0 comments/ 21666 views/ 1 favorites Lyda By: Star of Penumbra Lyda was a young raet, only having been recognized as an adult by the tribe a few months ago. She, like all of her race, resembled both a mouse and a human. They had humanlike hands and upper bodies, and their faces were pointed, but the overall shape and appearance were humanoid. Their legs resembled the hind legs of a mouse more than the legs of a human, had tails like those of a mouse, but they were largely useless except for showing strong emotion. They were covered with fur, the only exceptions being the tail, nose, palms of the hands, and bottoms of the feet. Their heads had hair that was humanlike. They didn't wear clothes, with the exception of belts on which to carry weapons and tools. Lyda's fur was gray, with the exception of a heart shaped patch on her chest that covered her breasts and tapered to a point just above her navel, and her human-hair, which was brown and hung nearly to her waist. She had green eyes, very unusual for the tribe she came from. Most of her tribe had brown eyes, and it was considered good luck if a green-eyed individual showed up. She was short, but only a bit. Nevertheless, her brothers teased her about it. It was late in the year, and would soon be winter. The tribe had stopped their travels for the year and set up a semipermanent camp in a medium-sized forest. Lyda often went for walks by herself. She had heard warnings from the elder raets that it was dangerous to go out alone and unarmed, but she hadn't encountered anything more dangerous than a large raccoon with a bad temper. She had easily outrun it. So she went alone and unarmed, not worrying. Her eldest brother, with whom she got along well despite his teasing about her height, occasionally accompanied her on her walks. His name was Gorl, he had white fur with patches of gray. He always carried a spear and a knife on these walks, which Lyda thought silly. She preferred being alone though, even to the company of her brother. This day happened to be sunny, with few clouds drifting in the sky. It was also unseasonably warm. Lyda was alone, Gorl having been enlisted by their father to help fix the roof of their cabin. She sat down under a large tree, leaves crunching under her. She was near the edge of the forest, and could see the plains stretching out before her, all the way to the mountains. She wondered if dwarves lived in the mountains, and if human lands lay beyond them. She had never seen either race, though she understood they looked a bit like elves. Two elves, sisters, traveled with their tribe, and often told tales of their travels. She closed her eyes and put her hands behind her head, leaning against the old tree. She had only meant to rest for a bit, but instead fell asleep. She awoke to the sound of leaves crunching under feet. She sat up and looked around. It was sunset, and she silently cursed herself for falling asleep. Her parents were no doubt worried sick about her, and she would be severely reprimanded when she got home. She suddenly forgot about the trouble she WOULD be in, and focused on the trouble she was in NOW. Four aslans, all males and hunters from the look of them, were not too far away, and they had seen her. She doubted she could outrun them; she was quick, but not that quick. Aslans were a race not unlike raets, except instead of being part human and part mouse, they were part human and part cat. Naturally, the two races didn't get along. They closed on her quickly, boxing her in against the big old oak. She backed up as far as she could, knowing she was most likely about to die. One of them brandished a knife at her and said something in his native tongue, which was alien to Lyda. She didn't move, tears brimming in her eyes. One of the others said something, and the knife wielder grinned. So did the other three. The one with the knife tucked his knife into his belt and straightened out of his fighting stance. The others kept their spears pointed at her. The knife wielder stepped closer to her. She crouched down and held her arms up defensively, terrified. The aslan turned his head and snapped at one of the others. The second spoke to her in her own language. "He says to get on your knees." He said. His voice had an odd accent to it, and Lyda felt even more terrified than she had before. She got up on her knees immediately, still huddled against the tree. Tears were flowing freely now, but she stayed silent for fear of angering her captors. The leader leaned down and said something to her. He grinned and grabbed a double handful of her hair. It was not a comforting grin. "Get down on your hands too." The translator said. She did so, trembling with fright. She looked at the translator. "Please don't kill me." She said in a shaky voice. The cat-man translated for his leader. The leader's grin broadened, and he spoke again. "Do what we say and we won't have to." The translator said. The leader still had her by the hair. He let go with one hand and took hold of her chin. He leaned in close and spoke again. "You're actually quite pretty, for a rat." The translator said. Lyda stopped crying, at least momentarily. She had never considered herself pretty, though the males in her tribe did. She was quite surprised when she heard this. The aslan suddenly pulled hard on her hair and spoke sharply. "Turn around and stay down." The translator said. She did so, the aslan not releasing his grip on her hair. She was afraid of what they would do to her, but more afraid of what they would do if she didn't comply. He grabbed her tail by the base, where it connected to her body, and lifted it, exposing her behind completely. He moved closer to her, and she could feel the tip of his erection touching her puckered hole. 'Oh, no, no, please no. This is the worst insult.' She thought. Only the least respected of females were mated with in this way. The gravity of the situation sank in all at once; she was about to lose her virginity, and not even to a member of her own species! The tears were now a constant stream. There was a shout from one side. Lyda looked up and saw her father and Gorl. They were running toward her and the aslans, their weapons ready. Her father had his sword, his pride and joy except for his children. He had gotten it from a human trader long before Lyda had been born. He was the best fighter in the tribe, and Lyda had always been proud of him. She now counted on him to save her life. Gorl threw his spear and hit one of the aslans in the thigh. He drew his knife and continued closing. The three aslans with spears threw them at the approaching raets. Her father knocked two of them out of the way, but the third hit Gorl in the gut. Lyda felt as though she herself had been hit. Gorl slowed only enough to pull out the spear, and closed the remaining distance less than a second behind their father. The aslan behind her barely had enough time to grab his knife and jump to his feet. Lyda's father swung his sword with both hands at the leader, whose knife was no match for the heavy blade. The aslan lost his hand, and less than a second afterward, his life. Gorl, despite his injury, fought furiously to defend his only sister. He brought his knife down almost too quickly for Lyda to fallow, and a bright red line appeared across the chest of one of the aslans. He brought his knife back and drove it though his opponent's neck, and was sprayed by a gout of blood in return. Their father had dispatched the leader, and was now engaged with the third aslan, the one Gorl had hit with his spear. He brought his sword down ina powerful blow that split his enemies' head from crown to chin. Another spray of blood, and her father was covered in it from head to waist. The fourth aslan had fled. They could see him sprinting across the plains, not looking back. "Gorl, are you okay?" Their father asked. "No." Gorl replied, looking down at the gaping wound. "I need a healer." Lyda got to her feet. She had been sprayed with blood during the battle, and felt sick. She had never seen death like this before. Her father turned his attention to her. "We need to get back immediately. As soon as we get your brother taken care of, I want to talk to you." He turned his attention back to Gorl. "Can you walk?" "Yes. I think I can make it back." They started back to their encampment, Lyda and their father helping keep Gorl in his feet. The sun set as they walked, and the moon rose. It was almost full, so they had no trouble finding their way back. It was past midnight when the got to the edge of the village. They immediately went to the medicine man. He had Gorl lie down and immediately began working on him. Lyda's father put his hand on her shoulder and guided her out the door. They went to the river and cleaned themselves off. They finished and went home. Her mother was still awake, but her two youngest brothers were asleep in their room. The cabin had four rooms: her parent's room, her room, her brothers' room, and the large room they were in now. Her father sent her to bed. She went into her room, closing the door behind her. She curled up in her bed, which was really nothing more than a few thick blankets spread out on the ground and another rolled up for a pillow, and hugged her knees to her chest. She closed her eyes and cried silently, terrified that Gorl was going to die, and it would be her fault for being so stupid. Her eyes quickly ran dry, but she continued crying for a long time. She could hear her parents talking in the other room, her father describing what had happened. She hugged her knees tighter. She was supposed to be an adult, but right now she felt like a terrified little girl. ******************** She sat up and blinked quickly. She hadn't thought she would sleep, but she hadn't realized quite how tired she had been. It was now morning. She got up and went into the large front room. Her little brothers were already up, but Gorl wasn't around. Neither were their parents. "Hi Lyda!" Her brothers said. They had no idea of what had happened the night before. "Where's Gorl?" Dilk asked. He was the youngest, and was incessantly asking questions. It became annoying rather quickly "Didn't Mom and Dad tell you anything?" She asked. "Nope. Dad went out real early and Mom won't say anything to us." Kekt said. "Are they angry?" "I think so, but they're angry at me." She replied. "What'd you do? Where were you yesterday?" Dilk asked. "It's a long story. I'm going to go out for a while. Tell Mom and Dad I went to the river, okay?" "Okay." They chorused. She left the cabin and started south. She went to a place along the river where there was a small waterfall. She sat down on the riverbank and stared at the water. She sat there for quite a long time. She started as something landed around her shoulders. She looked up and saw Fath. He was a boy about her own age. They had grown up together, and were quite good friends. He had placed he spare cloak around her shoulders, and was wearing his other one. "It's getting cold. You really shouldn't be out without a cloak." He said, sitting down next to her. "I know. I was upset when I came out here and didn't think about it." She replied, staring at the water again. "I heard Gorl was hurt." He said. "He was." She answered, not looking at him. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. She shook her head. "No." "Okay." Neither one of them spoke for a while. She moved closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. He moved one arm around her shoulders. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the river as it flowed past. "It's funny, isn't it?" Fath said suddenly. She sat up. "What is?" "Time is like this river." He picked up a leaf and examined it. "Something big happens." He held the leaf close to his face. "At first it seems overwhelming, but gradually we accept it." He slowly moved the leaf away from his face until he was holding it at arms' length. "The we start to forget it. And time carries the memory away." He tossed the leaf into the river. The water carried away faster than Lyda would have expected. "Do you remember the time we were attacked, almost ten years ago?" He asked, turning to face her. "Yes." They had been very young, only seven years old at the time. A group of aslans had found their tribe and attacked. Faths' father and elder brother had been killed, along with his little sister, who had only been a year old at the time. His mother had narrowly avoided death. "Mom says she still has nightmares about that attack." He said. "I can relate. I still do every now and then." She said, leaning into him again. "So do I." He replied. They were both silent for a while. She lifted her head and looked into his face. He turned to her again. "What?" She shook her head. "Nothing." They continued to look into each other's eyes. Almost unconsciously, they slowly moved their lips closer together and met in a kiss. Lyda had never been kissed before. I was a warm, wonderful feeling, and she felt as though she were melting. The tips of their tails wound around one another, though neither one of them realized it at the time. He ended the kiss after a moment. She pulled back a bit, her head spinning pleasantly. She had never imagined kissing could feel like it did. She leaned into him again, and he put his arms around her once more. She closed her eyes and smiled. She forgot about everything that was wrong, and let herself relax, just concentrating on the feeling of his strong arms around her and his deep, steady breathing. "I should be getting home. Mom needs me to help her get our food stored for this winter." She said after a while. She pulled back, and he stood and brushed off his cloak. "Don't forget your cloak." She said, taking it off and holding it out to him. He waved it off. "Don't worry. You can give it back to me tomorrow." He turned and started home. Lyda watched him go, then turned her attention back to the river. Her thoughts turned back to the events of the day before, when the aslan had had her on the ground, facing away from him. She had been scared, yes, even terrified. But there had been something else, hadn't there? Could it have been anticipation? Could she have wanted him to rape her? "Of course not!" She said aloud before she realized it. She glanced around, but there was nobody around to hear her. She sighed and closed her eyes. Her father found her a bit later. He walked up next to her and stood looking at the water. "You scared your mother half to death yesterday." He said after a moment. "I'm sorry daddy, I didn't mean-" "Save it." He cut her off. "I've talked about this with your mother. You are not to be alone until you prove yourself an adult. What happened yesterday..." He trailed off. "Daddy, I'm sorry-" "I don't want to hear it." He said, looking at her for the first time. "Do you realize that your brother could die? Do you know how sick you made us worrying about you? Do you realize what would happen if the situation we found you in ever became public?" "Yes..." She responded quietly. "I won't do it again." "I'll say you won't." He sighed. "I told everyone that we found you asleep and were attacked on the way back. You brother has enough sense to keep his mouth shut." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we can't trust you anymore. You'll sleep with your brothers tonight. The medicine man says Gorl should be able to come home in a few days, and when he does, you will take care of him until he is well." "Yes father." She said, staring at the ground. He was silent for a moment, then sighed again. "We're going home." He turned and started walking. She followed him back to their cabin. They went inside and he instructed her to get her bedroll and take it to her brothers' room. She dutifully did so. Her parents were talking when she was done. Her mother came over to her. "Are you okay?" "I guess so." Lyda replied. Her mother nodded. "You're going to help me make dinner tonight and every night. I'll have you help me during the day until Gorl comes home, after which you'll look after him and make sure he doesn't strain himself. "Yes mother." Lyda replied. She would be saying that quite a lot during the following months. ******************** Winter came, the snows falling heavily. Lyda learned quite a lot, and often thought of taking a walk in the woods, though of course she wasn't allowed to. She was never allowed even a moment to herself. Gorl healed well, and was back to normal after a few weeks, though he had a scar on his midsection that he would have for the rest of his life. Fath came to visit occasionally. He rarely had the time, and the few times he did manage to visit, Lyda was busy, so they weren't able to talk much. She felt awkward around him, not sure how their relationship had changed, if at all. The spring thaw came, and the tribe began packing for the coming travels. Everything was packed into wagons and carts, and the tribe began their migration again. The tribe traveled for several months. Spring passed and summer began. Fath approached Lyda one day. "How have you been?" "Well, I suppose. How are you?" "Alright. Mother isn't feeling too good, though." "I'm sorry to hear that." "I'll tell her you said so." There was a moment of silence between them. Lyda held out her hands, palms up; it was a gesture of friendship in their tribe. Fath took her hands in his own and stepped close to her. He was a bit more than a head taller than she was. She released his hands and put her arms around his waist. He moved his arms around her as well. This was another long moment of silence between them. Fath eventually broke the silence. "All the other males are jealous of me, you know." Lyda pulled back and looked up into his face. "Oh? Why?" "Because you're the prettiest girl in the tribe." He replied. "Really?" She asked, not quite believing it. Her mind flashed back to the encounter with the aslans... "Have I ever lied to you?" He asked. She shook her head. "No, not that I can ever remember." "So I must be telling the truth now, right?" He asked, smiling. "You must be." She agreed with a smile of her own. She closed her eyes and leaned into him again. "I love you." He said, not thinking about it. "I love you too." She replied immediately, not thinking either. They both froze. Neither had ever thought the other felt that way. They quickly pulled apart. There was another moment of silence, this one very awkward. They both stared at the ground. Lyda ventured to speak after a few minutes. "Do you really...?" She began, glancing up at him. Fath looked up at her. "Yes. Do you?" She thought for a moment. "I... yes. I really do." She held her hands out to him again. He took them and the slowly moved close to her. They slowly slid their arms around each other, and Fath leaned down and kissed her. This kiss was like the first, but it carried much more meaning. It was the warmest, sweetest, most wonderful feeling Lyda had ever had, and she never wanted the moment to end. She felt her knees grow weak, and her heart began beating hard and fast. The moment ended far too soon for Lyda, and as Fath pulled back, she nearly swooned. He caught and steadied her, until she had regained enough of her senses to stand by herself. "Fath." Lyda said quietly and breathlessly, tears of happiness brimming in her eyes. "Lyda." He replied, smiling. She buried her face in his chest and cried out of happiness for several minutes. She eventually silenced herself and pulled back a bit. "Fath?" "Yes?" "I love you." She said. "I love you too Lyda." He replied. She stepped back, sliding her hands into his. "Should we, um... get married?" Lyda "I don't see why not. We're both adults, and we love each other. Unless you don't want to." "Oh no, I want to!" Lyda insisted. "It's just that... well, I didn't think it would happen so suddenly." "Well, we don't have to get married right away. We can wait a while." She nodded. "I suppose. But the longer we wait to get married, the longer we have to wait before we... become parents." He grinned. "There is that." "Oh, I'm so happy!" Lyda exclaimed. "I love you so much!" "I love you too." He replied. "Oh, I have to go and tell my parents!" She exclaimed. She threw her arms around him again and squeezed him tightly. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She let him go and took off. He watched her go. Things were going exactly as had been planned. ******************** Lyda and Fath spent most of the rest of the day together, kissing and caressing each other. As night fell, Fath claimed to have something for her and led her into the woods. He had her close her eyes and led her for what seemed to her to be quite a long time. He eventually stopped and told her she could look now. They stood before a beautiful moonlit lake in the depths of the woods. They were quite a long distance from the rest of the tribe, and Lyda briefly worried that they might encounter trouble, but the thought passed from her mind quickly. Fath had her lay down beneath an old elm tree. He told her to close her eyes again, and began massaging her body. Lyda sighed deeply, very happy and feeling her heart swelling with love. Fath began to sing to her as he rubbed her back, and Lyda, recognizing the song, began to sing along with him. After a few minutes, he suddenly stopped both the massage and the singing. Lyda opened her eyes, rolled onto her back, and sat up. What she saw made her heart jerk in her chest. A group of armed aslans had found them, apparently attracted by their singing. Fath hadn't brought his spear or knife, and the raets were outnumbered seven to two. One of the aslans approached and spoke to Fath in his native tongue. Fath responded in the same language and gestured to Lyda. "Fath, what's going on?" Lyda asked, starting to shake with fright. He turned to her. "I'm sorry. It was the only way." "What was?" She asked, tearing her eyes from the aslans and looking at Fath. "This is just a scout troop." He replied. "The rest of their tribe outnumbers ours. They could destroy us. I had to give them a slave to ensure they would leave the rest of us alone." "A slave? Who did you..." Her green eyes widened. "No! Not me! Fath, how COULD you? I love you!" He dropped his gaze, unable to look her in the eye any longer. "I'm sorry. It's for the good of the tribe. The tribe as a whole is more important than one individual." "Fath!" She cried as two of the aslans strode forward and grabbed her arms. She felt tears welling up in her eyes. ""No! Please Fath, don't let them take me away!" "I'm sorry Lyda." He said, not looking at her. "Fath! Fath please help me!" She cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I loved you! How could you do this to me?" She screamed. He didn't respond. A third aslan had come forward and bound her wrists together behind her back, then tied her ankles separately. He then bound her ankles together with a length of rope about a foot long. She would be able to walk, but not very fast. Lyda struggled at first, but became still as one of the aslans pressed the blade of a knife against her throat. Fath still hadn't looked at her. He turned to the aslan he had spoken to before and said something. The aslan nodded and replied shortly. Tears now blinded Lyda. The aslans released he limbs and stood her upright. She was still crying hard, but had stopped trying to get Fath to help her. It was now obvious that his love for her had been a ruse. The massage and the singing had been so she wouldn't hear the aslans approaching. One of the cat people placed a leather collar around her neck, from which a line led. The aslan took hold of the end of the line and poked her in the back with a knife. She