Jasmine showed her the shield she found, she ha to Cire as it vaguely glowed white. Cire grasped it a its weight. It was heavier than her previous shield, the wood repced with solid metal. She put it on her left arm and waved it around.

  “It’s heavier… but, not too bad.” Cire said as Jasmiched on. Cire was standing in the field while the sun broke through the horizon. As the light hit her face, she looked more mature to Jasmine. “You said it had refle on it?”

  “Yeah. Lily was able to dis the entments.” Jasmine replied. Her heart skipped a beat when Cire looked her way. The horizon behind her as shadows cast across her face. She cursed herself for never learning to paint.

  “Wonder how they got ahold of it…” Cire said solemnly. She thought of its previous owner, probably an advehat the troll had killed. A pit formed iomach as she thought about it.

  “I’d rather not think about that…” Jasmine said as she squirmed in her seat. She thought ba Cire’s injury and how close she was.

  “Fuck that troll.” Cire said with anger. Its smile was ingrained in her mind as she looked at the shield. Anger built up as she thought about how many other adventurers it’d taken out. “But… what about that wild woman? Did we get any word about her?”

  Jasmine shook her head. She had asked around about the woman and none of the vilgers had seen her. “I’ll have to thank her if we see her again…” Cire said as she walked up to the driver’s seat. Jasmiended her hand and hoisted Cire up beside her.

  “I don’t know… she also blew our cover.” Jasmine said, tightening her grip on Cire’s hand. “We could have retreated if she hadn’t shown up.”

  Cire sighed and nodded. “But she didn’t know that. She came to sy the trolls as well. I ’t even imagine why she’d go alone, but she didn’t expect us to be there…”

  “Sure but she still nearly got you ki-” Jasmiried to say.

  Cire nearly crushed her hand in hers. She felt pain shoot through her as she looked at Cire. She had a stern look before her face softened. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to harm you.” Cire whispered as she rubbed Jasmine’s hand. “I bme the troll and my own y. Not her.”

  Jasmine sighed as she let Cire kiss her hand. Her strength surprised her for a moment but she also softened. She rested her head on Cire’s shoulder and whispered back to her. “It’s okay… we’ll deal with it if we ever meet her again.”

  Cire nodded before looking back at the shield. It had a solid metal frame with the main color being silver. The bolts and decals had red c. It matched her own armor perfectly. She smiled at her refle in the shield before looking back to the horizon.

  Both sat basking in the rising sun as the m finally came. Cire had Jasmine under her arm as they watched the sun slowly rise. It felt o have a moment just between them with such a beautiful view.

  “Aww… I missed waking up to you.” Elsie called from the window. Her smug smile widened as she looked at the happy couple. “Could have woken up like after the rats…”

  Jasmine rolled her eyes as Cire giggled softly. “Mmm… maybe tomorrow. My body’s still quite sore from healing.” She cooed back.

  “Gods… Elsie I said I was sorry for before. I thought we talked about this.” Jasmine said from under Cire’s arm.

  “We did. But I o get even first.” Elsie said as she climbed through the driver’s window. “Now… we are even.” Elsie said before leaning in to kiss Jasmine’s cheek.

  She gave her a sly smile before moving back to the window. “I’ll wake the others… but I’ll give you a couple more minutes.” She said before closing the window.

  Jasmi out a sigh before shifting to get more fortable. “Elsie… I swear I’ll suck her dry again…” She whispered to Cire. Cire giggled as she rested her arm around Jasmine again.

  “Let her be… she lightens the mood, which we desperately need…” Cire whispered back.

  “Sometimes. But other times… I don’t know. I wish she was more serious.” Jasmine said.

  “Nah… I like that about her.” Cire retorted. Jasmine furrowed her brow but let it go. She let Elsie ruin her little moment for far too long. She closed her eyes a Cire take over her watch as she basked in her warmth.

  True to her word, Elsie let the two have twenty minutes of pead serenity. They had o kiss before the m sun. Their chests burning as they had o romantient. It was cut off with Elsie waking the sleeping duo. Judging by the noises ing from the carriage, Elsie awoke the two the way she wao do to Cire. Cire smiled as she looked into Jasmine’s eyes. “Fuck… maybe I’m not too tired…” She whispered huskily.

  With a deyed departure, they headed towards the vilge. It was another four days of travel as they headed for the vilge, so Jasmine made sure they kept on schedule. Elsie had bee a lot more tame around Jasmier her st experience. Cire was still shaken up, but she was able to calm herself down.

