16 Bites Of Pleasure And hatred.

It had been almost two hours since Sophie and Von had left Cermina territory. The sun from earlier had appeared just in time for Samantha, now the sky was painted a dull gray. They were at the foot of the mountains and exchanged a few words, mostly unkind ones, because Sophie couldn't stand the silence. This went on until three o'clock in the afternoon, when it was a five hour drive. By the time they reached Bohlil Marsh, she had spoken much less. And this willingness to talk was something that had surprised Von. Except that this talkativeness was only a cover for her nervousness. She didn't know why she was so tense in the presence of a pervert, as she had called him in thought. So she decided to keep quiet and admire the closed forest.

- Time to change. - Sophie said, interrupting the almost half hour silence and stopping her horse. She waited for Von to get off. She got off, unhitching. - I'm square.-

- I've never ridden a horse.- Von answered, looking at her with a worried look. Sophie felt seduced by this look.

- Dunny is not a normal horse.- she said in a gentle voice as she stroked the horse's brown mane. - I'll teach you.-

- Dunny is not a normal horse," she said in a gentle voice as she stroked the horse's brown mane. - I'll teach you.-

As she said this, he climbed on, and so did she after a while. She saw the way the blouses molded to Von's back and swallowed dryly, feeling grounded. When he held the reins in her lap, she hesitated to run her hand around his waist. She swallowed dryly again and did so, placing her hands on top of his. She intertwined their fingers, felt the cold soft skin, and silently thanked him for not being able to see how red her face was. Little by little he was getting the hang of it, but he wouldn't let his fingers go.Sophie would occasionally hear Von's spontaneous laughter and hear him say: "How come I didn't learn this before?-

And all she could do was smile weakly, trying desperately to ignore his rapid heartbeat.

As soon as they saw the banks of the Zemisk River, night fell, and Sophie released her fingers from Von's. But that didn't surprise him. What did surprise him was Sophie entwining him behind his back, while whispering that she was tired. The temptation to stop the horse and kiss her there was so great that Von had to speed up Dunny's steps just to let the wind hit his face. He definitely could not understand Sophie. One moment she was totally affectionate, and the next she was as cold as ice. He couldn't deny that feeling of comfort that was present during the entire trip, as if being by Sophie's side was a haven. He loved that she entwined his fingers, even though that day in the forest Von had promised not to do it again. He loved it when she put her arm against his back, warming him in the cold night that fell. He loved it when every now and then she whispered words against his skin, and even though she was covered, she tickled him. In the end he cursed what a witch Sophie was. She held him in such a rough way, so warm, but... So hers.

When they reached the middle of the river, Von saw a small village at the foot of the mountains. He imagined that this was where they would stay for the night, and took Dunny to the entrance and walked through the streets until he found the small hovel that was the Hosin Hotel. He tried to turn around, but realized that Sophie was hugging him tightly. For some strange reason, he really didn't want to leave that hug, that warm, comforting hug. When he turned to look at her, he saw her green pupils delicately open, and felt that warmth exhaust in slow motion. She scratched her emerald eye and yawned, telling Von that she was sleepy.

- Oudin Hotel. - He pointed to the wooden sign. He watched Sophie climb down, and walked to a tree. He climbed out of Dunny and tied him up with a rope that Sophie had given him.

- Then bring him some water. - She said sleepily and went into the establishment. She spoke to a short, chubby, bald man. He smiled when she pronounced "Chasseur", turned and after a while gave Sophie a key. Von entered and nodded, greeting the man. He followed Sophie into the hotel without knowing her and stopped in front of room four. He opened the door and all his sleep had gone.

- A king-size bed, Dad? - she said, almost shouting as she looked at the bed in disbelief.

- It's cheaper than a room for each of us. - Von said as he walked in and put his backpack on the floor. - I'm going to take a shower first. -

- No way! - Sophie stepped in front of the bathroom door and looked at Von with a horrified expression.

- Huh? Why? - He crossed his arms and looked at her disinterestedly.

- Ladies first! - she said, stepping into the bathroom and slamming the door hard.

- Heh, never seen any ladies in there. - Von said to the door as he went out to feed his horse.

