Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. The Solitary Arrow by Mack the Knife Part Fourteen As Hyandai entered the bathing enclosure, she noted that she could hear giggling from beyond the canvas. She pulled the flap aside an inch or two and peered into the bathing area. The enclosure had no roof, and the stars overhead twinkled dimly through the dimly-glowing haze that spread over the campsite. The area itself was lit dimly with several torches guttering from poles driven into the ground at the enclosure's center. A great expanse of oilcloth had been laid out to form a floor of sorts for the chamber, and to prevent it turning into a mud pit. In a tight cluster were six large, wooden tubs. Two long benches sat inside the entry flap and there was a wooden framework with cloaks hanging upon it right beside those benches. There were three women lying in the tubs in the middle of the room chatting as they bathed. All three were young, none older than twenty-five summers. She quietly slipped through the curtain and began to disrobe. As she did so, the women quit speaking causing Hyandai to glance nervously at them. "Don't be a stranger, Hyandai." One of the women said. She was a blonde woman with densely packed freckles on her face and shoulders. "Please, come speak with us." She splashed the water in the tub next to hers, which was empty. Hyandai, in her shyness, had tried to take the tub farthest from the tight little knot of women. Obviously, this was not to be, however. With a nervous smile, she walked toward the indicated tub. She noted all three women watching her as she walked, she saw the freckled one leaning toward the nearest woman. "By the One, she's gorgeous." The girl with the freckles whispered in a tone few humans could have heard from across the enclosure. Of course, Hyandai's sensitive ears heard it perfectly and she blushed a bright pink. The freckled woman's friend, a pretty brunette with thick, wavy hair, said, "And she's got good ears, too, Maegan." Then broke into peals of laughter as Maegan turned even more crimson than Hyandai and smiled sheepishly. Hyandai smiled and stepped into the tub, it was only lukewarm, but more than adequate to get the grime of travel off of herself. She laid back, luxuriating in the mild warmth and the feeling of buoyancy. "Thank you." She finally said in reply to Maegan's compliment. "You're very pretty too, Maegan, and your freckles simply add even more character to your loveliness." Hyandai said. Maegan blushed again, and then laughed. "I apologize for trying to be sly with my words, Lady Hyandai." She said. "It's just that I'd only seen you at a distance before, and never imagined how very pretty you truly were." The brown-haired girl giggled as well. "Be careful, Lady Hyandai, else you'll make Maegan here rethink her preferences." She said. Maegan, also laughing, splashed her with a great gout of water for her lip. "You just watch yourself, Tessa." Maegan warned, her gray eyes flashing. "Don't think I didn't see you looking at Wendy like she was a prime little lad." At those words, the girl who had remained silent throughout the exchange made a rather forlorn little squeaking sound and seemed to shrink into the tub more than she already had been. Hyandai immediately took more interest in the girl. She noted that the shy one's hair was almost blue in color, and wondered at that. "How do you come by that color of hair, Wendy?" Hyandai asked, smiling encouragingly at the younger woman. "Uh." Wendy said. "Well." She added after a moment. "It's from berries." She finally stammered out. This sent the other two women into a fit of raucous laughter, so much so that Tessa actually lost her grip on the edge of her tub and managed to dunk herself into the water. She sat back up sputtering and still laughing a moment later. "You, you've got to tell her why." She said, squeezing the words out between laughing and coughing from inhaled water. Hyandai immediately felt pity for the poor girl. This was terribly embarrassing for Wendy, but it did seem to be also genuinely funny. "Please, explain." She said, keeping an absolutely straight face. When the girl looked toward her, she locked eyes with Hyandai's deep emerald orbs. Her own blue eyes opened widely. She slowly sat up straighter as Hyandai seemed to feed her confidence through the eye contact. "I was trying out a new soap recipe, and it called for strawberries." She said, her ends of her mouth quirked upward a fraction of an inch. "Well, I had no strawberries, so I used blueberries instead." Maegan and Tessa fell into laughter again. Tessa patted the young woman's shoulder. After a long moment, Wendy started giggling along with the other two, and once she had done that, Hyandai began laughing as well, refusing to laugh at the young woman, but quite willing to laugh with her. -- Harlen walked into the men's bathing area, and looked about. There were a dozen large tubs set into a circle about the open space withing the canvas walls. The floor had a huge amount of oil cloth covering it, and there were several long benches lining the outer wall. Two torches illuminated the enclosure with their flames. Only two of them had occupants. The two men sat next to one another and watched the hunter enter. One murmured something to the other, and the other's eyes widened with realization. "Huntsman!" He exclaimed. "Come, take a tub near to us, we would speak with you, if it isn't an imposition." Harlen smiled slightly and shrugged. He walked around the other tubs to the one next to the one who had spoken, a young man with an eyepatch. "I always welcome good conversation." He said as he disrobed and stepped into the tub. "I don't know about good, but it should be entertaining, anyway." The talkative one said. "I am Lanner, and this is my friend, Willem." He pointed to the other young man, about the same age as the speaker. They were both perhaps two years Harlen's junior, or so he judged. Willem finally spoke. "I saw you with the elven lady, Hyandai." He said. "She's amazing, from what I hear." Harlen nodded. "My name is Harlen." He replied. "We've traveled together some days now. And she is - Amazing that is." "She's amazingly beautiful." Lanner said, grinning broadly. "You're a lucky man. Even if you only get to walk beside her from day to day." "Every time I hear her voice, I remind myself of that, Lanner." Harlen said as he began scrubbing himself. "And