The Daily Adventures of Zash

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower - Ashley's Room

Zach seemed pleased at what she'd suggested for the next day, and excited to eat out at a Mexican place. She smiled contentedly, cuddling up next to him and drifting off to sleep. She woke in the morning to Zach's kisses on her neck. She was so used to sleeping at Nomad now that she didn't realize where she was, her eyes groggily opening.

"Mmmm..."

She smiled and let out a half giggle, Zach's whiskers tickling her neck. His arm was wrapped around her, his chest pressed to her back.

"Zach..." she said sleepily, her hand moving on top of his in front of her, pulling his arm tighter around her.

"I slept so good...I dreamt we were on a horse...and there was nothing but fields for miles..." she murmured.

She inhaled deeply and let it out, a relaxed sigh. Her eyes blinked open, more awake now. They were at the Clocktower still. She turned her head and found Zach's lips, pressing hers against them gently.

"Good morning, fiance."

She smiled warmly, if still a little drowsily.

"Are you fully recovered from yesterday?"

She lowered her lashes.

"And ready to go?"

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower -- Ashley's Room

She stirred from slumber, giggling a little. So sexy. She said his name, and her hand slid over his, pulling it even closer. Somehow, with a gesture so simple, he was thrilled. He smiled against her skin, continuing to press kisses along her neck.

Ash: I slept so good...I dreamt we were on a horse...and there was nothing but fields for miles...

Oh, good, she likes horses....

He thought, and he was going to bring up his suggestion for their honeymoon trip, but then she distracted him by turning to kiss him, and he was captivated by her smile.

Ash: Good morning, fiance.

"Good morning, gorgeous."

He replied with a smile of his own. She asked him if he'd recovered from yesterday, and he raised an eyebrow at that. Then she gave him a sultry look and asked if he was ready. His smile took a lusty tilt, as he scooted his hips closer to hers, pressing against her in answer.

"Oh, I'm ready -- I've got a stallion you can ride right now,"

He suggested, then made some noises like an excited pony and laughed.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower - Ashley's Room

Ashley was not a morning person. So she went through many stages of awakeness before actually being awake. And she was especially slow to get moving with Zach curled around her in their nice, warm bed, kissing her neck. She was still half asleep when she told Zach she'd dreamt of him. Finally her eyes opened fully and she turned for a kiss.

"Good morning, gorgeous."

His smile brightened the room, and perked her right up. She made a thinly veiled proposition, to which he pressed his hips against her, and she could tell that he'd accepted.

"Oh, I'm ready -- I've got a stallion you can ride right now,"

And then he made horse noises, to which she couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, babe, that's not sexy, at all."

She smiled broadly, laughing with him. But then her face got more serious, and she reached up to hold his face, pressing her lips against his. She bent her top leg and pushed it forward on the bed, then reached back between them. She kept their faces close as she guided the tip of him into her. Thank whatever god decided to make men get hard in the morning. Her lips parted as he pressed into her deeply.

"But that is totally sexy," she panted out, her breath already hitching in her throat.

She kissed him again as he started to move, then turned her head back around to face away from him. She put her hand back on the arm that laid over her, and she started to moan.

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower -- Ashley's Room

Her laughter was like music to his ears, and fueled even more chuckling from him.

Ash: Oh, babe, that's not sexy, at all.

His chest shook with laughter at that.

"No? That's not the kind of animal that turns you on?"

He joked, as she reached up to stroke his beard. His eyes closed for a second, a smile playing on his lips.

"Probably that's a good thing."

He commented, and she kissed him again, then her hand slid down his front. He inhaled sharply when she pulled him into position and propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at her with his hand in her hair, as he pushed himself in slowly.

Ash: But that is totally sexy,

She breathed, and he moaned in agreement. He lowered his head to kiss her again, sinking gratefully into bliss. He still had one arm around her, which she grasped, and his hand found, then clutched her breast as he rolled his hips.

"You are totally sexy."

He said in her ear, then began to kiss her neck, her shoulders, her back. He put his knee between her legs, guiding her bent leg up a little farther, out a little more, as he shifted closer, more on top, finding a better angle.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower - Ashley's Room

He was inside her, but they were still going slow, his hips rolling against her. She felt his hand slide to her breast, and her body immediately responded.

"You are totally sexy."