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This was definitely pissing Sophie off. She couldn't sleep with Von rolling around in the same bed as her. Not when his body heat was so close to hers. Not when he sighed so easily in her presence. Not when they shared the same blanket. Because for her it wasn't that simple, and she wanted at all costs to ignore the naughty thoughts that were in her head. If she didn't think of Von kissing Angela, it would probably be her kissing him right there. Right now. In that bed. Rolling around on luscious sheets. She put the pillow over her head and Von realized this. He just didn't feel sleepy, it had nothing to do with Sophie beside him. Nothing. Or at least that was what his sanity was screaming in his mind. But he was loving watching her squirm, and as much as she was on her back, he knew her eyes were wide open and wide awake. He was staring at the curves of her body in admiration, and he told himself that it was just a tease, it had nothing to do with passion. Von didn't play around much, but sighing and fidgeting was not something that tormented. Not normal people. Not people who weren't attracted to him.

Sophie turned around angrily, ready to swear at him or send him to sleep on the floor. But everything stopped when she stared at the black orbs. As dark as the night. As dark as darkness. He felt his mouth salivate, a wave went through his whole body, and he was grateful to be in bed where his legs couldn't shake. The moon illuminated the dark room, and although it didn't light up much, it gave a soft blue tint to the body in front of him. Von was only wearing that white T-shirt that made those strong muscles clearly visible.He stared into those eyes for a few seconds.He stared into those eyes for a few seconds. It seemed like an eternity, and she didn't want that short time to pass at all. She wanted everything to stop. She just wanted to stare into the darkness that filled her even to the darkest corners of her being. But Sophie came to her senses when she saw the smile forming on his lips. She turned back to the small universe they were in and remembered that he only wanted her body. She remembered that there was nothing real about it but the desire that was there, exposed on her skin. The same desire that Von made sure to bury. The same desire he felt for his maid. The same desire that made her delirious as she looked into those dark eyes. Laughter echoed through the room and she looked at Von in surprise, as if she had missed some funny joke or some main attraction in a circus, and in this case the joke and the attraction were just her.

-Miss Chasseur, why can't you sleep? -He whispered a few words in a tone of irony that did not go unnoticed. -Your face is so red... ? - He laughed as he gently ran his hand through Sophie's hair, lifting it provocatively.

-I'M NOT RED! - She cried, feeling her face burning, and then threw her face into the pillow.

- I can see your face and believe me, it's very red. - He whispered in her ear the way loving mothers talk to their children before going to sleep. The same way two lovers whisper in the middle of a caress. The same way a father tells his son that he has just won a match.

- I'm not red. - She persisted, pulling her face from the pillow and looking at him. And that was her mistake, looking into the black orbs. That couldn't be lust. It couldn't.

- I know. - He murmured, still wearing that fucking smile.

But like all the other touches between them, this one was too fast. He took the pale cheek and deposited a kiss, which couldn't even be considered a kiss. It was just a touch of lips. A simple touch. That had no meaning. To him. Because Sophie was on fire. She was as rigid as concrete, hesitating for any kind of touch. That's when she felt the warm wet thing exploring the inside of her mouth. And all she did was respond. In a way that inflamed her, that took her out of reality. It made words like "right and wrong" disappear. Or pride. Without realizing it she was moaning against his lips, and that was not in her nature. It couldn't be. She entwined her fingers in the black strands, and reversed positions. Sitting on top of him and making the whole demonstration of desire hotter. Much hotter. Much wetter. Wilder. That's when she touched herself. She regained consciousness, and stupidly interrupted the kiss. Staring at the black orbs burning in pure lust. Just that one look made her hesitate, made her look strangely as if she didn't understand. As if she didn't recognize herself. As if she really was the main attraction of the circus. But when she realized it, she felt it deep inside. That damn desire burning, coursing through her chest and down to her throat. That damned thing stuck in her throat. And she looked at him with a face like she was doing something terribly wrong. And she turned to the other side of the bed. Because falling in love was not the verb that would define her, not at the moment.

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-What was that? What was that ? What was that ? WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT NIGHT? -

was the only thing that went through Sophie's mind when she woke up. She was screaming in thought, biting her lips to keep those damned words from leaving her lips. When they paid the room, the man gave her a suspicious look, as if he knew things that had not happened last night. And that Sophie wished had happened. And Von too.

