The Nightingale
Tiane shivered and pulled her cloak tighter around her body as she hurried along behind her partner. The pair were circling the castle, heading towards the servant's entrance. Each step made her heart beat harder, her stomach already in jitters from nerves. She still couldn't believe that they had been hired to play for the King. The ruttin Lord Sanstric, High King of Kelham. Whose family had ruled from the famous dark towers for generations. She shivered and adjusted the pack slung over her back, looking up ahead at her companion.
Now there was a sight that could distract her from their upcoming performance, if only for a few moments. Willow was a fitting name for the musician that walked a couple steps ahead of her. Even while burdened with the heavy cloak and instrument pack. The crane's motions were as fluid and graceful as any of the best dancers she'd seen. Willow's arched neck turned enough so that she could smile back at Tiane. "Keep your mind on me if that helps, you're going to make me nervous at this rate. I worked far too hard on grooming both of us to have it undone because you're jittery." Her voice was gentle, words spoken just loud enough to carry to the singer. "And walk beside me, Dearheart, don't want them thinking you're my servant."
A blush flashed across her nares as Tiane heard those words. Her claws scratched at the cobbles as she hurried up alongside the other female. "I know I should relax, but this is the King we're playing for tonight. Not just another tavern full of rowdies." Willow's eyes sparkled with laughter under her hood, "Oh drat, I had forgotten that." The crane feigned a sigh and put a wing-arm to her head, "Oh woe is we, for I will have to change out set! I had hoped to start out with the Lusty Barmaid this time." She pushed her hood back as they walked into an archway, smiling when Tiane giggled a little. "There you go, I have a few things to make tonight easier, but it helps tremendously when you're relaxed."
Tiane took a breath and did as the crane asked, standing just a half-step behind the taller female. Both of them were empathic to a degree. Willow was just strong enough to sense the general mood of people, which is how she picked her music half the time. Tiane's gift for empathy was a little stronger, but largely directed towards her other gift. She was a songstress and could coax emotional responses through her songs, making people experience them differently than they would with other musicians. She and Willow had been working as a pair long enough that they tended to harmonize with each other.
By the time she got her jitters in check, Willow was starting to move into the castle, following a maid ahead of them. Tiane found herself lost within just a few turns, settling in for just keeping in step with her longer-legged partner. They were led to a great hall, mostly empty aside from a few servants setting up things for the gala that was happening tonight. The maid led them to an alcove lit by a single lantern hanging from the ceiling. She pushed aside the curtain and motioned for them to step behind it, "Do you require anything?" Willow looked around as Tiane set the pack down against a wall; "A pot of boiling water would be nice. No need for the tea, I have a personal blend I prefer."
The maid left them with a bow. Tiane felt a nervous flutter start up in her belly again; "So this is it, huh? The thing we've been waiting to happen for years." Willow smiled as she took off her cloak and folded it slowly. "Mm hmm." The lyrebird looked at her companion. The crane had gone out the day they received their invitation and bought herself a new dress. It was a deeper red, bringing out the red in her face and highlighting her eyes. Tiny glass beads sparkled on the dress, artfully added to the stitched designs. Dressed like that, Tiane was certain that her partner would be able to blend in perfectly with the nobles that would be watching them.
Lowering herself down, Tiane opened up the pack she had been carrying and began to withdraw various things they would need. She ignored the maid when she returned, laying out everything in a precise order on the floor. While she worked, Willow began to rearrange the scant furniture in the alcove. The place was usually reserved for nobles that wanted to get out of the flow of traffic in the hall, hence the couch and pair of plush chairs it held. Willow pushed one of the chairs against the wall and brought a low table closer to the other, setting the kettle there before dropping her tea blend into the pot.
