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Moth Ch. 001

By: ellynei



'Moth' is a completed story and I will, until the end of it, be submitting one chapter a day to literotica. I hope they will appear on the site at about the same interval, and in the same order. 

Please forgive the redundant copyright messages, I've found that sometimes my stories are copypasted in part and used elsewhere.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

"Altwar forest," said the crone, "that is where your chance at great love awaits."

"Altwar," whispered Lei, her eyes widening with surprise. Not merely far away, but an entirely different forest. It was almost beyond her imagination. Although she had been told differently, she had always felt that her forest, Aribo forest, was infinite. 

"Altwar," repeated the crone with a sour tone and, if possible, wrinkled her nose with even more displeasure. The crone was always cranky.

"Is he a handsome man?" asked Lei, already past her former surprise. If a seer said her lover was to be found in another forest, then there was no doubt: other forests really did exist.

The crone made a disgusted, dismissing sound, then said:

"No."

Lei furrowed her brows, trying to digest that. She had always imagined her lover would be very handsome.

"It..." Lei hesitated. "It's not a... woman. Is it?"

"No," said the crone, turned her back to the young moth, and grabbed a large hunk of dry root, from a shelve.

"So... An ugly man," concluded Lei, to herself. Lost in thought she didn't notice the shiver running through the crone's body.

"I guess there are worse things than being ugly," added Lei.

"There are worse things than being ugly," said the crone.

Lei turned her attention back to her. The seer, being an ugly old crone, should know better than anyone.

"What else can you tell me?" asked Lei.

"Your mother will be putting up a whole strawberry for dessert tomorrow," said the crone, sounding more sour than ever. "Despite my forewarning, you will eat so much of it, that you won't be able to sleep all night for having to run out and piss."

"I meant about my lover," insisted Lei, with a whining tone. The seer never gave anyone much time to ask questions; having hers wasted on trivialities was pure agony.

The crone grabbed a knife the size of a small sword and started chopping away at the hunk of root.

"Please." Lei almost yelled her plea to be heard over the incessant sounds of metal cutting into dry, hard, sinewy root.

"Go away. I'm busy," yelled the crone, also to be heard over her work.

"Just say one more thing, please, just one," pleaded Lei.

The crone stopped chopping but kept her back to the young moth. 

"Children always want one more thing, just one, and then another, and then another after that. It never ends," she claimed, her voice more sour than ever.

"Just one," insisted Lei. "I promise I'll leave if you tell me just one more thing."

"Just one then," said the crone and snorted as if she didn't believe Lei's promise.

Lei opened her mouth only to realise she had no clue what to ask.

"Hah." The sound from the crone was more like a word than a laugh.

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"Is he strong and brave," blurted Lei, rushing to the first question she could think up.

"That's two questions," complained the crone.

Lei bit her lower lip, trying to choose which one of the two she wanted to know most but then changed her mind entirely.

"Will he think I am pretty?"

"He," said the crone and chopped her knife down hard on the root, "will think you are beautiful."

Lei made a delighted sound. A childish whine so high-pitched it almost hurt the crone's ears. Then she remembered her promise and swiftly turned and dashed out the crone's home.

The crone looked down at the root she had been chopping at. The hand, with which she was holding it was shaking. She laid down the knife but kept staring at the root for no other reason than to clear the images she had seen.

"I should have warned her, shouldn't I?" she asked.

"You told her no lies," said Death, his voice was friendly.

The crone sighed and turned to face him.

"I wish I had handled it better," she said. "But I won't be getting another chance now, will I?" The crone glanced at her bed. "It's strange. I don't feel tired at all."

"Yours is a sudden departure," said Death with a gentle smile and raised his hand.

The crone widened her eyes but had only the slightest moment to register fear before Death touched her.

"I think he is beautiful," said Death but there was no reproach in his voice. 

The crone was no more.

*

Feedback means a lot to me, whether it's critical, constructive, or simply a word of appreciation. But, I don't know how to respond to it, so, please, don't add your e-mail.

Moth Ch. 002



Posted on literotica.com with permission of author Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

*

Two years after the seer had died, Lei's parents still, on a nearly nightly basis, commented that life was harder without a seer. Oli's parents, who, as he, were butterflies, commented to the same end on a nearly daily basis.

Lei and Oli had first met the day they had left their respective first cocoons -- Oli at dawn, Lei at dusk -- and since then they had been inseparable, at dusk and dawn. Twilight, which the pair had named olilei-light, was all theirs.

Their parents had not objected to the friendship while the two had been small. But now that the unlikely twosome was as tall as their elders, and Oli had grown manly fur on chest and back, hints were being made to both of them that they needed to seek more appropriate company.

The dawn was summer-warm, as it had been for days. Lei was racing Oli, adamant as ever to prove that she, with her much smaller white-grey wings, could still outfly him. Oli stayed behind her, flapping his much larger wings at a much slower rate. With every dawn, it was becoming harder to pretend he couldn't catch up. His muscles were steadily growing to his latest wings.

When finally Lei landed, smiling triumphantly and panting for breath. Oli let himself fall flat beside her, hiding himself under his wings not to let her see that his own heavy breathing was assumed.

"I told you those big sheets were just for show," panted Lei, referring to his wings.

"Butterflies like to show off," agreed Oli, good naturedly, fully aware that his bright red, black-dotted, black-circled, wings made for a good sight.

"Moths like to be good at what they do," said Lei, proud as ever.

It was a thick old branch they had landed on. Thinking about time, Oli ran a hand along a ridge in the bark. He was becoming a man, during next winter's cocoon, his maturity would complete. Next summer, Lei would be where he was now. Next summer again she would be...

His feelings for her had changed the way his body had. He understood why their families were slowly trying to separate them. But, even if he understood, he wasn't sure he could carry such a separation.

"When will you be leaving for Altwar?" asked Oli.

"Altwar?" said Lei, with such surprise that Oli could just imagine her frowning.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

Nature had lavishly decorated Lei's white body with the broad black lines of her father's blood. On her forehead Lei had four of those black lines. When she frowned the most central two reformed from straight line to shapes more resembling broken arrows. It was such a charming trait of hers.

"You don't think I'm still planning to run off to Altwar, do you?" asked Lei, sounding somewhat offended.

"You never yet told me otherwise," said Oli. Her denial of such plans made his stomach tingle with hope.

"I'm not a senseless child anymore, you know."

"No, you aren't," agreed Oli.

"There are more important things to life than great love," continued Lei, then added. "Great love can be as much a curse as a blessing."

Oli was slightly surprised to hear those words from Lei's mouth. Though, considering the way she had ranted on about the topic back when the seer had died, he was sure she had heard them often enough.

"What about you?" asked Lei. With Lei, silence tended not to last. "Will you be chasing off after your great love?"

"The seer never told me where I could find her," said Oli.

"She didn't?"

Oli flapped his wings up so they stood out behind him as one, then got up on all four, then sat up folding his legs under him. The first year after the seer's death, Lei had kept talking about what she had said. None had been able to shut her up. Oli, who had never appreciated Lei's fantasies of leaving for another forest, had made a point of never telling anyone what the crone had told him.

He had seen the seer the very day before the night that Lei had.

"Will you ever tell me what she told you?" asked Lei.

Oli smiled at her, the way he always did when she asked what the seer had told him. Over the past two years, he had, by not telling, received more attention from her, than he imagined he ever would have by telling. Besides teasing her by not telling, gave him plenty excuse to eye her.

She was old enough not to be naked, but still so immature to only wear a thong. The lines on her torso were as distinct as symbols. Sometimes he would imagine they were spelling a tale, sometimes he imagined they were portraying her essence.

Next summer she would start growing breasts, and the lines on her chest would be at least partially hidden by clothing. Thinking of it, he felt heavy enough to crack a branch.

If her feelings for him didn't change when her body did, then his for her would surely drive them apart. But if her feelings became like his, then they would be facing an even worse peril.

If anything could be worse than losing her.

Oli wrestled his eyes from her and gazed instead at the nearest tree.

"She told me that you would be the best friend I would ever have," he said, finally revealing that two year old childish secret. "I had no clue what to ask her, so she just told me that and sent me on my way."

For a brief moment, Lei was silent, then she said the most peculiar thing.

"You know, Oli. Up close you really aren't handsome."

*

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Feedback means a lot to me, whether it's critical, constructive, or simply a word of appreciation. But, I don't know how to respond to it, so, please, don't add your e-mail.



Moth Ch. 003



A physicist might have a hard time enjoying this story, seeing as the low surface tension of the water in this world might confuse him. Suffice to say, their world is not ours; their trees do not rely on capillary forces to drink.

Please forgive the redundant copyright messages, I've found that sometimes my stories are copypasted in part and used elsewhere.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.





In spring, three years after the seer had died, the moths and butterflies of Aribo forest --home of Lei and Oli, faced true horror.

"What will we do, what will we do," Lei's mother had been chanting that to her youngest as if it were a lullaby. The child, who was still a larvae, was not comforted, and wailed in between sucking the woman's breast.

"We hide," said Lei's father. "None of us have it yet."

"But what if one of us gets it?" wailed Lei's older sister. "What then?"

"None of us will get it," stated Lei's father.

"We can't stay inside forever," said Lei's oldest brother, sharpening his spear. "We will need food."

"We can stay inside a good while longer," stated Lei's father.

Lei didn't interfere. Her family's fears seemed so unreal. She knew the plague killed more than half of those it hit, but she had never yet seen anyone with it. The warning had been yelled by a plague messenger, but no neighbours within yelling distance had had it yet. If everybody did as they should and stayed away from everybody else then it wouldn't spread, and everybody who didn't yet have it would be safe.

There was nothing to fear really.

They had plenty bows and arrows to fend off anyone trying to get close. More than plenty.



Through the first night after the plague-warning, Lei was infected by her family's fear. Out of their terror the plague grew from something imagined to something real.

By dawn she was holding her bow with a tight, white-knuckled grip, and when a voice yelled her name from outside she nearly fainted. It had to be Death himself.

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

"Lei," screamed the voice. "Lei."

Her father rushed to the ledge of their small hive, and raised his bow toward the sound.

"Lei," screamed the voice.

Her father shot an arrow, and the voice screamed with pain instead. It wasn't until then that Lei recognised it. It was Oli. Her Oli.

"Father, no," screamed Lei and rushed to the ledge.

Her father was already stringing another arrow. She pushed his arrow arm, ruining his aim.

"It's Oli," she screamed. "It's Oli."

Her father pushed her so hard that she fell.

"No," she screamed, struggling back to her feet, as he again raised his bow.

Her brother came out and got between her and their father. Instead of hopelessly trying to fight past her brother, she jumped off the ledge and flew into her father's aim, placing herself between him and Oli who had landed on a branch.

"Lei," yelled her father, "get back here."

Lei darted for Oli.

"No," screamed Oli. "Don't..." He held a hand out toward her, fingers spread, but she was already at him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Get away from me," sobbed Oli and tried to wrestle out of her protective grip. "I'm plagued."

Stunned Lei released him and Oli stepped back.

"Lei," he sobbed, and raised his arm, showing her the red boils of plague on it. "Why? Why did you have to touch me?"

Fear filled her throat and she stared down at her own arms which had held him.

"I came to say goodbye," sobbed Oli.

Behind Lei, back on the ledge of her home, her family was wailing with horror and grief. Her mother's scream was most distinct of all.

"My baby," the woman wailed, "My little girl."

"Why did you touch me?" sobbed Oli again. His voice stung harder than the fear.

Lei's eyes returned to her friend. Her father's first arrow was sticking out of Oli's upper thigh. Blood was streaming down his leg.

"You're hurt," said Lei, and swallowed her fear.

"He is hurt," she yelled back over her shoulder. "We need bandages and straps."

"Fly away," yelled her father. "Both of you."

"We need bandages," yelled Lei.

"Go now," yelled her father. "Leave or we shoot."

Lei turned and her eyes widened with disbelief. Her father, her sisters, and her brothers, were all aiming bows at her.

"Leave now, or die where you stand."

"We need..." began Lei again, but was interrupted by an arrow landing in front of her feet.

"Lei," sobbed Oli, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to..."

Another arrow landed in front of Lei's feet and she jumped back.

"The next one will kill you," yelled Lei's father.

"Flee," said Lei, and pushed Oli off the branch, leaving him no other choice than to fly. She jumped after him.



Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Oli was still weeping when he landed, he had only flown far enough for them to be out of sight of any hive.

"Don't come near me," he screamed, when Lei landed close to him.

"Your leg needs mending," said Lei. She was not weeping.

"I'm plagued," sobbed Oli, limping backwards away from her. "Don't touch me or you might catch it too."

"I've already touched you," said Lei.

"You only touched me once, there's still a chance you aren't infected."

Lei leapt forward, jumped onto him, and pushed him, back down, to the branch. She curled both arms around his head, spun her legs around his as best she could, and started licking his face.

Oli struggled, screamed and kicked, but couldn't get her off him.

Lei licked his cheeks, his lips, his nose, his forehead, and finally licked all his tears off his cheeks. She kept licking, till he lay still below her emptied of all fight.

"Now I have it too," she said.

"I love you," sobbed Oli, and wrapped his arms around her.

"You're my friend," replied Lei. "I'd never abandon you."

"I wish you had," said Oli, sobbing heavier than ever.

The pair spent the dawn tending to Oli's wounded thigh. Neither of them was a healer but they had luck on their side. The arrow had done as little damage as a fully embedded arrow-head could possibly do to an upper thigh. Lei used her breasthider as a bandage. She wouldn't have anything worth hiding until fall anyhow.

"We need to find a plague camp before we get too sick," said Oli. "All we need to do is survive till winter. Once we emerge from our winter-cocoons the forest will be rid of the plague."

"Plague camps are for those who wish to return when the plague is gone," said Lei. "We will survive, but I am never going back. I will never refer to those cowards as my kin again." Lei spat off the branch as if something vile had entered her mouth. "They wouldn't even throw us bandages, and that would have been perfectly safe."

"But where would we go?" asked Oli, gently.

"We will fly to Altwar," said Lei, her voice frozen with repressed anger.

"Altwar," repeated Oli, and closed his eyes with disappointment.

"There I will be the best friend you ever had," said Lei.

Oli pressed his eyes harder together, trying to hold back fresh tears. He wouldn't have believed he still had any left if not for them pushing against his eyelids.

"And there," continued Lei, "I will find you, and you will be my great love."

Oli opened eyes and mouth wide with surprise, gaping at the young moth in front of him.

"Up close, you really aren't handsome," said Lei, with a small apologetic smile. "And, you do think I am beautiful, don't you?"

"More than anything," said Oli, and pulled her down to him. "More than anything in the world."

He hugged her tight and laughed up at the treetops. It didn't matter if their offspring would be moth, butterfly, beetle, or abomination. He would love them as he loved Lei.

"Altwar," he whispered and kissed her white cheek.

"Altwar," promised Lei.





*

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Moth Ch. 004



Written by Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

*

"We're here," said Lei, released the rope, and let it fall to the ground.

They had been there a while, but she had decided not to declare it until the forest's edge was out of sight.

"Altwar," she clarified.

Exhausted she sank to her knees.

"What now, Oli?"

There was no reply, only that horrible stench. She had lost count of how many nights had passed since he died.

Lei curled into a tight ball and covered herself with her ragged wings.

"What do we do now?" she whispered and closed her eyes.

Since Oli had died she hadn't thought further than to get him to Altwar. Having arrived she was emptied of whatever insane power had enabled her to drag his corpse that far.

If anything, her and Oli's venture had taught her that life was not fair. They had both suffered the plague and they had both survived to travel onward. When their last boils had dried out and fallen off with hardly a threat of scars, their success had seemed certain.

In spite of how weak they had felt after the illness, they had laughed and sung. Good spirit had been their unspoken travelling companion. The cold Oli had conceived a few days later hadn't dampened their mood. They had laughed at it. After surviving the plague itself, who could anything but laugh at a common cold?

Lei would never laugh at a cold again. Having had a rotting corpse as only companion for so long she doubted she would ever again laugh at all.

The forest bed was not a place to sleep, but Lei was too exhausted to realise she was nodding off.

As it was, the stench of Oli's decay saved Lei's life. The bugs that would notice a delicious moth sleeping on the forest bed were far more attracted by the closeby rotting butterfly. While Lei slept, a battle between ants and a beetle-beast took place next to her. Eventually, the ants received reinforcements and the beetle-beast lost more than his prize.

Lei was woken by a horrifying wail. Even as she jumped to her feet, she recognised the sound to be a beast's scream of death. Protectively she spun to Oli's corpse and froze with fear at the sight of forest ants.

Since Oli had died, she had fought off several scavenging beetle-beasts. Ants were different. Ants knew no fear and ants fought in flock. What ants lacked in intelligence they made up for in numbers and perseverence.

The beasts were meticulously cutting Oli and a large beetle-beast to transportable pieces.

Lei couldn't move. If she were a larvae that would be the right thing to do. Just be still and hope the beasts wouldn't notice her, but when an ant approached her, her body remembered that she had wings and Lei took off with a scream of horror and grief.

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Travelling with Oli, she had learned to fly in blinding daylight. In the open land between forests one didn't need much sight to avoid obstacles. Squinting her eyes against the light of day, Lei bashed through the unfamiliar Altwar forest. Her wings were torn in many places from the hardships she and Oli had faced, before and after his death.

A sensible moth would have landed up high and awaited night. But sense was no friend of Lei's as she tried to flee a far too fresh memory of busy ant jaws. Faster and faster she flew. Her exhaustion as defeated as her mind by that too recent sight.

As she had been raised to, she flew high in the trees where branches and leaves were dense. She could only just see well enough to dodge them.

If she hadn't been half mad by then, she would have known better. As it was, she collided head on with a web. The web was fresh: still perfectly elastic and unbelievably sticky.

For the second time that day, Lei froze with fear. Her sanity returned, rendering her mercilessly sharp.

Spiders were natural enemies of moth-beasts, but rarely devoured actual moths. Mostly because moths had wit and knew to watch for webs.

Lei kept absolutely still. Sometimes a spider would be lazy and wouldn't bother to instantly remove a stray leaf from its web. If she lay absolutely still, the beast would think her to be merely a leaf. That was the theory at least. Lei had never before been so stupid as to fly into a web. Vibrations in the web was how a spider told prey from debris.

The wind caught in her wings pushing her and the web with her backwards. Lei swallowed, pushing her fear down into her stomach freeing her throat for breathing. Her front and the fronts of both her wings were stuck to the web. She was trying to remember what she had been told of breaking free of webs. It had been so long ago.

The first instructions had been don'ts.

"Don't get into a web in the first place," had been the most imperative.

Her one arm was only stuck at one point near her wrist. She tugged it free, shoved it through one of the net's masks and made a move for Oli's knife, which she had worn on her upper thigh since his death. She couldn't reach it.

Vibrations. There were vibrations in the net and she wasn't the one causing them. The spider was approaching.

She pulled her free arm back up, shoved it through another mask, and fumbled for the knife. She could almost reach it. She bent her body against the web, stretching it, and finally got hold of the knife's handle. She pulled it free and wildly started carving at a strand of the web.

The web vibrated more fiercely. The spider had sped up. Lei screamed when it reached her. Spinning her head, eyes widened in spite of the light, she saw black spider legs on all sides of her. The spider's body had to be at least as large as hers to have legs long enough to span her wings without touching them, but Lei couldn't twist her neck enough to look; it was straight behind her.

"How dare you cut my web," snarled the creature.

Lei's eyes widened even further and she again went absolutely still, staring away from the monster. It was a man's voice.

"I'm sorry," she squeezed out through terror numb lips. "I thought you were a spider.

"I am a spider," snarled the man's voice.

"I..." stuttered Lei. "I meant I though... thought you were a spider-beast." 

Where she was from, spider-beasts were called spiders. The mere thought of a spider with the mind and body of a man was nauseating. She had heard stories of such abominations, but never imagined to meet something so vile.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

"Let go of the knife," ordered the creature.

"I... I need it," protested Lei. "It's my only knife."

"You," said the creature, from behind Lei pressing one of its hard limbs against the base of her neck, "need to let go of it."

Lei closed her eyes against the painful light of day and let the knife drop.

"What a waste of a perfectly good web," complained the spider running the tip of his limb down Lei's back. "All skin and bones and dry, dusty wings."

"Please don't eat me," pleaded Lei.

"Eat you." The spider sounded offended. "There's nothing to eat. You look like you haven't eaten all summer. I doubt there's even enough blood in you to wet my tongue."

Lei let her head sag in resignation. After what she had been through, being taunted and killed by an abomination seemed a natural end.

"You are pathetic," said the spider. "I ought to cut off your wings and let you fall for ruining my web."

The spider pulled one of Lei's legs free of the web. Lei did her best not to imagine how much it would hurt if he pulled it off her, did her best not to imagine what it would be like to listen to the sounds of her own leg being munched down. The spider pulled her other leg free, still holding the first up and away from the web. Then there was a ripping sound and the spider released both her legs.

Lei shrieked with surprise when her legs fell through where the web had been and dangled freely.

"Don't piss yourself, Scrawny," said the spider, accompanied by ripping sounds.

Lei had only time to realise the spider was cutting the web around her, before she was in free fall, disconnected web still clinging to her front and wings.

She flapped her wings to stop the fall. They didn't move right. Elastic web still connected them across her front. In her desperate attempt not to fall to the ground, she flew straight into the trunk of a tree. From there she fell straight down a few bodylengths and landed hard on a thick branch. And there she remained.



Moth Ch. 005



Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

"If you have to sleep unguarded, then find a predator's nest and kill the inhabitant. If its likes are unaware of its death, you are likely not to be disturbed. The beast's neighbours would take your delectable scent to simply be the aroma of the predator's dinner."

The old, scarred, bat-hunter had with a wide grin tapped the side of his nose as he delivered that statement. Lei missed him achingly as she missed so many others back home. She didn't allow herself to miss her family.

Lei had made herself a camp one branch below the spider's web. If a freshly dead predator's home was a fairly safe place to spend the day, having a live predator merely a branch away had to be even safer. Assuming it wouldn't change its mind about not eating you.

The first days, she had had trouble sleeping. Her mind had overflowed with images of hard black spiderlegs caging her. Then, in the fourth night, she managed to find Oli's knife on the forest bed. Sleep came easier when she held its hilt.

The spider seemed to always be hiding at some edge of his web. Sometimes she would catch a glimpse of him being under a leaf or crouching in a crevice. She'd always avert her gaze rather than catch a second glance. Her imagination fed her more than she wanted to know, or guess, of how manly features manifested on a spider that wasn't a beast.

Lei was happier not knowing.

If Oli had survived, if he and her had mated, then something like the spider might have spawned from her womb. Oli had insisted that he would love any outcome of their love, and so had she. But, how could anyone ever love something like that creature?

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It was almost absurd that the spider had criticised her looks. But, if one didn't consider how he looked, his comment had been well-placed. Lei should have grown to near maturity that summer, instead she had starved and worked herself nearly out of her skin. She had only enough meat and blood in her to survive night to night. That wouldn't suffice for a winter-cocoon.

Lei ate everything edible she came across. Her stomach had shrunk in the long distance between home and Altwar and she easily felt full, but she learned to force herself past that. If she didn't fatten soon, she wouldn't survive winter.

To Lei's luck, Altwar was having an unusually rich fall that year. Food was plentiful. Her stomach soon bulged. First with undigested food, later with hastily accumulating fat. It was as if her torso had no time to evenly divide the wealth between her limbs and instead kept it all to itself. It was a worrying state for the young moth, who couldn't keep track of her feeding state when all her winter's fat was in one place.

Near fall's end, she was woken by a touch. Startled she swung her knife even as she opened her eyes. The blade met only air, but her eyes made out a huge black form in the blinding daylight.

"Nice reflexes, Scrawny," said the spider.

Lei jumped into a defensive crouch, with her ragged wings spread and ready to fly.

"What do you want?" demanded Lei, angrily squinting at the black form. Her heart was still pounding with fright of being unexpectedly woken.

"You don't see very well in daylight, do you?" asked the spider.

"I see well enough," lied Lei, menacingly swinging her blade at one of the spider's legs.

The spider didn't move, but Lei's blade met only air. He wasn't as close as her eyes had misinformed her.

"Moths are too weak to live alone," said the spider, despise in his voice. "You should be with your kind. Especially in your condition."

"What's that supposed to mean?" snarled Lei.

"Or do you intend to leave it to die?"

The despise in the spider's words was so thick that Lei imagined it dropping from his mouth, or jaws, or whatever he had, in big slimy drops.

"Leave what to die?" she asked.

"Your baby," said the spider and without warning simultaneously grabbed the wrist of her knife hand and pushed her to her back. "You fucked something other than a moth, didn't you?" he demanded.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"Let go," yelled Lei, kicking at the dark mass above her but hitting nothing but air. His legs were longer than hers.

"You fucked something," snarled the spider, and pinned down her legs too.

Lei moved her free hand to her knife hand, but the spider took hold of that too.

"And now," continued the monster. "You fear what is inside you. So you've gone into hiding to find out."

Lei, feeling something touch the bare skin of her belly, closed her eyes and sobbed with disgust.

"Do you intend to let it die no matter what it is?" snarled the spider. "Or are you waiting to see if it's something nice before you decide?"

"I'm not pregnant," sobbed Lei. "I didn't fuck him. He died before I could. He died."

"Don't lie to me," hissed the spider.

"I'm not lying," screamed Lei. "And I'd never let my baby die if I had one. Not even if it was something like you."

The spider again prodded her belly.

"It's fat," said Lei.

The spider poked at it and made it wobble. Lei grimaced with disgust.

"Maybe it is," said the spider and released her. "I guess I should pity you, Scrawny. You're even uglier than I am. All skin and bones and belly."

"I don't need your pity," hissed Lei.

"Sure you don't," commented the spider, crawling vertically up the trunk of the tree. His tone was sarcastic.

"What's that supposed to mean?" yelled Lei after him. "All you ever did for me was not eat me."

The spider made no reply.

Lei curled into a ball and wept. Long before she fell asleep, she promised herself that come night she would find another place to camp.

Well past sunset, Lei drowsily opened her eyes to the pleasently dimmed light of night. For a moment her daytime visit seemed to have been nothing but a bad dream, but then she saw a light bruise on her wrist where he had held her and fury heated her blood. She was in a right mind to sneak up on him and... Lei clutched her knife tight but tempered herself. Risking her life to avenge such simple humiliation was nothing but stupid, especially when there was so little chance of success.

There was a scratch mark next to her bedding. Lei involuntarily shuddered. The spider could as easily have scratched her as the bark. She'd pack what little belongings she had made herself in the months she had spent at his tree and leave. She threw the twig she was conditioning for a bow, the snailshell pieces she was sharpening for arrowheads, and her not-yet-finished thread-weave onto her handwoven grasscarpet. While she was rolling all of it into one tight bundle, her eyes again fell on the scratches.  

Four diagonal lines.

Lei frowned. Those scratches looked more like something a lizard would make than anything else. She put down her small bundle of belongings and more closely inspected the scratches. Each was as far apart as the width of her hand. 

It couldn't possibly be what it looked like: scratch marks made by a lizard desperately grabbing for a solid hold on the branch. If a lizard had been by while she slept, she wouldn't be alive to inspect the marks.

Lei peered out from the branch in the direction the marks pointed, crawling forward till she could see straight down. Many bodylengths down, there was a broad old branch. On that lay a lizard, belly up. Lei scrambled backwards, grabbed her bundle, and held it tight staring at the lizard scratch marks. The spider hadn't been her only visitor that day.

What crazy luck had saved her life?

She took a while to stop shivering and even longer to gather enough courage to go inspect the dead animal.

On its underbelly, the dead lizard had eight matching bruises. Each as wide as the one on Lei's wrist. Looking for a cause of death, Lei rolled the beast over. The only injury she found on its backside was two small holes on the back of its neck. The tissue around the holes was swollen.

"Poison," whispered Lei, and finally understood the spider's parting comment. He had saved her life.

She jumped off the old branch and flew up to the spider's web.

"Hello?" she called, hovering in the air, careful not to get close to the sticky strands.

"What do you want?" snarled the spider.

Lei turned in the air to face him. Most of him was hidden behind a still green leaf.

"You killed that lizard, didn't you?" asked Lei.

"I thought it would be tasty," said the spider. "I was wrong."

"Thank you," said Lei.

For a few moments she waited for a reply, but none came.

"Did you get hurt?" she asked, expecting that even a poisonous spider would have a hard time killing a lizard.

"Do you really think I'd risk myself to rescue you, Scrawny?" commented the spider, spitting out his nickname for her.

"My name is Lei," said Lei, struggling to retain a friendly tone. "What's yours."

The spider didn't reply.

A sudden gust of wind pushed Lei toward the web. A few decisive flaps of her wings brought her back out to a safe distance.

A moth-beast following the wind, passed Lei and flew into the net. Finding itself stuck, the mindless beast frantically flapped its wings, only managing to stick itself even tighter to the trap. It was a pretty beast with brownish fur and an intricate yellow and brown pattern on its wings.

The spider left his place of hiding and soundlessly skittered across his web to his prey.

Lei remained in the air. Her mouth dried out as she watched the spider secure his prey with a minimum of fresh white web, before biting into it's soft underbelly. The fight was swifter and more intelligent than that of a spider-beast.

There was very little man in the shape of the spider. She had caught a glimpse of a man's face with skin as shining black as the armor of his eight purely spider legs. What she had seen of his body was pure spider too.

Lei fought herself not to be disgusted by what she saw. It wasn't easy. The moth beast, which was almost as large as her, relaxed in his hold. It was still alive. It's antennae fluttered. The beast looked to be in ecstasy rather than pain. It could still move, she saw, yet it was no longer trying to break free. The spider was sucking the life out of it and it didn't seem to mind.

She wished he would kill it and put it out of its misery. Eating something alive was too beastial an act for anything with a mind.

The spider's legs were curling around the moth exhibiting a spider-beast's intimate hug of death. His manly face was hidden against the moth-beast's belly. At that moment, Lei could see nothing to proof that he was anything but a beast.

She turned her back to him and flew down to her own branch. She had intended to ask his permission to skin the lizard, but she couldn't talk to him now.

If he had objections, she would give him the hide later.



Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 006



Please forgive the redundant copyright messages, I've found that sometimes my stories are copypasted in part and used elsewhere.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

On the last day of fall, Lei still lived in the spider's tree and had reason to believe that, since the lizard, he had saved her from a couple more daytime predators.

Her swiftly accumulated fat had rearranged itself, making it obvious that she was fall-chubby and not pregnant. She had pointed out her new appearance to "Black", (his refusal to offer his name had forced her to nickname him,) but he still referred to her as "Scrawny".

Not that they talked enough to have much need for names or nicknames. Black hadn't approached her since the day he had saved her life by killing a lizard, had woken her, and had accused her of being an aspiring baby-murderer. Lei only approached him when her loneliness became unbearable and that wasn't too often.

She had been too busy to be lonely. In between gathering and eating a whole summer's worth of food, she had had to craft tools for survival. She didn't believe for a moment that every season would be as plentiful as this unusual fall. Not even in the forest of her childhood's dreams. Also, she couldn't rely on Black's protection forever, and even if she could, she shouldn't.

So she had made weapons for herself. A primitive bow, a few dozen arrows, and a spear. She had also made a couple of primitive knives, to spare the one she had inherited from Oli. She had also made, and worn down, a couple of woodpeckers. To enlarge an old bug-hole in the tree's trunk.

On this last day of fall, the old bughole was large enough to accomodate a cocoon. She had carefully lined the hole with dry moss, round fragments of sieve, and as many feathers as she had been able to get her hands on.

It would be her first winter alone. She wished she didn't have to cocoon through it. As terrifying as it would be to face the cold awake, as hard as it might be to find food during winter, the thought of unguarded sleeping through it all was terrifying.

From the amount of corpses Black was webbing undried, she had guessed he wouldn't be sleeping all through the cold. Through the last month of fall she had tried to convince herself to beg him to protect her cocoon, but she hadn't been able to swallow her pride long enough to ask.

Written by Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

This was the last day of fall. Her web glands had woken and were producing the liquid silk. Her stomach had had to empty itself of acid and the remains of her last meal to make room for it. The vomiting had voken her in the middle of the day. Now sunset was approaching, the vomiting had long ceased, her wings had drained and fallen off, and she was safely in her hole.

Soon the liquid silk would be ready and she would have to cocoon. Then she would sleep for five months. When she woke, she would have new wings, and her body would have matured to full adulthood. If she woke that was...

Terror iced her skin. Her branch was closer to Black than this hole was. When she had slept on the branch, Black would happen to see danger heading her way. Down here, in this hole, he wouldn't "happen" to see anything. What if he didn't even realise this was where she would be hiding?

Surely he had seen her work on the hole? She had seen him work on his. But would he check on her? Was she too far down?

She had to ask him.

Lei crawled out of her hole. Her back felt naked without wings. With hands and feet she crawled up the trunk, carefully grabbing hold in the bark's deep ridges. Climbing was frightening when you had no wings. If she lost her grip she would fall and break every bone in her body, or simply die.

Finally she made her way to Black's branches.

"Hello?" she called.

There was no reply.

"Hello?" she tried again, louder.

There was only silence.

Lei shivered, not just from fear. It was cold.

"Hel..." she began, but was cut off by a burp. With the burp came a smooth liquid. Automatically she opened her mouth and spat.

On contact with the air, the liquid became silk.

Lei closed her mouth. Fine strands of silk, hang from her lips.

"Black," she yelled, and more silk spurted from her mouth.

She covered her mouth with a hand. She couldn't cocoon out here. She'd never survive winter if she did. Her stomach turned in an attempt to empty itself. She forced it back.

There wasn't time to get back to her hole. She turned back to the trunk and desperately crawled for Black's winter-hole. She could only hope he would forgive her.

Lei only just made it inside before puking out a big squirt of silk. With her hands she spun it around her feet.

If Black had been there, she would have tried to tell him she was sorry.

She really was. She hadn't intended to invade his privacy.

Another squirt of silk erupted from her mouth and with one hand spinning silk above her head, and the other hand spinning it around her legs, she slowly cocooned her lower half.

Black's winterhole was unbelieveably warm and soft. It was lined with spidersilk, but there was absolutely no stickiness to it. Here her cocoon would be even safer from the cold than in her own hand-made hole.

Again she vomited silk.

Of all the days Black could have used for an excursion, why did this have to be it?

How would he react when he came home and found her wrapped in her own silk like his food was in his?

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

Lei wept while her silk glands again filled her stomach sack.

"What are you doing?" Black's voice was harder than ever.

She turned her face to him. Black's face was in the opening of his hole, his body was outside. He looked angry.

Silken web hang from Lei's lips, to her hands, to her waist. She tried to speak but no sound came out, only more silk. She held it out to him, trying to explain she had no choice, but she had no time to perform a pantomime. More silk erupted and she had to use it.

"What is happening to you?" asked Black.

Maybe it was her imagination, but there was a note of desperation in his voice. She looked at him. If her eyes expressed just a quarter of her feelings, then maybe he would understand.

There was no more time to communicate. Silk streamed continuously from her mouth and instinct told her hands where to place it.



Moth Ch. 007



Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

*

Kokata usually liked winter, especially when there was snow. Cold had never harmed him.

One night, years earlier, he had crawled up high and laid himself in the snow on the treetops. Kokata had expected the pale man to eventually come. He hadn't. Instead the world had slowly sped up.

Day had come far sooner than he had believed a night could pass. And the sun of day had moved so swiftly he had almost been able to see the movement, and the occasional winter-birds had sped across the sky like shooting stars. It had been like a dream.

Eventually, he had risen. Moving about in the snow, he had realised that it wasn't the world that had sped up. It was he who had slowed. Cold made him slow.

During his childhood, he had often allowed himself the full of winter's chill, had allowed the winter's to fly past. But, he was no longer a child. He hadn't kept exact track but guessed that maybe four years had passed since he had stopped growing. Nowadays he cherished the peace of winter, and did his best to stay warm not to waste it.

This winter wasn't peaceful though, not for him. This winter he carried a fright inside him. Some days it kept him locked inside his warm hole.

This was one of those.

He had woken sometime around noon and had realised his hole was colder than usual, and had put a web over the hole's opening to keep the heat inside and the cold out. In normal winters, that wouldn't have bothered him. By shivering he could easily generate enough heat inside himself to return time to normal. But this winter was different. This winter the cold could disrupt more than time.

Kokata forced himself to shiver even harder. He could still see his breath as white fog.

"You're an idiot," he scolded himself.

Since he woke and discovered the cold, he had pressed himself against the tall oval thing that had no business being in his lair. He had hugged it and he had shivered trying to generate enough heat to protect it from the cold.

If he had covered the opening before going to sleep, the cold wouldn't have made it inside.

Why had the stupid girl cocooned herself in his lair?

He had watched her spending countless hours preparing a hole of her own. 

Why had she snuck into his instead?

"You're an idiot too," he scolded the cocoon.

If she expected him to protect her cocoon she could have at least told him how. He didn't know anything about cocoons. He wasn't a moth.

What if the cold had killed her?

"Stupid, scrawny, creature," complained Kokata and turned his face further from the cocoon. He wasn't sure what tears would do to the construction.

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He wished his lair was smaller. A smaller space would be easier to heat.

Then something occurred to him.

"You really are an idiot," he scolded himself and started weaving behind his back.

He had spent so many years not worrying about cold that he had practically forgotten what others with mind did about it.

Soon, he had completed an insulating blanket. With that he covered himself and the cocoon.

"There you go," said Kokata. "Soon we'll have you as warm as summer."

With the aid of a cover it didn't take long to shiver the cocoon warm and Kokata could finally rest. He had never known shivering could be that exhausting.

"Are you still alive in there?" he asked the cocoon, pressing his ear against it.

As usual there was no sound from inside. No tell-tale sign. For all he knew she could have been dead since the day she webbed herself in. He hadn't seen Death, but he hadn't been looking either. Her web had come out of her mouth of all places. Some might have got stuck and strangled her.

His web came out of its own place on the tail end of his body.

He raised a leg, stiffened the clingers on its underside, and aligned them. Her web was thinner than his. It would be so easy to... Kokata closed his eyes and resisted the temptation. He could rip a cocoon open, but he couldn't put it back together again. 

"It's allright, Lei," he whispered. "I'll wait."

He had never used her name to her face. Not even once.

He shouldn't have nick-named her scrawny. There was nothing wrong with her being scrawny. In a way it was nice that she was so ugly, it made her seem more like someone... someone who... It lessened the distance between them and made her more like someone who could maybe be his friend.

Kokata had never had a friend. This winter he was realising that even just having someone who might one day become a friend was... invaluable.

He was glad he hadn't told her his name though. He hated his name. He couldn't think of anyone who would have liked to be named after a legendary snail monster.

So smelly that even the hardiest of heroes would faint if not for mud up his nose.

So ugly that none could behold him without puking even his intestines up.

Kokata grimaced. He had been right to leave the place where people knew his name.

The scrawny moth in the cocoon was the first person to ever make him a nickname that wasn't nasty.

Black.

Of all the people he had ever met, apparently she was the first who had noticed something about him that wasn't appalling.

He was black. Every part of him. And there was absolutely nothing wrong with being black.

Kokata smiled against the cocoon.

"I'm Black," he whispered.

If she should ever again ask his name, he would say, "I'm Black."

*

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

By the way, if you can't wait to find out what happens next, you can contact me via the feedback function to have the whole thing e-mailed.



Moth Ch. 008



Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

*

Kokata was indecisive. He didn't want to leave his lair unguarded, but he also didn't want his stomach-ache to get any worse.

For the tenth time he inspected the web-tunnel he had build around the opening of his lair, securing it from curious unwelcome guests. Nothing but a spider-beast, or a spider, could traverse that tunnel.

He had never met another spider, and no spider-beast had ever invaded his lair. Spider-beasts had little brain, but generally knew better than to invade the home of a spider until they knew his size.

Another cramp hit his abdomen.

There really was no reason for him not to go fetch the roots he needed. The cocoon was safe where it was.

What predator would bother with a hard cocoon anyhow when the world was infested with big fat spring larvas?

Finally making up his mind, Kokata spun from his lair and crawled down the trunk as fast as his legs would carry him. He'd hurry.

Lei was fast asleep. She had woken several times through the winter. More times than she usually did in a winter-cocoon. Warmth had stirred her. But, from somewhere deep inside, a soothing voice had whispered to her.

"Not yet," it had said.

Every time Lei had gone back to sleep, waiting for the voice and its message to change.

Lei was a stone at the bottom of a river. She was a an arrow resting in a quiver. She was a bud waiting for spring. But most of all she just slept, waiting for that signal. If the signal didn't come, she would wait forever. Inside her cocoon, she knew the faces of both Death and Life. They were both beautiful. Always young, always loving.

"Soon," said the voice from deep within. "Soon," it insisted.

Lei stirred.

"Soon," wheezed the voice, and Lei listened.

"NOW!" it screamed, with equal parts delight and desperation.

Lei woke and gasped for air. She was in a trap. Caught, confined, and claustrophobic. She screamed out the little air she had. Freedom and life was synonymous. She had to break out or she would die where she was.

Her stomach was heavy with the acid that didn't burn flesh. Lei spat it out. It wasn't her first time being born, but she didn't need experience to do it right, instinct ruled her actions. The hard silk around her softened to the fumes of her spit, and she wormed for the opening created by her direct spits. Like a larvae she squeezed through it.

Within minutes she was out of the cocoon.

"I made it," she whispered to herself, and laughed. "I'm alive."

She rolled over, toward the light, the last part was always the easiest. Exiting, rolling out her wings, and letting them dry to use.

The light was sharp. It was daytime. That didn't bother her though. Sunlight was excellent for wing-drying. She crawled for the opening, her still useless wings dragging behind her. She put both hands in the opening, pulled herself to it, and froze.

Her exit led into a tunnel of web glistening with spider-glue.

"Black," she screamed. "BLACK!"

Already half-blind from the stark light, she searched for a way to crawl out.

"BLACK!" she screamed. If she didn't unfold her wings before they dried they would never unfold. "BLACK WHERE ARE YOU!"

Terrified by the prospect of losing her wings, Lei put a hand into the web tunnel. It landed on glue. She screamed and pulled at it. It wouldn't budge.

"BLACK HELP ME!" screamed Lei.

Putting all her weight behind the pull, she finally managed to free her hand. Her eyes wide with terror, she clutched it to her chest. If one of her wings caught to that glue there would be no way to free it without tearing it.

"BLACK!" Lei forced herself to be silent and listen for the spider, but there was no sign of him.

Her stomach turned, complaining at the fear and the last remains of undigestive acid.

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Lei turned and stared around Black's hole, searching for something with which to cut his web. There was nothing. Black didn't use utensils. His body was the only tool he needed.

"Black," sobbed Lei, and burped, the last of the acid wanted out. There was always a little surplus left after breaking free. "Why did you do this to me?"

She hiccuped and burped nearly simultaneously. The effect was nauseating. She opened her mouth and a drop of cocoon-breaking acid fell to the floor.

"Why?"

A moth without wings couldn't fend for herself. She would be a helpless cripple. Her stomach constricted in an attempt to empty itself, but Lei was too upset for it to pass her throat.

"Why?" she sobbed, tracing the opening with her fingertips. The web was solidly fastened to the wood with hard knobs of dry glue. She tore at one of the knobs, tore at the dry strand leading from it. Neither budged.

"Let me out. Please let me out."

Behind her, her wings were filling. Soon they would stiffen into an unflyable form.

Her stomach turned again, complaining at the cocoon-breaking acid. If only Black's web had been made of moth silk, then she could just have puked on it.

Lei closed her eyes. Spitting on a spider's web was not a way to free yourself, she had been instructed when she was a child. Normal spit would no more harm a spider's web than it would a cocoon.

Lei shook her head. Normal spit wouldn't harm a cocoon. Normal spit!

Lei gathered all the saliva in her mouth and spat it on the strand she had been tearing at. Again she pulled at it and it broke. Lei spat at another strand, and another, using her fingers to guide her, the separate strands were hard to see in the sharp light.

It was going too slowly, there was no way she could make it in time.

Her stomach turned again, with more force than before. Her throat refused to constrict. The remaining cocoon-breaking acid spewed out of her and landed in a gooey pile in the bottom of the opening. Having no time to bless the luck in her misfortune, Lei dipped both hands into the goo and spread it up both sides of the opening. She repeated the motion over and over, trying to spread the gooey acid evenly.

She was still at it when a mere gust of wind, tore all the burned strands connecting the web-tunnel to the opening. For a moment Lei couldn't believe her light tortured eyes and merely stared out the cleared exit. Then she scrambled out and crawled away from the web-tunnel, lest the wind should blow it back at her.

She kept crawling till she was more than well out of reach of the tunnel, then she collapsed to her stomach and let her wings roll out.

She had made it in time.

Kokata's stomach ache was gone but he did not feel good. Not good at all. The pain was gone but the fright that had haunted him all winter filled his stomach and it was worse than the pain had ever been.

He shouldn't have left, and he most certainly shouldn't have been gone for as long as he had.

Why had he listened to his stomach when it insisted he should look further instead of turn back?

He had left only a little past noon. Now the sun was setting. Kokata had a very bad feeling about what he would find when he got back. The closer he was, the worse was the feeling.

He dreaded the return yet didn't slow down. While searching for the plant which roots he had needed, Kokata had travelled along the forest bed. While speeding home he travelled along the high branches, jumping from one to the other. To his luck, he spotted Lei sooner than he did his dismantled web-tunnel. If it had been the other way around the shock would have been terrible.

The white, black-striped moth stood on one of the highest branches in their tree. She seemed to be admiring the last stages of sunset. Relaxed by relief, Kokata jumped to their tree and silently skittered up its trunk. Out of old habit he hid himself from Lei by staying on the other side of the trunk while moving. When he was at the same height as her, he slowly circled the trunk to get her back in sight.

While moving he tried to make up his mind how to address her. Scrawny or Lei.

For him she had been gone a long time, but for her it had probably been just one long night, or day, Lei always slept through the day. She was a moth after all.

Then she was in his sight and Kokata forgot what he was thinking.

The moth had her back to him. Her wings were new. They had almost the same pattern her old ones had had. But her old wings had been so ragged and torn the pattern had seemed little more than smudges of dirt. 

Lei rustled her wings and Kokata whimpered with heartfelt agony.

The black lines on her wings formed a symbol which he could almost read. It was as if the symbol had a meaning, and the meaning was unspeakable beauty. Kokata dug his legs into the bark, but he couldn't avert his eyes.

Lei's white legs were neither scrawny nor chubby. The black lines following their curves were like a symbol too. He had never seen such a symbol before but he knew what it meant:

Curves of a woman.

The wind gusted, and Lei folded her wings behind her back not to be pushed off the branch. In the process, she turned slightly, and Kokata gasped for air.

In fall, Lei had made herself clothing from the skin of the lizard he had killed. Thongs and breast-covers. She had always been clothed back then, though there hadn't been much worth hiding. Now, she was naked. And she had something worth hiding.

Tears formed and rolled down Kokata's cheeks. Lei was beautiful.

* 

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.



Moth Ch. 009



Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

The last remnants of sunset disappeared and the sky greyed over.

Lei spread her new wings and glided down to her unused winter-hole. Flying with her new wings was indescribable. It was as if the air itself had become an extension of her body, and yet not. It was as if she had been a cripple her whole life and was now suddenly whole, and yet not.

However wonderful her new wings were, she needed to dress before the spider returned. He was, after all, a man.

She found one of last year's thongs. That would still fit. Thongs always fit. If they didn't, all you had to do was retie the knots. Last year's breasthiders, however, were hopeless. Her breasts had filled and rounded very nicely in the cocoon.

Oli would have liked them. Of course, he would have liked them no matter how they had turned out.

Thinking of Oli made her sad. It always did. Whenever she saw something nice, whenever she felt like smiling, she'd wish he was there and her joy would fade. Maybe she was lucky that she hadn't had much to smile for since he died.

Lei found the old lizard hide. She hadn't yet used half of it. It had wintered well. Out of the hide she cut herself a breasthider. Then she peered out of her hole. Black was still nowhere to be seen. Still naked she snuck out of her hole and flew off to find some water and a rock. She had to clean the old thong and the new breasthider before she could wear them.

When she returned to Black's tree, she found him hiding below some spring light-green leaves, on one of his usual branches.

"Where have you been?" she asked, practically floating. With her new wings, she could hang almost absolutely still in the air.

"That's none of your business," snarled Black.

"You almost cost me my wings," snapped Lei. "You had me trapped inside your winter-hole." She hadn't intended to bring it up. She had had no business being in his hole in the first place. "What were you thinking webbing me in?" Now that she had begun, she couldn't stop. "Do you have any clue how..."

Her tirade became a scream as the spider leapt at her and caught her mid-air. The incredible force of his momentum pushed both of them through the air with more speed than she could fly. It was nothing like flying. It was worse than falling. And Lei had her back to the direction they were headed.

They went straight into a web but kept moving, stretching the elasticity of the web till it refused to stretch further. During Lei's short involuntary backwards flight, the wind had forced her wings forward to the point of hugging her assailant. When the web stopped the backward movement of her body, her wings continued it, till they too slammed into the net --spread wide as if she was in flight.

Having been stretched, the web had to recoil and swung back, overswung, returned, and again overswung. Lei, stuck to the web as she was, was swung back and forth with the oscillations. She kept screaming till the web's movement had quieted to something akin to that of a waterlily leaf.

"You," snarled Black, as soon as she went quiet. "You have no..." He went quiet and slowly extended his legs, raising himself backward away from her into the free air behind him. "You are..." His black face was contorted into a rage the like of which Lei had never seen. "You!"

Lei wanted to flee. But both her wings and her backside was fullsidedly stuck to the web.

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"I..." snarled Black, huffing for breath as if containing his rage long enough to speak took more physical effort than the assault had. "Ought... to..." He didn't finish the sentence.

Lei screamed again as Black with one four-legged movement grabbed both her wrists and both her ankles.

"You don't get to..." began Black, and again didn't finish. Instead he moved his tail over first each her ankles, then each her wrists, and webbed them all tightly to the web.

"You have no right to..." Black had let go of her bound limbs and was towering above her. His legs standing strong on his web on eight different sides of her.

"I'm sorry," squealed Lei, too terrified to know whether she was or not. "I'm sorry."

"YOU SHOULD BE!" yelled Black, straight into her face.

Again Lei screamed.

"SHUT UP," yelled Black.

Lei went quiet. Her breaths were so fast and shallow that the air barely made it down her throat before it was pushed back out.

"I ought to..." began Black, again.

Lei shook her head the backside of which was stuck to the web. She didn't want to know what he ought to do.

"You'll enjoy it, Lei," said Black, his voice suddenly even. "My poison will see to that." He bared his teeth at her, displaying two perfectly white rows. The top row was on each side cornered by a sharp fang.

Lei recognised the distance between the marks on the long dead lizard's hide and whimpered.

"Please," she whispered and shook her head. "Please don't eat me, Black."

Black caught her head between two legs and slowly forced it backwards, making her throat arch toward him. Equally slowly, he let himself sink toward her.

"Please," whimpered Lei, feeling his breath on her throat. "Don't kill me."

For a second the spider remained absolutely still, his breath alternately warm and cold against the side of her bared throat. Then, with a jump that sent the web into fresh wild oscillations, he was gone.

In a crazed frenzy, Kokata jumped from branch to branch fleeing their tree and Lei's helplessly immobile body. He had almost... He had almost... The strain of jumping far and fast wasn't enough. Every part of him was aflame. His body refused to tire.

He had almost...

His feet slipped on an unexpectedly slick surface and for a moment he fell, his high shot to new levels at the near death experience, and when he landed safely on another branch he was even further gone from reason.

He could still do it! He could return and...

He forced himself to jump further away. He couldn't allow himself to pause. If he stopped to think his desire would win. The voice of reason had been barely a whisper. He had almost...

The girl had thought he was going to eat her. Kokata laughed madly while soaring through the air in an insane far jump from a high branch to a lower one. Eat her. That thought had never even crossed his mind. Taste her, maybe. Couldn't avoid a taste when biting. But sucking her dry had never been his intention. Her blood was not what he wanted.

He had almost...

At first he had just been furious. As far as he had meant to do anything at all, he had meant to scare her and take revenge for her cruel, selfish behaviour. But then he had felt the heat of her body and his fury had changed to something more.

He had almost...

A part of him, the biggest part of him, still wished he had. It would have been good, even for her. Once she had his poison in her she wouldn't complain, not for a moment.

If he had bit, he wouldn't have been able to stop. He still had no clue how he had managed to stop when he had.

She had had no right to yell at him. After everything she had put him through. All those months of caring for her, fearing for her, and then the first thing she had done was complain. He ought to turn back and do it. He had earned the right.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

He wished for the voice of reason to grow louder. Yet it still remained the tiniest of whispers.

"For you it was months, for her it was one long nap." The words were torn from his mouth even as he spoke them out loud. It didn't help at all. It still sounded like a far off tiny whisper.

"You can't do something like that to a woman," said Kokata to himself.

He couldn't hear his own words, for the wind against his jumps. They didn't make sense anyway. He could do something like that to a woman. All he had to do to do it was return to the web and the woman who was in it.

Kokata laughed again. It would be very easy to do it. He landed again, instead of jumping for a new branch he gasped for air. His legs were shaking below him. Yet every fiber in his body wanted him to jump again, only in the opposite direction.

"You can't do something like that to Lei." The forest was very quiet and his voice was very clear. Even if it did shake.

He sank his body down on the branch.

He had almost...

He had to return. He couldn't leave her unguarded. Not the way he had webbed her. A spider-beast might come by.

He couldn't return. The state he was in he might still... He had to get out of that state.

Kokata rolled to his back; softened the clingers on his legs; parted the plates covering the part that burned harder than any other; and did that thing which he had learned to do many years back. While he did it he thought of all the things he had almost done.

It didn't take long.

Lei had spat her mouth dry, but her spit had absolutely no effect on the web. Her stomach was back to normal; none of the silk dissolving acid was left.

A tiny part of her kept insisting that Black had no intention of harming her; that he was just showing off. Lei figured it was the same part of her that had kept insisting Oli would make it.

Some part of her just always had to believe that everything would be right again. But life wasn't fair. She had just been reborn and already she was on the verge of death.

She had seen Black kill things bigger and stronger than her with more ease than she could pick a berry. She should have known better than to treat him like a person. A spider with mind. He was Death incarnate.

Lei wept with fear, and again tugged her wrists against the silk.

From his hiding place, Kokata watched over the woman in his web. She was crying. He needed to go down there and cut her free, but he still hadn't figured out what to say to her.

What if she just flew away?

He had waited too long for her to just leave.

While she had been cocooned, he had never realised that a web-tunnel would keep her trapped. His concern had been to keep things out.

For a brief moment he fantasised of shoving her into his lair and webbing her in. The fantasy shattered on its own accord. Lei was crying and he couldn't stand it. It was like a sling inside his body tightening around his vocal cords and windpipe.

Kokata left his hiding place and hurried to his web. As soon as he stepped onto it, Lei spun her face to him and shrieked. A short startled shriek. Kokata grimaced and stopped in his tracks. He hadn't meant to startle her further.

He opened his mouth to say something soothing.

"Don't piss yourself, Scrawny," snarled Kokata.

That was not what he had meant to say.

"You're too bloody stupid for your own good," said Kokata, again approaching Lei. This was how he talked to strangers who were so dumb to fly into his webs. This was not how he had intended to talk to Lei. "How did you get it into your mind to cocoon yourself in a spider's lair?"

Kokata cut the silk around Lei's wrists, first the one... "You crawl into a spider's lair." then the other... "You take a five month nap." He moved to her feet. "Then you wake up, and..." With a snap, Kokata cut the silk around her one ankle, "... complain about the web." He cut the silk around the other ankle.

Kokata pulled Lei's legs off the web and cut a big hole in the web where they had been.

"Just what did you expect to find around a spider's lair?" he snarled. "Clots of honey?"

Lei said nothing, but she had stopped crying.

"Termite moss?" suggested Kokata and released her legs to dangle in free air.

Kokata started cutting two out of every three strands connected to the web Lei's wings were connected to. This web was nearly perfectly vertical. If he simply released her, she would fall into the lower half of the web and get stuck again.

"I was raised by beetles," said Kokata. "How was I supposed to know what to do with a cocoon?"

"You don't do anything with a cocoon." Lei's voice was low and only slightly shaky.

Kokata cut more strands.

"You scared me," said Lei.

Kokata didn't look at her face, but there was something tentative about the way she said it, as if it was a test. He had no clue what he needed to do to pass it.

"At least you didn't piss yourself," he snarled.

Lei made a strange snorting sound and Kokata turned his face to her. Her lips were tight together, her face moved in the strangest grimaces. Another snort escaped her nose before she covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders were shaking.

"Crybaby," said Kokata. That absolutely wasn't the word of comfort he had meant to offer.

Another snort escaped from behind Lei's hands, and then came a series of sounds that couldn't be mistaken for sobbing. She was laughing.

Kokata held on to Lei while cutting the last strands. With two legs he carried Lei, with two others he kept her wings from the web, and with four he crawled up till they were safely on a branch.

"Keep your wing's stretched," he instructed. "The web is still sticky."

It took a while to cut every strand on Lei's wings and back, and would take even longer to cover every sticky spot with dry silk. Maybe the remedy wasn't absolutely necessary, but Kokata couldn't bear the thought of his web causing the first tears in Lei's new wings.

*

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010. 



Moth Ch. 010



Please forgive the redundant copyright messages, I've found that sometimes my stories are copypasted in part and used elsewhere.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

Lei felt as if she had been flying a whole night and half a day. Since she had woken she had been reborn, had almost become a cripple, had discovered her new body, had been scared out of her wits, and had last of all laughed till her belly ached. She was exhausted. As soon as Black was done with her wings, she would go to bed.

"Hold still," snarled Black, waking her back to the present.

Lei realised she had been nodding off in spite of sitting up straight. She yawned heartily and widened her eyes as wide as she could for them not to close.

"Were your parents beetles?" she asked, remembering the detail Black had revealed while cutting her free. 'Raised by beetles.' It was the first and only detail Black had ever revealed about his past.

"Two of the same kind does not beget a child of another kind," said Black.

That was what everybody said.

"Was your mother a beetle?" she asked.

"Not likely," said Black, sounding as if the topic was boring. "They said there were no tracks. I've never met a beetle who didn't leave tracks."

"They?" prodded Lei, encouraged by the length of Black's sentences.

"The beetles."

"Tracks?" prodded Lei.

"Marks left in the ground by footprints," snarled Black.

Lei sighed. Attempting a conversation with Black was always hopeless.

"It was a child that found me," said Black. "His name was Erric but everyone called him Bubbi. I was wrapped in leaves held together by straw. Only my face showed. Bubbi carried me home to his mother."

