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The Murderer's Key (Traveler & jaceyboo)

Amelia bit her lip as the woman spoke, trying to keep herself from laughing as the woman made several awkwardly noticeable glances in Richter's directions. It didn't seem to cross her mind though that she could actually get help, tell the woman that she had been kidnapped.

"I wouldn't dream of it." she told Richter with a smile, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. Already, the saleslady seemed to be at ease with the two, seeming more concerned with earning some money rather than worrying about the couple's rather odd appearance.

The woman led Amelia further into the shop, grabbing a few things here and there and placing them in her arms. "Newly married." the woman said as she held up a dress to her. "That must be exciting." Amelia nodded at the garment, smiling before responding. "Quite exciting." she responded, following the woman behind a curtain and into the dressing area.

As the saleslady helped her out of her current dress, her eyes seemed to curiously scan over it once more, noting the dirt stained sections. "As I said, its been quite exciting." Amelia told her with a mischievous smile, glancing down at the stained garment. "Oh." the woman responded, letting out an embarrassed laugh.

The two chatted a bit as they stuck Amelia into different items of clothing, the green dress as well as a blue one, some pants, a chemise and a nightdress that was much shorter than what she was normally used to. Of course, everything she told the woman was a lie, but it all passed as believable.

A good thirty minutes later, she was standing in just the chemise behind the curtain, the woman bundling up all of her things. "Which one would you like to wear for now?" she asked. "The green one, please." Amelia responded, taking the dress from her hands. The woman left her alone to finish dressing, taking the rest of her items to the front to wrap up.
 
The girl's kiss and the way she played along endeared her to Richter. He raised an eyebrow and watched her walking away, her hips naturally swaying in an alluring fashion. As she gathered things from around he shop he kept an eye out for city guards, but there seemed to be only the normal village traffic on the streets. Richter alternated between watching Amelia and watching the street, occasionally flirting with the women in the shop to throw them off guard.

When he saw the sales woman move to the front with a huge stack of clothes he went the other direction, back to the changing room. He pulled back the curtain and slipped into the small room with Amelia. "Hello," he said, his voice quiet and deep. His eyes took in her slight and curvaceous form beneath the chemise. He saw the green dress hanging from the peg and it brought a wry smile to his lips. "I thought you could use some help." His hands, though, pulled her closer by her waist and he pressed against her body.

Slowly he leaned his face in and kissed her, more deeply than he had in the tavern. His hands slid over her waist and hips, then cupped her ass and pulled her tight. His tongue swirled between her lips and then explored her mouth, gently at first, as his lips pulled on hers. The kiss and his hands working in concert to touch on her erogenous zones and give her a slight taste of what he had planned that night.

Had she fought him he'd have kissed her anyway. He didn't know if it was fear or desire that made her seem to not desire to resist his touch, but he liked the idea of touching her whenever he desired to. She was the daughter of a nobleman, a wealthy family linked through marriage and money to the king, and he... he was a killer for hire, who fell into lucky coincidence and managed to snatch her up from the depths of the gutter to be his for a handful of days. He was going to take advantage of this until the very last moment.
 
Her hands had begun reaching towards the dress that hung up on the peg when Richter stepped through the curtain, his presence causing her to stiffen. She seemed a bit embarrassed standing before him in such little clothing. Of course, he'd had her in a way that no man ever had, but even then, she had still been clothed at the time.

"I..I don't think I need-" she started to say, her words cut short by the gasp that left her lips as he pulled her against him. There was a conflicted look in her eyes as she stared up at him, a look that showed that she both welcomed and resented his touch.

Just as she had in the tavern, she seemed to relax as he kissed her. Her body leaned further into his, her lips parting to allow his tongue entry. She sighed against his lips as his hands moved down her body, her arms moving around his neck so she could hold herself against him.

She didn't understand it, the way she reacted to him. She didn't know why her body responded the way that it did to his touch. It went deeper than that though. The night before, she had tried to tell herself she couldn't help it when she felt pleasure, that he made her feel that way. She couldn't control what he did to her body. But now, it was more than that. She didn't fear him like she should, and that was something that she could indeed control.

