The Exile's Path Ch. 02

The crowd thinned out as the afternoon wound down, but began to pick up once more after sunset as the fishing boats returned. While she went around the tables, Tula looked for the dwarven smith, Fiona, while also peering out the windows when she could to check if Reld's boat was moored to the jetty.

"So, you weren't pullin' my leg about being a wench here," said Fiona, walking up to the orc while she was returning to the bar after serving a pitcher of ale to a table.

"I do not lie," said Tula.

"Oh, relax, girl," grinned the dwarven smith. "I'm only havin' a bit o' fun."

Tula smiled back at the dwarf, in part to show she understood the friendly joshing and partly because she hadn't been called 'girl' by anyone for many years. Although she looked young, Fiona was a dwarf and, thanks to their incredibly long lives, was probably justified in her use of the term - almost everyone in the city, barring only the oldest citizens, was probably a mere boy or girl to the smith.

"I see you have my dagger and belt," said the orc.

"That I do. You working at the moment?"

"Yes," said Tula, "but I shall be finished soon. I am looking for my friend - he should be returning from fishing at any moment."

"Well, why don't you throw in the towel now and I'll spend some of the coin you're about to give me on a pitcher of ale for the two of us?" said Fiona with a friendly smile. "Not often I get to chat with someone who isn't a bloody fisherman 'round these parts."

After an afternoon on her feet, a chance to sit down and have a drink was a welcome offer. Tula smiled again. "Thank you."

The blacksmith exchanged one of the two coins Tula gave her with Danton for a pitcher of ale, while Tula let the barman know she was taking a break from her duties. Obviously well acquainted with the blonde dwarf, Danton gave both women a friendly smile before turning to attend to his other patrons.

"Nice enough bloke, that one," said Fiona, cocking her head towards the bar once she and Tula had taken a seat at a table beside one of the inn's front windows. "Fucks well for a fat man."

Tula raised an eyebrow. "You pay him to service you?"

"Oh yeah," grinned the smith. "Not that I have a shortage of cocks that want a taste o' dwarf pussy round here, but Danton's one of the few who doesn't stink of fish all the time. Can't stand the damn smell and I can't believe these folks can eat the stuff all the time!"

The orc laughed. She had to admit the dwarf was right - even Reld had a slightly fishy odour. "What of his son?"

"What, Giles?" scoffed Fiona. "Bah, that uppity little shit thinks he's nobility by the way he carries himself. A pretty enough boy, but I'll not do him the favor of paying him to fill my cunt."

"If you do not like fish, why set up shop here?" said Tula. "This is a fishing town, after all."

"Now that's an astute inquiry," said the dwarf carefully. Before she could complete her response, however, the door behind Tula opened and the smith peered past the orc to observe the newcomers. Dropping her voice to near a whisper, she continued. "Ah, it seems the lord high duchess of fish guts herself has arrived."

The orc cast a quick glance over her shoulder. A group of three humans had entered the common room. Two men and a woman, all dressed in plain clothes, scanned the room before striding over to an empty table. Despite their attempt at common garb, even Tula could tell by the fine stitching and the cleanliness of their clothing that these were no true commoners. The manner with which they strode over to the table of their choosing, like they owned the building, and the fine arming swords they wore screamed 'nobility'.

"I thought a duke was lord of the city," said Tula.

"He is," said the smith quietly. "That black haired girl and the boy who looks like her twin are his daughter and son."

Giles, who had been singing a bland melody up to that point, ceased his music and scurried over to the table. Tula could not hear what was spoken, but could tell by the bard's obsequious manner and fawning expression that he was all but one bow away from kissing the newcomer's feet.

"You do not seem to respect these nobles," said Tula before taking a healthy swig of her ale. It was a merely adequate brew, but chilled and refreshing nonetheless.

Fiona laughed. "Am I that obvious? Pah, these fisherfolk smell and I'm no fan of their catch, but they're hard workin' people. The duke bleeds em dry though, both through taxes and on the battlefield. Fuck 'em."

The pair watched as Giles returned to the nobles' table with an amphora of wine. After the bard had poured three glasses, the duke's daughter stood and carried hers toward the stairs. The innkeeper's son followed her.

"Why do they come to this inn? Surely there are other places to drink in the city, to say nothing of the castle."