Lei dared barely breathe not to interrupt Black's narrative.

"Bubbi's mum thought I was a beetle-baby."

If his face had been the only part showing, Lei could see why. His teeth apart, Black's face perfectly resembled that of a beetle. Black shiny skin was common amongst beetles.

"The woman always claimed she unwrapped me to see if i needed changing. Behind her back, everyone else claimed she did it to check if I was a boy or a girl. She had four boys and wanted a girl. In her village abandoned babies were finder's keepers, if the finder wanted to keep."

Black went quiet.

"Did she keep you?" asked Lei, quietly.

"She dropped me." There was something dark in Black's voice. "She unwrapped me, my legs spilled out, and she screamed and dropped me."

Lei's stomach curled at the notion of a baby being dropped.

"She had a hard floor," added Black. "I hit my head and nearly died." Black paused and gently ran a leg-tip over the spot he was working on. Seemingly satisfied, he moved on to work on another spot. "No. She didn't keep me. The village council ordered her to nurse me back to health, but it was her man that did it. The woman couldn't touch me without making sudden movements, nor could she refrain from shrieking at the mere sight of me.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

"As soon as my wounds had healed, Bubbi's father returned me to the village council. No one would take me."

"The council held a charity gather. Beetles are very charitable," Black spat the last word as if it was an insult. "There was no end to all the things the villagers were willing to give for the abominable baby to get a home. Pots, cakes, brews, grain, roots, even red-rock. Everything stacked in bigger and bigger piles, ready to befall anyone who would take the creature home with them."

"Don't refer to yourself like that," said Lei, gently. "You're a person."

"I'm retelling what I've been told," said Black. "I've already cut out most of their words."

"You're not abominable," insisted Lei, "and you're not a creature." She shut her mouth not to add that he was 'just bad-tempered'. 

"Try telling that to a beetle," snarled Black.

"Did anyone take you home?"

"No," said Black. "After my arrival, it became clear that every woman in the village was afraid of spiders. While I was recovering, Bubbi's mother had, by every other mother, been badmouthed for dropping me. But once I was up for adoption every mother claimed they too might drop me if they ever had to hold me." Black sounded like he was trying to laugh like whoever had told the story. It was an eerie disgusted sound.

"The council members took turns at feeding me from the Plentiful Piles of Charity."

Lei guessed those three words had always been spoken with great pride by anyone who wasn't the spider himself.

"I matured quickly, they said. Learned to walk in almost no time." Black laughed darkly.

Lei cringed with shame on the beetle's behalf. She had no doubt that they had chosen to equalise crawling stage with walking stage, since, for a spider, the nature of the gait would be the same.

"As soon as I had learned to say 'food', the council taught me to walk from door to door and wail it."

Black moved forward till his face was just behind Lei's left ear.

"Fooood," he exhaled.

Lei cringed. It was a ghoulish sound.

"It worked, they said," stated Black. "The council stopped feeding me, and yet I didn't starve to death."

His work on her wings was progressing swiftly. It seemed he was getting better at it with every spot he covered.

"I don't remember eating their food, though. As far back as my memory reaches, I've caught my own. I don't know why I stayed in the village for as long as I did." Black again went quiet.

"How long did you stay?" prodded Lei.

"Well..." Black paused, yet again moving his attention to a new spot on her wings. "One day, a council member, I can't remember which one of them it was, sought me out, handed me a cookie, patted me on the head, wiped his hand on his chest-cloth, and told me I was twelve years old. Then he straightened himself and asked how much longer he had to wait for the four full-balls of silk-thread his wife needed."

"Four full-balls of silk-thread?" blurted Lei. "He must have been rich."

"Actually he was," said Black. "How did you know?"

"Four full-balls of silk-thread," said Lei. "That's a fortune."

"Spider-silk," said Black.

"That's even more expensive," said Lei. "Killing large spiders are dangerous, not to mention the work of cutting them up and mixing the liquids, and even the largest spiders never give more than..." Lei stopped herself. "I meant spider-beasts."

"People kill spider-beasts for silk where you are from?" asked Black.

"The butterfly silk-masters do," said Lei. "They are the only ones who knows exactly how to make silk from the liquids in a dead spider-beast's glands."

"In Altwar, spider-silk isn't worth the fly-beasts to feed the spider," said Black, reached over her head and let a length of perfect unwound silk drop before her. It floated delicately down toward her outstretched hand and landed in it. She ran her thumb over it.

"You've never sown anything, have you?" she quietly asked.

"No," said Black, again padding silk onto a new spot.

Lei closed her mouth not to explain how much a full-ball of the strand she held in her hand was worth to anyone who wore clothes.

"Did he pay you anything at all for your silk?" asked Lei, straining to sound casual.

"Not even the fly-beasts it wasn't worth," said Black. "Never a word of gratitude. Every hour I didn't spend hunting my own food, I was spinning silk thread. No matter how hard I worked, it was never more than was expected." Black's voice was bitter.

Written by Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

Lei closed her eyes, nauseous with behalved shame. She couldn't bring herself to reveal what the beetles had apparently managed to conceal. Black had been cheated of fortunes. It wasn't until then that Lei realised that the silk Black was padding onto the back of her wings probably had more value on a market than everything she had crafted through the fall.

It was a strange revelation.

Behind her sat the wealthiest man she had ever met and he had no clue of it. In her mind Lei went through all the wonderful things you could get on a market trying to think of things that Black might like to buy. He didn't use clothes, he didn't use tools.

"Do you like sweets?" asked Lei.

"Not really," said Black. "Do you?"

"Moth's have more sweet teeth than white ones," said Lei, quoting one of Oli's old jokes. "Of course, moths don't have all that many white teeth. Not with all the sweets they are eating!"

Black laughed.

Lei smiled. It was the first time she had heard him laugh with genuine humour. She was glad she had remembered the joke and made sure not to ruin it by pointing out that butterflies were worse.

*

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.



Moth Ch. 011



Written by Nanna Marker, a citizen of Denmark, born in 1976.

*

Lei was fast asleep long before Kokata was satisfied that her wings would be safe. No longer having an excuse to be near her, he withdrew to his nearest hiding-place.

He had never before told anyone about the beetles. It was a strange feeling: having talked about himself. He couldn't remember ever before having talked as much in one night. He was glad he hadn't gone into more detail, though. She didn't need to know exactly what it had been like. There was no need for him to tell her about the things the real kids, the beetle-kids, had thrown at him. No need to mention the name-calling.

Kokata rested his body on the branch and studied Lei.

Before she had arrived, he would study little things. Like leaves or flowers. He would pick a leaf and watch it for hours every day. Every living thing had thousands of details, tiny perfections and imperfections, and you'd never notice if you didn't watch far beyond the point where you'd think there was no more to see.

Before she had cocooned, watching her had been nice. In spite of her sadness, the scrawny moth had had such a lively way about her.

Watching her now was almost painful. In spite of the fluffy patches of silk on her back and wings, she was too beautiful. Kokata lay absolutely still and just watched. Her breathing was deep and slow. Her mouth was open. 

Lei licked her lips in her sleep. Kokata smiled, it was such an endearing movement. He could almost imagine her dreaming about sweets.

After a while, her sleep seemed to become more shallow. She tugged her arms closer around herself, bend her legs and made a complaining sound. 

A wind gusted through the branches, rustling every leaf, and Lei shivered. The night had become cold.

Kokata considered waking her and urging her to her hole but got a better idea.

Lei woke at noon from being too warm. She kept her eyes closed to the annoying daylight and pushed off her blanket. It was a wonderfully soft blanket, so instead of shoving it away she curled it into her arms, hugged it tight, and rested her head on it. Then she went back to sleep.

The sun was setting by the time Lei woke again. She felt great, she hadn't slept that well since leaving home. She stretched and rubbed herself against her soft blanket. Then opened her eyes to find herself hugging a thick, fluffy, white blanket. Lei blinked and caressed the unbelievably soft thing.

It was silk. It had to be Black's making.

She got up, folded the blanket into a neat little square, and looked around for Black. She couldn't see him anywhere. Maybe he was sleeping in his lair.

Lei hugged the folded blanket against her chest and cheeks. She hated to have to give it back. Her own blanket, handwoven from rough grass, wasn't soft at all, neither was the lizard hide. Thinking of it, she realised she hadn't touched anything that was really soft since leaving home. But, even at home she hadn't had anything as soft as this fluffy, silken, blanket.

Maybe she could make something from the surface silk of her cocoon, but that would be a tiny something. A used cocoon never had much usable silk on it. She hadn't thought to talk to Black about her cocoon before going to sleep, he might have thrown it out already.

If he had, Lei hoped she could keep herself from scolding him. She didn't want to repay kindness with sour soup a second time. Not that she feared another assault. Now that she knew it was all for show, she doubted he'd be able to scare her again.

If it wouldn't just be plain mean. She just might have scolded him again, for no other reason than to see his face when he realised he couldn't scare her. Lei grinned mischievously into the blanket and wished, just a little bit, that she were meaner than she was.

Lei jumped off the branch and flew down to her hole. She laid the blanket safely in a corner. If only she were dishonest, then she could keep the blanket in her hole and tell Black the wind had blown it away while she slept. Lei sighed. She had only just met it, but she already loved that blanket.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

"Worth a fortune," muttered Lei. Even if she married a master-craftsman, she doubted she'd ever own something like that blanket. Black might have practically infinite silk, but she would not try to take advantage of him like the beetles had, nor cheat him.

She pushed the blanket out of her mind and started dragging her belongings out into the star-light. It was time to see how well everything had wintered.

The survey was a mood-killer.

Most of what she had made had wintered well, but the few losses there was were heartfelt. Trying to make herself everything she needed was an overwhelming task.

Like a good bow.

Lei's family, her former family - she now had none, were bow-makers. Lei knew everything there was to know about making bows. Since she was twelve, Lei had been an excellent bow-maker. As far back as she could remember, she had always had a good bow.

Now she had a bad bow. Actually it was worse than bad. It wasn't even useable for target practice. She avoided using it, not to forget how to use a real bow. An amateur might think the basic use of bows was the same, place an arrow, pull back the string, and let go.

Lei hah'ed at the imagined amateur, and decided that it was time to try to craft a circle-sharpener. She would need one of those to even think of making a crow-knife, and she needed one of those to even think of making a...

A good bow was made of no less than twenty-seven parts. To make a good bow of those twenty seven parts you needed eight specialised tools. She didn't even have the tools needed to make those tools. She didn't have the tools to craft the twenty-seven parts either.

The task was overwhelming.

If she were a beggar, she could have begged Black for a full-ball of spider-silk, then she could have sought out people and bought everything she needed, and more.

Lei put her belongings back in the hole and flew off to look for materials with which to make a circle-sharpener.

Kokata gazed after the moth till she was out of sight. He hated to see her go but trusted she would be back. She had, after all, packed most of her belongings neatly back into her hole.

Spring passed so quickly that Kokata sometimes found himself wondering if he had been cold, and if he had, how he could possibly have gotten so cold. But, really, it wasn't a fluke of cold nor speed of time: Spring flew past because he was too happy to stop and notice the passage of time.

Now that he was actually talking to her, and not merely allowing her to talk to him, Lei sought him out every single night. Several times of night even. They'd talk for hours. Kokata was amazed his throat wasn't worn out from passing so many words.

Lei even talked while working on her tool-making. Which was a good thing; Lei was rarely idle.

He hadn't talked so much in his life as he did that spring, hadn't talked so much, and had never before had a friend. Lei had called him his friend.

Kokata was almost sad the nights were getting warmer. On cold nights, Lei would wrap the white blanket about her; he loved to see her use it.

She had tried to give it back to him the night after he had first covered her in it. He had asked her what she thought he needed a blanket for, and had told her to throw it away. The look on her face when he had said that had been priceless. She had clutched the blanket tight and had glared at him, as if he had told her to throw away a bucketful of red-rocks.

She slept with it in day. On cold days she rolled herself into it, on warm days she slept on top of it. Kokata had on several occasions been so bold as to peek into her hole and check.

This had been the happiest spring of his life.

The first nights of summer were great too, but then Kokata got it into his head to tell a fairytale he had once overheard. In spite of his lack in skills as a narrator, the project was a success: Lei smiled and laughed. 

Everything was perfect until he clumsily finished the tale and Lei started narrating another tale.

"Once upon a time there was a great hero," started Lei. "His name was Uvalanga and he lived in a forest far, far away."

Kokata felt as if all blood withdrew from his face and legs.

"Uvalanga was a termite, and none should hold that against him. He was a real man," continued Lei, waving her arms and voice with her words. She obviously had some practice telling stories.

"I'm bored with stories," said Kokata and jumped off Lei's branch.

"Hey," yelled Lei after him. "Where are you going?"

"I've got work to do too," snarled Kokata. "Webs don't build themselves you know."

"There's no reason to be so cranky about it," yelled Lei.

Kokata ignored her and started the work of cutting down his old web. It was just a bad excuse for escaping, the web wasn't in need of being replaced.

Written by Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

Web-making was a soothing task. By the time he cut the last strand on the old web and watched it float away with the wind, Kokata felt much better. By the time he had made a skeleton triangle for a new web, he felt good.

"I'll just work here."

Lei's voice startled him and he glanced up at her. She had moved her workplace to the carrying branch for his new web.

"That way we can talk while you work," said Lei.

"How considerate," snarled Kokata. Lei didn't react to his tone and for once Kokata was sad that she had learned to ignore his tendency to snarl for no reason.

"It's a really good story, the one about Uvalanga," said Lei. "But very difficult to deliver just right."

"Don't bother for my sake," snarled Kokata.

"It's about time I practiced my storytelling skills anyway," said Lei. "You shouldn't let things like that rust."

"I don't see why not," snarled Kokata.

"Cranky-wort," teased Lei.

"Crybaby," retorted Kokata, automatically. But their imitation of childish interaction didn't make him feel like smiling as it usually would.

"Once upon a time there was a great hero," narrated Lei.

"Tell it to someone who cares," interrupted Kokata.

"His name was Uvalanga and he lived in a forest far, far away," continued Lei.

"Shut up," snarled Kokata.

"Don't be like that, Black. I sat through your story."

"That doesn't mean I have to listen to you babbling all night," snarled Kokata.

"Actually, it does," snapped Lei.

Kokata gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Lei went back to her storytelling. Obviously more interested in practicing her skills than in pleasing her audience.

Kokata turned his back to her while working his web and pretended she wasn't there. He hadn't webbed this brutely for years. The glue patches with which he melted strand to strand were large and clumpy, the angles of the masks were uneven and chaotic. The deeper Lei duck into the tale of Uvalanga, the worse was his mood. Until finally she reached THAT part of the story.

"... but deep in those swamps," narrated Lei with an ominously dramatic voice. "There lived a monster so vile that none had lived to tell of it. It was no normal monster at all. It was the foulest creature that had ever withered its way across this world, and its name was Kokata."

Kokata closed his eyes. His cheeks distorted with emotion to the point of hurting.

"It's stench was worse than that of a rotting corpse, was more foul than the worst fumes a swamp could ever produce, more..."

"SHUT UP," screamed Kokata, and leapt up his web to where Lei sat. "Shut up, you ugly piece of bat-food. You're a crossfucking cunt and I don't want to hear your stories."

"I'm not a..." shrieked Lei, jumping to her feet.

"You would be if you had had it your way," snarled Kokata and pointed a leg at her. "Or have you already forgotten your butterfly sweetheart who always did everything right?"

"Don't," said Lei, waving a hand dismissively at the air between them.

"Don't what?" snarled Kokata.

Lei narrowed her eyes but kept her mouth shut.

"Get your things off my branch," snarled Kokata. "I'm sick of you and your never-ending chit-chat. All night, every night, yack this, yack that."

"Fine," said Lei, and started gathering her things.

"Crossfucking slut," spat Kokata and jumped away to find a place to cry unseen.

Of course, once Kokata had wept out the immediate agony, he regretted his behaviour, but he wasn't one to say sorry. He didn't know how. No one had ever showed him. Well, that wasn't quite true. Lei had, she'd always find a way of letting him know she was sorry if she felt she had wronged him.

This time Lei hadn't wronged him a tenth the way he had her, and she seemed to be fully aware of it. She kept to her branches and her hole and didn't even glance his way.

Kokata did consider the option of simply jumping down there and say, 'I'm sorry. Now forgive me.' But he feared that would not suffice. When Lei snapped at him, she'd sometimes say, "I'm sorry", and then excuse by explaining why she had been upset.

If it could make her forgive him, he would gladly say, "I'm sorry." But he wouldn't explain why he had been upset. He wouldn't tell her why he hated that story. His name was one of those dirty details with which he wouldn't smudge her white ears.

He would have to find another way.

Lei was lonely. Three nights had passed since Black had called her a crossfucking slut. He hadn't sought her out, and she wouldn't be seeking him out. Not this time.

At least she had her work. And, when her work was done, she would have a good bow, as well as the tools to make more. Once she had a couple good bows to trade off, she could seek out people. No matter that she was lonely, she wouldn't seek out people empty-handed. They might take her for a beggar.

She had so far made four of the eight tools she needed for the bow-crafting itself, and most of the finer tools needed to craft the twenty-seven parts for a bow. This night she was working on a bowl. Bowls were tools too. At home she had used ceramic bowl's and had taken them for granted.

Beetle's made ceramic bowls in bulk and, as a sign of good will, added them for free to almost any trade. The beetle villagers her family had traded with had been good people, nothing like the ones Black had told her of.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

Lei had no clue what clay was used for pottery and didn't know how to make, and heat, ovens either. Use of fire was a beetle-craft. Lei had to cut her bowls out of hard things, and cutting bowls out of hard things was... hard.

"Lei."

Lei's heart jumped with surprise at the sudden sound, and her knife slipped.

"Batshit," yelled Lei, and held her cut finger up for inspection. It wasn't as bad as she had feared. The cut was barely skin deep, but a single drop of blood was slowly growing out of it. She put it in her mouth not to bleed on her things.

"Did you cut yourself?" asked Black. He had moved from behind her to straight above her, his legs on both sides of her.

Lei nodded, the side of her finger still between her lips.

"Is it bad?" asked Black, concern in his voice.

Lei took the finger out of her mouth and looked at it. It had already stopped bleeding.

"No," she said, coldly.

"I didn't mean to startle you," said Black.

"What do you want," said Lei, moving her eyes from her finger to her unfinished bowl.

"I had a thought," said Black, sounding uncharacteristically timid, "that maybe one day you might need a fortune." He moved forward, his body passing above her head, his legs passing by on both sides of her. Once past her working place, Black turned and lowered himself to the branch. He put down four white balls at the very edge of her array of tools and materials.

"I was thinking that you could go back to Aribo forest and trade these off for a fortune," said Black.

Lei moved her eyes to the four full-balls of spider-silk thread.

"I'm not asking you to go back to Aribo," added Black, meekly. "It's just that if you ever need a fortune then you could go trade for it, and then you could return afterwards."

Lei swallowed.

"I remembered you saying that four full-balls of spider-silk was worth a fortune there," said Black, quietly.

Water was filling up in Lei's eyes. She swallowed again and blinked rapidly not to burst into tears.

"I..." Black shifted uneasily. "I shouldn't have called you names, and I didn't mean the other things I said."

Lei swallowed again and moved her eyes to her hands, wishing her throat would untie so she could say something without starting to cry.

"I was hoping we could forget what I said," finished Black, and then he jumped off her branch.

"Wait," croaked Lei, and reached her hand after him, but he probably didn't hear. By the time she had cleared her throat to yell, he was out of yelling range.

*

Comments or feedback would be wonderful :) 



Moth Ch. 012



 Written by Nanna Marker, a citizen of Denmark, born in 1976.
Submitted to literotica.com by the author.
*

Lei woke. She had heard something.

"Wehiloooo."

Lei sat up straight barely believing her ears.

"Wehiloooo."

Her mouth watered as if she were a child carrying her first set of wings.

"Wehiloa."

For a larvae it would have been a far off sound, but for someone with wings it was not!

Lei turned and scrambled through her belongings, till she found her collection of self-made arrowheads. Then, daring the daylight, she crawled out her hole.

"Hi, Black," she said, squinting to be sure the Black form in front of her really was her eight-legged friend.

"What are you doing up?" snarled Black. "It's day, you should be sleeping."

"Wehiloo. Wehiloa," sang the distant voices.

"I'm going to see the travelling termites," replied Lei, cheerfully.

"You shouldn't fly around in daylight," stated Black, reprimandingly tapping a leg-tip on the hard part of her chest just below her throat.

"I'll be careful," promised Lei and jumped off the branch.

"Wehiloo," sang deep manly voices in the distance, and while they were still prolonging the 'o', light feminine voices sang: "Wehiloa."

Thinking of all the marvellously delicious sweets travelling termites always had for the trading, Lei more than halved the distance between herself and the voices before sense caught up to her.

She was not a child, and she wasn't with a horde of other sweet-crazed children swarming to the termites' song. Most of all she was not being followed by a horde of well-armed, overbearing, adult, butterflies and moths.

She was a grown woman and she was alone.

Lei carefully landed on a branch to think things through. With a thump something large and black landed next to her and pushed her to her butt. Lei shrieked.

"Don't leave me," snarled Black.

"Oh-its-you," exhaled Lei, and inhaled deeply. "You scared me. It's so bright I can barely see my own fingers." Lei smiled at her own ineptitude. "I should probably wait for night before checking out the travelling termites."

"I'll help you get home," said Black, and curled a couple of legs around her.

"I can fly you know," said Lei, and withheld a squeal as Black jumped. When he landed she laughed from the tickling sensation in her belly, and didn't complain further. Through the first month of summer Black had jumped around with her several times just for the fun of it.

Once past her initial fright of the wind-defying speed of Black's jumps, she had learned she enjoyed the thrill of it.

When they were back at her hole, Black shoved her in and snarled for her to go to sleep.

"Crankywort," commented Lei with a laugh.

"Crybaby," snarled Black.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.



Even when Lei was safely back to sleep, Kokata remained at the entrance to her hole. He was no fonder of termites than of beetles. He wasn't fond of any type of people. Lei was the only person in the world who treated him like a person.

Their looks apart, the only difference between termites and beetles was the quality of their aim. Termite kids aimed rocks better than beetle kids. And, contrary to beetles, termites were almost as good with bows as moths were.

Kokata had learned that the hard way.

Every kind was welcome to visit travelling termites, except abominations.

"Wehiloo," sang the far off voices, and Kokata shivered.

Travelling termites travelled slow. Come night, Lei would have no trouble catching up to them, and she was not an abomination.

Before Lei had arrived, Kokata had been fine living on his lonesome, once he had given up on seeking out any kind of people. But, now, he couldn't go back to living without her. He just wouldn't know how to breathe.

He could follow her back to Aribo, where spider-silk was fortune, and live in a cave, spending his days making thread as he had for the beetles, if only that meant he could have her some of the nights. He could do that if he had to. But he couldn't go back to a life without her.

Kokata restlessly circled Lei's hole. He could web her in. Just long enough for the termites to be long gone. Just a few days. Kokata shook his head at himself. His fantasies of keeping the beautiful moth to himself were never long-lived.

If Lei should choose to travel with the termites to another place, as beetles would when travelling far, then it wouldn't be hard to follow. Termites were slow travellers.

Kokata settled himself with his face in the hole's opening. He usually only stole brief glances in there, but today he would allow himself to study her sleeping. Besides, she had never told him not to.



Lei woke at sunset and was surprised to see Black's face blocking her exit.

"Good evening," she said, and sat up.

"Good evening," said Black.

"Have you had a nice day?" she asked.

Black cocked his head in a movement that could mean both yes, no, and maybe.

"When the sun is all down, I'll go see the travelling termites," said Lei. She reached for one of the full-balls of thread he had made her, and rolled it between her hands.

"There's something I've been trying to find a way of telling you," said Lei.

Black said nothing.

"It's about the beetles who raised you," added Lei, and studied Black's face. He looked slightly surprised.

"They..." Lei hesitated. "I think they were worse than you think they are."

"Not likely," commented Black.

"Do you want to come in?" asked Lei.

Black raised his shiny hairless eyebrows and glanced about Lei's small hole, and she felt stupid for having asked. She had no clue how they should both fit into her small space at once.

To her surprise, Black slid four legs inside and found four places for them to stand directly on the floor.

"Can you find room?" she asked, and pushed herself backward to the far wall, which wasn't far at all.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

"Yes," replied Black, and pushed his body and his last four legs in. Once inside, he pushed two of those four legs behind her back, and the other two under her legs. Maybe for having no other place to put them.

"I'm sorry I don't have more space to offer you," said Lei.

"It's fine," said Black, and lowered himself from the already low ceiling, till his face was just in front of hers. His eyes were pure beetle-black with no white surrounding them.

"It's about your silk," said Lei. With one hand she reached up and gently touched Black's cheek.

"What about my silk?"

Lei raised her other hand, so she could hold both Black's cheeks while looking into his eyes.

"Spider's silk can't be cheap anywhere," said Lei.

A shiver ran through Black, and Lei got up on her knees, so she could throw her arms around his head and the top of his body to hug him.

"It's allright," she whispered soothingly and stroked Black's back. "Everything is allright."

Black again shivered, but returned her hug by spinning four legs around her and gently squeezing.

"It was a long time ago, they don't matter anymore," said Lei.

"Who?" whispered Black.

"That's the spirit," stated Lei, pressing her cheek hard against the side of Black's head.

Black shivered again; through the touch of his legs, Lei felt it all over.

"Everything will be allright," comforted Lei. "You'll never have to see them again."

"What are you talking about," mumbled Black. His face against the side of her head.

"Those beetles," said Lei. "You never have to see them again."


Kokata inhaled the light scent of Lei's skin. He had no clue why she was talking about beetles. Lei took a deep breath and her breasts pressed harder against the clingers on his foremost left leg. The hide covering her breasts was thin. He could feel her nipples.

Kokata shivered again.

"I'm sorry," whispered Lei. "I should have known it would upset you."

Kokata tried to get his thoughts to whatever it was they were talking about, but the skin on Lei's legs was smooth and soft. And the curves of her hips were...

"I'm so sorry," whispered Lei.

"What are you sorry about," mumbled Kokata, trying to remember more than one sentence back.

"I shouldn't have upset you," said Lei, she sounded to be on the verge of tears.

"I'm not upset," whispered Kokata. His back-most right leg tip rested against the top of Lei's buttocks. Kokata shivered. He loved that she wore thongs and never pants or skirts. "Why would I be upset?"

"You're too nice to me," said Lei, sounding very sincere.

"I like to be nice to you," whispered Kokata, trying to keep the conversation going. He had a notion that the unexpected intimacy and the conversation was somehow related.

Almost on its own, his back-most left leg tip sought out the front of Lei's thong. The effect was instantaneous. Lei squealed, took her hands off him, and flew them to the front of her thong. The embarrassment on her face was like a slap to his. Her intentions obviously hadn't been of that kind.

"I'm sorry," said Kokata. "It was an accident," he lied.

"I overreacted," said Lei. But her hands still covered the front of her thong. Double protection against further 'accidents'.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

Kokata carefully slid his legs off her and backed out of her hole.

"I need a bite of lanx moss for my stomach," lied Kokata. "Please don't leave before I'm back."

"I won't," promised Lei.

Kokata sped off. He'd chew on some lanx moss when he was done, he wouldn't want his breath to reveal the lie. If Lei learned of his attraction to her, she'd likely never let him touch her again. Anywhere.

Kokata had no illusions of ever becoming more than a friend to her. But, if she ever learned that he fantasised of more she'd recoil with disgust. She'd look at him the way those girls had, and he hadn't even desired those, he had merely looked.

Kokata found a good spot, spread his plates, softened his clingers, and got down to business. He had been doing that a lot since Lei had left her cocoon. It wasn't that he didn't trust himself around her. Since the first crazed near call, he had grown to know his lustful side. And, although the feeling was maddening, he had realised it was controllable.

When Kokata fled Lei's company to drain his seed, it was no longer a matter of shooting out the crazy before it took control of him. It was a matter of shooting out the crazy before she'd come to notice it.

A beetle-woman might happen to see a bulge in a beetle-man's pants. Kokata's erection was hidden behind plates; Lei would never happen to see it and that was a blessing. But, Kokata had noticed other tell-tale signs that Lei might come to recognise if he allowed himself to be lusty around her.

Whenever a strong surge of lust swept through him, he shivered with it. And that wasn't the only tell. The way he moved changed. Well, maybe that part was only in his imagination, but it felt like he moved differently. It felt somewhat like the way he moved when he was trying to catch prey without a net. A more gliding way of moving.

The worst, however, was his voice. It got a tone to it. When it was really bad, he almost couldn't recognise it. It was a good thing that he hadn't told her how often, or rather how rarely, he needed to supplement his food with herbs or roots to keep his stomach stable, it was always a perfect excuse.


Task completed, and lanx moss chewed, Kokata returned to Lei's branch. She was sorting arrowheads.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Much better," said Kokata, and patted his midsection with a leg tip. "Good lanx moss is easy to find this time of year."

Lei nodded, as if accepting an obvious misdirection, and turned her eyes back to her arrowheads. For a moment Kokata thought the girl had realised what he had really been doing, then he remembered she thought he had been upset.

"I'm sorting my arrowheads," said Lei.

"So I see," said Kokata, and tried to remember why he was supposed to be upset. Something with spider-silk having value.

"With a bit of luck maybe I can get some sweets for them," said Lei. "Kids gets sweets for arrowheads and the like, but I guess that is mostly because kids bring parents and parents have real goods to trade."

"I never thought of that," said Kokata who had never traded anything for anything, nor ever received sweets from travelling termites.

Why was he supposed to be hurt that spider-silk had real value?

"I'm sorry I screamed at you," said Lei.

"Screamed at me?" asked Kokata.

"When you... In there." Lei nodded her head toward her hole.

"Oh," said Kokata. The squeal she had made back then hardly qualified as a scream.

"I should have been more careful," said Kokata casually. "I know it's a private part." Now that a certain part of him was utterly drained, it was far easier to feign disinterest in that part of her.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

Lei moved an arrowhead from one pile to another.

"I'm really sorry," she said. "You're my friend, I shouldn't have upset you."

"Crybaby," said Kokata, and smiled when Lei did.

"If spider-silk has value everywhere," said Kokata, changing the subject. "Why don't you just trade off the full-balls I gave you?"

"If I did that I'd be just like the beetles," said Lei, turning her face to him.

Kokata blinked at that utterly nonsensical statement.

"Taking advantage of you," said Lei, with a disgusted tone in her voice. "I'm not like that."

Finally Kokata understood. Lei thought he had been upset to find out the beetles had taken advantage of him. It was kind of funny, but Kokata managed not to laugh at it. His loathing for the beetles was so heavy that adding simple fraud to the load hardly made a difference.

But, of course, with all the 'details' he had withheld, she couldn't know how he really felt about them.

"Didn't I tell you to use it for trading when I gave it to you?" asked Kokata. He knew for a fact that he had.

"You really wouldn't mind?" asked Lei. She sounded skeptical, and her upper lip had curled up in a grimace. Kokata felt like sucking that curled upper lip in between his and tease it with his tongue.

"No, I really wouldn't mind," he said, in a smooth tone. "Wouldn't mind at all." There were many other things he wouldn't mind either. Such as running a softened leg-tip from  her collarbone to her breast-cover, and sliding same leg-tip under same breast-cover, and then cutting the lizard-hide to shreds, and lower his head to her freed breasts, and...

"I really, really, wouldn't mind," said Kokata, his tone deep, gliding just an inch closer to the moth he wanted.

Lei crawled to him and hugged him tight, the way she had in her hole. The short fur on her head tickled the side of his head. Her breath was warm against his ear. Kokata allowed his front legs to slowly glide around her.

"You're so nice to me," said Lei.

Kokata shivered and inhaled the scent of her skin.

"I like being nice to you," he said, his voice was too deep and too smooth, but he wouldn't pull out of her arms for anything in the world.

"You smell nice," said Lei.

"So do you," replied Kokata, and shivered again.




Moth Ch. 013



Please forgive the redundant copyright messages, I've found that sometimes my stories are copypasted in part and used elsewhere.

Written by Nanna Marker, a citizen of Denmark, born in 1976.

*

"What are you doing?" asked Kokata.

"I'm hiding the full-ball," explained Lei. "I don't know these people. You don't walk into a camp full of strangers with something that valuable in your hands."

"I see," said Kokata, who would never walk into a camp full of strangers at all. "Then how will you trade it?"

"First I show them the sample," Lei held out an arm-long string of thread. "Then, while I see if they have any goods I want, I get a feel for how dangerous they are. And finally, I might trade in portions."

Kokata wasn't sure what she meant. He didn't like her going where he couldn't.

"Black, I'd like your help if you don't mind," said Lei.

"What kind of help?" snarled Kokata.

"Crankywort," said Lei automatically.

"Crybaby," retorted Kokata, but neither of them smiled.

"I'd like your help to check how sneaky they are."

"How could I possibly tell?" snarled Kokata.

"I'm gonna tell them I have friends waiting in the forest. The same 'friends' who are holding the silk." Lei patted the leaf-covered full-ball which she had hidden in a crevice on the branch they were on. "If they are sneaky, they will send out people to follow me when I fly back and forth between their night-camp and my 'friends'. You are great at hiding. You should be able to spot whoever they send after me, if they do send someone."

"I can do that," agreed Kokata.

"Great," said Lei with a wide smile. "Let's do it then."

It was a well-sized caravan. Lei counted nine full-grown giant beetle-beasts. Seven carried living-boxes as well as cargo boxes. So, most likely, there was seven termite families.

Approaching the camp, Lei also counted a total of seven guard posts each marked by an ember-pole. Most termites knew how to keep fire. Lei's mouth watered. Fire was used in the making of some kinds of sweets.

The termites weren't singing their song, but no weapons hang from the poles at the guard posts to signal visitors away. So, Lei slowly flew toward the nearest guard post.

"Wehiloo," called the termite-man at the post she was headed for, and cheerily waved his arm.

Most grounded people, were born with natural armour. Termites had head-plates which actually looked much like the head-shaped helmets other people would wear in times of war. Travelling termites had a tendency to carve tattoos into their head-plates. The ones on this man's were an intricate pattern of circles.

"Wehiloo," greeted Lei, and landed.

"It always makes me happy, when a beautiful moth is attracted by my night-light," said the termite-man. "My name is Robba." The way he said it, it sounded almost like 'robber'.

"My name is Lei," said Lei.

"This is my son, Keme," said Robba and pointed to a young man sitting next to the ember-pole.

"Wehiloo," greeted the young man, stuck an arm out from the blanket he held around him, and waved at Lei.

"Wehiloo," said Lei and waved back, noticing that the natural armour plates on the young man's arm had the same colour as his father's: pale yellow.

"Have you come to trade stories?" asked Robba. "Or are you perhaps a singer?"

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

Lei couldn't help but notice that Robba's son, Keme, was running his eyes up and down her form. Lei realised that she had grown too old to wear only breast-hider and thong.

"I've come to trade thread," said Lei, rearranging her wings to cover her rear. She was glad her buttocks were facing the forest. Keme couldn't possibly have had a look at them.

"Thread?" asked Robba, and only then eyed her up and down. Unlike his son, he only did it once.

"Perfect thread," said Lei, rolled out the arm-lengthed sample, and handed it to Robba.

"Perfect thread," repeated Robba, amiably accepting the strand. "That sounds interesting." He took the thread to the pole, and, in its glow, started inspecting the sample. 

Keme rose, still holding his blanket around him. It seemed he was inspecting his father's inspection. But he asked no questions. Offspring of traders knew better than to ask questions that might reveal too much to the other party in a negotiation.

Around this time, a trader would usually go, 'Interesting.' If they were interested in trading for the item. But instead Robba said:

"Fetch the bright-glow, son." His voice sounded just a bit too relaxed to be natural.

Lei shifted from foot to foot, then realised she was fidgeting and stopped it.

Keme swiftly returned with a bright-glow and lit it at the ember-pole.

The bright white light hurt Lei's eyes, and she raised a hand to between herself and the bright-glow.

"Sorry," said Robba, and rotated the bright-glow's shielding to block light from heading Lei's way. Then he returned his full attention to the thread. The termite's forehead had furrowed all the way to where his head-plate began.

"Fetch my eyeglass, son," he said.

Again, Keme swiftly returned and handed his father a monocle. Robba put it on and again inspected the thread.

"Is it interesting?" asked Lei. Maybe it was a bad choice of words, but she was growing nervous.

"Yes," said Robba, absently, not taking his eyes of the thread.

"Son, go ask Mava to please lend me her rock inspecter."

"Rock inspecter?" said Lei. It was more protest than question. "I'm selling silk, not red-rock."

"Where did you get this?" asked Robba, still not taking his eyes of the thread.

"It was a gift," said Lei.

"Did the giver," the way Robba pronounced 'giver' it was obvious he didn't think the thread had been 'given', "tell you what it's made of?"

"It's spider-silk," said Lei, and took a step backward, away from the man.

"Don't be alarmed," said Robba, absently, still not taking his eyes off the strand of thread. "We are not law-men. We will not try to detain you."

"I'm not a criminal," said Lei.

"Did the 'giver', tell you how this thread was made?"

Lei opened her mouth, then closed it. She had a feeling that Black wouldn't want these people to know about him. Before coming she had expected the termites would assume the thread had been made by butterfly silk-craftmasters. Travelling termites traded wares from everywhere.

"How much of this thread were you planning to trade?" asked Robba, still keeping his eyes on the thread.

Lei took another step backward.

"There's absolutely no reason to fly away at this point," said the termite, still not taking his eyes off the thread. "We've already seen both you and your thread. All you gain by flying away is not to do any bargain at all."

"I'm not a criminal," stated Lei again.

"You wear no jewellery whatsoever. Your only weapon is a knife in a worn down holster, which has been badly reholed to your size. You are half-naked and the little clothing which you do wear is badly made and sewn together with badly spun wild fibres, " said the termite, calmly listing fact. "You come alone to a termite-camp in the middle of nowhere, to sell perfect thread, which, impossible as it should be, actually is perfect."

"I'm not a thief," said Lei, and took another step back.

"Whatever you are, I'm willing to trade for your perfect thread," said Robba.

"You'd trade with someone you think a thief?" said Lei, narrowing her eyes at such dishonest behaviour.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"I'll give you a twentieth of the value," said the man, finally taking his eyes of the thread. "That amounts to half the finder's fee I'll receive for it."

"A twentieth of the value," Lei was appalled.

"If you will let my son portray you, I will offer full value," said Robba. "As full a value as travelling termites ever give."

"Portray me?"

"It's common practice when trading valuable goods, moth. If we have a portrait of the one who sold us the goods, then the lawmen won't take it from us. No matter where it came from."

It was Lei's turn to furrow her forehead. Termites had strange ways.

An old bat-hunter had once told her that termites thought that termites ruled the world. When Lei had asked her father about it, he had laughed and agreed. Her father had then added that if you let them think you thought so too, then you got better value for your goods.

"How long would it take your son to portray me?" asked Lei.

"Not long," said Robba.

"If that is true, then we can trade," stated Lei.

"Excellent. Is the rest of your thread as perfect as this sample?"

"I'd think so, but I haven't unrolled it all, nor have I inspected it with an eye-glass."

"How much do you have?"

"If you have all the goods I have in mind, then I'll trade a full-ball," said Lei. "But not at once."

"Obviously," commented the termite, apparently not the least surprised by the inferral that she feared to be robbed if she showed up with a full-ball of the thread. "What type of goods are you looking for?"

Lei started listing and was still listing when Keme returned with a red-rock inspecter. Robba accepted the device from his son's hand and signalled for Lei to pause.

"Go fetch your drawing kit, son. Our pretty visitor is going to model for you," said Robba, then turned back to Lei and encouraged her to continue.

Lei resumed her listing; Keme fetched a drawing kit; and Robba put the thread under the red-rock inspecter and put it to his eye as if he were inspecting a jewel.

"Can you tell me anything at all about the giver?" asked Robba, when Lei was done listing.

"He is my friend," said Lei. "I won't tell you more than that."

"You should ask your friend to make you some clothes," said Keme, Robba's son, with an insolent grin. He had just returned and was seating himself, with white sheet and pen at the ready.

Lei cringed.

"Will you be so kind as to spread your wings?" asked Keme, in a far more professional tone. "I'll need to portray the markings on them."

Lei turned slightly to face Keme fully frontally, before spreading her wings.

"I'll need a shirt and a skirt too," she said to Robba. "I won't have him portray my buttocks."

"Why would I portray your buttocks?" asked Keme with a grin.

"I'll get you a skirt," said Robba.

"Why would I portray her buttocks," asked Keme, turned to his father.

"Thong," said Robba, and turned to the nearest giant beetle. "I'll start gathering your wares, moth."

"Thong," mouthed Keme to himself, as if trying to catch the punchline of a joke. Then his eyebrows shot up, and he made a move as if to get up.

"Stay put, son," said Robba, loud enough to be heard while still walking toward the giant beetle. "You don't need a better angle for the first portrait."

Lei sternly eyed the young termite-man, silently reinforcing Robba's command. Keme grinned and winked at her. It wasn't his fault that she was wearing a thong. Rumour had it that termites didn't condemn crossfucking. Rumour also had it that termites had ways of avoiding conception. Judging from the way Keme didn't conceal his appreciation of the view, at least the first rumour seemed to be true.

When Robba returned, he had a whole pack of termites with him, it seemed he had woken his entire family to help gather Lei's wares.

"Do you trust us so much as to bring a tenth of a ball at a time?" asked Robba, handing Lei a skirt of a cut as uni-size as a thong but far more covering.

"A tenth at a time will be fine," agreed Lei.

"Good," said Robba. "We will sort your wares into ten piles then. I will trust you with the skirt, though."

"Thank you," said Lei, already engaged in the process of strapping the skirt on.

Written by Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

The portraying took far longer than 'not long', but the gathering of, and agreeing on, wares, took longer, so Lei didn't complain about that slight.

"Do you have any bows for sale?" asked Robba, after Lei had discarded six out of the ten tools he had just displayed to her on a trey.

"Not yet," said Lei, a bit surprised that the termite had guessed she was a bow-maker. "And if those," Lei gestured at the tools on the trey, "are the best you had to offer, then I've got a long ways to go yet."

"I hope we can find better then," said Robba amiably, and handed the trey to a termite-woman, who was most likely his mate. "Where are you from, moth?"

"That's all my business and none of yours," said Lei.

"If you insist so," said Robba, with a shrug, and changed the topic. "How many pieces does it take to make a bow?"

"Twenty-seven," replied Lei, matter-of-factly.

"Twenty-seven," repeated Robba, and waved for a small termite girl to bring forth another trey with a selection of tools. He took the trey off the girl's hands; sent her away with a 'thanks sweetie' and a smile; and raised the trey for Lei to inspect. 

"Keme," said Robba over his shoulder, "where do people make bows out of twenty-seven pieces?"

"Aribo forest," replied Keme.

"Aribo forest," repeated Robba, turning back to Lei. "How long has it been since you left it?"

"You are awfully curious," said Lei, inspecting the tools on the trey.

"You are awfully interesting," said Robba and shrugged.

Lei didn't really have a reason to hide her past up until the point when she had met Black, but she didn't really have a reason to share it either, so she let Robba continue asking questions and only avoided the direct ones. It was fascinating how much he could infer from asking general questions, like with the bow-pieces.

By the time half the wares were in order, Robba had somehow deducted the name of the beetle village where Lei's parents bought most of their metallic tools. Lei was more than impressed by his knowledge. The travelling termites seemed to know something about everything.

Lei grew more relaxed with every passing hour. Robba and his family were charming people. Even Keme was endearing, now that she was better dressed and more accustomed to his ever watchful eyes.

"Son," said Robba, while opening yet another crate of specialty tools, "when that moth flies off to fetch silk, you will follow her."

"Sure," replied Keme, who had hoped for such a command.

"I don't think the moth has lied to us. I think she has been lied to," said Robba. "It's not her you need to fear, it is whoever she is protecting."

"The one who gave her the thread," commented Keme.

"Yes." With his top pair of arms, his man arms, Robba took two of the same tools out of the box. One of a quality the moth would likely reject, the other of a quality she'd likely accept. The bad one he put on the trey which he held in his bottom pair of arms, his termite arms. The other he left on top of the box.

"Why are you still stalling her?" asked Keme.

"I'm still hoping she will slip and reveal the thief. I don't like sending you," admitted Robba. "Something so unique, so perfect, as that thread can't have belonged to anyone but the emperor himself. Someone who has stolen from the emperor..." Robba halted and shook his head. "I don't like sending you into danger, son."

"It might just be a strayward tailor," said Keme, with a grin. "I think I can handle a tailor, dad."

"Don't handle anything." Robba was stern. "You keep your distance, and you watch. You don't go close enough to listen, and you don't try to steal back any stolen goods you see. You observe, you come back, and that's it."

"Don't worry, dad," said Keme, and placed his hands on his father's shoulders. "I won't do anything stupid."

"You're a good man," said Robba. "But I often find myself wishing you'll soon outgrow your wings. I hate sending you into the wind. Even when it's for the emperor.

"I know, dad."

Robba sighed and turned to take his trey back to the moth.

Keme remained with the boxes, they needed the moth to get used to not seeing him all the time, so she wouldn't suspect anything for him being out of sight when it was time for her to go. Keme was excited about the adventure.

Trailing a beautiful young moth lady through the moon-light to locate a silk-thief who dared steal from the emperor. Even if the supposed culprit should turn out to just be a greedy tailor, Keme expected this night might become something worth telling and retelling till old age.

"Silk as perfect as if straight from a spider's butt," said Keme, to an imagined audience. He'd have to think up something better than that once he had a story worth telling. Silk from a spider's butt was useless, you couldn't teach the beasts not to add glue to their web.

Finally, hours after the moth had arrived. His father gave up on stalling further and gave Keme the signal to creep into the forest. Keme kept the blanket around his shoulders till he had a tree between himself and the moth and then finally freed his wings. He had had them a full year and was more than happy to get a chance to use them for a real adventure. His father's, and his father's father's wings, had only lasted three years, Keme didn't expect his to last longer.

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In the hopes of becoming a courier, at least for one year, Keme had trained hard. He was sure he could keep up with the moth. He found a hiding spot on a high branch, from which he could observe the moth who was still at his father's guard pole. There he started smearing himself with cheap paste ink. The blacker he could make himself, the easier it would be to hide in the night.

He was far done, and far impatient, when his father and the moth joined hands, sealing their agreement on the wares, and the moth finally set off.

She was fast. Keme had no time to spend on hiding, if he had tried he would have lost her. Sometimes he did lose sight of her, but, luckily, her white-grey wings were easy to spot, even far off.

Keme had no time spare to look for anything but the moth and the branches and leaves between them. He wasn't accustomed to flying fast and far in the upper branches like moths did.

It was a thrilling and exciting chase. But then from out of nowhere, something huge and black bashed into him. Keme screamed. The start of his scream, he couldn't hear for the wind howling past his ears, the end of it was cut off by his own wind being squeezed out of him by something hard bashing into his abdomen.

Within a split second, Keme realised that his crazy push through the air had ended, and that maybe it had been his abdomen bashing into that something hard and not opposite. Within a second split second, Keme realised that he was in mortal danger. Whatever had bashed him out of the air was still holding on to him. Keme inhaled.

"HELP," he screamed. "HELP ME."

The thing that had caught him was spinning him around in its hold yet never letting go of any of his limbs.

"IT'S A SPIDER," realised and screamed Keme. "HELP I CAN'T MOVE."

He was getting dizzy from the spin. Already couldn't tell up from down. And the being helplessly caught part was just getting worse. The spider was webbing him.

"HELP." He was too far from the caravan for his family and friends to hear him. He could only hope he wasn't too far from the moth.

"Black, what are you doing," yelled a woman's voice. Keme recognised it to be the moth.

"Please help me," yelled Keme. 

"Black, stop that," yelled the moth.

"Help," whimpered Keme, the spider had stopped spinning him but the world was still spinning.

"He was following you," snarled a man's voice. The voice came from right behind Keme. But there couldn't be a man there. There was where the spider was.

"Help me," whimpered Keme, hopelessly pressing against the web holding all his arms to his body.

"Keme, is that you?" asked the moth.

"Help," whispered Keme.

"Black, you've scared the wits out of him." The moth sounded like she was scolding someone.




Moth Ch. 013



"He," snarled the man's voice, prolonging the word to a hiss, "was following you."

"Help me," insisted Keme. He had meant to yell it, but it was hardly more than a whisper.

"Let go of him," said the moth in a demanding tone.

The spider's hold on him was removed.

"Keme?" asked the moth and turned him over.

Keme felt sick and would have lost the contents of his stomach if he hadn't been so unbelievably scared.

"Keme?" asked the moth and touched his cheek. Her patterned face filled his field of vision. "Are you allright?"

"Spider," whispered Keme. "Did you kill it?"

"Why did you follow her?" snarled the man from before.

Keme turned his eyes toward the sound and screamed. Where a man should be there was a spider. A huge, black, deadly, spider.

"Spider," huffed Keme, and tried to worm backward away from the thing.

"Calm down," soothed the moth. Her back was to the creature, she obviously hadn't seen it.

"SPIDER," screamed Keme, trying to make the woman realise the danger. The beast was crawling toward them. Reached them. Raised its body over the them, its legs moving on both sides of them. Everything went black.

Keme was waking to the sound of a woman's voice.

"Keme?"

He had had a really nasty nightmare. He took his hand to his forehead. He didn't feel too good.

"I can't believe he fainted," snarled a man. "What a wimp."

"Oh shut up, Black," scolded the woman.

Keme knew that voice from somewhere.

"Keme, how are you feeling?" asked the woman.

"Lei?" asked Keme, opening his eyes to see a white face with black stripes. "What happened?"

"Apparently," said the young moth-woman, "you were following me."

"I..." Keme remember that he had been following her. "Was there a spider?"

"There is a spider," said Lei. "But he is not going to hurt you. He is my friend."

"Spider?" asked Keme. Nothing made sense.

"A spider with mind," said Lei with emphasis. "Not a spider-beast. He is not going to hurt you."

"Don't be too sure about that," snarled the man from before.

Keme kept his eyes on Lei's.

"A spider with mind?" he said, refusing to move his eyes to the monster. He felt sick.

"Yes," said Lei.

"It wrapped me in web, didn't it?"

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

"He wrapped you in web to protect me," said Lei with emphasis on 'he'. "We cut you out of it while you were out."

"Why are you being so nice to him," snarled the man's voice. No. The thing's voice. "He can't be trusted. They sent him out to follow you."

"Well, it was the right thing of them to do," snapped the moth. "They think I am a thief." Then in a milder tone she said, "Isn't that how it is, Keme?"

"We don't think you are a thief," said Keme. "We think..." A thought occurred to him: Straight from a spider's butt. "Never mind what we thought."

Keme slowly sat up, making sure not to look toward the monster.

"You're not going to let it hurt me, are you?" he whispered to the moth.

"Black is a man," stated the moth, hard reprimand in her voice. "Not a beast. And if you don't start treating him with respect, I might ask him to cut off your head and suck the juice of life right out of you."

Keme's breath stuck in his throat.

"And you told me not to scare him again when he woke up," commented the monster.

"Well I didn't know he was an idiot," snapped the moth.

"Can we go home now?" asked the monster.

"Go fetch the full-ball," said the moth.

"Since when do you give me orders?" snarled the monster.

Keme cringed, fearing the thing would tear off the moth's head. Once it did that, it would probably do something far worse to him.

"Please, fetch the full-ball, Black," said the moth. She sounded, and looked, annoyed.

"I'm not your slave, you know," snarled the monster.

Keme was breathing too fast, but he struggled to keep a calm face, and kept his eyes on the moth.

"You, termite..." snarled the monster, and tapped a leg against Keme's back-plating.

By holding his breath, and swallowing hard, Keme managed not to scream.

"...I'll be gone a little while." The monster's voice had death in it. "If you even think of hurting my friend while I'm gone, then you, and everyone back in your camp, will be dead before dawn." The monster tapped him again. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Keme. He had never before heard his own voice quiver that hard.

The spider jumped off. Keme felt a rush of wind pass him as air filled the spot the spider had jumped from. Now that it was gone he could breathe again.

"Please tell him not to hurt my family," said Keme to the moth, taking great care not to refer to it as 'it'.

"He won't hurt your family," said the moth. "He is just trying to protect me."

"Why?" Keme hadn't meant to ask. It had just popped out.

"Because he is my friend. Friends protect each other."

"Aren't you afraid that he will eat you?"

"Don't be stupid, Keme. People don't eat people," said the moth.

"Allright," said Keme, and nervously licked his lips. It was wiser not to argue with the person who could send the monster off on errands. "Would you mind if I fly home now?"

"Please stay till Black returns."

"I'd really like to go home now," pleaded Keme.

"Don't be such a whimp," snapped the moth.

"Allright," said Keme, and went quiet. The last thing he wanted was for an angry moth and her pet monster to follow him back to his family.

Keme nearly fainted again when, after mere minutes, the monster returned, landing right next to them with a thump. He hadn't seen it coming.

The monster handed the moth a package. Keme again kept his eyes peeled to the moth. If he looked straight at the monster he'd lose control of his fear and try to flee, and he daren't think what they'd do to him if he did. The moth unpacked the package, revealing a large white ball.

"This is the full-ball of spider-silk-thread I've been trying to trade to your father," said the moth. "It's not stolen goods. Black made it for me."

"Allright," said Keme, impressed with himself for that his voice almost sounded normal.

The moth handed him the ball and Keme accepted it. Not sure what she wanted him to do with it. He just held on to it with two hands and stared at it.

"Tell your father that if he still wants to trade, then he can leave my wares behind when your caravan moves on," instructed the moth.

"Allright," said Keme. If the moth had told him to, he would have begged his father to leave everything their giant beetle carried not to have to face the monster again. Having been exposed to the strength and speed of the thing, Keme had no desire to fight it. Not even with weapon in hand and comrades at his side.

"If your father no longer wants to trade, then he can leave the full-ball behind when your caravan moves on."

"Allright," said Keme.

"Any questions?" asked the moth.

"No."

For a moment there was silence. Keme remained absolutely still.

"You can go home now if you like," urged the moth.

That was all Keme needed to hear.

---==(o)==---

"Travelling termites don't usually travel at night," said Lei, gazing down at the caravan that had just started moving.

"I have that effect on people," said Black, tonelessly.

"I never knew termites were such cowards." Lei was disappointed. 

"It's not just termites," said Black.

Lei remembered her own family aiming their bows at her and Oli.

"I guess you are right," she said, and then noticed that the caravan was leaving a neat pile of small boxes behind. "Look." She pointed excitedly. "They left me my wares."

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 014



Please forgive the redundant copyright messages, I've found that sometimes my stories are copypasted in part and used elsewhere.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

"What's wrong?" asked Lei.

"What?" snarled Kokata.

"Don't give me that, Black. You've been acting strange for days," said Lei. "Ever since we traded with the termites, actually."

"You traded with the termites," snarled Kokata. "I didn't. I don't trade things. I don't need things."

"Crankywort."

Kokata wasn't in a mood to joke around and didn't retort.

"What's bothering you, Black?"

"I don't like people knowing where I am," admitted Kokata.

"People know where you are?" The young woman sounded confused.

"The termites," snarled Kokata. "Your devoted admirer."

"Keme was not..."

"I was watching," snarled Kokata. "He was eating you with his eyes."

"I was half naked," said Lei, rolling her eyes as if that explained everything. "And they don't know where we are."

"I don't like living near a place where I have been sighted," snarled Kokata. "Sooner or later this area will be crawling with monster-hunters."

"Are you serious?"

"Do I sound like I'm joking?" Even while talking, Kokata couldn't help but glance around for signs of danger. Now that he had someone to protect, the outlook to being hunted was a heavier stress than it had been for years. He had a strong notion that if he ended up having to fight, he couldn't trust Lei to just fly away to safety.

"Why would people come here to hunt you down? Why would people hunt you at all?"

"Because they are afraid of me," snarled Kokata. "I'm a monster."

"You're not a..."

"They think I am," interrupted Kokata. "People tend to kill first and ask later."

"Is that how come you live alone?" asked Lei.

"No," snarled Kokata. "All I ever dreamed of was spending all my life having no one to talk to."

Lei just looked at him, and Kokata remembered that when he snarled she often had trouble telling whether he was serious or not.

"After I left the beetles, I searched for people who would accept me," snarled Kokata, afraid that if he said it without snarling his voice would break. "You're the only one who's ever looked past my appearance." Again, he glanced about for signs of danger. "I've been hunted many times, Lei. More than I've bothered to count."

"We will move," stated Lei. "We will find a place where you feel safe."

"You will come with me?" snarled Kokata. Snarling was the only way he could possibly force anything past the lump in his throat.

"I'm your friend," said Lei, straightening her back and raising her chin she was the perfect image of moth-pride. "I will never abandon you."

Kokata's eyes widened and his legs weakened, his body was filling with more emotion than he could carry. Almost unable to walk, he staggered to Lei, and, unable to stop himself, curled his legs around her and pulled her tight.

"I'll never leave you," said Lei and returned his hug. "Never."

Kokata squeezed her as tight to him as he could without hurting her, and wept his heart out.

"No one will ever hurt you again," said Lei, with menace in her voice. "I won't let them."

At that moment, Kokata could not have spoken a single word even if his life depended on it, but he made an oath that he would protect this girl with his life. No matter what.

Kokata had never before wept in the arms of another. It was far more draining than he had ever imagined. But, it was a good draining. When he fell asleep in Lei's arms, he felt better than he had imagined possible.

Long after Black had fallen asleep, Lei kept her arms around his head. Her heart was boiling with anger at people, and their stupidity, and their cowardice.

---==(o)==---

Valo was standing at the ledge of his home. The first light of dawn was reflecting off the tip of his arrow. Behind, were his wife, and all his children but for one. On the branch closest to his home stood his beautiful daughter.

His arms were hurting from the strain of keeping his bow taut.

He was yelling lies at the girl. One after the other. Anything to make her fly away. But, the wind was tearing the sound from his lips and the girl couldn't hear him.

"I never loved you," yelled Valo at the top of his lungs. "You weren't wanted. We hate you."

If the girl should fly to him, then everyone Valo loved would die.

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"Fly away," yelled Valo, but couldn't even himself hear his words.

The girl spread her wings, greyish white as his own.

"Don't," yelled Valo, but the wind stole all sound. "Don't!"

As slowly as an airborne seed falling to the ground, the girl floated upwards toward Valo and everything he had to protect. Her hands were outstretched as if to hug him.

"Stop," screamed Valo, but there was no sound.

The girl was almost close enough to touch.

Valo released his arrow. It bore into the child's chest and her eyes widened with disbelief.

