Each night I would watch as Dwan would gather her thin sleeping mats and search for a suitable location in which to bed down. Several times I could have sworn that she was casting inviting looks my way but even though my social anxiety was now mostly gone I just couldn’t make myself believe that this beautiful woman would consider me to be mating material. After all I was not of her kind or even of her world. So I would always divert my gaze and pretend to find something interesting elsewhere.
About six days into the trip I found that my interactions with my new friends, aided by Tinker’s extra-sensory abilities, had combined to help me build a fairly sizeable Olvioni vocabulary. More and more I was able to respond to simple questions without relying on Tinker. More complicated discussions still required her help, of course, but each day I got more comfortable with the language. And Dwan was getting better with her English. She had an incredible mind which relished any challenge. She would walk beside me for hours trying to ask questions and make statements in English. Here, again, tinker was helpful, providing the English translations to her Olvion questions when I could not. She was now saying things such as “Be careful” when I was about to step on a bed of biting insects or sharp rock. We had an unstated competition going between us, each trying constantly to outdo the other.
At night Dwan’s attention was in high demand by the warriors. She was the only female in our group and her position as a healer served useful in getting her attention for the treatment of small miseries, real or imagined.
After twelve days into the journey we were camped for the night along a beautiful spring, with rushing silver water. The sound of the brook was hypnotizing. I had just come back dripping from bathing in it and was preparing to make my bed. I still had some of the thick fur cloaks taken from my first encounter with the greys. They were very soft and made great pallets so I carried them with us in an improvised backpack even though they were heavier than the canvas sacks used by the warriors. I was a fairly good distance from the main fire because it was still warm. I heard someone approach me. It was Dwan. Tinker was riding on her shoulder with one tiny hand entwined in her long brunette hair. I noted that she was also sporting damp hair.
“So that’s where you went off to”, I said to Tinker. “Abandoning your old friend for a softer shoulder?”
Tinker worked her whiskers up and down. One side of her mouth tweaked upward. I had learned to recognize this as her version of a smile. My mind was suddenly flooded with a vision of Tinker and Dwan, both bathing in a wider part of the stream somewhere. In the vision, Dwan was naked. I choked a little on the dried meat I was consuming.
“Are you well, Warrior?”
I recovered quickly. I nodded to Dwan and sent a quick frown to Tinker who was pretending to groom herself.
“What…uh…what have you two been doing?” I barely noticed that we were now conversing entirely in English without the benefit of tinker’s help.
Dwan smiled and stretched, arching her back and thrusting her breasts outward. I almost choked again. Must have been the dried meat.
“We took a walk to a place where we girls could have some privacy. It is in small supply lately.”
She came over to my pallet and sat on the edge. She smelled like flowers.
“I had forgotten how soft these furs were.” She pulled one up and touched it to her face.
I suddenly felt like an unchivalrous bum. I had failed to notice that she had not brought her furs.
“Well you no longer have to resort to memory. They are yours.” I started to stand. She grabbed my hand and pulled me back down.
“I was not asking for your furs, Tag-Gar. Besides, it gets cool at night. We can simply share.”
This time when I choked I had nothing in my mouth. I knew I had a foolish expression on my face. Dwan laughed.
“What is it? Do you not wish to share your bed?” Her eyebrow lifted.
I looked left, then right, up, then down. I almost got up again, then sat back down. Tinker had abandoned her grooming and was staring directly at me. That lip of hers was curling up again.
“I, uh, I…” I stammered.
Dwan turned her head to Tinker for a few seconds. They were obviously engaged in a private exchange of information to which Tinker gave me no access. Dwan laughed, wrapped her arms around her knees and laughed again.
“Funny?” I asked, a little miffed.
She shook her head from side to side, the laugh evolving into that beautiful smile. Her dark eyes reflected the light of the distant fire. Somewhere in the surrounding forest an animal called out.
“It seems that some customs of your world and this one are different, Warrior.” Tinker had again began to translate for us as Dwan shifted back to Olvioni.
I checked her train of thought. “Why do you call me warrior?”
“If you are not deserving of the title then no one is.” She lay her head on the tops of her knees, her head turned to face me. “Now, back to our discussion. Here we are open about our…attractions. But we are not crass. I would never engage in coupling with all of these other warriors about. We would need privacy. It would be more than crass. It would be very bad behavior.”
I felt the red creeping up around my face. “I didn’t say you wanted to…uh…couple”.
Another smile, this one more mischievous. “Relax. I...,”she shot a knowing look at Tinker, “…we, are having a little fun with you. But I was serious about sharing your bed. It is a custom of our people that people who desire and are attracted to each other are permitted to do so. It allows us to share our warmth and also to tell all of these very young, very masculine young warriors that their attempts are not going to be successful. I’m growing a little tired of the constant requests for attention to non-existent pains.”
I felt kind of like I was hit with multiple water balloons at the same time. She was telling me she was attracted to me, that she “desired” me, that she knew I felt the same way, that we could spend the night together cuddled in my furs and that, at some point, she expected us to “couple”.
