by Hooke, Isaac
Bounder collapsed beside him, releasing the woman in front of a tree.
She promptly scrambled to her feet. She had had a sword strapped to her waist, but she had lost it in the frantic retreat—not that it would have helped all that much. So instead of fighting she tried to get away.
Bounder arose again; the animal blocked her every move. At last she realized she was trapped and dropped against the tree. She bent her legs to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her knees, huddling.
Bounder sat down, and rested its chin on the earth. It kept its eyes firmly on the woman. It continued to pant very slightly.
Felipe leaped down from Malem’s back and squatted on the dirt. Two fresh clumps of feces fell from his rear.
“Yeah, I almost shat myself, too,” Malem commented weakly.
He had lost his sword to the bandits, but it wasn’t particularly valuable. He carried a spare among the iguanid’s saddlebags anyway.
Lending his vigor to his mount had drained him greatly, and all he felt like doing at the moment was sleeping. But he couldn’t, not yet.
Felipe had his pouch slung over its back like a satchel, along with the other bags the animal had purloined from the brigand woman. The monkey brought them to his side and lowered them to the ground.
“That’s a good boy,” Malem said. He leaned forward, doing his best to ignore the throbbing pain in his shoulder, and scratched the monkey underneath the chin. It extended its neck to help him, and its eyes closed in contentment at the touch.
Malem grabbed the pouch and sat back. He retrieved the unguent from inside and opened the jar, setting it down beside him. He bent his right leg and removed the dagger he had hidden in a small ankle sheath. With it, he enlarged the rip in his jacket and the underlying shirt, and then set the blade down on the ground beside him. With difficulty he removed the bloodied fabrics entirely, so that he lay bare-chested against the tree. He was aware of the woman’s gaze upon him the whole time.
He found a stick and bit down on it. He wrapped his hand around the protruding arrow, beneath the fletching and yanked. He bit down hard on the stick as the arrow ripped free, bringing with it chunks of flesh. The arrowhead had wicked barbs along the edges, designed to tear if removed. And tear they had.
He spat out the stick as his night vision faded, replaced by the stars of extreme faintness.
He quickly felt around in the dark for the unguent; when he found it he applied the healing balm to the wound, which bled badly. The burning flared with such an intensity that he wished he hadn’t given up the stick so soon.
He rested for a moment, feeling the blood continue to ooze down his arm. At that rate, all the balm would be expelled before it could do any work.
“Looks painful,” the woman said. Her voice sounded hoarse, no doubt from all the screaming she’d done earlier.
He ignored her comment, and hesitated a moment longer, steeling himself for what was coming, then he leaned forward and applied another round of the healing balm.
When that was done, he was panting, and he quickly tied the shirt around the wound, bandaging it, and then lay back once more.
He dipped his fingers in the jar again, and applied the balm to his face where the ringleader had struck him; it burned as he smoothed the substance over the sensitive area.
“Healing unguent?” the woman pressed.
“Uh huh,” Malem said.
He blinked away the stars, allowing his night vision to return. He glanced at her, huddled as she was against the nearby tree. He could see her quite well under the moonlight. He hadn’t really looked at her before, back in the camp, but now that he had time to study her, he concluded she was pretty, despite all the grime. For a bandit.
“What happened to Crag?” she said.
Malem sealed the jar and returned it to the pouch. “The one the Darkness swallowed?”
She nodded.
“Gone,” Malem said. “His soul devoured.”
She seemed undisturbed by the news.
“He was your lover?” Malem asked.
She shrugged. “By convenience.” She studied him for a moment. “You summoned that Darkness?”
“No,” he said. He felt like sleeping. But he had to stay awake for a while longer. “It hunts me. It has all my life.”
“Sounds like a shitty life,” she said.
“You’re telling me…”
She eyed the shadows. “So it’s coming back?”
“Not yet,” Malem said. “In a few weeks.”
