Legacy of the Valkyrie

by Archibald Bradford

  Yana chuckled as well.

  “Come, we should sup. And Erica? Practice with those knives until they are as familiar to you as your claws, then practice with them some more. Your husband’s life may someday depend upon your skill with them.” The warleader ordered.

  With that the group broke up to cook and eat dinner.

  Milly sidled up to Erica as they walked over to Ophelia and her little fire.

  “Still think you won’t be any help to Master?” She said with a warm smile.

  Erica took a few more steps, her fingers fiddling with the knives at her thigh, then turned to Milly and gave her a smile that was downright predatory.

  While they sat around the fire waiting for the meal that Ophelia was preparing for them Erica couldn’t stop playing with her new knives.

  “Puny weapons, but you seem to be good with them.” Nina offered, again sitting on her hammer.

  Erica flashed them all a hint of her dark panties when she reluctantly sheathed the knife she was playing with, and then turned to the Gigas with a curious look on her face.

  “What’s the deal with that thing anyways?” She asked while nudging at Nina’s seat with one clawed toe.

  Nina shrugged.

  “I made it. When people piss me off, I hit them with it.”

  Erica rolled her eyes and sighed, she had expected more of a response.

  “But how did you make it? And isn’t it connected to your strength somehow? And why do people call it a gravity hammer?” She pressed.

  Nina gave her a long look, and seeing that the cat wasn’t going to let the matter drop she explained.

  “Years ago someone started a dumb rumour that our hammers are so heavy that they have their own gravity. The name stuck, but you’ll never hear a Gigas call her hammer anything other than what it is: a hammer. As for the rest, we begin to forge them when we’re children. Once the hammer is complete, we become adults.”

  “So it’s a rite of passage…” Ophelia mused as she stirred the pot over the fire; “But there is magic at work, it is far heavier than it should be and it makes you stronger when you hold it.”

  Nina shrugged again.

  “I don’t know about magic, for me it was instinct. When I was little more than a baby my mother gave me a piece of heated iron to play with. It just seemed the right thing, to work and fold it tightly together in my hands. That’s how it started, just playing. But once I had used all of my strength to tightly pack the iron together and it had cooled, she reheated it for me and added more.”

  They were all listening attentively; Nina wasn’t overly chatty so they wanted to hear about her past.

  “This went on even after she died, though I had to do the heating myself. It’s kinda hard to explain, but it’s like… the more I worked on it, the more it became a part of me. Until eventually when I set it down, I felt weaker. But at the same time folding and squeezing the iron also made me stronger. I could feel it in my bones as my hammer slowly began to take shape.”

  As she spoke, one hand was resting on her weapon, almost lovingly.

  “So your mother gave you molten metal to play with… when you were a baby.” Erica voice was disbelieving.

  “Yeah. Why? What did you play with?”

  “Yarn.” The Katje replied immediately; “Soft, fluffy… harmless. Yarn.”

  “That’s stupid. How are you supposed to kill someone with that?”

  Nameless bit his lip not to laugh at Nina’s obvious confusion.

  “What about you Milly, what did you play with?” He inquired as he lifted the pot of the fire and Ophelia ladled their dinner out into bowls.

  Milly tilted her head in thought then shrugged.

  “I don’t remember. I just remember the net, and if I strain really hard, maybe my mother’s voice?”

  Nameless’s jaw dropped at her words.

  “You were caught in a net?”

  “I suppose. Yeah?” She looked a bit self-conscious.

  “Oh dear, you never said anything.”

  Ophelia fussed as she wiped her hands clean and fluttered over to comfort the Minotaur.

  “Kinda normal for monsters like us. I remember my mom’s face while she dangled the yarn in front of me but after that it was just one shit-head after another holding my stone and telling me what to do.” Erica’s voice was subdued.

  “Wow, you two had really shitty childhoods.”

  Nina reached over and awkwardly patted the Katje’s knee.

  Erica rolled her eyes at the Gigas’s crude attempt at sympathy.

  “Not all of us got to play with red-hot iron.”

  “Yeah, and that’s sad.” Nina insisted.

  The fire popped and snapped and they were silent as they ate their meal.

  __________

  Awhile after dinner Nameless went into the bushes to relieve himself, and as he walked back into camp he ran into Kar, his cheek firmly pressing against one of her breasts for a moment.

  “Oh, s-sorry Kar!”

  He stumbled back a bit, a soft blush on his cheeks.

  “No harm Valkyrja, in fact you are welcome to bury your face in my bosom whenever you please!”

  “Ah, th-thank you?”

  She sighed at his reticent response.

  “May we speak for a moment?”

  Curious, he simply nodded and she set her back against a nearby tree and examined him in the fading light.

  “Tell me Valkyrja, why do you fear me?”

  His jaw dropped at her earnest question.

  “I don’t! I mean, yeah maybe I was a bit nervous at first, but with everything that you and the others are doing for us, I really don’t!”

  “Perhaps I should rephrase-” She tilted her head slightly and her voice was subdued; “Why do you fear my touch?”

