Chapter 2

The sun marked midday in the sky and sweat rolled down my dark green skin. The cicadas droned their cacophony and I shielded my eyes, trying to spot the treeline. It was a foolish hope. I knew I was still hours from the forest and would probably be sleeping in the plains tonight.

I brought out a small scrap of meat and nibbled on it, forming a tentative plan on how best to infiltrate the human camp. The rock spires loomed over me, silent sentinels protecting one of their own. The plains were beautiful in their own barren sort of way. Having fields of long grass and dry dirt in all directions made rocky outcroppings and lone trees all the more beautiful.

My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden silence. The cicadas had stopped. The hairs on my neck and arms stood up, and I felt eyes on me. I turned, but I was too late. The great maned cat was airborne, and its large body slammed into mine, forcing me to the ground. I struggled, but the weight of him was too great.

Then the low rumble from his chest vibrated through his body as he purred triumphantly. "Get off me, you oversized barn cat!" I pushed against his giant head. He held me to the ground with one paw and sniffed loudly against my satchel. I grabbed a stick of dried meat, before tossing it a few feet away.

The giant golden beast pounced after it and I sat up, brushing the dirt from my chest. The cat returned and nuzzled his wet nose against my cheek. "Ok, lover boy, help me up." I grabbed two handfuls of his mane and tugged myself to standing. I looked into his deep brown eyes and gave him another scrap of meat.

I couldn't help but marvel at his size. His head was as high as my shoulder, his paws bigger than my head. Even for a highmane, he was a giant. "Shouldn't you be busy doing nothing somewhere? You better get back, or your harem will start to get jealous." I couldn't see his pride but knew there would be at least one lioness keeping tabs on him.

The lion walked beside me, pushing his weight against me, and a thought occurred to me. "If you aren't going to leave, at least make yourself useful. I need to get to the large trees on the edge of your domain. I think we could make it by nightfall."

The lion stretched his great feline muscles and then bowed his head low. I put a hand into his thick main and pulled myself atop him. His muscles tensed, and before I could second guess my plan, we were off. I had ridden hyenas and hogs before, but the great cat was something I wasn't used to. It took a while, but once I fell into the rhythm of his body lithely extending and contracting, it was relatively smooth.

We rode for a few hours and arrived at the treeline just as the sun set. I slipped off his back, and my knees buckled. He nuzzled at my bag again, and I fished out his reward, feeling his gentle mouth grab the meat from my palm. He purred, and I hugged his big head.

Then a low growl rumbled in his chest, and I looked around to see three female lions circling us. "Better go, big boy," I patted his meaty shoulder. "Thanks for the ride."

He led his pride back into the plains, and I stood on shaky legs. It suddenly hit me how exhausted I was. I walked into the woods and found a large tree. Sleeping on the forest floor was never a good idea. I needed a thick branch.

The fingers of my tired hand wrapped the smaller lower branches until I reached the broad limbs of the upper canopy. I wedged my groin into the crook of a large branch, straddling the trunk. Then I leaned back and fantasized about the morning romp with Turk until I fell into a tentative sleep.

The gentle rumble came again, my groin pulsed and I moaned quietly, unconsciously waiting for the next vibration of pleasure. Another buzz against my clit, this time accompanied by a hollow knock. My eyelids snapped open.

More dull thuds of axe on wood filled my ears as I looked down the trunk in a panic. I didn't know how much time I had, but I knew it wasn't much. I scanned the forest floor, and dread filled my chest. It was crawling with humans. Broad-shouldered, axe-wielding brutes were making short work of the treeline.

I climbed higher up the great tree, trying to get to the upper canopy before… oh gods. The tree began to sway slightly. A loud whistle pierced the air, and a man shouted. I scrambled out onto the closest branch as far as it would hold me. Another sturdy branch about fifteen feet below belonged to a neighboring tree, but it was a far distance.

The tree rocked, teetering for half a second, "times up," I whispered. The behemoth began to fall away from my target, and adrenaline surged through me as I jumped. The branch slammed into my chest as I hooked my arms around it. I expected the wind to be knocked from my chest and endured the torment, focusing only on the branch.

The tree screamed a wail of splintering wood and the earth shook with the impact. I hung until I could breathe, then kicked a leg over the branch, clinging desperately to my sturdy savior. The branch held my weight, and I eventually shimmied across to the tree's trunk.

I peeked down through the upper branches, trying to see if any of the man-pigs had seen my escape. There were ten men, hard at work, sawing the tree into manageable chunks. None seemed to look toward the canopy.

I surveyed the lower trunk of my tree, trying to find a route down, and slowly climbed my way into the protection of thick leaves. The bearded men worked efficiently without a word to one another. I would have to find their homes to get information.

They eventually rolled the giant logs onto two flat sleds, each pulled by three draft horses. The men guided the horses away, and I dropped silently to the ground, following the logging team deeper into the dark woods.

