Chapter 14:
Communal
Nameless was hammering boards into place when Nina approached him, soot on her cheek and a small yellow bundle in her hand.
“Hey babe.” She called out.
His head tilted towards her, he was sitting cross-legged on the earth as he fumbled with the board in front of him.
Internally he was thrilled to see her acting like her old self, but externally he projected an air of nonchalance.
“Hey babe.” He responded around the nails hanging out of his mouth.
He was no carpenter but any idiot can swing a hammer, at least that’s what Paul had said. The hard part of the fence was the posts, but Milly had taken care of that in record time, the rest was just hammering the boards into place, and strength didn’t do much to make that go any faster.
“Look at you acting all tough.” She snorted even as she leaned in and kissed him on the temple.
She dropped her own hammer and placed one hand on the board to steady it for him while he set a nail in place.
Before he took up his hammer again he looked to her out of the corner of his eyes, she did seem normal again…
“I am bonded to the baddest girl around, or hadn’t you heard?”
With a few quick wacks he drove the nail home. But when he set the next one in place Nina shifted one leg against her hammer and reached out to push the nail in with the tip of her finger, the wood squeaking in protest.
He sighed.
“Where were you two hundred nails ago?” He got to his feet and stretched his back with a groan; “So what’s up?”
He moved next to his bond-mate, who was now sitting on her hammer, the bundle in her lap.
“Wanted to give you my heartstone back. Maybe sit on your face for a bit.” She tossed the bundle at him.
He fumbled to catch it, but between his hammer and little basket of nails he ended up dropping everything.
Nina rolled her eyes.
“You better not have broken it.”
Nameless was going to stammer out an apology but he caught the hint of teasing amusement coming from her stone, still wrapped in the bundle at his feet, so instead he adopted a faint frown.
“You did that on purpose.”
He bent at the waist and scooped up the mystery object, wrapped in what looked like one of Ophelia’s yellow kitchen towels.
“Meh, you’re just slow. Now open your gift already or I’ll go and tackle Milly and sit on her face instead.”
He sat next to her on her hammer and she angled herself to face him, wanting to watch him unwrap the gift.
“Actually, I’m supposed to meet her and the Amazons at the bathhouse in a bit if you want to come.”
He tried to keep his tone from being too pointed; her arms and face were smeared with soot after all.
But then he felt his Gigas fighting to hide her impatience from him and turned the towel around in his hands, whatever was inside had a bit of weight to it.
“This is important to you isn’t it?”
Once again she rolled her eyes, though this time she reached over and snatched the bundle from him, quickly tearing the cloth free and dropped the shiny object in his lap.
“Don’t be mushy, this isn’t me wanting mushy. This is me wanting a firm pat on the butt and an even firmer tongue fucking. And if we need to be at the bathhouse soon then we better get on with the tongue fucking.”
He chuckled at her crass attitude but then sucked in a breath as he examined the object.
It was an ornate bracelet, set with her ruby red heartstone.
It was much smaller than the witch-charmed bracer that he had been using to hold the girl’s stones. And though it was simple in design, one solid piece of shiny metal instead of simple leather and iron, it was far more decorative.
In fact, it looked like pure silver.
“Nina… this is beautiful.”
He twisted the incredible piece in his hand, examining all of the intricate workings on its surface until his eyes fell on her heartstone.
The ruby coloured gem was deeply set on the thicker side of the bracelet, making it impossible to remove; it was centered in a raised image of Nina’s hammer, which was itself within an engraved image of Volka’s shield.
The level of detail on the shield was incredible, almost true to the real thing, which was itself very intricate in its design.
Nina didn’t bother hiding her smug satisfaction at his appreciative gaze on her work.
“I’ll admit I drew a lot of inspiration from Volka’s armour, and I wanted it to match. You looked badass when you were carrying her shield.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder, but his expression shifted to one of puzzlement as he hefted her gift.
“Where did you get all the silver? Wait, this is silver right?”
“Yeah it’s silver, and if Ophelia asks I have no idea what happened to her good cutlery.”
His jaw dropped.
“You swiped her silverware? Are you nuts?!”
