Resolute Love

I found a decent spot to camp and by the time the sunset we were settled with a warm fire. When I was a conscript we had fire watches, and as a scribe and a clerk we sometimes had posts at night for message tendering. I knew enough to make a schedule with the women they both looked at me oddly at first but agreed. I took the first watch just to be sure.

I remembered the book as I sat back. By the fire light I made out maps and hasty notes of bandit's flight. I figured they crossed south after the harvest. But, apparently they have been moving north. That was odd since we were basically in the center of the country. The notes didn't give much clue of where they landed, or where they started off from. Not only did they look foreign but most of our citizens usually don't turn to violent crime. Menthino has hundreds of little costal towns to the south they could have landed on. But, those costal people also spend inordinate amounts of time on the beach, they would have been noticed.

Nevertheless, they found a house to hold up in and made some money robbing along the road after they got deep into the country. Only the houses location was mentioned in any detail. Passing references about ambush sites were recorded but not anything more then notes of men lost, or notable loot taken. They went out almost a month ago, but were chased from their ambush site and scattered as they set up. Part of their group was left behind and tried to go back to the house. Apparently, they ran into every Warrioress and adventurer in the southern part of Menthino as they tried to circle back around to the house.

I couldn't take pity with them. The map did indicate a lot of money and Flarni's medicine is expensive. I had all night to think about it and still I couldn't get past the money. I'm a middle-aged contracts clerk. I just decided to strike out on my own in Tilin working up a firm. I'm well taken care of and will have a decent amount stashed away when I retire with Flarni to a cottage, or city apartment in some quiet place. But all that is without the obligations of the 'medicine'.

She needs it, so I need it, but it's expensive. I'll have to find a way to get this money. Looking at Flarni asleep peacefully I feel like the Mother Goddess must when looking at her sleeping children.

The next morning was an important day, I stayed awake the entire night thinking and now is the crucial moment. I had figured on just leading them to the house and having them do violence upon it, but I'm not one of those cold-hearted plotters who could smile, lie, and just use people like that.

As the women straightened themselves and dug out food, I started my plea. "Um by the way..."

I cursed myself as they looked up at me like I was daft. When I was a conscript, I gained rank, gave orders, and led people. But I never did this, directed an expedition.

"As a... Official of the court it is our duty to check the information on this map..." I held up the penciled drawing. It seemed so minor and amateurish in the daylight. "...To ensure the safety of our citizens. I'll understand if you don't want to go, but I feel we must." My voice finished stonger then I felt.

They looked at me for a long moment. "That is acceptable." Mara said finally "We are still not allowed to kill innocents." That gave me pause. "Allow us to study your map."

I handed it to Metacari who handed it to Mara who studied it closely. "It's not mine I just..." I sputtered.

"We will go." She said quickly. "The location is not far." She stood and looked out to the horizon. "Be advised, the actions of these bandits indicate knowledge and possibly assistance from an irregular minor noble."

"Are you from here then?" I asked.

Metacari smiled gingerly. "We aren't, we spent a lot of time in a library looking at correspondence and maps."

"Oh...so do you know where to go?" I said looking with Mara out into the distance.

Mara turned to me and pointed off. "This way, let's mount up."

We quickly broke camp after I got a light dose for Flarni, and we started out on our horses at a trot. We headed south and by day's end, we had gotten to a town noted on the book's map. We were still north of the house in question, but I knew stopping would be best. Flarni looked miserable, she would have to be indoors soon when her medicine wore off.

We got two rooms using the money the bandits left for us. I led Flarni into our room, helped her undress, and watched her fumble out her powders and doses. We slept together quietly as I kept her warm. Some time during the night, she rolled onto me. Her warm body felt good and before I fell asleep again, my hand slid around and I noticed she was naked.

I got hard immediately from just the touch of her warm body but I knew she was asleep. The smell of her wild scent was intoxicating and as I leaned over to nuzzle her, and pulled her in for a hug. When I pulled her close, she rolled over onto me. Like clouds and spring rain, she showered my face with soft kisses. It was all I could do to control myself. Flarni usually wasn't so active. My one nagging regret with letting her have her 'medicine' was that she was so withdrawn from everything including sex. I wasted little time getting myself lined up and I swirled my cock across her pussy up and down working her over gently.

