Seth, A Naiad's Son (Generations of Eredwynn Book 3)

by Harris, Daniel B

  Chapter Fourteen

  The week that followed was uneventful. The compound on the south side was growing by leaps and bounds as more recruits came in. I did quite a lot of healing, which always brought in more. I was doing my healing at the compound where they’d built a small building for me. It was slightly larger than a shed, but had a porch with chairs. On the inside, they’d placed a very comfortable bed. After healing, Tina and Diana were encouraged to take me inside, to ‘rest’. The number of housing units had grown from two to eight and a second enormous plot of land had been plowed and planted. The mine was fully manned and worked from just after daylight until dark. A couple smelters had been set up near the mine entrance and glowed brightly day and night.

  Tina and Diana were blissfully happy and I did my best to keep them that way. They’d taken to their modified wizard’s uniforms right away and understood when I asked them to keep them off the streets. My modifications showed off bulges, curves and recesses exactly as I’d hoped.

  Emory informed me that the district was content and that there was little call for my duties as Governor, so I could focus my time on doing what I had been to keep the people happy. What I did to pass my time was heal, talk and recover from healing and I couldn’t think of a better life, but I was missing Tabitha, Tamia and Anne worse each day. I knew that my games would slow down when they got home, but it was a price I was looking forward to paying.

  Warin had practically moved in with Celina and would leave during the day for training, only to return that evening. I hoped that Mother was going to let Cel stay with us, because she’d be inconsolable if she was parted from her young protector. I still didn’t know what went on in her room after dark since, being a man myself, I always wanted to bury myself in the young lady I was with. I assumed that she had ways of circumventing that need, but I wasn’t going to ask. I was close to putting Diana and Tina on the case to find out. It might be a fun, educational experience for us, as long as I didn’t think of the origin of the knowledge.

  This morning I was ready for some exercise that didn’t involve being naked. I’d explored a bit to the east and to the south, but had never left city limits past Anne’s estate. I gathered everyone and asked if they’d like to wander the woods with me. The kitchen was packing a picnic style lunch for us and it would be different than staying inside all day. My two girls, Celina, Warin and of course Noam, all agreed. We exchanged our robes and adorable uniforms for normal hiking clothes and moved out.

  To avoid gathering a crowd and making it look like more of a pilgrimage than a picnic, I ported us to the far side of Anne’s place. We began a quiet stroll through the woods. The smell of clean air and the earthy odor of decaying leaves mingled, creating a comforting fragrance. The temperature in the shade of the trees was perfect for strolling and the widely spaced trees of the old forest gave us plenty of room. Since it was to be a ‘get to know everyone’ day, we all chatted as we walked. Even Noam, while staying alert, joined in the conversation. He and Tina hit it off like old friends. It amused me, watching her walk and talk with him. Since she was so short and he so tall, she could hardly look him in the face and keep her balance.

  I could tell by the way Celina and Warin looked at each other that I’d have a brother-in-law much sooner than my mother would approve of. She seemed genuinely happy and his eyes said he loved her, too. I doubted that children would be in their future, but stranger things had happened. Mother didn’t have her firstborn, me, until she was close to ninety, but she’s a full water sprite and we’re only half.

  Diana was her normal, quiet self in the woods. She’d wander from tree to tree looking at bark, moss or fungi. She seemed happy to be alive and with the company she was keeping.

  I was missing Tabitha, Tamia and Anne and would be happy when I finally got to see them again, in the next day or two. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to explaining Tina, but I knew that Tabitha would love her as much as I did. I couldn’t use the excuse that I’d gone looking because of Diana, now that I’d learned that my bad temper had caused the problem there. I hoped we’d be able to skip that part completely.

  We wandered and chatted for hours, until I noticed that it was well after noon. We unpacked our lunch and talked while we ate. The wind was picking up slightly in the afternoon warming, causing the trees to rustle and whisper to each other. I listened closely and realized that it wasn’t the trees that I was hearing, but actually voices of men hidden close by. I scanned the woods with magic, the way I’d been taught, looking for minds. Some way, somehow, we’d allowed ourselves to become completely surrounded during our carefree jaunt through the forest.

