by Cat Wilder
He dragged her to the middle of the corridor. The other thief was awake now, watching him with hostile eyes. He scowled at her.
"Damned thieves," he said. "No one steals from Captain Padraig. Not while we're on guard."
His men basked in the praise. Baart didn't recall them looking so proud.
The orc warrior checked the captives' bonds. He thoroughly frisked them and piled all their weapons, purses, and stolen property into piles. The raven-maned human was a gorgeous Takaran. Takaran woman had the sweetest bodies of all people, and the lustiest outlook on life as well. There was no such thing as a Takaran that wasn’t good in bed. The elfmaid wasn’t as voluptuous or beautiful, but still a stunning woman. They would all have a grand time that night.
He had to leave the stolen gold and silver bracelets on their arms until they untied their hands later. But the pile of gold, silver, and jewelry he got off them was impressive. And equally impressive were their weapons. He had the weapons taken away and the stolen goods placed back in the treasure room. Later, he would have to send a team to straighten up the treasure room, returning all the spilled loot back to treasure chests, and clean up all of the blood. Then he locked the treasure room back up and posted a double guard.
"Well done, men," Baart said, and sighed with satisfaction. "Let's tend to the injured first."
The dead were dragged away. They scowled at the two women a long moment. They were all friends. At least they died fighting. Aside from the dead, they hadn't suffered as much as he feared. Some broken bones, cuts, and bruises. Mostly, they suffered injured pride at how difficult it proved to subdue two thieves.
Masi gained everyone's attention when he pulled the elfmaid to the center of the passage next to her friend. He forced her to kneel, before he pulled his belt knife. The other men gathered around in a circle to watch.
Then looking her straight in the eyes, Masi sneered, "It’s time for the entertainment, honey."
That brought the smiles back to the guard’s faces. Several called out suggestions. Most laughed happily as their faces lit up. For some, this was the only way they knew how to find pleasure with a woman.
Baart was ready for a little eye-for-an-eye time with the thieves, too. Unfortunately, it wasn't their right to exact vengeance.
"No, not yet," Baart said.
"What?" Masi asked, amazed. "We done earned this."
"I agree, but we’re already in murky waters. Now think, what will Captain Padraig say tomorrow when he finds out about this if we don’t go tell him right away?" Baart said. "Plus, Steward Orjan will skin us alive if he isn't informed immediately."
"Fine. You go tell him. Me and the boys’ll stay here and entertain the ladies," Masi said as he stroked the thief's cheek. She tried to bite his hand but he pulled it away. "Bloody great. I like a wench with spirit."
"We’ll take the thieves up to see ole Orjan before we take our pleasure of them, hear?"
Masi glared at him a moment, "If you insist."
Baart nodded and pointed at the elfmaid, "Get her out of that net and bind her proper."
Men held on to her tightly as the net was cut off. She kicked and screamed the whole time. They had to put several men on each limb to even hold her reasonably still. When the net was off, she was rolled over onto her belly and screamed in rage as her arms and legs were bound. Then Masi lifted her up in his arms and kissed her.
The auburn-haired thief tried to struggle, but was held fast in his powerful arms. So she bit down on his lip. He jerked his head back and touched the bloody lip. Throwing back his head, he laughed before kissing her again as his fellow guards laughed and cheered.
"Gods, I love a woman with spirit," he cried.
"You’ll all pay dearly for this," the other thief said.
Baart shook his head woefully. False bravado wasn't going to save her. In fact, it might make her lot in life even worse.
"We’re scared," Masi sneered, throwing the elfmaid over his shoulder. She kicked and screamed, all to no avail. "This one's a wildcat."
At a signal from Baart the guards picked the other woman up. She started bucking and kicking between two guards, before another orc took control and tossed her over his shoulder. The two guards had their hands full all the way up to the steward’s bedchamber.
Orjan’s bedchamber was on the second floor. Baart knocked on the door and everyone tensed. Even the women ceased their struggles. Everyone held their breath as the footsteps thumped up to the door and the handle turned.
