Weal in Woe Chapter Six --- She eased open the door, saw Svana and Hez sleeping on the bed and quietly stepped inside, smiling. She placed the remains of Hez's clothes on the edge of the bed, her boots at the foot. She headed back downstairs. returning a long moment later with another jug of water and a basket of bread and sausage. Svana stirred as she collected the empty jugs; she nodded quietly to the groggy healer and ducked out again, her hands full of empty earthenware. She tucked a jug under one arm and grabbed the innkeepers book, then headed downstairs to return the lot. She returned to the room with Hezzwyb's collapsible hiking staff, thoroughly cleaned. She leaned it against the wall, then fetched the chair that had been sitting in the hallway, wooden legs scraping quietly on the floor as she slid it into place next to the door. Svana was sitting up, rubbing her face with both hands. The stout healer looked healthier than she had earlier, though not by much - she was still pale, still had bags under her eyes. "How did you..." the woman yawned, waved a sleeve of her robe at the shredded remains of Hez's clothing - free of dirt, free of blood, smelling faintly of lemon. "Trade secret." She whispered, finger to her lips. Alchemy, and not terribly complicated. Mostly diluting some solvent that the blacksmith happened to have, and altering its character slightly. The severed pant leg and the boot laces had been a loss - soaked through with sweat, blood, distressed aether. With a bit of asking around she'd replaced the laces with cord cut to a similar length. She'd re-laced the boots, briefly trying them on in the process as she found that method faster, with more comfortable results. Hez's feet weren't much bigger than hers - her footwear would fit comfortably with a thick pair of socks. She found that thought... warm. Intimate. She glanced down at the tall leather boots; briefly imagined tying them on in winter, wearing them to shovel a path. Imagined Hezzwyb taking them off of her, massaging her feet, kissing her toes as they cuddled together in front of a fireplace, logs snapping and crackling, mugs of cider filling the cabin with the smell of apples, spices, nutmeg... She shuddered pleasurably, willing herself out of her reverie. Later for that. She bent down at the foot of the bed, opened her box of tradeswoman's tools. Needles, thread, a spool of leather cord - thinner than laces, thicker than thread. A pair of scissors sharper than most knives. She heard the bed creak, closed the box, sat up straight, looked around. Svana had gone back to sleep. The late morning light favored the chair by the desk, under the window. She moved Hez's ruined clothes from the bed to the desk, arranged her tools, studied the field for a long moment. Small needle, thread, the simple wrap that supported the chest of the jade beauty. A good starting point. She sat, facing the women on the bed, and began to sew. --- Svana's cuts had been clean, straight. Precise. The wrap had been cut in half over Hezzwyb's sternum; nearly in line with the placement of the pair of broad thin hooks that held the back together. While her thread didn't match, the precise stitching that she used to rejoin the garment looked like an intentional design choice. One that complemented Hez's shirt. Her drawers had been cut cleanly on both sides of the pubis. Crooked, from a design standpoint. Practical from where Svana had been standing at the time. Easily stitched back together. The pantalettes were spotless - she'd cleaned them herself. She held them up to her nose and inhaled deeply, luxuriating in the faint trace of Hezzwyb's scent, barely perceptible beneath the alchemical solution she'd used to separate debris from the material that composed the green goddess's garments. A deep breath. Another. Mmm. The shirt was largely intact. The thread she had chosen was a close fit - almost a match for color. She trimmed the ragged edges with her shears - expertly, with a jewelers precision. A few carefully chosen snips and the ragged gash became a gracefully wiggling line. Stitched carefully together, it *should* fit just as well as it had the day before. The pants. What to do about the pants? She'd had some time to ponder the matter. Fortunately the legs were straight, the styling utilitarian. 