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Lowborn Ch. 01

By: Darkniciad



The muscles in Cerebus' bare chest rippled as he hefted the sack of grain into the wagon. It groaned a little under the weight, but had proven its solidity with numerous round trips.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and walked toward the front of the wagon, where his employer was busy secreting a loaded crossbow beneath the seat. "That's the last of 'em."

"Excellent. Excellent. Just one moment, and I will fetch your coin," the rotund merchant responded after a start.

Cerebus' voice had a quality that he'd heard described as sounding like an ominous whisper emerging at normal volume, and it quite often unnerved people. He more or less ignored the nervous twitter in the man's voice, having grown quite accustomed to such reactions over the years. He was the product of a brutal rape by a warrior goblin, and he knew that his features were unsettling to most people. His size and strength alone made him stand out in a crowd, but his pointed ears and odd skin tone with hints of grayish-green marked him as someone unquestionably alien.

Yomen counted out his pay, and then took a deep breath. "I wonder if you might wish to earn some additional coin?"

Cerebus shrugged. "Depends on what I've got to do for it."

"The reports of highwaymen along the road to Lakenshire have grown alarmingly frequent of late, and I fear to undertake the journey alone."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You want me to ride along?"

"I have seen you practice your swordplay, and you seem quite competent. I'm willing to offer double your usual pay, and your normal pay to help me unload when we arrive."

And you can't find another man who will risk the run for what you're willing to pay.

Only a desperate and green mercenary would take the pittance after hearing of the attacks along the road. Fortunately, he had a good reason to accept the opportunity. "I was headed into town today anyway. Let me go belt on my sword and pick up a few things from home, and you've got a deal."

"Splendid. I wish to leave within the hour, in order to reach Lakenshire before nightfall."

"Not a problem," he responded as he turned to walk home, snatching up his shirt from a fencepost as he passed it.

The people crossing to the other side of the hard-pack dirt road barely registered in Cerebus' mind as he walked. All of his thoughts were on the rare visit to the town, and the opportunity to finally earn a little coin with his sword. The short ride might not be much, but it was experience. If he could convince Yomen to speak to other merchants once it was over, he might find more work – perhaps even jaunts beyond the backwater villages and towns of the area.

He could see his sisters and mother through the wavy glass of the kitchen window, already at work on supper. He stayed out of view, and walked to his room at the back of the house, which he'd built with his own two hands to gain a measure of privacy and quiet. The family was used to him coming and going with little to no announcement, and he had no desire to worry his mother with the knowledge that he was going into town.

A loud thud sounded as he turned the corner — a familiar sound of late. As expected, he found his half-brother straightening after a throw of his mace. Though only twelve years old, Vladamir had already found favor with the local priest of Heraklan, and proved a devoted follower of the god.

"Ha! Take that, you ugly troll!" Vladamir declared, and then noticed his brother. "Did you see, Mindblind? The log cracked!"

Cerebus nodded his head, actually quite impressed that the mace had managed to do such damage. Once the boy filled out, he knew that anything — or anyone — in the path of that mace was in big trouble. "Good throw, Vlad."

Vladamir hurried to the log to pick up his mace, as he had not yet mastered the devotion necessary to call upon his god to magically return it to his hand. "I told you that I'm going to come with you on an adventure some time, Mindblind."

Though the nickname was meant as a cruel joke when his sister started it, Cerebus had actually liked the sound of it. He wasn't bothered by having no magical ability, unlike the rest of the family, so it didn't hit home as his sister would have hoped.

"Maybe someday," he responded, though he hoped to have left to find his fortune by the time his younger brother was old enough to leave the novitiate of the priesthood.

"What you doing?"

"Headed into town. Don't tell Mom. I don't want her worrying."

"I won't. Can I come in?"

Mindblind shrugged and answered, "Yeah." His brother was one of the few people he let inside, even though Vladamir could be a pain at times. Deep down, he liked the way his younger sibling admired him — a sharp contrast to the way most people treated him.

His room was utilitarian, meant for little more than sleeping and storing his things. The closest thing he possessed to decoration was the wooden frame where he hung his leather armor, shield, and sword.

"You're going on an adventure," Vladamir declared when he saw his brother pull down the armor.

"No, just into town. I'm riding with Yomen as a guard," he argued as he pulled on the chest piece of his armor.

"It is too an adventure."

"Okay, it's an adventure, if that will make you happy."

"You have to tell me all about it when you come home. You can't leave out anything because you think it will give me nightmares."

"All you're going to get is a story about a bumpy wagon ride, but okay."

A voice rang out from outside. "Vladamir!"

Cerebus cinched up the strap he was working on and nodded toward the door. "You'd better get going, or Mom'll tan your hide."

"You promised," his brother reminded him, and then hurried out the door.

"Adventure," he muttered, and then chuckled. 

Maybe once I get there and make it to the Cat.

That thought convinced him to finish strapping on his armor in a hurry.

****

The ride into town proved to be exactly as he had predicted. Either the bandits reputed to have taken over the road were well-fatted and resting, or decided that a single wagon loaded with grain wasn't worth risking their lives for.

With more coin in his pocket than expected after helping the merchant unload, Cerebus decided to splurge on a night at the inn. Most times, he made the long walk home in the dark after visits to town. Having the extra coin, needing a safe place to leave his sword and armor, and the summer storm approaching made the decision to stay for the night an easy one.

A loud squeal drew his attention, and Mindblind rolled his eyes at the sight of a young blonde woman playfully fleeing from one of the local boys. He returned his gaze to his path just in time to see someone emerging from a storefront ahead, right in front of him.

The man snorted, lifted his chin, and tried to look down his nose at Cerebus — an impossibility because he was at least a foot shorter in stature. "Watch where you're going. If you cannot manage simple courtesy and manners, do the rest of the civilized world the kindness of remaining in your rude fields and barns."

His fingers curling into a fist, Mindblind watched the immaculately dressed, boyishly handsome man walk away, superimposed by a daydream of him lying face-down in a pile of horse droppings. The flash of anger lasted only for a few seconds, and he blew out the last of it in a snort as he continued on his way.

It hadn't always been so easy to rein in such thoughts without acting on them. He had a pointed reminder of that only moments later.

Once again, someone stepped into his path — intentionally this time. This wasn't his first run-in with the man who served as the law in Lakenshire, and he doubted that it would be the last. Reed had been fourteen — six years older than Cerebus — when they'd first crossed each other's paths. He'd made the mistake of calling Mindblind's mother a whore, and received a beating that left his nose crooked.

"Move it along," Reed growled, his hand on his sword.

"That's what I was trying to do until you got in my way."

The guard captain's eyes hardened. "That's not what I saw. If I hadn't been here, you had every intention of assaulting an unarmed man."

"Not worth my time," he retorted, irritation creeping into his voice even as the sound of thunder from the approaching storm grew louder.

"He's worth a dozen of you." Reed pointed his finger and warned. "I'm watching you."

"Guess I'll be safe from pickpockets while I'm in town then," Mindblind said as he walked around his nemesis. The irritation that he'd felt drained away almost instantly when the sarcastic remark entered his head. It was one of the numerous tricks that he'd learned to keep his emotions under iron-clad control. He could feel Reed's eyes boring into his back, but didn't bother to look back.

Thunder crashed and the clouds opened as he stepped onto the wooden porch of the inn. The innkeeper didn't look any less nervous when he approached the counter than the last time he'd splurged on an overnight stay in town. As before, he paid for his room without a word, and accepted the key.

The storm fully descended as he climbed the stairs. He could feel the building shaking from the force of the wind. The pounding of the rain against the walls and roof was only outstripped in volume by the deafening thunderclaps. He had to wait for a flash of lightning to find the keyhole for his door when he reached it, because the only lanterns lit at the moment were shaking too much to offer any steady light.

Once he finished unbuckling and removing his armor, Cerebus looked out the window and discovered that he couldn't see across the street through the blinding sheets of rain, even when lightning split the gloom. No man without a good reason would even consider going out into such a display of nature's fury.

He had a damn good reason.

****

When the door opened, Delly looked up from her mortar and pestle, which contained a mixture of talc and rose petals. Her voice was filled with surprise bordering on incredulity. "Really?"

The new girl, a large breasted young blonde assigned to Delly to break in, nodded her head and answered, "Tamara said to tell you that there was someone here for you."

Delly dusted some of the powder under her arms. "Hell, Kayleen — he must be fit to bust if he's out in this."

"I was supposed to tell you that it's him — whatever that means."

Her eyes coming alight, Delly hurried to the door and looked down over the balcony to see Cerebus trying to shake off some of the water pouring from his body after the long walk to the brothel at the far edge of town. Even though the worst of the storm had passed, the rain was still torrential.

"He's frightening. How can you..?"

"Honey, you'll learn in time to forget the faces, even when you're looking at them." She tugged the younger woman back toward her door. "Cerebus is different, though. Give me a minute or two to get ready, and then bring him up."

The young woman's voice warbled with anxiety. "Me?"

"You're going to have worse humping you — a lot worse. He won't hurt you." She licked her lips in anticipation and added, "Exactly the opposite, if I was foolish enough to let you have a romp with him. Go on, then."

Kayleen had already learned not to question one of the established women of the Cat — both for the knowledge they possessed and the pull they had with the Madame — so she did as Delly asked.

Meanwhile, Delly hurried to get ready for her favorite client. She stripped off her nightgown and panties in favor of similar, worn garments from a bottom drawer. Even though she'd washed up after her last client an hour ago, she did so again before changing. In front of the mirror, she teased out her long red hair, and made sure that her stiff nipples were well displayed. Then, she went to wait by the door.

****

Mindblind could tell that the woman was new — and scared of him. Her voice had quavered a bit when she'd greeted him, and her gait was stiff as she led him to Delly's door. The door opened almost before the sound of the blonde's knock had ended. All contemplation of his guide vanished from Cerebus' mind when he saw Delly. She wore a wide smile as she greeted him. "It's been too long."

"Yeah," he agreed, and then brushed a dripping lock of his dark hair out of his eyes to better admire her barely hidden body.

The blonde started to walk away from the door, but Delly said, "Wait," before leaning in to whisper in Cerebus' ear. "Kayleen is new, and I'm showing her the ropes. Mind if I see if she can handle it?"

When she leaned back, he glanced over his shoulder at the nervous blonde, and then answered, "No problem."

With a stroke of her hand between his legs, Delly guided him into the room. She then told Kayleen, "It's time to see if you really know what you're getting into," and waved her into the room as well.

The door creaked as Delly closed it behind her protégée. Cerebus avoided sitting on the bed, since his clothes were soaked. He leaned back against the wall instead to remove his boots as the women approached. He nearly thought better of it when he felt the wall groan in protest. Though stained and shiny, the wood was little more than a decorative partition, having little structural support.

Kayleen paused at the foot of the bed, but Delly swooped in on him for a kiss. She pressed her body up against him and squeezed his already hard cock through his pants. She licked her lips and moaned after the hungry, tongue-wrangling kiss, and then turned to Kayleen.

"Why don't you show him what you've got? You may as well get used to taking your clothes off."

Though her expression still held hints of fear, Kayleen reached for the strap on her left shoulder and slid it down. The right followed, slow enough to be sensual, but quick enough for an impatient customer. A tug pulled the cloth past her large breasts to fully reveal them, and then the thin cotton pooled at her feet.

"I think she'll do just fine," Delly purred into his ear.

He could hardly disagree as he devoured her with his eyes and groaned from Delly's hand still caressing his erection.

Kayleen's panties slipped over her hips, and she turned as she bent low to remove them, giving her audience a fine view of her rounded ass. When she stood back up, she stroked her right hand in a sexy display on her hip while combing her fingertips through the manicured curls surrounding her sex with the other.

"Mmm — good. Now come over here and undress him. You may as well practice that too."

Once again, Kayleen remembered the cues that Delly had offered, and she strutted toward him with a sway in her hips that made his cock throb. As soon as she reached him, she tugged his saturated shirt free of his pants, though her hands trembled a bit. He could see something new in the blonde's eyes once she pulled his shirt up over his head — surprise.

Delly stroked her hand over his well-defined, completely bare chest. A part of the goblin half of his heritage, no hair would ever grow on his body save for the long dark locks atop his head, and the bristly shadow of a beard on his chin. He knew that Delly loved it, and Kayleen seemed quite fascinated as well.

"Go on," Delly encouraged the younger woman. "Look into his eyes."

He grasped Delly's ass as Kayleen unbuckled his belt and let the ends hang free from the loops. She followed the older woman's advice, looking up into his eyes while she tugged loose the knot holding his pants closed.

The blonde's eyes popped open, looking as wide as saucers, when his cock sprang free. Delly immediately wrapped her hand around him, her fingers unable to touch around his girth. As much of the turgid flesh showed above and below her petite hand as it hid as she stroked him.

"Don't get used to seeing something as gorgeous as this," Delly cautioned after a sensual purr. "Give it a little squeeze. Show me that you're ready."

Delly released his cock, and Kayleen curled her fingers around it. He groaned as she looked up into his eyes with a breathless expression and arched her back to thrust her over-abundant breasts out at him.

With a little laugh, Delly said, "Okay, I think you'll do. Go ahead and get dressed and head back to your room. As soon as Cerebus and me are done playing, I'll tell Madame Yasmine that you're ready."

Kayleen still looked nervous, but also relieved. She hesitated for a moment before releasing Mindblind's cock, too. Delly didn't leave his erection unattended for long, though. He growled in anticipation and teased her nipples through her thin gown as her hand pumped over his stiff cock.

He was in no condition to wait. Before Kayleen even managed to close the door, he picked up Delly with an almost effortless bunching of his muscles, and tossed her to the bed. He climbed into the bed and straddled the redheaded prostitute, pressing his lips to hers.

"Enough playing around," Delly demanded.

With a growl, he rose up above her on his knees. He curled his fingers into the neckline of her sheer gown and pulled. The hem at the neck resisted his bulging muscles for a second, and then parted with a loud rip. The remainder of the gown tore like paper. He tossed aside the frayed remnants and sat back on his heels so that he could reach her panties.

The undergarments were old, and would have long ago met a fiery end in the burn pit, if Delly didn't save such for his visits. It was she who had suggested the rough play, but he found that he quite enjoyed it. A frayed hole just large enough for a finger was all the purchase he needed. The panties proved no more resistant to his strength than her gown, leaving her body bared amongst a halo of ripped cloth.

Cerebus fell forward on his hands and took one of her big, rosy colored nipples between his lips. He sucked it hard, rolling it with his tongue, and sometimes scraping it with his teeth — exactly as she'd instructed him that she liked it. From the very first time he'd paid to share her bed, she had treated him differently than most of her clients, instructing him much as she instructed the young women assigned to her by the madame.

The rewards for the special attention were great for both of them.

She smoothed his wet hair as he hovered over her and sucked her nipples, his twitching cock occasionally brushing the fiery red curls between her legs. Her other hand caressed his back, delighting in the feeling of his powerful muscles. Her moans were very much real, unlike the act she usually put on for her clients.

He held her right nipple tight between his lips, pulling it upward until it slipped free and snapped back, causing her breast to jiggle. He continued to rise, straightening his elbows, and then pushing up onto his knees. The throbbing between his legs was simply too powerful to ignore.

He smiled as she sat up and curled her fingers around his erection. She pushed on his chest, and he sat down when she pulled her legs from beneath him. He groaned loud and long as Delly's wet tongue caressed him from root to tip, over and over again, coating his cock with her saliva. She teased the mushroom tip with a lingering swirl of her tongue once he was well wetted, and then took him in hand to stroke his cock while she turned her head sideways and pushed his legs farther apart.

Her tongue tickled his balls with quick flicks, while her hand pumped up and down his cock. Delly gave in to the excitement that lapping his hairless orbs always aroused within her, making hungry sounds all the while. She yelped when he gathered a handful of her hair and pulled her up. He was ready for more than a tease, and the way she engulfed him in her hot mouth a moment later revealed that she was as well.


Lowborn Ch. 01



No other woman — even other prostitutes — could take him as deep as Delly. She opened wide, her lips stretching around his girth, and took him all the way into her throat with regularity. He kept a tight grip on her hair, pushing and pulling as her head bobbed over his cock. She enjoyed the feeling of vulnerability, and he was more than happy to indulge her.

His hips began to twitch up toward her lips when she picked up the pace. Delly moaned around him, the sound mingling with the croaks of his swollen tip pushing into her throat. She rolled his balls in one cupped hand, while letting her middle finger slide even farther back, to strum over the ropy flesh below. Her other hand occasionally lifted her breast and teased the nipple for his eager eyes.

The itch in the tip of Cerebus' cock swelled from her relentless effort. She never paused, or slowed, accepting his cock as no other woman could. He didn't have to tell her that he was close — she knew. His fingers tightened in her hair, and then he let out an explosive growl as he blasted his semen against the back of her throat.

Delly moaned in approval as his thick cream filled her mouth. She continued to suck and swallow, draining him dry, until he jerked her away from his oversensitive organ. She gathered up a few dribbles that had escaped from the corners of her mouth with a finger, and licked it clean.

Cerebus let out a growling chuckle, his head falling back to the bed. Delly crawled over him to kiss his neck and chest, rubbing her moist folds over his stomach. She continued to tease him, caressing him with her entire body as he recovered from the explosion in her mouth.

"I am so going to miss this when you have the good sense to find someone who will do it for free," she said, and then swirled her tongue over his earlobe.

Still lying back with his eyes closed, he grunted and said, "Yeah. Sure that's going to happen."

"Honey, I would in a heartbeat. Yasmine has been good to me, though. It would feel like betraying her to run off with you. Besides, I'm just a whore."

"So?"

She laughed, the sound a little derisive. "All I've ever been is a whore. It's all I know. You need someone who does more than fuck."

"Don't know about that."

"I do, and if I ever find out you passed up the opportunity to give that cock to someone else..."

"Plenty to go around," he said, cutting her off and opening his eyes.

"That so?" She rolled off of him, and then wormed her way between his legs. She bent his knees so that she could sit between them, facing away from him, and looked back over her shoulder.

He knew what she wanted.

A deep moan escaped Delly as he sat up and pulled her against him, nestling his softened cock in the cleft of her buttocks. He kissed her neck, squeezing her breasts and pinching her nipples, causing her to arch her back and gasp. His right hand released her breast and dropped between her legs even as she sucked air into her lungs.

Cerebus curled two fingers and thrust them deep into the redhead's clinging sheath. He pulled her even tighter against him, holding her in place as his fingers plunged into her pussy. With her arms pinned at her side, she was helpless in his grasp.

A steady stream of whimpers, yelps, and moans bubbled up from her lips. He let his thumb slide over her clit, rubbing it with every stroke of his hand, building her fires even higher. She writhed against his strength, not really trying to escape, but unable to sit still in light of the pleasure he was giving her.

Mindblind's hot breath stirred her hair as she drew ever closer to final ecstasy. She knew it was coming, but she still whimpered in frustration when his fingers slipped from inside her. He held her tight, keeping her from finding any relief that could push her over the edge. She pleaded with him to make her come, as she always did, but he denied her until her fires cooled.

Then he buried his fingers inside her once more.

Over and over again, he brought her to the pinnacle of pleasure, only to deny her release. Her begging turned even more desperate, her body hot against him and beaded with sweat. His cock hardened against her ass, foreshadowing things to come.

As the trembling — almost weeping — prostitute neared the point of no return again, Cerebus' other hand left her breast and centered over her clit. After only a few quick circles of his fingers, she erupted into orgasm.

He kept one set of fingers buried inside her, the other still mercilessly rubbing her bud. Delly's tight-throated scream of ecstasy filled the room. He kept her within the grip of her orgasm, growing more excited as she writhed in his grasp.

She was still coming when he dug his slick fingers into her hips and lifted her to her knees. Her hands dropped to the bed to support her, and his right hand left her hip just long enough to guide his cock inside her.

A loud wail that trailed off into a croak accompanied his thick cock invading her depths. He grunted when he hit bottom, and pulled back to thrust again, several weeks worth of pent up desire fueling his ardor.

The bed creaked in protest amidst the loud smacks of two bodies colliding, and Delly's screams. Her first orgasm from his fingers never really ended before a second took control of her body. Her intimate muscles clamped down, but were no match for the strength of his thrusts. Caught in a near constant state of exquisite agony, she couldn't tell where one climax ended and the next began.

Cerebus drank in the sight of her rocking forward every time he slammed his cock home. She was soaking wet, her juices spurting out around him — so unlike the other prostitutes who had just gone through the motions. He felt his seed surging up, and gave in to the inevitable.

He buried his cock with a thrust so powerful that one of her hands slipped out from beneath her, and she fell face down into the sheets. He erupted with a growling cry of release, filling her full of hot cream.

In the midst of the cacophony, neither of them heard the sounds of struggle downstairs.

Cerebus was leaning over her twitching body, his cum still pumping into her depths, when the door burst open.

Kayleen screamed in terror and fell to the floor as she tried to scramble away from the intruder following her into the room. Mindblind's danger instinct overcame the lethargy of his orgasm, and he pulled free of Delly, slinging milky strands of their mingled juices as he spun to face the door.

The man was masked, and carrying shackles. Cerebus knew a slaver when he saw one, and immediately sprang from the bed. The slaver's eyes — the only visible part of his face — went wide as Cerebus cocked his fist and loosed a punch.

The man spun from the force of the blow, cracked his head on the doorframe, and went down in a heap. Unfortunately, he was not alone. A second and third man appeared on the balcony before the first had even hit the floor.

Mindblind charged onto the balcony to see more slavers dragging prostitutes from their rooms or down the stairs, and the bordello's two guards lying dead on the floor below. Men with swords and knives ran toward the stairs upon seeing the struggle above. 

His fist connected with the jaw of one of the slavers, and the man went through the railing. A short scream of terror ended in a sickening thud, just as a pair of shackles smacking him in the face snapped Mindblind's head to the side.

Though groggy, with tears of pain filling his eyes, he managed to brace one arm against the wall and snap out a kick. The powerful strike caught the man square in the groin, bending him over double and sending him hurtling into the rail. The slaver was fortunate that the rail held, and he fell to the wooden floor, retching from the pain between his legs.

Another man charging to help wasn't so lucky, and tripped over the vomiting slaver. Before he could regain his balance, Mindblind redirected the attacker's momentum and added his strength to slam the man face first into the wall. Shackles fell from nerveless fingers as the slaver slid down to the floor.

He had just enough time to recognize the jingling of a chain before the improvised weapon caught him in the back of the head. This time, his will wasn't enough to hold back the blackness.

****

Hope you've enjoyed this first chapter! Because these are shorter chapters than normal, I'll be posting chapters twice per week ( Lit willing and the crik don't rise ) The entire story is already written, so only Lit's queue should delay things.

If you want to know where this story falls in relation to the rest of my stories in Danica's world, check out my Bio to find the timeline.

For those who are wondering: Yes, SOTM is still in progress. It's just difficult sometimes, because it's so deeply connected to my late wife. It will be finished, but I won't say how quickly. That's why I only start posting complete stories now.

Please do take a moment to vote ( only once! ) Comments, emails, author and story favorites are also nice boosts. It's the feedback that keeps me coming back for more.



Lowborn Ch. 02



Mindblind came to, feeling rain on his face and grass beneath his back. With a great deal of effort, he managed to open his eyes and sit up. His vision swam, and he could feel the knots beneath his hair when he reflexively rubbed his head. A glance up revealed the reason for his current location.

By some twist of fate, when the slaver had knocked him out, he'd fallen through the large double window upstairs. It swung open in the wind, illuminated by fitful light from the lanterns inside. From there, he must have bounced off the roof of the back room of the brothel, to the ground below. The back door stood open as well, banging against the frame.

He had no idea how long he'd been out, but he couldn't hear any sounds of struggle from within the brothel. With his senses returning, he managed to stand, feeling mud slithering down his back and buttocks. By the time he reached the back door, he was walking steadily, although he had a pounding headache.

A few groans were the only sounds he could hear as he passed through the dimly lit storage room into the brothel. The scene was much as he remembered it, with the guards lying dead. The slaver he'd knocked through the railing sprawled lifeless on a decorative table. The Madame was unconscious behind her counter, though she was moving a little and groaned as Cerebus walked past. He couldn't see any bruises or blood, and assumed that she'd fainted.

He climbed the stairs, his eyes focused on the door to Delly's room, which still stood open. It quite nearly cost him his life, because two doors down from her room, a woman popped out with a dagger in hand.

She pulled her stab, missing him as he put up his arms in a weak defense. "You're not one of them," she guessed.

Still wary, he answered, "No."

The woman had coal-dark hair, cut short, and wore only a long shirt that barely reached her upper thighs. The garment was soaked through, probably from the rain, and did little to hide her small breasts, which were still quite substantial for her petite frame.

Even as he evaluated her, her eyes took him in as well. Her eyebrows popped up for a second when she glanced between his legs, and she let out a curious little grunt.

"How long have they been gone?" He finally asked.

"A few minutes. I managed to jump out a window before they could grab me." She saw his eyes focus on Delly's door again, and shook her head.

"They took her?"

"No," she answered, her eyes already telling him what he didn't want to know.

Cerebus hurried to Delly's door, and found her lying on the floor in a pool of blood, next to an equally lifeless slaver.

The woman walked up next to him and said, "She took one of the bastard sons with her. Stabbed him in the tripes."

Even though he knew that it would probably anger the Madame, Cerebus lifted Delly to the bed, and covered her with a sheet. The woman who ran the place would just have to buy a new bed. He wasn't going to leave her lying on the floor.

"She's probably one of the lucky ones," the dark-haired woman remarked.

Anger flared in him as he spun to see the woman holding a towel. He fought down the burst of emotion, because he knew that she was right. He accepted the towel to get as much of the mud off of him as possible before dressing.

"I'm gonna go get dressed," she said, echoing his thoughts.

Mindblind avoided looking at the lifeless body of the prostitute on the bed as he dressed in his wet, clammy clothing. The other woman returned as Cerebus was pulling on his boots. Now dressed in dark clothing, stiff with leather slabs that served as protective armor, her feminine charms were mostly hidden. She walked close and whispered, "Time to go. The law just showed up."

Cerebus had to agree. He wouldn't put it past Reed to accuse him of conspiring with the slavers. He had to wonder why the woman was so keen to avoid an encounter with the law, though.

Fortunately, the position of Delly's door on the balcony meant that they were hidden from view of the lawmen talking to the awakened Madame. With the window that he'd fallen out of only a few steps away, Cerebus paused to see what his old rival planned to do.

"Why aren't you going after them?" The Madame asked. "My girls have been taken — my guards murdered. There may be more dead upstairs."

"Yeah, they're going to jump right to horse to seek justice for whores, thieves, and a half-breed," the woman standing near Mindblind said in a sarcastic whisper.

"We have no idea who perpetrated this crime, and only a vague notion of which direction..."

That was all Cerebus needed to hear. Reed wasn't going to do a damn thing.

Not that he'd really expected otherwise.

He headed for the window, the woman right behind him. None of Reed's men were behind the building — yet another sign that he never planned to pursue any course of action, other than making a show of investigating. The drop to the roof, and then the ground, proved no trouble. Mindblind's height meant that he had only a short distance to fall when his arms were fully extended. The woman proved quite agile, bouncing down to the ground near him with all the grace of a cat.

The pair crept away from the building at a quick pace. When he turned toward the town, she said, "Are you nuts, half-breed? You're the first one they're going to suspect."

"Gotta get my sword and armor from the inn."

"You going after them?"

"Yep," he growled in answer, the tightly contained, slow boil of anger at Delly's death giving him direction and conviction to do exactly that.

"Want some company?"

Mindblind paused and looked back for a moment.

"They've got my sister," she said, answering his unspoken question.

"Good chance we'll get killed."

"Better chance that they will," she hissed in response.

He grinned, liking her answer. "Yeah, we can watch each other's backs."

"Don't go to the front door of the inn. I'll take care of getting your stuff," she said as she led the way. "What's your name — unless you want me calling you half-breed the whole way."

"Mindblind."

She let out a grunt of surprise. "If you think that's better. Okay, Mindblind, you can call me Raven."

The rain slackened as the two of them neared the inn. Raven asked him what room he was in, and then led him to the back of the building. Once there, she pulled off her shoes, and ascended the wall like a spider, somehow finding finger and toe-holds between the stones of the chimney and the boards of the wall.

As remarkable as that feat was, Cerebus was even more surprised when she held on to the window sill with one hand, and popped the window latch with the other, using some tool she'd pulled from a pocket. In less than a minute, she was within the room above.

Raven tossed down his sword, shield, purse, and armor, her aim perfect. She then closed the window and climbed down with the same effortless ease that she'd ascended. "C'mon, I need to get some things from my kip. Those fucks will be heading south, so it's along the way."

"Good enough for me." Cerebus belted on his sword, and slipped his shield over his arm, but carried his armor for the moment. He decided that getting out of town was probably the prudent course at this point.

She must have known the muddy trails that passed as roads in the area, because Raven moved unerringly along her way. Mindblind could barely see, as the storm clouds still obscured most of the moonlight that might have lit the path. Eventually, a pair of large structures emerged from the gloom.

Raven led him toward the side of the dilapidated farm house, which had obviously been long abandoned. "It's going to be a bit of a tight fit for you, but I think you can make it." She then knelt down and moved a pair of boards, revealing a hole in the stones that built up a cellar entrance. In a matter of seconds, she vanished inside.

Cerebus indeed found the fit tight, and doubted that he could have made it through in his armor. In the end, he alighted on the cellar floor with only a few annoying scrapes, just as a lantern flared to life.

"We may as well rest for the night," she suggested. "They aren't going to get far with the roads turned to soup by the rain, and we aren't likely to get another chance to sleep without setting a watch."

While she went to replace the boards and a tarp that obscured the entrance, Mindblind took in his surroundings. She had a couple of wooden boxes for storage, what looked like a fairly comfortable sleeping pallet on the floor, and a curious red stone sitting in what looked like a firepit, though it was obvious that no fire had ever burned there.

"It's magic," Raven explained when she returned. "Pinched it from some wizard. He was nice enough to have left instructions with the lot of them. I've got six scattered in all my kips. Keeps the place warm, and you can cook on it without smoke."

"Surprised that nobody has found the place."

"Guy that built it went crazy one night and killed his whole family. Hacked them to bits, then dived off the roof onto a fence post. Everybody thinks the place is haunted, and I help that out whenever anybody snoops around."

With that, she pulled off her overshirt, revealing that she still wore the long shirt that he'd first seen her in. It was still soaked, and still did little to hide her charms.

Not that she made any effort to do so.

With a complete lack of shame, her pants followed, and then the shirt. When she stood clothed in nothing but a soaked pair of panties, she turned back and smiled at her guest. "May as well get out of those wet clothes, or its going to be a pretty miserable night."

"Yeah," he agreed, though the look in her eyes suggested that miserable was the last word he was likely to use to describe this evening, if she had anything to say about it. An image of Delly passed through his mind, bringing with it a pang of guilt, but he bottled it up with the rest of his emotions. To linger on those emotions was to let them control him.

Delly had always told him that he needed to loosen up, let women find out who he really was. Even though she obviously enjoyed his visits, she always made sure their relationship stayed at a reasonably professional level. As she did the last time, she always asked when he was going to get around to finding some woman to poke for free.

Maybe now was his chance to fulfill that wish.

He pulled off his shirt, and kept his eyes on her as she let her panties fall to the floor. A nest of curls as dark as those on her head adorned her mound. She put her hands on her hips and cocked them to the side, offering a crooked smile. "See something you like?" When he nodded, she said, "Saw something that interested me back at the Cat, too."

