Chapter 5
After a month on the road, the sexual tension between Malcolm and Lilly was thick enough to cut with a knife. Malcolm had taken to disappearing for fifteen minutes every morning and afternoon to relieve some of his tension by masturbating into the bushes. Lilly didn't need that kind of release. She had discovered that she could trigger an orgasm by sitting just so while riding the horse. Needless to say, she sat just so several times a day much to the distraction of Malcolm.
Their destination was rather large citadel with a population of over ten thousand people and situated on a substantial hill. Malcolm pulled the reins bringing his horse to a stop when they crossed through the pass. Below them, he could see the citadel about a day's ride away. This side of the citadel was rocky and there were few farms. The area past the citadel was marked into a checkerboard pattern that Malcolm recognized as individual farms. Pointing to it, he said, "There's our destination."
"Yes. That's where Harold son of Fredrick lives," Lilly said. She was willing to ride the horses until they dropped if it would get them to Crossroads ten minutes quicker.
"We'll be there tomorrow around noon. I figure it will take us about two hours to find Harold and sell off the horses," Malcolm said. He looked down at the sword and added, "I'll sell the sword while I'm at it. I've got three in storage and they're all better than this one."
"Will we have to stay an extra night here?"
"Why? Are you in a hurry to get to Crossroads?" asked Malcolm in a teasing voice.
"Not at all," Lilly said. She adjusted her position on the saddle to where it would rub her just right.
Malcolm noticed and commented, "You're going to wear out that saddle."
"What's a worn saddle compared to all those little Malcolm bushes you've been planting all along our path," teased Lilly making reference to having caught him masturbating on several occasions. Catching him wasn't an accident. Once she had realized that he was going off into the bushes to relieve his sexual pressure, she made sure to follow him every time. She'd never seen a man whose sex drive was high enough to want to masturbate, much less do it two or three times a day.
Rather than respond, Malcolm looked along the road to locate a good campsite for the night. He figured that they'd reach the bottom of the small mountain they were crossing by nightfall if they kept up a reason pace. There were several places that looked promising with water and reasonable cover. He frowned and said, "I fear that our campsite tonight is going to get visited by bandits."
"Why?"
"We're coming along a trade route into a citadel. We'll have to camp about a four-hour ride from town. That will put us in an area without any farms around. The problem is that there are places about two hours away where bandits can live and make raids at night," answered Malcolm scanning the region below.
"How do you know that?" Lilly asked. His knowledge of the dangers of Chaos had been very impressive. Even more impressive was his ability to avoid trouble.
He said, "I have a small holding in a mining area. Every so often, I have to chase away bandits that have decided to take up residence just outside of my holding."
Lilly thought it was strange that he had not mentioned his holding up until that moment. The horse moved a little and triggered a very small orgasm. She gasped in surprise, wondering if the horse or the idea that the hero who rescued her was successful enough to have a holding triggered her orgasm.
Fully aware of what had happened, Malcolm groaned and urged his horse forward. There was nothing more uncomfortable than riding a horse with an erection, particularly while wearing the tight pants common in this world. He glanced off trail looking for a good spot to relieve his frustrations.
It took Lilly a minute to catch up. She asked, "Why didn't you say anything about your holding before now?"
"It's just a small place. There are a couple hundred people and most of them are farmers, although all of them take turns working in the mine." Malcolm didn't want to mention that his hold on the place was very weak. Adventuring was his entire reason for coming to Chaos. He'd taken over the place after rescuing a Damsel a few years ago and kept it because it was a nice constant source of income. When possible, he took missions in the area around his holding so that he could visit it. The missions helped to increase his reputation in the area and made it less likely that someone would try to take it from him.
"Mine?" Lilly asked imagining precious metals or jewels.
"Yes. A coal mine. We dig out about two wagon-loads a week," answered Malcolm. He could have increased productivity by using more modern techniques, but that would have been a violation of the rules. Instead, his people dug out the coal using iron picks and wooden shovels. It was slow brutal work, but by working at a slow even pace he was able to increase the safety of the mine.
"That sounds like dirty work," Lilly said. Visions of hot sweaty men coming out of a mine came to mind. She could imagine him, naked, washing under a waterfall. The idea was almost enough to trigger another orgasm.
"It is."
