Love As The Darker Binding Ch. 08

"I didn't think that would happen, Pob," he'd said as he'd looked down with raised eyebrows, "Even I can't tell all the time what might happen. I see that you're hurt and I'm really sorry to see it."

Pob nodded with a sigh, "It's ok. I'll get over it sometime. Thanks for letting me move here. I know that you were thinking of letting me have my own cabin and I'm a little flattered that you'd think that well of me. But really, all I need is here, once I get my chin off the floor. I found out the other night that I'd forgotten where I came from. Living here in a bunch makes me feel a lot better.

I just don't want the others to feel bad for me, that's all. I'm gonna tell them all not to make such a thing over it. I don't want to go on with Ouna, that's all. Nobody died or anything."

The conversation happened in the corridor. After Abi had nodded and walked away, Pob had gone inside and unpacked. When she was done, she gathered up a few things and looked at them. Being what she was and coming from a colony, Pob wasn't the sort who'd hang onto a lot of things if she had little use for them. She looked at a few things which she'd packed with the rest and saw that she was looking at them for the first time in a long while, and hadn't thought of them or missed them for a time. To her mind, that meant that they weren't really that important to her, so she hauled them off to the open door of the craft.

She had everything shit-canned in a moment, but as she was about to turn back to walk into the craft once more, she saw the furtive movement of someone ducking out of sight. Pob stood there looking and she felt a few things as well.

Finally, she walked over very slowly. When she was maybe twenty feet away from a stack of crates, she stopped. "Please step away from there. The crate at the top doesn't look stable. That whole pile was stacked badly."

It took a little while, but she finally saw a demon peek out around the side of one of the crates.

It was a female, much larger than herself, though she looked nervous. Pob thought that she was seeing things. But then she realized that it wasn't Ouna. She was only the same breed as Ouna.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, "There are only supposed to be a couple of guards here, and you're obviously not one of them. I know them all."

"Forgive me," the demon said, "but -- "

"I'll forgive you," Pob said, "unless you've done something really wrong or stupid. But hanging around here, you'll be seen sooner or later. If it's by the wrong ones, it'll go badly for you. Come on, step away from that pile before one of them falls over or something. We can talk here."

"What if I am seen then?" the other one asked nervously.

"Well then," Pob smiled a little, "at least you'll be seen talking with me and not trying to hide. Come over here since you want to ask me something, by what I feel."

She looked back at the stack of crates, "And I know that you're not alone.

A second female stepped away from the tippish-looking stack and edged a little nearer. Pob was astounded at what she saw.

Pob now wanted to know what was going on. The first female was fairly young and a little nervous-looking. She was beautiful in a way that reopened the sore spot in Pob's heart a little bit, though it wasn't her fault, she knew. She was as tall as Ouna or almost and she did look to have at least some confidence to her. Her movements were sure, and though she did look nervous, the thought of being discovered there by the guards didn't seem to hold any terror to her. Pob knew then that she was fearful for the other one.

The second female was a faun, and not really a demon at all. She peered around a bit rather carefully before she trotted closer. She looked to be frightened enough for them both. She was shorter than her companion and was much more slightly built. She was as tall as a human woman who was nearer to the lower edge of what might pass for medium height among them.

Pob wondered how she'd even managed to get down here this far without being devoured or torn apart until the demon explained that she'd guided her and protected her as she could. "We came to learn what we could about the soldier who was brought here," she said in almost a whisper, "We -- we know him."

The story that they told the imp over the next several minutes as they fidgeted got to Pob a little.

The demon asked Pob a few questions, and the faun clearly wanted to ask her own until Pob had to reach out to grab her shoulder to prevent her from running off in terror when one of the guards came around the corner. "Just stay here and keep talking," she said, "and try not to look like you're about to piss yourself, ok? Who are you?"

"Lashta, I am called," the demon said, "and this is Masanna."

She fell silent as she watched Pob smile to the patrolling guard.

She nodded to him and chatted with him at a distance for a moment or two, explaining that the ones with her were her friends.

