Author: Lostiawen

E-mail: changeling@planetx.org

Rated: NC-17

Pairing: OMC/OB

Summary: The Rage strikes outside of Alora. 

Archive: Please ask.

Feedback: Yes, please.

Warnings: AU (medieval fantasy), combat violence. 

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, none of this really happened.  The author is not associated with or is implying anything about the sexual preferences or the lives of the people depicted within. 

Author´s Notes: There will be sequels after this installment is done, never fear. 

Thanks to Salix for her support and help.  (especially helping me to clarify messy details)

Posted Dec.  9, 2004

"I am waiting for your command, oh exalted Master," the wildling said, the sarcasm evident in his voice. 

Viggo´s jaw was still hanging open. "Y-you´re male," was all that he could convince himself to say. "But you had many liaisons as a woman..."

The wildling purred, "And why should a being that has the gift to assume the form of any warm-blooded creature limit himself to just one sex? I live for experience...and becoming female was definitely pleasant in a number of ways. Do you not agree?" 

Viggo flushed bright red. He couldn´t fathom how the wildling could willingly shift and live as a woman. This was beyond his comprehension on a number of levels. 

The wildling rolled his eyes. "I see that you have chosen to bind me to a man of narrow wit, priest. Perhaps you should have selected someone more intelligent, such as a squirrel?" 

Viggo snapped, "Hold your tongue..." He was about to call the wildling "Elspeth", but that seemed ill-fitting. Embarrassed at his near slip, he said, "What is your name? I give you leave to speak." 

"My name is not pronounceable in your language. However, you may call me Orlando for now." 

"You have a separate language?"  Arvid asked. 

"Aye," Orlando said. "Although I do not recall when I have last seen others of my kind." 

"How long have you been alive?" 

Orlando closed his eyes and said, "I do not remember. I live for the moment, dividing my time between the forests and your villages."  He glared at Viggo, "And now you have robbed me of my freedom." 

Galen knelt down. "We will give it back to you, if you do one thing for us -- end the Rage." 

"If it was at all in my power, I would. But I do not have the knowledge you seek," Orlando said with regret. 

"That cannot be true!"  Galen said. 

Orlando´s voice was gentle. "I assure you, if I had the means, I would have ended the rampages..." he paused and his whole body stiffened. "Oh no..."

"What is it?"  Arvid said. 

"I can sense that the Rage is upon the animals," Orlando replied, "and there are far too many for the guards to handle." 

"But it´s too early!"  Viggo said. 

"I know," Orlando said as he shifted back into Elspeth´s form. He hastily wrapped the blanket around him. "We need to run to the town gates. The guards are wary of outsiders, but they will trust me." 

Viggo hesitated. Was this a trick? Although Orlando couldn´t directly attack them, he could convince the guards that the three new strangers had attempted to assault him. He glanced over at Arvid and Galen, and saw the same concern reflected on their faces. 

"I order you to tell me if you speak false," Viggo said. 

Orlando growled, "Cursed Ground Rat, I am telling you the truth! May Uvanna strike me dead if I am lying!"  His sable brown eyes flared with anger, but Viggo also saw the hurt in the wildling´s gaze. 

Stunned, Viggo murmured, "I am sorry," before he gathered up his belongings. "Arvid, can you shorten the blanket around Elsp...Orlando? The length will trip him up otherwise." 

Arvid pulled out his dagger and slashed at the blanket, uncovering most of Orlando´s legs. Despite his best efforts, Viggo found himself staring at the pale, shapely thighs. 

"He´s a man," Viggo thought to himself. "That form is but a guise...underneath, he is still a man."  And yet, he still felt desire...Viggo squelched any further musings. This creature may not even be human, why was he allowing himself to be distracted so? 

Shaking his head, Viggo buckled his armor on. Once he was done, he snatched up his sword and shield. He noticed that Arvid and Galen had followed suit, and the whole party was now fully armored and equipped. 

"Orlando, lead the way," he said. Orlando nodded and sprinted out of the door, taking the most efficient route. 

As the small group dashed for the gates, the wind suddenly died down and an unnatural silence settled over the area. Viggo shivered -- he had fought the beasts for many years and he knew exactly what this meant. 

