19 comments/ 47626 views/ 28 favorites The Reindeer Maiden By: Nameless_Rose This story is a little New Years fairytale composed of elements drawn from several different mythologies, ranging from the stories of pagan Russia to the legends of the selkies, the seal women of the Irish coast, to the modern fantasy classic,The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. Just want to give credit where credit is due. Enjoy, vote, comment, and have a magical holiday season. * Once upon a time, a young prince named Ivan wandered lost in a vast forest. This was long ago and far away, in the frozen wastes that lie in the east of Mother Russia. Snow fell hard and fast from the sky in flakes that clumped in Ivan's fair hair and eyelashes. He had lost his horse and his way several hours ago and it was only due to stubbornness that he had not yet sat down against a tree trunk and readied himself for death. At first when he saw the light winking through the shifting evergreen branches he put it down to his mind playing tricks upon him. But as he stumbled through the snow in the direction of the light, it grew brighter and brighter. Soon he could distinguish the shape of a small cottage through the trees. When Ivan reached the dwelling he came to a sudden halt that caused him to fall to his knees in the snow. Lights blazed from every window and he could see smoke coming from the chimney. The smell of roasting meat and vegetables came to him on the wind and his stomach cramped with hunger. He crawled towards the place, and it was then that the prince noticed that the fence which surrounded it was made of bones. Each post had a shiny white skull as a knob on the top. In tribute to the coming New Year, the bones had been decorated with boughs of evergreen and silver ribbons. The cottage itself was raised off of the ground on what Ivan at first thought were wooden stilts. When he forced his eyes to focus, he realized that they were legs; the cottage was supported by a pair of enormous spindly bird's legs whose talons bit deep into the frozen earth. Ivan knew then whose house this was, and for a moment he almost turned back to face his death in the frozen woods. It was Baba Yaga who lived here, the witch who had entrapped Vasilissa the Beautiful and who brought an end to Koschei the Deathless. The skulls on her fence were from the heads of the men and women who had trifled with her. But Ivan did not want to die, and that is what would surely happen if he wandered back into the forest. He would throw himself on the mercy of the witch. The prince staggered to his feet and forced himself to walk forward. He ascended a set of narrow wooden stairs and knocked three times on the cottage door. It creaked open at once and he collapsed upon the threshold. "What is the meaning of this, boy?" said a voice. "How dare you come here uninvited?" Ivan tilted his head up and beheld Baba Yaga. In all of the stories she was described as an old crone with iron teeth, but the person standing before him, although very old, was not the hag he had imagined. She was tall and terribly thin, and despite the years which weighed heavily upon her, she had the bearing of a queen. Her hair was the color of lamb's wool and piled on top of her head in an elaborate braid. She had eyes of a grey so light that they seemed almost transparent, set in a face that was sharp and heavily lined. "Your pardon please, Dama," Ivan said, his voice made shrill by the whistling wind. "I am lost. I came to beg you for shelter" "I have no room for you here," Baba Yaga said, digging him in the side with the toe of her boot. "Be off with you." "Have mercy Dama, I beg of you," Ivan said. "It is the eve of the New Year. In the spirit of the holiday, please, take pity on me. Do not usher in the year by allowing a young man to die on your doorstep." She looked down at him, her colorless stare never wavering. Then she said, "You state your case eloquently. I do not want to ring in the New Year with such an omen, but I do not offer my help lightly. In exchange for it, you must perform a task for me." "But name it, Dama," Ivan said, finding the strength to get to his knees and prostrating himself before her on the cottage's threshold. "I swear on my life that I will do anything you ask of me if you only let me share of your fire and your food." "You swear it, boy?" "Yes Dama, on my life I swear it." She reached over him and shut the cottage door, turning the bolt and silencing the howl of the wind outside. "Then get up and sit in that chair by the fire. I will bring you something to eat." Ivan did as he was bid. His legs would almost not support him, but he managed to stagger over to the deep armchair to which Baba Yaga had gestured. It was lined with silky grey fur and already warmed by the fire. Sinking