Sellsword Ch. 03

Chapter 3 - The Witch of Ravenstone

This story was previously posted on a site that is no longer fully functional.

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The young woman slipped from the cart as it slowed in front of the inn.

The sign on the door read, "Preston's."

She felt her purse, "A little light," she told herself, then noticed a smaller sign on the front door.

"Help Wanted - inquire within."

The woman pushed open the door and entered the common room. Save for three mercenaries seated at a far table, and the strikingly beautiful woman behind the bar, the room was empty. The newcomer walked to the bar and addressed the honey-haired woman behind it, "Are you Preston?" Her voice was soft and almost musical. The woman behind the bar looked up and took in her midnight black hair and fair complexion.

"Preston is dead, I'm Jarveena, my man and I own the inn now." Her nod indicated one of the three men at the table. "What can I do for you?" The woman asked.

"My name is Shara," the woman answered, "and I need a job."

Hearing the conversation, one of the men at the table rose and came to the bar. He was a big man, clad in leather shirt and breeches with weathered skin that showed the criss cross marks of many scars.

"I'm Garth, we own the inn. Did I hear that you are looking for work?" His gaze moved up and down, taking in the total picture of the young woman. She had black hair, fair skin and dark, flashing eyes. Though clad in a simple woven dress, with a blue cape over her shoulders, Garth could tell she had a good figure. Firm thighs showed from the slits in her skirt, and her breasts, not big, but proud and firm, strained against the tight fabric of her bodice. Garth looked over at Jarveena, who had also appraised the woman calling herself Shara.

Jarveena grinned and nodded her head.

"We need a serving wench," Jarveena said, "would you be willing to do that job?" Shara thought for long enough to appraise both Garth and Jarveena, making it obvious that she was doing so. "I can do that job."

"The pay is five coppers a week, room, board and you keep all the tips you might get," Garth announced. "We'll tolerate no thievery or whoring. The Street of Red Lanterns can have all that trade they want," Garth continued.

Shara stood straight and proud, "I am neither thief nor slattern, I am from Ravenstone, and I am a Druid."

"A healing witch?" Garth asked, having heard about the healing powers of Shara's people.

Shara nodded, her dark eyes took on a very sad expression. "Well if you're willing to work, the job is yours," Jarveena said, reaching over the bar to shake Shara's hand.

In the hills, three days ride from Kal-sorak, two riders stopped to rest their horses. A tall thin man dressed in the robes of a priest sat leaning against a tree. His companion, a knight, knelt in silent prayer bowing now and again to place his brow on the ground.

"Do you not pray, Bane?" the knight asked as he rose from his knees. "My prayers are offered in my mind, Sir Orlando. I am not a paladin, so I am not required to prostrate myself to pray.

"God has spoken to me, Bane," the knight said. "The witch is almost within my grasp. When I have slain her, the Ravenstone clan will have been destroyed." The knight's eyes shown with the light of madness as he spoke. "Forgive me, Sir Orlando," Bane said calmly. "I seek a different goal. The sword, Soulcatcher, is my objective. It has fallen into the hands of a sellsword - it must be recovered."

"But that is an artifact of the dark lords, how could you even touch it?" Bane looked at his companion, "The man is an idiot," he told himself. His voice explained, "I have been given a holy blessing that will shield me from the evil of the weapon. Of course I could not wield it, but I can recover it and return it to the temple for safekeeping." This explanation seemed to satisfy the paladin.

Jarveena had explained the job to Shara, telling her what would be expected of her, then showed her where her room was. It was next to the room she shared with Garth.

"You can start this afternoon," Jarveena said. "There's fresh water to bathe with. When you're ready, come back downstairs."

With Kal-sorak just getting back on its feet, the crowd was small - but lively. Shara moved gracefully among the tables, delivering drinks and platters while avoiding the outstretched hands of the patrons. When the last customer staggered out the door, Garth threw the bolt and Jarveena began counting the till.

"Not a bad night, all considered," she announced locking the cash box away.

Shara countered the coins in her pocket, she had made seven full coppers in tips (a copper can be minted in quarter, half and full denominations). "We open at mid day," Garth informed Shara. "If you want breakfast, you have kitchen privileges, the cook won't be here until an hour before we open."

Garth snuffed the lanterns and they all went upstairs. No sooner had Garth and Jarveena slipped into bed and had begun caressing each other, than a soft knock was heard at their door. Garth pulled his long dagger and stood beside locked door.

