The Kitten, the Witches and the Bad Wardrobe - Willow & Tara Forever

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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 13)
PostPosted: Tue Aug 05, 2003 5:11 pm 




Holy Deity!!

Do you have any idea how the NOT doing it , is DOING to US? to ME?? I DEFINITELY NEED A COLD SHOWER!

And You're a first time smutter? I'd say you're the first place TEASER on the board!

Let me just say WOW to this update.

I loved the table sequences and I loved the previous "Recalling" by Tara.

Brrr I just dispise this Von shmuck-thingie ... and well the Baron reacted well! I loved him from the start! It's also beautiful the way Willow reacted to that and I quote :

Quote:
"Hey," Willow said softly, leaning close to Tara, "I am proud of the way I feel about you."


That was beautiful.



The bedroom scene? Well pure torture for Tara since she's the most sober one of the two.

and FINALLY the most wonderful thing : the "I love you " exchange, in the dark, in each other's arms ... :happycry (i'm such a softy sometimes)



And wonderful news they're going to spend a long-ER journey together, so I say WOOHOO!!



Beautiful writing, I always enjoy reading it. Thank you for this great moment.



~Arwen

Hear That Baby? You're My Always... Willow



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 13)
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 3:24 am 
:applause



Ah AU...:D



May I say :bow to the mighty writer [doh!]



Love the way W/T interact, and yes we have clevage staring!

Sorry I missed church, I was busy becoming a lesbian and worshiping Satan



Bardlet no #27





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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 13)
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 4:37 am 
:bounce ... you're big with the teasing aren't you ? Willow being drunk, now thats something new...and fun :-)



I suppose people like von Karlin will always be around, might as well get it over with indeed. He's got some nerve though, saying what he did in the Baron's court with lots of amazons around. Or maybe he's just stupid :D At first I thought he was going for the idea that Willow was corrupted by her encounter with the demon, so the way it actually went was kinda of a relief :)



I still don't follow the purpose of that archery-contest. Stefan is already fairly sure he will lose and given his skill will end up 2nd place. So 1st and 2nd place are already known of the contest... what's left to contest then ?? Also Tara and Willow in the middle of lots of people with bow and arrows...hmm... Remember we still don't have a clue as to why Tara was targeted. (now if Willow had been the target that would have made sense)



Speaking of archery, didn't Tara promise to teach Willow how to handle a bow and arrow ? Can't do that during the upcoming trip, so she only has a couple of days to make good on that.



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 13)
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 5:48 am 
This Karlin wouldn't happen to be in league with the demon by any chance? It would be really good to see Shadai turn on him and tear him apart.



The ending was beautiful. Now that they have finally said that they love each other (although we've all known it for a while) I am really looking forwards to the next part.



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 13)
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2003 4:34 pm 
What never fails to amaze me is your ability to capture the WT romance perfectly. It kind of reminds me why I first got hooked to WT.



Your writing is such a rich, visual and emotional experience. Thanks for writing here. I read everything till Chapter 12 and I can't wait to read Chapter 13. I like prolonging my anticipation for a real good story.



cheers!



:applause Sleek



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 13)
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2003 5:23 am 
this is such a great story i have to say.



i know this isn't very constructive, but i like it so much. the background, the romance, the costumes, the magic...oh i'm getting carried away.



can't wait to read more :applause







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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 13)
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2003 12:51 pm 
Thanks everyone :)



Firstly, it seems some quietly behind-the-scenes-working moderator snuck in and got rid of my accidental second post after the most recent chapter, so thank you!



And the next chapter should be finished tomorrow, but I can't promise it won't take a day more, tomorrow's going to be a bit difficult.



justin: Von Karlin is indeed a jerk, in many ways... unfortunately, this is a medieval/fantasy world, and attitudes like his are not uncommon. Fortunately, not many people - even the jerks - would get in the way of a sorceress or an Amazon, so it's not as bad as it could be.



sheila wt: I love the teasing. Most of it is just imagination, but there's a few bits and pieces that I've worked in that are from past experience - Willow's first impulsive kiss with Tara, way back when, for example (if you'd happened to be on the corner of Victoria Park in Sydney two and a half years ago, you'd have seen me looking as pleasantly bemused as Tara was). It's not going to turn autobiographical, of course, for a number of reasons - I'm now single, and also I wouldn't adapt anything into this story unless it felt right for Willow and Tara. And I've never seen a demon, haven't used a bow in years, can't do magic, and so on. Mostly it's imagination.



Debra: It was a shame to have 'that jerk' (seems a popular nickname for him) appear, but as you say, it had to happen eventually. Tryptin is very much a product of Amazon society, which has no restrictions at all on same-sex relationships - Amazon men tend to be a bit more on the quiet, thoughtful side as well. As for the Baron, there's more to his story yet to be told.



Arwen: The bedroom scene wasn't *that* bad for Tara, she knew Willow was on the verge of falling asleep, so she kept herself under control. She just had some exceptionally good thoughts to go to sleep on. Thanks, too - everyone's been complimentary about the 'I love you' scene, I'm glad that turned out well.



the vamp nurd: Thanks :) And I can guarantee, I'm sure, that there'll be plenty more cleavage staring, among other things.



Grimlock: It's true, we seem to be stuck with people like von Karlin (one of them is Prime Minister of my country at the moment, dammit). True, mouthing off in front of half a dozen Amazons was, on top of everything else, questionable timing - but you can guess how he thinks, he'd have no respect for Amazon men.



The archery contest is, if not completely safe, a low risk. They have Hydris in a cell, and have no reason to think he didn't act alone. I'm sure the Baron's guards will be keeping an eye out for known outlaws like Josef, though. It's true that Stefan doesn't think he can win, but he's an archer, and Amazons are famous for their archery, so it's a bit of a thrill to compete - it's for fun, rather than rivalry. Like he said, it'll be something to tell his grandson about. If I got the chance to play tennis against Martina Hingis, I'd take it (straight sets loss 6-0, no doubt about it - on top of the phenomenal difference in ability, I never got the hang of hitting the ball *away* from the other player, I always hit it *to* them).



Tara hasn't forgotten her promise to teach Willow archery - I guarantee an upcoming chapter or two will have Willow learning all about bows and aiming and flight arcs and so on. There's no rush, though - there's any number of stops between here and Duncraig. Not including the various towns and villages they'll be passing through, all they really need is a bit of open ground to one side of the road when they stop for lunch. The caravan won't always go from sunrise to sunset non-stop, they only did that on the first day to reach the castle by nightfall.



chilled monkey: It'd be nice if von Karlin was demonic, but unfortunately no, he's quite free of any influence besides his own prejudices. And summoning Shadai just to get at him seems a bit over the top. Tempting, though.



Sleek: Thanks :) It seems prolonging is the order of the day for this story - I thought the story would be half over by chapter 10, and I haven't even really left Kingsport yet.



bluemote: Thank you. It's a real joy just to know people are reading and enjoying the story.



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 13)
PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2003 9:16 pm 
Von Karlin :rage But it's also sweet how it seems like most everyone else is fine - the Baron, Stefan, and Franzef are all very pleasant.



Lots of wonderful W/T stuff going on - the teasing is so sweet. I just love how you are weaving their relationship. It's so funny how it's okay to feel each other's naked upper bodies, but they are still shy about showing them :eyebrow

More wandering appendages in the next update?



Great update!

-shuyaku





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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 13)
PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2003 12:44 pm 
shuyaku: Wandering appendages are pretty much guaranteed sooner or later :) And everything else I can think of. And yep, everyone hates von Karlin, which is no surprise. Well, I didn't throw him in for no reason at all...



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 Post subject: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2003 12:51 pm 
Hellebore



Author: Chris Cook

Rating: PG

Summary: A headstrong sorceress and a young Amazon join forces to locate and destroy an ancient source of demonic power.

Spoilers: None.

Copyright: Based on characters from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', created by Joss Whedon and his talented minionators, and 'Diablo II' by Blizzard Entertainment. All original material is copyright 2003 Chris Cook.

Feedback: Please. Here, or to alia@netspace.net.au

Note: Yep, it's another NC-17 chapter. I'm starting to wonder just how common these are going to be, and if I should up the story's overall rating. I mean, if it's going to be every other chapter...

This chapter is dedicated to TemperedCynic, who's been kindly leaving feedback on my stories for a while now, and who inspired some of what goes on in this chapter with a comment a few days ago.



--

Chapter 14

--



Willow awoke to conflicting sensations. Tara was pressed up against her, her legs curled in behind Willow's, her arm draped lovingly over Willow's waist, and her hand once again softly cupping Willow's breast. This time, though, there was no robe between them, so Willow felt not only the satisfying, arousing touch of Tara's palm over her naked breast, but also practically every inch of their bodies in contact with each other, Tara's briefs and Willow's supremely minimalist underwear counting for nothing in that regard. It was the kind of awakening that angels would pray for.



On the other hand, she had a pounding headache, and when she opened her eyes she found that even the small amount of sunlight filtering through the shutters was too much. She winced involuntarily, which caused Tara to stir in her sleep.



"Beautiful Willow..." Tara murmured, as if she had held that same thought in her mind since the night before. "Mmm... morning," she added.



Willow tried to say 'morning', but what came out was more like "Mmmrrrgh." She took a deep breath and tried to sort out her vocal cords.



"You okay?" Tara mumbled, tightening her embrace.



"Got a demon in my head with a mallet," Willow complained in a hoarse voice.



"Poor baby," Tara said. "Would this demon be called 'hangover' by any chance?"



"Maybe," Willow grumbled, tilting her head as much as she dared to get a glimpse of Tara.



"I'll kiss it better," Tara whispered, lifting her head slightly to brush her lips against Willow's forehead. At the same time she squeezed Willow's breast gently, bringing a smile to Willow's lips and making her give voice to a tiny moan. Her headache beat a hasty retreat, and suddenly she felt a lot better about waking up.



"I don't think there's a demon in there," she said in a sly tone as Tara's hand continued to gently massage her breast.



"Oh," said Tara, feigning disappointment, "so you don't want me to kiss it better?"



"I love you," Willow said immediately, without even thinking about it. Tara kissed the back of her neck, then teased her ear with the tip of her tongue.



"I love you too," she whispered, the touch of her breath in Willow's ear making her shudder. "About that kiss...?" she added, before closing her lips around Willow's earlobe and sucking it gently.



"Ahhh," Willow sighed, but she hesitated before answering.



"What's the matter?" Tara asked gently, ceasing her teasing of Willow's ear. Willow heard the slight anxiety in her voice, and suddenly nothing was as important as reassuring her, letting her understand she had not done anything wrong, and as far as Willow was concerned could never do anything wrong. Tara's eyes were wide and searching as Willow turned in her embrace, facing her.



"I love you so much," she assured her, "and I love everything you do to me, everything we've done, I- the way you make me feel, everything. And, gods, the way you drive me wild, it's amazing. It's just, that's kind of it, I lose control, a-and it kind of feels like you do too... not that I don't like that! I love it, I promise, the way you- it feels like you need me so badly, like I need you, and... I'm just worried if we get like that, a-and we get, you know, so excited, um, we might, you know... go too far? Not that I don't want to, I-I do, so much, it's just that, when we... when we..." she hesitated.



