Omnixius
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DKP 6-3 A mother at heart.
🕑 Added 2020-11-07 04:46:14 +0000 UTCGersius waited until they were just outside their private quarters to tell them about the letter. He turned to Thayle and delivered the news he knew was going to wound her.
“What do you mean he’s dead?” Thayle cried as tears began to fill her eyes. She looked to Lilly and Sarah as the two had nothing but empathy for her pain.
Gersius held up the letter and explained where it had come from. Thayle snatched it from his hand and began to read as a hand covered her trembling lips. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her hand shook until she threw it aside and ran for the safety of their bed.
“Why is she so upset? Sarah asked.
“He was very important to her,” Gersius explained. “She will feel his loss deeply.”
“Was this a good time to tell her?” Sarah asked as the door slammed. “She needs to be emotionally strong for the road ahead.”
“She needed to know,” Gersius said and bent down to pick the letter up.
“How did he die?” Lilly asked.
“The letter says assassins,” Gersius replied. “Prime Arlin was in the market square with only two guards. They killed all three of them.”
“He must have assumed he was far enough from the war to be safe,” Sarah said. “But he is the one who called her order to war and appointed Thayle to lead the offensive. Naturally, they struck at him out of revenge.”
“The Father Abbot has proven he will go to any length to punish his enemies,” Gersius sighed. “This war will be deep with blood.” He turned to look at the door to their room and could feel the pain of Thayle on the other side.
“But he replied to her other letter,” Lilly said. “If he was dead, how could he do that?
“A prime from the East has assumed temporary control of his region until a new prime can be appointed. The letter says he spoke to prime Arlin the day before about both replies and that both were sent.”
“And she only got one,” Lilly said. “What happened to the other?”
Gersius ran a hand through his hair and looked down at the message. “I am going to say something that will compound our problems. I suspect Jaylis received it but was not allowed to deliver it.”
“Why wouldn’t he be allowed to deliver it?” Lilly asked.
Gersius looked to Sarah, who was patiently waiting for the answer. He knew she would be angry over what he was about to say. He explained what Gedris told him about the letter and then drew the logical conclusion. Jaylis knew his life was in danger if he relayed a message that proved Yarvine was not in charge. He used a messenger to relay it through a third party to avoid detection, but that failed.
“But died anyway,” Sarah said in an angry tone. “Only Yarvine would be so motivated to prevent such news. She must be involved in that scryers death and potentially Prime Arlins. You need to get rid of her at once. Better yet, ask her directly if she had anything to do with these deaths. Let her aura tell you the truth.”
Gersius understood Sarah's point of view, but this was still a delicate matter. Thayle had openly declared the primes beneath her, and women would object. If he went after Yarvine now, it might cause open dissent. He also knew Yarvine would avoid answering the question, saying nothing that could be seen in her light. He needed a way to draw her out and prove she was working against them. He turned to see Sarah moved to the bedroom door and held a hand up as if feeling it.
“She is so upset I feel it as if it was my own,” Sarah said. “This bind is difficult to manage.”
“It takes some practice to push it out,” Gersius said. “But, you will always feel us unless you are very distracted.”
“Should we do something for her?” Sarah asked. “I am not familiar with this kind of grief. I suppose having to kill my own daughter was painful, but that made me angry.” She paused as if searching for the right words. “Thayle feels like she is empty and in pain.”
“As I said, Prime Arlin was very close to her,” Gersius said. “I believe he even asked her to marry him once.”
Sarah looked up with a nod and then turned back to the door. “So, what do we do?”
Lilly smiled and walked up to Sarah, taking her hand and putting it to the door.
“Go in there and talk to her,” Lilly urged.
“Why me?” Sarah asked. “Wouldn't it be better if you went in?”
“I thought this was a good opportunity for you to grow in your emotions,” Lilly said. “I will go if you're not ready.”
“I need Lilly to come with me,” Gersius interrupted.
“You do?” Lilly asked.
“Didn’t you say you were going to train with Gedris?”
“Yes, but that can wait. Thayle needs me more.”
“I need you to come with me for Thayle,” he replied. “I want to test an idea that might make things easier for her, but we need to move quickly.” He turned to Sarah and took a deep breath. “You need to go in and comfort her. Sit beside her and let her tell you what she is feeling.”