Baart looked the steward over as he stepped out into the hallway. He was an obese man of average height. Clean shaven and bald, what little hair he had left was cut short and snow white. He guessed Orjan to be in his early seventies.
Clear brown eyes studied the women before speaking. "What do we have here, Baart?"
"My Lord," Baart said and bowed slightly. "We have captured the two thieves that broke in earlier."
"How did you find them?"
"We didn’t have to, the stupid wenches returned."
"I see. Put them down men. I would get a better look at them," Orjan said.
He was obviously pleased. Baart began to hope again. The steward could be generous to those that pleased him, and just as vicious to those that didn’t.
~**~**~
The escape of the thieves earlier had really disturbed Orjan. He had taken years to build up the House of Padraig’s reputation as a death trap for thieves. One successful theft could ruin all his work and subject them to more attempts. He decided that after his men finished with them, he would have them carved up badly, their throats slit, and their bodies dumped in the street. His people would make sure everyone knew that they had died trying to rob Padraig. The tactic had worked for years.
The women were dumped on the floor and forced to their knees. The auburn-hair elfmaid was obviously terrified, while the raven-haired beauty looked incoherent. Her eyes were glassy and she seemed unable to hold herself upright without help.
"My, my. We seem to have a couple of real beauties," he said as he stroked the black-haired thief’s cheek.
"You’re a fat swine," she slurred, swaying on her knees.
Then she bent over and started vomiting all over his legs. She heaved her guts out all over the steward, while the guards held her in place instead of yanking her away from him.
Orjan jumped back in shock, but too late to save his expensive silk bedclothes. His shock quickly turned to anger as he realized she was staining the expensive rug in his room. He had taken a special trip to the distance desert city of Tamera just to get it. Then the stench of alcohol assaulted his senses as he brushed at his soiled bedclothes.
"They’re drunk," he said in disgust. "Well this is one drunken binge they won’t live to brag about."
"Maybe," she said. "But I feel much better now."
He wasn't fooled by her false bravado. She was trying to exude confidence, but he saw the fear in her eyes. But she was correct, her eyes had cleared up after emptying her guts.
"You want us to kill them?" Baart asked.
Orjan cupped the raven-haired beauty's face, his thumb stroking her lower lip. She stared back defiantly. Erotic thoughts filled his head, staring at her full lips. They would look and feel amazing wrapped around the base of his cock. But the look in her eyes promised a bad experience. She looked like a biter.
"Not yet. Take them down to our interrogation chamber. I’ll have some questions for them tomorrow. Then you can torture and kill them."
"Somehow I don’t like the sound of that," the elfmaid whispered to the other.
"I assure you, it will be much worse than your drunken mind can comprehend," Orjan said coldly.
"We can pay a ransom," the black-haired beauty offered.
She was recovering remarkably fast. Orjan always marveled at how fast Takarans recovered from hangovers.
"Truly," Orjan said, thoughtfully. It was tempting, but then he realized Padraig would take the entire ransom for himself. So it was better
to enhance their fearsome reputation than accept ransom. At least better for Orjan. "But you must die for what you did, or others might try. I will make an example of you."
"We won’t say anything," the elfmaid said.
Orjan looked at her and smiled maliciously, "I know."
"Varissa, curse your eyes," Ciara said.
"Even your blood-thirsty goddess can’t save you now," he said. Turning to Baart, "I don’t care what you do to them, as long as they are still able to answer my questions tomorrow. But by tomorrow night see to it that they aren’t very recognizable."
"It’ll be my pleasure," Baart said. Then looking around at the eager faces of his men, "Make that our pleasure."
The men all laughed. The two thieves moaned miserably.
Chapter 13
As Orjan closed his door, Baart stepped in front of the kneeling thieves. He smiled triumphantly as he looked them over slowly. Tara's blood ran cold when she noticed the evil glint behind his obvious lust.
"Now the fun begins," he said.
"You’ll get no pleasure out of us," Tara said, glaring daggers.