Nina took the armlet back from him and split it on nearly invisible hinges.
“Nope, just horny, now give me your wrist, your right wrist. That way you’ll think of me when you’re jerking off.”
With a roll of his eyes he held out his arm and she quickly clamped it in place with a satisfying click. Unlike the bracer it was much shorter, jewelry rather than armour and it fit very comfortably.
When he commented on the difference she let out a snort.
“Yeah it needed to be comfortable because you aren’t taking it off.”
He blinked at his new accessory while her words fully sank in. Then he brought his wrist to his face and tried to find the seam, while simultaneously working to hide his growing alarm from his giant.
She smirked, and her amusement grew by the second as he tried to figure out how to remove her gift.
“You can’t take it off, no one can. It will be with you forever, just like Milly’s braid. Well, I suppose you could try to slip it off, but then you’d have to break every bone in your hand and lose most of the skin. And yeah, you could also cut your hand off, but that would be stupid.”
She tapped her chin thoughtfully as she spoke; still amused at the panic he was desperately trying to hide from her.
Finally she relented and grabbed his wrist.
“Oh relax you dumbass.”
With a click the bracelet came free in her hand, though he had no idea how she had removed it.
“How-”
“No one can remove it… except me. As it should be, because you belong to the mountain. With this you won’t ever forget that.”
He blinked at the sudden intensity in her tone, and then wrapped one arm around her in a hug.
“You… are kind of terrifying babe.”
She nestled in close to his side.
“As it should be.” She repeated.
The snuggled together for a few minutes, then Nameless once more felt the cool metal snap into place on his wrist and he leaned down to bury his lips in her hair, while his free arm cupped one of her breasts and squeezed.
“You still want to sit on my face?”
She took a couple seconds to consider his husky offer before shaking her head against his side.
“No, the moment’s gone now. Missed your chance. Oh well.”
Once again feeling her teasing through her heartstone on his wrist, he made to stand and spoke with great exaggeration.
“Alright, I’d better get back to work on the fence then.”
Nina sighed.
Nameless stared up at the sky; she’d taken him to the ground very quickly.
He took a couple seconds to catch his breath and get his bearings, and then tilted his head up when he heard rustling fabric… to see her pulling her shorts down and off her legs.
“Erica was right. I should have made it a cock-ring. That would’ve shown you.” She muttered even as she deliberately plopped her naked privates onto his surprised face.
Whatever his response might have been was smothered by the folds of her juicy little pussy, so instead he slipped his tongue out and gave her what she was after.
She sighed happily as her eyes closed and her head tilted back.
“Ahh… good boy.”
__________
Cordelia was wrapped in a towel as she made her way into the public bathhouse outside Kettering.
She could have bathed at home of course, but with two sisters she never got to soak for as long as she liked, and the spacious heated pools were always a welcome change from the Loskin’s squat tub.
And certainly worth the measly ten coins it cost for entry, though she could have spent more for a private tub.
The cheaper co-ed pools were busiest in the mornings and evenings, and since she didn’t want to get dragged into any gossip involving her and her new girlfriend she opted to bathe later in the afternoon.
She had her head in the clouds after her date with Oldeera the previous night and longed for a good bath to bask in the bubbly new feelings the monster girl brought out in her.
With a happy sigh she acknowledged that, although Brandon had been her boyfriend for years, she had never felt like this with him!
But her anticipation of a long relaxing soak was squashed when she pushed aside the curtain and saw that the pool was full of naked Amazons.
The noisy girls appeared to be enjoying the heated water immensely, while Cordelia stood frozen in the entryway.
New to her passion for the female form, she couldn’t help but drink in the sight of the flawless nudity before her for a couple seconds. Who knew she had a weakness for tall girls?
Shaking off her sudden befuddlement she quickly turned to leave before any of them noticed her, but did an abrupt face-plant into a Minotaur’s naked breast, her cheek pressing against Milly’s pink nipple.
“Oh! Hello Cordelia, here for a bath? I’m sure one of the girls would be happy to wash your back!”