"They´re drawing closer," he said. 

"I can see the soldiers," Orlando replied. He ran ahead at breakneck speed, pushing his way into the large crowd that was scurrying about. Viggo, Arvid, and Galen followed behind him. 

The guard post was a flurry of activity. Men and women scrambled to arm themselves and positioned themselves around the front perimeter of Alora. The alarm bell was ringing, alerting the inhabitants to seek shelter. 

In the middle of the chaos, a stately man garbed in chain mail was directing some of the soldiers. An intricate motif of leaves and vines was etched into his cuirass, denoting that he was a priest in Uvanna´s service. 

Orlando saw him and shouted, "Calder! I need to speak to you!" 

Calder said, "Elspeth! You should been seeking shelter!"  He noticed Orlando´s bedraggled appearance and drew out his sword. "Filth!"  he said, leveling a withering glare at the trio. "How dare you force yourselves on her?" 

Orlando grabbed Calder´s arm. "Stop! They did not hurt me." 

Calder´s eyes narrowed. "Are you certain? Where are your clothes?" 

Orlando blushed and lowered his eyes. "Um, I met these three at the inn."  He wrapped his arms around Galen´s neck and pressed his body close. "And I was enjoying myself outside when the silence descended..."

Calder´s eyebrow quirked upward. "With all three of them?" 

"You know how I feel about making love in the rain, Calder..." Orlando purred. 

Viggo noticed that Galen was momentarily surprised, but then he recovered and he pulled Orlando against him. "Aye, she´s quite a handful," he leered. 

Arvid, however, was the color of a beet. Viggo kicked his protege´s foot, muttering under his breath, "You´ll give away the ruse." 

As Arvid tried to compose himself, Viggo noticed that Orlando was nibbling on Galen´s ear. A flash of anger passed through him, but he squelched it, wondering why he was being so irrational. 

"These three wish to help," Orlando said. "And this one," he added, snuggling closer to Galen, "is a priest." 

Calder said, "We have handled the Rage before. We won´t need any additional help, especially from outsiders." 

In response to the dismissal, Orlando pouted. "Calder, please! Didn´t you tell me once that although our losses were minimal, Alora could always use more soldiers?" 

"Elspeth, this is not the time..."

Orlando struggled out of Galen´s embrace and flung himself at a startled Calder. "Please! Indulge me just this once?"  He looked deep into Calder´s eyes, his gaze soulful and pleading. 

Calder cleared his throat. "All right...just this once." 

Orlando squealed in delight and hugged Calder, smothering his face with wet kisses. The priest sputtered, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity. 

Galen came forward and bowed. "Greetings. I am Galen, and I hail from Tulir. My companions are named Viggo and Arvid. We are well experienced in fighting the beasts." 

Calder held Orlando still and replied, "Viggo, Arvid... talk with that man over there in the distance -- he´s my Captain of the Guard, and he can give you further orders."  He handed Viggo a small seal. "Show this to Tyne, and he´ll give you your assignment. Galen, I´ll need you with me. We need to start the enchantment." 

He gestured for Galen to follow, and the two of them disappeared into the throng. Viggo, meanwhile, started walking towards the Captain. He noticed that Orlando was trailing after him. 

"You should find some shelter," he said. 

"I can fight!"  Orlando growled. "You´ll need my gifts." 

"And betray your true nature to all of the soldiers here? No, you should hide," Viggo said. 

Orlando was about to protest again when Viggo said, "Don´t speak any more on this matter. Find safety from the beasts."  Muttering curses, Orlando took his leave. 

Arvid said, "You shouldn´t have dismissed him." 

Viggo shook his head, "He can´t attack unless it´s by my command. At this point, he´s more of a liability than an asset." 

"But...what if you gave him leave to defend us? He mentioned that he had special abilities..."

"Arvid, Orlando resents his captivity. He will take any opportunity he can to trick us into freeing him." 

"Do you not have faith in the spell?" 

"I do, but I am also a practical man."  Viggo patted Arvid on the shoulder. "You have much to learn about the ways of the world. Come, let us talk to the Captain." 

