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Bitterness Overcome: (Now A Completed Story!)
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<blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 2813855" data-attributes="member: 35788"><p>A few blocks away from the home of the newly widowed Channah Sathwright, two riders on horseback slowly pulled their horses to a halt outside a local popular tavern. Although the riders were only passing through town, they had traveled their route often enough to know the hitching posts in front of the <em>Cachinnating Roadhouse</em> well. It was a stop they frequented every time that they passed through Reignsburg.</p><p></p><p>The riders were each dressed in cloaks with the hoods pulled up and over their faces. The effect was to completely shadow their faces from anyone who might casually look in their general direction while still giving them the ability to see straight forward. The lead rider turned his hooded head in the direction of the one who followed and with the index finger of his left hand he pulled the edge of his hood back just enough to be able to see the other rider. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Rhema, I think we should stop for the night. I could use a drink of ale – or at least a glass of water with a twist of lime if you won’t let me drink tonight.”</span> He chuckled a bit, demonstrating to his partner that he was in good spirits.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: PaleGreen">“Ischarus, you know that I am not the one who keeps you from drinking your precious ale. As for stopping, I do believe I smell Archis’ famous potatoes. I love his potatoes, Ischarus. I love the way he cooks them long enough over the grill that they assume the flavor of not only the onions but just about everything else that he has cooked on the grill this evening. I’d appreciate it if you’ll do me the favor of stopping.”</span></p><p></p><p>The female voice of the second rider soothingly flowed out of her mouth. The sweet words hinted at flirtation with Ischarus, but stopped just short of demonstrating direct interest. At the beckon of her words, Ischarus pulled back on the reigns for his own horse and with a simple lean of the reigns on the right side of the large horse’s neck he managed to swing the horse into a standing counterclockwise turn so that his horse was facing the <em>Cachinnating Roadhouse.</em> He slipped out of the saddle with a single fluid motion and then took the reigns from Rhema for her own horse. Once he had both horses under control he joined both sets of reigns in his right hand.</p><p></p><p>As he moved, Rhema commented from atop her horse, <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Oh Ischarus, you simply spoil me so.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus’ smile was well hidden from Rhema by the edge of the hood of his cloak. His words betrayed his pleasure derived from Rhema’s earlier comment. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Nonsense, m’lady. You honor me with your presence. I’ll not have you descend a moving horse and risk twisting one of those fair ankles of yours.”</span> Although their hoods were still both concealing their faces, from her superior position atop her horse Rhema could still look down upon the gray hood of Ischarus and imagine the man beneath the protective cloak. She smiled as the thought satisfied her and she graciously allowed her riding partner to do his job.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus spoke softly into the horses’ ears. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Elistra, Shauvry come.”</span> The horses followed Ischarus up to the hitching posts without needing to rely on a strong use of the reigns. Ischarus quickly tied the horses to the hitching post and ducked under the neck of Shauvry. The slight clink of metal armor could be heard as he dipped under the horse. Once he had arrived onto the other side he moved back to Rhema and held out a guiding arm that was covered by the sleeve of his cloak. <span style="color: LightBlue">“M’lady, as it suits your schedule I’m here to assist you.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema swung her leg over the side of the horse with nearly the same grace as Ischarus had done upon Elistra. Her movements illustrated that she didn’t need the help of Ischarus. Instead, she seemed to allow him to serve her because it gave him satisfaction. As she slipped out of the saddle, Ischarus slid his hands up the side of her body until the caught her under the arms. He lightly lowered her thin body to the ground, enjoying the curvature of her thin frame.</p><p></p><p>Rhema reached up with a hand and caressed the neck of Shauvry. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“It’ll only be a short time until the stable boy comes to collect you, dear. Be a good girl and keep Elistra safe.”</span> She slipped her hand back inside the sleeve of her cloak and turned towards the door of the tavern.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus stepped ahead and opened the door before Rhema. Light poured out of the entrance of the inn and spilled into the dark night outside the inn. Rhema’s navy blue robe glistened as the light struck it. She stepped inside, leading the way ahead of Ischarus. As Ischarus crossed the threshold of the door and shut the night air out, Rhema pulled back the hood of her cloak and allowed it to naturally fold down her back. She lifted both hands up behind her neck and with a single motion pulled her long dark brown hair out from underneath the collar of her cloak. Her hair settled down along her back with a few strands curling around her ears and falling to the front of her shoulders. She smiled broadly with a near perfectly symmetrical smile as she scanned the room and spotted Archis. He was not only the cook, but also the barkeeper and owner of the <em>Cachinnating Roadhouse</em> . Naturally, Archis returned the smile and nearly didn’t resist giving her body a passing glance while he went about his work.</p><p></p><p>As the shorter Rhema pushed the hood of her cloak back, Ischarus followed with the same gesture. He lifted his own hood up and like Rhema he too pulled his black hair out from under his cloak. Rather than looking for Archis, Ischarus played the role of guardian and spotted an empty table surrounded by at least one empty table on each side. He leaned forward into Rhema and pointed with his gauntleted right index finger. <span style="color: LightBlue">“There, m’lady. Your seat awaits and I do believe I can smell the ale and the potatoes being prepared for us as we speak. The sooner we take our seats the quicker Archis can direct the waitress to bring us your heart’s desire.”</span></p><p></p><p>The two sat down at the table and Archis indeed called one of his serving staff to his side. He spent only a moment preparing a few drinks while he sent the staff into the kitchen to fetch some food. When the servant that Archis had beckoned returned from the kitchen, Archis nodded to the table where Ischarus and Rhema sat and pointed to the drinks he had prepared. Ischarus smiled as he saw Archis pointing towards his table.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus’ smile turned into a chuckle as the food and drinks approached the table. Rhema looked up and noticed his grin. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Ischarus, what do you find so funny? You’ve not yet had even a single ale to drink!”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus only smiled more broadly at Rhema’s accusation. As luck would have it for Rhema, it turned out to be a waiter and not a waitress who brought the potatoes to the table. Approaching the table and noting that there were only two patrons waiting to be served, the waiter placed a single lime water before each of the patrons and placed the steaming plate of potatoes in front of Ischarus. The man chuckled at the simple mistake caused by the waiter’s assumption.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus made a bit of small talk as the waiter sat down the drinks and food. <span style="color: LightBlue">“I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before, sir, are you new?”</span> </p><p></p><p>The waiter replied in a friendly tone, <span style="color: Lime">“Aye, sir. I started the job a mere two weeks ago. Is it that obvious?”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus chuckled again at the waiter. <span style="color: LightBlue">“No, not really. Only you’ve put the potatoes in front of the wrong patron. A simple mistake, though. Don’t fret about it at all.”