Virtually Yours

Di ran from the house and into the driving rain, ignoring the slamming door and angry shout behind her. A flash of lightning illuminated the tree line briefly and Di glanced back fearfully over her shoulder, struggling to hold tears of panic. The shadow on the porch seemed undecided for a moment, then it plunged into the renewed darkness. Di could feel its anger across the short space. Her knees shook uncontrollably as panic swept through her body and the tears finally came as she ran unsteadily into the trees.

The cracking of twigs beneath her feet was drowned out momentarily by a sharp peal of thunder. Di thought she heard a shout through the howling wind and ran faster, arms outstretched. She cried out as a small branch whipped across her face, drawing blood. The trees loomed fast and sudden before her, threatening to knock her to the ground. Some small part of her mind called a warning as the sharp precipice loomed close, a sheer drop to the distant beach.

The shadow stepped in front of her abruptly and Di screamed. She ducked to one side and ran headlong into a thick trunk. The resulting crack sounded louder than the thunder and Di staggered away, hands fluttering to the gash that had opened in her forehead. The shadow paused, confused, and watched as one of Di's feet slipped from the safety of the rock ledge. When the shadow lunged forward Di's remaining strength fled and she slipped, flailing backward into the darkness. The ground rushed forward...

...and the brightness of the noon day was blotted out by a dark shadow, arm raised, long blade gleaming. Di scrambled to the side, her panic overwhelmed by confusion. The sword cracked against the ground and the man cursed, pulling heavily at the stuck weapon. Di tried climbing to her feet but a wave of dizziness made her stumble back to one knee. Something warm dripped down the side of her face and she abruptly recalled striking the tree. A growl sounded behind her, and Di turned to find that her attacker had regained his sword.

A clattering of hooves caused the man to pause. A massive white body was suddenly between Di and the man. A flash of brilliant blue blinded Di and the swordsman stumbled away, weapon dropping to his side. Squinting into the sun, Di saw a beautiful figure astride a white charger, sapphire gown billowing as the horse reared. A long, tapering wand was clenched in her

right hand. As Di watched, the wand flashed again and Di's attacker was bathed in a wash of sapphire. When the light faded, the man was gone.

"Don't worry," the woman said. She slipped from her mount gracefully, the hem of her long gown dragging behind her. "I've just sent him away, he isn't hurt too badly."

Di opened her mouth to thank the woman but no sound would come out. Her savior reached out both hands and smiled. Di was inexplicably embarrassed; she almost stepped back for fear of bleeding on the woman's beautiful dress.

"Let's get you somewhere safe," the woman said. Her soft voice hardly carried across the still glen. Once again, Di found herself speechless. Then she simply fainted.

"I'm Wynn," the woman said. She dabbed at Di's face gently with a damp cloth. Behind her, light from two torches flickered off the walls of the cave. Di twisted around to survey her surroundings; she was lying on a pile of down pillows, and the walls of the cave were hung with numerous decorated tapestries. A small table stood to one side with a chair at either end. Beyond it, Di found a fireplace carved into one rock wall. The flames licked merrily at a spitted carcass of some kind; Di looked away from it quickly and found herself staring into Wynn's concerned eyes.

"Can you speak?" Wynn asked.

"I think so," Di answered. Her voice felt weak, but the throbbing in her head was already receding. Reaching up, she found that the cut on her forehead seemed to have closed. "Where are the stitches?" she asked.

Wynn laughed. The bright sound bounced off the walls of the cave and echoed into Di's ears. "Stitches? Why would anyone sew such beautiful skin?" She trailed the back of one fingernail softly down the side of Di's face. "I'd sooner ride Rhiannon over a cliff!" From somewhere beyond the room the horse snorted in protest.

Di's gaze remained locked to Wynn's as she turned her head slightly, wanting to feel the other woman's soft touch more fully on her face. Wynn obliged happily, stroking Di's hair back over her ear with one cool palm. "How did I get here?" Di finally asked. Wynn laughed again.

