Daughter of the Witcher Ch. 04

From the band under her bare breasts, there was a vertical section which ran down over her flat belly to meet with a thong which passed around her hips and there was a black triangle there to cover her modesty – if it might be termed that – which passed between her thighs to meet with the thing again at her lower back.

As Beathag watched, a little spellbound, she saw breeches appear over Màiri's hips and under the boots. It defied belief. She looked up at her friend who chuckled, "Well I have only just thought that this is no way to greet one's father."

The sections of veil appeared to end in gloves of a sort which had no fingers and over them, she wore open gloves which had only a large hole for all four of her fingers and a second hole for her thumb. These were crafted from the same rough leather and covered her wrists and went a little farther back. The backs of the gloves were studded with pointed rivets of some sort. And over her torso, a thin cuirass appeared, fashioned from the same red leather as everything else.

Beathag stared at Màiri until, with a nod, the cloak covered everything.

"I have never seen clothing like this," Beathag whispered and it caused Màiri to chuckle a little.

"Since we know each other at last, Beathag, I will withhold nothing from you. I do not know what you have come to know after our parting, but I have much to tell, and if there is something that you would like to learn, I will teach it if I know it. Only please, do not doubt me anymore. It was a very hard thing for me to see. If you like what I wear and have enough courage to wear it, I can make something for you."

The door opened and Ranald Ciar walked in, a large man with a severe expression which changed slightly as soon as he noticed that the mystery woman was lovely, but it didn't change anything else and his tone was harsh and mocking to her.

"A woman from out of the morning mists who comes to see the laird," he said with a little mocking bow and a smirk. "I am Ra-"

"You are my father," she smiled, "Ranald Ciar; the most handsome man that any girl such as I was could have wanted for a father."

Màiri sighed a little to see that her father was still alive and because she hadn't seen him in so long. She didn't change her pleasant smile and she only raised her hand, making the motions that he'd taught his daughter when she was small to tell him hello in a secret way.

"I do not know where you learned that, woman," he glared, "but you need to do better than that. I lost much to the people back where you came from and I'm more inclined to seek for a reason why I shouldn't kill you now."

The door to the room closed behind him at a wave of her hand and the lock clicked to while he watched after he'd spun around at the sound. Looking at her once more, she still carried her smile.

"As much as I have ached to see you while I was a prisoner," she said, "I have come into my own and you cannot kill me no matter what you do. I am Màiri, though everyone here seems to think that I lie. I had trouble at the gate, I had trouble with Beathag, and if she did not believe me, then how am I to convince my father, who I saw less of than Beathag? Why will no one believe me, Father?"

Her smile grew a little hopeful, "Or perhaps I ought to call you 'Uncle' as well."

He gaped for a moment while his mind sought for ways that she might know of it, other than having gleaned the scrap of information out of Beathag somehow, though one look at the dark-haired girl's shocked expression and her open mouth told him that it hadn't come from her.

"Beathag has always wondered, though neither Mother nor I have ever said it of you. Please try to see that I am Màiri. Say nothing for a moment and only look at me and I am certain that you can see it in me. I have had to argue with my oldest friend for a long time before she could be convinced. I would hope that my own father would know me, even though all that has happened is that I have grown older."

He looked at her as his hand reached for his sword, knowing that she would catch the motion. "Smile for me then, Màiri – if that is who you are. I can give one chance."

Màiri knew what he wanted to see. She just didn't know if she could still look that way.

She looked down for a moment, "When I was small, I was not even a little pretty. Some people even felt a little sorry for me, ... like you, Father.

I could see it in your face; how much you loved me and wished that I had been given better looks - but not for you. You wished it for me, that I might have a better life. You always loved the way that I looked, but then you are my father and that is what fathers do – the ones who love their girls.

I was taken away by a warlock and though I was a captive, he gave much to me and he taught me more than I could have learned from Mother, yet I would have wished to have grown up here and known you, though we would have had to be quiet about who I am to you. All that I would have ever wanted would have been to live near you so that I could have seen you more."

