The Tattooed Woman Pt. 08

THE TATTOOED WOMAN - Chapter 8

I hope folks are enjoying the story so far. Please leave comments, as criticism both positive and constructive is inherently useful. Plus, I like reading comments, so that's cool.

Chapter 8:

Azure slid through the trees as she cast a careful eye on the tracks she had been following for quite a while now. Following the prolific sign left by the slaves and children as they fled the scene of the recent battle had been simplicity itself, and even the still-falling snow had made the task only marginally more difficult. However, it never paid to be careless, so she moved warily, eyes scanning the surround for stealthy movement, and delicately pointed ears alert for any unsettled sounds.

She had found the place where the tracks had become confused as the slaves had clustered and milled about and she could imagine the fear of the young ones as she spotted the tracks of the humans that emerged from the trees. Clearly, their appearance had caused obvious agitation and alarm.

Casting around she recognised how the heavy-footed gang of humans had taken off running into the trees and a more careful examination revealed the fainter sign of their quarry. Clearly, Tallis had attempted to draw the hunters away from the slaves and the various crossbow bolts left embedded in the trees were clear testimony of how hot this chase was.

The clearing where the fight took place caused the canny woman the most concern, for unless she was badly misreading the sign there was obviously something very much amiss.

The badly scuffed ground indicated that Tallis had fallen, there was no immediate blood spillage so most likely tripped or knocked over by some device of the pursuers, probably a bolt that failed to penetrate her mail. Looking about she located the culprit lying discarded nearby. It had likely caused little in the way of harm, but still, it had allowed the humans to gain enough ground to bring her to bay, and there was ample sign of a hard fight.

The tracker examined the bodies and chuckled. If they had thought she would surrender meekly they had clearly made a costly error, she nudged a corpse with the toe of her boot and nodded, an error almost as grievous as the one made by this fool, who had brought a crossbow to a swordfight. Tallis had clearly gutted him first, "Idiot."

The second body was only a short distance away and from the tracks, it seemed that he had been charging the girl when she drove him back and neatly skewered him.

The tracks became more clustered and confused, revealing some close melee, the great pool of frozen blood indicated that the girl had been wounded and Azure frowned. The body with the gaping tear through his femoral artery told a story, however, "Hmm, knife-wound, she must have been disarmed somehow. Still had some fight in her though."

A second splash of blood, with no associated corpse indicated the girl had likely taken a second wound, "Probably a second bolt, likely fired from close range."

The Dark Elf looked about and spotted a corpse at the edge of the clearing lying sprawled across a still-loaded crossbow, "And here we have the marksman, standing all smug and safe at the back of the pack, for all the good it did him. Hmm, throat cut nice as you please, and from behind," she grinned, "well, well, I wonder who that could possibly have been."

The Dark Elf nodded to herself as she examined the other corpses, "Thrown blades, one to the eye and another to the throat, neatly done. I'm going to have to be more careful around that creature, she's not as cute, cuddly and innocent as she pretends."

The last corpse lay slumped face down, revealing multiple stab wounds in his back and neck. The large pool of blood nearby gave clue to his fate, "He was going to stab Tallis and our little friend jumped on his back and slaughtered him. I'm definitely going to have to keep an eye on that bloody girl."

The remainder of the tracks gave Azure pause though, "Soo, looks like another group of humans came running, probably attracted by the screams, they mill about and then run off. And somehow miss the wounded Dark Elf lying in the open not three feet away. That doesn't seem likely, which means some other mischief is afoot here, and that bears thinking on."

A further search showed where the two had lain overnight, huddled together for warmth no doubt, as well as the few bits and pieces of discarded wood that bore signs of having been worked on with a knife, or similar tool, and the marks made by the travois were indication enough of what the girl had been fashioning.

Hefting her powerful shortbow Azure turned to follow the tracks.

...

The snow was starting to fall heavily, and the temperature was dropping like a weighted plumbline. Lily could barely see, she was exhausted, her bare legs felt frozen, and she'd lost all feeling in her hands and arms for at least an hour hence. Tallis had lapsed into unconsciousness and from the red droplets that stained the snow behind them, it looked like she had started to leak again.

