Westrons Pt. 05

- "Is it the same for all women?" I asked.

She smiled. "We do talk about such things, and compare. Quite a bit, in fact. A woman in hemmer is warm, and receptive. But everyone is different."

"Some lose control, and will copulate with the first male to arrive - and every male thereafter. I've heard stories ..."

- "I can imagine." I said. I tried to not to show it, but I was disappointed to hear that Themis wouldn't be experiencing hemmer for some time. I would never have forced myself upon her - yet I felt that we were growing close.

And I couldn't deny how attracted I was to her.

That night, the soldiers gathered around the fires - and they sang. There was some accompaniment, on flutes, or on elbow pipes, but most of it was a cappella. It was haunting, and moving, and very beautiful.

I felt a tear in my eye. These people, for all their faults and flaws, deserved to live, and to thrive. I liked them. I wanted to help them.

- "Can you feel it?" asked Themis.

She wasn't referring to the singing. There was a female, not 40 yards away, in the throes of hemmer. I could hear her - I could feel her - and I could almost smell her.

My reactions were predictable: a slight flush, a rush of desire ... and I was ridiculously hard, in my silly breeches. But I also felt energized, more alive - and my mind was working faster. It was odd, but I felt more focused, rather than less.

Themis was watching me.

- "We could go over there, if you want ..."

- "No." I said. "I'm fine. I'm ... where I want to be."

I realized, later that evening, that what I'd said was true. Sitting around a fire, in the midst of an alien army, armed with ancient weaponry ... listening to their songs, under twin moons ... I felt more at home than I'd ever been at AFOTA.

***

The first engagement I witnessed was a revelation.

Both sides manoeuvred, General Brune to attempt to pry the besieging army away from the city, the Crolians to forestall any attack on their lines.

Both armies were slow, ponderous in their movements. The Crolians were physically bigger: even at a distance, I could see that. Their discipline was excellent, and I saw them get off four volleys in under two minutes, compared to three for the Westrons.

The Crolian muskets were slightly larger, and fired a heavier bullet than the Westron muskets. The poor Westron soldiers had to feel outgunned.

The Crolians had heavier artillery, as well. Much of it was poorly sited, and unable to affect anything. The cannon were heavy, and could not be shifted rapidly, because the only means of moving them were teams of oxen.

Both sides used contractors for their artillery - civilians, rather than soldiers. Most of the ox-drivers were Woles, working for pay. They weren't interested in risking their lives, under any circumstances.

I was seeking a solution, in my head, to the Westron dilemma: they were outgunned, but if they closed with the enemy, the Crolians were bigger and stronger.

Mobility, I thought. But neither side had horses. There was no cavalry in this world.

Light troops, then. Frederick the Great had been frustrated, more than once, by Hapsburg Grenzers from Croatia and the borders with the Turks. He'd responded by creating units of Jagers - hunters.

The British had suffered at the hand of American irregulars, in their war of Independence. And of course there were Napoleon's voltigeurs, and their German counterparts, the Jagers. While I was it, why not wish for Wellington's 95th Rifles?

- "Themis." I said. "Tell me everything you know about the Crolians."

***

The Aneli regiment wore blue coats, and strange yellow breeches. Colonel Storana hadn't yelled at me for two straight days, so I took a chance.

- "Is there any significance, Colonel, to the uniforms of your soldiers?"

She turned, scowled at me, and then spat in the dirt.

- "Why are you even here?" she shouted.

Themis was able to answer my question. "Some Inhabers are wealthy enough to choose their colours. Sometimes, though, it depends on a surplus of cloth in the workshops."

At my request, we toured the camps of the various regiments. Many of the soldiers paused, in whatever they were doing, to take a good look at me. Meanwhile, I pretended not to take notice of what I was seeing.

An army camp is somewhat akin to a locker room. There were females emerging from their tents, shirtless. I'd never seen so many bare breasts in one place. And then there were those strips of fur down their spines. In some ways, that was an even more arousing sight; every time I saw it, I'd remember the room under the Palace, with Airta ...

It was also difficult when I wanted to bathe. Themis would accompany me to the river, where most of the soldiers washed. Out of consideration for me, we would go upstream a hundred yards or more.

Themis thought that I was uncomfortable, being gawked at by several dozen soldiers. That was true enough, but what she didn't understand was that I couldn't see so many naked females without ... reacting accordingly.

