Icy Heart (Books and darjeeling)

[Inwiththebooks]

It happened all too fast. A particular caravan from Divinity’s Reach had stopped for the night on the borders between Human and Norn territory. The path was the quickest way to Hoelbrak but it was often enough said to be plagued by bandits and raiders of both races. The caravan master had thought the risk worth it and had opted to take the path, believing his guards to be able to handle the task. Not everyone in the caravan was comfortable with the decision but they had all gone along with it nonetheless. This decision proved to be a most fatal mistake when an arrow double the size of most normal arrows punched through one of the guards and pinned him to a tree.

A number of black shafted arrows flew from the trees, followed by the shout of a number of warriors from within the darkness. From the trees came forth a number of men and women twice again as tall as any human in the caravan, wielding axes, spears, and swords. Garbed in a wild assortment of armor ranging from animal hides to scale mail the Norn raiders struck the caravan and its inhabitants hard. Those that dared take up arms were swiftly cut down, smashed, or battered and knocked cold. Those that surrendered or attempted to flee were captured dragged screaming into the night.

The ‘battle’ if it could be called such was brought to an end swiftly enough, the raiders striking hard and fast with extreme precision. Anything that could be taken was taken and anything else was burned to ash. Shouts, cries, and clashing blades rang through the night. Flames burned brightly enough to be seen for quite some distance, though help would not arrive in time for this caravan. Come the morning the entire site would be nothing but a broken and burned corpse, the dead on the ground providing a feast for the crows.

Come the morning as well the survivors of the raid would find themselves marched, carried, or dragged to a fortress of hewn wood and stone. Tattered banners of plain brown cloth blew in the chilly air. Wolves the size of ponies snarled at the captured human and the Norn here leered down upon the men and women. They would find themselves marched into a large hall, a lodge of sorts obviously built with the proportions of the Norn in mind. Here a number of other Norn loitered, drinking, eating, and throwing knives at a wall.

At the far end of the lodge sat a woman upon a throne padded with bear hide, her legs crossed and her cheek resting on her palm in a bored manner. Fiery red hair was pulled into a ponytail with her bangs framing her pale freckled face. Blue eyes regarded the captives marched into the hall with passing interest but little else. She was garbed in scale armor dyed a light red shade, her horned helmet resting to the side and a sword large enough to be considered a greatsword for most humans rested beside her throne within arm’s reach. She was somewhat attractive perhaps, though a rough scar that traced its way down her cheek to her jaw detracted from that a bit.

The leader of the raiders removed his helmet, revealing a bald head adorned with blue tattoos and a beard as red as the woman’s hair. He inclined his head respectfully to the woman, casting a hand out over the assembly of captives and other spoils from the journey. “Adela, I bring tidings of success from our recent raid. Ten captives I return with for the homestead as well as many goods of varying value.”

“I can see that, Olong, I have not yet lost my powers of observation. I welcome you back home with open arms and see your deeds as worthy of song and praise.” The woman responded, rising from her throne and moving to stand before Olong.

She stood a head above the tall leader of the raiding party, making her positively titanic to most humans as the tallest captive only came up to her crotch. The raiders regarded her with some respect but not difference or reverence, nor did she attempt to hold herself above the men or women here. Norn lacked most forms of government, those with great deeds to their names might establish a homestead but they were not dictators of those Norn that lived there.

Adela walked down the row of humans, her eyes gazing over each of them in their turn. “Let’s see what you have brought the homestead.” She said.

 

[darjeeling]

Kaira Leonhart was one of the few in the mass of faces that had protested against the use of a shortcut. But her voice was not amongst the majority and thus, had been drowned out quite effectively as the caravan trundled onwards and deeper into the Northern Shiverpeaks. The woman had hit her twenty-sixth birthday not a few days ago and disguised as one of her gifts, had been sent out of Lion's Arch to Divinity's Reach to meet men she had never heard of, much less know. It had been made apparent to her after the third meeting that her father had conducted this entire arduous process of finding her a proper suitor. Her family was far from royalty, but she fared from one of the smaller noble houses and her parental figures were very much interested in finding an heir. So interested that she found herself being shipped off all the way to Ascalon and what in all of Tyria was there save for ghosts of the past and Charr?

Similar thoughts continued to churn about Kaira's mind, usually pushing to the forefront and subsequently forming a rather snooty frown on her ivory-toned face. Her means of transport was not the most luxurious. In fact, judging by the way the wagon squeaked and rocked, it was far from being as much. She sighed; her parents usually took shows of modesty all too seriously and was under the firm belief that by avoiding a noble's penchant for showing off, remaining 'under the radar' would surely bring in more suitors. So far they had not taken Kaira's stubbornness into account. With only one male guard by her side who preferred to fight than to talk, no one was going to stop her from acting incredibly disinterested towards any man who dared to approach her, regardless of a pretty face. She knew she was nearing that age where she would no longer be young and beautiful but that was just it -- she didn't seem to care.

"Gerard--" Kaira began to say, eager for some conversation when all hell broke loose. The shouting came first, screaming from outside the caravan and Gerard's burly hand shot out to slam her back into her seat, his other hand gripping tightly against his sword as he shook his head. "Stay." He growled gruffly before leaping out of the caravan with the flames of battle raging in his eyes. Kaira's heart beat like a shallow drum, faster than she had ever recalled. She knew something like this would happen! The sound of steel against steel and steel into flesh filled the air like a twisted melody and the woman dressed in silk pressed her palms against her ears as she huddled down in the caravan, praying to Balthazar to give her courage.

She could not recall being pulled roughly from the caravan, only that she was crying and kicking at her captor, scratching at their armor and breaking several nails in the process. A slap against her face was effective enough to stop her wild shrieking though it was painfully obvious to see that she was trying so very hard not to break down. The smell of burning flesh singed her olfactory senses, the caw of carrion birds already loud enough to wince at. She knew of these barbarians, Norn who sought satisfaction in the thrill of plunder and destruction. This was the first time Kaira had come to experience the seeds of despair they sowed and already she had grown to despise them. She had to hold back the bile rising to her throat as she was shoved into line with some of the other survivors but Kaira refused to make eye contact with any of them. She was not close with her fellow travelers or with her guard, but their sorrow and anguish would only lend to her own.

There were no birds that sang in the morning, only the occasional squawk as the crows noisily dug into their meal and what would normally be the normally comforting sound of crackling fire only caused Kaira to grimace and walk when told. She wanted to be gone from the place as quickly as possible. Her honey-blonde hair was a mess, her braid tangled and loose strands falling over her face and shoulders. The dirt smeared on her face detracted from her normally noble features, her eyes a dark blue-grey and stormy which seemed to fit the sullen mood. Her furs had been ripped from her shoulders, leaving her bare arms shivering to the wintery atmosphere and it sickened her to think that she felt relieved when they were shoved through great double doors and into the warmth of a very, very spacious hall. Kaira took in the rambunctious crowd with hatred swelling in her breast, though she knew better than to speak.

A man stepped forward, the top of his scalp as bare as his honor, Kaira scoffed to herself. The woman to whom the Norn warrior, Olong, spoke to was one of almost immense proportion. Eyes the color of the sky, hair as red as the flames that burned in the night and a strong jaw adorned by a single scar. Marred, Kaira corrected herself, her gaze falling away from their interaction and to the glinting knives that decorated the walls. Barbarians, all of them. Uncaring bastards who would attack innocent people just to satiate their own boredom. She doubted any of them knew what an honest day's work was and it was these ugly thoughts Karia filled her mind with as the woman casually stood. Kaira recalled her name: Adela. If she was the one who orchestrated the raid then she would not be seen cowering beneath her gaze, however powerful.