into it was like setting the first foot into paradise. He stripped off his fur mittens, his hat and his long bearskin cloak and held his hands out to the blaze. Slowly, life came back to his fingers and Ivan was delighted to find that all ten of them were still capable of movement. He had been certain that he would have to lose at least two of them to frostbite. Baba Yaga appeared at his shoulder with an earthenware goblet full of hot, spiced wine. "Drink this," she said, shoving the vessel into his hand. "It will help get rid of the chill." "Thank you Dama," Ivan said, raising the cup to his lips and taking a long sip. The wine was rich and sweet with herbs and honey. It was almost too hot to drink but when he forced himself to swallow the scalding liquid he could feel warmth spreading through every inch of his body. "You certainly are a pretty thing," Baba Yaga said, reaching down to tuck a lock of his golden hair behind his ear. "It would have been a shame to have you freeze to death on my doorstep." Ivan said nothing and Baba Yaga went to the stove and pulled from the oven a loaf of dark bread which she put on a tray along with a sharp knife and a dish of white butter. Then she went to the fire and filled an earthen bowl with stew from the cauldron which hung there. Placing the bowl on the tray next to the loaf, Baba Yaga brought the food to Ivan and watched him eat every scrap of it. By the time he had finished, the prince's exhaustion had begun to catch up with him and he had to struggle not to drift off to sleep in his chair. "Thank you Dama," he said, putting the tray aside. "You have saved my life." "Yes," Baba Yaga took the tray from him and set it in a basin next to the wood stove. "What task would you have me do to repay you?" "We can talk about that later. You are about to fall asleep where you sit. You are of no use to me in this condition. I will give you a bed where you can rest for a few hours." Ivan thanked her yet again, and Baba Yaga led him to a little room in the back of the cottage. It had in it a large bed with a carved wooden frame and blankets of the same silver fur which had lined the armchair by the fire. The witch left him there, saying that she would wake him in a few hours so that he might perform the task that was to repay her. The prince removed his boots and then crawled, fully clothed, beneath the thick fur blankets. The moment that his head touched the goose-down pillow, he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. Ivan was awoken some hours later by a light touch on his shoulder. Baba Yaga was standing beside the bed, holding a silver lantern in her hand. "Wake up boy," she said, shaking him slightly. "We have things to discuss." Ivan rose, wishing that he could simply sink back into the warmth of the bed, but Baba Yaga beckoned him back into the cottage's main room and he followed her. She took the fur-lined chair herself this time and motioned at him to sit down on a little stool which had been placed at its feet. "I have thought of a task for you, but first, boy, I want to know what brings you here. My house is far from any kingdom." "My name is Ivan," the prince said, "I am the youngest son of Tsar Leonid Ivanovich, whose kingdom lies in the far west. I am fleeing to a city in the east because my elder brother, who has just become the tsar, has sent men after me. I managed to lose them, but in the process I lost my horse and became myself lost in these woods." "What did you do to earn the enmity of your brother?" asked Baba Yaga. "We loved the same woman," Ivan said, wishing that he could remain silent, "and she preferred me to him. He couldn't bare it and so he sent his soldiers to kill me." "What happened to the woman you loved?" "She is dead." The prince said in a flat voice. "I did not arrive in time to save her. My brother's men got to her chambers before me. In his jealousy, he would rather see her slain than in the arms of another man." He said nothing more. The pain of his loss was still hot within him, burning like a brand. "And you flee?" the witch asked sharply. "What of vengeance?" "I have friends in the East. I will rally them to me and with the help of an army I will depose my brother. He is a tyrant." "A noble young prince out to destroy a wicked king." Baba Yaga mused. "You have strength in you, boy, I can see that, and pain. Perhaps if you perform the task I give you well, I will aid you in your quest." "What is this task, Dama?" Ivan asked. He would not permit himself to hope for the witch's aid. It was enough for him to concentrate of the job at hand. Perhaps it would prove a distraction from the grief that thoughts of his murdered love had evoked. "It is auspicious that you arrived on the eve of the New Year, Prince Ivan. I grow old and this is a