"You came to the glade, I found you, and I brought you here. He was stronger than you, but only because you're new to the real world. Give yourself time." Wynn somehow managed to smile as she talked, still stroking Di's hair. "I'm afraid I had to get rid of your clothes. They were beyond repair."

Di looked down at herself reflexively and found she was dressed only in a thin, white robe. She blushed, then smiled up at Wynn. "Is that how you knew about my beautiful skin?" she teased.

Instead of answering Wynn leaned forward, pressing her lips softly to Di's. Sighing to herself, Di settled even further into the pillows. A smooth palm brushed against Di's breast and her nipple responded through the thin fabric, encouraging Wynn further. Slipping one hand under the other woman's back, Wynn's kiss grew more insistent. Di reached up, wrapped her arms around her savior's back, pulled her down onto the pillows. They lay that way for what felt like eternity, mouths working silently against one another, the soft bond between them constantly reshaping itself.

Breaking the kiss, Wynn pushed herself up by her palms and pressed the tip of one finger to Di's lips. Smiling, the sorceress trailed the finger slowly across Di's chin, then down the smooth front of her neck. The gown parted soundlessly, sliding to either side until Di's breasts were exposed to Wynn's warm breath. Di smiled and closed her eyes as the other woman's hand caressed light circles on her skin. When Wynn's fingers reached the peak of one breast, she replaced them with her mouth. Di moaned, the sound rumbling deep in her chest beneath Wynn's feathery touch.

Opening her eyes, Di found Wynn's sapphire gown sliding from her body. The sorceress' hands were still stroking Di's breast and thigh; the dress seemed to move under its own volition. With a hardened nipple trapped between her lips, Wynn turned her head and looked into her lover's eyes. She smiled without releasing the captive bud and Di let out a small cry, then reached up to caress the exposed curve of Wynn's flank. Wynn made an appreciative noise and shifted slightly. Di's exploring hand soon discovered the heated cleft between Wynn's legs and she wiggled impatiently, not wanting to interrupt Wynn's ministrations to her breast, but eager to return the attention in a more fulfilling way.

A loud shout from outside the cave broke both women's concentration. Wynn was on her feet in an instant, ignoring the gown as it slithered completely away from her firm body. A thin, maple wand materialized in her hand as Wynn shut her eyes, brow wrinkled in concentration.

"What is it?" Di asked, climbing to her feet, pulling the robe closed.

Wynn opened her eyes. "Just unwanted visitors," she said. Smiling ruefully, she reached out to brush Di's hair away from her eyes. "Nothing I can't handle, but I don't want to put you in danger."

A sudden pang of disappointment struck Di at Wynn's tone. "I can't help?" she asked.

"Not yet," Wynn told her. She seemed to study Di for a moment, eyes filled with longing. "Sooner or later you'll be strong enough, but for now, you should hide."

Di nodded, filled with an inexplicable dread but trusting the sapphire woman. "In here," Wynn urged, drawing Di toward one wall as another shout and a loud curse sounded. One of the tapestries began to glow, and Wynn, still naked, seized Di for one more desperate kiss. Then, with a sharp push, she thrust Di toward the tapestry...

...and straight into the warm, salty water. One wall of a huge wooden galleon rose out of the darkness as Di automatically began treading water, choking and coughing as she tried to clear the water from her lungs. From far above came a cry, then a heavy splash as someone dropped into the water next to her. Strong hands closed on her arms and Di was being lifted from the water.

The water fell away beneath her feet and Di realized she was being hoisted onto the galleon in an unseen rescuer's embrace. The salt water stung her eyes, making them tear when she tried to see whom she had to thank. "Hold still," whispered a familiar voice, tinged with amusement. "Lifting two slight morsels like ourselves isn't so great a task, but there's no reason to make it any more difficult on them." Di fell still as they were raised, dimly aware of the other woman's hand kneading her soft breast through the wet robe. In a moment they were being helped onto the deck of the ship.

