Changed Redux Pt. 07

"I had thought to run but where would I go? So I just cowered as he stormed over and grabbed me by the arm." She winced at the memory and rubbed her arm as if recalling the pain. "I thought surely it was going to break when he wrenched it about, dropping me to my knees. Then he spit on me and hurled me into the dirt with a curse. With a kick, he knocked me back down when I tried to rise. I remember him calling me every vile insult he could think of, cursing me and my ancestors. I think he probably would have finally killed me on that day had not his own warriors and your warriors been only a few paces away."

"I remember hearing several of your warriors exclaim their protests but then abruptly everyone hushed and a murmur rolled through everyone. I heard hooves approaching and I looked up to see a beautiful woman, tall and slender with dark skin, wide-set dark eyes and a mane of wild black hair trotting over, setting an arrow to her bow as she approached." Gan's lower lip quivered slightly as she turned to Tuya. "You." She said.

"I already know this part of the story," Tuya said, meeting Gan's eye. She felt her breath catch in her throat as was momentarily lost in the depth of Gan's gaze. Gan was only a breath away and Tuya desperately wanted to close that distance but still, she hesitated, not wanting to make her uncomfortable or, worse, scare her off. "But I did not know you thought me beautiful when you met me."

Gan blushed heavily and looked down but said shyly, "Yes, I thought you very beautiful. You looked... magnificent atop your horse. So strong and confident." She turned to look into Tuya's eyes for a few long seconds before blinking and looking back down. "Do you want me to finish my story or not?"

Tuya smiled to herself, "Of course, please continue."

Gan took a breath, collecting herself before continuing. "As I looked on in amazement, this woman..." Gan smirked, "you, calmly said, 'If you lay so much as another finger on this woman or even open your mouth one more time in my presence it will be the last thing you ever do.'"

Gan smiled faintly, "Chuluun turned purple with rage at being told to be silent by a woman. Then he had opened his mouth to protest and you coolly sent an arrow straight through the bridge of his nose, killing him before his body even hit the dirt. The clan's warriors had started to shout in outrage and pull their weapons but you simply stared them down."

"I will never forget how you looked and what you said that day." As Gan spoke, a tear glistening in the corner of her eye. "You sat in your saddle, tall and proud and stared at them for a few more long moments before saying in a loud, clear voice, 'I am Tuya. I have no clan and I answer to no Khan, no chief and no man. I will not allow a woman to be beaten before my eyes while I have it in my power to prevent it. If any of you wish to challenge me then do so now. If not then put away your weapons or we will do battle right here and I and my warriors will lay waste to you all."

Feeling a little self-conscious, Tuya asked, "Did I really say that?"

"Yes, you did," Gan said with lips that quivered. "Then, when no one spoke, you dropped from your horse, turned your back on all of them and held out her hand to me and said, 'My apologies for killing that man but I cannot allow what he did to you or his disrespect. Was he important to you?'."

Tuya broke in, saying, "And then you told me that I had just killed your husband, and I said something like 'Then you have my sincere apologies for killing him in front of you.'"

"Yes, that is correct. Now stop interrupting, this is my telling." Gan chided but a tiny smile played at the corner of her lips. "And I also noted the difference between saying you apologized for killing him in front of me and just killing him. You were only sorry for my sake, not his."

"Truth," Tuya admitted. "He was beating a woman half his size. He had no honor in my eyes."

"Agreed," Gan said. "I think I told you that his fleas will mourn his loss far more than I ever would. Then you asked my name and when I told you, you studied for a few seconds before you invited me to join your band."

"Do you recall that I asked if you were skilled with horses or could fight," Tuya said, taking over the telling. "And you said, 'I can ride as well as any man in our clan.' Then you told me how you used to train with your brother and that you were skilled with the bow as well and I made you prove it in front of everyone."

Gan shrugged and it was now her turn to look self-conscious. She looked down uncomfortably.

"Yes. That is exactly what you did then as well." Tuya exclaimed, indicating Gan's now timid manner. "Do you recall what I told you then?"

Taking a breath, Gan said, "That if I were to ride and fight with you, then you must trust me and I must trust you." Glancing over, Gan said, "So I asked for your bow and you gave it to me and in front of everyone I showed you I could use it"

A laugh bubbled up in Tuya's throat. "You did more than that! You shot the eye out of a bird on the wing at a hundred paces. The Archer himself couldn't have made a shot like that!"

