“That’s not what I’m here to talk to you about either,” Triska said shaking her head.
“Then what do you want?” Clover growled.
“Where did you get the arrows?”
Silence filled the room as Clover remained still and quiet from that question. Triska waited for a while for the elf to speak up then decided to press the topic further when it was clear she wasn’t going to answer the question.
“We bought you half a dozen arrows yesterday, Clover. Six. Six arrows, and that’s all. Yet I saw that your quiver is filled with much more than six arrows. Different ones in fact. I know you didn’t make them yourself and none of us gave them to you. So I’m rather curious where you got them from.”
Clover continued to remain silent while Triska waited for an answer. Minutes passed before Triska looked down to the handle of her sword as she ran her palm along and around it.
“Alright, since that question is too hard for you to answer, let’s try a different one. Where did you girls go last night?”
“What do you mean?” Clover replied.
“You weren’t the only one that pulled something out of nothing somehow,” Triska answered looking over to her. “You see the strangest thing happened after I left the library. Star came up to me and started talking about something with what I thought was a guilty frown on her face. I have no idea what she said of course, she’s about as easy to have a conversation with as Squeak is, but it seemed like she was feeling remorseful about her actions with us. And then you know what she did?”
“What?” Clover cautiously asked.
“She gave me a bag of gold, almost as if she wanted to pay for the damages and trouble she caused. It was a sweet gesture, but what really surprised me about it was her having the gold to begin with. She didn’t have it before, all she has is the clothes on her back, and yet now she’s giving us gold out of thin air. It didn’t make sense.”
“That girl’s a mystery,” Clover reasoned with a shrug.
“Yeah, she is. She even has a nice looking pocket watch now. I’m certain she didn’t have it before, but now she does. Where do you think she got these things from, Clover?”
“How should I know? I’m not her keeper.”
Triska shook her head then reached back and grabbed the elf’s shoulder, causing Clover to cringe in pain as the teen kept a firm grip on her.
“I didn’t think sleeping outside would be so hard on your back, Clover,” Triska mocked before pulling aside Clover’s long hair, revealing a large bruise on the back of her shoulder. “Wow, that soft grass really did a number on you.”
“What the fuck are you doing?” Clover snapped as she yanked away and moved further out into the bath. She looked back to Triska with a frustrated glare while holding her arms around herself.
“What happened to you?” Triska asked standing up. “Where did you go? What did you and Star do last night?”
“It’s nothing, alright?”
“Don’t give me that. You’re hurt. Something happened to you, and I want to know what.”
“It’s none of your business!”
“Yes it is!” Triska shouted, catching the elf by surprise. “Dammit, why are you always like this? Why do you have to push everyone away from you, Clover? Can’t you see I’m concerned about you? I have no idea what you did last night or where you went, but I can see something happened and it doesn’t seem like something good. Now get back over here and talk to me.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Clover snapped.
“Clover, either you get back over here or I’m going to drag you over here, and it’s not going to be pleasant,” Triska threatened.
Clover grunted and looked away, knowing the teen could very likely do just that without any trouble. Hesitating at first she then slowly came back over to the edge of the bath, keeping her eyes down at the water while holding her arms around herself. Triska knelt down and turned the elf around, parting her hair aside then jumping a bit as she saw a few bruise marks on the girl’s back.
“It’s nothing,” Clover shakily argued.
“Who did this to you?” Triska demanded. “Who the hell did this to you?”
“I said it’s nothing, I’m fine, alright? Just forget about it.”
“Clover, answer me. Who did this to you?”
“Why does it matter?”
“Because I want to know who needs to answer to my blade, that’s why!” Triska shouted. Clover looked back with surprise to see Triska fuming with rage. “Who did this to you? Did Star have anything to do with this? Tell me right now what the hell happened with you two.”
“No, she didn’t do this,” Clover insisted shaking her head. “Look, it… it was just some stupid bandits, okay? We came across them in the woods. But they’re gone now. They left and we’re all fine. So just drop it, alright?”
Triska watched in wonder as the elf lowered her head with a frustrated grumble and weakly splashed some water away from her.
“They were just… some stupid assholes I came across. They got a little rough with me, and then Star came and chased them away. I took the arrows they had and Star got herself a little reward for helping out. That’s all that happened.”
Triska gently held the elf’s hair aside and looked over the bruises on her back with remorse, seeing the marks on her shoulders and wrists as well that had been hidden under the girl’s clothing and gloves earlier.
“Clover, why didn’t you say anything?” she asked in concern. “Why didn’t you tell us about this? And why did you try to hide that you’re hurt? I’m sure Doku could heal these very easily, she would have been more than happy to if you had only asked her.”
“Because it’s not your problem, it’s mine,” Clover sternly retorted before shaking to get the teen to let go of her hair. “What happened to me was because I made a fucking mistake. I messed up, and this is my punishment for it. I’m not scarred, I’ll heal just fine on my own, but I didn’t want these reminders to go away just yet. I didn’t want to forget what I learned out there.”
“What do you mean?” Triska asked. “What did you do, Clover? What don’t you want to forget?”
