Sellsword Ch. 08

Sellsword 8 Retribution

Jarveena sat in the room she and Garth shared waiting for him to return from a caravan. It was late and the place was almost empty. Ordinarily it was quiet at this time of night, Kal-sorak was no longer a crime infested town.

So it was that the scream from the alley brought Jarveena's head up quickly. There was a note of extreme terror in the scream.

It was not a scream of passion.

Jarveena grabbed the Hart Bow and a quiver of arrows and rushed downstairs.

The screaming grew in intensity as Jarveena threw open the side door and saw the reason for all the commotion.

A young girl was being raped and beaten by three black clad men.

Jarveena scanned the alley and nocked an arrow to the bowstring.

"Lower the bow or the little slut dies!" Commanded one of the men, the edge of his dagger against the girl's throat.

The other two men stood back, hands on their sword hilts, eyes fixed on Jarveena.

"Release her, and I may let you live," Jarveena sneered, the razor sharp arrowhead never wavering from it's target.

The three men laughed. Two swords began slowly creeping from their scabbards, a dagger pressed tighter to a young girls flesh.

The assassins didn't recognize Jarveena, nor did they know the Hart Bow.

The bowstring twanged softly as the arrow sped to it's target. In less than a heartbeat, the steel arrowhead plunged through the dagger wielder's eye to penetrate his brain.

As he fell backward, already dead, Jarveena was nocking and loosing her second shaft. It too buried itself in a mans brain.

As the girl picked up the dropped dagger and scrambled to safety, the remaining man crouched low and came toward Jarveena. His sword tip described circles in the air as he moved with deliberate skill.

From the shadows of the alley, the girl threw the dagger she had taken from her tormentor. It struck the third man in the side. Little damage was done, but it made him turn toward the second threat.

That was his final and fatal error.

Jarveena's third shaft pierced the man's throat and he fell with blood spraying from his severed artery.

"J-Jarveena?" a timorous voice asked from against the wall.

Jarveena turned and studied the dirty young face. The girl was bruised and her face was smeared with dirt and blood, her eyes were filled with terror, but they were still the beautiful blue-green of the sea.

"Tiffane? Is that you?"

The girl ran to Jarveena and buried her face in the woman's bosom. Tears ran down her cheeks, leaving streaks of fair skin in their wake.

"Tiffane, what's happened to you?" Jarveena asked, holding the sobbing girl in her arms.

As the girl cried, near hysteria, a large man, on a massive war-horse rode into the alley.

Garth had returned.

Leaping down, the big warrior ran to where the two women huddled against the wall.

"Tiffane? By the gods, girl, what's happened?"

Tiffane's face brightened some when she saw the stern face and the hard eyes.

"Garth, I had only dreamed I would find you."

He looked questioningly toward Jarveena – who simply shrugged.

"It was my father's doing," Tiffane began. "When he found out that the son my mother bore was yours, he tortured her. She told him, she told him everything."

"A son?" Garth asked himself. "I have sired a son?" Aloud he said, "Let's get you inside and get some food in you."

With Jarveena on one side, they helped Tiffane into the inn.

"Take her upstairs," Jarveena said, "I'll get her some food and wine."

Garth and Jarveena decided to let Tiffane rest after she ate.

Jarveena bathed her wounds and gave her something to sleep in.

"Did you see the marks on her skin?" Jarveena asked.

Garth nodded grimly, "Aye, and she spoke of a son."

Jarveena looked over at Tiffane, "I thought you might have left Tiffane with child, but the Duchess?" She shrugged, "we'll know more once she's rested." She turned to the big sellsword and began to unlace his mail shirt. "And you, you've been gone for a fortnight." Her hand went to his cod-piece, "I've missed this."

Once she had him undressed, Jarveena knelt before him and gently caressed his stiff cock with her fingers, lips and tongue. Slowly, she sealed her lips over the dark, swollen head and took him into her hot, wet mouth.

Garth moaned as Jarveena sucked him back into her throat and began moving her lips up and down his rigid shaft. Her hands fondling his heavy balls.

Jarveena sucked until Garth's cock was rigid, "now, let's see if you've forgotten how to use this." She kissed the head of his cock then led him to the bed.

"Be careful not to awaken Tiffane," Jarveena cautioned as she straddled Garth's hips. She took Garth's cock in her hand and rubbed the bulbous head up and down her hungry slit. She could feel the heat from her lover's massive tool as her juices flowed, making her cunt wet and slick.