I almost reacted in my customary way, stammering and denying what I actually felt. But sitting here in this beautiful world with the sun setting, the stream gurgling and stars just beginning to emerge, I felt a sense of calmness. I checked Tinker but she was stalking some type of insect in the grass so I was pretty sure my relaxed state of being was not her doing. I looked at Dwan, entranced by her beauty yet again. I was not about to lose this opportunity.
“Sharing my bed with you would be one of the greater pleasures of my life”.
This time it was Dwan who blushed. But she smiled too. She scooted over closer to me and draped one edge of the upper fur over her shoulder. Then she looked up at me. Waiting.
It suddenly dawned on me that I did not even know if the people on this world kissed. Maybe that very action was considered the worst insult one could offer to another. Then I thought that a kiss seemed to be a very human impulse. And Dwan was definitely human. Very human.
I put my hands on both of her shoulders and drew her closer. Our first kiss was brief, soft and barely touching. The second was deeper. And longer.
***
The Next day I rose early. The sun was barely up and it was chilly. Dwan still dozed. Tinker had moved from my side to hers when I got up. I pulled the top fur over them both and went to relieve myself. Several of the warriors were moving about. They met my looks with knowing smiles. The new sleeping arrangements for Dwan and myself must have been observed by the night watches. Some of the glances seemed just a tad resentful. Oh well!
After taking care of my personal needs and washing my face in the stream I came back to where Dwan still slept. Or so I thought.
“I’m cold”, she said.
“Sorry. The new day has begun and I’m curiously energetic.”
Dwan pulled the furs away from her face so she could see me.
“If simple kissing and sleeping gives you energy I look forward to future private times.�
�� She smiled up at me. Tinker squawked as if to say “Be quiet, I’m trying to sleep.”
“And the cuddling,” I reminded her. “Don’t forget the cuddling.”
She covered her head again and waved me away.
I left Dwan in her furs and wandered over to where Vynn, Mag-Gan and another warrior stood by a small fire. They interrupted their conversation when they saw me approach. I was suddenly acutely aware that Tinker was not with me to provide translations. To my surprise I was able to get most of what was being said.
“Two more days, I think”, Mag-Gan said. He shaded his eyes with his hand while observing a distant line of hills. “Those look like the Griffin Heights. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them” He turned back to us. “We need to be especially watchful until we top those hills. With any luck we will be seen by some of our patrols.”
I looked in the direction he had pointed. The hills were about five miles away. The topography between our camp and the hills was sandy and dotted with small trees, none large enough to hide behind. To me it did not appear to lend itself to an ambush but I was still inclined to take Mag-Gan’s suggestion.
Vynn clapped me on the back.
“How was your night?” he asked. He included a smirky kind of smile with the remark.
I decided to play along.
“Not as good as the night before. I kept feeling as if I didn’t have as much room as I am used to.”
All three laughed. It was apparent that my new arrangements with Dwan were not resented by these men, at least.
Vynn nodded. “I am happy for you Tag-Gar. Dwan is known for being especially resistant to the overtures of would-be suitors. It was a source of some discussion around the castle courts.”
A shout interrupted our discussion. A warrior on lookout pointed toward the distant hills. Far away I could just make out the outline of a group of riders. They were on horses and were kicking up dust which was being reflected by the early morning sun. I could tell they were human though I would have been unable to explain why.
There were shouts around the camp. Mag-Gan and Vynn were rousting the sleeping warriors, making sure all were armed. Even though the Greys did not use horses for transportation it appeared that Mag-Gan was not taking any chances. I went back to my pallet where Dwan was pulling a shawl made of blue fabric about her shoulders. I told her about the approaching riders. She gave me a quick kiss and left to clean up. She had Tinker in a leather pouch that she had slung over her shoulder. The animal’s head was peeking out of the top.
I gathered my sword and mace. As an afterthought I pulled on my leather vest.
About half an hour later the troop of riders entered our camp. Vynn and the others had long since identified them as Olvioni and the atmosphere in the camp had become more relaxed. I was standing next to Vynn and Dwan was next to me. Mag-Gan walked out to greet the warriors. They wore the same green and red colors as the warriors from the outpost but theirs were in much better condition from not having been worn for almost two weeks. As Mag-Gan spoke I saw concern settle onto the face of the troop leader. Mag-Gan was in the midst of an animated explanation when he suddenly turned and pointed at Vynn, Dwan and I. He gestured for us to join them.
The cavalry leader was named Ruguer Da’ Malik. He was huge by Olvioni standards standing maybe six feet tall. I was later to learn that he was a minor celebrity in Olvion based on his combat successes. He had a scar over his right eye which was pale in comparison to the surrounding brown skin. The imperfection did not ruin his handsome looks. He had the same dark coloring of all Olvionis. His very appearance gave the impression of strength. I’ll admit I was impressed. When we were introduced he smiled engagingly, especially when he saw Dwan. That got me to feeling a little less impressed. But the man’s personality was powerful and soon we were all smiling and discussing the events of the past weeks. When Vynn told the story of me rescuing them Ruguer was obviously intrigued. He asked to see Tinker. Dwan opened the pouch which was still over her shoulder. Tinker sat up quickly, swiveling her head in all directions. She saw Ruguer and chittered. A mild feeling of pleasure and tranquility ran through me and I was able to identify it as coming from Tinker. She was letting me know I could trust this man and that was good enough for me.
