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Watching the Sun’s steady rise, changing the sky from indigo to pink and orange, Lae'zel took her first fresh, outside breath of the morning. The crisp, chilly air cradled her exhale in mist, and she grinned, appreciating the cool breeze while it lasted.
A whistle sounded in the distance, and Lae’zel responded in kind, her own whistle echoing across the ranch. A tall, muscular figure in the distance popped out of the window of a beat-up truck, and Karlach waved exuberantly. She was still too far away for Lae’zel to see her face, but she knew Karlach was beaming.
The truck continued its slow approach, Karlach making sure to avoid kicking up dust as much as she could, and Lae’zel enjoyed her last few moments of silence and stillness before the busy day began as always.
“Hey, Lae!” Karlach greeted from her open window as she parked before Lae’zel’s small home. “Aren’t you cold?”
“Yes,” Lae’zel replied honestly; her loose tank top and worn-down jeans did little to curb the chill. “It’s glorious.”
“Sure,” Karlach dismissed, shaking her head.
She hopped out of the truck and patted the side of the vehicle. Lae’zel joined Karlach in unloading her stuff - various tools and gear for saddle and riding training - and they lugged everything to the tackroom.
The horses sheltered in the stable whinnied affectionately as the two entered, and Karlach made sure to give each one a pat on its nose, even as her hands were full. Lae’zel hid her fond grin.
Getting the horses ready for a day of riding was a long process, especially for only two people, but it was a routine they’d done for almost two years now, and they operated silently and efficiently. Karlach hummed a tune as she worked, and Lae’zel became lost in her head. There was much to worry about, what with the decline in patronage due to the Winter season, and one of the horses developing a stiff leg, and Lae’zel had made a habit of going over everything there was to deal with and all the ways things could go wrong before noon.
The women finished in time to greet their first client of the day - a regular, and a close friend of theirs - just as he arrived. Wyll drove his motorcycle in safely and respectfully, and parked it properly, as always. He tore off his helmet to reveal a broad grin when he made eye contact with Karlach and Lae’zel.
“Morning, friends!” he greeted.
Lae’zel nodded to him, but Karlach pulled him into a crushing hug. Wyll laughed and squeezed her back.
“Sorry it’s been a bit,” Wyll said. “The holiday season is… a trying time for my father.”
“You mean you take on extra work so he doesn’t have to worry,” Karlach corrected. She patted the bandana he wore to protect his locs from his helmet. “I’m just glad you got to get away today.”
“Ansur has missed you,” Lae’zel remarked. “He refuses to let anyone else ride him, in your absence.”
“Ah,” Wyll rubbed his neck sheepishly. “Well, I’ve missed him too.”
They returned to the stables with Wyll in tow, and before he’d even stepped foot in the large building, the sound of Ansur’s excited neighing could be heard halfway across the ranch. Wyll beamed and jogged in, beelining towards his regular steed. Ansur was one of their larger horses, a Percheron who had been bred for farm work until Lae’zel had purchased him from his previous, negligent owner. He had a beautiful silvery gray coat with a light, reddish-brown mane, and stood well above Wyll as the man approached; but Ansur lowered his head over the stall door, nuzzling Wyll’s chest.
“Hello, boy,” Wyll greeted softly, smoothing his hands up Ansur’s muzzle. “Have you been behaving?”
Ansur gave a pleased huff as if in reply, and Lae’zel rolled her eyes. The gelding had taken time to get used to everyone, except for Wyll, who he’d let ride him the very first day they met. He rarely behaved well if Wyll was not present. If Lae’zel could afford it, she’d just give Ansur to Wyll at this point.
She and Karlach trusted Wyll to tack up Ansur himself, and left to resume their chores for the day. They had no other clients scheduled, but there was always the chance someone would stop by unannounced. At least, they could hope.
~
Within the hour after Karlach and Lae’zel had finished their lunch, an unfamiliar car pulled into the ranch.
It was nicer than most folk who lived locally could afford, but surprisingly dirty on the exterior. The registration plate confirmed the car to be from the city, a common enough occurrence that Lae’zel was not surprised. Many city folk loved to drive out to the countryside and pretend to rough-it for a day, especially if it meant riding a horse they didn’t have to care for. Lae’zel crossed her arms over her chest and squinted in the bright midday sunlight, watching the car approach.
Had Lae’zel a knack for words like Wyll, she might paint a poetic picture of the woman who emerged from the vehicle before her. As it was, however, Lae’zel hadn’t the skill of oration, and so she simply stood, struck speechless, at perhaps the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen. Coal-black hair contrasted her bright green eyes, and while her attire was casual, the woman stood primly, her expression polite but reserved. She held Lae’zel’s gaze firmly, and Lae’zel felt rooted in place.
“Lae’zel, I presume?” the woman asked, her voice as posh as the city whence she came. “I didn’t make an appointment, but your website said walk-ins were permitted.” She paused, tilting her head. “It could really use an interface overhaul, it was rather cluttered and difficult to navigate.”
“Welcome to Ranch K’liir,” Lae’zel said, unwilling to admit she didn’t understand what the woman was talking about. “Appointments are favoured, but walk-ins are acceptable.”
“Great,” the woman replied with a sigh, and suddenly her shoulders drooped, and her posture relaxed, as though that was the biggest relief she’d received all day. “I’m Shadowheart.”
