Smitten

Chapter 3

Coopah and his helpers had finished the rope.

- "Oh." I said. It was only 30 feet long.

- "I know - you need a much longer one." he said. "We're staring a second rope tomorrow. When it's done, we'll tie the two ropes together. If you want a third or even a fourth, we can do that."

That sounded much better. Even a 30 foot rope would help, I supposed. I could ask Oag, Slagip and Ushug to come into the water, at least up to their waists. That would significantly decrease the distance I had to carry the iron ingots. I could even try to bring up a few of the pig iron weights, or more of the cannonballs.

Ushug would certainly be willing to help me, after what I'd done for her last night.

She was a big female, almost as tall as I was, and her shoulders and arms were a match for mine in terms of breadth and strength. She had the largest breasts I'd ever seen, and a big, solid ass. There was very little fat around her midsection, either. Her thighs were practically as thick as Shaghar's waist.

I was a little daunted by the enormity of the task ahead of me, to tell the truth. But once I got Ushug to sit down in the stream, I realized that she was willing to do just about anything I asked of her.

She let me wash her shoulders, arms, and armpits. Then I spent a considerably longer time washing her breasts. That was partly due to their large size, but also because of my fascination with their weight and shape.

I had her stand, with her knees slightly bent, and proceeded to wash her legs and her large, surprisingly firm ass. Ushug seemed to enjoy that part of her bath even more than my prolonged attention to her bosom.

She wasn't prepared, though, for the sensations she experienced when I finally inserted two fingers inside her pussy, while at the same time licking and sucking on one of her large nipples and fondling her big ass. Ushug shivered - and her foot slipped.

She lost her balance, and toppled backwards, taking me with her. We both fell into the stream with a loud splash.

Ushug came up with her hair dripping, embarrassed by her misstep. She was somewhat reassured, though, to find me laughing. A few moments later, she even joined me.

In one sense, that little tumble made us both more comfortable with each other. After all, falling into the stream certainly put paid to any remaining jitters.

Ushug was happy enough to return to the deepest part of the water, to let me return to my simultaneous exploration of her pussy, ass, and nipples.

She came very quietly: a quickly-drawn breath, a brief tremor that rippled through her entire body, followed by the slow release of her breath.

- "Ohhhh ..."

I was careful to hold on to her so that she didn't slip again. Then I led her to the spot where I'd taken Umog.

Ushug didn't really know what to expect. She'd seen me with Shaghar, several times, but she'd never experienced what I was about to do for her. Orc tusks tend to preclude oral sex.

I took my time with Ushug. She was a friend of Shaghar, plus she'd asked politely - through an intermediary, so that I wouldn't have been forced to refuse her to her face, if I'd wanted to decline. I quite liked Ushug. That was why I decided to give her my best effort.

Her reaction was just about all I could've asked for. Her light blue eyes were fixed on me the whole time, her expression a mixture of sensual appreciation and astonishment.

Ushug's orgasm built up slowly, but its intensity seemed to catch her by surprise.

- "OH! Ohhhh ..."

I gave her a few moments to recover. I could see Ushug's lips twitching, and her eyes working, as she sought for a way to ask me ...

- "Yes, Ushug." I said. "We can do this again."

- "Now?"

- "Well, I was hoping to fuck you now."

- "Oh!" Ushug turned over, onto her hands and knees, presenting her big, solid ass for my admiration. That surprised me a little. I realized just then that I hadn't been thinking ahead; I hadn't even considered what it might be like to have someone as big as Ushug riding me - especially if she was as aggressive as Ditgurat or (Gods help me) Umog.

She wasn't. Ushug waited for me to take the initiative. I bent closer, and gave her pussy a kiss and a lick - just so that she would know that it was equally possible from this position.

Then I lined up my cock, and slowly entered her.

- "Ohhhh ..."

That was me. Submitting to Umog was an ordeal. Sex with Ditgurat was much better, but there was still an element of ... subservience? I was striving to please her so that she wouldn't give me to Umog, or have me killed. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the sex; only that I recognized the imbalance in power.

Shaghar was something else entirely. I lusted after her, of course, but I was completely smitten with her. I would have to do some serious thinking about that, soon.

Ushug was simply ... fun. I'd brought her off with fingers and tongue. Now it was time to see if a doggy-style ride could please her - because I already knew that

I

was going to thoroughly enjoy it.

And I did.

