Saga of Daie d'Malkin 9-Of Strawberries and Swimming Lessons

The next day was spent at camp. A small scouting party, led by Raven herself, and containing Daie and Maron was sent to the orc encampment that Raven and Daie had been told of, shortly before dawn, only to find that it was empty, and hadn’t been lived in for nearly a week.

They were confused until one soldier; a young human named Skip, noticed that the symbols on the equipment in the camp were identical to those worn by the orcs who had attacked a week ago. Reasoning that they had already performed the task, Raven had sent out two parties to complete the other tasks, the ones set to them by the Saradushian cleric and kept the rest of the company in their camp. The two parties were comprised of a mixture of fighters, mages and priests, and she had appointed leaders for each.

The first leader (of the group hunting for the bandits they’d been told of) was Aesine, a young wild elf sorceress, who kept herself to herself, and who rarely spoke. Still, she accepted the post with a determined nod, and all agreed that she was a good choice.

The second group, escorting a trade caravan to Riatavin, was led by a human man called Tycho, or more popularly, Tyke. He was in his mid thirties, deeply tanned, and was well known throughout the camp. The general impression of him was that, despite his cavalier attitude to life, he always took time to listen to the problems of the younger members of the company. He rode an enormous steed, more like a carthorse than a warhorse, and spoke with a slow drawl, an accent that was impossible to place. When asked where he was from, he would reply “West”, in his curiously lazy voice, and then laugh.

Raven had given these two command of a platoon of soldiers each, but had not explained why she had made these choices. Each, despite their surprise to find themselves in charge, had set right out, choosing their own underlings, and setting out just after dawn.

The midday sun was hung in the sky, sending waves of raw heat to beat down on the relaxing soldiers. The company had largely abandoned armour as too hot to wear in the Tethyrian summer, and instead lounged about their camp in light tunics, and casual clothing. Still, more than a few mercenaries had collapsed from heat exhaustion, and one man had even managed to burn his hands on his armour. After this incident, Raven had ordered them to remove their extra clothing, an order met with satisfied smiles from most, and an embarrassed blush from one young elf, who shall remain nameless.

There were few cooking fires, Raven having made the decision that they should eat a cold lunch consisting of leftovers from the previous night’s meal, and a selection of wild vegetables and fodder collected by a delegation of the rangers of the company, including one Daie Vanya, who was particularly pleased at having found a patch of wild strawberries. He hadn’t told anyone else, and had shooed several people away from them. He had picked every ripe berry, and was planning to give them to Raven for her dessert, reasoning that she could well eat all of them in one sitting, knowing her voracious appetite.

At the present moment, he was lying with his head resting on the log that he and his friends used as a seat, reading a book of poetry, and feeling pretty damn pleased with himself. He could just imagine the scene now. He’d present her with the fruit, and she’d smile at him. He sighed. Her smile could halt a charging bugbear, and the last time she’d smiled at him, his knees had turned to water, and he’d very nearly collapsed.

He had removed his tunic, and was lying in a pair of cream-coloured breeches, sunbathing. Wood elves were known for their bronzed skin, and he was no exception, but he sunbathed mainly for the look of the thing, and also because it was far too hot to keep his shirt on.

