The Fairest in the Land

[HotTexasCowboy]

Queen Hyperia rolled onto her back, her long black hair a bit mussed from a good night's sleep, and stretched her arms over her head, her lithe form arching like a cat. It is good to be the queen, she thought, smiling as she sat up and reached for a bright scarlet robe and spread it around her shoulders, brushing her hair back to fall well down her back. And she was an effective ruler, after all. Her kingdom had expanded by three times what it was when she took the throne. Bit by bit she'd absorbed neighboring lands; a few by force, a few by threat, others by clever diplomacy, and afew by mysterious magic. Her kingdom thrived; its economy vibrant and her people mostly satisfied. Their queen was honored and respected, if not necessarily adored. There were always those "rumors" of her "curious personal tastes". As long as Hyperia could enjoy her pleasures, that was enough for her.

She rose, pulling the robe closed with a sash at her waist, and approached her mirror for her morning affirmation. "Mirror, Mirror," she greeted the enchanted glass, delighting in her own image before it shimmered into an expressionsless face -- eyes and mouth was about all. "Who is the most beautiful in all the Kingdom?" she asked, certain of the answer. By all accounts, she was the most sultry and desired woman known for hundreds of leagues. The edges of her robe hugged the firm inner slopes of her perfect breasts, the sash cinched her trim waist before the fabric flared to her hourglass hips, and below the hem her smooth, satin legs. In face and figure, not to mention in devilish attitude, there had never been a match.

Which made the mirror's reply such a shock. "Your beauty is undimmed, my Queen. But today, in the enchanted forest of Mulascelon, comes of age a maiden of such pure and bontiful beauty, she fades any beside her like the sun oushines the stars."

The Queen's smile shifted to a sudden, ominous scowl. She had known little in her life of which to be jealous, but now that anger took possession of her. "One of such loveliness," she said with a sneer, "I must possess. Tell me all about her."

The magic mirror was a fount of information. The Queen leanred of the fair girl, raised in the forest many regarded ad dnagerously impenetrable, under the protection of a small band of miners, serving as their housekeeper.

Hearing enough, Hyberia whirled away and stalked to her bedchamber door. She flung it open, startling the guard and pages on duty outside. "Summon my maid, have my breakfast brought here, and bring me the Huntsman, Erik Longbow!" she said briskly, closing the door almost as she finished.

An hour later, Hyberia's hair was brushed smooth as a gentle cascade, and she wore a fine blue dress of satin trimmed with white ruffles. She sat by her window in an elegantly carved chair as she received the Huntsman. With a practiced eye, she looked him up and down. His body, at a full six feet, was lean and muscular, especially his bare arms, exposed by the black leather vest he wore. He walked with the light touch that could instantly twist and leap to face or avoid danger. Everything about him, especially the deep blue eyes that seemed to absorb and memorize his surroundings and understand anything and anyone he saw indicated a man used to dealing with challenges on his own terms.

He would make a formidalbe opponent, Hyperia judged, and an intriguing partner. "Know you the Mulascelon Forest, Huntsman?" she started brusquely. "And do you fear it?"

Erik cocked his head and smiled with a trace of bemusement. "I have hunted and feasted in Mulascelon," he answered matter-of-factly, not seeming to brag. "It teems with elk and wild boar, birds of all sorts, hare, possum... There are also wolves, bears, mountain lions, and other predators that roam and hunt. A wise hunter is aware of the dangers and deals with them."

Hyberia was sure he spoke of experience, not boast. "At the junction of two creeks that forms the Cistain River is a lodge. Living in the lodge is a group of miners and their housekeeper, a maiden. I wish that maiden captured and brought to me unharmed. Can you accomplish this?"

Erik did not hesitate. "I can. But for what reward?"

The Queen answered him with a suggestive smile. "What reward would you seek, Huntsman?"

Erik's smile also turned sexy. "The reward of serving the Queen's pleasure," he answered, confidently.

Hyberia nodded in agreement, her eyes dancing. "None has ever been displease in such service. Nor shall you be. Bring me my treasure."

