the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 33 - Just introduced to the World of Anachron?  Start with the first book, first chapter, of The Slave Warrior.

 

It was night and Laun was restless.  She felt some better than she had that afternoon, but she was more tired of being in the room than was depressed.

She wore the light tunic still on the end of the bed and put on the woolen slippers.  Gem was asleep in the bed and Laun had not heard anything from either of the watcher holes since she had talked with Del.  Laun made sure she peed before she left the room and went to explore some.

She went partway to the kitchens, but instead of going towards what she knew, she turned the other way down the hall.  It was dark, but there were night lanterns lit at most corridor crossings.  Down the way, there were doors and another crossing, letting her have light from behind her and in front.

Laun stopped at each door and listened.  She decided that if she did not hear anything, she would try to open the door.  She did not hear anything at any of the doors.  Only one of the five doors in that piece of corridor opened.

It was some sort of supply room.  There were stacks of shelves lining the room, a window across from the door letting in some light from a moonlit courtyard.  Laun ran her hands along the surfaces of what was on the shelves.

She felt leather.  She felt something smooth and metallic.  There were buckles and straps.  She pulled and a partially put together warriors harness came off the shelf.  It was the lower harness and it was for quite a tall person.  She put it back and went to another shelf.

She felt her way around finding mostly fighting supplies.  She stood at the window, looking out on yet another neglected courtyard.  There was strong moonlight showing the skeletons of trees against the grey of the night.  She could not see the moon, but she could feel how the light made her feel slightly happier.

She needed to move to a different room.  It was not just the memories of Dreng from the Festival.  It was the color and the mural.  The room always felt cold, even with the small fireplace being fed small logs and twigs in this mild start to Summer.

Laun turned and went through the stacks, trying to remember what shelf had what.  She closed the door behind her and kept going along the unfamiliar corridor.  More open doors led to various things.  Another privy, which Laun used on the general principle of when you have access, use one.  Another storage room, this one with some of the household dishes and utensils.  One of the shelves had tilted at some point and there were shards of glass and ceramic on the floor.  Laun noted and moved past a room that was used as a servant’s bunk room in the past, still with mats piled along one wall.  

Another partial corridor and Laun turned a corner.  She recognized it and kept opening the doors she could as she made her way to the front entrance.  There was a door that led to another corridor.  Behind one door was a room that looked like a sitting room similar to what her excellency Engrid had in her rooms.  There was a storeroom with firewood, very dry and seasoned.

Then Laun was looking at the flickery faces of the mural.  The lights were placed a little closer together there, but she still found the images eerie in the low light.  Laun walked past them slowly and saw portions of herself in more than Dreng and Falmir.  She saw her nose and her hair and even her breasts on some of the people depicted.

And they were not all pretty.  Not even handsome.  In daylight, Laun remembered the faces of some who had been in the noble house of Hawkwell.  The men seemed to be coarse of face and big of body.  Falmir had been much more handsome than most when he was younger, if this was true to his youth.  No wonder Lennie had fallen for his games.

There were the same royal jewels in most of the groups.  The same crowns.  There were even the same garments, though the depiction of the Hawkwell green robe on the women changed to a hutberry purple several generations back.

Laun turned from the past drawn on the wall and went outside.

It was cool.  There was a warm breeze that came through the uncut grasses around the manor, making the summer grasses bend and rustle in the moonlight.  Laun walked along the outside until she could see the moon and was happy that it was almost full.  It made her feel good seeing it in the dark sky, just a few clouds slowly passing near it.

“Lady?”  Laun turned towards the voice.  She smiled and nodded to the officer.

“I couldn’t sleep.  I had a bad spell earlier and I slept when I should have been working.  Now I am up and...  I almost got lost in there looking for the kitchen.”

He moved and took his cape off, putting it over her shoulders without asking.  “This is not the kitchen.”

“No, Lieutenant, it isn’t.  Senri, from what I heard from Gem, it has become an unwelcoming place.”

He nodded.  “I was told of the gentle ribbing Gem gave the corporal.  The other men would not let him forget that a small girl had told him off after doing his duty.”  Lieutenant Senri leaned over and said, “He didn’t know who you were.”

