Uleni's Gamble (14 page)

But this was just the beginning, when the minefield was exhausted at four hundred yards, Riese ordered another charge, when they were about two hundred yards away, all hell broke loose.

*

Justin let out the breath he had been holding, he could hardly believe what he was seeing. Four days ago Anton had reminded him of the trap that had killed so many of their soldiers when fighting Egeria on the hill. He had also mentioned we had all of the preparations we had planned done, and a lot of earth talents and mages sitting around doing nothing.

So they had created a similar trap, with interlocking braces, the one closest to their army held together with magic. He had been prepared for the trap to fail, but it didn’t. The enemy’s own anti-magic would take out the key braces. He had watched as first the minefield took out hundreds, then when the enemy had charged again, the earth started shaking.

A thousand or so in front made it past the trap, as they were moving quickly, but all of those behind were literally swallowed up by the earth. He could hardly believe those thousand kept charging. The earth talents brought up short walls, stakes, and pits right before the enemy reached a hundred yards out. Then he heard Anton give the order.

“Open fire!”

When the last thousand of them were being slaughtered from a distance, he heard an order to retreat, and was filled with disappointment when he recognized the voice. He supposed it was too much to hope for that Riese would be buried by the trap. The last thousand had a lot of fire coming their way, so they only managed to escape with close to five hundred troops as they ran back into Egeria.

He sighed. It would be a chase now…

Anton walked over and said, “The king told me if the bastard ran to give you what you needed. We are rebuilding the military but it will still take time, do you think if you had two thousand troops that would be enough to chase him down?”

He nodded. “I think that would work, four to one odds should take care of it. I doubt he will have any luck recruiting more after losing so many.”

Anton asked, “Will you be able to follow? They move pretty fast for no magic.”

He pointed up in the sky, “Sally is keeping an eye on them, she’ll leave us directions in the clouds. We could use a couple of more mages to take over when she gets tired. Not sure how long it will take to corner the bastard.”

Anton went off to organize a small force, the rest of the soldiers checked the trap to make sure the enemy was truly dead, or at least, couldn’t dig their way out. He doubted they could if any lived, any that had survived the trap sprung on them weeks ago had done it because they had magic.

He and the ladies packed up their gear and tent. It took a few hours to get everything settled and supplies split up before they started a quick march into Egeria, following a cloud in the sky that looked like an arrow.

A couple of hours later they found a village. The streets cleared and frantic shouts could be heard as the people dove for cover inside buildings. He wasn’t surprised they expected the worst, but it still bothered him. These people lived in fear of their own military, it wasn’t a shock foreign troops were met with fear.

He wondered if he should avoid future villages as they marched through. The area they were in was choked with trees and small lakes. Deciding to take the road through the village was just the easiest option. But he didn’t like panicking people. He saw a door open and an old man came out. He was dressed in rags and his white beard was unkempt. Trailing along behind him were two young women who looked terrified.

He frowned as the man neared to fifteen feet and stopped, bowing low to them.

“Please have mercy masters, we do not have much, the other army took it all. Please, take these two and go, it is all we have to offer.”

He heard Nora and Kat growl in anger, he didn’t know what to do, he just knew he was angry. He knew killing the old man wouldn’t help, or at least, that’s what he kept telling himself. He was starting to realize that the backwards way Abelaweth treated women was far more enlightened than the other kingdoms. He knew it was bad… the old guy hadn’t even tried to talk his way out before throwing them to the wolves.

He sighed, they didn’t have time to right wrongs, and it was a whole kingdom. They wouldn’t change easily. He was tempted to take them along, at least get them out of Egeria, but what would that do really? Maybe they could do something about it later?

“Just go back inside old man, and take the young women with you, we don’t treat women as slaves in Abelaweth.” No, they were treated like lesser beings there, but at least they were taken care of, mostly. This world had a long way to go.

He continued his voice growing forceful, “We are just passing through, now move out of the way.”

