Companions Chapter 29: Darker Horse
#30 of Companions
[Companions Chapter 29]
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WARNING! The following text contains explicit adult subject matter. It is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. If you are under the age of 18, then you must stop reading now. The author has taken steps to ensure that this story does not appear in any subject-inappropriate or age-inapropriate forum. This version has been posted with the author's permission to Yiffstar.com.
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* _COMPANIONS_
* by Evoquus
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* (c) Copyright 2003, Evoquus, All rights reserved.
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* Feedback is appreciated: [email protected]
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Rating: NC-17 for explicit sex: M/M, Human-Stallion, Anal, Oral, Violence
WARNING! THIS EPISODE CONTAINS THE MOST EXTREME, VIOLENT, AND GRAPHIC
DEPICTIONS OF DEVIANCE IN THE ENTIRE SERIES. IT IS NOT FOR THE
SQUEAMISH OR EASILY OFFENDED. PROFESSIONAL CHARACTERS ON A CLOSED
SET. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST.
Chapter 29: Darker Horse
The eyes that looked back at him seemed to soften, and Daniel fell in love with them. Any entity that could make its eyes melt an icy disposition with a warm gaze... had to be benign. And it was at that moment that Daniel realized what it was that was bothering him. The mare was looking at him - not just staring - looking. When he was in front of her, "being one" with her like this, her orbs subtly shifted back and forth, focussing on his own left and right virtual eyes, just as people do when they hold eye contact.
"You just got careless," he spoke as the cat who caught the mouse. The eyes stopped shifting, but it was too late.
"I know you're in there now."
The other entity was sharing his brain. There was something he had done just now to briefly bring it out of hiding. He could do it again.
"Look at me... Come on, there's no use hiding anymore."
He caressed the skin under her chin again. It made a connection that soothed him, lowered his virtual heart rate and blood pressure, and it brought those eyes back to life.
"There you are," he said calmly. "Stick around for a while. Talk to me. Please?"
The mare did not speak, but neither did she retreat.
"Do you like what you see?" he said, noting that her eyes never roamed from his. "Because I've got to tell you - Rovaun was right. When you come alive, you are the eighth wonder."
The mare delicately batted her lids as if to acknowledge the compliment.
Daniel sat down on the ground in front of her, and the mare decided to join him, curling her front legs underneath and setting down to maintain level eye contact as well as playing field.
"We're equals, you and I."
The comment was neither confirmed nor denied it.
"So what do you know about Harlok!" he demanded, switching interrogation tactics from good cop to bad. The mare immediately went blank.
"Don't go vacant on me! I don't have time for this shit!!"
He grabbed her head with both hands to force the entity back to the surface. The eyes locked onto his again, and this time they spoke volumes.
"If looks could kill, Bitch," he muttered. "If looks could kill... You murdered him!"
The angry eyes all but confessed. [And I'd do it again.]
"WHO ARE YOU!!"
The mare growled at him. [That's for you to find out.]
Daniel jumped to his feet, and the mare scrambled to hers too, keeping him at a disadvantage. He had to maintain this showdown as a battle of wits, for if it got physical, he would surely lose.
He paced around the mare, who turned with him to keep tabs on his every move.
"Why don't you kill me, too? Why not force me out?"
The mare thwacked her tail. [I'm thinking about it.]
"I'd force you out in a second if I knew who... Tattoo!!"
"Hi Mommy."
"Who is here with us?"
"Nobody."
The mare still had him in his sights.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Daniel folded his arms and reflected the daggers she pointed at him right back at her. "You hide yourself very well. Either that, or you're some dark separate personality of my own creation. Whoever you are, you are not welcome. Please go."
The word "Please" seemed to have an instant effect. Daniel noted her brow begin to relax.
"Please..." he said, again, with more sincerity. The entity still refused to abandon its host, but appeared to sympathize with its cohabitant. The eyes soften more, and Daniel felt himself becoming captivated by them again.
Then, at long last, the human finally achieved enlightenment.
"Oh my God..." he sang, as if finding a long lost friend. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God..."
The mare's eyes beamed joyfully at him, for she was thrilled that he finally recognized her.
"I know who you are! I am such a dope. It's so obvious, it's LAUGHABLE!"
She whinnied giddily, then brought her head down to smile proudly at him as he approached her wearing exactly the same expression.
"You... are... ME!"
Wrapping his arms around her, he pressed his face into the side of her neck then felt her return the same heartfelt hug with her chin in his back and a hoof curled around his leg. The embrace was nothing more than an affirmation and acceptance of his own true identity, and the mare confirmed it by holding him just as tight. Daniel felt a lump growing in his throat.
"This is me," he choked.
"This is me, too," she whickered emotionally, thus proving Rovaun right: There was only one being here. Two halves of a whole, each entirely dependent on the other, each a part of the other.
They released each other and Daniel stepped back to chuckle at the mare's joyful tears that threatened to overflow their tenuous boundaries.
"You've been there all this time, but I kept you suppressed by not acknowledging your existence. I only thought of you as an 'it,' but you're not an 'it' at all, no more so than I am. It's so simple!"
The mare held no grudge. She was simply happy to see the sunlight at last.
"I know what would help. You need an identity. A name ought to keep you afloat... How about... uh, 'Danielle'?"
She snorted, but accepted it.
"I know, I know, it's not very original, but it'll do for now. We can always change it later."
He walked along her flank running his hand over her built black body.
"You are so sexy, Danielle. No wonder you arouse your husband."
The mare nodded and nickered softly. It was what he would have done had he been on the receiving end of the compliment.
"Come on. Let me see you swim through the air."
Virtually walking sideways, he observed the fluid motion of Danielle, who walked right along with him. Her beautiful undulating muscles softened by a thin layer of subcutaneous fat made her look healthy, smooth and supple. Like an otter frolicking in a bay, her coat shimmered in wet waves of reflected sunlight.
"You're not quite as lean as a quarter horse, but you don't look fat at all. Danielle, can you spell 'perfection'? It begins with a capital 'P'."
Another appreciative nicker, then she stopped and set down for him.
"You read my mind," he chuckled, climbing onto her back. "Let's go!"
The mare raised up with her rider and carefully walked, then trotted, then cantered, and finally galloped full throttle through the woods. Skillfully, she ducked and dodged tree branches and other hazards that would have knocked off any other rider with an inattentive mount, but Danielle had a responsibility to hers that would not allow such a thing to happen.
Riding bareback with nothing but her mane to hold on to, Daniel still found it a challenge to remain horse-bound. The uneven terrain jostled them both, but Danielle kept her joints bent to act as shock absorbers, and was quick to compensate when she felt her rider sliding from one side to another. At one particularly large pothole, Daniel bounced completely off to her left side, but still managed to hold on to her mane. She slowed down just enough for his feet to hit the ground like a trampoline and push off to land right back on top again. The rodeo couple made it look so easy. Together they could already win trophies.
