Blood of Dragons - The Hunter

Fondrol Crouss, proprietor of the Silver Sparrow Inn, had served his fair share of adventurers in his time. He had been running his establishment for nearly thirty years; he had seen fortune seekers of all shapes, sizes, species and specialities. He had heard a thousand stories over a thousand tankards, been in the presence of the desperate, the arrogant, the surreptitious and the headstrong, and he had seen fit to smack a few skulls about in the interest of prevent a brawl on many occasions.

So when a slender, dark-skinned young man dressed all in black, his face hidden by a cloth mask and hood, and his long cloak swirling about him like a shadow marched through the front door, it was all Crouss could do not to roll his eyes. He did his best not to look exasperated as the newcomer approached the bar, instead putting on as jovial a look as he could.

"Morning there, stranger," Crouss said. "Welcome to the Silver Sparrow, what can I get for you?"

"Information," said the black-clad man, the hint of a growl in his voice. "I'm looking for someone."

"Aren't we all?" said Crouss, a joke he had used often over the years. The lack of any amusement from the stranger was nothing new either; if Crouss had a silver piece for every young adventurer that took themselves too seriously walking through his doors, he'd have enough to own a dozen inns with shadowy corners for them to brood in. "Anyone in particular?"

"A treasure hunter," the man replied. "They would have passed through here no more than a day ago, and might be travelling with companions. They stole something very valuable."

Crouss shrugged. "I get all sorts coming through here, but they don't usually brag about stealing anything if they know what's good for them. Who did they steal from?"

"My mo... my mistress," said the man.

"Well, that's not much to go on," said Crouss. "Your mistress have a name?"

The man in black said nothing, his acid-green eyes attempting to bore a frustrated hole in Crouss's head. The innkeeper blinked freely; staring contests were a waste of time and proved nothing. "Alright, if you can't give me a name, can you at least tell me what they stole?"

"A valued keepsake," said the man. "A statuette carved from obsidian and set with gold, in the likeness of a dragon."

"Now, was that so hard?" said Crouss. He rubbed his chin, thinking back. "Now that you mention it, there was a group in here the night before last, having themselves a bit of a celebration of some kind. One of them mentioned something about a statue; said she wasn't sure if she was going to sell it or mount it above her fireplace back home." Crouss shrugged again. "Don't know if that's the one you're after, didn't see it myself. She seemed pretty proud of herself, though."

Triumph sparkled in the eyes of the man in black. "Who was she? What did she look like?"

"Halfling girl, didn't catch her name; one of her human friends paid for the drinks," said Crouss. "Red hair, plenty of freckles, wore a cloak and soft clothes."

"How many friends?"

"Two or three, maybe. Look," said Crouss, "I get that you've probably got a job to do, but so do I. Other customers are waiting; buy a drink if you want to wait."

"No," said the man in black. "One last question, and I'll leave."

"Let me guess, you want to know where they went?" sighed Crouss, trying not to catch the eye of several patrons who were starting to look increasingly irate.

The man in black blinked, seemingly thrown by the response. "I... Ah... Yes."

"They stayed the night, slept in and paid their tab before leaving in the afternoon," said Crouss. "Said they were heading north, probably camping out last night. Leave now and you might catch them before it gets dark. Now if you'll excu -"

The man in black turned on his heel and wordlessly swept out of the inn at a brisk walk. Crouss watched him go with a frown.

"Young people today," he muttered. "He didn't even try to bribe me."

******

Jouzen strode quickly towards the north side of the village. He was tired; he had been travelling for two days and nights with little rest in pursuit of the thief. It was fortunate that Kilnbridge was the only proper settlement in the area; with a general direction to search in, he had picked up the trail a lot quicker than he would have otherwise. But now that his quarry had reached a main road, he would have to catch up before they reached a larger settlement, or he might lose them in the bustle of civilization.

The thought of having to traverse the streets of a city made Jouzen's head spin. All those people crammed together in one space, what a concept. He needed room to breathe; even a village such as Kilnbridge was too dense for his tastes. But surely if he rested now, just to catch his breath and clear his mind, he would still be able to track them down before...