She smiled as he kissed her neck. His lips moved to her shoulders, then back, and she reached back to put her hand to the back of his head, holding it against her.

"Mmm...that feels so good..."

His knee spread her legs apart further, and she put her hand down on the bed, rolling a little more onto her stomach. She rolled her hips in a circular motion as he moved in and out. She moaned loudly as he moved more on top of her, driving him deeper.

"Oh fuck Zach..." she said breathlessly, resting her cheek on the bed, her hand gripping the sheets. Her eyes shut, and her mouth opened, the sensations washing over her body building. She was fully awake now, feeling a tingling sensation all over her bare skin. And then something low in her stomach clenched, and she cried out.

"Fuck you're gonna make me come!"

And then she felt it come over her, like a build then release, her body pulsing around his cock. Her body spasmed through her aftershocks, and when she was done and her body relaxed, she felt rejuvenated. She rolled over, pulling him out of her, then pushed him forcefully onto his back and crawling on top of him so she could take his cock into her mouth. She raised her eyes to his face and watched him as she sucked him, running her tongue over his shaft as she moved her mouth around it. He was hers, and she would take him.

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower -- Ashley's Room

He devoted kisses to her skin, as one hand played with her hair, and the other teased her nipple, which had hardened under his fingertips. He told her how sexy she was, though honestly it was probably an understatement, as her hips rolled to meet his movements and she shifted under him.

Ash: Mmm...that feels so good...

She told him, as his lips traveled up her spine to the back of her neck. He moaned in her ear, pressing his body down on top of hers, holding her tight against his chest. She told him he was going to make her come, an admission that always served to amplify his desire exponentially, and then he felt it happen, which drove him wild.

When the waves started to lessen, he pushed himself up onto his knees, his hands going to her hips, intending to pull her up with him, so he could go faster. She rolled and pulled away from him, causing him to groan in protest, reaching for her, the expression on his face one of pain, as if it actually hurt to be separated from her.

"Ash..."

He started to say desperately, but then she was pushing him back, and changing their position. Before he could say or do anything else, she had taken him in her mouth, and he was practically falling back onto the bed.

"Oh, Gods...."

He moaned, watching her intently as she licked, and sucked, and looked back at him. He reached down, both hands into her hair, brushing it back gently. He couldn't stop moaning, or hold still.

"Oh.... I'm..... close!"

He exclaimed, and then he cried out, as his climax stormed him.

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower - Ashley's Room

"Ash..."

He didn't like it when she pulled away from him, and she grinned wickedly. Served him right for that thing he pulled last night. But also, he knew he was going to really, really enjoy this. And the moment she took him into her mouth, the protest stopped.

"Oh, Gods...."

He moaned, which only made her redouble her efforts, her eyes watching his reaction. His hands pushed her hair out of her face. She could tell she was getting to him, the way he moved, the sounds he was making.

"Oh.... I'm..... close!"

Her hand reached under him to stroke his balls, and she felt him tense and then come in a hot burst. But her eyes never stopped watching him. She pushed herself up onto her knees between his legs, and she ran her tongue from his abs up all the way to his neck, where she finally broke eye contact to kiss his shoulder and chest.

"I love the way you taste..."

Her voice was low and sultry, her desire plain. Her mouth moved to his neck on the other side, kissing and biting and sucking the flesh there.

"Mmmm I love the way you feel..."

She laid her body down on top of him, her chest pressing to his. She finally moved her lips to his mouth, kissing him deeply as if she wanted to possess him. The more she touched him the more she wanted him.

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower -- Ashley's Room

“That was amazing...”

He said, awash with satisfaction, smiling at her, as her tongue traveled up his chest. She started to kiss him, and told him she loved the way he tasted. He took a deep breath, his hands still in her hair, combing through slowly with his fingers as her lips traveled along his shoulders and chest. Her tone was still filled with lust, and he could feel the desire radiating from her body. She was biting and sucking on his skin, and it felt electric, causing him to moan.

Ash: Mmmm I love the way you feel...

His hands caressed her skin, gliding up her back and down again. This was usually the part where they cuddled blissfully, and he ‘recovered’, so to speak. This was usually the part where she waited patiently for him to get hard again, but something quite unusual was happening now. Her mouth was on his, and there was no patience, only passion.

