Living in Spring Wind

Crisp mountain air blew down from the Kharolis peaks. A minotaur stood atop a narrow ridge of granite overlooking a wide valley. There were fields of grass and wheat and soy and more covering the valley floor in a quilt of green.

Guarinn surveyed the landscape. The potato crop had been damaged these past weeks. Something was tunneling under them, filling its belly with his food.

The hulking minotaur was furious. The retched animal evaded his every attempt to kill it. And furious at himself for allowing it to go on as long as he did.

On his arm, a red goshawk preened herself. Omi was his favorite bird. Trained personally by the warlord since she hatched. Every single day for her entire life, he had fed her, he had handled her, and he had taken her flying.

Today she would earn her keep.

He spoke a few soothing words to the only female he had ever truly loved, and then he cast her off to the hunt.

Omi climbed on warm spring thermals, rising high above the valley. Soon she reached a nice cruising altitude, and she began circling the fields. She barely flapped her wings. Only once a minute or so.

Guarinn watched with patience.

The hawk pitched right, tightening the arc of her turn. Her head darted from side to side. She had spotted something, was honing in on it.

Then she folded and hacked down. Before hitting the ground, she spread her wings, splayed her claws, and crashed into the brush between two fields.

Guarinn watched. Tense.

A moment later, Omi hopped from the brush holding a fat mole in her beak. The rodent squealed, squirmed, and soon fell limp. Omi shook herself, smoothing feathers into place.

Guarinn grinned. Good girl.

When Omi returned, gorged and bloated, Guarinn's attention had already turned to the two visitors navigate the switchback trail winding up the ridge. He stared in stoic silence as one of his warriors, a young bull named Hakkon approached, accompanied by a human female.

So, this was the mismatched couple he had heard so much about.

As they neared him, Guarinn saw that the female was carrying a small bundle in her arms. That must be the child.

Hakkon bowed his head when he reached the warlord. "Lord, I am grateful to see you again. It has been too long."

Guarinn waved his hand, impatient at the formalities.

"Let me introduce Jun'ai and our newborn child, Hyun."

Guarinn flickered his gaze to Jun'ai. She was taller than he had expected, and far more beautiful. She had long legs and long dark hair. Her complexion was fair. Eyes large and dark.

Jun'ai met his gaze with one of her own. Guarinn was short and squat, actually one of the shortest minotaurs Jun'ai had ever seen. His broad shoulders and bulging belly, wide stance and thick jowls, made him truly enormous. And he was ugly. A huge wart sat on the side of his snout, and another on his bloated stomach. His horns were long, marred, showing his age.

Then he looked down at the child. Wrapped in blankets it was hard to see, but he could clearly see the tiny bovine head. Eyes closed. Napping. At least the child wasn't a monster.

Guarinn looked up at Jun'ai. He measured her with unreadable eyes. Then he turned back to Hakkon and spoke. "Congratulations seem to be in order. A healthy child is a true blessing."

"I think so," Hakkon was hesitant. What did the warlord think?

"You will have to tell me your story one of these days, don't you think Hakkon?"

"There's not much to tell. We meet during my exile. I'm sure you have already heard the reason for our union." Both looked at the child. "After Jun'ai found she was pregnant, we returned to my mother's home. She assisted with the delivery."

"That's what mothers are for."

Then a brief smile broke Guarinn's demeanor. "Allow me." He held out his arms.

Jun'ai hesitated briefly and then handed him the child. The baby girl was tiny in his massive arms. But he held her with the utmost delicacy.

"I will send Rasya to stay with you" Guarinn said. "She can serve as wet nurse."

Hakkon blinked. "You doubt our ability."

"Nonsense. I simply have another job for her. If she is staying with us, then she will serve as any other member of the tribe."

Hakkon bristled but kept silent.

Guarinn having made his point, handed the child over to her father.

Then he turned his attention fully to Jun'ai. He stepped closer. The two stood eye to eye. "One more thing." Guarinn reached out, grabbed her tunic by the collar and ripped it open.

Jun'ai flinched.

He pulled the shirt apart. Buttons tore off. He ripped the shirt in half, pulling it free of her arms.

Jun'ai stood topless before him.

"When you are in this valley, you will dress according to our custom. A cloth over the hips, and if necessary, a camisole around the waist for support. Arms and shoulders and chest must stay bare. I want everyone in fighting condition. That means no unnecessary constraints."