“Can we just stop talking about this now?” Clover retorted with a flustered grunt. “Seriously, this is me opening up more than I want to right now. I’m fine, everything’s fine, so just… don’t worry about me, okay?”
Triska remained silent as the elf closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing, watching as Clover appeared cornered with this conversation and desperate to change the subject. Clover rubbed her face tiredly then glanced back to see Triska still watching her with a concerned look. With a quiet sigh Triska stood up and turned to walk away, pausing for a moment before looking back to the elf in the water.
“I am going to worry about you,” she informed Clover. “As long as you’re really okay then fine, we can drop this. If you ever want to talk about it you can, always remember that. And just so you know you getting hurt in any way is my business.”
“No it isn’t,” Clover said shaking her head.
“Yes it is,” Triska firmly argued. “As long as you’re with us, Clover, it is. You’re not Daniel’s mate, but you are part of the group, whether you or any of us like it or not. We always take care of our own. If someone hurts you, they’re going to have to answer to me.”
Triska started walking away while Clover watched her in stunned silence. The elf blinked then glanced away with a blush while trying to force a stubborn scowl.
“I-I don’t need your protection,” Clover stuttered. “And I don’t need your sympathy either.”
“Well you have it,” Triska replied with a wave of the hand. Clover jumped a bit and looked at her in surprise as the teen glanced back to her with a smirk. “Like it or not, we’re friends now.”
“Friends?” Clover shouted as the cambion left the room. “Friends? I don’t need- hey, get back here! I don’t need friends! And I certainly don’t need your fucking pity! Triska! Don’t trea
t me like… I’m not… arg!”
The elf thrashed around in a fit while splashing water everywhere then cringed before grabbing her shoulder, a frustrated snarl escaping through her teeth before she groaned and slumped back against the edge of the bath. Slowly she caught her breath and leaned back as her body gradually relaxed, eyes distantly gazing up at the ceiling while the water slowly calmed down around her. After a while she sighed softly and closed her eyes, a faint smile coming across her face as she felt the same warmth within her that she did the night before.
“Goddammit, why do they have to be so fucking nice?”
Triska made her way across the central court towards the bedroom while taking notice of a few girls gathered near the grandfather clock. Star was again seated before the timepiece mewing to each swing of the pendulum, her head rocking side to side in rhythm as she once again appeared to be in her own little world. What struck Triska as curious however was Luna being seated next to the jinx doing the same thing, swaying her head side to side while meowing just like Star did as she imitated the cat’s behavior.
“What is she doing?” Triska asked walking over to them.
“She’s being Luna,” Falla answered with a shrug while standing behind her sister. Sitting in between her breasts with only her head popping out Pip was watching the jinx and butterfly girl with a curious eye.
Luna giggled and smiled up at Triska then Star as the jinx continued mewing to the ticking clock.
“I figured I would see what she likes so much about this,” Luna reasoned. “She’s so happy doing it, I wanted to try it too.”
“So does it make you happy?” Triska wondered.
“Not really,” Luna answered with a weak smile. “I don’t really get it. But she’s having so much fun, so I don’t mind doing it with her.”
“I want to do it too,” Pip announced. She quickly flew out of Falla’s chest and fluttered above Star, swaying side to side in her flight while meowing in rhythm to the clock. Luna joined in happily with enthusiastic mews and rocked her head in sync with the swinging weight, the three girls seeming to chant in unison as they all kept their eyes on the moving pendulum.
Triska and Falla watched with blank expressions as the girls meowed and moved together in harmony to the tune of the clock, an uneasy frown coming across Falla after a while before she turned to Triska and shook her head.
“Okay, I’m wondering if we should get rid of that thing now.”
“I wouldn’t,” Triska mused with a smirk. “The Sisterhood of the Ticking Clock might go on a riot.”
Falla rubbed her face tiredly with both hands while Triska giggled at seeing the girls finding some form of entertainment in Star’s obsession with the timepiece.
“Anyway,” Falla sighed before looking towards the bedroom. “I don’t know if this is something I should just blurt out or how to bring it up, but… when are we… going to…”
“Have an all-out orgy with Daniel and help him train with his magic?” Triska finished with a knowing smile. Falla blushed and nodded timidly as the teen chuckled and crossed her arms. “Falla, you know part of proving Daniel’s belief is that we use self-control, remember? You have to keep your inner nature in check and don’t let it run you.”
“But it’s going to help him with his magic,” Falla pleaded. “That’s all the more reason to do it with him. And besides, magic or not, why wouldn’t I want to have sex with him again? Last night was amazing! I want to do that again! Don’t you?”
“I do, and we will,” Triska assured her. “But we can’t have sex with him every minute of the day.”
“Actually, given how many mates he has and with how he wants to take care of all of us equally, we just might have to,” Falla pointed out counting on her fingers.
“Falla, we’re out here to prove a point. That monsters can control themselves and not let their inner nature get the best of them. You’ll get to make love to Daniel again, but you can’t expect to do it all the time.”
