Warrior

"You smell amazing," he murmured huskily, kissing her and dipping her carefully to lay back on the bed. "Show me," he said in a low yet commanding voice. "Show me all of you," he reiterated when she looked at him in confusion and leaned down to help her widen her legs. "Use your fingers," he encourages never taking his eyes from her as he stood to undo his pants, lowering and discarding them in one swift motion.

Embarrassed Mirabel let her hands glide over her belly to her pussy and stroked a finger between the lips. She was surprised at how wet and hot she felt and lifted her fingers too look at them curiously as they glistened with moisture in the early morning light. It was only then that she realised Dorian was naked and a pole of flesh stood proudly from his groin, hard and red and angry looking. She dragged her gaze up to his face a small shiver of fear gripping her. The look in his eyes though took it away as he smiled down at her.

Dorian shook his head in wonder at his virgin bride. She was so beguiling in her naiveite and innocence it only made him want her more, to show her how good sex could be with the right man who had the experience to teach her what real pleasure was. This first time would hurt her he knew, but he would make sure it was a pleasurable experience as possible before and after that breaking of her barrier. With that in mind, he bent to kiss her feet and calves, all the way up her legs to place yet another kiss on her pussy before continuing to move up over her torso to her breasts.

"You fit me perfectly, Miri," he breathed and bent his head to her nipple taking it between his lips and tonguing it as he rocked his hips between her legs forcing them wider. His hand and fingers worked on the other breast as he aroused them both with his ministrations.

Mirabel groaned feeling the sensation radiate out from her nipples through her body. She squirmed below him as he rolled one nipple between his thumb and finger as his teeth and tongue play with the other. Her breathing became ragged and her hands threaded through his hair roughly as she felt the muscles deep within her pelvis spasm and shudder sending sweet sensation back to her breasts and causing her to cry out.

"I knew you would be like this," Dorian murmured raising his head. "So hot and responsive to my touch. You were made for me Miri, and me alone. That we have found each other is a miracle in itself for our names were written together in the stars, I am sure of it, just like Zephyr and Summit." He dropped his head kissing her deeply, possessing her mouth and wrestling her tongue with his own. There was much to teach her about pleasing him but to know she would be so responsive to his touch and desire only made him more desperate to be inside her and feel her tighten around his cock.

"Oh, my stars!" Mirabel cried out as his hand cupped her pussy, and a finger thrusted inside her between the weight of their bodies. His palm pressed against the lips and the sensitive little nub of flesh contained within, and she felt another explosion of sensation ripple through her. Mirabel's mind reeled at how this man could play her body like a well-tuned instrument and get such reactions from her, reactions she had never known were possible. She wrapped her arms around his body, and eventually he withdrew his fingers and hand and rose above her looking down into her eyes and holding them as she felt the menacing hard red pole of flesh nudge at her pussy.

"This may hurt at first but trust me, and it will ease and begin to give you the pleasure you deserve and crave, the pleasure I want for you," Dorian murmured and thrust forward into her. He continued to stare into her face and saw the grimace of pain which only made him hotter and more desperate to claim her as his own

"Oh! My! Stars!" Mirabel cried out in staggered bursts of breath as he drove into her several times in hard and fast moves until he was buried completely within her.

"Miri, are you well?" Dorian panted looming above her and looking at her with concern.

"Yes," she whispered. She had been warned it would hurt initially but had no real notion of how and feeling him inside her body was strange and more than a little overwhelming. Still, she desperately wanted to please him and allow him to do what he needed to her, so she held him tightly and gave a small smile to show that she was okay.

Dorian withdrew almost completely before thrusting in again more gently this time. He moved at a slow pace allowing her time now to adjust to the feeling and the pleasure it would give her once she relaxed and trusted him not to hurt her any further.

"You feel so good," he breathed. "Relax my love relax and enjoy the same sensations as before. Trust me and let yourself feel them," he said softly and kissed her tenderly. "You are mine now Miri, my wife to love like this every day of our lives together." He felt her relax and heard her moan. With a growl, he quickened his pace ploughing into her with renewed vigour. "Come with me Miri, come with me," he urged her though he doubted she knew what he meant by the words. He held back until he felt her stiffen and tighten impossibly around his cock gripping him to the point of pain, and he let go, pumping the proof of his vigour into her as she cried out for him and with him. He collapsed to the bed beside her and pulled her to him encouraging her to wrap her lithe body around him as he lay on his back.

