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Slaves to Passion (greybishop & ShadowOfDesire)

A look of surprise passed over Lukas’ face when Jacelyn began fondling his sack. Not that he was upset about what she was up to, far from it. What she was doing didn’t violate any of his instructions and the feel of her strong, delicate fingers only added to his enjoyment; she clearly knew what she was doing and was doing it well – it was that she was doing it at all that surprised him. He’d thought she’d use her hand to take care of herself like Heinrich had tried to do so long ago, but instead she was using her hand to take care of him, despite her watering eyes and undoubtedly aching nipples, and the obscene glugging noises she was making every time he stuffed his cock down her throat.

The sellsword looked down at the ranger’s brilliant blue eyes and studied them, searching for any clue as to what might be motivating her. Maybe, just maybe, he thought he saw the slightest glint of mischief in her beautiful eyes, but he couldn’t blame her for that; he’d given her some freedom and how she chose to use it was up to her. And it also didn’t bother him in the least that his future son, or perhaps their future daughter, were now literally in the palm of her hand; just as she obviously trusted him, he trusted her and had no worries on that score. So if it wasn’t mischief, what was it then? And then it struck him – it was a quality he’d heard of but never experienced, in all of his not so short and sometimes quite brutal life. Serenity. Jacelyn was exactly where she wanted to be, doing exactly what she wanted to be doing, and for a time had no cares or worries at all. The thought that he of all people had been able to give her that gift made Lukas absurdly happy, and so he finally gave himself permission to let go.

As the big sellsword shoved the head of his cock all the way down the kneeling woman’s throat and held it there, her fingers felt his balls pull up within his sack as the dam within him burst; that was the only warning she got and the only one he could possibly give her. As he pulled Jacelyn’s nose tight against his short hairs Lukas’ hips and thighs started bucking, and then he groaned as rope after rope of his warm seed shot down her throat; it wasn’t as much as he’d given her the night before but still a lot, since it’d been some time since he’d enjoyed the company of a woman. Some small part of his mind worried he was choking her, but there was no way in the world he’d be able to pull out of her until he’d emptied himself, so that thought didn’t last long; instead he let a wave of pure pleasure sweep through him for a change, and then reveled in the feeling of relief that came right after. All of his cares and woes, bitterness and pain, hate and regret, were swept away for a short time thanks to the woman that knelt willingly at his feet, accepting his manhood into her mouth. And then finally, finally it occurred to him that he might be choking Jacelyn and he pulled his softening cock from her plundered throat, trailing strands of saliva and salty semen behind it, and then collapsed heavily to his knees and leaned his forehead against her shoulder …
 
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The moment she felt his sack draw up and tighten further, Jacelyn dropped her hand to her lap and slid one finger between her lips to frantically stroke her clit. She was achingly close to another orgasm. His foot had teased her into a heightened arousal and those first strokes against that slippery bud had her moaning around his cock. She kept her eyes on him for as long as she was able, until he lost himself in her mouth and began to buck. She choked on his cock, gagging again, but the sensation passed as he shoved himself even deeper. Her eyes watered, throat convulsing, and then she felt that first burst of warmth in her mouth. Another groan rattled her chest as her fingers began to fuck her cunt recklessly, plunging into her depths in counter to his thrusting cock. As he shoved himself against her, she nearly choked on his seed, swallowing reflexively to prevent it from happening.

Her lungs began to burn as he cut off her air, though that didn't slow her thrusting fingers. A wave of euphoria swept over her as her oxygen-starved brain began to panic. Jacelyn pumped her last few strokes and then burst from within, climax seizing her and causing her body to stiffen. She screamed, the sound muffled around his cock, and the bliss of orgasm mingled with the heady emotions already flowing through her. She sagged, held up only by his hands, and would have listed to one side had he not been clutching her head firmly. Her pussy convulsed and clenched, throbbing madly, and her consciousness narrowed as darkness closed in from all sides.

Then she felt his cock sliding free of her mouth and reflexively sucked in a ragged breath. That first one was as sweet and pure as she'd ever felt, bringing with it a fresh burst of life. Quivering against him, she sagged against his sweat-flecked body as he knelt before her, head resting on his shoulder. She panted heavily, struggling to breathe after the harsh demand of his manhood, completely lost in her own pleasure. She drifted for a moment, lost in that sea of emotion, perfectly content to remain frozen in that position forever if he so desired. She couldn't imagine moving just then. Couldn't make her muscles work. Her body felt limp and heavy.

It had been a long, long while since she'd ever experienced something so overwhelmingly enjoyable.
 
It took awhile for Lukas’ vision to return and even longer before his breathing approached anything close to normal; as he rested he became aware of Jacelyn leaning on him as he was on her, and thought that somehow appropriate. As his hand held onto the broad swell of the ranger’s hip for support his mind drifted lazily, in no real rush to focus on anything in particular. But eventually he could feel the sweat cooling on his skin, and realized she must be getting cold too.

The sellsword sat back on his heels and looked at the woman in front of him with his crooked grin; “Well done lass” was the first thing he said. “Now let’s get you out of some of this.” Then he leaned forward, unclipped her left hand from the back of her collar and held it in his own; after satisfying himself her fingers were fine, he placed her hand in her lap. Then he reached out and unfastened the clips from her nipples; looking down at her poor tortured buds he was pleased to see that while they still looked puffy and raw, neither seemed to have been truly marred by their long time in bondage and rough treatment. That puzzled him for a moment, until he remembered the fine quality of the clips and the ranger’s innate hardiness; regularly binding her chest to fit within her armor must have toughened her more than he had imagined. Still he felt compelled to dip his head forward and plant very gentle kisses on both peaks of her bosom.

Looking up Lukas surveyed Jacelyn’s face and thought she looked just as happy and tired as he felt, though he noted that her lovely lips also seemed fuller than usual; he quickly chalked that up to the … enthusiasm which he’d shown while fucking her mouth, and was privately thankful that he hadn’t actually bruised her there either. Once again though he felt the urge to wipe away some of the slobber coating her lips and chin, and then tenderly kiss her; the feel of her warm mouth against his was as lovely as ever. With all that taken care of the sellsword leaned back and spoke to the ranger once again. “You stay here and rest lass, watch the lantern while I go clean up a little and take a quick piss; I’ll be back in no time and then it’ll be your turn …”

---

True to his word Lukas climbed back up into the hayloft a few minutes later, looking somewhat less … winded, sweaty and messy, and as ready for bed as he was going to get. “Alright lass, it’s not too cloudy anymore and the moon’s out, so you shouldn’t need the lantern, which’s probably for the best. I didn’t see Martin or his little ones about, but you’re going to be wearing your collar and cuffs until we go to breakfast in the morning. If you happen to bump into one of them tonight …” he shrugged his broad shoulders “… then they’ll just know who we really are, nothing more.” As the sellsword started arranging their bedrolls he went on. “When you get back you’ll be warming the blankets with me tonight. If you think you’ll be cold, you can go ahead and put on one of your shifts before you join me, but not until after you get back.” Then he grinned at her. “Off you go Jace, it’s starting to get late and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. You might not need any beauty sleep, but in my case …”
 
When she was free of her restraints, she pushed the cuffs up to rub at her wrists, though his massage had worked most of the circulation back into her fingers. They'd not been playing long enough for her to truly suffer, so she sustained only a small ache in her tricep from being held upright while he'd used her. The removal of the nipple clamps came with a soft hiss as she felt all of the sensation and feeling rush back into those tight buds all at once. Even the touch of his lips and prick of his beard were enough to make her shudder away. They throbbed painfully at first, but that eventually evaporated to an unexpected and soothing warmth.

His tenderness was surprising, but touching. Jacelyn smiled to herself as he cleaned her up, happy in the knowledge that she'd pleased him greatly. His fleeting kiss was far too brief, but even she knew that they couldn't sit there feasting upon one another's mouths all night, though she would be certainly willing to try if he was interested in doing just that. The ranger rocked back on her heels while he descended, happy enough that she'd finally caught her breath and was no longer panting like a dog in heat. She was slightly stiff from kneeling and sore from being restrained, but otherwise hale. More than that, she was completely sated, both from finding her peak and from pleasing him. She did try not to be too proud of herself, however, because this was only their first true session together since their pact and was, by his design, far less demanding than those yet to come.