Sarah looked shocked for a moment but nodded her head. “I will do what I can.”
Gersius knew she would and took Lilly by the hand and headed away. If he was right, there was a way to solve all their problems, but he needed to make sure.
Sarah stood outside the door for a moment before carefully opening it and stepping in. Thayle was lying on her stomach on the bed, sobbing like a child. Sarah wasn't familiar with this feeling as it flowed over the bind. She had heard of the term remorse before, and Numidel said it was similar to regret. Sarah wasn't sure that was accurate, considering what she felt from Thayle.
Slowly she made her way to the bed and sat beside Thayle, unsure what to do with her hands. She thought to reach out and touch her but wasn't sure if that was right. With a sigh, she put a hand to Thayle's shoulder and squeezed.
“Child, I am sorry you feel such pain. Is there anything I can do to make it better?”
“Oh, Sarah!” Thayle cried and turned over, climbing into her arms. She latched on to Sarah's chest and sobbed as Sarah struggled to wrap her arms around the wounded woman. She held Thayle tightly, cradling the raven-haired head to her shoulder as tears began to soak her skin.
“This man meant a great deal to you,” Sarah surmised. “Gersius, I mean, our husband told me you two were very close.”
Thayle nodded without taking her face away, the tears continuing to pour. Sarah licked at her lips and struggled to hold off the terrible flow of emotions in the bind. She almost wanted to cry with her as the pain seeped into her own heart.
“Tell me about him then,” she said to try and get Thayle talking. “Tell me so that I can appreciate the loss.”
Thayle turned in her arms, and Sarah looked down into Thayle's shattered face. Just an hour ago, she was the most powerful woman in the camp, facing down a treacherous rival. Now she was a child in pain, needing someone to talk to. That thought amazed her as it had never occurred to her before. Dragons didn't seek the comfort of others or share in their pains. Even Lilly didn't seek comfort over the loss of her hoard. Sarah knew these concepts were coming from her partners and struggled to remember who she was inside.
“Tell me, how did you two meet?” Sarah pressed. Thayle recounted how they met when he was only a high priest, and she was an acolyte. He was raised to Prime less than a year later, and they had a powerful relationship that bordered on romance. It was clear this man was an important part of her life, often acting as a father figure, or a best friend, always full of encouragement and wisdom.
Sarah listened as the tale went on, and Thayle recounted some of their silly interactions. At some point, she began to rock, gently carrying the woman in her arms back and forth to soothe her. An hour went by, and Thayle was in control of her tears as she curled to Sarah's chest. Sarah told her how proud she was of the display this morning. Thayle admitted she hated doing that but knew Yarvine had to be removed from the chain of command.
Eventually, Thayle calmed completely and looked away as her cheeks reddened. Sarah could feel the sudden embarrassment and stopped her rocking.
“Is something wrong?”
“Look at me, crying in your arms like a fool. I am behaving like a child,” Thayle said.
“Compared to me, you are a child, and always will be. I have quite a head start on you in years.”
“I can’t be a child. I have to be like Gersius.”
Sarah pulled her tight and thought about that reply. “I suspect that our husband wishes you to remain who you are. He does not want you to become like him.”
“What choice do I have?” Thayle asked. “We march to war and bloodshed. Many of the women I lead are going to die. How do I face that and not change?”
Sarah tried to think of an answer until she looked down into Thayle’s eyes and a solution became evident.
“By doing this,” Sarah said. “Whenever you feel the pain, you come to my arms and cry. I will carry away your pain and hold you until you are yourself again.”
Thayle smiled as a final tear ran down her cheek. “You dragons are very good mothers.”
“We dragons only have mothers,” Sarah replied. “We have to be everything to our children.”
“No dragon is ever raised with a father?”
Sarah shook her head with a sigh. “Don't blame the males. We females don't want them around, and they don't care. I suspect our natures would cause us to be suspicious of each other and fight frequently.”
“Over what?”
Sarah smiled and rubbed Thayle's back. “Our hoards, of course. We would argue and fight if we suspected even one coin had gone missing.”
“Dragons really feel that strongly about their treasures?”
Sarah nodded. “You have to understand; we need that to grow and reach our true power. To us, every bit of our hoard is precious and worth fighting for.”
“Lilly said females would barter a breeding for knowledge instead of paying for it,” Thayle mused. “She always says no male is worth the gold.”
