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body div#devskin0 hr { }

John opened the door to the stable ever so slightly, so that only a thin ray of dim, rain-soaked moonlight shone through. Through the crack in the door, he saw Rella sitting on the straw, hunched over and trembling.

"Rella?" he whispered. At the sound of his voice, she turned her head. Only part of her face was visible in the thin light, but her eyes met his, and he saw that she was weeping. She realized he could see her expression, and turned away quickly.

He opened the door just enough so that he could slip through, and slowly walked up to her. Looking up at her face, he couldn't help but feel moved.

Rella was the latest addition to their little adventuring party, which consisted of himself, two brothers, a priest, and now her. They had encountered her in the deep woods, being attacked by serpentfolk; though she would have been more than a match for any one of them, there were four or five ganging up on her. John and his fellows had intervened when the serpent folk got her down, and beat her within an inch of her life.

The reason she would ordinarily have had no trouble with a snake-man was apparent to anyone who saw her. Her muscles were strong, yes, but it was her superior stature of over three meters that gave her an advantage over her usual opponents. Rella had no idea of the reason for her great size, but she dimly remembered something involving a sorcerer or an alchemist.

A sob from Rella brought John back to the present. He reached up and put a gentle hand on Rella's shoulder. "Why are you crying, milady?"

"I..." She sniffled slightly. "I just...I can't stand it!" she sobbed softly.

John waited a moment before speaking. "What is it you can't stand?"

Rella straightened slightly - as much as she could, with the stable ceiling so low for her - and wiped away some of her tears. "I'm sick of it all! I'm sick of not being able to go in doors, of having to walk while everyone else rides horses, of having to buy three meals and still not being sated!" She paused to take a deep breath. "And...and everyone avoids me as though I were some kind of plague beast!"

"Rella..." John was astounded to find that he had never considered the situation from her perspective. Sure, she had to spend more money on everything, but it was her share after all, and it mattered not to the others how she spent it. And not being able to sit around the table with the rest of them made working out fair arrangements a bit more inconvenient. But...

"And it's bad enough having to sleep in this leaking, unwashed stable," she continued, "but even the animals won't come near me!" She broke out into another fit of sobs.

John came closer to her and put his arm on hers comfortingly, and felt that her skin was cold and wet. So she wasn't just trembling from her crying, but shivering from the cold! He now felt more deeply sorry for her than he ever had for anyone.

"If it would please you," John started timidly, "I could stay here with you tonight, and keep you company."

A change came over Rella's face. "Do...do you mean it?"

John nodded in all seriousness. "I do, Rella. I can't bear the thought of you suffering alone like this, least of all in a winter rain."

He saw that Rella started weeping again, but these were, judging by her face, tears of profound joy. She put her arms around him, but before she hugged him, stopped herself, and slowly and gently pulled him closer to her. Even through his linen shirt and trousers, she could feel his relatively small body's warmth.

John yielded to her; even though she was evidently doing her best to be delicate, he still felt her very strong muscles wrapped tightly around him. He looked up at her, smiling kindly, and she returned his smile. Putting his arms around her waist as far as they would go, he felt that, despite the cold, she herself was fairly warm.

The two said nothing, and one after another fell asleep, sheltered from the storm by each other's embrace.

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

John opened the door to the stable ever so slightly, so that only a thin ray of dim, rain-soaked moonlight shone through. Through the crack in the door, he saw Rella sitting on the straw, hunched over and trembling.

"Rella?" he whispered. At the sound of his voice, she turned her head. Only part of her face was visible in the thin light, but her eyes met his, and he saw that she was weeping. She realized he could see her expression, and turned away quickly.

He opened the door just enough so that he could slip through, and slowly walked up to her. Looking up at her face, he couldn't help but feel moved.

Rella was the latest addition to their little adventuring party, which consisted of himself, two brothers, a priest, and now her. They had encountered her in the deep woods, being attacked by serpentfolk; though she would have been more than a match for any one of them, there were four or five ganging up on her. John and his fellows had intervened when the serpent folk got her down, and beat her within an inch of her life.

The reason she would ordinarily have had no trouble with a snake-man was apparent to anyone who saw her. Her muscles were strong, yes, but it was her superior stature of over three meters that gave her an advantage over her usual opponents. Rella had no idea of the reason for her great size, but she dimly remembered something involving a sorcerer or an alchemist.

A sob from Rella brought John back to the present. He reached up and put a gentle hand on Rella's shoulder. "Why are you crying, milady?"

"I..." She sniffled slightly. "I just...I can't stand it!" she sobbed softly.

John waited a moment before speaking. "What is it you can't stand?"

Rella straightened slightly - as much as she could, with the stable ceiling so low for her - and wiped away some of her tears. "I'm sick of it all! I'm sick of not being able to go in doors, of having to walk while everyone else rides horses, of having to buy three meals and still not being sated!" She paused to take a deep breath. "And...and everyone avoids me as though I were some kind of plague beast!"

"Rella..." John was astounded to find that he had never considered the situation from her perspective. Sure, she had to spend more money on everything, but it was her share after all, and it mattered not to the others how she spent it. And not being able to sit around the table with the rest of them made working out fair arrangements a bit more inconvenient. But...

"And it's bad enough having to sleep in this leaking, unwashed stable," she continued, "but even the animals won't come near me!" She broke out into another fit of sobs.

John came closer to her and put his arm on hers comfortingly, and felt that her skin was cold and wet. So she wasn't just trembling from her crying, but shivering from the cold! He now felt more deeply sorry for her than he ever had for anyone.

"If it would please you," John started timidly, "I could stay here with you tonight, and keep you company."

A change came over Rella's face. "Do...do you mean it?"

John nodded in all seriousness. "I do, Rella. I can't bear the thought of you suffering alone like this, least of all in a winter rain."

He saw that Rella started weeping again, but these were, judging by her face, tears of profound joy. She put her arms around him, but before she hugged him, stopped herself, and slowly and gently pulled him closer to her. Even through his linen shirt and trousers, she could feel his relatively small body's warmth.

John yielded to her; even though she was evidently doing her best to be delicate, he still felt her very strong muscles wrapped tightly around him. He looked up at her, smiling kindly, and she returned his smile. Putting his arms around her waist as far as they would go, he felt that, despite the cold, she herself was fairly warm.

The two said nothing, and one after another fell asleep, sheltered from the storm by each other's embrace.