Give and Take - Ch. 08

Alice lay back on the bed, her hands behind her head, and blew a frustrated sigh.

She had slept in a bit after the party last night, a little change of pace from normal. Jay had left early that morning, heading out into the city. Alice had somewhat woken up when he was preparing to leave, and wished him a sleepy farewell. He had said something about an errand, but the goblin had been half-asleep, and she hadn't really heard him properly. It was late morning now, with still no sign of him, but Alice wasn't concerned. It's not like he couldn't take care of himself, after all.

Though she would have been happy to go with him, she didn't mind a slow morning to herself either. No, that wasn't the reason for her frustration.

She had been so busy lately, with training, or traveling, or getting ready for her rank test that she hadn't had time to even think about it. However, seeing the couple across the table from her the night before had reawakened something inside the goblin, something that she had been keeping repressed deep inside.

She was, quite simply, unbearably horny at the moment.

It really wasn't too surprising. She hadn't had any time to "take care" of herself since...well, basically since she left Grantz. She had been around Jay almost constantly after that, so it wasn't like she could just sneak off and do it. And she didn'tdaretry it while he was asleep. Jay always seemed to wake up at the smallest noises. Probably from so many nights spent on alert out in the wilds.

The goblin had been able to suppress those urges so far during their journey and training, but after the show she was exposed to last night...

It was like a constant ember, smoldering just below her belly. Almost impossible to ignore. She felt moody and irritable, and was worried about snapping at Jay. There was no way he would understand what had her stressed, and she didn't want to take out her annoyance on him when it really wasn't his fault.

That left her with one choice.

Alice's eyes wandered to the door of their room. Jay hadn't said when he'd be back. However, he'd already been gone most of the morning, and it wouldn't be strange for him to return any minute.

The goblin weighed her options in her head. She wasprettysure that she would be able to hear someone walking down the hallway towards the room in time. And she could always keep a blanket covering her just in case.

Slowly, the goblin wormed her way back under the blanket of her bed. She could feel her face start to flush already, partly in arousal, partly in embarrassment. Even if she was doing everything she could to keep it a secret, the idea that she might get caught filled her with a certain thrill. Especially since it would be Jay who might discover her.

Alice paused for a moment. Where hadthatthought come from? She frowned, shaking her head slightly.

Ignoring her wayward fantasies, she deliberately slipped off her tunic and skirt. That just left her bra and underwear. Biting her lip slightly, she slipped out of her small clothes, leaving her body completely naked under the thin blanket of her bed.

Slowly, Alice ran her hands over the generous curves of her body. She knew her figure wasn't considered desirable by most - the goblin had been reminded of that over and over again throughout her adult life. And yet...in private, behind closed doors, she couldn't deny that a part of herlikedher own body. The softness of her thighs and rear, the fullness of her breasts...it somehow felt indulgent.

If only I could find someone who felt the same way about it...she thought wryly.

Shaking her head, she refocused. This washertime right now. Unable to stifle a grin, she slid one of her hands over her left breast, groping the soft flesh. Alice let out an almost inaudible groan as her fingers brushed her nipple, the dark green nub already swollen and tender.

Gently, she began to rub and lightly pinch the sensitive nub, feeling the damp heat growing between her legs. Slowly, she slid her right hand down her body. She lingered for a moment at her chest, squeezing it, savoring the feeling. The goblin sighed contentedly as it bulged between her fingers, the flesh smooth and soft.

If only it was Jay's hand squeezing her breast instead...

Alice jolted in surprise, furrowing her brow. The thought had wormed its way into her mind, catching even herself off guard. Again, she shook her head, trying to clear out the intruding fantasies.

It's not appropriate to imagine that about him.

Alice couldn't help but snort out loud. Even in her head, the thought came out in his voice. What was she even thinking? She didn't feel that way about him -- he was her mentor. Even if he was pretty good looking...and kind to her in that quiet sort of way...

"Enough."

Alice said the word out loud, giving her nipple a firm pinch, as if to pull her attention back. This was about release, and relieving her stress. Not the time for...whateverthatwas.

