The Reindeer Maiden

"Be easy," he said to her, using the low, sweet voice he employed for calming frightened horses. "I swear on my life that I mean you no harm. I will not imprison you here." The girl stared at him, and he felt her trembling. Then she stopped pulling against him and her whimpers ceased. Ivan led the reindeer maiden inside the hut, shutting and bolting the door behind them. It was a cozy little place, consisting of only one room, most of which was taken up by a large four-poster bed draped in linen and fur. There was a fire burning in a grate at the far end of the hut and the warmth was such that Ivan let go his hold on the reindeer maiden's arm and reached up to remove his cloak. She moved as if to run for the door but he said, "Please don't try to run away. I do not want to tie you up, devushka, but I will if I have to." The girl halted and then just stood there, staring at him, her body tense and trembling.

Ivan considered her for a moment and sighed. He proceeded to remove the rest of his clothing and soon he was just as naked as the maiden. Her beauty was such that his cock was already half-erect, and large as it was, the maiden's gaze could not help but fix upon it. Ivan bent down and retrieved the white cloth Baba Yaga had given him from the pocket of his trousers. Then he went to the bed and spread the cloth overtop of the fur coverlet. He sat down on top of it and patted the spot beside him. "Will you join me, devushka?" he asked. The girl cast a glance at the door and then returned her focus to Ivan. She made her way slowly over to the bed and sat down a short distance apart from him. She shifted, as if unsure of what position to take, finally settling on drawing her knees up to her chin.

"The witch, Baba Yaga, saved my life," Ivan said, needing her to understand why he was forcing himself upon her. "She demands that I do this as payment. I would not force you to this if I were not myself compelled, devushka." She blinked at him, the fear not vanishing from her face. He reached out and took one of her hands, bringing it to his lips and delivering a soft kiss. "I will do whatever I can to give you pleasure." Ivan pressed against the maiden's shoulder, applying enough pressure to make her lie back, but not enough to cause her pain. Her legs she still held drawn up tightly to her chest, but the prince reached out and straightened them so that she was lying flat on her back with her legs pointing forward and her arms at her sides. His hands began a gentle exploration of her flesh, cupping her small breasts and running his fingers over the nipples until they grew stiff and swollen.

She cried out softly and attempted to cover herself, but Ivan caught hold of her wrists and placed them back at her sides. "Please," he said, taking her breasts in his hands once more and stroking the girl's nipples until they felt hard as two stones beneath his fingers. "Don't cover yourself, milaya," he said, switching to the term of endearment without even being aware of it. He wanted so badly to be tender to her, to soothe her fear and make her delight in his caresses. "You are so very beautiful." The prince lowered his head and began to suck at her nipples, lapping at them with his tongue until the reindeer maiden arched her back and gave a little cry despite herself.

Ivan pulled away and saw with some satisfaction that her ivory skin had become suffused with a rosy glow. Her lips were moist and her eyes slightly dreamy. He reached one hand down and began to stroke the fluff of white hair that guarded her sex. The girl stiffened when she felt his hand there and looked at him imploringly. "You've never known such a touch, have you, milaya?" Ivan asked softly, continuing to stroke her. She shook her head back and forth in the negative. He began to run one finger up and down the slit that marked her entrance and found, somewhat to his surprise, that it was already slick with moisture. "This brings you pleasure, doesn't it?" he said, looking into the girl's face. She nodded and Ivan plunged one finger a little way inside of her, searching for the pearl that resided at the crux of her moistened slit. He found it almost at once, stiff and slick, and the moment his finger brushed against it, the reindeer maiden's body gave a lurch. She cried out and her hips bucked against him as Ivan took the little bud between two fingers and began to gently work it back and forth. He stroked her until she raised her hips, panting, her entire body trembling and her face crimson, then he stopped.

The girl collapsed back against the bed. She gave a low moan, as if upset by his abandonment. Ivan, much as he was trying to keep it in check, felt lust beginning to cloud his head. This maiden was so fragile, so innocent, and yet so receptive to his caresses. His cock throbbed and ached but he tried to ignore its directive that he mount the girl right away. Instead he began to kiss her, sucking and licking his way down her body until he reached her sex and his tongue dipped between its swollen lips. The maiden's hips bucked when his tongue began to flicker over her clitoris and labia, lapping up the sweet nectar that his fingers had wrought. She tasted incredible to him, like no human woman he had ever been with, of musk and wild woods and winter wind, and he gorged himself on her, placing his hands on either side of her waist so that he could drag her more firmly against his mouth.

By the time Ivan pulled away, his jaw nearly numb, the reindeer maiden's breathing had become harsh and her body was writhing on top of the white cloth they lay upon. The prince slid up her body, allowing his cock to rest against the girl's thigh, and placed a lingering kiss upon her lips. His tongue flicked inside her mouth and he felt her tentatively return the gesture. He kissed her for a long time, and eventually the reindeer maiden began to kiss him back in earnest. When they broke apart again Ivan propped himself up on one arm so that he could gaze down into the girl's face. The fear had gone from her eyes, but she still looked wary. Her body shifted uncomfortably, for Ivan had not yet allowed her pleasure to peak. His instincts told him that it would be best if he attempted to time her first climax to coincide with the consummation of the witch's task. Ivan reached down and felt between the maiden's legs. She was hot and wet and ready for him, the muscles of her sex contracting over and over around his finger, trying to drag it deep inside.