Then, to make matters worse ... she would find us a private spot - and strip off her clothes to wash next to me.

She had a magnificent body. Full breasts, sweeping apart gracefully, leaving a delectable valley between them. The gentle swell of her stomach, strong arms and legs, firm buttocks ...

I tried to look only at her face. That wasn't much better. She had lovely brown eyes, and a spectacular face, with such kissable lips ...

It wasn't easy, sleeping in that tiny tent, pressed up against her. In fact, it was hard; I was hard almost all the time. Every morning was embarrassing, as I tried to conceal my morning wood. Every night, I was losing sleep ...

One evening, with Themis breathing quietly and evenly beside me, I couldn't help myself. I turned away from her, and lowered my breeches, a little at a time. I began to stroke myself, slowly.

The subject of my fantasy wasn't difficult to imagine; she was lying next to me. I masturbated quietly, hoping not to disturb her - but I desperately needed the relief.

Just then, Themis snuffled - and rolled over. Her eyes opened.

There I was, with my engorged member in my hand.

- "Oh!" she said.

I rolled away from her. "I'm sorry."

- "No - I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude ... on your privacy."

- "This is ... very embarrassing."

- "Oh? You know ... Westron males do it, too, when they cannot reach a female in hemmer. But ... I don't understand: there are several women in the regiment who are ready, just now. You could just go over there, and -"

- "I don't think so. Not a good idea."

- "No? Ah - I see: you would not want to hurt anyone's feelings, if you copulated with some, but not all. And it would be difficult to copulate with all of them ..."

- "Could we ... not talk about this, just now?" I asked.

- "Ah - I am sorry. I will let you finish." She rolled on her side, facing away from me.

- "No! That's not what I meant." I sighed. "Could we just talk about this in the morning?"

- "Certainly." she said.

I did end up coming that night - but I wasn't even awake enough to enjoy it.

Themis woke up, sniffed the air, and smiled.

"Ah - good for you." she said, brightly.

- "No, not quite." I said.

- "Oh? I am sorry, Cook, but I do not understand your Pylosian customs."

- "Neither do I." I muttered.

- "Pardon?"

- "Nothing. Umm ... maybe I should go and bathe."

Themis agreed. With their superior sense of smell, any soldiers who came near me would know what I'd been up to. And if any of them were in hemmer ... well, that would be a bit cruel.

I tried to explain nocturnal emissions to Themis; to my intense relief, she knew about them. No big deal, apparently, when males could go a year and more without any sexual activity (None of this had been covered in my Sleepread programs).

There was, simply put, a massive gap between human and Westron sexual habits. They had sex infrequently, but had no shyness or serious taboos about discussing it; humans had sex all the time (or thought about it all the time, at least), but couldn't talk about it.

Since I was going to be here for the foreseeable future - my mind still balked at dealing with the concept of 'forever' - I would probably do well to adopt the more sensible Westron attitude.

After all, Kanitz hadn't found it at all strange to hook me up with a woman I'd only just met. And Talley's wife and daughters wanted to hear all of the details. There was no shame.

My problem, at the moment, was that I wanted Themis. Only she wasn't going to be available, even if she wanted to be. And it would've been just a little odd to go across the camp, to seek out a complete stranger who was in heat. 'Hello, I see you're in hemmer. Care to fuck?'

I would have to get Themis to teach me some Westron 'social conventions'.

***

Two nights later, I felt her shivering next to me. The nights were getting warmer, not colder, if you asked me. I flipped our thin blanket onto her, and didn't give it a second thought.

The next morning, though, when I woke, I found Themis sitting up. There was a look of panic on her face.

- "No ... no ... no ..." she mumbled.

- "What's wrong?" I asked. "Themis?"

- "I have to ... excuse me!" She slid out of the tent.

- "Themis?"

- "I'll be back!" she called. I saw her legs as she trotted away.

This was unusual - but I suppose she was entitled to her privacy as much as I was. And speaking of privacy, this might be a good time for me to bathe alone. If I could find a sheltered spot, I might be able to rub one out without an audience ...

I moved upstream, away from where most of the soldiers did their washing. Just a little further on, I found a quiet spot.

Themis was already there.