Laun could not keep the sadness coming to her expression as she said, “Not that it really matters.”

He motioned to a carved stone bench near the wall.  “Are you not well, Lady?”

They sat, a low light flickering at them from the torches and lanterns lit along the roadway.  “I am feeling badly.  About myself and my position in the world.  I just-With all that has happened to me, it feels like when I find someplace I am comfortable, everything changes.”  She looked at the ground and felt the tears welling.  She closed her eyes and tried to hold them back.

His arm went around her and she leaned into his shoulder.  “I have a duty to the King and I promised him that you would be cared for.”  He hugged her through the cape, the arm around her settling closer to her waist.  “When we have been together, you never really said anything about how you were feeling.  I didn’t know that you felt like this.”

Laun paused, suppressing a sob, before saying, “You should know by now that I am layered like most women.  I just have a few different layers that don’t let my pain out too often.”  She looked up and into his eyes.  “It is hard for me to conceal things when I have too much time to think on it.”

He smiled.  “If what I have seen is when you aren’t thinking, God’s save us all when you have time to plan.”

Laun let out a giggly sigh.  Her head went back on his shoulder.  “Thank you.  And thank you for earlier.  I didn’t realize how in need I was until you offered.”

“My pleasure, Lady.  Being assigned to your quarters was one of the best things that has happened in my career.”

“Other than working on the side of my father.”

He sucked in a breath.  “Lady, I would prefer not to talk about such things.”

“He put a ring through your nose, has he?”  Laun looked back up and tried to read him in the low light.  “He thinks I turned you against him, doesn’t he.  And yet, he sent your company to assist the Hawkwell estate.”

He had a proud smile as he said, “My company is the best for support.  Has been since before I became it’s commander.”

“It is good to know I am in such good hands.”

The Lieutenant dropped his arm from around her waist.  “You don’t have to be sarcastic.”

Laun looked up and had pain on her face as she said, “I’m sorry.  It’s...”  Laun caught her breath before it could turn into a sob.  “I had asked for a few extra servants and an entire company is sent.  I am glad it is you, but it still feels like-I’m not sure.  Like the work I have done is for nothing.  That Falmir felt I needed rescuing and from a situation he sent me into.”  She sat up and away from Senri and looked out into the night.

“Always back to your father.”  He hesitantly put his hand on her hair and stroked the back of her head a few times.  “He is trying to keep you safe.  That is why we are here.”

Laun had so many things she wanted to say.  Biting things against Falmir and Senri personally.  But she did not.  She just leaned into Senri’s hand and looked at him.  “Is that why you are up?  To make sure no wayward bandits come in to disturb my rest?”

He shook his head.  “The first few nights away from my own bed I can’t sleep.  I take watch since I will be up anyway.”

Laun lowered her voice slightly.  “I don’t want to take you away from your duty, Lieutenant.”

He pulled her head towards him and said, “Lady, you are my duty.”

It was a good kiss.  Deep, with tongues that were well versed with each other.  His beard had about a week’s growth, just past stubble, but not long enough to keep Laun from a little beard-burn around her mouth.

When they parted, Laun put her fingers to her mouth, partially to feel the tender spots still left from the poison.  Senri put his fingers on hers and not too gently brought her hand to his mouth.  He turned her hand so that he could kiss her inside wrist.  He started up her arm, kissing and biting as he went.

“Senri, is this really appropriate?”

There was desire in his eyes as he looked up at her.  “I want you so much, Lady.”

Laun smiled and he would have seen her blush if the light had been better.  “You are on watch.  Really, I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

“I’m the commanding officer, I’ll just punish myself with restriction to quarters.”  He leaned in and kissed Laun again, his arms going around her and holding her strongly.

She did feel the desire rising in her, too.  He was coaxing her into her need and doing it very well as his lips went from hers to her neck.  He had a way of biting that did not leave marks, but gave her thrills up and down her spine.  He was doing just that.

