The Fireblood's Choice

By Kathe Todd

Bernadette should have known it was too good to last. The ancient dragon threatening all life on the planet had been destroyed, and now she was free to enjoy her fame and fortune – raiding tombs for fun and profit, exploring ancient ruins, and hopping back and forth between her two hot lovers at the finest inn in Iscandia. But when one of them wants more than she’s been willing to give, can she relinquish her free and easy lifestyle to be with him alone? As she wrestles with an unbearable choice, she once again finds the fate of humanity in her hands – searching for the one weapon that may be able to stop an ancient vampire’s fiendish plot. Swords, sorcery and sizzling sex combine with romance, humor and adventure in the second volume of The Fireblood Chronicles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kathe Todd
• Release date: Nov 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9780896200029

Kathe Todd

A third-generation native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Kathe Todd functioned as Editor in Chief at San Francisco pioneering underground comix publisher Rip Off Press for several decades starting in the 1980s. A lifelong reader of fantasy and science fiction, she began writing her own fantasy novels in 2013 and produced a dozen of them over a period of just two years. Her works feature fast-moving adventure plotlines, strong heroines, and a humorous approach.

Book preview

Chapter 1: Anja

Bernadette and Andrion continued up the road, little more than a dirt track, as morning gave way to early afternoon. They had been trying to find the path to a mountaintop installation where, according to the broadside she had gotten from the Eorl of Westmarch, a dragon had taken up residence and was menacing the countryside. Above a hill that obscured the view ahead, around the next bend, Bernadette spotted black smoke rising. Is there a town near here? she asked Andrion. Nothing was showing on her magic map, though sometimes villages would not appear on it until you had either walked right into them or been sent on a quest to their locations.

"No, there’s not much of anything up this way," Andrion replied. In his decade of roaming the province, he had been to most places that were worth visiting. As they continued up the road, they soon realized there was no town – only an isolated farmstead. Or what was left of it. A wheat field to their left smoldered, nothing but blackened stubble. The slightly charred carcass of a cow lay, partially eaten, in a paddock that had had its fence smashed to the ground on two sides. Most of the smoke was coming from a small house, now partially collapsed and open to the sky.

This has to be the work of that dragon, Bernadette said quietly, her voice laced with suppressed anger. A Norseman, wood axe in his hand, lay crumpled face up on the front walk. His clothing and face were blackened. Picking her way gingerly inside the remains of the house, Bernadette looked around. The corpse of a Norsewoman lay face down on the floor, blackened like the man who had probably been her husband. And protruding from beneath a fallen roof beam, Bernadette could see a pair of pathetic little feet.

Fury filled her heart. A child, slaughtered with her family, and for what? A few mouthfuls of beef? But just then, she thought she detected some slight movement of those feet. Andrion! she cried, moving to the spot in an instant. Help me! He lent his prodigious strength, and between the two of them they were able to pull the beam away to reveal the still, pale form of a little girl no more than five years old. There was a purple weal across her forehead, and she remained unconscious. But it appeared that she was breathing slightly.

Bernadette knelt beside the tiny form, feeling for a pulse. There was one, though it was faint. Yanking her map out of her shirt, one arm wrapped around the child, she wished them all back to the Bathing Maiden. Andrion looked around, slightly disconcerted. Usually Berni gave him some warning before sending them hopping around the province.

Bernadette carried the little girl, cradling her tenderly in her arms, up across the deck and through the front doors to the main floor of the Maiden. Then she hurried up a short flight of stairs to one of the mezzanine’s beds and laid the child down, carefully, before applying a healing spell to her patient. The girl’s injuries seemed to melt away and her breathing became deeper and more regular, but she did not wake.

Bernadette peered at her anxiously. The child was pale of skin, with shoulder-length hair a slightly darker shade of auburn than Bernadette’s own. Andrion stood at the foot of the bed, watching as Berni mothered the little girl. It filled him with a curious sense of longing. This side of his lover was rarely revealed, but it made him think of an impossible dream he sometimes entertained, that someday they might be married and have a family together. It was hard to imagine The Fireblood doing domestic chores, though!

As Bernadette sat there at the bedside holding the girl’s hand and watching her, the little one’s eyelids fluttered and she opened eyes that were a warm shade of brown – like Andrion’s own. Should he and Berni ever have a daughter, he realized, she might look just like that. It was a riveting thought.

The girl blinked in confusion, then struggled into a sitting position, gazing owl-eyed at Bernadette. Are you… are you my mother? she asked tentatively. The blow to her head, or perhaps the trauma of the dragon attack, seemed to have erased her memory. Andrion realized now why Berni had waited until they had brought the girl here before healing her. What would it be like to awaken in the destroyed remains of your home, surrounded by the charred corpses of your loved ones?

Bernadette answered her thoughtfully. No… I’m your Aunt Berni.

Aunt Berni? … Where’s my mother?

Bernadette changed the subject by asking a question: What’s your name, little one? The girl’s face took on a look of surprise, followed by consternation.

I don’t know. It was as Bernadette had feared. Not only had the memory of the recent cataclysmic events been erased from the girl’s mind, she had lost her identity as well. But since she was now a homeless orphan, perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.

If you don’t mind, Bernadette told her, I think I’ll call you Anja.

The girl considered that for a moment. It sounded all right. All right Aunt Berni, I can be Anja if you want. Bernadette spontaneously gathered the girl up in her arms and gave her a gentle hug, lightly kissing the top of her head.

Good! Anja, this is the Bathing Maiden inn and it’s going to be your home for a while. This man here is Uncle Andrion, and we have some other aunts and uncles for you to meet later. In the meantime, would you like something to eat?

Anja took all of this in seriously, still trying to reconcile herself to the new information she was being given. And still missing the memories of her past, short as it had been. She felt as if she should have a mother and a father and a home that was not here, but all that was a blank – and in the way of young children, she was willing to let it pass. The idea of food drove all other considerations out of her mind.

