fortuneswheel

by Lisanne Norman

  “Look, I keep telling you people, there’s no such thing as a link between my Lynn and this Raill,” she said angrily. “I want her to have nothing to do with him. He started getting a mite too friendly toward her on the ship, and it isn’t happening again! Now that’s an end to it!” The door slammed in their faces.

  Carrie turned to Vanna. “Let’s leave,” she said abruptly, beginning to shiver.

  “What is it, Carrie?” asked Vanna, taking hold of her by the arm.

  “I need to get out of here,” she said. “The woman’s projecting… I don’t seem to be able to shield against it, Vanna.”

  “Come on,” said her friend, leading her quickly back to the elevator.

  Carrie leaned against the wall as they traveled down to the ground floor. “She was thinking such ugly thoughts, Vanna. She won’t let her daughter near Raill. If you want to help them, you’re going to have to get someone with authority to go in and demand her. I’m sorry, I tried.”

  “You did all you could,” said Vanna soothingly. “Look, it’s been an overwhelming day for you. Why don’t I take you back to your apartment?”

  “No. I’m not going back there.”

  “But why?” asked Vanna, baffled.

  “I don’t want to see Kusac. He’d no right to speak to me like that. He’s shut me out of our Link. I don’t want him near me.”

  Vanna could see her tears were threatening to fall again. “Look, don’t start crying here. There’s a corridor full of Terrans just outside this elevator. You don’t want them to see you’re upset, do you?”

  Carrie blinked rapidly and scrubbed at her eyes with her hands. “I’m all right,” she said.

  “No, you’re not,” said Vanna, putting her arm around her. “That Leska of yours needs a good lesson in manners! You’re coming with me. You need some looking after.”

  Once downstairs, Vanna took her out a side exit to the vehicle park she was using.

  “Get in,” she said, pulling back the hatch door of an aircar. “We don’t want Kaid to see us, do we?”

  “Where’re we going?” she asked as Vanna took off and headed inland.

  “To my home,” she said. “If you’re determined not to see Kusac for a day or two, you might as well go somewhere where you’re not going to brood over your row with him.”

  *

  The flight didn’t take long and soon Vanna was bringing the aircar down alongside several others a short distance from a cluster of buildings.

  “Vanna, I’m not sure if I like this idea,” said Carrie nervously.

  “It’s the best one I’ve had for a long time. Trust me. You’ll find it different from Kusac’s home,” she said as she powered the vehicle down. “We don’t belong to the Clan Leader’s family so we don’t live in the main house. Kara, Tyan, and Kikho, before she chose to have a cub, all work on the estate. Our Clan’s specialties are fruit and bread which are sold both in Valsgarth and Nazule.”

  As they climbed our of the aircar, they saw a female with a mane of brown and black hair come to the open door of the largest building.

  “It’s Vanna,” she yelled, “and she’s brought her Terran friend with her!”

  Carrie could feel the disbelief in her voice. Within moments, some half a dozen Sholans had surged through the door toward them, all calling out greetings and questions to Vanna.

  “How long are you here for, Vanna?” asked the female they’d first seen.

  “Carrie, this is Sashti, my sister. I’m here till tomorrow, Sashti, but Carrie’s here for a couple of days. I’ve brought her home to you for some good, old-fashioned care.”

  “But of course. She’s very welcome,” said Sashti, mouth open in a grin. She turned to the others and began to scold them out of the way. “Kara, leave her be, let her have a chance to feel her feet on the land again first.”

  “But she has such lovely hair,” said Kara, reaching out a tentative hand to Carrie’s hair.

  Sashti smacked the hand away. “Later,” she said. “Third meal isn’t for a couple of hours yet, I’m afraid.”

  “That’s fine. We both need a shower first. Have you any of your special massage oils?”

  “Plenty. We made a batch yesterday,” said Sashti, leading the way into the house.

  Like Kusac’s home, the outside of this house was painted white to reflect the heat, but the comparison ended there. Unlike a main Clan home, it was a very comfortable family dwelling. Inside, the main room was large and spacious. A log fire, unused at this time of year, took up the central position against one wall. Several easy chairs were dotted around in a semicircle facing it. At the far end of the room was a large table with padded benches surrounding it.