  I pushed Diana, who was sitting beside me, over to Celina as I cast a ‘dome shield’. “Get them all out of here; I’ll try to identify them and meet you in the courtyard in a minute.”

  Celina nodded and they were gone before Noam could argue. One of our attackers showed himself and I stunned him. I started making my way to him to take him back to the house when the first ‘hot ball’ thudded against my forehead. With pain in my head and blood in my eyes, I barely felt the second one catch me in the base of the skull. I saw a bright flash, and then darkness.

  When I came to, I found myself in a cart or small wagon. I was blindfolded, with my hands and feet tied. My magic was bumping the bottom of the well and I was ill. Leaning in the direction that I hoped was the side of the cart, I began vomiting. I didn’t think it would ever end until I heard, “Dylon, I reckon them ammo balls of yen’s is gonna kill the boy. If ya wanna kill ‘um we oughta do it an’ not make ‘im suffer like that.”

  “Ya know, Ralph, if ya take them off from ‘round his neck, he’ll get them powers back. Ya outta know he can kill us all, if that was ta happen.”

  “Do ya think we can take ‘um off and jus’ set ‘um close? We done heard ‘bout it can get ‘im from purty far off.”

  “Alright, set ‘um off to the th’ side. If he so much as sparkles, I wanna put ‘um right back on.”

  I felt a leather strap being pulled over my head and the bag of ammo was lifted away. It felt like fifty pounds had been removed. I whispered, “Thank you, Ralph.”

  “Ain’t no need ta be thankin me, boy. I jus’ don’ want ya dyin’ afore I gets my money. We be gittin’ ta Ashqia ‘bout tomorra an’ gittin’ our coin.”

  I was feeling somewhat better in just the short time the bullets had been away from me, but my magic was recovering too slowly to make a difference. “Ralph, listen. I’m a very rich man and can give you twice whatever they are offering in Ashqia. Just have them turn around and go back to Krose and you can name your fee.”

  “As good as th’ offer sound, Miss Willow ain’t gonna go for it anyhow. I donno what ya done to her, but she gotta star-awful grudge.”

  I couldn’t think of anyone, let alone a female, who would have a grudge against me. Perhaps one of the girls in light blue or white had thought that I should have chosen them. Father had taught the young men in the family, ‘Hell has no fury like a woman scorned’. We didn’t know what the word ‘hell’ in the statement meant, but ‘fury’ and ‘scorned’ were easily understandable.

  We trudged on and I listened to the horses’ hoofs to try to get some idea of distance traveled. I finally gave up on that and focused on my magic. It was coming back, but at a rate that was hardly noticeable. All it would take would be a brush with that ammo again and I’d be vomiting and bumping the bottom of the magical barrel.

  I focused on things that would raise my spirit instead of dwelling on the dangerousness of the situation at hand. I pictured how nervous and clumsy Tabitha and I had been on our wedding night, then how satisfying it had been when we got it right. I pictured my first time with Anne and the way she’d prepared me for action, Tina’s tiny backside up in the air on our first night together and then most recently, Diana and Tina calling my name with their tails wagging to lure me to bed.

  I smiled as the images in my head had my magic climbing at a much faster t
han normal rate. I still couldn’t save myself, but if I could see my surroundings, I might be able to get a message off that someone would understand.

  My smile didn’t go unnoticed and I was hit very hard with something, right in the face. I felt my nose crunch and blood splatter my chin and tunic. A woman’s voice came through the painful fog, “When a woman offers herself to you, offers her virginity and you choose someone soiled, this is what you deserve.” I was hit again, busting my lips.

  “Willow, I remember you from our day out. I didn’t choose Tina over you. She is a tiny girl and it just worked out that way. I wasn’t passing you over for anything that you did, and if you were still at the compound, something might have developed between us. This is no way to gain my affection!”

  She growled, “I no longer want your affection. I plan to get my money from the leeches that want to see what makes you tick. Then I’m going to give myself to any man that wants me. If you like dirty whores like Tina, who has slept with most of the men in town, so be it. I’ll be like her; if there’s anything left of you when they’re done, you might want me then.”

