Outlaw And The Brat

This book was published by Shadowfire Press 2019 Grove Street #6 Boulder, CO 80302

Swordbrothers 1: Outlaw & The Brat Copyright © 2008 by Auburnimp & Michael Barnette Cover art by Kat Haeske Edited by Helen Revell Book layout and Design by Coyote All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for the purpose of reviews, the reproduction of this book by any means known or devised in the future, are prohibited. Scanning, uploading, posting to the internet on any download or sharing site, making available via peer-to-peer sharing, creating print, audio or electronic versions of the book, or offering this book for distribution by any other means is illegal and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If you obtained this book from a source other than a book seller he author did not receive payment for the book. Our authors deserve to be paid for their work. You wouldn’t work for free and our authors should not be expected to work for free either. This is a work of fiction. Names, places, events and all characters are the creation of the author’s imagination. Any similarities to actual events, or persons living or dead are purely coincidental. The mention of, or reference to any product or service within this book is not intended to be a challenge to the trademarks or copyrights of those products or services.

Swordbrothers 1:

Outlaw & The Brat A World of Dragonhope Novel By Auburnimp and Michael Barnette

Swordbrothers 1: Outlaw and The Brat

Chapter One Brat Meets Outlaw

Warm sunlight had dissipated the lingering chill of the night air. The camp of the Brightsand clan filled with the happy shouts of children playing a ball game, and the boisterous songs of women as they went about their morning chores. Lakesinger Rockmanson sat under the awning of his large and opulent tent and watched with a pronounced sneer as an attractive young warrior with a pretty woman in tow approached. He knew what the fool wanted and he also knew what the answer was going to be. He wasn’t prepared to share his belongings and food with two more people. The couple drew near and the man opened his mouth to plead his case. That was as far as he got. Lakesinger held up his hand for silence. “I thank you for your offer, but I’m not looking to be anyone’s swordbrother at this time.” The attractive young blond just stared at Page 1

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Lakesinger with eyes the cool green of growing things. Every bit as handsome as Lakesinger himself, and a warrior as the marks on his face and the paired braids in his hair showed, he still presented a subservient picture as he stood before the other man, head bowed in deference as if he addressed a great chief. “But you haven’t even heard it. Please hear me out, Lakesinger. That’s all I ask.” The woman at his side turned a shy smile on the watermage. “Yes, please hear Windspinner’s offer,” she pleaded. Lakesinger sighed gustily managing to convey his irritation. “Very well. Let’s hear it but make it quick as I’m going hunting.” Windspinner glanced at the woman beside him. She nodded. The blond’s face took on a serious look. He drew in a deep breath and started speaking. “Lakesinger I find you to be very beautiful and admit that I dream about you, my body heated with the desire to have you as my lover. “I want to be your swordbrother. I’m a good hunter, and Star has already agreed to be our wife so we could have a family together. I bring Page 2

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to a bonding a warcycle, a workbike and sled, a tent with many furs and cooking utensils, plus the helping hands of a woman who has said she will love both of us.” Windspinner stood silently waiting for Lakesinger’s reply, his eyes shining with love, face alight with hope. Star reached out and clasped Windspinner’s hand, offering Lakesinger a warm, equally hope-filled smile. Lakesinger nodded, his expression thoughtful. Windspinner was attractive with his blond hair and green eyes and his achievements were almost as great as his own. If Windspinner hadn’t dragged the woman into the mix he might even have been tempted. Star was attractive as women went with dark auburn hair and golden eyes but the shrewishness of his mother had put him off women for life. Besides he did not find their soft bodies appealing. “Windspinner, I thank you for your offer which is very generous but I am not looking to take on a wife as well as a swordbrother at this time. I am sorry, and I hope you find someone powerful to form the bond with you as I believe you deserve it. It won’t be me though.” Page 3

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He stood up ready to go hunting. Windspinner’s shoulders slumped. “You are the only one of this clan strong enough to form a bond with me. If you won’t have me that means I have to look to another clan.” The woman looked ready to cry and she turned to walk away, her face twisting in despair, eyes brimming with tears. Windspinner gripped her hand and held on, reached out with his free hand toward Lakesinger, but not quite touching. “Please reconsider my offer Lakesinger. I love you, I truly do. And I love Star and I don’t want to lose her! If you won’t have me then it’s all over for me. Her father has forbidden her to leave the clan and there is no one but you that I desire. If you don’t take me as swordbrother I have no hope to make a family, none. You’ve turned down everyone else who’s asked, I thought... that is I hoped it meant you wanted me.” His pleading green eyes were on Lakesinger’s face and he went so far as to kneel at the watermage’s feet. “Please, everything I have will be yours. Everything, even Star’s firstborn.” Lakesinger turned to stare at the young Page 4

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windmage. “So you come to me just so you can keep the woman? And I was thinking that had you come without her…” He clenched his fists. “Not for want of me at all then? I understand. I have reconsidered your offer Windspinner and I find it insulting. Good day!” “No, please, Lakesinger, wait!” the windmage implored, getting up and following Lakesinger. “I’ve told you I love you, I gave myself to you twice! What more proof of my love do you need? Tell me, please. I don’t want to lose you!” Hurting at the terms of the offer, Lakesinger was coldly contemptuous in return. “That was just sex, Windspinner, not love.” He was furious as he headed for his huntcycle, needing to get away from the clan for a while. So he was just a way for the windmage to keep his whore? He was the one man in the clan that he might have considered forming the bond with too. So now he would have to look outside the clan, if he looked at all. He wasn’t looking for a wife so a swordbrother wasn’t actually necessary so much as convenient in battles and when hunting. He was so angry that he was some way outside Page 5

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the camp and in rough terrain before he became even remotely aware of his surroundings. Ah yes, he had unconsciously followed the underground stream that fed the oasis they were camped by and now he was close to the canyon where good game could be found. From between a series of large rock outcroppings a huge black beast lumbered into his path, the animal rearing upward on its hind legs and giving a bellowing roar. Fully as tall as two clansmen, the creature repeated the titanic bellow as it came closer on its hind legs. Shit! A darbear! How did I miss the damned thing? He turned the bike sharply so he was side on to the beast, drawing one of the long hunting swords from its compartment as he did so. The huge animal lunged after him, its forepaw raking the back of his huntcycle, ripping deep gouges in the tough hide of the rear tire. The bike skittered forward slowed considerably by the now almost useless back tire. He skidded and lurched in an effort to evade the creature but another swipe from its paw knocked the cycle Page 6

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out from under him and deposited him on his back. The huge mouth opened reaching to grab him, the wet interior lined with crags of jagged flesh-rending teeth. “YAI!” the typical shout of a clan bear hunter rolled between the rocks in a challenge no darbear could resist. The bear roared and turned toward the sharp sound as a man came rushing into the periphery of Lakesinger’s vision. Tall, clad in the furs and leathers of a clansman, the man’s black hair streamed behind him as he charged the darbear, the huge sword in his fists reflecting the sun, bright as a mirror. Lakesinger stared in awed amazement as the stranger attacked the darbear and waited to see if his rescuer would survive. If the man didn’t live maybe his flesh would appease the darbear’s appetite enough that the beast would ignore him. The animal reared up, flailing both paws at the man trying to get him in its lethal embrace. The sword blocked one paw, spattering blood Page 7

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on the ground as the whirl of brown and gold magical energies came to life around the blade. Spires of rock shot up out of the ground, and the darbear, skewered on the magically hardened spikes of sand, dropped dead its head landing on Lakesinger’s thigh. “Fuck!” The darbear’s head was heavy and hurt as it hit Lakesinger’s leg. He scrambled out from under it and turned to see if his cycle would get him back to the clan. What he saw was not reassuring. Then he remembered the dark man that had killed the darbear and looked around just in time to see a fist coming for him. Stars erupted in his vision. When he came to enough to be aware of his surroundings again he had a splitting headache and the stranger was tying his hands behind his back. “What do you think you’re doing?” The man rolled him over so he was laying face up, the sun above lighting the man’s dark hair with sparks of blue. Hard unfriendly eyes regarded him from a face the deep brown of well tanned leather. There were lines in the man’s face, Page 8

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a couple decades of sun and cold wind showing on the rugged features. He gave no answer to Lakesinger, the man turning to begin skinning the huge darbear. Being ignored was not something Lakesinger took kindly to. “I asked you a question damn it! Now let me go!” The man came to kneel down beside him. He took something from inside his fur coat and shoved it into Lakesinger’s mouth, using a strip of cloth to tie it there. The man went back to skinning the darbear. Lakesinger fumed. How dare this stranger treat him so! Who did he think he was? Then he stopped fuming and struggling as he began to realize he might be in serious trouble. If this man was an outlaw, and it looked as if he was, then he wouldn’t be above selling people to the city. And the city paid high prices for watermages. Suddenly Windspinner’s offer looked a lot less insulting and he wondered if he should have taken it. At least then he wouldn’t be in this mess. Page 9

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The sun crept across the sky marking the passage of time. He wondered why the Clan hadn’t come looking for him until he remembered that Windspinner was the man the Chief usually put in charge of search parties. Considering the circumstances, he couldn’t count on any help from his former lover. The Chief was probably quite angry with him, and Wind would be too broken hearted to care. Either way no one would be coming to help him. He sighed inwardly and managed to sit up after a few tries. The stranger had finished skinning the bear and was now in the process of cutting up the choicest parts. It made Lakesinger remember that he hadn’t eaten since early morning and his stomach growled. Dark eyes glanced in his direction at the sound, but the man went back to his work without saying a thing. The meat was wrapped in the hide and the whole bundle dropped beside Lakesinger. The man’s unreadable dark eyes regarded him for a long moment. Without saying anything he Page 10

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walked away leaving the carcass of the darbear, the hide and Lakesinger alone. Off in the near distance the sound of a lion’s roar echoed off the canyon walls. Lakesinger shuddered at the sound. A lion would be able to smell the darbear carcass and might well come looking for it as an easy meal. If it found him here next to a pile of the choicest cuts he was very likely to be dessert. So where had his captor gone off to? He looked around but couldn’t see him anywhere and the lion roared again, this time closer. The deep hum of a big cycle’s powerful engine reached Lakesinger just as an even closer roar echoed through the canyon. Lakesinger wasn’t sure if he was happy or not when the large warcycle approached. It did mean he wasn’t so likely to become lion food but it also meant that he would now be taken wherever this bastard could get a good price for him. That was if he didn’t want to paw him first. The warcycle, a massive two-wheeled vehicle complete with thick armor and projecting spikes that could tear an attacker to pieces, was towing Page 11

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a larger than normal cargo sled. The man loaded the meat filled skin, and Lakesinger onto the sled, tied them down with cargo straps and then they were racing down the canyon. The endless aqua sky and the passing canyon walls were the only things Lakesinger could see from where he lay. Not even a bird or other flying creature appeared to mar the blue-green expanse of the sky, though he did see a pair of canyon goats go bounding away along the rocky wall of one canyon, the animals scared by their arrival. It was a long and bumpy ride and he was jostled and jarred the whole way. He could only sigh in relief when they reached wherever it was they were going and the jolting came to an end as the sled stopped moving. The warcycle slowed, the sled he lay on scraping as they passed through a very narrow opening between one section of canyon and the next. Stone arched above them, natural rock giving way to rock that had been shaped by magic into the forms of beasts. Lions, darbears and even dreadcats leered down at him from the ceiling of the passageway. They passed through the narrow tunnel into Page 12

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a narrow canyon where only a slit of blue sky showed above the towering narrow walls. Walls that were also sculpted into the forms of animals, everything from tiny jumping mice to the biggest predators known to the clans, huge six legged things they called Horrors because that was the reaction of any clansperson who saw one: stark horror. The carvings are very well done, Lakesinger mused. I wonder if my captor made them. If so he’s very gifted. But he was also a bastard for daring to capture him! The sled slowed and came to a stop. He dismounted from the warcycle and stretched, the sound of popping and snapping from his joints was loud in the narrow space outside of the cave he called home. Where I live, but it’s not a home. A home implied a lover, a wife, a family with children and laughter. What he had was a dwelling. A place that sheltered him from the elements, kept him warm Page 13

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when it was cold, kept the blackstorms from killing him. But it wasn’t and would never be a home. He went to unload the sled, unlatching the straps holding the cargo in place. He took the most important things first, the fur and the meat which he carried past the sculptures of the twin darbears that bracketed the entrance to his cave. Thick hides had been anchored in front of the door to spikes he’d made for the purpose, but they were tied open now to let the little bit of sunlight that entered the canyon to warm the doorway. Inside it was cool, but not unpleasantly so. He rolled out the hide and removed the meat, putting it inside a stone urn that he carried to a pool inside cave, partly submerging it to keep the meat cold so it didn’t spoil. Returning to the hide he rolled it up and carried it to his workroom where he left it before checking the stone cage where he’d keep his captive until morning. He’d planned to sell the arrogant little prick today, but instead of following his usual routine and coming out to hunt that morning he’d waited until it was Page 14

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almost noon. Much too late for him to head for the City, he’d have arrived well after dark and he didn’t like the idea of waiting outside the locked gates until dawn saw them opened. His people will be better off without him. Miserable brat. Done inside he went out and retrieved his prize, the brat in question. He hefted the slender man and slung him over his shoulder the same way he’d carried the darbear’s hide. His captive stayed perfectly still as he was carried into the cave. This was rather surprising as he had expected him to kick and struggle. Most of them did. Setting his captive down beside the cage he stared into the man’s blue eyes. Cold and full of anger. It made him smile. Mage or not, he was helpless without his weapons or the ability to move his arms to aid the magic. “I will take this gag out so you are more comfortable, but if you start screaming, cursing or threatening me, I will put it back, understood?” The boy nodded his head but blue fire blazed in his eyes. Page 15

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An amused and very mocking smile curled his mouth as he untied the gag. He’s going to try me and learn his mistake. The boy licked his lips obviously trying to get saliva back into his mouth after the drying effect of the cloth. As he did so he glanced around the cave, eyes lingering on the wall that the water was hidden behind before they moved past it to some of the sculptures. The young mage frowned slightly. He untied the watermage’s legs and stood him up, pointing to the cage. “Walk or be carried, I don’t care which.” The boy sighed softly but walked into the cage and sat down. He’s planning something, but what I wonder? Probably thinks it’s a matter of waiting until he’s alone in the cage and I’m out of the room. Poor fool, he doesn’t realize that the instant the cage closes his magic will be useless to him. Grinning fierce as a lion, he closed the cage and touched the stone his own magic sealing the cage. “Turn around and I’ll untie your hands.” “Thank you.” The words were spoken in a very Page 16

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polite tone before the boy shut up again and did as he was told. He raised an eyebrow at the polite way the young mage was speaking to him. He’d heard this same boy screaming imprecations at his fellow clansmen, shouting at them as if he were some prince and his companions nothing more than servants. Oh yes, he’s got something planned, and he’s biding his time until he can act. A hard smile curled his mouth. Once I’ve sold him all that arrogance will end, they’ll whip him until he learns his place. That is if I don’t teach him how to behave first. He left the boy inside the cage and went into the cave with the pool to get out a thick slab of the darbear meat. He was hungry and some roasted meat would fill his belly. And if the boy in the cage behaved, he might give him a few bites. He put the meat on the rack over some firestones and dropped one of them into the pile to get them to light. They glowed and emitted Page 17

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heat, the meat starting to sizzle. The meat cooked quickly and he cut off a piece, shoved it onto a stone plate, the rim decorated with delicate flowers in yellow, and carried it to his captive. When he returned the boy ventured a question. “Did you make the animals?” “Yes,” he replied and shoved the plate through a slot at the bottom of the cage. The boy ignored the food as he continued to gaze at the sculptures. “They’re beautiful,” he said and smiled. “And now I know who you are.” His eyes narrowed. “Really?” he drawled the question. “And who is it that you think I am?” The boy picked up the plate and began to eat. “You’re Darksky once of the Stone Clan. Only he could have created these marvels in rock. You were legendary for this very skill.” “Never mention that name again! That man no longer exists!” he growled out and turned to leave, angry with himself because he normally avoided talking to his captives. Yet something about this brat-boy made him want to stay close, to talk to him. Page 18

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What foolishness. Your mind must be going soft. Getting old before your time on loneliness. But the boy wouldn’t shut up. “Part of him does on these very walls. So what do you call yourself ? Of course, you don’t have to call yourself anything do you? What I meant was what should I call you?” He turned and stalked to the cage, reached in and grabbed the young mage by the front of his furs, hauling him against the bars of the cage. Angry. He was angry with this whelp. Livid that the wretch knew who he was, had awoken the memories of a past he wanted to forget. “If you must speak to me address me as Master. That is all you’ll ever address anyone as once I’ve sold you to the City people.” The boy frowned. “That’s never going to happen,” he said with conviction. There was a faraway and somewhat speculative look in his eyes though. “The title of ‘master’ has to be earned. Do you honestly think an outlaw like yourself has earned it?” “Do you think the words of a brat like you means anything to me?” he asked and shoved the Page 19

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boy backward with enough force that he collided with the wall at the rear of the cage. “But you’ll learn soon enough that being a master isn’t a matter of what is earned or deserved. It’s a matter of power. And you will have none of that under your owners.” Laughing, the sound derisive, the man who called himself by no name left the cage room and took a seat by the glowing firestones to eat his own meal of darbear meat. The boy continued to eat his own portion, apparently unbothered by the circumstances he found himself in. He was silent until he’d finished eating the meat when he asked, “Why does the city want so many watermages? Do you know?” He ignored the question. He didn’t have an answer, nor did he particularly care why the City people wanted watermages. They paid him well for every one of them he brought and that was all he cared about. “Obviously not,” the brat said. “If I were you I’d have wanted to know. But then I guess you Page 20

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wouldn’t have any interest in any clan now. Not even your own, even though it’s dying.” Stone Clan dying? Serves them right for following that lackwit brother I once had. I told them he’d bring them to ruin with his fear of what makes us strong. Only a fool among fools fears the magic of their own people. But it didn’t matter. None of that mattered to him anymore. He was an outlaw and he no longer cared about anyone but himself. Maybe this time I’ll buy a woman and make a family. Yes, it’s time I had my own life and the money I get from this boy can give me that. With a plan in mind he finished his meal and cleaned the stone plate, fingers idly running over the flowers on the edge as he imagined the laughter of a child. Impossible. I don’t have a healer. What if she had trouble giving birth? And just that fast his plan was gone, like the rare canyon fog that sometimes filled those places that had standing pools of water. The watermage sat back against the stone wall Page 21

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of the cage and closed his eyes. “Do you ever get lonely?” he asked. “I know I do even in the middle of a clan.” “And with that sharp tongue of yours it’s no wonder,” he shot back at the boy. “Who’d want you the way you speak to everyone that crosses your path!” The blue eyes opened. “Oh, so you watch your victims for a while do you? As for who’d want me, several have asked to be my swordbrother.” “And you’ve treated them with nothing but scorn. Oh yes, I’ve watched. I’ve watched and have decided you were the one I would take because your clan can finally be at peace with you gone.” He cleaned the plate he’d used and put it away on a shelf he’d shaped from the living rock of the cave wall. The boy shifted uncomfortably and kicked his empty plate out of the cage. “When someone comes to me just so they can take a wife, yes, I treat them with scorn. None of them wanted me, just the power I could give them or to marry.” He was silent for all of a moment. “So, did all your Page 22

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victims have clans who were supposedly itching to be rid of them?” “Don’t paint yourself as the hero of the story, boy. I’ve heard how you speak to them, heard you shouting and cursing at the men who wanted you. And any man that comes to another with a prospective wife in tow is a man to cherish. Do you know how hard it is to find a swordbrother or to gain a wife?” He shook his head thinking how very much he would have welcomed a man for his swordbrother, especially one with a woman willing to be their wife ready to make a family with them. But as a man of the Stone Clan there had been no one with magic strong enough to bond with him, and no woman who would have him without a swordbrother. And now that he was called outlaw none, man or woman, would have him. “You’re a fool for refusing since those are the very things being a swordbrother and a man of any clan are about. Love, happiness and if you’re very blessed, children. “You were offered all of that and threw it away. That’s when I knew you were the right one Page 23

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to take. You don’t belong with a clan, you’re too self-important, too selfish and no one will miss you.” The boy huffed for a moment before going quiet again. Then he hugged his knees, suddenly looking like the child he still was mentally. “You’re right, none of them will bother to look for me. They’ll just help themselves to my things when I don’t return. I think even Windspinner, once he had his wife, would have let you take me. If he’d just come and offered himself…” He turned his face away. “They were offering themselves, boy. What do you think it means to be a swordbrother? Do you think it some game played by children? It’s a very serious matter between men,” he said. “The bond is forever. The man becomes your lover, your friend, the person who protects you and whom you protect. The man who hunts by your side, helps feed and clothe your children, and who cares for you when you’re sick or injured.” He picked up the plate the boy had kicked out of the cage. “If you’d had a swordbrother you’d have been safe from me. No one risks the vengeful fury of a swordbrother. Not even me.” Page 24

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“I know that,” the boy said sulkily. “And if it were just between men that would be fine. I don’t want a wife.” “Oh so you’re that way are you? Well you’ll do well enough in the City as you’ll not be allowed a woman anyway. Now get some sleep. It’s a long journey and I intend to get an early start.” He put the firestones to sleep by moving them apart under the grate and then went to his bed of thick furs that lay over a wide stone ledge he’d shaped for the purpose when he’d first taken over the caves as his home. How long has it been since I came here? Seven years? Ten? He honestly didn’t know, time was meaningless to a man like him, one with no clan and only the seasons to guide his life.

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Chapter Two Truce

Lakesinger didn’t get much sleep. All his stupidity was coming back to bite him. This Darksky had been right. Nobody in his clan would really care if he lived or died, was slave or free. He’d made too many enemies with his arrogance and sharp tongue. Now he would pay the price and become a slave in the city. Another watermage to add to their growing collection and he would probably be punished a great deal as he was anything but good slave material. He finally dozed off only to be woken by the sound of the wind howling outside the cave. A freak storm was blowing and it might just save him for now. He knew it could only be a reprieve having taken his captor’s measure. There was very little that Darksky would let him get away with. He’d already proved that, but water could wear away Page 26

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rock if given time and seemingly the weather was granting him some time. The glow of the firestones being brought to life told him that his captor had awakened, but if that hadn’t alerted him to the fact that the bigger man was on the move the blast of dust laden wind swirling into the cave as the door hide opened would have. A few moments later the big man rode in on the warcycle, his face concealed by a mask, eyes protected by goggles. He was caked with the fine powdery dust, from his black shaggy mane to the toes of his boots, the powdery stuff clinging to every curve and well defined line of the man’s muscular chest. He rode carefully through the cave where the cage stood, going slow which gave Lakesinger ample time to take in the man’s physique. The sled’s runners grated harshly across the stone floor. Lakesinger stared at the outlaw. There was a flicker of lust that ran straight to his groin as he wondered what it would be like to have all that strength straining against him. He banished the thought and fought to get his body back under control. Page 27

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Another powerful gust sent the thick hide door that led into the caverns flapping. It drove a thick burden of dust inside where it swirled and floated through the still air, the grit drifting down to cover everything, including Lakesinger in a clinging layer of dark brown. The man and the vehicle disappeared into another cave, the small lights on the sides of the warcycle vanishing in the depths of the caverns beyond the place where Lakesinger waited in his cage. The last glimpse Lakesinger got of the man was the broad expanse of his shoulders, and the wild tangle of his dark hair spilling down his back. Darksky returned, his goggles and dust mask gone, the parts of his face that hadn’t been protected from the storm were covered in clinging grime almost the natural color of his skin, a deep rich brown. The man glanced at him, then turned his gaze on the airborne mess settling over everything. Lakesinger’s belly did a flip-flop at the sight of him. He might be an outlaw and a bastard but he was a very attractive man. Page 28

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And one that is determined to sell you for whatever he can get. He slumped back down and closed his eyes not wanting to see the man. To be tempted by what he could never have. The man trudged past and not long after that the gust of dirt laden wind ceased, though the gale continued to roar with the fury of a fullblown blackstorm outside. “Won’t the City buy me if I’m smelly?” he asked. “They’d buy you stinking like a week old corpse and half dead besides. They don’t care, but I give fair trade for work. If you work, you can bathe. If not,” the man shrugged. “Enjoy your own stink, because by the time this storm ends and I drag you to the City you’ll reek.” “Such a wonderful host,” Lakesinger murmured. “I want to bathe so I’ll work. What do you want me to do?” The man he knew to be Darksky turned and walked toward the cavern which Lakesinger could sense held a pool of water. His captor returned after a while, his face clean, his hair Page 29

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dripping. He carried a stone pail complete with a twisted metal handle and a handful of rags. Setting them down he came to stand beside the cage, putting his hand on it he met Lakesinger’s gaze. “I want you to understand that if you use your magic against me, or give me any trouble I’ll hurt you. Like I said, they don’t care if you’re half dead when you arrive. So long as you’re breathing they’ve got healers to make sure you live.” The stone holding the cage closed melted away like a chunk of ice dropped on a pile of firestones. The cage swung open and Darksky stepped aside. “The dishes on the shelves over there need to be washed. Do that first.” The close proximity of the bucket of water was just too tempting for Lakesinger. A quick gesture tipped it, the water spraying under his command to soak Darksky. As attacks went it wasn’t much and there was nowhere he could run to but, if he could get to the water in the other cave he might be able to hold Darksky with ice. He tried to slip past the dripping man. Page 30

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Stone surged upward from the floor of the cave moving in a flow that mimicked water, the substance grabbing Lakesinger and wrapping around him solidifying and holding him captive. The tall man just stood there, dripping water from his attack, his tattoo covered arms folded over his chest, contempt in the hard stare, in the set of his mouth. “Little boy, you were warned.” Hell I think I just waved goodbye to bathing. What is he going to do I wonder? Lakesinger stared at his captor in some trepidation. For a stonemage with such a powerful physique he was terrifyingly quick. He tried for nonchalance that he was far from feeling and shrugged. “I had to try.” “No you didn’t. That was a test. If you’d played nice I might have taken you to another clan and sold you into slavery there. I don’t enjoy selling clanspeople to the City, I’d rather trade with my own kind, other clanspeople. But you’ve assured yourself the iron collar and chains of a slave in the City.” Page 31

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Darksky stepped closer, touched Lakesinger’s cheek. “You’re damn beautiful, and that makes you worth a lot more to the City people. Not only will your magic be put to use, so will this pretty mouth and that firm butt of yours. And they won’t ask, they’ll take.” The stone flowed along Lakesinger’s arms, forcing them together, binding his wrists to his waist. “But that’s the end result. The immediate result is the punishment I warned you about.” The man gripped his face, leaned closer until their foreheads were almost touching. “You’ve acted like a spoiled brat since I started watching you. I think it’s time you found out what happens to brats.” Lakesinger was genuinely appalled by Darksky’s words. Iron collar and chains? Constant rape? He shuddered, unable to hide his fear this time. Any punishment that his captor could mete out paled to insignificance against such a bleak future. And you only have yourself to blame, a small voice in his head was telling him. Page 32

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Solid rock moved as water, rising from the floor to form a seat. The outlaw ripped Lakesinger’s leather pants down to his lean thighs so that he was bare-assed. The man sat down, pulling Lakesinger across his lap. “I’m going to enjoy this because you deserve every bit of what you’re going to get for all the misery you’ve caused your people, but I assure you, Lakesinger, you aren’t going to like it one bit.” The man’s strong hand came down on his ass the resounding crack of flesh meeting flesh. Lakesinger’s eyes widened in shock and it was a second or two before he started to struggle, stunned as he was by this treatment. Nobody had laid finger on him since his father had been killed in battle when he was a boy. Well apart from the odd slap from his bitch of a mother. Meanwhile that strong hand had come down on the other cheek and he gasped aloud. He tried kicking but it did no good and his hands were attached to his waist by the damned stone magic this bastard was so adept at.