Valo screamed something, but the world was as silent as a winter-cocoon.

He woke. Panting for breath he sat up in bed. There was no one next to him to be disturbed by the movement. His mate had her own room now, her own bed. When the children had asked why mum and dad needed separate rooms, Valo had explained that mum needed her sleep and dad moved around too much in his sleep.

He knew that wasn't the real reason. His mate resented him. Valo didn't fault her for it. He too blamed himself for the loss of Lei. He hadn't shot an arrow through the child's heart, but he might as well have. There were so many ways he could have handled that moment. Since it had happened he had thought up countless ways to deal that could have led to a better end.

The rest of his children had survived the plague. The sickness hadn't entered his home. Somehow that ought to be a bigger consolation than it was.

He couldn't stop hoping that some night Lei would come by to visit her mother and siblings. He could just imagine her landing on the ledge and her eyes narrowing with fury at the sight of him. Furious, but alive and well. Lei had always had a temper. Always a perfect example of the unforgiving ideology of youth.

He had always been proud of that. Since she could walk, Lei had strutted about and, like a princess of times far past, declared right and wrong with but a wave of her hand.

The not knowing was the worst of it. Both Lei and her cursed butterfly playmate had simply vanished. After winter, when every trace of the plague was gone, Valo and his oldest son had taken turns at venturing out to ask about. Before midsummer, they had been by every village and hive gather in Aribo forest.

None had seen a moth fitting Lei's description, nor a butterfly fitting Oli's, since the plague had begun. Wherever Lei had chosen to face the plague, was not a plague-camp.

She might have died from it, and she might not.

---==(o)==---

"This place is perfect," said Lei, staring out at the lower forest on the other side of the river which ran below the steep cliff. It was as great a view as one could ever gain by flying above trees, and yet she was safely seated in a thickly branched tree.

"The wind will be nasty when it blows the other way," commented Kokata.

"I don't mean for us to settle in this tree," said Lei. "I think we should set home in the oak tree where you caught that small beetle-beast."

Kokata licked his lips. The beast hadn't had much juice in it but it had been very tasty.

"I guess the wind wouldn't be too bad back there," he agreed, besides where there was one tasty beast, there was likely to be more.

"It won't be bad at all, the nearby trees form a perfect wind shelter," stated Lei.

Kokata made no comment, he had no doubt a moth would know more about the wind than him.

"It's a perfect place to build a hive and raise children." Lei was apparently in a mood to spray random facts.

"Children," snarled Kokata. "Were you planning to rape me in my sleep?" 

Since they had started travelling, Lei often touched him. Hugs had become commonplace. They had even started sleeping next to each other. But, even though the proximity heated Kokata's blood, there was nothing erotic in its nature.

Lei treated him more like a baby-brother than a man.

"No," said Lei, with a laugh. "I'll save myself for my great love."

"Great love?" A sharp pang of jealousy struck Kokata. "A seer has promised you great love?"

"Yes," stated Lei.

"Did he give you a name?" asked Kokata. Maybe there was just a tiny bit of hope that the name would match that of a certain legendary snail monster.

"No," laughed Lei. "But don't worry, you don't match the description. Your sleep is safe."

The spider was silent and the moth couldn't hear the sound of his heart breaking. The spider didn't know what the seer's description had been, and the moth didn't know that the spider thought she was beautiful. After all, he often said she was scrawny.

*

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.



Moth Ch. 015



Please forgive the redundant copyright messages, I've found that sometimes my stories are copypasted in part and used elsewhere.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

Lei was flying. It was mid day and she couldn't see anything for the brightness. Suddenly an unreasonable gust of wind grabbed hold of her and threw her, back down, into a spiderweb.

The brightness lessened and Lei could see clear as night. Black was approaching.

"Fooooood," he taunted in a ghoulish voice. "Fooood."

Lei realised she was naked.

"Food," taunted Black, looking down at her with hungry eyes. In one movement he grabbed her wrists and ankles, and spread them far apart.

"Food," said Black and laughed while webbing her hands and feet to the web.


From somewhere outside one of the birds that never left for winter made a loud racket and Lei woke. She wasn't sure whether to feel blessed or sad to have been rescued from that dream. It had been frightening but also... erotic. That was it. Erotic!

Lei smiled to herself. She had had erotic dreams before, but back then she hadn't been a full-blown woman. A good three-quarters of a year had passed since she had left her cocoon a full adult. In that time, she hadn't thought much about the mysteries of womanhood. Now that she, as a woman, had a taste of lust, what sprang to mind was that it really was about time.

Still smiling smugly, Lei snuggled against the soft silk. Her bedding was heavenly.

Black had padded her winter-hole with a thick insulating layer of it, and had made her several thick, fluffy, blankets. He had sternly instructed her that if she ever froze she should call for him, and he would come warm her.

It was no wonder her first erotic dream had been of Black. His silk delightfully caressed her skin all night, every night; all her winter-clothing was insulated with it. And at day she slept in the warmth of this wonderful bedding that was all his making.

Lei pressed her face into her blanket and inhaled deeply. Spending all day breathing his scent, it was no wonder she would dream of him.

In real life Black was just as strong as he had been in the dream. So swift, and overpowering, and...

Lei squeezed her legs together. Her most private place was pounding away, as if she had grown a tiny heart down there which pounded in tune with her other one.

She had never really touched herself there. Sharing a bed with two brothers and a sister didn't encourage such exploration. Before leaving home she'd never been alone while washing herself either.

Lei glanced toward her hole's exit. It had been cold at dawn; she had tied the drape closed before going to sleep. The knot hadn't loosened, and there was no risk of Black looking inside at an awkward moment. Yet, Lei kept the blanket on while slowly sliding a hand to her thong.

She had an expectant warm feeling in her gut and a mischievous grin on her lips. Alone or not. This was naughty.

Her fingers reached the top of her thong. She slipped them under, and slid further to get to where it throbbed.

Lei's smile disappeared. Something was wrong. Her fingers had found wetness. A lot of it. It felt too slimy to be pee. Lei threw off her cover, sat up, and looked at her fingers.

They weren't bloody, and it was the wrong time for that anyhow.

There wasn't anything to see, except that her fingers were wet. Lei rubbed her thumb against the wet fingertips. The wetness felt slimy. Nauseous with worry, Lei took off her thong, curled forward as best she could, and did her best to look at her privates. It was an impossible place to inspect on your own.

What if she had an infection? She didn't know anything about treating infections. All she had ever cared to learn about was bow-making. What if she got sick?

She forced the panic back and started wiping herself clean. Then she dressed and took a short trip into the daylight for snow. It took her a while to melt enough snow with her hands to wet a corner of a blanket. But, once that was done, cleaning off the last of the slime was fairly easy.

Lei had a hard time going back to sleep and often moved her hand into her thong to check for slime. After an hour of restlessness, there was still no trace of slime, and Lei slowly calmed. After even longer, she fell back asleep.

When she woke at sunset, the first thing she did was check her privates for slime. Lei breathed a sigh of relief when her fingers only found slight moisture. That was the normal condition of that area.

She smelled her fingers and was shocked by the tangy smell. Although, she admitted to herself, she really had no clue how she was supposed to smell down there. Lei cursed herself for not having been curious about that sooner.

Outside her hole the night was beautiful. There was snow everywhere. But, Lei was not in a mood to enjoy it.

Black seemed to be in a good mood, until her sourness infected him and he crawled off to mind his own business. Lei didn't bother to apologise. Black rarely bothered to when he was having a bad night.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

She washed her nether region at least five times that night, although there was no trace of the slime of the day. When dawn came, she felt a little better. Whatever had caused the slime, it had probably gone away.

Sleep came to her easily.


Lei was flying through the forest. Something was chasing her. Something fast. She was flapping her wings with all her might, but the wind just wouldn't obey properly, and the something was catching up to her. 

Then it caught her and she realised it was her father.

"You are bad," he said, bent her over his lap, and pushed an arm between her folded wings, spreading them. His other arm he raised up in the air, preparing to spank her buttocks.

"You are very bad," he said, but it was no longer her father. The man holding her was Black.

Lei whimpered as he pulled her arms behind her back and folded them over her wings.

"Very bad." Blacks voice was smooth and hungry. His legtips were wandering all over her body.

Lei squeezed her legs together to protect her most private place. Black said nothing but pressed legs between her thighs and...

Lei woke. Her stomach was buzzing with warmth and her nether was pounding. She squeezed her legs together around the sensation.

There was a squishy feeling where her thighs pressed against her thong.

"Oh no," whimpered Lei, and started sobbing.



---==(o)==---



Kokata studied Lei from his hiding place. She had been moody for days, and it seemed she couldn't look at him without finding something to yell about. He was tired of being yelled at.

He was in a right mind to lay himself in the snow and speed up time. Maybe when spring arrived, Lei would be more like herself and less like a beetle.

Lei rose from her work and flew off. She returned shortly after. Most likely it had just been a piss break.

She sat back down at her usual work place, and picked up the leaf spine she had been working on before leaving, but then put it back down and simply started sobbing.

She looked very alone and scared.

Kokata left his place of hiding and crawled to her, approaching from behind.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and hated the way she stiffened her shoulders at the sound of his voice.

"Nothing," claimed Lei, and snorted back snot.

"Then why are you crying about it?" snarled Kokata.

"It's got nothing to do with you," said Lei, and surreptitiously wiped her nose and eyes. As if he couldn't guess that was what she was doing.

"What has got nothing to do with me?" pushed Kokata, straining not to snarl. He hated that she wouldn't confide in him.

"I think I'm sick," confided Lei, quietly.

"Sick?" Kokata's stomach jumped up to his heart, somersaulted, and dove down hard on his guts. "How sick? Sick how?"

"I don't know," sobbed Lei.

"Don't know!" snarled Kokata. "How can you not know?"

"It's in the nether region," sobbed Lei. "I don't know what it is."

"How bad is it?"

"I don't know," sobbed Lei, and then she started telling a long confusing story about slime, and washing, and fresh slime, and sleeping, and finished it with:

"... And now I just went to pee and there was slime in my thong. And I don't know what it is. And I don't know what to do. And I'm scared."

Kokata felt like a bucketful of rocks were churning around inside his stomach. If Lei was scared, he was terrified. They were far from any kind of people. How would he get her to a healer in the middle of winter? How would he even find a healer?

"Allright," said Kokata. "Slime." He slid some legs around Lei and hugged her. "It doesn't have to be dangerous. Maybe it's just a minor infection."

"What if it's a parasite?" sobbed Lei. "What if something crawled in there and laid it's eggs?"

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"Everything will be fine," comforted Kokata, and gently rocked her, but really he was anything but calm.

"I don't know what to do," wept Lei, pressing back against him.

"You need to let me look at it," said Kokata.

Lei stiffened in his hold.

"I know," snarled Kokata, "it's a private place. But maybe I can see something that you can't."

"You're not a healer," said Lei.

"No. But I'm good at killing bugs," snarled Kokata. "If it's a parasite that, at least, should be useful."

For a moment, Lei was silent. Kokata was just about to press the issue when she beat him to it.

"Allright," she said, and pushed out of his hold. "I'll let you look."

Then, her eyes firmly on the snow, Lei walked past him toward her hole. Kokata crawled after her.

Lei's hole was larger than her last one had been. There was more than room for both of them.

Kokata watched in silence as Lei took off her outer clothing, her under pants, and her thong. Under other conditions he would have loved a chance to inspect her nether region.

"I..." said Lei, holding her hands in front of her, hiding from his line of sight what the thong usually did. "I... I'm not comfortable about this."

Kokata wasn't sure what to say.

"I smell down there," said Lei, lowering her head even further.

"I don't mind," said Kokata. "Just please, let me have a look."

Lei nodded, laid herself down, and, very hesitantly, spread her legs.

Kokata moved in between and gently laid legtips on her upper thigh to spread them further. Lei's body jumped on the bedding.

"You're cold," she apologised.

"Gimme a moment," said Kokata, released Lei's thighs, and shivered for all he was worth.

"Is that better?" he asked, holding a legtip against Lei's thigh.

"Much better," said Lei, nodding.

"Good." Kokata again, put legtips on both Lei's thighs, and gently pushed for her to spread them further. Then he lowered his face till it was a mere hand's width from Lei's womanhood.

"So far it doesn't look wrong," said Kokata, though he wasn't sure exactly how it was supposed to look. "It's not a bad smell," he added, for a moment raising his body and glancing up at Lei's face. Her eyes were closed and she had a tortured, embarrassed look on her face.

Kokata ran his tips over the folds. They really were wet with something. The substance didn't seem malignant though. He moved his face even closer and inhaled deeply. It was a good smell. It was strong, and alien, but his whole body recognised it to be very good. Kokata shivered.

"Not now," he soundlessly mouthed to himself.

How could his body choose this time to respond to Lei?

Kokata took a slow deep breath to calm himself. Through his nose. It had the exact opposite effect. It was the smell. His body recognised it even if he had never smelled it before.

"Are you sure you are not supposed to smell this way?" asked Kokata, having a very hard time keeping his voice even.

"No," replied Lei. The word came out resembling an embarrassed whine.

"I think the smell is right," said Kokata, and raised himself. If he could have a few breaths without it then maybe he could clear his head. 'The smell is right.' Couldn't he find a more delicate way to put it?

"What about the slime?" asked Lei, covering her face with her hands.

"Let me check." Kokata lowered his face again, and made sure not to inhale the intoxicating aroma. Without warning, not to give Lei time to be further embarrassed, he stuck out his tongue and ran it over the wettest area.

Lei shrieked with surprise, and would have closed her legs if he hadn't held onto them. To calm her he raised himself while tasting his tongue.

"What are you doing?" Lei's voice was hoarse with shock and thick with embarrassment.

Kokata waved at her with a legtip, still tasting his tongue.

"It tastes sort of metallic," he said, and again moved his tongue around in his mouth. "It doesn't taste unhealthy. Are you sure it's not supposed to be there?"

"Of course it's not supposed to be there," complained Lei. "I told you. I've never had slime like that there."

The heavy feeling in Kokata's stomach had lifted at the arousal the scent had caused. Now it returned and pushed the arousal away.

"I'll start looking for parasites," he said, and lowered himself.

He carefully spread every fold she had. There was no sign of neither eggs nor tinybug bites, and he told her so.

"Allright," said Lei, the palms of her hands firmly attached to her face.

"The slime is coming from inside you," said Kokata. "I'll have to feel around in there."

"I don't want you to," sobbed Lei. "I wan't a healer."

"I'll be very gentle," promised Kokata, and exceedingly slowly moved a legtip toward where the cracks in the folds went deeper than could be stretched.

"Don't," screeched Lei the moment he started sliding it in.

Kokata withdrew the legtip and raised himself. Lei was sobbing hard. He could see tears running out at the sides of her hands. She was scared and miserable.

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"I can't," she sobbed. "I can't. I can't."

"It's allright," said Kokata, and pressed his cheek against one her thighs.

"You don't have to," he lied, while securing his hold on the thigh. He turned his face till his lips were on her thigh and kissed her soft white skin.

Then he opened his mouth and bit.

Lei shrieked and fought him like a caught moth-beast. Kokata pulled his teeth out of her flesh but held on tight awaiting the effect of the poison. It only took a moment, but it was a long heart-wrenching moment.

"Everything will be allright," he said, when finally Lei relaxed and sagged back on the bed.

"I feel great," sighed Lei, her arms splayed on both sides of her. "This bed is soooo soft. I love this bed."

"That's good," said Kokata gently, and slowly spread Lei's legs.

"You bit me," said Lei and giggled.

"I bit you," agreed Kokata softly, firmly keeping Lei's legs apart with two of his own.

"It didn't hurt much," said Lei. She had a wide, silly, beautiful smile on her face.

Kokata spread Lei's folds and again moved a legtip in position.

"I have dreams about you," said Lei and giggled.

"That's nice, Scrawny. Now try to lay still, please."

"I like dreaming about you, Black."

Kokata very slowly pushed the tip inward.

"That feels nice," said Lei, and moved her legs within his hold on them.

Kokata shivered. He closed his eyes and reminded himself why he was doing what he was doing.

"It tickles when you shiver," giggled Lei.

Kokata pushed further and Lei made a complaining sound.

"Was that my virginity?" she asked, with a blurred voice. "It didn't hurt much."

He wasn't sure but made sure to move even slower. He had no idea what her inside was supposed to feel like.

"It feels gooder than it hurts," sighed Lei, restlessly moving around on the bedding. "Much gooder."

Kokata felt around, first sides, then bottom side, then top side.

"Yes, there," exclaimed Lei.

"Where?" asked Kokata, slowly retracing his movement. "Did you feel something?"

"Back a bit," insisted Lei. "No, not that far. Deeper. Yes there! Touch there."

Kokata gently rubbed the spot.

"You have something there?" he asked. He couldn't feel anything resembling a parasite on the spot.

"Stay there," pleaded Lei. "It feels really good."

Kokata stopped.

"Don't stop," whined Lei.

Maybe biting her had been a bad idea. She wouldn't be much help the state she was in.

"It felt really nice," whined Lei, writhing against the bedding.

Slime squeezed out of her around his legtip. Kokata shivered with lust but pushed the feeling away.

While he had his eyes on the liquid, and his ears on Lei's ragged breathing, pieces clicked into place.

Lei was feeling lustful. With the words of young men speaking in whispers, one would say she was 'wet'. Kokata had always thought it had been a code. Secret slang for young men. He felt stupid to have taken this long to realise that the expression was literal.

Kokata pulled his legtip out of Lei, tucked her blanket around her, laid down next to her, and pulled her into a protective hug.

"This is nice too," said Lei, and sighed happily.

"You're not sick," said Kokata.

"I have nice dreams about you," said Lei, and giggled.

"That's nice, Lei." Kokata hoped she wouldn't be too angry when the poison wore off, especially since it had all turned out to be needless.

"The other day I dreamt that I flew into your net." Lei pressed her blanket covered body against his. "And then you webbed me down and fucked me."

Kokata's eyes widened and his breath stuck in his throat.

"It was such a nice dream." Lei stretched with pleasure. "Will you fuck me, Black?"

Kokata shivered and for a few seconds he couldn't speak.

"Try to sleep," he finally managed to croak out. "You will probably have nice dreams."

"You think so?"

"Yes," croaked Kokata. "Just close your eyes and lie still."

Lei did as instructed. Kokata too lay absolutely still. Given the circumstances, she might forgive the bite, eventually. But she'd never forgive him if he did more.

"I wanna fuck," said Lei.

"That's the poison talking," croaked Kokata, as much to himself as to her. "Go to sleep."



---==(o)==---



Kokata was not sorry. Not really. He had done what he thought best with as much as he had understood at the moment of doing it. He wasn't repenting. And yet, he spent most his waking hours on an act of repentance.

Kokata was spinning thread.

Lei had been right about the oak-tree; there was almost never any wind in it. He often let his spinning stick dangle so far as a body-length below. Lengthen the silk, spin it around, watch it spin, ball the thread. It was hypnotising work.

Lengthen the silk, think of your life, spin it around, hope for the best, watch it spin, fear the worst, ball the thread, control your fear.

They weren't talking. Lei had said she needed time.

Kokata lengthened the silk. Maybe he needed time too, but it wasn't nice not to have a choice about it. He set the stick to a spin.

How could she have erotic dreams about him? Maybe people could dream anything. He had once had a dream that he was a green cloud up in the sky. It had been a strange dream, but that didn't mean he wanted to be a green cloud.

She had said she liked the dreams she had had about him.

When he had been very small, some of the young beetle-men had dared each other to let him bite them, and then they had tortured him till he had done it.

Back then it had seemed his poison sedated and caused euphoria, while also being an aphrodisiac and a truth serum.

But maybe it just made people say strange things.

Kokata balled the thread, refastened it, and lengthened the silk.

He wanted to taste that metallic taste again. He wanted to taste it and be able to savour it.

He spun the stick, and watched it spin.

She had liked being touched by him. Kokata knew it had been the poison, but that didn't stop him longing.




Moth Ch. 015



After ten days, Kokata had made just as many full-balls of silk. He hoped that would do to break the ice, gathered them all up, and crawled to Lei's hole. He shivered up thoroughly not to cool her home, and scratched on the drape.

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Just a moment," said Lei. Kokata could hear her work on the drape's knot.

Lei pushed the drape aside. Her face looked so very serious.

"Come in, Black." Her voice was serious too.

Kokata slid inside, and started piling his work on her floor.

"I don't know if I love you," said Lei.

Kokata dropped one of the full-balls, and it rolled away into a corner. The statement had come out of nowhere.

"Why would you need to know if you love me?" asked Kokata, his eyes on the full-balls which he had stacked.

"Because one day I am going to love someone a lot," said Lei. "Our seer was never wrong."

"What does that have to do with me?" Kokata added another full-ball to the neat stack.

"I'm very attracted to you," said Lei.

Kokata placed yet another full-ball, neatly on the stack. Her statement was too surreal to affect him.

"But if I should manage to seduce you, then what will happen when my great love arrives?" asked Lei.

"I will kill him," said Kokata. That was how simple it was.

Kokata placed the last two balls on the neat pile, then fetched the runaway ball and put that on the very top. Strangely, he was feeling very calm.

"You didn't have to make me silk," said Lei. She sounded shaken.

Kokata turned to her.

"I will kill your lover," he said, and he knew it was true. "Even if I can't have you."

"Don't talk like that." Lei's voice was shaking.

Kokata saw one of Lei's larger knives in a corner. He picked it up by the blade and took it to Lei.

"What are you doing?"

Lei sounded scared. Her hand shook when he grabbed hold of it and folded her fingers around the hilt of the knife. He kept his legtips around her hand, so she couldn't let go of the knife, and raised the blade to his own throat.

"Stop it," whispered Lei.

"Kill me, or I kill him," snarled Kokata, forcing her hand to hold the blade to his jugular.

"Stop it," screamed Lei.

Kokata released her hand and Lei took the knife from his throat and pointed it to the floor. She was shaking.

"I love you," snarled Kokata.

Lei just stood there. Looking at him. Trembling. Shaking. When she finally spoke, her question was as surreal as her previous ones:

"Do you think I am beautiful?"

"Yes," said Kokata, she might as well have asked if water was wet.

Lei let the knife drop. It's tip sank deep into the silk on the floor, and it stuck there, still upright.

Kokata stared at it. He had a strange feeling that he was dreaming.

Lei stepped forward, pulled his face to hers, and kissed him, and then Kokata knew for a fact that he was dreaming. So it was allright for him to kiss her back. And it was also allright for him to shred her clothes, piece by piece. And while she clung hard to him, kissing him harder for every item he tore off her, it was also allright for him to carry her to her bedding.

As he pushed his manhood into her, Kokata realised he wasn't dreaming. But, by then nothing could have stopped him. He moved in and out of her, and Lei was moving with him. She was moaning with pleasure and was grinding into his every move.

In very few moves, Kokata reached a peak unlike any he could ever reach alone. Shooting his seed into Lei was beyond words. He could have died that very moment and it would have been worth it.

He collapsed on top of Lei. His legs were too weak to carry him, and she was nice and warm.

They lay like that in silence for a few moments. Then Lei, very quietly, said:

"You're a bit heavy, could you roll off, please?"

Kokata found enough strength to roll off.

Lei's bed really was very soft.



Lei was watching Black sleep. Her heart had finally slowed down and the yearning feeling in her gut had settled a bit. In the last days, she had imagined many things about sex, especially about sex with Black, but she had never imagined it would be that swiftly done with.

It most certainly hadn't occurred to her that it would leave her less satisfied than not doing anything at all. The part with Black nearly fainting afterwards had been quite a surprise too.

Yet, in spite of all the disappointment and mixed emotions, the sight of Black's sleeping face gave her a warm feeling in her stomach. He looked so peaceful.

"Maybe your baby is inside me right now," whispered Lei with a smile. She had absolutely no fear for what such a child would be.


*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

Dear Moth-readers, there is no reason to be upset about the short chapters :) The offer to get the whole thing e-mailed stands until the whole thing is posted. Feel free to use a freshly made, temporary mail for the matter.




Moth Ch. 016



For potential new readers browsing this chapter: Kokata and Black is the same person.

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

 *

Kokata was spinning thread.

The woman he loved had made him her lover. Everything should be happiness and bliss. But it wasn't.

Sounds of water dripping onto snow, were filling the forest. It was a thawy day. They were sleeping together now, as they had while travelling, except that now Lei slept naked and they usually had sex before going to sleep.

They had been lovers for twenty-one days. Twenty-one days of bad sex.

Kokata was getting quite good at letting the spinning stick go as far as three body-lengths below him.

Technically, the sex wasn't bad for him. Technically it was too good. It didn't matter how twisted and torn he felt before he stuck himself into her. Once he was in, he'd just disappear into ecstasy.

Kokata pulled up three body-lengths of spun thread, and started balling it.

The taste of shame was bitter. This dawn, Lei had started crying the moment he rolled off. He had fallen asleep to the sound of it. His woman had been crying and he had simply gone to sleep. What kind of a man was he?

His Lei needed more. His ineptitude was tearing them apart.

Sex was doing them more harm than good. He had meant to stop long ago. And some dawns they had refrained. But mostly, when they cuddled each other, they'd start kissing, and Lei would be so warm, and soft, and loving, and aroused. She'd touch him and he would touch her, in the places she did allow him to touch her. 

Sooner or later, she would always spin her legs about his body, and he, by then already long crazed for it, was never able to say no.

Kokata lengthened his silk, set the stick to a spin, and slowly let his silk slip through his tips. The spinning stick slowly dropped. More and more thread between it and Kokata.

Back when she had had his poison in her, Lei had liked having his legtip inside her. Back then she had pleaded for him to keep touching her the way that felt really good, and he had stopped because continuing would have been to take advantage.

Now she wouldn't let him touch that part of her. She'd let him fuck it, but not caress it. Not even on the outside.

Did she expect him to learn to use his cock as precisely as a legtip? Was he supposed to withstand the ecstasy, prod his cock around inside her to find the places where it felt really good, and then somehow rub against those spots? Or was he just supposed to last longer than he did?

Kokata moved the silk in circles to keep the stick spinning.

Shooting his seed into Lei was supreme pleasure but waking at noon with memories of disappointed eyes, tight lips, and hidden tears, wasn't. It would be better if he couldn't shoot his seed.

A body-length below the spinning stick spun merrily.

Kokata grinned mischievously. Maybe he could make it so that he couldn't.

---==(o)==---

"There's not much snow left," said Lei, undressing. "Do you think the thaw will last?"

"Maybe for some days," replied Black, casually. "But the frost will return. This winter is far from done."

"I look forward to spring," said Lei, circled Black to get to the bedding, and crawled under her blanket.

"Do you really need that blanket?" asked Black. "It's quite warm in here."

"I like my blanket," said Lei, poking out from under it. "Are you coming to bed?"

Black crawled to bed and laid himself next to her. Lei snuggled closer. Even knowing how it would end, she couldn't resist kissing him.

They'd kiss, they'd touch, they'd have sex. Black would fall asleep, and she'd be alone with a pounding body and a horrible empty feeling.

Lei pushed the thoughts away. It was worth doing even if the finish was bad. Black's lips were soft and warm. She flipped her blanket over him and wiggled to get her body closer to his.

"That blanket is in the way," snarled Black, and pulled it from her.

"Black," complained Lei, gazing after her blanket as it landed in a corner.

"You'll get it back when you're ready to sleep," said Black, and caged her with four legs. "May I have some more kisses?"

"I'll get cold," said Lei.

"I'll keep you warm," said Black, and raised himself to all eight legs.

"All over?" asked Lei, giggling nervously up at him hovering straight above her.

"Of course," said Black and lowered his body till she could feel the heat of it. Keeping his body, just high enough not to touch hers, Black kissed her.

While kissing him back, Lei raised her hands and ran them along the sides of his body from the soft sides on his underbelly to the smooth skin on his hard chest plates.

Black parted his lips from hers.

"Where do you need me to warm you?" he asked, his mouth so close to hers that the air of his words tickled her lips.

"My feet are getting cold."

"Both of them?" asked Black, slowly running two legtips down the sides of her legs.

"Absolutely," claimed Lei. They weren't really, but she did miss the comfort of her blanket. She felt a bit too naked without it.

Black's legtips were unbelievably soft against her lower thighs. It was hard to grasp how his clingers, as soft as his silk against her skin, could also be hard and sharp as blades when he needed them to be. His legtips simultaneously reached her feet, bent at her ankles and caressed both her soles.

"It tickles," exclaimed Lei and tugged her feet from his touch.

"But we can't let them get cold," objected Black with a smile, and with his legtips chased her feet around. While trailing kisses between her neck and shoulders.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

Lei laughed hysterically every time his tips found her feet and stroked her soles. Finally she managed to press her soles firmly to the bedding by bending her knees on both sides of his body, as she sometimes would when he was inside her.

"You're mean," she said, but couldn't stop laughing.

"Are your feet still cold?" asked Black, caressing the side of one of her breasts with his cheek. He also poked the side of one her of her feet with his legtip.

"No," stated Lei, pressing both her soles down hard. "They're warm enough.

Black gently nibbled at the skin on her breast, and kissed, and licked.

"Are you sure?" he asked, tickling the sides of her feet.

"Yes," shrieked Lei, lifting her body in an effort to press her soles deeper into the bedding. "I'm sure."

Black chuckled and grabbed a nipple between his lips.

The sensation made Lei forget her feet, but she kept her body raised for as long as he sucked her nipple, for it not to fall from his lips. When he let go she let herself fall back onto the bedding and squeezed her knees against his body.

Her privates were throbbing. She ached to have him inside her. It only ever lasted moments when he was, but they were always wonderful moments.

Black lowered his face to her breast and again caught a nipple with his lips. He sucked at it. She arched with longing, burrowed her nails into the bedding and squeezed her knees harder against him.

Black caressed the sides of her legs and sucked harder on her nipple.

"I'm ready," said Lei.

"Ready?" asked Black, releasing her nipple.

"Yes," said Lei and raised her feet to pull him down on her.

"I'm not." Locking eyes with her, Black took hold of her feet, lifted them off him, and lowered them to the bedding.

"But..." Lei didn't know what to say, Black had never not been ready for her.

Black moved to her other breast and trailed it with kisses.

Lei took his head between her hands and gently pulled at him. Black followed her hands back to her face and she kissed him.

"How can I make you ready?" she asked, when their lips parted.

"Just let me touch you," he said. "I want to touch you. I like touching you."

"I like touching you too," said Lei, and pulled his face down for another kiss.

Her hands trailed from his head, to his neck to his shoulders, to his back, to his sides, while his legtips caressed her breasts, her belly-skin, her nipples, her neck, her legs, her thighs, her feet.

"I can hardly reach any of you like this," complained Lei, struggling with the awkwardness of the angle her hands had to be at to get between them.

"I'll let you be on top then," said Black, pushing legs in under her.

He lifted her up to his chest and rolled over to his back.

"Is that better?" he asked.

Lei pressed her hands against his hard chestplates and rose till she straddled him. On all sides of her, his legs were pointing up toward the ceiling.

Lei put her hand over her lips to hide an inappropriate grin.

"What's the matter?" asked Black.

"You look like a dead spider-beast," admitted Lei.

"I assure you," Black ran an unbelievably soft legtip up along her spine, and her folded wings rustled. "I'm not dead."

Overcome with sensation, Lei arched forward, and her front too was assaulted with a softly moving legtip. She whimpered with longing, bent forward, and pressed her hands against his chest-plates.

"I need you," she whispered.

"I'm right here."

"I need you inside me."

"Let me touch you," said Black, his legs caressing her from all sides.

Lei lowered herself to his chest and pressed against him.

Black was caressing her back, the underside of her arms, her buttocks, the backside of her thighs.

"I love touching you," he said.

"Why are you so calm?" whimpered Lei. Usually he would be further gone than her.

"Why won't you let me touch your dewslit," asked Black.

"Don't call it that." Lei rearranged herself to gather her legs.

"What do you want me to call it?"

"It's my privates." Even having to talk about it, cooled her significantly.

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"Why won't you let me touch your privates," asked Black, as calmly as he had asked when using the other word.

"Because it's private."

"Are you saving it for your great lover?" snarled Black.

"Of course not." Lei closed her eyes. Hadn't he realised that he was her great love? Did he think she was just using him, waiting for something better to come along? She felt a bit cold. Her longing had curled away into a tight knot in her stomach.

"Then why won't you let me touch you?" snarled Black.

Lei cringed and hid her face against his chestplate. She couldn't deal with the topic like this, lying naked on top of him. Couldn't deal with his snarls either. She crawled backward along his body, keeping her face down.

"Where are you going?" snarled Black.

Lei fetched her blanket in the corner.

"I'm going to bed," she said.

She laid herself as far from him as the bedding reached and curled the blanket tight about her.

"Good day, Black."

---==(o)==---

Kokata couldn't sleep. Draining his own seed four times over one night had worked wonders toward the end of not having sex. But, apparently, not having sex was not the greatest way to end the night either.

After fetching her blanket and telling him 'good day', his Lei had taken a long time to fall asleep. Yet she hadn't moved from the spot until her breathing revealed sleep had found her.

Sleep refused to visit Kokata though. Maybe he should go spin thread. Then he could think up new ways to fail at sating Lei. Kokata sighed and rose himself.

"Oh, Black," whispered Lei.

"Yes?" replied Kokata, surprised at her outburst. He had thought she was sleeping.

His Lei moved slightly, tightening her legs, and moaned. Her eyes were closed.

"Lei?" whispered Kokata. His lover made no reply. She was sleeping.

Her folded wing's rustled below her in tiny movements.

"Black," she whispered and moaned again.

Kokata gritted his teeth. He was competing with the himself of her dreams and losing like an amateur to a master.

"What am I doing to you in your dreams?" he asked.

The sleeping moth didn't reply.

"I should bite you," snarled Kokata in a low voice.

The moth stretched pleasurably under her carpet as if he had.

"Strawberry," whispered the moth.

Kokata shook his head and left the hole. Listening to her sleep-talking obviously wouldn't supply the guidance he needed.

---==(o)==---

"Why won't you let me touch your privates?" asked Black.

Lei took a deep breath, surprised by the sudden change of topic. Though, being fully dressed and having a selection of tools and materials between them, she might actually be able to handle that topic.

"I don't like what it's like down there," she admitted.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"The smell," said Lei. "The slime," she added.

"But those are good things," objected Black.

"It's a bit..." Lei wrinkled her nose, she didn't want to say it.

"A bit what?"

"Disgusting," said Lei, hesitantly letting the word out.

"Disgusting?" Black sounded baffled.

"Like touching a snail or something," elaborated Lei.

"A snail?" Blacks face was an icon of disbelief.

"Yes," stated Lei. "When I get aroused it becomes just like a snail. It gets slimy and starts to stink. It's icky."

"Icky," repeated Black, the same disbelieving expression still on his face.

"Yes," snarled Lei.

Black, retaining that same expression of disbelief, went quiet, and Lei returned to her work.

"I could never be disgusted about anything about you," said Black a while later. He sounded sad but didn't push the topic further than that.

At dawn they kissed, cuddled, and had sex. It was a quiet intimacy.

Black lasted far longer than usual, and when they were done he held her tight and told her he loved her. His presence calmed the knot in her stomach and, in the end, she fell asleep sooner than he did.

Kokata had a knot in his stomach. Draining his seed an hour before dawn had enabled him to prolong his time inside his Lei, and he was fairly certain that with concentration and practice he could prolong it even further, as long as he remembered to drain his seed before bedtime.

He had a gnawing feeling that it wouldn't be enough.

He could tolerate what she denied him. He was used to being denied. Kokata had years of practice at getting by without getting what he wanted. So, even though his desire to explore Lei's 'privates' was great, he didn't let the wanting bother him. The gnawing feeling, however, that he couldn't learn to sate her without doing so, was bothering him a lot.

*

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010. 



Moth Ch. 017



Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

*

Valo came home just before dawn and found the place emptied of all but his mate. She had lighted, and was somberly staring at, a tiny, shielded, bright-glow. Next to it was a tiny bowl of sweets. Valo's heart twisted at the sight. This was Lei's birthnight.

"I've got us a new juice-can," he said, placing the big ceramic can on the table, defiantly treating the table as a piece of furniture, not a shrine.

"This is Lei's first winter as a full-grown woman," said his mate.

Valo swallowed, and gathered all his courage for a second act of defiance.

"You can't know that," he said. "She might be dead."

His mate shook her head.

"I have to imagine that she is alive," she calmly said.

Valo lowered his eyes to the bowl of candy. It was filled with various of his favourite kind of sweets, but his mouth didn't water. He and Lei had liked the same kinds. When Lei had been small, his mate had often joked that the girl had barely bothered to rest in her womb for impatience to come out and be his daughter.

The child had looked like him, talked like him, walked and flown like him, and liked the same things he liked. It seemed that all she had inherited from her mother was her temper. Brevila was a hard woman when the mood struck her.

"Who will teach her about being a woman? Who will teach her how to handle a man?"

Valo remained quiet.

"I kept postponing it," complained Brevila. "All she was interested in was bows. Bows and that cursed butterfly." The woman's face rearranged into angry folds at her own mention of Lei's playmate. "I couldn't very well tell her of the pleasures between man and woman while she was still hanging out with a butterfly-boy. She'd start getting all the wrong ideas if I did."

Brevila's face changed again, refolding from anger to worry. "I didn't even tell her about the changes her body would undergo."

"She probably knew already," said Valo. "Kids have a way of catching on to things." He, himself, had known everything he needed to know even before his father had sat down with him for the first lesson.

"Not Lei," said Brevila, shaking her head. "All she ever cared to catch on to was bow-making. Don't you remember? She was ten before she realised that for babies to be made a man's seed had to be shot into a woman's privates, not her mouth."

Valo remembered. He and Brevila had had quite a laugh about that after putting the children to sleep. The child had known, of course, that sex was when a man's privates entered a woman's privates. But, she had somehow caught on to that men sometimes shot their seed in women's mouth, and had somehow come to think that that was how the babies were made.

"And even then, she just said, 'oh', and then went off to work on her latest bow. Lei cared too much about bows to just happen to catch on to other things." Brevila took the candy-bowl and restlessly moved it to the other side of the bright-glow.

"Where did you get fire?" asked Valo, trying to distract his mate from her sadness.

"I borrowed an ember for the occasion," said Brevila. "Don't worry, I doused it with water after lighting the glow."

"Allright." Valo hadn't been worried.

"Lei is old enough to be having sex," continued Brevila. The interlude apparently had had no effect on her line of thought. "I dread to think how that will work out with her knowing little more than where to put his thing. It's the woman who needs to know how to make sex good. It's the woman who has to know how to get her man to..."

"If nothing else, Oli was very attentive of Lei's moods," interrupted Valo, not to have to imagine his daughter having sex. That was one part of his girl's possible life he did not want to know about, nor imagine. Not in detail anyhow. "I'm sure he would make a good enough lover, even if he shouldn't be."

"Oli," hissed Brevila. "Him I prefer to imagine dead. Preferably a very gruesome and slow death."

The bright-glow's light reflected off his mate's eyes, which seemed to burn with imagined pictures of Oli suffering one terrible demise after another. Valo didn't look away. He had had his own share of wishing misery upon the cursed butterfly that had brought the plague to Lei.

"Maybe she has found herself a strong, sensible moth-man by now," said Valo.

"That's what I'm worried about," said Brevila, her eyes again soft with motherly concern. "How will she handle the intimacy?"

"Maybe he is good at it," comforted Valo. "Not all men are mindless in the bedding."

"You can't trust a man to know what to do in the bedding," snapped Brevila. "I've seen your little father-son talks. It's all winks, and shoulder shoving, and hints at how great it will all be. Young men are clueless!" Brevila wrung her hands. "It's the woman's needs that require consideration and effort. How will she teach him if she doesn't know herself?"

"Maybe she will come home and ask your advice when it doesn't work out." Valo could have bit his own tongue.

"Do you really think so?" asked Brevila, her eyes were all sorrow and no hope.

"I like to imagine so," said Valo, and reached across the table to hold his mate's hands. "I miss her." He caressed her hard strung knuckles with his thumbs.

"I miss you too," he added.

*

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

Tomorrow's chapter is longer. 



Moth Ch. 018



Please forgive the redundant copyright messages, I've found that sometimes my stories are copypasted in part and used elsewhere.

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

*

Spring came to Altwar with a wealth of green leaves, and rain, and unbelievable amounts of hard work.

Kokata couldn't remember ever having been so exhausted in his life. Whenever he thought he had earned a good rest, Lei sent him into another back-breaking task.

"For all we know, I could already be pregnant," she'd say, whenever he'd look like he was even thinking about taking a break. "Children needs shelter."

Kokata had sort of wondered how moths built their homes, but finding out was not fun. It was hard, endless, back-aching work. Lei was driving him like a slave.

If she wasn't pregnant already, she certainly needn't worry about becoming so before the work was completed. At dawn, when she finally allowed him to stop working, he fell asleep sooner than he could even think of touching her.

His Lei was working herself just as hard as him, but she didn't seem to notice the blisters on her hands beyond the point of bandaging them. Sometimes there was a kind of wild panic in her eyes, as if she already had a baby laying in a crib with no suitable home in sight.

Kokata didn't try to reason with her. In a way it was satisfying to slave himself to near death for her. Maybe a moth-man wouldn't have needed instructions for what to do when building a moth-hive, but no moth or butterfly could have gotten as much work done in as little time as he had. Kokata was strong.

Granted, he didn't feel strong when he staggered to bed at dawn, and he didn't feel strong when Lei woke him at sunset and scolded him out of bed. But, whenever he, on his lonesome, carried a pillar that Lei had informed him four moths would cooperate to move, then he felt strong.

He was slaving for his mate, and, draining as it was, it was more fulfilling than he had imagined work could be.

At one point he had had the audacity to question the wisdom of building a moth-hive. Their future children might not get wings.

Lei had merely stated:

"Even moth-larvas don't have wings."

And had then sent him back to work.

In late spring, when the hive finally hung sufficiently completed to live in. Kokata was stronger than he had ever been. He had pushed his body further than ever before and it had literally grown to the task. He hadn't known he could still grow, and had only noticed by seeing that Lei's hands looked smaller around his legplates.

"I can't believe we did it," said Lei, staring up at their hive. It had only one floor, but pillars stuck out below it with the option to build more when needed.

"I can," said Kokata. "Together we can do anything."

The rest of that night, there was finally time to relax.

The old act of merely laying around, watching his web, and watching Lei, and talking, felt strange and new. Kokata could almost understand why Lei, even during winter, had rarely seemed able to sit idle. But, only almost.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

He chuckled to himself, when, after only an hour of leisure, Lei dug out her bow-making tools, and seated at her old work-place.

"You're as tireless as a bee-beast," he said.

"Watch your mouth," retorted Lei with a menacing smile, "or I might remember something for you to do too."

"Oh no," whined Kokata, and jokingly crept into hiding.



---==(o)==---



It was a nice sunny day, the kind that lured one to forget that summer was still some rain patches away. Weather was not the first thing on Keme's mind though.

The courtyard crowd was rapidly thinning, as couriers left in pairs of two as quickly as they received tasks.

There was never more tasks than couriers. Those that remained when the caller was done were automatically assigned to sanitary duty.

"Report gatherings for the agricultural administration," called the caller.

"Here," yelled Keme, as well as almost every other courier in the courtyard, and raised his arm.

"You," said the caller and pointed to one courier who wasn't Keme, "and you," the called again pointed at someone who wasn't Keme.

Disappointed Keme lowered his arm.

"Report gathering from the seer Ikki," called the caller.

"Here," yelled Keme, as well as almost every other courier in the courtyard, and raised his arm.

"You... and you."

Disappointed Keme lowered his arm.

"Volunteers to aid the Mollen medical center."

The courtyard was dead silent. Medical centers only ever needed aid with cleaning, and had many more sanitary facilities than the courier center.

"You... and you." Having no raised arm to pick from, the called pointed out two random couriers. The unlucky two trotted away.

"Courier delivery, twenty days."

"Here," yelled Keme, as well as every single courier in the courtyard, and raised his arm. Courier delivery was what it was all about. That was where adventure in far off places awaited.

"You... and you."

Keme gritted his teeth at not having been picked, and he wasn't the only one. He was so distracted that he didn't hear what the next call was for. But almost everybody else raised their arms, so he did too.

He didn't get picked though.

"Report gathering from the seer Evelin," called the caller.

"Here," yelled Keme and raised his arm. To his astonishment his voice was the only sound in the courtyard. Disconcerted he looked around, but it was too late to pull down his solitary arm.

"You." The caller pointed out Keme." And you." The other courier, who hadn't volunteered, cringed when she was pointed out.

Keme and the young, flat-breasted woman, joined up and left the courtyard.

"You're a newbie, aren't you?" asked the young woman, briskly walking toward the assignment managers' booth.

"I've been a courier for nearly two months," replied Keme, keeping up with the young woman's speed.

"So, you're not just a newbie, you're a stupid newbie."

"Excuse me?" Keme was insulted but tried not to be too hostile about it.

"Volunteering to see Evelin," snapped the other. "Are you really that eager to find out how old you are not going to get?"

"She wouldn't," objected Keme, his eyes widening.

"Evelin is insane," snapped the young woman. "She sees too much."

Keme swallowed.

"There was this guy who was on Evelin-duty, she told him that his poor, poor daughter was going to die screaming and alone in a dark, dark, place. The guy had never even touched a girl yet, let alone fallen in love. Can you imagine carrying that kind of information around for years?"

"Didn't she tell him how he could prevent it from happening?" asked Keme.

"No."

They reached the booth and was approached by the closest assignment manager.

"Names?" he asked.

"Zoa," said Keme's flat-breasted companion.

"Keme," said Keme.

"Task?"

"Report gathering from the seer Evelin," said Zoa, darkly.

The assignment manager shot them a look of sympathy, then took his pointing stick; pointed to a spot on one of the large maps covering the back of the booth; and started narrating directions.

"... and," added the assignment manager, after he was done giving directions, "if you are lucky she will look more at your past than your future."

"Thank you," said Zoa, and jumped into the air.

Keme hurried after her.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

"If we are lucky she won't tell us anything at all," yelled Zoa to Keme, once they were high enough not to be heard by others. "Mostly she is so far gone she doesn't know anyone is there."

"Then how do we get a report from her?" yelled Keme back.

"We don't. Her caretaker is the one who reports to us."

It was a fairly short flight. The Emperor kept the most informative seers close to the capital.

The seer Evelin's home had the size and looks of a normal single-family termite-hive. The man who stood outside it looked like a normal family man, except that he looked more worn out. He was pale and had dark lines under his eyes, as if he was getting too many worries and too little sleep.

"You must be the pretty boy," said the man, when Keme and Zoa landed in front of him. Sadly he was eyeing Zoa when he said it.

"I think not," hissed Zoa, narrowing her eyes at the man.

"Oh," said the man. "My mistake." Then he turned his attention to Keme. "Go pick a flower, please. It will make her happy."

Keme blinked, confounded by the request.

"Go on," said the man. Waving his hand dismissively at Keme. "A flower. Preferably something small enough to take inside." Then he again focused on Zoa. "Where is your bow?"

Zoa clapped the sheath connected to her upper thigh.

"Oh, I thought that was some sort of sword," commented the man.

"It's a bow from the far west," said Zoa. "They're flat and small. Harder to use, but easier to travel with."

"She mentioned that you were as good with a bow as a moth," said the man. "She might want to see it." The man went to the door and waved for Zoa to follow.

Zoa took a step forward, and so did Keme.

"Flower," reminded the man, pointing at Keme.

"Flower," repeated Keme, sounding and feeling like an idiot. "I'll go find one then."

"Good," said the man and went inside the hive with Zoa.

Keme turned around to look for a flower. He wasn't sure what kind of flowers a crazy old woman would like, so he just took the first one he saw that was small enough to take inside. It had white petals, a yellow center, and a spring green stilk.

The door was closed when he returned. Holding the flower in one hand, Keme rapped the door with the knuckles of his other.

"Come in," called the man.

Keme stepped in and closed the door behind him. The door led straight into what seemed to be a large living-room. In the midst of the room was a large table. It looked like a dining table, but was covered with white sheets, pen-holders, and ink bottles, and an absolute disarray of scribbled notes.

The room had many windows, but they were all closed and shuttered. The room would have been dark if not for an array of pretty bright-glows, the kind children liked.

The man sat at one end of the table, and was shifting through notes. Zoa stood next to him.

"I did prepare a full report for you," said the man, to Zoa, it sounded like he was continuing a conversation. "Evelin must have hid it while I was outside. She hides things sometimes."

"We can come back another day," offered Zoa.

"Just give me some time," said the man. "I can reconstruct it from my notes."

Flower in hand, Keme approached the table, and nearly tripped over a length of chain on the floor. Annoyed and embarrassed, Keme looked down at it and tried to figure out what it was doing there. One end of the long chain was attached to the far wall, the other end, after a long, snaky road around the floor, ended in a wall-closet.

Keme shook his head. This place was strange.

"Evelin probably hid the report for the very purpose of delaying you," said the man, looking down at his notes. "There's no reason to upset her by not letting her plan succeed. She's so rarely happy. Yesterday was the first time in months she let me wash her." The man sounded tired. "She even let me put a new dress on her. She insisted on a white one though."

The man shook his head.

"She rarely knows her own age," he added to Keme. "So, when you give her the flower, treat her like she is your age. It will make her happy."

"Allright," said Keme. Wondering how he would pull that off while looking at an old crone.

"Thank you," said the worn out man. Then he said, "Evelin. There's someone here to see you."

There was no reply.

"It's the pretty boy," stated the worn out man.

The doors to the wall-closet creaked open, and a small face peeked out at them.

"I know," said the little termite girl and stepped out of the closet. "It was me who sent you out to fetch him."

"That's Evelin?" whispered Keme, surprised.

The worn out man nodded.

"He brought you a flower," said the worn man, and smiled at the little girl. The expression sort of quivered, as if he was too tired to hold it.

There was a rattle of chain as the little girl approached. With a sinking feeling, Keme realised the chain was attached to the child's ankle.

"You didn't have to bring me a flower," said the child coyly.

"A beautiful flower for a beautiful young woman," said Keme, and managed to smile, as he sank to one knee and offered the flower to the child.

"You are such a pretty boy," said the child and reached for the flower with both hands.

Humming to herself, the child wandered off with the flower. The chain rattled after her.

The worn out man scribbled away, in between rapidly shifting through notes.

"Do seat yourselves," he offered.

Zoa and Keme accepted the offer and seated at the table.

The child, Evelin, seated herself at a wall, and started singing to her flower. It was a strange song with broken verses and strange words. It sounded old. Keme had never heard it before. He doubted the child had either, not with her ears anyway.

"I know where the report is," said Evelin, suddenly interrupting her own song. "Do you want to know where it is, Keme?"

Keme felt cold. He hadn't introduced himself to the child, nor to the worn man.

"I will tell you if you want me to," said the child, coyly.

"Sure, that would be nice," said Keme, trying hard to sound friendly, not spooked.

"Come to me, I'll whisper it in your ear."

Written by Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

Keme glanced at the worn out man, hoping he would shake his head, but the man simply looked at him.

"Allright," said Keme, rose, went to the child, and knelt.

"Closer," insisted the child.

Keme crept closer and leaned forward for the child to whisper to him. The girl pressed her hands around his ear, and put her mouth to the tunnel her palms formed.

"Spider," whispered the child. "Black spider. You saw him."

"Yes," admitted Keme.

The child lowered her hands from his ears.

"You were scared," she said, and giggled. "Scared of the spider."

"He looked scary," admitted Keme. "But in the end he didn't harm us."

"Giant snail monster," said the girl, and giggled again.

"Snail monster?" asked the worn out man, alarm in his voice. "When?"

"Ssshh," said the girl, holding a finger over her lips. "Secret."

"Evelin tell me more about the snail monster," said the worn out man, rising from his seat.

"It's a secret," whispered the girl. "He doesn't tell anyone."

The girl reached out a hand, and gently caressed Keme's cheek, as if she were the old crone he had imagined.

"He seeks," she said with a smile.

Then her eyes went vacant.

"Seek. Sought. Soken. Seeks, it seeks."

The girl's eyes widened, and she grabbed hard on Keme's cheek.

"Your family!" she exclaimed. There was horror in her voice.

"What about my family?" asked Keme, ignoring the pain in his cheek.

"It finds them. It... seeks!"

"Evelin what do you see?" asked the worn man, now standing behind Keme.

"I see sweet little Penna," whined the child.

"That's my sister," exclaimed Keme and grabbed the child's upper arms. "What about my sister?"

"Her intestines all over the ground," sobbed the child, and released Keme's cheek. "All gooey and bloody all over the ground. All dead. They're all dead."

"No," screamed Keme and shook the child. "Tell me how to stop it."

"Let go of her," yelled the worn man, and tore Keme's arms of the child.

"She has to tell me how to stop it," screamed Keme, now struggling against both Zoa and the worn man to get back at the child.

"It kills," screamed the child.

"Where?" asked the worn man the child, even as he kicked Keme's legs away from under him. "When?"

"It's not happened yet," said the child, suddenly sounding older than time. The child rocked in place, side to side.

"When," insisted the worn man with a stern voice.

"Ten days," said the child. "Ten. Ten. Ten. Ten..." she chanted. "It is seeking."

"Dammit, Keme," grunted Zoa, pulling the young man's arms hard behind his back. "Hold still."

"You!" the child raised a hand and pointed at Zoa. "Your arrow goes here." The child pounded a fist at the side of her own neck. "Your arrow. If you're there you save them."

"Where?" asked the worn man. "Where Evelin."

"It seeks," hissed the child.

"Let go of me," screamed Keme. "I know where they are."

"It's angry," cooed the child. "Blood all over. Smelly sticky blood."

Without warning the girl jumped Zoa and tried to bite her. Zoa reeled back with shock.

"Get your hands of my man!" screamed the child, clawing her nails into Zoa's skin. "My man. Mine." Zoa struggled to keep the frantic child at bay without harming her.

"Mine," screamed the child, her face distorted in a mad grimace of jealousy.

The worn man released Keme to tear the little girl away from Zoa.

"He's mine," screamed the child, her arms outstretched toward Zoa, her fingers curled. Some of her nails had blood under them.

"I don't want him," said Zoa, speaking loudly, crawling backward away from the insane girl.

"You can't have him," hissed the girl, sounding nothing like herself. "He's mine."

"I don't want him," repeated Zoa, less frantic now that she had a good distance between herself and the child. Behind Zoa the door opened and sunlight streamed in.

"Pretty boy," wailed Evelin, suddenly sounding like a small girl again. "Why did he leave without saying goodbye."

"Calm down," said the worn man, holding Evelin tight. "Calm down, Evelin."

"Why did he leave so soon," complained the girl, large tears streaming down her face. "He was supposed to hug me. I was looking forward to it."

"You'd best go after him," said the worn man to Zoa. "Evelin said that you were the one to save them."

Zoa looked around for Keme. He was gone.

"Batshit," she exclaimed, jumped to her feet, and ran out the door. Keme was barely a dot in the sky when her eyes finally located him.

"Wait for me," she yelled and set off after him.

*

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.



Moth Ch. 019



Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

Kokata was searching. He had probably carried the idea longer, but in the end it was Lei who had spoken the suggestion. So here he was, searching the forest as swiftly as his legs would move him. He needed to find a healer.

He wasn't panicked. They didn't need one yet. There was still plenty time to find one. Kokata's body felt light. Happy as he was it was almost as if his legs needed nothing but air to keep him afloat. Lei had said she felt pregnant.

It was too soon to tell really and it was probably just a feeling, or wishful thinking. But just the happy look she had had on her face at the thought of carrying his child, was enough to make Kokata euphoric.

His Lei had at first suggested they head out in opposite directions, to faster cover a larger area. But, in the end, she hadn't objected to staying behind in the safety of their new home while he headed out.

While Kokata was searching, his Lei was nesting. He had promised to be gone less than six days, whether he found anything or not.



---==(o)==---



"Land, Keme," yelled Zoa, repeating the 'time to land' motion at him, but the young man ignored her. "Land, dammit. The guys need some time to breathe."

"If they can't keep up then they can fly back," yelled back Keme.

"Batshit, Keme," yelled Zoa. "If you keep driving us like this none of us will be in a state to fight when we get there. Not even you."

Keme looked back over his shoulder at the pack of couriers who were following him. They looked exhausted. Keme gritted his teeth but slowed down and made the 'time to land' signal.

As soon as they landed, most the couriers slumped to the ground. Zoa remained on her feet and freed her bow from its sheath. Someone had to be prepared in case a predatory beast should come by.

Keme seated, but pulled his sword and kept a watchful eye.

Not long after he had stormed out of Evelin's home and had flown off toward his family, Zoa had caught up to him. The flat-breasted westerner was fast. She had convinced him to return to the courier center to get help.

Having a clear memory of how unbelievably fast and strong the black spider was, Keme had allowed himself to be persuaded.

The seer Evelin had said that if Zoa was there, she would save them all. But, if Zoa should fall in combat with the monster then she, technically speaking, wouldn't be 'there' to save his family.

The master task manager had listened closely to everything he and Zoa had told him of the seer Evelin's prophecy. He had been sufficiently sympathetic to ignore Keme's panic-based lack of adherence to protocol.

A less kind man could have shoved Keme into an underground prison-cell for months for less than half the insults Keme spewed at him in his urgency.

Instead, the master task manager had allowed them to bring any courier they could find, as long as they were willing.

The only couriers in the center had been those assigned to sanitary duties, but they had all been willing. Twelve young, winged, termite-men and -women. Not the deadliest couriers Keme could wish for, but at least they were all armed, and some of them had some clue how to use their weapons.



---==(o)==---



Lei was restless. This was the sixth night since Black had left in search of a healer. She was part looking forward to seeing him any moment and part terrified by the mere thought of him not showing up. She missed him achingly.

His first night away she had spent making a crib for their future first child. She knew that no matter how sure she felt, she couldn't know that she was pregnant. But, even if she weren't yet, she would be eventually, so a crib was a good thing to have.

While making a crib, her mind had been buzzing with thoughts of what a baby, and later a toddler, would need. Not knowing what the child would be really offered a lot to consider. She couldn't very well make baby-clothing before it was born. She couldn't pull a fullsuit that would fit a butterfly or a moth larvae onto a termite or spider baby. Of course, if it was a spider-baby, she wouldn't need to worry about clothes at all. Black had explained that cold didn't bother nor harm him.

A spider-baby. Lei would love to have a spider-baby. Although that would give a lot of worries later. For such a child, finding a mate would be nearly impossible. As it had been for Black.

If they should beget a spider. Lei would seek out a seer. Somewhere in the world there was someone for everyone, if only she could find the right seer to point in the right direction, then everything could work out like it had for her and Black.