The pair discussed his holding for the rest of the afternoon. It was getting late, but still a couple of hours before dark, when they arrived at one of the campsites he had identified from the pass. As he reined his horse to a halt, he said, "Stay here while I check this spot out."
"Okay."
Malcolm dismounted and examined the ground around the campsite. It had been used many times in the past. There was a fire ring in an obvious spot. The grass had been stunted in areas where people were likely to lay their bedrolls. It wasn't used everyday, but at least once a week.
As he moved around the perimeter of the campsite, he looked for spots where bandits were liable to sneak up on the site. He found several places where there were definite signs that individuals had lain in wait. There was even a spot in one of the trees where someone had tied boards on which to sit while looking into the camp.
Returning to the horses, Malcolm said, "I've seen signs that bandits are active in the area. We'll have to lay some traps and be careful tonight."
After taking care of the horses, starting dinner, and setting up camp, Malcolm spent an hour placing traps at various locations around the campsite. He returned to camp and continued to prepare their evening meal.
Lilly waited by the fire for him to finish cooking. She had undone her braid and had her dress arranged to show off her legs. He was so tempted to go over to her and have his way with her. Looking over at the Damsel, Malcolm said, "Put your hair back in a braid."
"Why?"
"We won't be sleeping in camp tonight," answered Malcolm. "We'll have to be quiet because I'm sure that we'll have trouble tonight."
"I can be quiet."
"That means no orgasms tonight," Malcolm said looking over the fire at her. She had the grace to blush.
He stirred the pot of beans and sampled them. Satisfied that they were fully cooked, he filled up a plate and handed it to Lilly. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "Sorry about camp beans for the night meal, but it is the last night on the trail and we need to finish the food. Breakfast will be cheese and our last two apples."
"I understand," Lilly said. She tasted the beans and found they were quite good. All of the meals Malcolm had prepared for her had been good. She quickly ate the plate of beans filling her empty stomach. Even though she finished eating well before Malcolm, she had still looked graceful doing it. He wondered how she managed to do that.
After dinner, Malcolm cleaned up the camp. It was dark by the time he finished. Looking around, he grabbed a blanket and said, "Come with me."
She followed him into the woods wondering where he was taking her. When he had found the location he had identified in his earlier scouting activities, he whispered, "Use this blanket and sleep here. We need to be quiet from now on."
Early mornings meant that days ended early. Lilly settled on the ground and wrapped the blanket around her body. After a long tiring day on horseback, she promptly fell asleep confident that Malcolm would take care of her.
After removing his sword from its sheath and setting it where he could pick it up without making noise, Malcolm sat down with his back resting against a tree. It was at times like this when he wished they were traveling with a larger group. He drifted off to an uneasy sleep.
It was several hours later when Malcolm awoke to the sound of their horses moving nervously. His back was stiff from sleeping in the unnatural position. He stretched his muscles a little being careful not to make any noise. Putting a hand over her mouth, he woke Lilly and put a finger over his mouth in the universal gesture to remain silent. After a moment of panic, she calmed down once she realized what was happening.
Malcolm picked up his sword, feeling comforted by the fit of it in his hand. Straining to listen for any noise that wasn't of natural origin; he nearly jumped out of his skin when the silence was broken by a bloodcurdling scream. His grim smile of satisfaction that someone had stumbled into his trap would have scared anyone who might have seen it.
With the scream, surprise on the part of the bandits was no longer possible. Three men ran screaming into the camp with swords raised in the air. They slashed at the tarp trying to kill those that were in it. Moving silently, Malcolm came from behind them and dispatched the men with ease. At least one of the men never knew that the tent was empty.
Malcolm moved out of the camp and made his way to the sounds originating from where a man was entangled in his trap. The man struggled to get his foot out of the noose that held him suspended in the air. His sword lay on the ground where he had dropped it out of shock. Even though the man was upside down, he swung his knife at Malcolm. Malcolm dispatched the bandit without remorse. After all, the man would have killed him in his sleep.
After scouting around the campsite for thirty minutes for signs of other men, he was satisfied that he had gotten all of the bandits. His count was confirmed when he found four horses tied to a tree limb a short distance down the road. He was not surprised to find a shovel among the items carried on one of the horses. They would need to bury the bodies. Claiming the horses as spoils of battle, he took them back to camp and tied them up next to his two.
He made his way to where Lilly was waiting and knelt down. Whispering, he said, "Stay here a little while. I've got to clean up camp."