Lae’zel extended her hand cordially, and was proud that it didn’t shake with her nerves. Shadowheart’s grip was strong, but tentative, like she was unused to the practise of shaking hands. It must be an unorthodox gesture in the city. Lae’zel wouldn’t know.
“Sorry,” Shadowheart said quietly, seeming to notice Lae’zel’s attention to her hand. “I… had a long drive.”
Lae’zel just shrugged. It wasn’t her business, anyhow.
“Have you any experience in riding?” she asked. “Or do you require an educational course?”
“No real experience,” Shadowheart said, “but I’ve done lots of research.” She paused once more, reeling in the sudden excitement she’d displayed. “I am fond of animals.”
“I will introduce you to our steeds, and we will decide your first course of action then.”
~
Shadowheart was almost completely silent for the first hour of her arrival. Lae’zel at first mistook it for meekness, but it became clear that the woman was instead highly perceptive, and seemed to prefer observing every detail around her, rather than interjecting with her own words. Karlach and Wyll had tried to make pleasant conversation, but Shadowheart’s contributions, if any, were short, and offered little information.
Needless to say, Lae’zel was immensely curious about this woman. Lae’zel had rarely faced a puzzle she couldn’t solve, and she was determined to figure Shadowheart out; if not by the end of the day, then by the next time she returned.
The horses all seemed fond of Shadowheart, besides Ansur in his characteristic standoffishness, but Selûne was especially drawn to Shadowheart. Selûne was an older Mare, and not one Lae’zel would normally use as a beginner horse; but she seemed mellow enough with Shadowheart. They entered the main paddock, and Lae’zel led Shadowheart through a simple walk, trot, and canter.
“I feel like I’m going to fall off,” Shadowheart remarked nervously, as Selûne picked up speed.
“You won’t,” Lae’zel reassured. “Trust your legs, and trust your steed.”
She watched Shadowheart take a steadying breath and tighten her legs on either side of Selûne. Lae’zel tried not to stare at the clear, defined muscle of Shadowheart’s thighs, visible through her tight trousers. It was another aspect of Shadowheart that seemed uncharacteristic of someone raised in the city: she appeared very fit, and very capable of roughing-it in sincerity.
After a while of riding in the paddock, Shadowheart felt comfortable enough to move to the field. Selûne was extra perceptive to Shadowheart’s nerves, and would pause every time Shadowheart would glance about anxiously.
“You are stressing her out,” Lae’zel said, stopping Selûne with a hand on her neck. “She is in tune with your feelings, and will act in reflection to what you fear.”
“Sorry,” Shadowheart said, to Selûne directly. She smoothed a hand through Selûne’s white mane. “I trust you.”
Selûne snorted, and Lae’zel let her continue on her path.
They simply walked for a moment, until Lae’zel could see the return of Shadowheart’s loose demeanour. Then, Lae’zel stepped away.
“Try to get her to trot on your own, now,” she ordered.
Shadowheart tapped her heel lightly against Selûne’s side and clicked her tongue, as Lae’zel had. Selûne picked up her pace obediently, her gait sure and steady. As a Hanoverian with a unique gray and white dappled coat, Selûne had been trained for dressage prior to joining Ranch K’liir, and her mastery of movement had never receded. Shadowheart stared resolutely ahead, keeping in mind Lae’zel’s instruction to never look at the ground directly in front of her horse.
Lae’zel’s horses came from all sorts of different origins, both in breed and skill, but she had put in the extensive time and effort to train them long before she had opened her ranch, with the help of Karlach. She trusted her horses, and she knew they had the best care in the world. But that didn’t mean they were perfect, and sometimes they liked to have a little fun; as Selûne made evident now, picking up her pace without Shadowheart’s instruction.
Shadowheart’s eyes widened as Selûne began to canter, and Lae’zel stiffened, preparing to intervene. But then, Shadowheart’s nervous expression fell away into a broad smile, and she leaned further over the saddle horn, tightening her grip on the reins. Lae’zel kept a close eye on them, but neither horse nor rider seemed in any danger of faltering. Emboldened by Shadowheart’s approval, Selûne sped up once more, reaching a gallop pace. Shadowheart let out a short whoop of excitement, and Selûne whinnied happily.
They returned to Lae’zel after a full minute, and Shadowheart’s cheeks were pink from the wind. Selûne slowed to a stop next to Lae’zel, and Shadowheart slid off the saddle. Her legs shook when she landed, and she tilted precariously, but before she could fall, Lae’zel caught her in her arms. Shadowheart gazed up at Lae’zel, clutching her shoulders tightly, and Lae'zel felt her own cheeks warm.
Shadowheart righted herself quickly, and dusted off her shirt. She smiled at Selûne, resolutely avoiding Lae’zel’s eyes.
“That was fun,” Shadowheart remarked, petting Selûne’s neck. “She’s a remarkable horse.”
“Indeed.”
They stood in awkward silence for a moment. Lae’zel cleared her throat.
“I guess my hour is almost up?” Shadowheart asked, her tone one of heavy disappointment.
Lae’zel wouldn’t consider herself overly generous, especially not in the way Karlach and Wyll were; nor did she think herself weak enough to succumb to the whim of any beautiful woman she’d meet. But when facing Shadowheart’s sorrowful eyes, and the way her lips tilted into a pout that could be called ‘adorable’ by those of more feeble resolve than Lae’zel, she found herself saying:
“We are not busy, should you wish to stay longer.”
