It took a few days to reach the village. They suffered the loss of one man who didn't survive his injuries along the way. When the village finally came into view, it was an hour into the night, and their arrival startled the village awake.
Wails of grief filled the air as the people discovered who had survived and who had not. Adrian stood at the front as families, wives, siblings and parents, cried out in anguish.
Questions, accusations, and anger were directed at him, as he was the only one that can be considered an authority nearby. Adrian had half a mind to run, to leave it all behind, but he stood tall and endured it.
They processed the bodies quickly.
According to the Church of the Lord of Light, bodies were always to be burned, but their influence was small here so some chose to bury their beloved while others committed them to the flames. Late that night, Adrian finally returned to his small house.
Seeing his tools on the worktable and the unfinished furniture he had left behind, Adrian sighed. He was just about to collapse into sleep when there was a knock at the door.
"Um... Steward Osway has asked for you at the castle." A servant said, standing in the doorway and looking unsure of how to treat Adrian.
"Right..." Adrian nodded. He had sent Dexton to report to the steward while he dealt with the bodies, but he should have expected he still needed to appear in person, not to mention he had to relay the Baron's orders regarding his education in "lordly matters."
Although, he was indeed delaying it a bit, purposely.
Adrian cleaned himself with a wet cloth and changed into something looser and rougher than the fine clothes he had worn these past few days.
He headed to the castle, making sure to bring the borrowed clothes and weapons he intended to return. He noticed there were barely any guards on duty, Colby holding the reins, the Baron had pulled most of the castle guards to join the conflict at Sawhead.
After handing the gear to a servant, he was led to a room to meet not just the steward, but the Lady of the castle, Lady Harrow.
"Milady..." Adrian bowed, startled. He suddenly remembered a favor the Lady had mentioned once before he was sent to fight the Islanders.
"Dexton told me what happened. I want to hear it from you, everything the other lords said, including the Prince, from the start." Lady Harrow commanded.
"Of course. As soon as we arrived at the town and I was led to my room, I was immediately called away..." Adrian recounted the events, starting from the meeting with the Prince up to the taking of Sawhead Castle, omitting only his private thoughts.
Lady Harrow occasionally chimed in with questions, which Adrian dutifully answered, while the steward added his own observations from time to time. Finally, Adrian reached the end and, after a brief hesitation, told them what the Baron had said before he left.
"He told you that?"
"He did." Adrian replied, unable to meet her eyes.
"Do you know what that could mean?"
"I do not know." Adrian answered. Of course, he had some ideas after reflecting on it during the journey home.
"Hmm..." The Lady remained silent for a moment, lost in thought. She gave a minute shake of her head. "The steward will begin your lessons in the morning."
"I will make sure to teach him all I can, milady," The steward said, his eyes fixed on Adrian.
Lady Harrow nodded. "You will sleep in the castle tonight." She waved her hand to dismiss him.
Adrian walked out of the room, releasing a long breath and shaking his head. Instead of looking for a servant to show him to a room, he headed into the yard. He wanted to clear his head but couldn't find the words, so he decided to find a weapon.
Under the dim light of the torches and the moonlight, he found a mace in a nearby shed and began to swing. Each movement reminded him of an enemy, he jolted as if a real foe had appeared before him.
With another swing, a phantom pain etched across his cheek where the sword had pierced him and now had scabbed. He could almost taste the steel and blood in his mouth again.
Anxiety and alertness spiked his head. Fear rose in his chest as if he were surrounded once more.
Adrian stopped and let out a shaky breath, convincing himself that he wasn't in danger no longer, chuckling to himself. 'Am I having ptd? Or was it ptsd? That's another word I learned from my dreams...' he thought.
Eventually, he called it a night. A servant led him to his quarters, and he collapsed onto the bed.
At some point in the night, the door to his room creaked open. Adrian felt a hand touch his face. He woke abruptly, already in the throes of a nightmare, he quickly awakened, snatching the hand away.
