Unquiet Slumber

by Paulette Miller

  When they were done with practice braids, she released his hands, took the braid out, and told him to try it on his own. Seth couldn’t believe his luck. Earlier he had dreamed of touching her hair and now here he was with both of his hands covered in her silky strands. He let her hair flow through his fingers and across his arms. At one point he lifted a small section of hair to his nose and inhaled deeply. It held her wonderful, intoxicating scent.

  He shook his head to clear his mind and refocus on the task. He began to slowly make loose braids, undid them, and then made them again. Although he would pull too hard at times, she held in any sound of discomfort.

  Tianna would periodically reach back to feel the braid to see how he was doing and offer advice. After he had practiced a few times, she found herself closing her eyes and making a low “hmmm” sound. She was thoroughly enjoying herself. No one, other than her mother, had ever played with her hair. As Tianna made soft noises, all of the men felt warmth spread in their chests. They could smell her pleasure as a scent they could taste in their mouths.

  The scent and resulting taste was causing Nathaniel to have a hard time sitting still. He began to clench his hands into fists at his sides, and he held a look that was a cross between jealousy and intense longing.

  Seth, on the other hand, found himself trying to do anything that would cause Tianna to make sounds again. After some trial and error, he identified several movements that seemed to do the trick, and he was able to coax sounds out of her several more times.

  After about 20 minutes, which seemed like hours to Nathaniel, Tianna opened her eyes and felt the braid in her hair. She turned her head to look back at Seth. Although she knew the braid was a bit messy, the look of uncertainty on Seth’s face made her respond, “Very nicely done Seth. Thank you. Let me tie it off so it will stay in all night.” She took one of her ribbons and tied off the end of the braid.

  He smiled back with a look of pride, “If you would let me, my lady, I’d like to practice again another time.”

  “I’d like that.” She leaned over and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Seth blushed.

  Nathaniel gave out a low protective growl, making Marcus look sharply at him. Gabriel understood Nathaniel’s reaction completely and he took a long drink of wine trying to douse the fire that had started to build within his own chest.

  Tianna took the other hair ribbon and placed it in Seth’s palm, closing his fingers around it. “Here, keep this one as a remembrance. You, my young Seth, are the first man to ever braid my hair.”

  Nathaniel was on his feet in a flash, wearing an expression Tianna couldn’t quite understand. She was going to ask him if he was alright but decided it would be better to leave this one alone. Instead she stood and announced to no one in particular, “And that, my dear gentleman, is my version of lesson one in how to attract a woman.”

  Seth beamed and everyone else sat in silence, somewhat stunned and dizzy.

  Seeing the look in the men’s eyes, Tianna became somewhat uncomfortable. Not sure how to respond, she decided it was time for her to remove herself from the situation by saying, “Well, since we have to rise early to head to my village, I’m going to bed.”

  Nathaniel’s expression relaxed as he offered, “You’re welcome to share my bed.” He gave her his dazzling smile that he knew made women swoon. Tianna felt the power of his smile, but pushed her reaction back. Seeing no response, Nathaniel tried to directly influence her with his mind. Her mind became fuzzy for a brief moment. Once again, she held firm.

  Staring back at Nathaniel, she said sweetly, “Thank you for the offer, but my bed is already made.” The warmth in her chest was becoming a fire. She didn’t want to encourage him, so she quickly turned away.

  As everyone scanned the camp, Tianna pointed up into a nearby tree. Marcus asked what everyone was thinking, “You sleep in trees?”

  Tianna shrugged her shoulders. “I prefer not to sleep on the ground when I can help it. So, I’ll sleep safely tucked in above you.”

  While everyone gazed up into the tree she was pointing at to see her make-shift bed, Nathaniel kept his eyes locked on Tianna. He had never met a woman that he couldn’t influence. He would have to attract her in some other way, without the use of any magic. Part of his mind yelled at him to leave her alone but his dragon wanted to accept the challenge and his dragon’s influence was getting stronger by the second. He hadn’t had to fight for control of his inner nature since he was young.

  Tianna walked over to her supplies and grabbed her climbing gloves. Although one glove went on easily, she struggled a little with the second.

  Instantly, Seth was beside her. “May I offer my lady assistance?”

  Tianna smiled, held out her hand, and Seth tied the glove in place. She walked over to the base of the tree. The first branch was rather high and she would have to climb up the trunk a ways before she could reach it.

  Before she could take another step closer, she found Nathaniel next to her asking sweetly, “May I offer my lady assistance?”

  His scent filled her lungs and she noticed his aroma was more intense and very different from the others. It reminded her of the warmth from a campfire on a cool night, exhilarating breezes that take your breath away, and the touch of her comforting mother’s arms.

  He intertwined his fingers and leaned over, prompting her to place her feet in his hands.

  She wasn’t sure this was a good idea, but she held onto his shoulder for balance and stepped into his waiting palms. To her shock, touching him made warmth shoot through her body like a wildfire and her body trembled.

