by Brandon Fox
By late afternoon they entered a clearing. An inn beckoned, the fragrance of hickory smoke and a baking ham hanging in the air as they passed by. Skorri pressed a hand against his rumbling stomach and looked at the inn longingly, but another hour of light remained so Thane decided to press on.
“You’re learning about deprivation on this trip,” Ander told Skorri as they left the clearing behind. “I expect it’s good preparation for when you and Erik start going on missions for the lyceum.”
“That’s not what Sorel says,” Skorri said, looking disgruntled. “He says they get the best of everything when they’re on trips. The best food, the best boys, everything.” His nose wrinkled as he made a face. “All I’m getting is hungry and horny.”
“That’s no surprise. You’re always looking for someone to bed, as far as I can tell. Probably that’s why Thane likes you so much.”
Skorri’s expression brightened. “Well, Erik and I like Thane too! I envy you, getting to have him every day. We’re lucky if we can get him into a tumble once a week lately.”
Ander glanced at Thane’s tense body. The mage was concentrating on the trail, seemingly oblivious to the growing darkness and increasing cold. He clearly needed respite from his worries. “Let’s start looking for a campsite,” Ander suggested. “Thane’s in a hurry, but he’ll have to stop sooner or later.”
Skorri nodded doubtfully. Thane’s determination was legendary at the lyceum. Not even Ander could talk him into resting when a task compelled his attention.
He took his own advice and searched for good campsites. They were far enough into the mountains that they were unlikely to encounter other travelers during the night. The trail twisted like a snake around scree and fallen trees, and boulders littered the forest floor like giant marbles. Thane pressed on, silent and intent.
Ander glimpsed a curving line of boulders through the trees just as the fading light started to make the trail treacherous. A small path marked by the imprint of horses’ hoofs led away from the main trail and toward the boulders.
“Hold while I check this trail,” Ander called to Thane. The mage was a short distance ahead but reined in his horse and turned to look as Ander pointed out the path.
“There’s still enough light to ride,” Thane said. “We could go for another half an hour at least.”
“We’ll need some light to set up camp,” Ander replied. He pointed to a gap in the branches. The sky was turning indigo, and stars were beginning to twinkle. “We’ve had a long ride, and tomorrow will be longer. We need to eat and rest.”
Skorri nodded fervently but didn’t complain. Like the other initiates, he would make any sacrifice for Thane. Still, his tired and hungry expression spoke more eloquently than words.
Thane sighed. “All right, let’s take a look.”
Ander turned his horse to the side trail, which worked uphill. He realized as he climbed that the boulders were larger than they had appeared from below. He soon emerged into a clearing at the foot of a scree slope. Several large boulders had been rolled together at a flat spot to form three quarters of a circle, and remnants of pine boughs still covered much of the makeshift hut. A stone-lined fire pit, charred black, was placed a few feet out from the gap in the circle.
His companions had followed. Stars gleamed like diamonds against deep blue velvet as the sun set. Skorri went about collecting firewood and fodder for the horses while Thane and Ander found boughs to patch the gaps in the roof. The forest was shrouded in darkness by the time they finished their tasks.
Skorri used a flint to start a fire. They spread saddle blankets over the pine needles inside the hut, then went outside and sat cross-legged around the fire to share the provisions Thane had purchased in Chanture. Though the fare was rustic, their appetites were voracious. After eating their fill, they passed around a goatskin filled with good wine. A gentle breeze whispered through the forest, but the fire and their cloaks kept them warm.
Thane stared pensively at the flames. Ander was pondering the best way to divert him when Skorri pulled a small clay pipe out of his saddlebag. He glanced at Ander and winked. He looked much less hungry than he had before but no less randy.
“I brought some dreamsmoke leaves from the lyceum,” he announced. “It’s good for keeping you from getting stiff after a long ride.” Opening a small leather bag, he took out a pinch of sticky brown leaves and rolled them into a loose ball. He tamped the material into the pipe’s bowl, then stuck a twig in the fire until it was alight. His eyes full of mischief, he held the pipe toward Ander. “Would you take some smoke with me? It’s always more fun to share it with friends.”
