Making Camp in the Forest – 3B-DT

Chapter 3 – Getting Underway (continued)

“We might as well keep going.” Kaylen decided, “And if we find a good camp site we can stop, otherwise we should probably try to reach the village if we can.”

They all agreed as they returned to the horses, “Any other injuries aside from Ursa’s arms?” He asked before most of them could mount up.

“Gryla tackled me to the ground, but my armor took the impact.” Lyria explained, raising the visor of her helm.

“Do you two want to have Alanthea take a look at you once we’re stopped?” He continued.

“I should be okay, but it doesn’t hurt to let her look.” Lyria agreed.

“I’m fine, your heal did the job.” Ursa added.

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you.” Kaylen nodded and then vaulted into the saddle of his stallion once more.

With the sun set, and the sky shrouded by the tree canopy, the light was fading quickly. But Alayni still spotted a clearing next to a leaning boulder about 30 yards off the road before full dark. They quickly moved into that partial shelter and set up some canvas tents as makeshift awnings in case of rain.

Armor started coming off as Kaylen and Ursa gathered some firewood, and Kaylen lit a fire with a muttered incantation while Alanthea watched with large avid eyes. They did what they could to ensure the light of their fire wouldn’t travel far, keeping it behind some of the canvas, with the smoke able to escape around the top of the boulder.

The girls were all choosing their spots, with Lyria’s bedroll near one end of their shelter as she motioned for Alanthea to approach. Then she sat facing away from the group as the priestess examined her for potential injuries she may not have felt earlier. Kaylen averted his gaze when the pale-haired healer had to lift Lyria’s tunic to expose her back.

“You want some privacy?” Alayni asked, having noticed him turning away.

“Privacy for me, or from me?” He asked with a chuckle.

“Both, I guess. There’s a little nook over there, where the boulder is cracked.” She pointed to a spot just past where the earth had mounded up, and sure enough there was a space where if he laid down, he’d be fairly well protected from direct line of sight. Alayni had already removed her armor, and Kaylen couldn’t help but appreciate the curvy – almost plump – figure that had been revealed. She’d let her hair down as well, with her dark curls framing her dimpled face. “It might get a bit cold though. So I guess some of us might want to double up?”

“If you need a bed mate, I’m usually pretty warm.” Janel piped up, raising a hand to make sure she had Kaylen’s attention. She’d been sitting with Dinnae not to far from the fire. He guessed there wasn’t enough space to hold a private conversation in their makeshift shelter, not that any of the girls seemed bothered by that fact.

Alayni chuckled, “Well, that’s what I get. I was going to offer myself, or suggest Alanthea and her ‘master’, but you two have fun.”

Kaylen sighed and shook his head, “Don’t you encourage her too. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to indulge that interaction.”

The brown-haired halfling chuckled and wandered off towards her pony to unpack her bedroll.

Kaylen then turned to address the kitsune, “Go ahead and gather your things, I’ll meet you over there.”

Janel nodded and turned away, blushing, to grab her bedroll from where she’d set it earlier.

Kaylen then began his rounds, first heading to where Dinnae sat. “You heard what we were discussing?” He asked.

The brown-haired girl nodded. “I am fine sharing with Alayni, if you and Janel are together.”

“I hope you two are comfortable.” He said, earning a nod in return. Then he turned as Alayni approached with her bedroll.

The brown-eyed halfling began laying out her bedroll. “I’m sure we’ll be nice and snug.” She assured him.

Kaylen nodded, and shortly moved on to where Alanthea was still knelt over his sister, who was laying face down on her bedroll, most of her torso obscured by the priestess’s body.

“Shit, Kaylen!” Lyria said when she saw him standing there.

Alanthea turned, shifting to the side to look up at Kaylen, revealing what had bothered his sister so, as she lay completely topless, her arms pulled in to her sides to cover anything he might have been able to see aside from the expanse of her bare back.

Kaylen dutifully averted his gaze, but sister or no he couldn’t deny his appreciation for the glimpse he’d gotten of his sister. “We’ve seen each other before, though admittedly we were much smaller and you had a much less impressive physique at the time.” He pointed out.

“She is sore, and I was massaging her muscles.” Alanthea explained, “Which are quite impressive, I agree.”

“Yeah, I remember playing around as kids.” His sister acknowledged. “I’m not injured, but Alanthea thought I could use some relaxing to ensure I stayed limber after getting tumbled in that fight.” She added, her voice thick with embarrassment.

“You know.” Kaylen said, turning back towards the two women, “If we’re going to be traveling together, we should probably get used to seeing a bit of skin now and then. It’s bound to happen, but doesn’t have to mean anything, right?” He met her gaze as he deliberately sat down in her line of sight. “It’s not like you have anything to be ashamed of either.”

She sighed, and her body relaxed somewhat. “You’re right. You surprised me, is all. Look your fill, I guess. I trust that you don’t mean anything unbrotherly by it.”

