Dragon Riders of Etrea 2—Chapter 15

“Do you have any stories?” Henrik asked The Duke.

The horse just ignored him and plodded along.

At least the path was smoother here. Much of their traveling had been along rocky ground, which was dangerous to a horse. One slip could mean a broken leg. On smooth patches like this, Henrik allowed The Duke to speed up to a trot. Anything to get the journey over with.

With the sword at his side, he had worked on his link with Calduin over the last handful of days. He tried to constantly send the beast feelings of calm acceptance, feelings of compassion and gentleness. While Henrik wasn’t the most gentle person, he understood that he needed to work hard to keep the dragon from growing chaotic and violent.

He could feel it, just beneath the surface. Every time he communicated with Calduin there was a hint of fire and chaos there. At the slightest nudge, the dragon could practically explode. Things seemed to gradually simmer down, the more he sent him feelings of love and peace.

“I wonder if it works on you,” Henrik said as he tried to connect with his horse. Was that ability limited to just dragons? Or, now that he had the sword, could he communicate with other creatures in that manner? He tried sending several things to The Duke.

Of course, none of it worked.

Henrik laughed and relaxed in his saddle a bit. Trying to connect his mind to a horse. Ah, this long trip was starting to affect his sanity. If he didn’t get back to Anslie soon, there wouldn’t be enough of his mind left for Calduin to take over.

The snows faded and the weather slowly warmed as Henrik continued riding south. His skill with a bow brought him another small deer on his way back. Having a belly full of meat went a long way toward making him feel better, although in the back of his mind he could hear Rasud complaining about not eating enough plants. That man thought carrots were life-changing.

He hoped they were well. He imagined Rasud and Shel were having a great time in the city, and he looked forward to all the stories Rasud would have. 

He also couldn’t wait to see Anslie. Having her warm body next to his was at the peak of his desires, especially with the cold air in the mountains.

The final day of his journey arrived. As usual, Henrik woke with the sunrise and cleaned up his small camp. After tending to The Duke, they set out, heading further south and around the mountain. 

By lunchtime he had rounded the mountain and started up the draw that led to Anslie and Tossyth’s cave. Calduin’s presence was strong; he could feel the dragon’s excitement building off his own. He was like a loyal dog excited for his owner.

When they reached the flat landing in front of the cave, Henrik turned The Duke to the right, so they could pass through the narrow opening that led to Anslie’s valley. 

Inside the cave he could see Tossyth, curled up and asleep. Calduin’s tail was draped across hers, implying that he was also taking a nap. Henrik smiled and decided he would wake them when he was done with Anslie.

As soon as he entered the valley he felt peace. A moment later, Anslie hurried out from her cottage, her face all smiles.

“It’s about time!” she said, reaching out and touching his leg.

Henrik swung down from the saddle and hugged her tightly. Ah, it felt so good to be back with her. She made him forget his troubled past, his temper, and the possibility of a disastrous future.

“I missed you,” Henrik said, kissing her forehead. He released her, then led The Duke over to the cottage.

“That’s putting it mildly,” Anslie said. “Here, let me help.”

Together they unsaddled The Duke and quickly brushed him down. Henrik patted the horse and thanked him, then The Duke walked off to enjoy some fresh clover.

“So, there it is,” Anslie said, looking at the sword that hung from Henrik’s waist.

He drew the sword and watched how the sunlight gleamed off the black blade. It refracted the light, glittering like a diamond. That was the first time Henrik had seen the blade outside, in the sun. With a smile, he offered it to Anslie, but she shook her head.

“No, I can’t touch it. The black blades of the dragon riders are special weapons, Henrik. Only you can wield that sword. If I even tried, my arm would ache for hours.”

Henrik blinked. “Your entire arm would hurt if you held this?” He pulled the sword back and slid it into its scabbard.

Anslie nodded, then reached out and took his hand. “If a man other than you tried to wield it, it would give him such a shock that he’d probably fall on his ass.” She pulled him toward the front door of the cottage.

“Can I touch your sword?” he asked.

Anslie shook her head. “Ours aren’t nearly as bad as yours, but you would still feel some discomfort. You could probably wield it in an emergency, but there’s no need when you have your own. Nothing can compare to your sword.”

“Is that so?” Henrik asked, glancing down at the hilt. It was age-darkened leather wrapped in wire, something that would give a sure grip in nearly any situation. The pommel was just a ball of steel to balance it, although golden runes had been inlaid into the metal. “What is it?”

“Our swords are made from steel and enchanted with powerful magic. Yours is different. The blade is made from a single black diamond, and strengthened with dragon magic so that it cannot be broken. You have the only weapon in the land that can harm a snow dragon,” Anslie said. “Remember that. But for now, take your damn clothes off.”