A familiar sibilant voice hissed in his ear. <What news of the search, my servant? I grow impatient with each passing hour. Has the treasure been found, and the thief been summarily punished?> The harsh Draconic syllables echoed through Jouzen's mind, not aiding the headache brought on by his fatigue.

Jouzen raised a hand under his hood, his fingers brushing against a tiny emerald, set in a golden ring that pierced his earlobe. <I am closing in. The thief will be within my reach by nightfall. I have learned of her face; a halfling is what we seek.>

<A halfling?> The voice of his mistress brimmed with anger. <The lowest of the low, disgusting little thieving dirt eaters! Find and slay her now! Ensure that her death is expedient and painful!>

<It shall be done,> replied Jouzen. <I need only a few hours to revitalize myself, and then I shall be able to hunt her down without issue.>

The voice raged louder. <NO! With every moment wasted, she ventures further! Slay her so that the treasure may be returned to my hoard...> The voice turned dangerously low <...and you to my side.>

Jouzen's stomach tightened, his mistress's words eliciting both a thrill and dread within him. <As you command. The halfling will not escape; I long for nothing more than to be with you once again, and bask in your presence.> He released the earring; there would be no more messages until tomorrow, once the jewel's power had been restored. Ordinarily, his mistress's correspondence would be spaced throughout the day, to better contact him as needed, but her rage and impatience had grown over the past two days.

Jouzen's feelings were conflicted; the mere presence of the anger in her voice seized his body with fear, and yet knowing that he would not hear it again for so many hours filled him with longing. One way or another, he knew he could not ignore an order from that voice.

He made for the village stables; if he had no time for a proper rest, a horse would allow Jouzen to make good time while still giving his body a respite from the journey, however small it might be. The stablemaster, a human woman with dirty-blonde hair standing about a head shorter than Jouzen, looked up as he approached.

"Morning there, friend," she said cheerily. "Sandi Volka, how can I help today?"

Jouzen blinked. Was it not obvious? "I need a horse."

"Well obviously," said Sandi, still smiling, "but what kind? You looking to purchase or hire? Draft, riding, pack mule? Preference of colour, breed -"

"A fast one," said Jouzen shortly. "For a journey north."

"Fan-tas-tic," said Sandi, drawing out her syllables. "Well, costs will involve the hiring fee per week, feed bags to see you through, and of course extra for having it sent back if you're not coming this way again -"

"Here!" said Jouzen, trying not to growl in annoyance as he held out a purse of coins. It was a small allowance, taken from the grander treasury, but it was a fortune to most people as Jouzen understood it. He was always reluctant to use money that was only his by the grace of his mistress, but if it would make this process go faster...

"Well! That should certainly cover it!" gasped Sandi. "But why don't you come in and have a look at my babies here first, I can't take your cash until you've chosen, that would just be wrong." She turned and waved Jouzen into the stables, the black-clad agent resignedly following her.

The stables were a simple affair, a barn with six stalls running down either side, most of them occupied by horses of various colours and sizes. No sooner did Jouzen step beyond the threshold, the nearest beast let out a frightened whinny and backed away, tossing its mane and tail anxiously.

"Oh my, I've never seen Ol' Freedom act like that before," said Sandi, doing her best to maintain a friendly smile. "Perhaps one of the others would suit you better..."

Jouzen's path through the barn was punctuated with terrified noises and the stomping of hooves, as each horse he passed flattened their ears and did all they could to stay as far away from him as their stalls allowed. He frowned behind his mask; he should have known this would happen. Animals in general had this sort of reaction around him; there was something about him that they sensed, a danger that triggered their survival instincts and drove them away.

In most situations, Jouzen appreciated the peace and quiet that came from animals avoiding him. In this case, it was not helping his frustration. Sandi's smile became strained.

"I... I think my stables might not be the best fit for you, sir," she said. "Might I suggest the wagon master instead? Maybe a cart and a couple of oxen would suit -"

"Forget it," said Jouzen, turning and stalking out, heading for the northward road. He would have to make a start if he was going to be walking all day.

*******

Ting. The silver coin spun through the air, glinting in the firelight before landing in Trinn's gloved hand with a soft smek. She hummed a simple little tune, keeping time with the flick of her thumb.