Anja gave Bernadette a radiant smile and said, Yes, please! Bernadette took her by the hand and walked her down past the central bathing pool and over to the bar. She was glad that at the moment there were no long-donged naked men hanging around in it. The people of Agena in general were somewhat casual about nudity, but who knew what this girl’s upbringing had been? She might well never have seen any adults in her life beyond her parents and the odd peddler or other traveler.

Bernadette boosted Anja up onto a stool at the bar, which the fire-haired youngster enjoyed quite a lot. It was fun to be perched up high like this, and even more fun to have Uncle Lev give her a roasted nut confection to eat. The Maiden didn’t stock any milk, so she had a glass of water to wash it down with. Bernadette had some experience with kids, having a younger brother and sister at home in Auverne, and she asked Lev to get some goat’s milk as soon as possible. It was supposed to be better for children than cow’s milk.

While Anja ate her treat, Bernadette spoke quietly with Andrion. We need to go kill that scaly son of a bitch dragon, she said. I’ll get Lifa to look after Anja and keep her entertained while we’re figuring out what we’re going to do about finding her a new home.

He looked thoughtful. Yeah, I suppose it would be insane to just have her live here with us…

She smiled. Can you imagine the effect a five-year-old would have on the usual Maiden guests? No, she needs a nice home, in a town where there are other children, somebody to look after her all the time, and not quite so many naked adults running around.

"But, Lifa?" Andrion asked. Bernadette’s mouth quirked.

I know, she doesn’t seem like the kind of person who will get along with children. But who else have we got? Erik? She’s always been a dutiful body servant, and now she’s just going to get a new duty. I’ll give her some regular clothes so she won’t be so intimidating. As Andrion stayed at the bar with Anja, Bernadette went and found some clothing in an appropriate size for the voluptuous body servant. She gave the dress and slippers to Lifa, and explained what she needed.

Bernadette was surprised at Lifa’s reaction. She had expected the usual stiff, As my warden commands response, but Lifa’s eyes actually sparkled and the faintest of smiles hovered about her lips as she followed Bernadette back to the common room and was introduced to Anja. Hello Anja, she said. I’m your Aunt Lifa, and I’ll be staying with you while Aunt Berni and Uncle Andrion are gone. I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun together. Would you like that?

Anja examined her solemnly, then smiled and said, You’re pretty! Okay… Bernadette and Andrion watched in bemused astonishment as a broad smile spread across Lifa’s lovely features and she reached to give Anja a little hug.

Bernadette exchanged glances with Andrion and mouthed, Who knew? with a shrug and a smile. Before they departed on their expedition, Anja insisted on giving each of them a hug and a kiss.

Bye bye! she cried, as they took their leave.

Chapter 2: Seeking Home

Bernadette and Andrion had to fast-travel to the most recently-visited spot that appeared on the map, before resuming their search for a path leading up to the dragon’s mountaintop lair. They passed the forlorn, ruined farmstead where Anja had been born, then continued on their way further along the trail. For a change some conversation was possible, as the wildlife of Iscandia was on a short vacation from its usual campaign of non-stop homicide.

I think she’s going to do fine with Lifa, Bernadette told Andrion. "Did you see that grin? That’s the first time Lifa has cracked a smile since I’ve known her… though she did almost smile when I introduced her to Erik."

Andrion paused as he was walking beside her and said, surprised, "You introduced her to Erik?" She smiled at him, a bit ruefully.

I didn’t want him to get lonely while I was gone with you. And I saw he had an amulet like mine, so I figured he was used to… um, getting busy a lot.

They continued walking. Her train of thought leading her on, Bernadette asked Andrion "How come you don’t have one of these amulets? Aren’t they, like, standard issue for the Maiden guys or something?" Andrion’s light tan skin didn’t turn pink in quite the spectacular way that Berni’s (or Erik’s) did, but he still managed to color.

I didn’t usually do bed-warmer duty, he replied a little stiffly. "I was there more to make the customers feel at home, be available as a battle companion, stuff like that. We’re not obligated to sleep with the customers unless we want to. When I told you that taking you to bed wasn’t part of my job duties, I wasn’t kidding. Of course if I hadn’t seen that you had an amulet of your own, I could have gotten one before we…"

Now it was Bernadette’s turn to pause. She spun to face Andrion and closed with him to give him an affectionate hug and a tender kiss, looking into his eyes with love. It had been months since her misunderstanding of that circumstance had nearly led to her cutting him loose, and it was only now that she fully realized that his hasty explanation at that time was true. Not that it mattered anymore. Whatever he may have done as an employee of the Maiden before they met, he was hers now – body and soul.

They resumed walking. Changing the subject, Bernadette said I’d like it if Anja could be in a family situation with brothers and sisters, and a real home. But for now, I think Lifa will make a good nanny until we can find a place for her to live permanently. Andrion wondered if he dared speak. But this seemed as if it might be the best opportunity he was going to get for a while.

What if… You know, we could buy a house in Waterdon. There’s one available, right near the main gates. Then maybe you and I could…

She interrupted him. "Whoa, whoa! Don’t get carried away, lover. I’m barely 23. I would like to settle down and raise kids someday, but I’m not through having adventures yet! Seeing how crushed he looked, she took him in her arms again. The longer they were together, the easier she was finding it to tell him what was in her heart. I love you, Andrion. As much as I’ve ever loved anyone, maybe more. But I still want to have some fun before I get tied down with a lot of responsibilities. Can you wait for me?" She peered into his face with an appeal that would have melted anyone’s heart.

He held her at arm’s length, gazing into her eyes with an intensity of love and joy that almost knocked her off her feet. Whatever you want, Berni. As long as we can be together like this sometimes. But I’ll hope for more, some day. It wasn’t easy getting into a clinch in full armor, hung about with deadly weapons. But they managed it. After a deep and passionate kiss, they drew apart again.

