by Ther Renard
"Greetings illustrious one," she said in a voice that rumbled like a purr. "I have come to beg for your help."
Atrocious cocked her head to the side. "You have?"
"Only a great spell-caster can help me," the murkblood explained respectfully.
"Ah, I see what's going on here," Atrocious said, surprising herself with her own honesty. "You've mixed me up. I'm not the witch."
"No?" The murkblood still seemed interested. "What are you?"
"I suppose I'm her prisoner..." Atrocious began to explain.
Before the murkblood could become too confounded and scared, Ayla interceded. "Ignore her," she said, sweeping into the room with magisterial charm. Her arrival had been delayed by the work she was getting on with in the back room. Atrocious did not know quite what the work entailed, she only knew that she was not allowed to look at it, much less understand it.
"I am Ayla," Ayla introduced herself. "How can I help you?"
Atrocious watched as the murkblood's eyes went ever wider still. Clearly she was very much impressed by the witch. She showed her deference by performing a deep bow. Bent over like that she barely came up to Ayla's mid-thigh.
"Please, I need your help in lifting a curse," she said when she had straightened up again.
"First things first," Ayla held up her hand. "Do you have a name?"
"Nami," the murkblood said, nervously clasping her hands together in front of herself and then behind herself and then in front of herself again. "My name is Nami."
"What manner of curse is upon you, Nami?"
"The curse to have the great misfortune to ask a evil forest witch for help," Atrocious muttered. She was not at all impressed by the deference being shown to Ayla. Magic or no, she was a trickster and no good ever came from having that sort of person on your side.
"Hush, or you'll lose the use of your tongue," Ayla promptly threatened Atrocious.
"This is what she does, she..." Atrocious finished the sentence but nobody heard it. Her lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. Finding herself suddenly gagged, she threw her hands in the air and stomped across the room to the table that served both as a place to dine and a work surface for Ayla.
Nami was wildly impressed by Ayla's display of magic. "You truly are as powerful as they say you are," she breathed.
Ayla smiled her benevolent smile as she brushed the compliment aside. "What curse is upon you?"
"There is a sorcerer in our village who has cursed me..." Nami paused to make a soft sound of sadness that sounded something like a cross between a cry and a mewl."...never to find love."
"Never to find love," Ayla said gravely. "That is a great tragedy. That is..."
BANG!
Ayla and Nami turned at the sudden noise, both ready to do battle in their own way. They were not forced to do battle however, for the source of the commotion turned out to merely be a chair Atrocious had kicked into the wall for the purposes of getting their attention. When she was certain both Ayla and Nami were looking, she held up a piece of parchment upon which she had scrawled a message:
THaT is StuPID.
Before anyone could respond, Atrocious held up a finger. Taking the quill, she added a little ^ symbol and added an extra word. The message then read:
BlOOdY
THaT is ^ StuPID.
"Please, ignore my apprentice," Ayla said, frowning direly at Atrocious. "I do believe she is going soft in the head."
Atrocious made a muffled squeak, the only sound she could manage and started scribbling again.
NOT hEr ApRentice!
IT'S a TrAP!
Nami was beginning to look very concerned, which was just as well as far as Atrocious was concerned. Everybody should be concerned when in Ayla's presence. She was about to alarm Nami further but her plan for revealing what was really going on in the witch's cottage was foiled when Ayla plucked the quill from her fingers and ushered her out the front door.
"You can wait out here until you manage to behave yourself," she chided Atrocious in much the same manner as one might chide a cat that has stubbornly insisted in pooping in one's best shoes for the third day in a row.
~~~
Having been put outside, Atrocious did the logical thing and made a cautious attempt at escape. Her enthusiasm at the prospect of getting free was tempered by a strong sense of skepticism. She doubted that Ayla would simply let her walk away, and it turned out that she was right. As soon as she reached the edge of the clearing she felt a force pressing her back towards the house. The more she tried to leave, the more the force pushed back.
