by Van © 2024
		Chapter 6

Brave tomboy that she was, Sky fought like the proverbial ginger tigress to escape from The Evil Lorelei's stringent hogtie—twisting, squirming, and generally struggling to liberate her naked, freckled body.  Oh, the drama!  But it was all for naught!  The tight (but not too tight) cinched and knotted conditioned hemp rope simply refused to cooperate.  Nothing shifted, loosened, or in any way responded to her valiant efforts.  Also, Sky's fingers and hands were unable to contribute to the struggle as she was still testing Auntie Kelly's leather fist-sheathes, and she didn't even bother thinking about trying to remove the ball-gag plugging her mouth or somehow peeling off the wide strip of off-white medical tape plastered over her lips and lower face.  All of that said, Sky refused to give up!

And outrageous as it might be, Sky had been striving to regain her freedom for at least a half an hour!  Maybe more!  Thirty-five minutes?  Maybe.  It was an outrage!

On the other hand (and bed) Fiona (aka Cheeks) had valiantly squirmed and struggled for something like only five minutes!  And since then, she'd simply... languished... like a lazy hogtied lump.  It was disgusting.  However...Sky couldn't really blame her.  Obviously both of their situations were hopeless.  Also, Fiona being such a wimp was to be expected.  Sky was a card-carrying tomboy.  Fi was your typical girlie-girl... with a generous splash of jock.  Fi wasn't a fitness freak, but she did keep herself in tip-top condition and was good at sports... nearly as good as Sky herself.

Anyway, Sky resolved to never give up!  She'd struggle against the Ozzie Gull's insidious ropes all night if that was what it took!  Granted, she might take regular catnaps to recharge her batteries, but her resolve would never waver!  Skylar Dundee, Ginger Action Heroine, was not a quitter!

And then... Sky stopped struggling and heaved a gagged sigh.  Who am I kidding?  It's hopeless.  She decided to take a breather... then, give it maybe five more minutes of pointless effort before calling it a night... a naked, hogtied, double-gagged night.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened and Auntie Kelly strode into the bedroom!

Sky and Fiona stared at their hostess and blinked their green and blue eyes (respectively).

Kelly was wearing the frilly, gossamer-thin robe they'd worn their first night at The Hermitage, and nothing else!  The matching baby-doll nightie and frilly panties that completed the outfit were missing!  Factoring in Sky and Fiona's bonds and gags, the 40-something redhead was as naked as her 20-something guests!

Their hostess was now standing in the middle of the bedroom, bare feet apart, hands on hips, and her ginger mop fluttering as she turned her sympathetic face from bed to bed and hogtied captive to hogtied captive.

Sky continued blinking as she gazed at her elderly cousin.  Yes, she decided, Kelly's definitely sympathetic and she's definitely not gloating!  Are we being rescued??

Kelly continued striking her heroic and commiserating pose.  By the way, her diaphanous jade robe was hanging open with the ends of its narrow sash/belt dangling to either side of her more-or-less totally exposed body!  Yes, Auntie's fit, firm, athletic, semi-curvaceous form was very nearly on full display, including her strong legs, dark-ginger pubic bush, well-sculpted abs, and modest but pleasingly-shaped boobs!  Her pretty lips continued to be down-turned and frowning in sympathy.

Why is she even bothering with that thing? Sky wondered, mentally referencing the pointless robe.  Also, she noted the near uniformity of her Auntie's widely distributed freckle-field.  Lorelei-the-Wicked-Villainess might have a glorious all-over tan, but Auntie Kelly, Lorelei's redheaded boss, had all-over freckles!  Obviously, both permanent residents of The Hermitage spent a decent amount of time indulging in skinny-dipping and/or sunbathing.

"This is unacceptable," Kelly sighed as she shook her head, then turned to Fiona's bed.

Sky was disappointed.  Apparently Fi was going to get rescued first!  It wasn't fair!  Sky had been the one doing the overwhelming majority of the struggling!  Brave redheads should be rescued before wimpy blondes!