"When I said to hide, I meant aboard ship," Wynn said, bending over as she wrung her chestnut hair out over the railing. A chorus of laughter surrounded the pair as men and women returned to their previous work.

"Where...where are we?" asked Di, still working the last vestiges of water from her lungs.

"South Imbrium Ocean, fifteen days from the nearest land and two hundred yards from the flotsam we used to know as 'The Swordfish'," answered Wynn. A cheer arose from the nearest sailors at her last words. "Did the sea was away your memory, young lover?"

Rubbing the water from her eyes, Di finally got a clear look at the other woman. The image before her was confusing--it appeared to be Wynn, but with subtle differences. Her hair was slightly longer and a deeper shade of chestnut brown; the angles of her face were more sharply defined. Even her eyes were slightly changed; this visage of Di's lover reflected a far more aggressive attitude in her gaze. Against the backdrop of endless stars and dim lantern light, Wynn seemed ready to seize entire worlds.

Grinning wickedly, Wynn let her sight roam up and down Di's body. "Let's get you into the cabin," she said. "We could both use a change of clothes."

Glancing down, Di realized for the first time that her thin robe had become transparent as the water plastered it to her body. The surreptitious glances of the men and women around her, however, seemed more appreciative than lascivious. Surprised at her own lack of self-consciousness Di followed Wynn across the deck and into a large cabin. As soon as the door closed, Wynn's arms were around Di.

"Captain's prize," murmured Wynn. "Sometimes it pays to be in charge." Her tongue slid eagerly between Di's lips. Di couldn't help being taken aback at the pirate's boldness; this wasn't the Wynn she remembered from her brief experience earlier. Still, she found, this version wasn't all bad either.

"Can't have you standing in wet clothes," Wynn said, somewhat breathlessly, when they broke apart. She led Di to a corner of the cabin where the floor seemed depressed somewhat. A narrow trough ran around the lowered area, leading to a hole through the wall. Wynn quickly stripped Di's robe from her, then began unfastening her own. She paused momentarily to ring a high-pitched bell, then stepped into the basin with Di. She was running her hands and lips across Di's shoulders when the door opened, admitting a slender girl with a large wooden bucket dangling from each hand. The girl's arms seemed too frail for her burden, but she carried the buckets across the cabin with no apparent difficulty. Wynn kissed the girl lightly on the lips, then sent her away again.

"Ready?" Wynn asked. Without waiting for an answer she dipped a wooden ladle into one of the buckets. Warm water was soon streaming over Di's head and down her shoulders, a pleasant river trickling between her breasts. Her free hand drifted over Di's body freely, caressing the groove of her spine, her flat stomach, and down over her thighs.

When the bucket was half empty, Wynn reached around Di for a thick sponge resting on a narrow shelf. She paused, taking the opportunity for another deep kiss, then began rubbing the sponge up and down Di's back while looking silently into her eyes. Spinning Di around slowly, Wynn pressed her breasts up against the other woman's back and began rubbing lightly at her front. The sponge was already filled with soap, somehow; in a few minutes Di's entire upper body was covered with a thick layer of the fragrant froth. Wynn turned Di again, then lowered herself to her knees. Her lips and tongue barely grazed Di's nether region as she sponged her legs lovingly. When Di had been totally covered by the sponge Wynn started to rise, laughing softly as the standing woman moaned in protest. The pirate obligingly stayed on her knees for a few more minutes, until Di's breathing had grown ragged and heavy.

Wynn finally stood, returning the sponge to its shelf, and began ladling clear, warm water to rinse away the soap. Di reached a hand toward one wall, steadying herself. Between the rocking of the ship and what Wynn had just accomplished, much of the strength seemed to have left Di's body. After a few more minutes of Wynn's caresses and kisses, however, she felt more refreshed than tired.