The noble stood tall, despite her disheveled appearance, her dark eyes almost glaring at the monstrous woman when it was her turn to be looked over. Though her arms fell by her side loosely, her hands were clenched, her neck craning upwards to even meet eye-to-eye with Adela. It was an act of defiance and nothing more, with Kaira never actually daring to make any sort of move that implied as much. It shone in her expression; hiding her feelings away was never a strong point for the smaller woman as she very much wore her anger on her sleeve as much as every other emotion.

"A pleasure to meet your acquaintance." Kaira spoke simply, though the venom seeping into her tone was very much noticeable.

 

[Inwiththebooks]

Adela had never been one for raiding caravans personally; there was little challenge in her mind to attacking such things under cover of night. However she could recognize that it required some degree of skill to pull off without a hitch, so it was a deed worthy of recognition. The morality of the matter did not concern her; the result was the important thing. Olong had brought wealth to the homestead through his actions and the actions of those who had followed him. Others of her kind would also likely see that, such was the way of the Norn. Deeds mattered, deeds provided recognition and praise.

The Norn woman had made her own name on duel after duel against members of any race and monsters of a most foul nature, her sword had reaped a bloody harvest far and wide. That being said, the worth of prisoners was not lost upon her. Human, being rather weak and fragile by Norn standards, made for poor thralls but others found some use for them. No doubt they could be sold to this slaver or that one for some coin however. She crossed her arms as she regarded each prisoner with scrutiny, mentally shrugging as she reached the last one.

This one spoke, causing Adela to raise a single brow. She was a pretty thing, at least as far as small and fragile humans went. The Norn did not doubt that she could have snapped her spine in twain with her bare hands, the lean body of a duelist had not left Adela lacking for muscle. Her bearing was a bit more composed and defiant, her words toned to cut purposely. Pity that she lacked the bearing of a warrior, Adela’s blade had gone too long without shed blood. At this rate it was likely to rust and she likely to waste away and sprout grey hairs. At thirty four no less, what a waste that would be.

“Your words might be shaped as a greeting, but your tone implies insult. A fairly suicidal thing to insult the owner of the homestead which you have been claimed by, were you a little high from the ground I might remove your head from your shoulders.” Adela said, narrowing her eyes.

“Regardless. I bid you welcome to Raven’s Rest. You’ll all be fed and clothed until the next slaver travels near here again. I would not recommend trying to leave in the meantime, if our arrows do not get you then the wolves most certainly will.” The Norn said, turning her gaze over all of the humans again as she headed back towards her throne.

Olong looked ready to usher the captives out however Adela stopped him with a raised hand. “You can store most of them in the storage shed, they are your responsibility. Leave the mouthy woman here with me, I could use a bit of entertainment.” She said.

Olong nodded, not seemingly concerned by that subtraction from his spoils. Less mouths to ensure were fed was likely his thinking. He and his raiders would file out of the hall, shepherding the remaining captives out as well. This would leave Kaira standing alone before the owner of the homestead, blue eyes fixed upon her. Something about the woman seemed a bit different from the rest of the captives.

“What are you called woman and where to you hail from? Divinity’s Reach? Lion’s Arch?” Adela inquired.

 

[darjeeling]

Kaira, despite the smatterings of confidence smeared here and there, felt at once that she had made a grievous error. She had heard from the scholars at home that should you wish to be heard, be sure to find yourself the first to speak or the last to speak. In this case, she was both the last and the only one foolish enough to speak against against their captors. Kaira hoped the Norn did not hear her swallow uncomfortably as she paused before her, her voice rumbling high overhead. What Adela said only made her bite back some of her own choice words, instead turning her head to the side briefly to avoid having to look at the scar that seemed far nastier up close.

'You're right, but if I were a little higher from the ground I might stand a chance in a fight.' Her thoughts were addled with nothing but vitriol yet Kaira still had some common sense left in her to not say anything that might actually have her head parted from her body. She very much enjoyed living, though not so much recently. Her predicament had made her positively miserable and why in all of Tyria could she still hear the screaming? Kaira liked to think that she was undamaged by the sufferings of other people, but not when they were so damn close to her.

However, Adela's mention of a slave brought her eyes back up, up, up at the Norn. "What?" Her attempt to stop the word before it burst forth ended only in a miniscule squeak on her part, her hand immediately coming up to rest at her collarbone as she shook her head. She hoped that it sounded more like a cough or sneeze to the large people but as they say, barbarians were always unpredictable. It seemed as if her outburst had not been heard and if it had, they had chosen not to act on it as the woman called Adela left the line. Kaira let out a sigh of relief, quiet and to herself; she had been holding her breath and the intake of oxygen was welcoming to her tense body.

She turned and made to follow the rest of her fellow humans like a large pack of animals, which was what they were essentially, when Adela's voice rose above the rest once again. Kaira had come to associate the woman's tone with misfortune and indeed, she was told to stay behind. Alone! Fearing the worst, she pivoted back to face the throne and grimaced once again. Perhaps she was to be executed for her past transgressions? If only mother had taught her more on the importance of being proper should a noble such as herself be kidnapped! Though she couldn't particularly place the blame on her maternal figure. Perhaps if she had not be so picky, she would still be in Divinity's Reach...

Adela spoke, this time her words lacked threats or any unfortunate business. Kaira blinked and glanced up. "My name is Kaira Leonhart. I hail from Lion's Arch." It would have been fine to stop there, but something compelled her to add, "I will have you know that my disappearance will not be taken so lightly. I am sure someone will come for me soon and then you will understand the severity of your actions." While she did not immediately come to regret the 'warning', she certainly did not feel all too confident. It was common for humans to go missing near Hoelbrak and it was rare for them to ever return.

 

[Inwiththebooks]

Lion’s Arch… that would make some sense. Adela had expected Divinity’s Reach as it seemed a much larger concentration of humans, but sometimes it was nice to be surprised. Kaira Leonhart… not a name she was familiar with, not the first name nor the family name. Then again she was not all too familiar with Lion’s Arch; Adela had been there once or twice but it had mostly been just passing through. Still this was a long way from Lion’s Arch, what would bring a group of humans this far into dangerous territory? Between the cold, the monsters, and her fellow Norn it was fairly ill advised to travel here.

The woman’s next words brought a harsh bark of laughter from Adela, who reclined further back in her throne seemingly unconcerned by the threat. That was not the first time she had heard someone declare something along those lines. A number of people seemed to think they were the most important person on the face of Tyria, that people would attempt to raise armies in their defense or rescue. It was amusing really, delusional of course but amusing. The warrior scratched her chin and made a show of examining the ceiling.

“I doubt this very much, little Leonhart. I have not heard of you or your name before and many of your kind vanish this close to our home. Perhaps you ran afoul of couple of bears, or maybe a large wolf pack. I doubt very much that whatever response your people send will make my life harder.” Adela offered with a shrug.

Her eyes fell upon Kaira once more. “You amuse me though, and you have some spirit. You are also rather pretty. The winter fast approaches and I’ll be lacking in entertainment for some time, I think I’ll keep you around for a while longer. If nothing else I could use a bed warmer.” The warrior said at length.

The Norn looked thoughtful for a good minute, deciding whether or not it would be worthwhile or not. She’d have to arrange for thicker clothing at a human’s dimensions, though Elise would likely be able to craft such a thing. Feeding her might prove a small drain on resources, though her kind likely ate less than hers. The big issue would be that Adela had not actually ever taken a human into her bed. She had sampled her own kind of both genders, but never a human. They seemed too… fragile. Too likely to break or shatter when in the throes of passion or struggle in some cases. However it seemed like an interesting diversion to try this one.

