[adamu]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076

Al laughed. "Ya make that sound like some sorta peculiar distinction. Hell, I was half expectin' ya to lead those fellers off ta the loo one by one." They both laughed at how true that rang. Since it hadn't actually happened, it was easy for Al to be light about it, while Alyce was simply thrilled at the absence of any condemnation in his tone.

"Did enjoy hearin' more o' yer stories. Hell, woman, I love talkin' to ya. Gen'rally. Like ta find more ta jabber 'bout, ain't got ta do with work. Other hand, sounds like ya got a great many stories ta tell might be more'n a little innerestin'."

And then they were back at the Apple Tree. Despite it being after midnight, the lights in the lounge were on, so they decided to duck their heads in before going upstairs.

[Mercy Merchant]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076


When Al and Alyce poke their heads into the lounge, they see Gene Walker and Glenda Stuart sitting a bit apart on the settee there.  Both are breathing a bit hard and Glenda's shirt is folded closed, but Al can see that the buttons are not really fastened.  Alyce nods at the two.  "Good morning.  You missed a great night down the local.  It was Karaoke Night."  Alyce's blouse had mostly dried during the evening, but she has made no attempt to button it and it is not really doing a very good job of concealing her tits.  Just walking to the B&B from the pub has opened it a bit more and her left breast is completely uncovered and visible to the couple in the lounge.  Gene licks his lips and cannot seem to look away as Alyce waves to them and turns to Al.  "Let's just go upstairs and leave these lovebirds to what they were doing before we came in."

Alyce walks with Al to the narrow stairway and leads the way up the stairs, giving Al a very good look at how her tight jeans mold to her ass.  In the room, she laughs as she strips out of her clothes.  "I loved the evening, Al.  You are quite the man, from the stories those blokes were telling.  We can sit down some night and swap more."  She moves to the bed and pulls back the covers.  "Now, as I recall, you prefer that side, right?"

[adamu]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076

The sight of Alyce climbing nude into the one bed in the room was almost too much for Al. Dammit - he'd gotten the two rooms on the train, but hadn't thought of this when she'd suggested this little overnighter. She was Russian - probably good at chess.

He figured they were past him sleeping on the floor, and he'd feel stupid wearing his jeans to bed. So he went to the head and peed, then came out and stripped to his boxers and go into the bed.

On his side.

"Whoa, big day, huh? Sooo tired now."

[adamu]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076

Alyce smiles as Al climbs into bed with her.  The boxers are a good touch, as is him turning out the lights before undressing.  As he lies on his side away from her, she slides into a spoon position and puts an arm around his chest.  He can feel her hardened nipples against his back as she puts her face up against his neck where he can feel the warmth of her breath.  Leaving her hand where it is, she whispers, “Nice try with the lights, Al, but I can see things in the dark, remember?  I do appreciate the very nice tent in those boxers as it means that you are still looking and still interested.  That allows me to hope that some day you will want to climb into a bed and make love to me.  I would rock your world, Al Guthrie, if you only let me in.”
 
She laughs gently then hugs him a bit tighter.  “Whenever you are ready, Al.”  Her breathing becomes more regular and he is aware of when she drops off to sleep.

[adamu]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076

Al hoped that Alyce's soft, rhythmic breath would send him off as well, but it was hopeless. He'd had trouble sleeping for the past six years. It had gotten a bit better for a while after his time with Honesty, but that salve had faded, and since Lyonesse sleep had been more elusive than ever.

Many nights since then, Alyce had helped - her voice, her affection, sometimes just knowing someone like her was real. But now with her breasts nestled against his back, she was having rather the opposite effect.

He got up. He knew one sure way to get sleepy...ever since returning from the last run, ever since reentering his life with her as a person and not a ghost, he'd been studying Russian. Only a few weeks, but he was a quick study. Trouble was, although he'd picked up several languages in his travels, it had always been by necessity and immersion. He'd rarely - well, never - actually practiced or studied. Proof positive he was getting old. 

He put in his earbuds and fired up his commlink, first making sure she was asleep, and even then keeping the volume so low he could barely hear it himself right there in his ear. He scanned the symbols on the tiny screen, mouthed the words, puzzled over the grammar. A couple of hours later at around three he was ready to climb back into bed. He backed up against the nude woman, replaced her arm over his torso, and slept.