***

- "Ushug was very happy." said Shaghar.

- "I'm glad."

- "She was especially happy when you said that you would do it again."

- "Oh. Um ... is that alright with you?"

- "Do you want to bathe with Ushug again?" she asked. Shaghar's violet eyes gave nothing away. I couldn't tell what she was thinking. I chose to go with honesty.

- "Yes." Actually, the thought of fucking Ushug again was very appealing.

Shaghar smiled. "Good. Then all three of us will be happy." She kissed me, and stuck her tongue in my mouth.

"Mmm ..." she said. "What is that? You taste ... different."

- "It's wild mint." I'd spotted it growing along the path to the beach. I thought I could be very clever, and gradually persuade Shaghar to use it, too.

- "It ... tastes nice." she said. "So you want me to use it, too?"

She was too smart for me. Shaghar knew very well why I insisted she bathe before I went down on her.

- "Um ... would you?"

- "After what you have done for me? I would do anything for

you

, Smit."

Wow. Obviously, she meant my going down on her. Or ... did she mean my attempts to protect her from Umog? Or bathing with Ushug, at her request?

I wished that I knew the orcish word for smitten - I didn't know how to explain to Shaghar how I felt about her - or how happy she made me.

- "If I eat ... wild mint," she began, would you do something for me? Just a small favour ..."

- "You don't eat the mint." I said. "You just chew it. And of course I'll do a favour for you."

Her smile was brilliant. "Oh, good. Ghorza would like to bathe with you, too."

***

Ghorza ended up having to wait. When we returned from the beach that afternoon, we found the Red Knees busily preparing for a feast.

Ditgurat's daughters had returned.

They'd led a party of ten on a patrol around the edges of the band's territory, hunting as well as scouting. Their luck had been good: no enemies were spotted, and the game had been plentiful. This good news had everyone in a celebratory mood.

Shaghar pointed out Ditgurat's daughters to me.

- "The tall one - that's Lagakh."

Lagakh

was

tall - perhaps a few inches taller than me. Her hair was black - raven black - but her eyes were a pale blue. I could see signs of her human heritage in her fine nose, and her relatively thin lips. Her tusks were long and sharp.

What surprised me most, I think, was how little she resembled her mother. Ditgurat was shorter, and solidly built, while Lagakh was tall and more supple - almost graceful (strange as it may sound to describe a half-orc). Their hair was of different colour, and their skin, too. The mother was almost olive green, and her body was covered in scars; the daughter was a lighter, almost iridescent shade of green.

- "And that's Ogash." said Shaghar. "The younger one." There was something about her tone that made it clear: my lover was not as fond of Ditgurat's youngest.

Ogash was shorter, with auburn hair, large ears, and enormous eyes. Her tusks were quite small - at first, I actually didn't think that she had any. Her midsection looked soft, and she had a sizeable backside, just a little out of proportion to the rest of her body. Her skin colour was a lighter shade of green than her mother's, but without the luminous quality of her sister's.

My first reaction was to feel a little sorry for Ogash. She didn't have her mother's physical strength, nor her sister's commanding presence. It couldn't have been easy to grow up in their shadow, as she must have.

Then I got a better look at her face.

- "Spoiled brat?" I asked.

- "Zug." said Shaghar.

There was roast meat, and roasted vegetables, although only half-orcs seemed to partake of the latter (and not

all

of the half-orcs, I noticed). There was applejack, and a dark ale that would have remained unsold in most taverns in Portoa (unless they'd run out of most other alcoholic beverages).

Shaghar and I were joined by Ushug and Ghorza, and then by Coopah and little Snak.

After a few drinks, Coopah was remarkably forthcoming about his granddaughters. Lagakh, he said, was not only a physical freak, but smart, too.

- "Smart enough to know that she isn't quite as smart as her mother. That's very rare - someone who knows exactly how intelligent they are."

- "Pardon." I said. "Did you say 'a physical freak'?"

Coopah nodded. "Don't ever get on her bad side, lad. She's so fast, it's uncanny. The last Mak'gora challenger barely lasted a minute against her."

- "Mak'gora?"

- "A challenge for the leadership. To be chieftain." said Shaghar. "By the old ways, it is a fight to the death. Lagakh had to fight a huge male. But he never touched her. She made him look ... useless. It was most impressive."

- "

Mos'

impressive." agreed Ushug.

- "She took his head." said Snak.

Charming.