She laid on top of him and all that passion did was grow, spilling from her to him, filling him with her desire as he met her kiss. Well now, this was a new and exciting empathic development. His hand trailed over her ass, down around the back of her thigh. She was so slick. His fingers slipped inside her, and he groaned with need. He felt like he was going to burst out of his own skin.

“Ash..... you’re...... you’re keeping me hard....”

He said, sounding a bit surprised. It was undeniably true, though. He pulled his fingers out and guided himself in, with loud groan of relief. It was soothing to be inside her again, and he wasn’t sure if it was her pleasure he was sensing, or his own, but he didn’t want to stop. Not now, not ever. He looked up at her lustily, a smirk playing on his lips, as he slapped her ass.

“Wicked woman....”

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower - Ashley's Room

“That was amazing...”

She wasn't done with him, her mouth greedily traveling his body, her tongue licking his salty skin. His hands were in her hair, and she knew that now normally they would kiss tenderly, and he would hold her. But she still felt so filled with desire, so horny. She wanted to possess him, every bit of him. Touching his skin made her feel like he was inside her, turning her on so much that she couldn't stop. He moaned and she felt the need between her legs tingle with readiness. If she had to kiss and stroke him until he was hard again, then so be it, because she needed to touch him.

She kissed him passionately, willing him to feel the same, to want her now. His hand was on her ass and then her thigh, his touch already making her moan against his mouth. But then she felt his fingers inside her, and the moan intensified.

"Yes...please..." she gasped out.

She needed him to touch her, she wanted him so badly, his fingers, his mouth - whatever he had to do to make her come again, she didn't care.

“Ash..... you’re...... you’re keeping me hard....”

"Then fuck me," she whimpered desperately.

His fingers were replaced by his cock, and she cried out loudly at the increased feeling.

"Yes! Yes, Zach...oh yes..."

He slapped her ass, and she looked down at him with such lust.

"Do it again."

“Wicked woman....”

She began to ride him, her hips moving fast, her urgency plain. She pushed herself up so she could move faster, putting her hands on his chest and straddling him with her legs. She looked down at him with a predatory gaze, managing to breathlessly get out:

"You wanted me to ride your stallion?"

before she started to scream.

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower -- Ashley's Room

Ash: Yes... please...

She moaned, when he pressed his fingers into her. Her mouth, her hands — she was all over him, and her need for him was so acutely powerful that he felt extremely aroused himself, despite having literally just ‘finished’. He was not finished. He wanted her so badly, it ached. He told her the effect she was having on him when their kiss broke, one hand gripping the nape of her neck as the other felt her as deeply as he could.

Ash: Then fuck me...

She commanded breathlessly. He replaced his fingers, and he thought she might come right away. Sliding deeply inside as she cried yes, he felt instantly dizzy with pleasure.

“You... are so.... fucking tight...”

He said, slapping her ass as she started to move on top of him. She told him to do it again, and he growled with desire, calling her a wicked woman, his voice filled with lust. He smacked her again, harder this time, a smirk twisting his lips. She sat upright, planting her hands on his pecs, and he watched her rise, his voracious gaze taking her in.

His hand fell from her neck to her knee, and from there it traveled up her thigh to grasp her hip tightly. The feel of her wrapped around him gave him an intense kind of ecstasy. She asked him if he’d wanted her to ride his stallion. He started to buck his hips under her, thrusting upwards as she came down, his hands gripping her waist.

“Oh, yes.... Ash, yes.... Gods, yes!”

He answered, and then he slapped her ass again sharply.

“Faster!”

He said, pressing his hands up her abs, grabbing her breasts. The climax was building again, this one more powerful than the last. His hands went separate ways. One slid down the front of her body until the pad of his thumb reached her sweet spot, where he started to stroke as she moved. The other hand went up over her chest, the front of her throat, and her chin, until his fingers reached her lips. He traced the outline of her kiss for a moment, then pressed his fingertips into her mouth, with a load moan of pleasure.

“OH FUCK ME!!!”

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower - Ashley's Room

She had been completely overtaken by her desire - she wanted him so badly, that nothing else mattered. There was no one in the world except for them, she needed nothing to live except his touch. She begged him to touch her as he fingers slid inside her. But it wasn't enough. It was never enough. She could feel him, hard under her. To Zach it seemed a wonder but to her it was just as it should be. Zach and Ash, bodies forever locked together, the physical manifestation of their love for each other overpowering everything else around them.