Making a muffled sound of frustration, Atrocious tried harder still. It was a mistake. The force, which had been a nebulous, wall type feeling suddenly became quite discrete. She felt as though she was being manhandled back to the cottage, carried by unseen hands. Fighting against them didn't work. She tried struggling and was rewarded with a hard slap across her ass.
Spinning around, Atrocious slapped back at thin air and was pleased when she made contact with something solid and fleshy. There was a muffled sound of pain and then she was taken hold of, yanked forward and pressed against a chest that boasted the finest pair of invisible breasts she'd ever felt. A deep female voice rolled through her.
"Stop fighting, disobedient little brat."
"Let me go," Atrocious whispered hoarsely, forcing her vocal cords to work against Ayla's fading spell.
"Behave yourself."
Atrocious could barely make it out, but she thought she saw the outline of a strong, muscular woman holding her. The image shimmered and faded, leaving her caught up in the invisible grasp.
"Why can't I see you?"
"Because you're not meant to," the voice informed her. "Now go and sit down before I use you."
"Before you use me?"
"It's been a long time since I had pretty pussy like you." There was unbridled lechery in the voice.
Atrocious pulled free, took a step back, and took stock of her situation. She found herself stuck between an amorous witch and a rough talking invisible genie of some kind. If there was a protocol for dealing with such situations, Atrocious was not aware of it.
"Are you working for Ayla?"
The voice rumbled with dark laughter. "No. I trade with Ayla, but I see she's busy now."
"What do you trade in?"
The voice came from behind Atrocious this time, and a hand snaked around to cup between her legs. "Flesh."
Having spent an extended period of time with Ayla, Atrocious had pretty much hit her limit of tolerance for being groped. Without any regard for the consequences, she lashed out at the invisible woman, pushing her away.
"Leave me alone," she growled.
"Feisty," the voice noted. "But you better settle down. Ayla won't mind me trying the merchandise."
"I'm not merchandise."
"Oh but you are."
"Even if I was," Atrocious said, growing deeply irritated, "I wouldn't be for sale to invisible cowards."
"Call me a coward?"
Atrocious stumbled backward as the woman came into view. She'd removed a ring from her finger and in doing so blinked into real existence. She was very broad and tall for a woman, almost as tall as Ayla. Her long black hair was plaited and wound around her head. She looked as though she had been in all the battles that ever had been. A vicious scar ran across the bridge of her nose, cutting from crow's feet to laugh lines. She was wearing high quality iron reinforced leather armor, not the kind you bought at a market stall, the kind you had made for you personally by a professional smith. An ax hung from her belt, along with two swords, one long, one short. She carried no ranged weapon, which told Atrocious this was a woman who did her fighting up close and personal. She looked big, and mean and mad.
“Hmm, er.., well, maybe not,” Atrocious said. “I'm afraid you have the wrong person. I'm not for sale. I just came here to get something for my... er... my plague warts. So I'll be going.”
She tried to step around
the woman, but the warrior blocked her path easily. "Ayla hasn't done a very good job training you," she frowned. "She usually does better."
"Ayla hasn't been training me," Atrocious sighed. "I'm not for sale."
"You match the description. Cute ass. Smart mouth."
"So what, you came here to buy a sex slave?" Atrocious' lip curled in disgust. The flesh trade was active throughout Lesbia, and not entirely without the approval of the law. Still, it was frowned upon by good and decent folk – and by anyone finding themselves faced with the prospect of slavery.
"I came here to get someone to carry my gear and do as she's told."
"Well then lady, even if I was for sale, I wouldn't be what you're looking for."
"You just need to be broken in properly," the warrior leered. "I'd enjoy that. A couple cuts of the cane and you'd soon shape up."
"Don't bet on it.”