circumstance which greatly displeases me. Tonight, there is a spell that I can perform which will restore my youthful body to me, such as I have not had for many centuries. You, prince, will retrieve for me the essential ingredient of this spell." "And what is that, Dama?" Ivan asked. "The glade beside my cottage is a place of power. Near midnight, there will appear in that glade a reindeer whose hide is the pure white of freshly fallen snow. She will shed her deer skin, and become a human woman so that she may bathe in the hot spring in the clearing. I want you to bring me her virgin blood." "What?" Baba Yaga reached into a carved wooden casket by her side and pulled out a cloth of pure white silk. "You will bed the girl on this cloth so that you may collect her virgin blood. Bring the cloth back to me and your obligation is discharged." "Dama, I had not expected such a task." "You swore to me Prince. I am told that the reindeer maidens are very beautiful to look upon. Most young men would leap at such a chance as this." "I will perform the task." Ivan said. "I did not mean to question you." "Seek out the deer maiden in the glade, and take her skin for then she must obey you, but take care how you handle her. The efficacy of the spell is dependent upon how the maiden's innocent blood is spilled. If you are a brute with her, the effects of the spell will be muted by pain and fear. This would be very displeasing to me." "I would not be a beast to any woman," Ivan said. The witch chuckled. "Of course not. I see only gentleness in those pretty blue eyes of yours, little prince." She reached out one bony hand and stroked his cheek. Ivan did not shrink away, although her nearness frightened him. "It is a shame I do not have my younger shape." She said. "I would be tempted to take advantage of an innocent like you." "How long do I have to perform this task, Dama?" Ivan asked, aware that his face had flushed red at the witch's last words. "Bring the cloth to me before dawn. The spell to restore my youth must be performed before the sun rises on the first day of the New Year." "How long do I have? I have lost track of time since I slept." "The moon has not yet risen to its zenith. You have many hours in which to perform your task, prince." "I will start now," Ivan said, rising from the stool. "Only give me that cloth and tell me where to look for the maiden." Baba Yaga handed over the cloth to him and Ivan folded it into a small square before placing it deep in a pocket of his trousers. "You have only to head west from my front door, Prince Ivan," the witch said. "There will be a break in the trees and you will see a wide clearing with a hot spring steaming at its center. Wait there for the maiden. She will appear when the moon reaches its highest point in the sky." Ivan left the cottage soon afterwards. Baba Yaga gave him some wine in a leather flask to help him throw off the chill and he donned his heavy furs once more before setting out in search of the reindeer maiden. He found the glade of which Baba Yaga had spoken less than a mile west of the cottage. The trees broke suddenly, giving way to an expanse of white snow which was broken only by the circular pool at its center. The spring was cut deep into the earth and steam rose off of it in great clouds. Prince Ivan walked around the glade, peering into the trees which bordered it, and saw no signs of any living creature. The moon had not yet reached its zenith, so he decided to conceal himself in the trees at the edge of the glade and wait for the reindeer maiden to appear. He had to wait only an hour before the object which he sought wandered into the glade. He heard the snapping of branches and the crunch of snow, and then across the clearing, there emerged from the trees a reindeer whose hide was the color of the silver moon. She was a graceful beast, more so than any reindeer Ivan had ever seen, and picked her way delicately over the snow to the hot spring. She pawed at the edge for a moment, and then threw back her horned head to stare at the moon. The reindeer gave a snort and shook herself. Then her pale fur began to glow. Soon, the form of the reindeer was erased by a white light brighter than that of a star fallen to earth. When the light disappeared as suddenly as it had come, the reindeer had vanished. In its place stood a tall young woman, naked, her skin the same flawless white as the reindeer's pelt. She held a cream-colored deerskin in her arms and as Ivan watched, she folded it and placed it with great care on a rock beside the spring. She was the most beautiful creature the prince had ever seen. Her hair was pure white, and so long that it brushed against the backs of her knees; her eyes were a deep blue, the color of the midnight sky. She had small, round breasts