every time she smiles, too." "Are you two to wed?" Willem asked, feeling bold with either friendliness or simplicity. Harlen thought a moment. "I honestly do not know." He answered. "And it will be most of a year before I find out." "There's a burden to carry, eh, Willem?" Said Lanner. "Imagine not knowing if the most beautiful woman you can ever hope to have may leave you in a year." He looked at Harlen. "In that way, Harlen, I do not envy you." Willem nodded, and his face took on a mildly sad expression. "I do feel for you, Mister Harlen." He said. "I wish you the One's grace in that matter." Harlen tried to push back the doubts that Lanner's words had created in his mind. "Thank you Willem." The huntsman said. "But, we move onto lighter things." Lanner said. "We will be having beer at our company's tents tonight, Master Harlen. If you wish to join in some small revelry, please feel free to come. And, naturally, Lady Hyandai may come as well." "I will keep that in mind, Trooper Lanner." Harlen replied. "Though I cannot promise much. Hyandai and I are weary from our trek in the mountains, and she may desire only sleep." The two younger men rose from their tubs and dried off. As they cast cloaks about their shoulders and prepared to leave the bathing area, Willem turned to Harlen again. "She will choose you, Master Harlen." He said earnestly. "You're one of the best-known and best thought of men in the duchy." Harlen stared after the young man as he turned again and followed his friend through the flap. "I wish I shared that confidence." He murmured to the empty enclosure. Harlen let himself slide down in the tub and let his muscles relax. The water was barely warm enough to be comfortable, but it would suffice. Soon, with his mind wandering over the events of the last few days, he drifted off to sleep. -- Hyandai received the bottle from Maegan and took a sip from it. This stuff was good, she decided, handing the bottle over to Wendy. It burned a little as it went down, but then seemed to explode into a general warmth throughout her. It had a mild aftertaste, but she could not place it. "What did you call this?" Hyandai asked Tessa, noting that her voice slurred a little as she spoke. The four women had abandoned their tubs in favor of the two long benches set near the entrance. Hyandai sat next to the petite Wendy, and the other two women sat next to one another. The bottle, something with no maker's label, and only etched with two `X's upon its side, passed among the four women freely, each drawing off little sips, and passing it along. "Itsh my daddysh brew." Tessa said, her voice slurring even worse than Hyandai's. "He makesh it with pertatoes." Maegan giggled at Tessa. "You're drunk." She accused her friend. "When you're drunk, you can't say pototoes." Tessa was taller than any of the other women here, by almost a head. "I reshent that." She said, standing to her full height. "I can so pay sotatoes." Then she blinked, her face adopting a blank expression for a moment. "Oh dear." She said, finally. "I think I need the latrine." The tall woman hastily grabbed up her long cloak and ran for the flap, trying to don it as she bolted. "Ah, blast!" Said Maegan. "I better go tend to her, else some young soldier will likely take advantage." She grabbed up her own cloak and headed for the flap. "I wouldn't want to miss out on a good soldier." She said over her shoulder, winking at Hyandai and Wendy. Hyandai rose from her place next to Wendy, turning to the young woman. "I find myself untired." Hyandai said. "Would you like to walk for a while?" Wendy's eyes widened as she smiled and nodded. She stood from the bench and took her cloak from a peg. Removing her own cloak and bundling her other clothes under her arm, Hyandai took the young woman's hand and led her from the bathing enclosure. Wendy proved to be very good company, Hyandai discovered. She was also knowledgeable about many things, especially herbs and what the young woman called `home alchemy.' After they had walked the length of the encampment, and even as far out as the sentries on the south side. They now stood on a low rise that overlooked the campsite. The fires down in the shallow valley created an artificial star field below that echoed the much vaster one above. A cooling breeze blew down off the mountains, and sent shivers down Hyandai's spine as the curls of wind snuck beneath her cloak and caressed the bare flesh beneath. One of the sentries had just passed by the pair and had nodded in acknowledgment before moving on down the slope on his rounds. Wendy turned and looked at Hyandai with staring eyes. "Lady Hyandai." She said, very quietly. "I understand that elven women are often, well, they are often equally," She paused a moment. "accommodating of other women as men." Her blue eyes shone brightly to Hyandai, even a bit more than could be explained by the elf's darksight. Hyandai nodded but said nothing, keeping her face impassive. Wendy stammered a moment. "I, I do not know if you are of that sort." She murmured, her eyes growing very large and concerned-looking. "But if you are." She looked down at the ground, her expression encompassing embarrassment and curiosity and nervousness all in one quick glance from the slender woman. "If you are, and you find me appealing . . .." She let the sentence drift off to silence. The elven woman's face softened at the girl's discomfort. "Wendy." She said, very softly. "It is true that many elven women are attracted to other women." She reached out a hand and touched the young woman's cheek. "But, I do not even know if I am one of them." She finally admitted. "I have not done more than kiss another woman, and those instances were unbelievably rare." Eyes alight with kindled interest, Wendy stared at the elven woman. "Did you enjoy those kisses?" She asked. Hyandai giggled. "Well, yes, I did, but then . . . " She was interrupted by Wendy's lips against hers. The young woman embraced her fully as she kissed the elven lady. Hyandai was stunned for a half a moment, then relaxed into the kiss. She had been about to say she did not often pass up a chance at a good kiss. No point in wasting this rather impulsively-given one. Hyandai began to kiss Wendy back, putting her own arms around the young woman, and pulling her tight. It took Hyandai a long moment to realize that she had slipped a hand out of her cloak and into Wendy's, she was stroking