by Sarah Hawke
“How the hell do you even organize that many men?” I whispered as I stared out at the undulating horde of Roskarim warriors. They were marching across the snowy foothills of the White Ridge towards the gatekeeper fortress of Icewatch.
“You promise them gold and spoils,” Valuri muttered from next to me. “And a whole lot of rape.”
My lip twitched in disgust. The sun was rapidly sinking into the horizon, bathing the distant army in a soft crimson glow. The Roskarim were still several dozen miles away, far enough that they wouldn’t reach the fortress for at least another day or two depending on how many catapults they were dragging along with them. The barbarians may have been “primitive” by the standards of Highwind, but that didn’t make them any less threatening. Like the orcs of the Shattered Peaks, the Roskarim understood war…and they never grew out of their child-like wonder for death and pillage.
“We should keep moving,” Kaseya beckoned from further down the hill. “Sir Derec will want to know everything we learned about my sister.”
I nodded and reluctantly turned back towards the path. We had been trudging through the mountains for a solid twelve hours now without a single stop to eat, piss, or rest. For the first several hours Kaseya had held out hope that we would be able to catch up with the Roskarim wolf riders who had captured Zalheer, but at this point even she realized the chase was over. The old moshalim sorcerer would soon be at the mercy of the Inquisitrix and her Senosi, and there wasn’t a damn thing we could do about it.
Kaseya’s newfound powers were the only good news we’d gotten on this trip. Not only had she discovered that she could sense the presence of Senosi, she could also identify the weak points in their Aetheric resistance. Through our shared bond, I had been able to channel far more power than ever before, and I had actually wounded her sister, Ayrael. In time, I might even be able to kill a Senosi…assuming a crumbling, undermanned fortress could repel the largest army the Northern Reaches had seen in the better part of two decades. I wasn’t holding my breath.
We arrived at the fortress about an hour later, and it was depressingly obvious that the situation might have been even worse than we’d feared.
“I guess this is what happens when a forgotten garrison finally faces a real threat,” Valuri commented as we maneuvered through the chaos engulfing the main bailey. “You would think they’d be better prepared. Some of these people are old enough to have fought in the Winter War.”
I nodded in silent agreement. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, certainly—the battlements were manned, the catapults were loaded, and the defenders were reasonably well-equipped. The problem mostly came down to numbers…or the distinct lack thereof. Five hundred soldiers couldn’t hold this castle against ten thousand no matter how well trained or provisioned.
Still, the leadership structure here was also clearly stretched well beyond capacity. I hadn’t a clue how armies were organized beyond the very basics, but it seemed to me like they didn’t have nearly enough officers to go around. The squires and servants running back and forth across the courtyard looked more like decapitated chickens than professional warriors. I could only hope they would settle down in time.
“We need to find Sir Derec,” I said, squinting as I swept my eyes back and forth across the castle. “If he’s still lounging about the whorehouse, I’m going to punch him in the face.”
“He’s not,” Kaseya said, gesturing off to our left with her chin. The man in question was busy speaking with several other Silver Fist knights near the southern watchtower. “He seems occupied. Perhaps we should wait?”
“We really don’t have the time,” I lamented. “Come on.”
Thankfully, we didn’t have to interrupt him and make the situation even more awkward. He spotted us approaching and dismissed his men before we moved within earshot.
“Thank Escar you’re all right,” Sir Derec breathed, nodding and smiling at each of us in turn. “When our scouts spotted the Roskarim prowling through the mountains, I feared the worst.”
“We made it out…mostly,” I muttered. “You’re the one with the real problem.”
He nodded gravely, and his eyes drifted over to the main gate. “Reinforcements are already on the way. Highlord Kastrius is planning to lead a thousand knights and a dozen guild wizards himself.”
“Only a thousand?” Kaseya asked. “You’ll still be badly outnumbered.”