When he returned, she climbed out of the loft stark naked except for the leather that encircled her wrists and neck. They were hardly enough weight to cause her any discomfort, but she was keenly aware of their presence, just as she was keenly aware of how the humid night felt against her skin. Though it was dark, she could see well enough to navigate and went about cleaning herself up with rainwater. She returned to the loft a short time later, skin slightly damp from her hasty bath. Though the loft was warmer than the stables below, the air was still cool enough to make her shiver. She'd brought her shift with her, but didn't pull it on as he instructed. Instead, she folded it and set it aside in case she needed it during the night. Finally, she joined Lukas at their makeshift bed, eager to crawl beneath the covers and curl up against him for warmth.
 
Lukas welcomed Jacelyn beneath the blankets with open arms. One of his hands slid around her slender torso and, after tracing over her poor, scarred back wrapped around her slim waist to pull her close; the sellsword was happy to feel she’d opted not to put on her shift as her damp body pressed up against his in a delightful mix of firmness and softness in all the right places. With that frame of reference it was easy enough for Lukas to run the fingers of his other hand through Jacelyn’s hair, then over her ear and cheek, and finally tilt her chin his way so that he could give her a proper good night kiss. But as he pressed his lips to hers and inhaled her sweet breath once more, the kiss turned into something more – something much longer and more loving than a simple peck on the lips. Finally though Lukas broke away and pulled his head back a bit, so he could whisper in the dark to the beautiful woman he held in his arms. “Alright lass, it really is time for us both to get some rest. Sweet dreams.” And then the sellsword leaned his head back, closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep …

---

As Lukas kissed Jacelyn goodnight the entity slumbered happily nearby within the hammer; it had been intrigued and entertained by the man and woman as they bonded in their own strange way, which was quite the rarity for it at this point. And the smaller bits of itself that had permeated the woman’s odd jewelry also slept, now in the small blue pouch that was tucked under the man’s head in his trousers. But as the man passed over into the realm of dreams, he inadvertently brushed up against the entity …

---

Lukas knew he was dreaming, even though it didn’t feel like it at all; he had to be. He was speaking to Jacelyn, as the two of them leaned up against a strange iron wagon. But she didn’t look like herself for some reason, and he was also calling her by another name. They were talking about her shoes, which were covered with goat shit of all things. Lukas teased her a little, and the strange woman gave him that look, the one that on the surface said “You’re an idiot” but underneath seemed secretly amused and even pleased; that’s when he knew it really was Jacelyn he was speaking to. Then Mikael walked past them both, carrying a shovel and shaking his head in disgust …

---

Lukas’ eyes snapped open to stare into the inky blackness of the hayloft. His heart was pounding, his body was covered in sweat and he somehow just knew it was the Witching Hour. His hearing was keener than it’d ever been and his ears strained to make out any sound of danger in the darkness. But all he heard were the sounds of the wind sighing over the barn’s roof, some nearby tree branches scraping together and one of the horses shuffling a little in its stall; no one was smashing in the barn’s door to get at Jacelyn, and no one was shouting "Alarm!" and a call to arms either. Jacelyn’s warm body was still pressed against his and she seemed to be sleeping soundly, which was a great comfort to him just then. He tried to focus on her easy breathing and match his breath to hers, and finally his heart slowed and he was able to close his eyes and go back to sleep …

---Shameless Self-Promotion Department---

For anyone interested who might not already know, much more on the alternate reality Lukas was dreaming of can be found in the link below. This will take you to another collaboration by Shadow and myself right here on BMR, which explores erotic themes similar to those in this tale. Be warned however that it also contains far fewer horses, and more helicopters. But it does indeed contain a goat as well, so there’s that. 🐐 (<The official BMR goat emoji!)

Hearts of Darkness

Deep Voiced Announcer Guy: We now resume Slaves to Passion, already in progress …
 
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Jacelyn drifted off to sleep, completely content and satisfied. The weight of the collar and cuffs were still new to her after so many years without, but they weren't restrictive or binding, so neither proved to be a nuisance. Snuggled against Lukas, his deeply passionate kiss stirred her arousal so easily that she wouldn't have opposed another session, no matter how late the hour or how weary they were from travel. That weariness sent her into a deep slumber that not even his stirring could disturb. The heat of his body kept her warm, the hay and blankets provided enough cushion to be reasonably comfortable, and the loft itself was dry and cozy. She'd been on the road long enough to have experienced some of the worst weather for sleeping outdoors. It made her appreciate any sort of shelter all the more.

If she dreamed, she couldn't remember them. She woke sometime before dawn when the world was quiet and still. The birds had not yet begun to sing. The gentle buzz of insects had died away. The rain had slowed to a drizzle and then ceased altogether. Now there was only the splatter of droplets falling from the barn to the puddles below. Somewhere beneath them, she could hear one of the horses snuffling about in its stall.

Memories of the previous night came drifting back to her, causing her lips to curve into a soft smile. She'd moved very little during the night, not being the restless sort that moved about frequently while sleeping, so the larger bulk of the swordsman was still pressed firmly against her side. Inhaling his scent, she snuggled against him even more, hugging him tightly. There was such calmness and security in being with a strong man like Lukas. It wasn't the perceived security he provided. It was far more than safety. It was something... else. Something she couldn't quite put to thought or words. Perhaps, during the course of their relationship, she'd be able to define it in better terms, but until then, she'd have to be content to simply be in his arms.

Nuzzling at his shoulder, she placed a small kiss there and then leaned in closer to nibble at his neck. Her fingers curled into his chest hair, stroking lightly, caressing down the defined muscles to the tightness of his abdomen. Lightly, she teased his skin, never venturing past his waist, but always hinting that she might.
 
Lukas eventually blinked his eyes open and groggily looked at Jacelyn; he hadn’t slept all that well and was in no real hurry to crawl from beneath their warm blankets. His laziness was encouraged by the lovely way she was nibbling on his neck and teasing the skin of his chest and stomach, almost as if she was thinking about running her strong fingers lower on his waking body. So he happily reciprocated, by warmly kissing her good morning while his fingers began fondling the firm cheeks of her butt and lightly stroking one of her small, sensitive nipples. But while the kiss went on for quite some time, his fingers also didn’t stray elsewhere on her slender frame and he eventually grinned at her. “Alright lass as tempting as you are, we’d best be rising now. We’ve a lot to do today, and this way we’ll both have something to look forward to this evening as well …”

---

After getting cleaned up and dressed the pair headed back to the farmhouse for breakfast; as promised Jacelyn’s cuffs and collar were sitting back in their sack as the two walked across the muddy farmyard. Their morning meal was a hearty one but passed all too quickly; Martin and his children also had a busy day planned and soon enough Lukas was shaking hands to head off and ready the horses, so Jacelyn could take a bit longer parting with her friends. As the duo rode out of the farmstead they waved at Martin and his boys out in the fields, and were accompanied by Dog for part of the way – but then Dog spotted a squirrel and went bounding off into the undergrowth, leaving the two of them alone together on the road once again …

---

That day’s weather proved to be warmer and clearing, and Jacelyn and Lukas rode along in companionable silence for most of the morning; she scouted for signs while he watched the surrounding trees for trouble, and also snuck glances at her more than once. Of course his thoughts turned to the passion they’d shared the night before and the sweaty pleasures they’d taken from each other, but he also kept coming back to how it’d felt to wake with her next to him in the middle of the night and again first thing in the morning; those latter times hadn’t been the same in one sense, but they still warmed him in ways that he had to admit he was growing fond of …

---

Shortly after noon the two came round a bend in the road and saw an overturned cart with a young couple beside it up ahead. Riding a bit closer Lukas guessed the man and woman were probably from the South based on their dark, curly hair and olive skin. The man was a bit taller than average and appeared as well built as he was fair featured; while his clothes were well worn, the man’s cloak looked as if it once was rather grand – Lukas also noted the hilt of a sword poking against the cloth covering the man’s left side. The woman was a little shorter than average but also well built, and her long locks framed a very pretty face; her peasant blouse and skirt had also seen better days, and she was rocking a swaddled baby in her arms as they approached. The man took a step towards them and bowed rather theatrically.

“Good day to you my good Lord and fair Lady. I am Antonio and this is my wife Nicola;” the man’s accent was clearly that of a Southerner. “We were returning to the mines with some much needed supplies, when the axle of our wagon unfortuitously snapped. Damn the bad luck. Perhaps you new friends could aid us in repairing it?”

Lukas leaned over in his saddle and looked at the cart a little more closely. The nag pulling it was as worn out as the couple’s clothing and the supplies in the back seemed to consist of a used pick and shovel, and a small crate with the heraldry of some noble house branded onto it. More importantly Lukas could see that the cart’s axle was perfectly fine, and that one of its wheels had simply been removed so that it could be tilted on its side. As he sat up to look back at Antonio, Lukas caught a flash of yellow among the bushes on a low hillock off to their right. The sellsword replied to the man in a dry, matter of fact tone.