Laun started to gasp and pant with each bite and his hands went into the cape and found her breasts under the layers.  Her head went back as he brushed her nipples through the tunic and halter.  His hand gripped her breast, his hand not big enough to go around it any more.

“Gods, Lady.  Your pregnancy has done you well,” he breathed into her neck.

Laun smiled, though she knew he could not see it.  “I’m glad something good has come of it.”  She gasped again as he gently kneaded into her flesh.  It felt so good to be held and wanted.

Her eyes were closed, but she could sense that there was someone else.  She clicked her tongue in Senri’s ear and he looked up.  “Lady?”

There was a sigh and Laun opened her eyes.  He was looking at her and she flicked her eyes around and saw that there was indeed someone else there.  “We may be able to continue this in more privacy, if that is your relief.”

The Lieutenant blinked and turned.  “Um...  Sergeant.”

The Sergeant saluted and stepped closer.  “It is three bells, sir.”

The Lieutenant stood, straightening out his uniform leathers.  He saluted and said, “Three bells.  Only reportable circumstance is a fox that was trying to get into the stables.  All quiet beyond that.”

The Sergeant’s eyebrow went up.  “A fox.  Thank you, sir.”  They saluted each other and the Sergeant turned, walking away slowly.

Laun stood.  “Fox?  That may be why the henhouse was in such bad repair.”  Her mind started to think of ways to keep the chickens safe, to capture or chase off the fox.  Her hand was on her chin, her other arm supporting and being supported by her belly.

Senri turned back to her and saw that she was deep in thought.  “Lady, may I escort you back to your room?”

“Hmm?  Oh, yes.  Thank you.”  She took his hand and walked in the moonlight until the entrance hall closed them off from the night.

It took a while to get to the room.  Laun was starting to realize that it was not in the furthest wing from the main entry, but damned close.  She really wanted to get a different room more centrally located in the manor.  She was tempted to have him in one of the other rooms she now knew of, like the servant’s bunk.  She knew that Gem liked the Lieutenant, and it would not be fair to have him without her.

Gem was still asleep in the bed as they came in.  She had one leg outside the covers and a pillow grasped to her chest as she lay on her side.  Laun dropped the cape over the couch in the sitting area and turned to Lieutenant Senri.

“Remember the rules on her?”  He nodded.  “Let’s get you out of your leathers.”

It did not take long for both of them to be naked.  His layers went over the couch with the cape, hers onto the floor.  Laun felt that she smelled awful as the tunic and halter came off, but Senri either didn’t notice or did not mind.  He knelt and put his face between her breasts, kissing and licking between them and down the top of her bulging belly, too.  His hands supported her breasts as he started to suck on them.  It was a slightly different sensation from Gem’s tongue and Laun felt her knees try to give out.

“Sweet.  Mmmm.”  There was a drop of something that glistened in the light of the night lamp in his rough beard.  He sucked on her other breast and she saw that there was a drop of liquid coming out of her nipple as Senri continued to massage her breast.

She had a flash of doubt and unhappiness go through her.  The worst was that she was actually turning into a cow.  She closed her eyes and leaned against the back of the couch trying to focus on just the sensations.  It helped, but there was still a little voice that had come up from the darkness to whittle away at her self control and self image.

Senri was looking up at her from between her breasts.  He was gently holding and massaging them as he saw the worry or pain that was going over her face.  He liked the taste of her and now that she was starting to produce milk, she was even sweeter on his tongue.  He looked up her full body and could see she had something on her mind that was hurting her.

He stood and took her into his arms.  He was not good with knowing what to do, but he knew that a good embrace can help.  Skin to skin, his arms went around her and he stroked her back and hair.

“Shall we wake your servant?” he whispered into Laun’s ear.

Laun went to the side of the bed she had been on when she had lain with her girl earlier.  Laun brushed some of Gem’s hair from her eyes and looked at her as she caressed her cheek.  The girl’s eyes fluttered open and she smiled.

“Feel like playing?”

Gem nodded and said, “I am happy you are feeling better, Mistress.”

Gem saw the wicked glint in her eyes as Laun said, “It’s not just me this morning.”

