Unkarra Gate (1st draft)

Chapter 31.3

Near nightfall Bogrel returned with some food for them. This time it wasn't soup, so he was able to bring it alone. He was his usual quiet self, handing the food with but a few words and followed that up with silence.

Ezara started to get nervous about having any evening meetings, worried that Bogrel was going to stay put until morning, and guard them fro leaving the little campsite. But to her relief, he finally announced his plan.

"Well, I've a lot of work around the fire tonight. Keep yourselves hidden" he nagged once again. The two of them gave vague replies before he returned to the main camp.

Ezara waited a minute before popping to her feet. "Well, I'm going back out again."

"But it's nearly dark!" Dara exclaimed.

"That's when you can have the most fun," Ezara retorted.

"I don't want to be stuck alone here anymore, I'll go crazy."

Ezara sighed. "Well, I've told someone to meet me, "m not staying.

"Ooh, Flavias , no doubt."

Ezara responded with a deadly stare, her eyelids lowered.

"I'm coming with you," Dara declared, getting herself up.

"I thought you said it was too dangerous to be sneaking around," Ezara protested.

"Dangerous for you, mostly."

"Fine, let's get going."

The Duo put their hoods on and crept out of the campsite. It wasn't completely dark, but they had to go slow. Through the gaps in the trees they could see the purple and pink colours of the sunset were fading to black. They went close enough to the main camp to see where everyone was. They were separated in their groups; the company men held a fire near the occupied buildings, while Bogrel and their friends sat around another, a fair distance away. Bogrel appeared to be working on the spears, as he was getting up and moving them around.

Ezara took Dara's hand and led them out of sight of the company men, swinging around towards their friends' spot. There was about a dozen of them around the fire; others were spread about, tending to their still-coverless sleeping arrangements.

As they snuck through the bushes, they were caught by another person sneaking through the bushes.

"There you are!" Flavias said as he crashed and stumbled through the bushes towards them. When he was close he reacted with surprise upon spotting Dara.

"Oh! You're both here," he said, inadvertently saying it with disappointment mixed with cheer.

"Hi Flavias," Dara said, with no small amount of teasing.

Flavias was stumped for words for a moment, so Ezara spoke up. "Well, how was you afternoon off?" She asked.

"All ten minutes of it? We were tricked. As soon as he let us off, it was time to eat anyway.

"Well, let's go see the others," she said, with little enthusiasm.

As they snuck closer, Dara took a few steps ahead and said back: "It's ok, I can find them from here," leaving the other two together.

"Flavias began to protest and insist to help further, but Ezara caught his hand with determination. "It's ok, she's actually really good in the dark. Not much different for her, you know. Blurry, dim, she knows how to handle it. Let's find a spot."

"A spot?" Flavias stuttered as he was dragged off.

Ezara led them around the bushes until the sounds of the camp were dimmed.

"Okay, is this far enough?" Flavias asked. They had come to a spot where the trees opened up by a washed out stream bed.

"OK," Ezara said, sitting down on the rocky ground. Flavias sat beside her.

"Well, you got me, I guess," he admitted, unsure of his current situation.

Ezara didn't say anything for a minute. "I'm cold," was all she could come up with. She pulled at him to clarify the hint. He shuffled over, and draped an arm around her.

"Are you shivering?" He asked. With no answer, he continued. "It is a bit colder here in Geberra. I still don't know if I believe it. I don't know what I expected. It just feels like a place. But a bit colder, maybe. I don't know, it's only been two days. The tree look different. Not the sky, though.

"What did you expect?" Ezara asked, as she nestled into the warm spots she found in Flavias' lanky frame.

"I don't know... horrifying demons, I suppose."

"Not nice girls, needful of some warmth?"

He gave a nervous, gentle laugh, and took a deep breath. "Ezara, I do really like you, you know. You're strong. You're pretty, too. I... I want to be more than I can be for you, right now. I'm scared for you, I want to protect you, but I'm not sure how or if I can. I-"

Ezara put her hand on his face and turned it directly towards her. "Shut up," she said, as she pulled his lips towards her. They kissed for a moment, before Flavias moved on top of her, and the pressed their bodies close against each other.

"Wait, slow down," Ezara managed between kisses.

Flavias rolled off, but his hand still played around her body.

"Hey, I'm having fun," she told him softly. "Just don't go too fast. Don't touch me down there. Not yet. Let me get comfortable, okay?"

"Sure," he said, as his hand found its way into her shirt. She bit her lip and put her hands on his, moving her body into him.

"Have you ever... been with someone?" She asked, as she began to breath heavily and fought for control of herself.

"Yeah..." Flavias said, distracted. "Why... have you?"

Ezara responded with a quick shake of her head.

"Oh," he responded, his head clearing a bit. "Can I ask you about your scar?" he asked, his fingers playing gently at the side of her head and the large scar there.

"Only a little."

"Well, what's it from?"

"A sword," she said.

"Well, how did it happen?"

"The sword cut me."

"Then who-"

"No more questions," Ezara declared, and pulled his mouth to hers, ending his curiosity instantly. He moved from her lips, playing across her jaw to her ear, and down her neck. Ezara moaned and squirmed, and when Flavias made it low enough to be stopped by her shirt, she pulled it off eagerly and let him continue, forgetting all about the cold. He took his time and played with her until she was left senseless and gasping for air.

Flavias took a break and propped himself up on his side, admiring Ezara's bare skin, and especially her pert nipples. She opened her eyes once again when she noticed how cold she was getting, and pulled her scarf over her shoulders. Flavias began moving his hands low, and while her body screamed with excitement and lust, her mind screamed in panic.

She brought his hand to her mouth and sucked on his fingers. "No, it's my turn now," she said with a sort of confidence she had never imagined. She pushed him onto his back, and let her tongue work in ways that she had imagined, until Flavias was spent and left fading into unconsciousness.