  “Shower first,” said Vanna as the others clustered round them again. “Then a massage, if you wouldn’t mind, Sashti.”

  “I’d be glad to,” her sister replied.

  Vanna grabbed Carrie by the hand and towed her through one of the doorways leading off the main room into a short corridor. Two doors opened off it.

  “Toilet there,” said Vanna, “showers here.” She pushed the door open, waiting for Carrie to enter first.

  The room was bright and sunny, the walls decorated in shades of yellow. Benches lined it and in the center were two large padded massage tables.

  Vanna unsealed her medic’s short coat, looking over to where Carrie still stood. “You can’t shower in your clothes,” she said gently. “Bathing tends to be communal among us, but being with Kusac I know you haven’t come across it yet. I got out of the habit on the Khalossa, but family’s different.”

  When Carrie had undressed, Vanna led her through to the showers. There was already someone using them and Vanna was greeted with a cry of delight as the shower was turned off.

  “Vanna, well come home! You have a friend with you— the Terran?”

  “Yes, Carrie.”

  “I hope you have a nice visit with us, Carrie.”

  “Thanks,” she said, casting a cautious glance toward the wet Sholan.

  “Come on,” said Vanna, “we’ll use this one.” She stepped inside the stall and turned the water on.

  Carrie joined her, letting the jets of hot water wash over her. As Vanna’s hands touched her back, she jumped, looking over her shoulder at her friend.

  “I’m only going to wash you,” she said. “I said you were going to have some old-fashioned care, and so you are, Sholan style. Now stand still.”

  She stood rigid as Vanna began to soap her shoulders and back.

  “Relax,” Vanna purred in her ear.

  Gradually the heat from the fine jets of water and the gentle rhythm of her friend’s soothing fingertips combined to disperse the stiffness in her body.

  “That looks like fun,” said a voice from behind. “Can I help, too?”

  “Of course, Jayed. You finish her back for me,” said Vanna.

  Carrie sensed Vanna moving round in front of her before she felt her begin to spread the soapy lather over her neck and shoulders. “Who’s Jayed?” she asked.

  “My brother,” said Vanna, working downward to cover her breasts.

  Carrie stiffened, her hands going up to stop Vanna. “Your brother! He’s a male?” She could feel Jayed’s hands starting to rub the soap over her lower back.

  Vanna chuckled, gently pulling her hands free. “Brothers usually are.”

  Carrie was suddenly very aware of the hands that were now gently massaging soap over her buttocks and the back of her thighs.

  “Relax,” said Vanna, “we’re just treating you like one of our family.”

  “But he’s a male!” she hissed.

  “So? He’s helping wash you. That’s perfectly normal, isn’t it, Jayed?”

  “We always help each other wash,” affirmed Jayed. “You help your Leska, don’t you?”

  “It’s like grooming,” said Vanna, squatting as she worked the soap over Carrie’s belly and thighs. “It’s virtually impossible to do it properly yourself, so we help each
other. Come on, relax,” she said persuasively, looking up at Carrie. “I said this is part of normal Sholan family life.”

  Carrie tried, but she was hypersensitively aware of Jayed’s hands as they curved around the sides of her thighs. His touch became featherlight, holding the promise of sensuality.

  “Such a lovely body you have, Carrie,” he purred, his hand briefly caressing her right calf. “Nice firm muscles. Do you exercise a lot?” He finished her legs and tapped her ankle indicating that she should raise her foot.

  “Um, a fair bit, at the Warrior Guild,” she said, standing on one leg.

  He turned the sole backward toward himself, rubbing the soap along her instep and between her toes.

  Carrie flinched and grabbed Vanna for support as his fingers tickled her foot.

  “You’re tickly?” said Jayed, surprise in his voice. “I suppose being furless you would be more susceptible than us. Your other foot, please.”

  She changed feet, still hanging on to Vanna as her friend stood up. This time Jayed did tickle her, making her laugh and try to twist away.