the girl's back and rump softly with her fingertips. She could feel Wendy shivering beneath her touch. Hyandai pulled her lips from the girl's. "Are you cold?" She asked, still stroking Wendy's spine. "No, Miss Hyandai." The young woman said, looking down nervously. "I'm somewhat frightened." A soft giggle came from Hyandai's throat. "Frightened of me?" She asked. "You are probably half again stronger than I." Wendy smiled wryly. "And still you could easily hurt me, even with just words." She said. "I want to trust you, though, something tells me I can." "I tell you that you can trust me." Hyandai said earnestly. "But words mean little. What is it you with to entrust to me?" There was a long pause as Wendy stared at the campsite below them. More stiff breezes came down off the mountains and whipped the girl's subtly blue hair around her head. "You are the first person I have wished to give myself to." Wendy said, keeping her eyes upon the flickering fires of the camp. "I've wanted neither men nor women until now." A small piece of Hyandai's will fell aside with those words. "But I am betrothed." She said. "I cannot take a lover without my beloved." Wendy turned to her. "But you can take a lover with him?" Her eyes glinted in the darkness again. Hope rekindled in her eyes. A gentle smile crossed Hyandai's lips. "Yes, it is our way, when the situation is as ours is." She said. "But, it is not necessarily Harlen's way. Would you like to speak with both of us?" Hyandai saw a slight nod of the young woman's head against the backdrop of the camp. With an extended hand, Hyandai brushed her fingertips against Wendy's neck. "Come," The elven lady said, "we will go speak to my betrothed, if you are certain of this." Hand-in-hand, the two women walked back to the camp. They wore smiles that were both mysterious and telling. The air did not seem so cool anymore to Hyandai. It seemed downright warm out now. As they walked, Hyandai noted the girl's glances, and was reminded of Harlen's glances at her the first morning after they met. Hyandai did not know if they were being observed, and did not much care, in either. As the two approached the tent she shared with Harlen, Wendy squeezed her fingers tightly enough that it was very near too painful. -- Harlen actually fell asleep for a short while in the tub. It was not until the water grew chill and the moon had risen well into the sky that he awoke shivering. He got up and hastily dried off with his blanket and bundled up his clothes. Casting his cloak over his shoulders, he headed toward the tent that the captain had provided Hyandai and him. The tent was empty, he discovered. He supposed that Hyandai must have found the bath relaxing as well, or got to speaking with someone. He hung the cloak upon a peg mounted in the framing poles of the tent then cast himself onto the cot with a loud sigh. His eyes wandered to the Ehladrel lying atop their packs in the corner. What sort of thing was that weapon? Did it think? He sat up and regarded it, watching the ornate engraving in its flanks flicker and dance in the torchlight. The runes unsettled him, they seemed somehow malign, like they noticed him and did not care for the feel of him near. Shaking his head to dispel the distasteful thoughts he was having he stood from the cot and walked toward it. It sat, unmoved by his approach and did not seem affected by his touch when he lifted it. It was heavy, especially considering it was an elven weapon. It was longer than his leg by about a foot, and was bladed for that entire length, terminating in two incredibly sharp points. The weapon was cunningly curved, and had handholds along its backside, allowing the wielder to adopt many varied grips of it. Harlen smiled to think that from the look of it, it was nearly as dangerous to the wielder as to his opponents, though. Almost any grip he attempted aimed one of the arrow-sharp points toward him as well as his would-be foe. He remembered how the blade dancer had wielded the weapon, always keeping it in motion, never letting it rest. It was not a spear, or a staff with a blade, it was something different by its very nature. A feeling of apathetic disdain overcame him after a few moments. The weapon did not even desire to grow upset in his grip, it only wished that the human would quit touching it. Harlen could feel this sense of disregard and it offended him, even more than active hostility would have. "You think you're so superior, don't you?" He asked the blade. It did not respond, even in the gut feeling he received from it. Harlen shrugged and laid it back down, resting it only on Hyandai's pack, and lifting his own. He fished out his light sphere and the tent filled with its radiant, soft light. He slipped on a clean pair of pants and set to sharpening his sword, which had received many notches in the blade over the last few days. The large grinding stone from his pack made short work of smoothing them out, then he began the slow process of restoring the edge. He had been at this rather mindless and relaxing task for almost an hour when the flap of the tent finally folded inward and Hyandai came through. She pulled another woman through, as well. At first, Harlen thought that it was another elven maiden, so slight of build was the newcomer. Her oddly-colored hair reinforced this mistaken identification. After a moment, though, it was apparent that she was quite human. Her rounded ears, though mostly concealed by her hair, would have been far more pronounced if they had been pointed. Also, as she turned to face Harlen with a nervous smile, she flashed pale blue eyes his way. "Beloved." Hyandai said, coming forth and releasing the girl's hand. She kissed Harlen as he sat with the sword across his lap. "I wish for you to meet Wendy." Her hand curled to indicate the young woman standing behind her. Harlen stood from the bed and nodded, then stepped toward Wendy. "I know you, Wendy." He said. "But I'm not sure from where." She looked Harlen in the eyes. The first time Hyandai had seen her make eye contact with anyone but her. "I am Wendy, daughter of Rory and Anya," she said, "Anya is the youngest daughter of Tammer. And I know you, Harlen, and have known you for some years." "But you were in Ghant, I remember you leaving." Harlen said, smiling. "When did you return?" Wendy's face almost blossomed as she smiled. "Just last year, and we did so quietly, moving to a cottage