  “Kar…”

  “I know that you have many loves, and I think you know by now that I wish to count myself amongst them. The day I knelt with my sisters and watched you risk everything that you are to save Nina…” She shook her head with a wistful smile; “There was no doubt in my mind that I had found the man worthy of my heart.”

  He was speechless at her words.

  “You are a great man, and not just because you are an Empath, or Valkyrja, though the knowledge that you could bond with me is certainly a factor in my attraction. But it is none of that that stirs me here…” She took his hand with surprising gentleness and pressed his palm to her taut naval before continuing; “No, what sets my loins on fire is the simple things, like way your forehead creases with worry when you think about the pain of others, the compassion you show to people you have never met. And the way that you always think of yourself last when indeed you should be first.”

  Her sparkling blue eyes held his muddy browns in a firm embrace for a long moment as she pulled his hand lower until his fingers slipped under her hide skirt, through a patch of downy hair and found her moist nether lips.

  “Your humility makes me wet.” She whispered.

  His face was on fire by then, heart pounding in his ears. He tried to stammer out a response, any response, but was ultimately unable to say anything.

  “Did you know, that I have lain with many worthy men and women, but none have so captured my interest as you have? I can think of no other whom I would give this to.”

  She released his hand which he hesitantly withdrew from her privates, and then she held up a glittering blue orb between her fingers.

  Her heartstone!

  He knew he had to be careful how he handled the situation, with all that she was doing for Erica and Milly, he considered her a friend, and he would be lying if he said that he felt nothing for the beautiful woman.

  “K-Kar… you are amazing, and anybody would be… truly lucky to accept this gift.” He took her hand in both of his, his wet fingers brushing against her stone as he closed her fist around the beautiful blue orb; “And I am really touched that you would trust me with it…”

  She sighed and her eyes close
d, a single tear trailing down her cheek.

  “But?”

  He waited for her to open her eyes again before he nodded.

  “But.” He repeated simply.

  Since he had touched her stone he was able to sense the sting of rejection but also that she understood the source of it.

  “It isn’t your decision to make is it?”

  He shook his head and laughed a bit, his own eyes beginning to tear up at the emotional moment.

  “No, it really isn’t.”

  They both took a second to compose themselves.

  “I understand, forgive me for putting you in this position. Truly you are a good man.” She leaned down and gently brushing her lips against his forehead.

  “Tell that to Nina.” He sighed ruefully.

  She shifted away from him and raised an eyebrow.

  “Is your Gigas giving you some trouble?”

  He shook his head.

  “No, I’m sorry, it’s nothing.”

  But she wasn’t having any of it, pulling him over to sit on a downed log with her.

  “Tell me, perhaps I can help. I know how a warrior thinks.”

  Her smile was so kind…

  Sensing her earnest desire to help him, he couldn’t help but open up to the warm-hearted Amazon.

  He explained the situation to her, how they had failed to have sex, and subsequently how Nina had withdrawn from them in their tent at night, and the advice that Miranda had given him.

  Kar considered his words for a long time, before speaking carefully.

  “There are two types of mates that an Amazon will seek out. Those that are strong, and have the resolve to dominate her in her own bed, where every coupling is an invigorating contest of wills between the two…”

  “A-And the other?”

  “The other is what I hope to find with you: someone to provide for, and to protect. A gentler lover, who is not afraid to submit to my strength, this does not make you inferior mind! It is just how my breed works; our instincts guide us to challenge the strong and to protect the weak.”

  He blinked at the insight into the Amazons’ psyche.

  “I imagine that Nina is similar, but also different. Tell me, when you first tried to bed her, were you in control or was she?”

  Thinking back on the event his eyes widened in realization.

  “She was. She was very vocal and actually kind of pushy…”

  He felt guilty for saying it, but he knew as he did that it was true.

  Kar nodded as he confirmed her suspicions.

  “Were you and I to couple this night, I would submit to you gladly.” She drew her hand with a dry rasp over their improvised seat; “I would lean over this very log and spread my thighs for you and allow you to take your pleasure from me however you desired, my body would be yours to command.”

  He gulped audibly at her words.

  “But other Amazons would want you to bend them over. They would go to their knees only if you made them.”

  She licked her lips, thinking about going to her knees for him.

  “Our instincts govern our behaviour, and by extension our bodies. I believe that the problem you face with Nina is not, ah, mechanical? As Miranda suggested, but rather instinctual. You need to tap into those instincts to get her body to submit, nay, to make her body submit to you. That is my advice to you, I hope it helps.”

  He thought for a long time about what she had said as they sat together in the woods. After several quiet minutes he turned to her and spoke with heartfelt gratitude.

  “Thank you, Kar, thank you so much!”

  She smiled coyly.

  “Does this mean you’ll bend me over the log?”

  Her teasing tone had returned and for once he didn’t blush, but rather smiled at her heated offer.

  “Kar, I meant what I said. I would take you right now, if I could. You deserve to have everything that you want.”

  Her look turned smug.

  “I haven’t given up on what I want yet, Valkyrja.”

  His smile faded a bit.

  “I won’t ask you to, but I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  Her sudden laughter came in great peals that danced into the woods.

