Apparently I smell...

After their Gnoll encounter they traveled onwards until there was only an hour of daytime left, when they found a nice place to camp near a small river. Alex was chopping some firewood when Violet came up to him.

“Hey… uhm… can I ask you something…”, she began slowly.

“Yeah, what’s up?”, he said between splitting a log.

“Can you teach me?”

“Teach you what?”

“How to fight.”

Alex paused and turned to her.

“Why do you want to know how to fight?”, he asked confused.

“Why not?”, said Violet.

“You have your magic…”

“But what, when I don’t have my staff or can’t use magic because of something else… If I had a weapon too… like if I had an axe as well, I could at least defend myself a bit…”

Alex furrowed his brow.

“An axe?”

“Yeah, like you!”

Alex began to laugh.

“What?”, asked Violet confused.

“Could you even swing it?”

“Sure, I can!”

“Okay, try.”

Alex held out his axe. Violet grabbed it. Alex let go. Violet nearly went down with the axe. Alex started laughing again.

“Okay… maybe not a axe but something lighter… I just… feel so useless with just my magic…”, said Violet a bit depressed.

“You are plenty useful… with just your magic.”

“Dude… just teach me a how to fight… please?”

Alex looked at her and scratched his beard.

“Okay… but on one condition. We train with the Berserker spell more too.”

Alex held out his hand. Violet looked at him.

“Deal”, she said while shaking his hand.

“I’m curious about that spell of yours too!”, said Hina suddenly appearing.

“What? Why?”, asked Violet.

“Well… I wonder if he could take me in a fight with it… Feeling up for a match, Alex?”

“I don’t know…”, said Alex hesitantly.

“How about we make it a bit interesting… If you beat me, you can ask of my any one thing and I have to do it.”, said Hina smiling innocently.

“Deal!”, said Alex immediately.

“Hey! I don’t know if it’s a good idea to cast the spell twice in a day…”, interjected Violet.

“Please! You just agreed to do more training with the spell.”, said Alex.

Violet looked at him and then at Hina. Her smile was not so innocent anymore.

“Argh… fine… but I get to try something.”, said Violet with a sigh.

She went up to him and chanted the spell. But instead of touching Alex with her hand like usual she stepped closer to him and gave him a hug.

“What the…”, he said surprised.

“Hold still now… I want to see if it makes a difference in how I transfer the magic energy into you… Do you feel anything… different?”

“The… magic… feels the same as usual…”, he said truthfully.

“Huh… interesting…okay, then have fun…”

Violet let go of him and stepped to the side. She then sat herself under a tree and watched Alex and Hina spar with each other.

“You’re acting strange today.”, said Caleb suddenly next to her.

“What? I’m not…”, said Violet.

“Then what about you jumping out of the carriage into the fighting today?”

“Do I look like a princess, that just likes to watch while other people fight for me?”, said Violet with a sharp undertone.

“No… you don’t… but you also don’t look like… her.”

Caleb pointed at Hina.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Is it bugging you that Alex seemed to be… very… interested in her?”

“What? No! He can be interested in anyone he chooses…”

“Ah, is that so? Good… because I really think those two are a match made for each other.”

Violet didn’t say anything back, she just watched the match. Hina and Alex seemed to enjoy their battle, even if the intensity with which they traded blows more than surpassed a normal sparring level.

“And what about the hug just now?”, continued Caleb.

“What about it?”, said Violet slightly annoyed.

“Was that not a bit… you know…”

Violet turned towards him and looked into his eyes.

“Whatever you think there is… there is not! Now stop with those annoying questions!”, she said really annoyed.

Caleb opened his mouth, but a loud clink and a thud stopped him from saying anything. He and Violet turned their heads. Alex had hit Hina’s sword out of her hand and his axe right at her throat.

“Not bad, little pup. You got me! I admit defeat.”, said Hina with a grin on her face.

Alex pulled his axe back, relaxed and began to grin too. He extended his arm. Hina shook his hand.

“So… what do you want me to do?”, she asked.

“I… hm… have to think about it…”, said Alex slowly.

Hina grin grew wolfish.

“Then think about it. Remember… whatever you want… You know where to find me little pup.”

With that she went and helped with starting a campfire. Alex came back to Violet.

