How three such dissimilar guys had formed a clan, I couldn’t imagine. They didn’t look right for each other.
As I stood there wondering how many men Jol had killed, Ospar’s happy voice rang out. “We have arranged a reception to welcome you to our modest but growing colony. With my Imdiko’s permission – he’s in charge of the temple – I’d like to invite you in.”
“Most certainly.” Rivek’s words were a soothing balm. Somehow his presence lessened Jol’s dark threat. “We are happy to have you here for this short while. Feel free to enjoy the refreshments and explore. The masters and apprentices will be glad to answer any questions you may have.”
He gestured towards the temple. Several more priests had appeared in the opening, all wearing layers of colorful robes. Similar to Rivek, their long hair was bound in braids at the temples. They bowed to us and waved for us to come in.
As I started forward, Rivek’s clear gaze found Anrel. His expression lit, and he stepped towards us. “A baby. Matara, may I?”
Had it been the scary Jol, I would have run away screaming. With Rivek, it was easy to place my daughter in the outstretched hands. “Her name is Anrel.”
Rivek beamed at her as he cuddled her close, his kind face threatening to break with the strength of his delight. “By the Mother of All, she is beautiful. Hello, Anrel. What a treasure you are.”
Ospar and Jol came close to stare with the same wonder that I had experienced at the sight of the temple. With that expression, the Nobek became a lot less scary. He gave me a half-smile that eased my concerns. His voice was distant thunder with its deep but quiet tone. “I like the name you gave her, Matara.”
“She earned it. She was born several weeks early. She had a tough time for a little while.”
“Amazing,” Ospar breathed. “Congratulations, Matara—?”
“Shalia.”
“Shalia.” He beamed that charm at me. Oh boy, if that guy hadn’t already lured in a Matara, the gals had better watch out. Ospar could have them lined up out the door if Jol failed to scare them off. I wondered if the governor had cultivated that charismatic appeal to aid his political aspirations. Even Aslada could have taken lessons on being so enchanting.
Rivek handed Anrel back with obvious reluctance. I was amused when Jol remained near us for the entire visit, as if to hover protectively over my baby. So much for that cold, killer persona I’d ascribed to him.
I joined the other women inside the temple. If the exterior of the place was a ‘wow’, then the interior was a ‘holy shit’. I thought I’d stumbled into some magical, mystical fairy tale.
It was as white as the outer walls of the temple. There were columns filling the huge space I was ushered into, but not like any pillars I’d ever witnessed. They appeared to be leafless trees, with thick but graceful trunks from which lithe branches sprung to weave together over our heads. The domed ceiling was of clear glass, through which the blameless sky stretched in a blue canopy. The sunlight from above filtered through the ‘limbs’, creating shadowed patterns on the floor.
A table had been set out with glasses of drink and platters of food. I half-expected stylized cartoon woodland creatures to be gathered around it. The setting was that unbelievable.
We were slow to indulge. We were too blown away by our surroundings. Governor Ospar had to coax us into claiming glasses of shel and kloq and filling our plates. He helped us to heap our trays while enthusing about the dishes.
“I hope you enjoy our first harvests. The tomatoes, basil, and carrots have only just come in, so these dishes here should have the best flavor. The apricots are wonderful. Oh, you certainly want to try these berries in the honey sauce. They are absolutely amazing. Matara, you’ll not find a more tender cut of beef than this.”
“Earther food.” Megan’s expression was disbelieving. “Dishes from home. You’re growing this here?”
Ospar nodded. His voice full of pride, he said, “Courier ships that fly faster than your transport brought us our first settlers. Self-guided capsules, capable of taking advantage of smaller portals, rushed the seedlings here even quicker to begin the colony’s community fields. Agricultural specialists from Kalquor had Haven up and running before the first farmers landed.”
Little by little we got over being awed by our surroundings and began to have fun. Before long we were chattering with the priests and their apprentices. Everyone was as gentle and relaxed as Rivek, laughing at some of our stories. Anrel was a huge hit, of course.
Candy spoke in wondering tones when she told Katrina and Ret, “I can’t imagine a more beautiful setting to hold your clanning ceremony. This place is magnificent.”
Katrina’s eyes were bright as she regarded her beaming Imdiko. “I agree. Ret, I don’t care if Siko despises his dress uniform. He’ll wear it, or I’ll break his legs. This temple deserves us to look our best.”
Ret chuckled. “That old disreputable beast won’t be given a choice. He’ll be as polished as we can force him to be.”
We spent about an hour at the reception. Katrina, Ret, Candy, and I then spent another fifteen minutes with Master Rivek discussing the next day’s festivities. There wasn’t that much to do, which is why the meeting was so short. Rivek had already pulled together most of what was needed for the ceremony and reception. Though Katrina argued against fussy frills, he pulled a few details from her to make the day as special as possible.
