Walker Ch. 01.08

Chapter 1.8

Meri welcomed them in 'There's a bath waiting, or do you wish to eat first?'

Both were hungry yet Walker welcomed the bath.

'Leave the clothes by the door, the girls will wash before bed and we'll dry them by the fire. I'll get you both spare robes. Soak well, I've bought some ointments for the girl that'll bring the swelling down right quick.'

The tiger led the girl through the house. A cloud of steam bubbled out when he swung open the door. Walker undressed efficiently, slipping into the water with a sigh of relief. The girl was slower to disrobe and awkward to slip from the robe and dress. She took their garments and tossed them out the door.

There was a hole in the corner for waste, she stood over it and crouched down with a wince. Her gaze focused on Walker as the golden stream flowed. The swelling round her eyes had shrunk by an almost imperceptible margin but the discomfort of the flow from her bruised nethers was clear, and yet she somehow seemed to make a display of her black and blue body. The flow dissipated; she carefully shook off excess moisture before climbing into the waters beside him.

He put an arm round her shoulder and she snuggled to his side resting her head on his chest and stretching her legs out next to his. The waters soothed and the weightlessness relieved strain and pressure she did not know was there until it fell away.

His warm breath flowed through her hair while she closed her eyes and focused on his slow thumping heartbeat. His fur was soft and the smell of sweat from his armpits pungent, yet it seemed an integral part of the closeness of their bodies.

The noise of the morning was absent now, the stillness only pierced with pinpricks of sloshing water lapping at the sides of the tub.

'You are always calm.' she whispered.

'Hrmm.' he replied but the utterance was as thunder in his chest.

'How?'

'The world is a dream. Watch and listen to what must be minded.'

She replayed the words in her mind, over and over again. Dream, watch, listen, mind.

'I do.' she said when she thought she understood.

'Hrmm hmm. Today I fought. The others fought too. I do. You do too.'

'Hmmm. What is the difference?'

'Exactly.' his hand rested atop her head. Tips of sharp claws delicately scratched along the grain of her long hair, so soothing 'It is right practice, if not then we get worse.'

'Will you teach me?'

'First lesson. Dream wakefully.'

'How?'

'You do already. Practice it. Close your eyes and focus.' he pressed a claw light into her scalp, 'Feel that?'

'Hmm mmm.'

'That is the dream. Watch. Listen.'

He blew in her hair, 'Feel that?'

'Hmm.'

'Watch. Listen.'

She did. His breath climbed through her hair like a curious beast disturbing underbrush. It moved. The beast swung sideways and its aspect changed as it dipped below a log, its head snapping up curiously on the other side.

His claw slipped toward the moving air. She saw the second beast hurrying towards the first. There was a moment they spotted each other, charged headlong at each other, collided and exploded to nothingness. The claw had been retracted, the breath stopped.

'Did you dream?'

She inhaled as if in ecstasy, 'I did.'

'It is all dream, at all times. It is easy to forget, the practice is remembering. Breath deep, release and be here with me.'

Heat from the water soaked into their flesh, melting them together. Her soul felt lighter and she couldn't grasp what it was she felt; the pains of her body and soul remained but somehow seemed only part of the greater whole of the dream. The intolerable seemed an afterthought, suffered by someone inside her but not herself.

A peace she had never experienced before settled over her. He began purring almost like a hum, a rhythm, a melody in his chest, a rumbling in her ear. The noise filled her, overwhelmed her and her body wept inexplicable tears that someone inside realized and recognized.

Time passed until her skin pruned from the water but no thought of moving came, that is until a banging roused them.

Edwin's voice came through the door, 'I'd like to use my own bath if you two don't mind.'

'Almost finished.' Walker replied.

They soaped themselves and rinsed. Dried themselves off, took and donned the robes outside the door. Trish and Sina hurried past, pulling the plug in the tub before getting ready to refill it. Plates of baked potato with minced meat steamed on the table. Walker took his and settled cross legged before the fire. Wordlessly the girl joined him.

Meri came and put their empty plates on the table, 'Successful day Mister Walker?'

'I believe so.'

'Good.' Meri wore another form fitting dress which flattered and exposed her attributes. In her hands she held a small tray upon which stood many glass vials of differing size and color 'Edwin and I had a chat. You're welcome to stay s'long as you like.'