Looking even more self-conscious, Gan shrugged again and shifted under the heavy fur. In the process, the distance between them disappeared. "I think the rest you know."

"Yes," Tuya replied, enjoying the feel of Gan's warm thigh pressed up against her own. "In truth, I already knew most of the second half of your tale, I was in it after all. Though I will admit, I enjoyed hearing it from your pretty lips."

Gan looked down. "Don't."

"What?" Tuya asked gently.

"I am not pretty. Don't tease me so."

Carefully, Tuya placed her fingers under Gan's chin and turned her face, looking into her eyes. "You are beautiful Gan, do not ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

"No," Gan whispered and turned away, starting to get up.

Tuya grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her gently back down. With her other hand, she turned Gan's face to her and leaned in. Their lips almost touching, Tuya looked in Gan's eyes and saw fear and desire battling in their ebony depths. Gan was shaking but she didn't move away.

Tuya closed the final distance and their lips met for the first time. At first, Gan sat there still as stone, her only movement a slight trembling of her lips. After a few seconds, she started slowly, hesitantly to relax into the kiss. After a few more long seconds she started to return Tuya's affections, her small, soft lips slipping against Tuya's as her body leaned in closer.

With cautious tenderness, Tuya moved from Gan's lips to the side of her neck. The smaller woman let out a tiny sigh at the contact. Hesitantly, her head rolled to one side, allowing Tuya a freer reign.

With careful, tender movements, Tuya pulled Gan closer, gradually wrapping the woman in her embrace. The feel of her slim, firm body was wonderful and her scent filled Tuya's head. Horses, leather, dirt, sweat and under it all an earthiness that was hot and womanly. It all combined into something delicious and wild in Tuya's mind and she struggled to suppress a groan of need.

In her arms, Gan began to relax. Her stiff, almost defensive posture gradually melting under Tuya's touch. Slowly, hesitantly, Gan raised a hand and touched Tuya's thick hair. Timid at first but gradually becoming bolder, her hand glided over the ebony strands then started working their way in. Eventually, her fingers intertwined with the thick mass and she was guiding Tuya's lips along her neck, showing the warrior chieftess to where she wanted her to go. Gradually she pulled Tuya's lips down and around to her front, to the hollow at the base of her neck. Her little gasping noises turned to a groan as warm lips touched the tender skin there. After a time, Tuya moved up slightly to place soft, nibbling kisses onto the thin skin over where Gan's blood pulsed hot and fast. Gan moaned.

Feeling emboldened, Tuya raised her hand to Gan's breast...

Gan went rigid then an instant later she pushed away, turning her back to Tuya.

Surprised by the abruptness of the change, Tuya sat confused for a moment. "Gan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"No." Gas said sharply. Then she softened her tone, "No. It is nothing you did. It is me. I just cannot... I..." She broke off and didn't continue.

Tuya waited patiently but when Gan didn't continue she gently asked, "You cannot what?"

"I cannot be with you... with anyone... like that."

Tuya's eyebrows came together as she studied Gan's back. "Why?" She asked softly.

"I just... I cannot."

Tuya gently placed her hand on Gan's shoulder. The smaller woman flinched but didn't move away. "Gan, I care for you. Won't you trust me?"

She turned to face Tuya, tears welling in the corners of her dark eyes. "I... I... it's just..." She swallowed then tried again. "Every time someone touches me... it takes me back to the first time he... when I was young..."

Tuya understood. Gan was taken as a prize of war and married to a much older man who regarded her as a slave. From what Tuya knew of him she very much doubted sex had ever been a pleasant experience for Gan. An idea formed in Tuya's mind.

"What if I could change this? Heal your spirit?" Tuya asked.

Gan looked up to her, doubt in her tear filled eyes. "I fear my spirit is beyond healing."

"No, never say that," Tuya said softly. "My Goddess can help. She has..."

"Are you sure you want to do this? To tell her?" Marcellene interrupted Tuya's words. "This will be the first one you have told of your power. Do you trust her with that knowledge?"

Tuya paused, looking into Gan's dark eyes. "I trust her with my life." She whispered.

There was a silent sigh inside Tuya's head followed by, "If you are sure." Marcellene said then fell silent.

"What?" Gan asked, not knowing who Tuya was talking to.