Cerebus remembered her glance back at the bawdy house, and removed the rest of his clothing while she hung hers from nails on the floor joists above. She let out a purr when he dropped his pants to reveal his hard cock.

She sauntered toward her pallet while he found nails to hang up his clothing, her eyes locked on his bobbing erection. When he joined her at the pallet, she wrapped her hand around his cock and said, "I'm still worked up, because I got interrupted before I could have any fun at the Cat."

Mindblind growled and stroked his hands over her taut ass. "Didn't know they had men there."

"They don't," she said, and then gave him a slightly harder squeeze.

When the realization of that statement dawned on him, his eyes widened.

Raven licked her lips and said, "That made you throb. Ever seen two women get each other off?"

"Nope." He let his left hand glide to her breast and pinched her nipple.

"Love it, but I could never get along without cock." She nodded toward the pallet and said, "Lie down."

The pallet was a little prickly from whatever the mattress was stuffed with, but relatively comfortable. He'd barely settled onto his back before Raven straddled him, and squatted down. She was in no mood to waste time, and bent forward over his body, supporting her weight on one arm. Her other hand, she used to guide his cock.

Cerebus grunted as she rubbed the tip of his organ against her nether lips. Once it was slick with her wetness, she eased her hips back and groaned. "Fuck, that's big," she breathed in a rush, once the head of his cock had popped inside her.

She squeezed him tight — hot and wet around him — making him want more. He tried to lift his hips, but she rose up with him, not letting him penetrate any farther until she was ready. After a couple of deep breaths, she shifted the position of her knees, taking him deeper into her slippery canal.

With every inch of him that pushed inside her, she let out a groan. Her mouth hung open, and she breathed heavily, steadily engulfing his manhood. At last, she sat up straight on his cock and growled.

He stroked his hands over her legs and hips, drinking in the sight of her impaled on his cock.

"So fucking full," she breathed, and then started rocking her hips back and forth, stirring his cock inside her. She gasped and groaned, letting her head loll from side to side as pleasure flooded through her.

He'd never had a woman take control before, as almost the total of his sexual experience came from prostitutes. He was more than content to watch her as she rode him, her hips moving in circles, back and forth, and bouncing off his loins. Though she felt amazing, he didn't feel as though he was going to come any time soon.

Raven's movements grew more frantic, her breasts jiggling from her efforts. She braced one hand on her thigh, and the other slipped between her legs. Her sounds of pleasure grew louder as her fingers circled over her clit.

"Oh that's good. Fuck yeah," she cried out, her expression growing tight, and a rosy flush rising in her skin, all the way down to her breasts.

He could feel her juices dripping down his balls, a testament to just how wet she was. The tight embrace and satiny smoothness of her pussy was beginning to cause the first tickles of approaching orgasm within him, but she was well in the lead.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" She squealed, her ass slamming down onto him with each exclamation. Then, she descended one final time, and let out a high-pitched mixture of a growl and a groan.

Raven trembled atop him; her walls clamped down on him tighter than anything he'd ever experienced. She sucked in a great gasp of air, and then let it out in an explosive breath, her mouth remaining open afterwards, and her eyes tightly closed. Her fingers still twitched fitfully over her bud, every touch causing her to lurch from a sharp jolt of ecstasy.

She lost control in the throes of her orgasm, and Cerebus took advantage of it. He flexed his muscles, thrusting his cock up into her clenched canal.

Her eyes shot open, and she let out a half-cry that ended in a croak. She fell forward onto her arms, but they were too weak to support her. Even as her hot, flushed breasts pressed against his chest, he bent his knees and grabbed her ass.

A loud, staccato scream erupted from her as his cock drove up into her. Held fast in his grip, there was nothing she could do to resist the onslaught. After several rapid breaths, she revealed that she had no intention of resisting.

"Yes — fuck me," she growled.

After that, she could manage no articulate sound. She growled and gasped, her cries animalistic — almost feral. Her tight expression matched her screams as he took her with all the strength and speed he could manage from the somewhat awkward position. Between her vocalizations of almost painful pleasure, Cerebus could hear every thrust of his manhood into her saturated pussy.

Her scream when she climaxed a few seconds later could have very well been mistaken for a death cry. His ears protested at the volume and pitch, but he smiled, nonetheless. Her muscles tightened to rock-hardness in his grasp for several more thrusts, and then went completely limp.

A cough shook her, and then she panted for breath, though her struggle for oxygen was interrupted by his still-thrusting manhood. After a few more strokes, he relented, leaving his cock buried deep inside her, but releasing his grip.

Raven managed to catch her breath, and at last could revel in the feeling of his cock throbbing inside her as shocks of orgasmic energy continued to shoot through her. She moaned and twitched, sometimes moving her hips just enough to make her climax spike again.

Finally, she drifted down from her heights, and let out a long, satisfied moan. "Damn, that was good," she breathed.

"Hell yeah," Cerebus growled in response.

"Do you... Do you ever come?" She asked in a languid voice, and then chuckled.

"Close."

Reaching deep into reserves of strength, Raven managed to lever up onto her arms, and then sit upright with him still inside her. After a shiver from the lingering effects of her orgasm, she lifted her hips just enough for him to slip free. She crawled over him, and lay down on her back in the scant space remaining on the pallet.

"I want it," she said in a breathless, sexy voice.

Cerebus rolled the opposite way to push up onto his hands and knees. At the same time, she scooted into the center of the makeshift bed as he made room for her to do so. When he rose up onto his knees, she bent her legs, grabbed her ankles and pulled them back until her knees were pointed at her ears.

"Do it. Give it to me," she demanded.

More than eager for that release, he moved to kneel in front of her and guided the head of his cock through the wet curls around her sex. He watched his erection vanish into her depths, groaning from the tight squeeze, and then grabbed her hips.

Raven groaned every time his balls slapped up against her, the power of his thrusts causing her whole body to rock and her breasts to jiggle. He knew that he wasn't going to last long, driving his cock home so hard and fast in this position.

"Give it to me," she reiterated in a growl.

He did exactly that, giving her all the speed and strength he could muster. Droplets of her juices squirted out around his fast-thrusting organ, further wetting the dark hair between her legs, and spattering on his body.

The itch in the tip of his cock intensified, slowly traveling down the shaft. He lost a little of his rhythm as he neared the point of no return, emitting a series of loud, grunting growls.

He slammed his cock home, his body colliding with hers in a sharp smack, and let out a long, loud grunt. His shaft pulsed as spurts of thick white cream filled her pussy full. Only his grip on her hips — and then her knees when she released her ankles to unfold her body — kept him upright. He didn't think he was ever going to stop coming as he watched her rub her tummy and lick her lips.

"Damn me, but I needed that," she said after a while.

Mindblind chuckled, and then winced when she mischievously clamped down on his softening organ. He pulled free with a sharp growl, unable to endure her gripping walls any longer in his sensitive state. He sat back hard, and then leaned back on his arms. 

Raven brought a dollop of his cream to her lips, the viscous offering already seeping from her gaped canal. She moaned, and then smiled. "Just wanted to thank you for coming with me. There's no way I could have done this alone."

"No... No problem," he responded with a weak smile.

"Besides, I really did need some cock — badly — and I'd heard you with Delly before. She doesn't scream like that when she's playing for customers, so I knew you were doing something fun for her."

When his expression darkened upon hearing Delly's name, Raven quickly added, "We'll get the fuckers and make them pay." She scooted over, giving him room to lie down.

Mindblind collapsed onto the pallet, exhaustion seemingly taking control of every inch of him in an instant.




Lowborn Ch. 02



"Get some rest. We're safe here."

He didn't have much choice. He fell dead asleep a mere minute after lying down.

****

"Think I'm gonna have to pinch a new mattress before I use this kip again," Raven remarked when Cerebus sat up after awakening from an increase in light and a change in the sounds of the cellar hideaway. "We pretty much did that one in. Whole place smells of sweat and sex."

She glanced down at his cock and licked her lips. "Worth it though."

Mindblind chuckled, and noticed that she'd placed a bucket filled with water next to the mattress. A scrap of cloth hung from the side.

"That one's for cleaning up. Got some for us to drink, too. It's right around dawn. Sun hadn't popped up yet when I was out."

Noticing that her clothes were wet, he asked, "Still raining?"

She nodded. "Lousy traveling weather. For them too, though."

Mindblind grabbed the cloth and went to work washing away the abundant evidence of the previous night's tryst. They could leave the road and make far better time than the wagons bogged down in the mud. It was about the only chance they had of catching the slaver's caravan.

Once he'd cleaned up and dressed, Raven handed him a small pack. "A few essentials. I keep a couple in every kip. Should be enough for us to survive, if not comfortably. Ready to go?"

"What do you think our chances of finding them are?"

A crooked smile spread across her face. "The slave traders always take the same route south. They avoid the few places where the law might harass them, and the most expensive bribes. People have started calling it the Weeping Way. Weird for any of them to come this far north during storm season. They don't like our weather. We'll find them."

Cerebus responded with a nod and a grunt. He didn't know exactly what they were going to do when they did find the slavers — he just knew that it wasn't going to be pretty.

The walk was dreary and dismal from the start. Even off the muddy road, the thick grasses of the plains made traveling unpleasant. The rain came down at a light, but steady pace, soaking them both to the skin in only a short distance.

"There — see that?" Raven noted, pointing toward the road. "Those ruts are a lot wider than normal."

"Yeah..." he said, not making the connection.

"Draxnians use wider wheels on their wagons. The place is dry, with lots of spots that are sand. The wider wheels help keep them from bogging down as bad."

He and Raven both turned at the same time, recognizing the sound of a horse moving at a fast pace.

"C'mon," Raven said in a low voice, and tugged him farther away from the road. She ducked down into the tall grass, facing the road, and Mindblind joined her.

The riders came into view a minute or so later, horses in full gallop. Cerebus' eyes narrowed when he realized who the lead man was.

"Reed," he growled, as he stared at the man's back.

"Who?"

"The captain of the Lakenshire guard."

"Know him, huh? Must be suicidal, going after them with only three. Wonder what made him change his mind?"

Mindblind doubted that he had. Reed was of old Egorian noble blood, and considered most people beneath him. The only people he really protected in Lakenshire were those rich enough to provide him with the lifestyle that he thought he deserved.

"Have to pardon me if I don't care who wins out in that case," he said as he stood back up.

"Ha! I like you," Raven said, and then twitched her eyebrows suggestively.

"Let's get going. Whatever Reed is up to, it doesn't change anything."

She nodded her agreement, and the pair set out again.

****

Nightfall was approaching, and the rain had never stopped. Mindblind was constantly blowing puffs of air at the huge drops of water hanging from the end of his nose. If it wasn't for an image of Delly lying cold and dead on the floor of her room, he'd have turned around and gone straight back home.

"Stand of trees over there. Looks like there's some evergreens. Good a place to spend the night as any. Bad idea to travel after dark out here. The plains cats can eat you before you even know that they're there. They stay away from fires, though."

Cerebus was about to say that he didn't know if a fire was a good idea, but then saw smoke. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw yet another thin, twisted column fighting to rise against the rain.

She saw him looking around and said, "Bandits, the plains barbarians, and a lot of people living in dirt houses. Nobody will even notice another fire out here."

He had to acknowledge the wisdom of that, and followed her toward the trees. Luckily, the rain was light enough that the evergreen boughs actually provided a relatively dry spot beneath them. The thick litter of needles would provide cushioning as well — so long as they picked out the sticks and pine cones first. Once they set up the small tent that he carried in the pack Raven had provided, the evening might actually be tolerable.

It certainly wouldn't be pleasant, because neither of them were going to get more than a half a night's sleep.

A fire proved to be no trouble, with plenty of dry tinder and fuel around. Of course, that meant that they'd have to keep a close eye on it. One errant spark could have them sitting in a fireball, no matter the rain that was still falling.

"You'd think that this would have blown itself out a bit in that thunderstorm," Raven complained as she pulled some jerked beef and hard traveler's bread from the pack that she carried.

"Haven't seen a break in the clouds. It'll keep raining until daybreak, at least."

She handed over some of the rations, and then took a bite of bread. "First watch, or last?"

Mindblind tore loose a bite of the beef and answered, "Doesn't matter. I don't sleep much, and I already had more than I wanted when they tried to bash my skull in."

"I'll take first, then. Easier for me to stay up than to get up." She took another bite of the bread and made a face. "If we don't find them first thing tomorrow, we can take a little detour and grab some decent food from this little farm town that's not far away."

"I've got a little coin left."

She laughed. "I said grab. They've got more than enough, and they're old bluebloods. They grub around in the dirt all day, but they still think that they're better than everyone else. They've got it coming."

He wasn't in any mood to argue morality with her, and hardly adverse to saving what little money he had. He of course agreed with her that most of the old nobility still in the country weren't worth a pile of dung. Given half a chance, any one of them would step on you.

Raven sat close to him as they finished their meager fare in silence. He had to wonder what was going through her head. She was more than attractive enough to have any man she wanted, but she seemed at ease around him. As he thought about it, he felt an odd sort of kinship with her as well.

"You from Lakenshire?" He asked her after washing down the last bite of his meal with some water.

She shook her head. "A bit north of Fightershaven. Place doesn't even have a name, so far as I know. Just took my sis there because Yasmine treats her whores better than any other madame. Got tired of pinching all the bread we lived on while she fucked anything with a dick, so I took her someplace where she could take care of herself and keep her cunt filled."

"Don't get along very well with my sisters, either."

"Half sisters, I assume. We're probably a lot alike. Outcasts. Lowborn. The scum of the earth in most people's eyes."

"Their problem, not mine."

She chuckled. "Yeah, you can think that. You can even believe it, sometimes. You wouldn't have took off if you didn't think that you were gonna get blamed for what happened at the Cat."

He shrugged, a little irritated at first, until he took a closer look at her. Her expression was distant — bitter. She was venting. "So, what's your story."

"Mom was a whore. We'd be playing with dirt and sticks out back of the shack while somebody was screwing her inside. I was nine when one of them killed her — busted her head open for the coppers he'd paid her."

She let out a snorting chuckle. "Thief with a lame leg took us in, and we earned our bread by pinching for him. Once we got older, we earned our keep in his bed, too. I took better to his teaching, Yani took better to repaying him. Died of something about six years ago. We got it too, but we lived, and I took over his kip."

Mindblind took his best guess of her age and felt a little sick about how young the two had started earning their keep. It put his own life in perspective.

Most people shunned him, and his sisters teased him — often hatefully — but his mother and stepfather didn't treat him any differently than any of their other children. His brother nearly worshiped him, and the few extended family members that he'd met had accepted him as well. A far cry more than what she'd had growing up.

"Rasp stank to high heaven, and he was a taskmaster, but he taught me everything I know. Always knew when I was doing good, because he'd pinch us some new clothes or something, even with his gimpy leg."

Her voice softened a little as she spoke of the lame thief in almost fatherly terms. It helped explain to Cerebus why she'd warmed to him so readily. She was used to far worse, and he was a rare median between the world she knew, and the one she could never walk in.

She shook her head, almost as if snapping out of a trance. "Sorry. Damn rain always makes me like this, especially when I'm stuck out in it."

Feeling as though he owed her a little in return, Cerebus relayed his own history, as his stepfather had told it to him when he asked. "Mom and Pops lived up along Normandal. They were supposed to get hitched in a few days when the goblins raided the village and took her. They had her for five days before Pops and his brothers found her."

He could remember the barely controlled rage in his stepfather's voice when the older man had told this part of the tale. "Three of 'em killed two warrior goblins and six reds with knives, hoes, and scythes. None of 'em really remember anything but seeing red when they did it. Cut their balls off, stuffed them in their mouths, and hung 'em upside down from a tree."

Raven smiled, obviously approving of the brutal violence. Truth to tell, so did he.

"They got hitched when Mom pulled out of it, even though they knew she was pregnant by then."

"Not many men like that..." She began, and then suddenly snapped her gaze behind her, though there wasn't anything but low-hanging pine boughs to see.

A second later, he heard it. It sounded like a female voice — a scream to be more exact. If it were any farther away, they never would have caught the slightest hint of it.

Raven stood up, checking her knives and daggers with quick pats, and said, "That's my sis."

"You sure?"

"Trust me. One of them is humping her, and she's playing along. I've heard it often enough until I took her to the Cat."

Suddenly wide awake, and coursing with nervous energy, he stood next to her and cinched up the buckles on his armor. She dumped her skin of water on the fire, and then kicked the dirt from the shallow pit that he'd dug on top of it as well.

Without another word, they set out into the darkness and rain, side-by-side, with naked steel in their tightly clenched fists.

****

Hope you're enjoying the story! Please do take a moment to drop a coin in my digital hat by voting, and perhaps adding a comment, email, story favorite, or author favorite. The feedback is my fuel to keep writing.

Chapter 3 should be out in a few days



Lowborn Ch. 03



The firelight from the encampment finally provided enough illumination for Mindblind to figure out what he was doing as he followed Raven, miming her movements.

His knees ached from inching along in a crouch below the top of the waist-high grasses, and his hair was full of cockleburs.  The animal trail that Raven followed helped to obscure their movements through the grass, and the wind provided the final cover.

He had no worries about any sound that they made alerting the slavers.  The voices of at least five prostitutes crying out in mock passion would drown out anything less than a war cry.  A combination of laughter and catcalls hinted that the men probably weren’t paying much attention to anything else, anyway.

Raven stopped and settled to her knees behind a bush.  A larger, irregular circle of broken grass spread out from the shrub – likely a spot where several animals had bedded down.  Mindblind gratefully joined her on his knees, and found that he could see the encampment through the bush.

Three wagons and two large tents surrounded the fire in the center of the camp.  A few lanterns shed fitful light as they struggled to burn in the wind.  The group obviously had no fear of discovery, as all eyes were trained upon the show around the fire.

Mindblind could see two women on their hands and knees, men with dropped trousers kneeling behind them and furiously pounding away.  Another woman stood, bent at the waist, one man behind her and another feeding her his cock in the front.  Other couplings were just hints of body parts peeking through the fire.

Raven’s whisper in his ear caused him to start.  “The one getting poked from both ends is my sister.”  He could almost hear her eyes rolling in her tone.

A few seconds later, the man in front of Raven’s sister jerked his cock free of her mouth and tilted her head up by using her hair as a handle.  Gales of laughter erupted when he apparently sprayed cum all over her face.

Raven sat down, seemingly confident that they had nothing to fear at the moment.  Her brow furrowed as her eyes roamed over her surroundings.  Once again, Mindblind followed her lead and sat down, having much the same opinion about the chance of discovery.

She leaned in close and whispered, “Something’s not right.  It’s bad business to let them have their way with any woman they grab — even a whore.  Makes it tempting to ignore orders not to poke the virgins on the next grab.”

“Maybe whoever’s runnin’ the bunch ain’t around, and they figure they can get away with it.”

“Not unless they’re greener than pond scum.  You see anybody with a weapon?”

He couldn’t recall any obvious swords or bows.  Some might be carrying daggers or other small weapons, but nothing that would do much good if anyone came after them.  “Nope.  Only a couple of them had anything back at the Cat.”

“I’d bet my left tit that those were the only real slavers.  They just rounded this bunch up somewhere.  It stinks worse than a fishmonger’s ass.”

“Good for us.”

“Maybe.  We’ll have to wait until most of them get done with their ride and fall asleep.  Twenty to two isn’t good odds, even if all they have to fight with is their fists and their stink.”

Raven leaned forward and draped her arms over her bent knees, her ears perking and eyes snapping toward any hint of sound or movement.

The wait was a long one.  As near as Mindblind could tell, every man in the camp had a turn, and then some.  Eventually, men vanished into the tents, one-by-one.  When the number dropped low enough, one of a pair of half-attentive guards would return any unused woman to a wagon, until only one couple on the other side of the fire remained.

Raven had drawn a long-bladed dagger as the next-to-the-last woman was returned to her rolling prison.  Mindblind slipped his arm back into his shield, also sensing that the time to act was close.

He and Raven both tensed when two faint twangs accompanied the guards sprouting feathered shafts from their chests and falling silently to the ground.  A third shot rang out just as a pair of men appeared on the other side of the camp.  Both dropped bows and quivers to draw daggers in each hand.  The other archer stepped into the light while the first two crept toward the tents.

Once all three were in place, they burst into the tents.

“Shit, I knew it,” Raven spit out, and she started to move forward.

Mindblind grabbed her shoulder and said, “There could be more of them with bows out there.”

She shook her head.  “They have them dead.  No need.  Come on.”

Shouts of alarm and death screams erupted from both tents.  Raven rushed into the camp, angling toward a wagon that would provide cover, despite her insistence that nobody else was watching.  Cursing under his breath, Mindblind followed.

No arrows flew at them as the slaughter continued beyond the canvas walls.  One of the tents collapsed as a body slammed against it, pulling out the stakes on the opposite side.

“You get the near one.  Get them when they come out,” Raven directed, and then sprinted toward the collapsed tent, making sure to keep the fire between her and the canvas.

Mindblind charged toward the tent, doing his best to remain quiet, and likewise trying to avoid casting a shadow on the canvas wall.  He either failed in his attempt at stealth, or the man simply had good intuition, because the murderer jumped from the tent in a fighting crouch, and immediately screamed something in his own language.

“Fuck,” Mindblind growled as the second man from the tent joined the first.  All three stalked each other, preparing for an attack, and looking for an opening.

One of the murderers acted first, hurling a dagger.  Mindblind barely managed to intercept the throw with his shield, and the weapon dropped to the earth nearby.  The second man charged even as the spinning blade left his partner’s hand.  Mindblind brought his sword into a defensive position, forcing the man to stop, to stay outside the longer weapon’s reach.

The dagger-thrower filled his free hand with a sword so that he might stand on a more even footing.  As he drew closer, the second man backed up and turned.  Mindblind could just barely see Raven approaching in his peripheral vision.

“Not so tough when you aren’t knifing people in their sleep — huh?”  Raven taunted.  “What’s a matter, big man?  You afraid of a girl?”

“Leave now, if you wish to live,” the man facing Mindblind barked in a thick accent, staying on the defensive just out of range.

“Tell that to your buddy drowning in his own blood over there,” Raven retorted.

Though he heard the clang of knives engaging, Mindblind had no opportunity to glance Raven’s way.  The man in front of him charged, sword and dagger both working in a display meant to distract.

A short, angled push of Mindblind’s shield deflected a slash of the sword, but it was merely a feint for the real attack.  Equal measures of luck and quick reaction allowed him to twist enough that the bloody dagger only scraped against his leather armor before snapping back.

The murderer pressed his attack with an overhand swing of the sword, but Mindblind’s weapon rose to meet it with a ring of steel on steel.  His opponent’s dagger found only the leather and wood of Mindblind’s shield as well, and he disengaged.

A high-pitched cry that trailed off into a wheeze caused Mindblind’s heart to skip a beat, but he knew better than to take his eyes off of his dangerous opponent.  The murderer — either more confident or less disciplined — let his eyes flicker toward the other battle for a fraction of a second.

Mindblind’s muscles coiled in preparation to attack, and his opponent’s eyes went wide.  The murderer ducked down just as a spinning dagger sailed through the air at the same height as where his throat would have been.  His journey to the ground continued when the bottom edge of Mindblind’s shield caught him in the temple.

With his opponent down and unmoving, Mindblind snapped his gaze toward Raven.  She smiled at him, and bent down to wipe the blood off her dagger on the clothing of the dead man at her feet.

A groan from behind him caused Mindblind to spin toward the fire and bring his weapon to bear.  A grunt followed, and he relaxed when he saw a woman struggling to push the dead body atop her to the side.

“Ray, if you’re quite done playing, would you please get this smelly oaf off of me?”

“I told you to stop calling me that, Yani,” Raven snarled as she walked toward her sister.

“Please.  I’m not going to call you Raven, or whatever silly thing you’re going by now.”

Mindblind shook his head as he approached as well.  The woman’s nonchalant, mocking tone of voice seemed utterly out of place.  She’d been kidnapped, gang raped, listened to men dying all around her, and she was lying beneath a dead man with an arrow sticking out of his back, but she didn’t seem to care — or even notice.

“You’re welcome,” Raven responded, and let out an exasperated sigh.

“Got ‘em,” Mindblind said to her, having reached Yani first.  He transferred his sword to his shield hand temporarily, and rolled the body off the woman.

Yani made a disgusted sound and sat up.  Her ample chest was covered in blood that had poured from the dead man’s mouth.  The rest of her was covered in cum, from streaks in the dark curls atop her head to dribbles on her feet where it had ran down her thighs.

Her eyebrows shot up and she remarked, “Delly’s favorite playmate?  Riding to her rescue, are we?”

Raven turned back toward the tents, where a few groans revealed that the murderers hadn’t quite finished the job.  “Delly’s dead, Yani.”

“Oh — revenge, then,” Yani said as she stood up.  Semen dripped from between her legs to spatter on the ground as she walked toward one of the wagons.

Mindblind shook his head again, the woman’s behavior beyond comprehension to him.

Raven tapped him on the arm.  “Forget about it.  We’d better take care of the one you bashed, and any of them that are still alive in there.  I’ll cut some rope off one of the tents.”

When he turned toward her with a silent question in his eyes, she explained, “Like I said, this whole thing stinks.  I want to know where the shithouse is.”

“Shouldn’t we get out of here?”

“They weren’t expecting trouble.  We’ve got a bit — trust me.”

Though he still wasn’t sure, Mindblind nodded his agreement.  He glanced over at Yani to see her dipping a cloth into a water barrel and washing away the mess covering her.

She was whistling the whole while.

****

Only four men in the tents were still alive, and two of those died from their wounds within a few minutes.  The man that Raven had stabbed when he emerged from the tent had obviously died slowly.  His body was contorted, and his face a horrible mask of terror.

The two betrayed slavers sat trembling in their bonds next to one of the men that had tried to murder them.  He hadn’t yet awakened from the blow to the head from Mindblind’s shield.  All were nude, as Raven had insisted upon stripping them as another deterrent against escape, and to humiliate them.

The two guards that had died in the initial arrow attack had keys for the wagons.  Mindblind took one, and tossed Raven the other as soon as he fished it out of the man’s pocket.

As he stood, Yani walked over and bent down in his place.

“What are you doing?”  Raven asked her.

“Well, I assume that we’ll be leaving at some point.  I’m not walking through the brush and brambles, naked and barefoot.”

Raven shrugged.  “Make yourself useful and find anything that isn’t completely blood-soaked for the others while we let them out, then.”

“I’ll do my best, but it’s hardly going to be an attractive little traveling troupe.”

Raven turned away and Mindblind followed.  “Guess not getting along doesn’t really describe it, huh?”

“It’s not that simple,” she replied, her voice a little distant.  She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture a moment later and said, “Later.  Let’s get everyone out, see what we can scrounge, and try to wring something out of that bunch we’ve got fettered.”

A scream sounded when Raven opened the door of the first wagon.  Hardly surprising, since the occupants had surely heard the death cries from outside earlier.  A similar scream greeted Mindblind when he opened the second.  The air rushing out of the wagon stank of sweat, sex — and worse.  One of the prostitutes recognized him almost before the first scream died away and calmed the rest before they could join in.

The women were all nude, of course, and those that had chosen to utilize their skills in hopes of slightly better treatment were cum-covered.

“There’s some water out here to clean up.  We’ll try to find something for you to put on,” Mindblind told them, before heading for the final wagon.

Upon unlocking the door, Mindblind thought better of just throwing it open this time.  “I’m not one of them, so don’t start screaming at me.  I’m here to let you out.”  After giving that a few seconds to sink in, he opened the door, and held his breath.  Almost immediately, a man shoved his way out of the wagon.

“This is absolutely un...”  The man began to rant, and then noticed the bodies.  His throat closed, and the blood drained out of his face.

Mindblind chuckled, recognizing the man whom he’d seen on the street in town before going to the Cat.  He pointedly ignored the pale man, helped the prostitutes down out of the wagon, and directed them to the barrel, where the women from the other wagons were washing.

“I demand to know what is going on here!”

Mindblind glanced over at the pretty-boy and said, “Shut up, or I’ll put you back in the wagon and leave you there.”

“You dare threaten me?”

Having already turned away to continue toward Raven, Mindblind once again ignored the shouting man.  Raven had found some of the men’s spare clothing in the wagon, as well as a few rags, and informed the women when she sat down the bundle on the steps of the wagon.

“Ce...  Cer...”

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Mindblind turned to see Kayleen stepping toward him.  She was obviously struggling to remember his name.

“Delly...  She’s...”

“I know.  Just get cleaned up and find something to wear.  You’re safe for now.”

Kayleen nodded and walked over to the pile of clothing, which grew when Yani returned from scrounging through the carnal house of the tents.  If she felt anything about the murdered men, it didn’t show in her face.  She now wore trousers, and a pair of shoes that were a little too big, though she was still bare-breasted.

“Ra...  Sister, might I borrow one of your knives?”

Raven handed her a dagger without looking at her and said to Mindblind, “At least it looks like they’re all fit to travel.”  She gestured to the wagon that she’d unlocked.  “Half of that one was for storing their stuff.  Plenty of food, but we won’t be able to carry most of it.  We can’t risk taking the wagons.”

“Yeah, we need to be able to scramble, if whoever’s running this game finds us.”

“Good thing about them being mostly Draxnians — they all had canteens.  We’ll be able to carry plenty of water, not that it’s hard to find out here.  There’s a little coin, some rope, a few other basics.  The tents are a complete loss.”

“How far away is that town you talked about?”

“Figure we could get there a bit before dawn, if we left now — alone.  Few hours after, with the crowd, and wringing out the ones we’ve got hogtied.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Raven leaned a little to the side and stared curiously over Mindblind’s shoulder.  He turned, and let out a groan.

The handsome man stomped toward them, and stopped with his hands on his hips.  “Do you have any idea who I am?  I...”

Much to Mindblind’s surprise, Kayleen suddenly stepped up next to the man, and jammed her finger directly into his chest.  She’d found a shirt to wear, but her bare bottom still peeked out from below the cloth.

“I don’t care who you are!” Kayleen chided, her eyes afire.  “In case you hadn’t noticed, we were all to be sold into slavery or killed.  You’re no different than any of us right now — whores or no — and you owe them your life.  If you wish to keep it, then I suggest that you help them help you.”

The other prostitutes clapped, whistled, and laughed — though the sound carried the nervous edge of desperately chasing away fear — as Kayleen spun away, and strutted haughtily away from the cowed man.  

Raven snickered, and Mindblind chuckled approvingly as he watched Kayleen walk away.  It was a big change from the timid, frightened woman he’d first met at the Cat — and he liked it.  “Okay, Bub, what’s your name then?”

Once again pale and obviously as surprised as anyone by the outburst, he replied, “I...  I am Pompeil Harrold, of the Freeland Harrolds.”  He regained a little composure as he spoke his name, probably expecting it to carry great weight.  “I am a trader of rare goods, as I’m sure that you’re well aware.”

“You’ll have to pardon me if I call him hey you,” Raven sneered, and then walked away toward the bound prisoners.

“Never heard of you, Pomp.”

Mindblind ignored the correction from Pompeil that immediately — and inevitably — followed.

“Whoever sent the fuckers that killed the assholes that snatched you is gonna start wondering why they haven’t come back before long.  I’d rather not be here when they come to find out.  Start grabbing canteens and filling them up from the barrel on that wagon over there.”

Though he looked as though he was about to protest, a narrowing of Mindblind’s eyes apparently made him think better of it.  “Y-yes.  Of course.”

When he turned to follow Raven, he found himself almost face-to-face with Yani.

“I had to cut part of it off that was all bloody.  What do you think?”  She asked, and struck a provocative pose.  The shirt she wore had a deep neckline, leaving the upper swell of her breasts exposed, and she’d cut it off just below those attributes, leaving her midriff bare.

