Kindred Spirit Lodge Presents
The Invitation
by Rider & Lady Elsbeth
August 2005
____****____
(Prelude) --
The Sisters of the lodge gathered to welcome Lady Elsbeth, a new lodger - the gallant Klancy, a reticent Cat and the impish Dagger.
A vision in purple leather and silk glides up before the newcomer.
"Greetings Lady Elsbeth. I am Lady Alison, often referred to as the Gentle Warrior. I am the posterchild of innocence (hush Aria, she's new and doesn't know any different) and virtue. Welcome to the Lodge. When you are ready to settle in please let Me know and I will see that a room is made ready for you."
On her heels is another warm welcome.
"I'm Ikarias Half-Dragon. Left sided scales from daddy the colddrake and right side like mother's." (Shaking sawdust off as she descends a ladder, and grinning, admiring the newcomer's smile and bright eyes.)
"The purpliscious one, Lady Alipooh, erk Alison, keeps losing her darts in the rafters, better than ploinking them into people's backsides. She likes her blowgun like she likes her women, long and with a hole in--"
Ikarias falls senseless with a dart in her chest. Lady Alison smiles graciously.
____****____
(Rider) --
The door to the lodge swings open and a dusty Rider entered with long strides, her eye on the bar and her mind on largest mug of cold ale available.
The crowd gathered around a luscious newcomer caught the tall woman's eye and her long strides slowed to a sexy saunter. Rider quickly brushed the dust from her vest and pants and altered her direction. She never slowed as she reached the crowd and they moved aside to avoid her purposeful path.
Cat hissed softly as Rider rolled her eyes at her friend, Lady Alison, and stepped over the half-dragon slumbering on the floor. Rider turned a charming grin on the newcomer as the lady's eyes took in the tanned figure dressed in boots, leather pants and a leather vest.
The muscles rippled as she reached out to take the hand of the newcomer and press warm, soft lips against the lovely wrist.
"May I introduce myself? I am Rider, a fellow newcomer. May I offer you a glass of wine and conversation? The sisters of this lodge can be a bit overwhelming until you figure out who is who."
The stranger looked nervously about, then back at the amused brown eyes twinkling at her from under sun-bleached, wind-tossed locks.
"Oh, they are a very wonderful bunch, actually," Rider said, flashing a grin at the sisters of the lodge. "Just steer clear of the dark one other there," the horse master shrugged a shoulder toward Sirius. "There's hardly any room left for still another to polish her boots." Cat hissed again softly and Dagger shot a nervous glance toward Sirius to see if the dark lord would take offense at Rider's impudence. Sirius ignored the relative newcomer, but leaned back in her chair to drape a long leg across the table to display a dusty boot. Daggar immediately began digging in her pockets for her polishing cloth.
Rider gently led the Lady Elsbeth away from the crowd to a nearby table and motioned to the bartender for a mug of ale and glass of wine. "My boots, on the other hand...."
____****____
(from Elsbeth's pen) --
Elsbeth arose from the dreamless comfort of sleep and gazed out the window at the beautiful lake below and the snow-covered mountains in the distance. Exhaustion had set in shortly after her arrival at the Lodge, but the warm welcome from her new Sisters lingered in her mind and touched her heart with a peace she had not felt in a very long time.
She threw on a dressing gown and entered the hallway. Making her way to the stairs she thought of the life she had left behind. The weight of the pain, fear and sorrow of that life cut through her now as strong memories filled her mind.
She descended the staircase before her and entered the parlor. Immediately her attention was drawn to a tall muscled stranger who approached her, and with reassuring words and a warm kiss to her hand, led her to a table. She introduced herself as Rider, and her muscled body attested to the strength of one accustomed to the back of a horse.
A glass of wine was set before her.
“Thank you kind Rider,” she said, smiling into the intense brown eyes that were gazing at her.
Rider’s remark regarding Lord Sirius led her mind to the thought of the Dark Lord’s abrupt welcome. She turned her gaze in the direction of the Dark One who was watching the lusty and beautiful Aria. Putting Lord Sirius aside, Elsbeth’s, eyes fell back on this strong beautiful Rider… She was filled with gratitude at Rider’s gesture of sharing a table and a drink. After her lone journey it was good to share companionship with another.
____****____
(Rider) --
Rider turned her most charming smile on Lady Elsbeth and pulled out a chair as invitation.
