Ostium

Chapter 2

I look up at Bratus, my face is probably beet red. "Ride with you?" I stutter, "We barely know each other! Besides, maybe I want to ride with Saxum instead." He gives me an arrogant smile, he knows Saxum isn't the one I want to ride with.

"What better way to get to know each other." He teases, "Besides, I don't think his mate, Nuba, would approve." His looks softens when he sees how uneasy I am and he hops off his horse. "Look, I know you want to get to your sister, we want to get you there as soon as possible. If it makes you more comfortable we can walk but if we were to walk on foot, how long would it take to get there?" 
"Late tomorrow night. "
"With horses, we'd be there by mid morning. I promise I will be a perfect gentleman." I didn't say anything at first but I finally agreed, as long as I got to sit in front. I refused to look like some damsel he had to rescue. He nods and offers me a hand to boost me up on his large horse, I nudge it out of the way and pull myself up. He smirks and slides in behind me. The saddle is small, obviously meant for one person trying to travel lightly. The size of the saddle forces Bratus to scoot as close to me as possible, my ass is nestled between his thighs and flush against his groin. He gives his thighs a squeeze to signal his horse to move forward, I grab the reins and lead us towards home. As we ride I can't help but notice the way our bodies rub against each other, heat shoots through me. I feel something long and hard pressed against me and it's obvious I'm not the only one affected. Neither of us say anything thankfully.

~*~

It feels like we have been riding forever, my stomach is snarling from hunger and my ribs are screaming in pain. The spot on my neck no longer itches, it stings. It feels like I have a small burn back there. The sun should set in about an hour so we stop to make camp for the night. The spot we pick is hidden from the road by thick trees, there is a lazy river perfect for bathing. Saxum tells us he is going to gather firewood while I clean up. I head to the water but Bratus stops me, in his hand are some white and yellow flowers. I blush, he got me flowers? "The white ones can be mixed with water to make soap." He explains, my heart sinks a bit. He got me flowers because I smell, of course he did.

"What about the yellow ones?" 
"I got those because they reminded me of your eyes." He brushes my hair behind my ear and I can't help but blush again. He clears his throat, "Anyway, I'm going to get some stuff ready so I can get your ribs bandaged. Don't worry, we'll give you your privacy." He saunters off back towards the horses. I slip out of my clothes and into the water. I lather the flowers up and scrub every inch and work the bubbles through my hair. I give extra care to the tender patch on the back of my neck and wonder what the hell I did to myself.This is heavenly, I smell better than I have in a long time. I get struck by a twinge of guilt. My little sister is home alone, hungry and probably terrified and I'm here flirting and bathing. I quickly finish up and put my dirty clothes back on, I wish they were clean but it'll have to do for now. I make my way over to Bratus, he has bandages laid out and is grinding up some mint leaves with some willow bark. He looks up at me when I approach but doesn't stop what he's doing.

"Mint leaves are a natural pain reliever and willow bark helps with swelling." He explains, "I need to apply it directly to the skin and then I'll add the wrap. I'm ready when you are." I nod and lift my shirt until only my breasts are covered. He sucks in a breath when he sees how bad the bruises are, my entire right side is a mix of black and purple. He scoops up the mixture on a couple of fingers and gingerly starts to apply it. His fingers leave trails of fire across my skin that are quickly extinguished by the cooling sensation of the mint leaves. I bite my lip to keep from groaning as his fingers trail under the sensitive skin below my breasts. His face gives nothing away and I hope that he feels some kind of excitement. I get angry at myself, he is the Mandatum of Sidus and I'm a nobody from Inanis. It would never work out, he's probably only shown interest in me because he's been in the woods for a while and hasn't seen any women. If he went back to Sidus he'd probably have women throwing themselves at him. Beautiful women who smell like pretty flowers all the time with lush curves. He made it clear that working women who needed to hunt to survive weren't his type, women like me weren't his type. He finishes binding me up and I yank my shirt down and stand up quickly. No use in letting myself get attached now, I needed to put distance between us. I busy myself with gathering some blackberries by the water and other edible plants, careful to keep camp within my sight. Before long I have a nice collection of berries, roots and herbs. Saxum has made it back with some firewood, I instinctively scan for Bratus and see him plucking feathers from a fat bird, there is a small pile of them at his feet. I head in his direction and hand over what I've gathered.