Atrocious had reached the end of her tenuous tether. Kidnapped by a witch and now maybe sold to someone who was going to cane her, that wasn't her idea of fun. It was time to throw caution to the wind and make a break for it. She took to her heels and high-tailed it into the forest as quick as she could. She expected to be followed but she couldn't hear anything over the sound of cracking twigs, scuffed leaves, whistling wind and, of course, her own panting breath and pounding heart. When she stopped, the forest was silent. She leaned back against a tree, gasping for breath. She was not nearly fit enough for all this running around.
"And I'm supposed to be the coward." The warrior's voice came mocking through the leaves. Atrocious looked around in terror, but she couldn't see anyone.
"There's no point running," the voice said, chuckling. "I don't know whether to kiss you or paddle you."
Atrocious covered her bottom quickly, prompting another burst of laughter.
"Okay, okay," the warrior said, becoming visible once more. "I'm Kira, what's your name?"
"Atrocious," Atrocious said.
Kira smiled. The dark eyes grew warm and for a moment, Atrocious glimpsed a woman who might be quite nice under the right circumstances.
"That's a good name for a girl like you. I'm sorry I scared you. I sometimes get carried away when I see a pretty brat."
Atrocious was not convinced. "Look, I just want to go, okay? Please let me go."
"No can do," Kira shook her head. "These forests are dangerous."
"Please!" Atrocious wailed in dismay. "I just... I'm not servant material. I'm not. And I can take care of myself. I was doing just fine until that witch caught me."
"Is that so," Kira smiled indulgently. "I have to tell you, I'm starting to feel sorry for you."
"You are?"
"Oh yeah," Kira folded her arms over her chest. "You've gone and gotten yourself caught up in something well beyond your control."
"Well, will you help me get out, please?" Atrocious figured it couldn't hurt to ask.
"Here's your problem," Kira said. "You're cute, you're funny, and you're worth at least a couple thousand gold. Why should I help you get away?" She took a step towards Atrocious, her eyes dark with lust. "Why shouldn't I just take you for my own?"
Kira's gaze ran hot over Atrocious, but Atrocious was rendered immune to its charms by a growing anger rooted in the realization that she had been, and perhaps still was, very close to being sold like a pig. So that was the witch's plan. So much for Ayla's claim of 'looking after' her. It was all about making a quick buck selling strays. As the anger grew, Atrocious' mind changed. It decided that perhaps the most important thing wasn't immediate escape. Perhaps the most important thing was letting that witch know what a terrible person she was.
"One moment please."
Atrocious held up a finger at Kira, turned on her heel and marched back towards the witch's cottage. Upon reaching the dwelling, she discovered that she was still locked out. She solved that problem by kicking the wooden cottage door with enough angry force to rip the bolt out. The door slammed back against its hinges with an unhealthy crashing groan.
She stepped through the chaos, fuming with barely controllable fury.
"You." She pointed a shaky finger at Ayla. "You were going to SELL me!"
She'd half feared that she'd walk in on Ayla fucking her latest guest, but she'd interrupted nothing but a scene of quiet domesticity. Ayla was in the middle of composing a letter, her quill dipped in a small bottle of ink as she sat at the table. Nami was curled up on the bed, apparently asleep. She barely moved when Atrocious stormed in. She opened one eye and, apparently deciding that the shouting and noise had nothing to do with her, shut it again.
"Not now." Ayla waved Atrocious away, dismissing her anger out of hand.
"You are a devious, horrible woman," Atrocious declared. “You...” She did not finish her sentence, electing not to give Ayla warning. Instead she clutched her fingers into a fist and brought it crashing down onto Ayla's jaw.
The witch went sprawling, knocking over the ink which cascaded up into the air in a fountain of black liquid and fell back to the table, spoiling everything it touched. Ayla's chair tipped over and the witch herself crashed onto the floor, completely insensate. A loud screeching noise filled the air. Fearing she might be next for a knuckle sandwich, Nami yowled at the scene unfolding before her, hissed at Atrocious and skedaddled out of the cottage with a curious four legged gait.
"Whoa, kitty," Kira's deep voice came from the garden as Nami sped by her in a panic. "Whoa, girl," she echoed herself when she made it to the doorway and saw the scene inside the cottage. "Did you kill her?"