Time was of the essence, so after presenting Calder´s seal to the Captain, they were quickly assigned a position just behind the wooden enclosure surrounding Alora. Viggo frowned when he saw the relative paucity of soldiers. He hoped that Orlando was wrong, and that the skill of the priests would be enough to ensure Alora´s safety. 

He glanced up at the guard tower, where Calder and Galen had stationed themselves. He could not hear it, but he knew that they were chanting -- blue energy crackled around the structure, pulsing and surrounding it like a living being. 

And then Viggo felt it. The air seemed malevolent, alive... raising the hair on the back of his neck and causing his gut to clench. And then he heard it...the sound of splintering wood mixed with an unholy screech that reverberated with pure rage and madness. 

"They´re coming!"  Arvid said. 

Viggo nodded, bracing himself as the thunder of many feet drew closer and closer. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a cascade of blue flare out from the tower. Moments later, deafening wails filled the air as the spell washed over the approaching tide -- forcing them to turn away. 

Amongst the cacophony, Viggo heard a heavy, dull thud impacting with the outer wall. His eyes narrowed, and he saw the wood buckling. 

"The rest are breaking through!"  he yelled. 

"It cannot be! They´ve never torn through our defenses this rapidly!"  the Captain said. An ear-splitting scream drowned out his next words, and then wood and metal suddenly exploded inward, spraying the soldiers as the fortification was breached. 

The beasts poured through, bellowing in anger. Bears, wolves, ravens, among others...all of them burning with insanity. The madness leant them strength beyond their means, causing them to strike with so much force that they tore the muscles from their bodies. 

They closed in, and all thoughts left Viggo as he engaged them, using his shield to his advantage. Although the animals were possessed of unnatural strength, their rage made them attack carelessly, and if Viggo could deflect their blows, many of them expired on their own. Still, their numbers could overwhelm the small number of humans defending the town, and Viggo was unsure as to what the final outcome would be. 

Time slowed to a crawl as he fought for what seemed like an eternity, ignoring the number of four-legged corpses piling up around his feet. His attention was solely focused on surviving, but he was pulled from his battle-induced haze by a choked scream. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Viggo spotted Arvid toppling to the ground clutching his arm in pain; unable to defend himself against the black bear that stood above him, poised to strike. 

Viggo could not help -- he would be struck down if he did. All he could do was scream Arvid´s name as the bear´s claw raked down. 

A grey blur abruptly appeared, interposing itself between the bear and its target. A heart-wrenching shriek filled the air, and Viggo saw a bloodied lynx collapse on top of Arvid, growling in displeasure. 

Before Viggo´s eyes the small feline body grew, shifting into a familiar brown-haired form. Orlando stepped off of Arvid, his dark eyes calming staring at the bear´s face, keeping his body between the attacker and its target. The enraged animal hesitated, looking confused. 

Arvid seized on that moment to roll to his feet and dart to the bear´s left side. It turned to roar at him in anger, and Arvid quickly slashed at the exposed throat. 

The bear expired with a shudder, and Orlando said to Arvid, "Can you still fight?" 

"Aye. My armor blocked most of the blow, but how..."

"I will explain later. The guard still needs us," Orlando said before he leapt to another person´s aid. 

****

Viggo rubbed a hand over his tired brow as the last of the animals were dispatched. Although there were losses, Orlando´s presence helped to reduce the toll. 

Orlando...Viggo had lost track of him during the combat, and he scanned the area, hoping that the wildling had survived. 

His stomach wrenched when he spied Orlando limping towards him, teetering on the verge of collapse. Blood and deep wounds covered most of Orlando´s body, and Viggo wondered how one being could sustain that much damage and still live. 

He rushed up and said, "Lie down, curse you, before you kill yourself."  He wrapped his arms around Orlando and called out, "Galen! Hurry! I need your healing skills!" 

Orlando waved a tired hand and said, "I am well...just give me some time..."

"Don´t be foolish. Galen!" 

"Stupid, dung-brained Ground Rat! Look!"  Orlando snarled, grabbing the blade of Viggo´s sword and pulling down, slicing it across his palm. Blood welled momentarily from the cut, and then stopped. Orlando licked his hand clean, and then showed Viggo the wound. 

