by Vipers ©
This story
was split into 10 parts. Jump to any of the segments from here:
1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10
Note: This story
was originally submitted as one long story
and it was only broken into 10 parts for faster page loading.
"Miss Freesland, may I point that..." Hawk spoke up.
"Call me Anna, will ya?!!" She blurted out, then regained her breath. "Sorry, I'm freaking out. I just don't like the idea of having Prince Roberto in our party. What do you want to say?"
"It's not Prince Roberto, Miss Anna. It's Roberto. He is no longer the heir of the throne."
"What difference does that make?" Anna inquired again.
"A lot." Hawk answered calmly. "He will have to follow you and heed your orders. I am there to make sure he does that."
"Anna, you have to understand!" Atrus plead. "If you're in my position, you know that you can't refuse such request! We can still do our task. Hawk will help in dealing with the prince."
"That's right, Miss Anna. I will be responsible for the prince's safety."
Finally Anna agreed, although she still insisted that completing their quest was far more important than babysitting the prince.
"Maya, we'd better start packing up. We will leave tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Master." Maya bowed and left.
Hawk stood up and took his leave. "I'd better do the same. We'll meet in front of the inn tomorrow morning. I will bring Roberto along." Then he left.
Atrus turned to Anna. Maya had taken care of her bruises. It seemed that her training didn't go very well. He lay his hand on her shoulder, and she instantly winced in pain.
"Did I hurt you?" Atrus asked.
"I'm just a little tense, that's all... The training was harsh..."
"Harsh?" Atrus sat on the bed before her.
"Yeah... I never thought riding a horse will be that difficult."
"It takes time..." Atrus said, then reached out to touch the earrings on her ears. They dangled beautifully beneath her long hair.
Anna blushed. "I took them off during the training... I don't want to ruin them..."
"I'm glad you like them..."
"I... I treasure them..." She hesitated for a while, then boldly approached and kissed Atrus lightly on his cheek. "Thank you, Atrus... for the wonderful gift..."
Atrus softly lay her body on the soft bed. He could feel the tense muscles all over her arms, limbs and shoulders. While he was not good at massaging, he knew how to make her feel better. He undid her red bow, letting her long golden hair fall on the bed, and stroked her hair softly. She hummed in delight at the treatment, and her muscles began to relax a bit.
Anna was taken by surprise when Atrus' engulfed her small mouth. She gingerly accepted the kiss and almost ran out of breath when Atrus broke the kiss. Atrus continued his intrusion on her neck, arousing her. In his second kiss she was more prepared and responded fully.
"Atrus... take me..."
"No, Anna. You're tired. You need rest. I'll help you."
Atrus softly pulled her dress down, revealing her cute breasts. Her nipples stood erect instantly upon contact with the cool air. Atrus expertly played with her breasts, cupping them and teasing her nipples, arousing her even further. Her breath was getting short. Tiny beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. When he touched her nipples, Anna almost jumped from the sensation.
"Atrus... please... don't just tease me..."
"Hush... just lie down and enjoy..."
Atrus reached out under her skirt and slowly removed her panties. They were soaked with her vaginal fluid. Anna was blushed at the sight of her own panties. When Atrus touched her tender nether region, she moaned in pleasure. He slowly traced his finger along her hips, probing her lips and finding her clitoris. She responded almost instantly. Her hips jerked violently at his touch. He played with her clitoris for a while, making her crazy.
"Atrus, please... please..."
"Let it go, Anna... let it go..."
Then he inserted his finger inside her pussy. She couldn't hold it anymore and exploded.
"Atrus... I... I can't..."
She arched her back despite all the bruises across her body. A silent scream escaped her lips as she reached climax. More vaginal fluid came from her vagina, drenching his finger. Her body tensed for a while before relaxing again.
Atrus helped her to lie comfortably on the bed. He wiped her wet region with a towel. He then put her dress back on and wrapped her weak body with a blanket. Anna was in heaven. She was completely exhausted from her orgasm, and was lying on the bed comfortably, wrapped in a blanket, tended by the man she loved. She looked at him lovingly; tears fell from her eyes.
"Atrus... you're the best... Thank you..."
Atrus kissed her forehead, just like a father kissing his daughter. "You're welcome, Anna. Sleep well. When you wake up, you will feel better."
The next day, Anna felt a lot better. In fact, she got the best sleep ever. The sore muscles were healed almost completely, and she had no problem using her new energy to heal the bruises. Maya served them a light breakfast, and they checked out.
Hawk came later on his horse, towing two other horses. He wore simple suit and trousers. A chain armor covered his torso. On his right hand he held a fine spear with crescent-shaped blade at the end. He also wore thick leather boots and metal gauntlets. His cloak bore the crest of the kingdom of Aragon.
"Good morning. I'm ready to go. The prince is coming shortly."
