Making Friends
#1 of Avelle's Journey
Avelle was unusual in a lot of ways. The young, athletic, paladin had a striking visage, long, beautiful, auburn hair flowing like a river behind her. She had always been different from her peers in the order - she was the only female, the only elf, and the only paladin that did not ascribe to the Sun deity. And now, shortly after leaving to find recruits for a growing conflict, she was the only vampire. So was her lover, Tienvar, and it wasn't a coincidence. He had courted her for months, but she had never realized his nature. Circumstances beyond his control had forced him to drink her blood until her life force was drained, leaving her an empty husk for three days, until she rose, a new member of the undead. But that was a long story.
She was filled with self-doubt, urges filling her mind, a desire for blood. But she could not do evil - she was a paladin! It was a marvel that she hadn't been forsaken by her goddess, but she retained her holy powers. If it weren't for Tienvar's helpful instruction, she could never have resisted. At night he hunted for her, returning with a deer or a pig, and they would drink. She still felt empty every night - non-sentient blood was only a stop-gap solution. Eventually she would be forced to drink human blood, and she feared she wouldn't be able to control herself.
Tienvar had also taught her the ways of love, and she had given herself to him. The anxiety had been overwhelming, and even now spending 'quality time' with the vampire was incredibly difficult for her. Any thoughts of sex or sexual contact seemed wrong to her. She was a paladin, and though sex and love weren't forbidden, lust was frowned upon. Each night she spent with the vampire, she eventually gave in to lust, and it made her ashamed. At least he respected her wishes, despite his innate ability to command her mind. She knew he truly loved her, and she loved him - why was she so afraid?
But none of this was on her mind right now. She had recently recruited a herd of centaur to join her cause, and their leader, Leyelil, had begun to travel in her party. The problem was that her new companion didn't like her.
Avelle needed to be liked, and she was rarely disappointed. Her companions included the once human Tienvar, a human named Marc with whom she had become fast friends, and another elf named Saliendra. The centaur, Leyelil, travelled far ahead of Avelle's wagon (where the two vampires spent the day), and was distant, refusing to talk. She gave one word answers, and looked at all of them disapprovingly. It drove Avelle crazy.
The problem was that centaurs revered horses almost as gods, yet the party used three horses as mounts. Leyelil had explained, in one of the longest conversations Avelle had ever had with the centaur, that centaurs let horses do whatever they pleased, and tried to accommodate their wishes when able. Of course, they couldn't speak to the animals, but over thousands of years, the centaur had developed an understanding with the beasts. Yet Avelle and the others used their horses like tools, forcing them to labor against their will. It was sacrilege.
Tonight, Avelle had a plan. After a long night of riding, she approached the blond-haired, tan-furred centaur after she made sure her own horse, Mephaeon, was rubbed down. Saliendra and Marc did the same for their steeds. Avelle stood in front of the sweating centaur. Avelle made sure to look directly at Leyelil's face. Centaurs shunned clothing, and her ample breasts certainly made the paladin blush. She tried to put the large orbs out of her mind as she mustered the courage to speak.
"Do you feel it's wrong to ride horses, if they don't mind?"
Leyelil was surprised by Avelle's forwardness, and after hours of silent walking, found her voice. "How would you know? Why wouldn't they mind?"
"I can...understand Mephaeon. He doesn't mind."
"Understand?"
"We can...think...to one another. It's because he was blessed by my order. We are companions," Avelle explained.
Scoffing, the centaur said, "Companions? Where one rides the other?"
Avelle smiled nervously, saying "My question still stands."
Hesitating, the centaur said, "All we ask is that you let the horses do as they please. If somehow you can tell that he is willing to be saddled and ridden, I can accept that."
The paladin twitched her long ears. This wasn't the end she had hoped to achieve. But it was a good first step. How could she make it clear to the centaur that Avelle and her companions weren't like the humans Leyelil had had contact with. The four of them truly cared for their horses, and only asked a small amount from the animals in exchange for food, shelter, and healing. Avelle suspected their horses led happier, healthier lives than the wild horses who shared the plains with the centaur.
For now, Avelle would just try to be a friend to Leyelil. If she gained the centaur's trust, Leyelil would come to believe her. Avelle was sure of it. "Has traveling this long been hard on you?"
Flicking her tail, Leyelil seemed annoyed that the paladin continued to pester her. "No."
"I know you aren't used to traveling long distances, on a gravel road, no less. If...there's anything you need, I'll do my best."
She said, "Unlikely, we are just as strong as horses, we are built for distance travel."
Avelle sighed, resigned. "Alright," the young paladin murmured, getting read to leave. Something inside of her told her to stop, though. She turned back to the centaur, taking a deep breath, and saying, "I try my best to make sure Mephaeon is happy."
