Wild Roses pt. 17: Taken [nosex]

As the weeks went on, the sisters left the forest at their back as they wandered from town to town, and whenever their purses were empty, they had no problem finding patrons willing to part with silver and gold for a chance at any of the girls in their bed. At Spring’s urging, Summer kept her use of magic at a minimum, and far from the forest her power was weaker than she would have liked in any case, but a bit of a rumour had spread about her, and since indulging the kind of desires that magic helped fulfil was a more ready source of gold than silver, she would on occasion break it out for her patrons.

Spring and Autumn were no slouches either, and discovering that one man would pay more to bed the two of them together than four would pay to bed them apart, they quickly developed a solid routine that had them from finding a patron in the common room of an inn to relaxing in the bath with a full purse in half an hour.

Aside from room and board, the sisters also put their wealth to use buying articles of more permanent utility. Their tunics and dresses quickly gathering rips, tears and embarrassing stains as gifts from over-eager patrons, they replaced them all with a matching set of three light woollen tunics of a more provocative cut than they had before, Spring in sky blue, Summer in blood red and Autumn in forest green.

With rumours of increasing brigand activity along the coast, Summer and Autumn both got themselves daggers as well; short fine steel blades to match Spring’s, and Summer even took to wearing travel leathers to match her sisters.

As midsummer drew near, the mountains were looming on the northern horizon and the jagged coastline crept up in the east. On the stony strand they found a midsummer bonfire, and celebrated with the other revellers all through the bright night, and as they woke late in the morning, they elected to turn back home.

With the mountains at their back, they set off down the road southwards, making good time until dusk was upon them, which was when they spotted the ship through the gathering gloom under the overcast skies. Dragged up the strand and nestled under an overhang, the long, sleek ship had not been visible walking northwards, but where it sat, even empty, against the rock it sent a shiver down the spines of each of them.

Walking up to the cliff to get a better look at it, they soon stood looking nervously down at the longboat, looking for any sign of its occupants.

“Whose ship do you think that is?” Autumn asked her sisters.

Spring shrugged and Summer shook her head, but a woman’s voice from behind gave them an answer.

“It’s mine.”

As the three girls spun around they found themselves face to face with the captain of the ship. Taller than even Spring by a head, with long, golden blonde hair in a thick, heavy braid and icy blue eyes, she was an imposing sight to behold. Her broad and muscular form was loaded with fur and steel, but even through thick layers the full and curvy shape of her body was clear to see. On her stark but youthful face, she wore a curious sneer that twisted into a grin as she looked the girls over.

“And now”, she continued, “so are the three of you.”

Spring was quick to draw her sword, and Autumn and Summer pulled their daggers.

“Put those toys away before you get hurt.” the woman said with a laugh. “Now, which one of you is the mage.”

“None of your concern.” Spring sallied defiantly. “We’re leaving now.”

The woman whistled loudly, and quickly four men in steel and furs came rattling around a small stand of trees nearby.

“I don’t think so.” the woman said with a grin as the men closed in. “Again, which one of you is the mage?”

“You seem to have us confused for someone else.” Autumn said, eyeing the man closest to her.

Each of the men looked much like their captain, tall and broad with golden blond hair, save for one; the tallest and broadest of them had no hair at all, his bald head scarred and pockmarked, and where his compatriots came with slender shortswords in hand, he instead had a heavy warhammer lashed across his back.

“Very well.” the captain said with a shrug as she turned around and walked off. “Thoralf, put them in irons and bring them back to camp. We can sort out who is who later.”

“Aye.” the bald man said with a grin, and along with his compatriots advanced on the sisters as the captain vanished behind the trees.

“Stay back, or you’ll regret it.” Summer ordered the advancing brigands, but Thoralf only laughed.

As he made a grab for her, she made good on her threat, and drove her dagger through his leather armour and into his thigh. It was not enough to stop him, but it broke his advance and gave Summer time to flit away.