For several moments she kept her eyes on the dark nooks and crannies the moonlight couldn’t reach, then nodded. “I probably shouldn’t believe you, but I do.”
He smiled faintly. “I have that effect on people.”
She glanced at the monkey, which to her must have looked like a dark furry mass under the moonlight. “Is it true you’re a Beast Breaker?”
“I am,” he said. “That should be obvious by now, given the behavior of these two.”
She shrugged. “I thought you were just a really good trainer.” She leaned forward. “But tell me, why does this blackness from the underworld hunt a mere Breaker?”
He had to chuckle at that. “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”
“Try me,” she said.
But he chose not to answer. Because the truth was, she really wouldn’t believe him. No one did.
She shifted against the tree. “Why did you save me? I’m a bandit. I wronged you. You could have left me for the dark to take. I would have, in your place.”
He shrugged. “I don’t like it when people die because of me. Even if they are bandits.”
“What are you going to do to me?” she asked.
“As soon as I’ve caught my breath, I’m going to tie you up, and then tomorrow I’m bringing you to Redbridge. I plan to fetch the reward the magistrate gives out for turning in bandits like you.”
She remained quiet for several moments, as if processing his words. Or maybe she was just stunned.
“What if I gave you a reward instead?” She let her arms fall from her knees and hesitantly stood up.
Bounder rose, and Malem raised a hand to defer the animal. “Easy, my friend. Let’s see what game she plays.”
The iguanid rested its neck on its forelegs once more.
The bandit woman opened up her tunic and unlaced the top bands of the shirt underneath. The sides of her smooth, white breasts, untouched by the grime that covered the rest of her body, slid into view. They were so damn perky.
All thoughts of sleep were forgotten. As was the pain in his shoulder.
“A reward?” Malem squeaked.
“Uh huh.” She strode toward him, swaying her hips for effect, and knelt beside him. She proceeded to rub his leg. A sensual, pleasant rub.
“Well, that would be… inappropriate,” he said.
She grinned lasciviously. “I’m all about the inappropriate.”
She leaned forward as if to undo his belt, but then her hand shot out in a blur.
Malem was the faster. He caught her by the wrist, stopping the dagger intended for his heart.
He twisted, hard, and she yelped in pain. The dagger dropped away. “Nice try.”
He kicked the knife away into the dark and released her, waiting to see what she would do next. But she remained hovering beside him, her hot breath close enough to feel on his cheek.
“I like my men strong,” she purred.
“Really?” He couldn’t hide the doubt from his tone.
“I was testing you,” she continued. “You passed.”
He gave her a quick once-over. “You’re not hiding any other nasty surprises, are you?”
“That depends on what you call nasty.” She shrugged off her tunic and slid off her shirt, allowing those beautiful breasts to bounce free. She had the lean, toned body that could only come from years of hardship in the wilderness. He hadn’t seen a set of abs like that on a woman in a long time.
Malem couldn’t hold
back anymore. He mashed his lips against hers. Felt her raw breasts press up against his bare pectoral muscles.
She stank, but he hardly noticed. Not that he smelled any better himself. In fact, with their scents combined like that, the odor kind of canceled itself out. And what was left only excited him all the more.
He came up for breath long enough to ask: “What’s your name?”
“Does it matter?” she said.
“No.” He pressed his lips hard into hers, like a man desperate to feel the spark of life. With the death that had nearly taken him earlier, that wasn’t far from the truth.
He removed his belt and slid off his sandals and breeches. She reached for his groin, but he blocked her with his uninjured arm.
“Not so fast,” he said. While it would have been pleasant to feel her hand there, he thought it probably wasn’t the best idea to give her control of his goods, considering she had just tried to kill him.
Instead, he threw her hand aside and removed her riding pants, forcing the fabric to her knees. She had a pleasant dark mound over her pubis.
He pushed her onto her back and mounted her. Her eyes rolled up in pleasure as he thrust inside of her.