began walking, surrounded by six of her captors. The one Fath had spoken to stayed behind. "She is quite attractive, for one of your race." He said to Fath in his own tongue. "I agree." Fath said. "She will serve us well." The aslan continued. "Our agreement. You will leave the rest of the tribe in peace?" Fath asked. "We are creatures of honor. We keep our word." The cat-man replied. "The rest of your tribe will be unharmed. You, however, were not included in that." Fath's eyes widened. "Treachery!" "No, our agreement." The aslan said as he drew his knife and plunged it through Faths' neck before the raet had time to react. He pulled the knife from the bleeding wound and wiped it off on the corpses' fur. "Just our agreement, foolish one." ******************** Lyda was forced to march in her uncomfortable bonds for longer than she was able to keep track of. She was allowed to rest for a bit every few miles, but the rest she was given wasn't really enough. The collar chafed her, and her shoulders weren't flexible enough for her to bring her hands around in front of her. During perhaps the fourth rest Lyda was given, the line attached to her collar was tied around the low limb of a tree. The aslans seemed to be making camp for the night. Lyda was glad for the chance to rest longer than a few minutes, and sank to the ground. The aslan that had spoken to Fath -she recognized him from the orange and white pattern of his fur- approached her and said something in his own tongue. Lyda, not understanding, shrugged. The aslan took his penis in one hand (Lyda just now noticing how big it was) and pointed it at her face. She shrugged again, not knowing what he wanted her to do. He swiftly grabbed hold of her jaw and forced her mouth open, squeezing her face painfully. She let out a shriek of pain and clenched her eyes shut. She suddenly felt something hot and wet and horrible tasting in her mouth. She then realized that the aslan was marking her as his property, urinating in her mouth. Lyda couldn't help but swallow some of the awful liquid, but most of it ran down her face and onto her breasts, soaking the white heart-shaped patch and coloring it yellow. The aslan emptied his bladder onto her, then released her jaw. She spat on the ground several times, attempting to get the taste out of her mouth. She finally opened her eyes and looked up. All of the aslans were watching her, grinning. The orange and white aslan said something else to her and took hold of his penis again. 'He couldn't have to pee again, could he?' Lyda thought, opening her mouth again to accept his mark. The aslan didn't mark her again, but instead placed his organ inside her mouth, surprising her. She closed her mouth, more out of surprise than anything, but didn't dare bite, for fear that her captors would hurt her again. She felt the flesh inside her mouth expand, and his long rod expanded down her throat. 'My goodness, he must be eight inches long!' Lyda thought as she felt the meat of her captor invading her body. The aslan let out a loud purr as his organ expanded to full size inside his sex slave. He took the females' head in both hands and began moving his pelvis back and forth. Lyda did her best to keep from choking. The aslan shot his seed inside his slave after a few minutes. Lyda felt like vomiting, but suppressed the reflex for fear of angering the aslans. The aslan pulled himself from her throat and stood. He said something to the others in his native tongue, and they all laughed. Lyda leaned forward, tears streaming from her eyes again. She felt sick, having been forced to perform such a disgusting act. How could Fath have done this to her? She hoped that he felt like the lowliest thing on the planet right now. One of the other aslans approached her. He pushed her into a sitting position and forced her jaw open. He placed his penis in her mouth and had his way with her the same way the other had. He didn't urinate on her, though. Lyda was forced to swallow the seed of this male as well. She still felt sickened, but not as much as before. Once the second aslan had finished with her, a third approached her and treated her as the first two had. One by one, the aslans had their way with her, all forcing her to please them in the same way: with her mouth. At last all but one was left; the others had finished with her and were now asleep. The seventh approached her. She sat up and opened her mouth, ready to take his seed as she had with the others. The aslan, whose fur was black with patches of white and orange, shook his head and gently pushed her jaw closed. Lyda was surprised, but didn't question her good fortune. She recognized this one as the one who had tied her up. "What is your name?" The aslan asked quietly in the raet language. "L-Lyda." She stammered. "I am Lorgit." The aslan said. "Aren't you going to have your way with me?" Lyda asked. "No. You've been through enough today." Lorgit replied. "You must feel sick." Lyda nodded slowly. "I was a virgin." Lorgit untied her hands. Lyda immediately brought her hands around in front of her and rubbed her sore wrists. He gave her a flask of water and told her to drink. She did so, hoping to dilute the seed in her gut. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Lyda asked when she was done drinking. "I feel sorry for you. You were a normal girl earlier today, and now you're going to live the rest of your life as a sex slave of my tribe." He responded. The reality of the situation suddenly struck Lyda. She would never see her family again. Her parents, her brothers, her friends; All of them might as well be dead. She felt tears welling up in her eyes again. She was scared and alone. She felt an arm around her shoulders. She glanced up and saw Lorgit sitting next to her. She started to wrap her arms around him, but the line attached to her collar and tied to the branch above her was too short and caught, choking her. Lorgit moved closer to her. She was able to wrap her arms around him this time, but it wasn't the same as embracing a raet. The smell was wrong, and the fur was too coarse. She didn't care at the moment; she just needed to hold someone and be held. She cried for a time, but she was tired and sick, and she soon fell asleep. Lorgit leaned her up against the tree and carefully bound her hands again. He lay down and closed his eyes, but didn't sleep right away. Lyda didn't deserve this, but if he released her, the others would know it had been him who had done it. He sighed. She was just going to have to accept her fate. It wasn't right, but he could do nothing about it. Eventually, he dropped off into a troubled sleep. ******************** Lyda awoke in the morning as she felt something warm and wet against her face. She sat up and saw the leader of her captors urinating on her again. The other aslans were awake already. The orange and white aslan untied the line attached to her collar from the branch and made her stand. They began walking again. Lyda had been given nothing to eat or drink except the water Lorgit had given her the night before, as well as the others' seed. She still felt nauseous, but her captors didn't seem to care. Every two hours they stopped for a few minutes to rest. The longer they traveled, the smaller Lyda's hopes grew of being rescued. They were more than a day's travel from her tribe, and they were going south, while her tribe was going east. She eventually resigned herself that she was going to be a sex slave of the aslans for the rest of her life, may it be mercifully short. Three hours after noon, they caught up with the rest of her captors' tribe. Four of the aslans left, while the other three led Lyda to a small clearing. They forced her to kneel on a wooden platform, then removed the rope holding her legs together. They then secured her legs in place by placing metal shackles on them. Her knees were now about two feet apart. She was then forced to lean forward from the waist. They placed a wooden beam beneath her midsection and untied her hands. Her collar was removed, and her head and hands were then placed in stocks. She struggled a bit, but was unable to find any slack in her bonds. She really was going to be like this for the rest of her life. The aslans then left her as she was, bound and helpless. She closed her eyes and cried silently, scared and fearing for her life. She tried to comfort herself by repeating to herself that they wouldn't kill their sex slave so soon after capturing her, but it was little help. A few minutes later, a male aslan approached. Lyda could only see him from the waist down because of the stocks, but his legs were covered in black fur. The aslan said something in his own tongue, then: "You must be the new slave." "Yes." Lyda said quietly, still crying. "You are very pretty for one of your race." The aslan said, kneeling in front of her. She could now see that he was quite old and wearing several necklaces made of bones and pebbles. He must have been the village shaman. Lyda didn't reply. Her captors had told her that, but it still brought her no comfort. "Are you going to kill me?" She asked. "Kill you? Of course not!" The shaman said, grinning. It wasn't an evil grin, like the orange and white aslan had given her, but one of amusement. "We take very good care of our slaves. We wouldn't kill you right away. We probably won't kill you until you are unfit for our pleasure." He continued. "And that's going to be a decade, at least." 'A decade.' Lyda thought. 'I'm going to be their sex slave for a decade. At the very least.' "What are you going to do with me? Why did you bind me like this?" She asked. "You are a sex slave. The males come to you and pleasure themselves." The shaman replied. "How often?" She asked. "It depends on how aroused the males of the tribe are." The shaman replied. "Generally, that's every day." 'Every day!' She thought. "But I can't please you all every day!" "Oh, I think you'll find that you can. There are only about thirty males in the tribe, and you are not our only sex slave. We have two more, so you shouldn't have more than ten or so males in a day." "But even ten!" Lyda protested. "I can't swallow the seed of ten males every day!" "Swallow? Oh no my girl." The shaman replied. "We take you from behind." "But, the ones who captured me-" "That privilege is restricted to the males who actually capture the slave. Once it is back to the village, we must take them from behind." He said. "Oh." She said quietly. "Where are the other two?" "Inside one of the cabins. I am going to take you there now." The aslan stood and said a few words in an arcane tongue. Lyda felt herself lifting into the air, her bonds with her. She began floating behind the shaman, who took her to a cabin and set her down inside. The shaman then left. There were indeed two others inside the cabin, bound and helpless as she was. She could only turn her head a bit, but it was enough to see that the slave on her right was a short and slender female with long brown hair. She looked a bit like an elf, but her ears were rounded and small compared to those of an elf. Lyda realized that she was a human. The slave on her right was a dark haired male with grayish skin, a sloped forehead, and small tusks growing from the corners of his mouth; he was an orc. Lyda had seen orcs before, but it hadn't occurred to her that a male would be taken as a sex slave. She then realized that her masters wouldn't be mating with her in the normal way; they would be entering her directly under her tail. Both of the other prisoners were naked except for their bonds as well. The human to her right said something in the aslan tongue. Lyda looked at her, but didn't respond; she didn't speak the aslan language. The human waited a moment, then returned to her previous position when she didn't get an answer. The door to the cabin opened