Meanwhile, another one of the brigands had set his sights on Autumn, but when he reached out for her wrist with a strong, broad hand, she used her other hand to thrust her dagger expertly at his neck. Realising he was up against someone who could fight, he let go of her to bring his sword up with both hands, and deflected her thrust at the last moment, and as they came away from the kiss of steel on steel, he squared up and circled Autumn slowly.

The last two brigands were both up against Spring, and as her sword danced through the air neither made much headway; every blow was checked and parried, and even with two against one, Spring was not just holding them off, but driving them back. With a burst of concentration as she dodged away from Thoralf, Summer reached out to the sea and had the spirits of the ocean enchant Spring’s blade. With a dull green glow, the sword was suddenly lighter and quicker still, turning the dance further to her favour.

As he saw the glow, Thoralf was quick to turn his attention from Summer and onto Spring. With a quick counter strike she had managed to disarm one of the brigands trying to pacify her, and with one heavy blow she struck the head off of him and parried a blow from the other one. What she couldn’t parry, however, was Thoralf’s heavy fist as it crashed into the side of her head, and before she could even fall to the ground, Thoralf had scooped her up and slung her unconscious form over his shoulder.

“We have the mage.” he declared as he jogged off. “Kill the rest and burn the corpses.”

Summer was already rounding on the brigand engaged with Autumn, and the momentary distraction was all it took for her to bury her dagger in the back of his leg, and with a true blow and a forceful twist, she had him sprawled on the ground, leaving only the one brigand, but brought to a frenzy by blood and sweat he was still a force to be reckoned with.

With shouts and grunts he brought his sword down on the both of the girls, and outmatched them as much as Spring had outmatched him and his fellow, and for several minutes Autumn and Summer were driven back and out as they deflected the frenzied blows with their small daggers. Suddenly, however, Autumn got an idea, and rolling through the grass she grabbed hold of Spring’s sword, lying where she’d dropped it.

With another burst of concentration, Summer called up the spirits of the meadow to tangle the brigands feet in the grass. It didn’t have a chance of holding him in place, but the distraction gave Autumn an opening, which she used to with all her strength thrust Spring’s sword up through the brigand’s belly and out of his shoulder. With another push, a twist and a shove, the brigand toppled over the edge of the cliff, nearly taking the sword with him, but with quick reactions and a firm grasp, Autumn managed to slide it clear of him as he fell, his body breaking with a dull thud on the stony strand below.

Panting, Autumn and Summer both sat in the grass, recovering from the ordeal, and in the sudden silence after the clash of steel, all they could hear were the low groans coming from the wounded brigand sprawled on the ground, his life slowly draining from his leg wound.

“Where’s Spring?” Autumn said with concern, as she looked around.

“The big guy took her.” Summer panted. “We’ll have to go after them.”

Autumn nodded, slowly catching her breath.

“Hah!”, the wounded brigand guttered. “You’ll never catch up to them.”

While Autumn tossed the headless body off the cliff after rifling through what he had in terms of pockets and confiscating his sword, Summer made her way over to the wounded brigand. With a handful of long grass empowered by the spirits she wrapped his wound up to staunch the bleeding, and rolled him over.

“What are you doing?” Autumn asked as she came over, putting the tip of the slender brigand’s sword against the wounded man’s neck. “Let’s end him and go after Spring.”

“Come now, sweet sister.” Summer said with a smile up at her sister. “It sounds as if this man has some very clear ideas about what we’ll be facing, I think we should hear him out.”

“I suppose.” Autumn said with a frown, thrusting three swords into the ground and sitting down next to her sister.

“Okay”, Summer said with a smile to the brigand, “let’s start with an easy question.”

“Fuck you.” he spat, and still smiling she put the palm of her hand on his wounded leg and pressed down hard, eliciting a loud scream of pain.

“I’m sorry”, Summer said with a smile as she eased off, “I didn’t quite catch that?”

“It’s – it’s Vidkun…” Vidkun panted at last, and Summer let go of his leg.

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” she said. “Here’s how this will work, Vidkun. We’re going to ask you some questions, and you’re going to answer them.”