He felt someone stand over him, casting a shadow across himself, and squinted up.
“You look pretty pleased with yourself.” Maron commented, staring down at him, idly fanning herself with the tip of one of her wings.
“I am.” He smiled smugly.
She dropped down next to him, and he gave a strangled yell as he darted towards her, grasping his pack from under her backside just as she sat.
“Calm down.” She said, astonished at his vehement outburst.
He was clutching the pack to his chest, cradling it.
“You nearly sat on my pack!” He cried.
“So? What do you have in there?”
“Nothing!” he snapped, too quickly.
Maron smiled knowingly, and looked away. Then, just as Daie relaxed, and loosened his grip, she lashed out, stealing the bag, and delving into it with the relish of a turnip-hunting gnome.
“Ah! Strawberries!” she cooed, producing a particularly juicy one.
“No!” Daie yelled.
She stopped, and gave him a suspicious glare. “Why shouldn’t I eat this? Is there something wrong with it? You know, Daie; poisoning fruit went out of fashion years ago.”
“No.” Daie groaned “It’s just, I was saving them…”
Maron’s eyes widened with realisation. “For Raven? Oh Daie, you really are trying, aren’t you? I’d have eaten them by now. Still, it’s a lovely thought. No-one has ever done something like this for me.”
Daie thought about this for a moment. “Have one.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, shocked.
“Oh course. Just, not too many.”
“Thank you Daie!” She said, popping the berry into her mouth, and pecking him on the cheek, leaving a red smear.
“Oops!” She wiped the juice from his face, but ended up smearing more over him. She rolled back and laughed as he tried to remove it from his face. When he’d finally gotten it off, he rolled onto his side to face her, and watched her seriously, as she ate another strawberry. He was busy watching her when she lashed out again, and forced a berry into his mouth.
“Eat!” she cried.
Shocked, he did so, and moaned with delight.
“Thas weally gud!” he exclaimed, his mouth still full.
She smiled and nodded.
Daie reached for another, and she snatched the bag away from him.
“Hey!” he yelled, and leapt at her. As they wrestled on the ground for the bag, they heard a cough from behind them.
“Are you two quite finished?”
They looked up, still lying on each other on the floor.
Minstra and Raven were stood directly in front of the sun, casting a shadow, causing Maron and Daie to squint as they looked up at the two elves. They were wearing cut off trousers, and short sleeved shirts, the top buttons undone, displaying more then would be deemed suitable in polite society. Daie goggled, but Maron pushed him out of the way, and said “What did you want?”
“We were wondering” Minstra continued, addressing Maron “If you would like to come swimming with us? It too hot and we are going to cool down in the lake.”
“It is too hot” Daie muttered, almost imperceptibly “And it seems to have just got hotter out here.”
Maron shot him a look, and turned back to the standing women. “I’d love to come.”
Minstra nodded, and turned to go, but Raven looked down to Daie, and “Would you come also, Daie Vanya?”
Minstra stopped walking, and even Maron paused, halfway through the process of getting up.
Daie’s jaw dropped. “I, ahem, I’d… I’d l-love to.” He stammered.
Raven beamed at him. “Fetch a towel and a change of clothes; I’ll see you down there.”
“We’ll see you down there.” Minstra corrected her tone inscrutable.
“Yes, I meant we’ll see you down there.” Raven corrected, quickly.
Daie nodded, and flew off, into his tent.


When Daie arrived at the lake, the three were at the water’s edge. All three had stripped down to their underwear to swim, and motioned for him to do the same. Daie realised that his long, cream coloured trousers were actually better off where they were- they were hiding something he didn’t want them to see.
“Come on Daie, get them off!” Maron cried, splashing him.
“Um, no, I’m fine the way I am.” He replied, leaning to his left, standing awkwardly.
She gave him a puzzled look, then laughed, delightedly “Come on, Daie. Take them off!”
Minstra took up the chant, too. “Off! Off! Off!”
Daie looked to Raven for support, casting her a helpless glance, but she was standing with a wry grin upon her face, her arms folded on her chest.
“Rave!?” He pleaded. She waved an arm, motioning for him to remove his clothes, one eyebrow cocked in amusement at his predicament.
“Bugger.” He muttered quietly. This would be embarrassing. The three women watched, expectantly, as he reached down to his waistband. Suddenly, he pointed behind them, and shouted “Orcs!”
They turned, to find nothing behind them, they heard a splash, and spun back around, to see Daie waist deep in the lake, his trousers sat on the shore.
“Hey, no fair, you cheated!” Maron whined.
“Daie, why can you see us disrobed, but we cannot see you?” Minstra asked.
“Life is unfair.” Daie replied happily.
Maron and Minstra pouted, and entered the water.
They walked over to Daie, and all three of them waved over to Raven.
“Come in!” They yelled.
Raven frowned slightly, and stepped into the water nervously, as if expecting it to rise up and devour her.
Maron, Minstra and Daie decided that they would swim to the other side of the wide lake, and sped off, Maron easily outdistancing the other two, using her wings to help her propel herself. Daie found himself behind them, and he stopped, treading water, waiting for Raven to catch up. When she didn’t, he turned, and looked for her. She was standing, hip-deep, watching them all speed off. He swam back to her, and stood up when it was shallow enough to do so.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing. Go and swim with the others.” Her tone was haughty, almost as if she was offended.
“Will you join us, Miss Raven?”
“No.”
“Might I ask why?”
“No, darthiir, you may not.” She turned her head away from him, and lifted it, imperiously.
Daie took a step forward, and laid a hand on her dark arm. She flinched, but didn’t remove it.
“You cannot swim, can you?” he asked, softly.
She sighed “No, darthiir I cannot. Now, go and swim with the others leave me.”
He chuckled quietly.
“Don’t laugh at me!” she cried, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and despair.
Daie stopped, immediately “I’m not. I would never laugh at you, Raven.”
They stood for a moment, him holding her arm, her holding his gaze.
“I know, Daie, and I thank you.” She whispers, before adding something that even his sensitive ears don’t catch.
“Would you teach me?” She asked, suddenly.
“Hmm? Oh, of course!” He replied, happy that he could give her something back.