The lady accepted, gracefully sliding in to the seat.
"May I suggest a Merlot? The wine here is very good. The ale here is also very good - dark and chilled in the cellar."
"The Merlot, I think," the lady responded in a silky voice. She eyed the tanned horse master. "So you are also new to the lodge."
"Yes, relatively," Rider answered. "I have found my stay here so far very
comfortable."
Rider watched as Elsbeth's eyes swept the room, pausing over several of the
lodgers.
"Some are easier to get to know than others. I can give you my impressions of the one's I've gotten to know," Rider offered.
"Please, continue," Elsbeth replied with interest.
A slow smile spread across Rider's face as she formed her words carefully.
"The two lady A's have to top my list. Lady Aria, my dear Elsbeth, is a wicked flirt whose banter keeps spirits - and hormones - up in the lodge. But I'm still waiting for her to put her flesh where her flirt is.
"On the other hand, Lady Alison is a different kind of sexy..." Rider struggled to find the right description. "She is pure of heart, and strong in character as well as beautiful. A deadly warrior, she is a gentle friend and skilled lover. She also has recently suffered a love loss that she bore with great dignity."
Lady Elsbeth nodded. "And the others?"
"Well, I can't tell you much about the others. All have been welcoming, but I've only been here a short time. Of the ones I have spoken with, Klancy seems a solid type I would trust to keep my back in a fight. Ikarias is intriguingly exotic with a great sense of humor. Dagger, too, has a wit as sharp as her name. But you will pick that up soon from the lodge conversations."
"And you, Rider? Why are you here?" Elsbeth asked.
Rider drained the last of her ale and tapped the empty mug on the table top in a nervous gesture. She frowned for the first time. She didn't like to talk about this, but something about Elsbeth made her want to reveal herself in full.
"Some part of me drew me to the sisterhood - a part of me I'm still trying to
learn to live with." Rider slapped the mug on the table in a dismissive
gesture and flashed her trademark grin at the lady. "But we can talk about
that another time. It's a beautiful day. I've got a new mare I just purchased
and I need to stretch her legs. I would love to offer you my usual mount if
you care to accompany me on a ride around the countryside. I
can show you the warm springs and some other amenities close by the lodge,"
____****____
(Elsbeth replies) --
Charmed by the dashing Rider, Elsbeth sipped her wine as she listened to Rider’s husky voice relay to her what she knew of the Lodge and its Members. She hoped that her recent exchange with the lovely Fawn would not scare her new friend away. Elsbeth was a lady of extremes; capable of most gentle love and kindness on the one hand and torment and punishment to those who “asked” for it on the other.
Rider would be one who would provoke her love if she would allow herself, and also her rare need for protection… Rider’s description of the other sisters; Lady Alison the Gentle Warrior, Lady Aria and Klancy, rang true to Elsbeth’s ears as she thought about the warm welcome these Sisters had given her.
Her heart reached out to her new friend, sensing her discomfort in revealing her reason for coming to the Lodge.
“Ah Rider, you will find in me no reason for discomfort in disclosure. My own journey has been fraught with uncertainty and discomfort many times.” Elsbeth touched Rider’s hand with her own in a gesture of reassurance. Rider graced her with the most charming of smiles, bringing a blush to her cheeks…
"I've got a new mare I just purchased and I need to stretch her legs. I would love to offer you my usual mount if you care to accompany me on a ride around the countryside. I can show you the warm springs and some other amenities close by the lodge," Rider rose and offered her hand to Elsbeth.
“Thank you, lovely Rider. I would enjoy that very much.”
Taking Rider’s hand, Elsbeth rose from her chair, smiling warmly into Rider’s
dancing eyes. Elsbeth noticed the glances from the other Lodgers as they
exited the Lodge and walked toward the stables.
Rider grinned broadly and held gently onto the warm hand laid softly in hers
as she led Lady Elsbeth from the lodge and toward the stables.
As always, Rider's strides grew longer and her pace quickened as they grew closer to wonderful smells and sounds of the stables. It was where Rider felt most at home. The power and graceful beauty of the equine beasts called to her. She thought she must have been a horse in a previous life. That was why her spirit still felt called to be among them.
Elsbeth laughed and tugged at the larger hand still clasping hers. The eagerness of her tall muscular companion reminded her of a child anxious to see her favorite pony.