"You are an amazing woman, and I am proud that you are mine," Dorian said softly kissing the top of her head.

"I am yours body and soul," she admitted adding, "And very proud to be yours."

*****

Dorian had taken the time to explore her body with both his hands and his mouth and made love to her a second time before bathing her with a piece of flannel cloth from the wash basin that had been left for them. Things would be different once he had her home in the castle, but this first time he showed her the care and consideration of a new husband grateful for the gift of her body.

Mirabel had been embarrassed by the blood staining the sheets even though she had been told that it would occur. The fact that they were required to leave it as it was and the door unbarred once they left so that anyone who may call her virtue into question could see for themselves that her husband had not been disappointed made her blush.

They had walked arm in arm to the village common green amidst the festival atmosphere that pervaded the village. Mirabel couldn't help but grin at her friends showing how happy she was being married to the Duke of their realm. The smell of beef roasting on a spit seemed to have seeped through the whole village, and the people all seemed to be busy working toward the wedding supper that would occur soon. Possibly sooner now that the couple had emerged from their cabin looking exquisitely happy with each other.

They had been shown to a very long u-shaped banquet table that had been constructed for the occasion where Goren and Sieben already sat with tankards of ale. Supplies of wine and ale were being brought in from wagons of festival foods provided by the Duke by the small contingent of soldiers that had accompanied them from the castle in thanks to the villagers who were hosting he and his men in a way. As time wore on more people joined them, and the food and drink flowed freely.

The afternoon wore on as the sun began to dip toward the western horizon and shouts emanated from the north end of the village where the soldiers had been camped. Dorian rose with the other veterans from the great war, each seizing the weapons that were rarely far from their grasp.

"Stay here," he said in hard tones to Mirabel and looked around for someone to protect her. "Tevin stay with her until I can send Martel back to you," he barked the command and took off at a run.

Mirabel watched in stunned silence as the men she loved ran toward the sound of fighting. She couldn't just sit here; she had to do something. She stood slowly, her thoughts racing. She was sore but not so sore that she needed to be treated like an invalid. She was a Kayode woman, not a simpering spoilt princess. She was about to follow the men to where the sounds of fighting emanated when a large group of bandits entered the common green from the south end of the village creating chaos in their wake. She started to move toward her house grimacing as she broke into a slow run. She needed her bow or the sword Dorian had given her at the very least.

Turning into the northern path towards her home, she could see the warriors including her husband and father engaged in a battle to hold the bandits at bay. Martel was coming toward her his eyes registering her presence with shock as he slowed his run and grasped her arm dragging her to a small opening between two houses.

"I need my bow," she cried trying to struggle free from the weapon masters hold.

"Here," he said thrusting his own bow into her hands and unclipping the belt from which a quiver of arrows hung and fastened it around her waist as she watched him in stunned silence. "Go up on the roof and aim carefully this is not like the practice fields," he lectured as he equipped her. "Do you need a hand to get up there?" He asked seeing her staring at him as if confused.

"No," she said coming to her senses and climbing to the roof of the building she stood beside. She weighed the bow in her hand as she balanced precariously on the edge of the roof and strung an arrow looking down into the melee. Sieben appeared on the roof across the pathway from her and grinned as if issuing a challenge to her and began to pepper the bandits with arrows as well, making them fall back and away from the warriors. The warriors then turned and charged back to the common green where the villagers were hard pressed in the battle with a large group.

Sieben jumped down and ran with them and Mirabel moved stealthily toward her home to retrieve her sword, thrusting it into the belt she wore. She picked up a second quiver of arrows and ran back toward the green. With the addition of the battle-hardened veterans to their forces, the bandits began to fall back. She scanned the rooftops of the closest building looking for the best vantage point when she saw the bandit archer. She cried out a warning even as she drew an arrow and notched it to her bow.

