"Maxwell, I am retiring to my chambers. Would you send up the Bear, please?" Arianda rose from her chair and grinned a sly grin to Lady Terin as she tossed her napkin onto the dining table.

"Of course, M'Lady Arianda. Shall I have him carry in some plum wine as well? You're missing dessert." Maxwell was already up on his feet. He usually ate dinner with the Ladies so he would be handy if they had need of anything and... Terin rather liked the games they played under the table. It made for a humorous spill from time to time.

"Yes. If you please, Maxwell, and you may serve my portion of dessert to dear Terin." She turned to Terin as he went off grinning to fetch her company for the night and the wine. "How is it that you got the mind reader? I'd wager that he serves as a platter for your dessert too."

Lady Terin was quite amused and even smug as she grinned back. "Have you been spying in my chambers, Ari?"

"Well, you can be assured I won't tonight. Time to see how the Bear's training has progressed, hm?" With that, Arianda swept off to her Amethyst Tower, followed by the sound of Lady Terin's laughter.

In her chambers, Arianda slipped out of her dinner dress and put on a more casual one. She selected the deep blue-gray rough silk shift, the one she thought set off her eyes so well. The full skirt was comfortable for sitting however her mood might wish and she liked the feel of the low round neck and off-the-shoulder sleeves fitted to her wrists. She tossed her hair up into a loose bundle and draped a silver chain around her neck. Hanging from the chain, just between the swell of her breasts, was her large teardrop amethyst.

When the knock came at her door, she bid him enter. It was indeed the Bear and he carried a silver tray of chilled plum wine and two glasses. He was dressed in the "uniform" that Arianda had designated for him. She felt it would be a shame to cover his body but rather liked the look of him in only loose black leggings made of thin silk to drape nicely over his lovely firm ass and thighs. He of course wore the collar and cuffs given to him on his first day at Double Moon. His long hair was pulled back in a thick braid. Arianda assumed this was his choice. It wasn't hers, but she'd given no instructions in that regard.

She walked him through to the bedchamber and waved her hand toward a low table in the seating end of it. "You may serve the wine from there. Please pour yourself a glass as well."

Bear nodded and made as much of a bow as he could while balancing the tray. "Yes, Mistress." As he moved across to the table and knelt to set it down, Arianda noted how graceful he was. She was slow to close the doors for watching him. When she turned to join him, the two small glasses of wine were poured and sitting on the tray. Bear was sitting on his feet, knees apart, hands resting on his thighs with palms up. His head was held high, but eyes lowered.

"Ah, very nice. I see your training is going well." She half-reclined on the settee on the opposite side of the low table. She propped her hand under her head. Bear immediately rose to his feet and bowed to deliver the glass of wine. She took it then paused him before he sat back on the floor. "Please, Bear, come sit here." She patted the space next to her on the settee. "Share your wine with me."

He showed no emotion but was heartened for the privilege. He picked up the glass he had poured for himself and sat on the edge of the settee, within the curve of her body. "Is this suitable, Mistress?"

"Yes, perfect but I would prefer that you call me M'Lady." She sipped at the ultra sweet plum wine and mmmm'd at the richness of it.

Bear watched her for a moment then quietly said "Yes, M'lady." He lifted his glass to sip. When he had just taken a mouthful in, Arianda said. "Do not swallow. I asked you to share it." Bear held the wine in his mouth as he arched a brow at her. She leaned forward and looked into those grey eyes then in another moment, took his mouth with hers and sucked from him the sweet taste of plums he'd warmed for her.

When she sat back and leaned her head upon her hand again, she watched his amazement at her action. "You may take your own sip now." she grinned.

His eyes did not leave hers as his glass raised to his lips, nor when he sipped. Only when he had swallowed slowly did he look down idly into the glass, watching the thick clear liquid swirl within it.

Arianda scooted up on the settee and held her wine in one hand while reaching out with the other to touch Bear's stomach. "Lean back." He did so, bracing on one elbow. She ran her fingers over the ring piercing his navel. "Healing nicely."

"Yes, M'Lady."

"Bear, you may speak more than acknowledgement. I do rather enjoy good conversation." Her hand slid up across his stomach then to his chest. She let her thumb brush through his sparce black hair there then she withdrew her hand.

"And what does M'Lady prefer to discuss?"

Again she heard more refinement in his voice than was usual for the trade. Arianda was suddenly feeling restless so she drew her legs up and swiveled around him on the settee to get up and pace with her wine glass hanging in her fingers. "Most anything. What do you know?"