"Are they gone?" asked the terrified woman.
"They're better than gone, they're dead," Malcolm answered in a flat tone of voice.
Malcolm returned to a devastated campsite. The tarp was torn and would require a lot of stitching to return it to a useful state. He carried the bodies away from the camp, going through their personal effects for anything that might be useful. For simple bandits, they were well provisioned. All of the men had carried knives and swords. Between them, they had almost a conch in money.
Once the camp had been restored to order, he went back into the woods to get Lilly. She was sitting up, wrapped in her blanket shaking slightly. Malcolm knelt down next to her and said, "It's safe now. Based on what I found, I don't think we'll have any more visitors tonight."
"What makes you think that?" Lilly asked still feeling scared by her ordeal. When he'd gone after the bandits, she had worried that Malcolm might get killed and she'd be left alone in the wilderness. The past month had been pleasant and returning to a state of Distress was not something she wanted.
"Those bandits were rather wealthy. They had horses, swords, and a lot of money with them. I suspect this is their territory and they've kept everyone else out of the area," Malcolm answered.
Malcolm spread the tattered tarp on the ground and said, "We'll sleep on the tarp."
Shivering from nervousness, Lilly asked, "Can you hold me?"
The pair lay on the tarp with a blanket covering them. Malcolm held his arms around her. It felt good holding her like that. It felt like hours, but it was actually only a few minutes before she had snuggled against him and fell asleep. He was left with an erection that threatened to rip his leather britches.
After a very restless night, Malcolm awoke with an erection that was so hard that it had become painful. He hadn't suffered a case of blue balls so bad since he was fifteen. It got worse when she started grinding her butt against his cock. It didn't help when, in a very sexy voice, Lilly asked, "Did you sleep well?"
A few seconds later, Malcolm realized that he was holding her bare breast in his hand. Somehow, her dress had slipped down during the night exposing her upper body. It took a few seconds more for him to consider that it was highly unlikely that her top had come undone all on its own.
At the thought that she had undone the top of her dress and put his hand on her breast, it all became too much for him. He rolled out of bed and untied his pants. Pushing them roughly to his knees, he wrapped a hand around his cock. A few strokes later, he came. His come splattered the ground narrowly missing the woman on the tarp. Knees trembling from his orgasm, he said, "Oh fuck."
Lilly stared at him. Her eyes were wide in awe at the lust he exhibited. She'd never seen a man that excited. She crawled to kneel before him and pulled his hands from his cock. Holding the erect organ in her hand, she said, "That's amazing."
"We've got at least eight hours before we get to Crossroads." Malcolm moaned in response to her soft hands caressing his cock. He looked down to see her adoring his cock with the top of her dress around her waist. Her full lush breasts, dark areola, and hard nipples sent a shiver through his body.
Never had Lilly seen an erection last so long. He'd already come and, by all that she knew of men, his cock should have shrunk. She rubbed her hand along its length. She fondled his balls with soft little brushes of her fingertips. Lost in her own world of cock worship, she didn't realize the effect that her touch had on Malcolm until he groaned and his cock erupted. Blast after blast of come shot out the end of his cock. Fascinated by a sight she'd never seen, Lilly didn't notice or care that she was getting covered in come.
He staggered back and stood on weak knees watching as Lilly slowly realized what she had done. Her hand went down to her come splattered chest and rubbed the come into her skin. Malcolm pulled up his pants and watched as she collected herself. Rather than pull up the top of her dress, she braided her hair so that she could travel. The sight of her topless while braiding her long black hair was sexy beyond belief. It took Malcolm three times longer than normal to break camp.
Time seemed to pass with the speed of the Mississippi River in summer time. It was hard to keep from urging the horses into a full gallop to the citadel, but he managed to control his baser desires. It wouldn't have been a good idea trying to ride full out while leading a string of four horses behind him. Every five minutes, he would mutter, "Who ever thought that a month was so long?"
He never thought he would be so happy to see a city gate as when he rode through the gates of the citadel. Looking over at Lilly, he could tell that her feelings were much the same. He asked, "So where will we find Harold son of Frederick?"
"He should be at his house. It's not too far from here."
"I'll follow you," said Malcolm. Even as he said it, he knew it was a mistake. Riding behind her would be torture.