Atrus helped Maya load their stuff on her horse. Atrus then mounted the other horse. Anna was to ride with Atrus for the time being until she could ride by herself. As usual, she instantly clasped her hands around Atrus, cutting his breath.
Prince Roberto arrived later on his black horse. He wore a full body armor, complete with helmet, steel boots and gauntlets. His long cloak greatly enhanced his dark appearance. On his hip hung the long sword: the four-foot-long Kaiser Sword. He stared at Atrus darkly.
"You win, Ranger. I'm no longer a royal prince. Are you happy now?"
"What do you mean?" Atrus challenged.
"Don't push me, Ranger..."
"Enough!" Hawk snarled then stared at the prince. "Roberto...?!"
It was clear that the prince somehow feared Captain Hawk. He held his anger and nodded toward Atrus. "I'm ready to go."
"Okay, here's the plan." Atrus began. "If we will move quickly, we can reach the nearest town, Lyrus, before dark. We will rest at Lyrus for a night before resuming our journey tomorrow to the border. If we do it right, we will reach the border somewhere at noon tomorrow."
Once the direction was given, Prince Roberto raced his horse away, followed by Hawk. Atrus looked at the frightened Anna behind him.
"Hold tight, Anna. We have to ride quickly. Tell me if you want to stop, okay?"
Anna nodded nervously, and Atrus raced his horse toward the other two men as Anna's cry echoed across the town. Maya giggled at the sight, and paced her own horse.
The journey went well. They stopped for lunch somewhere in their journey. Maya made a quick lunch of buttered bread with ham and lettuce. Roberto didn't join them for lunch. He seemed to bring his own ration. Maya didn't mind. She didn't really like the prince. Her other friends, however, were engaged in an interesting discussion, so she merrily joined them.
They arrived at Lyrus on time. Lyrus was a small satellite town near the Human-Elven border. It was heavily fortified by a mix of soldiers and mercenaries, therefor slightly hindering the town's growth. They rented three rooms at the inn. The girls would share a room, and Atrus and Hawk would share the other, since nobody wanted to be in the same room with the prince.
The party gathered again in the inn dining hall. Atrus and Hawk seemed to get along well, sharing their war stories and experience. Anna and Maya were also engaged in rather naughty conversation, with Maya teasing her about Atrus. A maid came to them with the dinner menu, and Maya busily inspected them, trying to find anything interesting to learn.
"Diced beef with mushroom cream and vegetables... this sounds good..." Maya looked at the maid with his pleading eyes. "Can I watch while you prepare this meal? Please?"
The maid blushed. "Of course... I guess..."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to open a restaurant. I just want to learn."
"Okay... I can teach you... The kitchen is..."
The party fell silent as Prince Roberto approached. He found the maid standing next to Maya. He took the note from the maid's hand and read it.
"Diced beef with mushroom cream and vegetables?! Doesn't sound like your stuff!"
"What's your point, Roberto?!" Atrus said coldly.
"She's a slave! A slave should eat leftover food, not main course!"
The party stared at the prince in disbelief. Tears sprang from Maya's eyes and she began to sob softly. Atrus couldn't hold his anger anymore and stood up to challenge the prince, only to be stopped by Anna. Captain Hawk was speechless, unable to figure out what to do.
"Roberto... Have I not make the vow to the king, you would have been dead by now!"
"Atrus, take it easy..." Anna tried to calm him down.
"Roberto, do you aware of what you just said?!" Hawk snarled.
"What? I said the truth! She's a slave!"
"Damn you, Roberto!"
"Master, stop it!"
Atrus turned to Maya, who were looking at her with her teary eyes. "I thank you Master... But he was right... I... I'm not supposed to eat with you... Good night..."
"Maya!" Atrus stopped her just before she left the dining room. "You are a slave. You are to obey my orders, right?"
"Yes, Master." Maya answered.
"You will do whatever I tell you, right?"
"Yes, Master."
"You will obey only me and people I tell you to obey, right?"
"Yes, Master."
"Then I order you to eat with us. Don't listen to this nonsense."
Maya stared at her master for a while, then nodded. "I hear and heed, Master. Thank you..."
Anna approached her. "Maya, the sun is still high. Why don't we eat dinner outside, just near the forest? I will spread several blankets for us to sit on. You can use the kitchen and learn how to cook that beef thing. You can even make your own dishes!"
Maya's face brightened and she nodded readily. "That's a wonderful idea, Mistress... Master, can you take me to the market? I have some stuff I need to buy for my dishes."
Before Atrus could answer, Maya grabbed her master's hand and dragged him outside the inn. Anna left the dining room to fetch the blankets. The maid left for the kitchen to prepare the meal.
Prince Roberto turned to Hawk, but was welcomed by his fist. Hawk punched the prince on his jaws, sending him crashing on the wooden floor. The prince was ready to fetch his sword, but the young captain's cold stare stopped him.