Immediately, Shadowheart’s expression brightened, and the smile she gave Lae’zel set her heart racing.
“Thank you,” she breathed. “I’ll pay, for the extra time.”
Lae’zel accepted that, at least proud of herself for not volunteering away her and Karlach’s wages.
Shadowheart stuck with Selûne, and after four more hours of riding, broken up by short breaks for her and the horse’s sake, the Sun had begun to set, enveloping the field in Lae’zel’s favourite shade of yellow. Wyll left for the day, and Karlach began packing everything up as Lae’zel led Shadowheart and Selûne back to the stables.
“Which horse is yours?” Shadowheart asked, startling Lae’zel from the silence between them.
“All of them,” Lae’zel answered, frowning in confusion.
“But which one is yours,” Shadowheart repeated, adding inflection, for some reason. “Your perfect match.”
“All of my horses are capable and reliable.”
Shadowheart sighed as if Lae’zel had answered incorrectly.
“So you don’t favour any of them?”
“I care for them all equally.”
The silence returned, and as it stretched on in their walk, Lae’zel began to regret the short-lived conversation. She wished she’d known what answer Shadowheart had been looking for, so they could continue speaking. Perhaps Shadowheart wished to know if any of the horses were for sale, so that she might purchase Selûne?
“The horses are not for sale,” she offered. “Not of any monetary value, at least.”
Shadowheart glanced at her, and smirked.
“I wasn’t asking to buy from you,” she said. “Where would I even keep a horse?”
“Some who live in cities own or rent land in the countryside, for their horses. It is not unordinary.”
“I don’t live in the city,” Shadowheart replied; then, she snapped her mouth shut, as if she hadn’t meant to say such a thing.
Normally, Lae’zel wouldn’t pry; normally, she’d have no care to. But before she could stop herself, she opened her mouth.
“Where do you live?”
Shadowheart’s expression immediately grew stony, and distant.
“That’s none of your business,” she said, with faux lightness in her voice.
Lae’zel rolled her eyes, growing frustrated. Shadowheart’s reserved mysteriousness was intriguing, even alluring, but also annoying to navigate. Still, she dropped the topic, and they reached the stables in complete silence once more. Karlach met them there, and now Shadowheart was much more willing to engage in friendly conversation. Few people could resist Karlach’s infectious joviality for long.
As Shadowheart finally departed, the Sun had disappeared and the dusk sky was punctured by stars. Lae’zel helped Karlach finish up the end-of-day chores, and got all the horses settled with their coats for the night’s freezing temperatures.
By the time Lae’zel had eaten dinner and collapsed into bed, Shadowheart was merely a passing thought.
~
Shadowheart returned a few times, making herself another regular at Ranch K’liir. The Winter season passed into early Spring - still cold, but with warmer Sun and greener fields - and Shadowheart slowly bloomed before Lae’zel’s eyes. She proved to be witty, confident, and just as stubborn as Lae’zel, who found their various spats to be a superior form of mental chess she intended to win.
But most importantly, Shadowheart sheltered a kindness in her that surprised Lae’zel. Seemingly embarrassed, or perhaps fearful, of this quality in herself, Shadowheart would hide it the best she could. But Lae’zel noticed it: in how Shadowheart gently hummed to Selûne as they rode, in how she remembered details Karlach would overshare in her eagerness to make a new friend, in how she would sneak treats to Ansur on days Wyll was not present. She would even engage in the most bizarre topics with Wyll, such as raunchy novels they both had read, or would tease him with her concerning knowledge of human nerve responses. But Wyll seemed happy to have finally found someone just as odd as him.
Lae’zel had struggled, ever since she’d been excommunicated from her former ‘church’ and forced to reconcile with all she thought was true, to connect with others. Karlach was a rare exception; they met when Karlach stopped on the side of a country road just to help Lae’zel repair a flat tire on her horse trailer, and the woman had proven herself from the beginning to be immune to Lae’zel’s attempts to push her away. Then came Wyll, who never faltered in his kindness even when Lae’zel would meet him with barbed words, and he’d earned her respect when he saved one of her horses from being crushed under a tree during a storm.
Two friends were what Lae’zel considered a perfect amount; not so many that she grew frustrated with their overstimulating presence, but just enough so that she never felt wholly alone. She owed much to them, and while Lae’zel was aware of her own shortcomings when it came to expressing the depths of her care, Karlach and Wyll had her eternal fealty and devotion.
Shadowheart, however, was tricky. Even after months of getting to know her, Lae’zel still felt like the woman was a complete stranger. She would answer most personal questions with effortless redirection, and even at her most sincere, there was an absence behind her eyes, as though she was withholding half of her being.
Lae’zel was prone to distrust such behaviours, and had it been anyone else, she would have disregarded Shadowheart completely by now. But as it was, something about Shadowheart’s disingenuous nature drew Lae’zel in, as though dismissing her would be admitting defeat. Lae’zel would only let herself lose if Shadowheart earned it.
“Earth to Lae’zel,” Karlach said gently, elbowing Lae’zel’s side. “Whatchya thinkin’ about?”
“Nothing,” Lae’zel lied. “I was just… distracted.”
“Really?”