down by the river." She replied. Harlen's face grew mockingly stern. "You should have sought me out." He said. "I rather had a fancy for you before you left." The grin on his face was one of fond remembrance. "Truth be told, I feared you, Harlen." She said. "Grandfather told me you had become rather grim and stern over the years intervening. He said you sought not the company of people." The expression on Harlen's face was one of frustration, but inwardly directed. "I suppose he was correct in that." He finally said, after a long pause. "But I would have welcomed an old friend, in any case." Wendy shyly glanced away. "I remembered you then as a strong and handsome boy that I had a fierce crush upon." She said. "I would not have come back to a handsome, strong, and very respected man and sought friendship." Hyandai had stood aside while they spoke, gladdened that they were familiar with each another. Suddenly, though, that familiarity scared her, and put doubt in her heart. Had this lass manipulated her into bringing her to Harlen? She wondered. She doubted, now, that she was in control of the situation very much. Immediately, Wendy seemed to notice the shift in the elven lady's eyes. "Oh, dear." She said, quietly. "Hyandai." The elf's eyes were furtive as the two humans looked at her. "What is it, angel?" Harlen asked. He, too, could see her sudden discomfiture. Steeling herself meet Harlen's eyes. She turned her face to Harlen. "It is little of concern, betrothed." She said. Wendy, however, took initiative of her own accord. "I should be going." She said in almost a whisper. "I will speak with you both another time. I have a patrol in the morning as duty, and should get sleep." The huntsman nodded. "It was good to see you, Wendy, sleep well." He said. Hyandai muttered something unintelligible and smiled weakly toward the girl as Wendy fled from the tent in a bit more rush than the situation warranted. A look of deep unhappiness settled into Hyandai's features. "I may have just done something terribly unfair." Hyandai said, watching the flap as it settled into place over the entryway. Coming to her side, Harlen put his arm about her shoulders. "What is it, Hyandai?" He asked. "I fear I just accused, tried, and carried out the sentence upon Wendy." She murmured. "What?" Harlen asked, his face baffled. "I don't understand." Hyandai turned her emerald gaze upon him. "I was bringing Wendy to our bed." She said, her eyes level and her face was unapologetic. "Or, rather, I was bringing her to you, seeking that we bring her to our bed." Harlen gaped at her a moment. "Bring her to our bed?" He asked. "As in the three of us?" She nodded. "It is not unusual among elven couples to share their bed when one is attorsai between them, or both." Hyandai explained. "I should not have assumed it would work with a human mate, or a human third partner." She shook her head and looked at him. "I am sorry for putting you in a spot of discomfort." Harlen looked toward the flap. "I think, perhaps, Wendy is the one who was discomfited, and you, actually." He said. "It sounds like you were thinking of offering me something most men only fantasize about. What does ator-sigh mean?" She thought a moment. "It means attracted to both male and females." Hyandai said. "Though I am not sure I am one." "Just wanted to try it out?" Harlen guessed, eyeing her speculatively. A slow nod was the only answer she gave. "Perhaps tomorrow, if we tarry here a day, you can speak to Wendy again." Harlen said. Hyandai shook her head. "If she returns to Morrovale before we leave for Windir, I will speak to her." She said. "If not, then another time later. But I wish to be starting for town tomorrow, if we can." A look of concentration crossed Harlen's face. "Yes. It would probably be best to get the Ehladrel out of the wilds." He said distantly, eyeing the elven weapon again. "I know you do not like the Ehladrel, beloved." Hyandai said. "But please know my people need it, badly. There are matters afoot that demand we have it in our possession." There was a quiet knock on the wooden beam over the entry flap. "Hyandai?" A feminine voice called from outside. It was not Wendy's. Hyandai walked to the door, peering out. It was Maegan. Her face was flush with concern and upset. "Wendy says she must speak with you. She is most unreasonable." All traces of the young lady's former inebriation were gone, replaced by this earnest worry. A quick glance back at Harlen was all Hyandai needed. He nodded to her silently. She quickly donned a set of normal clothes, another short skirt and half top, and asked Maegan to lead the way. The two other women left as Hyandai entered the tent, casting hasty glances of worry toward Wendy as they did so. She sat upon a small cot, her hands idly lying, palms upward, in her lap. Her head was down and she was weeping. "Wendy?" Hyandai asked, crouching low in the low-ceilinged tent and walking to the sitting girl. Wendy looked up. "I asked her not to speak to you of this." She said, her face marked by tears and mild anger. "She is your friend." Hyandai said. "I thought I was, also. But now I doubt my credentials in that." She sat beside Wendy. "I apologize for that jealousy that surfaced in our tent, sweet Wendy." Wiping the tears from her cheeks, Wendy said, "It is my own fault. I should have told you about Harlen and me knowing each another, but I did not even think he would remember these years later." She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "The truth of it is I am upset that you no longer wished to be with me, nothing to do with Harlen. Not that he is not a fine man, and one I would happily give myself to." She quickly amended. A broad smile spread Hyandai's lips. "Those are matters easily fixed, Wendy." She said. "Come." Hyandai rose and held out her hand. The girl looked at it a moment. "No fits of jealousy?" She asked. She was answered by a shake of the head. "Come." Hyandai said, again. Slowly, Wendy gave her hand into Hyandai's. The elven woman led her from the tent and walked beside her toward the center of the camp. Again, they entered the tent she shared with Harlen. Once again, they also found him sharpening his sword, almost exactly as they had found him an hour before. "Lom'wanwie." Hyandai said as the two women looked at the rather wide-eyed man. Wendy gave her an inquiring look. "Echo of the past." Hyandai explained. Harlen smiled