The Heart of the Falcon: The Guardian Maidens Book 3

by Marilyn Foxworthy

  At the bottom, I said, “Oh, I didn’t think this through. Great leader I am. We don’t have torches or lanterns.”

  Brenda was at the top of the ladder and said that she would go get them. A few minutes later, she was back with two lit lanterns, and yet another pack with several more, extra lamp oil, and materials for starting a fire. I sighed heavily.

  Shaheen smiled and said, “It’s fine. I may be rusty at his, but we’re going to be OK. A clearer head would be a better planner, but we will be fine. Strange times call for quick action. What we don’t have we will improvise. If you ask me, we are over provisioned as it is. Especially in the clothing department. But no matter. Where you lead, we follow. Where we find trouble, we bring trouble. Oh, I am so ready for this! We could strip naked and fight bare handed if you want to. This is so good. And, here I am, newly mated, and still a perfect virgin! More or less. Let’s either find monsters to slay as a release of our frustration, or Ronin fuck us all before we go!”

  Without waiting for my answer, Shaheen took a lamp and started leading the way. After Brenda had shut the passage behind us, Shaheen stopped and said happily, “I don’t actually know where we are going. I just wanted to get us started.”

  Harmony laughed and took the lamp from her and said, “This way,” and she started us down the dark tunnels. She said, “No one comes here. Can any of you find your way back if something happens to me?”

  Shaheen said, “I can. If you show me the way once, I can find it again. Mapping was one of my practices. I expect that this path is easy enough to keep in my head.”

  Harmony said, “It’s easy. You won’t have any trouble. Jack knows the way. It’s easy.”

  We walked in the dark for about half an hour. Harmony was right, there were very few turns, and we came up from the tunnels in the shack at the end. The five of us emerged into the sunlight and fresh air and set our sights on the hills past the orchards where the entrance to the Kobold cave sat waiting to be explored.

  Once we were outside, Shaheen paused to take off her pack and her sword and undid the clasp of her cloak and slung it off her shoulders as she knelt and stowed it in the small pack. I was looking at the hills as she put the pack and the sword on again and then announced that she was ready to continue.

  I heard a little giggle from one or two of the girls and glanced back to see why. Apparently, they were giggling at what Shaheen was wearing, and what they expected me to think of it. Shaheen was nearly naked. She wore a belt around her waist, and a pair of boots that came almost to her knees, but absolutely nothing in between! From the top of her calves, all the way to her waist, she wore not a stitch of clothing. She didn’t even bother with a flap at either the front or back. Not even a tiny fur like Val’s bunny furs. And above the belt, it was nearly the same. There was a leather harness that cupped the lower parts of her breasts but stopped well short of covering her nipples or areola. She had a shelf that supported her wonderfully large lady jugs, but support was all they did. Cover them? Not in the least. If anything, her ‘armor’ drew attention to her nudity, not away from it.

  She stood beside me and stared thoughtfully at the hill.

  Finally, she said, “I told you that I thought we were all over dressed,” and she started walking in the direction that we intended to go.

  The other girls laughed, and Dawn said, “And you said my skirt was too short when I wore nothing underneath. I like this girl a lot. Falcon, wait for me!”

  Shaheen was a few steps ahead now, and I did notice how very nice her slim buttocks looked from back where I stood. She was right; it was my duty as a husband to make love to her before much longer. My sworn duty. I’d have to take care of that as soon as possible.

  I caught up quickly and walked beside her, intending to say something, but when I saw how the harness she wore pushed her breasts, that normally stood perhaps eight inches out from her chest, were now probably ten, or even 11 inches in front of her, I lost my ability to speak.

  Without a hint of humor, she said, “Tits got your tongue, Elf Boy? I swear, I love you more than I thought I would. You are the perfect husband. I feel very flattered by your lack of ability to think straight. And for an old hag like me, it's nice to have a boy ogle me like this. I could just smother you.”

  I finally said, “Shaheen, you are amazingly beautiful, and I appreciate the view, both in front and behind, but is it the best protection if we’re in combat?”

