I made my way through our busy camp to the tent I shared with Kaele. It was a pretty spacious one with more than enough room for the both of us or even a meeting with my officers if we had need for privacy. We probably wouldn't take it along for our next campaign though. As far as I was concerned two smaller tents would serve us just as well and they would blend in better with those of the rest of my forces. This big thing would just be a giant target painted on my back. Hmm, maybe we should take it along after all, as a distraction? If it could trick the dwarves into revealing at least one of their trump cards it might just be worth it.

I nodded to myself. I might bring it up with the others later. It wouldn't hurt to expand our bag of tricks a little beyond just hiring more siege experts. I stopped just short of the tent, my hand already coming up to reach for the tent flap, as I realized that something was a little off. My eyes widened a little as I realized what exactly it was that had prompted me to stop. I could hear the muffled voices of Kaele and Tero but what I heard was most certainly not a discussion about arcane theories or the benefits one spell might have above another. No, what I heard sounded a lot more intimate. It sounded very, very intimate!

I dropped my arm again and turned around slowly, blushing hard, as my thoughts were utterly and totally thrown into turmoil. Some at a nearby campfire in between a few tents sniggered only to quickly shut up again as I glanced that way. I flinched a little as I suddenly felt a hand on my arm. It was Tora'pheer, who must have followed me without me noticing. I gestured silently, pointing at the tent behind me and she grimaced a little before pulling me away a little ways.

“You know, my lady, it is perfectly fine for the two to get to know each other that way. One may be your brother while you consider the other your sister but they are not actually related at all.” Tora kept pulling me along as she started blabbering.

She was right of course. The two didn't share any blood in between them. That wasn't exactly what had been going through my mind though. I shook my head and dug my heels in once we were good distance from the tent where Kaele and Tero were having some quality time. “I know. Not what I was thinking though. I mean, isn't that a little sudden? They have only known each other for what, a few days? Two or three days at most to be precise.”

My captain of the cavalry just shrugged as she turned to properly face me. “Sure, but they hit it off almost immediately. You might have been to busy to notice but those two might just be a match made by the Maidens.” She paused briefly and shrugged. “Its not like they are about to start a family right away. We have all been under a lot of pressure lately. Under these circumstances people have to vent a little every once in a while. Hardships, peril, bloodshed. You have to remind yourself that life is more than that at times, to make sure it doesn't get to you.”

She wasn't wrong of course, not exactly anyway. Life had to be more than just fighting. Otherwise you'd run the risk of forgetting just what you were fighting for after all. I crossed my arms and tilted my head a little while raising one eyebrow anyway. “Right, except for one thing. I'm not quite convinced about them not starting a family. It sounded like they were rather lost in the throes of passion, you know. Things have a tendency of just happening if you are like that, abandoning all caution.”

Now she blushed a little as well. Not much though. In the end she just shrugged me off. “Well, it wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to any of us. And it probably is not something you should worry about anyway. Or do you think anything would change for the better if you were to go in there and break them up?”

That gave me pause. She was right in that regard, or wasn't she? Would anything change for the better if I were to get in between the two? No, I didn't think so. It would just create an awkward situation at best. At worst it might create an actual rift in between us. And for what? There was nothing to be gained for me. No, I really shouldn't bother the two. Nothing good would come of it. I sighed.

Tora patted my arm in return. “How about we do something to take your mind off it? I heard that Yath'zur and those of his company he didn't send out to gather reinforcements set up some kind of bath on the hillside just beyond the camp. And it isn't just some makeshift thing either. You know how they can get. If they build something they will want to build it real good.”

That actually sounded like a pretty nice idea. A real bath? There was just one issue. I looked back over my shoulder in the direction of the tent I shared with my sister. All my supplies were in there, including my towels and other bath supplies. Tora must have noticed. She just patted my arm again and laughed. “Don't worry. I think we can get you some spare towels and whatever else we might need.” With those words she grabbed my arm once more and started moving again, dragging me along.

We stopped only once at her tent where she got her things and talked some of her lancers into letting me have some spare towels and other assorted bath supplies. Apparently plenty of Tora's girls already had plans in place to visit the bath as well as soon as their duties allowed. It was only understandable, really. Maybe we should take a moment and set up a schedule later to make sure everyone would have a chance to do themselves something good while we were here. We would have to make do without the amenities provided by civilization before long again after all.

And she had been right Yath'zur and his remaining Wallbreakers had gone out of their way to build a proper bath. Sure it lacked the finesse of a bathhouse one might find at Caer'zha but Caer'rath was a frontier town. It was only proper that the bath looked a little rugged. It certainly matched the place just fine. It was obvious that the rocks of the walls, big enough that only trolls and giants could move them, had been freshly broken from nearby quarries but they fit together just fine anyway.

