Ch114: Out Hunting with Thea

“Are you sure this is how you want to spend the day?”

“Ugh, of course I am! Why do you keep asking me that!?” Exasperated annoyance clings to Thea’s words as she narrows her eyes and openly glares at the Drakling. “I am not some flippant girl who cannot make up her mind!”

“Just making sure.” Krvavy lazily shrugs her shoulders, glancing down at that silver-blonde brat and appreciating the sight that stands before her.

As always... Thea looks absolutely beautiful, her hair like woven strings of silver and gold that glisten beneath the morning sun, her smooth and unblemished skin glowing in the warm light... If it weren’t for the bratty expression on her face, that girl would look almost like an elegant Greek or Roman statue come to life.

Granted, that is mostly due to what she is wearing.

All the time spent hiding away in their bedding, buried beneath blankets, seems to have taught Thea a thing or two, as one of those sheets has been securely wrapped around her body like some sort of toga. A rather classical look that is only enhanced by the fact that she is also wearing the remains of Beryl’s boots, which are now little more than sandals.

Thea’s soft-blue eyes pierce into the barbarian’s emerald pair. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She suspiciously asks, head tilted up to an almost awkward degree so that she can stare down her nose at the much taller Drakling.

“No reason.” Krvavy lips twist into a playful smile as she meets her little princess’ skeptical gaze.

Keeping with the thought of Greek Goddesses, Krvavy would normally say that her brat resembles Aphrodite the most. She has the beauty and the softness. And is also usually naked. But the bow in Thea’s hand, plus the shorter length of her sheet skirt... not to mention the faint scowl on her face... That is all really giving the girl some serious Artemis vibes.

“Seriously. Stop looking at me like that.” The silver-blonde brat purses her lips into an adorable pout.

“Or what~?” Krvavy can’t help but tease.

“I have a bow and plenty of arrows.” Thea points out, tapping her elbow against the crude quiver hanging from her hip.

“And I’ve got a bunch of javelins.” A smug smile dances across the Drakling’s face. “What’s your point~?”

“Ugh!” Thea just exasperatedly groans. “Can we just get on with our hunt already!?”

“Sure, sure.”

“Hmph...!” The bratty girl huffs and spins around on the spot, softly stomping off. She doesn’t so much as make a comment as the Draconic dickgirl almost instantly catches up and walks alongside her, effortlessly keeping pace.

Krvavy just smiles happily as she breathes in the fresh morning air, simply enjoying being around her girl like this.

A gentle breeze blows through her hair, rustling the few leafy bushes and shorter trees as it meanders and flows between these rocky hills. Clouds lazily drift through the sky, providing pockets of shade that aren’t all that necessary in these uneven and shallow valleys. It isn’t particularly hot out. A bit on the colder side, if anything.

In the distance, the chirping of birds can be heard. But it is otherwise quite a quiet day.

“So...” The barbarian reluctantly breaks that comfortable silence. “Any reason you wanted to go out hunting with me?” She slowly trails her gaze over this hilly landscape, looking for any potential prey. “You’d have more luck actually finding and getting anything with Beryl.”

“I have spent more than enough time with that crone of yours.” Thea slowly sighs, giving her eyes a light roll before glaring at the barbarian. “Besides, you owe this time to me. So why would I bring an Elf along on our hunt?”

Krvavy simply shrugs as she looks back at the brat. “Just didn’t think you’d want to do something like this, that’s all.”

“I am of noble birth.” The girl dryly states. “Hunting is a sport for those of my station.”

“And I’m sure that nobles usually hunt by hiking around aimlessly.” Krvavy playfully replies.

“Ugh... It is not like we have much of a choice. There are no horses, hawks, or hounds for us to – no.” Thea abruptly cuts herself off as she sees a smile appear on the Drakling’s face. “I meant actual hounds, not that beast of yours.”

“Eh, wouldn’t want to bring her along anyway.” The barbarian casually replies. “Believe it or not, but Khalia is quite loud. And I doubt you need her help to scare prey away~.”

“No, I do no– Hey!” The bratty girl gently slaps Krvavy on the shoulder, before loosely crossing her arms and lifting her head in another pout.

