Arilee and Christi broke from their kiss. Christi shivered and softly moaned, "Oh, that was good."

Arilee giggled and blushed. "Really?"

"Oh gods – yes. Your lips are so soft. It made me tingle all over.” The Duchess then twirled her fingers through the blonde curls on Arilee’s mound and asked, “Would you like me to trim your hair down there for you?"

Arilee nodded, and Christi patted the edge of the bathing pool near the steps that were used to enter it. The edge of the pool and the top step provided a seat wide enough for a person to sit comfortably.

Ari climbed up on the step while Christi retrieved her clippers and razor from a long-legged chest at the side of the pool. As the Duchess approached Arilee again, the blonde parted her legs wide, and Christi had to suppress a shudder.

Christi first worked on clipping the thick carpet of hair between Ari's legs. "You'll have to keep up with this once you've done it. It will grow back into a jungle if you don't. It's even more important if you shave."

"I think I'd like it shaved."

Christi did not suppress her shudder this time, or the moan that came with it. "I want to see you bare. I love that."

Now very excited, Christi trimmed the hairs with her dainty scissors as quickly as possible. She soon had the dark blonde curls trimmed down to a length about the same as her own, and she could see hints of wetness on Arilee's nether lips that had nothing to do with the bathing pool.

Arilee's breathing had quickened while Christi labored between her legs, and Christi's body was responding as well. The Duchess put down the scissors, picked up the razor, and then moved back between Ari's legs.

She shaved Ari’s mound first, leaving a triangle of hair pointing downward. When she ran her hand over the now smooth skin, Arilee shuddered. Christi smiled when she saw the twitch of the blonde’s folds from the touch.

Christi felt her own walls contract as well, and moved to shave the rest of the short hairs from Ari's sex. When she finished, Arilee ran her hand over her now baby-smooth skin and moaned, "I like it."

With hunger obvious in her eyes, Christi put down the razor without ever looking away from Ari's perfect pink folds. "So do I."

The Duchess leaned forward and closed her lips over Ari’s clit and its concealing hood, drawing a gasp from the blonde. Christi moaned in delight and snaked her tongue beneath the other woman's hood, tasting Ari’s juices and rolling the erect bud with light pressure.

A sudden chill sprang into being in Ari's clit – quickly spreading throughout her entire body. She broke out into gooseflesh as the Duchess tongued her quivering folds. The one man with whom she had shared her body had used his mouth on her, but the sensation Christi was giving her now was something completely new and incredible.

Christi's lips and tongue touched her more gently than her fingers or her lover's cock had. It was a soft caress that was so different from anything she had ever experienced. Her nipples stood out painfully hard from the chill, and she covered them with her hands to relieve the sensation.

Christi moaned and asked, "Does that feel good?"

"Mmm – yes."

"You taste so sweet. Come for me again, Ari."

Arilee laid her hands on Christi's shoulders – quiet moans of pleasure escaping her with each exhaled breath. She watched with fascinated arousal as the woman between her legs slipped her tongue deep between the glistening folds before her.

The chill in Ari's body continued to intensify, mingling with sharp spikes that caused her to tremble. She whimpered from the slowly building sensation, her heart racing almost frighteningly fast. She panted for breath, gasping each time the chilling sensation peaked for a moment. Then, Ari felt a point of warmth glowing deep inside her. It spread ever so slowly from her depths throughout her loins.

Christi’s gentle caress had progressed into rapid lapping of Ari’s folds. The brunette’s tongue pushed Ari’s hood up with each stroke, and rolled her clit upwards as well. The warmth emerging from within Arilee reached Christi's tongue, and Ari felt it explode from with her, swelling into her chilled body and warming it as she came.

Arilee's mouth opened wide, and a loud moan of release escaped her. Christi moaned as she tasted the flow of the blonde's juices on her tongue, and slowed her teasing just enough to let the other woman spiral back to earth.

The Duchess caressed Arilee's thighs while the final shudders of her orgasm shook the young blonde’s body. When Ari's eyes finally fluttered open, Christi was looking up into them and smiling.

"I've never felt anything like that," Ari said in a soft, slow tone of voice that spoke well of just how relaxed she felt after reaching her peak.

Christi rose up from her knees and leaned in to kiss the other woman. Arilee made a small sound of surprise when she tasted her juices on Christi's lips.

Christi let a knowing chuckle escape her when she broke from the kiss. "You taste good, don't you? I want you to shave me."

"But, you said Cerebus didn't like it."

