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Jack and Jenny

Chapter 9

Mala's good eye strained to open. Her head was throbbing as if she'd drank too much wine and it was hard to see out of her good eye, let alone her bad one. She cursed Artesda everyday that he had slashed her face and thought often of taking his eye in vengeance. Daphne was probably still with the idiot, too simple and too sorry to kill him and be rid of him. It wasn't hard to kill one of Araton's sons: a quick slash across the throat as they were taking a piss, and they died just like anyone else. But Daphne was too meek and too "pure" to do such a thing, and because she refused to walk away, she was heading for a life of eternal misery. It infuriated Mala. To her, Daphne was little more than a bird in a cage with an open door that just refused to fly free.

Mala had already decided to let Daphne walked into fire if she was determined to. All that mattered now was saving her brother from the big, dumb barbarian that was likely tormenting him right at that moment. Unlike Laila, she was pretty convinced Izra was still alive. She had seen Artesda's kind before: he was new to interacting with mortals, had just discovered carnal pleasure, and would want to explore those feelings of desire in what he perceived as a covert, less shameful way. He would use Izra like a toy, unapologetically and as often as he could, simply because Izra was "a wicked demon who deserved it anyway." Poor Izra. It was enough to make Mala's heart pound and she started breathing unevenly where she lay.

"Be still and relax, sheepy," said a concerned voice.

"The Old Hinny will be here soon," said another.

Mala's tense body did not relax when she heard the voices of strangers. If anything, her paw went immediately to her sword hilt, but her sword wasn't there and her fingers grabbed at her own furry hip. Nothing was there! She was naked! Alarmed, her good eye darted around the room. Through the cloudy haze of her drowsiness, she could make out dark brown walls and the flicker of a fire beyond the silhouettes of two robed beings. The strangers were standing over her where she lay, peering at her with solemn eyes from the shadow of their hoods.

"Who . . .?" Mala tried and her voice cracked.

"I think we're frightening her," said one of them, the female. "Let's take these off."

Mala thought they were going to take their hoods off, but instead, they removed their robes - under which they were completely naked. Mala went still, just staring at them in shock, and they stared back at her solemnly.

They were donkeys, a male and a female, both dark brown with white stripes that ran from their chins to their sexes. Their long ears stood erect from their dark manes as they simply regarded her.

The male was thin and small and delicate, with long black lashes and calm black eyes. His brown phallus was as small as he, dark and sheathed in soft skin as it hung against his hairy white sack. There wasn't a hint of muscle on his body, which meant he'd lived a life of servitude rather than manual labor. In some areas of Oltru, it was common for wealthier horses to use donkeys as house slaves. Mala's suspicions were confirmed when she noticed the slave brand on the side of the male's neck.

The female was slender and small, with very tiny, sharp breasts between which her white stripe fell. She was pretty the way fresh young girls were pretty. Mala would have placed her at twenty had she to guess. She had a gold septum ring in her nose, and several more gold rings in her ear, which was a sure sign of having lived in the forest among the free donkeys. She stood tall and proud beside her slumped and defeated companion, with an aura of wildness, of defiance and joy, her long mane a mess, her eyes completely lacking the old habit of humbly breaking contact which her companion possessed almost neurotically.

"Feel better now, woolly tits?" teased the female. "Now everyone's naked." She held out her arms and playfully jiggled her tiny breasts, which wobbled until the nipples were hard.

Mala covered her breasts. "No!" she managed hoarsely. "I want my armor immediately!"

"Well, you can't have it," said the male in an indifferent monotone. He pulled up a chair and sat down, knees spread. "So you might as well calm down. You got nothing I ain't seen before." His eyes passed over Mala's body. "Not sayin' I wouldn't do ya, but I ain't surprised."

Mala scowled. She was stretched out on the bed in front them, and though she was a warrior of Voriza who had been injured and exposed any number of times, it nonetheless made her feel vulnerable . . . and embarrassed. It wasn't like the two strangers were healers - they were random strangers! "Why can't I have my armor?" Laila demanded. "And stop staring at my breasts!"