Sometimes Daniel would decide which direction to go, sometimes he'd let Danielle decide. Whenever a decision turned out to be trouble, both were always in total agreement about either doubling back or stubbornly forging ahead. Riding was a breeze when the horse could read your thoughts.
When they came to a creek, Danielle informed her rider that it was time for a break. He dismounted and allowed her to wade in to drink. As she stood in the stream, he rinsed the sweat from her coat with a virtual sponge.
"Gonna make you nice and pretty for Hubby."
He swirled the sponge near the center of her back, then stopped to wonder about why this strange turn of events seemed so right. Resting his forearms on her, he gave her a sidelong glance. She turned her head around to meet it.
"I know I'm talking to myself, but it's ironic that this breakthrough came about by treating you like another person. I must not have given you the slightest consideration at all."
She looked forward again. No comment necessary.
"In any case, I apologize. Just promise me I won't lose track of reality like some demented Twilight Zone ventriloquist."
No response. No promises.
"Good. I'd be worried if you DID promise. How are we doing on water?"
She took another quick drink and then climbed out of the creek to stand in the sun. Daniel toweled her off and did a final run through her fur with a finishing brush to turn her luxurious coat into black satin. He stood back to admire her splendor.
"My God, I love Hipponaurs," he swooned, feeling a bulge tightening in his pants.
She turned her head to him and slowly raised her tail. This was no surprise at all, for it was exactly what he was thinking.
"Inevitable, I suppose. To be honest, I can't understand how it took this long. But I am so glad that you'll be enjoying it, too."
He walked behind to behold her offering. Her moist lips quivered then relaxed, giving him a brief glimpse of the cavern he would be spelunking. Pressing his lips to hers, he gently parted them with his tongue, delighting his taste buds with the tangy moist membrane within. His tongue had explored here once before, nearly a month ago, so it was no surprise that his virtual senses suggested that it tasted nearly the same, but it never tasted so good. He let the mare know how much he enjoyed eating her and that he hoped she was enjoying it, too. She answered him by popping a big wet clitoris out of nowhere to kiss him.
He kissed it back, then carefully wrapped his lips around the quivering organ and suckled and tickled and lickled. When he did it just right, it would run and hide for a second and then come right back for more. He played 'Hide and Seek' with the mare for what seemed like hours of unending fun, but then she sent him wet, squirting signals that suggested it was time to end the foreplay and put his "money" where his mouth was.
Hearing the man unzip his pants, she knew just what to do, setting down and then raising up to present herself at his level. The last time this mare had made such a presentation, her designs on him were of the utmost malevolence. Today she bore no such ill will. Daniel didn't care that the activity he was about to partake in might be considered by some as grossly narcissistic. To him, this was not about fucking himself. It was not about self-love at all. It was about giving back to Danielle what he had been neglecting for so long.
He inserted himself and had no trouble slipping and sliding all the way in up to his balls. She asked him to hold still inside of her, so that she could treat him to the full program of what a mare had to offer. Daniel understood. He derived pleasure from giving it to his mate. Danielle was no different. He felt her swollen clitoris lick sensually at the base of his virtual cock, which reacted by swelling painfully, as it hardened to cracking concrete.
"God. I didn't think I could get more aroused. I was wrong." It took all of Daniel's willpower to not start pumping and end it right there.
What a mare could do to a human dick was nothing short of miraculous. She was able to keep a powerful grip on him, even though he was considerably smaller than her equine mate. And as she held on to him, an inner sphincter that kept urine from entering the uterus gently nibbled and sucked on the end. He didn't have to do anything. Mares were Nature's perfect milking machines.
"Rovaun, Harlok was right. You are one lucky son-of-a-bitch."
She turned her head back to him and nodded, then whickered a "Now show me the money, Mr."
He slowly pumped into her as she watched and responded in kind, winking and tantalizing him, gripping and slipping and teasing him. Although his virtual testicles rumbled, he had no desire to empty them. This time was for Danielle. She told him how to move, how fast and how hard, and when to just push and twist and grind into her backside. And in return, she treated his dick to a week at Club Med.
Daniel could see in her face just how much she enjoyed being set free. The raised chin, glazed eyes, and slackened jaw - oh yeah, she was in her happy place. He thought about offering to make his dick bigger for her, but before he could ask, she told him it wasn't necessary. He was doing just fine, and to drive home that point, she let out a low guttural whinny while batting her clitoris to announce the coming event.
"And this is what it feels like when I climax," she whinnied, squeezing tightly around Daniel's erection, and masturbating it with pleasure spasms.
He smiled, proud to be man enough to be able to please a mare. Then he tipped a pretend cowboy hat to her. "Ma'am." After the contractions faded, she thanked him by sharing the afterglow with him. He pulled out gently, feeling no need to satisfy his own human desire. It would only detract from the moment.
"How does Rovaun manage to hold out so long? I guess that's why we love him so much. I'm almost afraid to try the same thing in your ass."
The mare dropped her tail, equally wary of the potentially hazardous consequences of unstoppable orgasms.
Daniel merged into her.
"Hello."
His greeting felt hollow and unnecessary. The afterglow was much stronger inside, yet he now felt alone again, since Daniel and Danielle were no longer separate.
"I can still talk to myself," he mused, but figured that he probably wouldn't, because it seemed a little silly, perhaps a little neurotic to do so when he wasn't virtual. And maybe that was his reason for re-emerging as a human to continue the hunt for the killer on horseback.
He and the mare followed the creek for about a mile, searching for tracks that did not belong there. Anything recent would still be preserved in the soft mud along the bank, and if the killer did ford the river, he may have paralleled the bank for some time before finding a suitable crossing.
Daniel's heart raced when he came across the exact footprints he was looking for. Danielle was careful not to disturb them as she and her rider cautiously scanned for the human that made them. Around the bend, they saw him, and Daniel found his heart racing for a very different reason. Standing naked in the stream, Jeremiah was bathing and washing his grave-soiled clothes. He heard them approach and turned to greet them with a smile and a wave.
"Well look at you two! Danny's learned a new trick."
Daniel rode up to him then dismounted and stood alongside the bank. "I thought you were going to take forty."
"Ten was plenty of sloth time for me. Chores don't do themselves, ya know."
Daniel and Danielle couldn't take their eyes off of him. Glistening wet, he had a smooth, lightly-tanned, and chiseled body. The cool water made his dick appear retracted like a stud, but it would no doubt unsheathe and impress when called upon. Jeremiah noted their ogling and grinned.
"I'd tell ya to take a picture to make it last longer, but y'already got a memory that'll outlast any Polaroid by a bazillion years."
