The Return (12 page)

I said to her in a deadpan tone. The look I got was worth the bite on my leg.

The afternoon was spent moving through the vendors, and making myself rather obvious in the crowd. I needed to draw attention to myself. If my plan was to work, I had to create a lot of noise here, and make sure everyone knew I was riding south out of town when I left.

After the third or fourth merchant was told about my plans to ride south, and gather up an army of the men from the jungle region, Likka spoke to me again in my head.

I continued to shop in the marketplace for several hours. I Picked up odds and ends to make traveling easier, as well as several gifts for each of the ladies. It was almost time to head back to the inn when they finally showed up. A small group of twenty red armored Imperial Guardsmen stepped around a corner ahead of us. “Finally, I thought I was going to have to extend our stay before they got off their asses.” I told Likka, making her chuckle in my head.

I turned to the doorway beside me, and started talking with the young girl there, trying to get customers to come into her coffee shop. “Could you do me a favor, dear lady?”

“I can try, M’Lord.”

I just shook my head. “Could you take your son inside with you, and get me a mug of your wonderful smelling coffee.”

She looked over my shoulder and her face paled “Certainly, M’Lord.”

“Rhys David Cain, you are hereby under arrest to be held for trial and execution...” A commanding voice said from behind me. I ignored him as I waited for my coffee. “Rhys David Cain, I order you to turn around and face me.”

“If you want to order, you will have to wait for her to come back from getting my coffee, I don’t work here.” I said absently over my shoulder.

I could feel the guardsman tensing up as I goaded him. When He grabbed my shoulder I grabbed his hand with my left hand and twisted up and back. I felt the bones in his wrist snap as I twisted. He screamed in pain as the bones of his wrist pushed through the skin and ripped his wrist wide open. I let go of his hand as he fell to his knees. I stood with my back to him and the other guardsmen, as I continued to wait for my coffee.

When they got over their shock, they drew their long swords. I felt the first one advance, and swing a side strike towards my head, meaning to behead me in one blow. I dropped low and kicked back with my right leg. My foot connected with something hard and amazingly squishy at the same time. I heard the man grunt, then wheeze in pain as he dropped his sword. He grabbed for the items I had just crushed with the cod piece of his armor. I still had not faced the guardsmen.

When the next man came at me with sword raised high, I finally spun to face them. In the process of facing them I had stepped back right onto the hand of the guard leader, and ground his hand into the cobbled roadway. I then stepped on his shoulder, as he screamed, and launched myself into a high kick. I heard the back of the third guard's head hit the back of his armor, as his neck cracked and his spine separated. I had started the dance.

By the time the rest of the guardsmen came at me I had both long swords drawn. The first slashing attack was a backhand swing, past the lead man, and across the face of the next. I spun and kicked as the lead man came; completely moving past him and killing the two men behind him. As I brought my swords in a sweeping arc downward on the next man, I kicked back hitting the lead man in the back of the head. I stood up, driving my blades forward and out, running two more men through. Less than twenty seconds later all the men lay dead or dying on the ground, except for the one I had kicked in the head. He was groggily trying to rise to his feet. “Sit down, till your head quits spinning.” I watched him until I was sure he could comprehend what I was saying. “I want you to go back to the garrison, I want you to tell them that Rhys told them all to lay down their swords, and never touch a weapon again. Tell them they are cowards that do not deserve to be guardsmen at a midden. If they want to prove me wrong, I will be leaving the city by the south road at dawn, on the fourth day from now.”

As I stood, the girl stuck her head back out the door and looked at me. “Is it safe to come out?”

“That depends, did you remember my coffee. I get really grumpy, if I have not had my coffee.”

“I will be right back with it, M’Lord.”

A minute later she came out with a steaming wooden mug of coffee. I slipped a gold coin in her hand, and walked off humming the tune to a 70s rock song I am very fond of.

A few hours later found me back at the inn, eating a large dinner with the ladies. The cook at this inn was top notch and made a meal of roasted lamb, with rice and turnips, that was just out of this world. Add a couple of bottles of wine, and we were all in a really mellow mood when the man in the red leather armor stepped into the inn. He walked up to our table and stood about eight feet away, I had to chuckle to myself. “May I help you Sergeant?”

“My commander asked me to come to you, and issue his challenge of honor.”

“A Man that does not have time to issue his own challenges should not be allowed to make them, nor claim any honor. What is your commander’s name?”

“Armsmaster Avery Dane sir.”

I stiffen at the mention of his name, my blood running cold. “When and where?”

“The barracks parade grounds, at ten in the morning.”

“Weapons?”

“Freestyle.”

“Stakes?”

“He said he would discuss that with you in the morning.”

“I will be there.”

The guard bowed lightly and walked out into the night air. As he left the ladies around the table started talking all at once. “You’re not going to face him are you?” “Surely he wouldn’t do it.” “Rhys he is dangerous to you and your goal.”

“This is something I have to do, it has been a long time in the coming, and I have to remove him from the upcoming battle. I just hope he does not want to go to the death.”

Likka looked up at me from the floor.

“Rhys.  Why are you so upset about this? I have seen you fight, is this guy that good?” Beth asked in a quiet voice.