Milly’s bright smile had the poor girl feeling decidedly trapped now, that and her words had caught the attention of the Amazons. The last thing the feisty girl wanted was to look like she was running away.
So she turned and faced the curious faces of the warriors, then coughed and tried to act like being in a bath with so many muscular women was nothing new for her.
“Of course. I was going to wash Milly’s anyways, she trained hard and we can’t have her getting all stiff!” One of the girls, she was pretty sure her name was Myrina, said.
Without saying anything in response Cordelia slipped out of her towel and quickly into the waist deep water, fortunately one of the other Amazons distracted Myrina’s attention.
“Yeah, that’s for her husband! Getting stiff I mean!”
Milly blushed at the teasing words, but was otherwise unfazed as she too sank into the water.
“He is very good at it.” She said with a smug look before letting out a deep low as the heat of the water flowed over her muscles.
Boisterous laughter followed her words, though the woman who initially began the teasing let out a groan.
“Don’t rub it in Milly! I have yet to find any man in this place worthy enough to couple with! Although… I had heard that there is a girl in town brave enough to court a Hornet hive.”
Cordelia sank deep into the water to hide her breasts while pretending not to notice the Amazons’ curious, and even hungry, looks.
Fortunately their ardent stares were drawn away as another spoke up.
“Bah! We should all be finding Escrya someone to bed! She is far too pure for a warrior!”
One of the others gestured at the ice-blue eyed girl as she spoke.
The Amazon in question was rubbing a cloth over her shoulder and down her arm and Cordelia was surprised to see her cheeks flush at the words.
The girl who had just been complaining let out a guffaw.
“No need, we all know who she’s after! She was all over Milly’s husband back home! Not to mention on the trip here!”
The young Amazon’s blush deepened as more laughter followed, even Milly joining in with a giggle.
Escrya tossed her washcloth at the teasing woman who turned her face away from the soapy splatter even as she caught the wet fabric.
“Were any of us not so taken with him?” The young Amazon challenged.
Cordelia’s ears perked up, like everyone else in town she was dying to know some of the details of Nameless’s adventures.
In fact, she was so curious she braved a question of the steamy room.
“Wh-where is your home?”
Several Amazons turned to face her and she couldn’t help but shrink further into the bath.
“She speaks! Sisters! Perhaps we have a chance with her after all!”
“Enough of your teasing Kaylee.” Myrina spoke up while massaging a blissful Milly’s shoulders; “Our village is in what you call the wilds, far to the east, little one.”
Cordelia’s eyes widened.
He went into the wilds?!
She shifted upwards in her eagerness to learn more, her breasts coming back out of the water. Kaylee and a few of the others took the opportunity to ogle her but she was too engrossed to care.
“But then… why are you here?”
She was surprised at the sudden somber atmosphere that descended at her simple question.
Myrina paused in her work as the Minotaur’s blue eyes opened and looked at Cordelia, sadness heavy on her features.
Escrya broke the silence, her voice like a clear bell.
“The same reason our war-sister Milly trains so hard: To keep our Valkyrja-datta safe.”
Her words settled the issue, and Cordelia recalled Oldeera telling her about his friend being murdered, so she didn’t dare follow that line of questioning.
After a few moments, when conversation resumed, she tried another.
“You’ve called him that before. Valkyrja… That’s because he saved that Valkyrie somehow right?”
Once again she was surprised at the reaction she got, though this time it was the opposite. One of them was washing below her breasts, her tit-flesh wobbling while she worked, but she paused and smiled brightly at Cordelia.
“Yes! He brought the Lightbringer back to us, and so we love him most dearly!”
They were all beaming and nodding their enthusiastic agreement.
Kaylee abruptly stood, water sleuthing off her nakedness as Cordelia’s eyes boggled.
“We love him, to be sure, but Escrya loooooves him!”
The Amazon threw her arms in a hug around herself while she mocked the youngest warrior and the others laughed.
Cordelia even chortled a bit herself, but her laughter turned into a short scream when Escrya launched herself fist first at the teasing woman, the pair disappearing under the water with a chaotic splash.