Daniel and his mare both looked away. "I'm sorry."
"Nah, don't be. I'm flattered... really. You're not so painful to look at yourself."
Daniel knew where this was going and had no desire to stop it. Nevertheless, he attempted to steer the conversation to more urgent matters.
"We're all looking for any kind of evidence that might lead us to Harlok's killer."
"Yeah, me too. Haven't come across much of anything that suggests there's another man out here. I hope it's because he's just really good at hiding. I'd hate to think it's because he's one of us."
"I know he's not you."
Jeremiah put his hands on his slanted hips to prepare his reprimand, but his pose was right out of a swimsuit ad, sans the swimsuit. Daniel's heart skipped several virtual beats.
"Now how the hell can you know that? You don't know jack about me. There's a very dangerous individual running 'round these parts, and you would be wise to be more wary."
"But I know all I need to know about you, Jerry. You were hand-picked by Mourne. 'Nuff said."
Jeremiah turned up his chin and scratched his neck for a moment, then winked. "You got a point. And you can make the same argument for yourself and City-boy."
"That's right. It's got to be someone else."
"Then we need to watch each other's back. And you have no business being out here all by yourself."
"Neither do you."
Jeremiah was about to let loose another castigation, but then caught himself. He dropped his accusing finger and smiled.
"You're right again, Partner. We should stick together. But not if you're gonna fall apart on me with backfiring virtual popguns."
"Don't worry. I think I finally have that all figured out. Let me introduce you to Danielle. Danielle, say hello to Jerry."
The grinning mare lifted her right front hoof and held it out.
"Well, I'll be..." He climbed out of the water to shake it. "Pleased to meet you... Danielle did you say?"
"Uh huh. Giving her an identity seems to reinforce my own for some reason."
"Is that so? Well then, let me shake your hand too."
Jeremiah gave Daniel a very firm handshake with his right, then looked him in the eyes as he brought his left hand in to the mix as well, massaging and then caressing the back of Daniel's right arm.
"By golly, this DOES feel real... nice and firm."
Daniel noticed Jeremiah starting to drop. Then the naked man tugged gently but steadily on the arm he grasped.
"Could I... Do ya mind if I..."
He pulled Daniel to his chest and then curled his arms around him in a tight bear hug. Daniel felt the wet groin press into him, and couldn't help running his hands down the smooth back to those hard muscular mounds and pull that groin even closer.
"Mmmmm, feels real to me," sighed Jeremiah, swiveling his hips to tease Daniel's confined cock with his own unbridled member.
"To me too."
Jeremiah let him go. "Now how can that be?"
"I don't know. It just is. My Hipponaur brain sees, hears, feels, smells, and tastes, and then translates that into human sensory input. I FEEL human."
Jeremiah looked at the mare who was watching them both closely, then he smiled impishly and turned to Daniel. "Wanna try an experiment?"
"What did you have in mind?" he replied nervously, suddenly remembering that Mourne was not infallible.
"Let's see how 'real' you are when the mare's not looking."
Jeremiah retrieved his shirt and fitted it as a blindfold over Danielle's eyes. Daniel could still see because much of his virtual eyesight was interpolated, but he suddenly had a touch of vertigo.
"What are you going to do?" The nervousness in his voice was very apparent.
"More of what we were just doing, Partner." The mare recognized the timbre in Jeremiah's voice as that of pure erotic anticipation. It was a feeling that quickly became contagious, making Daniel horny in addition to nervous. "Parceph and me do this all the time. I think you'll like it."
The mare became agitated, trying to shake off the blindfold.
"Whoa, whoa... I'm not gonna hurt you."
"It's not that, Jerry. Danielle's having trouble resolving the inconsistent input. This ought to help."
Daniel produced a blindfold of his own and tied it around his head. Now neither of them could see. The mare calmed down and focussed her ears on the drama.
"That's better."
"Much," smiled Jeremiah. "Tell me what you feel me doing."
The mare knew where Daniel was standing and also knew that he was not moving. Therefore the sounds she detected had to be coming from Jeremiah, and she conveyed that information to Daniel. The first was a kind of subtle wet crackling. Daniel responded with a grin.
"You just kissed me, rather passionately on the mouth."
"One for one, Partner." Jeremiah stopped suddenly. "Is this gonna be okay with your mate?"
Daniel sighed. Yes, it was going to be okay with his mate because the damage was done. Everybody knew. Besides, this was really just a fun experiment, right? Right.
"Yeah, we have a kind of understanding. As long as he and I are relatively discreet, anything one does for pleasure is okay with the other. We try not to keep it a secret from one another, because it usually gets out. So instead we share the experiences for more good times, later. If this little experiment pans out, don't be surprised if Rovaun asks for a piece of you, himself."
"Not if I get a piece of him, first."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I was kinda jealous of Parceph when he told me that you and he had do-si-do'd... I've been dreaming of this shindig ever since. What am I doing now?"
"You are pulling off my shirt and exhaling on my chest... And now my pants are around my ankles."
"And now?"
The location of his voice was near Daniel's groin, which was responding as expected. The mare also detected that the words were spoken through a clenched jaw.
"I believe you are removing my underwear with your teeth."
Daniel stepped out of his clothes and stood blindfolded, grinning and erect.
"Danny-boy, you are one hot virtual man," breathed Jeremiah.
He gripped Daniel's cock tightly and began slowly and silently masturbating him. "What do you feel?"
The mare strained to comprehend. She could smell the sexual tension from Jeremiah, but it wasn't enough information. His body was blocking whatever imperceptible sound he was producing from the slow jerk.
"I know you're standing in front of me, but I can't tell anything else."
"You can't feel that?"
"Sorry. I don't have true virtual senses."
"Not yet, but I bet you will someday. You are amazing."
Jeremiah grabbed Daniel's balls and squeezed them so tight that even the most disciplined warrior would have crumpled and cried like a cookie-defrauded girl scout.
"Anything?"
"No."
"How about now," he said slapping Daniel's ass.
"Ow! That was my left buttock, SIR! May I have another!"
[Whack]
"My right buttock now thanks you, SIR!"
"Heh-heh-heh... this is fun," grinned Jeremiah.
"It is," confirmed Daniel.
"I feel a sneeze coming on. Just a sec." Jeremiah left to retrieve his pocketknife from his clothes, then pretended to sneeze to cover up the sound of the knife clicking open. He returned wearing an evil grin that Daniel could not see.
"I guarantee you will feel this."
Jeremiah knelt in front of Daniel's erection, then slowly jabbed the sharpened blade into Daniel's gut. The skin depressed an inch, but did not yield.
"Still nothing?"
"Sorry."
