Chapter 2

Serino awoke first, and watched for long moments as Alicia slept in his arms. Finally, after perhaps half an hour of his patient observation, her eyes fluttered open and she smiled warmly at the young man. "Good morrow, Serino," she said.

He just kissed her, choosing not to speak. Alicia responded eagerly, returning the passionate kiss with equal fervor. "I'm truly a bit sore down there this morning," Alicia announced as their lips parted. "You'll have to go a little easier on me, next time."

A tiny smile on the young man's beautiful features was the only reply she received.

Serino slid out of the bed and started dressing. "I must get back to Emilio, he'll be setting up his stall soon."

Alicia's hand trailed after the boy as he stood up and dressed in his loose-fitting pants and equally loose shirt. They looked, for all the world, like hand-me-downs, a common enough sight. "I can't wait for tonight, stud," she praised as she sat up.

A broad grin formed on his lips. "Me either, lover," he said and kissed her, roughly, his fingers twining into her long, blond hair and pressing her lips against his with considerable force.

Their lips parted and he left the room, walking with a noticeable strut in his step.

Alicia soon rose and cleaned up the room, taking care to put the wig and dress in a small linen sack. She then dressed and slipped from the room, herself, headed back for the ship.

"Ah, there you are, lad," said Emilio as Serino walked up the gangplank.

The young man smiled eagerly. "What am I to do?" he asked, trying to show a willingness to work.

"Well, actually," said Emilio, smiling at the youth apologetically, "I need you to dress like a girl."

Serino blinked at the merchant. "What?" he asked.

"We need to drum up a bit of business," said the Merchant. "We have our younger lads dress as girls and tell buyers at other stalls about how much better and lower priced our goods are."

"I don't kno..." started the young man.

Emilio smiled again. "Look, it's not so bad, and spares you the hard work of setting up the tent and laying out the goods," he said. "We can't be seen together after you change."

The young man lowered his eyes. "Yes, sir," he said, sulkily.

"Come, lad. It'll be fine," said Emilio. "Think of it as acting, like on stage."

A weak smile formed on the boy's lips. "I'd rather play a man, really," he said.

"Well, today you'll be a girl," said Emilio, his voice stern and he handed the young man a small sack. Serino looked down into it, there was a brown wig with very long hair, almost as long as Serina had possessed once. There was also a long dress.

Emilio started pushing his hand cart down the gangplank, with the aid of a half dozen sailors, to keep it rolling down and across the dock, then into the bay.

The young man walked down the stairs to his cabin slowly, almost dejectedly. There was laughter from Guisippe's room, the sound of Ruglio's voice carried outward. "I swear, Guisippe, if you were much prettier, I'd roger you!"

Guisippe's voice rose then, also full of mirth and humor. "If you were any uglier, I'd roger me, too."

There were muffled sounds of scuffling after that. A smile formed on the young man's lips, and his mood improved. If his friends could do this thing, so could he.

He walked into the room and pulled the wig and dress from the sack. The dress was one of those long, cumbersome affairs with lots of frills. A 'going to market' dress, if ever Serino had seen one.

He stripped down and looked at the wig, his lips twisting with distaste. It was obviously used, and full of rats' nests and tangles. Not much for it, perhaps he could comb it out, he thought.

With a clumsy motion, he flipped the wig over his head, settling the mesh on the underside atop his short hair.

Serina then turned and lifted the dress, noting the pretty flower print that had been stenciled upon the cloth. "Not too bad," she said, slipping the dress over her head and settling it into place. It had draw-strings in the back that let her pull the bodice tight about her middle and chest.

She didn't really notice how she had pulled it tight, and how form-fitting it had become. A few more adjustments to how it sat and rode, and she began the slow task of untangling her long hair. She eventually dragged a brush from amid her belongings and began wrestling it through her hair.

Soon, she felt she was presentable, giving herself one last look-over. She opened the door, to find Guisippe and Ruglio emerging from their stateroom, as well. Ruglio stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "Damn, Guisippe, I believe he's prettier than even you," the younger boy said, appraising her. He reached out with one hand, toward her breasts, his fingers moving as if to grab.