A soft chuckle escapes past Krvavy’s lips as she leaves her teasing at that, letting the comfortable silence descend once more. This is quite peaceful and relaxing, hiking through the hills with her beautiful brat, enjoying nature together. Though that girl’s presence is, admittedly, a little distracting.

As much as this Drakling enjoys seeing her girls naked all of the time, she does have to admit that a bit of clothing can go a long way. And she doesn’t just mean lingerie, or even anything as skimpy as Beryl’s most recent outfit. Though that does do an amazing job of emphasizing the Elf’s thin and athletic figure...

What Thea is currently wearing is much more modest, yet oddly enough it is no less attractive to the barbarian. Not only does it emphasize that brat’s beautiful body quite well, leaving a fair amount of her soft skin bare, but it is kind of similar to what Krvavy would assume wrapping on a present is like: something visually appealing meant to hide the good parts, leaving whatever the gift might be to ones imagination. Except the barbarian knows what is being covered up, and even then she is still excited to unwrap her little present~.

“Ahh!” Thea gasps, flinching back as a few small birds suddenly launch up into the air and fly away in a panic. The girl looks rather annoyed as she glances sideways at Krvavy, trying to see if the barbarian saw her get spooked by those little feathery pests.

Krvavy smiles wryly and shakes her head, pointedly looking away from her brat while clearing her mind of distracting thoughts. She really needs to focus on this hunt and shouldn’t let her mind wander so much. These hills are relatively safe, but not completely safe. Especially for someone as delicate as her little princess. So she needs to stay on guard to make sure nothing happens to Thea.

And, on top of that, Krvavy also has to actually keep an eye out for potential prey. This is a hunt after all, and returning home empty handed won’t make for the best experience.

That said, the two of them don’t need to stay silent the whole time. A little bit of conversation wouldn’t hurt. It wouldn’t do any good to let Thea grow bored, after all.

“I see you’ve been practicing your magic while I was away.”

“Hm?” The girl glances over at Krvavy, looking a little confused before her face suddenly flushes a deep red. “Y-yes, of course. What else is there for me to do?”

“Was that a new spell you used last night?” The barbarian asks with a playful glimmer in her eyes.

“No. It...” The bratty girl bites her bottom lip, clearly feeling a little embarrassed to be suddenly talking about her sex magic. “It was not a spell. I simply... held back the lustful energies within your body, preventing them from... overflowing. Are you... upset... about that?”

“Oh, no, not really. Don’t worry, if I was upset I’d have told you last night.” Krvavy replies, reaching over and giving her girl’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “That said, don’t make a habit of doing it very often. It didn’t hurt or anything, but it was a little frustrating. I probably would have gotten pissed off if you kept me from cumming for too long. You know how I can get when I’m horny. No rational thoughts inside this head of mine~.”

“Ah...hahah~!” Thea laughs a little awkwardly as nervous tension visibly leaves her body. “That is good. I... did not really think when I did that to you. And with how upset you got at Beryl when she overstepped her bounds...”

“Well, she had me restrained. That made it a whole lot worse.” Krvavy points out. “Now, if you had refused to let me cum, then I would have just pinned you down and fucked you into unconsciousness~.”

“Uhm... is it wise to talk about this while... out here?” The bratty girl nervously nibbles on her bottom lip as she can’t help but stare at the barbarian’s loincloth with lust in her soft-blue eyes.

“What, are you afraid that I’m going to just bend you over and take you~?” The Drakling’s voice drops to a husky whisper as she leans down towards her little princess, gently cupping Thea’s chin in her hand. “Or do you want me to do that~?”

The silver-blonde girl audibly gulps, her body shivering with arousal.

“Well, no need to worry about that either.” The barbarian abruptly pulls back, acting as if she wasn’t just seducing her brat. “You wanted to go on a hunt with me, so that’s what we’re doing. And we haven’t got all day. I mean, we do, but that’s not a reason to waste it.”

“Hmph...” Thea quietly huffs, sounding both a little disappointed and annoyed that Krvavy teased her like that.

“Hmph!” Thea’s lips press into a thin line as she lowers her bow and watches a couple fat pheasants scatter into the air, fleeing from the noise her arrow made as it bounced uselessly off of a nearby rock.

