The Verdant Lands

Chapter 48 Practice※

Ashiyowa undressed from his green robes and slipped off his shoes, leaving only his white underclothes. Lesheine and the Grey Wolves watched as he bent and stretched his body before entering the pond. 

He lowered himself into the pond's clear, lively waters and dipped his face in, stretching out his body to float.

"…Wolves."

"Yes, we are prepared." 

Ashiyowa began. His limbs flailed around, creating big splashes, and each time he raised his head for a breath, his hair roughly rubbed the side of his cheeks. 

"—Wha- I guess you could call that swimming." 

Ashiyowa pulled himself out of the pond and was wiped down by a chamberlain as he approached Lesheine with a satisfied look on his face.

"Aniue, let us show you what we mean."

One of the guards took off his clothes and stripped down to his loincloth, revealing his tanned, muscular chest. He aligned his arms then stretched his spine and dove into the pond's waters. His hands and feet moved with grace, and his breathing was without any wasted motion. In no time, he arrived at the opposite bank and made his way back, once again demonstrating his impressive swimming form. Upon seeing that, Ashiyowa’s smile faded. 

"Aniue, after the autumn harvest, it is customary that we travel acro a big river on a ship or boat. Of course, the Grey Wolves and myself will be around, but I just want to keep any concerns to a minimum. ―Would you be willing to practice swimming?"

"Can you swim?"

Lesheine smiled and began to undress. Ashiyowa was surprised; his form was in no way inferior to the guard's. 

＊

Ashiyowa's training started that afternoon. His teacher was the guard who had demonstrated his swimming in the pond earlier. He was called 'Rokusai'. Two more guards were also with them for extra support. 

They decided to avoid the early mornings and evenings when Ashiyowa was occupied with hut-building, and practiced during the afternoon, the hottest time of the day. The pond they practiced in was medium-sized and shallow with clear water.

During these sessions, Asiyowa wore plain robes, without any embroidery or decoration. They started by practicing a rescue scenario, having Ashiyowa pretend to fall into the water. 

"If any of us is around, we are always prepared to help. In that case, just focus on floating on your back." 

"Everyone can swim?"

"The chamberlains are less skilled in martial arts, but swimming is a must for everyone."

"A must?"

"It's because most of the royals couldn't swim."

They practiced various scenarios: Ashiyowa would 'accidentally' fall from the edge of the river, or the boat they prepared would tip over, or he would be pushed into the water by someone. 

Air escaped his lungs. His arms and legs were heavy, weighed down by the sleeves of his robes. He attempted to untangle his sleeves and poked his face out of the water. Somehow, he managed to get himself to float on his back. There was another splash. Not a moment later, his collar was grabbed from behind and soon, arms circled around his neck and shoulders. He was pulled to shore on his back.  

The next day, Ashiyowa learned what to do if he was dressed in his normal, heavier robes or if there was no help available. He was taught whether to undress or keep his clothes on, depending on the waters' temperatures. The day after, he was finally ready to learn how to swim. 

＊

It was the fourth day of practice. Ashiyowa was on all fours, water droplets trickling down his body as he crawled out of the pond. Near the edge of the pond's blue waters, a man wearing a bird-patterned robe came to sight.  

"Aniue, it looks like you've improved." Lesheine stood in the shade they had set up, his usual calm self.

Ashiyowa laid sideways beside the pond, his loincloth, the single piece of clothing he was wearing, stuck to his skin. His shoulders moved up and down as he panted. "I-I didn’t t-think swimming w-would be t-this tiring." 

"From what I've seen, you look fairly comfortable in the water now."

"It's because I have a good teacher."

"That's good to hear."

Rokusai, Ashiyowa's teacher, and his two assistants bowed. While Ashiyowa received some water from a chamberlain, the guards filled Leshine in on Ashiyowa's progress. 

"Well then Aniue, shall I join you for the rest of today?"