Ting "Dancing like a" -smek- "twisting snake,"

Ting "In the bedroom" -smek- "hips did shake,"

Ting "Eyes of lust and" -smek- "toes that curl,"

Ting "Skin to sweat and" -smek- "tongue to twirl,"

Ting "Down they lay as" -smek- "nine bells struck,"

Ting "Parting legs and" -smek- "howling FU-"

"MUST you do that?!" snarled Thonan.

Trinn blinked at him. "What, you don't like it?"

"No, I don't like it!"

"Tch, some people..." Trinn sighed. Ting. "No appreciation..." -smek- "...for the classics."

"I hardly think that qualifies as a classic," said Thonan, stoking the fire irritably.

"Oh come on, everyone knows The Three Witches' Cauldrons; it dates back over a hundred years, of course it's a classic!"

"Never heard of it," said Thonan.

Trinn opened her mouth in mock disbelief. "Really? A knight of the Arbiter has never heard the sauciest tavern tune this side of the Empire?" She grinned cheekily. "In that case, you might not get the subtext: the cauldrons are their -"

"Enough!" Thonan threw his stick to the ground and stood up. "I swear, you are the most irritating halfling in the world!"

"You obviously never met my uncle's youngest kids," said Trinn, running the coin over her knuckles. "And, equally obviously, you're the one with a stick up his ass the size of an oak tree."

Thonan breathed hard through his nose. "Clearly, being put on watch with you is a task from the gods to test my patience."

"Hey, I didn't ask for this either. I'd rather be on watch with Rory or Aela, but they always want to take theirs together, and Cayli needs her meditation time to refresh her magic; apparently I'm too distracting."

Thonan gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and counted to ten, pacing around the fire. Trinn watched him with a wry smile. Humans were too easy to rile up, and knights even more so. At least Rory wasn't as uptight and could share a laugh every now and then, while Trinn couldn't remember ever seeing Thonan smile. As such, the only way to amuse herself when stuck on watch with him was to see how far she could push until he snapped. Although Trinn had to admit, it was too easy lately; if only the man was capable of getting laid, it might have been more of a challenge.

"Sooooo... want to hear about how I swiped a super swanky statue?" Trinn asked.

"I know how you stole that statuette," said Thonan. "You told us about it yesterday. And the night before. Not to mention, I was there when you did it!"

"Yeah, but you weren't there there," said Trinn. "You didn't see when I was darting between stalagmites, like a silent spectre, approaching the huge pile of gold upon which the dark beast lay. It must have been enough to buy five different kingdoms!"

"Last night it was three kingdoms," muttered Thonan. Trinn ignored him and continued.

"Scales as black as the darkest night, I could barely see the shadowy ruler of that cave, but I knew she was there. I could hear her breathing, the rolling sound of her air shaking me to my core. I knew that any wrong step could be my last; at any second I could be devoured whole by a set of savage jaws!

"And that's when I saw it: the brilliant, obsidian statuette; a perfect likeness of the beast in the darkness, beautifully sculpted and bound in gold. Such a prize would be the ultimate proof that I had faced certain death and escaped with my life. Quietly, I approached the gold pile, carefully reaching for the statuette, my life hanging in the balance with every step..."

"It was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission!" said Thonan. "We were supposed to scout the cave, confirm the existence of the dragon, and report back! But you just had to go and steal something from its hoard! You risked our lives and the lives of everyone who might be in danger if our mission failed!"

"Will you just let it go?" Trinn said. "If anything, my bringing the statuette back with us will be more proof of the dragon existing, than you just telling your commander that someone you know saw it."

"Don't try and justify your thieving ways to me!" Thonan's voice grew louder. "And the word of a knight speaks only truth! If I tell my commander there was a dragon, he will know beyond a doubt that there was a dragon!"

"Keep it down, you're going to wake the others," said Trinn with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, you hired me, so don't get mad when I do what I do."

"You said that you were a scout, not a thief!"

"Yeah, because a dragon is a shining example of an upstanding citizen, and stealing from them is ever so wrong."

"That's not the -" Thonan inhaled deeply, held his breath, and exhaled slowly. "I am not having this argument again. Just sit there and be quiet, please."

"Whatever."

