Jerome Ch. 06: Defends Raven Clan

Jerome Ch. 06: Defends Raven Clan

Jerome and his family defend themselves

WARNING: This story involves NO scenes of graphic sex. If that is not what you are looking for don't read on.

This story is a fantasy written as perhaps a last chapter. Its view point is as from days of old and uses old terminology. It is a fantasy of an emerald amulet, gold, witches and wolves and shield maidens.

I am Sir Jerome of Cavan and many years ago I set off on a quest to seek the ancient ruins at Deireadh le Cosáin. The emerald Amulet of Dea-Chlú drove me onward. On my travels I bred nuns and witches and the red-haired princess, Aoife, who became my shield maiden and wife. We settled in with my witch-wife, Morgan, and started our family and clan.

As foreseen by my witch-wife, Morgan, my shield maiden, Aoife, has born me our thirteen children. We have passed nineteen springs together. Females seeking knowledge of the white arts are drawn to our enclave to be trained by my witch wife, Morgan, and my only daughter with her. That is how our Raven Clan is growing. All work the farm and tend the livestock. Aoife allows my rutting for she knows my heart belongs only to her and Mother Morgan and Princess Cailean.

For now the Raven Clan is predominantly female other than my male children. All are trained in the white arts, swordplay and archery including all my children. Sometimes the males from the villages reap a benefit from the coven females during harvest time or construction on the estate or at moon festivals.

I assess the estate in wonder of the life I now live. We have claimed hundreds of acres of woods and meadows and farm lands surrounding the lake as belonging to the Raven Clan. I have three beautiful wives, thirteen children and I guess a few concubines as the old book calls them and my children by them also. I had no foretelling of the life I now live as I started out on my quest so many years ago. I am a blessed man. At unfortunate times a man and family must protect what they have worked years to build. What follows is such a story.

"Blessed Father, Blessed Father," yelled my only daughter from the witch-wife Morgan, as she ran across the field. She is also of eighteen springs and has grown to be the finest white witch surpassing her mother in skills and power. She leads the Coven of the young women and my daughters.

"Blessed Father, the ravens have flown to my Mother with tales of woe. Evil men are now on their way here after harassing and harming the villagers. We must prepare our defense."

"Go back to your Mother to prepare the Coven and thank you for the warning." I took my daughter and hugged her tightly and gave her several kisses. I swatted her bum when she turned and she eked and ran away.

I walked to our home and rang the warning bell. My wife, Aoife, dashed out from the house, her hunting knife in hand. I told her of the warning and told my eldest twins to prepare our defense. Soon after preparations were complete seven mounted men came out of the forest and rode up.

I knew better then to send my shield maiden away for she would always fight beside me, even to the death she has said. She had hung my short sword across my back in preparation that I could quickly grab. All my children were trained for combat and are skilled archers and knife wielders.

"Old man we do not want to force ourselves upon you. A carpenter in the next village over was too far into his cups and told of a hamlet were gold flowed in the stream and the old man possessed a huge emerald of power which he wore around his neck. We see you have no armed men to protect you so you shall yield and no harm shall come to your children and women folk."

"Defy my gracious request and the red-head and your adult women folk will be passed around for my men's' pleasure after I taste the joys of your wife," the leader of the band of ruffians said as he and another dismounted.

"Sir, I may look old and our hamlet defenseless but I give you this warning before you proceed. Draw your sword and you shall tip the scale. You and your right-hand man and your mounted brethren shall be dead before they can draw their swords and take their last breath. Mount your horse and leave and you shall live out this day," I warned the gang.

The leader looked about and laughed and the mounted riders joined in. "Old man, I have warned you to prevent our band ravishing your clan of adult females for our pleasure and filling our pockets with your gold and jewels. That green emerald would look nice on my chest as well as your wife's braids on my belt. Once we have had our fill of pleasure we shall leave your young children as orphans then join our brethren in the village and sack them further as punishment."

I said, "Last chance to leave with your lives."

The huge leader laughed loudly and pulled at the hilt of his sword. It happened so quickly. Aoife threw her hunting knife and split the skull of the man to the right. The leader turned when that man screamed. I lunged and drove my short sword through the leader's leather jerkin up under his ribs and split his heart in two.

I felt the breeze as two arrows flew past me hitting the mark of two left eyes of two mounted men. Before they fell two more men fell to the ground from arrows piercing their skull driven through their ear. The seventh rider had already fallen to the ground.

"Please, please, Chieftain, I seek your forgiveness and grace," the one on the ground cried out.

I heard the sword of my eldest daughter slide out of her scabbard. It pointed at the throat of the man on the ground as her eyes turned to mine waiting for the nod that would end his life. She breathed deeply from the fright and excitement.

"Please Princess let me live and explain," he begged hugging the ground.

"Father?" my eldest daughter asked.

