Lyda

********************

The next day was like the first two. Lyda was taken several times, but she didn't bother keeping track. The aslan came in again at dusk and gave them water again, then left. Two hours later, Lorgit entered the cabin again. He undid the shackles keeping Lydas' legs stationary and let her out of the stocks. He then freed the human, then the orc. They got to their feet unsteadily. The human dropped to the floor, too weak to stand.

Lyda helped her up. The woman said something in the aslan tongue, and they started for the door. Lorgit gave the orc a knife and the four of the left the cabin. Lorgit led them out of the village, and they started for the woods.

They got to the woods without incident. Lorgit pushed them for more than an hour, until the rain began to fall. They took refuge in a cave, to avoid sickness.

"Will we be safe here?" Lyda asked Lorgit.

"I hope so." He replied. "It will probably be morning before anybody notices we're missing, and since the rain will cover our tracks, they won't have much chance of following us. Since we don't need to worry about eating, we should be able to outdistance them by quite a bit."

"Good." She said. "Can you teach me your language?"

"What for?" He asked.

"So I can speak with the others. They don't seem to know mine."

"I suppose so." He replied. "It will take quite a while, though."

"We have time"

"I suppose you're right." He said. He gave her a lesson while they waited for the rain to stop. Lyda turned out to have a talent for languages, and she soon became rather fluent. The orc and human kept a lookout in case anything approached. Nothing did.

The rain stopped after more than three hours. They waited until it had stopped completely, and took off again at a brisk pace.

"Where are we going?" Lyda asked.

"There's a human city about a weeks' walk from here." Lorgit replied.

"Most humans aren't too thrilled about people walking naked through the streets." Kaywen said.

Lorgit turned to the human. "What do you suggest we do then?"

"We'll have to get some clothes somewhere." She said.

"We don't have any money." Lyda said. "How are we gong to get it?"

"We'll steal it." Kaywen said.

"I'm not sure I feel right about that." Sorgh said.

"Do you have a better idea?" The human asked.

Sorgh shrugged. "I suppose not."

They walked in silence for quite a while. Lyda eventually spoke. "How did you two get caught?"

Sorgh sighed. "I was an outcast from my tribe. They threw me out after I tried to stop them from raiding a human settlement. I wandered from place to place, trying to find someone to accept me, but none would. I was eventually captured by the aslans, almost two years ago." Lyda was struck by how polite and intelligent he had turned out to be. Most orcs were rude and somewhat dense and oblivious.

"I'm sorry." Lyda said. "What about you Kaywen?"

"The aslans attacked my village a few months ago. We were a small village, only twenty or so people lived there. They killed everybody else and took me as a sex slave." She replied.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Lyda said.

Kaywen shook her head. "I'm over it by now. I still miss everybody, but it doesn't hurt as much as it did." She was silent for a moment. "How did you get captured?"

Lyda was silent for a moment. "I was betrayed by my love. He took me to a lake one night and started to give me a backrub. He sang as he did it, so I didn't hear the aslans approaching. They tied me up and made me walk back to their village." She was silent again. "I hope he feels like the lowliest thing on the planet for betraying me the way he did."

Lorgit cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Um..."

Lyda glanced at him. "What?"

"Actually, he was killed right after the rest of us left." Lorgit said, not looking at her.

Her eyes widened. "Killed?"

"Yes. I'm sorry." He said, still avoiding her gaze.

"...Well I'm glad he's dead! I hate him, and I always will!" Lyda declared, but she sounded unconvincing, even to herself.

The rest of the day was spent in relative silence. There seemed to be nothing more to say.

********************

They stopped to rest in a small cave as night fell. The rain had made the day humid, and it had felt much hotter than it had been. As the air cooled, the humidity had the opposite effect, making the travellers cold, despite the season.

Kaywen lay near the mouth of the cave, her eyes closed; she appeared to be sleeping. Sorgh sat facing outward, watching for anything that might approach. He could see in total darkness, an ability none of the others had. It made him the natural choice for lookout.

Lyda hugged her knees to her chest and closed her eyes, unconsciously tucking her tail between her legs.

"Cold?" Lorgit asked a moment later.