Finally she seemed to reach a decision. “Yes. I think I’ll keep you to myself for the foreseeable future, little Leonhart. Who knows, I might be able to teach you some respect. I trust you have no protests to level to that?” The woman inquired, a wry smirk curling up her lips.

 

[darjeeling]

Kaira felt her slender brow twitch at the sound of Adela's rough laughter, despite knowing that it was only the only reaction she would have gotten beyond being imbedded from head to toe with razor sharp arrows. It bounced off the walls of the spacious walls, ringing in her ears as an angry flush of light pink rose on her face. She could feel the throb of a bruise where she had been slapped; she had almost forgotten, and the injustice of it all made her that much more furious. She wanted to tell the Norn of who she was and who her parents were, but there were two problems that surfaced when the outburst was on the tip of her tongue.

One, the Norn folk probably would not have heard of her regardless. Even in Lion's Arch, her family's name remained mostly obscure by the fact that they practiced modesty so very well. Furthermore, she doubted that her status as a noble meant much here, with her shivering in a ripped silken dress, her blonde hair disheveled and her body smudged with bruises, dirt and soot. Secondly, in the mostly impossible event that the Norn did care, they may take special interest in the scouts her parents would surely send to look for her, then all hope for rescue would surely be lost. Kaira had heard of the prowess these people had in battle and she hoped never to be at the sharp end of their sword.

So instead, she cast her eyes down to the floor, gritting her teeth in silence though almost snorted at the idea that she amused the Norn female. 'Barbaric', Kaira repeated to herself. 'Absolutely and utterly incorrigible.' She would have gone on to continue calling the woman names secretly to herself whilst ignoring said woman, if not for the fact that the word bed warmer had been used. Kaira's head immediately shot up, her stormy eyes growing wider at the implication. Adela seemed to ponder on the thought and it was to the human's desperate hope that she was reconsidering the idea and would come to a conclusion that would not have her as a... a pet!

Kaira twisted the fabric of her delicate dress beneath her hands, clenching the material so tight it was like to fall apart as she herself began to envision being crushed beneath the weight of this Norn. Despite being past the average marriageable age, she was not a complete novice when it came to matters of the flesh. But she had only shared a bed with two people, humans of course. A man and a woman, an experience she would have liked to forget were she capable of doing so. In truth, she never considered the idea that any potential marriage would have to be consummated, with her being so distant on the entire matter. Yet the thought of sharing a bed, with the notion of having to do other things with one who was not even of her kind...

"It would be highly unnecessary," Kaira responded, her voice far softer and lacking in some of the defiance it had previously held. At the very least, she didn't feel sick just by looking at Adela, and her captor seemed far more cordial than her other Norn brethren. Regardless, having a pretty face didn't excuse her actions (which was a philosophy Kaira very much believed the many members of court should adopt). "I would not make a very effective, ah... bed warmer." She licked her lips, wincing a bit as the sudden moisture made the chilled flesh sting slightly. There wasn't much she could say, and despite thinking it, she knew that she really did not want to die. "If you would let me go, I will be certain to only speak well of you and your... tribe."

 

[Inwiththebooks]

Adela chuckled, amused that her captive did not catch the rhetorical nature of her question. Perhaps she did and was simply trying to squirm her way out of such an ignominious fate that lay in store for her. A few of her fellows echoed her chuckled, a couple of the men and women gathered leering at the human in a rather suggestive manner. Adela was not one to share her prizes once she had claimed something. Olong was unlikely to stir up a fuss, the other Norn was rather respectful of her as were most of the others in the homestead.

The Norn rose from her seat and approached the human, staring down her nose at the smaller being with undisguised amusement. She brought her blade with her, hefting the weapon easily in one hand and moving the weapon threateningly close to the woman. As it was Kaira would likely have difficulty lifting the weapon in two hands, but the Norn handled it easily as though it were an extension of her arm. She touched the tip of the blade to the human’s cheek, not pressing it hard but simply keeping it there as a silent threat for her to not move.

“Do you know why I was able to establish this homestead? I used to travel the land and challenge renowned individuals to duels. Human, Asura, Char, Norn, it hardly mattered to me as long as they possessed some measure of talent. They called me Adela the Red Reaver. How you would speak of me or my kin hardly matters to me, little Leonhart. I am already spoken of as I wish to be and your words would be merely another verse to my song.” Adela stated, her tone flat.

“What say you lot? What should be added to my song?” Adela asked to the room full of Norn.

“Tear her clothes off and have her here!”

“Put her pretty mouth to good use!”

“99 times in 99 nights!”

That last one earned a resounding chorus of approval and raised mugs. Adela considered this with a wry smirk upon her lips, turning her attention back to Kaira. Ninety nine times was quite a bit, she still wasn’t sure that the human could last one night but it was certainly something worth entertaining. She certainly would enjoy putting the human’s small appendages to good use, or making her squirm in pleasure.

“99 times in 99 nights, eh? I think I can accommodate. First though, let’s have a look at my new thrall. Take off your clothes, little Leonhart, or I’ll slice them off of you myself.” The Norn said, leering down at her.

 

[darjeeling]

Kaira did her utmost best not to cower away as the large woman stood from her even larger seat once again, this time with a weapon in tow. The sword looked to be almost as large as her and she had no doubts that the Norn could very easily slice away any part of her body without breaking a single sweat. While she praised herself for not trembling as Adela approached, she did flinch as the cold edge of the steel blade rested against her face. While she couldn't have run even if she had a choice, Kaira was very much afraid her legs would fail her and she would crumple upon the wicked sword end.

As it was, she swallowed nervously and pressed her hands tighter to her dress as if it was her very last line to life. Try as she might, Kaira did end up listening to the Norn's entire speech, speaking words that weighed heavily on her heart as they continued. Whilst she had not heard of this Red Reaver, it was not so impossible a claim, with the way the woman stood so confidently before her with her brethren staring at her like she was a hunk of roasted meat. When Adela's speel had been finalized, Kaira was not sure if she should respond though that was quickly answered as booming cries surfaced from the heads that had crowded around them to watch the show.

The young noble's face paled further at every bawdy outburst, all of them ranging from outlandish to incredibly perverse suggestions. Kaira knew what Adela was suggesting, and she wished that it had simply been a euphemism hidden within one another. Her luck was running out. "Ninety..." Kaira looked on the verge of tears yet despite her incredibly misfortune, she bit her tongue and willed them away. At the very least, if she was to be humiliated by these barbarians, she would confront them with the pride of a Lion. Which was easier said than done, considering the way her body froze at Adela's command. She almost decided to spit at the Norn and tell her to do it herself, but the woman's hand may just slip and Kaira would find herself bereft of more than just her clothes.

She glared at the Norn before her with glimmering grey eyes, her lower lip now held lightly beneath her teeth as she inched away from the sword. Her hands fell from the fabric, the material shifting back into place as Kaira slid off the single strap that remained intact from her shoulder. The dress had already seen too much wear and tear and the blonde was ashamed to admit that it had slipped off far too easily. She had forgotten what she had worn underneath; as it turned out, her undergarments were simple and not too terribly frilly. 'A minor victory,' she thought to herself grimly as Kaira stood shivering with the light-blue silk pooled about her ankles.

