Chapter 62
It was full dark by the time they emerged back into the clearing around the cottage. They'd cleaned up after their love making and that had led to another quick round with Allora bent over the edge of the pool and Mitchell taking her from behind, but he wasn't about to complain. He was actually impressed at his own stamina and wondered if it was a result of not having had sex for months, his seemingly insatiable hunger for Allora, the heart stone making his body stronger, or a combination of the three. He'd remarked about it to Allora on their way back.
"Likely a little bit of all three, but mostly the latter," she'd said with a small laugh. "The heart stone makes your body more of whatever it is."
Her hand traveled down and she gripped his ass firmly.
"And I am sure that, between Lethelin and I, we will put you through your paces, so you will need it."
Mitchell had laughed at that but then felt a twinge of fear in his gut.
"Is it really okay to sleep with Lethelin, too?"
"Ah, yes. I remember you saying that such relationships were uncommon on your world. But here, there are no such restrictions. If someone wants to join a group relationship, all that matters is that all the other members approve. And I approve of Lethelin. Mostly."
Mitchell had known about the polyamorous nature of relationships here for a while but, raised as he was, it was still hard to accept that he was going to get two women. He knew Allora wouldn't lie about it or hide her feelings if something was wrong, however, so he decided to go with it and see what happened.
"Will, um..." Mitchell paused, wondering if now was the time to bring it up. Just ahead he could see the lights from the cottage through the trees. "Will you and Lethelin be sleeping with each other also?"
Rather than get angry or look insulted, she looked more thoughtful.
"I do not know," she replied. "I have not had much experience with women but I will admit that she is very attractive. I guess we can see what happens. But there is no dragon on the roof."
She leaned up and kissed his cheek.
"I think Lethelin would be willing, though. Sometimes I see her watching me as much as you do."
"There's no dragon? What?"
"Ah, I am sorry," she smiled. "It is a saying. It means there is no problem, so do not worry about it. What will happen will happen."
Mitchell smiled at that and filed it away to try and use if a situation presented itself. He still had some trouble with the curses as they felt weird to him, but he was slowly getting a knack for it.
Once they broke the tree line, Lethelin looked up from the little table she'd been sitting at, polishing the bow that Gilriel had gifted her their second night. Apparently, it was quite valuable, made of the special wood they'd told him about before. Lethelin had almost gotten on her knees and bowed to their host at the offering but Gilriel had told her it was no problem; she was never much of an archer and it had been sitting idle for years.
As they walked up to her, hand in hand, both smiling, he saw Lethelin break into a grin as well. Mitchell saw her give Allora the once over and she noticed the dress that was barely holding together after Mitchell had ripped it open in the heat of the moment.
She looked over at Mitchell then.
"Food's waiting inside. We kept it warm for you."
Then she arose, walked up to Allora with a conspiratorial grin, grabbed her free hand, and started to pull her away.
"I need to borrow our knight for a bit."
Allora resisted, laughing, and said, "I'm hungry, too!"
"You'll be fine!" Lethelin said and pulled harder.
"Go, I'll see you inside," Mitchell told Allora, who was already blushing.
She went and before they'd even gone a few meters, their heads were near pressed together as they walked and moments later, he heard giggling.
Mitchell shook his head as he watched them walk away. In this world or his, women would still be women, it seemed. Leaving them be, he followed his nose around to the side door on the cabin and went in to eat. He was famished.
***
"You said it yourself," Lethelin said, her tone exasperated. "You're the most wanted woman in Awenor. You can't just go waltzing into a town. It is better that I go. No one knows who I am, and Mitchell is mostly unknown as well. You, on the other hand, stick out like a High Sun dancer at a Halik light baptism! Even if I found enough sejic root to color your hair, I can't do anything for your eyes. Plus, the way you walk."
"What is wrong with the way I walk?" Allora demanded.
"You walk like you own every place that your eyes can see. You may not actually be a noble but you'd never know it by the way you carry yourself. I could shave you bald and fashion you a crutch, and you'd still walk like the High Lady of Iletish."
Allora looked to Mitchell.
"I do not! Do I?"
"You kinda do," Mitchell had to agree. "People notice you when you go places. Even if they don't know who you are, they know you are someone important. We can't risk it when we're this close to Lorivin. We'll leave at dawn and be back as quick as we can. Straight to Clayfaire, pick up a few things, listen for rumors, and straight back. And Vras will come with us. Once we're back, we'll head to Lorivin.
Mitchell pulled her in and kissed the top of her head.
"It's a good plan," he said.
"Fine," she said at least. Then she spun to Lethelin. "But if anything happens to him, I wi--"
"I know, I know," Lethelin cut her off waving her hands. "Horrible death, take my head, blood everywhere. We'll be fine."
Despite herself, even Allora smiled. Then, she surprised everyone by turning to where Vras was lounging in his customary spot beside the fire. She kneeled down and scratched him behind the ears. He opened bleary eyes, having gorged himself earlier on some sort of large guinea pig-like creature called a goha. Apparently, they were quite a nuisance for Gilriel as they liked to try to get into her garden and eat whatever they could dig up, so she'd actually been pleased to see the remains of the corpse just past the tree line north of the cottage.
"Take care of him, Vras. I am trusting you to protect him."
Vras blinked, looked from Allora to Mitchell, then back. After a moment, the gratha flicked his ears and leaned into the scratches before setting his head back down in his paws and closing his glittering green eyes.
"Hey!" Lethelin shouted. "What am I? A bucket of chum?"
***
"So this thieves' guild thing is pretty serious, I take it?" Mitchell asked Lethelin between bites of the bread and cheese that was serving as their lunch the next day.
Lethelin paused in her chewing and gave him a nervous look, then swallowed and took a drink of the sweet wine they'd packed.