The old man looked flustered, but did as he said and they moved on. It took a while for him to put it behind him and he hoped somehow those women would be okay. He hated stopping and making camp when the sun went down, he wanted to just run them down, but it wasn’t a realistic idea. A mage had slept a few hours on the wagon, and he restored the mage before he left to take over from Sally.

Judging by the cloud, Riese was moving about twice as fast as they were, but it really couldn’t be helped. Hopefully he would either turn and fight, or at least stop and prepare to defend. While they were finishing up making some dinner, Sally came back and let them know what was going on.

Sally grabbed some food when she came in the command tent. They were there with the rest of the ladies, Anton and their third mage.

After a few bites she said, “We can keep doing what we are doing and keep an eye on him, but I don’t think it is necessary. They are in a village about half a day’s march ahead, they were really pushing it. Anyway, I landed on the roof and was able to hear Riese talking. He has totally lost it by the way. He killed about twenty of his own men today when they tried to talk him into a different course of action.

“None of them were very thrilled with his leadership abilities after that fiasco earlier today. Anyway, important part is they are going for the capitol. The plan is to forcefully recruit and train any man in the city that can hold a sword. I’d say he will have no luck, but after they kill the first few people that say no, they might start changing their minds.

“I considered picking off a few more of them, but I figured it might be better if they don’t know they are watched, plus, I wasn’t sure when I would get relieved so I was conserving my magic. Thank you by the way for that, I am starving.”

He was considering retiring for the night to the tent when a soldier stuck his head in.

“Colonel Ross is here to speak to you, with a few others…”

Anton ordered, “Send them in.”

Ross came in with a smile and bowed. “Prince Anton, Flame, we are here to help support in tracking down and destroying Riese. Something I very much want to see happen. I have four mages with me.”

He looked at Ross and said carefully, “It is good to see you again colonel, I trust there will be no difficulties with my mate? I know we are working together now, but old prejudices die hard I’m afraid.”

Ross said, “It won’t be an issue,” but he felt concern coming from Sara, she obviously didn’t agree.

He walked over to Sara, and was surprised that only one of the four mages with Ross was a concern when she whispered into his ear.

Sara breathed out into his ear, “The others feel mild distaste, but the one on the left side is full of anger, disgust, and there is a feeling of violence about him.”

He kissed her cheek and whispered thanks before returning to Ross.

“I’m afraid this one will have to go home, you and the other three mages are of course welcome, and thank you.”

Ross frowned, “It is I who must thank you, I want to get my hands on that fool and wring his neck, but why must one of my mages leave?”

He simply said, “Because he harbors violent intentions toward my mate, and even if he manages to suppress it and play nice, I’d rather not have him at my back, or worse, hers. I wish no violence, so he is free to leave as long as he doesn’t return.”

The mage dropped his façade and glared at him. “Very well, I do not know if I could hold myself back,” he turned to Ross, “Nothing good will come of dealing with an unnatural abomination of a witch, damn Riese for what he has made us become.”

He watched warily as the mage walked out of the tent where he changed to a hawk and took to the skies.

He told Sara, “Let me know if he comes back will you?”

She looked at him and nodded. He had to admit to himself that was a little obvious, but he did it for Ross’s sake, not theirs.

Ross said, “Sorry about that, he gave me his word he would be okay, but safe better than sorry I suppose. Can someone bring me up to speed?”

He wound up staying in the tent another half hour as he and Anton brought Ross up to speed, by then it was pitch black outside and they went to the tent where Nicole took him by the hand quite firmly and led him behind the curtain…

*

Sara stared at Trina trying to get the answer out.

They had taken a walk, and she knew this moment would come. She was still a little confused about the feelings she held, but thanks to Katrina, she knew she did feel something for Trina, something more.

The other morning with Katrina as they had locked eyes and came together was hot, because she liked watching Katrina pleasuring Justin, and sharing those emotions and feelings. It wasn’t confusing at all, she simply had voyeuristic tendencies. She had no inclination to join in. Well, maybe a little bit, but just to pleasure Justin, not to kiss or touch Katrina.