"When we make love," Tara said quietly. Willow beamed at her suddenly.



"When we make love," she repeated, "yeah... um, I want it to be... this is going to sound so dumb," she said shyly, "I want it to be perfect. And I know it's going to be totally new whatever happens, and so, you know, probably a fair bit of fumbling around and figuring things out, a-and I kind of don't mind that, you know? Like, that's all part of it, a-and part of the experience, and I'm going to love it, I'm so sure... but right now, *everything's* so new, just touching you is... I-I get shivers, I know I don't always show it, but it's so... new," she finished with a little shrug.



"I-I understand," Tara said warmly.



"I just want to get... well, not used to you," Willow interrupted herself, "I don't think I'll ever get used to you, you know? Like, I'm always going to feel a bit like it's the first time when I touch you, a-and I think that's so great... I just think, maybe, in a little time - not *too* much time, of course - I'll be a bit more, you know, confident. So, I just don't want things to go *too* fast just yet. Do you get that? Is that okay?" she finished, looking at Tara with eyes that were almost pleading.



"Oh Willow," Tara said, her anxiety laid to rest, at once now intent on reassuring Willow, and finding her utterly adorable at the same time. "Of course it's okay, I-I'd do anything for you, and I-I understand, I feel the same way... I want it to be perfect too. It will be," she promised Willow.



"You're so wonderful," Willow said in quiet amazement. She stared at Tara in silence for a moment, radiating love, then remembered what she had been saying.



"I just wanted you to know," she said hastily, "that's all, I don't mean that I don't want to, you know... be with you... um, touch you, a-and you touch me, in the meantime. 'Cause I do, so much, I love you so much and when we're together, you know, intimately, like this, it feels so... I don't have words for it, it's like everything is right, everything in the whole world is, is perfect. I just needed you to know, you know, so you wouldn't get too, um, too... you know, a-and get frustrated if we didn't, um, if we had to stop then."



"I understand," Tara said soothingly, "I know... I don't w-want to take this too fast either. I-I won't do anything I can't... that would be difficult to... slow down," she finished.



"That's all I wanted," Willow promised, "I didn't want you to get frustrated, i-if you got, um..."



"Aroused?" Tara asked silkily. Willow nodded. "It's alright," Tara assured her, "I know we have to wait, until we're both ready. And until then I promise I'll be fine."



"Me too," Willow said, "I like this, when we're intimate... even when I get, um, aroused, it's a good feeling, it's so good... even if we don't make love, just the feeling is..."



"I know," Tara said, "I love how you make me feel." She snuggled closer to Willow, pressing their breasts together between them. Willow moaned and wriggled her body, loving the feel of her breasts, her nipples, moving against Tara's. She closed her eyes and delighted in the feel of Tara's breasts... 'Gods, there's so much of them,' she thought giddily, feeling them against her skin. She took a deep breath, lifting her chest, feeling her and Tara's breasts flatten against each other as their mutual tight embrace squeezed them. She heard Tara sigh, and having caused her pleasure made Willow shiver along the length of her body.



"Y-you make me feel beautiful," Tara whispered, "sexy... you make me need you... you make me hot... insatiable... and so wet..." Willow's breath caught, then without conscious thought she lunged forward the short distance between them, capturing Tara's lips in a heated kiss, her tongue thrusting in the second Tara's mouth opened for her. She heard and felt Tara moan into her kiss, and concentrated entirely on the pure softness of Tara's lips, the warmth of her mouth, the way her tongue danced with Willow's, stroking and caressing as if it had a mind of its own. She barely noticed her legs becoming tangled with Tara's, or anything at all until she felt, on her thigh, the press of silky material, with heat and wetness behind it. With a shuddering gasp, she pulled back from the kiss, halting for a moment as she felt her tongue being trapped between Tara's lips and sucked enthusiastically, before finally separating.



"I-I think this is where we go slow," she managed to say between panting, desperate breaths.



"Yeah," Tara breathed, a little smile playing over her lips. "But... that doesn't mean w-we have to let go... does it?" Willow knew that if she asked, Tara would pull back without complaint... but she also knew she didn't want that, and neither did Tara.



"I think," she said slowly, "we should stay right where we are." The heat radiating from Tara's silk-covered sex pressed against her thigh was incredible. Willow could feel herself becoming aroused by it, just by the feel of it. Without any movement or encouragement on Willow's part, her body was filling with heat, her nipples already poking with determination into the yielding flesh of Tara's breasts - and she could feel Tara's nipples doing the same to hers - and between her legs, very close, in fact, to Tara's thigh, a growing warmth and wetness. Willow felt ecstatically decadent, lying still against Tara, both of them so obviously aroused, making no effort to hide it from each other - in fact, deliberately prolonging their embrace, knowing the signs of their arousal were so blatantly evident. Willow realised that they weren't quite sharing equally yet, and lifted her leg a fraction. With no further communication, Tara shifted her thigh forwards, bringing it into contact with Willow's revealing underwear, and through that flimsy barrier, her sex.



"Oh godssss," Willow hissed, letting her leg rest on top of Tara's thigh, relaxing her body completely. She had to exercise some self-restraint not to move her hips, to grind her sex against Tara's leg to bring herself the release that would inevitably ensue. But there was a certain erotic attraction to their stillness, the way they lay together, sharing their bodies. It was, Willow realised, a step towards sharing the complete range of pleasures they could give each other, this simple act of being in close contact, of revealing in physical terms their mutual attraction, their love, and the deep, unquenchable hunger that went with it.



"So," Tara murmured, "I drive you wild?" Mostly her voice sounded utterly seductive, but Willow detected a hint of doubt, as if Tara couldn't quite believe she was capable of it, despite all the evidence.



"Remember yesterday morning?" Willow asked. Tara nodded. "After I went and stretched right in front of you, you remember how you kissed me?"



"I remember," Tara whispered.



"A-and then how you kept glancing at me all morning until I had to go back to my room," Willow went on, "you know, those little looks? The ones that said 'I know you're not wearing anything under that skirt'?"



"You made me so excited," Tara said.



"Every time you looked at me, I felt so... so sexual. A-and it was like, you and I were sharing this thing, this experience that was so intimate, in the middle of a room full of people, and none of them knew. Just you and me, our little secret... none of them knew what you knew, or knew how you were making me feel just by looking at me like that."



"I-I felt it too," Tara admitted, "every time."



"When I got back to my room," Willow whispered, making an effort not to let her shyness overcome her, "I closed the shutters... I took off all my clothes... stood in front of the mirror in just my boots, looking at myself... I-I imagined it was you there with me, touching me... I-I touched myself, thinking of you... I- my breasts... a-and... m-my sex." She could feel Tara's breathing become shallow, and her own as well, but as she spoke words that, a short time ago, she could never have imagined saying to another person, she felt a boldness stir within her. She wanted Tara to hear this, to hear these words from her, this intimate moment she was sharing.



"I-I lay down," she went on, her voice shaking slightly, "on the bed... I thought of you, of you naked, a-and your breasts... I-I imagined kissing you... there..." She licked her lips unconsciously. "I felt so... thinking of you, like that, made me so... I-I lay down, a-and I... squeezed my breasts... one after the other... hard... I-I dug my fingers in a little... a-and my other hand... I... between my legs... I stroked myself... I-I rubbed m-my clit... a-and... one finger, I... I put it... inside myself... f-first just the tip... in me... just a little... a-and then... deeper... all the way... a-and... I-I... I came..."



Tara's breathing was fast and shallow, the heat against Willow's thigh intense, and Willow could feel little tremors running through Tara's hips and legs as she held herself still.



"I love you Willow," she whispered, "I love you, just don't move... I need... I just have to... calm down... a little... oh goddess I love you..."



"Tara," Willow murmured, trembling at what she was about to suggest, "do you want... do you want to...?" Tara stared into Willow's eyes, her gaze a mix of concern and desperation.



"I don't-" she said haltingly, "I mean, if you... we should go slow..."



"I-it's alright," Willow said, "if you want... I-I want you to."



"Oh goddess Willow," Tara breathed, "I want to... I'm so close..."



"I want you to," Willow repeated firmly.



"Hold me," Tara pleaded, closing her eyes. Willow tightened her arms around Tara, holding the entire length of their bodies together, and edged her thigh upwards just a fraction, increasing the pressure on Tara's sex. Tara breathed in short gasps, her hips rocking against Willow - whether by chance or by foresight, Tara's thigh between Willow's legs had moved back just a fraction, which Willow was grateful for, otherwise things would have gotten out of hand. As it was, Willow felt gloriously, deliriously alive as Tara moved against her, rubbing the warmth of her sex on Willow's skin through the inconsequential barrier that separated them, spreading her juices on Willow's thigh. Willow leaned in to whisper in Tara's ear.



"When I came," she breathed, her voice steady as a rock and purring with desire, "when I buried my face in the pillow to keep from screaming, it was your name on my lips. When I felt my sex squeeze my finger and get so wet, I was thinking of you."



Tara froze, her mouth open but not a sound issuing from her, even her breathing stilling for a second. Willow felt an incredible tension in the body pressed against her, then a deep shudder ran through Tara, her arms and legs trembling, her body shaking, all the air in her lungs coming out in a long, exhaustive sigh. She buried her face in Willow's neck, in her hair, and her whole body relaxed completely, as if she was in a deep sleep. Willow held her tightly, feeling the warmth and wetness spread through the fabric against her thigh.



"Willow," Tara whispered eventually.



"I've got you baby," Willow said, "I love you."



"I love you Willow," Tara murmured, "I love you... I love you... oh Willow..." She took a deep breath, and Willow felt her body coming back to its senses.



"Willow," Tara said gently, "a-are you okay? I-I mean... you don't think I... went too far...?"



"No, baby," Willow assured her, "no, you were... gods, that was amazing! No, I'm absolutely fine with it. I don't... there's nothing to regret, nothing at all."



"I just... what you told me," Tara went on, "it made me so... oh, goddess, you made me so hot..."



"I love you baby," Willow said, "my Tara, my warrior... that was the most beautiful experience of my entire life." Tara's body shuddered again, and Willow felt a different wetness on her skin, as tears slipped from Tara's closed eyes onto her neck.



"Tara?" she asked.



"It's okay," Tara murmured, "it's okay honey... I'm so happy, I just... I can't hold it in," she laughed.



"I love you," Willow said again, wondering if she would ever get tired of saying it, and deciding no. "Um, you're not... bothered, that I... when I was alone, I mean...?"



"No, gods no," Tara said, "if I hadn't had to go down to the negotiations right away, I would've... I would've brought myself to... to, um, climax..." she admitted shyly. Again, Willow found the quality of innocence to her utterly adorable - Tara, who she had just held in her arms, to whom she had whispered her most private, intimate memories as she orgasmed, was now blushing at saying 'climax'. It was... well, it was uniquely Tara.