"Slow down, please. Your legs are somewhat longer than mine," she teasingly admonished.
Slowing her pace to better match Elsbeth's stride, Rider's grin was sheepish. "Sorry, I forget myself sometimes."
A deep whinny rang out from the stable as they approached. "That's my boy," Rider grinned.
The muscled neck of the Arabian stallion arched over the low door of the first stall. His hide was white as snow and dark, liquid eyes stared out from under a long forelock that fell halfway down his elegant nose. The steed snorted and shook his head. 'Just who are you calling, boy?'
Rider laughed and said to the horse, "What's the matter? Are you afraid Song will hear?"
Elsbeth looked puzzled. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Rider's face reddened, and she scuffed the ground with the toe of her boot. It was a gesture Elsbeth would soon recognize as Rider's nervous habit, akin to a horse pawing at the ground when they are nervous or impatient.
"Well, um, well." Rider looked into Elsbeth's eyes, expecting to see a woman wary that she had picked an unstable friend. What she saw instead was a warm curiosity in those hazel eyes. Rider cleared her throat. She didn't know why, but she felt she could tell this woman her secrets.
"Well, since I was a child, I could hear the thoughts of some animals. Horses, mostly. But occasionally dogs and cats, or, on rare occasions, a wild animal. Walker and I have been together for nearly eight seasons now. It is easy for me to hear him."
"Can he hear your thoughts, or must you always speak aloud to him?" Surprising to Rider, Elsbeth's question held no skepticism.
The horse master shrugged and gazed down into the depths of Elsbeth's beautiful eyes. "We can communicate either way. Being human, my first impulse is to speak aloud. But he can just as easily read my thoughts."
'Yeah, like right now you are thinking things you won't say aloud about that lady.'
Rider's eyes darted away from the Lady Elsbeth and sought out anything else to look at - the pitchfork, the horse blankets, anything. 'Hold your tongue, you rogue, or I'll find another steed for the Lady and you won't get a chance to come along as I give Song a test ride.'
'I can smell her from here,’ Wind Walker snorted. ‘Her scent calls to me.’
'I bought Song for me, Pony Boy. If you want her, you'll have to charm your own woman.'
Elsbeth watched as Rider's quickly diverted her attention, scanned the barn, then turned a raised eyebrow at the stallion.
"Where did you go just then?" she asked softly, reaching out to touch the Rider's arm. The tanned skin was soft over the hard bicep, and warm from the sun.
"Just thinking," Rider replied cryptically. She again clasped the Lady's hand and drew her toward the stallion. "Let me formally introduce you. This is Wind Walker. He will be your steed."
Elsbeth eyed the stallion's muscular physique as the equine's delicate ears pricked forward and the elegant head nodded at her. "Stallions are generally very spirited, aren't they?" she asked tentatively. "I can ride, but I’m no master at it."
Rider smiled down at the shorter woman. "Have no fear. Walker will be very gentle as a lamb with you. I often ride him bareback, and sometimes even without a bridle."
'I hate that mouth nasty.'
Rider rolled her eyes. "OK, we'll use the bonsol today," she said to the horse.
"What did he say?" Elsbeth asked, her eyes widening.
"He hates a bit in his mouth, so he's asking for a bitless bridle."
"Oh!" Elsbeth eyed the handsome animal, then his handsome owner. She wished she could hear the horse as Rider did.
Rider moved farther down the barn's hallway.
"Let me introduce you to the newest member of my horse family."
A delicate dark brown nose accented by a slender white blaze extended from a large airy stall to gently blow warm breath onto Elsbeth's extended hand. Intelligent eyes stared into hers as they regarded each other.
"You are very beautiful," she whispered to the mare.
"Yes, I agree," Rider said softly. But her eyes were on Elsbeth, not the mare.
____****____
(Elsbeth) --
Elsbeth’s face shone as she gazed at Rider. She felt a rush of energy in her belly and thought about how it might feel to be in the arms of this gorgeous woman with the beautiful intense eyes... She reached out her hand and stroked Rider’s cheek and then ran her hand through her beautiful sun kissed hair.
But she hesitated to go any further, uncertain about what would happen. Elsbeth knew that Rider was attracted to several Ladies at the lodge.
____****____
(Rider) --
Rider responded with a soft smile, a rare break from her usual cocky grin. This woman was different. The horse master didn’t want to just bed her. Something, damn, something made Rider want to court her. The feeling was new and foreign — exciting yet daunting. She’d never courted anyone before. Not even Antonia.