“Yeah, that works,” he said, more than a little uncomfortable around the strange woman, and wondering what it was with people getting in his way any time he tried to go somewhere the last couple of days.  He stepped to the side around her.  “I need to get over there and find out what those guys know.”

“Of course.  My sister can be such a slave driver.  Nothing like me,” she said as he continued toward Raven.

The unconscious murderer stirred and groaned as Mindblind approached.  Raven said, “Hope he knows something, because these two weren’t told anything.”

“Could be lying,” He suggested with an ominous stare at the two captives.

“Maybe.  Told them that they had two choices: tell me what I want to hear and we leave ‘em tied up loose in the wagon when we go.  Otherwise, we pile the bodies on top of them, and they hope that whoever wants them dead shows up to finish the job before the plains cats dig them out of the pile.”

“Please, we’re told good money to take women.  That is all,” one of the captives blurted out, the words barely understandable between his fright and his accent.

“Probably scraped them all off the floor of a taproom somewhere,” Raven suggested.  “The only thing they were really supposed to do is die.”

“What’s the game then?” Mindblind wondered aloud, and then thought of something.  “Why’d you grab the pretty boy?”

“He say he rich.  Big reward,” the same sun-browned man answered who had spoken before.

Then, Mindblind asked the question that was burning in his brain.  “Who killed Delly?”

“The older redhead with the big tits,” Raven supplied.

The captive pointed to the unconscious man.  “Them — we kill no one.”




Lowborn Ch. 03



Having apparently heard Delly’s name, Kayleen walked over and said, “He had a mark on his hand.  A knife.”

Raven turned to the blonde prostitute and pointed at the back of her hand, near the wrist.  “Right here?”

“Yes, the point down,” Kayleen answered.

Raven nodded toward the collapsed tent and said, “Think we found him.”  She took Kayleen’s hand, and when the woman hesitated, she said, “It will only take a second — I promise.”

Kayleen took a deep breath before offering a determined nod.

Too absorbed in dealing with the possibility that the man he wanted to see dead might already be, Mindblind completely missed the uncharacteristic softness in Raven’s voice.

The three walked over to the contorted body, and Raven lifted his hand.  “Is that it?”

“Yes,” Kayleen answered, her face already ashen, and looking worse by the moment.

“Go on,” Raven told her, and the blonde hurried away.  She then looked at Mindblind and said, “Sorry.  At least he went slow and bad.”

“Not slow enough,” Mindblind growled.  He then shook his head and said, “Doesn’t matter.”

Raven stood up, and kicked the dead man in the face.  “None of this makes any sense.  These three were killers.  Maybe not the best, but they killed for a living.  Someone paid some good gold for them, on top of whatever coppers they tossed to the drunks.”

Gasps and yelps from the prostitutes drew Mindblind’s attention to the third captive, who had apparently awakened to struggle against his bonds.

“Let’s go squeeze him a bit,” Raven said as she walked past.

The murderer continued to struggle against his bonds, though he surely understood the futility.  Unlike the other two captives, he was literally hogtied, with his hands and wrists bound together.  When Mindblind’s shadow fell upon him, he froze and stared with a defiant look on his face.

“Who paid the blood price?”  Raven demanded.

“I will tell you nothing, pujata.”

Even if he hadn’t known that the word was Draxnian for whore, Mindblind could have easily guessed the general meaning.  Raven rolled her eyes, and promptly launched a kick.

Mindblind winced, and instinctively cupped a hand between his legs.  Hogtied and naked, the man’s testicles made an easy target, and Raven’s aim was true.  The breath blasted from the murderer’s lungs, followed by a cough that left spittle — and probably bile — running from the corner of his mouth.

Remarkably, the man croaked, “Nothing.”

“Told you he was a killer,” Raven said in a conversational tone of voice as the man at her feet coughed and gagged again.  “Probably a guild initiate.  He took an oath, and he’s not taking any chances that the Lord of Murder isn’t really dead to exact the price of breaking it in the hells.”

“Kill me.  Tell you nothing.”

Mindblind was just about to say that they were wasting their time when Raven reached into the pouch at her belt.  Rather than remove anything, she shook her head as if changing her mind, and then turned to walk toward the fire.  She returned with a branch, red hot coals glowing on its tip.  “Kill you?  Where’s the fun in that?”

The man’s previously hard eyes went wide when Raven knelt down and pointed the stick at his balls.

“Who paid the blood price?”

She gave him a few seconds to answer, and then moved the stick closer.  The murderer wriggled, desperately trying to move away.  Mindblind could smell the acrid stench of burning hair.

“Who paid the blood price?”

His face a mask of horror, the murderer screamed, “The Lakeshore Man!  The Lakeshore Man!”

“Fuck!”  Raven cursed, and then tossed the branch back toward the fire.

Confused, Mindblind asked, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that this job came from the guild.  He doesn’t know who hired him.  Only the guildmaster does.  That’s just a fake name he was supposed to use with contacts.”

Mindblind snorted in resignation.  The man who had killed Delly was dead.  Raven had recovered her sister.  There was no reason for them to pursue this any farther, and plenty of reasons not to.  “Let’s just get the hell out of...  The fuck?!”

Mindblind jumped back as an ear-piercing screech split the night.  Before his brain could register what was happening, Yani had stabbed her borrowed knife into the assassin’s chest.  The blade ripped into his flesh three more times before Raven managed to grab her sister’s hand and wrench the dagger away.

“Yani, it’s not him.  It’s not him.”

As quickly as it had arisen, the murderous rage in Raven’s sister simply vanished from her face.  “It isn’t?”  She looked down and giggled at the now dead man.  “Oh, it isn’t, is it?  Oops.”

Yani’s eyes rolled up in her head, and she fell into a dead faint in her sister’s arms.

“Raven?”  Mindblind said, at a loss for words, and in complete disbelief of what he’d just witnessed.

“She...  She needs her tea.  If we come across a stream, the stuff grows everywhere.  The barbarians chew the leaves to have visions.  For some reason, it keeps her from having them.  She’s fine as long as she has it.”

Yani stirred and mumbled, “My head hurts.”  A second later, she noticed her bloody hands.  “What?”

“Just go wash up.”

“Okay,” Yani answered, her voice monotone.

The other prostitutes gave her a wide berth as she shambled toward the wagon where everyone had washed earlier.

Mindblind asked, “What do we do if...”

“I’ll keep an eye on her until we find some of the leaves,” Raven cut him off to answer.  “I promise that I’ll explain later.  Let’s just get the fuck out of here.”

“Right,” he responded, and then set to the task of getting them all moving as quickly as possible.

****

Raven’s guess proved far too optimistic.  Everyone was exhausted, most were wearing shoes that didn’t fit properly — or none at all — and the prostitutes were hardly accustomed to walking anywhere.  The sun had already slipped past its high point before the ragtag troupe could see the farming village.

Mindblind adjusted the bow slung over his shoulder, unused to the encumbrance.   The weapons were fine, and he wasn’t about to leave any of them behind.  A pair of prostitutes carried the others.  The various daggers and knives that the dead men no longer needed provided weapons for all of the women — save Yani.

As had happened numerous times on the journey, she was the first to collapse next to the glorified animal trail they followed, panting for breath.  Raven had forced her sister to chew some of the leaves along the way, and the change in the prostitute was like night and day.  Yani certainly seemed to notice and react to her surroundings now — complaining bitterly the whole time.

“Come on, Yani.  We’re almost there,” Raven encouraged while tugging on her sister’s shoulder.

Everyone else was on the verge of collapse as well, so Mindblind said, “Let’s just give ‘em a rest.”

Raven blew out a sharp, irritated breath.  “Okay.”

A look back the way they’d come revealed the plains stretching off into the horizon — an ocean of grass dotted with islands of trees.  He had no doubt that the two captives he’d released were making far better time.  After what they’d been through, it was hardly surprising that they fled as though every demon in the hells pursued them.

When he noticed Kayleen trembling as she tried to raise a canteen to her lips, Mindblind walked over to her.  She’d offered to carry one of the small packs that he’d put together with supplies, and thus bore a more difficult burden than most of the women.  “You holdin’ up okay?”

“I suppose that this is what I get for dreaming of seeing new places,” she responded with a wan smile.  After pushing a sweat-soaked lock of hair back from her face, she said, “I haven’t thanked you, or apologized.  When I first saw you, I thought...  I said...”

He cut her off, “No need.  You’re doing your part.”

A nasally snore made Mindblind’s nerves itch as Kayleen nodded her understanding and took another drink.  Pompeil had a knack for falling asleep instantly, and had done so at each and every stop.

“Hey, I think there’s a lake over there,” one of the prostitutes remarked.

“Oh, that would feel so good,” another of the women groaned.

Mindblind spotted the cattails a short distance away, and thought that lake was a rather grandiose term for what was likely there.  It was a pond at best.

A still irritated Raven walked over and began, “Oh for fucking...”

Though more than ready to return to civilization as well, Mindblind could see life popping into the eyes of the other women at the prospect of the cool water.  “We look bad enough.  If that bunch are old bluebloods, we’re gonna have a hard enough time getting in without them smelling us a mile away too.”

Raven grinned at him, though he knew that the expression was pure sarcasm.  “Fine then.  You can keep the watch first.”

With that, she waded through the grass toward the cattails.  The other women followed hot on her heels.  Soon enough, the sound of splashing, content sighs, and laughter reached Mindblind on the breeze.  He stayed alert, though nothing seemed remotely threatening.

After a few minutes, the merchant started awake with a snort.  He looked around to find himself alone with Mindblind.  “What?” he muttered as he sat up.

“Pond down there.  If you want to wash the stink off, you’d best go now,” Mindblind explained.

“Pond?  What? Where?”

Fuckin’ pampered pretty-boy, Mindblind thought.  “C’mon — it’s this way.”

As soon as the water came into view, the merchant stumbled, his mouth agape.  Mindblind chuckled, fully understanding the reaction.  It was hard to ignore all the nude women with the sunlight sparkling on their bare, wet skin as they washed in the shallow pond.  Even though he’d seen all of them unclad before, it was a far different picture in the light of day, when they weren’t sick with fear.

Raven strode out of the water, carrying the shirt and panties she wore beneath her protective dark clothing.  She let out a content sigh, completely unashamed of her nudity, and smoothed back her dark hair with her free hand.  “Okay, this was a good idea,” she admitted.  “Give me a minute, and you can have a dip.”

“Tryin’ to catch flies, Pomp?” Mindblind asked the still-stunned merchant.

Pompeil snapped his mouth shut and walked toward the edge of the pond.

“Not much point in keeping watch,” Mindblind remarked as Raven pulled on her underthings.

“Yeah — still,” she said, selecting two of her daggers.

Whistles and catcalls greeted the merchant stripping to his breeches and Mindblind removing his armor.  Pompeil knelt on the shore to wash his clothing first, but Mindblind simply tossed the garments he wore beneath his armor into the pond ahead of him.  Women floated together to whisper when he dropped his pants.  He was hard as a rock — hardly a surprise considering the scenery.

Almost all of the prostitutes had shunned him on visits to the Cat, and a few had openly refused to accept him in their beds before he’d fallen in with Delly.  It was a far different story in the pond, with all the women staring at him, making suggestive comments, and even wading over to touch him as he washed.

Whenever he glanced back at Raven, she always seemed to be rolling her eyes.

 Though Pompeil was doing his best to ignore similar treatment and a few playful splashes, his face remained bright red the whole time.

It was a damp, refreshed, and far better smelling group that set out a short while later on the final leg of the journey to the town.

“Trouble,” Raven grumbled, upon seeing several men assembling near the first buildings ahead.  A few held weapons, and others wielded farm implements pressed into the duty.

The scene was almost surreal.  Though the clothing the men wore was made of wool, linen, and other materials that he would expect in a farming village, it was all cut to approximate fashions similar to what Pompeil wore.  The place was likewise constructed with facades to disguise the barns and log structures.  It looked like a mockery of descriptions that Mindblind had heard of larger cities.

“What is your business here?”  One of the men shouted as Raven and Mindblind approached at the head of their group.

Mindblind tapped Raven on the shoulder, and then waved Pompeil forward.  Raven grinned, guessing his sudden flash of inspiration, and agreeing with it.

“Okay, Pomp, go tell them who you are,” Mindblind said.

The merchant puffed out his chest, straightened his shoulders, and strode forward confidently.

“I am Pompeil Harrold, of the Freeland Harrolds, and I stand before you, escaped from kidnapping and murder most foul...”

Raven and Mindblind shared a chuckle when the merchant finished his soaring rhetoric some time later, and he gestured for them to follow him into the village, having received a warm invitation of hospitality.

Civilization at last — strange as the place was.

****

Hope you’ve enjoyed this chapter.  As always, do take a moment to vote.  Scoring a story helps increase it’s visibility, which leads to more readers, which leads to more feedback, and that’s the fuel that keeps me coming back for more.

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Lowborn Ch. 04



When the conversation about what to do next didn't really go anywhere, Mindblind watched Yani leave the room, scratched the dark shadow of a beard on his chin, and then turned to Raven.

"She'll be fine," Raven answered his unasked question while waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. "She's had her tea. She'll probably even have enough sense to charge any man that ends up poking her, now that she knows she can make money at it."

Though still leery of leaving the strange woman unattended, Mindblind had to admit that she'd behaved in a relatively normal fashion since chewing the leaves that Raven had harvested on the hike to town.

Just like the clothing of the villagers, the furniture in the room was an imitation of wealthy taste, made with whatever was available. Mindblind couldn't complain about one feature, as the locking drawers on the bedside tables meant that he could keep the extra daggers out of Yani's reach. He wasn't worried about his sword or the bows, because she couldn't hide those on her person.

Pompeil had — of course — taken up residence in a guest room in the home of the man who called himself the mayor of the village. What was surprising was his insistence that his unlikely traveling companions have accommodations and meals at the inn for the day, on his letter of credit.

The creaking of rope beds, feminine sounds of passion, and male grunts filtered through the walls on either side of the room. Despite their less than attractive state of dress, the prostitutes had quickly found clients within the village.

Mindblind knew that their welcome — at least from the women of the village — would wear thin in short order.

As it stood, they had every one of the four rooms in the small inn. Each one had two double beds that were quite comfortable, and four bedside tables for storage. Mindblind shared a room with Raven and Yani, though it appeared that Kayleen might also stay. The blonde hadn't joined the others when they decided to flood the village in search of men in need of female company, choosing to doze instead.

Feeling a little restless, despite knowing that exhaustion would eventually overwhelm his current burst of nervous energy, Mindblind said, "I'm going to go see if the beer is worth drinking. You?"

Raven jerked a thumb toward Kayleen. "Think she has the right idea. I haven't slept in a real bed in weeks."

"Probably won't be long myself."

Raven shook out her short, dark hair to dislodge a few strands that had stuck to the back of her neck. "Surprised Pomp put us up."

"I know the type. Can't stand to have a debt, and we saved his hide. Won't last long."

"Better enjoy it while it lasts, then," Raven remarked, and sat down to tug off one of her shoes.

"Yeah," he agreed, and then opened the door to make his way to the taproom.

Word must have spread quickly about the negotiable virtue of the newcomers to the village, because the taproom was packed. Only two of the prostitutes, including Yani, were within the room, and Mindblind doubted that they would remain there long.

The man minding the kegs was probably the innkeeper's brother, considering the resemblance. He looked to be in a good mood, which was hardly a surprise. His single barmaid appeared less than amused, as she tried to keep up with the demands of the room.

The counter that the barkeep stood behind had a footrest along its length and a well-varnished surface, mimicking a bar in a city tavern. No stools surrounded the bar, however. It was positioned too close to the doorway for that to be practical.

Mindblind walked up to the counter and said, "Beer."

"That's not part of your tab with the room," the barman warned.

Having never expected that it was, Mindblind was fishing out a coin even before the man spoke. He slapped it on the counter to a grunt of approval from the barkeep, and soon had a foaming tankard.

Upon taking a sip, he remarked, "Good brew," a little surprised that it wasn't watered-down or bitter, considering the change that he'd received from his copper mark.

"Plenty of it, too." The man leaned in and asked, "The whores aren't prone to stealing from the men bedding them, are they?"

Mindblind shook his head. "Bad for business. They're house girls. Long story."

Seemingly convinced, the barman nodded and said, "The seamstress just down the street makes pretty things for fair prices."

"I'll spread the word, but we probably won't be here long."

The barkeep looked a little crestfallen at that revelation.

One of the prostitutes guided a wide-eyed young man across the room a short while later, attracting Mindblind's attention and snapping him out of a reverie. Realizing that exhaustion was catching up to him, he drained the last of his beer, and offered the barman a nod before walking to the door.

Rather than continuing past the desk where the innkeeper did his business, Mindblind turned and exited the inn instead. The smoke from the taproom patron's pipes had grown into a thick haze, and he felt the need to clear his lungs.

He had to shake his head as he once again took in the strange facade that the village put on. The whole place was like the set of traveling players, designed to hide what was going on backstage.

Every building had a facade that created the illusion of uniform construction, though the structures were actually built from a hodgepodge of materials ranging all the way down to baked mud brick. The buildings were close together, lining the streets and the outskirts of the village, leaving large areas of open space in the center of the blocks. The empty lots served a practical purpose as a place for vegetable gardens and penning in animals, but were really part of an effort to make the place look larger and more populous than reality.

The people played their part as well, with wagons and pedestrians constantly on the streets. Mindblind strongly suspected that most of those people had no other errand than to be seen moving about.

Remarkably, he saw Pompeil walking toward him. He'd expected the man to sleep for several days before emerging from the comfortable confines of the large house at the center of the village.

"I trust that your accommodations are adequate?"

"Yeah, does the trick. Kinda surprised that you bothered, Pomp."

"Pom..." The merchant began to correct him, and then shrugged it off. "I owe you a debt. My reputation depends upon repaying my debts."

Mindblind rolled his eyes. "Figured that was how it was. I'm gonna go hit the rack."

Even as he turned, the merchant said, "Wait."

"Yeah?"

Pompeil took a deep breath, and then cleared his throat. "I also owe you my gratitude, though I am ill-used to expressing such. You could have left me to my own devices at any time, and yet you did not."

"May not like you much, but ain't no man deserves to be left in the middle of nowhere with men looking to kill him."

"Whatever your motivation, you have my thanks. And know that I will repay my debt to you, though that debt is no less than my life."

"You're welcome," Mindblind responded, more than a little impressed that the pompous man had found the humility to seek him out. "I'm like the walking dead, so I'm hitting the rack."

"Of course. If you need anything, please send word to the house," Pompeil said and nodded.

Mindblind nodded back. "Got ya."

He half wondered if he had dreamed the whole thing as he entered the inn and turned toward his room. What he'd said about the walking dead was more than halfway true. With the last of his energy expended and soaked in a tankard of beer, it was all he could do to find his bed. Raven had crawled in with Kayleen, leaving him free to take the other alone.

His last thought was to hope that Yani decided to stay in one of the other rooms when she reached the point of exhaustion. The thought of waking up next to her — no matter how attractive she was — made his skin crawl.

****

Mindblind awakened deep in the night. Only faint moonlight filtered through the window, mainly illuminating the other side of the room in his peripheral vision. His danger sense wasn't screaming at him, so he didn't immediately bounce out of the bed to grab his nearby sword. Instead, he lay quiet, waiting to see if the barely remembered sound would repeat.

At least one of the prostitutes was still hard at work, and he assumed that it was her sultry moans that had drawn him awake. A second later, a much closer whimper dissuaded him of that notion.

Though he was shrouded in darkness, the bed across the way was bathed in the light from the window. What was happening on that bed caused his eyes to go wide, and his cock to swell.

Kayleen was nude, and squeezing her voluptuous breasts in her hands. Raven was likewise unclad, her face buried between the blonde's parted legs. If the beads of sweat upon the women's bodies were any indication, they had been so engaged for some time.

Another whimper passed Kayleen's lips, followed by a questioning, discouraged sounding moan. Raven pushed up on her arms, and then crawled over the blonde's body. She let her nipples drag over Kayleen's sweat-streaked skin, and then wrapped her lips around the bud capping the blonde's right breast.

Kayleen lifted her hips, trying to bring her suddenly neglected sex into contact with Raven's body for some relief. The lithe, dark-haired beauty would have none of it, and released the nipple she suckled to seek Kayleen's lips.

Mindblind had to reach beneath the thin sheet covering him to adjust his throbbing erection as the pair kissed — Kayleen tasting her own juices on Raven's lips. After the long, sexy kiss, Raven crawled backward, her eyes locked with the blonde's, and nestled her head between Kayleen's thighs once more.

The blonde gasped, her eyes going wide. Her hands moved to the back of Raven's head while her bottom lifted from the bed. Kayleen shivered, rapid whimpers bubbling from her lips. Then her mouth slowly dropped open, her jaw trembling. A far louder whimper that changed into a choked squeal accompanied her thighs snapping closed around Raven's head.

Kayleen twitched and jerked from the orgasm that had claimed her, and half sat up as she fought against the screams of pleasure trying desperately to escape her. At last, she collapsed, her legs falling heavily to the bed to reveal Raven's tongue-tip teasing her.

The dark-haired thief rose up onto her knees and caressed her perky breasts with a deeply satisfied moan. She then leaned forward to lie down next to the limp blonde.

Mindblind shook his head when Raven looked over at him, grinned, and licked her lips. She then turned around and snuggled up against Kayleen, pulling a sheet over both of them.

It took Mindblind a very long time to fall back to sleep with his cock throbbing from what he'd just witnessed.

****

Despite the interrupted sleep, Mindblind woke up feeling well-rested — if a bit stiff. He crawled out of bed and stretched, letting out a snort when he realized that he'd fallen asleep fully clothed, with his boots still on.

Raven awakened almost as soon as his feet hit the floor, and she carefully slipped out of bed as well. She sauntered toward him, still nude, biting her lower lip and smiling. When she reached him, she whispered, "I'm an evil bitch, aren't I?"

"Yeah," he agreed as she grabbed his cock through his pants.

She nodded back toward the still-sleeping Kayleen and said, "That was her first time with a girl. She's sure to be a bit off when she wakes up. It will be easier if you're not here when she does."

"Starving anyway."

"Me too. I'll wake her up in a bit. Hope they've got some decent grub in this place." She then stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. "I didn't get mine last night. You up to helping me with that, if we get a chance, and Kay isn't up for returning the favor?"

"Think I can handle that."

"Bet you can."

Kayleen stirred, prompting Raven to look over her shoulder. When she turned back, she waved toward the door and said, "Git."

Mindblind chuckled, gave one of her nipples a tweak, and then headed out the door, closing it as quietly as he could behind him.

The smell of cooking pork drew him toward the taproom at a rapid walk. His stomach was growling like a caged beast. About half of the other women were in the room eating, which wasn't a surprise. Their clothing was, however.

The sight of five prostitutes wearing simple summer dresses was almost surreal. A few of the women waved upon seeing him, and then returned to their meal of fried pork, eggs, and bread.

"Ready to eat?" the bleary-eyed barman asked.

"Yep." Mindblind slapped a coin on the makeshift bar. "Gimme a beer, too."

With his tankard in hand, he walked over to a free seat at the two tables where the prostitutes sat, when they called out for him to join them. "Nice dresses."

All five women laughed.

"They're hard up around here. Women must be stingy with the pussy," a blonde remarked. She then nudged a brunette next to her. "Tell him, Betty."

The other woman nodded and took a drink of water. "This young guy came in late last night, looking all nervous. Think he about went off in his pants when I sat down next to him. Anyway, he didn't have any money. I was going to give him a free one because he was cute, and looked like he needed it so bad, but he said that he had an old wagon he could give me."

The blonde picked up the story. "Old man must have heard that, and saw Betty walking him off. He said that he had a horse that could pull that wagon. We went and took a look at them this morning when we went to buy the dresses. The horse looks okay. The wagon won't hold us all, but we can take turns riding."

One of the other women laughed. "I humped a guy for five wheels of cheese, and Tawny got a cask of wine for fucking a fat farmboy."

Mindblind laughed at the absurdity of the horse-trading — literally in at least one case — that the women had done for their services. "Sounds like business is good." He then nodded to the woman who emerged from the kitchen with his breakfast and sat it down in front of him.

"I know that you said that we shouldn't take the wagons when we ran off here, but I don't know if we can walk all the way back," the blonde said with a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.

After swallowing a bite of ham, Mindblind said, "Surprised you want to leave, way things are going."

She shrugged. "Have to start paying for this place eventually, or find somewhere else. Besides, Yasmine is good to us. She humps this old priest who took a shine to her, and he keeps us from getting sick. She buys us potions that keep us from getting pregnant, too."

"Those potions are going to wear off in a couple of days," Betty added. She then looked down into the bodice of her dress and smirked at the blonde, who rolled her eyes.

"Still not sure if it's a good idea, but I guess it can't be helped," Mindblind said, while tearing off a hunk of bread.

"We still have some money, and we'll probably end up with more, so if you think we need to buy anything, we'll help."

"Or hump somebody for it," Betty suggested with a laugh.

Though he never would have considered whores as valuable traveling companions — other than the obvious — Mindblind had to reevaluate that position in light of all that they'd accomplished in such a short period of time. "Somebody take me to have a look at that horse and wagon later. If they're sound, we'll go that way."

"Go what way?" Raven asked, having arrived with Kayleen. The blonde at the thief's side had quite a bit of color in her cheeks, but otherwise looked fine.

"Tell you when I'm done eating," Mindblind said, and signaled to the barman that the newly arrived pair wanted breakfast.

"Stand me for one of those?" Raven asked, pointing at his beer.

Mindblind nodded, and turned back toward the counter, but the barkeep was already holding up a tankard to indicate that he'd heard, and put it under the tap a second later.

Raven had snatched up his beer, and took up a long pull when he turned around. "Food smells good, and this is damn good beer."

Another pair of the prostitutes entered the room, drawn by the smell of food. They were followed by a nervous looking man.

The blonde that had done most of the talking for the other women ran her fingers through her hair upon noticing the potential customer and said, "Back to work."

The wide smile of anticipation on the newcomer's face as she walked toward him with her hips swaying indicated that she'd guessed correctly.

****

Mindblind patted the neck of the stout brown mare as it drank from a trough behind the inn. The animal was a good one, and should have no trouble with the wagon. It was worth far more than a romp between the sheets, and when he'd mentioned that off-hand, one of the prostitutes with him agreed.

The old man looked quite pleased when she led him back into his house a few seconds later to offset some of the horse's value.

The wagon was small, much repaired, and hardly pleasing to the eye, but it was sound. Two could sit on the seat, while five could probably fit in the back — if not in luxurious comfort. There was room for storage beneath the seat, making it about as perfect as they could hope to acquire.

Even the prostitute who had negotiated for them was amazed when the wheels of cheese arrived. They were huge, and only Mindblind could move them without assistance. That alone would have ensured that they had enough food for the trip, but trading three of them netted more varied fare of salted pork, bread, eggs, and vegetables.

All the while, coins filled the locked drawers in the three rooms where the prostitutes plied their trade. Mindblind had to agree that the local women must be reluctant to part their legs, considering the steady stream of men pouring in from far and wide.

"We'll probably end up moving faster after all, with half of them getting a rest at a time," Raven remarked.

Mindblind agreed, "Yep. Figure that they're smart enough to scatter and hide if anything happens, too."

"You want to set out today?"

Mindblind shook his head. "Already afternoon. May as well start fresh in the morning. The ladies figure that they can make enough for a bunch of canvas to rig up tents and buy blankets, if all the local women don't surround the place with torches and pitchforks before then. May as well enjoy the beds for one more night, since Pomp is paying for them."

Raven had started laughing at the mention of the mob of women. "If looks could kill, we'd all be dead a dozen times over. I'm not really ready to go anyway. This place isn't as bad as I remember it. Guess they figured out that nobody came back if they treated them like dirt, and it was bad for business."

"Still a bunch of strange ones," he muttered in response, prompting another laugh from Raven. Speaking of strange ones, he thought, upon seeing Yani through the lone window at the back of the inn. "You never did get around to telling me what's up with your sister."

Her mirthful expression vanished in a heartbeat. "Okay. Not here."

Seeing her mood turn instantly sour, Mindblind said, "Forget about it. It ain't important."

Raven shrugged. "No, I owe you an explanation. Come on. I don't want anybody else listening."

He followed her back into the inn, and then out the front door on the other side. Once on the street, she said, "I know a place — edge of town."

Edge of town proved to be a generous description. After making her way through the cobblestone streets, Raven waded through the tall grass of the prairie, past the vegetable gardens on the outskirts of the village, moving toward the larger fields of corn and wheat. Somewhere in the middle, she paused, looked around to get her bearings, and changed course slightly.




Lowborn Ch. 04



After a bit more walking, she said, "Here it is."

Mindblind didn't see anything but more grass. It was only when Raven squatted down that he noticed a very weathered wooden door much like the entrance to the root cellar where she had led him when they first met.

"Found this place when I was high-tailing it out of town. 'Bout got caught pinching a dagger from the jail. Should have known better, but I was in a wild mood." She pulled a blade from its sheath at her hip. "Worth it, though. Never seems to go dull."

Raven put away her knife and tugged on the iron ring that served as a handle for the door into the earth, but it didn't budge. "Damn. Grass is thick as hell. Give me a hand."

Mindblind grabbed the ring and pulled, easily opening the door, and uprooting large clumps of grass in the process.

"Old storm shelter. I'd bet that there isn't a soul that even knows it's here any more."

Raven descended steps carved directly from the earth, surfaced with warped wooden planks. Mindblind followed a few steps behind, as the way was too narrow for more than one to pass without both scraping the sides. The walls of the stairwell were lined with bricks that looked quite old, but were holding up in the subterranean environment.

Raven reached into a niche at the bottom of the stairs before Mindblind's shoulders were even beneath the earth, and withdrew a torch. "Thought about using this place as one of my kips, but decided against it. Still left a few things here, though." She struck flint to steel, and the torch took the spark after a few sputtering attempts. "Close the door."

Mindblind grabbed the ragged rope attached to the ring on the inside of the door and pulled. He braced the door with his hand to keep it from slamming, and then ducked down to let it settle fully closed.

She waited with the torch until he reached her. Much like the stairs, the underground room had a wooden floor, and benches carved into the walls with wood seats. Niches for storage lined the entire room. Mindblind assumed that the soil must have a lot of clay in it, in order for the obviously old structure to have remained intact. The place was too large for a single family, and had probably served as a community shelter at one time. Considering the frequency of tornadoes on the plains, it was a wise idea.

A sconce stood in the middle of the room, and Raven slipped the torch into it. She then sat down heavily on one of the benches, and let out a great sigh.

"Look, Raven..." Mindblind began as he sat down, and then had to scoot a little closer to her because the warped edge of the board seat had jammed into his ass.

"No, we walked all the way out here, and I owe you, like I said."

She leaned forward, put her elbows on her knees, and cupped her chin in her hands. "Thought Yani'd found a way out, a few years before the old man died on us. She caught this guy's eye on the way through town, and he caught hers. She even forgot to pick his pocket. People told me that they just stood there staring at each other for the longest time, before he finally introduced himself.

"I resented her a bit, I guess. She spent more time in his fancy house than she did with me. Always wearing nice clothes and giddy." She paused and rolled her eyes. "Went on for a year, and he'd even hinted that he was going to marry her."

"Guessing he didn't."

Raven let out a derisive laugh. "Nope. She got a nice rude awakening one morning. He had a few Draxnians that took care of his garden and the house. She woke up to one of them screaming at her pretty man. The Draxnian was accusing him of fucking his wife.

