by James Hunt
"Eymara..." Kelria responded to what she thought was her Queen's distress. To her relief, Niyana smiled warmly and nodded.
"For Eymara," Niyana whispered solemnly, "and for Gayne." Kelria's ears perked up at that name, but decided to ask later as she resumed stuffing the last little bits into her backpack. Hunched over, she waited patiently until her Queen was ready to go.
Fearlessly Niyana tossed the tent flap open and strode out into the camp. A few half-baked Zecarins looked up at the flurry of motion but stared blankly – one even snickered. But it was when Kelria emerged with a pack full of gear that something didn't seem right.
"Going for a walk," Niyana announced. "Who wants to keep our tent warm till we get back?" The shirtless, spear-sharpening tracker stood up and looked down the length of his weapon. The spearhead was cut down the middle, giving it two pronged capabilities to catch things. The way he was eyeing its edge made Kelria cower behind her Queen.
"Seems like a long walk," He observed with an arched eyebrow. His shaved head and smooth features were not as intimidating as Wart-Ass, but his attitude made it appear that he knew which end of that spear did the business.
"Crossing the border to raid a human town for sport and information," she flashed him a wicked smile. "I'd invite you along, but there are Lunarians up on the hill near it. Wart-Ass may want you to give them a little surprise midnight visit."
"Is that why you were up in the tree all morning?" He smiled sweetly and leaned his weapon back over his shoulder. "I had thought you had fallen asleep, but when you came back down you seemed.... bothered."
"I was," Niyana said with a scowl, not letting his revelation unnerve her. "Humans and Lunarians shouldn't be doing business together this close to Hekarim borders."
"Then you wouldn't mind a little Zek help, I think I'll tag along." He smirked at her. Niyana tossed her hair back with a hand and sized him up as if she was considering it. In truth, her mind was scrambling for a more convincing excuse to keep him from following. She could dispatch him easily, and the rest of the lounging soldiers, but it was Wart-Ass she didn't want to contend with and the returning patrols that would be after them. It seemed they weren't getting out of here so easily. Her hand twitched nervously but didn't move for her blade. He saw it.
"No you aren't," Came Wart-Ass's authoritative voice. "The pale bitches are leaving for good and that's that. If we see them again, they're dead first and fucked second."
"HoooPA!" came a half-hearted cry from one of the stoned soldiers. The spear-wielder grumbled and threw his weapon over both shoulders before ducking into their now empty tent to fume in silence.
Niyana nodded to Kelria and the two of them set out without further incident. Now, all they had to do was avoid any returning patrols. It was after they were a long way out of earshot that Kelria finally asked what was itching at her.
"Did you know Gayne?" she said.
"Yes, I grew up with him." Niyana answered plainly. She didn't want to speak of it, but Kelria's curiosity was innocent enough. However, the soldier in her returned and she gave Kelria the hand signal for silence. They didn't want to be surprised again by Hekarim scouts.
The remaining daylight was spent in a quiet northbound trek. Kelria seemed to be enjoying the activity; she was quickly responsive to Niyana's silent instructions and kept pace despite not having formal military conditioning. Even when the sun had set and Niyana continued to press on, Kelria didn't complain even with the heavy pack on her shoulders. She did need to stop frequently to readjust the straps, and once to retie her hair that had pulled free and was bothering her face. Her Queen didn't seem to mind, and even smiled encouragingly when Kelria needed to take a break. Something good had happened that had put Niyana into better spirits and it was catching.
They came to a wide river – a tributary of the Lidark. Its slow moving waters were deep enough to take small barges and crafts, but otherwise couldn't be crossed easily. Niyana stopped and looked up and downstream, she stood there lost in thought as Kelria caught her breath.
"Do you need help with that?" Niyana offered her hand to take Kelria's pack.
"N-no." the girls smiled appreciatively, and hefted it securely onto her shoulders.
"I can cross here, but you couldn't." Niyana started to explain her thoughts out loud. "We shouldn't swim it in the dark, but..."
"I can swim it, and we shouldn't lose time with the Zecarins behind us." Kelria cut in. "but my pack shouldn't get wet, the blankets and bandages aren't any use wet."
"Right, we'll camp once we cross." Niyana nodded and wadded right into the water. "Let's use that log to float the pack over." She uprooted a half-buried log at the riverbank and pulled it out into the water. Kelria unshouldered her pack and tied it across the top of the driftwood. Together they ferried it across as they swam, and made it to the opposite bank easily.
Kelria's cheeks had taken on a deep flush from the exertion, but aside from being soaked she was fit and ready to continue. She untied her sack from the log and pulled it to dry land to set it down – it made it with little dampness. Niyana smoothed her water-heavy hair back over her head to keep it from dripping in her face, and started to search around.
"Over here," Niyana pointed to a huge fallen tree and the massive root ball that pulled up a wall of dirt. It made for perfect cover from eyes back across the river. Kelria admired the redwood as she dragged her pack over. She sat it down under the trunk and checked the contents for dampness. Niyana set about collecting fallen branches and set them in a pile away from the tree in the river rocks. With an effortless use of magic the logs sparked ablaze and cast a warm glow over the two soaked Lunarians. Satisfied with her campfire, she crouched down in front of it to dry out and warm up.