Lily heaved the travois but slipped and all but collapsed. She blew on her hands a moment as she panted to the girl in the travois, "Not sure how much further I can drag you girl, I-I think this snow will do for us both. But, for what it's worth I wish I'd seen you in that gown."

She was so tired, and the desire to just give in was almost overpowering. Instead, she heaved herself back to her feet, snarling ferociously as she cursed the heavens, "Damn it to the Outer Hells! Let's play this out, I'm not for giving up to a few damned snowflakes! You're going to wear that bastard dress if it kills us!"

Staggering forward she stumbled, fell and all but crawled as she forced herself on...

The four men stared in astonishment as the half-naked girl staggered out of the snow and into their camp. They were huddled about the campfire waiting for the soup to heat when she appeared from between the trees like a frozen spirit.

Cael leapt to his feet, while Agron drew his sword as he stood and looked about warily, "What the Hell!

Young Fergus had just wandered back into the camp carrying an armful of wood and he stood staring open-mouthed at the woman, "That's no darkling!"

Orsin peered at the near-frozen creature, and took in her golden hair and Elfin features, "Aye, but she's still a knife-ear. She's one of them... Sunshine Elfs, I think they're called. Not seen one before, for they live over the mountains, I heard some grow tired of peaceful life and go "adventuring" with humans and Dwarves and such. They're not known as friends to darklings tho, and they ain't no slavers, maybe she escaped them?"

Agron edged closer, "She worth coin?"

Orsin grinned, "Aye, she may well be, not a ransom though, but a "reward" no less. Here lass! Come sit by the fire and warm yerself. We have hot food. Oi Cael! Fetch the woman a blanket."

Agron peered at the Elf, "Why's she half-dressed? Do you think them Dark-Elfs have been using her for some kind of sport? Hey girl, what's that yer dragging about? Where's yer breeks?"

Lily looked at the four men and groaned as she shook her head in resignation, cursing her luck, as she furtively palmed a concealed dagger into her hand.

The nearest human finally got a look at her burden and his eyes widened, "Here Orsin! She's gone and snatched a darkling!"

He gave Lily a wide smile, just as the barbed arrow hissed out of the snow and punched through his face with a vicious sound of impact.

Cael was lifting a blanket and his head whipped round at the shout, just as Lily snapped her hand forward, hurling a dagger unerringly into his throat and the man went down with a soggy wet grunt.

The sheer suddenness of the explosion of bloody violence meant Orsin hesitated for a half second before going for his sword, and that was far too long. An arrow sprouted from his chest with a thud, followed a moment later by another that took him in the gut, driving his last breath from his body. He pitched forward with a moan and the snow beneath him slowly turned red.

Fergus stared open-mouthed, still holding a double armful of wood, as Azure slid out from under the trees, bow half-drawn, and arrow pointed straight at him, "Here you! Come forward into the firelight."

Lily looked round at the Dark Elf, "They were going to give me soup!"

Azure smiled, and it wasn't a pleasant sight, "And Tallis? Would they have given her soup? Don't waste your breath worrying about them, for we have problems enough of our own. Best grab one of those blankets before you freeze to death girl."

Instead, Lily dragged the travois closer to the fire before snatching up a bedroll and laying a blanket across Tallis as best she could, before wrapping herself in another. She stood shivering as she peered at the man standing fearfully in the firelight, "How old are you human?"

The man swallowed nervously, "Twenty, I think, or thereabouts at least."

Azure gestured with the arrow, "Drop that armful of wood."

The human obeyed and she shot him through the heart so swiftly Lily barely had time to gasp. The arrow thudded into the man's chest, his legs went out from under him, and he was dead before his body hit the ground.

Lily screeched at the Dark Elf, "WHY!?"

Azure casually moved forward and tasted the soup, "Needs salt... When I left camp Elsadore lay on a cot near death, with a spear wound through her gut while Varoona had been beaten and threatened with rape, torture and murder by his ilk, so I'm not in a forgiving mood this day."

The scout came to the girl and placed a bowl of hot soup into her hands, "Here, eat this, it will warm you. Sit with your back to the fire for a spell if you like so you cannot see what I'm about, and I'll drag the corpses out of sight before I strip some clothes off one for you to wear."

"B-but I can't wear their clothes, we just killed them!"