“But I want him,” Falla whined holding her hands down between her legs. “I don’t understand, why can’t we make love to the man we love? Having sex with him would even help him strengthen his magic, that’s all the more reason for us to stay in bed together all day.”
“Don’t let your lustful nature get the better of you,” Triska warned. “Remember, Daniel didn’t fall in love with you because of your body, he fell in love with you because of what’s on the inside. The kindhearted girl you are.”
“I know, I know,” Falla sighed shaking her head. “I just feel… mmph so eager to do it with him again. Aren’t you?”
“I love having sex with him, yes,” Triska agreed with a nod. “And I also love just spending time with him. With all of you. You’ll get your chance to make love to him again, Falla. But you should also be looking forward to any time you get to have with him, even if it’s not under the sheets. Having a man who loves and cares for you, everything about you, should make you happier than anything.”
Falla looked at her with wonder then down in thought while Luna and Pip had now stopped their rhythmic meowing and were watching them as well. Star of course was still lost in her own world while tilting her head side to side in sync with the swinging pendulum, not seeming to hear the conversation going on behind her.
“Daniel could have taken Specca to the bedroom and had his way with her,” Triska pointed out. “He could have made love to her and I’m sure she would have enjoyed every second of it. But he chose to take her to library instead because he knows she loves it there and wanted to spend some quality time with her doing something else than just having sex.”
“She did seem really happy reading that book with him,” Falla agreed with a shrug. “But how come she didn’t want to take his pants off then? She’s his mate, and he was right under her, it would have been okay to do that. Wouldn’t it?”
“Well, yes and no,” Triska answered. “Falla, the point I’m making here is that we don’t just have sex with Daniel to express our love. We control ourselves, all of us including Daniel, so that we can see and love everything there is about one another.”
“To see and love everything there is about one another?” Falla questioned.
“Remember when he took you and Luna for a walk through the woods that one day?” Triska asked with a curious smile. “He even found some of those beetles you love so much in a tree, remember that?”
“Of course I do,” Falla said with a warm smile. “And he didn’t just find us something tasty to eat. When we came up to a puddle in the path he picked me up and carried me over it, then did the same for Luna. We could have easily flown over it, or went in a different direction, but he wanted to be gallant and keep us from getting our feet wet.”
“And then he tripped and fell back into the puddle,” Luna giggled. “We didn’t get wet but he sure did.”
“He got wet when he didn’t have to, all because he wanted to treat us like… like…”
“Normal girls,” Triska finished, with Falla feeling a few tears forming in her eyes. “Daniel sees all of us as normal girls, not monsters. He wanted to carry you over that puddle because that’s what a gentleman would do with the girl he loves. He wants to take care of us, and not just in a sexual way.”
“Remember when Alyssa was feeling sad before?” Luna asked. “She was still upset about losing Ember that she just sat in bed all day not saying a word.”
“I remember that,” Pip said holding a hand up. “I do. I remember. I really do. She was sad and didn’t want to get out of bed that day.”
“So Daniel sat in bed with her,” Falla recalled holding a hand over her heart. “He just held her in his arms, both of them fully dressed, and they laid in bed together for hours. That’s all they did, they just laid there.”
“It meant the world to Alyssa that he did that,” Triska explained. “He cherished her and held her in his arms until she fell asleep, and even after that he continued to hold her close. A human showing such kindness t
o a witch is probably unheard of in the world, but Daniel proved it can be done. He loves Alyssa, and would do anything, even just lying for hours in bed with her without saying a word, just to make her feel better.”
Falla looked down at herself while slowly running her hands along her chest and hips, a gentle smile remaining on her face as she then held her arms around herself with a soft giggle.
“He actually loves me not because I’m beautiful but because I’m a good girl. He doesn’t even see me as a monster. I’m a normal person in his eyes.”
“We all see you as that,” Triska assured resting a hand on her shoulder. The butterfly smiled timidly at her as Triska winked before the teen started walking towards the bedroom. “I’m going to go see how he’s doing. Want me to ask when the next orgy is going to happen?”
“No, that’s alright,” Falla said shaking her head. “Whenever it happens is fine with me. I don’t mind waiting until then.”
“Are you sure?” Triska asked looking back to her with a curious eye. “I can understand if you’re feeling a little anxious to have sex with him again, I’m part monster now myself you know.”
“I am eager, but it’ll be worth the wait,” Falla concluded looking down with a loving smile. “Honestly, right now all I’m thinking about is just being in his arms again. I like the way he holds me.”
“I can understand that too,” Triska agreed before heading off towards the bedroom. “I never feel as safe as when I do in his arms.”
Falla nodded slowly as she felt her heart beating more steadily just thinking about how Daniel loved her because of who she was. The simple image of him holding her close and carrying her like he did the other day seemed to quell her building carnal desires. Her growing lust shifted into a more warm feeling of love as she relished the thought of having a mate such as him. She blinked then giggled and glanced towards the dining hall as she remembered something else from that special day with Daniel.
“Hey, Luna. Want to go have some more of those spotted beetles Daniel found for us? I’m kind of craving them now. Luna?”
Chronicles of Eden - Act VIII Page 46