"He'll be gone for a while, and my hair is dark enough that it only takes a couple of days to grow back to where he likes it. I want you to shave me bare and lick my pussy for me."

Ari's breath caught for a moment as her eyes locked with Christi's and she saw the need and desire within. Christi said, "Please," and Arilee nodded.

The hairs on Christi's mound were already trimmed very short, so she handed Arilee the razor. "Just do it slowly, and be careful around my lips. It gets much easier with practice."

Ari nodded again and turned to her task. She was hesitant at first, afraid of cutting Christi, but soon found a grip on the razor and an angle that she was comfortable with. The Duchess guided her when necessary, and soon Christi's mound was bare as well.

Christi ran a hand over her sex and moaned, "I love it smooth." She placed her hand on Ari's cheek, her eyes smoldering with desire. "Do it for me."

Caught up in the sensuality of the Duchess and her own arousal, Arilee leaned down. Her excitement grew as she drank in the scent of arousal arising from the Duchess. Christi parted her legs wide, with a moan of anticipation, and Ari could see the sparkle of wetness between the brunette’s nether lips.

She did not hesitate, too lost in the moment and the intoxicating scent to resist. She placed her hands on Christi's thighs and leaned forward, slipping her tongue between the gently yielding folds to taste the wetness within.

As intoxicating as Christi's scent was, the bittersweet taste of her juices was even more so. Ari found her body shivering as she pushed her tongue deeper, seeking more of the nectar. Her tongue raced and darted over every inch of Christi's nether lips, seeking Christi's juices and finding a seemingly endless supply, which only increased as she lapped for more. The different textures fascinated Arilee, prompting her to explore even more with probes of her tongue, and gentle sucks.

Turning her head sideways, Ari pushed her tongue into Christi's depths as far as it would penetrate. She moaned as a flood of creamy juices washed over her tongue. Probing at the tight walls with her tongue, Arilee drank in the essence and started to feel a bit lightheaded.

Christi built quickly toward an explosion, at last having the beautiful blonde woman between her legs where she had wanted her since the first time she saw her. She ached for release and her bud screamed for attention. Reaching down, she guided Ari to her throbbing clit, and gasped as Arilee locked her lips over both hood and bud.

Moving her head in a circle and rolling Christi's bud between her lips with her tongue, Ari tried to duplicate the motions she used when masturbating. Christi's fingers twining into her hair and the deep moans of pleasure indicated to Arilee that her actions were achieving the desired result.

In a flash of realization, Arilee realized that she did indeed want – and need – to feel the Duchess come on her tongue. She wanted it more than anything at this moment – to feel the gorgeous woman quiver in orgasm from her touch. A few seconds later, Christi moaned and granted her wish.

"Oh gods – yes," Christi cried out as she quaked from the release of orgasmic energy that had swelled within her.

Yet another torrent of juices flowed over Ari's tongue, her moans mingling with those of the climaxing Duchess. Christi had to push the blonde away and cover her oversensitive folds when she could not catch her breath any longer.

Ari rose up and saw the ecstasy in Christi's face, which caused her own body to respond with a pleasant warmth akin to a soft orgasm. She licked her lips for the cream there, and pulled what she couldn’t reach with her tongue to her lips with her fingers.

Christi's eyes popped open and she gasped. She then pulled Arilee into a deep, passionate kiss. The two women’s tongues wrangled for long minutes as the lovers enjoyed the warm afterglow of their first encounter.

****

Arilee awakened feeling somewhat disoriented. The first thing she realized was that every muscle in her body ached – badly. Her second realization was that her head was lying on the taut tummy of the Duchess, with the weight of one of the woman's breasts pressing against the back of her head.

Ari smiled and felt wonderful for a moment, snuggled up against the sexy woman who had taught her to give in to her needs. Then, the pain returned. She winced and felt Christi rouse slightly.

After a few moments, a hand combed its way through Ari's hair. "Good morning. How are you feeling?"

Arilee turned to look up at the Duchess, but had to rise when she couldn't see anything but the woman's breasts from where she lay. "I ache all over, but..." A shiver overcame her then, and she could only moan in remembrance of the passion she had shared with the other woman in the bath.

Christi moaned and responded, “Me too – except for the aching part." Christi's stomach rumbled, causing them both to laugh. "We should get something to eat. We seem to have burnt up a lot of energy yesterday."

Ari's cheeks quickly turned red and she softly giggled. "I could make us something, if you have anything in your kitchen."

