Infall Ch. 05

"You are being gentle with me now," she said. "Not for the sex. That's not the same. Gentle to talking to me. Your hands are gentle. You give me Zozo, this gift. I think you having a great heart like Ashka and his eyes that are seeing everything and he has big sharp teeth, but he is a protector. I think you are like that, to protecting you love."

Zen was staring down at her, his face a little expressionless, and then he leaned down and was kissing her the way he did, so different from Kythe, more hungry, like Zen was afraid she would go away or change her mind and say not to touch her and Zen would have to stop.

Her arms came up around his neck and she made a small noise and Zen slowed, suddenly so sensual that her heart began to pound, his hand gripping where it had been restless before. His hand went into her hair and he drew her head back, relentless, his mouth going to her throat, Indya's legs falling open under him.

"Fata," he said softly, coming up on his knees, pulling off his shirt. He got to his feet to pull off his pants, his sex heavy, his eyes on her body. He dropped to his knees again on the blanket.

She sat up and her hand reached out to touch his sex. He hissed lightly. She got her knees under her and bent, Zen opening his legs, sitting back on his heels as she took his hard sex into her mouth. Indya pushed him into her throat, swallowing around him, enjoying the helpless note in his voice.

His hips were tilting. "You do that so well, nina," he said, grunting now with every one. "I like looking at your beauty while I thrust into your mouth."

She felt a wave and it was like Zen could smell it. His hand went into her hair and she retreated, Zen pulling his sex out of her mouth and she went where he pulled because she didn't have a choice, completely slippery as she came up and fell on her back and Zen got over her and thrust into her, thrusting hard, her whole body jerking. He looked down at her breasts and released her hair, one hand planted, and squeezed her breast, slapping her nipple.

"Beautiful," he said, slapping the other. "Lísten to you, nina."

She hadn't heard herself, her knees coming up sharply around his hips, and then she forgot.

Zen grunted, going faster. "Then you're my sexy little bihen and I'll be a dog and mount you when I like," he said, still playing with her breasts, tugging on her nipples.

She spread for him completely, arching. He grabbed her around her hips, coming up on his knees, pulling her onto himself. He did it in a moment, giving himself access, spreading the lips of her sex as he still thrust into her.

He put his fingers down there and did things, tugging on her clitoris, little pinches, her body jerking, her eyes half-closed.

"Is that good?" he said, still making it happen, Indya crying out and nodding. "Show me."

She opened her eyes, meeting his. He thrust into her like his brother did, those sharp stabs that meant his pleasure was coming.

"Zen," she said, hitching. He rubbed her fast and it happened, Indya writhing on his lap.

"I can feel you coming," he said, and then he cried out, that same helpless cry she'd heard the first night he'd come to her, over her again, trying to get closer to her. "Indya."

* * *

Indya heard their voices.

"Yours and mine, Kythe."

"Yes."

* * *

Indya woke the next morning. She was in Kythe's bed asleep on her belly when she'd gone to sleep in Zen's cot pressed against him.

Something was on her hair and then on her head, Indya on her belly and getting her hands up and finding a small and furry wiggling body with tiny sharp teeth. "Ow! Zozo, stop your crazy. You are try to eating my face," she mumbled as loud as she could, turning her head, but he came there, too.

She put her arms over her head but it was no use, because he bit her fingers, Indya rolling onto her back. "You are a violent animal, Zozo." Pushing herself, she fought her way out of her own hair, the small threat jumping at her face, sitting up. "How you are so small and I can't stop you move?" she cried. "I will sit on your body." Indya looked up, hearing it, both of them laughing at her. "You leaving me like meat for the dog on the ground to tearing apart to the pieces?" she complained.

* * *

The first week, Indya's thighs was sore from riding Saba all day. The weather was warm. Zozo was too little to be like Ashka and trot between the feet of the large horses without worrying, so he had to be in the wagon, and she visited with him. He was sleeping most of the time anyway.

To her surprise, Zen asked her to sing for the men. "I only know songs from Atlantis," Indya said. "I don't know any songs in Edion, Zen."

"Are any of your songscanesh?"

"Canesh?"

"It doesn't matter. I will teach you some," Zen said, and further surprised her by doing just that, so unexpected of him, Indya grinning as he started singing the words, his voice mostly true and sometimes flat, and then she would sing it with him, and he taught her several. They were all about sex and often very funny, Indya laughing at the words.