Garth held back a moan as Jarveena's cunt slid slowly down his massive cock. He could feel the soft wet lips of her pussy as they kissed their way along his thick shaft, caressing every inch of him as Jarveena clutched him with her inner muscles.

Rough hands gripped Jarveena's hips as Garth thrust himself into her until her ass cheeks met his thighs with a soft slap.

Their bodies began to move in rhythm, thrusting and accepting; seeking and yielding.

Jarveena leaned forward to tempt Garth with her succulent tits.

He accepted the treat and sucked her nipple into his mouth, gently nibbling on it before releasing it and attacking the other.

"Yes," Jarveena sighed, "I've missed that, I've missed that so."

Jarveena had to stifle her cry of pleasure as she came; sealing her mouth to Garth's accomplished this without effort. She felt her lover's seed erupt into her body as his long filled balls emptied into her demanding cunt.

Garth's cock pulsed and throbbed as he sent his semen pouring into Jarveena's hungry body.

A small sound reached Garth's ears and he went rigid. He turned toward the sound and saw Tiffane, her eyes wide with terror as she watched the man and woman who had once been her lovers, united in a passionate climax.

"Wait," Jarveena said breathlessly, "she's been raped and beaten, she's terrified."

The lovers dressed quickly as Tiffane sobbed in the corner, her legs drawn up and her arms wrapped protectively about her knees.

Jarveena quickly found a small pouch of herbs. "Sara left these. She taught me to make a sedative with them."

She crushed selected herbs then poured a small amount of wine in the cup and mixed it.

"Here, Tiffane, drink this," she said in a soothing voice. "It will help you to relax."

The girl drank the potion and in a few moments was able to breathe more evenly, and her eyes returned to their normal size.

"Do you feel like talking?" Jarveena asked softly.

"I – I can't," Tiffane stammered, "not with Garth here."

"I'll go downstairs, I need to check the til anyway." Garth left the room and the two women were alone.

"Garth left my mother with child," Tiffane began. "Mother and I both knew who the father was, but the Duke thought it was his. He was like a schoolboy, bragging to his guardsmen about what a stallion he was."

Jarveena stroked the girl's hand to reassure her that everything was all right, and that she was safe here.

Tiffane went on, "the pregnancy went well and mother gave birth to a strapping baby boy." She paused and took a deep breath. "The baby's eyes were the color of Garth's. His hair, was the color of Garth's. Even his complexion was that of Garth. Even one so foolish as the Duke could not have thought the child was anyone's except Garth's. The Duke went mad. He ordered my mother and I brought before him. In front of us he threw the babe to the Captain of the Guard and ordered him slain."

Tiffane broke down and sobbed uncontrollably.

"The baby was killed while we watched!" she cried.

Jarveena said nothing, letting Tiffane regain her composure as best she could.

At last, the girl looked up through red rimmed eyes and continued. "Mother and I were both thrown in the dungeon. The Duke knew that I had knowledge of what had happened, but he decided to torture mother instead. I suppose it was his way of exacting further revenge for what he saw as her betrayal." She drew a deep breath the went on, "It didn't take long for Mother to break. She told him of her dalliance with Garth, as well as mine. She told him everything she knew about what she and Garth did, everything Garth and I did, and everything she thought she knew. Then he killed her, he killed her himself."

Jarveena softly caressed Tiffane's hair. "You're safe here, Tiffane, he can't reach you now."

Tiffane gave Jarveena a small smile, then went on. "I was thrown back into the dungeon. Everyday one or another of the guardsmen would come to my cell. They raped me in every way, in every place. If they didn't feel like raping me, I would be beaten. Sometimes with a whip; most often with the ‘cat'. Now and then a guard would just use his fists." Tiffane let Jarveena see the scars that criss crossed her back. Angry, vicious scars. Scars that bespoke merciless beatings and unimaginable pain.

And these were put there on the order of her own father.

Jarveena spent long moments in silence, weighing each thought before she gave it voice. "The Duke must pay for these atrocities. He must be made to pay dearly for them." Jarveena's eyes had hardened and her mouth was set in a grim line. "Garth must be told what happened," Jarveena raised her hand when Tiffane's eyes grew wide with fear. "If you wish, I will tell him when we're alone. Know that he will want to come to you and comfort you. He does love you, you know, in his own, peculiar way."

"I understand," Tiffane sobbed, "but I'm not ready to face Garth yet. I feel like I failed him, and let his son be killed."

Jarveena took the weeping girl in her arms and held her tenderly. "You failed no one, Tiffane," Jarveena said in a reassuring tone. "It was The Duke who failed. He failed as a husband, as a father and as a man. He caused Garth's son's death, not you, not your mother. Do you understand me?"

