The Ballad of Decker Crane Ch. 05

Harp here. I just load the chapters into the queue right away. The mediators release them on their judgment and as they see fit. As a result, I'm writing this before the first chapter has come out. I have no idea what's going on. I hope you're enjoying it and commenting. Any issues/updates/comments that can't be taken care in the comment section will be in my profile, so check it out. Thanks for reading.

All characters are over the age of eighteen

Chapter Five

(Decker)

"Are there more synth tins?" Adja asked, chewing, her mouth full.

There were females everywhere. Decker had woken up with Bryn's head under his chin again, the girl sprawled on top of him. He'd frowned down at her head and then met Persya's eyes.

"Sorry," Persya had mouthed, coming to retrieve her, the girl sleepy.

"Adya," Chione said, the woman with dark eyes and skin and long dark curly hair. "Don't talk with your mouth full. How can you eat so much?"

Kay leaned and found a tin, giving it to the girl without looking at her.

"Thank you, Kay," she said, Kay ignoring her.

That girl had her sights on Kay, going where he did, a small shadow following him around. He hadn't scared her off yet, gruff as he'd been. They were sitting in the meadow and the light was shining. Taking a day off. It was pleasant. Decker was watching the way the light hit Persya's hair. The women were colorful and their laughter made you light, their eyes flashing and silky limbs.

They were the strangest creatures. He hadn't spent much time with women except for fucking, and he didn't think the other men had, neither. He imagined Kay hadn't spent any time with them at all. He did seem a little bemused. It was difficult not to just look at them all the time. They were completely different kinds of beings, delicate wrists and ankles, pink and flushed and soft skin everywhere. In motion and their eyes flashing, graceful, high voices and fast gestures. Neat and expressive.

Yenna and Lily were not far weaving tall grass, their fingers busy, sitting close. Lily, the woman with light brown skin and round limbs, glanced at Yenna, a small smile coming to Yenna's mouth as she glanced back. Yenna reached out and touched her cheek. Decker's brows went up. Kay saw it too, their eyes meeting.

The Cromwells weren't going to allow that, to be sure. Well. That wasn't their problem.

Yenna began to hum and Lily glanced at her and started humming too. Decker had heard women in dance halls, but this wasn't the loud singing those women did, belting out bawdy songs. This was high and pure and simple. Persya had done that when he'd met her in the briken enclosure, humming. Evidently women liked to sing. His mother had, now that he thought about it.

He knew men who liked to sing, but they didn't sound like this. Bai had Dawine leaning against him and his arm around her. He leaned and smelled her, the woman not noticing. They did smell good, even without the fancy perfumes the whores wore. Persya smelled best. Dawine started humming, all the women joining in. Persya and Bryn started.

The sound overtook Decker, the prettiness of it. He looked at Kay, whose brows had gone up, his eyes unfocusing. Adya was looking at him, the girl humming along.

It sure was beautiful. Decker sighed. These women didn't know what most women would have understood right away about the three men who'd stolen them. It wasn't that they were stupid like he'd first believed of Persya. They just hadn't been alerted to men that way. They were the most fearless women he'd ever met, and he didn't mean courage.

Grace, the quiet brown-haired beauty, was up and aimless like only a woman could be, evidently, picking wildflowers with her cheeks flushed, also humming. Chione was humming, her warm skin and black hair glinting in the sun. Decker's eyes drifted back to Persya, who glanced at him. A surge went through him.

It was a surprise to him when Grace began to sing words. Then Bryn joined in, and then Persya, and soon the air all around was filled with their high sweet voices, all of them harmonizing and evidently knowing all the words together.

I'm not a fish swimming in the water,

or a bird flying in the air;

I'm a woman singing by the river

with flowers in my hair

It went on, all of it nonsense and meaningless and it was the prettiest, most wondrous thing he'd ever heard. Decker leaned back, looking at the clouds, gone with it. His eyes closed. It wasn't like anything he'd listened to before, their voices weaving together, and it about pierced him with its sweet beauty. He didn't know why it made him feel so good.

