A Home That Far

Author's note:
Ok, you probably know by now that the rating for this story has gone up. Well, that is because in this chapter, Kale and Duncan finally get...what everyone has been trying to keep from them.

That's right folks, sex. And plenty of it. So if you have a thing about reading explicit material, please avert your eyes, close your browser, don't read this chapter. But if you don't read it, you'll miss a very key point...trust me...I'm a mean author. You hate cliffhangers? Well this one has a doozy, and worse yet...I haven't even started chapter 14 yet. So how do you think I fee?

Take care, enjoy the chapter, and leave plenty of reviews if you please.

Good reading.
Jem
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A Home That Far
Chapter 13 Hearts of Fire

Kale laid down on the ground, folding her wings over her body. Suddenly she shuddered, the cold finally getting to her. Then her body shrank in on itself, her wings disappearing into her back, theks aks and claws retracting. As her human body became more defined, Duncan rushed forward with one of the blankets, and threw it over her, as her transformation completed, and left her laying on the slushy ground, shivering.

Duncan tucked Kale beneath the warm blankets back in the Avion tent, Stratos and the others quietly discussed what they saw. As he left Kale to rest, he listened to the conversation of the Avions.

"It had to be the oldest dragon. There's no other possibility," stated the youngest of his group.

"That's impossible. Dragons don't live more than twenty years. By the size of that one, he had to be more than fifty."

"Akirel, come one. Fifty years?"

"Yes. Measurements of the wingspan, and the number of cranial tusks are key factors in determining the age of a dragon. It had to be at least fifty years old, possibly more."

"I take it you've never seen this dragon before?" Duncan asked.

Stratos handed the master a cup of coffee as he sat down. "No. He's the largest dragon we've ever encountered. We've heard rumors of a huge dragon like him over the years, but we've never been able to confirm any of them. Now we can. Tearna, please tell me you got pictures of him?"

"Yes my lord. Right from the moment he came over the cliff. Did you see how he carried the wounded dragon away?"

"He's taking him south..." Duncan at once went to Kale's side, as she staggered to the gathering. She fought with him to remain near the fire, rather than go back to bed. Duncan reluctantly agreed, sitting her down on the ground, wrapping her shaking fingers around a cup as he handed it to her. "...They came, because I called them. I called for help."

"Why?" Stratos asked.

She sipped the coffee quickly, then continued. "I didn't mean to," she replied. "It was painful to change like I did. I didn't know what I was doing. But when I heard them arrive, I figured they could help the wounded one. But they didn't' seem to impressed about an albino dragon."

"Albino? Where?" asked one of the younger men.

"Not where," she replied, Duncan draping the blankets more around her shoulders, securing her with his position to her, rather than risk her seeking out one of the other males around her. "Me. They didn't like a white dragon. I tried to explain it to them, but they wouldn't listen. They tried to pull the red dragon away, poking at his wounds to get him to move."

"That's why you stood over him?" Duncan surmised.

"Yes. I never expected to encounter a dragon like him."

"Wait a minute. Wait just one minute," Stratos began. "Are you saying you understood them?"

"As plainly as you and I understand each other."

"Amazing. What did they big one say?"

Not wanting to speak on the mater any longer, Kale leaned back into Duncan's nearly possessive embrace. She didn't want the coffee, she didn't want anything. She just wanted to be left alone with Duncan. A tear escaped her eye as she turned to lay across his lap. A sudden sadness overcoming her that perhaps they never would be alone for any length of time.

One of the younger soldiers motioned for them all to leave, they had equipment to gather anyway. Before he left, Stratos asked one last question. "Will he live?"

Kale turned slightly, annoyed that she was still being disturbed. "He doesn't know," she answered curtly. "Ask me when they come back next year." Stratos nodded, and left to join his men.

Duncan gathered Kale in his arms and carried her to the tent. With the thermal cells in the temporary Avion nest, and extra blankets, the nest was far warmer than outside by the fire. He laid her flat along the soft covers, pulling more pillows beneath her head before sitting back from her. She turned slightly, feeling his presence retreat, to find him removing his armor, laying it along the outer edge of the nest.

