Intimate? “What things?” Ayla asked. “Give me time. But I want you to know that this is real. I want you, T’xoria, like I never wanted anything else in my entire life.” Ayla bit her lip. “Not even your soulmate?” Rhobart inhaled deeply. “I don’t want to talk about that.” “If you are still mourning her death, I understand.” “She is not dead.” Ayla blinked. “When you said you lost because of the war, I assumed... If she is not dead, then where is she?” He closed his eyes. “Please, Ayla! Don’t ruin this.” His voice cracked. “I am sorry, Rhobart! I will stop asking about her.” Ayla bit her lower lip. “But I am curious about something else.” He opened his eyes. “Sometimes, your curiosity scares me.” He sighed. “What is it this time?” She bit her lip and blushed. “Earlier, while you were on top of me, I felt something hard in your trousers—” He laughed. Hard. “So Daya was right. You are curious about my—” Rhobart started saying, but Ayla put her hand against his mouth, silencing
The servants took Ayla to a bathhouse close to the Clan Hall. The entrance was spacious, with sofas and coffee tables close to the walls, leaving the center free. Colorful mosaics decorated the walls and floors. The bathhouse appeared to be empty, but one of the servants rang a bell that was on a table, and moments later, two women and a man appeared from behind a curtain. “This is Lady Ayla, a special guest of Chief Ulfr. He asks that you prepare her for the alxa-lotx ceremony,” a servant said. “It will be our pleasure to get Lady Ayla ready!” the man said. He sounded very feminine. “Follow us!” The servants left. The two women and the man took Ayla to a room with enormous bathtubs. Tables with baskets full of petals and flowers and bottles with all sorts of oils or lotions were next to the bathtubs. “Lady Ayla, we will have to remove all your clothes to wash you properly.” “Just Ayla,” she let them know what she wanted to be called. The women smiled and helped Ayla undress wh
The people in the Church of Fire turned their attention to the couple. “Hammer Clan,” the old Mage started speaking. “Today, we celebrate with Seff and Kassidy! Today two halves of the same soul will become one!” Milton opened the box and took out a piece of red ribbon and a bone knife. A red ruby was on its hilt. “Seff, Kassidy, you come before Inoss to be united as n’alxaes for all eternity,” the old Fire Mage said to the couple, and they nodded. “Seff, do you promise to love and care for Kassidy all your life? To put her needs above yours? To protect her and your future children? To be the best husband and father?” “I do!” “Kassidy, do you promise to love and respect Seff all your life? To be a good wife and mother? To nurture your home?” “I do!” “Put your left hands in the air,” the old Fire Mage instructed them. The couple raised their left hands, palms up. “Two halves of the same soul, and fate brought them together!” the old Mage said as he took the bone-carved knife in
Ayla took a long sip of her wine before asking. “And t’xoria?” Hudde turned serious. “You mean he still calls you that? I feel bad for you!” He drank from his goblet. Ayla studied him for a moment. Hudde appeared sad, but there was a touch of mischief in his eyes. She couldn’t tell if he was serious or if he was jesting. “It means something bad?” Ayla wanted to know. Hudde drank some more from his goblet. “It means dog.” Ayla could not believe Rhobart had been calling her a dog. No wonder everyone laughed each time he said t’xoria to her. Tears pooled in her eyes. “If you ever lie to her again, I will rip out your tongue!” Rhobart’s angry voice came from behind Ayla. Hudde turned pale. Ayla turned on her heels, and Rhobart cupped her face between his hands. “I would never call you that,” he told her before gently kissing her lips. Ayla heard the two women gasp, but she didn’t care. She was upset. Why was it so hard to tell her what that word meant? “Dance with me,” Rhobart sa
Ayla knew she was dreaming the moment she saw herself dressed in armor. Rhobart’s head was on her lap. His face was contorted with pain, and a big wound was on his stomach. Blood was coming out of it. Tears ran down her face as she interlaced her fingers with those of Rhobart’s. “You promised!” she sobbed. Rhobart grimaced with pain. “I will always be with you, Ayla!” She sobbed harder. “You can’t! You promised!” “I will wait for you in the Eternal Gardens,” Rhobart said his voice barely a whisper. “You promised me we would grow old together!” she yelled. “I am sorry to break that promise!” Rhobart said before closing his eyes. His heart stopped beating. Her screams echoed in her mind over and over, the terror in her heart bleeding out with the sound. ****** Her own screams woke her up. She looked for Rhobart on the bed but remembered they had asked for separate rooms. They didn’t want to share a bed while unmarried. His room was across from hers. She needed to see him, to