Conscious of her lack of clothing now, she crossed her arms over her chest; while her breasts were not of comedic size, it would be safe to say that they were ample enough to draw the eyes of men should she have chosen to wear tighter dresses. Her figure itself was, as some say, slender and unblemished, ivory untouched by dust or mud. Her somewhat dirt-smudged face was a stark contrast to the rest of her body. Instead of feeling self-assured, Kaira found she could no longer maintain eye contact and lowered her gaze, a blush rising to her cheeks to the very tips of her ears.

 

[Inwiththebooks]

Adela watched every detail that was placed before her now, the room falling silent as Kaira stripped reluctantly before a watching crowd. Her clothing fell off of her in a whisper of silk, leaving her standing for want of protection from the elements. The Norn woman watched the human try to hide her modesty but she had already seen the pale fleshy orbs. She was a fine specimen, a maiden for which a war might be started. Now she was in the clutches of Adela who intended to fill her bedroom with lusty human cries. Or snapping human bones, depended on how rough she could get with the human.

The blade moved away from Kaira’s body, finding its sheath at Adela’s side. The red haired woman paced a slow circle around the human, blue eyes trailing over every dip and curve as she plotted how best to actually go about pleasuring the human. Her tongue perhaps? Her hand would be tricky, too many fingers might tear her open and that would be rather unfortunately. Still, one or two would likely work if she were careful. Any toys she might have were strictly out of the question as those would undoubtedly break her in half. She could think of a dozen and a half ways to put Kaira herself to work though.

“Harold, go and find Elise. Tell her to stop by my room later tomorrow. My new thrall will need some proper clothing for the chill. Today though I think she’ll be just fine wrapped with me.” Adela stated, stooping suddenly.

The Norn attempted to sling Kaira over her shoulder, grasping her legs with one arm and placing the rest on her armored shoulders. Another chorus of bawdy whoops came from the gathered Norn; one lad in particular grabbed the human’s clothes and tossed them into the flames. That particular action earned a round of cheers. Adela meanwhile would attempt to hold the human steady, compensating for any squirming or shifting as she worked her way up the stairs and towards her own private quarters.

When she swung the door open the room itself was again obviously made with Norn’s in mind, being much larger than what Kaira might be used to. The room possessed a personal fireplace, table in the corner of the room with some chairs, an armor stand, a dresser, and a large bed that would give Adela herself room to spare when she would get on it. The Norn closed the door behind her and walked over to the bed, tossing the human on it with little care. It was then that the giantkin woman started working with her armor to remove it.

“I’ve never rutted with a human before. Your kind just seemed too fragile. I guess we’ll find out, I’ll try not to be too rough. After all, you have to last ninety-eight more times at least.” Adela said as she tossed her weapon belt aside onto the floor.

 

[darjeeling]

If it were possible, and had she still had a speck of luck, her burning embarrassment would have lit her aflame or otherwise scar her body so much she was no longer suited to the Norn's tastes. As she was now, her fluster only seemed to heighten her awareness; the eyes glued to her body, the feel of discarded fabric against her legs, her arms pressed tightly against her breast. Her eyes blurred with some semblance of tears but she dared not wipe them on her shoulder. Any sudden movements may rouse the beasts to further action and that was the last thing Kaira wanted. Then again, she didn't want any of this in the first place. It was worse when the only sound she could hear was her own shallow breathing as the rest of the room seemed to hold its breath as Adela appraised her like a show snow leopard.

Kaira Leonhart, with the supposed Heart of a Lion, flinched at the sudden movement by her cheek, finding only a small sense of relief as the large sword was removed from her flesh. While not an astronomical improvement, she found that she could breathe a little easier despite being acutely aware of the greedy eyes still devouring her naked frame. She tensed as the Norn woman came closer, this time stalking about her like the predator she was, sizing the much smaller human up from every angle. Kaira found herself hard pressed not to turn her gaze with the steady movements. At least the woman was just looking for now, but it would not be long before the inevitable. She desperately thought of a way to talk the woman out of it, maybe make a run for the doors and force them to kill her.

But the thought of death terrified her. More so than the threat of being used in so brutal a fashion. Kaira always did her utmost best to avoid Necromancers, with their strange magic and eerie, swampy looking lights. She hated the Undead, skeletons, zombies, she despised them all. It was strange, but the more she thought about the pain of being sliced to pieces by swords or being turned into a human pincushion by large arrows, the more she realized that Adela could have been... not Norn. Then again, she could have been human, then perhaps Kaira would have been more accommodating. But reality hit her like a sack of coal, just in time for her to hear her Norn captor speak.

She could almost hear her heart break at the sound of the great fire crackling and cackling as it devoured her dress, leaving nothing more for her to turn back to. However unimportant it seemed, Kaira felt as if she had lost something dreadfully important. Yet she had no time to dwell on why as the Norn stopped, inclining forward and the human almost shrieked in surprise. The looming woman made for a very, very intimidating sight. "W-wait, I don't--" Her protest was cut off with a squeak as Adela picked her up without much effort at all. To her credit, Kaira did pound against her captor's armored back with demands let me go and put me down! and other such ignored stipulations. The strong hands pinning her legs together didn't budge an inch, but it was the rush of adrenaline that kept the smaller woman going, even as the suggestive cheers faded.

Between entering the warm room and being flung on the bed like nothing more than a rucksack, Kaira was dismayed to feel her face burn bright red as her chest ached fiercely, having been pressed against the chill of Adela's armor to the sudden change in temperature. She was almost grateful she hadn't been tossed to the floor, but the jingle of steel and leather banished any notion of that straight away. Adela spoke casually, but the human's reaction was anything but. "You c-can't be serious." Kaira stammered in response, her eyes flickering back and forth from the door to the Norn currently undressing. The sheer size of the bedroom and the mattress she had been thrown upon only seemed to reaffirm just how dangerous of a position she was in. Perhaps death was not so far in her future. Her fingers grasped the soft blankets below, finding purchase as she pushed herself back up against the wall, almost drowning in the almost comically large pillows. Maybe she could suffocate herself in them.

Kaira's mind raced, yet the sheer absurdity of it all left her with a single lame excuse. "I... I haven't bathed and I smell like... like smoke!"

 

[Inwiththebooks]

Adela actually smirked at the human’s protests, continuing to remove her armor and let it fall clattering to the floor carelessly. Once the armor was off she started working on her cotton undershirt and trousers, slipping them off easily enough. Soon enough she stood naked as the day she was born, her back turned to her captive to display the map of scars. Her own proportions were less prominent than Kaira though the size disparity between the pair made up for it. Her body was lean and honed to a fine edge, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. Red hair was allowed to fall loosely at her bare shoulders.

The Norn turned her attention to her entertainment for the day, turning to face her fully and climbing onto the bed. “I don’t particularly mind. I’ll bathe you myself after and as for the smell it’s rather comforting really. Reminds me of battle’s long past.”

The giantkin gripped onto Kaira’s ankles and dragged her from her pillow fortress, shifting her grip further up her legs once finished. Her goal was clear as day though the means of carrying out her violation of the human was something she pondered. The tongue still seemed like the safest option, but she supposed that while she was experimenting it would be best to try using her fingers for this. Starting with one seemed a good idea, two possibly if she felt it could be done. The other issue was distributing her weight so she was not crushing the human while still restraining her.

Perhaps then a different position was a good idea, pinning her on her back might be a bit more arousing as she could see every emotion play out but it was more dangerous. With this in mind Adela shifted herself around to the headboard, twisting Kaira around so that it looked like she was sitting on her lap. One arm pinned Kaira’s arms at her waist and pulled her into her, the swells of her breasts cushioning her head. The other hand was then free to carry out any ministrations desired.

