Glorious and whispered. “I had three of the officers."
Glorious smirked. "I had four and most of their curbs as well."
"Old gods." Answer grimaced as she realized what she had been about to say. " Don't help us. Please."
Chapter Five
Spring 1352
Village of Ash
Oscar hid a grin. “So they sent you off when it started getting interesting?"
Fava nodded. "A little cut, a sip of water, and they told us to go home. 'Maybe next time' they said. We're sixteen! It was time!" She reached into the bag she'd brought, and pulled out a bottle of wine. "So I nabbed this. I figured we could have our own party."
"And I brought food." Juli held up her bag. "So we can stay out all night."
Oscar's grin burst through. “Hey, I'll grab some blankets or something to sit on, be right back." Calm down, fellow. Fava isn't actually going to go all the way, or anything, but I'll bet she kisses me and maybe I can grab a tit or maybe even some ass. He trotted up the stairs and took two blankets out of the cedar chest, and on his way through the kitchen paused guiltily at the slate board, and quickly scribbled "star watching with Bran—O" before slipping back out.
Bran was just getting back too. He had a small bag. “Herbs to keep the mosquitoes away."
"Good idea!"
Fava grabbed his arm and practically dragged him down the alley. “If we can get up to the double lump we can salute the sunset with some wine."
Since a proper salute also involved a kiss, Oscar hurried.
The sheep herd was moving off, not too far away, but to Oscar's relief, they hadn't been all the way up the hill. No fresh, umm, fertilizer to worry about. The black goats that protected the sheep gathered together and looked them over as if planning something diabolical.
Nasty smelly creatures, he hoped they stayed away; shooing them seemed an iffy prospect. The biggest one must weigh in at five hundred pounds.
"We made it!" Fava spread her arms out to the sun, halfway behind the horizon. "Quick, open the wine!"
Fortunately she had brought a corkscrew, so Oscar had it open quickly and easily, being, after all, the foster son of a tavern owner.
Juli produced glasses and they saluted the Sun and drank. Fav a turned and rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him.
When he got his breath back the first thing he said was. “Let's do that again."
"Properly!" Juli called. She hugged Bran, and started untying laces, dancing in circles
Oscar gulped. "Naked?" His voice squeaked a bit.
"That's how it's supposed to be done, silly." Fava was stripping too, wiggling her hips as the dress slid off. She wasn't wearing anything underneath. "Hurry! The sun's almost down!"
Oscar and Bran swapped half-panicked looks, and they both drained their glasses. Bran ripped his shirt off and started pushing his pants down.
Oscar sat down and tugged at his boot. Tossed it aside. The other one was really and truly stuck, and Fava laughed and bent over to tug at it. Her breasts hung down and swayed and jiggled as she pulled. He was sitting there mesmerized when the black shape in the deepening twilight turned into the biggest blackest goat he'd ever seen.
With the biggest, reddest pizzle he'd ever seen.
Oscar had a thumping bad headache when the dawn light woke him. He had . . . last night? Old gods! Those horrible goats, it had to have been a nightmare. It couldn't have . . . And then they'd . . . He'd . . . Old gods! Had he really . . . with Fava and Juli? He blinked and looked around. He and Fava and Juli and Bran were all together and intertwined in the blankets, smelling rather strongly of herbs. Bran stirred too, and they stared at each other in disbelief.
"It didn't happen ," Oscar said firmly.
"And there were no goats." Bran nodded sharply.
"Absolutely not." Fava sat up and paled, grabbing at the blanket to cover herself.
"If we hear a single, solitary rumor about us and those obscene goats, you two will die ." Juli glared through tears and started looking for her
Unknown
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