Cayna immediately covered the more intimate parts of her body with her hands. "Hey! I told you not to look!" she said, angry. Gwyn, instead of having the good grace of looking away, let out a little laugh, which, despite his audacity, Cayna somehow found alluring. She began to hate how he affected her. She couldn't seem to think straight around him.
"This is unlike my brides. Usually, they shield me from other women. Unfortunately for you, it seems they approve of you greatly." He said.
"What?" Cayna said, completely at a loss then shook her head. "Seriously, will you stop looking over here!" she began to make her way towards shore but then thought better of it. He would only get a clearer look at her nudity from above the water line. Instead, she sank down to her neck, mouth pouting and her eyes glaring daggers at Gwyn.
"My brides can be quite the tricksters when they are in the mood. You will have to get used to this for as long as you are in my company." He said and, Cayna thought at first that it was her imagination, he started coming closer! It was confusing that he didn't have to swim like human men. How did he move through the water like that?
"Stay away!" she said, backing up until a slender body pressed itself against her, giggling.
"Don't be mad at us, Cayna." The familiar voice of Carn said. She hugged Cayna around the neck from behind, and effectively preventing her from retreating further.
"Hey!" Cayna said, freezing, unknowing of what to do. It was then that another figure appeared at her side. A girl with curious, red eyes and light red hair. "Dormach?!"
The girl only giggled and then dived underneath the water, streaking towards Gwyn, who gathered her naked body close to his. She nuzzled him under his chin and let herself be held like a little girl.
"Dormach doesn't talk, not since Gwyn rescued her from tragedy." Carn said, a tinge of sadness in her voice. "She usually does not take her Eldarin form. She must already like you very much."
Cayna blushed again. Seeing the two of them so close and so intimate made her body react in ways she could not even name. She decided to distract herself with trying to find out more about her companions.
"So, who are you, exactly?" she said. Carn let go of and came to stand at her side.
"You want to know who we are." She said, almost to herself. Cayna could not read the thoughts in her expression at that moment. It seemed she was trying to decide how to answer that question. Perhaps there were things she couldn't tell her, Cayna thought.
"Well, as you already heard, we are Gwyn's brides." She said.
Cayna couldn't hold back her next question. "So, are you lovers?"
Carn nodded, which made Cayna's ears turn crimson. She bit her lip, feeling all awkward again. She felt like she was invading someone's private business. Plus, she felt that if she did any more blushing then eventually she would permanently turn as red as a tomato.
Carn gave her a serene smile. "That is what it means to be a bride, I suppose."
"But, how did you get to be his brides?" Cayna said. "Actually, who even is Gwyn?" she tried to ignore the splashing sounds and Dormach's girlish giggling now going on. She could only imagine what that could mean.
"Hm, you have many questions." Carn said, her voice amused. "Your questions are answers told in long, long tales."
"What are you saying?" Cayna said. Carn glanced at the others and Cayna couldn't help but follow their gaze. To Cayna's relief and surprise, they weren't acting like lovers do. Instead, Dormach was playfully chasing the fish underneath the water. They always managed to escape her clutches. Gwyn cheered her on. It was like watching a father watching over his daughter than anything else.
"If I told you what we are and who we are, without telling you the history of us, it would not mean anything to you, since you do know our world." She said after a while. Cayna thought that made sense, though it didn't do anything to curb her curiosity.
"So is this your way of telling me you do not want to say?" Cayna said.
Carn shook her head, her golden hair shining underneath the sun. "Cayna, it is simply to early to tell you. To learn of us is to be drawn into our world. Your world is Sycadia. At least, for now it is."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Cayna said, becoming more and more confused the longer the conversation went on.
"You will come to understand in time. Besides, right now, our origin is not your concern. Those questions will only serve to distract you from the other, more important, questions you will soon have." Carn said. With that, she dipped underneath the water, swimming out to join her companions in their fish chasing game. Cayna didn't know what to make of all this. In the stories of the Edenites, they had always come across as mysterious, mischievous and even many times, dangerous. Yet still, meeting them in real life was not at all like it was in the stories. It began to dawn on her that the stories were probably, in many ways, no where near the mark of the truth. Or maybe she just wasn't deep enough into their story to really tell yet.
