The Ranger: Ch. 09

Welcome Back! Everyone depicted in this alternate universe, thousands of years in the futuristic past, is of age and have agreed to the their story being presented today. If you contribute ideas that come about and your story is added, you will need to pick out your background and class. (Soviet Degenday(Sword and Board) and Boulder Dash (NG Gnome Monk).

With so many people to juggle it might be nice to get them organized in your mind as well:

Team1: Heran, Evaine, Niviena, Ewlene, Yesime, Anders, Isabella

Team2: Sabina, Annalise, Desa, Abigale, Amber, Treya, Ivana, Joan

Team3: Katelyn, Beau, Erika, Alexandra, Triss, Abby, Jenna, Amelia

Team4: Jacob, Dustin, Jamison, Anton, Petra,Regina

Merchant Ship: Saedin, Agitha, Cassandra

"Severan, do you feel like sticking around now that you left Twin Rivers?" I ask walking with him towards the hall, Beau called everyone there to get the aftermath organized.

"Not sure the marriage would appreciate the setup of this town." He answers after a few steps and thinking about the towns makeup, he can't stay here as the only married man.

"How about we sell two of these boats and buy you a good trade vessel? You could stay in Sreport, trade with the various cities, and bring us supplies?"

"Hmm, I do need something to take up my time now that I'm retired, what's the catch?"

"Same deal as with Saiden, no cost for the new boat, we'll pay for the supplies, you get 10% of the profits you make from us and 90% of whatever you do on the side."

"Ship, it'll be a Merchant ship," Severan says absently while thinking it over.

"Sure, and bring us back information of what is going on out there, stay a day or two with the wife and kids, take information if we have any like today's events."

"That's it? Free ship, trade supplies, and live where we want?" We stop at the door to the hall.

"Unless you can think of something else, that should cover it, if you change your mind, we can find a replacement crew for you."

"Will talk to the wife, you're terrible at negotiations."

"Ehh," I shrug as the options are pretty limited, "more interested in feeding these people and getting them back on their feet, we can haggle with the next crew that volunteers."

The Hall has everyone that didn't leave this morning, red-rimmed eyes, but no outright crying at the moment. Beau is talking to them about getting some food together for later this evening and meeting back here. Everything goes quiet when we walk down towards the front and start to sit down.

"Kae, can you come up here?" Beau asks and Mertil moves from her chair at the same time.

Jumping up and sitting on the edge of the platform facing out to the people, I wait for whatever is happening.

Awkward silence.

"Okay then," Looking from woman to woman and getting a few blank stares. "Let's start with the obvious, raise your hand if you think you could have defended your neighbor from the skaldian when they arrived?" Jacob raised his hand and a few of the guards after seeing him, not a single woman raised their hand.

"I see. If they were to come back tomorrow," A few gasps and murmers went through the ladies. "Hold on, just a question, let me finish, If they were to come back tomorrow, how many of you think you could protect your friends and neighbors?" Almost every hand went up, a few were late and I waited to see.

"We went from nobody, to everybody and that ladies is what you did today. We won't need to send anyone away to protect them with you here. We won't need to worry about being dragged away while others in the town hide and hope it's not their turn next.

"You," I take time to look at each one in the room, "saved everyone else here from some awful things if the Viscount had his way."

"What now?" Ivana asks.

"Kae talked with the mage council in my home today, they saw wh.." People started asking all kinds of questions on top of her.

"Hold on!" Mertil says a few times getting louder until they calmed down. "Kae asked them to remove Viscount Aberdeen and they said they would look into it, so at worst they know what is going on and we put a stop to this, at best he gets removed."

"Are you going away?" Triss asked looking at me.

"Nope, not getting rid of me that easily," I reply and nobody laughed. "Talking to Severan we don't expect anything else to happen anytime soon and training will start up again tomorrow back to once per day. If that is all, I heard something about food?" That got a few laughs. Leaning over to Beau, "Do you have time?"

"For?" She glances around and then turns her back to the people.

"I don't get to see you as often as I'd like."

"Katelyn said you have a date tonight with the lady inside of you." Beau glances around for Katelyn, Wow, they gossip even during life and death fighting.

"That's why I'm asking you now," taking a step closer.