I'm not a rock on the mountain,

or a tree that is so high;

I'm a woman singing by the river

Watching leaves go by

I'm not a branch that's broke in half

or a bone that's buried deep;

I'm a woman singing by the river

Gathering stones to keep

Their song seemed to have an endless amount of poetry to it, all nonsense. The melody of it was simple but also strange, almost haunting, bringing things to him he hadn't thought to feel before. They just kept going on about what they weren't. After a long time of pleasure he didn't really remember, more verses and the wash of their voices, the sun was blotted out.

He opened his eyes, coming back, finding a small face close to his, a braid on his chest as the song trailed away. They were just humming again now. He felt more peaceful than he ever remembered being in his life. This was nice.

Decker studied Persya's smaller version. "What do you want?"

"Brikens," Bryn said to him, her eyes lighting with lust. "Persya told me about them. I want to see the brikens, please, Decker."

"They're over there," Decker said, waving at the fence to the briken enclosure and closing his eyes again. It wasn't far, the nicest part of the meadow being near it. He didn't have his sat-reader, but Bane and his herd wouldn't be there now. They had a huge area to roam, days across, and briken things to do.

When he slitted his eyes and glanced, Persya was weaving grass, all of them humming. He watched her. She was so beautiful that just doing that was a pleasure to him. Of course, then he started lusting after her. Her humming was still happening. She glanced at him from under her lashes, sending another surge through him. He did like her, to be sure.

Adya was sitting beside Kay, almost leaning on him, in his shadow again. Kay didn't seem to have noticed.

The girl pointed. "Look, Bryn found one. That's a briken?"

"Nope," Decker said, turning to see where she was pointing.

Then he was up and running, Kay beside him, Bai behind them.

"Bryn," he heard Persya cry behind him, and Bane was about to eat her little sister.

The child was looking up and Bane had his front legs on the fence because Decker didn't have the idium panel up yet. He hadn't had time. Bane had his neck over it. Bryn was humming up to him as he bent down, and his mouth opened, sharp incisors. There she went, Decker bracing himself. A hot ball was in his gut, seeing it in his mind. It was going to be so bad.

Bane's mouth closed with a clack and he sniffed, her hair raising. Breathing in, he crooned, and then he coughed briken snot all over her upturned face.

"Gross," Bryn cried.

Decker got there, coming in low and grabbing her, sweeping her up. Her arms came up around his neck. He had her, fuck. He backed away, his heart pounding, her small form all in his arms and none of her anywhere else. "Son of a bitch."

"He spit on me, Decker," she said, covered in it, and now he was too.

"Fuck," Decker said. They were real lucky Bane recognized the girl as female. That was not how he would have tested that notion, to be sure.

"Fuck," Bryn said.

"Don't say that, girl," Decker said.

"You did."

"Son of a bitch. I thought that child was going to get her face eaten off," Kay said, arriving, putting his hands on his knees and panting.

"Son of a bitch," Adya said, also arriving.

"Don't say that, little girl," Kay said, straightening.

"All right, Kay," Adya said, looking up at him.

Persya got there, grabbing her sister from Decker and scolding her because she'd been scared by it, shaking her. "What were you thinking? This isn't the house, Bryn. There's dangers here."

Decker's mouth was tight, turning to look at Bane. "I never thought that big fucker would come alone. I don't know what he's doing here."

"He likes our singing," Bryn said.

Bane backed away and leaned his head forward, crooning at her, his lips flapping a little.

"What is that thing?" Yenna said, all the women gathered around now.

"A briken," Decker said now that he was calmer and wasn't going to have to watch Bane eat a child alive starting with her face. Son of a bitch. "Go on, Bane, you big fucker."

Bane's small red eyes landed on him and the briken stuttered, hostile.

"Big fucker," Bryn said.

Bane crooned at her.

#

"I thought you were taking me to see the stars," Persya said, smiling at him.

Her smile knocked him over a little, Decker trying to ignore it. He'd lied. That'd been his excuse. He wanted to enjoy her while things were still light between them.

Since he'd rescued her sister and all the other women, she had been newly friendly to him, all kinds of grateful. It wasn't going to last, of course. Still, he had to admit that it was something he hadn't experienced before, to have a woman near to him and her attention on him, and not because he'd paid her. He wasn't used to it, that was all.

He'd grabbed her hand, the whole house full of women and men and children and nowhere to take her at this hour. He didn't want to wait. "There they are," he said, gesturing up. Now she'd seen them. "Let's go to the barn.'

"Why?"

"To see the horses," he lied.