Needless to say, Cayna decided to press her any further. She couldn't lie, she was a bit hurt that Carn didn't want to share much right now. It felt a little unfair, but she knew that was an ungrateful thought. Gwyn had rescued her and Carn and Dormach made sure she was healed. They were owed respect and privacy if that is what they desired.
Cayna contented herself with relaxing in the river, feeling the flow of the water soothe her skin and wash the stress of the ride off her skin. Eventually, Dormach swam back over to her, happy as could be. It was still a little strange for Cayna to see her in a more humanoid form. She still had noticeable points of her canine teeth poking out from her top lip and her hands hand lengthened black claws. Surprisingly though, Cayna found them not to be very sharp when Dormach grabbed her by the arm and wrapped herself there, cuddling Cayna in a very dog-like way.
Hesitating only a little, she patted Dormach on the head and stroked her wet hair. The girl made a contented face. Cayna gasped when a pair of dog ears suddenly sprouted from the girl's head.
"That happens when she gets overexcited." Carn said, who had apparently been keeping an eye on them. Cayna laughed, finding the dog ears on a human head very cute. She scratched her head behind the ears like a dog. Dormach kicked her legs in happiness and turned her face up to give Cayna better access.
Cayna continued to give Dormach attention when all of a sudden the girl grabbed her around the front and began planting kisses and licks all over her neck and face.
Cayna was taken aback and immediately uncomfortable. "Um, Dormach, please stop."
The girl didn't listen, kissing and licking for more attention. Cayna tried to squirm from her grasp but realized then just how strong the girl's limbs were. They had her in an unshakable grasp. She was suddenly very aware of Dormach's pert breasts pressing up against her own and to her horror, she felt a heat begin to grow in the middle of her body.
"Hey, stop!" Cayna said, before Dormach silenced her with a kiss on the lips. Cayna's eyes went wide as she tried to separate their faces. Dormach's eyes were closed, a look of contentment on her face. She seemed to be in some sort of trance-like state.
Cayna fell backwards as she tried to shake the girl off of her and went underneath the water. As she came up again, gasping and sputtering, she heard Dormach utter small, excited noises, looking at her with playful eyes. If she had been in dog form, Cayna wouldn't have been surprised if her tail would have been wagging a mile a minute.
Dormach made to lunge at Cayna who braced herself for another assault when Carn yanked her hair from behind.
"Enough!" she said in a commanding voice. Dormach whimpered and sat back on her heels, looking extremely dejected all of a sudden. It would have been more funny if Cayna didn't feel so violated. She tried to remember that it didn't seem like Dormach meant any harm. She was just being playful. It was just weird to be playful in that way for Cayna.
"Her instincts take over easily. She has little to no restraint over her behavior." Carn said. "I've been trying to get her to come out of her shell for a long time but she has remained in this hound state for a long time. It wasn't like this always. She used to be more civilized. She has become, in many ways, like a child playing out a fantasy to escape the overwhelming traumas of the past." Carn said.
It made sense. Cayna felt bad and didn't like seeing Dormach look so dejected. She stared around mournfully. Carn still had a handful of her hair to discourage her from trying anything again.
Cayna whipped her head around when she heard the sound of something approaching from the river.
"Oh Sweet Word!" she said with a cry as her gaze was met with Gwyn who was very, very close. Much too close. His bare chest glistened with droplets and his shaggy white hair clung to his shoulders. She couldn't help her gaze slip down his body to where abdomen began and all the way down to where it ended. She gulped as she came to rest her eyes on the surface of the water again, where it barely obscured his sex.
With a case of burning blushing to top all others, she turned away, as well as covered herself. "Will you please go put some clothes on!" she said. "And don't look at me!"