wryly, his lopsided smile. "Are we repeating the entire past?" He asked. Hyandai shook her head, at the exact instant Wendy did. The two young women then looked at each other and giggled. Harlen simply raised one eyebrow. Hyandai urged Wendy to sit next to Harlen upon the cot, and she sat on the other side of the girl. "There are certain rules to Nellarim, Wendy." She said. "They are simple, though, and not very restrictive. You must never seek to be with but one of us and you must be prepared to stop if either of the pair decides it is to end." Wendy nodded, her expression sober. "And, most importantly, you must enjoy yourself." Hyandai said with a broad smile, stroking Wendy's long, nearly-blue hair. "And enjoy us. As we will enjoy you and ourselves." Setting down the sword, Harlen turned to the young woman, and, like Hyandai, began to stroke the girl's soft hair. It was rather interesting for both of them to watch Wendy try to look and lean her head both directions at once. Hyandai leaned forward and kissed the young woman first, though, tilting the girl's head toward herself with a single finger on her cheek. The sight of the two pretty women kissing sent a jolt through Harlen's body, and his organ pulsed to life instantly, thickening and hardening in seconds. As the two parted lips, Wendy turned toward him, her head tilted back slightly and her eyes still closed. Harlen leaned down and kissed her, still tasting cinnamon on her lips as he parted them with his tongue. There were hands in his hair, and he could hear Wendy's breath sharpening. He peered with one eye to see Hyandai's hands moving down the young woman's shoulders toward her breasts. Her cloak was open in the front, revealing fair, smooth skin beneath. One small breast was visible to him, and she reached for it, while continuing to kiss Wendy. Hyandai giggled as Harlen's and her own hands collided headed toward opposite breasts. This caused him to break the kiss and smile as well. Wendy, however simply turned about again, opening her blue eyes and regarding Hyandai. Her body was warming up unnaturally with two very different touches upon her breasts, one strong and calloused, the other soft and feather light. Both nipples hardened like tiny stones under the disparate touches. Wendy's slender fingers began to explore, one hand moving to Hyandai's bare, silky thigh, and the other to the rough twill of Harlen's pants. Harlen watched as Hyandai leaned down and kissed the girl's neck, causing Wendy to gasp and move her head toward him, stretching the tendons on Hyandai's side taut. Her pretty eyes fluttered open and Harlen kissed her, he thrilled when her tiny tongue darted into his mouth, and he heard her moan softly. And both Harlen and Hyandai felt the girl's grip tighten upon their thigh, sending soft twinges of pleasure up their legs. As this was Hyandai's idea, primarily, Harlen allowed her to set the pace. She stood, a moment later, gently dislodging Wendy's grip upon her leg. Wendy broke the kiss with Harlen to look at the elven lady. A smile broke across her pretty face when Hyandai untied her skirt and let it fall to the floor, revealing her lower half to the girl. She then slipped the shoulders straps off and let the top join them, exposing her round, firm breasts with their tiny, sharp nipples and pink areolas. It was Harlen's turn to gasp when Wendy's hand idly moved up his thigh as she watched Hyandai slowly stripping. She suddenly had his manhood in her grasp through the rough weave of his pants, and was squeezing it without even realizing she had hold of him. Hyandai looked down at the lump in Wendy's grip and grinned, this was when Wendy realized what she was doing and looked herself. Her eyes flashed up to Harlen's and her face flushed pink, but she did not relinquish her hold. She instead shifted her grip down to the base of it, shaping the cloth of his pants to his organ itself. Harlen smiled as the girls' strong grip took hold of him, and the electric sensation of that touch was making his mind go a bit fuzzy, as it always did with new partners, and with Hyandai, every time, he had found. Hyandai said. "I see you've found my man's parts." Her grin growing very wide. Both the others' eyes moved to her, realizing that they had not spoken, any of them, for a long while. With a sound much like a squeak, Wendy said. "Yes." Her blush deepening. Harlen felt her grip on him tighten yet again, causing him to gasp in pleasure. "I would see you hold it for real." Hyandai said, lowering herself to her knees and unfastening Harlen's belt. Wendy let loose his cock and watched Hyandai a moment, then helped the elven woman pull his pants down. Harlen laid back and lifted his rump, allowing the two women to slide the cloth over his rump then off his legs. Before his pants were fully removed, he felt moist warmth and extreme pleasure engulf the head of his cock. He glanced down and was somewhat surprised to see it was Wendy's lips encircling the head of his pole, her lips stretched around the shaft and her cheeks caved in slightly with gentle suction. Hyandai's eyes widened as well at Wendy's display of sudden boldness, and her smile, already broad, broadened still farther. She moved forward and applied her tongue to the shaft and to Harlen's scrotum, moving his testicles with her eager flicking tongue. Harlen was beyond in heaven now, the sensation far better than any he had imagined he would ever feel. Two warm, inviting mouths moved about his genitals, licking here, sucking there. One glance would take in Hyandai's beautiful face as she slid her tongue over the long shaft, another would witness Wendy's lovely countenance as her mouth took a testicle into it and gently massaged it with her tongue. He was unable to restrain himself for long, with such overwhelming visual and tactile stimulation, especially when added to the scent of lilac coming from Wendy's hair and the cinnamon odor from Hyandai mixing to produce a perfume of unsurpassed subtlety that even engaged his nose in the arousal. He thought his climax was inevitable, when both women stopped touching his organ. With a sound almost like a whimper, he looked down to see them now kissing over the head of his cock, their tongues moving back and forth as their lips did not quite touch. He quickly forgot about his own stimulation and became fascinated at the display of affection between the two ladies. Hyandai's hand was moving