"I was beginning to wonder if it ever came off," she laughed slightly. Duncan smiled and leaned down and kissed her, relishing the softness of her lips, swimming in the feel of her embrace, descending to her side on the waves of their desire.

"Alone at last," he said, gently kissing her neck.

"Whatever shall we do?" she laughingly asked.

"Oh, I can think of a few things," he said, his gloves slowly sliding free of his hands, as though they removed themselves. His bare fingers then traced the edges of the blankets, slowly working their way to her still nude flesh beneath.

Slowly the cocoon of covers parted, revealing to him her nearly flawless skin. The valley of her chest rose with her breath to meet his wandering fingers. He traced her collarbone and down the middle of her chest, tracing along the gentle rounding of her still covered breasts.

"If someone suddenly turns up, I'll kill them!" she said, as his right hand thread its way around her chest, cupping her breast.

Duncan pressed his lips to the valley of her chest, gently brushing the ends of his moustache hairs along the gentle rise of her left breast. "I'll help you dispose of the bodies," he said, nosing his way to the rose that stood out, still hidden in the layers of fabric.

Her gasp was more a shocked squeal as he pulled the sensitive flesh into his warm embrace, sucking gently and swirling his tongue around its base. With his left hand, he freed her right breast, gently pinching the small bud, at the same time gently caressing the soft spear his hand had aroused.

Kale practically thrashed her way free of the blankets, thrusting her fingers into his hair, nearly tearing some out by its roots to loosen the strands from where he'd bound it tightly to the back of his head.

Quickly he kissed her, trying to calm her down, only it had the opposite effect. She frantically kissed him, pulling his lips with her teeth, locking him in place with her arms, pushing her breasts further into his hands.

Finally he was able to pull away, gasping for air that she denied him. "Kale," he gasped, as she began to nibble his left earlobe. "Kale, slow down..."

"I can't," she cried, pulling at the collar of his shirt. "They'll come back...they'll stop us...Duncan please!"

Quickly he pushed her off him, forcing her arms above her head. His expression was calm, even if his motions seemed forceful. She just watched him intently, her breath quick. She needed him, she wanted him. How could she make that more clear to him?

Carefully he straddled her hips, resting most of his weight on his haunches, than on her. There was only one cover that separated him from where she wanted him to be. Her breath caught in her throat for only a moment, wondering if he would continue, hoping that he would pull the final cover away, to take her as his, as he had told her she was.

"It will be alright," he said softly, kissing the end of her nose. "I wont let anyone interrupt us again." He brought her hands down to her sides, pushing himself away, supported by his arms. She tried to pull her left arm free, but Duncan suddenly pulled her arm to him, to look closer at her wrist. "The ring is gone. What happened?"

"I changed," she explained, "into a monkey, a small one. The bracelet fell of my arm. It's in the pocket of my pants. I couldn't absorb it. It wasn't organic. It was metal, with synthetic components. If I changed into a dragon with it on, it would have broken, either my wrist off, or it would have broken itself. Possibly both."

"Well, I guess I'll have to find the key again, to put it back on you. You seemed so intent on keeping it." Carefully he kissed the palm of her hand, licking each of her fingers before pressing her hand back to her side. "Now, what am I going to do with you?"

"Duncan please, don't do this...don't teas me..." tears ran freely from her eyes. "I can't control what's happening to me. Please!"

"Calm down. It will be all right. Just don't rush." He gently kissed each tear from her face, licking the salty taste from her skin, before placing feather light lips to her eyelids. "You'll get all that you need, all that you want, all that you desire...and I won't stop...till you beg me too." Quickly he rose and whipped his shirt from his chest, tossing it aside. Her fingers found their way to his abdomen, pulling at the hem of his pants, wishing that the fur covering him would just shed away.