"There's still one more bucket," Wynn said, smiling. She lifted one of her own breasts with her hand, using the other to push Di's head downward gently. Her smile grew broader when Di's lips closed eagerly on her soft skin, then she released the other woman to reach for the ladle.

Di had only managed to empty two ladles worth of water when the door flew open and the girl who'd brought the water burst in unannounced. Wynn leaped from the basin to the clothes stand near her bed, reaching for the belted scabbard hanging on the bedpost.

"Captain," said the girl, her voice urgent but not panicked, "they've found us. The night watch didn't see them through the fog."

Wynn spat a decidedly unladylike curse and pulled her clothes on rapidly. Di followed her, jumping into the trousers and shirt Wynn offered as shouts arose from outside the cabin. The messenger turned, a bulky pistol appearing in her hand. She fired into the darkness as a sharp crack split the night air, then Di was following Wynn out of the cabin.

Men and women were running in every direction, most with naked blades or single shot pistols in their grasp. Another ship loomed in the dim light to the starboard side; it was mated to Wynn's galleon by grappling hooks and chains. Di stopped dead at the sight of the battle being joined on the decks. Wynn was already diving into the fray, cutlass flashing in every direction. She fought wildly, driving men and women before her like a hurricane. As she danced back and forth with a scowling, tattooed man, however, Wynn didn't notice a lithe woman with a wicked rapier drifting silently up behind her.

Without thinking, Di scooped up a short plank of wood and bounded toward Wynn's attacker. The woman fell with a sharp cry when Di swung the wood hard, if not gracefully, into the back of her head. Wynn glanced over her shoulder and shot Di a brilliant smile, then planted her foot in the tattooed man's chest and shoved him over the railing. She turned to Di, smile disappearing as a new wave of attackers flooded toward them.

"Run!" Wynn yelled. Di dropped her weapon, still shocked at the ease with which she'd felled the other woman. She looked around wildly for an escape route, but the only way to go was up. As the pirates bore down on her, Di scrambled up the thick strands of a cargo net.

Wynn danced and spun at the base of the net, cutlass snapping out at the nearest opponents. One man slipped past her guard, however, and pulled himself up the net after Di. Wynn tried to follow but was carried away from the net by the tide of battle; Di was left alone to contend with the climbing pirate.

"Get away!" screamed Di, kicking out at the man as she continued to ascend. He growled and continued his pursuit, driving Di further and further toward the top of the net.

"Nowhere left to go," said Di's pursuer, drawing a long, curved knife from his belt as Di reached the top of the net. Far below, the combatants swarmed like ants on the deck of the ship. Di kicked desperately at the pirate but couldn't get any leverage while clinging to the net. He slashed upward with the knife, barely missing Di's bare foot. The woman screamed, twisting away and losing her grip. When the pirate swung again Di let go completely. She plunged into the darkness...

...and drifted gently away from the cargo net, suspended gently in the empty space between the seamless metal walls of the corridor. She flailed about wildly for a second, reaching frantically for a handhold. She stopped, giggling slightly at herself when she realized the floor was drifting gently above her head. After a few minutes of experimenting, Di managed to reach one of the walls. A series of parallel grooves was cut into the gleaming surface, allowing Di to pull herself hand over hand down the corridor. After gaining a bit more momentum and courage Di simply let herself drift forward freely, enjoying the sensation of flying.

After passing a few doors and side passages Di's hallway terminated in a large, brightly lit room. The walls were lined with flashing lights and electronic controls of various kinds. In the center of the room a harness-like chair was suspended between the ceiling and floor. The chair was made from a webbed arrangement of leather straps and swiveled to face Di as she floated into the room.

"I've been wondering when you'd get here," said Wynn. Her hair was cropped short and she wore a tight-fitting jumpsuit, no cutlass or wand evident. The smile was definitely Wynn, however.

"You knew I was coming?" asked Di. She set her feet against the wall next to the door and pushed, rocketing gently toward the other woman.

