by John Evans
Both Cendri and Gedda were still on their horses glaring at the other when Per walked between them. The girls shrieked in fright as he grabbed each one by the arm and pulled them out of their saddles. The horses whinnied and bolted off as Per dragged the two girls on the ground and over to a convenient boulder. He sat down and threw both girls over his leg. He crossed his other leg over top of them to hold them in place as he quickly divested them of all weapons.
"I warned you what would happen if you caused me trouble," Per snarled to them.
"Let me up, you big oaf," said Gedda angrily.
"You two could be heard from a mile away," said Per, ignoring Gedda. "You've endangered us all."
Both girls continued to struggle to get free, but could not prevail against Per's strength and weight. He raised his hard calloused hand and brought it down flat against Cendri's round buttocks. She screamed as his hand slapped hard against her ass. Tears sprang forth from her eyes as Per spanked her a second time. Gedda was literally clawing at the dirt as she attempted to get away. Per administered a full twenty spanks to Cendri's butt. By the time he was finished, she was sobbing in pain.
Then Per turned his attention to Gedda. She tried to dig her fingernails into his thigh, but stopped when the first spank jarred her whole body. Gedda's ass was much slimmer than Cendri's, but it still made an ample target. Both girls were crying by the time he stood up and dumped them on the ground.
"Go! Pitch your tents!" Per yelled at them.
The girls stood up, still crying in pain and went to set up their tents. Karlto, Pawl and Octavia all nodded their approval before continuing on with their work, whilst Per sat back down on the boulder to allow his anger to subside.
It was a short while later before Cendri and Gedda approached him, moving stiffly and grimacing as they walked. They stood still, silently waiting in front of Per. "What?" he asked, sullenly.
"We've come to apologize," said Cendri.
"What is it with you two?" Per asked them. "Honestly?"
Cendri and Gedda looked at each other and then at Per ashamedly.
"Different backgrounds?" suggested Gedda, telling Per that they really did not know.
Per stared at them. He felt it welling up inside of him and before he could stop it, it came out.
"Are you two crazy?" he laughed heartily. "That's it? You two really don't know?" He broke down laughing as the two girls hung down their heads. "Alright, the rivalry stops now, it's dangerous to us all. Go help Octavia with supper. Hold on, Gedda." Gedda waited as Cendri limped off.
"You never said you would join us. Are you with us or just tagging along for the ride?" asked Per. "Gedda, remember I said you are free to come and go as you wish. It's the same for Cendri. Do you really hate her so much?"
"Strange time to ask about me joining you," grimaced Gedda as she gingerly placed her hands on her sore ass. Then she shook her head. "I'm sorry. No, I don't hate Cendri. It's just that superior attitude of hers. I grew up with no mother or father. I was raised on the streets by beggars, thieves and cutthroats. I can’t read or write. Cendri was sent to school. Her father sent her away to be trained at a military academy. She has a look that makes me feel that I'm something that should have been set out with the garbage. Of course, her ego has taken several hits in the past week or so."
"Gedda, you didn't answer my first question," reminded Per. "No matter. I would guess that being sent away to a school might be as lonely as growing up on the street. Go help Octavia and send Cendri on over."
"Same pep talk?" asked Gedda.
"Nope and there is something you should remember." Per paused until she looked at him inquiringly. "Cendri could have cut Bargan at any time with her sword, but she held back in fear of cutting you."
Gedda's eyes widened with the realization of the truth in Per's words. She quietly and reflectively went over towards the fire and sent Cendri over to him. Cendri marched over to the boulder and stood at attention in front of him. Not a trace of pain showed on her face.
"Sir!" she barked as her heels clicked together.
Per picked up his shield and drew his sword. Standing at attention in front of her, he raised Dorgeth in a salute and swung it down to his side. Cendri drew her own sword and followed suit. The pair began to spar.