Lilly rode a few blocks down the narrow main street of the citadel before turning to the right along a side street. Five minutes later she stopped in front of a house. A large wall with a sturdy gate that provided access to a small courtyard surrounded the house. Pointing to a bell from which hung a thin rope, she said, "We have to announce ourselves."
Malcolm climbed off the horse, his legs feeling like rubber from riding so long. He went over to the bell and rang it using the rope. Looking over at Lilly, he said, "It would be easier to yell."
"That would be rude."
They could hear the sounds of someone entering the courtyard and making their way to the door. The door slowly opened and a young man stepped out. He was about to ask why they were there when he saw Lilly. Excited, he raced over to her and said, "Lilly! I can't believe you're here already. I sent the ransom five weeks ago."
"Hello Harold. Thank you for sending the ransom. I fear it wasn't necessary after all," said Lilly.
Harold reached up to help Lilly down from her horse. Once she was on solid ground, he held her at arm's length totally captivated by her beauty. It took him a few moments to notice Malcolm standing next to Lilly. Turning to Malcolm, he asked, "And who might you be?"
"I'm Malcolm Chandler."
"He rescued me from the man who had abducted me," Lilly said looking at the young man.
"Oh, so my ransom wasn't delivered," Harold said. He wondered if the man with whom he had sent the money would return. Turning to Malcolm, he extended a hand and said, "Thanks for rescuing Lilly. She means a lot to me."
Malcolm shook his hand and then stepped back. Knowing that she was about to break his heart, Lilly said, "There's something I have to tell you."
"Did that scoundrel who took you touch you?" Harold asked knowing that he would take her regardless if she felt that the man who had taken her had ruined her for marriage.
It would be so much easier to tell him that she had been ruined, but it wasn't the truth. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I can't stay here with you, I'm going with Malcolm."
"You stole her!" The anger in his voice died by the time he said the last word. If the man had taken her against her will, they wouldn't have been there. He felt that the explanation was even uglier.
"Yes, I suppose I did," Malcolm said.
Turning to Lilly hurt beyond words and able to taste his pain in his throat, Harold asked, "Why did you come here? Did you want to rub it in?"
"No. I came here because I didn't want you to worry about me. I knew you would try to pay the ransom. I was afraid that when your man came back with the news that he was unable to deliver the ransom, you'd be worried and spend the rest of your life looking for me," explained Lilly holding his hands in hers.
"I agreed with her, so we traveled three weeks out of our way to let you know," Malcolm said. He didn't say that it was the most difficult three weeks of his life.
"You've told me, so go," Harold said, half in anger and half afraid to say more. Barely able to hold back the emotions flooding over him, he turned to enter the gate.
Malcolm pulled out a rather large leather bag from his saddlebag. Clearing his throat, he said, "We have something else for you."
Harold turned to look at Malcolm and then at Lilly. His heart felt like it had been broken into a thousand pieces. He didn't want to be there, but he stayed.
Lilly took the bag from Malcolm and said, "When he rescued me, he had to burn the house down. In the ashes, I found a jewelry box. I want you to have what was in it."
"I can't take this," Harold said looking at the bag without knowing what was inside.
Tears were running down Lilly's cheeks as she held out the bag and said, "We don't need or want them. I've got the only piece out of the contents that I want."
"What piece?"
Knowing that she would have to leave it with Malcolm, Lilly held out the chain that Harold had given her. This was far harder to do than she had expected. The look in Harold's eyes when he saw the thin chain was a mixture of hurt, sadness, and elation. He was hurt because the chain had meant so much to him, sad that he was loosing her, and elated that the chain meant so much to her. Realizing that she had cared for him and that their time together had meant something to her, his tears ran freely down his face.
Uneasy by the emotions of the man before him, Malcolm shifted nervously. He knew that anything he said would be interpreted as bragging. He went to his horse and pretended to check out his gear. Not for the first time, he felt that this had been a bad idea.
Lilly hugged Harold. At first he resisted, but then clutched her tightly. After a minute, he stepped back and said, "We could have had a good life together."
"I know," replied Lilly. The truth was that they had no future together and never did. She was a Damsel from Cassandra, but it was against the rules for him to know that.
"Why him?"
"He's from my own homeland," answered Lilly feeling it was close enough to the truth that the minor lie didn't matter.
"I'd invite you both in, but I don't think that would be wise under the circumstances," Harold said. He turned to Malcolm and, with the trace of a threat in his voice, said, "Take care of her and make her happy."