with ice-pink nipples, and her sex was guarded by a fluff of white hair. The reindeer maiden did not seem to feel the cold of the winter night and she shook out her long white hair with a soft exclamation of joy. Ivan watched as she tried to twirl in a circle with her arms outstretched, and then fell on her bottom in the snow. It seemed as if she had not yet gotten the knack of walking on two legs. She foundered up from the place where she had fallen, and then made her way to the edge of the spring. She dipped a toe into the water before easing herself slowly into the pool. When she sank down among the rocks she gave a little sigh of delight and raised her face to the moon, eyes closed, bathing in its silver rays. Ivan wished that he could remain hidden among the evergreens and simply watch the maiden, but his obligation to the witch made him rise. It distressed him that he would have to disturb the silent peace of this moment. He crept around the perimeter of the trees, treading carefully so that he made not a sound. When he was behind the reindeer maiden he began to move forward, crawling on his hands and knees in the snow. The girl gave a little sigh of pleasure and sank down into the spring, submerging her head and sending a torrent of bubbles to the water's surface. Ivan snatched his chance. He darted forward and grabbed up the deerskin from the rock upon which the maiden had laid it. When her head broke through the pool's surface again, Ivan simply stood there, displaying the snow white deer hide in his arms. The reindeer maiden froze when she caught sight of him, her dark blue eyes going wide. Ivan sat down on a rock and spread the deerskin across his lap, stroking the silky fur with one hand. "I'm sorry to disturb you, devushka," he said, not sure if she could understand him. "I do not want to hurt you. I have your skin. You cannot run away from me." The girl rose from the pool, clouds of steam rising from her ivory skin as water cascaded off of her body. She did not seem to care much for modesty, but her nakedness almost took Ivan's breath away now that he was so close to her. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, lithe and delicately formed, but with powerful muscles quivering just beneath her snowy white skin. He could tell that she wanted very much to run from him, to flee him as a deer flees the hunter, but she could not disobey him when her skin was in Ivan's possession. She simply stood there, knee-deep in the pool. Ivan reached for the maiden. She made no move to run from him, but her body tensed at his touch, and she shied away, giving a little cry of distress. He pulled her gently but firmly from the pool until she was standing directly before him. Now that he was faced with his task, the prince had no idea of how to continue. It was not in him to rape a woman, especially not one as obviously innocent as the one before him. "I have been sent to perform a task," he told the girl. "Baba Yaga wants me to collect your innocent blood." At these words the reindeer maiden tried to wrench herself out of his grip, emitting a little cry of horror. So, she could understand his words even if she could not speak herself. "Hush," Ivan murmured, tightening his hold on her arm and pulling her slowly back to him, though he hated himself for it. "I will be gentle. It is not the blood from your veins that the witch wants." Placing the deerskin on top of a boulder where it would be out of reach of the maiden, Ivan pulled her to him, so close that her breasts pressed against the soft fur of the bearskin cloak he wore. She whimpered and her eyes found his. They were full of bewildered tears, and Ivan was struck by a vicious hatred for Baba Yaga. It was the witch who was driving him to do this, to violate an innocent woman. He did not even have a bed in which to lie with her. He would be forced to take her here among the rocks and snow. That was when Ivan caught sight of the tiny hut on the far side of the glade. He would have sworn that it had not been there only a second before. It was as if his anger had summoned it into being. "Come with me," Ivan said, and he began to make his way towards the hut, leading the reindeer maiden by the arm. She was reluctant to go with him, but followed nonetheless, casting a longing glance back at the deerskin that lay abandoned by the pool. When Prince Ivan drew close to the little hut he saw that it was supported by two hen's legs, a smaller twin of Baba Yaga's own cottage. The witch had done this. Perhaps she had somehow read Ivan's thoughts, sensed his anger at her for forcing him into this position. He wondered at this kindness until he remembered what she had told him. Ivan had to do right by this girl or the effects of Baba Yaga's spell would be blunted. They reached the door