First Light.

The gentle rays of dawns first light drifted through the open window, a gentle late summer breeze gently kissing the naked form of Gawain as he lay abed. Lucy's curvaceous form squeezed to his own, her large breasts pressing against his side, her slender legs and thick thighs draped across his own muscular legs as Gawain stirred into consciousness.

He smiled down at her beautiful body, hugging her tighter to him as he breathed in the scent of her hair, the smell of strawberries filling his nose. He didn't want this moment to end, he suddenly didn't want to bother finding the goblins, or even return to Anhalt at all. For the first time in a long time, he felt content, he felt at home. So long as this young woman was by his side, everything felt right to him.

With a gentle sigh he kissed her forehead, feeling her shift subtly beside him, returning his embrace as her hand gently stroked his broad, toned chest.

"Is it the morning already... Gawain?" she whispered softly, nuzzling into his body, clinging to him, bathing in their post-sex euphoria, taking her time to test what his name felt like on her lips.

"Unfortunately, yes... it is Lucy" he replied quietly as she looked up at him, her warm brown eyes filled with affection as she brushed a rogue lock of auburn hair from her face.

"Do you have to go Gawain?" she asked as she slowly propped herself up on her elbows, her juicy ass on full display for him as his eyes roved over her milky white body with a hunger.

"Yes... I do. But I will return to take you away with me, of that you have my word" he promised her, cupping her cheek with his hand, gently stroking her face with his calloused thumb as she leaned into it, kissing his palm.

"How did you find me... what did I do to deserve this?" she murmured, more to herself than to Gawain as he watched her, and smiled lovingly at her.

"I should be asking that, not you" he replied calmly watching her blush as he reluctantly pulled himself from her warm body and stood up, stretching his back out in the morning light. Lucy sat up in the bed, leaning back against the headboard to watch her lover, a thought popped into her mind as she suddenly she stood up herself, brushing her long auburn hair behind her ears and smiling to herself.

"I'd like to dress my knight before he leaves, may I?" she asked as she padded across the room to her lover, her hands running over his chest before she kissed it, looking up into his eyes.

Gawain gave her a nod and she walked over to the table, picking up his clothes to carry them back over to the bed. With gentle care she began to dress her gallant knight, pulling his shirt on, followed by his breeches before she helped him with his boots, tying the laces up for him before he stood up again. She returned a moment later with his sword belt, pulling it through the loops on his waist and doing it up at the front. Her hands running over his chest again, and down his arms as she breathed quietly through her nose, memorising the feel of his body, the solid muscle, the warm skin, the smell of his flesh. Gawain, breaking her from her exploration, gently took her chin with his thumb and forefinger, tilting her head up to look at him and kissing her tenderly on the lips, enjoying the taste of apples and honey that still clung to them as he pulled her close to him.

"This is how we will spend every morning when I return, Lucy. I promise you." He reiterated with a firmness of conviction in his voice. Watching her warm smile as she sighed contentedly in his arms.

"I look forward to it, Gawain Von Arco."

***

Soon the trio were on their way once more, Gawain for obvious reasons, dressed significantly more casually than before as the made there way over the hills towards the Forest of Oriel.

Peter didn't ask any questions about the night before, instead the young man was still full of awe at how Gawain had knocked the thug on his arse, laughing and joking about it jollily with them both, eager to tell the tale once they returned to Anhalt.

Elariel on the other hand, shot Gawain suspicious glances from under her hood. She was not stupid, and she was not deaf, she had heard everything that transpired between Gawain and the Tavern Girl much to her frustration. And unsurprisingly she did not fully believe that this young lord would keep his promise to the love struck girl, his behaviour up to this point really truly confounded the elven woman, at times he was chivalrous, just, kind, and yet at others he was just as pig-headed, arrogant, and foolhardy as every other two-copper human lord she had met before. He yet remained an enigma to her, and it annoyed her to no end.

"What is Oriel like, Lady Elariel?" Peter asked curiously as he walked beside her, his Lord striding ahead with a spring in his step.

"It is dangerous, Peter. The Wood Elves have a greater connection to the Fae Land than my own, their homeland is like walking through a thick fog that is trying to confuse you, and mislead you, even to my kind" She explained as they neared the edge of the forest.

"We will be fine Peter, worry not for all things that bleed can die" Gawain said confidently as he came to a stop at the edge of the woods.

Elariel scoffed, and Peter wasn't quite sure what his Lord meant by that, but nodded along regardless, he wasn't sure trees could bleed.

Before them tall trees with heavy green leaves stretched for miles in both directions, far beyond the horizon, their peaks taller than any tower Gawain had seen, one tree was so large it could have cast a shadow under it's branches to cover half of Erlau. And an eerie stillness lay over the wood, it felt to the two humans like a thousand eyes were suddenly staring at them, daring them to enter, Elariel knew otherwise. She knew the Forest was watching them, she knew it was preparing to have its fun with them.

"I'm afraid Elariel, it's up to you beyond this point. I do not know my way through these woods, and I'm not that great of a tracker unfortunately" Gawain sighed, rubbing his neck as he turned to his two companions.

"I half expected you to charge headlong into the forest and ignore my advice" She remarked, surprise in her voice.

Gawain snorted, smiling at her as he shrugged, "I'm not an idiot you know" he offered offhandedly as he stepped up beside her, gesturing with his hand for her to lead on.

"That remains to be see, Sir Gawain" She said in a curt voice through pursed lips before she took a long stride forward, plunging into the dark green woods. A nervous Peter sticking close by to his Lord.