When Rick awoke the next morning, he felt warmth all along his spine and down his backside. It was a soft and pleasant warmth that made him want to curl up and fall back asleep. A hand clutched gently at his chest and Rick’s tired mind slowly realized that it was not his own.

Turning, he saw that Sade must have turned over in the night and was spooning him with one arm around his chest and the other cradling her head pressed up against the back of his neck. His morning wood surged ever harder as he enjoyed the feeling of soft flesh enveloping his rear and he gingerly tried to extract himself before he did something he would very much regret.

He relieved himself, in more ways than one, just a few short steps from the camp, making sure that he was positioned behind their shelter in case Sade woke up and began looking for him. Looking down at the remnants of their fire, he saw that the food they ate last night was crawling with ants. Rick’s stomach rumbled with need and he briefly wondered if he could still cook some of the raw meat regardless. He figured the fire would burn away anything bad. He could ask Sade when she woke up if she knew it was safe to eat after that.

With that thought he gathered some kindling to reignite the smoldering coals that remained of their cookfire. Sade began to stir after the hunk of meat Rick was cooking began to emit a delicious aroma.

“Good morning!” Rick called out to her.

“G’morn.” She mumbled back.

She slowly got up and stumbled behind their tree. Rick could hear the sound of water splashing and did his best to focus his attention elsewhere. When she came back to the fire he noticed she was considerably more lucid so he asked “Did you sleep well?”

Her face darkened slightly but she nodded her assent all the same. Rick asked her if cooking meat eaten by insects was safe and she confirmed that it should be fine. They needed the energy more than anything, and the mild risk from eating slightly bad food was far outweighed by that simple fact.

After they ate, Rick resharpened their spears and put the tips into the flame to harden. The fact he was finally able to do this filled him with childlike joy. Their fight with the coyote’s dulled their weapons considerably, so now that the tips were hardened, their next fight hopefully won’t wear them down as much.

They confirmed the direction the caravan was supposed to be and then the two of them set out once more. When asked how she knew which way to go so well, Sade explained that just like status, the people of this land have a sort of internal map of places they have been to.

No wonder she didn’t get lost, she has a damned magic mini-map! Rick thought. He was a bit jealous until he remembered that he now had the same ability.

Quickly concentrating on opening it up, he was dismayed to find that his map was almost entirely blank. The only shape or color to it was a small snaking green line that was slowly getting longer as they walked. It dawned on him that the shape was where he explored in the forest and it was getting longer because he was traveling further into the unknown. With a sigh he dismissed the mental map. It would be extremely useful once they got to a city but for now he would just have to trust Sade.

“We are almost to the river I stopped at to bathe in.” She called out after a few minutes.

Soon Rick could hear the bubbling of water over stones to confirm what she told him. Before long they cleared through a bush and the river came into full view. Rick was ecstatic. “Whoa! So where’s the caravan?” He asked while looking around.

“Should be just behind those trees over there." She said pointing to a spot across the water and slightly upstream. They crossed the cold waist high water and moved through the thicket on the other side.

The scene that greeted them was one of carnage.

Over a dozen bodies of men and women were scattered around a clearing, huge chunks of flesh torn away and scattered about. Three wagons were parked on the side of what looked like a road that followed parallel to the river behind them. One of the carriages was tipped over and Rick could see deep gashes carved into the hard wood on each of them. Several dead horses lay on the ground, some of them still attached to their wagons. Blood coated nearly every surface.

“When you said you were attacked, I honestly thought you were exaggerating.” Rick told Sade solemnly. After carefully examining the scene and keeping an eye for whatever did this, he asked “Is this everyone who was in the caravan? Could someone other than you have escaped?”

Sade stood off to the edge of the clearing as if she was terrified to enter the circle of carnage. She had tears lightly streaming down her face and she replied to his questions with a shaky voice, thick with emotion. “This is everyone.” She pointed to a few bodies. “These three were the coachmen.” She pointed to a few more, these ones had what looked to be better equipped. “Those were the guards.” She then listed off the nine remaining passengers and a little about each of them. When spending several days in each other's company, it becomes hard not to connect and become a little familiar.

Rick walked over and embraced the distraught woman. There was so much death and destruction that he felt absolutely sick to his stomach. But Sade knew these people, talked with them, and shared meals together. To see their lifeless bodies torn and scattered about like this must be just devastating.