Sky watched (grumpily) as her elderly-but-hot cousin's pointless robe fluttered like a nearly transparent jade flag in a stiff breeze as she strode (padded) to Fi's bed.  Sky had to admit her Auntie Kelly's keister was as firm as the proverbial pair of ripe melons.  I hope I'm in that good a shape when I'm old, she reflected.  Sky continued watching (glowering) as their rescuer began the long, involved process of releasing Fiona from her hemp bonds... all of her hemp bonds.  Also, Kelly was speaking quietly to Fiona as she dealt with the thin ropes but the distance was too great for Sky to be able to understand anything she was saying.

Soon... make that eventually... Auntie Kelly (naked but for her open, frilly, nearly-not-there jade robe) was sitting on the bed, Fiona (naked but for her double-gag) was sitting next to her, and Kelly was gently peeling the strip of medical tape from Fi's lips, ball-gagged mouth, and lower face.  Kelly then parted Fiona's long blond hair, unbuckled the ball-gag's strap, and gently pulled the black ball from her mouth.  The silicon-rubber sphere emerged with an audible pop!

"T-thank you," Fiona muttered quietly, working her jaw, licking her lips, and blushing.

"You're welcome, dear," Kelly purred.

Kelly and Sky's BFF were speaking in their normal voices so Sky could hear what was being said.

Then, Auntie gave Fi a gentle hug... followed by a quick kiss on her gag-free lips.  (This did nothing to diminish Fiona's blush, of course.)  The task of rescuing (and embarrassing) Fiona complete, Kelly climbed to her freckled feet, blew a kiss in Sky's hogtied and double-gagged direction, then padded to the bedroom door.

"Think about what I told you," Kelly said to Fi as she opened the door, then wished her young guests a "Goodnight!" and completed her exit.

Hey!  That's only half a rescue! Sky silently objected.

Still blushing, Fiona gazed at the closed door... then turned to Sky... her blush faded... and she smiled... with ominous sweetness.

Uh oh!  Sky didn't like the look on her BFF's beautiful face and in her blue eyes, not at all.  "Mrrrf?" she inquired (so to speak).

Fiona gracefully climbed to her bare feet, padded to Sky's bed (in all her slender-but-curvaceous-nude-and flaxen-haired glory), and began the involved process of freeing her BFF from her "Western" or "Straight-Stick" version of the basic hogtie.

"Hold still," Fiona purred (unnecessarily) as she systematically attacked the hemp ropes.

I am holding still, Sky silently fumed.  I have no choice but to hold still.  Fiona was being a jerk... a naked, teasing jerk... but at least she was untying Lorelei's handiwork and completing Auntie Kelly's rescue mission.

And then, Fiona stopped untying her BFF's hemp accessories!  To be precise, she stopped when Sky's bonds were reduced to the ball-gag, tape-gag, Auntie Kelly's insidious but stylish leather fist-sheathes, and Lorelei's wrist-ropes!  Sky's naked, freckled body was otherwise unrestrained, but she remained firmly and tightly in the bound captive category!

Sky rolled onto her back (and bound wrists) and demanded an explanation.  "Mrrrf!"

"Keep yer cool," Fiona purred, climbed onto the bed... and then climbed on top of Sky!  Yes!  On top of Sky!

"Mrrrrrf!" the only remaining prisoner in the bedroom objected, then did her best to buck her naked BFF off her naked self!  Not with her full strength, of course, but with enough to let Fi know that in the opinion of her BFF that she should get the hell off!

"Easy," Fiona grinned, placing her hands on Sky's freckled shoulders to further hold her down.  Her knees were on either side of Sky's weakly squirming hips and her lower legs and feet on either side of Sky's weakly kicking legs.  In short, Fi was pinning her gagged and wrist-bound BFF to the bed!  She then leaned close and kissed Sky's tape-gagged and ball-gagged mouth!

Sky's green eyes popped wide and she stopped struggling.  She was in shock!  Her bestie had kissed her!

Next, smiling sweetly and in rapt concentration, Fiona gently teased back a corner of Sky's tape-gag... gently peeled away the off-white strip, the same service Auntie Kelly had provided for Fi back on her bed.  Then, turned Sky's still wide-eyed and ball-gagged head to the side and unbuckled the ball-gag's strap—but not completely.  She secured the strap on its first hole, turned Sky's head back until they were once again face-to-face... then gently plucked the black rubber sphere from her BFF's mouth.  Pop!