Kythe had been speaking with Etien like he did, riding with him because they were friends. Now Kythe rode up to the front. "What are you doing?" Kythe said to Zen.

"I am teaching nina songs in the Edion language, Kythe."

"But those songs?"

Zen shrugged. "They're the only ones I know."

Over the next couple of days, Zen would come and ride beside her and tell her that his men wanted this or that song, and teach it to her.

By the fourth day, she had an impressive repertoire of songs, and Zen would deliver requests and didn't sing them with her anymore, Indya singing at the front of their line, Saba making her tall, his tail swishing, still laughing at some of the words.

She liked seeing Zen and Kythe on their horses. They were very attractive, both of them, and her eyes followed them.

Zen came, requesting a song in Edion about a woman who kept falling down the stairs and having sex with the men on the next floor of the house until she got to the bottom floor and a man chased her back up the stairs and the chorus started again.

"Zen," Kythe scolded, riding up.

"What's wrong with them, Kythe?" Indya said. "It's a song. A song is a song."

"She has a beautiful voice," Zen added, gesturing to her. "The men like to hear her. The songs make her laugh. I like it when she laughs. You just don't like them," Zen said, turning to her. "They want to hear the one about the woman with a crooked smile next, nina."

"Not that one," Kythe said, his finger coming up, his mouth tight.

"All right. Not that one," Zen said, shrugging. "The Soldier and the Maid."

Indya looked at Kythe, who shrugged a little, looking reluctant. "I like that one," he said, looking away.

* * *

"How many days, Zen, until we get to Averdine?" Indya asked between songs.

"Twelve or so, nina," he said.

"I like to travel," she told him. "I like to see new places."

He smiled slowly, looking at her. "These new places are going to like seeing you."

She smiled back at him, glancing at him from under her lashes. Kythe trotted up on Bishar, his face stern like he got.

"We should stop and take nina into the bushes," Zen said to Kythe, still looking at her.

"Yes," Indya said, laughing.

"You are distracting him, Indya," Kythe said.

"Yes," she said, giving Kythe a glance, smiling.

Kythe's gaze sharpened on her, slowing his horse to ride beside her. He smiled back at her. "Are you well, alea?"

"Yes. I miss you."

* * *

On their sixth day, they met others on the road, Zen stopping his horse and Kythe doing the same. Indya stopped Saba.

"Stay here, nina," Zen said, motioning, two of their people riding forward to stand with their horses near her.

Kythe and Zen rode forward with several other men.

"Hello," she said in Odien to the two men near her. "I am Indya."

Neither one of them looked at her or spoke to her.

"Kythe say you don't talk to me. That's okay. He say you are being fighting men who you don't seeing your families, your wifes and childs. I'm sorry for that. I hope you seeing them soon." She decided not to talk anymore, going quiet.

They were moving again, Kythe and Zen riding back to her, the two men falling back.

There were people passing the other way. The wagons were colorful, their clothing. Indya stared at them, men and women and children in the same colorful clothing, and they stared back at her. She smiled and lifted her hand, one of the children lifting hers.

"Who are these people?" Indya said as they passed.

"Travelers," Kythe answered. "Revestin."

* * *

Indya was on the chair in their tent in front of the table, drawing. Kythe and Zen were doing things and were often busy. She'd eaten supper alone. Zozo was asleep on her lap. She had her papers Kythe had gotten her and her own pen, more gifts.

Zen came sweeping in, the flap of the tent closing behind him. He went and poured water into the basin, washing his hands and splashing it over his face and over his bald places on the sides.

"Hello, Zen," she said, drawing.

"Nina-bird," he said turning his head. "You are sitting so quietly."

"I think I doing nothing. You working, Kythe working. Your men is working. There is something I doing?"

"Can you cook?" he said, turning around, drying his hands. "Can you sew?"

"Over fire?" she said, giving a small laugh. "The little needle? No. I could learning, maybe, but I don't wanting to do those things. They're boring."

"Don't worry. You're of use, nina," he said, smiling at something funny. He came over. "What are you drawing? It looks like nothing. Blobs."

"The world," she said. "I seeing the other night that you don't getting it right. I was not sure of the land here. Then I am remember."