After delicately touching Tinker’s head Ruguer turned to me.
“By the stars, Warrior, I have never seen a man your size. I have no trouble believing you bested a tenfold of Grey Ones.” He spied the sword across my back. “And that blade. It’s enormous. May I heft it?”
I drew the sword from its sheath and handed it to him.
Upon taking it into his hands it dipped suddenly until he could get its weight under the control.
“Stars! This blade is heavier than it seems. How do you wield it?” he asked.
I shrugged, embarrassed. I searched quickly for a way to take the focus from me.
“Actually, I need to correct your information. I did not best a tenfold of Greys. I killed nine of their number and was just about to be struck down by the last one when the healer Dwan saved my life by burying a cleaver into his skull.”
Ruguer looked from me to Dwan. He laughed loudly and put his hands on top of Dwan’s head.
“A good sized woman to be sure, but to think a person of such beauty capable of downing a Grey One. It gives a man courage.” He looked more closely at her, his eyes lowering to fully appraise her. “And other feelings.”
Dwan looked away quickly. Vynn glanced at me. Ruguer read the situation quickly. He flashed another big smile.
“My apologies, Healer. It seems those other feelings are not appropriate.” He looked to me. “The two of you together must make a daunting combination. I almost feel sorry for the Grey Ones.”
After the initial introductions, Ruguer met with me, Dwan, Mag-Gan and Vynn. We gathered at the edge of the stream. He soaked his feet in the water as we discussed the situation.
Ruguer, Vynn had told me, was the Sword of the King. That meant he was in charge of all of the defense forces of Olvion. I would later be told that he was beloved by his men, especially since he was not the type to lead from behind. That was why he was out leading patrols on this day when they found us. He had been hearing rumors of more aggressive movements by the greys for months. The ambush on Dwan and Vynn’s caravan, followed by the attack on Mag-Gan’s outpost was strong evidence of the need for concern. He told us of the reports he had been receiving from his mounted scouts. Large numbers of the enemy had been observed descending from the Grey Mountains.
As the King’s Sword, Ruguer was higher in rank than Mag-Gan and Vynn but I was impressed by the way he treated them, showing respect and admiration for what they had come through. As he listened to the last of their reports he withdrew his feet from the stream and dried them with a cloth.
“King Zander has been expecting something like this. It has never been a matter of if, only when. We must head back to Olvion immediately. I have thirty riders in this troop. I will leave twenty with your people as reinforcements. In the meantime, I would like you,” nodding to Mag-Gan and Vynn, “to ride with me. It is urgent that we get there soon. My second will assume command of both units.” Mag-Gan nodded to indicate that he had no objections.
Ruguer turned to Dwan and me. “I would appreciate it if you would also ride with us. Zander will want to hear your reports from you directly. Will you come accommodate me?”
Dwan nodded. So did I. The prospect of getting to civilization quicker was an inviting one.
With the arrangements made we all mounted and struck out at a trot for the Kingdom of Olvion.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Olvion City
With our progress no longer being slowed by warriors on foot we reached the outer observation stations of Olvion at near-dusk. These were comprised of dozens of small defense stations manned by four warriors each. They stretched far out to either side of our party and were the first line of defense for the castle/city. Ruguer pointed out their locations
and explained that they were mostly expected to keep enemy patrols from getting too close. We stopped at one of the emplacements briefly to refresh ourselves. Ruguer made a quick inspection of the facility and ended it by clasping the arm of each warrior. Jokes were exchanged for a minute or two which Tinker declined to translate. A minute later and we were off again.
Once we topped those bluffs the city and castle stronghold of Olvion was visible about a mile away. To say that the sight was awe inspiring would be an understatement.
The kingdom’s capital was located in a massive flat valley that was bordered on both sides by the foothills of low mountain ranges. I assumed that the path between the two ranges was what I had been told was the “Lions Road”. This part of the topography stretched way off into the distance. Dwan had advised me that it went all the way out to the coast where the other three kingdoms were located.
As we sat in our saddles observing the city the setting sun was directly in our eyes so I marked that direction in my head as the West. Looking over my shoulder I saw another larger mountain range far off into the distance. From my conversations with my new friends I knew those to be the Grey Mountains. It was that collection of heights that was home to the invading Grey Ones.
The city of Olvion was a massive collection of buildings, shops and cobbled streets spanning an area that I estimated to be a square mile, more or less. By far the most impressive feature of the city was the high stone wall that encircled the entire thing. In the center of the wall facing the bluffs where we were was the castle proper. It was an enormous structure bearing the appearance of a combination of an old-Earth medieval castle mixed with more modern architecture. From my vantage point I was able to make out three distinct defense levels which were stacked one upon the other. There appeared to be thousands of sentries patrolling all three levels. At even distances around the wall were fortified projections which were manned by male and female archers. The wall rose some forty feet into the air. It was built in such a way that it protruded outward at the top making the use of ladders less effective as a means of overcoming it.
The Olvion Reality (The Chronicles of Olvion Book 1) Page 15