Still weeping, Tiffane nodded her understanding.

Jarveena had her drink some more of the calming potion and the girl was soon asleep. Jarveena went downstairs to tell Garth what Tiffane had related to her.

"The bastard must die!" Garth exploded.

"Of course he will die, Garth," Jarveena put her hand on Garth's arm. "But we must not rush into this. It would be best that he think himself beyond reach. He must not be expecting anything when you, and Tiffane, exact your retribution."

Garth looked her in puzzlement.

"She needs to regain her strength, she needs to be trained to fight, she needs to learn to rule, for she will be the ruler of Jinesta once the Duke is slain." Jarveena paused as she saw Garth start to smile. "This will take time and troops. The Duke's guardsmen will not simply step aside and let him be killed."

"With the Mercenary Guild active again, I should be able to raise an army in a few months," Garth said.

Jarveena smiled and kissed the massive warrior, "even with you teaching her, it's going to take at least a year to turn Tiffane into the fighter she'll have to be."

Over the next few weeks Tiffane's body healed. With herb salves and potions that she had learned from Sara, Jarveena was able to remove some of Tiffane's scars and lesson the worst of them.

The scars on the girl's mind and spirit would take far longer to heal.

Some would never heal.

"Woman," Garth announced over breakfast one morning, "it's time you learned how to fight."

Tiffane looked at Jarveena, who just smiled and nodded, then back at Garth. "I know nothing of war, Garth, what good could I do?"

"You've a quick mind and you're gaining strength everyday," Garth told her. "With proper weapons and teaching you could be the match of many a warrior." Garth grinned, "and I have access to both the weapons and the teachers."

Tiffane's eyes, once bright with the spirit of youth, now burned with the fire of hate. She looked at Garth and nodded. "That's what I want. I want to be able to wield the weapon that kills the Duke. His blood must be on my hands."

Garth looked at Jarveena, then back at Tiffane. "And why is it," he asked gently, "that you no longer care for me? Have I grown that much older and uglier in but three years?" The sellsword paused, "I know you have been with Jarveena a number of times, yet you have not shared a bed with me."

Tiffane looked at Garth as would a frightened animal, then softened as her small rested on his muscled forearm. "You are a man, Garth, and it was men that have destroyed my life." Tears began to form in the girl's eyes, "I will always love you, Garth, but I will always fear you as well."

"Fear no one," Garth said in a fierce tone. "You are one of the strongest and bravest women I know. Before you return to Jinesta you will be able to put fear into the heart of any man." His voice softened considerable, "as you put gentleness into mine when we first met," he continued.

Tiffane did not know what to say, she looked at Jarveena who only smiled and nodded.

"Time for you to learn to use a bow," Garth said, rising from the table. "Jarveena, select a bow and arrows for her, then start teaching her to use them."

The sellsword headed for the door, "I'll be back by mid-day," he announced leaving the inn.

"He's angry with me," Tiffane sobbed, "he hates me."

Jarveena took the girl in her arms. "He's angry, true, but it is not you his anger is for, it is the Duke, as it is the Duke he hates." Jarveena stroked the girl's soft hair, "but I think he is hurt by your mistrust. He feels very deeply for you, Tiffane, as you felt for him. Remember his promise to you that you would share a bed when next you met?"

Tiffane's lips curved in a slight smile, "I remember. And I remember giving him a lock of my hair as well. He probably cast it away or lost it over the years."

"Around his neck," Jarveena laughed, "Garth wears a small leather pouch. In the pouch, tied in red silk ribbon, is a lock of soft black hair. Could that be yours?" Jarveena caressed Tiffane's cheek. "Hardly a day passes that he does not clutch that pouch and take a far away look in his eyes."

"But it is you he loves, Jarveena," the girl protested. "How can he love me as well?"

"Do you not remember the pleasures the three of us shared?" Jarveena asked. "He remembers his promise to you, and he fears you do not. He's too proud to remind you of it. Garth is man enough to love two women, so long as the women return his love." Jarveena's smile grew wicked, "of course if the two women loved each other as well, it would make the situation even better."

Tiffane moved closer to Jarveena, "you know how I feel about you, Jarveena. It is the same feeling I have for Garth, the big oaf."

"First, archery practice," Jarveena said firmly, "then we can rest in your room."

At mid-day, Garth returned and watched Tiffane as Jarveena taught her the art of the bow. The girl proved an apt pupil, eager to learn and eager to excel.