  She said, “Well, it depends on what we combat. If our opponent has the same reaction that you do, becoming blind and paralyzed, it will be a very short fight. And he’ll be dead and won’t be able to tell anyone what he saw. So that’s that, and it doesn’t matter how I’m dressed. But more seriously, Ronin, you were trained the same way that I was. It’s the range and timing that we rely on, not our armor. You don’t intend to let anything touch you, and neither do I. A piece of cloth doesn’t stop a sword or a razor-sharp claw. What matters is not being there when the sword, or claw, or teeth strike. You know that as well as I do.”

  She was absolutely right, and I told her so. The best defense was to be somewhere else when your opponent struck at empty air. The distance between you and his weapon might be only a hair’s breadth, but that was enough. I slid my arm around Shaheen’s waist for a second and hugged her to my side.

  Val said from behind us, “Aren’t they cute together? I swear, I would love them no matter what.”

  Dawn said, “I know. There’s something special about them. I don’t know what it is, but Ronin says that thing about loving all of us most, in certain ways, and the two of them look like they just belong together more than any two people on earth, in some special way that only they can share. It makes me feel like the idea of jealousy is the most abhorrent thing imaginable. How could any of us ever feel slighted? I love them both. And all of us.”

  Harmony called out, “Ronin, is it all settled about April? You know she’s one of us, right? Sometimes you’re slow about these things.”

  Shaheen said, “That’s why he was in so much of a hurry to get out of the house.”

  Val said, “Oh, was that it? But we talked about it.”

  Dawn said, “And you talked about Harmony too, but he ever caught on to that either.”

  Val said, “Really? Ronin, you didn’t know about April? Are you teasing us?”

  Shaheen said, “I don’t think he had a clue. I could tell yesterday. It came up several times, and he nodded and agreed, but the look in his eyes said that he had no idea what was really being said.”

  Val said, "But now you do? You understand now that April is the same age as Dawn and that she is one of us?"

  I said, “Yes. It was a surprise. I woke up with a teenage daughter naked in my bed, and me fondling her butt, thinking it was Harmony. When I found out it was April, it scared me to death. And then she asks why she can’t just have me as her husband too, and Alice says of course she can, and I almost fainted and died.”

  Shaheen laughed hard and said, “You poor man. I guess I can see how that would be uncomfortable if you weren’t ready for it. A few days ago, she’s drinking lemonade and sitting on your lap asking for a pretty dress, yes, I heard the whole conversation, and this morning she’s hugging her pretty baby tits against you and saying how she’s Daddy’s Big Girl, and can she please play with his big man-banana.”

  I said, “You hear everything don’t you?”

  Shaheen laughed and said, “No. I was making that part up. Is that what happened?”

  I was blushing as I said, “Almost word for word. I was so mortified. Alice explained it all to her and told her that she was a foundling and much older than she thought, and I finally saw that yes, I was OK with her being one of us, as a mate, after she grew up a bit.”

  Then I went on to describe the fact that April was aware of her elveness and what was stunting her growth, about untying her knots, and the changes that she was going through today at home with Alice watching over her.

  I said,
“I don’t know how long it will take, but it started this morning. And it made me very uncomfortable, and I had to get out of the house for a while.”

  I looked at Shaheen and thought, maybe I’m exaggerating. Her breasts stick out from her chest at least a few inches more than the length of my hand, from my wrist to my fingertips. Maybe more. But maybe only nine inches, not ten or 11. Either way, they are breathtaking. I made a note to myself to find a way to measure them at some point. I probably needed to measure both points, just to be thorough. And I should be sure to weigh them too. And make sure that they tasted right. What if Shaheen developed the Honey’s Milk, too? It would be like spectacular fountains. I could exist on nothing else for days at a time. It would make expeditions easier; no food for me, just milk from Shaheen’s chest. Oh, I better get myself together here. Um, yeah, she has nice tits. I tried to focus on something else again but failed miserably. In that harness, all they could be called was tits. Big, firm, blinding, mind-altering, beautiful mountains of tits. Twin peaks, topped with pink snow caps, shining in the sun. I was having an erection. And I couldn’t help it, and it was those mountainous lovely tits.