“The Highlord couldn’t convince the Council to spare any more men, at least not yet.” Derec pursed his lips. “They have far more confidence in Icewatch’s walls than I do…probably because I’ve actually seen them with my own eyes.”
I glanced back over my shoulder to the crumbling stone. On our way here, Valuri had commented that if war with Vorsalos ever came, the Inquisitrix wouldn’t hold back in attacking such a transparently vulnerable position. Her words had been more prophetic than any of us realized.
“Have the Roskarim sent any messages or made any demands?” I asked.
“No, and I don’t expect them to,” Derec said. “They’re savages—conversation isn’t really their style. I just don’t understand how in the bloody abyss they managed to organize the tribes again.”
“Ayrael,” Kaseya said. “They are here because of Ayrael.”
The knight turned to face her, a shadow falling over his annoyingly handsome face. “But that’s…” he trailed off and shook his head. “That’s not possible. Why would barbarians follow an amazon?”
“I doubt they’re ‘following’ her—they probably just struck a deal with the Inquisitrix,” I said. “We don’t know all the details, but apparently she forged an alliance with them several months ago. They’ve probably been amassing their forces and preparing for an attack ever since.”
Derec hissed softly, his brow creased in thought. “Solemi needs to know about this. So does the Council, for all the good it will do.” He paused and swore under his breath. “I wish we knew more. Something about this still doesn’t feel right.”
“A lot of things about this don’t seem right,” I muttered. “Anyway, long story short: the Roskarim captured Zalheer, and we’re trying to catch up with them. I don’t suppose you happened to see them ride by?”
“I’m afraid not,” the knight lamented. “Damn. Did you even have a chance to speak with him?”
“We did, and he told us a few things about Ayrael,” I said, avoiding specifics for the time being. “You were right that he’s on our side, and we could use his help. I don’t even want to think about what the Inquisitrix has planned for him.”
Derec bit down on his lip. “I wish I could help, but there’s nothing I can do with an army on our doorstep. This may sound harsh, but he is probably on his own. You should get back to Highwind and tell Solemi everything you learned.”
“I agree,” Valuri said. “The sooner we get out of here, the better.”
Kaseya turned and glowered at her. “You would abandon a comrade so easily?”
“First, Zalheer isn’t a ‘comrade’—he’s an old kook who you wanted to skewer less than a day ago. Second, Pretty Boy here is right—there isn’t a bloody thing we can do for the old man right now.”
“Is that how you felt when Jorem didn’t attempt to rescue you from the Inquisitrix?”
A cold, awkward silence settled between the two women. It might have been the first time in my life I had ever seen Val rendered speechless, even for a moment.
“This isn’t quite the same thing,” I managed, not sure whether I believed it or not. “And regardless, the point is that the Inquisitrix will use this chaos to her advantage. I guarantee she’ll have something planned for Highwind while the Roskarim throw themselves against the wall here. All things considered, I would rather be back in the city where we can make a real difference.”
Derec glanced between us, sensing the obvious tension. “It won’t be easy, but I can probably wrangle up some fresh horses for you,” he said. “If you ride hard, you could—”
�
��We can’t just leave,” Kaseya repeated. “Zalheer is still out there, Jorem. I can feel him.”
I met her eyes and studied her face. I couldn’t sense anything, but I had no doubt that she could. My current assumption was that the Roskarim were planning on dragging the moshalim back to Vorsalos so the Inquisitrix could torture the secrets of Nol Krovos out of him, but maybe defeating Ayrael had fucked up their plans somehow.
“We’ll think about it,” I said after a moment, turning back to Derec. “I’m sure you need to get back to your men anyway.”
The knight nodded. In addition to his irritatingly good looks, he was also cunning enough to recognize a polite request for privacy when he heard one. “I’ll be around if you need me,” he said. “I doubt anyone’s going to be getting much sleep around here for a while.”