Franticly, he grabbed her hands and thrust them back to her sides, only this time, near her shoulders. He kissed her again, working his way back down her neck, sliding his lower body down hers, pulling the final blanket away as he went. The slight chill of the air, from the tent flap that had not been sealed, caused her flesh to chill. Tiny goose bumps rising all g heg her nether region, greeted him as he descended to her.

She tried to move her legs for him, but the weight of his body kept her in place. This time, he would finish what he started. He pulled her right leg free of its confinement, gently pressing his thumbs to the centre of the underside of her foot. She pressed her weight into her leg, trying to force him , bu, but he wouldn't budge. He was right. It wasn't just because she was ticklish that she had pulled away that day, his manipulation of her flesh was arousing her. This would work to his advantage.

Carefully he spread his hands over her foot, finding just the right pressure points along the upper and lower sides. A gentle touch here, a bit of pressure there, and one last touch... Kale began to scream, her body gleaming with perspiration. She gasped for breath, as every muscle in her body contracted. Her toes curled beneath his touch, as she rode the crest of her pleasure, he lowered her leg to the floor, and began a new on her left foot.

As he caressed her toes, she calmed her breathing, her climax over, and her body returned to a normal pace. He smiled, and pressed his thumbs to the underside of her left foot. Again she pressed her weight to her foot, though not as fierce this time, perhaps she had not fully recovered from her last burst of pleasure. Oh well, she wasn't begging him to stop. He'll keep going.

Gently he massaged her foot, taking his time to find the right pressure points, driving her further to the edge of her desire. He admired her as she turned under his assault, the way her body's muscles had recovered, and toned to her flesh. The way her pale skin was slowly tanning to match the rest of her.

He'd never really noticed just how far her wounds had gone that day, but it seemed now, that her recovering skin was giving him directions. Pale tendrils of healed flesh, pointing their way to her breasts, a longer, wider track, leading across her belly, and sharply down, halting at an almost arrow shape, just above her white muff. He almost reached out to touch her there, but he wanted to please her more first. Bring her to a more reasonable state of mind, before he would make her, his.

He slowly put pressure on a key nerve in her foot, and smiled as her body arched to his touch, one more spot and... Kale began to scream once more, calling his name. She reached for his hand, but if he removed his fingers from her foot, the sensation would stop, and she would crash hard, without the benefit of a full release. He pressed just a little harder, and her eyes went wide with what she felt. The feeling exploded inside her, like a coiled spring tightly wound, suddenly breaking free.

A few moments later, she calmed, her body shaking from her ordeal. Duncan pulled a blanket over her, and lay beside her. She needed to rest. Just a little while though. She still needed him, and she would have all she wanted.

He lay at her side right through to mid day, her breathing slowly relaxing to that of sound sleep. Carefully he pulled the covers over her shoulder, resting her head against his chest. He'd discovered earlier that when he tried to move away from her, she would seek him out aggressively, pulling on his arms, or squeezing his neck, whatever part of him should could grasp. And she wouldn't let up till he ntednted, and remained by her side.

It wasn't that he didn't want to remain, there were just some things that one needed to take care of in private. But she needed him, she wouldn't remain relaxed without him, and he didn't want her to wake to the same state she was in that morning. She turned over and nuzzled closer to his chest, wrapping her arm around him, pushing her right leg between his knees. He could feel the warmth of her increasing, and felt her pulse quicken slightly. But as she settled, the sound of his beating heart reaching her ears, her pulse eased. He signed. He didn't want to take her this way, he wanted her to know that what he did to her, he did because she wanted him to, not that she needed him to.

He kissed her brow relaxing into he raised arm, trying to rest himself, but to do so was difficult at this early time. He was always able to fall asleep late and wake early in the day, sometimes stay awake for days. But to nap in the middle of the day, or even sleep in, was something he could not do, not unless he'd been knocked out, or sedated.

He looked up as he heard movement outside the tent, a gentle light tapping sound came from the entrance. "Yes?" he asked, quietly.