"I'm not really sure," Fiona replied slowly, as if pondering the matter. "Seen them here more than a few times - the girl always goes off with Giles. Despite what he might think, it's not because of his charm and I've seen his dick - it's not that either."

"How strange," remarked the orc, glancing out the window as she downed the remainder of her mug. She noticed Reld's boat bobbing against the pier. "It seems my friend has returned from fishing."

"You'll be off then?" said Fiona.

"Yes. Thank you for the drink."

"Hey, my pleasure," grinned the dwarf. "Nice to talk with someone about somethin' that isn't fish. Let's do this again sometime."

"That would be nice," said Tula, nodding as she buckled on her new belt and dagger.

The smith gave her a friendly wave as Tula stepped out the door into the darkening streets and made her way back to Reld's shack. Following the flow of returning fisherfolk, Tula was greeted by the smell of sizzling fish outside the door of her young friend's house. With her stomach rumbling, she went inside.

Reld was kneeling by the fire pit, frying a fish in a skillet. He looked up as the orc entered. "Hi Tula," he smiled. "Just in time for some dinner."

Tula returned his smile. "Greetings. Did you have success on the lake today?"

"Yep. Made five pence today," said the fisherman. "What about you? Were there any offers of work at the inn?"

"Indeed," announced Tula. "I have been hired as a 'whore'."

The greenskin couldn't help but notice how Reld's smile fell away. "You're a... wench at the inn?"

"Yes. I made enough to purchase a dagger, with some coins left over," she replied, puzzled by the youth's less than happy expression. She removed her the copper coins from her makeshift purse and put them on the table. "You should put these with your savings."

"They're yours," grunted Reld, turning back to the food he was preparing. "You keep 'em."

"We should combine our savings, lad," objected Tula. "We work towards a common goal."

"Fine," huffed Reld, standing up and unceremoniously depositing their dinner on the table. Tula portioned out the meal onto the plates while the lad tucked away her coins in his hidden stash.

Dinner passed in uncomfortable silence. When Tula made to take their empty plates, Reld snatched them away and abruptly strode out the door. Shaking her head at the boy's grumpy state, the orc followed him out and down to the lakeshore.

"You are angry," she stated, coming to stand behind the young man while he angrily scrubbed their dishes.

"No, I'm fine."

"You do not like the work I have found?"

"It's your body, your choice," grumbled Reld.

"Yes, it is my choice and it will make us much coin," said Tula. "You think it is not an honourable way to earn payment?"

"No... It's not like that, I'm not some prude... It's just..."

"You thought you would be my only mate?" asked the orc.

"Well..." mumbled the boy. "I don't know. Maybe. Sure." He tossed the wooden plate he was scrubbing on the pile of clean dishes and turned to face Tula. "Fine. Maybe I am a little jealous."

Tula grinned in the darkness. As petulant as the lad was being, it was still a little nice to feel wanted. "Our agreement still stands. You may take me when you need."

"So if I wanted to have you here and now, you would let me?"

"No," replied the orc. Reld looked confused. "No, now we must train. If you do well, then you can take me as a warrior."

"What?" Reld protested. "I'm tired - can't we train in the morning?"

"Strip," commanded Tula, casually peeling off her own clothing. "Battle does not wait for you to be rested."

"Why are we getting naked?" quizzed Reld, taking off his shirt nonetheless. "And don't we something to practice with? Sticks or staves or something?"

"No, your first lesson will be with your bare hands."

"I know how to brawl," quipped Reld.

"Then show me."

Reld spread his legs and took a fighting stance, fists balled and held low. "Good," said Tula. "Now attack me."

"Are you sure?" grinned Reld, flexing his work-hardened biceps. "I'm not new to this."

The greenskin woman facing him didn't bother with a vocal response. She took two quick steps forward, flicking her left fist out towards Reld's face. The youth raised his forearms, catching the punch on the backs of his arms. The defensive maneuver exposed his stomach, but, instead of landing a blow on his exposed solar plexus, Tula spread her right hand, sliding it up the young man's stomach to his chest while stepping past him. With one calf hooked behind the fisherman's leg, the orc pushed against his chest, sending him tottering backwards.