Then we went out again to sit in the sunshine in a grassy meadow filled with wildflowers. Anrel was delighted with the colorful blooms, pulling as many of their petals off as she could reach. We returned to our transport with the greatest reluctance to sleep. The ship felt downright claustrophobic after our shore leave.
I can’t wait for tomorrow. A clanning, a party, and Haven. It’s going to be spectacular.
September 13
What a happy, happy day. I was sorry to see it end.
Katrina’s clanning ceremony to Clan Wotref was a resounding success. The Temple of Life was splendid, of course. I doubted it could be any more beautiful than yesterday, but Master Rivek and the rest of his group did an amazing job. There were flower arrangements everywhere in the main hall with the tree columns. That was where the ceremony and reception took place. The burst of color in all that whiteness was simply breathtaking. Maybe Katrina hadn’t wanted frou-frou, but no one could deny the setting was gorgeous.
Katrina was stunning too. She had not thought to do anything in particular with her short gray hair, but Candy convinced her to let her play. As always, Candy was a genius when it came to styling. She curled our friend’s hair in artful waves. She used a jeweled barrette to somehow anchor a pearl necklace so that it served as an amazing headpiece. I was awed, as was everyone else who saw the ‘do.
Katrina’s trim figure looked amazing in a turquoise outfit that boasted more pearls and sweeping fabric. I had the impression of a peacock with fabulous plumage.
Her men were polished as well, all groomed within an inch of their lives in their dress uniforms. Even Nobek Siko was a far cry from his usual savage aura with his hair brushed and tied in a braid, his beard neatly trimmed, and his knee-high boots gleaming with a mirror shine. He stood stiffly, as if uncomfortable, but the warmth in his gaze as he looked at Katrina leant him a softness that I could barely credit him capable of.
The ceremony was every bit as short as Katrina had vowed it would be. The priest from the ship recited a few vows, the four members of Clan Wotref affirmed they would abide by them, then they were presented as a clan for us to cheer.
The change from ceremony to party was remarkably swift. Tables of food and drink were set out, and the toasts began. I goggled at all the leshella Governor Ospar had donated for the celebration. I guess running a colony pays pretty darn well for him to be able to lay out that kind of expense.
Boy, did we ever drink. The whole ship’s complement had been invited to the ceremony and reception, but a few people had been forced to remain on board the Pussy �
��Porter because of their duties. Tep was among those, what with injured crew recovering from the Tragoom attack we’d suffered just before gaining empire space. He’d been more than happy to volunteer to keep Anrel as he made his rounds. I’d planned to bring her to the ceremony, but Tep insisted she and I would both have more fun if she stayed with him.
He was right. The medical staff stuck on the transport doted on Anrel, playing with her and making her laugh while I got happily tipsy on leshella.
It wasn’t the dance party Katrina had envisioned when the Pussy ‘Porter was in one piece and we’d planned to have everything on board the ship. There was a lot of laughter nonetheless as we shared stories with the priests of Haven and Governor Ospar’s staff. Wotref, Ret, and Siko poked fun at each other, adding to the hilarity. Katrina had a few stories of her own to tell about her new clanmates. Stories of the trip were recounted. That was when my name started coming up a few too many times. My exploits were by far the most exciting of the tales, earning their share of gasps. Nobek Jol kept looking at me as if he couldn’t believe all the trouble I’d found.
I was too joyfully buzzed on leshella to relive any of the less fun times of my trip. I edged my way towards the door of the temple, thinking I’d make an escape before I became too notorious to those people.
Oses figured out what I was about pretty quick. He whispered to Betra, “Help her slip out without anyone noticing. I’ll meet you in a minute.”
Betra raised a brow, but he offered no argument. He blocked me from view as much as possible as I slipped out of the temple, using his body as a shield.
I stepped out into the sunshine and took a deep breath. The nearby stand of trees had a sweet aroma that made me smile. Betra chuckled as I sighed with pleasure.
“Not enjoying your celebrity?” he teased.
“Not hardly,” I answered, swallowing the last of my leshella with regret. “I wished they’d stuck to talking about the happily clanned couple – uh, couple of couples. Quadruple?” I set my glass down for someone to pick it up later. I gave Betra a sad face. “It’s a shame I had the urge to leave. The poor governor. I feel terrible he’ll have to lug any leshella home because I wasn’t there to help drink it.”
Betra laughed at my show of drunken generosity. “Maybe they’ll move on to other subjects and you can return to save him the trouble.”
“No need.” Oses joined us with an armful of bottles. “Where shall we take our private party?”
I squealed with delight and relieved him of a bottle. Then it occurred to me that maybe my sweeties were reluctant to leave so early. “Just because I’m being a party pooper doesn’t mean you can’t stay.”
Oses shook his head, grimacing. “They’re telling about Finiuld. I won’t stick around for that.”
Betra shrugged and raised his glass to us before draining it and grabbing a bottle from Oses. “Where you two go, I follow. Where are we off to anyway?”
I motioned to the trail the hover shuttles used to travel from the temple to the settlement. “A walk? It is a nice day.”