She clung onto me completely relaxed as I took her. Having her atop me was great and I did most of the work. My cock felt wonderful as it plundered my love. I had to adjust her hips constantly to get it just perfect, but soon I was cumming in my love. The feeling of having her was unequaled anywhere.

"Thank you."

Those two word made me feel invincible. I got my own dose of medicine with just that.

"Just you and me Flarni..." I whispered knowing she was off again asleep or drugged under.

In parting we slid along each other as I rubbed her hair. I fell out as my cock withdrew but she slid along with me to the side, and I was able to have her again. Her pussy was cool but in it's depths it was hot and excited. The contrast was exquisite and I noticed suddenly it wasn't her I was taking.

I rolled her back and noticed an identical woman was having me in her mouth. She was a more active more awake Flarni. She sucked me with puckered cheeks and stared at me with an insidious hypnotizing gaze. I lay breathless for several minutes agonized as she took me. She never slowed and indeed her mouth pulled on my cock with strong relentless suckling.

I pulled Flarni close and whispered my apologies. I couldn't push this other one away whether this was a dream or not. Furtively, I slid my hands down to her pussy. I wanted her to have some pleasure if possible but it seemed I was too late. Flarni was wet. It seemed I actually did take her, but I was hot in the other ones mouth. I swung my arm around her tight, and clutched her clones head tight as I exploded into her mouth with a hiss.

She kept sucking me through the orgasm. I was the strongest release I've ever felt. The amount I jetted into her was awesome and made me raise myself up off the bed as I jetted into her. For what felt like several steamy minutes, I lost myself as I held tight to my two lovely Flarnis. I blacked out afterwards, the urge, the pleasure, the intensity was far too much for me to stay conscious.

In the early morning, a tap at the door got us awake. We got refreshed and met the other women down in the stables and saddled up as they led us out into the road.

Our travel was scenic. Under the clear sunny winter sky we were warmed by the sun and reminded of the impending spring. We crossed through small clear creeks and under naked trees. Distant smells of wood burning and pine surrounded us. I enjoyed holding Flarni tightly to myself as we moved. She relaxed more and more until she lay back against me. The smell of her hair and the clean air mixed. We approached another town after midday, the sun was still warm but a chilly breeze was picking up and clouds were closing in.

I led the ladies to a stable and pulled Flarni into an inn. On the outside, it had been the best of the inns on the street and seemed like a decent enough place, but the patrons were all rough outdoor men.

It didn't take long for the men to eye me and the women with hooded covetous eyes. I wanted to get Flarni out of there so I ran to find the innkeeper and quickly to order the rooms. I found out the serving area took the whole floor and the inn's desk was on the second floor. I rushed up to the innkeeper and nodded and bobbed along as he gave me the prices. I hurried through signing for a room and threw out coins hastily before heading back to the serving area.

Getting back downstairs, I was frozen by the scene and heart-struck of what was happening before me. Mara had disappeared and the rough men were already pushing their way onto my sweet delicate wife. Metacari had one man up against the wall with her and was staring into his eyes and seemed to be forgotten by the group as they harassed Flarni. Her cloak covered what she was doing to him as she held him still in her grasp.

I rushed into the group as best I could. By smell alone, I could tell these men were unfamiliar with indoor living.

"Get away from her!" Getting into the center of the thugs, I shouted at huge brute clutching Flarni's delicate jaw in his meat hands.

"Oi!" He turned to me annoyed. "I want a suck. Wait your turn."

He still held Flarni who sat still with her eyes closed. A single soft white hand was raised up in protest.

"You can get it out there." I pointed out at the stable door.

"What you think I need a boy?" The brute snarled.

"You ain't getting it from my wife." I squared up to him and we looked at each other. I was shorter by nearly a foot and a hundred pounds lighter, but I remember what it was to be invincible.

"You ain't gonna tell me what I outta do." He grabbed me in a flash and pulled me down in a head lock as I struggled futilely.

