A Stolen Crown, page 24
They danced again, their swords a blur. Steel bit steel so rapidly the sound of it became a kind of music, chiming in the night air. Aaron ducked, thrust, stabbed and swung, only to be met by Kasha’s blade blocking and always moving to strike, relentless. The flames were beginning to gutter but neither fighter slowed, both immersed in the battle, testing for weaknesses, pushing attacks, determined to find an opening and hoping the other would make a mistake. Before long, the flames were completely gone then someone shouted from the crowd and Aaron and Kasha leapt apart, both of them breathing heavily.
They both turned as a tall, Ansari nomad with a long beard entered the circle. As the man approached, Kasha knelt, sword still in hand but laying flat upon the earth. Aaron looked over at Malek for some indication of what he should do but the pirate was drunk and had passed out. Carly shrugged, but Aaron caught the eye of he officiator who nodded, gesturing that he should also kneel, which he did, next to his opponent. The old, nomad rested each of his hands on both their heads and said one word in Ansari.
“Victory.”
The crowd cheered, forgetting that the fight had ended in a draw, which would make for a mess when it came to determining the results of the many bets that had been placed. The old man gestured for Aaron and Kasha to rise.
“This place has not witnessed such skill in many years,” he said. “The desert honors you both.” The old man turned to address the crowd. “Now we feast!”
The crowd cheered with cries of 'Antal' and 'Kasha' intermixed throughout. The betting tables quickly began doling out winnings to the appropriate parties, minus of course, their commissions for handling the money. Those who had bet on either Aaron or Kasha to win the final round were given back their money and the purse that was to go to the winner was split between both competitors. As they rose and left the ring, Aaron reached out and clasped Kasha’s hand and was surprised at how slender the sword fighter's hand was, though he was not at all surprised by the iron grip that held his hand. Aaron nodded respectfully then he turned and made his way from the circle, amid the cheers from the crowd and a lot of hands clapping him on the shoulder. The group of Ansari merchants bowed their heads when he passed them and Aaron nodded back, figuring it was probably the Ansari thing to do. He met up with Carly and found that Malek had roused from his drunken stupor.
“Well,” Malek said. “I figured you were done for, Antal. They tell me you made a draw with Kasha. That's unexpected.”
“You didn't think I would win?” Aaron asked.
“No, I did not,” Malek said, then he took another gulp from his flagon and he turned and walked away.
“I have never seen such swordsmanship,” Carly said. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”
Aaron shrugged and sheathed his sword. He took a drink from a water skin Carly handed to him.
“I didn't know I was any good until not very long ago,” Aaron admitted. “My uncle taught me with wooden swords ever since I can remember. We trained with steel when I was old enough, but he was always far better than me.”
“Your uncle must be somebody important if he's better than you.”
“He was,” Aaron said. “It didn't stop him from getting killed though.”
“Oh, I'm sorry.” Carly frowned but Aaron shook his head.
“Don't worry,” he told her. “This is a time for celebrating.”
“Well, I think he would have been proud,” Carly said. “You just fought the best fighter of Forsina and you didn't lose.”
“I didn't win either,” Aaron said, “but I don't much care as long as we have the money to continue on our journey.”
“Oh yes,” Carly said with as smile. “From the bets I made, we had enough money for that after your third fight. The rest is profit. You also get prize money.”
“I'm glad,” Aaron said. “Why didn't Malek seem all that pleased?”
Carly laughed.
“He bet against you,” she told him. “Malek lost, which means now he needs us, which means I don't have to put up with his leering and his wandering hands. I expect he's going to get good and drunk tonight, so he'll be pretty docile tomorrow anyway.”
Aaron accompanied Carly over to the betting tables where she collected her winnings and Aaron received the prize money for all of the fights he had won. The money Carly had won far outweighed what Aaron received and he could see why some fighters would team up with the traders who could make larger wagers. Still, something about the whole thing did not sit right with him, but he let it go. They would be leaving Forsina the next day and whatever the customs of the Ansari were, they would not affect him.