'I should be moving on before long.' Walker said.

'Not too soon I hope.' Kneeling, she placed the tray beside her on the rug. To the girl she said, 'Take off the robe dear and lay on your stomach.'

The girl looked to Walker who nodded. The robe slipped from her shoulders, Walker took it, laying it on the carpet before him. She crawled on the robe lowering herself down to rest her chin on her crossed arms.

Walker settled sideways, leaning on his elbow 'Do you have apothecary or doctor's learning?'

'Learning past swinging an axe or pleasing a man? For a woman Mister Walker? Nay, banish the thought and don't even suggest it to a man outside this house.' Meri gave him a meaningful and serious look.

He understood, 'Hrmm. I won't.'

'There's a library of scrolls, notes and letters in the Elderman's office,' she explained, 'even some books from Estwin City. The physicians share knowledge which is kept in the same library as the military and guardsman's. The Elderman is of the opinion that my man is learned on wounds, illness and treaments.'

'Is he?'

'To the best of my teaching abilities.' Meri smiled, 'Now girl, first I'm going to have to hurt you a little. Grit yer teeth and bare it best you can, aye?'

The girl nodded, 'It's all a dream.'

Confused, Meri looked to Walker but the tiger said nothing.

'I've a skin scraping tool, I've got to scrape in one direction repeatedly, hard. It'll hurt on the bruises but we got to loosen the clotted blood that's causing em. Hmm, Walker, would you mind fetching the whiskey from the kitchen? Beside the door, top cabinet. Glasses are beside.'

Walker got up while Meri poured scented oil along the girl's spine.

'I can see you're a pretty lass under all this. Fine body, no fat.' gently she spread the oil over the skin of the back, using her fingers to trace gently about the scabbing, 'When you get a bit older the body sags and fat grows about the hips. Remember my words if'n you're hoping to keep a fine figure; exercise, train your body to a shape and never overeat, even if you can.'

Walker returned with the bottle, sliding down with his back to the crackling fire. He filled a glass to the brim and nudged the girl. She raised herself up onto her elbows and took it.

'Down it all in one go girl. First rinse your teeth with a sip so you don't gag on it.'

She managed half the glass before a coughing fit forced her to stop, 'It's terrible.' she gagged.

'Too much at a time, aye. Now finish the rest.'

She did.

Meri straddled the girl's back, at first gently massaging the flesh about her shoulders and upper back then her skilled hands gradually drifted lower with her thumbs insistently digging in beside the spine. The girl winced several times but stayed still. Then Meri spread the legs, sitting between them before working the thighs, calves then the ankles and feet.

'Whiskey hitting you yet?' she asked.

'Yesh.' the girl slurred from relaxation and drink.

'Less fun now.' Meri informed her 'Pour another glass please.'. Walker obliged.

She showed Walker the scraping tool, a flat shining river stone with gently contoured edges, large enough to fill one's palm.

Meri straddled the girl again then applied a fresh layer of oils. The stone pressed into the skin of the girl's upper back before being dragged down. The flesh bunched and slipped beneath the stone, scraping sounds emanated. The girl groaned louder as the stone dragged the flesh over and over.

'She'll be tender tomorrow and it'll look like she's been abused much worse but she'll feel much better.'

Walker's eyes watched closely, 'Impressive. Disturb the clotting, encourage flow of fresh blood to the surface. Body reabsorbs the old blood at the similar rates to the fresh. Fiber re-knits at an accelerated pace.'

Her hands stopped moving as she reappraised him, 'A foreign vagrant comes to Lumberton. ' she began, 'Presents himself as a showman vagrant. What else are you?'

'The past unwinds from the present,' the tiger pointed to his scars, 'no mystery.'

'And the future?'

'Revealed only as the spool unwinds.'

She grinned suddenly, 'Very mysterious.'

'So, Walker!' Edwin exclaimed, refreshed and sporting a soft robe of his own, 'Cedric's singing praise all about the barracks. Fifteen silvers to the city eh.' the man plopped on the couch with his dinner, 'I can't be bothered ta do the proper sums but a quick think tells me you made a proper bit of coin today.'

'More'n forty.' Meri informed him.

Edwin frowned, 'That before or after the untaxed bouts?'

'Before.' Walker said.