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A few more descents of that merciless hand and he was actually whimpering. “You will never treat anyone the way you’ve treated those men who wanted nothing but to be your swordbrother. They wanted your love and you gave them your scorn!” the man said, each word punctuated by a stinging slap of that hard merciless hand. Should I have lied then? Pretended a love I didn’t feel? But coherent thought flew away as the pounding on his sore ass continued. He did wonder when he’d be able to sit again but it was a vague thought and one he couldn’t cling onto when he was in so much pain. The tears were streaming down his cheeks and he could do nothing to stop them, could do nothing to stop the punishment. There was something else on the edge of his awareness but he was too dazed to grasp what it might be. The hand kept coming down, battering the flesh of his butt, awakening a fiery pain that felt like it went on for hours. Page 34

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He could hear his torturer’s rough breathing, felt the heat rising from the man’s body, through the furs and leather. He was finally shoved to the floor, his ass burning as if a bed of firestone rested on his skin. “Have you had enough?” the question came out in a low growl that had more in common with a darbear’s snarl than it did with a human voice. “Yes,” he managed to stammer out before letting his brow rest on the floor of the cave. It was so cool unlike his fiery ass. Why can’t I stop crying? I’ve endured worse pain than that when wounded. It’s not like I care about this bastard’s good opinion. And there it was, that nebulous something that he hadn’t been able to grasp. He did want Darksky’s good opinion and not just to save himself from slavery either. The man was earning his admiration even though he was treating him like something worth less than dirt. And that made no sense at all unless he admitted that he deserved the treatment. It was not a comforting thought. Page 35

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A hand closed on his jacket and he was pulled to a kneeling position, that hand moving from clothes to his hair, his head forced up so that he had to look at the stonemage. Dark eyes regarded him, the face stern, unforgiving. “Yes cry, cry the way the men you’ve refused so callously have cried. I know, I’ve seen them ride away from the camp of your clan, I’ve heard their weeping echo in the canyons and watched them waste the power of their magic in helpless frustration.” His hair was released. “Do you think they were after all that crap you have, all those things you coveted as payment for the use of your power? It was you they wanted, not the junk you have collected. Your possessions are worth nothing compared to a man willing to put up with your childish temper tantrums and endless self-centered demands.” The man leaned closer until their noses almost touched, his face twisted in sneering contempt. “You aren’t worth the pisswater of any of them.” The stone binding him flowed away, letting him go. He was shoved backward, the outlaw turning on his toes and striding away from Page 36

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Lakesinger showing in what low a regard the stonemage held him and his magic. He hates me and there’s nothing I can do about it. Not now, not since he’s seen so much without understanding. All those prospective swordbrothers and not one of them good enough for him. Not a damn one. The brat’s arrogance infuriated him. He clenched his fists and stalked away, a thought wrapping stone around the watermage’s upper body. Binding him with his butt exposed to the cold air, the leather pants he wore effectively restraining the young man’s legs. Undignified, the way he left him, but nothing the brat didn’t deserve. Seventeen years I’ve lived alone, wishing I had a swordbrother, a family, anyone to share my life with and he’s had offer after offer and refused them all. Every last one of them! Conceited, arrogant brat! That’s what he is! An arrogant spoiled brat. Well just let him try to act that way in the City. They’ll beat it out of him fast enough. Page 37

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An arrogant and spoiled brat of such beauty it made his breath catch and his heart beat with the rhythm of desire he could barely control. He picked up the bucket and carried it to the pool. The firestones he’d lit before still glowed, bathing the cave in soft light. He stared down into the water where his dim reflection looked back at him. The same hard lines of his face. Older. Every year adding to the stern set of his mouth, the basalt dark stare of eyes lifeless as the stone he shaped. Time had taken away the last vestiges of his youth leaving nothing but a hard, unyielding man behind. He dropped the bucket into the water so he wouldn’t have to see what he’d become. What he no longer was and would never be again. Outlaw. No longer part of any clan. Everything he had was here, and none of it was worth anything because there was no one to share it with. No one to laugh with. To hold. To make love with, to grow old with. Only the bland faces of stone animals for company and the lonely feel of his own hand Page 38

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when the need for release became more than he could bear. The watermage’s beauty pulled at him. Whispered to him of pleasure and companionship. Lies his mind told him to torment him. He’s a child. He’s older than you were when you were named outlaw, his own mind whispered. He’s arrogant, he countered. And you aren’t? I’m too old. Angry at himself for even thinking about the watermage as someone worth keeping he smashed his fist into the ground and watched the stone ripple in fluid waves. No he would sell this Lakesinger and be rid of him before the boy’s pretty face and firm ass became a trap. He’d sell Lakesinger to the first clan he found, or to the people in the City if he didn’t run into a clan on the way there. Picking up the bucket he returned to the cage Page 39

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room to start cleaning up the mess the blowing dirt had made of his normally clean dwelling. Lakesinger was still kneeling exactly where he’d left him. The tears had stopped but had left their tracks in the dirt on his face, showing the golden skin under the grit. “Do you want me to clean the plates?” he asked softly. The whisper flowed into his awareness, reaching his brain, heating his blood. Temptation. Desire rippling through him. He turned to stare at Lakesinger, forced his body to remain under control, iron will power clamping down on the lust trying to take hold of his flesh. His mouth went dry at the sight of the heated butt he’d left exposed. “You had your chance for that bath, and you lost it.” The place he’d sat to punish the younger man slumped into the floor, removing the reminder of that firm ass under his hand. A taller protrusion of rock rose beneath the bucket so he wouldn’t need to bend down to soak the rag. It spread into a stone table and turned fully solid. Page 40

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The boy sighed unhappily and stared down at the floor again. “I would do it even without the bath.” He looked up then. “And I would give you my word not to try anything.” He gave a harsh bark of laughter that oozed disdain. “Your word? After you tried to attack me you think I’ll just accept your word? Don’t be stupid.” “I hadn’t made you any promises when I attacked you, but if you wish to believe me an oathbreaker there is nothing further to be said.” Lakesinger turned himself round as best he could, considering he had to be in pain, and presented Darksky with his back. A sure sign he was offended. Darksky couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at his lips. Seeing the brat upset gave him a certain feeling that justice was, at long last, being served. “Ah but little oathbreaker, you claim to know who I am. If I’m the man you spoke of, then you well know what crime he is considered to be guilty of. And compared to oathbreaking attempted kinslaying is by far a greater crime,” he Page 41

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retorted. A casual gesture from him, the shimmer of power across his tattoos and the stone around the young mage’s arms poured away as sand which merged into the floor. “Get in your cage or help as you like. I don’t care.” And why didn’t you just stuff him back in his cage? For that matter why did you even offer to let him out to help when you knew he would attack you? You’re getting soft in the head, that’s what. Lakesinger fumbled with the leather of his pants, pulling them back over his hips with a slight wince as they touched his ass. He climbed slowly to his feet and hesitated. Then he moved towards the table and started cleaning the plates. “Be true to your word and I’ll consider letting you have that bath,” Dark murmured. He wasn’t quite sure why he was giving the watermage a second chance, other than the fact the younger man had already been punished and might welcome a soak in some cool water to sooth his battered behind. Page 42

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That leather he’s wearing must be painful over that sore butt of his. And what a nice butt it is too, so narrow and firm. He could still feel the soft skin of it on his palm. His cock twitched at the memory of having Lakesinger bare bottomed over his thighs. In retrospect he realized he’d stared at the watermage’s firm ass some part of his mind considering how it would feel to stroke his hands over that attractive behind rather than spank it. That leather he’s wearing must be painful with his butt so sore. I can leave him that way as a reminder, or I could give him something else to wear. Peering surreptitiously at the watermage and his pained expression he went to open a stone trunk by his bed. He took out a pair of light woven pants, the cloth a rich blue. He tossed them down on the table beside Lakesinger. Wearing those pants I won’t have to be reminded so much about what a nice ass he’s got. It’s a win/win situation. The boy looked up from the plate he was Page 43

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washing and stared at the pants. Then he looked up, frowning, obviously confused. The frown cleared and he nodded. “If I’m to be allowed to bathe I should wait till then to put them on.” Then the frown was back. “But if they’re for the benefit of the city people, wouldn’t it be better to wait until you take me there before you dress me in their clothes?” He didn’t look at the younger man. “They’re for the benefit of the butt I just beat. When you’re sold you’ll be sold in the skin you were born in, and nothing more than that. Now go wash off and put them on, your ass will thank you,” he remarked, his tone gruff as he pulled some bowls off a shelf and put them on the table. “These can wait. I’ll start something for breakfast.” Not sure what the hell he was doing anymore-the kid sure didn’t deserve the kindness he kept showing him-- he picked up a large metal skillet and headed for the stone box where he kept other edibles stored. Lakesinger shot him a wide-eyed look of pure surprise before gathering up the pants and Page 44

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heading towards the cave with the pool without another word. “The bathing pool is the shallow one to the left of the door,” Dark told the younger man as he rummaged around in the storage bin looking for the finely ground grain--flour they called it-he’d bought on his last trading mission to the City. He’d learned how to make flat cakes out of it and some water and a few eggs which he happened to have in a box inside the bin. He set the skillet down and asked himself yet again why in all hell he was being even remotely nice to the little brat. But he knew the answer. It’s his beauty. It’s hard to want to hurt something as damn attractive as he is, even for me. Damn I need to get him out of here, get him sold somewhere before I start thinking about keeping him. That’s the last damn thing I need to do, keeping a brat like him. And of course, he’d done just that even as he thought it was the thing he shouldn’t do, he realized he wanted to keep the watermage with his bright blue eyes and hair bright as sunlight. Page 45

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He blinked as he recalled the firm flesh of Lakesinger’s butt. A fine, very fuckable butt. One he had no intention of keeping, despite the lure of the man’s youthful beauty. A very fine ass indeed. He’ll bring a good price on the open market in the City. A better price than I’d get from any clan. Grinning, he headed for the pool. If he was going to sell him, he should get a good look at what was under those leathers and furs besides a perfect butt. You’ll be able to drive a harder bargain that way, he told himself. Clan or City, beauty is worth more than an ugly darbear of a man like me. When he reached the cave he found Lakesinger sitting in the bathing pool which was giving off steam. The boy blushed when he saw him and ducked his head. “I hope you don’t mind me heating the water, but I really hate cold baths. They never get you really clean the way hot water does.” He stared at the slender body, the lean lines of the young mage from the sweep of his shoulders Page 46

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to the expanse of his nicely defined chest down to the rippling abs. His eyes swept along the sleek thighs, but soon lifted, coming to rest on the smooth shape of the cock nestled in the spun sunlight of his pubic hair. He swallowed, forced himself to stop staring, to focus on the bright blush coloring Lakesinger’s cheeks. But it was no good. His blood hammered in his veins, pulsed in the hardening flesh between his thighs. Thought deserted him and he crossed the room, mind focused on one thing and one thing only: the beauty of that sleek body. Dark virtually pounced on Lakesinger as he dropped to his knees by the pool and captured the perfect slim body in his arms. Dark set his mouth to the younger mage’s in a demanding kiss. The boy went completely still beneath him for a moment or two then, to his surprise, wet arms snaked round his neck and the kiss was returned with an equal amount of demand and even more passion. Part of him commanded that he stop, but the louder part wanted to pick the young mage Page 47

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up, carry him to bed and show him why being a swordbrother was a desirable state of being. Instead he shoved the watermage into the bath he’d made for himself and stood there gazing at him, taking in the young masculine body and the upthrust cock that proved what he’d done hadn’t gone unnoticed by Lakesinger. He wanted, needed. Instead of taking Dark turned away. “That’s something else for you to think on, boy,” he growled and stalked for the exit. There was a soft groan behind him and a murmured, “Oh gods.” Darksky smirked, but the satisfied expression quickly faded. He’d kissed the brat. What had he been thinking? He had no intention of keeping the boy, none. And yet... the feel of the watermage’s lips on his lingered, as did the throbbing ache of his arousal. Apparently they both had a few things to think about.

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Chapter Three Unexpected Development

Lakesinger stayed in the bathing pool for some considerable time. He could hear his captor moving about in the other cave, the sounds of metal pots and pans clattering. He could smell food cooking, the aroma of meat and something else that he couldn’t identify. Not that he was thinking much about the food. His mind was going round in circles. Why did he kiss me? He hates me, considers me oathbreaker and spoiled brat yet he kissed me. Why kiss me if he’s going to sell me? If he just wants my body why kiss me at all? His hand rose to his mouth where he could still feel the kiss, burning like firestones on his lips. But there was no pain only disturbing yet pleasurable sensation. If one of the clan had ever kissed me like that I would have a swordbrother by now. But they never showed me anything but deference and a desire to please. It never occurred to any of them Page 49

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to simply take what they wanted, that I needed someone who could…could what? Control me? Had that been why he’d been so hurtful towards them all? He could have turned them away more politely than he had. Had he simply seen them as too weak? And that brought his thoughts neatly back to the man in the other cave. Darksky was strong, quite capable of controlling him as that beating had proved, and yet his sculpture suggested the soul of an artist, an artisan. He hadn’t lied when he’d told him his skills were legendary. But he couldn’t sit in here all day. He had to face the man again. “If you’re done wallowing around in there, the food’s hot,” that deep voice boomed, echoing through the cavern. Lakesinger rose to his feet and climbed out of the pool letting the water cool again. He dried himself with a coarse piece of woven cloth that seemed to be there for that very purpose and climbed into the blue pants he’d been given. His leather vest and fur jacket followed and he made his way back to the main cave. Page 50

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There were some strange looking flat cakes that smelled good and some thin slices of grilled meat on the table and he smiled. “Looks and smells good,” he said. “Eat,” the man told him gruffly as two seats formed from the sandy floor. Cautiously he perched on one of the rock seats. It was a little uncomfortable but the warm water had done much to ease the sting and the soft woven pants were soothing against his skin. He tried one of the flat cakes and smiled at the taste. “What is this? It’s really good!” “I learned to make it from some people in the City, they call them griddle cakes and they serve them with sweet syrup or jam, but I don’t have either of those,” Darksky told him. He went and got some furs from his bed and put one over his seat before offering the other one to Lakesinger without saying a thing. Darksky didn’t say anything about their encounter in the bathing pool, but his eyes kept roving over Lakesinger, reminding him of a lion contemplating helpless prey. He started piling food on his plate taking a Page 51

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stack of the cakes and several large slices of the grilled meat. “It’s goat, I hunted it the day before yesterday so eat as much as you want, anything that’s left has to be thrown away.” Lakesinger took the proffered fur while eyeing the larger man. “Thank you.” He spread it on his seat before helping himself to some of the meat. “You actually throw food away?” he asked. It was unheard of in his clan. “And what is syrup or jam?” “Unfortunately, yes I throw food away. Even I can’t eat a whole goat before it spoils.” Dark took a bite and chewed, and swallowed then answered the rest of Lakesinger’s question, “Syrup is sweet thick liquid, I don’t know how it’s made. Jam is a special way of cooking fruit with sugar. Sugar is sweet brown or white granules that look like sand but aren’t.” Dark shook his head. “Enough talking, eat.” And there it was again, that same gruff, snarling tone the man kept using. Lakesinger listened, fascinated. “This sweet stuff, sugar, it must come from one of the crops Page 52

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they grow.” He sighed. “If we could just get enough water above ground without it freezing, in one of the canyons, say, we could grow crops too.” That set his quick mind off on another tangent. “Do the city people deliberately want to keep us on the edge of existence?” The big man shot him a hard look but didn’t answer him, he just shoved a piece of meat into his mouth and chewed. Sighing slightly, Lakesinger applied himself to eating his own meal, surprised by just how hungry he was. It’s probably no use talking to him about what might help the clans. After what happened to him he probably has no use for any clan. And he’s not much for talking anyway. He finished his meal in silence, not wanting to anger his captor any further. His thoughts kept returning to the strange scene in the bathing pool and the searing kiss the man had given him. Dark got up from the table. “You clear the dishes when you’re done. I’ve got work to do. Page 53

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Scrape the left over food into the rubbish bin next to the cooking fire.” The man headed toward the back of the caves. He paused. “Try not to do anything stupid. I don’t feel like beating your ass again so soon. And I don’t suggest you try leaving. That’s a full fledged blackstorm out there, and even if you wanted to leave you couldn’t, I’ve sealed most of the cave opening.” Dark left him then, vanishing into the back where he’d ridden the warcycle. Well I guess trust is still out of the question. It surprised Lakesinger how mournful that particular thought made him feel. He cleaned off the plates as instructed and washed them, heating the water slightly so as to clean them off quicker. He wasn’t sure where they all went so he left them stacked neatly on the table. Once all that was finished and the bucket of dirty water placed as near to the doorway as he wanted to get with the wind howling the way it was he went in search of the big man. Page 54

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He was curious as to what was further back in the cave system anyway. Lakesinger found Darksky wiping dirt from his warcycle, the big machine layered in clinging dust and sand. The bed of the sled attached to it was half filled with dirt. “Do you want any help? I’ve cleaned up the breakfast things.” Dark eyes lifted to his face, a frown creasing Darksky’s brow. “Get one of the empty buckets from the cave and find one of the shovels in the back corner of the same cave. You can use those to get the dirt out of the sled. Bring me another bucket of water, this is already too dirty to keep using.” Lakesinger nodded and headed back to the water-filled cavern. He found several empty buckets there and marvelled anew at Darksky’s control of his magic. Even the simple things he makes, like buckets and shovels, are works of art. He picked up one of the buckets and filled it with water which he heated and took back to his captor before returning for a second bucket Page 55

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and a shovel. He went back to the sled and began scooping the dry dust into the bucket. There was no point in wetting it or it would take on the consistency of concrete. The stoneshaper came around to the side of the warcycle where Lakesinger was working, the rag he was using kicking up a cloud of dust as he wiped the cycle clean. The man turned around, and bumped into Lakesinger, those enigmatic dark eyes coming to rest on his face. Sudden as a blackstorm, he was grabbed by the upper arms, Darksky’s mouth closing on his in another of those mind-searing kisses. The watermage knew he should struggle but instead his arms went round the big man as if they belonged there and he returned the kiss with equal passion. What’s happening to me? This Darksky captured me, intends to sell me to the highest bidder, beat me, yet I can’t get enough of his kisses. A warm shimmer of light rose around them, soft brown almost like glowing dust blended Page 56

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with the pale greens of the watermage’s own energies. Darksky shoved him backward, stood there eyes wide with disbelief. He shook his head, long hair waving violently as if tossed by a violent wind. Motes of power, soft greens and rich golden brown, floated in the air between them. “By all that’s holy,” the man’s deep voice murmured as he held out one of his broad hands and caught a green mote of light on his palm, visibly shuddering as it sank into his skin. Lakesinger’s eyes widened in disbelief but still he reached out for the soft brown of the earth energies swirling around them, mixing with his own. It can’t be the bond, it can’t and yet… He took a long lingering look at Darksky as it finally sank in that he’d been attracted to the big man ever since he’d killed the darbear, that his soul, his power had weighed the rockmage and found him strong enough to bond with. Is this what I’ve been searching for? Page 57

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But Darksky had pushed him away. The older man stared at him, the creases in his forehead back, expression that of intense thought. He stepped close to Lakesinger, reached up and touched his cheek with the tip of a finger, the contact raising a tingle in Lakesinger’s skin. A shivery tingle that sang with power. Magic unleashed. A bond ready to be made. Those dark eyes showed the same wide eyed wonder that he’d first seen when Darksky stepped away from him just a few dozen heartbeats ago. “Your beauty drew me, but your tongue repelled. Yet I find myself attracted to you, pulled by this,” he bent in and kissed Lakesinger’s lips and the power of their souls answered, touching the way their lips touched. The watermage didn’t know what he should say to that so he let his soul answer for him, the pale green of his energies intensifying into stronger aqua, then deep turquoise and finally a strong viridian, the color of the deepest oceans. The warm colors of earth, rich brown and rusty red, soft creamy golds like the sands of Page 58

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some canyons mingled with the viridian hue of Lakesinger’s magic. Strong arms pulled him into a tight embrace, Darksky’s lips closing over his, tongue probing his lips seeking entry. Lakesinger’s mouth opened as if it were the most natural thing in the world, letting Darksky in, savoring the taste of him, drawing him in, wrapping the stonemage in his blue-green power while being wrapped in the soft earth tones in his turn. A deep bass groan rumbled down Lakesinger’s throat as Darksky’s hands moved, one to grip a butt cheek the other to the nape of his neck to hold him still for the kiss. The glow around them brightened, brown and viridian, gold and intense aqua mingling. Darksky didn’t break the kiss as he lifted Lakesinger, sweeping him up and carrying him to the raised platform on which his bed furs lay. Lakesinger was placed on the bed, the man’s dark gaze taking him in, power swirling around them. “Mine. Do you understand? You are mine and you’ll never belong to anyone else. I’ll never let you go, Lakesinger.” Page 59

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The possessive words and the man’s strong body thrilled Lakesinger to his core. He smiled up at Darksky. “That’s exactly what I want. I’ve finally found what I was searching for. I am yours and you are mine, forever.” He said no more, somehow knowing that his feelings didn’t really matter at this moment and talk of love to his strong and silent companion would be treated with contempt. No more than you deserve, that annoying small voice was telling him. Perhaps to shut the small voice up or perhaps to make sure that Darksky didn’t change his mind, Lakesinger pulled on the big man’s hair and kissed him, putting every ounce of desire he could muster into that kiss. Darksky slid his tongue deep into Lakesinger’s mouth, thrusting the way he longed to thrust another part of his body into the heat of the watermage’s perfect ass. He gripped the young mage’s shoulders getting onto the bed, pinning Lakesinger there with his greater size. Darksky’s tongue delved into the sweet mouth, claiming it, claiming the younger Page 60

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mage, tongue moving in passion’s fevered dance. The hardness of a cock pressed to his thigh proof enough that his desire was mirrored by the watermage. He brought the kiss to an abrupt stop, rose up and gazed down at the too beautiful face with its sensuous mouth, lust hot blue eyes and wild spill of golden hair. Groaning at the lust raging through his veins, a need unlike anything he’d ever known in his three plus decades of life, Darksky tore at the closures of Lakesinger’s jacket, wanting to touch that creamy skin, to set his mouth to the amber nipples and mark the arch of his throat to prove that the mage was his. But the watermage was turning out to be anything but a passive lover, tearing at his clothes, writhing under him and returning his kisses with a passion and need to match his own. Darksky threw the fur jacket aside bending down to kiss Lakesinger, their mouths meeting in a breathless exchange of desire, the dance of magical energies brightening around them. Lakesinger’s hands had managed to remove Page 61

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Dark’s jacket by this time and were now scrabbling at the laces of his pants. He took both of Lakesinger’s wrists in one hand and shook his head. “No. I will tell you when you can have that, and you aren’t ready,” he stated before pinning both of the watermage’s hands over his head, stone slipping from under the furs to solidify around his wrists to keep his hands there. The glow of released magic spun in a lazy whirl around them, tiny glittering motes dancing, green with brown, some of them brushing along the walls of the cave, sinking into the stone. Dark grinned and sat back on his heels to look at his captive. “Mine. And you will be mine in every way, Lakesinger. Mine by the bond of swordbrothers, and even if you decide to refuse me, I’m not going to listen. You belong to me now, understand? I expect an answer.” Lakesinger grinned back before his expression became solemn and serious and he spoke the formal words of acceptance. “I accept your offer of the bond of swordbrothers and all that comes with it. In return I will add my power and magics to yours in peace or battle.” Page 62

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A blush colored his pretty face as he added, “Do with me as you will. I’m yours.” Dark knelt there gazing down at the man in his bed. “By my oath and by magic I take you as my swordbrother, mine to protect, mine to love,” he replied then grinned. “And mine to spank if you need it.” Far from the angry outburst he was expecting, Lakesinger’s blush deepened and he squirmed against him. Dark’s grin widened. Well now, either he’s been in need of someone to dominate him, or maybe he enjoys a touch of pain to leaven his pleasure. Maybe he wants both. If so I’m more than willing to oblige on either count, or both if he truly enjoys such games. It’s worth a bit of a test. “So you understand what will happen if you wield that shrill tongue of yours on me the way you plied it on your former suitors don’t you?” he questioned, “And I suspect you liked some aspects of that spanking didn’t you?” He touched Lakesinger’s lips, brushed his fingertips over them then trailed them slowly Page 63

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down, over the man’s chin, along his throat, over the sleek planes of his chest to the rippled muscles of his abdomen. Stopping at the waistband of the blue cloth pants he wore, Dark licked his lips and regarded the younger man, watching the desire building with every touch. The loose fitting pants did nothing to hide the erection straining at the closure of the fabric. The watermage arched into his touches, moaning softly, eager for more. “I enjoyed the fact that I finally found someone who was strong enough to tame me,” he said softly. “None of those others would have had the strength or the courage to win my love.” Dark heard the words and understood what the younger mage had wanted all along. He hadn’t desired a man who asked, he wanted someone with enough courage to take. The stone binding Lakesinger to the bed flowed away and he grabbed the younger man, pulling him into his embrace, his mouth covering Lakesinger’s in a kiss that showed him he didn’t ask for what he wanted, he took it. He’d taken Lakesinger from his clan with the Page 64

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intention of selling him. Now that the bond of swordbrothers had awakened between them he had no intention of selling him, or returning him to his former clan. He wouldn’t go back even to get any of the vaunted possessions the mage had accumulated. They had everything they could ever want right here. And now Dark had the one thing he hadn’t been able to buy: a swordbrother. He broke the kiss, a hand wrapped in Lakesinger’s long golden hair. At the corner of his eye he could see the magical glimmerings spinning around them. Rough and dominating, he shoved the younger man down on the bed, the stone claiming hold of his wrists, binding Lakesinger to the bed. He got up, stalked across to the larder, opened the bin and rummaged around, returning with a small stone jar which he set down at the head of the bed. Grinning he took off Lakesinger’s boots and his own, then reached for the blue pants covering the rest of the slender mage’s body. Lakesinger lifted his hips off the bed to aid in Page 65

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the removal of the woven pants. He had made no protest at his rough handling apart from an occasional moan that was not one of pain. Dark stood there taking in the masculine beauty of his lover. Arms over his head, face flushed with passion, his erect cock rising from curls of spun gold, long firm thighs: youthful perfection. Mine. He’s mine. He shivered at the caress of cool water magic across his senses, the touch further inflaming his desires. Magic drawing them together. Pulling them toward the final conclusion, the consummation of a swordbrother’s bond. But not yet. Lakesinger wasn’t ready for that. He wasn’t ready for it. He got onto the bed platform and lay down across Lakesinger, letting the smaller man feel his strength in the weight of his body, the size of him. He was a good head taller than the other man, and weighed a good deal more than the sleek watermage. But there was strength and power in that smaller body too. The younger Page 66

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man no less a warrior despite his lighter build and smaller stature. Darbear and lion. Both powerful beasts. Warriors of the animal world as they were warriors of the human world. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured and kissed the side of Lakesinger’s throat, tongue laving the golden skin. Even his color was that of a lion. All but his eyes which were a warm enticing blue like the deep pool of an oasis. “So are you,” was whispered back at him, “strong, powerful and dark like a darbear.” “That’s what the City people call me, Darbear.” He nipped the perfect skin of Lakesinger’s neck. “But I think I should be Darksky man of no clan. Darbears live alone, and swordbrothers do not.” He ran his tongue down Lakesinger’s neck. “And since you remind me of a lion, it’s right that you have your own lion family, even if it is just an old scarred up darbear.” Lakesinger smiled at the comparison even as he shivered at the touch of Dark’s tongue. “A lion has to be better than a poisonous dreadcat which is what I’d have expected you to compare Page 67

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me to.” He moved his head slightly, giving Darksky better access to his neck which Darksky took instant advantage of, his lips latching onto the soft skin, mouth sucking, tongue rolling. Dark’s body was afire, the power of his magic rising as if he were calling upon it to work a massive amount of stone. But for all the browns and creams and orangereds that appeared around them, there was an equal amount of viridian and turquoise and the lighter, softer aqua. Lakesinger raising as much of his own water magic to greet the stone of Dark’s own power. Magic’s meeting in a bond of equals. Darksky worked the mark into his lover’s skin, the first visible step in making the younger man his. The least of the steps but the one that proved beyond question that Lakesinger was his. He admired the purpled bruise, smiling at Lakesinger, touching it with his hand and smiling at the contrast of gold and angry violet. “Mine,” he murmured and lowered his mouth to capture his lover’s, his tongue thrusting inside and withdrawing to dart inward again. Page 68

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His lover gave a soft moan but his lips and mouth were welcoming, his actions submissive, yet demanding at the same time. He ended the kiss to ask, “Tell me what you want, Lakesinger. I don’t think you’re a virgin, few warriors your age are. Tell me what do you like best? Is it being sucked, or being fucked?” Lakesinger gave him a cheeky grin in reply. “Actually I’m more used to doing the fucking,” he said, “although I do realize that’s out of the question right now.” He sobered his eyes warm with desire. “I like being sucked but I want to be fucked.” “Then you’ll get what you want,” Dark replied as he kissed his way along his lover’s throat, moving down to take an amber nipple between his teeth, savaging it gently. “I know,” Lakesinger gasped. There was no fear in his voice. Dark pinched Lakesinger’s other nipple with his fingers, rolling the small nub, his tongue flicking over the other one. The watermage’s soft cries were maddening, sending pulses of molten heat to his balls. Page 69

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“Dark, oh gods, that feels good,” Lakesinger said before moaning again. “Like that do you?” Dark asked, his lips teasing the tiny bit of erect flesh. He pressed his thigh between Lakesinger’s legs, leather against needing flesh, his own erection throbbing. He wanted nothing more than to sink himself to the root into the younger mage. Patience, patience, he schooled himself, locking his lust in the iron grip of his implacable will. He had Lakesinger, and the man would be his, but he didn’t have to rush it. Nor did he want to rush it because he was enjoying the sounds Lakesinger was making. Soft gasps and moans of delight that greeted every touch of his mouth or hand. Grinning he kissed his way lower, dipping his tongue into the dip of Lakesinger’s bellybutton. He was rewarded by Lakesinger’s body arching and thrashing beneath him. “Want you, want you, want you,” the watermage sang out. Dark grinned at the singsong begging of the younger man. He kissed his way lower, following the hard edge of a hipbone, changing the route Page 70

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and kissing his way to an inner thigh. His mouth latched on and sucked, tongue rolling over the big muscle, tasting the tender skin, his warm breath flowing over Lakesinger’s balls. The watermage’s moans turned to whimpers and he kept repeating, “Please, please, please.” “Are you in a hurry? Too bad if you are, because I’m not.” Darksky teased as he kissed his way closer to Lakesinger’s balls. He blew gently over the burning hot skin, watched as the flesh contracted. Grinning he gripped the underside of Lakesinger’s thighs and pushed upward, spreading them wide at the same time, exposing his lover’s groin. He crouched down and took Lakesinger’s scrotum into his mouth, flicking over the sac with his tongue, rolling the balls gently in his mouth. “Oh you bastard,” Lakesinger muttered but there was no venom in the words. They sounded more like endearments. Then he returned to his whimpers and moans. Darksky chuckled, sure the vibration would get the watermage either moaning or cursing. Page 71

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He rolled the man’s balls in his mouth, each gasp or moan imparting a wealth of knowledge as he learned the places that pleasured Lakesinger most from the cries he made. The watermage’s head thrashed from side to side, his moans loud enough to echo through the caves. Letting Lakesinger’s balls go, he nuzzled them gently, then moved up, running the very tip of his tongue up the underside of the watermage’s erect cock. “Oh gods,” Lakesinger cried out. “Dark please stop torturing me!” He chuckled, but ignored Lakesinger’s pleading, his tongue stroking slowly down the same path. “You really are a bastard!” Darksky laughed and kept on with the light touches of his tongue to Lakesinger’s erection, finally making it to the head he engulfed it sweeping his tongue over it before letting it go and sitting up to grin wicked intent at the watermage. Page 72

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Lakesinger eyed him warily. He leaned closer and blew over the damp head of Lakesinger’s cock.

