by Simon Archer
The Imperials dropped their bows and drew blades now as the taller fellow who’d spoken to the sergeant cried out, “‘Tis but two of them! Have at them, ye cowards!”
Putting action to words, he followed two of the braver, or maybe stupider, of his subordinates as they charged me. Two more, the last of them I thought, tried to play wise and circle me.
I swung my axe at the two bearing down on me. One’s reflexes saved him for the moment as he ducked the blade, but his comrade was just a bit too slow, My powerful blow cleaved his head from his shoulders and sent it sailing off into the darkness. The body took a couple of steps, dropped to its knees, and then slowly toppled over.
That left the corporal, I assumed, and three grunts as three more had run off into the woods after Mary, and she had claimed at least one of them already.
Rather than let them put me on the defensive, I swung my axe in a circle, letting its weight carry me completely around before I shifted my grip and stepped forward to bring the heavy axe head down on one of the grunts.
The corporal had wisely fallen back and got to watch his man make one of the more common mistakes a swordsman made when fighting an axe-orc. He parried. Rather, he tried to parry. Perhaps he was confused in the darkness and flickering light, or perhaps he just didn’t expect the blow to carry so much force behind it.
Whatever the case, my axe simply punched through his parry, knocking aside his blade as if it were nothing, and the sharp bit of the axe cleaved him from his shoulder down below his sternum, killing him instantly.
I ripped the blade free in a shower of gore and ignored the soldiers trying to flank me for the moment. They were within a long lunge but not close enough to get a clean strike on me so long as I kept moving. No, my target was the corporal with paired cutlasses in his hands, his eyes shadowed as he put a bit more space between him and me.
This man moved like a fighter, rather than a soldier, so I switched to a cautious approach, well, as much as any orc did. I shifted the grip on my axe, bellowed, and charged. He tried to dance aside, but I followed him, luring him with a feint before striking with the butt of my axe. Hardwood cracked into the fingers of his left hand. He cried out and dropped one of the blades but recovered quickly enough to dodge a sweep of my blade. As my axe swung past him, the corporal danced in with a thrust, forcing me to twist out of the way and make an awkward parry with the haft of my axe.
My counterattack was something he didn’t expect. I kicked him in one knee, and bone and cartilage crackled as he fell with a shriek of pain. This bastard knew something, and much as every instinct screamed for me to kill him, I resisted. Instead of cleaving off his head, I twisted and cracked the butt of the axe into the corporal’s temple. I turned to face the other two before he even dropped.
They were still standing, but between them stood Mary, her arms outstretched, and her daggers buried in the soldier’s throats. Her eyes met mine, and she smiled before jerking the sharp blades free. Both men dropped with nary a whisper, and silence fell over the woods.
For a long moment, we just stared at each other. Not far away, I could hear the sea, and closer came the rattling breath of the corporal. None of the other men stirred, and the coppery tang of blood wafted pungently into the air. Mary’s chest heaved with her heavy breaths as she bent to wipe her blades clean on her victim’s cloaks.
“I took one alive for questionin’,” I said as I cast around for my flintlocks. I could understand the Imperial’s use of bows here. They wanted quiet, first, and a bow could still fire faster than a gun which was why most of us privateers carried more than one pistol within easy reach.
Mary nodded, righted the lantern, then gazed at me again, her eyes gleaming in the flickering light and the pale glow from behind the clouds. There was something in her gaze, feral and hungry as she gazed at me. It was a look I’d seen before, and it held within it the fierce promise of passion.
I let my axe fall as she slid up to me, her slim hands boldly pressing against my bare chest. She was still breathing quickly, but it wasn’t from the exertion of the fight.
“Captain,” she began in a husky voice, looking up at me with her enchanting, mismatched eyes, “yer witch asks for tending.”
I let out a low growl and nodded. Time and place be damned, this was what she’d denied the Commodore, and I was not about to shirk my duty. This witch, my witch, was offering herself fully to me, for as long as she was in my service. There was more to it, but I was still coming down from the bloodlust of the fight, and my thoughts were muddied by that and by Mary’s sudden approach.