</span></p><p></p><p>The waiter smiled at the fact that his premature assumption had been caught in addition to being incorrect. He turned to Rhema and bowed slightly. <span style="color: Lime">“Forgive me, m’lady. Archis merely told me to deliver your usual orders without instructing me on who receives the potatoes. I hope you can understand it was a simple mistake.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled as the waiter turned to her, bowed, and spoke. As the waiter stood up to his full height Rhema got the first glance of this waiter’s complete appearance. His dark curly hair lay tight to his head above a face that contained a strong chin and dimples as the waiter smiled and lightly blushed. The strings that were intended to tie his tunic tight to his chest lay slightly unraveled, exposing a well defined collarbone as he bowed. His strong, muscular arms showed through the light fabric of his waiter uniform and Rhema couldn’t help but looking down to his muscular calf muscles as well. It was clear that this waiter cared for his physical appearance.</p><p></p><p>She smiled brightly as she replied to the waiter. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“It is nothing to concern yourself over, sir. It is a simple mistake indeed, and one gratefully corrected might I add.”</span> As the waiter smiled and turned to leave the table Rhema couldn’t help but lower her eyes and make sure the waiter was as trim and fit from the back as he appeared from the front. Her eyes did not disappoint.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus noticed the object of her attention and chuckled once more. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Rhema, your potatoes are getting cold.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema turned her head away from the waiter and looked back to her traveling companion, blushing slightly. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“What are you looking at?”</span> Her question rang out in a defensive tone to accuse Ischarus as he looked to her inquisitively.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: LightBlue">“Me?”</span> Ischarus replied in a tone that relayed a faux shocked and humored condition. <span style="color: LightBlue">“I believe I am the one who should be asking the question about your eyes wandering and not mine!”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema blushed even more. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“You’re just jealous!”</span> she accused.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus lowered his head a bit so that he could mock looking down his nose at her. <span style="color: LightBlue">“You’re avoiding the question at hand.”</span> He smiled and chuckled once more, sipping his water in the process.</p><p></p><p>Rhema grabbed for her fork, but Ischarus’ much more powerful hand trapped her hand on the table before it could move too far. <span style="color: LightBlue">“You’ll eat when I get my answer,”</span> Ischarus teased.</p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled, enjoying the exchange. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Fine. I was looking. Can’t a girl appreciate a trim physical body when one presents itself?”</span> Rhema fluttered her eyes in a flirtatious manner towards Ischarus.</p><p></p><p>Her companion smiled knowingly as she batted her eyelashes in his direction. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Your charms will not work on me, Rhema. But as long as you are honest with yourself and you admit that I caught you judging a book by its cover, I suppose I can let you eat.”</span> Ischarus removed his hand and folded his arms before him. He leaned back in his chair with a satisfied look on his face.</p><p></p><p>Rhema finally broke down and laughed. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“You’re as protective of me as my brother, Ischarus.</span> She inhaled and allowed a slow sigh to follow her statement. <span style="color: PaleGreen">Thanks for keeping me honest.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked deeply into her eyes. <span style="color: LightBlue">“M’lady, I swore to protect you. Since I took that oath we’ve become friends at a deeper level than I ever thought would be possible given each of our talents. I enjoy your company. Forgive me if I come off as too protective. I’d never forgive myself if I did anything to hurt our friendship.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema nibbled on a bite of potato and added, <span style="color: PaleGreen">“I don’t know where I’d be without you, Ischarus. I’m glad you were chosen to journey with me.”</span> She paused for a moment and changed the conversation topic. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“I think I’ve finally warmed up from the evening chill outside.”</span></p><p></p><p>Rhema rose from her seat and undid the several clasps that held her navy blue robe in place around her body. She opened the front of the robe and removed it from her shoulders and drew her arms out of the sleeves. After neatly folding it and placing it across the empty chair at the table to her right, she sat down once more.</p><p></p><p>Once her robe was removed she exposed her simple beauty underneath. She wore a simple brown shirt whose neckline dipped only a modest 2 inches down below her neck. It exposed her dark skin underneath. The sleeves of the shirt extended down her arms to halfway between her elbow and her wrist. Her arms were clearly those of one who had seen little strenuously exercise to build the muscle tone. She also wore a full length dark brown skirt that covered her legs in entirety. At the bottom of her skirt were two simple bands of color. The topmost band was a simple beige strip of cloth that encircled the skirt. Below it was a much more flashy and decorative swath of material: a thick swatch of lace that had been dyed pale sky blue. This band of lace made up the bottom of the full length skirt. Her feet wore boots whose tops lay temptingly higher up her leg than the bottom of her skirt would allow an onlooker to view.</p><p></p><p>As Rhema took off her robe and folded it, Ischarus was careful to watch the other patrons in the <em>Cachinnating Roadhouse</em> rather than watching Rhema as she removed her outer layer of clothing. It was tempting to allow her to capture his focus, but he knew that this was a perfect opportunity to judge the company they kept in the inn this evening. Ischarus made note of one man sitting at the bar who seemed to take significant interest in her plainly beautiful figure. </p><p></p><p>As if in a show of power, Ischarus himself stood and removed his own gray robe. Underneath his robe Ischarus demonstrated his own muscular body. He wore a layer of leather above his chain armor. The black leather extended from shoulder to shoulder and down slightly below his waist. His strong arms rippled the chain links as his muscles flexed through the process of removing his cloak. Once he was done folding his own robe he placed it beside Rhema’s own navy blue cloak. </p><p></p><p>Ischarus’ hair lay slightly below his shoulders and his chin was framed with a well trimmed beard and moustache. From the waist down, Ischarus wore a simple pair of cloth pants to hide the armor that lay underneath. His leather boots laced up nearly to his knees and covered the cloth pants and the end of the chain armor. His sword rested in its scabbard attached to his belt at his right side.</p><p></p><p>Continuing to watch the single individual at the bar, Ischarus sat down in his chair and spoke to Rhema. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Feel better?”</span> Ischarus said, obviously distracted by the man.</p><p></p><p><span style="color: PaleGreen">“I’d feel better if you let that man alone, Ischarus. You are my guardian, of course. You are the sword that protects me and the shield that keeps offenders from striking me down. But remember that until they draw a weapon, people are my specialty. Let me deal with him if he comes our way. If he is a lonely man drinking his fill and enjoying the beauty that has been placed on this earth and that’s as far as he takes it, let him enjoy his fantasy.”</span> She smiled as she drew Ischarus’ eyes back to her face with her own gaze.