“Friend, if someone up there …” Lukas tilted his head to the right “… puts an arrow into my horse, I’m going to let him bite your face off.” Paulus helpfully flared his nostrils, snorted and stamped his heavy, iron shod front hooves at that point – he really was a well trained warhorse, completely in tune with his rider. “And then I’m going to climb down out of my saddle, and shove this hammer …” the big warrior lifted the hammer from his pommel and twirled it lightly in his hand “… up your ass.” After that, several things happened quite suddenly and almost at once …

Antonio jumped up into the air a little, shouted “A ha!” and reached beneath his cloak … just as Nicola threw her “baby” into the road – the child proved to be nothing more than a sack of rocks and a small dagger wrapped in a blanket. Then as Antonio began to draw a thin rapier, Nicola latched onto his sword arm hard with both hands and began speaking to Lukas very quickly. “Please good Sir, we are just humble peasants, desperate and hungry for food; please don’t hurt us. I may not have a baby now, but I am carrying one within me even as I speak …”

Antonio’s sword arm seemed to grow limp as he looked at Nicola in shock, though her death grip on his arm didn’t slacken in the least. “My love, what?” he asked. “You did not tell me …” Nicola glared at Antonio as she hissed back at him. “Yes I did, my love. Your drunken memory must be failing you in all this excitement …”

As Lukas watched the two, movement to the right caught his eye; looking up the hillock he quickly spied two men, one tall and thin, the other short and rotund, stand up. The taller man was wearing a ridiculously jaunty yellow felt hat on his head and both were carrying short bows with nocked arrows; but neither bow was drawn, and the arrows were pointed at the ground as the two men also started arguing with each other and gesturing downhill with their free hands.

Lukas looked at Jacelyn with an incredulous expression on his face. “I … words fail me right now lass.” He paused, then went on. “What do you want to do with these …” the sellsword clearly wanted to say ‘idiots,’ but instead changed it to “…people?”
 
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Traveling with Lukas proved to be pleasantly easy. He was personable without being overly talkative. He didn't seem distracted from his duty, no matter what they'd shared the previous night. That relieved her greatly, for she'd wondered if he'd be able to separate their two very different dynamics from one another. That he'd kept his promise to regulate her collar and jewelry to private times when they were safe allowed her to focus on her own task as they traveled. Normally, she'd be on her own, scouting ahead or behind for signs of danger, but that wasn't practical when there were only two of them to keep each other safe.

As soon as they spotted others on the road, Jacelyn was on high alert. Her keen gaze took in the same details as Lukas, and came to the very same conclusion. She already had an arrow nocked in her bow and drawn it when the sellsword began to speak, and she didn't take her eyes off those hidden in the bushes until they emerged with their weapons lowered. She didn't lower her own, however. It remained firmly aimed at the arguing pair upon the hillside. If they moved in a way that she didn't like, she'd put an arrow through their gut.

Though she didn't glance at the swordsman, she snorted at his question. "We should probably kill them and be done with it," she said evenly, loud enough for the four to hear. "I'd be afraid they'd sneak up to our camp at night and murder us or rob us blind while we slept. If we leave them alive, they'll just wait for the next hapless traveler to come along and ambush. I don't like leaving enemies at my back."

"So unless they can come up with a convincing reason that we shouldn't kill them...?" She trailed off, a slight upswing in her tone leaving the question open for response.
 
As Jacelyn replied to Lukas he could see Nicola’s eyes getting big as pie plates as she looked on in terror; based on the second woman’s expression it wouldn’t have surprised him in the least to see a small puddle begin to form beneath her skirt. Even before the ranger was done speaking Nicola started babbling “No, no, no, no …” before she looked pleadingly at the man she was clinging to. “Antonio, Antonio, do something …”

Antonio managed to disengage his arm from Nicola’s grasp then, after giving her shoulders a squeeze, he smoothly slipped between her and Jacelyn; the man’s hands stayed in view the whole time and were held up and out in the end so Lukas let it go, especially since he could see Nicola peering at them from behind Antonio, her hands now on his shoulders. Then Antonio smiled at them and began talking.

“Good Sir, fine Lady, it seems we have offended you. And I can certainly understand why …” he quickly added. “But we have not always been bandits. Once me and my companions were freedom fighters, resisting the tyranny of a greedy overlord in our homeland. But despite our best efforts the gods frowned upon us, and so we had to flee to …” Antonio shrugged and looked around himself before going on “… here.” Lukas regarded the man dubiously, but let him continue.

“And it seems the gods have also brought you to this forsaken place for some reason as well. It is easy to see that you are adventurers, traveling on some urgent mission no doubt. Perhaps me and my band could be of some assistance to you, since my sword arm is swift, my cousins’ aim is true and my beloved is a most cunning spy. Our services could be yours, if not today then some other time. For a reasonable fee of course.” Lukas’ expression hardened at the man’s last remark, but before the sellsword could say anything Antonio hurried on.

“But if that is not to be, then all I ask is one thing. Spare the girl, and allow my cousins to live so that they can care for her.” Lukas could see Antonio wince as Nicola’s mouth dropped open and her fingers clamped into his shoulders like little vises, but the Southern man went on talking nonetheless - as he looked directly at Jacelyn and spread his hands a little wider. “If anyone must die, then let it be just me; I am this group’s leader and so should pay the price.”

When Antonio had finished Lukas considered the scene in front of him for a moment before he spoke in a flat tone. “I find it tiresome to parley when I have to keep one eye off to the side. Call your men down from the hill.” Antonio immediately looked up and called out. “Slevyas, Fissif, come down here at once!” The two men on the hillside wasted no time in complying with Antonio’s order and began rushing downhill; half way along the fat one tripped, fell on his face and went sprawling, but was quickly helped up by his companion. Once they arrived at Antonio’s side both men nodded their heads at Jacelyn and Lukas politely and tugged at their forelocks.

Lukas went on. “Don’t go anywhere and don’t move. You’re not going to outrun my horse and definitely won’t outrun her bow.” He nodded towards Jacelyn, then looked at the two archers. “And if you point an arrow at us she’ll shoot you in the eye before you can loose it, and then if you’re still alive I’ll cut your balls off. Understand?” Slevyas and Fissif both nodded their heads several times.

Keeping one eye on the foursome in the trail, Lukas reined his horse back a bit so he could talk to Jacelyn privately. “He raises a point lass. We should be at the mines by nightfall; what do we expect to find there? You saw the signs; how many men do you think made off with Isolde and Balan? How many might we encounter and more importantly, how many do you think just the two of us can handle?” Lukas turned his head a little and spat before he went on. “I don’t trust this lot as far as I can throw ‘em, and who knows if they can really fight. But they might be useful as a distraction or fodder at the very least.” The sellsword shrugged. “But that’s mercenaries for you.” He thought for a moment and then went on. “Who knows, they might even have been to the mines already; they had to have gotten that cart and those tools from somewhere …”

Lukas straightened up a bit but still kept talking quietly. “But Isolde is Mathis’ daughter and you’re his agent, so it’s up to you lass; if you want to kill them we kill them. All I ask is you do the girl, unless she somehow finds it in her to snatch that dagger back up and come at me with it.” The big warrior smiled at Antonio and twirled the hammer in his hand lightly as he waited for Jacelyn’s decision …
 
With the foursome gathered all the same place, Jacelyn relaxed her arm and bow, though didn't remove her arrow. She was confident enough in her ability and skill that she could put an arrow through one of them before they could get a shot at them. That Lukas was just as confident in her ability was heartening. He'd seen very little of any of her skills, but already trusted that she could handle herself as well as she claimed. Turning her horse slightly toward him, she lowered her voice and spoke to him behind the cover of her cloak.

"I'd never really considered killing them unless they'd attacked," she confessed. "I was more interested in finding out their measure and what they find to be important. None of them are overly sly, and you are correct in that we couldn't immediately trust them, but I'm more inclined to take them along with us for strength in numbers. If the situation calls for it, we can leave them behind and sneak on ahead, but it would be better if we other options in case they're needed. I've funds enough to pay them, and we've food enough to feed them. The mines are close, so we wouldn't need them overly long."

She tossed them another glance, eyes narrowing slightly. "One of us would need to keep watch in the night, which means we'll have to be on guard for dangers from both within and without. However, they look as though they're starving -- at least all save the fat one, so food and coin might be enough to keep them behaved. Let us make camp with them for the night and see what they know."
 
Lukas nodded. “Alright lass. But it’s a little early to be making camp, so why don’t we see what they know now, before we seal any deal.” Then the sellsword turned back to the foursome and spoke to Antonio.

