Clover

Chapter 27 - Clover

I woke the next morning in the makeshift bed of old blankets and towels at the side of Aamalyn's bed. It was early morning and the earliest rays of sunlight shone through the one window in the shack. My head was in a bit less pain from being choked out the night before by the Non-sorcerer. I knelt and rose unsteadily to my feet.

Without opening her eyes, Aamalyn said, "Clover, my feet are cold." She rose her leg so there was an opening under her blankets.

Suspecting she meant for me to enter, I did so-submerging myself entirely under the blankets at the foot of her bed and curling up as to be able to in order to fit.

Aamalyn pressed one of her somewhat chilly feet between my thighs and then rested the other across my breasts. There, I waited still and entirely under the blankets for a while after. I was pretty sure that Aamalyn had fallen back to sleep.

In the meantime, I considered my new situation and what my friends might be going through. I wondered if Namali was worried about me. And I hoped we would meet up again near Crudehook. I thought about Daava and hoped she was managing to stay safe as she took care of her sick family. At least I didn't have a reason to worry too much about Mystery, Faublien, and Zolreya.

Then there was the person who was currently warming her feet with my body as she slept. Something about Aamalyn's demeanor and her words didn't quite add up to me. From the way she had spoken, I had always been under the impression that Aamalyn had been a top sorcerer in the Other Place ... or at least a formidable one. And she had to have at least been quite skilled in some form of magic, having stolen me away from the Non-sorcerer.

But then ... why was she living in the most lowly of quarters in the Other Place? For that matter ... why had she been assigned to bring sandals to the Temple of Kavtagro? Daava had made sense for bringing the robes; I had little doubt that Kink University would divide tasks evenly among students. In the Other Place, however, jobs were clearly dictated by hierarchy. There was no way that woman with the people-garden or the naga with the zoo were dragging wooden carts full of sandals outside of town. But then why did she seem so confident in being able to increase my magic? And, more curiously, why did I believe her?

I stayed thinking that way until the sun was bright enough for even me to be able to see from beneath the blankets.

Eventually, Aamalyn gave a leisurely stretch and sat up in bed. Again, she lifted her leg, this time to dismiss me.

I crawled out of bed and had a stretch as I finally stood.

"I will be going to get some water to clean ourselves and make breakfast," Aamalyn said, finally stepping out of bed in a very long night-gown with a slit that ran all the way up to her hip. "In the meantime, you will make the bed and fill the stove. You're not allowed to be out of the house unless on a leash."

"Yes, Goddess," I said and moved to make the bed as soon as she stood up. As I moved, I let out an involuntary shudder from the slight morning cold.

"Clover," Aamalyn said, and I turned to face her. Her brow was furrowed for only the briefest moment before turning uncaring once again. She picked up her black robe and normal attire from a shelf. "Look down, Clover, I do not currently wish to be seen."

Confused, I looked down at the ground, obediently. I waited like that as I heard the rustling of clothing being changed.

"You may look now," Aamalyn said.

I looked back up to see that she was in her regular leathers, with her robe over the ensemble.

In one arm, Aamalyn held her nightwear. She extended the garment to me and said, "You may wear this until the house heats up. I don't make a habit of freezing my pets to death."

"Thank you," I said, a little surprised. I donned the nightie, which hung so low on my much shorter frame that it dragged a bit on the floor. The neckline on me was such that it hung very loosely and well-below my breasts. It did help to warm me up, though, and I couldn't help but breathe in the smell of her coming from it. It smelled of some kind of ... nonspecific lotion-warm, soft, sweet.

I looked up, once again for Aamalyn to turn her head away a little too quickly, as if embarrassed that she had clearly been staring. She then took a wooden bucket off the small table and brought it with her as she exited through the door.

I waited there for a moment after she left, almost not used to being alone by this point. It admittedly made me feel a bit nervous, but it was also nice to be able to lethargically move about the task of filling the stove. Using the wood and kindling from a basket nearby, I stacked the wood so that it would be easy to ignite. By the time I had finished, the front door was opening.

Aamalyn entered and placed the bucket of water on the table. She then approached, tucked behind my ear one of the many strands of loose hair in my face, and said, "Go ahead and pour some of this in the boiling pot. And don't worry, we'll let you go out to get water as well once your brain is all fixed up from the University's brainwashing."

I did not respond other than to nod demurely as I took the bucket from the table and began pouring it. I wanted to know more about her history with the University. But I knew that it was likely to end up in Aamalyn walling herself off.

"Fuck! Why?" Aamalyn hissed as quietly as I thought she could manage in some sudden frustration. I turned in time to see her pull her empty hands out of the stove to retrieve a flint and steel. Had the kindling pile fallen over or something? Either way, it didn't take her long to expertly start the fire and close the stove.

I brought over the pot of water and set it atop the stove. Eventually, this was used for tea and porridge. We then boiled another pot to mix with the bucket. This was used to wash some clothing, rags, and ourselves in turn.

When our morning routine was done, I was summoned to kneel beside the bed while Aamalyn took a seat on it.

"I got us a gig ... like your school's quests, but we actually get paid instead of the inept Director," Aamalyn said while resting her feet on either of my shoulders. Using her toes, she played with my ears and ringlets of hair while she continued, "Light infestation of boners, shouldn't be many."

My body shivered involuntarily for the second time that morning, this time a panic attack. My face went hot and I felt waves wash over me more heavily than I could process. My trauma bubble pressed against the edges of my skull.