“Contrary to what’s believed,” she murmured as she reached up her slim, pale hands to caress the hard muscle of my bare chest, “we witches are not so free with our favors. We don’t give them to anyone we are not attracted to.”
“Ye be attracted to me, then?” I asked, wanting nothing more at that moment then to grab her, tear her clothes from her, and have her on the bloodied ground.
Her teeth glimmered white in the darkness. “Since I saw ye walk out of Broward’s office dragging his blighted arse. Are ye wanting me, Captain Bardak?”
“I am, Mary Night. I most certainly am.”
10
The touch of Mary’s warm hands left a tingle on my skin as she explored my bare chest with her touch. My eyes were drawn to her, trailing over her downcast face as she watched her fingers move along my body. Her open blouse had come free from her waistband and hung loose, baring one of her ample breasts to the chill air. My heartbeat accelerated, pounding in my chest like a war drum as my pantaloons, loose as they were, seemed to grow a few sizes too small in the crotch.
I grinned down at her as she lifted her gaze to mine, her eyes shining like a cat’s in the darkness. Like any proper warrior, she was splashed in the red badge of conflict, her opponents’ blood decorating her pale skin. She was so small, though, so I swallowed back the surge of need that roared through me and stood stock still, waiting to see what she had in mind.
One of her hands moved to rest over my heart, and she grinned up at me before reaching to guide my own right hand to her mostly bared chest, clutching it to her skin between her breasts. Her heart hammered away under my hand, and her breath caught for a moment.
“I know what ye want to do, Captain,” she whispered as she chewed on her lower lip. “Let me reassure ye. I am far, far tougher than I look.”
I took a step closer to her and slid my hand to the right covered the swell of her breast. That hard nipple pressed into my palm, and she let out a soft gasp before leaning into the touch, her eyes still raised to watch me.
“If ye be certain, lass,” I said, my voice thick with desire. “I like ye, and I’d rather not be the one to break ye.” Or maybe I did. A deep part of me rejoiced at the thought of making the little changeling witch scream and beg.
She laughed at that and put her free hand, her right, rather firmly against the bulge in my pantaloons. I let out a soft growl as she squeezed and rubbed me through the cloth. Damn, she was eager. I furrowed my brow and inhaled sharply at the feel of her hand exploring my girth and length. What she found must have either delighted or surprised her, because those lovely, mismatched eyes widened and she smiled even more.
“I might welcome ye trying,” Mary purred huskily. Taking her left hand from mine, she reached down and fumbled to undo my belt and the drawstring of my pantaloons.
I could have stopped her, but why? I wanted this at least as much as she did. With both hands, I caressed her breasts, then drew away and pushed her top the rest of the way open and part of the way down her back. For a moment, I considered using it to bind her arms, but I wanted to see what she’d do first.
When I pulled my hands away, she looked up at me with a questioning look in her eyes. I gave her a single nod, and she smirked playfully before sliding a hand down into my pantaloons. With the belt and drawstring undone, they were barely hanging on to my hips.
Her fingers curled around my shaft, this time wi
thout any cloth in the way, and it was my turn to go wide-eyed. The caress of her fingers drew a groan from my lips, and I felt my erection grow even harder.
“Is that good, Captain?” Mary murmured, smirking a bit more as she slipped her hand further down to cup my balls.
“For a start,” I said, giving her a toothy grin. “Ye take initiative, witchy-girl, an’ I be likin’ that a lot.”
A soft laugh escaped her, and she continued to fondle and stroke me, running her fingertips over the tip of my shaft before slowly peeling back my foreskin. I growled softly as she kept on teasing me. “Shall I take the lead, then?”
“Until I decide otherwise,” I replied as my breath quickened. Was this some kind of weird magic, or just something about Mary herself? Whatever it was, I was fascinated, and it made me want her even more.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she let out a little whimper before drawing her hand out of my pantaloons. A moment later, she took the waistband in both hands and yanked it down to my knees, catching me by surprise.