"We’ll take anything and everything we want from you," he said, caressing her cheek with his index finger. "We’ll take your bodies...your beauty...your arrogant pride...and finally your miserable lives. And we’ll take our sweet time doing it, too."
"Swine!" Tara said, trying to break free of her bonds.
"Yes, and it is rutting season," Baart laughed. "Let’s get them downstairs boys. Then we’ll see if we can get them to squeal like the pigs they accuse us of being."
Tara twisted violently and slipped out of the grip of her captor. She rolled to her back at Baart’s feet. And then before he could react, she kicked her bound feet up into his groin.
The orc’s eyes rolled back in his head as he fell to his knees with a gasp and a whimper. He emptied his gut and then rolled into the fetal position. Meanwhile, the other guards tried to subdue Tara. On her back, Tara used her feet with brutal efficiency. Men fell back from her flashing feet as she drove her heels into knees, groins, and shins.
Ciara took the opportunity to strike. She clamped her teeth down on the thumb of the guard holding her in a kneeling position. Her hard white teeth cut through the skin and into the bone. She felt immense satisfaction when the bone snapped. Then she jerked her head back and forth violently, trying to rip the thumb off.
The guard barely got away with his thumb. Cradling the injured hand, he ran down the hallway. She rolled head first and then up to her feet. Then she launched herself into two men trying to subdue Tara.
All three fell into a pile, which allowed Tara to concentrate on other assailants. While Tara was kicking Masi in the shin, Ciara was biting off another man’s ear. During this time Orjan opened his door to see what the disturbance was.
"Baart! You incompetent," he bellowed. "These two drunken women are decimating your guards."
Without answering the merchant, Baart stood up painfully. Then with blood in his eyes, he stalked forward. Tara kicked at him and he stepped to the side. Before she could pull her legs back to kick again, he seized her by the ankles. He then savagely twisted her legs and forced her to her belly. She bucked and screamed blasphemies as he straddled her waist and pounded her back with hard fists.
Grabbing Tara by the hair, Baart slammed her face into the floor several times. She instantly stopped her struggles. Black and white flashed behind her eyes, and Tara felt her body relax. Just thinking became a struggle, so she was only vaguely aware of Masi jumping on Ciara to subdue her.
Keeping his hand in Tara’s hair and placing a knee between her shoulder blades, Baart turned to the steward. "We have them under control."
"That remains to be seen," Orjan said and closed the door.
"The bitch has probably cost me this job," Baart said through clenched teeth. "But I’ll have my revenge now."
"We'll all get our revenge," Masi said.
Tara looked at Ciara, who was staring at her in horror.
"Everyone grab hold of one and let’s not screw it up again," he said.
Tara and Ciara were lifted up again and carried away. Four guards held onto Ciara, and five struggled with Tara. They continued their struggles, throwing curses and insults between kicks. The men for their part just held on with grim determination.
Baart’s group, carrying Tara, started down the stairs first. Then as her group started down, Ciara screamed and redoubled her efforts. Her struggles caused the guard holding onto her ankles to lose his balance and fall. He pulled everyone else down with him and they all tumbled down the stairs. Tara’s group was bowled over in the avalanche of humanity. They all ended up in a pile halfway down the stairs.
"Are we having fun yet?" Ciara asked, kicking at a guard.
"Most fun I’ve had in ages," Tara said, kicking a guard in the face. "But I could use a drink."
"You realize," Ciara said, looking around. "That they’ll undoubtedly blame us for this, too."
"Yeah, just like a bunch of men to blame someone else for their mistakes," she replied.
"You two think you’re funny," Baart snarled. "But we’ll see how funny you feel in the morning."
"That’s not a fair test. I’m not a morning person," Tara said and tried to kick him.
Baart batted her feet away and stepped in close. He grabbed her hair in one hand and her chin in the other. Lifting her up by her head, feet dangling above the floor, he kissed her. She barely struggled, fearing she might seriously injure her straining neck. The guard took full advantage, too. He knew the men needed to see that the women could be subdued easily. Their prides and egos were taking a terrible beating.
"Bloody great!" Masi cried out and grabbed Ciara. "Time to celebrate our victory, sugar lips."