Sky stared up into her rescuer's (of semi-rescuer's) smiling face, worked her jaws, and licked her lips.  Now, the ball-gag was around her neck like a kinky necklace, and her wrists were still tied together behind her back... and her BFF was just sitting there... on top of her... and smiling.

"Well?" Sky said eventually.

"Your Auntie Kelly told me to make sure you're safe" Fiona purred, "which I'm more than happy to do, but she also insisted that I don't ruin the test of her leather-mitten-thingies"

Sky noted that now that she was untied and ungagged, her BFF was doing a lot of purring.

"So," Fi continued, "we're going to snuggle together for the rest of the night and share the bed... meaning this bed... meaning your bed."

"What?" Sky demanded.  "No!  Get off!"

"By the way," Fiona added, "Kelly thinks you're my girlfriend."

"Oh yeah?"  Sky tugged on her wrist-bonds, or tried, anyway.  Sky-Fi's combined weight was rendering even symbolic struggling problematic.  "Well, Loreli thinks I'm your girlfriend, so there!  Let me go!"  She squirmed again, then heaved a truly tragic (and theatrical) sigh.  "Get off me... you horse!"

"Isn't that sweet?" Fiona sighed (still purring).  "Am I pretty palomino pony?"  She then leaned close and once again kissed Sky's lips.  It was outrageous!  And this time there was no tape and rubber ball in the way!

"No," Sky objected and almost whined).

Fiona kissed her alleged girlfriend again, quietly said "Yes," then lifted her leg, climbed off Sky's freckled form, and lay down beside her alleged girlfriend and pulled her into a full-body hug!

"I refuse to be your girlfriend," Sky huffed.  "Let me go."

"That's the other reason Auntie Kelly said I should keep you tied up," Fiona whispered in Sky's right ear, "so you'd have no choice but to get over yourself, stop being a chicken, and admit your true feelings."  She then gave the ear in question a wet kiss (with tongue).  It wasn't exactly a "wet willy," but it was a little sloppy.

"Stop!" Sky begged, shivering from head to toe and once again tugging on her wrists.  It was easier with her alleged girlfriend's weight no longer holding her down, but still pointless.

Fiona's hug tightened.  "I think I'm being a very brave girlfriend by following your Auntie Kelly's orders, keeping you captive, and snuggling with you like this.  Don't you agree?  And don't you think we should give it a try?"

"No," Sky reiterated.  "I mean..."  She felt a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.  "What choice do I have?  I'm tied up."

Fiona kissed Sky's freckled shoulder.  "Exactly.  Your Auntie Kelly is very wise."

"Yeah, wise!" Sky scoffed.  "Just... don't do anything... okay?"

"Anything like what?" Fiona purred (again).  "Anything like... this?"

Once again Sky's green eyes popped wide.  "Eeep!"  Fiona's hand was gently cupping and squeezing her right breast, and both of Sky's nipples had immediately stiffening in defiant protest!

"Or this?" Fiona added.  Her hand had left Sky's breast and was now slowly, gently sliding down Sky's shivering body to her tummy!

"Fi-oh-na!" Sky whined.  (Tomboy or not, anybody would whine while undergoing such... torture.)

"Or this?" Fiona murmured.  Her hand slooowly slid further, her fingers combing through Sky's ginger bush... and cupped the shocked, outraged, and delicately shivering redhead's pussy!"

Sky would have vociferously objected, of course, but her lips, tongue, and mouth were unavailable.  Fiona was imposing another deep, wet, urgent kiss while she continued taking intimate manual liberties with Sky's private parts!  The ginger prisoner had no choice but to return her blond captor's kiss, as well as to shiver from head to toe and tug on her bound wrists.

Fiona had taken charge!  Fiona was on top!  Pretty blond Fiona!  Not Skylar the Heroic Tomboy!  The world had turned upside-down!  Sky was discomposed, discombobulated, agitated, and... aroused!  She was also tongue-wrestling with her BFF and far too busy to think about complicated things like interpersonal relationships... and love.

