We reach the hot springs around midnight. I catch a whiff of sulfur and salt and sigh with longing. The steam billows high into the black sky, seeming to warm the very moon. It will feel so nice to ease my aching body into the pool before me, to soak my wounds in oily, rich mineral water…
Ghorbash smiles at me. "There now. I told you they weren't far."
"Thank you, Ghorbash," I say. "Really."
"No problem," he says, his voice almost a growl. "Hold still."
Ghorbash begins to undo the buckles on my armor for me; he must be aware of the huge gash on my shoulder, somehow. His devotion is quite touching, really.
He removes my breast plate and I heave a sigh of relief. The cold night air is positively delicious on my skin. Blood trickles down my arm, and Ghorbash scowls. "Your wound is deep. Why didn't you say anything?"
"I'm fine," I insist, pulling away, but Ghorbash's grip on my forearm tightens and he pulls me back. He puts a very large, very rough hand over my wound, easing its edges together with his fingers.
"I can mend it," he says, "with a needle."
I grimace. "Wish I'd learned that healing spell from Farengar while I had the chance."
"Spells leave scars," Ghorbash grunts. "If we went back to Dushnikh Yal, my mother would heal it. Orc potions leave no scars."
"I have lots of scars," I say lightly. "One more doesn't hurt anything."
Ghorbash gazes at me intently, and I know that he is looking at the cut on my check. He leans forward and presses his forefinger upon it. "This one, we will heal," he says in an intense, grating murmur, and for some reason my face heats up. He lowers his hand, but the place where his finger rested upon my skin feels strange.
Though I am suddenly shy of Ghorbash, my desire to ease my body into the mineral pool inspires me to shimmy out of my gauntlets, boots, and pants until I am standing before him in my underwear. He averts his eyes respectfully, and I step into the water.
Oh, oh, oh. I sit down. I lie back until only my head is exposed. The water fills my every crevice, pushing the discomfort out. My wounds sting for a moment, but the stinging is quickly replaced with numbness and relief.
"Ghorbash," I moan, "you've got to get in."
He shakes his head. "I'll keep watch."
"No need for that," I say, slightly breathless. "Please, get in. It feels so nice."
He's smiling. "I have no doubt of that. But someone needs to stand watch."
I scowl. What a martyr. "Ghorbash, I order you to get in the water."
But he just laughs. "I am not a housecarl, subject to your command."
"Oh?" I give him a wry smile and spring up out of the water. "As I recall, you agreed to aid me." The cold is like knives, but I splash out of the shallows and grab him by the arm.
Ghorbash chuckles and tries to pull away, but I am strong for my size. I rip his right armband off and throw it down beside mine.
Ghorbash raises an eyebrow and glances at the ground. "An orc doesn't throw fine steel in the mud," he growls.
"I'm not an orc," I growl back as I yank his left armband off. I begin to unbuckle his breastplate. To my surprise, Ghorbash merely stands and smiles down at me, as though he finds my behavior mildly amusing.
I have removed the entire top half of his armor before I realize that the bottom half will present certain… challenges. I can feel myself turning crimson as my hands hesitate above Ghorbash's belt buckle. Stopping here will make the situation awkward, but how can I continue? I can feel him watching me and I wonder if he is still amused, or simply embarrassed. I look at his chest—anywhere but his face—and I can't help but notice how… large he is. He's a landmass, nothing but rock-hard muscle.
Suddenly I feel his hands on my shoulders.
I look up. Ghorbash is gazing down at me, his eyes wider than I have ever seen them. In the blue one I can see a reflection of myself, looking skinny and pale and naked in the darkness. He isn't smiling anymore. His hands feel trembly on my shoulders, and very warm.
We stare at each other for a long moment. I realize just how much I enjoy the feel of his hands on me… and I realize that there is a woodsy musk coming from his skin that has left me at a loss for words. I don't feel awkward anymore. I feel warm.
By the eight! What am I doing? And yet I can't seem to stop myself.
I reach up and touch his cheek. It is rough—rough like he is. Suddenly he bends down, the muskiness looming closer, and I close my eyes.
He kisses me; I can feel his teeth on either side of my mouth, pressing softly against my skin, but he seems to be able to purse his lips in the middle.
So this is how orcs kiss? I feel his hand on the back of my neck as he cradles my head.
It's so good. There is a fluttering in my chest, a warmth, a sweetness. I find myself reaching up and touching his face and neck. I caress the thickness of his neck and the bulges in his shoulders which seem to go on for miles in either direction. I run my hands down his pecks… though his face and hands are quite rough, the skin here is unbearably smooth…
His body shudders beneath my touch and his arms wind around me, pulling me tightly against him and lifting me off my feet with ease.