“There we go, much better. Now then, little Leonhart, how shall we begin? I’ll try to be as gentle as I can. Don’t squirm too much.” Adela said.

The Norn had her index finger circling the human’s lower lips, teasing at the sensitive flesh with no regard for the woman’s consent. She traced the digit over her clitoris a few times, keeping her own breathing steady despite the growing arousal in her own core. Once the Norn had grown tired of her teasing she opted to simply get the show on the road and without warning inserted her index finger inside of the human.

 

[darjeeling]

Poor Kaira felt terribly ignored, especially considering what had transpired. It was no surprise that Adela didn't seem to care about her state of hygiene, or a lack thereof. Further introspection on her part revealed that her excuse had been poorly executed and had Kaira had the wherewithal to somehow change the Norn's mind, she would have done so in a heartbeat. Though she could not help the curiosity welling up within her as the other's top fluttered to the ground to join the rest of the Norn's discarded clothing. The human's eyes were treated to a series of impressive scars and her desire to know each and every story behind them was surprisingly overwhelming. She bit her tongue, eager to remain silent in the face of danger.

At the woman's response, Kaira frowned. "Being comforted by something like that is strange." Even if the Norn's barbaric nature made it seem like common sense, she couldn't quite fathom the idea that the smell of burned wood and dirt would be anything close to comforting. Unfortunately, she was once again pulled from her thoughts as the bed seemed to sink beneath the other woman's weight and Kaira felt her toes curl, fearful anticipation swimming through her veins. If it were possible, she seemed to sink even further into the sea of pillows but Adela was quick enough, the smaller woman yelping as she was pulled away and closer to her captor.

Before she could think of any kind of witty response to try and delay her fate, Kaira soon found herself seated upon the Norn's muscled thighs, her arms held captive by the giant woman and her face pressed against the firm flesh of the other's sternum. Kaira heard herself squeak in surprise, the sound quiet yet most likely audible to the other considering the lack of distance between them. Whilst she was still very much against the whole ordeal, the Norn did not feel like a barbarian. She always thought them to be large and hairy and while the former was most certainly true, she had yet to see any evidence of the latter.

Kaira blushed and squirmed slightly as she felt the other woman's digits between her legs. To her fortune, Adela was making good on her statement of being gentle and the human girl was unable to deny the sparks of pleasure tingling at the apex of her thighs. She clenched her hands, digging her fingers into her palms as she suppressed a very soft groan. For all her talk and confidence, Kaira realized that it had been much too long since anyone had touched her in such a fashion and it was becoming increasingly obvious as she felt herself grow slick with some semblance of arousal.

A yelp billowed out of her at the sudden intrusion, her eyes squeezing shut as she pressed herself against the giantkin as if it would stop the onslaught of burning embarrassment. "Wh-why are you... doing this?" Kaira murmured, almost breathlessly at the agonizingly slow teasing she was being subject to. The sound of her own voice, despite being hitched, grounded her even as she inhaled the other's scent, her hips trembling against all odds. "D-do you not have a lover?"

 

[Inwiththebooks]

Kaira felt tight and slick upon entry, the way she squirmed on her thighs arousing the Norn more than she would care to admit. The giant woman wiggled her finger around inside of her captive for a bit before withdrawing it slowly, suckling the light coating off of her finger. She found that she rather liked the taste, encouraging her to insert her finger in Kaira again and this time driving it as deep as she could. Adela had heard the human’s words and considered them as she slowly drew her finger back again and pushed it back in once more.

“I am doing this because I like to try new things. As I’ve said, I’ve never rutted with a human. I like it so far though, the way you squirm against me is very enticing. Honestly you are rather cute in how small you are, like a doll.” The Norn replied.

Next she started to fall into a slow rhythm of pumping her finger within Kaira, the human’s fluids providing a wonderful lubrication as they mingled with her residual saliva. The Norn used her thumb to occasionally rub the human’s clitoris, keeping a slow pace to be safe. This first time was to be gentle and careful, she had no desire to accidently injure or kill her new thrall on her first night. All the same Adela was exercising much restraint in not rubbing her own moistening lips against the human. She’d have to ‘encourage’ Kaira to put her little tongue and face to better use soon enough.

“Lover? You mean someone I lay with on more than one occasion? Not at all. You’ll be the first one in a long time, little Leonhart. If you keep squirming like this I’ll keep you around for a long time yet. Provided I don’t accidently break anything important of yours of course. Hazards of your new life.” Adela answered at length, not breaking the pace of her ministrations.

In fact if anything she increased the tempo of her task, pumping her fingers in and out with much more frequency. She was very much enjoying herself as well though the burning between her thighs was demanding more and more attention. Unconsciously Adela stared grinding her hips upwards and pressing her lower lips against Kaira’s buttocks, rubbing against her slowly. Maybe with how she squirmed she’d be able to reach her own peak, gods only knew how aroused that she was. Likely Kaira would feel the moisture coming off onto her, slick and wet as it was. All the while the giant woman holding her was trying to keep control of her own urges while pleasuring Kaira against her will.

 

[darjeeling]

Though she was loathe to admit it, Kaira was highly considering just allowing the Norn to do as she wished and as such, subjecting herself to her fate. However, it was single fact, and the most utterly important, that the noble was stuck here for the rest of her life. Yet for some odd reason or another, it hadn't really sunk in. Despite the presence of the Norn's finger exploring her with much vigor, Kaira could really only dread what was to come.

Because to some degree, what her captor was doing now felt... good. Kaira cringed at the thought, her body flushed a rosy hue as Adela retracted her finger, and the human could only squeeze her eyes shut once more as the sound of something wet played like a guilty conscience above her. She barely heard the response to her inquiry, though Adela's prose stuck out like a sore thumb. Kaira disliked how the word rut sounded and unfortunately, it seemed to be a favorite of the giantkin.

She would have argued against it too, had Adela not decided to return to her prior ministrations. Having her arms locked against her body wasn't helping either as Kaira felt the slow but sure coil of frustration tangle deep within her gut. Her heartbeats had become erratic, her breath escaping in warm, uneven exhales against Adela's heated flesh. There was little resistance on her part, positioned as she was, save for the little gasps she would swallow as bouts of sudden pleasure spiked through her small frame.

Kaira was surprised she even managed a coherent reply. "I-If you think that I'd be willing to stay with y- ah... you... here, you are s-sorely mistaken... nngh..." Well, coherent enough, yet with the breathy groans punctuating every few words, it made for a poor argument. She could not, in all of Tyria, fathom what her options were now save for the unlikely scenario of her own demise. "M-maybe... I'll m-make you break me..." She was pushing the boundaries of the giantkin's gentle touch and that somehow made the situation worse.

But her defiance was all for naught, however, as the quickened pace of stimulation broke the dam and she all but cried out, her back arching, straining against Adela's firm hold. The little lioness could feel the other's sex rubbing against her backside but she didn't seem to care. Despite her endeavors to remain obstinate, her hips had other plans by the way they rolled almost salaciously against Adela's digit.

Kaira could feel her walls clenching, her body trembling as she hid away from the world. Loose strands of blonde hair cascaded over her eyes, the sudden ache at her bare breasts forcing a quiet whimper from her lips. Her hips seemed to grind down a little harder, seeking stimulation there and finding it in a boiling, potent mixture of satisfaction and embarrassment.