“Alright friend, we might be in need of your services. For honest work, though it probably will be dangerous. Payment would be food until we’re done, and a fair wage in coin once we’re finished. And until that time you’d be under my discipline. How’s that so far?”

The Southerner smiled and raised his hands a little as he smoothly replied. “More than fair good Sir. How may we be of assistance?” Off to the side Slevyas and Fissif were both nodding their heads, but Lukas could see Nicola starting to frown behind Antonio.

“Have you any knowledge of this area?” Lukas nodded up the road. “The old mines that’re said to be that way?”

Antonio’s smile broadened considerably and he wagged a finger at Lukas. “Ah hah, I should have known!” Then he turned to his two cousins. “Get the wagon fixed, quickly. We’ll be leaving soon.” As the two hurried off to do as they’d been told Lukas could see Nicola’s frown deepening as the Southerner resumed talking and the sellsword wondered exactly what was going on. But since no one was posing a threat just yet, Lukas decided to hear the man out.

“We found the old tools and wagon at one of the mines a few days ago; poor pickings, but the diggings all seem to have been abandoned years ago.” Antonio shrugged with his whole body. “But then we came upon a strange thing at another mine; two armed men with a cart and horse better than ours, setting up camp. They had supplies for many people, so when they went into the mine we liberated one of their crates and ate well that night.” Antonio glanced over to where his two cousins were working and his eyes fell on the bigger man, Fissif. “Some better than others.” Surprisingly enough though, by this point Fissif was lifting the cart by its side high enough for Slevyas to get the wheel back on its axle; evidently there was some muscle under the big man’s fat. Then the Southerner went on.

“The next day we thought to return for more supplies, but as we scouted the area we saw six more men arrive with three captives, all nobles. So …” Here Nicola interrupted rather abruptly. “It was seven more men, and one wore armor like yours …” she looked unhappily at Lukas “… and had a longsword. All the rest wore leather and carried shortswords. And only two of the captives were noble born, the third, a woman, was a servant.” Nicola looked at Antonio. “Their clothes ...” she explained with a sigh “… the man and one woman wore finery, but the third was dressed not much better than a commoner. She was their servant.” Antonio didn’t seem the least bit upset with being corrected, almost as if it wasn’t the first time something like that had happened. “As you say my love …” Then he resumed speaking to Lukas.

“Of course we thought to try to liberate those poor prisoners, but the odds against us were too great and so we decided to move on.” Antonio gestured about them at where his little band had ended up after that. “But I think those people are what you are looking for in these gods forsaken hills.” He tapped the side of his nose and grinned. “And that there must be a reward for their rescue as well.” At the mention of a reward Fissif and Slevyas looked over with interest as they finished their work, but Nicola just seemed more worried than ever. “So do we have a deal good Sir? It would be our pleasure to join with you in foiling the plans of these ne’re-do-wells. We could lead you to their camp, and be there before nightfall.”

Lukas considered Antonio and his companions with care as he thought some more. The sellsword still didn’t trust any of them, but everything the Southerner had volunteered so far fit in with what might have happened to Isolde and Balan, and also showed at least some familiarity with the area as well. And while he couldn’t count on any of them being worth much in a fight, they weren’t proving to be completely incompetent either. But in the end it wasn’t really his decision, so he looked back at Jacelyn, as did the four other people standing in the road …
 
Jacelyn listened with interest at their tale, though her expression didn't change during the telling. Her eyes did flick to the woman, however, when she corrected the man's assessment and described their quarry perfectly. Her fingers tightened a fraction about her bow, thinking of Isolde, only slightly relieved to hear that she was still alive. A lot could have happened between one day and the next, as she well knew.

As Lukas turned, the ranger focused on him and him alone, her thought indicated by the slight nod of her head. She ignored the other three, and instead focused on the obvious leader of the group. "If you help us to rescue them, you will be rewarded. I've been tasked to bring them back, the girl especially, and m'lord will pay any who've assisted me in that regard quite handsomely." Of course, she'd not specify an actual amount, nor tell them how much she had on her person, lest they think to simply rob her and escape with her money.

She pointed at Lukas. "Do what he tells you to do, without question, and you will be rewarded. Just keep in mind that you'll be risking your lives by going with us. Her safety is more important than yours, than ours, than any of us. I am not opposed to you protecting yourself from harm, but if you act the coward and run, you'll leave with nothing but your lives. If you think to betray us, you'll be denied even that. Do we have an accord?"
 
Antonio smiled warmly at Jacelyn. “We do my Lady; your terms are just as fair as those of your Captain.” As the Southerner bowed his two cousins nodded once again and then tugged at their forelocks, but Nicola just looked at Jacelyn with a deeply unhappy expression on her face. Then finally after a long, long pause the Southern woman blinked her big brown eyes once and nodded her head ever so slightly towards the ranger, sealing the deal. Lukas relaxed as he looped the hammer’s wrist strap back over his saddle’s pommel; “Alright then, let’s get going. I want to see this mine before it gets dark …”

---

Fissif and Slevyas led the way, guiding the foursome’s nag and cart down the trail that led back into the hills. At first Antonio tried to make conversation with Lukas and Jacelyn, but after being rebuffed he just joined his cousins at the front of their little column. Nicola on the other hand hopped nimbly into the back of the cart and just sat there slowly kicking her legs as she looked at the ranger and sellsword while the cart trundled along; now that any immediate danger had passed the Southern woman seemed far calmer, and Lukas found her dispassionate gaze to be more than a little disquieting. The big sellsword normally wasn’t a very chatty travelling companion, but in those circumstances he suddenly felt compelled to go out of his way to try to completely ignore Jacelyn riding beside him, instead of sneaking glances at her pretty face from time to time and occasionally saying something to her …

---

Eventually the cart pulled off the trail into a small clearing which Antonio explained was where they’d spent the previous night; he went on to add that the mine he’d referred to was only a short way up the trail and not that far cross country as well, easily within reach before the coming darkness. After a little thought Lukas decided that he, Antonio and Fissif would scout ahead on foot while Jacelyn looked after their horses, possessions and the other two; while not an ideal arrangement by any means, it was the best he could come up with on short notice and thought Jacelyn would be alright until he got back to let her know what they’d discovered …

---

The mine proved to be set within a rough semicircle that had been dug into a hillside ages ago, to get at tin that was closer to the surface. About a bow shot across on the open end the semicircle’s curved back side was enclosed by steep faces of granite about the height of a two story building; once the surface mining had hit all that hard rock the site had been abandoned, at least until other miner’s returned to try their luck underground as Martin had mentioned. Lukas could see the heavily timbered opening that led below the earth at the back of the site, but was more interested in what was scattered in front of it …

Off to the left three ramshackle huts still stood fairly close to the granite wall and the sellsword could see a small stack of crates piled in front of the hut in the best shape. Off to the right large mounds of spoil, each about the height of a man, filled most of the semicircle and he could just make out the ruts leading from the mine opening to this area, undoubtedly made by mining carts. Two men, each wearing studded leather and a sheathed shortsword, worked near the center of the open ground, midway between the huts and the spoil mounds; one was piling wood on a large, still unlit bonfire while the other tended to a pot hanging over a much smaller cooking fire. After peering at the scene for several minutes, a third man came out of the hut near the crate stack; he was wearing normal commoner’s clothes and seemed to be unarmed, at least at the moment. The third man walked over to the cooking fire and after talking with the two in leather for a few minutes, filled two wooden bowls with soup or stew and carried them into the mine opening …

A few minutes later the third man returned from within the mine, filled two more bowls and carried them back to his hut. Then, as the sun began to set, the two in leather had their dinner and started lighting the bonfire. Lukas turned to Antonio, who was lying beside him on a grassy hillock, and quietly asked him a few questions.

“So it looks like they may be down to just six men now. Any idea what happened to the other three, or their cart?” The Southerner shrugged as he replied. “Perhaps the others left in the cart to get more supplies? We did not linger long once the bigger group arrived.”

“Alright. How did you sneak in to get one of their crates?” Antonio’s face brightened in the growing gloom. “Ah, that I can answer. Fissif and I crept up a streambed that is off to the right, then used all those mounds of dirt to hide us as we got even closer; once the coast was clear we rushed to the hut and Fissif carried off the crate while I watched behind us. As we did that Nicola and Slevyas kept watch from the top of the little cliff off to the left; if the men had returned from within the mine while Fissif and I were still in the open, Slevyas was to start firing arrows down upon them.” Lukas considered that for a moment; it actually hadn’t been a bad plan, given what the Southerner had to work with …

“So there’s a way to get up to the top off on the left, above the huts?” Antonio nodded. “Oh yes, and it is not very difficult. Though getting down is another matter. We thought at first to approach the huts from that direction, but without a rope … well, it didn’t seem possible and there was also no way for us to get the crates back to the top either. But as a vantage point it worked quite nicely.”

