Out of Step

We remain standing, towers in the night. She holds my head still as she leans in and kisses me. All of the sex, all of the passion, all of that lingering urge is back now through me. An endless current carrying the sails, wind whipping like hail shards. She's been patient and calm, watching us all dance, and now it's her turn. She's snatched the morsels for herself and I am laid out for the feast. Her leg hikes up my body. My hand holds her thigh.

And now it's a bit of a risky situation. She starts hopping, building up steam and now she's hanging on me. I almost lost my balance, but the hand catches her anow I am holding her up. I teeter and way, a moment to recenter and now we are rooted and stable. She' as laughing again. It's beautiful, grass rustling with the wind, carrying leaves and dandelion puffs. She buries herself in my neck.

"Part of me really wanted you to fall over," she whispers, "Just to deflate that terrible ego of yours."

"Trust me," I say as I nibble her ear, "I'm sure that something will come along and humble me. Eventually."

She traces a circle with her nail across the sore lines and I think we found the part that might do that. But she shifts in my grasp, rising up and finding the alignment.

With a stolen breath, she drops and sighs and laughs once more. It's a good catch-all sound. There's nothing that it doesn't go with. It certainly complements the odd motions I am going through. My travels, my experiences, everything that I have has not come to this particular configuration ever before. It's nice. My arms burn and sing and Ness is doing a wonderful job of making sure the balance is kept.

Ladoga and Biwa are still lost to their recovery. I think they might have even fallen asleep. Baikal keeps her guard on the edge and she is doing wonderful. Except for all the glances she keeps throwing back our way. Her neck must be bothering her something terrible. She keeps adjusting her stance, rubbing her thighs together, glancing back at us because we are so entertaining.

The position lets me stay deep and still. I can lift her a bit and she can lift herself a bit more and that's barely hallway out. Then I keep going through the impediments. She keeps goading me, humming and dancing to the beat. It's an odd one, completely erratic and unsteady, but I still find that same rooted base to follow. It's odd to dance and keep my legs still. I've lost my fans somewhere in the shuffle. I assume they're with the tangles of silk at the base of some tree.

Ness is tight and warm and strong. Just like all the others I've had tonight. She has taken me in, despite the travels, and still chose me as something from the forest. Just like all the others. I have shown them novel things that may or may not be better than what grew here, but the important thing is that they are an option now. She's laughing again, I think. Or her pants and her gasps carry that same trill.

It's her rushing climax that is making her laugh. I can feel it in her core. Poor lady has been on edge all night, playing and played with, so naturally that is right around the edge. I'm a bit number. The sensations are there and building, but I can't see the edge of the cliff. I am just running through it.

Ness grabs my neck tight and that means I have to keep everything at the same pace. She appreciates it. She lets the tightness build in her and the grip responds in kind. It's the same cadence as her laugh, light and playful. It tickles. It gets me laughing too and she responds in kind. it's an endless loop where each second feeds into another like a snake devouring its tail. It reaches the moment at the end when all is consumed and we fall to stillness. I am still standing strong. Ness strokes my back and starts to unwind. I try and hold her still, but she slips through.

"Save it for her," she sighs, pointing at Baikal, "I've had more than enough in my time. But thanks for the ride."

"If you're sure," I say, "I think you can stay here. Kind of frustrating to be left high and dry."

"Then take it out on her. I think she'd like it."

"You said she likes the old ways. That's not the way its supposed to be done."

"Shut up, bend her over a tree and fuck her brains out. I don't care about traditions. Everyone can enjoy that."

She laughs again and kisses my nose before sauntering away. She scoops up Ladoga and Biwa, despite their protests. They want to stay in the soft flower bed and go to sleep. I hear a promise of a feather mattress and that does seem better. Part of me wants to go with them, but I think I have something better to do.

