WandW4

I lay there like a sap and smiled at the coming morning. This was nothing like any wake up I'd ever had. You know; you wake up, first you remember who you are hi, I'm Keith McIntyre, freelance cynic. Then you start worrying about what you have to accomplish today, what faces you today, how can you get through today without killing yourself or somebody else.

And number two, that I'd been so thoroughly, blazingly fucked I could probably stay in bed for a month and still be lounging in the afterglow. This came in a not- bad second place.

Romance and tenderness had totally given way to raw animal lust in the end; we were still guys, after all. I'd nearly been pounded through whatever passed for a mattress here. Been sucked and bitten. Returned the favor; the Warchief was gonna have one helluva hickey on that sexy pale throat for his followers to snicker over.

Not that there'd be any doubt what we'd been up to anyway. Tents are hard to soundproof, and Carson was the opposite of quiet when he was really turned on.

And I'd quite accidentally done something that really, really did it for him during that second, more successful engagement in the furs. Shit, he'd howled like a werewolf coming into me. And a bit later, even with my dick halfway down his throat he still managed to make quite a racket. Yup, unless his whole tribe had suddenly gone deaf, they'd all know the High King had gotten some last night in a big goddamn way.

Again later, after dozing for a while wrapped around each other. I woke up first this time. With wizardsight I'd been able to see perfectly well the delectable position he was now in, sprawled out on his stomach, his head pillowed on his arms and legs spread - well, the word "invitingly" comes to mind. It had been the work of a moment to check the crock of pie sauce, ascertain there was still plenty left, and begin proceedings to even the score a trifle. I was running 0-2 in the rape and pillage department, and my competitive streak was beginning to fire up. Carse was some surprised, I think, to be roused from sleep by a rude, horny, panting wizard kneeling between his thighs, buttering his ass up in preparation for said r and p.

And wow - it had all been so damn *good*. Perfection. Greatness. Even the silly parts. Dammit, everything with him was good. A goopy romantic thought so far out of character for me that I *knew* I was still running on afterglow.

I was under no illusion that my feeling of utter bliss would last for long. Hell, I'd probably be back to my usual asshole self an hour from now, bitching at stupid crap and tense as a plucked guitar string from all the weird Warrior/Wizard stuff that seemed to be spiraling into motion around us at an ever-increasing pace.

But even just a minute of feeling like this was worth any price I had to pay. Anything. Bite me, Lords of Law and Chaos. For this one shining, glittering moment, I was one with / /images of broken light that dance around me like a million suns they call me on and off across/ / the universe.

What finally got me reluctantly moving was the knowledge that Fox would be in shortly with breakfast - that was if she followed the same pattern with Carson here as with Carson gone. It seemed more respectful - or at least less embarrassing - if she didn't find me draped all over her fearless leader in the same damn bed.

So I wobbled up and out, gently tugging back the covers I'd displaced over someone's sleeping head. Looked for my pants, found 'em tossed over a brazier, fortunately one of those we hadn't lit. For some reason today I would've preferred a pair of the soft, multi-colored cotton britches the tribal dudes wore when not in battle leathers, but all the stuff here was in Carson's length. Have to just do the jeans things. Pulled 'em on, remembering at the last minute to do a quick clean-up spell to get rid of all the, ah, cinnamon. Who needs their pants sticking to their butt all day? Found a teeshirt in my pack that read "Einstein Was Wrong!" Pulled that on too //I like to move at the speed of light, Albert says I can't but I can//

Good God, it was too early and I couldn't wake up Carson but I wanted to grab my Moonstone and just play and sing, a pagan fool thanking all the gods just for being alive.

//Circle of stone, circle of steel, I wanna ride in an iron wheel//Freedom at Point Zero, rock and roll isn't over// Oh, yeahrock and roll is just *beginning* here.

I spun around from grinning foolishly at the wall of the tent and grinned foolishly at Fox instead. She stood there with a plate that, yeah, she must've known Carson was back because it was nearly as big as she was, three times what she usually brought me. "Hey, let me help you with that - good Lord, that must be enough breakfast for half your tribe there!"

She spun it deftly away from my clumsy grasp and onto the table, then eyed me with something almost like delight. "I see you had a pleasant night, my lord."

"Oh, yeah? How do you figure that out, Foxlady?" Jesus Christ, I hoped we hadn't woke her up - nah, her tent was on the other side of camp. Even Carse wasn't THAT loud.

She gurgled at the nickname, but didn't back down. "For one, the glow of your face, Lord Wizard, and the manner in which you were humming to yourself - a strange tune, but most pleasant. For the other - you seem to be walking somewhat more stiffly than usual. My guess is that your bedmate found you more than pleasing." Her eyes danced as she teased me. I blushed like an idiot and she giggled like a schoolgirl at the sight.