</p><p></p><p>Archis himself approached the table and bowed his head slightly until he was addressed. Archis was tall for a gnome, but still considerably shorter than either Ischarus or Rhema. <span style="color: Lime">“I took the liberty of sending the stable hand to collect your horses. I peeked and saw the normal two out there. I hope this pleases you.”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled broadly at the welcome change of conversation. <span style="color: LightBlue">“Indeed it does, good friend. That is one reason why we stop here each time through your fair city. Your loyalty knows no end.”</span></p><p></p><p>Replied also smiled warmly towards Archis and spoke in addition to Ischarus’ compliment. <span style="color: PaleGreen">“Neither does his memory, Ischarus.”</span></p><p></p><p>Archis bowed once more and prepared to leave. <span style="color: Lime">“You both honor me with your warm words. If you desire I can arrange for your usual suite?”</span></p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled and nodded. <span style="color: LightBlue">“It has been a long trip on a dusty road, Archis. I believe the lady will desire a warm bath when we retire. Could you see that arranged as well?”</span></p><p></p><p>The gnome nodded. <span style="color: Lime">“Easily done, sir.”</span> The shorter man held up a hand to keep either Rhema or Ischarus from interrupting him. <span style="color: Lime">“But I’ve distracted you from you meal long enough now. Please, continue to enjoy your food.”</span> Archis smiled and bowed slightly once more. He left the pair at their table to eat in peace. That was their custom, after all. This pair was more than friendly to all who approached them with sincere and honorable motives; yet they most often ate alone at an isolated table and retired to their suite together. Archis figured that tonight would be no different.</p><p></p><p>[Sblock=Color Free Speech Section]</p><p>A few blocks away from the home of the newly widowed Channah Sathwright, two riders on horseback slowly pulled their horses to a halt outside a local popular tavern. Although the riders were only passing through town, they had traveled their route often enough to know the hitching posts in front of the Cachinnating Roadhouse well. It was a stop they frequented every time that they passed through Reignsburg.</p><p></p><p>The riders were each dressed in cloaks with the hoods pulled up and over their faces. The effect was to completely shadow their faces from anyone who might casually look in their general direction while still giving them the ability to see straight forward. The lead rider turned his hooded head in the direction of the one who followed and with the index finger of his left hand he pulled the edge of his hood back just enough to be able to see the other rider. “Rhema, I think we should stop for the night. I could use a drink of ale – or at least a glass of water with a twist of lime if you won’t let me drink tonight.” He chuckled a bit, demonstrating to his partner that he was in good spirits.</p><p></p><p>“Ischarus, you know that I am not the one who keeps you from drinking your precious ale. As for stopping, I do believe I smell Archis’ famous potatoes. I love his potatoes, Ischarus. I love the way he cooks them long enough over the grill that they assume the flavor of not only the onions but just about everything else that he has cooked on the grill this evening. I’d appreciate it if you’ll do me the favor of stopping.”</p><p></p><p>The female voice of the second rider soothingly flowed out of her mouth. The sweet words hinted at flirtation with Ischarus, but stopped just short of demonstrating direct interest. At the beckon of her words, Ischarus pulled back on the reigns for his own horse and with a simple lean of the reigns on the right side of the large horse’s neck he managed to swing the horse into a standing counterclockwise turn so that his horse was facing the Cachinnating Roadhouse. He slipped out of the saddle with a single fluid motion and then took the reigns from Rhema for her own horse. Once he had both horses under control he joined both sets of reigns in his right hand.</p><p></p><p>As he moved, Rhema commented from atop her horse, “Oh Ischarus, you simply spoil me so.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus’ smile was well hidden from Rhema by the edge of the hood of his cloak. His words betrayed his pleasure derived from Rhema’s earlier comment. “Nonsense, m’lady. You honor me with your presence. I’ll not have you descend a moving horse and risk twisting one of those fair ankles of yours.” Although their hoods were still both concealing their faces, from her superior position atop her horse Rhema could still look down upon the gray hood of Ischarus and imagine the man beneath the protective cloak. She smiled as the thought satisfied her and she graciously allowed her riding partner to do his job.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus spoke softly into the horses’ ears. “Elistra, Shauvry come.” The horses followed Ischarus up to the hitching posts without needing to rely on a strong use of the reigns. Ischarus quickly tied the horses to the hitching post and ducked under the neck of Shauvry. The slight clink of metal armor could be heard as he dipped under the horse. Once he had arrived onto the other side he moved back to Rhema and held out a guiding arm that was covered by the sleeve of his cloak. “M’lady, as it suits your schedule I’m here to assist you.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema swung her leg over the side of the horse with nearly the same grace as Ischarus had done upon Elistra. Her movements illustrated that she didn’t need the help of Ischarus. Instead, she seemed to allow him to serve her because it gave him satisfaction. As she slipped out of the saddle, Ischarus slid his hands up the side of her body until the caught her under the arms. He lightly lowered her thin body to the ground, enjoying the curvature of her thin frame.</p><p></p><p>Rhema reached up with a hand and caressed the neck of Shauvry. “It’ll only be a short time until the stable boy comes to collect you, dear. Be a good girl and keep Elistra safe.” She slipped her hand back inside the sleeve of her cloak and turned towards the door of the tavern.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus stepped ahead and opened the door before Rhema. Light poured out of the entrance of the inn and spilled into the dark night outside the inn. Rhema’s navy blue robe glistened as the light struck it. She stepped inside, leading the way ahead of Ischarus. As Ischarus crossed the threshold of the door and shut the night air out, Rhema pulled back the hood of her cloak and allowed it to naturally fold down her back. She lifted both hands up behind her neck and with a single motion pulled her long dark brown hair out from underneath the collar of her cloak. Her hair settled down along her back with a few strands curling around her ears and falling to the front of her shoulders. She smiled broadly with a near perfectly symmetrical smile as she scanned the room and spotted Archis. He was not only the cook, but also the barkeeper and owner of the Cachinnating Roadhouse . Naturally, Archis returned the smile and nearly didn’t resist giving her body a passing glance while he went about his work.</p><p></p><p>As the shorter Rhema pushed the hood of her cloak back, Ischarus followed with the same gesture. He lifted his own hood up and like Rhema he too pulled his black hair out from under his cloak. Rather than looking for Archis, Ischarus played the role of guardian and spotted an empty table surrounded by at least one empty table on each side. He leaned forward into Rhema and pointed with his gauntleted right index finger. “There, m’lady. Your seat awaits and I do believe I can smell the ale and the potatoes being prepared for us as we speak. The sooner we take our seats the quicker Archis can direct the waitress to bring us your heart’s desire.”</p><p></p><p>The two sat down at the table and Archis indeed called one of his serving staff to his side. He spent only a moment preparing a few drinks while he sent the staff into the kitchen to fetch some food. When the servant that Archis had beckoned returned from the kitchen, Archis nodded to the table where Ischarus and Rhema sat and pointed to the drinks he had prepared. Ischarus smiled as he saw Archis pointing towards his table.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus’ smile turned into a chuckle as the food and drinks approached the table. Rhema looked up and noticed his grin. “Ischarus, what do you find so funny? You’ve not yet had even a single ale to drink!”