Breaking the intensity of the mood, Bernadette said let’s go kill that damned dragon! and set off up a likely-looking trail that appeared to lead toward the spot on the map where they hoped they could find the beast that had killed Anja’s family.

In a little while the trail began climbing steeply, then broadened and swung past a short stone tower, before it funneled into a semicircular area backed by a Spell Wall. The dragon they’d been hunting was sitting atop the wall, hunched over it like a vulture awaiting the demise of a diseased cow. Bernadette and Andrion approached stealthily, then blasted it simultaneously with a surprise attack that sent it flapping off, roaring its anger and defiance.

Bernadette’s latest bow was more powerful than ever. With that and the Dragonfall spell, which had proven to be well worth the trouble it had taken her to learn it, she was bad news for any drache that might be inclined to cause trouble for the human inhabitants of Iscandia. And though he had already had devastating skills in battle magic when they met, Andrion’s time spent acting as Bernadette’s companion and protector on her many adventures had improved those skills until he was a force to be reckoned with.

Suffice it to say, this murderous beast did not stay airborne long. Nor was it many moments after Bernadette’s spell brought it down, before its flesh had vanished – and its soul had gone to feed her essential supply of mana.

As The Fireblood Bernadette was said to have the soul of a dragon. Musing on this, Andrion reflected that some of Berni’s appetites did seem a bit draconian. But what drew him to her were her irrepressible energy, her human warmth, and her occasional vulnerability. Among other things…

He sometimes felt as if he simultaneously wanted to hold her and protect her, exult in battle at her side, make love to her until all the strength in his body was gone… and tell her to shut the hell up and let him get some sleep, when she would arise at dawn and begin prodding him to get up as well. Before her arrival, he’d been able to sleep as late as he wanted to almost all of the time. Now, he occasionally found himself getting up early even when she was not around.

Bernadette had her own perspective on her supposed draconian nature. She had to respect the drachen. They were ancient beings of immense power and intelligence, with knowledge no human still living held. Despite her sometimes impulsive nature she valued knowledge, and one of the things that drew her to Andrion was his love of scholarship and his fund of lore. But though there some few of the drachen whom she liked and valued as friends (notably Ehrgeizig, who had aided her in defeating Tarragin; and Sneyagflug, who had promised to come to her aid if called), most of them seemed inimical to human life and it was her mission, like that of the Guardians, to wipe them out or at least beat them back so that they were not a threat. Let them fly somewhere else, and she would be happy to leave them in peace.

After claiming this one’s soul, Bernadette examined the items left behind on the ground beneath the bare skeleton. She had not yet encountered any new dragon spells in the months since she and Andrion had gathered all of them that were available at the Edelmied, the gem forge located in the upper levels of the subterranean ancient Norse stronghold Faastenberg. But she found a few spell stones among other loot – all of them ones she already carried within her. They were fabulously rare and extremely valuable, and had contributed considerably to her coffers in the months since Tarragin’s defeat.

Bernadette turned smiling to Andrion. She had been considering what he’d said earlier, despite her rebuff, and had reached a decision. I think you’re right, she said. "We should buy that place in Waterdon. I’ve got gold coming out my ears now – we might as well spend some of it!" He smiled back at her, trying to hide the way in which her words caused his heart to soar. Did I just get my foot in the door? Was that the first pebble falling from the dam?

They fast-travelled straight to Wyrmshalla. When Berni seized on an idea, she would leap in with both feet. And in this case, it was all to the good. They found the local time to be somewhere around mid-afternoon. Bernadette had not yet completely figured out what to expect, when using her magic map. They marched right in through the front doors, she being currently in great favor throughout Iscandia – and here in Waterdon, especially.

Paolo Adelini, the balding and fastidious father of Bernadette’s friend Alessia, was delighted to see her. She would like to purchase property in Waterdon? Excellent! A house was available now. Within a few minutes, Bernadette had purchased the small but conveniently-located Brightsgate Cottage, already furnished.

Chapter 3: And Finding It

Berni had been seized with the nesting instinct, it seemed to Andrion. This was a side of her he had not seen before, and one he had not so far discovered in himself. He had left Auverne some ten years previously and drifted around Iscandia like dandelion down, bouncing from one place to another with only his hunger for knowledge and the occasional liaison to pin him in any one spot for long. His two-year stint as an employee of the Bathing Maiden marked the longest time he had stayed put since leaving home all those years ago.

Andrion had been in love with other women a time or two, but none had ever reached down into his soul and laid claim to him as this one had. He regretted the difference in their ages, but still woke up every day delighted and disbelieving that this incredible young woman loved him and wanted to be with him. The fact that she also wanted to be with others, notably his friend Erik, was something he was willing to overlook.

After concluding their business with Paolo, Bernadette and Andrion made a beeline for their new acquisition. She felt that what was hers was theirs, as far as Andrion and Erik were concerned. They were her stalwart companions in all her enterprises, whether one or the other or both together, and she intended that they should all enjoy the spoils together, equally.

Oh, this is cozy! Bernadette exclaimed, delighted. Brightsgate Cottage was certainly not expansive, even by Waterdon standards. But it had a warm, homey glow that appealed to her in a way that ran deeper than she’d expected. Right inside the front door was a small round table with two chairs. Beyond that, a fire pit with a cooking spit took up most of the central floor area. Then there were a couple more comfortable chairs with a small table between them, and beyond those a larger table with benches, for eating. Storage cabinets and bookcases lined the walls. There was a little free space in one corner, but Bernadette had her own ideas for that.

Up a narrow staircase there was a loft area, with a small second bedroom off to the left and some loft furnishings. Circling around that area brought you to the master bedroom, a fairly spacious room with a double bed as well as plentiful storage for books, clothing, and other items. It even had another small table and chairs.