The second night without Black, Lei had built a primitive weave and had started making small blankets out of the bulk of unthreaded silk he had left her. But working with his silk had made her aching for him too heavy to carry, and she had abandoned that task.

Bow-making had been a far more soothing occupation. She already had one good bow, but having a couple of spares would do no harm. There was no point in making bows to trade away, though. She and Black were rich. In the big trunk she had built, full-balls of perfect spider silk were piling up.

The next time she approached people, she would be more open and honest. She would explain how the thread had been made not to be taken for a thief. Maybe, after being told about Black, people would actually be able to face him without fear.

She didn't see a future with her and Black living amongst others. Even if people should learn not to think of him as a monster, they'd refer to him and her as crossfuckers. And they were. Lei had learned that difference in appearance was no obstacle to happiness, but that didn't mean the rest of the world had achieved enlightenment.

The third, fourth, and fifth night. Lei had felt utterly lonely and had cast herself into one task after the other more to pass time than to get work done.

This sixth night, she was almost too restless to get anything done at all.

What if he didn't come back?

What if someone had seen him before he had them? He could be dead and murdered.

Lei moved her hand to her mouth. Suddenly the far of thought seemed so real. Black had told her people had shot at him when he had been younger and less careful. He had even shown her a scar from where an arrow had burrowed.

Lei closed her eyes and started sobbing.

"What are you crying about?" asked a smooth voice from behind her.

"Black," shrieked Lei and spun.

If she hadn't been so happy to see him, she would have scolded him for sneaking up on her. Instead she jumped him and stole his air with her lips.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.



Moth Ch. 020



Please forgive the redundant copyright messages, I've found that sometimes my stories are copypasted in part and used elsewhere.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

"Wehiloooooo."

"Oh my, oh my," said Kuruma and chuckled at herself. Her mouth was watering as if she were a little girl and not an old toothless crone.

"What is it, grandma?" asked Tobi, her favourite grandson. Kuruma was old enough to be allowed the privilege of having favourites.

"Travelling termites," said Kuruma, her eyes had left her a few years back, but her ears were sharper than ever.

"Wow," said Tobi, he sounded like his mouth was watering too.

"Will you help me get to where they are headed?" asked Kuruma, reaching out her arm.

"Of course, grandma," said the boy, and took her hand.

That was one reason Tobi was her favourite. For him it really was 'of course'. That boy wouldn't dream of sneaking off before she should think to ask. He was a better beetle than most.

Even when the traders came close enough for everyone to hear their song, Tobi didn't fidget with restlessness as other children would, kept from running by the slow pace of an old woman.

"Do you think they will have sweets?" asked Kuruma.

"Travelling termites always have sweets, grandma," said the boy.

"Right you are, Tobi. Right you are."

Kuruma and Tobi had set out sooner than any of the other beetles in their village, but they were last to arrive. Kuruma had to rest far more than she had had to when taking the same walk last year. By the time they reached their destination the termites had long arrived and set up their booths.

"My nose tells me you are leading us away from the sweets," complained Kuruma.

"I want to go to the storyteller's booth," said Tobi.

Kuruma smiled and let the boy lead her where he would. He really was a considerate child. She couldn't name one other child who could have so stalwartly resisted his own longing for sweets for the sake of an old woman's health. Sweet things were no longer kind to her blood.

"Here we are," said Tobi when they were.

The booth, that would later be swarming with children and a few adults, was right then the most peaceful place in the camp.

"Wehiloo," greeted a travelling termite.

"That's a termite-woman," said Tobi, "she mans the booth, she waved when she said, 'Wehiloo'."

"Wehiloo," Kuruma returned the termite greeting. "We come to trade herbs for pictures and stories."

"Grandma is a healer and a seer," added Tobi, "she knows all there is to know about herbs."

"Nobody knows all there is to know about herbs," corrected Kuruma, lightly squeezing the boy's hand, then she raised her face to where the booth-keeper had sounded to be. "Do you have anything interesting to trade?"

"I absolutely do," assured the termite-woman.

Kuruma reached out her hands, and calmly waited for the termite-woman to put something in them. A moment later a piece of hard sheet touched the palms of her hands. Careful not to bend it, Kuruma lowered it for Tobi to look at.

"It's a drawing of a beetle fighting a large beetle-beast. The beetle is holding a spear," said Tobi. "It looks dramatic."

"Is that the kind of story you would like to trade for?" asked Kuruma.

"I don't know," said Tobi, hesitantly. "I've heard a lot of those kinds of stories.

"Let's try something different," said Kuruma, and raised the sheet to where she had received it. "Do you have something very different?"

"I do have something very different, but the one that springs to mind is a very short story," said the termite-woman, and took the sheet from Kuruma's hands.

"She is holding out a picture with a moth on it. Behind the moth there is a large spider. Oh!" said Tobi, interrupting his own narrative with a surprised outburst. "The spider has a face!"

"That sounds interesting," said Kuruma and held out her hands.

A sheet touched her palms, and Kuruma closed her hands about it.

"Oh!" exclaimed Kuruma, sounding much like her grandson had. He hadn't caught that expression from nowhere.

"Oh my, oh my," said Kuruma and chuckled.

"Do you see something, grandma?" asked Tobi, breathless with excitement. His grandma was more often a healer than a seer.

"Oh I see something, do I ever see something." Kuruma chuckled, caressing the sheet with her thumbs.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"What do you see," asked Tobi.

"They are lovers, the spider-man and the moth," said Kuruma, Tobi was too young for further detail than that.

"Really?" Tobi sounded like he was being told a horror story. "But he looks so... so... and they aren't the same kind."

"Actually, his face is rather handsome," said Kuruma.

"It is?" Tobi sounded dubious, and Kuruma guessed it hadn't been depicted as such.

"Oh my," said Kuruma, and chuckled. "That didn't last long."

"What didn't?" asked Tobi.

"Nothing important," said Kuruma. "Take a pouch of tea from my purse, Tobi. I want to trade for this picture."

The boy quickly complied.

"How much should I measure out, grandma?"

"Let her have a whole pouch, this picture is worth it."

"It's not a very good picture, grandma," objected the boy. "It's more sketch than drawing."

"Give her a whole pouch," insisted Kuruma. "Sometimes paying what an item is worth to you is the decent thing to do."

"Allright, grandma," the boy sounded like he disagreed, but he did as told, and the termite didn't object to the trade.

"Now help me find a place to sit," instructed Kuruma. "And when I am seated, take yourself a full pouch of tea too, and buy enough sweets to get a proper tummy-ache. I'll expect you to eat for me too, since I can't have any."

"Allright, grandma," said Tobi, sounding a lot more cheerful than before.

"Don't you want the story behind the picture?" asked the termite-woman.

"I think the picture can tell me more than you can," said Kuruma and chuckled again. "This sketch has changed caravans more than once."

"That's true," said the termite-woman. "I don't suppose I could convince you to trade me your services as a seer?"

"I'm not that kind of a seer," said Kuruma and shook her head. "If I had seen anything you needed to know, I would have told you already."

"Grandma is very charitable," informed Tobi. "She helps where she can." That was another trait which Tobi and Kuruma shared.

In her youth, Kuruma had cursed that she was so little a seer. During her more mature years of womanhood, she understood what a burden seeing could be, and felt blessed that the sight struck her so rarely. Now, that she was old, she was still happy that she mostly didn't know more than others of what would happen tomorrow. But, missing colours and light, which her eyes no longer supplied, she more than ever cherished the visions the sight supplied.

The picture of the moth and the spider was delightful to that end. As a healer she had helped too many people of too many kinds to condemn the pair.

All the different kinds of people, were really one people. She didn't often air such an unpopular opinion, though, she was too old to be a lone rebel. Too old to be independent and too old to change the world.

So, she cherished the picture and the romance of which it gave her visions, and kept it to herself. Kuruma considered it an old woman's innocent secret.

The pair was in Altwar, she was in Aribo, her occasional spying on them could harm no one. That was her thought at least, when for the fifth evening in a row, she went to bed holding the picture in her hands. 

Just before sunset, Kuruma saw the young pair wake and whisper sweet words to each other while awaiting the dimming of light. When the sun set and the pair was ready to leave their bedding, Kuruma was fast asleep.

The visions the sight brought to her sleep were not of the pair, and they were not of love.

---==(o)==---

Zoa was silent. She had no words to offer the scene her eyes took in. The seer Evelin had had words, and those spun around in Zoa's head.

Blood all over. Smelly sticky blood.

Tears were running from Zoa's eyes, and she wasn't the only one. Most of her fellow couriers were weeping. Most of them had emptied their stomachs too. Zoa hadn't. Apart from her tears she kept it all inside.

A whole caravan. Seven families. They were all dead. Every single one.

Some of them were missing limbs. Several had been decapitated. Some had weapons in their hands, some didn't.

One child had had her gut cut open and her insides were spread out on the ground. From Evelin's prophecy and Keme's reaction, Zoa had guessed the child's name had been Penna.

The giant beetles were restless, with their mouths they were seeking the ground below their heads. They hadn't been moved for a day. In another two days they would die of thirst. Antler-less giant beetles didn't move without directions, and their drivers were dead.

They had been in good time. They would have had plenty of time to warn the travellers and set up a defence before the dreaded tenth day. Except, Keme had been wrong about where his family was, and they had ended up being a day too late.

One corpse was more mutilated than any other. From the amount of blood around him, Zoa guessed the man had died from blood-loss. It had to have been a very agonising death. Zoa wouldn't be sharing that knowledge with Keme.

Most of the couriers were sobbing or puking. A few were still as Zoa.

Keme was hugging the most mutilated corpse to his chest. He was screaming his sanity away. The man had been his father.

Zoa would let him scream till his voice was gone. Then she would bury the dead. Then she would put the giant beetles out of their misery. When all that was done, she would send home the weakest couriers. The rest of them had a task to complete.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 021



Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.
*

"Hello," yelled a woman's voice. "Who lives there?"

"Beggars at this time of day?" moaned Brevila and tugged her blanket over her ears. "What are they thinking?"

Valo mumbled something which was unintelligible even to himself, laid his arm around his mate and went back to sleep. He had no trouble sleeping through the calls from outside.

"Valo!"

His mate's voice was quite another matter, though.

"What?" mumbled Valo.

"Go make them go away."

Valo mumbled something and tugged his blanket over his ears. He was happy to again be sleeping with his mate, and he was also aware that it was his turn to get up if any of their children called, but daytime beggars were not his children.

"Dad," complained a very young voice.

Valo raised his head. One of his youngest stood at the foot of the bedding.

"There's someone outside yelling," complained the little one. "I can't sleep.

"Go back to bed, sweetheart," said Brevila. "Your dad will take care of it."

Valo groaned and started getting up.

"Hello?" yelled a woman from outside.

"I'll give you hello," muttered Valo, pulling on his pants.

"I'm sorry to have wakened you," he heard the woman yell to someone outside. "Can you tell me who lives there?"

The faint voice of one of his neighbours reached Valo's ears.

"Brevila and Valo?" yelled the woman, apparently repeating some of what the neighbour had said.

"Beggar, beggar, go away," muttered Valo and grabbed his bow and a handful of arrows, "don't come back another day."

"There's no reason to be rude," yelled the woman at Valo's neighbour, just as Valo stepped out onto the shadow on his ledge. "I told you I'm sorry."

"Get gone," yelled Valo, "no one around here feeds beggars in the day."

"You people are unbelievably rude," said the woman, in a loud voice. Valo was close enough that yelling wasn't needed.

Valo squinted against the brightness and put an arrow to his bow.

"Get gone," he warned, his bow still aimed into the flooring of his ledge.

"You don't deserve my help at all," said the woman in a loud offended voice.

Where the voice came from, Valo could see a large purple dot in the brightness that swiftly changed size from large to small to large to small to... Apparently the annoying woman was a butterfly.

"I should fly away is what I should do," stated the butterfly-woman.

"Yes," agreed Valo.

"You aren't even gonna ask me what brings me to your ledge?"

"No," groaned Valo. If the butterfly didn't fly away soon, he would show her just how close to his 'ledge' he was.

"You people are horrible!" said the butterfly, but she didn't fly away.

Which left Valo with a choice between raising his bow and asking what she wanted. He was too tired to trust himself not to accidentally release the string.

"What do you want?" asked Valo.

"Old healer Kuruma asked me to come fetch you. At least I think it's you. You fit the description."

"I don't know any Kuruma," stated Valo. "Go away."

"I've flown a really long way to get here. I'm not leaving until you look at the picture she told me to show you."

"You've got the wrong man," said Valo, gritting his teeth. The brightness of day was giving him a headache. He was very tempted to raise his bow.

"I'm not too sure about that. You're practically identical to the woman. Well, apart from being a man, obviously."

Valo relaxed the pull on his bow and took his arrow off it.

"What woman?" he asked.

"The one in the picture, of course," snapped the butterfly woman.

"Why don't you come on in," said Valo, and pushed his door open.

"Because you haven't invited me to," snapped the woman.

Valo bit back an 'I just did', and instead, as politely as he was able, said:

"Please come in."

"Thank you," snapped the butterfly, landed next to Valo, and went inside. 

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"Gosh it's dark in here," complained the woman.

Valo slammed the door shut, finally shutting the sunlight out, and the woman jumped with surprise.

"How can you see anything in here," she complained, for the first time sounding nervous.

"I'm a moth," said Valo, withholding 'you stupid creature'. "Go back to bed, children," he said, waving at no less than three of his offspring. "We will keep it down now."

"Who is that butterfly, Dad?" asked one.

"Bed!" ordered Valo in a voice that promised more than verbal reprimand if he wasn't listened to, and the children withdrew.

"Here," said the woman holding a rolled up sheet out to him, "the picture."

"Thank you," said Valo, accepting it and getting his first clear look at the butterfly. She was a middle-aged woman, maybe a few years older than him, her wings were large and purple. Valo was glad he wasn't a butterfly, he loved his wings, but unfold-able wings, like butterflies had, had to be more a curse than a blessing.

"It's not a gift," said the woman. "Kuruma wants it back whether you return with me or not."

"Fine," said Valo, unrolling the sheet.

And then it was unrolled, and Valo was staring at his daughter. For a moment, his legs almost forgot to carry him

"Don't crumble it," complained the woman, and reached out a hand to pull the sheet from him.

Valo turned his back to the woman, bringing the sheet out of her grasp. His hard hold on it was crumbling the edges of it, but the edges were blank and unimportant.

"Where did you get this?" asked Valo.

The woman on the drawing was fully grown and more sketch than drawing, but there was no doubt to it. It was Lei.

"It belongs to the healer Kuruma," said the woman, trying to reach around Valo to snatch it back. Where he stood there was no room for her to get around him, not with those large wings. "Please stop crumbling it. It's very dear to the old woman. She said it is her only connection."

Valo shook his head, trying to make sense of the butterfly's words and the drawing in his hands.

"Where is the woman in the picture?" he asked.

"I don't know," complained the butterfly, again reaching for the sheet. "Give it back."

"What's going on?" Brevila, his beloved mate, had abandoned the bedding and was now eyeing him and the stranger.

Valo didn't care if they looked like children fighting over a toy, and kept moving the sheet out of the butterfly's grasp.

"She has a drawing of Lei," said Valo, although right then it was himself who 'had' it.

Maybe the butterfly didn't like looking like a little girl being teased by a boy. However it was, she gave up on snatching back the sheet and stepped away from Valo.

"Hello," she said to Brevila.

Valo's mate ignored the butterfly and went to Valo.

Glancing back at the butterfly, to be sure she wouldn't make a move for it, Valo showed his mate the drawing.

Brevila looked, then stared, then started crying.

"I never really believed she was still alive," she admitted, sobbing against Valo's shoulder, but keeping her eyes on the sketch.

"Look at how beautiful she is," said Valo, tears streaming out of his eyes too. "She looks more like you than me now."

"No," disagreed Brevila. "That's more my sister's body than mine." Brevila was smiling and weeping and sobbing, but still managed to sound as if she was scolding him for not noticing the difference.

"If your sister was this beautiful, I would have taken her instead of you," joked Valo. Weeping harder than his mate.

Both of them ignored the spider with the face which was also on the drawing. That one had obviously been made up by whomever their daughter had modelled for.

"Now, aren't you happy I didn't fly away?" asked the butterfly-woman.

Valo's abdomen twisted in a series of light cramps. He wasn't sure if it was laughter or sobs.



---==(o)==---



"State your business, strangers," said the beetle-man, clutching his large axe.

"We are couriers in the Emperor's service. We demand to..." Zoa was interrupted by a hard shove to her shoulder that nearly cost her her balance.

"Please forgive my friend," said Keme, who was the one who had shoved her. "The things we have seen have affected her mind." Keme rotated a finger in small circles next to the side of his head.

"I'm n..." began Zoa, then remembered that Keme, who had been a travelling trader since birth, knew these people better than her. Zoa closed her mouth and lowered her head. She'd shut up, but she refused to put up an act of insanity.

"We are chasing a monster," continued Keme, in a friendly voice. "A murderous abomination. A very dangerous abomination. We beg your seer's aid in locating it."

"The seer is dead," said the beetle.

Keme's shoulders rose and his head crept down as he again assumed the crouching stand he had held since burying his family.

"Cursed," he hissed. "Cuuuursed."

Gone was the harmless, friendly, appearance he had assumed for the beetles. His face and body was again distorted in hate. Zoa's was not the mind that had been damaged by what they had seen.

"She was killed by a spider," said the beetle. "Tortured to death in her hut."

"Spider!" Keme turned back to the beetle-man and shoved his distorted face into his. "A black spider?"

Zoa was amazed that the beetle-man neither flinched nor raised his axe at the madman.

"There were tracks," said the beetle-man. "Spider-tracks. But, the act cannot have been committed by a beast. It kept her alive for hours." The beetle-man's face which had before been slightly hostile, as Keme's had been friendly, was changing into a grimace of hate. Not nearly as mad as Keme's though.

"Hours," hissed Keme, withdrawing from the man. "Hours. Alive for hours."

"We heard her screams."

"And you didn't help?" Keme drew his sword and again spun to face the beetle-man.

"Keme!" warned Zoa, grabbed her bow, and aimed it at Keme. Prepared to shoot him in the leg if she had to.

"The seer sometimes screamed at night," said the beetle-man, clutching his axe harder. "That's how come her hut was so far from the rest of us. She was often plagued by visions from far off places. Terrors she couldn't help."

"We couldn't tell the difference," added one of the other beetle-villagers, who stood well behind the one with the axe.

"We should have," snapped the man with the axe.

"Yes, you should," hissed Keme, but made no move to attack.

"Show us the tracks," demanded Zoa, not taking her eyes nor her aim off Keme. "Please," she added.


*
Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.



Moth Ch. 022



Please forgive the redundant copyright messages, I've found that sometimes my stories are copypasted in part and used elsewhere.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

"When I first tell them about you, I will refer to you as my friend," said Lei. "I'm proud to be your lover, but we can't afford to antagonise them too much from the very start. Once they get used to me, and the knowledge of you, I can let it slip. Most likely they will have guessed it before then anyhow."

Lei hated the outlook to such manipulative an approach, but she couldn't see another way.

"You think the idea of a spider with mind is that much less frightening than the sight of one," asked Black, caressing her arm with a legtip. He didn't seem the least upset that she was planning to keep their love a secret.

"Absolutely," said Lei. "And once they are used to the thought, I think they can also handle the sight if needed."

"It would be nice if I were able to carry you directly to their healer if you should ever get hurt," said Black, he didn't quite sound like he believed such a prospect could be possible.

"I never did have much contact with beetles," said Lei, and sighed. "I wish our neighbours had been moths or butterflies. Or even termites, forest-dwelling termites are quite sensible people, they are more like the rest of us than the travelling ones."

"Beetles aren't worse than others," said Black.

Lei raised her eyebrows, slightly surprised to hear that from Black. She had always assumed he detested beetles more than others. 

"I don't think they are worse than others," said Lei, returning her thoughts to the matter at hand. "I just don't know much about beetles. I don't think I've ever even seen a beetle home from the inside."

"Well, I'm glad our closest neighbours are beetles," said Black. "Beetles have crappy aim and they don't have wings."

"Let's hope we won't get in a position to bless that advantage," said Lei with a nervous smile.



Kokata pulled his woman into a comforting hug but made no comment. He was already blessing it. Since their neighbours were beetles, he could, remaining in the trees, sneak close enough to watch over his Lei.

"Be careful," he said.

"Always," promised his Lei and snuggled against him.

Kokata stole a kiss and wished his Lei hadn't already put on the dress. He'd like more access to her soft, warm, skin.

"At least the forest is very dense around here," said Lei, looking out from the branch and down at the beetle-village far below. "It should be very shady in day, I don't think I will have too hard a time seeing." Lei slapped at his most boldly exploring legtip. "Stop that. You'll put the dress in disarray."

Kokata obediently withdrew. In his opinion all women should always just wear thongs, like Lei so often did at home. Or simply just be nude. At least when it was warm enough. When it wasn't cold, clothes were simply silly.

His Lei put her dress back in order, moving her hands over every single part of it, carefully pulling and uncrumbling every little piece. The movements reminded him of that of a bird neatening its feathers. Not that he had ever spent much time studying that sight lest the bird should happen to see him. Birds were more dangerous than most of the gigantic animals, not counting bats.

"I have to look wealthy, and beautiful, and mysterious," said his Lei. "I want to make as good an impression as possible. If they disapprove of me from the very start it will be hard to establish a good trading relationship. And we really need access to their healer."

The dress was mainly his Lei's invention. With silk thread, she had sown together a shirt from the last pieces of the lizard hide, then she had torn apart one of her beloved blankets, and had sown the fragments onto the shirt till united they fell around her legs much like a skirt would. Lastly she had made him make napkin like stretches of silk. Some of those she had sewn on, but, having found the project too time consuming, she had made him glue the rest on.

The end result was a bit too flowery for Kokata's taste, but his Lei seemed happy about it. He chose to trust her better judgement on it.

"So, how do you want to spend the remainder of the night?" asked Kokata. 

"I'll try to find some food," said his Lei. "Something that doesn't stain."

"If you don't want to stain the dress, you could always take it off," suggested Kokata. "If you really intend to wait till late morning there'll be plenty time to put it on again."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Lei had such a teasing smile when the mood struck her.

"Of course," admitted Kokata, with a wide grin.





---==(o)==---





Lei had flown around, to approach the village from a slightly different direction than Black was hiding in. Just before getting close enough to be spotted, she landed on a branch to check her dress one final time. As she had guessed the daylight really wasn't too bad around that village.

Her dress had taken no harm from being off her for a few hours, and the intimacy had served the purpose of settling her nerves. Letting Black help her wash afterwards had been unexpectedly nice too. She should let him do that more often, he seemed to have enjoyed it as much as she did.

Thinking about Black's soft touch helped her keep calm. It had been so long since she had been around people. The travelling termites hardly counted, it wasn't the same thing, and even that was quite a while ago.

Lei forced herself to stop fidgeting about the dress and jumped off the branch.

It was time to fly low, and slow, and very visibly.

She felt very naked without her bow. She couldn't very well have brought it. When visiting a village of strangers, coming unarmed was needed to make a good first impression.

Lei was amazed how long it took the beetles to spot her, she slowed her forward pace to that of a snail not to get alarmingly close before being seen. Apparently beetles didn't look up much.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

When she was finally seen, it was by a child.

"Look," yelled the little one and pointed, jumping excitedly. "Look, mum, there's a butterfly. Look."

Lei smiled, and blessed the eyes of the little one, even if he couldn't tell moths and butterflies apart. She kept her snailish pace, awaiting the reaction of the adults.

The overall reaction seemed good. She counted far more curious stares than apprehensive ones, and was greeted with 'hello's and waves even while still in the air.

"Hello," yelled Lei back and waved, hoping her smile looked warmer than nervous.

"Hi, all," she said, upon landing a few steps from a pack of beetles that had gathered during her slow flight in. "My name is Lei."

"Hi, Lei," said a middle-aged brown-skinned beetle-woman, who wore a plain but spotless and bright-coloured, red dress. "It's very nice to meet you."

Her smile was wide, and displayed an array of white teeth, one of which had grown out at a wrong angle. All in all it was a very charming smile.

"I'm Hinea," continued the friendly woman, whose back-plate reached high enough to form a brown halo behind her head. "And this is..."

Lei struggled bravely to remember the names of everyone the woman introduced. The list grew longer and longer as more and more beetles arrived.

When finally the woman gave up and with a laugh declared that she couldn't introduce the whole village at once. Lei with panic realised that the only of the mentioned names for which she could remember the owner, was Hinea.

"It's very nice to meet you all," said Lei, and felt guilty for it being a lie. Being stared down by a whole village was unnerving, even if they all looked friendly.

"You must have travelled far," said Hinea. "Would you like some tea?"

"Tea would be..." began Lei, but was interrupted.

"Forgive me," said Hinea. "Moths like sweet things, don't you?"

"Yes but..." Lei was again interrupted.

"I've got some fresh fruit-juice," said Hinea. "It's very sweet."

"I like both fruitjuice and tea," said Lei. "Whatever is easiest would be..."

"Oh, don't worry about what's easiest," interrupted Hinea, stepped up to Lei and grabbed her hand. "Visitors are so rare out here. Especially winged ones."

Hinea turned, still holding on to Lei's hand, and started walking into the village. Lei followed not to be dragged.

"I have cake too," said Hinea, her face hidden from Lei by her backplate, "and cookies, and sweets, my hut isn't far."

"Hinea," called a stern manly voice, and the beetle-woman stopped in her tracks.

"Yes, Baltin?" said Hinea, and turned.

Lei withheld a nervous whimper, and closely watched Hinea's face. The woman's possessive hold on her hand had tightened significantly, and her smile had stiffened somewhat.

"You can serve your cookies and sweets in the big hall," said the man who had to be Baltin. Lei still had her back to him.

"I'm sorry, Baltin," stated Hinea. "I don't have enough for everyone."

"I'm sure 'everyone' will understand, and will leave the bulk of it for our guest," said Baltin with extra emphasis on 'our'. "In fact, I'm fairly sure that 'everyone' has a few sweets of their own to bring to the table."

"And I'm sure that Lei will be far more comfortable in my cozy hut than in the big hall," stated Hinea. "Won't you, Lei?"

"I..." began Lei, intending to finish with 'don't know'. With every moment passing, the friendly beetle-woman was increasingly scary.

"Hinea," there was a warning tone in Baltin's voice.

"Allright," snapped Hinea. "I'll show her my hut later." The beetle-woman turned and started walking in a slightly different direction.

"Actually," said Lei, slightly resisting the pull. "Why don't we stay out here in the open? The weather is really nice."

Hinea stopped in her tracks, turned to Lei, and, for the first time, eyed her suspiciously.

"I thought a moth would be happy to get out of the daylight," said Hinea.

Lei swallowed nervously. Apparently Hinea noticed, for her eyes narrowed.

"What's your game stranger?" said Baltin, and walked to Hinea's side. And the two of them eyed her in unison.

Lei's wings rustled with her desire to fly away, but she didn't unfold them.

"I'm a stranger," said Lei, and swallowed again. "You are very kind to me, but you are also strangers to me. I'd rather stay in the open."

Murmurs of whispers reached Lei from all angles.

Baltin's eyes left Lei, and started exploring the heights around the village.

"You have friends watching over you?" he asked.

"You won't be able to spot him," said Lei, hating how the friendly start had turned sour. "He hides well."

"Well," said Baltin, returned his eyes to Lei, and a friendly smile grew on his face, "we can carry some benches out from the big hall and eat our sweets in the open. There's plenty room in front of the hall. If you dare set foot on our ground at all that is?"

"I think I dare that much," said Lei, and the beetle-man practically beamed with satisfaction.

"Sweets, everyone," he called, in a loud voice. "Cookies, cake, candy, juice. Our guest shall not be left wanting."

"Come along," said Hinea, and again turned and walked.

Lei swiftly followed, not to be dragged.

"I'll find us a good spot," promised Hinea.

While Hinea led Lei to an open area in the midst of the village, beetles hurried off to their respective homes, apparently to fetch sweet things as Baltin had suggested. Maybe it had been an order, Lei hadn't been able to tell for sure.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

Once at the open area, Hinea hesitantly released Lei's hand.

"Don't go anywhere," said the woman, it sounded half like an insistent plea, half like an order. "I'll bring us a bench."

"I'll wait for you here," promised Lei, and did.

She had barely been alone for two seconds before a small beetle-boy came running holding one hand high.

"Do you like candysticks?" he breathlessly asked as soon as he reached her. Pushing his high-held hand toward her. In it he held a candystick as long as Lei's hand from wrist to fingertips, and as thick as her pinky.

Lei's mouth watered. She liked candysticks a lot and she hadn't had sweets in ages.

"Do you?" asked the little boy, reaching the candystick as high toward her as he could reach.

Not to drool, Lei nodded instead of speaking.

"Then you can have it," said the boy.

Lei moved a hand toward the candystick, but stopped herself. She couldn't snatch candy from children.

"It's for you," insisted the boy, and pushed the stick into Lei's hand.

All on their own, her fingers closed around the treat, and the boy let go.

"Try it," said the boy.

She would have told the child not to tempt weak souls, but her mouth was too full of saliva. So she just broke the candystick into four pieces and shoved them all into her mouth.

"Wow," breathed the boy, obviously impressed.

Lei didn't see if his expression matched his voice. Her eyes had closed and she was chewing. All through her mouth, hard sugar was melting and spilling it's divinity on her tongue.

"Mum," yelled the boy, already running away. "She likes candysticks. Do we have any more?"



By the time Hinea returned with a two-person bench, Lei was surrounded by children with candysticks. The young moth had no objections to, again and again, repeating the demonstration of how she ate candysticks.

With her eyes closed to savour the taste of each and every one, and her ears filled with the sounds of hard sugar crunching between her teeth, she barely noticed the activity about her.

The villagers placed a large table close to her and Hinea, and benches were carried to the open area till everyone had a place to seat, and more sweets, cakes, and cookies, than even a moth could dream of were piled onto the table.

When finally Lei did open her eyes and saw the sugary feast on the table. She couldn't believe them.

Her folded wings fluttered as a desire to jump onto the table and twohandedly stuff herself rushed through her. With an effort of will, Lei managed to remain where she was.

"Would you like some cake?" asked Hinea.

Lei swallowed a couple of times, till her mouth was drained enough to speak.

"Yes, please," she said.

The beetle-woman took a plate from the table, chose a creamy cake, scooped a piece of it onto the plate, and handed it to Lei, then fetched a tiny fork, and handed that too to Lei.

Lei had never seen so tiny a fork. A few times, her eyes travelled back and forth between the tiny fork in her one hand and the cake in her other. Then she remembered a whole village of beetles were staring at her, and started eating the cake at the achingly slow rate the fork demanded.

It was a child that saved her.

With no prompting whatsoever, the little boy, the same who had handed her the first candy-stick, took a mouthsized spoon from the table and handed it to her.

"Thank you," said Lei, accepted the tool, and downed the cake. It was gorgeous.

Lei raised her eyes from her empty plate, and saw Baltin at the table. He was scooping several pieces of cake onto a new, larger, plate. Lei's mouth watered with the hope that it was for her.

"Here you go," said Baltin, when the plate was full, and brought it to her with a wide smile on his face.

Lei could have kissed him.

"Thank you," she said.

It did cross her mind that, maybe, gorging down everything offered wasn't proper etiquette amongst beetles, but there really was no other way for her to handle the sight of the feast on the table.

After a third, even bigger offering of cake-slices, Lei was finally sufficiently sated to handle the view, and she slowed the speed of her spoon, if not the size of each mouthful.

"I've never eaten such wonderful cake," said Lei, in between two mouthfuls. It was no lie. Moths, in general, were good at many things, but making cake was not one of them. The best of cakes required baking, and baking required fire.

Lei had, since her parents traded with beetles, had beetle-cake before. But only the hard, bulky kinds that traded easily.

"Which one of them?" asked Hinea.

"All of them," said Lei, and scooped in another mouthful. Her wings rustled with delight at the sweetness.

"Do you want to bring some to your friend?" asked Baltin, who had just finished filling a fourth plate.

Lei, having cake in her mouth, shook her head.

"He doesn't like sweets," she said when her mouth was empty. Then filled in another spoonful.

"Let her try some cookies too," said a beetle-woman, whose name Lei was sure she had been told and had forgotten. Not waiting for a reply, the woman filled a plate with a selection of cookies.

"Let her try the last cakes first," objected another.

"What about the sweets?"

"I wish I had known she was coming," said another, "then I could have baked my grandmother's nutcake."

Several beetles laughed good humouredly at that comment.

"Where are you from?" asked Baltin, looking at Lei while, taking the cookie-filled plate out of the hand of the beetle-woman at the table, and firmly depositing it next to the plate of cake he had prepared.

"Aribo forest," said Lei, in between mouthfuls.

"Another forest," said Baltin. "You've really travelled far then."

"Not at once," said Lei. "I left home in spring two years back, and arrived at Altwar in early fall. That's when I met my friend." Lei scooped in more cake and closed her eyes with delight.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"I can't believe how good your cake is," she said, after swallowing, and scooped in another bite.

"Why did you leave home?" asked Baltin.

Remembered bitterness filled Lei. It must have shown.

"You don't have to tell if you don't want to," said Baltin.

Lei swallowed the bitterness and the sweet mouthful of cake.

"I'd rather not tell why I left home," she said, took a new spoonful, savoured the cake, and swallowed it. "My friend and I have moved to a few days flight from here, I've come here in the hope that we can establish a good trading relationship, and that maybe you will allow us to see your healer when needed. You are our nearest neighbours."

"How wonderful," said a beetle-man. "I will have a chance to offer you my cupcakes then."

"I will never refuse cup-cakes," said Lei and was rewarded with friendly laughter.

"It's been generations since we had winged neighbours," said Baltin. "I hope the best for our relations."

"I do too," said Lei, and emptied her plate.

"Do you have room for more?" asked Baltin.

Lei nodded eagerly and held out the empty plate.

"Cake or cookies?"

"Both?" suggested Lei, and held out her hands. There was just enough room for a plate with cookies next to her on the bench.

Baltin laughed, accepted the empty plate, and handed her the two full ones.

"I hope I can still fit my dress when I'm done," said Lei, but hesitated no further than that before digging in.

The children, were going restless about the table, and a few adults rose and started handing cake and cookies to them.

"I love your dress," said Hinea.

"It's made of spider-silk," said Lei.

"Really?" Hinea reached out a hand. "May I?"

Lei, her mouth full, nodded.

Hinea touched the fabric.

"Silk," said Hinea, with a sigh of part admiration, part disappointment. "I had hoped it was something new and affordable. Spider-silk is still even more costly than normal silk?"

Lei nodded.

"It must have cost a fortune," sighed Hinea, gently stroking the fluffy silk of the skirtly part.

Lei shook her head.

"No?" asked Hinea, almost breathless with curiosity.

"My friend is a spider," said Lei, and studied Hinea for her reaction. "He makes the silk himself."

"He makes his own silk?" There was surprise and something that sounded like awe in Hinea's voice.




Moth Ch. 022



Lei nodded, searching for signs of fear or disgust and finding none.

"He is an abomination?" asked Hinea.

Lei narrowed her eyes, and spat out a mouthful of cake.

"I don't like that word," she said, angrily. Then averted her eyes, silently chiding herself for losing her temper. She needed to establish good relations with these people.

"Around here," said Baltin, sternly, "abomination means special. We would prefer if you remember that."

The statement took Lei with as much surprise as a big, wet, snowball in a summer night.

"Don't be so harsh on our guest, Baltin," said Hinea to Baltin, and to Lei she said, "Don't mind him. He gets like that sometimes. We dissolved our last village council some years back and put him in charge of everything. Sometimes it gets to his head. How old is your spider friend?"

Lei blinked, at the sudden topic changes, and stuffed a big cookie in her mouth to buy time.

"Look, mum," said one of the small children, pointing at Lei. Then the little one tested how much of her own cookie she could cram into her mouth at once.

"You're not a moth, darling," said a woman, probably the child's mother, and pulled the cookie from the child's mouth. "Smaller bites."

"But she..." insisted the child pointing at Lei.

"Lei is a moth," explained the woman. "You are a beetle. If you try to do what she does you might choke."

Lei chewed and swallowed. 

"I never asked Black how old he is," said Lei. "I think he is a few years older than I am."

"Just a few?" asked Hinea, a strange hope in her voice.

For a moment the thought that the woman hoped to seduce Black for the sake of his silk, struck Lei, but then she pushed it away. No matter how strangely open-minded these beetles seemed to be about abominations, the thought was just too silly.

"I think so," said Lei.

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, Hinea," said Baltin, shaking his head.

"There's nothing wrong with just having thoughts," said Hinea and looked around. "Where is she anyway?"

"Leave her be," said Baltin. "She will come out if she wants to."

"We have a little abomination of our own," said Hinea to Lei. "Maybe in some years, your friend and..."

"Black is mine," blurted Lei.

Her words were almost drowned by Baltin's stern:

"That's enough, Hinea."

But only almost.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

Lei nervously looked around, for signs of shock and disgust. She did see some shocked faces, before turning her eyes back to Hinea.

"She can't have him."

"What a pity," said Hinea and shrugged. "Ah well, it was too perfect to be true."

"You have come to the right place," said Baltin, his voice solemn, in a sterner tone he added. "The two of you will get no trouble with us for your choice of mate."

Lei couldn't quite believe her ears, and scooped in two spoonfuls of cake not to have to say anything.

"Maybe one of their children will be..." began Hinea, sounding as if she had had another thought.

"That's enough, Hinea," said a chorus of at least three beetles, including Baltin, and Hinea went quiet, a sour look on her face.

"Hinea has a bigger mouth than you do," said Baltin with an apologetic shrug. "Sadly she doesn't stuff it with cake."

Lei swallowed.

"We were worried about how you would react," she said, shaken to the core that everything had gone so unexpectedly easily. Somewhere inside she had a gnawing feeling that something horrible had to happen to make up for it.

"Of course you were," said Hinea and put an arm around Lei's shoulders. "There are too many nasty people in the world."

Lei nodded and forced back tears.

"Have some more cake," suggested Hinea.

Lei scooped in cake.

"There's plenty more where that come from," said Hinea, stating the obvious.

"Is your mate really an abomination?" asked a tiny voice from behind Lei.

Lei turned as much as she could without knocking down the plate of cookies, and saw a girl, not a day past her tenth year.

The child was holding an oversized blanket tightly around herself, but even just looking at her face, it was obvious that she wasn't a beetle.

The girl had natural head-armour. It started halfway down her forehead, and spread backward from there in a triangular form. On each her cheekbones she had a small patch of natural armour. Her eyes were green and had whites in them like a moth did; her skin was light brown; and her bodyarmour was dark brown, in some places almost black. On top of all that, the shape of her face was delicate, feminine, and heartbreakingly beautiful.

Lei swallowed. Somehow the chewed cake managed to squeeze past the lump in her throat.

"You have the most beautiful face I have ever seen," she told the little girl.

The girl hiccupped, spun around, and ran out of sight into the big hall. Lei heard another hiccup and then there were no more signs of the child.

"I didn't mean to upset her," said Lei, gazing after the girl. She longed to go find the child and give her a hug, but feared that might upset her further.

"Rebekka has had it hard," said Baltin. "There are too many nasty people in the world."





*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

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Moth Ch. 023



Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

*

"You sure took your good time," snarled Kokata, the moment Lei landed on the branch they had agreed on. He had beat her to it.

"They are absolutely wonderful," exclaimed his Lei and spun her arms around his neck, completely ignoring his tone and mood. "You wouldn't believe how wonderful they are."

In spite of his mood, Kokata couldn't resist hugging her back. Every second she had spent surrounded by beetles had been gut-wrenching for him. He'd been worried to the point of cutting extra furrows in the bark.

"They were so nice to me," said Lei, still hugging his neck.

By all means, the scene had looked very friendly, even from Kokata's hiding place. But if something should have suddenly changed, he would have taken seconds to reach her. She could have been hurt.

"They gave me all the cake I could eat!" His Lei sounded absolutely ecstatic. "And cookies, and sweets, and... and... everything!"

"I saw," snarled Kokata. He had never seen her eat like that. Some of the time he had feared she would choke on something. And, every single moment, he had been looking for signs that someone down there, should suddenly have a change of mood and...

"And they don't mind that we are crossfucking!"

Kokata tensed.

"You weren't supposed to tell them about that," he snarled, furious that she had taken such a risk on the first visit. "Not yet."

"I know." His Lei didn't sound repentant at all. "It slipped out."

"You promised to be careful," snarled Kokata.

"Baltin promised that we wouldn't get any trouble from anyone for our choice of mate. He referred to us as mates!" Lei was all joy and exclamations.

"You should have been more careful," snarled Kokata.

"Maybe when we know them a little better, we can ask them to hold a mating ceremony for us." His Lei was completely unperturbed by his reprimands.

"No!" snarled Kokata and pulled her out, to glare into her eyes. "We will not ask them to hold a mating ceremony for us."

His Lei, finally shutting up about the beetles, furrowed her forehead.

"What's the matter, Black?"

"The matter?" snarled Kokata. "The matter? I should lift up your skirt and spank you like the little girl you are acting."

"Excuse me?" snapped Lei, narrowing her eyes.

"People are dangerous," yelled Kokata, and shook her by her shoulders. "What were you thinking?"

"Let go," yelled Lei. Fury in her voice.

Kokata released her.

"How dare you shake me," snapped Lei.

In spite of himself, Kokata cowered. Even as he did it, he gritted his teeth for being so pussy-whipped, as whispering men would call it.

"I was worried," snarled Kokata, angrily, but kept his eyes averted. 

"That does not give you a right to shake me, nor to threaten me with spanking."

Kokata ground his teeth hard against each other. If he loved her just a little less he'd do more than threaten.

"They are nice people."

Kokata closed his averted eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself.

"And tomorrow afternoon," continued his Lei, "we are going to visit them together."

Kokata's breath stuck in his throat as if a tinybug had gotten stuck in it. He coughed and sputtered to free his airways of the thing that wasn't there. Then turned his face back to his woman.

"Have you gone utterly insane?" he snarled.

"We've been invited to a feast," said his Lei, her chin high with moth pride. "Both of us. And we are going."

"We are not," snarled Kokata.

His Lei locked eyes with him.

"No," snarled Kokata, holding his ground. He might be pussy-whipped, but he did have a will of his own, and he wasn't insane.

His Lei crossed her arms across her chest.

"No," insisted Kokata. "And you're not going either."

---==(o)==---

"I guess they aren't coming," said Baltin. The day had gone too far into evening for even the most stubborn to call it late afternoon.

"Let's wait just a little longer," begged Rebekka in a very quiet voice, and lightly squeezed his hand. "Maybe they just got delayed."

Baltin knelt in front of the girl and looked her eye to eye.

"Do you remember when I first brought you here?" he gently asked.

Rebekka nodded.

"You didn't want to come here," said Baltin.

"I was scared," said Rebekka. "I was afraid they would hurt me."

"Well, Lei's mate has never been here before. He might be scared, just like you were."

"But Lei said they would come," objected Rebekka.

"Lei's mate is an adult," explained Baltin. "He is probably too big for her to lift into her arms and carry here against his will."

Rebekka's eyes watered, but sooner than Baltin could pull her into a hug she had spun away and run off to hide.

Baltin shook his head and got back on his feet. Then he walked to the village to announce that the feast would commence. If not with their guests of honours, then at least in their honour.

Most of the afternoon-delights hadn't fared well with being kept warm for far too long, but it was still a good feast. Children laughed and chased each other, pairs danced, the musicians were spirited, and the freshly lit emberpoles sparkled as festively as ever. At sunset only the smallest of children were in a mood to sleep.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

Rebekka was nowhere to be seen, and that dampened Baltin's mood somewhat. Even if all the village had adopted her, he still felt for her as a father would. Yet, a feast had been well overdue, so Baltin kept the musicians going, encouraged both men and women to dance, and kept close eye on the too young couples who might, dazed by the festivities, dare act too far beyond their age, if he allowed them to slip into the shadows.

The feast was so lively, even past sunset, that Baltin had no clue how long their guests of honour had, at the edge of the village, stood under an emberpole before he noticed them.

The moth wore the same dress she had the previous day, the spider, it seemed, wore no clothes. Baltin moved his eyes from them, sooner than any could notice. Pretending he hadn't seen them, he yelled at a benchwarmer to ask up another for a dance, and joked with an old man who teased the shy two.

He was buying himself time to get used to what he had seen.

Baltin had expected someone like Rebekka, just adult, male, and with spidery features. The spider was far more spider, and far less man than he had imagined. The only manly feature was its face. Baltin clapped his hands in tune with the music. He couldn't allow himself to think of the spider as 'it'.

No matter how the moth's mate looked, he had a mind. He was a man. Baltin needed to know that to his very core before he could get up and greet him as an equal.

He came to think of Rebekka. She too had probably imagined the spider would be a lot like her. Baltin grabbed a cup of mak and sipped to rid himself of the lump in his throat. Poor Rebekka. He came to think of the state Rebekka had been in when he found her. All the cruelty she had been exposed to for being what she was.

He took a larger sip to down a new lump. The evil inside normal people was sometimes unbelievable. Then he came to think that the spider too had once been as small as Rebekka. Considering the way he looked...

Baltin closed his eyes and emptied the cup in one long draught.

It wasn't a wonder that they had been late. It was a wonder that they had come at all. The moth's mate had to be the bravest man he had ever seen to dare set foot in a village full of strangers. It didn't really matter if he didn't have feet.

Baltin rose, took a detour to empty his bladder and not draw attention, and then approached the guests. He could only hope the rest of the village would remember what Rebekka had been like when she had first arrived, and would show due consideration when they discovered the guests.

"Hello there," said Baltin and waved, when he was ten paces from the pair. "I'm glad you could make it." He kept his pace slow.

"Hi, Baltin," said the moth and waved back.

"That's close enough," snarled the spider.

Baltin stopped where he was, five steps of flat ground between him and the pair. He stood as leisurely as if the distance had been of his own choosing, and kept his smile as friendly as it had been before the command had been spoken.

"Black," scolded the moth. "I asked you to be nice."

"You also told me to be myself," snarled the spider, not taking his eyes of Baltin.

"Black," said Baltin, tasting it. "What a suitable name. I see you have the same shade that I do." Baltin rubbed his cheek, which as the rest of him, was shiny black.

"Always a hit with the women," added Baltin and winked.

"Not always," snarled Black.

"Oh," Baltin openly ran his eyes up and down the moth next to the spider. "Seems to me it has hit well enough." Baltin winked at Lei, who, shy as a teen, huddled closer to her mate.

Baltin cleared his throat, he hadn't realised the moth was too sensitive for such a joke. Apparently she was more shy when she wasn't gorging sweet things.

"I'm really glad you came," reiterated Baltin. "I hope you don't mind that we started without you."

"We don't mind," said the moth.

"We only came by to say hi," snarled the spider. "So... Hi."

"Hi," replied Baltin, and waved as if arriving anew.

"I shouldn't have made a promise on Black's behalf," said the moth. "I'm sorry."

"There's no need to be sorry," said Baltin. "I know how... overwhelming... it can be to be introduced to a whole village."

"Sure you do," snarled the spider, and moved backward a step, one leg around his mate. "Now, we've made an appearance, Lei. Let's go."

"Black isn't comfortable around strangers," apologised the moth. "I'll come visit tomorrow. Alone."

"I understand. Not everyone likes crowds," said Baltin and offered, "Maybe we can arrange a smaller feast sometime. Just us three and a trey full of cupcakes."

"I don't like cupcakes," snarled the spider.

"I said 'a trey'," said Baltin and smiled broadly. " Your mate likes cupcakes; there wouldn't be any left for you and me."

The spider's lips widened a notch. Not enough to be called a smile, but enough to prove that Baltin's joke had hit the mark.

"Have a nice feast," snarled the spider, and circled on the spot till his back was to Baltin. "Let's go, Lei."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Baltin," promised the moth.

"I'll be looking forward to it," said Baltin and waved.

The moth waved back. The spider didn't bother to even look back. Baltin chose to appreciate the display of trust in that gesture.

The pair started walking. Baltin remained where he was, gazing after them.

They had moved maybe ten of the moth's steps, (the spider's eight-legged movement couldn't really be counted into steps,) when a small blanketed form rushed past Baltin.

Baltin raised an arm and opened his mouth to call back the child, but changed his mind and remained silent.

The spider spun with unbelievable speed, two legs raised in aggression, and Baltin again raised his arm, this time in alarm.

Rebekka stopped in her tracks. She was a few steps from the pair, and more than ten steps from Baltin.

Written by Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

Baltin could hear her hiccup with fright all the way from where he stood. His heart was pounding with shock. He yearned to run to the child and pull her out of harms way. Yet, he remained where he was. If the spider was going to harm the child, Baltin couldn't get there in time, and if the spider didn't intend to harm her, there was no reason for Baltin to interfere with a confrontation that Rebekka had sought out herself.

Sometimes being like a father was the hardest thing in the world.

The spider slowly lowered his legs.

"What do you want," he snarled.

Rebekka hiccupped.

"Get lost," snarled the spider.

Rebekka hiccupped again.

The spider made a move as if to attack, and Baltin's heart nearly jumped into his throat.

Rebekka hiccupped again, but didn't move.

"Are you an abomination?" she asked, and hiccupped.

"I am a spider," snarled the spider. "What are you."

"I'm a scorpid," said Rebekka, and hiccupped.

Baltin blinked back tears. Rebekka's voice sounded as tiny as her form looked.

"Really?" asked the spider, for the first time not snarling.

Rebekka nodded.

The spider reached out and took hold of Rebekka's blanket. The child hiccupped but allowed him to pull it off her.

The spider slowly circled Rebekka, getting a good look at her clothed front and her plated back.

"You've got poison?" asked the spider, pointing to the stinger at the end of her tail.

Rebekka's tail was fully plated and grew from the base of her back and part of her bum, and was longer than her body was from toe to head.

Rebekka nodded.

"What does your poison do?" asked the spider.

"It makes them go numb," replied Rebekka.

"Nice," said the spider and nodded. "Do you catch your own food."

Rebekka glanced back at Baltin with a guilty look in her eyes, and Baltin, pretending he hadn't heard the spider's question, realised that she did.

The child turned back to the spider, who had lowered his face to her eye-level, and whispered something in his ear. The spider listened, and nodded.

Baltin glanced at the moth. The woman had moved away from the two and was busying herself by studying the ground and prodding it with her feet. That seemed like a good occupation, but Baltin couldn't make himself take his eyes of the child.

Rebekka showed the spider her two scorpid arms, which were closer to the armpits of her man-arms than Baltin's beetle arms were to his man-armpits.

When the child pointed to the sharp ends of her scorpid arms, the spider nodded appreciatively, and then raised one of his legtips to the child's eye-level. He held it there a moment.

"Wow," exclaimed Rebekka, her voice filled with awe.

From where he stood Baltin couldn't see what had inspired the exclamation.

Rebekka raised her hand toward the legtip, and the spider instantly pulled it out of her reach.

"Don't touch sharp things with your fingers," snarled the spider.

Rebekka hiccupped and lowered her hand.

The spider reached behind himself to his spider-butt, and pulled out a length of white silk.

"Wow," exclaimed Rebekka again.

"Try to break it," offered the spider and handed the silk to the child.

Rebekka grabbed hold of it with both hands and tore separate ways. It didn't break. The child then spun it around both hands and tried again. Then she took the tightened length to her mouth.

"Don't pull out your teeth," snarled the spider.

"I won't," said Rebekka, and then started gnawing on the string. After a few moments she gave up. "My teeth aren't sharp enough."

"Feel my legtip." the spider offered the legtip he had pulled away before.

Rebekka did as told.

"It's soft," she commented, stroking the underside of the legtip.

"And now don't touch it."

Rebekka withdrew her hand.

"Hold out the silk," instructed the spider.

Rebekka held out the string and tightened it.

The spider brought down his legtip and the string cut in two.

"Wow," exclaimed Rebekka. "Do it again!"

The spider shredded the two halves of string into half.

The child reached for his legtip, but the spider pulled it away.

"Do you hate your fingers?" snarled the spider. "Don't touch it while its sharp."

"I just wanna see," objected Rebekka, reaching for the legtip which the spider held higher than she could reach.

"Are you stupid?" snarled the spider. "Eyes are for seeing. Hands are for touching."

The girl giggled.

Baltin couldn't believe his ears. Rebekka could laugh, if you tickled her long enough, but he had never heard her giggle.

The spider lowered his legtip, and Rebekka grabbed it.

"It's normal again," she sounded disappointed. "Make it sharp again."

"No way, stupid," snarled the spider.

"Please," begged Rebekka, the way any beetle-kid in the village could beg someone to repeat a magic trick.

Baltin had never heard Rebekka do that.

"No," snarled the spider.

"Please," insisted the child.

"If you try to touch it again I'll let you," snarled the spider. "And then I'll drink all the blood you spill." The spider licked his lips. "I bet scorpids are tasty."

Rebekka giggled.

Baltin raised his eyebrows. Maybe the reason he couldn't make her giggle was that he had been telling her the wrong kinds of jokes.

The spider again held a legtip out to Rebekka. The child stared at it with fascination but she didn't try to touch it.

"That's so much more awesome than poison," she said and sighed.

"I have poison," said the spider.

"Really?" Rebekka bent over and looked under the spider. "Where's your stinger?"

"My poison is in my teeth." The spider smiled wide, displaying his fangs.

"Wow," sighed the child. "What does your poison do?"

"It makes them happy," said the spider.

"Happy? What good does that do?"

"They relax and stop fighting."

"Really?"

The spider nodded.

"Wow," said the child and reached for the spider's mouth.

The spider pushed her away.

"Why would I want your dirty fingers inside my mouth," he snarled.

Rebekka hiccupped.

The spider glanced toward Baltin, and behind him.

"Go home," he said to the child, and circled to leave.

Baltin looked behind himself, he was no longer alone, some others had come and was now looking at the scene from a bit behind him.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

"Don't go," pleaded Rebekka. "Lei promised you would come to the feast."

"I don't eat cooked food," snarled the spider, and started moving.

"I caught a fly-beast for you," persisted the child.

"I don't eat dead things."

"It's not dead." Rebekka's voice was thick with guilt, shame, and desperation. "I don't like dead things either."

The spider stopped in his tracks.

"I don't like people," he snarled. "And people don't like me."

"I do," said Rebekka, again sounding tiny.

Kokata remained where he was. He couldn't tell if the girl had meant to say that she liked people, or that she liked him, or both, but he could tell that she was desperate for him to stay.

He understood.

All the times he had wished for someone who could appreciate the advantages to his predatory form... All the times he had yearned for someone who understood what it was like to drink the blood of still living prey...

Kokata had grown past the need of meeting someone like that.

The little scorpid was still a child. She was still being torn between what she was and what she thought she ought to be. The tiny Rebekka was living with beetles. Beetles killed beasts for food as naturally as they dug up roots, or gathered herbs, and whatever else the bed of the forest had to offer. But beetles cooked their meat with fire and heat till every shred of life and taste had left it.

The girl had not grown past the need of meeting someone like him.

Kokata spun to the girl.

"I don't care what you like," he snarled.

The child hiccupped and looked at him with hurt, desperate eyes.

Beetles were massing up behind the one called Baltin. Kokata's skin was crawling with memories of rocks, and batshit, and anything else that could be picked up and thrown.

The easy choice would be to walk away.

"I'm hungry," snarled Kokata. "Bring me that fly-beast."

The girl nodded, then spun and ran off.

"Hey, tiny," snarled Kokata.

The girl stopped and turned to him.

"Tell them not to bother me," snarled Kokata, pointing at the beetles.

The girl again nodded, and spun, and ran off.

"Don't bother him," she yelled, as she ran past Baltin.

Kokata kept his eyes on the large crowd of beetles while waiting for the child to return. They were all staring at him, but none made a move to bother him.




Moth Ch. 023



"I'm hungry," complained a voice from next to him. Apparently his Lei was done pretending to be interested in forest soil. "Do you mind if I join the feast, just for a little while?"

Kokata narrowed his eyes at her. She had promised not to leave him to join the feast.

"I'm sorry," said Lei. "It's that aroma. It's driving me crazy."

Kokata wasn't the least bit enticed by the sweet smell, but he could see why his sweet-crazed woman would be.

"Did you bring any silk-thread?" he asked.

"A tenth-ball," said his Lei, patting the small pouch at her side.

"Give it to that Baltin guy, and tell him you would like a bowl of sweet mass and some dipping sticks."

"Sweet mass and dipping sticks?" asked his Lei.

"It's a beetle thing," snarled Kokata, keeping his eyes on the beetles. "You'll love it."

"Sweet mass and dipping sticks," repeated his Lei, her wings rustling with anticipation. Then she lifted off the ground and flew the short distance to the Baltin guy.

"Sweet-crazed moth," whispered Kokata, shaking his head.

Beetles gathered around his Lei, and Kokata's legs twitched for him to jump to her and scatter the dangerous strangers. The beetles were all smiles, and friendly words, and...

Kokata gritted his teeth as Baltin laid a man arm around Lei's shoulders and yelled for someone to fetch a bowl of sweet mass. Lei didn't seem to mind at all.

A brownish beetle-woman hugged Lei and Baltin moved his arm off her, relieving Kokata of the sting of jealousy that had almost made him forget his fears.

A beetle-woman arrived with a bowl of sweet mass, just as Kokata caught sight of the scorpid girl. She was circling the mass of beetles with a fly in her arms. There was a heavy air of guilt about the way she walked, with her face lowered and her shoulders hunched forward. But there was also something decisive about her step.

Kokata could relate.

His Lei excitedly accepted the bowl of sweet mass, and the, "Don't touch the bowl. It's hot," warning. And turned to walk back to him.

Kokata returned his attention to the small scorpid. It had to take a lot of courage to carry her prey past her village of beetles, and it showed. They obviously didn't know that she caught her own food. The child had only dared tell him in a whisper.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Kokata saw Lei stop to sniff at the bowl. Her wings rustled with delight. The sides of his mouth tugged at his lips. As he had guessed, the boiling sweet mass was the aroma that had been driving her crazy.

The scorpid child had passed the beetles and now ran the last short distance to Kokata.

"Are you sure it's not dead?" asked Kokata, looking at the unmoving fly in her four arms. For a fly it was fairly small, being of a size a child could carry.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

The girl nodded.

"I stung it," she said. "Don't worry. My poison isn't dangerous to eat. Not in small amounts. The healer sometimes make the sick drink it. It's good for them, she says."

Kokata reached for the fly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lei gather the dipping sticks in the hand with which she held the bowl's handle. As instructed, she was careful not to touch the warm bowl.