The guard stepped closer, staring at them both -- especially the faun. His expression gave Pob the feeling that this was not going to lead to anything pleasant in about a minute or less. She'd already noticed that Lashta didn't look as though she was ready to cower or beg -- and she'd already curled the fingers of her hand into a fist, though it hung at her side.

But the guard looked up behind them suddenly, his face changing to show uncertainty as he heard the low growl. Sandy was standing in the doorway with his head lowered and his body in a hulking and rather threatening posture.

"They are mine," he said.

The guard looked up with a slightly skeptical expression, "Yeah? Which ones, then?"

Sandy jumped from the edge of the doorway to land almost at the guard's feet. He looked up only a little into the now-nervous looking eyes and his hot breath shot into the guard's face as he did.

"All of them," he said, his eyes beginning to glow hotly.

As though he'd just remembered something that he had to do, the guard walked on then. Lashta looked relieved and Pob noticed that Masanna looked a little thrilled.

"Yeah," Pob said, continuing the earlier conversation, "He's here, still on this thing, but I don't know what you've heard. He had no mind when they got him. What's in his head now is a human one.

Thanks, Sandy, even if I was being just a little rude there," She kissed him softly then, just a quick peck, hoping now that it wouldn't be the last time.

The female demon looked very sad then, as though she might cry for a moment, and then it was gone. Sandy had an idea come to his mind, though he said nothing.

"Tell me more about it all," Pob said.

"Why?" the bigger one asked, "You are one of the important ones who ride on this. I know that much. Why would you care? I am no one."

Pob shook her head, "I don't think so, Lashta."

She smiled, "I think you just might be pretty important, if you can both get a bit of courage together at the same time. I can see the wheels in Sandy's head spinning. That always makes me curious."

She looked toward Sandy, feeling a little subdued suddenly, but he stepped closer to her and spoke in a low voice, "Nothing has changed. I have a thought and try to make things better for my friend the imp as well. I know these ones. Let's find the large lord. I wish to ask things."

He looked at the three females for a moment, "I ask for your trust and promise nothing bad to you. You must agree when I ask the large lord -- and try not to look even the slightest bit surprised at what I say to him."

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Abi looked up from where he sat considering things.

"I wish to bargain further," Sandy said quietly.

Abi looked at the others and nodded a little cautiously, "Go on then."

"We spoke of my staying here and protecting what is yours," the hell hound began.

"Yes," Abi nodded, "and I gave you the two hellions as your consorts as you asked then."

Sandy nodded with an abbreviated single nod, "But Pob finds uses for me to stand on while she works."

"Ouna used to let me use her for a stepladder," Pob said with a shrug. "But now I'll have to drag one around with me. Sandy's better, especially for lighting or tracing cables in the overhead racks. I just sort of stand on his back and surf along to the next light or tray."

Sandy nodded, "And I know these two here. Lashta can help Reed to remember things such as one of his kind of demon must know. She can help him remember more and teach what he cannot remember.

She knew my friend when he was a soldier and can help him to learn to care for his weapons, the ones he will need as he guards with me. The one called Ouna is upset and does not speak to him or me now. My friend Pob needs me very much; this faun needs protection as well."

Abi turned his head to look at them and then he stared at the taller one, thinking that he saw a resemblance. The name rang a bell. "You're --"

She nodded, "Lashta. I am the daughter of Ytsmon, whose body now holds another mind, lord."

Abi stared even more. "Lashta... I've heard of you." He was silent for a moment and then he looked at her once more. "The young killer in the pit, that was you? You killed a pair of twenty-year-old males just to make your father smile, I heard."

She nodded, though she didn't smile, "I learned from my father. Only the first was to make him smile.

The second was to make him laugh."

Abi groaned then, wanting to kill the mage even more now. "Ytsmon and his daughter. I spend too much time with other things. I had a pair of fighters here who could have ruled the fighting pits in the realms and I never thought of it.

Well, you're here now and a part of a hell hound's bargain, I guess." He looked at Sandy again.

"Tell me what you want," Abi said to Sandy impassively, "I must know that and what you offer in trade."