Serina slapped his hand down. "I just got those looking right, don't you go messing them up," she said, in her natural voice.

Both of the lads looked at her. "Wow, you're good," said Guisippe, grinning. "That voice is damn well perfect." Ruglio nodded in agreement.

The three of them ascended the stairs, with the two young men swishing their behinds broadly from side to side. Ruglio so pronouncedly that his hip banged against the handrail with each step. "You're overdoing it a bit, there," she hissed. When Ruglio turned to grin at her, she returned the smile and he looked at her for a long moment.

"Be damned if you don't make a pretty fair girl," grunted Ruglio, shaking his head. "If not for your bedding Alicia, I'd worry to have you behind me."

She forced her voice deeper and reached out a hand to smack the boy in the back of the head. "Keep your horny eyes to yourself, I surely don't want me entering your mind when you grease your pole," she said, then added, "forty strokes," for good measure.

There were catcalls and jeers from the other sailors as the young men walked to the gangplank and a couple of them even reached out to grab a rump in passing. Serina, as the other boys did, just laughed and slapped at the hands groping her, and they headed off the ship.

Serina found she had a knack for dropping hints to potential customers about the quality and prices to be found at Emilio's stall. She plied the crowd, speaking a line here, dropping a reference there, and even directly stopping people who seemed to have just grown disgusted with one merchant or another who had products similar to Emilio's this trip.

Most of Emilio's goods, at least now, were Ghantian-made tinworks. Pans, hinges, nails, utensils, and other little goods made of cheap pot metal. He had some higher-grade goods, as well, which she was sure to point out to the more discerning customers.

She stopped to rest her feet for a few moments, and Ruglio plopped down beside her with a loud sigh. "These girl's shoes are killing me," he said, rubbing at his feet. "I don't know how you're not in agony, this is the first time I've seen you sitting."

Sarina shrugged, adopting a bit of the boy's mannerisms automatically. "Maybe it's those great lumps you call feet, they're a bit big for a woman's shoes."

Ruglio gave her a grin. "Well, you know, big feet..." he said.

"I've seen your prod, Ruglio, and it should be twice that size if your feet made a difference," she said.

"Aye," said Alicia's voice from behind them, "and Serino, here, should have feet so big he can't find a shoe." She had been sitting behind them, facing away and Serina had not even seen her. She was wearing subdued clothes again, as she was wont to do in port.

Serina smiled back at her. "If I weren't dressed as a girl, I'd kiss you, my dear," she said.

Alicia returned the grin. "I understand, my love," she replied. "I'll just get two later."

The rest of the day passed and she went to help Emilio pack up. He was grinning. "Good job, he said, very good."

She looked at his goods, and there was not really much to pack, he had sold much of it. "Thank you, Emilio," she said.

"I did so well, I'll let you have a free day tomorrow, unless you wish to accompany me to do some buying," he said, beaming at her. "Come to think of it, it might do you good, lad," he added.

They returned to the ship, where Ruglio and Guissipe were waiting in her cabin. They had managed to sneak a bottle of wine and were passing it back and forth. She walked in and sat on the small chair and took a pull from the bottle. "I can't stand this," said Guissipe, pulling the heavy skirt off. He was nude beneath it and Serina found her eyes drifting time and again to his organ, hanging there limply between his legs.

She wondered just how large it would become when he was aroused, but bit her lip to keep from smiling at the thought of how it had felt warm in her hand. She pulled her wig off, thinking it better if they did not think she was staying totally dressed.

An hour later, after much ribbing and picking, Serino chased the other boys from his cabin, calling mild insults after them. All three were a bit tipsy, but they were staying in port and had a free evening again.

He pushed his door shut and changed into his normal clothes.

Alicia begged off this night, as she had matters to tend, and would, if they stayed another night in port, get them a room again. Serino kissed her and said it was okay, and he would just go out with the other lads.

The three boys left the ship an hour later and made for a bar toward the end of the warfs, called the Silver Cord, a place frequented by both townsfolk and sailors, but reasonably quiet. "They've good music there, too, the innkeeper is a fair fiddler," said Ruglio. "Dancing almost every night."