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus only smiled more broadly at Rhema’s accusation. As luck would have it for Rhema, it turned out to be a waiter and not a waitress who brought the potatoes to the table. Approaching the table and noting that there were only two patrons waiting to be served, the waiter placed a single lime water before each of the patrons and placed the steaming plate of potatoes in front of Ischarus. The man chuckled at the simple mistake caused by the waiter’s assumption.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus made a bit of small talk as the waiter sat down the drinks and food. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before, sir, are you new?” </p><p></p><p>The waiter replied in a friendly tone, “Aye, sir. I started the job a mere two weeks ago. Is it that obvious?”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus chuckled again at the waiter. “No, not really. Only you’ve put the potatoes in front of the wrong patron. A simple mistake, though. Don’t fret about it at all.”</p><p></p><p>The waiter smiled at the fact that his premature assumption had been caught in addition to being incorrect. He turned to Rhema and bowed slightly. “Forgive me, m’lady. Archis merely told me to deliver your usual orders without instructing me on who receives the potatoes. I hope you can understand it was a simple mistake.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled as the waiter turned to her, bowed, and spoke. As the waiter stood up to his full height Rhema got the first glance of this waiter’s complete appearance. His dark curly hair lay tight to his head above a face that contained a strong chin and dimples as the waiter smiled and lightly blushed. The strings that were intended to tie his tunic tight to his chest lay slightly unraveled, exposing a well defined collarbone as he bowed. His strong, muscular arms showed through the light fabric of his waiter uniform and Rhema couldn’t help but looking down to his muscular calf muscles as well. It was clear that this waiter cared for his physical appearance.</p><p></p><p>She smiled brightly as she replied to the waiter. “It is nothing to concern yourself over, sir. It is a simple mistake indeed, and one gratefully corrected might I add.” As the waiter smiled and turned to leave the table Rhema couldn’t help but lower her eyes and make sure the waiter was as trim and fit from the back as he appeared from the front. Her eyes did not disappoint.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus noticed the object of her attention and chuckled once more. “Rhema, your potatoes are getting cold.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema turned her head away from the waiter and looked back to her traveling companion, blushing slightly. “What are you looking at?” Her question rang out in a defensive tone to accuse Ischarus as he looked to her inquisitively.</p><p></p><p>“Me?” Ischarus replied in a tone that relayed a faux shocked and humored condition. “I believe I am the one who should be asking the question about your eyes wandering and not mine!”</p><p></p><p>Rhema blushed even more. “You’re just jealous!” she accused.</p><p></p><p>Ischarus lowered his head a bit so that he could mock looking down his nose at her. “You’re avoiding the question at hand.” He smiled and chuckled once more, sipping his water in the process.</p><p></p><p>Rhema grabbed for her fork, but Ischarus’ much more powerful hand trapped her hand on the table before it could move too far. “You’ll eat when I get my answer,” Ischarus teased.</p><p></p><p>Rhema smiled, enjoying the exchange. “Fine. I was looking. Can’t a girl appreciate a trim physical body when one presents itself?” Rhema fluttered her eyes in a flirtatious manner towards Ischarus.</p><p></p><p>Her companion smiled knowingly as she batted her eyelashes in his direction. “Your charms will not work on me, Rhema. But as long as you are honest with yourself and you admit that I caught you judging a book by its cover, I suppose I can let you eat.” Ischarus removed his hand and folded his arms before him. He leaned back in his chair with a satisfied look on his face.</p><p></p><p>Rhema finally broke down and laughed. “You’re as protective of me as my brother, Ischarus. She inhaled and allowed a slow sigh to follow her statement. Thanks for keeping me honest.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus looked deeply into her eyes. “M’lady, I swore to protect you. Since I took that oath we’ve become friends at a deeper level than I ever thought would be possible given each of our talents. I enjoy your company. Forgive me if I come off as too protective. I’d never forgive myself if I did anything to hurt our friendship.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema nibbled on a bite of potato and added, “I don’t know where I’d be without you, Ischarus. I’m glad you were chosen to journey with me.” She paused for a moment and changed the conversation topic. “I think I’ve finally warmed up from the evening chill outside.”</p><p></p><p>Rhema rose from her seat and undid the several clasps that held her navy blue robe in place around her body. She opened the front of the robe and removed it from her shoulders and drew her arms out of the sleeves. After neatly folding it and placing it across the empty chair at the table to her right, she sat down once more.</p><p></p><p>Once her robe was removed she exposed her simple beauty underneath. She wore a simple brown shirt whose neckline dipped only a modest 2 inches down below her neck. It exposed her dark skin underneath. The sleeves of the shirt extended down her arms to halfway between her elbow and her wrist. Her arms were clearly those of one who had seen little strenuously exercise to build the muscle tone. She also wore a full length dark brown skirt that covered her legs in entirety. At the bottom of her skirt were two simple bands of color. The topmost band was a simple beige strip of cloth that encircled the skirt. Below it was a much more flashy and decorative swath of material: a thick swatch of lace that had been dyed pale sky blue. This band of lace made up the bottom of the full length skirt. Her feet wore boots whose tops lay temptingly higher up her leg than the bottom of her skirt would allow an onlooker to view.</p><p></p><p>As Rhema took off her robe and folded it, Ischarus was careful to watch the other patrons in the Cachinnating Roadhouse rather than watching Rhema as she removed her outer layer of clothing. It was tempting to allow her to capture his focus, but he knew that this was a perfect opportunity to judge the company they kept in the inn this evening. Ischarus made note of one man sitting at the bar who seemed to take significant interest in her plainly beautiful figure. </p><p></p><p>As if in a show of power, Ischarus himself stood and removed his own gray robe. Underneath his robe Ischarus demonstrated his own muscular body. He wore a layer of leather above his chain armor. The black leather extended from shoulder to shoulder and down slightly below his waist. His strong arms rippled the chain links as his muscles flexed through the process of removing his cloak. Once he was done folding his own robe he placed it beside Rhema’s own navy blue cloak. </p><p></p><p>Ischarus’ hair lay slightly below his shoulders and his chin was framed with a well trimmed beard and moustache. From the waist down, Ischarus wore a simple pair of cloth pants to hide the armor that lay underneath. His leather boots laced up nearly to his knees and covered the cloth pants and the end of the chain armor. His sword rested in its scabbard attached to his belt at his right side.</p><p></p><p>Continuing to watch the single individual at the bar, Ischarus sat down in his chair and spoke to Rhema. “Feel better?” Ischarus said, obviously distracted by the man.</p><p></p><p>“I’d feel better if you let that man alone, Ischarus. You are my guardian, of course. You are the sword that protects me and the shield that keeps offenders from striking me down. But remember that until they draw a weapon, people are my specialty. Let me deal with him if he comes our way. If he is a lonely man drinking his fill and enjoying the beauty that has been placed on this earth and that’s as far as he takes it, let him enjoy his fantasy.” She smiled as she drew Ischarus’ eyes back to her face with her own gaze.