'You'll be rich before the month's out. We ain't no city but I told ye, we're a damn sight better than a louse infested homestead. Bet you didn't expect that eh.' the man grinned spooning potato and meat into his mouth. 'Though, as Cedric tells it, there was no competition. You just put em down man after man. I have ta come see in the morning, I can't tell if he's telling it tall or being truthful.'

Walker shrugged, 'I won.'

'Oh, aye aye, ye won. But here's a bit of advice; sane men don't take a gamble if'n they think the game is rigged.'

'I have to lose?'

Edwin raised his shoulders, his expression pained, 'I'm saying that the coin'll dry up when the novelty's wore off. Being a walking cat'll only takes ye so far if it's money yer wanting.'

'I'll go to the next village.'

'Aye ye could. Seein' the luck you had in your first one.' Edwin pointed to the girl.

'The city?'

Edwin frowned at this, 'Ye could. Though I'd wager ye'd likely get accused of being a spy by every second man whose coin you take. The war's changed the Norrish in Estwin, the laws 'ave changed. Listening to the Elderman tell it, they's become much different over the generations of fighting. The old laws... well the gods ain't punished either side for the lack of strict adherence. They ain't us nomore.'

'Hrmm.'

'You're learning about our culture.' Meri added poignantly.

'What d'you think dear.'

'The tavern keeper.' She said from her perch 'Turn. Around I need to do the otherside.'

The girl was reticent 'Can we go into a room?'

'What's the problem dear?' Meri asked gently.

The girl was quiet but her eyes flitted to Edwin.

'You don't want my man seeing your cooch 'n tits?'

'I...'

'How about we cover you up with the robe and I'll be careful not to show ye off? That sound alright?'

The girl pushed herself up on one hand 'It's okay. I'll do it.' She flipped herself over revealing the bruising on her stomach and clearly visible finger marks on her breasts and neck. She reached to cover herself instinctively but her hands wavered and she simply placed them flat on the carpet by her sides.

'Hmm,' Edwin mused, 'the guard's got lots o' dealings with the tavern keeper on account of the drinking abouts the square. He's always tellin' of thinking like a patron.'

'Hrmm?' Walker tossed the whiskey to Edwin's outstretched hands.

Edwin caught the glass that followed, saying, 'He had these games with his slaves. Started, I believe, by someone asking which of his gals could suck the most cum. A wager was placed and five of them sucked off five men, each in turn. Seeing who won each round the quickest. Obviously, it slows down and it usually ends on the second or third rounds, but that's the game. See who can get third, fourth or fifth rounds. Soon, other games were introduced, races ta see who could sit on larger 'n larger metal cocks. The keeper kept telling me about "keeping things fresh' and "raising more interest". There's always wagering and soon loggers brought their jacks to compete against each other; it's slowly turning into a sport of sorts. Loggers training their girls tryin ta beat the others for wagers or the winning the tavern keeps prize monies.'

Walker listened closely 'Keep it fresh.' he muttered.

Meri chimed in 'Maybe talk to the man about your thing. See what he says.'

'He came to me this morning.'

'Ohh aye. What'd you talk about?'

'I sent him away.'

'I could be wrong.' Edwin suggested gulping whiskey.

'Right. I'm done scraping.' Meri informed the girl.

'Ohh thank the gods.' the girl croaked.

'Just the ointments now. Do you feel the difference?'

'It's all tingly and a little itchy.'

'Good.' Meri smacked an open vial against her palm, a dab of white watery goo rested there. She smeared this over the girl's stomach and up under her breasts, then around onto the area under her neck before finally bringing her hands down on the firm udders 'Gods blessed you with these.' Meri murmured, her palms rotating in a teasing manner, tickling the pink studs of the young nipples, the girl's legs shifted. Meri extracted more of the substance and slid downwards between the girl's thighs. Expertly she applied the ointment with her fingers probing the crevices of the girl's pelvis while the palms hovered lightly on the fleshier areas. The older woman slid her thumbs along the line where the buttocks and legs met before moving towards the hips.

Meri's face hovered over the pubis. She took a moment to inspect the internalized labia, as if they were trying to hide. The merest suggestion of exposed pink flesh protruded at the top, 'Beautiful.' Meri commented to Walker who seemed almost oblivious to the sensual nature of the activity. She stuck her tongue out and prodded the pink bump. The girl gasped and her hands reached toward Meri as if to ward her off.