"She knew as soon as he offered gold to the guy for him to forget about it that it was true. She walked out of the bedroom to confront him, and saw the Draxnian stab him in the chest.

"I guess the guy went crazy, and just kept stabbing. They found the Draxnian wandering down the street, and followed the bloody footprints back to the house. Yani was just sitting on the floor in a pool of blood, staring at him."

Mindblind guessed, "She thought that guy that night was the Draxnian that did the killing, huh?"

"Or her rich boy that was fucking around on her. I've heard her screaming his name when she goes after someone, too. She bawled for a couple of days and told me the story, and then wouldn't get out of bed for a couple of weeks. After that..."

Raven sat back up. "She started fucking anything with a dick, and getting stranger by the day. After she attacked a couple of guys in the middle of fucking them and damn near got hauled off to jail, I talked to this healer. He suggested those leaves in tea, and... Well, you've seen the difference."

"Least you figured out something," Mindblind said, at a loss for words in the silence that followed.

"Just enough to keep her from being a danger to herself and me." Her shoulders slumped, and her voice dropped to just above a whisper. "I haven't really seen my sister since she quit crying right after it happened. She just... Went away."

With every new revelation, the picture of Raven's life grew clearer — and even more horrifying — in Mindblind's head. "We'll get her back to the Cat, where she'll be safe."

Her voice still low, and completely lacking in the confidence that usually permeated her every word, Raven said, "That's what I thought when I took her there. So much for safe, huh?"

"Yasmine will hire more guards, and they'll keep their eyes open. Whatever this was about, it went wrong. Must have took a long time and a lot of gold to put this together. Somebody's licking his wounds."

Raven suddenly straightened, and though she tried to hide it, he saw her wipe a tear away from her eye. She stood up and said, "Not much else we can do, anyway. Think I'll be hanging around there keeping an eye out for a while, though. This whole thing still stinks. Doesn't make any sense."

"Want some company?"

She chuckled. "I'm bad company."

"So am I."

Her swagger fully returned as she said, "Ah, I'll think about it."

Mindblind stood up as well. "Let's get back. I could really use a beer."

"Or four," Raven suggested as she grabbed the torch again and headed for the stairs.

****

The taproom of the inn wasn't quite as packed as the night before, which Mindblind assumed was more for lack of coin than lack of enthusiasm. Still, the conservatively dressed ladies of the evening did brisk business.

Kayleen walked into the room at about the same time as Raven signaled for a second round of beer. She looked a little frustrated, and lost. After a moment of looking around, she noticed Raven waving.

"I feel... Idle. Restless," she said as she reached the table. "I was thinking of asking the barman if I could help out for the night."

The harried barmaid happened by at exactly that moment, and immediately changed course to approach. "Please do. And tell that ass that if he doesn't want to hire you on, then he can jolly well deal with this lot himself, because I'll walk straight out." 

With that, she hurried off to retrieve the latest order that she'd received.

"Doubt he's gonna turn that down," Mindblind remarked.

"Go on," Raven said, and patted the blonde on her rounded bottom.

Kayleen smiled, and blushed, but otherwise didn't seem out of sorts with the familiar touch.

A minute or so later, Kayleen was rushing about the room, wearing an apron and carrying a tray with no small amount of skill.

From what Mindblind could see, there was no doubt that she'd spent many a night performing exactly this task. "She's done this before. Wonder what turned her to whorin'? Plenty of taverns in Lakenshire."

Raven shrugged. "At least she looks happy."

"Yeah."

At that moment, a flash of movement outside one of the windows attracted Mindblind's attention. He stiffened upon catching a glimpse of the man, and then snapped his gaze to Raven.

She was already sliding her chair back from the table, and had a dagger in her hand. She'd obviously noted the long dark hair, sun-browned skin, and drooping mustache as well.

"I saw him. Draxnian."

****

Hope you've enjoyed this installment. As always, the feedback is what keeps me coming back for more. Please do vote, and feel free to hit me with a favorite or a comment as well :)



Lowborn Ch. 05



Mindblind winced when one of the boards underfoot made a loud creak as he stepped out onto the porch of the inn. He slipped his sword from its sheath, his eyes and ears alert. The town was silent, save for the taproom of the inn, and even that had quieted when he and Raven had stood up to leave their table. He saw nobody moving about as he walked along the front of the building, heading toward where he had seen the Draxnian through the window.

He had no idea where Raven was. When he went for his sword in his room, she'd said that she'd meet him outside. Thief or no, he trusted her. Even if he couldn't see her, he had no doubt that she was nearby. Nevertheless, his heart raced as he neared the corner. Beyond it was the window, and potential danger. There were really only two possible courses of action. He could either move around the corner quickly, hoping for surprise, or move farther away from the building in hopes of seeing what he was up against. Lamenting the last second decision not to grab his shield, he chose the former.

"Creeping in the night, eh? I expected as much, juabrudo."

The Draxnian faced him with a bared blade, his stance steady and confident. While Mindblind had no idea what the last word the man had uttered meant, he could tell from the inflection that it was an insult.

The man appeared to be waiting for him to make the first move, so Mindblind kept his sword at the ready and answered the insult instead. "I was drinking in the night until you showed up, Bub."

The Draxnian's eyes narrowed. "Do you fear to face a man who is awake and armed? A monster and a coward, then?"

He understood that insult, and anger boiled up inside of him. The long years of learning to control his emotions won out — but just barely. "Big words comin' from a man who kills whores."

Three things happened in a split second. Confusion flashed in the Draxnian's eyes, Raven dropped with cat-like grace from the roof above, and the Draxnian reacted with surprising speed to Raven's sudden entrance.

"Not quick enough," Raven warned as she pressed her dagger to the man's throat. "Drop it, or I'll draw a line across your throat from ear to ear."

The Draxnian's features tightened. "You will kill me anyway, assassins. I will die with my sword in my hand."

Raven pressed the blade against his neck a little harder, just short of drawing blood. "Last chance."

"The hell you talking about? You're the damn assassin," Mindblind growled.

The Draxnian scoffed, his eyes boring into Mindblind's and his body tensing.

Raven loosed a combination of a snort and a chuckle. "You're an idiot. You'll be dead before you can move a muscle."

Having had a moment to think, the Draxnian's words came into focus in Mindblind's head. "We didn't kill the men in the tents."

The man spat out, "Liar."

"And I'm betting that you didn't have nothing to do with attacking the Cat."

"What are you on about?" Raven asked.

"Think we're about to do those murdering assholes work for them," Mindblind answered, and let his guard drop. "You knew somebody that got killed in those tents out that way, didn't you?"

"My brother."

"Like I said, we didn't kill 'em. Killed the fuckers that did, though."

"Liar," the Draxnian said again, though he sounded far less convinced this time.

Raven understood where her traveling companion was leading and suggested, "Maybe we're better off safe than sorry."

"Think we can handle him, if it comes to that."

Raven said, "This is stupid," and then pulled away the knife from the man's throat while snapping back into a defensive crouch at the same time.

"Like I said, we ain't no murderers. Your brother had blood on his hands when he died, though. Even if he didn't do the killing."

The Draxnian maintained a posture of confused wariness.

"If he was in one of those tents, then he broke into a whorehouse to kidnap whores with that lot. Might be that we would have killed him, if someone hadn't beaten us to it, but we didn't."

"The women inside?"

"The whores," Raven answered from behind him.

The Draxnian lowered his weapon. "So you seek those who have done this thing?"

"Actually, we're just trying to get home without getting killed," Mindblind answered.

Raven blew out a dismissive hiss from between her teeth. "I still think this reeks. He's a damn Draxnian. Probably just playing innocent so he can kill us in our sleep later."

"Don't think so," Mindblind disagreed.

Raven sighed. "You're going to owe me for this one. I've been saving it ever since I pinched it, and I don't think it's worth wasting on him." She dug into the pouch that contained her thief's tools, and withdrew an odd amulet suspended on a chain. She brought it close to her lips and whispered something, causing the amulet to emit an amber glow.

Holding the chain in front of her, Raven said, "As soon as I see red, you're a dead man. What are you doing here?"

"I seek the men who murdered my brother."

The charm in Raven's hand flashed green for a moment. "Who's your brother?"

"His name was Amado. He was murdered in his sleep by assassins, not far from this town."

Again, a flash of green. Raven didn't look happy about it. "Do you have any plans to kill us, or lead anyone to us who plans to?"

"No. I believe this man's words," the Draxnian replied, pointing toward Mindblind.

Raven looked over at Mindblind as well when the amulet flashed green and said, "Fine, you were right. May as well prove that he's not stupid for trusting you." She walked over and asked him, "Did we kill his brother?"

"Nope. Killed the sons-of-bitches that did, though."

An evil smile spread across Raven's face. "May as well get something out of this little trinket. What's your real name?"

It wasn't as if he was trying to hide it, so Mindblind answered, "Cerebus. What's yours?"

Raven let go of the amulet chain, and the magical device dissolved into motes of light. "Oops."

Mindblind let out a snort and shook his head. He nodded toward the Draxnian and asked, "What's your name, Bub?"

"Indigo."

"May as well come in and have a beer with us. We'll tell you what we know, and you can tell us what you know."

Indigo sheathed his sword and said, "I accept. How may I call you?"

"Mindblind."

"Raven."

Indigo's eyebrows popped up in a gesture of amused puzzlement, but he shrugged it off. "So be it, my friends. Shall we?"

"The more the merrier," Raven said sarcastically as she swept past the two men back toward the door of the inn.

Mindblind chuckled and followed her inside.

****

The sounds of crickets and prostitutes hard at work joined in a curious serenade as Mindblind stood next to the wagon behind the inn. While comparing information hadn't really offered any clues about the assassins or who hired them, something that happened afterward had.

Yani had apparently taken rings off the fingers of each assassin while she was stripping useful clothing from them, and had chosen to wear one of them. While she was doing her best to entice Indigo into her bed, he'd noticed the ring and recognized it.

The insignia belonged to a renegade group of Draxnian assassins that had fled the country after botching a job for someone in the government. The killers all had a price on their head in Draxnia, but they'd managed to stay hidden in Egoria, and even returned to their trade. Once he named the group as the Order of the Nightblade, Raven revealed that she knew of them by reputation.

"You're not thinking about going after them, are you?"

He turned around to see Raven closing the back door of the inn and answered, "Nah. Not that stupid."

She pointed back over her shoulder toward the inn. "Apparently, he is. Damn idiot is going to get himself killed, and he actually seems excited about it."

"Figure most people would have said the same thing about us a few days back."

She walked up next to him and said, "One thing to go after slavers in the middle of nowhere. Whole different story to go after killers in their nest."

"Probably never find them, anyway. They must be good at hiding if Draxnia hasn't tracked them down and hung them."

"At least we'll only lose a third of a night's sleep each night."

Mindblind chuckled. With his only lead to the assassins back in Lakenshire, Indigo had asked to accompany them, offering his sword to the defense of the wagon along the way. "So, not pissed about dragging along somebody else now?"

She backhanded his shoulder and said, "Don't rub it in."

"He still in there making the girls pant?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Probably just one — or maybe two. He vanished off into a room a little while ago. You'd think that whores would be immune to falling for that act."

"They're bored. They've ran through most of the spare coin and anything useful that a man can barter."

A sliver of light expanded into a rectangle, alerting them that someone had opened the door. They both turned to see Kayleen, and she asked, "He's wondering if you want any more beer? He's about to close up for the night."

Raven glanced at Mindblind, who shrugged and nodded his head. "May as well have one more."

Much of the edge usually present in Raven's voice vanished as she said, "Tell him to tap two more and leave them on the bar. You going to bed?"

Color rose in Kayleen's cheeks as she nodded her answer.

"We'll be along in a bit."

Though curious about the interaction between Raven and Kayleen, Mindblind decided to let it go. He stretched and said, "I'm gonna go have that beer."

"Right behind you," Raven responded.

****

After the beer and a quick wash, Mindblind headed for bed, chuckling from the discovery that the prostitutes had purchased several mattresses to give them places to sleep with less crowding in the common room that evening. He nodded off rather quickly, despite Kayleen and Raven whispering in the bed across the room, and some rather suggestive movements that he'd seen going on beneath the sheets.

He had no idea how long he'd been asleep when he awoke with a start, feeling the weight of a body atop him.

Raven kissed him hard, and as soon as the initial shock of awakening wore off, he realized that he could taste pussy on her lips.

She moaned as she pulled away from his lips, and then leaned down next to his ear to whisper, "You like?"

"Yeah," he answered, and pulled her nude body down against him.

A nip on his ear, just hard enough to sting, caused him to relax his grip a little.

Raven slipped down off him and spun on her knees so that her tight ass was facing him. Stretching one leg over his body, she lowered her sex to his mouth.

Mindblind slipped his tongue through the dark nest of curls, which were well dampened by her juices, into the bittersweet treat beyond. He groaned as he felt her slide down his light pants and push his knees apart to wrap her lips around his cock.

Raven gyrated her hips, grinding her pussy into his face. The stiff hairs grated against his skin, but the taste of her and the feeling of her hot mouth on his cock well overshadowed the discomfort.

As with their first heated coupling, she took charge. He simply kept his tongue moving, and she moved to guide it where she wanted it. In no time, his face was smeared with her juices from the tip of his nose to his chin. Her knees pressed the pillow up against his ears, but he could still faintly hear the sound of her moaning. He could feel it far more acutely as the sound vibrated through his cock in her mouth.

She said something, but he couldn't make out the words. He was too lost in the taste and scent of her to worry about it, and continued to devour her. Her lips slid over his swollen shaft at a quick pace, taking about half of him in on each stroke. The motion of her hips grew slightly erratic as she soared toward climax on his tongue.

Though he didn't feel the bed shift, he certainly felt Kayleen's tongue when she slipped into the bed to lap his hairless orbs.

Mindblind grunted into Raven's folds from the unexpected addition. Almost immediately, he felt the first tingles of an eruption building in the tip of his cock. A powerful jerk of Raven's hips moved one knee enough to free his ear, allowing him to hear Kayleen panting and moaning in excitement as she lapped his balls.

A moment later, cool air washed over his saliva-coated member when Raven released him to let out a long, broken growl of pleasure. He was only left unattended long enough for Kayleen's tongue to slide up his length and take him in her mouth.

With orgasm rushing in to claim Raven, Mindblind was able to pull her into position to suck her clit between his lips and hold her there. Her muscles tensed, while the pitch of her moans increased and intermingled with squeals.

Mindblind breathed hard through his nose as he kept his lips locked on Raven's swollen bud. The itch in his cock had intensified, and he was having difficulty keeping his attention on the task at hand — or rather at mouth. With a surge of willpower, he wiggled his head back and forth while flicking her clit with his tongue. Raven gave a great lurch atop him, and then screamed in release.

Though he tried to keep up the pressure as Raven came, Kayleen had pushed him to the point of no return. After only a few more strokes of her mouth, he threw back his head with a deep, inarticulate scream, and erupted in her mouth.

His seed pumped from him in hard spurts, making him lurch against Raven, who remained hovering over him in the throes of orgasm. Kayleen's lips had pulled back to just the tip of his pulsing organ, draining him of every drop he had to offer.

The sweet suckling of the blonde's lips soon grew too much for him to handle, and a jerk of his hips caused his cock to pop free of her mouth. Raven let out a sexy moan, shuddered once more, and then knee-walked toward the other woman.

The lethargy of climax wasn't nearly enough to overcome the sight. Kayleen had risen up to her knees, and had a dribble of cum running from her lip down her chin. A spatter also decorated one of her heavy breasts. Raven leaned in and lapped up the milky trail on the blonde's face, and then kissed her hard.

As soon as the two women's lips parted, the raven-haired thief turned her attention to the remaining bit of cream, and then lingered to suckle Kayleen's stiff nipple. The blonde's eyes closed, and she whimpered.

Raven dipped two fingers into her sex as she moved in for another kiss. When she sat back this time, she offered her glistening fingers to the blonde.

Kayleen gasped, and her lips worked through a pair of soundless words. Then she closed her eyes and licked Raven's fingers.

"Mmm hmm. Do I taste good?"

"Yes," Kayleen responded in a rush, almost before Raven could finish, and then sucked the offered digits.

Raven sat down, and then reclined back. "Scoot," she quietly instructed Mindblind, and he moved closer to the edge of the bed. The thief lay down and parted her legs wide.

After only a moment's hesitation, Kayleen dropped forward onto her hands and moved between Raven's bent knees.

Mindblind shifted position a little to get a better view, and winced from the way the sight made his half-hard cock throb. The blonde's tongue snaked out and slipped into Raven's pussy.

"Yes, sweetie. That's so good," Raven cooed.

Kayleen started out slowly, just tickling Raven's folds with the tip of her tongue. Mindblind couldn't take his eyes off the blonde having her first taste of another woman.

Raven writhed on the bed, soft sounds of pleasure and encouragement slipping past her lips. Kayleen grew bolder, lapping faster and deeper with every passing second.

Mindblind's cock reversed course with surprising speed from watching the sexy scene, though his erection was somewhat numb, with a dull undercurrent of discomfort from hardening so soon after coming. The blonde took her time, savoring Raven's juices, slowly building a fire in the thief's loins.

Despite Kayleen's apparent hunger, there was simply something softer and less anxious about the way she tongued Raven's pussy. Similarly, the thief's reactions were more subdued, but equally arousing. The quiet serenade of their pleasure built toward a crescendo.

"Yes, you're gonna make me come," Raven said in a tight voice after several minutes, and then yelped as her words inspired Kayleen to even greater efforts. After a few whimpers, the thief cried, "Oh, I'm there," and tumbled into sweet surrender.

Mindblind groaned as he watched Raven climax on Kayleen's tongue. The blonde lapped for Raven's flow of juices, emitting delighted little sounds all the while. Raven undulated on the bed, pinching her nipples and whimpering from the waves of bliss rolling through her body.

"I want to... Want to taste me on your lips," the thief managed to gasp out.

Kayleen looked quite reluctant to leave the sweet treasure she was licking, but crawled over the dark-haired woman's body to offer Raven that taste. The two women kissed, their tongues slipping over each other.

"You liked it, didn't you?"

"Yes," Kayleen replied before pressing her lips back to Raven's.

"Mmm, you're going to love his cock, too. H-help me up."

Mindblind sat up and took Raven's hand to help her rise. She was still quivering from the aftershocks of her orgasm, and paused when she let her legs drop over the edge of the bed to let a great shiver ripple through her.

Finally, she stood up — albeit on slightly wobbly knees — and took Kayleen's hand. As the thief guided her to lie down, the blonde looked over at Mindblind's cock and gasped in somewhat fearful anticipation.

A quick nodding gesture from Raven let him know that she wanted him to move in front of the blonde. Kayleen's breathing quickened, her eyes never leaving his bobbing erection.

The thief pushed Kayleen's knees up and out, exposing the blonde's soaked sex. She then crooked her finger and beckoned Mindblind near. As soon as he scooted into position between Kayleen's bent knees, Raven wrapped two fingers around his cock and guided it toward the blonde's nether lips.

Raven rubbed his cock up and down Kayleen's folds, coating the tip in slippery wetness. The blonde leaned up to watch, panting for breath and whimpering, her eyes wide at the sight of him poised to enter her.

A slight tug on his hard shaft instructed Mindblind to push, and the head of his cock popped inside her. Kayleen gasped and her eyes squinted shut for a second before opening even wider than before.

Raven rubbed the blonde's clit with just the tip of her finger and said, "Relax, sweetie. Let him in."

Kayleen's lips formed the shape of an O as she breathed heavily, and Mindblind felt the resistance of her gripping canal lessen. Raven once again tugged, and he pushed a little deeper, drawing a yelp from the blonde.

"S-so big," Kayleen gasped.

"Mmm hmm," Raven moaned in response. Her fingers flashed as she rubbed the other woman's clit in a rapid burst. Her fingers also uncurled from around Mindblind's shaft and moved to his ass.

A warbling cry escaped the blonde as her walls tightened around Mindblind's cock. As soon as her intimate muscles relaxed, Raven gave an insistent push. He groaned as he sank fully into her depths, though the sound was almost completely drowned out by Kayleen's squeal.

"Doesn't it feel good, sweetie?"

Kayleen's voice once again quavered as she responded, "Oh yes."

Raven's hand moved yet again, this time to Mindblind's hip. From this position, she silently instructed him to pull back, and then to bury his cock inside her again. The blonde gasped with each penetration, releasing the breath in a high-pitched moan every time he withdrew.

Despite his body demanding more, Mindblind accepted the slow pace. Raven's perky breasts jiggled from the motion of her fingers over the blonde's clit. Kayleen's far larger globes quivered each time his balls settled against her. The milky sheen of juices coating his cock grew thicker with each thrust, smeared over his shaft by her nether lips clinging to him with delightful friction. Kayleen's face flushed bright red, and tightened in ecstasy.




Lowborn Ch. 05



Raven let the words slide slowly, sensually from her lips as she said, "You're going to come so hard." Her guiding hand and now cream-coated fingers both stepped up the pace.

Kayleen's cries of passion grew louder as his thick cock stroked her faster. Her fingers curled into claws, gripping the bedclothes, and she twitched from the shocks of pleasure tearing through her body. Mindblind growled from between clenched teeth as he fought against the first tingles of his own release moving to claim him.

Raven let her hand slip from his hip when she determined that the blonde was ready to take whatever he had to offer. Mindblind grunted in approval when he saw her turn the now free hand to the task of teasing her own folds without missing a beat on Kayleen's clit.

The thief's voice sounded almost pleading when she said, "Do it. Come for us, sweetie."

Kayleen's breasts bounced from the power of Mindblind's thrusts, and he was fighting with all his will to stave off his own climax. The blonde's eyes opened wide, and she exclaimed, "I... I'm... Ah! Ah! Aieee!"

Her squeal of release accompanied a slow, rhythmic contraction of her walls, further eroding Mindblind's control. Still, he held on, loving the sight and sound of her coming so hard too much for it to end so soon.

"Fill her up," Raven intimated in a rush, her fingers still fast at work on the climaxing woman's bud.

"Oh yes!" Kayleen agreed between screams of ecstasy.

That was all it took.

Mindblind surrendered to the inevitable, giving full vent to his needs in a handful of thrusts so powerful that the legs of the bed grated upon the floor below. Then his seed surged up, and he slammed his hips forward one last time to spill it deep inside her.

"Mmm hmm," Raven moaned, sliding her fingers up from the blonde's clit to her tummy.

His breath blasted from his lips as Mindblind's hips twitched of their own accord, responding to the tight squeeze of Kayleen's canal. Soon enough, he couldn't handle it any longer, and jerked free with a growl.

"Shit," he hissed as he sat down to the side, having no small amount of trouble maintaining enough balance to not fall from his precarious perch at the edge of the bed. He sank down until his forearm was flat on the mattress, to give him some sort of balance.

Mindblind's twitching and Kayleen's ecstatic whimpers eventually calmed, and he heard Raven say, "Oh that was good, wasn't it?"

"Uh huh," Kayleen squeaked in response, and then let out a somewhat sleepy sounding chuckle.

"I want to taste the two of you together," Raven purred, causing the blonde to gasp.

Mindblind looked over to see the thief moving between Kayleen's legs, only the hot throbbing of his softening cock keeping his eyelids from drifting closed.

A broad stroke of Raven's tongue gathered up the mingled cream dribbling from Kayleen's canal, drawing a deeply satisfied moan from the thief, and a far sharper one from the blonde. Raven licked her lips and said, "Don't even think about falling asleep, because I'm getting that dick inside me too."

"Fuck me," Mindblind groaned, not even wanting to think about getting hard again.

Raven gave him an evil smile. "Isn't that what I just said?"

Another groan escaped him, and he dropped down into a fully reclined position as the thief slipped between Kayleen's thighs once more.

****

Mindblind grunted as soon as he awakened the next morning. His morning erection burned slightly from the workout the night before, and his bladder felt tight enough to explode.

Not caring in the slightest who might see, he exited the room and crossed to the garderobe — still naked. After what felt like an eternity, he finally drooped enough to urinate, and sighed as he let off the pressure.

The stream forked at first, and he pissed on his foot.

"Great," he grumbled, and finished emptying his bladder. A cloth dipped in some shockingly cool water from a bucket in the room let him clean the dribbles off his foot and the dried evidence of the previous night's adventures from between his legs.

A pair of the prostitutes were walking toward the taproom when he exited, and greeted his nudity with approving smiles. He just shook his head when they both turned to watch him until he closed the door of his room behind him.

Down boy, he thought with a wince when the sight of Raven standing next to the bed stretching greeted him. She wore a sweet smile as she looked down on Kayleen still sleeping, and turned to twitch her eyebrows at Mindblind while she let her upstretched arms fall to her side.

Curiosity finally got the better of him when she walked over to join him next to the other bed. "What's with the two of you?"

"I thought we showed you that last night?"

"Not what I mean. The way you act around her and talk to her."

Raven shrugged her shoulders. "I like her, and she really needs a friend right now."

"Just like night and day."

"I don't know. Just makes me feel good, making her feel better. She's had a really rough time." The thief sat down on the bed. "You were right; she's carried more than her share of drinks around a tavern."

Mindblind pulled on his pants and asked, "Why'd she turn to whorin', then?"

"Long story, but she fell in love with the man who owned the place, and he betrayed her. She loved the work, but couldn't bear to be around it after that. She got by doing odd things for a while, but then everything fell apart. Stumbled into the Cat without many other options."

"She seemed okay carrying brew here."

"She's had some time, and a lot worse experiences since then than catching the man she fell for getting his dick sucked."

He had to nod in agreement with that.

"Get me some warm water to clean up?"

"Yeah. Back in a minute."

Mindblind grabbed the clay pitcher provided for that purpose and headed for the kitchen to fetch the water. He pondered the complexities of Raven's dual nature, and thought that he liked both the rough and soft sides of her. The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile, but then he shook his head and his expression hardened.

He'd spent too long keeping his emotions from having control over his life, and this was no time to start. A moment later, he realized that this entire journey was nothing more than a visceral reaction to Delly's death. What was done was done, so he shook his head and continued on to the kitchen.

The women appeared to have closed up shop in preparation to leave, which resulted in a few crestfallen men sitting around the taproom, staring into their beers. Indigo sat talking with two of the women, and loosed a hearty laugh before nodding a greeting to Mindblind.

In what had become an oddly unremarkable occurrence over the last couple of days, Mindblind saw that the prostitutes had managed to acquire small traveling bags and packs, as well as hats to shield them from the sun.

The group was certainly going to look far less the motley collection of vagabonds that they had appeared upon arrival in town. He shook his head as he walked into the kitchen and let out a snorting chuckle when he thought back to Vladamir insisting that he was going on an adventure.

Fate had conspired to make his little brother right after all.

****

Since Indigo had revealed that he had experience driving a team, Mindblind let him pull the wagon around to the front of the inn. The supplies for the trip were loaded, and the hard wooden floor of the wagon was now padded by two of the mattresses that the prostitutes had purchased. The remainder of the spare mattresses they donated to the innkeeper, as those in the rooms were now more than a little worse for wear, and smelled deeply of sex.

"Come ladies. Your coach awaits," Indigo declared as he brought the wagon to a halt and vaulted down from the driver's seat.

"You're in an awful good mood," Raven remarked with a roll of her eyes.

"It is a fine day, and even finer company," he responded, and swept his eyes over the whores, several of whom laughed. "One must live for the day." His expression slowly grew more somber, and he added, "Still, I have not forgotten the reason for my journey."

The Draxnian helped the first of the women up into the wagon and said, "In truth, my brother and I have not spoken in years. Though his loss brings me pain and anger, he was a drunkard and a man of little honor. Save for my family, I fear that he is little loss to the world. I would not even know his fate were it not for the tavern owner coming to complain that he left without paying for what he drank that night."

Mindblind inclined his head and grunted to indicate that he understood.

"So, you are leaving?"

Mindblind turned around upon hearing the question and answered, "Yeah, we're for home, Pompeil."

The merchant looked quite surprised that Mindblind had used his proper name, but cleared his throat to try to cover the reaction. "If I may suggest, you should set out west. Follow the road, and you will come to the town of Foxwood. From there, you can follow the road north to Lakenshire."

Mindblind pondered it for a moment and said, "Probably not a good idea to go back the same way we came. Doubt we killed all the scum involved in this. What about you?"

"I have sent word to retainers of mine, and received a reply this morning. My guards should arrive some time tomorrow evening to escort me back to Lakenshire, and from there, to home."

"Watch your back," Mindblind warned. "Whoever's behind this might not even know you were involved, but they might."

"And you, yours," Pompeil agreed. "I still owe you a debt. I will not forget it."

Mindblind nodded and extended his hand. Once again, the merchant looked quite surprised by the gesture, but shook the offered hand and said, "Safe journey."

"Much as I hate to say it, I agree with Pomp," Raven remarked.

"West it is, then."

A short while later, the wagon rolled toward the edge of the city with Indigo driving, six of the prostitutes riding, and everyone else afoot beside it.

Their departure did not go unobserved.

****

Hope you enjoyed the latest installment! Please do remember to vote, and feel free to drop a comment or favorite in my cyber-hat as well. The feedback is the fuel that keeps me writing. 



Lowborn Ch. 06



The journey started pleasantly enough. The ladies of negotiable virtue chatted and laughed, still relating to each other the tales of their latest adventures and clients before leaving town. Indigo whistled as he drove the wagon, and even Raven seemed to be in good spirits as she hiked along, usually sharpening one of her daggers with a whetstone.

The sun was shining bright, but a breeze kept the temperature tolerable. The tall, tough grass of the prairie rippled in the wind, reminiscent of waves on a lake. The clomping of the horse's hooves and creaking of the wagon provided a soothing cadence perfectly suited to a quick walk. An eagle keened overhead prompting Mindblind to look up at the majestic bird soaring effortlessly on massive wings.

That broke his good mood a little. The eagle was hunting, and there might very well still be people hunting them as well.

He jogged ahead in order to pass in front of the wagon and reach Raven on the other side. "Know anything about this Foxwood?"

"Just your typical town. Bigger than that hole we just left. There's a small thieves guild there, so I'll have to pay a courtesy call. Guilds don't like lone wolves coming into their territory unannounced. Good way to get knifed while you're sleeping."

"Any chance we have enough money or barter to get a few rooms that aren't flea infested?"

The thief offered a crooked grin. "I might be able to arrange something." She nodded back toward the prostitutes following behind. "I can probably smooth things over with the local madame, too. They'll need to check in, same as me."

Mindblind let out a grunt and glanced over his shoulder when he heard one of the women say something he couldn't make out. As he'd suspected from her voice, it was Yani, and she appeared to be talking to herself.

"She okay?"

The briefest flash of pain crossed Raven's features, and her voice was far softer than normal when she answered, "I don't know." After a few more steps, she expanded, "I made sure Yasmine knew how to reach me, and that's why I was in town to begin with. She thinks Yani's getting worse."

"Could just be all that's happened."

"I wish. She was getting weirder even before that night. It takes more of the tea every few months to keep her from going wild." She shook her head, tossing her short, dark locks, and growled. "I really don't want to talk about this right now."

Thinking that she wasn't going to be able to avoid the issue much longer, Mindblind gave in to her wishes and changed the subject. "How long until we get there?"

"Couple hours before dark. There's a creek where we can wash some of the stink off before we go into town, too. I know the guildmaster, so I can probably charm him into helping watch our backs. Did him a few favors here and there."

"What about the law? We're not exactly an inconspicuous bunch."

"They'll probably harass us at the gate and follow us until we check in with the guild and the madame. They're on the take from both of them, so that should shake them off us."

