Armies of the Dragon (Book 2 after Warriors of the Dragon)

Arcadia

The sun didn't wake them where they laid in the dark chamber and the others had soon gathered in their main room when none of them emerged. Sorin ripped back the curtain and the sunlight poured in causing Sephira and Craven to groan and squint.

"Get out!" Sephira groaned in elvish, half-heartedly throwing Craven's dagger at Sorin who jumped out of the way and then realized she had thrown the sheath too. Sephira hid her face in her pillow and Craven flopped back on his back with his arms folded over his eyes.

"It's almost noon! I thought you might be dead!" They heard Dawn call to Malina and Demitro while Markus called softly into Isolde's room to see if she had woken up.

"They slept in the same bed? Are they married?" Nuka asked Luna in confusion where they sat at the table.

"Orcs don't marry." Rauka told him from where she stood facing the hearth behind them.

"Nuka they're like boyfriend and girlfriend, like Yumi and Po." Luna told him.

"Ohh, I didn't know elves and orcs could be boyfriend and girlfriend." Nuka murmured.

Sorin pulled the curtain back into place and turned back to the main room. "They probably shouldn't." he grumbled to himself.

"Join us and have some tea. I'm sure they'll be up when we get some food together." Rauka told the others. "Leuthil is getting some water from the well." She informed them.

Sephira couldn't bring herself to get up, even when she smelled the food Rauka was cooking in the main room at the hearth. Malina was the first of the sleeping ones to leave bed and then Isolde was drawn out by the smell of food.

"I'm hungry." Craven murmured to Sephira before he woke her up with a kiss. Life sprang to her lips despite her eyes remaining closed and he savored the feel of her warm, soft body beneath him knowing they'd probably have a long struggle ahead of them with no time to lounge in bed or enjoy each other's company for the night. She seemed to know the same thing and her hands felt down every inch of him as her tongue explored his mouth. "Baby, we have to get up." He breathed as she moved to kiss and nip at his neck. She just made a sexy moan and the cute smile on her face made him laugh as he kissed her lightly down her neck and ran his hand down her side. She breathed in his smell. He pulled at her shift to reveal her breast and she watched in curiosity until he kissed at her nipple and made her laugh in surprise.

"I never thought I'd hear a Duvendis wraith laugh like that." Malina murmured out in the main room as she joined the table.

"Only my sister laughs like that." Sorin grumbled, as he worried about how much trouble they'd be in for being so open. He could see the curious look on Isolde's face as she looked over at the closed curtain.

"She's your sister?!" Isolde asked with her eyes wide as she tried to picture his pale face and long blond hair which she hadn't seen since they had gotten to the desert.

"Yeah, what? Do you think Duvendis are all blond and blue-eyed?" Sorin laughed with a sharp-toothed smile beneath his mask.

"No, I guess not." Isolde answered, blinking.

"That explains a lot." Malina muttered. "She must be older, huh?"

"Ten minutes." Sorin nodded as he heard whispering and then Craven's laugh in the other room.

"What are they doing in there?" Markus asked, pursing his lips and glancing at Isolde, worrying about the effect of their behavior on her.