'Boot cut,' clothiers called it. A lower leg could easily become an upper leg. The rip the animal that had attacked Hez had left was a slightly different matter - a repeat of her work on the shirt, carefully trimming the ragged edges of the thick material, rejoining it into a wiggly curve with the lightweight leather cord. She fetched a spool of durable ribbon dyed with marks and numbers at regular intervals from her toolbox, stretched it along the inseam, noted the number, measured again. And again, from the outside. A quick quiet measure of Hezzwyb's thigh, successfully fighting the desire to linger, to feel her warm jade skin beneath her fingers. Some cutting, some stitching, and the damaged pants became a pair of shorts, cuffed just above the knee. Not terribly useful for an outdoorswoman, maybe, but they'd get her home. Wherever that was. Within walking distance, she imagined. There was some fabric left, but not enough to really do anything with. She placed the smaller scraps onto the largest remaining piece of cloth, folded the lot into a small square, tucked it into her toolbox along with her needles and thread. She folded and stacked the clothes neatly on the desk - wrap on top of pantalettes on top of shirt on top of shorts. While she worked, late morning had become early afternoon. She looked over the bed for a long moment, taking in Svana, lingering over Hezzwyb. Both clad in white; one short and voluptuous, attractive yet withdrawn; the other long, broad, muscular. Perfect. She was pondering laying down between them, making herself the center of a very tasty sandwich, when the tall woman began to stir. --- Hezzwyb sat up... or tried to. She made it partway, yelped in pain, collapsed back onto the bed. A short mumbled... prayer, maybe? Followed by a very intelligible "Ouch." "Buh... whuh?" Svana mumbled, sat up, looked around. The stout woman blinked, rubbed her eyes, shook her head rapidly back and forth like a dog shaking off water. She suppressed a giggle, following Svana's gaze... to a fresh jar of the analgesic cream, on the nightstand next to Hez. "The pain woke up after I did." Hezzwyb pouted dramatically. She sat up again, very slowly this time, keeping her weight on her arms until she was upright. "Describe your pain." Svana turned to face Hez, tucked her calves under her thighs, sat on her heels. The healer's hands twitched, seemingly lacking something to hold, something to do. She swept the jar off of the nightstand and handed it to the healer in one fluid, graceful motion, then stood back. Listening. Svana nodded to her - short, grateful. Her fingers closed around the jar, thumbs fiddling with the lid. "My front is sharp, focused, fiery, and surrounded by bees. There's a diffuse dullness underneath, in my belly." Hez sighed, made eye contact with Svana. "My back, my shoulders, and the back of my head are still sore from landing on wet rocks yesterday. My bottom hurts too, but not as much. Bruising, all of it - it's a familiar pain, I've just..." She breathed in slowly, through her teeth, right hand over her belly, pressing gently. "... never felt so *much* of it at once. It's... a lot." Hez's lavender eyes shifted to her, focused on her, *saw* her. She stifled a squeak, returned her gaze with what she hoped was a small, enigmatic smile. "But it's been worth it." Hez smiled, a hint of lasciviousness playing at the corners of her mouth and eyes. She felt her heart melt, and swell. Felt her fire spark and kindle. She wanted the jade giantess to ravish her, right then and there. She settled for allowing her smile to widen into a grin, and was silently grateful when Svana interrupted the moment, as she had no idea what to say or do next. "I see." Svana's tone was dry, deadpan. "Lie back down. We'll take care of you." Her thumbs flexed forward and backward on either side of the jar, loosening the cap as Hez relaxed back into the bedding. "Marielle -" her attention shifted "- if you would?" The healer indicated the nightgown with her eyes. "From the other side, please." A nod towards the floor between the bed and the desk. She walked around to the side of the bed, leaned over, began working open the buttons, stopping just below Hez's stitches. She was acutely aware of the woman's gaze; tried not to whimper with delight as she felt her reach out, felt the back of her left hand lightly graze her hip, her belly. "All the way, please." Svana paused, considered, held up a finger. "Wait. ...Hezzwyb, would you mind being naked with us for a short span of time? With Marielle's help I want to apply the cream to your wound. Then we'll rub it into your back and other bruised areas. With the two of us the task will be accomplished quickly." "I wouldn't mind being naked with you for a *long* span of time." Hez winked and smiled at the impassive healer, then grinned at her. Svana blinked, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. She tried to keep her composure, but a startled, heated "meep!" escaped her lips. She felt her cheeks heat, felt the warmth inside her grow hotter. Hez's grin broadened. She nodded, eyes shifting downwards - the nightgown. The buttons. "Need some help?" Her tone was light, jovial. Her grin relaxed into a kind, caring smile, *I want to couple* smoothly transitioning into *I want to help.