Kelly padded back to her bedroom, her frilly, diaphanous, open robe still fluttering in her wake like a trail of jade-tinted smoke.  She opened the door, entered, then gazed at her queen-size bed.

"Just as I feared," Kelly muttered.  "You went waaay over the top, young lady.  What have you got to say for yourself?"  She then removed her robe and tossed it atop a nearby chair.  Now totally nude, Kelly assumed another hand-on-hips stance.

"Mhhh!" Lorelei answered.  It wasn't exactly a loquacious response, but it was the best she could manage given the steel ring with four inwardly curving tines wedged behind her teeth and propping open her mouth.  It was a "spider-gag" with a reddish-brown leather strap and goldtone steel hardware, including the "spider!"

Kelly would have preferred a gunmetal spider, but other than shiny stainless steel, goldtone was the only thing currently available from her preferred supplier, and Kelly disliked stainless/chrome even more than gold.  Also, she'd used reddish-brown leather for the strap because she wasn't particularly fond of it either.  Since she already disliked the only available metal elements, she figured she might as well use up more of her stock of least favorite leather as well.  In functional terms it was a good gag (if you're into that sort of thing), but she didn't intend on adding it to her catalog until gunmetal (or possibly bronze) spiders became available.

As for Lorelei and aesthetics aside, the spider wasn't her favorite gag either—nor was the means by which her boss had insured she wouldn't be able to release its buckle and get the hateful metal arachnid out of her mouth.

The Ozzie Gull's fingers, hands, and wrists were laced and buckled into a pair of Kelly's "flipper-cuffs," close-fitting mitten-like sheathes that encased her hands with her fingers together and fully extended in the manner of a military salute—and they incorporated wide, bracer-like, leather wrist-cuffs.  In addition, her ankles were strapped in ankle-cuffs similar to the wrist-cuff elements and the solidly attached D-rings in both sets were joined by a pair of padlocks.  Lorelei's left flipper-cuff was secured to her left ankle-cuff, her right flipper-cuff to her right ankle-cuff, but the left and right cuffs weren't secured together.

Unlike the spider-gag, both the flipper-cuffs and the ankle-cuffs were in Kelly's catalog.  In fact, they were bestsellers.  Also, this particular pair (or pair of pairs) were in Kelly's favorite shade of medium-brown (with a slightly pebbled finish), all the hardware was gunmetal, and (in Kelly's opinion) everything looked stunning against Lorelei's smooth, gleaming, deeply tanned skin... which only served to exacerbate Kelly's aesthetic dissatisfaction with the spider-gag prototype.

And speaking of skin, the Girl-from-Down-Under was what she would call "nuddy"—totally nuddy!  That is, except for her leather bonds, Lorelei was naked—totally naked!

Also, Lorelei's long, straight, blond hair was pulled back in a severe ponytail and secured with a tightly wrapped length of braided hemp cord (in lieu of the usual ribbon, scrunchie, or fabric-covered elastic).  Also, her big toes were individually tied with two lengths of thin (1.85 mm) braided nylon cord (in coyote-brown) and secured to the cord enforcing the ponytail using tight slip-knots—and there was very little slack in the arrangement!  The nuddy Ozzie Gull wasn't in quite as stringent a hogtie pose as the ones she'd inflicted on poor Sky-Fi, but her spider-gagged head was pulled back, her drooling chin lifted, and any effort to squirm, wiggle, or roll away from exactly where her Evil Boss-Lady had left her would punish her poor toes!

And speaking of drool, before departing to check on her adorable young guests, Kelly had spread a thick, fluffy, half-unfolded, terrycloth towel atop the bed, from under Lorelei's saliva-dripping head to halfway under her semi-squashed breasts, just at the line defined by her pointing nipples.  As already established, nobody likes sleeping on a wet-spot.

Kelly heaved a disapproving sigh, padded to the bed, leaned down, and released the slipknots securing Lorelei's big-toes-to-hair bondage.