His touch was too exhilarating to allow her to focus on her thoughts, which was something she was grateful for. Her tongue slipped into his mouth as her worries slipped away, gradually responding to him with her own exploratory touches.
 
This was something that he could definitely enjoy. Richter kissed her deeper, his groans soft and heartfelt. Her reciprocation was something that he hadn't expected in a captive, especially one whose entire life had just been tossed on its ear because of her abduction.

As they continued to kiss he lifted her up and guided her legs to wrap around his hips. They didn't have long before the sales woman came looking for them. He wasn't planning on fucking Amelia there but the impulse was on the surface and she was so willing... the sounds of other people in the shop made their stolen intimacy that much more exciting. He stepped forward and pressed her back against the wall, his hips moving to press against her rhythmically, a clothed grinding that mimicked the sexual interactions they had last night.

His lips moved off her mouth and then traveled down the length of her long, lovely neck, plucking at her pale skin and followed by the wet trails of his tongue. He could feel her pulse beneath his kisses and feel her soft breath on his hair as he explored her. This was not going to do; he needed to have more of her now. Waiting was no longer an option.
 
A soft gasp left Amelia's lips as he picked her up, though she didn't resist the action. Instead, she willingly wrapped her legs around him, her arms around his neck. She held onto him tightly, feeling the way his body pressed so closely against hers.

The girl bit her lip as she stared at up him, feeling both nervous and excited as he held her against the wall. She could feel her cheeks getting hot as he moved his hips against her, the sensation offering a pleasurable stimulation between her legs. "Richter.." she whispered, a hint of desire as well as uncertainty in her voice.

Her eyes closed as his lips began to drift away from hers. Leaning her head back against the wall, she let out a content sigh as his tongue ran along the soft skin of her neck. She shivered in his arms, though the feeling was a pleasant one. Already, she seemed to have forgotten where she was. Though the sounds of people in the shop could be heard, she had tuned them out. All that seemed to matter in that moment was the way he touched her.
 
Richter's hand went down to cup her bottom closer to her sex, his fingers moving to slide her small clothes to the side. He reached down and slid his own pants aside to allow his stiff rod to escape and find her, his hard, silken tip moved across her wet valley until he found the point of entry, and then like a warrior sheathing his sword he plunged deeply into her warm body.

His body shuddered at the pure pleasure of her wrapped tight around his cock. A surrendering gasp escaped his lips as he pressed into her and then slid halfway out, again, and again, slowly sliding back and forth and penetrating fully with each stroke. He could feel her shift and his shirt between them. the sensation of being clothed, almost in view of others, and yet completely engulfed by her, was mind-blowing.

But then the sound of boots and the jangle of keys drew his attention. Towards the front of the shop he could hear an official voice, a man's voice, and he could almost feel the other guards as they stood on the steps and front porch while their leader questioned the sales woman.

"...murderer... kidnapped girl.... white dress..."

That was all Richter had to hear. He stopped and his eyes went from bliss to pissed. He held a finger up to his lips and then picked her up off his body to set her on the floor, steadying her if her legs were wobbly. Slowly he reached over and plucked her dress from the wall, then tucked himself back into his pants and tightened his belt. He helped her with the lacings on her dress and then extracted a dagger from his belt, tucking the blade against his forearm before nodding to her once and then using his fingertips to move the curtain over so that he could see outside the dressing closet.

Out by the entry four guards were questioning the saleswoman. She was nodding, then replied, and finally she turned her face towards the inside of the store and pointed towards the back, where Richter and Amelia were hiding.
 
Amelia's heart was racing with anticipation as she felt him moving their clothing aside, a pleasured gasp escaping her lips as she felt the tip of his hardened member press between her legs. She had felt pleasure from him the night before, but unlike then, she was ready now. She wanted it, wanted him inside of her.