down the girl's belly as they both leaned back. They turned at his knees to face one another directly, both upon their own knees. Wendy's slim hands were moving on Hyandai's body, as well, exploring her curves and gently stroking her skin with soft fingertips and sharp nails. The two touched for a long moment, their finger moving idly over skin and eliciting moans from each other as they each found spots of interest and touched places they knew they liked to be touched upon themselves. They seemed to avoid each others' most private of places though. Harlen thought perhaps they were too nervous for that step yet. Hyandai was more than willing, as her thoughts would prove. She simply wished to savor every moment, before moving to Wendy's maidenhood. She let her fingers feel the girl's very smooth, soft skin, almost like her own, save a shade or two darker. For her part, Wendy was nervous, and awaited Hyandai's lead on moving to more intimate places upon the elf's body. "Not feeling left out, are you Harlen?" Wendy said, responding to the pitiable sound he had made a moment before. "Certainly not now." He said, smiling and scooting back on the cot to be sure no part of him came between the two women for the moment. "Please, just keep doing what you wish." Hyandai turned almost drunken-looking eyes upon Harlen. "Fret not, lover, we will tend to you shortly." She said. Her voice was husky, for Hyandai, and sounded a bit slurred. "You." She looked at Wendy with her eyes narrowing and her face taking on an almost mischievous look. "I will tend to now." She said, and one hand grasped the girl's off-blue hair in knotted fingers. The elf moved forward, gently forcing the younger woman back and then down as their bodies pressed to one another, with Hyandai on top when Wendy was fully prone upon the floor, with her knees bent back. The elven lady was lying upon Wendy now, kissing and biting the girl's neck, and causing her to gasp and moan by turns. The long thigh that Hyandai pushed up between Wendy's thighs and against her groin rubbed the girl as the elf moved about, causing the Wendy to twitch and push to make the touch more or less forceful as she needed at that moment. "Exquisite." Hyandai murmured as she moved her thigh from between Wendy's legs and replaced it with one of her slim hands. From where he laid back and relaxed, Harlen could see his beloved opening the girl's entrance with her fingers, slipping two into Wendy and causing her to groan loudly and grip Hyandai's forearm with both hands. The elf winced a bit at the clutching grab, as Wendy was massively stronger than her, and it did hurt a bit, but she could not blame the girl for her enthusiasm. The feeling of wet, slick warmth caused Hyandai to grow more aroused herself, and she wished to pleasure this woman more now. The elf began to trace out a path with her tongue and lips down Wendy's body. This caused both Harlen and Wendy to sit up and watch her. She realized she had an audience and began to really act it out. Extending her tongue to its full extension and leaving a glistening trail behind her as she moved. Hyandai soon was near her destination, slipping her tongue through the fine hairs of the girls pubic mound. As she finished that last obstacle to her goal, she pulled forth her two fingers and used them to hold the girl's opening wide. She smiled as she extended her tongue and flicked the clitoris of the young woman. Wendy gasped loudly this time, and her hands both moved down and knitted her fingers into the elf's long red hair. Harlen secretly wondered how long it would take for Wendy to pull on Hyandai's hair and force the elf's mouth onto her crotch. About that long. He decided as Wendy gave out a guttural grunt and pulled Hyandai's hair, hard, too, from the look of it, and gasped in relief as Hyandai buried her tongue into her cunt. As Wendy felt her tiny tongue lapping at her inside and out, she looked at Harlen. "Come." She said, her voice completely devoid of shyness. Harlen sat up and moved to the floor upon his knees. Wendy took hold of his hips and positioned him with his knees just above and on either side of her head. She parted her warm lips and drew his cock into her mouth, tilting her head back and pulling on his hips urging him forward. Finally, he got the hint and began pumping his organ into the young girl's mouth, still helping him thrust by pulling firmly on his hips and rump. She had totally surrendered her own control of his depth within her mouth and throat, and Harlen was too excited to restrain himself much. He did note, however, that he was actually holding himself back according to the force she was applying to his rump with her outstretched fingers. He let go of that restriction on his movement and plunged into her mouth, planning to stop when her hands slackened up their pressure. He was instead stopped by her jaw and nose, as his cock buried itself completely into her mouth and throat. He grunted as he pulled it forth, and felt his organ newly slick with her throat's slick lubrication. She pulled once again, forcing him into her and taking him to the base. Soon, though, he had the idea, and her hands once again moved to Hyandai's soft hair. He continued thrusting into her mouth and felt his climax building, even more intensely than before. With a last, shuddering gasp, he spent himself, ramming his organ completely into her and holding it there for a long moment as it twitched and pulsed inside her throat. Finally, he drew it out completely, and he heard her suck in air in a great heave. Now her pelvis was pushing up to meet Hyandai's mouth and tongue, and Wendy was groaning loudly with each push. Hyandai had watched the whole thing as Harlen had taken the girl's mouth and come into her. She smiled to herself, knowing that if this was such as three would be in bed, then she would probably seek it out more in the future. Hopefully, with this very girl. She loved the smooth slickness of Wendy's vagina around her tongue and the smell of lilac was very appealing. She felt Wendy's grip on her hair tighten and sensed the girl was about to climax herself. Leaving her tongue out of the girl's opening, she concentrated on the nub of her clitoris, lapping and sucking at the little knob of flesh as she slipped the two fingers back into Wendy's cunt. Wendy screamed, pulling Hyandai's hair painfully as she tugged in ecstasy and closed her thighs upon the elf's