He pushed the knife in deeper, and the virtual forces that created the illusion of flesh gave way, allowing the knife to dryly penetrate. The wound did not bleed, because the mare did not know Daniel was wounded. She heard the odd sound of metal piercing what sounded like soft vinyl, but did not make the connection. Jeremiah was not the killer, therefore, he could not be stabbing Daniel.
He removed the knife and the wound that never occurred, vanished.
"Amazing... You still didn't feel that?"
"I heard it, but I can't tell what you're doing. Can you at least give me a hint?"
The evil grin returned. "Haven't you ever been deep-throated before?"
"Not by an expert. Is that what that was?" Daniel's erection suddenly pulsed skyward.
"There's none better'n me."
"In that case, I'm sure I'll feel it now."
"Okay, Partner. Then here we go again."
Jeremiah maneuvered the knife back into Daniel's guts. The dry squicking sound was not what Daniel imagined a cock sliding down a human gullet would sound like, but he took Jeremiah's word for it, and it felt fantastic. His cock magically bent down as if being pulled by an invisible force, and he thrust his groin forward to stuff it all the way into the throat that wasn't there. Jeremiah slid the knife in and out of the virtual abdomen, and Daniel thrust his pelvis into the knife with the same rhythm.
"Oh, yes, Jerry. I can feel your hot, tight throat now."
Daniel placed his hands over the non-existent head at his groin to hold it steady while he forced his cock in and down through nothing. All the while, Jeremiah knelt just off to the side, stabbing Daniel with one hand and masturbating with the other.
"I'm about to explode down your throat..."
"Mmmph," was the faux-muffled response.
"Right... NOW!"
Gobs of virtual gism shot out of his cock, but remained hanging in mid air, slowly sliding down an invisible gullet. Utterly fascinated by the sight, Jeremiah couldn't resist moving into position to allow the goo to dribble into a real throat. It tasted as authentic as his own cum, and Daniel's dick tasted just as human, which made Jeremiah so horny that he wanted to suck it for real, but it had already started to deflate.
"Danny, you are so fucking HOT!"
"Why thank you. Your throat is pretty steamy, too."
"Get down on all fours! I'm gonna ride you to Tacoma."
"Yes, SIR!" Daniel dropped down, not needing to be asked twice.
Jeremiah spat into his hand and liberally coated his cock. He was no longer being careful to be subtle, so the mare could detect his every brutish maneuver. She could tell when his cock was positioned at Daniel's ass, and she could tell when it forced its way in, and she could tell when groin slapped glutes.
"Can you feel me now, Fuck?"
"I can feel everything, Fucker."
Daniel's human-sized colon took a considerable pounding, but the damage being done was not life-threatening.
"Fuck, man, you are tight as a drum. How the hell does Rovaun fit inside here?"
"Not easily."
The two men set up a rhythm, each thrusting toward the other to slam in the middle.
"That's the way, Bronc! See if y'all can throw this rider."
Daniel pushed back harder, and Jeremiah countered. The mare started dripping, wishing she could watch.
"I love the way your back arches when I fuck you. I can just imagine putting a saddle on it and spurring you all over town. And you love my dick stabbing your ass."
"Yee-haw!!"
"Truer words were never spoken, Bronc."
Jeremiah reached underneath and pulled his knife out of Daniel's belly then jammed it into his back with each grunting thrust of his pelvis. Daniel knew his rider was rough, but still had no clue.
"Git ready for a hosin', Daddy-o."
With a final stab into Daniel's shoulder blade, Jeremiah slammed his cock all the way in and cried out his climax for all the world to hear.
"YYYEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"
Daniel worked the cock with his sphincter to keep it cummin'. Then a double spanking on his behind told him it was over. "Was it good for you?" he chuckled.
Jeremiah leaned forward to remove the knife, then held it under Daniel's throat.
"That was the BEST!" He kissed Daniel loudly between the shoulder blades while simultaneously sinking the knife deep into his virtual neck and drawing it all the way across to the other side. It emerged with a "thwick" leaving no evidence whatsoever that ninety percent of Daniel's neck had been sliced open.
"Then we'll have to do this again, sometime," said Daniel.
"Definitely."
Jeremiah pulled out and gave Daniel a final swat on his butt, then stood up to conceal the knife before removing the mare's blindfold. Daniel took off his own blindfold, then had trouble standing up, suddenly groaning in pain. Jeremiah turned to him with what appeared to be genuine concern.
"You okay, Buddy?"
Holding his gut with one hand, Daniel slowly staggered to his feet. "Yeah. You fucked my ass raw with that horsedick of yours. A little more lube, next time."
"Sorry, Partner. You must bring out the beast in me. I'll try to be more considerate in the future."
"The NEAR future, I hope." Daniel locked eyes with Jeremiah as he walked up to him and gave him a deep, passionate, naked man kiss, and then a little something extra.
"What's this," said Jeremiah pulling away with a string of cum connecting the two mouths.
"Don't you recognize your own spunk?"
"Huh?" he said, completely baffled.
"Just a little trick I've learned." Daniel turned to kiss the mare next, and then moaned passionately when he did so. "And you taste just as hot as I imagined."
That kiss lasted for nearly two minutes as Daniel squeezed every trace of Jeremiah he could find into the mouth of the mare, each sperm cell a tiny erotic explosion. Jeremiah sat back in wonder, then briefly donned his evil grin before changing to a more friendly one.
After wiping his mouth, Daniel flashed an evil grin of his own. "Next time, I insist on giving you head."
"Partner, I think that can be arranged."
Getting back to the crisis at hand, Daniel explained the plan to organize into groups and rendezvous at the meeting point within an hour. Jeremiah agreed it was prudent for everyone to stick with a buddy, but had the immediate dilemma of being entirely without a dry wardrobe. Daniel generously offered to carry him naked on his back, but the modest man declined for fear of others possibly getting the wrong idea. However, as time grew short, he compromised by riding the mare in his damp clothes. They were a few minutes early to the meeting point when they heard the unmistakable sound of a struggle ensuing behind a dense wall of brush about twenty yards ahead of them.
"Danny, hold up!" said Jeremiah dismounting. "Hear that?"
"Someone's in trouble. We gotta do something!" said Daniel in a panic.
"Yeah, but what?"
Daniel emerged with a shotgun and leveled it at the brush. "I've got a gun pointed at your head," he shouted. The commotion in front of them suddenly fell silent. "Come out slowly with your hands up."
"Do not shoot, Companion!" came a familiar voice.
"Rovaun?"
Moments later, the red stallion clumsily climbed through the brush followed by a flustered white mare. "You are early," he snorted.
Daniel put his gun away. "Sorry, Husband. We didn't mean to interrupt Daddy time."
"That is all right, Companion. Tantau is asleep."
"In that case, we didn't mean to interrupt Sugar Mommy time."
