I led Maylia to our room and she was very quiet as I shut the door. She looked around at the room and her face went to a deep red as she saw the large bed.

“Do you want to take a bath first?” I asked her and she jumped a little. “Hey, it's okay.” I said and turned to face her. I could see that she was nervous, so I let her hand go and put my hands on her shoulders. “Maylia, if you're worried about something happening, you can relax. We've been running in the forest for two days. All I want to do right now is wash up and get some sleep in a real bed.”

Maylia took several deep breaths and calmed down. “Hunter, it... it's not that I'm against... that is... I told you before that...”

“Maylia.” I said and she blinked her eyes at me. “Just say it.”

“Elves don't think about having children until after their hundredth birthday.” Maylia said. “But... the last two days, I... I've been thinking about it.”

“You have? Really?” I asked, a little surprised. “I thought your birthday was a few years away.”

“It is, and I really shouldn't consider it until then. I'm sure I have all the abilities I'm ever going to get, though... so there's no worry about passing on insufficient abilities to my offspring.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” I said and rubbed her shoulders. “That's the part you're worrying about? Giving birth to a child?”

“Well, yes.” Maylia said. “All elves need to ensure the best possible bloodlines for our race's continued existence.”

I had to think about that for a few minutes. “So... you're not worried about the act itself, only the results, right?”

Maylia nodded and told me all about the process for selecting the best male and how it was decided, almost by committee, what man would sleep with what woman to make the best child. I was a little stunned when she described how the man only stayed long enough to get a woman pregnant and then was sent off. He wasn't involved with the child at all after that. Most times he wasn't allowed to be.

“Okay. Wow.” I said when she was done. I walked her over to the small table and sat her down on one of the chairs. I sat down beside her and just stared into her eyes. “Your people have always done this?”

“As far as our history is concerned, yes.” Maylia said.

It took me another couple of minutes to wrap my head around the idea of selective breeding. Back on Earth I think it would be some guy's dream job. I thought. As much sex as you could get, on demand no less, then you just lived your life with the other guys until the next time a woman selects you.

I shook my head to clear that absurd thought right out of my head.

If a man's only significant contribution to elf society is their ability to father children, then the women would have to do all of the other work needed to keep that society going. I thought and looked at Maylia, and I realized that she didn't know who her father was... would never know... and she didn't care about knowing him, because that was how they had set up their society's rules. I took off my gloves and held both of her hands.

“I have so much to teach you.” I said sincerely.

“About what?” Maylia asked.

“You'll see.” I said and let her hands go as I stood up. “First, I'll dig out our new sleeping clothes and then I'll help you get a bath.”

“I am capable of washing myself.” Maylia said, a little perturbed.

“I know you are.” I said and smiled. “I just want to see you naked.”

Maylia looked at me with wide eyes for a moment, then she started to untie her cloak. I took out our clothes from the bag of holding and laid them out on the bed, and I heard the clink of her metal breastplate as she put it on the table. I turned around and saw her start to untie all of the little laces on the side of her leather armor top.

“Hold on, I want to see this with my own eyes.” I said and took off my cloak, then I absorbed the Presence barrier around the blast shield over my eyes and slipped it off. Maylia stopped breathing and stared at me with an open mouth as I walked over to her and put the piece of black metal on the table next to her breastplate.

“H-H-Hunter!” Maylia said my name with wonder and awe as she reached up and touched my completely unmarred face with a feather-light touch.

“We're going to be spending a lot of time together, so I thought you should know.” I said and stepped close to her. She was almost my height, so she got an up close look at my eyes.

“You're so handsome.” Maylia said and stroked my cheek. “Such beautiful eyes.”

“They were my mothers.” I said. “Sapphire blue.”

Maylia moved my head to the side slightly and then back again. “Azure green as well.”

“What?”

“When the light hits them just right, they look green and not blue.” Maylia said. “It's very pretty.”

“M-my father's eyes were green.” I said, and she raised her eyebrows at me. She didn't know anything about her father, so I kept talking to cover that fact up. “I didn't know him for very long. I was only four when my parents were killed and I was taken.”

I surprised myself by saying that so brazenly. I hadn't talked about it in a long time and I saw the concern on her face. I was going to keep talking when she put a hand over my mouth to stop me.

“I want to discover everything I can about you.” Maylia said and then she smiled. “You don't have to tell me everything right now.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I could probably condense it all down into a few hours.”

Maylia nodded her head. “I need to treat this like a combat situation. Look. Listen. Assess. Attack.”

“Attack?” I chuckled and Maylia nodded again. “I can't wait to see what kind of attack you're going to come up with.”

Maylia kept her smile and started to untie the laces on her leather armor. I didn't want to stand there and wait for her, so I started on the other side. Her breathing became heavier as the thick leather loosened and when we were about halfway up her torso, she let out a sigh and lifted it up over her head. She only had a thin sweat-soaked cloth underneath it and rather than leave it on until we removed the rest of her armor, she pulled it off to reveal herself and became topless.

I looked of course, because I told her I was going to, and I saw the indents in her skin where the leather had dug in and where the armored breastplate had dimpled the leather and her skin in places. A distinct pinkish line was across her breasts just above the nipples where the armor had been, and I couldn't resist tracing it with a fingertip.