Ander accepted the pipe and sucked air through it while Skorri lit the leaves. In a few seconds, the sweet smoke poured into his lungs. His eyes widened in surprise, and his head began to swim. Skorri’s dreamsmoke was an unusually powerful variety. Holding his breath, taking care not to reveal the smoke’s potency, he handed the pipe to Thane.
Thane looked up from the fire. His gray eyes were unfathomable, his tanned skin like bronze in the firelight. He could have been a creature from the forest, sleek and strong, unpredictable. At first Ander feared he might refuse the pipe. But after a few seconds, a corner of his mouth lifted. “You two don’t fool me for a second, you know,” he said as he took the pipe. “You’re as bad as Sorel and Nicolai, always trying to cheer me up. I’m grateful, though. I guess I need it.” He took a draw on the pipe. Like Ander, his eyes went wide.
Skorri looked pleased as he reclaimed the pipe. “It’s a new variety. Erik and I did some crossbreeding. Like it?”
“You and Erik are dangerous,” Ander said. He let the rich smoke escape with a slow hiss. He felt lightheaded after only one taste. “Are you sure you use this for preventing stiff muscles?”
Skorri was already drawing on the pipe, his eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring. Instead of answering, he opened his leather pouch and took out another wad of leaves. By the time he needed to breathe, he had the pipe ready for another round. Grinning like an imp, he passed the pipe back to Ander. “Among other things. It’s good, isn’t it?”
Ander nodded, his lungs again full of the intoxicating smoke. He felt flushed, and his cock began to stiffen as he gave the pipe to Thane. Skorri noticed and put a hand on his own groin, cupping the leather-covered mound of hard flesh.
Thane’s features relaxed as he took his second breath of smoke. He handed the pipe to Skorri, then turned to gaze at Ander. Their eyes met and held. The sultry invitation in Thane’s gaze left no doubt that the zamindar had been forgotten, at least for the moment.
Ander leaned toward him and pressed their lips together. Thane’s tongue tickled his lips into opening. Before he knew what was happening, a strong flow of dreamsmoke blew from Thane’s lungs into his own. The mage held him and continued the kiss even after Ander’s lungs were full.
“Let’s go inside the hut,” Skorri said, his voice low and husky. “It’s getting cool, but the boulders are still warm from the sun.”
His companions didn’t need further prodding. They crawled into the makeshift hut, bringing the goatskin of wine and Skorri’s pouch of dreamsmoke leaves with them.
Entering the hut was like stepping from winter into summer. Heat from the boulders warmed the air, which was trapped by the thatch roof. There wasn’t enough room to stand, but there was ample space to stretch out.
They took their cloaks off and emptied the interior pockets so the garments could be used as blankets. Each of them carried a thin black case of vials containing oils and elixirs. An assortment of daggers, powders wrapped in folded paper, and magically altered gemstones completed the collection. They stored the equipment at the back of the hut, then sat in a circle and passed the pipe around again.
Ander held his breath and tried not to sway as his mind seemed to pull away from his body. He watched Skorri deliver a smoky kiss to Thane. They moved as if under water. He blinked slowly. When his eyes opened again, Thane and Skorri were on their sid
es with arms and legs entwined. Hot arousal flowed from Thane, coursing through their bond, drawing his attention to the demands of his own flesh.
Carefully, feeling almost disconnected from his body, Ander emptied the pipe on a patch of bare dirt and smothered the embers. He put the pipe over with Skorri’s other possessions, then turned back to his comrades.
Thane welcomed him into their embrace. His eyes closed as he kissed Thane, the sensation of a tongue exploring his mouth distracting him from the tug of Skorri’s fingers working at his belt. It wasn’t until he felt his pants sliding down his hips that he realized he was being stripped. He opened his eyes just in time to see Skorri start to work on Thane’s belt.
Thane pulled back enough to give Skorri access to his belt buckle. In moments Skorri tugged the pants down, and Thane’s erection sprang free, rigid and potent. Ander stared at it in a daze until the mage touched his cheek and renewed their kiss.
