Summer Nights [sex Cows/Mare/stag, semiconsensual, nonexplicid, drugged]

The next day, I sat at my desk when Bruna came to my room.

"Ah, Bruna", I said. "Are you here to talk about what happened yesterday evening?"

Bruna answered shyly. "Master, I... am here to receive my punishment."

I looked up from my work. "What punishment? What are you talking about?"

"For yesterday evening", she said. "I disobeyed you. You haven't punished me yet."

"Bruna, I won't punish you. I've already told you that it was your choice. Bruna, you remember what I told you about the lever recently? How I believe that we caribou also have that, it's only better hidden and harder to pull? I think that was your lever, Bruna. You didn't make a mistake. It also wasn't misdemeanor on your part. You made a conscious choice. You set a limit that you decided you would not cross, no matter what I would do to you. I am proud of you."

She was confused. "You are proud of me... for disobeying you?"

I nodded. "A few months ago, I told you that we stags don't always do the right thing, remember? I have to admit... yesterday evening, I did the wrong thing. I shouldn't have insulted Star Charmer the way I did. It was... unfair. I also shouldn't have demanded it from you. You like Star Charmer quite a lot, don't you?"

She nodded.

I continued. "I should have known it. The way you talked about her the evening before. I should have known that I would hurt both of you with that demand. I was the one who was misbehaving."

Bruna was surprised. "Master... does that mean that you need to be punished?"

I smiled. "Don't worry, Star Charmer has already taken care of that."

She was even more confused now, but she didn't inquire further. We both remained silent for a while. Then she asked: "Master... if I may, I have another question."

"Bruna, you know you can ask me anything you want to."

"Master... what is 'Alicorn Twilight'?"

Oh. I had completely forgotten about that.

"I think I know what an alicorn is", Bruna said. "I've never actually seen one, but I've seen images of one on the castle walls. She is pretty."

"That is Luna, one of the Royal Sisters", I explained to her. "And yes, she is indeed an alicorn. Well, not any more. She doesn't have those wings and the horn any more. I fear... she isn't as pretty as she used to be. What's even worse is that this is the result of another example of grave misdemeanor committed by stags. And they haven't even been punished for that yet."

"Oh", Bruna said. "That's really sad. But still, why did you mention alicorns yesterday evening? It's still really confusing. You told Star Charmer she could call one named Twilight. I think I've heard of that one. Would that one have come if Star Charmer had called her? What would she have done?"

I smiled. "She wouldn't literally have called for her. This is what we call a  safe word."

Bruna looked at me confused. So I began explaining it to her.

"You see, I told you that the lever can switch between different settings – master, slave, even others as well. But sometimes when we are set to one setting and act it out, there might be the point where we accidentally overstep a certain limit and lose grip of the lever, or accidentally make another one lose grip. Whoever loses grip of the lever can... become stuck on a certain setting."

"Oh", Bruna just said.

"You see, the king's men even do it on purpose", I continued. "It even has to do with why Luna doesn't have her wings and horn any more. They took them away precisely for the purpose of making her and others lose grip of their levers, get them stuck on different settings." I thought for a second. "That's also what the different collars are for. They represent the different settings they can get stuck on. Red for compliant sex toy, purple for broken, black for... punching bag, or beast of burden."

Bruna was completely horrified. "That's... horrible", she said. "We thought that it was the mares' fault. That they were misbehaving, and you were disciplining them to show them the right way again. But... that wasn't the case, was it? They weren't misbehaving, just like I wasn't yesterday evening. What the king and the others did to them... they turned them into..." She was struggling to find words. "I want to be like them... but the king's men try to turn them into... something like us!"

I nodded. Bruna was completely shocked now.

