Snippet #2769096

A downward blur, a vertical chop.

Clatter!

Two halves of firewood tumbled onto the grass, joining piles of bisected logs. Sieg stood in front of the chopping block, a shirtless, sweat-drenched giant. A fuzzy white shape peered from inside his pocket, its eyes like black dots as it took in its surroundings. The knight-turned-lumberjack propped the axe against the stump, hoisted an armful of cordwood, and marched back into town.

Iyns. The calm before the storm. A moment of peace before their major operations in the Capital. But a warrior like Sieg could not afford to lollygag, lest idleness dull his body and mind. To that end, he offered his service for the Red Flask; Manual labor in exchange for coin and hospitality, with the waitress entrusted to keep an eye on the colorful man - Colaus’ - child.

As the dense forest faded into the clearing of town, his eyes shifted towards the stables, where he spotted a familiar head of silver. Taira. The girl from earlier. The one with many gifts, and even more smiles. Her stride was uneven, her balance compromised, her hand tugging at the reins of a gold-black mare nearly twice her size.

Sieg raised a brow. He hastened his steps, a weighty thud, thud, thud which alerted Taira to his presence. The knight stopped by the entrance, stepping over to avoid a pungent-smelling bucket.

His eyes did not blink as they wandered to Taira’s leg, bloody gashes and skin showing through tears on her trousers. Sieg’s brows lowered, his lips drawn into a frown as he observed, out loud, ”You need help.”

Taira, holding the reins softly in her hands as the mare nibbled at the grass beside her feet, smiled warmly at the beast as her ears alerted her to the approach of heavy footsteps. She turned her head towards the source of the booming boots and beheld Sieghardt, shirtless and sweaty from his manual labor, which made her arch an eyebrow as a tiny hint of pink appeared in her cheeks. But as her eyes traced his line of sight to her leg the pink disappeared as she threw him a teasing stare.

"Admiring my legs there, Sir Lohengrin?" She joked with a chuckle.

Sieg’s eyes narrowed into a squint. His head leaned back, a trickle of sweat slithering down his temple. His lips gave neither motion nor voice. But it was easy to tell that her jape caught him off guard.

She shifted her weight on the stump to face him, a slight grimace in her face.

"If-... Ngh... All jokes aside, if you honestly don't mind lending me your shoulder back into the village I'd much appreciate it. I'm-" She winced with a tight shut of her left eye before opening it again slowly. "I'm a little the worse for wear thanks to those lizards. And I'm out of personal medical supplies."

She rubbed her thigh beside the wound and looked up at his towering form with an apologetic smile.

"Would you mind, terribly?"

His lips curved into a frown. Without another word, the giant of a man walked closer, turned around, and dropped on one knee. With Taira aboard, Sieg stood back, locked his elbows against her shins, shifted slightly to ensure Taira’s comfort, and lumbered back into town, carrying both the silver-haired girl and his pile of logs. He blinked, bemused by her unexpected heft. But it was nothing his back couldn’t handle. Must be the serum.

Sieg’s face maintained its stone-like expression, undeterred by the occasional stares of curious onlookers. Despite himself, his mind wandered to her words. Admiring my legs there, Sir Lohengrin? The knight exhaled. He should be better than this. But the presence of beautiful women in their troupe, combined with the absence of a woman’s touch in his life made for a distracting mix.

In other words, he really needed a good wank. Tonight.

But for now, a question came to his mind. Something to keep him focused. ”I thought you preferred women?” he blurted out, his voice kept low to stave away further undue attention.

Taira settled in nicely on Sieg's back. She could see easily his size, but actually being carried made him feel even larger. She rested against him, wincing slightly as he pressed his elbows to her shins. The one leg was still numb, but the other... Ouch.

Then the big question popped up, and Taira couldn't help but chuckle.

"An inside joke between myself and Feline which we very often forget not to tell in the presence of others. She usually chides me for it afterwards in private, but I got off lucky last time thanks to Drake doing so instead."

She reached up and gave his head a few soft pats.

The man raised an eyebrow. Even after loving one and bedding many, women continued to be such mysterious creatures. But he had no cause for complain. That was part of their charm.

"If you're curious about the story behind the joke, I'll be happy to tell you later in more private circumstances. For now though, just know that I prefer big strong men..." She leaned in closer, her breasts pressing firmly against his large muscular back. "Not unlike yourself," she whispered against the flesh of his neck

A shiver traveled down Sieg’s spine. He could feel her. So close. Her breath, tickling his nape. Her bosom, so warm and silky against his body. As if she was wearing nothing at all. The knight’s brows arched downward, and a hot pink surfaced upon his cheeks. It was like that encounter with Era. Except this time, there was no paralysis to hold him back. ”Hey, don’t say something you’ll regret,” he protested, his voice tinged with more emotion than typical.

Sieg glared straight ahead and hastened towards the tavern, his face locked in a grimace. I prefer big strong men, her voice echoed in his mind. He furrowed his brows and wondered to himself. Like Drake? Under the swaying sign of the Red Flask, the knight kicked open the door. Just as he kicked the licentious thoughts out of his mind.

Life and laughter had returned to the inn, where the men and women of Iyns gathered for their dinner. Patrons clinked their mugs. Bards plucked their lutes. Barmaids moaned as drunkards spanked their rears. Sieg made his way to his table, where Colaus’ boy and his ferret sat alone, with his lunchtime waitress keeping an eye nearby. The giant of a man hunkered down so that Taira may join them.

Sieg stood and turned to the seated girl. ”I have to deliver these,” he said with a nod towards the cordwood in his hands. ”Try the stew. It’s a classic.” The knight turned towards the kitchen and walked away. A stray apple core spun over his head, missing by a mere inch. Much to the jeers of some, and the cheers of others.

“You owe me five coppers, Frank!”

“Like hell I do! You haven’t paid my winnings from last time!”

No matter how far one travels, taverns never change.