Steam was leaking through the shingles of the roof in some places but somehow I got the impression that that was no mistake either. I stopped and gaped before turning to face Tora who had stopped at my side. “I had no idea that this place had a hot spring.” That certainly was a surprise. Those became rarer the further one moved from Bleak Peak after all.

She just shrugged. “No clue. It might not be a real hot spring. Or maybe they just had to dig deep enough? I don't know. We will have to ask Yath'zur what kind of magic they worked to set up this place.” And with those words she was in through the swinging door which quickly closed again behind her as to not let too much of the precious warmth and steam escape.

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I quickly followed her. Beyond the door a simple changing room greeted my eyes. Well, I might call it simple in comparison to the baths at Caer'zha but it certainly had everything one might expect from such a place. Tora was already changing out of her things, depositing them in one of the shelves that lined the walls. I followed suite and couldn't help but notice that everything was built to accommodate everyone from the few humans in my service to the trolls and giants. A lot of thought had gone into this place.

Steam filled the main room and it downright hit us in the face as we entered through another swinging door. I had to admit that it might have been a little much for humans, elves and gorgons. For me though it felt like bliss and judging by the look on her face Tora felt the same.

It was hard to make out details in the steam filled room but I soon noticed a stone bench next to basin with apparently cold water. I guided Tora over there and sat down to start washing myself. While I was still busy with my front Tora started soaping up my back. Before long it was my turn to return the favor and I couldn't help but notice that Tora was a warrior through and through. She might have been short compared to me but her body was lean and well muscled. From head to toe her body hinted at barely contained power. And a number of scars hinted at the numerous battles she must have fought.

I quickly grabbed a bucket of cold water and dumped it over her head, making her jump. Before she could get any ideas I poured another bucket over my own head. It was then that I realized that we weren't exactly alone. Someone cleared their throat and as I looked over in the direction the noise had come from I could see Yath'zur pour some fresh water over a pit of obviously hot sand at the rooms center.

The water quickly turned into steam, adding to the steam already in the air. As the young giant retreated to the bench at the back of the room he had been sitting on, I could see the steam rise towards the ceiling as a light draft around my ankles hinted at the fresh air that was being sucked into the steam bath. Of course the bath had proper circulation! Otherwise the place might have turned into a death trap sooner or later.

The bench creaked a little as he sat down and he patted the places besides him. “Want to join me?”

Before I could think about it Tora nudged me forward.

As I stumbled I couldn't help but notice that Yath'zur wasn't wearing a towel or anything else. Well, of course we weren't wearing anything either. And I noticed, despite the fog that hid most of the details, that he was pretty well equipped. Well, at least as far as I could tell. It wasn't like I had much previous experience upon which I could base any judgment. At that moment his manhood sure looked impressive though.

He must have caught me staring, because as I managed to tear my gaze away again he was smirking. “Want to give it a try?” He sounded smug. He seemed to devour me with his eyes as well.

My breath caught in my throat at the suggestion and before I could think better of it I made the decision to do something bold. Even in hindsight I couldn't tell why I did what I did but then and there I boldly strode towards him.

I could see his manhood rise a little further with every step I took and instead of sitting down on the bench next to him I decided to straddle his lap, placing my knees on either side of him and trapping his now erect manhood in between him and me.

Now he was staring at me wide eyed. He probably had not expected me to take him up on his suggestion. That didn't stop him from sliding a hand up my side, from my ass to my breast and then further to my neck. He held me fast like that and looked into my eyes. “Are you sure? Are you really sure you want to do that?” He sounded a little hoarse.

“Yes.” My voice almost failed me at that moment. My vision was getting a little hazy as my heart started beating a little faster.

He turned my head sideways a little and suckled on the tip of my good horn for a moment before turning my head the other way and placing a gently kiss on the stump where the tip of the other one had been severed.

My heart almost missed a beat and the heat within me rose to even higher highs. I rose a little on my knees to allow him easier access and the next moment I could feel him push into me.

It was a tight fit and more than a little uncomfortable. At the same time it was what I was longing for.

He placed his hands on my hips to push me down further, little by little, until he could go no further. He wasn't all the way inside me but he wouldn't be able to push any further without using actual force and hurting me, of that I was certain.

He let go of my hips to explore my body with his hands instead and I started moving in turn.

Out of the corner of my eyes I could see Tora. She had made herself comfortable on the wooden bench a little ways away and was staring at us wide eyed. And as we gave in to passion she did too, caressing her own body, worshiping the Lover in unison with us.

It wasn't long before, although I couldn't tell how long exactly, until I slumped against the young giant exhausted, as my body clenched down on his length. A moment later he gave in as well, spilling his seed deep within me.

For a little while I simply rested there with my head against his shoulder, savoring the afterglow, before straightening up again and moving off of my recent lover. “I think I need to wash again. I'm all sweaty and worse ...”

He just laughed and bent forward, placing a tender kiss on my belly.

I didn't mind. Not right now anyway. At least for a little while I could savor the moment and push all my worries away.