"I know now that what the king's men..." I stopped myself. I had to be honest with her from now on. "I know now that what we did... to the mares of Equestria was a big mistake. A serious misdemeanor even, one that we should be severely punished for but haven't really been so far. That's why I and the others have come here and built this community. We want to at the very least do things differently from now on. We don't purposely make others lose grip of their levers any more. But we certainly also don't want it to happen by accident. That's what the safe words are for. Whenever I'm with Star Charmer, and she believes that she might be losing grip of her lever again, she'll say 'Alicorn Twilight', and then I'll instantly stop doing whatever I'm doing to her at the moment. No matter what it is. I'll even stop punishing her. I will also never punish her for using her safe word – that is entirely her decision."

I saw that Bruna had trouble coming to terms with that idea. But I just remembered something.

"Thinking of it, now that you have found your lever, I think you should have a safe word as well. If you had a safe word, you could have stopped me yesterday evening just by saying it, and you wouldn't have to fear being punished for it. So let's choose a safe word for you. Whenever I do something with you and you say it, I'll immediately stop. I'll also tell the other stags to respect it. Even if you never actually use it, now that we have found your lever, I think you should have one."

She wasn't convinced. "Whatever you say, master. What should my safe word be?"

I thought for a minute. "What do you think of tourmaline?", I asked. "It's the name of the black stone I'm wearing around my neck."

"Tur... ma... leen", she said. "A difficult word. I'm not sure if I will be able to remember it."

She had a point. I had to find another one. I thought for a minute...

I facepalmed. It was so obvious!

"Bruna... for now, why don't we simply use the word lever?"

She smiled.

One night in midsummer, I was still at my desk reading a book, I heard a strange noise from my window.

"Who!"

I looked to my window and saw an owl sitting on the window sill.

"Now who might you be?", I asked.

"Who!", the owl said.

"Owls are sacred animals of Hermaeus Mora", I remembered. "Is He whispering to you, little friend? Or are you just here in hope of catching a mouse?"

"Who!"

"Let's see what the Oghma Infinium has to say about this", I said, walking over to the pedestal that held the book, carefully opening it. It always almost instantly showed me what I needed. I read aloud.

"The Whisperers in Darkness. Owls: Messengers of the Prince. Part one: How to understand their language. Hm, let's try this out."

"Who!"

"So, you're saying that your name used to be Owlowiscious?"

"Who!"

"You once worked for... could you repeat that last part again?"

"Who!"

"Oh. Mighty Hermaeus! You are quite an important owl, aren't you?"

"Who!"

"What did you say?"

"Who!"

"Someone from Canterlot is coming to look how we're doing here? That's bad. I didn't think they would be moving that fast, even before the first harvest. If what you say is true, you have done me an invaluable favor. Let's see what the Oghma Infinium has to say..."

The owl flew through my open window and landed on my desk. "I think as of tomorrow, I'll have to install a perch for you in this room", I said.

"Who!!!"

I smiled. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", I said and browsed the pages of the book. Once again, I quickly found what I needed. "Ah, here. That should do the trick." I made a list, went straight to Anaphainos, and knocked at his door.

"My dear friend", I said. "I need a bottle of your Amber Glow. Also, I need the three components on this list. Do you happen to have any of those? Some of them have medical application, so I figured you might have them."

He looked at the list and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I have those. This is a very interesting combination though. Could you tell me why you need those?"

"There's someone from Canterlot coming to investigate us", I informed him.

"Oh. That's bad", he said. "And now you want to drug or poison him?"

"Probably", I said. "I found that recipe in the Oghma Infinium. A former champion of Hermaeus Mora from Saddle Arabia used it to divert attention away from his Order. Any idea how this works?"

Anaphainos smirked. "If you mix those components in the right ratio, and give the right amount of it to somestag, he'll experience enormous feelings of euphoria, and hallucinations. He'll feel like he's in Oden's hall, with the muzzle of one of Oden's famous cows wrapped tightly around his cock. He'll also become enormously susceptible for the time the drug is in effect. There is a danger though. You should really let me do this. If you miss the right ratio, or if you administer only a little bit too much, the poor guy will literally be in Oden's hall."

I smirked. "Okay, you do it. Funny that you would mention Oden's hall though. Because right now, I think that I should give our guest from Canterlot to the cows. Let them have their fun with him."