Not to be outdone by such a simple trick, Reld laughed and hooked his left arm around Tula's neck and twisted sideways as he tumbled back, attempting to bring the greenskin down under him as he fell. The wizened warrior was having none of it, however. Her legs were well planted and her muscles bunched as she grabbed the boy's left wrist with her own left hand. With a powerful tug on his offending limb, Tula bent at the waist and slid her right arm and shoulder under Reld's ribs. Continuing the smooth movement, she straightened, hefting the off-balance fisherman up and over her back. There was a loud splash as Reld was hurled into the shallow water of the lake.

"Your footwork is terrible," grunted the orc, offering a hand to the drenched boy.

Refusing the offered aid, Reld bellowed and launched himself forward, arms spread. He tackled Tula about the waist, lifting her up and carrying her back a few paces before plunging her back against the sandy shore. An older fisherwoman, bringing her own dishes down to the shore to clean them, paused, startled, as she caught site of the two naked, brawling figures in the flickering light of her lamp.

Snarling fiercely, Reld tried to pull up from his position atop Tula but discovered the greenskin had wrapped her arm around his neck. He drove his right fist into her ribs, trying to pummel his way loose.

"Bah!" growled Tula. "Aggression is good, but you lack control! If this was real, I would have snapped your neck by now!"

The trapped youth redoubled his efforts, but was stopped short as Tula wrapped her left arm under his stomach and, still holding his neck, got to her feet. Without leverage to land a proper blow, Reld wailed uselessly on the tough orc's ribs and thighs. Ignoring his futile blows, Tula straightened herself, heaving Reld upwards, such that his legs kicked helplessly in the air, and then pushed forwards, dropping the boy onto the ground once more.

With his opponent pinning him, chest down, against the beach, Reld flailed and struggled. Tula scrambled around, her tits mashed against the boy's back, until she was supine along Reld's body, her ankles hooked over his calves, her arm still locked about his neck. When she moved her other arm up to bind the boy in a full nelson, he managed to flip himself over, only to find himself helpless in her grip, despite being on top of his opponent.

"What did you learn?" said Tula once Reld ceased his struggling. "Why did I beat you?"

"You're stronger than me," muttered the youth.

Tula squeezed her arm against Reld's neck. "I am, but what matters is how that strength is used. Think!"

"You used my own movements against me..." conceded Reld. "I never got a chance to hold the upper hand."

"Yes. In a fight you must take and hold the initiative," agreed Tula, releasing her hold on Reld and letting him stand. "What else?"

"You react faster than me."

"Now you have it," said the orc, standing up and facing the young man. She grinned and stepped closer to him. "It is not that I was faster than you, but by positioning yourself correctly, especially your feet, you are better able to react to a threat."

"But how do you overcome someone who is prepared like you were?" said Reld.

"You keep one eye on their feet," said Tula. "This is the first important thing you must learn - watch your opponent's legs. Through them, you may judge distance, you can predict their attacks and you can see where their weakness lies. It is too easy to get distracted by what your enemy does with their arms and hands when their true intent is shown by their hips and legs."

"Show me," said the boy.

"Very well. When I first came at you, my left foot was forward, even though I was punching with my left hand. This should tell you that my punch will not have as much force behind it as I could have applied - it was a feint. You can and should still block it, but you used both hands when one would have done, leaving yourself open. Even if you had failed to block my punch with only one hand, it would not have been powerful enough to cause significant injury," explained the greenskin, reenacting their fight in slow motion.

Reld tried sweeping aside Tula's punch with his right hand and realised he could still act with his unused left hand. He saw that she had placed her left foot inline with his right and noticed how her waist shifted as she made to step past him with her right.

"I can see it," he conceded.

"Good. We will try with proper speed now."

Before he could even nod, Tula moved. Her left hand flicked out. Reld tried to sweep it away, but he was too slow and her fist collided with his jaw. It stung, but, although he had missed, his right sweep had enabled him to position his arm over Tula's and he continued the movement almost subconsciously, hooking his arm up and over hers until he locked it against his side. At the same time, he moved his left foot backwards, taking a wide stance that would make her tripping attack ineffective, and seized her right wrist with his left hand.

The pair found themselves locked together. Reld could feel Tula's large breasts pressing against his chest, her hard nipples and piercing poking into him. Still holding her arms, he looked into the orc's eyes, grinning.

"Now what?"