</p><p></p><p>Archis himself approached the table and bowed his head slightly until he was addressed. Archis was tall for a gnome, but still considerably shorter than either Ischarus or Rhema. “I took the liberty of sending the stable hand to collect your horses. I peeked and saw the normal two out there. I hope this pleases you.”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled broadly at the welcome change of conversation. “Indeed it does, good friend. That is one reason why we stop here each time through your fair city. Your loyalty knows no end.”</p><p></p><p>Replied also smiled warmly towards Archis and spoke in addition to Ischarus’ compliment. “Neither does his memory, Ischarus.”</p><p></p><p>Archis bowed once more and prepared to leave. “You both honor me with your warm words. If you desire I can arrange for your usual suite?”</p><p></p><p>Ischarus smiled and nodded. “It has been a long trip on a dusty road, Archis. I believe the lady will desire a warm bath when we retire. Could you see that arranged as well?”</p><p></p><p>The gnome nodded. “Easily done, sir.” The shorter man held up a hand to keep either Rhema or Ischarus from interrupting him. “But I’ve distracted you from you meal long enough now. Please, continue to enjoy your food.” Archis smiled and bowed slightly once more. He left the pair at their table to eat in peace. That was their custom, after all. This pair was more than friendly to all who approached them with sincere and honorable motives; yet they most often ate alone at an isolated table and retired to their suite together. Archis figured that tonight would be no different.[/Sblock]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nonlethal Force, post: 2813855, member: 35788"] A few blocks away from the home of the newly widowed Channah Sathwright, two riders on horseback slowly pulled their horses to a halt outside a local popular tavern. Although the riders were only passing through town, they had traveled their route often enough to know the hitching posts in front of the [I]Cachinnating Roadhouse[/I] well. It was a stop they frequented every time that they passed through Reignsburg. The riders were each dressed in cloaks with the hoods pulled up and over their faces. The effect was to completely shadow their faces from anyone who might casually look in their general direction while still giving them the ability to see straight forward. The lead rider turned his hooded head in the direction of the one who followed and with the index finger of his left hand he pulled the edge of his hood back just enough to be able to see the other rider. [Color=LightBlue]“Rhema, I think we should stop for the night. I could use a drink of ale – or at least a glass of water with a twist of lime if you won’t let me drink tonight.”[/Color] He chuckled a bit, demonstrating to his partner that he was in good spirits. [Color=PaleGreen]“Ischarus, you know that I am not the one who keeps you from drinking your precious ale. As for stopping, I do believe I smell Archis’ famous potatoes. I love his potatoes, Ischarus. I love the way he cooks them long enough over the grill that they assume the flavor of not only the onions but just about everything else that he has cooked on the grill this evening. I’d appreciate it if you’ll do me the favor of stopping.”[/Color] The female voice of the second rider soothingly flowed out of her mouth. The sweet words hinted at flirtation with Ischarus, but stopped just short of demonstrating direct interest. At the beckon of her words, Ischarus pulled back on the reigns for his own horse and with a simple lean of the reigns on the right side of the large horse’s neck he managed to swing the horse into a standing counterclockwise turn so that his horse was facing the [I]Cachinnating Roadhouse.[/I] He slipped out of the saddle with a single fluid motion and then took the reigns from Rhema for her own horse. Once he had both horses under control he joined both sets of reigns in his right hand. As he moved, Rhema commented from atop her horse, [Color=PaleGreen]“Oh Ischarus, you simply spoil me so.”[/Color] Ischarus’ smile was well hidden from Rhema by the edge of the hood of his cloak. His words betrayed his pleasure derived from Rhema’s earlier comment. [Color=LightBlue]“Nonsense, m’lady. You honor me with your presence. I’ll not have you descend a moving horse and risk twisting one of those fair ankles of yours.”[/Color] Although their hoods were still both concealing their faces, from her superior position atop her horse Rhema could still look down upon the gray hood of Ischarus and imagine the man beneath the protective cloak. She smiled as the thought satisfied her and she graciously allowed her riding partner to do his job. Ischarus spoke softly into the horses’ ears. [Color=LightBlue]“Elistra, Shauvry come.”[/Color] The horses followed Ischarus up to the hitching posts without needing to rely on a strong use of the reigns. Ischarus quickly tied the horses to the hitching post and ducked under the neck of Shauvry. The slight clink of metal armor could be heard as he dipped under the horse. Once he had arrived onto the other side he moved back to Rhema and held out a guiding arm that was covered by the sleeve of his cloak. [Color=LightBlue]“M’lady, as it suits your schedule I’m here to assist you.”[/Color] Rhema swung her leg over the side of the horse with nearly the same grace as Ischarus had done upon Elistra. Her movements illustrated that she didn’t need the help of Ischarus. Instead, she seemed to allow him to serve her because it gave him satisfaction. As she slipped out of the saddle, Ischarus slid his hands up the side of her body until the caught her under the arms. He lightly lowered her thin body to the ground, enjoying the curvature of her thin frame. Rhema reached up with a hand and caressed the neck of Shauvry. [Color=PaleGreen]“It’ll only be a short time until the stable boy comes to collect you, dear. Be a good girl and keep Elistra safe.”[/Color] She slipped her hand back inside the sleeve of her cloak and turned towards the door of the tavern. Ischarus stepped ahead and opened the door before Rhema. Light poured out of the entrance of the inn and spilled into the dark night outside the inn. Rhema’s navy blue robe glistened as the light struck it. She stepped inside, leading the way ahead of Ischarus. As Ischarus crossed the threshold of the door and shut the night air out, Rhema pulled back the hood of her cloak and allowed it to naturally fold down her back. She lifted both hands up behind her neck and with a single motion pulled her long dark brown hair out from underneath the collar of her cloak. Her hair settled down along her back with a few strands curling around her ears and falling to the front of her shoulders. She smiled broadly with a near perfectly symmetrical smile as she scanned the room and spotted Archis. He was not only the cook, but also the barkeeper and owner of the [I]Cachinnating Roadhouse[/I] . Naturally, Archis returned the smile and nearly didn’t resist giving her body a passing glance while he went about his work. As the shorter Rhema pushed the hood of her cloak back, Ischarus followed with the same gesture. He lifted his own hood up and like Rhema he too pulled his black hair out from under his cloak. Rather than looking for Archis, Ischarus played the role of guardian and spotted an empty table surrounded by at least one empty table on each side. He leaned forward into Rhema and pointed with his gauntleted right index finger. [Color=LightBlue]“There, m’lady. Your seat awaits and I do believe I can smell the ale and the potatoes being prepared for us as we speak. The sooner we take our seats the quicker Archis can direct the waitress to bring us your heart’s desire.”[/Color] The two sat down at the table and Archis indeed called one of his serving staff to his side. He spent only a moment preparing a few drinks while he sent the staff into the kitchen to fetch some food. When the servant that Archis had beckoned returned from the kitchen, Archis nodded to the table where Ischarus and Rhema sat and pointed to the drinks he had prepared. Ischarus smiled as he saw Archis pointing towards his table. Ischarus’ smile turned into a chuckle as the food and drinks approached the table. Rhema looked up and noticed his grin. [Color=PaleGreen]“Ischarus, what do you find so funny? You’ve not yet had even a single ale to drink!”