Betrayal Bk. 01

"We have enough for two weeks. We'll have to make a raid soon." Wisdom said. Two weeks was a reasonable store, it meant they'd have three before the first signs of the poisoning showed up, but it was better to be safe. He nodded as he threw on a loose shirt and then started to pull on a pair of leather pants that had a few repaired cuts on them from the occasional knife attack he'd been too slow to dodge that they'd saved him from.

"We can strike the village east of here, they make cider their too if I remember correctly. That will be good for morale." The wisdom nodded at Gan's words looking thoughtful, as he often did. As leader of the gang, Gan made the decisions, but the wisdom was always used for advice and could speak against the decisions of the leader, though in many gangs that had gone unfavourably. Instead he advised and persuaded. But Gan knew his advice was always good and rarely got angry at the man, even if he advised him to do something he did not wish to. He slipped on a pair of socks and boots before throwing a short leather coat on over his shirt.

Dressed, Gan stepped over his pack and out of the small tent. He looked around at the dozens of tents surrounding his. People moved around the camp with purpose, carrying skins of water, looking after packs of children, going to the river to wash. For all its savagery, this was his home and it was theirs too. The wisdom stepped out to join him, "Gan, you remember what we discussed before?"

Gan sighed and shook his head, "I don't want to hear any more of that drivel."

"Things are getting harder, another well ran dry recently. It is said in the stories that-"

"They are just that. Stories. Things are harder, which means we have to work harder to survive, not waste time on some myth."

"Okay Gan... Just please at least promise that you'll remember what I said, it is all I ask."

He sighed and nodded, the wisdom was the oldest, he had the most experience but it didn't mean he had the best judgement, as his superstitions in some old prophecy showed. "I'll read them tonight."

"Gan!" A man called out as he hurried up the hill.

"I see you Jay." Gan replied. Jay was his right hand in the camp, a position that meant he would act with Gan's authority and as such required a great degree of trust.

"I see you Gan." He said as he got closer, catching his breath quickly, "We need you at the med tent." Gan nodded and started to move, letting Jay get ahead to lead the way. He'd not be in such a hurry if it wasn't urgent and wouldn't have come for Gan if it wasn't important, he didn't need to ask what it was to know it needed dealing with right away.

He walked behind Jay, wisdom at his back as they moved through the camp. It would be how most lines of men would move into battle, youngest to oldest. It let the eager youth cut their teeth in battle, make claims of rights over the possessions of those they killed. It also allowed the more energetic youth to wear down enemies before the experienced older men could come in to finish those left. You didn't get old by being weak, only the most skilful survived. Gan wasn't that much older than Jay, he was nearing thirty and didn't yet have a hint of grey in his short dark brown hair. He had a stern face, though he got smiles from women that told him he wasn't unpleasing to the eye, but he didn't have time to admire himself much in a mirror. He had a square jaw and a nose that had been broken once or twice and showed a hint of that fact. Overall it gave him a rugged look.

They arrived at the tent and Jay held the flap back for Gan, he entered with wisdom beside him. The tent was larger than most and relatively empty at the moment. It was good to have a large area for the sick and injured, and better yet when it wasn't in use. Shay looked up at him and smiled, the exact smile he'd noted earlier that told him he wasn't unpleasant to look upon. He smiled back, she was after all, beautiful. She had long black hair, tied up out of the way. Her face was narrow, her nose a little large but it gave her a stronger look. She had blue eyes that stood out with her black hair. Her figure was lithe with a few subtle curves and his eyes took note of that for a few moments longer than he'd needed. "I see you- Gan." The way she said it with a small pause before his name, suggested that she'd seen the way his eyes had gone.

"I see you Shay." He said with a grin, only they needed to greet each other. The wisdom was not allowed to challenge, or be challenged, he moved unseen and Jay was Gan's right hand, he was part of Gan and considered one and the same when together.

"Did Jay tell you what happened?"

"No. He'd not had time, we came straight over. I assumed it was urgent from the way he rushed to find me?"

