Elise watched, absolutely mesmerized, as the wheel spun around and around, her foot pushing on the treadle faster. The fluffy cloud of wool in her hands took up the twist provided by the flyer of the spinning wheel easily. She'd had her small heard of sheep sheard a few weeks ago, by a neighboring farmer's son, a gentle lad who spoke softly, if at all.
The gentle chatter of the wheel filled the air and mixed with the rain outside to create a soft soundtrack to her firelit nighttime spinning. On the floor to her right sat her faithful sheepdog Bastion, the only thing she'd brought with her a few years ago when she had come to the dale. She kept mostly isolated, not a very social person, but did make the trip into town once or twice a week to sell the yarn she spun and some of the vegetables she grew. It wasn't much, but it kept her fed in the winter, clothed, and the small cottage over her head.
She spent most of her time with the sheep or with Bastion, which was probably better for everyone else, she thought. Bastion dropped the bone he was chewing on to growl in the direction of the door. The growling shook Elise from her reverie and she stood to quickly grab the knife she left on the chopping board. There was a soft knock on the door as her fingers wrapped around the worn wooden handle.
Bastion was still growling, but it was fainter now and punctuated by whimpering, nervous foot tapping, and licking his chops. Elise moved closer to the door, keeping the knife in hand, her thumb on the back of the handle. She called out, hoping that her voice didn't betray all the fear and apprehension she currently felt.
"Who darkens my doorstep at this hour?"
A gruff, but soft-spoken voice responded to her through the door.
"Merely a traveler, madam, looking for a place to rest and some company for the night. I saw your home from afar." Elise looked down at Bastion, who had mostly calmed down, and took that as a good sign that she was unlikely to be murdered by the late-night caller. She began to open the door slowly, pausing as a savory smell drifted into her cottage.
"I got a knife, for protection, see. It will be used if needs be." The door opened further, and the stranger stepped inside, closing the door behind. They were tall, tall enough that the hat atop their head brushed against the ceiling of her humble abode. Bastion pushed against the backs of Elise's legs, and she looked down at him, his ears were pulled back but he seemed otherwise calm.
When she looked back to the stranger, Elise noticed several things all at once. This was a very large man, with thick locs of hair tumbling down around his head and shoulders. He was well built, with lots of muscle and wide shoulders, but a fairly narrow waist under the coat he was in the process of doffing. He looked at her and she felt her breath catch in her throat as though a hand had plugged a hole in a bucket. His eyes were completely black, and she felt like she was drowning in them.
She had been misled, he was no mere traveler, but a Traveler. A Big-T-Traveler, a god of this plane. The Travelers were not from here; they were interlopers from another place entirely. Their worship was based on fear, not love. They were vicious, brutal - and in a single breath she had invited him into her home and threatened him. Bastion had rolled over to show submission, and Elise dropped to her knees to follow suit, holding the knife up on her open hands.
She attempted to verbalize an apology, but the words got caught in her throat and refused to leave her mouth. The Traveler crouched down in front of her, one hand wrapping around both of her hands and the knife easily. The other hand grasped her jaw and turned her head to meet his gaze.
His pitch-black eyes seemed to glitter with the promise of starlight. His gray-green skin was lightly mottled, a spattering of freckles across his nose and brow. Elise shook slightly from fear as he spoke again, voice just as soft as it was a few moments ago.
"It has been quite a long time since I was threatened. Especially by someone so
petite
. Since you clearly did not know me, I will let it slide. You should be grateful I am in such a generous mood." A smile pricked at the corners of his mouth, exposing small tusks to the dim light in the cottage. She attempted to remove her face from his grasp, but she did not accomplish this task, instead he chuckled and took the knife from her hands, bringing it close to her face.
"How much effort do you think I would need to pierce your skin with this dull excuse of a weapon?" as the last word left his lips, he pressed the blade to her throat and she froze against it, a small whimper leaving her. Beside her, Bastion perked up and began to growl again, but the Traveler bared his teeth at the canine, who settled back down.
Elise's mind fled to an odd space at that, and she felt heat rush below her waist. She imagined herself tied up, held down before his massive frame, a switch in his hand and marks all over her skin. His hands, all over her, rubbing her, claiming her.
Her mouth was suddenly very dry, her chest very tight. The Traveler was looking at her oddly, but pulled the knife from her throat and stood up. He glanced around the small space and put the knife on the chopping board she had grabbed it from. He grabbed the chair Elise had been sitting in just a moment ago, or was it hours ago? She was unsure of how much time had passed since Bastion had begun growling at the door.
The chair was moved in front of her kneeling form, so close that when he sat down, his legs were on either side of her. Her heart beat faster and the space between her legs felt so hot and empty. Her fluffy companion growled again, so the Traveler in front of her commanded him to move, in a language she couldn't understand.
"
s'en aller
." Bastion got up and with his tail between his legs, went to the small bed in the other end of the single room cottage, curling up on top of the woven blankets.
The hand was back on her chin, but much gentler this time.
"Your eyes remind me of someone I knew, long ago. He had the same reaction to my presence as you do." He smiled, a sad smile, before fixing Elise with his inky black eyes again. Her cheeks burned and she sputtered a bit, trying to respond to him.
"I have no reaction to you but fear,
my lord
." She glared at him, hoping he understood the lack of respect in that missive. His eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second before he let out a sharp laugh, leaning in close to whisper in her ear, his locs brushing against her loosely braided hair.
"So you say, it is only fear. But I can smell otherwise,
ma petit fleur
." He trailed his sharp nails down her clothed arm, and even through the cloth it felt like his touch was singing her skin. The heat in her stomach got hotter and she licked her lips. The hand on her chin pulled her face close to his, so close she could feel his breath on her cheeks. He poked his tongue out and gently licked her lips, causing her to gasp and open her mouth slightly. He let out a soft moan, moving his hand to the back of her head to grab a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back. He stared into her eyes before crushing his lips down on hers, a hand moving down to caress her hip and then grabbing a handful of her ass.
Her body enjoyed the possessive grasp of his hands on her, liquid heat pooling in her nethers as she relaxed into the kiss. She was screaming in her mind, but her body had other ideas, his hand kneading her ass cheek was really doing it for her. She gathered enough sense to try to push away from him, not that her attempt did anything. He pulled back and they both breathed heavily. Elise's hand flew without any thought behind it, and they both froze when her palm made contact with his cheek. He squinted his black eyes at her and she felt fear run through her.
"You may not now, but you will learn to regret that,
ma petit fleur