"I am going to take you now, milaya," Ivan said. Are you ready?" The girl stared at him for one long moment, and then she inclined her head once, very slightly. The prince grasped her thighs and spread her legs wide, positioning one on either side of his waist. His cock was poised at the entrance of her sex, the tip sliding up and down the girl's hot little slit. He took a deep breath and looked into the reindeer maiden's face. Then he gave a little thrust of his hips and slid part of the way inside of her. The girl gasped, her entire body tensing as Ivan's cock pushed against the barrier of her innocence. The prince gave another thrust, harder this time, and felt her maidenhead give way. He slid inside her to the hilt, crying out in ecstasy at the exquisite hot tightness that sheathed him. The reindeer maiden also gave a cry, her hips bucking and Ivan was almost lifted off of the bed. There had been pain in the girl's cry, but Ivan though that there had also been pleasure. He began to thrust in and out of her slowly and steadily, giving her time to adjust to his size.

It took a good deal of self control for Ivan not to spend almost at once. She was so incredibly tight. Her muscles squeezed him, drew him deep inside of her; the sensation of it made him feel like a green lad again, ready to explode at the first touch. The prince gritted his teeth and continued to work his hips, his cock slipping in and out of the maiden's wet sex. She was squirming and gasping beneath him, her hands clenching the furs they lay upon and her face stained crimson with pleasure. Her hips soon began to rise up to meet his thrusts, milking every inch of his shaft, and Ivan could no longer contain himself. All self-control left him and he began to ride her hard and fast, turning the girl's little gasps and exclamations into deep moans and cries of ecstasy. He felt her tensing up, felt her entire body trembling as he reached between them and began to stroke her clitoris as he thrust. That touch was all that it took to send the girl hurtling into climax. Her breath hitched and for a moment her entire body froze. Then Ivan felt the muscles of her sex contracting wildly around him and the reindeer maiden was thrashing this way and that upon the bed, unable to control her movements.

It was this frenzy, this strange and beautiful girl's total abandonment to pleasure which sent Ivan into his own climax. He gave a series of hard, almost brutal thrusts and then all of the light in the little hut seemed to go moon-bright. A groan tore from the prince's throat as a pleasure so intense that it was nearly agony rocketed through him, turning every muscle in his body to putty. It was the longest orgasm that Ivan had ever experienced, and by the time the last spasm eased he felt drained of all energy. He collapsed, bracing himself on his elbows so as not to harm the reindeer maiden who lay beneath him, still twitching and gasping in the final throes of her own climax. Several moments passed in which they both lay still, their breathing beginning to slow and their bodies drugged and sated.

Ivan rolled to one side and helped the reindeer maiden into a seated position, catching a glimpse of the white cloth beneath her as he did so. It was dotted with splashes of blood that showed bright against the snowy white fabric. Flecks of blood were also drying upon the maiden's creamy thighs. The prince pulled the cloth out from beneath her and used it to clean the blood from her skin. All the while she remained still, looking at him with her unreadable midnight eyes. "Are you in pain?" Ivan asked. The maiden shook her head in the negative and he leaned forward to place a kiss upon her brow. "That was magnificent, milaya." A little smile flitted over the girl's face and she wound her arms around Ivan's neck. Before he realized what she was going to do, the reindeer maiden was kissing him firmly, her tongue flicking into his mouth and tasting him.

By the time she pulled away, Ivan's cock had begun to harden once again. The maiden caught sight of this and her eyes widened. She reached down and folded one of her small white hands around his shaft. The prince gave a little cry and looked wonderingly at the maiden. She gave him a mischievous little smile and then she lowered her mouth into Ivan's lap. It did not take long for her lips and tongue to coax him into full erection once more. He buried his hands in her long white hair and pulled her away from him for a moment.

"Do you want to be taken again, milaya?" he gasped. The girl nodded eagerly and then lowered her head once more, her mouth recommencing its work. This time when they joined, the prince allowed the maiden to guide their coupling, making his body as pliable as a ragdoll's. Her excitement was intoxicating as she explored his flesh, tasting him and teasing him until she pressed him onto his back and straddled him. She winced as she lowered herself down onto his cock, still sore from their first coupling, but persevering nonetheless. She rode him inexpertly at first, her young body adjusting to this new sort of movement, but soon she assumed a slow and comfortable rhythm. Ivan wanted nothing better than to roll her over onto her back and slam into her once more, but his patience was rewarded by the view he had of her. A pink flush crept into the white skin of her breasts, throat and cheeks. Her nipples were tiny, hard stones. Her breath began to grow labored and soon she was moaning and working her hips faster, bouncing up and down on top of his cock.