As Carly and Aaron made their way from the betting tables over to a large tavern where fire pits had been lit outside and meat was being cooked on heavy metal grills, a hand gripped Aaron's arm. He turned to find the fighter, Kasha walking next to him and he stopped.
“I would speak with you,” Kasha said with a whisper.
Carly noticed Aaron was no longer walking beside her and she turned and saw him with Kasha.
“Aaron,” she called to him. “I'm going to enjoy the festivities here then I'll either get a room or head back to the ship. I'll see you later.”
Aaron watched as Carly smiled, glancing briefly at the Ansari sword fighter, then turned away, joining up with some other people who were heading into the tavern.
He turned back to Kasha who simply said, “Come.”
Aaron followed the Ansari sword fighter through the buildings of the town until they reached an open square where a rich looking tent had been erected. Two guards were posted at the entrance and when Kasha held up a hand, the guards parted for them to enter. Aaron followed the Ansari inside. The interior was lavishly decorated with carpets and cushions. A myriad assortment of weapons hung on a rack in the center of the tent. He was directed to sit on a cushion while Kasha retrieved a bottle and two small glasses from a wooden box. Aaron accepted the small glass as Kasha sat down on another cushion facing him, then unstopped the bottle and poured into each glass a clear liquid that had only the faintest scent of flowers to it. Kasha lifted the glass and Aaron did the same, then they both drank.
Aaron sipped it at first and discovered that the drink tasted strongly of honey but had the sharp bite of some kind of flower or sweet herbs that Aaron had never tasted before. He noticed that Kasha had swallowed the entire glass and was unstopping the bottle to pour more so he supposed that the drink was safe but he hoped that it would not be as intoxicating as it tasted. He threw back the rest of the contents of the small glass, swallowing the liquid as it thinned in his mouth, sending warmth rushing down his throat. Aaron's glass was filled again almost instantly and both of them emptied their glasses again, only to have them immediately refilled. Kasha’s dark green eyes sparkled in the dim lamplight and Aaron thought he sensed a smile beneath the desert cloth. He was starting to feel the effects of the drink and began to wonder what Kasha looked like when, almost as though sensing his thoughts, the Ansari nomad reached up and began to unwind the thick fabric, dropping it from head and shoulders to the carpeted floor. Aaron's mouth fell open when he looked upon Kasha's face.
Kasha was a woman, and a beautiful one at that. She smiled at him, her dark green eyes twinkling beneath the long, dark strands of hair she that had fallen across her face when she had removed her wraps. Aaron felt as though she was reading the thoughts that were going through his mind. Released from the cloth that disguised her identity, her femininity was all too evident and Aaron realized he was staring. He tried to avert his eyes but the woman reached forward and kissed him, deeply, powerfully on the mouth. Overwhelmed, partly by surprise and possibly by the effects of the strong drink that was making his vision become blurry, Aaron found himself succumbing to her passion. He could taste a saltiness on her lips along with the sweetness of the drink that lingered in her mouth and on her tongue that gently teased between his lips, grazing his teeth. After what seemed like an eternity that was far too short, she gently bit his lip then pulled away, sitting as staring at him. Aaron smiled and wondered if he looked as awkward as he felt. He took another swallow of the drink, but only half of the glass.
“The drink,” she said. “Does it please you?”
Aaron cleared his throat. “Yes,” he said, taking another sip. “It's very strong. What's in it?”
“Many secrets,” she said, smiling and Aaron found himself staring at her lips.
Aaron felt a mild ache in the back of his neck and worried that one of his headaches might come over him, but it did not seem to be getting any worse. He wondered if maybe the mage was nearby or if it was just the drink that was affecting him.
“You're Kasha?” he stammered. She laughed.
