The Tattooed Woman Pt. 08

The woman regarded the Dark Elf for a long moment, "Varoona, I heard you tell that human to take his offer of mercy and go straight to Hell with it. Courage is not the absence of fear child, only an errant and utter fool would have not been fearful having found themselves in such dire straits. Neither is it mere pitiful bravado, true courage is about facing your fears and yet remaining true to yourself, and that's what I saw."

"Truly?"

The woman went back to working on the bit of stray antler horn she had found a few days earlier, "I might have a strained relationship with the truth at times, but I'm no liar. For my own part, I thought you brave."

The Dark Elf looked embarrassed and momentarily at a loss for words. Looking at the objects the woman held she instead asked, "What do you there, are you making something?"

The woman grinned, "T'is a comb for Cassie, or will be when I'm done, but I've not used sharpened flint for such an age, it could end up looking like a carved goat or somesuch instead."

Cassie stared at the thing in amazement for she'd not known what the woman was doing, and she'd never owned a comb of her own before.

The woman didn't look back up, but instead seemed to concentrate on her task before she casually gestured to a place nearby, "You know, you could sit a while and eat your breakfast here if you have a mind to. The fire is warm enough and Cassie might enjoy the company."

Varoona had no idea why, but she felt herself sitting with the two slaves for a spell. Their nook was warmed by the small campfire and sheltered from the worst of the falling snow. She looked at Cassie, who was sitting quite happily eating her porridge and shook her head again, "I cannot understand why you do not hate me. In your place I would like as not be plotting your murder."

Cassie coughed on a mouthful of oats and the tattooed woman chuckled darkly, "Maybe I did?"

"Somehow I doubt that."

The woman continued with her task for a while before she spoke again, "Why did you not replace my shackles?"

"It would be a poor reward for aiding me if I were to do such a thing, besides, there's no point. You were offered your freedom and chose to stay, you don't need to escape, you could walk out of here with the Captain's blessing any time you wanted," she grinned, "besides, I'm not so sure they could hold you if your mind was set against it."

The woman looked up with a smile and shrugged.

Cassie looked confused, "If you were offered freedom, why then do you stay?"

The woman held up the thing she was making, "I've not finished your comb yet."

...

Ashunara slumped against the outside of the tent. She felt utterly spent and leaned back against the canvas as she tried to gather the strength and will to move. For half the bitterly cold night she had helped to carry Tallis back to the camp, struggling desperately through the increasingly deep snow, while the rest of the night was spent treating the girls' wounds.

The Captain was spattered in blood from extracting the quarrels from the woman's shoulder and thigh, her nostrils were still full of the nauseating stench of burnt flesh from when she used the heated blade of her dagger to sear those same wounds shut, and her ears, and heart, were still tortured by the girl's cries of pain.

Tallis was asleep now, and if she survived the next few hours, she would have a fair chance to live, but it would be touch and go for a while and Ashunara dreaded the thought of trying to explain the loss of a daughter to her sister.

Having done all that her limited skill would allow she had cleaned the girl of blood, picked up the gory cloths and bandages, and put away the bloody knives and instruments she had used, before wearily withdrawing from the tent just as the sun rose. Lily had not slept, nor would she leave and Ashunara let her be, leaving the Sunkissed girl perched on the cot alongside Tallis, clutching her hand.

Azure had staggered off towards the campfire, where she collapsed atop her bedroll, and Lashelle had moved across to cover her with a warm blanket before sitting beside her.

A shadow appeared at the Captain's side and strong arms helped her to her feet, "Come on girl. Let's get you to bed. A couple of hours sleep, and a bit of hot food will put some colour back in those cheeks."

"Urgh, I cannot, there's preparations to be made, and I needs must be near to hand if the girl starts to fade, though the Gods alone know what I can do if that happens."

"I'll see to all that, I promise, and I'll have the bastard wizard tend to the girl as soon as we can get him roused. You need to rest. For you'll be of no use to anyone if you're so tired you can barely walk. Now go get some sleep, or must I risk punching you again?"

Ashunara smiled at her old friend and gripped her arm, "Thanks Nyx, I guess I really am tired, for you don't smell so bad today."