  “You may be a great man, but Miranda is right, you are also kind of stupid!”

  He felt a little hurt until she leapt up and clamped her hands to his face and pulled his lips to hers, leaning down and kissing him energetically.

  When she finally broke away her smile was wide.

  “Do not fear for my heart, you kind little man! I am an Amazon warrior and can take any heartache that you could possibly dish out! Now, I think we should return to the others before they suspect that I am sucking your cock in the woods!”

  She paused and moistened her lips with her tongue before she spoke again, her voice low.

  “Unless… you want me to suck your cock in the woods?”

  She slowly let her jaw drop down and showed him the inside of her wet mouth in the fading light, though the corners of her open lips twitched as she fought to hold back a grin.

  While he knew that she was teasing him again, her offer was still very real and it took him a moment to find his voice as a heavy wave of arousal washed over him and he wasn’t sure whether it came from her heartstone or from himself.

  “N-No thank you Kar! I think we should definitely head back.”

  He privately hoped that she didn’t notice the bulge in his pants…

  Her mouth closed with a smirk and she gave him another quick peck on the lips which he couldn’t help but return before they walked back into camp.

  __________

  After they had settled in their tent for the night Nameless decided a conversation with the girls was in order. It took him a few minutes to gather his nerve, and then he took a deep breath before confessing.

  “Kar kissed me.”

  There was a couple seconds of silence as the others absorbed his words.

  “Oh dear.” Ophelia sighed.

  “Yeah I figured she might try something.” Erica said while balancing one of her knives on its point.

  “You turned her down?” Milly was calm.

  “Yeah, I mean kind of.” He said evasively.

  Erica flicked the knife up in the air and caught it between two fingers with a knowing look.

  “Let me guess ‘not my decision to make’?”

  “Er-”

  “Heh, pussy.” Nina snorted.

  Ophelia settled beside him on their bedroll.

  “Dearheart, why don’t you tell us what happened?”

  He blew out a breath and nodded, recounting their conversation from earlier, though he left out what her advice had been regarding Nina. When he finished the others were quiet for a time as he nervously awaited their words.

  “Oh relax lover!” Erica crawled over to him and butted her head against his side; “Like I said, I knew she was going to try something. Honestly if I didn’t already have all the pussy I could eat I would happily have a romp with her!”

  His eyebrows retreated into his hairline at her words.

  “She is very attractive, and very kind.” Ophelia mused.

  “Yeah, when she isn’t kicking my butt.” Milly smiled.

  Nameless took a moment to gather his thoughts.

  “You aren’t… mad?”

  The girls laughed, and Nina snorted again. Erica nuzzled into his neck.

  “Baby, she’s our friend! And she has more than once asked us if we would be okay with her joining us so it’s not like this is a big shock. Though I’m a little annoyed she went around us and tried to give you her stone like that.” She finished with an indignant huff.

  Nameless remembered the look on Kar’s face when he turned down her offer, and the sense of disappointment she had felt…

  Then he remembered the look when she held her mouth open for him, the erotic opportunity still hung over him and his blood heated again.

  Picking up on his emotions, Nina s
poke her mind again.

  “I think you’re just upset that you didn’t get to have the smoking hot Amazon suck you off.”

  Privately Nameless had to admit she wasn’t wrong; Kar was very attractive and the thought of her on her knees before him… he shook his head in an attempt to clear the fog of arousal.

  “Master, I like her a lot. She’s been nothing but kind to all of us. But I think we should focus on finding Volka, not finding more girls to play with!” Milly said.

  He nodded vigorously.

  “I know! I swear, I didn’t mean for this to happen!”

  “Relax dearheart, we really aren’t mad. But I think Milly is right, we need to find Volka before anything else, after all, she should have a say in things like this.”

  Nameless felt a surge of guilt, he hadn’t even thought about that.

  He considered it for a moment, his encounter with Volka had been surreal. She really was a mystery, he knew more about any one of the Amazons that journeyed with them then he knew about her.

  Please, find me?

  Her last request to him echoed in his head and he closed his eyes to focus on her light in his mind, willing himself closer to it, but it was no use. He would have more luck reaching up and touching a star in the night sky.

  “Master? Are you alright?” Milly’s voice was concerned.

  He was startled to realize that he had tears on his cheeks.

  “Sorry! It’s just, she is so far away. I feel like we will never find her. Like she wasn’t even real.”

  “Bullshit.” Nina said bluntly; “Don’t be a pussy, we will find her and of course she’s real. She saved my life and I will repay that debt.”

  Nameless shared a grateful look with her; even with all that was going on with them he was glad of her words and her company.

  “Thank you Nina.”

  Her fierce promise seemed to settle the issue as Erica curled up beside him.

  “Glad that’s sorted. Now, since Kar clearly aroused you so much, I think this need to be taken care of don’t you?”

  The Katje squeezed his cock through his pants. Nina rolled her eyes, but she was smirking.

  “You do that, I’m sleeping.” She flopped down in her corner once again.

  The others gave her a disappointed look, long enough that she spoke again.