"That's sweet. I'm going to send someone to bring me some bread, though. I'm starving."

While standing up, Arilee winced again from her muscles protesting the movement. She tried to relieve the discomfort with a stretch, arching her back and letting her head loll backward.

Christi moaned and tossed off the covers. "You have such a beautiful body."

Again, Arilee blushed, and smiled. "So do you."

"You go see what you can do in the kitchen, and I'll send down for some bread to tide us over. Once we have something in our bellies, we'll go down and teach you a little about holding a weapon. I won't push you too hard today, because I know how I felt after my first day of hard training."

Ari looked around for her clothing, and then realized she had left everything in the bath. "Oh dear."

Christi laughed and rose from the bed as well. She retrieved simple outfits for both of them – just blouses and skirts. When the pair finished dressing, Arilee went to the kitchen, and Christi went to find Kronk.

Kronk had a knowing smile on his face when Christi found him sitting on a bunk in the small guard's bunkhouse across the hall.

"And what are you grinning about, you big oaf? Were you listening?" Christi asked with mock outrage.

"Only the deaf and the dead didn't hear."

Christi laughed. "You're terrible. Would you be a dear and go find someone to bring us up some bread?" She batted her eyes at him and gave him a peck on the lips when she had finished.

"I'll do it myself for another kiss."

Christi kissed him again, more deeply this time. "You're terrible," she repeated.

"You like it."

"You wish."

Kronk laughed – a deep, almost growling sound – and then headed toward the stairs to do as Christi had asked.

Christi walked into the kitchen and found Ari going through the cabinets, seeing what was there to work with. When she saw the Duchess she inquired, "Pancakes with maple syrup?"

Christi let an exaggerated shudder run through her body. "I love them, but I always burn them, or don't get them done."

"You've done too much cooking over a campfire."

"You're probably right about that. The only difference when I cook in here is less ash stuck to whatever I cook."

Both women laughed, and then Christi settled in to wait for the bread while Ari buttered a skillet.

The business of the Duchy called Christi away long before she was ready to leave the breakfast table. Arilee helped her dress, and then stayed nearby, ready to carry messages or fetch anything the Duchess might need. It was well into the afternoon before Christi was able to return upstairs, bathe, and dress casually once more.

Arilee fried chicken while Christi bathed, even though she wanted nothing more than to climb into the bath with the other woman. Christi was mentally and emotionally exhausted from the day's business, so Arilee decided it would be best just to let her soak and relax.

Christi didn't soak long, the scent of the chicken drawing her from the bath and into the kitchen. Once again, Christi was loathe to get up from the table after eating too much, but she had promised that she would teach Ari more today, and meant to live up to that promise.

The two women changed clothing and went down to the courtyard. There, Christi guided the natural talent Arilee possessed toward a more refined style, suitable for a real fight, should she ever need the skill.

Christi had put on her sword and scabbard, but doubted that she and Arilee would actually do any sparring. Ari was simply too sore, and there was a lot of work to do just teaching the blonde how to properly hold the dagger, defend, and strike with it. Christi was pleased to see that her student proved to be attentive, and quick to learn.

Despite the minimal activity, both Christi and Arilee were drenched in sweat a couple of hours later. Christi started to go ask someone to fetch drinks, but saw Sharon walking out with a tray, having already anticipated the need.

Christi laughed and took one of the metal cups from the tray when Sharon reached her. "Can you read my mind?"

Sharon echoed the laugh. "No, Dear – I just know you. I've been watching, and your young student here shows promise."

Arilee blushed and brought her cup to her lips to try to hide her reaction. She had just taken her first swallow and tipped the cup back again when a wood troll appearing in the courtyard nearly caused her to choke on the water.

"Son of a bitch!" Christi cursed and drew her sword. She darted toward the creature, and then saw another flash of light to her right. A much more dangerous goblin had appeared a few feet away. A quick glance revealed that Sharon had guided Ari to stand back to back with her, so Christi turned on the more cunning foe.

More flashes danced at the edges of Christi's vision, and she continued to curse under her breath in a steady stream as she approached and faced off with the goblin. The creature raised its spear to attack, leaving an obvious opening, and Christi took it.

Her sword slashed through the wooden haft of the weapon, and the neck of the goblin, barely slowed at all by either obstruction. The sound of booted feet, war cries, and movement in her peripheral vision told Christi that the guards were responding. It was a good thing; because everywhere she looked, there were goblins and wood trolls.