Henrik smiled as he undid his sword belt. He tossed them on a nearby chair, then unfastened his cloak.

“Thanks for the cloak, by the way. It came in handy with the cold weather.”

“Good,” Anslie said as she pushed her pants down over her round hips.

Henrik stopped to watch her for a moment. She wore only a shirt that covered her to the tops of her thighs, and it was unlaced enough to show the inner slopes of her breasts.

“Henrik, if you don’t take those clothes off right now, I’m going to get a knife and cut them off,” Anslie said, putting her hands on her hips.

Henrik laughed and pulled his shirt off over his head. Anslie helped him with his pants, and a moment later they were both naked and practically running across the room.

“I want you to do so many things to me,” Anslie said the moment she reached the bed. “But right now, I just want you inside me.” She placed one foot on the bed and arched her back, sticking her beautiful ass out.

Henrik moved behind her, then spat on his fingertips. He wiped the saliva on the head of his cock, then bent his knees and lined it up with her. She was ridiculously wet, and he sank into warm paradise.

Anslie pushed her ass against him, taking all of his length. They stayed that way for a moment and she briefly shuddered.

“I’ve never wanted anyone so badly in my life,” she said, pushing back against him again.

Henrik placed his hands on her narrow waist and began thrusting in and out of her. There were a number of things he wanted to try with her in the future, but in the heat of the moment all he could think about was ramming himself into her. He gripped her tightly and hammered his cock into her, hard enough to send waves through her ass cheeks.

“Oh, please!” Anslie said, her arms reaching out to hold onto something.

Henrik paused. “Are you alright?” Well, he was going kind of hard. He just hoped he hadn’t hurt her.

“Henrik, if you don’t fuck me I’m going to stab you,” Anslie said.

Henrik laughed and went back to thrusting. He moved around slightly, from behind her over to her left side. It was her left leg that was on the bed, so entering her from that angle allowed him to penetrate more deeply.

“Ah!” Anslie said. She sounded like her head was going to explode. “Kiss me,” she said, and pulled away from him.

She leaped onto the bed and immediately rolled onto her back, then pulled both legs back as far as she could. Henrik climbed right on top of her and pushed himself inside, then resumed thrusting. Anslie tossed her hair and moaned loudly the entire time.

Henrik bent over her slender body and kissed her deeply. Her tongue immediately flicked out, pressing against his, and her hands tangled in his hair, holding his face against hers. She moaned against his lips as he rammed himself into her, harder and faster.

After two weeks of no action, Henrik’s staying power was at a minimum. He found himself racing toward the finish line. The fact that he was slamming his hips against her so hard and fast only made it worse.

“Yes, yes!” Anslie said when she recognized his body tensing up.

Henrik shouted to the walls as he came, thrusting into Anslie so hard he moved her entire body several inches across the bed. Her legs wrapped around his waist, holding him tightly against her. She reached out for him, and when he collapsed on top of her she practically covered the side of his face with kisses.

“Oh, I needed that,” Anslie said between breaths. “Next time we’ll go nice and slow, but after not seeing you for two weeks, I needed that.” She took his face in her hands and stared him in the eyes. “I missed you. I love you, Henrik.”

Henrik smiled. “I think I’m starting to understand what that means,” he said. “Here, let’s roll over.”

Henrik moved off her and flopped onto his back. Anslie threw one shapely leg over his and laid her head on his shoulder.

“I missed you so much,” Anslie said. “I’m not looking forward to you leaving again, but you have to go find Isobel. To withstand Calduin, you’ll have to bond with all three of us.”

“Just got back and you’re already talking about me leaving,” Henrik said with a laugh.

“Oh, not like that,” Anslie said. “I just want to help you how I can, and I know that’s something that must be done. You can stay here for a few more days though.” She wrapped her arm around his broad chest and held him tightly.

Henrik leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Okay, but next time I travel I want to bring a book or something. The Duke isn’t very good at conversation.”

Anslie looked up at him. “What duke are you referring to? You were supposed to go alone!”

Henrik laughed again. “Sorry, I forgot to mention. I named my horse ‘The Duke.’ It seemed fitting, since he used to belong to Duke Ardun.”

Anslie put her head back on his shoulder. “I have a few books, although none of them are particularly exciting. They’re old, to, so they might not survive the journey to Isobel.”

“Well, I’ll have to find something to help pass the time,” Henrik said. “I wonder how the ol’ duke is these days. Probably still throwing his money around, trying to manipulate people.”

“Sounds like he’s not worth any more of your time,” Anslie said.

Henrik smiled down at her. “You’re right. It’s not like I’ll ever see him again.”