The mare appreciated that Daniel still allowed Rovaun to service her, but she also felt manipulated by him and that was what she despised more than anything. It was her choice to remain with the clique or go, but as long as Daniel dangled Rovaun like a carrot for her, there was no choice at all. A few minutes alone with him always made her pain worthwhile.
"I'll forgive you, Danny," she said, "as long as I get a rain check."
"Take two," he said cheerfully. "I think they're doing you some good."
The mare snorted, then approached him with an angry thwacking tail. Daniel smirked at her, assuming it was just a front, but she soon set him straight.
"Be careful, young man, you are walking a very fine line. The more you throw your husband at me, the more I am going to assume you don't want him anymore."
"Okay, okay," he recoiled, smirk wiped clean. "One rain check."
She stared at him in silent ire for dramatics, then pecked him on the forehead. "Thank you."
Azgard and Fred arrived punctually, along with half a dozen other Hipponaurs.
"Did you find your knife?" asked Jeremiah.
"No. And nothing else is missing. Whoever took it doesn't care about food or wallets or digital cameras."
"That's interesting," pondered Daniel. "Just a thought, Fred. Who else knows that you're here?"
"Just my ex-girlfriend..." Then he, too, began to speculate aloud, "who just so happens to hate horses."
The group became very agitated with Fred's pronouncement.
"You don't think that she..."
"No, no," Fred waved off the idea. "She's scared to death of you guys."
"Okay, let's focus on the evidence," said Daniel. "A stallion with no known enemies is dead, skillfully beheaded with a large knife, which means the killer is most likely human."
"And the head is missing, but there was no blood trail leading away from the body," added Parceph. "Suggesting that the killer carried it away in a bag or some other drip-proof container."
"Good point, Partner."
"Husband, what possible use would the head be?"
"None that I can fathom, Companion."
"What about the brain?"
"Harlok's brain might be a curiosity to someone keen on dissecting it, assuming he knew it was Hipponaur. But the student of anatomy would be in for a disappointment. A dead Hipponaur brain is indistinguishable from that of an ordinary equine. Without life, it is just meat. Six dollars a pound."
All eyes briefly fell on Fred, then quickly glanced away again.
"I didn't do it," he grumbled.
"We know, Fred."
"One other item. Harlok was not due to return to the clique for at least three more days. It is possible he was bringing back news of a dire nature."
"Maybe that other killings have occurred."
"Or maybe he was killed to prevent whatever the news was from being revealed. That's why the killer can't be found. He did his job and left."
"Let's hope so."
"I'd rather know what the news was than hope the killer got away."
"Now we're all just speculating. If Harlok had something vital to relay to us, then surely the emissaries that left this morning will return by tomorrow with that information."
"Assuming they're still alive."
That brought an unpleasant pause in the debate. Then Daniel stepped forward. "There is one thing that I am one hundred percent certain of: NONE of us did this."
The Hipponaurs with human mates were in complete agreement with him. The others stood by politely silent.
"And no one sleeps alone tonight." On that, the agreement was unanimous.
That night, everyone's nerves were on edge as the slightest innocuous sound in the woods was met with the most intense scrutiny. Azgard thoroughly plugged Fred's tent to protect him from intruders. In a similar vein, Parceph and Jeremiah blocked off their cave which wasn't much more than an indentation in a large rock, but was something more than nothing. Daniel and Rovaun held each other close.
"Are you frightened, Companion?"
"A little, but I'm not sure what I'm frightened of - there's so little that we know right now."
"Perhaps I can occupy your mind in other ways," said the stallion kissing his mare. Then he licked his lips and sat back with a warm, all-knowing smile. "So how was he?"
"How was who?"
"Whoever left semen on your face."
"Oh that," Daniel blushed. "That was Jerry. We played a virtual game of 'Naked Blind Man's Bluff.' It was a little kinky, but otherwise was just some harmless fun. I think you'd like him."
Rovaun shook his head. "I am not going near another human no matter how much I like him."
"Oh, Husband. I'm human, remember? And I'm still alive. Don't be so hard on yourself. There are lots of things you and Jerry could do that won't hurt him."
"Listen to us, Companion. One would never guess that we two are married the way we carry on. I think Shianna is right. You and I need to start behaving more respectably."
"Okay," said the mare, lowering her ears submissively.
"Now, show me some respect by rolling over and reaching for the sky."
Daniel happily did so, kicking all four hooves at Heaven, and was promptly covered by his husband who held him close and safe from harm. "Pleasant dreams, Companion."
With Rovaun plugged in all night long, Daniel couldn't help but have pleasant dreams. The most memorable one had him lying motionless on his human back in the darkness, while his unseen partner wetly made love to his cock.
"Mmmm, nice... whoever you are. Is that you, Danielle?"
His lover tortured him by working him ever so subtly. It was warm and tight and slippery, and made his dick very happy to be there, so Daniel laid back to enjoy the ride and wonder where it would take him. He put his hands behind his head to relax and then discovered why it was dark - he was wearing a blindfold.
"A-ha! That must be you, Jerry," he grinned, but his secret lover would keep him guessing. "You forget that I know what you feel like."
He thrust lightly into his lover and felt the unmistakable ribbed texture of an esophagus enveloping him.
"That's some deep throat you have, my friend, and it sure likes downing my cock. Mmmm, I think you'll be amply rewarded."
His lover took him all the way in and held still to tease him, then slowly withdrew almost entirely, to tease him some more. He arched his back to drive back inside and his lover backed away further, keeping only the very tip of his cock entertained. It reminded him that gratification remained just inches away, and was merely waiting for him to beg for mercy.
"You win, Jerry. You give the best head in the world. I'm close to cumming, please finish me off."
His lover took pity and did as he asked rapidly deep-throating him.
"Oh fuck yes!" He contributed with his own thrusting and could feel the beginnings of a Hipponaur-sized climax building. "I'm gonna blast a couple gallons down your fucking throat!!"
He reached down to hold Jeremiah's head in place, but was met with a surprise. The head was equine.
"Husband!"
This unexpected pleasure caused him to lose momentum, but his climax started rebuilding almost immediately.
"Where did you ever learn to do this, Stud. Have you been taking lessons from Jerry?"
He placed his hands on either side of the stallion's bobbing head and continued to thrust into him as he neared the precipice of orgasm. He thought it amazing that his dick could reach all the way into the back of his husband's throat, but then something wasn't quite right. The position of Rovaun's head was way off.
"Wrrraaaiiittthhhhhh..."
Near the peak of climax, the blindfold slipped off, and Daniel found himself staring face-to-face with the uninterred portion of Harlok. Horror overtook his senses, but another part of him refused to stop copulating with the bloody end of the nightmare. He had lost some momentum again, and now thrust ever harder to regain it. And the more he wanted it to stop, the harder he drove to keep it going.
