Part 63: Confession

DISCLAIMER: Underage character(s) involved.


Note: This item has been rewritten and edited. All text in rose is BRAND NEW MATERIAL for this chapter of the story. In addition there are many minor changes to the original text itself. Please enjoy this new, expanded version of Part 63 and be on the lookout for updates to the next parts!


THE SUN BEAT down hard on the white gleaming tiles of the courtyard. Lieutenant Djuta hated courtyards. Yet for some reason he'd been spending an inordinate amount of time in them, simply staring at the water as it refused to ripple in the absence of a breeze. His torn wing flexed and flared without him even willing it, and he barely even saw the water itself.

General Nehara had called him to his bed again. It might not have seemed so strange, considering the other Kana's habits...but based on what Lieutenant Fa'rukha had told him, he knew the meaning of it.

Nehara does not bed just anyone. Only those he trusts implicitly...!

Even more meaningful, was his and Nehara's speech itself.

You would not be so petty as to be jealous now, would you?

I'm not certain. Should I be?

Let me put it to you this way. I was with She'hekha and Fa'rukha only once.

As you were with me.

Yet I had plans of changing that...

Djuta's tail flicked. He lifted his arm and looked at the clawmarks upon it, felt the soreness in his muscles. He could still smell Nehara's musk upon him.

Last night, things had changed. For several hours. He lifted his hand and placed it to the back of his neck, where his nape still hurt from where the general had bitten him, sinking his teeth into the skin as he'd lunged himself at Djuta, swift and hard. He could still hear Nehara's heated growling in his ears, as well as the high-pitched whine he himself had let out, more than once. He hadn't whined like that in years. Since he had been Tas'hukh's Moru. He shivered slightly and lowered his hand, forcing himself to stretch his wings as they'd been hunching in toward his back. That was how he had felt in the general's bed. Not like a Kana. Like a slave. Even when he'd been passive as Resikh mated him, he had never felt like a slave. Even his one time with Mahakhi had not made him feel like a slave. Even while he was with Tas'hukh, when he had been a slave, he had known he was still truly Kana, and had felt as such. Now...he felt almost like hiding his wings...and had to keep shutting his eyes and reminding himself of who he really was. It was through sheer force of will that he had managed to keep himself from bathing immediately after leaving Nehara's rooms that morning. He'd known somehow that the general would know. He couldn't give the slightest hint that his attentions might be unwanted. Not yet.

If he trusts me...then every stupid thing I do will be worth it. Resikh-Kana...Rithukh'het-Moru...my tribe...

If he trusts me...

The faint sound of footsteps and a sword rattling in its scabbard caught his ear, yet he refrained from lifting his head. He stared at the pool blankly and rubbed at the clawmarks upon his arm, rather wishing now that he had gone to the trouble of cleaning himself up. His nostrils flared at the tang of Nehara's musk and he shivered a little. The smell had aroused him when they were together. Now, it made him feel weak, and vaguely nauseated. The footsteps turned in their tracks, and started approaching, slowing to a stop a bit behind him; a shadow fell slightly to his side.

"I had heard through the grapevine that you disliked pools," Lieutenant She'hekha's voice said from above him. "So why is it that you hang about them like a frog seeking a lilypad?"

"For some bizarre reason, they allow me to think," Djuta replied.

He sensed the other Kana staring at him, perhaps with puzzlement; She'hekha leaned forward so he could see his lappets dangling, and the other lieutenant's nose twitched. Although Djuta didn't look directly at him, he could see him slightly from the corner of his eye, and he saw the look on his face change; after a moment he stood straight again, and stepped around the bench that Djuta sat upon. He sat down beside him and stared at the pool as well. They remained in silence for a short time.

"Last night?" She'hekha said after a while.

Djuta simply stared at the water. "It was not the first time," he murmured.

She'hekha turned his head and looked directly at him, and Djuta couldn't remember ever having seen him look so surprised. There wasn't the slightest trace of sarcasm in his expression; Djuta turned his own head to look at him, then turned back to the pool. He saw the other Kana blink once or twice, then he snorted and the corner of his mouth twisted up. He crossed his arms and turned back to the pool as well.

"Fa'rukha had said something about you preferring males. I have to admit I had thought he was just picking up a mistaken cue! He tends to overestimate himself at times, you see."

"I do not prefer males," Djuta said, "but I see nothing wrong with them."

She'hekha started laughing. "No wonder 'Rukha has been so pissy lately. I suppose you told him that." He leaned back, managing to keep his balance. "So I take it that last night was not so bad as it could have been."

"No," Djuta half-lied. He glanced at She'hekha with a small frown. "What of you?" When the other lieutenant looked at him he flicked an ear. "I rather get the impression from Fa'rukha that he did not enjoy it much, though he would not say this aloud."

She'hekha started laughing again, louder this time. He had to wipe at his eyes. "He...no, you are right. He did not enjoy it much. I think I have seen much the same look on the face of a dog that piddled on the floor. He looked that way for a good four weeks. I believe it was Tes'khi who made him feel better, as soon as he mentioned it, for all 'Rukha needed was to give his fists a good workout on his face in order to lift his spirits. He is like that, unfortunately. When something bothers him, he likes to swing his sword around a little. Perhaps it's overcompensation."

"And so you? I take it you would not have enjoyed it overmuch either."

"Did Fa'rukha tell you as much?"

Djuta decided he might as well remain truthful. "He said you did not 'go that way,' so to speak."

She'hekha's laughter this time was practically a cackle. He had to wipe at his eyes again. "In case this is your sen'akha way of hitting on me, then no, I do not 'go that way.' Fa'rukha is the biggest prude I have ever met. Why he did not just take the chance to say no, I do not like humping with males, I will never understand."

"I was told all of Nehara's most trusted end up in his bed eventually," Djuta said.

She'hekha shrugged and smirked. "To tell you the plain truth, Brother--? It was barely anything at all. Compared to other things I have been through." He flicked his bad ear and leaned slightly toward Djuta as if taking him into confidence. "Trust me, having some Kana bite your neck and push himself at you is far preferable to having one tie you down, and thrash a whip at your back, and do everything else including push himself at you. Perhaps if Fa'rukha were not so spoiled, he would not have found it quite so bad, either. In all honesty, nesakh'ai with a male is much better than a whip to the back. If I had had a choice back then, I really do think I would have chosen the former." He cocked his head. "So. Twice then. Perhaps tomorrow I will awaken, and you will be wearing my lappets." He got to his feet and stretched his wings.

Djuta lifted his head to look up at him. "I take it then this is the reason he has found to keep me here," he said, and She'hekha looked back at him with one raised eyebrow. He turned around on one heel and placed a hand on his hip, nostrils flaring.

"I doubt this severely, Brother. Nehara-Kana may be strange but he has reasons for everything."

"Then what am I to do in this tribe, seriously?" Djuta asked, hating to press his luck but needing to get it off his mind anyway. "So far, I have done nothing of use. Surely this wasn't what you had in mind when you asked me along--?"

She'hekha shook his head. "It was not."

"Then what was your purpose? Or mine? Your general already has the lieutenants he needs. He already has enough mates, and I gave up my own mate just to come here. Surely there is some bigger reason for me to stay, other than this."

She'hekha raised an eyebrow. "You are bored?"