Senri put his hand on Gem’s hip and she turned to see him next to the bed.  “Yes, please.”  Gem’s smile was wide.  She turned completely over and reached for the soldier’s manhood.

Laun liked to watch Gem as she took in the soldier’s thick shaft in her mouth.  Laun had tried to do it, but had not been able to get her mouth all the way around it.  Her jaw just did not open that far.  Gem was enjoying herself and Senri really enjoyed Gem.

Fingers went down and into the blond’s slit, a slightly jerking motion from her hips as she gasped in around Senri.  Laun was very careful not to actually enter Gem, just slide up and down the slick outside.  She did play with her asshole a little, more of a reaction coming from her apprentice.  Laun had a finger all the way down to her lower hole and her thumb on the girl’s button and Gem was having a hard time keeping still.

Laun shoved all the blankets off the end of the bed and pulled Gem to the middle of the bed.  Gem’s hand was still on Senri and he climbed onto the bed next to her.  His hand went to Gem and Laun turned so that she could put her face near Gem’s womanhood.  She watched his fingers pull and stroke and almost go into the girl but not quite.  Gem was starting to make loud noises and reached for a pillow to muffle herself with.

Laun pulled the pillow away and said, “I want to hear your full voice.  Don’t you dare hold back.”

“Y-yesssss, missstre-ahhhhh!”  Gem’s head went back as Laun started to play with her asshole, just a tip of a finger pushing in, but enough to trigger a sudden and loud orgasm.  The two fingering her smiled at each other and held on as she squirmed under their touches.  Senri’s other hand went to her breast, the light pink nipples rock hard and a good place to hold onto the writhing girl.  Laun held on across the pale, flat stomach and could feel the ripples of the girl’s pleasure under her hand.

Laun knew that her apprentice thought they were still being watched.  Laun thought about that for a partial moment and decided that even if there was a watcher posted, Gem needed to be able to release when there were people around not involved with her pleasure.  She was releasing loudly.  It was almost painful and Laun knew that Gem’s throat would be raw the next day.

There was relative quiet as Gem settled into a post-orgasmic bliss.  Senri climbed off the bed and then around to the other side.  He moved pillows off the top of the bed and knelt between Laun’s legs.  His fingers started to move in and out of her and she was soon very wet.  The way he used his fingers inside her, she was almost peaking with just that.

He pulled his fingers out and pushed his manhood in.  It was not deep, but he stretched her and filled her with himself.  He went slow, rubbing a finger on her button as he moved.  Launs quiet sounds started to come out as he brought her up to her peak.  She let her pleasure voice in a long sigh as her hips bucked and she felt the orgasm through her body.

Senri rode her out but was not done himself.  He repositioned himself slightly, his legs a little further under Laun’s butt and he leaned forward.  He was as pressed into her as he could get in that position and he was reaching for her breasts.  His arms went over her belly and his hands were holding her breasts, nipples between fingers bringing out some more of the liquid that he had suckled on earlier.

His thrusts were more circular, more of a grinding as he concentrated on his own pleasure.  Gem turned around on the bed and her head was near one of Laun’s breasts.  She licked at the thin milk coming out and then started to suck.  Laun loved the feeling and held Gem’s head to her.  Senri watched and felt the suckling through his fingers on that breast.  He moved his hand and put it on the blonde’s shoulder.

“Bring me some.”

Gem sucked and then went to her knees.  The soldier and the apprentice kissed, sharing the watery milk as he ground into the Lady.  He started to get a slightly pained expression and his hands went to Laun’s hips.  They continued to kiss as he began to come.  His own growl came out and his head went back as he made short thrusts into Laun, filling her for the second time that day.

The bed really wasn’t big enough for three people.  Especially if they were the wrong way on the bed.  But they spooned in, a sheet pulled up and over them as the three of them slept.  The soldier was in the middle, his arm around Laun.  Gem had her arm around Senri and was tempted to play with his manhood, but fell asleep before the temptation truly took her over.

 

The next day, trying to find a larger set of rooms, a horrid scene is found in Chapter 35.