Bernadette stood in the doorway of that bedroom, taking it in for a moment. Though she had embraced the Maiden and its own master bedroom as her home, this was different. She was the Maiden’s owner, yet it somehow belonged to the ages and the generations of firebloods who had owned it before her – and would, presumably, after she was gone. This house had existed before as well, true; but it was now all hers to do with as she would, to welcome in those she cared about most. No random strangers wandering through.

Bernadette turned to Andrion beside her. She gave him a look that immediately caused a stirring in his loins. I think, she said almost shyly, that this bed needs to be… inaugurated. He beamed at her.

You are absolutely right, my love, he said. He reached for her and unfastened her armor. Tidily, proprietarily, she opened the chest at one side of the room and deposited her weapons and armor inside it. Then she helped him off with his and put it in the chest as well.

This felt so right to her. What is going on here, she wondered. It was as if one of the Great Secrets of the Universe had been revealed to her, or perhaps just one of the Great Truths about Bernadette Bouchard. Something deep within the human part of her soul was telling her she was home, and that this man by her side was one she wanted to share her life with for as long as they both drew breath. By the gods, she thought, taken aback. This is it. And I’m not ready for this to be it.

They were both now in their underwear, standing near the foot of the bed, and turned to clasp each other in their arms. The powerful emotions surging through Bernadette, both the realization that at some fundamental level all she wanted was a little house in Waterdon and Andrion at her side, along with her rejection of that as the period to the sentence of her life, had her feeling as if she were in a whirlwind. She loved him, she wanted him, she didn’t know what she wanted! As ever, her personal motto of don’t worry about it right now took hold – and she sank into his embrace with a surge of love that, at least for now, washed away her confusion.

It had been a couple of days since Andrion had last made love with Berni, and he was eager for that embrace. She was the most important thing in his life, now. No other woman had a prayer of attracting his attention, and the times when she was sleeping with Erik were times when he lay celibate, consoling himself with the knowledge that she loved him, that they would be together again before very much time had passed. Though the impact of Brightsgate Cottage had not hit him as hard emotionally as it had her, he had picked up some of what was going through her mind; and it spurred him to even more passion.

What Bernadette wanted right now above all else was to be engulfed in Andrion, here in the place she was already coming to think of as her new home – even though she was not actually planning to live here! How crazy was that? She didn’t care. She washed over him like a warm wave; kissing, fondling, practically ripping his underclothes off in her eagerness to get skin-to-skin.

Andrion pulled her undershirt off over her head, claiming those marvelous breasts with his hands and his mouth. She had the most perfect breasts. They were so full, so shapely, so… irresistible. And he loved the way his hands and his mouth could bring those beguiling pink nipples to attention, inflaming her passions and taking her on the first steps toward what would, he knew, be an epic orgasm. His ability to carry his normally hard-headed lover beyond all power of rational thought was something he enjoyed immensely – even while he enjoyed their shared love of learning. It was as if their intellectual and physical/emotional bonds were residing in two different planes of existence.

Bernadette took her hands away from Andrion’s body long enough to peel off her underdrawers and kick them away on the floor. The careful concern she’d shown with the neat placement of their armor and weapons was beyond her now. His hands, his lips set her on fire, and she could scarcely wait to feel that hard, throbbing cock within her. It pressed against her belly now, and she dragged him over toward the bed. Then falling onto it, she pulled him down on top of her and opened her legs like a flower to the sun, willing the hot rays of his searing passion to penetrate her to the core.

Andrion fell into her, this woman he loved, her warm depths opening to him while clasping him tight. Aah! It felt so good to be inside her, holding her close within his arms, his mouth on hers as his cock slid all the way in, then out and in again. Rising on his knees, he got a better angle and began moving more slowly, tantalizingly. His mind was a blaze of love and excitement, and beneath that a consciousness of his power over her – watching her face as he worked his magic with his cock.

Before long he began pumping faster, and soon Berni’s face had gone pink, her head thrown back and her mouth in an O, as her climax swept over her. This was always the crucial point for him. They were inextricably linked, and sometimes when she came he was unable to stop himself from coming along with her. But he wanted to give her more, wanted to send her to the moons, wanted to fuck her brains out. His male pride demanded it of him.

Bernadette had come to expect this, and it was one of the things she loved about him. He might not have the overwhelming, irresistible urgency that Erik sometimes brought to lovemaking; but he was always concerned about her and her pleasure. And with Andrion, she always felt that she was loved – not just the object of a particularly strong bout of lust. Now that she had come, she was feeling a little more in command; and she turned the tables on her lover. Using the surprising power of her muscular body, she flipped them over so she was now on top.

She looked down at him through slitted eyes. The look of love and ultimate pleasure in his warm brown eyes filled Bernadette with an answering love, and a determination to send him to the moons. She rode him for a while, letting her breasts bounce above him. She knew that he, like most men she’d met, found them fascinating. Then she pulled up off of him, his hard cock reddened and glistening with her juices, and knelt between his legs. She bent and, pressing on the outer sides of her breasts with her hands, engulfed his cock between them.

Oh! Andrion had not expected that. Berni’s cool blue-gray eyes locked on his, her luscious mouth smiling at him with triumphant delight, and she enfolded him with those warm mounds of flesh. It was not the same as being within her cunt, not as hot and wet, but the excitement of watching and feeling the sensations as his cock thrust up between her bountiful breasts was an experience that was new to him. Then, breaking the gaze, she bent her neck to grasp the head of his cock as it emerged from between those globes of delight, immersing it in the warm fluids of her mouth!

Releasing her breasts, Bernadette bent to take Andrion inside her mouth – as fully as she was able to. She would never have been able to manage this with Erik – that man was simply too outsized for any human woman to take all the way in that way. If there was such a thing as Giant women, perhaps one of them would be able to suck Erik off as thoroughly as he deserved. These random thoughts, flitting through Bernadette’s brain as she began giving Andrion the most thorough blow job she had yet attempted, led her to a mental picture of what Giant men must look like when aroused. Hah! Still, it added to her enthusiasm.