“Hm… your body seems to be really used to the spell now… two times today and you are still standing… how do you feel? Sleepy? Exhausted?”, she asked with an analyzing look.

“Hungry.”, said Alex.

“Good answer! I’m hungry too…”, said Caleb and went to the starting campfire.

“Soo… what are you gonna ask of her?”, asked Violet very casually after they were alone.

“I… hm… hehe… that’s a… secret…”, answered Alex grinning sheepishly.

“Aha…”

They both went to the campfire. Cera had shot a young buck during the day and was now butchering it. A few minutes later she grilled half of it over the fire and the other half she put into a stew with mushrooms and herbs she had foraged. She was adamant about the time the meat had to be cooked so everybody had to wait for their dinner a bit longer. Hina used the time to sharpening and tending to her sword, sitting a bit away under a tree.

“And it’s done!”, said Cera finally after an hour.

She began portioning the meal.

“Here, could you take that to Hina?”, said Caleb and handed Alex two portions with a wink.

“Yeah sure!”, he answered.

Alex went off to Hina with the plates. Violet sat herself down with her portion next to the campfire.

“What do you think he is going to ask of her?”, asked Caleb sitting down next to her.

“That’s apparently… a secret…”, said Violet with an annoyed tone.

“What’s a secret?”, asked Lena curiously sitting herself down next to Caleb.

“Alex had a little bet with Hina. If he could beat her, he is free to ask any one thing of her.”, explained Caleb.

“Oh… interesting.”, said Lena and chuckled.

“And apparently he is keeping the specifics of his wish secret from our poor Violet, which is weighing heavily on her mind.”, continued Caleb, basking in the angry glow of the malachites staring holes into him.

“Ah… I see… but is it really a secret? It’s obvious what he is going to ask for…”, said Lena giving Caleb a very specific look

“I know, right?”, said Caleb looking back at her, grinning.

“He is not… he is too…”, said Violet more to her stew than anyone else.

“What? You think he is too innocent to ask for it?”, laughed Caleb.

“Sweety… Nobody can resist it for too long… even if he is the most innocent man alive.”, said Lena with the most devious smile.

“And he seemed to be very… fixated… on it since the moment he saw Hina…”, added Caleb.

“Shut up…”, said Violet very quietly.

“Oh, look! I think he is asking her right now!”, said Lena.

All three looked at Hina and Alex. He was fidgeting with his hands and said something to her. Hina began to grin, leaned forward and whispered something to him. Then she looked up and stared directly into Violet eyes. Hina took Alex hand with a wolfish smile and pulled him out of sight behind a bush.

“And there it goes… his innocence… The first time is always a magical experience…”, said Lena and sighed.

“It truly is… I remember it like it was just yesterday… I can never forget the feeling of it… There is nothing that compare… not even close…”, said Caleb and sighed too.

“What? They are just doing it just like that? Right here? Right now? What…”, Violet was at a loss for words.

“Well, she never really was someone to beat around the bush…”, said Lena and shrugged.

“But… that… just…”, stuttered Violet.

Lena and Caleb looked at her bedazzled face and tried their best to contain their laughter.

“Oh? Finished already? Well, the first time can be a bit overwhelming…”, commented Lena as they both appeared from behind the bush again after a few minutes.

“Yeah… you know that’s quite common… the nerves and all… You really learn to enjoy it after doing it a few times…”, said Caleb nodding to himself.

Violet did not say anything. She tried her best to concentrate only on the plate in her hand. Alex finished his meal sitting together with Hina, afterwards he came back to the campfire, grinning over both ears.

“Was it like you had envisioned?”, asked Caleb with a smug face.

“More than that…”, said Alex a bit dazed.

“I know, right! It’s incredible”, said Lena.

“Yeah… I bet it… felt great…”, added Violet, trying very hard to sound casually.

“Yeah… it was so… fluffy…”, said Alex, still grinning.

“Yeah… wait… what?”

Violet looked up from her empty plate, confused. Lena and Caleb burst out laughing.

“What… I… don’t… fluffy? Huh?”, she stuttered.

“My dear Alex… I think you should enlighten our sweet and innocent Violet here on what you asked of Hina just now.”, said Caleb, trying to hold down his amusement.

