Chapter 12

Sirinna led her two charges back around the side of their shared quarters, down the path to the shore, passing the small strip of beach past Sirinna's window. They continued around and past the ridge outside Amanda's bedchamber, and finally to a small, sheltered niche formed between the outside walls of Amanda's and Tanyee's bedchambers. It was turned away from the sea, though the constant, low roar of the waves could still be heard, and was protected from the path that ran from the door up towards the Healer's office by lush foliage.

Here inside this niche lay a deep, bowl-shaped depression in the ground, filled with water that gently steamed. A small spring in the center bubbled the surface of the water with a low gurgling sound, sending ripples that causes little splashes against the edges of the pool. Both the canopies of palm trees and the roof overhang from the building itself provided complete shade from the sun, and the curving shape of the walls channeled whatever little breeze was in the air to this spot.

"This should do," Sirinna said with a smile.

Amanda sighed. It was clear to her now that privacy was a relative term at the Manor. It was private only in the sense that it was not open to anyone that walked by, and she assumed that one would not approach without being invited. However, she had hoped for something a little more traditional, such as something indoors.

"Well, it will have to do," Sirinna said, noticing Amanda's reaction.

"No, it's fine. Sorry, Sirinna, don't mind me, it's been a really trying day."

"It's all right, I understand." Sirinna did not actually completely understand, but she truly wished things to be as pleasant for Amanda as possible. She clung to the hope that Amanda might yet decide to stay, and anything she could do to make her more comfortable was worth any inconvenience. Or breaking with tradition.

She stepped over to Tanyee and began to remove her restraints. "I'm going to leave you two to bathe here."

"You're not joining us, Sirinna?" Amanda asked, sounding disappointed.

Sirinna finished removing Tanyee's cuffs before turning and smiling affectionately at Amanda, lighting caressing the girl's cheek. "Well, you said you were interested in bathing only. If I stay, I may be tempted to initiate something a little more than that with you."

Amanda smiled, blushing lightly, feeling a small spark of desire at Sirinna's words. For a moment, she was tempted, but she truly needed to just get clean and try to relax. "Maybe later," she said in a lower voice. "When I'm not aching as much down there anymore."

Sirinna nodded and played with a lock of Amanda's hair for a moment before turning back to Tanyee. "Now, Tanyee, I expect you to head straight to your bedchamber when you are done." To Amanda's initial surprise, Sirinna unlocked and removed the collar and chain from Tanyee. After a moment's thought, it made sense to her; naturally Tanyee could not bathe with a leather collar and a metal chain with her in the water.

"Yes, mistress," Tanyee said, smiling slightly. She rubbed briefly at her neck, silently grateful for the momentary respite from the symbol of her punishment. She truly hoped her retraining would not last much longer. She was anxious to show both Sirinna and Roquan that she was indeed still a good slave.

"I will bathe with the others and return after to re-collar you. Normally I would just ask another Trainee to do it, but where I do not have another, I will put you on your honor. I know I can trust you."

Tanyee's smile widened at the praise. "Yes, of course, mistress."

Amanda was grateful Sirinna did not consider asking her. She would have been far too uncomfortable doing such a thing. She glanced at the items in Sirinna's hand, and a question that had nagged at her came to mind. "Sirinna, just where do you carry the key for that when you're naked?"

"It doesn't have a physical key," Sirinna explained, showing the lock to her more closely. No keyhole was apparent. "See? It's keyed magically to Trainers and the Overlord." She snapped the lock closed, then squeezed it between two fingers. After a few seconds, it popped open. She paused, then locked it again, and thrust it towards Amanda. "Here, you try."

Amanda blinked in surprise and nearly recoiled, but then tentatively grasped the lock. She squeezed it as she saw Sirinna do, but nothing happened. She tried it again, tugging at it this time, but it remained locked. Sirinna was about to pull the collar back when Amanda decided to try a third time.

As soon as she placed pressure on the lock, there was a crackle, and Amanda uttered a yelp as something sparked against her fingers, and she yanked her hand away. It was like a static shock from touching a doorknob after walking across a carpet.