“I’ll have our steeds ready in only moment,” she husked before tearing her eyes away from the emerald pools that held her.
After picking up a picnic lunch at the lodge, Rider and Elsbeth set off for the hills and meadows beyond the lodge. While Wind Walker carried his lovely burden carefully, Song danced and pranced, pulling against her bit in her eagerness to stretch her legs.
They rode slowly through a virgin forest where sunlight filtering through a high canopy of huge oaks and tall pines dappled their path. Wind Walker snorted as deer scent drifted their way. He didn’t like the agile animal. They tended to jump out of the bushes and startle you. The last thing he wanted to do in front this attractive filly was jump like a green-shy colt.
The two women rode in silence, enjoying the sounds of the birds flitting between the branches overhead and the smell of the moist, fertile earth underfoot. Even Song absorbed the sense of peace and settled into a relaxed walk.
After some length, Lady Elsbeth turned to her retrospective companion.
“Did you grow up around here?” she asked.
Rider cocked her head, and considered her answer.
“No. I came to this area from where I was staying with one of the southern Amazon tribes.”
Elsbeth frowned. “You don’t dress like an Amazon,” she said.
Rider laughed. “No. I dress in clothes that are suitable to what I do. I don’t know how those Amazons keep from getting saddle sores, riding in those leather skirts like they do.”
Elsbeth smiled at the Rider’s laugh. It was deep and pleasant to hear.
“Exactly what is it that you do?”
“Horses, my lady,” Rider replied. “I was riding a horse before I could walk. I was living with the Amazons before I came to the lodge because they paid me to train their horses and young riders.”
“Is it true that Amazons can walk among the treetops?”
“Yes, they learn as children to be at home in the trees. I’ve seen an entire squadron of Amazons take to the trees and seem to disappear in seconds.” Rider raised her arms to the heavens. “Then they dropped from the trees...” She suddenly dropped her arms in an abrupt gesture that made the lady jerk in surprise. “… wearing these frightening masks and soundly thrashing unsuspecting intruders before they even have a chance know what attacked them.”
“Oh!” Elsbeth’s eyes were wide. Then she laughed. “I think your imagination is as big and your tale as tall as that 100-year-old oak over there.”
Rider drew back and arched an indignant eyebrow at the Lady. “I’m wounded that you question the accuracy of my story!” But her twinkling eyes told Elsbeth that Rider wasn’t really offended. "Actually, my tale is true, however, far-fetched it may sound. The Amazons are amazing."
Elsbeth was quiet for a moment. Should she ask? No other way to find out.
"Living in a village full of women, was there a special one for you?"
Rider shifted in her saddle and studied the trees. In the few years since she left the Amazons, no one had ever asked her to talk about Antonia. She thought it would hurt more.
"Yes," Rider said with a faint shrug.
"Can I ask what happened," Elsbeth asked softly.
Again a shrug and Rider's eyes searched everywhere except the compassionate eyes that held her and caressed the old pain. "She was killed," Rider said gruffly.
____****____
(Elsbeth) --
Before Rider could say anything more, Elsbeth said, "Oh I am so sorry!"
"Enough about me." Rider said, sliding her hurt once again behind that charming, cocky grin. "Tell me your impressions of the lodgers you have met so far."
But Elsbeth wasn't falling for Rider's diversion.
She reached out her hand and gently brushed back an errant lock of hair threatening to conceal the eyes that didn't match Rider's grin. Elsbeth's eyes darkened at the sadness she felt for Rider's loss.
"You and I have something in common. I have also lost someone I love," she said. "In fact, I lost my family."
____****____
(Rider) --
The loss Rider saw in the lady's eyes tore at her heart. So she had experienced pain, too. But Rider doubted that this gentle woman had let her pain open the door to darkness as Rider had.
That was it. It wasn't the old pain that tormented Rider. It wasn't still the loss of Antonia. It wasn't the death of her own innocence to the blood lust that consumed her that terrible night.
It was the darkness.
Rider had not been able to embrace her darkness no matter how well it had served her vengeance. Nor could she completely turn away from it. But the constant teetering on the line between dark and light produced a restlessness that never allowed Rider to settle and call a place home for long. Her lack of control over the Beast kept her from completely trusting her heart to another.
