by Gerard Bond
“Eighty-five if you must know, I am still a young male.”
Wollfen looked at him and replied,
“Then you are a wise one indeed for such a young age.” They both laughed. “Well the girls had better watch out for us when we hit the next town eh?” quipped Wollfen.
Dark looked up and gave him a glowering look. The elf decided not to respond, he knew better!
“What of the message?”
“King Elyssur sends his regards and understands that you will soon be putting your plan into action. As such he wants you to know that if you need to seek counsel at any time, he is ready.”
Wollfen thought about it for only a second,
“In view of the changing circumstances it’s rather a redundant statement isn’t it?”
The elf could not agree more,
“It was my duty to give you the message so I did. I think though my services would be more important now.”
Wollfen agreed,
“Yes I will certainly be able to use your talents very soon.”
Further to the Northwest, Nightwing and Loranda were cantering along at a steady pace, they needed to move quickly but they also needed to preserve the horses too. There was no point in making them go lame thirty miles from their destination. They were only two days’ ride from the coast and then they would need to locate the King’s entourage. That would not take too much, a King’s presence wasn’t something that was subtle. Especially this one, he liked his big tents and flashy troops, always on show for the local populace. Some said he was a bit prissy. Night had even heard gossip that he had the occasional male lover too. She knew he spent half his time getting his hair done, fingernails and toenails polished and painted then choosing what to wear.
She shook her head. That had been her life once, an Earl’s daughter in waiting. She had grown up learning to resent it. By the time she had hit her mid teens, well, she had hated it. She had left for a number of reasons, her father didn’t know what to do. If he had known what had happened in the months before she left, he would have chased her. She sometimes sent a letter and he knew she was alive and well at least.
These rides always gave to contemplation, especially now under the circumstances. So many things had happened in the last three days and all of it bad, but at least they had a focus and were attempting to address it. It was more than could be said of the government Wollfen had sent her to warn. She already knew how they would react. A committee would need to be formed and people sent out to investigate, if they didn’t come back after a couple of weeks then more would be sent out. If what was claimed was found to be true then there would have to be more committee meetings and blah blah blah. She knew this wasn’t going to turn out well but as Wollfen had said, we have to try. Yes, on that part he was right, maybe, just maybe something would happen.
Night took her mind off of it and looked across at Loranda, her beautiful Loranda, young and nubile, such a sweet person too. The strength she had inside was an added bonus, it reflected Nightwing’s need for that same strength in herself and she always aspired to be more than what she had been. Loranda was a gift, they had come together one night after a speech made to them all by Wollfen. It had seemed so natural, so easy. The wine that night had probably helped, but it had been more than that. Sex and intimacy with her was more complete and more fulfilling than anything she had ever experienced with any other woman. Loranda looked up at Nightwing and caught her checking her out. She smiled, winked and blew a kiss. Nightwing returned the compliment.
Back inland Kane and Solynne had started tracking a large force of men heading in a South-easterly direction, numbering maybe 400. They had obviously been one of the groups that had hit one of the towns as there were a few riderless horses at the back of the column. The enemy had taken a few losses, that was comforting. The local constabulary had put up some sort of fight at least. It was interesting to note that they didn’t take their dead with them. That information might be of use to them sometime in the future and was worth noting.
Kane and Solynne followed, watching the column for anything out of the ordinary. They were careful to follow a goodly distance from in the trees, never allowing themselves to be exposed. If it was required, they would wait for the column to go ahead then cross any open land after the enemy had disappeared. It took time to do and it was slow, but if they were to learn anything then they needed to be vigilant.
It was paying dividends. They had established there were two sorceresses with this group and the fact that Wollfen had seen one with the group of 150 two days before meant that the average was a sorceress/sorcerer per two hundred. With that in mind, one would be able to work out quickly how many magic users they may face against any given-sized army. This group also had five wagons in tow, almost double of what Wollfen had seen. It had transpired that most of them were for cooking and one carried their healer. The rest of the troop was pretty standard, two hundred mounted soldiers carrying shields and swords, one hundred heavy horses with armored knights and lances, and one hundred mounted bowmen that also carried swords. They also kept a good pace and the column didn’t stretch out too much at all. They had scouts roaming to the front and a couple out at the sides too. It was a tight professional unit they were watching and they would prove to be formidable foes in battle by Kane’s reckoning.
Solynne had noticed things too, it was the little things that could make a difference later on. She had seen that the men were being fed from food in one cart only. If that was true, then they didn’t have many supplies. It tied in with the enemy having cleared the land of all foodstuffs when they had attacked the towns. Were they in short supply? She had also noticed there were no women, men without any chance of recreation were a less contented lot. It might not add up to much now, but morale of the troops would be a very powerful tool if this war became a protracted one. Those men had already spent six months on the seas if Night was correct in her observations. Maybe things weren’t so helpless after all. All the Kingdom had to do was put a cohesive force together quickly and bring it to bear on them. Solynne was feeling positive.