"Sorry," Sirinna said sheepishly. "I should have warned you about that. Try to tamper with it three times and it gives you that little jolt."

"I noticed," Amanda said sourly, shaking her hand, a small lingering pins-and-needles sensation in her fingers.

Sirinna set the collar and chain aside. "Please, if you would, take these back inside with you when you two are done. You don't have to try and put it on her yourself."

"Good," Amanda declared defiantly. Yet the fact that Sirinna had used the word "please" finally when requesting something of her was not lost on her. In a softer voice she added, "But I'll make sure I take them inside and put them in Tanyee's bedchamber."

"And take your time and enjoy yourselves. I don't have any more training planned for Tanyee for the afternoon."

"Thank you, mistress," Tanyee said just before Sirinna turned and left.

Amanda watched until Sirinna had disappeared from view around the side of the building. Amanda experienced a twinge of conscience. Her time was limited on this world now, and Sirinna likely wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, or at least Amanda hoped that was the case. Now she felt like she had just driven Sirinna away. It was not like her pussy ached that much, anyway.

She turned around just as Tanyee slipped her lithe body into the water, easing herself down and sighing with pleasure as she settled down against the side of the pool, the water coming to just short of shoulder-level. "Please, join me, Amanda. It really is quite nice."

Amanda stepped up to the side of the pool, feeling the steam warm and wet against her skin. She dropped to a knee and tentatively tested the water with her hand. It was just pleasantly warm, and decidedly cooler than the tropical heat of the day. As she splashed the water with her hand, a few small suds appeared, but were dissipated by the churning water soon after she extracted her hand.

Amanda hesitated just a moment longer, feeling oddly embarrassed. Even though she had been going about nude all morning, somehow the act of bathing seemed more intimate to her than just walking. Nevertheless, it looked too inviting, and she overcame her reluctance and carefully lowered herself into the pool.

The water felt delightful against her skin as her body slid further into it, the spring in the middle stirring currents in the water that felt soothing against her muscles and joints. The sides of the pool had been polished, so despite being carved from rock, it felt comfortable against her body. As she lay against the side, she found that the contours fit her body very well.

"Actually, this is rather nice," Amanda said with a small smile. Under the water, she waved her hands back and forth, and then rubbed them against each other, the stickiness quickly washing off. More suds bubbled to the surface. She drew her foot up to her body and scrubbed it as well. She uttered a relaxed sigh. "That's much better."

More suds appeared on the surface. This time, as the water churned, they began to multiply, quickly forming a thin layer of bubbly froth that began to circulate around the perimeter of the pool.

"Amanda, I'm curious," Tanyee said. "You remember your homeworld, right?"

"Yes, I do. I was never given the Draught."

"Do they not have baths like this back on your world?"

"Oh... well, they do, but most people bathe in private. By themselves."

Tanyee nodded slowly. "That's rather odd, isn't it?"

"In what way?"

"Well, isn't it easier when you have two people, so you can help each other wash?"

Amanda's cheeks colored slightly. "Uh, I suppose you have a point," she said in a low voice.

Tanyee smiled and lifted herself from her spot opposite Amanda. She splashed through the water around the edge, the growing suds swirling around her, smelling faintly of lavender and spice. "Don't worry, I know you're just interested in bathing."

Amanda nodded. She glanced around her, noticing the thickening, bubbly suds around her. "Did you put any soap in?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing. Perhaps Sirinna did."

Amanda thought she would have seen Sirinna do such a thing. She did not even recall Sirinna carrying anything. "I guess it doesn't matter."

Tanyee settled down next to Amanda, splashing the water with her hands, making the foam thick and plentiful. The water currents stirred and streamed the suds towards them, where it clung to their bodies. Tanyee lifted one of her slim, smooth legs from the water. She scooped up some of the suds and spread then over her skin, moving with slow, sensual movements.

Amanda stared at this for a few moments, mesmerized, the water feeling a little warmer against her body than it was when she first entered. Tanyee finished soaping her leg and lowered it back into the water, causing Amanda to blink as she realized what she had been doing, a blush rising to her cheeks.