The trees grew more dense, and the smothering canopy allowed a dim glow of sunlight to shine through. As I rounded the trail around a small copse, I saw sunlight where the trees had been cleared away. A large two-story a-frame cabin sat basking in the beam of penetrating light. It had two sturdy doors and backed a river, with a rotating water wheel.

So, they mill the wood here and deliver it elsewhere. But to where, and for what purpose? The building had no windows, and the only entrance was the large double doors in front. The men stopped the horses. They all worked together to drag the giant logs around the back of the cabin to the small sawmill. I watched their muscled forms as they hooked large metal spikes with handles into the massive trunks. Half of the men worked shirtless, and I had to admit, even their human forms excited me. An idea came to me, and I knew how I would get inside.

I found a small cluster of bushes and young trees along the river bank. I removed my breast strap, and my heavy tits were happy for the freedom. I stuffed the garment in my pack and stashed it up one of the trees. Then I waited for nature to call one of the men into the woods.

Eventually, a lone man wandered away from the cabin, and I slinked after him, my footfalls silent and deliberate. As soon as he finished his piss, I stumbled loudly through the brush. He jumped and turned just as I tumbled into sight, letting a pitiful girlish grunt leave my lips. I looked up, and we made eye contact. I feigned terror and turned, getting to my feet and running slowly through the woods, flailing my arms.

Like a predator, the man was on me in moments, his beard tickling my neck and ear, “Well, well. What have we here?” I screamed, and he covered my mouth. “Quiet, bitch. I’m not ready to share you yet.” He forced me to the ground with his weight, and his free hand fell to my breast, filling his palm and fingers with my soft flesh. He squeezed my nipple much too hard, and my eyes rolled up in anticipation as he fondled me. His hand slipped down my abs and under my loincloth, splitting my sex with a stubby finger.

“Make a sound, and I'll fucking kill you,” He said in his thick human accent. The threat sent a shiver of delight down my spine, and my cunt soaked his invading digit. He removed his hand from my mouth, and I quietly begged in orcish as he pulled his pants down to his knees. He turned my loincloth and pulled his finger from my soft hole. I begged more urgently, but he didn’t silence me. I could tell he enjoyed the sound of my desperate pleas as he unceremoniously shoved his cock in me.

He put a hand on my head and pushed my cheek into the mud as he began fucking me harder. His thighs slapped loudly against my toned ass, and he thrust his short fat cock as deep as it would go. Usually, a short cock would be laughable, but I couldn't help falling into my role. Begging for my life while being fucked by a rough lumberjack was really doing it for me, so I begged louder.

He leaned forward on me, pulling my hair with one hand and shoving two dirty fingers into my mouth with the other. I could tell one of those fingers had been inside me, and I sucked the filth hungrily as his inner thighs slid against my ass cheeks. He pumped his cock into my hungry cunt, and I continued to suck his calloused fingers as he released my hair. His hand slid down the side of my face and tightened around my throat. “Maybe I’ll just kill you,” he threatened.

My large biceps tensed, ready to kill the beast if he took things too far. I still had air in my lungs, though; plenty of time to cum before then. I puffed air out past his solid hands as his labored grunting thrusts quickened. The thickness of his short cock teased my hole, stretching just enough to leave me wanting more. I snaked my hand between my legs, secretly squeezing and rubbing my clit as he grunted atop me. His hand squeezed harder, and I slightly pushed back against his thrusts, not wanting him to stop.

His cock shoved into me with one final wet squelch, and his warm cum surged into me. My body tensed and released its pleasure as his hand squeezed harder around my windpipe. I let my body go limp, and he pulled out of me. My tight cunt made a wet sucking sound as it released its grip on him. I hid my pleasure by assuming the position of one who had just been raped, dazed and confused. He stood, laughing. “I really fucking needed that.” He spit, and I felt his saliva land and then run down the side of my shoulder as his seed flowed from my used cunt. “Up you go, slut.” he said, grabbing my hair and dragging me to my feet. “You’re about to make me very popular.”

I stood before him and realized I was almost a head taller than the squat human. He seemed to make the same observation. “Gods, what do they feed you animals?” He pulled a small dagger. “Try to run, I gut you. Understand?”

I responded through tears and a quiet sob in orcish. More pitiful begging and pleading. The look on his face made me think he would take me again, but he grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the large cabin.

The wooden stairs creaked as we walked up to the two sturdy wooden doors. He sheathed his dagger and pushed them open before peeking his head inside. “Attention, brothers,” he called proudly. “Clean yourselves up, we have an unexpected guest.” He opened the other door and shoved me inside. I fell to my knees with a squeak and looked up at the room as it erupted in a cheer of pure joy. Nine other men were getting to their feet from a long central table, the smell of beer and ball sweat filled my nostrils, and it was hard not to smile. This was going to be easier than I thought.