After two days of celebrating Siff and Kassidy’s alxa-lotx ceremony, life in the Hammer Clan returned to normal. Shops, butcheries, smithies, and other businesses reopened, and the streets buzzed with activity. Master bladesmiths forged new magic ore weapons, while master armorers worked on new armor. Tailors sewed while scribblers wrote. Clothes, sweets, toys, books, herbs, and all kinds of goods were sold in the shops. And it was in front of one of these shops that Ayla and Milton stopped. “As promised,” Milton said, “this is the best alchemy shop in the Hammer Clan. It has everything. From roots and plants to tusks of trolls or horns of dragon-snappers.” Ayla nodded and looked at the shop entrance. Earlier, she had asked Milton where she could find more medicinal plants and herbs, and the Fire Mage promised to take her after breakfast. While it was true that she needed more healing plants, she also needed other types of plants. After what happened between Rhobart and her, she nee
Ayla turned her head in Rhobart’s direction. His black eyes were burning with anger, and he was clenching and unclenching his fists. Godefray was with him, and he looked at Ayla with hatred. “I told you I needed time, Ayla, and you go behind my back and ask things about my n’alxa. Things I still can’t talk about just yet. You want to know about her? I will tell you. She told me she loved me, made promises to me, and then broke all of them. We had our alxa-lotx ceremony, and she broke our bond! Do you know how it felt to have your soul-bond destroyed? It felt like my chest had been slashed open and my heart and soul ripped apart from me. Even after all this time, her betrayal still hurts!” Rhobart bellowed. “Don’t take it out on her! It’s all my fault,” Milton said. “I thought you knew better than to talk about my fucking life!” Rhobart snarled. He gritted his teeth. “I need to calm the fuck down. Otherwise, I might say things I will regret later.” Rhobart turned on his heels and le
We will grow old together. She held onto that promise, even when dark thoughts poisoned her heart and mind. She buried her nose in the pillow Rhobart used. After her last nightmare, Rhobart moved into her room. His scent lingered on the pillow, and Ayla inhaled deeply. Minutes after Milton left, the door opened. Ayla lifted her head to see who had entered without knocking. She stopped breathing when she saw Rhobart standing in the doorway. She thought she felt her soul reaching for him. Only for him. He stood there. Looking at her. Drinking her in. He said nothing as he stared at her, his hands in his pockets. When Ayla was starting to think she was looking at a statue, Rhobart finally moved. He closed and locked the door before walking slowly towards the bed. Ayla rose from the bed. He was like a magnet, pulling her to him. She met him halfway. He cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears with his thumbs. “I am sorry for how I acted earlier. I should never have yelled at you.” “Did
Hi everyoneThe book is not abandoned, neither is the story, but some things are happening with the story, the world.There is another story that comes before Frozen Heart - no need to read, but I am focusing to finish that one first, before I go back to Frozen Heart. Once Wolf Heart is done, I will finish this story as well.I just ask all of you to be a bit patient until I finish what I have planned.I also want to wish everyone a happy new year.you can find me on FB as well - Amy T Stories is my group and I will post news there pretty soon
His long hair was braided, and he wore not only a cloak identical to that of Rhobart—mottled grey, green and brown but also his tunic and trousers had the same colors, making him hard to be seen in the forest.“Who are you, female?” he asked.Rhobart took out his sword and put the tip against the Elf’s neck. “Put the bow down, or else I will remove your head!” Rhobart growled.But the Elf’s eyes were still fixed on Ayla, and he did not appear to have heard Rhobart. Rhobart nicked his skin, a few drops of blood ran down his neck.“Don’t release more arrows!” the Elf yelled, lowering his bow.Two more Elves jumped from the trees—a female and a male, both blondes—landing close to Kerra before moving closer to Rhobart and Ayla. The male had a sword in his right hand, while the female had a whip on her left hip and a short sword on the right one.“She looks identical to you, Taeral,” the female said. “Except for her ears, which are human.” She sniffed the air. “But she is only part human.”
