Ten
Dram
"Why do we have three extra horses?" Suzona asked after we'd gone through the portal.
"Because we're going to switch mounts halfway through the day. We're also going to stop and walk them every couple of hours."
"What for?"
"This is a two-week trip, if you do it on a single mount, and the horse will be completely blown at the end of it. This way we can make it in almost half that—say, about nine days."
"Is that why you had us pack so light?"
"Yup. As it is, when we get to the next portal, the horses will be blown and need a few days' rest, but we'll be hiring a car to take us on the next leg, and we won't be camping again for some time to come. So we don't really need a lot of gear."
"Where'd you learn how to do this?" Evean asked.
"Dezba taught me."
"Dezba?"
I frowned for a moment. I thought Evean had met her at the wedding—then I remembered what had happened to Evean, and realized she might not have, and if she had, it might have only been in passing.
"She was one of the women helping when we went to get Cam; she's an American Indian. She grew up with horses and understands how to get the most out of them."
"That makes sense. So what happens to the horses?"
"We sell them. That'll pay for the car and updating our gear and supplies for the next part of the trip. What makes you ask?"
"Just worried about 'em. That's all."
"I'll admit, I was worried, as well," Suzona said.
"So where are we staying along the way?"
"In the tent I brought," I told them.
"That's it?" Evean asked.
"Yup. It's pretty much wilderness between here and there. Besides, we're only going to be sleeping for six hours or so at night. If there were any places to stay, it wouldn't really be worth it."
"How many times have you made this trip?" Suzona asked.
"This will be my fourth time."
"You should blaze a trail."
I shrugged. "There are some markers here and there, but I really haven't had the time to do much. Typically, I'm by myself, and I just want to get where I'm going."
"It would make it easier for us to follow."
"I've done it several times now," I said with a shrug.
"I was talking about Evean and me," Suzona replied with a straight face.
"I don't think you'll be making the trip alone," I said, wondering where this was going.
"Alone? No, but it's hard for you to tell us which way to go if you're sleeping in the saddle."
"Why would I be sleeping?"
"If you think you're getting six hours of sleep, Villiam," Suzona said in a husky voice, "you are delusional."
"Um…"
"If you're lucky, maybe you'll get four," Evean said, grinning at me.
"But more likely two, maybe three," Suzona said, smiling as well.
I just sighed and shook my head. I guess Suzona had decided to meet her problem head-on, which, when I thought about it, I should have expected.
Last night was nice, I'd made love to both of them in turn.
Suzona hadn't died from embarrassment, nor did I think she had much of a problem with Evean being there once I had her distracted.
Evean had played nice, as she'd promised, though, knowing her, as things progressed, I'm sure she'd start pushing on boundaries.
Because that's what Evean did, and that's what she enjoyed. I also had a suspicion that she had plans for Suzona—the fun kind. Seeing as both Rachel and Darlene ruled Evean in that environment, Evean could be hoping to be the one taking the lead for a change.
If nothing else, at least this part of the trip wouldn't be boring!
By the time we got to the portal that led to Nocturn, I was very much in need of a good night's sleep, not that I would have confessed that to either of them.
The horses were definitely blown, as we'd made it in eight days, and I was almost as bad.
I'd been resorting to my champion form whenever I wasn't riding one of the horses, and sometimes even when I was, because at least I could sleep easier like that.
The first thing I did when we came through was shift back to human, or whatever variation my local form was here.
Then I went down to the car shop and arranged for a car in the morning.
I wasn't surprised that they remembered me, seeing as I'd been here three times already, even if it was a few years between.
They also remembered me at the hotel, and I bartered the horses for a room, dinner, breakfast, and a bunch of supplies, as well as enough money to cover tomorrow's trip.
That done, I went straight to bed, telling Suzona and Evean not to wake me until tomorrow.
"What the hell, Sue?" I groaned as I was woken up very late at night. "I distinctly said 'tomorrow'!"
"It's after midnight," she said, grinning at me.
"Really?"
"We took a vote," Evean said. "You lost."
I sighed. "I guess I can sleep in the car tomorrow. Now, who's first?"
It was a very long night, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't enjoyed it.
"You still with us?" Evean whispered in my ear come morning as Suzona went off to shower.
"I think this is a case of being careful what I wish for," I said with a happy, but tired, sigh.
"That may be, but I notice you're still smiling."