His kisses become more persistent. I respond aggressively, thrusting my tongue into his mouth and wrapping my arms around his neck. There's something in the fact that my feet are not touching the ground. There's something in the fact that Ghorbash's hands are on my ass, and each hand cups each cheek with room to spare.
And now everything is burning. I buck my ass against his hands and shudder delicately. "Ghorbash…" I groan, delighting in the feel of his strong, rough hands on my satin skin. "Ghorbash…"
And suddenly he sets me on my feet. My eyes fly open and I gaze up at him; he swallows and his Adam's apple bobs dramatically. He looks hungry. Starving. Like he wants to eat me. I grab his belt buckle and undo it feverishly; he leans into my hands. His breaths increase.
Why does armor have to be so complicated? I am almost frantic by the time I have removed it all and he stands before me in his underwear. I run my hand down his abs.
Ghorbash bends over and nips my neck gently. I shiver and bow against him as the bite turns into a kiss and he draws me against him. Now I can feel his erection against my leg and I thrash a little, trying to reach it. My fingers brush his shaft.
In response, he grabs my wrists and pulls my arms up above my head, then bends over and kisses his way up my ribs and the undersides of my arms.
"Orc women do not touch that," he growls against my neck. "It is forbidden."
Forbidden? I groan and try to pull out of his grasp. The tingling between my legs has grown into a throb; every shift in position leaves a warm, gooey residue on the inside of one of my legs. "I'm n-not an orc," I stammer.
Suddenly he scoops me up in his arms and carries me over to the pool. He lays me down in the shallow water, very gently, and I rest my head on the mucky bank. "Mmm," I moan, reaching for him, but he doesn't respond. I feel his fingers beneath the waistband of my panties. I lift my hips helpfully as he pulls them off of me, then over my knees and ankles.
He spreads my legs and his expression softens. Suddenly I am self-conscious. I don't know what orc women look like… down there…. I pull my knees together and bite my lip.
But Ghorbash pulls them apart again. He looks… awestruck. His eyes are glittery and his mouth is slightly open. He places a hand over my cunt and I shiver as his fingers spread me open very gently. He doesn't move for a long moment, just stares.
"Wh-what's wrong?" I finally manage. His middle finger rests on my clit, and I can barely think.
"You're like a flower," he replies, and though his voice is as deep and gravely as always, it is exceedingly tender. He bends over, ever so slowly, and presses his hot tongue where his finger was only moments ago. I groan and arc my back. He runs his hands up my thighs and presses his tongue into my vagina. After a moment he starts to lick my clit, gently at first, and then more quickly. Each caress of his tongue sends a wave of pleasure over me, and the waves build up and threaten to spill over until finally—
"Mmm-mmm," I whimper as my ecstasy swells and bursts, lapping from my pleasure center to my toes. Ghorbash sits up. I cross my legs, lips still moving wordlessly. I can feel my vagina jumping inside me.
Ghorbash laughs softly.
My face floods with color. Before he can stop me, I sit up and yank his loin-cloth off of him. His penis stands like a beast of its own, its tip dark purple and shiny-wet in the dim light. It's certainly bigger than any that I've ever seen… although, truth be known, I haven't seen many.
I reach for it hungrily. But Ghorbash bares his teeth and pins my arms to my side. "NO."
No? I am abruptly angry. I twist my hands around, press my palms against his forearms, and give him a quick electric shock.
He yowls and releases me, stumbling backward and landing on his ass in the shallow water with a loud splash. Without losing a moment's advantage, I pounce on him and press my palms flat against his stomach.
"I am not an orc," I hiss. "You'd do well to remember that."
He looks nothing short of thunderstruck. His mouth hangs open.
Maintaining eye contact with him and wiggling my fingers threateningly, I lean over and take the tip of his dick between my lips. It is warm and broad and salty.
Ghorbash inhales sharply. I dig my nails into his skin and take him into my mouth. I don't get far—Stendarr's mercy—
"Enough," Ghorbash growls, struggling to get up. I give him a quick zap, and he desists, leaning back to watch me warily.
I stretch my lips and take him in until I can feel him against the back of my throat. Then I begin to thrust my head.
After a moment, a bead of precum moistens my tongue and lips. He throws his head back and grunts deeply in his chest. His hips jerk up and down in time with my thrusts until they jar my chin and I tell him to stop by digging my fingernails into his flesh.
On and on I thrust, until his head thrashes back and forth in the shallow water. Please," he groans. "Please… not yet… please…"
Grinning smugly, I give his dick a long, slow, parting lick. He groans loudly, then sits up gives my hands on his stomach a pointed look. Still leering at him, I remove them.
After a long moment, in which Ghorbash watches me, assessing my mood, he grabs my shoulders and kisses me, hard. I kiss him back, loving to share the salty gooeyness on my lips, smelling the musky smell coming off his face and neck. He runs a hand along my snatch and shoves a finger inside of me. I yowl a little and thrust backward.