He blinked several times, trying to take in his surroundings, but the candle had gone out and only the moonlight lighted the room.
"Shh..."
A finger was placed on his lips. The voice was soft, belonging to a woman. And one that he didn't recognize.
She pulled at his hand, and suddenly he felt warmth and soft flesh, hindered only by thin fabric. He had limited experience, but he knew exactly what he was feeling.
Adrian was dumbfounded, wondering if he was still asleep. Then, a hand touched his leg, and he realized there was more than one woman in the room. He tried to sit up, but he felt a warm breath on his face and then lips against his cheek, right near the scabbed wound. He shivered.
'Alright', he thought, 'I am definitely dreaming.'
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It was the easiest explanation as to what was happening and accepting it as that, he eased into things as his hand grope the woman's breast and started fondling.
It was then that the woman's lips kissed the edge of his lips before taking it whole.
Soft flesh meet his lips along with hot breath, and soon he felt wet flesh lick his lips before he parted his mouth and the woman's tongue tentatively touch his own, Adrian shivered before he responded.
Adrian nearly moaned as their tongues wrestled, saliva mixing, and then when the woman sucked his tongue, a moan did managed to escape out of him.
The fire spread all over his body especially to his groin and then he nearly jolted when his pants was suddenly pulled and his cock was set free in the open.
He shivered by the cold wind before warm breath showered his cock and then delicate hands covered it. This time he shivered again but out of pleasure.
It was then that the woman kissing him pulled back for a bit, but only to straddle him, and then he heard the rustle of clothes before the woman pulled both his hand and put it on her tits that was now bare.
Adrian instantly squeezed, her breasts full, and fit to his hands and it aroused him even more. Especially when her bottom cheeks lighly brushed the length of his cock.
The hand that held his cock slowly started to stroke him and Adrian's hip instinctively thrusted into the touch.
Then suddenly the tits he was fondling became much closer to his face and Adrian leaned forward and took one peak to his mouth.
There was just something about the action that awakened a primal need inside him, nibbling with the nibble with his tongue and soon, started sucking on them.
He heard the woman moaned and immediately followed by his own as he felt warm and wet liquid dripped down to his cock.
The sensation made him tremble and then the delicate hands started stroking him more smoothly and sensually, the pleasure increasing with the lubrication.
Adrian lost himself on the sensation while not forgetting to pour attention to the two mounds on his face.
His lips and tounge explored each tit thoroughly as if he wanted to swallow them whole. He couldn't get enough of them.
Then he felt the bed shift and then felt his cock suddenly being brought low before Adrian felt wet and warm flesh hitting the tip.
Adrian realized what was coming, anticipation rose inside him and suddenly he felt like he was being swallowed hall, his hands grabbed behind the woman on top of him and pulled her closer and his face being pressed by soft mound of flesh only increased his arousal.
And soon he was devoured whole, he felt the buttocks of the person his cock was sheathed, rest on his hips while his cock was squeezed by warm, soft and wet walls.
This was his second time… and though this all seemed like a dream, this was so much better than his first time.
Soon his cock was being stroke by the inside of a woman as she stared rocking her hips, faint moaning sound along with flesh hitting flesh resounded in the room.
Adrian not content to just lie, started thrusting his hips to meet her and the pleasure increased, and with no surprise, pleasure overwhelmed his mind quickly as he came, eyes nearly rolling at the back of his head.
"Ughn!"
For an eternity, his hips was arch up, pouring everything he had inside her and then a moment passed before he slumped down.
The wave of pleasure leaving him and making him dazed.
He briefly felt the bed shift, as his hold on the woman above him loosened but still there.
Then the woman kissed him in the lips before she pulled herself off him, until Adrian grabbed her shoulders. Though dazed and delirious his body moved on its own.
His eyes had started to get used to the dark, though he still couldn't see clearly, he still noted the hint of surprise on the woman and then Adrian pulled her to him.
He still has fire on him, and he was going to doused it all tonight.