"Interesting choice of words", Anaphainos smirked.

"Yeah, I've come to see things a little bit differently during the last months. Also, we should tell the mares to stay in their rooms and houses while our guest is here. We don't want him to see them while he's still sober, do we?"

Anaphainos instantly rushed to inform Spring Breeze.

One evening later, I watched the cows enjoying themselves with a very happy stag from Canterlot, who was experiencing a bliss he probably hadn't known before. Even watching it made me feel a little bit of his extacy.

A figure appeared behind me. "So, what are you up to?", a familiar voice asked.

I turned around. "Star Charmer!", I said. "I assumed Spring Breeze had told all of you to stay in your rooms. Hasn't she informed you about our guest?"

I noticed that Star Charmer was wearing a red collar. It was clearly fake, easy to remove. It was risky, but at least she tried not to be completely reckless. I calmed down a bit. Something told me that she wanted to meet that stag, and convince him that we still knew how to put our mares in their place here. It was a nice idea, but it was reckless and stupid. If she had met him while he was sober, he might have seen through our charade, and then we'd have had a problem.

Star Charmer smirked. "Yes, but I'm a bad girl. Also, he doesn't seem to pay much attention right now, does he? Seriously, that guy looks fucked – and I don't mean what the cows are doing to him."

I put my hand at the back of my head. "I kind of... drugged him", I said. "He's enormously susceptible right now, so they'll convince him that everything is as it should be here. Tomorrow, he'll return to Canterlot and tell the king that he has never seen a place where the females are as well-behaved as they are here." Then I had another idea. "I'll personally escort him safely to Canterlot. My birthday is coming, and I still need to buy a few things myself there."

"Wow, that's devious! And I thought I was the naughty one!", Star Charmer chuckled. "Also, shame on you that you didn't invite me over for the fun. May I... still join in?"

I thought for a minute. "That's actually not a bad idea. Right now, he clearly won't be able to distinguish a real red collar from your fake one. Make sure he sees your face. It will convince him even more that everything is alright here."

Star Charmer immediately joined the cows.

It was late summer, my birthday had arrived, and we had decided to use Anaphainos' room for the celebration. I entered the room. Everyone else was already there. Anaphainos was the first to congratulate me.

"Happy birthday, my dear friend", he said.

"Thank you very much", I responded.

Star Charmer stood up and bowed down a little. "Happy birthday, sir. If you have any wishes, I'll do everything I can to make this a pleasant evening for all of us." She smiled seductively.

I grinned. "Well, not right now, but I'll see what I can come up with."

Spring Breeze was next to congratulate me. "Thank you, Spring Breeze", I said. "I'm glad to see that Anaphainos could convince you to come. I really wanted to have you here."

"Nah, it wasn't that hard", Spring Breeze said. "I'm beginning to think you really are a good guy."

I smiled. Then, I saw Bruna. I was surprised to see her wear a dress. Star Charmer must have made it for her - it was clearly her style.

I noticed for the first time how hot a cow could look in a dress.

"Bruna, you're wearing a dress for the special occasion?", I asked. "I really like it. You should wear it more often. Also, I really look forward to peeling you out of it later this evening."

She giggled. "Yes, master. I... look forward to that, too."

Anaphainos poured each of us a glass of Amber Glow. I took my first sip.

"Well, well", Anaphainos said. "Let's get to the important part, shall we? I think I shall begin." He handed me a neatly wrapped present. "Go on, open it", he said. "But be careful, it's old and can easily be damaged."

I opened it with care and found an old book. Legends and fairytales of our people.

"Anaphainos, that looks really old. And valuable."

"It is old", Anaphainos said. "The only book I didn't give to the library. My grandfather wrote this copy with his own hands, around the time when he came of age. The original book was a family heirloom, said to be several centuries old, passed from generation to generation, copied every few generations. While the alleged age sounds like an exaggeration, it does contains several stories that aren't told today any more, and several older versions of familiar stories, so there may be something to it. Which reminds me, you should really check out the story on page 128. I can guarantee that it'll amuse you."