  Nathaniel had a similar unexpected reaction to her touch. He closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy this new and wonderful sensation. As his reaction stirred his dragon, he gazed into Tianna’s eyes and gave her an affectionate smile. Then, as if she weighed nothing, he tossed her gently up toward the branch. She grabbed it easily and swung herself around until she stood firmly on top of the limb.

  Nathaniel stared up into the tree where Tianna was perched like a bird. He gazed at her beautiful form for a moment, and called, “Sleep tight my lady, knowing that we’ll be here to protect you while you rest. I’ll anxiously await the kiss of morning’s light so that I may be once again blessed by the warmth of your smile.”

  Everyone was left speechless, having never heard Nathaniel being so charming. Tianna gazed down at the poet and said, “Why, thank you, Nathaniel. I guess there’s hope for you after all. I’ll see you in the morning.” She couldn’t hold back a smile.

  He gave her a bow but kept his gaze locked on her form, watching as she climbed fluidly and quietly up to her bed. His pulse raced. He wasn’t sure where his words had come from. His older cousin, Duncan, had the gift to charm, not him. With Nathaniel’s natural allure, he never needed to waist energy on such trivial things as romancing a potential mate. They came to him no matter what he said or did. Everything about this small woman called to him—her appearance, scent, and even her voice. For the first time ever, he was completely out of control. Obviously, if he wanted to attract Tianna, he was going to have to take a whole new approach. He secretly wished he had Duncan by his side to help guide him.

  As Tianna settled herself into her bed for the night, she thought of Nathaniel. He was everything she knew women were told to watch out for, but somehow he managed to touch her heart. She quietly pulled out her journal. Today’s events warranted a major entry in her book. When done, she sighed quietly and tucked the book back into its hiding place. Once she was lying hugging the large branch she was snuggled onto, she listened to the men preparing for bed and, for the first time in a very long time, she looked forward to the morning. Once those below her were silent, she fell fast asleep and had a night of wonderful dreams.

  Chapter 5 - Marks

  Tianna was awake and out of her tree before the sun was up. She dressed in another home-made outfit, but this time, one designed for riding. The pants were made of thick leather to help protect her backside
and thighs while sitting on the back of a horse. She knew Nathaniel would be disappointed that this outfit, while flattering, hung loosely from her body. She thought it silly, but she cared about what he thought.

  Since the men had made her the evening meal, she wanted to wait on them. As with everything else in her life, she had learned to cook at a very young age. When she was selected to be the wizard’s apprentice, she moved out of her parents’ home and into a back room at Zarin’s. Although she knew Zarin thought of her like a daughter, he often forgot she was just an eight year old child. He would work for hours on researching spells and creating potions, forgetting to feed her, clean her clothes, or any other normal domestic tasks. If she wanted to eat, she needed to learn to cook. If she wanted to be dressed, she had to make her own clothes. Soon she was doing all of the domestic chores not just for herself but for Zarin as well. She didn’t mind as she felt like she owed him something for letting her live there and teaching her.

  One of the items that Zarin said she made especially well was biscuits, so she decided to make a batch for her camping companions. As she prepared the meal, the men began to rise and prepare for the day. She knew they were awake the moment she stirred in the trees because she felt them watching her.

  Tianna glanced up just as Marcus was re-entering the camp from bathing in the river. He had his shirt in hand and was starting to put it on when her eyes caught sight of a tattoo that started over his heart and ran up to his left shoulder.

  Tianna couldn’t hold back her curiosity and asked, “Marcus, what’s that on your chest?”

  “It’s the mark of my village that has been burned into my skin.”

  Tianna walked over to take a closer look. She noticed that the mark was in the shape of a dragon with deep violet eyes that almost glowed. It covered most of his left breast. “May I touch it?” she asked as she started to move her hand toward the image.

  He moved his shirt out of the way so she could examine it as closely as she wanted. When Tianna touched his muscular chest, she concentrated very hard on ignoring the tingling heat that was now rolling up her arm and tried to focus on the feel of the mark. She had felt many burns over the years and most were very rough to the touch. Although Marcus’ mark looked like it could be rough, many of the edges had healed smooth, as if a long time had passed since it was made.

  “You call it a mark, not a tattoo. Does it mean something special?” she asked as she slowly swirled a finger around the dragon’s outline.

  “Marking is a tradition in my village. The day of my birth, I received a small symbol that represents my family. When I reached the age where I was recognized as a man, I received the main body part of the dragon.” He outlined the part of the mark he was speaking of with his finger. “You get additional marks as you reach other life milestones and move up in social ranking.”

  Tianna was so enthralled with the discussion that she didn‘t notice that the other men had gathered around them. She continued to look at his chest and asked another question. “If I was from your village, what would your mark be telling me right now?”

  As Marcus spoke, he pointed out specific sections on and around the primary dragon mark. “These are for each successful battle I’ve led. This one says that I’m in line to be the next leader for my village. The background ring was added when I took a mate.” He realized he slipped and needed to use the human term. “I mean wife. A small pearl appeared on that ring for the birth of my daughter.” Dropping his hand he added, “The dragon will fill in with more detail and color if I become a leader.”