 

[Forbidden]

Larka woke from her sleep and stretched in her bed only a moment before rising from the soft, feather mattress. Her 'boys' would soon be leaving for work and it was her duty to provide them with food to sustain them through a long day of mining in the heart of Choquoi Mountain which was located in the depths of the Mulascelon. Both the woods and mine brought their own share of problems, for which the men would need full bellies to handle.

Quick steps carried her lithe figure to the kitchen causing the yellow linen of her skirt to sweep across the tops of her toes softly. Long legs that were hidden by that skirt made it easy to maneuver quickly about the small rooms of this home. The men who dwelled here were able to make their living from the mine due to their naturally small stature. Those who were less kind may refer to them as dwarves, when really they were just smaller men. These men had found her as a toddler, wandering the woods and singing to the animals. Her voice was sweet as the meadow lark's which was part of her name, while Larka was also a name for white, a color that perfectly fit her porcelain skin. Long black tresses, thick dark eyelashes, and ruby red lips contributed to the stunning canvas of her skin while her hazel-green eyes added a splash of a different color.

"Don! Harold! Stephen! Derrick! Garret! Barret! Sven! Your breakfast is ready and your lunches are being packed. Time to go!" Her voice was cheerful as always as she called down the names of the men. They were like brothers to her, her protectors. She wouldn't know that they hungered for her, for she didn't know of her beauty. She didn't know that her heart shaped face, and hourglass figure captured their every waking thought. Their feet tromped down the stairs as each placed a good morning kiss upon her cheek.

"We will work very late tonight. We'd appreciate dinner but you don't need to stay up dear Larka. And as always, be careful how far you wander." Garret spoke to her, his turn today to inform her of their whereabouts and give their usual warning. She gave her usual mysterious smile and headed a lunch pail to each of them as they plodded through the door to do their day's work.

Left alone Larka set to tidying up the house. After cleaning each of the men's rooms, each of them their own disaster, she barely had time for a quick change of clothes before heading back to the kitchen to prepare their dinner. Since they were going to be working so long today she decided to go out into the forrest and gather some of their favorite berries to make a dessert for them. Her pet fawn clumsily followed along behind her, and soon her singing had attracted many of her usual wildlife companions. Birds, deer, skunks, wolves, foxes, you name the animal and it was probably gathered somewhere within hearing distance of her. Finding the usual berry bushes had been picked clean by the birds she decided to go to the ones across a large clearing. Usually the men would escort her across this clearing and to any of the woods beyond it. Today she figured she could handle herself, visibility was good and she would be fine. Finding a large berry bush she sat down beneath it, pulling the berries off contentedly and piling them in the basket beside her. Of course she was sneaking some and soon found herself wanting a break. With the sun sweet taste of berries on her lips she fell asleep in the afternoon sun.

 

[HotTexasCowboy]

Erik Longbow had ridden to an inn at the edge of the Mulascelon, storing his mount there and resting a night in the company of a willing barmaid. "Mmm," she had cooed exhaustedly in his arms after their romp. "'Longbow' is not named just for your quiver, is it my love?" He chuckled, having heard this remark often enough, before lapsing into a soothing sleep, with dreams of the arms of the Queen giving him equal, if not superior pleasures. In the morning, fully refreshed, he set out on foot into the forest.

Half a day's hike brought him to one of the two creeks he knew would lead him toward his target. His bow was slung across his shoulder to slide into position in a practiced instant, and his belt was lined with sheathed knives and a short sword to grab for any emergency. But Erik understood a secret about the forest animals: unless they were in desperate hunger, if you didn't threaten the beasts, they would not threaten you. He traveled silently, careful of dried leaves, sticks and branches, or bushes that would betray his position and warn skittish creatures of his approach.

Even before he caught sight of the house he was expecting, he froze suddenly and cocked an ear. Unmistakably, a sweet feminine voice was wafting through the trees, carrying a haunting, almost hypnotic melody. Not only haunting, but he felt a sense of arousal surging through him at the sound, as if the voice alone was enough to spark desire. When he forced himself to continue moving, he caught sight of other animals, their attention even more than his enrapt by the lilting solo soprano. Erik altered his direction from the creek and toward that sound.