"Just had a feeling," Wynn answered. She caught both Di's hands in her, own, slowing her approach. Di bent her elbows slightly, pulling herself close enough to plant a kiss solidly on Wynn's lips.

"I fought with you on a pirate ship," Di said. She wrapped her legs around Wynn's waist and leaned forward, nibbling lightly on Wynn's ear.

"Mmm," Wynn said. "Why were we fighting? Did I upset you?"

"Silly," whispered Di. "We were on the same side." Her tongue tickled Wynn's ear, then she leaned back.

"Now that you're here, what do you want to do?" Wynn glanced over her shoulder. The monitors behind her hummed quietly.

In lieu of answer, Di gazed silently into Wynn's eyes and reached for the zipper at her neck. She drew it down slowly, her stare lowering as Wynn's breasts slid into view. Bending forward, Di took one in her mouth, sucking lightly. Wynn exhaled slowly and arched her back, reaching up to wrap her hands in the webbing next to her head. Keeping her legs around Wynn's waist, her pelvis locked and grinding slightly against her lover's, she cupped Wynn's breast in both hands, tugging and nibbling with her lips.

When Wynn's breathing grew deeper Di switched to the opposite, equally beautiful side of her chest. In a moment Wynn's hands flew to Di's buttocks, squeezing the other woman with rigid fingers as her body shook in the webbed chair.

"Have one of these built for two?" Di asked with a mischievous grin. She leaned back again, stroking Wynn's nipples idly with her palms.

"This way," said Wynn. Twisting slightly, she wrapped her arms around Di and launched them both toward the wall. A door opened soundlessly as the pair rotated in each other's arms, undressing as they floated across the room. Turning and twisting, Wynn and Di intertwined their legs and arms, stomachs rubbing softly against one another, tumbling end over end as they lost momentum in the slight gravity. Di's lips were caressing Wynn's neck when a shudder reverberated through the walls of the room.

"Damn!" said Wynn. "Now?"

Another shock echoed through the metal corridors and Wynn helped Di orient herself to the floor. A tile in one corner of the room began to glow bright red, and Wynn glanced in annoyance in the direction they'd just departed.

"Wait," said Di, reaching for Wynn's arm. "I can help!"

Wynn flashed her bright smile and pecked softly at Di's lips. "This is the last time those bastards are going to interrupt us," she said. Then, without warning, she spun Di around and goosed her forward with one hand between the shoulders and the other on the rear. Di gave a shout she must have picked up from the pirate Wynn, then she was drifting over the glowing square. A warm, pink light enveloped her body...

...and she was lying on the beach, cold rain water pelting her aching skin. Di's face was sticky with blood and her head hurt, but she seemed otherwise unhurt. Pulling herself upright, she looked up the sheer bluff and marveled that she'd survived the fall. Then she remembered what lay up the cliff and almost wished the drop had proved fatal. Biting back that thought, she made her way wearily to the uphill path.

The path covered a far greater distance than the straight down drop and Di was exhausted by the time she reached the road. The wind howled, showing no sign of its fury abating. Pulling her thin blouse tighter over her soaked shoulders, Di trudged toward the house. She had no idea what time it was; only a single lamp burned in the front room. Standing on the porch, Di paused momentarily. Her fear melted away slowly, replaced by the iron resolve she remembered feeling in Wynn's embrace. Face hardening slightly, she picked up a heavy piece of firewood from the pile next to the door.

The shadow rose from the couch as Di entered. She hesitated in the doorway, trying to make out the figure in the dim light. The silhouette's outline was smaller than it should have been, and somehow seemed softer. Di dropped the wood and let out a small cry of relief and love as the figure stepped forward. There was no sign of the beast who had chased Di into the night--she realized instinctively that the world had changed; her abuser wasno more than a vague whisper on the wind.

Wynn smiled at her obvious happiness, catching the other woman in a tight embrace. "Dear Di," she whispered. "Am I always going to have to find you dry clothes?"