Time & Reign

Ketheran remained awake for the rest of the night watching over Noku. At daybreak, he carried him still sleeping, and pressed on. It was almost noon Noku when woke. Ketheran set him down against a rock.
“Thank you for carrying me, master, but we don’t have to stop. I can walk now.” Noku said looking up at Ketheran as he stretched.
“I need a rest anyway. How are you feeling today?” Ketheran asked, kneeling next to Noku.
“Still hurts, master.” Noku replied quietly.
“Let me have a look at you.” Ketheran parted Noku and washed away the sap that he had applied. Noku was badly bruised, and winced and moaned at his master’s touch.
“Good thing I had shaved you. This sap would have been much worse to clean, but it seems to have helped.” Ketheran then poured some water he had taken from the pond over Noku’s opening. The cool water soothed his tender flesh.
“We should get moving again.” Ketheran said putting the water away. Noku awkwardly stumbled to his feet, and Ketheran picked him up and continued on.
“Master, I really can walk now.”
“I’ll carry you, I don’t want you getting hurt even more trying to keep up.”
Noku pressed his cheek against his master’s chest and closed his eyes. The sound of Ketheran’s heart beat and his warm breath against the back of his neck was almost enough to make him forget the night before.

Ketheran stopped at the base of steep hill. It seemed to jut into the forest from the side of a mountain. He set Noku down on the ground.
“I’m going to climb up here a little ways, and see if I can figure out where we’re heading. Its too steep for me to carry you, so just wait here at the bottom. I won’t be long.”
Noku grabbed the bottom of Ketheran’s cloak. “Please don’t leave me alone again master.” Noku begged.
“Noku, I can’t…” Ketheran stopped when he saw the look of terror in Noku’s eyes.
“I can walk now, master. Really I can.”
“Alright Noku, but be careful. If you need to rest, let me know.”
Noku nodded, and they began up the hill. It was too steep to walk upright, and held onto the thin trees that grew from the jagged surface. It wasn’t long before they were high enough to over the tops of the trees that lined the forest’s surface.
“Look, Noku. To the east there’s smoke.” Ketheran pulled Noku up to meet him, and pointed towards the eastern horizon. A thin stream of smoke wound up through the tree tops and disappeared as it met the sky.
“We’ll head that way.” Ketheran said climbing down.
“What if its something bad, master?”
“Its probably just more Itin hunters. We can follow their trail and get to some type of civilization. I have no intention of wandering blindly through the forest until I starve to death.”
When they reached flat ground, Ketheran picked up Noku, and they headed east.