Baikal doesn't seem to have noticed the conversation. The flower petals spring back against my feet, pushing me on like a good head wind. Baikal's ears twitch as they pick up something off in the distance. It comes to me and it's only a snapped twig from another nest petering out off in the distance. I look to the sky. I think dawn's coming, just barely. It's still dark. The stars are still dancing. The moon hangs heavy on its string. Baikal has her vigil and she looks good all serious and stern.

It all fades away with a sharp yelp as I put my hands around her hips and lock her into place.

"Casper," she says, "Are you done?"

I press my hips forward until my length rests on her ass. It's still throbbing and aching and I have no idea what to do with it. My hand crawls up her stomach, past the hard lines of muscle and works to her breast. I can still feel the muscles working under her. I wish I was tall enough to press into her neck without going on my tiptoes. I roll her breast under my palm and she starts pushing back. She had her turn and that's all she needs. Never mind the fun little tremor growing in her stomach.

She tries to push me down, but I don't do what she wants me to do. I remain standing, and there is just enough fight in me to suggest in motion what I am about to say.

"Bend over," I say. Never could quite get the intimidating growl a lot of the other lancers could pull, but it's more than she thought. She pushes against me again. I am still standing and strong and she needs to be a good girl for me because she doesn't know just what I might do. I settle on smiling at her. There may or may not be a threat. I get one back and I can't come down to a conclusion either.

But she does bend over and I am still somewhat scared of that look she gives me. It's for me and me alone.

---

Everything hurts and I love the fact that everything hurts. I can't stop smiling for a number of reasons. I settle it on being a sunny day with fair winds and a boat waiting to whisk me away to wherever it wants to go. I assume it's not here.

It also might be due to the day and half of sleep I took after the night in the woods. It wasn't in the flop house. It was in a secluded burrow in the trees that Baikal uses on hunting trips. The encroaching town had scared away the game for the most part, but it was still well beyond the limits and earned the name wild. And Baikal makes for a good snuggling buddy. The only regret I have is I only had one night in me. Well, one night and most of a day. And a few hours of the next night.

She didn't say anything as I gathered myself and took all that baggage back to town. She just hugged me and kissed me and stroked my hair. She was thinking deep thoughts still half formed and that is a long process. My foot keeps tapping an irregular rhythm on the docks. It seems that I am growing restless again. So restless that other footsteps are weaving into mine. Someone behind me starts cheering and I get a good hearty slap on my back. I almost go tumbling into the sea.

"There's the big man," says Bethan, "I hear all about your little dance from Carina. I would have given anything to see it."

"I'm pretty sure you couldn't afford anything I have to offer," I say.

"He's right," says Carina, "it took half our money to bribe the guards to get out of town."

"Wait. You spent half our money, just to go for a walk in the woods?"

"It was for academic purposes. The school will reimburse us. It'll be fine."

They're arguing again and that means I win. I am no longer the most important thing in the world. I am only a dancing leaf on the wind, skipping across the pond. I still need my other fan back. I see it poking out of Carina's pocket and it's a simple lift, provided there's no distractions. I let my magic fingers feel the leylines.

My ears twitch and my smile grows wider. Someone else is coming along.

I see Baikal's ears dance above the crowd of sailors preparing the ship. She brought her spear as well. She plans to stick me on the barbed end and drag me back to the forest home and I'll be out in the water long before that happens. The twins don't notice the intruder. Their argument is much too important.

Baikal comes to the end of the dock, standing tall and proud, looking down on me. She's wearing heavier clothes. Boots, as well, not the sandals of the forest. Boots for city streets and rocky shores, not so much for soft grass plains and heavy forests.

"Do I have to share you with them?" she asks. They're still arguing.

"I don't think so. Blue snuck out to watch the dances and that probably scared her off," I shrug.

"Good."

She eventually decides to come sit at the docks with me, feet daring the waves to drag her down. She'll fight it though, fight like hell to see what's beyond the horizon. I'm sure she'll think it's worth it.