 

[Inwiththebooks]

A haze was starting to cloud the giant woman’s mind as she continued to squirm against the backside of the human, grinding her hips upwards more forcefully. Her own breathing was coming out a bit more heavily than she would have otherwise liked to admit and her heartbeat was slowly increasing in tempo. Her arousal only skyrocketed as Kaira’s own struggles and pleasure manifested in a number of ways. The way her breath felt upon her skin, how she squirmed in her arms, the feeling of her tiny little heart pumping against her forearm. Adela was not ashamed to admit she was very much enjoying herself at the human’s expense.

Her protests as well only made this sweeter and sweeter as her body failed to echo those denials. Indeed Kaira’s body seemed to know exactly what it wanted, her sex clenching up tight around her fingers, a pleasing squelch escaping from it as Adela continued her ministrations. She was getting close to the edge now; all the giant woman needed to do was to push her closer towards it. All the while Adela was attending her own needs, rubbing the human herself against her sex rather than the other way around. Not exactly dignified but it was a rather easy method to find her own release.

“Come now, this- ah gods that’s gooood! This isn’t such a bad life. I please you, you please me, I’ll feed you and clothe you and protect you. Hardly a terrible fate, little Leonhart.” Adela replied.

Tiring of her game and deciding to finish this Adela increased the tempo of her ministrations, pumping her finger in and out as deeply and quickly as she could manage. She was getting rougher now as she pleased Kaira but also used the human to please herself, her moist sex coating the human’s backside stick and wet. A throaty groan escaped her lips, cut off by the Norn biting her lower lip. Her red hair was thrown back from her face and her little pants and gasps escaped from open lips. Occasionally she moaned, all but crushing the other woman into her body and grinding herself up at the human. She needed this, it had been far too long since last she had found release with another.

“Little Leonhart, cry out for me. I want to feel you shudder in release. Give in to your body’s desires and toss aside your pride. You won’t need it in my bed.” The Norn said, her tone breathless.

 

[darjeeling]

The crimson hue currently occupying the surface of her skin seemed to dive at least five shades deeper than she thought was possible as the Norn let out her own groan of pleasure, devoid of any restraint. It shouldn't have surprised Kaira that their kind lacked the inhibition that plagued most humans, including herself, but that did not curtail the fact that it only heightened her awareness of the sparks of pleasure currently being rooted out from her core. She wanted to protest, honestly, but all that spilled from her mouth was a sentence muffled by the rippling flesh her lips were pressed against. The noble had half a mind to bite the Norn, the only thing deterring her from doing exactly that was the idea that the Norn may actually enjoy it or decide to rip her head off for her boldness.

But for all the morbid thoughts storming the gates of her subconsciousness, Kaira was always brought back to the hot, damp feeling against her backside and the powerful heaving of the woman's ribs below her. She could feel the war-drum beat of Adela's heart, of which she absently thought of as being twice as large as her own, and then some, and soon the sound drowned out her own pulse thrumming at her ears. It was only one finger and yet the Norn was driving her body crazy with it! Kaira gritted her teeth, attempting and failing to stop her thighs from trembling and pressing closer together, as if to trap the imposing digit deep within her.

As Adela's attentions quickened in pace and in fervor, so too did Kaira's bucking, Her hips slid back and forth, encouraging the rough pistoning to rub against the sweet spot located right, "There!" Kaira gasped, the barest sliver of saliva pooling against the Norn's sternum as the human found herself caught between the promise of release and the notion that she would be giving exactly what Adela wanted. The limbo was almost painful, the spring within her gut skyrocketing upwards yet the momentum had been stopped by Kaira's sheer force of will. Even so, she found herself being pressed closer to the wall of flesh that both kept her afloat and attempting to drown her in throes of guided passion.

The noble could not even find it in herself to accept even the tiniest hint of satisfaction that her red-haired captor too was falling, mostly against gravity as the Norn angled her own sex against Kaira's body just so. More embarrassing still was the fact that the mere thought of this seemed to send another heated rush of lust towards her nether regions, her inner thighs gleaming and slick with both sweat and evidence of her own arousal. Kaira heard the rumble of the Norn's voice above her, too far as her heartbeat overtook the sound of Adela's own, her nails digging scarlet cresents at her palms.

All to no avail.

The young human bit back a scream that was sure to tear her throat apart, a guttaral moan tinged with lilting quivers of higher pitched groans as Kaira Leonhart did exactly as she was bid. Her hips all but slammed down upon the woman's fingers, the hypersensitive bundle of nerves just above her nethers throbbing almost painfully as she let loose an impressive stream of curses aimed mostly at the Norn driving her to the brink of insanity.

 

[Inwiththebooks]

This was no loving joining to be certain, it was rough, animalistic, and filled with need physically rather than mentally. Adela herself was losing sight of herself as she angled herself correctly to continue with pleasuring herself with the human. Were she human she might well find embarrassment in essentially humping Kaira’s bottom, however as it was she was all too willing to continue to crush the human into her. She ground herself against the human with more and more gusto, remembering only just barely to hold back to avoid breaking Kaira’s bones. She so wanted the human’s fingers inside her, but she doubted she’d be overly yielding yet.

Adela was pleased to find the pressure inside of her captive growing and growing, the tensing bundle of nerves around her finger and the closing of her thighs only encouraged the giant woman. She dove her finger in faster and faster, aiming for the sweet spot she had managed to touch earlier. The human was so very close to reaching the tipping point, she looked to be bursting at the seams and trying vainly to hold it in. Kaira was too uptight in her mind, she vastly preferred the human like this. Communicating in grunts and moan, gasping and crying out for her touch. Squirming against her flesh and encouraging Adela to continue trying to find her own release.

There was no talking at this point as Adela started to angle her sex differently, moistening Kaira thighs with the motions. She could feel her own release approaching over the horizon, burning deep within her and demanding more and more stimulation from her. She started bodily pushing and pulling at the human, her flesh slamming against her own. The Norn just barely managed to soften her ministrations, trying to avoid breaking anything important to the human. She’d likely have a few bruises from this entire affair though, that much was certain.

A wet smack would sound out as she raised the human just off of her sex and then back onto it, viscous droplets of passion flecking her captive. She would continue with her own attentions towards Kaira’s pleasure, waiting for a shuddering slackening in the other woman’s body to see her find her release. The string of curses was a beautifully vulgar thing and rose the Norn’s arousal higher, the little princess new some harsh words. She swore with an artistry for the act, something Adela could very much appreciate.

 

[darjeeling]

Kaira felt her jaw slacken, unable to draw strength from her mental pool now empty; keeping silent had drained her reserves dry. Regardless, as her erratic convulsions quietened, and the sparks gripping at her nerves faded, guilt sank like a heavy stone to the bottom of her gut. She felt her stomach churn, the feeling reminiscent of mixture between homesickness and plain disgust at her display of unbridled lust so close to her captor. Her eyes opened reluctantly, her vision still mostly taken up by Adela's skin and though the constant moving made her dizzy, she refused to turn her gaze from the world.

Yet her limbs still ached and Kaira felt her frame lose its rigidity as she slumped against the giantkin, unwilling and unable to move as the Norn continued to rub herself ferociously against her rump. The Norn had apparently grown tired of being left out, Kaira though to herself bitterly as the sharp movements of her body being jilted up, then down, then upwards once again. She was being used as nothing more than a human toy at this point she wished it would just end. She was desperate for some reprieve; the Norn's animalistic rutting bruising her thighs, her legs were cramped from remaining in the same position for so long and her sex throbbed in both pain and pleasure.