It was night when they reached the edge of a small clearing. Ketheran set Noku down, and they stayed amongst the trees. A small hut was visible in the shadows ahead. A fire still smoldered just before its entrance.
“What is it, master?”
“I’m not sure. We’ll wait until something comes out.”
They stayed ducked to the ground, hidden among the trees until a large man stepped out from the hut. Noku breathed a sigh a relief, as he had have expected to have wandered to The Collector’s front door. The man was large, almost Ketheran’s size, but a closer look in the moonlight relieved that he was not entirely human, at least not anymore. What had first looked like boots, was actually thick dark hair that covered the tops of his feet and ran up his shins. The tops of his hands and arms were covered the same way. His face however was smooth, and his long pointed ears poked up through his curled hair. He took up an axe that leaned against the hut, and began to chop wood and place it where the fire had gone out. Then suddenly he stopped, and looked around.
Both Noku and Ketheran tensed, but remained still.
“Who is out there?” the man called. “I can feel your presence.”
Ketheran stood up slowly, and walked through the trees, his palms extended and open to show that he had no weapons.
“Sir, we mean you no harm. We are travelers, now lost for days.” Ketheran said approaching him. The man held his axe, ready to attack. “Who are you?” he demanded.
“I am Ketheran of Targovia, and this is my companion, Noku.”
“Targovia,” the man said lowering his axe, “I have heard the Itin speak of that place, but have yet to meet anyone from there. What are you doing this deep into the forest?”
“We are trying to make it through to the other side.” Ketheran explained.
“To Sil?” the man asked.
“So there is still a city there?” Ketheran asked.
“More of a village now. My name is Gage. I lived in Sil as a boy, but that was long ago.”
“Can you show us the way?” Ketheran asked.
“I can,” Gage replied, “But what will you give me?”
Ketheran removed a chain from his neck. A silver pendant hung from it, embossed with a purple stone.
“And what use would I have for that?” Gage laughed. “All I ask for in return is your companionship for the night. I haven’t seen anything but Itin for years, and they don’t make for good conversation. Join me for dinner, and I’ll show you the way in the morning.”
Ketheran looked down at Noku, who met his eyes with fear, but he had no choice but to trust his master. Gage started a fire, and brought three dead rabbits from the hut. They sat by the fire and skinned them.
“You said that you have contact from Itins.” Ketheran remarked.
“Yes, at first they stole from me. Burned my first hut down. Then I buried my axe in one of their heads, now they leave me to myself.” Gage explained. “But yours, he looks different.”
“Noku is from another part of the forest.” Ketheran said, placing his rabbit on the make shift spit over the fire. “He is different from the others around here. He can be trusted.”
Noku moved closer to Ketheran, and leaned against him.
“So you are originally from Sil?” Ketheran continued.
“Yes. When I left, I marked the trees along my path, in case I needed to find my way back. For your sake I hope the markings are still there. But it is too dark to hunt for them now, we’ll start in the morning.”
“You have never gone back?” asked Ketheran.
“No.” Gage answered flatly, and Ketheran knew it was best to not press the question.
They ate in silence. Ketheran cut pieces from Noku’s rabbit with his knife and handed them to him.
“You two are very close.” Gage observed.
“He is my responsibility.” Ketheran said, handing more meat to Noku.
“He’s quiet, but it must be nice to have a companion, even if you are lost.”
Ketheran looked blankly across to Gage. “Would I be wrong to assume that the companionship you want for the night is more then conversation?” he asked.
“If you will not offer yourself, will you offer your friend?” Gage asked.
Ketheran sighed. “Let me speak with him first.”
“Of course.” Gage got up from the fire and walked into the hut. Ketheran noticed his limp.
“Noku, this may be our only way out.”
Noku looked down at the ground and began to sob. “Please master, you said…”
“I said I won’t let anyone hurt you, and I’ll make sure that he doesn’t. I still don’t trust him, but he has fed us and shown no malice. He’s just lonely Noku, I don’t think that he will hurt you, but just in case I will stay.”
Ketheran walked up to the hut. The walls inside were lined with animal skins, and it was large enough for at least six people to fit.
“He has agreed,” said Ketheran “but one condition, I will stay and watch. He has been hurt badly before, I am still not sure if I can trust you.”
“I understand.” Said Gage, “and thank you.” He lay a large animal skin, possibly a bear’s, on the ground of the hut. Ketheran lead Noku inside. Gage removed Noku’s cloak, and ran a large calloused hand over his shrunken member and between his thighs.
“I won’t hurt you, little one.” Gage assured him.
Noku looked over at Ketheran who sat against the wall. His eyes let him know that he was safe. Gage laid Noku down on the bear skin, and spread him.
“My god.” Gage exclaimed in Ketheran’s direction when he saw Noku’s red and bruised flesh.
“It wasn’t me. It was the collector.” Ketheran explained.
Gage extended his right foot to show two missing toes. “This is what he took from me.”
Ketheran nodded, this explained the limp.
Gage returned his face between Noku’s legs. He parted him gently with is fingers, and began to lick. His tongue explored deeper and deeper into Noku’s crevice until it dripped with Gage’s saliva. He inserted two fingers, and scissored them. With Noku spread wide, Gage blew into his opening.
“It tickles.” Noku giggled, and Gage laughed.
Ketheran began to relax. If Noku was enjoying himself, he didn’t have to worry. Ketheran slid his hand into his own pants and began to stroke himself.
Gage positioned himself between Noku’s legs, and rubbed his tip against Noku’s entrance. His swollen rubbery head glistened from his spit. He slowly pushed into Noku. His member made squelching sound as he moved in and out. This was too much for Ketheran to bare, and he untied his pants and pumped his full erection harder in his hand.
Gage looked up from Noku. “Why don’t you join us?” he asked Ketheran.
Ketheran moved over towards Noku, and knelt next to him. He placed his member on Noku’s lips. Noku hungrily took his master into his mouth, and began to suck rhythmically with Gage’s pumping. Ketheran looked down at Gage’s thick veined piece sliding in and out of Noku’s quivering opening. Before he could remove himself, Ketheran spilled into Noku’s warm mouth. Gage’s panting increased, and he tensed and released himself deep into Noku, who felt him splash inside.
Both men got up, and Gage took another skin from the wall and wiped himself, then tossed it to Ketheran. He took another from the wall, and laid it over Noku.
“Thank you, little one.” Gage said, stroking his hair.
Ketheran lay next to Noku, they both quickly fell asleep under the warm fur. Gage slept next to them, sorry that they would leave in the morning.