I couldn't help gaping at her comments for a second; she really had become like the loving aunt I never had in the past few days. And most guys don't expect their aunt to backhandedly congratulate 'em for getting laid by a hot male lover. Of course one thing I'd found out early on about the Tribe was that they had no sexual prejudices. And no damn inhibitions on talking about sex either. Love was love, and highly valued no matter whom you shared it with. They would rib you blind about your love life, natch, but totally without malice or hidden meanings.

The prejudice against foreigners and wizards, granted, was pretty strict. But it was based on past bad experiences with militant assholes coming in and trying to throw their weight around. If you could prove yourself worthy despite your bad origins, you would be accepted. Fox had told me some stories of past examples of this, I guess to encourage me.

Damn. I've never given a rat's ass in all my life what other people thought about me. And now all of a sudden, I wanted these people to respect me, to like me. All of them. Not just Fox, that excellent and tolerant lady.

I just had to goose her in the ribs, old enough to be my momma or not. She managed to muffle her shriek, I'll give her that. "If I deny it, can I come on to you? You seem pretty feisty today, Foxlady. Stirring my interest here."

I was triumphant; now she was red in the face, mainly from fighting back laughter. Still she managed to say with tolerable dignity, "My good Lord Wizard, although there's t-thanks for your kind offer, my own love might frown on this. And indeed from what I can see you have more and enough to handle."

That deep, soft voice, faintly amused. Lord, the things it did to me. Christ, even Fox had noticed; she was giggling again. Need some leathers bad, can't hide anything in these damn jeans.

I gulped, and turned. Seemed like I was in slo-mo, high on acid, tracers flowing from every part of me. No, that was the fire-magic, the red mana igniting all through my body just at the sound of him. I could feel sparks crackling through my hair, lifting it as if on a warm wind. It had happened last night, too; first time I'd brought magic to our bed except for the protection spell. Not on purpose. But he'd struck something inside me that racked me with pleasure, and before I knew it I was - ignited. Blazing with power. I'd fought wildly - and unsuccessfully - to bank it down, sure he'd be - well, maybe not disgusted. Surely not frightened. But not approving. Surely not that.

We'd crested almost together, in a mindless rush and a crackle of blazing magic that flamed but didn't consume. The noises he made alone told me he hadn't disliked it one damn bit. And when I'd finally turned to face him, shy and a bit apologetic at this lack of control, it was to find him looking at me like a wonder-stricken kid who's found out that Santa Claus lives. That the Emerald City really is out there somewhere, if you just believe enough.

In other words - he'd loved the hell out of it. "How did it feel?" I asked him softly, once I knew I could. I knew how it felt for me. I wanted to know how it felt for him.

"Like I coupled with a dragon," he whispered back. "Like falling from a place of madness, expecting to die, learning to fly instead. Like the most wonderful thing in my life, Hawk, you, I lo - "

Coupled with a dragon; yeah, I could dig it. Felt like I'd been a few rounds humping a raging wildcat myself. Come to notice, I was helluv sore. Well, yeah, *there*; no duh, even Fox had noticed. But scratched and bitten. I lifted my arm and eyeballed the throbbing bend of my elbow; oh yeah. Definite teethmarks. Mostly healed already, but that bad puppy *would* leave a scar. And I could feel the tee shirt rubbing the ladder of scratches and bites trailing all down my chest.

The worst thing was, I didn't feel at all like a pervert. I'd egged him on to rip me up, to go animal on my ass. It had felt damn good at the time. Yeah, my take on pain had changed, all right. At least where Carson was concerned.

He was propped on his elbows now, observing me and Fox with faint amusement. Then his expression changed and no, he had better just be focusing on me, because I didn't want that look given to anyone else ever. Not even the nice old girl who cooked for us. "Perhaps you should temper your - enthusiasm, wizard," he suggested. Trying to sound dry, but I at least could catch the undercurrent of delight in his voice. "You will frighten Foxmoon with your antics."

Oops, he was right. I was, er, still glowing. I pushed all that overflowing magic fire back where it belonged inside me and turned to apologize to the woman in question. She was staring at me with her mouth slightly open, but the look on her face was sheer wonder not fright. "I will be telling my grandchildren of this! La, but to know one's friend is a wizard and to actually see it with your eyes is a different thing. That was far more impressive than just watching a man grow hard for his lover!"

"Hammer of the gods, you young fools, I was born neither yesterday or the day before it. And I know right well what's happening beneath those furs, Lord Wolf!" she observed with a total lack of respect that made me grin and Carson look uncomfortable and put-upon. "Even though you don't throw out sparks to proclaim it. And I will leave you to your privacy - but you must promise, Keef, you will encourage this fool to eat. Like a bird he nibbles, for all the size of him, and you as slim as a reed but with an appetite worth cooking for. And since he goes out to battle again shortly, sure it is that some nourishment he must have. Promise me, you must be most stern with him."