The scorpid girl let go of the fly, and Kokata raised it to his face, pretending not to notice the girl's breathless stare. What he wouldn't have given to see another predator with mind openly eat live prey when he was a child.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lei, grab hold of the stirring spoon and lift it out of the bowl with a large clot of thick melted sugar attached to it.

He was just about to bite into the fly when he realised that Lei wasn't just admiring the sight of the resin-like substance on the spoon.

"Lei don't!" he yelled, just in time to see her stuff it into her mouth.

He dropped the fly mid-jump and was at her, but it was too late.

Lei was screaming, the sound was tearing his mind to pieces, her mouth was one big open burn-wound.

Kokata screamed too and pulled her tight against him. He sank his teeth into her shoulder and sprayed his poison till she went absolutely limp.

"Lei," he screamed, pulling his teeth out of her flesh. Her burned lips had swollen beyond recognition, her tongue was sticking out between them, miscoloured and swelling.

Beetles were at him. Kokata snarled at them and sharpened his legtips.

"I'm a healer," yelled one, and reached for Lei.

Kokata pushed her with the blunt backside of a leg, sending her flying through the air.

"Get away from us," he screamed at the beetles.

Kokata cuddled Lei's unconscious body tighter and crouched to jump.

Something stung the back of his neck and he felt small feet landing on his back.

Lei's body fell from his hold.

Kokata screamed and grabbed for her, but no sound left his throat, and instead of grabbing Lei his legs fell to the ground. Kokata fell with them.

His neck stung again.

Kokata couldn't move. He couldn't even close his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Black," said a tiny voice from behind his head.

Kokata couldn't feel his legs. He couldn't feel his body either.

All he could feel was fear.

The beetle he had pushed through the air was back on her feet and was pulling his Lei away from him. She was stuffing fingers into Lei's swollen mouth and was yelling at other beetles to fetch things for her.

If Kokata had been able to move, he would have killed her.

"Her tongue is swelling into her throat," said the beetle, who had said she was a healer. "I need a tube, fast."

Beetles blocked Kokata's view.

"Hurry, before it closes her airways," yelled the healer.

Kokata's view became blurry. He was crying and he couldn't blink to clear his eyes.

"Good. Now give me the burn lotion."

There was silence. Apart from shuffling of many feet. And it seemed to last forever.

"Take her to my hut," commanded the healer-beetle.

Kokata's soul was tearing into pieces of mad anguish, but there was nothing he could do to stop the beetles. They walked away with his Lei. Kokata's tears finally released, and his vision was again clear.

A single beetle remained within his line of sight. It was the Baltin guy.

"Can you hear me?" asked Baltin and approached Kokata.

Kokata could make no sign.

The Baltin guy knelt in front of Kokata.

"Lei has serious burns inside her mouth," said the Baltin guy. "Our healer has shoved a tube into her throat to keep her airways open. She has also covered the burns with burn lotion."

The Baltin guy paused, and looked at something behind Kokata.

"Is he unconscious?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," said the scorpid girl, she sounded like she was weeping.

"You did the right thing, Rebekka," said the Baltin guy in a comforting voice. Then returned his attention to Kokata.

"I don't know if you can hear me, Black," he said. "We have taken Lei to our healer's hut. She is going to take good care of her. Healer Sasha has a lot of experience treating burn wounds. I will make sure that you get word on how Lei is doing as soon as there is anything to tell. Allright?"

Kokata was glad he couldn't move. If he had killed the healer then who would have taken care of Lei's burns?

"Can you blink?" asked the Baltin guy, and waited.

Kokata couldn't blink. He couldn't even feel his eyelids.

"I guess you can't," said the Baltin guy. "Don't be alarmed, I'm going to close your eyes so they don't dry out."

The Baltin guy reached a hand to his face and the world went black.

"I'll just go tell them to bring word as soon as there is anything to tell," sounded the Baltin guy's voice. "Then I'll come back here. Rebekka will guard you while I'm gone. Don't worry, we won't let any harm come to you."

Kokata heard the beetle-man walking away. He could also hear his own breathing.

"My poison will start to fade in some hours," promised the scorpid child, she still sounded like she was weeping. "You'll be back to normal sometime tomorrow."

Kokata would never be back to normal unless his Lei recovered. He wished the beetle-man hadn't closed his eyes. In the darkness all he could see was Lei's screaming, burned, mouth.

*

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.



Moth Ch. 024



Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

*

"Here we are," said the obnoxious butterfly-woman.

"Thank you," said Valo.

Five days of listening to the purple-winged butterfly's chit-chat. Her voice in his ears had been worse than the sunlight in his eyes.

"Now, let me have the picture," said the butterfly-woman, for what had to be more than the hundredth time.

"I'll hand it to her myself," said Valo, protectively holding a hand over the holster he kept the precious sheet in.

The butterfly looked like she was about to protest.

"We will make sure," said Brevila, beating the butterfly to speaking, "to tell the healer Kuruma that it was Valo who crumbled the sheet's edges."

Valo, who had walked around the butterfly, knocked on the door.

"Come in," called an old woman's voice.

Valo pushed the door open and gratefully stepped into the relative darkness of inside.

"Tobi, be a dear and pull the shutters for us," said the old beetle-woman, and a beetle-boy obediently closed a window and pulled its shutter.

"Pull the drapes too please," added the old woman.

"Here they are," said the purple-winged butterfly woman, who had squeezed inside. Behind her entered Valo's mate, Brevila. "Oh, it's getting awfully dark in here," she continued as the boy pulled shutter and drapes over the second out of three windows.

"Thank you so much for your help, sweetheart," said the old crone.

"It was the least I could do, healer Kuruma. After all you delivered both me and my mother to this world."

"That I did," agreed the old healer woman. "Tobi, when you are done with the windows, will you hand our helpful friend the herbs I made you pack yesterday?"

"Yes, grandma," said the beetle-boy, and finished shutting, shuttering, and draping the last window. "If I can find it," he commented insecurely squinting out at the dark room.

Valo's mate opened the door and let in sunlight for the beetle-boy's eyes.

"Thank you," said the beetle-boy, politely, then fetched a big, brown, package, and carried it to the butterfly.

"Is everything in here?" asked the butterfly.

Valo narrowed his eyes. The purple-winged woman had led them to believe that she had been acting out of charity. He had even given her a bow of the highest quality to repay her kindness.

"It's all there," said the crone. "Thank you for your help. We will be fine now."

The butterfly looked like she was trying to think up an excuse to stay and eavesdrop.

"Would you like me to make you some tea, healer Kuruma?" asked Brevila, Valo's mate, stealing one excuse the butterfly might have made up.

"That would be lovely, my dear," said the healer, her face not quite pointing toward Brevila.

Valo realised the old woman was blind.

"Will you be so kind to hand my picture to Tobi?" asked the healer.

"Certainly," said Valo, sooner than the butterfly could start complaining that she didn't have it, and pulled the sheet out of the holster, and handed it to the boy.

"Will you be so kind as to shut the door on your way out, sweetheart?" asked Kuruma, her face now pointing almost to where the butterfly was. "I'm sure my guests' eyes could use a rest from the light."

"Allright," said the butterfly, sounding a little sour.

Valo sighed with relief when the door shut behind the butterfly. He wasn't sure which was the greater relief: to be free of the sun-light or to be free of the butterfly.

"Actually, you don't need to make me tea," said the old crone. "Tobi made me some before you came. The boiling water kind."

"Is there anything else I can do for you then?" asked Brevila.

"No, no. I'm fine," replied the old woman. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

While Valo and Brevila seated, the old woman had the beetle-boy lay down the drawing next to her and sent him home. She made no move to say anything further.

The boy kissed the old crone goodbye, then left, and shut the door after him.

"Our daughter," began Valo, "do you know where..."

The old woman raised a hand.

"Let me just check how they are doing," she said. "I haven't had any visions since I sent for you. The picture is my only link to them."

"You're a seer?" asked Brevila.

"Mostly, I'm just an old woman," said the crone, and lowered her hand to the picture.

As soon as she touched it, the crone widened her eyes. The eyes, that seemed to have once been beetle-black, were covered by a permanent whitish film. In the darkness of the shuttered hut, Valo could see as clear as night.

"Whatever has happened in the last ten days?" muttered the crone, to herself. "What on earth did she do to her mouth?"

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"What is it?" asked Brevila, wringing worried hands.

"Give me a moment to find out," said the crone, keeping her hand on the picture. "A lot must have happened in the last ten days." The crone closed her eyes. "Don't be alarmed, I'm going to see if I can make it tell me."

Valo reached over and grabbed hold of Brevila's hands with one of his. He had been looking for comfort, but the way she squeezed his hand it seemed she had an even greater need than he. So, he let her maul his hand and held his breath not to whimper from it.

"Oh, Lei, you silly moth," said the crone, shaking her head.

Brevila gasped.

"She'll be fine," comforted the crone. "Though how she got it into her head to put a spoonful of burning hot sweet mass into her mouth is beyond me."

"Sweet mass?" asked Valo. "What is that?"

"Melted sugar," said the crone.

"That's not dangerous, is it?" asked Brevila, any moth loved sugar melting in their mouth.

"Actually, what your daughter did is very dangerous, but don't worry, she'll be fine." The crone chuckled. "She won't be eating sweets for a good while longer though."

"Where is she?" asked Valo.

"Altwar," said the crone.

"Altwar," repeated Valo, and glanced at his mate, she was both laughing and crying, he was in a mood to do the same. "We should have known that."

"Tell us everything you know," begged Brevila.

"I will start with the good news," said the crone. "Your daughter is very happy. Well, right now she is also somewhat miserable, recovering from a burned mouth and all, but, in general, she is happy. There is napkins over there." The crone pointed.

"Thank you," sobbed Valo, but his legs couldn't quite carry his weight; the napkins would have to wait a little bit.

Both he and his mate were trying to keep their sobbing quiet not to interrupt the seer.

"She is in love," continued the crone. "They have built themselves a hive high in the trees."

"Her and Oli?" asked Valo. If Lei was alive and well, he could forgive the cursed butterfly. He'd gladly call him 'son' if it could make them come home.

"Oli?" asked the crone. "I haven't seen any Oli. Your daughter calls her beloved 'Black', but that isn't his real name. He doesn't like his real name."

"Is he a moth?" asked Brevila, full of hope.

Valo was at a point where he didn't care if his daughter's man was a moth or a butterfly.

"No," said the crone. "But let's save that shock for later."

Both Valo and Brevila stopped sobbing. There was a more than ominous tone in the seer's voice.

"If you are good parents, you will learn to get past what he is. He is your daughter's great love and they cannot be separated." The crone gently caressed the picture. "I don't know much about you two. The vision of Lei's past that led me to you was very brief and chaotic. I contacted you because your daughter needs help, and I don't know where else to find it."

"We'll help," said Valo. "Just tell us where she is. We'll bring her and her man home to safety."

The crone shook her head.

"They won't be safe here," she said. "They won't be safe anywhere."

His mate was squeezing his hand so hard that Valo had to pull it free. If his daughter was in danger he needed his bow-hand to remain fit.

"Your daughter is in grave danger." The crone went silent.

"Don't just sit there woman," hissed Brevila. "Tell us how to save her."

---==(o)==---

"Our seer has been murdered," said the moth-man.

"Murdered?" asked Zoa.

"Tortured to death."

"Was it a black spider?" hissed Keme, and Zoa held out an arm to keep him from approaching the moth-man.

"Whoever did this, it wasn't a beast," said the moth-man, moving his eyes between Zoa and the madman. "Do you know anything about this."

"If he thinks he can cover his tracks by killing seers he has another thing coming," hissed Keme. "Stealing pictures. Killing seers. YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM ME, MONSTER! I'LL FIND YOU."

"Please forgive my friend, the monster killed his family," said Zoa to the moth-man.

"Monster?" asked the moth-man.

"I'll tell you what I know if you tell me what you know," said Zoa, who had learned that 'being in the Emperor's service' meant nothing to ignorant forest-folk. "We are going to kill that thing."

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 025



Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

"Fine," snarled Kokata, and turned away from the butcher and the busybody Hinea.

Too much meat. Too early in the season for smoking more meat. Too early to dry meat. No use for more. Kokata gritted his teeth and walked away, carrying the treetop beetle-beast above him.

He finally got hold of a real treat and then he was told to put it back where he got it. Did they actually expect him to carry the thing all the way back to the treetops?

A ball bumped past, right in front of him. Kokata was tempted to cut it in half. A laughing little boy ran after the ball. Kokata bared his teeth at him and hissed menacingly.

"Hi, Black," voiced the boy merrily, right into Kokata's face. Not the least bit intimidated.

Kokata swung the colourful beetle-beast forward, till its back was right in front of his face and its constantly seeking legs were toward the boy. The boy made a satisfactorily loud squeal and ran off calling for his mom.

"Whimp," yelled Kokata after the boy, and swung the beetle-beast back up, it was almost as heavy as a full grown beetle-man, but after a spring of slaving for Lei he had no trouble carrying it around.

"That was mean," said a large beetle-girl, who looked like she was only a year or two from womanhood.

Kokata jumped to her and did the beetle-leg thing to her too. She squealed even better than the little boy had. Ran faster too. Kokata smiled, and let it evolve to an evil grin.

If his woman wanted him to be nice to the beetles, she could just tell him so face to face.

A pack of children were watching from a few bodylengths away. Kokata threw the harmless beetle-beast at them and they scattered with high-pitched whines. Kokata chuckled and re-caught the beast.

"What are you doing, Black?" It was Hinea's voice.

Kokata tapped the beetle-beast's armour and wondered how loud Hinea could whine. He glanced backward at her, then jumped backward, landed behind her, and pressed the beetle-beast's front against the beetle-woman's backplate.

Hinea, it turned out, was more a squealer than a whiner. Quite a runner too.

Kokata laughed, swung the beetle-beast to his back, and looked around for another victim.

"Hi, Black," called Baltin, his usual wide, friendly smile on his face. "What's that you got there?"

Kokata wondered how squeamish Baltin was and jumped to find out. Mid-air he saw Rebekka, who was also mid-air. He moved the beetle-beast to get it out of her reach, but her tail was just too bloody long.

Kokata landed at Baltin and shoved the stung beetle out for its last leg-wiggling show. The beetle-man was disappointingly unaffected.

"What kind of a beetle-beast is that?" asked Baltin.

"The tastiest kind," snarled Kokata, and turned toward Rebekka, who looked rather proud of her mid-air accomplishment.

"Want a taste?" he asked, holding it out to her and rattling it. Its legs no longer moved on their own. "Best blood you'll ever find."

The scorpid girl shook her head.

Whenever Kokata fed in front of her, she'd stare at him with hunger written all over her face. But, she still only ate where none could see.

"You're missing out," snarled Kokata.

He had spied on the girl and had seen her suck blood of a living beast with as much enthusiasm as he did.

"So, that beast has tasty blood?" asked Baltin.

"The best," snarled Kokata, and wiggled the man-sized beetle at Baltin. "Want a taste?"

"I guess there is no harm in trying," said Baltin, agreeably.

Kokata just stared at him.

"If you have enough to share, that is," said Baltin, wide smile still on his face.

"Sure," snarled Kokata and slammed the beast, back down, onto the ground. "I can spare some."

"So, how do I go about this?"

"You put your mouth to the bleed and drink," snarled Kokata, sharpened a leg tip, and punched a hole in the beast's abdomen.

Yellow blood spurted out of the wound.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kokata saw a pained, hungry, expression cross Rebekka's face.

"That's all?" asked Baltin.

"Yes," snarled Kokata. "But you have to do it before the beast bleeds out."

Delicious, yellow, treetop-beetle-beast blood was running down the side of the beast and was wasted on the ground.

"Right," said Baltin, walked around the beast, and knelt at it, with his back to the scorpid girl.

The man's smile was quivering. Then the beetle-man did the last thing Kokata had expected him to. He bent over and put his lips to the open wound.

The village leader looked to be feeding, but blood still streamed down the beasts side at the same rate. Kokata narrowed his eyes.

Baltin raised himself back to his knees. There was yellow blood on his lips and his nose, and for a moment he looked like he was about to puke. Couldn't push your face into a wound without getting at least some in your mouth.

"A bit salty for my liking," said Baltin, his expression slowly changing back to normal. Then he dipped a finger in the blood and turned around on his knees.

"What do you think, Rebekka?" he asked, holding the finger out to her, as if asking her to try cookie dough.

It was working. Rebekka approached and reached out a hand for Baltin's hand.

"He didn't drink," snarled Kokata, breaking the fragile moment. "He faked it."

The scorpid girl snapped back her hand and stared at Kokata.

"He faked it," repeated Kokata, "and nearly puked all over my prey in doing so."

"That's enough, Black," snapped Baltin, stern command in his voice, and rose. "That's quite enough."

"You're spoiling her," snarled Kokata. "If you take every blow life throws at her, she won't grow strong enough to carry herself."

"That's enough, Black," yelled Baltin.

"It is enough," snarled Kokata, and jumped out of the village.



"Batshit," exclaimed Baltin, angrily fisting both hands.

"Don't be angry at Black," pleaded Rebekka, her voice as tiny as it always was when she spoke to anyone who wasn't the spider.

"I'm the leader of this village." Baltin banged one of his fists against his chest. "Black has to listen to me if he wants to hang around here."

He let his hand drop. Maybe he could convince a child that his anger was a matter of leadership issues, but not himself. He had been so close to making Rebekka eat in public. So very close. And then Black had blown it.

"Don't be angry at Black," pleaded Rebekka again and grabbed hold of his hand. "He has had it hard."

Baltin melted. Rebekka always had that effect on him.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

"We can just pretend you drank," said Rebekka.

"I did drink some of it," insisted Baltin. "It got into my mouth."

"How did it taste?" Rebekka looked up at him with those white surrounded, green eyes that looked nothing like a beetle's.

"Like blood," said Baltin, and couldn't avoid making a grimace.

"It's allright," comforted Rebekka. "Moths like sweets, and beetles like cooked stuff."

"And what do scorpids like, sweetie?"

Rebekka's eyes went to the bleeding beast.

"Predators like blood," she quietly said.

"I just wanted you to know that it's allright for you to eat like Black does," said Baltin, sad that he had failed.

"Oh look at this mess," complained Hinea from somewhere close by. "That blood is going to soak into the soil and stink for weeks."

Baltin sighed.

"I don't suppose we can convince Black to dig up the wet soil and carry it away?" he said.

"That wouldn't be fair," objected Rebekka. "You are the one who let it spill."

Baltin groaned and went off toward the tool shack.

"I'll help you dig," promised Rebekka.



Kokata found himself a nice spot up in the branches. Up there he was in no risk of being disturbed by villagers. Lei could fly up and disturb him, but Lei wouldn't. She wouldn't even let him disturb her. Kokata let himself sink to the branch and let his legs flatten as if Rebekka's poison was in him.

His Lei didn't want him to see her face until it was healed. He hated that she didn't trust him not to care what she looked like. And he hated not being with her. Most of all, he hated that apparently his Lei could stand being without him for that long.

How much his was she anyway?

There was a clear imbalance between them: there was no doubt who was in charge. When Lei wanted something of him, she was better than him at asking nicely, but that was just form of address. When all the straws were counted, he asked and Lei demanded.

Just once, he'd like to see things the other way around. Just once, he'd like to sharply call her name and see her cower with fear of losing him.

Kokata sighed and got up. He'd make himself a spinning stick. If he was a slave he might as well be a good one. Besides, the task might calm him a bit.

While carving a spinning stick, Kokata fantasised of speeding down to the village and breaking up the healer's door. He'd step inside, glare right into Lei's lip-swollen face, and declare that once Her Almighty, Ugliness felt ready to be with him, she could find him back home. Then he'd spin around, and speed away for the hive they had built on the strength of his body.

Kokata sighed.

He wouldn't last the two days it'd take him to get home. He'd come crawling back, and scrape a legtip against the healer's door, and, through the door, beg for Lei to forgive him, and wow had that fantasy gone awry.

If he was going to fantasise about things that could never work out he might as well go all the way and fantasise about things he'd never do.

Like, once Lei was all healed up again, he'd crawl after her as his usual submissive self. But once they were alone...

Kokata spun a few of his favourite fantasy scenarios through his head, and picked one.

"Lei," he'd whisper, and creep closer for a kiss.

She'd kiss him back, as she always did, and he'd kiss more insistently and run his legtips over her.

She'd let him undress her, as she did when she wanted him, and he would touch her as he always did. Gently, and softly. Everywhere that wasn't forbidden him. And she'd touch him back as she always did.

He'd be sure to be drained up front not to get as sex-crazed as her, because the moment she'd say:

"I wan't you inside me, Black. I need you."

He'd grab hold of her arms and her legs and he'd push her to her back. But he wouldn't be a good slave and enter her. Not this time. This time he would slowly slide a legtip up her inner thigh. She'd know where it was going long before it got there.

She'd tell him, "No."

But, he'd keep going.

She'd get angry and say, "Let go of me, Black."

He'd just smile and push his legtip inside her.

She'd shriek with fury and try to wrestle free.

He wouldn't let her. Instead he would seek out that spot inside her where she had once said it felt good, and he'd hold her still and rub it.

He'd keep rubbing it till she squirmed, like he had spied beetle-man Kano's woman do under his hands, and then he'd keep rubbing till...

Kokata groaned. It was too hard to put Kano's woman's movements into Lei's body. Too difficult to put her sounds into Lei's mouth. And, as pretty as she was, he wasn't attracted to Kano's woman. He couldn't even get around to remembering her name.

Well, it was a good fantasy up to the point of trying to imagine how Lei would look while having an 'orgasm'.

In the last days, Kokata had had a lot of time on his hands, with nothing better to do than spying. The young people around here sure talked a lot about sex. The young men bragged to each other about their accomplishments in the bedding, and the young women, well they bragged to each other about their men's abilities in the bedding.

It was quite funny actually.

More importantly it was informative.

Like what an 'orgasm' was and how you could tell if she was having one. As far as Kokata could tell, Lei had never had an 'orgasm' with him. From all the time he had spent secretly spying on her, he was fairly sure that she didn't 'masturbate' either, she wasn't getting 'orgasms' on her lonesome.

Again Kokata wondered what Lei would look like if she had one.

It seemed no beetle-woman would invite a beetle-man to have sex with her, and then deny him to touch her 'dew-slit'. (Kokata hadn't heard any of the young adults call it 'privates' not even once.)

In fact, as far as Kokata had heard, beetle-women were prone to deny their men sex if they didn't spend enough time 'down there'. What was more, beetle-women would also deny their men sex if they refused to 'go down on' them.

Not that Kokata could get why any man would ever refuse to 'go down on' his woman. He'd love to get his head between Lei's legs.

Kokata shivered and fantasised of webbing her down and licking her dry. Except, of course, instead of drying out she got wetter.



---==(o)==---



"Are your eyes comfortable with this light, Lei?" asked Hevalla. The young woman had turned the bright-glow up a bit.

Lei nodded. The room had grown no brighter than mid sunset, she wouldn't get a headache from that.

"Your lips look much better today," said Bettina, she always said that when she came to visit.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"Much better," agreed Djinni, and she wasn't usually one to exaggerate.

Lei was glad to hear it and smiled. Pain reminded her not to do that and she reached for the lotion. The healer always said that if she had had to burn something, it was a good thing it was her mouth. The mouth, the healer always stated, healed faster than anything else. Especially the tongue was swift to regenerate.

No matter how many times the healer said it, Lei still didn't feel fortunate.

She was always hungry. All the healer gave her was soup and gels, and even that hurt to get down. The healer wouldn't let her have anything sweet, but, even if she did, Lei wouldn't be able to taste it. She couldn't taste anything.

The healer had promised her sense of taste would return, and had added that the diet she was on she was better of not having it for now anyhow.

"We hope you don't mind we came all together, Lei," said Hevalla.

"I om mine," said Lei, and regretted her attempt at speech. The healer was constantly cutting back on her painkillers, keeping her at the same 'tolerable as long as she behaved' level of discomfort.

"Don't try to speak, sweetie," scolded Djinni. "The healer says three more days before you should start exercising your mouth."

Lei glared at Djinni. She was perfectly aware what the healer said. The healer said the things she said several times of day, every single day.

"But we really are glad that you don't mind," added Bettina. "Since we all got officially mated we haven't had time to hang out the way we used to."

"It's nothing like I hoped it would be," sighed Hevalla, and padded her growing belly. "It's all work and no fun. And Lon doesn't even wanna have sex anymore."

"I know exactly what you mean," said Djinni. "Now that we're mated, and could be coupling all night long without having to worry to get caught, it's like they just lose interest in sex."

"I don't think Lon has lost interest in sex," stated Hevalla. "It's just me that has grown fat and ugly."

"You're not ugly." Bettina almost sounded angry that her friend would say such a thing. "You make pregnancy look good."

Lei just watched wide-eyed. It seemed her company had forgotten she was there. She'd never heard people talk about sex that way. Since she had become a woman, she had been alone with Black. It was somewhat a relief when the conversation naturally slid into a talk of pregnancy and babies.

The three young women hadn't been mated long. Hevalla was the first of them to get pregnant. During the talk, Lei realised that Hevalla had even gotten pregnant before her mating. Somehow, in that context, the conversation moved on to recollections of how the three young women each had fooled their elders to get time alone with their respective men.

Apparently the most difficult part of having unmated sex, was to escape Baltin. The village's leader not merely had a sixth sense for who was up to no good, he was also an excellent tracker.

"In the end," said Djinni, turning to Lei, and thus proving she wasn't forgotten, "we had to organise our meetings to take place simultaneously in three different directions. That way Baltin could only track down and stop one of us."

"Since I am his niece, he almost always went after me," complained Bettina.

"I was counting on that," said Djinni and leaned back laughing.

"I bet you were," commented Bettina and burst into laughter too.

"I wish I was Baltin's niece," said Hevalla with a long sigh, dejectedly eyeing her belly.

That just made Djinni and Bettina laugh louder.

Lei had a hard time struggling not to smile. But the humour was worth it. It was better to feel like laughing and not being able to, than not to feel like laughing at all.

"I'll never forget the first time Baltin tracked me and Kano down," said Bettina.

Now it was Hevalla's turn to break into loud laughter.

"You should tell Lei that story, Bettina," said Djinni, apparently having a hard time keeping her own laughter down long enough to talk.

"Oh, of course," said Bettina, turning her attention to Lei. "You wouldn't know about it." Bettina scurried forward on the couch she was sharing with Djinni. "It was the worst thing that ever happened to me."

Apparently it wasn't worse than that she had a hard time talking about it without breaking into hysterical laughter.

"Kano and I had snuck deep into the forest," began Bettina. "He was going down on me."

Djinni and Hevalla was holding their hands over their mouths, trying not to laugh louder than Bettina talked.

"I had made Kano promise that as soon as I got off, he would jump me and fuck me like a beast in heat."

Lei had a hard time understanding Bettina's narrative. When the young woman had said 'was going down on', Lei had thought she meant fallen asleep on her. 'As soon as I got off', made absolutely no sense, unless maybe, it meant that Bettina was on top. But...

Lei's attempts at mentally catching up were interrupted as Bettina continued her story:

"I really wanted to find out how it would feel. We had attempted it before, but we'd always fail because I can't lie still when I'm coming. This time Kano had promised he'd hold me down long enough to get inside."

Djinni and Hevalla practically howled with laughter, and Bettina had to pause till the other regained control of themselves.

"So there we were, me and Kano. He has this thing he does with his tongue where..." Bettina started making an incomprehensible signal with her fingers, but Djinni shoved her shoulder and told her to get back to the story.

"Allright, allright," said Bettina, batting at Djinni's hands, then returned her attention to Lei. "Anyway, there we were, happy as caterpillars on a leaf. Kano was doing his thing and I was loving it. But, then, all of a sudden, there was Baltin. He was just like twenty steps away and he was staring at us with that look he has when he is really angry. So, I shrieked with surprise."

Hevalla and Djinni were practically weeping with laughter. Bettina hushed them and went back to her story.

"Kano hadn't seen Baltin, so he thought I was coming."

Lei didn't quite get what Bettina was talking about, but she had a feeling the grand finish was approaching.

"So, Kano, moved forward and tried to push into me, like he had promised!"

Lei gasped at the image of Bettina's lover trying to enter her even as the village's leader was approaching to tear them apart.

"So, I shrieked louder and pushed at him to get him off. I was too embarrassed to even think of speaking. But, Kano thought I was just moving with my orgasm, and he kept holding me down to get inside."

Lei's eyes widened even further, she could guess where this was going.




Moth Ch. 025



"Because I was struggling and screaming, Baltin thought that Kano was trying to rape me. So, as soon as he reached us, he pulled Kano off me and started beating him up."

Bettina broke into howling laughter along with her two friends.

"It was the worst thing that ever happened to me," she pushed out between cramps of laughter. "By the time I managed to stop Baltin, Kano's face was one big bloody bruise. It was horrible."

The three women were still laughing.

"He broke Kano's nose," hiccupped Hevalla. "It still has a lump right here." Hevalla pointed on her own nose.

"He had such a pretty nose," sobbed Bettina, weak with laughter.

Djinni just laughed.

Lei wished she had understood all the story. The finish was kind of funny, with it all being so long ago, and everyone being fine now. But having been so confused all the way through did take a lot out of it.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

The three young women's laughter slowly faded, and Djinni rose to make tea the way beetles did --with boiling water.

"That thing with Baltin beating Kano for 'raping' Bettina is just about the funniest thing that has ever happened around here," said Djinn, still smiling.

"Sneaking into the forest to have sex was fun," said Hevalla. "I miss it."

"Me and Kano still do it," said Bettina. "It spices things up, and now that we're mated, we don't have to worry about Baltin tracking us down."

"You really do that?" asked Hevalla.

Bettina nodded.

"I'm so jealous," said Hevalla and waved her arms in defeat. "I'm starting to think I'll never have sex again."

"Lon really won't have sex with you while you're pregnant?" asked Djinni.

"It's as if he can't look at me without losing his hard on," said Hevalla, and dejectedly padded her belly.

"I don't get that man," said Bettina, shaking her head. "Kano would never dream of leaving me unsated."

"If my man didn't satisfy me, he'd need to find himself another woman," stated Djinni. "I'd throw him out in a heartbeat."

"No you wouldn't," said Hevalla. "You're attached to him like a fly to resin."

"Baltin isn't the kind of leader to refuse to undo a mating," said Djinni, handing Hevalla a cup of hot tea.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," said Hevalla and sipped her cup. "Oh, this is good tea."

"Well," said Djinni. "Even if I wouldn't leave my man, that doesn't mean you can't leave yours."

Djinni handed Bettina a cup of tea too.

"Oh, I could. But I'm as stuck to him as you are to yours.," admitted Hevalla. "Besides, it's not like he refuses to satisfy me. He'll use his fingers whenever I ask him to. He'll even go down on me." Hevalla sighed, long and heavily. "It's just not the same when he isn't into it. It makes me feel so alone, you know? Like I might as well do it myself."

The three went quiet and sipped their tea.

"Aat oes o own on ean?" asked Lei, when the silence had lasted a while.

"What?" asked Hevalla.

"Go down on means to use his mouth and tongue on you," explained Djinni, who had an uncanny ability to decipher Lei's attempts at talking.

"More specifically it's when he uses his mouth and tongue on your dewslit," corrected Bettina.

"That's what I meant," said Djinni.

"What do people call it where you're from?" asked Hevalla.

"Don't make her talk," interrupted Djinni. "Healer's orders. Sorry, Lei, you'll have to wait three more days before telling us things."

For once Lei was glad that she wasn't allowed to say anything.

"She can still nod or shake her head," said Bettina. "We just have to ask questions that can be replied with yes or no."

"As long as you don't tempt her to reply with more than that," allowed Djinni.

"Is Black good at 'going down'?" asked Bettina. "Yes, or no?"

Lei shook her head.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for you," said Bettina. "As soon as you get well, you tell him to go talk to Kano. He can give him some tips."

"My Lon isn't too bad either," said Hevalla. "He can probably teach Black a thing or two too.

Lei shook her head again, they had misunderstood, she had never allowed Black to 'go down on' her.

"Oh!" exclaimed Bettina. "He won't go down on you at all? That... that no good, moody, selfish, arrogant legged ball of slime! Dump him, girl. Gather your legs and send him off crying."

Lei shook her head harder and took her hands to her eyes. Why did they have to assume that Black wouldn't do for her?

"Poor, Lei," comforted Djinni, and moved from the couch to Lei's bunk. "Stuck as a fly to resin."

"I'm gonna give that ugly spider a piece of my mind," said Bettina and jumped off the couch.

Sooner than Lei could even think to shake her head, Bettina was out the door and gone.

Lei made a move to follow, but Djinni pushed her back, and held on.

"O," insisted Lei, reaching her arms toward the door, Bettina had left through. "O! Ob er."

"I'll stop her if you stay here," promised Djinni, holding on to Lei with both her man-arms and her beetle-arms.

"Ob er," insisted Lei, and struggled to get up.

"I will when you hold still," scolded Djinni. "The healer don't want you running around, especially not in daylight."

"Od ii auld."

"I'll go tell her it's not his fault as soon as you calm down," promised Djinni.



---==(o)==---



Kokata simply eyed the short chubby woman, as she commenced on the fourth round of 'giving him a piece of her mind' as she had so eloquently put it as soon as he had jumped to her.

From a far distance hearing his name yelled had been terrible; he had feared something had happened to Lei. So, when the little woman, whom he recognised as Kano's woman, had stated she had come to give a piece of her mind, he had been relieved.

Puzzled, but relieved.

Then the woman had started calling him names. She had quite a vocabulary and seemed intent to get around to using all of it.

Kokata assumed she was upset about him scaring children with a man-sized beetle-beast, and let her rant. A few hours of spinning silk had calmed him down, and he was actually feeling a bit guilty about the whole tree-beetle-beast thing.

"... rot-breathed, debilitated, insensitive, piece of batshit!" ranted the woman and stopped to breathe.

That was the end of round four. Kokata calmly eyed the woman and waited to see if she was done.

"What kind of a man..." began the woman.

Apparently there was a fifth round. Kokata couldn't imagine what she hadn't called him yet.

"... refuses to go down on his woman? You're a..."

"What are you talking about?" snarled Kokata, for the first time interrupting the woman's tirade.

"Lei is crying because you won't go down on her," stated the woman. "I don't know how you managed to get such a fine woman to fall for you, but not satisfying her is just cruel. What kind of heartless..."

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

"Lei," interrupted Kokata, "is crying because I won't lick her dewslit?"

"Of course she is," yelled the woman. "Women have needs you know. Needs. You ought to have your skin peeled off your..."

"Lei thinks..." began Kokata, but the woman just dove deeper into a description of all the things that someone ought to do to him.

"Shut up," snarled Kokata and pushed toward the woman till his nose almost touched hers.

The woman went quiet but didn't retreat.

"Thank you," said Kokata and moved his face a beetle-step away from hers. "Are you saying that Lei thinks I don't want to lick her privates?"

"You..." began the woman, sounding as angry as ever. Then she paused, and looked to be thinking about it. "She..." Kano's woman, seemed to have run out of words.

"Yes?" asked Kokata.

"You mean to tell me you don't refuse to go down on her?" The woman still sounded angry.

"I don't mean to tell you anything," snarled Kokata. "I want to know what Lei told you."

"Lei is crying," stated the woman, folding her arms over her ample chest.

Kokata's stomach constricted. If Lei was crying, why was he out here alone, instead of holding her in his arms?

"She won't let me see her," snarled Kokata.

"A man who doesn't satisfy his woman doesn't deserve any better," stated the small woman, mercilessly.

Kokata narrowed his eyes at her. The beetle-woman seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he could chop off her head with a swipe of one leg. The thought was strangely calming.

"How, am I supposed to satisfy her?" snarled Kokata.

"You could start out by asking my man how it is done," snapped the woman.

"As much as I would love a lesson from someone who is so obviously a master of the craft," snarled Kokata and circled the woman, eyeing her as if she were prey, "I don't see what good it will do me."

"What good it will do YOU?" the woman was furious to the point of screaming at him. "What about Lei? You selfish mak-sludge, you ignorant, arrogant..."

"Shut up," snarled Kokata, but the woman wasn't done.

"moronic, cantankerous, atrocious..."

"SHUT UP," yelled Kokata, again pushing his face to hers.

"... rude, pile of bird-dropping," finished the woman, and shoved her face so close to his that their noses touched. "I'm not afraid of you, vomit-breath."

"How," snarled Kokata. "Am I supposed to satisfy Lei when she won't let me touch her privates?"

The woman's mouth dropped open and she took a step back.

"I thought you were lovers," she said, apology and confusion in her voice.

"We are," snarled Kokata. "But she won't let me near her dew-slit with anything but my pecker." Kokata averted his eyes.

"And I can't last a tenth as long as Kano does," he added shamefully. Then snapped his mouth shut, he hadn't meant to reveal that he had spied on her and Kano.

"Oh, don't worry about that," said the woman, all comfort and concern. "I doubt any other man can last as long as Kano does. He has put a lot of practice and effort into it."

"You think he would tell me how?" asked Kokata, hoping the woman wouldn't ask how he knew so much of Kano's abilities. Maybe she assumed that he had just heard how good Kano was. After all, he hadn't just seen Kano in action, he had also heard the woman herself bragging about him to her friends.

"Of course, he will," said the woman. "I'll tell him to teach you everything he knows. That's what I came for."

"Oh," said Kokata. He had thought she had come to call him names.

"Why won't Lei let you touch her?" she asked.

"She..." Kokata hesitated. Lei might not appreciate him spilling every detail of their privacy to this beetle-woman.

"Go on," urged the woman.

"She..." Kokata shook his head.

"You can tell me," she said. "I'm a woman."

Kokata guiltily glanced about for possible spies, then he moved forward and whispered into the woman's ear, as Rebekka would in his when talking about feeding.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 026



Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

"It's not time for a new report yet," said the worn man. "And we haven't raised flag for a courier."

"I've just come to say hi," said Keme, with a friendly smile plastered onto his face. "I've brought a flower."

"What do you want from her?" asked the worn man, obviously not fooled.

"I want to see how she is doing," said Keme, widening his friendly smile.

"It's not her fault that you were too late. It's your own. You left too soon."

"Why would I blame her? She is just a child." Keme plastered an innocent look on his face. "I'd much sooner thank her. She tried to help me."

"Don't send the pretty boy away," screamed Evelin's voice from inside her home. "I want to see the pretty boy." The door moved slightly against its hinges, Keme imagined small hands banging at it from the inside. "Don't send him away."

The screams were mere whispers after passing through the thick shutters of Evelin's home.

"You're upsetting her," said Keme, filling his voice with concern. "You really shouldn't do that. She is so rarely happy."

"Let him in," screamed Evelin. "I want to see him."

"If you harm her in any way," said the worn man, "then the Emperor will have your hide. One tiny piece at a time."

"I'd never dream of hurting her," said Keme, plastering an appalled look onto his face.

"We're coming in, Evelin," said the worn man quietly, and approached the door. His voice could not have travelled through neither the shutters, nor the thick door, but the child stopped screaming and the door stopped moving.

They stepped inside and Keme put on a really wide smile when he spotted Evelin.

"I'm wearing a blue dress today," said the girl, proudly holding the skirt of it out to both sides.

"What a coincidence," said Keme, and knelt holding out the flower. "I've got a blue flower for you."

"One tiny piece at a time," reminded the worn man quietly, keeping himself just behind Keme.

The girl came forward and accepted the flower.

"You're not pretty anymore," she accused.

"Oh, but I was very pretty, wasn't I?" said Keme with a wide smile. His appearance hadn't changed since last, but he understood, as he hadn't at their first meeting, that his prettiness hadn't been a matter of appearance.

"Very pretty," agreed Evelin and giggled happily.

"Give me a hug," offered Keme and held out his arms.

The little girl ran into him and threw her arms about his neck.

"That's a good girl," said Keme, hugging the child. His one hand went to the back of her head, but he resisted the urge to break her neck.

His restraint wasn't for the sake of the worn man's knife, although the tip of that was rather annoying, pressing against the tender skin between two of Keme's backplates as it was.

Keme needed the child. He and Zoa had sought out four seers in Altwar. All had been tortured to death before they arrived. The monster, it seemed, was always a few days ahead of them.

"I've brought some pretty drawings for you to look at," said Keme, slowly releasing the child.

Evelin merely giggled, but she stayed by his side.

Keme took out the map and rolled it out on the floor.

"Toot-toot's maps are prettier than yours," said the girl.

Keme had no humour in his heart to appreciate the unfitting nickname for the somber worn man, but smiled merrily at Evelin.

"Altwar," said Evelin, holding a hand over the map, her eyes went vacant. "Aaaltwar."

"Don't let her near a map before you're ready to ask your questions," said the worn man and pulled Evelin's hand away from the map. "She sees too much."

The child was rocking in a trance of the sight.

"What do you see?" asked Keme.

The girl opened her mouth and laughed madly

"Specify your question, fool," said the worn man. "She sees too much, it's tearing her mind apart."

"The spider," said Keme. "Can you see the spider."

"Spiders like to eat," said the girl and licked her lips. "The juice of life right out of the prey. Still living, still warm. I see many spiders."

"The black spider," said Keme. "The one that scared me."

The girl stopped rocking and her eyes cleared.

"He sleeps," she said, in a motherly voice. "He rests and dreams of his woman."

The girl sighed dreamily.

"Death thinks he is beautiful."

The girl's face changed, terror entered her eyes.

"Sought," she whispered. "It seeks."

The girl writhed within the worn man's arms.

"Death was watching. They begged for him to take them, they pleaded for his touch." The girl engaged on a series of horrified screams.

Keme eyed her coldly. There was no point in putting up an act of concern. The worn man wasn't fooled, and Evelin saw whatever she wanted.

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The child stopped screaming and started cramping.

"Don't let them in," ordered the worn man. "Don't let them in Evelin."

The girl's cramps ceased and she took a deep breath.

"I lied to it," said Evelin, and raised her face to Keme. Her voice was that of an old woman. Her eyes were narrow with hate. "I knew it was coming. I knew what it would do to me, but I lied to it."

"Get out of her," ordered the worn man, and pulled Evelin's hair.

"Fool," hissed the old woman's voice from Evelin's mouth. "The child let me in by her own choice. Only she can evict me."

The worn man released the child and got up.

"Speak your words and leave, I will drown her before I let you live in her body," he said.

"Death was there even before it arrived," said the old woman in Evelin's body, focusing the child's eyes on Keme. "His eyes were apologetic and I knew my departure would be slow and painful. Not even I could imagine how bad the pain would be. Long before it was over, I pleaded with Death, I begged him, but he just looked at me. He refused me."

"Get to the point," ordered the worn man. "Time is passing."

"I know," said the old woman. "Time is so strange when you are dead, but I know it passes."

"The point," screamed the worn man, pulling a time-glass from a shelf. With shaking hands he put it on the table. And turned it.

"Time," stated the old woman, staring at the fine dust running through the glass from top to bottom. "There is time." The woman in the child turned back to Keme. "When Death finally touched me, I refused to go with him. I would not be his after what he had let me go through. So now I am here."

"Get to the point," said Keme, coldly. He hadn't come to hear a ghost tell the tale of her own demise.

"Yes, the point," said the woman. "I was tortured to death by the monster that tortured your father to death, the monster that murdered your family."

"I will kill it," hissed Keme, leaning forward to the woman.

"No you won't," said the woman, and snorted with the child's nose. "But if you play it right, you will help the woman to kill it with her bow."

"That works fine for me too," said Keme, plastering a friendly smile upon his face. "So, where do I find it."

"It seeks," said the old woman, when she said it, it sounded far more commonsensical than when Evelin had. "It travels from seer to seer searching for knowledge of where to find. Some of them doesn't know, some of them lie and send it astray for days."

"Get to the point," ordered the worn man. "Time is passing."

The ghost glanced at the time-glass.

"My quarrel is not with the seer Evelin. I wish her no harm," she said, and turned her eyes back to Keme. "And neither should you, boy. She would have saved your family if she could. You have no idea how much she suffers to rescue others."

"Get to the point," said Keme.

"I cannot see everywhere it goes, nor when it will be there," said the ghost. "I will send you to its final destination. I will send you to that which it seeks." The ghost pulled the map of Altwar to her.

"You must not arrive a day too early," warned the ghost. "If you do, Death will feast on young couriers, and the monster will live to see another day."

"Tell me where and tell me when, ghost," said Keme, sounding friendlier than ever.

"Here," pointed the ghost.

She explained in great detail how to find the exact place. Then she explained when he should arrive, and three times repeated how early he mustn't be and how late he shouldn't be.

"Your time is up," yelled the worn man. The hour glass had emptied into its bottom. "Evelin, evict her."

"Wait!" objected the ghost, suddenly frantic. "Keme, the monster it..." Evelin's body shuddered.

"Wait," pleaded the ghost. "Keme, you can recognise the monster by..."

"Evelin, Evict her," ordered the worn man, there was panic in his voice. "Now!"

And just like that, the ghost was gone.

"Did the old woman tell you what you needed to know?" asked Evelin, and picked her blue flower up from the floor.

"She did," said Keme.

"She says she want to tell you how to recognise the monster," said Evelin, sounding like a woman, but sounding like herself. "She is very loud. Should I let her back in?"

"No," ordered the worn man.

"Should I, Keme?" asked Evelin.

"There's no need to," said Keme, friendly smile plastered to his face. "I know how to recognise the monster."

"I will tell Death where to find her then," said Evelin, with a motherly voice. "She needs her rest."

"You do that," agreed Keme and started rolling his map of Altwar.

"You were such a pretty boy," said Evelin, once again an insane little girl.

Evelin started humming. The worn man picked her up into his arms and took some steps away from Keme.

Keme ignored the both of them. As satisfying as breaking the girl's neck might be, she was not the one he was after, and seeing as she was under the emperor's protection, murdering her could get in the way of his plans.

The girl leaned her head back and stared absently at the ceiling.

"There's a man at a deep hole," she said. "He is going to fall into it."

"When?" asked the worn man gently.

"Now," said Evelin and sobbed.

"Can he be saved?" asked the worn man.

"He broke his neck," wept Evelin. "He was such a nice man. Why did he have to die?"

The worn man didn't reply.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 027



Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

"Nicely done, Lei," said the healer, appreciatively eyeing Lei's empty plate. "Now let me see your mouth."

Lei took a sip of water, swooshed it around, and swallowed, then obediently opened her mouth for the healer to inspect, and closed her eyes.

The healer raised her bright-glow and, without further ado, prodded and looked.

"You didn't bite your cheeks even once," praised the healer. "That's excellent. We can keep you on real food now." The healer retracted her probing fingers from Lei's mouth. "It's time to gorge."

Lei sighed, she didn't feel much like gorging. Her sense of taste was still funky. Everything tasted strange.

"Has all this time on the ground made you forget that you are a moth?" asked the healer. "You have to gorge or all that flying around will starve you to death."

"I haven't been doing any flying around," objected Lei.

"No. But it's time you do," stated the healer. "Walking, flying, running. It's time to get you back in shape."

"My lips are still swollen," objected Lei.

"Only enough to make you look funny," said the healer. "It will pass."

"I should stay inside some days longer," insisted Lei.

"No," snapped the healer.

"But..."

"No!" The healer raised an arm and sternly pointed to her door. "Get out."

"Please." Lei dug her fingers into the bunk's bedding. "Let me stay."

"Out!" insisted the healer, and grabbed hold of one of Lei's upper arms.

With surprising strength, the woman pulled Lei to her feet, dragged her to the door, and shoved it open. Outside, the last orange light of sunset was fading away.

Lei grabbed for the door frame and clutched it tight.

"Please," she begged.

"No," said the healer, and, four arms around Lei's torso, pulled her from the door.

"Lei?" asked Black's voice from somewhere close by, and Lei covered her face with her hands.

"Baltin has made a bed for her in the big hall," said the healer, still holding on to Lei. "But don't let her spend too much time in it, she needs exercise. Make sure she eats a lot. I'll come check on her sometime tomorrow."

Then the healer let go of her, went back inside, and slammed her door shut. Lei sank to her knees. Her hands were getting wet. She was crying.

"Lei?" asked Black, and touched her shoulder.

"Go away," sobbed Lei.

"Why?" snarled Black.

"Please, just go away."

"No," snarled Black. "I'm done with just going away."

"Really, Lei," sounded Hinea's voice, "don't you think you are taking this vanity thing a tad too far?"

"Stay away from her," snarled Black.

"I'm just trying to help," complained Hinea.

"Back off, busybody," snarled Black.

"Really, Black. That was completely uncalled for. I..."

Lei bowed her face even lower and kept it covered by her hands.

"That's enough, Hinea," sounded Baltin's voice. "It's time to leave the young couple to themselves. Let's all give them some privacy."

Lei heard the soft sounds of people wandering off, but she didn't care about an audience of beetles. It was Black who needed to leave. Lei remained still and listened. After a while, all she could hear was distant sounds. Maybe Black had left too.

Hesitantly, she raised her head, and peeked out between her fingers. She saw hard-treaded village ground, and the healer's hut, from which she had just been evicted, and a bit further off she saw normal village homes. But there was no sign of Black.

Lei got to her feet, and, still holding her hands over her face, glanced about more thoroughly. It seemed he had chosen to respect her wishes after all. Lei wiped her eyes, lowered her hands, and took a deep breath of fresh air.

It wasn't as if she hadn't longed to get out of the healer's hut. She just didn't want Black to see her.

Nervously Lei turned this way and that, scouting for him. She missed him horribly, but the mere thought of him seeing her like that, her lips protruding like a snout, made her stomach hurt with anxiety.

"I don't get it," sounded Black's voice. It came from the roof of the healer's hut.

Lei shrieked, covered her face, and turned away from him.

"Lay off it," snarled Black.

She heard him landing in front of her and tightened her hold on her face.

"It's too late for that nonsense," snarled Black. "I've seen it now. So just lay off it."

"I'm ugly," sobbed Lei.

"What off it?" snarled Black. "Who cares?"

"You're supposed to think I'm beautiful," sobbed Lei.

"Get over it."

Lei jumped off the ground and unfolded her wings. To her surprise she landed before that first wind-catching flap. Her legs were weaker than they had been two weeks earlier. Her wings felt weak too.

"I've waited a long time," snarled Black, and jumped above her, to her front. "Your exercise can wait a few moments longer."

"Please, just go away," sobbed Lei.

"You're hurting me," yelled Black, into her hand-covered face.

Lei recoiled and hid her eyes too.

"Why are you hurting me?" snarled Black.

"I'm sorry," sobbed Lei. "Just, please, don't look at me. I'm ugly."

"I don't care," snarled Black. "It doesn't matter what you look like."

"The seer said you would think I am beautiful," sobbed Lei. "You're supposed to think I am beautiful. What will happen if you see me ugly?"

"Nothing happened," whined Black, and curled legtips around her arms. "Don't send me away. I'll be a good slave, just don't send me away."

"You're not making sense," sobbed Lei.

"Neither are you," sobbed Black.

"Please, don't cry," wept Lei.

"Then stop hurting me," snarled Black.

---==(o)==---

"And then she handed me a tiny fork," narrated his Lei, gathering her fingers till there was almost no air between them.

Kokata cuddled even closer against her back and daringly allowed a legtip to rest between her naked legs.

"That tiny, was it?" he asked, to distract her from his touch.

"The tiniest fork I've ever seen," stated his Lei. She didn't seem uncomfortable about where any his legtips rested. "It was like a miniature model of a fork."

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"It's called a dessert-fork," informed Kokata, and hugged his woman, happy to be home and happy to be allowed to touch her, even between the legs. She hadn't yet allowed him to touch inside, but had promised that eventually she would. He could wait.

"It was horrible," stated his Lei, snuggling back against him. "In one hand I held this wonderful cake, in the other I held that tiny fork."

Kokata chuckled.

"They were all staring at me, so I started eating. I can't begin to tell you how agonising it was. One tiny piece of cake at a time. On that fork there literally wasn't room for a crumb and his nephew!"

Kokata laughed.

"It wasn't funny back then," insisted his Lei, but laughed with him.

Kokata kissed her cheek and moved down toward her jaw. Lei stretched against him, giving him access to her soft throat. Kokata accepted the invite and more. He loved touching her everywhere at once.

Lei spun around and kissed him on the lips. Kokata hungrily accepted the kiss and opened his mouth for her tongue. With one legtip he caressed her fluttering folded wings, with another one of her hips, with another...

"It's not fair that you have eight hands to touch with, and I only have two," said his Lei, pulling her mouth from his.

"I have never laid hand on you," said Kokata with a chuckle. He had no hands. All his legs ended in legtips.

His Lei pulled back his head and trailed kisses along his jaw-line, and down his throat. Kokata shivered at the delicate touch. His Lei continued down his hard chest plates, and somehow woke an acute response from even that, far less sensitive, skin. Her hands, took turns at moving down his sensitive sides, and her kisses reached his long abdomen.

Kokata caressed her inner thighs with his rearmost pair of legs.

With soft fingertips and even softer lips, Lei worked her way down his abdomen, till she was kissing the plates covering his privates.

"Open for me, Black," she whispered.

"What?" whispered Kokata.

"Spread your plates, let me see it," she whispered, and again kissed the plating.

"Sometimes it excretes a bit of... eh... slime," warned Kokata, and gently pulled at his Lei, to come back to his face.

"Cocks do that sometimes," explained Kokata. It had never bothered him, but he knew how his Lei felt about bodily fluids. "Like spare lubricant." 

Those were words Kano had used. Back in the beetle-village, when Kokata had waited for Lei to heal, Kano had told him just about everything there was to know about being a man --in the bedding at least.

His Lei defiantly resisted his pull.

"Let me see it," she said.

"Lei," objected Kokata. "It's my man-tool we are talking about. I'll get sad if you decide you don't like it."

"If you want to get your face close to mine, you have to let me get my face into yours," said Lei, and kissed his plating to cut the brunt of her hard words. "But if you aren't ready, we can wait."

"I'm ready," promised Kokata. The last thing he needed was his Lei thinking up more reasons to delay. She had promised that she would let him go down on her. She hadn't specified when, though.

His Lei kissed his plating.

"Then let me in," she whispered.

Kokata spread the plating for her.

His woman kissed the soft skin next to his manhood. Kokata gasped. He had never realised how sensitive the skin surrounding his cock was. It tingled against her lips, and against her fingertips, even against the air she breathed.

He shivered through and through, and wished he had been awake during the day to drain his seed. His need to get into her was nearly unbearable.

His woman's fingers wrapped around his cock and she kissed it.

"I like it," she said.

Kokata moaned and pushed against her touch.

"Hold still," whispered his Lei, and kissed it again.

Kokata shivered and writhed.

"Are you ready?" he pleaded.

"Let me see it," she insisted.

Kokata pressed his legs against the bedding in an effort to let her finish her inspection.

Lei held his cock with one hand and caressed the tip of it with her other. Kokata shivered but held still. He closed his eyes and kept his breathing under control. It actually felt nice. Without looking he couldn't tell exactly what she was doing to it. Just that she was touching it and that it felt entirely different from when he did.

"It doesn't taste bad," said Lei.

Kokata opened his eyes and raised his head. His Lei was fondling his cock with two hands, while licking her lips with a contemplative look on her face.

"Taste?" he asked. Had she put her mouth to it?

Lei lowered her face to his cock, stuck out her tongue, and licked the head of it. Kokata shivered at both sight and sensation.

"It's kind of sweet," said Lei, and grinned at him with a mischievous look on her face. Then, without warning, she opened her mouth and sucked his cock in as if it were a treat.

Kokata couldn't breathe. 

Then his woman started moving her head and Kokata dropped his to the bedding.

"Lei," he said, and gasped for air.

She kept moving. It was a soft demanding movement. Engulf and slow release. Her mouth was warm and wet. Kokata pressed his legs against the bedding and fought to retain enough control not to push into her mouth as he would her womanhood.

"Is it nice," asked his Lei, letting his cock drop from her mouth.

"Yes," whined Kokata, hard stressed by the loss of stimulation.

Lei sucked him back into her mouth and resumed.

"Please, don't stop," begged Kokata. Ecstasy approached as if he were inside her. Holding still, leaving the pace to his woman, was both agony and bliss.

"Don't stop," he whispered, and his Lei kept moving.

"Don't stop." The pleasure was building, ecstasy was so very close. If she kept moving like that he would...

"Stop," exclaimed Kokata.

Lei stopped, and released him from her mouth.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

"No. Nothing wrong." Kokata gasped and writhed against the bedding, trying to cope with the cessation. "It was just too good. I would have shot my seed into your mouth."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes." Kokata heaved for air, relaxing his legs.

Just as he felt like he could handle the deprivation, Lei put his cock back into her mouth.

"Lei," he complained. "I can't control it."

If anything, his Lei started moving faster.

"Lei," warned Kokata. Then he gave up on words and bravely fought the pleasure. It was a losing battle.

For the life of him, he hadn't the will to simply pull her away. It was all he could do not to grab her head and move it even faster.

Kokata groaned and arched. Ecstasy was within his grasp and he was beyond the point of trying to fight it. Then his Lei changed her movement somewhat, and it went away. Kokata writhed against the bedding.

The lust was wonderful and unbearable at the same time.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

Ecstasy returned and he grabbed for it, but somehow it slipped away, leaving him panting with need.

He wanted it to last forever but he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Faster," he begged, curling his legs to his chest.

"I'm trying," mumbled Lei around his cock, mercifully only stopping for as long as it took to speak.

It felt like she was slowing down, but that probably was just an illusion born from his need.

Kokata imagined his own face between Lei's legs, imagined her writhing below him begging him 'faster' and heat built in his abdomen. He imagined Lei arching for him as he was doing for her and his whole body cramped into one big lump of heat and lust.

"Lei!" he demanded, and pushed up his abdomen. Lei engulfed him even deeper into her hungry mouth.

Kokata exploded.

Lei sucked him dry. The movement of her tongue was like tiny explosions against his skin. But that was allright, it was nothing compared to what he had just been through.

Kokata was heaving for air and exhaling in small powerless spurts. Everything was perfect. He couldn't get how Lei could be so sensitive about her own juices and yet swallow his seed and lick him clean. But, that was allright.

Everything was good.

His cock shrank till his woman could cuddle it in the palm of one hand, but that was good too. Her hand was warm.

"Was it nice?" asked his Lei.

Kokata laughed soundlessly, his chest shaking with humour, and his Lei released his cock and crawled up to his face.

"Was it?" she asked.

Kokata caught her with all his legs and pulled her down for a kiss.

"It was nice," he admitted, and kissed her.

It didn't bother him to taste himself in her mouth, not one bit.

"Good," said Lei, and cuddled against him.

"You should try it," said Kokata.

"I just did."

Kokata shook his head. "You should try what it's like."

"Don't you want to catch your breath first?" asked his Lei.