Her teeth dug into her lip as Richter thrusted inside of her, trying to contain the moan that was threatening to leave her. It seemed to become increasingly difficult to contain herself as he began to penetrate her at a steady pace, burying her face into the crook of his neck to try and keep herself quiet.

Her body was so entranced by the pleasurable sensations he sent pulsing through her that she hadn't even pieced together what was happening just feet away from them. There was a look of confusion in her eyes as he stopped, though an understanding of what was happening began to sink in as he set her down, hearing the voices in the front of the shop.

She didn't comprehend how absurd it was in that particular moment, but she didn't feel happy. She didn't feel relieved, or safe knowing that the guards were there. She felt scared, scared of what would happen to Richter.

The girl was quiet as he dressed her, trying to look as calm as he did, though she felt like a giant ball of nerves on the inside. "What are we going to do?" she whispered softly as he pulled the curtain aside, stepping behind him as she gently placed a hand on his arm.
 
"You're going to stay behind me and get out the back," he whispered, "and then run and hide in the forest." Her use of the word 'we' wasn't lost on him. She wasn't about to run to the guards. She wanted to run from them, with him. "I'll find you." He put a hand back and took hers, squeezing it softly before easing out of the small dressing closet.

The guards saw him right away. One blew a shrill whistle while the others rushed forward. "Surrender! We have you outnumbered!"

"You wish to surrender?" Richter asked. "By all means." He stopped towards them, pushing Amelia towards the back, and grinned. As he did so he spread his arms wide as if about to embrace a friend. As soon as the lead guard came close enough, Richter stepped under his grasp and punched him in the sternum, sending his breath out with a 'whoosh' and stunning him.

He moved quickly around to the second guard, who didn't catch the change of plans, and with the hilt of his dagger Richter brained him across his bronze helmet. The man's eyes rolled back and he went down to this knees. When he woke up he was going to have a terrible headache.

The saleslady screamed and covered her mouth with her hands. Others in the shop followed suit and tried to run out, but the two last guards were blocking the man path of egress. Richter laughed as the two standing guards drew their swords. "Not enough room in here for swords, fellows," he told them.

As if on cue one got his blade tangled up in rack of shirts. He fought to untangle his sword, and as he struggled there Richter threw a vase at the forth guard. The vase crashed off his hand and caused the man's fingers to open involuntarily from the impact. His sword clattered to the floor as he cried out in surprise.
 
Her heart continued to beat wildly in her chest, only this time it was more from fear. Her hand squeezed his in return, taking in a deep breath as Richter stepped out from behind the curtain. The guards were so entirely focused on him, that they didn't even seem to notice Amelia sneaking out behind him.

It took all she had not to scream as the first guard ran towards Richter, her mind trying to keep her focused on what it was she needed to do. Her eyes quickly found the back entrance, scanning around before slowly making her way along the wall of shoppe, staying hidden behind racks of clothing.

It seemed all too easy, the men focused on Richter rather than trying to find her. Surely, they wouldn't have thought that she would try to escape them.

There was a slight hesitation in her movements as she reached the back entrance, though it wasn't because she was having second thoughts on her decision. She was scared for Richter. What would she do if he caught? Swallowing the nervous lump that had formed in her throat, she pushed the thought aside, and slipped out the door.

Once she was outside, she ran. She knew by then, no one would recognize her on the streets. Not even the guards if there were more of them, considering she was now in the green dress rather than the white one they were searching for. Pushing past people in the street, she made it past the last few shoppes that scattered the market area, continuing on towards the forest that rested in the background.

After slipping in through the trees, she slowed down a bit, walking a little ways into the wooded area. Her breathing was heavy, the sounds of her deep breaths filling the otherwise quiet air as she leaned back against one of the trees.

For a moment, she didn't think about anything, simply trying to regain her breath. After a few minutes passed though, she began to worry. She worried about Richter, as well as her actions. What if he had gotten hurt? And of course, there was the conflicting thought, why did it matter if he got hurt?

