Infall Ch. 03

He was looking at her face. "Don't cry, alea," he said, brushing at the tears.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why," she said.

"I do," he said, kissing her, her arms coming up around his neck.

When he drew back, she turned her head and sat up fast, Kythe getting out of her way. She cried out, her eyes wide.

"What?" he said, looking at her.

"I'm hurt," she said, staring at her arm, at the blood, feeling dizzy.

He looked at himself. "No. I'm bleeding," he said, getting off the bed.

"You're hurt?" she said, getting off the bed and following him. "Where? What happened?"

He watched her as she checked him all over, finding his arm, a bloody bandage.

"Indya?" his voice said from far away, and his face was in front of hers, his hands on her shoulders. She was breathing through her nose, gray at the edges of her vision, swaying a little. "It's just a little cut."

"I'm sorry," she said, swallowing heavily. "I don't seen that in my life."

His mouth twitched. "It's not so bad. A couple stitches."

"Líke cloth, yes," she said, and she shivered, shaking her head.

"You're pale, Indya."

"You say to clean the needle with hot water? Wash it good, Kythe?"

He nodded, his face becoming serious. "We haven't seen anywhere near as much rot in the flesh. Many more of my men are keeping their arms and legs because of you."

She was dizzy, breathing. They cut them off, he was saying. Amputation. "Why are you hurt?" she breathed. "Why are they? Are you falling under your horses?"

He laughed. "We're not so clumsy, alea," he said, his hand going to her breast, cupping it. He was looking at her face. "What do you think we're doing when we go out? What's in that strange mind of yours?"

She frowned at him lightly, recovering a little, trying not to think about it. "Making something," she said. "Why else you have so many men for except for making something? A building. A road. They're strong, because the things to making are heavy."

He snorted out laughter. "Did your people never fight, Indya?"

"Fight? I fight with my brother. My mother fights with Analik because my father's sister is saying things. They don't like each other."

"I mean to fight with violence."

She looked at him blankly. "Líke for hitting? We? No. Not after we're grown, not like childs. Not unless we is being crazy and needs medicine."

"No hashta?"

"What is that, hastha?"

"One group of people fighting another."

She felt that all through her belly, staring at him. "War?" she said in Alcon, her language, switching to Edion. "Who are we fight? It's us in Atlantis. There's nobody for war. Who says to do so? We wouldn't listen. We don't do that."

"What do you think this is?" he said, his hand going to the arced stiff thing he wore, the metal at the top.

"A weapon," she said. "And the long sticks are. I know that. But I thought your people always have them, weapons. You go everywhere with them for showing them and for maybe you're violent if you get angry at someone."

He was looking at her as if he'd never seen her before. "You've never seen violence?"

"I did. The dark-haired man hit me in my face, right here," she said, touching her cheek. "You hurt my arm. You fight? Who do you fighting?"

"Tapins," he said.

"I'm here so long and you are fighting people with weapons?"

"Yes, sikules on our border. We were embraso and I found you on their land. It's good we were there. They wouldn't have been so gentle with you. They're trying to take land."

"Fighting is dangerous, Kythe. You stop. You say you don't hate them. Give them land if they want. You have more, you say."

He reached out, his knuckles on her cheek. "If I did that, they would only think they could continue to take it until they had all of it. I didn't know you haven't seen any violence, gentle alea. I understand you better now." He had his arm around her and was moving her back toward the bed.

"You can't stop it? Say you don't want fighting?"

He lifted her onto it, laying her down and joining her.

"This isn't Atlantis," he said, moving down, his mouth going to her nipple.

"Stop, Kythe," she said, arching. "I can't think for when you give me pleasure."

He didn't stop. "I don't want you to think. I want to hear you make those sounds."

"I don't make sounds."

He burst out laughing, his head coming up. "Yes, you do. You're so loud, alea, you arouse half the camp. My men can't walk the next day."

"I'm not. I don't. Why they can't walk?"

He laughed again and took her waist, rolling her onto him so she was straddling him, her hair falling around his chest, messy. "Ride me, pretty Indya who falls out of the sky and lands on my lap," he said, laughing at his own joke, and then she was laughing.

"Líke you are a horse?" she said, laughing more, finding it very funny. "Now I am having sex with a horse-Kythe who lies on his back." She was helpless with it, long chuffs as he watched her, smiling and then laughing himself.