"Let the boy plead for his life. We owe him that. He pulled no weapon to threaten us. I have raised all of you to be fair and just but then swift in the punishment," I spoke to my children assembled.

"Turn your face to gaze upon my feet you dog. If you raise it an inch my blade will enter your ear and not stop until I have stuck your head to the dirt," my sword maiden daughter barked.

My wife slapped my back and I laughed saying she is your daughter as the tension eased.

"Begin you dirt slime and tell no lies if you wish to live," my daughter barked again as she kicked his arms wide in supplication. I heard my wife laugh lightly behind me.

"My Princess, my parents died of illness and my uncle forced me to join this band of marauders as a servant and groomsman. He burned my home and barn to the ground preventing my hopes of staying on and farming. I thought each day of a way to escape from their evil. I surrender and seek your grace," he pleaded.

I turned and my eldest twin, the male, held his bow with another arrow at the ready. I looked across the field at the barn to see two Coven females holding the bows from which the arrows took down the other two riders. The riders had no chance against the skills of my children and the Coven daughters. It happened so fast the men were dead before they hit the ground.

I called forth the Coven daughters from the barn. I asked our horse grooms to unsaddle and store the tack from the seven horses into the barn and lead them to the corral and add them to the herd. Fíochmhar, my steed and Cath-láidir, Aoife's mare sensed the blood in the air and thumped the ground wanting to join the battle. The protector wolves walked amongst us and growled at the seventh man on the ground.

I called all my children and female Coven members out into the court yard. Morgan and her daughter had joined us. I needed to teach all of them of the sour aspects of our world. For once they were all assembled they would see death of a human for the first time. I had seen far too many dead in my life time of warfare.

I taught all assembled of the continuous need to hone their skills to protect our family and the Raven Clan. I instructed the women to strip the dead men, pile up their weapons and drop four of the naked bodies in the pig pen and two into the woods for our protector wolves. The riders would not deserve a burial.

My wife pulled her hunting knife from the skull of the dead rider and wiped the blood on his jerkin. She did the same for my short sword. The Coven archers removed their arrows and I thanked them for their skills. I took each in my arms and kissed them deeply. They laughed when I grabbed their arse. I told all assembled, "There is no joy in taking another's life. At times one must do such things but there is no joy."

I told my boys to remove the six heads and put them into a sack. I then asked for nine spikes. We had work to do in the village. The seventh man still lying upon the ground said there were three more men in the village tavern. My daughter kicked him in the head and told him to show her Father respect.

I told my boys, almost grown men, to place the sack of heads and nine spikes in the wagon and ride to the village. I said their Mother and I would ride through the forest and arrive first.

I then turned to the young man lying upon the dirt pleading for his life. I told him to plead his case to the Princess and she shall decide his fate. "Tell her why she should spare your life." It turned out he looked no older than my eldest daughter.

"Blessed Princess, I was forced to join the riders. I was planning an escape when they came upon the village and then your hamlet. I dropped to the ground as my uncle drew his sword. I wanted no part of this fight. I grew up on a farm and have many skills. I will work here in exchange for my life," he begged.

My eldest daughter kicked him in his head again then looked at me awaiting my decision. She had the fire of my wife and the focus of me coursing through her veins. "Well Princess what is his fate?"

"Father, he must prove the truth of his telling by working the hardest, dirtiest jobs on the farm until the full moon. Then Mother Morgan and your Emerald shall assess the truthfulness of his heart and his fate shall be decided," she said then kicked the boy on his head again. Aoife, my shield maiden wife, laughed loudly.

I told the women to strip him and tie him to our herb drying rack and await my return. We saddled our horses and turning to my eldest boy told him to saddle up. Aoife fussed but I told her that he has passed eighteen springs and it was time for him to learn the hard examples of this world. He excelled at wielding a hand axe as well as the bow that took down one of the mounted riders. We would need a third hand if it came to spilling blood at the tavern.

My eldest daughter turned from the boy on the ground and went to her twin brother mounted on his horse. She took his hand in hers and kissed his palm. "Be careful brother, it would crush my heart if you were to be harmed. Come back to me safe," she said and started weeping.

My eldest son reached down and with his strong arm lifted his twin sister to his saddle. He kissed her deeply and touched her cheek softly. He helped her slide to the dirt then turned his horse in line with mine. "I am ready Father."

I heard an omphf and realized my daughter had kicked the boy on his ribs and ordered him to stand and strip. She held her sword at the ready as did my other children with their knives. The boy or young man was quite embarrassed to remove all his clothes but a poke by my daughter made him comply.

Fíochmhar, my steed and Cath-láidir, Aoife's mare and my eldest son mounted on a strong horse rode through the woods in the short-cut to the village. We met our younger boys on the cart and then piked the heads of five of the ruffians at the entrance to the village as a sign to beware.

We dismounted in front of the tavern. Raven and her black dire-wolf came out and met us. She said she had been warned by her wolf and led her mother safely into the woods. We had two other family protector dire-wolves with us. I told Raven to take them to the back of the tavern.