The veteran eased the woman down onto a bedroll and covered her with a blanket with a mock growl, "Very fucking funny,"

The younger Dark Elf sighed as she slumped into the bedroll and her voice was little more than a tired whisper, "You're a good friend Nyx... You'll be... a fine... Leftenant..."

"WHAT?!"

But by then the Captain was already asleep...

...

When she woke it was already dark and she noted that someone, almost certainly Nyx, had pulled off her boots and unlaced her armour for her, as well as covered her with a couple of extra blankets, so she didn't just roll over and immediately go back to sleep when the veteran started with her vociferous and animated complaints about being promoted, while her increasingly colourful descriptions on the uselessness and downright idiocy of officers in general, had Ashunara chuckling and shaking her head in wry amusement until the older woman eventually kicked her helmet across the campsite with a cry of temper as she bellowed, "Stop fucking laughing you evil bitch! It's not fucking funny!"

Ashunara looked about until the incensed older woman eventually handed her a mug with a grunt of annoyance and she drank. "Hmm, not bad, what is it this time?"

"Locals call it metheglin, I'm told. I put a hot brand in it to warm it up for ye. Now look Captain, this is bollo..."

"What happens if I die?"

Nyx paused, "Huh? The stuff's not that bad Captain. I mean I've drunk a bit of it and it didn't kil..."

"No, you idiot. What happens if I die tomorrow? Say I get punched once too often by some evil bastard and I just drop down fucking dead right there and then."

"Don't be stupid, I didn't hit you that hard."

"That's a matter of opinion, but regardless, answer the question."

"Oh, come on captain, you know I'd get the girls home if it were possible, and make sure they got paid."

Ashunara grinned and passed the mug back, "I do know that Nyx and I never once suspected otherwise, but what then? What happens to our company then?"

Nyx looked troubled, "Well, I suppose we'd.... well, we would have to..."

"Disband?"

The old soldier looked down into the mug she was drinking from, and her voice was resigned, "Aye."

The Captain filched the mug back again and took another swig, "Now tell me why that would be?"

Nyx swore, "Because without the patronage of a noble house we'd no longer be recognised as an honourable free company. We would be just another band of cutthroats. We'd get nothing but shit jobs and be used as expendable fodder."

"True. Now, why couldn't you, being as good a Sergeant as ever served, albeit with a regrettable tendency to viciously beat your Commander unconscious from time to time, not gain the support of a noble house?"

"Are you going to keep harping on about that forever?"

"I most certainly am you bloody pirate! But regardless, answer the question."

"Because the toffee-nosed bastards wouldn't lower themselves to deal with a common fucking soldier no matter how skilled she be!"

Passing the mug back Ashunara nodded, "Correct. Now it's no secret that I seek to groom Tallis as a future Captain. My sister is the matriarch of my house, and as her first-born daughter, Tallis would have little problem obtaining her patronage, providing she didn't fuck up in some way and besmirch the family reputation, for that's not a thing my sister would tolerate from anyone, daughter or no. But the simple fact is that she doesn't yet have the experience to lead a company, and she's still untested. Gods I don't even know if she truly wishes to remain a sellsword or if this is just some childish adventure for her."

Nyx drank and nodded, "True, but she fights well enough, and she has guts at least."

"I'm not saying anything bad about the girl Nyx, only that she's green as grass. So, I bargained with my sister before I left, which was humiliating enough, however, needs must. It cost a few concessions on my part, but she agreed to continue to provide patronage to the company in the event of my demise, but only if it's led by an officer, someone of suitable rank who can therefore petition for contracts from noble houses and not be sneered at."

"Oh, the cunts will still sneer."

"And when they do you will call the loud-mouthed bastards out onto a field of honour and fucking kill them! As long as you bring no shame to my sister's house, she will piss herself laughing every time you skewer one of the unctuous little fucks."

"I'm starting to like your sister, is she pretty?"

"She's like me, only a lot more vindictive and vicious, and without my winning personality."

Nyx grinned and shook her head ruefully, "Sounds fucking delightful..."

"You have no idea."

The Captain took back the tankard and drank deeply, "Let me tell you of my sister. I have always been wilful as you know, and after the passing of my mother I suddenly found that I appeared to have caught the eye of a certain young lady, a younger daughter from another house. We were of a similar age, and I thought we had much in common. Indeed, I grew quite enamoured of this filly and spent much time with her. Of course, my sister saw it for what it was and warned me repeatedly that it was a subterfuge, and that the woman's feelings for me were entirely ephemeral.