"'Cause I wouldn't want you to feel left out," Willow went on cheerfully, making Tara laugh again.



"No," she said, "no, it's good. It's good, Willow," she continued seriously, "it's a good thing. It means we can... explore... a-and not get so worked up over time that we stop thinking properly."



"Yeah, it's good," Willow agreed. "So, you didn't get to?"



"No," Tara said, "and after the morning, I didn't need to... sitting in meetings has that effect," she grinned. "But I promise, if I do, when you're not there, I'll tell you all about it."



"What if you need to, and I am there?" Willow asked mischievously.



"In that case," Tara purred, "you get to watch."



'Heaven,' thought Willow.



-----



"We should get up," Tara murmured, her ears and stomach perking up at the muffled sounds of breakfast from the common room beyond the thick oak door to the bedroom.



"Do we have to?" asked Willow playfully, as she continued her hobby of the last ten minutes, using her fingertip to 'draw' messages on Tara's belly, hampered slightly by her tendency to use an elaborately decorative script that made it difficult for Tara to work out which letter she was drawing. Tara hadn't complained, though, because it did result in Willow's fingers spending a lot more time stroking her abdomen, occasionally teasing up towards her cleavage for a high vertical stroke, or down to the waistband of her briefs for the low tail on a 'y' or 'g'. Willow suddenly paused in the middle of 'Amazon beauty' and sniffed the air.



"Is that nutbread?" she asked, suddenly alert. "We have to get up." Tara chuckled to herself as Willow scrambled around in bed, trying to sit up. Her laughter stilled as Willow managed it, the blankets sliding down around her waist, and Tara remembered she wasn't wearing a top. She gulped, her mouth going dry, and Willow glanced at her. Tara tried to drag her attention away from Willow's breasts, which she had woken up to find cupped in her hand, and felt pressed against herself as they lay together in bed. Seeing them, though, was new, and to Tara the sight gave a new appreciation for how perfectly formed Willow was. She was just the right size, Tara thought, large enough to have the tantalising curves of a woman, but small enough that, if Tara wanted, she could encase Willow's breasts in her hands, without needing to splay her fingers too far. 'Just right to hold her,' Tara mused happily, 'squeeze her, tease her, then lean in and kiss...' She had a sudden urge to do just that, but she knew that now wasn't the time. It was quite an effort for Tara to finally meet Willow's gaze.



"Um," she said, unable to quite think of what to say.



"Like 'em?" Willow said in a hushed, aroused voice. Tara could only nod.



"I-I d-didn't mean to stare," she whispered, not really concerned that Willow minded too much, but slightly embarrassed by the strength of her own reaction. Willow moved her legs, knelt in front of Tara, and leaned down close to her. She glanced down for a moment at herself, which made Tara look too - her breasts were hanging just a little, changing shape only very slightly as she crouched over Tara, the position of her body enhancing her curves that last little way to Tara's idea of perfection.



"I like the way you look at me," Willow murmured. She leaned down a fraction more, kissing Tara lightly on the lips, then on the forehead, which brought her breasts close to Tara's face.



"So," Willow continued, leaning back, "whenever you want to look at me... I'm yours to look at. Among other things," she added with a sultry smile. She got to her feet and slowly walked across the room, keeping an eye on Tara who watched her all the way. Willow opened the shutters, then crossed the room again - with her back a little more arched than necessary, her arms held a little way behind her, and a seductive sway in her step. 'She's performing,' Tara realised with a thrill, 'she's showing herself to me.' Willow paused in front of Tara's clothes trunk, turning her body this way and that with her hands on her hips, making a show of deciding what to wear, and assuming a determined frown that Tara found cute beyond belief. Finally she picked a mid-length robe, made of modestly thick fabric, and wrapped it around herself, covering herself quite adequately to venture outside without drawing too much attention.



"Oh, Willow," Tara said, suddenly realising she was still lying under the blankets - had barely moved the whole time. Willow turned, about to open the door. Tara fixed her with a stare and slowly slid her legs out of the bed, then drew back the blankets and stood up. She couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious as she turned, but the way Willow's eyes suddenly widened, and then her eyelids half-closed in an aroused stare, the way her mouth opened on its own and she ran her tongue over her lips without realising it, made Tara feel truly special. She put a little extra swing in her step as she moved around the end of the bed and walked towards Willow, feeling her breasts sway gently as she did - Willow's eyes were riveted, unblinking, on her chest.



"Wow," Willow breathed as Tara stood in front of her. After a long pause, Willow met Tara's eyes, an expression of something like wonder on her face.



"Get me some fruit, if there's any," Tara asked.



"Sure," Willow said quietly, a contented smile playing over her features. Tara caught Willow's wrist and brought it to her chest, pressing Willow's hand to her cleavage, then lifting it and kissing her open palm.



"I love you Willow," she said simply.



"I love you," Willow replied. Tara let go of her hand, but instead of going outside, Willow pulled free the sash around her waist, took hold of her robe in both hands, pulled it back over her shoulders to bare her chest, and then enveloped Tara in a crushing hug, kissing her as if she had never tasted her lips before. The suddenness of it took Tara by surprise, and even as her mouth opened instinctively she staggered back a step, ending up with the backs of her thighs against the table in front of the mirror. Tara felt very much aroused by the way Willow was taking the lead in no uncertain terms, and allowed herself to give in completely - her tongue invited Willow's into her mouth, lavishing attention on it, her lips parted wide, letting Willow kiss her as deeply as she wished, and she leaned back a fraction over the table, her hips pressing into Willow's as she did so. Willow had an arm around Tara's waist, gripping her tightly, possessively, and Tara let her hands stroke up and down Willow's sides, letting Willow be the one to do the holding. For a moment, as Willow tilted her head sideways and kissed Tara so deep that she was sure Willow was tasting her soul, her hips and Willow's found their perfect angle, and through two thin layers of silk, Tara felt Willow's sex press against her own.



Tara whimpered into the kiss, her eyes fluttering open and closed. Willow slowed, and gently straightened herself and Tara, finally ending the kiss with a lingering caress of her tongue on the inside of Tara's lips.



"Um, breakfast," Willow said, blushing slightly. Tara nodded, catching her breath. Willow took a deep breath, pulled her robe back around herself, tied her sash, and disappeared through the door with a final radiant smile. Tara remained smiling at the door for a moment, then sat down on the table, one hand idly toying with her nipple.



'Well, if she wants to watch me, um... relieve my tension,' Tara thought, smiling shyly at the thought, 'she may get her wish before long.'



-----



"What'ya doing?"



Tara smiled at Willow, still polishing off the last morsels of breakfast. She had finished her own a moment earlier, and had got up from the bed and sat at the table, retrieving a slim leather case from the shelf beneath it.



"Writing a letter," Tara said, opening the case and drawing out a sheet of paper. "We're sending a courier back to Kingsport with reports from Tryptin and the emissaries. It'll go on the next ship heading for the islands. I'm writing to Eponin. She's the mistress of my clan's house, um, sort of like the head of an extended family."



"Okay," Willow said, "so your clan is your family?"



"Clans are groups of families," Tara explained, dipping her pen in the inkpot. "Back in the old days, before the Amazon nation was really a single entity, clans were how we were organised. A family wasn't always big enough to defend itself on its own, but a clan could always band together, and there'd be enough warriors to see off any threat, or enough farmers and woodsmen to feed everyone, if food was scarce, that sort of thing. Our families aren't very big, compared to here - two children is usual, four is seen as quite a lot. Clans are like big families, all the children and adults live close to each other, and share everything."



"Uh-huh," said Willow, nodding. "And the clan house?"



"That's a political thing," Tara said as she wrote, "the house represents the clan, in government and among the warriors. The mistress of the clan's house - or master, sometimes - is the person the clan chooses to speak for them."



"So," Willow went on, "is Eponin part of your family as well as your clan?"



"Sort of," Tara said, "I was taken in by her family when I was very young... um, my parents died, in the Reckoning." Willow was on her feet in an instant, her arms going around Tara from behind, holding her gently.



"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said quietly, resting her head against Tara's shoulder. Tara half-turned in her chair and gave Willow a smile.



"It's okay," she said soothingly, "I sat memorial for them a long time ago. I was too young to remember them, really. Um, anyway, orphans are always taken in by someone from the clan. There's no such thing as a family of one... we're never really alone. Eponin had to travel a lot when I was young, before she became mistress, so I was raised by her husband, and her eldest daughter. Sothim, and Jenavria. And a lot of the other families were very welcoming, so I was sort of raised by the whole clan, in a way. I was never alone." 'Except when you wouldn't let yourself be otherwise,' she thought. Then she looked into Willow's eyes, and saw the concern there, the intensity of her gaze, her determination to face whatever needed to be faced, so that they would be happy together. 'Not alone anymore,' Tara thought.



Willow gave her a last squeeze before releasing her, then crossed back to the bed and the last bite of breakfast vanished. Tara continued to write, as part of her attention followed Willow around the room, watching her clean up both their plates and leave them on the side table by the door, then smooth down the blankets on the bed. She stopped writing altogether and watched Willow openly as she slipped her robe from her shoulders and dropped it back in the trunk, and retrieved her discarded dress, brushing it down before slowly stepping into it. Tara paid particular attention to the way Willow wriggled the skirt up her thighs, then put down her pen and went to help Willow do up the laces behind it, which she could reach herself, but not entirely comfortably.



"I was thinking," Willow said, holding her arms out of the way as Tara tightened her bodice, "I'll go pack up my stuff from my room and bring it here. I mean, the satchels can just go in the corner, they won't be in the way. And I know we're only here for a couple more days, but... I'd like this to be my room, you know? If that's okay?"



"Of course," Tara assured her. "I'd love that. How tight do you like this?"



"Depends how excited you want me," Willow quipped. "That's fine for now. Maybe some other time," she added in a seductive purr, "you can lace me up nice and tight."



"Maybe I will," Tara murmured in her ear. Willow turned and kissed her, letting her tongue play just a little before she sat on the bed to pull her boots on.



"I might be out when you get back," Tara said, "As soon as I finish this I'm going to have a wash, then meet the ambassadors on the Duncraig caravan. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but it shouldn't be too long."



"That's okay," Willow replied, "I'll just stay here and think of you. Work up an appetite for lunch." She licked her lips, blew a kiss to Tara, then practically skipped out of the door, leaving Tara grinning all over her face.



'She's insatiable,' Tara thought to herself, returning to her writing. 'Good thing you can't get enough of her either. Appetite for lunch, indeed.' She finished her letter, re-reading it just to make sure she had said exactly what she wanted to. She hoped a reply might reach them at Duncraig - it might take only three weeks or so, if she was lucky. Wishing for luck, she folded the letter, noticing she had accidentally pulled two pages at once from her writing case. An idea occurred to her, and she opened the case and chose a good pencil, then shrugged off the robe she had put on for breakfast and went and sat on the bed, pencil and paper in hand, glancing up at the mirror.