The two of them have been out here, on their hunt, for a couple of hours now. And they don’t have anything to actually show for it. The only thing that Thea has been able to hit with her bow has been the ground.

Krvavy doesn’t really mind that too much though. She is really treating this more as a chance to spend time with this beautiful brat of hers than anything else. But Thea clearly doesn’t see it that way. The girl’s patience is starting to run thin as each new failure just makes her more and more upset.

Thea must have known that she wouldn’t be the best at hunting, but she obviously didn’t expect to be this bad at it.

Though Krvavy wouldn’t say it to her face, Thea honestly should have expected this. While the girl has been ever so slowly getting better with her bow, she still misses her unmoving target more than she hits it. And that is in the near-perfect conditions of the grotto. It is even more difficult out here, where the wind messes with the arrows mid-flight.

But, to be fair, it isn’t entirely Thea’s fault that they haven’t caught anything yet.

There just doesn’t seem to be all that many animals out here today, and all the ones they’ve come across so far have been too small for Krvavy to throw her javelins at... They’re not here just to kill things, they do want to actually bring some food back home. And utterly mangling a little bird with a sharp spear a dozen times its size isn’t particularly helpful.

“I am sorry for how I acted yesterday.” Thea says without prompting, her voice still tinged with annoyance.

“Huh?” The barbarian’s head snaps towards her brat.

Thea sighs and rolls her eyes before repeating herself. “I am sorry for how I acted yesterday. When you brought Adeline into our home.”

Krvavy inquisitively raises an eyebrow, before shrugging her shoulders and idly shaking her head. “I would say that I’m not the one you need to apologize to, but you’ve already apologized to her, so... I guess it’s alright? As long as you aren’t going to be a complete bitch to the poor girl anymore, that is.”

The bratty blonde furrows her delicate brow and glares at Krvavy. “Hmph.” Thea huffs and turns her head away. “Are you not going to ask what my problem with her is?”

“She is a Halfling. And a peasant.” Krvavy dryly replies. “It isn’t hard to guess.”

“I am not that shallow...” The noble girl admits with a faint sigh. “I do not look down on her people because of their race or social standing. I look down on them because they do nothing to improve their positions in life. They live in dirt hovels burrowed into the ground. They laze around for half of the day when the sun is high, hardly working the fields they claim to love so much. They simply have no ambition, no drive.”

Krvavy pointedly stares down at her brat. After a moment, she decides to not point out that Thea also lives underground and also lazes around for most of the day. “I don’t see why that’s a problem for us. It’s not like we have a list of chores for her to do. And I honestly thought you’d be a bit more on board with having someone to keep you company.”

“I do not want her company.” Thea coldly returns her Draconic lover’s gaze.

“Why not?” The barbarian asks, wanting to actually hear the girl’s reasoning.

“I do not like her.”

“You don’t know her.” Krvavy dryly returns. “Seriously, if you can’t give a good reason why you don’t like Adeline, then I’ll just assume that you are jealous.”

“I am not jealous of her!” The bratty girl angrily hisses back, stomping a foot down on the ground. Only to immediately wince as that isn’t exactly the most comfortable thing to do out here, in these rocky hills. Especially not in some rather barebone leather sandals.

“Then what don’t you like about her?” Krvavy pushes for an answer. “You constantly complain about being bored, so at the very least she is another person to spend time with. And I can guarantee that she won’t be even slightly as annoying as Khalia can be. Nor will she purposely try to get on your nerves, like Beryl sometimes does.”

“Your insistence will not change my mind.” Thea stubbornly states, crossing her arms as tight as she can while still holding onto her bow.

“Are you just being difficult for the sake of being difficult? To try and make me think twice about bringing another girl home again?” The barbarian tiredly wonders.

“Hmph! How little do you think of me?” Thea’s face scrunches into a scowl, one that is equal parts annoyed and offended.

“Look, I’m just trying to figure out why you seem to hate Adeline so much.” Krvavy states with a sigh. “I get that you’re upset that I brought her home, but it is clearly more than that.”

“I do not hate her,” the brat replies, “it is just... You are right, I do not know her. Give me time and I will eventually get used to having that girl in our life.”

