkness. The mace-wielder blinked at the sudden return of his vision, the crossbow-user dropped his weapon and yanked two huge, wickedly serrated daggers from his fur cloak.

"In the name of Lord Justice, I challenge thee!" Leo called, raising his hammer. The weapon burst into light, a glaring white radiance flaring from the hammer-head. Tear winced beside him, shook tears from her eyes and charged the mace-wielder. Leo fell in with her, swinging his hammer in a wide arc before him. The ogres stumbled backwards, bumping into their comrade still fumbling around in Arach's globe of darkness.

"You take up an awful lot of space," Tear chuckled, weaving past Leo's swings and jumping into the air, her robe fluttering around her body, displaying a pair of shapely bum cheeks as she levitated upwards. In mid-jump, she cancelled the magic and came crashing down, swinging her blade in a furious two-handed downstroke that nearly sliced the ogre in two. He ducked to the side in the last instant but the attack found his shoulder nonetheless, cutting flesh and cracking bone with the impact.

Arach, sword in hand, dove into her globe of darkness. A moment later, the ogre within squealed, a high-pitched sound of utter distress. Leo wondered what the impish dark elf had done but the dagger-wielding ogre was upon him, using his speed and reach against Leo.

Before the paladin knew, the ogre was past his defense, loosing a hail of stabs and cuts at him. Most were deflected by Leo's ornate armour but enough found gaps and seams to pierce through. Leo felt hot blood gush from several stabs, pooling inside his rigid armour pieces. Changing the grip on his hammer, Leo countered, forcing the ogre back step by step with short jabs and thrusts.

Tear and the mace-wielder were surprisingly well-matched. What she lacked in raw strength, she more than made up with grace and agility, dodging his deadly blows, slipping the tip of her blade past his angry swipes.

"Stay still, damn you!" the furious ogre cursed, blood and spittle pouring from his mouth.

"You wish. One hit with your club and I'm just a pretty stain in the grass. Not my idea of leaving this world, really," Tear quipped, redoubling her efforts. Even with only one arm, the ogre kept her at bay, his inhuman endurance keeping him on his feet where an ordinary human would long have collapsed from pain and blood loss.

"What's up, holy man? Can't hit me?" the dagger-wielding ogre smirked, cutting across Leo's face, scattering blond hair everywhere.

"Just you wait," Leo snarled, ramming his hammer into the ogre's stomach. The beast groaned, folding almost double. Leo's next hit, a wicked uppercut, smashed into its downturned face, the force of the blow yanking the monster back upright until it toppled backwards in a shower of teeth, bone fragments and gore. He turned to face Tear and her opponent, still trading blows.

"Need help?" Leo asked, circling around the ogre, trying to get into its flank.

"Leo, please," Tear sneered, evading a nasty overhead smash by twirling to the side, her robe opening to display her sweat-slicked breasts. "I've been playing with ogres since I was about seventy," she laughed.

"I'll kill you for your arrogance!" her opponent roared, dropping his mace and going for her throat. Tear actually stepped into him then the ogre gave a quiet little gasp, trying to gulp air into his lungs.

"Never, ever drop your weapon when fighting a dark elven female," she hissed, viciously twisting her blade which she had rammed into the Ogre's abdomen. He choked, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. With a silky hiss, Tear withdrew her sword and ran him through again, this time piercing his heart. Sighing almost gently, the ogre dropped to his knees and toppled onto the side.

"Took you long enough." Breathing heavily, Arach appeared beside them. Her robe was a tattered, ripped mess, her body and hair blood-spattered, a thick rivulet of blood snaking down her slender neck.

"By the Maiden, what happened to you?" Tear gasped, racing to her friend's side. Arach brushed a bloody strand of hair behind her ear, showing that most of it was missing.

"He didn't want to play nice, that bastard," Arach growled but her face still held a triumphant grin. Leo looked past her, noting the curled-up figure of the remaining ogre. Gingerly, he stepped over to it and prodded it with his boot. The ogre rolled onto his back, his eyeless face gaping at Leo, a ragged gash leaking blood from his throat. Arach joined Leo, picking up her sword.

"What happened?" Leo asked.

"I didn't pay attention, that's what happened," Arach snarled. "I stabbed his balls then he snatched me while I circled around him. We grappled, fought, he bit my ear off then I found his dagger and showed him who's boss," she explained, wincing. "You don't look too well yourself, by the way," Arach noted.

