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Click here"Or?"
"Or you order a swift and sudden attack. If we can catch that force out of formation as it maneuvers, and so smash into its rear before they can properly form up, we can likely annihilate it with little cost and press on," she shrugged, "of course that increases the risk and exposure to whatever it is you fear."
"Any other word from our scouts?"
"They skirmish with the enemy scouts, with losses on both sides."
Tara glanced off towards the dense woods that skirted both sides of the valley and cursed again, "And so our knowledge as to what lies upon our flanks is significantly impaired."
"As you say."
"Fuck!"
The Captain chuckled, "As you say."
Tara looked at her and snorted, "I hate this job."
She sighed, "Very well, send out more scouts, and use reserves to strengthen our rearguard in case I'm marching us straight into a trap. Then inform the Captains to prepare their Companies. We shall advance."
...
The pyre was made ready, and Ashunara watched as Adair gently lifted the body of Varoona and lowered it onto its final resting place. She sighed wearily, and at her side Nyx reached up to squeeze her shoulder, "It'll be done soon."
There was a slight commotion as Lashelle appeared, and the Captain almost groaned as she cast her eyes towards her oldest friend, for the girl's arrival could only mean one thing. Lifting her chin and squaring her shoulders as a Captain should, she nodded to the younger woman, "He's gone then? He's crossed over?"
The woman's eyes were wide as saucers as she shook her head frantically, "Fuck no! He's asleep, and there's not a mark on the man. I swear just earlier today there was a hole right through him. I patched and padded it myself, and I lost count of the number of stitches I sewed into his hide, and all of it... it's just gone. He's lying there, snoring his damned head off with this daft grin on his face, and his skin looks like that of a new born baby."
"You look like you need a drink, girl."
"Damned right I do."
The smile on Nyx's face was distinctly suspicious, but that was hardly new. Eyes narrowing, she turned to the veteran, "Nyx?"
The older woman shrugged, "Don't look at me. But you'll have to fetch your own flask for that drink. I lost mine."
"Lost?"
She grinned, "Aye, I lost it in a bet."
- COMMENTS
Anonymous3 days agoKindest Gortmundy,
Many thanks for calming the anxious synaptic froth that passes as my cognitive function these days. Pervasive pain seems to have burnt-wired my brain, or at least the part responsible for short term memory. I forgot I was walking down a flight of stairs in mid step the other day resulting in a spectacular and injurious display. Can't remember to take my daily meds, yet without fail I check several times a day for the next chapter of The Tattooed Woman. Thank you for feeding my needy soul. Blessings on you and your keyboard .
With baited breath*
MaryKate
* (Kippers for breakfast!)
Gortmundy4 days agoAuthorDearest MaryKate,
Work is progressing on Chapter 44. It currently sits at 5.5k words. For comparison Chapter 43 was about 7.5k, in fact it looks like seven and a half thousand words is about average for a complete chapter, though its not a hard rule and there's no rationing. But its been a while, though I completely rewrote chapters 2 and 3 in the interim, so this one may be a bit longer as there are a few things to catch up on. But, and just for you, I'll do my best to "gie it laldy". So - Watch this space. Ive not forgotten you guys.
Anonymous4 days agoDearest Gortmundy,
I check everyday for a new chapter and find myself growing despondent in the darkness that is the absence of your brilliance.
I pray your digits have neither been filleted nor amputated, your brain well rested not discombobulated, your inspiration illuminated and all is generally well with you.
Now please get on with it ( you are forbidden to wander off in dementia or God forbid die)! The longer I wait the greater my anxiety that this story will end in true lit fashion......unfinished.
Please don't take this personally, but that being said, I will not be alone in cursing you throughout time and eternity for leaving us all on the ledge.
This is by far the best story on this site. Now that you've got the big head please bend it over a keyboard and kick us starving, baying blathering reading beasts an overdue bone. The chapter will be devoured posthaste as I await surgery #6 or possibly while I recover if you take another month or so.... another chapter is sweeter medicine than what my Doctor doles out.
Hopefully, MaryKate
Spanishgirlsrockabout 1 month agoMy opinion, what a wonderful book it would make, you paint such vivid pictures in my head, I see them all, love it & can't wait for the next chapter
FlowersofFireabout 1 month agoI just finished binge reading this entire series like the novel it is. While it lacks the spicy scenes I usually come to this site for, it’s also a fantastic, enjoyable piece of writing. The characters are so well realized, and it’s just such a fun read! I would like to see this story told straight, without all the flashbacks. It’s good enough that you don’t need the attention-grabbing jump forward and then flashback to keep people reading, and those and the cut-short scenes make the story as a whole sometimes hard to follow. On the whole, though, you’ve gained another reader, and I can’t wait to see the next installment!
dontyouwishyouknewabout 2 months agoSo much fun in this chapter, well, in all your chapters. Gortmundy, you possess a very great skill at bringing delight, humor, and sadness in this reader. You bring such great depth of character yet are able to maintain an ever expanding story line. And on top of all that you continue to add new characters! After just a handful of chapters, Shalidar has gone from a nearly non-existent force behind the scenes to an absolutely delightful imp that deserves more focus. My favorite line from this chapter is, "Well, you're the one who brought a Dragon to a knife-fight. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?" <applaudx5>
On top of all this, while I am more than a few years past my school years, I get to learn new words. 'Mortiferous' is my favorite from this chapter. There seems to be about 1d4-1 words each chapter that I need to look up.
But, lest you grow a great pumpkin on your shoulders from my praises, please note that at one point you omitted a space between a comma and the following word! tsk tsk! Dear god man, are you so completely lacking in skill? <sarcasm>
Noslengabout 2 months agoVery entertaining story and great characters. The pace of the story is a little slow in recent chapters, but still much better than I could ever do. Keep it up.
Anonymousabout 2 months agoBrilliant, I like the twists and turn while still being consistent, very good
Anonymousabout 2 months agoA spectacularly engaging story. I have paid for many books that were much less enjoyable. Thank you and be well.
Anonymousabout 2 months agoHi there.
Ashunara, Nyx, and The Morrigan are extremely entertaining characters. Imagine these three ladies existing for real: They'd take over, send all the old politicians into retirement, and rule the world with chaos, honor and a flask of Queimada.
Plotwise, not much happening, other than the Dark Elven reinforcements making their push. Small wonder their scouts aren't getting their job done, with Ash's squad doing shenanigans behind enemy lines. But I wouldn't be surprised if Ash's company would be back in time for more heoric exploits.
-AshFan01