There was something about the light in Elsbeth, however, that seemed to finally illuminate things. It seemed to soothe the restlessness a bit. Rider cocked her head, staring deep into those swirling green pools. She wanted to get closer to that light.
"I want to hear that story when you are ready," Rider said softly.
At that moment, the forest opened into a wide meadow warming in the bright sunlight. Wildflowers - purple, yellow and cornflower blue - covered the field like a blanket and their troubled hearts like a soothing balm.
Rider's grin was genuine this time. She straightened in the saddle, gesturing with a wide sweep of her arm. "A bouquet for the lady," she said, bowing low in the saddle.
As Elsbeth's laughter spilled over Rider's ears, the horse master knew without a doubt she would work hard to evoke it time and time again. "I don't know why Aria calls you brash," Elsbeth laughed. "I find you perfectly charming."
Rider puffed her chest out and scowled. "I am charming," she said indignantly. After a hesitation, the scowl turned to a leer. "It's not my fault Aria hasn't fully experienced my charms."
Elsbeth rolled her eyes. She had already learned enough about this warrior to ignore the swaggering bravado.
"I hope there is a bottle of wine to go with my flowers," she teased.
"Indeed, madam." Rider waggled her eyebrows comically. "And lunch."
"Excellent. I'm starved," Elsbeth said as she nudged Wind Walker toward the middle of the field. It was a perfect spot for a picnic.
____****____
(Elsbeth) --
Elsbeth rolled her eyes. She had already learned enough about this warrior to ignore the swaggering bravado.
She knew that Aria held a special place in Rider’s heart. She felt that perhaps she would be intruding on the developing relationship between those two. As a means of self-protection she decided that she wouldn’t be too forward in the relationship growing between Rider and herself. She didn’t have any room left in her heart for more hurt.
Smiling at Rider, she shifted in her saddle, "I hope there is a bottle of wine to go with my flowers," she teased.
"Indeed, madam." Rider waggled her eyebrows comically. "And lunch."
"Excellent. I'm starved," Elsbeth said as she nudged Wind Walker toward the middle of the field. It was a perfect spot for a picnic.
Elsbeth inhaled the soft scent of the wildflowers that covered the ground. “What a perfect day for a picnic,” she said.
As Elsbeth brought Wind Walker to a halt, Rider took her hand and gently helped her off his back. Rider’s eyes shone with a warm intensity Lady Elsbeth found hard to resist. As she looked into her eyes she felt a warm blush rise to her face as she enjoyed this beautiful moment with this wonderful woman.
She wanted to throw her arms around Rider’s neck and kiss those luscious lips. Instead she reached for Wind Walker, hugging him instead. “Thank you for being such a wonderful mount,” she whispered. As Wind Walker returned her hug with a nuzzle she could almost sense his pleasure at this small compliment. She gave him a quick kiss and turned back to Rider who was spreading a blanket for them.
She turned a full circle and viewed the rolling waves of flower that disappeared into the horizon. Then she turned her happy gaze to Rider. She took in Rider’s tight butt and muscled legs; she thought how much she would love to feel Rider’s body against hers. As Rider laid out the food with a cocky grin and overstated flourish, Elsbeth fell to the blanket, laughing. She wished this moment would last forever.
____****____
(Rider) --
Rider quickly unsaddled the two horses and gave them their freedom for the day. Wind Walker shook his head then tore off to circle the meadow, seeming to ignore his companion but actually keeping a close eye to see if she would follow his lead. Song on the Wind hesitated briefly, but the pull to follow her stallion was too strong. They raced around the meadow in perfect sync, necks arched and tails flung high in the wind.
"They are beautiful together," Elsbeth said, her eyes following the magnificent beasts.
Rider gazed at Elsbeth's fine profile. "Yes," she said softly. "From the moment I laid eyes on Song, I felt they were two pieces meant to fit together."
Elsbeth turned to the Rider. Their eyes locked, warm brown eyes inviting, swirling hazel eyes full of questions. Rider reached out and Lady Elsbeth hesitantly laid her small, soft hand in Rider's larger, calloused one.
"Your lunch awaits, my lady," Rider said, her slow smile met by Elsbeth's.
Rider laid out their feast of fruit, cheeses and a variety of rich olives, holding up each for her guest's approval. She dipped one plump strawberry in a bowl of thick, sweet cream before popping it in her mouth and closing her eyes in pleasure as a preview of her offering to the fair lady.