He spooked a variety of animals as he moved carefully through the brush. Deer and wolves were paused side-by-side, ignoring each other to listen to the song. Rabbits would not flee his step unless he practically kicked them in his progress. Birds settled on low branches, their chirping stopped so the voice of the maiden would not be interfered with; he could have reached out and taken any of them in his grasp before they realized it and flapped away. And within his heart, Erik understood their transfixed state completely. Or was it within his loins...

The voice faded, then stopped. Creatures of all sorts blinked as if waking from a dream, and the normal rhythms of the forest seemed to resurge around him. Erik continued on toward the direction of the voice before it ceased, and saw the dense foliage clearing ahead. He reached the edge of the glade and carefully peered through a curtain of brushes. He saw the lovely young maiden curled in the soft grass, her hair spread across the pale flesh of her face like a satin sheet. Next to her was a basket full of berries, and behind her, also curled up, was a young fawn, seemingly as tame and comfortable in the presence of the young woman as if a house cat.

In a smooth motion, the huntsman turned, drawing an arrow from his quiver and notching it in place in his drawn bow. A wolf within twenty paces had growled lowly and was now racing toward him. Even as it leaped toward him, Erik's arrow slashed through its throat, halting the leap in mid-air and sending the beast crashing into the ground nearly beside him, clawing desperately at the dart through its gullet. Erik quickly drew a knife and hacked through the animal's chest, drawing its death throes to a quick and merciful end. His eyes scanned the woods quickly for other threats, but apparently only this wolf felt the courage to offer a defense of the maiden, who still slept through the silent battle.

Erik acted quickly. He stepped through the brush into the clearing with a length of rope in his hands. He sank to a knee beside the startled young woman and pushed his weight into her back, holding her down as he grasped her hands and tied them efficiently behind her back. He did the same to her ankles, then wrapped a cloth gag about her head and forced it between her lips. Checking about for any threats, he then pulled a woolen bag from his pack and forced it over her body, from the head down to nearly her feet. Then, he was easily able to toss the bundled damsel over his shoulder as he rose, carrying her like a roll of carpet through the forest and far from her home.

 

[Forbidden]

Larka's dreams involved all the normal sunshine and fairy tale filled moment that would be expected in the mind of such a sweet girl. Each one seemed to take a dark or sexual twist however that wasn't expected. Her dreams flashed behind her shuttered lids without pause until the slaying of one of her animals caused a jump in her heartbeat to start to wake her from her slumber. Her connection to these woods ran deep and the death of one of her friends would touch her in an unexplained way. Ever since she'd discovered the way her voice brought the forrest together she'd been in tune with its inhabitants.

Her emerald eyes opened to find a man leaping into her vision and catching her up in his ropes before she was able to move. Her voice had fled her slender frame and she found herself unable to call for help, not that any would be a match for this man. She saw the slain body of Karr, her favorite wolf and knew that she didn't want to endanger any of her other friends. Not that she had a choice in the matter. Her hands were tightly bound behind her back, her ankles tightly tied together and then a gag forced her silence even farther. What little breath she was able to get through the bag was knocked from her frame as she was tossed over his shoulder.

In the dark of the bag she would kick her frame occassionally but the attempts were feeble, she'd seen this man's strength and knew that she was no match for it. She would have to wait for a better opportunity to gain an upper hand. Her mind began to plot what she was going to do when released from the bag, but not knowing what surroundings she was going to be placed in interfered with her abilities to plan. In the meantime she could only hope that her men could find someway of knowing what had happened to her.

The fawn had stayed silent through the capture and finding its best friend taken remained in the same place as shock overwhelmed its tiny frame. As darkness started to fall however the fawn found the courage to go and follow Larka's scent back to the cottage they'd emerged from in the morning. Wandering in she made a soft mewling sound, the attention of the dwarves immediately focusing on the infant creature. Seeing the fawn alone they instantly knew that something had happened to Larka. They sat down and began to plan, arguing over what might've happened and hoping a clue would come to them. The fawn made another noise and somehow the men understood to follow the creature.

Coming upon the clearing where Larka had been taken the men picked up her basket of berries, beginning to paint the picture in their minds. As Don stumbled upon the slain canine body he pulled the arrow from the carcass and held it up to what light was left filtering through the trees. "This arrow is of royal make. Whoever took our Larka answers to the palace." And so the dwarves had their first clue in where to look for their beloved Larka.