His only desire was to pull out and curl up in a corner somewhere, but he was no longer in control. Someone else was with him. Someone who was calling the shots. Someone who liked to fuck a hole without teeth, a hole that couldn't say no. And when that someone approached the apex of climax, Daniel did too - and he could tell it was going to be a steep one. The horror wouldn't end until it ended, he told himself, so he stopped fighting and joined forces, thrusting along with his unseen ally to reach their common goal.
"That's more like it, Friend," said Someone. "You take the reins for a while."
He felt control being passed to him, and slowed down immediately for having to carry the full burden. The climax that was so near, trailed off.
"Come on... you can do it."
"No! Let me go."
"Then go. No one is holding you captive."
Someone else resumed the ghastly coitus, dragging Daniel along with him, chained to the bumper of the hearse. He didn't know how to escape, because the dream context offered no parameters in which to do so. Ultimately, he resumed his previous strategy to end it by ending it. Concentrating on the task at hand, he took over the fuck and drove full force, pumping harder and faster than Someone else had done.
"That's it, Friend, we're back on track."
Someone was right. The orgasm was coming, and this time there was no stopping it.
"You like getting head," said Someone in mock surprise. "I think the old nag likes it to. Is that a smile on his face? Let's give him what he wants."
Harder. Faster. Deeper. So close. Almost there. But not quite. He just needed a little bit more.
"Help me," pleaded Daniel. "Help me finish!"
"Yes, Friend. We'll finish together."
Together they fucked. Together they came. Together they impregnated. Together they held onto each other like lovers while drowning in a warm tidal wave of distilled pleasure. Together they wore the same rapturous smile on their glowing faces. But then the alliance fell apart. While Someone continued to bask in the sunshine of sexual satisfaction, someone else's smile faded, then his face distorted. Like a wrung-out old dish rag, it twisted and contorted until it found a new permanent shape - the grotesque cringe of utter shame.
Daniel gave up. Daniel lost. Daniel was lost. To the victor went the spoils.
Someone controlling his hands lifted the head off of his blood-painted cock, then tilted it forward, holding it directly over his face as he lay on his back, and Daniel didn't stop it. Harlok's tongue, dangling from his swinging jaw, pointed the way, and Daniel didn't stop it. A thin white line appeared from the back of the throat, slowly traveling along the rubbery lingual surface until it reached the tip, where it hesitated, bulged and bloomed, and finally leapt the gulf between open mouths, coming full circle, and Daniel accepted it. Hands brought the head down even closer, so that tongues could tenderly mingle and explore in the privacy of an impassioned kiss. Daniel licked. Daniel savored. Daniel swallowed in defeat. Then Someone who was not holding him captive mercifully let him go.
Daniel didn't wake up screaming, though from the looks of the man, Rovaun wondered if a Hipponaur could go deaf. The stallion had been wakened from a sound sleep by a stabbing pain in his side. It was the human's right hand that had dug deep into the horse's flesh and gripped it as if it were the last piece of sanity left to hold onto. Either the air in Daniel's lungs had solidified or he had forgotten how to breathe. In any case, he needed help, so Rovaun pressed a knee into the naked man's chest, forcing air to expel loudly through charged vocal chords. Lungs inflated slowly on their own, regaining the memory of pulmonary rhythm, and the screaming commenced.
The stallion was startled by the high pitch and intensity, for it was not the desperate cry for emergency assistance that he was expecting. It was more like the cry of the criminally insane.
"Companion, calm down. You had some trouble virtually breathing in your sleep, but you are fine now. Look how far you have come! Even while asleep you can maintain a human form. I could not be more proud of you."
It was morning. Daniel sat up in a panic, hyperventilating lungs now overcompensating, eyes darting around to find anything that looked normal. It all did. His eyes fell on Rovaun, dear sweet dependable Rovaun, who smiled warmly at him.
"Good morning," he said calmly. "I see that your dreams continue to indulge your libido."
Daniel stared at his groin which was slathered with cum, then he rolled over to vomit.
"Are you all right, Companion?"
He held himself up on trembling arms, staring at the bile on the ground.
"Is there anything I can do?" asked his mate, now realizing that much more was going on than he was privy to.
Daniel shook his head, then bent closer to his spew. Something in it caught his eye. He delicately probed it with a couple of fingers and removed a yellowish-white strand of slime that clung to his fingers like a caterpillar. He split it in two and then offered half to his mate.
Rovaun recoiled in revulsion. "No thank you."
Daniel fed his half to the mare, then gagged again.
"What are you doing, Companion?"
"Rovaun, do you know what this is?" His voice quavered with the desperation of a madman.
The stallion stared with wide-eyed worry and shook his head.
"It's the killer's semen!"
Rovaun whinnied fearfully, mostly for his mate's mental stability.
"You never left me last night, Companion. It cannot be true."
"I think it can." He held the demon seed out to his mate and was quite insistent. "Go on. Taste it."
Reluctantly, the stallion allowed it to be placed on his tongue, then cautiously moved it around in his mouth before making his pronouncement.
"It is human... but it is not yours, nor is it Jeremiah's."
"I know."
Next, Daniel scooped up the spunk on his groin and fed it to the mare, then let out a relieved sigh and offered the same to Rovaun. The stallion accepted it and instantly declared, "That is yours... and if you don't mind, I need to cleanse my palate."
He proceeded to lick the rest of it from his mate while Daniel combed his fingers through the red mane, then grabbed two fistfuls and squeezed until his arms shook.
"It is me, Companion, not the killer," said Rovaun, waiting for his mate to let go on his own rather than biting his genitals to make it happen.
Daniel relaxed his grip, allowing Rovaun to raise back up. The stallion studied the traumatized man then asked, "How can it be true?"
"We'll find out right now. Keep an eye on what's left of my puke, especially the little bits of semen that are still there."
"Okay, Companion. I am watching."
Daniel merged into the mare, and the vomitus - all of it - vanished.
"You see, Companion," Rovaun smiled, "it wasn't real. It was only your virtual imagination."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
The stallion stood silent.
"Don't you see, Husband? What if it's me?"
"It was not your semen!" he snorted.
"It was not Daniel Racher's semen," he agreed, "but what if there's someone else in me that I can't consciously detect? Some dark, malevolent personality that can come alive while I'm asleep."
"Nonsense!"
"I woke up in human form! I didn't go to sleep that way. You could lie on top of my Hipponaur body all night long and I could still slip away completely undetected."
"You could not have murdered Harlok! He was too far away."
"We don't KNOW that, Husband."
The stallion looked down in frustration. He knew his mate had a point, but refused to accept it.
"Why do you believe the semen comes from Harlok's killer?"
"Because..." Daniel wished to spare Rovaun the gory details. "... He was in my head, or I was in his head, for a while. It was him, Husband. I know it."