"So when do you plan on seducing her and having an actual threesome instead of the two of you just taking turns?"
"Ummm…"
Looking over at Evean, I noticed she was actually blushing!
"What the hell?" I said, sitting up.
"Look, while I've been more than happy to play those games in the past, I've never been the one to initiate it!"
That stopped me.
"Wow, and here I thought…"
"I'm mainly interested in men, though sometimes I'm happy to expand my boundaries. Especially in the heat of the moment."
I looked at the door to the bathroom, back at Evean, then back at the door.
"Will?"
"You know what?"
"No, I don't know what."
"Time for a group shower!" I said, and grabbing her hand, I got up and dragged her off the bed.
"Will!"
"Hush, you'll enjoy it," I said. Opening the door, I pulled Evean into the bathroom with me and went straight to the shower, where Suzona looked up at me in surprise.
"William?"
"Group shower time."
"What?" Suzona asked, looking shocked. "Whose idea was that?"
"Mine," I said. "Time for the two of you to get used to actually touching each other as well as me."
"William."
"Hush, you'll enjoy it."
"Don't look at me," Evean said as Suzona did just that. "I may be brave enough to take turns, but I'm still a bit shy about initiating things."
"You? Shy?" Suzona said, shocked, as I grabbed the soap.
"Now, how about we all wash each other and get clean? We don't have time for any games. Remember, our car leaves in an hour, and we still need to eat."
Suzona blinked, then suddenly smiled with a mischievous expression. "Maybe for once I can make Evean here blush instead of me!"
"That's the spirit!" I said, laughing.
"I'm never going to live this down, am I?" Evean grumbled.
"We all have to start somewhere!" Suzona teased as we both started in on washing Evean's body.
After a few minutes, Evean blinked, then smiled. "You know, I think I could get used to this!"
"I'm already looking forward to my turn," Suzona admitted, and sure enough, Evean blushed, Suzona giggled, and suddenly… suddenly, I realized I'd be getting even less sleep tonight.
We made it to the car on time, and I even got to eat a good breakfast. I did, however, sleep well past lunch.
It took us two days to get to Overhill, and we had to change cars twice. I got us a hotel once we arrived.
"How far is the portal, William?" Suzona asked.
"About an hour's drive from here. We'll hire a car in the morning."
"Why not go now?"
"Yes, why not go now?" Evean asked.
"Because if we go through at night, we'll show up at night. It's a lot easier to deal with the situation we'll find ourselves in if we go during the day."
"What situation is that?"
"We'll come out in a tidal bay. It's only safe for so many hours. If the tide is coming in, once we come out, we'll have to come back here and wait for the tide to change. It's a good hour walk to the shoreline from where we'll come out, and you can't outrun the tide."
"How is coming out at night any different than the day?"
"During the day, you can see the tourist area to head to, so you won't get picked up by one of the safety patrols, who have a tendency to ask questions."
"Ah."
"We'll need to figure out where we're going once we get there, and buy a car, or book passage, or something. That's easier to do during the day, when everything is open. Also, we were warned that once we got close, there might be problems, and, well, once we go through, we'll be close to Earth."
"Book passage?"
"The primary mode of long-distance travel is either by car or by canal boat."
"Don't they have trains?"
"Apparently not. I've been going into the mountains, so I've always bought a car. But this time I was told we'd be going by the canal system."
"We should look for a portal traveler's store," Suzona suggested.
"Well, ask Aryanna if she knows of one when you go to sleep."
"Check with Feliogustus as well," Evean said. "I'll ask Roden."
§ §
"Fel," I said in greeting, taking the beer he handed me. "Yes, I'm surprised that they're getting along so well, and I'm not going to question my good fortune." I took a long drink.
Fel chuckled. "They're both mothers now, so they've gained a fair bit of patience with others, especially as they want your children, and they've realized that the other is going to be around for a long time, so they need to get along."
"I think they're starting to do more than just 'get along'," I said with a grin as I set the beer down.
"A lot of that is Evean. She's very much opening up to Suzona."
"Because of me?"
"Partially. Evean is used to warrior women almost as much as she is to warrior men, and she's starting to develop a bit of a thing for Suzona."
"Really?" I said, a bit surprised.
"Yup, and Aryanna's been counseling Suzona to be accepting, because Evean, for all that she can be a bit psycho at times, can show a lot of love and affection once you get past her defenses."