[/Color] Ischarus only smiled more broadly at Rhema’s accusation. As luck would have it for Rhema, it turned out to be a waiter and not a waitress who brought the potatoes to the table. Approaching the table and noting that there were only two patrons waiting to be served, the waiter placed a single lime water before each of the patrons and placed the steaming plate of potatoes in front of Ischarus. The man chuckled at the simple mistake caused by the waiter’s assumption. Ischarus made a bit of small talk as the waiter sat down the drinks and food. [Color=LightBlue]“I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before, sir, are you new?”[/Color] The waiter replied in a friendly tone, [Color=Lime]“Aye, sir. I started the job a mere two weeks ago. Is it that obvious?”[/Color] Ischarus chuckled again at the waiter. [Color=LightBlue]“No, not really. Only you’ve put the potatoes in front of the wrong patron. A simple mistake, though. Don’t fret about it at all.”[/Color] The waiter smiled at the fact that his premature assumption had been caught in addition to being incorrect. He turned to Rhema and bowed slightly. [Color=Lime]“Forgive me, m’lady. Archis merely told me to deliver your usual orders without instructing me on who receives the potatoes. I hope you can understand it was a simple mistake.”[/Color] Rhema smiled as the waiter turned to her, bowed, and spoke. As the waiter stood up to his full height Rhema got the first glance of this waiter’s complete appearance. His dark curly hair lay tight to his head above a face that contained a strong chin and dimples as the waiter smiled and lightly blushed. The strings that were intended to tie his tunic tight to his chest lay slightly unraveled, exposing a well defined collarbone as he bowed. His strong, muscular arms showed through the light fabric of his waiter uniform and Rhema couldn’t help but looking down to his muscular calf muscles as well. It was clear that this waiter cared for his physical appearance. She smiled brightly as she replied to the waiter. [Color=PaleGreen]“It is nothing to concern yourself over, sir. It is a simple mistake indeed, and one gratefully corrected might I add.”[/Color] As the waiter smiled and turned to leave the table Rhema couldn’t help but lower her eyes and make sure the waiter was as trim and fit from the back as he appeared from the front. Her eyes did not disappoint. Ischarus noticed the object of her attention and chuckled once more. [Color=LightBlue]“Rhema, your potatoes are getting cold.”[/Color] Rhema turned her head away from the waiter and looked back to her traveling companion, blushing slightly. [Color=PaleGreen]“What are you looking at?”[/Color] Her question rang out in a defensive tone to accuse Ischarus as he looked to her inquisitively. [Color=LightBlue]“Me?”[/Color] Ischarus replied in a tone that relayed a faux shocked and humored condition. [Color=LightBlue]“I believe I am the one who should be asking the question about your eyes wandering and not mine!”[/Color] Rhema blushed even more. [Color=PaleGreen]“You’re just jealous!”[/Color] she accused. Ischarus lowered his head a bit so that he could mock looking down his nose at her. [Color=LightBlue]“You’re avoiding the question at hand.”[/Color] He smiled and chuckled once more, sipping his water in the process. Rhema grabbed for her fork, but Ischarus’ much more powerful hand trapped her hand on the table before it could move too far. [Color=LightBlue]“You’ll eat when I get my answer,”[/Color] Ischarus teased. Rhema smiled, enjoying the exchange. [Color=PaleGreen]“Fine. I was looking. Can’t a girl appreciate a trim physical body when one presents itself?”[/Color] Rhema fluttered her eyes in a flirtatious manner towards Ischarus. Her companion smiled knowingly as she batted her eyelashes in his direction. [Color=LightBlue]“Your charms will not work on me, Rhema. But as long as you are honest with yourself and you admit that I caught you judging a book by its cover, I suppose I can let you eat.”[/Color] Ischarus removed his hand and folded his arms before him. He leaned back in his chair with a satisfied look on his face. Rhema finally broke down and laughed. [Color=PaleGreen]“You’re as protective of me as my brother, Ischarus.[/Color] She inhaled and allowed a slow sigh to follow her statement. [Color=PaleGreen]Thanks for keeping me honest.”[/Color] Ischarus looked deeply into her eyes. [Color=LightBlue]“M’lady, I swore to protect you. Since I took that oath we’ve become friends at a deeper level than I ever thought would be possible given each of our talents. I enjoy your company. Forgive me if I come off as too protective. I’d never forgive myself if I did anything to hurt our friendship.”[/Color] Rhema nibbled on a bite of potato and added, [Color=PaleGreen]“I don’t know where I’d be without you, Ischarus. I’m glad you were chosen to journey with me.”[/Color] She paused for a moment and changed the conversation topic. [Color=PaleGreen]“I think I’ve finally warmed up from the evening chill outside.”[/Color] Rhema rose from her seat and undid the several clasps that held her navy blue robe in place around her body. She opened the front of the robe and removed it from her shoulders and drew her arms out of the sleeves. After neatly folding it and placing it across the empty chair at the table to her right, she sat down once more. Once her robe was removed she exposed her simple beauty underneath. She wore a simple brown shirt whose neckline dipped only a modest 2 inches down below her neck. It exposed her dark skin underneath. The sleeves of the shirt extended down her arms to halfway between her elbow and her wrist. Her arms were clearly those of one who had seen little strenuously exercise to build the muscle tone. She also wore a full length dark brown skirt that covered her legs in entirety. At the bottom of her skirt were two simple bands of color. The topmost band was a simple beige strip of cloth that encircled the skirt. Below it was a much more flashy and decorative swath of material: a thick swatch of lace that had been dyed pale sky blue. This band of lace made up the bottom of the full length skirt. Her feet wore boots whose tops lay temptingly higher up her leg than the bottom of her skirt would allow an onlooker to view. As Rhema took off her robe and folded it, Ischarus was careful to watch the other patrons in the [I]Cachinnating Roadhouse[/I] rather than watching Rhema as she removed her outer layer of clothing. It was tempting to allow her to capture his focus, but he knew that this was a perfect opportunity to judge the company they kept in the inn this evening. Ischarus made note of one man sitting at the bar who seemed to take significant interest in her plainly beautiful figure. As if in a show of power, Ischarus himself stood and removed his own gray robe. Underneath his robe Ischarus demonstrated his own muscular body. He wore a layer of leather above his chain armor. The black leather extended from shoulder to shoulder and down slightly below his waist. His strong arms rippled the chain links as his muscles flexed through the process of removing his cloak. Once he was done folding his own robe he placed it beside Rhema’s own navy blue cloak. Ischarus’ hair lay slightly below his shoulders and his chin was framed with a well trimmed beard and moustache. From the waist down, Ischarus wore a simple pair of cloth pants to hide the armor that lay underneath. His leather boots laced up nearly to his knees and covered the cloth pants and the end of the chain armor. His sword rested in its scabbard attached to his belt at his right side. Continuing to watch the single individual at the bar, Ischarus sat down in his chair and spoke to Rhema. [Color=LightBlue]“Feel better?”[/Color] Ischarus said, obviously distracted by the man. [Color=PaleGreen]“I’d feel better if you let that man alone, Ischarus. You are my guardian, of course. You are the sword that protects me and the shield that keeps offenders from striking me down. But remember that until they draw a weapon, people are my specialty. Let me deal with him if he comes our way. If he is a lonely man drinking his fill and enjoying the beauty that has been placed on this earth and that’s as far as he takes it, let him enjoy his fantasy.”[/Color] She smiled as she drew Ischarus’ eyes back to her face with her own gaze. Archis himself approached the table and bowed his head slightly until he was addressed. Archis was tall for a gnome, but still considerably shorter than either Ischarus or Rhema. [Color=Lime]“I took the liberty of sending the stable hand to collect your horses. I peeked and saw the normal two out there. I hope this pleases you.”[/Color] Ischarus smiled broadly at the welcome change of conversation. [Color=LightBlue]“Indeed it does, good friend. That is one reason why we stop here each time through your fair city. Your loyalty knows no end.”