Chapter 7

I had miscalculated. I had thought that the Egri, because of what I imagined was no doubt a highly unsatisfactory way they had sex, would be astonished at seeing any kind of intimate act. Indeed, a few kisses between these ‘giant’ humanhorses and a little fingering (awkward though it was while wearing restrictive cuffs and belt both for me and Cerys) plus seeing Corth and his relatively huge cock would be enough to send them swooning in delight. A sort of ‘being grateful for crumbs’ response.

It shows how much I knew. The crowds of watchers swelled as our reputation for our unique entertainment spread and the audience’s vocal demands for more sex grew louder. Cerys, being a Tankic ‘snatch’ from Earth, knew little of what the yokels were shouting in Egrin but the look on their faces told her enough to cause worry.

“Do they want us dead?” She asked me after we had both been fucked by Corth on our makeshift stage on the back of the rickety wagon in front of one particularly exuberant crowd, who to my astonishment were actually masturbating as they watched us being had. The Egri women squatted, knees wide apart and simple shifts hauled up to rub themselves (though only when at the front as they would not see from further back in a crowd round the wagon) while the men dropped their loose pants to rub their small, almost pathetic little cocks in excitement while curiously waving clenched fist at us. It was not a pleasant sight, but there was no question we were earning money for Akrith as we performed.

Or rather, we put on a show of Corth fucking both Cerys and myself as we bent over in turn, though it required each of us humanhorses to half squat which was painful on our legs if Corth didn’t ejaculate quickly. Trouble was, he was learning to delay his delivery: a true thespian in the making, I thought not for the first time.

“They only think of us as dead if we die on the end of Corth’s cock,” I replied to my companion’s question. I did not however tell her I feared getting pregnant by him: there was no point in worrying her unduly. If the lad’s ‘white water’ did what it was supposed to do she would find out soon enough, as would I. Truth is though I have no idea if I could have children. Being lesbian the thought hadn’t much occurred to me, and when I had been screwed (literally) on that so-called casting couch—actually, over the greasy man’s desk with a contract in front of my nose which somehow never got counter-signed by the TV soap opera people—I had assumed the man had been snipped as I had no reactions, other than the utter disgust at allowing a man into me in that way.

Now the thought of pulling a wagon with a swollen belly, wondering what monster I would eventually drop at some place by the side of a muddy road, filled me with dread. Eventually I confided my worry to Akrith.

She was blunt. “If you cannot haul a wagon and perform while swollen is of no matter to me. You can either serve me for however long you carry for, or we will find you a closer,” she replied, without any sign of caring about my potential condition. “There may well be one at the next village. Or they will know of where there is one,” she added.

“A closer?” I asked. “I have no idea what that is, Inria.”

Akrith gave a hollow laugh. “You Far Earth creatures are so ignorant! No wonder there are so many of you! We have such people on Sevir whose skill it is to prevent a birth.”

“Oh, we have those,” I said. “But I do not know if I am with child.”

“The closer will ensure you are not. You will drink a potion, which will either remove your life or any growing within you.” It was said, once more, as if a simple and obvious fact.

I gasped in horror. “You mean, it could kill me, my lady?”

Akrith stared at me as if I was stupid. “Of course it does. What did you expect, horse? You think the potion knows which life to close? You drink and it is in the hands of the gods. Be thankful they are mostly merciful.”

Now I had a new worry. I tried to say that if I took this poison, for that surely was what it was, then Cerys would have to take it too. “Inria, forgive me but if I perish and she does too then you will be left without a horse,” I said.

Akrith regarded me with a cold stare. “Why is that my concern? You could have been felled in battle, as might she. You are horses, under the spurs of a rider. As such you can be replaced. Both of you if need be.” With that she was done with any discussion on the matter and having gagged me to prevent me pleading or demanding, she turned away. Cerys couldn’t understand why I had been suddenly made silent but she grasped that it had to be a serious error on my part.

“Was that what I think it was about?” The Welsh woman whispered to me as she slid close.

I shrugged as I couldn’t say anything.

Carys in turn shrugged too. “If you were talking about us getting pregnant—I saw you pat your belly at one point—I wouldn’t worry. From my point of view that is. I know the boy Corth makes a lot of semen but I can’t have kids. Thank goodness.”

I wanted to weep. It was just me then who would be poisoned. I even wondered if Cerys would make a better horse than me. At that moment Cerys realised what she’d said. “Oh I am sorry, Isabella. It’s yourself you’re worried about, right? Look, I’m sure you will be okay. I mean, Akrith clearly likes you. You said you’d saved her life before she got me. I think she’s just teasing. Probably.”

I shook my head. Why would my rider like me? She had ridden me into battle and was quite prepared for me to die, as she so correctly informed me. Equally she showed no concern over the thought of me hauling a wagon while pregnant. As for teasing I seriously doubted if any Egri warrior had a sense of humour. I’d only seen them happy when killing, preparing for war or betting on a death. Even when they masturbated their faces seemed more twisted in pain than pleasure.

In a weird way I had been ready to be slaughtered on the end of some Tankic warrior’s sword, or being stabbed by a Grethek on an enemy humanhorse’s elbows. Yet the prospect of me ending my life with a poison administered by some peasant filled me with dismay. There was no glory in that, and to be honest I doubted any potion I would be given would work fast. My end would be long and drawn out. I shuddered at the thought.

Cerys as a good Welshwoman could talk, and she went on. “If it’s any consolation, should the stuff they give you doesn’t do the job, and it doesn’t get rid of any little Corth growing in you, then I bet the crowds would pay to see a pregnant humanhorse being fucked. Actually, I had great sex once with a girl from Swansea who was pregnant. Lesbian sex with a preggo is awesome. Gwyneth’s tits were amazing! You should try it sometime. Well, I mean you can’t with me ‘cos nothing works that way down there in me, but maybe we get another horse to join us and maybe she gets knocked up and you can suck her big tits. Mind you, I bet I enjoy having you when you’re eight or nine months gone, Isabella—assuming that the gestation period is the same here. I mean it could be less, what with the Egri being small.”

I shook my head in despair. The scenario was growing more nightmarish the more Cerys talked. The she added something that really scared me.

“Hope it does work,” she went on. “I mean, I wonder how your belly could grow with the belt on? It would be awful if you began swelling up and the belt, I dunno, stopped it all or hurt you ... if Akrith doesn’t take it off you it could be really painful, right?”

I desperately wanted to tell Cerys to shut up but the gag filling my mouth prevented it. Actually, I think Cerys was getting a kick out of this. She even kissed me on the cheek and giggled. I hated it when she was enjoying my discomfort, and she knew it too.

Bitch, I thought as I stewed silently. Then I gurgled into my gag that Akrith didn’t know that Cerys couldn’t have children. She would insist that my fellow humanhorse also took drank this potion, and as she didn’t speak Egrin how could she tell Akrith, even if she wasn’t gagged?

The more urgent noises I made the more Cerys found it amusing and the more Akrith glared at me and responded by using the whip on me. As it turned out I needn’t have worried for Cerys.

The next village was no more than what I would call a couple of miles away. It was the usual collection of ramshackle houses and lean-to sheds, filled with the stench of Egrin waste. Whatever other parts of the planet did for architecture it had to be better than these witless creatures managed, I thought not for the thousandth time as I looked at the bleak hovels they called homes. The male and female villagers stared at us but word had spread of our performances and already they were nudging each other in expectation and pointing as Cerys and I hauled the wagon into the village square, sweat rolling down our tired bodies.