"Your skill will build with time and practice," Jarveena encouraged, showing Tiffane how to loose two shafts in quick succession.

Garth left them without a word, Tiffane was, once again disappointed. "He acted like I wasn't even here," she said, choking back a sob.

"Come, let's go upstairs and rest. It's been a long morning." Jarveena took her by the hand and they went inside.

In Tiffane's room, Jarveena stripped off her shirt and washed the sweat from her breasts. Tiffane followed suite and in seconds the two women were embracing, letting their hands wander over each other's body.

Falling onto the bed, they wriggled out of their tight leather breeches, then wrapped their arms and legs around one another as their lips met in a searing, lovers kiss. Tongues danced and played as their mouths each sought to devour the other. Their hands moved lightly and quickly over breast and belly, thigh and ass cheek as they felt and caressed soft, yielding flesh.

Jarveena's hand moved down over Tiffane's taught belly and found what it sought between the girl's open thighs. The soft downy hair of Tiffane's pussy; moist with anticipation, scarcely concealed the wet, pouting lips that waited there.

Tiffane gasped as she felt Jarveena's fingers part her delicate lips and slip inside. She tightened her clutch on Jarveena's fingers as she felt them move in and out. "Oh, yes, Jarveena, yes," Tiffane moaned softly, her own fingers reaching for Jarveena's steaming cunt.

"Wait," Jarveena said, moving her fingers and motioning Tiffane to lay on her back. Jarveena switched positions, placing her head between Tiffane's silken thighs so her mouth was poised inches over the girls dripping pussy. As Jarveena's tongue made contact with Tiffane's clitoris, the young girl's mouth pressed itself to Jarveena's glistening cunt lips.

Both women sighed as they began to pleasure each other. Their lips and tongues alive with the others cunt. Sucking and nibbling, licking and kissing as each of them urged the other higher and higher, closer to sweet release.

Tiffane was the first to climax. Her quivering thighs caressing Jarveena's cheeks as her juices flowed over the older woman's lips and tongue. Her hips thrust, pressing her spasming pussy tighter to Jarveena's mouth as she came, and came, and came.

Feeling Tiffane's orgasm, and tasting Tiffane's sweet nectar, Jarveena was not able to hold back. Her body convulsed as a shattering climax tore through her taught body. Jarveena's come flowed like a river, pouring into Tiffane's hungry mouth as the younger woman licked and swallowed every tangy drop.

As each woman continued to lick and suck the other, their orgasms went on, their juices flowing and their bodies twitching and spasming, until they were both bathed in sweat and their breathing ragged and short. Only then did they roll apart and lay panting on the bed.

"In a way," Jarveena gasped, "I'm glad Garth hasn't been with you yet. I'd hate to think I would be deprived of your sweet pussy."

Tiffane shifted positions to sit by Jarveena. "You will always be welcome to my body, Jarveena, always." The younger girl leaned down and kissed Jarveena's lips. It was a long, lingering, loving kiss.

"WHERE IN THE NINE HELLS IS EVERYBODY?" Garth's voice roared from the common room.

"We're upstairs in Tiffane's room," Jarveena called down. "Come on up."

Both women realized that there would be no point in dressing, the room reeked of sex anyway.

Garth entered the room laden with bundles. As he sniffed the air, he set his burden on the floor and grinned. "I should have known the two of you would be at each other," he laughed. "Well enough of that for now. Here, Tiffane try these for size." He held out a suite of black leather armor.

With Jarveena's help, and her skin being sweat slick, Tiffane was able to get into the skin tight garment. Leather breeches molded to her firm legs and the tunic caressed her torso like a coat of paint.

"Very nice," Jarveena quipped, "but not much in the way of protection."

"I know, woman. I'm getting to that." He pointed to a wrapped bundle. "Try that on."

Tiffane unwrapped the bundle to reveal a shirt of Elvish chain mail. The shimmering metal links moved like liquid silver under Tiffane's touch as she lifted it over her head.

With an almost musical hiss, the mail shirt slid down to drape perfectly over her young body, all the way to mid thigh.

"It feels like I've nothing on!" Tiffane exclaimed. "It weighs nothing!" The girl moved in a series of motions she had seen watching stylized swordplay. "It's amazing!" She flushed, finally spinning in a dancer's pirouette.

"That's the whole purpose of it," Garth said patiently. "Elvish chain is light, all but invulnerable and helps ward you from some spells." Garth sat in the bed. "But there is one more thing." He lifted a long leather wrapped bundle and handed it to Tiffane, "Actually two more things."