a few minutes later. The shaman came around in front of Lyda and crouched in front of her. "I almost forgot something." "What?" Lyda asked. In response, the aslan placed a ring on her finger. "This ring will make it so that you do not have to eat." "Why are you putting it on me?" Lyda asked. "It would be rather inconvenient to have to release you twice a day. Your fellow slaves here have them as well." The shaman then turned and left the cabin. Lyda closed her eyes and sighed, waiting for her first owner to please himself on her. She didn't have to wait long. A moment later, the door to the cabin opened again. Lyda couldn't see them, but she could hear three pairs of feet on the floor behind her. One of them approached her from behind and stopped just behind her. She felt him tough the tip of his erection under her tail, then he suddenly plunged inside her. Lyda let out a yelp of pain. The aslan was large, almost as large as the orange and white aslan that had captured her. He had entered her with no grace or lubricant. He stopped once he was inside her. Lyda felt a warm liquid filling her, and wondered how he could have peaked so quickly. She then realized that he was urinating inside her. She was disgusted, but couldn't do anything about it. The aslan emptied his bladder inside her, then began pumping in and out. His hot flesh and urine inside her body was an unusual and unpleasant feeling. Lyda felt nauseated again and nearly emptied her stomach on the floor. The aslan rammed her for several minutes, then suddenly swelled and erupted. He stayed where he was for a moment, breathing loudly and heavily, then pulled out of her. His seed and urine spilled out of Lyda and onto the floor beneath her. The aslan left the cabin, but the other two remained behind their slaves, still pumping. The one who was taking the human stopped a moment after Lyda's master left and followed his comrade out the door. The third finished and left a minute later. Lyda found herself wondering how the other two managed to survive the indignity and pain of it. She tried to cry again, but she had no tears left. ******************** Lyda eventually fell asleep. She woke up a while later, as refreshed as she could be, given the position she was in. The next day was similar, except Lyda was taken eight times. She had already started to grow numb to the feeling, and suspected she would eventually cease to notice it. Lorgit entered the cabin that night. He came around in front of Lyda and crouched down so he could see her face. "How have you been?" He asked. "Horrible!" She said. "Can you help us get out of here?" "That's what I came here for." He said. "I might be able to get the three of you out as soon as tomorrow night, but I don't know for sure." "Why can't you do it tonight?" She asked. "I have to wait until the time is right. If I were to do it now, the three of us would be tracked down and captured again, and I would be put in here with you three. If that were to happen, then any chance you have of getting out of here would be lost." He said. "What are you going to wait for?" Lyda asked. "A rainstorm. That will cover our tracks and make it impossible for them to follow us. I have a ring like the three of you have. I took it from the shaman." "But won't he notice it's gone?" "No. He's forgetful, and he'll think that he just misplaced it. I promise I'll get you three out of here as soon as I can." He said. "Thank you!" Lyda exclaimed. "I wish I could hug you." "You can do it later, once I've got you out of here." He said. "I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow night." "Farewell." Lyda said as Lorgit left the cabin. She now had a ray of hope. It might be slim, but it was the only one she had. Lyda ******************** The next day was like the first two. Lyda was taken several times, but she didn't bother keeping track. The aslan came in again at dusk and gave them water again, then left. Two hours later, Lorgit entered the cabin again. He undid the shackles keeping Lydas' legs stationary and let her out of the stocks. He then freed the human, then the orc. They got to their feet unsteadily. The human dropped to the floor, too weak to stand. Lyda helped her up. The woman said something in the aslan tongue, and they started for the door. Lorgit gave the orc a knife and the four of the left the cabin. Lorgit led them out of the village, and they started for the woods. They got to the woods without incident. Lorgit pushed them for more than an hour, until the rain began to fall. They took refuge in a cave, to avoid sickness. "Will we be safe here?" Lyda asked Lorgit. "I hope so." He replied. "It will probably be morning before anybody notices we're missing, and since the rain will cover our tracks, they won't have much chance of following us. Since we don't need to worry about eating, we should be able to outdistance them by quite a bit." "Good." She said. "Can you teach me your language?" "What for?" He asked. "So I can speak with the others. They don't seem to know mine." "I suppose so." He replied. "It will take quite a while, though." "We have time" "I suppose you're right." He said. He gave her a lesson while they waited for the rain to stop. Lyda turned out to have a talent for languages, and she soon became rather fluent. The orc and human kept a lookout in case anything approached. Nothing did. The rain stopped after more than three hours. They waited until it had stopped completely, and took off again at a brisk pace. "Where are we going?" Lyda asked. "There's a human city about a weeks' walk from here." Lorgit replied. "Most humans aren't too thrilled about people walking naked through the streets." Kaywen said. Lorgit turned to the human. "What do you suggest we do then?" "We'll have to get some clothes somewhere." She said. "We don't have any money." Lyda said. "How are we gong to get it?" "We'll steal it." Kaywen said. "I'm not sure I feel right about that." Sorgh said. "Do you have a better idea?" The human asked. Sorgh shrugged. "I suppose not." They walked in silence for quite a while. Lyda eventually spoke. "How did you two get caught?" Sorgh sighed. "I was an outcast from my tribe. They threw me out after I tried to stop them from raiding a human settlement. I wandered from place to place, trying to find someone to accept me, but none would. I was eventually captured by the aslans, almost two years ago." Lyda was struck by how polite and intelligent he had turned out to be. Most orcs were rude and somewhat dense and oblivious. "I'm sorry." Lyda said. "What about you Kaywen?" "The aslans attacked my village a few months ago. We were a small village, only twenty or so people lived there. They killed everybody else and took me as a sex slave." She replied. "I'm so sorry to hear that." Lyda said. Kaywen shook her head. "I'm over it by now. I still miss everybody, but it doesn't hurt as much as it did." She was silent for a moment. "How did you get captured?" Lyda was silent for a moment. "I was betrayed by my love. He took me to a lake one night and started to give me a backrub. He sang as he did it, so I didn't hear the aslans approaching. They tied me up and made me walk back to their village." She was silent again. "I hope he feels like the lowliest thing on the planet for betraying me the way he did." Lorgit cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Um..." Lyda glanced at him. "What?" "Actually, he was killed right after the rest of us left." Lorgit said, not looking at her. Her eyes widened. "Killed?" "Yes. I'm sorry." He said, still avoiding her gaze. "...Well I'm glad he's dead! I hate him, and I always will!" Lyda declared, but she sounded unconvincing, even to herself. The rest of the day was spent in relative silence. There seemed to be nothing more to say. ******************** They stopped to rest in a small cave as night fell. The rain had made the day humid, and it had felt much hotter than it had been. As the air cooled, the humidity had the opposite effect, making the travellers cold, despite the season. Kaywen lay near the mouth of the cave, her eyes closed; she appeared to be sleeping. Sorgh sat facing outward, watching for anything that might approach. He could see in total darkness, an ability none of the others had. It made him the natural choice for lookout. Lyda hugged her knees to her chest and closed her eyes, unconsciously tucking her tail between her legs. "Cold?" Lorgit asked a moment later. "A bit." Lyda replied, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "It was awfully humid today, and my fur is still a bit damp." She shivered, as though to emphasize her words. He sat down beside her. "You can cuddle up next to me if you want" He offered. "I do." She said, moving closer to him and placing her head on his shoulder. "Thank you." She said, closing her eyes. "You're welcome." He said, closing his eyes himself. He felt Lyda shiver again, a bit harder this time. He put his arm around her shoulders, not thinking about what he was doing. Lyda stiffened slightly as she felt this, though he didn't notice. "... Um, Lorgit?" Lyda asked after a moment. He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He said as he removed his arm. "Oh, no, I don't mind. It's just that... well, I guess I'm not entirely comfortable cuddling with an aslan." She said. "No offence." She added quickly. "None taken." He said. "I understand. I just thought that since you were cold, I would help you stay warm." "Oh. I... I appreciate that." She said. "I'm okay with it, I just didn't expect it." He nodded, but didn't reply. She wanted him to put his arms around her; she wanted him to hold her with those strong, powerful arms that she knew would give her a sense of security, however false it may be. But he kept his arms to himself this night. Lyda shivered again, and soon slept. Cuddling next to another warm body helped, but not as much as she would have hoped. ******************** They left at dawn the next day. They came to a stream after they had been walking for a few hours, and welcomed the chance to wash. The water was chill, and they couldn't stand to immerse themselves in it completely, but they were able to get themselves quite clean nonetheless. They continued their walk once they had finished. Lyda had noticed during the morning that Lorgit had seemed to be avoiding her. She cold tell he was upset about something, but what she couldn't imagine, unless it was leaving his tribe. She understood that it was difficult to lose ones' family and friends suddenly (after all, she had been through it as well), but Lorgit had had a choice, while the others were forced into it. She thought she should speak to him, but she had trouble finding the words. She had almost asked if he regretted doing what he had, but she knew that his answer would be 'No'. The second day on the road finally ended after what seemed like much more than the nearly fourteen hours it had been. Lyda was glad that the day was over and that she could finally collect her thoughts. Lorgit had still refrained from initiating conversation. They had stopped under a large maple tree that grew near the foot of a cliff. Sorgh and Kaywen took up watch on opposite sides of the tree, while Lyda and Lorgit lay down under it, next to each other but not touching one another. They both closed their eyes, but Lyda was still bothered by Lorgits' distance. She lay quietly for several minutes, working up the courage to ask him what he was upset about. "Um, Lorgit?" He opened his eyes and sat up. "What?" "I... You've been a little... distant... today." She said tentatively. "Are you upset about something?" He thought for a moment. "Not exactly." "Then what's wrong?" She asked. He was silent again, then spoke. "I've just been thinking about something that's bothering me, is all." "What is it?" She asked. "Sometimes talking about things gives you a new perspective on them." He thought for a while, then sighed, deeply but silently. "Well, I have a problem. I need to do something, but I'm not sure how." "What do you have to do?" He was still again, this time for so long that Lyda thought he might have fallen asleep. He eventually said something, but too quietly for Lyda to hear. "What was that?" She asked. "I... What I meant to say..." He trailed off for a moment, then sat up and faced Lyda. "You're sweet, and pretty, and honest, and intelligent..." He took her hands in his as he spoke. "I... I love you." Lyda heard herself gasp. "You... I... But we're... I don't..." She stammered, at a total loss. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything!" He said, releasing her hands and standing, facing away from her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so hasty. I..." He trailed off, at a loss. "No, don't..." Lyda began, but she didn't know what to say either. "I... I don't know what to say." She said. "I'm sorry." He said. "I shouldn't have dumped this on you." "No, wait." Lyda said, standing and putting her hand on his arm. "You just... took me totally by surprise. I... but why?" "Because you're sweet, and honest, and pretty, and intelligent. You... you're sympathetic. You honestly care about other people." "Oh. Um, thank you." She said, not sure how to react. "I... you're sweet too. You could have taken advantage of me like the others, but you didn't. You showed me respect, just because I'm a person. You treated me like an equal. That's a hard quality to find in someone." She said. "I love you too." He turned his head and looked at her. "Really?" She nodded. "Yes." He put his arms around her and squeezed her tightly. He held her for a second, then pulled back a bit. "But I'm an aslan and you're a raet. Could it possibly work?" "Does it matter? Let's not worry about the future. We love each other now, and isn't that all that really matters?" She said, taking his hands in hers. "I suppose so." He replied, squeezing her hands. "But this means that we can never go back to our own people, you realize." "I don't care." She said. "It doesn't matter, as long as I'm with you." He smiled and leaned down. She lifted her chin and let his lips envelop hers. His tongue gently made its' way into her mouth, and she reciprocated in kind. His taste was very different from Faths', but it wasn't at all unpleasant. They pulled apart after a long moment. Lyda felt a bit lightheaded as they parted. They stared into each other's eyes for a second, then Lyda pulled him down for another kiss, this one longer and sweeter that the first. Lyda felt as though she were melting, and she ceased to be aware of anything around her other than Lorgit. She could feel the beating of his heart, the steady rhythm of his breath, the warmth of his arms around her waist. The kiss continued for what seemed like years to Lyda. When they pulled apart a second time, she felt dizzy, and she couldn't feel anything other than his arms around her and his strong chest pressed against hers. If he hadn't been holding her, she would have immediately fallen to the ground. She blinked several times, trying to clear the darkness that obscured her vision. She was vaguely able to make out Lorgit's face. She barely noticed when he set her up against the trunk of the maple tree. She finally managed to regain enough of her senses to speak. "Oh, Lorgit! That was wonderful!" He smiled and sat down next to her, taking her hand in his. She moved so that she was straddling his legs, her knees on the ground on either side of his thighs. She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "I love you." "I love you too." He said, sliding his arms around her waist. "I want you." She said. "I want you too." "Then let's do it." She said, raising her body a bit. "As you wish." He said. "But not just yet." Lyda stopped. She was ready, and he was obviously excited as well. "Why not?" "I want to do something for you first." He said. "What?" "Lay down on your back and I'll show you." She was unsure what he was up to, but she followed his instructions. He moved in front of her and told her to move her legs apart, which she did. He lay down on his front in front of her and between her legs, so that his face was positioned above her crotch. He put one arm under each of her thighs and held her by her hips. She was about to ask what he was doing when she felt his tongue on her. It felt nice, but she wondered why he wanted to kiss her there. She felt his tongue on her again, this time probing inside her a bit. She let out a quiet moan, so soft she almost wasn't sure she had done it. His tongue began to search everywhere it could. It was the most wonderful thing she had ever experienced. She raised her hands to her chest and began massaging her breasts. His tongue eventually touched her bud. She gasped and squeezed his body with her legs. He pressed one finger inside her and slowly moved it in and out as his tongue traced patterns around and across her bud. Lyda suddenly felt as though her blood had turned to fire, and every muscle in her body convulsed. Lorgit didn't stop for a second, and continued to send her to plateaus she had never imagined before. She bucked her hips and her tail thrashed about. Her hands clenched down on her breasts, flattening them to her ribs, but she didn't notice the pain. She threw her head from side to side, her auburn hair hitting her in the face every time. She was experiencing the most wonderful thing she had ever felt in her life. As the experience wore down, she became vaguely aware that Lorgit was no longer between her legs. Probably Kaywen and Sorgh were wondering what all the thrashing about had been for, but she didn't care. Let them see her like this. The feeling ended, and she lay there, breathing heavily, her green eyes closed. She felt something touching her hand, and she instinctively closed her hand around it. It turned out to be Lorgit's hand. She eventually opened her eyes and sat up, lightheaded. She looked at Lorgit, and before she knew it, she had thrown her arms around his neck and had her lips locked on his. He was surprised by the sudden act, but once he realized what she was doing, he met her eagerly. Lyda could taste herself as well as him this time. They pulled apart after a moment. Lyda was smiling and wore a suggestive expression. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I've never had an experience like that before." "It was my pleasure." He replied. "Like I said before, you're sweet." He grinned. She smiled and leaned back, sitting on her legs. "I'm ready for you." She said, placing on hand between his legs. His organ expanded immediately at her touch, and she closed her hand around it, slowly running it along the length. She stopped after a second and positioned herself over his erection. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and her put his hands on her waist to guide and steady her. She slowly lowered herself onto him. She could feel the heat emanating from his erection as it touched her body and slipped inside. She closed her eyes and lowered herself very slowly, taking her time as she continued to take more of his body into her own. After a moment, she felt a strange kind of pain as her hymen stretched and burst. She stopped for a moment to let the pain pass and catch her breath. "Are you okay?" Lorgit asked, concerned from the brief expression of pain that had crossed his lovers' face. She only moaned softly and continued to lower herself onto him. After what seemed like an hour, but was no more than a few seconds, she had completely lowered herself onto him. She could feel his flesh throbbing in time with his heartbeat. She experimentally squeezed her muscles around him, creating a wonderful sensation neither one of them had ever felt before. "Ah! Lyda..." Lorgit said. He tightened his hold on her hips and nearly peaked, but he was able to control himself. Both lovers were aware that what they were doing broke nearly every rule of both societies, but at the moment, it didn't matter. They were too caught up in the passion of the moment to care that it was wrong; it felt too good to be wrong. They slowly began moving together, and quickly got into perfect unison. The sensation intensified, and soon it pushed Lorgit over the edge. Lyda felt him swell inside her, and his seed was deposited deep within her body. It was enough to push her over the edge herself, and she once again felt her blood turn to fire and the sudden tension of every muscle in her body. Her vision suddenly clouded, and her breath came in short, sharp gasps. She gradually became aware of Lorgits' front pressed against hers. She opened her eyes and sat up, short of breath. She could still feel him inside her, slowly shrinking and growing softer. He opened his eyes and looked into hers. She smiled and leaned forward, embracing him. He slid his arms around her waist and held her close, just listening to the sound of her breathing as he slipped out of her. The only sound for several minutes was the heavy panting of both lovers. Lyda lifted her head slightly so that her mouth was next to his ear. "Is this wrong? An aslan and a raet?" "Does it feel wrong?" He asked. "No. It feels just right." She whispered. "It feels too good to be wrong." They were silent for a long time. After a bit, Lyda moved off of him, and they lay down together. Lyda curled up next to Lorgit and lay her head on his shoulder. He took her hand in his own and laced their fingers together. "I love you." Lyda said quietly. "I love you too." He replied. They closed their eyes. Lyda felt warm and safe, relaxed and calm. She could hear Lorgit's heart beating, a slow, steady rhythm. She listened to the beat, and concentrated on the feeling of the steady rise and fall of his chest. It was so slow, so calming. Lyda soon fell asleep, warm, content, and happy. ******************** "Well well well, isn't this cozy!" Lyda jerked awake and quickly sat up. She and Lorgit were surrounded by three aslans, and they all had their spears leveled at them. Two others had their spears pointed at Sorgh and Kaywen. "On your feet." One of the aslans said. Lyda suddenly recognized him as the leader of the group that had caught her before. Lyda and Lorgit slowly stood up. One of the other aslans took Lorgits' knife. "You are a traitor to the tribe, Lorgit." The leader of the group said. "You will be killed if you are lucky. Or perhaps we'll throw you in the pit with the beast." "Slavery isn't right, Dorect, and you know it." Lorgit said. "That isn't for you to decide, young one." Dorect said. "If the council agrees with you, you may get away with being a slave like these fools you helped escape. But only if we don't tell them what you and the rat-woman have been up to." Lyda took offense at being called rat-woman, but she decided it probably wouldn't be a good idea to let on that she knew their language. Dorect looked at her and leaned in close. "She is quite attractive for one of her kind, but I don't think the elders will look at her appearance so much as her race." He looked at Lorgit. "Do you realize that such a union is restricted by not only our society, but by common decency?" "If it's so common, why do you seem to lack it?" Lorgit replied hotly. Dorect turned and punched him in the mouth. "You do not speak to your father in such a manner!" Dorect said, surprising Lyda. Now that she thought about it, the resemblance was there, despite the complete lack of similarity in their fur patterns. Lyda Lorgit didn't speak, and refused to wipe the blood from his face as it seeped down his chin. But Lyda could see the anger burning in his eyes. "Some son. Releasing the slaves and mating with a raet! I should kill you here!" Dorect said. "I should never have trained you to