“Alright, I’ve seen enough …”

---

Back at their little camp Lukas was pleased to see Jacelyn was just fine and that Slevyas had busied himself finding firewood, but also been smart enough not to light a fire just yet. After gathering the group about him the sellsword sketched out a plan of the mine site in the dirt and explained what they’d discovered to the three who hadn’t gone on the scout. Then he went on with some further thoughts.

“So given what we saw, it looks as if they might be down to only six men. That’s a manageable number, especially if they’re scattered about; two on watch, two in the mine with their captives and two more off duty. Of course their leader, the one in mail, may still be there but we didn’t see him. And there might also be more than six, and the others were just going to eat later.” Lukas shrugged. “Only way to tell for sure is to watch them some more, once it gets light again. But doing that’s going to use up time.” He paused for a moment and scratched at his beard as he looked at Jacelyn.

“On the other hand, I think we know enough to come up with a plan to strike now, or later on tonight. It seems like we have a few options actually, some more stealthy or direct than others, but all reasonable enough, gods willing.” Lukas looked at the ranger. “If you’d like to make those decisions, it’s certainly your right lass. But if you’d like me to, well … I think I can handle that. Though even in that case, I’d be more than happy to honor any preferences you have; Isolde is Mathis’ girl after all, and you are his agent …” As he finished up, five sets of eyes looked at Jacelyn to see what she wanted to do …
 
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Knowing that she and Lukas were out numbered made Jacelyn cautious, but not worried. Her money was well hidden and they'd have to kill her before taking it off her body. It it came to such circumstances, she'd die happy in the knowledge that she'd taken at least one of them down with her. So when she was left alone with the two, she went about her normal duties of breaking camp, but did so at a distance from their newly found hirelings, always keeping an wary eye on them both and her dagger loose at her belt. They cast wary glances at her, in turn, but neither of them bothered her. They broke camp with ease and practice that told her they'd done so countless times before, working in that manner of wordless communication that one eventually developed with trail partners. Everyone had a task and knew what needed to be done. It was quiet, efficient, and almost calming in a strange manner. She wondered if she and Lukas would come to know one another so well. They'd become intimate in a way that few ever would, but both had stories untold and unshared.

It wasn't until she sat down to gnaw at a strip of dried meat that one of the pair actually spoke to her. "Were you really going to just kill us on the road?"

Jacelyn chewed thoughtfully as she stared up at the other woman, unfazed by the hard gaze now directed at her. She swallowed. "Depends on how much trouble you were going to make. Not in the habit of killing innocent villagers, but you are no innocent villager. I protect myself when I need to."

Nicola's lips pressed together in a thin line. "I think you were bluffing. The two of you couldn't have taken all of us at once."

The ranger snorted. "Maybe not, but we'd get one or two before being struck down. If he'd not listened to reason, you'd be mourning over your man just the same. You might have been the only one left alive, in fact. Don't know how the swordsman feels about killing women. Probably something I should ask him, just in case."

Nicola huffed and returned to her duties while Jacelyn watched her, a slight smile pulling at her lips.

---

When Lukas returned, Jacelyn was relieved that no ill had befallen him, and that the two with him hadn't attempted to revolt while they had him alone. Standing to peer over his shoulder while he scratched in the dirt, she studied the layout he described, considering the possibilities. As they turned to seek her opinion, Jacelyn again focused only on Lukas - ignoring the stares of the others.

"Ranging is my profession. War and strategy are yours. You are far better qualified to decide our course of action, and you know what has been staked." Her head dipped slightly in acknowledgement. "If you wish to go tonight, I am not opposed. A brief rest would be helpful, however, both for us and to give the mine guards time to eat their fill and grow drowsy and content."
 
Lukas simply looked at Jacelyn and nodded, then turned to the other four gathered round and started talking. “At least one of the people we’re looking for is probably still here, most likely in the mine; otherwise why would these men still be camped around the entrance? Of course some may have been taken away when the cart left; the only way we’re going to know for sure is by looking in those huts and checking below ground.” The foursome all nodded at the sellsword’s obvious points and then waited while he thought for a moment.

“The people who took the girl we’re after and the others aren’t regular kidnappers. As far as we can tell they’re … cultists of some sort.” That got the attention of the people listening; as Nicola frowned yet again, the two cousins both looked at each other and Antonio asked a question. “What sort of cultists, if I may ask?” Lukas thought about lying, but decided telling them the truth was the best thing. “Death cultists.” Nicola’s frown deepened while the cousins both made the sign Southerners used to ward off the evil eye; Antonio just nodded at the reply and went back to listening as Lukas continued.

“Which makes it more important than ever we get to the captives as quickly and quietly as we can.” The sellsword gestured at the little sketch he’d scratched out in the dirt as he talked. “After we’ve eaten and rested, we’ll all go back up to where we looked at the camp; the horses should be fine on their own for a bit. Then, if everything looks the same, we’ll split up into two groups.” Lukas gestured at Fissif and Slevyas. “You two will go with Jacelyn to the top of the little cliff on the left, where you were before, then you’ll wait. Antonio, you’ll guide me and Nicola up that streambed and we’ll use the mounds of spoil to get as close as we can to the bonfire on the right without being detected. Will they be able to see us from up on the cliff as we sneak up?” The Southern man looked at his two cousins as he answered. “Yes, if Slevyas leads them to the same place he went last time. Fissif, we will go the way we went before as well, so look for us there;” the two cousins nodded their understanding of Antonio’s instructions, so the sellsword went on.

“We’ll take a moment down below, to make sure you’ve seen us and then me and Antonio will charge the two at the bonfire; Nicola I want you to follow us, watch our backs and do what you can to help when the fighting starts.” The Southern woman glared at Lukas and started to say something, but when Antonio gripped her arm lightly she held her tongue and just nodded in agreement; that was good enough for the sellsword, at least for now, so he turned his attention to the three archers as he continued. “When we break cover, I want you all to fire one good volley at the guards near the bonfire; hopefully you’ll put them down before we reach them, but if not don’t worry about it, we’ll finish them off. After that you turn your attention to the huts and mine entrance; anyone who comes out gets filled with arrows, especially if it looks like they’re going to run into the mine to raise the alarm.” Lukas waited to see if everyone had understood so far, then continued speaking to Antonio and Nicola.

“Once the men at the fire are taken care of, we’ll look into the huts one by one as fast as we can; hopefully we’ll take any other guards in there by surprise while they’re sleeping, and we also need to see if any of the people who were taken are still above ground for some reason.” The big warrior scratched at his beard then added a little more. “If we can quickly capture one of the guards for questioning, we’ll do that. But if not … we need to get down into that mine as soon as we can;” the Southern man and woman both nodded, so Lukas went on.

“Once the huts are clear, the three of us down below will head to the mine entrance and those of you up top will circle around to join us as soon as you can; what happens after that is going to depend on how things have gone so far. If the alarm hasn’t been raised then we’ll wait so that all six of us can enter the mine together. But if I think they’ve been alerted inside, then the three of us are going in straightaway and the archers will have to catch up with us when they can. Understood?” The foursome all nodded as Antonio answered for them. “We understand, and will do our part.” The sellsword just looked at the Southern man for a long moment and then finished up. “Go ahead and get a small cookfire going while we get some food organized, but make sure it’s concealed from the trail and mine; after we eat we’ll take some time to rest, check our weapons and let the guards get drowsy, then head out …”

---

While Slevyas and Fissif got the fire going, Lukas quietly spoke to Jacelyn off to the side.

“I’m not happy about splitting up again lass, but given the lay of the land I think you’ll see it makes the most sense.” The sellsword frowned a little before he went on. “You should be alright with those two, as long as they don’t have Antonio or Nicola to tell them what to do. That’s why I’m taking the girl with us; I’d thought to have her watch the horses, but then she could sneak away and do who knows what.” The big warrior shrugged as he gave the ranger a crooked little grin. “And maybe she’ll be able to use that dagger of hers to stab someone in the back. Someone besides me that is …”

Lukas stepped between Jacelyn and the fire, so that the other four couldn’t see him reach out to take her hand in his; his expression wasn’t exactly worried, but his face and voice did seem … concerned. “Just be careful, alright? And try to shoot straight, since only the gods know if either of those two can hit the broad side of a barn with those little bows of theirs.” The sellsword grinned at Jacelyn once more as he continued to hold her slender fingers in his. “Let me know when you’re all ready, and then I’ll go earn some of that coin you’ve paid me …”
 
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Jacelyn wanted to kiss him. She wanted him to throw her against the nearest tree and fuck her senseless. She wanted to fall to her knees and suck him dry. None of that was possible just the, however, so she had to content herself with the simple touch he offered. Her fingers squeezed his with firm pressure as she gazed up at him, nodding. She spoke quietly, her voice pitched fro him and him alone. "I'll be careful if you promise to be, as well. This is a dangerous mission, and there will always be risks, but watch yourself down there. I don't trust any of them. At the very least, I think they'll turn tail and run to save their own skins. So long as I have arrows to fling, you shall not have to worry about those that might stream out of the mine or outlying buildings."