  I said, “Shaheen, that’s a very nice outfit. I’m having trouble thinking straight.”

  We walked on and were soon climbing up the hill to the cave entrance.

  As we approached, I said, “Girls, I have no idea what we will find inside. Has anyone ever been here before.?”

  Harmony said, “I have been as far as the entrance, and I have looked in as far as I could, but I have never actually gone in. I was a child, and it was dark, and we had been told to stay away and weren’t supposed to be here.”

  I looked to Shaheen, and she said, “No. I knew that it was here, but I had given up Adventuring before I came to the village, and it didn’t interest me until now. From the look of it, and the fact that there were 200 Kobolds, my guess is that…well, I suppose there’s no way to know one way or another. It’s either a buried city, a tunneled-out city, or a natural cavern. It could be a tunneled city on top of a natural cavern. It could be all three. In any case, it’s thousands of years old, no matter what it is.”

  I said, “My guess is that the Kobolds were the first layer of inhabitants. Now that they are gone, things from below may start coming up closer to the surface. But, the deeper inhabitants, if there are any, will stay below for a while.”

  Shaheen said, “Almost certainly. What’s your plan?”

  I hesitated and Shaheen said, “Listen, Ronin, I am the most experienced. There’s no denying it. I have spent years underground in places like this. But, and we all have to be in agreement about this, you are the leader. I will help you how I can, and you are never alone, but you are the chief of this band of Adventurers. We all have to know that and act that way. You four acted as one when you won the battle for the orchards. Show me how you did it.”

  Val, Dawn, and Harmony all smiled.

  Val said, “It was amazing. We all did our part. Ronin was our strategist and Captain, and we did what we were best at.”

  Dawn said, “You know what? During all those days and nights, I was never afraid for an instant. The only time that I felt any uncertainty or fear was after we had fought the main nest of giant rats and Ronin was so injured. I was afraid then, that he was injured, but never when we were in battle.”

  Harmony said, “It’s true. The only time I was afraid was when I made love for the first time.”

  Shaheen went quiet and her face looked suddenly worried.

  She said quietly, “That’s what scares me most, too.”

  Val said, “What? When he makes love to you the first time? Shaheen?”

  Shaheen said, “Val, I’m scared. I have never been in love like this. It has never been so important.”

  Dawn said, “But Shaheen, the way you’re dressed?”

  Shaheen said, “I dressed this way because I love him. But I am terrified. I don’t know what it will be like. Yes, I could throw myself on top of him like Stacy did yesterday and treat it like any other time I had sex, but it won’t be like that, and I know it. I’m sorry, but for once in my life, I’m afraid, and it’s because I have never been loved the way that he loves us now.”

  Chapter 10 - Five Elements

  We stood for a few minutes, looking toward the cave and moving closer. When we stood right at the entrance, Shaheen sighed heavily.

  We all looked at her and she said, “I want to have a child.”

  I was surprised. And I didn’t know what to say.

  Val moved to the girl’s side, and putting her arm around her said, “Shaheen, that’s wonderful. I think that we all do. Do you want to be first? You are the eldest. You should absolutely be the first if you want to.”

  Shaheen said softly, “I don’t know. I love the Adventure. I want to be down there, in the underground again. But I also want to know what it is to be loved and to live in a house full of mates, and to make love in a bed, and to have a child grow in my womb. And to give birth to a son or daughter for my husband, and to raise it as a mother.”

  I said, “Shaheen, that would be wonderful.”

  She said, “OK. I just needed to say that. It’s important that you know how frightened I am, and that you know that I know that I have been honest with you. Um, we can go in when you’re ready. I’m fine. I’m not afraid of facing danger. I’m afraid of facing happiness.”

  Then she turned to me and threw herself into my arms and said, “Oh, Ronin!”

  She buried her face in my neck and shivered.

  I whispered, “Shaheen, I love you. Um, is there a chance that, well, would you want to make Honey’s Milk? If you could?”

