Odette: Path C

Night came and the bell rang again. I was brought ANOTHER apple and another tall mug of cider. I hadn't finished my first, not wanting to have to make a trip to the restroom through all of those people with nothing on but my skin and some paint.

"How much longer?" I asked Nore who was showing signs of boredom.

"Two hours?"

I nodded and looked down at Feen who was just four steps down, eating another huge meal. Close enough that I could see bruises and blood from the torchlight around me.

"So what happens when it is over? I get to go home with Feen?"

"He gets to come up the steps and claim you for his own."

"Claim me?" I asked carefully, looking at her in horror.

"Like any of the others would if they got up here."

"In... in front of everyone?!?"

She shrugged. "It is how we do it."

"But you said kin sometimes does what he is doing! How does that work?!?"

"If it's kin, it's token. He leaves over when the man she wants comes and lets him win. Kin don't take their own that way. Only if they wear a dark mark like Feen, or a light mark."

"What does a light mark mean?"

"That he loves her and will protect her."

"Isn't that what a dark mark means?"

"A dark mark means he will kill for you... and himself if he loses."

I felt another wave of sickness wash over me. Now I was twice as angry at Gun! He did that, came out here and tried so hard KNOWING his son would end his own life if he succeeded?!? That BASTARD!

"You don't have to be upset. Feen won't lose," she said confidently.

I tried to be as confident, but my eyes went to the man she had called Hass. The small, quick one who liked to fight. He was squatting at the edge of the field, talking to a girl who was laying down next to him, between him and another man. He was also looking right at me. He smiled when he saw me looking and stood up. He put his hands on his hips and I tried to assess him. He was small for a man, but hard. Every bit of him was wiry muscle. There was no way he could be a match for Feen, one solid blow and the small man would be out! No matter how quick he was, all Feen had to do was get a hand on him. He had a leather pouch over his kilt with three racoon tails hanging from it and he unbuckled it as I watched, letting it fall to the ground. He pulled his shirt off as well and fear spiked up. He was next! I looked at his face again and he was still looking at me, smirking now. He was one of the few men I had seen on the mountain with no facial hair. Did he shave or could he not grow it? How old was he?

"Det," Nore warned. "Don't let him upset you. If you are upset, so Feen is as well."

I looked down at Feen and he was still powering through his food, but his head was angled so that I knew he could see Hass as well.

"Nore," I whispered. "Just one knife? Anything?"

"You won't need it," she whispered back confidently.

Confidence. I had to be confident and I had to do it where Feen could hear it now.

"So when Feen wins and comes up here, can we hide under the blanket?"

"Why? You act as though it bothers you to let people see how you care for him?"

"Sex is not so casual below. Or public."

"You should be proud. Gitty would have tried to climb on him and ride him like a stallion for everyone to see."

"I am not Gitty," I hissed, unaccountably jealous of this unknown girl.

Nore laughed. "No, you are not. She is taller even than me and as wide in the shoulders as a boy. She'd have made a good match with Feen," she said teasingly, looking down at Feen as his back stiffened, "but not many others could stand next to her and feel comfortable. Bet it is eating at her that such a slight little thing caught his eye! If it was allowed, bet she'd'a put her lot in just to keep you from him for a year!" she laughed.

Feen turned and gave his cousin a withering look and I felt myself smiling. When his eyes met mine, he quickly looked away and I sighed, wishing I could go to him.

I grinned. "Well, I guess I can't let her show me up! When he wins, I will have to ride him like a stallion myself."

Feen half choked on his food and took a fast drink as Nore laughed joyously. He stood suddenly, leaving food on his plate and signalled the tent and I laughed too now that he was suddenly eager to get this over with.

Part of me was screaming at myself. I was going to have to pay up to that boast in front of all of these people! The other part of me said I didn't care as long as it was Feen who climbed those steps.

The bell rang and my head whipped around to watch the small Hass. He was squatting at his ease again in nothing but his kilt now, and still smirking at me. It was another man who came out onto the field. I turned back to Nore quickly. "Tell me when that guy comes out?" I asked quietly.

"Don't fear him. He is quick and mean, but Feen loves you. He'll break him over his knee for you. And Hass isn't mean for mean sake like his brother, he is mean like a badger. Don't cross him and he won't cross you."

"Why does he keep looking at me that way?"

"He is probably enjoying the view," she shrugged. "The firelight makes the shadows around your breasts dance beautifully. It is also known that he likes small, beautiful girls."

"Why hasn't he bonded one?"

She laughed. "The Olc's don't bond! They use until they are done and find another. Hass especially, he goes through girls. They are always taking girls from below, then moving them up the mountain when they are done with them, most too broken to ever be bonded. There's a Cleas now, not one of the clan leaders though."

I turned to see the man who had been sitting next to Hass go onto the field. The first thing he did was go down low and scoop up a handful of dirt and sling it at Feen's face. Feen was expecting it, he spun as he closed the distance, then grabbed the man by the head, using his own momentum to shove a knee up to the man's face. The man crumpled and stayed down. His kin had to come pull him off the field.