"Not so much bored as growing tired of not knowing what to do with myself," Djuta said peevishly.

The other Kana's mouth twitched. "Be glad I am not Fa'rukha, else I would have had something nice to say in return." He straightened his sword. "You recall our business with your tribe. I do not know if you were involved in that battle or not."

"I was not with the Great Red Tribe at the time of this fight. So no, you would not have met me there."

"All the more reason for you to be here, Brother. I was still a stripling, and a whipling, at the time of that fight. We lost a good number of our best Kana. Our captains have been itching for a shot at revenge ever since. Nehara-Kana was to be the one to grant it to us."

"So why was he not the one to lead your men to the tribe? Perhaps then you would not have had to bow to Fe'kheru-Kana."

"I bowed to Fe'kheru-Kana because he is a good Kana, and this is all. I kept the men in check because I know we would not have won." An odd smile came to his face. "Now that we have you, however, I do have a good feeling that this will change. Apparently, Nehara agrees with me." He turned away. "I realize you may only believe me through experience and not on my word, Brother, and I don't blame you. I would do the same. Which is why I will not ask you to trust me when I say that my reason for asking you here was exactly as I gave it. You were wasted on that tribe. We are not quite so lazy and indolent as Mahakhi and his men. Here, living may not be as easy, but at least you will find some use for your skills." He glanced over his shoulder and smirked. "As soon as you kick Nehara to let you out of his bed. Don't worry, he does not bite...too hard." He bobbed his head and strode back for the hallway. Djuta watched him go, and stared at the columns long after the other Kana had vanished from sight.

He realized that it was quiet out here, silent, without him.

He pushed himself up from the bench and retreated into the household. He passed few Kana as he went; by now he'd noticed that Nehara didn't rely too heavily on guards, and though this was good for him, still, he found that he felt oddly uneasy, simply being here. This household, this place, this whole tribe, seemed vaguely wrong somehow, and he didn't know why.

It cannot be just his eyes. They're just like Bakh'asu's eyes. Yet I can tell the two have no relation to each other. So what is it that makes me feel this way? What is so wrong about this place? Is it merely the thought of what I have to do...?

She'hekha-Kana...he kept calling me Brother...

He shut his eyes and rubbed at his head as he walked, the hall practically empty. The other Kana had already told him the cause behind the crisscross pattern of scars lining his back, and as if that hadn't been enough, the Seer Yekh'iet had then shown him the cause, or rather, let him experience it for himself...he winced and reached behind himself to rub at his back as if it still hurt. Hakh'tas's shrill voice still rang in his ears. Although Fa'rukha was the one he had had the most chances to speak with since coming here, he had had one or two with She'hekha, and everything the lieutenant said had made his fur prickle and his teeth grind together. What Bakh'asu had done to him in Tas'hukh's courtyard seemed like nothing in comparison.

In all honesty, nesakh'ai with a male is much better than a whip to the back. If I had had a choice back then, I really do think I would have chosen the former...

He opened his eyes again and fixed them on an indeterminate point ahead of him. Four years, She'hekha had said, he had been tied to his father's bed, and whipped, and screamed at, among other things...every time Djuta had shown the slightest change in countenance, the Yellow Sands Tribe lieutenant had filled in whatever detail he wished, all in the calmest, most disinterested voice that was possible. Even more so than hearing what had been done to him, Djuta found that the tone of his voice made him shudder; She'hekha could just as well have been talking about the weather that day. His own skin seethed whenever he saw Hakh'tas walk by, which fortunately was not often, but whenever they were together She'hekha merely greeted him as he greeted any other Kana. Djuta could hardly stand it and he could tell that Fa'rukha could hardly stand it either.

"He even lives here? Beneath this roof?" he had asked under his breath as they passed the older Kana one afternoon, Hakh'tas giving them a venomous glare before going on his way.

"Not always," She'hekha had said. "He receives a stipend for my service to Lord Nehara, as first lieutenant. He does have his own house still. Yet part of his allowance is the right to stay beneath Nehara's roof at times." His ear flicked; it had mostly healed by now, but Djuta could tell that it would never look right again. "I do tend to believe he stays here when he can so he can merely keep an eye on things."

"You mean keep an eye on you," Djuta said.

She'hekha had shrugged nonchalantly. "It is his right, if he wishes. His house has never been the best off; I recall he had very few Moru to speak of, and I do not even know whether he still has them or not. I take it he feels rather cramped staying in that little box all the time. He can get very pissy, when he's feeling fenced in..."

Djuta's thoughts trailed off again and he slowed his step as he walked, chewing on one claw. He glanced at the angle of the sunlight, then went back to his quarters. He sat on his bed and simply stared at the growing shadows. Before Nehara had left, he had made plans to meet with someone, and the general had agreed. He hoped it was trust that led him to agree, rather than any plan to listen in. He knew he took a huge risk trusting another, but he felt this one had no reason whatsoever to lie to him.

When the room was finally starting to grow dim his door opened a crack and he lifted his head. Two dark eyes peered in at him, white lappets dangling beside them.

"Djuta-Kana to want company...?"

Djuta nodded. "This is all I want," he said, just to be sure, and the door opened a bit wider and Yekh'iet stepped in, shutting it softly behind her. She approached the bed and sat down beside him so that they both stared at the shadows for a time. If she were Khetai, he would have known that the silence would drive her mad. He did not know Yekh'iet as well, but he felt that she didn't mind. After what felt like ages he lifted a hand to rub at his neck and made a face; she peered at him questioningly.

"If you were more of a physician, I believe I would ask if you have anything for neck pain," he sighed.

The Moru tilted her head. "To bother...?" She moved closer and pressed a hand to his neck, tilting his head forward; he felt her gently touch his nape and he winced. "Bruised," she said after a moment; she pulled away and frowned at him when he rubbed at it again. "Nehara-Kana...?"

He nodded. "I take it you have received the same," he murmured; she blushed a little and sat facing forward again so he followed suit. "Now I believe I understand why you don't care for it much in there." He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I was told you were brought here after a raid. Tell me a little of yourself. This entire tribe exhausts me; it was either sit in here tonight, or go back to him, and I can hardly bear that just yet."

Yekh'iet blushed a little again. "Not much to say," she replied. "Old tribe rather small. Yellow Sands big and powerful. To kill some of the Kana, take most of the Moru. Yekh'iet brought here. This to be all."

"You had family back there?"

She shook her head. "No...no family." She paused, then went on unprompted. "Nehara-Kana to mate all old-enough females. Selected best for his own. Four females. Three to give him pups."

"You are the one who did not," Djuta said quietly.

She lowered her head a little, fiddling her fingers in her lap. "No...Yekh'iet no pups. Nehara-Master to not be happy...Yekh'iet to tell. Until..."

"Until you showed him you were good at something else...?" Her ears went pink but she nodded. "What was his response then?"

Yekh'iet chewed on her lip a bit, peered at him from the corner of her eye, then let out a small cough. "Yekh'iet...to not really..." She trailed off and furrowed her brow.

Djuta nodded and gestured at her to go on. "You did not enjoy it--do not worry, I fully understand." He made another face and again rubbed at his aching nape. "If how he did it last night was any indication."