Despite the painful spanking she had received, Cendri was a superb swordswoman. Octavia was better, but only because she had more experience. Parry, thrust, slash, block and return – Cendri's moves were made with precision and timing. Per finally stepped back and saluted to end the bout.
Cendri returned the salute, but now her jaw was clenched in pain and sweat beaded up on her face. Sheathing Dorgeth, Per sat back down on the boulder. He waved his fingers to indicate for Cendri to either sit or lay down. She sheathed her sword and went to parade rest.
"Cendri, relax," said Per.
"Sir!" she barked, maintaining her position.
"You've had excellent training, I can tell from our sparring. Did they drain all reason out of you? Was it so terribly lonely being sent away that you built this shell around yourself?"
Cendri eyes took on a scared, hunted look as if she felt that Per could see to the very core of her being.
"Lay on the ground," said Per as he slid off the boulder to sit on the ground. "It probably hurts to sit and don't say ‘Yes, Sir!' okay?"
Cendri's face broke into a little smile as she gingerly laid down on her stomach. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as her sore muscles relaxed.
"Why do you hate Gedda?" asked Per.
"I don't hate her," admitted Cendri. "It's just that damned attitude of hers. She's so carefree and irresponsible. She doesn't care what she does as long as she has fun. I never saw my parents for months on end. It was drill, practice, drill, and practice. I wanted to be the perfect soldier for my father."
"Funny," commented Per. "She is envious of your schooling because she can't read or write. You're envious of her freedom, even though she was raised not knowing a mother or father. You both grew up unloved and you both want what you think the other has got. Do the two of you know anything at all about Octavia, Karlto or Pawl?"
"Per, can you excuse me?" asked Cendri, getting up slowly.
"Sure, I still have to set up my tent," he said.
Cendri walked over to Gedda and tapped her on the shoulder. The two of them then moved out of earshot from the rest of the group. They laid down on their stomachs, facing one another and began to talk.
Karlto came over to help Per with his tent. "I say, old chap, do you think they will get along?" he asked as he drove a spike into the ground.
"Well, they aren't yelling anymore," said Per. "I think those two have more in common than they know."
"Now, Per, about Cific…" Karlto left the reference dangling.
"Yes?" asked Per, feigning innocence.
"Well, you know… about the… about the… Look, you know what I mean!" stammered Karlto, trying to find the words.
"About what?" asked Per.
"Well, dash it! At least Pawl was willing to discuss it."
"If there is something troubling you about our stay in Cific, maybe you should talk it over with Octavia. I'm sure she can set you right," suggested Per.
Karlto looked over at Octavia and his face blanched. "No, old boy, I think I'll just let the whole matter drop."
"Wise decision," said Per.
The group finished making camp and then ate dinner in silence. Afterwards the two newest members rose to address the others. "We just wanted to say how sorry we are for our behavior," said Cendri.
"Yes, it was inexcusable," added Gedda.
"No problem, ladies," said Karlto. "We've all made errors in judgment for time to time."
"Him, more than most," muttered Octavia loudly. Karlto looked put out as everyone laughed at his expense.
"There is one final punishment for you two," said Per. "One that will be more painful for the rest of us than you. Gedda, you need to read and write. Cendri, you are
going to teach her."
"Me?" asked both girls in unison.
"There is a wealth of information out there in the form of books, parchments and scrolls, not to mention that most of it is valuable given the rarity of books. Pawl will immediately go to any books or scrolls we find. It helps him in his magical research. By the way, Gedda, do not touch any of his books without his permission. They could be dangerous to you."
"Books? Dangerous?" scoffed Gedda.
"It depends on whether you want to be turned into a frog or just burned to a crisp," replied Pawl with a no-nonsense look.
"I won't touch your books," said Gedda. "Just because we're in the same company."
"I think that's an admission that you've just joined us," said Per.
"Sounded like one to me," added Octavia.
Gedda grimaced at her slip and then shrugged her shoulders in acquiescence.
"What do I get out of teaching her?" asked Cendri. "You know all books are dangerous once you learn to read, not just the magical ones."