I felt like a damn child as he spun me around as I tried to flail. Stuck as I was the brute flopped out his smelly cock and smacked me with it as he held me down. Other men whipped out their cocks too. I almost wretched at the sight and stench of their penises as I was held bent over spinning around with the brute.

"See this you fucker. This is gonna put a smile on the limp whore." He ranted as he flopped his smelly cock in my face.

He pulled me along as he got up in front of my wife with his piece in his hand. Frantic, I went into a frenzy and my hand caught salvation. The big fucking brute left his big fucking buck knife on his belt. I grabbed blindly for it only aware of the handle in my hand.

I stabbed him on the inside of the leg near the knee almost unwittingly and when he bent forward releasing me, I pulled my arm up between his legs doing even more damage. He fell heavily down across Flarni's lap.

In a haze, I lashed out at the next man. I grabbed and slashed him as the others fled. I was caught from behind by member of the circle. He held my arm back and unwittingly I fell back on him. He kept a strong hold of my arm and tried to use his thick legs to clamp down and control me. The problem was his pants were falling down in the struggle so he wasn't able to pin me down despite having my arm locked out.

As we wrestled, I was brought across the cesspool of the man's unwashed crotch. As he rolled on top of me he pushed it into my face spitefully, I couldn't turn away, in fact any more movement was painful.

"You can gimme a suck den. Go on do it good." As the lout laughed like a swine, I saw red and bit him. I bit him hard. I didn't go for his cock, I snapped at his balls. I got one and for a moment, we both froze. My civil mind tried to stop me from really hurting him and crossing the line. I had bit him hard enough to be quite painful but I didn't break the skin. In my mouth, I could feel his orb try to retreat within his body.

I felt the violent urges slowly push aside the mental block. Like a dam being washed away, the violence seeped out and grew exponentially. The civilized idea that 'this was wrong', or 'this isn't how people treat each other' was no longer a concern, or even an obstacle anymore, but merely a sign or a notice along the path of my actions. I knew it was wrong, but only in theory, only in a world where we played civilization, and that didn't stop me because he decided not to play anymore.

Part of me was glad to play this new free form game. I had been playing it all along as I was watching my wife get raped, my life stolen, my civilized and normal ways of things challenged. It had shown me we were never far from having to stand up for our own. This man was sad that that in the wild world he had brought me into, he was now the victim. It was the nature of things, not fate. The problem with independence is you're on your own.

I clamped down and tore like a rabid wolf. He released my arm but was too late. I was pushing out from under him and tearing away all the children he would ever have with me. I knew the feeling, it was like having yet another still born.

The world came back as I stood over him. He lay still now, either passed out or dead. His previously hard cock had shriveled to the size of a dainty thumb and the man looked like infinitely less of a threat. I vomited on his feet from the sight of the gaping bloody hole between his legs.

Behind me, I knew other man was dead when he rolled over on the floor at Flarni's feet.

I could hardly breathe. I locked eyes on Flarni. One side of me wanted turn away from her in shame, the other was so proud to have defended her. I needed her to tell me which side was right. I was too confused knowing I had done something so wrong and so right.

I beckoned for her. "Flarni..." I said reaching out.

She looked to me. She really looked at me. No drugged hazy, or distant dreaminess was in her eyes. No fear or disgust was in her eyes either, perhaps only curious wonder was there. That was more of a look then she ever gave. Under the heavy blanket of fog her mind was shining, I could only hope for a smile as she puzzled out the world.

Behind me, the doors clashed open. "There he is!"

Before Flarni could give me a word, or even silently tell me with a smile to show me her disapproval or acceptance, I was pulled away. My focus on my pale love was broken and the scene of the room was revealed. Men in reddish long shirts with clubs pawed at me. They pulled away Metacari almost warily, I saw the man she had toyed with was dead, and three others near where she had been were down too.

The authorities didn't speak as we were pulled out. A cart with several shoulder yokes awaited us and half a dozen men in purple and red dirty shirts stood around. The touch of the wood on my back brought me awake and I shouted at them as I was tied by my wrists into the device.