Karlach gazed ahead where Wyll was showing Shadowheart how to tack up Selûne herself. At this rate, Lae’zel would have to start paying him, too. Lae’zel watched Karlach’s expression morph into a knowing smirk, and she turned to wink obnoxiously.
“Distracted by whom?”
“Tsk’va,” Lae’zel swore. “It is not so significant as you claim.”
“I didn’t claim anything,” Karlach replied in a sing-song tone.
“You were thinking it.”
“I just wanted to give my support and encouragement.” Karlach’s gaze flicked between Shadowheart and Lae’zel. “And to say that if I couldn’t already tell you were interested, I’d have gone for her myself by now. So, maybe get on that soon, before you regret letting her go.”
Lae’zel clenched her jaw, stewing in silence beside Karlach. She had no claim over Shadowheart, and the woman could do whatever, or whomever, she so pleased. But her irritation with Karlach’s previous implication was soothed by her friend’s loyalty, even if it wasn’t necessary.
Understanding Lae’zel’s lack of response for the contemplation that it was, Karlach chuckled quietly, and threw her arm around Lae’zel’s shoulders in a brief hug.
“Go get her, tiger,” Karlach whispered, before releasing Lae’zel and striding off towards Wyll. “Hey, Wyll! What do you say we have a little race, and leave these two ladies to their lessons?”
Wyll looked at Karlach, and then Lae’zel, and grinned mischievously.
“I say that sounds like an excellent idea,” he replied, “if you can stand losing today.”
Karlach roared with laughter, and she and Wyll dashed to the stalls of their preferred steeds. They led Ansur, and Hellfire - another Percheron with a copper red coat, and one of the few horses large enough to hold Karlach’s substantial muscular frame - out of the stables and to the long dirt road by Lae’zel’s home, passing friendly taunts back and forth. As they disappeared, Shadowheart quietly turned to Lae’zel, and tilted her head in question.
“Are you just going to stand there and stare?” she asked.
Lae’zel frowned, unfolding her arms that she hadn’t realised she’d crossed over her chest, and led Selûne and Shadowheart back to the training field.
Shadowheart seemed far more reserved today, and pensive to the point of failing to notice when Selûne had paused completely, sensing her rider’s distractedness. Ignoring Lae’zel’s inquisitive gaze, Shadowheart just shook her head loosely and plastered on a fake smile as she continued her riding.
By the time she left that afternoon, Lae’zel realised they hadn’t spoken another word.
~
It was another few weeks before Shadowheart returned. At first, Lae’zel wondered if Shadowheart had simply grown bored of them all, and moved back to the city. Then, the weaker part of her began to worry; Shadowheart did not seem like one to abandon people without a word, so something must have happened to her. Karlach, and Wyll, shared her concern, but there wasn’t anything they could do. And they had more clients again, so it was bad business if Lae’zel wasted time and energy worrying. They could only wait and see.
Waiting proved fruitful when the Ranch K’liir website notified them of a new appointment made - the first one Shadowheart had ever scheduled ahead of time. Lae’zel was almost suspicious at first, wondering if the woman meant to mock them from afar, but she cast the thought aside as her excitement just to see Shadowheart again won out.
The day arrived, and though Lae’zel knew when to expect her, it was a surprise nonetheless. Shadowheart’s hair had been dyed a stark white colour, like a snowbank, and cut short to her shoulders, to better frame her face. Lae’zel almost didn’t recognise her, at first, but then her surprise continued as she realised she much preferred this look on Shadowheart.
“Did you wish to resemble Selûne?” Lae’zel asked curiously, as Shadowheart approached.
The woman huffed in amusement.
“I was inspired, I’ll say,” she replied. “I needed a change.” She eyed Lae’zel searchingly. “What do you think?”
“It is an improvement,” Lae’zel said frankly. “And more efficient than a long plait.”
Shadowheart beamed, and her cheeks turned the slightest pink.
“Thank you.”
An awkward silence stretched between them, and Lae’zel shifted on her feet.
“It has been a while,” Lae’zel remarked. “Were you busy?”
“You could say that,” Shadowheart replied with a wry smile. Then, she clasped her hands together and smiled brightly, though Lae’zel could still see a sorrow in her eyes. “Is Selûne free today? I’ve missed her terribly.”
“Of course,” Lae’zel replied, allowing Shadowheart the diversion once more.
Back at the stables, Shadowheart made her way directly to Selûne’s stall. It took the horse just a second to recognise Shadowheart, and once she did, she neighed cheerfully and pushed her face into Shadowheart’s hair. Shadowheart laughed, and Lae’zel felt her chest flutter at such a rare sound.
It took less time to tack up Selûne, now that Shadowheart knew what she was doing, and Lae’zel led them straight to the open field rather than starting in the paddock. It had been some time, but something in her trusted that Shadowheart hadn’t lost her skill.
Sure enough, Shadowheart rode Selûne like she was a natural at it, like she’d ridden horses all her life rather than just the times at Lae’zel’s ranch. She easily recalled Selûne’s quirks, and led the Mare with a confidence and trust rarely found in novice riders. If Lae’zel were to be true to herself, she could admit that Shadowheart was marvellous to watch; she looked, for the first time since they’d met, completely free. It surprised Lae’zel to realise that Shadowheart had never seemed so before.