Maylia didn't flinch or try to resist me at all as I caressed her firm and slightly distorted mounds. All she did was stand there and let me do what I wanted, and I traced the lines down her sides and to the top of her thick pants. I stared into her eyes the whole time and she stared back at me just as intensely.

“I thought you said you only wanted to wash up and go to sleep.” Maylia said without blinking.

“I do.” I said and brought my hands up to her neck. I rested them on either side and rubbed her collarbone with my thumbs. “I can't stand here and not pay you any attention, though.” I said with a smile. “Can I ask you a question?”

“No, a man has never touched me like that before.” Maylia said right away.

“What about a woman?” I asked, and her face flushed to a deep red. “Ah, I was wondering why you didn't react when I touched the creases.”

“Is that okay?” Maylia asked. “It doesn't ruin this for you, knowing that I'm not some innocent girl that hasn't had someone touch her?”

I gave her a crooked smile. “I'm only a little nervous that you've had experience and I might not live up to your expectations.”

“I don't have any when it comes to you.” Maylia said. “Everything you do is different and exciting and amazing...”

“Whoa, there.” I said with a chuckle. “Let's finish getting undressed before you keep praising me unnecessarily.”

“It's not unnecessary.” Maylia said and started to untie her pants. They had similar laces down the sides starting at her hips and down her thighs. “There hasn't been anything you've done so far that's been ordinary.” She said and I knelt as I started on her other hip. “Even buying normal things from the shops caused a scene and made people happy.”

I couldn't refute that, so I stayed quiet and kept loosening the laces.

“If the queen could have seen you using an artifact like you did to kill those creatures, I think she would have done everything she could to convince you to stay.” Maylia said.

“Why else do you think I didn't use it?” I asked and looked up at her face.

“That's why you didn't use it in front of the princess!” Maylia exclaimed, and I nodded.

“They never would have agreed to let me go if they knew what I could do.” I said and tugged on her pants. The thick leather popped open and slid down to her knees. “Oops. We forgot to take your boots off first.”

Maylia chuckled and sat down so I could untie them and slip them off, then her pants came right off. She had a thin cloth underneath the pants and they were mostly soaked as well.

“Isn't that uncomfortable?” I asked as she slid the cloth down and off her legs to leave herself in just a small pair of underwear.

“Just the opposite.” Maylia said and held the cloth out to me. Even in the state it was in, the cloth was supple and soft. “It's the best undergarments to have for wearing leather.”

I couldn't help but reach out and trace the pinkish creases at the tops of her thighs, down the sides where the edge of the leather had dug in, and around her knees.

“Whatever you wear, you will get marks of some kind, especially wearing them for a few days in a row and doing extensive movements without taking them off.” Maylia said.

“Like running across the countryside chasing a man.” I said with a grin, and she nodded.

“It used to be much worse. We could only wear protection for a few hours at a time and then had to rest and massage the areas, until we discovered the cloth and started using it.” Maylia said. “Now we can go days before it starts to get painful.”

I stood up and looked into her eyes. “Can you teach me how to give the proper massage?” I asked. “I know how to give a massage where I come from; but, I don't know how to massage these creases out.”

“I'll do yours and then you can do mine.” Maylia said. “Let's get your armor off, too.”

“That's not going to work for me.” I said and quickly took off my uniform top and hung it on the back of one of the chairs. While she was distracted, I slipped my not-working wrist communicator into the bag of holding. Maylia turned from the uniform coat and marvelled at my long sleeved t-shirt while I pulled it up and off over my head. She caught her breath when she saw the mass of scars in a circular pattern around my heart and her hand immediately reached out to trace them.

“What happened?”

“That's a story I can tell you while we wash up.” I said and took off the uniform pants and laid them on the chair seat. I stood there in just my underwear and Maylia looked me over closely. She checked my elbows, my armpits, my sides, my hips and thighs, and then my knees.

“You don't have any creases!” Maylia said, completely surprised. “What kind of armor doesn't leave creases?”

“Partially ineffectual armor.” I said. “You saw how it reacted when I fought the princess.”

“It withstood her enchanted blade! How can it not have dug into you when that happened?” Maylia asked and checked my arm where I had held off the blade. “There's not even a mark!”

“Yeah, only if the blade hit the metal.” I said and held up the elbow of the uniform where the blade had cut through it and the wires there. It had just barely missed my elbow in the process. “Otherwise, it's just strong thick leather.”

“My people would kill for this kind of leather.” Maylia rubbed the cloth. “Where did you get it?”

“Very, very far away from here.” I said and knew it was true.

“Can it be repaired?” Maylia asked.

“I have no idea.” I said. “But, I can worry about that later. First things first.” I took her hand and led her over to the bathroom and started to fill the tub. At least they have running hot water. I thought, relieved.

“Are you washing first?” Maylia asked.

“No, I'll help you.” I said and checked the water as the tub quickly filled. “I want to rub you all over, so I'm using the excuse that we need to try the soap we bought.”

Maylia touched my shoulder and I turned to look at her. “Can I use that excuse, too?”