“You... are so.... fucking tight...”

He was such a romantic. Kind, sweet, thoughtful. But he had moments, those moments when something baser came into his voice, his actions, and it made her body swell with desire. When he talked dirty, when he smacked her ass, when his voice deepened to almost a growl. She could feel how much he wanted her, how he had to have her.

And she rode him like she couldn't bear the sensations he was causing any longer, like she had to come or she would die. She usually prolonged it for him, trying to tease him, drive him wild. But this time she couldn't, couldn't even think of it. There was only a primal need to come and make him come. She moved ferociously on top of him, and he met her movements with his own, shoving himself inside each time she lowered onto him. Each time felt like the first time, and she cried out loudly with each thrust. He commanded her to go faster, but there was no need, because the closer she came to her release the harder she rode, the more she needed him. He grabbed her breasts, and her head tilted back in ecstasy, high pitched noises coming from her mouth.

She felt his hand slide between her legs, and her noises became louder. It felt like her entire body was going to explode, but still she moved faster on top of him. His other hand was moving up from her breasts, and his fingers slid into her mouth. She sucked on them as if it was his cock.

“OH FUCK ME!!!”

Finally she lost all control, screaming loudly as her body tightened once again around his cock, but still she moved, thrashing on top of him until she came screaming.

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower -- Ashley's Room

She sucked on his fingers and he moaned, as she moved on top of him. His entire body felt rock hard with desire for her, rigid in answer to her rapacious need for him.

“OH FUCK ME!!!”

He exclaimed, as her volume and pitch climbed. He loved it when her cries of pleasure grew loud, it meant her orgasm was coming. Her body clenched him, spasming around him as she came, the waves of her pleasure crashing over him, and then suddenly with an involuntary jerk, he cried out, just as loud as her, as he released hard into her. His dick pulsed with passion, until his body finally relaxed.

He was gasping for air, and so was she, by the time they were done. He sat up, wrapping his arms around her tightly, holding her there in his lap, both their chests heaving, two hearts beating fast and in perfect sync.

Hers. He was hers. Completely and utterly hers. Emotionally, and physically, and in any other way possible, he was certain. For as much as she was his, she claimed him for her own, and he wanted it to be that way for all time. They belonged to each other, they belonged together. He was lost before he found her, and he would be lost again forever if he lost her.

He loved her so much, his whole body trembled with the emotion. He closed his eyes, and breathed deeply, hugging her firmly until it passed. He pulled back just enough to kiss her, slowly and tenderly. He smiled softly, stroking her hair, his eyes seeking hers.

“I can hardly wait to be your husband, and make you my wife.”

He admitted lovingly, and then he got an excited look on his face, as he suddenly remembered something.

“Oh! I haven’t told you my idea, for our honeymoon! I know everyone goes to the beach or whatever, but I was thinking... what if you and I went on... a hunting-moon? We could fly out somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, like Colorado or something, get a couple of horses to ride, camp out the middle of nowhere and hunt for some big game, elk or mountain lion or bear even!”

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower - Ashley's Room

He came just after she did, and she thought his voice matched the decibel level of her own. Her body glistened with sweat, her chest heaved with exertion. He'd make her come so fucking hard she almost didn't know where she was. But there he was, wrapping his arms around her. She buried her face in his neck, taking comfort in his solidity. She could feel his pulse against her lips, and she kissed it, was reassured by it.

He pulled back and kissed her mouth, so tenderly, with such emotion. His hands stroked her hair, and no massage could have felt better. He smiled, and it was the greatest sight she could have seen. He looked into her eyes, and she would have been happy to never see anything else as long as she lived. He was her world, and the breadth of emotion he made her feel had no bounds.

“I can hardly wait to be your husband, and make you my wife.”

Tears came to her eyes. It hardly seemed possible, to feel as much love as she did for him, or as much as she felt from him. When they made love, that's really what they were doing. So much that their bodies couldn't possibly contain it.

"I love you so much, Zach. I can't wait to be yours, forever."

Zach got that excited look on his face that he gets, the one that looks somewhere between a kid on Christmas and one who really has to go to the bathroom. It made her smile before she'd even heard what it was about. Her hand went to his temple and stroked his hair.