Her eyes narrowed. He opened the door, letting her through and closing it behind himself. There was a light on, the place smelling like horse sweat and piss. The loft above was clean, where they kept the hay. He headed her that way.

"I thought we were seeing the horses," she said, hurried along.

"There they are," he said, gesturing to the animals. Now she'd seen them. "I have something to show you up there."

"I'm sure," she said, her voice dry.

"We still have our agreement," he reminded her.

"I know."

He put her on the ladder and she began to climb, Decker holding it for her from the bottom and looking at her ass, lust crawling all through him. It didn't matter if she was in simple clothes, light drawstring trousers and a button shirt. She was sexy in anything and even sexier in nothing at all, which is how he intended her to be shortly.

From a distance, the women might be mistaken for men. Although with Persya, it would have to be pretty far. He grinned. It had been making him crazy all day to see her tits jutting in the shirt. When she was up, he started after her.

Her face appeared over the edge. "There's nothing up here but hay, Decker."

"There will be in a moment," he said, climbing.

Her face disappeared. He was almost there when he looked up as it reappeared. She smiled at him, a sweet smile.

"Don't you fucking dare," he said, stopping.

Down it came, a whole shitload of clean hay exploding right on top of his head and she was laughing as he made it up the last of the ladder. He got to his feet, his eyes finding her. She shrieked as he came for her, still laughing, and then he was also laughing for some reason. Fuck, she was cute. Her face was smiling, out of breath, and she pelted him with more hay.

Bringing her down with him, he turned her over and pulled her across his lap and pulled down her pants.

"What are you doing?" she yelled, her pretty fat bottom creamy and round under his hand, his other arm a bar across her. She struggled, jutting, trying to back out.

"Giving you what you want," he said, his hand coming down, hard swats.

She yelled and kicked and wiggled, his cock hard under her.

He stopped. "Spread your legs."

"No. Stop it, Decker."

His hand came down some more. He finally stopped, her bottom bright pink. "Don't tell me what to do. I can spank you all night, stubborn. Spread your legs."

"No."

Making them sharper this time, he cupped his hand. She cried out and then shrieked.

He finally stopped, fully aroused now. "Are you ready to spread your legs for me?"

"You're hitting me," she said, sounding indignant.

He laughed. "I'm spanking your round bottom."

"Is this supposed to be for sex?" she said.

He tightened his hold, getting ready to smack her again, and her legs opened. Leaning, he looked at her little cunt, his cock surging under her. "I don't know, baby," he said, his fingers stroking her pussy. She was slippery. "What do you think?"

Now it wasn't shrieks but soft cries and wiggling. Her clitoris was a hard nub under his fingertips. Panting, she let him pull her pants off and then her shirt, getting her up. They hadn't gotten the women shoes, all their feet too small. He'd get a pair for her later. The others wouldn't need them because they were all going home, except for Persya and Dawine.

When she was naked, he grabbed her hand, pulling her. There was the place above the loft, a hole in the roof. He had discovered it not long after he'd bought the ranch. He came up here by himself to think sometimes. He brought her, pulling her down sitting, his back leaning against the sloped wall. She was between his legs in front of him, naked, all curves and heat.

"You're awfully soft, pretty Persya," he said, nuzzling her. It was the first time he'd said her name. He liked it.

She turned to look at him, that shyness she'd showed and those pretty dark eyes. Fuck, she was sweet. Hesitating, she relaxed against him for the first time, the stars spread out above them. "It's beautiful. So there was something you brought me here to see after all."

He grunted. The stars were pretty. Her tits were prettier. He watched the second for a time while she watched the first, his fingertips on her belly, idle stroking. She was quiet in front of him. He found a jutting nipple, his thumb touching it as her breath caught.

Then there wasn't anything for him to do but play with her nipples. She protested sometimes, struggling and squirming on him behind her, but he was stronger anyway and he liked how she rubbed on his cock. Her nipples were stiff and hard and pink, getting red as he pinched them, tugging. Offering them to his fingers, she whined.

He was surprised when she went still, arching, her legs spreading sharply. He stopped touching her nipples. If he didn't know better, he thought she'd been about to come.