Viggo blinked in surprise. The flesh was as smooth as ever. 

"My wounds heal of their own accord...I can even regrow limbs if necessary," Orlando murmured, leaning heavily against Viggo. "I am also very, very tired...so if you have any orders, voice them now." 

Viggo was suddenly aware that his hands were touching Orlando´s bare waist. He swallowed, trying not to notice how soft the wildling´s skin felt underneath his fingers. He´s not even a man, he told himself again. 

Pushing his thoughts aside, Viggo looked around to see if any of the guards were watching them. To his relief, they were assessing the damage to Alora. "Are you able to shift into something small?" 

Yawning, Orlando said, "It will take a few minutes..." His body began to shrink, sprouting red fur and becoming slimmer. Viggo wrapped his arms around the changing form, wishing that the process was quicker. 

After some time, he was cradling a weary fox in his grasp. Orlando yawned again, opening his mouth so wide that Viggo could practically look down his throat. 

"I am finished for the night. Do not bother me until the morning," Orlando grunted before he curled up into a ball and fell asleep with a soft snore. Viggo spotted Arvid nearby and gestured to him. 

Arvid trotted up and said, "What is it?" 

In a low voice, Viggo replied, "Calder and the guards will have questions about the almost naked savage with blue markings once they are done. We need to slip away as soon as possible." 

He handed Orlando over to Arvid. Once his hands were free, Viggo unbuckled his armor and removed his shirt. He wrapped it around Orlando, swaddling him until only the tip of his nose poked out. "You shall leave first...I will follow after I inform Galen of my plan." 

"And where should I go?" 

"Travel towards the river. I´ll gather our equipment and follow your tracks. Now go."  Arvid nodded and disappeared into the night with the small bundle. 

Viggo managed to locate Galen amidst the chaos in the aftermath of the battle. Once he had Galen´s attention, Viggo recounted Orlando´s actions in the recent battle and his concerns about Calder´s reaction. 

"Agreed," Galen replied. "However, I cannot leave until I am sure that the wounded have been attended to." 

"Can you find your way to the area where we filled our water skins shortly before we arrived here? Arvid, Orlando, and I shall wait in the clearing nearby." 

"Aye, I shall have no trouble finding that location," he glanced over his shoulder. "I must take my leave now, my healing spells are needed." 

Viggo waved at Galen and then dashed back to the abandoned house that they had found shelter in earlier. He retrieved their supplies and then slipped out of Alora, his departure going unnoticed by the townsfolk. 

The rain had stopped, proving to be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because he could retrace Arvid´s steps with ease, and a curse because Viggo now had to take extra care to eliminate their tracks. At that moment, he wished he had Galen´s magic to aid him. 

Finally, he saw a fire in the distance. He picked up his pace and made his way into the clearing, his face splitting into a happy grin when he saw Arvid. 

Arvid smiled and signaled Viggo to keep his voice down. Drawing closer, Viggo saw that Arvid had removed his leg guards; Orlando was sleeping in his lap, still wrapped in Viggo´s shirt. Arvid had pulled the garment back, revealing that the fox had curled into a tight ball and was slumbering with his nose tucked under his tail. 

"Where´s Galen?"  Arvid whispered. 

"He couldn´t leave the wounded, but he promised to join us as soon as possible." 

Arvid nodded and petted Orlando´s head. "I´ve never been this close to another animal before...the texture of his fur is simply incredible. I never thought it would feel this soft..."

Viggo said, "He´ll probably snarl at you for your presumption when he awakes." 

"But Viggo, he appears to be enjoying it," Arvid said. He started scratching Orlando´s ears and was rewarded with another small noise of pleasure. 

"Mmm," Orlando purred, leaning into the touch. 

Viggo felt anger bubbling within him. "You´ll do yourself no favors. He´ll insult you once he wakes." 

Arvid replied, "If he cares so little, Viggo...why did he save my life?" 

Viggo snapped, "Because he wants to endear himself to me, so that I can grant him freedom from the binding." 

"And I think you misjudge him."  Arvid stroked Orlando´s cheek, beaming when he elicited another breathy sigh. 