She blushed but nodded. "Well...to not be so unpleasant all times...Yekh'iet to get used. One night...to finish...and Yekh'iet to tell about raiding party next day." She looked a little embarrassed. "Nehara-Kana to get strange look. Do not think he to believe Yekh'iet-Moru...but set up more guards at wall next morning. Next night, raiding party appear, Nehara-Master's men to fight them off easily. Nehara-Kana to believe, since then." She gestured at her lappets. "To say lappets to be best for Seer...to make Yekh'iet this...and to seek more answers, whenever to be in bed. Not always to be able to see things for him...but better than what could be." Djuta gestured at her Kemeti clothing and she blushed once more. "To say Yekh'iet should not be covered like regular Moru and should look the part. Yekh'iet...to get used to this. Other Kana to not dare to stare too much, eventually."

Djuta stared at a stray shaft of sunlight creeping across the floor. "So he trusts both of us now," he said quietly. "Seeing as we have both been in his bed more than once." Yekh'iet paused slightly before nodding. "I will not ask you to tell me if I will be successful or not, Yekh'iet...but do you see him figuring me out, and stopping me beforehand?"

Yekh'iet shook her head. "No. Nehara-Kana to not stop you." She bit her lip, then said, "No one to stop you."

He found this rather hard to believe...but she hadn't been wrong yet, so he assumed it was safe to take her at her word. "So no one will figure it out."

"To be figured out," Yekh'iet said. "But no one to stop you."

Djuta turned his head and stared at her in surprise. She stared right back, still biting her lip and evidently forcing herself not to say more, as he'd requested. After a moment his brow furrowed but he turned away, noticing how she relaxed once he stopped staring at her. "I feel like I will go mad if I stay in this tribe for long," he said under his breath. "You and She'hekha and Fa'rukha are the only voices of sanity I've met so far, and I rather wish I had not grown to know either of them. They seem like otherwise good Kana. We are just on opposite sides of the line." He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "This is the reason why I came here, 'Kh'iet-Moru. I realize you know this already, but I have been keeping so many secrets my entire life that I feel I have to talk to somebody or lose it. Do you know I do not even have a clue behind the real reason as for why we are enemies? So a tribe attacks a tribe. I understand the hatred involved but I do not understand these wars that just go on and on. He had a strange way of dealing with things but I think Fe'kheru-Kana was on the right track. I thought Mahakhi was mad when he spared him. But perhaps that was the single time he ever showed some real sense." He dropped his hand into his lap and scowled a little. "If neither of them had acted in this manner, then I am willing to bet both of our tribes would be dead now. The Great Red Tribe, and the River Tribe, both brought down because some cock-for-brains captain decided he wanted to rattle swords. And somehow I ended up right in the middle of it." His face set. "Perhaps this was a sign. I do not even know if I believe in the gods anymore...but perhaps they are somewhere?" He glanced at Yekh'iet and all that she did was shrug. "Perhaps because I am the cause of all this, it is up to me to fix it. Just like Fe'kheru did. I do not know in the least if I will come near succeeding, because I am only one Kana, but I think I will also go mad waiting for this sword over my head to fall."

"Resikh-Kana and Rithukh'het-Moru," Yekh'iet said, and he looked at her. She tilted her head slightly. "To not tell them. To worry. Why to not tell...?"

He stared at her for a while before lowering his eyes. "I did not have the words," he murmured. "And I know she would have begged me not to, and he would have tried everything to come along. He followed me and my trouble once already. I will be damned if I will let him do that again."

"To follow because to love Djuta-Kana," Yekh'iet said. "To not care about trouble."

"This is exactly the reason," Djuta said, and lay back on the bed with a sigh. He stared at the canopy for a while. "You are tired?" he said; she shook her head. "Then I will tell you all I plan to do, exactly as I plan to do it. Again, I do not wish to know the outcome. But if there is anything you can suggest that will make it go smoother, then I want you to do so. I've never planned overthrowing a general on my own before; so I suppose I could use all the help I can get, and in this tribe, that means only you."

Her ears pinkened again. "To not know much about coups," she murmured. "But to help Djuta-Kana as best as can."

Djuta nodded once more. He lay staring upward, the Moru sitting beside him silently, as he tentatively started to go over his plans, feeling at least slightly relieved that he had someone to talk to without tension.

* * * * *

Lieutenant Resikh was not happy, pacing about in Lord Djetef's house, but that was no longer Lieutenant Be'shen's business. He hadn't been one of Mahakhi's war council, and so had next to little idea of what was going on, aside from the numerous rumors he'd heard. Rumors did little good when what he needed to know was the truth. If he wanted the truth, he had to find somebody who knew it. Somebody who had been there. Somebody willing to talk.

Right now, he had the perfect person in mind.

He stopped in at each tavern he passed, and though some of the Kana knew his name, many more did not. He regretted a little bit that he didn't get much of a chance to escape to the city, but perhaps it was for the best. From what he saw, most of the soldiers were in no shape to fight a truly horrendous battle, like the one this General Dja'mui had predicted. There was a reason why Captain Djetef had allowed Be'shen and Djuta to train his son personally, when he could have simply trained in the Kana army for free.

There were too many taverns in a tribe of this size and so after about three or four he began to grow annoyed and finally asked after the one he was looking for. He was directed to Khesa's tavern, which was a little further up the street. He would have found it on his own, eventually, but at least he did not have to enter the one or two taverns that came before it, not to mention the ones on the other side of the city. He rubbed at his neck and frowned, the most unpleasant look to cross his face in quite a while. He'd never understood the desire to frequent taverns, at least more than once a week.

It was not as busy here now, as he'd spent too long bickering with Resikh and getting him set up in his old room; but there was still a decent amount of activity. A few Kana shouted halloos to him and invited him to drink but he forced a smile and waved them off. Almost immediately he spotted the person he was looking for, sitting hunched in the corner with a drink in his hands, and Be'shen made a beeline--at least, as much of a beeline as he could make in the crowded room--over to him.

The other Kana didn't even lift his head; he looked either like he was dozing, or like he was making evil faces at his cup. Be'shen smirked.

"You hardly look as if you enjoy it here as much as they say you do."

The other Kana jerked as if in surprise, then lifted his head to look up at Be'shen. Lieutenant Tefkha's eyes widened.

"Brother!" He scrambled to stand up, nearly falling over in the process; Be'shen watched in some amusement as he regained his balance, admittedly a lot quicker than most would have been able to. The hand holding his cup shook a little until he steadied it and saluted; Be'shen returned the gesture.

"What are you doing here?" Tefkha asked, attempting to smooth himself down. "I thought you did not like drink!"

"Drink is fine, on occasion," Be'shen replied. "But I came to speak with you, if you don't mind."

Tefkha blinked. "With me?"

Be'shen nodded. "I wish to ask you a few things. In private...?"

The other lieutenant stared at him for a moment or two, then nodded and set his cup aside. "It grows stuffy in here," he murmured, and they threaded their way through the tavern and out the door.

Evening was drawing on, and by now the streets were growing quieter, long rays of orange light streaming across the road. Be'shen and Tefkha walked in silence for a while, Be'shen watching from the corner of his eye as Tefkha occasionally yawned or rubbed his eyes. He tilted his head, eyebrow arching.

"Something keeps you from sleep? Am I wrong?" he asked.

"My sleep has not been the best lately, no," Tefkha said, yawning again; when he pulled his hand away from his face his eyes were red. "But nothing is keeping me from it."