Masi pulled her up by the hair. Then with one hand brutally fondling her breasts and the other still in her hair, he forced her lips to his. She brought her knees up into his groin hard. He dropped her and bent over in pain. Ciara pulled her knees to her chest and then kicked him in the chest with all her strength. Masi rolled down the stairs to the ground floor.
Ciara didn’t have time to savor her little victory before more men were attacking. The men were more interested in being the first to take her, than helping each other subdue her. She was more than able to exploit the situation.
Baart had been careful not to give Tara an opening to exploit. She felt totally helpless and panic began to set in. But then he made another mistake.
Letting his lusts get the best of him, Baart began exploring her mouth with his tongue. She let him have his way at first and lured his tongue ever deeper. Then she chomped down and jerked her head savagely. Baart screamed and pushed her away, losing part of his tongue in the process. Tara smiled and spit the end of his tongue back at him.
"Bish...you’ll payh for ‘ish," he cried.
"Babe, you really have a way with men," Ciara said in delight.
"I know," Tara said. "I have a way of leaving them speechless."
Ciara squealed with delight, before looking around with vicious eyes.
"I can't wait for one of them to stick a dick in my mouth," Ciara said. "Chomp. Chomp."
The other guards were stunned into silence. Tara shook her head, knowing it had never occurred to them such a thing could happen. And the women’s laughter was unnerving some of them. In their situation, they should be begging for mercy, not laughing.
Finding speech painful, not to mention difficult, Baart jabbed a finger angrily at the laughing women. The guards rushed them again. The women were overwhelmed again and hoisted up, but not before they scored several more good hits with their feet.
"I don’t think they like us too much," Tara said as they were carried down the stairs.
"But I’m having a grand time," Ciara said, struggling helplessly. "You know how I love to be swept off my feet by strong men."
"Yeah, these boys are real romantics, if I say so myself...ha!" Tara said and landed a solid kick to
a goblin guard’s head.
"Maybe we should gag them," Masi suggested.
"What? And miss our loving pillow talk," Tara said. "Surely, you swine don’t rut in silence."
"Noh," Baart slurred. "I wan ‘oo hear ‘er screams."
Tara and Ciara were carried down below the house. They kicked, bucked, and squirmed to no avail. The trip down the service hallway and then the stairs down to the underground passage proved too much for several more men who fell out from the beating they were taking.
By the time they reached the intersection in the passage, both women were near exhaustion and the men weren’t in much better shape. Instead of turning right toward the treasure room, they were carried left. The interrogation chamber, as they called it, was only a short ways.
After Baart unlocked the door, the captured thieves were carried in. Tara looked around as someone turned up the oil lamps. The first thing she saw was her and Ciara’s personal weapons sitting on a heavy oak table against the far wall.
The interrogation chamber was another of the former holding cells. It was filled with all sorts of instruments and devices of torture. Most were unknown to the women, neither of which cared for torture at all. But their vivid imaginations were more than enough to figure out what tortures could be inflicted.
Tara’s arms were untied. After removing the stolen bracelets, her arms were forced over her head. Rusty iron shackles hanging from high on the wall were locked around her wrists. They let go of her then and her wrists had to bear her weight, since her feet dangled inches off the floor.
"Aaagh, bastard," Tara screamed as the cuffs bit into her wrists.
Baart smiled maliciously when he saw the tiny trickle of blood roll down her arms. Her wrists were held wide apart over her head.
Ciara was thrown on her stomach next to the wall across from Tara. Masi untied her wrists, spread her arms wide, and then had a half-elf and goblin hold her arms down against the floor.
"Whas zee ma’er bish? No more yokes? Zee pain is noffin comparih ‘oo whah I’m goin ‘oo cause," Baart said to Tara, pressing up against her. She found herself eye level with the taller orc. He grabbed her face and kissed her, before gently tracing the outline of her lips with his index finger. "An affer you anzer our quessions ‘omorrow. I’m goin ‘oo rip ouh your ‘ungue and keep ih for goo’ ruck."