"I shall see you in the mines," she assured him. Blue eyes glinted as they caught the firelight, rising to search his face and his pensive expression. She didn't think this would be the end of either of them, but there was always a chance the plan might turn sour. Always a chance.

---

The ranger took that memory with her as she climbed to the cliff's edge where she and the two archers had a clear view of the pit below. They dropped to a crouch once they neared the edge and knelt with bows at the ready. Jacelyn took a handful of arrows from the quiver at her back and stabbed them into the earth beside her so that she could grab and nock each one much faster. Resting her forearm on her knee, she leaned forward, eyes scanning the scene below. The firelight illuminated their prey quite nicely, though there would always be one or two outside of the warmth that would be sleeping or pissing. Perhaps even both at the same time. She wasn't yet focused on their prey, however. Her keen eye scanned the darkness until she saw the slight movement that told her where Lukas and the others were hiding. Plucking her first arrow from her quiver, she strung it in her bow as she glanced to the other archers. Catching the movement, they nodded their understanding and followed her lead. She silently drew her arrow and waited a heartbeat before giving the signal.

"Now."

Chaos erupted as arrows rained down upon the unwary soldiers. The first three died instantly. The rest of their shots were hit or miss as the others began to scramble. Jacelyn let the two men continue their quick volley as she chose her targets carefully and loosed arrow upon arrow. Each shaft took a life or maimed a limb. Men fell gurgling with arrows suddenly springing from their throats or screaming, impaled by multiple rounds. The attack drew others out into the open. The first few that rushed forth were cut down almost immediately. The others learned not to step into the light, crouching or waiting for the hidden archers to run out of arrows and the barrage to end.
 
After a light meal and a short rest Lukas checked his arms and armor before they set out. As he went through that comfortable routine his mind turned to thinking about the next time he and Jacelyn might be alone together; looking ahead like that once all the planning and decisions were done was also part of his routine, something to help keep his mind from fretting over things he had no control over. He’d seen the emotion in her eyes and heard it in her voice as he held her warm hand, and the notion of getting even closer to her once all this was done made him smile; they were both going to come out of this alright, if for no other reason than so they could … continue whatever it was that was growing between them …

---

Nothing seemed to have changed during their final scout of the mine, so after Jacelyn and the cousins headed for the little cliff Lukas had Antonio lead the rest of them to the streambed; as they crept along the sellsword stayed to the rear, so he could keep Nicola and her dagger in front of him. The going wasn’t too bad even if the soil was damp and the low ground had a distinct chill to it, and soon they were stalking forward towards the bonfire light behind the mounds of spoil; they had to move slowly to avoid making noise and as they got closer Lukas could just make out two of the guards idly talking as they kept watch. Eventually though they reached the edge of the last pile of dirt and Antonio turned to whisper back to the sellsword as he slowly unsheathed his rapier; “This is as far as we can go before they see us.” Lukas just nodded, glanced up into the darkness for a moment looking for the archers in the gloom atop the cliff, and then replied to the Southerners as he stepped into the open; “Follow me.”

---

As the sellsword charged he saw that fortune hadn’t been with them, at least at first; it looked as if three more men had been walking from the huts to the fire just as he’d stepped into the open. But the two at the bonfire and one of the relief guards went down in the archers’ opening volley, so Lukas just turned slightly and kept running towards the buildings; the guards lying on the ground near the bonfire weren’t moving and the sellsword silently hoped Nicola would check them and do the necessary to make sure they weren’t a threat to him and Antonio. One of the other relief guards took an arrow to the throat as he turned towards the cliffs in surprise and also died silently, but the last one was only hit in the leg and started screaming as he collapsed to the ground; that brought four more guards out of the huts and into the open, but the first two of those were also quickly cut down, one with a long shaft buried between his shoulder blades and the other writhing in the dirt with an arrow in his ass and another skewering his upper arm. The sellsword also ignored the guards who’d been hit in the second volley and sprinted towards the other two men he’d seen, who were now skulking in the shadows and cover of the buildings …

The man Lukas charged saw him coming and even though he looked frightened, raised a short sword to defend himself; a quick feint by the sellsword’s long knife was parried, then Lukas twirled away from the guard’s riposte easily enough and hit him in the head with his new hammer. The blow was slightly off which irked the sellsword, and instead of crushing the man’s skull shattered his jaw instead; the guard fell to his knees choking on his own blood, bones and teeth and Lukas left him to die as he turned towards the second man. The big warrior was pleased to see Antonio had followed him just as planned and engaged the other guard, but he also smirked a little when he saw the Southerner was fighting defensively, just as any smart mercenary would, weaving a barrier of steel in front of him with his flashing rapier. Lukas twirled the hammer in his hand and buried the pick into the distracted guard’s temple, ending him instantly; as the sellsword yanked his weapon free, part of the dead man’s skull came with it and more blood jetted onto the ground as a queasy look came over Antonio’s face …

A quick look into the three huts revealed they were now empty, but their renewed luck continued to hold when the sellsword spied a coil of rope sitting atop an unopened crate; snatching that up he looked about for a suitable weight and saw an old, rusted pickaxe head lying in a corner. After tying one end of the rope to the axe head Lukas darted behind the buildings and after a short running start, hurled the hunk of metal towards the top of the small cliff; his first throw fell short but the next one snagged on some bushes just below the top, and he trusted Jacelyn and the archers would know what to do with it. That done he turned to Antonio just as Nicola came rushing up; the sellsword’s eyes quickly took in the dagger in the Southern woman’s small hand, which was now dripping blood. “So far so good I think; the others should get down quickly enough with the rope so we’ll wait for them at the mine entrance. Let’s go.” The two Southerner’s exchanged a look with each other, then the man turned and ran after the sellsword; Nicola shook her head and grimaced, but after a quick glance up the rope she followed the two men …

---

The entity consumed the souls of the men the hammer had ended; it was quite pleased with the taste of the first one, since he’d died slowly and in pain, but the second had passed far too quickly to be anything special. Then, as it drifted along with the hammer on the way towards the mine entrance, it considered the performance of the man holding it so far. The entity decided to give him a 9.2 for technical merit, but only an 8.0 for artistry; his wielding of the hammer had been quite efficient though not perfect, and while pretty to look at there’d been something … missing as well. Perhaps if the man had said something witty just before he’d struck his first blow, like “It’s hammer time,” he would have gotten a higher score. That reminded the entity of a place it had visited elsewhere in the multiverse, where the creatures watched moving picture shows, and it sent out tendrils of itself to find some of those to show the man in his dreams; if they were going to be working together for a time, the least the man could do was keep the entity entertained …

---

The first moving picture show the entity found. This was the one it had been thinking of and it rather enjoyed it; it sang along until the song reached the words it had recalled, and it also really liked the singer’s pants. But ultimately it decided that showing this to the man in a dream would only confuse him, so it kept looking …

The second moving picture show the entity found. It liked this one much better, even if the song’s title was rather confusing – wasn’t it about emigrating from a land of ice and snow, where the midnight sun and the hot springs glow? Ah well, the man would probably still appreciate it, even if no one was wearing really nice pants …
 
Jacelyn covered the fighters as best she could in the darkness. She and the others continued to provide deadly arrow fire whenever needed, dispatching one or two that looked to be rising to cause additional trouble. Soon, however, it was apparent that they'd seen to the last of the guards that had boiled out of the mines and huts, and all of them were either dead or dying. She stayed low, keeping watch and scanned their surroundings for any other surprises. There was no movement from the forest, nor the perimeter of the quarry. A glance to the others told her that they were also watching for additional danger. Six eyes were always better than two.

When Lukas approached the cliffside with his rope, she stood well back from the edge until his makeshift grapple caught hold. Untangling it from the bushes, she dragged it back to one of the sturdiest trees nearest the edge and looped it about, tying it securely. A tug told her it would hold not only her weight, but that of the other two archers, as well -- even the chubby one. Looping her bow across her chest, she gripped the rope at the edge and stepped off, easing her way down the cliff, using the rocks as footholds so that she could bounce herself from one shelf to the next. She arrived at the bottom in a shower of small pebbles, but there was no longer anyone in the area to hear their descent. She moved a short distance away and restrung her bow, crouching in wait while the other two slid down to join her.