But she disliked the idea of giving in, especially since she had been granted her own release. Had the noble been more selfless, she may have considered helping the Norn out but as it was, that was not an option. Kaira knew, knew, it would be a bad idea but she did not have the wherewithall to stop herself, addled as her mind was. Her throat was raw, her voice hoarse but the words seemed to spill twice as clearly. "You are just as dishonorable than the Sona of Svanir!"

It was one of the only points she knew that may get a rise from the Norn, maybe force the giantkin to throw her away in disgust but Kaira almost immediately regretted her words. She did not know how grievous the insult may be, or if the woman would even care. The threat of death was never far and if Kaira went by the terrible ache residing in her loins, she would not last long either.

 

[Inwiththebooks]

Adela felt her human slump over against her, however the Norn was not quite done with her and continued to rub the human against her. Her body was coated with a slight sheen of sweat as she continued to pleasure herself with the human, grunting and panting. Eventually she could feel her own peak coming closer and closer, prompting her to rub herself against Kaira faster and faster. The human very easy to maneuver just into the right position, scratching that itch that the Norn needed so desperately scratched. Even though she was not a willing partner the human did have her uses.

She was drawing closer and closer, her body starting to tense up. Soon after she held the human tightly against her, her mind going blissfully white in the release as her passion flowed out from her. It was messy and coated Kaira’s bottom in viscous fluids, mixing with the human’s own. Adela slumped back against the headboard of her bed, her breath coming out in great and heavy gasps. She gulped down the air, her face flushed and her body sticky with sweat and a combination of both her fluids and Kaira’s own. For a moment she had some bliss as she lay in afterglow.

That was until Kaira’s backhanded comment was made, making a comparison between she and the Sons of Svanir. It caused amusement to join the emotions, amusement that her human seemed to lack proper understanding of Norn culture. Indeed Adela chuckled when the comparison was made and she was named as being ‘worse’ than they morally. Morally among the Norn the Sons were not seen as evil despite their methods, it was their right to pursue what path they wished. Adela had never come into conflict with the Sons herself, though she knew others that had.

“You know nothing about Norn clearly, little Leonhart. The Sons are not evil. They pursue their own beliefs and are free to do so. Saying I am worse than they is hardly an insult.” Adela said aloud.

“Anyway. I believe you mentioned a bath, yes? Well, let’s get you cleaned up.” Adela said, pushing Kaira off her lap and standing up from the bed with a few light pops in her joints.

“Do I have to carry you there or are you willing to walk there without trying to leave here?” The giant woman asked pointedly, clearly not caring either way.

 

[darjeeling]

"The little knowledge I have on your kind is more than enough in my opinion." Kaira sniffed haughtily. She could never stand being corrected, even if she knew she was on the wrong. As stubborn as a bull and just as brash, now that the noble had room to shift herself away from the larger woman, she felt free enough to make as many derisive comments as she could. In part, it was to make up for her prior lack of control in both body and mind. "But if they pursue their beliefs and are free to do as much like you, then it would not surprise me that you and they are one and the same." It was a surprise that her tongue had not yet been ripped free from the caverns of her sometimes hostile mouth but Kaira thought of her forwardness as nothing more than the harsh truth.

Kaira pressed her lips together even as she was tossed unceremoniously on her back. The cool sheets provided a makeshift coolant to her sore limbs but it also made her all the more aware of the sweat filming her skin. She flexed her wrists, finally freed from Adela's grip though the first thing she did was rub her hands vigorously against the gooseflesh raised upon her forearms. She tried to pin her most meanest of glares on the Norn, but the redhead would have likely not cared one wit.

The human woman moved her slow massage down to her thighs, pressing against her bruises tenderly. They had already turned a faint but nasty purple-blue shade. It was hard to stop from wincing before the noble learned to leave them as they were. With any luck, Melandru might take pity on her and heal them before... well, Kaira did not want to think too hard on the intricacies of what before actually meant in this context.

She did appear to perk up at the mention of a bath. She needed it now more than ever, her body uncomfortably sticky. At the giantkin's inquiry, she bit her lip, her answer uncertain. Kaira slid to the edge of the spacious bed, swinging her legs over with her hands gripping the edge as she tested the strength of her limbs with one cautious foot, then the other. A spark of panic gripped her as her knees trembled, her knuckles bone white. The noble was like to break her fingers before she would allow herself to fall over in front of her captor.

"I can manage." Kaira finally replied tightly, up-righting herself after what seemed to be an embarrassing eternity. She took a testing step forward though her head remained held high as if determined to prove something.

 

[Inwiththebooks]

The Norn shrugged off Kaira’s words; they were wind at this point. She got the feeling there was supposed to be an insult in there, but recognizing her freedoms was hardly an insult to her. Adela prided herself on what she had achieved; she and all Norn were free to pursue their own means and objectives. She was content to live in her homestead and defend it against the odd bandits that did not originate from here. Well… maybe not completely content, part of her did ache to use the sword she had too long neglected.

Adela watched the human carefully as she stood, noting the map of bruises along her thighs with a raised brow. It was an ugly shade, the purple-blue spots along her legs. The Norn did not think she had been that rough, if anything she had been very controlled during her fun. Still she had survived the whole process, which was promising for her future. Adela would try to scale back her rough play, Kaira was amusing to have around. If only she could encourage her to provide pleasure to her, rather than forcing Adela to rub herself against her. Likely if she brought up the bruises she might convince her.

When Kaira was confident she had her footing Adela snorted and waved her towards a side door, opening it and entering into a sitting room. She turned to another door across the room, which revealed a room with a large tub that would allow a Norn to easily lean back leisurely within it. She worked a little pump, resulting in a spray of heated water filling the tub. Adela cut it off once it was filled half way and stepped in the tub herself, sighing as she felt the heat tingle up her spine. The giant woman leaned back in the tub, gesturing to Kaira.

“Called in a favor from a friend of mine to get that installed. A funny little Asura, talked too much but smarter than I.” Adela explained.

“Also, you can get in the tub with me or stay out there and you won’t get the chance to wash yourself. Your choice, little Leonhart.” The giantkin stated, shrugging her shoulders.

With that little ultimatum delivered Adela took up a rag and started with wiping her sex and thighs clean of any sticky fluids that might remain. She wrung the thing out and started drawing it across the rest of her body. The Norn lacked fancy bathsalts or soaps, but it was at least clean water. Warm clean water, which was a luxury in this particular region. The pump itself drew from a hot springs, the piping system rather ingenious but was something that was far beyond the warrior’s comprehension. Talking about one of her old friends took her back, a tiny ghost of a smile crossing her face. Those had been fun times.

 

[darjeeling]

Kaira winced as her thighs knocked against each other, her delicate skin smarting too much for her to make use of her (in her honest opinion) venomous tongue. If she ever found herself free from this woman's grasp, the first thing she would do is berate her tutors for false information on the Norn's kind then perhaps do something about the fact that she rarely exerted herself more than necessary. Her physical prowess was nothing short from lackluster and it was evident by the way the noble dragged herself along the edge of the bed, inching one step at a time towards where the bath would be.

She congratulated herself for not stumbling though she did trip slightly as she lurched for the door-frame, her fingers latching on just in time. Adela had already strode in before her as Kaira eyed the room with apprehension. Unless she stood close to the walls, she would have to let go. Her hands left the wood slowly as she stepped forward without assistance. A sigh of relief escaped her; it was not as difficult as she imagined. The first and last time her thighs had throbbed so much was when she had ridden a horse, presuming that she could do so with ease. The animal had sped away after she had boasted and the then much younger noble had spent the entire day hobbling about the estate.

