Brianna
Why that cheeky, arrogant bastard!
"I did not!" Brianna shouted after Zaeren as he departed into the rain. She wasn't sure if he'd heard her or not, but her cheeks felt warm regardless. "I'll show him climbing," she muttered to herself. "Ooooh, when he gets back I'll climb him like a tree, I will!" Sliding off the bed and walking over to her pack, Brianna mumbled to herself, thinking of all the different ways she'd get him back for that comment. If Zaeren had wanted Brianna to think about him, he'd gotten his wish.
She opened her leather pack, and looked inside. For such a small pack, there was a lot inside, many things seeming too heavy to be worth carrying around at all. She'd gotten the bag enchanted by a mage in exchange for some of her furs. A charm of infinite holding for some furs? Deal! And she'd never regretted it since. She lifted the pack and took a seat next to the fireplace, and before long the feline had a pleasant fire burning.
Pot resting overhead and heating up, she began to deftly peel and chop a few onions, her mind still on Zaeren as she lost herself to the rhythm of chopping and slicing. A smile lit up her face.
For barely knowing the man, you certainly seem eager to spread your legs for him, Danae commented, voice sounding clearly in Brianna's mind.
I think she deserves a little positive attention from him, came another deeper, more masculine voice. His voice was deep and soft as he continued, He seems to genuinely care for her well being, at the very least.
You know, Kazae, aren't you usually the one who's all concerned? It's unlike you to encourage her frivolity.
"You both know I can hear you, right?" Brianna said, rolling her eyes as she added the vegetables into the now steaming pot. The room began to smell of aromatics as she stirred them about with a wooden spoon. "Who I spread my egs for is none of your concern. Either of you. Besides," she paused to fish out some potatoes, which she scrubbed and began to deftly peel with a sharp blade, "If it's something I want to do, let me. He's not like those human men who think they own me, or who do whatever they want with my body without my consent."
You can't say that, Danae snapped. What affects you affects us, you know that!
"Only to a certain degree, and you did jack shit for me when those men held me down." Brianna's voice was cold and hard as she tossed a peel into the fire.
Kazae was quick to step in, dampening Danae's growing fury with his gentle words. There's only so much we can do to protect you without your direct involvement. The three of us haven't reached that point in our...relationship...where the two of us can act on only your thoughts.
"Of course," said Brianna, groaning. "It can't ever be easy, can it?" She plunged her knife into the potatoes, dicing them into good sized cubes before setting them aside to tend to what was already in the pot. The onions were clear, it was now time to add garlic. With a flick of the wrist, she tossed the minced cloves in and stirred. "Look, I know this is all new to us, but information like that is helpful, yeah? I need you guys to trust me with that information. We're a team, and it's important for us to be on the same page."
Like how you're going with that man to kill a dragon?
"It's his job! Besides, he's lonely, I'm lonely, and I get to help kill a dragon. I like Zae. There's something about him I can't put my finger on, but he makes me feel safe. I want to be a little selfish and stay with him." Brianna felt her cheeks blushing as her thoughts drifted elsewhere; as she wondered what his hands would feel like on her body...
Ugh! No! Don't think about that!
What's wrong, Danae, can't handle a little daydreaming?
It's not--I don't trust him!
Brianna laughed as she pulled out a small bottle of wine from her bag. She emptied about half of it into the pot, which began to sizzle and steam intensely. Stirring the contents for a moment before letting it reduce, the woman added the potatoes and then some broth. With the addition of some more herbs, pepper, and some chunks of rock salt, she left it to simmer over the fire, busying her hands with flour and bread dough. The daggers, Danae and Kazae, quieted down as she worked, and soon the only sounds in the cabin were those of the rhythmic kneading of dough, the bubbling of stew, and the faint sounds of Brianna humming to herself. She set the dough on a buttered stone, and then set that next to the fire.
Gradually the cabin began to smell of aromatics and herbs, with the yeasty notes of baking bread wafting through the air; homey, warm, and inviting. Brianna fished two ceramic bowls out of her pack. They were black in color, with delicate white flowers carried over the surface by green, delicate swirling vines. She set them on the table, placing spoons next to them, and smiled. The place looked like a home. Like someone actually lived there.
With nothing else to do but wait for Zaeren to return, Brianna fell back onto the bed and sprawled out, purring contentedly.
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