Ized- the Ancestors

by Esther Barvar

  With this attitude, he met with Lord Befen’s lack of understanding. He was well aware of the distinctive characteristics of the young and still unsteady warriors. He could not and would not understand the restraint of his friend. Especially warriors of this age were allowed to be calm and impetuous when conquering female beings. An essential experience for a warrior because he had to develop strategies to reach his goal. It formed him as well as suitable fighting lessons did.

  As different as they were, there was something that connected the two men. Lord Befen was looking for the young lord’s company. Already for some years, he observed the introverted young man and tested him. Ever since he had noticed at university how unusual this young man was. The High Lord of Warriors became more and more confident with the impressions Adar gave him:

  This one was able to do great things!

  The snow had been falling all day long. Again and again, they had cleared the paths between the houses, and snowy mountains grew on the walls. Outside it was freezing cold. But the fireplaces were lighted in the taverns. It was comfortably warm there. Especially the houses near the magician’s quarter got more visitors today than usual. There seemed to be no differences in class during the longest night of the year.

  Traditionally the people danced a lot at this festival. They were happy that the days were finally getting longer. A group of musicians played near the bar. They played the whole night, and the dancing lasted just as long. The musicians were only taken short breaks to refresh themselves with a beer or a wine.

  Adar barely missed a dance. Now, however, he brought two jugs of beer to the table where Befen was sitting and settled down with a sigh. He pushed one of the pitchers over to his friend and lifted his own. It wasn’t the first beer they drank together that evening.

  »To the longest night of the year, Lord Befen.«

  Lord Befen also raised the jug and toasted with it. »Yes, Adar, to the longest night.«

  Both took a deep sip. As soon as Adar had set the jug down, his gaze wandered back to the dance floor. A sparkle stepped into his eyes, and his foot bobbed to the beat of the music. »You should dance,« Befen told him, observing the young man with a knowing smile. Adar shook his head, although he looked at the dancing women. His eyes glowed as he watched the gently swaying hips. After another sip, he wiped the little foam that remained on his upper lip with the back of his hand.

  »It’s a beautiful sight to see them moving on the dance floor,« he whispered with relish. He pointed to some women dancing past them only a short distance away. A slight blush and an embarrassed smile pulled over his face. It was apparent how much he enjoyed the sight.

  Befen also watched the ladies, laughed softly, and growled. He had even dared some dances today, but not to the same extent as the young lord. He could understand Adar. Just like him, Befen felt attracted to the women. Every warrior wanted to conquer. The conquest of a woman’s heart was something that could drive a warrior to battle.

  It was a wild festival with a lot of laughing and joking. Many dared to take a coarser grip. Almost everything was allowed tonight. There was nobody who went home sober on the longest night. Indeed, there would also be one or the other child conceived.

  »Would you like to dance with me, Lord Adar?«

  Adar glanced hesitantly from the dance floor up at the pretty girl who suddenly stood next to him. She held a cup of wine and smiled at him while waiting for an answer. Adar smiled and pointed his hand to the jug: »I’ve been dancing until now. Let me take a short breather and drink my beer. It refreshes and satisfies the thirst. If you want to be patient, I’ll dance with you afterward.« He politely bowed his head.

  »Am I allowed to sit with you?«

  Instead of an answer, Adar slipped a little on the bench. She sat down, put her cup of wine on the table, and, like Adar, bobbed her foot to the music.

  Lord Befen smiled knowingly, shaking his head barely noticeably. It could be an exciting evening. The High Lord of Warriors knew how intensively Adar get courted in the quarter. Another one who tried to hitch him. It was always like that. All unmarried women from the quarter wanted to conquer him. He also knew how often his friend refused such advances. He remained politely reserved at all times. How long did he want to stand against his nature? The nature of the warrior that had to conquer. Befen was fascinated by Adar, who didn’t seem to notice why Mehit was here.