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Chapter Four Bond

Lakesinger scowled up at his tormentor, longing for Dark to sink his cock into his very willing body. “I know you hate my guts but will you please stop teasing me? Either suck me or fuck me. I really don’t care which it is anymore.” Darksky stopped what he was doing and let go of Lakesinger’s legs. “Hate you? What the hell would make you think something as stupid as that?” He gestured to the wild display of lights whirling around them, the streams of earth and water magic glowing in the air. “If I hated you this would not be happening. You don’t make a man you hate your swordbrother!” All Lakesinger’s insecurities came to the forefront and made his conscience itch. “But you said such things about me and you were right. I was appallingly rude to those men.” He glanced round at the swirling and brightly glowing energies. “Or do you have to tease me Page 74

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because of this? Can’t I be allowed to hold you at least?” Aren’t swordbrothers supposed to be equals? Yet here I am, bound by Dark’s magic as if I’m still his captive. The stone binding him flowed away and Dark held his arms out. “Hold me if that’s what you want.” Lakesinger almost leapt into Dark’s arms, snuggling against him and breathing deeply of his unique scent to reassure himself. He calmed when those strong arms closed round him and leaned his head against the bigger man. “Why me? I’m such a child compared to you.” “Yes you are a child compared to me. A spoiled rotten one.” Darksky kissed him, then asked, “And why not you? You’re beautiful, powerful enough to match my magic. And, more to the point, I’m not going to take any shit from you, unlike those little boys who offered everything but what you really needed.” Lake stared at the stonemage. “You did Page 75

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understand. The way you spoke I thought you deemed me worthless.” “I never thought you were worthless. If I had I wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble of kidnapping you. Worthless people don’t fetch a good price from anyone, Clan or City. And yes, I do understand you. I understand you very well, Lakesinger. Your reactions to everything I’ve done, combined with two months of watching you have told me a lot. It took that spanking to show me exactly what you needed from a lover. But if the magic hadn’t awakened between us I wouldn’t have done anything about it.” He grinned and caressed Lakesinger’s face. “Well, maybe not.” Lake kissed the big, dark man that knew him so well and so instinctively, that he was growing to love so much. To love the way he could never have loved the others who had approached him. Suddenly he wasn’t afraid anymore. He could accept what his magic was telling him so strongly and give himself to his swordbrother completely. “Do whatever you will with me. I won’t fight you.” Page 76

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Laughing, the big man stated, “You’d better not. That would earn you a damn good spanking!” Darksky’s mouth closed over his in a kiss that demanded he yield himself, the tongue darting into his mouth, sliding along his tongue, the man’s arms tightening around him possessing and inescapable. Lakesinger hugged his huge darbear of a man, yielding his mouth and all that he was to Darksky. Darksky’s hands roamed over Lakesinger’s back, gripped his butt and kneaded it. He was being kissed breathless, and the glow of the magic energies around them brightened. The kiss ended, Darksky’s lust heated gaze felt like it burned his skin. “I want you Lakesinger. I want you in ways I never thought I’d want anyone. I want to give myself to you. Body, magic and soul, we’ll belong to one another,” that deep voice murmured sending chills along Lakesinger’s spine and a pulse of desire to his groin. And the words it spoke were both irrevocable Page 77

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and the truth and they thrilled him to the very core of his being. “Yes,” he whispered, “body, magic and soul.” But Lake was getting tired of waiting and he chuckled suddenly while falling back on the bed, using the energies to bring the big man with him. “So now prove it!” “Oh it’s proof you want is it?” Darksky’s smile had an edge to it, a challenge lurked in the twist of his lips. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll fuck you and you try not to scream or cum. First one who screams has to suck the other off next time. First one to cum gets bound so he can’t come so easily next time.” Lakesinger’s eyes widened and a truly wicked grin appeared. “I accept the challenge,” he said. “So do your worst.” Darksky grinned. “Remember you said that, little man,” he teased capturing Lakesinger’s mouth as he lay him down on the bed. Lakesinger’s legs came off the bed and wrapped round Darksky’s waist while his arms snaked round his neck and he returned the kiss with as much passion and aggression as the bigger man. Page 78

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The man’s laugh boomed through the caverns, the sound rough, raw with desire. “This would work better if my pants were off, don’t you think?” “You’re right, of course,” Lakesinger said. “I did try to get rid of the damned things earlier but you wouldn’t let me remember?” As he spoke his hands were busy with the laces holding Dark’s soft leather pants. He pushed them down over the man’s hips and licked his lips at what he found beneath them. “You’re big all over,” he said happily and smiled. Darksky smirked. “You finally noticed did you?” he asked, his tone carrying a teasing note. He grabbed Lakesinger’s hips and pulled one leg over his shoulder. “Now you’re sure you’re ready for this, right?” Lake cocked his head to one side as he thought about that then he smirked. “Well some of that oil you dug out earlier might help a little.” “That’s not what I meant,” Darksky replied as he picked up the jar. He opened the top and poured a little of the oil into his hand before Page 79

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setting the jar down on a projection of stone that slid out of the wall within his reach. A wicked smile curling his lips, Dark dribbled some of the oil into the crack of Lakesinger’s ass. Nudging the tight ring of muscle gently, the tip of his finger touching but not pushing inward, he raised an eyebrow. “Sure you’re ready for this?” Lakesinger nodded frantically in agreement before frowning slightly. He needed to know something about the rules. “Do moans and groans count as screams?” he asked. “Hmmm.... I’ll say no mostly because I don’t want you to feel you have to be quiet.” Darksky claimed his mouth, kissing Lakesinger until he was dizzy for lack of air. The finger kept probing, touching, until the barest tip penetrated the tight ring of muscle. Ending the kiss, Dark murmured, “I’m going to fill this tight little ass of yours and fuck you until you can’t think.” Lakesinger made a little sound of appreciation into the kiss, a long “Mmmm,” of pure pleasure. He wanted so much to impale himself on that questing finger but knew, if he was to have any Page 80

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chance at all of winning the challenge, it would be best to pace himself to Dark’s speed. The big man’s finger slid inward slow and gentle, the tip brushing firmly over the right place to send a jolt of pleasure from Lakesinger’s prostate. He broke away from the kiss to gasp but whether it was from lack of air or the intense sensations running through his body, he wasn’t sure. He began to wonder if he could win this challenge after all. Inside him the finger withdrew, then slid home unerringly stroking the right spot again. “I think you like this, don’t you my pretty boy?” Darksky asked. The finger pulled out and when it returned it had a companion, the pair of fingers stretching him. Lakesinger smiled up at the man who would be his companion for life if their dancing energies were anything to go by. “Yes, it does feel good,” he said, the words distracting him slightly from the intense pleasure. He was not going to lose the challenge, well not this soon. Those big fingers moved inside him, the pace a Page 81

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torment of too slow and not quite deep enough to fully satisfy. Lake gritted his teeth and endured the lack of stimulus, concentrating instead on the swirling energies around them, watching as they danced. “If this is hurting you, then my cock is going to be too much for you to take,” Darksky warned him. His expression conveyed concern and he stopped the slow thrusting of his fingers, withdrawing them, a frown replacing the smile he wore. He stared up at the bigger man in confusion. What was he talking about? “Hurting me? No, I’m just trying to resist the urge to impale myself on your fingers, to make it faster and harder.”” “Ah,” Darksky replied, the worry vanishing as the big man’s smile returned. “The look on your face had me a bit worried there, but I see my mistake. You’re just trying to win the bet.” The man grinned. “Keep trying, but you have to accept the fact that you aren’t going to win. Lake saw the muscles in the man’s arm bunch and the fingers drove into him, in a harder thrust Page 82

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that sent sensation blazing to his brain from the touch against his prostate. He gasped out his pleasure at the touch before muttering, “So are you, it seems and I’m made of sterner stuff than you might think.” The fingers moved, unerringly catching his prostate every time and he moaned in appreciation. Darksky tipped his head to one side watching Lakesinger with a speculative gleam in his eyes and a slight smirk on his lips. “Yes, I think it might just be time.” He removed his fingers for a moment. When they returned there were three fingers stretching Lakesinger’s entrance, dipping in then sliding out at a maddeningly slow pace. Lake hissed at the sensation of being so completely filled but knew it had to be done if he was to have any chance of taking all of Dark’s huge cock. Once he got used to it he began to enjoy again. “Feels good,” he said. “You’re sure? My cock is about this size,” Darksky informed as the fingers of the Page 83

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stonemage’s hand rubbed across Lakesinger’s prostate. That elicited another small groan from his lips but he still smiled. “Oh good,” he said. “And yes, I’m sure. It took a little getting used to but it’s fine now.” There was a little trepidation in him though, as Dark’s cock looked to be somewhat longer than his fingers were. “Let’s get to what you’ve been waiting for then.” Darksky removed his fingers and let Lakesinger’s leg down. He picked up the oil and offered it, “You oil my cock. I want to feel your hand on me.” Lake took the oil, tipped a good quantity of it into his palm and put the jar aside. He rubbed his hands together, spreading the oil before taking Dark’s cock in his hands and coating it very thoroughly. He applied just enough pressure as he did so and was sure to run his hands up and down the length of it several times. Darksky groaned from the touch, then he pulled Lakesinger into his arms the big man’s Page 84

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mouth capturing Lake’s for a need driven kiss. Another groan of pleasure rumbled up from his broad chest as Lake continued to stroke the man’s cock. Pleased beyond words that he’d drawn such a response from the big man, Lake returned the kiss without stopping the movements of his busy hands. The energies around them brightened even further, swirling faster and faster until they were moving too swiftly to be seen with the naked eye and so intertwined it was impossible to see where blue-green ended and brown-gold began. Dark pinned Lakesinger to the bed, the passion of their kiss increasing, the big man moaning, hips rolling with the motion of Lake’s grip on Dark’s erection. “So good,” Darksky murmured as he broke the kiss. His breathing had gotten ragged, and he lowered his head, the stonemage lightly nipping his lips before Dark’s tongue darted into his mouth to taste him. Dark eyes alight with lust, Dark pulled away. “I want you, Lakesinger, I want to sheathe myself Page 85

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in you and fuck you until you beg for mercy and I let you come.” Lake gazed up at him, eyes heavy-lidded as the lust coursed through his body. Gods but the big man was everything he’d ever wanted, strong, powerful, and well…big. He felt safe and cherished but still he couldn’t resist teasing. “Don’t just talk about it, do it,” he challenged with a smirk. Dark rolled over onto his back, dragging Lakesinger on top of him. “Well then let go of my cock and put it where you want it, little boy,” he teased as he released Lakesinger from his tight embrace. Lake was somewhat surprised to be on top of Dark, but it didn’t even cross his mind to try turning things around and fucking the stonemage. Not when he wanted that huge cock inside of him, wanted to ride it. He reached round with his hand and gripped the root of Dark’s cock again but this time he guided it to the entrance of his body. He let himself sink slowly down on it. A little discomfort as the head slipped in but nothing Page 86

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to make him do more than gasp. He wanted this too much to be afraid. Dark grinned at him, a rumble of enjoyment sounding from him, a deep throated sigh of pleasure mixed with a chuckle. “Gods but you’re tight.” “Well what did you expect? I’ve never been fucked before.” Lake’s tone was totally matter of fact. “You... WHAT?” Dark roared as his cock slid deeper into the tight heat. He found such a statement difficult to believe. Sure Lakesinger had said he’d done all the fucking, but Dark had thought it a joke. Why he wasn’t sure though. He’d seen the almost cringing deference the men of Lake’s former clan invariably used when they approached him. It stood to reason not one of them had ever tried to fuck Lakesinger. Especially when you took his arrogance and sharp tongue into consideration. Having such a big cock had been a blessing and a curse for Dark. It attracted lots of lovers to his bed, but not all of them had been able to accommodate the width of his erection. Page 87

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His cock was big for a virgin’s ass, yet.... his erection was more than halfway into Lakesinger who showed no sign of pain. Quite to the contrary, he found the passion lighting Lakesinger’s beautiful face showed he was enjoying what they were already doing. “I told you, I’ve always done the fucking before. You honestly believe I could have let any of them do this to me?” Lakesinger’s eyes took on a faraway look before they focused again and he grinned. “But this is much more fun!” “No, I suppose you wouldn’t have, would you?” Dark questioned as the watermage took in the rest of his erection and just sat there on his lap. “So you’re finding this enjoyable already? But you’ve barely gotten a taste of what’s to come.” Dark winked, “And I certainly intend for you to come.” He gripped Lakesinger’s narrow hips. “Take your time to get used to it. We’re not in any hurry. Well I’m not. I won’t speak for you since you seem rather impatient for me to get on with this.” He let go of the watermage’s left hip and reached up to pull the younger man down Page 88

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for a deep kiss, relishing the way his cock was squeezed by that tight ring of muscle. It felt good. Incredibly good. And the best part was knowing Lakesinger would be his swordbrother after they were done. His and his alone to love whenever he wanted. To fuck whenever he chose. He smiled into the kiss at the thought. Dark felt Lake moan softly into the kiss though it didn’t sound or feel like a moan of pain. Then the watermage pulled away and sat up, wriggling on the impalement like a fish on a line. “Yes,” he said with a heavy lidded look of pure lust, “this is much more fun.” The golden head was tilted to one side as the watermage looked down at him. “Believe me, I’ll take my time.” Dark fought to keep his hips from bucking, exerting his control to stop himself from giving in to the needs hammering at his body after Lakesinger’s wiggling. The sensations that sent through him were almost too much for him to bear. He wanted this golden watermage, wanted to fuck him until the man begged for release. Page 89

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But this was new to Lakesinger and no matter how much he professed to be enjoying it, Dark had to let him set the pace. At least until he was sure he wasn’t going to hurt Lakesinger. After that, well he’d give the little brat the fucking of his life. The first one he’d ever had, and one Dark was sure Lake would never forget. No one forgot the day they became swordbrothers, the memory fused into their minds and magic forever. Lakesinger rose up a little way before slipping back down. “Oh,” he said tone and face showing surprise, and rose up on Dark’s cock a second time. He slid down and instead of the startled ‘Oh’ of his first effort, Lakesinger moaned, his eyes half closed and expression rapt. “Like the sensation of being filled do you?” Dark asked and took hold of the narrow hips to help steady Lakesinger. His fingers dug into butt muscle, relaxing and tensing his grip to add to the feelings running through the watermage. He let Lakesinger ride him slowly for a few breaths then gave a little twitch of his hips on the down stroke. Page 90

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“Oh yes! Do that again!” Lakesinger was very obviously getting used to the sensations and enjoying them. Dark obliged, giving a gentle upward thrust as the young watermage rode down his cock. He grunted at the flash of pleasure the added force gave to him, the gentle up and down slide of Lakesinger more teasing than satisfying. Since this was Lakesinger’s first time being fucked, and because it would complete their bonding as swordbrothers, he wanted it to be as memorable as possible for them both. Dark already knew he’d never forget even a second of what they were doing or what was happening between them. He’d waited, hoped and dreamed of this moment for so long that it would be part of him for the rest of his life. “I don’t want to hurt you,” Dark stated, giving another twitch of his hips as the blond mage slid down on him again. The watermage smiled down at him. “You should trust your magic more,” he said. “Do you really believe our energies would be so bright and potent if you were hurting me?” Page 91

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“No. And I’d rather not risk hurting you by getting too impatient and fucking as hard we both want. Better to take it easy and make sure you’re ready for a rougher ride then rush things and hurt you. We don’t have a healer so the less damage done the better,” Dark told him as he kneaded his lover’s butt cheeks. He could barely see the spinning magical energies around them, most of it so intense human eyes were unable to witness the powerful currents swirling around them. Dark could feel it humming in the walls of the cave, the infused stone he’d shaped so often over the years responding to the power rising from the pair of them. But Lakesinger was moving more quickly and easily on him; sliding up and down with more force. And still the energies built. He groaned as the sensations filled him, magic and pleasure intensifying. Dark bucked his hips to meet each of Lakesinger’s downward strokes, the pressure in his balls building. The magic began to coalesce around them, ribbons of shimmering light flowing in the air, Page 92

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a viridian streamer brushing across his chest. He arched under the magical caress, groaning. Golden sparkles danced over Lakesinger’s skin and Darksky felt his own magic entwining with Lakesinger’s, their very souls engaged. Magic meeting magic as their bodies danced to the age old rhythm of love. Lakesinger was moaning but he wasn’t screaming for release, not yet anyway. Dark could see his lover was content with the intense sensations he must be experiencing because the look on his face was one of blissful enjoyment. Soft brown swirls and golden glimmers of light-- manifestations of Dark’s magic-- sank into the watermage’s skin. Dark noticed a dim glow forming around them both, though the colors surrounding Dark were soft aqua and that intense green that marked Lakesinger’s powerful water magic. Dark thrust faster, his whole body tingling, his cock throbbing, aching for release. He shuddered and gasped as wave after wave of energy--stone and water entwined-- flooded through him, the power beginning to spin between them, water to Page 93

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stone, stone to water, building along with their passion. Lakesinger gasped, his breath ragged as he leaned forward to kiss Dark hungrily. Darksky returned the kiss, gasping, the magical and physical sensations gripping him stealing his ability to think, to do anything but feel, from him. He heard the answering cries of his lover as their bodies rocked and the magical power flooded their beings. He groaned louder, his balls tightening as the magic wove between them with ever increasing intensity, the bond starting to form. His lover’s power-- truly the song of a lake-filled him. The sensation of being surrounded by gentle lapping waves of cool water contrasting with the sexual heat flooding his body. Darksky’s power poured into the watermage, strong as the very bones of the planet and Lakesinger absorbed it, Darksky’s power filling an empty void in the watermage as strong as the empty place in his own soul. Powerful mages needed swordbrothers of equal power to form a Page 94

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bond, and Lakesinger was every bit as powerful as Darksky. His awareness of anything but pleasure deserted Darksky as they rushed toward orgasm, Darksky’s body filled by a tidal wave cresting of water magic from Lakesinger, his own stone magic rushing away to wrap in protecting layers around the watermage. Power blending with power, both men screamed out their release, passion breaking in a shockwave of magical force that blasted through the caverns as visible light in vivid green, gold, aqua and brown. Lakesinger collapsed onto his chest, the slender watermage curling his arms round Darksky as they both fought to get their gasping breath under control. Darksky breathed in the scent of his swordbrother, reveling in the tang of sexual heat rising round them, trembling at the echoes of pleasure rippling across his mind with every beat of his heart. A beat in perfect time with that of his swordbrother. He rolled over, pinning the smaller man under Page 95

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him, his mouth locking over Lakesinger’s in a panting kiss which he broke only long enough for him to gasp, “Mine!” before Dark swooped in to reclaim the sweet perfection of his lover’s mouth. Lakesinger returned the kiss for a short while before breaking away to say, “And don’t forget, you’re mine!” Darksky grinned. “Why so I am, what a coincidence.” He lifted himself off of the sleek watermage to look into his bright blue eyes. Something warm and powerful, a mix of emotions he’d never felt before came fully to life inside him. Affection or perhaps the first bloom of actual love filled him. A desire to protect and comfort the younger man accompanied the other emotion, and Dark resolved that no one would be allowed to hurt the beautiful man in his bed. He caressed the Lakesinger’s sweat dampened hair, admiring the way the dim light of the firestones around the cave made the golden hair shine so warmly. He frowned. The color gleaming over his lover’s hair wasn’t the usual reddish light of the firestones. Page 96

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Glancing around Darksky discovered that not a single one of the firestones spaced around the cave were lit. In actuality they looked grey and dead, possibly burned out by the magic that had suffused everything in the cave. The light they were seeing by was the steady glow of their own magic that danced over the sculpted walls. Beside him, Lakesinger gasped in awe. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. Do you think the light will be permanent?” Dark considered it, “I don’t know. Maybe. If it’s not we’re going to be living in a pitch black cave since I don’t have any other firestones.” He lay down beside his lover, pulling Lakesinger close, content for the first time in more than a decade. He yawned feeling very relaxed and quite sleepy. “I guess when the storm is over we should go dig your cycle out of the sand.” “And my swords,” Lakesinger added. “Not that anyone else can use them as they’re attuned to my magic.” “If they’re on your cycle that won’t be a problem. I don’t want to risk a confrontation Page 97

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with your clan by going to get your things from their camp. It would serve no purpose and could get people killed.” He gave Lakesinger a gentle hug. “Even your swords or cycle aren’t worth that sort of danger. We can get others.” Lakesinger shrugged before snuggling closer and entwining his legs with Dark’s. “I am going to need weapons and a cycle,” he said, “anything else doesn’t matter.” Dark smiled as Lakesinger cuddled closer. He kissed the top of the watermage’s head, “Agreed.” A day ago I thought him nothing but a shallow and arrogant brat. Now he’s my swordbrother. Fate is certainly an odd beast. “Once the storm is over we’ll go retrieve your cycle and then decide what to do next.” Dark turned onto his side to regard Lakesinger, “We’ll need supplies and more firestones. Even if the light from our bonding stays, we can’t cook over it and I’d be willing to bet every firestone I have is dead.” He ran his fingers through Lakesinger’s damp hair, kissed his forehead. “Are you sleepy?” Page 98

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“I think a little nap might be nice. Besides, there’s not much else we can do with that storm blowing.” He smirked. “Well there is one thing but I’d hate to wear an old man like you out.” Dark raised an eyebrow. “Old man is it?” He his hand struck Lakesinger’s ass with a sharp report, the single smack fully as hard as the ones he’d delivered when he’d punished the watermage. “Personally I’d hate to hurt my most valuable and entertaining possession by fucking its behind raw. That would delay play for a few days, and I’d rather not be forced to wait that long to have you.” Lakesinger chuckled, a rich sound full of real amusement, and settled against him, wriggling to get comfortable. Dark pulled a fur over them to keep out the chill of the caves. If the firestones were as dead as they appeared, then it would only get colder. Without the stones there was no way to keep the caves warmer than the natural much too cold temperature that was normal. Outside he could hear the fury of the Page 99

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blackstorm raging though it sounded as if it might be weakening. “Go to sleep, brat,” he murmured, kissing the top of Lakesinger’s head and closing his own eyes. It felt good to have the younger man in his arms. Good and right, as if Lakesinger had been destined for him and him alone. Maybe this was fated. But he knew how silly that sounded. He didn’t believe in any predetermined destiny; no fate that led people down certain paths rather than others. But, taking it into consideration, who knew what the gods intended when they’d put both of them in the world? Maybe everything that had occurred in his life was the road he had to take to achieve true happiness. If such a thing existed. Holding Lakesinger, listening to the man’s soft breathing, he decided it was worth the loneliness to have a swordbrother with power to match his own. Even if he is a brat. Still smiling at that thought Darksky drifted to sleep. Page 100

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Chapter Five Swordbrothers

Lakesinger clung to Darksky’s back like a bur as the big warcycle sped through the canyons and across the plain to where he’d first been captured by the big man: his swordbrother. Swordbrother! It was a novel idea and yet one he felt completely at peace with. He knew instinctively that there would be fights in their future. Dark was used to being on his own, answerable to nobody, and he was used to getting his own way. The adjustment was likely to be very difficult for a while and yet he wouldn’t change a thing that had happened even if he could. They each owned a piece of the other’s soul now and that was all the reassurance Lakesinger needed. He peered over Dark’s broad shoulder, trying to ascertain if they were anywhere near his huntcycle yet. The warcycle slowed as they neared an outcropping of rock. Deathbirds, their black Page 101

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wings blots against the soft aqua sky, circled lazily over head. “They’re flying over what’s left of the darbear but the fact they’re not on the ground tells me something else found the carcass too.” “A lion or dreadcat perhaps?” Lake didn’t bother to question Dark’s reasoning. Even a young child would know that only bigger, live predators kept deathbirds from carcasses. “That’s my guess, so we’re going to go in slow. I’d hate to ride into the middle of a pride of lions, a lone male is one thing, but a bunch of hungry females is not something I’m willing to confront.” Darksky gave the big warcycle more power and they quickly rounded the crag of rocks hiding the carcass at a cautious pace. There were four or five clansmen gathered round Lake’s huntcycle, now dug up from the wind wrack and on its stand. He let out a curse. “Damn! Those are warriors from my clan.” His lover stopped the warcycle. So far they hadn’t been spotted, but their luck wouldn’t hold. “What do you want to do? I’d rather not Page 102

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go and speak to them. I am an outlaw and they’ll probably realize that if I go with you.” One of the men turned around, his expression one of surprise when he saw Lakesinger. Windspinner took a step toward them then let out an excited whoop of joy which turned the attention of all the warriors in their direction. Lake sighed in disgust. “You might not be given much of a choice, Dark. With that idiot Windspinner in tow they’ve recognized me, for sure.” “Try to be a bit more respectful. They’re your own clan, they’re not going to hurt you, but they might not be so friendly where I’m concerned and if you antagonize them it will only be worse for me.” The stonemage sighed. “I’d rather not fight any of them,” he added and gave Lakesinger a gentle nudge, “Go on without me. It’s not that far. Tell them whatever you like, but don’t mention my name.” Lake gave another aggrieved sigh but nodded and climbed off the warcycle. He headed towards Page 103

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his clansmen wondering what the hell he was going to tell them. Windspinner ran to meet him. “Gods Lakesinger we were so worried about you! What happened? We found the remains of a darbear beside your cycle and,” there were tears of relief in the man’s green eyes. “I know you aren’t interested in me, but...” he threw his arms around Lakesinger, “I’m glad you’re alive. I’m so glad.” The other warrior started to weep, holding Lakesinger tightly. The rest of the warriors gathered around, two of them watching Dark warily. “Who is that?” one of them asked. “The man who saved me from the darbear and sheltered me during the storm,” Lakesinger told them. He gently removed Windspinner and held him at arms length. “Do not give up hope. Swordbrothers have a strange way of turning up when they’re meant to and least expected.” He strode over to his huntcycle and checked that all his blades were in the weapons compartment before turning to face the warriors again. “Take anything else of mine you might Page 104

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want for yourselves. I won’t be returning to the clan.” “What do you mean you’re not coming back? What did you mean by what you said about swordbrothers turning up?” The windmage took Lakesinger by the shoulder and turned him around. His expression was full of alarm. “What do you mean? You have to come back, the clan needs you!” Windspinner lowered his gaze, and let his hand fall. “I need you,” he murmured, his voice hollow sounding. “You’re the only man I’ve ever loved.” Lakesinger shook his head. “No, you don’t need me, Windspinner. I’m a nasty little bitch at the best of times and I’d make both you and Star miserable with my demands.” He glanced to where Dark was still sitting astride his warcycle. “I’ve found my place in the world and it’s not with the clan.” Disbelief and dismay from the other warriors greeted that statement and Windspinner grabbed Lakesinger’s arm. “But I love you, Lakesinger! I really do! Please, whatever you want, I’ll do it. Page 105

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I’ll even give up Star if that’s what it takes. Just please don’t do this, don’t leave me!” He very gently removed Windspinner’s hand from his arm. “I can’t be your swordbrother, Windspinner. I already have one.” The man’s mouth fell open, his green eyes widening in shock. “You... what?” he gasped out. It hurt. It surprised him how much it hurt to see his former lover so devastated. “I’m really sorry, Windspinner. Whatever you can use of mine is yours. Now I must go.” “But Lakesinger, I... I love you,” the younger warrior was crying, but he let Lakesinger go. “I love you so much, I don’t care if you don’t want Star. I... would have forgotten about Star if you’d just stay with me. Please, don’t go.” Windspinner sank to the sand and turned his tear streaked face up to Lakesinger. “Please don’t do this to me, Lakesinger. I don’t want things, I don’t want Star, I want you! I just want you!” Lakesinger sighed in sympathy and squatted down in front of the distraught man. “Listen to me, Windspinner. You know the power of the Page 106