-----



Willow got back to their room twenty minutes later, dumping her book satchels in the corner as promised and walking over to the table, sitting in Tara's chair. She noticed a folded piece of paper on the table, and wondered if Tara had forgotten her letter, but then she noticed something written on it, on the outside of the fold. She picked it up and read it:



'Thinking of you. - T'



With a grin she unfolded the paper, then nearly dropped it. Her eyes widened, and her legs suddenly felt weak. She unconsciously licked her lips as she studied the drawing on the page. It showed only Tara, no background, though Willow guessed she had been sitting on the bed, drawing herself from the mirror. She was naked, completely naked, not even a single line across her hips to show her briefs, and Willow was sure that wasn't artistic license. She imagined Tara posing as she had drawn herself - one arm delicately cradling her breasts, half-covering them, her hand holding her right breast firmly, the nipple of her left peeking out above the crook of her elbow; her right leg stretched out along the edge of the bed, with her other hand resting on top of it, her fingers touching her inner thigh; her left leg down, off the end of the bed, giving a perfect view as she sat side-on of the seductive curve of her waist, hip and thigh; and just visible between her legs, a couple of short strokes of a pencil, just the hint of curls of hair, tantalising Willow's imagination.



Willow stared at the drawing for a long time, feeling her heart race, trying to memorise every detail. Her free hand started to sneak towards the slit in her skirt, but she stopped herself. 'No, not yet,' she told herself. She was pleased that she and Tara had reached an understanding about relieving their tensions, but for the moment she wanted to feel the fluttering in her stomach, and the warmth lower down, to tease herself, and wait. She folded the paper back up, and carefully placed it in the centre of the journal she had started with Tara, promising herself that she would keep it close always.





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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2003 1:57 pm 
Wow. :drool :thud



Very hot update. Very well-written



I especially like the first part with Willow saying how she wants their first time to be perfect, but she knows that there is bound to be some nervousness and hesitation (they are only human after all). It's the sort of thing that all lovers go through. I admire her honesty.







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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2003 4:08 pm 
** Steps into this update. Reads the headings. "Dedicated to..." **



Wow, my comment, that means.. ** reads update **



Haaaa, Hooo, um, wow! I can only hope that I continue to inspire your muse, Artemis. What an update! Such love, sensuality and sexuality rolled into flowing prose. Willow and Tara's relationship is blossoming so beautifully, here. Such love and devotion, and underneath, such naughty vixens! Willow needed a lot of bravery to talk about her lust for the blonde, and the results were non-verbal, horny Tara. Go, Willow!



Hmmm. Willow watching Tara... Well, no need to rush. When they are feeling comfortable, our girls will consummate their desire for each other. Then, the games will begin!



Thank you for the dedication, Chris. I am humbled and grateful.

** reads again ** Yes! Very grateful!


More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly. Woody Allen (1935 - )



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2003 11:06 pm 
As you get further into this story and the growing (sexual) relationship between W/T, all the coherent feedback I hope to give seems to skedaddle back to reread the update :spin ;)



I off on vacation the next 10 days (woo hoo!!), but I promise lots of nifty feedback when I return.



-shuyaku



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore
PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2003 11:29 pm 
So much great W/T fic so little time. I finally got a chance to read this and it's fantastic. I was a huge Diablo player back in the day and this fic is great. I love how romantic, sexy and sweet all at one you make Willow and Tara. Willow's battle gard was er :drool . I love that they are taking it slow but still so sexy. This fic has sent me back to Diablo II after a long hiatus. Great stuff!



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore
PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2003 4:20 am 
It was so endearing to see Willow try and explain herself while getting wrapped up in her own babling :) . She bables so much I almost ran out of breath while reading it :-) They're soooo sweet together in that bed.



And hot too : -->>: . Willow sure found a hell of a way to reassure Tara, heh... I think it worked nicely :D . Seems both girls have a thing for breasts, judging by Tara pretty much staring at Willow for a loooong time. I can imagine Willow be either the same or worse.. thats okay though :-)



I sure hope Willow keeps that drawing close at all times. Emberassement is ensured when that piece of paper gets into the wrong hands. Speaking of wrong hands, I'm still try to figure out who would want Tara dead and why. (and imagining Willow have a friendly conversation with said/sad individual, heh)



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2003 4:24 am 
Umm, *watches dejectedly as all coherent thoughts fly out of the window, smirking her way*, I must agree with shuyaku , I can't honestly give you proper feedback...what with all the sexual tension, the waiting, the gowing slow, the teasing... Surely you must understand!

I love how intimate they have become and their just perfect together, as they're first time will definitely be.



:heart



~Arwen







[edited because of a stupid grammar mistake...*Sighs*]

Hear That Baby? You're My Always... Willow

Edited by: Arwen276 at: 8/11/03 2:14 am


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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2003 3:03 pm 
Chris,

You are doing a wonderful job with your writing and with writing the NC-17. The girls are so wonderful and expressive and honest and open with each other. I’m interested to see how their relationship will play out in the remainder of their travels and adventures. It seems that if you wanted you could carry this out for a long time with an epic in which they defeat this demon and visit cities and eventually go to Willow’s city and then back to Tran Athulua and meet Tara’s clan, etc. So that’s really fun.



And they are very sexy together and obviously enjoying that. Although I have to say that I was shocked that they would have sex. I mean they’re in agreement that they aren’t ready to make love yet but … And yes, I’m saying that I’d consider what they did to be sex. So I was kind of shocked at that. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. I mean they can make love or whatever and obviously I approve of that. But I was shocked that after agreeing not to, they still did. Anyway, it just struck me as strange. But you made it very beautiful and sexy. Debra



Edited to add...PS: You say that Tara's goddesses are someone and Zerae. Is Zerae a real goddess? If so, is she the goddess of storms? I really like that name (looking for good and unusual names) but couldn't find her in our Goddess books. Thanks.





---

"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or demons, heaven or hell." - The Buddha

Edited by: JustSkipIt at: 8/9/03 3:27 pm


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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2003 4:33 pm 
OMG!!!!! :thud

The last updates were so incredibly hot... just wow.

You wrote the intimacy so beautifully is was just again...wow.



I love how comfortable they are around eachother and how they are getting to the point of making love.



I can't wait for the next update!!!



Renate

***I will make me a willow cabin at your gate and call upon my soul within the house... I rush into the secret house***



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2003 9:19 pm 
Thanks everyone :) The next chapter should be done in a couple of days.



chilled monkey: It's true. Besides, it's a fun nervousness :)



TemperedCynic: I promise Willow will get to do some Tara-watching at some point, among other things. You're quite welcome - I doubt I'd have thought of that otherwise.



shuyaku: Have a safe trip, hopefully there'll be a few chapters waiting when you get back.



sam: Me too, I've been giving Diablo a serious work-out recently. Not that I'm much good at it, but my current assassin (Livia) is moving along nicely. There won't be any assassins in this story, though - I'll save them for the next one.



Grimlock: Well, Willow's more the dedicated Breast Gal, Tara's more of an overall 'Willow Gal', but she knows a luscious sight when she sees it. I don't think Willow's likely to leave the drawing lying around :)



Arwen: That's 'proper feedback', just taking the time to leave a note is a great boost. I know I don't as often as I should, what with all the great stories around here. Thanks.



Debra: This story is going to move beyond smut-in-a-castle - it won't be world-spanning, but there's a lot still to come. I know what you mean about the agreeing to go slow, then with the sex... I guess what they agreed to is to just make sure they're both ready for whatever they do. I don't really want to draw a line and say 'this is making love', because there's plenty of things they can do that are loving and sexual. I think though when they're thinking of 'making love' part of it is the whole thing being completely mutual and without reservation. So, wearing underwear is probably out :) What they did in this chapter was definitely sexual, and loving, and I wouldn't argue if you wanted to call it having sex - or making love, cause they've definitely got the emotion for it. I think they're both aware, though, that there's a level of intimacy above that that they're still moving towards. I see what you're saying, and I agree, but I don't think they ignored their agreement either.



Tara's 'combat gods' are Hefaetrus, god of fire and rebirth, and his bride Zerae, goddess of storms and vengeance. They're both Amazon gods that, so far as I know, were made up for Diablo - possibly based on real mythology, but I don't know. Hefaetrus is mainly a patron of farmers, and thus the men among Amazons who do most of the farming, but he also helps out the warriors protecting their people. Zerae's aspect of 'vengeance' is more like harsh justice - she favours warriors who are trying to set right anything that's wrong. Tara's more gentle than Zerae's more devoted followers, but she's got the strong instinct for justice, and Amazons don't have to be slavishly adherent to their gods to receive their favour. Those aren't the only gods that Tara is particularly close to, but they're the main ones she would call on if she had to fight, Hefaetrus to give fire to her bow, Zerae to give lightning to her spear. Athulua and her consort Kethryes (who rule the weather and the seasons) are also there, they're always watching all of their people. Athulua's guidance is part of the reason Amazons can become 'super-attuned' to their environment - hit fast-moving targets, dodge arrows, sense evil creatures, that sort of thing.



TareBearRS: Thanks :) I've just got a couple of little details to figure out for the next chapter, then I'll be able to write it. The bulk of it (the archery contest) is all figured out.



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2003 6:24 am 
Hey!



I just caught up with this and I wonder why I haven't seen it before. I really love that fantasy stuff and although I don't know Diabolo II I like your story very much.

You're doing a great job with this story.

I got so hooked up, I read "TARA" just after I finished the last update.



I really hope you still have a lot of ideas for your storys ...



Insanity

"Nobody messes with my girl!"Tara, Bargaining

Edited by: Insanity  at: 8/10/03 5:25 am


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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Sun Aug 10, 2003 4:46 pm 
The last updates have been amazing. I just love how their love and lust keeps growing. Plus...medieval centerfold of Tara!:eek :drool



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2003 2:56 am 




the vamp nurd aka the moon girl zodiac.



:crash

Sorry I missed church, I was busy becoming a lesbian and worshiping Satan



Bardlet no #27





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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2003 6:10 am 
:thud

Still trying to get my thoughts together!



Visuals, and desire have got to be just the hottest thing!

Beautifully written.

BV

"When choosing between two evils, I always like to take the one I've never tried before"-Mae West



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 Post subject: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Mon Aug 11, 2003 8:08 am 
:shower



Th-that part was...was...OMG...:drool



And the waking up with the...and then the cuddles...then the smoochies...um, and when Willow...with the sexy talk, and all the sexiness...in bed...a-almost, well practically...naked...hmm, sexy Tara...the words they used...like...wild...hot...insatiable...wet...the words were so...it was all so...and then Tara drawing herself...for Willow.



That deserves a :bow



Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some time to, ya know...and God willing, regain the ability to form sentences and use words with more than two syllables.



Helen

xoxo











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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 14)
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 11:50 am 
Insanity: Thank you. Plenty of ideas, more than I'll probably ever have time to write, in fact...



nika: Thanks. 'Medieval centrefold', that's cute :)



the vamp nurd: That's okay, mushy-brain feedback makes me feel good too :)



barnabasvamp: Thanks. Like this version of Willow, I wish I could draw. Tha fantasy setting seems to demand an artistic style that you can't get with CGI, which is a damned shame...



