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hathor_girlChapter 17: The Mission
Rosha POV.
We have finished the trade - and it went very well! Martouf seems to be a skilled diplomat, despite being so young. I am impressed!
The locals will bring our goods to the big ring, the chaapa'ai. We will carry it through to a stop-over world, were more Tok'ra will come to help us transport it the rest of the way.
Before we leave, we have been invited to participate in their yearly celebration of their harvest. Today is the last day of the celebration, and there will be plenty of food and drink, as well as dancing and music. It was a good time to go here - they even had eggs and chicken for sale.
Malek - well, Naron - says we should stay. It would not be polite otherwise.
The food have been excellent, better than I have ever had, and certainly more. Our harvest celebrations have never been this lavish, and never with so much alcohol. Fortunately, Jolinar is protecting me somewhat from the effects, so we are only slightly tipsy.
The music has started playing, and the villagers are starting to dance. We... Tok'ra... are sitting in a corner by ourselves, talking and observing.
It is strange thinking of oneself as Tok'ra, but I guess I am that now, since I am fully blended with Jolinar.
Suddenly, a young man who has obviously had too much to drink, touch my shoulder. I turn to look at him.
"Hey, pretty! Wanna dance?"
I smile to him, feeling uncomfortable. "Ah, no thank you."
"Come on! I'm a great dancer!" He grabs my arm and pulls me up. "I'm a great lover too - I'll show you later if you want?" He attempts to kiss me, and I twist partially out of his grip.
"Let go of her, immediately!" Martouf barks, pushing the other man.
"Oh? Or what? You'll make me? Child!" He mocks, letting go of me and focusing on Martouf.
"Yes, I would make you let go of her - but I do not have to, since you already have. Now, leave, and we won't have any trouble."
"Leave? Hah! Why would I do that?" He challenges.
"Because she told you she was not interested, besides, she is mine!"
The unpleasant man immediately approach me again. "Listen, wench, you need a real man, not a kid. Come with me and I'll show you the difference." He grabs my arm again, hard.
I cry out and try to push him aside. Martouf looks furious, and gives up on the diplomacy. I feel grateful as he grabs hold of the bully - who is almost a head taller than him, and much broader. The local man lets go of me, and begins fighting with Martouf. They tumble to the ground.
"Let go of him! Don't harm him!" I yell at the bully, afraid for Martouf's life.
Several other of the locals come running, but before they can intervene, I see Martouf's eyes flash, and Lantash takes over. He clearly has a lot of training in martial arts, because he makes short work of the aggressor. It takes only minutes before the man is lying facedown on the floor with Lantash sitting on him, having twisted the man's arm, making him scream that he surrenders. Lantash smiles dangerously, then lets go and jumps up.
"I accept your surrender." He tells him, using Martouf's voice.
It turns out no one except us Tok'ra had seen Lantash flash their eyes, so no one commented on it. The bully was a known offender, and always made an ass of himself at parties, getting too drunk and hitting on the girls, whether they wanted it or not. A group of the locals took him home, and we sat down to continue the party, somewhat shaken, but relieved all had turned out for the best.
Martouf sits down beside me, having gotten control back from Lantash. "Are you allright?" He asks, worried.
"Yes, I'm fine, just shaken. Thank you so much for saving me! You're not hurt, I hope?"
"No, I am unharmed." He sighs. "I wish I was as good a fighter as Lantash, but he says I will be, more or less at least. Some of it will come as I learn to access his knowledge better, and some of it I learn in the normal way, through training. Lantash makes me stronger, faster, and more agile - I just need to learn to fight."
I smile at him. "I should probably join that training session. We could learn to fight - together."
"I would like that." He smiles at me, a little mischievously. "Don't I get a reward for saving you?"
I blush, looking down. "What did you have in mind?"
"A dance, maybe, or... a kiss?" He looks hopeful.
I smile at him, feeling my heart beat faster. Jolinar thinks it is a great idea, and enthusiastically urges me on. "Yes," I tell him. "Let's dance. If you're good, I may kiss you afterwards..." I wink at him, taking his hand.
Martouf POV.
I have never been a good dancer, and Lantash is not much better, but the local dances are easy and fun, and we find ourselves dancing many dances with Rosha and Jolinar, enjoying ourselves immensely. I am certain they are too, because Rosha is happy and giggling.
Between the dances and the short breaks for drinks and such, the evening passes quickly, and then the last dance is over.
I take Rosha's hand and I am about to go rejoin the rest of our small group, when she pulls at me.
"Rosha?" I ask her, uncomprehending.
"You wanted a kiss, did you not?" She smiles at me, blushing, shy - but also trying to look daring. "Well, we have danced, and I think you were good, so..." She looks down.
I smile at her, widely, and pull her to me. "Sweet Rosha and Jolinar. Lantash and I would be very happy to kiss you."
Pleased she no longer feels it necessary to hide behind Jolinar, I lean in and gently touch my lips to hers. When she does not pull back, I apply a little more pressure. She makes a small sound and put a hand on my side, then the other on my shoulder, holding me to her as she slowly moves her lips against mine.