The Sun passed the middle of the sky, reaching the later hours of the afternoon, and Shadowheart offered to help Lae’zel return Selûne to the stables so they could break for a late lunch. Selûne, however, decided she didn’t want to be restrained to her stall while Shadowheart was finally present again, and so Lae’zel decided to trust Selûne to Shadowheart’s watch while she jogged back to her house to acquire food. Karlach was off today, and Lae’zel would usually never leave a client alone with their horses, but something about the woman just… invited Lae’zel’s trust, in ways she hadn’t felt in a while.
Lae’zel had rarely trusted anyone this readily since she’d broken free of her former cult’s brainwashing. It was refreshing.
Proving her faith well-founded, when Lae’zel returned with a makeshift picnic bag in hand, Shadowheart and Selûne were right where she’d left them. Shadowheart had sat down in the grass, and Selûne was now lying beside her, with her head in Shadowheart’s lap. Lae’zel bit back a smile as she approached.
“Yet another steed of mine has decided to favour one person over any other,” she remarked. “She had quite the temper in your absence.”
She sat next to Shadowheart, but made sure to stay far enough away that they wouldn’t accidentally brush against each other. Shadowheart smiled to herself and began braiding Selûne’s mane.
“I’m afraid she has set the standard impossibly high for any other horse for myself,” Shadowheart said. “She’s perfect.”
“She is not,” Lae’zel rebutted. “But the two of you work incredibly well together. You must be a natural.”
“I’d forgotten what this was like,” Shadowheart said. “Being around animals, riding horses.”
“You have ridden before?”
Shadowheart fell silent. She still wouldn’t meet Lae’zel’s eyes. Selûne huffed as Shadowheart’s hands stilled, the woman lost in her reminiscing, and Shadowheart stirred from her thoughts with an amused grin at Selûne’s attention-seeking.
“I do not come from the best of places,” Shadowheart said finally, quietly. “Things were far worse than I knew, and I… I am missing a lot of memories, as a result.” She swallowed thickly, her hands growing overly concentrated in Selûne’s mane. “Some come back to me when I do things I used to do, before. Some return randomly. Others, I doubt I’ll ever get back.”
Lae’zel had focused so intently on Shadowheart’s voice, steady and monotone as she spoke, that she didn’t realise Shadowheart had begun crying until a tear fell onto Selûne’s ear, startling the horse. Shadowheart instantly rubbed her hand over the spot, whispering an apology as Selûne settled back in her lap.
“I… do not have gaps in my memory,” Lae’zel began slowly, her throat tightening around words she’d only ever spoken aloud to Karlach and Wyll. “But I too come from a harmful past. I’ve managed to escape it completely, but there are scars that may never fade.”
“I didn’t know it was harmful until I got out,” Shadowheart admitted. “Sometimes, I-” she shook her head. “I used to wish I could go back to being ignorant. But I’m free now, and that’s what matters.”
“The way you speak, I might assume you hail from a cult.”
Shadowheart’s eyes snapped up to Lae’zel, finally, and gods above, if Lae’zel had known opening up was all it would take to catch Shadowheart’s gaze again, she’d have done it much sooner.
“That’s an odd first guess,” Shadowheart replied, her voice suddenly icy with suspicion.
“It is an experienced guess,” Lae’zel defended. She raised her arms in gesture to the land around them. “This place was once called a Crèche.”
Shadowheart’s eyes widened in understanding. Instantly, her suspicion fell away as her expression twisted into one of remorse.
“We have a lot in common, it seems,” Shadowheart said. “I suppose that’s nice.”
“It is not.”
Shadowheart laughed, as if Lae’zel had said something facetious.
“No, it’s not,” she agreed. “But I’m glad I met you, at least.”
As they ate, Selûne eventually grew bored, and got up to run around on her own. Shadowheart watched the horse with a serene smile. And Lae’zel watched Shadowheart, as discreetly as she could, appreciating how the sunlight illuminated Shadowheart’s newly-white hair like a halo, and how her bright green eyes were softened by a tinge of brown in the middle.
Shadowheart didn’t look much older than Lae’zel, but her face was lined more than even Karlach’s; both at her brow, and around her eyes and mouth, showing a life of just as many frowns as there were smiles. Her skin was far paler than Lae’zel’s dark olive shade, but they shared a smattering of freckles over their faces, and Lae’zel found that similarity endearing.
Once they finished eating, Lae’zel expected Shadowheart to want to return immediately to riding Selûne. Instead, she laid across the grass, resting her head just over Lae’zel’s knee. Lae’zel froze, feeling equally shocked and flustered as she blinked down at Shadowheart.
“Am I hurting you?” Shadowheart asked quietly.
“I-” Lae’zel’s voice cracked, and she swallowed sharply. “No.”
“Good.”
Lae’zel forced herself to relax as it became clear Shadowheart was not going to move.
Selûne tired of running freely after a while, and grazed quietly in the distance. Lae’zel felt paralysed; her duty and routine required that she get up and either return Selûne to her stall, or make Shadowheart continue her riding lessons, if they could still be considered such. But Shadowheart was warm, and her white hair contrasted Lae’zel’s dark jeans nicely, and she seemed at peace in a way Lae’zel had hardly ever felt herself. What’s more, Lae’zel didn’t get out much to meet new people, not like Karlach did, and this was something she wanted, even if she was hesitant to pursue it.