"Battle?" I heard myself say, tonelessly. I thought I heard Carson groan. Wasn't sure. "Battle - shortly. Oh. Yeah. Make sure he eats. Yeah, he was just like that back home. I'd buy a bag of burgers and fries, I'd end up eating all the burgers and he'd nibble exactly three fries, half a burger if I threatened him -"

She eyed me doubtfully, then nodded. "And whatever on our sweet earth you managed to do to the carpeting in your gamings -" here she toed the mess my cleaning spell had created the night before. "Did you wish me to - ?"

"Nah. Take care of it." I eyed the problem remotely. Yuck, pretty bad, had forgotten all about it. I threw the cleaning spell. Forgot to take off the special effects; she hopped back a good foot. Started to emote again when it worked like a charm, something about how useful a spell like that would be to her in daily life. At another time I might've offered to enchant a ring with the spell for her. Now I just looked at her, I guess kind of bleakly. "'Bye, Fox," I heard this stranger in my body say.

"Lord Wizard." She curtsied to me deeply; it broke my heart a little. I never wanted her to see me like that, somebody who was such an asshole you had to curtsy to them of all things. But she was out the door before I could apologize, and then it was too late.

Playing was awesome. Especially complicated stuff that was a challenge. Try some "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll". Blue Oyster Cult. New York band. Mean and - complicated.

Why couldn't I ignore that touch on my shoulder, the feel of him dropping behind me, pulling me into him and totally fucking up my nice elaborate little guitar solo? Who the hell does he think he is?

"Shit!" I tried, God is my witness I tried not to scream at him, be cool, let it go and here he came just AFTER me. Damn, had I thrown my expensive-ass guitar practically all the way across the tent? His fault too; at least it wouldn't hit any walls.

Had to give him credit. He jerked slightly as I flung the guitar who knows where. But let me go? Not a bit of it. "Goddamn it." That's me whispering. "How fucking long this time?"

"They are the best." His voice sounded tired. "And in the darkness, perhaps they could have injured us badly. They have - archers." He said it with loathing, the true Northern tribes attitude; people who kill from a distance are just cowardly assholes. Afraid to go hand to hand. Myself, I approved of archers. Had some skill at it myself, actually.

"What!" His hands leaped to my shoulders, turning fierce, and he yanked me around to face him. Oh, yeah, full Lord of the Tribes commander mode, midnight blue eyes storming into me as if I was a raw teenage boy who'd never swung a sword and was about to learn his place. "I told you - "

"You don't know that," I told him flatly. "You Northern dorks mistrust Southerners, but you don't mistrust them enough. I've lived with them. I know. They could pull in reinforcements within hours if they have a good wizard with them. You could all be walking into a trap."

He stared at me. Swallowed. Yep, there was the mark I'd made on his neck, all right. A very nice, dark one. I do good work. I wanted to do it again - and yeah, a third time.

His eyes locked on mine. We both wanted it. We both hell - wanted. Why did I even bother trying to hide it? He knew it. He knew it down to the ground even if I never had the balls to say it.

"Fox's kid. Young, but he can ride like a bastard and we get along. Anything weird I'll let him know, he'll pelt over to you. Give you the update. Bet he knows where this forest is, too."

He looked at me, stood up. Somewhere in all the snarling at each other he'd totally managed to pull on leathers. All he needed now was the chainmail, swords, knives.

"Just be careful, you big stupid bastard." I growled it at him, not meaning to sound like any kind of a lover. Certainly not meaning to be yanked upright, kissed within an inch of my life. Especially in front of that idiot Do'nar who was practically jumping up and down at the tent entrance. But the sour, disgusted look he gave me as Carson pulled free, shook himself, and strode off a little - unsteadily - to go do battle

I was a good boy. I used the spell only once, shortly after they left. Twirling out around them like a web of light. Catching the auras of those nervously awaiting them in the forest; yeah, like Carse had said, no more than a dozen. Archers, though. Well, how much damage could they do against almost a hundred Riders? Nothing seemed to be wrong; no one seemed to be reinforcing them.

Okay. Let it go. Play some more guitar. Ozzy. Stones. Goddamn, I'm just playing like shit today, screwing up chords and changes, why the HELL am I so fuckin' nervous?

The guy guarding the horses tried to stop me. I'll give him that. But I didn't have time. I blasted his ass. Hoped in passing I didn't kill him. Didn't mean to; just had to get past, no time to explain even if he would've listened.

Not a warhorse, too damned big, too freaking stupid - what was this slender, fast-looking grey horse dancing nervously here, tied to the corral instead of barreling around inside like the others? Okay, worked for me.

I managed to drag myself onto the tall, smooth back. No time for saddling up, the Riders only threw a ceremonial blanket on their mounts anyway - I could do without it. And then this dumbfuck horse decided to start to buck me off. Uh-uh.

I forced my will brutally on this dumb piece of horseflesh, and with a startled snort it listened to me. Turned, and surged into a gallop, and leaped the corral fence with inches to spare. All I could do was cling to its neck, throw a small Levitation spell to keep myself from being jolted off, and hang on as we pounded towards the forest.