He reached and cupped her cheek, her laughter fading. Indya felt shy, smiling at him.

"You don't know this world, alea," he said.

"Then I'm lucky to find a good man like you to know," she said. "Etien is also a good friend to me."

"I met Etien in Jassa where I went to school," he said, his hands flattening and going down her body, his sex hard now under her. "He was the first person who wasn't Matisi I was friends with."

"For me, too," she said. "The first not from Atlantis. I know this. He tells me. We talk with you. Of you." She looked down, finding them and tracing them on his chest. "These are scars from your fighting? I thought they were worn places you work."

"They are scars, yes."

She looked at him, trying to imagine it, remembering his face when she first met him and he'd gotten angry. Frowning a little, she touched his chest again. "You afraid when you fighting, Kythe? I am for be afraid to fighting to get hurt."

"Angry, mostly," he said, pulling her forward and angling his sex, nudging her.

She slowly worked herself onto him, hitching. It felt so good, his hands on her breasts, his fingers on her nipples. "I like how your sex is in me, Kythe," she breathed, closing her eyes, her head falling back a little, moving on him, her hips thrusting.

Kythe grunted, his eyes on her body as she moved, going faster. "You are so sexy," he said.

"I like this," she told him again, going faster, hitting those delicious places, the sensations getting better.

When she looked at his face, he had that expression that made her shiver. His arm came around her, his hand on her as she moved, and he put his finger in the crack of her butt. This same finger rubbed up and down, swirling in her wetness and then returned, pressing.

He was looking at her face, his breathing heavy. Her eyes went wide and she stopped moving her hips, but he didn't stop, pressing in.

"Kythe. What do you do?" she said, putting her hands behind her and onto his hand, trying to stop him as his finger penetrated her butt, Kythe thrusting the finger in and out, her breath stuttering.

He came up quickly, wrapping his other arm around her, big like a tree trunk, trapping her arms behind her, grasping and lifting her so she couldn't move. He began thrusting upward into her, tilting her toward himself, his mouth going to her nipples, his finger still in her butt.

Indya struggled for a moment and then she went still. She grunted, pleasurable, and jutted.

Kythe made a noise under her. "Sexy, beautiful bihen," he said, increasing his speed.

She still didn't know what that meant and she couldn't move, everything sensation, his finger in her butt and his sex thrusting, and he was nipping her nipples now, tugging. It hurt, so much pleasure.

Indya cried out. "Don't stop, Kythe. Please don't stop."

"Edion, alea," he said, grunting.

"Good," she said in his language, whining, feeling her pleasure coming. "More."

" Fata, Indya," he ground out, increasing his thrusts.

She was shivering and she began to come in his grasp, held still by him, straining. She could feel herself clutching his sex, clutching his finger, her voice getting high, sharp sounds she made.

"Look at me," he said.

She opened her eyes and looked into his, crying out as it crested, in the center of her pleasure, riding it, yes. She didn't want it to stop, helpless with it. His head snaked forward and he took her nipple in his mouth, biting rhythmically, and her pleasure increased even more, Indya whimpering. He pulled back and stabbed deep and then grunted and held her there, his sex moving, yelling through with his jaw closed like he did. Yes, she had missed this very much.

* * *

Kythe was on his back in her bed. All of her was on top of him and he was stroking her hair, his other hand tracing her spine, Indya sleepy.

"I'm going to get you a horse," he said, his voice deeper than the men in Atlantis, rumbling under her cheek.

Her head came up, not feeling sleepy all of the sudden. "A horse? You tell the truth? I could have one for a ride?"

He grinned, nodding. "Yes. I will teach you to ride."

"Thank you, Kythe. I'm so happy. He's to be a big horse like your horse?"

"I think you will want an aminehn."

"What is that?"

"A female horse. They are gentler, smaller."

Her smile faded. "No. I want a big male horse like your horse so he can run fast with me on top of him and I tell him where he can go."

"Of course you want a stallion," he said. He grinned and rolled her under himself. "You'll get," he said, kissing her mouth and drawing back, "the horse," he said, kissing her again, "that I give you, alea." He kissed her again.

When he drew back, she was smiling. "Yes. Thank you." Her smile faded again, thinking of it. "But he is the coins, Kythe. I don't have coins for him, for the food he wants, or the thing to sit on him."

