Elias awoke as soon as his little priestess started to move. The soft red light of the rising sun made her hair glimmer exotically. As her tiny, naked form removed itself from his embrace, he thought about what he should do. The chances were she was going to relieve herself, and if she tried to run he knew he could catch her quickly. Still, the opportunity to be cruel was very tempting. A large part of him wanted to accuse her of trying to escape. He imagined how she would cower, eyes large and full of terror. He longed to wrap his thick hands around her little throat and choke her as he forced his thick cock into her dry, tight tunnel.
As Sophia left their bed, he listened to her moving through the grass. Once he heard the sound of her pissing, he decided he would wait for her return. He thought back to the night before, and the unease that had filled him when he had been rough with her. As she settled back into the crook of his arm, he tightened his grip around her. She froze.
"Glad to see you return safely, priestess. There's lots of vicious beasties in these parts." Elias made his voice rough, and a little threatening.
"I hadn't thought not to return," Sophia stammered back. Elias kept his eyes shut, but knew how worried she must look. He could feel the tension in her body as she lay beside him. A thrill ran through him as he thought about the panic she must be feeling. He kissed the top of her head, and decided to sleep a little longer.
There was no way Sophia would be able to get back to sleep. She lay staring at the roof of their shelter, body stiff. If Elias thought she was trying to escape he would surely hurt her. The thoughts of what he might do to her upset her greatly, and by the time Elias stirred beside her, she was in a state. Her mind couldn't let go of the images of the whores he had killed. There had been a lovely, leggy brunette who had been left broken on her bed, her limbs at odd angles. Elias could easily do that to her.
Sophia jumped as Elias propped himself up on one elbow, turning to face her as he did. Her heart was thumping in her chest, her breath coming in pants. He frowned at her, his grey eyes growing cold. Roughly, his hand closed around Sophia's shoulder. The grip was cruel and painful. This is it, she thought.
"Do you feel that?" He whispered somewhat urgently. Sophia nodded, tears spilling from her eyes. "Do you feel how strong I am?" Again she nodded. "I won't let anything hurt you," he hissed, releasing his grasp and rubbing at the marks he had left, "I was only teasing you." It took Sophia a moment to work out what he was talking about.
"The wild animals?" she stuttered, uncertain.
"Yes, Sophia. There is nothing scarier than a rabbit out there." Looking again at his eyes, Sophia came to the realisation that he was angry with himself, not her. Throwing her arms around his thick neck, Sophia covered his face with relieved kisses.
Surprised when he claimed her lips, Sophia kissed Elias back hesitantly. His hard body felt good against her, but in the back of her mind was a deep rooted fear, as well as a sense of guilt. Take pleasure in him. He will not hurt you. Jerking back from Elias, Sophia gasped. She had always been a little sceptical when her High Priestess had told her that the Goddess spoke to her, but now she knew it was true. A tinkling laughter filled her head before it faded, leaving a frustrated man before her eyes.
Suddenly, Sophia found herself pinned to the sheets. Her wrists were gripped in Elias' left hand, whilst the fingers of his right stroked the base of her throat lightly. He was between her thighs, his hardness pressing against her opening in a clear threat. "You will tell me what's wrong, Sophia. What did you see last night that caused you to fear me so."
"I told you, I saw my sisters-"
"-Do not lie to me, Sophia." Swallowing thickly, Sophia considered her answer. Before she had had a moment to think, Elias gripped her nipple and twisted viciously. Writhing in pain beneath him, she told him the truth.
"I know what you like to do to women," she spluttered.
Looking down at Sophia's face, Elias froze. He released her, springing to his feet and turning away. Shame flushed through him at the excitement he had felt moments before. No wonder the priestess feared him. He had heard that the priestesses had visions, that the Goddess spoke with them, but he had never expected it to be true. Running a hand through his hair, he turned back to the meek little woman in his bed.
She sat with her hands clutching the sheets to her. Her knees were drawn up and her shoulders hunched. Elias could see how afraid she was. To think, she had slept next to him thinking that he may tear into her at any moment. He could see that the trust had gone completely from her. It put a whole new spin on her reactions that morning; she had been afraid of his anger, not of the animals he had said lived nearby.
"I will drop you off at the next town we ride through." His voice was brusque and matter of fact, hiding the sorrow he felt at losing the naïve beauty so soon.
"No," the priestess blurted out, much to his surprise. Her big blue eyes looked more panicked at the prospect of him leaving her than anything else. Of course, he thought, she had spent a life in the temple and knew no one. He was a fool to think she would survive long on her own.
Approaching her slowly, he watched as she recoiled in a way that was all too familiar to him. Even his sweet faced Lisa had cowered before him in the end.
"Let me try," she begged, quietly. Her eyes looked anywhere but at his face. He sighed. The scar must seem as repulsive as the rest of him to such a sheltered, fragile creature. He cursed his own idiocy at thinking she would want him. What did it matter if he tried to be gentle? She was just too good for him.
Sophia watched the warring emotions on Elias' face. The thought of failing her Goddess made her brave. Creeping forward, and watching the weariness in her soldier's eyes, she caressed his scarred cheek. It occurred to Sophia that he was as vulnerable as her, in his own way.
"Promise me you'll be gentle," she pleaded, meeting his eyes. He seemed shocked by her consent. Giving herself to him was the last thing that Sophia wanted to do. She longed to know the reasons behind his brutal behaviour, wanted to spend time with him where other people could keep her safe but, above all, she wanted to flee.
Laying herself back on the blankets, Sophia shut her eyes and spread her legs wide for Elias. It felt like an eternity before his fingers tentatively found her thigh, stroking it as he settled once more between them. His lips brushed hers, softly, encouragingly. She urged herself to relax under him, but couldn't. Every moment she was waiting for him to treat her roughly.