"Well, now you could headbutt me, or knee me in the groin with your left leg," said his instructor, "but it is not the specifics of what attack you should use that matters. What you should be learning is the natural rhythm of combat, how much the balance of yourself and your opponent matters and what clues your foe's stance can give you as you search for an advantage."

"Can we try again?" said Reld, eager to test his new awareness.

"No. It is late and we have other things to attend to," she glanced down meaningfully. Reld's cock was inflating slowly between her legs.

Reld released his grip on Tula's limbs and stepped back. The orc gave him a sly grin and walked past the young man. She waded into the lake until the water came up to where her thighs met her buttocks and splashed herself, cleaning off the sand and dirt their wrestling match had covered her with. Feeling strangely confident, Reld followed her into the water, admiring the way the wet skin of the orc's ass glistened in the lamplight.

Without any fuss, he groped Tula's ass, spreading her cheeks, and gave his cock a few encouraging tugs. The eager organ did not need much urging and soon throbbed, swollen and stiff with need, in his hand. Tula shifted her stance, parting her legs for the youth, and Reld fed his engorged fuck-meat into her cunt.

There was a clatter of dishes from the shore. Reld glanced over his shoulder to see his neighbour hurriedly avert her gaze. Feeling remarkably unconcerned, Reld turned back to the task at hand and thrust his hips, sinking his bloated rod into Tula's slick, hot hole. The orc leaned back into him as he began pumping his hips, arching her back and moving an arm up and back so that her hand gripped the back of the fisherman's head.

Reld slid his hands up to Tula's waist, holding her steady as he mated with her in the shallows. He knew that it was technically illegal to put on such an indecent display in public, but a quick glance over his shoulder assuaged any worries he had of his neighbour calling for the guards - the woman was kneeling on the shore beside her lamp, a dirty pot held forgotten in her hands, her eyes glued to the lascivious scene. Feeling more bold than he had ever felt before, Reld grinned to himself and leaned forward to bite the graceful sweep of Tula's neck. Between them, the lake splashed rhythmically as his hips smacked against the orc's succulent buttcheeks and his balls dragged back and forth through the water.

Tula's lessons from the previous day were not lost on him, however easy it was to lose himself in the sublime sensation of breeding her cunt, and Reld moved his hands - one up to the orc's heavy titty, to tease her pierced nipple, the other down to her erect clit. The greenskin's button was as swollen with lust as her nipples and the boy massaged the large nub with his fingers while he made use of her cunny, finding a comfortable pace for both his hands and his breeding pole.

"Good boy," growled Tula approvingly as Reld stimulated her sensitive nipples and clit.

They mated with languid, steady strokes for a long time, the water lapping at their joined genitals, the sound of their rutting carrying across the lake to their rapt audience of one riveted fisherwoman. Pleasure built slowly in their bodies until the slapping noise of the water and their skin was joined by their increasingly loud panting and grunting. With his balls aching to pour their seed into Tula's warm cunt, Reld had to bite his lip to hold back the surging tide of pleasure that threatened to overwhelm him.

Thankfully, his steady massage of her engorged clitty brought Tula to blessed release before Reld's clenched jaw drew blood from his lip. The orc stiffened against him and there was a sound like someone pouring a kettle into a bath. Reld felt a spray of fluid spurt past his fingers and his mate's fuck-hole clamped down on his shaft with a vengeance. At that signal, his cock seemed to understand its work was done. With a groan of relief, the young man ejaculated. The two spasmed in pleasure together while Reld's over-stimulated column of meat blasted heavy ropes of sloppy jism into Tula's hungry, convulsing pussy. In time with his pulsing, heaving member, squirts of female ejaculate sprayed into the water, slowly tapering off as the pair rode out their pleasure.

"It seems my lessons are not wasted," breathed Tula, pulling herself off Reld's spent organ.

"I'm not completely useless," grinned the boy, turning to follow the orc vixen back to the shore and their clothes and dishes.

While they gathered up their things, Reld flashed a cheeky grin at his stunned neighbour. Thanks to the orange glow cast by her lantern, he couldn't tell if she blushed, but he could see the shameful smile on her face as she hurriedly grabbed her pots and plates and lantern and scurried back up the beach.

Once they returned to the shack, Tula informed Reld she would be heading back to the inn to see if she could earn a few more coins. Feeling better about their arrangement than he had earlier that evening, the youth gave his greenskin housemate a more cheerful goodbye before turning in for the night.