"Seriously, right now, after everything that happened."

"Because of everything that has happened, what if something happened to you and I never got to see you again?" Her face went from inquisitive to sexy in the blink of an eye.

"Go there now, I'll be there as soon as I can." Beau looks over at Mertil, hovering one step to our left, and sees the smirk on her face.

"Just go." Mertil says shaking her head and waving her away.

"Come with?" Beau asks and Mertil glances at me and then back to Beau.

"Can't."

"Won't?"

"Stop." Mertil looks me in the eyes and I might have been asked to do this, but, the timing seems off.

"Not now, it wouldn't be proper," I reply and walk out.

"Heh, there's your answer," Beau whispers to Mertil.

"That was uncalled for." Mertil's face is red, but not from anger. She might have rubbed herself off a dozen times or more fantasizing about it, but not now. 'This could, not now, when does he think would be the proper time?'

"Good, we've gone from no to when, want me to find out?" Beau asks bringing Mertil back.

"What? No." She desperately wants to know what that boy is thinking if he's even thinking at all. "Ask what he is thinking."

"I know what he's thinking, and I know what you're thinking." Beau steps back as Katelyn walks over.

"He going to your house?" Katleyn asks and Beau nods.

"What were you supposed to bring? Don't think you're going to make it." Katelyn asks.

"The cask in the kitchen," Beau replies.

"Ahh, the good stuff, we can pick it up in a while," Katleyn nods to Mertil, "I'll keep her from trying to take a peek."

"You two stop it." Mertil cringes sounding like a stupid girl, and then switching her posture and attitude back to best friend mode, she is grateful to have Beau and Katelyn to take her in when she needs space, "You two have been much more fun to hang around with lately, as many details as you can remember." Mertil smiles and waves Beau off again.

Caught up and talking to Desa and Analise about the day and they were happy to hear Severan might take on trade, having two ships I guess means more variety in what they can eat. The hare idea had them excited, I was asking if they could setup the hutches for the famales, I can call the males in when everything is ready. That is one call no other species reacts to faster, any buck in range will stop whatever he is doing and come running.

"Okay, Ladies, we can talk more tomorrow, I'll show you how to build them, you find those that will use the land around their homes." Nodding to Beau, we walk out of the hall.

"How long do we have?" Beau asks, after the rush of the day she would prefer to relax more than adding more violence to the bedroom.

"Hours." I reply and stop myself from putting an arm around her, then figure to hell with it and feel her arm go around my waist.

"Can't believe I'm doing this," she picks up the pace a bit.

"It's been a rough day, enjoy it now that the craziness is over," I reply and slow her back down, she lives right next to the hall next to the docks, "relax and enjoy the walk."

"None of us would be here right now if you hadn't shown up." Beau squeezes my waist and I chuckle.

"Not like I had a choice, Ninhersag didn't ask, but compared to some of the stuff I had to do and see in my old world, I'd take this as a reward any day."

"Today's reward is going to be a bit lame I'm afraid. I, ugh, have had enough violence for the day."

"That's your thing Beau, I'm more than happy to have a drink or two, or relax and talk, napping is always high on my list of things to do when not running around."

"Let's have an ale before the other two show up and take it away," Beau asks and I nod, she walks over to the kitchen as I sit at the table. Everything blends in with all the herbs and spices and jars of various things, but the barrel seems a bit large for Mertil and Katelyn.

"How do you move that thing around?"

She pulls on it and the entire section pulls away from the wall, it teeters and I start to move out of my chair in her direction and help her steady it, but she had it under control.

Pulling it all the way out, it's set between two shelves, with a back that rises so that I could tilt it back on the wheels it has on the back. I roll it towards the door to make it easier for the other two. "I've never seen anything like this before."

"Husband made it, his arm was wounded, he made a rolling cabinet to hold it so he could move it around when needed." She pours mine and then hers.

"Smarts and good taste, in many things." I tap her cup and take a drink. "This is so good compared to both worlds and many taverns and Inns."

"Flaked oats, adds a little thickness to it, nobody knows that but you so.."

"Not even Kate or Mertil?" I ask and she shakes her head. "Came upon it by accident, I think I can trust you."

"Your ale could be something we could sell? I know it would be very popular."