She looked up then. "I can change the way that I look to most people but the ones who know me. Even so, I do not know if it would be enough for you."

She shrugged then and lifted her chin as she smiled as closely to the uncertain way that she often did when she was a little girl. She knew that he was looking for something in her smile.

Ranald Ciar stood there transfixed as his fingers slackened their grip on the haft of his sword. He'd been in a frame of mind to want to kill anyone who claimed to be somebody that no one but him knew about.

He saw her smile and the way that she did look to him so often back then. It was only the way that she appeared in the first instant to him, the look of uncertainty passing in the next moment after she'd seen that it was safe to show him that she did know him. It was the moment when she smiled at her father with all of the joy of a little girl who loved the most important man in her world when he had the time to be with her.

It was the instant when the front tooth right next to her left top canine tooth was shown, the one which had come in slightly turned because there was no more room for it when it had made its emergence.

"Màiri," he groaned as he stepped forward uncertainly, his tears already beginning to stream from his eyes, "Oh my Màiri ..."

For the second time in one day, Màiri wept to have regained someone who'd mattered to her and had been lost.

It took a long while before either of them could really say much, preferring only to hold on, but at length, they found that they could speak of the day when they'd been torn from each other.

"I used to wish that you had been there that day," Màiri whispered as she held her father, "Because I was younger and thought that my father could have saved everything. It wasn't until I was older that I knew that I should be glad that you were not there, for it only would have been your death as well."

"I have led many raids into that land, looking for a man called – "

"Herbert the Mage," she said, "though he was the one who spoke for me and saved me in the doing of it. And anyway, he is dead now almost a fortnight. I killed him myself, though it was hard to do after he showed me kindness and taught me. From him, I learned that any of the ones who were there that day were killed by riders of clan Ciar, led most often by my father.

All but one man – the one who was here to guide them in. That man is one whom I still seek, though I know little of him.

He tried not to show it, but I believe that Herbert feared you as well."

Ranald thought for a moment and then looked at her, "The laird wants to see you tested. He believes – as did I, that you are sent to kill him. You will be watched, Màiri."

"I know," she smiled, "but it does not matter. I have you and Beathag again."

"I will seek to tell him that the testing will not be needed," her father said resolutely, but she shook her head.

"I wish the laird to see and know that what was done in seeking for me was not a lost cause. I will prevail in whatever he sets out for me and then I must tell him what I have come to say to him. After that, if he has a need for me, I will swear the oath of a grown woman to my laird and ask only that I can serve him."

Ranald looked into her eyes and as far as he could see, it was the truth in there, so he nodded, though not without concern for her.

By the time that he got up to take his leave, Beathag was asleep and Màiri asked only one thing.

"I am where I wanted to be, Father. I am as close to my home as I can come without seeing the sadness of that day long ago. All that I ask is that I be allowed to go for a walk and not far from here. I remember when we used to come, Mother and me, so that I had a chance to see something other than where we lived so poorly and so that she could see her lover for a little while. I will not leave the sight of the guards on the wall, if I may be allowed this."

Ranald nodded and said that he would see to it for her.

In the next hour, Màiri was walking along the shore of the lazy little river which flowed past the gates of the manor. She knew that she was in the sight of the guards on the wall and that likely at least one of them would be holding his bow already nocked to shoot at her if she did anything untoward. She also knew that it was not something that her father would have wanted, but that likely it was the best that he'd been able to do.

It was then that she'd seen something in the mist rising from the water and sat down to look for a time.

When Beathag found her, she was out of breath and nearly frantic.

"Calm yourself," Màiri smiled as she looked into the other's face which already looked to have cried a few tears, "I am not going anywhere. I wanted to have a little walk, that is all. Come, lead me to where I will sleep." Beathag nodded and they walked off together, but she didn't really lose the expression until Màiri took her hand.