Rider's antics were again rewarded with Elsbeth's sweet laughter, and the horse master grinned as she uncorked a light chardonnay.
Elsbeth lowered herself gracefully to the soft blanket, folding her legs neatly under her as she settled next to the feast. Rider squatted, then sat cross-legged next to her and began to slice the cheese and bread. She served her lady friend first. She may be a horse master, but Rider wasn't raised in a barn. Her manners were impeccable, and Elsbeth was amused by the gallantry of this leather-clad woman.
The horses grazed nearby while the women talked and ate. As the meal progressed, they slowly moved closer to each other, Rider facing Elsbeth's side, tucking one long leg close to her body and the other extended, knee bent to form a rest behind Elsbeth' s slender back.
Elsbeth leaned against the soft leather covering the hard muscle of Rider's leg, her pulse quickening at the contact. Rider's low, melodic voice and warm breath caressed her delicate ear.
"These are my very favorite," Rider said, dipping a plump, red strawberry into the thick, sweet cream and holding it up for Elsbeth to bite.
The twinkle in Elsbeth's eyes should have warned her.
A pink tongue emerged from ruby lips and circled the fat berry to collect the dripping cream before flashing white teach neatly nipped the morsel from Rider's hand. The Lady smiled at the shudder that ran through the horse master's taut body. It pleased her to see the effect she had on the other woman.
Elsbeth dipped another berry in the cream and held it up to return the favor.
The dark eyes she gazed into now were hungry and predatory, the irises seeming to pale to a golden color before long, soft lashes closed over them. Rider struggled for control. Something deep inside wanted this one. She could smell Elsbeth's arousal and hear the throbbing of the other woman's pulse. Her own heart pounded in her ears.
Rider opened her eyes slowly and they bore into Elsbeth's. Rider leaned forward and held Elsbeth's wrist in an iron grip, guiding the sweet morsel as it disappeared into her warm mouth in one motion. She smiled at Elsbeth's gasp as her hot tongue licked and her mouth sucked the cream from slender fingers before releasing her.
The warm sun bore down on them and Elsbeth watched a trickle of sweat make its way down Rider’s strong neck and over the sculpted collarbone to disappear behind the laces of the horse master’s leather vest.
Rider watched the hazel eyes caress her body before she selected another plump berry and coated it with sweet cream. Elsbeth accepted the offering, finding the dark eyes that held her prisoner. The juices of the berry ran from Elsbeth’s lips and down her chin. Slowly Rider leaned forward -- her eyes never leaving Elsbeth -- and she licked at the succulent juices before caressing the warm lips with her own. The lady opened readily for the tongue that flicked against her and Rider plunged in. It was sweet … sweet as the cream that covered the berries. She reached out to pull Elsbeth’s body against hers – hard against soft, hot against cool, dark against light.
Rider’s head was spinning as she pulled back. Lady Elsbeth’s eyes were still closed, her lips glistening. And Rider trembled with the effort to refrain from taking this woman right where they sat. Her hands itched to hold those creamy breasts and tweak the pink nipples she imagined beneath the lace bodice. Her body ached to lie between those soft thighs and her center throbbed to claim the prize before her.
But something stopped her. She drank in the soft planes of Elsbeth’s face, the blush that rose from her elegant neck to color her cheeks, the confusion in those swirling eyes. This would be more than a coupling, a mutual relieving of desire. This could be a well she would have to go to again and again, and still never quench the thirst. Perhaps it would be best not to take the first taste.
“You are so very beautiful,” she whispered before standing and offering Elsbeth her hand.
Elsbeth frowned up at Rider’s sudden withdrawal but took the offered hand. She groaned as she stood and sore thigh muscles protested the strain. It had been a long time since she had spent a day on a horse.
Rider grinned. “Need to exercise those muscles more often?” she teased.
Elsbeth shot her a glare. “Well, it’s not from lack of trying,” she grumbled to herself. She felt there was something between her and Rider - something more than the obvious sexual attraction. But Rider's indecision - flirting, then backing away - was confusing and frustrating.
Rider ignored the lady’s grumbling and reached down to toss the remainders from their lunch out into the field for the wild life to consume. She efficiently rolled their dishes into the blanket and tied off the bundle to pack back to the lodge.
