Love as a Form of Binding Ch. 19

Zele could see that this would take a while, so she spoke to Grrta for a moment and excused herself to turn and wander around in the large open area that they'd just walked through.

"I think that I know a better way te ask things," Grrta said. She called out, "How many girls here ever went up te work or live up above? Show us yer hands."

They were a little astounded to see that most of them now held up their hands.

"Alright," Grrta continued, "put yer hands down again." She called out, "How many here know of one called Hafna?"

It turned out to be a very common name, with almost a third holding their hands up.

"How many of the Hafnas that ye know or knew lived up there and had a girl, a daughter named Grrta?"

That narrowed it down to seven.

"How many had a son as well named Thiery?"

That got them only one hand.

"There was one, years ago, who was named Hafna. She had a girl called Grrta and a son. His name was Thiery," one of them said from the back.

"Are ye sure about the boy's name?" Grrta called out to her.

"As sure as I am about my own," the one said, "The boy ran away and we never heard of him again before the girl was born. Hafna and her girl was caught and they must be dead now. They was te be served up for a great banquet together between the goblin king's tribe and the ogres a while ago.

But if ye want the best answer," she paused, a little uncertainly, "well I think that ye ought te be asking Oree there and not me."

The leader looked at them as though she was in some physical pain. All that she could do was to look down and whisper. Grrta and Thiery had to stand close to hear any of what she said.

"I was young," she said, "no much more than a child meself, and I had no one as it was." She sniffled and tried to look up, but failed in the attempt. "Ye see, I could barely get enough food together te feed maself enough to make a bit of milk for me boy, Thiery. We was starvin', him and I."

She shuddered and went on, "I gave him te me sister, Hafna. She had no babes, but she found a bit of work fer herself and she had a kobold male who loved her. I never saw them after that, but I was told that she killed her male one night when Thiery was still a wee thing. But he turned out te be a good boy and he took care of her. Then I heard that he ran away. Well, Hafna took te drinkin' more and she got herself with child, and a few years later, we heard that they'd been caught for fattenin'." She hid her face in her hands as she wept.

"I never ran away. I was taken far from here. So from what you say," Thiery said very quietly, "you are my mother?"

The weeping one nodded a little tentatively, "I might be. I don't know. Who's te say? But ye've got the hair of the one that I fucked with, and I think that I can see some of my eyes in yours there. The rest, ... ye're no like any kobold that I've ever laid eyes on."

Her hands had gone from covering her face totally to beginning to be lowered as she spoke and looked at him a little. When she 'd lowered her hands away from her face, Thiery took hold of them gently and he kissed her softly.

She gasped and stared as she found herself picked up bodily in his hug. He kissed her cheek and then he hugged her off her feet again. "I think that ye are my mother," he said quietly into her ear, "I can see some of my eyes in yours too. It's late, but I've got what I came te know. If I can, I'll be back soon enough so's we can talk and get te know each other better, Oree."

She was still feeling so many things as she stared, trying to blink her tears away. She saw Illa standing there, the red glare fading fast, to be replaced with a very soft smile. When Thiery set Oree down again, she was in Illa's embrace, wrapped up in her wings as well.

"Thiery's a bit bigger," she said, as she kissed Oree's cheek quickly, still holding her, "He got that from me, because he made an imp girl lose her heart te him. We do that te the ones that we love, Oree, but there's somethin' that I didna change. Yer boy's got a great big heart in him. Please find room fer him in your's now, and I can promise ye – though ye may not want it, but you'll have my love too. At least I'd like that.

Ye did what ye had to, and there's none who could say that it was the wrong thing te do, is there? Not me, fer one. So yer the mother of my Thiery, and I love ye fer it."

She lowered her wings and Oree's shocked face turned into a huge soft smile through her tears. "Will ye come back with him when he comes, Illa? I'd love that. I've never known one like ye. Ye make me want te laugh and ye're so lovely. If he's mine as I'm hopin' now, then my son's chosen well."

"I'll come with him, Oree, but as far as choosin', well, I think that it's more me what did the choosing." Illa smiled and nodded. "My mother's dead, but I'm happy that Thiery's found his ma. I want te get te know ye so much."

"Did ye really overthrow the king?" Oree asked.