Gods, Berni was really going to work on him! She had teased and pleasured him with her mouth on many occasions, but Andrion had never had her using him in quite this way before. She looked so beautiful to him down there between his legs, her silken red hair glistening in the candlelight as her head bobbed, her hot, wet mouth taking him in far more deeply than he would have thought possible. The searing excitement of the situation took hold of him, and before he knew it he was rocketing toward a climax he was powerless to stop, his hands moving involuntarily to clutch her head as his cock strained upward, shooting his seed down her throat.

After Andrion’s spasms finally ceased Bernadette looked up, a lazy smile painting her lips, as she swallowed and licked her lips. Then she climbed up his body to entwine herself in his arms, her head tucked under his chin. I got you good, she murmured.

But Andrion was not entirely done with Berni. They talked quietly for a while, lying side by side on Brightsgate Cottage’s master bed. Then, having gotten back some energy, he rolled her up again in his arms and made love to her long into the afternoon. By the time they had finished, utterly spent, it was still just light out. They were both feeling other hungers, so they got up and put on some robes before going downstairs. They had some foodstuffs in their packs, from which Andrion put together a meal of sorts for them. They ate from wooden plates, sitting before the fire.

Bernadette was in a pensive mood. She felt utterly relaxed and happy after being in Andrion’s arms, coming over and over again. But as so often happened to her, especially if it was not bedtime when these frolics concluded, her brain had been kicked into gear once again and she was back to chewing over her problems and concerns. I wonder, she mused aloud, whether I really ought to go back to the Academy and see about developing a spell for hot baths. Andrion looked at her questioningly. Back before we killed Tarragin, it occurred to me that a general lack of hot bathing pools like the one at the Maiden is Iscandia’s biggest deficiency, she explained. I sort of promised myself I would look into some way to make one appear by magic. And I really see that as a lack here. There’s not even a privy chamber.

Other guys, she knew, would just smile at her foolishness. But Andrion was a mage, and a man who welcomed intellectual challenges. Wiping the last of the stew from his plate with the last hunk of bread, he chewed it thoughtfully. Then he spoke. "Hmm. The hot water wouldn’t be much of a problem if you already had a tub of cold water. Fire spell, right? But conjuring the actual tub, and the water… My problem is, all my studies focused on battle spells. I knew I was going to need them when I got the hell out of Auverne. I don’t even have your skills at healing, let alone conjuring."

I haven’t studied conjuring at all, either, Bernadette said. "Isn’t that mostly just calling up creatures from the other planes? There ought to be some way to magically form a ‘tub of hot water’ object and just call it into being wherever and whenever you want it. Preferably, one that would stay hot even after you’d been soaking in it for a while."

I don’t know, he replied. Maybe transformation is the right school. You could start with a cup of hot water as if you were making tea, and then transform it until it was big enough to sit and relax in.

Bernadette looked at him, her eyes alight with a combination of intrigue, affection, and amusement. You may be onto something, she said. Perhaps we really ought to pay the Academy another visit. She lapsed into contentment, enjoying the feeling of a full belly and the warmth of the fire. She sat silently, just staring into the flames, for a long while.

Andrion sat in equal contentment beside her, until a yawn sprang unbidden from his lips. He realized it had been a long day. Bed, Berni? he asked. She roused, having been close to dozing off herself.

Leave the dishes for the morning, eh? she asked. He nodded. He hadn’t noticed any tendency on her part to demand that the place be shipshape before she could rest. Like as not, if somebody else didn’t do the washing-up, it wouldn’t get done.

They climbed the steps to Brightsgate Cottage’s loft for the second time this day, taking turns at the chamber pot before slipping between the sheets. All passion now spent, they melted into one another’s arms and drifted blissfully into sleep.

Chapter 4: Housewarming

Brightsgate Cottage’s amber glass windows let in plenty of daylight, if no view of Waterdon beyond its walls. Bernadette awoke before much of that light had yet appeared, and was downstairs making tea when Andrion came down the steps, wearing casual clothing and scratching his head. Where’s that hot bath? he asked her.

She sighed. In our dreams, apparently…

The two breakfasted on slightly stale pastries and some fresh apples, along with their cups of tea. Bernadette, too, was wearing street clothes – a simple but attractive dress, leather boots, and a short cloak with a soft cloth cap. There were no quests planned for the immediate future, at least not until they got Anja relocated.

After Andrion had washed the pot, plates, and cups from last night as well as this morning, they went on their way. Bernadette stopped by Valkyrie, right next door, to greet Alessia and chat with her for a few minutes. Then they fast-travelled back to the Maiden.

They arrived to a scene that halted them both in astonishment. As they opened the doors, they found Lifa, clad in her uncustomary housewife’s garb, standing to one side of the common room clapping her hands, her eyes twinkling, as Anja, giggling and shrieking in delight, was carried around the room on the back of… Erik!

Well here was another surprise! Was everyone Bernadette knew secretly longing for the joys of parenthood? Erik was a giant, a happily effective killer. And a lover whose passion could sweep her away like a leaf on a gale, beyond coherent thought. But she knew what depths of sweetness, of tenderness he held. There resided within him a gentleness that touched her soul. And she had to admit that little Anja had melted her own heart, as well. So perhaps it was not such a surprise, after all.

Joy welling within her, Bernadette hurried forward, dropping her pack on the floor. Though she and Andrion still had no plans to live at Brightsgate Cottage, they had left quite a bit of their armor and weaponry behind in the trunk upstairs. It was a quick enough trip, when they needed to retrieve it. She swept to Erik’s side, embracing him and Anja in a wide-spanning collective hug.