"What have you done..." she whispered to herself, burying her face into her hands as she sunk down onto the ground. She was conflicted, trying to find something to justify why she had done what she did, why she had followed Richter's orders instead of letting the guards help her. But even then, despite knowing how wrong it was of her, she was more focused on Richter's safety, her eyes peaking up from her hands as she scanned the entrance to the forest.
 
Fighting is easier if you don't care whether the opponent dies or not. Richter didn't want these guards to die. They were just doing their jobs; they probably had families, and he wasn't being paid to kill them. Therefore he had to be more careful. He knocked them out or incapacitated them, trying his best not to cause any permanent damage. This meant that there was a brief time when he had to run through the store and fling racks of clothing behind himself to get them off his tail. Finally he got them so tangled up that he was able to get out and sprint away, suppressing the urge to laugh maniacally at the whole situation.

He circled around, not wanting to accidentally lead any guards to the hiding place. The hiding place... the entire forest! What was he thinking, sending her into the forest? It was a big place; she didn't have any weapons, or money, or any way to defend herself if someone were to see her as easy prey.

Behind him he could hear the whistles from the city guards. Footsteps and shouting went the opposite direction from where he was hoping to meet Amelia. His footsteps slowed and he began to scan the woods for any signs of where she might have run into them. He looked like a man who was searching for a lost puppy, or a cat, not like a murderer on the run from the king's guards.
 
She was unsure of how long she had been sitting there, waiting. Her eyes continued to gaze through the trees, hoping to see Richter come through them. It didn't seem to take long for the panic to build up inside of her, her body clearly displaying her anxiousness. Her fingers nervously tapped against her leg, her breathing still a bit unsteady. It was something she couldn't explain, but he was all she could think about. She was scared, alone, and it seemed as though the only thing that could bring her peace of mind would be knowing that Richter was alright.

It still didn't make sense to her, a quiet voice in her head still persisting that none of this was alright. She shouldn't be concerned for him, and even more importantly, she shouldn't have followed his orders to escape. But she did.

The sound of twigs snapping tore her away from her thoughts, immediately rising to her feet. Her eyes were wide, anxious and uncertain. She was hopeful that it was Richter, coming to find her like he had told her he would. But what if it wasn't him?

Cautiously, Amelia took a few slow steps forward, attempting to move closer to where the sounds were coming from. "Richter?" she called out quietly, sounding a bit timid as she spoke his name.
 
He heard her voice, timid in the forest and hopeful, but he also heard another sound; the sound of hard-bottomed boots breaking the tender twigs that laid scattered at their feet. It was the footsteps of one used to marching in unison. Of a soldier.

Richter crouched low to get his profile out of the normal line of sight. He eased forward, fingertips on logs and the balls of his feet carefully placed as her voice called out and the steps moved towards it. Then he saw her hiding behind a shrub, her dress doing an amazing of helping her to blend in. Her choice of color had been fortuitous. The assassin also saw another figure, though; this one dressed in greys and browns. The other man moved like a soldier and a killer. The hood over his head was there to block his face from recognition, not to shade his eyes from the sun or keep him warm.

The other man saw Amelia as well. Had it been a city guard Richter might have been less inclined to worry, but this man didn't look like someone who was there to rescue the kidnapped lady. He looked like he was there to take advantage of a woman on her own, out in the woods, and helpless. He moved forward faster, and soon Amelia would be able to see him. The man lunged for her, a sap in one hand as he swung it in an attempt to knock her out.

Richter reached underneath his vest and drew out a blade that was balanced and heavy, perfect for throwing, and sent it flying straight and true like an arrow at Amelia's attacker. It buried itself deep in the man's throat and stopped him from shouting. Instead he grabbed at the red bloom under his chin, eyes open wide, and gurgled out a fountain of crimson sighs as his life drained out and he sunk to his knees. A moment later he was twitching on the forest floor and Richter was at Amelia's side.