Alyce awoke with the warmth of the sun on her face. Her sensitive nipples were still pressed up against Al's back, and now, with more sleep and less alcohol in her system, she savored the feeling more fully. She remembered the scarring on him, having treated the last fresh additions back in Andoung Tuek, mere days from his release from prison. No stranger to the sting of the lash herself, she had been shocked at his scarring - over a year of periodic abuse had crosshatched every square inch of his back with scars overlaying scars. Now, her fingers exploring the expanse of it, she felt what he'd never let her see back then, that it covered his buttocks and the backs of his thighs as well.

He stirred with her touch, and rolled over to face her. "Dobroye utro krasavitsa."

[adamu]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076

Alyce frowns at the devastation wrought on the skin of the man she loves and somewhere, someone gets a chill feeling in his bones, as if someone were coming to get him and the result was not going to be pleasant.  She forces the frown into a smile as Al wakes and begins to turn towards her.  Her breasts are just about at the level of his eyes, but he looks at her eyes instead of her nipples……..at least at first, and Alyce knows that he loves her.  A man not in love would have definitely fastened his gaze on her breasts, but a man in love, well, a man in love goes for the eyes first thing and the breasts second.  Or maybe the ass or legs, depending on personal preference and what is visible.  But Al had gone for the eyes.  He might not be able to verbalize things yet, for whatever reason, but Alyce knows and that is enough for now.
 
And then he surprises her and goes for the heart next instead of her tits.  She lets the words resonate within her as if they were something directly from God.  She puts a hand at either side of his face and leans in to kiss first his forehead then his eyes then his lips, speaking in Russian as she does.  “Al, ты замечательный, замечательный человек. Вы свет моей жизни и украсить его каждый день. Я никогда не буду жалеть тебя любить и готов ждать навсегда для вас, чтобы сказать, что ты меня любишь. Ни один человек не является более особенным, что вы. Ты дополняешь меня. Потребуются годы, чтобы разработать много способов, которыми Вы заканчиваете меня.”
 
Alyce leans back from the kiss and says, “You are learning Russian for me.  That is so romantic.”  She puts her forehead against his and looks into his eyes, murmuring words in Russian so softly that he cannot hear.  Tears start to come from her eyes but she keeps on, her lips barely moving as she recites an ancient Russian poem of love and endearment.  When she is finished, she leans forward to kiss him again then relaxes in his arms.  “When do you want to get up to go to Dartmouth?”

[adamu]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076

"Learnin' Russian? Ya give me a lot o' credit, woman. Could be ol' Al jist picked that up somewhere. Sure as shootin' I couldn't follow all that ya done rattled back at me."

He talked a good game, but the fact was that they'd never before been close like this, face to face in bed. Her breasts felt better on his face and neck than they had on his back. But his body was getting some very clear ideas of its own.

"Reckon we git up now," he answered, adding "Gotta pee somethin' fierce," to cover the feelings she was pulling up from inside him. "Hungry too," he shouted over his shoulder from the head.

[adamu]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076
 
Alyce laughs as Al races from the bed.  “Sure, sure.  Everyone in our line of work just happens to pick up that sort of Russian as they pass through somewhere, although I would have expected swear words and crass words that refer to my tits or ass, instead of a romantic morning greeting.  Of course, maybe you picked that up in the bedroom of another Russian girl.”  She laughs again.  “And hurry getting that thing drained.  I need to pee, too.  According to the ARO on the wall, we have just less than an hour before breakfast is served."
 
Alyce crawls out of bed to go stand in the doorway of the bathroom.  “I want to thank you again for introducing me to some of your old friends last night.  They seem nice people.  And that waitress, Gwen, was awfully nice, don’t you think?”

[adamu]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076

"Heh, you'd know a hell of a lot more about that than me. Shee-it, toots, is ev'ry beautiful girl ya meet gay, or ya jist have some special talent, turnin' folk inta Sodomites?"

Standing and chatting while she waited for her turn at the toilet - something about that was more scarily romantic and intimate than waking up together. It made him grumpy. As he started getting dressed, he noticed she didn't bother closing the door. Shit. How was he going to make it through another three weeks, when the fact was that he loved every bit of it.

Once again he was filled with an overwhelming feeling that he was making things ultimately worse the longer he held onto the dream, and once again the sight of her, the sound, the smell of her, compelled him to procrastinate longer. Another day. Or two.