"Who is it?" he asked, his voice filled with a high degree of menace.

"It's me, Shara," a soft voice came from the hallway. Garth unlatched the door and let the girl in - he had the dagger ready just in case.

Shara, her blue cape wrapped around her, slipped into the room. "I saw the way you both looked at me this afternoon. I just wanted you to know that I find you both very attractive as well." She let the cape fall from her shoulders.

Shara stood there, naked, her skin shone in the moonlight that poured in through the bedroom window. Her hair was lustrous, black as night. Her dark eyes held the promise of untapped passion. She approached the bed, each step a study in grace, made the hemispheres of her breasts quiver, and the smooth muscles of her thighs flex.

Garth studied the woman as she walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Do you want me to join you?" she said softly.

Both Garth and Jarveena knew they did, Jarveena reached to caress Shara's cheek. "Yes, Shara, we do want you to join us," Jarveena whispered in a soft, husky voice.

The two women embraced, their mouths meeting in a wet, passionate kiss - their hands wandering over their soft skin.

Garth sat back and watched as these two beautiful women enjoyed the touch and feel of each others body.

Jarveena lowered her lips to Shara's stiffening nipple - taking it into her mouth and suckling like an infant.

Shara took in her breath at the excitement of Jarveena's lips. She arched her back slightly, urging more of her firm breast into Jarveena's mouth. At Shara's encouragement, Jarveena moved her hands lower over Shara's taught body. Her fingers caressed Shara's breasts, her belly, and the softness of her thighs.

The young witch held Jarveena's head to her breast as Jarveena slowly moved her fingers down Shara's thighs, then back up, finally reaching the wet lips of her pussy.

Garth could feel himself getting harder as Jarveena moved her fingers over Shara's cunt, stroking her swelling clitoris.

Shara moaned softly in response to Jarveena's probing, then her own hands began moving. Caressing Jarveena's firm breasts and taught belly. "I need to taste you," Shara said softly, moving her body to bring her face to the apex of Jarveena's thighs.

The women changed position, lying on their sides, their heads between each other legs. Amid sighs and muffled moans of pleasure, they began feasting on one another. The room filled with the wet sounds of mouths sucking and tongues licking as each woman pleasured the other. Shara thrust her cunt into Jarveena's hungry mouth, feeling her tongue move up and down her hot, wet slit.

Jarveena, too, urged Shara's tongue into her waiting pussy. Garth could only watch - in total fascination - as the women came. Their moans, even muffled by the cunts they were eating, left no doubt that they had both reached orgasms.

The women lifted their faces to show their mouths glistening with each other's juices. They both smiled and each looked into the others eyes. They changed position again - their legs spread wide and meeting like two pair of shears - their cunts pressed together.

Shara began moving her hips back and forth, rubbing her clitoris against Jarveena's. Her wet cunt sliding back and forth over Jarveena's. The announcement of their orgasm was louder now, but no less passionate, as they reached another climax together.

"We've been neglecting Garth," Jarveena whispered, seeing her man's iron bar hard on.

Shara looked over at Garth and smiled then moved to kneel between Jarveena's legs. "The choice is your Garth, which of us first, and where," she taunted with a wanton smile of invitation.

"Straddle Jarveena's mouth," Garth instructed, moving into position. Shara's cunt was poised over Jarveena's face as Garth placed the head of his cock in the vestibule of Jarveena's waiting pussy. Jarveena's hands on Shara's hips guided the young witch to put her wet cunt onto Jarveena's mouth.

When he heard Shara gasp in pleasure, Garth thrust his cock deep into Jarveena's waiting cunt.

It was Jarveena's turn to gasp as Garth began pumping his cock into her, at the same time, reaching over and caressing Shara's sweat covered tits. Three hearts pounded in the timeless tempo of passion as Garth thrust into Jarveena and Jarveena savored Shara's young pussy. The young witch moaned in ecstasy as Jarveena's tongue flicked back and forth over her swollen clitoris and Garth's hands fondled her firm, warm tits.

Already stimulated by two previous orgasms, the women were quick to reach the edge, their writhing bodies and moans of pleasure urging Garth closer and closer.

He speeded up his motion, thrusting his cock into Jarveena harder and faster, until his ball began to fill and he, too, teetered on the edge. In a crescendo of passion the three of them soared over the edge together. Garth's cock erupted into Jarveena, filling her tight cunt to overflowing as his hot semen coursed into her.

