After dinner, Devin retired for the night. His footsteps faded up the stairs and left the girls alone with Ellyn and her father.
Ellyn sat down after having finished cleaning up dinner, sewing kit in hand, and set to work mending some shirts. Without pausing, she asked Devin's ladies, "So, how'd you two enjoy your day on the farm?"
"It was so much fun! I'm sad we can't stay longer," Azalea replied as she unbraided her hair for the night.
Reina sipped her after-dinner tea. "It was a most enjoyable experience. Thank you for your hospitality."
"Glad you two enjoyed yourselves. Aside from Jyora's little show, things are normally quite boring around here."
"She looked like she had a lot of fun," Azalea observed.
Ellyn looked up at her comment, "I hope she did. I'm a bit concerned that maybe I teased her too much. I'll talk to her tomorrow and apologize if I got too familiar with her."
"I'm sure she'll be fine. Maybe just the intuition of an old man, but I think she especially enjoyed the attention from you, Ellyn," Gylan countered.
"You think she has feelings for me?"
The husky farmer put his feet up on the table. After pulling out a knife and a block of wood, he started carving. "I believe she admires you, or at least looks up to you, though she might be experiencing more complicated feelings now."
The candles flickered in their sconces as Ellyn mulled over her father's words.
"What are you carving, grandpa Gylan?" inquired Azalea, snuggling against Reina.
Gylan smiled at his new title. "A gift for you two."
Suddenly sitting up, "Presents for us?!" Thank you!" What is it?"
"I'll answer that before you leave tomorrow," he uttered, then went back to work.
Azalea tried to pout, but traces of a smile kept leaking through.
Gylan flicked some shavings off the table. "So, how's it been traveling with young Devin?"
"Well, we actually haven't been with herd-mate very long. I've only been with him two days, and Azalea's been with him three," Reina offered.
"Only that long? I got the impression you were together much longer. So you essentially just met?"
"Yes. It's been so much fun! Both life-mate and Reina have been wonderful! I love them both very much!" gushed Azalea.
"I'm glad to hear. He's very conscientious, though -- and this isn't meant to be an insult to either of you -- we are just a little surprised he has two companions," Gylan revealed.
"What do you mean?" Reina quizzed.
"Devin does very well for himself, but being a merchant means always chasing after profit, and sometimes profit is elusive. You might have noticed your meals have been fairly basic. Or how worn his wagon and personal belongings are?" Gylan pointed out.
"I hadn't really paid attention to herd-mate's lifestyle," replied Reina with contemplation.
"Neither have I," admitted Azalea.
Ellyn put down her sewing and interjected, "We tell you this not to make you feel bad but to make you aware of the situation he's in. The life of a merchant is hard. Business is good while the weather stays amicable, but come winter unless you are desperate or reckless, money gets tight. We were Devin's first customers when he started out. He's become somewhat of an extended family member to everyone. Every time he visits, we try to give him a little extra in the way of food or other things he might need or be able to sell."
"Do you have any suggestions on how we can help herd-mate?"
"Unfortunately, no, but just doing little things and emotional support never hurts. I was glad to see you were pulling the wagon, Reina. I don't have any spare horses to lend, and the current one doesn't look like she'd last through the winter if he kept her working that hard," advanced Gylan.
Ellyn leaned over the table and took both of the girl's hands. "I'm so very glad he met you two. We can worry less about him knowing he's not alone out on the road."
The girls squeezed Ellyn's hand in return. "Reina and I are dedicated life-mates. I swear upon my love crest we'll look after him."
"Seeing how you three interact together, I have no doubt." Ellyn yawned suddenly. "It's getting late, and I have to be up early. We should probably head to bed."
----
That night, amidst the chittering of crickets and creaking of the barn, Jyora laid on her cot, thinking back on the events of the day.
'I can't believe I did that. To think I was aroused enough to let, no, want Ellyn to do those things to me, and in front of people, no less.'
The thought of Ellyn's eyes and fingers roaming over her body caused a small tingle in her belly. Her fingers drifted down between her legs.
'I wonder if she'd do it again?
She sighed.
'I never used to be interested in this sort of thing when I lived at home or during my time at the academy.'
Jyora had grown up far to the north of the capital in a patch of forest considered ancient, even by old growth standards. She was never very outgoing and preferred to have her nose in a book. Some of her peers would have described her as unsocial, but she didn't mind. At the time, learning was more interesting than anything. When she was old enough to attend the academy, all her previous book learning had borne fruit as she excelled in all her classes.