Serino and Guissippe blinked at one another and both exchanged the thought of Ruglio dancing. That, alone, was worth the trouble of walking the whole length of the port.

When they got there, Ruglio was as good as his word. It was a nice little place, and the music was well-played, though there were long breaks between each song as the innkeeper tended his business. It was, otherwise, a quiet establishment, not lending itself by either size or atmosphere to rowdiness or trouble.

After they had mocked Ruglio one time too many on his dancing, Guissippe and Serino were obliged to dance to prove they had the right. Guissippe nudged Serino in the ribs. "That young woman over there, with the yellow hair, she's been eyeing you for over an hour, go ask her."

Serino looked and nodded. "I think I will, she's pretty," he said, standing. Guissippe stood a the same time and moved off toward a small knot of three girls, sure one would accept his invite.

The girl smiled as Serino approached. He bowed slightly and held out a hand. "My name is Serino, and I would dance with a beautiful maiden on this night, if she would grant me her favor," he said.

Her face lit up brightly at those words and she held out a hand, allowing herself to be lifted from the chair. "I am Aphilia," she said, "and I would be delighted, you silver tongued Rojando." The Innkeeper began playing "By the Moonlight", a slow song, using his fiddle as an impromptu violin.

They moved onto the floor and Aphilia pressed close to him. "You dance well," she said, looking up at him from a few inches away. "I'm glad you asked me to dance, I was hoping you would."

Serino gave her a smile and pulled her a little tighter to him. "I was trying to work up the courage to ask you," he said. "I get tongue tied around pretty women."

Aphilia blushed slightly and looked up at him through her feathery bangs. "I wouldn't have thought that from your very effective introductory words," she said.

He turned her about allowing her to spin out to full extension, then reeled her back in. "I had a whole hour to think on what to say," he said.

"You don't seem to have any trouble finding what to say, Serino Silvertongue," she replied as she pressed into him, far more forcefully than the dance demanded. He took that as an invite to let one hand stray from the small of her back and onto her skirt-clad backside a bit. Aphilia did not protest the change in touch.

The dance ended and the innkeeper left the little platform to serve out drinks and collect tabs due. "Serino, would you like to go for a walk, I feel the need for fresh air," she said, taking his hand.

Serino looked toward where Ruglio and Guissippe were sitting now with two other girls, the four of them laughing and seeming to have a merry time. "Sure," he said, giving Aphilia his arm and escorting her out the door onto the darkened warfs.

"You're with the merchants, then?" asked the golden haired girl as they walked down the planks, sanded smooth by thousands of feet.

"Yes," replied Serino, smiling and patting her hand which stroked his wrist. "I am an apprentice to a merchant."

The smile was returned to him. "You've very soft hands, Serino, I knew you weren't a sailor," she said, running her cool fingertips over Serino's own. "Your fingers are slender, too, like a musician's."

The young Rojando walked a few moments before saying anything in return. "I've played a few notes on a flute," he said.

She smiled wider. "I knew you played something," she said.

"And you?" he asked, looking down at the girl. "What is your tale?"

"Not much to tell, really," replied Aphilia, her blue eyes flashing in the darkness from reflected torchlight on the warf's edge. "I am the daughter of a farmer, and little more, really."

"No shame in that, Aphilia," said Serino, a twinge of something odd moving through him. "And you simply enjoy the dancing?" he asked.

Aphilia sighed deeply, then turned to Serino. "I must tell you, for it would be wrong for me to do otherwise," she said. Her expression was earnest and somewhat fearful. "I am to wed on the morrow."

Serino blinked. "Oh," he said.

"I was out to enjoy a last evening as a free woman," continued Aphilia in a rush of words. "Cravio is a good man, a good boy. But I wanted one last night out and to have a bit of - well - wildness - before becoming a farmer's wife."

Serino felt the shudder again, and his voice held a quaver when he spoke. "I understand," he said. "I will try to make the night memorable, then." He smiled at her, forcing it onto his lips. "What would you like to do, to make the night memorable?"

Aphilia widened her eyes. "I'll not name one thing which my wicked mind calls forth," she said. "Tempting as that might be." Her eyes moved over Serino, like she was appraising him. "However, will you sing to me, in Rojando?"