By way of explanation, Tuya asked, "Do you believe in magic, Gan? Do you believe in the power of the gods?"

Appearing surprised at the abrupt turn of subject, Gan said slowly, "Yes, of course I believe in the gods. They watch over us and guide us. Although sometimes I have had my doubts, I still... I still believe in my own way."

"What would you say if I told you I have been given special gifts by my Goddess?"

Gan looked doubtful but asked "What gifts?"

Tuya stood, pulling Gan up with her. She stood facing the smaller women and held up her hand with the ring on it, "This ring is a token of my Goddess, Ama-Ahurs, the Goddess of Women. It is for her that I ride and fight. It is because of her that I have been able to build this army we ride with. It is she that grants me the power to give women the power to stand up and fight for themselves. It is through her, with her blessings that I give them what they need to break free and join us."

Gan appeared affronted as she rocked back a bit. Her dark eyebrows came together as she asked with a bit of an edge, "You give them the courage? Do these women not possess courage their own?"

Tuya shook her head. "No, that is not what I mean, let me try again. They do have the courage, but often times they need... well, a little push. After years of living under others, sometimes it is hard to imagine living another way. It can be frightening, often they feel powerless. The power of my Goddess inspires them. It shows their heart the way. It..." Tuya searched for the right words, "It allows me to show them, for them to believe, that there is another way. A way that allows them to choose their own fate. To choose to become what no woman has been. A warrior."

"You can make them into warriors?" Gan asked, her suspicion deepening.

"Yes and no," Tuya answered carefully, not wanting to say too much too early. "I do not use the Goddess's magic to make warriors. I only use the magic to help release what is already inside us. Also with the magic, I can heal the sick and injured, save the bodies those who might die or..." Tuya placed a hand on Gan's cheek and said, "or heal the spirits of those who wish to be made whole again. It is a powerful magic that has been gifted to me by my Goddess.

"You can truly do all this?" Gan asked quietly.

"I do nothing. It is the will of the Goddess that I carry out. I am sworn to her and she guides me." Tuya's fingers trembles as she stroked Gan's cheek. "And I believe she has guided me to you. You are the first I have told about these powers. I wish to share it with you tonight to heal your spirit. To make you whole again. I believe it is the will of my Goddess"

Gan looked down for a second then looked up into Tuya's eyes, "I would like to be whole again, I think. To know what it feels like to care and be cared for. To know..." She broke off, swallowed then reached up to touch Tuya's hand, "To be with another, to find release... that way."

"Are you sure?" Tuya asked.

"Yes." Gan whispered, "I want to know how it feels to not be afraid of... of love."

As the word slipped off Gan's tongue, Tuya felt a thrill course up her spine. Love. Gan felt it too. Tuya's soul thrilled and without meaning too the magic slipped from her control. There was a thump to the air and Gan gasped. Chagrined at her loss of control, Tuya asked, "Are you ok?" To herself, she wondered what the magic had just done. When Gan didn't answer Tuya placed her hand on the side of her face, intending to turn her to make eye contact. Gan's reaction to her touch wasn't what Tuya was expecting.

At her touch, Gan let out a small, soft gasp and her eyes slid closed. After a second, she turned to look at Tuya and something new was in her dark eyes besides the fear and reluctance that was already there in abundance. Over it all now was a gleam of need... desperate, hungry, need. Gan raised her hand, placing it over Tuya's as she rolled her head, rubbing the hand over her cheek and down her neck. She made throaty purring noise as her eyes closed again.

At Gan's obvious desire, a firestorm flared to life in the center of Tuya's being. She desperately wanted this woman, far more than she had ever wanted anyone else before. Even so, a part of her was conflicted, knowing that what was happening was at least partially due to the magic. She had intended to use the magic to give Gan the courage and strength to try and care for and be cared for by someone but she suspected that the magic may have done more without her intending to. That same part of her wondered if she should try and undo what had just happened. However, that part of her mind was rapidly being pushed aside by the heat building in her core at the feel, looks, sounds and sent of the woman before her. She silently prayed to her Goddess that what had happened was by her divine will and not just Tuya's own weakness.

As if in a trance, Tuya watched as her own hand slipped slowly down the side of Gan's neck to the hollow at her throat. Gan sucked in a sharp breath at the contact with the sensitive skin and she leaned in closer to Tuya, her head tipping back slightly, offering herself to her chieftess.