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bond and how irrevocable it is once formed. I can’t give you what you want because I’ve already given it to another. You should go back to Star and find someone between you. You both have great power to offer and besides, I know you love her. It would have been cruel of me to accept you without her and you’d soon have come to hate me for it.” Windspinner looked into Lakesinger’s eyes. Face wet with tears Windspinner glanced past him to Darksky. “Is that him?” He nodded. “Yes, that’s him. My savior in more ways than you could ever realize, Windspinner and probably yours too.” The Windmage sighed, and wiped his tears. “I’m glad for you, Lakesinger. I hope--” his voice broke and he looked away. “I hope you’re happy.” The other warriors were milling around, very obviously uncomfortable with the emotional scene between the two young mages. One of them cleared his throat. “You should come and get your things, Lakesinger. Even in Page 107

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a new clan you’ll need your warcycle and camp goods.” He thought about that. Dark and he could certainly use the firestones since they’d burned the stonemage’s out when they’d formed the bond. It would be nice to have his warcycle too but he couldn’t ride both cycles back to the cave and he was wary of letting anyone else know where it was. “One moment,” he said and went back to where Dark sat waiting for him. When he got there he said, “They believe I’ve joined a new clan and think I should go with them to collect some of my camp goods. We could use the firestones and I would prefer to bring my warcycle to you than the huntcycle. What do you think?” “I think you’ll be asked a lot of questions, that’s what I think. Unfortunately we do need the firestones since mine are dead. And we could use a tent if you’ve got one since mind long since fell apart.” Dark frowned. “If you’ve got a sled, use that to bring your things back, if not, use stuff you don’t want to buy one. Much as I hate the thought of doing it, we might have to move Page 108

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to another cave system for a while until your clan forgets about us.” The big man slipped his arms around Lakesinger and gave him a tight hug. “I’ll wait here until an hour before midday. If you aren’t back by then I’m coming to get you and they better hope you aren’t hurt or being held captive.” Dark leaned in and gave Lakesinger a gentle kiss, “Be careful. They might not like the idea of you leaving.” Lakesinger returned the kiss before smiling at his swordbrother. “I’ll be careful,” he promised. The smile died to be replaced by a sad expression. “I just wish Windspinner would get over the fact that I can’t be his.” “He loves you. At least he’s convinced himself he does.” Dark caressed his cheek, his fingers gentle comfort. “He hurts right now, but when he finds the right man to be his swordbrother, then he’ll forget about you.” Dark kissed him again, lips warm and loving. “Go on, I’ll do a little hunting and be waiting for you right here when you come back.” Lake nodded, pressed a final kiss to Dark’s Page 109

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hand and returned to join his clan’s warriors. They had fixed the darbear clawed back tire of the huntcycle so he was able to ride it back to the camp. Once there he transferred his swords and knives to the warcycle and gathered up all his firestones into a pouch. Raw food was not an edifying thought even though the reason for it had been enjoyable. He smiled at that thought. Enjoyable didn’t quite cover the ecstasy he’d felt at the touch of the hands, tongue and cock of his swordbrother. Windspinner watched him from a respectful distance, his eyes red from crying. A few other warriors milled around, muttering to one another about what they’d do now that their strongest watermage was leaving them. Almost finished with his packing, Lakesinger noticed motion and looked up to see the Chief of their clan-- his former clan-- striding toward him, the man’s swordbrother and first wife coming along with him. Chief Redsand stopped just beyond the awning of the tent. He was dressed in the full regalia of a chief, beads and ribbons hanging in his long black hair, the white vest worn only by Page 110

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the chief of the Brightsand Clan over his bare chest despite the chill that had everyone else in furs. “So you’re leaving us I’m told,” the man stated, his brown eyes watching him pack a few odds and ends onto his warcycle. “How could you?” his wife asked. “Lakesinger the clan needs you!” Redsand’s swordbrother frowned. “He’s never cared about anyone but himself. He’s taken a swordbrother from another clan without a thought for how his departure will hurt us. He’s always been a selfish bastard.” “That’s enough, Bluewater,” Redsand snapped at his swordbrother. His next words were directed at Lakesinger. “Please forgive him, we’ve all taken the news that you’re leaving us very hard.” He glanced at Windspinner. “But you have to admit, this is very sudden.” Lakesinger had learned a lot in his short time with Darksky, and the stone magic in his soul made him pick his words more carefully than he ever had in the past. “Chief Redsand, I am honored that you consider my departure a matter of such import that you, your swordbrother and Page 111

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your first wife should come to speak with me about it. “I realize that my decision has come suddenly but the circumstances were rather remarkable. My swordbrother first rescued me from a darbear and then sheltered me from a blackstorm. Without his brave deeds we would not be having this conversation as I would already be food for a darbear. “The magical energies pointing out our bond came as a surprise to both of us but, having formed the bond with him, my place is by his side. “As regards my strength as a watermage, I am by no means the strongest you have. The daughter of Bluewater and your second wife, Moonpool, is already as powerful as I and as she grows will overtake me in ability.” He stopped speaking and eyed the assembled people warily. The last thing Dark needed was to come after him and be recognized as outlaw. “What is this swordbrother’s name?” Redsand asked, gently. “And why didn’t he come with you?” Page 112

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“Yes, and what is his clan?” the chief ’s first wife questioned, her features twisted into a concerned frown. “We haven’t met any of them, or this swordbrother of yours. Don’t you think that’s rather unusual?” Bluewater’s queries were more demanding in tone, the man showing anger rather than the concern expressed by the clan chief and his wife. Lake had tried, he really had, but now it looked as if he’d have to revert to being his usual bitchy self. “I have yet to meet his clan,” he said with perfect truth. “And if I don’t go back to him soon you might meet him in a way you wouldn’t like.” At that the trio exchanged looks, Redsand and his wife more worried, while Bluewater’s expression took on an aura of smugness. Redsand took a step closer to Lakesinger. “Don’t you understand, Lakesinger? There are men, outlaws, who can form a false bond to lure you away from your people with the intention Page 113

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of selling you to the people of the City. We’re worried you’ve been deceived by such a man.” “Please, what do you know about him? Who are his people?” the woman asked, reaching out to set her hand gently on Lakesinger’s arm, her tone imploring him to listen. “Such men are legendary. You’ve heard the stories, I know you have.” Bluewater spoke next, “Only a man with something to hide would let you come alone to get your things, or did he tell you to leave it all, that you wouldn’t need it?” Lake frowned as he thought about their words. Dark had told him to leave everything, yet there was no way that could have been a false bond. The magical energies had been too profound, too strong. He had Dark’s power inside him. He knew he did, could feel it. Would the stone magic answer him? He picked up sand to form light armor around him. It wasn’t very good or very strong but it did reassure him that the bond was real. “As you can see, he’s a stonemage, and I really wish I had his skills with rock, sand or stone.” Page 114

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“But who is he?” the woman asked. She’d pulled her hand back the instant the armor had begun to form. She looked even more worried at his display of the stone magic that came from his swordbrother. Lake sighed in frustration. Why the hell can’t they just mind their own business? It’s not as if I’m a child. “His clan is the Stone Clan and his name is Darksky.” And now he’d just betrayed his swordbrother to these people. Dark is right. I really am a useless and selfcentered little brat! Three sets of eyes widened in pure horror, the woman gasping and covering her mouth. “Brainless idiot! You’ve given yourself to the most notorious outlaw that ever walked Dragonhope! Damn you for an idiot,” Bluewater said. Redsand murmured, “Well it’s worse than we thought but we can save him from his own folly with some help from the healers.” Lake grabbed one of his swords from the warcycle and held it out in combat stance. “I’ll be seeing no healers. You have no right to keep Page 115

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me from my swordbrother! And why is he an outlaw? That idiot Stonefist was deposed by his son last I heard!” “He’s been selling watermages to the City people for years, Lakesinger!” Redsand told him. “You’ve heard us and other clans talking about that. What makes you think he won’t sell you!” “My husband is right. He’s notorious.” Lakesinger shook his head in disbelief. “You’re not talking to an unbonded boy now Redsand. Could you sell Bluewater, even if you wanted to?” Windspinner ran over and threw his arms around Lakesinger, “Please listen to them! He’s not really your swordbrother! He’s not! He can break the bond anytime he wants too, and he’s done it before!” He turned to Redsand, “We can’t let him go! We can’t let that bastard sell him to the City people!” The windmage held Lakesinger tight, “I won’t let you go to him! I won’t!” Lake grabbed Windspinner by a wrist and peeled him off his body to hold him at arms length while he glared at him. “What is it Page 116

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about the concept of my being someone else’s swordbrother that you can’t grasp?” Then the windmage’s other words sank in. “Wait, you say he’s broken the bond before? Are you sure of this or are you just repeating rumor?” “I’m positive. I spoke to a man he’d sold to the City. He escaped. His name was Rainbringer. He told some of us how he’d been captured and how Darksky lured him into his trap by making a swordbrother’s bond with him. He cried when he told us about it. He only stayed with us one night, and you were out hunting then. I remember that because you refused to let me go with you, as usual.” The windmage lowered his head. “I heard from a member of Lion Clan that Rainbringer finally died last year. The person I spoke with said his spirit was broken from what the outlaw did to him.” Lake swallowed hard and let his sword drop to the ground from suddenly nerveless fingers. He wiped away bitter tears impatiently and gave the people gathered round him a hard stare. “If what you all say is correct, I will stay, but I want Page 117

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to speak to Dark first. I want to be sure I’ve been lied to and, if so, by whom.” He shot a look of dislike at Windspinner. “Whatever the truth might be, I will never be your swordbrother. I doubt if I will ever take another swordbrother.” The younger warrior gave a sob of misery, turned and ran away. Several of the other warriors present turned angry glares on Lakesinger but kept quiet. Redsand put his hand on Lakesinger’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “We’ll help you get through this. The healers can give you something for the pain when the bond is broken. Once he’s dead, you’ll be able to find the right man to be your swordbrother. One that truly loves you. I know you have refused Windspinner, but think this through carefully. He does love you, unlike that outlaw who turned you against your own clan.” Lake shrugged off the hand. There was no way they were going to break his bond with his swordbrother until he was certain it was false. He trusted Dark but he was concerned about this Rainbringer’s story. “No bonds are being broken Page 118

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until Dark gets here. I want the truth, not rumors and half-truths. And I have a swordbrother until he’s proved false!” “Lakesinger, please...” Redsand began. “Fool boy, you’ll never learn anything will you?” the shrill voice demanded as it pierced the murmurs of the young warriors and stopped Redsand from finishing what he’d been saying. The blonde woman pushed her way past the chief to stand before Lakesinger, her pale grey eyes glaring up at him, mouth screwed into a moue of distaste. “You’ve always been such a stupid boy! Nothing ever changes with you. You were stupid as a child and you’re a stupid man now!” She turned on Redsand, “Don’t listen to his childish words. Let the healers break that bond so he can be a proper swordbrother to a man of this clan as he should be!” Lake’s eyes narrowed in anger. “Like you’ve taken another husband?” he asked sweetly. “Or did your behavior put all the other men of this clan off as much as it does me?” “You ungrateful little bastard! How dare you Page 119

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speak to your own mother that way!” she snapped and swung her hand. When he was a child she’d slapped him often but he was no longer a child. He dodged her hand with contemptuous ease born of long practice and grinned as an idea occurred. His mother found herself in sand up to her neck and wet through. It had taken but an instant of thought on his part. “As I remember it, mother, my father was actually fool enough to marry you!” His mother shrieked and struggled to free herself from the embrace of the wet sand. “You miserable, wretched, ungrateful, arrogant little brat! Don’t just stand there gawping at me!” she shouted at the gathering of clan warriors watching, “Get me out of here!” The rumble of a large warcycle coming into camp at speed drew the gazes of the thickening crowd, the people drawn to the altercation by screaming of Lakesinger’s notoriously unpleasant mother. Lake smiled, his gaze going straight to the large figure on the warcycle. “Dark,” he breathed. His swordbrother’s very presence reassured Page 120

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him enough that he picked up his dropped sword. Dark brought his cycle to a stop near the crowd. When he stood it became apparent just how tall he was since he topped most of the men gathered there by the width of several fingers. “What are you people doing to distress my swordbrother so much?” he questioned, voice harsh as a darbear’s growl as he moved through the crowd to stand at Lakesinger’s side. He wrapped one arm around his lover, ready to throw up a barrier of stone around them if the need arose. I’m not going to let them hurt him more than their words already seem to have upset him. Redsand, his swordbrother Bluewater and their first wife exchanged unhappy looks. “You’re the outlaw Darksky, aren’t you?” Redsand asked. “I am, and before you make any hasty decisions to kill me, I’m going to warn you against it. I want nothing but my swordbrother from you. I’m not here to shed any blood, unless you give me no other choice.” Lake leaned against him, an agitated presence Page 121

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at his side. “Did you ever form a bond with a man called Rainbringer?” he asked in a small voice. “Someone told me you did.” Dark looked from the chief and the people with him to the woman neck deep in the sand at their feet. I think that’s Lakesinger’s mother. I remember seeing her here at his tent yelling at him the way only a mother would. The woman’s glares and the worried frowns of the chief and his council didn’t matter to Dark. He just wanted to get his swordbrother out of their camp without the need to fight their way out. The number of clan’s people gathered around made him uneasy, but he didn’t let that show on his face. A show of uncertainty and weakness might cause the chief to take risks he wouldn’t take otherwise. He hadn’t thought anyone would care if Lakesinger left, but glancing around at the angry stares of the clan Chief and the gathered warriors, he realized he’d made a small error. Page 122

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Maybe they do like him.... or maybe they just don’t want to lose a powerful watermage. “Rainbringer? No. I wouldn’t have had someone like him as a swordbrother, and neither would anyone else. I was sure of that before I captured him.” He met the clan chief ’s gaze squarely, “They never even came to search for him. They found his scoutcycle and retrieved it, but him they didn’t bother to look for. That’s what happens when you turn your clan into enemies and unfriends. I sold him to the City people because he was a son of a bitch and made life for everyone in his clan unbearable.” Dark held Lakesinger close, in an effort to reassure the young watermage. “There’s never been anyone but you, Lake. And there won’t ever be anyone but you. You’re mine and I’m yours.” Lake smiled and relaxed against him as if he’d accepted his words. “Rather like me then,” he said. “Oh, and this is where the flaws in my personality come from.” He gestured towards his still wet and immobile mother. “Now if you really want to do this clan a favor, you’ll sell her.” There was some muted laughter from the Page 123

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gathered crowd at that and the woman started cursing them all her voice so shrill it made Dark’s ears ring. “I’m out of the people selling business,” Darksky stated. “I’ll make my living as honestly as I can from now on. It’s been over two years since I sold anyone, I only take the men who make trouble for their clan. I’ve never sold a woman, though in this case I’m tempted,” He remarked as the woman continued to curse everyone she could see in the gathered crowd. Dark hugged Lakesinger. “You’re the last one I’ll ever take. From now on the clans have to deal with their own problems.” Redsand frowned. “You’re an outlaw, Darksky. You know the laws of the clans.” “I do. I also know I can pay you bloodprice and be allowed to go my own way,” Darksky replied. “And I’m prepared to offer you three sunstones for safe passage.” “And what of our loss of Lakesinger? What do you offer for him?” Bluewater asked. “A huntcycle,” Dark replied pointing to the cycle that belonged to Lakesinger. Page 124

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Lakesinger’s eyes widened and he dug Dark in the ribs with a sharp elbow. Then he spoke to Redsand. “I only wanted what I’d packed on my warcycle. You could have kept the rest. But your greed makes me want to vomit so I’ll be packing my sled.” Dark raised an eyebrow at Lakesinger, glancing down at the elbow that had just jabbed him. “Take it easy, boy,” he warned. The last thing they needed was to anger the Chief and the gathered clan warriors. “And we should be satisfied with that?” Bluewater groused. Dark turned his gaze on the Chief ’s swordbrother. The man seemed very greeddriven: not a good trait in someone that helped lead a clan. Redsand poked his swordbrother and shook his head, his look stern as if warning his bonded to silence. “It’s not enough. Those sunstones you mentioned aren’t enough either. Not for what we’re losing with Lakesinger and what we’re letting go by allowing an outlaw to live.” Dark met Redsand’s gaze as anger flickered Page 125

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through him. He grabbed hold of his temper and held it in the grip of his iron will, unwilling to get into a fight while his swordbrother and he were surrounded by so many warriors. He was sure Lakesinger could fight, but he didn’t want to put his lover’s abilities to the test over something they could avoid. Yet, the demand for more wasn’t acceptable either. “Greedy, that’s what you people are. No wonder he’s such a brat with so many examples to learn from. Three sunstones is more than a fair offer, it’s excellent and you know it.” Obviously tired of the negotiations, Lakesinger sighed. “The way I see it, you have two options. You either let us go taking what you’ve been offered or you harbor an outlaw as clan. I don’t see why he should give you any sunstones, personally, as Stonefist is still very much alive. There is no bloodprice to be paid. And I refuse to be sold like a slave.” He glared at Redsand and Bluewater. “Whatever you think, I will stay with my swordbrother.” He turned away and started picking out the better furs. “Forgive him, he seems to be a bit dense when it comes to certain things,” Darksky told Page 126

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Redsand. “Lake, the bloodprice is paid to keep them from turning me over to my clan. I’ve paid bloodprice more than once and I’ll be happy to pay it now if it means we walk away and no one is hurt or killed.” “You miserable little shit!” Lakesinger’s mother said as she tried to get free of the sand that continued to hold her. “You’ve done this to spite me, haven’t you! With you gone where will my livelihood come from? Who’ll give this old woman firestones to warm her or meat to feed her once you’re gone, you ungrateful brat? I could have had a nice life in my old age. Two young men hunting for me and a daughter by marriage! Instead you run off with a clanless outlaw! I wish I’d never birthed such a worthless pile of dung.” Redsand frowned at the woman’s tirade, then he spoke to Dark, “The sunstones are accepted. Leave them here with the rest of the things Lakesinger leaves to us. I want both of you out of my camp before the sun sets,” the chief told them. Redsand turned a distasteful stare on Lakesinger’s mother. “As for you perhaps if you’d Page 127

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been kinder to your son he might have found you worthy of his respect instead of his hatred. But, despite warnings of what could come from your constant vilification, you did as you liked. Now he will do the same and you have no one to blame but yourself.” The chief, his swordbrother and first wife turned and walked away. Lake frowned up at him. “You pay blood price when no blood was spilled? It’s wrong, Dark. I know why it’s paid but it’s still wrong.” Then he stood on his toes and kissed him very thoroughly. A murmur from the people gathered around them filled Dark’s ears, but he couldn’t make out anything that was being said with the abrupt pounding of his own pulse in his ears as his swordbrother kissed him. He returned the kiss, feeling the rise of passion that the kiss awakened in him. His cock throbbed and he wanted nothing more than to throw Lake down and make passionate love to his swordbrother.

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But later. They had all the later they wanted for that. “I love you,” he said when the kiss ended. Lake smiled up at him. “And I love you. Is there anything I have here that we’ll need? I have all I want so there’s no reason to stay after I’ve packed,” Lake murmured before turning towards his warcycle. He hadn’t taken more than a step before his mother started ranting again. “You were acquiring some nice possessions, and you’re prepared to throw them all away for him!” Then he turned and considered for a moment. “Can you shut her up till I’ve finished packing the furs and we’re out of here?” he asked. “I could, but I won’t bother since we’re leaving,” Dark replied as he went to his cycle and pulled a small cylinder of metal out of a compartment. “I hope you both rot in hell!” Lakesinger’s mother screamed. Dark tossed the tube of sunstones down beside the half buried woman. “I rotted in hell for almost fifteen years. Because of your son, I’m Page 129

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going to learn to live again. For that I’ll thank you and leave you with this,” he tossed down pile of gold coins of the sort used by the City people. “Take it and go buy yourself a new life among the City people because I can see your clan finds nothing good in you. Maybe the City people will.” He mounted his warcycle and smiled at Lakesinger. “Ready to go home?” “More than ready,” his swordbrother said and mounted his own warcycle. “Let’s go.” They left the camp accompanied by the angry curses of Lakesinger’s mother as she shouted out her hatred of a son who she’d never loved.

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Chapter Six Lovers

Lake was silent the whole way home and remained quiet even after they reached the cave and he unpacked the firestones from his warcycle. He placed them where the old ones had been, withholding a few to set round the cave for light. The ones burned out by the bond were collected up and put aside in case they ever came across a firemage that could reanimate them. When he’d done that and put the few changes of clothes he’d brought in the stone chest by the bed and the furs on it, he sighed and wandered outside, staring down the canyon without really seeing it. Why does he want a spoiled, stupid brat like me? I’m like an overgrown child in many ways. How long will it be before he regrets not selling me, regrets the bond? Strong arms wrapped around him from behind, warm breath tickling through the hair beside his ear as Dark’s lips found the side of his Page 131

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neck. One of the man’s big hands slid down the front of his body, moving between his legs to cup his groin and give a gentle squeeze. “Busy?” his lover breathed the question as he massaged the sensitive flesh, his firm lips working along Lake’s throat. Lake turned into the embrace, clinging to his swordbrother, his hands gripping the fur of Dark’s jacket. “I need you to tell me when I’m doing things wrong,” he muttered into that same jacket. “I know I’ve been sheltered and I realize I’m both childish and stupid but I will try to change, to grow up.” He looked up then. “I promise I will. Just, please, be patient with me.” A large hand cupped his chin, dark eyes meeting his gaze. Eyes full of a swordbrother’s love. Darksky smiled, the expression gentle, full of compassion, the fire of desire smoldering in the depths of his gaze. “I’ll be patient,” his lover agreed. Dark let his chin go and leaned down to kiss him, his arms pulling him into a tight, reassuring embrace. “But you have to promise to do the same for me. I’ve been living alone for a long time, and this old man’s pretty set in his ways.” Page 132

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“You’re not old,” Lake argued. “You’re just the right age.” A thought occurred to him and he glowered at his swordbrother. “And you’re not old enough to be my father, so please don’t ever treat me like your son, unless you’re teaching me something useful.” A glitter entered his lover’s eyes. “I’m planning on teaching you a lot of things, but I doubt any of them would have been things your father would teach you,” the man teased as he gripped Lake’s behind and gave a squeeze. He grinned up at his lover, eyes full of mischief. “Well, if you’re so old I guess we’ll have to take it slowly and gently in bed. I wouldn’t want to wear an old man out.” He couldn’t help it, he blushed at the thought of what they did in bed together, a frown tugging his mouth over the way his face heated up. A smirk curled Dark’s mouth, turning his attractive face downright sexy as he scooped Lakesinger into his arms and headed for the bed they shared. “I am old enough to be your father, whelp. But slow in bed I’ll give you, how gentle it is will depend on how tender your butt might be from earlier.” Page 133

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Lake clung to him as he was carried into the cave. “There are some things a father would teach his son that I probably don’t know,” he said. He was flung onto the bed and Dark joined him. “But they can wait.” His arms went round his swordbrother and he kissed Dark passionately, trying to forget the loss of both his father and his father’s swordbrother who’d been like a second father to him. “We’ve got lots of time for lessons,” Dark murmured. “All sorts of them.” Hot eager lips found Lakesinger’s as his lover’s hands began to unfasten his jacket. He could feel Darksky’s erection pressing his groin through the leather they both wore, Dark groaning into the kiss. Lake smirked. “We may as well make a start now,” he said and started on the laces and ties of Dark’s clothing. “Now, is this the correct way to take clothes off ?” His lover stopped what he was doing to watch Lake untying his jacket. “Well you’re no expert, but you’ll do,” he quipped and pulled Lakesinger’s jacket open. He knelt there looking down at him Page 134

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and grinned. Without warning the man pounced on Lake, pressing his mouth tightly to his belly and blowing. Lake chuckled and squirmed under the raspberry. “Stop it! That tickles!” he cried out. Dark did it again and he pummeled on the big man’s back. “You’re so evil! Stop it!” But he was laughing harder than he had in years. Dark grinned, a wicked glint in his eyes. “Evil am I? You have no idea little boy just how evil I can be,” he warned. Dark divested Lake of boots and leather pants so fast he was left wondering how it had happened. Cool air flowed over his skin as powerful hands flipped him face down. Lake’s hips were gripped and he was lifted to his knees, his butt cheeks were pulled apart by strong fingers. Something wet and firm flicked across his entrance. “Oh!” It was a sensation unlike Lake had ever felt before and he liked it. “Please, do that again!” The touch repeated, a slow exploration of the sensitive flesh, the wetness of Dark’s tongue pushing at the tight hole. Page 135

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Lake closed his eyes and gave into the bliss Dark’s tongue was producing. Tingles that spread from that one spot right across his body driving all thoughts of his past away with them. The firm touch of Dark’s tongue increased, pushed into the tight opening, retreated to sweep over the entire sensitive area, darted inward again, relentless in the quest to give Lake pleasure. Lake pushed back onto the soft, damp touches, wanting more but not wanting to be demanding. Being demanding could well have him turning out like his mother. He shuddered at the thought. His body had other ideas, however and he finally gave into its demands. “Dark, please, fuck me.” The touches stopped, big hands turning him over. He could see the desire blazing hot as unquenched flame in Dark’s eyes. Pale tendrils of magical energy wafted away from his lover’s body, coiling in the air, sliding over the nearby wall, the cool touch brushing along his legs. “Not yet. This is called foreplay, Lake, and Page 136

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we’ve barely gotten started. You want to learn, and I want to teach you everything I can about making love. But it takes patience and control. Now tell me, what do you want? Do you want to learn or do you just want to be fucked?” Lake sighed. “I want both,” he admitted, “but I know I can’t have both. I do know that much.” He bit his lip. “It’s just it feels so good that my body wants to let go all the time.” He turned his head away as tears blinded him. Dark was right, he was such a spoiled brat, all his previous lovers giving in to his demands. “I’m useless aren’t I?” Powerful hands gripped him, shook him, “Stop it, damn it! You aren’t useless! You aren’t worthless! Do you hear me!” Dark snarled at him, angry, sounding frustrated too. He let go and sat back on his heels, touched Lake’s cheek, the caress gentle, as if Dark hadn’t just rattled his teeth with the violent outburst. “Listen to me,” his lover said in a tone far more gentle than the snarling tirade he’d just gone on. “You aren’t worthless. You aren’t stupid. You aren’t useless. You are a handsome, sexy, smart young man, a powerful mage and a warrior. You Page 137

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are my swordbrother and my lover. You have a lot to learn, yes, but even if you couldn’t do a damn thing but eat, sleep, shit and let me fuck you, you wouldn’t be worthless to me. We’re bonded, we’re swordbrothers, and we’re lovers and that’s what’s important to me, Lakesinger.” Dark’s hand brushed a lock of hair from his eyes, fingers moving to touch his cheek, thumb following the curve of his lips. “Don’t ever say you’re worthless, Lake. You’re a powerful watermage. You’re beautiful. Desirable.” Dark leaned in and kissed him, lips moving in a tender dance over his mouth, his face as he murmured, “Do you know how long I waited for this bond? How I dreamed of finding someone strong enough to become part of my life. Not just the strength of magic, but the fact that I’m an outlaw? I never thought it would happen, but here you are, and no one is worth more to me than you are. No one.” He was pulled into Dark’s lap, those wonderful arms wrapping around him in a possessive embrace. “You’re mine Lakesinger. Mine alone, and I won’t ever let anyone hurt you.” He chuckled, “I might spank you though if you don’t Page 138

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learn to stop denigrating yourself.” Warm breath ghosted over his ear as Dark whispered, “I think you like it when I spank you. Am I right?” Lake gasped. How the hell had Dark known that? But he was determined to live up to the expectations of a swordbrother and warrior so he could only be honest. “Yes. Only, well I don’t think you know your own strength and it would be nice if it weren’t quite so hard next time.” You should ask what he likes. The voice in his head sounded like his memory of his father’s voice and he obeyed it. “So, I like being spanked and whatever it was you just did to me. What do you like, Dark? What could I do to you that would please you?” A black eyebrow arched upward. “You mean kissing butt?” Dark asked, his gaze glittering with that lustful mischief Lake was becoming very familiar with. “As far as what I like, are you positive you really want to know?” Lake nodded, holding Dark’s gaze with his own, expression serious. He had to make this work, had to become a man. “Yes, I really want to know. I made myself a promise on the way here and I want to keep it.” Page 139

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“A promise? Will you tell me what that is, or is it a secret?” Dark asked as his hands kneaded Lake’s behind. Lake colored up again but didn’t look away. “No, it’s not a secret. I promised myself that I would do my best to become worthy of you. If I’m going to do that, one of the things I need to know is how to please you.” “Remember how I used my magic to bind you to my bed?” Dark whispered into his ear. “I like to keep my lover helpless so he can’t resist what I want to do. And I like to do a lot of things, but I’m not going to tell you what those are.” His lover’s firm lips kissed along the side of his neck, teeth nipping gently. “My favorite thing is being sucked off by a sexy and willing man. Think you can learn to be that man?” Dark questioned. Lake grinned even though he was blushing furiously at his swordbrother’s words. “I can see life with you is going to be very interesting!” Dark kissed his lover, enjoying the feel of the smaller man in his arms. Lake wasn’t fragile, not by any means, and he could probably protect Page 140