A long moment passed as Serino thought about her words, then nodded. "I will try, though I'm not much of a singer, really," he said.

They walked further along the docks and were now passing military vessels, moored and mostly unmanned, save for guards, who stood on the deck near the gangplanks, warming themselves by braziers.

He started singing, beginning in a low, quiet voice, but this song demanded no other kind at first. It was a song that Serino had learned as "The River Mourns Her", a sad song of love that could not be, and ended in tragedy, an ancient tale told many times in many places. In it's native Rojando, it still held a sadness of tone and melody that made Aphilia's eyes water and tears flowed by the end of it.

"I didn't mean to make you weep," said Serino after he sang the last bars of the song.

Aphilia shook her head. "It was wondrous," she said. "Your voice is beautiful when you sing."

Serino found the girl pressed to him, kissing him full on the lips. The girl clung to him with a force that drove the wind from his lungs and would surely bruise his lips.

"I'm so afraid, Serino," she said, breaking into tears and putting her head to his chest, though he was not truly much taller than she. "I fear the morrow, and the binding."

"You act as if you've known the lad all his life, though, surely..." started Serino.

She shook her head. "It's not that, he IS a good man, I know it, but I fear the things he will expect of me after the marriage."

"You mean loving?" he asked.

A rich blush suffused Aphilia's cheeks. "Yes," she said. "I fear it will hurt, or I will do it wrongly."

Serino took her face in his hands. "Just give the lad the passion you just kissed me with and I promise you, you will not do poorly, or even less than wonderfully," he said.

Aphilia looked down. "As you say, but you did not get aroused by that kiss," she said. Their hips were still pressed together and, surely, the girl did not feel any response from his nether region.

"I am jaded," said Serino. "It takes a girl more effort than a kiss and hug to rouse me."

The farmgirl gave him another wicked grin. "And what would it take, Rojando?" she asked.

"More than I will ask a woman on the night before her marriage," he said. Stepping back from her. "You and he will be together forever, and I'll not interpose myself on such a thing."

She blinked after him as he stepped further away. "Such honor," she said, stepping closer again. "If you would have me, I would allow it, you are such a wonder to find on this night of all."

Serino took her hand and began walking her down the warfs, toward the more populated commercial docks. "Such is an honor beyond that which I deserve," he said. "Save that for the man pledging himself to you forever, not a lad who seeks only a night's enjoyment. A girl like you is far too precious for that."

"The more you talk the more I desire to give myself to you," said Aphilia. "You should stop while I still have the will to not pounce upon you."

"Walk with me," said Serino. "I will still my tongue and we will enjoy a last night of your freedom, before a lifetime of satisfaction as a good wife."

They did just that, walking until the moon was high in the sky and the taverns along the dock began to discharge their drunken lingerers. They were near the Silver Cord, where they had begun the night, when the two other young ladies came running up.

"We worried for you, Aphilia," said the first. "But Ruglio said that Serino was honorable and you were perfectly safe."

She gave Serino a long look. "I was only unsafe in my own heart, Cicilia," she said. "Serino was a utter gentleman."

They parted with a chaste kiss on the cheek from Aphilia, though Cicilia gave Ruglio a much warmer gift upon parting.

As the three girls moved off toward the main bulk of the town, Aphilia looked over her shoulder several times, and waved at the last before they were lost around a corner.

"Well, Serino," said Guissippe, "we find that not only Alicia finds you irresistable." He put a hand on Serino's shoulder and squeezed.

"We just walked," said Serino. "She is to wed tomorrow." His voice was little more than a whisper as he stared at the street the girls had disappeared down.

"All the more reason to get a fling in quickly, just to have had one, if for nothing else," said Ruglio.

"Ruglio," said Serino, "you have much to learn of girls."

The three boys started for the Queen, each leaning on the other and laughing. "Who is the one who got the real kiss, hmm?" asked Ruglio, laughing. "You barely got a cheek warmed."

"What would you say if I said that Aphilia offered me her innocence?" asked Serino, looking askance at the boisterous young man.

"I would say you're full of bilge, I would," said Ruglio.