All around her the other Amazons stood and were cheering on the action, the combatants barely visible as they wrestled in the water like two angry pythons.
Cordelia’s heart was pounding from the sudden fight before her, but with a tolerant sigh, Milly sloshed her way over to the bug-eyed baker’s daughter and slipped down next to her.
“Don’t worry, this is normal. Watch.”
They sat together as the conflict escalated, Kaylee popping out of the water briefly only to drive her full weight down on her opponent with a sharp battle-cry.
Normal or not, it was very violent.
Only a few feet away from her, it was far closer than Cordelia would prefer and more than once the sloshing water splashed at her face and caused her to blink and flinch.
Fortunately it was just as Milly said: a short time later a very smug Kaylee, now sporting a bloody lip, held Escrya in a headlock which the red-faced girl struggled in vain to break free of.
Finally Escrya stilled and with reluctance patted at Kayla’s arm in submission.
A few moments later and the pair were clasping their arms together and embracing as if the fight had never happened.
When they broke apart, Kaylee pressed her split lip out with her tongue and gingerly poked at the cut with her thumb.
“Nice blow there teller, but you didn’t follow through.”
Myrina agreed as everyone settled back into the water.
“Yes, you should have immediately gone for the arm bar, taken control of the fight early on.”
The young Amazon dismissed the advice with a wave of her hand.
“Meh, I wanted to drown her, not kill her.”
Once again laughter filled the room, though Cordelia did not join in this time.
“You still want someone to wash your back?”
She flinched as she noticed that one of the other Amazons had settled beside her without her noticing.
Her offer seemed genuine and harmless enough, but the young woman was still flustered from the fight.
“Er, no thanks I’m-”
But Milly interrupted her before she could finish her refusal.
“You really should Cordelia, Helena gives good back rubs!”
The Amazon cocked her eyebrow at her, a smile on her face.
Not wanting to appear rude, especially after Milly’s enthusiastic endorsement, she acquiesced.
“Oh, um, alright I guess. Thank you.”
With surprising gentleness, the Amazon turned her in the water and ran a washcloth over her shoulders and back.
“Think nothing of it.”
“My sister’s name is Helen.” She mumbled as she felt the woman’s strong hands grip the muscles of her shoulder and massage them through the wash cloth.
“Oh? Well, I am Helena, close enough I suppose.” Then she let out a noise of appreciation; “You have such soft skin, little one.”
Despite her initial trepidations, the young woman felt more than a little flattered at the kind words, none of her old boyfriends had ever said she had nice skin.
But though the woman’s kind words and talented hands were quickly reducing her to butter, Cordelia stiffened right up when she spoke again.
“And good breasts as well, small, but a fair handful each, just how I like them.”
A flutter in her lower belly caused her hands to cover her breasts reflexively and she looked over her shoulder to see if the warrior woman was teasing her.
But Cordelia found nothing but a warm smile as Helena washed and massaged her back, so she worked to try to be polite with the strangely forward women.
“Thanks, I guess, yours are nice too. You know, big and stuff.”
She had bathed with other women before, and she had certainly heard them talking about one another’s’ bodies, but this was a bit more… intimate.
Especially when the woman pressed her big breasts against her back as she began to wash her hair for her.
“You need not be so fearful, I will not gobble you up. Milly says that you are her friend, and that makes you our friend as well, as such you will come to no harm in our company, in fact, we would lay down our lives in your defense.”
Cordelia blinked at the oddly flattering statement. The Amazon’s promise made it seem like she was special somehow, worthy of their protection.
“That’s just about the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” She said without thinking.
Once again she relaxed under the kindly Amazon’s ministrations.
Then a male voice broke into the room and she let out a squeak of surprise.
“My Minotaur, always in a rush to get into the water. We hadn’t even finished getting a head count for the lady at the counter and poof! Amazons and Minotaurs alike, gone!”
A hail of welcomes sounded as Nameless came in.
Cordelia flushed at the sight of him, mercifully he wore a towel around his waist, but though this was the co-ed section and everyone was naked, she felt particularly exposed around him.
And just like when she had seen him on his first day back, she couldn’t keep herself from examining his physique.