“I think we should follow them one full day more and then return for a rendezvous with Wollfen.” Kane looked around,
“Yes I agree if we learn nothing more this afternoon or tonight, then we should return.”
It was at that moment a crossbow bolt punched through Solynne's upper thigh and into her horse, cutting him down under her. The horse whinnied once and fell silent as he sank to the ground. Solynne had felt the bolt hit, a moment of numbness then the pain. It hit her like a tidal wave running up her leg and she fell sideways to the ground as she almost passed out, blood spurting out of the wound soaking her leathers. The look of shock on her face as she lapsed out of consciousness told it all.
They had been found! Kane spurred his mount on as a crossbow bolt flew by his chest. He galloped to the trees and entered them without slowing paying no heed to the low-lying branches. He was simply trying to survive and on he rode deeper into the woods.
Two soldiers exited the trees on foot,
“Shit!! One got away, what do we tell the Captain?” The other looked back,
“Nothing we will just say there was only one. Why should we get into trouble for something we can’t fix?”
He was the smart one. They walked over to where the woman was lying on the ground. She was in a bad way, covered in blood, she wouldn’t last long. They stood there a moment watching her bleed to death slowly. It was a pity really she was a looker too and young.
“We should cut her vest open and see what her tits look like.”
He lifted his knife out of its scabbard and grinned at his friend. Just before he could move, a crossbow bolt struck him from the side, went through his neck and hit his partner. They both went down simultaneously, a look of incredulity on the face of the knife-wielding soldier as he held his neck and blood continuing to pump out the other side. He lasted all of seven seconds.
Kane came riding out qui
ckly, crossbow in hand. Holstering it, he slid down and grabbed some shirt material off one of the dead soldiers, tearing it from his lifeless body. Immediately he started applying a tourniquet to Solynne's thigh to stop the bleeding. Worry was painted across his face. He looked into her eyes and saw they were glazed.
‘No don’t be dead, please,’ he placed his head on her chest. There was something faint there still and Kane's heart leaped with hope. He needed to move quickly and he couldn’t send a mental message either. He didn’t have the skill. Picking her up, Kane cradled her in his arms and stepped into his stirrup, it took three goes to get onto the horse and he was off. Riding quickly he headed directly east, it would be a couple of hours but he had to try, it was all he could do. There was a tavern he knew of in that direction. Kane was sure from the troop movements it hadn’t been hit and he knew the old barmaid there. She was good at nursing, she had talent as a healer too.
The miles passed by one hour and then the next. He checked periodically on Solynne and would find her still breathing, she was one tough nut,
‘Hang in there my love.’ The horse was getting run ragged, the animal kept slowing down to a trot but Kane spurred him on, pushing the horse to its limits. He was not going to let Solynne die for the sake of the welfare of the horse.
He crossed a stream and again the horse tried to stop but he gave it vicious jabs with his heels and he managed to get him moving. Then maybe a hundred yards on he saw it, the inn and a few buildings. No defense walls here, for as long as people could remember there had never been a need in these parts. The innkeepers always had men on duty to ward off thieves and take care of the drunks. It had worked well all these years.
Kane pulled up hard at the front of the inn and stepped down almost collapsing. He was weak from the hard riding, panting and sweating he dragged himself forward under that deadweight, no, not dead but almost. He managed to lean against the door and croak out a call.
There was movement inside and a voice called out.
“If that’s a drunk trying to come back for another drink then he is in for a flogging!”
As the Barkeep opened the door, Kane and his burden collapsed through it on to the floor.
“By the Gods!”
The Barkeep immediately grabbed Solynne as Kane fell forward, half catching her and half on the floor. He didn't hesitate in calling out immediately,
“Rebecca! Get your medicine quickly and get here!”
Rebecca came rushing out with her bag of things, she took one look and called out,
“Peewee, get your muscles over here, we need you to help!”
Peewee was huge, all muscle and simple. He picked Solynne up like she was a pillow in his arms.
“Now put her out on that table and let me look at her. Korr,” she said pointing back towards the doorway, “You check on him to see if that blood is his at all.”
The barkeep turned back and knelt down to Kane’s prostate form and started giving him the once over.
“No he is fine, but he stinks to high heaven.” Then he recognized him, “Why Rebecca, it’s young Kane of the Highlands. Then the girl must be Solynne, maybe?”
Rebecca frowned, she had no time for idle chat, this girl had lost a lot of blood and she wasn’t sure she could save the poor thing. This redheaded woman was at death’s door and it would take a miracle to bring her back. From the floor Rebecca heard a sound, low and guttural.
Kane rasped out a single message,
“Whatever it takes, please, please save her.”
Kane passed out, the hard ride had taken everything out of him.
She closed her eyes and felt with her mind, feeling into the wound. She searched through it pulling together what veins she could and starting the healing process. In effect, she was giving it a head start, but what else could she do? Not much else really, she got Peewee to carefully take Solynne upstairs where she removed her stained clothes and wiped her down with a warm wet rag. The woman was too cold and wouldn’t last the night at this rate. She called out to Korr to bring in a brazier and stoke it up. Then Rebecca informed him she would be staying with the woman for the night at which Korr gave her an evil smirk.