"Umm, your grace?" Kelria said as she came to sit down next to her. "We need to wash these properly." She pulled her own shirt off over her head and her heavy chest spilled free. Taking care, she laid it out next to the fire on the sandy ground while she unlaced her small boots. The cool night air mixed with the water on her skin caused a wave of goose bumps and she shivered. Undeterred, she yanked her soggy leather boots off with a grunt and fell backwards. Niyana caught her before she hit the ground and chuckled. Despite the request, Niyana stayed in her clothes and returned to starring blankly at the fire. Its orange light reflected an eerie glow in those emerald eyes as her thoughts drifted to the days events.
"Niyana," Kelria repeated in a sterner tone of voice. She stood looming over Niyana with her hands on her naked hips. It snapped her queen out of her thoughts and she looked up with a "hmm?"
"Out of those clothes," Kelria instructed. "First, you've been wearing them for days on end now. Secondly, they stink of Hekarim. Thirdly, getting them wet made the first and second reasons all that much worse." Niyana looked down at her vest and shirt. She pulled it up to her nose and gave it a sniff.
She stunk.
The vest came off in a flash, and the shirt followed button by button. The cold air gave her a chill, so she covered her chest with her arms to hold in the body heat. Kelria was down at her queen's boots unlacing them as Niyana was too distracted to continue. She pulled them off, one after the other, and then went about unfastening Niyana's leather pants. They didn't come off without a fight, as the water made them stick to her skin. Naked, wet, and cold, Niyana huddled over the fire to warm herself.
"The blanket is in the pack, I'll be back once I get these scrubbed." Kelria said and placed a hand on Niyana's shoulder. Her queen's sudden distracted nature was giving her pause, but she knew it wasn't her place to question. Niyana patted her hand and went back to enjoying the fire. Kelria gathered up their clothes and headed to the river.
The charm of the dancing flames finally broke and Niyana stirred. She grabbed her hair and squeezed the water out into a puddle on the ground. With a flip of her head, the wet mass flung back over her shoulder. She rose and went to the sack and dug out the rolled up blanket. It smelled of spun cotton, and finally her senses retu
rned to the present and she could tell how badly she reeked. But there were other scents as well on the air, natural ones – animals were nearby. Tossing the blanket to the ground she made for the river. There she found Kelria scrubbing their clothes on river rocks.
"You're right, I need to wash." She grumbled and dove into the river for a night swim. Kelria watched her blonde head resurface here and there as a pale spot amid the black surface while she herself rinsed and scrubbed in the water. Satisfied their clothes were mostly stench free, she tucked them under both arms and walked back up riverbank to their hidden camp. Had she Niyana's training, she would have noticed the set of pale yellow eyes watching her and the black animal form they were attached to silhouetted against the crescent moon above.
Taking care to spread them out evenly, she set their clothes out to dry. When she found their blanket still rolled up she huffed and sat down to undo its binding. The string came free and she fluffed it out once before slinging it around herself as she sat down. Like a living mound of linen she scooted closer to the fire until it baked her and the blanket nicely. A contented sigh came from the depths of the pile of cotton that completely covered the elf girl inside. She wasn't alone for long as Niyana soon joined her by the fire. Invigorated by the brisk swim, the warrior woman was content to sit out bare skinned in the night air.
"I take it we only have one of those." She smiled at the huddled girl underneath the blanket.
"Yes. You lose." Came Kelria's reply from inside. Niyana let out a joyous laugh. It was something Kelria hadn't heard before and it warmed her inside more than the blanket or fire could. She poked her head out and smiled mischievously.
"If you ask nicely, I'll share."
"Ah, ransom demands. That's unusually mercenary of you." Niyana smiled back while she combed out her wet hair with her fingers.
"You owe me after that mess." Kelria grumbled. Niyana paused and nodded sincerely.
"You're right, I do. That was terrible situation." She combed her hair over her face as she worked some of the tangles out. It was also to hide the scowl of anger so Kelria wouldn't think it was her Niyana was upset with. She must have lingered there in silence for some time, because a warm arm and a curtain of warm blanket came around her shoulder. It startled Niyana out of her brooding and she tossed her wet hair back to keep it out of the way as her outward arm pulled her half of the blanket around them. Kelria snuggled in close and leaned her head on her queen's toned and athletic shoulders.
"You mentioned you knew Gayne?" Kelria started as she stared off at the enchanting fire. "I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it...that was also a messy situation."
"Mmm," Niyana agreed and leaned her head down to nuzzle against her friend and compatriot. "I loved him." She just came out and said it. "I grew up with him. We played as children. He was studying to be a court bard; he was already a fine player. He was best with the flute, and he carried one everywhere, but he was also half decent at the harp and the drum." She paused to let out a fond smile at the memory. "But then he started studying at the university and we lost touch. On occasion, he'd come visit my brothers and I during the spring festivals. He'd play for us, while I beat my brothers at swords. But I think they really just let me win..."