Purposefully sliding her hand over the small paunch of her belly, until it reached the small patch of hair between her legs. Alice ran her fingers through the soft curls, her fingertips finally reaching their destination.

Teasing herself slightly, she ran a single finger around her entrance, the folds already nearly dripping in anticipation. She let out a soft sigh, feeling the heat start to radiate outwards from her womanhood. It felt like she hadn't done this in several months, even though it had really only been one. Giving her nipple another squeeze, Alice slowly let her finger find the bud at the top of her entrance, shivering in delight as she grazed it.

Gingerly, she brought her thumb in, and slowly massaged her clit. It started to swell, and in a few moments, it was fully engorged, pushing out from under the hood of skin over it. Alice sucked in a sharp breath as she started to run two fingers over it, the smoldering need inside of her bursting into an open flame.

She lay there, eyes half-closed, her naked body shivering with pleasure under the thin blanket. The goblin continued her motions, caressing her clit as she circled her nipple with the fingers of her other hand. The heat continued to build inside of her, and her eyes slid closed as she bit her lip.

The goblin leaned her head back into the pillow as her mind started to wander. Alice usually didn't fantasize about anyone in particular when she pleasured herself -- just imagining thatsomeonewas holding her, caressing her. This time, however, felt different.

Thoughts of her mentor kept popping into her head. One moment, a faceless figure was embracing her, then suddenly it was Jay murmuring into her ear. At first she was lying with someone around her size, but before she knew it, the arms embracing her, the hands caressing her, were explicitly human.

Alice growled, forcing her mind away from those fantasies, focusing instead only on the feeling of her fingers. She increased her pace, her fingers rapidly dancing across her clit, as she pinched and pulled at her nipple.

Again the heat inside her surged...then faltered. She was so close, she could feel it welling up inside, but it was like...something was holding it back.

She huffed in irritation, the goblin redoubling her efforts, trying to make herself cum. This was an immensely worse feeling than before. She had started out just a little frustrated and pent up, but now it was torturous. She wassoclose...she just needed something to push her over that last hurdle.

Her patience snapping like a dry twig, Alice finally gave in, letting her imagination do as it wanted. Fast as an arrow loosed from a bow, her mind shot straight back to Jay. In her mind's eye, she could see him clearly, hear his deep voice. Suddenly, it washishand that was pawing greedily at her breast,hisfingers that dipped into her folds, pinching at her needy clit.

Even more than that, though, the words that she imagined him murmuring into her ear sent shudders of pleasure running through her. The Jay in her imagination was whispering thatshewas what he desired, that he craved her body, couldn't hold himself back.

The effect was immediate. The fire burning inside her turned to an inferno, and she let out an almost feral moan. She couldn't stop her climax even if she had wanted to, the feeling coursing through her. Determined to get the most out of it, her fingers didn't stop, pinching, rubbing, and caressing her most sensitive parts.

Her imagination also didn't let up. She could feel her vision of Jay holding her tightly as she came, his strong arms keeping her safe. The phantom of her mentor nibbled her large ears, and planted soft kisses on her neck, causing her to shudder with delight. In her mind, he whispered sweet nothings, his lips vibrating against her skin.

Alice's orgasm lasted almost a full minute before it abated, leaving her panting, lying in sweat-soaked sheets. Satisfaction settled over her like a woolen blanket, bringing a lazy smile to her face. The goblin laid in a haze of contentment for a few minutes, enjoying the afterglow.

Gradually the realization of what she just done, of who she had fantasized about, crept in. Her cheeks and ears burned, and she pulled the blanket over her head, screwing her eyes shut. The sordid memories pushed in regardless, making her kick her feet against the mattress in embarrassment.

Finally, she calmed down enough to poke her head out of the blanket, but then another thought hit her.

"Oh. Fuck."

She muttered the words, her eyes wide. Was she in love with Jay?

No, that couldn't be it. They were just harmless fantasies, right? Just a way for her to get off.

Even as the words crossed her mind, her thoughts went back to her imaginings. She hadn't cum from imagining someone caressing her...she came because it had beenJay. At least, it had been in her head.

There were few things Alice prided herself on, but one of those was not lying to herself. She wasn't about to start now, either.

