I stumbled over brush and stone. Rain had made the peat-covered stones slippery but it hadn't softened their assault on my legs as I staggered blindly forward. My kirtle's hem was tattered, torn by the numerous falls I had all ready taken. I doubted it had managed to retain its emerald hue. My legs were bruised and beginning to grow leaden.
Rain pounded against my face. I hugged myself, shivering from the cold, pain gnawing at my stomach. A wave of dizziness crashed over me and I slipped again, this time, hearing the crack of bone.
Pain seared through my ankle and I let out an unwilling shriek. I attempted to regain my footing several times, but sharp jabs of pain repeatedly forced me to my knees. Nauseated with pain and hunger, I sobbed, retching in hard dry-heaves.
I don't know how long I laid there. The rain and cold had started to numb my legs and I felt myself falling asleep. I fought to stay awake, knowing that sleep would bring death, but I no longer had the strength or the will to live.
I did not hear the soft thud of hooves against peat. I did not see the man climb down and approach me. I regained a vague consciousness at the touch of a strong arm slipping under my shoulders and lifting me into a reclined position.
I could feel myself being held tight against a strong chest. My own heart fluttered at the sound of his steady heartbeat. A rough hand made an attempt to wipe the rain soaked tendrils of hair from my face.
Wrapping a course wool cloak around me, he kissed my eyelids and finally my forehead. I was startled to hear a low moan deep in my throat. My skin seemed to burn at his touch. Something stirred in my belly that wasn't related to the hunger.
I cried out when he lifted me. Every inch ached. He murmured soothing words I could not understand and set me upon a tall steed. The horse nickered softly, but didn't move. Climbing astride behind me, the stranger cradled me in his arms, nudging the horse forward with a squeeze of his thighs. Strong thighs that brushed my arse with heat each time they manipulated the horse's course.
I don't remember the ride, or being carried from the stables to the security of stone castle walls. I was roused to consciousness by the smell of bread.
Fresh bread being pressed to my mouth. My stomach growled in anticipation and I parted my lips. The taste was exquisite, but no more than half a dozen bites had me ready to heave. Just as I started to retch, the sweet taste of mulled wine rolled across my tongue. I gulped eagerly at the warmed fluid, greatly frustrated when the cup was pulled from my lips.
"Nay lass," said a woman's voice, elderly and cracked. "Too much will make ye sick."
"You s-ssp-peak... " I stuttered.
"Aye," came a blunt reply. "I havna the time ta speak with ye. Me Lard FĂĄel, the Wolf, willna be gone long. He's ordered that none shall come near ye. Be grateful lass, that I convinced him ye needed nourishment. He hurried down ta the kitchens with special orders."
She paused. I could hear heavy footsteps on stone coming closer.
"Swiftly lass," she demanded. "Yer name."
âRose,â I muttered. My voice was dry in my throat.
She moved away. Her brittle voice bantered with a deep, smooth voice. Footsteps came closer.
"An' lass," she said, now much farther away. "Me Lard FĂĄel hasna hurt a wench when caught in the depths o' raging lust and it isna lust in his eyes when he looks upon ye."
A deep-throated growl of annoyance came from my side and was replied with the squeaking hinges of a closing door.
I flinched as strong, rough, fingers traced my facial features. They brushed my skin with fire. My pulse quickened, a knot forming in my stomach. I gulped air into my tightening chest. I was excited, and afraid.
I needed to see my surroundings, as well as this Lord FĂĄel. My eyes burned when I tried to open them. I blinked away the tears that streamed down my face, trying to wash the pain from my eyes.
His deep voice soothed. Gentle fingers slid across my wet cheeks and his palm cradled my face. His course thumb caressed my lips. I could taste the salt on it.
His arm reached under me and I was lifted. My head swam in a sea of murk, then everything went black.
*****
Warmth surrounded me. So much like the cruel sea, yet quiet and calm. Death had claimed my family in the sea. The storm battered ship had sank, taking with it the lives of everyone I knew. Washed up on a rocky shore, with few options, I walked. I had staggered forward for so long. Had death finally come to claim me, too?
A soft cloth scrubbed at my face and my eyes flew open. The firelight burned my eyes, but this time, I managed to keep them open.
I was in a deep stone tub. The water was warm, like fresh milk. It felt wonderful against my bare flesh but it had turned brown from dirt. The sensations of the water and being scrubbed were far more powerful than the shock of awaking nude.