'Since you're wanting to learn about humans Walker, come closer. I'll teach you something no men know and few women do.'

Walker's eyes widened, his nose twitching.

'Come here.' Meri insisted, 'Keep your hands down girl. I'm not about to hurt you.'

The tiger moved to where Meri waited.

'This here,' her finger circled indicated the outer regions, 'the men call it a cunt, vagina, twat or what have you. If you know better it's named a vulva. Then there's the labia, outer and inner. Your girl's hides her inner labia. Reminds me of a rabbit hiding in its burrow.' With a fingertip Meri pried it open a little, 'that pink there. That's the inner, labia minora. Past that is the vagina, that's where the cock goes and I think the only reason men know anything about it. Edwin, I hope you're listening.'

'I'm listening.'

'If you're a kind soul who cares to give pleasure,' she looked pointedly at Edwin, 'then your interests should include the area to the north. It's all a little obscure here and the light is bad, if you go up, do you see this bit at the top?'

'Aye.' Walker nodded.

'If I pull it open a little, you can see there's a V shaped structure above the labia minora, it almost forms a hood. Come closer,' he leaned forward so his face was beside hers, 'your girl's bits are very shy, but that there's a hiding clitoris. That's where most nerves are concentrated. If you're a skilled fucker, skilled at pleasing a woman, then you should learn that there's a balance to be achieved, a dance of sorts. We don't work like a cock where you just stroke the tip and everything happens. Stimulate internally, stimulate the clitoris but most importantly stimulate her mind. If ye do it right she'll be shuddering like a wounded animal.'

'Sounds complicated.' Walker commented.

'Aye, it is.' Edwin agreed.

'Shut up you.' Meri snapped, 'Now Walker, no two women are the same. In some, the clitoris is lower and'll rub on the cock, size and motion depending, but on others there's additional work ta be done if you want her creaming herself. On most it's higher up and removed from the thrusting happening below. Be mindful. Your girl here, the whole thing's almost pulled in on itself.' Meri grinned at him, 'You could make things very interesting.'

'It's not interesting when I gotta put my tongue in where the piss comes out.' Edwin commented pouring another whiskey.

'Edwin, I love you, but this is why you can't train those overpriced cock holes of yours. Together they're dumb as a brick. And between the three of you, you don't know a tenth of what I do.'

Edwin pursed his lips unbelievingly, they stared at each other. Edwin broke first, averting his eyes 'Aye. Aye. When will ye let me live it down?'

'When you allow me to train them. Whipping, threatening, and being hard handed only gets obedience, it does no teaching.'

'Aye, you've said as much and I've been thinking about those words through the day.' he said solemnly.

Meri's sternness suddenly gave way to concern. 'You can put on your robe girl. We're finished.' The woman left her ointments to sit beside her man, 'Why're you lookin' like the cat drank your milk?'

The girl sat up, awkwardly inched off the robe beneath her and let Walker cover her shoulders with it. She looked over her shoulder at the tiger whose face was, as always, a mystery to her. She saw only those large orange eyes observing her. Leaning against his chest she gently nudged him over before rolling into his embrace. The drink and massage had made her sleepy and she wanted nothing more than to feel his warmth on her back and to close her eyes. Silently the tiger obliged. She grasped the arm he put over her waist and held his furred hand to her breast.

Edwin was telling Meri about the punishments he'd meted out that morning. And it was Thirteen's ordeal at the barracks that sat with him 'The girl was put in the bitch bar, a rod from her collar to the shackles on the knees. Cum dripping from her as we set hound after hound on her starting with the smallest. It was about the time of the seventh that her eyes glazed over, and I think her soul escaped her. She cared nothing for anything after. At the tenth I stopped it. The men's interest had died down by then as her head just hung, the dog's cock was a stopper and they stood, knotted ass to ass. I thought, is this punishment? As it stands, there's no sense in it at this point. She's broke, there was no more audience and the other hounds wouldn't know the difference.'

Meri shook her head, 'Well, she won't say no to a cock up her arse again. No more disobedience.'

'Aye, we'll see if there's a soul in her tomorrow, otherwise we've just broken her but no lesson's been taught. Broken is next to useless; I thought about the two at home. And well, you'll do better with em.'

The pair retired to their bed leaving the tiger and girl by the fire.