XIII

Nostril, as they called him, was the leader of the group of traveling bards.

She walked into his room while the rest of the group slept in their rooms. There were rare occasions when she couldn't sleep. This was one of those.

The leader of the singing group was leaning against the back of an oak bed, writing something in his faded notebook.

The translucent nightgown she wore gave nothing to the imagination. He finished his writing, looked at her, and winked at her.

"Always the same problem?" he asked her.

"This time, no, I want you. I need you," she answered.

She unbuttoned the nightgown, which was tied with two leashes, letting it fall to the floor carelessly. She let him enjoy it.

In a slow motion, she started to untie the leashes on his pants.

Her thoughts went astray while he was inside her. They have always fornicated. She kept thinking of her family in the home she left at just fifteen. In the five years since she left home, one thing has changed, before that she was with everyone, and now only for the man who genuinely loved her.

He always liked to be above, which was a problem for her because he was much bigger than her. The body after those five years finally began to highlight the curves, before she met him she pulled more on the man's physique.

When they were done, he came down from her and looked out the window into the clear, night sky and at the guards returning from the pursuit.

"Beast, no one else, I'm sure of it. I don't know what's big, but it's big. Big enough," Captain Drugan said, "back to the inn. Don't excite the people! I repeat, do not excite the people."

Not much of the world was in the tavern that morning, it was too early. A man in the corner of the tavern sat and watched the guards silently. They all carried swords, some on their backs, some around their waists, and some under their armpits as their swords were longer than usual. His was a saber-like with a normal crossguard; his handle was twice as long as his swords. The apple, according to the rhinos, had to be at least twice as heavy with the coin inserted at the top.

There was a warrant for the beast on the central pillar.

Terdin moved his chair.

The man stood up, took the warrant and went out. In the next moment, he could see the man walking into the woods, with his sword drawn. The blade was thin and too long.

As usual, the guards sat merrily, drinking and gambling while someone else worked for them.

After three hours, the man returned, wearing the head of a wyvern.

"Larger type," Captain Drugan said.

"Standard procedure," the man answered.

"How did you, ordinary man, kill a wyvern?" One of the guards asked.

"At bedtime, of course, he has eaten recently. They usually eat at this time." The man answered with a sour smile.

"Noted," Captain Drugan commented.

"It will be fine for us against other beings," the lieutenant added.