Jun'ai glared at him with steely eyes.

Good.

"You may use my personal hunting lodge while you are here," Guarinn said pretending to ignore the anger in her eyes. "That should give you ample space. I know how much humans enjoy staying indoors." He gave the father one final look. "I'm sure I will see both of you in the village square for supper." A dismissal if there ever was one.

Then Guarinn turned his attention back to the hawk on his arm. A moment later he was standing alone on the ridge once more. He thought about this new situation.

There were two kinds of hawks used in falconry. Long wing and short wing. The short winged birds were easy to train and easy to fly. All one had to do was wait for a target to present itself, then fly the bird directly at the intended prey. They were vicious and fast.

Then there were long winged hawks. These birds were significantly harder to train. They required much more patience. These birds did not fly straight at their target. Instead they rose above their prey, circled, and waited for the right time to strike. They were mercurial creatures. They enjoyed selecting their own targets and attacking at a time of their own choosing. They resented being controlled.

Hakkon was a short winged hawk, no doubt about it. He was a brute that would fly were needed and do the killing that needed to be done without a word of complaint.

But he suspected Jun'ai was of the long winged variety. Much more difficult to train, yet much more rewarding if handled properly. This human female knew what she wanted, and she had the ambition to pursue her target. The way to handle a bird like this was to make her want the same things he wanted. She needed to be persuaded. Then, when the time came, she needed to be given the freedom to chase her prey as she saw fit.

*

Jun'ai walked through the village of Spring Wind, so named from the cool air that blew down from the peaks in spring that carried with it the rain.

Hakkon walked beside her. "This village is a gathering place for all the tribes. The leaders and clerics and merchants can meet and do business."

"How many tribes are there?"

"There are eleven tribes in the Kharolis Mountains," Hakkon explained. "We fight and trade and usually live side by side in some semblance of peace. We interbreed to forge alliances, we trade goods as needed, and we wage wars when tempers fray."

"And Guarinn is a tribal leader."

"He is our warlord. And he is an ambitious bull." A pause. "Historically there use to be a leader among leaders. A single warlord under which all the tribes gathered, creating one great minotaur nation. However, there hasn't been a Khan in many years. Not since my grandfather was a young bull."

"You said Guarinn was ambitious?"

"Some thinks he wants the Khanate for himself."

"Do you think he can do it?"

The answer was slow in coming. "I'm not sure. The tribes are scattered. Even more so than they have been historically. Petty conflicts are far more common. It would be hard to form a mandate."

"How is it done?"

"Six chiefs can coronate a Khan."

Jun'ai wondered how many Guarinn had sworn to him. And she wondered what he would do with the Khanate if he had it.

Then her thoughts turned to other matters. Her daughter Hyun. The bundle in her arms was her whole life now. She wanted a better a life for her, and that meant raising her among her own kind. She wanted Hyun to learn the ways of her people, learn what it means to be a minotaur.

When she had started this mission, she had been fixated on having a son that could be a great hero in Tyre. But a daughter would suffer the same inequalities she faced.

Jun'ai thought about how she had ended up here. After becoming pregnant, Hakkon and her travelled back to his village. There she had the baby. His mother was overjoyed. His father still doesn't even know.

Minotaur's have a weak concept of marriage. They spend time together raising the young, but otherwise they are free to mate with whomever they please.

They arrived at the hunting lodge. It was one of the largest buildings in the village. It had three rooms, a fireplace of smooth river stones and a pit below ground to chill food.

Jun'ai fancied hunting game in these mountains. Imagine that! A chance to eat meat again.

They settled in. Jun'ai rocked Hyun by the fireplace, a small fire taking the evening chill from the air, when Rasya arrived at the lodge. The minotaur nursemaid was massive like all of her kind. She was taller than Jun'ai, and as broad shouldered as any man in Tyre.

Thick fur covered her forearms and legs below the knees. The rest of her skin was surprisingly smooth. And she had a thick mane of hair behind her cow's head.

But she seemed young. In human terms, perhaps not much more than eighteen. "I see you Hakkon," she said. Then turned to Jun'ai. "I'm here for the child."

"You're here to help with the child," Jun'ai corrected. "And her name is Hyun."

Rasya looked down at the baby. Her solid face relaxed into a smile. Then she said, "Beautiful name."