“Yes, I am Kasha. No one has ever matched me with a blade in the Circle.” She told him, her voice as rich as her hair was thick. “Only my master could best me with steel and I have waited long for a man of such skill.” Aaron coughed nervously; he felt a long way from the little cottage near Ashford where he had been raised.
“You are very good.” Aaron could not think of anything else to say. Kasha laughed.
“I am the best,” she said. “And so are you.”
“Thank you,” Aaron said, feeling awkward again. Kasha smiled and leaned in, gripping the back of his head in her long fingers and kissing him again. After a moment, she released him. “Thank you,” he repeated, as it was all he could think to say.
She took his hand and rose. Aaron followed as she led him through another fold in the fabric of the large tent. Inside was a large, wide cushion, a bed. Kasha pushed him onto it and Aaron fell back atop the soft, thick mat, with hardly the will to argue. She loosened her robes as she crawled on top of him. Aaron saw that she had tightly wrapped her chest with thick strips of heavy cloth, and she slowly unwound them, releasing her round, ample breasts that now hovered over him as she began to work his belt loose.
Aaron closed his eyes, feeling a little light headed from the drink and he could hear the celebration outside. He felt Kasha's breath upon his cheek and her strong hands reached past his belt, searching, and Aaron opened his eyes to see hers staring back at him. She pressed her mouth onto his and lowered her warm body onto him, and the sounds of the city quickly faded away.
****
Aaron awoke and found Kasha asleep next to him. Her tan skin was smooth across her face and her body, which was relaxed, free of the tension it had held earlier. During he day, Forsina had been hot, a true desert place, but now that it was night, the air had cooled considerably. A slight draft of air flickered past the candles that lit the tent and sent goose bumps across Kasha's arm and tightened one of her thick protruding nipples. Aaron felt like it might be wrong of him to stare at her while she slept, but he enjoyed the shape of her hip as it ran down to the curve of her thigh. He was no less naked, still with a layer of sweat on his chest from their exertions that had not lasted nearly as long as they had in the fighting circle, but for some reason it sapped them of their endurance.
Another gust of cool air snuck into the room and Kasha stirred a little, trying to dig under the sheets that had fallen from the mattress. She nestled closer to him and Aaron carefully reached over and pulled the sheets back onto the bed, covering them both. He lay his head back onto a cushion and listened to the sounds of the city. The night was late and the festivities had died down but he could hear one of the Ansari plucking a strange sounding tune on a stringed instrument. Aaron heard the mating sounds of another man and woman coming from somewhere nearby and he smiled and took a deep breath, thinking about how he and Kasha had only a short while ago been doing the same.
Just the thought of it aroused him again and Aaron pulled the sheet up over his head and gazed at the woman sword fighter. In the candlelight that shone through the fine sheet, he could see how fit and strong her body was, that of a warrior yet supple and curved how Aaron imagined a dancer might look. Kasha stirred next to him and Aaron saw one of her eyes open a crack. As much as he could see her in the dim light under the sheets, Kasha could also see him and she did not fail to notice that he was ready for her again. She gently reached an arm over his chest and slid her muscled thigh over him and Aaron found himself lost again, no longer hearing the sounds of the city or the other people; only the sound of breathing, heartbeats and wet skin and flesh moving together as one.
****
It was morning and the sun was already high in the sky when Aaron finally awoke. His whole body was sore and drained but, somehow, even though he had barely slept, he felt strangely refreshed. Kasha was up already and Aaron watched her from the sheets. She had not yet dressed and was doing a series of exercises, steps and poses that looked familiar to Aaron, her naked body tight and muscled yet still soft in all the right places. She felt his eyes on him and turned to look at him.
“These are the forms of Ansari weaponless combat. Do you recognise them?” she asked.
“Yes. My uncle taught me something very similar when I was very young,” he told her. Kasha nodded in approval.
“He was a very wise man. You are lucky, Antal, for without such knowledge you would have fallen easily to my blade.” Aaron smiled and considered what she had said.
“I should tell you, my name is not Antal.”
“No?” She stopped her exercises and stared at him.