Erik’s eyes, already twinkling at the fun he was having playing with little Anja, lit even more at the sight of his lover. She and Andrion had been away from the Maiden for a couple of days and as it happened he had not been there when they brought the child back with them. Berni! he exclaimed in his bass voice, folding her in a bear hug made slightly awkward by the presence of the little red-haired limpet clinging to his back.

I see you’ve met Anja, she replied smiling. He grinned.

She’s taken over the place in your absence, I believe, he said. She looks just like you. Is she your understudy? Bernadette had swept in and carried off Erik’s heart as well as Andrion’s. Was Anja doing the same? It probably wouldn’t be a bad thing, if so. Helpless little girls needed the love of as many people as they could claim, to protect them in a hard world.

Having greeted Aunt Berni, Anja wanted to return to the game at hand. Come on, Uncle Erik! Ride me around again!

Sorry sugar, he replied with a grin. He reached back and grabbed her, lifting her over his head to swing her down, up again with a whoop, then gently back down to the floor. I need to talk with Aunt Berni. Get Aunt Lifa to show you the pretty flowers out on the deck.

Once again Bernadette was thankful that Anja’s amnesia had left her untroubled, once her injuries had been healed. Erik crouched down for the little girl to kiss him, then she ran off to Lifa. The once stony-faced body servant gave her a sweet, motherly smile and took her little hand, leading her out onto the Maiden’s rear deck. It had a lovely view of the river and many planter boxes with chemial ingredients growing in them. Some of these were quite pretty.

Bernadette gave Erik a big, affectionate grin. "’Uncle Erik,’ huh? Looks like she’s got you wrapped around her little finger already."

He grinned back at her. "Like you don’t? Give me a kiss!" She melted into his arms, giving him not only a deep kiss but a full-body hug as well. Somehow, she found the sight of Erik playing Daddy to be hot beyond belief. What was going on in her kinky little brain?

As much as Bernadette enjoyed making love with Andrion, her deepest connection with him was from the heart up to the top of her head. With Erik, it was from the heart down. They both had a piece of her heart, of which she had plenty to give; but just looking at Erik or being in the same room with him gave her a throb in the crotch and a warm feeling spreading up through her core. Little did she know, though she ought to have guessed, she had the same effect on him.

Throb aside, the morning was young and Bernadette had things to do yet today before playtime with Erik. She tucked that hot spark of sexual arousal into the back of her mind, like a treat she was saving for later. Pulling back from the embrace, she grinned at him again. Guess what? We bought a house!

We? Erik asked, puzzled.

You and Andrion are my partners in crime, she assured him. So if I spend a big wad of this cash you’ve helped me accumulate, it’s for you and him as well as for me.

He smiled, pleased at the thought. He had everything he really needed right here – a comfortable bed, pleasant surroundings, plenty to eat and drink, and friends to hang out with. Not to mention, much of the time at least, his little fireblood lover to take him on adventures and light up his nights. But he knew Berni was irresistibly attracted to treasure, and if she wanted to include him in her purchases with the proceeds from that treasure he was happy to go along with it.

Andrion and I killed the dragon that murdered Anja’s parents yesterday, Bernadette told him, speaking more quietly. Then I got to thinking that the Maiden really isn’t the best place for a little girl to be living. The pools are a hazard, there are chillmarrow spiders and wolves and triceratops just a few steps off the deck, and there are no kids here for her to play with. So we went up to Wyrmshalla and bought Brightsgate Cottage.

That’s the little place next to Valkyrie, right? Erik asked. He’d been patronizing that establishment, and selling his extra loot there, since coming to live at the Maiden a couple of years before. It’s pretty cute. Bernadette could tell that he thought the place too small, for a man of his proportions. And she had to admit it was. But then, she wasn’t asking him to live there. As appealing as she had found it, she had other things in mind.

I want to move Lifa in there with Anja, she told him. It’s convenient to everything. No hostile wildlife roaming the streets, and there are quite a few kids around.

Erik smiled. Sounds like a good idea. You want me to help?

If you would, she smiled. She walked out the back doors to find Lifa and Anja. They had taken off their shoes and were sitting on the rim of the small soaking pool on the north side of the deck, talking quietly and kicking their feet in the water. Lifa had a hand to Anja’s shoulder, ready to keep her from falling in.

Lifa, Anja, good news! You’re moving to Waterdon! Bernadette declared. Lifa looked pleased, and immediately got up – taking Anja by the hand.

What’s Waterdon? the child asked, addressing her question to Aunt Lifa.

You’ll like it, I promise. There’s lots of places to go visit, and some children there you can play with. And we’ll have our own little house to live in. You bought Brightsgate Cottage? she asked, now speaking to Bernadette. The warden nodded. I really like that house, she told both redheads.

Bernadette found it amazing how much more human Lifa had become since she had been introduced to Anja. It was as if the winter’s ice had broken, and now sparkling water was flowing where before all had been cold and immobile. I ought to have brought home an orphan months ago, she thought whimsically. To Lifa, she said I like it too. Andrion and I stayed there last night. But we want you and Anja to live there together. We might visit overnight or bring some other guests for you, but it will be your place. Yours and Anja’s.

Lifa looked Bernadette in the eyes, her own filled with warm gratitude. And was that a suspicious moisture glinting in her eyes? Couldn’t be. Thank you so much, my warden, she said formally, her voice wavering slightly.

Lifa? I know I’m your warden and that you have duties to me as my body servant. But do you think maybe you could call me Bernadette? I just don’t feel very much like a warden.

Lifa actually smiled a little. As you wish… Bernadette.

Coming right along, Bernadette thought. She led the pair back inside, and told Lifa Please gather up anything you want to take with you. Whatever you and Anja need that you don’t have, we’ll buy in town. Erik and Andrion are going to help with the move. Lifa nodded her head and, still holding Anja’s hand, went off with her to the spot on the sleeping loft where she usually bunked. She didn’t have a lot, really – a few changes of underwear, some clothing, and the armor and weapons that had mostly been provided by Bernadette.