The chamberlains removed Leshine's clothing, and once he was stripped down to his loincloth, they took his hand and guided him into the pond. 

"The water feels nice, doesn't it? I don’t usually swim, but the water feels nice on hot days like this.”

Lesheine splashed some water onto his skin before entering. The water reached his neck, and he began moving his arms and legs, trying to get a feel of the water.

Ashiyowa swam alongside Leshine to the opposite bank. While swimming, Ashiyowa didn't feel any discomfort on his right leg. They swam between each other's legs playfully and had a diving competition. In other words, they played around like brothers would, a first for Ashiyowa. 

"What shall we do next?" Water dripped down Ashiyowa's black hair, which had clumped together in bunches. As he wiped away the water around his eyes and he turned back, he was hugged, warm lips sinking against his. 

"...Nhh." As if drawn to the warmth, Ashiyowa responded, tongues entwining together.

"Nhh… Nghh…"

"Fuu…"

They shifted out of the pond, Lesheine's mouth now against the nape of Ashiyowa's neck. Ashiyowa laid back against the sandy ground, against a gentle slope. His chest and collarbone were attacked by Lesheine's lips and when Lesheine began to suck, a shudder wracked his body. 

"Leshe, why do you keep teasing me there? Stop it!"

"Stop, you say…"

"Yes." Leshine rubbed his nipples with his thumbs, pinched them with his fingers. His fingers were replaced with his tongue, licking the hard buds.

"I'm telling you to stop that… Ah, it hurts!" Ashiyowa let out an involuntary kick, his body still half-submerged in the pond, disrupting the waters' otherwise smooth surface.  

Lesheine slipped himself between Ashiyowa's legs. His loincloth had been flipped up under the water, revealing his arousal. Ashiyowa was distracted, lost in pleasure, when his legs were spread apart and lifted up above water, like a frog laying on its back, belly and limbs exposed to the sun.  

"Lesheine―" Ashiyowa placed a hand on Lesheine's shoulder as Lesheine's tip pushed against his entrance. Ashiyowa tensed, afraid of Lesheine entering without any preparation. 

"I-It won’t work… There's no way."

"Aniue, trust me.” Without moving further, Lesheine came inside Ashiyowa. He placed Ashiyowa's left leg over his shoulder and lifted his hips above the water's surface. Then, he inserted his fingers, working with the cloudy liquid to widen Ashiyowa. 

"It should be loose enough now."

"Ah… T-this… Leshe… At a place like this…"

"We are inside the royal gardens. Regardless, no matter where we are, there is only you and me." 

Sand clung to Ashiyowa’s wet back; the sun was blindingly bright today. Inside him, long, familiar fingers explored. A chill ran down his spine and brought his breath to a halt, immediately followed by a violent exhale. Ashiyowa's back curved, his body weak to the sensation of Lesheine's fingers. The fact that they weren't using any oil concerned him, but Lesheine was being extra careful.

"…Ha …Haah …Haah."

By the time Leshiene's third finger entered, Ashiyowa was no longer dripping in water, but sweat. He was panting, chest moving up and down. 

When it was finally time for Lesheine to enter, Ashiyowa's body no longer had any strength, his legs spread as far apart as possible. 

"Ahh… Aniue…” Lesheine cried, his face against Ashiyowa's chest. He brought Ashiyowa's hips closer and slowly moved deeper. 

"Aghhhh…” Moans spilled out of Ashiyowa's mouth, his arms brushing against his now dried hair. 

"Aniue, more… I'll come deep inside you…”

"Ahhhh."

Lesheine pulled back, then thrust forward, pushing it in all at once. 

"Nooo."

With each thrust, Lesheine reached even deeper. Ashiyowa's body bounced against the sand. He wrapped his legs around Lesheine and grabbed onto his arms, his nails leaving behind trails.  

"Aniue, you're amazing. Haah…”

"A-Aghh…”