Jarveena's cunt lips - already swollen - tightened around Garth's pulsating cock as her own orgasm washed through her body. Every muscle tensing, every nerve ending tingling with desire, she surrendered herself to her climax.

Shara fell forward, into Garth's arms, as she came. Her young body covered with sweat, thighs trembling against Jarveena's face, her juices flowed over Jarveena's hungry mouth.

Garth's cock pulsed and throbbed, delivering his cum to Jarveena until she had milked him dry.

When their orgasms began to ebb, the three of them collapsed into a tangle of arms and legs - smooth, sweat moistened skin moving over more sweat moistened skin - some smooth, some rough and hairy. They let their breathing deepen as their heartbeats returned to normal. They lay there, resting, enjoying the sensation of satiated desire and passion.

Garth drifted off to sleep, leaving Jarveena and Shara to their own devices.

They began to play as soon as Garth was asleep.

Shara's hands moved to caress and cup Jarveena's breasts, her thumbs teasing the nipples into erection. She followed by trapping Jarveena's nipples in, turn, in her mouth and sucking them.

Jarveena now arched her back as her hands clasped Shara's head, holding her tightly to her taught breast. "I want you Shara," she murmured softly. Shara moved to kiss Jarveena, their mouths melting together as their tongues played and danced.

Jarveena moved her hands down Shara's back to caress her firm ass cheeks, then moved her thigh between Shara's. Jarveena felt the wet heat of Shara's pussy as it slid back and forth over her firm thigh. Moaning into Jarveena's mouth, Shara slid her hands down to Jarveena's cunt, sliding her fingers into it and resting her thumb on Jarveena's swollen clitoris. Shara thrust two fingers deep into Jarveena's dripping cunt then began to move them slowly in and out, flexing them to fill Jarveena's hot tight pussy.

Jarveena began jerking her hips, thrusting her cunt into Shara's fingers, and urging them deeper into her hungry pussy. She placed her hand on Shara's pussy, feeling the soft downy hair surrounding her wet, swollen lips and throbbing clitoris. She was about to insert her fingers into Shara's cunt, when the young witch stopped her.

"I am still a virgin, Jarveena - at least I have never been with a man - in that way."

Jarveena was surprised, but did not penetrate the young virgin, instead moving her fingers up and down the young woman's hot, wet slit. "Have you taken a vow?" she asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Shara replied, then bent her head once again to kiss Jarveena, deeply, passionately.

Jarveena experienced an intense orgasm as Shara's fingers played within her. Her cunt lips, swollen and wet, tightened their grip around Shara's fingers as her juices flowed over them.

Shara moaned with pleasure as she, too, came - rewarding Jarveena's fingers with her own flowing juices.

As their orgasms crested and subsided, the two women fell asleep in an embrace, to sleep until the next day in restful slumber.

Sunrise found Orlando and Bane already riding, moving closer to Kal-sorak. "Tell me of these Ravenstone Witches, Sir Orlando," Bane asked as they rode.

"Ah yes, a clan of such evil heretics you could not imagine. They claim to worship the natural order of things, but the Sacred Teachings tell us otherwise," the Paladin said. "Nanoc," he bowed his head as he spoke the name, "is the sworn enemy of their evil druid ways. He is a Lord of the Light."

Bane nodded, since he was, supposed to be, a priest of Nanoc. "As you know, Bane, He teaches that those who do not adhere to His teachings, MUST be enemies of the Light. I am sworn to destroy those who champion the Darkness. The Ravenstone clan are such champions." Bane looked over at his traveling companion - he saw the light of lunacy in Orlando's piercing eyes.

The Paladin continued with his sermon. "Only one of the cursed clan survives. Somehow she eluded me when I destroyed the Ravenstone village and slew the others. But I know she fled south, and Kal-sorak is the nearest town in that direction. If she is not there, there may be word of her." Orlando lifted his head high. "The heretic will die at the stake, as Nonac has decreed."

The sun was high when the three lovers shook off their slumber. Garth sat up and looked at the women, still locked in their embrace, and scratched his head. "Was I dreaming?" he asked himself. "It was no dream Garth," Shara said, opening her dark eyes. "I would speak with you and Jarveena - there is much you need to know - about me." Jarveena came awake just then. "What do we need to know?" she asked. "We can talk as we break our fast," Garth suggested, swinging his feet onto the floor. "I seem to have a good appetite this morning." The three sat in the common room and drank their tea as Shara told her story.