After offering us a short bow and an abridged salute, Derec disappeared into the chaos of the courtyard. I let out a heavy sigh and rubbed my fingers across the three-day stubble peppering my chin.
“Staying here is a terrible idea,” Valuri said, her voice oddly tense. “And both of you are smart enough to know it.”
“We’ll stay the night and see if we have an epiphany,” I said before an argument could break out. The girls had grown rather fond of one another over these past few weeks, but that didn’t mean that their personalities were suddenly compatible. Valuri’s cool pragmatism and Kaseya’s sense of duty went about as well together as peppercorn on a pastry.
“Fine,” Val said, flicking her wrist dismissively. “I’ll meet you back at the inn later. I’m going to lurk around here for a bit.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “What do you think you’re going to find?”
“I don’t know. That’s the point.”
She strode away before I could press her for details. I watched her vanish into the crowd of soldiers and slowly shook my head.
“I really wish you hadn’t reopened that old wound,” I whispered.
“Was I wrong?” Kaseya asked.
“That’s not really the point,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Come on, let’s buy a room and get something to eat. I’d rather not stare down the apocalypse on an empty stomach.”
***
Icewatch only had one inn, and right now it was probably the calmest place in the whole fortress. The travelers and merchants who normally filled the beds had already bolted back to Highwind, and that was unlikely to change as long the Roskarim remained a threat. I was honestly a little surprised that the innkeeper and her husband hadn’t boarded the place up and left themselves. They probably didn’t have anywhere else to go.
I paid them double the normal rate, half out of pity and half to make sure we got the best room available. It didn’t hold a candle to the suite at the Knight’s Lantern , of course, but that was hardly a fair comparison. After a full day on the road without with a break, comfy beds and a hot meal were more than enough.
Kaseya didn’t even bother eating before she sat down in front of the fire and started probing the Aether for any trace of Zalheer. I considered joining her and trying to help, but I knew there wasn’t a whole lot I could do. I couldn’t bolster her in the same way she could bolster me…at least not yet. Though even if I could, I was so bloody tired I probably wouldn’t have bothered anyway.
I passed out halfway through my glass of wine, though I awoke not long afterwards to the sight of Valuri unbuckling my belt. Kaseya, strangely, was nowhere to be seen.
“What…” I groaned, sitting up and blinking the fog from my vision. “Did you learn anything?”
“Only that this place is probably even more fucked than we thought,” she grumbled. “Icewatch isn’t just short on men. Apparently the Highwind Council has been using it as their personal doghouse for a while now.”
“What?” I asked as she almost violently ripped my trousers from my legs.
“Almost everyone up on the walls is being disciplined for one reason or another,” Val explained. “Incompetence, insubordination, desertion…you name it. Instead of throwing them in the dungeon, they get sent here for a few months. And now they’re the only thing standing between Highwind and a horde of angry barbarians.”
“That’s…not good,” I murmured. “The Highlord and his army better get here soon.”
“I seriously doubt it will make a difference. The Inquisitrix is right about one thing—peace has made Highwind soft.”
With my clothes out of the way, she hopped up on the bed and began furiously stroking my flaccid member to life. I noticed that she hadn’t eaten the food we had set out for her, but that wasn’t exactly surprising. My cock was holding the only meal she cared about.
“Come on, you’ve had all day to recuperate,” Valuri said, licking at her lips. “Don’t tell me you’re finally tapped.”
“No, but I would appreciate a little wining and dining first,” I grunted. “I’m not your personal spigot.”
“Red was busy chatting with the innkeeper downstairs, so you’re all I’ve got. Come on…”
Grinning impishly, I grabbed onto her shoulders and threw her down onto the bed. Normally, her Senosi strength would have been more than enough to overpower me, but she was obviously drained from the day’s journey. I had no trouble straddling her waist or pinning her arms behind her head.