of the hut and the prince saw that on it had been hung a wreath of evergreen tied with silver ribbon, a token for the New Year. The door swung open at their approach and Ivan had to pause upon the threshold because the reindeer maiden gave a soft cry and began to pull frantically against him. He tightened his grip on the girl's wrist; she was surprisingly strong for one so thin. When he turned to face her he saw that her eyes were wide and terrified. She was gazing fixedly at the little room inside the hut and shaking her head back and forth, her white hair flying all around her. She did not want to go inside, Ivan realized. Perhaps she had never been inside a four-walled dwelling; she was a wild creature, a denizen of the forest. The Reindeer Maiden "Be easy," he said to her, using the low, sweet voice he employed for calming frightened horses. "I swear on my life that I mean you no harm. I will not imprison you here." The girl stared at him, and he felt her trembling. Then she stopped pulling against him and her whimpers ceased. Ivan led the reindeer maiden inside the hut, shutting and bolting the door behind them. It was a cozy little place, consisting of only one room, most of which was taken up by a large four-poster bed draped in linen and fur. There was a fire burning in a grate at the far end of the hut and the warmth was such that Ivan let go his hold on the reindeer maiden's arm and reached up to remove his cloak. She moved as if to run for the door but he said, "Please don't try to run away. I do not want to tie you up, devushka, but I will if I have to." The girl halted and then just stood there, staring at him, her body tense and trembling. Ivan considered her for a moment and sighed. He proceeded to remove the rest of his clothing and soon he was just as naked as the maiden. Her beauty was such that his cock was already half-erect, and large as it was, the maiden's gaze could not help but fix upon it. Ivan bent down and retrieved the white cloth Baba Yaga had given him from the pocket of his trousers. Then he went to the bed and spread the cloth overtop of the fur coverlet. He sat down on top of it and patted the spot beside him. "Will you join me, devushka?" he asked. The girl cast a glance at the door and then returned her focus to Ivan. She made her way slowly over to the bed and sat down a short distance apart from him. She shifted, as if unsure of what position to take, finally settling on drawing her knees up to her chin. "The witch, Baba Yaga, saved my life," Ivan said, needing her to understand why he was forcing himself upon her. "She demands that I do this as payment. I would not force you to this if I were not myself compelled, devushka." She blinked at him, the fear not vanishing from her face. He reached out and took one of her hands, bringing it to his lips and delivering a soft kiss. "I will do whatever I can to give you pleasure." Ivan pressed against the maiden's shoulder, applying enough pressure to make her lie back, but not enough to cause her pain. Her legs she still held drawn up tightly to her chest, but the prince reached out and straightened them so that she was lying flat on her back with her legs pointing forward and her arms at her sides. His hands began a gentle exploration of her flesh, cupping her small breasts and running his fingers over the nipples until they grew stiff and swollen. She cried out softly and attempted to cover herself, but Ivan caught hold of her wrists and placed them back at her sides. "Please," he said, taking her breasts in his hands once more and stroking the girl's nipples until they felt hard as two stones beneath his fingers. "Don't cover yourself, milaya," he said, switching to the term of endearment without even being aware of it. He wanted so badly to be tender to her, to soothe her fear and make her delight in his caresses. "You are so very beautiful." The prince lowered his head and began to suck at her nipples, lapping at them with his tongue until the reindeer maiden arched her back and gave a little cry despite herself. Ivan pulled away and saw with some satisfaction that her ivory skin had become suffused with a rosy glow. Her lips were moist and her eyes slightly dreamy. He reached one hand down and began to stroke the fluff of white hair that guarded her sex. The girl stiffened when she felt his hand there and looked at him imploringly. "You've never known such a touch, have you, milaya?" Ivan asked softly, continuing to stroke her. She shook her head back and forth in the negative. He began to run one finger up and down the slit that marked her entrance and found, somewhat to his surprise, that it was already slick with moisture. "This brings you pleasure, doesn't it?" he said, looking into the girl's face. She nodded and Ivan plunged one finger