Medya lay quietly in the tent, happy to be wrapped in the embrace of Inez. They had lay one of the furs on the floor, and then used the other as a blanket as they huddled beneath it. The shared body heat plus the fire outside the tent served to keep them warm enough to get some sleep, though Medya was finding it hard to keep her mind still while the limbs of the princess were tangled up with her own. Inez consoling her last night had caught her by surprise, and it hadn't ended, even when they went to sleep. The princess had seemed much more upset about her past than she'd expected, and it made her think much better about someone who she'd expected to be more aloof and above such things.

She knew it was foolishness. Inez was a princess and had already been promised once as a bride to a king. Medya was a thief and a small-time wizard who could disappear, and nobody would care. As much as she would like to think about the view of Inez's body, or the feel of her hands when she grasped her breasts and the thought of Inez gazing at her backside, they would lead nowhere. Getting her hopes up, getting her feelings confused, over a woman that wanted nothing more than to reclaim her throne was going to be a mistake. Even if she were to get a reward if she helped her win back the throne, the prize wouldn't be Inez, but some money.

But laying in the tent, with Inez's arms around her, made her want something else entirely. Inez was a stranger to her. She knew nothing other than that she was a princess, and that she now loved to toboggan. Oh, and that she had no problem baring her stunning body to Medya, which seemed to paralyze her mind like nothing had before. Such was a good basis for an infatuation, and Medya knew that she was indeed already feeling that. But beyond that, she'd never have.

When she had lived on the streets, there were other thieves and beggars that would profess their love to the people well above their station. They would think that a kind word or gesture, or a few gold pieces in a cup, could mean so much more than a simple act of kindness. Those people would always profess their undying love for the person who had been kind and would follow them across the city for the merest glimpse of them.

Medya wasn't going to fall into that trap.

Alright, so she was going to take her through the woods and on a boat and then through a mountain pass, but then when she was delivered to the person who had hired her, then she could evaluate their relationship at that point. No emotions, strictly business, just see if there was an offer to help reclaim the throne and what it would get her. Even money and a home away from the slavers in Dallinia could make it worth it.

Yes, that was a good solution. Be safe, keep her head, no emotions. None. Zero. She could do that, right?

But then Inez pulled her closer in her sleep, nuzzling her neck with her lips and Medya's mind flew away. No! This wasn't real. Inez doesn't even realize what she is doing. Her grabbing Medya's breasts was an accident. The flashing her body had been a social custom difference. The ogling her butt had been a search for a tail. There was nothing there!

Inez's hands moved down to Medya's ass, squeezing it, and pulling her on top as the princess rolled onto her back. Medya gasped in surprise, causing Inez's eyes to fly open. As she took a hasty inventory of both her surroundings and where her various body parts were, she quickly rolled out from under the Kittani, her face a blushing red color.

"I'm so sorry!" Inez exclaimed, embarrassed at her actions, and hoping that Medya didn't take offence. Ever since she'd heard of how the Kittani were treated as sexual playthings, she had felt badly for all the ways she might have made Medya feel uncomfortable. And yet here she was, taking advantage of her in her sleep.

"It's fine," Medya whispered, her heart hammering. "I know you meant nothing, though I hope it was a good dream."

Inez clammed up, not wanting to tell Medya what they had been doing together in her mind while she slept. The spark that she's always wanted, was blooming with this young thief, and she didn't know what to do about it. "We should probably get going. Maybe we can find a town today."

Medya got up onto her knees quickly and crawled out of the tent, hoping the cool air would temper her flaming face. "I'll start packing up, so we can go when you're ready."

The fire had already sputtered out, and the sun was setting back to the west. Medya sneezed once, as the scent of the burning fir branches seemed to stick to her skin and just wouldn't go away. She cleaned up the fire spit once more and tucked it away. The toboggan had already been stored, and she could strike the tent once Inez was done. In the meantime, she got out a few waterskins and filled them from the stream. There wasn't much to see while looking about, so she couldn't decide on if they should go downstream, or head east.