"Better them than you! You can, and you will wear what you're given, or would you have me try and explain to Tallis that the woman she loves died of exposure due to an advanced case of errant stupidity?"

"Loves?"

"Dear Gods girl, are you blind, or are all Sunkissed so dim-witted? It's as clear as day the woman adores you, now stop worrying about the dead, for if we're not fortunate Tallis may yet end up joining them."

Rummaging about Azure swiftly stripped a body and handed her the still-warm clothes, "Dress quickly and wrap up warm."

Lily looked at the clothing with disgust, "I don't understand how you could slaughter that lad so casually..."

The scout sighed, "Lily, I do not have the art to treat those wounds on Tallis, so I must go fetch aid. I could not risk leaving the man here, even bound, with you and her in this weakened state, I could not take him with me for he would slow me down too much, and I do not know for sure there are no more enemies about so I could not let him go or drive him off in case he could in some way call them down upon you. So, he had to die."

"But it seems so..."

"Ruthless?"

The Sunkissed girl looked down at the clothes in her arms and nodded.

"Just because I and the others may seem more genial than you may have expected do not mistake me for anything other than what I am girl, for I am a Dark Elf, and I have no pity for my enemies."

"I thought I was your enemy?"

Azure smiled at her and gently ruffled her hair, "If you were, you'd be as dead as him. Now dress quickly, and stay warm, for I've no time to linger."

Moments later Azure had vanished into the snow, and she was left alone in the dark with Tallis.

...

When Quintus awoke it was to the unfamiliar, but not unpleasant sensation of being wrapped in the warm embrace of a naked woman. He was still desperately tired, and more famished than he had ever felt before in his life, but he could feel her gentle breath against his face, and he found himself unwilling to move in case he inadvertently woke her. The woman had soft, warm skin, her ample breasts were pushed against his chest and one of her legs was draped across his torso. He found himself looking into her sleeping face, with its mop of unkempt hair and cute button nose and thinking that she was achingly pretty.

He couldn't help himself, and he kissed her. It was little more than a peck on the lips but at his touch her eyes flicked open wide. She stared at him for a long moment as he fumbled an apology, "Oh Gods, er... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. It's just you looked so pretty and I... Well, I just couldn't resist, and you saved me I suppose, and I've never been with a..." he blushed almost crimson, "well... you know."

Roseanne stared at the man she was coiled around. He was no great catch she supposed, being a skinny, almost ungainly fellow, with wavy brown hair and the barest wisp of a moustache, but he was tall enough, and his eyes were quite a pretty blue colour she thought. His face wasn't unkind and had a sort of callow vulnerability that made him look younger than he was. He had smiled at her when she opened her eyes and instead of grabbing at her tits or groping her lewdly, he had instead kissed her and said she was pretty. He was gibbering on about something and blushing, but she wasn't really listening, instead watching him intently as she found herself thinking his smile wasn't that bad really...

His inane blabbering was cut off when she pulled him close, and their lips mashed together in a gloriously inept kiss. He found himself sliding a hand over her hips to grasp a generous buttock and he gasped as she slid a hand under the front of his breeches as they fumbled about desperately under the blanket.

Nearby Hildegard lay on her back staring up at the snow-filled clouds and tried not to listen to the quiet gasps and happy moans coming from the nearby bedroll, but their frantic movement was getting harder to ignore. They had already almost kicked their blankets off and watching her friend and that skinny wizard going at it like rabbits was not something she wanted to see before breakfast. Not when she herself was lying here in the cold, all alone, and almost unwillingly thinking about a certain Dark Elven Captain. Grumbling and muttering to herself she pulled the blanket over her head and rolled onto her side, facing away from the couple.

Despite being more than just a little envious Hildegard found herself smiling at the thought of her friend finding at least a little joy though, and she almost giggled as the sounds from behind her grew more intense, "Gods Roseanne, you've been away from the priory for less than a week and you're at it already. You'll suffer Medusa's fate for breaking your vows of chastity if you're not careful. That, plus you're going to wake the entire bloody camp if you keep screeching like that."

...