He got a slap in the back of the head for that one and he scampered off calling out,
“See you in the morning!”
Rebecca was a bigger woman and she knew she would have to use her own body to keep the lady warm through the night. If she was to live, then tonight was critical. She stripped off to her under clothes and lay beside Solynne and partially draped herself over the prostate form. It was going to be a long night.
Meanwhile outside, Korr had grabbed Kane under the arms and dragged him out to the barn. He had slept in there plenty of times before and would be fine,
“I’ll look in on you in the morning.” Korr turned and left.
As the evening wore on, Wollfen started to worry, Loranda had reported in on this third night, but from Solynne there had been nothing. In fact, when he felt out for her, he couldn’t feel anything. Something was very wrong and he didn’t want to think what he knew it probably meant. So he kept searching, hoping and waiting. It was later that night Dark tapped him on the shoulder and he had to tell her the bad news, he thought Solynne was dead. He could feel Kane, but he was weak too. Wollfen hoped he hadn’t been captured, that would have been even worse. What to do now? There was nothing for it but to continue on with their original plans.
Thinking back, it would have been so much better if Eldoron had shown up a day earlier and he would have dispatched the elf instead of those two. Eldoron would have been able to practically walk into the enemies’ camp and not be found. The elf would have to go, a double mission to learn what he could shadowing the enemy troops and also find out what happened to Kane and Solynne
He got up and left Dark behind lying on the blanket.
“I shan’t be long.”
He walked over to the elf sitting cross-legged.
“You have a mission for me.”
It wasn’t a question, the elf knew something was up.
“Yes, I need you to take over from one of my scouting parties. I’m afraid they have run foul of the enemy and are probably lost, will you accept this mission?”
He didn’t have to ask but he felt it was polite.
“Of course I will, tell me what you would have me do.”
Dark watched Wollfen return to her. She could see the strain on his face and she kissed him as he lay down, not talking but giving him time. He looked at her, words unspoken but known. They didn’t need to speak. Then she lifted the blanket over them and she slipped on top of him, opening her top. She laid a bare breast to his mouth, he lay there gently kissing and fondling for awhile. They made love for the next hour, it was slow and considerate, a time of tenderness and love. Dark fell asleep there on his chest and he felt a little better.
Justin grinned, he thought he knew what was going on over there. He reached over to Keera and squeezed her breast but promptly got batted away. Well, others were getting it, why not him? Looking across now he realized the elf was gone. Eldoron had moved off without a word, should he say something? No one seemed perturbed, no, he might as well keep it to himself, and what could they do here in the dark with an elf on the loose anyway? He lay his head back down and waited to fall asleep.
Keera was also waiting for Justin to fall asleep, she lay there listening to his breathing and once it was deep and slow, she stole away into the darkness. She moved off from the campsite a bit and sat on a nearby boulder, looking up at the stars. Her feet felt cool on the stone, the breeze was going through her light top too but she didn’t mind. It reminded her she was alive.
These last few days had become a monotonous drudgery of riding and resting, aches and pains, hunger and lack of sleep. The soreness was a pain and then always being constantly on the lookout. At least when she was a mercenary they would go to a tavern, get drunk, sex some strangers up and leave them behind in the morning. That for her had been h
ow she had always unwound.
This wasn’t so exciting, she was beginning to miss the free life of what she had left behind. Justin could be fun but he was so inexperienced and she hated having to show him how to do every little thing and then have to remind him each time too. ‘Wollfen says I have to be patient, but sometimes it’s all too much,’ she wasn’t sure she was cut out to handle it all. Oh Wollfen, now he was much more of a man. Dark was with him and yes, Keera was jealous. Who knows, maybe something will happen to Dark and she could become number one? What did Dark have that she didn’t? Keera had bigger tits and was just as slim.
Oh I’m just being pissy she thought, I could do with a drink. Maybe go off and find a tavern, getting laid by some guy might do it, a few drinks to loosen up first. That would be the shot. No, all just bullshit none of it was serious, she didn’t want any of that. She wanted more, but what? That elf certainly was interesting. Pity he is gone.
Kane awoke the next morning with a start. Looking around he felt lost, he was in a barn but where? Then he remembered last night, the tavern. He sprang up and realized that was a mistake, letting out a moan he felt his body cry out, it was stiff and aching. He had pushed it hard last night. Solynne! He rushed out to the back door of the tavern and flung it open. Korr was sitting at a bench munching away on something.
Korr raised an eyebrow at him,
“Awake are we? You will be pleased to know your girl pulled though last night.” That was a godsend.
“Where is she?”
“You will find her down the hall, door on the right.”
Korr went back to his meal, it was very absorbing. Kane strode down to the door and tried it. It was open and he pushed it wide slowly, looking in. There was Solynne lying in bed and asleep, she was covered and he could see a lump on the side of her thigh through the sheet. Rebecca was there too, preparing some ingredients for some sort of poultice. There were two of them, probably for both sides of her thigh where the bolt had passed through he surmised.