Chuckling darkly, he removes the finger and sits back on his heels. I try to draw him towards me but he refuses to budge.
Anger surges through me once more. I lean forward and glare into his eyes. "Fuck me," I growl. "NOW."
His grin falters a little, and he lifts me up, turns me around, and sets me down on my knees. I feel his hands on my ass again and lean into them, savoring the feel of his rough skin on my smooth skin. And then I feel his penis on my back, long and hot. I am seized with an uncontrollable longing to be filled.
I feel him positioning himself, the tip of his penis splitting me open. I wonder if this is going to hurt. Surprisingly, the thought of it makes me hotter, wetter… without a second thought, I thrust my abdomen backward, onto his hardness and warmth.
And there is pain, but it is a pain that makes me yell with pleasure. Ghorbash hesitates, but I press myself upon him even more vigorously, and he seems to understand, because he begins to thrust gently.
In a few moments there is no more pain… only fullness. Fullness to the brim. I throw my head back. "Morrreeee."
His penis is bumpy. Rough. Just like he is. He gives me his first real, hard thrust, and I see stars.
And now he is really thrusting, bending over me and grabbing my shoulders with trembling hands. He grunts with each thrust. I feel my body tensing up and I cum deliciously, toes curling and mouth falling open. My vagina spasms around him, squeezing down in delight on what is too full and compact to compact any further, wetting him, pulling him in, loving him.
When he cums I feel a burst of warmth like nothing I've ever felt before. He explodes against me, his cum squeezing itself between us, gentling his wild thrusts ever so slightly. He groans a euphoric, animal groan and grabs my breasts, kneading them in delight, pressing them against my body so hard that they throb in protest.
He hugs me to him for a long moment as our breathing slows. I twist my head around and kiss his chin, the corner of his mouth, his lips. I can feel the pressure lessening inside me. As he pulls out there is an outpouring of wetness, the likes of which I have never felt before. I reach behind me and run my hands down the undersides of my thighs, only to find that they are soaking wet and slippery.
After a moment, Ghorbash takes me by the hand and draws me deeper into the pool. I follow him dazedly. He sits down with his back against a rock and draws me close to him.
"…Well, I'm sorry," I say, my words slightly slurred.
Ghorbash looks at me—he also appears somewhat dazed. "What for?"
"For not being an orc." I grin lopsidedly.
Ghorbash's face splits into a wide grin and he chuckles deeply. "You're more of an orc than any orcs I know."
I prop myself up on one elbow, brow furrowing. "What? But you said…"
"An orc woman must prove her strength and prowess in bed to earn her husband's respect."
I frown. "So… the thing about not touching dicks…?"
He chuckles again. "I wanted to see what you would do to get what you wanted." He grins broadly and leans back against the rock, one arm folded behind his head. "And it seems that you fear nothing. Not even me. You have earned my respect, human."
I flash him a saucy grin. "So how about naming me blood-kin?"
Ghorbash lets out a bark-like laugh and sits up. "Gladly. I can think of no one more deserving of it than you."
We laugh together and fall silent, listening to the crickets chirping. Minutes pass. I close my eyes and breathe the steam, focusing on the pleasant warmth lingering in my arms and legs—
"Well," Ghorbash finally says, "shall we get going?"
I look at him, still a little dazed. "Get… going?"
He reaches up and touches something on my collarbone. I look down and realize that I'm still wearing the amulet of Mara that I used to propose to my fiancé.
As I look up at Ghorbash, I feel my face reddening. "Oh, well… there's no hurry, really."
His eyebrows shoot up. "No hurry? Last night you were complaining that we would never get to Riften on time for the wedding. That he'd be waiting for us."
"Yeah well…" Suddenly my head hurts. I press my fists to my temples. "Don't make me do this right now."
"Do what?"
"Think." I look up at the stars, barely visible through swirls of steam, and wrap my arms around my naked legs.
There is something all too knowing in his look. "…You will have to face it sometime."
Suddenly I am on my knees, glaring wildly. I grab Ghorbash by the shoulders and pull him towards me. "No—I won't—I don't—he doesn't—he's just not…."
Seized with a sudden impulse, I yank Ghorbash into a kiss, mashing my mouth against his and clutching at the back of his neck. He hesitates for a moment, then wraps his arms around me.
Finally I understand. Everything's starting to come into focus and all I see now is Ghorbash—my travel companion, my right arm, my friend. I see him as though for the first time.
I break away from him, gasping for breath. "Riften-shmiften," I gasp, and yank the amulet of Mara from my neck. Beads fly in every direction. "I never fancied myself the marrying type anyway."
Ghorbash looks at the ruined amulet in my palm and grins, his sharp, pointed teeth gleaming in the dim light. "Well then, Blood-Kin, why don't we go for a swim?"
And he takes me by the hands and draws me into deeper water.