Much like she did the day before, Rick held Sade close while she poured out her grief at her sudden loss. He didn’t say anything, just let her get all her feelings out while he tried his best to convey as much comfort and empathy he could convey through touch. The episode eventually ran its course but the two just stood there holding one another. Sade eventually broke their contact and did her best to compose herself as the strong woman she was.

“Thank you…” She whispered softly into his chest. She gently pushed away and sucked in a great breath. She surveyed the bloodied camp with a stoic, more analytical gaze.

“I think some of the horses managed to run away in the confusion.” She said after tallying all the casualties. “Maybe chasing after prey with more meat on their bones is the reason I was able to get away at all.”

She faced him once more. She looked confused, lost. “What do we do now?” She asked.

Rick had an idea of what their next step should be but he had to make sure of something. “We should put the people here to rest. Is it customary to burn or bury the dead?”

Burying was his family's preferred method but both were fairly common where he was from. Since he was now in a world with magic and game-like stat systems there could be an outbreak of undead if a body wasn’t treated with care for all he knew. Sade confirmed that burial was preferred for most families so Rick made his way to the carriages to see what tools he could scrounge up.

He found a couple shovels and the two began the long process of digging a shallow pit large enough to hold all the murdered victims. It was long and back breaking work leaving both with sore and blistered hands by the time they were finished with the trench. Then they began loading each person inside one by one.

They did their best to lay the dead as respectfully as possible, with any recognizable chunks put back in place and all their clothes and effects straightened out. It was a horrible, smelly, and downright disgusting process, but Rick and Sade were determined to see it through to the end.

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All that remained of the attack were the destroyed carriages, the horses, and a large pile of turned earth topped with a few stones they found lying around. It was far from a fancy mausoleum. But hopefully the slain members of the caravan could rest easier.

Rick and Sade then began to salvage what they could from the damaged transports. It seemed that whoever, or whatever, attacked these people didn’t do it for plunder or wealth because nearly anything not attached to a formerly living creature remained virtually untouched.

While they did their best to bury the dead with all their clothes and jewelry they had on their person, the weapons and tools like knives the guards and drivers had were far too useful to just leave behind. They had a small pile of jewelry and coins from the carriages, but with no idea who each item belonged to they decided to take it along with them.

Rick was able to find a few sets of clothes that would fit him fairly well, if not a bit loosely, and Sade found nearly everything she left behind before her sudden flight through the woods while bathing. They even managed to find some preserved food to enjoy while they decided what to do next.

“How far is it to the next town?” Rick asked in between bites of dried meat. It was tough and overly salty, but was akin to five star dining compared to the skinny and unseasoned coyotes he had earlier.

“I do not know the exact distance but I think we can walk there in a day or two.”

“Should we risk the trip or stay here and hope someone else comes along soon and can help us?”

“Hrm, I think we should head to the next town.” She said after considering the options. “We now have food, clothing, money, and several tools and weapons we could use to make the journey successfully.”

It was about mid afternoon and the two wanted to be well on their way before it got dark but there was one last task that needed to be done first. Despite now owning several sets of clean clothing, both Rick and Sade were still sporting their birthday suits. Both of them were caked in dirt, sweat, dried blood, and who knew what else from their time in the forest and especially after they took care of the dead.

The two desperately needed a bath or else any clothing they wore would be soiled beyond repair the moment they put the garments on. So with their bellies full and a new plan of action, Sade led the way to the very bathing spot that this whole episode began from.

With a laugh, Rick found her discarded clothes still hanging from a low branch by the shore. Whatever chased after her was certainly not into soap and clothing.

Wasting no more time, the pair jumped into the cool water and began to scrub furiously at the accumulated filth their bodies picked up over the last few days. Rick forgot just how wonderful it felt to be clean and started laughing as he scrubbed away. Sade joined him in his merriment and then started to playfully splash him. This inevitably devolved into a juvenile splash fight, with more and more water being thrown around until Rick nearly tackled Sade trying to pin her arms and stop any further splashing.

The two were pressed in close, each of them staring into the other's eyes. Rick could not help but notice just how cute she was, how her tight body was resting against his chest, how much he had grown to care for the woman. His face began to flush and his chest felt tight. Rick’s thoughts were frozen, stopped dead as he gazed into those dark eyes.

It was then that she leaned forward and crushed her lips against his, her arms breaking away from his loosened hold to clutch around his face and pull him in even closer. Rick put his arms around her tiny waist and reciprocated the action. Her lips were soft against his, but he could feel from her touch a desperate need behind the gentle suction. His lips parted and soon both of them were exploring each other's mouths with their tongues while their hands explored outside.