He knelt quickly and rummaged through the other man's pockets. Coins, a sap, and a stout dagger were his only possessions. Richter wiggled his dagger from the dead man's throat and wiped his blood off on the victim's shirt before standing once again. "Let's go," he said. His voice normal and calm as if this was just another day in the life of a wanderer. "I don't think that this guy is some random rapist; I think he was sent here specifically to get rid of you before the guards rescued you."

To prove his point he held up a large King's Coin; a five piece made with a golden center that was more commonly seen in the wealthy sections of the city than in the pockets of a rogue. "There are four of these in his pocket; someone just got paid a fine sum, and I'm betting this man didn't earn it splitting wood. Do you have any enemies I need to know about, Amelia Howard?"
 
Amelia didn't immediately make the connection that there was more than one man in her presence. She appeared a bit uncertain though as Richter's voice didn't respond to her, the sound of footsteps and twigs snapping seeming to come from an entirely new direction.

Her eyes darted all around her as she crouched down, her breath catching in her throat as she caught sight of a man that was clearly not Richter. Her mind was telling her to run, to scream, to do something as he approached her, but she simply sat there, watching with wide eyes as lunged towards her.

It wasn't until until the man slowly fell to the ground, a pool of his own blood forming around him that she finally moved, her eyes still stuck to him as she took a wobbly step backwards. She wasn't sure of how to react, her mind not having completely processed what had just happened. Up until then, she had never even seen a dead person, but now, she had just watched someone die right before her eyes.

She seemed entranced, even as Richter knelt down and picked the man's pockets. It wasn't until he spoke to her that she finally looked away, her face looking a bit pale. Just as she hadn't fully comprehended the fact that Richter had just killed a man in front of her, she didn't seem to grasp the meaning of his words, at least not right away. For a moment, she was silent, a hint of confusion forming in her eyes as her mind replayed what he had just said to her....sent here specifically to get rid of you...

"No..I..that's not.." she muttered, her jumbled words not seeming to make any sense. She swallowed nervously as he held up the coin, letting out a shaky breath as she shook her head. "No...I don't know. I don't know enough people.." she started to say, unable to think of anyone who could possibly be considered her enemy. "My father. He..he probably does." she added quietly, though she still couldn't seem to make sense of it. It was too much to take in, her mind a jumbled mess trying to interpret and understand everything that had just happened.
 
"You're father has enemies I'm certain, but what reason they might have for wanting you dead is beyond me. You're just a girl. No offense, but I can't fathom any advantage in your death." He moved the body so that the face was visible. "Do you recognize this guy? Maybe some servant or messenger who worked around your father's manor?" Richter's green eyes searched Amelia for any clues or understanding of the situation she was in. He tilted his head to the side. "I wonder, though; was there a hit on you before we met? If there was, I didn't know of it, and I usually know of a lot of things that are happening in the guild." His lips pursed as if he was considering a great mystery. He looked back down at the man at his feet and then reached out with gloved fingers to close the still-open eyes. "He's not from any of the factions I know," he added, almost as an aside. "And outsider. Which means that your enemy is either from another land or he's covering his tracks carefully."

He double checked for any other findings on the corpse and then stood up, brushing off the leaves and twigs on his trousers. "We'd better move, Amelia. Looks like our night in a bed has been snatched away." He gave her a crooked grin before he saw the paleness in her cheeks. "Hey... don't think that I don't know you could have run away and gone to the guards. You had a choice." He shook his head once and gave a half-shrug. "I'm as surprised as you are that you chose to stay. I'm not complaining."

Then his almost-smirk broke free and became a grin and he reached out to take her hand. "Come on, I have you for two more days before I have to bring you to your father. Whoever is trying to get rid of you is going to have to do a better job if they want to get through me. I'm not going to let you be hurt while you're in my care."

Cautiously he circled around to the town, noting the extra guards posted outside the tavern. That made him curse softly and then sink lower into the underbrush, pulling her down with him. "There's no way to get our horse." He sighed, looking around at the layout of the plaza before them. "Too many guards here to steal another. I guess we're walking."