Krvavy narrows her eyes suspiciously, as it kind of feels like Thea is taking the easy way out of this conversation. But that is better than just devolving into an argument, so... “Well, alright. I’ll stop prying. But I know you have more mean things to say about Halflings, so do you want to get all that out of your system now?”

Thea raises an eyebrow at that, skeptically staring at the barbarian.

“Oh don’t look at me like that. You know that I don’t mind your racism.”

“Ugh, fine. Halflings are... they are nothing but a race of unwanted children.” Thea gently shakes her head, turning to look out over the landscape. “We Humans did not ask for them to be created. But we have been handed the burden of caring for them all the same.”

That is both fairly harsh and yet not as mean as expected.

“And yes, they are a burden.” The silver-blonde noble sighs, the slightest bit of venom audible in her voice. “They may not be a complete waste of effort, but they provide nothing that we Humans cannot do on our own. Their plentiful harvests are outweighed by their utter helplessness.”

“Is that so?” Krvavy rhetorically wonders. “I may not know much about Halflings, but I can see at least one very big reason why a ruler would want to have some living in their lands. An actual reason that has nothing to do with how cute they are.”

“And just what is that?” Thea narrows her eyes as she turns her gaze back towards the barbarian.

“Well, as you said before, they are a cowardly race of pushovers.” Krvavy nonchalantly replies. “A ruler would never need to worry about them rebelling and could just treat them as a free source of food. Yes, some guards would still need to be stationed near their communities to keep the Halflings safe, or at least to keep others from exploiting them, but that’s an easy job with no real risk. Basically a vacation for those guards, I’d imagine.”

“Hmph!”

“Don’t have anything to say about that?”

“You clearly do not understand the responsibilities and duties of those who rule.” The bratty girl replies in a rather haughty tone. “That argument may be true further west, in much safer lands, but it does not work out here. If this region has one thing in abundance, it is farmland. We do not need the extra food that having Halflings would provide.”

“Okay, fair enough,” the barbarian shrugs her shoulders. “But... they don’t just grow food. Adeline’s family makes beer, for example. Plus, everything they make doesn’t have to be eaten, or consumed, locally. It can all easily be sold to other areas, and that makes money. Money that can help pay soldiers’ wages, among many other things.”

Thea simply narrows her eyes at the Drakling. “I do not want to talk of economics with you.”

“Ah, but you see it is all intertwined.” Krvavy leans towards her brat, smiling slightly as she takes in the sight of Thea’s weak scowl.

“Ugh...! Can we just get back to our hunt now?!” The silver-blonde noble girl groans, turning away just as a faint flush appears on her face.

“Aww,” Krvavy playfully coos, “don’t want to keep arguing about this~?”

“We are hardly arguing.” Thea dryly replies, sounding just a little annoyed. “Besides, what point is there in continuing? You are no simple savage.” The girl tiredly comments, before letting her mumbled tone drop even further as she idly voices her thoughts. “I refuse to believe that you are considered normal amongst your own kind...”

“Okay, okay.” The barbarian relents, pulling back from her brat. “Guess that was enough of a break anyway. So, which direction do you want to head next?”

“Hmph...” The bratty girl breathes out, rolling her shoulders and tightening her grip on her bow. “That way.”

“We’re home!” Krvavy loudly shouts as she and her brat walk up the path towards their home.

“Oh, my dearest love!” Beryl happily calls back. “Ya’re just in time fer dinner!”

Stepping around the corner, Krvavy sees the ever beautiful sight of her Elf standing in their bedroom. Beryl’s lithe body is almost entirely on display in her skimpy outfit, those tight leather shorts clinging to the curve of her perfect ass while that skimpy strip of a top squishes her pert breasts against her chest.

“Like wha’ ya see, my dearest love~?” The Wood Elf playfully asks, holding her arms behind her back and leaning forwards, letting the warm light of the fireplace dance across her tanned skin. “Ah think ya were right~! It does look better tied at the front~!”

“Ugh... Must you two always flirt...?” Thea just barely has the energy to be bratty, dragging her feet across the ground as she slowly walks past the barbarian, carelessly tossing her bow and crude quiver off to the side.