Helen: Thank you. I think that's the first ever 'cold shower' smiley I've got, so yay! :)



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 Post subject: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 15)
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 11:59 am 
Hellebore



Author: Chris Cook

Rating: NC-17

Summary: A headstrong sorceress and a young Amazon join forces to locate and destroy an ancient source of demonic power.

Spoilers: None.

Copyright: Based on characters from 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', created by Joss Whedon and his talented minionators, and 'Diablo II' by Blizzard Entertainment. All original material is copyright 2003 Chris Cook.

Feedback: Please. Here, or to alia@netspace.net.au



--

Chapter Fifteen

--



Tara was already smiling as she pushed open the bedroom door with her elbow, both hands being full of plates, but her smile widened when she saw Willow sitting on the ledge beneath the window, wrapped in her exquisite green battlegear. Willow looked up and smiled in return, uncrossing her legs and standing in one fluid motion.



"Lunch?" she asked. Tara put the plates on the table.



"The dining hall's full of ambassadors," she said, "I thought you might prefer a quiet lunch up here. They're a bit..." she made a face.



"Oh?" Willow said with a pained look, taking a plate and uncovering it.



"They're not so bad, I suppose," Tara allowed, "just... oh, I don't know, I guess they're used to being treated like they're at the top of the society pile. They kind of... look down on everything. They hide it well - I mean, they're diplomats - but you just get the idea that this place is sort of... rustic? Something like that." She and Willow sat facing each other on the bed, plates balanced on their knees.



"And we're stuck with them for two weeks?" Willow asked.



"Sixteen days," Tara replied, "I asked Tryptin."



"How's he holding up? Did they believe he was a real Amazon, or not?"



"Don't tell anyone," Tara said with a grin, "but I think they think he's my servant or something. No, he's fine - I think he's going to have a great time dealing with them."



"Really?"



"He told me - quietly -" Tara added, "that the best thing that can happen in a negotiation is for the other person to be sure he's smarter than you." Willow chuckled.



"So by the time we get to Duncraig, will he have gotten them to hand the Dukedom over to him?"



"Maybe," Tara said with a straight face, "that wouldn't be so bad. We've always been against establishing any real settlements on the mainland, but gaining the largest city in Westmarch... they'd probably consider this a successful mission back home. For his first time, of course." Willow laughed out loud, which Tara found delightful. "Of course, it's a ground city, so we'd have to do something about that," she went on. "Plant trees under all the houses, perhaps. Or get some of those cranes from the river dock and lift the city up, then transplant a forest in underneath it and drop it on top..." Willow moved her plate to the bed so she wouldn't tip it over as she laughed.



"Ah," she sighed, catching her breath. "I wonder what they'll think of me... some strange sorceress girl from the wild jungles of Kehjistan, I bet."



"If you're wearing that," Tara observed with an appreciative grin, "you'll probably get a few proposals out of them."



"Well, too bad," Willow said defiantly, "I'm not wearing it for them. I'm wearing it for you."



"You look angelic," Tara said softly.



"It's for the contest this afternoon," Willow said, smiling her thanks, "I promised I'd be your 'beautiful lady', remember?"



"Oh you are," Tara murmured.



"And speaking of beautiful," Willow continued, "I, um, I loved your... self-portrait." Tara blushed, and smiled shyly at her.



"I hoped you would," she said softly. Willow patted a deep, thin pouch on her belt by her hip.



"I'm keeping it safe," she promised, "it's staying with me, always."



"I'm glad," Tara said. She glanced at Willow's belt. "Is that the same belt you had in the library? I don't remember it having that pouch."



"It's standard equipment for a sorceress," Willow explained, "when you undo it, the pouches can slide on and off, depending on what you need to carry. So, potions," she touched a row of tiny padded cylinders to the left of the silver buckle, "spell components," various small pouches of varying sizes to the right, "pen and paper," a cylinder on her left hip, "scrolls," behind the paper, "charms and runestones," around the back of her waist, "and our journal," she finished, tapping the new pouch on her right hip. "You remembered what my belt looked like?" she added, arching an eyebrow.



"It was close to eye level when you were up on the ladder," Tara replied casually, "I saw in on my w-way to other things. So, what do all those do?"



"Well, the spell components are to help out with complicated or powerful spells," Willow said, "in my case, they're things that help channel cold energy. I've got ice crystals from Mount Arreat, they never melt unless you actually put them in a fire, which releases their energy. A bone shard from a phantom, the Order collects them whenever they have to dispel one - the plane they come from doesn't have heat, so their remains are useful for cold spells. Dried dewflowers, they only grow in freezing temperatures, instead of sunlight they draw in cold and turn it into energy. A couple of powders and liquids, they're pretty generic, all sorceresses can use them, for whatever kind of spell they need. The charms and just to help control and amplify magical power, they're all fashioned specifically for cold. The runestones are similar to the ones we saw before, you arrange them in patterns to create what we call spell frameworks, I guess they're kind of like the way you create a focus, with Amazon magic. They sort of make a 'shape', like a mould, for magical power, it makes it easier to do complicated spells. Um, the scrolls are simple things like detecting magic, creating light - they're not elemental magic, but all the power comes from the scroll itself, not from the person using them, so they're not dangerous to use. There's a limit to how powerful a written spell can be, though, so it only works with simple spells. The potions are the same, they're magical, but you don't need to use magic to use them - they're for healing, and replenishing magical power if I need to cast a lot of spells in a hurry. And... I'm just going on and on, aren't I?"



"It's fascinating," said Tara. "We use some things like those charms. They're not as common, most of them are passed down in families... It sounds like they might be similar. And our weapons can be crafted to help in creating a focus. Um, y-you can have a look, if you like," she offered.



"Thanks," Willow said. "I noticed that first day, your spear has electrum in it."



"It's not really mine," Tara said, "it's Solari's, it's been in her family for generations. Th-there aren't many like it, it's supposed to be attuned to Zerae. Its ritual name is 'storm-caller'. A lot of old weapons have more than one name," she explained, "depending on how they're used. The ritual name is for weapons that can be used in ceremonies to honour the goddesses they're made for. Outside ceremonies, it's 'Silverstrike'."



"Storm-caller," repeated Willow, "I can guess why. Zerae gives you lightning energy, right?" Tara nodded. "Electrum is used to make equipment for lightning sorceresses, too. It's very powerful, and difficult to enchant without contaminating it. Your spear has pure electrum all through it - it's like a magic staff, sort of. And the patterns it's shaped into are probably along the same lines as runes, like a permanent spell built-in."



"Oh," said Tara, surprised - she knew Silverstrike was a noted artefact among her people, but she had to admit she thought it was more of a cultural respect. "Does your staff have things like that crafted into it?" she asked.



"Most sorceresses have staves made for them," Willow said, "hardened ash-wood mixed with sandstone powder for fire, obsidian and night-oil resin for lightning, Arreat ice for cold. Ember gave me my staff, though." She shrugged. "We don't rely on staves anyway, a lot of our training is done without them. She asked me to take this staff, rather than an ice one, so I did. She didn't say why, just that it was a good choice."



"What does it have in it?" Tara asked.



"Volcanic rock and black iron," Willow said with another shrug. "It's covered by the wood, but there are spells you can do to find out what something's made of. It's a pretty good staff, it helps control energy. A normal ice staff would be more likely to amplify power, and sometimes it'd get a bit out of hand and you'd have to just flare off the power - in the case of cold magic, it's easy, you just spread the cold out through the air around you, really thin so all it does is drop the temperature a little. Lightning can be flared into passive effects - they say if you're good you can channel the flare back into something like an energy shield, that's kind of like chill armour, but for lightning. Fire takes a lot of practice, it's a bit dangerous really. Ember once said the best thing you can do if you need to flare off fire energy is to point your staff into the air and wait for the jet of flame to die down."



"Yikes," Tara observed.



"Yeah, I know," Willow agreed, "fire sorceresses spend a lot of time practicing control, so they don't accidentally call up more power than they need for a particular spell. Us cold girls have it easy," she admitted with a grin, "we just wear something warm if we're practising a new spell. I've never had to flare, using this staff, though. It's like all the power it doesn't have in amplifying cold, it has in controlling energy - even fire and lightning. We practice with powers other than our chosen elements," she explained, "just enough to do simple effects if we really need to, and to interfere with anyone casting against us using those powers. If you know fire magic, it's possible to undo a fire spell even if someone else is casting it. Same with lightning - they used to get us to pair off, and have one of us cast a spell, just into the air, and the other one try to undo the spell. Whoever made this staff must have had that in mind, it's brilliant at shutting down magic. Some of the other girl called it 'spell breaker'."



"Th-that's a good power," Tara said earnestly.



"Yeah, it is," Willow agreed. "Just my luck the only thing that's ever attacked me wasn't using spells." She gave Tara a smile, just to reassure her that she wasn't dwelling on those events.



"So," she said, putting her empty plate aside, "you like this outfit, huh?"



"It'd be beautiful on anyone," Tara said, "on you, i-it's divine." She put her own plate aside and moved over to sit next to Willow, who she was pleased to see was blushing at the compliment.



"See," she went on, touching the fabric wrapped around Willow's arm, "it matches your eyes... and even where y-you're covered up, I can still see the shape of you. Arms," she trailed her finger to Willow's wrist, then skipped to her hip nearby, "and legs... perfectly curved." She slid her finger in one of the folds in Willow's skirt and followed it up, meeting her belt just as she got close to the centre of her waist.



"I'll have to wear it more often," Willow whispered with a grin. "I always felt kind of shy wearing it... you know, the lack of anything in the middle..."



"No, no," Tara murmured, gently taking hold of Willow's shoulders and laying her down, "that's the best part. All this lovely Willow," she slowly ran her fingers up and down Willow's stomach, from her waist to the edge of her top, just between the bottom of her breasts, and back down again.



"Mmm," Willow replied, "you like?"



"Oh yes," Tara said in a hushed voice, "I like. You have a truly beautiful belly." She chuckled. "That sounds strange. But it's true." She leaned down and lay her head gently on Willow's stomach, feeling the warm body beneath her, and the soft motion as Willow breathed in and out. "Mmm," she moaned, "I could stay here forever..."



"I could get you a pillow if you liked," Willow teased, her hand stroking Tara's hand.



"But I can't do this with a pillow," Tara said, turning her head and kissing Willow's navel. She felt Willow shiver beneath her, and she adjusted her position without taking her lips from Willow's skin. With her arms around Willow's waist, holding her tightly, she poked her tongue into Willow's navel and pushed gently, wriggling her tongue around.



"Oh!" Willow exclaimed. Tara continued her kiss, feeling Willow's breathing speed up, then lifted her head up with a final lick at Willow's abdomen and grinned up at her.



