90 Gaz: 2

Arthur hardly had time to take in what he saw as they were forced through halls, up a few stairs and into a room with bars but no panes in the only window. At first it seemed better than the cell where they'd been kept earlier, but he soon noticed there were no beds here and it was almost as cold inside as outdoors. Someone had brought straw too dirty to be left in a stable and the meaning was all too clear to him. They were less than creatures to their captors. A way to confer an insult he'd never encountered before, but he was too tired to care.

The continuous lack of food made him tired as well as cold, and he knew he slept much more than he would normally have done. Anything to conserve strength he guessed, but he didn't complain. Sleeping meant less time spent feeling miserable, and if there ever came a chance for escape they would need all the strength they had.

Arthur curled up in the straw and prepared to wander between waking dreams and an uneasy sleep when Chaijrild started crying. He turned away wishing she would stop, but as her sobbing continued he sighed and moved so he could see her.

"What is it?" he asked. He was surprised at how irritated he sounded.

"I'm cold."

Well, he wasn't the only one angry then. "So am I."

"And I'm hungry."

"I'm sorry, but I have no food."

"I don't want food."

"What do you want then?" Did I really ask that question?

Of course she wanted the same as he did. To be away from here and among friends again. Chaijrild just stared at him, and he almost expected her to slap him, but she just sunk back and looked down at her feet.

"I'm afraid. I want this to stop," she said in a small voice.

Suddenly at a loss for words Arthur caught himself feeling next to useless. He hadn't been able to do much since they were caught, and now Chaijrild expected him to make their problems vanish.

"If you have nothing more important to discuss I'm going to rest my gift now. It's draining and we need to be strong." Gring's voice. Always practical and always just a little bit too void of emotions for him to really understand. Now she'd managed to make him embarrassed. He didn't know her powers were taxing. She'd never told him -- he'd never bothered to ask.

He turned on the dirty straw and tried to sleep, but sleep didn't come to him. He was cold and miserable from long days of neglect. Wet as well. The damp excuse for a mattress didn't agree with him at all.

Chaijrild stirred beside him.

"What is it?" he whispered. De Vhatic was less awkward to use now.

"I'm afraid."

Arthur almost admitted he was afraid himself, but something told him she didn't need to hear that now.

"Come here. Everything will be fine." He didn't know what else to say.

Chaijrild crept closer and together they were warm enough to get some sleep.

#

Arthur dreamed. Home, in his winter cottage, and happy, and his wife beside him. They were strong together, always able to handle whatever life threw at them, and she was beautiful. He accepted his need for her, a need emotional as well as physical, and now it was definitely physical. His desire grew strong. He held her close, moving with her, caressing her to wake her passion as well. He rolled on top of her and pulled down his trousers. She smelled so good, so close. His need grew. When he felt her feet on his back he pushed forward and down. They moved together, rhythmically. He looked down and met her eyes, Chaijrild's eyes, not his wife's, but desire was too strong and he continued moving inside her until he was spent with release.

Arthur lowered himself, resting on his elbows. Too long, it had been too long since he'd been with a woman. Woman? The girl wasn't even half his age. At the moment it didn't matter, and he was content lying on top of her, still inside, listening to her breathing in his ear.

She was still hugging him close to her when he tried to roll over, afraid he was too heavy on the thin layer of damp straw. She rolled with him, apparently not satisfied yet, and with but a small pang of shame he lay with her again. It had truly been far too long since he last lay with a woman, and his needs were greater than his conscience.

I'll regret this, but not now. Once again he drifted into sleep, this time curled up in an embrace as if he was afraid of letting go.

Waking up was an embarrassment for them both. Arthur felt relaxed in a way he hadn't in years, but as revelation of what he had done washed over him shame filled him as well. He could see Chaijrild's eyes mirroring what he felt and turned away. Gods! What a thing to do. He could as well have raped her. Forcing himself on a sleeping child. What had he been thinking?

Not thinking at all, Arthur admitted sourly to himself.

"It took long enough for you to couple," Gring said suddenly, and when he looked at her he could swear he saw amusement in her eyes.

Arthur blushed violently, sharing the sudden coloring with Chaijrild. If Gring wanted them to feel warm she'd succeeded all too well.

"You heard?" Chaijrild gasped.

"How could I not? You skinless are not silent like decent humans."

Arthur knew he must be blushing enough for the red to show through the dirt in his face, and embarrassment competed with shame. No matter which feeling would win out in the end it was an internal struggle he was sure to lose.

"I didn't know she was in season," Gring continued unabashed. "She didn't smell as if in heat."

"Stop!" Chaijrild cried out.

Arthur cringed at her outburst, but silently he shared her sentiment.

"Honestly, I didn't." Gring persisted. "I'm very surprised. I usually never fail to smell when a female is ready for mating. Very odd."

Arthur glared at her with embarrassment slowly mixing with surprise. "Please, no more. We hum... halfmen don't have mating periods," he added as an explanation when he saw she was on the verge of saying something more.

Gring gave him a nonplussed look but kept her silence to his relief