Her moans carried through the night. She was so loud that at first he was worried it was some nefarious plan of hers to attract her bandit companions, but the part of his mind that was still rational—which was admittedly a tiny, infinitesimal part at the moment—concluded that the cowards were long gone.
He spent his seed shortly thereafter, and when he collapsed on top of her, he wanted nothing more than to sleep. And he thought he was drained before...
Too bad he couldn’t close his eyes, not yet.
Bounder was fast asleep beside him. Felipe had remained awake nearby, watching it all. The small animal mock dry-humped the air.
“Perv,” he muttered.
The woman shifted sleepily underneath him.
He looked at her, feeling a surge of regret over what he’d done. Anger, too. He was disgusted at himself. It felt too much like he’d taken advantage of her situation. Even if she was a bandit—a woman who intended to cut out his tongue only an hour earlier, at that.
He slid off and shoved her away from him. “Get dressed. You’re free to go.”
She rubbed her eyes. “But—”
“You’ve paid your price,” Malem said. “Go.”
“Can’t I at least stay until morning?” she said. “It’s dark. I’ll get lost.”
“You’re a woman of the forest,” he said. “You won’t get lost.”
“At least tell me why,” she pleaded.
He shook his head. “You can take the girl off the highway, but you can’t take the highway off the girl.”
She frowned. “Huh?”
“Once a highwaywoman, always a highwaywoman,” he tried again.
“What in a Balor’s pale guts are you talking about?” she said.
“If I let you stay, I’ll wake up to find all my belongings stolen in the morning,” Malem said. “And maybe a dagger in my belly. It’s Sleeping With Bandits 101. So get.”
She shrugged, and began dressing. “I didn’t even climax, you know.”
“Okay.” He pulled on his own breeches and replaced his belt.
“I’ve never seen such a small dick in my life,” she continued.
“I doubt you even saw it, given how dark it is,” he said.
“Exactly my point,” she retorted.
He decided not to answer any further taunts, which continued until she was fully clothed.
As she started off, Malem spoke to her back: “If you try to sneak back into my camp, I should warn you, my iguanid is a light sleeper. And he doesn’t take kindly to uninvited guests. I’m not sure I’ll be able to wake in time before he devours you.”
“I won’t be coming back, no worries there,” she retorted. “I got what I wanted already.”
At first he thought she must have stolen something, but a quick check of his bags told him otherwise.
The only thing she stole was my dignity.
As soon as she was gone, Malem felt the tension ebb away.
He leaned back against the tree and glanced at the sleeping iguanid, and the still awake monkey.
“Good night, my friends,” Malem whispered.
The woman had momentarily banished the Darkness from his thoughts, but now that she was gone, it came back again, full force. As did the pain in his shoulder.
Funny how that works.
Thankfully, the fatigue quickly overwhelmed the mental image of those dark tendrils splintering the trees, so when he closed his eyes, sleep came quickly.
He gave a final mental instruction to Felipe, ordering the monkey to stand guard before he went under.
3
Malem awakened fully healed, as expected. He raised and rotated his shoulder a few times to confirm everything was in working order, and then he donned his shirt and jacket. He poked a finger through the gaping hole in the shoulder area.
“We’ll have to get that knitted sometime,” Malem said. He glanced at the capuchin, which was rubbing its eyes nearby. “The ladies don’t like torn clothes, do they Felipe? Then again, bandit women don’t really care, do they?”
Felipe stifled a yawn and scratched his hind quarters.
Speaking of the bandit woman, it appeared she hadn’t returned, as far as he could tell. All of his belongings were present. Even his decoy sack remained intact, along with all of its worthless trinkets. He searched the area for the dagger he had thrown away into the foliage last night, but when he couldn’t find it, he wondered if she had retrieved it before leaving. Doubtful. He searched a while longer, then gave up. It was worth only a few drachmae anyway.