[/Color] Replied also smiled warmly towards Archis and spoke in addition to Ischarus’ compliment. [Color=PaleGreen]“Neither does his memory, Ischarus.”[/Color] Archis bowed once more and prepared to leave. [Color=Lime]“You both honor me with your warm words. If you desire I can arrange for your usual suite?”[/Color] Ischarus smiled and nodded. [Color=LightBlue]“It has been a long trip on a dusty road, Archis. I believe the lady will desire a warm bath when we retire. Could you see that arranged as well?”[/Color] The gnome nodded. [Color=Lime]“Easily done, sir.”[/Color] The shorter man held up a hand to keep either Rhema or Ischarus from interrupting him. [Color=Lime]“But I’ve distracted you from you meal long enough now. Please, continue to enjoy your food.”[/Color] Archis smiled and bowed slightly once more. He left the pair at their table to eat in peace. That was their custom, after all. This pair was more than friendly to all who approached them with sincere and honorable motives; yet they most often ate alone at an isolated table and retired to their suite together. Archis figured that tonight would be no different. [Sblock=Color Free Speech Section] A few blocks away from the home of the newly widowed Channah Sathwright, two riders on horseback slowly pulled their horses to a halt outside a local popular tavern. Although the riders were only passing through town, they had traveled their route often enough to know the hitching posts in front of the Cachinnating Roadhouse well. It was a stop they frequented every time that they passed through Reignsburg. The riders were each dressed in cloaks with the hoods pulled up and over their faces. The effect was to completely shadow their faces from anyone who might casually look in their general direction while still giving them the ability to see straight forward. The lead rider turned his hooded head in the direction of the one who followed and with the index finger of his left hand he pulled the edge of his hood back just enough to be able to see the other rider. “Rhema, I think we should stop for the night. I could use a drink of ale – or at least a glass of water with a twist of lime if you won’t let me drink tonight.” He chuckled a bit, demonstrating to his partner that he was in good spirits. “Ischarus, you know that I am not the one who keeps you from drinking your precious ale. As for stopping, I do believe I smell Archis’ famous potatoes. I love his potatoes, Ischarus. I love the way he cooks them long enough over the grill that they assume the flavor of not only the onions but just about everything else that he has cooked on the grill this evening. I’d appreciate it if you’ll do me the favor of stopping.” The female voice of the second rider soothingly flowed out of her mouth. The sweet words hinted at flirtation with Ischarus, but stopped just short of demonstrating direct interest. At the beckon of her words, Ischarus pulled back on the reigns for his own horse and with a simple lean of the reigns on the right side of the large horse’s neck he managed to swing the horse into a standing counterclockwise turn so that his horse was facing the Cachinnating Roadhouse. He slipped out of the saddle with a single fluid motion and then took the reigns from Rhema for her own horse. Once he had both horses under control he joined both sets of reigns in his right hand. As he moved, Rhema commented from atop her horse, “Oh Ischarus, you simply spoil me so.” Ischarus’ smile was well hidden from Rhema by the edge of the hood of his cloak. His words betrayed his pleasure derived from Rhema’s earlier comment. “Nonsense, m’lady. You honor me with your presence. I’ll not have you descend a moving horse and risk twisting one of those fair ankles of yours.” Although their hoods were still both concealing their faces, from her superior position atop her horse Rhema could still look down upon the gray hood of Ischarus and imagine the man beneath the protective cloak. She smiled as the thought satisfied her and she graciously allowed her riding partner to do his job. Ischarus spoke softly into the horses’ ears. “Elistra, Shauvry come.” The horses followed Ischarus up to the hitching posts without needing to rely on a strong use of the reigns. Ischarus quickly tied the horses to the hitching post and ducked under the neck of Shauvry. The slight clink of metal armor could be heard as he dipped under the horse. Once he had arrived onto the other side he moved back to Rhema and held out a guiding arm that was covered by the sleeve of his cloak. “M’lady, as it suits your schedule I’m here to assist you.” Rhema swung her leg over the side of the horse with nearly the same grace as Ischarus had done upon Elistra. Her movements illustrated that she didn’t need the help of Ischarus. Instead, she seemed to allow him to serve her because it gave him satisfaction. As she slipped out of the saddle, Ischarus slid his hands up the side of her body until the caught her under the arms. He lightly lowered her thin body to the ground, enjoying the curvature of her thin frame. Rhema reached up with a hand and caressed the neck of Shauvry. “It’ll only be a short time until the stable boy comes to collect you, dear. Be a good girl and keep Elistra safe.” She slipped her hand back inside the sleeve of her cloak and turned towards the door of the tavern. Ischarus stepped ahead and opened the door before Rhema. Light poured out of the entrance of the inn and spilled into the dark night outside the inn. Rhema’s navy blue robe glistened as the light struck it. She stepped inside, leading the way ahead of Ischarus. As Ischarus crossed the threshold of the door and shut the night air out, Rhema pulled back the hood of her cloak and allowed it to naturally fold down her back. She lifted both hands up behind her neck and with a single motion pulled her long dark brown hair out from underneath the collar of her cloak. Her hair settled down along her back with a few strands curling around her ears and falling to the front of her shoulders. She smiled broadly with a near perfectly symmetrical smile as she scanned the room and spotted Archis. He was not only the cook, but also the barkeeper and owner of the Cachinnating Roadhouse . Naturally, Archis returned the smile and nearly didn’t resist giving her body a passing glance while he went about his work. As the shorter Rhema pushed the hood of her cloak back, Ischarus followed with the same gesture. He lifted his own hood up and like Rhema he too pulled his black hair out from under his cloak. Rather than looking for Archis, Ischarus played the role of guardian and spotted an empty table surrounded by at least one empty table on each side. He leaned forward into Rhema and pointed with his gauntleted right index finger. “There, m’lady. Your seat awaits and I do believe I can smell the ale and the potatoes being prepared for us as we speak. The sooner we take our seats the quicker Archis can direct the waitress to bring us your heart’s desire.” The two sat down at the table and Archis indeed called one of his serving staff to his side. He spent only a moment preparing a few drinks while he sent the staff into the kitchen to fetch some food. When the servant that Archis had beckoned returned from the kitchen, Archis nodded to the table where Ischarus and Rhema sat and pointed to the drinks he had prepared. Ischarus smiled as he saw Archis pointing towards his table. Ischarus’ smile turned into a chuckle as the food and drinks approached the table. Rhema looked up and noticed his grin. “Ischarus, what do you find so funny? You’ve not yet had even a single ale to drink!” Ischarus only smiled more broadly at Rhema’s accusation. As luck would have it for Rhema, it turned out to be a waiter and not a waitress who brought the potatoes to the table. Approaching the table and noting that there were only two patrons waiting to be served, the waiter placed a single lime water before each of the patrons and placed the steaming plate of potatoes in front of Ischarus. The man chuckled at the simple mistake caused by the waiter’s assumption. Ischarus made a bit of small talk as the waiter sat down the drinks and food. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before, sir, are you new?” The waiter replied in a friendly tone, “Aye, sir. I started the job a mere two weeks ago. Is it that obvious?” Ischarus chuckled again at the waiter. “No, not really. Only you’ve put the potatoes in front of the wrong patron. A simple mistake, though. Don’t fret about it at all.” The waiter smiled at the fact that his premature assumption had been caught in addition to being incorrect. He turned to Rhema and bowed slightly. “Forgive me, m’lady. Archis merely told me to deliver your usual orders without instructing me on who receives the potatoes. I hope you can understand it was a simple mistake.” Rhema smiled as the waiter turned to her, bowed, and spoke. As the waiter stood up to his full height Rhema got the first glance of this waiter’s complete appearance. His dark curly hair lay tight to his head above a face that contained a strong chin and dimples as the waiter smiled and lightly blushed. The strings that were intended to tie his tunic tight to his chest lay slightly unraveled, exposing a well defined collarbone as he bowed. His strong, muscular arms showed through the light fabric of his waiter uniform and Rhema couldn’t help but looking down to his muscular calf muscles as well. It was clear that this waiter cared for his physical appearance. She smiled brightly as she replied to the waiter. “It is nothing to concern yourself over, sir. It is a simple mistake indeed, and one gratefully corrected might I add.” As the waiter smiled and turned to leave the table Rhema couldn’t help but lower her eyes and make sure the waiter was as trim and fit from the back as he appeared from the front. Her eyes did not disappoint. Ischarus noticed the object of her attention and chuckled once more. “Rhema, your potatoes are getting cold.” Rhema turned her head away from the waiter and looked back to her traveling companion, blushing slightly. “What are you looking at?” Her question rang out in a defensive tone to accuse Ischarus as he looked to her inquisitively. “Me?” Ischarus replied in a tone that relayed a faux shocked and humored condition. “I believe I am the one who should be asking the question about your eyes wandering and not mine!” Rhema blushed even more. “You’re just jealous!” she accused. Ischarus lowered his head a bit so that he could mock looking down his nose at her. “You’re avoiding the question at hand.” He smiled and chuckled once more, sipping his water in the process. Rhema grabbed for her fork, but Ischarus’ much more powerful hand trapped her hand on the table before it could move too far. “You’ll eat when I get my answer,” Ischarus teased. Rhema smiled, enjoying the exchange. “Fine. I was looking. Can’t a girl appreciate a trim physical body when one presents itself?” Rhema fluttered her eyes in a flirtatious manner towards Ischarus. Her companion smiled knowingly as she batted her eyelashes in his direction. “Your charms will not work on me, Rhema. But as long as you are honest with yourself and you admit that I caught you judging a book by its cover, I suppose I can let you eat.” Ischarus removed his hand and folded his arms before him. He leaned back in his chair with a satisfied look on his face. Rhema finally broke down and laughed. “You’re as protective of me as my brother, Ischarus. She inhaled and allowed a slow sigh to follow her statement. Thanks for keeping me honest.” Ischarus looked deeply into her eyes. “M’lady, I swore to protect you. Since I took that oath we’ve become friends at a deeper level than I ever thought would be possible given each of our talents. I enjoy your company. Forgive me if I come off as too protective. I’d never forgive myself if I did anything to hurt our friendship.” Rhema nibbled on a bite of potato and added, “I don’t know where I’d be without you, Ischarus. I’m glad you were chosen to journey with me.” She paused for a moment and changed the conversation topic. “I think I’ve finally warmed up from the evening chill outside.” Rhema rose from her seat and undid the several clasps that held her navy blue robe in place around her body. She opened the front of the robe and removed it from her shoulders and drew her arms out of the sleeves. After neatly folding it and placing it across the empty chair at the table to her right, she sat down once more. Once her robe was removed she exposed her simple beauty underneath. She wore a simple brown shirt whose neckline dipped only a modest 2 inches down below her neck. It exposed her dark skin underneath. The sleeves of the shirt extended down her arms to halfway between her elbow and her wrist. Her arms were clearly those of one who had seen little strenuously exercise to build the muscle tone. She also wore a full length dark brown skirt that covered her legs in entirety. At the bottom of her skirt were two simple bands of color. The topmost band was a simple beige strip of cloth that encircled the skirt. Below it was a much more flashy and decorative swath of material: a thick swatch of lace that had been dyed pale sky blue. This band of lace made up the bottom of the full length skirt. Her feet wore boots whose tops lay temptingly higher up her leg than the bottom of her skirt would allow an onlooker to view. As Rhema took off her robe and folded it, Ischarus was careful to watch the other patrons in the Cachinnating Roadhouse rather than watching Rhema as she removed her outer layer of clothing. It was tempting to allow her to capture his focus, but he knew that this was a perfect opportunity to judge the company they kept in the inn this evening. Ischarus made note of one man sitting at the bar who seemed to take significant interest in her plainly beautiful figure. As if in a show of power, Ischarus himself stood and removed his own gray robe. Underneath his robe Ischarus demonstrated his own muscular body. He wore a layer of leather above his chain armor. The black leather extended from shoulder to shoulder and down slightly below his waist. His strong arms rippled the chain links as his muscles flexed through the process of removing his cloak. Once he was done folding his own robe he placed it beside Rhema’s own navy blue cloak. Ischarus’ hair lay slightly below his shoulders and his chin was framed with a well trimmed beard and moustache. From the waist down, Ischarus wore a simple pair of cloth pants to hide the armor that lay underneath. His leather boots laced up nearly to his knees and covered the cloth pants and the end of the chain armor. His sword rested in its scabbard attached to his belt at his right side. Continuing to watch the single individual at the bar, Ischarus sat down in his chair and spoke to Rhema. “Feel better?” Ischarus said, obviously distracted by the man. “I’d feel better if you let that man alone, Ischarus. You are my guardian, of course. You are the sword that protects me and the shield that keeps offenders from striking me down. But remember that until they draw a weapon, people are my specialty. Let me deal with him if he comes our way. If he is a lonely man drinking his fill and enjoying the beauty that has been placed on this earth and that’s as far as he takes it, let him enjoy his fantasy.” She smiled as she drew Ischarus’ eyes back to her face with her own gaze. Archis himself approached the table and bowed his head slightly until he was addressed. Archis was tall for a gnome, but still considerably shorter than either Ischarus or Rhema. “I took the liberty of sending the stable hand to collect your horses. I peeked and saw the normal two out there. I hope this pleases you.” Ischarus smiled broadly at the welcome change of conversation. “Indeed it does, good friend. That is one reason why we stop here each time through your fair city. Your loyalty knows no end.” Replied also smiled warmly towards Archis and spoke in addition to Ischarus’ compliment. “Neither does his memory, Ischarus.” Archis bowed once more and prepared to leave. “You both honor me with your warm words. If you desire I can arrange for your usual suite?” Ischarus smiled and nodded. “It has been a long trip on a dusty road, Archis. I believe the lady will desire a warm bath when we retire. Could you see that arranged as well?” The gnome nodded. “Easily done, sir.” The shorter man held up a hand to keep either Rhema or Ischarus from interrupting him. “But I’ve distracted you from you meal long enough now. Please, continue to enjoy your food.” Archis smiled and bowed slightly once more. He left the pair at their table to eat in peace. That was their custom, after all. This pair was more than friendly to all who approached them with sincere and honorable motives; yet they most often ate alone at an isolated table and retired to their suite together. Archis figured that tonight would be no different.[/Sblock] [/QUOTE]
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