"Maybe that would be a good idea," admitted Kokata, gently moving a legtip along Lei's closed thighs.

His Lei grabbed hold of it, opened her legs, and, holding her own hand on top of it, led it to her privates. Then she closed her legs tightly around hand and legtip.

Kokata happily closed his eyes.

"We'll make it work," promised Lei, sounding only a little nervous.

"We will," promised Kokata, keeping the lucky legtip absolutely still. Lei's tight hold on it left little encouragement for exploration.

Kokata was glad they had woken so early in the evening. Outside the sun wasn't even close to setting. His Lei wouldn't have reason to sneak out for a good while yet.

They talked while he caught his breath. Of beetles, and tiny forks, and of how lucky Bettina and Kano were to fit each other so perfectly, especially in the bed. Kokata had some days back been so stupid to admit that he had seen them in action, and had been rewarded with a fury of outrage and, more than a pinch of, jealousy.

His Lei had gone so far as to grab a well-sized stick and threaten him with a beating. Her expression had been priceless when he had sunk to the ground, lowered his head, and offered her to whack away. She had dropped the stick as if it had been on fire. And, once past her outrage, his Lei had been inappropriately curious about what he had seen.

When Kokata had caught his breath, they talked some more. Lei seemed to almost have forgotten his tip between her legs, and he feared that if he pushed the topic she might shy up and pull it away. She might well have forgotten that she had implied that she would let him go down on her. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Do you think that one day we will be as happy in the bedding as Kano and Bettina are?" asked Lei.

"I hope so," admitted Kokata.

"I think I'm ready," said Lei.

"Ready?"

"To let you kiss me," whispered Lei. "Below."

Kokata almost daren't move, lest she should change her mind.

"You don't have to," she whispered. "We can do it another time."

"I want to," whispered Kokata and slowly rolled her off his chest and onto the bedding.

Lei nervously spread her legs, her hands standing guard at her thighs.

"Nice and slow," promised Kokata, and kissed her knees, one after the other, then her inner thighs.

Lei twitched her legs, lessening the distance between her knees.

"Nice and slow," repeated Kokata, and gently caressed her thighs apart.

Through the next hour, Kokata got a thorough taste of what it was like to eat cake with the world's tiniest fork. But then, as if finally ready to trust him, Lei moved away her hands that had guarded and twitched at even the slightest touch.

"That feels nice," she said.

And from then on Kokata was free to pleasure and explore. His tongue sought and his lips nibbled, till his jaw ached painfully, and even then he couldn't get enough. And his Lei liked it.

When the sun was gone and the moon had wandered a good distance. Lei was writhing with lust, but Kokata's mouth refused to follow his lead any longer. His jaw hurt as if it was off-socket and kept threatening to close, whether or not his tongue was safely tucked away.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, raising his head.

"Don't stop now," pleaded Lei, spreading her legs further, encouraging his mouth back.

Kokata kissed the nub which he, again and again, had teased large over the last hours, but he couldn't stand the thought of sticking his tongue out even one more time. He was hurting in muscles he didn't even know he had.

"I was so close," pleaded Lei. "I know I was."

"Then let me touch you," said Kokata, and moved legtips along her inner thighs.

His Lei didn't even twitch when they reached her most private part.

"Please," she whispered.

Kokata sought out the nub and did his best to move his legtip as gently as his tongue.

Lei moaned and rubbed against the touch. Encouraged, Kokata rubbed harder. His woman's response was as enthusiastic and longing as if his tongue was back at work, and Kokata breathed a long silent sigh of relief. He had eight leg-tips to wear down.

Back when Kano had said that the first time might take a long time, especially with a woman who had never, Kokata had thought an hour was a long time. Kokata had taken good use of the information and tips Kano had supplied. It had worked too, at least Lei had been close many times.

Kokata raised his body and moved his face to Lei's breasts. His lips were numb, so he settled for kissing her nipples, and fondling them with legtips.

"Keep rubbing like that," insisted Lei, her eyes closed with concentration.

Kokata focused on the motion against her nub, kept it steady, and gently kept caressing her nipples.

"Don't stop," insisted Lei and moved against his legtip.

Kokata didn't stop.

"Faster," insisted Lei, and rubbed harder against him.

Kokata moved faster. Maybe this time...

Lei stopped moving and slumped back against the bedding.




Moth Ch. 027



"I can't take it anymore," she whimpered. "I need you inside me."

Kokata shook his head. If he entered her now, after hours of touching her and watching her wiggle, he would only last seconds.

"Please," insisted Lei. "I need it."

Kokata moved his body between her knees, as if preparing to enter her, but instead of freeing his cock, he moved a legtip to her opening.

"Black," said Lei, staring into his face.

Kokata locked eyes with her and with another legtip again sought out her nub. It was swollen to a findable size.

Lei rubbed against his touch and pressed her knees against both sides of his body.

"I need you," she said, hoarse with desire.

Kokata pushed his legtip inside her and her eyes rolled back into her head.

"Black," she wheezed, squeezing him with her knees.

"I'll give you everything you need," promised Kokata, sliding his tip deeper inside her.

Lei with her hands reached out for two of his legs and grabbed them hard.

Kokata moved his legtip back and forth inside her. Fucking her at a much slower pace than he could have if it was his manhood. With his other legtip he kept rubbing her nub.

"I can't take it," insisted Lei, tightening her hold on his legs.

"Yes you can," promised Kokata, and slowed his movement even more.

"I can't."

"You can," promised Kokata, and sought along the top of her inside. His Lei gasped when he reached the right spot.

"You can take it," he whispered, and simultaneously rubbed the spot inside and the nub outside.

"I need you," insisted Lei, shaking her head from side to side.

"Black, I need you," she persisted, her air whiffing in and out in tiny swift huffs. Her hips were moving, constantly pulling his tip from her nub.

"Hold still, Lei," he pleaded.

"I can't," protested Lei, twisting faster even as he chased her nub around. "Don't stop, Black. Don't stop."

Kokata swiped his nub-chasing tip swiftly side to side, catching touches no matter which way she twisted her hips. He was getting a hang of it. There was a strange feeling of power to it. To making her twitch but not allowing her to escape.

"I like this," he snarled and kissed her throat.

"Black," pleaded Lei. "Don't stop."

"You can't escape me," promised Kokata, chasing across her nub and fondling her spot inside. 

"Oh dear life," shrieked Lei, her hands tight fists around his legs.

Kokata pressed harder against the spot inside her, he could tell the right place by more than intuition. It had swollen.

"You're all mine," snarled Kokata against her throat. He was chasing her nub, rubbing it. "Say it. Say that you're mine, Lei."

"I'm yours," shrieked Lei. She arched her back and squeezed around his tip inside her. "Oh dear life, Black. I'm yours."

Kokata raised his face and finally he got to see what Lei looked like while having an orgasm. It was more than he could handle.

He pulled his legtip out of her, pushed himself in, and rode the last wave with her.

He had been wrong about being able to last as long as seconds, but that was perfect, his Lei couldn't have handled more.

*

Written by Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei. 



Moth Ch. 028



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

"Grandma."

"Yes, Tobi?"

"Those moths that were here..."

"No, Tobi," said Kuruma. "I told you to pretend they were never here."

"Everybody else aren't pretending they weren't here," objected Tobi.

"That purple-winged tattle-mouth," muttered Kuruma, low enough for her grandson not to hear.

"I heard they are the parents of the moth in the drawing," said Tobi. "People keep asking me about it, but I don't know anything."

"People are curious by nature," said Kuruma, with one hand caressing the picture on the small table next to her. "We long to know things whether we have any business knowing or not."

"I long to know more too," admitted Tobi.

"Please fetch me the old ember-basket from the shed, Tobi," instructed Kuruma, and the boy obediently sped off.

Kuruma took the picture into her hands, closed her blind eyes, and let the colours of the sight fill her. Hanging on to the picture was too risky, it would have been even if the big-mouthed butterfly had kept the secrets she had promised to.

"Put it on the table, please," instructed Kuruma, having heard her grandson return.

"Allright, grandma."

"Now I need a lit stick."

"What do you need it for?" asked Tobi, even as she could hear him light a stick at her ember.

"We have to burn the picture," said Kuruma, trying to hide the regret she felt.

"Why?" Tobi was approaching with the lit stick.

"It is my only connection, Tobi. If I don't have it, then I can't tell anyone which way they flee."

"Who?"

"The moth and her lover."

"They are in danger?" asked Tobi. His voice spoke of wide eyes and curiosity.

Kuruma smiled slightly, as long as she had her imagination she could live on without colours.

"Help me burn this," she instructed, and held out her hands, the picture in them.

Shortly after, all that remained of the picture was ashes in the bottom the old ember-basket. Kuruma held her hand over it to be sure it was no longer too hot, then stuck her fingertips into the ashes and stirred it around. It gave her no visions.

"That was that then," she said and sighed. She'd miss her visions of the young couple.

"You send for her parents to help them, didn't you?"

"I sent for the moth's parents so they could help," admitted Kuruma. "The moth and the spider are in grave danger, Tobi."

"But you fixed it, right, grandma?"

"I did the best I could."

"So, they'll be saved now, right?" persisted Tobi.

"When more than one seer intervenes with the same flow of events then things get complicated," said Kuruma and retrieved her hand from the ember-basket.

---==(o)==---

"Life is great," said Kokata, rolled onto his back, and spread out all his legs till he was splattered onto the branch like an autumn leaf to a pond.

"Someone is feeling lazy," teased his Lei, barely sparing him a glance. She was hard at work making bows for beetles. She had this notion that her friends ought to own good bows whether they could hit a giant mushroom at a body-length's distance or not.

"It's as warm as day; the moon is shining; I just fed, and I have a beautiful woman," listed Kokata. "I'm not feeling lazy, I'm feeling happy."

"Me too," admitted his Lei, taking her eyes of her work long enough to throw him a smile.

"Let's get pregnant," said Kokata, rolled around, and jumped to his feet.

"Let's get pregnant later," countered Lei. "I'm busy."

"Good bargain," agreed Kokata, slumped down, rolled to his back, and assumed his previous position. For now, he was actually quite glad to just lay still and savour his happiness. "Life is great."

"Life is great," agreed his woman.

Things couldn't get much better than that.

His woman was still beautiful when she was upside down. Kokata liked watching her when she worked, doing it while on his back was as good as doing it any other way. Kokata hadn't loved her any less when she had been huge-lipped and ugly, and sincerely hoped he wouldn't be facing that kind of fuss again when she should eventually grow old and wrinkly.

"Will you still love me when I'm old and wrinkly?" he asked.

"Of course," said his woman, smiling at her bow.

"Will you still let me love you when you are an ugly old crone?" he persisted.

"Of course."

"Will you still let me see you if you grow big warts all over your face?"

"Black!" exclaimed his woman. "What a nasty image."

"Will you?" persisted Kokata.

"I will still let you see me," promised his woman.

"And if you get plague scars all over your body?"

"I will still let you see me."

"And if you get so fat that you grow three extra chins?"

"I promise that no matter how ugly I should ever get I will never again try to keep you from me," swore his woman, solemnly. "Now please stop imagining awful things, Black."

"Good bargain," said Kokata and sighed happily.

His woman shook her head at his silliness, but a smile played at the edges of her mouth.

Just laying in silence was good too. Kokata knew it wouldn't last long and didn't mind that the least bit either. Silently he started counting his breaths.

One.

Two.

Three.

Fo...

"Djinni told me something that she sometimes do with her mate," said Lei.

Kokata chuckled to himself.

"What did she tell you?" he asked. On top of sweets and tools, they had both carried home many topics of conversation from their stay at the beetles' village.

"Sometimes, before having sex, Djinni ties her mate up."

"Oh." Kokata rolled to his stomach to study his woman downside down, upside up. "Why does she do that?"

"She says she likes to have full control over him," said his Lei. Her voice had that tone to it, as if she was testing him. "Djinni said he enjoys it too."

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

"I see." Kokata wanted to know what the test was about before stepping up to it.

"Bettina said she and Kano have played around with it too." His woman's voice still had that tone, she also sounded increasingly insecure.

"Bettina and Kano tries everything at least once," said Kokata, agreeably.

"I guess they do," said his Lei. "Do you think that is a good thing?"

"It works for them," said Kokata, studying his woman.

Her hands were fumbling with a task that she usually performed so expertly that he had guessed she could do it blindfolded.

"Would you like me to tie you up?" asked his Lei.

"It wouldn't bother me," said Kokata. "I'm your slave, I will always let you do to me whatever you like."

"So that's what it means?" asked his Lei.

Kokata raised his eyebrows in question.

"You're always saying that you're my slave," she elaborated. Her hands had ceased fumbling and was again working with automatic efficiency. "Is that because you would like me to tie you up and treat you like a slave?"

"No," said Kokata, calmly. "I say I am your slave because I am."

"That doesn't make sense, Black."

"It does to me."

His Lei shook her head.

"Sometimes I don't know what you're thinking," she said.

"Sometimes I don't want you to know," said Kokata and chuckled.

"Well do you or don't you want me to tie you up?" asked his woman, she looked and sounded annoyed.

"I don't. But I don't mind either," said Kokata, closely studying his Lei.

She looked relieved.

"It doesn't bother you that I'm not interested in being tied up?" he guessed.

"It doesn't bother me at all," said his Lei, with a smile. "Actually, I was a bit worried about it. I wouldn't know how to act all controlling and dominating."

Kokata chuckled to himself. He had seen her act 'all controlling and dominating' plenty of times, just not in an erotic context.

"Would you like me to tie you up?" he asked, with no hind thoughts or motive. It was just a natural extension of the conversation.

Lei's reaction, however, was intriguing. Her shoulders jumped with surprise and her hands fumbled so badly that the pieces she had gathered fell apart.

"Batshit," she exclaimed, and grabbed for a piece to reassemble the unfinished bow.

Kokata remained quiet and studied her. Her hands were still fumbling, turning pieces upside down, dropping pieces, missing holes for several attempts. His Lei was cute when she was insecure.

"Would you like me to tie you up?" he asked with a smooth voice, when the bow was back to the stage of assembly that it had been. This time he had both hind thought and motive.

His woman's work didn't fall apart, but she did swallow before replying.

"I wouldn't mind," she said, and cleared her throat. Her voice had been shaky.

"Do you want me to?" he pushed.

Her prolonged, fumbling, hesitation at the direct question was in itself half an answer.

"I don't mind," she said, sounding as if she was trying to sound calm.

"You sound nervous," said Kokata, his voice smoother and deeper than he had intended.

"Why would I be nervous?" asked his woman, trying to add another piece to the unfinished bow.

"Are you afraid that I won't tie you up, or are you afraid that I will?"

"Wouldn't you be worried about how to act all controlling and dominating?" countered his Lei.

"You are awfully evasive tonight," counter-countered Kokata and chuckled.

His Lei swallowed nervously, her hands still fumbling with the same piece, and Kokata decided that his new habit of chuckling was a good one.

"I guess I'd like to try it," admitted Lei.

Kokata shivered through and through.

"Was that a shiver of lust?" asked Lei.

"Maybe," teased Kokata, his voice smooth and deep.

"It was," insisted his woman a somewhat triumphant grin on her face. "You like the thought of tying me up. Don't you?"

"What if I do?" asked Kokata. His mind filling with images of Lei bound by silk and writhing with lust.

"If you admit it, maybe I'll let you," teased his woman.

Kokata cocked his head, considering whether to tease her back or simply admit his desire.

"If you admit you want me to," said Kokata, crouching for a jump, "maybe I'll just go ahead and do it."

"So..." began his Lei, coyishly prolonging the word, "if I admit that I want you to tie me up, then you'll admit that you want to tie me up?"

"Not exactly," said Kokata and chuckled.

"What then?" asked his Lei, a wicked grin on her face. Now that the issue had become a joking matter, her hands again worked efficiently.

"Try it," encouraged Kokata with a smooth voice and retained his crouching stance.

"I..." teased his woman, all coy playfulness. "... want you..." she locked eyes with him. "...to tie me up."

Kokata jumped.

His woman shrieked with surprise as he, now behind her, pulled her from her work, pressed her to her back, caught all her limbs and pressed them too to the bark.

"Oh dear life, Black," huffed Lei, staring up at his face. "You're fast."

Kokata chuckled.

"I'm also strong," he reminded, locking eyes with her. "And all yours."

Out of the corner of his eyes, Kokata saw his woman release the bow pieces that were still in her hands. She was breathing heavily.

"What now?" she asked, more expectation than hesitation in her voice.

"Now, I take your clothes," said Kokata, "and then I take you."

His Lei pulled at an arm, Kokata didn't release it.

"I want to pull you down for a kiss," she said, again tugging at her arm.

"Then do it," offered Kokata, holding on to both her arms, "if you can."

Lei tugged harder.

"Well?" teased Kokata, slowly running a tip up her left leg toward the bottom of her light summer-dress.

"I can't get free," admitted his Lei. "You're too strong."

"And I haven't even tied you up yet," said Kokata and shivered. "Just imagine what it will be like when I don't have to use four limbs to hold you still."

His tip reached the bottom of her dress and Kokata let it slide under the skirt till it reached her thong. He shivered but resisted the urge to cut it off and shove himself into her.

"Have you wet yourself?" he asked, caressing the front of her thong.

"Black," protested his Lei meekly, tugging her legs.

"Yes?"

"I want you to kiss me."

Kokata lowered himself just enough that she could raise her face to his. Her mouth was hungry and warm.

"I need you," she stated, after the kiss, then recaught his lips for another.

Kokata raised himself out of her reach and chuckled at her efforts to reach him. Chuckling really was a good habit, he would definitely hang on to that one.

"I'm liking this already," he said, and started undressing her.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 029



Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

*

"Please," begged the woman, both her shaky, bloody, arms reaching. "Take me. Take me now, I beg of you."

It glanced back in the direction the seer was reaching and there he stood, the pale, handsome, young man.

"He won't help you," it said. "He never does. He just watches and waits."

"Please," begged the seer, still reaching for Death.

"I intend to let you live a long time yet," it stated, grabbing hold of the seer's face and turning it back to it.

"No," wept the seer. "Please, no."

It cut her again and she screamed.

"Tell me what I want to know," it said. "Tell me and I will cut deep enough for him to touch you." It pointed at Death.

"It hurts," wept the seer. "Please stop."

Hope filled its body. This seer was weaker than the others. This one had given up any pretence of not knowing what it wanted far sooner than any of the others. It had barely begun and already this woman was begging for Death's touch.

"Didn't you know that this would happen to you?" it asked. "Didn't you know I was coming? Didn't you know I would kill anyone you should ask to protect you?"

"No," wept the seer, shaking her head, tears and blood mixing on her cheeks.

"You poor little thing," it said, but it had no sympathy in its heart. All it had inside was the joy of the woman's suffering and its longing for what it sought.

It cut again and the woman's screams were the ultimate song.

"Do you enjoy the music we make?" it asked Death, smiling at him.

Death turned his eyes to its but didn't speak.

"How will you touch her when I give her to you?" it asked. "Will you kiss her lips? Her forehead? Or will you just take her hand?" It didn't really care. That which it enjoyed, was the time it kept him waiting.

It cut again. It didn't need to reiterate its request. The woman knew what it wanted.

"Please," screamed the seer, again reaching for Death. "For his sake. Take me for his sake. I can't resist much longer."

"His sake?" it hissed. "How dare you!" In one swipe it cut off four of the seer's fingers.

"How dare you!" it screamed, and cut, and cut, and...

It jumped away from the seer, not to kill her too fast.

The woman was screaming, stupidly holding on to her hand keeping blood from spurting out fast where her fingers had been attached.

It certainly wouldn't remind her that bleeding was in her best interest. It struggled with itself to regain control of its anger. It needed to tie something around that hand for the seer not to die too fast.

This one would send it in the right direction. This one knew, and this one would tell. The woman was too weak too lie.



---==(o)==---



"One of the new kids has some sight in him," said Zoa.

"We already have all the information we need," said Keme, releasing his arrow. It flew past the target, but at least it was closer than the last had been.

"He is having nightmares," said Zoa.

"I'm not sending home more weak ones," snarled Keme. "Even if they flee during combat they will still serve as a distraction."

"He has dreams of us attacking too early," continued Zoa.

Keme pulled another arrow and set it to his bow.

"You're not planning on ignoring what Evelin told you, are you?"

"Are you stupid?" snarled Keme. "I want the monster dead. We won't be too early and we won't be too late. If that kid dreams of anything else then he is just having nightmares."

Keme released his arrow and it hit the border of the target.

"You might as well stop dulling your arrowheads," said Zoa. "There isn't enough time for you to get good enough to kill anything."

Keme grabbed a new arrow.

"Making fresh arrows keeps the weak ones calm," he snarled. "It keeps them busy during the day, and keeps them from fleeing at night."

Keme released the arrow.

"The kid insists it is visions," said Zoa.

"What's his name?"

"Vumanesco."

"Vumanesco?" snarled Keme. "What kind of a name is that?"

Zoa shrugged.

"Well, Zoa. I'll put on a friendly face, look him in the eye, and tell him that we aren't going to attack early. If there is any seer in him at all, he will know that I'm not lying."



---==(o)==---



"That was the last one," said his Lei. Wrapping the latest bow in a dry straw.

"I guess we will be traveling soon then," said Kokata. He was looking forward to it.

"Actually I was hoping I could count on you to stay here," said his Lei, her eyes full of apology.

"Why would I do that?" asked Kokata, too surprised to be angry.

"The fall orchids are blossoming," explained Lei. "They only do that for a few days. I'll need a lot of their petals for winter. Somebody has to gather them."

"We can wait a few days before leaving then," said Kokata.

"As soon as the fall orchids wither, I will need to gather bleak-berry."

"The bleak-berries won't be ripe until very late fall," objected Kokata.

"It's not the ripe ones I need, Black. I need them when they are just between ripe and green. It's to mix with the tea I'll make from the fall orchid petals."

"We can go after that then," said Kokata with a sigh. It was starting to feel like his woman didn't want him along.

"After the bleak-berries we have to travel in the other direction to get apple-skin."

"Apple-skin," snarled Kokata.

"I need that too, its for the winter tea," apologised Lei.

"Tea," snarled Kokata.

"I need it," apologised Lei. "Normal winter diet isn't good enough for pregnant women."

"You're obsessing with that again?" snarled Kokata. "You've been acting pregnant since spring. Don't you think its about time you slow down and wait for it to actually happen?"

"I'm more than a moon overdue, Black," said Lei, apologetically.

"Overdue?"

"I haven't bled for more than two months."

Kokata blinked and tried to remember when his woman had last been sleeping with full-bum, cotton filled panties.

"You mean this time you really could be pregnant?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," said Lei. "I don't feel pregnant."

"You don't 'feel' pregnant?" asked Kokata, a grin growing on his face. Every time his woman had 'felt' pregnant, she hadn't been.

"But, if I am, I'll need that tea when winter comes, and by then it will be too late to gather the ingredients. So, I wanted us to gather it, just in case."

"Two months?" asked Kokata again. "And you don't 'feel' pregnant at all?"

"Yeah, but maybe I'll start bleeding tomorrow," she said, and shrugged. "It's probably just a fluke. You can go with me to the village. I shouldn't keep you home for no reason."

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

"Oh, no, no. I'm just as happy staying behind," lied Kokata. "You know how it is with me and people. I'm fine alone. Tell me more about this winter tea for pregnant women."

Kokata had looked forward to visiting his friends in the beetle village, and he feared the prospect of his Lei travelling alone through the forest, and he most certainly didn't look forward to being alone for days, but if she was really pregnant it would be good to get an early confirmation from the healer.

He had a lot of work ahead of him. He couldn't let Lei slave herself through fall if she was pregnant, and the only way to keep her from doing that would be to get all the work done sooner than she wanted it done.



---==(o)==---



"You have to listen to me," insisted the annoying forest-moth, banging her hand down on his table.

"Watch your manners, peasant," warned the officer, scowling menacingly at the woman.

"I have travelled a very long time to get here." The moth was more yelling than speaking. "Since I've arrived I've been sent from person to person. What's wrong with you termites? If this is the Emperor's system then he must be stark raving mad."

The officer jumped to his feet.

"Seize her," he yelled, waving at his guardsman.

"What?" yelled the forest-moth. "Get your hands off me."

The officer's eyes went wide as his guardsman fell to the floor with a wordless whimper, all four of his arms covering his privates. The woman had thrown a fist to his face and kneed him in the balls.

"Guards," yelled the officer.

"Shut up and listen to me," snapped the crazy moth-woman.

"GUARDS," screamed the officer and fumbled for his sword. He was an official officer, he had never trained for combat.

"Shut up," snapped the moth-woman. "Now listen to me. I've been sent by a seer."

The officer finally managed to get his sword out of the sheath and raise it, it was wiggling from side to side in tune with the shaking of his hand.

"Oh knock it off," said the woman from her side of the table. "I'm not here to fight. I'm here to get a message through to your emperor-guy."

Guards finally streamed into the room.

"Grab her," insisted the officer, pointing his quivering sword at the mad-woman. "She is guilty of assaulting an imperial guard and of speaking insult of the Emperor himself."

"Don't you dare touch me. Any of you," snarled the woman, grabbing behind her back.

The officer guessed she was grabbing for the bow which she had complained about not being allowed to bring.

"She's dangerous," warned the officer, still keeping his wavering sword, and the table, between himself and the woman. "And insane."



---==(o)==---



Kokata hadn't faced nights and days this long since winter. It was as if he had forgotten how much time there actually was between two sunsets. He had trouble sleeping, all he got of that was random naps here and there.

It didn't matter much.

With Lei he had slept in the day and been up in the night, but really any time of day was the same to him. Contrary to Lei's, his eyes were good in both night and day.

Kokata sighed deeply and returned his focus to the tree-trunk mushroom. It was ten times the size of his body and had yellowish skin and white meat.

He had skinned half of it the night Lei had told him she was overdue and didn't feel pregnant. Since then he had come back every night to cut off and gather the dried out surface. He'd seen moths and butterflies do that back in the days when he still bothered to spy on people. It was said to be tasteless, but nourishing, and, if treated well, could last longer than a winter.

His Lei would never be at a risk of starving as long as he was around. He'd store countless carcasses for winter, and if needed could also find fresh prey during winter itself. He even knew how to make fire and cook meat. But, he wasn't sure a moth-belly would take kindly to large amounts of meat, especially not a baby-brewing moth-belly, so he would make sure to stock thoroughly on more mothy food.

Kokata sighed again. Four more days was an eternity away.

His bag was full, so he closed it, tied a knot, threw it onto his back, and took a new bag from the bag-bag that dangled against his belly. With four legs he held onto the bark of the trunk, with two he held the bag open, and with two he cut dry pieces off the mushroom.

His ears caught a very familiar sound and his breath caught in his throat. It couldn't be her. Those flapping wings had to be a moth-beast. Except it did sound exactly like hers. Kokata shook his head at himself, and resumed his work, and his breathing. Lei had only been gone two nights, she would reach the village sometime this night.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kokata caught a glimpse of greyish white wings with black stripes. Lei's colours.

"Did you forget something?" he asked, turning to look at his woman.

His smile froze to a grimace as he found himself staring into an arrow aimed directly at his vulnerable throat. If the man released it, not even Kokata could outjump its flight, not at this close range.

"Identify yourself," demanded the moth-man.

Kokata forced his eyes off the tip of the arrow and moved them to the man's face. He had an uncanny resemblance to Lei.

"I'm Black," said Kokata.

"I can see that," said the man, his clothes were worn down and dirty, he looked like someone who had travelled far. "Now tell me your real name and don't lie."

"What's my name to you?" snarled Kokata.

"What is your life to you?" countered the man. The tip of his arrow moved in precise tune with the flapping of his wings, its aim constantly exact. The man was obviously an excellent bow user. Most moths were.

"My name is Kokata," snarled Kokata, spitting out the hated word.

"Just the man I was looking for," said the man and lowered his bow.

Kokata eyed him suspiciously, considering whether he should jump out and disarm him while it was safe.

"I don't mind calling you Black if you prefer," said the man, depositing his arrow in his quiver. "I just wanted to be absolutely sure you were the spider I'm looking for."

"Met a lot of spiders lately?" snarled Kokata, who had never come across another spider with mind.

"You're the first," admitted the man and shrugged. "But I haven't been in Altwar all that long."

"Who are you?" snarled Kokata.

"My name is Valo," said the man. "But you can call me 'dad'."

"Dad?" Kokata dug his feet harder into the bark's ridges not to fall to the ground. Was his father a moth? Why, after all this time, would he seek him out now? And how?

"Good lad," said the man, smiling approvingly. "But damn you're ugly. I don't know how she could fall for you. I guess you must have more than meets the eye."

Kokata's head was spinning.

"Now, where's my daughter?" asked the man who wanted to be called 'dad'.

"Daughter?" asked Kokata, trying to gather pieces. "Lei?"

"Yes," stated the man, looking about. "Where is she."

"Lei is not my sister," stated Kokata.

The man eyed him with a strange look on his face, Kokata got the distinct impression that the man had started to doubt his mental capacity.

"You are her man, aren't you?" asked the moth-man, speaking very slowly.

"Yes," snarled Kokata.

"I am her father," worded the moth and pointed to himself as if speaking to a very small and very stupid child. "That makes you my son, son."

Kokata blinked.

"Va-lo," worded the man. "She must have talked about me."

"You must be the guy who shot her friend in the leg," snarled Kokata. "That's all she ever told me about her father."

Sadness passed over the moth-man's face but was instantly replaced by hard determination.

"I've come to warn you," said the man. "Both of you. You're in great danger. I need to see her whether she wants to see me or not."

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 030



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

Keme saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Without turning his head, he moved his eyes to get a look. It was that kid again, the one that couldn't tell nightmares from visions, Vumanesco. Keme moved his eyes back to the target and released his arrow. 

That annoying kid had been fluttering about since early dawn. He kept approaching him only to sneak away. At one point he had come close enough to speak, had said something completely pointless, and had run off.

Quite obviously there was something he wanted to say.

Keme released another arrow. He wasn't a baby-sitter. As far as he was concerned the weak boy was monster-fodder, a distraction whose possible death might serve to give Zoa, or one of the other excellent shooters, a chance to kill of the abomination.

The kid came closer, moved away, and again approached.

Keme ignored him and focused on his aim. He was as bad a bow-man as a beetle. He could barely hit anything while standing on the ground. In the air he'd be lucky not to hit his 'allies'. Keme wouldn't pull his bow once the fighting began. He'd be fighting with his sword. Up close and personal.

"Keme." Vumanesco's voice was as weak as his courage.

"What?" snarled Keme, releasing another arrow.

"I... I was wondering if you were thirsty."

"No," snarled Keme. If he were he wouldn't need to be served. The courier-kids were his army and his decoys, they weren't his servants.

"I'll just go away then," said the Vumanesco kid and trotted off.

Keme released another arrow and grabbed a fresh one.

It wouldn't be long now, just a few days. Then they would go, he would play his cards right, and Zoa's arrow would kill the beast, as it should have so long ago.

Something again moved in the outskirt of his vision. Keme moved his eye to its corner. It was the Vumanesco kid, again approaching.

Keme resisted the temptation to turn his bow on the kid. Chances were that if he aimed not to hit him, he would, and that would be counterproductive.

"Keme," said the kid, his voice quivering as if he was about to weep. He probably was.

"What?" snarled Keme.

"I know why we are going to attack too early," said the boy, his voice barely a whisper.

"We are not going to attack early," snarled Keme.

"It's because of me," persisted the kid. "We go early because I tell you about the vision I had last night."

"Vision," snarled Keme.

"Things are not happening the way you were told," said the kid Vumanesco. "Someone has interfered."

"You are just having nightmares," said Keme, forcing himself to look friendly and concerned.

"I saw the black spider," said Vumanesco. "He has been warned about us, he knows we are coming. When the right day comes, he, and his woman, and the man who warned them, will be long gone."

"That's not possible, Vumanesco," said Keme, retaining his friendly and concerned face and voice. "You really should leave the seeing to the real seers. The seer Evelin has more sight than any other. Her prophecy was very exact." Keme raised and arm and gave Vumanesco's shoulder a comforting squeeze, part of him hoped the annoying boy would be slaughtered in the fight.

"The seer Evelin would have foreseen the intervention of another seer," said Vumanesco, meeting Keme's eyes with his own fearfilled, tearfilled ones.

"There you go," said Keme, fatherly and friendly. "That's exactly what I've been trying to tell you."

"It wasn't the seer Evelin who told you when to attack," continued Vumanesco. Tears released from his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. "It was the ghost of another seer."

Keme's nails dug into Vumanesco's shoulder and the coward whimpered.

"Who told you that?" snarled Keme. He hadn't told anyone of the ghost that had entered Evelin's body.

"I dreamt it," whimpered the kid Vumanesco. "Just as I dreamt everything else, and if I don't convince you, the black spider will escape."

"What else did you dream?" asked Keme, forcing his fingers to pull his nails away from the kid's skin, and forcing his face to look calm, and forcing his voice to be friendly and concerned.

"I'm going to die," whispered the kid. "I have to take that arrow or Zoa will be the first to fall."

"You don't have to die," comforted Keme, making a mental note to keep the kid at Zoa's side. "Now tell me what you have seen. All of it."



---==(o)==---



"So this is her spare bow?" asked Valo, tightening the string of it as if holding an arrow to it.

"Yes, dad," said the spider, barely glancing up at him.

The abominable man had been packing and unpacking supplies since Valo had told him about the danger. It seemed he still had a very hard time figuring out how to cut down their needs to something which could be carried.

Valo knew how to travel light, but the young man seemed to need the distraction. Valo didn't fault him for his distress, he, himself, had had most of the summer to grow accustomed to the danger they had to flee.

There was still time and they had to wait for Lei to return. If they ventured out to meet her their paths might not cross. They had to travel very fast once Lei returned. By then there would only be two nights between them and their pursuers.

"It's as good as mine is," said Valo, making no effort to hide his pride. "Lei was always obsessed with bow-making."

"She still is," said the spider.

"Though how she got it into her head to make bows for beetles," said Valo and shook his head. "If you give a beetle twenty perfect bows he will tie them together and use them as a carpet weave. And, honestly, that is the best use a beetle can make of bows."

"I know," commented the spider, not sounding the least amused by the joke, "beetles have crappy aim."

The spider pulled a large, white, fluffy blanket out of his too large piles and threw it into a corner.

"Don't worry, Black," comforted Valo. "Between the two of us we will keep her perfectly safe. Lei has always been a feisty girl, and she has always had the strength to carry it. To her a year long flight will be nothing but an adventure."

"She's pregnant," snarled the spider, restlessly pacing his piles.

"Pregnant?" repeated Valo, his mouth suddenly dry. "How far pregnant?" With a slightly shaky hand, he reached for the bowl of juice the spider had offered him earlier.

"She hasn't bled for two moons," snarled the spider.

Valo took a sip of juice and put down the bowl. His wife had gone overdue several times when she thought she was pregnant, his oldest daughter too. It seemed to run in the family. Valo took a deep breath and calmed himself.

"Does she feel pregnant?" asked Valo.

"No," snarled the spider.

"Oh no," whispered Valo, his throat constricting. "We have to get rid of it."

"What?" snarled the spider and spun to him.

"She has to abort before it grows too big inside her."

With unbelievable speed the spider charged him and pushed his back to the floor.

"You're not hurting my baby," snarled the spider, waving, suddenly sharp-edged, legtips in front of Valo's face.

"If she flies in the late months of pregnancy the baby will die anyway," hissed Valo, staring past the deadly legtips and into the spider's beetle-black face and eyes. "And if she doesn't fly they will catch up to us and she will die."

"I'll carry her," snarled the spider and held one knife-sharp legtip to Valo's throat. "I will carry her to the end of the world if I have to."

"Son," said Valo, ignoring the threat to his life as best he could. "I love Lei. She is my daughter. I came to help."

The spider withdrew from Valo and went back to his piles.

"Whatever monster it is those termites have mistaken me for, I assure you, I am much more dangerous than it," said the spider. Valo noticed that the young man's legtips were no longer sharp. "If they ever catch up to us, I will kill them all."

Valo reseated himself and took a sip of the juice.

"There's too many of them, son," he said.

"You don't understand, dad," said the spider and turned his black face to him. "Death thinks I am beautiful."

Valo met the spider's gaze and took another sip of juice. Then he put the bowl down.

"Good," said Valo, and that was how simple it was.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 031



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

Zoa glanced at the young man kneeling next to her on the high branch. He was sweating, his eyes were wide, and he was breathing way too fast. She reached out and took his hand.

"You'll be fine," she whispered, and he turned his fear-filled eyes to her. "Just stay next to me," continued Zoa, squeezing his hand harder. "I'll guard you with my life. I promise. I'll get you through this alive, Vumanesco."

Around them other couriers were gathering on high branches, preparing for the final swift flight.

The young man squeezed back Zoa's hand, his breathing was evening out, and his eyes were calmer.

"That's a good man," whispered Zoa and let go of his hand.

Vumanesco didn't let go of hers.

"Zoa," he whispered. "Whatever happens today. I want you to know that I have no regrets."

"You won't have anything to regret," whispered Zoa, sternly. "We will fight, our weapons will soak as much blood as they need to, and we will survive."

"You're beautiful," whispered Vumanesco and, to Zoa's surprise, raised her hand to his lips, and kissed it. Then he released it and turned his eyes to the direction they would soon fly. "I will have no regrets," he whispered.

---==(o)==---

Why wasn't she home yet? Kokata paced and repaced the ledge circling their home. She was supposed to have been home this night. Now the sun had risen.

Where could she be? Why was she late? What if she didn't come home this night either.

His father had gone to bed, he had encouraged Kokata to do so too, whatever happened they'd be better of fighting it rested. Kokata couldn't sleep. He couldn't get how the man who claimed he was Lei's father could.

Kokata again glanced about, this time his eyes found something, and it wasn't Lei. A scream caught in his throat. His anguish wouldn't let it out.

Kokata slumped to the ledge, staring at he who shouldn't be there. His Lei wouldn't be home in time. Tomorrow would come without Lei. The termites would arrive and he would have to fight them. That was the only reason Death could have to watch his home.

Unless...

Kokata spun and ran inside to where the man lay.

"Valo?" he called. "Valo?"

"What?" asked the man, going straight from sleep to alarm.

"Are you sick?" asked Kokata.

"What's going on?" asked the man.

"Are you unwell? Do you feel like you are dying?" asked Kokata.

"No, I'm fine."

"Batshit," exclaimed Kokata, and looked down his own body for signs of a possible hidden disease.

"What's wrong?"

"Death is here," explained Kokata, looking around to see if the entity had come inside.

"Death? What are you rambling about, son?" The moth was looking at him as if he was mad.

"I saw him standing on a branch outside," said Kokata. "He only appears for the death of people. Someone is going to die here."

"You saw Death?"

"Yes," hissed Kokata. "Sometimes I see Death. He is a pale young man, about this tall," Kokata raised a legtip to indicate an average height, "and he only ever appears if someone is soon to die."

"Son, only seers can see Death," said the moth-man, in a calm voice. "Maybe you fell asleep and had a bad dream."

"I'm not a seer," snarled Kokata, "and I didn't nap. And I don't care whether you believe me or not. Go back to sleep."

---==(o)==---

He finally came back outside where it could see him. He was beautiful. Magnificent. He was so much more than it had imagined. It sighed happily and hugged the bark. He would complete it, and it would never be alone again.

Why did he look so worried? Should it approach him and tell him that he never needed worry again?

It was here and it would protect him. Forever and always.

"What are you doing here," he yelled, staring at something.

It followed his gaze and found Death. The pale young-looking man was standing on a branch, quietly returning his gaze, but he didn't answer his question.

What was Death doing here?

It certainly had no intention of killing. Not the beautiful man and not his friend. It had been relieved to see that the white moth with black stripes was really a man and not the woman the drawings had depicted.

It smiled now at the silly jealousy that had been tearing at it before. Of course it was a man. It should have known all along. Its beautiful man would not condescend to be with a moth-woman.

Together they would become complete.

He would make it a woman. It would become she.

It smiled and hugged the bark. They would be so happy together. They were perfect for each other.

But what was Death doing here? He had no business here.

---==(o)==---

Lei landed on a branch and covered her eyes with her palms. The daylight was giving her a headache. Everybody had had so many stories to tell her, and too many had waited till the last moment. Lei had delayed her departure from the village to the very last moment not to disappoint anyone, and she could have made it home in time, if not for the cursed headwind.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

She should have foreseen that she might have to travel against headwind all the way home. She should have left earlier.

The sun was well into the sky. Black had to be worried sick. Lei took her hands from her eyes, squinted hard against the light, and jumped off the branch. She wouldn't rest again until it was in his arms.

Luckily there wasn't too far to go.

---==(o)==---

Kokata was worried sick. Death was still on his branch, Lei wasn't home, and his father didn't look the least bit like someone who was about to drop dead.

Kokata was toying with the thought that maybe he, himself, was about to get a heart-attack. That would explain Death's presence. It certainly felt like his heart could explode any moment.

That would really be better than any of the alternatives.

If Kokata died, Lei could still come home before the termites arrived, and her father could help her flee.

There was no doubt that the man really was her father. He was the spitting image of her, except male, and older.

Kokata circled the ledge, averting his eyes not to look at Death.

That was his mistake. He didn't raise his eyes before he heard the 'zwoing' of released bow-strings and then it was too late. Kokata was staring into a swarm of arrows all headed for him.

---==(o)==---

Its heart stopped beating at the sight of flying termites aiming bows at its man. It had never known terror like this. It jumped, faster and farther than it ever had before. It saw the arrows release but it was faster.

It placed itself between the arrows and its man and screamed with triumph and pain as the arrows bit into its skin. It had hunched its head forward only offering skin and plate to the deadly rain.

Its man was staring up at it. Disbelief in his eyes.

"Flee," it hissed. "Hide."

A second rain struck the skin on its back- and legplates and it screamed with fury and pain.

"Flee," hissed back its beautiful man and jumped.

No longer needing to be a shield, it too jumped.

Its pain was barely a far off buzz. Its body was filling with joy. Spilling with joy.

After all this time they had finally met.

It landed and jumped again. Now it would show him how well it could protect him. Death would have a busy day.

---==(o)==---

Valo put an arrow to his bow. A day early. The termites were a day early. He aimed at a winged termite-woman who held a bow and was scouting about for something to shoot. She was so very young, barely more than a girl. He had never imagined their pursuers would be so young, nor so afraid.

Valo was aiming an arrow straight at her heart. A moment after he released she would be dead. He hesitated. They were just big kids. Big kids who thought they were chasing a monster. Big kids risking their lives to rescue others.

Valo swallowed. He had thought it would be easy to kill for Lei.

He altered his aim, if he shot her in the shoulder she wouldn't necessarily die from it, but she would be unable to fight on.

Valo released his arrow and, just as he did, the young woman shifted in the air, moving her chest to where her shoulder had been.

"No," screamed Valo, but it was too late.

---==(o)==---

Something bumped into Zoa and pushed her through the air.

"Hey," she yelled.

It was Vumanesco, he was hugging her tight.

"Hey, let go," yelled Zoa, furiously batting her wings to remain airborne.

"Ouch," whispered Vumanesco, still hugging her tight.

"Vumanesco, what are you doing?" yelled Zoa.

The young termite man's wings stopped beating and his hold on her was slipping. Zoa grabbed on to him for him not to fall to the ground. One of her termite arms struck against something that shouldn't be sticking out of Vumanesco's back.

"Vumanesco," she screamed, hugging him tight and flapping madly to fight gravity. They were losing altitude.

"It's allright," whispered Vumanesco. "I knew this would happen."

"Vumanesco," screamed Zoa, slowing her wings, saving her strength to that final stretch before the ground. "Don't give in. Stay with me."

"It's allright," whispered Vumanesco, it was a bubbly sound.

"Don't let go," insisted Zoa, his hold around her was loosening. "Stay with me."

The young man's eyes became vacant.

"You're just a big kid," wept Zoa. "Don't die on me."

"I see," whispered the young man.

The ground was near and Zoa flapped hard to slow them.

"Don't die," she wept. "I'll take care of you."

She landed and fought against Vumanesco's weight till she got him on his side.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"Listen," whispered Vumanesco.

She bent over him to look at the arrow. It was deep and it was very close to the heart.

"The scars," whispered Vumanesco. "Look for the scars. We were..."

"Vumanesco?" Zoa leaned back to look at his face.

His eyes were open. A quiet stream of blood was dripping out of his mouth. He wasn't breathing.

Zoa took a hand to his neck, looking for a pulse, any sign of life. There was none.

"Vumanesco!" she screamed.

---==(o)==---

A swarm of flying termites had surrounded his home. Kokata was fighting and he wasn't alone. From inside his home, Lei's father was shooting out at the swarm, and here, out in the open, out in the rains of arrows, his new friend was evading arrows and catching termites.

His new friend was a spider, as fast and as black as himself.

She had saved his life by selflessly shielding him with her own body. Kokata blessed her with every breath he took. He didn't know where she had come from and he didn't care.

She had saved his life and now she was vehemently fighting the swarm.

Kokata jumped through the air, caught one of the termites, and cut his man arms open. Then he moved on. The termite could land and bandage his man-arms, or he could stay in the air and bleed to death. Either way, he couldn't use his bow any longer.

If Lei had been home, Kokata wouldn't have dared be merciful, but Lei wasn't home.

---==(o)==---

It jumped through the air and, in the passing, opened a termite's gut. It hoped he was watching. It hoped he saw how beautifully it could dance. Today he would fall in love.

Termite blood on its skin was mixing with the blood it had bled from arrow cuts and scrapes. He had seen it bleed for him.

It jumped and cut a wing of one termite, a head of another.

No one could be as happy as it.

---==(o)==---

Bodies falling, screams, fading and new, blood spurting.

Zoa spun in the air to locate the enemies. An arrow swished past her, if she hadn't spun it would have hit her. She flew behind a branch. The shooter was inside, shooting out.

"Shooter in the hive," she screamed, warning her comrades.

But where was the black spider?

She flew along the branch hiding herself from the hut, then flew up and instantly headed for a new shelter from the hive's line of sight.

"Shooter in the hive," she yelled.

She saw Keme flying straight at something black, and then the black was gone, and Keme was falling. 

Zoa spurted after him, but even before she reached him, his wings regained control of the air and he landed on a branch.

There was a scream behind Zoa, she turned in time to see a young woman falling, her wings missing.

Zoa dove and flapped her wings to speed up her fall.

She caught the falling courier, and madly flapped against gravity and their speed. The ground was approaching at an alarming rate. The woman was screaming, and so was Zoa, but neither let go of the other.

---==(o)==---

Keme stared at his sword. It was bloody. He had managed to cut it. Not deep. Not lethally. But enough to get its blood. He had what they had come for.

Keme wanted more. He wanted to press his blade deep into the monster's throat.

Keme looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of black.

He saw it flying through the air with impossible speed and chop the head of a courier. Then it landed on a branch and was gone.

"Cursed," screamed Keme, searching air and branches for any sign of the spider.

His leg was throbbing where the spider had cut him. Somewhere inside a voice was telling him that he was bleeding too fast. That he would die if he didn't stop it. But it was just a whisper.

"Retreat," he heard a voice scream. "Reform on the ground. Reform on the ground."

"No," screamed Keme. "Kill it."

But his voice was drowned in a growing chorus of couriers screaming for retreat.

Keme saw Zoa. She was screaming retreat. She had landed on a branch and was picking up a courier who was either unconscious or dead.

He wanted to tell her to stay, to kill it, but, somewhere inside he knew that it was hopeless, it was too fast and they were too few.

The ghost's prophecy of what would happen if they attacked too early had not been altered by the interference. Keme forced himself to control his hate, forced himself to think.

"To the ground," yelled Keme and jumped off his branch. "Retreat to the ground."

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

Don't forget. The offer to get the whole thing e-mailed, stands until the whole thing is up.



Moth Ch. 032



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

Kokata jumped and landed on the ledge of his home. The termites were gone. It had almost been too easy. He pulled a termite arrow out of the ledge and stared at it.

Young fools. Younger than him, some probably younger than Lei.

He felt sick.

He had done what he could not to kill. His new friend hadn't. She had gone all the way. She must have not known that it was all just a horrible mistake.

Kokata hadn't tried to stop her.

He was trying to convince himself that it was because everything had gone so fast. But, really, was it? Innocent or not. These termites were a danger to Lei.

He broke the arrow in two and threw the pieces off the ledge.

"I see what you mean now," said his father from behind him. "I had no clue how deadly you are."

"I'm a predator," said Kokata, gazing out into the branches.

"I guess Death really was here," said the moth-man.

"He is gone now," said Kokata, turning to the man.

"It will take them time to gather reinforcements. Weeks." His father was hoarse as if he had been crying. "Plenty of time for us to flee."

Kokata looked down at his legtips. They were covered in blood. Red and drying.

"I'll go wash," he said.

"Watch out!" warned the moth-man and raised his bow toward Kokata.

Kokata looked behind himself, and raised his body to cover the moth-man's line of sight.

"Don't shoot," ordered Kokata. "She saved my life. She helped us."

His father lowered his bow, and Kokata turned to his new friend. Her eyes were wide and reminded him of Rebecca's. The small scorpid girl had gawked at him with much the same expression on her face. That, however, was the only similarity between Rebecca and this woman.

This woman was a spider. Her body, like his, was pure spider, and her face, like his, was person. She was as black as he. She had scars everywhere. Kokata could guess how she had gotten them, even if he had nowhere near as many as she.

"Thank you," said Kokata.

The woman just gawked. She was covered in blood, and cuts, and scrapes, but she didn't look seriously wounded.

"I'm Black," said Kokata, pointing to himself with two legs. "Who are you?"

"I don't have a name," whispered the woman and, suddenly shy, averted her eyes.

"That's ok," said Kokata. "Names aren't all they are made up to be."

"I like yours," whispered the woman, her face now so far below her that he couldn't see it.

"It's a made up name," admitted Kokata. "I don't like the one I was given. Maybe we can make one up for you too."

The woman whispered something so quietly that Kokata couldn't hear her.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear that," he said.

"Can you think up a name for me?" she whispered, loud enough for him to hear.

"I've never named anyone before," said Kokata, scouting for termites. "I'd like to keep 'Black' for myself, so how about we call you 'Dark' until we think up something better?"

"Dark," whispered the woman, and shot him a quick glance before again hiding her scarred face. "I like it."

"Would you like my help cleaning your wounds?" asked Kokata. Most of the spider-woman's cuts were on her back. Kokata expected some of them might have bits of arrowheads in them.

"Yes, please," whispered the woman, shy as a teen.

---==(o)==---

Its heart sang with joy. Its beautiful man had cleaned its wounds.

He had thanked it. He had blessed its arrival.

They would be so happy together.

He had talked to it as naturally as no other ever had. It hadn't heard half his words for the pounding of its heart. He had asked questions too. He had asked how it had come to be where it was, in a position to save his life.

"Seers," it had replied.

He was so natural when talking to it, but it was so very shy around him. It hadn't expected to be shy. When it had fantasised of meeting him it had imagined to talk and talk. The way it had turned out was fine too, though. It liked to listen to his voice. It liked to be soothed and comforted by him.

He had said that 'Valo', the moth-man, had been sent by a seer too.

Since it had first seen the drawings of him, it had imagined that they would be just the two of them: it and him. But, it could tolerate him having a friend. Especially a friend who seemed intent to help it protect its precious man.

Moths were weak, but they had good eyes to keep guard. At least at night. If the moth guarded at night, that would leave it and Black free to...

It shivered.

Black and Dark.

Dark and Black.

It loved the name he had given it.

It circled the trunk just enough to get the termites into line of sight.

When it had offered to find out where the termites had gone, Black had told it only to watch. He had said something about their assault having been a mistake. He had spent many words on saying that. It had admired the movements of his lips, and his voice, and his legs.

Most of his words it hadn't caught on to, being so busy admiring him and being happy. That didn't matter much. They would have plenty of time to exchange new words.

Mistake. That word it did remember. That word was very to the point. The termites had made a huge mistake in attacking its man.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

It smiled. Black had said something about waiting before leaving. While Black was waiting, it would entertain itself with the termites. Its man needn't know. That he worried for it enough to tell it not to attack, was very romantic, but was also very silly.

It was in no danger.

The termites were.

---==(o)==---

"Zoa, I have its blood." It was Keme's voice.

"Fine," said Zoa, not taking her eyes of the wound she was sowing together. Whether or not their crazy mission had been a success was the last thing on her mind.

"As soon as you're done with that guy's wound you are leaving with me," said Keme. "We'll bring the blood to safety."

"No," said Zoa, pulling the hard string and knotting it.

"We can't stay here, the monster will come after us," snarled Keme. "We are too few to kill it."

"I, and Kamilla, and Jabet, will stay and protect the wounded," said Zoa, and stuck the needle into the edge of the wound. "Lay still please, Kismal. I know it hurts, but you have to be brave a little longer."

"You are the best shooter we have, you are not sacrificing yourself," snarled Keme.

"Leave, Keme," said Zoa. "I'm not going and you can't force me to."

A hand grabbed the neck-string of Zoa's shirt and pulled her to her feet. Zoa spun, her knife already in her hand.

"You can't force me to go," said Zoa calmly, pressing her knife against Keme's throat. "But you can force me to kill you."

"Don't be an idiot," snarled Keme, still holding on to the neck-string of her shirt. "Anyone who stays behind will die. The monster will live to see another day."

Zoa said nothing and kept her knife where it was.

"Fool," hissed Keme and let go.

---==(o)==---

Lei had a horrible headache and her eyes hurt even worse than her head. The day was as bright as summer. But she was finally home. There was the hive. As light worn as her eyes were it looked more like a big blurry square than a home, but there it was. Lei landed on the ledge and rushed inside where it was nice and dark.

"Black," she called. "I'm home."

"He just left," said a man's voice.

Lei spun to the sound of the voice and grabbed her bow and an arrow.

"What did you do to him?" she accused, aiming at his chest.

"I didn't do anything to him." The man raised his unarmed hands in front of him, displaying his empty palms. "He went off to feed. He promised not to go further than he could hear me yell."

"Black," screamed Lei. "Black!"

"Do you really think I would hurt you, Lei?"

"Stay right where you are, father," snarled Lei, keeping her aim exact.

A thump on the ledge assured her that Black was alive and well.

"Black," she yelled. "I'm in here."

Her beloved came inside.

"This is my man, father," snarled Lei at her father, nodding her head toward Black. "He is wonderful and strong, and I love him. And if you so much as glance at him the wrong way, I will kill you."

"Lower your bow, Lei," ordered her father, still keeping his hands where they were.

"What took you so long?" asked Black, already behind her, and snuck his legs around her for a hug.

Lei shook off his touch.

"Don't disrupt my aim," she snapped. "Take his bow."

"If your father wanted me dead, he would have already killed me," soothed Black and kissed the back of her neck.

"Son," said Lei's father, speaking very slowly, "please don't distract her while she is aiming an arrow at my heart."

---==(o)==---

"Gather closer," yelled Zoa, her bow aimlessly raised to the growth of forest bed greenery around them. "Everybody get as close to the center as possible. Pull the ones that can't move themselves."

Zoa could still fly, but there was no point in shooting from above. The thing's plating was too thick. She needed to get an arrow into its eyes, or neck, or maybe even its underbelly.

Someone screamed and Zoa turned in time to see the monster disappear into the undergrowth. Screams faded off in the direction the monster had vanished. It had taken another one.

"Gather closer," yelled Zoa and let go off her bow to help pull the wounded to one spot. The monster wasn't likely to return as long as the far off screams persisted. That was how it had been this far.

"Don't leave us," begged a wounded, young courier, and grabbed on to Zoa's wrist. "Don't leave us."

Zoa wrestled her hand free. "I'm not going anywhere," she said, and ran to pull in another of those who was too wounded to crawl. The screams still sounded in the distance.

Zoa was the only one who could leave, she was the only one who could fly. The first time the monster had taken one alive, Kamilla and Jabet had followed the screams. Shortly after, their screams had joined those of the first. Zoa hadn't followed.

The only chance for anyone was together.

Zoa hated herself for wishing the tortured screams to continue a while longer.

She wished, more than ever before, that they hadn't been too late that first time. If only she had been there when the monster had attacked Keme's family. Zoa couldn't imagine what fluke could have allowed her arrow to kill it back then, but she wished with all her heart that she had been there to fulfil Evelin's first prophecy.

"Closer," yelled Zoa, and released the courier she had been dragging

She pushed the hilt of a sword to a courier's termite-arms --he had has his wings cut off and his man arms cut open. "If it wants to take you, it will have to pass through all our blades," she comforted and closed his termite-arms around the hilt.

Zoa took a spear and handed it to one who only had leg injuries.

"Hold this just a bit above horizontal," she instructed. "If it wants you, it will have to run into this first."

The distant screams ceased.

Zoa raised her bow to the undergrowth.

The thing was faster than Zoa could ever have imagined. Back at the hive, they had all been aiming their bows at it. It hadn't even seen them before they, as one, had released their arrows.

Only then had it raised its face. And then...

Zoa was shaking, the head of her arrow vibrated. It didn't matter, though. She didn't need to aim. There was no point in aiming. A fluke hit was the only way to hit. The monster had faced them, and then, so fast that she hadn't been able to see the movement, it had had its plated back to their arrows.

It had taken two rounds of arrows, standing like that. Maybe the first it hadn't been able to move out of, but the second had obviously been intentional. It was as if it had wanted them to see how impossible it would be for them to harm it.

And then it had jumped away.

Zoa forced herself not to realise that she was already dead, forced herself not to think that those who were with her were all already dead.

There had to be hope. There had to be a way.

She wanted to lift off the ground and scout for the thing, but if she did, she'd miss the chance to shoot it. That tiny chance to shoot it.

Someone screamed. Zoa spun in time to catch a glimpse of a scarred, black, backside of a spider. It had taken one of the wounded who had not yet been pulled into the tight center.

The screams became distant in almost no time. Zoa knew the name of the girl it had taken. Zoa knew the names of all of them. The ones who were dead, the ones who were still here, and the ones who had been well enough to flee with Keme.

"Look for the scars," Vumanesco had said.

Tears were rolling from Zoa's eyes. She had been looking. She had been looking all she could. And yet it had taken another.

"Pull in the wounded," yelled Zoa.

All of them were wounded, except her.

"Don't leave us, Zoa," pleaded the young one from before. "Don't leave us."

Zoa dropped her bow and helped pull in the last of those who couldn't crawl.

She hated herself for wishing the distant screams to continue longer.

This time they did last longer. This time they lasted long enough for Zoa to wish they would silence.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei. 



Moth Ch. 033



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

"Are you sure your new friend is fine?" asked his Lei. Even though she hadn't yet seen the spider-woman there was concern in her voice.