  “Now you’re relaxing,” said Vanna, pleased. “Bend forward a little and I’ll do your hair.”

  Her feet both on the ground again, Carrie bent forward slightly, feeling Vanna’s fingers push through her hair to her scalp and begin working the lather in. She tried to sense where Jayed was but couldn’t. She felt too vulnerable, standing there naked with her eyes closed and soap running down her face. Then Jayed’s hands returned, this time with a rougher touch.

  “I’m using a cloth on you to rub away any dead skin,” he explained. “Not that I think you have any. Your skin’s so soft, so sensual,” he purred in her ear.

  “Jayed, stop teasing her,” said Vanna reprovingly, withdrawing her hands from Carrie’s scalp. “This is the first time she’s experienced the intimacy of a family like ours.”

  Vanna’s voice seemed to come from behind and Jayed’s cloth was working its way round her side. Where was he? Lifting her head, she dashed the water from her face. She found herself eye to eye with Jayed as he stepped round in front of her.

  “You’re pregnant!” he said, mouth opening in a happy grin. “You didn’t tell us she was pregnant, Vanna!”

  Carrie pulled back, crossing her arms over her breasts and cringing in anticipation of his reaction as she looked from Vanna to Jayed and back.

  “That’s why I brought her here,” said Vanna, touching Carrie’s cheek reassuringly. “To be pampered a little now by us before her mate refuses to let her out of his sight.”

  “The child’s a Sholan’s?” He shook his head, drops of water flying from his ear tips. “The Gods have really blessed you,” he said, awe in his voice as he resumed working the cloth across her body.

  His ready acceptance of her situation and his genuine pleasure for her were so different from what she’d feared that it left her totally confused.

  “Carrie, I can’t reach your head easily,” said Vanna gently.

  As Jayed moved to one side, Carrie bobbed her head down again, then froze as a third person began to rub her back.

  “I’ve done there, Kara,” said Jayed.

  “Not with the cloth.”

  Beginning to panic again, Carrie stumbled, clutching at the nearest body to stop herself from falling over. A hand she knew was Vanna’s caught her arm.

  “Relax, Carrie,” her friend said soothingly. “I know humans don’t share wash times, but we do. You need to experience more about us as people. I’d have suggested this to Kusac earlier, but you weren’t ready emotionally for it.”

  While she talked, Vanna moved round in front of her, lifting her face and wiping the soap from her eyes with Jayed’s cloth.

  “Open your eyes,” she said, turning her around. “See? It’s only my cousin Kara. Nothing to fear, truly. Do you think I would bring my friend here, to my family, only to let her be seduced or raped? Shame on you, Carrie!”

  Despite Vanna’s humorous overtones, Carrie flushed. She felt a sense of amusement from Jayed as if he knew what she was thinking.

  “You’re one of us, Carrie,” she said, cupping the girl’s face with both hands. “You’re part Sholan, part human, just like your unborn cub. You really do belong here on Shola, there can never be any doubt of that now— not that there ever was.”

  Carrie reached up to cover Vanna’s hands with hers, feeling the familiar silkiness of wet fur beneath her palms. “Thank you,” she said.

  Vanna grinned. “Don’t mention it. Now if you have no further objections, I’ll wash the soap off your hair.”

  Chastened, Carrie bent her head again, feeling Vanna lift and part her hair, letting the stream of water wash the soap off. Meanwhile, the other two continued to gently rub at the rest of her body. She began to relax, giving herself over to the pleasantly sensual feelings their touch engendered.

  Searching her inherited memories, she found similar scenes from Kusac’s life at the guild and at home. His sense of relaxation and security from those days filled her. This was an experience only shared with family or close friends. More often now she was finding that her experiences and his memories were beginning to overlap. Carrie smiled, suddenly feeling much more at home with Vanna’s family.

  “Vanna’s turn now,” said Kara.

  Carrie blinked the water from her eyes. Vanna had turned away from her and Kara had begun to vigorously lather soap into her fur. Jayed had also turned to help his sister.

  “May I help?” she asked hesitantly.