Lorelei relaxed (as much as her leather-enforced hogtie would allow), heaved a sigh of her own, and watched as Kelly arranged the pillows against the headboard to form a backrest, gracefully climbed onto the neatly made bed, then lay back against the pillows with her knees bent and her strong, freckled legs widely splayed.  Needless to say, Kelly was on open display—meaning her smiling face, toned arms, modest but attractive boobs, flat tummy, ginger bush, lady-bits, and thighs.  Finally, she leaned forward, jerked the half-folded towel from under Lorelei, then lifted her butt off the bed and redeployed the towel so it lay under her entire crotch area.  She then smiled and focused on Lorelei.

"Well?  What are you waiting for?" Kelly demanded, then indicated her pussy with a languid flip of her right wrist.  "Wiggle on up here and pay your penance.  You know I have to punish you for leaving my young cousin and her charming young girlfriend in such fiendish predicaments.  Get on with it!"  She shook her head in mocking condemnation.  "It was especially despicable the way you abandoned poor Skylar with her elbows bound together, letting her to think she was going to have to endure such hideous discomfort the entire night.  You're a wicked, wicked sheila, Lorelei."

The "wicked sheila" in question rolled her blue eyes.  The allegation that she had abandoned Red in elbow-bound-agony was completely unfounded.

In the first place, all along the plan had been for her to hogtie the youngsters so Kelly could come behind and rescue them immediately—after pausing long enough for Lorelei to report mission accomplished, disrobe, and allow her boss place her in her current condition, of course.  It was an example of good-cop/bad-cop... or maybe good-rigger/bad-rigger.

In the second place, both Red and Cheeks were in excellent condition with outstanding flexibility.  Either one of them could handle a little innocent severe-elbow-bondage... of a reasonable duration.

In the third place... there was no third place.  Kelly was being a regular drongo galah, as usual.

Anyway... Lorelei began the arduous squirming journey required to bring her spider-gagged mouth within tactical range of Kelly's patiently waiting cunt.  (Thankfully, the tips of the spider's tines were well-rounded and curved away from said cunt, so Kelly's private parts wouldn't be punctured.)

Kelly smiled and watched her helpless, naked employee's painfully awkward approach...  Then, contact was achieved!  Kelly closed her eyes, her smile broadened, and she put her head back.  Lorelei's spider-gagged mouth was pressing and wobbling against her pussy!  Also, she was thrusting her tongue through the ring, into Kelly's pussy, and was vigorously wiggling it back and forth!

"Ah, yes!" Kelly gasped, her eyes squeezed tightly closed.  "That's it!  Keep it up!"

Lorelei's "punishment" continued for quite some time.  Without a doubt, pleasuring her boss to Kelly's demanding standards would have been much easier without the goldtone steel spider wedged in her gaping mouth, but Lorelei did her naked, bound, and slobbering best.

Meanwhile, in Sky-Fi's guest bedroom...

---

The wet-kissing, sloppy-smooching, lip-locking, making out, and what the Brits apparently call "snogging" lasted several long, intense, remarkable minutes... then Sky relaxed in her bonds and Fiona settled into their snuggling embrace.  They lay together on the bed, panting a little, their heart rates slowly returning to something resembling normal.  Eventually... they closed their eyes.

A few minutes passed... then...

Fiona opened her eyes, heaved a sigh, released her embrace of her BFF (and girlfriend), squirmed away, rolled off the bed, climbed to her feet, stretched, and yawned.  "E'yaaah!"

Naked, her fingers and hands still encased in Auntie Kelly's fist-mitts and her wrists still tied together behind her back, Sky watched her BFF (and girlfriend)... and reflected that naked, sleepy Fiona (with her mouth open, arms raised, and in full-body stretch) was very sexy.  The shoulders-rolled-back pose did wonders for her boobies.  Sky continued watching as Fi padded to the bedroom door and turned off the overhead lights, plunging the bedroom into near-darkness.

There was a little silvery moonlight streaming through the bedroom window so Sky was able to continue watching as Fiona padded back to the bed, flopped onto the mattress, squirmed close, and resumed her (their) full-body embrace/hug.