Indigo called out from where he sat, driving the wagon. "Ho, friends. My stomach is growling like a wild dog." When Mindblind and the thief turned to look back at him, he pointed to a spot ahead where a couple of trees broke the monotony of the plains. "A little shade as we dine?"

Raven shrugged. "May as well. Wish we'd bought a cask of that beer before we left, to wash it down."

"Probably have charged us an arm and a leg for it. He was damn near weeping from how his business was going to go to hell once we left."

"Need to make Yani's tea, too," Raven said under her breath. "It works better when she drinks it hot."

Mindblind grunted and turned back to Indigo once more. "Pull it off there and we'll break out some chow."

****

Around an hour after eating and resuming their journey, Mindblind looked to the horizon to see the end of a pleasant day approaching.

The wind turned chill, hitting the wagon and those who walked beside it like an icy hammer. Ahead, a wall of roiling darkness streaked with lightning approached — relentless and inevitable.

The wagon rolled to a stop next to Mindblind, and Indigo remarked, "I do not like the look of this weather, my friend."

"That makes two of us," Mindblind grumbled, scanning the landscape.

Some distance off the road stood a small stand of scraggly trees. The amount of lightning he'd already seen dissuaded him of any notion of using the trees for cover. Otherwise, only the brown ribbon of the road broke the monotony of a sea of prairie grass.

Breathing heavily, those prostitutes who weren't currently riding in the wagon found the most comfortable spots they could and sat down to rest. Considering none of them were used to spending much time outside of a bed — let alone walking cross-country — they were keeping up gamely.

Turning to Raven, he asked, "Any place we can get out of the weather between here and town?"

The dark-haired thief shrugged. "Not that I know of. There's farmsteads spread out everywhere, but I haven't seen any in an hour."

Mindblind growled, "Son-of-a-bitch." The storm looked especially violent, even for the plains, where such weather was common. In addition to the obvious threat of the lightning, it could be bringing dangerous straight-line winds, hail, or even spawn a tornado.

Seated atop the wagon, Indigo peered off into the distance, his eyes narrowing. After a few moments, he stood up.

"You see something?" Mindblind asked.

"I am not sure. It appears to be a small, square hill."

"Probably a barbarian burial mound," Raven scoffed as she climbed up onto the wagon.

Mindblind stared off toward where Indigo was gazing, but all he saw was the hip-high grass spreading out in every direction.

Raven reached into one of the numerous pockets and pouches secreted in all of her clothing and retrieved a small spyglass. Upon extending it, she lifted it to her eye and tracked it back and forth in a methodical way. Suddenly she stopped and let out a hmm of discovery.

After a few seconds of scrutiny, she dropped the spyglass and said, "I'm not sure, but I think there's an old turf house out there in a shallow valley."

Looking up at the storm, which was approaching with alarming speed, Mindblind asked, "Think we can make it?"

"If we run like hell. May not be much of it left, if that's even what it is. The grass growing on it looks almost as tall as the shit growing around it."

"Even part of a wall is better than being out here in the middle of the damn road." He turned to the women within and around the wagon. "You're all going to have to run. Once that wagon's off the road, the less weight on it, the better. Otherwise, you all might be walking tomorrow."

"Let's go," Raven yelled, and leaped down from the wagon to sprint toward the distant structure.

Having gained a little respect for the hardships of the road — and a great deal of same for the half-breed warrior and nimble thief who led them — the women gathered up their skirts and ran. Indigo turned the wagon off the road, clucking his tongue and flipping the reins to urge a burst of speed from the horse.

After one last, lingering look at the approaching storm, Mindblind cinched up a strap on his armor and brought up the rear. His long, muscled legs ate up the distance, even through the tall grass, and he soon passed the wagon.

One of the prostitutes stumbled, vanishing into the grass, which was now bending before a steady gale. He planted his foot hard upon reaching her, coming to an abrupt stop, and grabbed her arm, jerking her back to her feet.

"C'mon. We've got to run."

Though the brunette — he dimly remembered that her name was Cammie — winced, she nodded and took off into a hobbling jog. As the wagon passed him once again, Mindblind could tell that the prostitute had twisted her ankle, at the least. She cried out in pain after twenty feet or so, nearly dropping to her knees in the grass again.

"I can make it," she said as he jogged up next to her.

Seeing the tears streaming down her cheeks and the unmistakable grimace of pain, he shook his head. "No, you can't." Without further comment, he squatted down, scooped her up into his arms, and started to run again.

Ahead in the distance, Raven waved the other women toward what was undeniably a turf house, which he could see had at least two intact walls and a roof. As Raven had mentioned, the grass growing on the roof of the rude structure was nearly as tall as that on the prairie surrounding it. If it had survived long enough to sprout that growth, it should last through one more storm.

He was still a fair distance away when the first sprinkles — if drops large enough to sting bare skin could be called that — started falling. The wagon, upon which he had been closing, surged forward with a fresh burst of speed, bouncing on the uneven terrain and whipping long strands of tough grass that had tangled in the wheels.

Grunting from the effort, Mindblind quickened his pace. Errant drops turned to sheets of horizontal rain slamming into him, soaking one side of his body while the other remained dry — if not for long. Cammie clung to his neck, whimpering with every one of his hard footfalls from the bouncing of her turned ankle.

Lightning flashed in the descending darkness, and booms of thunder set off shockwaves he could feel. Still, he pressed on, the turf house looming larger as the wagon turned to pass in front of it. A stinging jolt in his shoulder marked the first pelting of hail. The icy stones plunged down, hissing through the grass and thudding into the earth below. Putting his head down and leaning over the woman in his arms as best he could, Mindblind ran for shelter.

"Lovely weather," Raven shouted over the wind as he came to a stop in front of the turf house.

Mindblind stooped down and said, "Get inside," to Cammie. "Help her," he called to the other women inside the low doorway of the earthen structure, before spinning to help Indigo, who had jumped off the wagon to lead the horse by hand. All the while, the hail — now the size of acorns — continued to relentlessly hammer into them.

"Get in here, dammit," Raven yelled. "Forget the damn horse."

"There," Indigo shouted, pointing toward another low earthen structure Mindblind hadn't noticed. Similar in construction to the turf house, it had a wider, taller, open doorway, and must have served as a stable when the place was still inhabited.

Giving a nod and wincing as a hailstone slammed into his temple, he growled to the horse, "Come on, ya damn nag," and pulled hard on the frightened animal's mane.

Though it whinnied in protest, the horse moved forward, and seemed to eventually understand that protection from the hail lay ahead. It increased its pace, and another pull on its mane encouraged it to duck under the doorway.

The weather continued to batter the wagon, but there wasn't enough room to turn it. Indigo went to work on the harness, and Mindblind assisted him on the other side. Once the horse was free, it wandered away to the far side of the structure.

"Gotta push it in far enough to keep the supplies from getting pounded," Mindblind said, and then climbed through the narrow opening between the seat and the wooden doorframe, as barely a hairs-width of space remained on the sides.

Indigo's boots splashed to the earth only moment's after Mindblind's. The pair grunted in exertion, digging their heels into the earth, and pushed the wagon until its shafts bumped into the opposite wall. Still being pelted unmercifully by icy missiles that were growing larger, the pair ran for the turf house, where Raven stood just inside the doorway.

"Hurry up so I can close this fucking door!" she screamed, then cried out and snatched her arm back when a hailstone half the size of an apple grazed her hand.

Once the pair skidded to a halt inside, Raven slammed the warped portal shut and slapped a makeshift wooden bar into braces designed to hold one when the house was occupied. She turned to Mindblind and said, "You're bleeding."

He knitted his brow, feeling a sting as Raven reached out and swiped a finger across his forehead. Sure enough, it was stained with blood when she held it up in front of him. He shrugged, wiped the blood off with his hand, then onto his pants, and surveyed the scene.

Other than a spot right in front of the door, the packed earth floor was dry — covered in loose dust and assorted detritus from the outdoors. The interior was a single room, probably partitioned off into sections at some point in time by blankets. A layer of clay spread over the interior walls kept the water from seeping in, and the roof wasn't leaking — yet. A thick, milky piece of oddly-shaped glass, probably scavenged from somewhere and built directly into the house during construction, provided the only natural light.

Some type of small lamp did flicker in the corner farthest from the door, though. Two women had hiked up Cammie's skirt, removed her shoes, and unbuttoned her dress, tending to her bruises from the hail and her swollen ankle as best they could.

Raven rubbed her finger over an angry purple spot on his arm and said, "You two should probably let someone check you out, too.

"Just bruises. I'll live." He looked up, listening to the thumps on the thick sod roof, supported by beams of precious timber and baked clay struts. A blinding flash through the window preceded a crash of thunder that shook the whole structure and the very ground.

"The gods surely smile upon us, to have provided shelter against such fury," Indigo mused.

Probably just part of a cruel joke that'll have the place fall down on our heads later.

A few steps brought Mindblind to the window, revealing grass beaten down and broken by hail, the stones littering the ground outside like gravel. More than a few were large enough to brain a man, streaking from the sky as if shot from a sling. A strangely discordant sound caught his attention near the window. Leaning in closer, he turned his ear toward the glass and listened.

He heard it again, a hollow crack that sounded more like the stones striking wood than earth. Quieter, but also audible now that he was concentrating, there was a low clank every so often.

Apparently having noticed him tense, his body shifting into danger mode, both Raven and Indigo approached.

"What is it?" Indigo asked.

"Tell me if you hear anything," Mindblind instructed, and then stepped away from the window.

"There is something... There. The ice is falling on something solid — that does not give. The wagon?"

"Let me in there," Raven demanded, edging the Draxnian away from the window. After only a few seconds, she said, "Wood and metal. Someone's out there."

"Gettin' the shit pounded out of them, and close." Mindblind whirled on the women, keeping his voice low. "Get away from the walls, as far from the door and the window as you can. Put out that light. Stay quiet."

"At least they can't burn us out," Raven grumbled as she drew both a long-bladed fighting dagger and a lighter one for throwing. "A dragon couldn't set this heap of soggy earth on fire right now."

"It could be other travelers," Indigo suggested, though he didn't sound remotely convinced.

Raven shook her head. "We'd have seen them. Someone was shadowing us, and they either weren't close enough or ready when we bolted for here. Fuck! I should have known."

"Well, like you said, they can't burn us out, and I don't think there's a crossbow made that would go through these walls with any force. Wedge 'em up in the doorway?" Mindblind drew his sword.

"A good plan, if they are foolish," Indigo said, his blade already in hand. "All of our food is in the wagon. They need only wait, and it is we who will find the door our bane."

Raven squeezed the hilt of her dagger tight. "Shit, shit, shit! I hate places with no back doors."

"We gotta go now," Mindblind said, confirming the conclusion his companions had already reached.

Raven suggested, "They're probably hunkered down. What we're hearing is probably the hail slamming into shields held overhead."

Mindblind gestured toward the door with his sword. "Get out of here, bar the door behind us, and try to figure out where they are?"

"I'll do it," Raven said as she sheathed her daggers. "You two are about as subtle as this fucking storm. I find them, and you two keep your mouths shut and swords out of the hail. They hear ringing metal, and we're fucked."

Kayleen approached, looking a little ashen. "I'll bar the door. Some of us still have knives." She glanced back over her shoulder and added in a whisper, "Not Yani."

Mindblind glanced at Raven and knew the thief was thinking the same thing he was. If they failed to return, the women might be better served to use the knives on themselves, at least earning a clean death.

Contrary to the look that had flashed in her eyes, her voice was calm when Raven said, "Good girl. Keep them quiet, and keep them calm." She then glanced at Mindblind and Indigo. "Let's go."

Thanks to the force of the wind, the turf house provided a narrow measure of protection from the hailstones that still pelted down. Mindblind could immediately tell that the onslaught was slowing, however. The thumping of ice balls on wood was coming from somewhere to the rear of the structure, the direction from which they'd dashed toward it, not long ago. Raven guided him and Indigo to lean close together.

"Hail's probably the only thing keeping them pinned down. Once that's gone, we're going to lose the chance to jump these guys. We've got to move fast once I find them."

Braving the beating she was sure to get, the thief then dashed into the sea of grass around the house and vanished. The wind whipping the grass masked any hint of her passing. Keeping their swords as close to the sod walls as possible while also maintaining readiness, the pair waited for her return, or a sign.

She emerged from the grass between the house and the earthen stable a couple of very long minutes later, her arms covered in purple dots from the hail.

"They're just this side of the path the wagon beat down, and about twenty yards out. I think there are three of them, hiding under one shield. Get on the opposite side of the wagon path and move fast. Stay quiet, but the wind should help. You'll know when to move."

As soon as both men nodded, She turned and made another ghostlike disappearance into the grass. Mindblind and Indigo left the relative safety next to the turf house and braved the stinging hail.

Moving in an uncomfortable, ape-like crouch, Mindblind kept his sword close to his body to avoid any of the ice balls — already fewer and farther between — from striking the metal weapon and sounding an alarm. Smaller of frame and lighter on his feet, Indigo soon outpaced him, little more than flashes of movement ahead in the whipping prairie grasses.

Only a few scattered thumps marked the end of the hailstorm as he guessed he was near where the men had hunkered down. One thudded into the distinctive sound of wood, marking the targets just ahead and to the right. Indigo waited, his sword now held at the ready and his feet under him, ready to spring into action. Leaning a little closer to the path the wagon had beaten down, Mindblind could barely see the upraised shield sinking back down below the top of the grass.

A bit-off cry of pain let him know it was time to move. He crashed through the grass, Indigo at his side, just as four men stood up, weapons at the ready. Three of the Draxnians were wiry men who held their weapons with cool confidence, eyes locked on Mindblind an his companions. That and Raven's throwing dagger sticking from the side of one of the assassins instead of a more vital spot spoke of skill to be reckoned with.




Lowborn Ch. 06



The fourth was a mountain of a man, sporting a black beard — almost bear-like in appearance — easily as tall as Mindblind and more muscular. It was he who bore the shield, and carried a sword that most men would need to wield in two hands. He swiped it through the air and announced, Kill them, in Draxnian, his booming voice easily overcoming the howling wind.

Steel clashed on steel, and Mindblind instantly knew that this opponent was far more skilled than the last assassin he had faced. Those of lower standing had failed, and so the best of the guild's murderers had come to finish the job. These were men trained to kill from the shadows, but prepared to take out their mark with main strength, should the necessity arise.

Mindblind disengaged from the assassin's first attack, put on the defensive by a flurry of blows. Training and adrenaline took over, bringing his sword into line and compensating for his lack of a shield, which he'd tossed into the wagon before stopping to evaluate the approaching weather. Though the hail had stopped, horizontal rain continued to fall, obscuring vision and making the grips of weapons slippery.

Though his opponent was faster, and perhaps more skilled, the killer seemed wary of Mindblind's reach and obvious strength. He kept his blade moving, never locking weapons for more than a fraction of a second. Mindblind immersed himself in the flow of the battle, his sword moving to parry on pure instinct, and to strike when an opportunity presented itself.

When the assassin's blade tangled in the hardy, blowing grass for the tiniest fraction of a second, Mindblind was ready. He thrust, forcing the murderer back, and took advantage of his longer reach to keep the man at bay. With the tables turned, his greater strength also helped to tip the scales.

A death cry sounded out, and the assassin facing Indigo dropped to the ground, sliding off the handsome Draxnian's blade. Mindblind barely had time to take note of it in his peripheral vision, as he had to keep up the pressure on his opponent. Grunts of pain and exertion mingling with steely hisses marked the battle between Raven and the last of the men.

The mountain of a man, who had stood aside since the outset of the battle, leveled his sword at Indigo, booming out something in his own language that carried a note of command.

"Do not call me your countryman, murderous dog. Your men killed my brother. Prepare to die."

Despite his pronouncement, Indigo could do little more than dance around the big man, seeking an opening while staying away from swipes of the killer's massive sword. His own slender weapon was no match.

Once again, the prairie provided an opening for Mindblind. The assassin's stumble was momentary — almost unnoticeable — but instinct and the heat of battle caused it to play out in Mindblind's eyes as if happening in slow motion. His arm already moving for a diagonal strike, he threw caution to the wind, leaning in, and adding the weight of his muscled frame to the blow.

The assassin's blade moved into position, angled to deflect, but it wasn't enough. The force of the blow slammed the weapon into his chest, cutting in. Mindblind's sword continued on, slicing into the man's neck. A fountain of blood and a gurgling cry preceded the killer vanishing into the grass.

A third body disappeared, as if swallowed by the earth, and Mindblind saw Raven whirl toward where Indigo faced the leader of the killers. Her arm whipped, and a dagger tumbled through the air with deadly accuracy toward the man's neck.

A flash of blue light erupted from a metal adornment on the man's shield, and Raven's dagger stopped mere inches from his skin. Before anyone could process the introduction of magic into the battle, the dagger reversed its course, speeding toward Raven. She dived out of the way, but screamed in pain, and didn't rise above the surface of the swaying grass.

Snapping his head to the side to dislodge water droplets clinging to his nose, Mindblind charged into the battle. Indigo was too hard pressed, so he had to trust that Raven would take care of herself. The big Draxnian laughed when Mindblind's first strike, a mighty overhand blow, ricocheted off the air. Once again, the ornament on the murder's shield flashed blue.

Mindblind knew they were in trouble. Though having a two-to-one advantage should have swayed the fight in their favor, the magic of the shield was nullifying their numbers. Whenever one of them took advantage of an opening created by the other, the blow never reached its intended target.

Time and time again, Mindblind slashed, stabbed, and hacked at the Draxnian, to no avail. Indigo danced on light feet, his sword whipping out to strike like a viper, but having no more effect than Mindblind's savage blows.

The bear-like Draxnian swung his sword in wide arcs, chuckling as the extended reach of his sword forced both men facing him to dance back. Mindblind and Indigo were tiring from having already faced a battle, and from the constant need to move. The ground was steadily growing more slippery as booted feet stomped the grass down into the mud amidst the torrential rain. Their opponent simply stood with his feet planted, trying to mow them down, and occasionally advancing when they retreated.

He didn't hear it sailing through the air, but Mindblind certainly saw the dagger when it stuck dead center in the Draxnian's shield. The big man's laughter abruptly ceased, and his gaze flickered to his shield in alarm. With no time to contemplate what it meant, Mindblind deflected a hasty strike of the giant sword. As it had dozens of times before, Indigo's sword stabbed in directly on the heels of the attack against his newfound friend.

This time, it drew blood.

The wound was little more than a scratch in the killer's side, but that it had reached him at all was telling. The murderer went on the defensive, raising his shield and swiping his sword to force a retreat. Mindblind only took a half-step back, angling his sword and bracing, sending the strike high. He immediately smashed his sword into the killer's shield, resulting in a satisfying thud of steel on wood.

Ducking under a hasty and poorly aimed defensive strike, Indigo darted in and stabbed upward. His fine sword slipped into the killer's neck, releasing a fountain of blood and a sputtering wheeze of air.

"My brother is avenged," Indigo declared, and then withdrew his sword, flourishing the weapon as he stepped back.

The huge sword fell from nerveless fingers, landing with a plop on the muddy ground below. The killer lifted his trembling hand toward his punctured windpipe, but never achieved his goal. Blood pouring down his neck and shirt, he collapsed into a heap.

"Raven!" Indigo shouted over a crash of thunder.

Mindblind whirled on the spot where he'd last seen her, but saw only rain and grass. A groan, barely audible over the wind, sounded from another quarter.

Indigo pointed, "There."

A flash of lightning illuminated something in the grass near where Raven had dived from the deadly flight of her own dagger. Mindblind yelled, "Check it out. I see something over there."

Indigo nodded and headed toward where he'd heard the sound.

After only a few steps, Mindblind knew that what he had seen was the thief. "She's here — down," he yelled.

"One of the assassins lives, but not for long," Indigo called back.

Mindblind knelt down next to Raven, but she didn't acknowledge him. When he rolled her onto her back, he saw the slash in her pants, high on the thigh. Blood darkened the cloth and stained the grass.

"Fuck," Mindblind cursed under his breath, and scooped her up in his arms. Though weary from the battle, he ran toward the turf house, hoping to get Raven out of the weather and somewhere he could see her wound better. The thief bounced limp in his arms, apparently unconscious, and he could feel the warmth of her lifeblood dripping from his knuckles.

He knew that few who took a wound so serious stayed above ground for long. If nothing else, he was determined to get her inside, where she at least wouldn't die alone in the mud. And so, he ran with his burden, hope washing away in the torrential rain.

****

Hope you've enjoyed the latest chapter! This one was fun to write, and was actually the breakthrough that got the story moving again after a long stall.

The goal is for chapters to post every Tuesday and Friday morning until the story is complete. It's working so far, but you never know what may happen with Lit's posting queue.

As always, please take a moment to vote, and perhaps leave a public comment, mark me as a favorite, or drop me an email. Feedback is our paycheck as free authors, so help a poor starving scribbler out, won't you? *laugh*



Lowborn Ch. 07



Mindblind ran, fighting the wind, rain, and muddy terrain to stay upright with his burden. Raven had barely breathed when he found her, and there was no guarantee that she still was. Upon reaching the turf house, he turned his back toward the door and threw his weight into it. In a splintering of wood, the makeshift bar fell away. He stumbled into the room amidst alarmed screams from the women within.

Kayleen ran up and gasped, "Oh no. Is she okay?"

Mindblind didn't answer, but instead lay her down, drawing one of her own daggers from a sheath at her hip.

"Rayneena!" Yani cried out as she dropped to her knees next to her sister. Seeing Mindblind with the knife, her eyes went wild and she grabbed his wrist, long nails digging in. "Leave her alone! Murderer!"

"Get off me, Yani. I need to get to that cut," he snarled.

Then Kayleen was there, demonstrating strength and ferocity he would have never expected. She grabbed Yani by the hair, yanking her backward. The pain caused the prostitute to yelp and let go of Mindblind's wrist.

After slamming the other woman to the ground, Kayleen stood over her and said, "He's trying to help. Leave him alone."

Now unencumbered, Mindblind made quick work of Raven's pants with her razor sharp dagger. The wound was deep, and seeping blood at an alarming rate. It wasn't spurting, but that could very well mean that she simply didn't have much blood left.

Betty, who had bartered her charms for the wagon, walked up and reached into the bodice of her dress. She looked more than a little pale as she held out a small glass vial. "Humped a guy in town for this. He said it was a healing draught blessed by a priest. I was going to have someone look at it and tell me if it was any good."

At a loss of what to do, Mindblind accepted the vial and pulled out the cork stopper. He sniffed, finding a sweet, almost flowery scent. Putting his thumb over the end of the bottle, he wetted it by tipping the vial. Throwing caution to the wind, he sucked his thumb, feeling an odd effervescent sensation on his tongue, and in his forehead.

Betty gasped. "Your forehead. It's healing."

Encouraged, and able to feel the sting from the cut and his bruises lessening, he said, "Help me sit her up."

Betty and Alice wrestled with Raven's limp body, lifting her into a seated position and supporting her with their arms. Mindblind didn't waste any time in pouring a drop of the potion into the thief's mouth, which hung open.

Her lip quivered and her eyes moved behind closed lids. After another drop, she took a shuddering breath that alarmed him, though her next breath seemed far stronger. He looked down, seeing the flow of blood from her thigh slowing. A tip of the vial splashed about half its contents into Raven's mouth.

She coughed, and then quivered as if taken by a chill. The angry purple welts dotting her flesh from the hail faded, and when he looked down, the sight of the gash healing before his very eyes elicited a great sigh of relief.

After long, tense seconds, Raven's eyes fluttered open. Only the blood soaking her smooth skin remained from the cut that had nearly ended her career. "You... If you wanted to get in my pants, all you had to do was ask," she said in a drowsy voice.

Indigo entered, pushing the door shut behind him. "How is she?"

"What the hell happened, anyway?" Raven asked, her voice still a little weak.

"Later," Mindblind said. He stood up and turned to Indigo, having seen the Draxnian bent over one of the assassins as he ran past. "That fucker still breathing?"

Indigo shook his head. "Raven struck well. The killer was delirious as he breathed his last. He spoke of returning to Foxwood, and of being done with this costly, foolish mark."

"Think that's where the scum holed up?" Mindblind asked.

"Sounds like it to me," Raven said, sitting up on her own and waving off the women attempting to assist her.

Mindblind looked over his shoulder. "Lay back down. You need to rest."

"I don't think so," she said as she popped to her feet. "What in the fuck happened? I don't even look like a purple-spotted leopard any more, and I feel like I'm about to come out of my skin if I don't get moving."

"Some kind of healing potion Betty had." He turned around, held up the vial, and said, "Come to think of it, there's still some left." He nodded toward Cammie sitting in the corner nursing her ankle. "Should give her a bit for that ankle."

Looking remarkably fit and energetic for a woman on the brink of death only a short time before, Raven stretched. "If there's still anything left in that little bitty bottle, then it doesn't take much. The two of you should probably take a nip after she's up and moving."

"Guess it was worth the hump, huh?" Betty said in smug tones, turning toward Alice, the blonde who had become the defacto madame of the group, keeping things orderly and tensions at a minimum.

"You were going to give him a ride anyway," Alice countered. "You're a sucker for the young, desperate ones."

Raven chuckled. "Anyway, I'm not laying down. Pass that stuff around, then you're going to tell me what happened while I was out, and we're going to get my daggers back."

Mindblind smoothed his hand through his still-soaked hair, shaking his head. He passed the vial to Alice, who took it to Cammie, and then he began telling the story of the battle, with Indigo chiming in on occasion. There were indeed a few drops of the potion left once Cammie was steady on her feet, and what remained almost completely healed the bruises Mindblind and Indigo had suffered.

Raven pursed her lips, fiddling with her pants where Mindblind had sliced one leg from hip to knee while the two men finished their recounting of the battle. "Hmm. I can barely remember getting up once that dagger got me. I knew it had split me good, and I was trying to keep pressure on it. It was almost like my dagger told me to get up and throw it. After that, everything went dark."

"Perhaps it did," Indigo speculated, "Your blade appears to have the kiss of magic. Where our steel failed, yours cut through his sorcery to win the day."

"All the more reason to get it back." She looked up at the roof and cocked her head to the side. "Sounds like the hail's quit. We should search those fuckers and see if there's any kind of clue or anything we can use."

Indigo asked, "How are we to bury them?"

Mindblind scoffed. "Ain't using my sword to dig those scum a hole. Leave 'em for the cats and the vultures."

After a sigh, Indigo nodded his head. "Let them reap what they have sown."

"Wagon first," Raven said, still worrying at her pants. "I'm not getting tripped up by these."

The rain still fell in stinging sheets, but behind the fast moving storm, there were hints of blue on the horizon once more. The three made their way back to the scene of the battle once Raven had changed into her spare pants. She stopped at the first of the assassins, retrieving the dagger from his side that had started the battle. It still retained more than enough edge to begin cutting away his clothes.

Mindblind and Indigo went to search the men they had faced. Rifling through the man's clothes, Mindblind found nothing. The killer wore the now-familiar ring that marked him as a member of the guild, but otherwise carried nothing save his weapons. The man's sword was too slender for Mindblind's taste, though it would at least bring some coin if sold. The dagger was another matter.

Housed in a tooled sheath of dark — almost black — leather, the dagger had intricate scrollwork on the blade. What appeared to be some sort of precious stone was set in the pommel. Caring not a whit that the blade had been owned by an assassin, Mindblind unbuckled his belt and threaded the end through the loop on the sheath.

Upon standing back up, he saw Raven walking toward him, carrying a similar sheathed dagger and sword. She held the weapons point down, allowing the blood-saturated mud coating them to drip away as the rain washed it free. "Probably sell these for some extra coin. Find anything?"

"Nothing but a ring and the tools of the trade," he answered.

"What about you?" Raven called to Indigo.

"Much the same. There is a small bag, but it contains only a few coins and some hardtack."

"That's probably the only one who's very far from home — or has been," Mindblind suggested.

Indigo nodded. "I agree. It confirms the dying man's words."

"So we'd best watch our backs in Foxwood. Not as if we're going to be able to sneak in." Raven shook her head to dislodge the water droplets clinging to her nose and eyelashes. "Let's see what that big fucking bear has to tell us."

Indigo knelt next to the big man upon reaching him, and grabbed his arm. "As I suspected, this man was the master of the murderers. This ring would have once spared him in confrontations with the secret police of Draxnog."

Raven pulled her dagger from the killer's shield. It had pierced the metal ornament and went through into the wood. "I'm going to have to find someone who knows something about magic and get this thing looked at."

"Wonder if that thing's still got any magic in it," Mindblind asked, nodding at the shield.

Raven sheathed the dagger that had foiled the shield, drawing another instead. A quick flick of her wrist left the blade quivering in the wood. "Doubt it."

Indigo reached for the hilt of the sword, but as soon as his fingers touched it, he fell back into the mud, exclaiming something in Draxnian.

Hand on his sword, Mindblind asked, "What?"

Indigo shook his arm and flexed his fingers as he got back on his knees. "That sword is... It is evil."

Made curious by Indigo's reaction, Mindblind brushed his finger across first the blade, and then the hilt of the weapon. "I don't feel anything."

"This we should bury — deep," Indigo declared, pointing at the skull adorning the crosspiece.

Mindblind grasped the hilt this time. "Just a sword." He lifted it. "Doesn't feel as heavy as it should, though."

"You are not burned?" Indigo asked in amazement.

Shrugging, Mindblind said, "No," and stood up. The sword was certainly lighter than so much steel should be, and felt remarkably well balanced. He gave it a few slow practice swings, a smile spreading across his face.

Raven nodded. "Looks better on you than that little pig-sticker. You should grab the scabbard. People will think twice about fucking with us with you carrying that around."

"I am uneasy about this," Indigo warned.

Raven rolled her eyes and walked up to grasp the crosspiece. "Nothing. Maybe he had some wizard make it burn Draxnians when he was there to keep people from trying to steal it or something."

Indigo didn't look convinced, but he didn't protest when Raven wiped the rain out of her eyes and knelt down to remove the scabbard for the sword. After handing it up to Mindblind, she went to work on the assassin's clothing.

Mindblind slipped his arms into the harness and adjusted the straps, settling the scabbard on his back. After a couple of fumbled attempts, he was able to sheathe the sword. Drawing it proved much easier, as the hilt almost seemed to jump into his hand when he reached back for it. The weapon slid free and into a ready position with a dangerous sounding hiss.

A snort from behind prompted him to turn and look. Raven had cut through the man's pants and pulled them down, looking for anything of value or useful information.

"Looks like the big sword was compensating for his tiny dick," she said, laughed, and then stood back up.

The rain was beginning to taper off and the wind — though still strong — had lessened as well. The strip of blue on the horizon grew larger by the minute.

Raven gave the still form of the man on the ground a kick. "Not that far from Foxwood. I say we wait this out, then hit the road again. We got the boss, but that doesn't mean someone isn't going to take his place. I've got friends there, and we'll be safer with people around."

"There is wisdom in your words," Indigo agreed.

Mindblind nodded toward the turf house. "Let's go tell them what's up and get outta this damn rain."

"This isn't over," Raven iterated in ominous tones. "Even if all these bastards are dead, someone hired them. I want to know who the fuck it was."

The two men nodded in agreement and followed her back to shelter.

****

The chill winds of the storm moved on, and Mindblind quickly discovered that yet another turn in the weather was behind it. The day had started off pleasant, but behind the tempest, the temperature and humidity spiked.

It was a miserable, sweat-drenched group that rolled onto the main street of Foxwood just before dark. Unlike their last visit with civilization, this town was more akin to what Mindblind was familiar with. There was no attempt to hide the true nature of the town, to masquerade as a larger, richer city. There was little uniformity to the structures, and the streets looked to have been laid out by old farm roads, around which the town had arisen.

