The Missing Dragon Ch. 05

Talina grinned and turned to slip out of the tents. There she found Ishka trying to clamber amongst the tents with fury in her eyes. The orc wasn't as nimble as Talina or Dregolf, and she pawed her way through the overlapping canopies of the tents blindly. The strike to Ishka's throat seemingly came out of nowhere. It sent her falling to the ground, clutching her neck and desperately gasping for air. For a moment, Talina stopped and felt a twinge of an old and familiar desire. It would be so easy to slip down beside the orc and finish the job. Then she thought of her master and shook her head, not wanting to bring that kind of trouble down on him. Instead, she skipped over Ishka, giving her one last surgical jab to the back of the neck that opened her airways again.

Considering her mischief well and truly successful, Talina slipped back between the folds of the tents and seemingly vanished into the night.

- - - - -

When Gregory awoke the next morning it was with an unusual degree of clarity. Until his time on Arolius, he definitely wasn't a morning person. The snooze button had been his greatest ally in what he considered to be a never ending battle against the unending trials of consciousness. Lately, it seemed as if waking up was no more difficult than flipping a switch. This was doubly surprising considering he was often barely getting more than four hours of sleep a night.

Maybe it was something in the air?

He didn't usually spend much time worrying about it since he was often immediately distracted by the beautiful woman lying beside him. He'd spent the last night with Valise, and today she remained cuddled up against his chest in all her naked glory. Even given all his current troubles, he had absolutely no problem at all with this world if this was how it greeted him every morning.

A smile crept across his lips before he leaned in to settle a light kiss on hers. It surprised him when her eyes immediately flickered open to focus on him without a hint of sleep marring their focus.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," he said.

"You didn't. I haven't yet slept."

"Why? Did you think I'd start rooting through your things looking for lost elven treasures once you'd nodded off?"

That brought an amused smile to her lips.

"Everything I own is already yours, Gregory. Although I'm afraid I'm a little short on elven treasures at the moment."

"Not really." He looked down over her slender figure with a distinctly appreciative gaze. Given her nudity, there were plenty of treasures freely on display as far as he was concerned.

The brazen way he looked over her brought a little shiver through her body. She moaned softly when she felt him begin to harden against her bare thigh.

"I didn't want to sleep. It has been a long time since I've been quite so content, and I've learned that it could be a very long time until I find such happiness again. I'm merely savouring a moment."

"A moment? Crikey, I hope I lasted a bit longer than that."

That got an immediate laugh. "Very well, I'm savouring quite a few very long and very happy moments. And I enjoy watching you sleep."

"Great, because that's not creepy at all." He reached around and gave her bare bottom a playful pinch. She yelped with a combination of shock and laughter before they fell together in a long, slow kiss.

That kiss lasted quite a bit longer than a moment, and both of them had to take deep breaths when they finally came up for air. They had shifted enough that he now found himself laid on his back with her languidly resting over his chest. Her small breasts cushioned against his hard muscle, and he felt her nipples lightly poking against his body.

"I should get going. Today's the big day, and I figure I need to give Algra and Janette a good while to chew me out over not coming home last night."

"Tell them it was time well spent. And remember to be yourself today. Don't let them try to make you fight like an orc when you can do better by simply being who you really are."

"Yes ma'am." He nodded as she lifted herself up from him and reached to pick up her long, white gown.

He took a while to enjoy watching her dress, and then when his cock had finally fallen enough to be comfortable, he reached for his trunks.

They came together once more at the entrance to the tent where he took her in his arms to kiss her goodbye and she eagerly responded in kind before releasing him.

Once he was out in the open, he found the camp to be already busy with the activities of the morning. There wasn't as much to do with the caravan away, but everyone still needed feeding and there were still some stalls to set up. Torren did the most business in Bolut's absence, fixing up weapons and helping orcs with his own supplies. The smiths amongst the orcs tended to be master weapon and armour makers, and a lot of the more mundane tasks of a smith seemed beneath them. So having a human smith around willing to forge things like nails at a cheap price kept many orcs passing through the camp even with so little of the merchant's wares to sell.