He took her hand, and gently pulled her into deeper waters. When she had to tip-toe to keep her head above water, he stopped.
“Right. Firstly, take a deep breath.”
She did so.
“Now, pull your legs up to your chest.”
She shot him a panicked look, her mouth still screwed shut after her deep breath.
“Don’t worry” he commented, slipping behind her, and resting his hands on her hips. “I can get you.”
She reluctantly did so, and her body shifted, and as Daie gently pulled her legs away from her body, and her arms out, she found herself floating on her back.
She lifted her head, and naturally, went straight under. Daie grabbed her immediately, and pulled her back up, gently brushing her sodden hair from her eyes. She wiped the water from them, and gave him a cool gaze.
“That wasn’t very enjoyable, darthiir.”
“I’m sorry. But you shouldn’t shift your balance suddenly like that.”
She nodded, and he took a grip of her hips again, marvelling at the muscles he could feel. The contrast of her soft skin and rock hard muscles felt fantastic. It was like feeling stone coated in velvet. His mind was pursuing this train of thought eagerly, when Raven shifted against his hands. He realised suddenly that he was holding her against himself, and suddenly became even more aware of parts of himself beginning to display their approval of her physique in a more obvious way. He pushed her from him like she had the plague, and began his lesson again.
After a while, he felt himself calm down, and was able to move close enough to teach her properly. After an hour or so of this, she was able to doggy-paddle about fairly well, though he did have to rescue her several times.
Finally, they were both too tired and hungry to continue, and they returned to the shore. Daie had stepped up, and was reaching for his towel, when Raven cooed triumphantly.
“Aha! I know I’d see you in your underwear eventually!”
“Damnation!” he muttered, then turned back to her. “Well?”
“Very nice Daie. You have nice legs.” She said, honestly.
Her forthrightness embarrassed him, and he blushed.
“What about me?” she asked, giving him a twirl, showing him her body. Her dark, dusky skin, her perfect body that drove him to distraction. Her long supple legs, her pert backside, muscular stomach, ample chest and beautiful white hair cascading down to her shoulders. Yet, despite her body, which would drive even the most chaste paladin to sin, it was her eyes, her cool blue eyes which captivated him so. “What do you think?”
“I think you’re very beautiful.” He blurted out, then clapped a hand over his mouth as he realised what he’d said.
Her eyebrows raised in surprise. “Truly? I have heard it before, but never from a male I could trust to tell me the truth. Honestly, do find me beautiful?”
He sighed. In for a copper, in for a gold piece. “Yes Raven, I think you are stunning. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life.”
Her eyes widened. “I…I thank you for your honesty, Daie Vanya.”
“I am sorry. I have spoken far too frankly.” He replied, his blush having spread across his upper chest as well.
“No, I appreciate it.” She said. “Come, let us dress and return to the camp. I am famished, and in need of a quick bite to eat.”
“Only four bowls of food then?” Daie asked, with a smirk, glad she had changed the subject.

When they arrived at the camp, clothed and mostly dried, they found that the mercenaries were lounging about, polishing weapons and armour, memorising spells, and other assorted activities. Maron and Minstra were deep in conversation about something or other, and their laughter showed that they found whatever they were discussing hilarious. They looked up as Daie and Raven passed them, fell silent as they passed, before continuing again when the couple had moved out of earshot.

Raven stopped by the log where she had found Daie and Maron earlier, and sat down, reaching for her pack, and pulling it close.
Daie sat down next to her, and retrieved his own. The Drow woman hunted for a moment, and offered her young friend a couple of biscuits. He gladly accepted them, and ravenously devoured one, savouring its sweet taste.
‘Now’s the time” he thought.
He reached into his pack, found what he was looking for, and shyly offered Raven a strawberry. She looked surprised, but not as surprised as he was a moment later, when instead of taking it from him, she took his hand in hers, raised it to her mouth, and ate the strawberry. He tensed with excitement as she kissed the tips of his fingers, and then kissed his palm. She took a berry from his bag, and gently pushed it into his mouth. Then she kissed him. It was different this time. Previously, her kisses had been subdued, something held back, but now she kissed him hungrily, as if releasing something she had pent up for the longest time. She tasted like strawberry, her soft lips pressing against his own.
As she kissed him, she snaked a hand up his chest, and began to unbutton his tunic. He pulled back, breaking their kiss, and shot her a panicked look.
“I’m sorry Raven. I…” He ran back to his tent, leaving her sitting there alone.