Varga followed Diavla into the wash area for women, and contemplated how her life had gone completely and utterly insane.

Here they were, in a human city, somewhere in the middle of the human continent, wearing slave collars. Objectively, their situation was still terrible. And yet, she had a nice new dress that matched her eyes, a belly half-full of exotic sweets, and the fresh memory of sex with Diavla, something she had fantasized about for years. Life definitely wasn't boring.

“So, you're telling me that legend about human males being insatiable monsters of lust is actually true?” she asked, while they undressed.

Diavla nodded. “Obviously not completely true, or Tom would have taken us by now. But apparently it is bad enough that they have separate rooms for washing, because a naked woman has such an effect on the males. You should have seen how red Tom got when I joined him at the stream to wash up the other day.”

Varga thought back. “I did see, when I passed him in the woods. I thought you must have groped him or something. All that just from seeing you undress?”

“I didn't even touch him.”

Varga grinned. “That is useful information.”

Varga could see that Diavla was trying to hide a smile. Her lover cleared her throat. “Well, remember it works both ways. If you don't want to inflame his passion, be careful not to go naked around him.”

Varga glanced at the bath workers taking her dress and starting to wash it in one corner of the room. “Do you suppose it's the same for their women? The ones who have an interest, I mean?”

Diavla shrugged. Varga watched her set out all the different kinds of soap on a handy shelf. Diavla tested the water with her hand, then nodded and climbed in. Varga took the next tub over. There were two human women bathing in tubs on the other side of the room and chatting in rapid Western. Aside from polite nods, the groups ignored each other.

Varga wet herself down, then snapped her fingers. Her friend took the hint and tossed her one of the pats of soap. Varga snatched it out of the air and immediately began using it on her arms. After a moment she stopped and sniffed the soap. “What is this?”

“No idea. See if it works on a bit of your hair.” Diavla was being her usual cautious self, putting small dabs on her arm and rubbing them in, checking for a bad reaction.

“I'm sure it's fine. We can't be that different from humans, right?” Varga started rubbing it in all over her scalp.

“You never know…” Diavla was staring at the spot.

Varga rolled her eyes. “You trying to ask the Soap spirits?”

Diavla gave her a very serious look. “Do not anger the Soap spirits, Varga, lest you incur their eye-stinging wrath.”

Varga snorted, and Diavla let a smile slip out. Her raven-haired kanashim tried three different soaps, sooo slowly and methodically. As usual, Varga lost patience first. “See, this is why you aren't having sex with Tom yet. You go too slowly with everything.”

“I'm not having sex with Tom because he refuses me,” Diavla retorted grumpily.

“Well, now you're seeing the other side of the coin,” Varga answered with a little bite in her voice.

“I never thought I would,” Diavla admitted. Varga's eyebrows went up.

“Well, I'll be the first to swear that you're beautiful and smart and wonderful, Dee, but don't stare quite so far past everyone.”

“I'm not! I mean, I just didn't have much interest in sex until now, so I didn't expect ever to ask. I'm glad you were here with me when this happened.”

Varga had a scary thought, and followed her habit of immediately asking. Everyone said she was wildly brave for that, but Varga just couldn't bear to live in dread. So she hit scary things head-on, like now. “Dee, if Tom has sex with you, are you going to stop having sex with me?”

“No!”

“Really?” Varga stared hard at her kanashim.

“Varga, I like having sex with you! I like it much more than I thought I would.”

“But if Tom wants all your time…”

“Tom's going to be busy with other things sometimes. And if he isn't, I'll make time for you. Besides…” Diavla stopped talking. Varga could see her blushing furiously from her own tub.

“Ohhhh…You want to have both of us at once, don't you?” Varga felt a bit of heat herself at the thought.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

“Well, you brought up the idea first!”

“My, my, we are coming along quickly, aren't we?”

“Shut up!”

“You know, I've been meaning to tell you… as seductions go, that needs work.”

“Shut up!”

“As you desire, my kanashim.” Varga went back to washing, thinking over the idea. Tom was too much of an unknown to imagine what might happen in much detail. What is his soul like? Is he shy in bed? Is he selfish? Is he a good kisser? Does he last? Does he have an interesting hunger? So much to learn… Varga smiled to herself.

I wonder if I can seduce him first. If I leave it to Dee, we'll be on a boat to Salathin before he so much as gets his hands up her shirt. Then again, that was the old Dee. Now that she knows pleasure, she might get more pushy. I can only hope.

She obviously wants him. I want her to be happy. So…I should help.

Now, how should I get those two together…?

∘ ⛥ ⛯ ⛥ ∘

After the baths, they carried their laundry back to their rooms. As usual, Tom was using a mix of Elvish baby talk and Western, and Diavla and Kervan were doing the same in reverse. I should probably learn more words of Western, she admitted to herself. She would really rather leave it to the others.