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"So," Màiri grinned a little as she looked over at her old friend as they lay in the bed, "so much time has passed while I was gone. Tell me of all of the men you have had. I would tell of my own adventures, but I really have not had any, other than the one man."

"Tell me of that then," Beathag smiled, and Màiri was pleased to see the familiar look again.

"Well," she said, "there wasn't so much to it, since he never fucked me at all. He liked it if I sucked it for him and I didn't mind that at all since it wasn't long before his eyes were closed and I could play a little myself then. Mostly it was me doing things for him – or to him. The whole thing was very unappealing to me because I couldn't put anything in me because he'd know. He could just tell something about someone quite often. If I came downstairs with a sniffle, he knew before I even got there so it was no good trying to make myself a little toy to play with later in my bed. It grew worse after I began to sleep together with him.

Most of the time, I just had little daydreams of you," she smiled as she kissed Beathag for a moment.

"What did you mean when you said that you had to do things to him?" the other one asked, "Isn't that the same thing as doing things for him?"

Màiri shook her head a little, "He liked it if I was a little bossy to him in the bed. I didn't understand it at first and it held no appeal for me, but if I tied his hands together and then tied them to something else, then he was a little helpless and at those times, he liked it if I whipped his bottom with a switch. I learned that I could whip him until I left thin and bloody lines on his skin and he would squirt from only that – with nothing touching his willy."

She laughed as she looked at Beathag's face and the surprise there.

"As I said, it left me cold most of the time, until I had the thought of commanding him to do things for me."

Màiri now looked at Beathag a little expectantly, waiting to hear something from her, but what she saw there looked to her more like Beathag wasn't going to tell of it.

"Oh, come here," she said, pulling Beathag until she lay on top of her, "It's been years," she smiled, "but I don't really think that we're much different from the way that we used to be." She spread her legs and it allowed Beathag to settle a little, and she reached out to hold her and it wasn't long before they were rubbing the way that they always had. For a pair of girls far from the nearest farm, it was about all that they'd had back then.

"Alright, NOW tell me," Màiri giggled," while I have you the way that we always used to talk until we had to stop and press a little harder. From the way that you keep still, I can tell that you have something to tell me, only you seem to feel ashamed a little and I do not like that."

Beathag looked down, "Well, I wanted a man."

There didn't seem to be much more coming for a moment, but then, Beathag went on. "I needed a man to go farther, so I looked for one. It took a time since I was careful, but I found a few. Mostly, they were mages, which was a mistake. One told me that he didn't want to because he would be giving me some of his power. Another told me the same thing, but that he would give it to me if I paid him for it. I settled for a mage who said that he liked me. It was alright until I killed him because he liked to hurt me and he would not stop.

So I killed him. After that I was a little sad."

Màiri looked up in shock and Beathag misinterpreted her expression, "I didn't want to kill him, Màiri, but he kept on and on. Whenever we met, he would begin by slapping me across the face. It got worse once we were alone, so, ..."

"But," Màiri began, still in shock to hear this, "Why were you sad?"

Beathag had already begin to hump against Màiri slowly, beginning what they'd always done. "Well, ... "

There was a long pause while Beathag tried to think of ways to tell of it better. But nothing came to her so she just said it, "Because without knowing it, I'd learned to like it a little. I hated being hit or hurt and it always made me cry when he said cruel things to me, ..."

Màiri reached to hold her friend tighter and she kissed her for a moment before she looked up into those blue eyes again, seeing the way that they looked a little haunted then. "I think I'd have killed him the first time. What could he have possibly done to cause you to like any of that? Tell me so that I might know and try to understand it."

Beathag looked a little mortified and so Màiri kissed her softly for a few minutes, so pleased that she could still make Beathag whimper a little for her.

"I liked it when, ... when he told me to do things. Mostly, they were dirty and a little disgusting, but I did them because I liked to be told to do them. I know it sounds like I was being an idiot and maybe I was. I just, ... I just liked it."