a little way inside of her, searching for the pearl that resided at the crux of her moistened slit. He found it almost at once, stiff and slick, and the moment his finger brushed against it, the reindeer maiden's body gave a lurch. She cried out and her hips bucked against him as Ivan took the little bud between two fingers and began to gently work it back and forth. He stroked her until she raised her hips, panting, her entire body trembling and her face crimson, then he stopped. The girl collapsed back against the bed. She gave a low moan, as if upset by his abandonment. Ivan, much as he was trying to keep it in check, felt lust beginning to cloud his head. This maiden was so fragile, so innocent, and yet so receptive to his caresses. His cock throbbed and ached but he tried to ignore its directive that he mount the girl right away. Instead he began to kiss her, sucking and licking his way down her body until he reached her sex and his tongue dipped between its swollen lips. The maiden's hips bucked when his tongue began to flicker over her clitoris and labia, lapping up the sweet nectar that his fingers had wrought. She tasted incredible to him, like no human woman he had ever been with, of musk and wild woods and winter wind, and he gorged himself on her, placing his hands on either side of her waist so that he could drag her more firmly against his mouth. By the time Ivan pulled away, his jaw nearly numb, the reindeer maiden's breathing had become harsh and her body was writhing on top of the white cloth they lay upon. The prince slid up her body, allowing his cock to rest against the girl's thigh, and placed a lingering kiss upon her lips. His tongue flicked inside her mouth and he felt her tentatively return the gesture. He kissed her for a long time, and eventually the reindeer maiden began to kiss him back in earnest. When they broke apart again Ivan propped himself up on one arm so that he could gaze down into the girl's face. The fear had gone from her eyes, but she still looked wary. Her body shifted uncomfortably, for Ivan had not yet allowed her pleasure to peak. His instincts told him that it would be best if he attempted to time her first climax to coincide with the consummation of the witch's task. Ivan reached down and felt between the maiden's legs. She was hot and wet and ready for him, the muscles of her sex contracting over and over around his finger, trying to drag it deep inside. "I am going to take you now, milaya," Ivan said. Are you ready?" The girl stared at him for one long moment, and then she inclined her head once, very slightly. The prince grasped her thighs and spread her legs wide, positioning one on either side of his waist. His cock was poised at the entrance of her sex, the tip sliding up and down the girl's hot little slit. He took a deep breath and looked into the reindeer maiden's face. Then he gave a little thrust of his hips and slid part of the way inside of her. The girl gasped, her entire body tensing as Ivan's cock pushed against the barrier of her innocence. The prince gave another thrust, harder this time, and felt her maidenhead give way. He slid inside her to the hilt, crying out in ecstasy at the exquisite hot tightness that sheathed him. The reindeer maiden also gave a cry, her hips bucking and Ivan was almost lifted off of the bed. There had been pain in the girl's cry, but Ivan though that there had also been pleasure. He began to thrust in and out of her slowly and steadily, giving her time to adjust to his size. It took a good deal of self control for Ivan not to spend almost at once. She was so incredibly tight. Her muscles squeezed him, drew him deep inside of her; the sensation of it made him feel like a green lad again, ready to explode at the first touch. The prince gritted his teeth and continued to work his hips, his cock slipping in and out of the maiden's wet sex. She was squirming and gasping beneath him, her hands clenching the furs they lay upon and her face stained crimson with pleasure. Her hips soon began to rise up to meet his thrusts, milking every inch of his shaft, and Ivan could no longer contain himself. All self-control left him and he began to ride her hard and fast, turning the girl's little gasps and exclamations into deep moans and cries of ecstasy. He felt her tensing up, felt her entire body trembling as he reached between them and began to stroke her clitoris as he thrust. That touch was all that it took to send the girl hurtling into climax. Her breath hitched and for a moment her entire body froze. Then Ivan felt the muscles of her sex contracting wildly around him and the reindeer maiden was thrashing this way and that upon the bed, unable to control her movements. It was this frenzy, this strange and beautiful girl's total abandonment to