"How much time do you spend in there every day?" Be'shen was careful to keep his voice neutral, but the look Tefkha gave him was still a guarded one. He stared at him for a moment before looking ahead again.

"Enough to know each of my men by name. Which is more than what many lieutenants bother to do." Tefkha fought down a yawn this time and scowled a little. "If ever any of them has a problem, then I am one of the first to know about it."

Be'shen looked ahead at the road as well, putting his hands behind his head and stretching his wings. "Yet I hear you did not know of what was going on with Private Ri'hus."

Tefkha flushed and hurriedly looked away. "He did not ever confide in me," he said a bit testily. "Nor did he ever stop by any of the taverns. How was I expected to know if he did not tell me?"

Be'shen waved. "All right, all right...I did not mean to insult."

"If you were thinking that that is what keeps me from sleep, then think of something new," Tefkha said in an irritated voice.

The other lieutenant suppressed a smile. "All right, very well. I actually wished to speak to you about Mahakhi's war council, as you were there and I was not."

Tefkha's step slowed. "That is what this is about?" he finally asked, after a long pause.

Be'shen shrugged. "I ask on Resikh's behalf, as he is worried about what Djuta-Kana will face should he return at the wrong time."

"This is about Djuta then?" Tefkha's look grew cross. "You asked me out to talk about Djuta?" He turned and stomped away. "I hardly understand why everyone is so obsessed with him! I'm starting to get sick of hearing his name everywhere!"

Be'shen hurried after him, though Tefkha didn't stomp for long, instead settling into a quick walk. "It seems I can do nothing but poke at sore spots!" Be'shen said, half jokingly. "Would you kindly tell me what I can ask that won't cause any offense?"

Tefkha's muzzle wrinkled. "Anything so long as it has nothing to do with drinking, Ri'hus, or Djuta!"

"Very well!" Be'shen exclaimed. "Though you've narrowed it down quite a bit and I may just have to keep mum." Tefkha finally slowed down to a normal walk, though he was still fuming. Be'shen smiled. "But I still wish to ask you about what went on in the war room."

"If you were not there, then you were not meant to know."

"Actually, Lord Djetef was called--but he was unable to make it. Consider me his representative."

Tefkha sighed and stopped. He turned back to Be'shen with a resigned look.

"Very well. What is it you want to know? So I can answer it and go back to Khesa's sometime this night."

"I simply wish to know the state of affairs of the tribe. Do we intend to move or to stay? If the former, when and why? I would like to know, if so, why Mahakhi places such faith in this Dja'mui's story."

"Because he has a hundred men left to back it up," Tefkha replied. He rubbed his eye. "Trust me, what he said, it was not something one just makes up in their head. Even I would not dream up such things."

"So we are expected to move?"

"Only if the scouts report an enemy."

"And what if the scouts themselves fall victim?"

"Mahakhi is not worried about that. If they do not report anyone within the month, the army will stand down." He scowled. "Have I answered everything satisfactorily?"

Be'shen nodded. Tefkha turned back the way they had come and started walking off when Be'shen spoke aloud again.

"Where do you go in such a hurry, anyway?"

The barracks lieutenant didn't even look back. "I already told you. Back to Khesa's! At least he is good company!"

Be'shen shrugged. "'Tis too bad, because I had hoped that I could be good company."

Tefkha halted. He peered back over his shoulder warily.

"You are not simply planning on plying me with more questions?"

Be'shen smiled again. "If there are any questions, I would like to think they are not about the tribe or the army or Djuta-Kana."

Tefkha remained silent for a moment or two before his wings relaxed slightly. He turned and slowly came back toward Be'shen, but didn't meet his eyes.

"And so what was your idea?"

Be'shen gestured at him. "If you do not terribly mind setting foot in Lord Djetef's household, there are plenty of places where we may talk there. If you are feeling up to it."

"I have little better to do," Tefkha grumbled, but Be'shen merely grinned and continued on his way. The barracks lieutenant followed him and together they went back down the street.

* * * * *

At first Tefkha did not seem to be good company, though Be'shen could tell it was not because he wasn't trying. Whenever he gave the other Kana a surreptitious glance he could see how miserable he looked, but whenever he looked at him openly Tefkha appeared to try to seem friendlier. The third or fourth time this happened, Be'shen's mouth twitched in amusement.

"If I'm distressing you that much, I should probably send you back and have somebody put a drink in you before your face falls off," he suggested.

"What?" Tefkha looked up and blinked, and Be'shen knew that he hadn't even been aware of what he was doing. "I thought you didn't like drink."

Be'shen shook his head. "I never said I would accompany you."

"Oh." The barracks lieutenant's eyes seemed to glaze over and his stare drifted back ahead of them again. They walked in silence for a moment, then Be'shen coughed a little.

"Unless you need to be accompanied...I think if you walk around much longer you'll keel over. Your face is turning the color of moldy linen. Did you get some bad beer?"

"What?" Tefkha lifted his head again and his eyes managed to focus on Be'shen's for a moment. Be'shen arched an eyebrow.

"A bad drink," he echoed himself, seeing that the other Kana didn't seem to comprehend his meaning. "I've heard that you can drink a tavern dry and not hiccup once. You must've gotten something nasty."

"Oh..." Tefkha's head dropped. "I feel I need to sit down."

Be'shen's ear twitched. "There are benches in the courtyard ahead," he said, and Tefkha's pace picked up a little bit.

They reached the courtyard and Be'shen moved slightly out of the way as Tefkha made his way toward one of the benches. The other lieutenant slumped down onto the seat and let out his breath, rubbing his head. Be'shen sat down beside him and stared at the pool, listening to Tefkha's breathing. It was quick and shallow.

"I'm not meaning to be insulting," he murmured after the barracks lieutenant had managed to settle himself a little. "But perhaps I dragged you away from there a little too soon? Lord Djetef does have beer in his cellar, if you need any..."

"I will be fine." Tefkha's voice was weak. "I have not been in top form lately; I should probably start to train harder." He wiped the back of his hand across his brow before pulling it away and sighing. His ears drooped a little and Be'shen saw how pale his face was, yet said nothing else. They both stared at the water for a long while, its surface rippling in the breeze.

"Do you really feel it is my fault?" Tefkha said after a time. Be'shen looked at him, but Tefkha still stared at the water.

"Feel what is your fault?"

"Ri'hus." Be'shen frowned in puzzlement. "That I should have known about him sooner," Tefkha clarified.

"You spoke already, that you had no way of knowing this," said Be'shen.

"I know...but..." Tefkha sighed and rubbed his eyes. "A barracks lieutenant is supposed to know his men. To know when something is amiss."

"You cannot hope to know everything..."

"But I do know everything," Tefkha snapped, making Be'shen fall silent. He lifted his head to meet his eyes and Tefkha's own eyes had picked up a spark of life that Be'shen hadn't seen since first meeting him after the war council. "I know the names of every one of my men. I know the names of their pups, their mates, their birthdates, which weapons they use, which ones they do not, the day each of them first went into battle, what sort of beer they like best. I know this all."

Be'shen paused. "It seems then you are a superior lieutenant, for knowing all of this."