"I want no gold," Sandy said, "I offer the same as before and the work with Pob and Ouna and Reed besides. I offer to try to be the friend of the one called Reed, since there is little of my friend there as yet and I think now that there may never be more than the little that I see. What I want, ..."

He paused for a moment and then spoke his mind.

"I want this demon female to be given to Reed. When the one in that body was my friend, they were together. As he is now, Reed cannot be a soldier and you would lose much again if he is killed. She can teach him everything.

I want these females to be mine."

"You already have your consorts," Abi said, but Sandy shook his head, "I know this and I am pleased. But they cannot sate one like me completely.

I want Pob and Masanna for my wives."

Abi had been slouching in the co-pilot's seat with one foot on a corner of the instrument panel until then. What he heard caused his foot to fall to the floor.

"Wives?"

He shook his head a little as though the doing of that might make things make a little more sense. "I grant that you are the most devoted hell hound I've ever seen, and coming to know you better as I have has shown me that you are far brighter than most. It makes me wonder about you, Sandryah. Your kind does not take -- wives. You must also know that demons don't take wives either."

"That is known to me," Sandy replied, "but it is the way of fauns when they decide to pair forever. I want this one to feel better and as she stands, she feels lost. Because of what they are between them, the others are consorts. I know that some sorts of imps marry as well, though it is rare. I want Pob as my wife also."

Abi looked a little annoyed.

Sandy thought of what this would cost Abi and the answer was very little. He looked at Abi with the same expression. It was just part of bargaining.

"You want much, hound," Abi said, "This faun, ... I don't even know how she got down here. I will need to replace my guards now. I'll grant you that she's lovely for a faun, and I understand about the demon-girl here, but I don't have the room in here when I've got troops aboard for everyone who wants a ride to hop on. Even this thing has limits and -- "

"Forgive me, lord," Sandy said with a bit of a bow -- which caught Abi's attention since hell hounds never made the gesture in his experience, "I should have mentioned it. The faun can work at keeping things clean inside. I live here with the rest, but I cannot manage a broom."

Abi thought for a moment and his senses told him that he felt nothing like he might if this were a ruse, for all of them felt agreeable to him.

"Alright," he said with a bit of a mild scowl, "But this ends it and our bargain is set as far as your needs go, other than anything which might come up unforeseen by either of us later." He leaned a little, pausing in the act of getting to his feet as he waited to hear the response. He looked at Pob.

"I agree to be Sandy's wife," she said simply. "I can live with him and the others, since we all like each other, but Sandy's been such a friend to me from the beginning and we've been a little intimate, and it was enough for me to know that I want to stay with him.

I know what a wife is. My parents were like that. To be his wife sounds even better to me."

"You aren't like the others Pob," Abi said, "I didn't ask for fealty from you when you came. I offered a life here and I offered employment. I could force you into this, but I never would. All the same, my beautiful little friend, this choice is yours. I can only give you in the hope that you are happy again from it." He looked at Sandy.

Sandy nodded, "I agree to these terms -- especially since you gain another fighter for this craft for little more than time and her food and giving Pob in the bargain comes at no cost to you, lord."

Abi heard the point, though he gave no sign of it. "Then this ends it as far as your little zoo goes, Sandryah. If Reed seems to react to Lashta well, she can stay with him wherever he is." he said as he stood up and walked out.

"What do, ... "Pob had almost known that it was coming, but she'd still had to fight at forcing up the hopeful feeling in her chest during the dealings for Abi's benefit. To herself she really didn't get all of this.

"That was bold Sandy. I've gotta hand it to you, but what do we do now? I can see that Masanna's got some hopes, but where am I supposed to be in this? I thought we were getting close, and -- "

He turned to face them, "Now, we take Lashta to meet Reed. After I see what I hope to see, then we will go to our cabin where my wives will try to make friends with each other as the others meet Masanna."

Pob shook her head, "But you told him that we're supposed to be your wives, and --"

Sandy smiled, "And now these two can have a place here. Ouna will have to decide what she truly wants. If she has a brain, she might even smile a little bit. Lashta will be pleased, and to live with Reed if it goes well between them and have another girl of Ouna's kind to share him with will come as no surprise to Lashta, since it was what she had before."