He could feel himself getting hard again, his manhood poking her in the abdomen as the passionate kissing continued. Her nipples were at full attention and poking him in return, driving Rick absolutely wild with desire. Her touch was electric, sending shivers down his spine. He never wanted this feeling to end. Eventually they broke apart, breaths panting with exertion.

Sade looked up at him. “Rick. I am so lucky to have met you.”

He chuckled. “You stole the words right out of my mouth.”

“I am being sincere.” She shot back smiling. “You stumbled upon a woman who you did not know and have done everything you could to help her and asked nearly nothing in return.” Rick was about to respond when she put a finger to his lips, silencing him before continuing. “I know you feel similar. I can see it in your eyes and felt it when we kissed.”

She gave him another quick peck. “I noticed how you look at me. Most men see me as a child and treat me like one. But you, you see me as a woman.” She shyly reached down and gently stroked along his length that was still jabbing her stomach. “I can both see and feel how you desire me.”

She was smiling now. The grin Sade wore was an odd mix of sultry and shy, like she knew that she had power over him but wasn’t completely sure how to wield it yet. “We may not be wed or even have known each other for long, but I desire you too.” Her eyes became downright ravenous. She leaned close to his ear and whispered like what she was going to say was a scandalous secret.

“I want you to be my first.”

Rick didn’t know what to think. The number of his carnal relations with the fairer sex was exactly zero. The odd date or two never went anywhere beyond a dinner and friendly conversation, so this was an entirely new experience. Never in his wildest dreams would he imagine that he would be sexually desired, let alone outright lusted after if he was reading Sade’s hungry expression correctly.

Sade wasn’t exactly his type. Years of constant porn and various media depicting hugely exaggerated proportions disqualified virtually any real flesh and blood woman from hitting that perfect strike zone his fantasies had concocted.

But Sade was smart, capable, and shockingly easy to talk to. He had begun to appreciate all the little features of her face and form that made her quite cute to look at. Most importantly of all, there was a woman who was standing right in front of him, naked, stroking his swollen cock, and saying she genuinely wanted him.

The choice was obvious.

“I would love for my first time to be with you as well.” He said as he kissed her passionately again. They made their way to the shoreline, both blushing furiously and sporting wide smiles. The tightness in Rick’s chest intensified, his heart beat faster than during the fight with the hungry animals. He felt so honored that this wonderful woman wanted to lay with him.

To call their first coupling awkward would have been an understatement.

Aside from the usual bumbling of two virgins who had at best more academic knowledge of how the whole process worked, their choice of venue to do the deed left quite a bit to be desired. Rocky pebbles were not a decent substitute for a bed, and every slight jolt in the wrong direction caused one or two of the more sharper rocks to dig painfully into Rick’s back. It was a sacrifice he was more than willing to make however, since the alternative was to let his partner deal with all that in his place.

While Rick was vaguely aware that a woman’s first time usually involved some pain and a bit of blood, he wasn’t fully prepared to learn just how much his precious erotica had downplayed just how bad it could be. The two companions took it slow, giving Sade as much time as she needed to fully adjust to the new and alien sensations she was feeling.

Still, both Rick and Sade were far too lost in their passion for each other to let all the minor issues stop them. They were young and the budding relationship that had sprouted between them carried the two all the way to the finish line.

Sade was still breathing heavily, her tiny chest inflating with each deep breath. She placed a hand on her abdomen and gently caressed her skin before bending down and kissing him lightly “Thank you, Rick. For being so gentle and patient with me during my first time.”

Rick chuckled. “You keep stealing the words straight out of my mouth.”

She extracted herself from his softening member and helped him up. Rick's body became numb from all the sharp rocks digging into his back and so it took a bit more effort than normal. Sade laughed when a pebble that was lodged in his rear end fell off with a slight ping when it hit the ground. Turning around he saw that he was covered in dirt and small rocks from the top of his neck down to the bottoms of his feet.

“Looks like we should wash off one last time, shall we?” She giggled and held out her hand. Rick took the proffered hand and the two quickly cleaned up, then for the first time in what felt like weeks, got dressed with the clothing they set aside before jumping in the water.

Rick contemplated what had just happened. His first time having sex was far from what he had expected and more than a little painful for both of them. But as they hoisted the packs on their backs and set off down the road together, Rick couldn’t help but think that it was a first step to something truly grand somewhere down the road.

And he for once couldn’t wait to see what his new life had in store for him.