They turned onto the dock where the Queen lay moored and Ruglio turned to Serino. "She didn't did she?" he asked.

"No, Ruglio, I was just having fun with you," replied Serino and laughed, putting a hand on each other boy's shoulders and leading them up the gangplank, past Roric, the sailor on port watch.

Roric's hand shot out and grabbed Serino as he walked past, causing him to stagger to a stop. All three young men turned to regard the middle aged sailor, who released Serino and smiled. "Good work, lad," he said. "You've got a lord's blood in those veins, from what I saw."

"Thanks," said Serino, blinking, but coming to a natural smile. "I try."

The three lads went belowdecks and Ruglio and Guissippe peered past Serino as he went into his cabin, hoping to catch a glimpse of Alicia. The room was dark, however, and they could not tell for sure. He closed the door behind him and leaned back. "Are you here, Alicia?" he asked.

There was no reply and he sighed. It was late, and a perfect time for a quick bath. In the wee hours, there wold be no one else.

Gathering up his bathing supplies, namely a towel, rag, and back brush, he headed for the bathing room, near the aft end of the ship.

It was dark within, but light poured in through the window, enough to see, at least general outlines of the walls and the surface of the water. Serino pulled off his shirt then pants and Serina slipped into the water. It was still somewhat warm. Clever vents and baffles carried heat from the cookfire past the bathing tub, or a portion of it, to keep the water warm, if not hot, when the cook was truly cooking.

A deep masculine voice came from the other side of the tub. "I usually come this late to be alone," he said. "Who's that, anyway?"

"It's me," said Serina, trying to sound masculine, "Serino."

"Ah, well, then, nice to finally meet you, even if in the dark, and in the bath," she heard water splash and reached out a hand, finding another in the darkness before her. The fingers were thick and strong, one of the sailors. "I'm called 'Stalker' by the other ship hands." he said, "on account of I like to go hunting when we put in for more than a day or two."

She laughed nervously. "I was rather expecting to be alone, too," she said, "I'm new to bathing where others might be."

Stalker returned the laugh. "I understand that, it took me a long while to get used to other men in the bath," he said.

Out on the deck, the gangplank guard moved, carrying the lantern with him and the light shifted around the room a bit. She could now see the sailor's face in the dimness. He was huge. She had seen him before as he worked on the deck and even in the rigging, and always wondered how such a massive man could move amid the ropes so well.

He was sitting on the top tier of the several steps of the bath and shaving his head. "You shave in the dark?" she asked, almost forgetting to deepen her voice. As it was, it simply sounded like surprise.

"I can feel the hairs easy enough, and it's not like there's anything to run into with the razor on top of my head," he replied.

Serina's eyes were drawn down to where a patch of almost pure light landed in his lap. His organ lay across his leg, quite literally, it must have been over three hands long and massively thick.

She found her eyes could not prize themselves from that organ, and she slipped deeper into the water, in case he could see in return.

"You're a quiet one," said Stalker. "If you would rather I shut up?"

"No, not at all," said Serina, "I'm just deep in thought, I had a busy day."

Stalker laughed again. "I saw the three of you in those girls' get ups," he said. "You three looked just like boys dressed as girls."

Serina forced a laugh to join in his chuckling. "Yeah, we probably did," she agreed.

"We had a girl merchant on the ship once," said Stalker, "a really pretty one."

"Oh?" asked Serina.

"Yeah, she was a beauty, too, tall and slender, with long legs," she could see his teeth flash in the dim light. "Her hair was long, almost to her waist, and she had the softest hands."

Serina blinked at the darkness. "Soft hands?" she asked.

"Yeah, we were lovers for a very short while, she was something," she could hear his eyes grow distant with memory. "Soft hands and a body that writhed like a snake."

With a start, Serina realized she was staring at his prick again. It no longer lay across his leg, but stood upright with an arousing memory. It reached well past the big man's belly button and had grown even thicker.

Stalker must have thought it unseen, as his hand was touching the head and shaft lightly. Serina wondered what it would feel like to touch the organ. Her own stomach and lower, was full of odd sensations and warmth.