Lashta's eyes lit up after hearing it and she nodded eagerly.

"You're his daughter?" Pob asked, "And you were, ... I know that a lot of kinds of demons do that, but I've never heard of a soldier demon who did."

"Try to understand," Lashta said, "My mother found Masanna outside one day when I was mostly grown and she took her in. While my father lived, he was much protection for me and I learned many things at his hand. I know how to fight and I know how to soldier. When he was gone in his duties, it was my mother who fought to protect us. When I came of age, my mother had taken all of the fighting that she could and she died not long after. I protected my friend Masanna after that, and I took the role of mate to my father also.

From what you say, there is not much left of him but his body. I want to try to help the one who lives there now. Also, it is my hope that he might like one such as me and that I might like him. That is why I came."

Pob nodded her agreement after a moment of thought, "I just hope that it works for you, Lashta. As it is, Reed hasn't got a clue about knowing what it is to be a demon. I was a little afraid of him meeting another soldier demon and trying to shake his hand or something just as humanly stupid in a case like that."

"If I have my chance," Lashta said, "I will teach him all that he needs to know." They looked at Sandy, realizing that he'd been waiting and Pob still wanted to know where she stood -- or where she ought to be standing.

"T'maz and Tozama will like Masanna, I am certain," Sandy said, "There is only one thing that I hope goes well, besides Pob having more bodies to lie against," he smiled.

"I knew Masanna a little and we have mated together once. What I want is that you can find a friendship between you and help each other."

Pob was still trying to work her way through the other things that he'd said, "But I wanted --"

Sandy pressed against her cheek very gently with his snout, "It is my hope that my wives become friends, "he said, "I truly wish to be your husband, and it is important to me that I be a good one."

He looked into her face, seeing that she still struggled.

"Pob please, I want you also. You are the smallest, but I have felt your large heart. Have you ever seen my kind mate?"

"Other than when Tozama was fucking on you?" She shook her head and Masanna sighed with a warm smile.

"We take only one female of our own kind. I have no wish to hurt any of my consorts -- especially not the imp who wants me so much that I can hear her heart even as she sleeps against me."

Pob blinked for a moment as it sunk in. "Was I that obvious?"

Sandy nodded. Masanna nodded as well, "I saw this as soon as you saw him stand before the guard."

"I have heard your little murmurs as you slept," the hell hound smiled, "It was so nice to hear my name in your dreams. Your little sounds were what gave me the hope when I thought that I had a chance for us all."

Pob looked at Masanna, "Are you good with all of this?"

The faun nodded, "Yes. You help me, I help you. Are the others like you, Pob? I find that I liked you when you helped us outside."

She looked around the large interior as they walked out into the corridor, "I think I will need you so that I do not get lost. How can I hope to do my job?"

Pob found that she enjoyed hearing Masanna's voice as she spoke. She did look a little lost, even though she was a fair bit larger than Pob was. Pob remembered the first time that she found herself looking down this very corridor, wondering how she'd ever manage to do her job.

She smiled, "Because you won't be doing it alone. I'll organize it. ALL of us will help, and we'll do it one day out of seven, unless there are some troops aboard. If that happens, it'll be one day out of three because they're all gonna be helping. Sandy will make them help if he has to."

"I will help, Masanna," Lashta nodded, "as we have always done, you and I."

"See?" Pob grinned, "You just tidy as you see it needs in between."

She hopped up onto Sandy's back and held out her hand, "Climb up here with me, Masanna. I think we'd better get to know each other."

Masanna looked startled for a moment and then she smiled and jumped to pull herself up. She sat behind Pob with a big smile and leaned forward to whisper down, "Thank you, Pob. I did not know how to say it just now. You are smaller, but you can be a good wife to our large one. I will help you. For what was done to help me, I will always help you."

Pob was smiling herself now as she looked up and back, "Good. I'm just seeing the benefits here. With two of us on the same side, we can get our way a LOT more."

"What, ... What does that mean?" Sandy asked a little uncertainly.

"Nothing husband," Pob replied sweetly and the two girls laughed over it.