fight." "Don't think you've done me any favors in my life." Lorgit said. His father hit him again, increasing the amount of blood seeping from his mouth and down his neck. "You do not speak to your father in such a manner." He repeated, more evenly this time. "If you wish for me to kill you now, continue to speak." Lorgit said nothing. "Smart boy." Dorect said. "We're going back to the village." Dorect said to the other aslans. "This miserable excuse for a son must be tried for his crimes." They began marching back to the village. Lyda didn't relish the idea of being bound and forcibly taken every day, but there was nothing she could do. They eventually reached the village. Almost immediately after getting there, aslans began converging on them and pelting Lorgit with rotten fruit and rocks. Lyda was occasionally hit by one of the missiles that missed its mark, but wasn't hurt. Lorgit, however, was extremely battered by the time they reached the cabin the slaves were kept in, and had several deep scratches from the rocks. They went into the cabin and were forced back into their original bonds. A fourth set of stocks had been placed in the cabin while they were gone. Lorgit was placed in these, and it was clear that he was to be treated like the others until his trial. Lyda, Kaywen, and Sorgh were left alone for he rest of the day, but Lorgit was taken by more than two dozen males. Many of them pulled out before they deposited their seed in him, came around to his front, forced his jaw open, and let the liquid splash into his mouth. Most of it he was forced to swallow reflexively, but some of it he was able to spit out. Near the end of the day, Dorect entered the cabin. He crouched in front of Lorgit. "You will be tried tomorrow." Lorgit didn't speak. "I don't think they will be lenient, knowing about you and the raet. You may be put to death." Dorect continued. Lorgit retained his silence. "You will most likely be put in the pit." Still Lorgit said nothing. Dorect waited a moment. When he didn't get a response, he gave Lorgit a right hook, causing the wound he had received to open and bleed again. Dorect stood and left the cabin. Lyda felt tears welling up in her eyes, even though she had not been so much as touched by an aslan the entire day. She loved Lorgit, and hated to see him like this. "Lorgit." She began. He turned his head so he could see her. Seeing him like that, with deep scratches across his face and blood running down his chin and dripping onto the floor, caused her to choke up. She let out a sob, but quickly controlled herself. "Lorgit, I'm so sorry." "You couldn't do anything." He said. "I know, but I still feel bad. If it wasn't for me..." "Don't blame yourself. If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I should have known they would have followed us. Probably the shaman enchanted them to make them faster." Lyda didn't say anything. She just closed her eyes and cried silently. ******************** The shaman entered the hut the next morning. He said a few words in an arcane tongue and made a few passes with his hands, then released the bonds that held them in place. Lyda was confused by this, but got up anyway. The shaman made a pass with his hand. Lyda felt a throbbing in her temples, accompanied by a dull pain in her head. It faded after a moment. "The council has decided to allow you to attend Lorgit's trial." The shaman said. "The pain you just felt is a spell I cast on you. If you attempt to escape or do anything else foolish, I will increase the pain until it is incapacitating." None of them said anything. He had them walk in front of him to the tribe council, where Lorgit was taken forward. The others were made to stand back with the shaman, who translated what was being said into raet so Lyda could understand. The aslans still didn't know that she had learned their language. "Lorgit, son of Dorect, you have released the slaves and mated with a raet." One of the council said. "Both crimes are punishable by death." Lorgit didn't reply. "Have you anything to say in your defence?" The council member continued. "No." Lorgit replied. "Would Dorect come forward?" Dorect stepped forward, standing next to his son. "Do you have anything to say about the actions your son has taken?" The council member asked him. "Only that I disown him." Dorect said. "Nevertheless, his actions have brought shame upon my family that may take generations to remedy." "Very well." The council member said. "We have reached a decision about what is to be done with Lorgit. He is to be put in the pit for one full day. Afterward, he is to be a slave. As for the other slaves, they are to be placed in the pit for one hour." The shaman took Lyda and the other to the pit. It turned out not to be an actual pit, but some sort of magic gate in the wall of the shaman's cabin. "Step in." The shaman said. Lorgit, visibly nervous, took a deep breath and stepped through the gate. "You next." The shaman said, addressing Sorgh. The orc stepped through the gate as well. "You." The shaman said, indicating, Kaywen. She glanced at Lyda and stepped through the gate. "You're next." The shaman said, speaking to Lyda. She swallowed hard and carefully stepped through the gate. She felt a strange sense of falling, then a sinking feeling. It was dark on the other side. There was pale light coming from somewhere, but she was unable to tell where; it seemed to come from all sides at once. She was in a large, flat, open space. It was neither warm nor cold, but she felt a sense of foreboding emanating from the place itself. There was a dim shape in the distance, but the outline seemed to shift somehow. She squinted at it, but it was no clearer. She looked around again. Finding nothing else, she started toward the indistinct shape. She walked for a few minutes, but the figure in the distance became no clearer as she drew closer. It suddenly seemed to sense her presence, and moved toward her, more quickly than she would have thought possible. As it got close, she realized with horror what it was. It was a large, writhing mass of slick, smooth, pinkish tentacles. Four shot out from the mass and one wrapped around each limb. She screamed in terror and tried to break free, but the tentacles were far too powerful. She screamed again, and a fifth shot out and forced itself into her mouth, causing her scream to be cut short. She could feel it winding her way down her throat and into her gut. It had a strange, fleshy taste, not entirely unlike the organs she had been forced to take the night she had been captured the first time. The tentacles attached to her limbs drew her into the main mass. The tentacle in her mouth reached her stomach and began feeling around, causing a feeling like nausea. She felt something warm begin to fill her stomach, apparently being pumped in by the tentacle. She felt tears streaming down her face. She was terrified. Was this thing going to kill her? Eat her? She was drawn into the main mass, and her body was soon covered in the slick secretions of the tentacles. More wrapped around her body, and one slid between her legs. She fought desperately to bring her legs together, but the tentacles were too powerful. The tip of the tentacle slid inside her. Now more terrified from ever, she tried to force it out, but was unsuccessful. It drove itself deeper inside her, and another began feeling around under her tail. She tried to push it out of the way, using only her tail, but it was weak, and the tentacle slid past her rectum and pushed deep into her body. She tried to force it out, as if defecating, but it fruitless. Now so scared she thought she might die from the fright, Lyda completely gave up trying to resist; the tentacles were far too strong. She felt the tentacles between her legs -both in back and in front- begin to fill her with more of the strange liquid that was in her gut. It was slick, and made it easier for the alien being to force its' way deeper into her body. She suddenly felt her blood turn hot, and her muscles contracted around the tentacles in the lower parts of her body. She realized she had had a mild orgasm, and was more disgusted with herself than she had ever been. The tentacle in her gut finished filling her and forced itself further along her digestive tract. She felt a strange sensation as it moved into her lower intestine, still filling her with the liquid. The tentacle that had entered her under her tail moved further inside her, creating feelings she hadn't known were possible. The strange liquid was now leaking out of both openings in her lower body. She had lost track of time, with the creature forcing itself inside her, 'Raping me.' She thought. She suddenly felt the tentacle that had entered her through her mouth and the one that had entered her under her tail pass each other and continue their strange exploration of her body. She had run out of tears, but was still crying and terrified. The tentacle in her front lower body began swelling and shrinking. She felt an increase in the amount of liquid it was pumping in her, and it suddenly occurred to her that she may be pregnant with Lorgit's child. If so, it would surely die from the liquid sharing her womb with it. Her blood turned hot again, and her muscles squeezed the tentacles inside her once more. She had orgasmed again, and felt even more disgusted with herself. She felt something enter her stomach the wrong way, and something else entering her colon, this one the right way. The tentacles emerged from her body at the opposite ends from which they had entered. The tip of the one coming out of her mouth was still secreting something from the tip, and she assumed the one exiting her from the other end was as well. The one coming from her mouth wound around and smeared the liquid over her face, rubbing it into her fur. She suddenly felt the tentacles disappear, causing the space they had previously occupied inside her to suddenly close up. She felt the falling sensation again, and she suddenly landed on the floor of the shaman's cabin. She was still covered in the slick liquid the alien creature had secreted onto her, and she could feel the warm liquid leaking from both cavities in her lower body. She got to her hands and knees and vomited the liquid left in her stomach onto the floor. She finally opened her eyes. Kaywen and Sorgh were in similar condition and on the floor a few feet away. Lorgit was nowhere to be seen. "Alright, back to your bonds." The shaman said. Lyda looked up at him. He appeared entirely unsympathetic to what they had just experienced. Lyda felt too drained to be able to walk, and the others were the same. The shaman said something and they all felt the pain in their heads begin again. It was tolerable at first, but soon it became more than any of the three could handle. It faded after a moment. "Back to your bonds." The shaman repeated. "Crawl if you must." Lyda weakly pulled herself onto her hands and knees again and started for the door. Sorgh was somehow able to walk, but Kaywen had to crawl as well. They left the cabin and started back to their bonds, seeing the bonds as a secure place, where they knew what to expect. The shaman followed them to their cabin and tied them back in place. They barely had the strength to get back into position, but managed somehow. The shaman left once they were all back in their rightful places. Lyda and Kaywen cried for a long time, though nether one had any tears left. Sorgh appeared to have passed out. After a few minutes, a large group of male aslans, perhaps fifteen in all, entered the cabin and gathered around them. Lyda didn't know what they were up to and didn't care, so long as they didn't hurt her. She felt -and smelled- them urinating on her, and she could hear the other slaves receive the same treatment. Soon the secretions of the alien being