Yet another wood troll appeared next to Christi as she sought her next goblin target, and she cut the monster down before it had the chance to recover from the disorientation of teleportation. The attack let her see Sharon and Ari clearly for a second or two, and she smiled as she saw Sharon lash out with a kick to the groin that lifted a wood troll off of its feet. The creature crashed on its rump and then curled up into a ball.

A sizzling from her right caused Christi’s eyes to dart toward the sound. She saw flaming bolts of magic strike a pair of wood trolls, blasting them to the ground. A glance up into the window revealed Ashtar chanting, preparing to unleash more magic.

Ari threatened another approaching wood troll with her dagger. She looked frightened, but she also remembered her lessons. She held the dagger with far more confidence than ever before, and the stance Christi had taught her felt both comfortable and stable.

Sharon darted forward for a moment and cracked the writhing wood troll in front of her on top of the head with the metal tray she carried. The creature ceased to struggle and lapsed unconscious as Sharon quickly resumed her position at Ari's back.

Christi turned on another goblin, seeing a pair of soldiers cut down three wood trolls in a matter of seconds as she moved toward her chosen target. The monster was busy eyeballing the other two women until Christi approached, when it recognized that the Duchess was a threat that it could not ignore.

Christi heard a snarled scream as she approached the goblin and easily parried an overhand strike from the creature's sword. She smiled, knowing another part of Ari's training was coming through. That feral scream coming from such a beautiful woman, armed and holding her weapon well, would unnerve anything that thought it was approaching easy prey.

Cutting down the goblin as it tried to recover from the failed strike, Christi spun to see Ari lash out at the approaching troll. The monster backpedaled and waved its club, yipping at her.

Ari was scared half to death. The only reason she wasn't running was because she had Sharon at her back and there appeared to be nowhere to run anyway. She lashed out at the disgusting wood troll in front of her, loosing another scream. The monster backed away, making the horrible hyena-like sound that set Ari’s teeth and nerves on edge.

Sensing movement as much as seeing it, Arilee screamed and threatened another approaching wood troll, but this one appeared to be braver than the first. It continued to approach, and raised its club to strike. Ari lunged forward, meaning to try to frighten the thing away, but misjudged how fast it was moving, and the distance between them. She stabbed out on instinct, and the point of her dagger found the back of the creature's hand. The creature howled and swung its club, but Ari ducked down to avoid the attack, and then scrambled back to Sharon.

A grunt from Sharon and a metallic clang caused Ari to glance behind her to see that the woman had blocked the strike of a metal-banded club on her tray. Ari was still crouched low to the ground, so she scooped up a handful of dirt and hurled it in the direction of the creature attacking Sharon. This was yet another of Christi's dirty fighting techniques that Ari had picked up the day before. Christi had only mentioned it, but Ari had absorbed everything the experienced fighter had said or shown her – determined to learn.

The dirt either blinded the creature or distracted it, because the momentary flinch gave Sharon an opening. The serving woman kicked the thing hard enough between its legs that it dropped its club and let out a sharp, girlish shriek. Sharon quickly dropped her tray and picked up the club instead, whipping it into an offensive posture that indicated that she knew how to use it.

Between the soldiers and Ashtar's spells, the creatures on the fringes of the courtyard fell as wheat before the scythe. Seeing that the other two women were still surrounded by four creatures, not counting the two struggling to rise, Christi charged in that direction.

Ari breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the Duchess approaching. The three wood trolls facing her had a much different reaction. Two of the monsters turned toward the obviously dangerous woman and yipped a challenge.

Christi cut down the first wood troll before it could raise even the slightest defense. The second monster attacked, but she easily caught the weapon on her sword and spun it out wide, putting the wood troll off balance.

Arilee heard a sickening thud behind her, but couldn’t risk any distraction because of the third troll, which was still threatening her. It suddenly charged and stabbed with the fire-hardened wood spear that it carried. Again, Ari's instruction jumped forward in her mind, and she nudged Sharon. She prayed that the other woman would understand the signal and be prepared to dodge, because there was no way she could block even that crude weapon with only a dagger.

Out of the corner of her eye, Christi saw Sharon smash the head of one standing wood troll, and saw it go down in a heap. She lashed out and stabbed the remaining wood troll facing her in the chest just as the monster facing Arilee lunged forward.

Ari sidestepped, gasping with relief when Sharon dodged the opposite way in response to Ari’s nudge. The wood troll stumbled between the two women, and Ari slashed the creature’s forearm with her dagger as it passed. The monster dropped its spear and continued to stumble past for a pair of steps before falling to the ground.