"Yet it means nothing if one slipped through the cracks." Tefkha's eyes grew troubled. "If I could miss something so obvious that a lieutenant not even in my barracks noticed it immediately, then what else have I missed?"

"All of us miss things. This does not mean you are negligent."

"I know I am not negligent!" Tefkha gave him a venomous look. Then his shoulders sank and he looked away again. "I know I am not," he said in a quieter voice. "But if just one slipped through the cracks...and for that long, too..."

"You said yourself," Be'shen said again. "He did not come to you with this issue. No one else did. You have two hundred men under your command. Knowing the names and birthdates of each one of them cannot prepare you to know the things they do not tell you. You did not have any way of knowing. If any slip through the cracks, it is only because of a flaw in the system of things, not because of your oversight. You are only one lieutenant and can do only so much."

"But I should have noticed sooner, at least..." Tefkha stared at the water. His hands formed a ring, and Be'shen realized he was holding an invisible cup, as if out of habit. He fell silent, knowing that argument was futile, and turned once more to the water. It lapped against the edges of the pool, the lilies bobbing, and the breeze gently stirred the leaves on the trees and the lappets hanging at their ears.

"A bad drink," Tefkha said after a long while. "I did get one. One that put me in the alley and put some other Kana on top of and inside me."

Be'shen's ear flicked. He turned his head just slightly, uncertain if he had heard right. Tefkha's stare never left the water.

"The strangest thing," he murmured, "is that it feels as if it did not even happen to me. As if it happened to someone else. I think perhaps I convinced myself this was so, at least for a little while..." He looked down, and shifted the invisible cup in his hands.

"It was evening...and I was going out for a drink. This is no surprise, I suppose. I went to Lord Khesa's that night just as always. The place was full, and I did not feel like jostling about for a seat. So I passed a little time with one of his daughters until the crowd thinned a bit. It was still quite busy though, busier than it's usually been. Probably because of all the strange Kana that were staying here at the time. The Yellow Sands and the River Tribe...they were busy buying more drinks for everyone than even I ever do. I even accepted a drink one of them ordered, though I could not say who it was. There was so much chattering and talking that they had to pass the drinks all around before they even got to their owners. I did not mind much though, because just like now I had little else to do. A free drink is a free drink, is it not?

"I did not know many of the men there very well, as few of them served me; yet I did not mind. A drink is a drink, whether your company is friends or not. And those Yellow Sands Kana were quite cheery. An odd thing is that I did not even drink very much at all...only two cups, I believe, and then I was handed a third; I took only one swift drink from it. I have drunk fully upwards of six or seven cups a night without tottering about once--ask anyone in my barracks or in Khesa's, and they will willingly tell you this is so--many times over, in fact. Yet after a time I decided I should head out a bit earlier than usual. I did not feel quite right being surrounded by strangers.

"But that one last cup...it was as if I had drunk a hundred. When I went out the door and into the street, I could barely walk. I had to lean against the wall to keep my balance. A passerby asked me if I was all right; I insisted I was, just so he would leave me alone. You probably cannot imagine what it feels like to be so well known for holding your drink, and suddenly to have that taken away from you. I could barely even see the street before me and so I used what little sense I had left to slip into the alley instead. I thought perhaps I would be safer there, from the Sha's hooves; but I could no longer walk and so I fell over. There was no one else around. I would have tried to get up, but I was so weak that I could not. I believe I did try, but nothing came of it. Perhaps I would have to spend the night there? I would not have minded if I had not discovered that the ground in alleyways is not the most pleasant place to lie down...

"But then someone else seemed to make this decision for me...after a few moments spent thus I felt something step upon my back, as if to pin me down, though I could not have moved had I wanted to. I was too groggy to even speak or feel fear, anger, anything. I felt this weight shift and could tell that someone knelt upon my back, though I had no idea why they would want to do this. I suppose my head was so foggy that I could not even consider the obvious, could I?

"In any event...I believe it was the scent that clued me in firstly. I could not smell it at first as the alley stank of stale piss; my nose was practically dipping in it. But then I could smell it, too. Him. I must confess that I know that smell, though not this particular one, too well...at least you would say so, if you have heard as much of me as you seem...but even then I felt nothing. I did not even bother to fight. I could feel him pull me further into the alley, and pull up my kilt and pull off my loincloth and push my legs apart...I could feel him push inside me, and I could feel him bouncing atop me, and I could hear him gasping and panting and I could smell his musk and I could even see other Kana passing by on the street outside the alley, all laughing and talking to one another...but fear or anger or anything...I felt none of this. My body could feel, but my head was numb. I did not do anything. He did not even have to hold me down or cover my mouth as this happened within sight of the other tavern patrons, yet none of them looked toward us...why would they have but on accident, anyway? I did not yell or thrash or anything. Perhaps if they did see us, they simply thought it was just me with another one of my men. I know that when they see me this is what they think of me.

"I do not know even how long it went on...though it seemed to be ages...he became careless, and he groaned my name, but still no one looked our way. I felt him come inside me and I felt his hips shiver as he sighed...but I did not even feel disgusted. He pulled out of me and I felt wet but I did not care. I heard him stagger away and now I could smell the reek of beer--he must have been drinking it, but I had not noticed it before--and I felt a few droplets of warmth on my face as he pissed against the wall, but that was all. I did not bother lifting my head to see what he looked like. And so I could not even recognize his face if I saw him in a crowd...he could be anyone around me...even you, for all I know. I thought perhaps I saw one of his lappets swinging as he bent himself over me, but the light was so bad that it could have been either blue or black; I do not know. I could only recognize him by his scent, and by now I hope I am never in such proximity that I can smell that again. I know I will not forget it any time soon. Yet..."

Tefkha trailed off. Be'shen sat silent. A chorus of frogsong arose from the distant river and Tefkha again swirled the invisible cup in his hands.

"What bothers me the most is that as it happened, I did not even care," he said in a flat voice. "I did not care that he did that to me without my consent, that he simply got up and left me lying there afterwards with my nose in a puddle of urine. I think I must have dragged myself closer to the street, but I was so exhausted that all has gone black after that...but for me coming to the next morning...and Djuta-Kana of all people was in my house and I did not even remember how he or I got there. And he knew what had happened. He told me so to my face, although he had not been a witness; he had merely guessed. Gods help me, but I told him directly to his face that he was wrong. And by then I think I actually believed it. Because it feels like it was someone else it happened to, at least physically...so I thought that as long as I claimed this, it would just go away. So someone used me for nesakh'ai and I was not sober enough to tell him I was not interested; this happens. But every night when I shut my eyes, I relive this in my head, and only then does the fear arrive. Not in the actual incident, but in the retelling. Sleep does not let me escape this, and now even drink is beginning to lose its hold. There was a time when a steady supply of beer could make me forget a trouble, but that is not so anymore, perhaps because I have never had a trouble particularly like this. I have lost much of my focus. If we were to be set upon by this Blue Oasis Tribe at this moment, I would likely be among the very first dead. And so you are right, Be'shen-Kana; sleep does not come easily to me anymore. It rarely comes at all."

He fell silent again, staring into the invisible cup. Be'shen did not speak for quite a while. A warm breeze arose and ruffled at the leaves on the trees in the courtyard.

"Why do you tell me this?" Be'shen finally asked, his voice quiet.