had been washed away and replaced with the urine of their owners. Lyda was grateful that at least she was covered in something natural. The aslans left once they had 'cleaned' the slaves, leaving the urine and secretions to dry on the floor. They were left alone for the rest of the day, something they were all grateful for. Lyda slept once she had stopped crying. Terror was exhausting, she had found out. When she woke, it was dark. She thought about Lorgit, and wondered if he was experiencing what she and the others had, or if he was going through something worse. What could be worse than being raped by an alien being, especially for a male, Lyda couldn't imagine. Lorgit was brought into the cabin the next day. He looked much worse than he had before. He was covered with the alien liquid, and it was running down his legs from under his tail. He was placed in his bonds again and secured into place. Lyda waited until the aslans that had tied Lorgit in place had left. "Lorgit..." He didn't respond. He appeared to have passed out. She watched him very closely, worried he might be dead. After a moment, she was able to make out the barely visible rise and fall of his chest. He was alive. She felt tears welling up in her eyes again. She blinked them away. It wouldn't do any good to cry again. She closed her eyes and waited. After a while, a group of aslans entered the cabin and urinated on Lorgit. He was still unconscious. Lyda watched this, but didn't say anything. She closed her eyes again and waited for Lorgit to wake up. Males came and went throughout the day. Each of the slaves, including Lorgit, was taken. Lyda was already used to the feeling again, and barely noticed. Lorgit woke near the end of the day. He raised his head and looked around. "Lyda..." "Lorgit..." She said quietly. "Are you okay?" "I don't know. I suppose." He said. "What about you?" "I... I'm still a little shaken." She replied. "What was that?" "I don't know." He replied. "Is there any way to get out of these bonds?" She asked. "No. Not that I know of." She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at him again. "I love you." "I love you too." He replied. An aslan entered the cabin and positioned himself behind Lyda. She felt him entering her, but she didn't really notice it. She was so used to the sensation by now. The aslan emptied himself inside her and left. His seed ran from her and down her legs. She turned to Lorgit again. "Are you sure there's nothing we can do?" "Nothing. We're going to be like this either until we die or someone lets us out of our bonds." He said. Lyda sighed and closed her eyes again, resigning herself to her fate. ******************** Days passed. The days became weeks, and the weeks turned into months. Four of them to be precise. The four of them had more or less given up hope of escaping. Lyda began feeling nauseated in the morning, but didn't think anything of it. She had simply assumed that it was dread of the coming day, when seven or eight litorians would please themselves on her. Exactly four months passed since their recapture, making it late summer. That evening, there seemed to be a great deal of noise filtering through the walls from the outside. "What's going on?" Kaywen asked Lorgit. "It's the end of summer festival." He replied. "They'll probably leave us alone tonight and tomorrow." There was no more conversation between them that night. There were a number of lights set up outside, so it was well illuminated inside the cabin. The festivities continued for most of the night. By dawn, the noise had died down. Most of the village had fallen asleep. Lyda heard the door to the cabin open. Apparently Lorgit had been wrong when he said they wouldn't be disturbed. Lyda listened to the aslan come up behind her, but instead of taking her, she felt him undo the bonds keeping her legs stationary. She didn't move, not sure what was going on. The aslan came around in front of her and undid the latches on her stocks, then opened them. "Lyda, are you okay?" He asked in her language. He had a very familiar voice. In fact, it was the voice of... "Gorl!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" She sat up and saw that it was indeed her brother. "I came to get you out of here." He said. "Are you okay?" He repeated. She got to her feet... or tried to. Her muscles had atrophied after having been unused for four months, and she was now too weak even to stand. "I'll take that as a no." He said. "You have to let the others go too!" Lyda said. "I will." He replied. He released the bonds on the other slaves. Kaywen was also too weak to stand by herself, but Lorgit and Sorgh were able to make it to their feet, though both were unsteady. "You two, help her walk. We don't have much time to get out of here." Gorl said in the aslan tongue. Lorgit and Sorgh helped Kaywen to her feet. Gorl closed his eyes and began speaking in a stilted tongue. Lyda recognized it as the same language the aslan shaman had used when he cast his spells. Gorl stopped speaking after a moment, and Lyda felt a subtle difference. As she watched, the features of the others shifted until they looked like aslans. She suspected that she looked like one as well. Lorgit's fur pattern had changed, and his face no longer looked like his. "We need to get out of town quickly." Gorl said. The others agreed. Gorl cast another spell, and Lyda felt strength wash through her. She got to her feet. She hadn't felt this good since before she had been caught. Sorgh, Lorgit, and Kaywen had been affected by the spell as well, and were able to walk normally. Gorl led them out the door. There were a few litorians asleep in the streets, and the five of them had to pick their way through the streets to avoid stepping on any of the sleeping forms. They managed to make their way out of the village undetected. Gorl hurried them to the woods so they would be more difficult to find, and began leading them in an easterly direction. "Where are we going?" Lyda asked after a bit. "I thought you and I would try to catch up with our tribe." Gorl said. "The others should be able to find a village that will take them in." "But-" Lyda began, but she felt Lorgit's hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, and he slowly shook his head. "Not yet." He said, quiet enough so that only she could hear. She bit her lip and held her silence. ******************** The shapechange spell ended shortly afterward. A moment later, so did the strength spell. Everyone except Gorl dropped to the ground, suddenly too weak to stand. Gorl cast another spell. They felt their strength return once again, and got back to their feet and continued on their way. "Where did you learn magic?" Lyda asked as they walked. "The elf sisters. I studied with them for a while after you disappeared." Gorl replied. "Why?" "So I could find you." He said. "Mom and Dad weren't too thrilled when I left. They had left you for dead, and thought I would just be wasting my time. Plus, they didn't want to lose another." "How did you know I wasn't dead?" She asked. He took a necklace out of one of the pouches on his belt and handed it to her. "I know a spell that lets me find anyone, as long as I have a personal possession of theirs." Lyda took the necklace. It had always been her favorite. It was nothing more than a leather thong with a chipped seashell attached, but she liked it anyway. She had found it when she was quite young. Lyda "How are Mom and Dad?" She asked, putting the necklace on. "They've aged a lot. Losing you really took it out of them." Gorl said. "Mom doesn't talk much anymore, and Dad spends a lot of time alone." "What about Dilk and Kekt?" "They cried a lot when you disappeared. They've gotten over it, more or less, but they still miss you a lot." Lyda thought about her little brothers. She missed them so much! She even missed Dilks' constant questions. "What about Fath's mother?" She asked. "She died a few days after you two disappeared. They said she just hadn't been able to stand losing her only living relative, and died of a broken heart." "I'm so sorry for her! I wish things hadn't turned out like they did." "So do I." "How long have you been looking for me?" She asked. "I left about two and a half weeks after you disappeared." "You really cared about me so much that you were willing to risk your life and everything you've ever known?" "Of course! You're my only sister, and Mom and Dad really need to know you're alive." He said. She threw her arms around him and squeezed with all her strength. "Thank you so much for saving me!" "Just don't disappear again! Mom and Dad would never survive it a second time." "I won't! I promise!" Lorgit had listened to every word. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but he knew the language, and it was difficult not to pay attention. When he heard Lyda's promise, his heart sank. He loved her, and he didn't want to lose her, but he knew there would never be any way that an aslan would be allowed in a raet tribe. If she wanted to leave him, he wouldn't try to stop her. ******************** The five traveled until dusk the next day. They made camp and rested. A short time later, the strength spell wore off again. Lyda felt a sudden wave of weakness, then fell unconscious. She awoke midmorning the next day. Kaywen and Sorgh were awake, but Lorgit and Gorl were still asleep. Lyda got up and stretched. She was stiff, and her joints were sore from walking so much, but she didn't much notice it. Lorgit and Gorl woke after a bit, and the five continued on their way. Lyda put her hand on Lorgit's shoulder and dropped back form the other three with him. "When are we going to tell Gorl?" She asked quietly. "I thought you wanted to go back to your family." "I do." "Well, I don't think your tribe would be very accepting of an aslan." It was then that Lyda realized that she wouldn't be able to live with both her tribe and Lorgit. He was right; it would be impossible for him to join her tribe. She would have to choose between them. "I... I never thought of that." "You still have a while to decide. Think about it. Just know that I'll support you, whatever you decide." "Thank you." Lyda said, pulling him down and giving him a quick kiss. "I really appreciate it." He nodded. "We should catch up with the others." "Right." The hurried to catch up with the other three. Lyda noticed Lorgit kept glancing at her for the rest of the day. They stopped to rest that night. Lyda sat down next to Lorgit. "Why did you keep glancing at me like that all day?" "I think you look different, somehow." "What do you mean?" "I don't know, I can't quite place it. You just look a little different." She glanced down at herself. "I don't feel any different." She said, but that wasn't quite true. She did feel different, but it was subtle. She couldn't imagine what it was. "I'm probably imagining it." He said. "Forget I said anything." Lyda lay down and attempted to sleep, but her mind kept nagging at her that something was different. She tried to imagine what could have happened that would make a difference, but she couldn't. Eventually, she fell into a restless sleep. ******************** The five continued on their way the next day. Lyda deliberately walked next to Lorgit, but not too close. They walked for several days. Lyda had been constantly afraid of being captured for a third time, but the chances of that grew smaller every day. They eventually came to a village. Members of a number of different races could be seen in the streets, including humans, dwarves, elves, and orcs. They approached the village. Gorl stopped a dwarf passing by. "Excuse me, who is in charge here?" He asked in the common tongue. "That's Zulric." The dwarf said. "He's in the house two streets up and one left." "Thank you." Gorl said. The five of them followed the directions the dwarf had given them. Gorl knocked on the door. "Come in." A voice said in the human tongue. The five entered. A man who was covered in brownish-gray hair was leaning over a desk. He looked up at them as they entered. He had red eyes. "Can I help you?" The hobgoblin asked. "Some of us would like to take up residence in your village, sir." Gorl said. "Who?" "These three." Gorl indicated Kaywen, Sorgh, and Lorgit. "Actually, I'd like to continue to travel with you two." Lorgit said. Gorl's ears twitched. "These two then." Zulric glanced at the human and the orc. "We have room for them, if they wish to stay." "We do." Kaywen said. "Very well. I will have someone escort you to one of the empty cabins at the edge of town." Zulric said. "What about the rest of you?" "We're just passing through." Gorl said. "Very well then. I have my work to attend to, if you don't' mind." Zulric said, turning his attention back to the papers on his desk. Lorgit, Lyda and Gorl left the village and continued on their way. "Why did you come with us?" Gorl asked after a bit. "I'm not sure that was my place." Lorgit said. Gorl's ears twitched again, but he let the subject drop. Lyda pulled Lorgit down so she could whisper into his ear. "When are we going to tell him?" "Whenever you're ready to." He replied. "Not yet. Soon." ******************** They continued on their way. Several weeks passed. "Lyda?" Lorgit said one night in mid-autumn. "Yes?" "I know what's different about you." He said. "Oh? What?" