The kings reward,last time

The men wanted to know whether this was really good, how could they have found out already and organised everything.

The captain told them they should've figured out by now that both we and the enemies had active and efficient spy services that used magical communications, so there had been plenty of time for them to find out from our spies what had happened even if they didn't believe the captains report.

I asked the captain when we would leave. He said that if we left at dawn the next day we would make it. Then I asked him about my status.

He smiled and said that I had given far beyond my calling and my choice, and I could consider my service complete anytime I wanted. I counted quickly, it would be a week over five months on the day we met the King.

I wanted one last time to say a proper good bye to each of the men, so I proposed to the captain that we stay an extra two days at the camp, so I could give each of them one last go, and that we rode harder on the road.

The captain looked around the squad to see whether they were prepared to ride harder, and their eye's said it all — they'd ride to hell for one last time with me. Anyway, we really needed the time to get ready to leave.

I was tired and sore by mid afternoon on the second day. I had seen all of them but the Captain and Scar, and each of them had wanted something special "to remember me by." I hadn't expected any less, and honestly, I had enjoyed every minute of it as well.

None of them were Scar, but each of them was special, and I gave them exactly what I'd learnt that they wanted. And I sorted out with each of them what story I would give their families if it came up. Finally, after we dressed, I sat in their laps and kissed them, thanking them for looking after me so well.

The captain was my second last. I looked at him, and thought of how I'd admired his power when I first undressed him. I knew him so much better, and now, although I certainly had much stronger magic than him, I understood the depths of his fire and his self discipline.

The captain was a great man, who would go on to achieve much in this life. I wasn't fooled by the growth of my own magic.

It might appear powerful, but the only really powerful thing I had done, starting the avalanche, although it had been astounding, had arisen out of complete desperation.

I was still honoured to call the captain my master. In all the time on the mountain in the winter, he had never taken me again since that first time, presumably as a mark of respect for Holly.

Well, I understood that, but today, we were going out with a bang, and I was going to be taken by him.

He tried to resist, but he never had a chance. When I turned my focus to seducing him, given how well I knew him, and how I could sense his feelings, he was powerless to resist.

And I guess that was why I wanted him. But he was good, he gave back as good as I gave him, and once again I found myself resting in his arms, full of emotion.

Then I sat up next to him, rested my hand on his chest, and said "You know that you are still my master."

"Oh no", he said, "not any more. I remember giving you a challenge to show that you had the backbone to find what you deserve.

Not any more. You have the strength to be anything you want now. I only hope that you continue in the path you've laid for yourself, and look after Scar for me, he is my best friend."

I thought about that. I could see that this was true. "Perhaps this is true, but the law still counts you as my Master. And so do I, I think perhaps forever, you are a great man."

"I am honoured indeed. And we will sort out the law when we see the King. I will be happy simply to count you as a friend.

" And so there, still naked, we promised to each other that we would always be friends, and that we would help each other stay true to the people and the land.

I kissed him good bye with a tinge of regret. He was a great man, and Holly was very lucky. But the regret passed quickly as I realised that I was finally free. Free to give everything I had to the love of my life.

After a short rest and a bit of packing, I called him in, and we made the camp ring. I wasn't ashamed, I wanted them all to know that Scar was the man I wanted.

As we rode out of the mountains and I started recognising landmarks from the trip in, I thought about how much I had changed in those few months on the Dragon's Backbone.

I had been a dazed and weak girl, a seedie whore with no friends, no future; no redeeming qualities at all, in fact. Coming back I was finally a grown woman, desirable, with great power, love, happiness, and a future.

How much I had changed, and I knew that though it had taken three men to ruin my life in the first place, it was almost entirely the work of only two men to build me a new life, a much better one.

The Captain, and Scar. It made me happy to know that giving my life to Scar also meant that I would continue to be around the Captain.

I thought of what the Captain had said about riding and steering my emotions like a horse, and how much my love for Scar filled me up now that I had allowed it to be released. I think I finally understood what he had meant.

I was in a bit of a quandary about my future. Up till the last few weeks, all I had ever considered was that somehow I would like to go to healer's school, but now that would take me apart from Scar for a few years, so I really didn't want it anymore.

Scar thought I still should go there, he would still see me often, and it would be worth it. I didn't know what to do, but it would take a strong force to separate me from Scar now.