“Ach, girl! Ya’ve got to unstring yer bow if ya’re done wit’ it!” Beryl scolds the girl, before shaking her head and turning her attention back to the barbarian. “Glad ta see ya ‘aven’t come back empty ‘anded, my dearest love. But just the one? Didn’t ‘ave much luck out there, did ya?”

“Could’ve gone better.” Krvavy replies as she shrugs a goat carcass off of her shoulder, gently placing it on the ground. “We didn’t really see much beyond a bunch of birds.”

“Well, at least ya caught somethin’.” The Elf says, before a mischievous glint enters her eyes. “Did yer little princess help ya gut it?”

“Ugh, no!” Thea immediately whines. “That was disgusting...!”

Beryl holds back a quiet laugh as she crouches down next to the dead goat, giving the carcass a good look over. “Nice ‘orns on this one. And it looks like it was a clean kill too. Got ‘im ‘ead on, right in the throat. Barely damaged the ‘ide. Good catch, my dearest love~!”

With that the Elf stands up, smiling lovingly at Krvavy. “If only ya came ‘ome an hour earlier, then we’d be ‘avin’ this goat fer dinner~.” She playfully laments, placing her hand on the barbarian’s bicep as she nearly presses herself right up against Krvavy.

“Sadly, we only just caught it, so that wasn’t really an option.”

“Tsk.” Beryl clicks her tongue with mock disappointment. “Ah suppose we should skin ‘im and get the meat ready ta dry then.”

“Uh, excuse me!?” Thea loudly speaks up, impatience obvious in her voice. “What about dinner!? You said it was ready!”

“No Ah didn’t.” Beryl glances at the bratty girl with an eyebrow raised. “Ah said tha’ ya were just in time fer it. Ya know, as opposed ta bein’ late and missin’ it. As fer when it’ll be ready, well, ya’d ‘ave ta ask Adeline.”

The bunny-mouse girl squeaks in surprise upon hearing her name, almost dropping the ladle in her hand as she teeters in place atop a thick wooden stool. She quickly takes a shuddering breath as she leans against the stone mantel, placing the spoon back into that filled pot.

“Ugh, fine...” The silver-blonde brat quietly grumbles, before clearing her throat. “Ahem. Adeline. How much longer until the food is ready?”

“I-I-I-I...! U-uh...!” The tiny blonde sputters back in a panic. “Th-the s-s-stew i-is...! B-b-b-but...! Br-bread...!”

“The stew ‘as been ready fer a while.” Beryl helpfully explains. “But since we’ve got so much flour sittin’ around Adeline decided ta make some bread as well, and it could use a bit more time. See, the loafs are right there on the hearth.”

“They look quite... flat.” Thea dryly states, her face twisted into a slight sneer.

“Aye. We don’t exactly ‘ave anythin’ ta make them rise.” Beryl replies with a shrug. “Tha’ doesn’t matter much though, as they’ll be perfect fer dippin’ in the stew. Besides, our little Halflin’ knows wha’ she’s doin’, right Adeline?”

The bunny-mouse girl’s eyes go wide as she wordlessly stutters out a response, looking rather flustered all the while.

“Ugh, you are just hopeless.” Thea rolls her eyes at that anxious display. “Will you ever learn to speak properly, or must I coach you on proper pronunciation?”

“Wha’ a wonderful idea tha’ is~!” Beryl joyfully claps her hands together.

“No, I... Hmph!” The bratty girl crosses her arms and glares at the incredibly smug Elf. “If I... if I must... Then... then fine...!” She grumpily relents, knowing full well that Krvavy would probably make her do something like that anyway. She did, after all, help Inanna learn this language that they’re all speaking. So she already has some experience when it comes to this sort of thing...

“Well,” the Drakling decides to show her noble girl some mercy, for now. “If we have the time, then we should probably deal with this goat.” She idly bumps a clawed toe into the carcass lying on the ground in front of her.

“Aye, right ya are!” Beryl quickly turns to grab her knife from its spot near the fireplace. “Would ya mind givin’ me a ‘and, my dearest love?”

“Of course.” Krvavy easily answers, already lowering herself down beside the thing.