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himself reasonably well--except perhaps from darbears of the size that was attacking him when they met--but he felt protective of Lakesinger regardless of any battle prowess his lover might have. But that’s the way of swordbrothers, either of them willing to die to protect the other from harm, and both united to protect their family from danger. It felt good to have someone to love, the caress of water magic residing within Lake brushing over the power at the core of his own soul. Their bond was new, a brightness between them only they could see, Lakesinger’s skin already lit by a dim aqua shimmer, his own flesh washed in a misty golden glow. “I just had a terrible thought,” he murmured, breaking the kiss to talk. “Perhaps we should put the firestones away and use oil lamps for light. I’d hate to burn another batch of them out, especially since you can’t cook over a lamp, and I don’t have a large stock of oil either.” Lakesinger stared at him, expression a strange Page 141

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mix of aghast and resigned. “You think all that magical energy will manifest every time?” “It’s usually strongest when the bond is first formed,” Dark explained, “but considering how strong we are as individual mages, I doubt it will get much weaker so long as we retain our magic.” He smiled and kissed Lakesinger’s forehead before he added, “So yes, I expect it every time.” A slow smile spread over Lake’s face before he hugged the bigger man. “Better we do that now before we get too distracted,” he suggested. “We even burnt out the cooking stones last time.” “Well then go, I’ll wait here while you save the firestones and get one of the oil lamps off the shelf.” Dark caressed Lakesinger’s shoulder, “And while you’re gone I’ll get a few surprises ready.” One of Lake’s brows rose at the mention of surprises but he hopped off the bed without any arguments. He collected up all the firestones he’d brought back from his old clan and put them safely away in their pouch. He disappeared outside with the pouch then came back in without it and jumped on the bed, shivering. While he was gone, Dark worked some stone, Page 142

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shaping it into useful forms. Done with his project he undressed and tucked the cold stone objects against his body to warm them. He was grinning, pleased with the things he’d made. Lake came back and jumped on the bed. His lover was shivering and he pulled a fur around them both. “I put the stones back in my warcycle,” Lake explained, “only I nearly froze to death doing so.” “Good idea,” he said. “Now I believe you were right about--” He pulled Lakesinger into his lap and held him close, “here. And I was doing this.” He kissed Lakesinger. The watermage melted against him returning the kiss with enthusiasm before he pulled away to ask, “So what were these surprises?” Darksky grinned and lay his lover down on the bed, reaching for the jar of oil which was still on the shelf he’d formed to hold it. He dipped out some, and produced a slim perfectly smooth length of stone that he rubbed the oil over. “Take a guess where this is going.” Lake gasped at sight of the stone dildo his eyes Page 143

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wide with apprehension. “But isn’t that going to hurt?” “Hurt? Now why would you think that?” Dark asked as he turned Lake onto his side and touched the cool stone to his entrance. “You still want to learn from me, don’t you?” “Yes, of course I do,” Lake said, “but that thing’s made of hard stone.” But he didn’t struggle, letting Dark do what he wished with him. “Shhhh... I’m a stonemage, remember? I know what I’m doing,” Dark murmured as he eased the very tip of the slender dildo into his lover’s ass, moving it so it would glide along inside and stroke his lover’s prostate. Oh! That feels nice,” Lake said, sounding very surprised. “Of course it does.” Dark chuckled and ran his hand over the watermage’s firm butt, enjoying the feel of the solid flesh. “I thought you trusted me to teach you. But I see you’re not quite ready to completely trust my judgment.” He pushed the smooth length of the dildo all the way into Lakesinger, withdrawing it before guiding it into his lover again. He had other Page 144

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surprises in store for his young swordbrother. Pleasant ones that would show him how much fun toys of stone could be. “I do trust you, I’m just new to all this,” Lake said, before gasping out, “ahhh, that’s so good.” “Like it do you?” Dark questioned as he continued to move the dildo inside Lakesinger, letting him enjoy the feel for a while. His own cock had gotten hard the moment he’d heard Lakesinger’s first exclamation of pleasure and each consecutive sigh, every cry as he applied the hard stone to his lover’s insides added to the excitement he felt. He was going to take it slow and easy. He planned to show Lakesinger that making love wasn’t a race. Making love should be savored, time needed to be taken to fully enjoy one another’s bodies. He scooted closer to his lover, leaning in to capture Lake’s lips while he worked the dildo he’d made in and out of his lover’s body. Dark shivered at the soft cries of pleasure Lake made each time the hard stone hit that good place inside him. Page 145

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Lake groaned into the kiss, one arm curling round Dark’s neck to hold him against his lips. Their tongues touched. Dark became the aggressor, his tongue invading Lake’s mouth, penetrating, tasting, touching, dominating. His hand pushed and pulled the stone dildo in and out, his own cock aching. He wanted to sheath his aching flesh within the heat of his lover’s perfect ass. He wanted to feel the tight clench of his lover’s entrance around him. And he would. But not quite yet. Patience, he told himself as he worked the dildo deeper, using his magic to change its shape, adding ripples along the surface. He was rewarded by the arching of Lake’s body and a louder moan into his mouth. Dark broke their kiss and smiled down at Lake, “Like it?” “What did you do to it?” Lake asked before he gasped out another, “Oh! Oh yes.” “I put some ridges in the surface. I can tell you like the change,” Dark told him as he deepened Page 146

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the ridges and valleys to add to the sensations the dildo created. “Yes, yes I do. But this can’t be much fun for you.” Dark laughed softly. “Don’t be so sure abut that. I’m fine, Lakesinger. You’ll learn soon enough just how much fun driving your lover wild with desire can be, and how stimulating it really is.” Dark captured his mouth, kissing the beautiful watermage. His watermage. He’s so inexperienced, not just sexually, but apparently in most of the things a warrior his age should know. I’d wonder why, but can guess. His mother all but ruined him. That’s over. He’s mine now, and I’ll show him everything. Dark expanded the dildo, taking it from the slender finger into a wider shape, his power turning the center hollow to craft the new form. On the next change he’d have to add more stone, but he need only pull small amounts of material from the platform of their bed to accomplish that. Lake was writhing in pleasure by now but he wasn’t asking for mercy or trying to fight. Page 147

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The moans and groans were getting a lot louder though. Dark pulled stone from the bed platform adding it to the existing dildo, expanding it as he used it to fuck his lover. He bent down and whispered, “Does it feel good?” “Yes, yes it does, only…” But Lake bit his lip and would say no more. “Tell me, Lake. What did you want to say?” he asked as he started to nibble Lake’s throat, working his way down to the point where neck and shoulder met. He latched on, sucking to mark the younger man as his. “It feels very good, but you feel so much better,” Lake said. “Hmm... do I?” He nipped his lover’s skin. “Make me want you, Lake. Tell me what you want me to do.” “I want you to turn so I can suck you,” Lake said. “Would you like that?” “I would. But I want you to tell me more of your plan, Lake. Tell me what you’re going to do with those lips and tongue of yours,” Dark urged, Page 148

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wanting to hear Lakesinger talk to him as a lover, saying things lovers said to one another. “I want to… I want to taste you, and lick at your slit,” Lake said, warming to his theme after a false start. “I want to suck and lick at you, kiss your balls, swallow you to the root.” He stopped, frowning. “That’s if I can, of course.” Dark laughed. “Well I won’t stop you from trying.” He altered the shape of the stone, transitioning dildo to butt plug before he lay down on his back. “Your turn to get me gasping and moaning, Lake.” Lake smiled and moved down Dark’s body giving a lot of attention to his nipples, licking and sucking on them until they were taut buds. Groaning, Dark caressed Lakesinger’s back, fingers moving over silky soft skin sheathing hard muscle. Lake was young, but he was every bit a man. The feel of Lake’s mouth on his nipples became pure torment and he wanted to stop him, roll him face down on the furs and fuck Lake until he begged for release. Instead he gasped and moaned, showing Lake Page 149

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how good the feel of his mouth was on the sensitive bits of flesh. He gasped out his appreciation and closed his eyes, letting the younger man do what he would for the moment. Lake shifted even further down Dark’s body and licked his way up the thick vein under his cock before teasing the slit with his tongue. A cry of pleasure came from Dark’s parted lips, he drew a shaky breath and fought the urge to grab the back of Lake’s head and fuck the man’s mouth. “Yessss,” Dark hissed, “like that. So good, Lake. So very good.” Lake grinned and moved away from Dark’s cock to suck on each of his balls in turn, rolling them round with his tongue. Already fighting for control, Dark moaned and gasped as his balls were sucked. With other lovers he’d been able to lie there and enjoy the feeling but not lose control. With Lakesinger things were different and he found himself exerting every bit of control he had to keep from grabbing his lover and fucking him. Staring at the ceiling he could see hazy wisps Page 150

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of magical energy rising from them, green and brown, gold and aqua moving in a stately dance around them. “Lakesinger, my swordbrother, that feels very good.” Lake came away from Dark’s balls and grinned up at him. “I haven’t finished with you yet,” he said, before taking as much of Dark’s cock into his mouth as he could and sucking. “Ahhhh, gods, gods!” Dark cried out as his cock was surrounded by wet heat. His balls felt heavy, ready to explode in release. He shuddered and fought the powerful urge to fuck Lake’s mouth. He held back, lay still and let Lake continue, his mind barely keeping his body under control. Lake continued to suck whilst teasing with his tongue. One finger crept under Dark’s balls and stroked the sensitive area between them and his anus. Dark groaned, body aching for release, the teasing finger beneath his balls almost making him lose control and grab for Lake. He looked down, watched Lake’s mouth moving along his cock, sucking him. Pleasuring Page 151

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him. He wanted to fuck the sleek younger warrior, wanted to sink his cock in Lake’s ass and have the younger man until he begged for release. And there wasn’t a damn thing stopping him from doing it other than his desire to make this session last longer than the first had. “Do you want my cock?” he growled, “I hope so, because I’m going to fuck you and I’m going to do it now.”

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Chapter Seven Teacher and Student

Lake smiled as best he could round his mouthful of cock. It would seem that Dark found this just as erotic and yet maddening as he did. But he wanted to be fucked, wanted to exchange the stone butt plug for Dark’s cock so he let go. He couldn’t resist grinning at the big man and asking, “Like that did you?” Any second now Dark’s going to grab me, throw me down and fuck me and, oh gods, how I want it! Hands closed on him, pushing him face down on the bed. The butt plug was pulled free, the thing contracting under the power of his lover’s magic. Oil slicked flesh sank into his readied ass, the first stroke fast and deep. Dark groaned. “Gods you feel so good.” Lake tried to chuckle but it turned into a groan of pure need. “So do you,” he gasped. Page 153

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As good as the stone in his ass had been it couldn’t compare to the silken, smooth warmth of his lover’s magnificent cock. A thought occurred and he placed his wrists together for Dark to bind with stone if he wished. He did say he liked it, after all, and it feels good to please him. And he knew he would learn as quickly as he could from his swordbrother all his swordbrother could teach him about love. At least I won’t let him down as a warrior if we ever need to fight. I’ve been in four battles already and not disgraced myself. He stopped thinking altogether as that wonderful group of nerve endings inside him was stroked over and over again. Stone flowed over Lake’s wrists, binding him to the bed as another flow of stone gripped his ankles. The magical energies intensified as had occurred their first time together, the pale glow turning to brilliant light that wove and spun around them. Dark’s hands clasped his hips, his lover fucking him harder than he had the first time, his Page 154

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balls slapping the sensitive skin on the underside of Lake’s scrotum, the same spot he’d teased on Dark. The man bent over his back, the pace and speed of his thrusts picking up in tempo and depth, the angle dragging the head of Dark’s cock over the sweet place inside Lake. All that was left in Lake’s world was the blissful sensation of Dark’s cock pounding into his helpless body. He cried out his joy in everything from whimpers to deep groans. Dark’s hand curled around his cock, stroking his flesh in a counter point rhythm. The magical energy flowed between them, stone magic and water magic blending within their souls. The bond strengthened between them, their souls bound by the magic, the magic bound by their souls. “Dark, Dark,” Lake cried out as his cock spasmed and he came over Dark’s hand. He was so deep in the pleasure, he didn’t even notice when the stone binding him to the bed flowed away. Page 155

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Hot spurts filled him as Dark came, the older warrior’s arms wrapped around his hips to hold him when he would have collapsed. The man sat back on his heels, pulling Lake against his chest, his cock still inside him. “I love you. Do you know that?” his swordbrother murmured as he held him, kissing his shoulders. Lake leaned back against him. “I do now,” he murmured back, “and I know I love you too. Do you mind very much?” Whenever anyone professed love for me before, I pushed them away, but not this time. This time it’s real, not two spoiled boys playing at love. Dark lowered him to the bed, his cock sliding out, his mouth closing over Lake’s in a tender, lover’s kiss. His lover lifted himself up, looking at him with love warming his eyes. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me, Lakesinger.” Dark kissed him, his mouth exploring, tongue moving in Lake’s mouth, tangling with his. If I’m the best thing that’s happened to him he Page 156

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must have had a really terrible life as an outlaw. Well no more. I will do whatever I can to make him as happy as he makes me. He explored Dark’s mouth in turn, loving the taste of all of his swordbrother, mouth, skin, cock, all were as delicious to him as Dark’s musky, male scent. He snuggled closer to his lover trying to touch all of his body with his own. Dark lay down beside him, holding him close, pulling a thick fur over them. “We should take a bath,” the man remarked, and yawned. Despite his comment he didn’t move or show any sign of being ready to get out of their bed. “Well that’s one thing I can do for you,” Lake said as he snuggled against the big man. “No more cold baths. With a bit of work on the rock and water we can change the dirty water for clean, too.” “I usually make the dirty water channel out of the cave, but I don’t bother leaving the drainage ditch in the floor. Too easy to fall in and with no healer around I didn’t want to risk breaking bones.” Dark murmured sleepily. “I never took a cold bath, I heated water in a pot over the Page 157

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firestones, but your way is better. Life with you is better.” Dark stroked a hand along Lake’s body then the watermage was squeezed close, “Guess if we’re going to bathe we need to get out of bed don’t we?” “Unfortunately, yes. Forget the pot over the firestones though, I want my bath now!” With a grin, Lake slipped out of his lover’s arms, pulled a fur around himself and headed for the water cave. No more than a moment later, steam was rising from the bathing pool. “The bath’s ready,” he called. He dropped the fur to the floor and clambered into the water, letting out a huge moan of contentment at the feel of the hot water on his skin. Dark joined him, lowering himself into the steaming water with an appreciative sigh. His cock, limp before he hit the warm water, went stiff. Grinning, Dark pulled Lake into his arms. “I’m ready if you are.” “You are insatiable, you know! Keep this up and I’ll be walking with a permanent limp!” Page 158

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There was a big grin on Lake’s face as he spoke though. Oh gods, I love him so much. I really do. Dark pulled Lake into his lap, face to face, the man guiding his cock inside. Dark groaning as he slid home, fully sheathed by Lake’s willing body. His head was thrown back, lips parting in another cry of pleasure his face suffused with pure bliss. “Gods but you’re tight.” Lake had never before seen such pleasure on the face of a lover and it made him feel both cherished and loved, and love was something else that was totally new to him. He wrapped his arms around Dark as he rode him, gasping little moans erupting from his mouth in a torrent of delight. “Hmmm... feels good, Lake. Damn good,” Dark murmured as their lips met, the kiss filled with Dark’s hunger for him. “I want you to feel good, always,” Lake said when they broke off the kiss. That made him realize something else, loving someone wasn’t about taking or using it was about Page 159

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giving unselfishly. It proved one unalterable fact: his mother had never loved him. “Always? We’re both going to get sore,” Dark replied, laughing and groaning with pleasure as he bent his head. The stonemage applied his mouth to the soft skin of his shoulder, laving Lake’s skin with his tongue. “Not just in this way,” Lake said and gave his lover a playful slap on the thigh, “In all the other ways that matter even more than this. Like not being a brat and helping you do stuff and talking, we haven’t done a lot of that. If you don’t like to talk, then I’ll stay quiet. I just want you to be as happy as I am.” He wasn’t sure if any of what he’d said had made any sense to Dark. He wasn’t sure that it made sense to him, really, but the big man was older and wiser and would hopefully understand what he was trying to tell him. Dark’s arms went around him, holding him tight, stopping Lake from moving. Emotion burned in his lover’s gaze as his dark eyes met Lake’s. “I’m not used to talking. I’ve lived by myself for so long, but--” he caressed Lake’s hair with a water dampened hand, “for you I’ll try Page 160

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not to be such a darbear and I’ll try to talk to you more.” He kissed Lake’s lips, hand going to the nape of his neck to hold him as the kiss deepened. Dark let him go when they were both breathless. When the kiss ended, Dark said, “And you are making me happy just by trying so hard not to be the brat you were when I captured you.” Reassured by all that Dark had said, especially the last bit, Lake kissed him yet again. Then he started to move once more, gasping out his pleasure. This time Dark moved with him, his lover’s abdominal muscles rippling, thighs tensing under him. Dark claimed Lake’s every cry, Dark’s mouth covering his, their voices blending, vibrating in one another’s throats as the tempo of their movements increased. Dark’s hand closed around his cock, grasping it and stroking in time to his loving, the pace fast and hard, their bodies straining toward release. The large cock inside Lake stroked his prostate continuously, sending bursts of light through his vision. The magic began to rise around them, Page 161

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Dark’s power, like his lover’s arms winding round him in a promise of safety. Lake rode out both the storm of Dark’s lovemaking and the tempest of magical energies swirling around and through them, giving a loud shout of release when another mind-numbing orgasm flowed from his groin to every part of his body. Dark thrust into him twice more and then he too cried out, the men clinging to one another as their bodies calmed and the firestorm of power slowly abated. “It’s never been this good with anyone,” Dark commented as he leaned back in the basin of water, a contented smile giving his lips a sexy quirk. Lake smiled back at him. “Nor for me,” he agreed. He eased himself off of Dark’s softening cock but stayed on his lap, content to lean against him as the hot water soothed and cleaned him. “I guess we should think about food,” he said, but didn’t actually move. “Food. That sounds like an excellent idea. There’s some darbear meat left, but I’m going Page 162

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to need to do some hunting today or we won’t have any supper tonight,” Dark remarked as he reached for a jar on a narrow ledge above his head. He opened it and a spicy scent filled the air. “Soap,” he informed Lake. “I buy it in the City but it’s pretty expensive.” Lake inhaled the delicious scent and smiled. “That smells good,” he remarked. “While you’re hunting, I can find some herbs or berries if you like.” “There isn’t much around here,” Dark told him as he dumped a pale beige block into his hand. “I thought you might want to come with me. I’d like to see you in action that isn’t connected with making love.” Dark grinned, “Not that I’m complaining of course, but I’d really like to watch you ride I want to see you hunt too.” Lake watched, fascinated, as Dark wet the soap and formed bubbles with it. The big man spread the bubbles over his own chest and then spread some on him too. It felt soft and smelled nice so he didn’t flinch from the novel sensation. Page 163

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His lover’s hands slipped over his body, spreading the spicy foam. “I really like this stuff. Gets you cleaner than any of those crushed plants we use. What do you think so far? Do you like how it smells? They’ve got other kinds, some of them the kind of scents women prefer, but this is the fragrance I personally like the best.” Lake nodded his enthusiasm. “It really does smell good and it feels soft on the skin. I really like it.” He kissed his lover in thanks and was rewarded by having his lover pull him closer, their chests pressing together, the slickness of the soap an added sensual experience. What Dark had said about hunting together sank in then and he gave his swordbrother a smile. “And yes, I’d love to go hunting with you. Just don’t expect me to take on a darbear. I took one down as my initiation into warrior status but I don’t ever want to repeat the experience.” “Darbears aren’t animals I go out of my way to hunt.” He splashed water over Lake’s head and rubbed the block of soap over his hair. “And while you can eat them, I prefer to hunt nice fat goats or even a canyon deer. They’re tastier and far less dangerous.” Page 164

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Lake murmured in appreciation as his hair was washed and his scalp massaged by Dark’s strong fingers. “Mmm, that feels wonderful. So what else do you hunt?” “Oh the usual stuff. Runnerbirds, rabbits, other small game... oh and of course the occasional brat,” Dark said, voice and face without any sign of amusement, though his eyes glittered with laughter. “Oh, you…” But Lake was laughing, learning how to be teased without growing angry. “Runnerbird is good, I really liked the goat though and those cake things you served it with.” “Well with you around I won’t feel bad about killing a goat. I hate having food go to waste, and I wind up leaving most of it behind for the scavengers.” The big man sighed and rubbed his scalp vigorously. “We’ll have to make a trip into the City for supplies. If that blackstorm was any indication of what’s to come we’re in for an early season and we’ll need food, and lots of it.” He put the soap aside. “Close your eyes and hold your breath. I’m going to rinse your hair.” Page 165

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Lake did as he was told and found himself being pushed backward into the water, his whole body even his head was quickly submerged. Deciding to get some payback, Lake simply lay on the bottom of the basin, until Dark started to look worried. Using the water to aid him Lake pulled on Dark’s ankles until the man slid backwards into the water. Laughing and sputtering Dark resurfaced, wiping water and dripping hair from his face. “Incorrigible, that’s what you are.” He grabbed Lake and pulled him out of the water to set a dripping wet kiss to his smirking mouth. The taste of the soap intruded and Dark quickly submerged Lake to get rid of the last of the foam. He pulled him back out of the water and swept the hair out of his lover’s face. “Incorrigible and rotten too I might add.” Lake nodded, face serious but eyes alight with laughter. “Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it? And that soap stuff tastes nasty!” He grimaced before asking, “Now your hair’s wet, do you want it washed?” Dark nodded. “I do. It feels good to be touched, Page 166

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I might just decide to say to hell with the hunting and drag you back to bed.” Dark leaned closer to Lake, whispering in his ear, “Would you like that? Staying in bed all day making love, having my cock in you over and over?” Lake rubbed the soap between his hands until he had enough lather to cover Dark’s long hair. He rubbed it in and long fingers massaged Dark’s scalp. “You want an honest answer? I don’t mind either way, hunting or fucking, as long as I’m with you.” An appreciative murmur came from Dark as his lover’s slender fingers moved over his head, and for once it was the one at the top of his body not the lower one. It still felt good, really good, and he slid deeper into the water with Lake straddling his hips. “If we fuck, we don’t eat. If we hunt, we can’t fuck until we get back.” Dark remarked and grinned. He was enjoying everything he did with Lakesinger. Even something so mundane as a bath became a study in decadent sensuality with his new swordbrother. He closed his eyes and sighed. “Unless you want me to bend you over Page 167

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the seat of my warcycle and take you out under the open sky.” Dark opened his eyes and winked at Lake, lips curved into a grin filled with mischief. “Might be fun now that I consider it.” Lake rolled his eyes as he laughed. “I swear I’m going to end up with a permanent limp living with you! What about I fuck you for a change?” He climbed off Dark so that his lover could lie back in the water and rinse the soap off his hair Dark rinsed his hair, streaming water he sat up and reached for a woven towel-- also from the City-- and stood, pulling Lake to his feet also. A second was all it took to focus his power, a narrow channel appearing in the floor to drain the water out of the bath, through the cave to the front door and from there to the sandy ground outside. He tossed the towel over Lake’s head and started to rub his lover’s hair dry. “We definitely need to make a trip to the City. I’ve only got this one towel, we’re on my last bar of soap and we’re Page 168

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almost out of flour and everything else we’re going to need.” Once his head had stopped being shaken around, Lake nodded. “I’d like to see the city,” he said. “I’ve never been there. What will they trade for?” “Well I had this watermage I was going to give them, but he proved to be such a pain I decided to keep him,” Dark teased as he worked the towel down Lake’s body. When he got to his lover’s legs he leaned in, opened wide and sucked Lake’s cock into his mouth. Lake let out a little yelp before tangling his fingers in Dark’s hair. “So, if you don’t sell me, what will you trade?” he asked before moaning aloud. “Gods, that feels so good.” Dark let his lover’s hardening cock go to answer, “I’ve got other things. Bloodstars, dragoneye stones.” He laughed softly, “My cock if there are any takers besides you. Though,” he looked up at Lake, “I suppose you might not like me selling my sexual favors.” Lake glowered down at him, eyes narrowed. “No, I wouldn’t like it, any more than you’d want Page 169

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me to sell myself. I can add, ice, fish and hot water to the list, if anyone needs them.” “I didn’t think so. And how could you sell fish? They have to be caught and I don’t know the first thing about catching fish. Well not unless you count the cave fish I caught out of the pool here and moved to a deeper one past the storage cave where our bikes are. They’re pitiful little things, much too small to eat though have to admit I’ve considered it a couple of times out of curiosity.” He reclaimed the treat he’d been sucking and worked on it with his tongue. Lake grinned. “All I need is an underground stream near the city,” he said. “I don’t have to catch them, I charm them out of the water. Sometimes I swim with them.” He stopped talking and moaned instead as his cock sprang to complete hardness in Dark’s mouth. It took a few seconds for the things Lake had said to sink into Dark’s lust dulled mind. He stopped working the flesh in his mouth yet again and stared up at Lake. “You can.... what?” Page 170

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Lake blinked at him obviously confused. “Er… swim?” “No, the rest of it. Charm fish? Breathe in water?” Incredulous Dark stood and gripped his lover’s shoulders, stared into his big blue eyes. “You aren’t joking are you? This isn’t something you’re telling me in order to play a trick on me is it?” Lake shook his head. “You saw me in the bath. With the extra exertion of pulling you under, I wouldn’t have been able to hold my breath for that long. It’s something similar to heating water only the water stays cool. I’m a watermage, remember. There isn’t much I can’t do with the stuff. Like you with stone. I’ve seen stone battle mages use stone to armor themselves but I’ve never seen rock and stone shaped the way you do it.” “What I do is nothing special, Lake. It’s the sum total of many years of loneliness and boredom, that’s it,” he told his lover. Smiling he stepped closer until their bodies were touching, cocks pressed between them. “Is it bad that I want to fuck you already?” Lake smiled up at him. “Bad, no, insatiable, Page 171

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yes,” he said, “but you don’t hear me complaining, do you?” “No. Not yet anyway,” Dark said then bent to kiss Lake. Their lips touched and as they did something impinged on his mind. A tingle that started at the nape of his neck and spread up and down from brain to tailbone humming like a hive of nectar bugs. He turned to look at the door of the water cave as if he’d be able to see what troubled him coming in on them. A frown knotted his brows as the sharp edge of warning flowed into him from the very stones surrounding them. Magically attuned to the whole canyon where he’d made his home for so long, Dark sensed the intruders the instant they passed the narrow slot that was the only way into his haven. It was also the only way out. “Lake, someone’s here in our canyon and from the feeling coming to me through the rocks they aren’t here to trade. Get dressed I’ll get our swords,” he ordered as he ran to the storage cave where their cycles were parked. Lake didn’t argue and by the time Dark Page 172

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returned with their swords, he was dressed and frowning. “The water is warning me of something,” he said. “Uninvited guests are seldom good news when you’re an outlaw, Lake. And now that you’re with me you’ll have to learn to be extra cautious and alert when you go out alone.” Dark shook his head, worried and uneasy about the situation. You did this to Lake, you’ve endangered him by letting the bond happen, by making him swordbrother to an outlaw. Fool. You didn’t think about that, all you concerned yourself with was having a swordbrother, of forging the bond. You never considered what came afterward. “Actually, I don’t think I’m letting you go out alone until I’m sure you’ll be safe. There are too many people who might mistake you for an outlaw too and that could be lethal. I’m not willing to take that risk with you, Lake.” Lake opened his mouth as if to say something, shut it again, and glowered. Dark pulled his clothes on, the distant sound of approaching warcycles telling him this was no Page 173

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false alarm. Traders didn’t come on warcycles alone, they always had workbikes and sleds and they never came in as fast as these people were approaching. Traders came in nice and slow to prove their lack of hostile intent. “Six of them at least,” he informed Lake as he listened to the rumbling echoes that filled the caverns that were channeled into the caves by the canyon’s walls. “If we had more food I’d seal us in and not worry about them, but,” he shrugged, “we can’t hold out against a prolonged siege with the pitiful supplies I’ve got here. Stupid of me really, letting my stockpile run low. It means we’re going to be forced to fight rather than wait them out like I’d usually do.” Dark embraced his lover, gave him a kiss, “I want you to guard the door so they can’t get in here. I’ll handle the fighting.” This time Lake did not stay silent. “I’m a warrior, not a woman, I will be fighting too, now give me my sword!” Eyes narrowing, Dark opened his mouth for a biting retort, then stopped himself before he insulted his lover. “I never said you were a woman. I--” he pulled Lake into a tight embrace, Page 174

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pressing his face into his lover’s hair, inhaling the clean smell of the soap that clung there, the light undercurrent of Lake’s own unique scent. Emotions battled in him, the desire to protect Lake warring with the knowledge that Lake was more than just his lover, he was also a warrior. “I don’t want to risk the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’re my swordbrother, and I know you’re a warrior, but I can’t help wanting to protect you.” He kissed his lover’s hair, kept the man wrapped in his arms, wishing his lover would do as he asked, wanting to keep him safe. Knowing he would create a rift between them if he forced Lake to remain inside where he couldn’t be hurt he relented. “Will you forgive me for being an idiot?” “I will as long as you remember I don’t want to lose you either and I feel just as protective.” Lake returned the embrace swiftly before taking his sword from Dark’s hand. As soon as he touched it, it glowed with green energies. Stone flowed from the floor to sheathe Dark’s body in armor of living rock. “I’ll go out first in case they’re armed with distance weapons,” he stated. “My armor will protect me.” Page 175

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He took a step toward the door then stopped, looking at the channel which remained in the floor. He grinned and an instant later a trickle of water flowed past them, to fill a shallow pit by the door. “Will that help you?” he asked Lake. Lake gave him a vicious grin. “Oh yes,” he said. There was a ripple in the surface of the pool’s water and he was suddenly sheathed in solid ice. “Shall we go welcome our intruders?” Dark touched the ice covering his lover’s body. “Amazing,” he whispered, awed by the scope of his lover’s magic. He’d known Lake was powerful, but this went beyond anything he’d ever suspected his lover might be capable of creating. “Your power does surpass mine, Lake. I’ve never seen any watermage with this ability.” The sound of the warcycles had gotten very loud. “Let’s go. If we’re lucky they’ll back down when they see the two of us. I don’t want to kill them unless we have to, though I won’t lose sleep if we’re forced to kill them to defend ourselves. Page 176

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They’re the lowest scum imaginable. Outlaws,” he frowned, “like me.” Lake laid a gentle finger on his lips to silence him and shook his head, frowning. “Not like you,” he said softly. “Nobody is like you.” Then he turned towards the cave entrance obviously ready to meet whatever was out there. Dark couldn’t help the smile that curled his mouth as he walked to the entrance of the cave. He grasped his sword in one hand, and the warm fingers of his swordbrother in the other. And I thought he was a useless brat. What a difference a couple of days and becoming swordbrothers has made. He shoved aside the heavy darbear fur that shielded the entrance and stepped out into the cooler air outside the cave. The late afternoon sun didn’t reach into the canyon, the walls high enough to turn afternoon to evening twilight. The men on the warcycles were already stopping their vehicles, the way they dressed proving they were not men from any clan. Their garments were a mix of woven cloth typical of City people mixed with the furs and leathers of Page 177

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a clansman. Unlike most clansmen, they were bearded, their faces half hidden by their facial hair. They were also dirty, the wind carrying the scent of old sweat and even less savory stinks to Dark. “Bounty hunters, no question about that.” “Smelly ones too,” Lake remarked. He stood watching the intruders with narrowed eyes. “I really don’t like them.” “So judgmental, but I have to agree, they don’t look as if they’ve come for any reason but hostility.”