She found sailors were far more forward than she would have thought. "Look, Serino, I'll tell you so you can leave, but I come here to pleasure myself before bed, too," he said. "Just a warning, since some people are bothered by it, and some aren't."

"I don't mind," she found herself saying, automatically.

"Thanks," he said and she watched as his hand went around the thick shaft and began stroking it in long, slow motions. "I'll not get it in the water."

"Get what in the water?" she asked before she thought.

There was a momentary pause in his stroking. "You can't tell me you don't know," he said. "I've heard you and Alicia have already made fond company."

She stammered a moment. "Oh, spend," she said. "Not spend into the water. I see, yeah, thanks for that." She felt her cheeks redden in the dark to the point she was sure he could see them glowing.

He continued the slow stroking, though he did seem to be speeding up. His breathing became a bit ragged as he went on. She had to force herself to breathe normally, as she could hear her own growing ragged itself.

A tiny moan escaped her lips as she blinked and looked over at him. She had forgotten herself for a moment, and had a finger rubbing over her own privates, timing her motions with Stalker's stroking on his cock.

"You, too, hmm?" asked Stalker, grinning at the darkness. "I suppose it saves on chit chat."

She forced herself to stay silent but her finger did not leave her clit, rubbing faster and harder even as his fist moved up and down his cock faster and with more urgent motions.

He grunted as he climaxed and she saw semen shoot up onto his belly and chest. She had not imagined it came forth with such force and was quite wide eyed, staring.

After three long, ropy jets came out, his stroking slowed. "Damn, I needed that," he said, picking up a rag and wiping himself clean. He rinsed the rag in a small bucket of water and climbed out of the pool. "I'll leave you to your end of it, lad," he said and walked out of the bathing room.

She finished her bathing, her mind thinking on the ivory phallus in her room. It was not nearly as large as Stalker's cock had been, but it would work, wouldn't it?

Serina could not chance being seen by another crewman in the lit corridor, even at this hour, and dressed, pulling on pants and a shirt. Just as well, as Serino passed two sailors, drunk, but still conscious, when he went to his room.

Emilio let him sleep in the next day, not waking him until almost three bells past dawn. "Come on, lad," he said, "we've supplies to go buy, those folks almost cleaned me out yesterday."

Serino staggered out of bed, blinking and rubbing his eyes. "Well, at least I can wear my normal clothes today, then," he said and was rewarded by Emilio's chuckling outside.

"You can wear the dress, but some of the crew might think you want a change in how they look at you," said Emilio as he walked down the corridor.

Walking onto the sun drenched deck, it took Serino a moment to figure out what was wrong. It was sunny, not threatening to rain, which it had been the last two days. Emilio had hooked the old mule, Lump, to the harness of his little cart and was waiting for Serino. "Come on boy, time's wasting," he yelled.

Their first stop was a place which traded in leather goods. As the two merchants haggled with one another, yelling, cursing, and accusing each other of everything short of worship of the Dark One, Serino looked about the place. He nosed into the bins of raw leather and at the drying racks for recently dyed goods.

A slight person caught his eye. It was a girl, she was shorter than Serino by almost a head, and moved back out of sight as Serino looked. He saw a large, slanted and silver eye returning his gaze from behind the next rack.

Serino tried a smile and said a friendly hello. The girl smiled back and Serino felt his heart twist almost full around in his chest. She was beautiful beyond words and he found himself not breathing.

An elf.

When he felt his muscles unlock, he moved quickly to the end of the racks and came around to the next. She backed up a step, looking a little nervous, but not quite running. "Sorry," he said, whispering, as if afraid he would startle her speaking normally. "I just wanted to say hello."

She put one leg forth and bowed at the waist until her upper body was pressed to that outstretched leg, her arms crossed over her chest and she said, "Greetings, I am called Evethlis," she said.

He watched her bow and tried to give one in return, Rojando style. He knelt until one knee touched the floor and he pressed one fist to the floor while putting his right hand over his heart. "Serino Del Vago," he said, "at your service, milady."

She giggled at that, though it was not mocking, but pleased. "Well met, Serino," she said. He liked the sound of her laughter and the look of her eyes when they sparkled silver, glittering at him.