The lyrebird female sat back on her heels and looked from the elegant crane to the curtain. Willow lifted an eyebrow slowly, "Are you ready?" A quick blush flashed across Taine's nares, "As ready as I'll ever be." Standing up, she shed her cloak and handed it over to her partner. Unlike the crane, she was dressed in a plain dress for the moment. Her fingers tugged at the ties, letting the dress slide down her body. Her dark feathers ruffled for a moment as a chill crept along her body. Willow gathered up the clothing and folded them up, tucking them behind the couch as the other female opened the padded case. The crane approached as her songstress as Tiane pulled out an instrument almost as tall as she was. It was shaped like a large J, the back curving gently, and made of wood polished to a mirror finish.
Willow pointed at the ground, "That place should do, the joints are a little further apart." Tiane nodded and put the base of the instrument against the floor, testing it by pushing it around. The wide stand caught against the joint between two of the stones and held nicely. Moving in, the crane held it upright as the lyrebird moved to straddle the curved part on the bottom. She lowered herself slowly, tail feathers arching up as she braced herself on the chair. Reaching back, she placed her hand on a knob that was raised from the bottom part. "No turning back now, huh?" she asked as she lined that smooth tip with her anus. Willow knew her partner didn't expect an answer, so she simply watched as the bird sank over the plug.
Tiane huffed as her rear spread out slowly around the cone-shaped plug, a blush spreading across her nares. Her muscles stretched slowly around the flare before clenching down around the thinner base, holding on tightly. Spreading her thighs, she rested them on a pair of metal braces bolted to the instrument just for that purpose. She leaned back slowly, her spine matching the curve of the instrument's neck perfectly. "Are you stable?" Willow asked. The lyrebird huffed softly, already getting aroused by the familiar actions. Her feet slid along the cool floor, finding perches so she could support herself while Willow reached for the next strap. She nodded, trying to ignore the smooth wood rubbing against her labia.
Willow moved in and picked up the first set of padded straps. Her exquisite fingers stroked over Tiane's thigh as she ran the strap through the brace before tightening it slowly. Reaching back, she took the bird's long tail feathers and fed them through a pair of carved hooks that held them on display. The lyrebird clenched her beak to hold back the moan as she was secured to the Nightingale. Next came the chest restraints, wrapping around her trunk and arms. More padded leather, fed through rings and wrapping around her core. A special set of straps wound around her breasts, pulling them up and making her gasp as Willow tightened them. She looked at the musician and was met with a smile. Angling her head back, she met the crane in a kiss, their beaks clicking softly against each other as their tongues sought out the other. The kiss broke when she felt fine leather curl around her throat, pulling her head back against a rest carved into the wood.
Willow tightened the collar as perfectly as she had the rest of the restraints, holding Tiane right against the carved board. The crane wasn't just a musician, she was also a luthier. This instrument was her own design, crafted especially for Tiane. There was no other that could serve as the living portion of the Nightingale. The lyre's size and build were perfect. Light enough to be supported by the instrument, but strong enough to support in turn. Willow had painstakingly picked the wood so it complimented Tiane's dark plumage and carved it to harmonize with the hen's voice. Both the instrument and restraints bore carvings and inlays that were functional as well as beautiful. As Tiane balanced there, Willow quickly ran some strings through the instrument, tightening them just enough to keep them in place.
With a smile, the musician reached down to a bag that she'd told her songstress not to unpack. "Now for the surprises I had in store for you." Sitting down in the chair, she pulled a hood like falconers used on their charges. Tiane looked at it with a blush as it was lowered over her head. She felt calmer with the hood on, as if not being able to see the people made them all but vanish. Her head moved a little as she heard Willow rummaging around in the pack again. Soft fabric wrapped around her naked body, draping over her hips and curling around her bared breasts.
The crane smiled at her companion, feeling the anticipation radiating from the lyrebird. She worked quickly, fingers making neat work of tying knots to hold the fabric in place. She'd selected several light garments that would preserve her singer's modesty, while still hinting at what lay beneath. Normally, they would play their music in a sheltered room, but the King had asked that they perform in full view of his audience. She only had a couple more things to do before they would be ready to play. First were the leg bars, a pair of restraints that would hold her companion's ankles spread apart. It served a dual purpose. Main reason was to form a kind of tripod to help hold up the Nightingale. The other reason was that Tiane enjoyed it too much to do without.