As a trio, they skittered across the battlefield, heading for the mines, slowing only once they approached the others. Jacelyn tossed them all a glance, but her attention lingered longest on Lukas. "Everyone unharmed?" she asked quietly.
 
Lukas looked back as Jacelyn and the cousins arrived and he replied to the ranger just as quietly; “We’re fine.” Then he looked around at his little group. “I don’t think they’ve been alerted within, but it’s hard to say. Be ready for anything. Let’s go …”

A wide service tunnel awaited them just inside the mine. It was poorly lit by a few flickering torches but at the end where it turned abruptly, bright light was pouring around the corner. The sellsword moved forward quickly to peer at what might lay ahead … and for a moment gazed at a scene straight from Mother Helena’s forbidden book of horrors.

The service tunnel opened onto a small wooden platform set about a man’s height above an expansive cavern illuminated by many burning braziers. All the lights cast weird, moving shadows on the walls as they burned, and also seemed to have warmed the space appreciably; the place also reeked of incense. Lukas could see an assortment of rotten old mining paraphernalia piled against the cavern’s walls, but there was a small, sturdy wooden table standing at the space’s center – it was atop and around that table where the horror lay.

A naked woman had been bound to the tabletop on her back; her arms and legs had been lashed to the table’s legs and her head lolled back over one edge. She seemed to be unconscious and much of her pale skin was covered in some sort of dark paint or dye. One equally nude man stood between the woman’s open legs and another was close to her upturned face; they were both using the woman’s body for pleasure as she lay there helpless. A third man stood at the table’s side; he was wearing a robe of some sort and droning on in the old Imperial tongue as he held a small dagger aloft. As the two nude men continued to plunge into the woman, the robed man quickly lowered his blade and opened a shallow cut in one of her breasts; fresh blood flowed from the new wound, to join the all the dried that covered her torso. Lukas’ jaw clenched as he looked back at Antonio and again simply said “Follow me.”

The big warrior entered the cavern and instead of rushing down the rickety wooden steps, leapt from the platform to the cavern floor; as he did he sensed the Southern man moving behind him and more sensibly using the stairs. Lukas landed nimbly enough but as he looked up he saw the two nude men had already snatched up short swords; though their eyes still seemed glazed with pleasure one of the two was now rushing him while the other charged up the stairs to confront Antonio. The sellsword parried his attacker’s first thrust with his long knife, then replied with a riposte that was actually a feint; as the man dodged that attack, Lukas hit him squarely between the legs with his hammer …

“Ouch, that had to hurt!” thought the entity gleefully. Then it squealed almost as loudly as the gelded man had when the big warrior spun and smashed the rapist’s skull open like an egg, sending blood, bones and brains flying. “Now that’s what I want to see! Hammer time!”

Lukas glanced away from the dead man at his feet and saw Antonio trying to fight his way down the steps; the Southerner wasn’t playing around anymore, but his opponent was good and holding his own. So the sellsword turned back towards the table … and saw the robed man raising his dagger above the woman’s heart. As Lukas gripped his weapons and charged, he knew he wasn’t going to make it in time …
 
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In the end, Lukas hadn't needed to bother with reaching the man. The scene was disturbing, but Jacelyn had prepared herself before ever entering the mine. She knew what they might find -- what men did to the women they captured. She'd never seen a woman butchered for a sick, sadistic ritual, but she'd seen plenty cut simply for fun. Her bow had taken aim the moment the archers entered the cavern, pausing on the platform that gave them a height advantage.

The dark priest raised his dagger threateningly and an eyeblink later had an arrow piercing his wrist. His fingers lost all feeling and use, no longer able to keep hold of the weapon. It clattered against the ground as he staggered backward, clutching his wounded arm. Seeing Lukas rushing to greet him, Jacelyn yelled at her swordsman.

"Alive! Keep him alive!"

The other two archers held their positions, searching for a target. Antonio danced backward out of reach of his naked adversary, and one of the archers pierced the man's lung with a well placed shot through his ribs. The man fell, gasping, and died moments later as Antonio removed his head.

Jacelyn took the stairs two at a time, rushing down to check on the woman, heart slightly clenched as she neared, fearing she'd find Isolde. But the unconscious girl was not fair-haired. Her hair was dark, darker than Jacelyn's, and her skin had a slightly caramel hue. She sighed gently, checking the girl's pulse. It still beat strongly, so she'd not been grievously injured, just badly used. Her attention shot back to Lukas and the robed man that had lunged for his dagger, holding it in his off hand. His eyes were glassy and wild, darting over the invaders, a hateful sneer pulling at his upper lip.
 
Lukas didn’t have to wonder who’d put an arrow neatly through the robed man’s wrist and also caught Jacelyn’s voice yelling out to him, so he pulled up short between the dark priest and his victim, and lowered his weapons slightly. But as he started talking to the man, perhaps the strangest thing of all happened in the cavern that evening …

“Alright priest, if you yield then …” The priest’s voice was as crazed as his eyes as he cut the sellsword off and brandished his dagger. “You will all die!” – and then the man slashed his own throat open from ear to ear …

Lukas had seen his fair share of strange things, and that included one of the fabled Hashisha killers from the east. That man had been crazed enough to throw his own life away too but had killed two of the sellsword’s companions, both experienced warriors, with just a dagger while trying to end the man they’d been protecting; it’d only been sheer luck that they’d all been with the vizhier that day, and it still was a close run thing. But this man, this priest, had ended himself just to keep from being taken and questioned; even Lukas had to wonder what exactly would make a man do that, until he thought about the tome Mother Helena had consulted when they visited her …

Antonio and the cousins seemed shocked by the scene on the cavern’s floor and it was Nicola who came rushing up to stand beside Jacelyn and the bound girl. It seemed as if the Southern woman was about to ask the ranger something, but then she turned to her men with an angry expression on her face. “Don’t just stand there like oafs. Find me water and clean rags. Blankets. Go. Now!” As Nicola cut at the bindings to free the girl, she barked at Lukas in the same tone. “Come here and help me get her down. Do you have any medicine?”

---

Some time later the kidnapped girl had been cleaned up as best as possible and was lying wrapped in blankets staring glassy eyed at the cavern’s ceiling. Antonio and his cousins were off looking for anyone who might still be alive, and anything else that might tell them who the kidnappers were – papers or marks of any kind. Lukas had told the three that any valuables they found were theirs to keep on top of the silver they’d been promised, and that made the sellsword fairly certain the search would be thorough and the men would come back content enough to be trusted through the night and perhaps beyond. As the big warrior went to talk to Jacelyn, Nicola came up to speak to them both; she looked tired and was wiping blood from her hands. “I think she will live. The cuts were not deep and none needs to be sown, I think.” She looked at Jacelyn with some concern in her eyes. “But contagion … some of her wounds have become dirty. I have cleaned them as best I can, used all the medicine and bandaged her, but …” Then Nicola’s frown deepened. “And her mind … it is … I think she went away inside herself, when they were …” The Southern woman waved her hands in disgust. “I have tried talking to her, telling her she is safe, but …” Nicola hesitated for a second, then reached out to squeeze Jacelyn’s forearm for a moment. “I am sorry.”

The sellsword let Jacelyn speak with Nicola for as long as she liked, then addressed the Southern woman as well. “Thank you lass. You did well tonight, you all did.” Then he explained the terms of the ‘bonus’ he’d offered her men; Nicola nodded, but didn’t seem particularly enthused about the sudden windfall, at least just then. Then Lukas nodded at the girl they’d rescued and went on. “We’ll look after her for now. Why don’t you find Antonio and help him look for any supplies that are here; they’re also all yours and if anyone wants a proper hot meal after all this that’s fine as well. Besides caring for the girl, we’re going to have to keep watch until morning in case anyone else is lurking about.” The sellsword thought for moment before he continued. “We could probably carry her outside, but it’s warm in here and easier to defend.” Though they would be trapped – but Lukas doubted they’d be able to outrun anyone unless they left the injured girl behind and knew Jacelyn would have none of that, which meant he and the rest wouldn’t either. And they also had to get their horses and the Southerners' cart, but the sellsword decided to sort that detail out after he’d spoken to the ranger alone.

Once Nicola had left, Lukas turned to Jacelyn. “So lass, is the girl … it that Isolde?”
 
