Shepherd Read Online Free Page A

vaguely like a horn.
    The sheep began walking. Shep paced them, bemused. A makeshift mirliton!
    So far so good. But he was a rank amateur at this, and remained nervous. What else did he have to learn about this business?
    Vulture flew back down. She was a fairly ungainly flyer; she could do it, but it expended much effort. She settled onto the back of a sheep, and the sheep carried her without protest.
    Python returned. Things were evidently satisfactory ahead, but the path led to the Elf village, which was surely not good for an unattended serpent. So Python slithered in the center of the flock. Shep considered, then joined her there. Elen continued ahead, leading them through the village.
    The elves ignored them all. They knew what this was, and let the flock pass unchallenged, especially since one of their own was leading it.
    Beyond the village they were quickly in wild country. Elen directed the sheep, knowing the lay of this land, and they followed a reasonably clear contour. Shep admired the colorful trees and shrubs, similar to Earth's but different. Maybe some of them had been imported from Earth, and were now turning feral.
    “There's a river ahead,” Elen said. “I'm directing us to a section where it is only waist deep on you, but the current there is strong. The sheep can handle it, and Python, and Vulture can simply fly across. But you may have a problem.”
    “If you can ford it, so can I.”
    “We will need to strip, to preserve our clothing.”
    That made him pause. Going naked with her? That would surely give his body wicked and embarrassing ideas. “Maybe I can cross a different section, alone.”
    “No.”
    “No?”
    “This is the one crossable section. Even then we shall have to go in between the sheep, because of the crocs.”
    Oh. “Well, what must be, must be. You don't have to look.”
    “Of course I'll look,” she said. “You looked at my body.”
    “You're teasing me!”
    “Maybe.”
    Actually she was teasing him just by being near him. She probably relished the chance to embarrass him. He should never have called her a child.
    All too soon they came to the river. It was exactly as she had described it. He saw the green nostrils of the lurking crocs. The water might be swift here, a virtual cataract, but it was clear that the scaly predators had no trouble handling it. This could be their main feeding ground.
    “Organize the crossing,” Elen said.
    “Isn't that a formality? You and the sheep both know better than I do how to proceed.”
    “You're the shepherd.”
    Why had the sheep selected a man who did not know the planetary landscape or its creatures? Was it that his ignorance allowed them to govern the journey, whereas a native man would have had ideas of his own?
    Well, on with it. “Elen and I will strip to ford the river,” he announced. “You sheep will surround us, to fend off the crocs.”
    Then he stripped, cramming his clothing in the top of his knapsack. Elen did likewise, by removing her cloak. She just as winsome as ever, with her hair caressing her shapely body down to her pert bottom. It masked her attributes only partially, flashing teasing glimpses as she walked. She had to know the effect.
    He walked quickly to the water. Elen fell in beside him, and so did Python, evidently preferring not to risk multiple attackers. The sheep formed a box around them, three on a side.
    Shep's bare feet touched the water. Ouch! It was icy cold. But that had one beneficial effect: it abated any idea his body might have had of expressing any sexual interest in anyone. Relieved, he marched on in, letting his legs go numb as they descended into the swiftly moving water. Then he held his breath as his mid section was submerged. Talk about freezing one's balls off!
    And had Elen known about this too? Surely so. So maybe her teasing had been on another level. His discomfort was real, but not of the kind he had anticipated.
    Meanwhile the sheep forged on in up to their necks, seeming