For the next few minutes, the only sounds to be heard were the crackling of the campfire and the distant calls of night birds. Trinn felt antsy; her knee began to bounce and she spun the coin around her fingers. She was fully capable of being quiet when the situation called for it, but that pent up energy had to be released at some point, and needling at Thonan could only get her so far. Trinn had stolen from a sleeping dragon; the mere memory of such a thing brought on a rush. She wanted to sing from the rooftops and celebrate with anyone she could get into bed.

Sadly, they were still several days from the next town with a serviceable brothel, and there was no way any of her companions would fit the bill. Aela and Rory only had eyes for each other, even if they thought they were being covert about it; Caylivandra had all the sexual drive of a tree stump; and Thonan was... Thonan. Trinn had no way to measure how much repression was going on in there, but she was pretty sure she saw a new grey hair on his head every time she opened her mouth.

Ting -smek-

Ting -smek-

Ting "As ten bells strike" -smek- "the potions boil,"

Ting "Extract a draft" -smek- "the sheets to spoil,"

Ting "Stoke the flames and" -smek- "fill them up,"

Ting "Cauldrons call for -"

Thonan stomped over to where the halfling sat and snatched the coin out of mid-air. "Enough!" He drew back his arm and tossed the coin into the darkness of the woods.

"Hey!" cried Trinn. "That was mine!"

"I'll give you a new one in the morning, that my conscience may be clear," said Thonan, returning to his seat.

Trinn fumed. Sure, it was just a silver piece, but it was her silver piece, dammit. "Don't bother," she said, pulling a torch out of her pack and lighting it in the campfire.

"Are you seriously going to hunt for a coin, a single coin, right now?" said Thonan.

"It'll go faster if you help me," said Trinn, not looking back as she headed in the direction of the thrown coin.

Thonan grumbled wordlessly and stayed seated, poking at the fire with his stick again. Trinn kept walking, also grumbling. She got far enough away that the campfire was barely visible through the trees, then kicked a pile of leaves and twigs before sitting down in a huff.

Trinn knew she had no chance of actually finding the coin, she would just take any chance to get out from under Thonan's scrutinizing gaze. At least this way he'd be out of her hair for a short while and she could blow off some steam by herself.

With a quick backwards glance to make sure that Thonan definitely wasn't following her, Trinn planted her torch in the ground and removed her gloves. Unclasping her cloak, she lay it down over the loamy soil, and began to unbuckle her belts. She needed some stress relief, and if no-one else was able to help her with it, she would just have to take care of it herself.

Trinn rolled up the edges of her tunic; despite standing three feet tall at most, with youthful features surrounded by curly red hair, there was no mistaking her for a child. Her hips were proportionally wide, her chest matching them to form a curvy, hourglass shape that filled out her lightweight clothes; they hugged her body closely for manoeuvring in tight spaces without catching on anything. This also had the side-effect of accentuating her shapely anatomy, although right now they were just in the way.

Trinn pulled the tunic up to her neck and ran her hands over her freckled breasts, her rosy pink nipples quickly stiffening in the cold night air. She pinched at them, teasing and tugging as her heart began to quicken. Her breathing became faster as well, and she closed her eyes to savour the growing heat inside her. She squeezed and massaged, the mounds of flesh spilling out of her hands; they had always been sensitive and she loved having them played with.

Keeping her breasts hefted with one arm, Trinn used her other hand to shift her breeches over the curve of her ass and down to her knees, before starting to work on her pussy. A gentle rubbing at first quickly escalated into a faster movement that caused her legs to buckle, driving her down onto her cloak. She lay back and slid her middle finger into herself, curling it around inside her and pressing onto her clit with her palm.

Shaking her hand back and forth, Trinn aimed for all her stimulating spots, as well as bringing one of her nipples up to her mouth and sucking on it as hard as she could. The woods around her seemed to vanish as she gave in to her body, her mind losing itself in the pleasure, looking to flush all the frustration and extra energy that had collected inside her over the past few days. No dragons, no long walks, no stick-in-the-mud knights; just her and her sensations.

The increasing rhythm of her hand against her clit and the addition of a second finger into her pussy brought Trinn ever closer to her climax. She could feel it building; just a little bit more and she would be...

The sound of breaking branches and an inhuman squeal of pain snapped Trinn out of her haze with a startled cry.