[center][h2]Summer Wine[/h2]
by [@Stormflyx] and [@Father Hank]
[/center]
[hr]

[i]Evening, 22nd of Last Seed, 4E2408
Anvil[/i]

Anvil in the evening was beautiful. It really was the Gold Coast. A crown jewel in all of Cyrodiil, a haven of peace. She had so far spent time exploring, restocking, and watching people. It had been a quiet and contemplative time here already, but she grew bored. The conversations she had with those she had been travelling with so far had all gone relatively well. She was closing off this chapter, ready and determined to head back to High Rock. If only she could track down Alim. She still had time for it.

She wasn’t usually one for taking in the scenery, but recently she had developed something of a sentimental side. Besides, the golden glow across a calm ocean was a sight to behold, to anyone’s eyes - sentimental or not. It gave her a sense of inner calm to see that some things would always be the same. The sun would always rise and set, no matter what conflicts existed in the world. “Miss… Are you still interested?” 

The voice of the vendor snapped her back to reality, and she turned her head back around to the stall in front of her. There was all manner of flora spread across it. The impatience of the seller was apparent. Most of the other shops were closing down for the day, and Raelynn had been pouring over the items for some time. She picked up the sprigs of Lavender, Wormwood Leaves, and Aloe Vera. She handed over some coin to the girl, who in return gave her a slight smile. “Have a wonderful evening” she said to her, taking the goods and placing them into her basket. A basket that was already overflowing with other goods too. Empty bottles, Monarch Butterflies, and she had even managed to procure herself a bottle of Alto Wine. 

As she took a leisurely stroll back to the inn, she moved between watching the sunset, and letting her eyes take in the crowds of people, one by one heading home for the evening - or to their other plans. Anvil slowly grew quiet, and it was then that she spotted someone familiar - perhaps also on his way back to the Inn too. It was Gregor, the mysterious ever-smiling Imperial, and in a few short moments, their paths were going to cross. 

Gregor, despite a full night’s rest and a lazy day spent at rest, wasn’t sporting his usual affable smile when his dark eyes crossed with Raelynn’s bright gaze. His heart nearly skipped a beat at the sight -- her eyes looked so much like Briar’s. He hadn’t noticed before, during the raid on Elenglynn or the fireside chatter afterwards. And during their journey to Anvil Gregor hadn’t taken notice of anything. He remembered now that she had left the campfire too, just a few minutes before he had departed himself, and hadn’t seemed like she was doing all that well. He didn’t get the same impression now, however. The comforts of the big city must have done Raelynn well. Gregor understood that feeling perfectly. 

In need of something pleasant to distract him and certainly not forgetful of the interested look Raelynn had give him when she first met him, Gregor approached the young Breton woman and his face lightened up -- he managed to conjure up his signature smile for her after all. “Hello again, Raelynn,” he said and offered her his hand for a traditional Imperial bow and curtsey. He figured she, of all people here, would appreciate the gesture the most.

He surprised her, with the fact that he had remembered her name - but also that he had stopped to greet her. She wasn't expecting it. Considering how silent he had been on the journey to Anvil, she wasn't expecting him to want to stop and talk to her at all, or anyone for that matter. It seemed though, that like with herself, rest had done him good. She could see colour in his cheeks, and his eyes were as warm and inviting as the first time she looked at them, if not more so now. She returned his bow and curtsey with a bow of her own head. It was nice for someone to show such respect. Little things like manners were so lost on so many. 

“It's nice to see you, Gregor,” she added in response as she lifted her head back up, smiling up at him. “It looks like the Gold Coast has been treating you well, you look rested and relaxed, dare I say it…” she spoke in a playful tone, maintaining eye contact with him as she did. She liked his eyes, they seemed to be the centre of the intensity that he carried around him. A burnt umber, set against his pale skin. A delightful combination, that by her own admission, was a strange one for her to take a liking for. It was often the cooler shades of grey and green that garnered her attention in the opposite sex. But it was the simmering intensity that was drawing her in to Gregor. Like she could make out the faint aura of a mystery that she would crack sooner or later. 