"May I come in?" Stratos asked low.

"Come in."

Stratos pushed through the entrance, laying a tray along the upper edge of the nest. There were two cups, and a couple of bowls with steaming contents. "How is she?" he asked, his voice betraying his true worry over both of them.

"She's exhausted," he replied. "But she wont let me leave her."

"Oh?" Then he realized why Duncan would need to go. Obviously he didn't know. "The other side of the nest wall, behind you. I think you'll find what you need...I have a present for you. My men are setting up a muffle zone around this tent. There will be four sound dampening pods placed at the corners of the tent. You'll probably hear them humming from in here. But whatever happens in hear, wont be heard out there."

"Thank you my friend."

"Don't mention it. Really. Don't mention a word."

"What about you and your men? Where will you sleep?"

"We bring extra tents on these trips, just in case. In weather like this, it is always best to share a bed with each other to keep warm, but extra tents are available should they be needed. We'll set one up and stay in it."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You can't control what happens to her, any more that she can." Duncan held her close, a sudden displeasured feeling and expression coming over him. "I'm sorry that she nearly..."

"No, don't be sorry. She couldn't help herself. Thank you for understanding."

"Then what's wrong? You seem upset all of a sudden."

Duncan kissed the top of her head gently, holding her closer as he raised his upper body to better talk with his friend. Stratos averted his eyes a bit, as he saw tiny red lines along Duncan's chest. Duncan noticed, and looked, to find the same thing. He pulled a blanket over his chest, totally covering Kale, hiding her from Stratos' view. "It's not what you think," he said humorously.

"Its none of my business," Stratos laughed. "But seriously, what's wrong?"

"The last time this happened, Logan was the one she chose. I guess it isn't sitting well with me that he's been with her."

"Not all pairings work out for the best," Stratos said. "Whatever their reasons, she didn't stay with him. Now, she's with you. Don't go making a big deal out of something that happened with her, possibly years ago. Unless Logan puts up a stink over you two, don't worry about it."

"That's just it. He's actually given us his blessing, as though they never did anything. As though she didn't mean anything to him, nor he to her. I'm wondering if she'll feel the same way about me, when this passes."

Beneath the cloak where neither could see, Kale's eyes slowly opened. She could hear the soft low voice of Duncan, his worry and concern in every word. "I doubt that she'll push you away," Stratos said. "She cares for you deeply. I know this. I've seen it when she looks at you. And I've seen how lonely she is without you." Kale cuddled closer to him, pressing a delicate kiss around his chest's right nipple.

Duncan twitched slightly, not wanting to alert his friend to her movements. He pressed his hand to her cheek, trying to get her to stop, to wait till Stratos had gone. But she didn't. Instead, she trailed light kisses along his wrist, pulling his thumb into her mouth. He tried to get her to let him go, but she sucked harder on his digit until he stopped resisting.

The sensation was soothing, her tongue soft, and gentle along the sides of his thumb. Satisfied with her manipulations, she turned her attention to his fingers. One by one she took them into her mouth, gently sucking, slowly moving each digit in and out from between her lips. Slowly she snaked her hand down his body, caressing his taught muscles between her fingers, till she felt the fabric of his trousers. For a moment she thought about pushing past the cloth, to find what she sought, but decided that perhaps, a bit more teasing would be in order. She would do to him, what he did to her. She would teas him, taunt him, entice him to take her, only to be unattainable, safe with the audience of Stratos, who seemed to be still unaware of what she was doing.

"You know," Stratos continued, taking one of the cups and handing the other to Duncan. Duncan shook his head no, how could he explain that his supposedly free hand was being used, and that his body was on the verge of betraying him. He tried to think of a polite way to ask the Avion king to leave, but could think of nothing to say. "I'm surprised that you hadn't tried to find a partner before this. I mean its been close to a year since Skelator's defeat. Why suddenly take interest in Kale, or any woman for that matter, now?"