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He glanced at Gorl, who was asleep, and turned back to Lyda. He leaned close and whispered, "You're pregnant." Lyda heard herself gasp. She looked down at her midsection. Definitely larger. She put one hand on her stomach. "But, is that even possible? An aslan-raet crossbreed has never existed before." "I know. I've never heard of one." He said. "But I was sure that the beast would have killed whatever was in there." She said. "The liquid it secreted, maybe that's the only reason it happened. I've heard of aslans and raets mating before, but there has never been a child." "Maybe. But what are we going to tell everybody? Nobody would understand." He sighed. "I don't know. But I do know that I'm glad I'm going to be a father." "I'm happy to be a mother." Lyda said. "But a child like this won't be accepted anywhere." He put his arm around her. "We'll figure something out." She leaned up against him. "I hope so. I don't want our child to be an outcast just because of what it is." The caught up with Lyda and Gorl's tribe a few days later. Lyda turned to Lorgit as the settlement appeared on the horizon. "Will you wait for me?" "Of course." She wanted to hug him, but they still hadn't told Gorl. Instead, she held out her hands, palms up. He took them in his own. "We're proof that our two races can get along." She said. He just nodded. "I'll see you again." "Goodbye." He squeezed her hands. "Goodbye." She reluctantly released her hold on his hands, then turned to Gorl. "Let's go home." They approached the settlement. Their family had built their cabin near the edge. Gorl started to open the door, but hesitated. "What is it?" Lyda asked. "They haven't seen either of us for a long time. They might be startled if we just went in." "Then knock." He did so. After a moment, their mother opened the door. Her eyes widened. "Gorl! Lyda! Oh my goodness, I thought you had died!" She embraced them both, holding them tightly. "Lyda!" Their father said, running to the doorway. "We're so happy to see you!" "Lyda!" Dilk and Kekt cried, running outside. Lyda embraced each of them in turn. Her mother hurried them inside. "Lyda, where have you been!?" He mother said. "We looked for you for days, but we couldn't find a trace!" "It's a long story Mom." Lyda said. She noticed that her parents had both aged a lot. Her mother had streaks of white in her hair, and her father had gone almost completely gray. Kekt had grown almost a foot, making him taller than Lyda, and Dilk had grown as well. "We have time. Let's hear it." Her father said. "It's been a long journey." Gorl said. "Give her a chance to rest." "You're right." Their mother said. "I'm sorry, but we've wondered so much about what happened to you." "I know." Lyda said. "And I'm glad to be home." She didn't add that she might not be staying. "We'll get some rest tonight. It's late." Her father said. "You can tell us tomorrow." They all retired to their rooms. Their parents had saved Lyda's things. She spread her bedroll out on the floor in the main room and lay down. She worried about Lorgit, wondering if he would grow tired of waiting and leave. She had to admit to herself that it was good to be home, with all the smells and sounds she was so familiar with. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep, content sleep. ******************** As Lyda woke, she realized the Gorl was already up. She sat up and stretched. "Gorl?" He turned to her. "What?" "Are Mom and Dad up yet?" "Yeah, Dad' teaching Dilk and Kekt how to fight, and Mom's feeding the chickens." "Um... that spell you used to make us look like aslans..." "What about it?" "Could you use it to make Lorgit look like a raet?" "Yes. Why do you ask?" "I want Mom and Dad to meet him." She said. "What? Why?" "Well..." She turned away from him. "I... we..." She took a deep breath and swallowed hard. She could hear her heart beating in her ears. "We love each other." "What!?" He exclaimed. "Do you realize what it would mean if that ever got out?" "Yes..." Lyda said meekly. She had hoped for a better reaction. "I don't believe this! My own sister!" He said, mostly to himself. "My sister and an aslan." He said, shaking his head. "I don't know. Mom and Dad aren't going to be happy to hear that." "That's why the disguise!" Lyda said. "If we tell Mom and Dad that he's a raet from another tribe, they won't disown me!" Gorl sat down and was silent for a long time. He sighed. "Well... it would only last a few hours. I might be able to make a necklace that makes it permanent as long as he wears it, but it would take about a week." "Would you, please?" Lyda begged. "I'd be so grateful, and it would mean so much to me to be able to live with him and not leave the tribe." She said, on the verge of tears. "I just don't know." Gorl said. "He's an aslan, Lyda. I know he helped you escape once, but even so..." "Please Gorl, please. I'll do anything for you. It would mean so much to me." He closed his eyes and sighed again. "I don't know. I'll have to think about it." Lyda wiped at her eyes. "Please Gorl. I can't just give him up, but I can't leave home again either." Her tears were flowing freely now. "It would mean the world to me." He tapped his finger on the floor, then sighed. "Okay. I'll do it." "Oh, thank you!" Lyda exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "You don't know how much this means to me!" 'I just hope I don't regret this.' Gorl thought. "I'm going to go see Lorgit." Lyda said. "I want to tell him that we can stay together." She got up and left. She found Lorgit at the other end of the forest, a short distance from where they had parted the day before. He was leaning up against a tree, apparently sleeping. She slowly and silently crept up to him, giggling to herself, then leaned down and quickly kissed him on the lips. He opened his eyes. "Lyda!" She giggled again. "I'm glad to see you. Did you miss me?" She sat down next to him. "Yes." He said, sliding his arm around her waist. "Did you visit your family?" "Yes." She said. "There's something I want to talk to you about." "What?" "Well..." She hesitated, suddenly uneasy. "I talked to Gorl, and he said he can make you a necklace that will make you look like a raet as long as you wear it." Lorgit frowned. "Why would I want that?" "So we can stay together!" She said. "I really don't think anybody in my tribe would be willing to let an aslan join, but we would be a lot more accepting of a rogue raet." He leaned back and thought for a moment. "Nobody would be able to tell?" "No." "Even you?" "No. But I would know it's you." She said. Lorgit thought for a while. "What about our child?" "Oh! I almost forgot!" She suddenly looked dismayed. "It might look a little like a raet, but it would be obvious it isn't." "Could Gorl make another necklace before it's born?" "Well, it's been about five months. He said it would take a week to make the necklace, so that would leave three months and three weeks for him to make another one. I don't know much about magic, but that should be plenty of time." "I hope so." Lorgit said. "I want to spend as much time with you as I can." "Me too." Lyda said, leaning into him and closing her eyes. "You should probably get back before they wonder what happened to you." Lorgit said after a moment. Lyda sat up and sighed. "I guess you're right. But I really wanted to cuddle with you some more." "It'll only be a week. I'm sure you'll survive." Lyda kissed him one last time and started back to the village. She couldn't wait for Lorgit to meet her parents. She knew they would like him. ******************** Lyda easily fell back into her old routine. After being bound, helpless, for four months, being outside and doing anything was welcome. Gorl found her one evening while she was harvesting crops. "I've finished it." He said. "Really?" Lyda asked. "Yes. I haven't tested it yet, but I'm pretty sure it'll work." He handed her a necklace with a small silver pendant. She hugged him. "Thank you Gorl. I really appreciate this. You don't know how much it means to me." "Sure. Just make he doesn't take it off. Ever." "I will, I will." She hugged him harder. "Thank you so much Gorl! I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for me. Saving me from the aslans, bringing me home, and now you've made it so that I don't have to choose between my family and Lorgit." "Don't worry about it. You're my only sister, and you mean a lot to me." He replied. "Thanks again. I'll give this to him tonight." "What are you going to tell Mom and Dad?" "We're going to tell him that we met while you and I were on our way back home." "I'll back you up." "Thanks again." Lyda said. "I'll always be grateful. If you ever need anything, just let me know." "Sure." Gorl said. Lyda turned and nearly ran from the cabin. He stared after her for a moment, then closed his eyes, sighed, and shook his head. His sister was easily the strangest person he had ever known, and the ordeal she had been through hadn't changed that at all. "Lyda," He thought out loud. "How do you manage to get yourself into these situations?" ******************** Lyda went to meet Lorgit that night. He wasn't waiting for her in the standard spot, so she sat down and waited. He appeared a few minutes later. "Hi hon." He said. "Hi sweetie." Lyda said, getting to her feet and kissing him. "I've got something for you." "What?" "This." She took the necklace out of the pouch on her belt and handed it to him. He took it and put it on. His features rippled like water, then formed into the features of a raet. His fur pattern was unchanged, but now he was, in all visual aspects, a raet. "That looks good." Lyda said. "I really look like a raet?" "Yes. If I didn't know better, I'd say you really were." "Do I still smell like an aslan?" She leaned in close and inhaled. "Not really. I wouldn't be able to tell if I wasn't trying to smell it." "So I'll be able to join your tribe now?" "Well, you have to be approved by the elders, but I'd say it's almost a sure thing." He smiled and squeezed her. "That's great." "I can't wait for you to meet my parents." She said, sliding her arms around him. "Are you sure Gorl won't tell them I'm not a raet?" He asked. "Yes, I'm sure." She replied. "He wouldn't tell. He promised." He smiled and slid his hands into hers. "So let's go meet your parents."