Lost Bloodline 3 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The playful chase up the mountain only lasted for a few minutes, as they had been marching most of the day and still had a ways to go. While Arthene could have likely continued without a problem, Sienna was still only mortal after all.

Koda had caught up to them to find Arthene and Sienna discussing something in low tones as they walked, having made up from the brief, playful argument. Which was good, as Calandra’s shorter stature meant that it was harder for her to keep up at a run.

Now that they were back in familiar environs, the group began to relax more and more. The hunters that Koda had begun to think of as ‘his warriors’ intermixed with the champion and his mates. Calandra discussed with Todd how they could go about training more of the villagers to fight in case something like the Crooked attack was repeated. Sienna chatted with Hannah and Netta about the best ways to spread around the coins they had claimed from the Crooked to not raise suspicion, as well as how the gifts of supplies would be received in the remote village.

Arthene stuck closest to Koda during that part of the walk. The large woman was more introspective now as they neared the village, though that might have been her morbid burden making her think.

“What’s on your mind, love?” Koda asked the big woman, making her twitch slightly and shift to look down at him. Her large, yellow eyes stared deep into his soul for a moment before a small smile curved her lips. “Besides sex,” Koda amended when he saw the mischief growing there.

Arthene pouted at him cutely. Well, as cutely as a six and a half foot tall amazon wearing furs and carrying a pile of her own bones can be cute. Which was a surprising amount.

“You are no fun,” Arthene protested playfully. Koda shifted his burden to one side and freed up a hand, which he wiggled at her playfully.

“I can be fun, but you said not to do it while you were carrying that load. So I’ll have to wait till we get back to the house,” Koda teased and Arthene’s pout melted into a hooded expression.

“Do you promise, my mate? It’s been days since I’ve had a turn and you’ve already comforted the other two. I want you to spoil me some more. Maybe even put cubs in me.” The amount of sultry desire in Arthene’s voice sent a thrill racing down his spine. The idea of impregnating any one of his girls made his blood heat up a surprising amount.

“I… is that a good idea?” Koda stuttered and Arthene curled one eyebrow at him questioningly, though some of the heat went out of her expression. “I mean, I have no income at the moment. How would I go about supporting you and any kids we have?”

Arthene’s smile returned and her cheeks pinked faintly with a blush. She shook her head slowly, making those thick braids bounce back and forth for a moment before she let out a slow breath.

“Your only complaint is that you don’t think you could support us? Not that you don’t want to?” Arthene asked, clearly amused. It was obvious to Koda that she had expected more pushback from him on this.

“Look, Arthene. I know you girls all think that you are being subtle on it, but I’m not so oblivious that I missed Thera’s suggestions. I’m the last of my bloodline. I don’t know which side of my parents it came down through, and they don’t have any other family that we know of,” Koda explained to her slowly.

The amused and aroused look on Arthene’s face was slowly drifting into a more pensive one now while they walked on one edge of the group. She didn’t speak or interrupt him, just letting Koda outline his thoughts.

“Thera’s promise to ensure my ‘bloodline is never again lost’ was a rather simple hint that she’s going to want me to have lots of kids. Your comments about your ‘sisters’ liking me as well also leads me to believe that Thera is going to throw more gorgeous demi-goddesses at me as well. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’m fine with that.”

“Why would you complain about being drowned in beautiful women?” Arthene asked with a small laugh. “You are doing fine in finding them yourself. You’ve even brought one of Chandra’s kind into the fold, and I’m sure that it is giving my lady hope to mend that broken bridge.”

“Cal just kind of fell into our laps.” Koda replied with a shrug. “Sienna… well I got lucky with her. She was as interested in me as I was in her. Now, I can’t imagine my life without her.”

“So sweet,” Arthene purred happily. “But I interrupted you. Please, continue.”

“It’s okay. I got most of it out,” Koda sighed and looked up at the blue sky overhead, shifting his grip on the skull in his arms once more. “I’m fine with having a large family. As long as it's full of love and we take care of each other.”

“Oh… large will not be enough to define it, Koda Aegisclaw,” Arthene purred affectionately, shifting to nudge him with her hip lightly. “My lady intends for you to be the beginning of a new dynasty that will remain in force for millenia if she has her way.”

“That’s totally not intimidating as hell to think about,” Koda grumbled but returned Arthene’s smile. “As long as it's a family where we can communicate and look after each other. I don’t want to end up in a broken relationship like my parents had. That is not a healthy place to raise children. If I end up with as many as it seems you and Thera both want me to have, then I want the relationship to be healthy and strong.”

“Well, you are moving in the right direction if that is what you want, my mate,” Arthene hummed happily. “Your women talk to and love each other just as much as we love you. Calandra slotted in with surprising ease.”

“Says the woman who showed up and basically stated I would be hers within a minute of meeting me,” Koda ribbed back. Arthene rolled her eyes at him comically before crossing them and sticking out her tongue.

“I was right, wasn’t I?”

“That’s not the point!”

<><><>

Koda continued to think about Arthene’s blunt statement regarding children for the rest of their walk to the village. He knew that they were in his future, and that he would need to find some way to support his women as well. He remembered having a similar discussion with Sienna before and she had reassured him that things would be fine as she was more than capable of earning a living herself.