"I'm in love with him." She whispered into the stillness of the room.

Well, shethoughtshe was anyway. The goblin had never been in love before, but she didn't see what else this could be. It had clearly gone beyond just respect or admiration. She loved Jay. Shewantedhim.

The goblin gave a hollow chuckle, closing her eyes. Of all the people she could have fallen in love with, she had to pick the most unobtainable person possible for her first crush.

Looking back on it, she had probably been knocking on that door in the back of her mind for a while. Was it really that surprising?

She rolled onto her side, curling up.

Jay was the first one to treat her as a person...not a serving wench, or a pest, or something beneath him. He had protected her, taught her, encouraged her...

It would be far stranger if shedidn'tfeel anything for him.

Still, the realization didn't really make her feel any better. Someone like Jay could have his pick of gorgeous women, surely. Her mind went back to the barmaid who had openly flirted with him back in Greenwood. That was probably Jay's daily life; women basically throwing themselves at him.

How could she, a goblin with almost nothing going for her, even compete?

A small smile flitted across her face.

Still, I'm the one by his side now.

She shook her head a moment later, feeling a little nauseous. It had been an ugly thought. If she was holding him back from finding a woman...

No.The strength of her own denial surprised her.He clearly wanted to keep on training me. I'm not holding him back. This is what he wants, too.

The reasoning made her feel a little better. However, her feelings for her mentor loomed ahead of her. Could she keep them hidden? Would he notice? What if he found out? Alice lay there for nearly a half-hour, staring at the wall, as the questions chased each other around her mind. After a while, she rolled onto her back once more, and heaved a deep sigh.

"One foot in front of the other." She muttered into the emptiness of the room.

* * *

* * *

Jay paused outside of the door to his and Alice's room, raising a hand and knocking on the wooden door. It was a habit that had taken him a little while to relearn, starting back from their time in Greenwood.

Knocking was something that had been drilled into him by Teresa and Sara, back when they had been in the same party. "Always respect a woman's privacy". He could almost hear their voices, sternly repeating the words like a mantra.

Jay never quite understood the importance of it. He understood modesty, of course, but they were adventurers. Every member of the party had seen men and women in nearly every state of dress and undress, both alive and-

Jay shook his head, chasing off the dark thoughts. At the same time, he heard Alice's voice coming from inside the inn room.

"J-Jay? Is that you?"

"It is." He replied simply. "May I come in?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course." Alice said quickly.

He unlocked the door with his key, slipping inside and locking it behind him. He sat on his bed, across from her, and started to unlace his boots.

"I've just been to see the Guildmaster." He started, without looking up. "There's been an incident. He asked us both to-"

Jay finally glanced up at his companion, stopping mid sentence when he noticed her flushed cheeks. Alice met his gaze, then glanced away after a moment.

"Your cheeks are quite red. Do you have a fever? Or perhaps are you still hungover...?" He asked, a little concerned.

"Oh no, nothing like that." She said quickly. "I was just...doing a little physical training, while I waited for you." She carefully avoided his gaze.

"An admirable endeavor." He nodded approvingly. "No better way to clear alcohol out of your system than to sweat it out."

"Uh, yeah, ha ha..."

Jay couldn't tell if she was embarrassed or being sheepish, so he didn't push any further.

"So, what's this about an incident?" Alice asked, finally looking him in the eyes.

"Ah, yes." Jay moved to unlace his other boot. "There have been an...unusual number of disappearances here in Maldun over the past few weeks."

"Disappearances?" Alice repeated, furrowing her brow.

"Yes. People vanishing late at night." Jay folded his legs under himself, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. "A shopkeeper closes up his stall but never makes it home. A patron from a bar turns into an alleyway and never comes out. A traveling merchant's wares are found on the street, their owner nowhere to be seen. And the like."

"That, uh, sounds pretty concerning if you ask me." Alice said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Wouldn't this be some kind of emergency for the governor or whoever?"

"Disappearances are a part of city life." Jay shrugged. "Could be anything from muggings gone wrong, to kidnapping for ransoms, or even just someone deciding to start over somewhere else."

Alice opened her mouth, perhaps to retort, but Jay raised a hand, forestalling her words.