Varga knew that she wasn't dumb, but she wasn't particularly smart, either. Learning a language was exhausting. She had gotten a bare handful of words so far. She didn't especially like the sound of Tom's language, either. It was too gravelly and harsh. Elvish was smoother, more liquid.

They spread out the clothes to dry on every available surface. Once that was done, it was time to go get dinner. Diavla took Varga aside first. She's probably going to lecture me about my behavior.

Diavla closed the door to their room, then kissed her.

Varga was stunned. This is very much not normal Diavla behavior. She returned the kiss with growing passion. This is everything I wanted; it's everything I hoped.

Is this too good to be true?

Varga shoved the thought away as soon as she had it. If it was too good to be true, it only made sense to enjoy it while it lasted. If it wasn't, then she would be worried over nothing. And if she couldn't stop worrying, she'd just ask flat out.

“Tonight?” Diavla asked when the kiss ended.

“Always,” Varga told her. “Diavla…we are kanashim, right?”

“Of course.”

“And erotalsh?”

Diavla answered by groping Varga's breast through her shirt and making her gasp. “Obviously.” She stole another kiss, reluctantly breaking it off after several heartbeats.

Varga couldn't stop poking at their relationship like a lost tooth. “And…and tolasor?”

Diavla stilled, and her smile faded. “I…don't know. That's a lot.” Varga closed her eyes and tried to stop her sadness. “You?” She heard Diavla ask, gently. She nodded. “Already?”

Varga opened her eyes so that she could glare at her friend. “For years, Dee. I swear, sometimes, you are the smartest fool I've ever heard of.”

“I… didn't realize you felt that strongly about me.”

“Well, I do. I have, almost from the day you arrived in Kilder Vald.”

Then Diavla was kissing her cheek and looking at her tenderly. “I am honored, kanashim. I'm sad to disappoint you. I…I might be tolasor. I mean, I think I could be, someday…”

“No…no, it's fine. I mean, it's not fine, but…that is the world.” She shrugged, and fiercely wiped her eyes. “I'm…I'm interested in whatever I can get. All you will give me.”

She took a deep breath. “We have time,” she said, more firmly. “Five years I've known you, and I thought we would never be erotalsh, but here we are. I will gladly wait another five years, or more, even for a chance of tolasor.”

“Ladies?” Kervan called loudly through the door. “We're ready to go get dinner.”

“There in a moment,” Diavla called back. She cupped Varga's cheek; her hand felt warm and soft. “Can we just enjoy erotalsh for a while? I'm still really new to it.”

That helped ground Varga in the world again. “Absolutely, Dee. I'm never turning down sex with you.”

“I'm glad, because my soul is practically on fire over sex right now.”

Varga cleared her throat and smiled saucily. “I am here for you, kanashim.” She took a breath. “Let's go; they're waiting.” She smoothed her shirt and gestured; Diavla got the door.

I would do anything for you. Varga didn't say it. If Diavla ever felt the same for her, Varga could die with all the happiness in the world and sky.

∘ ⛥ ⛯ ⛥ ∘

It was near sunset as they crossed the street. Varga noticed that Tom took a deep breath, then straightened and led them into the place where they would get dinner. Varga wasn't sure what to call it. A bar? A tavern? An inn? The first floor was mostly one big room with many tables and benches. One wall had a long bar, another a big fireplace, and on the far end were a few doors. Maybe one of those leads to a gaming room, she hoped. The place was about a quarter-filled with humans, with more entering steadily.

A lot of conversations died down when people spotted them. Soon many of the humans were murmuring to each other and staring. Varga glanced around, watching for hostility but not particularly worried; at least half the looks were aimed at Tom Walker. She had already noticed during the day that Tom was a big guy even among humans, now that she had a basis for comparison; not the tallest, nor even the widest, but very possibly the strongest. Spirits, I wonder what a human blacksmith looks like? At any rate, she felt fairly safe with Tom there.

He led them to a small table against the nearest wall, as close to the corner of the room as possible. Diavla sat with her back to the wall, so Varga sat next to her. Tom took the end next to Diavla, and Orvan the other, leaving Kervan on the outside with his back to the room. Tom looked torn about whether to switch with Kervan, but their human clearly wanted to watch the room.

Varga looked over to the bar. It had a long row of stools in front, half of them already occupied. The bartender…

Zada zada!

Varga elbowed Diavla without taking her eyes off the woman. Great spirits, she's me, only better!

“What?” Diavla said, then paused. “Oh, my…”

“Yes, please,” Varga murmured.

She was the same height. She had almost the same red hair, maybe a touch lighter, only hers hung nearly to her waist in a thick braid. She had the same hard-won muscles. Her face wasn't anything to praise the spirits for, but her impressive bust almost rivaled Sheema's, and her sleeveless shirt had a deep neckline.

Honestly, her muscles were beautiful, and Varga knew immediately that the bartender shared her discipline, persistence, and an interest in being strong and healthy. Oh, I hope she likes women…

Being in a human city most definitely is not all bad.