* She spluttered, startled. "Yes, I think she does." Svana raised an eyebrow, a corner of her mouth briefly flickering upwards in a ghost of a smile. The healer lay the jar between her knees. Her hands flew down the short remainder of the nightgown, working the buttons out of their holes. She spread the garment open from the bottom as Hez drew open the top, shrugging out of the sleeves. The tall green woman revealed herself, a precious gem in a field of smooth white fabric. Confident, without shame or shyness. She stood back and watched as part of a teenage fantasy become reality. She felt her cheeks heat as she realized both women were looking at her expectantly - Svana holding the jar out, angled towards her; Hez clearly enjoying the experience and waiting for her to do her part, to continue. She dipped two fingers into the jar. --- Svana took the lead. She followed, her long fingers rubbing the pain relieving cream into the left side of Hez's wound while the healer treated the right side. Their fingertips bumped once, twice, then parted in different directions, Svana working upwards while she continued to work downwards. The jade giantess hummed pleasurably as her fingers passed her navel, nearing the woman's folds. Hez rolled her pelvis upwards slightly; seemed to *invite* her, briefly. She looked up, beheld lavender eyes - glittering, promising. *Later.* Then back, to healing flesh - a lovely light green, fading to pink, flaring to red around the edges. The wound had already begun to knit together at the ends - healing, sealing, much faster than it would have without Svana's magickal acceleration. The torn flesh didn't seem to be as *angry* there; Hez's eyes and mouth weren't quite as tight as cream was applied there. As they finished their work, the healer waved at her to step back, to give her some room. She obliged. Svana eyed the ends closely, peering carefully at the stitches. She placed a thumb and forefinger on either side of the wound near the top, spread them apart slightly, released. The healer seemed to be holding back, somehow - like she wanted to touch more, to explore more, but didn't want to risk disrupting the healing process. Svana sat back and studied Hez's belly intently, her expression one of intense concentration. Examining her insides with aether sight. A long moment passed. Hez looked at the healer, looked at her, her eyes questioning. She shrugged. The healer's eyes brightened, changed focus. "You'll probably feel like your usual self for a time, after your back is treated." Svana's words came slowly. "Recognize that you are not. No..." She paused, looking for words. "...*unduly strenuous* activity for the next several days. Let Marielle take the lead, if she's willing." Curious choice of words. Did she mean...? Hez grinned, her eyes sparkling. "I... uh..." She really had no idea what to say. Was her interest *that* obvious? Of *course* it was! She felt herself blushing, felt her long ears burning, realized she was smiling. Beaming. *Excited.* The healer placed the lid loosely on the jar of cream and held it out, offering it to her. "I trust you to treat Hezzwyb. A thin layer will do; there's enough here for that and another pass over her front tomorrow morning." Svana yawned. "Much as I'd like to help... I need to get back to bed." She took the jar from the tired woman, held it lightly with both hands as the healer eased herself off of the bed, grabbed her bag, stood up, and headed for the door. "Thank you, Svana." Hez whispered. Her eyes, her face... her whole *body* emanated gratitude. "Sleep well." A small, slow wave with her right hand. "Mmm." Svana opened the door, nodded, returned the wave. Eyes half-closed, she mumbled "You two have fun" and something that sounded like it could have been "but keep it down, please" as she closed the door behind her. Hezzwyb's eyes met hers, her lavender irises seeming to spark and brighten as the door latched. "Well?" The jade giantess grinned hungrily. "Are you willing to take the lead?" She was. "Roll over." She held the jar in the palm of her left hand, tapped the lid with her right, surprised at her ability to muster a firm, commanding tone. "Let's see how you feel after I treat your back." She couldn't hide her smile; she didn't want to. This was a fantasy come to life and she was enjoying every moment of it. Hez rolled carefully to her right, offering her a view of her bruise-mottled back, her magnificent bottom, her muscular thighs, her well-toned *calves...