Sharon first lashed out at the creature that had stumbled between her and Arilee, grunting in approving surprise that Arilee had known to warn her about the spear-wielder in the proper way. That single bit of knowledge allowed both women to be in perfect position to attack and defend. The creature collapsed to the blood-soaked ground and barely moved, so Sharon quickly turned on the two rousing creatures already on the ground. Two carefully aimed blows discouraged the monsters from rising.

The Duchess and the soldiers all reached the two women in the middle of the courtyard at the same time. Ashtar's magic took down a final goblin appearing at the edge of the courtyard just as Christi reached the other two women. The soldiers quickly stabbed the creatures that still lived, and then all was quiet.

Ari collapsed to her rump, choking off a sob of relief. Christi walked up in front of her and said, "You did well."

"I barely touched any of them. All I did was manage to keep from getting killed," Ari said with a sniffle.

Sharon laughed. "You got that one off me and kept me from getting stabbed in the back is what you did. Thank you."

"She gave you the signal," Christi guessed, nodding her head in approval.

"Yep – like she had been doing it all her life. She's got a good memory, and better reflexes."

Arilee blushed. "I still don't think I helped much."

Ashtar appeared in a flash of light. "There are being some injured in the Hall. Goblins there were appearing also, and many wood trolls."

"All the servants carry daggers from now on, and I want them to all have weapons by their beds as well. Double the guard in the Hall, and in town. I have no doubt that the same thing was happening out there."

"Screw a dagger – I'll be carrying a sword," Sharon said with a snort.

Christi smiled and chuckled. "Any who know how to use one can have one from the armory. Swords, maces – whatever they think they can use effectively. Let's go get you a belt and sheath for that dagger, Ari."

"Most odd this is being. Still not a great danger were these, despite the numbers. Still thinking I am being this is a distraction."

"But for what? You haven't found anything magical besides the obvious. The thieves in the city don't notice any unusual activity. The soldiers have found nothing..."

"The real purpose these attacks are not. Wary should we be being at all of the times."

"As if we can watch for anything else when damn trolls and goblins are popping out of thin air everywhere," Christi said and stomped her foot hard on the ground.

****

The pair simply relaxed in the bath – Christi too worked up and angry to feel aroused, and Ari too frightened and hurting. They spoke of the battle, Christi asking Ari to explain everything that happened from her perspective.

When she had finished, Christi smiled and said, "You remember what you're told, and your body reacts on those memories when it needs to. Sharon was right, and so was I. You did well."

"Are you ever scared?"

"On occasion. The key to surviving is mastering your fear, turning it into another weapon. Get mad at your fears, shove them aside, and do what has to be done."

"I still don't feel like I did anything."

Christi splashed water at Ari, "Oh, I swear you're impossible sometimes!"

Arilee wiped water out of her eyes, knowing from the tone in Christi's voice she was only teasing, "I just feel like I'm in the way."

"Then keep learning – you have the knack. If you feel like you're in the way, then change it. That's how you get ahead in this life. Take what you don't like and make it better."

Christi stood, nude and dripping, and walked over to the balcony window to watch the detail that was hard at work burying the numerous bodies of the goblins and wood trolls that had attacked the Hall and the town.

"Well, we're doing some place a service – depopulating the area of vermin. We'll have to start burning them before long, because we'll be out of ground to bury them in."

Though Arilee was still too frightened and in pain for her passions to rise earlier, seeing the Duchess' backside in the fading sunlight changed that quickly. She didn't even realize she was staring until Christi spanked her own bottom while turning to look over her shoulder. "And just what are you looking at?"

"You just look so beautiful, there in the light of the sunset."

Christi walked back over to Ari, kissed her, and then teasingly said, "Are you trying to woo me? I'm to be a married woman you know?"

Ari's face turned bright red and she started to speak, but Christi silenced her with a finger over her lips.

"It's okay, Arilee. How long has it been since you were with anyone else?"

"I don't know – a year? Two?"

"You've been neglected, and you're catching up. We need to get you hooked up with a man. We can have a lot of fun together, but I'm missing some vital equipment for some things."

"It's just so hard for me to speak to a man. My insides get all knotted up."

"You're in the right place. There are any number of charmers who will sweep you off your feet around here, and I can tell you which ones are just out to bed you for a notch on their bedpost." She graced Arilee with a crooked grin. "I've seen you looking at Cerebus, you know. He makes you wet, doesn't he?"