"Have I mentioned," Willow said, in a slightly awe-struck voice, "that you turn me on like nothing in the world?" Tara wriggled up to lie beside Willow, feeling shy and proud at the same time.



"I-I might have got that impression," she admitted. Willow rolled over half on top of her and kissed her, starting on her lips, making her way up to Tara's ear which she gently nibbled and sucked, then down beneath her jaw and back up to her lips. By the time Willow's tongue made contact with hers, Tara had closed her eyes and was moaning quietly. Willow drew out the kiss for a long time, alternately driving deep into Tara's mouth, and surrendering completely, letting Tara take full possession of hers, before finally she lay back beside her.



"The very next time I see your lovely naked stomach," Willow promised, "I am going to show you exactly how wonderful that feels."



"Promise?" Tara teased.



"Promise," Willow said.



-----



"So, are you enjoying riding more now?"



"Absolutely," Willow said, holding Tara tightly around the waist as they rode down towards Maresburg. Stefan was a few lengths ahead of them, leading the way along a road that ran down from the castle's hill to the farmlands below, away to the west of the forests Tara had already seen. Two of the Baron's guards followed at a respectable distance - their presence was more a courtesy than a precaution, the Baron having assured Tryptin that Maresburg, of all the towns in the surrounding lands, was among the most law-abiding.



"Maybe we should work up to a gallop?" suggested Tara innocently.



"Hey now," Willow protested, "let's not get ambitious! This is just fine the way it is." Tara smiled to herself and kept Kestrel at a quick walk, following the pace Stefan was setting. The old archer was quite at home, exchanging waves and greetings with the people they passed on the road, driving wagons and carts up towards the castle, or out on foot on their way somewhere.



"Yes, it certainly is," Tara said to herself, keeping the reins in one hand while her other discreetly stroked Willow's arms around her waist. She felt very relaxed, more than she would have expected of herself, given the slight flutter of nerves she had experienced when they were standing in the courtyard, and a stablehand had walked Kestrel over to her. Last time she had set out like this, she had ended up catching a crossbow bolt a couple of inches from her head. But she had calmed herself, taking reassurance from the knowledge that her attacker, and the man who had instructed him, were both locked away behind several feet of solid stone and steel bars.



It seemed no time at all until they were riding through the outskirts of Maresburg, which consisted mainly of a crossroads, widened into a town square, with wooden buildings clustered around it, growing outwards west, north and south, and backed up against the beginning of the castle's hill to the east. The closer they got to the centre of town, the more impressive the buildings were - on one corner of the square was a large two-storey building, which Tara took for a town hall from the elaborate carved wood coat of arms above its doors. Stefan led them over to stables opposite the hall, and they left their horses there to continue on foot. The town's population was already out in force, gathered around a the of outdoor taverns near the town well, obviously awaiting the beginning of the contest. Some of them gave a cheer or lifted their mugs at the sight of Stefan, and a number began drifting across the square and along one of the roads. Tara and Willow followed Stefan, with their guards a few paces to either side. Tara noticed the Baron's master at arms in the crowd, in the middle of a conversation with someone, and she wondered if he was there for fun or to keep an eye on things. Either way, she felt safe - the man always seemed perpetually aware of everything around him every time she had seen him.



Beyond a few storehouses and shops the ground to the west of the road opened up in a grassy expanse, with wooden stands on two sides, and a number of benches and tables already in place, occupied by the early arrivals who were enjoying the end of lunch, cheering or making loud suggestions to the archers who were already at practice, firing at targets set up on the far side of the field. One of the stands was larger and taller than the others, with a brightly-coloured shade cloth stretched between the tops of poles at its corners, and a number of well-dressed townsfolk seated inside. Stefan exchanged greetings with a few of the spectators and archers who wandered over to meet him, then motioned for Willow and Tara to follow him over to the covered stand.



"My wife," he said proudly, introducing them to a tall woman about his age who smiled at the sight of him and got down from her seat. She was dressed in a simple but well-made dress that showed off an admirable figure, and her white hair was tied back in a single braid that trailed to her waist.



"Tara, an Amazon warrior," Stefan said to her, "and Willow, a sorceress. Ladies, Bethany, my wife."



"How do you do?" Bethany asked warmly, curtseying to both of them.



"Very well, thank you," Tara said, bowing. Willow tried a curtsey, and found it wasn't that difficult.



"We've all been looking forward to seeing your skill with the bow," Bethany went on to Tara, after raising an eyebrow at Willow's battlegear. "Our daughter is around here somewhere," she added, glancing around the crowd. A horn sounded from the field, and the archers ceased fire and went to retrieve their arrows.



"I'll introduce you all afterwards," Stefan promised, "it's time for our contest. Miss Willow, would you care for a seat? Normally I'd just be a spectator myself, I see they've saved me a seat as usual."



"Thank you," Willow said, stepping up onto the platform beside Bethany, who was still a full head taller than her. Stefan bowed elaborately to his wife, and she smiled and drew a lace handkerchief from her sleeve, which he took and tucked into his belt.



"Thank you, my lady," he said with obvious affection. While Bethany was smiling at him, Willow turned to Tara.



"My warrior?" she said with a grin. As soon as Tara's eyes were on her, she quickly reached up beneath the hem of her top and drew out a silk cloth, thankful she had thought of it earlier, and been able to stuff it into her cleavage in one of the brief moments Tara hadn't been watching her.



"My lady," Tara said, accepting the silk, and touching it to her lips before tucking a corner of it in her belt. Willow smiled and sat down next to Bethany, as Tara and Stefan headed towards the firing line.



"You're a sorceress, Miss Willow?" Bethany asked politely.



"That's right, ma'am," she replied.



"My word," Bethany said, "we don't see many mages around here. Well, apart from that dreadful man up at the castle. I never liked him. Related to an old family, you know, supposedly a noble line, but if you want my opinion, there's not much to recommend them nowadays. And Miss Tara, the Amazon, you're travelling together?"



"Yes," Willow said, "we met in Kingsport, and we're on the caravan heading to Duncraig."



"Well, that's quite a journey," Bethany said, "and you know, we hear such things about Duncraig, it should be quite the experience for you. But I imagine you'll be enjoying the journey as it is. You and she... I'm not sure how to put this, you're close?"



"Oh," said Willow, realising what she was getting at, "um, yes. We, um... yes."



"She looks at you very fondly," Bethany said. She and Willow shared a smile, then Bethany was distracted at the arrival of the rest of her family, and spent a moment introducing them to Willow: their daughter Erin, a tall, raven-haired woman very much in the mould of her mother, her husband Rudi, an amiable man with a charming smile. In her arms Erin held a baby, her and Rudi's son Werner. Rudi was full of enthusiasm at seeing an Amazon archer - her skill, not the archer herself, Willow gathered - and Erin listened to his ramblings with affectionate indulgence while she loosened the laces of her bodice enough to feed their baby. Willow was slightly surprised at that, but no-one seemed to pay her the least attention, except for Rudi himself whose eyes occasionally dipped downwards. Bethany passed the time asking Willow about her battlegear, wondering if it would be possible to buy something of the sort in Kingsport. After a few minutes another horn sounded, and the crowd settled back to watch the contest.



-----



One of the townsfolk, chosen for his loud voice, Willow guessed, informed the crowd that they were to witness a contest of archery between Stefan, noted citizen of Kingsport and master of archers at the Baron's court, and Tara, a warrioress of the fabled Amazons. While he spoke, going into some detail about Stefan's accomplishments for the benefit of those who didn't know him, and reciting a few exciting tales about Amazons - Willow could just make out Tara's amused, resigned expression, but the speaker confined himself to various tales of dubious accuracy about the Amazons' prowess in battle - a team of men busied themselves dragging an elaborate wooden contraption out into the middle of the line of targets. It consisted of a pedestal framework, inside which were various wooden gears connected by heavy, knotted ropes to a pulley system that vanished behind a sturdy wooden shield several metres long. Once this was in place the men retreated behind the shield, safe from stray arrows. From where she was sitting, Willow could just make out one of them, holding the end of the rope. Another man carried a target up to the pedestal, fixing it in place before retreating.



The horn player sounded the beginning of the contest once the participants had been introduced, and at a yell from behind the shield wall the men began to pull on the rope, turning it in a loop that ran through the pedestal. The target began to pivot, as Stefan nocked his arrow and stared levelly down the field at it. Willow found herself quite caught up in the moment, her stare fixed on Stefan's arrowhead as he slowly raised his bow and drew it back. He waited a moment, taking his time as he stared down the length of his arrow at the target, turning away from him and back again. There was a collective intake of breath as he let fly, and then the men pulling the rope stopped, a horn sounded to ensure neither archer fired, and someone scurried out from behind the shield to check the arrow embedded in the target.



"A half!" Willow heard him call, repeated by the loud-voiced announcer to general applause. "Half and straight!" The crowd cheered, Willow joining in the polite but enthusiastic applause from the stands.



"Very close to the bullseye," Bethany explained for Willow, "and it went in while the target was facing dead ahead. It's a pity your Amazon friend hasn't had a chance to practice on the machine, Stefan says it's a difficult thing to master."



The men at the target pulled out Stefan's arrow and took cover as the others began to pull their rope again, spinning the target slowly. Willow stared at Tara, noting every detail of her posture, the intensity of her concentration, as she nocked her arrow and drew back her bow. She aimed slowly, letting the arrowhead drift up and around to point at the target, and for a moment she was absolutely still. Willow had to admit, she was actually a little aroused, as well as simply impressed, by the image of Tara standing straight, her feet apart a little way, her shapely legs braced, her arms motionless as she held back the string of her powerful bow, by necessity a little further from her body than Stefan had. She had leaned her head sideways, her cheek touching her wrist as she sighted along her arrow. There was just the tiniest movement, her fingers releasing the string, and as Willow kept her eyes on Tara, she saw that she barely moved a muscle for a moment after she fired.



"Centre and one degree!" came the call from the other end of the field. A surprised cheer went up from the crowd, and Willow was sure she saw Tara catch a glimpse of her as she shot out of her seat, clapping her hands above her head.



"Bullseye," Bethany said with some admiration, "and very close to straight. I'd say they're even so far. Your friend is very good." There was some activity around the pedestal involving pieces of wood being set in place, and when everyone retreated the target was in the centre of a six-foot-wide cylinder of wooden slats, with gaps in it at the same height as the centre of the target. When the horn sounded and the men began pulling the rope again, both the target and its guard began to turn, in opposite directions so that the target and the gaps in the cylinder lined up perfectly only every few turns.



Tara went first this time, standing exactly as she had before. Again Willow watched her, ignoring the rest of the crowd, and not really paying very much attention to the target either. She smiled to herself at the strength and the poise in Tara's body, the perfection of her stance and her concentration. She indulged a little fantasy about standing right behind Tara as she drew back her bow, pressing her body against her and feeling the coiled, controlled strength in her. Willow was snapped out of it as Tara fired, and the crowd cheered at once, seeing that her arrow had not hit the guard, but had gone through to the target.