"Patience and, hopefully, a better understanding of people," said Per. "You are right about the danger of reading, but without it, no one can reach their full potential."
"Will you tell me about yourself?" asked Cendri, sitting down.
"Only if you two will tell me about yourselves afterwards," said Per.
So he told the tale of how his mother, Karina, was kidnapped by goblins and saved by Gar, an ogre. Then he related the story of his life up to the point where Queen Shara put a price on his head for interfering with her plans.
"Basically, my mother married Tenan, who became the new Baron of Dosser, and I went adventuring to get away from the assassins," concluded Per. "Along the way, I met these wonderful people and they decided to come along with me."
"And roaming around with him, we've all become very familiar with that old curse," said Pawl. "May you live in interesting times."
"It's been interesting alright," agreed Octavia. She turned to the two women. "You?"
"Not much to tell about my life," said Cendri. "I was the last of six daughters. My father was a general and wanted a son. I pleaded with him to send me to military school. I guess it was to gain his attention. Well, my father did send me and it was six years before I saw my parents again. My father came by to see how I was doing and talked to the headmaster about my studies. Just before I graduated, he was killed in some far-off battle. I came home to have my mother inform me that she hated the military, hated the weapons, hated the smelly armor, and hated my father for what he had transformed me into. She then told me that I was going to become a lady and that she had arranged the perfect marriage for me. It was to take place in a month."
Cendri took in a deep breath. "Well, I sort of went nuts. I was tired of being manipulated and I told her so. She informed me that when I came back to my senses that I would be welcomed back into her house. I guess I'm trying to find the real me."
"My story is not much more exciting," said Gedda as everyone turned to look at her. "Never knew my mother or father. I was raised by a burglar, who needed me to slip in between the bars on windows and ransack houses for him. He was caught by the sheriff's men outside one house I had just broken into. They dragged him off to die in prison after they searched the house for me. I crept into the nursery and into one of the empty beds. I guess they were looking for someone older because they mistook me for one of the owner's children. A cutthroat took over the burglar's residence and used me on a couple of his jobs to get inside and open doors for him. I was then passed from one person to the next depending on who needed my skills at the time. I'd have gotten Cendri's purse, too, if some woman had not bumped me into Cendri at the time."
"Maybe it was Adelpha, my girl," said Karlto. "You were right outside her temple and maybe she did it so you would have to join us."
"Sorry," said Gedda flatly, "I don't believe any deity would be that interested in me."
"You never can tell," said Per. "I think we need to get some rest. Cendri, I want you to spar with Karlto tomorrow. Your training was very good, but your style is rigid and repetitious. That leaves you vulnerable to other styles of fighting. We have about two to three weeks until we reach the gorge."
It was a week later when they rode into a small village. Gedda was learning her letters. Cendri, meanwhile, was receiving a good lesson in patience. She could not understand why Gedda did not comprehend what was blindingly obvious to her. She found out that saying, "Because it is," did not work with Gedda who wanted to know exactly what something meant or did. Some of the starchiness went out of Cendri as she also learned that the ‘why’ is as important as the ‘how’.
Cendri and Gedda also learned another painful lesson. The one that showed how good Per, Octavia and Karlto were. They were both routinely bashed out of their saddles by Octavia, thumped by Karlto and beaten into the ground by Per. Even Pawl got into the lesson, when Gedda angrily challenged him for smiling at her when she was face down in the dirt. Pawl disappeared before her eyes and, while invisible, tied a rope around her legs and yanked her feet out from underneath her yet again. Cendri broke out laughing at Gedda's predicament and suddenly was frozen in place. Pawl released Cendri from the spell after a minute or two. The both learned and became better.
The village was a small, clean hamlet with well-tended houses. It was quaint, but Per saw that the people were watching them with suspicion. A couple of the townspeople watched them from behind closed windows as the group rode up the street. Gedda whispered that she saw the curtains move. No one smiled or greeted them all the way up to the inn.