"Well, if you get Evaine to do what you do, it might be my new lot in life," Beau replies and I hadn't thought about that. She has all the knowledge having had to do everything with the ingredients around her home, but delving into someone and healing from the inside out did have its advantages.

"We can test that in a little while," I reply thinking about trying her out also. "Though this," raising my cup, "pays quite a bit better and your time is your own and not when people show up."

"Test? Magically test me, like Evaine, from what she's said on how it feels, even if it doesn't work, I'll try it." She clicks her cup against mine.

"After another one of these, I'm going to get that oil you have and give you a massage and see if you can hold mana. The council doesn't seem to think it works here like it does where I'm from, but, we can try it."

"I like my way quite a bit more than how she is getting it." Beau chuckles and tips the cup back and downs it, and then motions me to do the same. "Come on, I got a massage coming." I try and grimace at the end.

'What a pussy.' Grayson says with Cinthia agreeing, which isn't wrong, I have at most two ales before it feels good enough to leave it there. Beau's one cup is like two of the regular stuff, three if the Inn is watering them down.

"Trying to get me drunk?"

"Yes." She replies and takes my cup back to the barrel. "Going to need to get Saiden or Severan to get us some more half barrels, I only have three of these."

Taking the cups and setting them on the table, I take her arm and start moving her towards the bedroom, "One is good for me or I'll not make it through the rest of the day."

"I forget your just a baby, especially after seeing you stand right in front of them." She stops and grabs the oil. "The girls don't know that you didn't need us. They were, less dangerous than the Skaldians."

"I wouldn't have let anyone die for that group, but what they and you did was real, and that means they can do it again and more as they get better," I reply as she takes my arm again and we walk down a short hall to her room, it smells the same as the last time as the entire house has the smell of the closest herbs and spices and growing plants in the windows.

Dropping her clothes she lays down facing me, "Front first as the back feels best for last."

"Yes Ma'am," rubbing my hands together and starting on her neck, up around her ears, she hums when her ears are done, cheeks and back down to her neck, shoulders, arms, sides and up around her ample chest, the lack of meat shows in most everyone, Jacob has a few extra, Tremont a lot, but most could use a few more meals, including Beau, need to fatten her up just a little.

"Hmmm, there's more of me." Beau says and I come back to the moment.

"Ha, was just thinking that I need to fatten you up a little."

"Pssh, can't eat like this morning every day, makes you lazy.

"I've been eating like that most days, didn't think of the shortages," I move down to her stomach and hips. I bet I'm eating more than Sabina and Katelyn combined, shit, I'm literally eating all of the meats?

"You've been running up and down the river too often to not eat, if we lost you, we lost more than a few cuts of hog," Beau says and closes her eyes.

Reaching her thighs I run up and down, squeezing her sex between my fingers on the way up and down the slit on the way back down, down to her calves and feet, she squirms and moans with her arches, back up to the front I go back to work on her little slit. Sliding in back up and the sides, her knees come up with her closest against my side.

"Now that you are relaxed," Sliding in and out with two fingers slowly, her hips rolling in a nice rhythm, I start letting the mana out slowly at first, her upper body jerks and I have to hold her hips in place.

"Ugh, Goddess, Kae," her back arches as I let it grow until the full stream was running in and around her core, keeping her saturated in it so some will stay behind, her back slams down on the bed and goes back up again with only her shoulders touching the bed.

"Ugh, goddess!" Beau screams and I hear something crash in the kitchen. Bringing it back down and letting it go, I didn't feel anything inside any different than with Evaine. She gasps for a few moments and then holds my hands.

"I changed my mind on the front and back comment earlier, that was magical." She giggles at her own joke. "Why are you still dressed?"

"Shhh, roll over, clothes stay on until the massage is over," pushing her hand off the front of my pants. "roll over."

"Yes, sir." She smiles and rolls over quickly, pulling her long black hair around to the front.

The wheels and the front door make a good bit of noise causing me to laugh.

"Are they here?" Beau looks back at me.

"Think they just left." I smirk down at her.

"Ugh, of course they were here for that," she buries her face in the mattress, and then gets comfortable, "maybe she'll believe me this time."

Getting her shoulders and back she starts humming and mumbling, groaning at the small of her back and I spend a few minutes all over and in her ass making sure every crevice is handled, skipping the legs this time and shucking my clothes.