I could not answer her for a few moments, and then when I finally managed to move my suddenly dry tongue in my mouth, I spoke in a croak. “His full name is Avery Dane Cain, he is my youngest brother.”

“You can’t fight him to the death. We have to flee the city tonight.”

“I will face him tomorrow; I have accepted the challenge of honor.”

As I readied myself for bed that night I could not help but think about what tomorrow could bring. If I win I would be even more of an outcast within my own family, and society here as well. They attach some pretty bad names to people that kill their own family. Then there is the possibility that my own brother may face that same outcast status. Why would he do this? I had given up on finding any peace, when there was a light knock at my door. “Come in.”

I turned in time to see Beth open the door and quietly slip into the room. She slipped over to me in the darkness walking with a grace that had my heart pounding in my chest. “I wasn’t going to come tonight thinking you may need some time. Likka told me that you needed to find peace tonight. She said you had killed, and that you would find no peace, except in the solace of loving tenderness.”

“She has known me a long time. She, more than anyone, understands the things that drive me. As well as the things that can give me some peace. She is too good to me. I don’t deserve her loyalty.”

“You are more deserving than you know, Rhys. The others have told me stories of how you were six thousand years ago, and I have seen you now. I could easily come to love a man like you.”

I smiled gently at her. “There are things about me you must know, before I will accept the gift you offer.”

“That you are married, and stubbornly headed off to try and rescue your wife? That if your wife, even as she is now, were to tell you to leave all other women alone, you would abstain for the rest of eternity for her? That what you and I will have tonight may well become love, but that you can never fully give your heart to me? I know these things, Rhys, and I still came seeking your touch.”

I stepped forward and took her face in my hands. “Then, M’Lady, you are in serious trouble tonight. It may take all night for me to find peace.”

She placed her arms around my neck and pulled me into her. “I hope so.”

Our lips met for the first time. She was warm and soft in my embrace. She melted into our kiss. As our passion built, I slid my hands down her back, and brought them to rest lightly under the cheeks of her tight bottom. I lifted her up, and her legs instinctively wrapped around my waist. She brought her hands in between her chest and mine and I heard and felt the fabric of my shirt give way as she ripped the front of it open. When we broke from our kiss, she lowered her head and began to kiss the bare skin at the top of my chest. I carried her to the bed and dropped to my knees as I lowered her to the bed. Her legs never unlocked from my waist.

I pulled back from her and removed the remains of my shirt, as she slid her robe down past her shoulders, to bunch at her waist. I move forward again and pushed her back onto the bed. She crawled backward and out of her robe. I tossed it to the floor as soon as she cleared it completely. She reached between us and loosened my belt and pants to allow me to crawl out of them. We were soon naked in the middle of the bed, holding and kissing each other in as many ways as we could. When I started to kiss her nipples, I admired the large round shape of her breasts. She let out a light hiss and then a pleasant moaning sound, as I felt her body tense and relax at the same time below me. I continued to kiss and caress her breasts as she slowly began to vibrate and quiver in time to my touches. Her moaning began to increase in volume and tempo, as she started to near her climax. Right at the moment I felt her body peak, I nipped and pinched her nipples. She let out a scream that sounded like a wild beast was loose in our room.

“Oh my god Rhys, no man has ever made me orgasm just from my breasts before.”

I just smiled at her and tried to slide down her body, but she caught my shoulder and shook a finger at me in a “no no” gesture. When I slid back up with a question in my eyes, she slithered down my body trailing her tongue along my chest and belly as she turned around in the bed. She began to lick and kiss my manhood wetting it with her saliva.

Once she had me well lubricated she put her lips around the head of my sword, and slowly pushed down, until I felt it hit the back of her throat. I moaned loudly as she slowly relaxed her throat and slid me deeper into her. As she pulled me back outward she began to hum, The vibrations were driving me over the edge rapidly.

I couldn’t take much more of that stimulation, unless I diverted my mind. So I pulled her waist to my face and slid my tongue between her legs. Her hums turned into moans, as I explored her sweet womanhood. I felt her begin to quiver at each thrust of my tongue. I curled my tongue to hit that soft spongy flesh inside of her, as she stiffened and began to shake.

She pulled her mouth off of me and moaned loudly, as I felt her orgasm take over her actions. I sucked her pearl between my teeth and nipped at it lightly. “Oh My God, Rhys, please don’t stop!” She screamed as her orgasm peaked and she flooded my face with her nectar.

I waited until she was just about back to the base of the mountain then I moved my face further towards her back, and flicked my tongue across her rosebud. When she squealed, I sucked on her rosebud and she once again erupted. “Oh My God, Rhys, what are you doing to me, I have never let anyone touch me back there; that was amazing.”

I once again pushed my tongue into her sweet flower and she immediately started to vibrate again. Her moans were closer to screams, as she shook. I wet my finger in her sweet nectar and slid my finger back to play with her rosebud. As she climbed back up to her heights I felt her stiffen. I pushed my finger into her rear entrance. “Oh fuck me.”, she moaned as she once again soared over the top.

Her body quivered and spasmed with each flick of my tongue. When my tongue touched her pearl again she seemed to almost explode. I felt her nectar flow across my neck and chest as she quaked. Then she slid her hand in between my face and her womanhood. “No more please, I can’t take it. I am light headed and so sensitive.”