Tuya restraint slipped its final bonds and she saw more than felt her own fingers trembling as she slid them lower, down the top of Gan's leather tunic. Mechanically she untied first one, then two and three of the leather thongs holding the top closed. While she worked, Gan sat motionless, panting softly, her eyes locked with Tuya's, the desire there burning more brightly by the seconds as the fear and reluctance there were slowly being overwhelmed by her own building fire.

Once the top was open, Tuya eased one hand under the soft, worn leather to touch the smooth skin below. Her fingers glided over the taut skin of Gan's well-muscled belly, feeling the muscles tremble and twitch at her gentle touch. She moved up slowly, enjoying the feel of Gan's firm body and the way the low fire flickered its reflection in her bottomless eyes.

When she reached the bottom curve of Gan's breast the smaller woman let out another sucking gasp and her whole body jerked. Tuya looked deep into Gan's eyes, seeing there the desire but still mixed with fear. Tuya was surprised to see new wetness building in the corners of those dark eyes and another flash of conscience stabbed at her. She licked her lips and started to say. "Gan, are you..."

Gan raised her hand and placed a finger across Tuya's lips, gently silencing her. She said in a barely audible whisper, "Just be gentle with me."

A smile toyed with the corners of Tuya's lips at that and she said, "Always, my love." With her thumb, she traced a circle around Gan's small, hard nipple.

Gan gasped again, harder this time and breathed, "I... I'm sorry... I don't really... know what to... to do."

Tuya's smile increased, "I will do everything, my love. You only need to enjoy it."

Between gasping breaths, Gan managed to say, "I don't... I don't know... how."

Realization blossomed in Tuya's mind and she paused, looking into Gan's burning eyes. This woman who had been taken by a cruel man who didn't care about her when she was young had likely never been intimate with anyone who had the slightest concern for her sexual needs. She probably had never achieved a climax during sex and may not even know she could.

A thrill of excitement that she had never before experienced coursed up Tuya's spine, her core contracted hard enough to make her groan. Swallowing hard she said, "Your body knows how. Now relax and let go, our spirits will soar together tonight."

Tuya pushed the leather tunic off Gan's unresisting shoulders, exposing her small, firm breasts with their hard, dark little points. Dropping to her knees before the smaller woman, Tuya ran her fingertips over the tender skin as she leaned closer. She could feel the heat pouring off Gan's body as her face stopped just a breath away. Closing the last distance, she kissed the underside of Gan's breast, savoring the way the smaller woman twitched in her arms. Another kiss followed, then another, and finally, one long wet, licking, sucking caress with her lips.

Gan's gasping turned to moaning as sensations she had never experienced flooded her body. "So good..." she slurred thickly. The moaning turned to a surprised squeal when Tuya's lips found her nipple and pulled the stiff bump into the warm embrace of her mouth.

Tuya reveled in the feel and taste of her new lover, and way the inexperienced woman reacted so strongly to her every touch. Wanting more, Tuya allowed her hands to slowly slip down to the curves of Gan's slim backside. While her lips and tongue continued to work on Gan's breasts, her fingers danced around her hips eventually finding the braided thong holding up her leather leggings. A few deft movements of her fingers and the leather loosened.

Gan's trembling increased as Tuya slid the soft leather down over her thighs, letting the leggings pool at her feet. Gan placed one hand atop Tuya's head to steady herself while the other slowly made its way up to her breast where it hesitated as if she didn't know quite what to do or perhaps was too embarrassed.

Still suckling one of Gan's nipples, Tuya placed a hand over Gan's and guided it up to her small breast, closing the smaller woman's own fingers around the sensitive mound. As Gan cupped and squeezed herself, Tuya pinched the nipple with her fingers, sending a jolt of pleasure through the smaller woman.

Crying out in surprised bliss, Gan's fingers pulled tight in Tuya's hair, driving her hard into her breast. "Oh... Tuya..." she moaned as if in a dream.

Carefully, Tuya wrapped her arms around the smaller woman and lowered her onto the fur cloak that had fallen to the ground under them. The fire had burned low and the inside of the tent was getting colder and darker by the minute so Tuya tossed on another handful of sticks on before moving to lay down beside Gan. As the wood caught, flames flickered out sending shadows dancing around the interior of the small tent and over Gan's now naked form.