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Chapter Eight Dangerous Opponents

The men dismounted from their cycles since the approach to the cave wouldn’t allow for mounted combat, all six of the men drawing swords from the weapon’s racks on their warcycles. Two of them tried to call up stone armor and couldn’t, the stonemage that was his lover unable to help the amused chuckle when the sand and stone failed to yield to the touch of their power. The canyon was Dark’s, infused with his power to such a degree that it no longer answered to the magic of other stonemages, especially not ones as weak as this pair. Lake chuckled at the sight and the looks of consternation on the faces of the stonemages when they found their power didn’t work here. “Who are you men?” Dark asked, the question a formality as they’d already made their intentions apparent the instant they drew weapons. “We’ve come to collect the reward on your Page 179

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hide,” one of them snarled. He grinned nastily at the sight of Lake. “And that little bit of flesh will fetch a good price too.” Little bit of flesh? Oh the man was so dead for that remark alone! “Go home to whatever vermin’s nest you’ve crawled out of,” Dark warned, his tone and the stance he took up menacing, confident. “This is my canyon, and the watermage is my swordbrother. Leave or die by our hands.” The men ignored him and rushed forward as one, faint energies wreathing their swords. Two stonemages, a windmage, and three who had such weak powers that the auras around their blades were unidentifiable flickers of faint light. Lake flicked pointed shards of ice at the first to near him, Dark swinging his sword which hurled a spray of sand, pebbles and stony shards at the onrushing men. The wind mage attempted to raise a dust storm but the dust he tried to lift was immediately wetted as if a heavy rain had fallen. Both bounty hunter stonemages came in at them through the magical hail of Dark’s power, Page 180

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their clothing and protective gear saving them from the worst of the sand, rocks and gravel as they tried to close with Dark and turn it into a sword fight rather than a magical duel. Dark drove them back easily, a wave of sand hitting them and taking both men off their feet. The other four men went down and the moving wave of sand carried them to their parked cycles which toppled over as the sand wave crested to half bury men and machines both. “Leave! Leave now!” Dark commanded. “I’ll spare your lives if you do, but stay and fight with us and you’ll die. I won’t give you another warning!” Dark unleashed his power, the canyon vibrating as the ground beneath the men rose up pitching them down, the sand engulfing them as if trying to swallow them whole. “HELP! HELP!” one of them screamed. “STOP! GODS STOP!” another wailed out his terror. The sand stopped, the five of them chest deep, gasping amid a cloud of dust, eyes full of terror, mouths full of dirt. Page 181

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Lake raised a brow in query at his swordbrother’s mercy. “You’re letting them go?” “I’ve never liked killing human beings, Lake. In my entire life I’ve only killed four men, I don’t plan to double that number today.” He eyed the men who were still begging for their lives. “Unless I’m forced into it.” Lake sighed and shook his head, drawing the water from the choking man’s lungs. “There, now that useless piece of trash will live too.” But there was real admiration shining in his eyes when he looked at his swordbrother. The man had a code of honor that made a mockery of everything he’d been taught about the subject. The other four men popped from the sand fast as corks from the fermented beverages made by the City people. “Get out of here and don’t come back,” Dark roared as they scrambled for their cycles, pushing them upright and starting the dust caked vehicles. None of them looked for the weapons they’d lost. Within moments they were tearing off, heading for the way out, looking over their Page 182

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shoulders as if expecting to be engulfed in a wave of magic driven stone and sand. Dark turned to Lake, “Do you see why I asked you to stay in the cave now? They wouldn’t have known you were here if you had.” He let the stone covering him fall away, the material sinking into the ground with the liquidity of water though it was sand that dropped away. Lake shook his head, seeing the reasoning but refusing to be swayed by it. “Get used to the idea of me backing you in any fights,” he said as he let the ice drop into the shallow pool as water. “I am not prepared to let you face danger alone.” The men on the warcycles shot through the narrow opening vanishing into the gloom beyond. His lover wrapped his arms round Lake, pulling him close. “All right, just promise me you won’t take any foolish risks. I can’t stand the thought of you being hurt.” “I promise I won’t take any foolish risks,” Lake said as he returned the embrace. He looked up into Dark’s eyes. “How long should we give them before we go out for more meat?” Page 183

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“Good, because I don’t know what I’d do if you were hurt,” his lover replied, voice a rumbling murmur. “As for meat, we’ll have to make do with what we’ve got left today. It’s not much, but I’m sure we can keep busy satisfying other hungers to get our mind off our bellies,” His lover captured his lips for a quick kiss before the man scooped Lake up and carried him inside. Lake’s belly reminded him in no uncertain terms that he hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast by choosing that moment to rumble rather loudly. “Maybe a hunting excursion limited to our own valley would be a safe bet. I can seal the other end to keep them from coming back and wrecking things.” Dark remarked, giving Lake’s belly a pat. “I don’t want my swordbrother starving to death, but I’m afraid all we’re going to find are small rockhens. Most of the larger game stays well away from my canyon.” “A rockhen or two would go down very nicely,” Lake said. “Did we eat all the darbear? If not, I could cook that now while you go find some rockhens for breakfast tomorrow.” He smiled sweetly at his swordbrother, fully expecting a Page 184

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slap on the rump when he added, “After all, that way, I’ll be safe.” And Dark didn’t disappoint, the man’s meaty palm swatting him sharply on the butt. “I’ll give you safe over my knee if you don’t behave,” Dark threatened, a glitter and a smile warning Lake of a wicked plan taking form in the man’s mind. “I don’t think I like the look in your eye at this moment,” he remarked. “You only get that particular expression when you’re plotting something.” Strange how well he’d come to know Dark in the short time they’d been together. If he thought about it at all, he reasoned it must be the melding of their magic that enabled it. A black eyebrow arched upward. “Really? And what expression would that be?” Dark asked, his feigned innocence unconvincing especially when his lips curled up in an anticipatory smirk. Yes his lover was certainly up to something, but just what would have to wait until Darksky decided to spring it on him. “The one you’re wearing right now! And don’t try the innocent act either!” Then he was Page 185

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laughing as Dark reached out and tickled him. “No! Stop it!” “What if I say no?” His lover kept tickling him, the amused smirk showing Lake that Dark must be enjoying the little game he’d started. Lake pushed and pulled at his swordbrother, trying to move him and not succeeding. “I thought you were going hunting,” he said sweetly. “I did, and look what I’ve caught,” Dark replied. Lake’s feet left the ground as his lover slung him over a shoulder and carried him into the caves, a rumbling chuckle sounding as he shoved the darbear fur aside and carried Lake in. “But I’d like to have a little something to eat first, if you don’t mind.” Dark tossed him onto the bed, a hungry mouth closing over his. Lake returned the kiss, smiling to himself at the way Dark could control him so easily. Of course, he would always push at the limits, he couldn’t help himself. It was part of his nature to see just how far he could go. But for now he was content to do whatever Dark wanted, as long as Page 186

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there was some meat left and they had enough for a meal in the morning. “All right whelp, get into the kitchen and show me what a good wife you can be by cooking us something to eat,” Dark ordered, a grin on his face. His hand came down on Lake’s hip with a sharp crack of sound that boomed through the caves. “Go on now, get busy. I’m going to check over our cycles to make sure they’re in proper working order.” Lake made a rude face at his lover, one involving a stuck out tongue, but said in a voice absolutely dripping with honey, “Yes dear.” His lover burst out with a roar of laughter, shaking his head. “Gods I already love you, brat or not.” Powerful arms grabbed him in a tight embrace, lips closing over his, tongue driving into his mouth in a kiss that said ‘you are mine’ as well as any words could. Lake went still, stunned by the words. Dark really loves me? An ungrateful, arrogant, sharptongued brat like me is loved? His arms went round Dark’s neck and he pressed against the bigger man, wanting to show him that he was loved in return. Page 187

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The kiss ended, Dark’s gaze full of heat, his hard cock pressed to Lake’s belly. “Go on, get our food cooked,” his lover ordered and delivered a stinging smack to his butt as he let him go. Muttering about big bullies who didn’t know their own strength, Lake hopped off the bed, his hand rubbing his smarting ass. He took a look in the stone jar that Dark used as a larder and smiled. There was enough of the darbear left to stretch to two meals. He went to his warcycle and got out the firestones, dropping them in the cooking pit and placing a large skillet on top of them. He cut two large steaks off the darbear meat and plopped them in the skillet to sizzle. As he worked he realized just how much he was enjoying it, and how much he wanted Dark to enjoy what he was cooking. This love stuff was strange! Dark went back to check on their warcycles, a bemused smile curling his lips into a grin he knew bordered on appearing silly. And he didn’t care. There wasn’t anyone around to see him but Lake, and even if there had been he still wouldn’t have cared. He was in love. Page 188

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It’s hard to believe that I’m already in love with him, arrogant, bratty little whelp that he is. Dark felt warmth filling his chest, the sensation that came from his growing attachment and love for the watermage. Strange, tender emotions he’d never experienced for any human being, not even his barely remembered mother and father who’d both died when he was a young boy. And it’s just weird how I feel. I want to protect him, keep him safe, yet he’s a warrior, he doesn’t need me to keep him safe. I want to make him happy. He should be able to make himself happy, but I suspect that’s not something he’s ever known. I almost feel sorry for him except I haven’t had much joy out of life either... until now. I love him, yet I barely know him. But, as the saying goes, ‘as goes the power of the bond, so goes the bond of love among swordbrothers.’ I heard that almost every day while I was a kid and until now I never fully understood it. He chuckled to himself. The bond of swordbrothers is a very powerful thing indeed. He bent down and started checking Lake’s warcycle to make sure nothing needed repairing. He knew his cycle was in perfect condition, but Page 189

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he wanted a good look at his lover’s cycle before they went out hunting. Breakdowns in the middle of nowhere weren’t anything he wanted to deal with today or any day. The aroma of cooking meat reached him and he smiled wider. Well he’s not burning it, that’s something. He looked over the front side of Lake’s cycle, finding nothing in need of attention he moved on to checking his own cycle. Stomach growling, Dark finished his inspection and went to see what Lake was cooking. Lake glanced up and smiled as he approached. “Well I had very little choice, darbear or…darbear. So I decided on darbear. I’ve left us enough to slice up thinly for breakfast.” “Guess we better do more than think about going out to get some food. If we can find another clan they might trade some hides for dried goods, or root vegetables. Otherwise we’re looking at going out of this canyon to one a few days ride from here. I’ve been too lazy and I’ve Page 190

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about stripped the nearby canyons of anything good to eat, sorry to say.” He got out the plates and a pair of cups for water which was the only thing they had to drink. “A run to the City for supplies would be a good idea. It won’t be long until we’re dealing with the serious part of the blackstorm season and I want a well stocked larder by then.” Lake batted long golden lashes at him. “Can we afford some of that syrup or fruit stuff ?” he asked. “I’d really like to try that on those griddle cakes you make.” “Yes, and we’ll have to buy another sled to haul everything back here. Mine won’t carry enough for both of us,” Dark replied as he wiped off a bit of dust from the plates with a towel. The watermage was silent for a moment obviously deep in thought. “I could make an oasis and drainage system either in our canyon or one nearby in the future. That way we could grow a few things.” “Hey, now that’s a great idea!” Dark agreed Page 191

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and gave his lover a quick kiss and a pat on the bottom. “We can spend a couple of days in the City so you can decide what you’d like to buy. I’ve got my usual list memorized.” Dark started setting the table. I’m really enjoying having him in my life. I really am. Lake shrugged as he dumped the steaks onto two plates. “I wouldn’t know what to look for,” he said, “I’ve never been to the City so you would have to help me decide what we need. I’m not asking for any treats other than that syrup stuff.” “You’ve never been to the City? Didn’t your clan trade with them?” Dark questioned as he cut a chunk of his steak off with the knife by his plate. “Some of the clan went occasionally, when we were in the area, but I was never allowed to.” Lake glowered down at his food for a moment. “Don’t be so stupid, Lakesinger, you can’t possibly go to the city. They capture watermages and eat them!” He mimicked his mother’s voice almost exactly. “Ah, yes, I’d forgotten about the harridan who birthed you. I’m sure she was convinced Page 192

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you were incapable of doing anything a normal warrior was able to accomplish just from my brief contact with her.” Dark took a bite of his food. “Well you aren’t with your mother anymore, you’re with me,” he said as he chewed, “so you’ll be going. Hell if I’m going to leave you here for the two weeks I’d be gone.” Lake smiled at that and cut a chunk off his own steak. He shot a concerned look at Dark. “Is it edible?” he asked. “It’s good enough for a half-starved brat’s efforts,” Dark leaned across the table and caressed the younger man’s cheek. “But we can’t keep eating nothing but meat. I did that once and I felt pretty awful after about three weeks.” Lake grimaced in distaste. “No we can’t,” he agreed, “besides, I like vegetables and berries.” He got that faraway look in his eyes which meant he was deep in thought. “Some dried herbs would be useful during the storm season. They add a really good flavor to meat if it’s boiled.” “There are a lot of things we’ll need,” Dark agreed as he chewed more of their meager Page 193

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meal. “Meat by itself gets boring, and I’ve got a craving for things you can only get in the City. It’s why I was looking for someone to sell,” Dark admitted. “It gives me a good reason to be there if I’m selling someone, but I’m done with being an outlaw. I’m thinking we might want to find a clan to join. Living just the two of us will get lonely after a while, and we’ll start quarreling, bond or no bond.” Lake eyed him for a moment. “As long as it’s not the one I just left, I don’t mind,” he said. Then he chuckled. “So, tell me, what are these things you crave?” “No, it won’t be your old clan. There are a couple of clans I’ve traded with that weren’t hostile and didn’t ask for bloodprice from me. They might be interested in having a pair of powerful mages join them, but that will have to wait until after the blackstorms are over. None of them are in this area right now.” Dark sighed. “As far as what I want from the City goes, I’m afraid to admit that I have a terribly expensive addiction,” Dark told him. “I’ve got a craving for sweets so I usually buy three or four Page 194

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big jars of candy. A dozen jars of syrup and lots of that flour for pancakes.” Lake frowned. “I’m so ignorant. What is candy?” “You’ve been kept that way, Lake, but I’ll make sure you get an education,” he grinned and added, “in everything a man should know.” Dark took another bite of his meal and continued, “Candy is made of something like that syrup, but it’s hardened into a ball or disk. I have trouble keeping my hands out of the stuff,” Dark told him with a shake of the head and a rather sad expression. “Last Storm Season I did nothing but suck on the damn things and tinker with the walls in here. I get bored and change them every year, or I work on adding space to the other caves, but I only need just so many plates and whatever for myself which doesn’t leave me much to do with the stone I take out.” Lake chuckled. “I don’t think you’ll get quite so bored this year,” he said slyly. “And I think my education will be more fun than sucking on this candy. Although redecoration is always fun.” Page 195

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“I can think of lots of things to teach you too,” Dark replied archly, his own thoughts drifting to all the ways he could take Lakesinger and all the things he wanted to do with and to the younger man. This is the first time in my life when I’ve looked forward to being a virtual prisoner in my own home during the Storm Season. For once in my life I won’t be alone in here for weeks on end, I’ll have my swordbrother to make love with the whole time. “With you here I might be able to finally figure out a way to rig a flow of water through the rocks into the kitchen. It gets tedious carrying water from the other room for cooking or washing dishes.” Dark finished his meat, pushed the plate aside and leaned his elbows on the table. “You’ll be able to sense if there’s water anywhere over head so I can try to route it into here.” Lake considered, his chin resting on his hands, eyes far away. “Always supposing we can stay out of bed long enough I can do more than that. Hot water gets plates cleaner than cold so I can arrange for a supply of hot and cold water in the kitchen. Page 196

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It will help to keep the caves dry too. These are very wet caverns: there is water all around us. It just needs channeling to wherever it’s wanted or needed, rather than simply dripping and forming stalactites and stalagmites.” “I had to clear out a lot of those when I moved in here. Most I just changed the excess stone into the darbears around the place, but others became furniture and my bed platform. I sealed up some cracks and shored up weak points to stabilize the place.” He grinned, “One advantage of being a stonemage is knowing what’s wrong with a cave and being able to fix it before the roof falls in on your head. Dark stretched his arms above his head, the sound of popping joints loud in the relative quiet. He chuckled. “Old age is catching up with me,” he remarked. Lake pushed his empty plate aside and grinned. “You’re not that old. If the events that outlawed you happened when people say they did that makes you about thirty two or three. That’s younger than Redsand!” He glanced around. “As for the cave, we can Page 197

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have water wherever we need it and away from where we don’t want it with comparative ease.” His blue eyes widened suddenly. “Instead of trying to join a clan, why not set up a clan here? It’s a lot better than any tent, especially in a blackstorm.” Dark mulled it over briefly then replied, “It’s an idea. There are more caves I’ve sealed farther back, and another batch of them across the canyon. But who’d want to join us here?” He picked up their empty plates and carried them to the bucket of water to wash them. He started to wash one but stopped. It could work if anyone would be willing to settle down here and grow crops the way the City people do, we could turn this valley into a place where the clans could come to buy and trade goods. But do I really want my home to be a central hub for the clans? “I’m not really chief material, Lake. But there are things worth considering, like your idea of running water out into the canyon to grow food. We’d have the same sort of advantage the City people do, a steady supply of food.” Page 198

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Lake cleared the table and wiped it down with a wet rag. He stopped suddenly and turned to stare at Dark. “Oh, how strange!” he exclaimed before returning to his task. “Yeah it is weird from a clan viewpoint. But I’ve been living here for years and in many ways it’s a lot better than traveling aimlessly across the wastelands searching for food.” Dark scratched his beard stubbled chin and leaned against the counter where the wash bucket stood. “For one thing you don’t have to worry about finding a safe place to shelter during the Season of Storms. For another you can accumulate as much junk as you want and never worry about the weight.” He patted the stone bucket, “How many of these could I haul around if I had to pack and move every few weeks? Sure I can make them whenever I want, but I like these because the soft brown and cream colors are pleasing to me, and you can’t get those colors from fusing plain old sand.” Lake finished with the table and came to stand at Dark’s side, slipping an arm round the bigger man’s waist. “I don’t think your lifestyle’s strange. I like it in fact. And your work is beautiful from Page 199

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the simplest bucket to the sculptures on the walls. No, I just had this weird picture pop into my head. Probably my overactive imagination.” “Weird picture?” Dark asked and stepped around to face his lover, putting his arms around his lover’s slim waist, cupping Lake’s firm buttocks. “So tell me, what did you see with that overactive imagination of yours?” Lake smiled at him but it soon turned into a frown. “Well, as you know, I’ve never seen the City, yet we were standing in a place that had buildings on both sides and tent like stalls set up in front of them. There were two other men with us, both shorter than us yet radiating power. Somehow I knew that one was a windmage and the other a firemage. And the fire mage’s hair was the color of flame. That has to be imagination.” Dark pulled Lake close. “I’ve seen a woman with hair that color in the City. She was clan born so I know hair that color is possible,” Dark told him. “And while I don’t know the men you’ve described, I do know the place. It’s the market square in the City, Lake.” If his lover was showing barest trace of future sight it might mean his powers were still Page 200

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developing and weren’t fully mature. That posed interesting avenues of thought as Lake was already quite powerful. If his magic and abilities weren’t fully mature, exactly how powerful would he be once they were? Even if his power overshadows mine, I don’t care. All that matters is that he’s mine, we’re bonded, and I love him.

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Chapter Nine Hunters and the Hunted

Lake sped along after Dark, letting the older man’s warcycle lead the way as he knew the terrain better. They’d left the cave far behind by this time so Lake realized Dark had been telling the truth about his laziness. There was no game anywhere near the canyon or the cave which was good news if they really did start growing things. The last thing they needed were grazing animals eating their work. That thought brought another to mind and he would need to discuss it with Dark. In order to grow food they would need seeds. For the roots, herbs and berries they were used to, they could gather the seeds but for the plants the City people grew they would need to buy them. Would the City be prepared to sell some of the seeds to them? Ahead of him Dark had slowed down considerably so he pulled his warcycle up until he was riding next to his swordbrother. He could see a shimmer in the distance, a sure sign of a Page 202

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water hole. And where there was water, animals gathered. Dark brought his cycle to a stop and removed his face mask to tap out the dust and clean his goggles. “I’m going to do some hunting over that way on the far side of the watering hole,” Dark told him indicating the way they were going. “There are lots of smaller game in the plant growth near the water, and lots of plants. I’ll leave you to handle that since I don’t think you have any distance weapons and I do. It makes it easier to get the goats and forkhorns that live in this area.” Lake nodded. Dark’s suggestion made perfect sense and he might even be able to find some edible plants and berries by the water. Maybe even some of those seeds. “Take care,” he warned, unable to shake off a growing sense of unease. He removed his goggles and mask, and leaned across to kiss his swordbrother. “Don’t worry about me,” Dark murmured before he returned Lake’s kiss. Dark’s tongue slid into his mouth, a big hand cupping his groin in a promise of greater pleasures to be granted later. Page 203

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Lake returned the kiss with equal passion before pulling away to tap the dust out of his mask and clean his goggles. “Rockhens, runnerbirds and icehares coming up,” he said and restarted his warcycle, “Plus whatever plant food I can find. I’ll meet you by the water.” He gave the bike power and shot off towards the water hole. He had a good morning of hunting, cutting down several examples of small game and finding several vegetables, herbs and berries to add to his pile of edibles, not to mention some of their seeds. When Dark didn’t return he frowned. He placed his kills, the plants and seeds he’d gathered in the storage compartments of his warcycle before heading off to look for his swordbrother on foot, his magically enhanced sword in his hand. The vague unease had been growing until now it was screaming into his mind. The sound of cruel laughter coming from a small canyon made him creep forward more carefully. He recognized the voice. One of the bounty hunters from the day before, he was certain of it. I knew we should have killed them. Page 204

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He inched forward, careful to stay below the skyline, until he could see into the canyon. Dark was on the ground and the six bounty hunters were surrounding him, ready to kick the crap out of him. I’m going to need to get closer if I’m to do any real good. But I could try holding them. He concentrated hard, calling sand up to form round the weakest two and hold them still, but he couldn’t touch the other four. One man drew his sword and held it to Dark’s throat while the remaining three bounty hunters spread out, their eyes scanning the canyon walls, searching for Lake. “Let them go or he dies!” the man with the sword shouted, his call echoing off the walls of the stone rimmed valley. Lake’s eyes narrowed and he called forth the water under the canyon. It fountained up right underneath one of the remaining four with such force that he was bounced around on top of it. Then he dealt with the man with the sword, siphoning off some of the water to splash into his face and lungs. Page 205

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He charged the remaining men with a cry of rage, taking one of them across the abdomen. The last of the men raised his sword intending to kill Dark where he lay on the ground, with his wrists and ankles bound. Helpless, and showing no signs of consciousness the man would be easy to murder. Lake was on him in a second, blade flashing with blue-green fire, only to be pushed back by the heavy weight of the stone battlemage. He charged again, getting between the man and Dark. The man swung his sword, a brown glow covering the blade. A blast of gravel hurled at Lake when he swung, the attack intended to blind the watermage. Lake smothered the gravel with water and let it sink safely to the ground before it even reached him. His blade struck the other man’s raising more sparks. I need to finish this quickly. I need to make sure Dark stays alive. The stonemage spun out of the path of Lake’s sword, the sand under his feet shifting into a Page 206

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ridge that knocked Lake to the ground. A sword blade wreathed in flickering gold whipped toward Lake’s face. Lake brought up his own sword at the last minute and deflected the other’s blade. Then with a deft flick of his wrist, he spun his blue green glowing sword and shot darts of ice at the stonemage. But the ice didn’t hit, they collided with a thin wall of rock that dropped into the sand from which it was made. Bellowing the stonemage lunged at Lake the point of his sword going right for his chest. This time it was armor of solid ice that prevented any damage being done. Lake jumped to his feet and circled the man carefully. As a slight breeze carried the man’s body odor to him, Lake wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Don’t you assholes ever take a fucking bath?” It was a remark calculated to enrage the stonemage, to force him into mistakes. “Baths are for women and bitches like you,” the man countered and circled along with Lake. Both of them were waiting for an opening, Page 207

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a gap in the careful defense each one of them presented to his opponent. The stonemage’s eyes narrowed and Lake saw his arm tense as he prepared to strike. This time he used water, drawing it up through his blade and pouring it over the man with such volume and rapidity that he had to fall back or drown. “Now you don’t smell quite so much like rancid meat,” Lake remarked. Sputtering and gasping for breath the man used his free hand to sweep dripping hair out of his eyes which focused on something past Lake’s shoulder, a bright glitter of joy lighting his eyes. Lake thought fast. It had to be the idiot from the fountain he’d created who was coming up behind him. He instantly boiled the water that was drenching the stonemage and turned to face the man attempting to creep up on him. The swish of a blade through the air told him he had to move, and Lake dodged, bringing his sword up to block the other man’s weapon. Behind him the stone mage screamed in agony that dropped off to whimpering groans. Lake parried a few blows from the new fighter Page 208

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as he got his measure. He was another stonemage but so weak as to be negligible. Lake disengaged and brought his blade round in a broad sweep that came to rest in the man’s side. Certain that the other two were unable to move for now, Lake went to Dark’s side and untied him. His swordbrother’s skin was clammy to the touch and Lake feared that he might be too late to save him. His lover’s eyes remained closed, the big man unmoving though there were no visible wounds, no blood, and nothing Lake could find to explain Dark’s condition. Lake stood up and strode over to the nearest surviving bounty hunter. He backhanded him hard enough to knock the embedded man back, only the rock burying him up to his knees keeping him upright. “What did you bastards do to him?” “To Hell with you! I’m not telling you shit!” the man shot back, spitting blood. Lake smiled chillingly at him. “We can do this one of two ways, the hard way or the easy way. Your choice, but you will tell me.” Page 209

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The man spit at him in reply. Lake sighed as he dodged the spittle and poised his sword above the man’s head. A single drip of boiling water landed on the man’s brow. The man yelped and struggled. “You bastard!” The next drop was cold enough to cause a freeze burn. “This will stop as soon as you tell me what you did to my swordbrother, asshole.” A frustrated scream that carried a note of pain came from the would-be bounty hunter as he struggled violently to get free. Another drop of boiling water splashed onto the man’s forehead. “AHHHH! DAMN YOU!” the man screamed. Lake shook his head as another freezing drop hit the man’s reddened brow. “Brokenrock darted him, damn you! I don’t know what the hell he used! It was some muck he bought in the City supposed to make a man docile and unable to use magic for a few days.” Lake glowered at the man. “Six of you and two Page 210

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of us and you still feel you have to use poison? What a bunch of fucking cowards!” He walked away from the bastard before he gave into the impulse to simply gut him, and returned to Dark’s side. Now he knew what it was he was looking for he looked over Dark’s body until he found the tiny entry wound. Almost inevitably it was in his swordbrother’s back and looked red and angry. “I hope he fucking dies! I hope you both fucking die!” the bounty hunter he’d been questioning snarled as he struggled to get free with no more success than he’d had previously. “Let us go you little bitch!” the other one snarled as he too fought the sand holding him. “I thought he was a damn watermage! How in hell did he do this to us!” the first asked his companion. A soft groan heralded Dark’s awakening. “Gods why won’t they shut the hell up?” His voice sounded weak, words slurred from the poison. Lake breathed a huge sigh of relief. “I thought they’d killed you,” he said quietly. “They tipped Page 211