Pushing her legs together and straddling I slide up and down a few times.

"Is this part of the massage?"

"It is."

"Okay." Only some of her face can be seen as her hair is everywhere.

Hunching down and sliding up into her while squeezing her shoulders and running my thumbs up her spine. Giving it a slow pace.

"Best massage, ever." Beau sounds like she is about ready to fall asleep so I keep it slow and trail my hands up and her back down until I figure out if I run my fingers up her spine she'll snore. Rolling off and getting the sheet over us. Pulling her in she grabs my arm. "Mmhmm."

'You better not sleep much longer Kae, Cin gonna fuck you up if you do.' I see Gray sitting next to me at the regular table.

'I still can't believe it can happen.' I reply and look to where Cinthia would normally sit, I hope it doesn't summon her, so I look away before she shows up to tell me to knock if off.

'Believe, she's been meditating all day to gather the power needed. She normally won't shut up, now she won't speak. You two should do this more often.' Gray laughs and grabs his cup. 'Get up.'

I wake holding Beau, she stirs and looks up at me, "still tingly from that, go do what you need to do, I'm going to relax for a few more minutes before making the rounds. Oh hey," she leans up and kisses me, "did it work?"

"Going to take quite a few more times." I wink at her and she laughs.

"I'm okay with it, why us and not everyone?"

"Hmm, you both have a unique skill set, she is very good at the archery part and you are very good at the healing parts that I can offer adding a little to what you already do."

Getting my pants on and grabbing my shirt off the floor, it can't be more than midday and it seems like the day should be over. "Take all the time you want, most are going to be in the Hall."

Didn't take but a moment of walking out the door to have several women turn and watch me raid a few tables of good food, picking anything I could just finger eat until I came to the pastries and saw golden apple pies and snagged a huge slice, eating it and mumbling to myself.

"All the women in power? Really?" Triss asks like she's my sister next to me watching me watch Katelyn and the others watch me.

"Ugh," I cover my mouth and shrug, nodding at the pie, what was I going to do, stop eating this? She stares at me so, fine.

"Weren't you the only one to make noise coming stomping through the woods and cursing?" I ask back and she smiles.

"That wasn't a no." She laughs, "Almost twisted my ankle on a fallen branch, thanks for asking."

"Whatever, I saw you walking around just fine."

Of course I head over to Katelyn and Mertil even knowing I'm going to get some lip, but also they are also the most familiar. Katelyn looks past me and then at Mertil. "I told you, he killed her."

"She'll be here in a moment, what you heard was a massage."

"Never heard a massage like that, not sure anyone has until today." Mertil said with a straight face.

"Well, it started off as one." I look towards Katelyn when I say it, "adding a little mana in there, to see if she can take it for the healing. Katelyn was about to say something when she looks towards the door and her face lights up, Beau walks in wearing a different dress, most of the women here have the giant braid down their back, or ropes of it around their head like a crown of braids.

As she approached both women smiled, Mertil leans back, "You look like a new woman Beau."

"Thanks, I feel pretty good. What's happening?"

"Seems okay so far, people like the rabbit idea, most everyone has volunteered to house one. It's crazy he can just call them in." Mertil replies.

"I know, seems like cheating," Katelyn answers.

"I'm standing right here," I say as they continue on without acknowledging anything.

"He's going to magic you up?" Katelyn asks Beau.

"Yeah, we'll see if it works?" Beau glances my way, so I shrug as I don't know, as far as I know, Minerva never said if I 'had a spark' or not, she just pushed mana into me every day and over time it built up. As soon as it was formed, she had me meditating and working with the plants as practice. There were six of us that went around in shifts.

"Minerva, my mentor, would repeat to each of the ones she worked with, was that you had to really want to fulfill the results to unlock the ability to learn it.

"Oh," Beau turns and I can see the concern on her face, "Is healing people enough?"

"Yes, and being able to grow your herbs and spices is what I did for years. The animals are another benefit, but almost no one does all of them, and the enchantments, we train in all of them, I didn't have the power to make most of it worthwhile until I got here."

"What will you teach her?" Mertil whispers.

"Why are you whispering?" I reply and smile at her.