"She does cost money, but you don't have to worry about that. I will get you a saddle and the food she needs. The horse is a gift, like the see-far you gave me."

She threw her arms around his neck, feeling her body vibrating. "Yes. Yes, Kythe. Thank you."

When she drew back, he was smiling. His face became serious, and he put his knuckles on her cheek. "I like to see you happy, alea."

"I am happy to be here with you," she said, glancing at him.

"Do you want me to go? They will know if I stay."

"I don't care what they think they know. They don't know me. They don't want to. You will stay?"

"Yes, alea," he said, pulling her to him.

She found a place, sleepy again, listening to his heart, her hand on his chest, his leg between hers. In moments, she was asleep.

* * *

Indya woke, hearing it, going still, her heart beginning to pound. The tent was dark, only the light of the small lantern turned low. She was curled up to him. She looked up and Kythe was awake, his eyes open.

"What is it?" she whispered to him. "It's an animal? It comes at night sometimes."

The sound was rhythmic and a little wet, just on the other side of the cloth of the tent, like an animal trying to find its way in, poking.

Kythe put her away from himself and rose, pulling on his pants. He drew his knife.

Indya sat straight up, shaking her head, breathing fast. "Kythe, please," she whispered as he left the tent and then she heard a yell and Kythe's voice and a man's getting faster and higher, and Kythe sounded angry, and there were more voices around her tent, several people now.

She stayed in bed. Kythe finally came back in, his face set and his jaw jumping, coming to stand by the bed, pulling off his pants.

"Kythe?" she said. "You don't do violence and fighting?"

"No," he said.

"Thank you. It's a person?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"One of my men," he said.

"Why is he doing there?"

Kythe looked at her, his face tense. "Pleasuring himself. I should have him punished. He won't come here again, alea."

"Men do that?" she said, her brows shooting up. "Not just women?"

Kythe looked at her blankly. Walking to the bed, his eyes swept her. "Show me."

"Show you what?"

"Show me how you pleasure yourself."

She made a face at him. "Why I do that? You're here."

He looked like he had swallowed something wrong, and then he was laughing.

"He can't find another place?" she complained over his laughter, not knowing what he found so funny.

"Any other place and the guard I put on your tent would have noticed," he said, wiping his eyes. "I've spoken to him, as well."

She looked down at her hands. "Do they hate me so much, your people, that you must pay a man to stand between them and me?"

"Hate is not the problem, alea."

"Then what? There is for no way they like me?"

"Not that I would allow," he said, getting into bed with her. "Go to sleep, Indya."

"All right," she said, coming close to him, her hand going to his chest, her gaze searching. She liked sleeping close to him.

He shook his head and pulled her close, Indya finding a place, content.

"You're the strangest woman I've ever known," he said.

"I'm not. You're strange," she said.

"I'm sure it's you who are strange."

"No," she said, and then she was falling asleep again, feeling his knuckles on her cheek.

* * *

Several weeks later, Indya crossed the room, hot water there already. It was getting cooler, the winter Kythe spoke of coming, although there were both green and colorful leaves on the trees and they weren't barren yet, just changing. She took off the pants, still in the dress, which had tricky fastenings in the back. Her hair was in a braid. The room was very square, and it was warm and solid, carved wood and textiles and a great tub. It had water steaming in it already, hot when she'd arrived, and soap that smelled good.

She turned and looked when there was a knock. Kythe. He had said he didn't know if he would be able to see her again before he left, and not to worry if he couldn't. He would be gone for twelve days, but Etien was here in the room down the hall.

Kythe had arranged for her to stay in a house, a large wood structure with rooms, all separate. Etien was staying down the hallway, long corridors that reminded her of the station, how you got to the rooms, and a woman and two men who never spoke to her were here, too. The house was inside a large fence made of the trunks of trees and guarded.

"Indya," he called.

"Come in, Kythe."

He opened the door, his eyes darting. He was in a cloak with a cowl, only his face visible, what he wore when he was riding at night. He saw her and stopped, going still, staring.

She smiled and walked to him, turning her back to him so he could help her with the fastenings, raising her hair. "I'm glad to see you before you go. I'm take a bath."

"Right now?" he said, his voice strange.

"Yes. Help me?" she said when he didn't do anything, his fingers going to the fastenings. "You're good, Kythe?"