She was sitting on the riverbank, wearing only her shirt and breeches. Her head snapped up, as she heard me approach. I stopped. There was something about her expression ...

- "I'm sorry." I said. "I was just looking for a quiet place. Would you rather ... I left you alone?"

She smiled, a bit ruefully.

"Themis? Are you alright?"

- "No, Cook. Not exactly." she said.

I took a step closer. "Is it something I can help you with?"

- "No, I don't think so." she said.

I took another step. That's when I saw her big brown eyes, and somehow ... I just knew. "You - you're in hemmer? But that's not -"

- "Not possible. I know. But it's coming. I know the signs."

- "How?"

- "I have no idea. Until now, I was regular - a little over a year between each cycle. It was predictable, and safe ... this was not supposed to happen."

- "You're not ... married?" She'd never mentioned a husband, or a lover.

- "No. But ... it's complicated."

- "Your family?"

- "It's complicated, Cook." she repeated.

- "What do we do about it?" I asked. "Should I ask for another tent? Or you could find someone else to share with ..."

- "You would do that ... for me?"

- "Of course." I said. "I don't know all of the Westron social conventions" (damned expression was stuck in my head). "I mean, in the absence of a husband or a ... lover ... what do you do?"

Themis looked at me oddly, as if she was seeing me for the first time.

- "Your self-control is remarkable." she said. "I thought that you were attracted to me. I could have sworn that you would want me."

I was going to keep my mouth shut. Themis was obviously shocked to find herself in hemmer so soon after her last cycle. She'd told me that she had money, and that her mother had been an inhaber; that meant that she belonged to the nobility. It was unlikely that rutting with a Pylosian was part of her family's plans for her.

First thing this morning, before I woke up, she'd been mumbling 'No, no ...'

Themis glanced down. I followed suit. And there it was - my customary hard-on, swelling the front of my breeches.

She looked up at me.

- "There's no one else around." she said. "And my hemmer has barely started. It won't be evident until tonight, or tomorrow. Perhaps the day after."

She glanced at my erection again.

"That's for me, isn't it?"

I didn't know how to deny it.

- "Uh ... it's -"

- "That's ... very impressive." she said. "You become erect when I am near - and before I was even in hemmer?"

- "Yes." The truth of the matter was that any reasonably appealing female, pressed up against me all night, was probably going to produce a similar response.

- "You are attracted to me." she said.

- "From the first day I met you." I whispered. And that too was true.

- "Then, perhaps ... this was meant to happen." she said.

***

Themis was right: her hemmer didn't truly start until two days later. But she knew, for a certainty, that it was coming - and I was the only male within miles. She seemed happy about that, too. So she decided to enjoy the intervening hours, and treat them as an exercise in (mostly) non-physical foreplay.

- "Tell me about females in Pylos." she said. "If they do not go into hemmer, how do you prepare them for copulation?"

- "Well, I might ask her to share a meal with me."

- "We have shared many meals, since we met." she pointed out.

- "And I've enjoyed your company, each and every time."

- "Ah - I see! You say nice things to her, in the hope that it will produce a physical reaction. Does this warm her body? Does it cause her juices to flow?"

I had to laugh. "Sometimes, I suppose."

- "Why do you laugh? Say something else - something nice about me."

- "You're beautiful, Themis. Your hair is remarkable. Your body is strong, and yet curvaceous. You know the effect it produces on me."

- "Go on."

- "You're kind, and bright. Intelligent. Your answers to my questions are always precise, and clear. It's a pleasure to talk with you. I even enjoy walking or running with you - now."

- "But not on the first day." she laughed. "Oh ... it is working. I can feel myself growing warmer. Say something else. What do you like most about me?"

- "Your face." I said, without hesitation. "You are a beautiful woman, Themis. I love the shape of your face, the shape of your nose. Your lips, and that slightly crooked eyetooth that shows when you smile."

"And your eyes ... I've never seen their like."

All true. I wasn't wooing Themis, or trying to seduce her - except as a game. But she could tell that I meant every word. Her voice was a little thicker, when she replied.

- "And when you have ... warmed her, with your words ... what then?"

- "Then I might touch her, or take her hand." I reached over, and lifted her fingers, letting them rest on the palm of my hand. I stroked the backs of her fingers with my thumb.

With my other hand, I slowly reached up to brush back a strand of her amazing hair. I let my fingers trail across her cheek, and along the line of her jaw and chin.