Atrocious stood over Ayla's unconscious body, breathing heavily. "I don't know."
Kira knelt beside Ayla and pressed two fingers to the witch's neck. "Still has a pulse." Her gaze flicked back up to Atrocious. "You're lucky."
"I'm lucky? She's lucky. She tried to sell me," Atrocious said, her pretty eyes still filled with rage as the warrior stood and turned to face her. "You asked me a question in the woods. You wanted to know why you shouldn't just take me for your own," she snarled up at Kira. "Here's why. I'll destroy you if you so much as lay a finger on me, that's why."
For a long moment, Kira searched Atrocious' gaze, her own handsome face drawn and closed to scrutiny. Then she smiled, clapped Atrocious on the shoulder and gave her a piece of advice. "You might be angry, but saying things like that to the wrong person is likely to get you hacked to pieces, girl. I'll let it slide this time, but mind yourself in the future."
Turning away from Atrocious, Kira scooped Ayla up and deposited the witch gently on her own bed. She was very still, her face pale, her golden hair knocked loose from its bindings by the blow. In spite of the trauma, she looked very beautiful indeed. Atrocious felt inexplicably guilty as she watched the warrior attend to Ayla with tender care, rousing her slowly back to the world of the living with some salts that she took from one of her many pockets.
After a few minutes of inhaling this and that, Ayla groaned and slowly opened her eyes. "What happened?"
"You got what you deserved for once, that's what happened,” Kira replied dryly, pressing Ayla back down onto the bed when she tried to rise up. "Stay still. You're going to have a pretty bad headache."
Atrocious lurked in the corner of the room whilst Ayla recovered. She'd tried making for the door again, but a look from Kira had been enough to make her reconsider that course of action. The warrior had a certain understated authority about her, and Atrocious was wary of crossing anybody else that day. Her knuckles were aching from the blow she'd inflicted on the witch and the uncomfortable feeling of guilt had settled in her stomach. No matter how many times she told herself that Ayla had totally deserved what she'd gotten, she still wasn't used to hitting people and seeing them hurt. Once the initial rush of besting Ayla abated, there was nothing but a sick feeling left behind.
"Okay, sit up slow, I'll get you one of your potions," Kira was saying whilst Atrocious inspected her metaphorical navel.
Ayla sat up slowly, a dark reddish bruise
blooming on her jaw. The look she gave Atrocious was devoid of emotion, which was scarier than if she'd been obviously angry. Atrocious wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go, nowhere she wouldn't be hunted down. She shrank into the corner, hoping that whatever Ayla did, it wasn't too bad.
"Fetch my lash whilst you're at it." Ayla was speaking to Kira, but her eyes were locked on Atrocious.
Kira returned from the adjoining room shaking her head. "I don't think so." She smiled and handed Ayla a little red vial. "Drink this and feel better."
Uncorking the bottle, Ayla downed the brew quickly. The effect was almost immediate. Color returned to her face and the blossoming redness on her jaw began to recede as the potion worked its magic, rejuvenating the damaged tissues.
"Fine, I'll get it myself," she said, rising from the bed with her customary grace.
Kira planted herself in the way, blocking Ayla's passage. "Just sit down before you make this worse," she said, her voice firm with a touch of steel.
With nervous butterflies beating around in her belly, Atrocious watched Kira and Ayla size one another up. They seemed fairly evenly matched. Physically Kira was much more solid and equipped for struggle with powerful limbs and a toned torso revealed under the undershirt that had become untucked whilst she was attending to her friend. In contrast Ayla looked almost waif like, but Atrocious knew all too well that she was far more dangerous than she appeared to be.
The pair locked eyes for a long minute then, without a word, Ayla nodded and sat back down. It looked like she was backing down, but Atrocious didn't trust her apparent surrender. The ice cold expression still hung in Ayla's eyes. She was biding her time. When Kira left, Atrocious knew she would be at Ayla's mercy.