head. Her opening contracted around Hyandai's fingers many times as the girl grunted and ground her hips against her mouth and hand. Wendy finally subsided and relaxed, letting her fingers straighten, but leaving them in Hyandai's hair. "One's Praise." Wendy said, gasping for air. "May I do that for you, Hyandai?" She asked, her eyes hopeful. Hyandai giggled. "I was hoping you wanted to." She said. Harlen was sitting back on his haunches, watching the two as they sat up again, Hyandai helping Wendy regain her knees. "Sit upon the bed's edge." Wendy instructed and put her hand upon the cot's rail. Hyandai stood up and did so, happily obliging the young woman. She sat down and petted the off-blue hair as the girl moved to kneel just before her. "Now, lay back, milady, and let me taste you." Wendy said. "I have sampled half the couple's flavors, and wish to complete the set." Hyandai smiled as she laid back, moving a pillow behind her head so she could watch the girl's eyes as she lowered her head between Hyandai's thighs. A curl of one slim digit brought Harlen to Hyandai's side. "Kiss me." She said. Harlen leaned down, and kissed her gently. Then his eyes went wide as she fed him fresh energy. More than she had ever before. He could feel it pulsing in him, filling him up, like a wineskin filled to bursting. His organ hardened, and grew, as if to support that impression. When Hyandai's fingers encircled his girth, she smiled again, her eyes lustful and flashing bright green. "Now, take her." Hyandai said, flicking her eyes toward Wendy. Harlen nodded, and rose from the bed. Wendy, a bit nervously, watched him move about her, then turned her eyes back to Hyandai as he moved past her range of vision. She was worried, slightly, for she was virginal yet, but she was eager to let him begin. Wendy felt Harlen's strong hands on her hips as he knelt behind her. She tried to encourage him by parting her legs, adopting a wanton pose on her knees. She then arched her back, presenting herself to him. "Are you ready, Wendy?" Harlen asked, solicitously. Wendy nodded eagerly, though her eyes held a trace of lingering fear. Hyandai stroked her hair and comforted her. "It will only hurt a little, and I have ways of dealing even with that." Hyandai said quietly. Harlen pressed his thick cock against the girl's opening, letting it rub against her soft, folded petals. She was still very wet from Hyandai's gentle and eager ministrations. His organ slid easily into her, spreading her open and almost burying half of itself into her. She groaned and her eyes squeezed shut, a tear breaking loose from each eye and trickling down her cheeks. Harlen stopped, deep concern marking his face. "I will await your comfort." He said, stroking her back and shoulders. She pulled her mouth from Hyandai's dripping crotch and looked over her shoulder. Gripping the rail of the bed with both hands, she pushed back, driving the remaining half of his organ into herself. She cried out in pain, but also with triumph as her rump ran up against his belly. Taken totally by surprise by this sudden move, Harlen gasped and moved as if to pull back, Hyandai warned him with a minute shake of her head to hold his position. Wendy moved forward, taking a quick lap at Hyandai's clitoris, then pushed back again, more forcefully. She grunted out again, but more quietly, and there was an undertone of moan to the sound. The did this over and over, for almost a minute, her moaning becoming more noticeable, and the groaning of pain becoming less so. She smiled back again at Harlen. "Now, lover, I have mastered even your size." Wendy said. Harlen chuckled and leaned down and kissed Wendy, then sat back up and began thrusting into her slowly, in long even strokes. Wendy now only moaned, and did so into the muffling flesh of Hyandai's cunt. Hyandai closed her eyes again, relaxing into the pleasure of Wendy's clever tongue and the little shocks that passed through the girl from Harlen's slow, even thrusts. She idly stoked the girl's hair as Wendy flicked and licked her clitoris. Her climax was slow in coming, but Hyandai eagerly anticipated how intense it would likely be when it finally arrived. Harlen grunted as he closed in on his own, though, and Hyandai smiled as he cried out Wendy's name. Her jealousy had been bested, and she eagerly took in the passion that the two were sharing for a moment. Hyandai was secure that Harlen's heart was hers, even if other women enjoyed his manhood. Hyandai watched the girl's eyes widen as she felt Harlen's seed coat her womb, then close again as she fell back into the pleasure found in giving others pleasure. Harlen continued to thrust into the young woman, though, and soon realized his organ was not going soft, as he usually did after a massive release like the one he had just had. He looked at Hyandai who only winked at him between gasps. He redoubled his efforts now and began to give Wendy more and more forceful thrusts. The girl seemed to not mind one bit, as she met each with a slight backward push of her own. Hyandai finally felt her orgasm reaching up to her spine, and snaking along it like a trail of burning oil. Her fingers gripped tighter to Wendy's hair, exactly as the younger woman's fingers had done in her own. Wendy felt it too, and tried a repeat of the trick used upon her. Locking her lips onto the circle around Hyandai's clitoris, she sucked and continued flicking the tiny knob with her tongue. She pushed two fingers into the elf next, and was pleased when the trick that had worked so notably on her worked on Hyandai just as well, if not better. Hyandai bucked upward, as if she had sat upon a spike, pressing her opening to Wendy's lips. She tossed her head back and forth, her fiery red hair flying all about her like a corona. Finally, as a utter peak to her climax, she screamed, loudly. It was not a short burst of sound, but a long, reverberating thing that caused a sympathetic sound from somewhere, a faint echo in a slightly different tone. When she stopped, it stopped, but not before Harlen twisted his head around and triangulated on the echo. It was the Ehladrel. As Hyandai's scream died down, he could have sworn that the grayish-silver metal of the blade had faintly pulsed blue. He watched Hyandai, as she laid panting, like a winded beast. "Well." Hyandai said, and let her head fall back onto the pillow. Wendy looked back at Harlen, grinning. "She's at