“How did he get all of those scars?” She muttered to herself.
Helena heard her and gave a heavy sigh.
“Because we failed him, though you will not hear him say it.”
“Oh! I’m sorry I didn’t-”
“What’s this? Where is that mighty snake of yours? Or are you suddenly shy now Valkyrja-datta?”
Kaylee’s demanding eyes were locked on his crotch through his towel.
Cordelia was aghast: it was one thing with another woman, but this?!
Nameless’s eyes widened at the direct question but he shook his head ruefully and replied.
“Nope, I just don’t want to start a riot if you all made a play for my junk. Someone might get hurt.”
The Amazons laughed uproariously while he slipped out of the towel and into the water.
“He has the measure of you Kaylee!”
He sloshed over towards Milly, but then spotted Cordelia, whose face just kept getting redder.
“Cordelia? Sorry, I didn’t see you there. I can leave if you like?”
With Helena still washing her hair, her breasts were exposed above the water, but to his credit not once did his eyes look away from hers.
To her detriment though, for the briefest of moments her eyes flickered down to the distorted image of his penis under the water.
Mighty snake indeed!
“N-no it’s fine.” She squeaked.
Mentally she kicked herself; she hated it when she stammered.
“Alright, well, uh, it’s good to see you.”
He smiled at her as he joined Milly, the pair exchanging a loving, if more or less chaste, kiss.
“Okay, so Kaylee’s bleeding and Escrya’s sulking. What drama did I miss?”
The Amazons laughed, and even Escrya smiled at the slight jab.
“A contest to see who would massage your weary shoulders!” Kaylee said.
Milly wrapped both arms around his back and pulled him tight to her chest.
“Yes, and I won, by knockout if necessary.”
While the girls were still chuckling at Milly’s possessive behaviour, the little red Gigas came in.
Completely nude, she walked right to the edge of the water and considered the Amazons, before pointing out several of them.
“You four, on me.”
She set her hammer down on the edge and did a belly flop with a resounding smack that made Cordelia wince.
The Amazons she had indicated laughed some more, before moving over to firmly massage all four of her limbs when she resurfaced.
“As entitled as a Dragon this one.”
Nina groaned in satisfaction.
“As it should be.”
Nameless smirked as he watched the women surround Nina.
“Well, you did force the issue back in your village.” He observed before looking to the Gigas now floating flat on her back; “Hey Nina, a little late, but this manacle you clapped on me can get wet right?”
He held up his right wrist which was adorned with a beautiful silver bracelet.
“Yeah ‘is fine, Gigas made.” She slurred as the Amazons pampered her.
“Good to know.” He said with a sigh as Milly began to rub his shoulders and he leaned back into her breasts.
Cordelia watched all of this with wide eyes, Helena once again washing her back. It was like… being a guest in someone else’s family, she hardly knew any of them but she felt welcome all the same.
The various conversations resumed, fortunately the Amazons had mellowed a bit and there were no more fist fights.
“I am curious; you came of age alongside our Valkyrja-datta did you not?”
Helena had finished rinsing her hair and back, and moved on to massaging Cordelia’s shoulders even as she asked the question.
“Ah, yeah, well actually no. He was a year or so ahead of me in school.”
“I see, and how many winters have you weathered then?”
“I turn nineteen in a couple months.”
“An adult, by the standards of Kettering?” She pressed.
Cordelia felt that same flutter in her belly, just like when Oldeera had cornered her in the bakery.
“Yes, I’m an adult. Why?” She spoke cautiously.
Helena smiled as she felt the young woman tense up beneath her hands yet again.
“Fear not, little one! As I said, we will not prey on you should you not desire it, well, Kaylee might, but you have enough fire in your belly to hold her at bay, we all saw it when we questioned you about your ‘pie’.”
“Um, thanks?”
The woman chuckled warmly as she finished with her massage.
“You are most welcome. And now I proclaim your back to be clean!”
Cordelia rolled each of her shoulders and let out a sigh of contentment, just as Milly said it had been a great massage, but then she worried about appearing rude.
With another tummy flutter she gathered her courage and spoke with a blush.