Jun'ai felt her apprehension melt. She handed the baby over. There was an immediate connection.

They sat together near the fire. "When Guarinn asked me to come here, I wasn't sure what to expect," Rasya said.

"Nor I."

"But I am glad to help."

Jun'ai thought a moment, then asked the question that was on her mind. "Why did he really send you here?"

"He wants you to visit one of the other tribal warlords. A bull named Sudara."

"Why?"

"He said it was to entertain him with stories of the outside world," she looked up to make sure she hadn't offended the human. "Your land is strange to us. Word from afar might prove amusing."

Jun'ai wasn't buying it. "Try again."

Rasya rubbed Hyun's nose with a finger. Didn't look up. "He wants you to throw Sudara off balance. If Sudara thinks that Guarinn has a pet human, it will make him pause, consider what other secrets Guarinn has that he doesn't know about."

"A distraction."

"You are a hawk. Just like everyone else."

Jun'ai recalled the image of the red tailed hawk on Guarinn's arm. She nodded in understanding.

*

The following evening, Jun'ai went to see Sudara. She went dressed like a local. She wore a kilt of deer hide which left her long legs bare. She shaved. (The first time since leaving Tyre.) And she wore a camisole around her waist. The tight band beneath her breasts providing some support.

She took the time to braid her hair, knowing what it meant in his culture.

At the last minute, she decided to strap on her sword. Not that she thought she would need it, rather she wanted him to think she was ready. The appearance of strength was necessary here.

When she arrived at Sudara's home, she found he was behind the hut. He held a thick wooden practice spear. Eight feet long, smooth and polished. It was weighted at each end.

He held the makeshift spear at one end. Another hand gripped the middle. He thrust. Arms rigid, feet apart, shoulders squared.

Jun'ai saw his thick corded muscles bulge. She was aroused despite herself.

When he finished his moves, he toweled sweat off his chiseled chest. He approached her. "I see you, human."

"I see you, Sudara." She nodded her head toward the practice spear. "I admire your technique. Your form is perfect."

"I know." No modesty there. "What do you want?"

"I came to meet you, and to talk about the world I come from," she said. He gave no reaction. So she added, "Guarinn thought you might be interested."

"He is wrong."

Jun'ai hesitated. What did she want out of this? Guarinn sent her, but what was her reason for coming?

Then she turned and looked out over the grassy field. "If you don't want to talk, might we have a workout."

The minotaur laughed. A low rumble in his chest. "You wouldn't stand a chance against me, human."

Jun'ai flushed with anger. She bit back a retort, but instead held her head high. "I was not referring to spears. I was talking about archery."

Sudara stopped laughing. Stared at her. Then gave another laugh, although this time it was less condescending. "I am a proficient archer as well."

"Show me." Jun'ai was careful to show strength, but not to antagonize.

Sudara entered his hut. Came out a moment later with a bow and quiver of arrows.

As soon as she saw the bow, Jun'ai realized her mistake. The bow was sized for a seven foot tall, three hundred pound minotaur and probably had a draw strength to match. She suddenly realized how difficult it would be for her to even draw the arrow.

Sudara gave her a minotaur smile, lips pulled back from teeth. He planted the arrows in the dark soil. He gestured to the straw man across the practice field.

Without a word he drew and fired. The arrow punched through the straw chest. A fatal blow, if the target had been alive.

He drew and fired again. Then again. Each shot taking the straw man in the chest. Each a killing shot.

Then he held the bow out to her.

Jun'ai took it. She held it a long time. She had always fancied herself a decent shot, but now she doubted her ability.

Jun'ai was a student of history. She remembered how Tyre had suffered an unexpected loss to the Carthians several years back. At first, their army had defeated the smaller, less well equipped Carthians. Then when the enemy had fled, the Tyrans charged. It would have been a slaughter, killing them from behind, but when the retreating army crested a low rise, a regiment of Carthians in waiting fired and shot down ranks of charging Tyrans.

Those Carthians had been armed with special bows the likes of which the Tyrans had never seen before.

The human turned to the towering minotaur and smiled. She flexed her arms. Rotated her shoulders in a gratuitous display of warm up. Then she lay on the ground on her back. She spread her legs and put her feet against the grip of the bow. She knocked an arrow and drew. Hands near her breasts. She managed to get a full draw using her leg length and the strength of both arms combined.

She sighted down the shaft of the arrow and fired.