  Fog on whittling sticks for practid a form of meditation. It helped calm her thoughts about the fight, but her dreams were filled with nightmares. Nightmares of the troll’s smile or the attack. She’d wake up in a cold sweat some nights and screaming. While she could think straight during the day, her dreams were out of her trol.

  Thankfully, her lovers were there to fort her. They’d all wake up and help in calming her down. Their calming words and f bodies helped calm Cire down. It helped soothe her back to sleep, but they all knew something had to be doo help her.

  Lily worked oing a soothing sleep potio to keep her asleep for a full eight hours. They dispersed her watch between the four of them and made sure Cire got a lot of rest. Thankfully, Lily and Jasmine had experieh this issue as it was on for newer adventurers.

  They kept a close eye on her as they traveled to the quest. Elsie and Ana were a lot more hesitant around her in the beginning, not knowing how best to fort her. They did e to the clusion to keep owin by her at all times. Cire loved physical touch. So when she wasn’t whittling or driving, they’d sit in her p or y o her.

  Cire felt coddled in the beginning, irritated that they were walking on eggshells around her. She uood why they were like this, but she also wanted normalcy. She truly missed Elsie’s little teasings or Ana’s lustful gaze as she moved. But, their f touches and ed gnces did make her feel loved. She resolved to get through this trauma and move on. She’d have to deal with even worse situations. Especially whearted on the bandits.

  That was where her mind ended up o day of traveling. She saw the requests for the bandits attag caravans. She knew what came after they finished with these monsters. She’d have to front people she might have to kill. Could she inflict the fear she felt against the troll on another woman? She didn’t know.

  It added to her own stress as they arrived at their destination. Another vilge needing prote from monsters readying themselves for wihe cockatrices were stealing crops and sheep. Crucial resources for wihat would keep the vilge from going hungry. She gripped her new shield tightly as she’d have to go into bat again.

  As they arrived in the vilge, her nerves came back with a vengeance. She felt a pit form iomach as she sat in the driver’s seat. Her heart rag, her palms sweating as she gripped the reins tightly. Her mouth was dry and she could hardly sit still. Had it not been for Ana sleeping in her p, she might have stood up to run.

  Her lover’s soft breaths and the little bit of drool ing out of her mouth helped calm her down. She focused on Ana as she slept. Watg her chest rise and fall as she tried to ter herself. It helped her ighe panic, ighe fear. She just prayed toddess for strength to overe this.

  She parked the carriage o the mayoral building and knocked on the window. Jasmine opehe back door of the carriage and walked towards the building. She stopped upon seeing Cire’s face. “Shit… you look…” She tried to say.

  Cire could tell she looked bad. Her forehead was damp with sweat and her outstretched hand was the same. Jasmiook her hand and joihe duo in the front. She embraced Cire a her heart rag as she did. “Cire… it’ll be okay.” She said softly as she pressed Cire’s head into her chest.

  “I-I know… I just keep thinking about it.” Cire said, her voice crag as she spoke. “This fear…”

  “Shhhh. Rex. Take a moment and breathe.” Jasmine said gently. Ana awoke from her nap and was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked up at the two’s embrad gently tugged on Cire’s shirt.

  “Y-you okay?” She whispered softly.

  “Yeah… just panig.” Cire responded after Jasmine released her. She gently caressed Ana’s cheek as she focused ohing. She let out a long exhale as she felt the pit iomach ease slightly. “Thank you.” She whispered before leaning down and kissing Ana’s cheek.

  Ana rubbed her cheek idly as she looked up at Cire. “Y-your wele.” She said with a slight blush. She looked up at Cire lovingly as she idly rubbed the spot Cire kissed. It made Cire smile to watch. She looked up for Jasmine, but Jasmine had already ehe building.

  “S-she left a moment ago… sorry your kiss distracted me.” Ana said softly. Cire gave her a smile and nodded.

  “It’s okay. I just wao thaoo.” Cire said as she watched the door for Jasmine’s return. “I hope my Goddess aids me if I ever freeze in battle like this…”

  “She will… probably.” Elsie said after opening the window panel. “If not, then we’ll cover for you.”

  Cire jumped slightly, fetting that they could unicate nonverbally. Both twi out a ugh that eased Cire’s tension. Just hearing it softened her nerves. She gave Elsie a smile before taking another deep breath.

  “Goddess. Thank you fiving me such wonderful lovers.” She silently prayed.

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