"If I thought she wanted me to, I might even kiss her."

- "I think you should." she said.

Her lips were warm and soft. She kissed me softly, even gently. The fires of her passion were only beginning to kindle.

"How would you know," she asked, "if your woman wanted you to kiss her?"

- "Her body language - her posture, perhaps. We're aware of musk and pheromones, though our sense of smell is nowhere near as developed as yours. But most of all, I would look into her eyes. The eyes, we say, do not lie."

We walked around the camp, and stood gazing out at the beleaguered city. She slipped her hand into mine.

At the evening meal, she excused herself early. I followed her back to our tent.

- "Were you feeling uncomfortable?" I asked.

- "A little. Some of the soldiers can tell that I am close. They can feel it. I do not want them to be too jealous, that I have a strong, handsome male, when they do not."

- "Themis - are you trying to warm me?"

She laughed. "Perhaps I am."

At her request, we lay down, facing each other.

"Will this be difficult for you - the waiting?" she asked.

- "No. I'll enjoy being with you all the more, knowing what is to come. But there's still time, to send me away, if you prefer."

- "Don't be foolish." she said.

I stroked her hip, and her leg. She reached out to hold my other hand, and entwine her fingers with mine. Her hand was very warm.

- "Tell me again why you like me."

I did.

Later, she squeezed my hand. "Look into my eyes, Cook."

It was too dark to see much, but I knew what she was telling me. I leaned forward, and kissed her. Themis closed her eyes, and this time I felt it: her smoldering passion was awoken.

- "I think ... that I am ready now."

My heart was hammering in my chest. But I understood, clearly, that Themis was not like the other Westron females I'd seen in hemmer. Blue-haired Nystu appeared to be drugged, or drunk; Airta was a force of nature, a fucking juggernaut.

Themis had told me that all women were different. She was ready - but she wanted to be wooed, and to be loved. That was no hardship for me.

I kissed her, and then kissed her some more as I caressed her hips, and her legs. I gently removed her shirt, and fondled her breasts. I didn't neglect the thin strip of fur along her spine; when I stroked it, she cooed and pressed herself against me.

Then she insisted that my clothes had to come off - it took an entertaining session of contortions to get our clothes off without leaving the tiny tent.

Once we were naked, I took her in my arms, and kissed her tenderly. Her skin was hot now, but I still didn't rush her. I paid more attention to her breasts. Her nipples were tiny nubs in the centre of large aureoles, too small to pinch - but she moaned when I gently rubbed my thumb over them.

She loved, it too, when I squeezed and caressed her ass. I could feel, rather than see, when she broke off our kiss, smiling.

- "Is this how you would treat a Pylosian female?' she asked.

- "No. Only you."

That must have been a good answer. She moaned, and said: "I'm ready."

- "Almost." I said. Her arousal had built slowly, steadily. I had a feeling that a little more patience would be rewarded.

It wasn't easy, but I managed to get turned around enough, inside that little tent, to kiss my way across her stomach, and down her thighs. I gently spread her legs, and ran my nose through her little tuft of pubic hair.

Themis was holding her breath. When I finally ran my tongue along her slit, she moaned and clutched my hair. She was ready: wet, and hot, with swollen labia and an intoxicating scent.

I sucked her lips into my mouth, and inserted my tongue between them. She gasped, and reached between my legs, to stroke my cock. As I licked and sucked, she gently weighed my balls with her hand.

- "I'm ready, Cook. I'm ready now."

Somehow, I got turned around again, without collapsing our tent, and knelt between her legs. She took hold of my erection again, and led me directly to her core. Slowly, carefully, I entered her.

She was more than ready; I slid more than half the way on the first stroke. I pulled out, and pushed my entire length inside her on the second thrust.

I held it there, enjoying the incredible sensation. When I leaned forward to kiss her, she met me halfway. She wrapped her arms around me, spoiling my balance. I fell atop her, causing Themis to grunt as I drove the breath from her lungs.

She smiled at me; even in the dark of our tent, I could see her bright teeth. Then she began to laugh. Her belly shook, as she drew in a deep breath. I couldn't help it; I had to laugh with her.

It's difficult to laugh and have sex at the same time, so we stopped and laughed together. When she finally recovered, Themis smiled again.