By the time she got done doing her business - which he wanted to watch but forced himself not to - he was dressed but for his boots. He told himself it was so they could get out of here quicker, but he knew it was really just so he could sit back with a cigarette and watch her get dressed.

An hour until breakfast...it filled his mind with thoughts. So he said, "Git some clothes on - assumin' yer gon' wear any today. Let's tour the orchard afore we eat."

[Mercy Merchant]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076


Alyce smiles at Al as she moves to where she had laid out her clothes before getting into bed earlier.  All she has is what she wore yesterday, so it will have to do, and it is not like she has not worn the same clothes day after day before.  She turns profile on to Al as she bends over to slip into her trousers and put the blouse on.  "Al, I have found that almost every young woman is at least a bit curious about what sex with another woman is like and is willing to experiment at least once.  I have gone waaaaaay past the experimentation stage and like it very much.  But I went to bed with you, not her, and will do nothing more than tease anyone else while on this trip unless you desire me to have sex with someone.  If my kissing her bothers you, I will not do anything like that while we are on the trip.  All you have to do is let me know what you want from me."

As she finishes, she turns to Al and he sees that the blouse's top three buttons are undone, just as the previous day.  "I would love to walk in the orchard with you, Al.  Shall we go?"

[adamu]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076

Al made never made a direct reply to her speech on. She was laying at hell of a lot of power at his feet. Sure, he'd called the shots in all his relationships with women, but he'd never dreamt of exercising it in the ways she was suggesting. Hell, such questions had never even come up. His mind thought of six different ways to run with that - six different selves, he supposed - some he admired and some he despised. He thought of three clever responses, but didn't open his mouth because he didn't know which would come out.

So he stayed silent as she spoke and as she dressed - he always felt a little sad every time she put her clothes on, but he reckoned it wouldn't be long before she had them off again.

Then she was dressed in both her articles of clothing, asking if he was ready to leave, and he said, "Yup."

And they explored the orchard in silence.

Al had been raised in a remote Ozark community. Guthries had lived on The Mountain for generations, mostly in deliberate isolation from the rest of the world. The he'd travelled much of the Northern Hemisphere, and seen a hell of a lot of what Mother Nature had left to offer. Though nowhere was exactly like - or perhaps quite as pleasant as - the forested hills and grassy vales of southern England, natural environments were nothing new to him. But he'd been virtually city-bound for the past six years, and the last couple of days - from the train, on horseback, now walking amongst the apple trees - had been remarkably refreshing.

And centering.

Divine providence, maybe.

He adored Alyce in a way that made it hard to breathe sometimes. But where nature brought him into himself, she took him out of it.

He reached for her hand and held it tight as they walked.

Approaching the B&B, a fleet of delicious smells wafted toward them from kitchen and chimney. They entered the dining room to a mouth-watering spread of bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, and blood pudding. Coffee and tea were brewing. They greeted the other guests cheerily, their salutations returned with a forced heartiness by Mark Jessup, and with polite murmurs from the others.  Al and Alyce had not filled their plates before they sensed a tension at the table. The Stuarts were not present. And almost immediately Susan Walker started sobbing quietly and left the room. Her husbsand Gene cursed under his breath then followed her. Looking uncomfortable, the Wilcoxes explained that Susan wasn't feeling well, then also excused themselves. Al noticed they were walking very close to one another, hands clasped tightly.

Unconcerned, Al tucked in. Not his problem. He was reaching for more beans when he saw all four pile into a car with their luggage and pull out.

Now at last Mark Jessup, the only person remaining in the room, spoke. "Stuarts left early this morning. Lots of shouting from their room beforehand." He shrugged. "Even good friends, you travel together, stay in close quarters, nerves fray I guess. Maybe that's why I stay a bachelor. So what are you two lovebirds up to today?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076


Alyce greatly enjoys the breakfast and makes sure to let Mary know..  She absorbs the goings on at the table and smiles to herself after the other couples have left, thinking that they would not have made good choices for sharing.  When Mark asks, she says, "Off to Dartmouth Castle as soon as the hire car and driver come in to pick us up.  Do you have any pointers that the tour guide might not have?"

Mark nods thoughtfully.  "Indeed.  I would go over and grab the water taxi across the river to the castle.  You can drive along the coast and get there, but the view is a lot better from the water.  The taxi drops you off a short walk from the castle.  You are with the train right?"