She bit her lip as she inserted a finger, stirring her insides to make room for a second.
'If I hadn't checked the job listings board on the school grounds a year ago and saw that request for a small farm near Iceford looking for a mage to test their demi-humans for magic affinity and possibly some basic training... I probably would have been mentoring a senior crestologist right now.'
It had looked like an easy enough job, and it was. Mr. KivelΓ€son's farm wasn't a bad place for her first internship. Gylan and his daughter had been quite happy at the revelation of several of their farmhands possessing affinity and that crests existed to boost milk and wool production.
She curled her fingers, searching for her favorite spot.
Her time on the farm had let her observe many things: particularly how the farmhands interacted and flirted. This stirred a small corner of her heart to wonder what it was like to be desired. She considered herself very average. She didn't have the energetic vibrancy of an athletic body or the soft sensual curves of natural beauty. Did others find her attractive?
That particular night, before Gylan had asked her to start testing the farmhands for affinity, a thought popped into her head. As she reviewed her notes, she flipped through to the sheet she used as a reference for infrequently-used, miscellaneous crests. Her finger meandered through her listed definitions, stopping at the gaze crest. She didn't know much about it, except it was a crest with very little practical application. The only info she had written was that it made the user tingle when someone looked lustfully at them.
She had weighed the pros and cons of using it on herself. Its effects wouldn't be a permanent thing, and her curiosity grew the more she wondered if anyone ever looked at her in that way.
Throwing caution to the wind, she drew it. It had been simple enough and had barely taken any time, but it was tricky drawing upside down. It was the first time she had applied a crest for personal use, and the novelty was exciting. She'd infused a bit of magic to put it into the 'active' state. That night, she almost didn't sleep, wondering what would happen the next day. Eventually, sleep did find her, and she drifted off.
That next morning, she had forgotten about the crest, dressed, and went to search for Gylan. "When she was halfway across the yard, an unexpected vibration startled her. Remembering the crest, she thought it was going to be a slight tingle, but the significant buzz was making her legs weak.
It was impossible to tell who triggered the magic effect. It could have been any of the demi-humans who were busy going about their tasks outside. A simple stare or quick glance from anyone was all it took. She never figured out who it was, but from then on, she ventured further into exploring this new hobby. Jyora went so far as to forgo undergarments since she often ended up soaking them.
Her intense orgasm brought her back to the present. Her back arched as it washed over her. Her vagina quivered as she fingered the last pleasant waves from her tired body.
'When did I become such a licentious girl?'
was her last thought as she fell asleep.
-------
Azalea shifted uncomfortably in her bed. Contrary to her wishes, her body was demanding immediate attention for her full bladder. Begrudgingly, she got up and left the warmth of Devin's nethers. Throwing her clothes on, she wondered how she would get to the outhouse behind the lodge.
As she exited the bedroom, she spied Ellyn walking out onto the porch. She zipped to the door and exited just before it slammed closed. Azalea was curious where Ellyn was going so early in the morning. Through the chill mist she saw the redhead approach two figures leaning against the milking barn wall opposite the outhouse. Finding a way to kill two birds with one stone, she dove into a nearby bush and listened in while she watered the plant.
"Good morning Ailean, Erinnah!"
"Mornin," mumbled the sleepy sheepman.
"Good morning, Ellyn." Erinnah yawned.
"Sorry to call you two out so early."
"It's no problem. We're always happy to help. Though, some are more eager to help than others." Erinnah pulled her hand out of her brother's pants, "see?" Sticky strands of precum glinted between her fingers. "I edged him last night to activate his glyph, but I might have overdone it. He couldn't fall asleep, but after some of my milk, he finally relaxed."
Gingerly massaging her milk-laden breasts, Erinnah added, "I can't wait to relieve some of this pressure. Also, it's freezing!" She wrapped her cloak closer about her and motioned to the barn door. "Shall we?"
Ellyn opened the barn door and ushered the two inside.
Azalea, having thoroughly drenched the plant, poked her head out of the bush, doubly curious about what was going on. "Good morning, Ellyn!"
Ellyn turned to see Azalea hovering right outside the door. "Oh, good morning, Azalea. Everything alright?"
"Everything's fine, I had to pee, and I saw you three and was curious what was going on."