Lae’zel glanced down at Shadowheart, who upon sensing her gaze, looked up into Lae’zel’s eyes, and smiled softly. Lae’zel took a steadying breath. She’d never considered herself a coward.
“If you wish to be done with riding today,” she began, “perhaps we could reconvene in my abode.”
Shadowheart raised a brow, and smirked.
“Then maybe I’m not done riding after all,” she whispered.
Embarrassment rose up Lae’zel’s throat, and she glanced away.
“That is just as well,” she replied, a bit sharper than intended. “Selûne has energy yet.”
Shadowheart scoffed and sat up, leaning in front of Lae’zel with an arm braced over her lap.
“That was called an innuendo, Lae’zel,” she explained. Then, Shadowheart pinched Lae’zel’s thigh, close enough to her arse to cause Lae’zel to gulp in surprise. “Try to keep up,” Shadowheart added.
“I do not partake in subtleties, Shadowheart,” Lae’zel hissed. “Speak plainly, or do not waste my time.”
She had just a second to regret lashing out before Lae’zel found herself on her back, near-winded with the force of Shadowheart’s weight on top of her. She opened her mouth to protest the clear attack, but Shadowheart silenced her by claiming her lips eagerly. Lae’zel groaned involuntarily, her still-open mouth relishing the taste of Shadowheart’s tongue as the woman shamelessly pushed her way in.
Hands grasped her sides possessively, and Lae’zel retaliated by digging her fingers into Shadowheart’s hair, tugging her closer. Lae’zel braced her foot up on the ground and rolled them over, boxing Shadowheart in with her elbows. She crushed their mouths together once more, knocking their teeth. Shadowheart inhaled sharply - Lae’zel hadn’t been fond of the sensation either - and nipped at Lae’zel’s lip as if in reprimand.
“Is this speaking plainly enough for you?” Shadowheart gasped into her mouth.
Lae’zel shut her up with another kiss. She slid her knees up to crouch over Shadowheart, and manoeuvred one of Shadowheart’s legs up and over her hips. Shadowheart’s hands moved up Lae’zel’s back, tugging at her loose tank top to pull her closer as their lips and tongues explored each other once more. Lae’zel ground down on Shadowheart’s thigh, and Shadowheart exhaled into her mouth.
She was ready to just take Shadowheart in an open field, but Selûne’s affronted neigh startled them both. Lae’zel sat up and glared at the horse, and she could’ve sworn Selûne glared right back. Shadowheart sighed, and moved out from under Lae’zel to stand.
“Sorry girl,” Shadowheart cooed, petting Selûne’s head. “I forgot you were here.”
“She can be done for the day,” Lae’zel remarked.
“I’m sure she could,” Shadowheart replied, smirking at Lae’zel. “Someone’s eager.”
“As if you were not just trying to strip me bare moments ago.”
“Touché.”
They led Selûne back to the stables in silence, casting occasional glances to each other. Lae’zel walked stiffly, but Shadowheart seemed completely unbothered. Her confidence infuriated Lae’zel just as much as it enchanted her; Shadowheart walked as though Lae’zel was sure to follow, and Lae’zel couldn’t wait to break Shadowheart’s composure.
Selûne went into her stall obediently, as though sensing Lae’zel’s impatience. A few other horses within huffed at Lae’zel’s presence, and she took her time checking each one while Shadowheart took care of Selûne. Lae’zel may be eager, but she wouldn’t neglect her horses.
“So,” Shadowheart began, closing Selûne’s stall door behind her. “Are you going to finally let me into your home?”
“This way,” Lae’zel ordered.
She turned without checking if Shadowheart was following, but she could hear the sound of Shadowheart’s boots behind her. Lae’zel grinned to herself smugly.
~
The first taste of Shadowheart’s skin had Lae’zel desperate to bite down, to mark the woman’s pale skin all over. Lae’zel dragged her nails over Shadowheart’s breasts, revelling in the sound of the woman’s pleasured hiss.
As Lae’zel’s fingers slid down Shadowheart’s bare chest and stomach to the hem of her pants, Shadowheart grabbed her hands forcefully.
“Nuh uh,” she breathed. “Your turn, first.”
Lae’zel stepped back with a groan and tore her shirt off over her head. Shadowheart’s brow raised appreciatively as she scanned Lae’zel’s upper body.
“Scars,” Shadowheart noted. “Were you in some kind of accident?”
“Surely you’re familiar with the nature of a crèche,” Lae’zel answered, frowning in confusion. Shadowheart had clearly recognised the term before. “We are raised to fight.”
“I guess I hadn’t thought you would fight each other. Seems like a waste.”
“The weak are eliminated, and the strong prevail.”
Shadowheart only shrugged.
“Sounds like something you should hash out with a therapist, sometime.” She grinned. “Not right now.”
“You asked.”
Shadowheart only rolled her eyes, and pressed her lips to Lae’zel’s own once more. Now it was her turn to explore Lae’zel’s chest, and her hands engulfed Lae’zel’s breasts easily. Lae’zel had always been on the smaller side, which she preferred for the sake of forgoing the use of chest garments like Shadowheart wore. Many times, when it was a slow day, Lae’zel would forgo shirts entirely, appreciating the wind against her skin.