“My name is Aaron," he told her. Kasha walked over and sat down next to him on the mattress. She put her arm around his back and placed her other hand on his inner thigh, resting it high enough to feel him becoming aroused again. She smiled and slid her hand over to hold him in her firm but gentle grasp, slowly moving it and leaning in to kiss his neck.
“Good,” she whispered. “You are also honest. You will make a fine mate.”
“A mate?” Aaron nearly choked but he was distracted by the pressure and movement of her hand and the gentle grazing of her fingertips as they pressed tentatively into his firm flesh. “You mean you want to get married?” he asked, thinking he really should have asked more about Ansari mating customs. Kasha laughed, her rich voice with just a hint of desert sand, and she leaned on him, laying him down onto the bed.
“Married?” She smiled, but with a look in her eye that was both amused and predatory. “No. Not in the way you understand. We do not have this custom unless you count the many concubines of some of the desert lords. We are mated, nothing more,” she said matter of factly and pulled the bed sheets out of the way then slid atop him again, letting Aaron feel the warmth of her skin and her wetness. “What do you think we did all this night past?” she asked then, with her hand, she guided him inside her again.
“I am sorry,” Aaron said, barely able to speak. “I don't know the customs of the Ansari.”
“You don't know Ansari,” Kasha said, repeating the phrase Aaron had heard a few times. “But you are learning.” She leaned her head down and teased one of his nipples with her tongue.
“I suppose I am,” Aaron said. “Does this mean we are supposed to live together?”
Kasha laughed as she slid upward and nibbled on his neck, her lower half moving powerfully in a slow rhythm.
“No,” she said. “It means you may bed me whenever you desire it, and I you. It is our custom. As my mate, you are welcome in a tribal sitting among the Ansari should you desire it, if you wish to know our people.”
“How would they know, the Ansari I mean?” Aaron asked. She sat up and began to move a little faster now, pressing her hips down harder upon him.
“Tell them you are mated with Kasha. They will know.”
Aaron had more questions but he could no longer think clearly as she moved, her strong body gripping him tightly. He could not help but push deeper inside her and her scent was intoxicating as the drink she had served him, a combination of her saltiness and his own that had permeated both their bodies. Aaron wondered for a moment whether Carly or Malek might be worried about him but he decided they could wait. Kasha moved faster and harder as he pushed from beneath her and a few moments later she let out a muffled cry, putting her hand over her mouth. Her entire body shuddered and Aaron felt a warmth flood over his legs as her muscles contracted and released, gripping at him, holding him deep inside her, and he could not hold back any longer, letting go with a low moan of his own. Kasha leaned forward, her elbows on either side of his head and she kissed him gently on the mouth, her body still moving slowly. She collapsed atop him and rested her head on his shoulder and they both lay on the mattress, breathing for a time.
“I wish you could meet my friends,” Aaron said, then he wondered why he had said it, since the closest thing he had to a friend in Forsian was Carly, and they had only just met.
“I think such a thing might be difficult,” she said.
“You don't want people to know you're a woman?”
“There is that, and the dark-haired girl you travel with. She is your mate as well?”
“Carly? No, we have never...mated.”
“She wishes to be your mate,” Kasha said. “I would not tell you what to do, but she would make a good mate.”
“How do you know that?” Aaron was confused. “Besides, we don't just go around mating with everyone.”
“You have mated with me,” she said. “Why not with another who desires you?”
“I don't know, ”Aaron said, and he really did not know.
He had almost no experience when it came to women. There had been times when he had thought about Ehlena in such a way and even moments with Ariana where, if circumstances were different, such thoughts might have given rise to something more, and when Carly had pretended he was a paying customer back at Milli's he could not help but be aroused but it had all been an act, in the hopes that Cerric's men would leave them alone. There were girls back at Ashford he had thought about, to be sure, and his friend Brian had told him stories, but living out in the middle of the woods had left him little opportunity to learn about such things.