* She breathed in slowly, admiring the view as the taller woman got comfortable, resting her head on a pillow, folding her arms beneath it. Hez turned her head towards her, nodded, smiled, her eyes warm and inviting. --- She surveyed the field appreciatively, in awe of the woman laid out before her, in awe of her good fortune. "The bruising on your bottom is less... *visible* than it is on your shoulders. Does it hurt more, less, or about the same?" Working bottom to top seemed like the way to go, but only if brushing Hez's bottom with her own wouldn't cause her discomfort. "It hurts less. You can start there, if you'd like." Hez's eyes were heated, practically *smoldering.* Her smile was small, slight. Cryptic. Inviting, in a peculiar way. She wanted to start with her feet, to work her fingers around her toes, her palms over her soles, her hands over her calves, upwards, inwards... but what Svana had told her about the supply of analgesic kept her from diving in. There was only so much of it - she needed to use the cream sparingly, only in areas that were sources of pain. She set the jar between smooth jade thighs and stepped back, readying herself to vault onto the bed. "Mm-mm." Hez's left hand slid out from under the pillow and rose up, index finger waving back and forth, back and forth. "Not like that." "Not like what?" She paused, curious. "Clothed." Hez smiled broadly. "If *I'm* going to be naked, *you* should be naked. I want to feel your skin, not your trousers. I want to feel *you*." Lavender eyes glittered, reflecting the early afternoon light. Her knees turned to jelly. She leaned back, bottom bumping against the desk, hands gripping the worn wood for support. "Too much?" Hez's expression became cautious, concerned - eyebrows raised, frowning slightly. "No! It's... uh...." She stammered, waved her hands. "I'll... I want to-" She clapped a hand over her mouth, closed her eyes, took a breath. "Not enough?" Hez laughed. Gently, soothingly. "Oh... you haven't done anything like this before, have you? Is that it?" She nodded mutely. "Well... look for the confidence you showed me earlier. Listen to your heart." The injured woman closed her eyes, patted her right arm with her left hand, slid it back under the pillow. "I trust you, Marielle. I like you, and I'd like to get to know you. *All* of you, if that appeals to you." "It does." She knew what her heart wanted, what her body craved. What she'd like to do. Slowly, with growing confidence, she unbuttoned her blouse. --- Blouse, trousers, smallclothes - all neatly folded on the desk, stacked next to Hezzwyb's repaired clothing. She quickly reworked her hair, wrapped her long tresses into a sloppy bun, held it in place with a knitting needle from her toolbox. Hez was awake, her breathing steady. Her eyes remained closed, granting brief, ephemeral privacy. An anticipatory intake of breath as she mounted the bed, released as a contented hum as she straddled her. Knees pressing against knees, calves gently pressing against calves. "Thank you." The jade giantess whispered, spreading her legs slightly, knees rubbing against hers. "This is nice." Her deep voice purred, hummed, *vibrated* with contentment. As she dipped her fingers into the jar between Hez's thighs she felt the woman's calves move, a high-pitched "ooh!" escaping her lips as warm skin brushed her bottom, lingered, withdrew. Mmm. She spread cream across both of her hands, flexed her fingers, took a deep breath. She held it, let it out slowly, and placed her palms on Hez's bottom. --- The injured woman's skin was smooth, her muscles firm. She quickly found and focused on the trouble areas - the consistency of the skin was slightly different, the bruising barely visible in some places, vibrant and vivid in others. A spectrum of mottled greens and grays and yellows, the darker areas prompting sharp slow hisses of breath; at least one barely suppressed groan. Maybe two, though that may well have been a hum of contentment, interrupted. The cream spread thinly and disappeared quickly, leaving the skin smooth, slightly moist. She finished with Hez's bottom and worked her way upward, massaging her back with her thumbs, working slowly upwards, outwards. She picked up the jar and set it down on the center of her back, between her shoulder blades. She moved forward, knees brushing hips. Comfortable and properly situated, she dipped the first two fingers of her hands into the cream and began to knead Hez's shoulders. She took her time, spreading the analgesic as evenly as she could, working it into her smooth green skin. The tall woman hummed happily, her ministrations frequently eliciting an "mmm," or an "ahhhhh" or, twice, a relieved "thank you" as she lingered over a pair of alarmingly dark areas, evenly spaced, in the places where the shoulders became the arms. A moment - breathing deeply, looking closely. Listening to her heart. She had sated her need to *touch* Hezzwyb, to *feel* her... but she wasn't finished, and she had yet to take her fill. She eyed the jar. Enough cream for her wound