I took the uncle's head by his long hair and entered the tavern. I saw three ruffians abusing the tavern owner and two serving girls. The serving girls had their blouses ripped open and pulled down and their young breasts were being man-handled. The tavern owner's mature breasts were out being painfully squeezed.

I tossed the uncle's head on the ruffian's table. His dead eyes looked upon his mates but could give no warning. The three jumped back standing quickly sizing up their prospects. They saw an old man, an old woman and a young boy. They reached for their swords.

It happened quickly once more. A hunting knife and hand axe cleaved the heart of two of the men and the third ran for the back door as his mates fell to the floor. His screams told me he was taken down by the wolves.

The tavern owner and serving girls rushed to our arms crying and blubbering their thanks. No one in the village had come to their defense and they worried upon the return of the other riders. I told them to strip the men, keep any clothes and valuables and feed those bodies to the pigs. Raven's wolves would see to the third man. My red-haired shield maiden retrieved her hunting knife and my eldest son his hand axe.

My son's axe had tasted human blood but he knew it was not a thing to boast. I watched as the two servant girls, breasts still uncovered, led my eldest son upstairs. Aoife fussed but I told her it was a just reward for their rescue and his risking his life. The tavern owner turned out the pockets of the dead men, stacked their weapons then stripped them. Several men would drag the naked bodies down to the pig sty.

Since the threat was over my wife and I gave hugs and kisses to Raven and her mother then mounted up. We left my eldest son's horse tied at the tavern. I did not expect him to return until morning. We added two more piked heads to the entrance of the village and returned to our hamlet with the cart driven by my other two sons. My oldest daughter wanted to know where her twin brother was and was he harmed.

Her mother let out a huge huff and said, "Ask your Father about the bare breasted serving girls," and stormed off into the house. My daughter was still waiting for a reply and I told her to ask her Mother later after she calmed down from the raid.

"No Father you tell me right now!" my daughter thumped. "Is he harmed, is he hurt? You tell me about my brother's fate. My heart is aching. I love him so and would be destroyed if he is harmed," she yelled standing akimbo.

"Your brother is a full grown man and by now is in the joy of the two tavern girls who he saved from the harm of the ruffians. They are giving your brother a just reward."

My eldest daughter started crying and came into my arms. Quietly she whispered, "Father I wanted to be his first...."

"My sweet daughter! You shall always have the love of your twin brother. I do not know the course of your twin lives but your love for each other shall never pale. Greet him when he returns not with scowls and bitterness but with tears, hugs and kisses."

I took her in my arms and hugged her tightly. Now after eighteen springs she was as tall as I. I looked into her powerful green eyes and kissed her deeply. She laughed when I grabbed her arse.

I looked at the naked young man tied to the racks. He had small bruises all over his body. Morgan laughed and said my younger daughters had been throwing small rocks at the young man. She laughed again and told me not to ask where they were aiming their rocks.

I told my eldest daughter to untie the sad boy and take him to the lake and give him a good wash down. "Father, no!..." she pushed off from me. "He is dirt slime and not worthy."

I pulled my daughter of eighteen springs back into me. "Daughter, must I remind you of the stories your Mother told you at the hearth. To your Princess Mother I was a ruffian, dirt slime if you will, but she saw the truthfulness of my heart. As Mother Morgan says, one does not know for sure what the fates have in store. Take the poor boy to the lake and see where the fates take you."

She blushed deeply but moved in to kiss me hard on my lips and touched my ruff red bearded cheek. She moved to go do as she was told and cut the boy down with her hunting knife. When she turned I gave her a swat on her arse. "FATHER," she protested. Once untied she barked for the boy to keep his hands on his head. I watched her whack the boy's naked ass with the flat of her hunting knife as they walked to the lake.

I led Fíochmhar and Cath-láidir to the barn and unsaddled them and turned them over to the female grooms. I kissed each Coven daughter deeply to thank them for their archery accuracy and their saving the Clan from possible harm. They stayed in my arms until I grabbed their arse then they laughed and broke away. I told them to shoot those two arrows into the barn door and keep them there as a constant reminder to be vigilant in their training.

I walked back towards our home proud that my children and Coven daughters had protected the Clan and their parents but sad at the outcome. Life at times can be unpleasant but must be protected.

I laughed and wondered if my red-haired shield maiden wife would let me lie upon her twin soft pillows tonight and seek the wet warmth between her thighs with my strength. The joining for our pleasure had led to the rearing of this family and the forming of the Raven Clan and Coven. I looked out over my estate and again felt I was blessed.

I heard splashing and laughing and shrieks coming from the lake. My memory cast back to that first day with Aoife and her hunting knife threatening my neck beside that same lake and I wondered if I had started a new path for my eldest daughter. The boy seemed to be a fine example of a future son-in-law.