“Oh! I haven’t told you my idea, for our honeymoon! I know everyone goes to the beach or whatever, but I was thinking... what if you and I went on... a hunting-moon? We could fly out somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, like Colorado or something, get a couple of horses to ride, camp out the middle of nowhere and hunt for some big game, elk or mountain lion or bear even!”

Her smile widened.

"We're going to go on a honeymoon?"

She'd really thought they just go home after, especially since they were going to have a new home. Her hand slid up his chest, and she pressed her lips against his.

"Hunting sounds perfect."

She kissed him again.

"Especially if a lot of our time is spent in a tent...with one sleeping bag...We could bow hunt one day, rifle the next..."

She made a face like she was thinking.

"And I'm pretty sure our new place needs a bear rug."

She laughed, both arms going around his neck.

"So...my almost-husband. Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you some breakfast?"

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower -- Ashley's Room

Ash: I love you so much, Zach. I can't wait to be yours, forever.

He smiled warmly, his arms still wrapped around her, his hands rubbing her back gently as she touched his hair.

“Soon, my love.”

He replied, and then he excitedly told her about his idea for their honeymoon.

Ash: We’re going on a honeymoon?

“Of course, babe!”

He said, as her hand brushed up his chest. She leaned in to kiss him, and he met her lips with his. She told him hunting sounded perfect, to his delight, and then kissed him again.

Ash: Especially if a lot of our time is spent in a tent...with one sleeping bag...

“Yes, that’s essential to any successful hunting trip.”

He responded salaciously.

Ash: We could bow hunt one day, rifle the next... And I'm pretty sure our new place needs a bear rug.

”You shoot him, I’ll skin him.”

He offered helpfully, and she laughed.

Ash: So...my almost-husband.

She started, and his smile reached his eyes.

Ash: Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you some breakfast?

“Mmm, yes, starving, thanks. I’ll call the realtor, and tell her we’d like to see a couple places this afternoon.”

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower - Ashley's Room

They sat there, arms wrapped around each other. Zach rubbed her back and it felt so relaxing she wanted to rest her head on his shoulder. But then he got excited, and started talking about their honeymoon. or, huntingmoon, as he was calling it. She actually started getting excited too, talking about mixing it up, bow hunting and rifle. Maybe bagging a bear, which Zach gentlemanly offered to clean.

She was feeling particularly protective, after the intimate connection they had just made. Plus Zach's sweet words about wanting to become her husband. So she asked him if he wanted her to make him some breakfast. She could let her husband-to-be go hungry.

“Mmm, yes, starving, thanks. I’ll call the realtor, and tell her we’d like to see a couple places this afternoon.”

She gave him a peck on the lips, then slid out of bed, pulling on a tee shirt more for Zach's sensibilities than her own. She padded out into the apartment, which was empty, at least for now. She hummed to herself as she raided the fridge, getting out the eggs and assorted fixin's. Zizi always had stuff perfectly cut up in the fridge, which she used to her advantage, cooking up two cheese and veggie omelettes, a mound of bacon, and a pile of toast. She loaded all the food up on a tray with two glasses of juice and brought it back into the bedroom.

"What do you say? Breakfast in bed?"

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower -- Ashley's Room

Ash gave him a parting kiss, slipped out of bed, and pulled on a shirt. Zach gave her a smile, taking comfort in the fact that if anybody showed up at the Clocktower unannounced, which was something that was known to happen frequently, since this was the BoP 'headquarters', then at least she wasn't totally naked.

He leaned to grab his phone off the nightstand, and then reclined back on the bed, shifting the pillows around to prop himself up some as he scrolled through his contacts. What was that lady's name? Oh, right, Jennifer something. He wasn't even going to try to pronounce that last name.

He gave her a call, which she said she'd been expecting. He'd gotten her contact info from Gavin, who must have tipped her off. It was a short conversation, with Zach answering her preliminary questions as best he could, and then they set up a time and place to meet.

Ash: What do you say? Breakfast in bed?

“Oh, that smells superb.”

He said, swiping a piece of bacon from the pile. He propped up some pillows for her, and then helped stabilize the tray of food as she settled into bed next to him. As he took his plate, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, my love.”

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower - Ashley's Room

She came back into the bedroom carrying the tray of food. Zach was propped up on some pillows and he helped her get into bed next to him without dumping the tray.

“Oh, that smells superb.”