He glanced up at Alanthea briefly as she met his gaze and smiled shyly before returning to her previous position, her agile hands working at the knots in his sister’s surprisingly toned back. He could see a light bruise along Lyria’s ribs, but it didn’t look very fresh, so he guessed it must have been from sparring before they’d met up that morning.

“Alayni suggested that we would mostly feel more comfortable with the available space if we shared bedrolls and body heat. So she will be sleeping next to Dinnae, and while she suggested I might keep Alanthea company, I figured we probably aren’t ready for that kind of thing just yet, so Janel will be with me and you two can bunk together if you’re comfortable with that. I haven’t spoken to Ursa yet, but she seems to run a little hot, so maybe she won’t need the companionship.”

“You are right, as much as I am enjoying our relationship, I do not think I would be comfortable sharing so soon.” Alanthea agreed.

“I assume Janel volunteered to share with you?” His sister asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“She did, in fact. Beat Alayni to the punch.”

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.” She said, letting her breath out in a groan as Alanthea bore down on a particularly tense section of her back.

“Well, I should be speaking with the others. You know where to find me if you need me.” He added, getting back to his feet, and leaving the two human women to their healing.

He found Ursa a little outside the camp, sitting on the hill that led up to the top of the boulder. “I volunteered for first watch.” The half-giant explained when he took a seat next to her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked.

“I didn’t wish to interrupt you and the halfling.” She replied.

“Have you determined who is taking second watch?”

“The halfling.” She said simply.

“How about third watch?”

The half-giant shrugged, “Ask Alayni.”

Kaylen chuckled, “I guess I’ll do that. Anything I can do for you before I turn in?”

“Actually, there is something I’ve been meaning to say.” Ursa said as she turned to face him. “I’m sorry I got upset when you brought Dinnae to the group.”

“I’m not mad at you for sharing your concerns.” He replied.

“Maybe so, but Janel is right, and I shouldn’t have questioned you so fiercely, and certainly not in front of the others like I did.”

“Just so long as you respect my final decision, we’ll be fine.”

Ursa nodded, “That is fair, I will endeavor to be less confrontational in the future.”

“Sounds good, though you should probably apologize to Dinnae as well.”

“I did earlier.” She acknowledged.

“Alright.” Kaylen got to his feet and dusted off his trousers. “I still think you should have Alanthea take a look at your arms at some point.”

“I’m fine. My skin is pretty thick.”

“Well, people are doubling up for warmth. If you’d like to do the same, you can set up your bedroll next to one of the others, if you want.”

“I should be fine, but I’ll keep that in mind, if there’s room.”

“Alright. And good luck.” He said before ducking back under the tarp canopy, and making his way to the nook formed by the crack in the boulder.

There he found Janel laying on her stomach with her tails swishing back and forth above her, her uncovered ears twitched as he approached and she looked up, raising her head from her folded arms. Her sword was laid next to her bedroll with her bow and quiver propped up against the boulder next to that. He set up his bedroll next to hers before setting his staff beside it, with his knife belt and the sack with his armor next to that. Finally, he sat to remove his boots as the kitsune rose up onto her knees.

“Allow me.” She said, taking hold of his left boot as he extended his leg. She tugged it free before doing the same with the right. Then her gaze met his once more, and he could see her eyes shining in the dark.

“I’ll bet you have quite good night vision.” He observed.

She nodded, “I do. That isn’t… that’s okay, right?”

“Is there a reason it wouldn’t be?”

Her eyes flickered, glancing up and down his body sitting in front of her. “Because I can still see you really well?”

“That doesn’t bother me, so long as I can look my fill as well.”

She smiled and blushed, “What about touching?”

“It’s only fair after what you let me do earlier.” He assured her.

She shifted closer, “Do you want to lay down, or stay sitting?” She asked.

“Do you have a preference?”

“Not really.” She rose onto her knees and climbed onto his lap facing him, her legs wrapping around his waist. She smoothed a hand across his torso, feeling his chest through his tunic.

Meanwhile, he wrapped his arms loosely around her, and stroked down her back, to the base of her tails. She drew in a sharp breath and held it, looking into his eyes as he continued stroking out along her softly furred tail, closing his fingers around it as it curled around his hand and wrist, her other tail coiled around his forearm, tightening as he reached the end of her first tail and slipped off the tip.

Finally, she let out the breath she’d been holding. “I didn’t realize it would feel that good.” She whispered, ducking forward to press the side of her head against his chest, her ears twitching in response to his breath.

“We should probably try to sleep.” He suggested, and she nodded, untangling herself from him so he could lay down, then pull her on top of him, gathering their blankets to cover them both. Her tails continued swaying, thumping back and forth as she made herself comfortable.

Kaylen resisted the urge to explore further. With the others so close, there wasn’t a lot more they could do, so he allowed himself to drift off to a peaceful slumber.