Von was thankful after she turned around, and thankful that Sophie was wearing clothes that didn't let her breasts show, or her well-shaped ass show. Otherwise, all that high control would be in vain. The whole damn mask would be broken and Sophie would realize her intentions. Not that she didn't already know that he wanted to sleep with her, but she didn't know where that damn act could lead. And Von, for a split second, wanted to experience that dark abyss where desire and passion separated. Not that he had never been in love before. But this had been nothing. Or maybe it had been something. And it was something enough to make him not want to enter that danger zone again.

His sanity was already failing him and he didn't need to keep reminding himself of his past all the time. He could only keep repeating in his head that it was nothing more than wishful thinking. As he had proven last night, that was Sophie's way of thinking. When she stopped kissing him and looked at him, Von felt as if something broke inside him. The green immensity of her eyes mesmerized him for a few seconds. Just enough seconds for him to feel the warmth she gave him coming off, curling up on the bed like a cat. Von felt like grabbing her by the wrist and shaking her, telling her it wasn't just that. Saying that it was her fear. Because he was there, present every time she looked at him with those melancholy glowing pupils. As if he was the cause of all that suffering. But, running away was the only option he had left. And Von martyred himself in thought because he wanted to protect her from himself.

They exchanged few words along the way. It was Von who was guiding them, and Sophie didn't know whether she liked this or not. On the one hand, his body would not be rubbing up against hers. On the other, it was she who kept rubbing against him. They had been riding for a short time, about half an hour, and the scene changed. Von stopped his horse and took something out of his pocket. He turned to Sophie and grabbed her by the back of the neck, making her look into his eyes.

- We're getting close. Stop thinking about me and just think about getting Blair Rudra sitting on this horse. - He watched her bite her lips, swallowing the words that had died in her throat. Von gently touched the red strands and gathered them on one side only. He tied her hair at her side with the stocking he had in his hands and turned to stare into her green eyes. - Your hair attracts a lot of attention. -

Sophie felt like shouting. To tell Von that he wasn't everything in her life and that he was just someone she thought about to pass the time. But that was not true. Ever since they had left the hotel, she had tried her best to ignore the presence that stood in front of her. And Von was so modest that he almost made her lose control. She wanted to scream at him, telling him that she wasn't thinking about him. That she didn't care at all about having to hold on to him. But those words stuck out like they didn't believe themselves. When he took her by the back of the neck, something screamed inside her. Something that she wouldn't let be transparent.

The landscape gradually changed. The trees slowly became more distant from the others, the green grass was slowly consumed by the thin layer of snow, and the air became colder. The indications that they were arriving in Crebeci began when Von felt it touching his cheek. Wet and cold. That was the touch of tiny snowflakes. He felt as if something inside him blossomed, as if he wanted to disappear, to stay there in that white immensity forever. Quiet and without anyone disturbing him. The snow was not only the freedom his soul longed for, it was also what made him see behind the curtains of the mask he wore. Von could see clearly that. those sensations that life gave him were going to end there. That the gentle touch Sophie gave him would end when he died. He lamented in thought as he thought that the only thing life could offer him was death. And something inside him knew that he only regretted the fact that someday he would die because something was blooming. Like a bud gradually opening like that changing landscape, that slowly you could see the petals of that little flower. And just thinking about what the future had in store for him, he felt like living forever. He wanted that strange, small pain that seized his chest at the thought of death to end. That although he was a good assassin, he could die at any time, leaving behind only absolute emptiness. For he had nothing to leave to the world. He had no lineage and no history. He was like a blur in the darkness. That was the downside of living in the shadows, no one would ever remember him. But Von knew. He knew that the sentimental side of him was just a frontier of that place. He knew that Crebeci would stir his body and his soul. He just had to prepare himself for it. Sophie realized that Von had become tense. That landscape was very impressive. The white immensity was almost blinding, and the winds roared as if they brought death. It was a place marked with pain and suffering, and Sophie had no doubts. She knew why Von had tensed, and she had also tensed almost instantly, as if bound together by a thin thread of emotion. All she did was hug him tighter, and it was just when Von thought he wouldn't leave anything behind. What exactly was Sophie to him? She was not just a body, not even the daughter of his superior. She was something. And Von wished for a split second that she was something in her life. That if he died, she would miss him. That she would lie over his cold body and cry until his tears had drained all the will to live from her. He realized at last that Sophie was much more than just desire. He realized that he was walking blindly into passion. And he martyred himself, wondering how he could be so weak. She was just a woman! Only the sentimental side of him wondered: Is she really just a woman? If she died here, in this place, wouldn't you lie down and weep over her body? And his monologue continued while Von tried to blind himself, not because he didn't want to. But because it was just a waste of time... Since it would all end in death.