  But the girl would not be the most suitable choice, because she was the only granddaughter of the Supreme Lord Abarta. And this one kept a sharp eye on her. Besides, Befen knew only too well that Abarta didn’t like Adar. Abarta only saw an arrogant, handsome boy. The Supreme Lord had no idea of the character and self-discipline behind the charming appearance.

  Mehit might be about seventeen years old. Her long curly hair was conspicuous. Most of the izeders had straight dark hair. Crimped hair was rare. Also, the hair color was remarkably light with a soft brown. So far, she didn’t get married, but this could not last much longer. In Ized women got married young. Mostly they were younger than Mehit when they get promised to a man. Their unmarriedness must be because nobody seemed good enough for the granddaughter of the Supreme Lord.

  The young woman didn’t like bitter beer. The redness of her cheeks also suggested that it was not the first cup of wine she drank. It was not surprising, for the youth traditionally moved from tavern to tavern until the night was over, or a love affair drove the couples to another place.

  But she was not alone. Befen had already noticed the three women when they entered the tavern. The other women bought some wine at the bar and looked for seats. At the other end of the room, they found a table with plenty of space. As soon as they sat down, they looked around, giggling, and talking to each other. As soon as they discovered the young lord, they stuck their heads together. After some time, Mehit stood up and came over.

  Befen suspected that the three women had made a difference. Mehit was probably supposed to ask Adar to dance, maybe even steal a kiss from him. When she danced, the young warrior would not defend against her. He had been dancing all evening with every woman he met. But with the kiss, it was such a thing.

  The High Lord decided to follow the action up close. It would be interesting. Meanwhile, the girls whispered and giggled. Again and again, they gave Mehit a provocative look. And Mehit kept giving Adar lovely glances all the time.

  Adar didn’t seem to notice the advances at all. That looked like him. He was unquestionably already drunk. While she laid a hand on his arm and leaned her head against him, he looked at her only once but did not resist the touches.

  After some time, he carefully loosened her grip and rose. »Please forgive me, Mehit. I’ll be right back. Then I’ll be happy to dance with you,« he apologized.

  »I’m looking forward to it, and I’d love to wait for you.« She smiled and let him pass.

  Adar walked to the back door of the tavern. In the backyard was a particular room to step out.

  Mehit held on to her cup of wine, first looked embarrassed at Lord Befen, and then into her bowl to drink a sip. Then she looked over the door. She let some time pass, finally rose, and followed Adar to the back door. It was not easy to make her way through the crowd, and the young woman wasn’t sober anymore. When a dancing couple nudged her, she almost would have fallen if another young man hadn’t caught her.

  »By the Waves, beautiful woman, what do you think of offering me this dance,« he cheerfully whispered at her. He pulled her tightly to himself.

  She freed herself from the embrace. »Well, I would dance with you, but I fear my grandfather wouldn’t like it. Lord Abarta doesn’t like it when I dance with young men he doesn’t know,« she replied and pushing her chin forward. Surprised, the guy took a step back. Mehit took advantage of his amazement and slipped past him. Then she had also reached the door to the backyard.

  Befen was amused by what was happening.

  As soon as Mehit was through the door and had closed it behind her, Lord Adar met her
again.

  »No more dancing, pretty lady?« he asked amusedly and stepped aside to let her pass.

  Her foot got stuck, and she stumbled. Bravely he reached for her to stop the fall.

  »Easy, the floor is a little rough here,« he explained.

  As she clung to him, both stumbled into the dark corner next to the door. A wooden wall stopped them. Adar crashed with his back against the wood. »I’m sorry. I almost fell in the taproom,« Mehit whispered and giggled. »I probably shouldn’t be drinking any more wine tonight.«

  »You’re not the only one. Alcohol also gives me a little trouble,« Adar returned humming. Sober, he would have been more stable.

  Both remained for a moment. Suddenly, she pulled herself upon him and whispered: »Kiss me. It is the longest night. You have to kiss. Just one tiny kiss. Please!«

  He leaned back a little to look at her. Her look was tempting. Her mouth seems to invite him. The long soft hair that fell to her hip smelled seductive. Following a reflex, he had embraced and protected her by intercepting the thrust. Their bodies were forcibly touched, and his blood began to flutter. Without being able to prevent it, it vibrated inside him.