"I didn't expect her to be gone this long," said Kokata.

The sun had set and the sky was greying over.

"I can go look for her," offered his Lei.

"No," snarled Kokata, holding a leg out between Lei and the open air next to the ledge. "If she is safe she is safe, if she isn't she is dead."

It wouldn't be safe for his Lei to scout for the termites, she wasn't fast enough, she wasn't good enough at hiding, and she had no plating to offer the termites' arrows. Kokata could have gone himself, but he couldn't leave his Lei's side. Not with possible danger so close.

"We will wait a while longer," snarled Kokata for his insecurity and fear not to show.

---==(o)==---

"Are you all out of screams?" it asked, cutting a fresh line in the girl's skin.

The termite made no sound. Her pretty eyes were vacant as if she weren't there, but Death hadn't touched her yet.

It sighed.

The termite girl had gone numb. That happened sometimes after hours of torture.

It wasn't hungry so it just opened the termite's jugular and let the blood run.

"It's over now," said Death to the girl, his voice as gentle as ever, and softly caressed her cheek.

It turned from them, disinterested in that which was no more. It had enjoyed itself. It always took great pleasure in torturing pretty girls.

The leaves above rustled between it and the black sky. The glimpses of black reminded it of its man.

Black.

It sighed happily.

Night? It was night?

How long had it been playing with the termite girl?

It hadn't meant to be away from its man for this long. It looked down itself. It was as blood-smeared as it had been before he had helped it clean up. He would know that it had played with the termites in spite of his order not to.

It whined with distress. It would have to clean up before returning to its man.

---==(o)==---

Valo paced the branch, shooting glances in all directions. It was his turn to stand guard. Termites weren't likely to attack in the night. Considering the massacre they had endured they weren't likely to return at all. Not without heavy reinforcements. But there was no reason to take chances. 

He glanced to his daughter and her spider. His little girl was resting against the spider's body, caressing his legs with her hands.

Valo shook his head.

Back when he had thought that maybe his little girl was still alive, he had grown accustomed to the thought that she might birth abominations for being with a butterfly. But seeing her rest in the arms, or rather legs, of an abomination would take some getting used to.

Great love.

Valo had no choice but to get used to it. The two could not be separated. The old blind seer, the healer Kuruma, had told him what would happen to his daughter if the spider died. Valo would guard him with his life.

Below, the other spider landed on the hive's ledge.

"She's back," called Valo. Relieved by the sight.

Finally they could pick up their long since packed bags and get going.

His daughter and son rose. Black was the first to reach the ledge and 'his new friend'.

"Dark," snarled Black. "What took you so long. We've been worried."

'Dark' ducked, submissively lowering herself to the ledge. Valo wasn't too fond of this 'new friend'. From what he had overheard his son telling his daughter, this 'new friend' was the one who had been cutting off termite wings and heads.

During the battle itself, Valo hadn't realised there were two spiders fighting and had thought Black had been the source of the massacre. From what he had overheard, Black, like himself, had spared as many lives as he could. 'Dark' had not.

The submissive spider-woman muttered something, Valo couldn't hear what.

"You're right to be sorry," snarled his son, at the spider-woman. "We could have left long ago if we didn't have to wait for you."

"Don't scold her like that," said Valo's daughter, who had just landed on the ledge.

Valo didn't like the look on the spider-woman's face as she raised it and stared at his little girl.

His daughter reached out an arm and placed her hand on her lover's neck.

"She saved your life," reminded Valo's daughter and fondled the back of her man's neck.

Valo didn't at all like the grimace that the spider-woman's scarred face was distorting into. His daughter and his son didn't see it. They only had eyes for each other.

"GET YOUR HANDS OF MY MAN," screamed the spider-woman and charged Valo's daughter.

Valo laid an arrow to his bow and aimed at the three-voiced, screaming, bundle of black spiders and white moth. It was moving too fast, spinning too fast. If he fired he might as easily hit his daughter as any of the spiders.

"Lei," screamed Valo, mixing his voice with theirs.

"He's mine," sounded the mad spider-woman's voice, louder than any others. "He's mine. Mine!"

---==(o)==---

Zoa was weeping but had no time to wipe her tears. When the girl's distant screams had finally ceased, she had dropped her work and gone back to her tightly packed, wounded comrades. But after a while, she had dared to leave the protection of their united blades. The more undergrowth she could burn away, the safer the rest of them would be.

She was the only one who had no injuries, she was the only one who could do it without opening closed wounds.

Zoa lowered her ember and pressed it to the stem of a plant. The fire caught on too well. Instead of felling the plant it set it aflame. Zoa put her emberstick into her termite arms and her wet blanket into her man arms, and carefully studied the fire. She couldn't allow it to run wild or the wounded would die.

With every breath, with every beat of her heart, she was aware that she, separated from her comrades, would be next. As soon as the monster returned it would take her, and she would be the one screaming in the distance.

Zoa wept and with her ember felled another plant while still keeping watch over the burning one. Her instinct was screaming at her to get back behind her comrades' blades.

---==(o)==---

Kokata jumped from branch to branch, chasing the fleeing spider-woman. He would kill her. He would cut her to tiny pieces. While he was still mid-air, the other spider landed on a trunk and skittered around it, out of his sight. Kokata jumped to where he had last seen her, and skittered around the trunk.

She was nowhere to be seen.

Kokata heaved for air, while trying to look everywhere at once.

"Where are you?" he screamed, not expecting an answer.

"Come and get me," yelled the mad woman and laughed as if they were playing a game.

---==(o)==---

"Dear life," whispered Valo, tending to the bloody bundle that was his daughter. "Dear life. Dear life. Please."

"Black," whispered his daughter, her eyes fluttering.

"Black is fine," claimed Valo. "He will be back any moment now. Any moment, you'll see." Valo hoped his words would come true.

His daughter slipped back into unconsciousness. Valo let her. He needed her to be still.

He washed the blood of one cut after the other. Every time revealing an injury far lesser than he had feared.

Valo blessed his son's swift reflexes. His daughter had lost her wings, but the rest of her would live to tell the tale.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei. 



Moth Ch. 034



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

"Where do I deliver the dress and the jewellery afterward?" asked Zoa, looking at the reflection of herself, and the tailor, and the ceremonial advisor. There was plenty room for all of them in the mirror. It filled nearly half a wall.

"You don't do that, darling," said the ceremonial advisor with a smile. "It's yours. Call it an unofficial gift."

Zoa wanted to smile gratefully at the woman, but she was still having trouble making that expression. Her body hadn't been wounded in that forest, but something inside her had been torn apart.

"Thank you," said Zoa.

"Have you figured out what request to make to the Emperor, darling?"

"I have thought of something," admitted Zoa. "But, I don't know if it is appropriate."

"You can whisper it to me," said the ceremonial advisor, and leaned her ear to Zoa's mouth.

Zoa whispered and the advisor listened.

"That is an unusual request," whispered back the advisor. "You'll need to give me time to think."

Zoa nodded. She guessed that 'time to think' meant time to ask someone higher up whether the Emperor should come face to face with such a request in public.

"Now, let's rehearse and see how well you bow and kneel while wearing a dress," said the smiling advisor, clapping her hands.

Zoa withheld a sigh and demonstrated her bow, and her kneel, and her bowing kneel. The ceremonial advisor always smiled and was always friendly, but she was as merciless as any flight drill master. Through the last days Zoa had 'rehearsed' her legs sore and her knees blue.

"Very nice," praised the advisor. "You're becoming very graceful. Now, let me see it again."


Her ceremonial advisor only made her rehearse for an hour before sending her off with instructions not to tire her legs and to do get a good night's sleep. Zoa promised to do her best to both ends.

She was looking forward to the ceremony. Not for the reasons a child would dream of being awarded by the Emperor himself, but because that, maybe, afterwards, she would feel that she had made the right decisions.

After redressing to her simple courier clothes, Zoa went straight to the military center her courier center was attached to.


"Brave Zoa," greeted the officer who had military command of the monster-hunt.

"Sir," greeted Zoa. Couriers, as such, were deemed civilians, and didn't perform military salutes.

"Speak the talk but can't walk the walk," commented the officer, who wore scars as his only medals of recommendation. "Have you considered a military career once your wings dry out?"

"I have considered many careers, Sir," said Zoa.

"You're too good at this to take another path," said the officer, "but there is no harm in dreaming of a better life."

Zoa said nothing.

"The blood preserved well," informed the officer, finally moving to the matter at hand. "It still provides a clear connection to our tracksters." Only Zoa and the officer were present. Otherwise he wouldn't have used the unofficial, derogatory term, for the half-sighted seers the military had at its disposal. "All of them are still depicting the same route for the monster's travel."

"There's no sign of interference then?" asked Zoa.

"Not yet."

"Any word on whether or not the first traps had any effect?"

The officer shook his head. "The spider is still alive and it is still on the same route, that's all I can tell you. From the blood, the tracksters can tell us where the spider is and where it is headed. Don't expect more than that from military seers, Zoa."

"I understand, Sir."

"The real seers are being cuddled and spoiled like larvas. We won't be getting access to one of those unless they ask to be accessed."

"I understand, Sir," said Zoa.

"Don't let it get to you," warned the officer, who seemed to have a hard time not letting it get to himself. "Or you'll end up where your friend Keme is."

Zoa said nothing. Keme was not her friend and she didn't feel a loss for him being detained for a few months. The world was likely a safer place with Keme locked in a cell. She had good reason to believe he had known how many lives the sample of monster-blood would cost them. There had been plenty signs that Vumanesco had told Keme more than the madman had shared.

The officer again shook his head.

"How did that kid get it into his head to seek out the seer Evelin? Didn't he know that the child is under the Emperor's protection?"

"He knew, Sir."

"Then why did he keep trying?"

"He is mad, Sir," informed Zoa.



---==(o)==---



"Evelin," whispered Keme, staring into the darkness of his cell. "I know you can hear me, Evelin. You can hear everything, can't you, sweet, little, Evelin. I'll be coming out in a few months. And you can figure out a way to get out too. Can't you, Evelin?

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"A little chain is no real obstacle to the world's greatest seer, is it? You'll figure out how to free yourself. Then we can meet. I will pick you a flower, Evelin. You want to see me. You know you do.

"You remember how pretty I was. Don't you, Evelin?

"You will tell me what I want to know and I will give you a hug."

Keme had been whispering to Evelin ever since he was put into this cell, and he would keep whispering till he got out. If he couldn't get to Evelin, then Evelin would have to get to him.



---==(o)==---



Zoa slept well the night before the day of the ceremony. She expected that the 'special tea' her ceremonial advisor had given her had had a part in that. If it had, she was grateful, she was happier to face the Emperor without purple depths under her eyes.

The ceremonial introduction took her breath away. Even sooner than she came face to face with the Emperor himself, Zoa felt cleansed. She really had done the best she could do under the circumstances she had been in. She had saved many lives and needn't spend the rest of her life burdened with guilt and shame for those she hadn't been able to save.

Zoa knelt that final time and raised her face to her Emperor. With the strangest mix of pride and humility in her heart, she listened to his praise of her. His voice was majestic, calm, and fatherly.

He placed around her neck a medal of gold, and Zoa held her breath at the proximity of his hands.

"What will you ask of your Emperor, young hero?" he asked, his eyes locked to hers.

For a moment Zoa couldn't remember what she had meant to ask. It had been something important. Her ceremonial advisor had agreed to the question and had helped her rephrase it. It was...

"I humbly ask a privilege far beyond me," said Zoa, the words coming back to her only as she spoke them, "I ask for access to my Emperor's library, I ask for the assistance of my Emperor's librarians in my fight against the abomination."

"You could ask for gold, jewels, or land," said the Emperor. "Instead you selflessly request Our aid in your fight against evil." The Emperor paused. Zoa felt like she was falling up into his eyes. Gone was all the pomp and the ministers and officials with their silk, gold, and jewels. There was only Him in all his might, and her awaiting his word.

"We will grant your request, young hero."



---==(o)==---



"You will come to me, Evelin," whispered Keme to the darkness of his cell. "You know where, you know when." He was hoarse from whispering every waking hour.



---==(o)==---



"Evelin, come on out. It's time for breakfast," he called, putting the trey onto the floor. The child had always refused to eat at tables. "Evelin, you can go back into the closet after you've eaten."

There was no sound from the closet. No, complaints. No humming. No singing. Evelin had been dead quiet since he got up.

"Evelin?"

The chain sticking out of the closet didn't even rattle.

"Toot toot has food for you," he called. "Toot toot. Toot toot."

No giggles. No nothing.

"Evelin!" he commanded, his voice stern. Fear was gathering in his stomach. When he had made her bed it had been cold. She had been up far earlier than he. "Get out here right now, young lady."

Nothing.

"If you don't come out right now, I'm coming in to get you!" More than a year had passed since he had last opened the closet while she was in it. Any threat of doing it, usually caused hysterical shrieks of anger.

There was no sound.

"I warned you," he said, slowly walking to the closet. His stomach was an uneasy stone of anxiety.

He reached the closet and pulled its doors open.

Evelin wasn't there. The chain's ending, the tiny ankle cuff, lay alone and open in the bottom of the closet.

"Evelin," he whispered, and turned his eyes to the front door. The key was in it. It shouldn't be, but it was. "No, Evelin. No."

He ran to the door. It was unlocked. He ran outside. First he ran to the pond, fearing to find her drowned. Then he forced himself to run back and raise a courier flag. Then he ran on, screaming the child's name.

He found her laying on a leaf not far from home. She was writhing with the sight. Evelin couldn't be outside, even the wind gave her connections.

"Evelin," he wept, and lifted her off the ground. He brushed dirt and debris of her, and dried mud off her feet, all to remove physical connections.

"Toot toot," whispered Evelin, her writhing lessening with his efforts.

"Where have you been," he wept, still drying mud off her feet.

"I don't remember," wept Evelin, sounding like the little girl she was.

He took off his coat-like outer shirt and wrapped it around her to spare her from visions of wind and sunlight.

"I think I did something very bad," wept the child. "But I don't remember what it was."

"You'd never do anything bad," he comforted and carried her back to their home.

"I did," wept Evelin. "I know I did."


*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 035



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

"You must be the young hero," said the librarian, but made no other move to greet her.

"I am Zoa," said Zoa.

"You can wash in there." The librarian pointed. "I have laid out white visitor's robes and slippers for you."

Zoa glanced in the direction the librarian pointed. The squarish building did look like a bath house.

"I washed before I left the city," informed Zoa, turning her eyes back to the librarian.

"Now, you will wash again," insisted the librarian. "As will I for having waited for you out here. Make sure to leave your own clothing in the box I have laid out to you for that purpose."

Zoe eyed the librarian. His purple robes were spotless. The edges on them were as white and clean as fresh snow.

"Will you wash or will you leave?" asked the librarian.

"I'll wash," said Zoa, gritting her teeth. She'd do as told even if the old pervert should insist on soaping her breasts. She needed his assistance.

"Go then," said the librarian and turned to walk in the opposite direction.

Confused, Zoa gazed after him till he entered a squarish building identical to the one he had indicated to her. If his intention hadn't been to see her naked, she just didn't get it.

Zoa shook her head and walked to the bathhouse.

Inside she was greeted by a small girl wearing grey, white-edged, robes. The child said she was there to assist. Zoa raised her eye-brows but didn't object.

"We have tubs, and showers, and buckets too," listed the extremely clean child.

"Showers?" asked Zoa.

"Water that falls like heavy rain or a light waterfall," explained the girl. "It is very efficient."

"I don't need help undressing," said Zoa, and started taking off her courier clothing.

"Oh thank you," said the child, sounding as relieved as Zoa would if she, on sanitary duty, was told that she didn't need to help empty the latrines.

"Where is that box for my clothes?" asked Zoa when her clothes were in a neat pile.

"Over there." The child pointed. "I can do it for you if you like." There was hesitation in the child's voice as if she really didn't want to perform that task. In her hands she held a mop. While Zoa had undressed the child had washed the, already spotless floor, between the entrance and where Zoa was.

"I'll do it," said Zoa, wondering about the fuss. Her boots had been clean, she hadn't left footprints on the floor.

Zoa put her clothes in the box.

The child put a lid on the box. Zoa could have sworn she heard the little girl breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe the whole washing thing wasn't a matter of old perverts getting a chance to sneak-peak at young women.

Zoa chose the tub option, and the child brought her a variety of soap and a mountain of white towels.

"Should I hurry?" asked Zoa, not knowing how long the librarian would take to get ready.

"Please take your time," urged the child. "I'll make sure the next tub is warm for you when you're done with this one."

"The next tub?" asked Zoa, already in the tub, and leaned back with a smile. This washing thing was becoming more an unexpected luxury than an unexpected inconvenience.

"I'll prepare as many tubs for you as you'd like," said the child. "Please use at least two."

"If it makes you happy," said Zoa, and sunk into the pleasantly warm water till it reached her chin.

When she left the bathhouse and again met up with the librarian from before, Zoa was cleaner than a snowflake. Her visitor's robes were as white as one.

The fourth time the librarian stopped for the two of them to change to clean slippers, Zoa was starting to wonder if they would reach the library itself before having to camp for the night. Not that she would know it if night arrived. There were no windows. Their path was lighted by smokeless bright-glows.

"Here it is," said the librarian, when they stood at a new door. "The library."

He unlocked the door, pushed it open, and let her in.

Zoa stepped in, looked around, then gawked around.

"The sheets really are made of gold," she whispered. That was one legend she had never believed.

"Of course they are," said the librarian. "Anything else would decay too fast."

All around them were shelves from floor to ceiling. Each shelf was marked with a tiny titled gold plate, and in each shelf lay a sheet of gold.

Between the rows of shelves, was a path large enough for four termites to walk side by side and it reached far.

"This is but one of a hundred entrances to the library," said the librarian. "This is but one of thousands of rooms in it."

Zoa swallowed. She hadn't known there was so much gold in the world. Nor so much knowledge to put onto sheets.

"Follow me," instructed the librarian, as if Zoa would even dream of doing anything else. "You have come to learn of the spiders."

"I have come to learn how to kill a spider with mind," corrected Zoa.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"As I said," insisted the librarian. "Spiders, not spider-beasts. It has been seventy years since last a spider went on a killing spree within the Empire."

Zoa gawked at the librarian.

"It has happened before?" she asked.

"Just about everything has happened before," said the librarian. "And just about everything will happen again. That is why history is so important."

Zoa had no clue how to respond and remained quiet.

"Only five-hundred years ago, spiders were common. They were respectfully referred to as those favoured by Death. Although few of them were seers, it was said that they could all see him.

"In their own bodies, the spiders had all they needed. They had no need for tools, homes, clothes, or blankets, and had no desire for jewellery or gold. They formed no villages or clusters of their own, but often lived near the villages of people of other kinds, alone or as small families.

"Five hundred years ago, spiders were said to be kind and gentle people, who would often lend their strength to their weaker neighbours."

The librarian glanced at Zoa, whose forehead had furrowed. His description didn't match the monster she had encountered.

"This library contains countless recounts of spiders lessening the impact of draughts and plagues by coming to the aid of moth, butterfly, beetle, and termite," he said, and waved his arms out at the shelves. "They are not born evil, young hero."

"Whatever he was when he was born," replied Zoa calmly. "He is evil now."

"And not the first to end up that way," agreed the librarian, then resumed his narrative, still leading Zoa through large rooms filled with shelves. "The beginning to the end of their unique culture came with the spring of four-hundred and eighty-one years ago. Without warning from neither word nor seer, a single spider attacked the Emperor's palace. He fought his way from outer wall to innermost sanctum leaving a trail of corpses behind him.

"He found the sixteenth Emperor in his children's quarters and with no word of explanation cut him into seventeen pieces. Then the spider laid himself down and allowed the Emperor's guards to kill him."

"You can't be serious," said Zoa.

"I do not jest with facts of history," said the librarian. "The sixteenth Emperor was slain by a spider. No one ever found out what the spider's motive had been, nor even his name."

"Dear life," whispered Zoa.

"The seventeenth Emperor, who was anointed emperor a mere month after witnessing his father's brutal demise, made a decree that spiders were abominable creatures and declared that they should all be slain. He was nine years old the day he was anointed, and ruled till his death at the late age of ninety-two.

"The eighteenth Emperor continued his work till the spiders were eradicated and made law that spiders born from crossbreeding were to be buried or burned as stillborns."

The librarian turned down a row of shelves. "I've set you up a studying table down here, young hero. If you can't read, I can."

"I can read," assured Zoa.

"The twentieth Emperor undid the law for spiders to be killed at birth, but the change was of little consequence. You see, spiders are rarely the outcome of crossbreeding at all and are never the outcome when one of the parents is a termite."

Zoa did see. Most crossbreeding included a termite as the one part, since termites were more open-minded on the matter. And, in forests, were termites were fewer, Zoa expected that most abominations were slain at birth no matter the word of the Emperor's law.

"I guess," the librarian used great emphasis on the word 'guess' as if afraid that Zoa might miss it, "that most of those very few spiders that do live to adulthood, crawl away and lead their lives in complete solitude. But, whether that is true or not, it is fact that sometimes, decades apart, a murderous spider appears and spreads terror till it is slain."

"Do the records state how those where slain?" asked Zoa. "In detail?"

"In some cases I guess they do," said the librarian again putting great emphasis on 'guess', "I haven't yet studied those that thoroughly. Here is your table, young hero."

"Oh," said Zoa, studying the strange reading table. There was soft pens and piles of white sheet to one side on the table, and a large glass box on the other.

"Gold sheets are for records, white sheets are for notes," chuckled the librarian and pulled out the chair. "Please be seated."

Zoa seated herself.

The librarian fetched a flat plate from the bottom of a shelf, wiped the already perfectly clean plate on both sides with a thin white towel, and inspected the towel.

"The fight against dust is hard and eternal," he said.

"You seem to be on the winning side," commented Zoa, who hadn't seen a speck of dust anywhere in the library.

"We never relent," said the librarian, took his plate to a shelf and pushed it under a gold sheet. He carried both to Zoa's table, pushed it into the glassbox, and sealed the box.

"You may touch the glass, but you may not touch the gold," he instructed.

Zoa eyed the gold sheet. On it was carved diagrams of a spider's body seen from several sides, arrows pointed to specific spots. The weak spots, guessed Zoa.

"You will not need to study the records of single murderous spiders to learn how to slay the one you are after," said the librarian. "Exterminating the spiders in the first place was far from easy. Their speed is uncanny and their armour is thick."

Zoa nodded, she had seen that with her own eyes.

"The seventeenth Emperor had to find ways to kill them before he could. Every method, every weapon, and every strategy his experts discovered and put to use, is stored here," said the librarian. "You will find more than you need to slay but one."

"Thank you," said Zoa, keeping her eyes on the diagram.

"You referred to your monster as he. Are you sure it is a man?"

"Fairly sure," said Zoa. "I've been told it has a man's voice."

"Let's hope it is a he."

"Why?" asked Zoa.

"The records state that spider-women are faster and stronger than the spider-men."

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 036



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

"We didn't escape her this time either, did we?" asked his Lei.

"No," admitted Kokata.

His Lei, still in his hold, reached up a hand to his face. Kokata raised himself out of her reach.

"Don't touch me," he snarled.

Whenever his Lei touched him, Dark attacked shortly after. Mostly to cut his Lei.

"Don't let her get between us," begged his Lei and continued to reach.

"I need a rest," snarled Kokata and threw his woman to the ground. As long as he didn't treat his Lei as his woman, as long as he didn't show affection, or allow her to show affection back, Dark left them be.

"I'll kill her," said his Lei. Holding on to her bow.

"You can't," snarled Kokata. "You're weak."

"I don't care if I can't, that won't stop me from doing it."

"Pathetic fool," snarled Kokata. The meaner he was, the safer she would be. "You can't even fly anymore."

His Lei rose to her feet. Without her wings she looked more like Death than like a moth, except that she was heart-strikingly feminine.

"I don't need wings to kill," she said, raising her chin.

The worse off they were, the more drained, hungry, and exhausted they were, the harder shone her strength and pride. Kokata wanted to weep in her arms. He couldn't protect her.

"Don't you get it?" he snarled. "She is toying with us. She can kill us any time she wants to."

"If she had any wits whatsoever, she would have done it long ago," said his Lei. "Her stupidity will be her undoing. That, and me."

Kokata wanted to tell her not to provoke Dark, but it was too late. She was on them like a black storm. She took Lei.

Kokata wasted no air on screaming, he just chased after them.

He moved as fast as he could. Dark wasn't trying to hide, she just moved straight ahead, jump after jump. The distance between him and them grew with every one.

Kokata's insides were an empty hole. This time Dark would go through with it. This time she would kill his Lei. She was done playing.

They were further and further ahead.

Kokata jumped as far and fast as his legs were able. He was slow. He was exhausted. His legs wouldn't move as fast as he told them to.

They were so far ahead that they were just a small moving dot.

Kokata jumped again and flew through the air. He was fully aware that some of his legtips had slipped at the set off. He wouldn't get within reach of the branch he had aimed for.

If he died, no one could help his Lei. He released silk as fast as the wind of his jump would tear it out of him. He was too far from the ground to survive a fall and too close to it to release enough silk to properly slow his fall.

Kokata couldn't tell whether or not he would survive. He curled himself into a ball and hit the forest bed.



---==(o)==---



The mad spider-woman landed on the forest-bed and threw Lei through the air. Lei's side hit the ground and send her into a sideways roll. Even while rolling she grabbed an arrow, but the spider gave her no time to put it to her bow.

The spider jumped to where she was and in one motion grabbed hold of all her limbs and spread them out. The act was so similar to something Black would do when they were playing, that for a split second, Lei expected to see his face upon looking up.

For that split second, everything bad that had happened was just a dream, and Black and her happily, safely, together was real.

But then she looked up and saw Dark's scarred face.

"So you will kill me?" asked the spider-woman and laughed.

"I will," stated Lei, glaring into the mad-woman's eyes. "You have my word."

The spider-woman laughed again.

"You know, you are really, really, pretty," said the mad spider.

Lei tightened her hands into even tighter fists. In one she held an arrow, in the other her bow.

"I like pretty girls. Pretty girls make such pretty screams."

A sharp pain hit one of Lei's upper thighs, and she bit her teeth hard together not to scream.

"You won't scream for me, pretty girl? How will he find us again if you don't scream?"

Another sharp pain hit. Lei held her breath till the need to scream passed.

"You can't have him," hissed Lei through gritted teeth. "He's mine."

"You're wrong," said Dark. "He was yours once. But then he met me, and I've changed everything."

"You've changed nothing," yelled Lei.

"He named me," whispered Dark. "That makes me his. If I am his then he is mine. He just needs a little time to understand it. Men can be so dense, don't you think?"

"You're mad."

"Everybody goes a little mad when they are in love." The spider picked up Lei and threw her across the ground. Sadly she threw her face first, so Lei couldn't shoot while flying through the air. As soon as she landed the mad-woman was upon her again.

"He gets so sad when I cut you," whispered Dark, into Lei's left ear, while pressing her to the ground, front down. "I don't like when he is sad. That's because I love him, isn't it?"

"I'm going to kill you," hissed Lei, spitting out forest soil.

"No you aren't," stated Dark. "You can't. You are weak and slow."

The spider pulled her onto a wide rock and again spread out her limbs.

"I'll kill you," insisted Lei, with one hand clinging on to her bow, with the other clinging on to her arrow.

"Your back looks so bare without wings." Dark ran a soft legtip down Lei's spine. "Moths have so much soft skin. No armour anywhere. You remind me of Death. No armour. No wings. Would you like to be with Death, pretty girl? Oh look, he is here."

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

The spider raised Lei's face and pointed it forward and sideways. It hurt nastily and for a second Lei thought the spider had broken her neck. It was only for the not dying part that Lei understood she hadn't.

"Don't you wanna play before you kill me?" snarled Lei, not to have her head torn off.

"Yes. Yes. I want to play. You can't have her yet. You will have to wait till I am done with her."

The spider-woman released Lei's head and her chin banged hard down on the rock. Lei gritted her aching teeth not to make an exclamation of pain. Dark would take pleasure in listening; Lei wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

Dark webbed her hands and feet to the rock.

"The skin on your back is so perfect. So soft and white." Dark tore her shirt to pieces baring all her back.

Lei held on to her arrow in one hand and her bow in the other.

"Sometimes the anticipation is the best part," said Dark, and ran a soft legtip across Lei's back.

"Don't," sounded Black's voice. "Please don't."

Lei's head was pulled back and she felt a sharp edge against her throat.

"Dark, please wait a moment," sounded Black's voice.

Something lashed Lei's back and she held her breath not to make a sound.

"If you harm her we can't have a relationship," said Black. "Don't you see that?"

"YOU'RE MINE," screamed the spider-woman from behind Lei.

"I can only be yours if you don't harm my friends, Dark. You see that don't you?"

"If you try to stop me I will kill her," snarled the spider-woman.

"I want to be with you, you stupid woman," snarled Black right back at her.

"You do?"

"Of course I do," snarled Black. "You're just like me. Except I don't treat your friends badly."

Lei was bleeding from her forehead into her eyes, and blinked to keep her vision clear. She wasn't sure what Black was trying to do. He sounded exactly like he did when she and he were having a fight.

"I don't have any friends," said the mad spider.

"I do," snarled Black.

"But you're treating her like a lover," whined the mad spider.

"I was lonely," snarled Black. "And so was she. So we've been helping each other out. You don't really think I still want her now that you are around. Do you?"

"It makes me so angry when she touches you," whined Dark. "It hurts inside and I get so angry."

"If you hadn't kept trying to hurt her, I wouldn't have had to keep carrying her around and comforting her," snarled Black. "I've done nothing more than what you have forced me to. Please don't force me to avenge her too. It'd break my heart if I had to kill you, Dark."

"I don't understand," whined Dark. "Why can't we just kill her?"

"It's a man thing," snarled Black. "She was my friend when I was alone, now it's my duty to protect her while she lives and avenge her if she dies. Men do that."

"But I want her to be dead," complained Dark, taking the sharp edge away from Lei's throat.

"You can't have everything, Dark," snarled Black. "Sometimes you have to choose. Right now you have to choose whether you want to make love to me, or kill her."

"Make love to you?"

"I'm all wound up, Dark," snarled Black. "I need release. Whether I'll get that from sex or from mortal combat is all up to you. No more games. Make up your mind."

Lei lay absolutely still. She had never thought Black to be so devious. He would seduce a woman to get a chance to kill her? It was a wrong thing to do, but Lei made no move to interfere. If Dark slit her throat then the baby inside her would die. Even worse, Black would fight to the death and lose.

Lei could die for her principles, but she couldn't let Black die for them, nor her unborn child.

A sharp pain hit Lei's back. This time it caught her by surprise and she screamed.

"Last chance, Dark," snarled Black. "You cut her one more time and its over. All over."

The mad spider wailed long and loud.

For a moment a mad smile spread across Lei's face. For a moment she thought Black had managed to wound Dark deeply. But, only for a moment.

"YOU'RE LYING TO ME," screamed the spider and started weeping. "I wan't you," sobbed Dark. "But you don't want me."

"Try me," snarled Black. "You've got nothing to lose."

"But you don't want me," sobbed the woman, and staggered into Lei's line of sight. "Why don't you want me?"

"Women," snarled Black. "All weeping and moaning and whining. I've got a hard-on the size of a tree-trunk. Doesn't that count for anything?"

"You do?" asked Dark.

"Of course I do," snarled Black.

Lei forced herself not to raise her head and look at them.

"Let me see it," sobbed Dark.

"Not here," snarled Black. "I don't want her to watch us. Follow me."



---==(o)==---



Kokata crawled through the undergrowth with Dark following. The only truth he had spoken was that he didn't want Lei watching.

He needed to find a romantic spot. Some place dry and soft.

He'd have to use every trick he had learned to get her sufficiently lusty to let down her guard. He might even have to go all the way.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

At least he did have a hard on to offer. Terror made him hard as easily as lust did. He had never used a terror grown hard on for anything, but he expected it would last as long as the terror did, and he wasn't about to feel safe while Dark was still alive.

"Look at this," snarled Kokata, and blessed that no one could tell how he really felt when he snarled. "An orchid."

He furiously chopped at the stem of it. Till the flower fell to the ground.

"Have you ever made love on an orchid, Dark?" he snarled.

"I'm a virgin," whispered Dark.

"I'm in for a treat," snarled Kokata, slowly moving to her. "And so are you."

Dark raised her front two legs in defensive aggression.

"Don't be shy," snarled Kokata, and raised his front four legs to caress her raised two. His legtips were soft, hers were sharpened.

"You're a dangerous, little thing, aren't you?" snarled Kokata, softly running his legtips along the inside of her raised legs.

Dark shivered visibly. Kokata mimicked her shiver. No one could tell the difference between an intentional shiver and a shiver of lust.

"Come here, my little killer," snarled Kokata. "I've got a world of good to show you."

He slowly backed to the orchid while caressing Dark's front legs. She still had them raised in aggression but her eyes had glazed over. Her expression was hypnotised, and her movements were strangely jerky as those of a female spider-beast being seduced by a male.

"You'll enjoy this," snarled Kokata.

Dark shivered again.

"You may be the boss the rest of the time, but right now I am in charge," snarled Kokata, using a line that worked wonders when he and Lei played. He was sick to the verge of vomiting, but he had been right that Lei and Dark had that, if nothing else, in common. Dark shivered hard enough to almost lose her footing.

"Get over here," snarled Kokata, grabbing hold of her no longer sharp front legs and pulling her closer. "You're all mine now."

Dark whimpered longingly, and for a moment her scarred face almost looked like Lei's did when she had that expression.

Kokata's heart bled for the mad spider and for what he had to do. When she had that look on her face he could understand that she hadn't been born evil. He pressed his lips to hers and wished with all his heart that he hadn't gained that understanding.

Dark kissed him back. Her tongue spoke of all her longing and despair.

It would feel good for her, Kokata tried to convince himself. His poison would see too that.

He caressed her everywhere at once, and she caressed him back the same way. Kokata shivered and was disgusted with himself. That one had been a genuine shiver of lust. Their bodies were made for each other.

If he had met Dark before Lei, if he hadn't known she was an insane murderer, then... Kokata pushed his tongue into her mouth and decided not to lie to himself. Even if he had known she was an insane murderer, he would still have been with her. He would have taken her to a place far from people and it would have just been the two of them.

At least, till such a point where she would happen to kill him in a random fit of insane rage.

That was how lonely he had been. That was how perfect their forms fit.

Kokata kissed Dark and knew that he was happy he had met Lei first.

"I need you," hissed Dark, pulling at his body.

"I'm in charge," snarled Kokata and pushed Dark to her back.

She let him.

"Open for me," he snarled, caressing the cover-plating on her lower abdomen.

Dark whimpered. She both looked and sounded nervous.

"Do as I say, woman," snarled Kokata, and Dark shivered through and through.

Kokata kissed her, and with a fresh shiver Dark spread the plates covering her privates.

Kokata kissed, touched, caressed, and fondled. He left no part of her untended. Below him Dark writhed and moaned. His hard on had become one of genuine lust and he loathed himself for it.

He wouldn't go all the way. He could have done it if all he felt was terror, but the way he felt now, he couldn't. He'd never forgive himself if he did.

Dark was lost in lust. She had surrendered fully to him and his touch.

Kokata would give her a painless death.

He laid himself on top of her, as if preparing to enter, and trailed kisses up her chest-plating. Her nipples, which breast-less hang from the plating, he caressed with soft legtips, keeping her fully distracted while his mouth sought out her soft throat. 

Kokata bit and injected his poison straight into her jugular. Dark gasped, and Kokata pressed his mouth even tighter to her throat injecting everything he had. He had enough poison in him to kill three beasts of her size. Enough to make will-less uncountable such beasts.

He managed to spray it all into her bloodstream sooner than she pulled his head off her throat.

"Fool," she laughed, and pushed him onto his back.

Kokata's eyes widened. She wasn't supposed to still be alive. She wasn't supposed to still be awake.

"You can't harm me with your poison any more than you can yourself," exclaimed Dark and laughed, and shivered, and laughed even more. "It feels good."

She bent over him. Kokata fought for all he was worth, but she was stronger.

"No," screamed Kokata.

She held his legs together at both sides of him. Two neat stacks of four legs.

"No," screamed Kokata.

She webbed his legs together, then bent them and webbed and glued till his legs were nothing but two harmless bundles of silk on both sides of him.

"Please don't," he wept. "Please, Dark. Please don't do this."

She laughed at him and forced his covering plates aside.

"Now you will make me a woman," she said, and laughed.

"No," screamed Kokata.

Dark pushed herself onto him. She rode him.

He screamed without words, without hope. Something was breaking inside his soul. He screamed louder not to hear Dark's sounds.

Then she collapsed upon him like he would upon Lei when the ecstasy had been too great. The comparison broke more things inside his soul.

"It's over, Black," he heard someone yelling.

It had to be Dark. It couldn't be anyone else, so he screamed louder yet not to hear it.

"It's over, Black. It's over," the yells insisted. But it would never be over.

Warm hands cuddled his head. Kokata kept screaming, kept keeping his eyes closed.

It would never end.

"It's over," insisted the voice, and warm hands covered his mouth, muffling his screams. "It's over, Black. It's over. She's dead. I killed her."

It was Lei's voice.

Kokata kept screaming into her hands. He couldn't bear for her to have seen it. He couldn't carry that she was still seeing him like that.

Lei wept, and cuddled Black's head, and tried to calm him.

"I love you," she cried, but nothing worked. Black just kept screaming.

With all her heart, she regretted that she had waited so long before taking the shot. She had wanted to be sure. She had only one chance, only one shot. So she had waited. Lei had allowed the mad spider to rape her man while she had waited for the perfect shot.

"I'm sorry," wailed Lei.

Dark had left her with an arrow in her hand. Lei had used it to cut herself free. It had been difficult. It had taken a long time. But she had known they would be allright. She had just known it. So she had been calm, and had worked the sharp arrowhead against the silk.

She had freed herself, she had followed their tracks, and she had found them. She had circled them, chosen a place to hide, and had awaited the perfect shot.

If only she had been less calm, she would have chanced a sooner shot, and maybe the mad spider wouldn't have raped her man.

"I love you," wept Lei, guilt tearing her insides apart.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 037



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

"The tracksters tell me it sustained a minor injury from the traps near Bellwin village," informed Officer Fol. "Hardly enough to slow it, but with some luck there will be some fresh blood for the courier on the scene to return to us. Our tracksters might see more with more connections."

Zoa didn't like the thought of a lone courier going near a spot where the monster had been. If ever the creature should change its pattern of fleeing triggered traps it would cost the life of whichever courier was going to check for blood.

Zoa had previously aired those fears, and Officer Fol had patiently listened, but he hadn't changed his orders. He had already been aware of the risk before she brought it up. They could hope not to lose more couriers to the spider, he had explained, but they could not expect it.

When all the straws were counted, their duty was to protect farmers, foresters, and families, not couriers, soldiers, and guards, and that was the cruel reality.

Zoa tightened her lips. She carried her medal around her neck, it rested always against her chest. With every passing day, she became increasingly aware that it was heavy.

"The tracksters say its route has changed," continued Officer Fol, and laid out a map with trackster-supplied dots on it.

Whenever Zoa and Officer Fol wasn't alone, Zoa had to concentrate hard not to call the military seers 'tracksters'. She often wondered how the officer managed to never fault at switching his manner of speech according to which ears were near.

"It is to be foreseen even by us with no sight," added the officer with a sigh. "It's the interference."

Zoa nodded. She understood.

The weak seers saw something and told of it, then Zoa and Officer Fol acted on it, and their actions interfered with what would have been.

"The couriers on the old route needs to be informed, and we need to send out new couriers to place traps on the new route," continued Officer Fol. "I'll leave that work to you, Zoa." He pushed the map toward Zoa, and Zoa accepted it.

"Thank you, Sir."

"Say 'thank you' if I give you a cake. Don't say 'thank you' when I make you do my work for me," said Officer Fol, pouring himself a mug of juice.

"If you say so, Sir," commented Zoa, studying the map.

"I have some good news too," claimed the officer, raising his mug to Zoa in a silent toast.

"Hmm?" Zoa kept her eyes on the map. The tracksters had dutifully placed dots as far as half a year ahead. That in itself was rather pointless, since the monster changed its route with almost every 'interference', which at most was two weeks apart.

"Our tracksters all agree that the monster is unlikely to kill again anytime soon."

Zoa considered that forecast very unlikely and raised her eyebrows. But she kept her eyes on the map and her mouth shut. 

"That's what I thought too," said the officer, downed a big noisy slurp of juice, and put his mug down. "So I asked some people who know a thing or two about murderous insanity. You'll never guess what they told me."

"That tracksters are dimmer than a bright-glow with no fuel?" guessed Zoa.

The officer laughed.

"I like you, young hero Zoa," he stated. "But no, that wasn't what they said. They said it was normal. They said that the insane murderous traits can vanish for months, in rare cases even years, before suddenly reappearing."

Zoa frowned and studied the later dots on her map.

"The people I asked should know what they are talking about," added the officer, "they've got a few of the sort in custody. A termite with that sort of insanity is nowhere near as dangerous as a spider, of course, but the working of the mind should be about the same. Isn't that what your librarian tells you? That spiders with mind are as much people as everyone else?"

"He is not my librarian," corrected Zoa, automatically, still studying the map. "He is the Emperor's librarian."

Officer Fol slurped more juice. Zoa ignored the loud sounds. The officer was perfectly capable of drinking civilly when ears requiring such civility was about. He put down the mug and burped excessively.

"It also explains that one trackster who kept claiming that the blood wasn't that of a murderer."

"I guess it does," said Zoa, still moving her eyes back and forth on the map. The idea the dots had given her was slowly morphing into a plan.

"I'll put him back on duty as soon as he has served his time," said the officer.

"Who?" asked Zoa, raising her eyes from the map. She hoped he wasn't talking about Keme. That madman was due to be released.

"That trackster whom I had tucked away for calling me names when I refused to believe him," specified Officer Fol. "Are you even listening to me, young hero Zoa? I don't take kindly to people who waste my words."

"Sorry, Sir," said Zoa, but couldn't tear her eyes from the map. If this route remained the same then... Zoa sighed and lowered the map. The plan wouldn't work even if they stopped placing traps. Whichever seer had warned the spider about their planned attack on his home, was likely to warn the spider again if they made a second far-sighted plan.

"If you're bored with me you can leave," stated Officer Fol. 

"I'm not bored, Sir. I'm disappointed with myself for getting stupid ideas."

The officer eyed her unkindly, drumming his fingers against his table. 

"That whole hero thing has gotten to your head, Zoa," he accused, then apparently decided to forgive her for not having paid proper attention. "I have more good news. If you will grant me your full attention that is."

"Of course, Sir," said Zoa, keeping her eyes on his, for him not to change his mind.

"One of our tracksters has had a vision about the seer that sent warning to the spider. Apparently its an old, blind woman named Kuruma."

Zoa tightened her lips. She'd give a lot to spend some hours alone with this seer who had undone their chance to kill the monster at his home.

"Our trackster couldn't tell us where to find her, he claimed it was a side effect of her being blind. But!" The officer held up a scarred, gnarly, finger. "He could tell us that she won't be interfering again."

"How could he tell?" asked Zoa. Trackster visions were not the most reliable.

"Apparently this Kuruma-bitch has burned her only connection to the spider, in order for us not to use her to find him," said Officer Fol, his face displaying that he too had a desire to spend some time alone with the rogue seer. "Anyway that's not the good news. The good news is that the spider no longer has a seer working for him."

"We should still do our best to track her down," insisted Zoa.

"No point. She is old and sick. She isn't likely to live long enough for us to find her, let alone put her to trial."

"Bat shit!" exclaimed Zoa. The map in her hand made a crunching sound. Zoa looked down and unfisted her hands to spare it. Then she realised that her plan was no longer impossible.

"Sir," she said, "I have a plan."

Then she placed the map on the table and started explaining.



---==(o)==---



"Evelin," called Keme, the moment he landed. He held a purple flower in one hand. "I'm here."

He opened his tightly shielded bright-glow and let it illuminate the spot he had been whispering about for the last months. His breath was white fog. Winter had begun.

"You'd better not be frozen dead," he snarled. He had forgotten to consider the frost. The insane little girl was more than likely to have come badly dressed and barefooted.

"Evelin?" he called again, mustering up the strength to sound friendly and concerned. "Where's  my little sweetheart? We don't wanna play hide and seek just now. Not before I've given you your flower."

It was a mushroom flower, he had had to steal it from a farmer's tunnels. In winter there were no wild flowers for the picking.

"Where are you?" he called.

She had to be there. After all his whispers, all his effort, the child had to be there.

There was no sign of her though. No tiny footprints. No quiet giggles. No humming.

"EVELIN!" yelled Keme, and then he saw it, a jar resting against the rock he, in his cell, had whispered that they would sit on together. Keme picked up the jar and studied it.

It was a simple ceramic jar with a cork lid. A purple flower had been painted on the jar with ceramic glazing. It was the same type of flower as the one he had brought.

Keme tore the lid off. Inside was sheets. He carefully pulled them out.

White sheets filled with clumsy big letters, Keme raised them to his eyes.

"i kNOw wHaT yOu waNT," began the letter. "THE bLack spiDDEr wiLL bEE HELpLEsssEs     THis is wHErE     THis is wHEn."

Keme read on, a big grin growing on his face.

"I knew I could count on you, Evelin," he whispered, when he had worked his way through the sheets. "Thank you."



There was one tiny fragment of mercy left in Keme's heart. He spent it on forgiving the child whose sight hadn't saved his family, and then there was no more left.

Laughing at the sky, the monster he had become found himself freed of everything he had been.


*
Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

Don't forget: The offer to get the whole thing e-mailed stands until the whole story is up.



Moth Ch. 038



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

Kokata cut off the silk-bandage, inspected the crack in the leg-plate, and started cleaning it.

"How is it?" asked his Lei from right behind him.

Kokata winced.

"It's healing," he snarled.

"Let me look," insisted his Lei and reached out. She wasn't wearing her gloves.

"Don't touch me," snarled Kokata, and moved himself and his leg out of her reach.

His Lei turned away from him, and he pretended he couldn't figure out that she was crying. She shouldn't have taken her gloves off anyway. It was too cold for that.

Months had passed since they had killed Dark, but he still dreamt about it almost every night. He couldn't be intimate anymore. He couldn't stand the feel of skin against skin.

Kokata didn't wash. He could hardly stand to clean his wound. How could his woman expect him to accept her touch?

"You've lost weight," said his Lei. She still had her back to him, so he guessed she was still crying, but her voice was fairly natural.

"What did you expect?" snarled Kokata. "We've been fleeing for months. Running and jumping is hard work."

"You don't eat enough," said his Lei. "You need to eat more."

"What I need," snarled Kokata. "Is for you to shut up so I can have some rest."

He was perfectly aware that he wasn't eating enough. He was starving. But he wasn't hungry.

"Do you still have food?" he asked. He was losing track of the days, he couldn't remember if it was one or seven days ago that he had last made a fire and cooked meat for her.

"There's enough for today and tomorrow," said his Lei. "The baby and I are fine."

"I'll keep it that way," promised Kokata. With a few body-lengths between them it was easier not to snarl. Her belly had grown enough to notice in spite of the winter-clothing he had improvised for her. Apart from her bow, knife, and arrows, all her belongings had been made on the move. Spidersilk clothes, spidersilk bags, spidersilk blankets.

This was not the future he had intended for her.

He had even managed to get her father killed. She had pretended she didn't care, and she still never mentioned him, but Kokata remembered the look on her face when they had realised Valo had disappeared.

That was months ago. It had happened during one of their first wild spurts to escape Dark.

"Can the baby really survive on such a meaty diet?" asked Kokata. "I saw smoke earlier, there must be beetles or termites nearby. I can go steal something."

"Don't steal, Black," said his Lei and turned to face him, her one hand was on her belly. "Our baby is thriving. The way he is growing, I think he loves cooked meat. He is probably a beetle."

"A beetle," repeated Kokata and smiled.

"Yes, I really think so," said Lei, a smile growing on her face. "It almost makes me sad. I was sort of hoping for an abomination. I'd really like for Rebecca to become my daughter."

"Hello, Hinea," joked Kokata, "where did you put my mate?"

His Lei laughed so hard that she sank to her knees. Then she laughed some more, and then her laughter became sobs.

"Let's move on," said Kokata, and started gathering his Lei and her belongings in a blanket.

All packed, he closed the blanket tight and picked it up. It was the closest he could go toward hugging her.

"Here we go," he warned, and set off.

The next time they made a stop, his Lei was still weeping. There had been pauses to it, but none of them had lasted long.

"Please stop crying," begged Kokata.

"I can't," wept his Lei. "Everything is so horrible."

"I can build a fire and cook some fresh meat?"

"I don't like fire," wailed his Lei. "Fire is dangerous. I don't like you being near fire."

"It's really very safe," promised Kokata. "I was raised by beetles, remember."

"There is nothing safe about fire," yelled his Lei, suddenly angry.

"Allright, allright, I don't need to make a fire today anyway."

"You're so good to me," sighed Lei, smiling up at him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," said Kokata, having trouble keeping up with her changes in mood.

"I just know everything will be allright," stated Lei, tugging the blanket closer around her cheeks. "Together we can do anything. Remember? You said that to me."

"That's true," said Kokata, who wasn't the least bit sure everything would be allright.

Eleven nights had passed since they had last come upon traps. He expected they'd soon stumble across new ones. The termites had apparently given up on fighting him face to face. But the traps were evidence that they hadn't given up on killing him.

Kokata hadn't seen a single winged termite since they had started fleeing, so, obviously, they were using seers to keep track of them. Kokata had no clue how to escape seers.

After a few minutes of excessive optimism, his Lei resumed her weeping and started complaining that he was losing weight, that he would die and leave her and the baby to freeze to death, and everything was hopeless.

To calm her, Kokata solemnly swore he would start eating more. Even that didn't help much.

On their next stop again, Lei just couldn't stop laughing, and apologised for being so silly. Then she told him he was lucky that he wasn't mated to her mother, because that was a woman who could get the most horrible mood swings during pregnancy. Especially in the second half of it.

Kokata listened, and nodded, and assured his Lei that he was very happy that she was nothing like that.



---==(o)==---



"Please prepare five tubs, for me," said Zoa to the little girl, while stuffing her courier winter-clothing into the box. "I haven't felt clean for days."

"Oh, you poor thing," exclaimed the girl and, in her urgency to get to the tubs, let her mop fall to the floor with a loud bang.

Zoa guiltily glanced to the floor. This time, as the last two times too, she had left visible footprints on it. This time of year many of the floors in the courier center, and the military center too, were muddy. It was all that dirty snow which nobody really had time to knock of their boots before going inside.

Her visits to the Emperor's library had slowly made her far more aware of dirt and dust everywhere else she went.

"I have to ask you a favour," said Zoa, sliding into the first tub.

"What is it?" asked the little bath-house girl.

"I need you to help me clean some jewellery enough so that I can be allowed to bring it to the library."

"Why would you want to bring jewellery there?" asked the girl, wrinkling her nose with confusion and curiosity.

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

"It's a secret," said Zoa.

"I'm good at keeping secrets," insisted the little girl.

"Will you help me if I tell you what the secret is?" offered Zoa. She would never be allowed to bring anything with her if it hadn't been approved by the bath-house, and the girl never approved anything she hadn't helped clean.

"Allright," agreed the girl.

"I'm going to ask the librarian to make me a gold sheet copy of a gold sheet," whispered Zoa.

"What for?" asked the girl.

Zoa whispered the explanation, not sure the child was old enough to understand. Judging by the girl's growing giggles, she did understand, though.

"I'll have your gold spotless in no time," promised the girl, when Zoa had finished explaining.

"Thank you," said Zoa.

It wasn't all her gold. Most of it was borrowed. She had had to pull a favour from everyone she knew in the city to borrow enough gold to make a single sheet. The list of who she owed how much had grown quite long before she was done.

Sadly she would still have to melt down her medal to have enough. She could have sold it and gained far more gold than its own weight, but she couldn't bring herself to that. When all this was over, and it was time to remelt the sheet and return the debts, she would cherish her part of it as a reminder of the medal.



---==(o)==---



"I'm having pregnancy mood-swings, aren't I?" asked his Lei about ten nights after she had started having them.

"I'm not exactly an expert on pregnancy," said Kokata, avoiding the topic.

"Considering how many younger siblings I have, I ought to be," said his Lei and sighed. "My mother would never admit to have mood-swings. When she laughed one moment and started crying or yelling the next, she would always claim there was a reason for it. It always drove the rest of us insane."

"You are not driving me insane," comforted Kokata.

Snow, wind and cold had forced him to overcome his fear of being close to his woman. He hadn't been able to find a crevice deep enough to shelter them. So, instead, he had dug them a partial shelter in the snow and had wrapped the blanket around the both of them. He was pressing most his legs against the blanket, turning it into a tiny tent, and had laid his Lei on his abdomen to keep her warm while he tried to dry her clothes.

She had been sweating in them and the humidity hadn't been able to escape.

"I know this is difficult for you," said his Lei. "But I'm still so happy to be allowed to touch you." She started weeping. "Oh no, now I'm having another round of mood-swings."

"Maybe you are just sad," comforted Kokata. "We've had a rough time. I think it's only natural to cry about that."

"I hate what I let her do to you," wept his Lei.

His gut complained at the reminder. Kokata swallowed hard not to vomit half-digested blood all over his woman. He had fed just before it started snowing.

"Please don't talk about it, Lei," he said. "I can't talk about it."

"I'm sorry," sobbed his Lei. "I didn't mean to. It just blurted out of me. I can't recognise myself anymore."

"What should we name our son?" asked Kokata. He wasn't sure why, but he really wanted their first child to be a boy.

"We can't think up a name before we see him," complained his Lei. "It might not suit him."

"Of course, we can," insisted Kokata. "I know exactly what he is going to look like." He didn't really, but imagining would be nice.

"What will he look like?" asked his woman, reaching out for her cold, cooked meat.

"Well, he is going to be a beetle, of course," said Kokata. "There's no doubt about that."

His Lei nodded, her mouth full of cooked meat. "He loves meat," she mumbled around her mouthful.

"He sure does. So I'm afraid he is going to be a little chubby," said Kokata with a smile.

"He is?" His Lei looked adorably guilty as she filled her mouth with another round of meat.

"I'm afraid so," said Kokata. "But it will suit him well, he will have enough charm to make up for it. We will have a hard time keeping the girls away once he reaches that age."

His Lei nodded, chewing away. She sure had taken a liking to meat during her pregnancy. Mostly he didn't have other stuff to offer, but lately... A few days back Kokata had found a naturally dried trunk mushroom. His Lei had been delighted and had begged him to bring as much as he could carry. She still hadn't touched any of it.

She'd talk about loving trunk mushroom, but whenever she got hungry she'd stuff herself with meat.

"He is going to be red. You know, the brownish sort of red," continued Kokata. "Well, at least his plating is. His skin is going to have a lighter colour. A tannish sort of brown."

"He is going to be tall," mumbled his Lei, around another mouthful of meat.

"Quite tall. And strong for a beetle. I think he is going to be a smith."

"Oh no," whined Lei. "I don't want him working with fire."

"Beetles are good with fire," comforted Kokata. "I will teach him everything I know about fire, and you will warn him to be careful every single day."

"You bet I will," mumbled his Lei.

"If someone would take that bet I'd be a rich man," said Kokata, and smiled down at his woman.

"What's a good name for him?" asked his Lei.

"I was thinking we should call him Redrock," said Kokata, and, in spite of himself, caressed his woman's big, bare, belly. For a moment he feared what the feeling of skin would make him feel but then...

Kokata widened his eyes. "I felt him moving!"

"I know," mumbled his Lei, and stuffed in more meat. "I think he is hungry."

"Now he stopped," said Kokata, disappointed.

"Isn't Redrock a strange name?" asked his Lei, bringing him back on track.

"I think it is a perfect name," said Kokata. "Because he is so very red and valuable. He moved again!"

"I know," complained his woman. "Please tell him to lie still, I'm trying to eat and its very distracting."

"I don't want him to lie still," objected Kokata, trailing his woman's belly with his legtips. "Where did he go? Redrock, come play with your daddy."

"Don't encourage him!" complained his Lei, her mouth ever full of meat.

"He did it again!"

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 039



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

"I'm sorry, Zoa," said Officer Fol. "But with three seers saying they think your plan will fail, we have to abort."

"They didn't say it will fail, Sir, they only said they think so." Zoa had to bite her tongue not to add derogatory comments about tracksters 'thinking'. She and Fol weren't alone.

"Three think you will fail, the rest have no clue," repeated Officer Fol, calmly. "Not one claims, or even 'thinks', you will succeed."

"I still think we should try, Sir."

"Duly noted," commented Officer Fol, "You may be excused, Courier."

"Yes, Sir," said Zoa through gritted teeth and marched out.



"It was a good plan," said Fol, to the official who had brought in the trackster reports. "I'm sure the Hero Zoa will make up a new one soon enough.

"Kids heads are full of crazy plans," said the official, his voice full of contempt.

"If you say so, Sir," said Fol; the civilian fool outranked him.

"I will put it in my report that the aborted plan was concocted by a young courier woman with no leadership experience," said the official and made a dry-nosed snort.

"I'm afraid that would not be entirely correct, Sir," said Fol, carefully. "The Hero Zoa assumed leadership during the events that led to her being awarded by the Emperor himself."

The official made no counter, but his mouth moved down into even deeper sourness. Fol guessed that the man would, on paper, find a way to word himself that circumvented that circumstance. Maybe something like 'never been appointed leadership for'.

Fol didn't mind all that much when the civilian officials messed up, or made more complicated, harvest reports and tax gathering. He had learned to think of the reorganisation of such matters as a game. Like a gigantic puzzle which he had to help reassemble a few times every year.

But, when the officials interfered with matters of life and death, he couldn't take it with good spirit. People dying for the ego of whoever had the biggest desk and the whitest sheets, was not a laughing matter.

The sour-faced official, who could never hope to be awarded by the Emperor, was still gathering his papers when a young courier came charging in.

"I have a door," bellowed Fol, rising behind his desk. "You will knock before you enter."

The kid cowered but didn't retrace his steps, he was heaving for air.

"I was told to hurry," panted the kid, fumbling with his bag. "I've just returned from my survey round, the seer Evelin's flag was raised."

"Emergency reports from the seer Evelin goes straight to the general," instructed Fol, and pointed toward the western wall of his office.

"I have a message for the general too," gasped the kid, still heaving for air. He had obviously flown as fast as he could. "But I was told to go here first."

Fol's heart froze. Words from the seer Evelin was never good news. Someone close to him had to be in mortal peril to warrant a personal message from the Empire's greatest seer.