"Centre!" the man called, to renewed cheering. Stefan nodded to Tara as he passed her on his way to the line, as one professional admiring another, then the horn sounded and the cheering died down to murmurs. Stefan took his time firing, waiting almost a full minute before letting his arrow fly, but it was evidently worth it, as the call "Centre!" came back.



"He's in fine form," Bethany observed, "he always has a good day when he makes that one." The announcer called the last round, and when the horn sounded an upright post had been added to the field, thirty feet in front of the target. It was a little taller than the bullseye itself, and its top was a torch that had been lit.



"Those wraps around the arrows are soaked in oil," Bethany explained, as they watched both Stefan and Tara hand one of their arrows to a man who carefully bound rags around them, just behind the arrowheads. "They have to pass through the torch, catch fire, and hit the target. I've seen arrows go through without lighting, but Stefan says the trick is in drawing the bow. Having the post there means the arrow has to be at exactly that height when it passes, so the archer has to fire at just the right speed to flatten the curve out over the post and into the target. Spend thirty-five years married to an archer," she added with a grin, "and you pick up a few things."



Stefan was first, but he didn't wait as long as he did for his previous shot. He drew, aimed and fired with barely a pause - "Cocky rascal," Bethany observed affectionately - the torch flared as the arrow passed it, and then, with its tip alight, it was shuddering in the centre of the target. The call confirmed that the shot had been a bullseye, and even the higher-class spectators in the stands were on their feet applauding. Tara looked quite impressed, but Willow smiled at her when she glanced towards the main stand.



Tara took her place, and was just drawing back her bow when the horn sounded, signalling not to fire. Willow glanced along the length of the field, and saw that the torch had gone out, Stefan's arrow having scattered the cinders at its top somewhat, and the wind, gusting irregularly across the field, had done the rest. A man was scurrying out from behind the shield wall with a lit torch.



"Stand clear!" Willow heard Tara call out. The horn player looked confused for a moment, then blew the signal. The man with the torch frowned, looked down the field for clarification, then shrugged and retreated. Once he was safely out of the line of fire Tara chose another arrow, with no cloth around it, and took aim again.



Willow had a vague idea what she had in mind, but the rest of the crowd were taken completely by surprise as Tara's arrow burst into a streak of flame the moment it left her bow. There was a flare as it passed the top of the post, setting fire to it, and then it was through the guard and embedded in the target, still burning. The scorer quickly doused the flame and checked the arrow's position.



"Centre!"



The crowd went wild, even Bethany standing to applaud. Stefan escorted Tara back to the stands, smiling as they were stopped every couple of steps as various spectators bowed and congratulated Tara. Someone even produced a handful of roses, very prettily bound in a white cloth, which Tara accepted graciously, looking slightly shy as she did so. Bethany, Willow, Erin and Rudi got down from the stand to meet the pair as they cleared the crowd.



"Quite incredible," Bethany exclaimed to Tara, making her blush.



"My lady," Stefan said, "I'm sorry I couldn't win for you today." He said it with a smile, but also honest regret. Bethany curtseyed to Tara before fixing her gaze on her husband.



"Come here, you," she said, smiling. They shared a kiss, provoking another cheer from some of the spectators nearby. Tara finished thanking Erin and Rudi, who congratulated her as well, and turned to Willow.



"My lady," she said, holding out the roses to Willow.



"My warrior," Willow said, taking them. She and Tara stood there for a moment, staring into each other's eyes, until Bethany leaned over to Willow.



"Oh go on, girl," she said, "no-one minds." Willow smiled, Tara blushed, and they kissed for a moment, slowly and tenderly, though with their lips closed, in deference to being in public.



-----



"What did you think of Amazon magic?" Tara asked, as she and Willow ate dinner in the common room. Some of the other Amazons were also at the long table, engrossed in conversations of their own, though Tryptin and his personal staff were dining with the Duncraig ambassadors.



"I'm impressed," Willow said earnestly, "you know, I didn't feel a thing?" Tara looked confused. "I don't mean I didn't feel anything to watch you," Willow corrected herself hastily, "I mean... normally a fire spell like that would give off, um, 'echoes' that any mage within a hundred feet would be able to feel. The better the mage, the more controlled the spell, so the less wasted energy there is."



"Well, I wasn't actually doing the magic," Tara admitted, "that was Hefaetrus. So maybe that's why you didn't sense it?"



"It's still impressive," Willow insisted, "you know, I think your magic might be the most controlled I've ever seen. I guess maybe because you concentrate entirely on the focus, on the shape of the spell, where a sorceress has to form the spell and power it at the same time. It's a bit of a juggling act," she added with a grin. "When you were training, was it unusual for spells to get a bit out of hand? Like, the fire being too strong, or things like that?"



"I-I don't think so," Tara said, "I never heard of anything like that happening with magic. It's usually just a case of doing it right or not. If you do it, it works, if not... well, you just fire a normal arrow, and nothing happens."



"Controlled magic," Willow said, "my tutors would be amazed."



"Well, it's not *always* controlled," Tara admitted, "I remember once when some of the trainees were practicing with explosive fire, they accidentally set one of the storehouses on fire. Their aim was a bit wild." Willow chuckled at the thought.



"I bet you never did that," she said.



"No," Tara said, "I was always very... I'd be very careful when I was practising. And mostly I liked practising just the basic skills, aiming and speed and concentration. I kind of had a knack for picking up the focussing quickly, so I didn't have to spend a lot of time working on that. Just the physical elements of it."



"Speaking of physical elements," Willow murmured quietly, "you know you looked very sexy out there today." Tara raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Oh yeah!" Willow insisted. "all... disciplined, and controlled, and sleek and strong... the way your arms were so still when you were holding your bowstring back. That must take some strength?"



"Um, yeah," Tara said with a shy grin, "it's a strong bow, it takes a bit of getting used to... there's a few others in our baggage, lighter bows, I was thinking of getting one of those out for you to use, when I show you how..." Willow pushed her plate aside and leaned towards Tara.



"I can't wait," she said in a quiet, sultry voice. "So, how will you do it? Demonstrate first? I know, I'll stand right behind you while you draw the string, and I'll lean against you, and reach around your shoulders and feel your arms, all the tension running through your muscles... so I know how to hold the bow, of course."



"Of course," Tara said with a wry grin. She got up and held out a hand to Willow, who gladly took it and followed her to their room.



"And then it'll be my turn," Willow went on, once Tara had shut the door behind them. She mimed holding a bow, as she had seen Tara do it, left arm outstretched, right bent back, her cheek resting against her hand.



"Looks like you've got the idea," Tara quipped.



"Mmm-hmm," Willow said, "and you can stand right behind me... like that," she added, as Tara obligingly stood so close her chest was pressed firmly into Willow's back. "And make sure I'm holding it just right," Willow went on. Tara put her arms around Willow, holding each of her wrists in position. She adjusted her stance so that her feet were beside Willow's, and their legs were touching all the way down to the floor.



"And then," she breathed into Willow's ear, "you let go." Willow opened the fingers of her right hand obediently.



"You know," she said, "I think what most impressed me was how focused you were out there today. I bet nothing was distracting you."



"Concentration is very important," Tara conceded, keeping Willow in her arms.



"So maybe I should practice that?" Willow asked. "If I can keep hold of my bow, while you try to distract me..." she left a deliberate, suggestive pause there, "then we'll know I'm ready." Tara chuckled to herself, and the sound made Willow shiver in anticipation.



"You mean, distract you like this?" Tara asked innocently, before placing a quick kiss on the side of Willow's neck. Willow smiled, but didn't move. Tara ran the tip of her tongue up to the side of Willow's jaw, then kissed her earlobe.



"Very good," she said, as Willow trembled but held her imaginary bow in an almost-steady grip. She sucked on Willow's earlobe for a long time, tickling it with her tongue. Willow moaned quietly, a long, pure note emanating from her throat, ending only when Tara finished.



"Let's see how good you really are," Tara whispered. "An Amazon can hit a target she's not even watching. Look this way." Willow obediently turned her face towards Tara, away from the line of fire of her bow. Tara kissed her, starting with a quick, feather-light touch on her lips, then again, longer this time, then her lips opened, as did Willow's, and their tongues played. The sensations almost caused Willow to give in and drop her arms, but she held out, even when Tara let out a deep moan which thrilled Willow to her core.



Willow guessed what was coming next, and barely flinched when she felt Tara's hands on her bare sides, stroking lightly up and down. She knew Tara could get her in an instant by tickling her, but apparently that wasn't what Tara had in mind, for she kept the pressure of her fingertips just enough to avoid causing an involuntary reaction. Her fingers ventured around Willow's body, over her stomach, back and forth, moving slowly higher with each pass. She moaned, louder than she had been meaning to, when Tara's fingers found the edge of her top and snuck underneath.



"Oh gods please yes!" she exclaimed, reaching behind herself to hold Tara tightly against her as Tara's hands pushed under the fabric of her clothing and cupped her breasts. Tara held her firmly, squeezing gently, rhythmically, massaging Willow's breasts as she felt her nipples harden in her palms.



"You dropped your bow," she murmured, separating her lips just a fraction from Willow's.



"Then I need... more practice," Willow said hoarsely, arching her back to push herself into Tara's hands, and grind her hips against Tara's. "Later," Willow amended, "for now... why don't you... keep distracting me..."



Tara smiled and captured Willow's lips again, marvelling at her breasts. 'I was right,' she thought gleefully, 'just the right size.' She rubbed her palms around in circular motions, stimulating Willow's nipples as she gently squeezed and released with her fingers. The way Willow was moving against her was intoxicating. Emboldened by Willow's response to her, Tara tightened her hold and kneaded Willow's breasts firmly, pushing them together each time she squeezed. Willow's lips fell completely open beneath her kiss, and her legs began to tremble seriously.



"I-I think," Willow managed to say in between kisses, "I'm gonna fall over."



"I won't let you fall," Tara promised. Willow surrendered herself to Tara's arms, reaching down with her own hands to grip Tara's bottom through her leather skirt. Tara thrilled at the feeling, devouring Willow's mouth.



"Oh gods Tara," Willow moaned, as Tara took a break to plant kisses along her neck, "it's too much..."



Tara's hands instantly stilled, though she didn't withdraw them. She wouldn't allow herself to even hint to Willow that she might ignore anything she said, but at the same time she suspected that if she broke off contact completely Willow would feel somehow guilty, as if she had been wrong to say anything, and she never wanted Willow to think that.



"Do you want me to stop?" she asked gently.



"No... I don't know," Willow admitted, "gods, I don't want you to stop... but you're making me so hot..."



"I love you Willow," Tara said, "if you want to stop now, I promise I'll go to sleep next to you the happiest woman in the world. Nothing can change that."



"Oh gods I love you," Willow said, "you're the most perfect lover... I don't want to stop, I just... if you keep touching me like that, I'm going to have to... you're making me so hot I need to, um... a-and I know you're not ready for that, not yet, I mean, I'm not ready for it either..."