The forest felt so silent Ayla could hear her heart pounding against her ribcage. Rhobart straightened himself in the saddle, his fingers brushing the pommel of his dagger. Ayla reached inside her to that strong spring of magic—her gift from her mother or father, or perhaps both.Kerra sniffed the air, her two tails whipping violently.“We mean you no harm,” Rhobart said, his voice strong. “We are just passing by!”“Where to?” the man asked from a different tree.Ayla wondered when he moved so fast. Or so silently.“Far away from Myrthana. I advise you to do the same!” Rhobart replied.“You lie! I see you wear the cloak of a hunter while the female has a black one, like those used by mercenaries. You had your chance to leave, but I am afraid your time is up,” said the man. Ayla tried to say something, but he went on, “Release the arrows!”Kerra growled and got in an attack position.A few leaves rustled, Ayla put her right hand in the air, and a magic shield appeared around Runner and
“Runner knows you. Trust him and me. Grab the reins,” Rhobart said before handing the reins to Ayla.Rhobart put his left hand under her tunic, his thumb brushed over her peak, while his right hand drew circles on her stomach. “Rho!” Ayla moaned when his hand went down, two fingers slowly circling and pressing her throbbing core. She felt as if she would melt. Pleasure started building in her lower stomach.“Are you wet and ready for me, Ayla?” asked Rho, his voice coated with desire.Oh, she was. Rhobart’s fingers kept moving, and his lips went up and down her neck. Tension kept building inside her body.“Yes,” Ayla forced the word out of her mouth.“Had you been wearing a dress, I would have ripped your undergarments, spun you around, and have you sit on my cock. I would have Runner gallop fast, and I would fuck you until we reached the rebel camp,” Rhobart said into her ear as his fingers moved faster. Rougher.‘Oh, Gods!’ Ayla thought.“Would you like that, t’xoria? To be fucked o
Rhobart looked at Eluvene, his eyes turning cold as the stark winter. “He will never lay another finger on her again! But I need to know everything about King Amul. He is more cunning than I thought.”Eluvene’s green eyes went to Ayla. “King Amul accepted what Ayla refused,” said the Dark Mage, winking at Ayla. “I don’t know much about King Amul. He mostly spoke with King Galian and with my former Master. But since he accepted the Crown of Darkness, he stopped being a normal human.”Rhobart frowned. “What did Ayla refuse and when?”Eluvene shrugged.Between the prophecy, the Seeker, the forgotten book, and the attack on the Fire Monastery, Ayla had forgotten about her vision with Beliar. When she saw that crown on her father’s head, she hadn’t made the connection with the one she was wearing in her vision. “Nothing important,” said Ayla. And it wasn’t. “I chose you back then, and I will choose you always!”Rhobart’s gaze lingered on Ayla for a heartbeat before turning his attention to
Milton returned from the river and grabbed a bowl of porridge. “Rania is a Fire Mage novice, and Sylvar is a Snow Elf. They are n’alxaes, but the twins fucked Rania. I am still wondering how Sylvar permitted you two to live after touching what is his.”“We did not fuck her!” Eude protested.Rhobart snorted. “You only deflowered Rania... as you did with Skurja! Don’t think I forgot about my cousin!”Ayla had missed the bickering between Rhobart and the twins. When she heard the twins and Rhobart fighting for the first time, she was afraid for the twins, but as time passed, she came to understand the brotherly affection Rhobart, Milton, and the Paladins had for each other.“We might have plucked a petal or two, but nothing more!” Hudde said. “And Skurja had many petals gone by the time she was on top of me!”Rhobart folded his arms. “You mean you ripped all of Rania’s petals! And talk about Sjurka like that, and Ayla won’t stop me again from challenging you to a duel!” He looked at the
After Ayla and Rhobart completed their alxa-lotx, when she remembered the prophecy, Milton had been the first to suggest that Fire, Water, and Darkness could refer to mages. Ayla and Rhobart had spent many hours discussing it, trying to understand everything. In the Fire Monastery, when Ayla found the forgotten book, they searched for clues about Uzriel and the prophecy, but the book had yet to reveal all its secrets to her. The forgotten tome was still in her bag, together with Eude’s sketchbook, which she would burn, sketch by sketch, so that Rhobart wouldn’t get any new ideas from it. Or embarrass her with it.In the Black Tower, when Ayla and Godefray gradually started to become friends, they talked about the prophecy. Ayla had hoped the dragons would appear again in her dreams, but the last time she spoke to them had been before the fight with the Seeker. There were many things Ayla still didn’t know and wanted to learn before sailing to Korinus Island.Milton picked up a flat pe
Hudde pointed at the burning tent. “I was in the tent, sleeping with Eude, Hewe, Tizgar, and Gorn. The tent was not big enough for all five of us, and my ass was almost sticking out of it. I could have slept better, but someone refused to let me use his tent. Anyway, I was dreaming about… never mind that, when Milton set it on fire and burned my ass in the process,” he complained while turning around to show Rhobart and Ayla his burned trousers. Ayla covered her mouth and hid a smile while trying to look shocked. “This was my last clean pair too!” Thick smoke was coming from the burned tent, making Ayla’s eyes fill with tears. She flicked her index and middle finger, and a soft breeze swept through the forest, rustling the leaves of the trees, carrying the smell of smoke away from the camp. Ashes jumped on the two remaining tents, and they caught fire. Kerra came out of Rhobart’s tent with a big bone in her mouth. Drax took out a magic rune, and small grey clouds appeared above them,
Rhobart kept walking, and Ayla looked around the forest. While in Nordmar lived many dangerous beasts, Myrthana’s woods were quieter, and the animals were smaller. Even the shadowbeasts were not as aggressive as those that lived in the cold forests of the Northern part of the continent.“Earlier, when I was hunting with Kerra and Gorn, we stumbled upon a small cave. It hasn’t been used by wild creatures for some time, and furs and blankets are inside. Even some wine. I think the lumberjacks used the cave to wash because there’s a small pool inside. Would you want to go there? And while we wash away the dust from our bodies, we can also spend a few quiet moments.”It did not matter if it was only a lonely rock, as long as she was with Rhobart. Ayla nodded against his chest, his scent soothing her. “I don’t know if I told you, but I’ve missed you terribly,” she said as the sun began to set. Rhobart tightened his arms around her. “I was afraid I would never see you again.”“I will never