The male turned his eyes away. "Fine. They was givin' me feelings anyway." He suddenly grinned, showing several crooked teeth, and Mala's scowl deepened when she realized what he meant.

"Look," said the female, drawing up a chair as well. She turned it around backwards and straddled it, resting her arms on the back. "This is the way the Old Hinny works. If she's gonna heal you, you gotta be naked. It's sorta like . . . being reborn."

"Great," Mala said sarcastically and stared in misery at the ceiling. If Laila had just taken her home! "Where is she so we can get this over with?"

"Think she's outside havin' a word with your friend," answered the male. "You didn't exactly come here at a good time --" His words caught in his teeth when the female elbowed him as if he'd said too much.

"I'm Jenny, by the way," said the female. She jerked her head at her companion. "And he's Jack. Don't let 'im sweet talk you."

Jack grinned shyly.

"I'm Mala," Mala answered as pleasantly as she could while feeling like shit.

Jenny laughed good-naturedly at Mala's feeble attempt. "It's alright. This'll all be over soon. Just gotta be patient. I've seen the Old Hinny work before. Takes less 'an ah second."

"Why are you two here anyway?" Mala asked hoarsely. "I mean, I know most donkeys think the Old Hinny is a goddess or something. . . ." She paused apologetically when they frowned at her offhand dismissal. "Sorry," she said. "Just curious. My sister and me, we've both got hoof-in-mouth syndrome. She's worse, though. Be glad it's me on this bed."

"It's alright," said Jenny, waving a paw. "If I'm honest, I didn't come here because I believed in Seriya or whatever. I came 'cause I was running away from something. Only after I started living here did I believe." She looked off, a soft glow in her eyes.

"Jen used to be a bandit," Jack said abruptly and was elbowed yet another time by his companion. "Ow!" he cried, but he grinned at Mala as he rubbed his sore side. "She's ashamed, but there's no shame to be had from just survivin' a bad situation."

Jenny dropped her eyes and wouldn't look at anyone. "Shut up, Jack," she warned through her teeth, "or I'll tell her how you used to suck your master's dick every night."

Jack's face darkened. He stared at the floor and swallowed angrily. Mala saw his paws tightened into fists, as if he might strike something.

"You don't have to tell me about your pasts. You both seem nice enough," Mala said gently into the silence. It seemed her words soothed the tension, though both donkeys still avoided looking at each other.

"Say, why are you here anyway?" asked Jack, frowning curiously. He waved a paw. "I don't mean _you_you, but all the sheep from Vaine. Why do you keep comin' here? You that hell-bent on killin' Araton?"

Jenny looked at Mala intently, as if she'd been wondering the same thing.

"Killing Araton?" Mala repeated in amazement. "Not that the thought hasn't crossed my mind, but we don't keep coming here to kill him. We just want to save the horses here, liberate them from his tyranny." Mala didn't understand it when the donkeys' faces darkened as they listened to her. "What? What is it?"

Jenny and Jack exchanged grim glances.

"See, Jack? It's just like I told you. They come here to free the horses," Jenny said sneeringly.

Mala frowned. "Shouldn't the horses be free?"

"Sure, they should," Jack said indignantly, "but you don't care about freeing us donkeys? Ain't we enslaved? Ain't we oppressed?"

"And by the damned horses, no less," added Jenny. "Your precious horses."

The donkeys fell silent, just staring bitterly at Mala, and Mala knew she deserved their disgust. Never once did she stop to think of the donkeys who lived such wretched lives in Oltru, stealing and killing to get by or else serving the horses in their castles. It was true that Araini and Darahi never spoke of doing anything for the donkeys. No one did. Their gods were dead and gone, their kingdom in ruins. They were the remnants of a forgotten past, expected to either quietly die out or assimilate into the culture of their rulers as servants and slaves. In that moment, Mala realized how cruel it was to simply ignore their suffering and hated herself for never realizing it before.