Sky weakly tugged on her bound wrists, which were still more-or-less trapped under her naked body.

"Untie me," the grumpy (sleepy) redhead demanded (quietly).

Fiona heaved a sigh.  "Auntie Kelly says—"

"I don't care what Auntie Kelly says!" Sky interrupted.  "Untie me."

"Let's compromise," Fiona purred, released her embrace (again), rolled Sky onto her stomach (and boobs), and untied her girlfriend's wrist-bonds.  She then loosely looped the thin hemp rope around Sky's waist and tied a square knot against her spine.  It required a great deal of slithering and sliding of the rope's free ends to complete the knot.  She then threaded a free end of rope through each of the steel D-rings dangling from the tips of Sky's fist-mitten thumbs.  This required concentration on Fiona's part as the inside diameter of the rings was only a little larger than the diameter of the rope.  Finally, she rolled Sky onto her back (and butt) and tied the free ends together with a well-compacted square-knot.

Sky's encased fists were now very loosely bound at her sides.  There was significant slack in the strand encircling her belly, and even more slack in the loop of thin hemp linked to her thumbs.  In terms of wiggle room, the revised bondage was not very restrictive; however, the continued presence of Auntie Kelly's stylish fist-sheaths meant Poor Skylar was still helpless (and dependent on her handler/girlfriend).

Also, Sky's naked, freckled body remained available for snuggling, and naked blond Fiona took full advantage by resuming her full-body embrace.  She also planted a quick kiss (smooch) on her girlfriend's pouting lips.

"Is this better?" Fiona inquired.

"No!" Sky huffed (quietly).  "Untie me!"  She squirmed and wiggled... and discovered her girlfriend's arms were about as restrictive as her new bonds.  "Yes... it's better."

"If you like," Fiona said in a teasing manner, "I can tie you up tighter... much tighter.  There's more than enough rope available."  She was, of course, referring to the vast quantity of tangled hemp cluttering Fiona's bed and scattered on the floor around the bed they was currently sharing, their former bonds from The Evil Lorelei's stringent hogtie demonstration.

Sky stared up at the dark log rafters overhead for several seconds before responding.  "Just you wait," she warned quietly.  "You may be my girlfriend, but first chance I get you're gonna be the one naked and tied up, so tight you won't be able to wiggle."

Fiona snuggled even closer... and smiled.

Sky couldn't see her girlfriend's smile, but she knew it was there.

"Do you want your gag back?" Fi offered sweetly.

The gag in question was still on ugly-necklace-duty around Sky's neck and not plugging her pouting mouth.

"No," Sky muttered, then heaved a melodramatic sigh.  "Just you wait."

Fiona's response was to plant another kiss on Sky's pouting lips, accompanied by a brief, gentle squeeze of her girlfriend's left breast.

"Goodnight," Fiona whispered.

"Shuddup!" Sky responded, then, after a few seconds, begrudging added...  "Goodnight."

The next morning in the guest bedroom was somewhat awkward, but not nearly as awkward as both halves of Sky-Fi feared might have been the case.  Things were different... but the same.  Sky and Fiona had always been girlfriends, but now they were girlfriends!  It would take them a while to sort things out, and while that happened they simultaneously and silently decided it would be best to take things slow, not freak out, and go with the flow.  Of course, that didn't mean they couldn't have fun while it happened... whatever "it" turned out to be.

Fiona made a big show of being terribly sorry that she had had no choice but to follow Auntie Kelly's orders and continue being Sky's handler.  However, since they were now girlfriends, Fi promised to protect her naked and fist-sheathed charge from any more of Lorelei's demonstration nonsense... at least until after breakfast.

Sky, on the other hand, was the very picture of a stoic, brave, disgruntled, and freckled prisoner, albeit an only marginally helpless prisoner much-put-upon by their unconscionable circumstances and the heartless and cruel attitude of her grinning blond jailer.