pleasure which sent Ivan into his own climax. He gave a series of hard, almost brutal thrusts and then all of the light in the little hut seemed to go moon-bright. A groan tore from the prince's throat as a pleasure so intense that it was nearly agony rocketed through him, turning every muscle in his body to putty. It was the longest orgasm that Ivan had ever experienced, and by the time the last spasm eased he felt drained of all energy. He collapsed, bracing himself on his elbows so as not to harm the reindeer maiden who lay beneath him, still twitching and gasping in the final throes of her own climax. Several moments passed in which they both lay still, their breathing beginning to slow and their bodies drugged and sated. Ivan rolled to one side and helped the reindeer maiden into a seated position, catching a glimpse of the white cloth beneath her as he did so. It was dotted with splashes of blood that showed bright against the snowy white fabric. Flecks of blood were also drying upon the maiden's creamy thighs. The prince pulled the cloth out from beneath her and used it to clean the blood from her skin. All the while she remained still, looking at him with her unreadable midnight eyes. "Are you in pain?" Ivan asked. The maiden shook her head in the negative and he leaned forward to place a kiss upon her brow. "That was magnificent, milaya." A little smile flitted over the girl's face and she wound her arms around Ivan's neck. Before he realized what she was going to do, the reindeer maiden was kissing him firmly, her tongue flicking into his mouth and tasting him. By the time she pulled away, Ivan's cock had begun to harden once again. The maiden caught sight of this and her eyes widened. She reached down and folded one of her small white hands around his shaft. The prince gave a little cry and looked wonderingly at the maiden. She gave him a mischievous little smile and then she lowered her mouth into Ivan's lap. It did not take long for her lips and tongue to coax him into full erection once more. He buried his hands in her long white hair and pulled her away from him for a moment. "Do you want to be taken again, milaya?" he gasped. The girl nodded eagerly and then lowered her head once more, her mouth recommencing its work. This time when they joined, the prince allowed the maiden to guide their coupling, making his body as pliable as a ragdoll's. Her excitement was intoxicating as she explored his flesh, tasting him and teasing him until she pressed him onto his back and straddled him. She winced as she lowered herself down onto his cock, still sore from their first coupling, but persevering nonetheless. She rode him inexpertly at first, her young body adjusting to this new sort of movement, but soon she assumed a slow and comfortable rhythm. Ivan wanted nothing better than to roll her over onto her back and slam into her once more, but his patience was rewarded by the view he had of her. A pink flush crept into the white skin of her breasts, throat and cheeks. Her nipples were tiny, hard stones. Her breath began to grow labored and soon she was moaning and working her hips faster, bouncing up and down on top of his cock. He let her work herself up and down on him, watching as her hand found her clitoris and began to stroke it as she moved. Ivan could not be sure how many times she came, but he felt certain that the reindeer maiden reached climax at least three times before climbing off of him. He was aching for release by this time, but still he did not move from where the girl had positioned him, curious to see what she would do. Shaking out her long hair, the maiden crouched down and took his cock into her mouth again. She sucked and stroked him with her tongue and within a matter of seconds Ivan was coming inside her mouth. The muscles of her throat contracted as she swallowed his hot seed, and Ivan clutched at her, a series of sharp cries tearing from his throat as he experienced yet another world-altering orgasm. They made love once more that night, and by the time it was over, Ivan knew that it would have to be their last coupling; dawn was fast approaching. He got up from the bed and began to put his clothes back on. The reindeer maiden reclined upon the furs, regarding him through heavy lidded eyes. "It is nearly dawn," he said to her pulling on his leather boots. "You must resume your true shape, and I must bring Baba Yaga her prize." He reached out and took up the white cloth which bore the reindeer maiden's innocent blood, stowing it deep in his pocket. The girl got to her feet and took his hand, bringing it to her lips and bestowing a lingering kiss upon it. A heavy sadness settled upon Prince Ivan then. He did not want to part from this woman. She was sweet and beautiful and more innocent than any human