The arrow took the straw dummy in its head. A killing shot. She hopped to her feet and handed the bow back.

"An asinine way to shoot. Laying in the dirt like a dog." Then he turned and looked at her, a small smile on his face. "Tell me the story."

Jun'ai didn't smile. Instead she put a hand on his forearm. "A trade. A story for a story."

Sudara nodded.

*

A small fire burned in the fireplace. It cast the room in a golden glow. Both lay on carpets near the fire. Facing one another, they traded stories.

She told him the story of the First Carthian War.

He told the story of his first battle.

It was then that Jun'ai realized why she had been sent here. This was a potential ally that Guarinn needed to achieve his ambitions. Yet he was also a stubborn and hard to please beast. If a woman from Guarinn's village could get past his barriers, then she might be able to impress the notoriously difficult to impress Sudara.

"Now let me tell you another story." Jun'ai moved over to lay beside him. Hip pressed against him.

"Once there was a woman who had everything she wanted. She was rich. She was married to a powerful and handsome man in the Senate. But there was one thing she desired, one thing that she couldn't have. So, she made a plan to take it for herself. One night she raided her husband's wardrobe and found some of his old cloths. Then she tailored it to fit her. And she went to a party dressed as a man."

Jun'ai turned to look at the minotaur beside her. His expression was unreadable, but she knew she had his attention. "She gave them a fake name. She said she was visiting from a nearby city. That she was here on business. Anyway, she soon found what she was looking for. A young woman sitting by herself in the corner. The young girl was pretty. Well dressed. Obviously well educated."

"They talked for hours. They danced. They enjoyed each other's company the rest of the evening. Then, the woman who was dressed as a man took her away. They found an expensive hotel. Checked into a room."

"Can you imagine the young woman's surprise when she learned that the man who had swept her off her feet was in fact a woman?" Jun'ai smiled. "The young woman lost her virginity to another woman that night."

"And what is the lesson?" Sudara asked. His deep voice cast low, not wanted to break the magic of the moment.

"It teaches us that our greatest desires are those things we are not supposed to desire." A pause. "Like a woman's desire for another woman. Or a minotaur's desire for a human."

They looked at one another. Tension palpable. She craned her neck up and kissed him on the mouth.

The beast tensed. Then he gripped the base of her skull with a strong hand and crushed his mouth against hers.

His free hand grabbed her exposed breast. Squeezed it. His head moved down. Bit the soft flesh of her neck.

She cried out.

He fumbled with her camisole, untied it, tossed it aside as they kissed. Then they separated long enough to squirm out of their kilts.

She reached a hand down. Rubbed the sheath of flesh that housed his manhood. It awoke.

He pushed her back. Climbed between her eager legs.

Her head rolled back. The rough matt rubbed against the smooth flesh of her back.

Sudara pushed into her.

Jun'ai gasped.

The thick member went deep. She squeezed her legs around his waist. Hooked her feet behind his back. Her arms wrapped around his neck. Rubbed his shoulders.

He forced himself into her deeper and deeper with each powerful thrust. His body was rough. His hair scratched her tender skin.

Her eyes squeezed shut. She bit her lower lip. There was pain. She could feel the fullness of it inside her.

He slammed it in again and again. Drawing it out between thrusts. He was practiced. He was hungry. And he savaged her.

One hand propped him massive body up. His other hand clamped down on her jaw. Forced her head up. He bit her neck. Bit her shoulder. Bit her upper arm. Tasted the silky smooth flesh and the sweet human sweat.

It went on like this for some time. She let him devour her. Eventually a film of sweat pooled between them. Coated chest, arms, legs. Beaded on her brow.

At last, he climaxed. Burst inside her. He held it in a long time, coming down from his high.

She squirmed beneath him. Adjusted her position. She brought her legs between his. She squeezed his member that was still inside her. She flexed her hips, rubbing up and down the length of it. Now she controlled the action.

Moments later, she too climaxed. She rubbed herself up and down the shaft, drawing out her orgasm as long as she could. The aftershocks wracking her body.

Then, gasping, the two of them lay side by side. The chill night air sharp. Goosebumps broke out on her white skin.

Neither said a word for several long hours.

*

When they woke from a thin sleep, they spent some time kissing. Hands explored one another's body. The fire had died to smoldering embers. The room was dark and cold. Jun'ai cuddled close to his massive body for warmth.