"I will", I promised. "This is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much."

I looked at the table of contents for page 128. The Tale of Friga and the White Cow. Hmm...

Star Charmer was next. She stood up, knelt before me and presented me a riding crop with both hands. "For your birthday, another token of my submission, sir. I look forward to tasting it later this evening."

Spring Breeze flinched again.

I smiled, took it and looked at it with dreamy eyes. "You know, I have used a riding crop occasionally in the past. But I've never felt it myself. I wonder how it feels. Maybe you could give me a little demonstration soon?"

Star Chamer grinned. "Your wish is my command, sir."

Once Star Charmer had returned to her chair, Spring Breeze now also rose. "Ari, this may surprise you, but I have something for you as well. I had quite some time to think..."

She handed her present to me.

"My old dagger!", I said with surprise.

"Yes, look... I have no use for it. It's of no value to me, but I saw that it was of value to you. I took it only to hurt you. I had no right to do that..."

"You had any right in the world. You know that", I said.

"Fair enough", she said. "But I still did it out of resentment, not because I had any actual interest in the dagger. I've seen how you looked at it in my office during our meetings. Hell, in the beginning, I deliberately placed it there before our meetings, and later I somehow forgot about it. This must be of great personal value to you. I really think you should have it back."

"Thank you very much", I responded. "Yes, it is of great value to me. This is actually a heirloom of my family. Like Anaphainos' book, it is quite old, and it has a name engraved on it that is traditionally given to stags in my family. My father also bore that name, so to me, it is also kind of a keepsake of him. Here, look." I showed it to her.

"May I have a look, too?", Anaphainos asked.

"Sure", I said. "Here, take a look at it."

When Anaphainos saw the name, his eyes widened.

"Ari... has your family been nobility once?", he asked.

I chuckled a little bit. "My father used to say that some of our ancestors were actually royalty. I never believed it, of course."

"Ari, it may be that we share an ancestor", Anaphainos said. "The names of our fathers, and the fact that I own this book and you own this dagger point to this possibility."

"Really?", I asked. "What was the name of your father?"

Anaphainos smiled deviously. "I challenge you to make a guess. I'll give you two hints. A mythological king of our people once bore the names of both our fathers. My father also named one of his daughters after him."

"One of his daughters...", I mused. Then it clicked.

"Bruna is your sister?", I asked.

Anaphainos nodded. "Half-sister. We have the same father, obviously. Also, congratulations, you have just won my challenge."

I grinned. "Okay, let's do another one. You know I don't want to hear my own birth name again, and I'm also sure you have an idea as to why, but it just occured to me that I have never asked you for your birth name."

Anaphainos smiled. "Oh, that one is easy. It's also tradition, and you can deduce it from my chosen name. I really just translated my birth name into Ancient Equestrian. I was the only son and the heir of my father, and he used to say I was the light of his life."

"Ah, I see", I said. "You're right, that one was easy."

"Uh, what are you guys talking about?", Star Charmer asked, visibly confused.

"Never mind, just an old caribou drinking game", I grinned.

"If this is a drinking game, when were you going to drink?", Star Charmer asked.

"Why, when one of us would have guessed wrong, or wouldn't have known the answer, he would have been obligated to empty his glass and pour himself a new one", I responded.

Star Charmer's confusion was now encompanied by a slight hint of anger. "But you didn't even make any guess!", she said.

I grinned. "Yes, we did."

"Oh, never mind", Star Charmer said in a voice of defeat and disappointment. "Maybe I'll simply never understand you people."

For a few seconds, we were all silent. Then, I began to talk again.

"Very well then, let's proceed. It's my birthday, but I actually also have something to give" I stood up and approached Bruna. "Bruna...", I said.

Bruna became nervous. "Master...", she stuttered.

I took both her hands in mine.