Despite the name of the place, there was barely a tree to be found.

As Raven had predicted, town guardsmen shadowed them. The men made their presence known, but didn't approach. When the thief directed the wagon to pull up in front of the local house of prostitution, the guards took up positions across the street.

"Alice and I will take care of business. Stay out here, and don't make any sudden moves. Those two watching us look green and nervous."

Mindblind nodded and leaned up against the wagon. Seeing the guardsmen eyeing his newly acquired sword, he couldn't help a snorting chuckle. He then shook his head, trying to dislodge a daydream of drawing that sword just to watch the pair fill their pants in fear.

Not long after, a woman with her breasts overspilling the bodice of her gown exited the brothel. She lifted her eyebrows as she looked over the group around the wagon, but continued across the street, her hips swaying. After a brief conversation, the prostitute returned to the brothel and the guardsmen went on their way.

Raven returned and nodded toward the door while addressing the women. "They're drawing baths. Alice will let you in on the details. We'll be at the Leaping Wench just down the street."

The women filed into the brothel. Kayleen walked with Yani, who had calmed down after a large dose of her tea. The dark-haired woman had a distant look in her eyes.

"C'mon, let's get to the Wench," Raven said, and then led the way.

For an inn on the less-reputable side of town, the Leaping Wench was surprisingly large. At two stories, the building loomed over most of those surrounding it. The exterior was taken care of enough to be inviting — especially in light of its surroundings — but not so well-appointed as to seem out of place. The sound of loud conversation and drunken laughter spilled from wide open windows on one side of the building.

No more than a single step inside the front door, an angry voice rang out from behind the counter of the inn. "Raven. What are you doing here, you sticky-fingered whore?"

"Looking for a bath and a bed that isn't infested with your fleas, you reeking ass boil."

Mindblind warily eyed the balding, spindly-armed man. The innkeeper's face was twisted into a snarl that bared his teeth, and he stared at Raven as though trying to strike her dead with his gaze. Mere moments after she tossed her return insult, the man threw his head back and laughed.

"Ha! Damn, but it's good to see you," the innkeeper declared, slapping his hand on the counter.

"You too, Magar," Raven said as she approached with Mindblind and Indigo following behind. "How many rooms do you have open? I'm dragging along these two and a pack of a dozen whores. Some of them will probably bunk up at Yvonne's Cradle, but they're going to need some beds."

Magar scratched his scraggly beard. "I've got seven open, but that's going to cost a fair pretty pile of coin." His expression changed into a leer, and he added, "I might give you a discount..."

Raven rolled her eyes and snorted. "Half price — when we leave. Or have you forgotten a little incident a couple of years ago?"

The innkeeper's shoulders slumped. "Kinda hoped you had."

"Not a chance."

"Fine," he replied, and then sighed. "You want me to have someone fill the tubs?"

"Yep. Know anything about Draxnians in town?"

"Besides him?" Magar said, nodding at Indigo. "Bunch on the east side. Mother-murderers, fronting with a chow hall."

Raven grinned. "Four fewer now."

"Well now, that's good news. Ain't seen but four in a fair few days, besides the women that do the cooking."

"I'm going to pay a visit after midnight," Raven said under her breath.

****

Mindblind groaned and settled back into the bath, a little surprised by how much he was enjoying the rare pleasure. The bath house was well-appointed, with three ceramic tubs, which each had their own pumps, and a stove for heating water only a few feet from the tubs. Unusual enough in large cities, it was a marvel to find such a place in a disreputable establishment on the seedy side of a prairie town.

Indigo had left his tub some time ago to return to the taproom. Despite expressing concern about the owner's trustworthiness and that of the rowdy clientele, he had fallen into an easy rhythm of telling stories at Raven's encouragement, and found an eager audience.

A lapping of water from beyond the wooden dividing wall revealed that Raven was still enjoying her bath. A moment later, her voice further confirmed it.

"Hey, Mindblind."

"Yeah?"

"Come here a minute."

He blew a sharp breath out his nose and said, "Hang on. Let me dry off and find my draws." 

"To the hells with that. Just come here, damn it. I don't want to talk through a damn wall."

Trailing puddles from the water running down his body, Mindblind stepped out of his enclosure and to the end of the narrow hall. He'd closed the door, but Raven had left hers wide open. She lay back in the tub, her arms supporting her on either side, water lapping at the underside of her perky breasts.

When he glanced at the door, she shrugged. "You can close it if you want."

Ignoring the door, he asked, "What's up?"

"Kay said that Yani said my name — my real name."

"I had other things on my mind at the time, but yeah, I guess she did."

"Don't go yapping it around."

"Didn't plan to."

"Too damn soft for the likes of me."

Mindblind grunted and nodded his head by way of answering.

"Probably going to have to bunk up with Yani and keep an eye on her."

Wondering exactly what she was driving at, and baffled that she wasn't coming right out and saying it, as he'd come to expect from her, Mindblind leaned up against the wall. The flimsy partition supported him, but just barely. That summoned up an altogether unpleasant flashback to Delly's room, where the same thing had happened just before the chaos that had put him on this road.

"Suppose so."

Raven's shoulders slumped. "Never mind. Go ahead back to your bath."

An exasperated sigh passed his lips. "Look, what's with the games, Raven?"

The thief's expression and bearing suddenly switched back to the confident countenance with which he was familiar. "What games?"

She rolled over in the water, lifting her taut ass above the surface, and bent over to grab the edge of the tub. "Think I'm playing games with you? What are you gonna do about it?"

Blood surged into his loins at the sight of her. "Maybe go grab my draws and have a beer or two." If she could play games, so could he.

"Oh, is that so?" She asked, and wiggled her ass at him while eyeing his rising manhood. "Don't feel like working up a thirst, first?"

He was done playing at that point.




Lowborn Ch. 07



Raven let out a growling moan when he stepped into the tub behind her and dug his fingers into her hips. A push of his thumb settled his hardness against her nether lips, and he stabbed inside her.

She cried out as his cock stretched her, filling her full. "Fuck yeah. Give it to me. Hard."

Her petite hips made perfect handles as he took her. Though a little dry at first, her canal quickly grew slippery with wetness as he forced his cock into her. Mindblind pulled her toward him with every thrust, making her cry out as his cock knocked at the entrance of her womb.

"Faster. Damn it. Fuck me," Raven growled, her arms already trying to buckle from the power of his thrusts.

Water sloshed and loud claps sounded from their colliding flesh. It was quite the contrast to every other time they'd had sex, where she had ultimately been in control, no matter what the situation or position. This time, she was truly offering herself up for the taking. His right hand slipped from her hip, though it left behind a rosy imprint in her skin, and curled around her leg.

Raven squealed as his fingers flashed over her clit, his hips never losing rhythm.

Pained-sounding grunts burst from her lips with every thrust, growing higher in pitch and volume by the moment. Her canal squeezed tight around him, her skin flushed, and she screamed as orgasm claimed her.

Mindblind kept his fingers moving over her clit for a minute or so more, drawing out her climax. Her muscles were stiff, fingers curled into claws on the edge of the tub as she screamed again and again. Finally, he was at the point of no-return, the squeeze of her velvety walls too good to hold back any longer. He grabbed her hips in both hands again.

A few more thrusts took him to the edge, and he pulled her tight against him, the loudest slap yet sounding as their bodies collided. A growl exploded from his lips even as cum erupted into her depths.

Raven groaned as his cock pulsed, flooding her with cum. A few whimpers marked her climax winding down into aftershocks, her walls contracting erratically around him. Dripping with sweat, he couldn't take it for long, and pulled free from her to sit on the precarious perch of the tub's edge.

Panting for breath, she reached between her legs and winced. As she bent lower, it revealed her canal gaping from being stretched by his cock, and cum beginning to dribble from deep within.

"Fuck, I needed that," Raven said in a quiet, breathless voice. She turned around and splashed back into the water, looking up at him with a crooked smile. "Thanks for not leaving me for the vultures back there."

Having not quite caught his breath, Mindblind weakly chuckled and answered, "Don't mention it."

A kick sent water splashing across his drooping member. "Give me some room, so I can wash up — again. I've got a den of mother murderers to check out in a few hours."

Shaking his head, Mindblind climbed out of the tub to return to his own long enough to wash away the sweat and sex.

****

He had to admire the stamina.

Despite everything the women had been through, the prostitutes were hard at work after only brief naps in shifts. Word had spread quickly that fresh flesh was available for purchase, and the taproom was packed.

Mindblind glanced toward the door and the hallway leading to the foyer of the inn, wondering what was keeping Raven. She'd left over an hour ago to scout out the eatery that served as a front for the assassins' true profession, only planning to check out the building, and perhaps look in a few windows.

He was on the verge of suggesting to Indigo that they go after her when she walked in the taproom door. The look on her face wasn't promising.

"We're going to have to get in there," Raven growled under her breath as she thumped her knuckles into the table and leaned over it.

"The nest is not yet empty, eh?" Indigo asked.

"I'm not sure. I heard women crying. Never saw a soul."

"Perhaps we might speak with the guardsman?"

Mindblind scoffed at Indigo's suggestion. "If they're on the take from the whores and thieves, that bunch is paying them off too."

Raven's voice dropped even lower. "I can get us in quick and quiet. After that..."

Mindblind stood, his fingers already wanting to curl around the hilt of his newly acquired sword. "It's up to them."

"I suppose there is little alternative," Indigo agreed, rising as well.

Raven nodded toward the foyer of the inn. "Stick close to me, and keep your yaps shut. We're taking the dodgy paths, and I'm the only reason that you won't get a knife in your back for seeing the places we're going."

The dodgy paths started right down the hall, within what looked like little more than a closet near the front counter. Once cramped up inside the small space, Raven opened a trap door in the floor, revealing a ladder leading down to a faint glow some dozen feet below.

Raven moved fast, and Mindblind had little opportunity to take in more than a general impression of the subterranean thieve's road. The passages were low and narrow, but branching corridors seemed to indicate that the network was extensive.

At times, hidden latches Raven triggered revealed entrances into basements and cellars, which in turn led to more passages. The location of the first such cellar was fairly obvious from the sounds of passion coming through the floor above — the brothel. Others were more difficult to fathom, and some seemed to be attached to no sort of structure at all. Though he never saw a soul, Mindblind was almost certain that they were being watched every step of the way.

After nearly a half hour of creeping through the darkness, lit only by a curious lantern Raven carried that focused a beam just large enough to barely see the path ahead, she blew out the light in front of an angled doorway at the top of three wooden steps.

"The place is just across from here. We'll be at the back, but that's not where we're going in. I only peeked, but I know everything back there is rigged up with nasty traps. We'll hit the service entrance for the chow hall. Watch me, and be ready to hit the dirt, run, or fight — but keep your swords sheathed for now."

The two men quietly acknowledged the instructions, and then Raven pushed open the door after listening intently for a minute or so.

The layout of the surrounding buildings hid them from view on the street, though the open plains loomed on the other side. Raven crossed the distance between the two structures on light feet, her eyes scanning for any sign of discovery. She skirted around the edge of the building, staying in the shadows cast by the moonlight, and finally reached a door.

In turn, she whispered directly into both men's ears. "Keep your eyes open. If anybody comes along, let me know, but don't touch me. These locks are good, and they could be trapped."

Despite the warning, Mindblind heard a click less than a minute later.

"Time to get your swords out," Raven whispered as she drew a pair of daggers.

A combination of moonlight and banked coals let Mindblind take in the interior — a large kitchen. Double doors led out to what he assumed was the front of the establishment, but Raven guided them toward a far stouter portal leading deeper into the building. She knelt immediately upon reaching the door, the curious metal shapes that were the tools of her trade appearing once more.

The second lock opened even more quickly than the first, and the sound of a woman softly weeping reached them almost immediately. Of far more concern was a corpulent Draxnian who jumped into the lamp-lit hallway directly ahead, wielding a stout cudgel.

Mindblind brought his weapon to bear, though the close quarters weren't exactly optimal for the large sword. Raven let out a sharp sigh when Indigo snapped something in his own language, and then quickly repeated it in their tongue, just in case.

"Put down your weapon."

The man's eyes widened upon seeing what he faced, and the cudgel clattered to the floor. At the same time, the front of his trousers darkened, and a spreading puddle of urine formed on the planks at his feet.

Mindblind's knuckles turned white from gripping his sword. The urge to lash out and remove the fat man's head was so strong that he actually took a step forward. Raven darting ahead to press her dagger to the Draxnian's throat cut him off, and he was further brought up short when he considered what his instincts were telling him to do.

Wary of the puddle at her feet, Raven said in a harsh whisper, "How many more of you are there?"

"No one. There is no one here," the fat man answered.

The lone woman's sobbing had ceased, replaced by murmurs of more voices.

"That doesn't sound like no one," Raven said, and her sharp blade drew a thin line of blood.

Her captive's words emerged in a high-pitched rush. "Just the women. Just the women."

"Get face down on the floor, fat-ass, or I'll cut your balls off before I kill you," Raven warned, keeping the dagger at his throat while yanking on his beard.

As soon as the man was lying on the floor in his own piss, Raven rapped him smartly in the back of the head with the hilt of her dagger.

"You don't deliver warnings when you're skulking, Indigo," she said as she stood, barely moderating the volume of her voice. "Could have got us killed if there were more of them."

Twitching with energy, Mindblind passed between the two, going farther down the hall, where he'd heard the women's voices. "Fuck it. Know we're here now. Cut 'em down as we find them."

He heard her say his name, but ignored it as he stalked with single-minded purpose down the hall. Somewhere in this place, there had to be a way to find out who had ordered Delly's murder. More immediately, there were women in obvious distress, possibly facing a life worse than death.

One way or another, this was going to end, and he was going to end it.

Another frightened whimper emerged from a door at the end of the hall, singling out that room from several others. The sound of his booted footfalls on the planks below echoed back from the walls as Indigo and Raven hurried to catch up. He reached the door and grabbed the doorknob despite a rushed warning from Raven about traps.

"Give me a second and I'll pick it," Raven said when he found the door locked.

Mindblind had other ideas. Transferring his sword to the other hand, he leaned back, and then threw his weight into the door.

The frame gave with a loud report, cracking around the lock and sending the door slamming into the wall inside. The sound was barely audible over a chorus of frightened screams.

The women ranged in age from a young girl to an old woman, and they all looked remarkably alike. From their skin tone and manner of dress, he assumed they were Draxnian. The eldest of the group stepped in front of the rest, and rattling off something at him in that language more or less confirmed it.

Mindblind turned around to his companions, and gestured toward the women, "Indigo."

Indigo nodded and passed him, immediately speaking to the women in his own language. Mindblind fixed his eyes on the nearest door, planning to force his way inside it as well.

Raven grabbed his arm. "Hey. What in the hells is wrong with you?"

His lip curling up into a snarl, Mindblind snapped his gaze to her and growled, "What are you talking about?"

She lifted her eyebrows and eyed him with a slightly wary expression. "Look, you're not going to do anybody any good if you get stabbed with a poison needle or something. Let me get the damn doors. I want to know who's behind this as much as you do."

Mindblind's grip tightened on his sword and he clenched his teeth. Then, as if a fog had lifted from his mind, the wave of overwhelming anger passed, and he shook his head. "Yeah. Okay."

Raven pointed at the door at the end of the hall that was more finely crafted than all the others. "That one. That's the thing about guildmasters, they always have to remind their lessors who's in charge. That's his room."

Not giving him a chance to open the door in his more direct manner, the thief swept past him, her leather pouch of tools emerging from a hidden pocket. She knelt in front of the door and went to work.

Mindblind shifted from foot to foot, the couple of minutes it took Raven to open the lock feeling like an eternity. When the click finally sounded, he immediately reached for the doorknob. Raven's hand snapped out and closed around his wrist.

"Stand back," she warned.

Rankling at the delay, he took a step back. Raven remained kneeling, but moved off to one side of the door. She turned the doorknob, and then gave the door a shove before snatching her hand back.

A twang from within the room merged with the thump of two crossbow bolts embedding themselves in the wall at neck and chest height.

"Easier than breaking the trigger," Raven explained, and then walked into the room.

The guildmaster was living well — or at least had been right up until Indigo stabbed him in the throat. Silk and satin, expensive carpets on the floor, ivory and gold adorned items were everywhere in view. A bedroom connected to the main living quarters.

"What are we looking for?" He asked.

"Someplace nice to lay around and get drunk for a year when we fence all this," Raven quipped. She then pointed at the bedroom. "Probably a hidey-hole in there somewhere. He'll have a book of all the jobs they've taken."

"Why?" Mindblind asked, thinking that keeping written evidence of a career of murder wasn't exactly the wisest course of action.

"Deciding who ranks when two guilds have conflicting interests. That's all I know for sure. Got myself in a bad place and had to pose as a guild recruit for a while."

She walked into the bedroom and examined every nook and cranny with a critical eye. A grin spread across her face when she paused while looking at the far wall, beyond the bed. "There we are."

Mindblind didn't see anything until Raven grabbed a lantern hook on the wall and rotated it to the side. She reached into the hole beyond, and a click sounded from a couple of feet to her left, within a wardrobe. Opening that revealed a hidden compartment in the back, which the latch had triggered to open.

Raven pulled out the leather-bound book, which had an embossed image of the guild insignia on the front cover. She plopped down on the bed, and started thumbing through the pages. When she tapped a finger against a page and nodded for him to approach, Mindblind leaned in to look.

"There's our Lakeshore Man," Raven said. "Problem is, it doesn't identify him. Guess that big bear was smarter than I thought."

"The meetings were all in town. Must be someone from there," Mindblind grumbled as he read the entry.

"Someone with coin."

Mindblind's face flushed and he growled. "Could be anyone. Stinking blue-bloods with money and fat, rich merchants everywhere."

"We may never find out."

Under his breath, with ominous finality, Mindblind said, "Yes I will."

****

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Lowborn Ch. 08



Mindblind stood staring at the wall, fist clenched tight around his sword hilt, and his vision red with rage.  He tried to master his emotions, as he'd done all his life, but it was having no effect.

After everything — even killing the last of the assassins — he was no closer to discovering who was really behind it all.

Behind him, Indigo related what he'd learned from the women locked in the back of the establishment.  The assassins had stormed their family farmstead, killing every male, and forcing the women to provide cover during the flight from Draxnog's wrath.

Apparently pleased with the convenience, the guildmaster had kept the women in tow.  Since then, they had served to slake the carnal lusts of the guild, and provide a concealing front for the murderers by cooking for the eatery.

"There's more than enough here for them to take this place as their own, or pack up and go home without having to worry about coin for a while," Raven said.

"Blood money," Indigo said with disdain.

Raven countered, "You don't think they've given their share to deserve it?"

"True."

Voices raised in anger snapped Mindblind from his state of numb rage, and he spun on the open door, sword at the ready.

"Easy," Raven said before darting past Indigo into the hall.  Her battle-ready posture immediately dropped, and she chuckled.

"What the hell is it?"  Mindblind growled — the first words he'd uttered since finding out that the guildmaster hadn't written down who had hired him.

Raven walked back into the room, still chuckling.  "I was wondering what we were going to do with the fat fuck swimming in his own piss out there.  Problem solved."

Mindblind finally sheathed his sword and followed Indigo into the hall.  The handsome Draxnian muttered something in his own language and froze before Mindblind could see what had caused the commotion.

In the hall, one of the women had retrieved a kitchen knife.  Her skill at carving meat and vegetables apparently extended to carving human beings as well.  She consoled the youngest woman of the group, bloody knife still in hand.  Even though he couldn't understand more than a few words, it was enough for Mindblind to fathom that the fat man had taken the young woman as his own — frequently and violently.

"Tell them this place and everything in it is theirs now, as long as they don't mention that we were here," Raven said.

Indigo nodded and walked toward the women, still looking a little pale.

"Except this, of course," Raven whispered, patting the pocket where she'd stuffed a bag of gemstones.  The small, easily concealed sack would have ensured that the guild could quickly relocate and set up shop elsewhere, if necessary.  Since they no longer had any use for it, she had appropriated it.

When Mindblind barely reacted, she asked, "You okay?"

"Fine," he growled under his breath.

"You've got to get it together.  We need to get back to the Wench.  The law is on the take around here, but they can't completely ignore random bodies.  The last thing we want to do is be anywhere near when this all starts coming out."

"Seems like the law's fucking corrupt everywhere."

"Everything's corrupt.  Rotten to the core.  Come on.  I need to knock back a few and sleep for a couple days."

Though he nodded as he followed her out, Mindblind doubted that sleep was in his immediate future.

****

Knocking back a few proved to be a vast understatement.  Mindblind was taken aback and more than a little baffled as Raven seemed to toss all caution to the wind.  She didn't bother with beer, going straight to whisky in large quantities.  Lost in his own chaotic thoughts, he nursed the same flagon the whole time.

At some point, Kayleen had come down and whispered something in Raven's ear, which had the effect of partially sobering her up.  She had left without a word — more than a little unsteady on her feet.  He knew that he should probably be concerned, but nothing seemed to be able to compete with the red rage slowly boring deeper into his brain.

He had no idea how much time had passed when Kayleen stopped at his table again, though the shorter candle in the middle of the table suggested it had been a while.

"I...  Can I talk to you?"

It took a moment or two for her words to pierce the chaos of anger roiling in his mind, but he finally answered.  "What is it?"

"Not here."

Letting out a grunt, he stood, and noticed that the blonde's eyes were red, as if she'd been crying.  "Okay, let's get out of here."

She led him back to their room, and he was surprised that Raven wasn't there.  As she shut the door behind them, Kayleen said, "She's with her sister.  That's what I wanted to talk to you about.  I'm really worried."

"Okay, what's wrong?"

She plopped down on a bed and cradled her head in her hand for a moment.  "Yani was acting odd.  That's why I came to get Raven.  She stopped and talked to the innkeeper on the way there and got some sort of potion.  After she drank it, Yani fell asleep." 

"Probably a good thing."

"That's not the problem, though.  Raven was on the verge of passing out too, and she started talking — saying terrible things.  She was saying that Yani would be better off dead than mad.  There were other things, but I couldn't understand her.  I'm not sure she even knew I was there after a while."

"Probably just the booze talking.  You know how that is."

"I do, and that's why I'm worried.  This is something else.  Cerebus, she's hurting.  She hides it in the way she acts, but she's in pain.  She has been for a very long time.  We...  We talked a little at night, and she told me some of the things that have happened to her.  I can't imagine how anyone could survive through what she's endured."

"She has, though.  Look, she's tough as nails.  That ain't all an act.  Maybe she plays the part sometimes, but it's who she is.  Her sister's getting worse, and maybe she's having trouble dealing with that right now, but she will."

He paused, thinking about the way Raven acted around Kayleen.  It made him consider that there might be a soft spot in her iron exterior.  "Don't mean that you shouldn't try to talk to her, though.  And you can keep an eye on her.  If she starts talking that way when she's not boozed up, let me know."

"Are you sure?"

He shrugged.  "When can you be sure about what anybody else is thinking?  All we can do is the best we can."

"Do you think there's anything that can be done for Yani?  If she got better..."

"I don't know.  Never seen anything like it.  If you can try to watch out for her, that might help.  Get her that tea when she needs it."

"She does seem to listen to me a little when one of her spells comes on."

"Good."  Though he didn't say anything, his own red rage had dulled as he talked to her.  "Think you have a knack for that."

"I'll do my best."

"And we'll both keep an eye on her.  Why don't you go to bed?  They're probably both out for a while between the booze and whatever Raven gave Yani.  Not doing anybody any good if you're dead on your feet."

"I'll go stay with them.  I already asked Cammie to switch rooms around.  You can have this one to yourself."

"Go on, then."

Kayleen stood up and walked to the door.  She paused before opening it, though.  "There's more to you than people see, too.  There's more to you than you know.  You're a good man.  Better than most."

He let out a snort.  "Don't know about all that."

After she left, Mindblind slipped out of his gear, propping his sword up next to the bed — thinking he should take his own advice.  Now that he wasn't overflowing with blind anger, he felt his eyelids getting heavy.  He wasn't going to be of much use if he was exhausted, either.

It still took him some time to fall asleep after hitting the rack.

****

Mindblind's sword swept in great arcs, cutting down all that stood before him.  Whole tribes of goblins fell like wheat before the scythe.  The blacksmith who had cheated him when purchasing his first sword.  Arrogant Reed, calling his mother a whore.  They all died in a rending of flesh, crunches of bone, and fountains of blood.  Then, a sudden attack.

His fingers dug into Raven's shoulders, shoving her upright with a roar as he tried to sort through the chaotic fusion of reality and dream.

"Easy," she slurred, prying at his fingers.

She was naked, sitting astride his body, but it still took several pounding heartbeats before that registered and he relaxed his grip.

"Much better," she said, reaching for his breeches and ignoring the angry red marks on her shoulders.

The door opened and Kayleen hurried into the room looking bleary-eyed.  "What's wrong?"

Raven looked back over her shoulder.  "Mmm...  Nuffin'.  Get over here, honey."

"Not in the mood," Mindblind growled, pushing her hand away as she tried to expose his manhood and Kayleen closed the door to the room.

"You've got to be kidding me," Raven said, wobbling unsteadily atop him.  "Fine.  Kay and I can play, then."

The blonde stepped up next to the bed and reached out to caress Raven's shoulder while leaning in to whisper something to her.

Raven snapped in response to the quiet words, "Don't call me that.  That's not my name."  She tried to slide off her perch atop Mindblind, but her inebriated state made it more of a lurch.

He moved, pulling his legs out from under her, and at the same time, Kayleen slipped into the bed and threw her arms around the dark-haired woman.  He could only hear a few words of what the blonde said as she pulled Raven close and held her tight.  "It's okay to need..."

"Get off me," Raven protested.  She struggled a little, but Kayleen held on strong.  "Get...  Get off," the thief repeated, but this time, it trailed off into a sob.

Mindblind watched in stunned amazement as the hard-edged woman melted into Kayleen's embrace, sobbing into the blonde's shoulder.  Kay held her, stroking Raven's hair and back, rocking from side to side.  After long minutes, Raven's sobs quieted, and Kay guided the other woman to lie down.  Mindblind scooted farther onto the opposite side of the bed, giving them room.  Once the two women had fully reclined, Kay looked over Raven and gestured with her eyes.

Interpreting the signal as her wanting him to join in the embrace, he shrugged his shoulders and lifted his eyebrows.  Kayleen's gaze intensified, and she nodded her head almost imperceptibly.

Tentatively, he rolled onto his side and slipped an arm beneath Kayleen's and around Raven's body.  Though he couldn't hear them, he could still feel sobs shaking the thief.  He moved closer, letting his body come into contact with hers — more than a little surprised by how good it felt.

Ever so slowly, Raven's sobs stilled, and her breathing slowed.  Mindblind had nearly dozed off when he felt the mattress shift.  Raven whimpered as Kayleen slipped out of the bed, but Mindblind pulled the dark-haired woman closer, quieting the unconscious protest.

Kay leaned in and whispered into his ear.  "Please, just hold her.  She needs it, but she's afraid to ask.  I need to get back to Yani.  Cammie is watching her, but she has...  She has someone waiting."

Mindblind gave a slight nod in response, and then heard Kayleen tiptoe across the floor, followed by the creak of the door opening and closing.  Snuggled up next to the thief in a strangely comfortable embrace, he drifted back off to sleep.

This time, no dreams of blood and death haunted his slumber.

****

Sunlight shining through the window and the heat of the day dragged him back to wakefulness.  Raven was lying with her head on his chest, and her expression bore hints of a smile.  His arm was asleep from lying beneath her, and he moved, trying to pull it free without waking her up.

"Mmm.  Just a minute more," she said in an uncharacteristically soft voice.  She raised her shoulder, allowing him to move his arm, which he lifted to stroke her hair, though he could barely feel it through the pins and needles of returning circulation.  She moaned again in response.

Sweat was beading on both of their bodies, and kicking away the covers with as little movement as possible did nothing to alleviate it.

Raven sighed, giving in to the inevitable, and braced an arm on the bed to lift up from his chest.  Before he could think of anything to say, she leaned in and gave him a peck on the lips.  "Thank you."

She sat up and wiped her brow — and then a bead of sweat running between her breasts.  She fixed him with a gaze surely meant to be stern, but still shot through with hints of the gentler emotions that had overwhelmed her the night before.  "I swear to the gods that if you ever tell anyone about this, I will cut your balls off before I slit your throat."

"Who'd believe me?" he responded, and then chuckled.

"There is that," she said, and flashed him a smile.  A second later, she pinched her eyes closed and groaned.  "Gods, I feel like I have an army of dwarves marching on my head."

The door creaked as it opened, but only wide enough for Kayleen to peek in.  "Is it okay if I come in?"

"Yes, Kay," Raven answered as she moved to lean up against the headboard.

The blonde opened the door a little wider, and then struggled to pull inside a narrow shelf cart.  It wouldn't have been difficult if she had fully opened the door, but knowing that Raven was nude, she avoided that.  Once the cart was inside, Mindblind could see a pitcher, two cups, and a large ceramic bowl sitting on top.  Kayleen also carried a bundle of what looked to be Raven's clothing under her arm.

"So, you're not too mad at me?" Kay asked as she pulled the cart up next to the bed.

"No.  Thank you, Kay.  But like I told him, if you ever tell a soul..."

The blonde offered a beaming smile.  "I won't.  I brought some cold water to drink, to help with the hangover, and some to wash with."

"Gods know I need it.  I've got rivers of sweat running between my tits and down my back into my ass," Raven said as she levered up from the bed, slipping back into the character with which they were all more familiar.

Kayleen sat the bundle of clothing down on the foot of the bed.  "Yani seems better today.  I didn't give her as much of the tea, and she's been up and talking.  Becky is with her, but I should probably get back."

"Thanks, Kay.  I may come see her later," Raven said as she picked up a cloth from within the bowl and squeezed excess water out of it.

"I'll be there if you need me," Kayleen said, and then snuck back out the door while Raven wiped away the sweat on her face.

Raven turned back toward the bed.  "I've been thinking that maybe we should buy another wagon."

"Suppose it would be faster if they all could ride," Mindblind agreed, rising from the bed with intentions of pouring a glass of water.

"I had the greasy bastard move the one we have out back.  He's got a hidden gate in the wall back there.  When we leave out of here, I'd rather not leave by the normal gates if we can avoid it."

Having a little trouble keeping his thoughts focused with Raven standing nude next to him, washing her breasts with the cloth, he said, "Probably a good idea.  I guess we should start looking around."

"Fuck that.  I'll have Magar send word around to find us one and a horse to pull it — though I'll have to tell him to make sure they just find it and don't pinch it.  Last thing we need is a stolen wagon right now.  Gave him some of those gems to fence, too.  Can probably sell them to anybody in dribs and drabs later, but for now..."

Mindblind downed his cup of water in one long pull.  "Roads will probably dry out pretty fast in this furnace.  How long do you figure if they do, and it doesn't piss and pour on us?"

"If we leave at daybreak, we can probably make it to Lakenshire by dark."

"So, tomorrow, if we can find a wagon?"

"Tomorrow, whether we find one or not.  I don't like hanging around anywhere there are bodies I'm connected to."

It was hard to argue with the wisdom of that.

****

The taproom was loud with laughter and chatter, rapidly filling with smoke despite numerous wide-open windows.  An evening overcast had resulted in nothing more than a few sprinkles, but thankfully broke the sweltering temperature of the day.  The reprieve had encouraged the townsfolk to leave their basements or wherever else they'd taken shelter from the heat.