“What brings you out tonight then? Have you seen enough of the four walls of that Inn for today?” 

“Indeed I have. Very perceptive of you,” Gregor replied in kind and added a wink for good measure. “And I could say the same thing about you, Raelynn. You look positively radiant. I love the cloak,” he continued. “Those shells? Nice touch.” He smiled again and tucked a rebellious strand of hair behind his ear. Sometimes he couldn’t help himself. “Do you have any plans for dinner tonight?” he asked impulsively. 

“Why thank you, it will be a pleasant reminder of Anvil when I get back to High Rock,” Raelynn said with a smile, noticing his wink. She wondered how she should play it - act like a brainless blonde and fawn at him? Play hard to get? Or to outwardly flirt back with him? Whatever she decided to do she would make a game of it and play her cards just right in order to unravel his secrets one by one...  “I have no plans as it happens, so if you are looking for company tonight I would be happy to join you. But please, no campfire stews…” 

That elicited a laugh from the Imperial mage-knight and he shook his head. “No campfire stews, I promise.” He thought back on his time in Skyrim during which he would frequently go for weeks on end without a proper, civilized meal while he and the Vigilants were out in the wilds. “I’ve had enough of that myself. Last night I had dinner at a quaint tavern called the [i]Frisky Dolphin,[/i] but it wasn’t exactly a fine dining experience. Have you found a better establishment by any chance?”

She let a chuckle slip at the name. “The Frisky Dolphin… I’ll be sure to avoid it. As for a better one, I did find a place just through the markets. The Bright Glass, nothing frisky about it, I’m afraid - but the food is rich and proper. A matter of fact, I haven’t eaten much since my last meal there.” The Tavern was back where she had just walked through, but she didn’t mind heading back that way if it meant spending time with someone - something she hadn’t really done since arriving. “Actually, I came across some Alto Wine in the markets today, I don’t suppose I would need to take this back with me. What say we share it?” As Raelynn spoke, she drew her finger across her lower lip, wondering how much of the bottle it would take to loosen up the Imperial. 

Gregor’s face lit up at Raelynn’s proposal and his eyes followed her finger, lingering on the full shape of her mouth for a second before his gaze flitted back up to hers. “Share a bottle of wine with such good-looking company? I haven’t done that since I was a young man. Sounds utterly delightful.” He held out his arm for her and straightened up to his full height -- if she stepped in closer to take him by the arm she would be looking up at him if they spoke and he knew women went crazy over that sort of thing. “Shall we?”

“Ah, please. You are still a young man, your youth is not behind you just yet.” She took his arm and nodded at his question, suddenly feeling small beside him. She could smell the leather and steel of his armour, and unlike many of the men she had found herself spending time with, he had an air of nobility that made her feel powerful just by being on his arm. She was well dressed and so was he. “So Gregor, what brought you here? Who [i]are[/i] you? I feel like I know nothing of you, and I'd really like to know who I'm going to dine with…”

They set off at a leisurely, civilized pace, Gregor letting Raelynn’s feet lead them -- she knew the way, after all. That left him free to think of how he was going to answer her question. She was right, of course, in saying that she knew nothing about him, nor did she know how loaded her question actually was. Gregor’s talk with Daro’Vasora the day before had seen him revealing too much, perhaps, and he did not want to talk about his quest again. It was a grim subject. He wanted to have fun tonight so he kept it simple.

“Very well. My full name is Gregor Sibassius. I was born thirty-eight years ago in Bravil. My father was a merchant so my family was reasonably wealthy. I apprenticed to become a jewelsmith for most of my early adulthood.” He showed her his golden wristband and the ruby-studded ring on his finger. “I forged these pieces myself. Do you like them? I haven’t plied my craft in a long time, though. I left home ten years ago to pursue a little more adventure,” he continued, lying as he did. “Hence the armor and armaments on my person. I spent most of those years in Skyrim, working together with the Vigil of Stendarr to root out vampires and necromancers and that sort of thing. Undesirables, you see. I came back to Cyrodiil because I missed my homeland and that’s when the Dwemer invasion happened. You know the rest. And what about you, Raelynn? Where are you from?”