She made more frustrated, demanding noises. He turned her to face him and put her on top of himself, undoing his pants, breathing heavily. He was so ready, his cock arcing up his belly. Her eyes were glazed. Guiding her down, he grunted deeply as she wiggled onto him of her own will, all sorts of pleasure, until her weight landed, his cock seated in her. Persya panted through it. He made room and collapsed onto his back and pulled her forward, her hands landing on either side of him, all of her jiggling. Decker held her hips still, looking at her tits.

"Don't move," he said, wanting to know. His fingers went to her nipples.

But she was squirming all over him, her hands planted. Wiggling too much for his experiment. He sat up, controlling all of it and turned on, his cock deep in her. He leaned her back and his mouth went to her nipples, his hands on her hips, holding her still there.

Yes, there was that stillness again. Her thighs began shaking and then she cried out and came on his cock, pulsing and clamping on him, long draws.

Rolling her under himself, he pushed her knees up and began fucking her, thrusting deep. It was so good. Once she was done taking her pleasure from just him playing with her nipples, it was even better.

"Please, Decker," she cried. "It's too much. Stop."

He had to go hard for this effect because she recovered so quickly. He grunted, going as fast and deep as he wanted. Swollen and hot and slick, she fit him just right. She cried out, pushing on him, a deep wave going through him. He could ride her every night and every morning and most days, he imagined.

He was watching her face, her eyes closed and her hair everywhere, seeing her start to seek him, ready for pleasure again. He was going to come. His fingers went down between them, gentle, stroking her clit. Her eyes opened, meeting his and going wide, his fingers withdrawing.

Her knees came up sharply as he stabbed into her. He came, feeling her doing the same. This was a thing he wanted to do again and again, the pleasure hot and complete. Crying out, Decker pinned her hard, emptying.

When he could think, he looked at her face. Her eyes were closed again. They opened, staring into his. Dark, pretty eyes. More familiar now. A woman behind them he recognized from having looked into them closely before, he supposed. He hadn't exactly spent any time with one woman in his life. For some reason, he felt it deep in his gut, another kind of wave, odd.

Leaning down slowly, he angled and met her lips, kissing her, exploring. There was no reason for it. He wasn't seducing her, having exhausted himself for now. Her arms came up around his neck, returning it, soft limp heat and it was slow and sweet and he was still buried in her. Fuck, it felt good. He couldn't say why, but it did.

After a time, he drew back, frowning down at her lightly. She also looked surprised, her eyes searching his face. He pulled out of her, getting up and holding out his hand. She reached up and took it, Decker pulling her to her feet, and she gave him another one of those smiles.

"You have hay in your hair," Bryn said to Persya when they got back in the house, the child reaching up and pulling some out.

They were back in the chaos, women everywhere.

"I do?" Persya said, her hand coming up.

"Quite a bit, Persya. Were you rolling in it? Where did you go?"

"To look at the stars," Decker said, his hand going to Persya's arm. "Come on."

Bryn came with them, the child a menace. "Where are you going, Persya?"

"I'm staying with Decker," Persya answered. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Can I sleep there again?"

"No," Decker said.

"Come on, Bryn," Yenna said, holding out her hand.

Decker exhaled as they reached the door, closing it behind them. Silence and peace.

Sitting, he was looking at his console but he was thinking about kissing her that last time. His eyes slanted to her. She had cleaned herself up in the bathroom and was wearing a small frown, walking to sit on his bed with her legs pulled to the side like she did, looking so pretty.

"Decker?"

He grunted.

"I have a question."

He looked at the console again, checking the fences. Damn. "About what."

Coming to stand beside him, she looked at his face, although he didn't look at her. "Why would anyone go through the trouble to take us? Is it because we're orphans and nobody cares if we disappear?"

Once she knew, they all would, and everything would change. He wouldn't keep it from her, but she was going to fight him. "You and the other women, your sister and the other girl, aren't orphans. You're Pedigean consorts. You're a part of a program for genetic engineering. Everyone knows about you. The Cromwells own you and have offered ten thousand dakas each for your return. At the Red Door, the women were being offered for twenty-five thousand dakas each to rich men and were sold in moments."

"The Cromwells," she said, her voice faint.

"The ruling family on Pedige."

She swallowed. "Yes, I know who they are."

"You're made in a tank. They've been engineering women on Pedige for generations."

"Engineered for what?"

"For fucking, as I understand it. For your beauty and intelligence and also to make you like being bedded."