"Its not like I planed it," he said, quickly pulling his hand from Kale's manipulations, to carefully grasp her exploring hand in his, keeping her from exploring her way further down his body. All this without Stratos learning that she was teasing him. "Its kind of hard to explain. How often is it that your horse saves your life, and then change into a woman?" 'A very beautiful, playful, yet wonderful woman?' Kale struggled with his grasping fingers, trying to work her way free of him to reach what she sought. She tried to keep her movements as still as possible so that Stratos did not become wise to what was happening beneath the covers.

"Well what ever the reason, I'll leave you to her." Stratos turned at the sound of a low hum from outside the tent. "Ah, sounds like the dampening field is on line, we should get going tomorrow, though."

"I'll see...AH!..." Kale had struggled free of him, and managed to grasp firmly a large protrusion from his trousers. He had to think of something quick. "I think she's waking up. Fingernails, very sharp. You better go."

"I'll bring you some supper later tonight. Use the flash light to signal."

"Yeah, tonight. Flashlight...got it." Stratos disappeared behind the flaps, securing the ties behind him. When he was sure he had gone, Duncan threw the blankest off himself, revealing Kale's broad mischievous smile, as she tried to remove his pants, thread by thread if need be. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing that would have been, if Stratos found out what you were doing?" he asked, rolling over on top of her.

Kale just laughed, and kissed his chin. "But he didn't, did he?" she asked seductively, pulling at the sides of his clothing.

"Don't do this," he said firmly, or at least he thought he had. "I'm mad at you. Stop it...oh!" She had found her way down his pants, grasping his eager flesh, massaging it in her needing hands. "By the Elders," he said, thrusting his hips toward her hands. "How can anyone, stay mad at you, when you do things like this?"

"Well," she answered, "I can stop, if you really want me to."

Duncan grasped her arms, just above her wrists, preventing her from removing her hands. Vigorously he thrust his hips to her, working his glands to a fury he'd not sensed in many years. "Don't you dare," he said, letting go to remove his pants. "You started something, I don't think either one of us wants to stop. Not yet anyway."

He kissed her deeply, as he thread his left hand between her thighs. Her breath became quick as she felt his fingers brush against her sensitive flesh. She parted her legs for him, anything for the feeling to continue. "You thought it was funny to tease me in front of Stratos?" he said, tng hng his pants aside. "Lets see how you like it?"

"Duncan you wouldn't!? AAAKKKK!!!" Duncan pushed his fingers past her folds, finding hidden beneath her layers, the bud that would send her to the heights of heaven and back. Carefully he circled it, easing her legs farther apart, to better see what he was doing. "Duncan!"

"Hush my little minks, you'll get it, just wait. I'd like to try something first." Carefully he eased his body down hers, till his feathered kisses passed her muff. Carefully he spread his tongue toward her inner treasure. Seeing the look on her face change from lustful desperation, to excited desire. She arched her body, trying to push herself deeper into his mouth. He brushed the ends of his moustache against the tiny bundles surface, gaining a delighted cry from his victim. She definitely enjoyed that, perhaps she would enjoy what else he planned even better.

Carefully he eased a finger into her, feeling her body quiver, then violently shake, drawing him further into her with each hungry thrust of her hips. Eagerly he lapped his tongue along her sensitive spot, setting loose more of her desire, the sweetness of her nectar spreading over his taste buds. Her cries turned from moans and gasps to near screams, and the thrusting of her hips moved to a more fevered pace. He hummed against her, reassuring her of his contentment. She gasped his name through her cries, if he hadn't been listening to the sounds she made, he never would have guessed the warbles were his name.

He could feel his body growing ever more tense, his lower muscles flexing and relaxing in anticipation. Part of him was unsure what would happen to him. He'd not touched a woman like this sense before Teela was born. That was nearly twenty-three years ago. As realization dawned at just how long it had been, he pulled away from her, crawling up her body, desiring even greater the sensation that he so long missed. "Kale," he sighed her name. "Please, I need to tell you something."

"Now?!" she gasped, feeling his length against her belly.