"Y-you could, um, t-touch yourself," Tara suggested quietly. "Like y-you told me this morning... and I'll keep touching you, and hold you while you... while you come..." Willow took a deep breath, trying to contain herself.



"Gods Tara," she whispered, "a-are you sure? I mean... I don't have to-"



"I'm sure," Tara insisted, "I... when you held me this morning, I've never felt so loved, so much a, a part of you. I-I want you to feel that too..."



"Tara," Willow breathed, "you're sure?"



"Please," Tara said. Willow closed her eyes and kissed Tara so deeply that she felt her legs buckle, and sat down heavily on the bed behind her, with Willow still in her arms. If Willow noticed, she didn't mind, she just continued to kiss Tara voraciously. Tara resumed her attention to Willow's breasts, starting slowly but quickly building to the pace she had been setting before. Willow, sitting in her lap, writhed in her embrace, her hips rocking and jolting as she moved. Tara felt Willow's hands leave her bottom, where they had nearly been pinned in place as she sat down, and opened an eye to see Willow reaching for the clasp on the slim silver collar around her neck. She undid it and let it fall to the ground, her hands grasping at the fabric around her chest and pulling it aside, baring herself to Tara's ministrations.



"Oh gods Tara," Willow moaned, "oh gods, that is so good, you're making me so hot, please don't stop, please, oh gods, Tara, gods..." She captured Tara's lips again, her tongue venturing into Tara's mouth just long enough to ensure a response before completely surrendering, giving herself over to Tara completely. At the same time her left hand was covering Tara's, pressing it hard into her breast, while her right fumbled with the catch on her belt. She managed to undo it, pushing the top of her skirt down to reveal her underwear.



"Mmmyou sure?" she asked, not entirely disengaging from the kiss.



"Come for me, baby," Tara breathed. Willow's fingers crept beneath the waistband of her briefs, stretching it out to make room for her hand.



"Yesss..." she sighed as her hand clamped down between her legs. Tara watched, eyes downcast as she kept kissing Willow, seeing the movements of her wrist, feeling her hips rock in time to them. She concentrated on her own hands, steadily increasing the tempo of her intense massage of Willow's breasts. She could actually smell the scent of Willow's arousal, and it excited her like nothing else, driving her to pour all her passion into the woman in her arms, kissing her, caressing her, arousing her, and holding her as she drew closer to release, letting out little high-pitched moans into Tara's mouth with every thrust of her fingers.



Willow orgasmed with a deep, lusty groan, almost a growl, her lips pressed against Tara's, her hips bucking so hard she actually rose up off Tara's lap for a second. Tara leaned back, carrying Willow with her as she lay on the bed, finishing up with Willow sprawled on top of her, breathing in short gasps as she held Tara's hand firmly to her chest, her legs splayed apart off the edge of the bed, the sleeves of her top down around her elbows.



"Oh gods Tara," she gasped, "not much longer, I promise... oh I need you so much..."



"I know baby," Tara assured her, "not much longer." Willow took a deep breath, her body totally relaxed.



"I'm not squashing you, am I?" she asked after a moment. Tara laughed, making Willow giggle as the movement in Tara's chest bounced her up and down slightly.



"I love the way you feel lying on me," Tara confessed.



"Mmm, you feel pretty good yourself," Willow replied, "even if you are still wearing way too much."



"I'd get undressed," Tara countered, "except there's a delicious sorceress lying on top of me."



"Delicious, huh?" Willow teased. "Am I in danger of being eaten?" Tara felt the blush on Willow's cheek as she realised what she had said, but only chuckled. Feeling bold and light-headed, she reached down with the hand that wasn't underneath Willow's and took hold of her other wrist. Slowly, giving Willow every opportunity to pull back, she pulled Willow's hand out from underneath her underwear and raised it to her lips. Willow was staring at her in amazement, but gave no indication that she wanted Tara to stop. Tara opened her lips and reached out with her tongue, touching it to the tip of Willow's forefinger. Then she gently moved Willow's hand closer and took her fore and index fingers into her mouth, her eyes fixed on Willow all the while.



Willow's taste was something Tara could never have been prepared for, like nothing she had ever experienced before. For a fraction of a second it was strange to her, then pleasure washed over her and she was sucking and licking Willow's fingers as if her life depended on it, intent on savouring every last succulent drop of Willow's arousal. When she was finally satisfied that she had cleaned Willow's fingers completely she let them go, gently manoeuvring Willow's hand so that she could chase down every trace of her juice that had made its way onto her palm and her other fingers. She held Willow's stare the entire time, not blinking once.



When she finally let Willow's little finger slide out from between her lips, Willow eyes were as wide as she had ever seen, and her mouth was hanging open. Tara hoped she hadn't shocked Willow - well, not in a bad way - but Willow had never given even the slightest resistance. Now she stared at Tara as if she was something supernatural.



"Gods," she breathed, "Tara... you are so sexy I'm going to burst." Tara laughed, and Willow joined her, rolling off her and just as quickly climbing back on top of her, facing down this time so she could hug Tara back as Tara's arms went around her waist.



"We should get some sleep," Tara suggested once they had calmed down.



"Yeah," Willow smiled. She kissed Tara, which went on for some time, then finally and reluctantly got up and discarded her disarrayed battlegear. Having so little to take off, with her top already half-off and her skirt falling around her knees, she was already naked save for her briefs by the time Tara was sitting up and undoing the straps on the tops of her boots.



"Let me," Willow said, kneeling down in front of Tara and replacing her hands on the buckles. She undid Tara's boots and slid them off, then undid the straps holding the bracer on her left forearm and laid it aside. With a gently tug she brought Tara to her feet, and loosened the laces on either side of her armour. She managed, by standing on tip-toes, to get it all the way up over her head and arms, then laid it out on top of Tara's clothes trunk and came back to stand very close to her as she loosened her skirt. She let it fall to the floor, staring into Tara's eyes.



"I believe I have a promise to keep," Willow said, kneeling down again in front of Tara. Tara wondered for a moment what she was doing, then remembered at the same instant as Willow planted her lips around Tara's navel and thrust her tongue into it, squirming around with relish. Tara squealed and fell gleefully back onto the bed, with Willow holding her around the waist to stop her getting away as she continued to twist her tongue around. Finally she stopped, letting Tara catch her breath, and gave Tara's stomach one last kiss before she got back up and put out the candles. Tara held the blankets up for her as she returned from closing the shutters, and curled around her as she lay down, settling into their accustomed position, Willow on her side with Tara behind her, arm around her waist.



"I love you Tara," Willow said contentedly.



"I know," Tara replied, "I love you too." They lay together for a moment, silent and at peace.



"You never answered my question," Willow said suddenly.



"What was is?" asked Tara.



"Am I in danger of being eaten?" Willow purred.



"Mmm-hmm," Tara murmured, "absolutely. It's just a matter of time." Willow giggled, and wriggled in Tara's arms, teasing her. Tara kissed the back of her neck and held her tightly around the waist.



"Good-night," Willow said softly once they had settled down again.



"Sweet dreams," Tara replied.



"Hope so," Willow said, "but I know it'll be a sweet waking-up."





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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 15)
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 2:08 pm 
Wow, all I can say is :bow



The archery contest was pretty good, though I was half expecting them to do the Robin Hood thing with Stefan hitting the bulls eye and Tara splitting his arrow in two.



It's good to see that Von Karlin's attitude is the exception rather than the rule. Well I suppose who could object to :willow and :tara



The ending was very :thud worthy though I'm not sure how Willow's going to be able to shoot straight with Tara standing behind her.



I understand, you should be with the person you l-love


I am




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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 15)
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 3:06 pm 
I'll second and third and whatever , the WOW...

seems these latest updates are making us become speechless kittens!

I loved the archery contest and had a fun time imagining it with the difficulties and all!

Willow's cute in her "ladylike" demeanor, but then again she always was a lady!



Oh and the sexual tension? WAY TOO MUCH! But improving... HOPE WE GET THERE SOON! :mad but no no I'm not threatening, sorry it came out that way... Consider it a suggestion?? :whistle



~Arwen

Hear That Baby? You're My Always... Willow



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 15)
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 3:42 pm 
Tara is definitly more the take-charge woman here. Willow is all with the flirting and teasing mostly, but it's Tara who actually does stuff. If I'm not mistaken Willow hasn't even seen Tara's breasts except in the shadow when she was stretching out.



So Willow has a control/negate staff with her, gosh I wonder why. Odd thing is that Willow's history in this story doesn't indicate her having troubles controlling her magic.... it's just that I keep reading her that way 'cos she usually HAS such problems. Maybe that staff would have helped maintain an ice-armour better as well, did it shatter on power or on control anyway ??



I don't entirel "get" the idea that Amazon's use of magic is always controlled. The idea just seems... weird or hard to imagine at least. Maybe the difference with Amazons is that they request use of magic (from their Gods) for a specific purpose already. As opposed to Willow's kind of magic where they simply request power and then do something specific with it themselves. Hmm.. trouble with that is of course that the Amazons' have to get their Gods to agree with anything they cast, which seems impractical. (and would make for some verrry busy Gods as well:-).There has to be downside to the way Amazons do magic, I just haven't figured it out entirely yet :D .



Why would Willow carry scrolls and other stuff around which is meant for use by non-magical persons ? She said herself those spells are simple so not very usefull as defense or such. Sounds like a fairly heavy belt to carry around by the way. And yeah, there's no doubt Tara studied that belt up close, heh :) .



I could actually imagine the archery contest (and no I have not seen Robin Hood, never bothered) which is an accomplishment all of it's own. I usually do badly with imagining things from written description, but managed here. Tara using magic to light the arrow is all nice and flashy but it also has little to do with archery which was what the contest was about. I'm wondering if Amazons use magic at all to get their arrows on-target or if thats just plain aiming skill...



Interesting update I'll say, the Tara teasing/caressing Willow part wasn't bad either .



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine



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 Post subject: Re: FIC: Hellebore (chapter 15)
PostPosted: Tue Aug 12, 2003 3:55 pm 
Um... *sputters incoherently*



:thud



DUDE!! :drool



Can't say much right now... too worked up, but... I'm loving this, Chris.



I haven't read all of this fic yet. To be honest, I've really only read the last three chapters all the way through. I plan on catching up on the whole fic soon though and I'll get you some better feedback.



So far, I'm really appreciating what I'm reading. This is a very hot fic and I'm loving your sexy/take charge Tara. When they actually do make love, I'm betting I'll be a drooling mess and if either one of those girls has anything to say about it, I'm betting that won't be long from now? Hee...



OH... I still owe you an e-mail. Haven't forgotten about ya.



Loving this fic, sweetie. :kiss



Jen

||My Fan Fiction and More!|| ||My Yahoo Group|| ||September 11th 2001 - An on-line Memorial||
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Chiana and Talikaa lean towards each other. They touch upper lips, moving their faces in response to each other. They kiss lightly and move away a bit. Talikaa touches Chiana's lip with her tongue, Chiana leaning towards her again. Chiana smiles. They kiss again. ~ Farscape, Season 4: "Twice Shy"



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