Her eyes went wide once more at the first sight of my erection, and she let out a little moan of delight. “Oh, Captain! Is this for me?” With that, she leaned in and licked the very tip, sending a sudden shock up my spine.
“Aye, Mary Night,” I growled deeply.
Things moved quickly from there. I struggled to get out of pants and kick off my boots while she dropped her arms and let her blouse fall before she wriggled out of her pants.
Lust had overtaken us both, and it wasn’t long before we lay down naked on the bloody ground. The brief thought crossed my mind that she might be repelled by the thought of where we were, but when I raised myself over her and saw that she’d smeared a bit of blood from her hands over her bare breasts, I abandoned that thought along with any semblance of control.
I wanted her, and she wanted me. That was all there was to it. Was it the combat, the blood, or just the sheer joy of being alive? I didn’t know, but I was happy to plunge ahead.
Mary was lithe and muscular with all the right curves to go with a taut, flat belly, large, firm breasts, and a light decoration of coppery curls between her thighs. She reached up and pulled me down for a kiss, somehow managing to not wound her lips on my tusks.
It was like being joined with a storm. The touch of her hands was electrical. When she curled her fingers around my shaft and guided me to her hot folds, I couldn’t resist even if I wanted to.
It wasn’t often that orcs rutted face to face like this or even kissed. Our tusks made it difficult, just as they made other activities more challenging as well. Typically, our style was front to back, standing, or with the woman on all fours or her belly while the male took her. This was different. The witch wrapped her legs around my waist while I pinned her wrists above her head. I grinned down at her, and she returned it defiantly.
“Break me, my Captain,” she urged breathlessly as she arched her back and gave a wanton wiggle that caused her large breasts to bounce delightfully
I let out a playful snarl and impaled her with a single thrust. Damn, but she was tight! Her eyes went wide, and a soft whimper escaped her parted lips. She hadn’t expected that. My hips rocked a bit, then I drew back and drove in again, and again.
Mary caught her lower lip in her teeth, her legs tight around my hips as she writhed beneath me, her moans soft and encouraging for now. With a groan, I started to rock my hips while she moved against me, flexing her surprisingly strong legs. Her body moved in counterpoint to mine, pushing up to meet the thrusts of my hips as she stifled another moan.
I wanted her more than anything at that moment. Hell, I needed her. She was freedom and life all rolled into one beautiful, compact package. The bloodlust of battle shifted to pure, carnal desire in both of us. There was nothing more I wanted than to spend myself in the small woman beneath me, and it seemed like that was exactly what she wanted, too.
We weren’t quick, but we weren’t slow as we made love. This was to be relished, but our shared lust was too great to stretch it out. Mary shuddered and strained beneath me with a soft cry, and the clenching of her insides around me drew me over the edge. I answered with a growl of release as my body gave it up for her, filling her with my seed until it spilled out of our joining.
The witch ran her hands over my sweat-slick torso and opened her eyes to gaze up at me with a smug smile. “Is that all, my Captain?” she teased, her voice still husky with desire.
“Ye don’t know orcs, do ye, lass?” I asked with a deep chuckle.
She tilted her head back, and that smile widened as she arched her back a bit. Her lovely black hair pooled beneath her head, and her pointed ears seemed strangely prominent. Her fae aspect had come to the fore, strange and insatiable.
“Will ye show me, Captain?” Mary purred, wriggling her hips to tease me.
“Oh, aye, Mary Night,” I growled. “I will.”
Without drawing out of her, I shifted my body and released her hands from where I’d pinned them. A gasp escaped her as she watched me move, sliding my knees up beneath her thighs to lift her lower half as I repositioned to cover her breasts with my large hands. It was quite a contrast, the dark green of my skin against the pale creaminess of hers.
Once again, her eyes drew me, and I slowly began rocking my hips against hers. Mary responded in kind, letting out a soft mewl of pleasure as a shudder ran through her slim form.