Ari blushed, but when Christi raised an eyebrow, still smiling that crooked, knowing smile, she finally answered, "Yes, he's just so... The way he takes you..."

Christi shivered and then leaned down to passionately kiss Arilee. "No fair making me want him when he's gone." She then leaned down close and whispered in Ari's ear, "Would you like to have him buried deep inside you, Ari?"

Now it was Arilee's turn to shiver, and Christi moaned softly before she continued, "I would love to watch him take you – make you scream. Would you like his big cock inside you while I lick you, Ari?"

"Yes," Arilee breathlessly replied.

"Mmm – as soon as he gets home," Christi said and slid back into the bath. Ari turned to face her and they moved into an embrace, kissing with their tongues wrangling.

Christi's fingers found their way between Ari's folds beneath the water as they kissed. An instant later, she felt Arilee's fingers penetrate her as well.

"His big cock feels so good inside you – hitting you so deep. It feels like he's going to split you in half, but it feels so good that you don't care," Christi said in a throaty whisper as her fingers danced and probed Ari's wet heat. Ari curved three fingers up into Christi's depths and started rocking her hand, stroking the fingers into the woman's depths.

"He can be so gentle when he wants, but I love it when he fucks me hard. I love to feel his balls slapping off of me, hear our bodies crashing together, feel him slamming into me like a crossbow bolt – over and over again."

Both women increased the pace of their rubbing, probing fingers as Christi talked, their bodies climbing the mountain of release together at a rapid pace.

"I loved it when you were watching him fuck me. I want to watch him fuck you, and lick his cum off you when he explodes all over you."

Both women breathed heavily, starting to lose control of their fingers, but managing to maintain just enough to keep the pressure building within each other.

"Tell me you want it, Ari."

Arilee gasped, "I want his cock inside me."

"Oh gods – yes!" Christi screamed as she came. Ari reached her peak simultaneously, and both women dropped to their knees in the water, quivering with their fingers buried inside each other for several minutes.

When at last they were able to rise, the two women kissed, and Christi said, "Speaking of Cerebus, I was supposed to have Ashtar call him. Let's get dressed and I'll send for Ashtar."

The pair dried, dressed, and then went to the sitting room of Christi’s suite. Kronk went to fetch Ashtar, and he arrived a minute later. He cast his spell after a quick nod of greeting.

Mindblind's image appeared in the disk of shimmering light that Ashtar had summoned. He spun and started to draw his sword, before realizing what was happening. "Damn me, Ashtar, but can't you make those things appear in front of me."

Ashtar smiled and shrugged. "Most unlucky with you I am. With none other am I having such egregious fortune."

"So, what's up, Babe – another attack?"

"Goblins and wood trolls this time – and lots of them. We had a few people get hurt this time, but the healers have set them right. Have you heard anything about this happening along the way?"

"No, but I don't like this one damned bit. The closer we get to Darius, the more spooked the locals are. This stinks of Drax."

"Maybe that is why they're trying to distract us here – to keep you from calling on our self-appointed governor."

"Quite possible this is being, if nefarious plotting in Darius is commencing."

Cerebus snorted. "Well, if it is – they fucked up. I'm getting as pissed as the people are spooked with every mile. I think I may hang this guy up by his sack in the town square and let folk poke him with sticks for a few days. We're going to keep moving through the night."

"Be careful, Cerebus. I love you."

"You too, Babe."

Ashtar dismissed the glowing disk. "The wards I have been strengthening yet again. Alarm spells I will be placing, that we may be being warned of more monsters coming. More difficult to break quickly those will be."

"Thank you, Ashtar. Don't stay up too late doing it. The last thing we need is you exhausted. We may need your magic."

"Prepared I will be if beasts again are roaming the Hall."

Christi turned to the blonde at her side and said, "Let's go to bed, Ari. Keep that dagger close."

****

For a week, nothing happened. The business of the Duchy went on as normal and no monsters popped out of nowhere to attack the residents of the Hall. Conversations with Cerebus turned disturbing on the second day as he and his escort drew near to Darius. The citizens were taking up arms and opposing the Duke.

Unwilling to utilize even the necessary force to pass against his own subjects, Cerebus had camped outside the area where the armed militias waited, trying to decide what to do.

Each night, Christi and Arilee shared each other, often to the point of physical exhaustion. Many mornings, the two women awoke and had to proceed immediately to the bath to wash the dried evidence of their lovemaking from their bodies before doing anything else.