"He was part of your family." Kelria said and pulled her part of the blanket up to her face. "I'm sorry. He was a good friend of mine, and I wasn't sure if you had a hand in... what happened." She wanted to continue but she felt the unease in Niyana and stopped speaking.
It was a long, uncomfortable moment before Niyana answered. A long shadowed tail swished lazily in the tree overhead.
"He figured out who I was, and the Yvarna killed him because he refused to reveal me." Niyana said. Gentle comforting arms wrapped around her waist from under their blanket and held her. Despite the surge of emotions, Niyana refused to let them out - for more reasons than one. "I held him until he passed, and it drove me violently insane."
"I'm so sorry." Was all Kelria could say, and held her friend tightly.
"There's more you should hear..." Niyana started but took a moment to regain her composure. "While I was a prisoner, the Zecarins gave me something that clouds my judgment. I'm more violent than normal and more... lustful. I doubt I would have done what I did... to the Yvarna, and to you otherwise."
"Is that why you attacked me under the willow tree?"
"In part," Niyana acknowledged. "If I don't sate these desires they take control." Kelria sighed.
"Well, since you just had a meal of Zecarins, how long till I'll need to sleep with a knife?" Niyana was stunned with the starkness of Kelria's comment. But it was painfully true.
"I'm not sure," came her answer. "I've been separating my mind through meditation, and it seems to be helping."
"Good, because I'm comfy, and I don't want to have to fend you off." Kelria smirked and poked her friend in the ribs. Niyana let out a surprised yelp.
"Churr, churr, churr." Came a throaty, bestial chuckle from the fallen tree above. Both Lunarians shot startled glances up at the shadowy animal slinking silently across the trunk's length above them. Niyana put a firm hand on Kelria to keep her still. "Pardon, my intrusssion." It said in a whispery, masculine speech.
"But I could not help it. When I see two deliccccious looking ladies alone in the dark, I cannot help but... inquirrrre." It said in a soothing voice. The creature came to a stop on a thick branch on the opposite side of their fire. Its piercing yellow, feline eyes stared at them casually through the red glow, but its own body was still black as shadow. Niyana shot a quick glance to her two short blades lying near the pack.
"Thou will not need thossse," it cooed at her – almost whining. "Have I bared my fangs at thee?" it asked calmly and gave them both a disturbingly toothy grin. Bright fangs crowned the smile that bounced in the shadowy background as it chuckled. "Churr, churr, churr." It leapt down to a lower branch, finally coming into the light where they could get a look at it.
It had a long, red furred snout dotted with black spots and whiskers. Two muscular forelimbs seemed dually inclined to run on all fours as well as grasp objects, but it was content to cross one over the other as it lounged in the branch. A patch of white fur separated the pointed ears that topped its head, with similar tufts of white fur growing out of each ear. Its hind legs were very sleek and athletic - this creature could easily cover great distances very quickly, as well as leap to high heights. Thick black stripes ran vertically down its red back with blotchy black spots along its side and tail. But it was the expressive tail that swished and darted to and fro at the creature's whim that seemed to hypnotize the two elven girls as they watched it move.
"Is it unfair to ask two visitors to our lands to share their night fire as toll for safe passsssage?" It inquired, and settled that quiet cool yellow-eyed stare on them both.
"It is a fair toll," Niyana nodded and motioned to her dying fire. She crawled out from under the blanket, giving Kelria room to move to her pack, and away from the creature. Niyana picked up a few more fallen branches and tossed them onto the fire and breathed more life into it. "Please join us." She formally invited as the logs started to sizzle and pop. The creature leapt the final distance to the fire and lay down in a regal poise with its front arms crossed before it.
"I was attracted by the ssssmell." It said and cocked its head to one side as it looked up at Niyana. Those eerily intelligent eyes felt like they were piercing her soul. A low guttural, vibrating sound came from the back of its throat. It sounded like a large purring cat, but that thought was very unsettling to Niyana, who had never seen such a creature.
"Does it still linger?" Niyana asked and sniffed her arm suspiciously.
"Yesss," it swished its tail back and forth. "Humanss... call it estrus." Niyana's mouth dropped.
"I'm not!" Niyana started to say, shocked. "I can't be..." The creature just sat and watched as she paced around the fire fuming. Just when she looked like she was going to throw her head back and scream
she sank to her knees before the fire, closed her eyes, and took long steadying breaths. The flush in her cheeks, brought on by the sudden irritation of the creatures claim, slowly faded, and her smooth pale complexion returned.
"Mr. Trent," Kelria asked. The creature opened its eyes lazily and gave her a sideways glance. "Do you know what's wrong with Niyana?"
"Wrong?" He asked. "All our females experrrrience this when it is their time." He said indignantly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Kelria replied, abashed. "Lunarians don't experience this."
"Oh?" His ears lifted, and he turned his head to regard her. "That must cause all sorts of embarrasssssing confusion. How do thy males tell when thou are... in the mood?" He lifted a hand to his muzzle and licked the pawed hand before smoothing the patch of white fur on his head. "We should intrrroduce..." he said as he rose to his feet and padded on all fours slowly towards Kelria.