Tefkha gave a slight shrug. "I do not know. Perhaps to explain myself. I do not say it but I do know what you and the other men think of me."

Be'shen cocked an ear. Tefkha finally raised his head from staring into the invisible cup, tipping it to his mouth in a drinking gesture.

"Drink and nesakh'ai. These are the two things I'm known for, are they not?"

Be'shen's mouth twitched. "To tell you truthfully, I knew you very little before today."

"Yes, but even you have heard the stories. I have. I have laughed them off many times. I have never denied even an untrue one." He glanced at the pool and his ear flicked. "There really are some of my own men who believe I once downed ten vases of beer in one night, or else coupled with ten other Kana in one night, or all at once, or both at once...or whatever. It is different every time I hear it, but the same."

"And so is either of those true?"

Tefkha gave him a curious look. When Be'shen's stare didn't waver he shrugged again.

"One or two small vases of beer is absolutely my limit for a night, and I believe it's the same with nesakh'ai. At least, this is my personal record."

Be'shen nodded. "I will believe you, then."

Tefkha looked back down at his hands and his nostrils flared. "I know that you think I am a whore and a drunkard, Be'shen. You needn't bother hiding it."

"And when I said this...?"

"You did not have to. This is what most think anyway, and perhaps they are right. Like I said, perhaps I'm only trying to make an excuse for myself. I slept about and drank far too much even before that happened in the alleyway." He paused. "This is what makes me angry with myself. That I could not tell what was happening with Ri'hus, when this is how it feels afterward. He did not have to tell me anything; I should have paid closer attention and I would have known. He would not have been disowned by his father and he would not have had to leave the Kana army."

"Are you feeling pity for him, then, or for yourself?" the other lieutenant asked. "Because I can hardly tell the difference right now."

"Both, it is. I never claimed I was not selfish." Tefkha sighed. "This is the difference between Djuta and myself. If what I have heard that has happened to him is true, then we should feel the same things. Yet he is out and about fighting a tribe on his own and probably getting his head lopped off, while I am merely sitting here drowning my sorrows."

"You think what he is doing is a good thing?" Be'shen asked with genuine surprise.

Tefkha shrugged. His wings drooped. "At least he is doing something worthwhile."

Be'shen's mouth twitched again. "Well, this is odd then. I used to think that training the men who will likely end up fighting this Blue Oasis Tribe was worthwhile."

"And how am I to train them effectively if I cannot even find a moment of sleep?" Tefkha snapped. "The past few nights I have wished more than anything that I truly could get drunk and simply pass out, or have somebody hump me unconscious, as others already assume I do! At least then I would be getting some kind of rest!"

"I do not think sleep is what you need the most right now," Be'shen replied. Tefkha gave him an annoyed but questioning look and Be'shen arose, pulling his sword from its scabbard. He leveled the tip at Tefkha's throat.

The barrack's lieutenant's eyes widened, then narrowed. "What sort of juvenile act is this?" he scowled.

Be'shen jiggled the sword and smirked. "Go on--you claim you are so poor a Kana, then prove it. Unlike your other comments, I will not take you at your word on this one."

Tefkha's scowl darkened and he flared his wings. "Put that stupid thing away! I have no mind to swordfight right now, dung beetle."

"Go ahead, you know that you want to."

Tefkha slapped the sword away with his hand. "Leave off! I think I will just head back home now. Seeing as you're having more than enough fun playing with yourself!"

"Not before you disarm me, or I disarm you," Be'shen said. "I do not care either way, nor what you do afterwards."

Tefkha continued scowling as Be'shen poked him in the neck with his sword. He nudged it away a few more times but the other Kana kept putting it back. Tefkha finally grew agitated and backed off of the bench, standing and taking several steps away.

"I told you to leave off with that thing!" he shouted, baring his teeth when Be'shen poked at him again.

Be'shen smiled and shook his head. "Not until you pull it out of my hands."

"You are as annoying as that pup you trained! At least Resikh knows when to leave well enough alone!"

"Res also knows when to have at it if need be. Cluck, cluck, cluck."

Tefkha snarled and finally drew his sword. It clanged when it knocked Be'shen's away from his throat, but Be'shen kept his grip and grinned, swinging at him again. Tefkha's sword met his and the hilts locked, but just briefly; they broke apart and swung at each other in turn, missing and striking metal and missing again. Be'shen was rather impressed; the barracks lieutenant was managing to keep him on his toes, despite his position as one of the best swordfighters in the tribe.

He had just brought his sword up to block another blow when a voice called out, "Be'shen!" His head jerked to the side and he saw Resikh standing in the entrance, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Clang! Be'shen gasped when his sword flew out of his hands, sailing through the air and landing with a tremendous splash in the pool. Resikh blinked; Be'shen could tell that the motion had been almost too fast for him to see, too. Tefkha scowled again and shoved his sword into its scabbard with a hissing noise.

"Are you satisfied?" he barked. "If so then I'll happily be on my way now, Master!"

All that Be'shen could do was stare at him in surprise. Tefkha snorted and turned away, stalking back toward the entrance, savagely swiping a plant aside as he went. Resikh hopped out of his way and watched him pass out of the courtyard, then turned back to the other Kana, his brow furrowing.

"Be'shen...? What was all that?"

Be'shen gave him a reassuring smile and moved to resheathe his sword--an instinctive, yet futile, gesture. He glanced at the pool. "Just some sparring. Were we so loud that you heard us from your room?"

Resikh's look turned sour. "No, but you might as well have been." His muzzle wrinkled. "You are sparring with Tefkha now?"

Be'shen shrugged. "If he's yours, I'll gladly back away..."

Resikh's eyes grew as wide as saucers, and all of the blood drained from his face; Be'shen would have laughed, had he had the chance. Instead, the younger lieutenant's face then flushed brilliant red, his eyes flashing, and he bared his teeth. "You are IMPOSSIBLE!" he bellowed, making Be'shen's ears flick. Even as his voice still echoed in the courtyard, he too turned and stalked away, leaving Be'shen alone in the gathering twilight.

Be'shen stood staring after him for a long while before rubbing his neck and laughing at the air. "I can do nothing but irritate people today, it seems!" he declared to himself--"Perhaps I should try harder from now on!"--and with that, he turned to go to the pool and root about for his lost sword.

* * * * *

Hello, pretty little thing...I'm betting you are tasty and sweet, too...

Khetai cringed and shivered in a fevered sleep. Her fingers dug into the bedclothes, even as, in her dream, they dug into the mudbrick wall. Pain lanced through her--imaginary pain--but real enough, nonetheless. She heard the shock in Sergeant U'heta's voice, saw the disbelief in his eyes when he discovered her secret.

What sort of whore are you? A female? Pretending to be Kana...?

Khetai moaned and curled in on herself. She felt U'heta striking her head against the wall so that she sank to the floor--pulling her kilt up and prying her legs apart, coming down over her--

Khetai's moan grew into a yell. She jerked upright just as she realized there would be no Djuta to help her this time--Djuta, he had sold her, to the enemy captain no less--why would he be here to help her?--and felt someone grab hold of her shoulders. Her yell turned into a scream and the grip grew tighter, claws sinking into her skin and shaking her roughly. Her eyes finally came open though her screaming continued unabated.