Erik? Andrion? Bernadette eyed her men, who’d been standing by watching her affectionately with the familiar there goes Hurricane Berni look in their eyes. Can you pick up one of these beds from the mezzanine, please? I want to put it in that spare nook downstairs in the cottage so that if there are extra guests they’ll have someplace to sleep. They exchanged a glance, shrugged, then headed off up the short flight of steps and hefted the single bed nearest to the bathing pool. Each of them took an end, and Bernadette stood there admiring their bulging muscles for a moment before scurrying off to open the doors for them.

In a fairly short space of time the little party was assembled in the road at the front of the building, and they were ready to leave for Waterdon. Bernadette made sure Andrion and Erik actually had their hands on the bed, and as she’d hoped the map fast-travelled all five humans along with their assorted luggage and furniture, depositing them on the main street of Waterdon just inside the gates. Alessia, out working at her forge, lifted her head and goggled at them as they lifted their burdens and proceeded the few dozen paces to the door of Brightsgate Cottage.

The men had to take the bed apart and lift it sideways to fit through the cottage’s door. Then they set it up in the unfinished area off the dining room, and made it up again with its mattress and bedclothes. Next, they helped Lifa haul her collection of things up the narrow stairs. You can take the master bedroom if you like, Lifa Bernadette told her. And Anja can have this little room for her own.

I think that for now Anja will be sleeping with me, Lifa replied. And I can move us into the little bedroom if you and… uh… whoever, are visiting and want to stay the night. It appeared Lifa had not quite figured out what the story was with Bernadette and her two lovers.

All right, Bernadette replied. That will be fine.

After everything was in place and the move was completed Bernadette asked Lifa, Do you have a list of things you’ll need? We ought to go shopping. Lifa pondered. She had no money of her own, but accepted that her needs would be met by her warden.

I’d like to go to Bernard’s. And we could use some fresh meat and vegetables from the market. I think we can get some goat’s milk there too.

Oh! I almost forgot. I asked Lev to get some goat’s milk for the Maiden, Bernadette exclaimed. If he comes up with some, I’ll drop it off.

Turning to the men, who were just standing there, Bernadette said Why don’t you two sit down and have an ale or two while we’re out? There’s a few bottles on the shelf. Hey Andrion, maybe you can use a frost spell on it! Erik rolled his eyes, his face contorted in an expression of consternation.

"Oh, no mistress, not the ale! Please don’t make us sit here drinking ale while you womenfolk have all the fun shopping!" Bernadette gave him a grin that showed a few too many teeth.

Smart-arse! she said. Then, turning to Lifa and Anja she continued Ladies, shall we be off?

The three of them left, and the two men seated themselves in the reasonably comfy chairs in front of the fire, each with a slightly chilled bottle of ale in hand and an ankle thrown up over the opposite knee. They turned to each other and grinned, then sighed contentedly. After downing around half of his ale in one long swallow, Andrion remarked to Erik, "What is our girl getting us into now? First we save the world, now we’re rescuing orphans?"

Wouldn’t you? Erik responded. "She is so damn cute!"

Andrion took another sip of his ale. Who? he asked then. Berni, or Anja? Erik took a long pull on his own ale, as if lost in thought.

"Both of them, of course. But you haven’t spent much time with Anja yet. Just wait. I swear, it’s as if she really is Berni Junior. Minus the, ah, appetites of course. But she even looks just like Berni. Another pause, considering. And a bit like you, too, come to think of it. Is there something you forgot to tell me?"

Andrion sighed, thinking I wish. To Erik he said, "It is kind of eerie, isn’t it. When I first set eyes on her I thought ‘that’s my daughter.’ Mine and Berni’s. But when I mentioned it to Berni, the whole marriage-and-kids thing, she told me to back the hell off. He sighed again ruefully, and took another drink of ale before continuing, I keep forgetting how young Berni is. Sometimes she acts like she’s our mother."

Erik was more pleased than he would admit at this confession from Andrion. Even though he knew Berni loved him and wanted to spend time with him, he could never quite shake the fear that someday she might dump him to be exclusively with his friend. Both Berni and Andrion had intellectual interests he didn’t share.

Aloud, Erik said "Perish the thought! I assure you I have never felt that way about my mother!" Andrion knew what he meant. Berni might be a bit bossy from time to time, but she also had some kind of near-magical ability to stiffen his dick – and presumably, Erik’s as well. He’d just as soon not delve into those details too much, however. The conversation devolved into a discussion of Erik’s early life, growing up in Norcove. That frozen fishing village didn’t have much to offer a young lad, and like Andrion and Bernadette he’d taken off as soon as he could get away.

Erik’s parents still lived there, and he had an older sister –- married now with a couple of kids of her own – living in Coldstein. He didn’t visit with the family much. Andrion had known Erik for more than two years, and he was surprised that he’d never learned any of these details before. Admittedly the usual tendency among Maiden employees was to talk shop, or politics, or discuss the quests they’d been on and the many beautiful noblewomen they’d bedded. Not that the two of them had discussed the noblewomen much – Andrion mostly didn’t do it, and Erik didn’t talk about it.

As they were each finishing their second ales, the women returned with their arms full of packages. They were chattering – chattering! … and in high spirits. Anja in particular was beaming. Not only had she acquired several new outfits to wear, and a new doll, but she had met a nice girl a couple of years older than her, who was the daughter of one of the sellers in the marketplace.

Lifa now had several sets of non-armored clothing, and the excitement and pleasure she was feeling at the change in her circumstances had brought color to her cheeks and a sparkle to her eyes that made her look positively beautiful. Erik was a bit dazzled. If she had been like this that time he’d bedded her… But now, he was so besotted with Berni that other women had begun to lose their appeal. He still went with one, now and again, if Berni was gone for days and his horniness was getting out of hand. But it was scarcely any more exciting than jerking off. He no longer took any other woman to his bedroom in the basement, which he’d transformed into a sort of love nest for himself and Berni alone. If a Maiden guest wanted him, she’d better be prepared to get cozy on the loft.