"Go on, Roberto! Kill me and make you father proud!"
The prince didn't move.
"You're a disgrace to your family! I can picture how happy your father will be when he hears this incident. I'm ashamed to hear such thing being said from a mouth of someone who will inherit the throne of Aragon! You're nothing but a damn little rascal!"
Hawk grabbed Roberto's shirt, lifted it, and slammed his body against the wall. "Now I don't have time to baby-sit you. We're going to trust our lives on each other, so if you want to see them save your ass, you'd better change your wicked behavior right now! Lecture's over!"
The knight dropped the prince down on the floor and left him. "One last thing." He said before he left for the door. "If Sir White Lion decides to kill you, the second blow will come from me."
Hawk opened the door with a crash. Anna, who had been watching the few last actions, stepped down the stairs, dragging a pair of blankets with her. She stared coldly at the prince for a while before exiting the inn. The entire inn had been quiet since the incident started. All eyes were looking at Roberto. But he just stood up and walked toward the stairs and into his room.
The dinner was wonderful. Maya memorized the recipe quickly and even added her own vegetables from the market. They ate while watching the sun go down. Hawk brought his wooden flute and played several songs, charming the party. They went to bed early, for they had to wake up early tomorrow.
The journey continued as they paced their horses past the fort of Lyrus and toward the border. Different from the area around the village of Whitewater which was covered with thick forest, this area was entirely grassland. The humans had erected a long chain of guard towers across the grassland to fortify the border. Although both nations were in cease-fire, the towers were all manned and alert.
Beyond the grassland lay a small patch of swamp, the border of the nation of Elom, the Elven kingdom. And beyond the swamp, the unbroken view of dense forest of Elom filled the landscape. The swamp served as the border and a trap for any intruders. Atrus had heard the story of the Elves thwarting an entire human invasion by charging them when they were crossing the swamp. The defeat had become the thorn inside all older human generals.
Atrus had learned many things about the Elves from Anna lately. The Elves allied themselves with their Mother Nature. They preferred staying in simple dwellings inside thick forests rather than cutting down trees to make better towns. The action of Humans destroying the nature was actually the main cause of the Human-Elven war. The Elves blamed the humans for destroying nature for their own benefits while the humans condemned the Elves' act in preserving the forest for themselves.
The Elves were somewhat similar with humans, except for several things. The easiest detail to spot was their pointed ears, which were their primary identity. Humans also found the way the Elves talked interesting, as their words flowed in melodious tone, just like a song. Their hearing was also excellent, making them great hunters.
Living inside their natural habitat, the Elves lived longer than normal humans did. An Elf usually died when they were around 300 years old. That was why the Elves were known to be highly skilled and wise in words and manner, for they used their time to develop their talents to the fullest. Fearing to ruin their Mother Nature, the Elves did everything to prevent destruction to their land. They wore leather suit from hunted animals. They gathered food from the forest, but didn't make room for farming. Their dwellings were made of logs taken from selected trees in the forest. Their industry was also environmentally friendly. Mining operations were performed carefully. A few paths were cleared around the jungle to ease the transportation, but they didn't have any paved roads or tiled streets in their land.
The guards from one of the towers stopped them, but let them go as soon as they saw the royal crest in Captain Hawk's hand. The party descended toward the swamp and dismounted. They had to walk from now on, for the horses couldn't pass through the forest. They got all their stuff off the horses and started walking across the swamp. The mud engulfed their boots and covered their lower legs, but they found solid ground beneath the mud. During wartime, they could expect to see a wave of arrows, the Elves' favorite weapon, flying from beyond the trees into the swamp. But now everything was quiet.
The party walked silently into the woods. Atrus led the way, followed by the girls. Roberto guarded the rear. The forest was very quiet. They might not be able to hear anything or see anyone, but somebody got a second pair of eyes.
"A few life signs, dead ahead." Anna reported. Her eagle eye spell had never let her down.
Atrus led the team forward. They had to find an Elf, for they didn't know the way to their capital. No humans had ever done that before and lived.
"Wait a minute... a man... and a girl... She is frightened... I'm not sure..."
She became really sure when they heard a girl's cry for help. The party dashed inside the woods toward the sound. A moment later, they found a middle-aged man holding a young girl in his grasp. The man was fully clothed, but the girl was naked. Her hands seemed to have been bound behind her back. Her beautiful breasts jiggled as she struggled for freedom. The man, seeing Atrus' coming, quickly placed a blade on the girl's neck, threatening the party.
"Move
a little closer, Mister, and the girl's neck will become a blood fountain!"
(next)
This story
was split into 10 parts. Jump to any of the segments from here:
1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10
Note: This story
was originally submitted as one long story
and it was only broken into 10 parts for faster page loading.