Illa shrugged, "I wasna the one who done that, but Thiery and me, we're for each other in anything. We was together in the fightin', him and me, from start te finish."

"Ye was killing' goblins, "the loud one said, regaining her nerve with Zele not nearby now.

"Oh," Illa said, "so ye're sayin' that there's no difference between ye and the ones that was killed, then? Are ye the sort who could kill my friend Grrta te eat her? I guess it's my mistake then because I'm fer killin' off them who'd do that te Grrta and her ma." The imp began to grin very coldly.

"I'll just add ye te my list then."

"Ye shut yer gob, Bera," Oree said, over her shoulder in an attempt to keep this from getting ugly, "unless ye now want te tell us just whose side yer on here – as if we didn't know from havin' te hear ye piss and moan all the time. One ogre fucks ye and fergets ye, as is their way, and ye ferget that he'd eat yer liver as soon as lick yer ass.

It's a fine thing te almost be accusin' these of murder now when all's said and done. If ye felt so much like that, then why weren't ye up there defendin' the rapin', murderin' bastards all of this time? Ye might have gotten a seat at the banquet table when they served up yer own children roasted to a turn, ye stupid tit. What have ye done besides complain?

Why weren't ye there fightin' them that's saved us all and given us great males te help us and fuck us silly? The rest of us woulda liked that, I'll warrant, since ye'd be dead now. We wouldn't have te listen te yer foolish talk."

Before Bera could answer, she found little Illa before her, smiling enough to show a few of her teeth and dragging her claws very lightly down Hafna's front slowly. It didn't really hurt at all, but each razor tip left a long line seeping black blood. "Ye don't need te worry about Zele, Bera," she smiled.

"Ye need te worry about me.

Before she could get te ye, I'd have already been at ye and gone. In case they was yer friends, well I'll tell ye that I killed many, many of the big goblins in the fightin', Bera. I blinded them and I tore them. I pushed my nails inte their brains, and long ago, I used te hunt them fer food when I couldna get anything else, Bera. I could get more than a week outta you. A pity that you never came up te visit wi' me then."

She hefted one of the large breasts for a moment. "Now, I like the goblins down here, and I'm happy that ye all were spared the fightin' above while it was goin' on, because none of us woulda stopped te ask ye a thing before ye was dead, since we didna know a thing about ye all.

But now that I do know, I like ye all, and I'm findin' friends here. I can be good te have as a friend, because I like te help my friends te stay alive."

She let the breast drop abruptly, "I even like you, and I'll be back here soon te visit with Thiery's ma, so I think that ye ought te take good care of her Bera, because I'll be lookin' fer ye then. You know, te see if ye've learned to keep yer mouth shut. I do hope that nuthin' happens te her until then, untoward-like."

----------------

They'd have wanted to stay, but the night was dragging on, so they promised to be back with Grrta and then they took their leave.

"Well I'm guessin' that we have our answer," Grrta said as they walked back, "So we're no really brother and sister. Will ye both still help me with the females there?"

"We will, Grrta," Illa grinned, "I'd love that. I've never had a friend besides Thiery, and that's only lately, isn't it? We can have a lot of fun – if you'll tell them that I'm not always fer killin' goblins. I really do like some that I saw, the ones near our age, I think they was. It's a wee bit hard te tell."

Thiery put his arm around Grrta while Illa slid her hand around Grrta's waist. "I'm still thinkin' that I've got a sister in a way, and Illa thinks the world of ye too." He looked over at her with a smile, "I'll even share my new mother with ye. She's not the one that ye lost, but at least ye've found yer aunt."

"That's true!" Grrta laughed, wanting to slap her forehead, "I forgot all about that!"

As they wandered back toward the stairs, they looked for Zele. They found her burying the goblin that Gortruk had shot two days earlier. As they watched, she stood and turned to the alcove and walked inside, lighting the interior with her eyes for a minute or two before walking back out to them to begin heading upstairs.

"What was that about?" Illa asked.

"Zele does not know, "she said a little blankly, "she just felt that that place was to be cleaned out a little."

It was all the answer that they could get out of her and so they all just went upstairs.

As they walked, Illa nudged the others, "Have ye noticed something? Last night, there was a little quiet fucking goin' on in the hall. Now most of the slayers have found places for themselves, but there's a lot more goin' on here, isn't there? Every doorway that we've gone past, I've seen some mating in there. Even here in the great hall, they're lovin' like, ..."

