Page 6 of Rise of a Fallen Man

I wasn’t scared. Confused mostly. I also didn’t want to offend the woman who’d let me live in her house for the past two years.

Emil jogged back from Otto, who led the horse away and took our weapons with him.

“Yes, let’s go swimming!” Emil pulled off his boots.

With him being here, the tension paralyzing my limbs eased a little.

“Come on, Salas.” Lady Lana gestured for me to follow her into the river. “You can keep your clothes on. I’m not taking off my undershirt either. See? It’s all as proper as could be.”

Wearing only his shirt and underpants, Emil ran past us and into the water. His mother followed him, gingerly holding up the hem of her long undershirt. I took off my waistcoat, boots, and pants, then joined them in the stream.

The water felt chilly but refreshing against my flushed skin. I splashed around with Emil, playing tag in the water with him. Then, we competed to see who could hold his breath the longest.

Lady Lana slowly swam around in circles, floating on her back, with her face up to the sun. She whelped suddenly and splashed, looking like she was about to go under.

“Mother?” Emil made a move to go after her. But she was closer to the middle of the river, too far for him to swim safely.

“Wait here.” I stopped him. “I’ll get her.”

I was a much stronger swimmer than Emil and reached the lady in a few long strokes.

“Lady Lana?”

She wasn’t fighting the stream anymore, treading it confidently with a smile on her lips.

“What happened?” I blew the water out of my face, tossing my wet hair back.

“I think I got bit by a leech,” she cooed, as if talking about something sweet and pleasant.

“Ew, a leech!” Emil screamed and rushed out of the water, wildly splashing around.

I wished I could join him. There was nothing pleasant about leeches. But I couldn’t leave the lady all alone here, even if she didn’t look like she was in trouble.

“Where?” I looked over her arms and shoulders. “I don’t see any leeches on you.”

“On my leg? Maybe?” she said playfully.

I believed she was lying, but of course I couldn’t tell her that to her face. Turning around and swimming away would be rude too.

“Let’s get out of the water,” I suggested. “We can see it better then.”

“Great idea, Salas. Only I don’t think I can swim that far.” She batted her eyelashes at me.

“I’ll help you.”

I took her arm and put it around my neck, helping her swim. The moment my feet reached the bottom, however, Lady Lana flexed her arm around my neck, then floated forward and into my arms.

“You’re so strong.” She bent her legs, pressing herself to my chest, as if I were carrying her in front of me.

I kept walking, pushing her ahead of me and toward the riverbank.

The water sluiced around us. Lady Lana giggled, raising her shoulder. Her leaving her shirt on accomplished nothing, I realized. The thin fabric had turned nearly transparent in the water. The stream pushed it off her shoulder. The lacy edge got caught on the bud of her nipple, otherwise it would have slid off completely, exposing her breast.

She noticed me looking and sighed with a half-moan, not bothering to adjust the shirt or cover up.

I stared straight ahead, painfully aware of blood rushing to my crotch and my cock swelling embarrassingly hard. It’d been happening often enough for me not to freak out now. But never before had it been as a reaction to Lady Lana, especially while she was right there, giving me a knowing smile.

“I think I can touch the ground here.” She dropped her legs down.

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