Off we went, talking and laughing about memories that didn’t hurt.
We drifted through the trees, following the hover shuttle path that led to the village of Haven. I was impressed with how Earth-like the planet was and said so.
“The governor mentioned they started terraforming it with the hope of attracting Earthers before the war ended,” Betra said. “His exact words were, ‘If we can’t convince Earther women to come to Kalquor, maybe we can at least lure them next door.’”
I snickered. “I thought he looked like the devious type. No one who smiles that often should be trusted.”
Oses shrugged. “Ospar is a career politician. He’s been a member of the Royal Council and our ambassador to the Galactic Council. Those types always have something going on behind the scenes.”
I thought of Aslada. He was a territorial governor and had been for some time. Did he have any backroom dealings that I should worry about?
I was too tipsy to care. Besides, politician didn’t have to equal crook, right? I could always hope, especially in Aslada’s case with his brooding good looks.
We left the woods behind. The village wasn’t too far ahead, but I wasn’t in the mood to be with anyone but my sweethearts. “Let’s go that way.” I waved about as I tried to point to the stretch of grass with tons of pretty flowers bobbing their pink-petaled blossoms at us.
“Which way?” Betra teased, his head wobbling about as he followed my pointing finger.
“Yeah, yeah, I know I’ve had too much to drink,” I laughed. “Come on. I want to sit in the sun and enjoy it while I can.”
We wandered into the field, putting the path and woods behind us. The carpet of pink extended for a good five acres I estimated, with trees ringing three edges and a planted field on the other. I went to the middle of it and flopped down on the springy earth to sprawl on my back. I sighed at the glorious stretch of blue sky.
“Wonderful,” I said. “I hate the thought of boarding the transport after being in all this open air.”
“It is claustrophobic now that I’m out here,” Betra remarked, sitting down next to me. “This trip offered a lot less shore leave than we usually have. We were too busy rushing through the unprotected areas of our route. No chance for exploring.”
Oses crouched on the other side of me, his gaze looking over the expanse. “Being so ship-bound has worn on my men. The only reason there hasn’t been more fights breaking out was because the women helped them get rid of some of the – tension.” He smirked at me.
“Anything for a good cause,” I giggled. I picked a flower and brushed his nose with it. “Nothing like pussy to soothe the savage beasts.”
Betra threw his head back and laughed. Oses grinned as he batted my flower away. “I’ll take that cure every time.”
I propped myself up on my elbows and had a look around. “There’s no one around. Need a treatment?”
What do you know; it turned out they did. Just call me Dr. Shalia.
The men stretched out. They rumpled my skirt as they stroked my body. Happy as always to be the center of attention, I reached for them. Both men swatted my hands.
“Who told you to touch?” Oses demanded. He frowned.
I flushed. Oops. Someone didn’t appreciate having his control contested, even if his pet was too drunk to have her wits completely about her. I should have been quaking to have him looking at me with such severity, but instead giggles bubbled up. Oses tried to remain stern, but Betra’s snickers ruined his ‘lord and master’ vibe. The Nobek rolled his eyes, the corner of his mouth trying to twitch in a smile.
“No more leshella for you. And you can stop encouraging her,” he added to the chuckling Imdiko.
“Sorry,” Betra choked, not sounding apologetic at all. He’d had quite a few drinks too.
Sighing as if he’d been given quite the load to bear, Oses turned from the Imdiko. His hand slid beneath my skull, cradling it. His face descended to mine.
Oses brushed his lips over mine, slowly moving so that his mouth caressed me. The motion teased my lips apart, and his tongue swept within to stroke with languor. My body warmed in an instant, and not from the sun beaming down on us. Oses’s kiss was gentle, but there was command behind it, command that left me trembling. I was inebriated but not insensible to his power. Power that had me smoldering with desire.
I’d been warned about touching, but with him leaning over me, kissing me so that the hairs on my head stood up, I couldn’t resist. My fingertips skated over his shoulders and chest, enthralled with the hard muscle under his uniform.
“Bad girl,” he whispered against my mouth. “I’ll have to restrain you. Betra, hold her arms.”
“Yes sir.” His smart reply earned him a glower from Oses. Betra’s grin disappeared in an instant.
“Apologies,” he whispered, grabbing my wrists and pinning them to the ground over my head. This time he sounded as if he meant it.
Oses’s attention returned to me. He lifted up to kneel next to me. He grasped the skirt of my dress and pulled up, baring my body all the way up to my chest. A breeze wafted over my flushed skin, making me feel naked despite the lacy black bra and panties I wore. Looking me over, Oses uttered a sound between a grunt and a groan.
“Nice,” Betra said. “I enjoy you in black lace.”
“As do I,” Oses agreed. “Almost as much as I enjoy you out of it.”
With that, he pulled my panties down. The exposure, there in the great outdoors, was particularly profound. Wetness trickled from between my thighs.
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