"Well I did live before grocery stores and take out."

She smiled as he snuck a strip of bacon from the tray. When she was settled in, he took his plate, and kissed her cheek, suprising her and making her grin wider.

“Thank you, my love.”

She just smiled, cutting a large bite of omelette with her fork and sticking it into her mouth. She wasn't used to being thanked for things, but she would have done anything for Zach, thanks or no thanks.

She loved breakfast food, attacking her omelette with gusto - and the bacon, and the toast, and the juice.

"So, what did the apartment lady say?" she asked as she munched.

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower -- Ashley's Room

She brought him food, and looked sexy as hell in the meantime. He wasn’t sure if he was drooling over her, or the food, but breakfast DID smell great, and he told her as much.

Ash: Well I did live before grocery stores and take out.

Zach crunched on his bacon and considered that for a moment. He was deeply grateful he’d never experienced such a time. He could hardly fathom how much harder life would be without the modern daily conveniences. He loved the outdoors, loved to go camping, but after a week or so, he certainly missed civilization.

“Gods, that must have been a hard life, when you were growing up.”

He said, digging into his omelette. His gaze settled on her whenever he wasn’t looking at his plate.

“So, did you end up becoming a raider like your father, before you were a Valkyrie?”

He asked curiously. He wanted to know everything about her, including her human life. She asked about the realtor as he drank some juice.

“Oh, yes, she said there’s a couple of properties we might be interested in, she’s going to get the details on them, and can meet us in about an hour. She’ll text me one of the addresses when she’s ready.”

 

[Valkyrie]

The Clocktower - Ashley's Room

She talked about living before modern conveniences, which amazed him.

“Gods, that must have been a hard life, when you were growing up.”

She shrugged nonchalantly.

"We didn't know any different."

She took a large bite of bacon.

"And, really, what else did we have to do? It's not like there was tv. And there were servants."

She paused, thinking about it for a moment.

"You felt a lot freer, then. There wasn't so...much."

She waved her hands in the air, indicating everything around her. Then she shrugged again.

"And people didn't live so long."

“So, did you end up becoming a raider like your father, before you were a Valkyrie?”

She made a noncommittal motion of her head as she chewed.

"Sort of. I went along on some raids. I'm not sure my father ever considered me a raider though. In fact, I'm sure he didn't. I went on a couple raids to Anglia, Ireland. But my father spent a lot of his time fighting for territory, so I did that more."

A battlefield...a boy with blood pouring out of his mouth...

She asked him about his call to the realtor.

“Oh, yes, she said there’s a couple of properties we might be interested in, she’s going to get the details on them, and can meet us in about an hour. She’ll text me one of the addresses when she’s ready.”

"Okay."

She took a drink of her juice, then rested her head on Zach's shoulder. She tried to think about Zach and how much he wanted to look for this new place to live. But her mind kept being invaded by images from long ago.

 

[Orion]

The Clocktower -- Ashley's Room

Ash reminded him that she'd lived before grocery stores, and takeout. He supposed that had been a hard way of life, growing up.

Ash: We didn't know any different. And, really, what else did we have to do? It's not like there was tv. And there were servants.

"Oh, that's right.... you were a princess...."

He said, remembering that she'd said once that her grandfather had become king by slaying a dragon. He gave her a slightly awed smile.

"Well, I guess you are a princess. It's not like you ever really stopped being one."

He added, and she said she'd felt freer then, that there wasn't so much stuff. He nodded. How much simpler life must have been. He imagined there were pros and cons. For example, people didn't live as long back then. He asked her if she'd become a raider like her father, as she'd once said she wanted to, when she was a kid.

Ash: Sort of. I went along on some raids. I'm not sure my father ever considered me a raider though. In fact, I'm sure he didn't. I went on a couple raids to Anglia, Ireland. But my father spent a lot of his time fighting for territory, so I did that more.

"Hmm, interesting."

He said, as he continued to eat. He sensed something then, a shift in her mood, and not for the better. He glanced over at her, worried that he'd upset her. She abruptly changed the subject. He answered her, and she responded with just one word, then laid her head on his shoulder. Now he knew he'd upset her. He stopped eating, setting his plate down on the tray gently, so he could wrap his arms around her, trying to figure out what might be bothering her.

"I'm sorry,"

He started, pulling her close to him.

"You must miss your father terribly."