Adela's voice echoed from the bathroom as Kaira took her time, though she could not help but utter "An ettin would be smarter than you," quietly beneath her breath. Kaira knew she was being slightly unfair. Whilst the Norn had taken her hostage and taken her against her will (the majority of the time), she was not being particularly cruel; the bruises formed mostly from Kaira's own impossibly fragile frame. Her body tensed as Adela spoke again. Join her? She frowned, pulling her lower lip between her teeth in habitual anxiety. She sighed again. Despite what the Norn said, she didn't really have a choice.

She closed the rest of the distance to the bath, stepping gingerly into the room to see the giantkin already soaking in water, steam rising from the surface. The heat made for a delicious seduction. Kaira edged towards the bath, running her hands against the side of the tub. It radiated warmth. She took a deep breath and climbed in clumsily, splashing the water all about the place as she tried to maneuver her way around the Norn's limbs. The bath was generously sized, as the noble could see by the way Adela was seated quite comfortably. She lowered herself into the water opposite the redhead, willingly pressed against the side of the tub with her knees drawn to her chest. The water was hot enough to mask the throbbing of the bruises as well as soothe them.

"You are friends with an Asura?" Kaira suddenly asked, peering through the haze of steam. She dipped her forearms into the water slowly but did not do much to scrub herself clean quite yet. "I would have thought the companions you kept to be more..." She bit her lip, then shrugged. "... not Asuran."

 

[Inwiththebooks]

Adela thought back a few years to her travels, envisioning the rather comical face of Sevik. A bit too loud for his stature but his skill with the arcane and the strength of that golem he always had with him were undeniable. Talked way too fast and was fond of looking down his nose- figuratively of course- at her and the two others of the group. For all that though he was loyal enough to depend on when the chips were down. She chuckled as she saw his drooping ears flop around his head in her mind, Asura were a funny looking race.

“I spent much time travelling the land; in that time one can make the strangest of friendships or alliances. The Asura are small certainly but brilliant. A good warrior recognizes her own weaknesses and surrounds herself with those that can counter them. I can’t count the number of times Sevik’s quick thinking saved our skin.” The Norn said, the faintest traces of nostalgia tinging her voice.

“Not sure what he’s doing now. Think he said something about starting a Krew for something or other. Not sure what that is mind you, but good luck to him in that regard.” Adela finished with a shrug.

The giant woman finished washing herself with the wet rag and shifted around in the tub as she noted her human was pressed against the opposite side of the tub. Strong wet fingers wrapped around the woman’s arms, ignoring any protests or flailing she might receive from this as she gently would attempt to wash Kaira’s body. Honestly in her opinion the human was being a bit ridiculous about the entire situation. She hadn’t struck her and had tried her best to avoid permanently injuring her. Considering how close winter was it wasn’t like she would last long outside of the homestead anyway.

“Why does it surprise you I’d count an Asura as my companion? You don’t know a thing about me, human.” Adela said, having dropped the little Leonhart pet name to show her slight annoyance.

The giant woman would attempt to handle Kaira gently, washing gently over where her bruises were to avoid overt discomfort. She attempted to purge the dirt and grime from every nook and cranny she could find on the human, from behind her ears, to along her back, to between her toes. Of course this task would be made much more difficult if the human decided to struggle, which Adela would not have put past her which was what prompted her firm hold on her. The Norn enjoyed the human's presence, she made for an amusing and somewhat temperamental pet.

 

[darjeeling]

She reached up to her tangled hair, tugging it free from the numerous pins that had survived the journey. She had a handful of them by the time her locks tumbled free, which she dropped over the side of the tub slowly. The clatter of the pins were soft, drowned out by the wet splashes as Kaira dipped her elbows back into the water. Long enough to cover her breasts when let loose, her hair floated about her like ripples of light gold. She breathed out a soft noise of content, though bits of dirt did find its way into the water. She splashed water over her face and atop her head but before she could fully submerge herself, she found a large hand suddenly wrapping itself around her forearm.

Well, Kaira couldn't lie and tell herself that she was completely surprised. Instead, she was surprisingly obedient, the warmth of the tub making her relaxed and relatively pleasant in that she did not protest or try to wrench free. Her reaction most certainly would have sung another tune had Adela pulled at her aggressively but the Norn was, as she had been, cordial as ever. Yet try as she might, she could not banish the memory of a caravan ablaze and the smell of burning flesh. Adela claimed to have no part in the crime and Kaira very much planned to challenge her about it.

"I dont." Kaira agreed to at least that much, not wishing to dispute the fact. She frowned and shrugged. "I do not see many Norn who are friendly towards Asura and vice versa." Whilst Lion's Arch boasted a huge diversity of varying races and professions alike, Kaira had been mostly removed from it all. Her lack of knowledge on the other races who populated the land of Tyria was, in part, the fault of her tutors who had no end to their superiority complex. Still she could not fathom how an Asuran, praised for their intelligence and sharp wit would come to journy or befriend a Norn, who not praised half as much for those qualities.

Adela's scrubbing of her body was gentle enough that Kaira barely noticed as her arms were lifted then lowered, her limbs moved and scraped over though she did chew her lip as the woman came nearer to the bruises, fearing that the Norn might press too hard. She had nothing to worry about. "Who else have you traveled with?" Kaira asked suddenly, curious as she remembered the scars lacing the Norn's back. "Where have you gone?" It was true that she did not know anything about Adela, but she knew that the giantkin would have many an interesting tale to tell and Kaira was nothing if not an ever inquisitive creature by nature.

 

[Inwiththebooks]

Adela was pleased at how cooperative Kaira was being, prompting the giant woman to loosen her firm hold and continue a bit more gently. The human belonged to her now so it was her responsibility to ensure she was healthy and taken care of. There was a tiny bit of affection in her for the human but it was mostly based on amusement and pleasure. It was fun to have a creature she could so utterly overpower, thrilling in a sort of illicit way. Just the simple act of bathing her was enough to assert her dominance over the human, as well as arouse her slightly.

The questions that came forth caused the Norn to chuckle. She was certainly a curious one, Adela would give her that. Then again it was not like the giant woman needed much prompting to talk about her days spent travelling the land. Testing her strength and skill against those of both her own race and the other races had become her purpose when she was younger. For ten years she had travelled the lands, her blade seeking its equal. It was hard not to get wrapped up in this or that conflict along the way.

“I traveled with a pair of humans, brothers. One was skilled with a bow and the other was a powerful elementalist. We also kept company with a Charr who I nearly killed near Ascalon. We were an odd group but close knit enough.” Adela said with a shrug.

The giantkin idly dunked the human under the water for a moment, before letting her come up and starting to scrub her back. “I have traveled most lands, from Ascalon, to Divinity’s Reach, even Rata Sum. I sought to test myself against skilled fighters from all races so my path took me all over.”

“For instance, the Charr I kept company with was a rather skilled warrior in his own right. Blood Legion, savage and ruthless. We met during a duel. It lasted most of the day and into the night, just as I was about to strike the final blow the ghosts of dead warriors sprung up around us. We put our differences aside and reaped a harvest among the dead, when we finished no spirited stirred in the ground we walked. We drank a bit later and ended up leaving together.” Adela recounted, smirking slightly as she remembered that fight, it had been glorious.

The giant woman gave her human a once over again, making certain she had scoured her flesh of dirt and grim and her own fluids. Once she was certain the woman stood and gestured for the human to do the same. Adela stepped out of the tub and dried herself down with a towel, kneeling down and opening it to allow Kaira to step into it so she could dry her off. The giant woman was fine with pampering her pet a bit, after all she had suffered some bruises due to her attentions.