“That's because she is right,” Sarah remarked. “I can't think of a female in history who would barter gold for the gain of anything, even before the curse.”
“You wouldn’t part with even a tiny portion of it?” Thayle asked.
“Child, I have lived a very long time trapped in a temple with a male. Despite how close we became, I would not part with a single coin for him. I am aware he gave Lilly that bag of gold, but I would sooner die than do such a thing.”
“No wonder Lilly was so upset about losing her hoard,” Thayle said. “But she said a mother dragon would give her children a portion of their hoard.”
Sarah nodded as this was true, but she explained how strong the connection between a mother and child was. It is in their nature to do all they can to ensure a child's survival, even parting with a small portion of their hoard.
Losing a hoard to another dragon and being left with nothing was different. That was a wound that she could never imagine healing.
“The fact that Lilly is so happy after her loss is part of why I was curious about this life. Something she was getting from you two meant more to her than the loss of her hoard. I needed to know what it was.”
“And now you are a part of it,” Thayle whispered. “And I love you.”
Sarah smiled as she felt the warmth radiate over the bind. She knew Thayle's words were true, and it made her want to hug the woman all the tighter.
“So, where are the missing members of our family?” Thayle asked. “I can't believe they sent you in alone.”
“Gersius has some plan to aid you, and he needed Lilly to see it done.”
“A plan to aid me?”
Sarah nodded and began to rock again. “He didn't say what it was, but I could feel him. It was important that he act on it now.”
“Well, I'm glad we had a chance to be alone together. I really enjoy this. It is a shame I have to go back to dealing with the issues in the camp. Yarvine has been humbled, but she isn't going to behave.”
“No, she isn't,” Sarah said, then informed Thayle of Gersius's suspicions. Thayle nodded and agreed but also repeated his words that Yarvine would avoid the lie and have to be exposed some other way. They both wondered if that was what Gersius was working on and how Lilly was going to help. When the time grew long, Thayle leaned up and planted a kiss on her cheek. She moved to escape Sarah's arms, but Sarah held on more firmly.
“Just a little longer,” Sarah urged. “I rather like having you in my arms.”
“You can hold me later tonight,” Thayle said. “I have to announce to the women of Ulustrah that Prime Arlin is dead. Then I suppose I better establish a command structure to incorporate the first and second companies.”
“Do you expect more trouble from this, Alayse?”
Thayle shook her head as she got up. “No, Lilly frightened the arrogance out of her, but if she gives me an ounce of trouble, I will show her you. Let's see how brave she is when a dragon five times Lilly's size stares her down.”
Sarah smiled and stood behind her, reaching up for the straps on her armor.
“Let me help you take this off.”
“I don't have to play the role of dragon knight any longer?” Thayle said as she wiped her eyes. “You were so insistent this morning.”
Sarah laughed and loosened a buckle. “You have proven your place as a dragon knight before most of the camp. Now your task has changed, and you must play the new role. You should wear your robes of rank while you tell your order of their loss. Remind them that you are one of them and share their pain.”
Thayle did as she was told and allowed Sarah to help her undress. There was a brief moment of stress when Thayle stood only in her underclothes, and Sarah looked away.
“You don’t have to be shy about this,” Thayle said as she came to Sarah’s side. “I am your wife.”
“I know,” Sarah sighed. “But you must understand, Female dragons don't take husbands, let alone wives. I will need more time to adjust to this new understanding.”
“Take it slow, and be open about your feelings,” Thayle replied. “And look at me.”
Sarah looked up as Thayle stood there in just a few straps of cloth. “Never look away. I enjoy knowing you are watching me.”
“I feel what you are feeling over the bind, but the sensation is strange to me,” Sarah replied.
“It's new to you,” Thayle corrected. “In time, you will come to understand the feeling over the bind as well as your own. There is no rush for you to embrace every aspect of our love this instant.”
“Isn't that what your love is about? Embracing each other with complete openness?”
“You learn fast,” Thayle said as she went to the wardrobe. “But, Gersius gave me plenty of time to adjust to having a husband. He even gave Lilly and I privacy to make love. If you need time alone with him, Lilly and I will understand.”
“I am not sure that will be necessary; I enjoy having you in my arms,” Sarah replied.