Each afternoon, Christi and Arilee went to the courtyard to practice. Ari caught on quickly, and by the end of the week, the two women were actually sparring with swords. Christi could still deflect Ari’s every strike with ease, but the Duchess was a well-trained and practiced warrior. Arilee still had much to learn, but she could wield both sword and dagger well enough to hold her own against the likes of the goblins and wood trolls that had attacked the Hall so far.

Sharon, impressed with the progress Arilee was making, asked if she could spar with the blonde under the protection of Christi's magic – citing the desire to see if her middle-aged body would still serve her in a fight if she needed to. Ari felt a little hesitant at first – and even more so when Sharon took up her sword. The weapon looked as if it were a living part of the older woman as she swung it through a few test strokes, checking its balance.

Once Christi told them to begin, Sharon easily took the advantage of two points, and gloated a little. The taunt was not lost on the young blonde, and she grew angry despite her normally gentle disposition.

When the Duchess signaled the beginning of the third round, an angry Ari attacked ferociously. Sharon was forced on the defensive, continuing to offer taunts as she defended. Ari snarled and launched a double-handed sweeping cut with her sword. The design of the sword meant it was primarily a stabbing weapon, with an edge that would be all but useless against a foe in any type of armor, and Sharon was not prepared for it.

Sharon managed to deflect the blow, but not stop it. Ari pulled against the momentum of the swing and reversed it, stabbing low, and scoring a hit.

"Point!" Christi declared, and then clapped in approval.

Ari was still fuming, and immediately marched back to her starting position to set her feet for the next round.

Sharon smiled at Christi as she walked toward Arilee with her weapon lowered. "You know, I think it worked."

Christi laughed and walked over to the two women. "Yes, I believe it did."

Arilee looked at them both, confusion evident even through the still obvious signs of anger in her face. Christi smiled and laid a hand on Ari’s shoulder. Sharon’s hand then rested on the other.

Sharon winked. "You needed to tap into some raw emotion dear. I teased you on purpose to make you mad. Now, some people will just get sloppy when they're mad, but you seem to have muscle memory that keeps doing things right. All getting you mad did was make you dangerous. I wasn't expecting that slash, and you got me fair and square. I really didn't expect you to score a hit – just put me on the defensive for a bit."

The anger in the blonde's face drained away. “So, it was a test?"

Christi took both women's swords. "Not a test, really. More of a way to show you what you actually had inside you. How did you feel when you were fighting that last round?"

"Mad. Well, I was determined to at least show her that I wasn't a kitten, like she kept calling me."

"Determination, Dear – that's what got you past my guard. Turn your emotion into determination, strength, and stamina. You just saw what anger can do, and you can turn your fear into a weapon as well."

"So, I really did well?"

Sharon laughed and clapped her on the shoulder. "We'll damn sure not have to waste any thought about defending you against the likes of wood trolls and goblins again. You were doing well enough before. I wouldn't want to be one of them popping out in front of you now, if you have a sword in your hand."

"Let's go take a bath. It's even stickier out here today than usual. I feel like my clothes are gummed to me." Christi plucked at her blouse, which was indeed clinging to her skin from the sweat saturating it.

As the three walked inside, a handsome young man turned to admire Christi and Arilee in their sweat soaked, clinging clothing. He offered a twitch of his eyebrows and a wink before proceeding on down the hall.

Sharon chuckled. "That one doesn't know he just made a pass at the Duchess. He's in for some trouble if he doesn't watch it."

Arilee watched him walk down the hall and asked, "Who is that?"

The tone in Ari's voice betrayed interest in more than the young man's name. Christi chuckled. "That's Gregory, a new guard. He's been putting notches in his bunk for the last week. From what I've heard, he's a charmer, good in bed, and about as likely to remember your name the next morning as he is to be struck by lightning."

Ari pursed her lips in disappointment, and Christi's curled into a crooked smile at the same time.

Sharon laughed. "Oh gods – I know that look. I'm going to my bath, your Grace. I'll have no part of this."

Christi made a shooing motion at Sharon, and then crooked a finger to Ari before heading toward the stairs. Arilee shook her head in confusion and followed the Duchess.

When the two reached the top of the stairs and started toward the bath, Christi asked, "Did Gregory make you tingle down below?"

Ari giggled. "Yes, but if he's a cad..."