"I'll do so," said Malcolm.
The parting was filled with high emotions, but was soon accomplished. As they rode off in search of a place where Malcolm could rid himself of five swords and just as many knives, he said, "That was rough, but you had to do it."
"I should have just returned to Crossroads," Lilly said. Her face was still wet with the tears she had shed while saying farewell to Harold. She hadn't realized it would be so hard to tell the young man goodbye.
"No. What you just did is what makes you a Damsel," he commented. She rode beside him without making a comment.
When they reached the center of the citadel, they found a shop with a sign portraying crossed swords. It was the standard symbol for the shop of an armorer. Malcolm tied up the horses in front of the shop and entered. The man had a very impressive selection of weapons displayed on the counter. Lilly looked around with an eye that didn't appreciate the quality, but even she knew that the weapons were good.
The shopkeeper, a bear of a man, looked at Malcolm and the collection of weapons he was carrying. The two men looked at each other, assessing the character of each other. The armorer could see by how Malcolm's eyes sought out only the best in the store that the man knew his weapons. In a deep voice, he said, "I see you've encountered a little adventure. What have you got, five swords?"
"Five swords and five knives," answered Malcolm as he set the swords on the counter with a rattle.
"Not going to keep a sword for yourself?"
"I've got three in storage."
"Ah," replied the man. He picked up each weapon examining the workmanship of each blade. One of them was worth two conches, but the other four were worth about half a conch each having been manufactured by a small town blacksmith. Putting them down, he said, "One of them is good, but the other four aren't. I'll probably grind down the edge and blunt the tip. They'll be good enough for training. I won't sell second-rate merchandise. The knives are all so so."
"I know. That's why I'm getting rid of them."
"Four conch for the lot," said the man.
"One conch, thirty shells, and the chain mail gauntlet," countered Malcolm. He already had a chain male gauntlet, but it was nowhere the quality of the one he spotted in the store. The chains were very fine and the workmanship exquisite.
The armorer smiled at the counter offer. It was a fair exchange and he nodded his agreement. Malcolm tried three of the gauntlets before selecting one that fit his hand well. The fine links did not restrict his fingers. Satisfied, he said, "They are good gauntlets."
"I carry only the best," said the man without sounding like he was bragging. He picked up four of the swords and carried them into the back of the store. Returning with the money, he said, "Here's your money."
Malcolm accepted the money and asked, "Where's an honest horse trader?"
"Is there such a thing?" asked the armorer with a smile. Horse traders on Chaos had the same reputation as used car salesmen on Earth.
"Let me rephrase that, where's a horse trader who's only marginally dishonest?"
"By the north gate is a good one. He'll give you fair value for your animals if you know how much to ask," said the man.
Lilly and Malcolm left the shop. They rode to the north gate in relative silence. Malcolm was busy trying to figure out how much he would get for the six horses. Lilly was initially thinking about her meeting with Harold. However, the closer they got to the stables the more her thoughts turned to reaching Crossroads and what would occur there. By the time they reached the stables, she was in a pretty good mood.
At the stables, Malcolm stopped to examine the horses in the corral. Most of the animals were in pretty good shape, although there was a couple that looked as if they'd seen better days. He frowned at the sight of the horses.
A man was working on the gate, replacing one of the pieces of wood. He looked over at Malcolm and saw what he was looking at. The man laughed and said, "I know it doesn't speak highly of me, but I had to buy them."
"Why?"
"They come from a very good bloodline. The bastard who owned those two didn't know how to treat a horse. Got them a week ago and they were nearly dead. I'll see if I can nurse them back to health," answered the man as he walked over to Malcolm. Shaking his head, he added, "They may be a lost cause, but any colts produced by them will be worth the effort."
"You know your horses," Malcolm said after examining them with a more critical eye.
Looking over the horses Malcolm was leading, the man asked, "You selling those four?"
"I'm selling six and the tack for five of them."
The man checked each horse, taking his time. Not only did he check the mouths, hooves, legs, and flanks, but he also listened to their hearts and lungs. It took him about forty minutes to finish examining all six horses. After that, he examined the tack. When he was done, he said, "I'll give you eight conches. It's a good price."
"Agreed," Malcolm said. The price was reasonable and he didn't feel
like wasting another minute arguing over a few shells. He was horny,
Lilly was willing, and the bank was near.