“You enjoy mothering,” Thayle laughed. “You find it much easier to mother us than to join us as lovers.”
“I suppose that's my age,” Sarah said. “I should be sitting on the circle of scale, counseling young dragons, teaching them their history and place.”
Thayle put her robe on and walked back, taking Sarah’s hands in her own.
“So long as you never forget you are a wife, you can mother Lilly and I all you want. Besides, Lilly loves it when you do.”
“That’s her age,” Sarah replied. “She instinctively seeks out the wisdom of an elder.”
“Then mother her to your heart's content,” Thayle said as she straightened her robe. “And now, to face the new challenge.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Sarah asked, feeling a sudden need to stand at Thayle’s side. Thayle declined the offer but gave her one last kiss, pressing soft lips to her own. Sarah closed her eyes and let the experience wash over her before lamenting that the moment ended. Thayle headed out to spread the news as Sarah wondered what Gersius was planning to do.
Gedris stood with two short knives, holding them, so the blades pointed back. She came at Lilly in quick slashes, looking well balanced but a little slow. Lilly stood against her with a slender sword in each hand, fighting more akin to Tavis in style. She used her longer reach to force Gedris out of advances but had to keep stepping back to avoid Gedris getting inside her guard.
“How long have you been training her?” Gersius asked.
“A couple of weeks,” Ayawa replied. “She has greatly improved.”
“That's because you train her all day,” Tavis added. “She used to cry over it.”
“We are marching to war. There is no time to do it slowly,” Ayawa countered.
The blades met in a ring as the two pressed on one another, determined to score the first blow.
“What made you take her in?” Gersius commented as the two women circled with eyes locked.
Ayawa watched the dance with pride and looked at Tavis, who shook his head, a broad smile visible under the brim of his hat.
“Her spirit did. She is brave, reckless, and sacrificial to a fault. She is willing to pay the price to do what she thinks is right. She nearly got herself and us killed several times.”
“More than several times,” Tavis added. “But she also saved us on a few occasions. I have to admit; when she sets her mind to something, she goes after it with all her heart.”
“That reminds me of somebody else,” Gersius said with a glance at Ayawa. “She went after the man she loved despite the world telling her she couldn't.”
A smile crept over Ayawa’s face, her eyes never leaving the sparring match before them.
“How did you manage to hide her faith in Ulustrah?”
Ayawa finally glanced at him and shook her head. “I won't let her wear the armor or join the other women in prayer. Some of them know, but by the time Yarvine arrived, she was wearing dresses and leathers. Yarvine assumed she was a slave girl, so I let her go on thinking that.”
“Yarvine shouldn't be a problem anymore,” Gersius replied as Gedris managed to get inside Lilly's reach and nearly put a knife to her throat. Lilly stumbled back to get away, but Gedris followed until she finally had Lilly trapped.
“Well done,” Gersius remarked.
“She is too slow,” Ayawa scolded. “And she nearly tripped in the pursuit.”
“Speed will come with practice,” Gersius remarked as the two squared off again. He watched the dance of blades and was impressed by how precise Gedris was with only a couple of weeks of training. The second match went to Lilly, who managed to lure the other woman in and plant the sword's point to her chest. Gedris admitted defeat as Ayawa threatened to cut a branch from the nearby tree and lash her if she didn't improve.
“When we march, I need you two to scout ahead for me. They are going to be waiting.”
“You can bet your hide they will be waiting,” Ayawa remarked. “They know where you are and where you have to go. Your path is going to barred at every turn.”
“I have no choice but to go Calathen. I can't put an end to this unless I do.” He winced as Lilly was pressed back, but she recovered and managed to get her swords in Gedris's way. Lilly was slow as well but improving every time she sparred. She was even sparring with her followers now, encouraging all of them to learn how to fight. In time the speed of those swords would be deadly.
“Two Crows told me Yarvine has been sending messages,” Ayawa added. “She sent three within the hour after Thayle put her in her place.”
That was worrying, but to be expected. Yarvine was communicating with somebody outside of camp and hoping to do it secretly. There was also the matter of the scryer that Jaylis said was in her wagon. Now that Jaylis was dead, perhaps it was time for a new scryer.
“Nothing to say?” Ayawa asked.
“I was considering your information. I suspect Yarvine is not done being a thorn in our sides.”
