The Keep

It was one of the best sleeps she had in years, though it was too short, too fitful to be restful. Curled around her, his naked skin pressed against her, the troll slowly stirred. Kissing Draeka’s cheek softly, hugging her to him tightly, she smiled and her body relaxed, her green flesh as exposed as his.

“How’d ju sleep?” he whispered hoarsely in her ear, his deep voice crackling with sleep.

“Best and worst sleep of my night,” she sighed, clutching his hands around her. He nodded against her, “I know 'ow ju feel... but... de good outweighs de bad,” he sighed, pressing into her further and lovingly kissing at her neck. Propping herself up on her elbow, she looked out the window at the dark Nagrand sky, and sighing fell back into his arms. “Time to get back?”

He paused before nodding, squeezing her in his thick arms. “Ja, need to be getting’ back to ‘er. But Drae… I’ll see ju soon. Anod’ah few hours. D’en we should do d’is again. I don’t like da idea o’ ju sleepin’ alone.” Draeka smiled again, nodding, her eyes flittering between opened and closed. “I’d like that.” The troll smiled, standing and stretching before her as she gazed longingly at him. “You glad we ain’t done it yet?” she grinned, rolling onto her back and looking up at him. Again he nodded, slowly buttoning up his robe, his eyes on her toned body. He paused, sitting down next to her, laying a heavy hand on her stomach.

“Drae… it’s different wit’chu. I don’t want ju to jus’ be anod’ah girl. I want it to be special wit’chu, a way o’ solidifyin’ our pact. Ja, I want ju, but I want it ta be somet’ing special between ju an’ I.” The warrior woman smiled and nodding, rubbing his hand with hers as he speaks. “I like ju. Ain’t about da sex.”

Leaning up on her knees and turning to face him, she hugs him to her tight, her chest pressed against his as she softly kisses his lower lip, looking him in the eyes. He sucks gently on her lower lip before she pulls her head from his. “I like you too, Zij. I don’t mind waitin’ forever and a day, long as we still got what we got,” she paused, “well, that’s a lie. I’d very much mind waitin’.”

He chucked, wrapping his arms around her bare waist, squeezing her tight. “An' now... I gotta go suffah t'rough de mornin' wit'out ju Drae. Ju'll be on my mind..”

“Dabu, Zij. I'll... I'll miss you.”

“I'll miss ju too Drae. Enjoy jourself until latah.”