tomorrow, and just a bit more. She dipped all four of the fingertips of her left hand, picked up a small amount on each, and pressed her fingers into her neck, walking them slowly upwards. She combed her fingers into her thick wavy hair, doing her best to get some of the stuff into the skin on the back of her head. In the process she had become very, very close to Hezzwyb - her breasts brushed her back, her nipples rubbed her warm, soft skin. The mouth of the jar nuzzled her cleavage, tipping, almost falling over as she moved forward, upward. She clenched her hand, gripping a fistful of wavy locks, firmly guiding Hez to turn an ear towards her. She leaned close, close enough to smell her hair. "How do you feel?" She whispered, resting her weight on the woman's back. Her nipples stiffened; her folds grew slick. She felt movement on the bed behind her, heard skin brushing against skin, glanced over her shoulder - Hez's feet, bobbing playfully, ankles crossed. "Like I want to thank you. Properly." Hez whispered, her deep voice smokey, almost *smoldering.* "But if I do that how I *want* to do that - rolling beneath you, wrapping my arms around you quickly, before you can move away, pulling you close - my stitches might tear." She drew back, released her hold on Hez's hair, capped the jar and set it back on the nightstand. Supporting herself on her hands and knees, she gave the woman as much space as she could without a dramatic change of position - without *releasing* her. "Do it slowly," she whispered, smiling. "I'm not going anywhere." --- Hez squirmed beneath her, rolling slowly, awkwardly, left arm brushing her chest, left shoulder her sternum. The bed creaked as the broad-shouldered woman settled beneath her, smiling. Grinning, really. Her lavender eyes glittered; she licked her lips - slowly, invitingly. "Come here." Callused fingers stroked her flanks, her back, guided her downward. A light touch - a suggestion. One she followed without hesitation. She met resistance on her right as she lowered herself - a nudge to her left, towards Hez's right side, well clear of her wound. She settled into the taller woman's embrace, rested her head on her shoulder, her right knee between her thighs, her right hand beneath her breasts. She closed her eyes, sighed, smiled. Grinned as she felt Hez's arm wrap around her, as her hand cupped her breast. Breathed heatedly through her mouth as Hez gently pinched her firm, sensitive nipple between her fingers. "Mmm." She liked that. She *really* liked that. "I've thought of something you might enjoy. Something that... *shouldn't* impede my recovery." Hez's voice was slow, soft. Thoughtful. "What might that be?" She could feel her heartbeat - slow, steady. Relaxing. "Sit on my face." She coughed, spluttered, quickly sat up - still straddling her right leg, hands on the bedding on either side of the injured woman's abdomen. She made eye contact - eyebrows raised, heart racing. Hez's lavender eyes were bright, mischievous. Ravenous. "I mean it. Get up here. Feet on my shoulders, knees against the headboard, hands on the wall. Allow me to savor you. If you don't like it I'll stop and we'll figure out something else." Rough fingers withdrew from her breast, stroked her hair. "Or we can continue to cuddle, if the idea of me pleasuring you with my mouth doesn't sound like something that you'll enjoy." Her deep voice began light and confident, became more cautious as she voiced the alternative. She drew back a bit, considered. She placed her hands on both sides of Hez's thigh, gently rubbing her smooth green skin. She felt her eyebrows rise, felt her pelvis roll in anticipation, as the injured woman raised her leg slightly, lower thigh pressing into her. Hez raised herself up on her elbows, glanced down, between her legs. "Seems you like the idea... or have you been thinking of something else?" She looked down. Hez slid back a bit, drawing her thigh forward, revealing a thin trail of slick. *Her* slick. She felt her face heat, her nipples stiffen. "I've uh..." She stammered, focused, tried to put her emotions into words. "...I haven't thought about anyone else since I first laid eyes on you." "What are you thinking about right now?" "Your mouth, on my.... my..." Hez smiled. "Your modesty is adorable, Mari." She stroked her left thigh with her right hand - fingers spread wide, pressing gently. "But right now... it's a little impractical. I'd like to pleasure you, to show you my gratitude. Would you like that? Will you allow me?" She nodded her head vigorously, enthusiastically, gazing into the adoring lavender eyes of her dream come true. "Yes, I'd like that. Yes, I'll allow you. Yes. *Yes!*" "Good." Hez licked her lips - slowly, her tongue lingering, promising. "Now get up here, and get comfortable."