  Shaheen’s body went rigid in my arms and she bit my shoulder. Hard. I tried not to react, but she bit me hard enough to hurt a bit.

  I took a breath and said as calmly as I could, “Is that a yes?”

  She let go of my flesh with her teeth and whispered barely audibly, “Yes. I would give up everything to have that ability and to be able to feed my husband from my breast. I would be the woman that I have never been. But it’s only a fantasy. But please know that I would if I could. We can pretend. Suckle my breasts and we can pretend.”

  I felt that there might be more to it than a fantasy if she really wanted it. I looked inside Shaheen and saw that she might have blue gems behind her breasts, the same way that Brenda had. They were different, but I thought that there were similarities. I didn’t say anything more about it, but I would look into it when there was a chance.

  I whispered, “Shaheen, you are changing, aren’t you?”

  She said, “I am. And I’m afraid. And I have never been happier.”

  I said, “We can turn back, and come do this another day.”

  She said, “No. Please. I’m ready. And you need this. And I won’t take it away from you. I need to help you with this. Be my Captain. I need you. I’m afraid to go back. Bond with me like this first. Oh Ronin, I want to love you!”

  I held her close and said, “Princess, I will take hold of you. You won’t be lost this time.”

  She gasped and said, “Lost? How did you know? How did you know? Ronin, don’t leave me.”

  I said, “I won’t. Follow me. I’ll lead you. And I will never lose you.”

  Shaheen held me very close for a minute and then released me. There was a tear in her eye, but she seemed to set herself more firmly and kissed me passionately and moved away. I didn’t know why I had said that she wouldn’t be lost this time, but it had certainly hit a mark. My guess was that there was a traumatic experience in her past when she had been lost. Either as a child, or perhaps during some Adventure. It sounded like either her parents, or her party, had lost her, or possibly left her behind at some point. I wondered if it had to do with her first husband, the one she called her partner, rather than her husband.

  Shaheen seemed focused again. And everyone was looking to me to lead us forward. It was my role. OK, we would work as a team, like we had from the begin
ning.

  I said, “OK. Just like we have done before. First Val and I learned to move as one in the fields. Then Dawn joined us, and we were more than before and killed hundreds of giant rats. When we found Harmony, our abilities multiplied. We are one in purpose, spirit, and body, in more ways than one. Shaheen is our fifth element. Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and now Emptiness.”

  Val cried out and faced me and said, “What? Ronin, what saying is this? What are you saying? Where did this come from?”

  I just looked at her, not knowing what she was asking.

  Dawn exclaimed, “Yes. Ronin, what are you saying? What does that mean? It seems like some kind of magick, and we don’t understand. My knees are weak. What are you saying?”

  Harmony frowned and said, “He’s saying that I’m the Wind. And I am. But how did you know? I didn’t know until you said it. The fifth element? What is this? It’s something that you know, but we’re not even novices. This is important.”

  Shaheen saw the look on my face. I was clearly confused by the girls’ reaction to such a simple revelation, and she explained.

  She said, “Girls, the five elements are a basic teaching. Usually there are only four. The fifth is more advanced. Ronin sees that we are those elements. They generally refer to feelings and emotions and ways of approaching problems. But Ronin sees that together, we are the five. He is the earth. The ground. The gravity that holds us where we are. Our power, for a strike with the sword or hand or foot, comes up through the ground. Here, sit down.”

  We all sat on the ground near the cave entrance in a small circle and everyone listened to Shaheen.

  She continued, “Feel the ground beneath you. Sit heavily on it. Don’t float above it. Feel the pull of it, but also feel the power rising from it. This is Ronin.”

  Val said, “I see it! Yes, this is Ronin! Oh, this is wonderful.”

  Shaheen said, “Feel the safety. When we are frightened, we lie down on the earth and let it hold us. When conflict comes against those we love, we set our feet in the earth and become immovable. When a storm rages, we depend on the earth to keep us safe in a cave in the rocks. Is that Ronin? Our Beloved Husband? Does he stand in front and shield us from attack when needed?”