She turned to catch Elsbeth rubbing the stiff muscles of her rather attractive backside and smiled.
“I have the perfect remedy for those sore muscles,” Rider grinned.
“If you say another day of riding, I’m going to use your own whip on you,” Elsbeth growled. Her frustration with Rider, along with her aching muscles, was making her grumpy. But the raised eyebrows and flush that immediately crept up the horse master's neck was an intriguing reaction to her grumbling.
‘Now that's an interesting idea. Damn she’s cute when she’s pissed,’ Rider thought. The horse master grinned at Elsbeth’s scowl. “It’s only a short ride away,” she said. “I promise you won’t regret it.”
Rider whistled for the horses and quickly saddled them.
“Put your left foot in my hand,’ Rider instructed, “and let me lift you up. It will be easier on those sore legs.”
Elsbeth did as requested and Rider carefully lifted her in the saddle. The lithe lady was well toned, but still light as a feather.
The horses were quiet as they wound their way along a mountain trail to the hot springs Rider had only a short time ago visited with Lady Alison. Rider smiled to herself at the memory. Perhaps if she couldn’t find another way to relieve the sexual tension that was steadily building from Elsbeth’s presence, Lady Alison would be willing to help her relieve the ache. What was between them was a warrior bond that they both understood held no promise except respect and loyal friendship.
Lady Elsbeth could hear the river running swiftly nearby, where the series of small pools apparently emptied. Rider hopped down from Song, leaving the reins looped over the mare’s neck. She gently helped Elsbeth from Wind Walker, then strode purposefully over to largest of the pools. It was big enough for six or seven people to fit comfortably in.
The late afternoon sun still shone warm upon the slate lined pool.
“The water is heated,” Rider explained as she began to pull her boots off. “It’s the best thing I know for sore muscles. You’ll really love it.”
Elsbeth hung back, speechless as she watched the Rider quickly shedding clothes. Boots and socks gone, muscles rippled across the strong back as the vest was unlaced and cast aside. The belt unbuckled, Rider reached to slide her pants off when Elsbeth suddenly found her tongue.
“Wait! Um…I…uh ….I don’t have anything to swim in!”
Rider turned, her thumbs still hooked in the waist of her pants, and a surprised look on her face.
“We’re not swimming,” Rider explained, not immediately catching on to Elsbeth’s modesty. “We’re bathing …uh, soaking, actually.”
It made perfect sense to Rider. After all, the horse master had spent many seasons with the Amazons where community baths were the norm. Nudity wasn’t an issue among those women.
Elsbeth eyes darted from the pool to the horses to the forest, everywhere but to the soft swell of Rider’s breasts and nipples that already hardened in the summer breeze. But it was impossible not to look, and she swallowed hard before the building saliva in her mouth became an unseemly drool. Her eyes drifted down the flat plane of the other woman’s rippled abdomen, her mind already imagining the feel of those hard thighs.
The scarlet blush that flooded Elsbeth’s face finally clued the puzzled Rider into the problem. That trademark cock grin was back, adding to Elsbeth’s discomfort.
“OK. Sorry. I guess I spent too many years bathing with a whole tribe of Amazons. How’s this? I’ll get in the water first, then turn my back to you can undress and get in the water.”
Elsbeth managed a weak nod and politely looked away as Rider turned back to the pool and began peeling the leather pants from her sweaty body. But she took her time. She knew Elsbeth would steal a glance. Once she was naked, she spread her legs and stretched her lean torso down along one long leg, then another before stepping slowly into the pool.
‘Holy goddess,’ Elsbeth thought as she, indeed, ran her eyes over the small taut ass and thick thighs of the Rider.
True to her word, Rider dutifully kept her back turned while Elsbeth undressed -- first hesitantly, then quickly before slipping into the water.
Elsbeth moaned as she sank up to her shoulders in the warm pool. The water stung a bit in places a saddle should never rub, but the pain was a welcomed relief to the ache that had been building there.
Rider remained with her back turned, arms outstretched to brace herself against the edge of the pool. Elsbeth’s eyes ran where her fingers longed to touch – across the broad shoulders and down the long, corded muscles of the horse master’s arms. But she couldn’t stop her fingers from reaching out to trace the brand on Rider’s right shoulder.
“The first seal. What does that mean?” she asked.
Rider tensed under Elsbeth’s fingers, then turned to pin her with dark, serious eyes.