Alice and the women who were staying at the inn did a brisk business, and were rarely in attendance within the taproom for more than a few minutes.  Mindblind had little doubt that the girls who were bunking at the bawdy house were doing just as well.

Though leery of the Draxnian at first, Indigo's charm had won over the trust of the taproom patrons in time.  He held court at a table near the bar, speaking of his homeland and making ladies swoon.

Raven was in good spirits, as her sister was much improved from the downward spiral of recent days.  Yani sat near Indigo — who was helping to keep an eye on her — flirting with men who mistakenly believed she was a potential bedmate who would only cost a few drinks rather than hard-earned coin.

Kayleen also watched over Yani, though she did so while carrying trays for the barkeep.  Once again, flustered barmaids had made her request for temporary employment an easy sell.

Mindblind was at ease, drinking his beer and watching everything unfold.  A second horse and wagon now sat in the yard behind the inn, already provisioned and ready to roll out in the morning.  It was larger than the first, and unless they chose to do so, nobody would have to walk on the last leg of the journey.

The journey home.

It was hard to believe that by this time tomorrow, they should be back in Lakenshire.  The whole thing was almost a blur as he thought about it.  He knew his family would have noticed his absence by now, and heard about what happened at the Cat.  That thought caused his vision to go red, and he chased it away with a long pull that drained the beer from his mug.

He started upon turning toward Raven and seeing a woman whispering in the thief's ear whom he hadn't even noticed approaching.  Raven's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, and the other woman vanished into the crowd a second later.

"What's up?" he asked quietly, using his empty mug as cover.

"Magar has a couple of the guards on payroll — beyond the bribes.  They passed the word that someone came into town and has their bosses asking questions about us.  Get Indigo, Yani, and Kay.  I'm going to grab Alice and send someone to the Cradle.  Tell them not to make a scene, but to get their stuff and get to the wagons — fast."

"How long?"

"Magar's boys will throw them off the scent for a while, but not long.  Make it quick.  I want to be out of here an hour ago."

"Got it," he said as he stood and headed to the bar with his empty mug.  Raven walked along with him, but once they reached the bar, she slipped out the door and into the hallway that connected to the inn.

Mindblind left the barkeep a tip, and then set about the task of gathering up everyone still in the taproom — all the while cursing the decision to leave his sword in the room.

He wasn't going to feel comfortable until that weapon was once more strapped on his back, within easy reach.

****

Raven paced next to the wagon, twitching at every hint of movement, tiny sound, or shifting breeze.  Mindblind stood nearby, somehow containing both his own nervous energy and a nagging desire to draw his sword — to feel the leather-wrapped steel sitting comfortably in his grip.

Indigo sat in the driver's seat of the new wagon, ready to snap the reins and move out at a moment's notice.  A sandy-haired blonde girl named Frannie, who had revealed some experience driving a wagon on a farm before she had turned to prostitution, held the reins of the other wagon.  All of the other ladies of negotiable virtue had hastily gathered their acquired belongings and climbed into the wagons, ready to leave — except two.




Lowborn Ch. 08



"If they aren't here soon, we're leaving them," Raven warned in a whisper, the sound nearly swallowed by the cacophony of crickets.  "I know this feeling, and we're about to get nabbed if we don't move."

He found it hard to argue with that.  His instincts were screaming to leave immediately as well.  Before he could respond, all eyes snapped toward a door opening.

"Sorry," Alice said as she hurried out, carrying two canvas bags.  Behind her, Becky followed, her dress pulled up and a hand pressed between her legs.  "Guy just wouldn't finish up.  I finally went in and got my tits out and licked him a bit while he went at her, and the two-for set him off and made him happy."

Becky gave one last wipe with the rag between her legs and tossed the semen-coated cloth aside.  "Sorry.  He was one of Yvonne's regulars, and..."

"Never mind.  Just get in the wagon," Raven said, cutting the brunette off.  She then nodded to a disheveled boy standing nearby, and the child vanished like a ghost into the shadows.  She turned to Mindblind and said, "Give it a few minutes and Magar's people will sneak out in sight of the south gate.  Once the guard takes the bait, we'll get the hell out of here."

"Aren't they just going to find us on the road or see where we cut through the grass?" he asked.

She shook her head.  "Farmer's track will take us west.  We can run along the edge of the pasture north, then meet up with the road.  They'll go after the pigeons Magar's sending south, and by the time they lose them or figure out it was a goose chase, we'll be long gone.  If we were dumb enough to stay, they might all jump us, but doubt anyone's paying them enough to go chasing us out into the hinterlands in the dark."

He felt a curious and disquieting sense of disappointment in that.  The anger he'd felt at not discovering the person behind the whole plot had returned with a vengeance, and he felt the need to lash out.

A few quiet, tense minutes later, Raven froze in place, looking as if she had heard something.  "That's it.  Let's move," she declared, and hurried to the hidden gate to open it.

The gate was narrow, and the new wagon was barely able to pass through.  Then, they were outside the town, visible even in the darkness to anyone who might happen to look out a back window.  They followed a narrow dirt farm road, moving away from the secret gate to the west.  Raven and Mindblind jogged ahead of the slow-moving wagons, ever alert for signs of pursuit or dangerous wildlife, attempting to locate hazzards hidden by the darkness.  Fortunately, the track was reasonably level and solid.

The road continued west until the town was no more than a faint haze of light in the distance, and then they reached the pasture.  It took another hour of dodging startled cattle, but the course eventually led them to where the road wound north, toward Lakenshire.

Once on the road, Indigo was able to push more speed from his horse, because the tall grass surrounding the better-maintained road helped define it even with the poor illumination.  The less experienced Frannie needed only to follow the wagon ahead, and the horse she guided did that instinctually.

Raven and Mindblind took up positions on either side of the road, though he was considering a return to the front to look for the numerous ruts and bumps that regularly jarred the wagons. 

Ahead, campfires created spots of orange light alongside the road, and off in the plains.  When Mindblind turned around, he noticed one or two campsites between their position and the direction of town as well.  The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he felt the presence of unseen eyes watching him.  When an especially strong jolt hit the wagon, he slowed with the intention of moving to Raven's side of the road to talk to her, but she was ahead of him.

The nimble thief bounded atop the rear wagon, and then balanced with cat-like grace on the narrow side board, staring off into the distance.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"Looks like nobody's dogging us."  She jumped down from the wagon.  "We should probably find a good spot and get off the road.  We stand out like a sore thumb running in the dark.  Make like any other travelers and set a camp.  Leave the moment there's enough light to see."

"Feels like somebody's watching us," Mindblind argued.

"Plains cats.  Saw a flash of one's eyes.  Another good reason to stop and light a fire.  One young enough or hungry enough might go for one of us, but unless one's starving, it's not coming near a fire."

"I'll go tell Indigo."

A few long-legged strides brought him to the front of the small caravan.  "Raven says it doesn't look like anyone human is after us, but she sees some plains cats skulking around.  Thinks we should make camp and get some fires burning."

"There are a few trees ahead, I believe.  It is difficult to tell in this gloom."

"Sounds like as good a place as any.  Close to any of those fires?"

"Not too close."

"Make for it.  Even if it's just the dark playing tricks on you, we don't want to get up to those other camps.  Got to find something soon."

Ears perking at every sound, now that he knew about the nearby plains cats, Mindblind fell back into place beside the wagon.  As they rolled on, he could tell that Indigo wasn't imagining things.  A small patch of trees emerged from the sea of grass.  They weren't likely to find a better spot, and at least the huge, tawny-colored cats wouldn't be all but invisible, as they were in the grass.

Turning off the road into that grass was enough to prompt Raven to jump up on the wagon, and Mindblind prudently followed her example.  She wasted no time as they rolled up to the trees, and hopped down to fashion a crude torch, which she sparked light to with flint and steel.  The earlier storm had knocked down some large, dead limbs, providing plenty of fuel for a pair of fires.

With the darkness — and with luck, the cats it shrouded — chased away, everyone settled in.  Though Raven took the first watch as usual, Mindblind found sleep elusive.  He sat near one of the fires, sword still strapped to his back, staring off in the direction of the road.

Quiet footfalls alerted him to someone approaching, and he turned to see Alice.  "Can't sleep?" he whispered.

She cupped her abundant breasts and followed his example by whispering, "Blessing and a curse.  I swear they're still bouncing everywhere from that wagon ride.  Besides, I'm nervous out here in the middle of nowhere, and anxious to get back."

"Y'all been holding up pretty well."

"It may look that way, but I think we're all about three seconds from panic at any given moment."  She sat down next to him and shrugged.  "We've got a lot of practice ignoring our feelings and laughing things off."

"Reckon so."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"Becky, Cammie, and I sort of had this idea.  The men let loose of their coin pretty quick when new girls are around.  We were thinking that maybe we could trade girls who wanted to between Yvonne and Yasmine's places.  They know each other, and another madame named Samantha in Fightershaven.  You think it might keep guys excited?"

He let out a grunt.  "New girl's always going to catch your eye."  A thought occurred to him, and she added, "Always go hog wild on something you have to wait for, too — like melons in the summer."

A wide grin spread across her face.  "So, you think it would turn the trick?"

"Makes sense to me."

"I was thinking about going back to that town..."  She trailed off and chuckled.  "Never even knew the name of the place.  We were just calling it Stingy Pussy.  Me, Becky, and Cammie.  Maybe work something out with the barkeep and the owner at that inn until we could get our own place.  Couple of other small towns around there.  Maybe all three of us could have our own places eventually."

"Sit down and count the coin instead of laying down with your legs in the air, huh?"

"We're not getting any younger."

It might have seemed absurd coming from a woman in her mid twenties — at most — but he knew it was true in her line of work.  "Rough road, going your own way."

"Kind of hoping we can get Yasmine and Yvonne to help us out at first if we can make them some good money with our idea, and be in on it."

"Might just work," he responded, once again surprised by just how smart and resourceful some of the women were.  It was also yet another reminder that despite all the prejudice he endured, he had his own pre-conceived notions as well.

"Hope so."  She went quiet for a minute or two, then surprised him again.  "We all want to say sorry for...  Well, you know, the way we were back at Yasmine's.  To you, I mean."

"Used to it.  Don't worry about it."

"Still..."

"You got over it.  Good enough for me.  Damn sure made this nightmare easier, helping out the way you have."

"Had to do something.  We'd all be dead or slaves except for you two coming after us."

"Had our own reasons, though."

"But you're still dragging us along, aren't you?" she said, and then stood up.  "You ever need some company, any of us would be glad to help you out with that."

He chuckled.  "I'll keep it in mind."

Alice returned to her place in the wagon to bed down for the night, and a few minutes later, Mindblind felt his eyelids finally getting heavy.  He looked over at Raven, knowing his own turn at watch would come all too quickly.  She seemed lost in thought, but still alert for danger.

As if to prove her awareness of her surroundings, she said, "Hit the rack.  Be waking up Indigo soon.  And if you need any company, I might not even charge you."

Shaking his head upon seeing her wry expression in the firelight, he stood up to go try to find some sleep.

****

The lonely last watch drew to a close — false dawn giving way to the real thing and heralding the time to move.  As Mindblind turned back toward the wagons, he saw Raven stretching, already awake.

"Time to get moving," she said as she walked over.  "Bury the fires while I get everybody up.  Last thing we want is a damn wildfire chasing after us, and the wind's kicking up."

Fortunately, there was little need for the weary and uncomfortable prostitutes to do much.  Giving everyone time to answer the call of nature took longer than anything else in the preparations to roll out.  The women helped strike the canvas, and then pulled out food for breakfast, which would be eaten on the way.

The sun still wasn't halfway above the horizon when Indigo looked back to ensure everyone was on board and ready to go.  Just as he was about to snap the reins, Raven grabbed his hand and said, "Hold it.  Everybody be quiet."

The women obeyed that order without the slightest thought or question, stopping in mid-sentence and even freezing in place.  As soon as quiet descended, Mindblind heard the sound of a horse at full gallop.

"Somebody's in a hell of a hurry this early in the morning," Raven remarked.

Though they were certainly visible from the road, there was nothing that could be done about it.  They were at least outside of the direct line of sight.  Someone would have to be purposely looking off to the sides of the road to see them, and have good reason to do so while moving at the pace the hoof beats indicated.

The sound grew louder, and then the rider appeared at a bend on the road.  It only took a few seconds to recognize the horse as coming from expensive stock.  The saddle and the clothes the man wore likewise spoke of wealth.  He rode by without pause — eyes fixed on his path — and soon galloped out of sight.

"Old blueblood or Draxnian lackey," Mindblind grumbled, and then turned toward Indigo when he realized what he'd said.

"No offense taken, my friend," the smiling Draxnian said.

"And out of Lakenshire," Raven added.  "Those stirrups are pretty much unique.  Come out of the most expensive tack shop for miles.  You can bet your ass that's where the gold to look for us came from."

"I got a fair look at the man," Indigo said.  "I shall see if my father's name and rank will grant me audience with those of power in Lakenshire.  If he is known there, we may yet find who is behind these horrible acts."

Raven said, "Me too.  I'll see if anybody on the dodgy paths knows who he is."

Knuckles white where he gripped the tailgate of the wagon, Mindblind growled, "Riding like that, he probably knows he'd found us, and that we got away."

"Then we'd better get moving and get back there before they have time to get ready for us," Raven said as she jumped up onto the wagon and slid into the seat next to Frannie.

"They'd better get ready," Mindblind growled under his breath before taking his place in the seat next to Indigo.

****

Hope you've enjoyed the latest chapter.  We're getting close to the end of the tale now.  As always, do take the time to vote.  Feedback is the fuel that keeps me writing.  Your votes, comments, emails, and favorites not only accomplish the goal of dropping a coin in my tin cup, but also lift the profile of the story, which attracts more feedback.  It's the best way there is to encourage your favorite authors to keep doing what they do. 



Lowborn Ch. 09



The wagons creaked and rattled down the road as the sun sank toward the horizon. The women were excited, because familiar bits of scenery appeared the closer they moved toward Lakenshire. Mindblind, however, was on edge. He kept his eyes roving and his ears perked to the wind. From the moment they'd set out from camp, his danger-sense had been screaming at him, though they'd encountered few people and no trouble all day.

Turning a corner and cresting a small rise, the town finally came into view.

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming," one of the prostitutes remarked.

"Yeah, this place is a real dream," Raven scoffed, and then burst out into derisive laughter as she jumped down from the rear wagon and jogged forward. Once she reached the front, she leapt up and caught on to the wagon. "I'm going to slip in and see what I can find out," she said to Mindblind and Indigo.

"Watch yourself," Mindblind warned.

"Don't I always? Where you going to be? The Cat? The Inn? I'm just going to check out the scuttlebutt. Most of the scum that will have any real information won't be up until the sun goes down."

"Not sure. The Cat, for a while. At least until they're all settled," he nodded back toward the women in the wagons.

"Meet you there, then," she said before jumping back down and almost immediately vanishing into the grass alongside the road.

"I will seek out the regional Governor," Indigo said. "All too often, such vile acts are known to those in power, though they may care little. As one of my countrymen, perhaps I can gain his confidence."

Mindblind grunted. "Good luck with that. From what I hear, he thinks being here is exile more than anything, and the only words he hears are the ones people pay him to listen to."

"Unfortunately, your words ring true. Still, I may learn something, if my father's name can purchase his ear."

Not in the mood to put up with people staring, Mindblind had suggested that they take a track that skirted outside town and then connected back up with the main road near the Cat. A few people would still notice them, but most wouldn't pay any attention to yet another wagon rolling by, despite the lateness of the hour.

When the wagons rolled to a stop in front of the Cat, it took only a minute or so for Yasmine to appear in the doorway. She let out a gasp and ran toward them. "Oh! You're alive! Thank the gods above!"

The portly madame's reaction took Mindblind aback. He'd always assumed that Yasmine took care of the girls for the same reason he oiled his armor or sharpened his sword. Genuine affection had never even entered into his thoughts.

After greeting her working girls, she walked up to where Mindblind stood next to the wagon. "I thought you might like to know that I had Delly buried in the town plot. Some folks didn't like it, and she doesn't have a stone yet, but I wouldn't see her buried in the back like a dog."

He reached into his coin purse, which was now heavy from a share of the gems Raven had fenced. "I want you to get her a stone."

She laid a hand on his arm. "You've done enough in bringing my girls back safe. She'll have her stone. She's in the back north corner, if you want to go."

He grunted and gave a little nod. "Yeah, Maybe."

She took a deep breath and looked over the women gathering their things from the wagons for a moment, then turned back. "Thank you is about all I can say."

He elbowed the wagon behind him. "Can we put these around back until we figure out what we're going to do with them?"

"Of course. I keep a house outside of town for the girls. We have a stable and a barn, if you'd like me to call someone around to take them there?"

"Appreciate it."

"I'll do that, then help them settle and introduce them to the two new girls I took in. If you ever need any company, you just come on by, and leave your purse at home."

A voice arose from behind. "What is going on here?"

Mindblind gnashed his teeth, having recognized Reed's voice, and tried to hold back what he wanted to say. The moment he turned to see the arrogant lawman, he lost that battle. "Just getting back from doing your job."

"My job is to find the truth of the matter, and dispense the appropriate justice. As far as I'm concerned, you are a prime suspect."

A chorus of disagreement and outright sneers arose from the prostitutes. Betty ended up coming forward, placing her hands on her hips, and spoke for the group. "He saved our lives, I'll have you know."

"That remains to be determined. This may very well have been nothing more than an elaborate ruse to..."

An odd, sleepy-sounding chuckle drifted to Mindblind's ears, and even as he glanced in that direction, he saw Reed's face turn bright red and tighten in anger. It was Yani who had chuckled, and she was staring directly at the fuming guard captain when she did it.

Mindblind turned back to Reed to see his expression hadn't softened in the slightest. From between clenched teeth, in a low, measured voice, the guardsman said, "If you attempt to leave the area, I will consider that an admission of guilt and issue rewards for your capture. You will be questioned on this matter."

"Whatever."

Once again, Yani chuckled. Reed growled under his breath and stomped off.

"Don't pay him no mind," Yasmine instructed. "My girls and I know you had nothing to do with the horrors that night, and we'll tell it to everyone we see."

Mindblind snorted. "Don't know that the truth's enough to stop him."

"Folk around here may not treat you over kindly, but they're just afraid of you because you're different. They despise that man because he's a corrupt scoundrel and an ass. If it comes to that, folk will stand for you."

At a loss, Mindblind could only respond, "If you say so."

"I do." She smiled, and then started waving toward the brothel. "You girls get on inside now."

Once Yasmine had walked into the Cat, Indigo said, "Come, let us drive these to the back, then you can tell me how to find the governor before he takes to his bed. It may be that we need his aid to keep your neck out of a noose with that one."

Mindblind was fortunate that the horse was already used to following the other wagon, because he didn't have the faintest idea how to drive a team. He was holding the reins, but other than a slap to tell the horse to move, he was more or less along for the ride.

Indigo took over after he'd positioned the first wagon and set the brake, in order to bring the two wagons up side by side. He then retrieved handfuls of oats from the stores to give the horses a treat after the long pull of the day.

Mindblind described how to find the regional governor's home just outside town proper, though with its size and opulence, the place would be hard to miss. He was leaning back against the wagon as Indigo had a quick snack of cheese when Mindblind saw a flash of movement in his peripheral vision.

Already drawing his sword, he spun on the new arrival. The young man's eyes bugged out as he froze in place.

"Easy, my friend," Indigo said as he grabbed Mindblind's arm.

"Snuck up on me," Mindblind mumbled as he slid the sword back into its sheath.

"M-madame Yasmine sent me for the wagons," the boy said to Indigo, trying not to look at Mindblind. "She said to stable the horses and put the wagons in the other building, if that's okay?"

"Of course, my young friend. Just leave everything in the wagons," Indigo answered.

Once the youngster drove off with the first wagon, Indigo turned to Mindblind. "I should take my leave before the hour is too late."

Mindblind snorted, demonstrating his opinion on speaking with the governor. "Good luck with that."

"I can but try, my friend," the Draxnian said, clapping him on the shoulder before walking back toward the front of the Cat.

Again, Mindblind tensed and nearly drew his sword when the back door of the brothel creaked open. Kayleen appeared in the doorway, wearing a smile that had a touch of surprise.

"Cerebus, it's Yani. You should come."

"What's wrong?" he asked as he stepped toward her.

"Nothing." She let out a little chuckle, and reached out to take his hand. "Just come."

He shrugged, allowing her to tug him inside, and tried not to think about the last time he'd passed through this portal. Once through the storage room, he let out a grunt of approval.

Yasmine had a guard posted near the back door, and two more flanking the front door. A look upstairs revealed a fourth man standing watch near the repaired railing. All were armed with short swords and — at the very least — looked as if they could handle themselves in a fight.

To their credit, all four men tensed and rested their hands on sword pommels as Mindblind walked across the polished floor toward the stairs with his huge sword strapped to his back. Only waves of dismissal from Yasmine caused the men to relax, though they still kept an eye on him.

The upstairs was a flurry of activity, with the girls passing back and forth, settling in and visiting with each other before they had to get back to work. One door was conspicuously closed. Fighting back a sigh from seeing Delly's door and knowing he'd never see her again, he followed Kayleen up the stairs.

She guided him toward an open door at the end of the landing, and he gave a surprised shake of his head when he saw Pompeil within the room, standing behind a man in robes who hovered over Yani's bedside. The dark-haired woman was sitting up, and looked more lucid than she had in days.

"Pompeil?" Mindblind asked, nothing else coming to mind.

"Greetings," the merchant said, and then asked the man in robes, "What is your prognosis?"

"The potion is working. After a few days, I should be able to begin treatment in earnest." He then asked Yani, "May I examine you? My observations will force me to take certain liberties with your person."

She shrugged. "Observe away, I guess."

Pompeil cleared his throat and looked away when the robed man clinically lifted Yani's top and pressed his ear against her chest. He then walked over to Mindblind.

"So what's all this, then?" Mindblind had to ask.

"I sought out goodman Fenthwick upon my arrival, having heard of his reputation through business partners. He is a healer versed in the apothecary as well as a devoted servant of the gods. I had already spoken to him about her condition, and he agreed to treat her. When I heard of your arrival, I sent men to fetch him here."

Kayleen stood up on her tiptoes and whispered, "Look at her, Cerebus. She looks more aware than I've ever seen her."

He nodded. "Still not done paying your debt, huh? Bet this is costing you."

"I suspect this is a debt I will never repay in full." He smiled and continued, "I am underwriting her treatment, but he has waived most of his customary fees in favor of the knowledge he believes he can gain in treating her."

"Talking about me?" Yani asked.

"Nothing ill," Kayleen assured her.

"Don't know what you have to talk about, then," Yani responded, following it up with a derisive chuckle, and then a yawn.

"The potion is going to make you drowsy," the healer explained. "Proper rest will serve you well in your recovery."

Yani shrugged. She then looked up at Mindblind and a crooked smile spread across her face. "That dickless Reed makes me laugh. Has to act like he's tough because he hasn't got anything between his legs. Came in here once and picked me. I laughed at him when he pulled that tiny little thing out."

As she talked, Mindblind could see her eyelids drooping. Whatever concoction the healer had given her, it was quickly stealing her senses. "Yeah, he's been harassing me since we were kids."

"Thought he was really giving it to me in the ass when the wagons stopped. Barely knew it was in there."

Mindblind's brow furrowed and he asked, "Huh? When?"

"When they stopped the wagons after taking us out of here. Said he was going to get even with me first."

"He was there?" Mindblind growled through clenched teeth.

Yani's eyes briefly fluttered open, and she nodded before closing them again.

Mindblind stepped back, bumping into the wall with his fists clenching tight and face burning with rage. The Lakeshore Man. Reed. He felt like a fool for not making the connection before.

"Cerebus?" Kathleen asked in a startled voice as he whirled on his heel.

"All of you stay here. Don't come out."

"Where are you going? Shouldn't you wait for Raven?"

"Stay inside the Cat," Mindblind repeated, his boots thumping ominously on the boards as he walked toward the stairs.

The guards moved back from the door when he reached the landing and headed their way. Nobody could miss the look in his eyes, and only a fool would have stood in his way when the threat he presented didn't involve them.

"Cerebus," he heard Kayleen desperately call out one last time before he opened the front door and stalked out into the darkening town.

The barracks of the city guard, the jail, and Reed's house were all situated in the same general area, not far away from the brothel. What little rational thought he had left pointed him toward the location, reasoning that it was the most likely place to find his quarry. His sword made an ominous hiss as he slid it from the scabbard on his back, and his rage seemed to double with the hilt of the sword in his white-knuckled grip.

A few people saw him as he stalked the edge of town, though he was fixated on the path ahead and didn't notice. He had eyes for one man, and one man only. Bolts slid into locks and windows slammed shut with every step he took.

The door to the jail opened as Mindblind approached, and he quickened his pace, not caring in the slightest that two other guardsmen were flanking their captain.

Reed drew his sword, while the two men at his side aimed crossbows. "So, you choose to die by the sword for your crimes, rather than in a hangman's noose?"

Kill them! Kill them all! The words erupted in Mindblind's head. At the same time, his sword burst into roaring magical flame.

All three men facing him started from the magical display, and in terrified panic, the two men with crossbows fired. Mindblind whipped his sword in a sweeping, downward arc before him, impossibly cutting both bolts in half and incinerating them before they could slam into his chest.

Burn them! Kill them! Feed me!

Mindblind stalked forward, a juggernaut of deadly promise. The two crossbows burst into flames, but unlike those shrouding his sword and dancing around his body, the men felt the searing heat. Both hurled the weapons aside to slap at flames licking up their arms, and retreated in fear.

Before Reed could react, Mindblind was upon him. The blueblood brought his sword in line, and barely managed to deflect the first slash of Mindblind's burning blade.

Give me your hate! Give me his life! Feed me! Kill! Kill! Kill!

One of the guardsmen drew his sword, darting in as Reed gave ground. Moving before he could form a thought, Mindblind whipped his massive sword into a swatting parry. The other man's blade shattered, and he screamed as the impact broke bones in his wrist as well. Dropping to his knees from the pain was the only thing that saved him from the return stroke of Mindblind's sword. Instead of removing his head, the slash grazed him, stealing his consciousness and filling the air with the stench of burning hair.

Reed took advantage of the other guardsman's attack to launch his own. He balked upon seeing the blazing steel sweeping back toward him, and his stab pierced Mindblind's side, rather than his chest.

A snarl escaped Mindblind's lips when he felt the wound, but he ignored the pain and brought his sword in line once more. Unnoticed, tendrils of flame crept down his arm toward the gash as he pressed Reed with a stab of his much longer weapon. The lawman retreated with quick, measured steps as Mindblind stalked forward, slashing and stabbing to keep his opponent on the defensive.

While Reed ran out of room, the flames licking around Mindblind's wound closed it, lending him further strength. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the third guardsman fleeing — most likely to summon aid from men on patrol. Every time Reed tried to alter his course to avoid the wall of the barracks coming ever closer to his back, Mindblind's blazing sword was there.

The wall looming only a foot away, Reed had no choice but to stand his ground. He deflected a slash, but the force was still enough to push him the remaining distance into the wall. Hampered by the barrier, his next attempt to defend against Mindblind's ferocity took the full force of the magical blade.

Reed's fine, heirloom sword fell to the ground, sheared off inches above the hilt and glowing red from the magical fire.

Mindblind let out a growl of triumph and surged forward, slamming his opponent hard against the stout wooden wall, stealing his breath. Reed slumped to the ground, desperately seeking air and wincing from the wisps of flame leaping from Mindblind's sword to sear his flesh.

Yes! Sweet pain! More! Give me more!

Shaking his head to push away the urge, Mindblind asked, "Why, you murdering blueblood scum?"

"I don't know what..."

Mindblind gestured with his sword, and a gout of flame burst forth, reddening the guard captain's arms and singeing away every follicle of hair. Reed screamed and lurched from the pain.

Yes! Yes! More!

"I asked you why!" Mindblind roared.

"For the common good. They are whores. Filth," Reed spat out.

"Filth that laughed at your tiny prick, you mean?"

"You'll hang, halfbreed. They'll make sure your neck doesn't break. Make sure that you strangle — slowly — dangling from the noose with your legs kicking in the air in front of the whole town."

More! More hate! More pain! Feed me! Give me his life! Kill him! Make it last! Make him suffer!

"Shut up," Mindblind growled to the voice in his head, only now truly aware of it — and realizing that it wasn't his own inner voice.

No! Do it! Do it now!

"I said, shut up."

Reed's face twisted in confusion and fear, as he watched Mindblind stand over him, apparently talking to himself. Unnoticed, he reached for a dagger sheathed on his belt.

You are mine! You will feed me!

"Don't belong to nobody," Mindblind retorted, fighting against the tug of the sword trying to stab Reed. The flames licking around him warmed, beginning to burn.

Mine! Feed me!

A low growl rumbled in his chest as the pain from the flames intensified. He took a step back, shaking his head.

Now! You will burn! Suffer! Die!

"No!" Mindblind roared. With every ounce of his strength and will, he tore himself away from the teeth of the sword's malevolent intelligence, and hurled it away.

A horrible, piercing shriek sounded as the sword tumbled end over end, and then slammed into the stone wall of the jail. It exploded on impact, releasing a great ball of flame and countless metal slivers that pierced the flesh of Mindblind, Reed, and the rousing guardsman. The blast knocked Mindblind off his feet, leaving him groggy from both the impact and the mental struggle against the sword.

As his senses returned, he heard Reed say, "Yes, you monster, I ordered the whores killed. Oh, I only planned to have them sold into slavery at first. The only one who was to die was that mad filth, Yani. Unfortunately, the situation was out of hand. Too many had died already. They had to die — all of them. But, you... No, you had to interfere."

"And you call me a monster," Mindblind spit out, rising to his knees despite the threat of Reed's dagger and the other guardsman trying to rise.

"Lowborn, halfbreed offal. Now, you will die, righting the crime of your birth."




Lowborn Ch. 09



"Oy! I wouldn't do that if I was you, fella."

Reed and his fellow guardsman tensed. Mindblind looked around to see a half-dozen ill-kempt men emerging from the tall grass and around the corners of buildings. Swords gleamed in the dancing flames caused by his sword's explosion. The limbs of bows creaked as they were drawn, and crossbows lifted to point at Reed's chest.

"What is the meaning of this?" Reed demanded, though he stayed very still.

"The meanin' of this is we heard what you just said. Come on by ta see what all the commotion is about, and hear you done gone and tried to kill our pretty girls."

"That's ridiculous."

"Nah, me hearing's pretty good. Got to be in me line of work, don't ya know? Otherwise ye end up hangin' from a rope. I heard what ye said, right enough, and I'm not takin' too kindly to it."

Reed snorted. "More scum with lies to tell. You'll hang alongside this murderous monster for your crimes, bandits."

"Yeah, we're scum. Thing is, we're scum with arrows pointed right at ya. Now why don't you just back away from that fella there."

"Surely you know you won't escape. My men will be here any moment." Though his tone was confident, he did take several steps back.

Mindblind stood up, still shaky. "Ain't worth getting killed over. Get outta here while you can."

The leader of the bandits said, "You go. We got ya covered."

"Cerebus!"

Mindblind started and looked over his shoulder at the sound of the voice. To his surprise, he saw Kayleen, Yasmine, Raven, and all the other girls from the house of ill-repute other than Yani approaching. It was Kayleen who had shouted his name.

"The hell are you doing here? Go, before you get caught up in this."

"Saving your neck, it looks like," Raven said. She broke out into a crooked smile as she walked up next to him, and the rest of the girls moved between the guardsmen and Mindblind. "Heard what Yani said. Should've known it was him, huh?"