He let her work herself up and down on him, watching as her hand found her clitoris and began to stroke it as she moved. Ivan could not be sure how many times she came, but he felt certain that the reindeer maiden reached climax at least three times before climbing off of him. He was aching for release by this time, but still he did not move from where the girl had positioned him, curious to see what she would do. Shaking out her long hair, the maiden crouched down and took his cock into her mouth again. She sucked and stroked him with her tongue and within a matter of seconds Ivan was coming inside her mouth. The muscles of her throat contracted as she swallowed his hot seed, and Ivan clutched at her, a series of sharp cries tearing from his throat as he experienced yet another world-altering orgasm.

They made love once more that night, and by the time it was over, Ivan knew that it would have to be their last coupling; dawn was fast approaching. He got up from the bed and began to put his clothes back on. The reindeer maiden reclined upon the furs, regarding him through heavy lidded eyes. "It is nearly dawn," he said to her pulling on his leather boots. "You must resume your true shape, and I must bring Baba Yaga her prize." He reached out and took up the white cloth which bore the reindeer maiden's innocent blood, stowing it deep in his pocket.

The girl got to her feet and took his hand, bringing it to her lips and bestowing a lingering kiss upon it. A heavy sadness settled upon Prince Ivan then. He did not want to part from this woman. She was sweet and beautiful and more innocent than any human girl ever could be, but he knew that he could not have her. She was a creature of the forest. It would be cruel to lock her up in a stone palace, and he could not bring her with him on the dangerous quest which lay ahead of him. Ivan embraced the girl, kissing both of her cheeks, her forehead and mouth. "Perhaps we will meet again someday," he said, leading her out of the hut. When they reached the place where he had first seen her, Ivan took the white deerskin in his arms. He held it out to the maiden, and she took it, gratitude plain on her face. The sky was already beginning to lighten, and at first Ivan thought it was the light of day that he saw. Then he realized that the radiance was coming from the reindeer maiden, emanating from every pore of her body. Soon she was too bright to look upon, a nova of moonlight.

A moment later the light had vanished and so had the maiden. In her place stood a reindeer whose hide was whiter than the freshly fallen snow. She regarded him with eyes the color of the midnight sky and Ivan reached out a trembling hand towards her. She allowed him to stroke her head once, briefly, and then she tore off in the direction of the forest, her hooves kicking up glittering snow clouds behind her. Ivan's heart weighed heavily upon him as he trudged back to Baba Yaga's hut to deliver the cloth to her.

The witch was waiting for him, and the door of her cottage swung open at his approach. "I almost thought you had run off on me boy," she said, ushering him inside and closing the door behind him. "Do you have what I asked of you?" Ivan reached into his pocket and pulled forth the white cloth. Baba Yaga gave a little cry of happiness. "Delightful boy. You have saved me a good deal of trouble. Soon my body will be young again." She turned and tucked the cloth back into the casket from whence it had come. "Did the girl give you any trouble?"

"No Dama," Ivan said, his eyes turning to the window in the vain hope of catching a glimpse of a white reindeer in the trees. "I gave her pleasure and she reveled in it."

The witch looked at him, her silver eyes glittering. "You look a little lovelorn, my princeling. Quite suitable for a young hero."

"Tell me, Dama," the prince said, "is there any way in which I will be able to see her again?"

"The reindeer maidens shed their skins but once a year, price, on the eve of the New Year, and they never go to the same place twice. I have been waiting many years for one to come to that glade. If your maiden feels for you the same way you do for her, then perhaps you will find each other again some day. If you take her hide from her and keep it, she will be forced to remain human and stay by your side."

"But I do not want to force her!" he cried. "I would not crush the wildness of her spirit."

"Perhaps if she loves you, she will offer the skin to you and stay by you in trust that you will not attempt to enslave her. It has happened before, but I must warn you that the children of the forest do not often couple with humans for life."

"I understand Dama," Ivan said, a faint hope kindling within him. He would regain his kingdom and then one day he would go in search of the reindeer maiden. Perhaps when they met again, she would discover that she loved him the way that he was beginning to love her. Maybe one day she would agree to tarry with him in the world of men and be his bride.

"Love is wasted on the young," Baba Yaga snorted, turning away from Ivan and taking a large leather bag in her arms. "I have filled this with food, and there is a skein of spiced wine with it. It should last you until you find your way out of this forest."

Ivan took the bag, saying, "My thanks Dama, for all you have given me, but I cannot go anywhere without a horse."

"I have brought your horse here," Baba Yaga said, waving a hand dismissively. "He was only a few miles from here and heeded the call of my magic."

Ivan thanked Baba Yaga yet again and then bowed. "I am in your debt, Dama. I hope that the service I have done you will bring you happiness."

The witch laughed. "Oh it will, boy, it will. Now off with you. I have a spell to perform before the dawn. You will have no trouble finding your way out of the forest; I have instructed your mount as to the right direction."

Ivan found his horse tethered to one of the bone fence posts and gave the beast an affectionate pat before mounting him. Then he cantered off into the forest, letting his horse lead him. Just as the sun was beginning to rise on the first day of the New Year, Ivan began to catch glimpses of a creature keeping pace with him through the trees. It was a white reindeer. The Prince's heart lifted and he galloped through the breaking dawn of the New Year in pursuit of his destiny, the bright shadow of the reindeer never far from his side.

The End