While the goblins stared out the Watch Officer's window and waited for the sun to rise, Yule was being shown the door of a tavern where he had outworn his welcome.
'Lissen, I did not mean to grab her,' Yule said to the burly doorman. 'Well, I guess I did, but it's all in good fun, right? She waddles her way round giving blokes drinks, waving her tits about in our faces. She should expect a cheeky little grab on the dumplings, eh?'
With that, Yule was ejected from the tavern. He found himself outside, the late-night air cooling his face. His drinking buddy for the night, Kern, was already outside, having been tossed out moments earlier.
Kern spat on the ground. 'Who needs'em. The bar 'round the high street's better anyway. Probably be open another hour. Keen to check out the bawdy lasses serving up drinks at that 'stablishment, friend?'
Yule mimed grabbing an ample chest. 'Like picking out the best pumpkins, mate. And I do know how to pick 'em!'
The two laughed riotously and started walking. Both men stumbled a little as they went, but they were still sober enough to keep some of their wits about them.
They walked down a series of dark alleys, taking what Kern had called a 'shadowy shortcut'. Lamps on long poles lit their way, but even so it became harder to tell where they were. Almost like the shadows were causing everything to blend together.
Just when Yule thought to ask Kern if he really knew where they were going, the men spied a set of figures up ahead. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but they looked like young women.
As they got closer to the group, Yule's breath caught. The young maidens were not wearing any clothes. Bare naked. More, they were rounded in all the places he enjoyed.
All three of the women could have been sisters. They each had short-cropped auburn hair and skin that was tanned a rich brown. They even looked to be about the same age, late teens or early 20s.
'See that?' Kern asked.
At Kern's words the women fled down a pathway. Their movements as they ran were inhumanly graceful. Yule was reminded of a group of deer in flight.
Then Kern was after them, running full pelt into the darkness. Yule called out to stop him, but it was no use. Kern had disappeared down the pathway.
Yule gave chase. He turned down a corner and stopped. Ethereal giggling filling the air, buffeting him from all around.
Suddenly a woman was beside him, emerging from the shadows. She looked like one of the fleeing maidens. Yule found his gaze drawn down to her nipples. They were large and soft-looking. He could not take his eyes off them. They were so wonderfully inviting.
His hands reached out, fingers poised to wrap around her beautiful breasts. She slapped his hands away. He reached out again with the same result, a hard slap. The woman frowned at him and waggled a warning finger in his face.
Teasing me, Yule thought, she runs around naked like that and she does not want me to feel her up? Nah, she expects at least a little touch...
His hands shot out quickly, his fingers grabbing clumsily at the perfect flesh of her bosom. The woman let out an indignant cry and pushed away from him. Yule moved with her though, laughing gleefully as he took a few more squeezes of her perfect breasts.
In a flash she knocked him arms away, grabbed his collar, and tore off his shirt. Yule giggled delightedly. This seemed like confirmation that he was going to be a lucky man tonight. She surprised him though by pulling herself close to him, putting her mouth up to his left nipple, and biting hard.
'Oww!' he cried, trying to grab at her.
She darted across to the other side of his chest and did the same to his right nipple. One hard, protracted bite that dug into his flesh without breaking the skin. He reached for her again futilely. She had already slipped his grasp and was now skipping down the pathway in a manner that led him to believe she was pleased with herself.
'You bitch, get back here!'
Yule followed. Somehow she was able to maintain her pace so that he could not catch up to her. She was always just a little way ahead, the gap between them never closing no matter how hard he ran.