"I didn't listen of course and so I mocked her, in fact, I took to mocking her as I lay in the arms of my paramour in the incense-filled dens and bordellos where we had taken to spending our time. I whispered such secret things to her, for I was young, and we obviously loved each other you see, and what harm could there be in the sharing of such confidences with a trusted lover as we lay sweaty and entwined on silk sheets.

"Of course, my words, actions and appetites were carried, as if by little songbirds, to rival houses and thrown into my sister's face at council meetings.

"One morning, as I returned from a glorious night of carousing, I was taken before my sister. I recall how the house seemed strangely silent to me, for she had ordered all the house slaves and servants locked in their rooms, and all the inner guards sent to other posts. Only my sister and her bodyguards remained, soldiers who had served with her for hundreds of years, whose loyalty was as solid and assured a thing to her as yours is to me.

"She had me bound to the post where we normally punish errant slaves, and then she flogged me. She whipped me like a slave until my back bled and I could not stand, and when she was done and I could scream no more, she told me that while she cared nothing for my opinion of her it was, "somewhat disappointing" that I had proven to be such a simple dupe and so easily used by our rivals. Then her guards cut me down and they just left me lying there in the mud."

"What did you do?"

"Three days later I called my "lover" out on some pretext or other, and when the little fool accepted, I cut her to pieces."

"Holy fuck."

Ashunara sniffed, "And that's a story about my sister and me."

"Do you hate her?"

"Oh, I did! For years after I chaffed at her, but here's the rub. As long as I did not actively act against the interests of the house, she would lend her support to my choices, even if only reluctantly and after a few barbed words. It was utterly galling for I so wanted to despise her, and she fucking knew it!

"When she suggested a political marriage for me to strengthen the prestige of our house I refused, vociferously, and in defiance, I joined the Free Companies. She called me an errant fool, but rather than forbidding it she instead purchased me a junior officers rank and used our house's influence to ensure I received commission in an honourable company. Then, when the commander proved utterly inept and led us into disaster and capture, she paid the ransom to free me. Even after I finally arrived home, many weeks later, filthy, beaten, and covered in lice she never once mentioned how much I'd cost the house's coffers."

Nyx pursed her lips, "And now she sends you her daughter?"

"Oh, never fear, should Tallis prove an embarrassment to our house my sister will show no leniency, to either of us."

"You know, it might be she actually trusts you to do right by Tallis?"

"Ha! My sister trusts no one."

Nyx stared into the campfire and kept her thoughts to herself, eventually, she stirred, "Speaking of Tallis..."

Ashunara grinned, "If it were bad news, you wouldn't have started straight in by whining about being promoted."

The older woman grunted in disgust, "Don't get me started again, but you're right, that wizard woke up, and after giving that plump little nun a right good seeing to he was able to use his magic to fix our girl up. She's still in a fair bit of pain and weaker than a kitten, but he says that's more internal bruising and the effects of blood loss than anything else and all the muscles in her shoulder and leg have repaired and knitted quite nicely. In a day or two, she'll be back to her old self. I tell you I think I'm going to buy that little bastard a bottle of good whisky as a reward when we get back... Do wizards drink whisky? I've never seen a drunk wizard, but I bet it's fucking hilarious."

The Captain found herself smiling at the thought and then paused, "Wait, what was that you said about the nun?"

"Oh, it seems surviving a near-death experience makes you horny as Hell, who knew? They've both been going at it like a pair of randy jackrabbits all bloody day. I think the Orcs have started making bets on how long they can keep it up."

Ashunara almost choked on her drink, and she shook her head with a sigh as she muttered, "This isn't a slave caravan, it's a fucking travelling circus."

Nyx laughed, "Well, you're right about the fucking part anyway, but circus or no, I think we can be moving by first light."

"That's good news Nyx," she looked off towards the embers where they had burned their dead, "I'll be glad to be away from here."

...

When Tallis awoke it was full dark, and Lily was lying beside her on the narrow cot, her slight frame pressed against her. The Dark Elf had suffered scarlet dreams of pain, darkness and freezing cold and she only recalled fragments of the girl's hopeless struggle to drag her through the snow as she tried to save her, but she remembered the Elf's promise not to leave her to die alone.