His fingertips slid down to touch her ankle, then tug at the hem of the dress she was wearing. "I suppose you got your wish," he intoned, "you're in that green dress for a while now. Hopefully you didn't like the white one terribly."
 
Her eyes gazed over the dead man that laid before her, though nothing about him stirred any sort of recognition in her mind. "I've never seen him." she said softly, giving Richter a strange look. "No..this..this has never happened." she added, her voice a bit shaky. None of it seemed to make sense to her. Her mind tried to piece it together, desperate to figure out exactly what was happening and why.

Richter's voice pulled her away from her thoughts, and for a moment, she looked grateful. What she hadn't expected though was the sinking feeling that accompanied his words as he told her that he had two more days before he had to return her. Honestly, she didn't know why it came as a shock, but she seemed surprised, and strangely disappointed that he still planned to set her free. The thought sent a blush to her cheeks, a bit of an embarrassed look in her eye. She wanted to stay with him.

It was a strange thing to admit to herself, but that was the only explanation she could offer. She didn't fully understand why, but there had to be some truth to it. If she wanted to escape him, she could have. But she didn't.

A part of her wanted to express her feelings to Richter, but mostly because she didn't understand them. She needed to know why she wanted to stay with her kidnapper, though she honestly didn't believe that he had anymore answers than she did. It wasn't until the two of them were crouched down at the edge of the forest that she finally dared herself to look at him, her lips pursed as she simply stared at him for a moment.

"I'm not going with you." she muttered, pushing his hand away from her.
 
"What?" He had been engrossed in watching the tavern, and had begun to take Amelia's presence at his side for granted. After all, in the dress shop she hadn't called out or run away. She had waited for him in the forest, she had seemed to like kissing him in the dressing closet...

"Don't be ridiculous," he said once his thoughts caught up to the moment. "Of course you're coming with me." His eyes were growing harder. His voice dropped down a tone and then leaned in closer to her. "You've been good today Amelia. I haven't had to hurt you all day. Don't force me to hurt you now."

Out by the tavern two guards were walking out, their questioning turning up the information that the two fugitives were seen there earlier that day. One scanned the forest line and the other looked towards the stable, where they had heard that the kidnapper had stabled his horse.

Richter saw the movement and prepared to grab Amelia if she seemed like she as going to call out. He was beginning to enjoy himself; unfortunately this looked like it was going to be strictly work again...
 
"I'm not being ridiculous." she responded, a bit of a pouty look on her face. She almost looked like a child that hadn't gotten their way.

She let out a small laugh, not seeming to take his threat seriously. "Hurt me then. Let's see what good that does." she responded with a bit of a daring look in his direction, a hint of anger in her eyes. She was clearly upset, though she didn't presume that he would know why. And honestly, she didn't fully know why.

Another quiet laugh left her lips, though this time, she was laughing at herself. "I'm an absolute wreck." she muttered to herself, shaking her head slightly.

"I could have returned home. Today." she spoke again, her words directed to Richter. "But for some...unbelievably stupid reason, I listened to you. And you're just going to send me back anyway." she added, looking strangely defeated. "So no, I'm not going with you." she repeated, sitting firmly on the ground.
 
She kept her voice low, and for that he was glad. The guards were close enough now that Richter could throw a rock and hit them. He listened to her dare, then her admission, and finally her introspection, and it began to dawn on him what exactly had been bothering her the most. She didn't want to go back.

"Am I understanding you correctly? You are upset because I'm planning on keeping my word and returning you to your life, so... since I'm not going to keep you with me you've decided that you're not going to come with me peaceably?" He regarded her closely, wondering what kind of woman he had accidentally involved himself with. The guard moved closer to the tree line and Richter reached around Amelia, clamping a strong warm hand across her mouth to keep her from crying out. His other hand wrapped around her waist and he lifted her easily off the soft forest floor. Slowly he carried her further into the woods until the guard and the town were no longer visible through the foliage.