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a dart with some crap from the City which is supposed to disable your magic and make you docile. But, I’m not so sure, it looks infected to me.” Dark grunted. “Derivative of dreadcat poison. I’ve heard of it.” His eyes, which were hardly open, closed. “So tired.” “Don’t you dare die on me, you hear me?” Lake felt the need to keep talking to his lover, to keep him awake somehow so he knew he was alive. “And I’m sorry but I killed four of them. I know you don’t like killing but I wasn’t going to let them hurt you any further.” Another soft grunt was the only answer he got, until Dark’s hand lifted from the sand and groped for his. The fingers that gripped his hand were cool to the touch, and he could feel his lover shaking through the contact. After a few moments Dark said, “Last time I do anything so stupid. I’m not going to stop you from coming with me anymore either. I walked right into their trap.” Lake lifted the hand he was clutching to his Page 212

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cheek, his tears dampening it. “It doesn’t matter for now. I love you so much,” he whispered. There, I’ve said it. I wonder if he’ll remember. Doesn’t matter, I’ll say it again no doubt. “Love you too. Feel like shit though. Would you help me sit up?” his lover asked, his eyes drooping closed for a few heartbeats. “Of course.” Lake got an arm behind Dark and eased him into a sitting position, supporting him with his body. Dark’s head rested on his shoulder, the man’s breath moving his hair and tickling his neck. His lover sat there leaning on Lake doing nothing but sitting, his body slowly relaxing as if he were falling asleep. The trapped men continued to curse them both. “Noisy bastards,” Dark eventually muttered. “Let’s get out of here. They’re making my head hurt.” Dark got his feet under him and, hand braced on Lake’s shoulder, he stood, swaying, hand gripping Lake tight. His lover didn’t seem able to stand on his own, much less walk. Dark’s mouth Page 213

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was set in a determined expression that belied his evident weakness. Lake glanced around them, looking for Dark’s warcycle. “Where’s your cycle?” he asked. “Mine’s back by the waterhole.” He smiled briefly, trying hard to overcome his rage and panic. “And it’s packed with goodies.” Dark looked around seeing everything through a haze, the world gone dim as if the sun was obscured by a thick cloud of dust. His thoughts felt as though they were wrapped in thick furs, mind sluggish and as unresponsive as his body. He tried to move, wanted to walk, but his legs didn’t feel as if they were really attached to his body. He squinted, blinked, trying to force his eyes work, to see anything farther away than the end of his own nose. His head ached and his entire body felt tingly, a strange jabbing numbness that felt the way a limb did when it fell asleep. “Left it closer to the watering hole.” Lake nodded. “Okay. So what do you want me to do about those two assholes?” Dark frowned. They’d left them alive Page 214

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before and it had put both of them at risk. Yet killing human beings was a terrible thing to contemplate. And how many people have they killed? Unlike me they’re true outlaws, killers concerned with nothing but themselves. Weren’t you concerned with no one but yourself for a long time? In some ways that was true, but in others... no. The only time he’d taken anyone from a clan was when he felt sure the clan would be better off without that person. A stab of guilt tore into his conscious. Who were you to make such a decision for people you didn’t know? You made a similar decision regarding Lake based on what you saw over a couple of days. You never even realized it was his mother that made him the way he is. The clan wanted Lake. Lake was as much a victim as anyone else. It left him wondering how many other mistakes he’d made in his brief observations of other clans. And for what? Money to keep himself in supplies bought from the City. Bought from the very people he’d sold his captives to for money. Page 215

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“I’ll let you decide, Lake. I misjudged them last time and look where it got us.” It was Lake’s turn to frown. “I’ve already learned a lot from you,” he said, “so I don’t know if I can simply cut them down while they’re helpless even though they deserve it. The other four I killed in battle and that could have gone either way. Then again, if I free them they’re likely to attack us while you’re still weak being the cowards they are.” He shook his head. “Perhaps we should let the deathbirds make the decision.” “They’re trapped in the sand. If they can’t get free we’re leaving them to suffer a horrible death.” Dark stopped walking the canyon around him tipping and spinning at the same time. Nausea threatened to overcome his determination to leave. He leaned on Lake’s shoulder to steady himself, the younger warrior’s strength evident when he didn’t stagger under the weight Dark put on him. “Better to give them a clean and merciful death or set them free, which, as you said, poses risks to us I’d rather not take. Not with me like this.” He hated the helplessness, and the fact that he Page 216

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knew he’d put up no more fight than an infant if it came down to a battle with the surviving bounty hunters. Lake nodded, what Dark could see of his lover’s expression grim. “Sit down and rest for a moment, Dark. I’ll deal with them as I’d rather you didn’t dirty your hands on them.” Dark grunted and sank to the sand, peering down the canyon toward the watering hole. He couldn’t make anything out, but he clearly heard birds warbling in the rocks and when he raised his blurry gaze to the rocks of the canyon he could just make out some sort of animal hopping along the rocky ledges. The size and general shape told him it was a goat, the very creature he’d been seeking for their dinner. A wry smile twisted his mouth. So much for my ability as a hunter or a warrior. They took me as neatly as an experienced hunter takes a runnerbird. He snorted. And I was worried Lake would get in trouble! Nothing like an old fool for getting himself into shit he can’t get out of on his own. What an idiot. And I thought I’d be educating him. Lake took his sword and walked towards the Page 217

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trapped men who started screaming, struggling and begging for their lives. “You attacked my swordbrother,” Dark heard him say, “and if I free you, you’ll attack him again, so I’m sorry but you have to die.” “You spineless son of a sandcrawler! Let us go! Fight us like a man!” one of the men shouted. Dark saw Lake raise his sword through the murk clogging his eyes, his lover decapitated each of the men in turn, swiftly and cleanly. When he returned to Dark’s side he was crying. Dark held his arms out to Lake and his swordbrother moved into his embrace, crawling into his lap the way a troubled child would. New guilt assailed Dark. He’d just asked Lake to kill rather than doing it himself as he should have. They were both warriors, yet he’d had Lakesinger, his young lover do the killing. “I’m sorry, Lake. I should have done it myself.” We’re warriors. Sometimes that means killing people. But he didn’t like it. Didn’t like the idea that others had died so he could live. They brought this on themselves. They made the choice to come to capture me. They made the Page 218

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decision to attack me when I was alone, and to do it from concealment with poison. But the nagging guilt of how many people he’d captured and taken to the City wouldn’t go away. Lake sat beside him and rested his head in Dark’s lap. “No,” he said, “I’m capable of terrible things, Dark. I tortured one of those men to find out what they’d used on you. I boiled another to death. I’d rather I did things like that than you. You’re an honorable man and I’m just a brat.” Dark pulled Lake to a sitting position, met his tear filled blue eyes. He was seeing a bit better, though things were very blurry. “You’re more a warrior than I am, Lake. And if you’d been the one they captured I don’t know what I’d have done to them, but it would have been no less terrible.” He held Lake tight for a moment, but the smell of death and blood reached them on an errant drift of the wind. “Let’s go home, Lake. Let’s just go home and forget about what happened today.” Lake nodded, wiped his eyes and scrambled to his feet, reaching down to help Dark to his. Page 219

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His swordbrother gave him a lopsided smile and said, “So I take it there’s no goat? Dark pointed up at the animal that was grazing high above them. “Unless I’m mistaken, there’s a goat right there, but as you can see I didn’t get it. And since you’ve got to haul this old goat to his cycle even if I’d gotten it we’d have to leave it. “Do you think you could ride my cycle? It might be easier if you go get it for me and bring it here. My legs are not very steady.” “It’s no bigger than mine, so yes, I could ride it. The question here is can you ride it home?” “If we go slow, yes,” Dark replied then frowned. Can I ride long enough to get home with my legs so wobbly and my vision full of fog? “I’m going to try anyway.” “Hmmm. I say we hide your cycle and you ride behind me. We can come back for yours when you’re feeling well enough.” Lake sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I wish we knew a healer.” “I’ll survive. I’ve been clawed by a dreadcat before and lived,” Dark admitted. “And riding back on your cycle is probably the best bet. I Page 220

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don’t think anyone will find my cycle, I hid it pretty well in the rocks and the only clan in this area is yours.” “Very well, wait here while I go and get mine.” Lake lowered him to the ground again and set off at a run. A few moments later he was back with his warcycle. Dark pulled himself onto the back of Lake’s cycle and put his arms around his lover’s waist. “My goggles and mask are with my cycle. I’ll need those.” “Which way to your cycle,” Lake asked. “Head for the watering hole. My cycle is in the rocks on the east side,” Dark told him. “The sooner we get home the better. I feel like darbear crap.” Lake headed for the rocks to the east of the watering hole where they found Dark’s cycle well hidden under an outcrop. “Stay there, I’ll get your mask and goggles.” Dark didn’t bother to argue the point. He really didn’t think he could stand much less walk over to get them. He watched Lake, admiring him. His lover was so beautiful, the grace of Page 221

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a warrior who had perfect control of his body, but there were still bits of the awkward boy underlying it. A sort of confidence lacking in a more experienced man. Give him time and he’ll really be a man to reckon with. Lake returned with the mask and goggles and handed them over before remounting his warcycle. “And now we’re going home and you’re going to get some rest,” he said. He started the cycle and raced home toward their caves.

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Chapter Ten A Brat No Longer

Lake slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Dark. His swordbrother had slept most of the previous afternoon and all night but Lake wasn’t so worried now, as his skin had lost that cold, clammy feel. He moved across the cave to their kitchen area and retrieved two icehares from their stone jar pantry. Having had all yesterday afternoon with nothing to do except watch over his sleeping lover, Lake had taken the time to skin, pluck, clean and store his game and set some herbs to dry ready for the storm season. He cut the icehares into small pieces and dropped them, some herbs and root vegetables into a pot which he then filled with water and set on the firestones to cook. While the stew was cooking he took a quick bath and dressed in his woven pants. There was something to be said about woven pants, they Page 223

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might not be very warm but they were really comfortable. The aroma of cooking meat and vegetables wafted through the cave and Lake judged it was time to wake and feed his sick lover. He went across to the bed and gave Dark a shake. “Hey, sleepy head, breakfast is ready.” Dark groaned and opened his eyes, blinking a few times as if he couldn’t see very well. A wan smile curled his lover’s mouth. “Something sure smells good,” he said and reached up to pull Lake close and press his face into Lake’s damp hair. “You smell perfectly edible.” Lake grinned and gave Dark a quick kiss. “The food tastes better and, as a special treat, you get breakfast in bed.” He pulled away before his voracious lover could start anything and returned to the stew. It was just about perfect so he ladled some into a bowl, added a fork and carried it over to the bed where he presented it to Dark with a flourish. “You’re just no fun,” Dark muttered as he sat up and then accepted the stew. “And I could go eat at the table. I’m not an invalid.” The tone Page 224

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of his lover’s voice carried a note of irritation, somewhat like a darbear awakened from his Storm Season slumber. Lake gave him a wide-eyed look. “I know you could eat at the table,” he said, “but I thought it would be a treat for you to have your breakfast in comfort. I’m just going to get mine then I’ll join you.” He returned to the pot of stew and ladled out a portion for himself before letting the firestones go cold under the rest. He covered the pot and took his bowl and fork across to the bed and climbed in. Dark’s gaze followed him, the older man leaning close to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Sorry for growling at you. I guess I slept too much, it always makes me cross.” Lake nodded as he sat his bowl on his lap. “That would come from the darbear aspects of your personality,” he teased. “Seriously though, sleep aids healing and you look a hell of a lot better now than you did when I got you home.” “I feel better except for not being able to see Page 225

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very well,” Dark replied and took a bite of the steaming food. Oh dear gods, did those bastards blind him with their poison? Lake thought. “That will probably wear off once your body gets rid of the muck they infected you with,” he said aloud. He took a bite of his portion of stew and savored it. He’d always loved stewed icehare yet today it didn’t taste of anything much as he was worrying so much. “This is pretty good even if a spoiled rotten brat cooked it,” his lover remarked as he took a second bite. Dark ate a few more bites before putting the bowl onto a shelf by the bed platform and getting to his feet. He crossed the cave with slow, careful steps heading for the toilet bucket near the cage Lake had occupied only a few short day ago. Lake watched his progress with narrowed eyes, hoping that his spoken words were the truth rather than his dark and dismal thoughts. How quickly the bond had changed things between them, turning snarling dislike into love. And Page 226

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because he loved Dark he would take care of him no matter what the truth might turn out to be. Dark managed to use the bucket with no problems, but coming back he dropped onto one of the chair pillars by the table, his face gone pallid, his breathing ragged, sweat rising on his forehead. “I feel like I did after the dreadcat got my arm,” he remarked. “I never figured out why I didn’t die because it clawed me good and deep, but I don’t even have a scar.” Dark’s expression changed, brows pulling tight together, mouth pressed into a harsh line. “But my vision wasn’t affected when I got clawed, and I could still use my magic. I don’t know what that crap was they used on me but I can’t so much as raise a grain of sand and I can’t see very well at all.” Lake was far more worried than he would allow his lover to see. “You said it was made from dreadcat venom but who knows what other crap they put in it?” And that led him to wondering about the City people again. “Do the City folk really hate us that much?” Page 227

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“Hate us? No. Fear us? Yes, very much. Rightly so, I guess, since most of them are without even the barest traces of the magic that is normal to almost everyone born to a clanswoman.” Dark sighed and leaned his forearms on the table. “I’m thirsty Lake. Could I trouble you for a drink my lovely golden haired watermage?” Lake felt his face heat up at the compliment. He put his bowl aside and jumped off the bed to fetch Dark a cup of cold water. The man accepted the cup and drank it down, then held it out for Lake. “More please. I’m really thirsty.” Hoping that the water would help flush the poison out of Dark’s body, Lake fetched him some more and was just about to hand it over when he had an idea. If he could charm the water somehow in order to cleanse his swordbrother’s blood… He decided to try it and offered up a silent prayer. Gods, you know I’m not a healer, but if there is any potency at all in my magic please let it cure my swordbrother. He gave the cup to Dark. Page 228

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Dark drank it and set the cup aside. He reached out and pulled Lake close, pressing his face to Lake’s chest and holding tight. Through the contact Lake could feel Dark trembling not sure if it was the effect of the poison or something else, something rooted in his lover’s emotions. Lake snaked his arms around Dark’s neck running his fingers through his lover’s long, black hair. “I love you so very much,” he said, no longer either afraid of his feelings or of sharing them. The powerful arms tightened around him, the big man’s shoulders shaking, the only sign that he might be crying because he remained totally silent. “Dark? Please, Dark, don’t cry. Come on, babe, you’re the strong one, remember?” He was gibbering and he knew it but he couldn’t help himself when the big man was so obviously upset. But his lover made no reply beyond clinging to him even tighter. By now Lake was really frightened and he kissed the top of Dark’s head. He would have Page 229

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liked to kiss his lips but didn’t want to make things even worse than they already were. “I’m going blind, Lake. What the hell good will I be to you this way?” Dark got out, voice tight, strained to hide the tears Lake knew were being shed. Lake’s temper already frayed by worry finally snapped. “Stop that right now! There’s no certainty that you are going blind. It’s probably just a side effect of that muck they used.” And if he could kill those bastards again he would. “Look at me,” he said and lifted Dark’s chin, “and listen to my words. You are my swordbrother and we both know that means for good or ill till death. Even if you are going blind, I will still be here. I will be your eyes or whatever else you need me to be.” Then he bent and kissed Dark. The tear flavored kiss Lake got in return showed desperation, a terrified passion that left Lake gasping for breath and Dark shaking even harder. “I think you need to soak in some warm, clean water,” Lake said when he could. “That stuff is Page 230

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oozing out of your pores. I can smell its rancid stink on you. Water is cleansing and will help.” Dark nodded in mute reply and turned his head aside to wipe his face. He looked more than a little embarrassed as he got to his feet to head for the tub and paused there with his hand on the table to steady himself. Lake skittered ahead to heat up the water for his lover then left him to bathe while he cleared up the breakfast dishes and put the stew remains in a cool place, doing anything to stop himself from thinking for too long. Why wasn’t I born a healer? He’d be fine by now if I knew how to use a soul ball. Dark stripped and dropped his clothes on the floor just outside the cave where their water came from. The man paused in the doorway, one hand on the wall, his gaze uncertain. There was only a single firestone to light the room, a fact that hadn’t bothered Dark before but Lake could tell his lover was unable to see by the way he kept squinting, trying to tell where the narrow walkway between the pools lay. Lake hurried over and guided his swordbrother Page 231

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into the tub. “Let me get the dishes clean and I’ll join you if you like,” he offered. Dark sat down in the warm water that filled the tub, a shadow of a smile curling his mouth. “I’d like that.” Lake made sure the soap was to hand and the water was the correct temperature. “I won’t be long,” he promised. Then he stopped and thought about it. “On second thoughts the dishes can wait,” he said and stripped off his clothes. He stepped into the tub, his back against Dark’s chest, and leaned against the man who had come to mean everything to him. Those strong arms that Lake loved to feel around him so much pulled him close, Dark leaning forward to press his face into Lake’s hair. “Mine,” his lover murmured. “Yours,” he agreed fervently, “forever.” “Forever,” Dark repeated and went quiet, the stonemage leaning back and relaxing. The tremors that had shaken his body gradually subsided. Lake leaned back against the big man’s Page 232

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chest and slowly let the tension seep out of his body. Whatever happened, he was still Dark’s swordbrother and Dark was his and he wouldn’t change that for any reason whatsoever. After a time Dark spoke, “This isn’t how I envisioned things going, Lake. I thought I’d be the one taking care of you, that I’d be teaching you things no one else could or dared try. And now I can barely see. How can I teach you anything if I’ve gone blind? Hell, I won’t even be able to take you to the City like this, or meet with any clans. A display of weakness this serious leaves us both in danger of enslavement from any clansman or the City people.” His lover’s arms tightened around him. “A healer could help me, but the risks involved in finding one are just as great as going to the City like this. There are too many unscrupulous clans out there just waiting to grab someone like you.” “You’ve still got a lot of things to teach me,” Lake murmured. “And you do take care of me very well. Who else would put up with an arrogant brat like me? I’m sorry but you’re stuck with me now and I’ll just have to grow up even quicker than we’d expected.” Page 233

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He wanted to be angry, to lash out, but there was nobody to be angry with anymore. He’d already killed the assholes that had done this and he couldn’t get mad with his distraught lover. “Who would want an old man that’s now gone blind? You should be trying to think of a way to get out of our bond, rather than sitting here holding me this way.” Dark stated, words coming out in a lifeless drone. The dam on Lake’s temper collapsed under the pressure of Dark’s words; words that terrified him. “Stop that!” he yelled. “You said yourself it takes about three days for poison to clear your body and it’s been less than one day! We are bonded and we’re staying that way! I would love you no matter what so stop the self pity!” But if he does go blind what the hell will we do? “Don’t be a fool! A blind warrior isn’t worth the shit from his own butt!” Dark snapped at him. Knocking Lake aside in a surge of muscle and splashing water that showed the watermage just how much strength was contained in his lover’s Page 234

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body, Dark got out of the tub. He strode out of the cave, the water streaming over him catching the light and defining every powerful inch of his broad shoulders, that tapered to a trim waist and firm ass down to the corded muscle of his legs. Masculine perfection. But Dark’s fury was a nearly palpable thing surrounding him the way his stone armor did during a fight as he stormed out. Lake stayed where he was and cried for all the opportunities they might have lost and for making Dark so angry when he’d tried hard not to lash out at his swordbrother the way he’d lashed out at his lovers in the past. He wept until he thought his heart would break as his newfound happiness crumbled to dust. Dark stalked into the main room of the cave, the place so dark he could barely see, though just yesterday he could have seen everything with sharp clarity. He grabbed a towel and dried himself, ignoring the pounding ache beginning in his skull. Miserable brat! Fucking self-righteous little dick! I told him I didn’t have this problem from the godsbedamned dreadcat poison! This stuff Page 235

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isn’t what they told him it was! I can tell! I can damn well tell it’s not from a dreadcat! He pulled on clothes, fumbling in the almost total darkness of his lost vision, his anger increasing with the frustration of trying to dress with his sense of touch alone. If I’m like this for the rest of my life what the hell will I do? I can’t live like this! I’m helpless. Useless! I can’t use my magic. I can’t manage to move or change so much as a grain of sand. What will I do if my eyesight doesn’t return? What if my stone magic is gone forever? What the hell will I do? The sound of Lake’s quiet sobs ate into his heart worse than the poison coursing through his veins but his anger and pride kept him from going to comfort his lover. He finished dressing and left the cave. Broad daylight and he couldn’t see more than a few yards away, everything wrapped in a haze as if he wore dust caked goggles. With no place he could go, and no cycle to do Page 236

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it on, Dark leaned his back on one of the darbear statues flanking the cave opening and closed his eyes. He could feel warm sunlight, a gentle breeze. Faint traces of some flower’s perfume reached him on the wind. What he couldn’t feel was his magic or his connection to Lake’s powers. Worse he couldn’t feel anything from Lake, not his magic and not the bond they had. Tears streamed down his face. Walk away, just walk away and let the sand take you. Death is better than this. Without the magic the bond is gone. I finally find a bit of happiness only to lose it within a matter of days. I wish I’d never met Lakesinger. I wish I’d just left him with his people. Lake didn’t seem to know it, but he did. Whatever he’d been poisoned with had done more than knock him out and make him feel sick. It had broken their bond. A slight movement heralded Lake’s presence close by. “I’m sorry,” the boy whispered, his voice still full of tears. “I shouldn’t have said any of that.” Page 237

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Dark wanted to accept the apology, wanted to keep his lover desperately, but he had to think of the best thing for Lake: and the best thing would be to let him go, send him away. “Pack up your stuff and go back to your clan, Lake,” he whispered. “And don’t argue with me, just do it and don’t return.” “No!” Lake cried out. “I’m not leaving here. What do you think I am that I would leave my swordbrother when he’s sick, has no warcycle and precious little food? And what he has he can’t cook because I’m supposed to take ‘my’ firestones.” He stamped his foot in annoyance before he went back into the caves. Dark followed him, hurt that he had to do this, angry that the brat wasn’t listening. “Fool! We’re not swordbrothers anymore! Can’t you tell the bond is gone! It’s broken!” Lake turned and stared at Dark as if he’d gone raving mad. “What the hell are you talking about? Why would the bond be broken? I agree it feels weaker than it should because of that muck inside you but it’s there.” He furrowed his brow, a sure sign he was thinking about something. Page 238

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“From what those assholes said it quashes your magic for a few days.” He still feels the bond but.... The rest of what Lake said filtered through the pain in his head. He stumbled to the bed and sat down, staring into the almost total dark mind gone numb with the implications of Lake’s words. It’s not gone. Our bond isn’t gone. My magic isn’t gone totally. At least I hope not. Please don’t let my magic be gone. But why can’t I see? What’s wrong with my eyes? “I’m sorry Lake. But I can’t feel anything, no bond, no magic, and I can’t see much of anything. I thought...” he shook his head, “hell I don’t know what I was thinking except I didn’t want you hanging around here while I died.” Lake sat down beside him and took hold of one of his hands. His voice reflected his anger as he said, “You think I wouldn’t have felt you die?” His tone softened again. “Anyway, you’re not dying, you’re getting better. You just need to be patient and drink plenty of water to flush all that crap out of your body.” Page 239

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“If the bond was gone, no, you wouldn’t have but...” Dark turned his almost useless eyes to Lake, able to make out only the bare shape of his lover’s face in the dim light of their home. “You’re sure it’s there? You’re sure my magic isn’t gone?” Lake gazed up at the cave’s roof as if seeking inspiration from a higher source. “I’m positive the bond is still there. I have some of your soul and you have some of mine. Besides I was able to use your magic to trap those bastard bounty hunters and I wouldn’t be able to do that if you had no magic now would I?” So the bond and magic aren’t gone. Now if my eyes would just clear up everything will be fine and nothing will be wrong. Nothing but the fact that Lake had to kill six men to save me. Dark sighed. Stop brooding, it’s not helping and you’ve upset Lake enough for one day. “That’s something I guess,” he replied. He regretted being so harsh with Lake, regretted his own fear driven behavior that made him lash out at his lover. His swordbrother didn’t deserve what he’d done or said. Page 240

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“Did I hurt you when I shoved you away?” Of course you did, moron. You heard him crying. “You hurt me,” Lake said so softly that Dark had to strain to hear him, “not physically, but emotionally. I’m such a stupid child!” Dark moved closer to his lover, wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. “I’m sorry. I was being an idiot. And you aren’t stupid, or a child. You’re a beautiful strong young man and I’m proud to have you as my swordbrother.” Lake sniffed at that. “I’m a brat and we both know it!” Dark kissed the top of Lake’s head, “Yes, that’s true, but I love you anyway.” He sighed, “And I’m an old idiot, so now that we’re both certain what we are, let’s just forget we had that little quarrel. We were both letting our fears and emotions get the better of us, and that’s not something a warrior should do, is it?” “No sir,” Lake said in mock contrition. “Well now that we’ve settled that, could you make this old idiot some tea? I’d make it but I’d Page 241

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be just as likely to burn my hands as I would be to get the pan of water on the grate.” “I found some herbs,” Lake said, “so I could make you some from them, if you like. You just stay here and rest.” He let go of Dark’s hand and stood up, heading towards the kitchen area. I wish there was a healer nearby. A few minutes under the magic of a healer’s soul ball and I’d probably be fine. Too bad there aren’t any healers around. Unless... “Is there a healer with your former clan?” Dark questioned, a hopeful note creeping into his voice. “Windspinner has some skill at healing although he’d be the first to admit he’s not great. The women tend to time any births for the clan meet when there are other healers available.” Lake placed the water on to boil before going back to his lover’s side. “It’s supposed to wear off on its own after three days, Dark.” Why am I getting so tired? The poison must Page 242

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doing more than blurring my vision and eyes and making my head hurt. “I guess the only thing to do is wait three days and see what happens.” If I lie down maybe I’ll feel better. He bent down to take off his boots and almost toppled off the bed. He sat up and raised his foot, rather than leaning over. “I think you’re finally making sense,” Lake agreed. “Now let me deal with your boots.” He knelt down, removed Dark’s boots and set them aside. “Just lie down and relax while I make you that tea.” Dark couldn’t help himself, he smiled and lay down. He’d been an asshole and made Lake cry, yet the younger man was acting as if nothing had happened. “Lake, even if you are a brat, you’re my brat. Thank you for taking care of me. I’m sorry for acting like an ass.” Dark peered at the blur that was the boy vanishing out of his limited visual range wishing Page 243

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he could see his lover better. He liked watching his lover and not being able to enjoy that simple pleasure irritated him. Lake chuckled. “Nothing new there,” he teased. “Let me make us some tea. I won’t be gone more than a moment.” He returned to the bed a few moments later with a teapot and two cups. “It’ll need a few minutes to steep as the herbs are still fresh.” “Come here,” Dark said and reached for the hazy form he knew was his lover. “Lie beside me while we wait for the tea.” Lake kicked off his boots and settled next to him one arm going across his chest. “Despite biting your head off earlier, I do love you,” Dark began as he put an arm under Lake and rolled him closer. “I’ve never been quite this helpless before, not even after that dreadcat clawed me. It did hurt and I was sick but this,” he touched his eyes, “is a hell of a lot worse.” Worse. There’s an understatement. Not being able to see is the scariest damn thing that’s ever happened to me. Worse than being driven out of the Stone Clan. Page 244

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A lot worse. Lake was silent as he snuggled closer and remained so for a moment or two obviously deep in thought. “It could be that the problem with your eyes has something to do with the dampening of your magic,” he said. “So they should wear off at about the same time.” “I hope so, Lake. I really do.” He hugged the younger man tight and turned onto his side to kiss him, missing Lake’s mouth and getting tip of his nose instead. Dark chuckled, finding a tiny spark of humor in the situation. “I can’t even see you well enough to kiss you, pretty sad isn’t it?” “I’d say you were pretty lucky not to have to see my ugly mug for a few days,” Lake teased back. Then he kissed Dark properly. Breathless from the kiss, cock aching for something more than the touch of his lover’s mouth, Dark said, “You’re far from ugly, Lake. I enjoy looking at you and knowing you’re mine. All mine and only mine.” He carefully moved his hand to touch Lake’s face, palm cupping the side of his cheek. Page 245

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Well at least I didn’t poke him in the eye or stick my finger up his nose. “Yes, only yours,” Lake agreed, his voice happy. “Do you think the tea’s ready? I’d like to drink some and go to sleep for a bit.” And maybe when I wake up I’ll be able to see again. Gods please let me be able to see, I can’t face living this way for the rest of my life.