Aamalyn said something ... but I could not hear her beyond what was happening in my head.

I clenched my jaw and thought back to the mine ... to the wave ... to Zolerya ... to Namali.

The anxiety and fear began to slowly trickle over me like water. It moved me, but it did not carry me away. Without thinking, I let the bubble go.

Aamalyn's home began to rattle, and her few belongings fell over wherever they stood. Then the major moment of panic was over. The fear wasn't gone, but I could feel it going-along with the residual magic from the spell I'd learned from Namali.

"Lilly, Lilly!" Aamalyn was shouting. I realized she was shaking me.

I shook my head and said, "Sorry ... there were boners in the mine. I was having ... a moment."

"When the University almost-" Aamalyn squeezed her eyes shut and then shook her head. "Then we will cancel and get a different gig."

To my own surprise, I found myself shaking my head. "I ... I can take them. As long as they're not in a mine or cave, I can do it. It was just ... a trigger."

Aamalyn studied my face closely. I couldn't tell if she was concerned, curious, or trying to figure out if I really could handle this. Eventually, she nodded and said, "Alright ... but you will stay leashed and behind me at all times. There will be no repeats of what happened to you before."

I nodded, having no problem with this whatsoever.

"Good Clover," Aamalyn said and tussled my hair with her hand. Almost as if an afterthought, she then reached down and squeezed one my breasts. She then brought her milky hand back up to her mouth and tasted it. Her eyebrows raised and all she said was, "Hmm."

I almost asked. But when I opened my mouth to ask, Aamalyn placed her finger on my tongue and then gripped under my jaw with her thumb. "The last thing we need, however, is for Jagras-the naga who captured you-to find out where you've absconded to."

Aamalyn released me and then turned to reach down the side of her bed. She sat back up with a cloth bag in hand. Aamalyn reached in and first retrieved a metal ballgag. As she fastened it around my mouth, she said, "This will help a bit."

I tilted my head a bit, not sure how that would work out. I supposed maybe it would distort my face a bit. Of course, I could say none of this with the gag in my mouth.

I could, however, see that the next thing Aamalyn brought to my face was a blindfold. This was the last thing I saw for the time being.

"That will cover up you face even more. Ooh, and what if we did something with your hair."

For the next little while, I felt my hair being braided into a ponytail going down my back. As some point, some sort of wet stuff was then applied in sparse patches throughout. It was only once the smell and tingling came that I guessed that it was bleach ... being left in splotches as cow-print. After a few minutes, this was washed out in what remained of the cleaning water. Lastly, I was instructed to stand and Aamalyn wrapped a piece of fabric around my waist. While it left my hips and legs mostly exposed, I could feel silky material draping down to about the level of my shins and, more helpfully, also covering my girlstick.

"Beautiful," Aamalyn said, and I felt her hand caress my barely-covered backside. I realized that it was one of the places where my skin had slightly darkened. "Like a completely different cow, little Clover. Now, are you ready?"

I hesitated and then gave as resolute a nod as I could muster.

"Adorable," Aamalyn said, and then I felt the wetness of her tongue as she licked the entirety of my face-gently stopping and swirling at the corner of my mouth, the tip of my nose, and my eyebrow. I then heard shuffling before feeling my leash go taught.

I began walking in the direction my leash pulled me. There was no mistaking the sun on the skin of my back and my exposed breasts, or the breeze ruffling my silks as I made it outside.

For the many minutes that followed, I could hear the general sounds of the city and people around me; there was no telling how many people noticed my state. I found this to be mostly just a relief. It was clear that, if anything, I was entertaining those who saw me. After all ... that's what the Other Place was for, right?

So I tried to enjoy myself-imagining all the people who saw me being paraded as Aamalyn's pet. Not being able to see was really helpful with my anxiety, and I was surprised to find myself succeeding in my enjoyment. Eventually, however, the sounds of people faded away and were replaced by birds singing and insects chirping. By the time it came, I found the change of pace relaxing, and a welcome break from the admittedly fun and yet intense excitement of being seen.

Aamalyn stopped after a bit and finally removed my gag, at least. She pressed down on my shoulder so I knew to kneel. I was relieved to find that she had situated me over soft grass. Then she said, "My feet are tired, take care of them, little Clover."

At first, I had no idea how she meant me to do so, blinded as I was. However, I soon felt some smooth and rigid surface pressed up against my knees. When I heard water pouring, I guessed the object in front of me to be a bowl. Then I felt a sandaled foot placed on my lap.

I began to undo the straps from her sandals-a fairly simple task since I wore the exact same kind. When her foot was free, I set the sandal aside and placed her foot in the water. I gently massaged it, submerged, pressing my fingers into the arches ... the ball of the foot ... the heel ... the achilles tendon ... between the toes. Bit by bit, I pressed into the muscles and rubbed the skin. When I was finished, I dried her foot with my silks.

For her second foot, I began to work just as before. I was surprised, however, to feel something soft and crumbly touch my lips. I opened my mouth and immediately tasted bread being fed to me ... pinched between two of Aamalyn's toes. Careful not to bite down, I took the small piece of bread with my tongue-wrapping my lips around her toes as she gradually drew them out.

So it went with Aamalyn feeding me while I washed her opposite foot. Though I couldn't see, I could sense a bit of power radiating from her. My guess was that it was some inadvertent ability like my tail and horns, or that she was practicing some spell as we sat there. I made a mental note to ask her ... but only once I was finished enjoying this moment.