When Al nods yes, Mark continues.  "The Tower, back across the river in Dartmouth, serves a bloody great afternoon tea.  If you stay at the castle and its grounds long enough, I would advise taking the water taxi back across and stopping in for the tea before heading back to the train.  A good driver will get you back in plenty of time.  Oh, and ask about the hidden hallways tour when you are at the castle.  The place is riddled with walkways and they offer a special guided tour, but only if you ask about it and it is not in the brochure.  There is some tradition that only the locals can tell you and only to special people, such as yourselves."

Alyce smiles and she thanks Mark for his kind words.  "We will certainly recommend The Apple Tree to our friends.  We have really had fun here and I would hope to return some day soon."

The hire car and Harold have pulled up during the last bit of breakfast and he cheerfully welcomes them back and makes sure that their destination is still Dartmouth Castle.  Alyce looks at Al and gets a nod.  "Yes, Harold, we are.  And this place was all that you said it would be, so thank you for recommending it."  They turn to wave to Mary and Mark before climbing into the car and heading off to Dartmouth.

[adamu]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076

They bid Harold goodbye at Dartmouth Harbor. Al's mood was more subdued than it had been over the trip's first two days, but he offered no explanation. And the rays of Alyce's personality kept finding ways through the fog and ruining his funk, forcing occasional smile-like grimaces to emerge begrudgingly around his cigarettes at her word or touch.

There was a ferry across the estuary to the castle, but of course being rich (well, she being rich and Al, with no thought for his financial future, pretending to be) they hired one of the smaller water taxis. The bright sun conspired along with Alyce to clear the thunderstorm from Al's mood, light glistening off the mild swells as they crossed to the ancient edifice. Built to defend the river entrance, the best view was indeed by water. And unlike yesterday's veritable ruin, Dartmouth had been built - and maintained - for purpose over the centuries, having seen active military duty as recently as the 1950s.

Touring the place, Al appreciated the clever engineering of the emplacements and supporting logistics works, including the warren of service passages they were able to access when Alyce took advantage of Mark's tip and enquired about them. Ater seeing the castle they saw the church and the village backing the place, missing lunch but stuffing themselves on afternoon tea at the Tower Cafe.

By the time they had taken the water taxi back across the estuary, Harold had just enough time to get them to Dartmouth Station, to which their train had advanced over the previous day.

[Mercy Merchant]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076


Alyce certainly notices that Al seems a bit out of sorts, but after her first question about it gets nothing but a grunt and a brief answer that all is just fine, she leaves him alone, feeling that it is best to not say anything at this time.  She is pretty sure it is something she said, but cannot figure out what it was and if the past is any indicator, saying more will just make things worse.  She tries to let him know that she is open to discussing anything by holding his hand if he lets her. 

As the day goes on, his mood seems to brighten a bit and so does hers.  The castle is very much intact and they walk a lot of the old battlements, even standing where the great chain was that would bar entry to the estuary in time of war.  Some of the canon positions still have the massive guns used to protect the river.  The tour of the secret passages was quite interesting, but for Alyce, just being near Al was the real highlight of the entire day.  They did not say much, but did not not have to.  Afternoon tea was great and they met Ginny again, who arranged a very nice spot for them to dine, making a big deal of it for them.  She even had some of the small specialty cake the cafe was known for sent over with a card that simply said "Thank you". 

They rejoin the train at Dartmouth Station and Alyce quickly goes to take a shower, leaving the connecting door open in case Al wants to come watch her.  She thoroughly enjoys the hot water and washes her long hair, removing the dust of two days of traveling on the Devon roads.  When done, she dries off and goes to sit on the bed, hoping that Al will want to stay and talk for a bit.

[adamu]

Wednesday, July 30th, 2076

Al stayed. It was getting really hard not to, which pissed him off. But he didn't talk much. Looked out the window - and at her - and smoked.

They'd eaten late, so reserved a seat in the dining car - which they'd yet to try - for the last available time slot.

That left some time to kill, but he made no move to fill it. He liked watching the green countryside go by - it calmed him, reminded him of things that he was sure were true - like the window frame was this aperture between reality on the one side and on the other some sort of evanescent wonderland that he knew was impossible but loomed increasingly real.

He figured he was being kind of an asshole, but reckoned this was the best he could bring to the table today. He'd make it up to her later.