She listened with purpose as he spoke, painting the image in her head - trying to lock each detail down so that she wouldn’t forget any of it. It was when he mentioned that he had been a jewelsmith that her interest was piqued, she had to restrain from letting a gasp slip out of her mouth, her lips curled into a smile though, now that reaction she couldn’t stop. As he held out his wrist, her eyes snapped to the ruby on his finger, widening in awe of it. It gave her a nice chill up her spine to see it. “It is rather beautiful” she purred, watching it glimmer against the setting sun. She conjured up an image of how such a stone would look in a crown or headpiece. Red always did look wonderful against her hair.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m from High Rock of course. Similar to yourself, my parents were wealthy and traded in antiquities. Much like your ring there. I’ve been surrounded by such jewels and delicate pieces my whole life…” her voice trailed off as she finally drew her eyes away from Gregor’s ring, and she tilted her head to meet his eyes again, with a smile, “but really I wanted adventure and to see the world for myself. So I studied in Restoration at Winterhold, and since leaving there I travelled across Skyrim too… I grew tired of the cold, and having never visited Cyrodiil, I took a break and came to the Imperial City.” She led Gregor around a corner, towards The Bright Glass. She could already smell the food being prepared inside, and better yet - it was a classy establishment which would mean they would remain undisturbed by drunkards and riff raff.

The Breton continued as they approached the door of the Tavern, “which is where I got dragged, rather literally, into this mess and into Rhea’s group of misfits. I suppose I should be thankful for it really… But it’s not over yet, is it?”

He could see in Raelynn’s eyes as her gaze met his again that the examples of his craftsmanship had a profound effect on her state of attraction to him, and Gregor internally delighted in that fact. A particular kind of hunger that had lain dormant for many years inside of him slowly began to stir back to life. He had missed this kind of game and thought back to the girls and women of his youth -- but only briefly. Raelynn was here and now. 

“No, I should think not,” Gregor admitted with a sad smile. He thought of how gore-dripped he had been when they arrived in Anvil and his eye twitched slightly. “The Deep Elves appear to be quite the vengeful lot. But let’s not think of such matters tonight. I think you and I would both benefit from a pleasant evening without worries.” He looked her in the eyes as he talked and briefly took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. Gregor then glanced aside at the door they had stopped outside of. “Oh, where are my manners? Forgive me.” He inclined his head and opened the door for her. 

She could sense that already, the Imperial was loosening up. It wasn’t unusual. It only took a smile at the right moments to make men drop their guard. It wasn’t over yet though, she would have to think on her feet if she was to complete her mission. She made sure to take the lead in heading to a table, and she swayed her hips calculatingly as she moved. She knew he would be looking, and she took the opportunity while his eyes were otherwise occupied to smirk to herself. She had been holding it in the whole time, after all. “You’re right, it [i]is[/i] time for a pleasant evening.” She took a seat near a fireplace, the chairs were pushed quite closely together. It was almost too perfect a spot to pass up. 

She relaxed herself into the chair, taking from the basket her bottle of wine and placing it on the table in front of her. “I wonder, Gregor my dear, if you would indulge me in a game of sorts?” She ran her fingers up and down the neck of the bottle slowly, locking her eyes onto his again. “Of course, it’s quite a silly game and I would understand if it’s not for you. But I very much enjoyed hearing your story and I’m rather excited to hear some more,” she flicked a playful smile at him this time, waiting for him to sit beside her and take the bait.