“Of course you can.” I said with a smile and turned off the water, then got the soap and a soft cloth out of the bag of holding. “One good scrubbing coming up.”

Maylia nodded and took off her underwear, and I saw a very thick bush of blonde hair. She stepped into the tub and sat down and rested her head on the rim as she closed her eyes. I dipped the soap into the water and lathered my hands and the soft cloth up, then picked up her arm and started to wash her. I did both arms and both legs, and she relaxed almost completely as her breath came out in a slow and steady rhythm. She didn't react when I moved on to her torso and washed her thoroughly.

I guess she really does have a lot of experience with things like this. I thought as I finished up and swished the water over her exposed skin to rinse it off. Maylia took the cue and stood up so I could rinse off the rest of her, then she stepped out of the tub onto the floor and dripped all over the place.

I laughed and grabbed a towel and gave her a quick once-over to get all the large drips, then I turned the towel over and dried her off properly. During that part she stared at me as if I was doing something she hadn't seen before, so I worked my way up her body and stopped at her neck. She grabbed my hands and the towel when I was done.

“Your turn.” Maylia said.

“I need to empty the...”

“Don't waste the water.” Maylia said and motioned to the tub. “It's still soapy, so the water's still good for soaking.”

I was used to taking quick showers, so I wasn't sure if that was true or not. The Presence didn't waver, though. I took off my underwear and climbed into the tub.

When in Rome. I thought and Maylia took the soap and lathered up her hands and the cloth like I did and she told me to close my eyes. I laid back like she had and rested my head on the tub edge and closed my eyes. Her fingers touched the scars around my heart and she rubbed them.

“Tell me about this.” Maylia said, then she scrubbed my chest as if I had breasts. I held in my laugh as I realized she hadn't ever scrubbed a man before. I used a mental technique to clear my mind, then told her about meeting Ozahith and what happened to her. I left out the communication device, though. She kept washing me as I spoke, and when I was done, I stood up and she rinsed me off. I pointed to another towel and she dried me off a little, as if she didn't know how to do it, so I took it from her and dried off properly, which showed her how to do it.

I stepped out of the tub and dried my legs and feet off to leave myself completely clean and dry. Maylia didn't say anything and I could see her thinking about the story I had told her, so I pointed to her hair and then the tub. She nodded and untied her hair and we washed her hair with the soap to clean it and then dried it. She didn't tie it up and just left it, then we did my hair. It was cleaned and dried as quickly as hers was, then I led her over to the bed.

I took a hairbrush out of the bag of holding and Maylia looked at me like I was going to do something amazing and I chuckled and had her sit on the bed. She did so and I brushed her hair out like Luxea had taught me, and finished at the top of her head a few minutes later. She reached back for the hairbrush and I handed it over, then we switched places and she did the same thing. She seemed a lot more relaxed about doing it to me than I thought she should be, with me being a man and all.

Maylia didn't comment when she finished and just handed me the hairbrush to put back into the bag of holding. I had bought extra hair ties, so we tied up each other's hair with new ones to keep it up and out of the way. I helped her get dressed in the simple nightgown and underwear I had set out before the bath and I put on a pair of underwear and the man's version of a nightgown. I looked ridiculous in the thing; but, they didn't have pyjamas and only had these things to sleep in, so that was what I wore.

I folded down the blankets and held a hand out to Maylia. She breathed in and let it out, took my hand, and climbed into bed. I climbed in beside her and didn't cover up with the blankets.

“Should I do the massage on you now?” I asked, unsure.

“It can wait until morning.” Maylia said.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I don't mind doing it now, in case your muscles get stiff after not taking care of it all night.”

She turned to face me on her side. “It's going to be odd enough that I'm staying in bed with a man and we aren't going to mate.” She smiled. “I don't know if I can take being massaged first and then trying to go to sleep beside you afterwards.”

I chuckled. “Okay, that's a good enough reason.”

Maylia nodded and rolled onto her back again as I covered us with the blankets up to our chests. “I'm kind of used to cuddling my bed sister, so don't be scared if you feel me touching you tonight.”

I turned my head and looked at her. “I was about to say the same thing.”

“You were?” Maylia asked, surprised.

“Luxea and I shared a bed for several months, mainly because we liked each other's company.” I said.

Maylia nodded. “It's nice to have a warm body to cuddle with.”

“Since I was a child, I've almost always had someone else in the bed with me.” I said.

“Me, too.” Maylia said and shimmied over slightly. I smiled and reached for her and pulled her over the rest of the way. She only raised her eyebrows for a moment and then hugged me tightly.

“Just don't freak out that I don't have soft breasts to rest your head on.” I said jokingly.

Maylia didn't say anything as she slid a hand up to the mass of scars around my heart and gave my pectoral muscle a squeeze, then she sighed and cuddled in and closed her eyes. I looked down at a woman I had only met a few days ago, under questionable circumstances, and now I was cuddled up in bed with her.

I sure have had a strange life so far. I thought and used a mental technique to enter a meditative state that would let me wake in an instant if necessary. I was definitely more tired than I had thought I was and fell asleep barely a few seconds later.