"I don't suppose you wish to enlighten me as to how it ended up in your stomach."
"Trust me, you don't want to know."
"And you never saw his face?"
"No. But it isn't Fred's girlfriend, unless she's a hermaphrodite."
"Hmm," said the stallion suspiciously. "We must get a sample of Fred's semen."
Daniel shook his head. "It's not Fred, either."
"We don't KNOW that, Companion."
Now Daniel had to acknowledge his mate. "Okay, but I don't think he'll just give it to us if we ask nicely."
"No," sighed Rovaun. "He is even more cynical than you. Perhaps we can enlist Azgard's help."
"Good idea. You go and ask him."
"We should stay together, Companion."
"I'll be okay here. I'm positive the killer only strikes at night. Besides, you don't set off everyone's cynicism alarms like I do."
Rovaun felt bad for his mate, because it was true. He might very well be more successful obtaining a semen sample on his own than if he were accompanied by his cum slut.
"I will be back shortly. I love you."
"I love you, too."
As Rovaun departed, Daniel emerged again to commune in private with Danielle. He held up her chin and tenderly rubbed her beautiful, but sad face, for she shared Daniel's angst.
"Do you know anything, Danielle?"
She looked at him as if scanning her memory for anything of pertinence, but ultimately came up blank. He scritched her neck and mane for consolation. "That's okay, my dear."
She whickered, then pointed her nose at her abdomen.
"Of course!" He stooped down to commune with her belly. "Tattoo, are you awake?"
"Yes, Mommy."
"How are you, Tattoo?"
"Fine."
"Are your dreams... scary?"
"No."
Thank Heaven for small blessings. At least his son was not affected by all of this.
"Who do you dream about?"
"Mommy, Daddy, Tantau, Josh, Malaya, Shianna, Varyl, Parceph, Azgard, Garson..."
Daniel gasped. "You dream about Garson?"
"Sometimes."
"Tattoo, is Garson here now?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Daniel rubbed his face nervously. That list was basically everyone who had ever introduced themselves to him, which included Garson at one time. But that encounter should have been erased. Now Daniel feared that it didn't take.
"Are your dreams of Garson scary?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you always kill him."
Those small blessings that Heaven dolled out were often mixed. Tattoo's loving mother was his protector and his hero. And Tattoo's loving mother killed people.
"Then why does Garson keep coming back?" muttered Daniel to himself. "Tattoo, someone is playing 'Hide and Seek' and I need your help to find him. Try as hard as you can. Can you find anyone else here besides you and me?"
There was a brief pause before the developing embryo replied, "No."
He dropped his head and sighed. "Okay, thank you, Tattoo. I love you."
"I love you, Mommy."
Daniel stood up and scritched Danielle's mane some more. "So I guess it really is just you and me here."
He stood in front of her with palms on her cheeks admiring her good looks. Her beautiful eyes admired his as well. Then her eyelids closed as she lifted her mouth to his. He did the same, and the moment their lips met, he found himself kissing air. He opened his eyes again, but no head was there to greet him, just a large bloody oval squirming with severed muscles and spurting plumbing.
"Oh GOD!" he screamed backing away.
"Companion!" shouted Rovaun.
He turned to see the stallion galloping toward him, complete with head. Then turned back to see that Danielle had regained hers as well. Daniel pressed his palms to his temples and dropped to the ground whimpering and grimacing like a lunatic.
"Companion, what happened?"
The full-grown man rocking in the fetal position did not answer.
"Companion..." The stallion knelt down to console his mate by forcing his nose into the man's face. "I am here, now," he said smoothly. "Everything is fine Companion."
"I'm going crazy, Rovaun," he cried meekly.
"No Companion, you are under a great deal of stress. You have been overtaxing your virtual abilities these last few days. Perhaps you should return to your body and take it easy for a while."
"Okay," he whimpered, having lost all ability to control his own destiny. The man vanished and the mare perked up, only to break down again. Rovaun hugged her tightly to effectively transfer his strength, and Daniel felt it growing within him. After a deep sigh, he let go of his Husband and offered a tender nuzzle.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
"Did you get the semen?"
"No," Rovaun said with a thwack. "Azgard was less than cooperative."
"Do you think he's covering for Fred?"
"I do not know. I linked with him to share the sample of the virtual seed you swallowed. He denied that it matched Fred's. He also had serious doubts about the source."
"Even if he's telling the truth, he could be wrong. No two people taste the same thing the same way."
"That is also true of Hipponaurs. This exercise was futile, and now it will be even more difficult to obtain a sample."
"We just need some help. Come on."
The two of them headed for the column of smoke where Jeremiah was cooking his morning breakfast. The man took a defensive posture when he saw two large equines heading straight for him, but then settled down and smiled a friendly hello when they arrived.
"Morning."
"Jerry, we need your help," whispered Daniel.
"Sure thing, Buddy. What can I do ya for?"
"We need you to obtain a sample of Fred's semen."
"WHAT!?"
"Shhh."
The man looked at them as if they were both crazy.
"We have a sample of the killer's semen," said Rovaun.
Jeremiah's expression changed from shock to shifty uneasiness.
"Don't worry, Jerry. You're already in the clear."
"Oh... whew!" he grinned. "Glad to hear it."
"So we need to compare it to Fred's so we can rule him out, too."
He stood with arms folded, taking all of it in, and continued to wait for more, but more was not forthcoming.
"So... you want me to do what?"
"Get us some of Fred's semen."
He blushed and watched his boots kicking the dirt for a couple of seconds. "And how the hell am I supposed to do that?"
"Come on, Jerry. Just turn on the charm like you did yesterday."
"Yesterday." He looked back and forth between the two Hipponaurs.
"Don't worry. Rovaun knows all about it."
"All about?"
"You know... You and me and a blindfold."
Jeremiah stood there as if that last response had somehow detoured around his ears. It was obvious that the man was very uncomfortable with all of this. Daniel didn't blame him.
"Well, if you won't do it, then do you have any idea how we might be able to get the semen ourselves?"
"Sure... just turn on the charm... like yesterday."
Daniel turned to Rovaun who sighed at this futile exercise as well.
"My grub's gettin' burnt. Do ya mind?"
The Hipponaurs stepped back to allow him to tend to his meal. The man's body language made it clear that the scraps in his skillet made more sense to him than the loons dressed as horses.
"Let's go, Companion."
Off in the distance, Azgard could be seen grazing alone in a field. Daniel turned to his mate. "We need to talk to him again." Then he galloped toward the Clydesdale, followed reluctantly by his increasingly pessimistic husband.
"We are wasting our time," Rovaun grumbled.
Unaware of their approach, Azgard raised his head to let out a long pleasant yawn and drain his bladder, and while he was at it, dump a load out the back. All of these leisurely activities were uncomfortably curtailed when company arrived.
