CatDance #19
#23 of CatDance
Come Visit Solitude, land of the Friendly Citizens and Mixed Public Baths!
Wherein Mikael meets yet another former lover, Helfer's speech continues to improve, and Kitty discovers the awesomeness that is SOAP! (Actually, the awesomeness of soap only becomes obvious when it is applied by the hand of another. Try it sometime and see if I'm not right about that!)
| "Halt!" shouted the voice of a female guard as they approached the main gate of the city. "What is your business in Solitude?"
Mikael responded to her formally, "I am Mikael the Bard from Whiterun, here on my annual pilgrimage to the College along with my companions, the Khajiits Kitty and Helfer and the Argonian Ubergard."
"Mikael?" the guard responded in a suddenly far more personal tone.
The bard struggled for only a second with his memory before he responded with "Gertrude! Is that you under there? When did you become a gate guard?"
The guard removed her helmet revealing apparently the Gertrude that Mikael had expected. "Oh, Lynnette and I passed the formal test a few months ago. She's stationed at the palace now. Are you staying at the college?"
"No, we'll be staying at the tavern. Why don't you drop in after your shift? We can catch up on things!"
"It'll be pretty late, but we'll be there!" Gertrude replied, then sniffed the air a bit. "Say, you're a bit ripe Mikael. Best use the communal bath after you get your stuff sorted out at the Skeever. It's new. Just inside to the right. Elisif herself uses it to help promote cleanliness in Solitude. It's pretty nice."
With that, the guard resumed her duties and the four passed within the gates. | | | Sure enough, once within they saw the bath to their right. "Communal bath?" Kitty asked Mikael. "Will they let Khajiit and Argonians use it?"
"Oh certainly. In fact, they'd probably insist. Solitude is a city that prides itself on being the least barbarous of Skyrim's cities. The communal bath is a tradition going back to the founding of Solitude, but the old bath had fallen into ruin, so this new one is good news indeed!"
"And there's no problem with males and females sharing of it?"
"None at all. Again, Solitude has a much more civilized attitude than Whiterun you'll find. But let's get set up at the tavern first. It's right over here."
"The Winking Skeever?" Kitty asked as she looked at the sign over the door. "Sounds vaguely obscene."
Mikael just laughed and shrugged as he held the door for her. | | | Mikael made arrangements with the bartender for their rooms, and soon they were settling in.
"Nice place! These rooms are much bigger than back in Whiterun," Ubergard noted.
"Two rooms? Aren't you being a little extravagant Mikael?" asked Kitty.
"Oh, I got us a special deal. 2 for 1 in exchange for performing for them tonight. Their resident bard is really quite good, but everyone gets tired of the same entertainment night after night. Plus with your dancing..."
"I see. Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going to go check out that bath right away. I'm feeling a bit 'ripe' myself!"
Helfer looked at Ubergard inquiringly.
"Oh, of course Helfer. You don't need my permission! Go on with Kitty. I want to check out the security here." | | | "Mikael, anything we need to know before we get in the bath?"
"No, you'll be fine. Just don't be shocked by other residents using it with you. Don't worry, it's not considered a sexual thing here. I'll be along later, but I need to set up things with the Bard here for the next few days first. But leave your clothes here. I'll have them washed while you're out."
"If you're sure..." Kitty said, hesitantly.
"I'm sure. Here, you can put this towel on if you're feeling embarrassed, but it's really not necessary here."
"Nevertheless..." Kitty said as she accepted the towel and wrapped it around herself. "At least till I get used to it."
Helfer, already naked, obviously had no need of a towel for modesty so Kitty wrapped another over her shoulders as well. After getting assurance from Ubergard that it was really OK to leave her for a while, the two Khajiits found their way back outside and across the path to the bath.
"Oh!" Kitty said as they approached the bath. "Someone's there already!"
"It is of no importance," Helfer assured her. "Did not Mikael say this shared bathing is acceptable in Solitude?" | | | Though the area wasn't heavily populated, Kitty did notice that the few who did see them seemed indifferent to their lack of dress as well as their race. Despite her having wrapped her towel around herself, seeing that did help relieve her insecurity at public nudity, and Helfer certainly had no qualms about it.
As they climbed the steps to the bath, Kitty spoke to Helfer. "Helfer, I noticed you called her 'Ubergard' a little while ago. What happened to 'UberGOD'?"
"Oh," Helfer replied. "Ubergard told me it began to bother her, so Helfer calls her Ubergard now too. I am still learning. I wished not to offend but to honor her, but this she did not like."
"And I see you're using 'I' now too, at least sometimes. Very good Helfer. You are a fast learner!"