Feen was walking away before he knew the man was out, stalking like an animal. God he was sexy! My body reacted in a visceral way, my pussy throbbing and getting hot as I imagined him stalking up the steps. I needed him.

I made myself look away, flushed as I looked at Nore who was smirking at me. "Even I must admit, Col is easy to look at. I am glad you have given your heart over to him so quickly and wholly. He deserves it."

I felt myself blushing as I smiled shyly. "I wish I could just hide for the rest of this, I am too afraid to watch and too terrified not to. Is it just those Olc's and Cleas's left?"

"No, that one out there now is an Ard. I'm not sure why he is here, his clan should be up at the Feirmeoir Mabon, it is their turn to host the Ard's."

"Is he bad like the Olc's?"

"Naw," she shrugged. "List is alright."

"List? The names are so... off."

"Listion?"

"Like that. I have heard Bastion, but never Listion. And Finnegan, but never Feengun. Ben but not Bayn. It's like the names have been distorted by the mountain."

"Or by the below folk," she shrugged. "This is a Cleas too, but he is nothing. Don't look. See? One single shot and he isn't moving. Only an hour left now!" she said excitedly as one of the women in white pulled a ribbon off the long rope that hung on the side of the tent.

I turned to look at the sideline. "Do you think they all put their lots in?" I asked looking at all of the men standing with Hass.

"I know they did. They have no love for Feen. They'll want to get their licks in and thumb their noses if they win. When they saw him with the dark mark, they surely made a plan to see him defeated."

A new wave of nausea swept through me and I swayed in my seat. I turned to watch.

One hour left, there couldn't be many more fights left, but there were still half a dozen of them over there talking who hadn't fought yet. Hass was still smirking at me.

"I hate him!" I seethed, balling my hands into fists angrily.

"No reason to let him into your heart at all, especially not to hate. He's not worth it, none of them are. Focus on your love and not your anger. You can..."

She trailed off as Rast Olc pulled his shirt off and stepped out onto the field. I held my breath, watching Feen pace a few short steps halfway between the stairs and where Rast had stepped out.

Rast was both like his brother and nothing like him at all. He was small and had no facial hair, but where Hass was hard and wiry, Rast was just skinny. He was sneering at Feen as he eased closer slowly, trying to make Feen come to him.

Feen didn't take the bait. Rast snorted in laughter, then looked back at his kin as if asking what he was supposed to do now. Bayn lifted his chin as if motioning to Feen.

Rast shrugged and started to close the distance as if he hadn't gotten his way and he was just getting it over with now.

"Don't you dare fall for it!" I whispered.

Feen did not. He went low, watching Rast coming, being careful to pay attention to every movement.

"His feet!" Nore whispered.

I looked down and his feet were glistening in the torchlight like something was on them. Oil, or salve of some kind.

I stood, not knowing what to do, then did the only thing I could think of. I crossed my arms like Feen had earlier.

The bell was rung and Rast looked furious as he looked over at the tent to see what the problem was.

"His feet!" I yelled. "He has something on them!"

He stiffened, his eyes darting to the tent and Willa who was standing up. "Bring'm!" she yelled.

Rast stood up straight as if offended, then turned his glare on me. Moments later, he was removed from the field.

Willa held her hands up. "Any mo' cheat'n n'y'all'l all be told off to go."

The bell was rung again.

Barrett Cleas was next and he looked almost sick as he went out to the field. He was obviously upset that their trick hadn't worked, but something felt off. The ploy had been too obvious, too easy to see. They'd expected us to see it and stop the event, then let our guard down when we thought we had caught them out. Something was still coming.

"Nore!" I said urgently. "They have something else coming! That was too obvious, we were supposed to see it! His guard is down!"

"No," Nore said calmly. "He is cautious, see?"

I did see. Feen was circling wide of Barrett, watching him, watching every move he made. My eyes went to Hass and he was looking at me, his arms crossed, that smirk still there. I was so focused on him, I almost didn't see Puca behind him at the fire, mixing something.

"Puca!" I whispered to Nore. "Go Nore, run!"

Nore ran. She sprinted to the tent, whispered to Willa and the others listened. The women in white hurried around the field to where Puca was working. I looked back at Hass and he wasn't smirking anymore as he watched the women come. He quickly spoke over his shoulder and Puca snatched up what she was doing and slipped into the crowd, away from the field.

Hass looked back to me and he looked angry now. He glowered as Feen finally closed the distance with Barrett. It was over in seconds.

Bayn stepped out next and circled wide, almost to the tent. He paced and taunted, but Feen stayed between us and wouldn't close the distance. Bayn took off suddenly as if racing for me and Feen rushed to intercept the feint. It was a feint. Bayn stopped and backpedalled and Feen started to follow. He had enough of his wits to stop and stay between us, watching. Bayn feinted again and again, drawing Feen closer and closer. Finally, Feen rushed him and Bayn danced back, then took a knee. Feen stopped, staring down at him in confusion.

Too late.

Hass had moved to where he was closer to the alter and was sprinting all out the second Bayn's knee had touched ground. I whimpered as Feen spun and took off after Hass like a raging animal.