Rosha POV.
We have finished the trade - and it went very well! Martouf seems to be a skilled diplomat, despite being so young. I am impressed!
The locals will bring our goods to the big ring, the chaapa'ai. We will carry it through to a stop-over world, were more Tok'ra will come to help us transport it the rest of the way.
Before we leave, we have been invited to participate in their yearly celebration of their harvest. Today is the last day of the celebration, and there will be plenty of food and drink, as well as dancing and music. It was a good time to go here - they even had eggs and chicken for sale.
Malek - well, Naron - says we should stay. It would not be polite otherwise.
The food have been excellent, better than I have ever had, and certainly more. Our harvest celebrations have never been this lavish, and never with so much alcohol. Fortunately, Jolinar is protecting me somewhat from the effects, so we are only slightly tipsy.
The music has started playing, and the villagers are starting to dance. We... Tok'ra... are sitting in a corner by ourselves, talking and observing.
It is strange thinking of oneself as Tok'ra, but I guess I am that now, since I am fully blended with Jolinar.
Suddenly, a young man who has obviously had too much to drink, touch my shoulder. I turn to look at him.
"Hey, pretty! Wanna dance?"
I smile to him, feeling uncomfortable. "Ah, no thank you."
"Come on! I'm a great dancer!" He grabs my arm and pulls me up. "I'm a great lover too - I'll show you later if you want?" He attempts to kiss me, and I twist partially out of his grip.
"Let go of her, immediately!" Martouf barks, pushing the other man.
"Oh? Or what? You'll make me? Child!" He mocks, letting go of me and focusing on Martouf.
"Yes, I would make you let go of her - but I do not have to, since you already have. Now, leave, and we won't have any trouble."
"Leave? Hah! Why would I do that?" He challenges.
"Because she told you she was not interested, besides, she is mine!"
The unpleasant man immediately approach me again. "Listen, wench, you need a real man, not a kid. Come with me and I'll show you the difference." He grabs my arm again, hard.
I cry out and try to push him aside. Martouf looks furious, and gives up on the diplomacy. I feel grateful as he grabs hold of the bully - who is almost a head taller than him, and much broader. The local man lets go of me, and begins fighting with Martouf. They tumble to the ground.
"Let go of him! Don't harm him!" I yell at the bully, afraid for Martouf's life.
Several other of the locals come running, but before they can intervene, I see Martouf's eyes flash, and Lantash takes over. He clearly has a lot of training in martial arts, because he makes short work of the aggressor. It takes only minutes before the man is lying facedown on the floor with Lantash sitting on him, having twisted the man's arm, making him scream that he surrenders. Lantash smiles dangerously, then lets go and jumps up.
"I accept your surrender." He tells him, using Martouf's voice.
It turns out no one except us Tok'ra had seen Lantash flash their eyes, so no one commented on it. The bully was a known offender, and always made an ass of himself at parties, getting too drunk and hitting on the girls, whether they wanted it or not. A group of the locals took him home, and we sat down to continue the party, somewhat shaken, but relieved all had turned out for the best.
Martouf sits down beside me, having gotten control back from Lantash. "Are you allright?" He asks, worried.
"Yes, I'm fine, just shaken. Thank you so much for saving me! You're not hurt, I hope?"
"No, I am unharmed." He sighs. "I wish I was as good a fighter as Lantash, but he says I will be, more or less at least. Some of it will come as I learn to access his knowledge better, and some of it I learn in the normal way, through training. Lantash makes me stronger, faster, and more agile - I just need to learn to fight."
I smile at him. "I should probably join that training session. We could learn to fight - together."
"I would like that." He smiles at me, a little mischievously. "Don't I get a reward for saving you?"
I blush, looking down. "What did you have in mind?"
"A dance, maybe, or... a kiss?" He looks hopeful.
I smile at him, feeling my heart beat faster. Jolinar thinks it is a great idea, and enthusiastically urges me on. "Yes," I tell him. "Let's dance. If you're good, I may kiss you afterwards..." I wink at him, taking his hand.
Martouf POV.
I have never been a good dancer, and Lantash is not much better, but the local dances are easy and fun, and we find ourselves dancing many dances with Rosha and Jolinar, enjoying ourselves immensely. I am certain they are too, because Rosha is happy and giggling.
Between the dances and the short breaks for drinks and such, the evening passes quickly, and then the last dance is over.
I take Rosha's hand and I am about to go rejoin the rest of our small group, when she pulls at me.
"Rosha?" I ask her, uncomprehending.
"You wanted a kiss, did you not?" She smiles at me, blushing, shy - but also trying to look daring. "Well, we have danced, and I think you were good, so..." She looks down.
I smile at her, widely, and pull her to me. "Sweet Rosha and Jolinar. Lantash and I would be very happy to kiss you."
Pleased she no longer feels it necessary to hide behind Jolinar, I lean in and gently touch my lips to hers. When she does not pull back, I apply a little more pressure. She makes a small sound and put a hand on my side, then the other on my shoulder, holding me to her as she slowly moves her lips against mine.