The first thing she saw was Fe'kheru and Ikhi'et bolting upright in bed, the captain instinctively kicking the sheet away from his ankle and blinking in surprise as Ikhi'et pulled the covering up to shield herself, her mouth hanging open. The Kana managed to stumble out of the bed and came jogging toward her, naked; this just made Khetai's scream grow even louder and he came to an abrupt halt and grimaced, covering his ears. Then she felt the shaking again and her attention focused on this--another face was before her, a young face. A female face. Wide brown eyes and a surprised stare.

"Khetai! Khetai! A dream! To wake up!"

Khetai's scream cut off, but more because she finally recognized Fe'kheru for who he was. She gaped at him, and at his mate and at Djefet, before her body started shaking on its own. She was till too groggy to tell what was going on, but it didn't appear to be what she had thought it was.

She gasped and blinked and started darting glances around herself, confused.

Fe'kheru approached again, but slowly this time. He knelt down in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder. She caught sight of his sheath and flushed furiously, her gaze darting quickly away. He didn't appear to care that he wasn't clothed; if anything, he seemed concerned.

"Khetai? Are you all right?"

"To have bad dream," Djefet declared, her arm looped around Khetai's. Khetai started blinking again to see that the other female had apparently been sharing the cot with her. She hadn't even been aware of that until now.

Fe'kheru frowned. "Something was frightening you?"

Khetai forced her shaking to lessen and put a hand to her head. "I'm...I'm sorry I awoke you," she whispered.

"To dream of bad Kana?" Djefet asked, and Khetai felt her ears go warm. Djefet must have seen the look on her face as she sat up straighter and bared her teeth. "Djefet to keep eye on Khetai. No bad Kana here."

"She is right," Fe'kheru said quietly. "You do not have to be afraid while you are here. I probably should not say it, but Mahakhi's tribe has grown a bit complacent and some of his less-savory men are thus free to cause trouble. We no longer have such luxuries here. Our men's minds are on other things." He let go of Khetai's shoulder and she let out her breath, realizing only now how tense she had been. "Take some more rest. Djefet can frighten any Kana away; this I am sure of."

Djefet nodded and smiled proudly as he stood. "Khetai to be safe!" she said; Fe'kheru poured a cup of wine and handed it to Khetai, who took it and downed it almost immediately. The young female showed her teeth again and it looked as if they almost glowed in the dark. "Bastard captain found out."

Khetai caught a flicker of a smile on Fe'kheru's face before he turned away to go back to his bed. She sighed and sank back onto the cot; Djefet crawled up beside her and sat down, crossing her legs. She patted Khetai's knee.

"To sleep now? Make noise, wake up Djefet; Djefet chase dream away."

"Djefet..." Khetai's voice came low and sleepy, now that the nightmare was slowly fading away and exhaustion was setting back in. Djefet's ear pricked and she continued. "Why are you not afraid of the Kana?"

The young Moru looked puzzled. "Not afraid?" she echoed, then paused in thought before shrugging. "To hold Kana off. Good at it."

"But you cannot hold all Kana off, all the time. You are only a Moru."

Another shrug. "Moru, Kana, to not matter. Only fight to matter."

Khetai frowned. "But the Kana are trained to be fighters," she said. "Not the Moru. You must have been only lucky so far...as I was for a time...but luck runs out, eventually." Her throat hurt and she had to swallow. "Every time I feel I am safe, I am let down."

Djefet squeezed her knee. "To be safe this time."

"I used to believe that, before. But everybody who vowed to protect me never could." She turned onto her side and pulled the sheet up to her chin, shutting her eyes. "I'm beginning to feel that nobody can."

She gasped in surprise when the sheet was pulled up, then tensed to feel something warm encircle her. She opened her eyes to find Djefet lying in front of her, on her side, her arms wrapped around Khetai's back. Even beneath the sheet she could see the younger Moru smile at her.

"See?" she said. "To be safe. Djefet to watch you."

Khetai stared at her for a moment or two before tears filled her eyes. She hiccupped and Djefet frowned briefly before hugging her closer and stroking her head, murmuring in Moru. Khetai was close enough to take in the scent of her; it was warm and earthy, slightly sweet but not cloying. She shivered on smelling it and shut her eyes again.

Almost without her bidding it, she reached out one hand and touched Djefet's side, her fingers trailing tentatively down. She sucked in another breath, imprinting Djefet's scent on her memory; she felt the Moru's muscles tense and opened her eyes, dreading to see her reaction.

Djefet stared at her with a somewhat surprised look. Her stare flickered down to Khetai's hand and back up again, but she didn't pull her hand away. Khetai decided that now was as good a time as any to find out for certain how the girl felt. She leaned forward and pressed her muzzle to Djefet's, tasting her lips. Djefet's eyes went wide before Khetai shut her own; the other Moru's mouth opened, possibly in exclamation, and Khetai tasted her tongue, soft and sweet. She pulled away before she could overwhelm the younger Moru, and opened her eyes, forcing herself to confront Djefet's response.

Djefet only blinked. Khetai felt her face go red and pulled her hand away.

"I'm...I'm sorry about that." She started to draw away from the other Moru but Djefet took her hand, and Khetai had to look at her again. She seemed puzzled.

"Khetai to feel safe?" she asked.

Khetai's brow furrowed. "With you?" she said, then paused. "Yes," she finally admitted. "I do, with you."

Djefet stared at her for a moment more before a wide smile spread across her face. "See?" she exclaimed. "Djefet to keep good eye on. Khetai safe!" And she leaned forward and gave Khetai a quick kiss on the cheek, giggling playfully. Khetai blushed in surprise and touched her cheek as if she could still feel the kiss there.

"What...what was that for?" she stammered.

Djefet's smile only grew so that dimples appeared below her eyes. "Khetai to feel safe now; not worry? But not sleep? Keep busy, so Khetai fall asleep." She kissed her again and traced a finger over Khetai's arm. "What Khetai to want? Djefet to know everything--name one, Djefet do."

Khetai's face went bright red. "You...you want us to have nesakh'ai so I get tired enough to sleep?" she squeaked in disbelief. That couldn't have been what she'd meant.

Djefet laughed. "Nesakh'ai? To want?"

"I...ah..."

"To not blush so much!" Djefet touched a finger to Khetai's mouth and giggled. "Tell what--Khetai to lie down on back, close eyes. Please?"

"What--what are you going to do?"

"To trust Djefet! Lie down, and close eyes. Pretty please?"

Nervously, Khetai did so. She felt the sheet move about a bit as Djefet did the same. Then there was silence; her ears strained to hear anything in the darkness. Then she felt something poke between her legs and let out a gasp. She instinctively parted them, instead of clamping them together, as if getting ready to leap off of the cot; something wet flicked against her, and she suddenly remembered the feeling of hakh'tua. She hadn't felt it in so long that she'd completely forgotten about it. As Djefet's tongue slid over the cleft between her legs she couldn't believe that this was happening.

"Dj-Djefet!!" she squealed in surprise. Her startled motion pulled the sheet down just enough so that she could see the side of the room, and she saw Fe'kheru and Ikhi'et turn her way in curiosity. She cringed in embarrassment but couldn't suppress a loud moan as Djefet's tongue continued its work, hitting just the right spot. Her body arched as if to spite her, and she saw the two onlookers smile before the sheet fell over her eyes again.