  Vanna’s eyes lit up as she grinned. “Yes, cub. Join in the fun. It’s one of the pleasures of belonging to a large family.”

  “Here,” said Jayed, handing her his soap bottle. “Use mine.”

  Hesitantly at first, she rubbed the soap into her friend’s side, pushing the lather through the fur to the skin underneath, massaging it in with a circular motion.

  “Kusac showed you how to do it properly,” Vanna said, turning her head to grin at Carrie over her shoulder. “Don’t stop, Carrie, that feels really good.”

  Her grin was infectious, and smiling back, Carrie continued to rub the lather over her friend’s side. As she worked, she realized that the four of them had formed a natural little grouping of Jayed washing Kara and Kara and herself washing Vanna.

  “Don’t worry about me,” said Jayed grinning across at her. “I’m done. I was just finishing when you arrived.”

  As she rubbed the soap across Vanna’s flat chest and belly, she began to appreciate why the Sholan ideal of beauty was a lean, muscular body. Though smaller and stockier than Kusac, there was little real difference in the physical shape or feel of Vanna’s body when compared to his, but a world of difference in the mental feel. With no outward difference between the sexes beyond the colored banding of the female’s fur, each admired the same features in the other. To all intents and purposes their bodies appeared sexless to the Terrans who relied only on sight to identify the males from the females.

  But you obviously know differently, came the humorous thought. The sending was faint but understandable.

  Startled she looked up, catching Jayed’s eye. He flicked an ear at her, grinning again. Looking away in confusion, she returned to lathering Vanna’s legs.

  I’m only a grade three telepath, not as exalted a level as you and your Leska, he sent.

  You do all right, Carrie grinned back at him.

  Finished now, they all stood for a few minutes letting the water flow sleekly off their bodies. Carrie watched the last of the soap and loose fur swirl around their feet to be sucked down the drain.

  “You forgot towels,” said Sashti from outside the stall. She was carrying a large bundle of them.

  Vanna turned the shower off and as the Sholans began to run their hands down their bodies pushing the water from their fur, Sashti dumped her bundle on a nearby bench, taking one from the top and opening it out.

  “Come, I’ll dry you, Carrie,” she said.

  “It’s all rig
ht, I can do it myself,” Carrie said, stepping out into the cooler air of the room with an involuntary shiver.

  Sashti flicked her ears. “Why do it yourself when I can do it for you? Vanna said you needed some pampering, so come and be pampered!”

  Gently but vigorously she was toweled down. “I’ll start her massage now, Vanna,” Sashti said, wrapping Carrie in the folds of a fresh, dry towel.

  “I’ll be through in a minute,” said Vanna, her head briefly emerging from her towel.

  “I’m sorry to put you all out by being here,” Carrie began, but Sashti cut her short as she took her through to the room where they’d left their clothes.

  “No. Your visit has made today special for us,” she said, indicating that Carrie should get up on the massage table. “When Vanna visited home last, she told us all about you and we longed to meet you. The chances of us being able to do that would normally be very small, yet here we are with you all to ourselves, not just for tonight, but tomorrow as well! This is a treat for us.”

  She lifted Carrie’s legs up onto the table. “Roll over on your stomach first,” she said, helping her unwind the towel again. “You see, we can show you family hospitality here, something you can’t get from your life at the guild. Tonight will definitely be special,” she promised, reaching for her jars.

  “Oils? I wouldn’t have thought you could use oils,” she said, pillowing her cheek on her forearms.

  “We need to look after our skins, too, you know,” Sashti said, beginning to rub the delicately scented liquid into Carrie’s back. “We get dry and sore patches under our fur and a good massage puts back the oils that we lose through washing daily.”

  Her fingers probed gently at Carrie’s back. “Your muscles are quite different. I’ll need to feel my way around them for a few minutes.”

  “Is massage your profession?”

  “You could say that,” said Sashti with a touch of humor in her voice.

  “She runs the largest massage store in Valsgarth, and her oils are bought by even the city stores in Nazule,” said Jayed. “If you give me a jar, Sashti, I’ll work on her feet and legs.”