I wonder if it’s different in a village like this. Where you aren’t constrained by money and the million and one taxes that I used to have. Hell, they gave me that house. I don’t have to pay rent on it or anything. There’s enough space in the backyard to plant a garden easily and the mountain is plentiful. It might be plain food, but unless I’m totally off base, we can do this, Koda thought as the village came into sight.

It was just as rustic as the first time he’d seen it, with whitewash walls, thatch or tile roofs, and plenty of green and growing things all around it. Silverstone was the name of the village as well as the vale itself, and it had endured for hundreds of years here. There was a quiet power in the buildings that still showed the occasional mark of the Crooked raid he’d helped push back weeks before.

The defensive barricades were still in place, but of far better construction than they once had been. While previously they’d used overturned wagons and barrels to narrow the road into town, there were now large hedgehog defenses with sharpened wooden stakes lashed together like they’d used in the last fight with the Crooked inside the vale.

Todd had gone ahead to warn the village that they were returning, and a welcoming party had turned out to greet them. There were maybe two hundred people that lived in the village and the surrounding land, but the cheer that greeted their returning group was thunderous.

“Looks solid. Plenty to work with too,” Calandra muttered as she studied the buildings while they approached. “Do you have a stonemason in town?”

“No, but the miners are able to cut stone well enough for construction,” Hans answered. “I’m sure we can handle just about any—one second.”

The burly horned man held up one hand to Calandra as a bellowing roar of his name echoed above the crowd.

“HANS!”

A moment later a stout but beautiful blonde-haired cow beastfolk shoved past the others in the crowd of villagers and raced the last twenty feet to the group, aiming directly for the large man.

Koda burst into happy laughter as Hans tossed his mattock to one side and scooped the squealing woman into his arms and spun her in a circle while they kissed.

That was the signal that heralded the breakdown of distance between the returning fighters and the rest of the village. The group as a whole surged forward to envelop them, raining welcome and congratulations in equal measure. More than one of the fighters were peeled off of the group by affectionate family or lovers intent on rewarding them for their return.

Calandra stuck close to Koda, watching the happy emotions flowing back and forth from everyone present. Koda made sure to keep her close, partially from not wanting to lose the shorter woman in the crowd and also to ensure that others knew her.

“Aegisclaw! You brought them all back, I don’t know if I should be amazed or worried.” Kris, the village headwoman, finally made her way through the crowd and stopped to goggle at the bony object in his arms. “What in the worlds is that?”

“A problem for tomorrow I think, Kris,” Koda said with a laugh, shifting his burden to pat the aged cat beastfolk on the shoulder gently. “I promised you that I’d bring them back as heroes and not as martyrs. Well, these dozen soldiers have been hammered in battle repeatedly and saved lives at every turn. The Crooked have been driven back from here and we can rest!”

Koda hadn’t noticed it at first that when he spoke to Kris, the other villagers went quiet to listen in to him. It wasn’t an absolute silence, but those near enough to recognize it was him speaking did quiet down to listen. When he made his announcement though, the cheers pounded out like a physical thing.

“We will talk on this,” Kris gestured to the obvious skull he had in his arms and then towards Arthene who was carrying a truly comically sized bundle, “tomorrow then. For now, we will be thankful for our returned sons and daughters!”

They were then swept up into another party, where tables were broken out in the early evening air and Banno’s tavern did a lively business serving the returning heroes while group after group came forward to beg for stories of their battles.

Koda remained quiet for the most part, watching with smiles as his companions were swarmed by the villagers and each told animated stories of their battles. He’d known that the horror of taking lives was still there, lurking beneath the surface, but he could see his people growing strong with the reminders of why they fought and who it was they fought for.

While they hadn’t made it through the previous battle without injuries, his own wounds still hurt even, they had been fortunate enough to not lose anyone. And that was something to be glad of.

His dozen warriors took turns to hurry off into the shadows and wash up as the party rose in volume and fervor, and from the direction they were all going it was obvious they each went to the spring that he and Sienna had inadvertently blessed with healing properties during their first coupling.

It was after the food had been eaten and someone had broken out instruments to play so that people could dance that Koda was tugged out of his seat by Sienna. Calandra hadn’t gone far either, having spent a bit of time talking with Kris to explain why she was there and what she hoped to achieve in helping the village, which was greeted with clear enthusiasm from the elder.

“Come on, Koda. It’s time to wash up and get those injuries of yours tended to,” Sienna murmured in his ear.

“The others?” Koda asked as he let her pull him to his feet.

“We are right behind you,” Arthene chuckled huskily.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Arthene was telling me how you two fucked the magic into this thing?” Calandra teased.

Sienna blushed furiously when Calandra’s words drew smothered laughs from those still nearby along with a few envious glares from the unattached young women that had been trying to get Koda’s attention the entire night.

“The Pack Lady blessed the spring, not us,” Sienna protested.

“Well still, it never hurts to repeat the ritual to make sure the blessing is strong,” Arthene said airily, wrapping her arms around Koda and Sienna, then bending down to stick her head between the two of them. “Right?” She punctuated the question by kissing each on the cheek lightly before yelping in surprise almost in sync with a loud smack noise.

“Finally was within range!” Calandra cheered from behind the group while Koda and Sienna laughed and Arthene pouted.