Lae’zel’s hands returned to Shadowheart’s waist, her fingers dipping just beneath the woman’s trousers. Shadowheart allowed it this time, as her mouth lowered to Lae’zel’s neck and her hands grasped at Lae’zel’s breasts like she might lose balance. It wasn’t until Lae’zel had revealed an inch of Shadowheart’s pants that she realised Shadowheart had stilled.
Pausing, Lae’zel looked up at Shadowheart inquisitively. Shadowheart lifted her chin in challenge.
“Is there a problem?” Lae’zel asked.
“Not if you don’t start one,” Shadowheart replied.
Rolling her eyes, Lae’zel returned to her goal of disrobing Shadowheart. She pulled the woman’s pants and trousers down slowly, appreciating every bit of skin revealed. When she’d pulled everything past Shadowheart’s mid-thigh, the woman huffed.
“Nothing?” Shadowheart said. “Now you’re being obtuse.”
“What is it you want from me?” Lae’zel snapped. “If you wish to stop, then just say so.”
They froze, a silent standoff as they dared each other to back down. Finally, Shadowheart exhaled slowly, and nodded.
“Well, go on, then.”
“I should like to taste you,” Lae’zel said. “Will you have issue with that as well?”
“I don’t have any issues,” Shadowheart replied defensively. “You’re the one who thinks ignoring it will make it okay.”
“Shadowheart, what in all of the Nine Hells are you referring to?”
“My-” she gestured to her groin, “equipment.”
“It looks perfectly fine to me.” Lae’zel frowned. “Are you diseased?”
“Shar’s tits,” Shadowheart hissed, and pressed a hand over her nose. “Fine. Go ahead.”
Lae’zel fell to her knees before Shadowheart, and pressed her nose to the woman’s hair, breathing her in. She dragged her tongue slowly up Shadowheart’s length, smiling as the woman shivered above her. She grabbed Shadowheart’s waist to hold her still, digging her fingers into Shadowheart’s hips possessively. Shadowheart clutched Lae’zel’s hair as she tasted more and more, before finally pulling Shadowheart into her mouth fully. Shadowheart whimpered aloud, her nails scraping along Lae’zel’s scalp deliciously.
“Lae’zel,” she gasped.
She tightened her lips around Shadowheart and sucked her in as tightly as she could manage. Shadowheart cried out at the same time as she tightened her grasp in Lae’zel’s hair sharply, pushing the sensation from pleasurable to painful. Lae’zel jerked back, glaring up at Shadowheart, who at least looked a bit apologetic.
“Let a girl breathe, will you?” Shadowheart panted. “I haven’t exactly done this before.”
“Never?” Lae’zel roved her eyes up Shadowheart’s delectable form. “How is that possible?”
Shadowheart laughed, and her cheeks reddened in the dim light of Lae’zel’s room.
“Well, maybe I have, but I don’t remember it.”
“Then let me make this unforgettable.”
“Cute.” Shadowheart released Lae’zel’s hair. “Alright, get on the bed and show me how it’s done.”
Lae’zel tried to move slowly, so as to not appear as desperate as she felt, but with Shadowheart watching her so intensely, she was filled with the need for the woman’s approval. Lae’zel had never had complaints about her finesse in bed, from men and women alike, but she’d never slept with someone so new to it. She didn’t want to fail Shadowheart.
She sat on the edge of her bed and patted her lap. Shadowheart smirked and followed, but rather than sit atop Lae’zel, she knelt before her.
“I might do this wrong,” she said quietly. “But I want to try.”
Lae’zel nodded, and Shadowheart eased Lae’zel’s jeans and pants down just as eagerly as Lae’zel had done for her. Lae’zel sighed as the chill of her room brushed against her naked skin, but the sensation was quickly replaced by the warmth of Shadowheart’s mouth over her.
Shadowheart’s inexperience was evident in how aimlessly her tongue moved, but Lae’zel was… intrigued by it, too much so to stop her. She watched as Shadowheart explored, her eyes shut tight and her brow furrowed in concentration. In another context, Lae’zel might have laughed; as it was, she felt only fondness for Shadowheart in the moment.
Then Shadowheart’s tongue found Lae’zel’s clit, perhaps by accident, but upon Lae’zel’s groan she increased her efforts. Lae'zel could compare Shadowheart’s novice technique to a sightless attack, unsure but dedicated. That, more than the sensation itself, caused Lae'zel's walls to clench in pleasure as a sigh escaped her teeth.
After about a minute, Shadowheart leaned back on her heels, and took a shuddering breath.
“How was it?” she asked. “Be honest.”
“Directionless,” Lae’zel admitted. “But not without potential.”
Shadowheart tilted her head with a wry smile.
“I suppose that’s better than ‘bad’.”
“‘Bad’ would be untrue. But we will have to practise more,” Lae’zel suggested.
“I would like that.”
Shadowheart smiled up at her far too tenderly, and Lae’zel glanced away reflexively.
“Another time,” Lae’zel dismissed. “For now, get on the bed.”
Now Shadowheart straddled Lae’zel’s lap, pressing their breasts together as she claimed Lae’zel’s mouth once more. Lae’zel sighed and caressed Shadowheart’s sides, relishing the feel of the woman’s plush skin beneath her calloused fingers. Shadowheart writhed in her lap, grinding against Lae’zel’s abdomen and panting into her mouth.