Cwyn continued to walk towards her. She turned her head away as far as possible. She saw his reflection on the water however and she couldn't help but stare at the graceful figure as it grew closer and closer. So close that she thought he might actually touch her. Despite the terror that welled up in her heart at the prospect, she found she didn't quite hate the idea either.
Just as she thought he would brush up against her, he went by, not even glancing down at her and exited the river. Dormach pulled and strained to get out of Carn's grip. Eventually she let the hound-girl go and she ran off after Gwyn. Carn offered a hand to Cayna, smiling.
"Shall we?" she said. Cayna cast a nervous glance back at shore and was relieved that Gwyn was already gone, along with Dormach. She accepted Carn's hand and she lifted her from the water. They walked towards the shore, Cayna enjoying the warmth of the sun on her glistening skin.
As Carn stood nearby, seeming to be in her own thoughts as Cayna changed back into her clothes, she couldn't help but marvel again at Carn's exquisite beauty. She was as she imagined the brave beauties would be from the ancient tales. Tall, womanly curves, full breasts and a regal countenance. She imagined that is what every man might dream of when they thought of the perfect woman.
Not that Cayna didn't think of herself as pretty. She had plenty of suitors chasing her around after she showed signs of being a woman. She was often considered one of the greatest beauties where ever she went. She did not have breasts as large as Carn's but they were still a handful. Her curves were not as prominent but that did not stop boys from snatching grabs at her bum as she walked by sometimes.
Prostitutes often commented on her beauty with some twisted form of encouragement, saying she could live the lifestyle of a high-profile courtesan if she wanted. The rich and privileged would pay exorbitant amounts of money for a single night in her bed, apparently. Or rather, in theirs. Cayna did not need the restraints of her foster parent's rules to deny that offer. The thought of bedding a stranger was already too much.
The hard life had also made Cayna strong and muscled. In this, she had more than Carn and Dormach. Though they each appeared well shaped, they did not appear very toned like Cayna. Still, she didn't believe for a second that she could overpower them in feats of strength. Dormach's small display earlier made that quite clear.
That brought her thoughts to Gwyn. He also must be incredibly strong. To go against the huge bear by himself. Unlike his brides, his muscles were defined in an extreme sense, even having visible striation in many places. He was a figure carved from stone. Cayna couldn't help but imagine being held in his arms. She remembered when he had grabbed her waist and she shivered, wanting that touch again.
After denying her emotions for her whole life, it felt like they were running away from her. She didn't know Gwyn. Despite him saving her and being kind, she didn't want to fall into the trap of infatuation and lust. Both of which she knew were becoming temptations.
Once she was dressed, she felt ready to get on with their journey again. As she looked back at Carn, she was astonished to see that she had transformed back into her mare form.
"Oh." Cayna said, approaching her friend and stroking her neck. The horse nudged her with her head. Suddenly Cayna was lifted from the ground, her heart leaping into her chest as she realized the Gwyn had snuck up behind her, silent as a breeze and grabbed her again.
She sputtered something unintelligible as he climbed onto Dormach's back, who was back in her hound form.
The leg bracers, saddle and handles were formed again from Carn's hair and soon then they were off again, riding through the woods. They rode until the sun began to descend behind the western mountains and on into the night when the stars began twinkling in the multicolored sky. It was dark when at last they stopped again. Cayna looked ahead of them, seeing nothing but a field with a small hill in the center. Why were they stopping here?
Gwyn pulled ahead of her and motioned for them to stay, though she suspected that he was mostly doing this for Carn, who nodded her horse head. He and Dormach moved on ahead, towards the hill. After a few moments he waved back at them and they trotted forward, joining them at the bottom of the hill.
"This is it." Gwyn said, climbing from Dormach's back.
Cayna looked around, seeing nothing but grass and a smattering of stones. This is what exactly? There's nothing here! That's when she looked down and saw a pair of yellow eyes staring up at her from a dark hole in the ground that she swore wasn't there a moment ago.