The courier finally managed to unbuckle his bag and retrieve a white sheet for Fol. He reached it across the table and Fol tore it from his hands and unfolded it.

He read it. Frowned. Read it again. Frowned deeper. And read it yet again.

A smile threatened to grow on Fol's face. He refused it and retained the stern military folds.

"You'd best go deliver the general's message to the general now, Courier," said Fol.

"Yes, Sir," panted the young courier and staggered out.

"What does it say?" asked the official, when the kid was gone.

"I wouldn't presume to know which words the seer Evelin has for the general," said Fol, deliberately misinterpreting the question.

"What does yours say?" insisted the official.

Fol caressed the stamp at the bottom of the very white sheet, the stamp proclaimed the seer Evelin was favoured by the Emperor, then he handed the sheet to the official.

It was a very brief note in the flawless handwriting of Evelin's caretaker.

"The seer Evelin says: Do as the hero with the sheathed bow tells you. Her arrow will taste blood."

Fol reseated himself and reached for his mug of juice. He was tempted to slurp, but thought it better to let the official concentrate. Shouldn't take him too long to realise that the Emperor's city didn't have a whole lot of female heroes with sheathed bows to choose from.

"Given this new information," said the official hesitantly, after what had to be at least his tenth read-through of the short note, "I will condone the plan you presented to me."

"Zoa's plan," said Fol. For the sake of his career, he withheld a malicious grin.

"The plan which the young courier-woman favours," insisted the official.



---==(o)==---



"Here is Toot-toot with food for you," he called, putting the trey to the floor. "Come and get it, Evelin."

"I'm bad," sounded a sobbing voice from the closet. "I'm bad. I'm bad. I'm bad."

"Evelin?"

"I'm bad," screamed the girl from inside the closet. "I'm bad."

He didn't bother to warn her before storming to the closet and pulling it open. Something was very wrong.

"I'm bad," wailed Evelin stabbing at her arm with a sharp metal pen.

He tore the pen from her and threw it across the room, then grabbed hold of the injured arm.

"I'm bad," sobbed Evelin. "I'm bad."

"Stop it, Evelin," he commanded, inspecting the cuts. Some of them were bleeding but none were deep. Evelin had come to harm before, her insanity was a constant threat to her life, but she had never before purposefully harmed herself.

"Why did you do that," he yelled, pulling her out of the closet and into his arms. His stomach hurt with worry.

"I'm bad," wept Evelin. "I just wanted his voice to go away. I wanted it to go away, dad."

"You're not bad," he comforted, holding her tight while carrying her to where he kept his first aid gear. "You're my little girl, Evelin. You'd never harm anyone."

"I'm bad," wailed Evelin.



---==(o)==---



"What took you so long," asked his Lei. She was hoarse, and her eyes were almost as red as her nose.

"I've fetched some chest lotion for you," said Kokata.

"Put it back where you took it," snarled his woman. "We're not thieves."

"Either you let me rub it on you, or I will hold you down and rub it on you anyway," snarled Kokata, making no comment to her assumption. What he had done had more semblance to armed robbery than to stealing.

"Don't you dare," wheezed his Lei and broke into coughing.

"I paid for it," snarled Kokata, caught Lei's arms and held her down. "I left enough spidersilk for him to spin a half-ball, if he cares to."

"Say you aren't lying to me," asked his woman, in between coughs.

"Maybe it was closer to a quarter-ball's worth of silk," admitted Kokata. "I didn't want to stay too long."

If the terrified healer had had his way, Kokata wouldn't have been around long enough to leave even that.

His Lei ceased struggling, and Kokata bared her chest and started smearing on the lotion.

"He promised this will make you cough less," said Kokata. "He said that while you are pregnant you must avoid the strong cough-quieting teas. They are bad for both mother and child. He said to avoid them while you are breastfeeding too."

"I don't intend to still have this cold when the baby comes out," wheezed his Lei.

"I'll make sure to tell him that if I ever see him again," said Kokata, spreading the lotion. In spite of his terror, the healer had asked thorough questions about Lei's symptoms. His final verdict hadn't been 'a cold'.

Kokata had been tempted to deliver Lei to the healer's care and leave her there. With a lot of rest and a healer's attention, the 'long cough' wasn't dangerous. Not even for a pregnant woman. And with luck, the termites might leave her be and keep after him.

For Lei and their unborn's sake, Kokata would have made that sacrifice and fled on alone, except he knew that she wouldn't meekly stay behind and nurse herself. She'd chase after him till it killed her.

His Lei's skin was too warm. She was having a fever. The healer had instructed Kokata on that too. He had told Kokata to always keep his woman a little too warm, but to never let her be far too warm.

The healer hadn't been able to explain how to tell the difference. It was a matter of experience he had said.

"We have to move on," wheezed his Lei, when Kokata was done smearing lotion onto her. "We have to keep moving."

"Let's stay here another night and day," said Kokata, closing the large jar of lotion and putting it away. "You need to rest."

"I'll rest while you carry me," wheezed his Lei and again started coughing. "We can't stay in the same spot for more than a daytime at a time. We can't give them opportunity to plan a large scale attack."

"We haven't run into tracks for a very long time. Maybe we've lost them."

His Lei, now coughing too hard to talk, shook her head in denial.

"Move," she wheezed, in between two coughs. "On."

Kokata gave in and started packing.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 040



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

Couriers coming to the major city Dewgold were supposed to land in the courtyards of the courier centers. Zoa was perfectly aware of this, yet she led her twenty couriers to the main military center's courtyard.

This day she wore her medal outside her shirt for anyone to see.

A wide leather strap over her shoulder carried a heavy glass box against her hip, proudly presenting a gold sheet. Against her other hip rested the top of her sheathed bow.

No sooner had she and her entourage landed, than a guardsman ran toward them yelling that this was no courier courtyard.

"Here we go," whispered Zoa to her closest companion, one of the veterans from the first encounter with the monster.

Then Zoa moved one hand protectively to the glass-box, and raised her other toward the approaching guard.

"I am Zoa," she spoke with command, as if expecting the guard to recognise her name. 

The guard halted, eyeing her. Zoa allowed the glass-box to shift slightly against her hip, and for a moment the gold-sheet in it reflected sunlight into the guards face, catching his attention.

"What's that you got there?" asked the guard, approaching and raising his hands as if intending to take the box for inspection.

As one, Zoa's veterans pulled and raised their bows.

"This is not for your hands," commanded Zoa, her protective hand still on the box.

The guard, faced with armed bows, had frozen mid-step.

"Tell General Hopez that Zoa has come to show him a sheet depicting combat against spiders," demanded Zoa, tapping her fingers against the glass-box. "I will await his invitation."

The guard swallowed.

"Go," commanded Zoa, as if she, a mere courier, had the authority to command guards.

The guard turned and ran off.

Zoa's veteran's lowered their bows and requivered their arrows.

"Are you sure this won't earn you a few months in a cell, Zoa?" whispered the closest one.

"I'll bet you a month of laundrying that someone will return with an invitation to see General Hopez," whispered Zoa back.

"That's easy for you to say," whispered back the veteran. "In a prison cell, there's no tub for you to do my laundry."

Zoa made sure to only smile on the inside. They were being watched. She had to look solemn and important. She shifted every few moments, allowing her medal and gold sheet to reflect the sunlight, for anyone watching to see.

Instead of melting her gold, the librarian had decided to keep it as security. He had used one of the library's blank gold sheets for the copy, which she now carried in a glass box. The librarian had refused to keep her medal, though. The Emperor himself had placed it around her neck, and that was where it belonged.

"This way," he had said, "you can truthfully claim that the sheet is from the Emperor's library."

Where the Emperor's stamp was carved into the upper right corner on gold sheets laying on the library's shelves, Zoa's sheet was marked with a circled cross. A mark that destined the copy for remelting. Someone who had actually been inside the Emperor's library would know the difference. But, it was unlikely that Zoa should come across such a someone in the military centers of the city Dewgold.

It didn't take long before a guard came to invite 'only Zoa' to see the general.

Zoa, with a single command, sent her couriers away into the air, and told the guard to lead the way, constantly keeping a hand on her box to let anyone watching believe it's content to be of extreme value.

In the outer foyer, Zoa was told to leave her bow and arrows. Coldly she eyed the guard, as if she were considering to refuse.

"Well?" asked the guard.

"I'd rather not be unarmed while carrying this," said Zoa, tapping her glass-box.

The guard turned his eyes to the box, with a quizzical look on his face. It seemed he had trouble finding a connection.

"Are you any good with your sword?" asked Zoa.

"Of course," snarled the guard.

"Good," said Zoa, took off her bow and quiver, and left them against the wall. "If anything happens to me, you will guard the content of this box with your life."

She didn't bother to check if the dense guardsman had caught her drift. Maybe she was taking the charade a bit too far.

"Take me to General Hopez," she demanded.

---==(o)==---

Hopez was sipping a mug of water when the young courier-woman was led into his office.

"So you are Zoa," he commented.

"Yes, Sir," said the young woman, and with no further words of introduction walked to his desk and placed her glass-box on it. "I have come to kill a spider."

"I thought you had been sent to advice us on how to kill spiders," said Hopez, cooly. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that his scribe, old man Mekel, had left his seat and was sneaking toward the table.

The young woman had seen it too and, holding a protective hand on the box, glared menacingly at the scribe.

"Please," said old man Mekel, his voice quivering with age and something else, "I just want to see it."

The young woman wordlessly pulled the box a handwidth further from the old man, and Mekel's lips quivered slightly, as if he was on the verge of crying.

"I was told there was something you wanted to show me," said Hopez, interrupting the pantomime.

"Yes, Sir," said the young woman, and pushed the box across the table to Hopez. "You may touch the glass," she instructed, "but you may not touch the gold."

Hopez bent over the box and looked at the golden sheet inside it. Out of the corner of his eye he saw old man Mekel circling the table till he was standing right next to him.

"What am I looking at," asked Hopez, moving his eyes across the carved drawing.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

"It's a sheet of pure gold," said old man Mekel, his voice quivering with age and excitement. "It really is made of gold."

"It is a depiction of a battle that took place more than four-hundred years ago," said the young courier woman, circling around the other side of the table, till she stood on Hopez's other side.

"I never thought I'd get to see one," whispered old man Mekel, reaching a hand toward the glass box but withdrew it sooner than it arrived. "Look, there is the names of the librarians that filed it." The old man pointed toward the bottom of the sheet where something was scribbled with tiny letters.

"Eight names," continued Mekel. "One for the carver himself, and seven who checked the rendition was correct."

Zoa swallowed and struggled not to look nervous. That scribe knew way too much about the gold sheets in the Emperor's library. The moment he pointed out the circled cross she'd have a hard time answering for herself.

"It's a gold sheet from the Emperor's library," said old man Mekel, and sighed happily.

Hopez glanced up at his old scribe in time to see the man's face change from elation to concerned bewilderment.

"But what is it doing here?" asked the old man, turning his eyes to Hopez. "Those sheets are not meant to leave the Emperor's library, General Hopez."

"I brought this sheet here so the general could see with his own eyes how to fight a spider," said the young woman, on Hopez's right.

"But..." began the old man, on Hopez's left, and was interrupted.

"I assure you," insisted the young woman. "I bring it here with the library's full permission."

"But..." began the old man again.

"Have you ever faced a spider?" interrupted the young woman.

"Of course not," quivered old man Mekel's voice.

"I have," snarled the young woman, over Hopez's head. "The things are faster than arrows. Their armour is harder than blades can cut. This thing we are chasing is as dangerous as a plague. The Emperor's librarian understood that as much as anyone who hasn't fought it can ever..."

"Enough," snapped Hopez, turning to the young woman. "You are making my ears hu..."

Just in front of his eyes dangled a heavy gold medal. Hopez reached out a hand, took hold of it, and held it still.

"Outstanding courage," he whispered, and turned the medal to see it's backside. A name was carved into it:

Zoa.

Hopez realised that he, while inspecting the medal, was actually touching a young woman's chest, and withdrew his hand. He cleared his throat, but in all honesty he was too impressed to feel embarrassed.

"The Emperor himself put that around your neck?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir," said the young woman, solemnly.

"I don't suppose you have time spare to tell me how you earned such an award?" asked Hopez looking up at her face.

---==(o)==---

"Wake up, Lei."

"Go away," whined Lei. "I'm tired."

"It's time to eat," insisted the voice.

"I'm not hungry," complained Lei, she was nauseous.

"Redrock is hungry," said the voice, and Lei was lifted upright.

The movement made her nausea worse.

"Then let Redrock eat," complained Lei. "I don't want to."

"You have to eat," insisted the voice.

Lei opened her eyes and found herself looking into a beetle-black face.

"Who are you?" asked Lei, then again closed her eyes. She was dizzy and nauseous and so very, very, tired.

"It's me. Black," sounded the voice.

It sounded very far off. Lei drifted back asleep.

"Wake up," insisted the voice.

Something was shaking her.

"Go away," complained Lei.

The voice refused to go away, and, eventually, Lei gave in and opened her mouth to offered food.

"I don't like meat," she complained, but chewed it anyway.

After she had eaten some mouthfuls the voice finally let her go back to sleep.

Kokata was shaking. His Lei's fever had been getting worse lately, but this was the first time she hadn't recognised him.

"I'll get you to a healer," he whispered.

His Lei didn't wake.

He moved a legtip to her belly, inside it their baby was moving about. Kokata had lost track of the full moons, but spring was arriving and Lei's belly was huge. There couldn't be too long to go. Kokata had to find a healer before then, he feared Lei was too sick to give birth. 

"Don't come out yet, Redrock," he begged, caressing his woman's belly. "Your mommy is very sick. We're not ready. So, you just make sure to stay where you are till she is a little stronger."

Still sleeping, Lei vomited out the food he had just made her eat. Kokata turned her on her side and pointed her mouth down for her not to choke on it. He wiped away the vomit and, fearing the worst, glanced about.

Death was nowhere to be seen.

"You'll be allright," whispered Kokata to his sleeping woman. He'd wait a little bit before making her eat again. Next time he would try with just one mouthful.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 041



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

Zoa let herself fall to her bunk.

"I'm exhausted," she complained.

"How did it go with the ropers?" asked her room-mate and friend, who was now officially her temporarily assigned servant.

Zoa turned her eyes to him, he was one of the veterans from the Altwar massacre. That's what it had come to be called, the fight where the monster had slaughtered couriers.

"They wasted hours pretending to be too stupid to carry out the exercises I told them to." Zoa groaned and raised her hands to her forehead. "As if they weren't stupid enough without pretending too."

The veteran courier laughed and handed Zoa a mug of hot tea. His wings had started to dry, but instead of spending his last winged days shortening his journey home, he was staying by her side.

"Then General Hopez came around," continued Zoa. "That got them jumping around as if they were walking on embers. In their efforts not to look too stupid to handle throwing ropes two of them dislocated their shoulders. Two!" Zoa held up a hand with two fingers pointing up.

The veteran chuckled and Zoa sighed deeply.

"I'm never gonna escape his clutches, am I?" asked Zoa.

"I'm afraid not," said her friend. "You're stuck in Dewgold city, Officer Zoa."

"I swear he said it was a temporary position," said Zoa, sipping her tea. It wasn't the first time she had said that to her room-mate, friend, and officially assigned servant.

"It's your own fault for not reading the sheet before signing it," said her friend and chuckled again. It wasn't the first time he had told her that.

"General Hopez is a con-man," insisted Zoa.

"Takes one to know one," teased her friend.

"That whole gold sheet thing was just something I did to make enough of an impression to be listened to. You know that."

"Well it worked, didn't it?" teased her friend.

"It worked too well," groaned Zoa.

Her friend laughed.

"Today I told General Hopez that the gold sheet is a copy," continued Zoa.

"And he didn't have you thrown into a cell?" Her friend looked worried, as if expecting the general could show up any moment to drag Zoa away to imprisonment.

"He had already figured it out," said Zoa, and sipped her tea. "He had also figured out that it had been made for me by the Emperor's librarians. 'How else could it have fooled old man Mekel,' he said." Zoa shook her head in defeat. "General Hopez is a very devious man."

"Good officers save lives. Bad officers cost lives," said her friend. "Besides you never really claimed the gold sheet to be library material. You just let people assume it was."

"I still can't believe he fooled me into signing a twenty-year military contract."

"Well, starting out as an officer isn't the worst way to begin a military career, Officer Zoa. You get to skip being a recruit, and a private, and a.. ah... whatever else lies between private and officer."

"Who said I wanted a military career?" complained Zoa.

"It's what you do best," said her friend and shrugged.

"You only say that because you've never seen me pulling out weeds," said Zoa.

"Your family are farmers?"

"Tunnel farmers mostly," said Zoa. "I was raised to sow, and care for, prime quality moss."

For a few moments they sipped tea in silence.

"The sight of General Hopez put the fear of Death into the ropers," said Zoa. "I'll get them ready in time."

"I checked in on the web-throwers today," said the veteran. "They've progressed nicely."

Zoa nodded, and added, "They will be ready in time too."

"I'm terrified of fighting that thing again," admitted the veteran.

"There's still some days left, your wings might become useless before then."

"If I can't fly then I will fight on the ground," said the veteran. "I can join the ropers. I'm with you till the end, Officer Zoa."

"Let's get some sleep," said Zoa, not sure how to respond to the declaration of loyalty. "It's late and we both have to get up early."

---==(o)==---

Kokata snuck closer. There was no doubt, it was a healer's hut. The smell of long since brewed potions and lotions hung about the place like an invisible fog. It was too close to the rest of the village for his liking. He'd have to stuff the inhabitant's mouth with silk till the healer was too scared, or too coherent, to scream for help.

One of Kokata's legtips sunk into loose soil and he looked down. He was standing on a fresh grave.

"Oh no," he whispered. There wasn't smoke coming out of the healer's chimney, and he had yet to hear any sound from inside the hut. "Please, let that not be the healer's grave."

He snuck around to the hut's entrance, opened the door, and went inside.

There was no one.

Kokata sank to the floor and started crying. It wasn't fair.

"Is somebody in there?" called someone from outside, it was a woman's voice.

"I've come for a healer," called Kokata, with one leg pushing the door to near shut. "Are you a healer?"

"We don't have a healer anymore," called the woman. "She died a few days ago. We've sent for replacement but it will be weeks before one arrives."

"Do you know anything about giving birth?" called Kokata, hiding behind the door.

"A little," said the woman, pushing up the door. "Oh, it's dark in here."

Kokata grabbed the woman and held a bundle of silk against her mouth. Then he dragged her out the hut, picked her up, and jumped.

---==(o)==---

Lei groaned with pain and grabbed the bark below her. What was taking him so long? What if the baby came before he returned? It felt like hours had passed.

She heard screams in the distance and her heart froze with fear. What if Black had failed? What if he was injured?

The world spun upside down and Lei grabbed hard onto the branch's bark not to roll of it. It was just the fever. Up was still up, down was still down. She wasn't rolling anywhere.

The screams rapidly approached.

It had to be Black and the healer.

Seconds later Black landed. A pang of jealousy hit Lei at seeing him hold onto another woman.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

"Please don't eat me," screamed the termite-woman.

"If you stop screaming I won't eat you," snarled Black.

"We won't harm you," promised Lei, and started coughing.

It took a whole lot more reassurance than that to get the panicked termite-woman to stop screaming. It wasn't until Lei screamed with another belly-cramp, that the woman went quiet.

"I'm not a healer," whimpered the termite-woman, even as she crawled to Lei.

"Please help," begged Lei, and grabbed the termite-woman's hand. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I don't know how to do this."

"Allright," said the still sobbing termite-woman. "We need fire. And boiling water."

"No. Please no fire. Nothing boiling," wept Lei.

"Moth's don't usually have fire around when they give birth," added Black, sobbing even harder than any of the women.

"Allright. The fire isn't all that important. It's just to sterilise the knife."

"Knife?" wailed Black.

"To cut the cord," hissed the termite-woman, whose sobs were lessening.

"We have a knife," said Lei. "Get her the knife, Black."

"I don't need it yet," said the termite-woman.

For hours the termite-woman held on to Lei's hand and soothed her with words of comfort. But instead of coming sooner and lasting longer, Lei's pains faded and disappeared.

"It might have been a false alarm," stated the termite-woman, when half the night had passed and Lei was sleeping.

"False alarm?" asked Kokata.

"It happens sometimes late in the pregnancy," explained the termite-woman. "Our healer was always good at calling it. It's sad that she isn't here to help."

"So the baby isn't coming tonight?" asked Kokata.

"It doesn't look like it," said the termite-woman.

"Please stay with us till dawn," begged Kokata.

"Do I have a choice?"

Kokata averted his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I wish I had the kind of man who would abduct a stranger to help me," said the termite-woman and sighed. "Don't worry about it, sir spider. As long as you carry me back at dawn, we can remain friends about it."

"I will," promised Kokata. "Unless the baby decides to come after all."

"Even if it isn't tonight, it won't be long," said the termite-woman. "I guess I'd better tell you how to help her when it is time."

"Please do," begged Kokata.

---==(o)==---

The pale, worn out, man woke at dawn, washed his face and armpits with cold water, dressed, and went to Evelin's room to make her bed. As he had expected it was empty. His daughter never slept past dawn.

Usually he would make breakfast before seeking her out, but lately Evelin's behaviour had been even more unsettling than usual. He found her in the living room, standing on her tip-toes, scribbling on a white sheet on the table.

Next to her stood his timeglass.

"Goodmorning, Evelin," he said.

The child glanced at him, then returned her attention to the sheet.

His stomach curled into a painful knot. The child hadn't glanced the way Evelin glanced, and she wasn't holding the crayon the way Evelin would.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Kuruma," it was an old woman's voice. "Your daughter's spirit came to me in my dying moments."

"Get out of her," he ordered.

"There is still time," said the old woman, pointing to the glass.

"Evelin, evict her," he ordered.

"Evelin is sleeping," said the old woman, still scribbling. "Have no fear. I will leave before the last sand hits the bottom of that time-glass."

"What do you want?"

"Evelin has done something bad and it is tearing her apart."

"She is just a little girl," objected the worn out man.

"Just a little girl who sees far too much," agreed the old woman in his daughter's body, laid down the crayon, and inspected the sheet.

"Please don't hurt her."

"I haven't come to hurt her, and I haven't come to undo what she did. It is too late for that." The woman in the child reached the sheet out to him. "Take this."

The worn out man accepted the sheet.

"Evelin needs seer's solace," said the old woman with Evelin's mouth.

The man gasped and stepped back from the ghost. Seer's solace was a poisonous herb, everyone knew that.

"Not raw," scolded the old woman, from his reaction following his line of thought. "It has to be prepared first." The ghost glanced back at the time-glass. "Time is so very strange when you are dead."

"Please, Kuruma," said the man, remembering the ghost's name. "Get out of her."

"The herb is called seer's solace for a reason," said the ghost. "And that reason has nothing to do with Death. Follow the instructions on that sheet to the letter. Then you will see what I mean."

The ghost glanced back at the time-glass, it was almost empty.

"Pick up her body," said the ghost, raising Evelin's arms to him. "She is asleep."

He picked her up.

"Don't forget to follow the recipe to the letter, and never give her more than I've written down," said the ghost of Kuruma.

Then she was gone and the man's child was sleeping in his arms.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 042



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

"I almost miss you jumping," said his Lei, her face sticking out of the blanket.

"I miss jumping," said Kokata, running on the six legs that weren't holding his woman and her meat. "But it's not safe out here in the open."

Two days had passed since they had left the forest. Trees were sparse and far apart.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Weak," admitted Lei. "But still no fever."

"The no fever part is great. Do you think it's the spring clearing you up?"

"No, Black. I don't think it is gone for good. It comes and goes. We have to hurry and fatten me up while its gone. It's too damned hard to keep the food in when it's bad."

Black stopped moving and reached into her blanket for the meat-bag.

"I didn't mean right now," said Lei. "It's barely been an hour since I ate last."

"Fattening up is hard work," he said, and handed her a hunk of cooked meat. "I have faith in you."

Lei looked at her bone-thin fingers holding on to the meat and sincerely hoped the baby inside her wasn't as thin as she had become.

"Here we go," she said and moved the meat to her lips. She still felt stuffed from her last meal.

"Less talking, more chewing," urged her man.

Lei bit off a mouthful and started chewing. A sharp pain spread through the lower half of her back.

"Did you bite your tongue?" asked her man.

Lei shook her head, and still chewing, crawled out of the blanket. She must have been laying badly. Sometimes their luggage got moved around into uncomfortable lumps below her.

Another sharp pain struck through her back, this time it lasted longer.

Lei spat out her mouthful of meat.

"Bat-shit," she yelled, when a third pain struck her. This one stretched all the way into her hips.

"What's the matter?" asked her man.

"It hurts," hissed Lei, rolling onto her side. That didn't help.

"What hurts?"

Lei gritted her teeth against a new round of pain.

"My back. My hips. Everything."

She arched with another round.

"Is it Redrock? Is it time?" asked her man.

"It's not supposed to be like this," hissed Lei. "It hurts too much."

"How?" Her man's voice and face was all worry, and concern, and fear.

Lei shrieked with another pain.

"Lei, what is happening?"

The pain disappeared.

"It stopped," said Lei, taking a deep breath of relief, then another. "I think Redrock is ready to be born, Black."

"But we don't have a healer," objected her man. "I have no clue where to find one."

"We'll have to do it just the two of us," said Lei, and smiled at him. "Together we can do anything. Remember?"

Her man looked panicked.

"Oh, get over it, Black," complained Lei. "You are not the one who has to feel the... PAIN!" A fresh surge of back-crunching pain had taken her by surprise.

"Do you want me to make a fire?" asked her man, when she again could breathe.

"No," hissed Lei. "No fire."

"What do you want me to do then?"

"Shut up and help me undress," hissed Lei. "The pains are coming too fast and hard. I don't think we have much time."

"How can you tell it is too fast and hard? You've never done this before."

"Black," warned Lei, this was not a time for him to argue.

Without further objections her man shook their belongings out of the blanket and spread it on the ground. Then, after awaiting her permission, he lifted her onto it, and started pulling her leggings off.

"Black," panted Lei, after another back-wrenching round of pain. "I think something is wrong."

"Nothing is wrong. It's just happening a little fast."

"If something is wrong," persisted Lei, and paused for another sting. "If! Bat-shit, it hurts. If something goes wrong."

"Nothing will go wrong, Lei."

"Shut up," hissed Lei. "If I die, you cut him out of me."

"No," her man shook his head. "I won't cut you. Never."

"If I die, you cut him out of me," hissed Lei, ignoring fresh agony spreading through her hips and back. "You hear me? You cut him OUT!"

"You won't die," snarled Black. "I won't let you. So shut up and give birth to our baby."

---==(o)==---

"Those screams, Officer Zoa," whispered the experienced soldier next to Zoa. He was one of her rope-men.

"He likes to torture his prey," whispered Zoa.

"We have to save that woman, Officer Zoa. Please give us the go."

"Stand down, soldier," commanded Zoa, still whispering, still moving slowly without disturbing any stems. "If we go early he will simply carry her off to torture her someplace else. Nobody goes before I give the go."

Intellectual property of Nanna Marker.

The whole of the city of Dewgold's army was hiding in the fields. The ones who hadn't been trained for combat against the spider had been placed far from the spider's route, where there was no risk of them interfering with the main event.

General Hopez had claimed it would do them good to move out for something that wasn't a mere exercise.

It made Zoa's burden worse. If her couriers, ropers, net-throwers, and chainers failed, she had no doubt the spider would go on a killing spree in the fields. No matter how well-trained and experienced General Hopez other soldiers were, they stood no chance against the monster.

The tortured screams were freezing her insides. The tracksters hadn't warned that the spider had resumed his murderous ways.

"This time he won't get away with it," whispered Zoa. In her hand she was holding her still cloth-covered spiked chain. She couldn't unwrap it before giving the go, lest its rattling should alert the monster.

They had one unexpected advantage, though. Even if it was one Zoa would rather have been without. If spiders really could see death. And the spider did see Death. Then he would assume the pale man had come for his prey, not himself.

---==(o)==---

"Your water broke," said Kokata.

"It hurts you son-of-a-slug. Why did I ever let you put this thing into me," complained Lei and screamed again.

"It won't be long now," promised Kokata. The more erratic his mate behaved, the more calm he had to be.

"I'll never let you touch me again," wept Lei. "Never."

"Allright," said Kokata. The termite-woman he had abducted at the false alarm had said that the baby needed to come soon after the water, or the woman might dry up and tear. "I won't touch you again. Now, when the next contraction comes, you push, Lei."

"Don't say you'll never touch me again, you piece of rotting bat-shit," wailed Lei, her stomach cramping with fresh contractions.

"Push, Lei," reminded Kokata.

His woman bared her teeth and pushed. She was all skin and bones and belly.

Kokata was more than afraid. He was terrified. His Lei was loud-mouthed, but her hands' tight grip on his legs was weak. He couldn't let his feelings show, though. He had to be calm. The contraction faded and his woman stopped pushing.

"I hate you," she whined.

"Here comes another one," said Kokata. "Push."

His woman pushed. Kokata could only hope that her insides had more muscles left than her outside. He glanced about for Death. The pale man was not about, his absence inspired hope. Kokata was in great need of that, for, as his eyes returned to his woman, he saw something big and bloody pushing against her dilated opening from the inside. It was a horrible sight.

"I see the head, Lei," he said, and moved his legtips into position, ready to take hold as soon as it should come out. "Keep pushing."

"I wish I'd never met you," hissed his Lei, then grunted with effort. She was pushing.

"Just a little bit more," urged Kokata, who couldn't imagine how that huge head was supposed to squeeze out of his tiny woman. "It's almost there."

And then, it was there the head, far enough out for him to hold. Sooner than he even dared to try pull at the head, his woman pushed the rest of the infant out.

"It's a boy," wept Kokata. "It's a beautiful little boy."

The infant was all gooey and bloody, and just about the most wonderful thing Kokata had ever seen. It opened its mouth and took a deep breath. His Lei slumped back against the legs he had supported her back with.

"I'm so tired," she said. "I have to sleep."

"Wait," insisted Kokata. "The afterbirth." But his woman had already passed out. The infant started wailing.

"Lei," yelled Kokata, shaking his woman, and wrapping dry fresh silk around his son. "The afterbirth."

A sharp, high-pitched, whistling sound filled the air.

Kokata looked up and saw long strings shooting through the air. He covered his woman and his newborn son with his body, caging them within his legs.

---==(o)==---

The first round of throwing ropes landed, the spikes at their heavy ends burrowing into soil and plant. The spider wiggled beneath them, already cutting to free himself.

Zoa whistled the go for her second half of ropethrowers. Her heart pounding with fear for the infant below the monster. The spider and his woman should die for their evil, but the newborn was innocent.

Those who had thrown ropes turned and ran behind the net-throwers, giving them room.

The second half of rope fell on the spider. Zoa dropped her spiked chain and ran forward empty-handed, her whistle in her mouth. Even as she ran, she whistled the go for the net-throwers. She landed hard on the spider's back just as the net landed on the both of them. The whistle flew from her lips.

"Chains," she yelled, struggling to get beneath the spider to where the infant was. "Throw the chains."

The tightening net kept Zoa in place on the monster's back. On all sides of her its legs were cutting ropes and net masks.

"I don't care if you hit me," screamed Zoa. "Throw the damned chains."

One of the spider's legs made it out of the net and was caught by a perfectly aimed chain-throw. The spider bolted, and Zoa, more by luck than intention, slid down its backside and onto the ground. And, finally, she got below it.

"More net," screamed Zoa. "More chains."

She saw the infant. The spider was holding it against his chest, just above his woman's chest. Zoa would have made a move for it, but the spider mashed her into the ground with the rear of his body.

Zoa's face was being pushed into the soil. She couldn't breathe.

And then the weight was gone.

Zoa raised herself. The infant was no longer close. The spider was no longer above her. Zoa glanced about in time to see the spider cutting the last pieces of net and rope, and jump.

Written by Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

Its jump was stopped when two grounded chains reached their limit. One was across its back, one was around a leg.

"More chains," yelled Zoa.

Chains were thrown, but the monster evaded them all and tore off the one from his back.

"More chains."

---==(o)==---

Kokata threw away the spiked chain that had bitten into his back armour and turned his attention to the one on his leg. It had curled three times around his leg, he couldn't just tear it of in one go.

More chains were being thrown at him.

Clutching his woman and wailing son tight, Kokata evaded. He didn't have time to free his leg. A bloody rain of spiky metal was surrounding him. Kokata spun and twisted, avoiding most of it. The rest he tore himself out of.

He had to get away before they hit Lei and Redrock.

Kokata cut off his trapped leg and jumped.

---==(o)==---

"No," screamed Zoa, and set off the ground. Within seconds, she was up higher than the grass, but the spider was out of sight.

"Couriers," screamed Zoa, and within seconds they were around her. Ten of them she ordered to spread the word that the monster had escaped and was bleeding, ten she ordered to spread out and search. All she instructed not to engage the thing.

Then she flew to seek out General Hopez. She'd need him to command his army to cluster up behind sharp blades.

---==(o)==---

"Lei," whispered Kokata, shaking his woman. No matter where he went there were termites nearby. Kokata hadn't known there was that many termites in the world. "Lei, wake up."

His son had stopped wailing. He was too thin and weak. Not as thin as his mother, but still far thinner than a newborn termite, as he, should be.

"Lei, wake up," whispered Kokata, keeping his voice down not to wake his son. The nearest termites were close enough that they would be able to hear wailing.

"Tired," whimpered his woman.

"Lei, the afterbirth. It needs out," whispered Kokata, he had already tied and cut the cord. "I'll let you sleep as soon as its out."

"Can't," whimpered his woman.

"Together we can do anything," whispered Kokata.

His Lei forced her eyes open.

"Stay with me," urged Kokata.

This time his woman managed to stay awake long enough to push out the afterbirth. She was too warm. Her fever had resurfaced. Kokata heard termites walking and talking nearby, and lifted up his woman and son. He had to move on.

---==(o)==---

Zoa had finally convinced General Hopez to order his soldiers into 'blade-clusters', and was now pressing the spider's cut off leg into the arms of a hesitant trackster. The middleaged man had a hard time forcing himself to touch it, so Zoa grabbed one of his man hands and smeared it into the blood covering the leg.

"If this don't give you a connection," she hissed, pressing the trackster's hand against skin-covered legplating. "I don't know what will."

The trackster closed his eyes and of his own accord moved his other hand to the leg too.

"He is afraid," said the trackster. "He fears for his woman and his son."

"Is the baby still alive?" asked Zoa.

"The infant is weak. He isn't wailing anymore. He worries for him."

"Where are they?" Zoa released the trackster's hand not to interfere with his visions.

"He doesn't know where they are. He doesn't know where to go. Wherever he goes he hears termites. He didn't know there are so many termites in the world."

"Can you see where he is headed?"

"No," said the limited seer. "It's all fog."

"Keep talking," urged Zoa.

"He loves her so very much," whispered the seer, tears rolling out from his closed eyes. "He can't live without her. He has to find a safe place to nurse her and his son. He is so very tired, but he doesn't stop to rest. He doesn't know that he is still bleeding. He hasn't noticed."

Zoa rose and waved one of her courier veterans closer.

"Stay with him," whispered Zoa to the courier. "Sooner or later he will have a location for us, when he does you send word directly to General Hopez."

"He will die if he keeps bleeding like that," said the seer, absently, "and he still hasn't realised it. His juice of life is streaming out of that stump of leg. What a silly thing to do. He is running himself toward Death."

"Well, that's something to hope for," whispered Zoa, glancing back at the seer. "We will want to be informed if he declares the spider dead too."

"Of course," whispered the courier veteran.

Zoa padded him on the shoulder and set off. She'd check on the 'clusters'.

---==(o)==---

Kokata's legs gave in below him and he staggered to regain his balance. As soon as he did, he moved onward. His legs refused to run, so he walked. He had to keep moving. He could sleep later. First he had to get them all to safety.

He had forgotten about his missing leg and fell when he tried to support on something no longer attached to his body. In the last moment he lifted his woman and son up and forward not to land on them. His body impacted the ground with a tooth-rattling thump.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

Kokata lowered his woman and son to the ground in front of him. He had to get back up. He curled up one leg, then another, then... The next one refused to move. Kokata frowned. That wasn't the one he had cut off, was it? He tried to remember which one he had but his mind felt like a big ball of cotton.

A big ball of cotton floating across the blue sky...

No! Kokata forced his eyes back up. He couldn't allow himself to fall asleep. Not yet. His legs had all fallen down again. He had to start all over.

First he had to curl one leg up... The leg wouldn't listen. Kokata's eyes were closing.

No! His leg had to listen. He dragged the tip of it closer, now it was bend, all he had to do now was raise the curve of it into a curl. He had never realised how heavy his legs were.

"You are still as beautiful as you were the night you were born," said a gentle voice.

Kokata looked up to see Death looking down at him.

"You can't have them," whispered Kokata, not having enough strength to yell.

Death knelt next to him and Kokata spent the last of his strength protectively laying two more legs around his woman and son.

"You have bled too much, Kokata," said Death, gently. "You can't stay awake much longer. You can take no more action toward who I will, or won't, touch this day. Go ahead and close your eyes."

Kokata wanted to object, wanted to protect his Lei and his Redrock, but his eyelids closed and he couldn't force them up. He was so very tired.

"My sister was smiling when she blew your first breath into your mouth, Kokata." Death's voice was soft, and Kokata remembered.

Death's sister's was the first face he had ever seen. One of her eyes had been blue as a summer-sky, her other had been green as fresh grass. Her skin and hair had been striped with every colour of a rainbow. She had been beautiful and she had been smiling at him. She was Life.

"Go to sleep now," said Death.

Kokata passed out.

---==(o)==---

"I don't wanna see it," screamed Evelin, clawing at her eyes.

The worn out man pulled her hands from her face and hugged her even tighter. The child had been frantic for hours.

"Make it stop," screamed Evelin. "Make it stop."

---==(o)==---

Zoa was flying high, scouting for which group to check in on next. In the distance she noticed a courier flying low.

"Bat-shit," hissed Zoa and set off toward the idiot. She had thoroughly instructed her couriers how high they had to fly for the spider not to cut them out of the air.

---==(o)==---

"You're early," said Kuruma. "It's not time yet."

Death raised his eyes to her.

"I was wondering where you had gone off to," he said. "How did you find me?"

"A little girl told me where you would be," said the ghost of the old healer, who in death was no longer blind. "What is about to happen will break her heart."

"The seer Evelin knew what she was doing," said Death gently. "At least some of the time. She will have to carry that burden till I relieve her of it."

"Is there any way you could... not..." the old healer Kuruma's ghost spread out her hands.

Death shook his head.

"I only ever take who I have to," he said.

"I was afraid you would say that," said Kuruma and shook her head too. Then she let it be. "While we wait, maybe you could tell me about where you will bring us?"

Death smiled and again shook his head.

"Some things are secret even to the dead," he said.

---==(o)==---

Keme landed. There was the spider. Exactly where and when Evelin's letter had claimed.

"Helplesses," whispered Keme, and drew his sword.

Just as Evelin's clumsy letters had promised, the black spider lay before him, still alive but unconscious. Even if it woke, it couldn't move, the letters had promised.

Evelin had written that he could kill it with his own sword.

Keme laughed.

Before him lay his greatest enemy and everything he loved. Merely pushing his sword into the spider's neck would be too merciful.

"Waky, waky," yelled Keme and kicked the spider's abdomen.

The monster didn't stir.

"Wake up," yelled Keme, walking around it. "I want you to see this."

The monster's woman whispered something, but kept her eyes closed. Keme recognised her.

"Was it you that told him to murder my family, Lei?" he asked. "Was it? Was the idea his or yours?"




Moth Ch. 042



Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

The woman mumbled something and again passed out.

"Wake up," screamed Keme and kicked the unconscious woman. "Both of you. I want you to watch each other die."

Neither stirred.

Keme screamed at the sky. Then, panting, turned his gaze back to the pair. They were still.

On the woman's chest lay a baby wrapped in silk. It was as still as its parents.

Keme picked it up and shook it.

It started wailing.

"Louder," shouted Keme into the infant's face. "Make them hear you."

The infant kept wailing, but the sound didn't wake its parents.

"Louder," insisted Keme. One of the baby's arms had come free of the silk and was waving in the air. Keme took the baby to his chest and pinched the arm.

The infant's wailing increased in volume.

"That's better," praised Keme, and glanced down at the spider and his woman. Neither was moving.

"What if I cut off one of your cute little hands?" asked Keme, looking down at the wailing baby in his arms. "Think you can wake them then?" If anything the wailing was lessening in volume.

"Let's find out."

Keme knelt and placed the baby on the ground. Then he, with one hand, pulled out its arm. The wailing had lessened to baby-sniffles. It was already going back to sleep.

"This will wake you up." Keme took aim, and raised his sword.

His breath stuck in his throat. Surprised Keme raised a hand to his throat. At his collar he found something hard. He pulled at it. Pulling at it hurt.

He saw a boot heading for his face just a split second before it hit and pushed him to his back.

Keme still couldn't breathe.

"It's not fair," he mouthed, but no sound came out.

He grabbed harder hold of the hard thing and tugged it out of his throat. He rolled around to all six and coughed out blood. The hard thing, now in one of his man hands, was an arrow. It was soaked in his blood.

Keme let go of it and pressed the hand against his throat instead, holding back blood. He breathed and coughed blood, then rose to his feet, holding on to his sword.

He turned to see Zoa, of all people, holding the baby

"It's just a baby," hissed Zoa, walking backward away from Keme.

Keme jumped into the air and charged. Zoa too jumped into the air, and kicked him again. Keme swung his sword but hit only air.

Where had she gone?

He spun in the air, looking every which way, and coughing blood. Seconds passed.

What if she had simply flown off?

Keme screamed with fury, spraying blood into the air.

How dared she deprive him of his ultimate revenge? Killing the monster's child was his right.

"Over here, Keme," sounded Zoa's voice.

Keme spun to it.

There she was, a bow in her arms instead of a baby.

He opened his mouth to ask where she had put it, but only a gargle came out. Still keeping himself in the air, he tried to take another breath, then he realised there was no arrow on her bow.

Keme looked down himself.

One of Zoa's arrows stuck out of his chest.

Keme raised his eyes to her. He wanted to ask her why. But Zoa was gone. Everything was gone. He saw only blackness.

"It's over now, Keme," said a gentle voice, and someone touched his hand.

---==(o)==---

The madman's wings stopped flapping and he fell to the ground. Zoa's arrow had hit well. She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. Then she flew to where she had hid the baby, and landed. The baby was weeping but seemed too weak to wail. It was a heartbreaking sight.

"Come here, little darling," she comforted, and picked up the infant.

Out of all the things the pairing of the abomination and the moth could have created, they had delivered a little termite.

"We'll find you a perfect home," promised Zoa and held the little thing to her flat-breasted chest.

"Zoa," yelled someone in the distance.

Zoa ignored the call. She had something still to do.

With the baby on one arm, she went to Keme's corpse and picked up his sword.

"I'm sorry, little one," she said to the infant. "I have to kill your parents. They are evil. I promise they won't feel a thing."

Zoa walked to the spider and held the tip of Keme's sword against his throat. His black-skinned face rested on one side and looked so peaceful. His breathing was slow.

Zoa frowned, her eyes travelled from the spiders throat to his back. He had countless cuts from the spiked throwing chains, but he had almost no scars.

"Look for the scars," Vumanesco had said.

Where were the scars?

Zoa's eyes travelled back and forth on the spider's back and she couldn't recognise it.

Where were the scars she had seen back in Altwar?

"The scars," Vumanesco had whispered. "Look for the scars. We were..."

Tears formed in Zoa's eyes, blurring her vision.

"We were wrong," whispered Zoa. "Was that what you were trying to say, Vumanesco."

"Her arrow will taste blood," had been the seer Evelin's final words on the matter.

Zoa looked at arrow sticking out of Keme's chest, then looked at the sword in her hand which hadn't yet tasted blood.

"Why, Evelin?" asked Zoa. If the child had known she would end up shooting Keme, why hadn't she told?

"Zoa," called distant voices.

"Over here," yelled Zoa.

Maybe Vumanesco had meant to warn her that this spider was innocent. Maybe he had meant to warn her that there was more than one murderous spider.

Either way, this spider was helpless. Zoa could afford to let it live until she knew for sure, and withdrew the sword from the spider's vulnerable throat.

*

Posted on literotica.com with permission of author: Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.



Moth Ch. 043



Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

*

"Lei," screamed a loud, hoarse, voice, and Zoa could hear the sounds of hard body-plating ramming against metal bars. "Where is she?"

"How long has he been at it?" asked Zoa.

"A few hours, Officer Zoa," replied the guard. "He is getting stronger and faster every day."

"So I can hear," commented Zoa. "The woman isn't much better. But her we can tie down."

"May I ask how the baby is, Officer Zoa?" asked the guard hesitantly, she wasn't supposed to waste officers' time with questions she didn't need the answers to.

"You may not," stated Zoa sternly, coldly eyeing the guard till the woman looked like she wished the ground would swallow her. "But, little Redrock is fine. He has been stuffing himself to the point that we've had to find a second milk-mother to skip in a few times a day. He is even starting to look chubby."

"I have a mate," volunteered the guardwoman, "We've been thinking of getting children. We would..."

Zoa shook her head and the guardwoman went quiet.

"You can let me in now," ordered Zoa and the woman unlocked the door.

"Where is Lei," screamed the spider at her, and rattled the bars of his cage. "I want to see her."

"Your woman is in a place that has windows, and drapes, and far fresher air than this," said Zoa, coldly, waving a hand out at the large dungeon chamber in which the spider's metal cage stood. "But if you should somehow manage to cause harm to your cage, we might have to move her to a place like this."

The spider released the bars.

"Does the dark bother you?" asked Zoa, turning brighter one of the bright-glows at the wall.

"No," snarled the spider.

"Does the light?"

"No," snarled the spider, pacing his cage but keeping his legs from the bars.

Zoa took out her pad, a sheet, and a pen.

"Today we are going to talk about the day we first attacked your home in Altwar," she said.

"I already told you everything I remember," yelled the hoarse spider. "Again, and again, and again. I want to see Lei and I want to see my son."

"And now you will tell me again," said Zoa, coldly.

"I saw Death," began the spider. "I thought that meant that Lei would be a day late so we couldn't escape in time. I didn't realise you would attack early."

Zoa listened closely to every detail the spider provided of the other spider's arrival and their battle against her fellow couriers. She had interrogated him and his woman every day since they had recovered enough to talk, and still hadn't found any discrepancies that didn't even out with further questions.

There was, as yet, nothing to indicate they were lying.

Defending yourself against wrongful assault wasn't illegal, not even if the assailants were the Emperor's couriers. And, if the spider's story held true he had tried to spare their lives.

So far every cut the spider had described making, Zoa recognised from her memories of her fellows' injuries. From his description most of the opened arms and legs were his work. All the chopped off heads and wings had been Dark's.

The other spider had been nameless, which explained why, even Evelin, had been calling her 'it'. In her head Zoa had been going through everything Evelin had said that day she and Keme were there. Her switches between he and it perfectly fit the caged spider's story. The tracksters who had had access to this spider's blood had all called him 'he', never it.

The spider in the cage had a name: Kokata.

Every trackster who had touched his cut off leg had declared his innocence, but Zoa wasn't taking any chances. The spider was too dangerous for that.

If he and his woman really were as innocent as they claimed, they'd be released within a few more months.

---==(o)==---

Three hours had passed since the worn out man had ingested the bad-smelling, foul-tasting, herbal tea. He had dosed the amount to fit his weight according to the crayon-written instructions left by the ghost.

He wasn't dead yet, actually he felt no effect at all. The initial nausea from drinking the foul brew had vanished within minutes.

His eyes sought out Evelin. She was on the floor playing with toys that weren't there. She was humming and rocking. He knew she was seeing. Evelin was always seeing. Humming and rocking was good. She did that when she wasn't witnessing too many horrible things at once.

He had thought that if the foul drink wasn't lethal, maybe it would be a sedative. But he didn't feel sedated at all, and he had followed the instructions to the letter.

Evelin screamed, then started weeping, then started laughing, then rose and started marching around the room singing a verse from an old marching song. The child and her dress were grimed with dirt. A long time had passed since last she had let him wash her.

He only forced baths on her when she started getting dirt sores. The child claimed the dirt of her own skin and salt was an armour shielding her from visions in the air. Maybe it was. The child was always seeing, he couldn't tell for sure that she didn't see a tiny bit less when she was dirty.

"It rains a lot," said Evelin. "Why haven't they dug ditches? Why does the crop have to drown?"

"When?" he asked, relieved to have an opportunity to move her sight to a task that didn't involve illness or murder.

"Thirty-six days," stated Evelin. "Thirty-six. Thirty-six. Thirty-six."

"Where, Evelin?"

"The fields around the village of course," said Evelin, rolling her eyes at him.

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.

"What village is that, Evelin?"

"The one that lost fifteen people to the plague three years back," yelled Evelin at him. "Their skin swelled with boils. Pus ran out of it till the boils went deep enough for them to BLEED!" The last was a scream.

"Come back to the present, Evelin," he commanded. "What does the village look like right now?"

"They stank like corpses even before they were dead," hissed Evelin.

"Go forward, Evelin, what is happening in that village right now?"

The child calmed, and rocked, and hummed.

"They are all out in the fields. Only an old man and two old women are in the village. They are weaving and talking. The sun is shining and that is nice, it soothes their old joints."

"What's the name of the village?" he asked.

"Kafala's rest," stated Evelin.

The worn out man jotted it down next to rain, thirty-six days, and missing ditches.

"So many died in the plague there," said Evelin. "So many young tombstones."

"You can leave that village now, Evelin. They will be warned about the rain, I promise."

"I love you, toot-toot," said Evelin and crawled up on his lap.

"I love you too, Evelin," said the worn out man and hugged his daughter.

The peace lasted only twenty precious seconds, then Evelin again started rocking, and laughing, and singing, and crawled off his lap. Moments later she shrieked, startled by some vision. Then she curled into a tight, weeping ball.

"I'm bad," wept the child. "I deserve this."

The worn out man averted his eyes and blinked to hold back his own tears. Then he rose, went into the kitchen, and measured out a dose of the foul brew there fitting a child of Evelin's size.

He brought it to the girl

"I don't want it," hissed the girl, pushing away the cup.

"It's punishment," lied the man, "because you were bad."

The child pulled the cup from his hand and downed the foul brew in one long draught. Her face distorted into a grimace of disgust and she handed him back the empty cup.

"It tasted awful, toot-toot," complained the child.

"I know," comforted the man, and pulled her into a hug.

The child started singing a ballad from the man's grandfather's time. It was a very long one. Some verses he could remember and sing along on. Halfway through the fifth verse Evelin went quiet.

"Can you hear that?" she asked.

"What?" asked the man.

"It's so quiet," said Evelin.

The man listened. Apart from Evelin their home was always quiet.

"Where did all the voices go?" asked Evelin. "It's never been this quiet."

Evelin stuck dirty fingers into her dirty ears and moved them about, then took them out again, and shook her head.

"It's really quiet," she said, disbelief in her voice.

"It is?" he asked.

"It really is," claimed Evelin. "There's no screaming. No yelling. No whispers."

"There isn't?"

"There really isn't," said the child and turned to look up at him. "Dad, why are you crying?"

---==(o)==---

There was no night in her cell, no day either. Just damp, old air. They all said she was crazy, but she wasn't the crazy one, they were. Crazy termites.

She hadn't done anything wrong, why had they stuck her into this place? How long had she been there?

In her cell there was nothing to do but think. All that thinking was driving her crazy. Or, maybe, she had been crazy all along. There was a lot of them and only one of her. If they all said she was crazy did that mean it was true?

Her cell was dirty, she was dirty too, they didn't give her enough water to clean. Barely gave her more than she needed to drink.

She closed her eyes and whispered the names of all her children and her mate. It helped. They were real, she was real, and she was not crazy. She'd just have to keep hanging on. Someday she would get a chance to escape and return to her family. To what remained of it at least.

She had failed her mission. The life of her mate and of her bow-craziest daughter had rested in her hands, and she had failed. At first she had had hope to turn the situation around, she had tried to reason with the termites. There was no longer such hope, never should have been. Termites were not reasonable.

What there was now was the rest of her children. They still needed a mother. She and her mate had been rash to both venture out. Her mate likely dead, and her lost in a termite dungeon, left their children practical orphans.

It was a heavy burden.

She heard footsteps in the tunnel outside her cell. More than one pair. Likely another soul being dragged into a life of damp desperation.

The door opened. Probably a meal. There was no point trying to break out of this door. There were other doors between her and freedom. Many others. Every time she tried to escape, they took her deeper.

"Brevila?"

She turned, not believing her ears. That voice!

"Valo?" she asked. The light from the tunnel's brightglows behind him made him nothing but a large shade.

"Is it her?" asked an impatient voice, one she recognised as the termite guard that usually brought her meals.

"Yes," said her mate's voice, and he came all the way to her, and hugged her. "This is my mate."

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"Good riddance," said the termite guard. Brevila hated the man, she bit or kicked him every chance she got.

"We've been so worried about you," said her mate, Valo, speaking in a voice as if he were talking to a child or a crazy person, then he whispered into her ear, "pretend to be crazy, Brevila. That's the only way I can get you out of here." In a loud voice he continued. "It's time to go home, honey. Come on, get on your feet."

Brevila rose to her feet.

"Remember, act crazy," whispered her mate into her ear, "but don't overdo it." Her mate put an arm around her waist and led her out of her cell. In a loud voice he said, "Thank you for taking care of her."

"No problem," said the guard, sounding impatient, "It's our job."

Brevila broke into hysterical laughter, but that was allright, crazy people did that all the time.

They walked through endless tunnels. Every door opened for the guard's call. 'Was' opened for the guard's call, Brevila corrected herself, she had to stop thinking like a crazy person.

Finally they stepped out into fresh air. The blinding, eye-piercing, headache-inducing, light of day had never been so welcome. Brevila couldn't see a thing, but her mate seemed to have some vision so she clung on to him and let him lead her further. She heard creaks of the hinges of a large termite gate, and noticed the shadow of passing under it.

Her mate led her further along the big termite-city's pavement, they passed a few corners, and suddenly he stopped.

"Allright, you can stop pretending you are crazy now," he said, and pulled her in for a kiss.

Brevila grabbed hold of his head and kissed him back.

"Dear life I've missed you," exclaimed her mate after their kiss.

"I thought you were dead," said Brevila and pulled him in for another kiss.

"I'm not, and neither is Lei," said her mate after that kiss. "I got separated from them. There was no way I could find them again, so instead I went here to check on you. Took a long time to find you. Took even longer to convince them to give you back to me." Then he lowered his voice and whispered, "These city-termites are crazy."

"I know," whispered back Brevila.

"I have a room just a few centers that way," said her mate. Brevila guessed he was pointing somewhere but still couldn't see well enough to tell. "Let's go get out of this light and get you cleaned up."

 ---==(Epilogue)==---

A ten year old termite boy was playing at the edge of a pond, pulling a leaf to the shore of it and pushing it in. The leaf floated and the boy giggled excitedly, then searched the shore for something to push it around with.

He saw something sticking out of the water and bent out reaching for it. He shrieked when from behind him someone grabbed hold of the neck-string of his shirt and pulled him backward, away from the water.

"You are not supposed to play at the pond," said the someone, who was a winged termite woman. "You can't swim."

"I'm not going to fall into the water," claimed the boy.

"You are not a seer, little Redrock," said the woman sternly. She was young and pretty. "You can't tell what is going to happen before it does."

"But I like playing at the pond," said the boy. "It's so nice and quiet here. At home mum is yelling at dad and gorging down cooked meat as if there was sugar on it."

"Lei is a good mother," said the young termite woman. "You can't convince me otherwise, little Redrock."

The boy pouted and kicked at the soil, "Dad says she is only acting that way because the baby has grown large enough to tickle her on the inside." The boy sounded like he didn't really believe that explanation. Then, he looked up at the winged termite. "Hey, are you a travelling termite?" he asked.

"I am a termite, and I am travelling," said the young woman. "But I don't have a caravan."

The boy looked disappointed. "So, you've just come to visit mum and dad then?"

"No. I came to warn you, Redrock."

"Me?" The boy pointed at himself, not quite believing the statement.

"Yes, you. I came to tell you that if you ever again play at a pond, I will tell your dad about it, and he WILL," the young woman tapped a finger on the boy's chest, "spank you. He will spank you so hard that you won't be able to sit for days, and that, my young friend, is a promise."

"My dad never spanks me the first time he catches me doing something bad," said the boy. "He always warns me that if I ever do that again, then!"

"Ponds are different," warned the young woman. "If you don't believe me I can go tell him right now, then you'll see for yourself."

The boy shook his head, he believed her.

"And don't go thinking I won't know if you play at a pond," continued the young woman. "I'm a seer. I'll know."

The boy's eyes widened.

"How else would I have known you were here?" said the winged termite-woman with a smile.

"Wow," exhaled the boy.

"Redrock," called another young woman's voice in the distance. "Redrock where are you?"

"That's Rebecca," said the boy, suddenly looking very nervous. "If she finds me here..."

"Run along and let her find you someplace else," offered the winged termite-woman.

The boy ran away, leaving the winged termite-woman alone by the pond's shore. The wind rustled along the forest bedding, bringing sound and vision to the young woman's skin. She listened to the voices in the wind, then took a sip from the canister she always kept at her hip. Soon the voices would again be tolerable whispers.

"Thank you, Evelin," said Death. "I am glad not to have to take that one yet."

"You're welcome," said the young termite-woman and smiled at the pale man.

"It's a good thing you didn't have to talk to Kokata," said Death. "Redrock wouldn't be the only one not able to sit for weeks if you had."

"I know," said Evelin with a sad smile.

Kokata might forgive the loss of one leg, but Lei would never forgive that she hadn't been the one to breastfeed Redrock.

"It was wise of them to build a new home closer to the beetle-village," said Death.

"Very," agreed Evelin. "The baby inside Lei is a moth, and the one after that will be nocturnal too. The two after that will be daytimers."

"I didn't know," said Death and chuckled.

"They will need all the babysitting which friendship can buy to get by," said Evelin with a smile. "Years will pass between their children all sleeping at the same time."

"Then how will they have time to make all those children?" asked Death, raising his eyebrows.

"All the babysitting which friendship can buy," said Evelin and winked at him.

Death laughed.

Evelin blew him a kiss through the air and jumped up into the wind.

*

Written by Nanna Marker; literotica ID ellynei.

And that was how things went.

I hope you have enjoyed the story and beg of you now a comment, short or long, speaking of good or bad, anything really. Your criticism, or praise, means a lot to me.