Viggo gritted his teeth and said, "The fire´s growing low. I´ll gather more wood since you seem to be occupied."  He disappeared into the woods, unable to comprehend why he was feeling so irritated. 

***

Galen smiled when he saw the campfire ahead. Luck had been in his favor -- Calder had sent Captain Tyne to question him instead of attending to the matter in person. When Tyne had inquired about the unusual looking boy that had aided them, Galen had answered him with wintry politeness -- implying that the other man was preventing him from treating the injured. Cowed, the Captain had taken his leave. 

After healing the most seriously injured people, and insuring that no one else required immediate care, Galen had quietly slipped away. He used a spell to mask his passage over the muddy terrain, and had made his way to this area without any further trouble. 

As he entered the clearing, he noticed that Viggo had retired for the night. The other man had reclaimed his shirt, and he was using his cloak as a shield against the damp ground. 

Arvid was still awake and was tending to the fire. Galen frowned when he saw that one of his cousin´s arms was bloody. He wondered if Arvid had sustained it from hunting, since there was a dead animal in his lap. 

"There´s no meat on that one," Galen said. 

Arvid looked puzzled. Galen peered closer, and noticed the steady rise and fall of the fox´s chest, despite the alarming amount of dried blood crusted in its fur. 

He slapped his forehead for being such a fool. "That´s Orlando, isn´t it?" 

"Yes...and despite his appearance, he´s completely unharmed. Viggo told me that his wounds heal of their own accord." 

"Unlike yourself."  Galen sat down and inspected Arvid´s upper arm. "That´s a fairly long slash. Looks worse than it really is, but I should still treat it." 

He chanted under his breath until a soft glow surrounded his hands. He then placed them on Arvid´s torn flesh, channeling Uvanna´s power as he continued the spell. The wound began closing, the skin slowly knitting together under his ministrations. 

Time passed, and Arvid remained silent until Galen was done. It was only then that he said, "Thank you." 

Galen tousled Arvid´s hair. "I am just glad that you are safe." 

"If it weren´t for Orlando, I would not be speaking to you at this moment. He took a killing blow for me," Arvid replied, petting Orlando´s head. 

"Then I owe him much," Galen said. He scooped Orlando up in his arms to give him a hug, but then thought better of it when brownish red flakes came off onto his armor. "Faugh, he needs a bath. He´s covered with so much blood that you can barely tell that there´s a fox under there." 

Realizing that he needed some bathing supplies, Galen walked over to his pack. He tucked Orlando in one arm, and used the other to search around. 

While he was rummaging, Arvid said, "You could probably use one yourself." 

"A splendid idea, cousin!"  Galen replied. He grinned when he found the objects he was seeking. "I´m taking him to the river, and I´ll be back once we´re both clean." 

"All right." 

It was a short distance to the water, and once Galen reached his goal, he set both Orlando and the supplies down on the ground. Amazingly enough, Orlando´s only reaction was to grunt and curl back into a ball. 

Galen shook his head. He thought that Orlando would be more alert, but perhaps the wildling was exhausted from the blood loss. In any case, this was possibly the best time to sleep like the dead. The animals tended to shy away from humans after a Rage. 

Galen stripped within minutes, sighing with relief as he removed his armor. Orlando had not moved a whit, so Galen leaned down and shook him gently. 

"Awaken, little one," he murmured, letting his beard tickle Orlando´s ear. 

"Mmmph, begone...sleeping," Orlando grumbled. 

"Wouldn´t you rather have a bath?" 

"Urf..." Orlando said, struggling to consciousness. He opened his eyes and glared at Galen. "Why in Uvanna´s name would I want to? That river must be freezing cold, and you must be insane if you think that I would want to dip my behind into it." 

Galen said, "What if the water was heated?" 

Orlando snorted, "And *where* would you find hot water, priest? Did you smuggle some out of the Good Coin in your armor?" 

"Observe," Galen replied. He gestured at a spot in the river and murmured an incantation. Moments later, steam curled up from the water. 