  »Mehit, you are adorable, but I am here with Lord Befen, and it would be rude to leave him alone now. Besides, I only want to dance tonight. Come on, let’s go inside. I promised you to dance, and I keep my promises,« he urged her.

  He gently pushed her towards the door while trying to free himself from her. But Mehit held on to him with both hands. He would have had to get harsh to escape himself from her grip. He had never touched a woman before, so he didn’t now. He reached back to release her hands from his neck, but that turned out to be a mistake. Since Mehit was still not standing securely, both lost their balance again. They staggered and crashed against the board wall once more, which prevented the fall. While he painfully distorted his face and groaned, she pushed her body even closer to him. She took advantage of his confusion and pressed his lips to his mouth.

  The brash approach irritated Adar. It was not usual for a woman to be that excessive. Different feelings flowed through him. He felt overwhelmed and unable to suppress the growing desire that the touch of his lips awakened in him. It was way too tempting. The warm woman’s body that pressed on him and her scent that intoxicated his mind made the desire explode. A growl went from his throat. The desire to explore her and lead her through the waves of lust, grow, and grow. Her kiss was clumsy. Before she detached herself from him again, he embraced her. His tongue slid gently along her lips, desired entry. The young woman reacted. Her mouth opened for him, allowing in his demanding tongue.

  He explored the female mouth, met her tongue, and played with it. He enjoyed how she got involved with him. Then the incomprehensible happened. Breathlessly, he felt a hand come loose from his neck and gently slide down his chest. The hand stroked over his belly and even deeper all the way. This tender touch made him tremble. Then he felt his private parts getting massaged with a gentle touch.

  No, that was not allowed to be! He moaned, turned his head away from her mouth.

  »Please, Mehit. Not now and especially not here,« he tried to keep her away. By the Waves of the Wide Stream, he was much too drunk to defend himself. With one hand, he wanted to free himself from her grip, but it was a half-hearted attempt. His dark voice was now all loud as he tried one last time to dissuade her. »Stop it, I beg you. Someone can always want to cross the yard and discover us. Let’s go back to the others.«

  »Even if someone came, nobody could see us here. It’s dark enough. The light of the yard does not reach into this corner. No one will see us,« she replied quietly. Her warm breath touched his cheek.

  She did not stop rubbing his privates. Adar leaned against the wall. He knew it was wrong, but he hesitated, feeling the sensation. A growl escaped his throat. The alcohol combined with the touches made all inhibitions fade away. He could not help himself and gave in to the desire. With his hand in her back, he pulled her closer to him, pressed her to his body. With the other hand, he grabbed her breast and massaged her. She sighed at this touch and pushed herself towards him. When she groaned again, he closed her mouth with his lips. Again his tongue began to play with hers.

  Suddenly he growled up. With an abrupt turn, he whirled her around, so that now she leaned against the wall. A hand drove under her dress, pushing itself between her thighs. Immediately she spread them, pressed herself towards his touch. When he, too, began to rub her, Mehit took a moan. Her tender body trembled in his arm. Her thighs shivered. More and more excited, he kissed her. While his hands explored the young body, stroking it more and more challenging, his lips closed her mouth, smothered her moans. A little later, they both glided over the last wave of excitement. Adar held her close to him.

  After a few moments, however, he pushed her away abruptly. Then he turned away from her. »Mehit, I’m not mature enough for a relationship or even a marriage vow. On top of that, I am not in love with you. I do not love you; could not be loyal to you. But you have precisely the right age to look for a husband. However, I can and will never be that man. So leave me alone.«

  The incident had sobered him. He turned around and left. There was a dark spot on his trousers. In the hustle and bustle of the tavern that didn’t attract attention. Arriving at the table, he didn’t sit down again but grabbed his winter cape from the bench. »Forgive me, Befen. I must go back to the quarter.«

  His friend looked up in astonishment. » What happened, Adar? Didn’t you want to dance with Mehit?«

  Then Befen noticed the change of mood of his friend. Just a moment ago cheerful, he suddenly seemed closed, almost rejecting.