“It is the reason you should be running the other way right now. You don’t know who I am, my sweet lady.” The sadness in Rider’s eyes was like a weight on Elsbeth’s soul. Rider smiled at the compassion she saw before her. “No, sweet one,” she said softly, laying her hand against Elsbeth’s warm cheek. “You have your own sadness to deal with. I won't let you burden yourself with mine.”
Elsbeth leaned into Rider’s touch and a delicate hand on Rider’s shoulder, her fingers caressing the tanned skin. It took every ounce of Rider's reserve not to wrap her arms around this naked woman and claim her over and over until the sun when down and came up again.
“It is the reason I can’t let this happen between us.”
“You feel it, too?” Elsbeth asked. Rider dropped her head and let out a long sigh. “Then how can you ignore the bond that seems to be there between us?” the lady demanded gently.
Elsbeth moved closer, her thighs bumping Rider’s under the water, their breasts nearly touching. Rider thought if they did touch, it would drain the last of her resolve. Rider gently pushed Elsbeth away and abruptly hefted herself from the pool, without a thought to her nakedness. She began to quickly pull on her clothes.
“I’ll get the horses ready. We should get back to the lodge before it gets dark.”
A stunned Elsbeth stared up at Rider. This made no sense at all. Damn it. She wasn’t giving up so easily. She dressed quickly and walked over to where Rider was pretending to adjust Song’s saddle for the tenth time. She laid her hand on Rider’s shoulder and was surprised to feel a faint trembling.
“I feel this bond between us is an old one from other lifetimes. Perhaps it isn’t something we can ignore,” she said.
Rider’s hands stopped pulling at the girth, but she didn’t turn to face Elsbeth. She could not. Her shame was too deep. Elsbeth wanted to know? Then she would tell her and they would be done. Her words were harsh.
“The brand on my shoulder is the mark of the Beast,” Rider spat. “I was nearly insane with revenge after Antonia’s murder and the Beast came to me unbidden. Or maybe I called it up. I don’t know.”
She wheeled to face Elsbeth. She needed to see the disgust on this sweet lady’s face so she would not be tempted to give in. “The Beast took hold of me and my revenge was so savage it is unspeakable. But what is worse, I am not sorry. Those filthy men deserved everything they got. Maybe it is that darkness in me that doesn't regret the violence that still nurtures the Beast inside me.”
Elsbeth eyed the Rider and considered her words. “You seem fine to me,” she said doubtfully. She cocked her head and quirked a small smile. “Or is that charm of yours only the Beast’s seduction?”
Rider shook her head, a small smile creasing her face. This woman should be running away from her, not flirting. She grasped Elsbeth’s hand and raised it to her lips. “No, my lady. The charm and my attraction to you is genuine.”
She grew serious again. “But you have to know this truth, sweet Elsbeth. I cannot always rein in the Beast when it fights to surface.” She looked out into the darkening woods. “I cannot pledge to be faithful to one lover because the Beast takes who it wants.” Rider paused, then looked deep in to Elsbeth’s concerned eyes. “I cannot promise to always be gentle. You deserve so much more than that.”
Rider watched the myriad of emotions flicker across the fair lady’s face. She stepped back and offered her hand to again give Elsbeth a leg up onto Wind Walker’s back.
They rode back to the lodge in silence. Rider led them to the lodge entrance and helped Elsbeth down before handing her the remains of their picnic to take inside.
“I’ll take care of bedding down the horses,” Rider said. “Thank you for a wonderful day.”
Rider turned toward the stable, but Elsbeth’s delicate hand on her arm stopped her.
“What if I’m not afraid of this Beast? What if your warning doesn’t frighten me?”
Rider leaned down and caressed Elsbeth’s soft, sweet lips with her own. She wanted to give in and wrap herself in the peace this woman brought to her soul. She trembled with need to taste the passion she sensed ran deep in this gentle soul. But then, it wasn't her decision to make.
“Think long and hard before you decide to come to me. If you decide not, I will think no less of you.”
With those last words, Rider took Elsbeth in a hungry, breath-stealing kiss before wheeling and pulling the horses toward the stables. Lady Elsbeth stood staring at the retreating figure. She reached up to touch her still tingling and bruised lips.
It was a warning. It was an invitation.
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The End - 'The Invitation' - by Rider & Lady Elsbeth