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"Nae," Jacelyn reported with a pang of guilty relief. "'Tis not Isolde. 'Tis her maid, Emelin." She threw another long stare where the girl sat, unmoving and unseeing, like a soulless doll that had been propped up for display. "She's but a lass, no more than ten and six, as I understand it. I don't know if she's strong enough to withstand what's happened to her. We need to leave her in the care of the healers as soon as we are able. Travel will do her little good and slow us down."

While the ranger had compassion enough for the sick and injured, she wasn't the mothering or healing sort. She'd helped Nicola when needed, but was far more comfortable letting the other woman take the lead in washing and bandaging the wounded girl. The scene was horrible for those not accustomed to it, but Jacelyn had seen worse. She was empathetic, but didn't have the time or energy for true sympathy just then. Until Isolde was safe or avenged, she couldn't allow herself to become so distracted.

Crouching near the body of the priest's corpse, she bent to examine his body and clothing. His robes were covered in strange runes that seemed to swim in the flickering torchlight. Jacelyn plucked the blood-soaked necklace from the man's chest, spitting on the surface to clean it with her thumb. Snorting, she rose and offered it to Lukas.

"I'd like to know the purpose of his ritual. Were they summoning some deity? A demon? A pity he ended his life before I could pay him the courtesy." She nudged his body with one toe before turning away, eyes flitting over the chamber. They returned to Lukas a heartbeat later, a hardened quality making them unreadable in that moment.
 
Lukas simply nodded when Jacelyn told him the girl wasn’t Isolde; despite feeling some relief it didn’t change the horrors that had been visited on Emelin – or what might be happening to Isolde even as they spoke. “If the gods are still with us, we’ll find something that helps answer your questions lass. And also tells us where to look next. But for right now, why don’t you keep an eye on her while I go get our horses and see how Antonio and the others are doing …”

---

Sometime later the sellsword returned to the cavern carrying a wooden crate lid with two bowls of warm stew on it; after setting the food down he pulled some wooden spoons, a half loaf of bread and a bottle of wine from a sack slung over his shoulder and then joined the ranger near where Emelin lay. “It seems Fissif is something of a cook; no surprise there, but he found some spices and the stew is good, even if the bread is hard as a rock.” After eating some Lukas went on talking to Jacelyn.

“So it seems we were a little too efficient, and there’s no one left to question. And while they did come up with quite a pile of loot, the Southeners only found a few things that might be of help to us.” The sellsword turned over the crate lid he’d used to carry the food and showed the ranger its top; a heraldic design had been branded into the wood and showed a stylized stag’s head on a shield, accompanied by a small, five pointed star that had been placed between the stag’s antlers. “This was on several of the supply crates. It doesn’t mean anything to me or the others, and might not mean anything at all.” Lukas put the lid down, scratched at his beard and then had a little more stew. “But this lot seemed organized and well backed. Maybe they got careless, got their supplies directly from their backer.” The big warrior shrugged. “It’s not much, but if you recognize the design it might be a place for us to look next.”

Lukas had a swig of the wine then continued. “As for what these maniacs were up to …” He glanced over at the makeshift altar then back at Jacelyn. “They found a coffin behind one of the shacks. It’s old and rotted, but also looks like it’d been unearthed recently; there’s still fresh dirt in the seams. It’s empty, except for some tattered cloth that might be what’s left of a burial shroud.” The sellsword shrugged again. “I’m not sure exactly, but given what Mother Helena told us … well, I don’t think they were trying to get the tin flowing again down here.”

As he finished his dinner the sellsword turned to another topic. “So about the girl, Emelin. I think we might be able to take care of her as well as some other things all at once. Antonio and his band have a cart full of valuables they want to sell now, swords, armor and the like. But finding someone to take all that off their hands could be tricky, and lead to all sorts of difficult questions. Maybe we could pay them off for their help tonight, but also ask them to take Emelin with them back to Mathis. If she gets there alive they’d be paid more coin, and also find a ready buyer for all their loot. They found some blank parchment and ink, so you could write up a note to Mathis explaining things, and also let him know where we stand on finding Isolde.” Lukas looked at the glassy eyed maid then back at Jacelyn. “Nicola seems to have taken to the girl, and the rest seem appreciative of being able to do some honest work for a change. And I expect the prospect of even more silver for a fairly easy job should keep them all on the straight and narrow for the time being.” The big warrior paused for a moment. “But it’s just an idea, so if you’re thinking something different …”

After shifting around a little Lukas finished up. “In any event we’re not going anywhere tonight and can decide what to do in the morning. I’ve arranged things so that the men will stand watch out by the bonfire two at a time; me and one of the cousins, or Antonio and the other one. Nicola will spell you in here caring for Emelin, and I’ve set things up so that either you or I’ll always be awake. It’s not ideal, but I think we should be fine.” And with that the sellsword stopped talking, had some more wine and waited to see what Jacelyn wanted to do next …
 
Jacelyn accepted the hot meal with a nod of thanks, not about to turn down food when it was uncertain when they might have such again. Such was the way of ranging or soldiering, marching over the countryside or exploring the wilds. She'd gone days without eating naught but trail bread and water, and sometimes had not even that to quell the ache in her stomach. While he talked, she ate, listening thoughtfully as he laid out his plans. Her eyes strayed to the bit of wood with the heraldic emblazoned upon the top, and she rapped it with her finger.

"I do recognize the crest. It belongs to the House of Aldrich, a noble family to the north and east, that are well known for their forges and weaponry. Many of the merchant clans deal with them to arm their guards, though sometimes contract for more than that. Lord Aldrich is said to have his fingers in many a gooseberry pie and has sway over the lesser nobility in his area. These could very well be stolen, but not necessarily. It would not surprise me to learn that Aldrich was backing more nefarious activities."

Finished with her stew, she set the bowl aside and threw a glance at Emelin, who was curled up about herself and sleeping beneath a borrowed cloak. The ranger's jaw tensed briefly. "We certainly can't take her with us, not where we are going, and into more danger. She wouldn't survive it. We'd have to abandon her at the nearest healer or monastery where they could care for her and send word to Mathis. Packing her up with the Southerners is a solid notion, if they are amiable. Mathis would reward them, as you've speculated, and it would free us to continue searching for Isolde without being hampered by anyone." She was including their companions in that phrase, for it was obvious that she and Lukas could travel faster without a cart following along.

"Composing a message would be up to you, however. I read very little and write even less. I usually depend upon a priest or sister to craft my messages for me." She said the last without any hint of self pity. It was simply a natural state for her and a part of life. Who had time to teach a slave letters? What slave had the time to learn? She knew the runes of the Northmen, but very few this far south could interpret them.
 
Lukas listened to Jacelyn carefully and then nodded when she’d finished giving him her thoughts. “Alright lass, I’ll have a word with Antonio about all this, but I don’t think it’ll be a hard sell. The difficult part should be over for them and they have to take their cart somewhere; giving them a reason to take it to Mathis along with Emelin and message from us is a good deal for them.” The big warrior scratched at his beard as he went on. “And it frees us up to continue the search for Isolde. I learned my letters at the monastery and polished them up a bit when I was in the East, so I’ll go ahead and write something up for you to put your mark on in the morning.” The sellsword moved his bowl aside and then edged himself closer to the ranger so that he could take one of her hands in his.

“I know you were hoping we’d find Isolde this evening. So was I. But considering what happened to that poor girl in this cavern …” Lukas glanced over at the comatose maid “… perhaps it’s for the best that Isolde was elsewhere tonight. We’ll find her Jace.” The big man squeezed the ranger’s fingers lightly. “But to do that we need some rest. So I’ll send Nicola down here to spell you, so you can try to get some. We can talk about this Lord Aldrich more while we ride, though it is encouraging he deals with the merchant clans; perhaps that’ll make it easier for us to approach him about how crates bearing his heraldry ended up here. ” After sitting quietly with Jacelyn for a time the sellsword then rose and made his way back to the surface …

---

The negotiations with the Southerners went quickly and easily; Lukas’ plan really was a good deal for them and they knew it. But it didn’t hurt that the sellsword praised them all for their performance that evening and let them know they’d be paid for it in the morning even if they said “no” to his new offer of work; unsurprisingly it was Nicola who answered for the Southerners as she glared at Antonio and his cousins, daring them to disagree. “Of course we will take the poor girl to your Lord Mathis. And if you can arrange for us to sell him what was captured from these bastards, so much the better.” The three other men simply nodded and that was that, so the big warrior sent Nicola down to relieve Jacelyn, told Antonio and Slevyas to get some sleep, and then turned to on composing the note to Mathis, as he and Fissif tended the bonfire for three long, chill candlemarks …
 
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