"A bit." Lyda replied, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "It was awfully humid today, and my fur is still a bit damp." She shivered, as though to emphasize her words.

He sat down beside her. "You can cuddle up next to me if you want" He offered.

"I do." She said, moving closer to him and placing her head on his shoulder. "Thank you." She said, closing her eyes.

"You're welcome." He said, closing his eyes himself. He felt Lyda shiver again, a bit harder this time. He put his arm around her shoulders, not thinking about what he was doing. Lyda stiffened slightly as she felt this, though he didn't notice.

"... Um, Lorgit?" Lyda asked after a moment.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He said as he removed his arm.

"Oh, no, I don't mind. It's just that... well, I guess I'm not entirely comfortable cuddling with an aslan." She said. "No offence." She added quickly.

"None taken." He said. "I understand. I just thought that since you were cold, I would help you stay warm."

"Oh. I... I appreciate that." She said. "I'm okay with it, I just didn't expect it."

He nodded, but didn't reply. She wanted him to put his arms around her; she wanted him to hold her with those strong, powerful arms that she knew would give her a sense of security, however false it may be. But he kept his arms to himself this night.

Lyda shivered again, and soon slept. Cuddling next to another warm body helped, but not as much as she would have hoped.

********************

They left at dawn the next day. They came to a stream after they had been walking for a few hours, and welcomed the chance to wash. The water was chill, and they couldn't stand to immerse themselves in it completely, but they were able to get themselves quite clean nonetheless.

They continued their walk once they had finished. Lyda had noticed during the morning that Lorgit had seemed to be avoiding her. She cold tell he was upset about something, but what she couldn't imagine, unless it was leaving his tribe. She understood that it was difficult to lose ones' family and friends suddenly (after all, she had been through it as well), but Lorgit had had a choice, while the others were forced into it.

She thought she should speak to him, but she had trouble finding the words. She had almost asked if he regretted doing what he had, but she knew that his answer would be 'No'.

The second day on the road finally ended after what seemed like much more than the nearly fourteen hours it had been. Lyda was glad that the day was over and that she could finally collect her thoughts. Lorgit had still refrained from initiating conversation.

They had stopped under a large maple tree that grew near the foot of a cliff. Sorgh and Kaywen took up watch on opposite sides of the tree, while Lyda and Lorgit lay down under it, next to each other but not touching one another.

They both closed their eyes, but Lyda was still bothered by Lorgits' distance. She lay quietly for several minutes, working up the courage to ask him what he was upset about. "Um, Lorgit?"

He opened his eyes and sat up. "What?"

"I... You've been a little... distant... today." She said tentatively. "Are you upset about something?"

He thought for a moment. "Not exactly."

"Then what's wrong?" She asked.

He was silent again, then spoke. "I've just been thinking about something that's bothering me, is all."

"What is it?" She asked. "Sometimes talking about things gives you a new perspective on them."

He thought for a while, then sighed, deeply but silently. "Well, I have a problem. I need to do something, but I'm not sure how."

"What do you have to do?"

He was still again, this time for so long that Lyda thought he might have fallen asleep. He eventually said something, but too quietly for Lyda to hear.

"What was that?" She asked.

"I... What I meant to say..." He trailed off for a moment, then sat up and faced Lyda. "You're sweet, and pretty, and honest, and intelligent..." He took her hands in his as he spoke. "I... I love you."

Lyda heard herself gasp. "You... I... But we're... I don't..." She stammered, at a total loss.

"I knew I shouldn't have said anything!" He said, releasing her hands and standing, facing away from her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so hasty. I..." He trailed off, at a loss.

"No, don't..." Lyda began, but she didn't know what to say either. "I... I don't know what to say." She said.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I shouldn't have dumped this on you."

"No, wait." Lyda said, standing and putting her hand on his arm. "You just... took me totally by surprise. I... but why?"

"Because you're sweet, and honest, and pretty, and intelligent. You... you're sympathetic. You honestly care about other people."

"Oh. Um, thank you." She said, not sure how to react. "I... you're sweet too. You could have taken advantage of me like the others, but you didn't. You showed me respect, just because I'm a person. You treated me like an equal. That's a hard quality to find in someone." She said. "I love you too."

