“You shouldn’t move much,” the soft words rouse him from drifting between the world of reality and that of the dream that guided him further into sleep. It had been a few hours since she had laid him down on their cloaks and removed the fabrics constricting his chest. Still, even now, he could feel the hot licks of the fire near them; she must have started it and kept it going to keep him warm - so he thought.
Attempting to prop himself on his elbows, he felt the cool of her fingers fall to his chest, where the slightest bit of pressure eased him back down. A tired sigh left his lips when feeling the same hand run gingerly the length of his neck and fit to the contour of his hardened jaw. “Stubborn man,” there it was, the same voice that lulled him to sleep with its melodic, honeyed tones. He turned his head to the hand and the direction of the voice, finding its warmth more inviting than that of the camp fire.
“What happened, where are we?” Inquiring softly, Orsino struggled to blink the sleep from his eyes, but never did he guess it would settle on the worried vision before him. Glassy depths of sea-green stared at his face, a few inches from his own, as if inspecting him. He could smell the aroma of fresh fallen rain as her hair tumbled around his face, almost creating a private canopy to be shared between the two.
His cheeks felt the heat rise, even as she pulled away and smiled playfully, nearly wiping the concern from her face. “We took a nasty fall, someone took one a bit nastier,” she whispered and offered a reassuring smile, “You are no light person, had to get you near the river so I could wash your wounds easier. You have a few cuts,” that is when he felt her chilled fingertips across his cheek, easing away the feverish feeling that stirred him to turn his head away.
“How long have I been sleeping? ..Where is – ” before he could finish, her hands had placed something in his own. Curling his fingers around it, the familiar feeling gave the object away. The staff, she managed to somehow haul it and himself - this slender woman was rather surprising at times. “Sarah,” speaking her name, she shook her head and placed her fingers to his lips.
“Just rest, if you are hungry, I will gather some food for us, the least I can do for you.” He saw her stand up and was consumed with the desire to pull her back, to allow him to bask in her warmth a little longer until sleep had enveloped him completely. But he did nothing to stop her from moving. In his silence, he watched the glow from the fire brush her youthful features, spark the jewelry hanging from her elongated ears and caress the length of her exposed legs.
She had not been wearing pants. Actually, she was missing a good portion of clothing, which made him fidget in discomfort. But when he did move, he noticed that on his lap, Sarah had placed layers of her clothes. She was keeping him warm. Orsino felt shamed that she had gone as far as relinquishing her own comfort so that he may bask in some.
Clearly, he didn’t listen to Sarah, for when she turned away, he was already trying to settle his weight on his arms and sit up. His eyes scanned the area at first, taking in the scenery bestowed upon him. Several trees were reaching for the skies, nearly shutting out the light of the moon that swept over the land. The sound of the river pulled his gaze to the waters not far from where they were camped. But even with all the wonders surrounding them, his gaze relaxed on the woman who mended his wounds.
And brought life to a heart he didn’t think would beat like this again.
Seeing such a great mage vulnerable saddened her, though she felt privileged to see him in such a condition. Under her care, she was able to watch him peacefully at rest, even as nightmares attempted to plague him, a song had coaxed him back to passive slumber. It was when he was asleep that she was able to speak words that held no playful tone, no jest, it was the truth that she confessed into his ear, the truth that she had harbored in her heart.
But now that he was awakening, Sarah thought it was best to return to her duties of cleaning up the few abrasions he endured. She, of course, was accustomed to dealing with physical pain, but not once did she question his own endurance throughout this little ordeal. Bare feet carried her to the edge of the river, where she knees on the smoothed stones and dipped her arm into the cool surface, moistening her sleeve. “You know, First Enchanter, I was worried that you wouldn’t really make it out of this alive, since we are not really using our powers. But you surprised me,” she chuckled quietly and stood up, only to notice a shadow cast upon the water.
Turning around, she found herself staring directly at Orsino, whose eyes carried a new found sadness that left her confused. “What are you doing?” Sarah blushed uncharacteristically, especially since his robes had slipped down to his waist. She had to remind herself that she had partially undressed him to help take care of his wounds, but seeing him this way, standing tall and with his skin so exposed to the light of the flames - her eyes wandered more than it should have.
“Come on, I don’t really have something to use for your head but my slee–” she stopped to suck air sharply into her lungs, for it was then that his hands came to her face and lifted it gently. Never did she feel this flustered around the First Enchanter. Truth be told, she believed he knew that her taunting was for playful jabs at his stern demeanor. But now, as his thumbs brushed the soft skin of her cheeks and fingers found themselves digging into her heated scalp, Sarah started to think that her taunting was perhaps a terrible idea.
No, it was a wonderful idea.
“High Summoner,” His voice sent a shiver down her frame; it was strong tone, demanding, and she couldn’t retaliate against it. Gentle hands came to his bare chest, where she timidly tried to ease him to his makeshift bed, but he would not budge. “Thank you, as troublesome as you may seem at times, I don’t seem to mind this bit of chaos you got us in,” his smile was small but it was enough to make her see the change taking place. To see him simply break the stern facade he wore was remarkable.
