Hal - The Duellist #1

Chapter Sixteen - Mothers and Fathers

"Please Meracad, I'm just trying to explain what Beric and Marc told me."

This was far harder than Hal had expected. Meracad refused to listen.

"I don't see what my mother has to do with us. She fell, simply. It was an accident. My father might have many faults, but he would never have killed his own wife."

They sat facing each other on the floor of Hal's Riverside quarters, a half-empty bottle of wine between them. Léac, who had once appeared so distant, almost at times a mere irrelevance, now seemed to loom over them as if he were actually in the room.

"So do you not think it's significant that a day after her lover was found beaten and drowned, she had a fatal 'accident'?"

"How do you know that man was her lover?"

"Beric told me."

"Oh, so now Beric knows everything, does he?"

"He has his reasons." Hal was losing patience. "Don't you think we might be taking too many risks? I mean, your father is back in a few days, and...I'm just worried about you."

"And what do you think? That I'm not worried? That my father will return and wish us all the best? Please, Hal, I'm not so naive. But we can't stop now!" She grasped Hal's hands in her own, holding them tightly as if letting go would be forever. A sense of desperation seemed to envelop them both. Reality had found a way of encroaching upon their little world and was threatening to destroy it.

"I know we can't stop," the duellist replied at last, attempting to scrape together her shattered thoughts as she drew the girl close. She smoothed Meracad's hair down and kissed her, relishing the warmth of the girl's lips against her own. Time could move at its own pace but here, at this moment, it seemed to have stopped. Let Léac come. He could not take this from them.

Meracad ran her hands over the contours of her breasts, lowering them to tug at the duellist's belt. Inhaling sharply, Hal bit her lip, a wave of arousal flooding her body. She lay back, the sun's warmth embracing her naked limbs as Meracad pulled away her trousers and dragged open her shirt. Wet, open lips brushed across her body. She arched her back, submitting to pleasure as the girl's tongue curled around her breasts, teeth nipping at the sensitivity of her hips and abdomen, her mouth working lower, exploring Hal's inner thighs until her tongue had found its mark. Easing her hands between Hal's legs, she forced them further apart. Hal offered no resistance as Meracad stroked and teased and then took her, pushing her fingers deeper and deeper, pinning her to the floor, forcing out a cry of relief. Then, her lips retracing their route, Meracad lay beside her once more, still in her faded blue summer dress, while beads of sweat dripped from Hal's naked body.

"This is how I think of you," Meracad said at last, her fingers tracing ripples across Hal's stomach. "Not high up on the circle, stunning the crowds with your sword, but here, lying naked beside me." She ran her eyes the length of Hal's body and then bent forward, pressing her lips to the furrow between her breasts. Hal pressed her hand to the girl's hair, absorbing the kiss with her entire being.

With a sudden jolt she opened her eyes, breaking the trance-like state into which they had both lapsed. She raised herself, leaning upon her elbows and kissed Meracad once more.

"How much do you love the city?" she asked. The girl stared up at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean is there anything that would keep you here?"

Meracad shook her head. "It's all I know, but I have no real friends here – apart from you of course. Hal, are you thinking about leaving?" Her eyes grew troubled. "I could never ask it of you. It would be too great a sacrifice."