  I let the conversation go and luckily, she did too. We continued our journey and I curled up away from the poisonous ammo that seemed made to kill wizards. I focused on my happy games and knew that no one would be able to tell if I were smiling. My lips felt as though they were sticking out past my flattened nose and I ached all over. I finally fell asleep after sunset and didn’t wake until I felt them carry me into a shed. I heard the bag of ammo being set on a shelf eight feet away and it knocked a stick to the floor. I scanned the stick and could see the blackness of the poison from the ‘hot balls’ on it. When I heard the door close, I knew that I had to make an all or nothing move. Scanning as quickly as I could with the narrowest beam to save magic, I looked for Davie. If anyone could get me out of this, it would be the Mage. I saw him coming into his courtroom and I aimed for his throne. I hoped he looked before he sat, and I ported the small stick to his chair. That infinitesimal use of magic put me over the red line and a welcome blackness swallowed me.

  When I woke, I knew better than to open my eyes. I’d been in this situation a short time before and understood what had happened. My whereabouts were a mystery, but it smelled like home. The bed felt like my bed and the pillows felt like mine. I had to assume that Davie had found me and gotten me back to my place in Krose. Since a bottomed-out wizard is usually out for days, Tabitha should be home! I felt beside me and found what I was looking for. I carefully moved over so I could put my head on her chest. Her pillows were smaller but more comforting than the ones I’d been laying on. Remembering the happy thoughts that had built my magic enough to call for help, I let my hand slide down her body. I moved back up under her gown and cupped her womanhood.

  She wiggled a bit and whispered, “Seth, I ain’t Tab. I’m her friend Feyna an’ come wit her to be a consort if ya want me. Seems like ya sorta do, but I reckon ya oughta know my name firs’.”

  I chuckled, grabbed my head and whispered back, “I’m so sorry, Feyna. I can’t imagine what you thought I was trying to do. Please forgive me and know that’s not the kind of man that I am.”

  “I ain’t complainin’ an’ it was feelin’ mighty good. I ain’t been touched by no man afore, an’ I was likin’ it. I jus’ wanna make sure you knows who you’s with when the time comes.”

  Another whisper joined us. “Seth, oh, thank the blessed stars! Four days that you’ve been out this time. I see you’ve met Feyna. She’s heard all about you, except for your proclivity for being unconscious. You said you wanted a Halfling consort and I found you one. I also met Tina and since she’s so adorable, I won’t complain about you taking a consort without talking to me first. I’ve really missed you and this already swollen thing under the covers. How did that get awakened, anyway?”

  “I mistakenly fondled Feyna in a very intimate place, thinking it was you. She was a good sport and didn’t slap the infirm man too hard.”

  Feyna giggled. “I ain’t gonna slap ‘im! I dinna wan him to stop. I thought I was gonna have a sunshiny mornin’ with a chance of baker’s yeast!”

  Tabitha whispered, “Fey, do you want him tonight? He’s in no condition to fight us off.”

  Feyna’s breathing sped up. “If ya think I ain’t gonna hurt him. He has some magic touch or somethin. Just that lil bit he done got the furrow ready for the plantin’. “

  Tabitha chuckled softly. “Don’t I know it? Seth, are you ok with this?”

  “She’d be able to lose her virginity and maybe get used to what Diana and Tina call ‘the monster’. As far as my best performance ever… that’s not going to happen.”

  Feyna panted, “My parts is sayin that’s good enough. We can do that ‘get to know and love’ stuff after I’ve felt you way in my belly.”

  I laughed and grabbed my head. “Just be careful, you tiny thing. I don’t want you to injure yourself. I know you’ve heard about Halflings being hurt by humans. Even though I’m small of stature, I’m still human enough to hurt you.”