Pleasure threatened to make Lae’zel lightheaded, so she rolled them onto the bed with Shadowheart beneath her. Lae’zel took over, rubbing her clit over Shadowheart and causing the woman to gasp raggedly. Lae’zel kissed Shadowheart hungrily, tasting the sounds she made, her tongue and teeth ravaging Shadowheart’s lips and mouth.
Shadowheart’s hips bucked up repeatedly, wildly, and Lae’zel felt her own wave of completion on the horizon for how needy Shadowheart was beneath her. The woman was addicting, and Lae’zel relished in how she’d managed to make someone so sure of herself so speechless and frantic.
“Lae’zel,” Shadowheart panted, her warm breath brushing against Lae’zel’s lips and cheeks. “Lae-”
Grinning in satisfaction, Lae’zel brought her hand between them to add some friction, and Shadowheart’s eyes widened as she let out a moan. Lae’zel let her weight press her body against Shadowheart’s more firmly, and she drove her hips down, chasing her own pleasure as she wrung Shadowheart’s from her.
Shadowheart finished with a whine on each exhale, and Lae’zel followed her easily. She pressed her face into Shadowheart’s neck, groaning as she nibbled at the woman’s skin, inhaling her sweet sweat-scent. They shook together for a moment, and when the lingering waves of their orgasms faded, Lae’zel rolled onto the bed beside Shadowheart, and sighed.
She watched Shadowheart recover, committing the woman’s clenched-shut eyes and softly babbling lips to memory, just in case. Once Shadowheart had caught her breath, she turned her head, and blinked her eyes open to meet Lae’zel’s gaze.
“Thank you,” Shadowheart whispered.
Lae’zel grinned smugly. Shadowheart rolled her eyes, but grinned in return.
Neither of them were itching to move, and so they stayed for a while, simply basking in each other’s presence and the slowly setting Sun visible from Lae’zel’s bedroom window. Lae’zel must have dozed off at some point, because the next time she opened her eyes, Shadowheart had rested her head over Lae’zel’s chest, her fingers playing idly with a strand of Lae’zel’s hair.
When Lae’zel shifted, Shadowheart’s eyes darted up to hers, and watched her carefully. Overcome by some unspeakable feeling of sentiment, Lae’zel leaned over and kissed Shadowheart softly. Shadowheart’s eyes fluttered, and she smiled. Her makeup had smeared some from exertion, and Lae’zel liked the look of Shadowheart all ruffled up from her efforts.
“I should get going, then,” Shadowheart said.
“You’re free to do as you please,” Lae’zel replied, in her best attempt at nonchalance.
Shadowheart watched her again, scanning Lae’zel’s face for something. She smiled brightly, but still sat up.
“Well, I would like to get cleaned up, first,” she decided. “Then… maybe I’ll stay.”
Lae’zel only nodded, refraining from expressing her contentment with Shadowheart’s choice. Shadowheart used Lae’zel’s bathroom, and then moved about her room, as if she lived there too. It made something odd clench in Lae’zel’s chest, and she watched Shadowheart with an anxiety she couldn’t identify the source of.
“I wake up early,” Lae’zel said, when Shadowheart finally returned to her bed.
“I’m a heavy sleeper,” Shadowheart shrugged.
“Then you will still be here in the morning?”
Even Lae’zel could hear the hope that escaped and seeped into her tone. Shadowheart’s smug grin was surprisingly fond, and she nodded.
“I will.”
“Good.”
Lae’zel took her turn in the bathroom, getting ready for bed, and when she returned, Shadowheart was curled up beneath Lae’zel’s covers. She smiled up at Lae’zel like a cat who got the cream, and spread her limbs out, taking up most of the bed. Lae’zel smirked and crawled over her, stealing away her smile with her lips. They kissed lazily for some time, but something still bothered Lae’zel, and she braved asking:
“What was it that bothered you, earlier?”
Shadowheart sighed as she pulled away.
“It was hard to fully be myself in- where I came from,” she corrected herself mid-sentence. “Some of the girls in my cloister had lots to say, and not all of it was good.”
“Well, that place was not who you were.” Lae’zel frowned in contemplation. “Perhaps the others were jealous that they lacked a sense of self.”
Shadowheart’s gaze softened, and she smiled beautifully up at Lae’zel.
“Perhaps,” she agreed.
Lae’zel gave her a parting peck on the lips, and shifted beneath the covers beside her.
“It wasn't all bad,” Shadowheart added, quietly. “I think that's what made it so hard to finally leave. I had a friend there. She helped me understand who I am more than the Mother ever did.”
“If her friendship was true, you will see her again,” Lae'zel offered.
Shadowheart smiled serenely, glancing up at the ceiling the way she might cast her eyes to the midnight sky in search of the Moon.
“Perhaps,” she agreed softly. “Goodnight, Lae’zel,”
Shadowheart rolled back into Lae’zel’s side and pressed her face to Lae’zel’s neck.
“Goodnight, Shadowheart.”
Shadowheart’s breath slowed within minutes, and Lae’zel finally felt herself relax. Something in her still insisted Shadowheart would leave - if not tonight, then someday in future, when she realised how difficult Lae’zel was in the long run - but for now, she could let sleep take over, and sink into the comfort of Shadowheart’s warm body against hers.
Maybe this time, she’d get lucky.