Anyway, after a trip down the hallway to the bathroom to use the facilities (during which Poor Fiona did all the work) they returned to the bedroom and Sky stood glowering by the window and "supervised" while her girlfriend dressed in underwear, boots, socks, jeans, and a tank-top—neatly coiled all of the hemp rope left over from Lorelei's hogtie demo—returned all the hempen coils to the Ozzie Gull's gym bag, including the ball-gag that was no longer loosely dangling around Sky's neck—then made both of their beds.  The bedroom restored to its required neat and tidy appearance, Fiona finally led poor, naked, starving Sky to breakfast.

Cheerful greetings gushed from The Mysterious Auntie Kelly and her Sinister Hench-Cutie Lorelei as Sky-Fi entered the kitchen  The menu was coffee, toast, bacon, and eggs-to-order.  Sky was the odd-damsel-out as she was the only one present who was naked and with her fists encased in tight leather, but other than that it was a typical Montana morning at The Hermitage (at least in the girls' limited experience).

As already establish, neither Sky nor Fiona had discussed their newly revised girlfriend status before breakfast, and they certainly didn't discuss it during breakfast, not with Kelly and Lorelei shoveling food into their grinning mouths and probably eager to eavesdrop on anything said, however personal.

Anyway, once all the plates were empty... kitchen cleanup happened.  Sky watched (gloated) but couldn't contribute, seeing as how she was naked and in fist-sheathes.  Once the kitchen was spic and span Lorelei led Fiona to the stable to take care of the herd and Kelly led Sky to her leather workshop.  Apparently, the fist-sheath test really was over and the leather mitts were about to be removed!

It was and they were.

Auntie Kelly opened a drawer in one of the cabinets, pulled out a pair of tiny scissors, took hold of Sky's right hand, then carefully and delicately snipped and pulled free the thin cord serving as lacing.  This allowed Sky to finally open the fist in question, she did so, and Kelly gently pulled the leather glove/mitten/sheath from her hand.

Sky shook the hand in question, clenched and unclenched her fist, fluttered her fingers, then allowed Kelly to take her hand once again so she could conduct a close examination.

"Tingling?" Kelly inquired.

"No," Sky answered.  She realized she was pouting, but it was more or less out of habit.  She willed her mouth to relax.

"I don't see any discoloration or red-marks," Kelly purred, turning Sky's hand and continuing her careful evaluation.

"Me neither," Sky agreed, then went back to flexing her right hand as Auntie Kelly retrieved the scissors and removed her left fist-sheath.

"Excellent!" Kelly beamed as she finished examining Sky's left hand.  It was also discoloration, red-mark, and tingle free.  "I'd call this test an unqualified success."

Sky's pout had reasserted itself, and she trying but failing to come up with a snappy comeback.

Suddenly—"Twee-uh-WEEET!"—they were interrupted by a shrill, very loud, and arguably irritating whistle from somewhere outside the workshop.

Kelly and Sky rushed out the door to find Lorelei and Fiona across the compound and near the stable.

"I hate it when you make that obnoxious noise!" Kelly shouted across the distance.  "It's uncouth!"

Lorelei smiled broadly, then pointed to the long improved dirt road then linked the paved county road to the Dunbar spread.  It switch-backed three times down a relatively gentle slope, passed through a pair of tall posts supporting an elegantly carved sign emblazoned with "The Hermitage," then entered the compound and officially becoming the driveway.  Anyway, about a half-mile distant and between the two upper switchbacks a red dot was kicking up a modest dust trail as in approached.

"The Bird sisters," Kelly said to Sky.  "I wasn't expecting them this early.  They must have loaded the truck last night and hit the road before sunup."

Her right hand raised to shade her eyes, Sky squinted at the red dot that in the last few seconds had grown to become a tiny red truck... and it was still growing... and approaching.

Sky frowned.  The Bird sisters?  Then she remembered.  Auntie Kelly's Native American friends she said would be delivering some sort of 'woodworking project' that needs 'testing.'

Auntie Kelly smiled and surveyed Sky's nude form from head to toe.  "Don't you think you should get dressed?" she purred.

Sky blushed, scowled at her elderly cousin (who was still smiling her infuriating and teasing smile), then spun on her bare heels and scampered towards The Big House.  She reflected that since arriving at The Hermitage she was doing a lot more naked scampering than she ever did at home or on the campus of Lewis & Clark University.

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