"I'm . . . sorry," Mala said, at a loss for words.

Jenny and Jack looked at her with lifted brows, and she knew her sincerity must've surprised them. It only further shamed her. If many of her brothers and sisters had come to the Old Hinny, then Jenny and Jack's surprise meant she was the first sheep to express the smallest amount of sympathy for them.

"You never talked to my sister about any of this?" Mala wondered. "Laila has been here before."

"Your sister wasn't in no condition to chit-chat," said Jack with laugh. "One time she had a slash to the belly that knocked her out cold. Another time, an arrow that went right to the bone." He gave a low whistle. "Painted horses caught wind of her. Couldn't speak for the pain."

"Another time," added Jenny with a laugh, "there was an arrow in her ass --"

"Geez," said Mala and couldn't help laughing as well. "I didn't realize Laila was hurt so often."

"Yeah," said Jenny, nodding a little bitterly. "She works her tail hard to impress someone, doesn't she?"

"She's sort of the favorite back home, so I guess she has to," Mala said. "The favorite used to be Iysalla. She was the eldest child, the first daughter of Araini and Darahi."

"She was your Alexander," said Jack, nodding as if he understood.

"No," said Mala darkly, "Alexander was the horses' Iysalla. She was the mightiest warrior on wings, the bravest, the purest of heart, and Alexander slew her." Mala's face twisted. "When Iysalla died," she said through her teeth, "our Mother and Father retreated and did not have more children for many centuries. Then one day they had Laila. It was almost like having Iysalla back, so they instantly worshipped her." Mala rolled her eyes. "She quickly became Laila the Undefeated and was put in charge of pretty much anything important."

"Someone sounds jealous," laughed Jenny.

"Maybe a little," Mala said with a shrug. "But I don't envy the pressure she must feel, trying to live up to Isyalla's memory all the damn time. No parents should do that to their kid." She frowned, thinking with disapproval of Araini and Darahi.

"If Laila is like this Iysalla," said Jack thoughtfully, "then maybe she'd be willing to help us, help our people be free again. We never really had the chance to ask her --"

"Don't get your hopes up, Jack," Jenny scolded, and Jack's long ears went down.

"Why shouldn't he get his hopes up?" Mala demanded. "If I sympathized, I don't see why my sister wouldn't."

Jenny's face darkened. "Sometimes we ask sheep to take word back to Araini and Darahi. They always say they will. Then they don't." She shrugged. "I don't know if they forgot about us or if they just lied to get us off their back. Either way, I've learned not to get my hopes up."

"Why not just ask me? You don't need Laila the Unlaid," Mala said dismissively. "I could bring this to our mother just as easily."

The donkeys only looked at Mala skeptically.

"What?!" Mala burst.

"It ain't that we think you wouldn't," said Jack. "It's just that Laila has more influence."

Mala rolled her eyes. "Look,_my voice has just as much value back home," she insisted bitterly. "I was sent on this mission with Laila because of that, because they _believed in me."

"What was the mission?" asked Jenny, unimpressed.

"We were sent to stop Araton's Summoning. His best warriors were sent to escort a mare to him, and we _did_manage to kill most of the escort --"

"And you still lost," Jenny pointed out, "or else you wouldn't be sitting here with one eye and no mare --"

"Which means Laila lost too!" said Mala furiously and suddenly snapped upright. "So what's the difference between her and me? Huh? Huh!" There was a flash in the corner of her eye as Jack's penis slapped upward.

"You idiot," Jenny sighed. "You aren't supposed to get stiffies during Reflection."

"I'm sorry!" Jack said helplessly. "But she was yellin' and her tits were flappin' everywhere --"

"Just shut up and be still," Jenny snapped. "This won't take long."