So she was still confused, but what she felt for Trina was more, because if she was sure of anything right now, she wanted to kiss Trina and be kissed back. Her breathing had picked up, and she felt her body reacting since Trina had asked if she could take her. Finally, she just nodded, then stepped into her and brushed her lips against Trina’s while wrapping her arms around her.

She loved the feel of Justin’s hard body against hers, and she found herself loving this too. It was different, Trina body was soft and supple. Her long black hair was silky soft, her brown eyes held warmth and affection. Their kiss deepened and she lost herself in the sensation of Trina’s silky smooth lips and the way Trina’s hands felt on her body.

They held hands when they broke off from the dreamy slow kiss that caused her body to tingle down to her toes. She blushed and followed Trina’s lead as she was led to a hot spring not far from one of the nearby lakes.

She shyly undressed and slipped into the water…

*

Trina didn’t really understand why the shy sweet beautiful woman she had fallen for could want her. She was a cold assassin, oh, she had feelings and all, she just doubted she was worthy of what she had asked for, and what she was getting. She removed her clothes as she remembered the sweetness of Sara’s lips against hers, and anticipated what was yet to come. She slipped into the hot water of the spring and pulled Sara close.

They were tentative at first, while exploring one another’s bodies. But as their pleasure and need increased their kisses became hungrier, their hands more firm as they both invaded each other’s flesh with their nimble fingers, pleasing the other’s core while they tasted the other’s mouth.

All of Trina’s fantasies were shadowed by the reality and joy of pleasuring Sara while she was pleasured. She moaned deeply into Sara’s mouth when she started feeling even more, it took her a few moments through the blast of heady pleasure to realize Sara was sharing her feelings, projecting lust, pleasure, and deep caring.

She may have been moved to tears at finding how Sara felt about her, if it hadn’t drove her to bliss. Her body trembled against Sara’s and she could feel her canal tightening around and sucking in Sara’s fingers. She felt Sara quickly follow as their emotions, feelings, and pleasure all mixed together to bring her to a height she had never reached before, and she knew the night was just getting started…

*

Riese sighed as he threw the young woman’s corpse out of his room ordering the men to take care of it. It was an accident of course, he didn’t mean to take his anger of the day out on her, she was just there so he could take his relief, he had needed a nice soft woman to plunder after a day like today. He wondered though, he had never had a high regard for women before, but he had never killed one in bed before.

That one had been the third since he became the first of Ares followers. And the ones he didn’t kill he always sent back marked.

He dismissed it as unimportant, he didn’t feel bad about it. Mostly he was just curious by the change in him. They had plenty of women left anyway, and there was a full city of them where he was going. Still, the hoar had been talented enough.

It was time to get back on the road, so he collected his men and left the village behind.

*

Justin would never say it out loud, he wasn’t that stupid, but he was relieved Sally wouldn’t have to scout ahead again with them now having three more mages to do it. Even better, one of them happened to be a travel mage which is how Ross managed to catch up so quickly. They got started early the next day, they were in somewhat of a hurry. Riese would make it to the city long before they caught up, but they didn’t want to give him too much time as he would be terrorizing the people trying to get more soldiers.

The sooner they caught Riese and the others with him the better.

Right before noon they reached the village he had stayed at last night, the streets cleared much like the first village they came across and they moved through quickly. When he was close to the other side, he heard screams behind him.

He turned in time to see the last of the soldiers pour out of the houses and right into his troops. They were spread out and the fighting on the edges was fierce. His soldiers in the middle that were out of the aura range of the anti-magic tried to use the rifles on them, but there was too much danger of hitting one of their own.

There were only a hundred of them to the two thousand soldiers he had, and they were quickly dealt with, but not quickly enough. After he healed the wounded, they tallied he lost a tenth of his force before the enemy was put down. Of course, this meant Riese only had four hundred soldiers left. There was one thing he wanted to know though, why the hell hadn’t the scout seen they had left one in five of their men behind for an ambush?