It was usually Valise who took to the task of feeding everyone, but this morning it seemed that Lydia and Fiona had stepped in to take up the burden.

"Morning." He nodded to them with a friendly expression as he passed.

"Morning, master." Lydia said as both women were grinning from ear to ear as they watched him leave Valise's tent. "Nice night?"

"Er... yeah, thanks."

"It sounded like Valise had a very nice night. I don't quite know what you were doing to her in there, but she seemed to agree with it frequently and loudly," Lydia teased.

"We were talking about how to make the best cheese sandwich, and we both thought they taste better with pickles. Valise is very passionate when it comes to cheese sandwiches." Gregory nodded with a deadpan expression. Not so long ago, he might have turned bright pink at Lydia's teasing, but by now he'd gotten used to it.

"In that case, feel free to drop by later and we can talk about cake. You wouldn't believe what me and Fiona would do for cake, master. Would you like us to show you?"

"Sure, but excuse me a moment." He sounded slightly tense. Though he'd successfully overcome his tendency to blush at Lydia's teasing, the woman could still unfailingly give him a raging erection with a few honeyed words.

Doing his best to think about cold showers and large spiders instead of the two gorgeous women sitting by their cooking pot, he made his way toward his tent. What he found within didn't exactly do much to calm him down.

Janette was perched upon the large chest of Algra's former belongings that had been gifted to Gregory by Grolfir. She was completely naked, and using her arms to prop herself up into a seated position to better watch what was going on between her thighs. Her legs were spread wide open, and between them Algra was crouched and equally naked with her lips pressed up against Janette's glistening pussy. Both women gleamed with a light sheen of perspiration, and appeared thoroughly ravishing in the morning light that seeped through the canopy of their tent.

Janette's face was fetchingly flushed, and her lips were quivering as she struggled to catch her breath. He knew that as a key sign of an impending orgasm on the part of the beautiful young woman, and paused in his approach to watch it happen. It could be seen rising up through her as Algra's well-practiced tongue licked across her clit and through her sensitive folds. Her toes clenched, and her back arched to let more of that lustrous red hair spill over her shoulders in fiery waves. In that moment, she caught the shape of Gregory in the corner of her eye and focused upon him. An instant of panic claimed her as instinct kicked in and years of being told how naughty it was to be caught naked and about to climax on the lips of your lover. That moment of tension quickly shifted to a thrill of recognising him, and seeing the blaze of desire in his expression.

Janette knew his mannerisms as well as he knew hers by now. She knew by that look in his eyes that he wanted nothing more than to take her until they were both sore and spent. Naturally, she wanted to encourage that train of thought, and with the help of the rising climax emanating through her body, she put on quite the wanton display for him.

Her pink tongue drew a fresh gleam across her lips before they parted to release a low, sensuous moan that held back nothing in displaying her enjoyment. Her hand drew up along the luscious curves of her body to cup her bare breast and lightly pinch her hardened nipple. The combined trinity of having her lover licking at her clit, an orgasm freshly tearing up through her core, and her man watching the whole thing was enough to turn one climax into two. She lay back along the length of the wooden chest to enjoy the second, and lifted her perfectly long legs up into the air.

Waiting until after her feet stopped quivering; Gregory stepped toward his women and made himself known to Algra for the first time. She turned and offered him an expression brimming with her own lust, and quickly lifted herself upright to step into his welcoming arms. The kiss that followed was ravenous, and the taste of Janette's sweet honey on the orc's lips only inflamed his aching member all the more. It was only when he moved to begin tearing away his trunks and falling together with both women that Algra stopped him.

For a moment he thought he might have hurt her, or she might have noticed the sky was falling. "Restraint" wasn't generally a word that Algra seemed familiar with when it came to sex, and it seemed to him a very odd time to begin the practice. He was stunned when she pushed him away and shook her head, despite a clear hiss from between her teeth that showed her own frustration.

"Algra? What is it?" he asked.

"You are to return to provings today. It is not good to fuck so soon before a fight." She spoke between heavy breaths.

"Why the hell not!?" Both Gregory and Janette had snapped out of their lusty haze to yell the same thing in unison.

