Chapter 3

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 today. 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.