The healing balm had certainly caused him to work up an appetite. Unfortunately, there were no berries or other edible plants nearby. Bounder wasn’t in the clearing, but Malem was grateful that someone had removed the saddlebags containing the rations, leaving them behind. Probably Felipe’s doing: the monkey was known to take the occasional midnight snack.
Malem ate the last of the cured meat from the store and was still hungry.
“Might have to catch a rabbit later, huh Felipe?” Malem said, tossing a piece he had saved to the little monkey.
He ate plants when they were available, but he also used his ability to attract wild birds, rabbits, and boars. He’d have to loosen his mental hold on the other two to do so, but they were more his friends than anything else at this point, and never ran away.
He refused to kill any larger potential meat sources, like elks. First of all, they were such beautiful creatures. Second of all, they were a lot harder to prepare. You had to hang them up to drain them of blood, skin them, and then cut their meat into small pieces. If you didn’t have enough salt, you wouldn’t be able to preserve it all, and the animal would go to waste. To Malem, needlessly wasting an animal was the most tragic thing in the world. Which was why he despised most royal hunters, and did his best to cause them trouble whenever he encountered such men. They were second on his list of most abhorrent people, right below bandits and highwaymen.
Malem rifled through the bags Felipe had taken from the woman bandit. Some extra drachmae, a tinderbox, and some salted meat. He pocketed all of it and nested the bags inside one another.
He mentally sought out Bounder. The iguanid was some ways away to the south, and from the contentment he detected, he knew that Bounder had found its own meal.
Felipe assumed his usual perch on Malem’s shoulder, and he set off through the trees. He arrived at the iguanid’s position shortly. Sure enough, there were large broken eggs on the ground, their contents devoured. The parents were nowhere to be found, perhaps chased away by the big iguanid. But Bounder had found something else after finishing the eggs: several large black hairy legs protruded from its mouth. That would be a bog spider. The rotten odor from the eggs had probably attracted it.
Bounder chewed the spider, occasionally growling as if m
ad at the dead thing, perhaps because it wasn’t as tender as it was supposed to be: the iguanid hated tough food. As if it was the spider’s fault…
Malem secured the empty sacks from the bandit to his saddle, and replaced his sword from the spare he carried among his saddlebags. Bounder growled louder, shooting a scowl Malem’s way.
“Whoa, relax boy,” Malem said. “I’m not trying to take your food.”
Bounder gave him the evil eye a moment longer, then returned his attention to the bog spider. Those legs shifted as he chewed further.
Felipe jumped down from Malem’s shoulder and snuck toward Bounder’s maw. The little monkey furtively approached one of the protruding legs, and when it was a little under half a meter away, Felipe dashed forward and ripped off a small foot.
Bounder hissed in outrage and tried to swat the monkey with a foreleg, but missed the more agile creature. Bounder promptly gave chase to the smaller animal, but Felipe ran to Malem and leaped onto his breeches, climbing his clothes until he reached the left shoulder. Then Felipe turned around triumphantly and hissed up a storm.
Malem raised a hand toward the iguanid, which had come right up to him—within snatching distance of the little monkey. Even though Bounder still had a dead bog spider in his maw, that didn’t mean the lizard couldn’t also fit a capuchin monkey.
“Come on now, children,” Malem said. “Playtime is over. Finish up your breakfast, Bounder. Go on.”
Bounder reluctantly turned away.
Felipe let out a victorious squeal. Bounder glanced askance to glare at the monkey, but then moved off to continue chewing on the spider
“You shouldn’t tease him like that, Felipe,” Malem said. “It can only end badly for you.”
But the monkey had lost interest, and was swatting at a small glowbug that was meandering near its shoulder perch.
When the iguanid finally swallowed the large spider, Malem mounted the beast and returned to the forest trail.
The road was fairly quiet all that morning. He passed a few traders in their wagons, who gave him a wide berth, fearful of his intent. They all had armed escorts, mercenaries who usually gawked openly at his ride.