"We aren't going to let you dangle from a noose after all you've done for us," Becky said.

The commotion and confusion only increased as Reed's men reached the scene, spreading out with weapons at the ready.

"Take the bandits and the murderous halfbreed," Reed ordered.

"Sir?" one of the men questioned, seeing all the women blocking the way.

"They're standing in the way of justice. You will take those men — now."

"Don't fucking think so," Raven whispered as she gripped one of her daggers at Mindblind's side.

"They're women. They're unarmed," another guardsman protested.

"They're whores. I don't care," Reed growled. "Do your duty."

"Not all unarmed," a quiet voice said.

Raven chuckled. "Told you the scum come out at night."

The shadows came alive with men in dark clothing, the blackness broken by glints of steel.

"Hehe. Who's outnumbered now, fella?" the leader of the bandits said. More of his men were emerging from the shadows as well.

Tension hung in the air as armed men stared at each other, all waiting for the slightest flinch. A poorly timed sneeze would have set off a bloodbath.

"I... I can't do this any more."

Mindblind looked at the guard who had spoken — the same one whose wrist he had broken in the earlier battle. The man looked haunted, and unlike everyone else, his dagger hung at his side in nearly nerveless fingers.

"Silence, Hodges," Reed demanded.

"I didn't know anyone was going to die. They're women, Sir. It's... I can't do this any more."

"Didn't know who was going to die?" Raven prompted, nudging her way toward him through the prostitutes with Mindblind right behind her.

"The wh... The women from the... From that house. Sir, it isn't right. No promotion — no gold is worth this. You paid to have them killed, Sir. How could you do that?"

Reed's men began to murmur amongst themselves.

"You are a liar, and a disgrace to your uniform, Hodges. You are obviously in league with this halfbreed. Men, take Hodges into custody as well."

The corners of Mindblind's mouth crept upward. It took only a glance to see that Reed's men weren't falling for their captain's lies. Though remaining wary, they were obviously standing down, not ready to spring into action at any moment.

"I said take them into custody," Reed snarled as he turned back toward his men. "I will have you all tried for treason."

"Knew something wasn't right about all this," one of the guardsman said. A few others murmured agreement.

"I heard you, Sir," Hodges said, walking toward Reed. "It isn't right. You're the traitor. You're the murderer."

Reed's eyes went wide, his gaze darting this way and that. Mindblind tensed, his danger sense screaming at him. When Reed let out a roar and sprang toward Hodges with his dagger lifted to stab, Mindblind intercepted him.

Reed changed targets quickly enough, but to no avail. Mindblind grabbed his nemesis' wrist, pressing his thumb hard into the space between the bones. His muscles flexed, and he redirected the blueblood's stab. A sharp crack sounded as Reed's arm broke and the dagger plunged into his chest.

"I'll see you in the hells, monster," Reed wheezed as blood bubbled up in his mouth.

"Better hope not, because as far as I'm concerned, you're getting off easy. This is for Delly and everyone else who died because you can't deal with your inchworm prick." Mindblind gave the knife a twist.

Reed's eyes glazed over, and his knees buckled. Mindblind let go of the dagger, letting the man crumple into the grass at his feet.

"You lads really want to do this tonight over him?" The leader of the bandits asked.

Slowly, the armed men on both sides relaxed. The thieves in the shadows slinked away, though there was no way to know if they'd gone far.

"So, we all goin' to our beds without any extra holes then, are we?"

"Go now," one of the guardsmen ordered. "This doesn't excuse your crimes. You are still wanted men."

"Hell, it ain't no fun otherwise, fella. Truth to tell, the pickins is gettin' slim hereabouts. We was just talking about movin' on to greener pastures, so to speak. May be that we never have to put holes in each other." His men having taken the cue immediately upon being told to go, he was the only one left by the time he finished. "You lads and lasses have a pleasant evening, now."

The guardsman who had ordered the bandits to leave, apparently having some rank, said, "Someone needs to answer for all of this."

Raven snorted. "Think he already did," she said as she glanced at Reed's corpse.

"T-thank the g-gods..." Pompeil wheezed as he jogged in behind the guardsmen with Indigo at his side.

"It appears our arrival is a bit too late," Indigo added as he sheathed his sword.

"Not much luck with the governor, huh?" Mindblind asked.

"I fear you were right, my friend. He was disinclined to pursue the matter until the good merchant here arrived."

"I had to threaten to use my influence to cut off trade," the winded merchant added.

"Where nothing else would sway him, the loss of tax revenue seemed to open his mind. Upon hearing Pompeil's tale, he issued a writ ordering Reed to report for questioning, and to be detained if he refused."

Hodges stepped forward. "I'll tell everything I know." He then turned to the prostitutes. "I'm sorry. I had no idea he would go so far."

"Go easy on him," Mindblind said as the ranking guardsman gestured for Hodges to approach. "Be a lot more men dead here tonight if it wasn't for him fessing up." His energy draining away as the danger finally ended, he wavered on his feet.

"We will still need to hear from you — from all of you. The full truth of this matter must be determined."

"Not tonight," Indigo said as he hurried over to support Mindblind.

"Damn me if I'm going anywhere near that jail," Raven muttered under her breath.

"Send someone around to the Cat and we'll tell you all we know," Yasmine said. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," the lead guardsman agreed. He then waved off one of his fellows who had approached with manacles for Hodges. "I don't believe that will be necessary."

"That healer still at the Cat with Yani?" Mindblind asked.

"Yes," Kayleen answered. "He said he should stay and observe her all night."

"May need to see him," Mindblind slurred with the last of his strength as the world went black.

****

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Lowborn Ch. 10



Mindblind blinked his eyes open, squinting against the morning light streaming through the window, and tried to focus on his surroundings. Eventually, Raven congealed out of the haze, standing at the foot of the bed with her hands on her hips.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Morning to you, too," he said as he sat up and groaned. He was stark naked, and as the sleep fog burned off, he recognized he was in a room at the Cat.

"The hell made you run off alone like that, you damned idiot? Figure you were just going to walk up there, cut his head off, and come back for a beer?"

"Not exactly like that."

"And what about this?" Raven knelt down, and then stood up with a blood-stained sheet. "Damn healer had to spend an hour pulling chunks of steel out of your hide before he could do anything else."

"It's a long story."

Raven walked over and plopped down on the foot of the bed. She lifted a hand and made a little circling gesture with it. Long story or not, she planned to hear every word of it.

Mindblind sighed and launched into the tale of learning that Reed was behind the whole thing, and how his sword had urged him on, almost taking control of him. The metal shards were explained by the explosion of the magical blade. There wasn't much to tell after that, because Raven had arrived not long after.

She blew out a whistling breath. "I've heard about magic stuff that gets in your head like that. You're lucky as hell. Guess we should have listened to Indigo."

"Magic never has worked real well on me. My sisters used to throw spells at me all the time. Started calling me Mindblind because I was the only one who couldn't do anything with magic. Hell, even Vlad can do some little things he's learned from the Heraklan temple."

Talking about them set off a sudden surge of homesickness he never would have expected. Home was only a few miles away, but it suddenly felt like a thousand.

"Well, I guess you survived, and you have a good enough excuse, so I'll let you off this time."

"Thanks," he said sarcastically. "Don't suppose my pants are around here anywhere?"

"It's a whore house. Who's going to notice if you're swinging in the wind?" She laughed. "Actually, Pomp sent over some things, because your stuff was pretty torn up and bloody. In the drawers there."

"It's nice enough and all, but I hope he isn't going to follow me around like a damn puppy trying to pay off that debt he has in his head," Mindblind said as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and opened the drawer.

"Not going to complain about one part of it. I can't believe the change in Yani. She's almost... Normal."

"Yeah, she looked a lot better when I saw her last night, even when she was passing out. What time is it, anyway?"

"About midday."

"Damn. I was out for a while."

While Mindblind dressed, it was Raven's turn to tell him about a few things he'd missed since he collapsed the night before. "Between Pomp, Indigo, and Yasmine, they convinced the guard and the governor to leave us out of it. Only other one they talked to was Yani. We're all free and clear."

"Least I don't have to get raked over the coals."

"Guess the two that were with Reed didn't really know what he was up to. They knew enough for him to bribe and threaten them, but had no idea how far he was willing to go to salve his burnt ego. His lordship is going to give Yasmine the coin from selling off that blueblood scum's stuff. Hardly makes up for what he did, but I guess it's something — and he is dead. You could have saved some for me, you know?"

Mindblind cinched up his new pants, which were of a cut and material that probably made them worth more than the whole of his sparse wardrobe at home. The shirt was likewise fine. His old, comfortable boots contrasted sharply with the new attire, but he was going to put them on anyway. "Suppose you could find where they've laid him out and stick him a few times."

"Don't tempt me. I'm of half a mind to cut off that inch worm of his that started this whole mess."

A knock sounded on the door, but it almost immediately flew open. "Are you decent?" Alice asked as she swept into the room with Betty and Cammie hot on her heels. "Damn, we're too late."

Mindblind shook his head and chuckled as he pulled on his boots. "Things getting back to normal?"

"Nope. Yasmine isn't going to open back up until tonight. We've been shooing guys away from the door this whole time. And that's sort of what we wanted to talk to you about."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Yasmine really likes all our ideas. She's sending a letter to Yvonne and Samantha about it, and she's going to help us set up in Stingy Pussy. We were kind of wondering if we could use one of the wagons?"

"Hell, I got no use for the damn things," Mindblind said with a shrug.

"Hard to hide from the law in a wagon," Raven added.

"Great. We figure it will only take us a couple of months at the inn to have enough to find a place of our own."

"Stuff that," Raven said. "I'll give you some coin so you can get your own place to start, and hire some burly guy to watch out for you."

"I... R-really?" Alice stammered. All three of the prostitutes wore looks of stunned surprise.

"Yeah. Just a few conditions. I don't pay when I need some pussy, the place has to have a back door and a basement, and I can crash there sometimes if I need to."

"Done. Hell, we'll set you aside your own room," Alice said.

"I'll give you all the free ones you want," Cammie said, and giggled.

Raven grinned, and then moaned. "I'll catch up with you later. I've got to do some business to get the coin."

"Don't get caught before you get back to us," Betty teased.

Raven twitched her eyebrows. "As if."

"Well, we're going to see about hiring a guard then. Maybe we find somebody who will do it for free ones, and save us some more coin."

"Probably can," Mindblind said.

Alice cocked her hips to the side and struck a provocative pose. "Interested?"

"Thought I was already getting free ones?"

She laughed. "You are. A girl has to try, though."

"Go on," Raven said, waving her hand. "Lots of guys in Stingy Pussy waiting to get their pricks wet. You don't want to keep them waiting."

"We can't thank you enough — either of you," Cammie said.

"You're welcome. Now get out of here," Raven told them, again waving toward the door.

The three filed out the door and Mindblind heard Betty say, "Think he's about to get a free one." The other two laughed as the door closed.

"Heh. Tempting, but I figure you're pretty much fed up with bed, huh?"

Mindblind nodded. "I need some fresh air."

"And I need to go fence a few gems to get them that coin. Meet back here in a couple of hours?"

"Yeah, guess so."

Raven looked him up and down. "You know, Pomp's got pretty good taste. You look good in that."

"What worries me is how well it fits."

Raven laughed. "Yeah, that usually requires some measuring. Think he just has a knack, though. Sent over things for all the girls that fit just as well, so doubt he was measuring you up with his eyes — at least specifically."

"Real comforting."

"Don't be late getting back here. Last time you weren't where you were supposed to be, it got pretty hairy."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You do that," she said, and offered her crooked smile before heading out the door.

It took Mindblind a few minutes to make it out of the brothel, because everyone wanted to greet him. Even Yani was up and about, looking better than the night before. The healer was obviously good at his job.

Eventually, he made it out the back door, and took a deep breath. Feeling the need to be alone with his thoughts for a while, he walked straight out from the back of the Cat, into the fields scattered around town.

****

Mindblind knelt next to the rectangle of recently turned earth and sat down a bunch of wildflowers he'd gathered up just before returning to town. Delly had kept flowers in her room whenever they were in season, so he guessed that she'd probably have liked the gesture.

"Ain't real good at this," he muttered under his breath. "Guess I just want to say sorry, and thanks. Never felt like a damn outcast when I was with you. Wish I could have done something to keep you from getting killed. Best I could do was kill the son-of-a-bitch that was responsible. Hope that's enough."

Feeling extremely self-conscious, he remained for a minute or two more before making his way out of the graveyard. As usual, he kept his eyes fixed straight forward, trying not to notice what was going on to the sides. It helped when he couldn't see the people staring at him or darting inside.

It was impossible to completely avoid, though. A man walking down the street in the opposite direction drew near, and out of the blue, offered a brief nod of his head before passing by.

Somehow, Mindblind contained his surprise. What happened next was even more shocking. Someone approached him from the side of the street, moving to intercept him. He paused, not sure what to do in the completely unfamiliar situation.

"I just wanted to say that you did a good thing," the old man said. "Sure he didn't hurt anyone as bad as he did those folks at the brothel, but he caused plenty of pain to the folks around here over the years. Wouldn't nobody else have stopped him."

"Just did what I had to do," Mindblind responded, at a loss for words.

"Well, I'm glad you did, and I ain't the only one. I won't trouble you no more." With that, he nodded and returned to his place sitting on the weathered wooden porch of a storefront. The group of similarly aged men he was rejoining all nodded or touched the brims of their hats in Mindblind's direction.

After that, Mindblind let his eyes roam as he continued across town. Naturally, some still shied away as he approached, but others nodded, waved, and even offered words of greeting to him. In a few minutes, the people of the town gave him more notice than they had for the entirety of his life up to that point.

The feeling was odd, and even a little uncomfortable. He almost wished that they'd just put their heads down and walk away as they used to. Even as he thought that, he realized how absurd it was in light of his years of rankling over exactly that sort of treatment.

"Ho, my good friend."

Mindblind recognized Indigo's voice and turned that direction. The Draxnian met him in the middle of the street and reached out a hand to shake.

"I sought you out at the Cat, but they said you had gone out."

"Yeah, need to clear my head."

"Understandable, my friend. All is well that ends well, eh?"

"Guess so. You going to head home soon?"

"Actually, I think I will stay for a time. Travel this country. There are many things said about this land in my country, and already I find many of them are false. I would learn the truth for myself."

"You know, Alice and a couple of the girls are heading back to that town where we ran into you. They could use a man with a sharp blade riding with them."

Indigo laughed. "We are truly kindred spirits, my friend. I have already heard of their journey and asked to accompany them."

Noticing a shiny new sword on Indigo's hip, he said, "Speaking of sharp blades..."

Indigo muttered something in his own language and slapped his forehead. "I had nearly forgotten. It is a gift from Pompeil. Come, my friend. You need a blade to replace what you have lost. He asked me to find you and bring you to his offices here."

Despite what he'd said to Raven earlier, he needed a new sword, so he wasn't about to pass up a free one if Pompeil wanted to provide it. "Lead the way. I have no idea where it is."

"This way, my friend."

The place wasn't far, and Pompeil emerged from his office almost immediately after the doorman to the warehouse admitted them.

"Ah, welcome. Come, let us browse my stores and see if there is anything to your liking. If not, I will be glad to commission something appropriate."

"You know, Pompeil, you're going to go broke if you keep this up."

The merchant laughed. "Ah, rest assured that I have a very long way to go before I exhaust my coin. I have enjoyed some measure of success in my career."

"Well, I'm not turning down a free sword."

"And a suit of chain, if I may? I would see you better protected, should you have need of such in the future. I have someone on hand who can take measurements, and I will have it delivered as soon as completed."

Since he had been saving — very slowly — for a chain shirt, he wasn't passing that offer up either. "Sounds good."

"Splendid. Splendid. Sword first, though. I have a fine selection."

The merchant wasn't lying. Considering the unrest in the area — and it was much worse the closer to Draxnia or Normandal one ventured — only a fool who made his living in trade wouldn't take advantage of the market for weaponry. Nearly any type of blade Mindblind could imagine was represented in the crates opened for him to look through.

One immediately caught his eye — a large, hand-and-a-half broadsword. It wasn't nearly as massive as the weapon that had nearly turned him into a slave, but it was a dramatic improvement over the short sword he'd carried at the start of his journey.

Pompeil noticed his interest. "Please, test the balance. See if you like it. I believe it suits you."

Mindblind picked up the weapon, already liking the way the hilt felt in his hand. With his great strength, he was able to hold the sword in one hand, and after giving it a few swings, a wide smile spread across his face.

"I do believe we have found you a match," Pompeil guessed.

"Truly, it suits you, my friend," Indigo agreed.

After giving the sword a final swing, Mindblind said, "It feels good."

"Then it is yours. The scabbard should be in the crate."

Mindblind dug through the packing material inside the crate and located the scabbard. Having grown used to carrying the magical blade on his back, it felt perfectly natural when he strapped on the scabbard and slid the new sword in.

"Well, then only one thing remains to complete our business here today. The process is a bit uncomfortable, but shouldn't take long, and I believe it will be worth it. Ah, there you are, Emelia."

Mindblind turned to see a blushing blonde woman with a length of twine carefully marked in small, even segments. It was hard not to notice that the young woman spent a little more time with certain measurements than others — all below the waist.

Once she was done, Mindblind said, "I'd best get back to the Cat. If I'm not there when Raven expects me, she'll have a fit."

"Something I would wish on none, my friend," Indigo said. "I must draft a letter to my family, but I trust I will see you again before my journey south?"

"Sure I'll be around."

"And glad I will be to see you."

"Appreciate this, Pompeil," Mindblind said, nodding toward the sword on his back.

"As with everything else, it is a small price to pay for my life, which surely would have been forfeit but for your intervention."

"I'm off, then."

Both offered him farewells as he headed to the door and back out into the bright summer day. A look up at the position of the sun caused him to quicken his pace, because he guessed that Raven was already waiting for him.

He was right. Fortunately, she ignored that he had arrived a bit past the agreed-upon time. "Nice," she said upon seeing his sword. "So, what now?"

He'd made the decision shortly after leaving the Cat. "I should head to the house. The family keeps to themselves, but they have to have heard about what happened here. Going to get a dressing down for vanishing without a word as it is."

"Least you got someone who cares enough to do it. Catch up with me here tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"Get going then. Think I may take Cammie up on that offer before the three of them head out." She licked her lips and moaned.

Mindblind chuckled, though the thought made blood surge between his legs, and almost caused him to reconsider heading back to the house. As soon as he stepped out onto the landing, he saw Kayleen.

"Hello, Cerebus."

"Hey, Kay. How's Yani?"

"Much better. She doesn't really need me watching over her any longer. I think I'm out of a job."

"Any ideas?"

"I'm not sure, just yet."

"Well, if you need anything, you just come see me."

Kayleen smiled. "Thank you. Madame Yasmine says she's happy to put me up until I decide what I want to do. I might see if they need help at any of the taverns, for now."

"Any of them would probably be glad to have you."

The blonde woman blushed. "Thank you. For that. For everything."

"You did your share, too, Kay."

"I won't keep you. I overheard. I hope all goes well at home."

Mindblind let out a snort, expecting that his mother would alternate between scolding him and hugging him in equal proportion from the moment he walked in the door. "Me too."

A few minutes later, he set foot on the dusty road home. For the first time in a very long time, he was glad for it.

****

Mindblind stepped into his small room at the back of the house and sighed in relief. As good as it was to see everyone again, there were limits. He was exhausted, overfed, and emotionally overloaded. Tired as he was, he dropped off to sleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He really should have expected it.

"Nice place," Raven said sarcastically as she climbed into his small bed.

"How'd you get in?" he asked as she sat down next to him, and he tried to gather his senses.

"Are you serious? I could have picked that lock when I was five."

"Give me a break. I'm still asleep," he said when he realized how ridiculous the question was in light of her skills.

He noticed that she wasn't wearing her leather-armored overshirt, or even the masculine style shirt she usually wore under it. Instead, she was wearing a blouse. It was a drab, beige color and had no frills or lace, but it was the first garment he'd ever seen her wear that had been specifically tailored for a woman. The cut served to accentuate her figure — especially her perky breasts.

"Excuses. So, everything go okay with the family?"

"Yeah, even my sisters weren't acting like witches," he said as he sat up.

"What did you tell them?"

"Told Pops most of it. He probably passed along what he thought Mom could handle, later on.. They were gonna find out about Reed at the least, eventually."

Raven nodded, scooted in a little closer and asked, "So, you okay with some company?"

"Yeah."

"I'm kind of at a loss," she said, and shrugged. "With those gems, I've got more than enough coin to relax for a while. Yani doesn't really need me. I don't know what to do with myself. What about you?"

"Always wanted to sell my sword, and I've got one worth selling now."

"Gonna hit the road then?"

"Not just yet. Had enough of the road for a little while at least."

She chuckled. "Ain't that the truth."

"I'll get fed up with being cooped up here soon enough. Been eating me for years."

Raven nodded, and then drew in a long, slow, deep breath. She let it out in a burst, and then said, "I want to try something."

"What?"

She turned toward him, slipping a hand behind his back, and whispered, "This," as she leaned in.

Whether through pure instinct or her example, his lips softened as she pressed hers against them. The kiss was soft — tentative — and he felt her shiver as he slipped an arm around her. The next touch of her lips was longer, and far more sure.

Her lips still brushing his, she said, "That's the first time I've ever kissed anyone with my clothes on. I think I kind of like it."

At a loss for words, still unused to the softer side of the thief, he fortunately wasn't left hanging long. After only a breath or so, she kissed him again, tightening her embrace. He pulled her closer as well, matching her growing passion as he reached up to cup her cheek in his hand.




Lowborn Ch. 10



Once again she shivered, letting out a shuddering sigh. "Yeah, I like it. What about you?"

"Yeah," he responded, finding it hard to keep his rising passion under control.

Raven's lips met his in yet another kiss, her hands roaming over his bare back. Though completely outside his experience, he was able to follow her lead. Their tongues slipped out to caress each other. Breaths came quicker with each passing moment. Finally, she leaned back, sucking in a quavering breath while looking deep into his eyes.

Her expression was strangely shy as she popped open buttons on her blouse. On a whim, he reached out to tug the tail free of her pants, and worked on the buttons from the bottom up, meeting her hands in the middle. Subtle guidance encouraged him to slide his hands up to her shoulders, parting the cloth to reveal her breasts, and then pushing the garment down her arms.

With little room on his small bed for two, the blouse slithered off the edge and down to the floor. A muffled ticking sound as the material pooled on the boards hinted that despite the common appearance, her blouse most likely still concealed a few tools of her trade.

She immediately leaned in for another kiss, wrapping her arms around him to press her breasts against him. Her kisses were stronger, and her fingers slipped beneath the waist of his breeches on occasion as her hands explored his body. He responded in kind, cupping one taut buttock in his hand.

Twin thumps heralded her shoes finding a place beside the bed, which she somehow managed without ever breaking their embrace. Before the second sound of leather on wood had even faded, her hands pushed down on his breeches from the back. Mindblind winced slightly from the discomfort of his rock-hard erection catching on linen, and slid one hand from her back to free the tip of his cock from the trap. She broke from the kiss, her fingers sliding to the front of his breeches to brush against the exposed mushroom tip.

Mindblind lifted his hips as she tugged, allowing her to expose him in the dim light filtering through the single window. As soon as he was nude, she unbuckled her belt, slowly sliding it through the loops on her pants. She caught a sheathed dagger when it dropped free from the retreating leather and secreted it beneath the pillow before allowing her belt to drop to the floor.

Raven reclined, unbuttoning her pants as she sank down to the straw and down-stuffed mattress. Mindblind pulled on the legs and she pushed from the top, sliding down pants and panties at the same time. In short order, they were both nude, and her pants dropped to the floor atop his.

She followed the example of their discarded garments.

Raven's lips found his, and she leaned forward as they kissed, guiding him to lie down. Her knee crossed over his body and she straddled him, the curls on her mound tickling his abdomen while his erection tapped against her taut ass.

She gasped, breaking away from an especially ardent, tongue-wrangling kiss to look down at him and smile. A slight shift of her hips was all it took to press the head of his cock against her slippery sex, and a second engulfed him deep inside her.

Mindblind groaned as her velvety soft walls squeezed him. Above him, she let out a whimpering moan. He was surprised when instead of sitting up over him, she instead sank down atop him, curling an arm behind his neck and pushing the other beneath his back.

He embraced her, one hand resting on the small of her back and the other on the back of her head as she kissed him. Her body moved in sinuous waves atop him, stirring his cock inside her. She moaned and whimpered into their kisses, seemingly trying to pull him closer with each passing moment.

As usual, she was in control, but it was far different this time. Gone was the almost desperate rush to climax, replaced with a tenderness that neither of them had really experienced before. Blissful minutes rolled by — their bodies joined as one — and they reveled in the slow boil of rising pleasure.

Sweat slicked their bodies as Raven moved faster, her breaths coming in short pants. "I... Oh... Oh yes," she softly whimpered, and then stiffened.

Mindblind caressed her back and ran his fingers through her hair as she came, her fingers curling into claws. She trembled, her mouth hanging open and eyes tightly closed — frozen in a moment of perfect ecstasy. It ended with a high-pitched moan as she collapsed atop him, still shivering and twitching.

Nowhere near his own peak, he simply held her as her orgasm played out. He found he was smiling and relaxed, perfectly content as her intimate muscles unpredictably clenched and fluttered around him.

"Oh. Oh wow. That was different," she whispered, her breath stirring his hair. A chuckle shook her, and then she moaned. "It was so good, though."

He kissed the top of her head — the only place he could reach in their current position.

"Did you..?"

"It's okay."

It wasn't really an answer, but she must have understood. "Better than okay. Gods, I'm still tingling all over. But I want you to get there too."

Raven showed no sign of moving, and as strange as it was, she felt good in his arms, lost in the afterglow of her orgasm. He was on the verge of drifting off to sleep again, still buried deep inside her hot, slippery sheath when she shifted her weight.

Opening his eyes, he realized she was rolling off to the side, but still holding on to him tight. He got the hint and planted one hand on the bed, pushing to roll with her. He slipped free, his cock slapping against him and spattering her juices up his abs.

"No," she plaintively moaned. "Back in." At the same time, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

A growling groan escaped him as his cock slid back inside her. His balls had barely settled against her when she wrapped her legs around him as well. The pressure of her legs tightened, pulling him closer, then relaxed. He fell into the rhythm, rocking his hips in time with her squeezes.

"Ahhh. Ohhh. Just like that," she moaned. "Right there. Ohhh yes."

Though his range of movement was limited, it was more than enough. The feeling of sliding in and out of her made him groan and his heart quicken. The slow pace of his short thrusts let him feel her clinging to every inch of him. Her every indrawn breath was a gasp, and she let out sharp whimpers every so often, her eyes alternately widening and pinching closed. Though he didn't know it, the position was perfectly causing his cock to slide along her swollen clit, driving her toward another peak right alongside him.

"S-say my name, Cerebus. P-please," She gasped out as the needs of his body pushed him to thrust faster.

"So good, Raven," he groaned.

"No. No. Real name." The last trailed off into a loud squeal.

"Rayneena."

"Y-y-yes!"

"Come for me, Rayneena," he said, recognizing the signs in her expression that her pleasure was mounting toward a crescendo.

"Yes. So close. I... I... Ahh! Mmm!"

A quavering cry of release burst from her lips as she reached her peak, her arms and legs tightening around him. Her walls contracted, though his passion-fueled strength allowed him to resist her grip and keep thrusting.

"Ah, Rayneena. Gonna come," he grunted.

Raven squealed, the sound transforming into broken, breathless words as she continued to come. "Fill me up. Yes! C-come!"

His last thrust was powerful, driving her ass down into the mattress. A sound mingling qualities of a growl, groan, and roar rumbled in his throat, echoing back from the walls as it joined her cries of release, forming a symphony of perfect ecstasy. His cum erupted in a long, powerful jet, coating the entrance to her womb and pooling in her depths. After the briefest of pauses, he sucked in a great breath and lurched when a second ejaculation traveled up the length of his shaft, bursting forth with equal power to the first.

Again and again, his balls tightened, his shaft pulsed, and his seed further flooded her depths. The sound of them both crying out grew dim — muffled. His head was swimming as sweat ran in rivulets down his arms and abdomen, dripping onto her equally glistening body below. She writhed on the mattress, pinned down by his throbbing shaft as they remained trapped in the seemingly endless cycle of wonderful agony.

By the time Mindblind's wits returned, he was barely supporting his weight above her on a trembling arm. Raven was desperately panting for breath, still twitching from aftershocks. Near to collapse, he moved with barely any conscious thought. His cock pulled free with a slurping sound that she drowned out with a yelp, and he collapsed next to her on the bed, precariously perched on the edge.

For long minutes, neither of them could catch their breath. Raven somehow found the presence of mind to roll over, laying her head on his chest. Eventually, they both settled down from their peaks, and Mindblind draped a weary arm over her naked back.

"Okay, that was really good," Raven said, her voice sounding odd because her cheek was still pressed against his chest.

"Oh, fuck yeah," he had to agree. He had come so much that near the end, he'd had the brief, irrational thought that his balls were trying to come up as well.

"Thought I was going to faint when you said my name — my real name."

"Thought it would feel odd saying it, but it didn't. Felt right."

"So right. Think we woke the family up?"

"Don't really care right now."

She let out a girlish giggle. "This was Kay's idea. She talked about how wonderful it was. She was right. I'm going to have to thank her."

"Me too."

Raven gave a tug on his arm, encouraging him to move closer to the center of the bed. She snuggled in so that neither of them was on the verge of falling off, and for a while, they lay together in silence.

Mindblind let out a surprised grunt when her fingers traced the length of his softened — and still sensitive — cock.

"Not that down and dirty fucking isn't great too," she said, the previous softness of her voice gone. "And I'm ready for more."

Mindblind's head thumped hard into the pillow as she darted in, slurping his cock between her lips to get it hard again.

It didn't take long at all.

****

"You know, a girl could get used to this," Raven said, snuggling up against Mindblind as he awoke. No light shone through the window, indicating that they'd awakened before the sun.

"Think I could too."

"I don't have to remind you that I'll cut out your tripes if you ever breathe a word of it to anyone, do I?"

"Hehe. Nope."

"Much as I don't want to get up, I should probably head into town and see how Yani's doing. She actually notices when I'm gone now. It's almost strange."

"Good strange, though."

"Yep." Raven sighed and climbed out of bed.

Mindblind couldn't help but admire her lithe, nude body as she bent to pick up her discarded clothing. When she caught him, she twitched her eyebrows and swatted her bottom before returning to the task at hand.

A basin of water let them both wash off the abundant evidence of the previous night's passion, though Mindblind suspected the bedclothes and even the mattress itself were probably done. The whole of the small room smelled like sex. He dressed as well when she did, and the first rays of sunlight peeked above the horizon as they met in front of the door.

"Coming into town with me?" she asked as she opened the door and stepped out.

Seeing his younger brother headed toward him from the front of the house, he smiled. "Can't just yet. I've got a promise to keep."

"I'll be waiting at the Cat, then. Don't be too long."

Vladamir walked past Raven, and almost immediately turned around to stare at her. Mindblind grabbed his brother's arm, spinning him around.

"Who's that?" Vladamir asked, looking back over his shoulder.

"Do you want to hear about the adventure, or not?"

That was more than enough to distract Vladamir from the sight of Raven. He nodded his head emphatically.

Mindblind laughed and patted his brother on the back. "Well, it started out just like I told you it would — a boring, bumpy wagon ride..."

****

Hope you've enjoyed this look into Mindblind's past. Some day, I'll get around to telling Vladamir's story as well.

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