Màiri spun them over before Beathag even knew what was happening, and she found herself looking up into Màiri's bright green eyes. Those eyes were smiling at her now as she felt her legs being forced apart a little more as Màiri sought for the old fit that they'd loved so much long ago. When she thought that she had it, she began to fuck against her friend hard enough to get them started once more.

"Look Beathag," she whispered as she began to huff a little at the same time, "I would want a good man to finally learn what it is to be fucked well by one. From what you say, it is something that you would want too. Right now, all that we have is the same thing that we had a long time ago and I don't want to stop at all. We are together again and I want this forever with you."

They groaned at each other a little and Beathag finally felt better as she began to kiss Màiri back the way that she always used to, "I am so happy that you are back."

"Would you want it if I told you what to do?" Màiri asked, "I'd never hurt you or tell you to do anything disgusting."

"Yes!" Beathag smiled up, "I think I want to be told. I know that I want to belong to somebody – most of all to you." She stopped then and feeling that, Màiri came to a crash stop as well and they looked at each other for a minute.

"I think that I've always felt that way for you," Beathag said, "I used to be wet in one beat of my heart for you if you took my hand and pulled me away to go to the little place where we'd go by the river. I would do anything for you. I just didn't know how to say it."

Màiri laughed a little, "So many times I almost told you to do this or to lick me just so." They began again, faster than ever, groaning and gasping together, but happy once again.

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As the time for Màiri's testing by the laird drew near, Beathag was almost beside herself with worry, but Màiri showed nothing in her that could be taken as worry or apprehension. "Just try to be brave," she said, "everything will be fine."

When she was sent for, Màiri walked at her own pace and the guards who'd been sent sought to chain her so that they could drag her in.

"I am not a criminal. You may try if you must, "she smiled in an unperturbed manner, "but it is not something which I would want to do, shame the guards of the laird by killing them. I came here to see the laird and that is what I will do. If I do not walk at the pace that you desire, then go on without me. After all of this, I will go only there. It is your choice, though to die out of something stupid, ...."

When the first of them stepped up to threaten her, he found himself miles away and lost. The others looked rather jumpy.

"The loud one is now one league distant and he should be banging on the gate to be let in about midnight. The next one who thinks to threaten me will find himself already in his grave, "she smiled "and alive for the moment that it takes him to die."

They left her alone after that to walk at whatever pace she desired.

Laird Niall Ciar was an old man, though it could easily be seen that he'd been a powerful warrior in his day. Even so, he still looked to be more than capable of the things which one man does to another in matters of warfare if it came to that.

"You are come, "he said, with a severe expression, "to tell me that you are one who was taken one day long ago from a little-known dell. As I know of it, there were two women killed there that day and the daughter of one of them was spared only because she hid herself. That one is Beathag Cossford and she stands there. She has already vouched for you, but I have questions.

I know nothing of a daughter of the other woman, and yet here you are. What have you to say?"

Màiri bowed low and as she straightened, she considered what she had to say and the possible ramifications of it.

"Yes, Laird Ciar," she began, "I am Màiri Ciar and I am the daughter of Oighrig Ciar. You do not know of me or my name because I am a bastard girl, with only the name that I was given by my mother."

The old lord leaned a little and he looked at her, "And whose bastard are you?"

Màiri was about to reiterate her mother's name, but she became aware of the presence of a person next to her.

"Màiri Ciar is my daughter," Ranald said, his eyes holding the gaze of his liege evenly," Oighrig lived poorly there in that little dell, thrown out of my father's home for her witchery. I came to her when I could to bring her food and to show that she was not unloved."

"I would say that I'll warrant that she wasn't if I remember the way that she looked. Oighrig was a fine-looking woman ," the lord said, "but I know you better Ranald. For longer than two score years I have known of you and your doings. What is this now?"

"My laird," Ranald began, "Oighrig was my younger sister and after she was cast out, it made no difference to you – you were still her laird and she was loyal and faithful as a kinswoman of the clan always. She helped as she could – whenever and wherever there was need, as when your own girl struggled with the birth of her son. Oighrig was there."