a loss for words?" She asked quietly. Harlen raised an eyebrow. "It would be a first." He said, smiling back at Wendy. Hyandai raised one hand from her thigh where it had fallen when she had released Wendy's head, the hand had a finger extended, and it was waggling in chastisement. "I am laying right here, you know?" She said. Wendy pulled herself forward, feeling a sudden emptiness when Harlen's cock withdrew from her. "Pleasure your betrothed with that unfailing rod of yours." She said, eyeing his swollen organ appreciatively. "I am sore. Also, by my count, Hyandai is one behind each of us for climaxes." Hyandai shook her finger again. "No, no." She said. "I need none of THAT!" She squealed as Harlen mounted her in one hard, fast stroke. Her emerald eyes shot open and she regarded her betrothed. "Sneaky devil." She said, smiling. Hyandai's slender fingers gripped Harlen's waist and encouraged him to take her more forcefully. "I may have given too much." She said, her face wincing very slightly. "You're bigger than normal." Harlen nodded as he pumped into her. "I agree, angel, it feels near bursting." She giggled. "I can feel every vein." She said. "Not that doing so is something to complain of." Looking down, Harlen did see that it was swollen mightily, and the veins were prominent. As he watched, he saw something moving down there not of him or Hyandai. It was Wendy's slim hand. She was doing something down there, out of sight, Harlen thought. Hyandai gasped and her eyes grew wide. "That's a new feeling." She said, then she groaned loudly, her eyes squeezing shut again. Harlen's curiosity was quickly satisfied when he felt Wendy's fingers moving over his backside, then felt one slim digit open him, it was slick, possibly with someone's juices. It slid easily and gently into his rectum and then wiggled slightly within him. Hyandai began to grunt more earnestly, and she dug her fingernails into Harlen's flanks. He sped up his thrusts to help her over the edge to another climax, but managed to achieve his own, as his increased rate also forced Wendy's finger more rapidly into and back out of his sphincter. Hyandai and he climaxed together, both of them crying out and clutching at one another as they felt their nerves burst into heat like flames. At some point during their orgasms, Wendy had gently withdrawn her intruding little fingers, and was smiling at them as the both turned to her. "And we thought you inexperienced." Hyandai said appreciatively. Wendy grinned. "Amazing what one learns hanging about with Maegan, hmm?" She said. She crossed her arms over her chest in a self-satisfied manner. "You said you could make this initial hurt lessen?" With a smile Hyandai said. "Yes, lay down in my place." She sat up and stood, moving somewhat less gracefully than normal. When Wendy had gotten into position, Hyandai said. "This is going to feel a bit odd, but it will work." She pressed her lips to Wendy's opening and blew. The girl gasped, then giggled. When Hyandai lifted her mouth from the girl's vagina, she let her tongue trail over her swollen clit on the way up. "Better now?" Hyandai asked. Wendy blinked a few times. "Yes." She said, smiling. "How did you..." She started to ask. "Old elven healing trick." Hyandai interrupted. "It's useful." Harlen nodded agreement. Her fingers felt around her opening. "It doesn't even hurt a little." Wendy said. Then pouted somewhat. "Like nothing happened. A slight pain would be a pleasant little reminder." She murmured. "Well, then, next time we can leave you all bruised up." Hyandai said, feigning annoyance. "Like I have to do every time I take this man's oversized prod." She poked Harlen in the ribs playfully. It was Harlen's turn to pretend annoyance. "You're the one telling me to go harder and faster." He said, raising his voice in mock indignation. "Now, now, no fighting on my account." Wendy said, patting both of them on the shoulders. "Unless you wish to wrestle over me, or better, with me." Harlen grabbed the girl around the ribs and bore her to the floor gently while Hyandai grappled her legs. Harlen wiggled one hand free and began tickling Wendy, causing her to giggle and wriggle deliciously. Hyandai, on the other hand, began to tickle the girl's feet. Wendy was soon short of breath. "I YIELD!" Wendy screamed. Still giggling as they both let her go. "Yeesh, never fight against a couple of lovers, they fight dirty." She said, sitting up. Hyandai looked questioningly at Harlen, giving her eyes a quick flick at Wendy. Harlen nodded. Grabbing Wendy around the neck and hugging her. Hyandai said. "A trio of lovers, when you are with us, Wendy." Harlen embraced both of the slight women in his powerful arms and squeezed, causing both to gasp. "Yeah." Croaked out Wendy. "A trio." The sun was peering over the lower passes as they peeked out the flap of the tent. "Oh dear." Said Wendy. "I've a patrol in an hour and I'm going to be exhausted." She smiled back at the couple. "Not that it wasn't worth it." She added. Hyandai kissed her, and gave the young woman her breath. Wendy's eyes widened and she sighed out the air. "Wow." Wendy said. "Is that what you did to make Harlen swell so big?" She asked. Hyandai nodded. Wendy giggled. "No wonder." She said. "That's good stuff. I hate to kiss and run, but I need to get dressed for the march." He gave Wendy a quick kiss and they sent her off. She seemed to be almost skipping as she headed to her part of the camp. Hyandai leaned against him. "Still distrust my Lust?" She asked. Harlen blinked. "I suppose it might have advantages." He murmured grudgingly. "Might?" Hyandai asked, eyes wide with astonishment. "I heard you cry out that `might's' name last night." The lopsided grin had appeared on Harlen's face. "We'll have to try a few more times for me to be sure." He replied. "Just in case this was a fluke." Hyandai narrowed her eyes now. "Fluke." She said dryly. "We'll see. She rotates back to reserve status in three weeks. We'll see then if she's a fluke." Harlen nodded. "You really like her, don't you?" He asked. "Very much, beloved." She replied. "She is much like me." Harlen grinned. "I noticed." He said. "We should probably leave today, though. I need to get the Ehladrel to the Windirii, then we can go home." A broader grin crossed Harlen's face. "Home?" He asked. "You mean my house?" Hyandai smiled back. "Well, I don't expect you to try to climb trees." She said.