- "What about Ogash?" I asked. Coopah hadn't even mentioned her.

- "She needs a good spanking." said the old cooper. "She doesn't have her mother's brains, or her sister's fighting skills. I could have wished that she would learn to care about others, as Ditgurat does, but Ogash only cares about herself. I can't stand when she whines, either."

- "Zug." said Shaghar and Ushug, almost simultaneously.

I could have wished for a good wine, to cut the grease of the roasted meats, but other than that, I could hardly complain about the company, or the setting. Two of the females seated beside and behind me had had sex with me - and the third wanted to.

Ditgurat herself came by to spend a moment with us. She greeted all of us by name - even little Snak.

- "A word with you later, Smit." she said. "When you see us leave, come to my cave."

- "I will." The chieftain moved on, to speak to other members of her band. I was beginning to understand a part of her success: it cost her nothing to speak to Snak, and make the little girl / orclet feel important. But when Snak grew up, it would not surprise me at all if she was passionately loyal to Ditgurat.

Had she spoken the same way to Shaghar and her friends when they were young? There was more to leadership than giving orders, it seemed.

A little later, I realized that I wasn't going be able to honour Shaghar's request. For one thing, I was a little too tipsy, already. For another, I had no idea when Ditgurat would want to see me.

- "I'm sorry, Ghorza." I said. "Tomorrow night?"

The little redhead nodded.

When I saw the chieftain and her daughters leave the celebration, I waited a few more moments, and then headed for the cave.

The three females were seated side by side, with a jug of applejack between them.

- "Ah - here he is." said Ditgurat.

- "Aka'Magosh, Lagakh." I said. "Aka'Magosh, Ogash." A blessing on you and yours.

The daughters responded in kind. The elder was studying my face, as if trying to determine what to make of me. Her younger sister's eyes drifted considerably lower. She couldn't seem to keep a smirk off her face.

- "I have seen the items you brought back from the beach." said Lagakh. She spoke slowly, carefully enunciating every word. "They are very impressive. And there is more?"

- "Much more. Once I have a longer rope, I may be able to bring up some of the heavier objects."

- "Yes. We have been told that you can swim. A very useful skill."

- "We heard of

all

your skills." said Ogash, with another smirk. Or maybe it was a leer. I avoided direct eye contact with her - perhaps that was why I saw her mother's slight frown.

- "I would like to see you swim." said Lagakh. "And what is left of your ship."

- "Of course. Anytime you wish."

- "Tomorrow, then."

Ditgurat spoke. "I wanted my daughters to meet you, Smit. An' also for you to 'splain what you can do with the metal."

- "And

how

you will do it." added Lagakh.

I was struck by one more difference between Ditgurat and her daughters - especially the eldest. Both had prominent tusks, yet the chieftain seemed to have more difficulty with certain sounds. Lagakh was far more fluent in the common tongue. Was it a question of practice? Or did Ditgurat spend less time speaking the common tongue?

I began to explain my plans to build a forge, to make charcoal, and to craft tools and weapons for them. At first, I stuck to simple generalities, but Lagakh interrupted me to ask a question - making it clear that she wanted to know

everything

.

Coopah had been right: she

was

intelligent. He'd spoken of her speed and her strength as well, but he'd left out her sheer

presence

. Ditgurat had a certain charisma, but her daughter was completely monopolizing my attention. It wasn't simply beauty - though Lagakh was undeniably attractive.

Ogash, by contrast, was obviously bored, and making little or no attempt to hide it. Her mother barked at her, and Ogash snarled back. That obviously infuriated Ditgurat, who roared at her. Her daughter, undaunted, snapped something back.

- "Zug! Go!" shouted the chieftain.

Ogash smirked again. She slowly rose to her feet.

- "Another time, Smit." she said, with a parting leer.

The moment she was gone, Ditgurat exhaled very loudly.

- I apologize for my sister, Smit." said Lagakh. "She has little patience. But you were saying ... about charcoal?"

Give anyone an attentive audience, and ask them to talk about a subject they know well ... the result is fairly predictable. I was no exception - especially since Ditgurat kept passing me the jug of applejack. Were they pumping me for information?

- "I do not understand it all." said Lagakh. "But I look forward to learning more, tomorrow."

***

Lagakh was very observant. She saw me bend over to pick a leaf of wild mint, and pop it into my mouth.

- "What are you eating?"