She heard Djefet giggle, and the other Moru stroked her thighs. Khetai gasped again and stiffened as jolts of pleasure coursed through her.

"To like?" Djefet murmured from below. At first Khetai couldn't speak, she was panting so quickly. She felt Djefet slide up her body and opened her eyes to see the girl smiling into her face. Her smile grew.

"To like?"

"Y-yes," Khetai whispered, shaking.

"What else to like?" Djefet nibbled at her shoulder, then nuzzled at her neck, making her whimper. The younger Moru trailed her fingers coyly up Khetai's arm. "To like this?" she asked, and caressed Khetai's wing, earning another whimper.

Khetai could barely nod. "B-but...but..."

"But? To like something else more?"

Khetai bit her lip to avoid crying out, and took Djefet's hand, guiding it to her breast. The last one to know about this preference was Djuta, and before him, Bikhthet; nobody else knew of it but those two, and herself. She felt Djefet's fingers curl around the fleshy mass and squeeze, and started panting anew, her legs writhing. She heard Djefet giggle before kneading her breast and playfully tweaking at her hardening nipple.

"To like this?" she asked in a coy voice. Khetai arched and whined but couldn't stop writhing. She clawed at the sheets in desperation. The cot shifted a little and Djefet leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.

"What else to want? Surely to be more?"

"Dj-Djefet..." Khetai whimpered. "Do...do you...like being with me? You're n-not doing this j-just b-because you feel you h-have t-to, are you...?"

A soft laugh. "Of course not! Not to be with one to not wish to be with. Silly! To not worry...what else?"

"C-could I t...touch you...?"

Djefet giggled. "What else to do with hands but touch?"

Khetai felt a hand take hers and guide it upwards. Her fingers fell upon the smooth flesh of Djefet's thigh and she slid her hand up to grasp her hip. Djefet parted her legs and brought her hips down over Khetai's so their bodies pressed together. Khetai took hold of Djefet's head with her other hand and devoured her mouth now, unable to help it. The younger female returned the kiss just as voraciously, and her hips pumped against Khetai's; though they could not make love this way, the motion still sent jolts of pleasure through Khetai, and she wrapped her legs around Djefet's, running them up and down and pushing her hips upwards as well. They fumbled against each other in this manner for a few moments, the heat inside Khetai rising higher until she could take it no more. She whimpered loudly and took Djefet's hand, guiding it between her legs. Djefet slid her fingers inside without being bidden, and first rubbed against her thik'ahi, then began thrusting them in and out, in and out. Khetai bit her lip and dropped her head back. Every motion made her arch upwards, her muscles as tight as cords. She dimly heard the girl laugh, but didn't care. The slick feeling of the Moru's fingers inside her made her want to scream, and she felt herself leaking upon the cot in her excitement.

"Djefet," she moaned huskily.

Djefet kissed her muzzle. "To want more...?"

Khetai nodded and bared her teeth. The next moment was spent with the two of them fumbling about awkwardly beneath the flimsy sheets, the little cot creaking in protest under their weight. Khetai wished it was bigger, to better accommodate them, but in the heat of passion it didn't matter how comfortable they were. Every physical response in her body took over and as soon as she felt the younger Moru's legs near her, she grasped them and pulled her hips over her face. She heard one more breathless giggle before plunging her muzzle upward, bucking her hips up at the same time.

Even as Djefet's tongue probed inside her, she nuzzled sharply at Djefet's opening, and was surprised to find it just as wet and ready as her own. She felt a tremor run through the girl's body, and heard a guttural moan. Djefet's tail flicked wildly from side to side, a thick sweet musk indicating her pleasure. Khetai shut her eyes and grasped the Moru's tight buttocks, burrowing into her with relish. She enjoyed her taste so much that she nearly forgot about what she herself was receiving, until a rooting feeling, pressing against her spot of most sublime pleasure, abruptly reminded her, and she let out a high-pitched whine, not even caring what the other two in the room might think by now. Her entire world at that moment was contained in that very cot, and the only two left alive were herself and Djefet.

They established a rhythm, rocking into and out of each other in turn--whenever Djefet probed, Khetai would relax, and whenever Khetai would probe, Djefet would relax. The sheets tangled around them and Khetai fought them off so that they slid to the floor, leaving the two of them bared, but the sight of her mate's fur under the dim lamplight inflamed her even more. She felt a brief twinge of embarrassment that Fe'kheru and Ikhi'et could now see every bit of the action--but turning her eyes their way, just briefly, she saw that the other two were now occupied themselves, Fe'kheru upon his back and Ikhi'et straddling his hips, bouncing lightly and quickly as he grasped her own, tightening his buttocks and panting with his eyes nearly closed. Khetai's and Djefet's actions must have distracted the other two from sleep, and so they now kept themselves busy in the only way possible in such a situation. Realizing that she no longer had to worry about being spied upon, Khetai shut her own eyes and moaned, then pressed her muzzle between Djefet's legs once more.

Because of the overwhelming heat and desire that she now felt, this turn did not last long. After a short time Djefet managed to make her scream and arch, her juices flowing freely and the Moru's tongue lapping them up. She felt weak and shaky afterwards, but Djefet's giggling and cajoling convinced her to sit up. She inserted her fingers inside Djefet, realizing that she had left her unsatisfied, and rubbed the bit of moist skin until Djefet's eyes fluttered and rolled back, the girl moaning loudly and arching so her breasts peeked out. And the sight so inflamed Khetai that she promptly took one in her mouth, sucking like a newborn pup. She relished seeing the girl climax again, and it made herself feel heated. She lay back and shivered against the cot.

It took Djefet a moment to calm herself, still panting heavily. She brushed a hand across her brow and gave a tired smile, touching Khetai's face.

"To...to enjoy?" she panted, and her fingers were wet against Khetai's skin. Khetai smiled and tilted her head to the side to lick at the juices upon Djefet's fingers. When Djefet smiled she drew her own hand up to the girl's mouth, and they tasted themselves on the other's fingers. Djefet sucked languorously on her fingers and Khetai felt herself tighten, and bit back a moan. Djefet felt the reaction and grinned, trailing her fingers down Khetai's chest and belly. She made a shushing noise.

"Khetai to not be happy yet."

Khetai's face twisted, her breath quick. "Dj-Djefet...I have not p-pleasured you nearly enough to be even..."

Djefet smiled and put a finger to her lips. "Shhhh...Djefet to be happy. To not be with female before; lots of fun." Another giggle; her warm brown eyes drew Khetai in. "To relax again. Djefet to take care of Khetai...relax..."

Khetai shut her eyes and obeyed. At least Djefet was truthful...she did take care of her, very well. Several times over, in fact, so that soon enough, Khetai no longer cared that her screams probably awoke half the household from an otherwise pleasant slumber.

* * * * *

"Djefet!"

The screamed name echoed throughout the household. In the dimness of his room, Captain Khanef's eyes popped open and he snorted himself awake, blinking in confusion. A moment later the cry came again, not quite as loudly this time, followed by a whimper, and then silence. For a while Khanef stared up at his canopy, yet no more noises came.

His eyelids drooped a little, and he sighed, rolling over onto his side and burrowing his head into the pillows. He shut his eyes, and ignored the ache between his legs as he sought the tattered remnants of sleep.

Continue:

"Part 64: Teacher" 


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