He, FĂĄel, was focused on washing my tender skin, trying to scrub away the mud that had caked to it. Clean-shaven, his jaw line was squared and firm. His dark hair was cut short, with the slightest of curls neatly trimmed at his neckline. No man wore his hair so short, nor his face free of hair.
My eyes lowered to his chest. Hardly a hair on it, his nipples were hard, like small brown pebbles. I wanted to reach out and run my hand down that firm chest, lightly caressing each nipple, feeling them grow even harder under my touch. I licked my lips, with desire.
"RĂłs." He exhaled my name with a slight hiss.
Looking up, I met his gaze. His eyes seemed to flicker between amber and hazel. Intensity, looking right into my soul. He knew what I was feeling. What I was longing for. And, he understood.
In silence, FĂĄel reached into the water near my feet. The stone tub drained quickly, leaving me exposed and starting to chill. He poured heated water over my head, rinsing both the tub and me in one swift dousing. I stared wide-eyed at him, shivering as the water ran off my skin in rivulets.
Casually, he reached down a plugged a hole in the tub with a small rag. Then, proceeded to refill the tub. My skin turned red as the hot water rose around me. The steam was fragrant and I noticed tiny petals floating in the water. Rose petals. I smiled at him and his lips curled into a pleasant grin to match.
I watched as FĂĄel unwrapped his plaid, baring himself to me. It was the first time since childhood that I had seen a man unclothed. My lips parted. I stared at his massive member. It jutted out thick and hard, pulsating. I wanted it. I wanted him. Fear wrapped me. He was surely too big to fit inside of me and a slight whimper escaped my lips.
He sat on the edge of the tub, even with my shoulders. He whispered soothing words and I closed my eyes. His hands ran through my long, russet hair, separating it into thin strands with his fingers. Something hard touched my skull. A real comb.
Tension left my body as he spent what felt like forever slowing combing out knots and tangles. He piled my hair high on my head and pressed the comb into it, to keep it firmly in place. Long tendrils wisped around my neck and down my shoulders. He fingered one while slowly easing himself into the tub, behind me.
His strong hands rubbed my shoulders and neck. He slowly worked on each knot, forcing the muscles to relax. His fingers worked the sensitive area where neck and shoulder meet. I grew painfully aware of the heat growing in my belly.
Moaning, I leaned back against FĂĄel's chest. I could feel his penis hard against the base of my spine. Its touch, hotter than the water, shot a jolt through my gut. He lowered his mouth to my neck and my breath grew erratic. One hand ran down my collarbone, cupping my breast firmly. His thumb brushed my large nipple and my thighs parted unbidden. My tender folds exposed, I squealed. The water was indeed far cold then our flesh.
I shivered and felt his cock jerk behind me. He climbed from the tub and lifted me with ease. Wrapped in clean linen, he carried me through a small archway to another room. This room too, hard a fire burning in the hearth, but it's light was hidden by a screen. It illuminated the bed, FĂĄel, and myself, leaving the walls in shadow.
He laid me gently on to a soft mound of linens and plaids, warmed from the hearth's heat. Cradling my head, he lay beside me for several heartbeats.
His hands roamed my flesh, sending waves of fire through me. He touched every inch of me, avoiding only my swollen ankle. He was learning me. Mapping my body in his mind through his sense of touch. "FĂĄel." I heard my own voice weakly speaking his name with each breath.
I felt his mouth on mine, firm and urgent. Never having kissed in such a way, I was afraid to open my mouth to his inquisitive tongue. A muscular hand begun to knead my breast, his thumb roughly flicking my nipple.
Pleasure coursed through me. Moisture pooled between my thighs. I opened my mouth in a silent gasp, only to find it being probed by his hot tongue. He tasted of spiced wine, hot and exhilarating.
I sucked hungrily at his mouth, capturing his lower lip with my teeth. I felt him tense at my sudden assertiveness. I took his hand from my breast and placed it over my soft pubic mound. His fingers wormed their way between silken folds and lingered in the wetness there.
FĂĄel pinched the tiny exposed nub. I released his mouth is a rush of breath, screams of pleasure caught in my throat. A spasm of pleasure shot through my cunt and I writhed beneath his dancing fingers. His touch was both too much and not enough.
Placing a hand above my shoulders, he rolled over on top on me. I could feel his hard cock burning my thigh. His face grew pensive. His multicolored eyes flashed both veneration and desire.