  I don’t know if she heard or cared about my speech, but I felt her straddle my hips with a knee on each side. She took my throbbing member and slid it back and forth down the ‘furrow.’ She positioned me and began taking me into herself. Slow and steady she slid down my pole. She didn’t even make a sound as she pushed through her maidenhead. I heard Tabitha’s nightstand drawer and knew a towel was in the offing. Somehow, she took all of me into her and began moving. Without me to rush things, she brought herself to orgasm over and over. Finally I gasped, “The baker has arrived!” and held my head as my own orgasm shook me. She stayed on me until I’d finished quivering, took the towel and climbed back off of me.

  Tabitha whispered, “Welcome to the family, Feyna. We’re better now that we have you with us. Come on, we should get some sleep and perhaps Seth will feel better in the morning.”

  I kissed the girls goodnight and drifted off again.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next morning, I woke to the sound of Tabitha and the girls having breakfast. I waved in the direction of the table to let them know I was awake. Tamia crawled up the foot locker and then the length of the bed to give me a hug. She told me that she’d had fun, but she’d missed me. Her mother called her back to the table and I tried to analyze what had happened. I could figure things out up to the part where I sent my message in the form of a stick. I can only guess that Davie either ported me out or came and got me. I’d have to ask and in order to do that, I’d have to stand.

  I slowly raised my head and it didn’t explode as I’d half expected it to. Either I was getting used to running out of energy or my early morning treatment had helped to take the skull-splitting edge off. I slid off the bed, wrapped my robe around me and walked to the table that had gone silent the moment they saw me coming. I poured a glass of water and sipped it slowly. Everyone was staring, amazed that I was even out of bed. The door opened and Celina slipped in, followed by Warin.

  She whispered, “Are you ok to be out of bed, big brother? We’ve all been worried sick and I am under strict orders to notify Mother and Father the moment you’re up. Tell me you’re not up and I’ll forget I saw you.”

  Very quietly I replied, “I’m up and I think I may live, thanks to my very new friend, Feyna. We chatted last night when I first woke up and that gave me the motivation to get around today so I can get to know her. I’m sorry I worried everyone once again, but this time wasn’t entirely my fault. When I feel better, I plan to take as many men as I can gather to visit Ashqia. I wanna fin’ dem grubs that was gonna cut me up.”

  Tabitha and Feyna started giggling. Tabitha, gasping to keep her voice down, wheezed, “I don’t mind your addiction to Halflings, but the Governor can’t talk like a Halfling farm hand. I don’t think it would work well in certain circles.”

  I chuckled and held my hand to my temple. “So, someone tell me how I got here. Last thing I remember was trying to get a message
to Davie. Since I’m still alive, I guess it worked.”

  Celina came to me and helped me sit at the table. “Davie got your message and ported you out of the locked shed they had you in. He didn’t want to go there himself, because he wasn’t sure what the ammo they had in there would do to him. He brought you here and notified the family that you’d been found. This place had almost as many wizards as Eredwynn for a while. We were working our way out in a circle from where we’d last seen you. Some had almost made it to Ashqia, but luckily Davie had gone home to take care of some business. He was planning on contacting King Niruth, the dragon, to help, if we didn’t find you soon. That would have stirred up this happy little city!”

  I looked at Tina. “Hello, beautiful. Would you happen to know a young lady by the name of Willow?”

  She nodded and spoke quietly, “We were kids together and neighbors. That boy I told you about a few weeks ago lived on the other side. She was a few years older than us and had a thing for him, but he liked me. It was just a puppy love thing, but she always hated me because of him.”

  “Well, some of this is starting to make sense to me. Willow was the person who organized my abduction. I turned the offer of her virginity down just before I met and fell in love with you. I didn’t know that you’d slept with almost every man in town, though.”

  She gasped. “Seth! You know that ain’t true!”

  Fighting laughter, I held my head. “I know it isn’t true, my dainty one. I’ll try not to tease you, if you try to hold the volume down.”

  She smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, I just don’t like people talking about me like that. You know how many men I’d been with before you and I hope you know I’ve been faithful since.”

  I leaned over and kissed her. “I do know, and I love you for it.” I looked up at Celina. “I guess if I can tease Tina, I can talk to Mother and Father. You’d better send your note.”