As if in slow motion she watched as the bandit loosed his arrow a second before her own flew through the air to slam into his chest. She looked into the throng of fighting men to see her father grunt and stagger, an arrow protruding from his leather jerkin, the action forcing him forward. She hadn't seen the second or third archer, but Sieben had and whirled as he shot arrow after arrow to rooves. All Mirabel could see was her father pulling the arrow from his body with a loud roar and throwing himself at the bandits, his axe flying around him in a glittering arc. With renewed determination, the men of the village followed him, and the bandits turned to flee.

"No!" Mirabel screamed drawing her small sword and running after her father as she saw him drop to one knee as the others continued to chase the bandits. "Father!" she cried as she neared him and dropped to her knees beside him. She noted that blood poured bright red from under his arm. The arrow hadn't pierced the hard leather of his jerkin but had entered at an angle under his arm tearing into his chest.

"Ah my beautiful girl," Goren gasped blood staining the corners of his mouth as he struggled to rise and show her he would be fine. "Do not worry about me; I am not so easy to kill," he coughed and blood sprayed from his mouth. "I just need a little rest and a tankard of ale, girl."

"I get it, don't move," she said her voice choked with tears.

"Ah lassie, I'm tired. I'll take my rest here I think," Goren gurgled, his lungs filling with blood and the pain of his injury showing on his face. "Look to your husband now and don't concern yourself with this old man. Be strong lass and make me proud."

"No father, don't leave me, please," Mirabel wailed as Goren sank further to the ground. Tevin was there then easing Goren down, tears staining the young squire's face. The gurgling rattle lasted only a little while longer and then Goren was silent. Tevin closed his eyes, and Mirabel wept openly uncaring of the villagers around her.

Dorian stood back watching his new wife grieve for the loss of her father. He waited long minutes as the village gathered around them before walking forward to address the crowd.

"A great man, a hero, a warrior, my friend and father to my wife has fallen today. Why? Because a paranoid king sent assassins into his mountain home to kill him," he paused to let that information sink into the crowd. When word spread of this evil deed, he wanted people to know who was at fault. "This was not forest bandits hoping to disrupt the day by stealing food and gifts. To have been such a coordinated attack on two sides it had to come from a military mind. The King's assassins are all still looking for adventure and easy loot now that the war is over but let me tell you if the king thinks he can come into the mountains of the Kayode and kill whomever he wants he needs to be reminded who he is dealing with!"

"Aye," said many of the gathered men as a murmur rippled through the crowd.

"This wedding feast will become a funeral pyre to send this great hero off on the mountain that he loved, and then, my friends and I will gather an army to show the mad King to look elsewhere for his sport. We the men of the mountains and plains of the south will not tolerate such blatant disrespect and dishonour for one of his most faithful servants who almost singlehandedly won the last war for him," Dorian declared. "Like Zephyr and Summit, my wife and I will lead our army to the border and send back the king's men with their tails between their legs. We will make sure they feel the wrath of the mountain gods and the people they protect!"

"Mirabel killed her father's assassin with the bow made of ebony and an arrow that flew straight and true," Sieben said stepping forward to stand beside his sword brother. "This woman, one of your own, fought back just as Zephyr once did against the man who would take her father's life, take Goren the Axeman's life. She is no ordinary woman. She is a warrior woman of the Kayode, and I am proud to tell anyone that I was here today to see her slay the foul assassin sent by a mad and paranoid king."

The crowd were now agreeing loudly caught up in the story of the young woman and the comparison the men were making to the stories of the mountain gods. She carried a bow of black wood like the goddess and with her hair in disarray and her father's blood marring her wedding dress Mirabel looked like the warrior goddess more than ever. Dorian knew that as word spread of what happened today the legend surrounding himself and his new bride would spread like wildfire. He looked sadly down at his old friend and silently thanked him for his sacrifice, glad that he had lived a relatively full life before his death became necessary.

Dorian stepped forward and gathered his wife into his arms. He was her only family now, and he intended to ensure she would have her vengeance against the King, and he hid his small smile in her hair as he hugged the crying woman against his body. She would be a queen in time and he would be her king.

*****

This is where this story ends, and the legend of Mirabel and Dorian begins. Whether that legend is written or not is yet to be seen.

*****