Algra gave them both a level stare and then shook her head.

"Because fucking and fighting both take same power from body. It is good to fuck before sleep when a fight comes with morning. It is not good to show up to fight still feeling fucked."

"Dammit, Algra. Don't start kissing me like that and then go making all kinds of abstract but weirdly understandable rules about how there's a proper time and place for everything." Gregory grumpily shifted his hard length inside his trunks.

"Next time I hit you instead. Will make you better prepared for pain in provings." Algra gave him a dangerously impish smile before turning to walk over to the bed where she went to lie down and close her eyes.

"You're not coming to watch then?" he asked.

"Of course not. This is your first real proving. You are my mate. I do not enjoy seeing your face crushed into dirt."

"Wow, thanks for being so supportive."

"Don't get your face crushed into dirt, then maybe I come next time." With that, she wiggled slightly in the furs to get comfortable and then started to snooze.

Gregory gave a sigh of defeat, and then turned to look at Janette who had been busy putting her clothes on. She was just settling her cloak over her shoulders when Algra began to lightly snore.

"Are you coming, Jan?" he asked after a moment of nervous hesitation.

"Of course I'm coming. You think I could stand to stay here after what happened last time? If you're going to get your chest kicked in again then I want to be there."

"I'm really feeling the love in this tent."

Janette smiled at him and walked the short distance between them to plant a playful kiss on the tip of his nose.

"I'm just fucking with you. You guys are going to kick ass."

"Thanks, Jan." He immediately felt a lot better after hearing that.

"Algra's just worried. I'm not though. She says that if you die I can still stay here as her sex slave and since we're both kind of your mates then I'd get half of your stuff. We've got it all worked out."

Gregory laughed at that, and then whipped her cloak up to reveal the skimpy little garments she wore beneath it. With the fabric out of the way, his hand came down hard on her bare rear cheek leaving a pink imprint where it connected on her pale skin.

"Ow!" She jumped and then shoved him playfully. "Come on, Spanky. Let's go get breakfast before I spend the rest of the day biting my nails off with nerves."

He obediently did as he was told, and she led him out into the open where they picked up the breakfast that was being dished out by Lydia. They both ate quickly and quietly. Many of the members of the camp stopped by to give him a pat on the shoulder and wish him luck. In truth, their well wishes just made him anxious.

"Let's go for a walk." Janette suggested; picking up on his growing tension.

"That's a good idea." He nodded and stood up to wait for her to fall in step beside him.

"Are you sure you don't want anything else before you leave?" Lydia asked, casually opening her thighs and stroking her fingers invitingly along their inner flanks.

"No can do! He's been put on a strict no-vagina diet this morning, I'm afraid." Janette gave him a dutiful shove to get him moving again after seeing him eyeing Lydia like a hungry wolf might regard a steak dinner.

"Spoilsport." Greg complained as he allowed himself to be shoved, but not before looking longingly back at Lydia.

She gave him a playful wiggle of her fingers to say goodbye.

"If the women around here keep this up I'm going to be going into the provings carrying my baton, my shield, and sporting one hell of a lance."

"I promise I'll be good." Janette's voice carried a note of laughter.

She simply locked one of her arms with his and started the walk to the proving grounds, taking the long way around.

"I really do think you're going to win today, you know. I mean, if you keep up what you've been doing with the others in training." Janette said in a more serious tone soon after they departed Bolut's camp.

"That's the plan." He took a deep breath and despite everything he couldn't help but feel a little like a man making his way to the gallows.

"It's too bad Ulla couldn't get her head out of her butt to join in with you guys."

"Yeah, I'd been hoping she'd show up to one of the training sessions with us. I always see Ulf looking hopeful whenever he hears someone coming into the clearing. I guess it's too late for that now."

"Better The Runts have you than her. You know I heard none of the other packs would take her? She's way too much of a hothead, and has a chip on her shoulder the size of the fucking Grand Canyon."

"She fights better than any of us though." He was hesitant to lay out judgment. Truth was that he'd have liked all the help he could get.