"You are a strange women, Amelia Rose." His voice was slightly strained, almost a growl against her ear. "Now... don't scream and I'll take my hand off your mouth. Promise?" If she nodded he would release her face, but if not he'd keep his hand clamped over her kissable lips.

"You're mad that I'm bringing you back to your father. Is it because of this death threat we've discovered? I mean, are you afraid that they'll get to you if you go home? Or would you have been angry with me even before we found out about this?"
 
Almost immediately, she regretted saying anything, seeing the look that Richter gave her as he pieced together what she had meant. He appeared to be just as shocked as she felt, not fully comprehending why she would wish to stay with him.

"It doesn't matt-" she began to tell him, her words cut short as his hand pressed to her mouth. She tried to pull it away, though she didn't fight against him as he carried her further into the woods. There was a look of irritation in her eyes as he spoke to her, but she nodded, letting out a sigh as he moved his hand from her mouth.

She couldn't seem to look at him in the eye as he spoke, her own eyes staring down at the ground as he questioned her. At first, she didn't respond, not really seeming to know what to say. Her wanting to stay with him didn't have to do with the death threat, and she honestly believed that she would have been mad with him if that hadn't have occurred. She couldn't simply admit that to him though.

"I don't know." she finally whispered, her eyes still staring down. "I..." she began to start again, her mouth quickly shutting. "Just forget about it. It doesn't matter." she eventually muttered, hesitantly gazing up at Richter.

"You should just..go." she spoke again after a moment, knowing that it likely wouldn't be long before the guards began to venture into the forest.
 
There was a hesitation in her speech that said more than any of her words. He was good at reading people, insofar as one had to be to be a man who took contracts to end lives. What he was reading from Amelia was a reluctance to be away from him and a fear of what that meant. Perhaps it was his ego playing the clues out, wanting to think that he wasn't such a monster that someone might not have fallen for him, but maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was true.

"Amelia," he stepped forward and hooked a finger under her chin to tilt her face up at his. "Whatever is going on here," he pointed back and forth between them with his other hand, "is something that we'll figure out later. But I'm not leaving you, not while there's a possible hit on you. Do you think those low-paid guards are going to protect you from a killer? They couldn't even protect you from me." He shook his head and slowly released her chin, drawing the finger down along her jaw and then tracing the curve of her neck to her shoulder. "Like I said before, no one is laying a hand on you but me. And if we can't figure out who has this bounty on you by the time three days is up I'm not sending you home just to have you killed off."

His eyes hardened as he studied her. The face was lovely, just blooming into the full grace of maturity so that occasionally the little girl broke through and her vulnerability shined out. "When I first saw you in that tavern I wanted you. I thought, well... you know what I thought. I wanted you. The guards recognizing me gave me the perfect excuse to take you. I'm not losing you now."

"Come on. Come with me, and have faith that this is all going to work out for the best. You'll see. Don't let your fears be bigger than our future." He smiled then and slid a hand behind her back. "Let's go disappear into the forest until we can get someplace more safe."
 
The silence was maddening, but she honestly couldn't tell whether she was more relieved or nervous when he finally spoke her name. Reluctantly, her eyes raised to meet his as he lifted her face, a hint of sadness in them. She was expecting this to be the end of her part of the journey, either that or for him to threaten to hurt her if she didn't comply and go along with him. Instead, he told her everything she wanted to hear.

The sadness in her eyes slipped away, the girl looking almost hopeful as Richter's words hit her ears. Her heart seemed to flutter as he told her that he had wanted her from the start, and while the thought should have disgusted her, it made her happy. It was somewhat amusing, but also disturbing, though she didn't allow herself to dwell on that. By then, she had already accepted that her feelings for him were inappropriate, but at the same time, something she simply couldn't seem to control.

"Alright." she finally spoke, a small smile forming on her lips as he began to guide her further into the forest. She hesitated for a moment though, gripping his arm and turning so that she stood in front of him. For a moment, she simply stared at him, her eyes gazing over his face before she leaned in and pressed her lips to his. It was a quick, and simple kiss, but it was the first kiss of that nature that she had given him without him initiating it.

