Reaching the seelie lands from the Alfheimr empire is all but impossible; the great canyons and waterfalls littering their western borders make for a better wall than any iron gates. At the first sign of an attack, they'd send archers to dispatch of the enemy army. The high ground gives them a considerable advantage.
But there's no such natural reinforcement between the borders of Tenebris and Denarhelm. The humans could march right up north if they so wish.
No doubt, the lords of Denarhelm have sent forces and spies south, watching and scheming in the shadows.
I suppose we’ll find out when we get to them.
Come daylight, we agree to rest, though we're less than an hour away from Sandovar. This isn't the kind of mission to be undertaken while exhausted.
"It's market day," Jules says cheerfully. "There'll be plenty of people in the town square—we'll manage to get to the watchtower undetected."
We set camp in an abandoned goblin hole under a hill. It's far from comfortable and still smells of rotted leeches, but it's better than being exposed.
I offer to take the first watch, and Vlari's quick to say she'll take it with me.
I think I see Meda roll her eyes, but no one protests.
They settle deep in the burrow, and I sit at its entrance, my back against the wall of the cave. Vlari joins me, her legs thrown across mine.
Goblins are thieves and kidnappers, if given the opportunity; they like to dig deep walls with the smallest entrances that make them hard to find. We could have missed it if it weren't for the smell. A smell humans can't detect.
We still have to remain awake and vigilant—and watch for dogs. That doesn't mean we can't afford distractions.
I remove Vlari's shoes and proceed to massage her sore feet, my thumbs pushing deep.
Then she moans.
I didn't intend to go there today, in the wild, with five companions mere feet away from us, but that moan? I can't resist it.
I drag her hips till she's sitting right on top of me, and proceed to open her green leather trousers. I slide them past her hips, along her thighs, leaving them on her knees. My fingers skim to her opening. She's dripping wet, ready for me.
"You're going to have to be quiet," I whisper, curving my fingers inside her.
She muffles another moan, making me laugh. "Your grandmother is right next to us. Do you want her to hear you fuck me?"
"You're a rake."
"What does that make you, princess?" I ask her, opening my crotch to free my length. I rub it against her wetness, pushing it against her sensitive spots, teasing her and denying us both.
She tries to take charge, lifting her hips to impale herself on me, but I keep her waist down.
"Drusk…" She breathes hard.
"You're going to have to ask nicely if you want more."
She groans, and bares her teeth.
"What was that?” I ask. “Please, Rystan, make me cum?"
"Throw yourself off a cliff," she counters, struggling against me to get my hands off her hips.
I keep her there, and my length parts her folds at each shallow thrust, but never enters her. Payback for the way she rode me yesterday.
"That wasn't very nice. One might think you don't like me. Perhaps I should stop."
"I will murder you," she swears, her eyes flashing.
My feisty little princess.