Bernadette had sacks of food, a small cask of wine, and a bottle of goat’s milk. She was also carrying a few bottles of water in her pack, and she poured two of these into a good-sized pot. Andrion, she asked sweetly, could you please chill this water with your frost spell? He was pleased to do the honors, and the pot’s bottom was soon covered in a thick layer of ice, the sides of it bitingly cold. Smiling her thanks, Bernadette placed the bottle of milk and several fresh bottles of mead into the pot, there to cool.

We’re having a feast in honor of Lifa and Anja’s new home, Bernadette announced gaily, "and I am going to cook it! She looked around at the faces of her friends for some reaction, then added No, really, I am! I know how to cook…" Andrion and Erik broke into guffaws, and Lifa smiled but politely. She had less experience with Berni and her domestic skills – or apparent lack thereof. Bernadette joined the laughter, only pretending to be stung.

She knew as well as they did that she very seldom volunteered to do anything whatsoever in the kitchen and would be quite content to have all her meals prepared – and especially, cleaned up after – by others. As the eldest daughter in her household, these chores had fallen to her all too often and it was to escape these, as much as to find adventure and romance, that she had fled to Iscandia.

Bernadette was willing to make the occasional exception, however. She took out a slim stack of books she had bought at Bernard’s, tales that might be enjoyed by small children as well as adults, and placed them on one of the downstairs bookcases. After Lifa and Anja had returned from stowing their new possessions in the chests upstairs, she gave one of these to Lifa and suggested that they sit on the spare bed and read. The men could continue to sit in front of the fire, resuming their conversation, and she would take over the table for food preparation.

Producing a meal fancier than a pot of stew and some bread (purchased, not home-baked) was nearly impossible in the typical Iscandia kitchen. Bernadette had heard tell that in the kitchens of grand castles, like the eorl’s palace in Sylvanian, there were immense ovens for the baking of pies, cakes, and breads. These kitchens held many spits and huge cauldrons, banks of tables where scullery maids by the score spent their hours chopping, all to keep the bellies of the high and mighty fed. Here, there was this table. Plus, a single pot suspended over the open fire, and a spit on which one could roast meats.

She’d bought a nice haunch of tender young goat from the meat seller in the marketplace, and made that her first priority. She chopped a lot of fresh garlic and herbs to season it with, then with Erik’s help got it spitted. She tasked him, as he sat there relaxing by the fire, with turning the spit from time to time. No spit-dogs or spit-boys employed in this humble abode!

Given her limited cooking facilities, Bernadette’s menu for this feast was really pretty simple. Aside from the roasted goat, she planned a one-pot ragout with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, green beans, onions, and some herbs. She’d bought some fresh bread rolls as well. Almost no one in Iscandia baked their own bread at home. Plus, she had a good-sized paper packet of fresh pastries for dessert.

As Lifa read quietly to the rapt Anja, who it seemed had never before had any stories read to her, Bernadette sat using the tabletop as a cutting board, chopping up her vegetables. When she had them all in the pot, she added the herbs along with some water and a bit of the butter she had brought from the market. Then she put a lid on the pot and hung it on the hook. Now, all she needed to do was wait.

Hmm, but where? Lifa and Anja were such a tight little group on the bed, Bernadette didn’t want to intrude there. Nor, listen to the story she’d heard countless times during her childhood. She was feeling very happy and pleased with herself, and Erik’s presence was starting to remind her that it was his turn tonight. She was very much looking forward to some of the occasionally tender, frequently explosive loving he was wont to provide, and considered just sitting in his lap while waiting for the food to cook. But no, that would mess up the homey, casual mood. It might possibly break the chair, as well.

Instead, Bernadette pulled the small table out from its spot at the fireside, pushing it over against the wall. Then she borrowed a chair from the table near the door and parked it between Erik and Andrion, in front of the fire. She grabbed herself a tankard of wine before joining her two delectable lovers at the fireside. She’d brought along a towel to use as a potholder, and a wooden spoon with which to stir the ragout.

Erik gazed at her with a mixture of wonder and growing lust as she sat between them. He was as mindful as she was that tonight was his, to do all those things with her they both so very much enjoyed. He could hardly wait. But this was nice, too. He still couldn’t get over the turn of recent events. First Berni and Andrion show up with an adorable orphan child. Then Lifa turns out to be the motherly type. Now, here was Berni buying stuff right and left before settling in to cook for them all. What next? Would she take up knitting? Reveal herself as the true heir to the throne of Iscandia? Anything seemed possible, and he was up for it all – as long as he continued to be a part of her life and a regular partner in her bed.

Berni gave him a meaningful glance, but the meaning wasn’t clear until she said, in an undertone, Erik! Don’t forget to turn the spit! He started, grinning sheepishly, and rotated the meat so it would cook evenly. Then his gaze went back to her, as she rose, towel and spoon in hand, to lift the lid on the cast iron pot and stir the contents. It smelled delicious! And she looked delicious bending over that pot, the velvety fabric of her dress snug through her slim waist and draping in folds over her firm yet divinely rounded rump. Other men might prefer a bit more plumpness, but Erik was a man of action and he appreciated a woman who could keep up with him. In point of fact he appreciated this woman, above all others.

Replacing the pot lid, Bernadette sat back down in her chair. Then she blew on the hot spoon until it had cooled a little before licking it off, all the while meeting his eyes with wicked promise. Oof! Erik’s cock went rigid in an instant. It was going to be a long evening. He leaned forward to turn the spit again, hiding his erection. That meat smelled pretty damn good, too.

Anja was hungry before the food was ready, and Bernadette let her have an apple and some bread and