Inez joined her moments later, handing her one of the furs to drape over her shoulders, and then Medya got to taking the tent stakes out of the ground and folding it up. It didn't take long before they were ready to go.

"Which way are we heading?" Inez asked quietly, not meeting Medya's gaze.

The thief felt the hurt inside her, knowing that Inez was embarrassed to have been in such a position with someone as low in social status as her, but swallowed it for now. "East is where we want to go, but downstream is safer, if longer."

"I was a statue for over forty years, a few days shouldn't matter. I think safe is better," Inez suggested.

"Then downstream it is." Medya led the way along the little river.

The riverbank was easier going, with less underbrush along it. Many animals had eaten along there over the years, and the banks had become a game trail of sorts. Before long, the darkness had settled, and Medya cast her little spell to get the two lightning balls circling over their heads.

"Medya, do you have a spare weapon I could borrow? I feel useless without one," Inez inquired politely while looking up at the electric spheres. She really wanted to talk to her but didn't know what else to ask. Everything seemed too personal at the moment.

Shrugging off her backpack, Medya unbuckled the belt holding her short sword to her back and silently handed it over. She had seen the muscles on the princess and had little doubt that she could use it.

Inez could only shrug and sigh at the lack of talking. She couldn't tell what was going through Medya's mind, but she had looked embarrassed after Inez had awakened with her hands all over her and her mouth on her neck. "So, you're a wizard now?" she finally ventured.

Medya glanced at her, a half-smile on her face. "I learned some magic from a sorcerer in Tefra. I'm not nearly as skilled as a court magician. I can't cast any of the big battle spells, but I can cast a few little things that made being a thief easier." She wasn't going to give the whole story of how that training came about, it was too painful to recall.

"You're still a thief then?" Inez was surprised at the revelation.

Medya sighed, her head downcast. "Of a sort. I don't just steal to survive any more as I did when I was younger. As I said, I'm more of a hired adventurer. I don't steal anything that belongs to the person who has it. In most cases I'm returning stolen goods for a small fee, or evidently rescuing gorgeous princesses."

Inez blushed at the reference and couldn't help but smile. "Do you rescue many gorgeous princesses?"

"Only one so far, though I have enjoyed this adventure a lot more than my normal jobs." Medya couldn't help but jest a bit with the princess. Inez was too nice not to talk to.

"Well, if I ever get kidnapped, I know who to hire for my rescue," Inez joked back.

Medya looked over an Inez and couldn't help but notice the carefree smile on her face. She couldn't look any more beautiful than she did at that very moment. The woods were quiet, other than the occasional clumps of snow that fell from upper branches with hushed whispers of sound and the scurrying of squirrels. Now Medya was on a walk with the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen, and under different circumstances it would be quite romantic. "You wouldn't have to hire me. I'd do it for free," she finally replied softly.

If anything, Inez's smile got wider at that point, and she finally looked away while blushing. Medya felt like she scored a little victory in that teasing match, though in fact she was telling the absolute truth. The pair continued in silence for a bit after that, each unsure what to talk about next. Luckily, the silence was broken by the rumbling of a belly.

"Do you think you could catch any more of those squirrels? I think I could use some more food," Inez giggled after her stomach settled.

There were quite a few squirrels in the trees, and they were certainly not used to be hunted by electrical spheres. It wasn't long before they had four of them on the spit over another campfire. Medya was really wishing she had packed some salt in her backpack, but she hadn't expected to have to do so much cooking. It was a lesson learned for sure.

"Are you getting tired, or do you want to keep going?" Medya asked Inez, not sure how much stamina she had recovered yet.

"I think we better stop. I want to keep going, but I'm getting too tired to pay attention," Inez admitted.

"Just as well, it is more dangerous to travel at night. I'll get the tent set back up if you're okay with that, and then we can get some sleep," Medya suggested.

"Of course, I'm okay with that. I had a great sleep last time," Inez stated, before realizing what that might imply.

Medya gulped harshly at that, not sure if she should read anything into that statement but got the tent out anyway. It would be a long night if she couldn't stop her mind from thinking again.