She nodded and moved over to the other side of the tent where a body clearly lay, a sheet hiding it. She lifted it up. Gan walked over and grimaced at what he saw beneath. A young girl's body lay on the mat, that pale colour that spoke of lifelessness, her eyes resting closed. He clenched his jaw, "Mai was her name, wasn't it?"

Shay looked a little shocked at that and gave a small sad smile. It was impossible to know everyone's name in a camp, but as leader Gan did his best and the cheerful little girl had been easy to remember, she'd said her name with such confidence. "Who did this?" Gan said through gritted teeth remembering the girl running through the camp playing with other children. She'd often had daisies in her hair hadn't she? He thought to himself.

Shay shook her head and Gan sneered in anger, "There is more." She said and Gan narrowed his eyes. "She was stabbed in the back and... the dagger was left in her."

Gan let out a small sound of anger, something like a growl. Getting stabbed in the back could happen in a fair fight, it was more the losers fault for showing his back than it was the attackers for taking it. But it felt wrong, like cutting at the eyes or groin, anyone can surrender in a fight and to leave someone unable to breed, or see, was considered unnecessarily cruel.

The wisdom took in a breath as Shay had spoken and Gan had hardly been paying attention as the man had spoken beside him, "-the girl will die and demand three deaths, as the land does die. And so it'll bring the saviour to them who'll lead the way." Shay looked somewhat confused and a little concerned.

Gan's neck snapped round to look at the older man and he bared his teeth, "This isn't the time for your stories!" He spat out in anger. Although he was right, this murder did demand three deaths. Someone before their thirteenth year, ended without someone to claim the death and then the dagger in the back, not just a sign that they'd done it without warning but a message. "Show me the dagger." He commanded.

Shay handed him the weapon, handle held out to him as she carefully held the blade, "I think that the blade belongs to-"

He cut her off, "Farg." He said, his voice dripping with venom at having to say the name. It was the dagger of another gang, they'd had conflicts with them in the past. There was one way to survive in the unclaimed lands and that was to take what you needed. Most gangs took from the claimed lands, most would take what they needed and do little harm. Killing aimlessly would only attract the attention of the landguards. They would each carry a rifle and were each as powerful as a small squad of men. Gan had several rifles, but ammo was hard to come by in raids, all kept in heavily guarded regions not worth fighting for, so it was saved for when it was needed. Some gangs however, took from other gangs. They were not so discriminate about killing, better a dead enemy than one that can bite back. Farg was the leader of one of these gangs. "Do we know where he is?"

The wisdom shook his head, "If this was him, he must be close."

"Where in the camp was Mai found?" Gan asked.

"North-east. By the river." Jay replied, he looked somewhat disturbed by the whole thing, but then who wouldn't be?

Gan nodded, "We go that way then."

The wisdom nodded but Jay narrowed his eyes sceptically, "How do you know that is where they are?"

Gan held up the dagger. "They left us a message, they wouldn't have done that if they didn't want a reply."

He walked from the tent, not wanting to be in there with the body of the girl for a moment longer, striding straight out and nearly walking straight into a woman who stood just outside. She widened her eyes, her gaze flicking to the knife as she took a quick step backwards on instinct, her own flashing from her sleeve before she saw who he was, "G-Gan!.. I see you Gan." She said, still holding the knife.

He handed the weapon to wisdom as he came out beside him, that was as good as sheathing it and so she did the same, "I see you." He replied.

She looked distressed, "I-I'm Lai, Mai's mother...do you know what happened?" She said pleadingly.

He gritted his teeth. "It was Farg."

She let out a small sob and fell to her knees, clenching her fists. "BASTARD!" She said with seething fury.

Something snapped inside him, if he had had the capacity to cry he would have, if he had the luxury of throwing his head back and screaming at the sky at the injustice of it he would, but he was leader, he was to be the cold steel of the blade. He took the dagger back from wisdom. "Lai." He said. She looked up, her eyes flashing to the blade nervously at first. He drew it across his palm and then clenched his fist letting a few drops of blood fall to the ground. "I swear a blood oath, that I will make Farg pay for this!" He grabbed the blade by the handle and held the blade, with effort he snapped it at the hilt, managing not to cut himself in the process. It was an act of great disrespect to Farg, destroying his weapon, it was the greatest insult to that man that he could give right now and yet it wasn't enough.