Leaning down, she made quick work of securing those, smiling when her nares picked up the scent of aroused hen. She ran her beak through Tiane's belly feathers for just a second before pulling out the last item she needed. It was a metal object about the length of her finger and as thick as two of them together at it's widest point. The whole thing tapered gently, oval shaped with the widest part at the perfect depth. A small chime sounded inside of the round-tipped probe as she rolled it between her hands for a second to warm it. The hooded hen's head twitched around when she heard the chiming, trying to get a look at it. Willow smiled as she eased it through a hole in the stand. Tiane was used to having a probe slip into her before playing, but this was a new one that she'd had crafted just the day before. With the songstress leaning against her now, she could feel the bird shiver as the probe was eased into her body. A deft twist of her fingers locked the probe into place.
Leaning back in the chair, she smiled at the open beak of her panting singer. "Comfortable?" she asked, watching the lyre shake her head. She knew better than to pinch or pull feathers when she tied up Tiane, but it never hurt to ask. This close to each other, the pleasure was starting to feed back into her, heating the crane's blood. Angling her head, she began to tune the strings as quickly as she could, glad for the heavy curtains now. It only took her a few seconds until the crafted half of the Nightingale was singing. Her fingers danced across the hen's rib cage, venturing up along her belly and then between her breasts. Tiane uttered a soft noise of pleasure at the touch. Caressing the avian's breast, she poured herself a cup of tea with the other hand, taking a sip. As soon as the cup was moving from her beak, a voice whispered from the other side of the curtain to ask if they were ready. Willow set her mug down and lifted her bow. "We are."
A steward called out; "Announcing tonight's entertainment! Lady Willow and her Nightingale." She had positioned the chair dead center in the alcove, right under the lantern. Tiane's body rested against her right shoulder, her head hidden from view. Both entertainers were in profile to the audience, Willow's neck arched proudly as she wrapped one arm around her singer, the other brandishing her bow. As the curtains drew back, she drew the bow across the strings, releasing an angelic tone. Tiane trembled against her and sucked in a lungful of air as her fingers danced across the strings. She could feel the eyes of shocked nobles on them as she started to play.
Tiane shivered as the instrument sang against her back and between her thighs. She still wasn't sure how Willow crafted it to hum like that against her body, but by the gods she didn't care! The plug in her anus hummed a little, but it was the one in her vent that made her feathers curl. The smooth metal hummed against her sleeve, the small chime inside of it sending a new sensation through her that made her moan into the crane's neck. She offered the musician and luthier a quick preen before leaning her head back and sucking in a lungful of air.
Any complaints that might have been rising at this unorthodox musician were silenced when the Songstress began to ply her trade. She began to sing in a voice that would make an angel envious. Her voice lifted with a trill before dropping down to a deep rumble. Tiane wasn't singing in words just yet, simply using her voice as an accompaniment with the strings. A gentle nudge from Willow made her flex her back, changing the tightness of the strings for just a second before she relaxed again. As she sang she spread her gift slowly into the unseen, but felt, crowd. Onto them, she passed the simple joys and thrill of having her song heard by so many high-ranking members of the court. The more erotic joys were kept to her and Willow, passed back and forth between the entertainers.
Every song that Willow knew how to play, Tiane knew how to accompany it. Sometimes she would sing the words, others she would be mimicking another instrument, and some times she would even sing a harmony with the strings at her back. She could feel the eyes on her as the court-goers conversed and moved around the room. The thought of those eyes, staring at her in this position, made her nares flush hot under the hood. More than that, it made her squirm on the resonance chamber, feeling it humming against her clit.