"I am an official in the court in Lafaust! I demand to see the authorities!" The men only looked oddly at each other as they pushed me up and into the cart. I'll admit I didn't look the part. With blood spattered across my neck and face and grisly short hairs on my chin, I was lucky they even paused.

"You're a long way from the Crown now." One of them muttered.

"Get my wife, she is inside." I shouted. "We were protecting her!"

Metacari was pushed up onto the cart too. She sat quietly crossed legged.

"We'll be fine." She muttered quietly so only I could hear. Perhaps she didn't know we had enough witnesses in the room to make the decision on our lives quick.

Flarni was led out gently and lifted onto the front of cart where she sat back dazed. A man got in next to her and we were ridden off down the street. Around us, the sky was starting to really darken under the clouds. We passed the working areas of the small town and turned up the rode into more of the warehouses and rows of carpenters and other craftsmen.

The jail we were taken too was huge but as we came around it I understood it was a castle that still seemed overly large for the unimportant town. The small fortification complex was mostly wood though the base of the central keep was grey stone.

The area inside of the complex's walls seemed odd, as I looked around it seemed something was up. The whole complex seemed to be a field army's camp. The uniforms were different. I have never been to a small town, but I know usually they wear more of the black, gold, white, or purple our royals claim for the country. These men wore green and gold though the style was similar to our heraldry. The men wearing armor wore green and gold tabards over our armor. I noted several men in plated Safi heavy infantry suits standing guard on the outside and along the walls.

We were marched up around the keep as Flarni was led inside by one of the men I was guessing was a city guard. They took us to a long low stone house with metal bar grates along the bottom of the walls I assumed to be the jail. Without a word, we were led to the wall at the side of the jail and made to put our backs up against it. We were then dropped to our knees as a richly dress thin man came out.

He strode up and looked at me with a haughty look I hated seeing nobles have. His dark eyes were almost sneering themselves. "You." He said pointing a heavily jeweled hand. "You said you're an official, what work have you here?"

"I was traveling and beset by bandits." I spat. "I found information the men were traveling north and west instead of south and west from the rivers. I was led here to investigate the men so I can report and have a clearer picture of this incident. I was assaulted and fought back in the inn when men attacked my wife."

The noble looked behind him at a scribe or assistant and nodded. He turned back as the other man scurried off to the keep. "I will keep you here to sort this out. You will be safe. If I find out any information you gave me is false I will kill you like a common murdering dog." He said coldly and staring into me.

I didn't flinch and held his gaze until a stiff breeze made us both turn away.

"What of that Amazon?" He asked and pointed at Metacari.

"She saved me..." I stopped myself before I mentioned the other witch.

"Is she traveling with you?"

"...Yes, we came from Lafaust on the same coach together." I said quietly.

He nodded at that, but I got a bad feeling from him. "I will keep you here." He said turning and paused. "You will be safe and secure as I said." With that, he raised a hand and I was hurried off inside. The jail was noticeably warmer then outside as the temperature dropped for the night. The passageway down the center was narrow with long rows of cells lining the interior. I was thrown in with Metacari without having to go into the dark dungeon too deep.

Sitting there in the dankness, I sat down to think of the past few hours and try to sleep. The long day was catching up. The highs and the lows were exhausting and way too much for me.

Metacari invited herself over and I didn't complain as she shrouded me in her warm cloak. I fell asleep against her bosom in the warmth glad to be alive still.

Hours later, I was awoken as a dark figure clattered with the lock on our cell. The sun had barely gone down and outside the wind had picked up and shrieked along the walls. Metacari stood and pushed me over to lie against the wall as she stood idly waiting for the figure to bust us out.

I leaned in and whispered loudly to her. "What are you doing?"

She only turned and I barely made out her wave to me as the door finally creaked open and the figure stepped aside letting her out. I followed her out into the dark passageway and panicked realizing I was only making this worse.

"We will be fine." She said as we moved to the door and stopped to huddle. "This is the central town on the map. Troubling activity comes from here. We have now been directed to look closer at the Baronet's dealings."