“What… but… do I have to say it?”, asked Alex and went a bit red.

“Don’t worry! It’s a perfectly normal thing to do. I have done it plenty of times.”, Caleb assured.

“Yeah! It is nothing to be ashamed of! I do it practically every night. It helps me sleep.”, added Lena.

Violet looked even more confused.

“Well, okay… I… asked her… If… I could… touch her… tail…”, told Alex embarrassed.

“Her… tail?”, repeated Violet shocked.

“Yeah…”

Alex looked a bit ashamed to the ground. Because of that he could not see that Violet face took the color of her hair for a second. Lena and Caleb saw it and burst out laughing again. Violet quickly recovered before Alex looked up again.

“Oh… ehm… I thought… didn’t you say, you were interested in her? You meant that?”, she said with a straight face again.

“Yeah…well not only that, but…”, said Alex, turning a bit red.

“But, what?”

“Apparently I have this smell, she said… which is a huge turn off…”

Alex turned beet red. Violet was taken aback.

“Smell? What smell? You don’t smell…”, she said.

Violet stood up and came close to him. She smelled him.

“Wait… you do stink a bit! You filthy boy! Go wash yourself!”, she exclaimed.

“What? Right now?”, asked Alex perplexed.

“RIGHT NOW!”, shouted Violet and shoved Alex in the direction of the river.

Lena and Caleb rolled on the floor laughing.

“That was very amusing!”, said Lena after calming down a bit.

“Yes! Her face was priceless!”, agreed Caleb.

“Well… that’s enough fun for me for the day… I think I’ll go to sleep… don’t stay up to late!”

“I won’t, don’t worry… sleep well!”

Lena stood up and went to the carriage. Caleb finished his meal grinning to himself.

“Having fun I see?”, said Hina sitting down next to him.

“Very! Thanks to you! Did you really have to pull him behind a bush?”, said Caleb.

“Well, I wanted to have some fun too!”

They both laughed.

“And here I thought that he would be your type…”, said Caleb after a while.

“He is my type… very much in fact… I would love to make a real wolf out of the little pup… he has a lot of potential… More than he is aware of…”, said Hina with a sigh.

“Then why are you not… you know… going in for the kill? There is no way that it really is his smell, that’s stopping you, is it?”

“Nope, it isn’t his smell.”

“Then?

“It’s hers.”

They both looked at the river, where a half-naked Alex just got pushed into the water, by a very animated and laughing Violet.

“Ah… I see…”

They both fell silent for a while.

“When are you telling her?”, asked Hina suddenly

“What? To who?”, asked Caleb back.

“You know… Lena…”

“You know, that I can’t tell her… It can’t be…”

“Why?”

“You know why…”

“Because she is a princess and you are just a stray mutt she picked up one day on the street?”

“…Yes.”

“Do you really think she cares about that?”

“No, she would not and that is the problem.”

“Then what does that make me? I grew up on the same streets as you and I’m more mutt than you… and now I’m her personal guard, outranking most of the guards in the castle. Is that a problem too?”

“You are different… you became a mighty warrior fit to stand beside a princess… I am not good… In fact, I would bring only harm…”

“Because you are just a good for nothing bum and man-whore hopping from one bed to the other?”

“You could say that a bit less hurtful, but yes basically…”

“Did you know, that every maid you… visited… back in your days at the castle, somehow found themselves working in some remote location one day?”

“No, I did not know…”

“Did you know, that she turned every marriage proposal and arrangement down? They gave up on finding her a husband…”

“Yeah… I heard…”

“Do you know, that she is still waiting?”

“I know…”

“Do you know for whom?”

“I know…”

“Good…”

“It still would not work…”

“I don’t care…”

“You have to tell her that!”

“I don’t have to do shit! I told you that a long time ago… That thing is between you two. I respect both of you and I see both of you as part of my pack and whatever you both decide in the end is what I will live with… but I won’t be used by you for that matter… or by her.”

They both fell silent again.

“Fuck me… that woman and her patience… she really is the second most patient person I know… But I really can’t say what will happen once she runs out…”, said Hina after a while and stood up.

“Who’s the most patient?”, asked Caleb.

“I am… for putting up with both of your shit… good night, Caleb.”