"Regardless, the sheer number of disappearances has raised quite a few alarms for both the city and the Guild."

"So what are they going to do about it?"

"The Guildmaster had a couple adventurers looking into it." Jay shook his head. "The issue is, nowtheyhave disappeared as well."

"...oh." Alice said, her eyes wide. "That's...not good."

"Indeed." Jay's gaze went to the window. "He had two D ranks and a C rank looking into it. All three are missing as of the past two days."

Alice sucked in a sharp breath, and Jay couldn't blame her. It was one thing for a bronze or copper plate or two to vanish, but silver plates? Especially if they were on guard, adventurers of that level were not easy prey.

"So..." Alice started, her question obvious.

"The Guild branch is going on high alert, so to speak." Jay caught her gaze and held it. "We've been asked to assist in the coming search."

Alice slid closer on her bed, leaning forward, her eyes fixed on his.

"'Search'?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Once night falls, the plan is to send out multiple well-armed parties to patrol the streets. You and I will be joining one of the specialized groups." A hard edge entered his voice. "We won't be patrolling. We will be hunting."

"Hunting? Me?" She glanced down at her hands. "Are you sure I should be going with you?"

Jay looked at her for a moment, considering. Was she being modest, or underestimating herself?

"Actually, it seems that the Guildmaster was quite impressed with your performance during the rank exam." Jay chuckled, giving her a rare grin. "Also, I requested that you and I work in the same party."

"Huh? Why?" She asked, cocking her head. "Won't I slow you down?"

"I don't think you will." He shook his head. "But more than that..."

Jay paused, unsure of how much he should say.

"Something odd is going on here, Alice." He locked eyes with her once more. "This many disappearances, and even silver plate adventurers vanishing...it's unheard of."

Alice fidgeted a bit, but didn't say anything.

"I want you somewhere I can protect you, just in case." He finished.

Her face froze for just a moment, her eyes wide.

Before he could say anything, her gaze fell to her lap. His student was quiet for a long moment, looking down at her hands. He hoped he hadn't unnerved her.

Finally, she looked back up. There was a glint of determination in her eyes that brought a small smile to his face.

"Right. Let's do this, Jay. Together."

"That's the spirit." Jay nodded at her, a little bit of excitement stirring his blood. "Get your things ready, and we'll head to the Guild."

* * *

* * *

Alice laid her daggers on the table, looking them over carefully for damage. The blades had maintained their fine edge, barely needing any maintenance since Jay had purchased them for her. Whoever the master of that smithy was, he certainly knew his business.

Looking up, the goblin saw Jay inspecting his weapon as well, holding the hilt in one hand, and the blade in the other, a rag wrapped around the metal in his hand. He caught her gaze, and raised an eyebrow, silently checking in with her. Alice simply shrugged, giving him a small smile, and he turned his attention back to his blade.

The Guild hall was busy, but not hectic. Clerks, support staff, and adventurers moved with purpose - some coming, others going, and many sat at tables, making the same kinds of preparation that both she and Jay were doing. There was tension in the air, many of the people in the hall moving with a certain feeling of urgency. Sunset was fast approaching, and it seemed like the Guild wanted all the preparations finished before dark. Thankfully, the pair was tucked away in a corner of the room, out of the way of the hustle and bustle.

"Any issues with your weapons?"

Jay's voice caused her to jump a bit, bringing her back to the present.

"None that I can see." Alice replied, lifting one of the blades by its hilt. "They feel as solid as always."

"Good." Jay set his own weapon on the table, giving the blade one last wipe with the rag in his hand. "After all, an adventurer's weapon-"

"-is their life." Alice finished with a grin. She'd heard that particular bit of wisdom more than a few times.

"Exactly." Jay nodded serenely, completely unbothered by Alice's interjection. It made the goblin chuckle, calming her nerves a little.

Alice gave a tiny sigh of relief, inaudible in the hum of conversation in the hall. She had been worried that things would be awkward between her and Jay now...or more likelyshewouldn't know how to act around him. True, her thoughts were just a tiny bit flustered with him around, but she was sure he wouldn't be able to tell.