"Rovaun... Danny..." His greeting was less than conciliatory.
"Azgard, please help us."
"If this is about Rovaun's request earlier, I have already told him my Companion is innocent."
"That's not good enough, Azgard."
The massive stallion's snort shook the earth. "Are you calling me a liar?"
"No, Azgard," said Daniel unintimidated, "but you certainly might be mistaken."
"And have you even considered the possibility that it is YOU who are mistaken? Where is your evidence? Did it ever really exist?"
"I am not mistaken. The evidence is real."
"If that is so, then Fred is not your man. His semen does not even come close."
"Azgard, PLEASE!... Let us determine that."
"NO!" he roared. "For all I know, YOU are the killer!"
Rovaun brayed furiously at the allegation.
"There!" said Azgard in a calmer tone. "Now you know what it feels like."
"Azgard..."
The mighty stallion raised a hoof to the mare's head. "If you go near him, I will kill you myself."
Daniel backed away and lowered his head, ashamed at what they had all become, much of it his own doing. "I promise, Azgard. I won't approach Fred."
"Talk is cheap."
"I swear, then," he said, looking Azgard in the eyes. "I swear to Hipponaur that I will not hassle Fred for his semen. Rovaun will swear too."
"Yes," agreed his mate. "I, too, swear to Hipponaur that I will not pursue this matter any further."
Azgard eyed them both skeptically, then dropped his head as well. "Please forgive my behavior. This whole incident with Harlok has us all on edge."
"So we're still friends?"
"Of course, Danny. Now if you will excuse me, I have a date with my mate."
"A date?"
"Actually," he confided excitedly, "it's more like a continuation of one very long love-fest. The honeymoon will end someday, but not in the foreseeable future the way things are going."
"Congratulations Azgard. May your honeymoon last a lifetime."
Azgard departed leaving Rovaun and Daniel at a dead end.
"What now, Companion? We cannot rule out Fred, which means one of us is going to have to keep an eye on him, and that will divert resources that might be better utilized looking for someone else."
"I know," said Daniel, preoccupied.
"Is your dream still bothering you?"
"Only for the rest of my unnatural life."
"Time will dull its edge, Companion."
Rovaun took the lead back to camp, but Daniel trailed further and further behind. "Husband, I need some time to myself."
"No," said the stallion ending the discussion. "Your mental condition is far too fragile."
"I'll be okay. I just need to think about something."
"You may think about something all you like. I shall not eavesdrop."
"I can't... not while you're with me."
Rovaun stopped to give him a no-nonsense lecture. "Do not lie to me, Companion. You do not intend to think about something. You intend to DO something that you know I will not approve of. And considering the great many things I let you do given our marital status, this something you intend to do behind my back must be quite appalling."
Daniel was in no mood to argue, nor was he in a position to, because Rovaun was right. "Husband... please."
"Tell me what it is, and then I will decide."
"I can't... I... just can't. You'll understand later."
"This dream has affected you more than you may consciously realize, Companion. Your Hipponaur brain has been trained for thousands of years to believe all that it dreams. You cannot just turn that switch off. In haste, I have sworn an oath to disregard my own dreams, but it is no easier for me to do."
"What is your point?"
"My point is that as a Hipponaur with a human soul you must use extra caution when dealing with reality versus fantasy. Otherwise, you may find yourself doing something you would never otherwise consider, simply because you dreamt of it."
"But that's been the fundamental basis of your own philosophy for your entire life!"
"That is true, Companion."
"So what's the difference?"
"I do not have nightmares."
[You will, Husband. You will. It's part of the package deal when you marry a psychopath.] "Please... just trust me on this. I promise not to do anything virtual. Go take care of Shianna for a while... but don't tell her I sent you."
He knew it was a mistake, but had little choice in the matter. He did not own his mate. "All right, Companion, I will trust your judgement. Please be careful and don't be long. I love you."
The two Hipponaurs pressed their lips together. "And I love you more."
Rovaun left his spouse to meet up with Shianna and Malaya in a neighboring meadow.
"Hello, Sexy," greeted the white mare.
"Hello, Sexier," replied the red stallion.
"What about me?" asked Malaya.
"Hello, Sexiest," smiled Rovaun. The young mare blushed and giggled to herself.
"Where's your ball and chain?"
"My mate needed some time to himself."
"Is that what he told you?" Shianna scoffed. "More like he needed some time to get himself laid."
Rovaun gave her a snort. "You are not one to be throwing stones in this fine crystal palace my mate has built for you."
"I believe the metaphor is 'gilded cage.'"
"Call it what you like. My Companion is doing everything he can to make you feel welcome. You are carrying his child. What else would you have him do?"
Shianna turned off the sarcasm. "I don't know," she cried, acknowledging her dilemma. "He brought Parceph a companion. Why couldn't he have done the same for me?"
"Shianna..."
"I deserve to be happy, too."
"Yes you do. How can I make that happen?"
"You can..." She glanced down at Malaya and sighed, for what she had in mind would not be considered proper in the presence of a minor. "... keep us all company."
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure."
They all set down on the grass to cuddle. Rovaun nuzzled Shianna behind the ears which made her giggle like Malaya.
"Hi Daddy!"
"Hello, Tantau. How is my boy?"
"Fine. Where is Tattoo?"
"He is with his mother. He should be coming by soon."
"Not too soon, I hope."
"Now, now, Shianna."
Feeling a little left out, Malaya took over the group agenda. "Let's sing a song together!"
"Of course, Cutie-pie," said Shianna. "Rovaun, what song would you like to sing?"
"Why don't we let Tantau decide."
"Oh no..." she whispered, frantically shaking her head.
"Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall!" gleefully shouted the tiny voice within her.
"Yay!"
"Ugh."
"How about 'Ninety-Nine Smooches of Hooch on the Wall'?"
Shianna brightened up. "How does that one go?"
"You'll see when we 'pass it around.'"
This easily became Shianna's favorite all time number one top hit because the bottle that was passed around was represented by a loud "smooch." Starting with ninety-nine, Rovaun kissed Shianna, who kissed Malaya, who kissed Shianna's belly, and as Tantau's proxy, Shianna kissed Rovaun again. Each successive round tended to take a little longer than the previous one, and once they got into the sixties, they stopped singing altogether and just made out.
"Ooooh, Rocky," Shianna swooned. "I bet I know why you had to adjust your position right now."
"I bet you do," he nickered.
"You don't happen to be covering a foxhole."
"Yes, Shianna. I have the poor thing backed into a corner."
"Let's hope it doesn't bite."
"What are you guys talking about?"
"What smooch are we on?"
"Sixty-nine."
"You wish."
[End of _COMPANIONS_ Chapter 29: Darker Horse]
[Next in series: Chapter 30: Darkest Horse]