They stopped in a coniferous forest, where snow was falling relentlessly. They were already close to Agmundr's house and tied Dunny to a tree. They took what they needed from the backpack and left it on top of the horse. Sophie tried to hide the red threads, and Von took two scarves from his backpack. One black and one white. He wrapped the black one around her neck, inside the hood, and lifted it, leaving only her eyes visible. The other one went around Sophie's neck, making her turn red. "I have hands." That's what the expression on her face said.

- Whatever happens, bring her here.- Von said in an impassive tone, closing his bag. - If I stay behind, don't look. Don't come back. Just take Dunny and go on. - The voice was colder than usual. Sophie felt as if her heart had been crushed by the words.

- I can't leave you. - Sophie spoke up for the first time. Her words were sharp as well as welcoming.

- It's not a matter of you not being able to. You can, but you don't want to. - He turned to her and looked into her green eyes. Sophie caught her breath at the sight of those brown pupils staring into her soul. - It's for the good of the mission. Let's make that clear from this mission on.-

- I will. No. Let. You. - She hissed as her hands trembled. Something was wrong. Something wasn't right. Why did the feeling that she was going to lose him take over her? Why was she afraid of that place, as if it would steal her only chance to be something? Why was the look Von gave her not reassuring, but only making her more tense?

- Don't do this. I'm just your father's subordinate, Sophie. -

-No, you're not! -The words died in her throat. This felt like good-bye, and Sophie would do everything she could to make sure nothing happened to Von. The chance of facing not only the guards, but an army made them tense. And they knew they had no chance against them. But Sophie didn't want to see him like this, didn't want him to think as if his life was already over.Without hesitating, she put her arms around Von's waist and leaned her face against his chest.

- Would you leave me behind? - Her curiosity materialized into words and she uttered what was in her throat.

-Never. - He whispered softly, touching his covered lips to the red strands.

- We're a team. - Sophie looked at him and smiled weakly, wanting to believe her words. Wanting to believe that this we belonged only to them. Von took her head and put it back against his chest, hugging her too. If it was their destiny to die in that place, Von would change it without hesitation.

They took only daggers to fight, swords and the big daggers were out of the question on that mission. They had to be fast and accurate. Von had in his pocket a white cloth and a glass with ether. Sophie suspected that Von might kill the girl, but he soon told her that it was only to make her faint. They left Dunny a little way off, but not far enough that he couldn't be seen from the house. The tribe was just a village of six houses with Agmundr's being the main house. After memorizing the layout of the house, they decided to go straight to the far room where Blair Rudra was.

There were five guards blocking the passage of a small cottage made of dark rocks. All were wearing helmets, armor, shields and spears. Sophie and Von were hiding behind trees with thick trunks, and every now and then they looked at the guards who seemed distracted. Without much conversation, they decided to attack the five guards immediately. Sophie went ahead so that she could distract them, and Von followed through the trees until he got behind one of the guards. Sophie said she was lost and didn't know the region very well, while Von silently attacked the first guard. She smiled at the way he had been discreet and saw him coming towards the other four guards who were keeping their attention on her. She calmly took the dagger from her back and waited for Von to approach and attack the first one. After two minutes there were five bodies on the ground with torn necks.

- Better hide them. - Von spoke up and they carried the bodies to the back of the little house. They looked at the wooden door and both swallowed dryly. - You know what to do. - He said in a hierarchical tone, Sophie nodded, and he kicked the door open. What Von saw shocked not only his mind, but also his body. He stood motionless at the scene before him and the only thing he could do was look at Sophie beside him, horrified in the same way he was. Watching as Agmundr tortured the young Blair in a wicked way.