- "I'm not eating it. Just chewing. It's wild mint."

- "Ah. To clean the breath. So that Shaghar will kiss you more."

Were there no secrets here?

Lagakh came out into the water up to her shoulders - farther even than Ushug had ever come. She took hold of the rope, and helped pull in one of the pig iron weights.

On my last trip to the beach, I'd found another sailor's knife. It was, surprisingly, still very sharp. I sank it into the soft wood of the stern, so that it wouldn't rust away too quickly. I now had two weapons.

And like an idiot, I brought up one of the knives, along with a silver coin, just to impress Lagakh. I had second thoughts while I was swimming back with it - and then went ahead and gave it to her anyway. Moron. I should've kept it for myself.

I also struggled to salvage a cannonball for her.

Lagakh was very pleased with the day's work.

- "Smit - may I ask something?" she said.

- "Of course."

- "Do you think that I could swim? Would you teach me?"

- "Gladly. Whenever you wish."

- "Now?"

It's probably easier to learn to swim in the sea - the salt seems to help you float. That was the first thing I asked her to do: float on her back. I put my arms underneath her, to support her.

That was when I first realized just how incredible her body was. High breasts, surprisingly narrow waist ... and I was mesmerized by the luminous quality of her skin.

I had Lagakh watch me swim a few strokes.

- "Kick the feet, pull with the hands." she said.

- "Now you try it." I suggested. I supported her with my arms again, but this time under her stomach.

She was very quick to pick up the movements, and completely fearless.

- "This is difficult." she said.

- "You only need more practice. Then it will begin to feel natural."

- "Will you practice with me again, Smit?"

- "Anytime."

That time wasn't now. Lagakh decided that we'd salvaged enough for the day, and led us home.

I was smiling by the time we left the beach. Ditgurat's daughter was playing me like a fish. I'd swallowed the bait, and she had to be quite certain that she had me on the hook.

How could I have avoided this? Or did I want to?

I was smitten with Shaghar, and I was sure that she wanted me, too. But she'd asked me to have sex with Ushug, and with Ghorza. Whatever she felt for me, it wasn't possessive. She'd told her cousin Lagakh about the wild mint. What else had she told her?

When we got back to the Blasted Tree, Lagakh had the beach crew sit down for a meal together: the males Oag and Slagip, Ushug and Ghorza, and me. The chieftain's daughter spoke to each of them in turn. She spoke orcish, so I could only recognize one word in ten.

Instead of trying to follow their conversation, I simply relaxed and watched a master at work. Lagakh had a personal connection with each one of them. They knew her, and she knew them.

When the meal was ended, and she'd spoken to each of the four, Lagakh turned to me.

- "Thank you, Smit, for showing me the ship, and for teaching me to swim. I will need to practice, I know. But now I wonder if you would show me where you bathe. I have heard so much about this spot."

That was a pretty clear invitation. My heart started to beat a little faster, when I thought of the incredible body I'd supported with my arms while she floated in the sea. There was nothing I wanted more, at that moment, than to see her completely naked.

Except that I couldn't.

- "I'm sorry, Lagakh." I said. "I promised to bathe with Ghorza tonight."

Lagakh looked to Ghorza, and then back to me. "Then you must honour your promise. I will see you another time, Smit." She rose and took her leave.

I had to look away - otherwise I would've been watching her go, and probably staring at her ass. Instead, I found myself looking at Ushug, who grinned and winked at me. Ghorza didn't look my way, though; she sat with her head down, her lips tightly compressed.

I didn't quite know what to say to her, at that point. Ushug solved that problem for me. She stood up, and bid us a good night. Slagip did the same, and big Oag followed his example (without saying anything).

A moment later, I was alone with Ghorza.

I still didn't know what to say. For all of my sexual adventures in the past few weeks, my experience with women - or half-orc females - remained extremely limited. 'Hello Smit - will you eat my pussy and let me ride you?' That pretty much described most of my interactions.

I'd invited Shaghar to join me, but she'd clearly expressed an interest. And my invitation to Ghorza had been made in front of the others. Rather than repeat it, I decided to wait for a sign from her.

Patience. That, and perseverance make a good smith, as my master Wede used to say. I could probably count on three fingers the number of times that she'd actually spoken to me before. Ghorza's words were few and far between. I couldn't read her expression, either - but that was nothing new.

Ghorza squirmed a little, and adjusted the position of her legs. Then she spoke.