"Something wrong?" Tanyee asked innocently.

"Uh... n-no, not at all," Amanda said, her voice shaky. She swallowed and turned her gaze away. She repeated what Tanyee had done, though in a more clumsy and hurried manner. She risked a sideways glance towards Tanyee, and found Tanyee watching her now as well.

"So, um," Tanyee said, her own voice sounding a bit strained. "Are things really different back on your world?"

"Very different. We... we don't have slavery, for one."

"That I think I knew." Tanyee paused to wash her other leg, Amanda doing her best not to look. Nevertheless, she stole furtive glances out of the corner of her eyes. Tanyee's gaze continually drifted to Amanda as well, watching as the girl's hands slid over glistening skin. "I remember someone mentioning that only Narlass really had it, at least in this way."

Amanda wanted to retort that her world had had the sense to get rid of slavery, but she knew that her world's version was totally different from Narlass. It was not a fair comparison. "Certainly we don't have magic on our world."

Tanyee nodded. "I think I knew that, too."

She lapsed into silence, lingering a bit over the other leg, as if trying to attract attention to herself. Amanda had quickly finished with her own, and now shifted her eyes to Tanyee. Her body felt very warm now, her cheeks burning at the fleeting thoughts that passed through her mind. The ache in her pussy had started to abate under the soothing waters, but now surged back with a subtly different feeling too it.

Tanyee finally dropped her leg back into the water. She looked back to Amanda with a mildly disappointed look, her eyes searching and wanting.

Amanda felt uncomfortable under that gaze, even as she returned a similar one. She desperately tried to make some sense out of her thoughts. Failing this, she instead attempted to return to their conversation. "About... a-about magic..."

Tanyee appeared to pause, then blink rapidly a few times. "Oh, um, yes. I don't know that much about it, though."

"Is Narlass the only world to have it?"

"I think so. I'm not sure."

"Well, they must be," Amanda said adamantly. "If they're the only ones running around taking people from other worlds."

Tanyee rose to her knees, water running from her body. Her breasts rose up above the water, shiny with the soapy water. "I guess you're right about that," she said absently. She scooped up two large, shimmering globs of the suds in her hands.

"I hope I am." Amanda could not bear the thought of more places like Narlass plucking people from hapless worlds purely because they had magic and could wield it and their victims could not. She drew herself up in the water, trying hard to keep her mind focused. Her breasts rose partially above the water, the nipples firm and erect despite the warmth of the water. "I think it's bad enough that Narlass does this, I... I... what... what are you doing?"

Tanyee's hands were moving purposefully over and around her own breasts, cupping them in her fingers, squeezing the wet and soft flesh, slowly spreading slick suds around and under them. "Washing myself," she said in a husky voice. "What else?"

Amanda stared, the ache in her sex growing, her body trembling. She heard Tanyee panting lightly, her nipples also quite prominently erect. Tanyee appeared to linger over these, rubbing them with her soapy fingers, uttered a very soft moan.

"Stop that," Amanda admonished in a weak voice.

Tanyee paused. "What?"

"What y-you're doing," Amanda said, her own voice low and husky. "Stop it."

Tanyee paused, then reluctantly lowered her hands. Amanda continued to stare at Tanyee's breasts for another few moments before finally forcing herself to turn away.

"It's your turn."

"Huh?"

"Your turn. Wash yourself." Tanyee paused. "Wash your breasts."

Amanda tried to protest, but her mouth opened with no words coming to mind to send past her lips. She closed it again, mystified at what was happening to her.

"Would you like me to do it instead?" Tanyee asked hopefully.

"No!" Amanda snapped, though her voice was weak. She swiped some suds from the water around her and began haphazardly spreading them over her petite orbs. "I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself."

Amanda had intended to finish as soon as possible, touching herself only long enough to soap down her breasts and call it good. It was not long before she abandoned this plan, her quick and rough movements slowing, fingers moving with greater care and purpose. She lifted her breasts in her palms, lightly squeezing her fingers around them, feeling her flesh yield and slide under her touch. Her fingers brushed her nipples, then lingered, stroking them until she was panting lightly as well.