“You don’t need years of war and discipline to see that,” Ayawa scoffed. “Thayle seems to have impressed by not being cast out, which proves her goddess favors her over Yarvine.”
Gersius agreed, but Yarvine also accused Thayle of being tainted by the dragons. Every woman in the camp knew Thayle could draw on the dragon's power. Yarvine could use that to suggest Thayle was cast out but using dragon power instead. As that thought occurred to him, he wondered if such a thing could be. Could a fallen priest continue to work blessings if they had a dragon to call on?
Gedris swept at Lilly's feet, but Lilly jumped back. In that brief moment where Lilly's feet weren't planted, Gedris dashed in, putting the blade to Lilly's throat again.
“She has your cunning,” Gersius remarked. “She knows how to make an opening.”
“In a few years, she will be my equal,” Ayawa said. “Maybe even better.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Tavis laughed. “She will work hard and dedicate herself, but you have a natural talent with the blades.”
“I agree,” Gersius added. “But she will be an outstanding knife fighter.”
“How long have you been training Lilly?” Tavis asked as the two women started yet another match.
“I have been training her off and on for a couple of weeks as well. Lilly is benefiting from her connection to the bind. She is learning my fighting techniques.”
“What do you mean she is learning your techniques?” Ayawa balked
“We are sharing our skills with one another,” Gersius replied. “We have gotten the aura sight from Thayle, and Lilly and Thayle have gained my combat training. They need to practice it, but they understand all my techniques.”
“We need a dragon wife,” Tavis joked as Ayawa glared at him.
“Gersius keeps claiming them all,” she replied and returned to watching the fight. “How many wives do you plan to have, anyway?”
“None,” Gersius answered. “Not one of them was planned, but I am grateful they happened.”
“You have reached your limit then?” Tavis asked.
“I would say yes, but I promised if a special woman who deserved a place appeared, I would consider her.”
“Who are you?” Ayawa demanded as Gersius smiled.
He laughed and shook his head as Lilly and Gedris broke to square off again. “I never believed I would have a proper family, then Lilly came along. I don't know what happened, but I fell in love with her.”
“Then she told you she couldn’t have your child,” Ayawa said.
“No, she can't, but somehow Thayle was right there, and she was important to both of us. It was impossible to keep our feelings for her a secret with the bind. Lilly and I agreed to love her, assuming she would allow it. She put up a heroic fight as Lilly stalked her like a hunter.”
“Why didn’t you go after her?”
Gersius looked up with a smile. “Lilly was the better choice. Thayle prefers women.”
“Hmm, Gedris said that was somewhat common in the order of Ulustrah. Something about being locked away together for years while being trained how to love.”
Gersius nodded and then winced as Gedris batted one of Lilly's weapons wide, rushing in for the kill. Lilly, to her credit, swung round with the other weapon while stepping back until she recovered. It was a good maneuver by both women and highlighted just how much they had grown.
“I do want to be clear; Thayle is a wonderful wife who loves me completely. It just took longer for her to open up and let her love flow.”
“Gedris didn’t have any trouble,” Tavis laughed. “She is a very open person.”
“I am amazed that girl is so inexperienced,” Ayawa added. “She is very fond of intimacy.”
Gersius chuckled as he looked at Lilly, who was the same. The little dragon who hated him now sought his affection daily and couldn't get enough of kisses and hugs. She was a flower of beauty and a graceful fighter, the dual swords suiting her well.
“If I may ask, how do you plan to get into Calathen,” Tavis whispered.
“I have been keeping that a secret for awhile now,” Gersius replied. “I am thinking about revealing it right before we march in the morning.”
Ayawa looked at him with a frown. “Why then?”
Gersius looked to the two women sparring and watched as Lilly and Gedris tried to goad one another into making a rash maneuver.
“Because it will force our enemies to race against the clock to stop it, and hopefully make a mistake.”
“You are planning something,” Ayawa said with a calculating stare. “Do you do anything without calculating the risks and gains?”
Gersius shook his head. In this game where the Father Abbot had years to prepare, there was no room for frivolous decisions or chance maneuvers. Everything had to be carefully considered and calculated to maximize his advantage. As Lilly and Gedris tangled one another up, he knew exactly how to tip that advantage his way.
