A hooded stranger

"Over here, Sister Winlay." A warm baritone spoke to her from the shadows and only when she stepped tentatively in that direction could she make out the thick body of a large man pressed into a dark corner of the building. His hooded cloak covered much of his face and body, but his clean shaven jaw was as square as his broad shoulders. The man moved with the confidence of a warrior, Winlay had time to observe just before he seized her by the arm and hurried her away from the door to the Holy Palace's kitchens.

He was strong, Winlay noted as he muscled her down the dark streets. His strong grip both supporting and controlling Winlay as he steered her through a series of alleyways and side streets. They walked together in silence and Winlay found herself pressed against his torso, she could feel the hard muscles covering his ribs and the strength in his grip. Several times as he maneuvered her in the dimly lit streets his knuckles brushed against her breast and each time she felt a tingling frisson coursing through her core. The experience should have been terrifying, but there was something about her silent escort that Winlay found reassuring and she let him guide her into a dark grotto without any thought of resistance.

"We have to get you out of those robes Sister." The man told her as he reached under his cloak and pulled out some bundled clothing. "Change into these." Winlay stared in dumb silence at the embroidered red silk wrap as the man turned to peer out into the street. She couldn't wear something like that she'd look like a streetwalker! Besides, where was there to change?

"For Crew's sake girl!" The exasperated man muttered quietly, "We don't have time for this." And then to Winlay's shocked horror he pulled free her cord and deftly lifted the white church robes completely off her head. The man had moved so swiftly and confidently that she hadn't even thought to protest and so, for the third time in less than eight hours, she found herself standing naked in front of a man. Winlay saw the man's reaction as his gaze took in her curves, she tried to cover herself modestly, but she felt a newly discovered sense of pride knowing that a man like this found her desirable.

The moment couldn't have lasted more than a second or two before the man handed her the silk robes and turned suddenly away. To Winlay though, it felt like an eternity as his gaze lingered on the curve of her breasts and whiteness of her thighs. There was something in his eyes that made her feel special. Whereas Beldan had leered at her nakedness with a mean hunger, and Brother Louis had barely seemed to notice her body, when this man looked at her she felt beautiful. As she slid her arms into the loose sleeves of the dress she knew that if he had pulled her into his arms she would have let him do anything he wanted. She pulled the robe shut tightly knotting the silk belt around her waist knowing that if he wanted to, this man could loosen this belt as easily as he had untied the cleric's cords.

"Good, you're ready." He said as he glanced back to assess her progress. "My name is Adam, I'm a friend of Mika's." Adam explained and Winlay felt a startling mix of joy that she really was among friends and disappointment that this man - whom she barely even knew - was already taken by none other than her best friend. But, before she could come to grips with these totally new feelings, Adam reached under his cloak again and pulled out a pair of slippers that matched the embroidery of her dress perfectly. "I hope these fit." He muttered, suddenly not at all as confident as he had seemed just minutes ago and he knelt at her feet and eased first one foot and then the next into the delicate footwear.

Winlay found herself holding her breath as his strong hands gently slipped the shoes on. It was like a scene from a fairytale and her savior was the handsome night rescuing her from the horrors of her captivity. And then the moment was gone and her knight in shining armor climbed back to his feet.

"We have to go." Adam said as he looked up and down the deserted streets.