And look he did. Gregor’s gaze tracked Raelynn’s hips like a sabercat would its prey and he bit his lower lip while she wasn’t looking. He felt seventeen again. Ridiculous. Gregor made sure to keep his face inscrutable when she sat down and looked up at him. Her suggestion made him raise an eyebrow in mock bemusement. “I shall have to think about that. First things first: I believe I am a little overdressed for the occasion,” Gregor said. If Raelynn was going to tease him then he was going to tease her right back. He beckoned over one of the servers and unclasped his cloak, undid his studded leather jacket, removed his chainmail (over his head; his tunic lifted up just far enough to give her a good look at his abdomen) and unfastened his pauldrons. He handed the aforementioned gear over to the server, a waspish young man whose arms nearly buckled under the weight of that leather and steel as he made his way back to the bar, and only then did Gregor sit down next to Raelynn, placing his swords beneath the table like he had done in the [i]Frisky Dolphin[/i] last night. He was only dressed in his high-collared, well-made black tunic, equally black breeches and steel boots now, and rolled up his sleeves up to his elbows to reveal a pair of powerful forearms, tattooed with the image of a raven-haired woman seen from behind and a series of tally marks (seven, to be precise). He laid one leg over the other, put his hands on his knee and looked at Raelynn with a small smirk, as if to say ‘there, do you like that?’. 

“You were saying? Ah yes, a game,” he said and tilted his head slightly to one side, drinking in Raelynn’s eyes -- they were even more beautiful in the light of the hearthfire. “I can’t know if it’s too silly for me if I don’t know what it is.” Gregor glanced at her fingers as they caressed the smooth glass surface of the bottle of wine. “What do you propose?”

She had narrowed her eyes to watch the way that Gregor undressed himself. Bringing in a common servant to help him, she hadn't been expecting him to do such a thing so soon, and so brazenly, but it did leave her a little flustered. She let it show, a little taste of vulnerability might make him feel more powerful in the situation. 

“It's a game of truth,” she began, the same server brought over glasses for the two of them and she stopped him before he began to pour. She wanted to do it. She leaned in closer to Gregor as she filled his glass to just below the rim. She looked at his arms, admiring the details of the tattoos. Definitely noticing the woman there. “It's a game of statements. We take it in turns to make statements, and must take a drink if the statement is to be true.”

She poured her own glass next. Taking a small sip already, just to taste. “No need to elaborate or explain, simply drink. Maybe you can make the first statement - to get you warmed up…” She leaned back in her chair, holding her glass in one hand, twirling a strand of hair around her finger with the other, the anticipation tingling through her. 

Gregor cracked a grin and ran his right hand through his beard. “That sounds a little like something I used to play with the local girls when I was a young lad. You’re really making me feel young again, Raelynn. I like it. Alright then, let me think.” He continued to stroke his beard thoughtfully but refrained from breaking eye contact with Raelynn. He wanted to see her every reaction to him. When she leaned in to pour him a glass of wine he’d conveniently taken a deep breath right at that moment, and her fragrance -- something flowery and sweet -- had sent goosebumps down his spine. He was enthralled. 

“First statement: you and I both have no other plans for the rest of the night,” he said slyly, and took a sip. He knew it wasn’t the point of the game to make a statement like that but he wanted to establish some expectations for… later. 

“I’ve already told you, you're not old just yet,” she moved closer to him, resting her elbow on the arm of the chair to his side and her brow raised at his question. She understood his need to make that one. Nobody ever went into the nitty gritty statements straight off the bat. She took a coy sip from the glass, watching him as she did so, and saying nothing for a moment. She wanted to say something that would finish the job. He was hers for the night regardless at this point, he’d made that abundantly clear already. 

And so, as they worked their way through the bottle, time passed. Sips were taken, and sips were not. The two drew ever closer to each other. Gregor becoming more intense each time Raelynn took a sip, and Raelynn working harder to seduce the Imperial when he did not. The last two glasses were poured, that last drop of Alto Wine landing in Gregor's glass.

“My turn,” she said with a devilish grin, “perhaps you and I have been waiting for this opportunity since the moment we first met.” Raelynn made sure to say it clearly, she hung over some of the words, tracing her finger across his forearm this time as she made her statement. She boldly took a large sip from the glass, not caring if he did the same, she just wanted him to picture her longing to be near him for weeks on end more than anything. 