Bear rose to stand too. It felt uncomfortable to sit with her up and moving about. He was trying to will himself to relax with her but he knew almost nothing of her expectations. Maxwell and the other training staff had told him very little that would be helpful in this regard. "You noted my training. Though the staff is excellent, I must confess, I have had prior training."

Arianda wandered to a window and looked out. Her voice was distracted. His voice distracted her. "Have you? From your behavior at Auction I had wondered if you knew the first thing about service. I do recall however that you said you've belonged to many."

"The Auction is... not a pleasant place." He took a sip of the wine and leaned back against the stone hearth, a vantage point for seeing her pale and gray form bathed in moonlight. He knew what he wanted to discuss, but didn't dare speak it aloud. He omitted any response to her comment on belonging.

She turned to catch him looking at her. "Pleasantries are mostly for free men, which you are not."

"Yes, M'Lady, although, there are many types of freedom and many things to be free from." Before the last of it left his lips he wished he hadn't said it.

Pondering his cryptic comment, she took another sip of wine and vowed to herself to stop soon because it was going to her head. She stood in the window, half a moonlit vision and half shadow. "Did you choose this life, Bear, or did another choose it for you?"

He looked down into the wine again, then over at Lady Arianda, then completely away, across the room, across his life. "Difficult question to answer."

She noticed his jaw flexing in the exaggerated shadows of the room. She stepped closer to him and into a deep shadow such that her voice seemed to come from nowhere. "Come share your wine with me again."

Grateful for the change of topic, he looked back at her and for a moment had difficulty making out her form in the shadow but her pale face was a brighter spot there. He strode confidently to her then and stopped only as he stood very close. He watched her face as he took a sip of wine and held it. She waited and he leaned in, slowly pressing his lips to hers. He released the wine to her only with the taste on his lips. He held his glass in one hand but the other slid around her waist and pulled her up against his hard body. Still his lips, laced with the wine, searched hers, caressed them, took her breath with their warmth and flavor. He let the last of it slip to her in a deeper tongue kiss, searching and finding passion in her mouth and giving his own.

When he was done, he drew away only slightly and swallowed through a panting breath. Arianda did the same and then her hoarse voice spoke in a whisper across his lips. "Now answer my question."

He realized his arm was still around her and he withdrew it but he couldn't step away. Instead he raised his head and spoke over hers. "I cannot, for it is not..." No. He couldn't get into this. He didn't want to. The wine. Her company. Now was not the time.

She could hear his struggle in the words and feel his reluctance. She took his glass and swept across the room with some agitation, setting the glasses on the tray. He turned and watched as she walked back, sweeping past a chair and fetching her riding crop. He could only watch her as she stepped quickly to him in the shadow. He was too surprised to stop her when she pushed her body against him and brought the crop up firmly across his throat, pinning him back against the wall.

He swallowed with difficulty for the crop was nearly choking him. He looked up and closed his eyes then hoarsely spoke. "Beg pardon, M'Lady." He wasn't altogether sure what he was apologizing for but she was angry and he had prompted it.

Arianda hissed up across his chest and at his throat. "Look at me!" Bear opened his eyes and lowered his gaze to see her cold gray eyes glittering up at him. He sucked in a breath through his constricted throat. Their eyes were locked, searching. She spoke to him again in breath laced with the sweetness of the wine but acid in her voice. "Why have you had so many owners? What possessed you to growl at a lord at Auction? Why provoke the Handler's punishments?" She let all her wonderings spill out at once. In the week since encountering him, she'd spent hours turning these questions over in her mind. "If you are trained then the problem must be willfulness. Yet you have shown none with me... til now."

Bear sighed and swallowed against the crop. He closed his eyes to her as his hands came up to cover hers gently. She was using her body weight to hold the crop to his throat, but his hands easily pulled hers away. Arianda jerked her hands from his and stepped back. She held the grip of the crop with white knuckles and tapped the hard straight of it her other hand. She was obviously seething, but part of it was directed at herself. She had felt his power. It frightened her and thrilled her.

He stole some of her fire then, by dropping to one knee and bowing his head. "I have displeased you, M'Lady, and for that I apologize." Arianda drew her hand up and brought down the crop against his bare neck just below the edge of his collar. He flinched as it slapped sharply against his skin and set his jaw but there was not a sound from him, nor did he look up. He heard the crop hit the stone floor and saw it skid after she sailed it angrily across the room. He saw the deep gray hem of her full skirts whirl away from him. After some moments, he dared a side glance to see where she'd gone.

( Continued on Pg 2)