girl ever could be, but he knew that he could not have her. She was a creature of the forest. It would be cruel to lock her up in a stone palace, and he could not bring her with him on the dangerous quest which lay ahead of him. Ivan embraced the girl, kissing both of her cheeks, her forehead and mouth. "Perhaps we will meet again someday," he said, leading her out of the hut. When they reached the place where he had first seen her, Ivan took the white deerskin in his arms. He held it out to the maiden, and she took it, gratitude plain on her face. The sky was already beginning to lighten, and at first Ivan thought it was the light of day that he saw. Then he realized that the radiance was coming from the reindeer maiden, emanating from every pore of her body. Soon she was too bright to look upon, a nova of moonlight. A moment later the light had vanished and so had the maiden. In her place stood a reindeer whose hide was whiter than the freshly fallen snow. She regarded him with eyes the color of the midnight sky and Ivan reached out a trembling hand towards her. She allowed him to stroke her head once, briefly, and then she tore off in the direction of the forest, her hooves kicking up glittering snow clouds behind her. Ivan's heart weighed heavily upon him as he trudged back to Baba Yaga's hut to deliver the cloth to her. The witch was waiting for him, and the door of her cottage swung open at his approach. "I almost thought you had run off on me boy," she said, ushering him inside and closing the door behind him. "Do you have what I asked of you?" Ivan reached into his pocket and pulled forth the white cloth. Baba Yaga gave a little cry of happiness. "Delightful boy. You have saved me a good deal of trouble. Soon my body will be young again." She turned and tucked the cloth back into the casket from whence it had come. "Did the girl give you any trouble?" "No Dama," Ivan said, his eyes turning to the window in the vain hope of catching a glimpse of a white reindeer in the trees. "I gave her pleasure and she reveled in it." The witch looked at him, her silver eyes glittering. "You look a little lovelorn, my princeling. Quite suitable for a young hero." "Tell me, Dama," the prince said, "is there any way in which I will be able to see her again?" "The reindeer maidens shed their skins but once a year, price, on the eve of the New Year, and they never go to the same place twice. I have been waiting many years for one to come to that glade. If your maiden feels for you the same way you do for her, then perhaps you will find each other again some day. If you take her hide from her and keep it, she will be forced to remain human and stay by your side." "But I do not want to force her!" he cried. "I would not crush the wildness of her spirit." "Perhaps if she loves you, she will offer the skin to you and stay by you in trust that you will not attempt to enslave her. It has happened before, but I must warn you that the children of the forest do not often couple with humans for life." "I understand Dama," Ivan said, a faint hope kindling within him. He would regain his kingdom and then one day he would go in search of the reindeer maiden. Perhaps when they met again, she would discover that she loved him the way that he was beginning to love her. Maybe one day she would agree to tarry with him in the world of men and be his bride. "Love is wasted on the young," Baba Yaga snorted, turning away from Ivan and taking a large leather bag in her arms. "I have filled this with food, and there is a skein of spiced wine with it. It should last you until you find your way out of this forest." Ivan took the bag, saying, "My thanks Dama, for all you have given me, but I cannot go anywhere without a horse." "I have brought your horse here," Baba Yaga said, waving a hand dismissively. "He was only a few miles from here and heeded the call of my magic." Ivan thanked Baba Yaga yet again and then bowed. "I am in your debt, Dama. I hope that the service I have done you will bring you happiness." The witch laughed. "Oh it will, boy, it will. Now off with you. I have a spell to perform before the dawn. You will have no trouble finding your way out of the forest; I have instructed your mount as to the right direction." Ivan found his horse tethered to one of the bone fence posts and gave the beast an affectionate pat before mounting him. Then he cantered off into the forest, letting his horse lead him. Just as the sun was beginning to rise on the first day of the New Year, Ivan began to catch glimpses of a creature keeping pace with him through the trees. It was a white reindeer. The Prince's heart lifted and he galloped through the breaking dawn of the New Year in pursuit of his destiny, the bright shadow of the reindeer never far from his side. The End