The rest of the day was spent giving orders and making sure every member of his command knew they were marching with the arrival of the sun. Thayle delivered the news of Prime Arlin only to follow it with a command to be ready to march in the morning. She spent hours in a meeting with every ranking member of her order except Yarvine. The woman wanted nothing to do with Thayle and kept to the little house in the yard. Gersius met with Two Crows to learn first hand what his spies had seen. At least a dozen women were coming and going in regular intervals. Most of them were low ranking, but a couple were high priestesses who had some decision power in the camp. He took careful note of who they were to inform Thayle and then went to see Jessivel.
The lord of the seekers was pouring over a pile of dispatches sent in from spies across the lands. He had dispatched riders to begin collecting any information of use in the coming campaign. Gersius informed him of the scryer's death and the limited account of the women with red hair. He asked Jessivel to speak with Mingfe and see what she had learned in her investigation. He didn't want Jessivel to take over, only be aware of the situation and keep an ear out for anything that might help. When that was done, Jessivel surprised him by giving him a detailed account of the five kingdoms bordering the empire. He knew which lords were ready to fight, roughly what strength their forces were, and where they were currently camped. Gersius was impressed by the volume of intelligence Jessivel had gathered already. Sadly there was no news about his sister or the mystery woman, but he had a vague report that Lady Carrigara was now in Calathen. The report also said a dragon was in the city aiding the Father Abbot.
He spent that night working late at the forge to make more armor. His mind replayed the day's events reliving every detail as he tried to put the pieces together. His enemies were ready, the day was set, and his army was about to move. Soon the bloodshed would be catastrophic.
He retired late into the night, wiping his brow of the sweat of the forge. Despite Sarah's blessing, the constant heat did eventually cause him to perspire. He found his wives gathered together on the balcony as he entered the room and pulled off his shirt.
“Oh,” Lilly said and came dancing to him. She leaned over and took a deep inhale before letting out a long. “Mmmmm.”
“Stay out of our bed until you are washed,” Thayle remarked as she stood a few paces away.
“But he smells so good,” Lilly replied as she clung to him and took another deep inhale.
“Oh my, is that you?” Sarah asked as she sniffed the air. She followed the scent to Gersius and joined Lilly in smelling him as he tried not to chuckle. “He does smell wonderful.”
“Dragons!” Thayle cried and shook her head as the two women hovered around him.
“I love it when he smells like this,” Lilly sighed. “But Thayle says he stinks.”
“He most certainly does not,” Sarah remarked. “He smells so powerful.”
“He is taking a bath, or I am sleeping in another room,” Thayle remarked as she folded her arms. “You two can enjoy his stink all you want then.”
Gersius laughed and discarded his shirt as the two dragons stepped back. “I will wash if that will make you happy. How did your order take Prime Arlin’s death?”
Thayle looked away and let out a sigh. “As well as can be expected. Few of them knew him directly, so it was only seen as one more offense. The few that did know him broke down and shed tears for his loss. Honestly, most of my order is in shock over my battle with Yarvine. I don't think I could do much more to rattle them.”
“And how are you taking it?” he pressured.
Thayle sighed and looked around the room as she licked at her lips. “Gersius, I want to be honest with you. Arlin and I were very close to being husband and wife. There was a time in my life when I said I loved him.”
Gersius nodded his appreciation for her honesty but had another question. “Why didn’t you marry him?”
“Honestly, I don't know. When he asked, I was sure I wanted to, but something told me to say no. I can't even explain why, but I knew it wasn't my path.”
“Ulustrah was saving you for us,” Lilly said with a broad smile.
Thayle looked up and returned the smile. “Maybe. I suppose the divines were planning this whole process for a long time. Maybe it was Ulustrah who motivated me to say no.”
“You were meant to be mine,” Lilly remarked as she approached Thayle. She put her hands around Thayle's waist and looked down into those mysterious eyes. “I would not be here without you, and they knew it. You had to be kept aside to teach me how to understand love.”
“And to have our children,” Gersius added.
Lilly's eyes twitched, and she looked about nervously as Thayle cleared her throat.
“And to have children for our family,” Thayle repeated. “And now for you as well,” she added, turning to Sarah.
“I have no idea how to raise human children,” Sarah remarked and looked away nervously.
“I am sure you will be good at it,” Lilly said. “You are a good teacher to Shadros and I, and you know how to guide us.”