“You could at least try asking politely,” I scolded her. “Something like ‘hey, Jorem, I’m hungry. Would you mind helping me out?’ Or maybe try: ‘hey, Jorem, I’m hungry. Will you please cum on my pretty little face?’”
“Fuck off,” Val growled, struggling pitifully against my grip. “This isn’t funny.”
“Actually, it’s hilarious.” I leaned down far enough to kiss the tip of her nose, snickering the whole time. I knew her well enough that I had mentally catalogued the various stages of her hunger. Despite her weakness and mildly bloodshot eyes, she was still a long way off from being truly desperate. There was no better time to torment her.
“I really hate you sometimes,” she protested.
“You know what they say: hate is the truest form of love.”
“Literally no one has ever said that.”
I shrugged and kissed her. Her body might have been drained and listless, but her tongue was not. Within seconds she was practically attacking me, and it wasn’t until I felt a sudden spike of pain that I belatedly realized what she was doing.
“Ow!” I hissed, pulling away and licking at my lower lip. I could taste blood from where she’d bitten me, and when I glanced down I watched her roll the red liquid across her tongue like she really was a vampire. Her tattoos didn’t start glowing, but the bloodshot streaks in her eyes did fade away.
“Much better,” Valuri breathed. “Now give me what I really want.”
She was still too weak to escape, but the impish glimmer in her eyes told me she didn’t want to. I mock glared at her for a moment before I finally released her arms and grabbed the strings of her corset. I had struggled to properly remove it for a long time after we’d met. My clumsiness had earned plenty of derisive chortles over the years, but at this point I could tear it off as easily as my own shirt. Once her pale tits were free, I slouched forward and sucked her nipples into my mouth one after the other.
“This still isn’t what I want,” she protested even as she moaned in delight.
“I’m a sorcerer, not a psychic.”
She smacked me gently with her free hand. “Jorem…”
“I want to hear it,” I said, leaning up and grinning down at her. “Tell me what you want. Tell me what you need .”
Valuri clutched my head in both hands and grabbed hold of my short hair. Her green eyes glimmered with lust. “Give me your cum, Jorem. Give it to me now!”
“See? Was that really so hard?”
Shuffling forward, I straddled her stomach and speared my cock between her tits. She helpfully pushed them together for me when I started thrusting, and she opened her mouth and stretched out with her tongue so she could lick the sw
ollen head whenever it drew close. I hadn’t fucked her like this in a long time, and I’d forgotten just how much I’d missed it. While I usually preferred the smoldering embrace of her throat or cunt, there was something uniquely satisfying about fucking a woman’s tits. Maybe it was just the foreknowledge that I was about to treat her pretty face like my own personal handkerchief.
“Come on,” she begged, her eyes glimmering. “Cover me. Drench me!”
I leaned forward and braced my hands on the headboard for leverage. I could already feel a climax approaching, but I made sure to pace myself and drag this out as long as possible. I had always been enamored by the way Val’s eyes in particular looked at my cock. When I fucked Kaseya’s tits—or mouth or cunt or ass—her face warmed with genuine affection. She happily played the role of the attentive lover; half her joy came from knowing how much pleasure her lips and body were giving me.
But with Val, everything was different. She always looked at me desperately, hungrily, even if I had just fed her a few minutes ago. She didn’t just want my cock; she needed my cock. It was quite literally the only thing sustaining her on a regular basis.
“Please,” she begged, her lips open and parched. “Please, cum all over me, Jorem!”
I exploded mid-thrust, blasting her nose and forehead with a searing hot jet of seed. The second and third volleys barely lost any strength; I painted her cheeks, nose, and lips before the last few spurts splattered across her chin and neck. I doubt she actually felt any of it—her entire body seized up and entered a feeding trance the instant the first blast struck her skin.
A few final dribbles oozed from the head of my cock, which I promptly smeared all over her tits. “Gods, you look like such a whore right now,” I said, watching as her glowing eyes rolled back into her head. “A really terrifying, demonic whore…”