He felt as if he floated, that only the link with his lover kept him from drifting into the clear night sky above the makeshift shelter. He watched through half-closed eyes as Skorri slipped out of his clothes. The compact youth, illuminated by the campfire’s wavering flames, was a perfect embodiment of sleek symmetry. His smooth chest was painted with flickering light. His shadow prowled around the boulders as he moved to the other side of the hut and opened a case of elixirs. As he squatted on his haunches, his cock stood up at a sharp angle from his groin. Its foreskin had pulled back, and the dusky glans glistened wetly in the dim light. Muscles shifted on his abdomen as he twisted to put the opened case on the ground.
Warm hands on his sides brought Ander’s attention back to Thane. Their cocks were pressed together from root to tip, and Thane’s gentle thrusting motions made them rock against each other. Their leather shirts had worked halfway up their chests, leaving taut abdomens bare for caresses.
Skorri moved close and touched Ander’s arm. He held a vial of clear oil in his right hand. “Can I fuck you while you suck each other?” he asked, his voice husky with desire. “I’ve been thinking about it all day.” His upthrust cock twitched and swayed between his strong thighs.
Ander nodded, quickly peeling off his shirt. Then he tugged Thane’s shirt up. The mage cooperated, lifting his arms and letting the garment slide over his head.
Ander turned and positioned himself head to toe above Thane. His hair hung forward, obscuring his face as he looked over his shoulder at Skorri, who smiled widely as he twisted a cork out of the vial. Aromas of vanilla and musk filled the hut as he poured oil into his palm and started spreading it over his cock.
Ander returned his attention to Thane. His body showed the effects of hard labor in the lyceum’s gardens. Only his genitals and a narrow band around his waist, normally covered by a loincloth when he worked at tending plants, remained white. The rest of his skin was a golden brown. Ander found the contrast intensely erotic.
He lowered his head, still in a daze from the dreamsmoke. For a moment he let his cheek rest against the underside of Thane’s cock, feeling its heat. Despite their passionate lovemaking in the short time they had been together, he felt more aware of Thane’s animal vitality than ever before.
He was jarred out of his reverie when Thane grasped his cock and angled it downward. With his other hand, he urged Ander to lower his hips. He tilted his head back and guided the phallus into his throat in a long, smooth glide.
Ander gasped, momentarily shocked at the moist heat inside Thane’s body. The rush of pleasure made him hunger to return the sensation. He took one lick along the slick underside of Thane’s glans, enjoying the musky flavor, then took the head between his lips. Taking a deep breath, letting his throat relax and open, he pressed down. The long shaft slid into his throat. He growled softly, and his body tingled. The thick shaft slid deeper until his nose pressed against Thane’s balls.
They took up a slow rhythm, repeatedly taking each other’s cocks into their mouths down to the root, using the mild sense of detachment produced by the dreamsmoke to control their trembling bodies.
Soon Ander felt Skorri’s fingers stroking his buttocks and working into the cleft, dribbling oil over the smooth skin. Then a lubricated index finger found the tight opening and tickled it gently, pulsing against it each time Ander’s cock was fully sheathed by Thane’s mouth and throat.
Ander moaned in delight. Skorri had a delicate touch. Despite his excitement, clear from his heavy breathing, he caressed and prodded the opening a full five minutes before his finger wiggled its way through the well-lubricated hole.
Ander went rigid, Thane’s cock filling his throat, as Skorri began to twist his finger. He worked it in and out while using his other hand to pour more oil. His fingertip found the sensitive spot past the ring of muscle and gently stroked it. The stimulation brought a dizzying surge of pleasure.
When the opening was sufficiently relaxed, Skorri eased another finger in. He worked the hole carefully, using his other hand to stroke Ander’s balls, the fingers trembling with his excitement. After a couple of minutes, he rocked back. “Roll on your side,” he said, his voice strained. “I can’t wait anymore.”
Ander lifted his head and let Thane’s phallus snap back against his midriff, then turned to look at Skorri. The boy was nearly panting. His hands and genitals, coated with clear oil, gleamed in the firelight. He was sitting on his haunches, knees spread, his erection spearing up in virile demand.
