Adventures in the Rim: Athene

Sure enough, tomorrow was exactly as it always had been. Athene was up at the crack of dawn and in full armor, ignoring the Argonian's spiteful words.

"Ah, too bad. From the sounds of it, I thought you were being murdered up there." He hissed.

Mercurio produced a flare of destruction from his palm, but Athene just smiled sweetly and continued on her way; Mercurio sheathed his magic and glared back at the Argonian man. Barbos was waiting for them outside as they stepped into a misty and frigid morning. Athene loaded up her horse and had rented one for Mercurio as well; she wanted to make one more stop on the way to Ysgramor, while they still had time. Her conversation with Mercurio was burned into her mind and she had to erase it.

The duo made great time and were already most of the way to Whiterun before they stopped for the night. The weather held out and the night was crisp and clear as they laid there watching the night sky in metamorphoses. The moons were out, although only one of them was full.

"So, are we stopping in Whiterun tomorrow?" Mercurio asked between yawns.

Athene shook her head.

"No. I have nothing to unload there, and with only a week's wiggle room, I don't want to waste any time."

"But we aren't going to Ysgramor?"

"We are," Athene confirmed. "But I don't know what's going to happen there. We'll be defying Hercine's wishes."

Mercurio nodded, although he had every confidence in his companion. He knew, too, though, that she was deeply intertwined with the daedric Lord, Hercine, and was a bit nervous himself.

"So...Where are we going, then?" The Cyrodil man finally questioned before drifting off to sleep.

"Solitude."

"Why?"

Athene remained silent for so long that Mercurio thought she had fallen asleep.

"I need to see my wife."

And so they did. The next night they were mere miles outside of Solitude, and continued on despite the horses protests. Once they reached the stables, Athene left Mercurio to tend the horses with instructions to visit the Alchemy shop before joining her at Proudspyre Manor.

Athene walked wearily to her house, lazily waving at the passerby's who acknowledged her fondly. When she arrived at home she entered through the bottom door and passed her alchemy and enchantment stations, keeping her eyes peeled for Camilla...or anyone else who might have been there. She found no-one until she reached the top story where her wife was sitting at the table reading a book. Camilla looked up with bright eyes as Athene entered.

"My love!" She cried out, smiling.

Athene looked her over, but did not return her smile.

"Whatever is the matter, my love?" Camilla questioned with all the grace of a good wife, and approached Athene. "My love?" She questioned, touching Athene's arm.

"Faendall sure travels a long way to visit you...quite often." The dragonborne mentioned quietly, staring into her wife's eyes.

Camilla swallowed, all too intimidated by her wife's reputation. "He...He is thinking about finding a home in Solitude...He says Riverwood is too small for his talents."

"I'm sure." Athene drawled. "I'm also sure that the comforts you give him are a great incentive to re-locate."

Camilla blushed heavily.

"You really thin-"

"I know, Camilla. Don't take me for a fool!" Athene bellowed, causing Camilla to back up a couple of paces. "I MET Faendall because of the love he has for you, don't you remember?"

Camilla had tears rolling down her cheeks, but she looked incensed.

"At least somebody loves me!" She cried out, surprising Athene.

The Dragonborne hadn't thought that perhaps her wife was lonely. Athene never took Camilla with her because she didn't want the woman to be hurt, or worse, killed...or worse. She sighed, thrusting her hand through her hair.

"I do love you, Camilla. Why else would we be married?"

Camilla sniffed. "We both know why we're married."

This galled Athene. She stood gaping at her wife for a long moment.

"No, tell me, Camilla. WHY are we married?"

"For the money, of course."

"Is that it?"

Camilla looked down sheepishly and shook her head. Athene crossed the room silently like a deadly breeze and lifted Camilla's chin. She looked deeply into her wife's eyes.

"I married you because you're an intelligent and capable woman. Because no man is good enough to claim you as his own. I married you for this," Athene broke her sentence off with a firm kiss.

She probed the inside of her wife's mouth, and slipped her hand around Camilla's head to grasp gently at her hair. Her other hand roamed to her wife's chest, softly palming the round peaks beneath her tunic.

"Do I not provide for you?" Athene murmured against Camilla's lips. "Do I not offer you independence?" She kissed her neck and whispered in her ear. "Do I not treat you as an equal?"

Camilla could say nothing, her breathing was hard and her head was light. Athene bent down, scooped her petite wife off the floor and easily carried her to their bedroom, kicking the door closed behind her. Mercurio had just entered the house and was standing on the landing of the stairs when he heard the door slam. Quietly, he crept the rest of the way upstairs and listened intently outside the door.

Inside the room, Athene laid Camilla on the bed and straddled her, kissing her deeply. Their breasts pressed against one another's as Athene slowly kissed and sucked and nibbled her way from Camilla's lips, to her neck and her ears. Athene scooted down, pulling with her the front of Camilla's tunic, exposing the woman's supple browned breasts. The elven woman moaned softly and took a nipple in her mouth, tasting every inch of space on her flesh. Camilla groaned and arched her back as her wife moved from one breast to the other, suckling and kneading with great care. Finally, Athene retired from her gentle administrations and began to pull Camilla's skirts up.

Camilla had, of course, been intimate with her wife on other occasions, but never quite like this. Athene pushed her wife's clothing up and off and began slowly trailing her tongue and lips up Camilla's ankles and legs to the insides of her thighs. Camilla grasped the blankets furtively, panting with anticipation. Athene ran her hands over her wife's legs, ever so softly, and planted light, fleeting kisses over the top of her womanhood and at her very slit. Camilla cried out, spreading her legs and Athene flicked her tongue out, tasting the sweet and the lusty juices of her wife. Her tongue danced nimbly over the crevasse and to the tender and swollen nubbin above, sending tingles of frenzy spiraling across Camilla's body.

Athene then buried her face in her wife's snatch, tonguing her in rhythmic circles, sucking gently on the mound above the entrance to her womanhood. Camilla was fevered and rolling her head back and forth, calling out with guttural moans. Athene moaned against her wife's crevasse, and slid two fingers inside her. Camilla bucked and arched her back, spreading her legs wider to accommodate the elf further. Athene pumped with her fingers, slowly adding a third finger as she lapped at Camilla's sensitive clit like a cat in desperate need of milk.

Athene slipped her free hand into her own pants, stimulating her own sopping wet womanhood, and loved her wife more furiously. She could feel Camilla getting close, and readied herself, as she was near peaking as well.

Mercurio was listening intently outside the door, his hand on his rock hard member which was straining painfully against his trousers. He groaned inwardly, desperately needing an escape from his plight. He knew very well that he could not just barge in on the women, but the inescapable erotic punishment he was enduring listening to the woman he prized make love to her wife, was nearly unbearable. Inside the door he heard Camilla call out.

Athene pulled her fingers from her wife's womanhood and buried her face there, lapping up every drop that escaped. She came as well, then, satisfied that she had shown her wife what was what. Camilla was nearly catatonic, lying on the bed, a glow of passion surrounding her. Athene stood unevenly, bent down and kissed her wife, imbibing her with her own essence, and then turned to the door. Mercurio heard her footsteps and stood up, fleeing as silently as he could down the stairs.

Athene turned to look at her wife.

"I may not make it back from this journey, Camilla. I didn't want to die without seeing your face one more time. As for Faendall...I understand if you get lonely..." Camilla sat up and looked at her. "But don't make a fool of me, Camilla. And I will return the courtesy."

And she walked out.