“There is more to being a mother than teaching and guiding. You have to be a model of what you hope they will be. You have to know when to show compassion and when to show discipline,” Sarah replied.
Lilly smiled and ran a hand along her shoulder. “It sounds like you understand it to me.”
Sarah huffed but stood still as the hand began to caress her shoulder. Gersius noted the action and looked about the room for a bucket. “I suppose I will need to get water.”
“You are too high of station to be running off to fetch water. Send one of the guards down the hall to get it,” Sarah remarked.
Gersius smiled and looked at Lilly before shaking his head. “I will be back in half an hour.”
Sarah watched him go in confusion as Lilly stepped right before her.
“Why did he leave?”
Thayle laughed and moved to stand beside Lilly as Sarah grew more uncomfortable.
“He wanted to give us some time alone,” Thayle said.
“Time alone for what?”
Lilly answered the question by leaning in to kiss her lips, causing her to tremble.
“Are you nervous?” Thayle asked when the kiss ended, and Lilly stepped aside.
Sarah looked up and nodded her head. “Of course, I am.” As if to make her even more nervous, Lilly took her hand and led her to Thayle, handing her off to the dark-haired beauty.
“If you are not ready, we don't have to do this,” Thayle insisted.
Sarah felt a strange sense of desire and knew it was the bind feeding her their emotions. Lilly was hungry to see her make love with Thayle and then join in herself. She felt both women’s hunger calling out in desire.
“I am very nervous,” Sarah stammered.
“You made love to us last night,” Lilly insisted.
“She made love to Gersius last night,” Thayle said. “All we did was hug and kiss.”
“That’s still making love,” Lilly insisted. “A kiss given in passion is every bit as intense as other things.”
Thayle smiled and nodded to Lilly in agreement. “You have grown so much.”
“How did you come to be so open with other women?” Sarah asked.
Lilly shrugged and stepped up behind Thayle to rub her shoulders. “I didn’t see anything wrong with it. I have eaten human women before and tasted their flesh. Surely I could taste them again without killing them. It’s why I like to nibble on Thayle when we make love.”
“So that’s why you keep biting me,” Thayle huffed as Lilly smiled.
Sarah tilted her head as she considered that logic. She had eaten her fair share of humans as well. If she could eat them, she could certainly limit herself to merely tasting them. She looked at Thayle and nodded as her curiosity began to get ahold of her. What did this woman before her taste like? She nodded gently and then reached up, taking hold of the folds of Thayles robe.
“I have fought armies, seen empires rise and fall, and even battled other dragons. I have passed through burning cities and flown through raging storms. Lilly is right; I have no reason to fear the flesh of another woman. I am willing to bet I have eaten far more of them than she has.”
Thayle tensed as her robe came loose. She looked decidedly worried as Sarah pulled the folds wide to reveal the flesh beneath.
“Are you sure? There is no rush.”
“More to the point, are you sure? You have had a very stressful day,” Sarah pointed out. “I am concerned this is not the best time for us to share.”
Thayle nodded and let out a deep sigh. “It has been challenging but nothing will make me feel better than to be in the arms of a lover.”
Sarah looked into her eyes again as she gently breathed in her scent. “You are very comfortable with the touch of a woman.”
“I already lay with Lilly, and she is not the first woman I have shared a bed with. I am no stranger to a woman’s passion.”
“Is it very different?” Sarah asked.
“A hug is a hug, and a kiss is a kiss. A woman's embrace can feel just as warm as a mans, and she can hold you through the night just like he can. But the gentleness of her touch and the softness of her skin will be very different and to make love to another woman requires you to do more work.”
Sarah blushed as visions came to mind over the bind. Lilly was thinking very intensely of one of the ways, and Sarah saw every detail. “I can imagine it takes some extra attention.”
Thayle smiled as her robe came down around her waist. “That is another benefit. A woman tends to understand how another woman wants to be touched. She can make for a powerful lover when it comes to hands and mouths.”
“I see,” Sarah said, her blush growing hotter. “I will have to practice on someone.”
Thayle swallowed and tried to take a step back but was held fast by her robe. “Lilly threw herself forward without thinking about what she was doing. You have done the opposite and thought it all out in great detail.”