“Thanks for that. Would you l-like me to do your back now?”
Helena gave her a long look, a smile creeping over her features as one eyebrow rose and her voice turned husky.
“You wish to court me little one? And here I thought that since you had spurned Kaylee’s advances I had no chance.”
Cordelia’s swallowed her panic at the woman’s words, but fortunately the Amazon took pity on her with a chuckle.
“It is alright, we are not so cut off from the human world as to believe that you would all understand our courtship rituals! I am neither offended, nor disappointed. I will tell you though, for your own betterment, that if a Saenga Amazon helps you bathe, it is an invitation, and should you return the favour in kind, it is considered an expression of mutual attraction.”
The poor girl was pale from the social misstep, but once again Helena put her at ease by winking as she continued.
“That or you can kill a wild boar, put its head on your spear, and leave it before my hut- Oh, no wait... That is a marriage proposal, isn’t it? Or is it a declaration of war?”
She put one finger to her cheek and adopted a comically befuddled expression.
Cordelia’s eyes narrowed, and then she smiled and playfully splashed some water at the woman, the droplets playing down the valley between the Amazon’s breasts as she fought not to stare.
“You’re messing with me.” She accused.
But Helena slipped one finger under her chin, raising her face slightly, before leaning in to kiss her on the cheek right beside her mouth.
The young girl’s heart hammered in her chest.
Afterwards, the Amazon shifted herself upwards and kissed her forehead, giving her an eyeful of her cleavage, before ruffling her damp hair and drifting back in the water, her eyes hooded.
“Perhaps, or perhaps our dance has already begun. After all, we monster girls are ever on the hunt for a bond-mate, which is why our Valkyrja-datta is so popular, as he can bond with any-”
“Helena! T’kael!” Myrina leapt to her feet as her commanding voice rang out in a strange tongue.
Cordelia started at the noise and the bathhouse was suddenly very quiet, for a moment she saw a mixture of fear and remorse in the eyes of the Amazon in front of her.
“Forgive me, War-sister. I got caught up in the chase.” Helena lowered her head at the stern rebuke.
For Cordelia, that feeling of being a guest in the family rapidly dissipated as it became apparent that there was a major secret that she was not privy to.
“What… is going on?” She spoke carefully as she looked around the pool.
Surprisingly, the wary Amazons all looked to Nameless.
“Myrina, girls, it’s alright. No harm done. It’s been a stressful couple weeks, you all need this, don’t let a little slip ruin anything.”
Myrina’s frown had not diminished as she tilted her head and used her eyes to indicate Cordelia meaningfully before looking back to Nameless.
He sighed and likewise looked to the nervous brunette, for a long moment he simply stared at her with one hand on his forehead.
“Cordelia, I’m sorry about the outburst. I’m afraid that in our adventures we brushed up against some… information that the Aegis would prefer stayed a secret. Helena just made a little slip, I know it will be really hard, but it would be best if you just put it out of your mind for now. It’s nothing personal and I hope it doesn’t colour your opinion of the Saenga, as they are some of the truest friends that I have ever known.”
She considered what he said for a long moment, his face was open and completely earnest. She had been lied to before, and felt like she had a good handle on when someone was pulling her leg, and he wasn’t.
Cordelia looked to Helena, and once again saw that remorse in her eyes, so despite his words she still felt uncomfortable.
“I… I should probably go.”
The Amazon hung her head again as Cordelia slipped out of the water and donned her towel.
“Twice now I have failed you.”
Helena’s voice was miserable as the girl fled the pool.
Nameless stood in the water and sloshed over to her, one hand settling on her naked shoulder.
“I doubt you’ve ever failed anyone in your life.” When she didn’t respond to his forgiving words he sank into the water again and tried to get her to meet his eyes; “Helena, five girls bonded to me? People aren’t stupid, so it will come out someday, please don’t beat yourself up about it. Cordelia, she’s a good person, and I very seriously doubt she’s going to run off and tell everyone my secret.”
Cordelia had stopped to fix her towel just in the hall as she exited the pool.
And overheard everything he said.