He turned his head and looked at her. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yes."

He put his arms around her and squeezed her tightly. He held her for a second, then pulled back a bit. "But I'm an aslan and you're a raet. Could it possibly work?"

"Does it matter? Let's not worry about the future. We love each other now, and isn't that all that really matters?" She said, taking his hands in hers.

"I suppose so." He replied, squeezing her hands. "But this means that we can never go back to our own people, you realize."

"I don't care." She said. "It doesn't matter, as long as I'm with you."

He smiled and leaned down. She lifted her chin and let his lips envelop hers. His tongue gently made its' way into her mouth, and she reciprocated in kind. His taste was very different from Faths', but it wasn't at all unpleasant.

They pulled apart after a long moment. Lyda felt a bit lightheaded as they parted. They stared into each other's eyes for a second, then Lyda pulled him down for another kiss, this one longer and sweeter that the first. Lyda felt as though she were melting, and she ceased to be aware of anything around her other than Lorgit. She could feel the beating of his heart, the steady rhythm of his breath, the warmth of his arms around her waist.

The kiss continued for what seemed like years to Lyda. When they pulled apart a second time, she felt dizzy, and she couldn't feel anything other than his arms around her and his strong chest pressed against hers. If he hadn't been holding her, she would have immediately fallen to the ground.

She blinked several times, trying to clear the darkness that obscured her vision. She was vaguely able to make out Lorgit's face. She barely noticed when he set her up against the trunk of the maple tree.

She finally managed to regain enough of her senses to speak. "Oh, Lorgit! That was wonderful!"

He smiled and sat down next to her, taking her hand in his. She moved so that she was straddling his legs, her knees on the ground on either side of his thighs. She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." He said, sliding his arms around her waist.

"I want you." She said.

"I want you too."

"Then let's do it." She said, raising her body a bit.

"As you wish." He said. "But not just yet."

Lyda stopped. She was ready, and he was obviously excited as well. "Why not?"

"I want to do something for you first." He said.

"What?"

"Lay down on your back and I'll show you."

She was unsure what he was up to, but she followed his instructions. He moved in front of her and told her to move her legs apart, which she did. He lay down on his front in front of her and between her legs, so that his face was positioned above her crotch. He put one arm under each of her thighs and held her by her hips.

She was about to ask what he was doing when she felt his tongue on her. It felt nice, but she wondered why he wanted to kiss her there. She felt his tongue on her again, this time probing inside her a bit. She let out a quiet moan, so soft she almost wasn't sure she had done it. His tongue began to search everywhere it could. It was the most wonderful thing she had ever experienced. She raised her hands to her chest and began massaging her breasts.

His tongue eventually touched her bud. She gasped and squeezed his body with her legs. He pressed one finger inside her and slowly moved it in and out as his tongue traced patterns around and across her bud.

Lyda suddenly felt as though her blood had turned to fire, and every muscle in her body convulsed. Lorgit didn't stop for a second, and continued to send her to plateaus she had never imagined before. She bucked her hips and her tail thrashed about. Her hands clenched down on her breasts, flattening them to her ribs, but she didn't notice the pain. She threw her head from side to side, her auburn hair hitting her in the face every time. She was experiencing the most wonderful thing she had ever felt in her life.

As the experience wore down, she became vaguely aware that Lorgit was no longer between her legs. Probably Kaywen and Sorgh were wondering what all the thrashing about had been for, but she didn't care. Let them see her like this.

The feeling ended, and she lay there, breathing heavily, her green eyes closed. She felt something touching her hand, and she instinctively closed her hand around it. It turned out to be Lorgit's hand.

She eventually opened her eyes and sat up, lightheaded. She looked at Lorgit, and before she knew it, she had thrown her arms around his neck and had her lips locked on his. He was surprised by the sudden act, but once he realized what she was doing, he met her eagerly. Lyda could taste herself as well as him this time.

They pulled apart after a moment. Lyda was smiling and wore a suggestive expression. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I've never had an experience like that before."

"It was my pleasure." He replied. "Like I said before, you're sweet." He grinned.

She smiled and leaned back, sitting on her legs. "I'm ready for you." She said, placing on hand between his legs. His organ expanded immediately at her touch, and she closed her hand around it, slowly running it along the length.