"Like demons?" Zele grinned. "It is because there will be a fight soon. It is natural for all creatures who know that they could die soon. They wish to mate more then. It even happens with the humans."

Thiery turned, "A fight?"

"Yes," Zele smiled, "Toby's fight with Gorek. It will likely be tomorrow night or the next night after. That is why Mother and Toby have spent so long in planning."

They walked on a little until Grrta stopped, remembering, "I guess that I've got te make my way te find Lewis," Grrta said with just a hint of reluctance to her voice, "I expect that he'll be worried about where I am and with him in the middle of all these demons, I'll admit that I'm a bit worried fer him too. I don't know what I'll do if he's lost here someplace."

Zele smiled at her, "Zele feels that Lewis is safe. Mother has told him that you are with Illa and Thiery. She knows much, much more than Zele, but Zele knows this and can say that it is so. Illa and Thiery are happy to be with Grrta. Zele thinks that Grrta does not need to go anywhere so late. Grrta should stay with her friends this night. That would be safest for all, Zele thinks. Lewis is with Sharon."

Grrta nodded, "He said te me that he's always liked her and her books. She doesn't know of it, but he's bought every one of her books. He showed them te me and we sat together looking at them."

She looked up at Zele, "Here, can ye tell me if they might be gettin' a bit closer, Zele? I like her, and if that was te happen, then I'm hopin' that I'll be gettin' te know her better as well. She gave me a good feelin' when I met her, so I guess that as long as Lewis cares for me, I'd be happy with it all."

Zele nodded and smiled, "Grrta has Lewis' heart, but she should think that Sharon might as well, soon. His heart is large."

She said goodnight and went back to her mates with a wide smile after they were out of her sight. She could feel the need to mate in the air around her. She wondered if Thiery and Illa would be able to make it to their bed before they began, now that they knew in no uncertain terms.

-------------------

As they entered the little room that they'd found and cleaned out as theirs, Grrta looked around. "This is so nice, Illa. It's done up perfectly. I like a wee place te snuggle in and hide." She looked around further, her eyes catching things in the dark as Thiery lit a little lamp which only gave a little light.

"Oh, and there's places te store food and drink that close up tight. Ye've thought of everything."

"Well, ye know," Illa smiled warmly, "if ye think about it, we're not all that much different, are we?" We live in different sorts of places, but once we're in them and makin' a home fer ourselves, we make them much the same. We found this and we just loved it, and once we cleaned it out, it got a little funny, Grrta.

Thiery was doin' everything and anything that I asked him te do; moving' things around, searchin' fer the things that make a home. I thought at first that he was just doin' it because I'd asked him to, but I found that I was wrong. He'd show up with somethin' and I'd keep still on where it oughta go, and he just knew right off exactly without askin' me where I wanted it."

"Where'll I sleep?" Grrta asked, "There's no much room in this fine little place that ye have. I guess that I can sleep in the corner if ye've got a blanket."

"Don't be daft, Grrta," Illa said, "Yer sleepin' with us. We're all small ones who like a wee place te snuggle in and hide as ye said, aren't we? What could be better than that after a long day?

Thiery, go and take out the other sheets. We've got company, and I'll no sleep a wink fer thinkin' about it if we don't have clean sheets and blankets."

Grrta stood with a shocked smile on her face. Illa was absolutely correct. Though Illa was an imp, and Thiery was mostly kobold while Grrta was mostly one of the small goblin types, there was the commonality between them that given the choice, all of those creatures would have preferred to sleep in close groups in a sheltered place.

It stemmed from their beginnings as small creatures, often hunted by larger ones in their distant past. This had been lost in the larger goblin types, but it was still present in Grrta and Thiery, just as it was in Illa the imp. The difference was, that since they'd been with their mothers, all of them had slept alone and had always felt vulnerable. There had never been those close groups for any of them, and they felt the want of that with each other now in the little den that the small couple had found for themselves.

If their upbringing had been more normal for what they all were, they'd be sleeping close together in bunches anyway, though there was an unspoken ranking of sorts. If one wasn't important to them, they'd never even be invited in at all. If one was to be recognized in some way or shown some hospitality, they'd be in the corner with a blanket as Grrta had assumed her place to be. It was just what they were and how all three of these types did things such as this.