"Yes now. Look, I don't know how you prefer your men, or anything like that. But..."

"Duncan...are you trying to tell me that you've lived like a monk for all of Teela's growing up?"

"How did..."

"Don't worry about it. Teela told me that it's been a while sense you'd sought female companionship. I had a feeling it was even longer."

"You don't get it."

"So you're not as experienced as you would like...I don't care!"

"Kale! That's not it at all. Before, when I was much younger, I was..."

"...A stud?" she asked, maneuvering her body against himing ing to impress upon him the urgency of her desire. "I don't care..."

"I do. I've tried to put that part of my past far behind me. I didn't want my past indulgences to affect my life now. I swore I'd never be driven by my hormones again."

"Is that it? You think your being driven by your hormones?"

"Yes."

"Duncan, don't worry. You are being driven yes, but not by your hormones, by mine. My body produces a kind of...oh god...I can't even say the word...anyway, men can't resist it..."

"You can say that again...its just, its been so long. I'm not sure if I'll be adequate for you."

"Adequate? Are you serious? I've yet to remember just what happened the last time this happened. This time, I want to remember. I waited too long the last time." He kissed her hand as she caressed his cheek. She smelled wonderful to him. "But now, now I have you...but you wont know if you can do anything, unless... OOHH!!!!"

He could wait no longer. He moved his body over her, sheathing his sword like flesh into her scabbard of pleasure. The sensation spread through his body like fire. The smoothness of her slick skin was intoxicating, the smell of her body as he thrust within her, permeated his senses.

Old memories surfaced anew, remembrances of positions, attitudes, lustful grasping, and just brandish hard sex, played across his mind. Never once did he remember the face of any of his lovers, not a name could he recall. It sickened him. He couldn't believe that his existence now, emerged from such basic lustful beginnings.

The familiar sensation of his partner's pleasured embraces, pulled his thoughts back to the present. He had completely embedded himself into his lovely willing lady, his body shaking with restrained momentum, sending wave, upon repeated wave of gentle movement threw her tender enclosure.

Her need for him already passed reason, beyond control, suddenly erupted into the all out thrashing of her muscles around his intruding flesh, her cries of delight brought to a sudden fevered pitch, as he rose above her. Without thought, without warning, or reason, he thrust his body into her, pulling her onto his needing spire, feeling her tender passage restrict his movement.

She didn't care about the pain, she was heedless of the way his fingernails dug into the soft flesh of her hips, leaving tiny welts and scratches behind. He thrust once more, driving deeper into her body. His haggard breaths becoming more audible as his need increased. He threw himself harder and deeper into her, feeling a tiny spark in him begin to grow. A soft warm heat quickly spread through his body, old memories reassuring him it was normal, and that in moments he would be delighted bd bed belief.

He wrapped his arms around her, grasping her shoulders from behind, using his body's full weight to pin her into place. His pace quickened, the warm fire spreading across his belly, and exploding through his length and into her. Harshly he drove deeper, spurred by her cries of delight, not wanting the sensation to end.

But like all things, it did end. Not with the Clashing of fists against him, to punish him for his brutality, but rather delighted sighs and gentle caresses. Slowly he eased, his breath returning to normal, his body covered in sweat.

She spread her arms over him, kissing his neck and ear. He smelled wonderful to her, the taste of his salty skin like the sweetest wine. Slowly he rolled away, his depleted flesh slipping from her body. She lay there breathless, taking deep breath after breath. Until he moved off her, she'd no idea how restricted her breathing had become.

A sudden cold wind brought the pair to their senses, as the tent flaps suddenly flew open. Scrambling for covers to hide herself, Duncan flew to the entrance to block the intruder's view of her, heedless of his own nudity. How dare they interrupt, how dare they burst in. Kale didn't have to worry about killing anyone, he'd do it for her. Once and for all, he would put an end to this. She was his now, his and his alone. No one had any say as to what they could and could not do. The constant interfering was going to end...and it goingoing to end right now!