Snorting, the centaur stamped her front hoof, exasperated. Leyelil seemed to realize that if she didn't make some concession to the paladin, Avelle would never leave her alone. Grudgingly, she said, "I can tell that you do."
"I know that some people do treat their horses badly. I hate that as much as you do. But we really are different."
"Maybe my presumptions about how you humans treat horses were somewhat inaccurate. Other than riding them against their will, you all seem to treat your horses well." she admitted.
Avelle smiled. This was more like it! "Thank you."
"Even so, your treatment is short of the reverence we expect - demand. We would allow them to graze, wander, mate, and live as they desire, with no influence from us. Though I suppose it is nice to have someone to care for them after running for so long."
Avelle looked the centaur over. Sweat covered the young filly's body. She stammered, "Is...is that something you need?"
Surprised, the centaur turned away, hesitating.
Avelle pressed the issue, "I am more than willing to help you, if you want."
She said, "It...is something I can do on my own, mostly."
Looking down, Avelle said, "Oh."
Slowly, mincing her feet, the centaur admitted, "I guess, I can't reach all the way..."
Avelle looked up at her and smiled. "Okay." Taking her cloth, she moved over to Leyelil's foreleg and gingerly began to rub her down, running the dry cloth down her sweaty forelegs. Suddenly, Avelle felt uncomfortable. Leyelil was a person, albeit a very large, horse-like person. The paladin was rubbing her naked body with a cloth. She forced herself to keep going, knowing how uncomfortable it must be for Leyelil to stand there, coated in sweat. As nervous as Avelle was, she knew that Leyelil needed this, and perhaps the centaur would begin to appreciate it.
Leyelil closed her eyes, her muscles tense. It seemed as if this rub down was as awkward for the centaur as it was for Avelle. She flicked her tail, but didn't stop the paladin's actions.
"...Try to relax." Avelle could see that Marc was watching the two of them, from a distance, surely surprised to see the cold, distant centaur allowing the elf to get close to her.
As Avelle moved over to Leyelil's other foreleg, the centaur began to relax a bit more, but she kept her eyes closed.
"Is that better, Leyelil?"
She said, "Okay." That wasn't an answer to the question. She still seemed nervous.
Once Avelle finished with her equine forelegs, she moved to the centaur's back and sides.
Leyelil just stood there, crossing her arms below her breasts. Avelle ran her hands through the short, soft, dry fur she left behind her cloth. She could feel the centaur's muscles relaxing, finally giving in to the pleasant feeling of the cloth soaking up the itchy sweat that covered her body.
Finally, the paladin reached Leyelil's hindlegs, where the centaur couldn't reach. Gulping, looked at the centaur. Would she object? Avelle tried to pretend it was Mephaeon she was rubbing down, but it was no use. Leyelil was a person, and Avelle was about to start rubbing her legs. Avelle was the one sweating now.
Her eyes closed, Leyelil made no effort to stop Avelle from moving on to her wet thighs.
Delicately, Avelle began to run the cloth along the outside of Leyelil's legs. The centaur's tail flicked, but this time it didn't seem like irritation.
"How..is this?" Avelle asked, trying to be helpful.
Leyelil was breathing heavily now, and said, "That...feels good."
Summoning all her courage, the paladin knelt behind and under the centaur, closing her eyes and reaching out with the cloth, to reach the filly's inner thighs. Avelle's throat was dry and her face flushed furiously. Struggling, she opened her eyes, and she swallowed. There, in front of her, she couldn't help but notice the equine's teats, and further up, her tear-drop shaped vulva. The rate of her breathing increased, awkwardly working the cloth down the inside of Leyelil's hind legs.
Swallowing the large lump in her throat, Avelle managed to ask, "How does that feel?"
Leyelil was breathing rhythmically, so lost in thought that she didn't seem to hear the paladin's question. Avelle, trembling, willfully continued her work, gingerly avoiding the centaur's teats and genitals. Finally, she was done, and she stood, blushing.
Slowly she opened her eyes, and looking back at Avelle. Hesitating, she said quietly, "That felt good. Thank you." The filly's breathing was slowing, her heart rate dropping as well. Avelle noticed that Leyelil's face was almost as red as her own.
"Of course. If you ever...need a hand, please ask me." Avelle said honestly, shivering inside. It had been incredibly awkward, but also rewarding. She took no greater pleasure than when she was helping others. She was a paladin.
Pausing, Leyelil said seriously, "I'll think about it."
There was an awkward silence as the two women regarded each other. Finally, Avelle swallowed again to remove the growing lump in her throat and said, "Well...I'm glad I could help."
Leyelil nodded as the paladin left her, then lay down, flicking her tail thoughtfully.