  Thanks to her closer inspection, she could see how there were separate burns that combined to make one image. It was stunning.

  “If you want to see a leader’s mark, ask Gabriel to show you his.” Marcus pointed behind Tianna. She turned around and was startled to see the three other men standing around her.

  Without having to ask, Gabriel took off his shirt and showed her his chest. In addition to the mark, she couldn’t help but notice all of the scars that covered his body. He had obviously seen many battles. To avoid hurting his feelings, she kept the shock from her face and acted like the only thing she was interested in was the dragon. Despite the battle scars, she actually did find him very attractive, but different than the others. Although his chest was sculpted strength and his arms like gnarled tree branches, he had an inner power that called to her. She wanted to touch each scar and hear the stories about how they came to be. Right now, however, she was focused on his amazing mark.

  She walked over so that she stood right in front of Gabriel and without any hesitation reached up to his chest. He jumped when her fingers touched his skin. Given that he was even taller and bigger than Marcus, he bent down a little so she wouldn’t have to strain. Tianna could tell that this mark was very old since its edges were worn smooth. His dragon was very different than Marcus’. The dragon’s body was very muscular and had large knife-like talons holding onto a sword. Everything was covered in various shades of red, including glowing red eyes and ruby red fire that burst from its mouth. It was frightening, yet breathtaking.

  As she examined his chest, Gabriel explained how color and fire were added when he became the village leader. “We call our village leader a Draaken.”

  Tianna tried to pronounce it. “Draken?”

  Gabriel laughed. “You have it almost right but you need to emphasize the “aa” sound more.” He pronounced each part separately. “Dr... aa... ken. Clear your throat a little with the ‘aa’ sound.”

  Tianna tried again. “Draaken.”

  Gabriel nodded and continued his explanation. He pointed out three rings, one for each one of his deceased wives, each having a drop of blood hanging from it like a teardrop. While she touched these marks, he also identified the multitude of pearls representing all of his children.

  Unlike Marcus, Gabriel had on his neck a downward pointing sword with wings curved behind it like a cape. He explained that the sword indicated that he was a member of the Royal Guard, and, as leader of the guard, the sword had embedded jewels in the blade.

  Tianna marveled at the history that Gabriel’s body provided. She wanted to learn more, but it would’ve taken all day to go over them all.

  As she continued to caress his chest, she asked, “Are you still a Draaken?”

  “No, I’m considered an elder now. We only remain Draaken for a time and then someone younger takes over. Former leaders become elders of the village and serve as teachers and mentors for the young, like Seth. I’m in charge of his training while on this quest.”

  Tianna glanced over at Seth, who grimaced. “He’s a tough teacher. You learn quickly to pay attention in his lessons.” As he spoke, he rubbed his right arm as if remembering a recent injury. “I have a mark too. Do you want to touch it?” Seth said with obvious anticipation.

  Realizing that she had been touching the naked chests of two men, her cheeks flushed, but she really didn’t care. She was so fascinated that she had to see Seth’s as well. She nodded and walked toward where he was standing. He met her halfway, taking off his shirt as he walked.

  His chest was lean and strong, but with much less muscle definition than Marcus or Gabriel, and he held no other obvious scars other than the main mark itself. His dragon was similar to the others except like Seth, the body was more slender and fit. The eyes of his dragon were bright green and were so intense, they looked to be staring directly at her.

  The edges of Seth’s mark were slightly red and rough, making it look much newer. As she moved her finger around the outline she asked, “This one looks fairly new. When did you get it?”

  Standing up very straight and with a look so proud that his eyes gleamed, he answered. “I got it not long before we left on this quest. I want more, and I hope that our journey will earn me another.”

  Not to be left out, Nathaniel moved quietly until he stood directly behind Tianna. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “My turn. You saved the best for last.”

 
; Feeling his hot breath in her ear made her toes curl, and she turned toward him. When he knew that he had her undivided attention, he slowly took off his shirt with overly dramatic moves. Once his shirt was off, Tianna couldn’t help but gasp. Although all of the men were attractive to her, Nathaniel was like a god. His chest was muscular but smoother and less pronounced, more like a well-toned athlete.

  He was thrilled that he finally got an obvious reaction out of her. His eyes twinkled as he went down on one knee so she could more easily examine his chest.

  She adjusted the front of her shirt so that it wouldn’t gape open when she bent over. When she finally did touch his mark, the heated tingling didn’t stop at her arms but spread throughout her body. She had to shake her head to clear her thoughts, which had ventured into dangerous territory.

  His inner dragon was stirring at her touch, causing him to also have to concentrate hard to regain control. He then began to tell her about his dragon, which had blazing blue eyes the same color as Tianna’s. His dragon was muscular but had softer looking features, including finger-like talons and a thin, whip-like tail.