"Then he needs to be taught a lesson. Perhaps it's time to turn the tables on him. He needs to learn a lesson. You need a hard cock inside you. It seems to me to be the perfect combination. Like I said, the rumor is that he's good in bed."

"I don't want to get a reputation as – you know."

Christi turned and smiled as she opened the door to the baths. "Nobody is going to know except you, me, and him. Once we're done with him, he's not going to be bragging much, so that takes care of that problem."

The pair entered the bath room and Arilee said, "I don't know. I mean, he's handsome and he makes me wet, and it has been so long..."

Christi turned and kissed Ari, pulling their bodies together tight. When they broke from the kiss, she traced kisses across the other woman's face to her ear and whispered, "You want a cock inside you, don't you? We'll just borrow his for tonight and get even for all those poor girls who've had their hearts broke by him."

Christi tenderly rubbed Ari's nether lips through her panties as she whispered. Arilee’s breathing quickened, as she indeed ached to be filled by more than just fingers.

Looking into the other woman's face, Christi could see the desire growing there. She let out a sensual little growl. "Let's get cleaned up."

With that, the Duchess shed her clothes as quickly as possible. Arilee did the same, and the two stepped into the tub together. Both women were deeply aroused, and it was almost inevitable that they would have to sate that need immediately. Christi moved in close until she was face to face with Arilee, and the two masturbated each other, coming to a near simultaneous orgasm while looking into each other's eyes.

After recovering from their orgasms, Christi and Arilee washed and dressed quickly, both feeling their passions growing hot again. Christi mischievously smiled as she went to a cedar chest and opened it. She removed a protective cloth covered in wormwood, revealing clothing scattered with rose petals below.

Once Ari finished dressing in the rose scented clothing, Christi unbuttoned a couple of buttons on Arilee's blouse. "I'm going to have him called up here for some meaningless task. You just tease him a bit, and he'll take the bait. I've heard enough to know that. Can I cast a spell on you?"

"What kind of spell?"

"It's a spell that's sort of been circulating amongst our little group of friends. I just learned it. It lets me know if a woman is in a part of her cycle where she can get pregnant."

Christi could see in Ari's face that she understood the implications of what she had just explained, and asked "Have you ever felt that before?"

Arilee shook her head in the negative and Christi moaned. "I've been lucky, because I've lost control and let it happen before. It feels so good."

"Cast it," Arilee said in a breathless whisper.

Christi cast the spell and moaned in anticipation when she saw the cool blue glow between her hand and Ari's body. She cast the spell a second time and found the same result when the magic was directed at her.

"Neither of us can get pregnant right now, and I'm so hot I can't stand it. I'm going to owe Cerebus two indulgences now, but it's worth it. He usually uses them when we find someone who doesn't want to play with me, anyhow – and I still get to watch."

"He won't be angry? You said he didn't mind if he knew in advance, but..."

"No, he'll be fine. He has a few flings still here and there, and they tend to seek him out when he's around. The indulgences give him a chance to let off some pressure when he's away from me. I'm going to have to fight hard to keep from going one match down the next time we spar, though."

Ari looked down at her well-revealed breasts and drank in the scent of the rose petals – and her own arousal. For just a moment more, that need held her in its grip and encouraged her to go forward. Despite her arousal, the reality of what she was about to do hit home. "I don't think I can do it. I want it – and I need it more badly than I had ever considered – but I don't think I can do this."

Christi smiled. "It's okay – I understand. I shouldn't have tried to push you so hard. I was being selfish. How about going down to one of the better taverns in the city and seeing if anyone interesting catches your eye?"

Arilee blushed. "I guess that would be okay. I just don't know if I can do something that mean to someone – no matter how much I want it, or how much they deserve it."

Christi kissed her. "You're a good girl. We could probably use some of that influence around here. Not that we aren't going to try to turn part of you just a bit naughty."

Arilee's musical laugh broke the tension, and the pair were soon on their way down into the city.

****

The largest building in Darius housed the jail, the stable, and the general store. It also served as the seat of government. A mountain of a man, over six feet tall and heavily muscled, stood facing a cowering, plainly dressed man in the foyer of the building.

"He has not approached? Has not attacked?"

"N-no, Sir. He ordered his men to back away and has not advanced since."

The muscular man growled. "Order a few men to attack his camp and see what happens. We can't have him just sitting there. We need him advancing on the town. If he moves, offer only token resistance. Try to get him moving this way, but don't make it too easy."

"Yes, Sir."

"Now get out – you're stinking up the whole room."