It wasn't going to be enough! Hass was faster! He hit the bottom of the steps and was smiling viciously as he bound up them. I cried out in terror, even as Feen hit the stairs himself, right behind Hass and closing the distance as impossible as it seemed.

Hass was right in front of me, a single step away, but instead of reaching for me, he pivoted and jettisoned himself off the top step, flying back towards Feen. He slammed his knee into Feen's face so hard that Feen was knocked back down the stairs.

I screamed as Feen hit the ground in a rolling heap. Hass hit the ground, rolled once and was back up. He rushed to Feen who was trying to stand and stomp-kicked the back of Feen's shoulder, the one he had hurt earlier. Feen let out a growling yell and grabbed for Hass, but he was too slow. Hass darted back and snatched up a handful of dirt, slinging it at Feen's face. Feen hadn't reacted quickly enough! I was halfway down the stairs before Nore stopped me. She held me around the waist and sat down, forcing me to sit on her.

"Behind you!" I screamed at Feen.

Too late.

Hass used Feen's own knee to launch himself up onto Feen's shoulders and wrap his legs around his neck and grabbing fistfuls of Feen's hair. He yanked his head back and began dropping his elbow over and over again into Feen's face.

I screamed and pulled away from Nore, but there were two more women there when I reached the bottom, holding me down.

Feen finally managed to reach behind him and get a hold on Hass, but he couldn't pull the wiry man off of his neck. Hass's legs were locked on with a will and he kept pummeling Feen's head and face.

Feen threw himself backwards onto the ground, just a few feet from me and Nore and the two women began dragging me kicking and screaming back up the stairs.

Feen landed a solid punch to Hass's kidney and the man grunted and hunched enough that Feen got a hold of his neck. The crowd went dead silent as there was a sickening crunch.

Feen layed there a long moment, panting, and when he stood up, the limp man fell away bonelessly. I stared at Hass, his sightless eyes staring back at me.

The crowd roared when Feen staggered to the steps and I looked at him in astonishment. Was it over? Had he won?

I pulled away from the women holding me down and they let me go, but Nore held my arm. "He has to come to you or it doesn't count," she said quickly.

I waited for him to limp up the stairs, not taking my eyes from his, tears streaming down my face. My Feen, my sweet Feen! One eye was swollen shut and his lip was busted open. His hair was a wild mess and there was blood on his shoulders and neck.

The second he was close enough, I pulled him into a hug, sobbing. He lifted me gently and held me as I pressed my face to his neck. "You won," I wailed shakily. "I was so afraid for you, that was so reckless!" I said angrily, trying to rub the dark handprint away.

He managed a smile as he caught my hand. "I feared for you as well, Miontine. Now you are mine." He managed to sound excited about that.

I laughed and pushed out of his arms. I tugged on his pants, until they were around his thighs, then shoved them down before pushing him down to sit on the throne. I straddled him, pressing against him though he was not yet ready and held his face in my hands.

"Your cousin is right, you are a gentle giant but you are the most fearsome man I have ever met when the need rises."

"My need is rising," he quipped, and he was right. His cock was getting hard quickly.

I smiled and leaned in to press my head to his. "You act like you aren't hurt or bleeding all over the place!"

"He had something sharp on his legs, under the kilt."

"Of course he did," I said, exasperated and looking at the cuts. They were shallow at least.

"I heard mention of a ride," he said with a grin.

I smiled and slid down his chest to press pelvis to his hard cock. "It amazes me how single minded you are even when you can hardly move," I said, rolling my hips.

His hands went to my hips as he let his head fall back to the pillows. "No man would fault me, not after a look at you," he whispered, his voice thick with need.

I realized then that there was cheering and shouts, course comments and suggestions pouring in. I tried to shut them out as I leaned in and pressed my face to Feen's chest before lifting myself enough to try and take him into me.

"I am not sure I can do this," I whispered.

"You should have no shame, you are a sight to behold."

"No, I mean... I'm not tall enough to do what is needed"

He chuckled and wriggled down so he was on his back and I was laying on his belly. He pulled me higher and reached down to touch me. I knew what he would find. I had been wet for him for hours. He made an appreciative noise as he eased me back down and pressed the head of his cock to me. I lifted just enough to put my hands on his chest, then slid down until his cock pushed into me. I hissed in pain and pleasure and he groaned.

I moved slowly until I got used to his size and then managed to push down further, allowing his cock in all the way to my wall.

"Mmmmmm," he hummed, his massive hands on my hips, sliding me down faster. I lifted slightly higher, but the angle was wrong. I could not ride him like I had promised. I had to settle for laying on his stomach and rocking back and forth. If he minded, I couldn't tell. He held me and guided me for several long minutes as the cheers and catcalls kept coming.

He sat up suddenly and laid me down partially so that my head and chest were up over the lip of the throne. Everyone could see me as he thrust back into me. I let out a small cry of pain, but it gave way to passion and pleasure. The crowd may as well not have existed.

I was in Feen's arms, he was making love to me. He'd won. I was where I wanted to be and I'd never been happier. I was his.