“Gods,” she whispered and trembled with a whimper of anticipation. I hadn’t let her come down all the way, and it was easy to get her back to the edge.
Her skin was hot and damp beneath my touch, large breasts flattened against her ribs, and nipples hard as musket balls. She was gorgeous as she twisted against me, her hands clutching at the dead leaves and the bloodied ground beneath.
I felt a surge of something more than the primal lust that had gotten us here, fucking like animals on the soiled earth of a battlefield. Affection? Love? Aside from brotherly friendships and lusty trysts, I’d never wanted more than that.
Until now.
My hands went to Mary’s hips, holding her as I leaned over a bit and began to grind against her more firmly. Half-stifled moans answered my change in movement, and she clenched tight around me.
How loud would she be were we not in potential danger? Would we even be as lusty without that edge? I didn’t have an answer, but I wasn’t about to stop. I kept the motions of my hips slow and rhythmic, this time while I caressed her with my calloused hands, even exploring the point where our bodies came together. There was a spot, just so, where…
Mary let out a sudden cry and arched as I found and rubbed her clit with one large thumb. She clapped her hands over her mouth and gazed up at me wide-eyed. I grinned right back and did it again.
Twice more I had my witch on that bloody ground, abandoning the philosophical distractions what worried at the back of my mind along with the undeniable affection I felt for her. I didn’t think we’d have been as willing, were there not something more than mere lust.
The witch sagged in my grasp at last as I spent myself in her again. She was on her belly, this time, my hands supporting her hips as I took her in a more familiar, orcish style.
She let out a long, groaning sigh as I pulled out of her. “Gods below, Captain,” she panted.
I chuckled and took a deep breath. “Only three, Mary?” I asked, letting my hands wander over her firm backside. It quivered under my hands.
“Only?” she twisted a bit to gaze back at me in disbelief.
“Aye,” I slapped her bottom, and she whimpered in pleasure, pillowing her head on her crossed arms. Any orc could go twice in a row, a few could go three. Me? I was still good for a few more rounds, so long as she was. “Do ye still wish to be broken, lass?”
“Ye’ve taken me as close to broken as I’ve ever been, and I’d like ye to finish the job,” Mary asserted as she squirmed onto her back and gave me a dreamy smile as she folded her hands over her breasts.
“As
ye will,” I rumbled. It was a few more hours ‘til daybreak, and there was likely going to be nothing to interrupt us out here. Desire surged in me once more, and I reached for my lovely, seemingly insatiable witch. Whatever she wanted, I was ready to give.
11
I was almost disappointed when Mary finally begged me to stop with the excuse that she needed to be able to walk. Surprisingly, after five times, I felt like I was still good to go, but I’d always had a great deal of stamina.
What really impressed me, though, was Mary Night. She was nearly able to match me, and she wasn’t afraid to demand more and harder. I grinned to myself and folded my arms behind my head. Lying back on the leaves with her cuddled up against my side was a pleasant way to wind down after, well, everything. We’d spilled blood and rutted like proper orcs on the battleground. Life was good.
I think she dozed, and I drifted a bit until one of my ears twitched at a sudden sound. We weren’t far from the Blackwater Lagoon, and I suddenly noticed a heavy splashing that wasn’t the rhythm of the waves. Then came a great huff of breath and a rumbling growl. Whatever the thing was, it was big.
The trees and shrubs still hid us from a direct view of the lagoon, and I spared a glance over at Mary before I rolled to my feet and wrapped my fingers around the haft of my axe. The witch stirred and gave me a questioning look before the distant creature snorted again and let loose a bellow that was half demon and half crocodile.
That brought her fully around, and she rose shakily to her feet, casting around for her clothes. While I stood guard, glaring into the concealing trees, she quickly donned her blouse and cast around for her pants.
I didn’t take my eyes from the direction of the lagoon as I reached for my own cast-aside pantaloons. Leaves and bushes rattled softly as whatever it was headed our way, but it kept out of view. I was almost disappointed that it didn’t seem to be the bellowing thing which still wallowed and grunted down at the lagoon.