Lai looked up at him through watered eyes; she gave a small nod and tried at a thanking smile before she continued to grieve. She appreciated the gesture, but her daughter was still gone, he couldn't do anything to aid her in that grief. Shay touched his arm, "Let me see to that cut." She said tenderly.

He nodded, handing the blade to wisdom. "Go with Jay, I need to calm this storm inside of me before I can act again today." Wisdom nodded and the two of them left.

He hardly noticed as Shay led him to a tent beside the larger medical one and prompted him to sit on a mat inside. He glanced about and blinked, "Why are we not in the medical tent?"

"I thought that you needn't see the body again right now."

He nodded as she took out some things from a pack and knelt down in front of him. "Won't they need you?" He asked.

She smiled softly, dabbing something on the cut that stung, he didn't flinch from the pain as she cleaned his wound whilst responding. "There aren't many injured or sick and I have assistants." She placed some gauze over the cut and started wrapping a bandage around his hand. "Besides, I thought you might need me more..." She said; tilting her head and looking into his eyes with her shockingly blue gaze, a thin eyebrow raised.

"Shay, I'm the leader. I'm responsible for everyone an-"

She cut him off by leaning forward and pressing her lips to his, kissing him firmly, she tasted sweet. He pulled back and broke the kiss, and as he went to protest she interrupted him, speaking first, "Everyone includes me." She said. "Besides, it wasn't long ago that you'd be the one insisting..." She added with a small pout.

He blinked, her pouting look stirring something inside him and evoking a small grin.

"Or is it only resisting that draws your interest?" She asked, scrunching up her nose playfully.

He sighed and shook his head with a small chuckle, "Hmm, no you draw my interest well enough... it's just that I'm busy, I need to see to things around the camp."

She pouted some more and gave him a sceptical look, "Jay will handle things fine without you." She smiled at him and he remembered the first time he'd taken her. Years ago, before he was leader, when he was younger and more led by passion. She'd resisted at first, but eventually she had given into him. He remembered her struggling as he'd held her and the feeling of first being inside her. She kissed him again, deeply, her tongue flickering forward a little to tease his. He relaxed, his desire taking over. He kissed back, his un-bandaged hand coming up to cup her cheek. As he did he felt a tightening in his pants and he shifted up onto his knees.

She tugged at his coat with a sense of urgency, pulling it down off his shoulders, he shrugged and struggled out of it, throwing it aside. Whilst he did she reached up and undid the tie behind her neck that held up the top of the dress, it fell down to her waist, revealing her modestly sized round breasts, paler than the rest of her tanned skin. He made an animalistic sound as he leant forward, his head dipping as he brushed his lips over her nipple. She gasped slightly, his tongue lightly draw a circle around her small pink nip before flicking at it, causing her to make pleased murmuring sounds. He leant forward sucking, slightly rougher, nibbling softly as his hand cupped her other breast, squeezing. She made some more sounds, fidgeting a few small squeaks coming from her before she pushed his head back and he pulled away, his lips tugging at her nipple as he did.

He gave her a quizzical look, "I thought you liked it when I did that?" He said with a teasing grin.

She ran a hand down his jaw with a wry grin the scrapping sound of bristled skin, "Your stubble is rather distracting."

He grinned some more and fondled her breast gently, "Oh? Then you won't want me to do this then?" He said as he pressed a hand down on her chest, between her breasts, pushing her onto her back as he took hold of her leg lifting it up beside him to rest on his shoulder. She giggled as he pressed his lips to her calf and kissed firmly, kissing again a little higher up her leg. She bit down on her bottom lip, looking up at him, and gave him a sultry look, squeezing her breasts teasingly. He kept kissing down her leg, pushing her skirt up until it was up around her hips, revealing the small thong of material she wore between her legs. He kissed up her inner thigh causing her to struggle to hold back more laughter. He purposefully brushed his cheek against her thigh. With a small snort she ran her hands through his hair and gripped, pulling firmly and dragging him up so he could kiss her again.