  »It is nothing. But I’m drunk. I’ll also be on duty as a gatekeeper tomorrow morning. I wish you lots of fun. See you tomorrow,« Adar turned around abruptly.

  As he pushed through the crowd, he wrapped himself in the cape and disappeared outside without another word.

  Only a few moments after the door closed, Mehit came back in. She sat down to Befen. She looked around, searching the room. »Where is Adar now? Didn’t he step into the taproom,« she asked the High Lord of the Warriors and lifted her cup to drink.

  »Yes, he is, but only to say goodbye. He has to guard the gate tomorrow morning. Too bad, but now it’s getting entertaining. Besides, I thought he wanted to dance with you.«

  Mehit’s good mood was gone suddenly.

  Befen frowned as he watched the young woman. Mehit’s reaction to not finding Adar here anymore made him doubt that the warrior had left simply because of the duty roster.

  After a short hesitation, with her hand cramping around the cup, she hastily drank the rest of the wine and said goodbye. Hectically she left the tavern.

  Befen stared after her. Was that supposed to be a coincidence now? Well, he didn’t believe in coincidences. Besides, Mehit’s reaction had been weird. Could something have happened between the two when they had been outside the taproom? Something responsible for Adar’s inevitable departure? Suspiciously, the High Lord of Warriors, grabbed his cape and followed the young woman in some distance. She hurried quite quickly along the way to the magician’s quarter, so she didn’t seem to be quite as drunk as she had appeared to him in the tavern.

  Mehit hurried back to the magician’s quarter to catch up with Adar. As she entered the large yard, she could barely see Adar disappear behind the assembly hall. So he returned to his quarters. The enormous residential buildings where the Lords and their families lived lay behind the hall. The accommodations adapted to the particular needs. A family of several lived in a spacious apartment, while a single magician lived in a small one. The young woman hurried on and entered the large house with the countless flats, in which he also lived. Adar had already disappeared, but she didn’t have to see where he was going. Like almost all young women, she knew where Adar lived. She still ran up the stairs. She had so often secretly watched him enter his quarters. It was also generally known that he had not yet let a woman into
his rooms.

  Mehit had planned to change this situation tonight. Finally, she stood in front of his door. She hesitated, but then knocked softly. A magical impulse opened the door. She scurried in with a beating heart, closed the door, but stopped right next to it. As expected, his living room was of small size. It was illuminated by a little magical light that he must have created a few moments ago. It was too dark to see how he lived, but bright enough to see him. She saw him holding a bundle of laundry, which he now threw into one of the armchairs.

  Her heart was beating with excitement. Today the alcohol had washed away all inhibitions. The bet with her friends to get Lord Adar to dance was forgotten. She wanted more. The kisses, the touches she had forced on herself, had been tender, his body so warm and strong. She was desperate to experience more.

  Adar was furiously fast with her and hit his fist against the wall next to her face. His dark eyes sparkled while he bared his teeth and growled at her. »Go! Get out! Now! I don’t want it, do you understand? What else do I have to do to make you understand me?«

  She flinched, became pale, and pressed herself even harder against the wall. Her voice was only a whisper. »But you also liked it. You were just as excited as I was.« Instinctively she did not move in order not to incite his anger any further.

  Adar’s nostrils trembled in rage. His anger had not arisen because it had happened, but because he had not had himself under control as usual. He was always in control. Never before had such a thing happened to him, and that alone increased his rage to immeasurable proportions. He had not been able to control himself! He desired the body of the young woman. He wanted to conquer her!

  He wanted to take her! He wanted to enter her! He was yearning for her for the soft body. How much he felt the animal urge in himself again. He wished for nothing more than to warm the bed for her. But she played a dangerous game when she provoked a warrior in this way.