The oaty smell of porridge cooking permeated the camp. Cassie had woken only a few moments before, and she stretched and yawned as she considered her morning ablutions with distaste. It was cold, and the water in the nearby brook would be freezing, but if she didn't wash the tattooed woman would inevitably drag her off for a damned bath, and while she didn't seem to mind the icy water Cassie disliked it intensely, and she especially despised stripping off where everyone could see her scrawny body. She knew she wasn't much to look at, but she still found it galling when she spotted the two serving wenches from the tavern looking at her and giggling. Still, she thought with more than a little malicious glee, she never saw them bathing and she wouldn't wonder if they both stank like horses by now.

Around her, the camp was stirring and she glanced at her strange companion. The woman sat as she usually did, wrapped in her tattered cloak and content to watch the burning embers of the small campfire she typically made. Cassie had no idea how she lit the thing, it just seemed to ignite after she set it, and while it burned low sometimes it never seemed to go out, not even in the snow or rain. Occasionally it flared and flickered a little as the woman was staring off towards the mountains, or if it was especially cold and Cassie had shivered.

As if sensing her gaze the woman looked up, "Best wash up girl, breakfast is near ready I think."

Grumbling the small slave girl wandered to the latrines at the edge of camp and then to the small stream where she washed her hands and splashed her face with the icy water. She rinsed out her mouth, picked her teeth with a handy twig and chewed on a sprig of mint the woman had handed her before making her way to the cookpot where Maggie was ladling out porridge into wooden bowls eagerly held out by queuing slaves and guards alike. The plump cook would dole out a serving of the hot fare before nodding towards the bits of honeycomb and a large bowl of berries she had gathered.

"Here now, don't shove, there's enough for all. Take a bit of honeycomb and a few berries for sweetness," She swatted an Orc with her ladle, "Oi! I saw you take two bits, you great lummox! Mind you, a big fellow like you needs his vittles, so no harm done I s'pose, but I expect a couple of you lads to fetch me some hares this evening, or maybe a bit of venison, that is if ye wants a decent supper."

The Orc grinned at the woman and ambled off.

Glancing back at the small campfire Cassie was surprised to see Varoona the Dark Elf standing there apparently talking to the woman so she gathered an extra bowl and a few bits of honeycomb before heading back.

As she arrived Varoona dropped a large bundle onto the ground, and Cassie noted she looked strangely self-conscious, "I don't have much in the way of spare clothes with me, and none of what I wear would fit you anyway, but I gathered these from some of the dead. They look serviceable enough. I... I washed and repaired them as best I could, though I can't use a needle and thread worth a damn, so I used a mending cantrip instead. I don't know if you take offence at such things, some humans do... But, well t'is growing cold and you only have that old cloak to cover yourself."

The tattooed woman looked at the bundle and up at the Dark Elf with those strange green eyes and smiled, "It's a kindly gesture Varoona, but I'm not cold."

Cassie butted in as she passed a bowl of porridge to Varoona who took it without thinking, "Best wear them nonetheless, it stops you waving your painted arse to all and sundry after all."

The woman looked at her and grinned, "From your tone, I take it the water was particularly cold this morning? And what, pray tell is wrong with my arse? Is it not comely? I seem to recall my husband rather enjoyed it."

Cassie almost choked on her porridge and the Dark Elf had to look away for a moment until she had suppressed her laughter at the girl's goggle-eyed expression.

Varoona noticed the bowl of porridge in her hand and stared at it, "I... I don't know what to do with this."

The little slave looked at her curiously, "It's porridge, you... eat it?"

"No, I mean this kindness. Why would you fetch me breakfast without command? I was cruel to you."

Cassie smiled at her, "Oh, that's in the past, quickest forgotten, soonest mended as Maggie says."

Varoona stared at her and shook her head, "A Dark Elf would not say such, they would instead plot and scheme upon a way to repay cruelty like for like."

The slave grinned, "I'm not a Dark Elf though, besides I don't think you're truly cruel, for to me if you were then you would not care about my sis... about her being cold."

The Dark Elf looked around uncomfortably, "I... I wanted to thank you for saving me, but also for not... mocking me."

The tattooed woman looked up at her curiously, "Why would I mock you?"

"I was very afraid of the humans when they had me, I tell you I all but begged them for mercy. You could have amused the others, by telling them of my fear. Some would enjoy such a tale."