"Thank you." she whispered against his lips before pulling back, offering him a tiny smirk before turning back and walking deeper into the forest.
 
Good, she wasn't going to run off. Then she turned to him and paused. The kiss was sweet and innocent but it sent a jolt through his body and caught his breath. She whispered her thanks and then turned away, walking off in that green dress like a forest sprite.

Richter stood there for a stunned moment before stepping forward to catch up with her. "You're welcome."

They walked for almost an hour, keeping the road to their right where they could catch glimpses of it but not be seen by the casual observer. On occasion they saw merchants passing on their carts or guards on horseback. A few walking travelers went the opposite way as they, and some overtook them on the road since they could move faster on the cleared path.

The sun began to set. Long shadows ghosted across the dense forest floor. Even the sounds in the woods were changing. "Looks like we're sleeping on the ground. Again." He began to hunt for a semblance of shelter in the woods until he found a hollowed log on it's side. "Here. We can shelter in here for the night," he suggested as he pulled his cloak off to use as a resting surface. He checked around the tree and then climbed in, laying the cloth out to prevent Amelia from laying on any bugs. If there were termites or other critters there it was too dark to see them, and he hoped that they would avoid them while they sleep.
 
Amelia seemed more relaxed than she had previously been as they walked along the edge of the forest, despite the fact that they were on the run from guards that were uncomfortably close to them. She didn't seem worried about getting caught though, appearing to be lost in some happy thought as they trekked along.

Her eyes wandered around them, never really having been in the woods up until that moment. She didn't seem bothered by the noises or the dark that began to creep up on them, looking merely interested by their surroundings.

"Mhmm." she hummed lightly in response to Richter, though she didn't seem like she was really paying that much attention to him. It wasn't until he climbed into the hollowed out tree that she finally looked at him, a soft laugh leaving her lips. It reminded her of something she had read in a book, but never would she imagined that she would find herself in a similar situation.

She looked amused as she climbed in beside him, her body happily pressed against his. "This is exciting." she whispered, though she doubted he felt the same. She didn't seem concerned that they weren't in a bed, though she wouldn't complain when they finally had one.
 
"Exciting?" He chuckled as he held out an arm to embrace her. "You're a strange girl, but I like it." he smiled at her as he nuzzled into her ear. "Come here."

Richter pulled her in closer, flush to his body. He liked the way she had crawled to him, accepting their sleeping place for the night as if it was the most natural thing in the world to sleep in a hollowed out log. She had seemed content during their walk, as if they were simply going on a lovers' stroll. She didn't seem concerned in the least that someone might be after her personally, nor that they lost all the nice clothing she had tried on.

"Mmm," he leaned up and found his way to her lips, kissing them in the closed quarters. "It can get much more exciting tonight." His hands moved down her waist, caressing her body through the green dress. "When you don't know how long you're going to live it's important to take every opportunity for pleasure that you can."
 
Her heart fluttered for a moment as his lips came onto hers, her demeanor quickly changing. She had been relaxed before, but now her body seemed to be on edge. In a good way.

She let out a soft breath as he spoke into her ear, a shiver moving down her body as his hands caressed her. Within seconds, her desire and need for him had reappeared, gradually taking over. It was as though she had no control of her own mind or body, already seeming to be completely entranced by his touch.

Biting her lip at his words, she felt her legs spread, as though the action was completely natural. There was a look of anticipation in her eyes, waiting for his hands to move lower. She began to recall the way he had touched her in the dressing room just hours before, the way it had felt when he entered her. Just the thought made her become wet between her legs.

There was a part of her that wanted to ask him to touch her, to take her. She didn't want to wait, but there was still that nagging voice in the back of her mind reminding her of how wrong this all was. He had forcefully taken her just one night before, yet now, she wanted him. "Richter.." she whispered, her voice full of need.
 
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