Gregor began to lift his glass to his mouth but stopped and forced himself to seriously think about the statement. Was that true for him? He had definitely noticed how Raelynn had looked at him when they first met, and he had definitely remembered. Usually he was so preoccupied with himself and his quest that he didn’t stop to think about these things, but now that he did… yes, perhaps it was true. Perhaps he had been intrigued by this Breton woman and her piercing eyes all along. Gregor look a large swig of wine, his eyes darting between her finger and her face. 

He leaned in closer as well and cupped her cheek with his free hand, feeling the softness of her skin, his thumb brushing over her lips -- it was obvious from the thrilling, intense look in his eyes and the tightness in his jaw that he was restraining himself from picking her up and carrying her off to a bed there and then. “Come on then,” he purred. “Let’s go.” 

When it came to the point of him being all too ready to commit - the point of no return, Raelynn placed a finger playfully on his chest and leaned into him, as if she were about to kiss him at last. But she didn't, she pushed him back gently into his seat, shaking her head with a smile on her face. “Now now now Gregor…” she began, taking another sip of the wine. “You don't expect me to just up and go without knowing something else about the man I'm about to bed? I think not.” She pulled away completely from him now, relaxing back into her own chair, crossing one leg comfortably across the other. 

“I won't draw out this game of mine any longer, but if you want this to go any further then I want you to tell me a secret… Something that you haven't, and wouldn't tell anyone else. If you can do that for me, then we can continue our evening.” There she placed her last game piece, her last card, and she finished drinking her glass, waiting to see what Gregor would play, knowing that he couldn't resist. 

The small voice in the back of Gregor’s mind that piped up to warn him -- he had no idea who this woman was, precisely, he shouldn’t disclose anything compromising -- was silenced by the overwhelming desire Gregor felt for Raelynn in that moment. The way she had taken charge of the situation and pushed him back in his place had riled him up like nothing else and he was even more determined to get what he wanted now. This night wouldn’t end without her at his mercy. He gripped the seat of his chair with both hands while a certain darkness fell over his features. 

For a split second, it seemed as if something crimson flashed in his eyes. 

Gregor suddenly leaned forward and firmly grabbed Raelynn by the nape of her neck, bringing their faces an inch away from each other, and while now it seemed like Gregor was going to kiss her, like Raelynn, he didn’t. Instead he moved past her until his mouth was right by her ear. Her scent was driving him wild. 

“The gods hate me for the things I’ve done,” he whispered, his voice barely more than a growl. 

Raelynn bit down on her lip and let out a soft whimper in response. This was better than she had first thought. The man was carrying some demons with him and all of a sudden she was drawn more to him. Maybe he thought that such words would scare her - but they only seduced her towards him. She may have won at her little game, but he had won too. She felt his entire composure change and tense up, the air grew thick around him. He did well to hide such the storm he had buried within himself from the others. The feeling of his breath against her ear shot shivers down her spine and she about melted into him there and then. 

She was expecting her attraction to slip away some once she learned more about him but it only grew after his confession. He had so many secrets in him, and his darkness - there was power there too and it made her hungry. She turned and placed her lips against his neck, kissing upwards to his ear now. “Now we can go. I want to know what the Gods hate so much…” Her words escaped like a soft moan, and she could feel the electricity between them soaring. Would Gregor have expected her to draw to him like that even now? Like a moth to a flame…

Gregor did not need to be told twice. He was beyond words now, the animal that lived inside of him having completely taken over once Raelynn’s lips touched his skin, and he pulled her out of her chair with one hand and gathered his swords with his other hand -- even in this state, Gregor would not leave his weapons behind. A single glance at the proprietor behind the bar as he led Raelynn upstairs towards the inn’s rooms was enough to convey Gregor’s need for a room for the night and the portly Imperial nodded understandingly. 

Once upstairs, Gregor ushered Raelynn inside and closed the door behind them with enough force to shake the floorboards.