"I am the last of my clan. Ravenstone was destroyed by followers of Nonac, one of the gods of the light." She began.

"Are your people aligned with the darkness?" Jarveena asked.

"No, we are dedicated to maintaining the balance of the universe. There can be no good without evil, law without chaos or light without darkness. Nonac's worshippers regard anyone not devoted to their god to be a heretic. So it was two years ago that an army of Nonac's followers, led by a mad Paladin, swept through my village and slew every man, woman and child. I was in the north then, studying herbs, so I alone survived."

"Who was this paladin?" Garth asked, having dealt with that sort before.

"He was called Orlando, he slew the men and boy children out right. The women and girl children," she paused as she choked back a sob, "they were ravaged, then burned at the stake."

Jarveena's face lost color as she listened to Shara's story. Garth's face took on a look of anger and disgust. "Did this Orlando participate in the rape, of merely watch?'

Shara shook her head, "I know not." Tears filled her beautiful dark eyes. "I have been running ever since. The madman knows I survived, he will not rest until I, too, have been burned."

Garth asked why the women were so cruelly killed.

"We are a matriarchy, everything is descended through the girl children, it is we women that have the strongest powers. Once I am dead, Ravenstone will be no more."

"Last night," Jarveena began, "you spoke of a vow of sorts. What did that mean?"

"I have sworn to remain a virgin until Ravenstone is avenged, or unto my death - and I swear I will not permit myself to be burned at the stake."

Garth smiled wistfully. "And I was hoping to bed you tonight," he said.

Shara looked at him and let a coy smile grace her lips; "I can pleasure you Garth, without forsaking my vow, much as Jarveena and I pleasured each other last night."

Garth leaned back in his chair and grinned at this news. "I'm going to seek out Pike at the assassins guild. He may know, or be able to find out, more about this Orlando. I will not permit harm to come to anyone living under my roof." His eyes flashed as he said it - both women knew he meant every word.

Garth left the inn shortly after breaking fast; the two women were left to prepare for opening the inn for the new day.

As an assassin, Pike had very few friends (outside of the Brotherhood) in Kal-sorak - as a matter of fact of the two he had, one, Preston, was dead, only Garth remained. It was Garth standing in the doorway, empty hands at his sides, palms forward. He signified that he was not holding a weapon, and had come in peace.

When Garth had told Pike what he knew, and what more information he needed, the assassin placed pipes and a bowl of leaf on the table between them.

"I know of this mad paladin," Pike said, filling a pipe. "He travels this way even now, but he travels with another man."

Garth knew better than to ask how Pike knew this, he remained quiet and filled the other pipe from the proffered leaf. "Can you find out more about them?" he asked, lighting the pipe.

Pike took a deep puff and exhaled slowly. "Yes, I think I can. Will you be at the inn this evening?"

Garth nodded. "Until closing time."

"We need to stop for prayers," Orlando said. "It's almost midday."

Bane rolled his eyes in exasperation, but said nothing.

The men reined their horses into a stand of trees and dismounted. As was his practice, Orlando doffed his helm and knelt to pray.

Bane merely sat beneath a tree and bowed his head. "We should take some food and water now, Sir Orlando." Bane offered him a water skin.

"I intend to fast until my work is finished. Nonac would want my body thus purified."

"Well if it's all the same to you, I need to keep my strength up." Bane responded with more than a hint of mockery in his voice. He ate the dried meat and fruit with gusto, then washed it down with more water (which he wished was wine) before standing to remount his horse. "Why did I ally myself with this fool?" Bane asked himself as they rode. "I suspect only trouble will come of dealing with that witch, especially if she knows he's coming."

By the time Garth returned to the inn, the cook had arrived and the place was ready to open.

Garth gathered Jarveena and Shara to him and told them what he had found out, "He is on his way, and he travels with another. Pike does not know this other one, but he will try to find out by closing bell tonight." Shara was frightened, more for Garth and Jarveena than for herself.

"Perhaps I should make my escape now," she suggested.

"You'll do no such thing," Jarveena announced, and was seconded by Garth.

"We can handle any mad paladin that comes through that door." Garth said with a distinct voice of confidence. He laid the sheathed Soulcatcher on the bar.