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Chapter Eleven Devoted Lover

Lake hummed to himself as he skinned and cleaned the goat he had gone out early that morning to hunt. It would certainly keep them going for a day or two. And by then, with the way he’d been improving, Dark should be completely back to normal. The bond was almost back to its full strength which was reassuring and Dark was able to use his magic more and more as the hours went by. He butchered the goat, cutting off its legs before cutting the back and belly portions into manageable chunks. Having done that, he placed the joints in the stone larder and got rid of the unusable offal. The skin he rolled up ready for tanning later. Cooking next, and what better for breakfast than some of the goat meat thinly sliced and skillet fried with some of yesterday’s left over root vegetables. It amused him to realize how good he’d got Page 247

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at cooking while Dark had recovered, especially after all the years of his mother telling him he’d never get the hang of it. It was just another way to control me, to keep me by her side as a source of food and possessions. Pity it didn’t work out for her in the end. No, he would never return to the clan where he had grown up or see his mother again and he could only revel in that fact. He smiled to himself as their breakfast cooked and he put a small handful of dried herbs into the teapot and set water on to boil. Now all that was left to do was put plates on the table and let his lover know that breakfast was ready. He gave the skillet a shake to move the vegetables and turned the meat before rising to his feet and going over to the bed. “Breakfast’s ready,” he said. Dark opened his eyes and grinned up at him. “By all the gods that’s a beautiful sight.” Lake chuckled. “I didn’t cook breakfast to have it burn, so food first!” It felt so good to sense the bond so strongly Page 248

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again, to almost know what his swordbrother was thinking. The lustful expression was another giveaway of course. Dark rolled to his knees and grabbed Lake, pulling him into the bed, pinning him there with his wrists over his head. The stonemage grinned. “Oh no, not until I get my fill of looking at the most beautiful brat in the world.” Lake struggled in his lover’s grasp. “If that food burns, Dark, I will not be happy!” But there was love and amusement in his heart rather than anger. “Let me extinguish the firestones, better the food gets cold than stinks the cave out!” “But that would mean I’d have to let you go, and I don’t think I want to do that,” Dark said as he bent down to brush his lips over Lake’s. Showing no sign of paying a bit of attention to Lake’s worry over their meal, Dark kissed his way along his jaw then moved to his throat. Lake made one final attempt. “And you’ll be the one to scrape the remains off the skillet!” “Hmm... and that makes me wonder what you’d taste like covered in pancake syrup,” Dark murmured as he nipped Lake’s throat. “But Page 249

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you’re right. I don’t want the food to burn. Be a good boy and go shut the firestones down then come right back.” Dark let his wrists go and rolled off of Lake, his lover’s grin a warning that there was more in store for him. Lake sighed, knowing that breakfast would have to wait until Dark’s other hunger had been appeased. Not that he minded apart from being a little peckish. He hopped off the bed to put the firestones out. A big hand cracked across his right butt cheek. “Move it boy!” Lake gave his lover a mock glare before dealing with the firestones. Luckily the food was still underdone so he’d be able to warm it up later. He returned to the bed still rubbing at his smarting ass. “You’re definitely a bully,” he said, “and because you’re such a bully you’ll just have to wait for a while.” He carefully stayed out of arm’s reach as he began to do a slow striptease for his swordbrother. Page 250

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Dark’s cock hardened instantly, the hard rod of flesh jutting upward beneath the thin cover he had over him. The man’s eyes smoldered with desire as Lake undid his fur jacket one closure at a time. The sight of Dark’s obvious enjoyment prompted Lake to twirl the jacket round his head before throwing it at his lover and lifting his vest a few provocative inches. The deep rumble of his lover’s amused laugh awoke soft echoes in the cave. “You’re a brat, do you know that? A deliciously evil, sexy little brat.” Dark lunged making a grab for him, the cover that had hidden his lover’s erection from his eyes fell to the floor. Lake skipped nimbly out of the way as he raised the vest to just above his hardening nipples. “You want something?” he enquired sweetly. “I want a lot of things, most of them involving you being naked,” Dark replied as he sat back on the bed. “Now come here.” Lake widened his eyes at Dark in mock surprise. “But I’m getting naked aren’t I?” He Page 251

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pulled the vest over his head and started on the laces of his pants, his movements slow and tantalizing. Dark licked his lips and leaned back, shoulders propped up by the wall. “Such a naughty brat. I might have to keep you if you insist on acting this way.” His heated gaze burned over Lake’s skin like a brand, the man’s increasing lust flowing through their bond, a tendril of magic drifting away from the stonemage to wrap Lake in a tingling caress. Dark rested his right hand on his belly, the stonemage smirking as he slid his hand lower and lower. The stonemage finally gripped his own cock, giving it a squeeze. He groaned and wrapped his fingers around the rigid flesh, giving it a firm very deliberate stroke from root to head. Lake let his pants fall to the floor and stepped out of them before adding a few provocative poses and racing for the bed. Once there he removed Dark’s hand from his cock, replacing it with his own. “No, naughty, that’s mine.” Page 252

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“Yours is it?” Dark asked, voice a low rumbling like a lion’s purr. A hand wrapped around the nape of Lake’s neck and pulled him in for a deep, penetrating kiss. Lake fell into the kiss, letting Dark plunder his mouth as he wished while he stroked the silken skin of the big man’s cock, running his thumb over the head. Dark ended the kiss, the stonemage lowering his head to latch onto the juncture of Lake’s neck and shoulder, his lover starting to suck and roll his tongue over the sensitive skin. Lake groaned out his pleasure. When his lover sucked at that spot on his neck it always felt so good. He lifted his head to the side to give Dark better access. Firm damp flesh rolled over his skin, alternating with the sharp edge of Dark’s teeth as he applied suction, marking him the way he always did even though no one else would see it. Lake whimpered at the sensation of being so marked, eyes closed in abandon, hand still clutching Dark’s cock. “Such a pretty brat. I think I will keep you,” Page 253

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Dark murmured as his tongue flickered over the side of Lake’s neck, moving upward from where the man had marked him to the point at the hinge of his jaw. A soft breath tickled over the soft skin there, firm lips took hold of his earlobe and sucked. Lake smiled to himself at Dark’s words especially since they went straight to his groin and sent delicious tingles up his spine. “I might even let myself be kept,” he whispered into his lover’s ear. “But I should warn you now, I do bite.” As if to prove his words he moved until he was sucking on Dark’s neck, marking the dark skin as effectively as his had been marked. Dark groaned, cock twitching in Lake’s grip, his lover reacting to the touch of his mouth. “Biting is it? That could result in some spanking if you aren’t careful,” the stonemage warned, punctuating his words with a light slap to Lake’s hip. “That might be construed as cruelty to pets,” Lake said sweetly after finally withdrawing from Page 254

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Dark’s neck. But the slap to his hip had made him squirm in pleasure. “Pet is it? If you’re my pet, then I might have to keep you in a kennel to make sure you don’t make a mess,” Dark replied. “And I’ve got just the place.” Dark scooped Lake off the bed and tossed him over one broad shoulder, his lover carried toward the cage where he’d been put first day. Lake struggled and pummeled his lover’s back. “You’re the one acting like a beast here,” he said. He was somewhat irritated by this turn of events. He’d been happily settling into a nice bout of sex with his lover and now he was being flung into a cage. It had completely ruined the mood. Dark shoved him into the cage and shut the door. At a gesture a trickle of moving stone formed a collar of delicate brown chain around Lake’s throat. Eyes burning with lust, Dark reached through the bars and pulled Lake to them, kissing him thoroughly. Lake returned the kiss but he did nip at Dark’s lips to show his displeasure at the situation before he groaned into the kiss as it became more Page 255

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impassioned. His helplessness, while frustrating was also arousing and he felt his body respond. Stone from the bars wound around Lake’s wrists, pinning him to the door of the cage. The dance of their lips and tongues grew frenetic, fevered with desire and the rise of magic within them. Tendrils of color flowed from their skin, softly glowing mist in aqua and gold floating around them. It dawned on Lake that the cage, being of Dark’s magic, no longer had the power to suppress his power. Not that he was in any real mood to fight. He pressed against the bars, wanting to feel his lover’s warm skin against his rather than the cold ston A wicked grin curled Dark’s lips as he pulled away from the kiss, the stonemage’s eyes glittering as something cold brushed lightly across Lake’s butt cheeks. Lake tried to turn his head to see what the cold thing was but found that he was unable to due to the tight grip Dark had on the stone chain round his neck. Page 256

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Something cool and wet dripped onto his butt, a slim firm thing slipping between his butt cheeks, nudging the tight ring of his entrance before the slick hardness penetrated him, going inward. Dark claimed Lake’s mouth as the living stone probed his insides, his lover’s eyes half closed. Lake groaned his pleasure into the kiss as he was impaled, the rock unerringly finding his sweet spot. The thrusts stayed slow, gentle, but the rock impaling him expanded, getting wider, the water seeping from inside acting as a supply of lubricant. The stone gained ridges and small knobs, the rock probing a bit deeper. Dark ended their kiss, let go of the collar and opened the door, the thing inside Lake staying there, fucking him while bands of stone formed to hold him to the floor. The man pressed himself close, the stone inside Lake unimpeded, bright mist flowing around them both, the cool touch of Dark’s power passing over Lake’s skin in a delicate caress. “Tell me what you want, Lake,” Dark whispered Page 257

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into his ear, his tongue touching the outer curve and following it, teasing, breath flowing over the dampened flesh. “I want you to take me anyway you want to take me. I’m just a bratty little pet that needs to be trained.” And although the words were part of the game they were playing, deep inside him, Lake knew they were the truth. A lust-filled thrill excitement rolled through Dark’s mind flowing through his body to make his cock pulse, the desire to be inside his lover gaining in intensity. I wonder how much he’s willing to let me do. I wonder if he’d let me fuck him with that dildo while he sucked me off ? Hell, I wonder if he’d call me Master and really be my pet. The very thought sent another jolt of lust right to his groin. “I think I can manage to train a brat into a nice, well behaved pet, if that’s what the brat Page 258

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really wants,” Dark said as he nipped the nape of Lake’s neck. Lake stared up at him, his eyes full of apprehension but behind that there was strong desire and more importantly trust. “You are the only man who has ever bested or controlled me and therefore worthy,” he said in all seriousness. “And I have the hope that you love me enough not to ever really hurt me.” The words had a dual effect on Dark. Being told that Lake found him worthy filled his heart with joy, but the final comment about loving him enough not to really hurt Lake sent a cold chill through him. He’d never hurt any of his lovers in ways that were damaging. He put his arms around Lake, the stone binding and filling the younger man flowing away as Dark took Lake into his arms and gave him a deep, loving kiss. Lake clung to him like a limpet, returning the kiss with passion before asking, “What does Master want his pet to do?” “Master is it? So who did you play this game with before, Lake?” Dark asked as he took both Page 259

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of Lake’s wrists in his hands and pinned the smaller man to the wall of the cage. “Nobody else from this perspective,” Lake told him. “I was always the one in control before I met you. I thought I’d told you that.” “I guessed as much. So who was it? Windspinner?” Dark questioned as he bent to taste the skin of Lake’s throat. He wanted to know exactly what his lover had done, and what he might have experience with, even if his only experience was from being ‘master’ in the relationship. But I’m not the pet type, and he most certainly is as far as I can see. Lake’s golden skin took on a rosy hue as he blushed. “Yes, but it doesn’t matter now. I just hope he finds the happiness that I have.” “Are you happy?” Dark let the topic of Windspinner drop not wanting to discuss that bit of Lake’s past. He knew Lake felt bad to some extent over what he’d done to Windspinner, and he didn’t want to spoil the moment. Lake’s eyes narrowed a little. “Well, I’m not Page 260

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shouting for joy over being put in this damned cage, but yes, I’m very happy.” Dark sighed. So much for any Master and slave sex games with him. Too bad, I think we could have had a lot of fun. Resigned to not being able to play dominant with his lover, Dark gripped his Lake’s hips and picked him up, Lake’s back against the bars of the cage as Dark kissed him. Lake moaned into the kiss as he clung to Dark like he’d never let go, his hands tangling in Dark’s hair. Groaning in pleasure Dark thought, My life has changed so much in the last few days. I’m not alone anymore. And that made a wonderful, exciting difference in his life. And the sex was incredible too. He swatted Lake’s bottom then pressed closer so that their cocks touched as he kissed Lake again, reveling in the taste of his lover, the feel of the smaller man in his arms. This is what I’ve always needed, another man to share my life with. Too bad he doesn’t care Page 261

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for women, but then again it’s just as well. We couldn’t have a wife with no healer around to help her with childbirth. But that longing for a family could be forgotten because he had a swordbrother to finally love. Lake pressed against him lifting his legs to wrap them around Dark’s waist. Dark left the cage, his lover clinging to him, their lips locked in a passionate kiss. He carried Lake to the bed and put him down. He stood there looking down at the younger man for a moment, taking in the beauty of his lover, the sleek manly grace of his form. His cock ached at the sight and he felt a tightness in his chest. Through his own stupidity he’d almost driven this man away, almost done something so foolish as to give Lake up over the poison that had weakened him.Stupid. So very stupid. He lie down atop Lake his weight pressing the younger man to the bed as he captured the watermage’s mouth, kissing him thoroughly. Lake’s mouth was open for him to raid as he would, warm and welcoming. Ending the kiss, Dark grinned as he lifted Page 262

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himself off of Lake and sat down on the bed. He pulled Lake over his lap. “I just want you to know what I’m going to do is for your own good,” he said and brought his hand down on Lake’s butt with the sharp crack of flesh on flesh. “Ouch!” Lake yelled. “What the hell was that for?” He struggled and squirmed against Dark’s lap but made no real effort to get away. “You wanted to be trained didn’t you?” Dark asked, bringing his hand down on Lake’s behind again. “Well this is your first lesson. What I want, I get. And I want to spank you. Going to argue?” There was no reply from the younger man except for an increase in his squirming. The feel of Lake writhing in his lap, his body pressing against Dark’s erection felt so good he had to exert full control of himself not to throw Lake face down on the bed and fuck him. Instead he focused his mind on the way Lake wiggled and squirmed in his lap, the way the younger man’s cock rubbed his thigh with every firm application of his hand on Lake’s ass. Lake gave the softest of whimpers and the Page 263

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wriggling turned into something more like struggling. Dark reached into the jar on the shelf with his free hand and dipped his fingers in, coating them with the oil. He smacked Lake’s ass with his free hand and then slipped his oiled fingers past the tight ring of muscle guarding his lover’s entrance taking them deep, probing for that special place inside. The struggling ceased abruptly and Lake pushed up his ass to take in even more of Dark’s fingers. He’s ready for me, and I want him. Enough playing around. Dark removed his fingers and lifted Lake, turning him around so Lake was sitting in his lap. “Wrap your legs around me,” he told Lake, his tone commanding, making it an order rather than a request. Lake shot him a look but did as he was told, his long legs and muscular arms wrapping around Dark. Dark reached under the watermage and guided his cock into the well oiled opening, groaning as Page 264

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his erection slipped inside. “You feel so good,” he murmured as his full length was surrounded by the warmth of his lover’s flesh. An answering groan from Lake and a tightening of his hold on Dark told him that Lake wanted this as much as he did. Moving to the nearest wall, Dark braced his shoulders against it, set his feet the right distance under him, pulled one of Lake’s legs a bit higher and started to move, going fast and deep into his lover’s body. “Yes!” Lake cried out. “Oh gods!” His hold tightened even more, his hands tangled in Dark’s hair. Moaning at the feel of having his cock sheathed in his lover, Dark kept the pace going, fast and deep, enjoying the building sensation inside him, the feel of his balls bouncing with each stroke. He reveled in the way Lake’s flesh tightened on him, grasping his erection with every stroke. The stone behind Dark moved, extending to help support Lake so he could let go of his lover with one hand. He gripped Lake’s cock and stroked it in time to his thrusts. Page 265

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Lake tugged on Dark’s hair, urging him to tip his head back which Dark did, meeting the hunger of Lake’s kiss with an eagerness the match of his lover’s needs. Their bodies moved together, the rock supporting Lake completely, allowing Dark to use both hands, the free one pinching an amber nipple, a smile tugging at Dark’s mouth when his lover gasped. His swordbrother’s kiss became even more demanding, his hips grinding against Dark’s. Lake’s impassioned kiss left Dark panting for breath, but he didn’t end the kiss. He no longer cared if he could breathe or not. Nothing mattered but the brilliant flame of passion burning inside him or the cool touch of water and stone magic flowing through him. Lost in the fuck-haze of their lovemaking, he drove his cock harder and faster into Lake’s exquisite body. “My pretty brat,” he moaned, “you belong to me.” “Always,” Lake whispered back, his breath coming in short gasps. Dark didn’t want their lovemaking to end yet, Page 266

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but his body’s desires and those of his mind were at odds. He fought against the desire to go even faster, to fuck his lover harder, and managed to ease up on the pace. Pure torment, but he did it, watching the wild dance of the magical light around them. Lights and ethereal mists of aqua and gold, shot through with streaks of rich brown and vivid blue spun outward from them in a wild dance of released magics. He broke the kiss and said, “Lake, take a look around us.” Lake opened his eyes and gasped at the intensity of the dancing energies. “Beautiful,” he murmured, “like you.” “Me?” Darksky asked, then laughed. “And here I thought it was so beautiful because I was sharing it with the man I love. Or should I say the brat I love?” “It is beautiful because it’s a mixture of us both,” Lake said. “And you can call me whatever you like as long as you love me, the way I love you.” “Oh I can, can I?” Dark asked, and grinned. Page 267

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“Well if that’s the case I’ll call you my pretty bratty fucktoy. How’s that?” Lake’s eyes narrowed before he grinned. “A mouthful,” he stated. “True. I’ll just stick to brat.” Dark claimed Lake’s lips for another deep kiss, and murmured, “Or fucktoy,” against his lover’s mouth. A sharp and bony elbow nailed him in the ribs although Lake didn’t stop returning the kiss. “Naughty,” Dark teased and gave a single harder thrust amid the gentler ones he’d begun while they talked. He gave himself over to the sensations, groaning, wrapping his arms around Lake and changing the depth and rhythm of his strokes. The watermage still clung to him moaning out his name between gasps and groans. Dark couldn’t take it anymore. Couldn’t hold back anymore. He resumed stroking Lake’s erection, picking up the pace of his thrusts, driving his aching cock into his lover harder, deeper and faster. The magical energies intensified, the glow Page 268

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becoming bright as ribbons of fire spinning around them, flowing over the surfaces of the cave, floating over their skin, sinking into their bodies. Glittering lights danced over the darbears sculpted into the cavern walls, danced along the other shapes of animals and plants that adorned every stone surface around them. Stone warped, changed, the glitter fusing with the stone as tiny crystals of pale blue or shimmering gold. Dark saw the change but he didn’t understand it, and he wasn’t about to stop and find out what was happening. He ignored it and fucked his lover harder, pumping Lake’s erect flesh to his own increased tempo. “So beautiful,” he murmured and kissed Lake’s cheeks, brushed his lips over Lake’s gasping mouth, darting his tongue inside to capture a moan of pleasure. “Dark, oh gods, DARK!” Lake screamed out as his cock spasmed in Dark’s hand and ejected streamers of creamy come. A burst of energy leapt from Lakesinger’s body as he came, Dark seeing it for the first time Page 269

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since they’d become swordbrothers. He forced his eyes to stay open as he rammed himself home in Lake’s body two more times and came, another flash of intense magical output flooding the cavern. His legs threatened to collapse from beneath him, the intensity of his orgasm so powerful his vision blacked out. He felt cool stone flow from the wall to keep him upright, the hard substance enfolding him in an embrace tender as that of a lover. Weakness assailed Darksky. He didn’t know if it might be the lingering effect of poison or if the fast magical outflow combined with the unequalled pleasure of such a powerful release with a man he was bonded to was the cause. Lake must have done that with the stone. I didn’t do it. At least I don’t think I did. He kissed Lake, relaxing in the post fucking lassitude that turned his whole body limp. In the future I think we should stick to doing this in bed. Next time we might hit the floor if this happens to me again. Lake hissed as he pulled away and lowered Page 270

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his legs, putting his feet to the floor. He stayed leaning against Dark and rained gentle kisses along his shoulder. Stepping out of the stone holding him up, Dark noticed the gentle glow that surrounded them. Just like last time the magic lingered over the surfaces of the cave. But this time it was different too. This time there were small crystals of gold and aqua dusting the whole cave. Tiny crystals that gave off a pale glow like the tiny glitter of distant stars in the night time sky. “I don’t think we’re going to need firestones for torches in this cave for much longer,” he stated, and motioned to the nearest cluster of glowing crystals. Lake lifted his head, glanced around them and smiled. “Prettier than firestones too,” he said. The watermage smiled at him. “So, did you actually want some breakfast?” “Maybe later,” Dark replied and tipped Lake’s head up with one hand. He kissed his lover before lifting him in his arms and carrying him to bed. He laid the watermage down and got into bed Page 271

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beside him, admiring the younger man’s sleek body, drinking in his beauty the way a thirsty man would drink down water. “My beautiful Lakesinger, I love you. I’ll love you always.” Dark chuckled then lightly swatted Lake’s bottom and added, “Even if you are a brat.” END

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About the Authors

auburnimp

The pen name of Tracy Boyall. She is the author of two successful series Fallen Angels and Sweepers and the co-author of the Dragonhope books. She has been writing since she was fifteen but it is only in recent years that she decided to see what publishers thought of her work. Her characters are always strong, feisty and often impetuous enough to get into dangerous situations rather like their creator. She has recently become a partner in a e-publishing house, Shadowfire Press, where she is responsible for finances and customer service. She has been a knife-thrower’s target, an exotic dancer, a drummer, a homeless wanderer and many other things due to a desire to go wherever life takes her. She now lives in a small house in a large English city with four resident cats and one frequent visitor. She is female and has blue eyes; anything else is often subject to change without notice.

About the Authors

author site http://www.auburnimp.net myspace site http://www.myspace.com/auburnimp fanfiction site http://www.geocities.com/maddelena2000 live journal/blog http://www.livejournal.com/auburnimp newsletter/chat group http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/auburnimp

About the Authors

Michael Barnette

Michael Barnette grew up in the wilds of Miami, Florida where he enjoyed the nightlife and wide variety of cultures, but not the late night driveby shootings. Deciding on a change of pace, Michael moved to Athens, Georgia where he lived for several years before migrating west. He misses the ethnic food in Miami, he doesn’t miss the driveby shootings. The last two years he was in Miami, Michael went from being a poet to writing short stories. One of the short stories he wrote, Zoner, was also the first gay erotica he’d ever written. Set in his cyberpunk world setting--which takes place in a future variant of Miami--and using characters established from an unfinished novel he was working on, he submitted the story to Circlet Press. The story was published and has been well received in the gay community, garnering a Gaylactic Spectrum Award nomination in 2003, while the anthology, Wired Hard #3, was a finalist for the Lamda Literary award that same year. He has since been nominated for the

About the Authors

Gaylactic Spectrum Award five more times, both for novels and short stories. Seeing the popularity of erotica-- and finding it much easier to sell than poetry-- Michael changed his writing focus in 2003 and started researching the types of erotica popular with readers. The rest, as they say, is history. You can visit Michael and find out about his worlds at the following places on the net. Website: http://www.michaelbarnette.com Immortal Heroes: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/immortal_ heroes Kink Promo: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kinkpromo/ LiveJournal: http://m-barnette.livejournal.com/

About the Authors

Shadowfire Press: http://www.shadowfirepress.com MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/michaelbarnette



Insane Journal: http://m-barnette.insanejournal.com/ Blog: http://mbarnettemuse.blogspot.com/

Book Excerpts

If you enjoyed this story you might also like Fallen Angels 2-Fall from Grace by Auburnimp. Desperately unhappy about Samael’s involvement with Daniel, Raphael starts drinking heavily. An unexpected visit from Michael leads to Lucifer taking an interest in him and from there things get steadily worse. Here is a short excerpt from Fallen Angels 2-Fall from Grace by Auburnimp. Raphael stared at the Son of the Morning in consternation. “You want to sleep with me? Why, for crying out loud?” Lucifer’s smile widened becoming a sly grin. “I could give you all the usual crap about your being beautiful and desirable but I won’t. You’re intelligent enough to take the truth.” Truth? This does not bode well at all. “And the truth is?” “I want to hurt you, Raphael. I want to make you pay for what you did to Samael, and for

Book Excerpts

what Nathaniel did to me. And, judging by the drinking and desire to be banished, you want to be hurt.” He stared into cold eyes wondering if Lucifer was right. Raphael was nobody’s fool and he knew that the blond could make him feel a world of pain in one short night. It was not an easy option to take. “And if I refuse?” Lucifer’s grin grew. “Then you will do exactly as I tell you with regard to human affairs and my first demand will be no more healing.” He frowned at that. It was like telling a mortal that they wouldn’t be allowed to breathe. “You’re not leaving me with any choice at all, are you?” One of Lucifer’s blond brows shot up. “Well you do have a lot to pay for so no, I’m not.” Raphael climbed off the couch and started pacing the room. “Am I allowed any conditions?” Lucifer chuckled. “Nice try, Raph, but no.” He came to a halt in front of the chair Lucifer was perched on. “So you want to hurt Samael too? There’s no way he won’t know.”

Book Excerpts

Lucifer gazed back up at him, his expression impassive. “I want Samael to know.” He blinked at the words so calmly said, not entirely sure he’d even heard them correctly. “Have you lost it completely?” “No.” Raphael sat back down, too stunned by the enormity of those few words to do more than stare at Lucifer in speechless bewilderment. If Samael got pissed enough about this he was perfectly capable of destroying the whole damned planet not to mention the solar system and a few of the closer stars as well. Then again, why should he get pissed? He had a new love now and wouldn’t give a damn what an old lover was doing.

* * * If you enjoyed Plague Dance by Michael Barnette you might also like Dragon & Fenyx 1: Called by Power by Auburnimp and Michael Barnette.

Book Excerpts

Two powerful mages-- one of wind, one of fire-- are drawn together by their powers into passion neither of them expected to find. Flamespirit, a firemage and healer, is a virtual outcast living with a clan he will never be part of, a clan that refuses to accept him as one of their own. While most men have swordbrothers to love them and wives to give them children, Flamespirit has neither lover nor wife. Stormdragon, a powerful windmage and sunstone wielder, has lost any reason to live. His swordbrother, Sandrunner is dead, and his elder brother has ruined his reputation among their clan. Stripped of being Heir to the Chief for an act of cowardice he didn’t commit, he leaves his people rather than become a kinslayer. A chance meeting between the two men changes their lives in ways neither of them expected when they are called by power. Here is a short excerpt from Dragon & Fenyx 1: Called by Power by Auburnimp and Michael Barnette

Book Excerpts

Storm lips touched the nape of Flame’s neck, warm breath tickling his skin. “Do you want the full reason no one ever became your swordbrother in your former clan?” Flame sighed and moved into that soft caress of lips. “Although I’m beginning to think it was fear of me, it would help destroy a few internal demons if I knew the truth.” “None of them had the power to hold a bond with you. Power like ours can kill lesser men without us meaning to do it. We can so overwhelm their own magic that they die, or become little more than a dim reflection of the power we ourselves have.” Storm nuzzled the back of Flame’s neck, and whispered, “And yes, many times yes, I want you.” The hardness pressing Flame’s bottom was unmistakably the man’s erect cock. “I wish I wasn’t so tired,” Storm murmured, his tone full of regret. So it had been fear of him coupled with the instinctive need to survive at all costs. He snuggled back against Storm, much more relaxed

Book Excerpts

and sure of himself now, feeling a lot less foolish. “I think I’ve wanted you since I first saw you,” he admitted. “Seemingly like draws like somehow.” “They say that power calls to power. I believe that. I’d felt the pull from Sandrunner long before we were swordbrothers. Even as a child I watched Sandrunner and he’d watched me almost as if we had unspoken knowledge of what we were to one another. Sandrunner was older than I, but he’d never taken a swordbrother. Not until the day I became a warrior. He came to me and held out his hand without saying a word. I took it and we went off into the wasteland to be alone and make our bond.” “You know, now even more than before, I really want to see this cave,” Flame said with a low chuckle. He surprised himself with how huskily it came out and was glad Storm couldn’t see his heated face in the dark. He’d waited so long for someone to claim him, had been so lonely, and now the waiting was over and he’d never be alone again. He found himself wishing they had been able to get to the cave already as there was an

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uncomfortable hardness between his legs and his balls were tight as drums. I’m not going to be able to sleep like this. I want. . . But exactly what it was that he wanted he wasn’t sure. He had no reference points apart from his own hand and what Storm had already shown him. A hand slid around Flame to grip his cock, stroking the hardened flesh with firm gentleness. “I’ll give you relief with my hand. I don’t want you to suffer.” Flame swallowed hard, his already heated face becoming even hotter. “Storm…I…” But the feeling was too good for words and he snuggled back against Storm’s warm, hard body. “Pleasure is something I can give you as thanks for all the things you have done for me, Flame,” Storm murmured, his lips brushing over the skin of Flame’s neck in light kisses as Storm’s long fingered hand worked his sensitive flesh. Flame sighed quietly and contentedly and gave in to the pleasure, his balls tightening even more at the feeling of another’s hand on his cock. He was not used to such sensations and knew he

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wasn’t going to last very long. It was all too new and intense for that. You can buy Fallen Angels 1-On Death’s Wing by Auburnimp or Dragon & Fenyx 1: Called by Power by Auburnimp and Michael Barnette along with our m/m erotic romance titles from:

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Enter the Shadows...Set your imagination on Fire

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