"Shh, say nothing, please. Let me talk. In the past, I didn't think much of you cows, because I didn't know you. But these last months with you have made me realize that you are among the most wonderful creatures of this world. You might not be among the most clever or capable creatures, but you give us your everything, you never complain, and you never demand anything in return. I also realized that we have treated you cows very badly in the past, not nearly as well as you deserve. You treat us like Gods, and we repay you by treating you like furniture at best and like punching bags at worst. It is high time that we give you something back. Bruna... after all you've done for me during the last months, it is time that I give you something back, to show you how special you are to me."

"Aw, how romantic", Star Charmer said and smiled.

I gently opened Bruna's hands, then put the tourmaline amulet I had made for her into her hands. "Bruna, I made this for you. I'm certain you have already seen some of those. I wear one myself. But this one is special, and it's only for you. We usually use steel and brass for the socket, but for you, I went to Canterlot and bought some silver and gold. The stone is called a tourmaline stone, or Schörl in our own language. I told you about those stones about a month ago, when we were discussing safe words. It's a magical stone that will protect you from fear and worries."

"Wow. I did not see that coming", Anaphainos muttered. "How odd. How incredibly odd..."

"Oh, it is pretty. Is it really for me?", Bruna asked.

"Only for you", I said. "I want you to wear it proudly, as the first free cow."

Bruna's eyes seemed to shine. Amber Glow indeed. "Thank you so much, master", she said.

"You may call me Ari if you want to", I said. "But it's really your choice. As I said, you are a free cow now."

"Thank you mas... Ari." Bruna smiled.

Star Charmer frowned. "I wish I had that much choice."

I turned to her. "Star Charmer, you're right. I've given Bruna a gift, so it's only fair that you should get something as well. I'll scrap that stupid soft limit of mine from our contract. But you should keep in mind that I don't like to be called master by you. I won't write it in the contract, but I don't want to hear it in nonsexual situations." I thought for a second. "I also don't want you to sexualize nonsexual situations just so you can use it. Do we have a deal?"

"That sounds fair... sir", Star Charmer grinned. Once again, we all fell silent for a few seconds.

"Ari, is that really wise?", Spring Breeze asked. "Giving Bruna a tourmaline amulet, I mean. I mean, you stags wear it to humble yourselves and to keep your ego in check. What will it do to a cow?"

"That's not entirely accurate", I explained. "A tourmaline stone never destroys confidence. Aside from protecting against psychic attacks and mind control, it provides grounding, focus, and guidance. The cows need that just as much as we do. In our case, we tend to get overwhelmed by our egos and our impulses, so a tourmaline stone brings us back to the ground, as it were. On the other hand, the cows tend to get overwhelmed by, well... everything else. So the tourmaline might help Bruna to get more focus, to stay calm when something unusual happens, and maybe even help her find the focus to articulate her own desires, independent of outside guidance. If this should prove to be true, we might give all cows tourmaline amulets. In steel and brass sockets, of course."

Spring Breeze shrugged. "You're the expert for those things."

Bruna stuttered. "M... Ari... may I say something as well?"

"Of course! You know you can ask me anything. You don't have to ask for permission any more", I said.

"Thank you... Ari", she said. "I... just thought of something. Your gift... and your... name... This all reminds me of... it reminds me of the story of Riddari and Estra."

"Oh really?", I said. "I didn't even make that connection. But you're right, it is somewhat similar to the beginning, isn't it? Maybe this is also the beginning of a new tradition."

I noticed only now that Anaphainos' was rubbing his forehead, and that he was making strange faces. "Ari... you have to read that story from the book I gave you. As soon as possible. This is... too much coincidence. Far too much coincidence."

"O-kay...", I said.

"Ari... will I also have to pull and carry you?", Bruna asked.

That question actually surprised me. "I don't know... would you?"

"Yes!", Bruna answered. Then, more hesitantly, she added: "Although it would scare me a lot. But Estra was also scared. Wasn't she?"

I didn't know how to respond. "Bruna... I... I would also carry you", I said. "To the end of the world and back if necessary." Bruna's eyes shined again.

Star Charmer sighed.