Leo nodded. He had underestimated his opponent's dexterity and paid the price.

"Come, let me help you," Arach offered, tugging at his arm.

"We should remove the corpses from our camp site first," Leo countered.

"I disagree. You need healing, now. Get this armour off you," Arach ordered, her amber eyes boring into Leo's. To his own surprise, he just shrugged and began to unstrap his chest plate, the inside slick with his blood. His pauldrons followed then his arm casings, elbow plates, bracers, codpiece, thigh armours, knee joints, shin plates and foot guards.

"Damn, that's a whole cartload of metal you're lugging around," Arach breathed in awe. "And it still didn't protect you from that ogre." Leo gnashed his teeth as he fumbled with the laces of his gambeson which was already soaked through with red.

"Just hold still a moment," Arach commanded, pulling at the sticky undergarment. Groaning, Leo wriggled out of it and shivered as the night air caressed his naked torso. Arach looked unusually serious as she began a low song then she placed both hands onto his torso, chanting gently. A warm, greenish radiance enveloped her hands then spread over Leo's blood-slicked body. The magic coursed through him, closing up the wounds. Leo sighed in relief as the pain faded away.

Tear joined them, bringing a bowl of water and a few clean pieces of fabric. Leo thankfully accepted the bowl and started to swab at his bloody skin.

"Okay, now me," Arach smiled, shedding her robe.

"Eager little vixen, you," Tear giggled, slapping Arach's behind. She grabbed a fresh rag and began to clean up Arach's ruined ear.

"How bad is it?" the younger dark elf asked.

"Nothing the Maiden can't heal," Tear said, invoking a healing spell of her own. Arach hissed in annoyance as her ear grew back slowly, cartilage crunching softly as her mutilated auricle reformed.

Together, they dragged the corpses from their camp site before using a nearby stream to clean themselves up. Leo tried his best to wash out his gambeson before returning to camp. Tear awaited him outside the tent.

"What about guards?" Leo asked, placing the dripping undergarment next to the fire.

"Let the Maiden handle it. We all deserve a good night's rest. And tomorrow we'll find us a dragon."

With that, Tear began a soft song, swaying in time to her words, her arms beckoning, her voice calling for aid. Leo waited, frozen in place, and looked on as a shaft of moonlight poured down from the heavens, forming itself into a shimmering silver image of a dark elven woman, garbed in a long, flowing mantle of moonlight.

"Will you stand watch over us tonight?" Tear asked, almost timidly.

"Yes," the apparition answered, her ethereal voice whispering if from a long way off.

"Thank you," Tear smiled and bowed, beckoning for Leo to follow her.

Cautiously, the paladin ducked into the tent.

***

Something warm and smooth pressed against him, causing him to stir. Leo blinked his eyes open. The first faint rays of the sun filtered through the seams into the tent. He was still on the bedroll the dark elves had offered him earlier but he wasn't alone. Arach, a sleepy smile playing around her lips, looked at him.

"Morning, handsome," she purred, writhing against him. To his surprise, he was naked, as was she, her slender body smooth against him.

"What are you doing?" Leo croaked, realizing his arm was draped over her hip, his hand resting on her shapely behind.

"Getting to know you better, silly," Arach teased, leaning in, breathing a peck onto his lips. Then he felt one of her hands sliding between their bodies, tracing the chiselled muscles of his stomach. Leo gulped. Her fingertips crept lower, caressing the soft spot where his leg met his hips. He blushed as he realized how hard he was.

"Come on, I won't bite," Arach whispered, leaning in for another kiss. At the same time, her fingertips brushed his member and her eyes widened in surprise.

"So, you not only have a huge hammer but a mighty rod as well..." she quipped. Then she stopped, her lips only a hair away from his. "What's wrong?" she asked, concern in her eyes. Leo blushed even harder, casting down his gaze, which only showed him her perky breasts, nipples hard and brushing against the blond fuzz of his own chest. Blinking furiously, he looked back into her eyes.

"I-I don't quite know how to say this..." Leo began, voice catching. Arach's fingers were languidly exploring his hardness but her eyes never left his.

"We're battle companions now, there shouldn't be any secrets between us," Arach breathed, pecking the tip of his nose. Leo sighed in defeat.

"I... have never..." he began, before stopping again and gasping in pleasure.

"Been with a woman before?" Arach finished for him, her voice surprisingly gentle. Blushing furiously, Leo nodded, closing his eyes.