Ander rolled onto his side and lifted his left leg, exposing the cleft of his ass. Skorri reclined behind him and held the leg up, using his other hand to guide his phallus to its goal. The helmeted tip found its mark. He gave a slight push, and his glans slipped inside.
The entry sent a surge of pleasure through Ander’s body. He felt Skorri’s breath against his neck, fast and hot, but Thane gave him no time to get distracted. The mage’s cock nudged his lips, demanding entrance, which Ander happily granted. His partners moved as if they had a single mind; two stiff cocks slid into him at the same time. The sweet sensations made him want to groan, but Thane’s thick shaft completely filled his throat. Skorri’s phallus was slick and smooth, gliding in and out with slow thrusts. He tried to clench down on it, reveling in its curving hardness and the soft flaring at its tip, but it was impossible to get a purchase on its slippery surface.
Dreamsmoke still baffled Ander’s senses. One moment he would forget everything except the carefully controlled slide of Skorri’s cock. Then the taste of Thane’s erection burst to the forefront, making him salivate and marvel at his lover’s masculine potency. Thane’s expert sucking sent shivers through his body. Then Skorri would distract him by nibbling at his ear, murmuring endearments, panting with lust as his rampant cock nudged the spot that created shuddering waves of pleasure and stroked the warm sheath of flesh that clenched it like a slippery glove.
Ander allowed himself a few more moments of delirious sensation, then let Thane’s cock escape from his mouth and glanced over his shoulder at the rutting youth. “I don’t want to come yet. Why don’t you share your skill with Thane awhile?”
Skorri was obviously pleased by the idea.
Thane pulled back, releasing Ander’s cock from his mouth, and blinked. He looked as giddy as Ander felt. A slow grin lit his face, and he nodded.
Skorri pushed into Ander one more time, rubbing their bodies together sensuously, then eased back. His slippery cock pulled free and snapped up against his hard belly. Ander’s pang of regret at losing the intimate contact was offset by his anticipation of Thane’s enjoyment.
Skorri released Ander’s leg and scrambled to his knees, then picked up the vial of oil and moved behind Thane. Ander watched, feeling as if he were dreaming, while Skorri spread oil to prepare Thane for their coupling. He was rapt, his features intent with lust, as his fingers gently massaged the tight opening.
Skorri moved into position, nestling behind Thane and lifting one of his legs. His phallus, still coated with a thick sheen of oil, nudged forward and sli
pped smoothly into Thane’s body.
A whiff of smoke drifted in from the dying campfire. Flames still licked at the charred logs and cast wavering light through the makeshift hut’s entrance. The light made Skorri’s body look as if it were painted with gold. Ander was mesmerized as the youth began thrusting in a steady rhythm.
Despite his desire to prolong their lovemaking, Ander couldn’t restrain himself. He took Thane’s cock between his lips and let it slide into his body just as the mage resumed sucking. Without warning, the haze created by the dreamsmoke lifted, and he felt his bond with Thane surge with sensation. Though Skorri’s cock was right before his eyes, gliding into Thane with long strokes, he felt as if the slick phallus filled his own body. Pleasure ravaged him, yet somehow the dreamsmoke allowed the sensations to keep building without triggering the climax that felt only a heartbeat away.
Ander managed to retain a shred of restraint, forestalling his orgasm, but could see that Skorri was quickly losing the battle. His slender hips moved with increased urgency as he fucked. His balls were pulled up tight against the base of his cock, and his breath came in short gasps.
Skorri froze, his cock buried deep in Thane’s body, his leg muscles standing out in hard definition. Then he gasped.
Ander felt the spasms of Skorri’s cock as if it were shooting seed within his own body. He held himself motionless, Thane’s cock down his throat, and watched in a daze as Skorri jabbed in short strokes. He felt the hard curve of stiff flesh as if he were impaled on it himself.
The feel of Skorri’s release nearly triggered Ander’s climax, but Thane had stopped sucking an instant before he crossed the threshold. He teetered on the edge of orgasm, sure he would succumb, but miraculously he managed to ride it out.
Skorri pulled out and rolled onto his back, his chest heaving. His cock was streaked with come and glistened in the dim light.