Willow launched into a jaunty ballad, making Tiane's voice rise in pitch as the faster song sent waves of pleasure racing along her spine. She pulled at her bonds as she was pushed over the edge, her body clenching down on the twin invaders. Only years of practice kept her from calling out her pleasure for all to know. The only indicators to their audience of her pleasure was the scent of her arousal, hidden by the smell of Willow's tea and their own perfumes; and a slight lift and tremble in her voice. She could feel Willow tremble lightly against her body and pushed her chest against the crane's.
Tiane easily lost track of the time that they played. Willow would constantly change the pace of her songs so that her body couldn't adapt to one type of resonance. The crane constantly shifted between playing with her bow and plucking at the strings. When she'd pluck a song out, it would be to give the lyre a bit of a rest. Instead of the nearly constant buzzing between her legs, the plucks would send a jolt up through her. She knew that they must have been going for hours. The only way she could judge that was by how often the crane stopped for tea, sharing the fine brew with the singer to soothe her throat.
Even with their favorite blend to help them, Tiane's throat was starting to get sore when they finally stopped. The curtain rattled back into place across their alcove, muting the sounds of the hall. Willow turned her head to silently preen at the lyrebird's neck. By now both of the females were worked up to a panting state, their bodies trembling from need. Willow, because she hadn't been able to touch herself during the show. Tiane because the musician had purposefully selected songs that kept her from reaching a peak. That first one had slipped through, but the sophisticated female hadn't let any others slip past.
After a long moment Willow murmured; "We need to unstrap you if we want to get to bed before dawn." Tiane nodded and wiggled in her bonds, silently grousing at her lover for doing such an expert job. They had left a notice at Willow's shop saying they would be closed the next day, figuring that courts would run late. The tavern they usually worked at had been told as well, so they didn't have any shows for the next couple days.
Willow had gotten most of the ties off Tiane when a throat cleared outside their alcove. The crane glanced towards the curtain, her beak resting dangerously close to the hen's pussy. She breathed out, her sigh ruffling belly feathers before she sat up and cleared her throat; "Yes?" The maid that had led them inside stuck her head inside, blushing at the mostly naked lyrebird. "Due to your performance tonight, the King would like to offer you a guest room to stay the night in, M'ladies. He wished he could have been here to thank you in person but he was;" her ears flushed and flicked back for a second; "preoccupied." Tiane covered herself with a wing-arm, but Willow looked as composed and calm as any lady of the court. They both knew what that meant. Wouldn't be the first show that left their audience a little wanting. "We would appreciate that, but we require the same room. We have been playing a long time, and I need to tend to my songbird before bed." The vulpine looked over the smooth wood of the instrument, possibly wondering how it felt to be tied to it; "I shall wait for you just outside then."
Willow uttered a sigh as soon as the fox was out of the curtain, "Bother, was hoping to tease you more, Dearheart." Tiane wiggled as the crane undid the last few straps quickly, folding them and putting them away. With her legs freed, the lyrebird eased off the plugs, shivering and panting as they slipped free of her. As the crane put up the restraints, she grabbed a moist cloth and began to wipe down the curving seat she had been occupying throughout the night.
She was just putting the instrument back into its pack when Willow wrapped the lyre's cloak over her shoulders. Tiane flashed a quick smile at the taller female and pulled it tight around her nakedness, grabbing the pack. Willow scooped up the Nightingale's pack and carried it as the hen followed right on her heels. Again, the vixen led them through one corridor after another, winding them deeper into the palace. The walk was torture for both females, wanting to get to privacy to finish the night as they always did. It was far worse for Tiane, because of the position she had been tied in.
When they finally got to their room, the lyrebird dropped her pack and cloak, falling onto the bed with a groan. Willow hissed gently as she shed her dress, draping it over a chair. "I wasn't even thinking about your legs, Dearheart." Tiane rolled onto her side, looking at her snowy lover in the light from the candles around the room. She gave a half smile and churred; "They'll be sore, but that's about all really." Her eyes flickered with a wanton fire; "And that's not the only thing that will be sore soon if you don't hurry up." The crane stilled for a second at that change of tone, flashing a coy smile at the other hen. Generally, Tiane was the follower to Willow's leadership, but sometimes their roles did reverse.