"I say, unfriendly place," muttered Karlto to Per as they dismounted.
"I agree, but I'm tired of sleeping outdoors," replied Per. "It's only for one night."
They went into the inn and met the innkeeper. He greeted them in a neutral tone, but found them rooms for the night and stalls their mounts.
"I wonder why everyone here is so unfriendly," mused Cendri as they ate supper in the taproom. "Even my classmates had these people beat in personality and my school was very strict."
"Hmm, not unfriendly, I think, just cautious," observed Per. "They're not really hostile."
"Some deep dark secret they don't want us to find out about?" guessed Gedda.
"Well, Per, should we dig it out?" asked Pawl.
"I don't think so," said Per. "Octavia?"
"No. If, and I do mean if, it is a secret that has affected the entire town then it is usually based around someone that everyone here knows," said Octavia as she took a sip of her wine. "That type of information is almost impossible for outsiders, like us, to track down and find. I think we will also have enough trouble when we get to the castle on the crag."
"You're probably right," Pawl said to her. "Well, I'm for bed and an early start. This isn't someplace I want to spend a lot of time in."
The rest of the group agreed and early the next morning they left town. Just to be on the safe side, Per changed directions from east to north as soon as they were out of sight of the town. They rode all day northward until dusk. Karlto, who was riding point, suddenly reined in and called a halt. Per and Octavia rode up to him to see what was the matter.
"I say, can either of you two make out what that is?" asked Karlto pointing off in the distance.
"I don't know," said Per. "It looks like a building in a grove of trees."
"I think you're right," agreed Octavia.
They rode slowly towards the building in the growing gloom. It was an old manor house with an air of abandonment about it. The bushes and trees were overgrown and the lawn was unkempt and uncut. Birds had taken up residence in the eaves. A couple of smaller buildings were now visible in the rear.
Per was staring at the windows when he was startled by something cold and wet hitting his cheek. He looked up to see a snowflake falling down towards the ground. It was followed by another and before he knew it, more snow began to fall and the wind started to pick up. The clouds above were dark and
ominous.
"Any shelter in a storm?" asked Octavia.
"Let's check around back for the stable," advised Per. "It should be standing if it is in the same condition as the house. We'll check out the house after we've taken care of the horses."
They found the stables and led the horses inside as the wind started to whip up the snow. Everyone headed towards the house and got inside just as the snowfall changed to a blizzard. The back door was unlocked and they entered into the kitchen.
"Fire?" asked Pawl, pointing to the large fireplace in the kitchen.
"Yes, just make sure the chimney is not blocked," said Per. "Gedda, stay here and help Pawl. The rest of us will check out the house. Cendri, go with Karlto. Octavia, you are with me."
The rest of the house was empty. The dusty furniture and dirty windows showed that no one had lived in the house for about a year. Per was surprised to see personal items, like jewelry and clothing still in the house. It was like the people had walked out the front door with only the clothes on their back and did not return.
They met back at the kitchen. The wind was whipping up to a frenzy outside, but Pawl had a fire started in the kitchen and it was warming up nicely. Per checked the wood box and found it almost full.
"Whose turn is it to cook?" he asked.
"Yours and you know it," replied Octavia.
Per sighed. "What do we have?"
"There's wine in the cellar," suggested Karlto.
"Really? Get a couple of bottles. Since I think we are going to be here awhile until the storm blows over, we might as well make ourselves at home. Gedda, will you go with Karlto?"
"Why?" she asked from the kitchen chair she was sitting in. "No one is here."
"Because I asked you to and we have only done a cursory look around the house. It's better not to take risks."
"I'll go," said Cendri. "I'm already up."
"Charmed," said Karlto gallantly, extending his arm to Cendri. She looked at it as if it was a snake.
Shaking his head in disgust, Karlto he waved for her to follow him. Cendri smiled and winked at Octavia as she followed him down the stairs. They soon returned with a couple bottles of red wine.