"Yes, Indya," he said.

"I miss you for you going."

"I will miss you," he said, standing behind her, coming closer, his arm slipping around her waist and his nose going to her throat, nuzzling her, scenting, nothing he'd ever done before. He drew back.

She shivered, turning around, her arms coming around his neck, pulling him down to kiss her. Leaning away, she frowned at him a little, her eyes searching his face. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine, Indya," he said. "You're just very beautiful. It still surprises me."

She smiled at him, turning and shrugging off the dress and walking. "Thank you for the soap. I like the smell," she said, unbinding her breasts. She put her braid over her shoulder and began undoing it from the bottom, humming.

Indya glanced at him. He was watching her body like he did. He still had his cowl up. She spread her hair around her and got in the bath, singing the song aloud now. Getting the bowl, she dipped it and poured hot water on her body, her head, washing her hair. She rinsed it and bent over to get her cloth, the steam rising.

" Fata," he said, a word he refused to translate, along with bihen. And several others.

Turning around, she looked at him. "I distill the water," she said, his eyes on her breasts. She turned her back to him to reach for her soap. When she turned around again, he was right there, Indya startling. "You scare me, Kythe," she said, offering the soap, the cloth.

He looked down and then took them, seeming not to know what to do for a moment.

She turned around and held up her hair so he could wash her back. The cloth ran over her shoulders, her back, and then her butt, and then he set the cloth aside, using his hands, her skin slippery.

"They make the fire for me, but Etien is there so your people don't be so staring," she said. "Your womens is strange, Kythe. She don't talk to me. I distill water for in the barrels. I think that is maybe what causing the sickness. The barrels wasn't clean. But they don't drink the distilled water six or seven days because it don't have other things they need."

"Like what?" he said, his breathing deep and uneven, moving around to her belly and then cupping her breasts.

"Small things in the water that are..." she said, at a loss as to how to explain minerals, chemical compounds that formed into a crystalline structure, "needed. Your men feel better a few days."

"Thank you, Indya," his hands moving down and slipping between her legs. He came around, a strange expression on his face, looking curious, touching her naked sex.

She glanced at him. "I will miss you that way too, Kythe." Indya said.

He stepped back, breathing deeply and fast, looking at her body as she rinsed and dried, wringing her hair. When she was done, she stepped out, facing him, and dropped to her knees, her hands reaching for his pants. He was hard, the heel of her hand pressing against his sex as she worked the fastenings. He let her do this whenever she wanted.

He caught her hands and put them away, exhaling, ragged. "Not right now, Indya." His voice was strained. "I have to go."

She frowned lightly, disappointed, a little surprised. "All right."

He looked down at her for a long moment, and then his hands went to his pants, opening them, changing his mind, pleasing her. She took over and he let her. His sex was already completely stiff. She licked all around the head like he enjoyed, Kythe hissing, her hand cupping him under, and then she put him in her mouth and pushed him into her throat.

He cried out in a low voice, his hand going to the top of her head, his hips moving. She stilled, letting him control it as he thrust into her throat, Indya breathing when she could.

" Fata, you are good at that," he breathed. "I should stop," he said, but he was still thrusting. "Stop, Indya."

She slowed, pulling him out of her throat and looking up. He was panting, his sex so engorged it was almost purple at the head. Indya turned around, dropping her hands down, on all fours, and spread her legs like he enjoyed, arching. She knew she was wet.

He was quiet. Looking back at him, she saw him staring between her legs, his eyes shifting to her face and then back. He said a long fast string of words under his breath that she couldn't understand and dropped to his knees behind her. He lined himself up, thrusting into her slowly, his hands landing on her hips. "Perfect beauty," he grunted. "Tight and hot and soft, fata." He kept going, his thrusts getting faster.

Her own pleasure was rising. "Spank me, Kythe," she said, excited, asking him.

" N'ondi," he said, another phrase Kythe had also refused to translate for her, and she was afraid to ask Etien. Kythe slowed and then he began to thrust more sharply. He grunted deeply and his hand came and smacked her butt, Indya crying out.

He grunted again. "I've never could have imagined a woman so sexy," he said, his hand rounding her butt, gentle. Then he spanked her again and again, Indya grunting with each one, and then he muttered something. His thrusts were deep. One of his hands came down next to her, the fingers of his other hand going under her, rubbing.