The graceful female turned her back to her lover, stripping off her loincloth slowly. Her beak dropped open with a soft moan as the wet fabric fell away from her swollen vent. Laying it on the ground, she turned to snuff the candles while Taine drew the curtains closed. With the room in full darkness, she uttered a low whistling call. The lyrebird responded with a whistle of her own, a noise that carried a seductive overtone to it. Strolling to the bed, she pulled back the curtain to step inside, her eyes trying to pick out her lover's dark plumage. She had just made out a dark shape amongst the shadows when a pair of hands grabbed onto her arms and jerked her into the shelter of the bed.
The crane uttered a surprised cry as she fell onto the bed, Tiane pushing against her body. Both females arched their backs as they pressed their thighs against the other avian's privates. Their beaks met in a quick kiss, clacking against each other before pulling away. The smaller female's body shifted, bringing her privates in line with the crane's vent. Neither of them wanted to wait any longer. The entire night had been building to this one event. Their legs slid against each other as they positioned their bodies like a pair of sheers pressed blade to blade.
Hips arched and rolled, pressing one needy vent against the other. Beaks fell open as the two females, musician and singer, voiced a pleasurable noise. Willow turned her longer legs and began to roll her body, providing a tempo. Tiane planted her hands on the bed as her shorter legs began to power her against the snowy female. Much like the music they made together, the pair worked in perfect harmony. Willow worked her hips up and down, rubbing their feathers against each other. Meanwhile, the songstress began to gyrate her body. Up, down, left, right, back, and forth. Never once did their bodies move in the same direction, one always complimenting the other.
If the fire of their arousal had died any during the walk, it quickly roared to life as the pair played with one another. Tiane moaned, narrowing her eyes as she felt the crane's thighs twitching against her. Opening herself to the channel that she shared with her lover, she let her own pleasure feed through it. Willow responded in kind, feeding the sensations back into the songstress. No other partner could treat her like this, no one else could come close. This was a level of arousal and pleasure few could dream of, much less obtain.
The entertainers peaked together, their privates pressed tight to one another as they spread their juices across one another's feathers. Tiane threw her head back and warbled out in what she jokingly called her climax song, while Willow clenched her beak shut and huffed out her pleasure. The more reserved female was still coming down from her finish when she felt Tiane slip away from her body. A smile graced the corners of her beak when she felt her lover sliding up to her. The quiet smile was replaced by a wide-eyed look of surprise when two fingers slipped into her sopping hole. The lyrebird crooned; "I sang all night, you can sing once before we go to bed."
Willow's back arched up as the delving fingers began to jiggle up and down inside of her body. Anything she might have tried to say was cut off as pleasure shot through her sleek body. Tiane's fingers rapped against a certain spot inside of the crane's body, making her feathers fluff as she writhed on the bed, grabbing at the covers. She had tried to make a probe that could do replicate what the lyre was doing with her fingers. No matter what she did, she could get close, but never copy it. In seconds, she was bucking her hips up against the hand, trying to hold back her pleasure keen. Her body writhed, trying to escape the wonderful torture that the other hen was inflicting on her. It was rare when she actually cried out during climax, having always been taught to be reserved.
Good thing that Tiane wouldn't take no for an answer. A blush flashed across Willow's nares are the wet sounds coming from her pussy and the wiggling fingers filled the confines of the bed. The crane shoved her body up against the bed and let out a shrill cry as her insides clenched down around the thrusting fingers hard. She twitched like a fish, caught on those hooked fingers of her lover. The lyrebird had worked her up to the highest and was now letting her down easily.
Tiane's fingers slid up over Willow's belly as the crane fought to regain her breath. A soft chirp came from the songstress as she pressed her body against the larger female's side. The crane rolled onto her side, wrapping her wings around the lyre hen. Without a word, the female tucked herself into the snowy female's body, the crane curling around her darker lover. They didn't need to say anything to one another, they were simply content to drift off in one another's arms.