Orlando´s jaw fell open and he trotted over to the area, dipping his paw into the liquid. Once he felt how warm it was, he jumped in, squealing with joy. Galen followed soon after, grinning from ear to ear. Orlando´s visible delight was infectious, and Galen couldn´t resist splashing the wildling´s face. 

Orlando sputtered. "That´s not fair! I don´t have hands!" 

"And what do you expect me to do about it?"  Galen teased. 

In response, Orlando paddled over and wrapped his small paws around one of Galen´s thick arms. Suddenly, he shifted into his boyish form, and the dramatic increase in weight caused Galen to lose his balance. With a cry of dismay, he tumbled underneath the water. 

Once Galen re-oriented himself, he noticed that Orlando had let go of him. He found his footing and broke through the surface of the water, glaring when he saw the smirk on Orlando´s face. 

"*That* was not amusing," he said. 

"It was just a bit of fun. Don´t tell me that you´re becoming a sour old man like Viggo," Orlando said, pouting. 

"And I will have you know that the spell I cast is normally considered an unnecessary, extravagant use of Uvanna´s power." 

"Then why do it for me?"  Orlando murmured, drawing closer and winding his arms around Galen´s neck. His tongue darted along his lips, and his eyes were dark with obvious lust. 

Galen needed no further invitation. He captured those alluring lips, slipping his tongue inside. Orlando moaned as Galen plundered his mouth, his body becoming pliant as the kiss deepened. 

As Galen continued his thorough exploration, Orlando pressed against him, grinding their hard cocks together. Galen broke contact and gasped, his body shuddering as Orlando´s lithe form undulated against him. 

"Take me," Orlando breathed, nipping his lower lip. 

"Let me get the oil," Galen said, giving Orlando a light kiss before he clambered out of the water. He ignored the coldness of the air and retrieved the bottle that he had secreted amongst the soap. 

When he turned around, he saw that Orlando had emerged from the river and was lying on the shore. He had removed the strip of leather that was his only garment and was caressing his shaft with his long fingers. 

Orlando saw the bottle and said, "That was presumptuous of you. Do I strike you as someone who freely dispenses their favors?" 

"Yes," Galen purred, lying down next to Orlando. 

He rolled Orlando onto his side, facing away from him. He admired the play of the lean muscles before he stretched forward and gently sucked the back of the slender neck, letting his hand trail down Orlando´s spine. 

"You are correct...ah!"  Orlando moaned, as Galen´s finger circled his entrance. "Please...don´t tease me further. I want you inside me now." 

Galen couldn´t resist the blatant request. He applied oil to his aching cock and slid inside Orlando´s willing body, hissing as he was surrounded by heat and tightness. 

"More..." Orlando said in a breathy voice. "I´m not delicate..."

He pushed back until all of Galen´s considerable length was sheathed inside of him. He then rotated his pelvis in tantalizing circles, causing need to flare hotly within Galen´s blood. 

Galen´s eyes rolled back into his head, and he grabbed Orlando´s hips brutally. Growling, he pulled back until just the tip of his cock remained inside Orlando, and then he plunged forward, burying himself to the hilt. 

Orlando screamed, clawing the ground in front of him. "Yes!"  he cried out, reaching down to grasp his cock. He moaned as he pumped his shaft in time to Galen´s thrusts, smearing the fluid welling out of the tip over his length. 

Spurred on Orlando´s loud exhortations, Galen slammed in with as much force as he could manage, reveling in the sight of Orlando in sheer ecstasy. 

On his next thrust, he canted the angle of his hips. Orlando wailed and convulsed, crying out as he found his release. 

Orlando´s internal muscles clamped down on Galen and he groaned at the exquisite pressure. He thrust into Orlando brutally, pounding into the lithe body until he climaxed with a loud moan. 

His head spun as he came back to himself. Orlando tilted his head back, his face bearing an expression of utter bliss. 

"That was wonderful," he purred. "I had not joined in this fashion for quite a long while. I had forgotten about some of the...advantages of being male." 

Galen kissed Orlando´s full lips. "It would be my pleasure to remind you of what you have missed." 

Orlando shivered. "I am growing cold. Perhaps we could bathe first? How long will it be before you have to take watch?" 

"Long enough to enjoy you again," Galen said. 

----
end part 3

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