Vidkun nodded weakly.

“If we like the answers, we’re going to be nice to you”, she continued, “but if we think you’re lying or holding back, we’re going to be…”

“Less nice.” Autumn suggested, and Summer nodded.

“And why should I tell you anything?” Vidkun spat. “You’re just going to kill me anyway, so how about you get it over with?”

Summer shook her head. “Unlike you, we’re not monsters. So long as you cooperate and give us the information we need, everyone is leaving here whole and happy.”

“Except your leg wound, I suppose.” Autumn added, and again Summer nodded.

Defeated, Vidkun nodded in cowed assent.

“Very good!” Summer said with a smile. “So, first question.”

“Who was that woman?” Autumn offered.

Vidkun frowned, but as Summer lightly put her hand on his wounded leg he was quick to answer. “Captain Geirhild, that’s her ship down there.”

“And what does she want with our sister?” Summer asked.

“We heard a rumor that some whore sisters had a mage between them, and Geirhild decided she’d be an asset.” Vidkun explained. “We didn’t know which of the three of … well, you, but she helpfully revealed herself.”

Summer nodded slowly, and Autumn found she had trouble hiding a grin.

“Is it going to bother her that she got the wrong sister?” Autumn asked, glee creeping into her voice.

Vidkun only frowned. “If that’s so, that’s very bad news for her, and for you.”

“Where are they taking her?” Summer inquired with a frown.

“First to the raid camp, but they’ll probably send her to a keep in the north as soon as they are able.” Vidkun explained. “She’s probably already on her way.”

“And where is this keep?” Autumn asked impatiently.

“Past Windcrag, at the north edge of the Seawood.” Vidkun got out with a cough. “About two weeks on foot, straight north.”

“And what will we be facing when we get there?” Summer asked, pushing lightly on Vidkun’s leg to remind him of his wound.

“More than two little whores like you can handle.” he offered, and she pressed down as hard as she could, eliciting a new scream.

“That’s not very specific.” Autumn said with a frown, and got out her hunting knife and pressed the tip up against his sternum. “Care to try again?”

Panting, Vidkun looked down at the blade glinting in the light of the rising moon. “Thirty-some swords, and a dozen archers.” he got out between grunts. “Maybe Geirhild and Thoralf as well, but probably not.”

“Why not?” Summer asked as she moved her hand from his leg again.

“Good chance they’d be out reaving and raiding.” Vidkun panted. “It’s kind of what they do.”

“So”, Summer continued, “if Thoralf and Geirhild are out reaving and raving, are we going to run into them on the way north?”

Vidkun shook his head. “They’ll be heading down the coast, raiding the southern strand.”

Autumn nodded. “And you’re sure of this?”

“As sure as I can be.” Vidkun said with a groan, as Summer pushed lightly down on his wounded leg again.

“Well”, Summer said with a smile, “I think that’s what we need to know, don’t you agree, sweet sister?”

“I think so, yes.” Autumn said as she got to her feet. “You’ve been very helpful.”

Vidkun nodded weakly as Summer got up as well. “You’ll want to go before Geirhild decides it time to return to the ship and set off down the coast.” he offered helpfully. “Just leave me here for them to find when they return, it would probably be in the morning.”

“Ah”, Autumn said with a frown as she pulled one of the slender brigand’s swords out of the ground, “I’m afraid we lied.”

Summer nodded solemnly. “We _obviously_ can’t leave you alive.”

“What?!” Vidkun said with a panicked look in his eyes. “But you…”

He got no further before Autumn buried the steel in his heart, pinning his dead body to the ground.

Leaving Vidkun’s sword in his chest, Autumn stuck Spring’s sword in her belt, and handed the last brigand’s sword to Summer, and knowing the raid camp was off to the north, they quickly doubled back down the road to the south, where in the back room of a small inn they set about planning their road north.

Source: reddit.com/r/sexystories/comments/5r976e/wild_roses_pt_17_taken_nosex