She stopped after a second and positioned herself over his erection. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and her put his hands on her waist to guide and steady her. She slowly lowered herself onto him. She could feel the heat emanating from his erection as it touched her body and slipped inside.

She closed her eyes and lowered herself very slowly, taking her time as she continued to take more of his body into her own. After a moment, she felt a strange kind of pain as her hymen stretched and burst. She stopped for a moment to let the pain pass and catch her breath.

"Are you okay?" Lorgit asked, concerned from the brief expression of pain that had crossed his lovers' face.

She only moaned softly and continued to lower herself onto him. After what seemed like an hour, but was no more than a few seconds, she had completely lowered herself onto him. She could feel his flesh throbbing in time with his heartbeat. She experimentally squeezed her muscles around him, creating a wonderful sensation neither one of them had ever felt before.

"Ah! Lyda..." Lorgit said. He tightened his hold on her hips and nearly peaked, but he was able to control himself.

Both lovers were aware that what they were doing broke nearly every rule of both societies, but at the moment, it didn't matter. They were too caught up in the passion of the moment to care that it was wrong; it felt too good to be wrong.

They slowly began moving together, and quickly got into perfect unison. The sensation intensified, and soon it pushed Lorgit over the edge. Lyda felt him swell inside her, and his seed was deposited deep within her body. It was enough to push her over the edge herself, and she once again felt her blood turn to fire and the sudden tension of every muscle in her body. Her vision suddenly clouded, and her breath came in short, sharp gasps.

She gradually became aware of Lorgits' front pressed against hers. She opened her eyes and sat up, short of breath. She could still feel him inside her, slowly shrinking and growing softer.

He opened his eyes and looked into hers. She smiled and leaned forward, embracing him. He slid his arms around her waist and held her close, just listening to the sound of her breathing as he slipped out of her.

The only sound for several minutes was the heavy panting of both lovers. Lyda lifted her head slightly so that her mouth was next to his ear. "Is this wrong? An aslan and a raet?"

"Does it feel wrong?" He asked.

"No. It feels just right." She whispered. "It feels too good to be wrong."

They were silent for a long time. After a bit, Lyda moved off of him, and they lay down together. Lyda curled up next to Lorgit and lay her head on his shoulder. He took her hand in his own and laced their fingers together.

"I love you." Lyda said quietly.

"I love you too." He replied.

They closed their eyes. Lyda felt warm and safe, relaxed and calm. She could hear Lorgit's heart beating, a slow, steady rhythm. She listened to the beat, and concentrated on the feeling of the steady rise and fall of his chest. It was so slow, so calming. Lyda soon fell asleep, warm, content, and happy.

********************

"Well well well, isn't this cozy!"

Lyda jerked awake and quickly sat up. She and Lorgit were surrounded by three aslans, and they all had their spears leveled at them. Two others had their spears pointed at Sorgh and Kaywen.

"On your feet." One of the aslans said. Lyda suddenly recognized him as the leader of the group that had caught her before.

Lyda and Lorgit slowly stood up. One of the other aslans took Lorgits' knife.

"You are a traitor to the tribe, Lorgit." The leader of the group said. "You will be killed if you are lucky. Or perhaps we'll throw you in the pit with the beast."

"Slavery isn't right, Dorect, and you know it." Lorgit said.

"That isn't for you to decide, young one." Dorect said. "If the council agrees with you, you may get away with being a slave like these fools you helped escape. But only if we don't tell them what you and the rat-woman have been up to."

Lyda took offense at being called rat-woman, but she decided it probably wouldn't be a good idea to let on that she knew their language.

Dorect looked at her and leaned in close. "She is quite attractive for one of her kind, but I don't think the elders will look at her appearance so much as her race." He looked at Lorgit. "Do you realize that such a union is restricted by not only our society, but by common decency?"

"If it's so common, why do you seem to lack it?" Lorgit replied hotly. Dorect turned and punched him in the mouth.

"You do not speak to your father in such a manner!" Dorect said, surprising Lyda. Now that she thought about it, the resemblance was there, despite the complete lack of similarity in their fur patterns.