Ragnar eased Bella down onto the soft grass, her body still trembling faintly from their shared release.
He brushed a strand of damp hair from her cheek, his touch lingering longer than necessary.
She gave him a small, sated smile, but neither spoke.
The air between them felt thick, heavy with what they'd just done and what it might mean.
They dressed in silence, the rustle of fabric the only sound breaking the quiet.
When they finally stepped back onto the path, the rest of the group was visible ahead, moving steadily through the dappled light filtering through the trees.
Kalia fell into step beside Ragnar almost immediately. Her eyes flicked toward Bella, then back to him, sharp, knowing.
"I can smell it on you both," she said quietly, voice low enough that only he could hear. "You couldn't wait, could you?"
Ragnar's throat tightened. He opened his mouth, closed it again.
Words refused to come out. And heat crept up his neck.
Kalia didn't wait for an answer. She tilted her head, studying him. "I have an offer. Hear me out?"
He managed a nod. His eyes widened when she leaned closer.
"There's a river nearby," she murmured.
"Deep enough to hide under the surface. The water would carry the sound away… no one would hear my moans."
Her gaze dropped to his mouth for a heartbeat. "I've always wanted to try it like that, outdoors and submerged. No one watching. Just the two of us."
Ragnar glanced ahead at the group. The girls were chatting lightly, oblivious to their conversation. His pulse hammered in his ears.
He cleared his throat and raised his voice just enough. "Hey, Kalia and I saw something move in the bushes back there.
We're going to check it out. Keep going, we'll catch up."
Bella turned, eyebrows lifting, but she nodded. The others murmured agreement and continued on.
Ragnar and Kalia walked off the path, heading toward the sound of running water.
The tension coiled tighter with every step. Neither spoke. The anticipation sat between them like a living thing.
But when they broke through the last line of trees, the riverbank wasn't empty.
A massive bear stood knee-deep in the shallow water, drinking.
Its fur was matted and dark, shoulders broader than Ragnar's entire torso. It lifted its head slowly, nostrils flaring.
"Too bad," Ragnar muttered, already turning. "We can't…"
As he walked back, his boot accidentally snapped a dry branch.
The crack echoed.
The bear's head swung toward them. Black eyes locked on Ragnar. A low rumble rolled from its chest.
"Fuck," Ragnar breathed.
The beast charged.
Ragnar met it head-on, boots sinking in the mud as he grabbed his thick fur.
His Muscles burned; even with his evolved strength, the bear was a wall of raw power.
They grappled, the Bear kept snarling, his claws raking air inches from Ragnar face.
He kept pushing back, veins bulging in his neck, barely holding ground.
The ground was wet. And Ragnar foot slipped.
He went down hard, his skull cracking against a rock. Stars exploded behind his eyes. The world tilted for a moment.
Kalia's gasp cut through the haze. Her legs buckled.
She dropped to her knees, her face dark with tears already spilling. "No…no…no…"
The bear reared, ready to finish him.
Kalia screamed, baring her teeth like a predator. "Here! Come here, you bastard!"
The bear paused. Then swung its massive head toward her.
Meanwhile, Ragnar sucked in a ragged breath.
His vision swam, but he saw her. Her small, trembling shoulders, standing between him and death.
Something snapped inside him.
"I will not her be killed"
He pushed himself up despite the pain, even with his muscles screaming from pain.
He forced himself up anyway, teeth grinding so hard his jaw ached. A guttural roar escaped his throat.
The bear hesitated, startled by Ragnar's sudden resistance.
Ragnar lunged. Hands clamped around the bear's thick neck.
He shoved the bear with everything left in him. The bear staggered back, his paws slipping.
Ragnar drove him forward, forcing it backward into the river.
Water splashed around them. The beast tried to thrash his way out, but Ragnar locked his arms.
He kept strangling, squeezing his neck until the bear struggle weakened… then stopped.
The river was dyed with the bear's blood.
Ragnar collapsed onto the shallow river, his chest heaving and he lost consciousness.
Kalia was there in an instant, her hands glowing with soft green as her healing magic poured into him.
The warmth spread through his cracked ribs, bruised skull, and torn flesh.
When his eyes snapped open, his head rested on her thigh.
Her face hovered above him, with her eyes filled with tears.
"You idiot," she whispered, voice cracking with fear.
She leaned down and kissed him. It was a desperate and trembling kiss.
"I was so stupid. My offer… it's my fault for taking us here"
Ragnar lifted a shaky hand, thumb brushing away her tears.
"It was neither of us's fault," he rasped. "Just bad luck to meet a damn bear. That's all."
She exhaled shakily, her breath hitching.
"How long was I out?" he asked.
"Ten minutes. Maybe less." She swallowed hard. "Felt like forever."
Then she looked back at him, "I know how to make you feel good and forgot the pain"
She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him slowly toward the water.
He let her guide him, legs unsteady. He knew what she needed.
Not words. Just the proof he was still here. Alive and still Hers.
At the river's edge, she turned to him. Her eyes were wide, pleading "I need to feel you inside me. Right now. Please."
He nodded once.
They walked in until the water reached their waists.
Kalia's hands found his shoulders, pulling him close. Their mouths slammed together, in a hungry kiss
Under the surface, her legs wrapped around his hips. He gripped her thighs, lifting her just enough.
The cool water contrasted sharply with her heat as he pressed inside her pussy.
It was slow at first, savoring her tight inside, the way she gasped against his neck.
She pushed against him, nails digging into his back. Her moans muffled by the water into soft broken whimpers.
He thrust deeper, harder, each movement sending ripples across her ass.
Her inner walls clenched around him, pulling him in, demanding more.
When she shuddered through her release, her head thrown back, he followed, spilling inside her with a low groan.
They stayed locked like that for long moments, breathing hard.
Then Kalia shifted, turning in his arms.
She braced her hands on a smooth rock, arching her back. "Again," she whispered. "In my ass. I want all of you."
He pressed against her, slick from before.
She pushed back, taking him inch by inch until he was buried deep.
The tightness was exquisite, almost painful. He moved carefully at first, then faster as her gasps turned to pleas.
Water splashed around them. Her body trembled, clenching and drawing him tighter.
When she came again, sharp and shuddering. He let go, filling her with his cum that made her whimper his name.
They clung to each other afterward, foreheads pressed together, the river washing away the blood and sweat.
Eventually, they dressed and walked in silence back toward the path.
The group came into view ahead. They rejoined without a word, falling into step as if nothing had happened.
The orc settlement appeared at dusk, chaotic and destroyed.
Ragnar paused at the edge, then turned towards the girls, "We need to split, each one taking a direction to scout."
The girls nodded, each one moving in a different path.
He hesitated. 'Is this smart? Splitting up in a place this big? If one gets cornered…'
He shook his head. 'It's the only choice we've got.'
He walked towards the centre until he reached it.
The chief's hut, the largest structure in the center, its walls hung with bones and hides.
As he kept walking closer to it, a deep, resonant female voice rolled out from the hut.
"Stop. Declare yourself."
The sound vibrated through his bones.
The voice alone spiked fear in his gut. Like a sharp, instinctive feeling when facing a predator.
His hands trembled for a second before he forced them still.
He squared his shoulders, and lifted his chin.
"I'm Ragnar," he called back, voice steady despite the hammering in his chest.
"A Kobold that came to deliver a fang… to a person named the Outcasted Princess."