"Thank you Kitty. Hel... I try to be." | | | "Welcome friend Khajiits!" Boomed the voice of the older of the two men in the tub. "Come! Join us. I am Bierand the smith, and my friend here is Sorex Vinius who works at the Winking Skeever."
As the men stood to greet them, Kitty found it was completely impossible not to steal a glance at their substantial genitals. Yet it was their muscled chests that really held her gaze.
"Thank you Bierand! We're strangers here I'm afraid, and not really used to your customs. I am known as Kitty, and my friend is Helfer. I come from Whiterun with Mikael the Bard."
"Well met then, Kitty. Come, sit here by me. You can tell me of your travels and I will tell you about Solitude. For instance, I assume by your use of that towel that you're not used to our bath. I assure you, you needn't concern yourself about being naked here though. We locals might look askance if you were wandering the rest of the city without clothes, but around the bath here, it's expected."
"It... well, it will take some getting used to for me," Kitty said as she removed the towel and stepped into the water. "But I'm willing to try!" | | | "Oh!" Kitty said, noticing his growing erection. "I see you're... attracted..."
Bierand glanced down. "Of course. The body does what it does, and it would take a poor excuse for a man not to appreciate female beauty such as you two have, Khajiit or no! But please, never mind that. What brings you to Solitude?"
Kitty found herself warming to the smith and sat beside him. "Well, to be honest we're here at the request of our Bard, Mikael. He is on his annual trip to the College and asked me to come along."
"Oh, Mikael is here with you? That's wonderful news! Will he be performing at the Skeever?" asked the other man, whom Kitty noticed was comfortably chatting with Helfer too until she mentioned Mikael.
"Oh yes! And Helfer and I will be dancing for him as well. That's why he invited me. He seems to think I have some talent for dancing."
Bierand replied, "Well I'll have to see this then! A pair of fine Khajiit females dancing with Bard Mikael's music? I can't imagine anything finer to do on a lovely evening like this." | | | "Say, Helfer. Perhaps you can help me wash my back?" Sorex asked.
"Helfer... I mean, 'I' will happily do this for you, friend Sorex. But what is this?"
"That," Beirand interjected, "we call 'soap'. It helps you get cleaner than just soaking in water. And it smells good too. What do you say, Kitty? I think you'll like it. You just rub it into the skin, then rinse it off with water. Since the tub is constantly flowing water through, it doesn't build up either. Here, let me show you how it's done. Come here in front of me... Yes. Like that. I take the soap and rub it into your skin... well, fur in your case, like this..."
Kitty had to admit that the feel of the blacksmith's incredibly strong hands working the soap into her fur was exquisite. "Oh Helfer, you've got to try this!"
Sorex laughed, "Hey, not till she's done with me yet!"
"Do I use the soap properly?" she asked Sorex.
"Oh yes, very properly!" he moaned. "Just remember not to extend your claws and it's heaven!"
Helfer laughed, "No, no claws!" | | | "What about the rest of me?" Kitty asked when Beirand had finished her upper body.
"Well, that depends on you. You can do it yourself of course, but if you trust me I'd be happy to continue!"
"Oh please! Your hands are wonderful!"
"Then by all means, stand up and I'll finish you. Just, you understand I can't help... this."
Kitty nodded, knowing what he meant. "If it doesn't bother you, it certainly doesn't bother me! But please, continue!"
Helfer suggested Sorex do the same. | | | Soon however, Kitty's bath was complete and she proceeded to wash Beirand the same way while Sorex did the same for Helfer. All went well save for a small accident when Beirand had become overly excited as Kitty was washing his lower regions, his 'accident' splashing across Helfer's rump and tail.
At this, Sorex laughed but adamantly refused to clean it off, so Beirand ended up cleaning two Khajiit butts that evening.
"Well," Kitty commented as she was relaxing later with Sorex, "At least you're not hard anymore!"
"There is that. Thank you both though. It's been a wonderful bath! My apologies for it turning rather sexual, but nature does as nature wills and it has been quite a long time for me. However, I need to be off to get ready for tonight! I very much look forward to seeing your dancing ladies." | | | Kitty gave him a hug as he climbed out of the bath. "I'll be looking for you later!" she warned.
"Oh, I'll be there! Until then, goodnight Kitty. Goodnight Helfer! And I'll see you later too Sorex."
"Goodnight," they both said in unison.
"I suppose I should be going too. As I said, I work at the Skeever so you'll see me around tonight anyway." and with that Sorex left the bath to the two Khajiits.
"Wasn't that wonderful?" Kitty asked Helfer.
"It was wonderful," Helfer agreed. "But perhaps the details need not concern Mikael or Ubergard?"
Kitty nodded vigorously and then laughed. "Helfer, if I had any doubts at all about your intelligence before, they're gone now!" | |