She kept drawing, Zen quiet beside her. She finally looked at him. He was staring at her drawing, his eyes darting. He walked to a scrolls in their place where they kept them and pulled one out, looking at other papers, and then he left.

Indya's brows went up. She continued to draw and Kythe came, Zen bringing him.

Kythe saw her and threw up his hand at her. "She's fine. I thought there was something wrong."

Zen walked up to the table and poked her map with his finger. "There, brother. Do you see? She has drawn a map of the world," Zen accused.

* * *

Characters/Pronunciation Key:

Ashka OSH-kuh Zen's dog

Danela Dan-ELL-uh Indya's friend

Disemond DIS-eh-mund engineer for the kah-rí

Etien EH-tee-en a man from Jassa

Indya IN-dee-ah Woman from Atlantis

Jae Jay Indya's brother

Kythe KYT-uh A rí of Matise

Mavia MAH-vee-uh Indya's friend

Olavine OLE-ah-veen Indya's friend

Pavel PAH-vel Indya's would-be lover on Atlantis

Saba SA-buh Indya's horse

Zen Zen a rí of Matise

Zozo ZO-zo Indya's dog

Alcon al-KONE language spoken on Atlantis

Chusa CHOOS-uh Eastern people, Chusans

Echtha EK-thuh large coastal realm on southern coast, allies to Matise

kah-rí kah-Ray King of Matise

lí LAY the wife of the prince of Matise

Matise MUH-tees A realm on the coast, the largest in the region

Metas MAY-tus the planet's name before the flare

nah-lí nah-LAY the intended of the prince of Matise

Odien O-dee-en language spoken in Matise

Revestin REV-es-tin travelers, wandering people

ri RAY prince

salvoronella SAL-vor-uh-nell-uh The rí's concubine in Matise

Odien vocabulary in the novel, spoken by the Matisi

a for

actha cry

ackan this

aclan that

aclite ally, associate

ada hurt

aforna idiomatic. Literally: "It is buried," (you're welcome)

aguinas marriage

alti your

altzac famous, notorious

alzar residence of a ruler

amfal naked

aminehn mare, female horse

amuth dead

ana girl

andikstat rough sex, pain-pleasure

anespite spirit

anik sl. vulgar, a woman's sex

aonoi branches

apel stay

anik sl. a woman's sex, also a flower

arustin royalty

aurub/i breast/s

bertalis box

bihen bitch

blest door

canesh lively

cavril bed

corviti words

di yes

dovas that

dovas'na that is

duvat spy

edon stop

embraso scouting, looking around

ena is

enith come

eschdul flog, whip

esch whip

fa it

fata sl. vulgar. fuck

fater sl. vulgar. fucker

fatad sl. vulgar. fucked

fatada sl. vulgar. fucking

gatya table

hashta war

hask here

hucszak a million

i a, also plural

ictha have

idi no

illinis snow

inhain certain, sure

incinati pregnant

injeste dangerous

inth her

inust wrong

isilum alabaster

ishlino gossip

isjusi eyes

itha she

itsole rod for fishing

j'iven reflexive. Literally: My debt to you. (Thank you)

ivernestea superstitious

ja you

jeso play, a drama

kama care

kel do

kel-a don't

lanva/lanvi thigh/s

lelvjen risk, chance

lithindi betrothed

lokswela speak

luvre stringed instrument

maloren magic

modress a mixture, a mongrel

n'varin to me (reflexive)

ne me

nelta butt, ass

nepalak sl. piss-shit

nis my

nivenit/i nipple/s

noita witch

nuin here

nuvita woman

octal look

olakith intelligent

omish give

n'ondi sl. vulgar, reflexive. you are drawing me (making me want to come)

ondi draw out, evoke

osil chair

palik by surprise, unaware

poshte heavy

pula sl. cunt

reshu gelding

savoronella concubine

se her

shivist coffin

sikules skirmishes, small battles

slosting sl. masturbating

stook sl.vulgar, a man's sex

strivaka political body, senate

som what

somfata sl. what the fuck

sul good

sulika sulfer

tals sl. a woman's sex

tares hello

tola beauty

tolena beautiful

tos you

tunin what

ulta soft

ustadt whore

uteles dress from Matise

vesh at

wenins enchant, cast a spell upon