Sarah smiled. “I have indeed thought about it in great detail. I am sure I can imagine a few ways a woman might please another. Lilly is certainly showing me where to put my fingers.”
Thayle smiled and glanced at Lilly, who swayed gently with a blush of her own.
“Lilly wants you to go first,” Sarah said. “I want you to know I do desire you, but I worry I might be bad at this.”
“You have a hunger for me?” Thayle asked seductively.
Sarah smiled and pulled her hands free, allowing the robe to fall. Thayle's heart raced to think of the first night with Lilly and how the same robe had fallen the same way.
“I think hunger is a good choice of words,” Sarah said as her hands locked around Thayle's waist, her thumbs hooking the ties of her underpants. “Now that Lilly has made me see this another way, I am rather looking forward to tasting your flesh.”
Thayle stared, her mouth hanging open slightly as she stepped out of her robe. She was bare before a hungry dragon who's eyes looked at her with a predatory stare.
“Now, I expect you to teach me your techniques and ways to be good at making love to you. But let me see first if my imagination is strong enough to think of some ways myself.”
Thayle listened to her speak even as the ties at her waist were undone. She shuddered as her garment pulled away, leaving her exposed to Sarah. She watched as Sarah’s eyes went down and back up her body and finally arrived at her own eyes as Sarah smiled.
“You are going to be a delicious morsel, aren't you?” Sarah asked.
“I. I hope so,” Thayle gasped.
A gentle hand came to her stomach, and fingertips began to wander around her skin. “I will have to take my time, of course. Practice and learn how you like to be touched, but I am sure we will both find an understating.”
“Will you hurry up and take her to bed already,” Lilly pleaded.
Sarah laughed and pulled Thayle in close.
“Are you ready?”
“Sarah, I have been dreaming of this for days,” Thayle replied. “Now promise me, you will take your fill of me.”
Sarah nodded and scooped her up, carrying her to the bed.
“You are very strong,” Thayle said as Sarah held her in her arms.
“I know how to use my dragon strength even in my human form. I must teach Lilly how to do it.”
“I am sure she would like that,” Thayle said.
“I can call on my dragon strength in this form?” Lilly asked.
Sarah paused and looked over her shoulder to nod. “I will show you how later; right now, I have another lesson to teach.”
“I thought I was going to do the teaching?” Thayle asked as Sarah leaned over the bed.
“Oh, you will teach me your techniques, but I will teach you a lesson.”
“What lesson?” Thayle asked as Sarah laid her down gently and then stood back, unlacing her own dress.
Sarah looked down with hunger and let out a deep breath. “I am going to show you what happens when you arouse the hunger of an elder dragon.
Thayle watched as Sarah's dress fell out of sight to the floor, and she smiled down on Thayle like a man who had just found a great treasure. Sarah leaned over and crawled into bed, slowly coming to rest on hands and knees directly over Thayle. Thayle felt her heart pounding, and her breath was short as those powerful eyes looked directly into hers with a deep hunger.
“I am hungry, and my prey is trapped beneath me,” Sarah whispered.
Thayle swallowed and struggled to speak. “Then, you should feed.”
Sarah’s smile crept wider and exposed her teeth. “Oh, I intend to.”
Thayle closed her eyes as a dragon descended on her and feasted. There was very little Sarah needed to be shown.
Comments
WhiteRabbit
Of course, I am-> no comma Thayles robe-> Thayle's
Thanks, sometimes dialog like that can be "daring". I also assumed Sarah would pridefully take the aggressive path even if she was nervous about it. This chapter was nearly 12k long, I took 5k out of it to become the next chapter.
Sam4005
The chapter is long enough for the flow to be good. The discussion between gersius and ayawa creat a break in time. I think its fit Sarah personality to be the aggressor but at the same time be in vulnerable position. Nah its funny, not really over the top for me, ill eat them whenever i could ;) . Ty for chapy
Sorry this was so late. I would like to ask if the tone of this feels off? I read it a dozen times and I kept thinking, this starts with Thayle taking a huge emotional blow, shifts to intimacy with Sarahg with Thayle is kind of pushing for, then shifts again where Sarah becomes the aggressor. Also I keep thinking that Lilly's logic about not being afraid to taste Thayles flesh when she has eaten human women before might be a little over the top. OR it might be prefect dragon logic, I can't tell which.