Mala's eyes about popped from her head. Surely, Jenny didn't mean to --! But Jenny was indeed getting on her knees before Jack. He sat with a strained expression as Jenny slowly dragged her pink tongue up and down his shaft. When he realized Mala was watching, he gave her a miserable wince of a smile, but the smile vanished to baffled delight when Jenny closed her mouth over him and started to suck.

Mala watched with large eyes, unable to look away. She had never seen such a thing before, though a few of her siblings spoke of it nonstop.

"Ah . . . ah . . . Oh, Jenny," Jack whispered, his slender belly trembling as she pleasured him.

"Mm . . ." Jenny pulled her mouth away in a string of fluids. "I told you not to say my name when I'm doing it!" she complained. "I don't enjoy doing this to you! This is just . . . necessary."

Mala knew that was a lie. Jack couldn't see it, but Jenny's sex was dripping until the fluids darkened the floor between her little hooves. Having pulled back, her breasts were touching Jack's erection, which heaved and twitched against their jiggling softness. Jack's belly trembled violently. "J-Jenny --!" he stammered but too late. His pink penis twitched and squirted, spattering Jenny in a silky white mess.

Jenny screamed angrily and leapt up. "Now I have to wash, and the mistress is gonna know what we did!"

"Jen, I'm so s-sorry!" insisted Jack, though his laughter said he was only half-sorry.

Jenny smacked away the male donkey's sadly reaching paws.

"I'll lick it off ya," Jack sheepishly offered. His eyes traced over Jenny's breasts, from the nipples of which his fluids were dripping.

Jenny snatched up her robe and marched out the backdoor without a word.

When Jack glanced over, Mala was trying with great discomfort not to look at him.

"I didn't mean to squirt on her," Jack said guiltily. He got up and went to a bucket near the fire, where he squatted with his back to Mala and cleaned himself off.

"Why was hiding this necessary?" Mala asked with sincere interest.

Jack glanced at her in amazement, as if she should have known better. "It's a religious thing. Jen and me is supposed to be in Reflection. We meditate everyday and avoid this other stuff so it doesn't distract us. 'cept now when I'm supposed to be meditatin', I'll be thinking of tits instead." He laughed sadly.

"And the Old Hinny will punish you?"

"Yeah. She'll probably make the Reflection period longer, and I guess we'd deserve it." Finished wiping himself clean, Jack stood and gathered his robe, watching Mala curiously as he let it tumble over his head. "Ain't you seen a male shoot his load before?" he said in amazement.

Mala slowly scowled and didn't answer: that was none of his business!

Jack laughed softly as he pulled his hood up over his dark mane. "Alright, fair enough. Was just wonderin' if you'd wanna see it again." He wagged his brows and stuck his tongue from the corner of his teeth, and Mala laughed in spite of herself. "Hmm," said Jack with smiling approval. "Feeling better?" He took a seat on his chair again.

"Yes," Mala realized with a blink.

"Well, the drug is only temporary, so you'd better lie back down," said Jack gently. "It was meant to put you inna lulled state, so you'd be tame when the Old Hinny started her business." He frowned. "Can't imagine what's takin' her so long."

Mala lay back on the bed again. "What exactly is she going to do to me anyway? Laila said she's some kind of crazy old witch or something."

"What, they don't have magic in Vaine?" Jack said in amusement and folded his arms. He leaned back in his chair, knees spread beneath his robe.

Mala smiled at the ceiling. "They have everything in Vaine . . . as the saying goes."

"What kinda jennies they got there?" Jack asked and wagged his furry brows.

"Not many jennies. Don't think I've ever seen a donkey in Vaine, to be honest. There are plenty of beautiful ewes, of course."

"Maybe I shoulda gone ta Vaine 'steada comin' here. . . . not that I regret being here. It's a pretty big honor to become the Old Hinny's Jack."

Mala cocked a brow. "Her Jack?"

Jack hesitated. "Well . . . yeah. You didn't think 'Jack' was my real name, did you? That's like if you told me your name was Ewe."