The girl was asleep and Tallis luxuriated in the warmth of her body, and she found herself idly brushing her fingers through that wild mane of golden hair as she took in the woman's pale features and dainty pointed ears. The Sunkissed girl murmured in her sleep as she nuzzled closer and Tallis breathed in her scent, for she smelled of wildflowers on a sunlit day. For a moment the Dark Elf chuckled as she wondered how her kind smelled to bright Elves, "Probably of blood, fear and mayhem no doubt."

Her eyes were drawn to the leather slave collar around the girl's neck, and she sighed regretfully, "What am I going to do with you Lily?"

...

It took three days of walking to reach their destination. The trail was little-known and wound through a heavily wooded pass in the mountains. It was a wild place, and the local watchtower had long since been abandoned and fallen to ruin. Once there would have been crofts of canny woodland folk, tending to flocks of hardy upland sheep and long-haired cattle but now their huts were empty roofless derelicts with moss-covered walls. The barrows and cromlechs were no longer tended, and there were many stories of the wraiths and unquiet dead that haunted the dark woods.

Ashunara had decided to make camp a few miles short of the shrine while she sent Azure out to reconnoitre and now she sat by a small camp-fire nursing a bowl of hot soup and a chunk of dark bread as she waited for the canny scout to return.

The camp was well concealed among the trees, with sentries posted. Orcs had brought down a fair-sized deer and several hares so there was the promise of a good hot supper this evening if all went well. Maggie and a couple of slaves had gone about the perimeter of the encampment and gathered winter sloes as well as Greenbriar berries and shoots.

Maggie grinned at Cassie as she gathered the blackthorn berries, "See here now Cassie, these sloe berries can be used to make a very fine gin. I remember my da used to have me pick em in winter and he'd bottle em up in a big kettle with some wild sugar, and then come the spring festival we'd have us as good a drink as may be for toasting in the new crops, while my ma would crush down the used berries in a muslin shroud to make a splendid jam. I remember you liked that jam did you not?"

Cassie smiled at the woman as she remembered the hot jam-covered scones the woman had slipped her way when she worked in the scullery, "I did at that Maggie," the girl looked at the older woman and tears appeared in her eyes, "you was always good to me Maggie, and you never had to be. I ne'er had the chance to say thanks afore now, but... but should they separate us, I'll not... I'll not let you go without you knowing that you was like a mum to me and... and I'll never forget it."

The big woman wrapped a chubby arm around the girl, "Here now lass, no tears, not between friends. I but did what I could for a young lass who needed a hand is all, and I hope one day you might remember and do the same for another should the need arise. But don't be crying, yon Dark Elf Sergeant seemed a decent enough sort, even if she is a soulless night-fiend. I think she'll see us treated fairly enough, and if not, well you never know what the future holds girl, so just keep your chin up and work hard for your new masters, and mayhap we might meet again one day. Now off with ye, take these berries back and put em beside my pot, then go see what yon painted wench is about, for I'm sure she'll be missing you."

Nyx was sitting on a stump of wood as her boots dried by the campfire as she spied Tallis approaching the Captain and she grinned mischievously.

"Good to see you up and about Tallis, how fares things with yon bonny wee knife-throwing lunatic?"

"Huh? Oh, er, she's.. well, its... you know. Er, Captain, do you have a moment?"

Ashunara turned lazily towards the woman, "For sure Tallis, what can I do for you?"

The younger Dark Elf looked uncomfortably between her Commander and the Sergeant, who both regarded the girl with deliberately guileless expressions.

"It's Lily, I mean Liliana, you know, the Sunkissed El..."

"I know who she is Tallis, what of her?"

"Well, Captain, I know I'm only a recruit, and it's not my place, but well, she did save me..."

"Yes?"

Tallis frowned as the Captain simply stared at her, waiting.

"Well, you see, it's just that..."

Nyx butted in, "Oh for... Out with it girl! What are you, a sellsword or a milksop? What in the ten Hells are you trying to say?"

Tallis sighed, and then braced herself, "I don't think it's fair she gets sold on the block Captain, I... I owe her."