She lay on her back, legs spread with him kneeling between them, he leant over her, a hand placed down beside her head to hold himself up. He grinned and leant forward kissing her roughly and passionately. Their lips locked tightly, pressing against each other, begging for more. He slipped his tongue into her mouth as hers welcomed it, whilst he pressed his hips forward between hers, grinding his hips against her. She gripped his shirt pulling it up whilst running her other hand back through his hair. He broke the kiss again and lifted himself up lifting his arms and taking off his shirt in one move. Meanwhile she reached forwards, unfastening his pants and failing at the task.

He took over as she lifted herself back to her knees and ran her hands down over his muscled body. Her hands were soft, though a few callouses spoke of the work she did with them. She ran them down over his chest and over his abs feeling them more through the skin and small layer of fat. As he started to tug down his pants she reached and helped him, taking the shorts below down as she did, her hand reaching in to eagerly grab his cock as it was revealed. She grinned and made an appreciative sound as she looked up at him and bit her bottom lip. As she wrapped her hand around his solid cock her finger barely made it all the way round and as her second hand joined the first, he still had length to spare. She squeezed softly as she leant down and slipped the head into her mouth.

He let out a small breath as she did. She held the base of his member tightly with one hand, her other resting flat on the front of his hip for support as she started to move her head slowly back and forward. She worked him with her mouth, slowly at first, her lips wrapped tightly around as she softly sucked. He placed his hand lightly on her head, running his fingers through her hair. As she continued he let out a small growl, gripping her hair, guiding her head, his hips rocking somewhat. The feel of her lips around him made him feel as hard as marble where her hand gripped him. He felt split between the urge to fuck her sweet pouting mouth harder and to throw her back on the ground and take her fully. He pushed her head back before the feeling became too great. She blinked and looked up at him through her long lashes and smiled.

He made another animalistic sound as he pushed her onto her back roughly and grabbed the dress around her waist. Pulling it off he took the thong with it. She giggled playfully as he threw them aside while he ran his eyes greedily over her naked body. She was hairless from the neck down, it was more hygienic and he had to admit, more eye pleasing. He placed his hand on her flat stomach and ran it down, over her smooth mound and then two fingers slid down over the pink lips of her womanhood. She made a small approving sound of glee. Her pink lips were wet and as he pushed them apart slightly his finger slid inside her with ease.

"Mmm, I was hoping for something a little bigger though." She said, her legs wrapping around him tugging him towards her.

He smiled and removed his finger from inside her, she took his hand and brought his finger to her mouth sucking on them much like she had previously done with her lips around his cock, her eyes staring up at him with desire. "Tease." He growled.

"Shut up and fuck me." She commanded in return.

He leant forward, and pressed his member between her pink folds and then pushed his hips forwards, slipping himself inside her. She let out a definite sound of enjoyment at that, her legs wrapping around his hips, her feet hooking as she pulled him closer, urging the rest of his cock inside her. He complied, his hips pressing against her as he buried himself deep inside her wet, tight pussy. She wrapped her arms around him, her fingers clawing a little as he began to thrust inside her.

As he thrust she rocked her hips in time with them, making gentle moaning sounds with each impact against her clit. Her legs wrapped around him pulled him in harder with each thrust and urged him to be faster and rougher. He kissed her cheek and jawline, up to her ear, sucking on her lobe before blowing lightly into her ear and kissing it softly. She gasped and clawed at his back some more, her nails not long enough to do much harm.

He wrapped his arm around her waist lifting her a little, his other supporting himself as he sped up his thrusts. Her legs unwrapped from around him, being pushed further apart as he thrust harder, she spread them further giving him more room to thrust deeper still. She let out a small cry. Tensing, she threw her head back, her body stiffening as she went quiet for a second, her mouth held open as she climaxed. At the sight of her in the throes of passion his own was released as his cock throbbed inside her clenching pussy with a low pleased groaning sound as her soft moans began to calm. He relaxed on top of her as she held him their bodies hot with sweat as they breathed deeply to regain their stamina. The whole thing had been quick, rough and primal and although it sated something inside him, it seemed to just fuel more desires.

"You said you didn't have anything to do for the rest of the day right?" He asked looking up at her with a small grin.

*****

Chapter 3