Mala turned her head against the pillow to look at Jack, her interest peaked. "What does it mean to be her Jack?"

"She always takes two acolytes at a time. Only two. So's to give both sexes a fair chance, she takes one jack and one jenny. We normally do things for her that she can't, like making trade with the locals, since she don't talk to no one. We scout and let her know when someone's coming to the cabin - we let her know you was comin', actually. We tend the garden. Feed her fish. Usually it's boring stuff. Some nights it's not." He smiled crookedly.

Mala wasn't certain she wanted to know what that meant. "You mean . . . you have sex with that old donkey?"

"No, no," said Jack with a laugh. "Sometimes she has sex with this handsome fella that comes around. I just watch through the keyhole."

Mala frowned. "That's terrible! . . . go on."

Jack laughed. "Or I watch from the closet. Or through the window. I don't think they really care. Sometimes the fella has his way with me an' Jen, if he can't have the Old Hinny."

"What? He uses you?"

Jack smiled his crooked smile. "I'm always glad to be used by him. He's good at what he does. Ain't never come so hard in me life as with him."

"Is he old too?" Mala asked with a wince.

Jack hesitated again. ". . . I guess you could call him old," he said with another crooked smile. "He's still young enough to fuck me over a barrel, so he ain't too old."

Mala laughed at the ceiling. "I can't tell if you're telling the truth."

"Me neither, darlin'," returned the jack, much amused.

"So what's your real name?" Mala wondered.

Jack frowned. "I . . . can't tell you. Them's the rules."

"Oh."

"Maybe in another lifetime," Jack said with a friendly smile.

Mala smiled back. She was half-inclined to believe she'd just made a friend, and lying there chatting so amicably with Jack, the sad thought occurred to her that she'd never _had_a friend before. She'd spent most of her life avoiding mortals, and as much as she loved her siblings, she never really spoke to them. When they were sent out to hunt Artesda together, Mala and Laila hadn't spoken in over one hundred years.

Jack scrambled without warning from his chair, and Mala looked over in confusion to find him touching his forehead to the floor in a reverent crouch. Her good eye turned to the front door and she went still to see the tall and beautiful donkey who stood glowing there. She was the donkey from the forest, the one who'd carried her through the darkness. She was sweet-smelling and smiling as she glided into the cabin, flowers twisting through her wild brown mane, slanted eyes soft and inviting.

"I trust you cared well for our guest," said the beautiful donkey to Jack. She went to a table laden with vials and started drinking them one by one, pinching the slender neck of each vial in her long black nails. Her back was to the room, giving them full view of the great length of her shaggy brown mane.

Jack remained in his crouch but raised his face slightly from the floor. "Yes, Mistress. The drug has served her well. She's inna good relaxed state."

"Then you prepared it correctly this time. Very good," said the tall donkey approvingly.

Mala caught Jack's eye and mouthed, "Who is that?"

Jack's eyes twinkled amusement as he mouthed back, "The Old Hinny."

Mala's lips parted in shock, and Jack smothered a laugh.

"Where is the Jenny?" the Old Hinny wondered.

"She . . . had to relieve herself, Oh Mistress," lied Jack a little nervously.

The Old Hinny seemed to know he was lying. She sighed sadly, and Jack squeezed his eyes shut as he silently reprimanded himself.

"I suppose another week of Reflection could not hurt," said the Old Hinny heavily.

"Yes, Mistress," Jack sighed wearily.

"Go and tell the Jenny. You are dismissed. I will care for our guest now."

"Yes, Mistress," Jack said again. His hooves clopped as he rose again, and before he left, he gave Mala a twinkling smile from the depths of his hood.

Mala smiled back, thinking with sadness that she'd just made a friend and didn't even know his name. When Jack had gone, she noticed the Old Hinny had lifted her paw and was staring at it. The slender fingers were glowing with a sort of pale fire, and sparks leapt from the long nails. She looked at her burning paw in approval and whispered, "Let us begin."

Mala went still.