To be offered the chance to sleep like this with friends was the highest form of compliment that Grrta could imagine. She bowed a little, "I am in yer debt," she said, as her friends quickly made the bed – if what passed for such a thing could be called that. It was more of a great pile of futons and coverlets with the odd pillow thrown in.

In a few minutes, the three of them piled in under everything with happy sighs and the odd giggle in the very dim light of the tiny lamp.

"Ye fergot te blow out the lamp," Illa said to Thiery.

"I left it lit on purpose," he said, "Grrta may need te find her way te pee. What sort of wee hostess are ye, Illa, te leave a guest te stumble through the dark, needin' te pee?"

Illa chuckled as she wriggled against the others, "Yer right, Thiery, that's very thoughtful of ye."

There were practical aspects to this sort of sleeping arrangement. In the darkness, and in a group of more than two individuals, there was a sort of anonymity. It allowed for little hugs, kisses and caresses to be passed among them, out of nothing more than a slight desire to do so because one liked the close company of the others.

It was considered only polite among them, and in the dark, there were no specific thoughts of gender. It was really more about liking another an awful lot. It made the groups close, so that no one felt uncared for and left out. It allowed someone who liked another of either gender to express a feeling for a few minutes, a way to show one's feelings of close friendship or thanks over something in a neutral way. It also allowed one who hid a shy interest and liking of another the same thing.

This was one of the reasons why were really wasn't such a thing as an overly shy individual in these types of creatures, for even the most timid could find at least a little loving this way. Someone who felt extremely shy and withdrew from the group would soon find another against them in the dark, wanting to share the closeness and the warmth, or seeking it.

Sometimes the affection moved up to a quiet mating as well if what was felt was mutual enough for it. If a pair wanted to be alone together, then they were considered mated and they began another little den of their own when they could. In this way, the mating pair was safe from their predators while the pair was otherwise too distracted to be more watchful.

Like the others, Grrta hadn't had this, living alone with her mother, but she knew what this was and was also aware that little touches were allowed and expected among friends in the dark. She also knew that it was just possible that Illa might offer her a little comfort and pleasure with Thiery, though she didn't think that it would happen, and anyway, they were related somehow. It did nothing to remove her sense of the warm feelings that she was being shown here and she was thankful for it.

Grrta was a little shy at first, but it didn't last. They were tired, but they all just fit somehow and liked to share kisses between them so much that she found herself taking an active part before long. One or another of them might fall asleep since they were all tired, but they'd wake up again before long, feeling something pleasant that another one of them was doing and not wishing for it to stop. Grrta herself often lost track of who was caressing or kissing parts of her body and after a moment, she'd begin herself. She felt someone's hands on her and she wanted to hold Thiery's tackle at one point, but she couldn't quite get there. Illa felt it when she tried.

"Oh here," Illa chuckled, taking Grrta's hand and guiding it, once she'd slipped over to Grrta's other side, "Grab what ye want of his, Grrta dear. There's enough te share, since it won't wear off."

Grrta was still feeling a little removed from this, not having had any of it in her adult life that she thought it best to ask. "Ye'll no mind, Illa? I just want te hold it fer awhile."

Illa blew past her lips, "pht. No. I'll no mind. But Thiery will – if all that ye want te do is te hold it. Do what ye want, Grrta, not just hold it.

Besides," she grinned as she slid her little hand over Grrta's breast, "I'll want te see it when ye two start fuckin' the way that I think that ye will soon. Thiery's had his hands busy on ye and I can tell that he fancies ye. I think ye should just have yer way with him if it's what ye want. I'm right here, and I'm sayin' that ye can. Ye have the chance at a fine fuck if ye want it."

Grrta's hand froze, but Illa seized it before she could pull it away. "I'm not joking, Grrta," she whispered good-naturedly into Grrta's ear. "He's no really yer brother, and he was gone before ye were born, so there's not even that between ye. There's only me here with ye and it's alright, Grrta. I'll get mine, don't ye worry. Have a little fun before ye drop off te sleep, is all I'm sayin'. We're all three close enough te the same creatures aren't we? So we understand when the bigger ones might not."