"Maybe so, but she can't fight with anyone to save her life. You know what went down with her and Algra?"

"Stuff went down?" He turned to look at Janette, the mention of his mate prying his thoughts away from the battle ahead.

"Oh yeah. Big stuff. Ulla's full name is Ulla Strongblood. She's part of the Strongblood clan, and they're apparently a huge deal around here. Lots of big heroes in their history. And you know about Rowun, right?"

"I do." He nodded sadly. "Algra's mate before me, and the reason she went to live in isolation. Couldn't handle everyone's attention and move on after he died in the northern wars. Or just didn't want to."

"Right, well Ulla wasn't just part of Rowun's clan. He was her big brother. After he died, she blamed it all on Algra. She hates her. I'm guessing that's part of the reason why she wasn't too chirpy about the idea of Algra's new mate running her pack."

"Great, that's something else I better watch out for then," he grumbled.

"No. I think she didn't want you there because she knew you'd bring Algra with you to help train them. Orcs don't usually let grudges carry over from one to another. They might lose their temper, or speak a little too much of their mind, but they don't let their anger seep out too much from where they've planted it. At the heart of it, it's Algra she's pissed at. Not you."

"And how do you know that? In fact, how did you get to know all this?" he said; casting an impressed glance in her direction.

"Uh? Oh, well, I learned a lot of it from Talina. Rudd also swings by the camp once a day to try and check up on you. So, I've been talking with him about orcs, elves, humans, and all the other crazy shit that goes on around here. And I've been going to the provings with Talina whilst you guys have been training. I guess if you keep your ears open long enough you pick up stuff."

"I guess you do." He nodded. "So, why has Rudd been coming by the camp?"

"He thinks you could be the saviour of mankind. Although, he is pissed off his face about three quarters of the time, so I wouldn't take anything he says too seriously."

"I'll make a note of that." He couldn't help but smile at Janette's summation of the man. "Did you see anything interesting at the provings?"

"Oh yeah, lots of crazy shit. They're freakin' brutal!"

"Right, I picked up that part already." He ran his fingertips down over the thin scar that now ran across his chest. "Anything else?"

"I dunno, I guess..." She paused a moment, trying to figure out how to put it. "I guess the more I watch them, the less I think of them like some gladiatorial fight from the dark ages."

"Really? What do they remind you of then?"

She blinked apprehensively before peeking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Well," she started slowly. "If you really must know they kind of remind me of football matches."

That stopped Gregory in his tracks as he almost doubled over with laughter.

"I'm being serious, ok!?" Janette protested.

"No... no..." He managed to heave the words out between bouts of laughter. "I just... I got this mental image of premiership footballers in the provings. Can you just fucking imagine?"

That got a blurt of laughter from her when the picture quickly formed of a number of ridiculously overpaid humans falling over before the orcs could touch them; rolling around on the floor holding their shins and trying to claim a foul.

"So how do they remind you of football matches then?" Gregory asked when he'd finally managed to stop snickering.

"It's kind of what orcs do for sport for one thing. When we first went there, I thought they were just bloodthirsty. But they don't really care about that as much as they care about the fighting styles and the tactics used. Honour's also a big deal to them. They don't have the same rules for fighting dirty that we would, but if an orc ever did cross that line then I would not like to be in their shoes at the end of the match."

"Right, so where's that line then?"

"It's for stuff like hurting an enemy that can't defend themselves. There are also certain situations when attacking from the rear is a big no-no. Like if your opponents are outnumbered or clearly injured. Believe it or not, The Berserkers have been getting some flak for what they did to you. It's just whispers because no one wants to get on their bad side, and it would be worse if you were an orc rather than a human, but Rolk isn't nearly as popular as he thinks he is these days."

"Right, well that's good to know. I don't suppose they have any rules against low blows?"

"Sorry, the attitude toward that is that if you're stupid enough to give your enemy a chance at hitting you in the pills then you deserve whatever you get." She shrugged.

"Great, I'll try not to be stupid then."

"You'd better damn well not be, buddy. I expect that whole area to come back tonight in full working order... or else!" She gave his arm a determined poke with her finger.