“I didn’t know you fancied a bit of chaos,” there it was, the twist of her plump lips formed a smirk; the come-hither look in her eyes was an invite. Behind her cool gaze, he saw the fire, one that would surely burn him. Every part of her hinted at the potential of granting him bliss, something he had denied himself far too long.
“It is a welcomed change,” Orsino’s baritone voice mingled with a delectable purr that only he could possibly have achieved. This silver fox had a side to him that she was now privy to. Perhaps she shouldn’t entertain the idea of taunting him, but, Sarah was not one to ever back down.
“Which brings up a good question, what changed so suddenly between us? Or has this fever mad you a tad delirious?” Sarah tested him while drawing her hands down the length of his arms until finding his hands. Once again, the summoner tried to lead him back to the comfort of their cloaks but he stepped forward, closing her in to the edge of the river. He released her hands from his own and placed them on the slender slopes of her shoulders. The fabric seem to melt underneath his fervid touch, slipping it free along the length of her arms until the sleeves dangled from her delicate fingertips.
“I assure you, the fever has nothing to do with this,” Orsino leaned close enough to her face that the wave of warmth made her toes curl. The sensation was visible, for she trembled in delight from such a faint touch, it was well received. He was no fool when it came to reading body language. Sarah did not reject his amorous advances or verbally protested against them. In fact, she retaliated with a gentle tug on the belts that held the rest of his robes intact. “Unless,” he added in a hot whisper, “..this is but a spell cast upon me.”
Sarah was keeping her hands busy, removing bothersome material that was becoming a hurdle for her. Watching her, Orsino’s usual grim expression lightened, for when everything was undone, the maiden had pressed her fervent cheek to his chest. Skilled fingers came across her slender back, digging into her muscles. If his body wasn’t already warm, there was no denying that she lit a fire that set him ablaze.
“That’s the best part, I don’t need to cast a spell to get this result,” words were intimately spoken with all sincerity The robes finally had fallen from his slender frame in a heap, pooling around his feet. “Are you sure you’re all right? With.. this?” She brought a little chuckle to soothe the flames of enthusiasm, “The last thing I wish to do is give you a heart attack.” Teasing words ended just as she moved from his embrace. The peasant dress freed itself from her slender frame, revealing the succulent, pallid flesh that was hidden from his sight. The orange of the camp’s fire had licked at her curvature, stroking every inch of her body as she stood aglow as an inviting morsel.
It called for his greedy touch, his heated kisses and hungry whispers and he was all too eager to oblige. As he stepped toward her, Sarah still kept her distance and backed further into the cool water, beckoning him with a gesture of her fingers. His shoes were slipped out of, and soon, his pants were but a distant memory behind languid steps. The fire-haired siren was smiling as the wind tussled her tresses, whipping it against freckled cheeks and down to the top of her breasts.
Sarah had to bite her lip when he approached, for under the glow of moonlight, she finally could drink in his sculpted form. For a man of respectable age, his body betrayed his years for it did not show in his frame. He was lithe, though what he lacked in bulky, muscle mass, was made up by definition. She knew that his eyes had journeyed along her body as well, and from the looks of it, he was as eager as she.
Perhaps this fever was one of the better things that has happened to him.
He didn’t stop when he approached the apostate; he guided her deeper into the river, where the water now met her upper torso. “I do not wish to drown, First Enchanter,” she said with a bit of a frown, but suddenly, she was silenced when strong hands came at her thighs. With a staunch grip, she was pulled up so her hips met his own. A pleasing, surprising sound, came from her lips as she felt the excitement pressed between their abdomens. The rush of rose went to her cheeks and Sarah’s hands found their way to his shoulder and the back of his neck.
“I don’t intend on letting that happen,” His lips brushed along her own when chosen words spilled forth. A hand wandered free from underneath her knee to take its time working its way to her posterior and nested at the small of her back. Slender legs ensnared him after finding their place at his waist. Her feet dug at his rear end and the back of his thigh just as he made sure she knew that he was not immune to teasing himself. Her body was crushed to his own and worked in a way that blossoming petals would brush at his very length. Pleading sounds of supplication came out in the form of moans; her eyes were squinting and nearly closed, but Orsino peppered her lips with kisses and a whisper which ensured that her eyes would remain open.
“I want to look into your eyes, I want to see you completely abandon yourself to me, as I will do to you.” He took her lips and swallowed the groans of passion as she trembled and sank her nails into his shoulder and caressed the the back of his head. She surrendered her body to his touch and the need that they both shared. Sarah found her body malleable, shifting easily as he positioned her to receive in at full.
“First Enchanter,” the kiss broke so that she could speak his name as excitement and suspense merged into one. Her eyes, colored like the sea, focused only on his, allowing him to drown in them.
“Orsino,” he corrected her while his breath was caught in his throat - all the while eased her down gently. Parting those silken walls, feeling the overwhelming warmth as she tightened, drove him to groan. Every sensation of joy, of desire, of freedom, came colliding unto them once they joined here; the heavens, its stars, and the moon, were their only witness.
Tonight he was not the First Enchanter and she was not a High Summoner. He was a man giving in to the passion that stirred in his heart, and she was welcoming him, allowing him to release all his worries, all his desires, and bestow them upon her. Tonight, nothing mattered but making each other happy.