The Tattooed Woman Pt. 01

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THE TATTOOED WOMAN

Thought I’d try something a little different.

I borrowed heavily from some of the concepts to be found in stories by EstebanMamono so I offer a shout out and big thanks to him.

Please comment on the story, I’m curious to learn what you think.

Chapter 1: Slavers

The Dark Elves were slavers, leading a coffle of subdued and subjugated humans, mostly female, through the lonely mountain passes back to their own lands. The slaves had been taken in raids or by stealth, from villages and towns along the nearby borderlands and they trudged in line, hands chained before them. Many were fearful, some were sullen and resentful, but more than a few were strangely curious.

By treaty and ancient agreement, the Dark Elves and their kind did not raid the remote and isolated farms despite them being easier and more vulnerable marks. To do so would simply mean the farmers would abandon their fields and herds for the shelter of walled towns and fortified villages, and all would suffer hunger, and so the farmers were, for the most part, safe from the depredations of slavers, though of course bandits and beasts still preyed upon them, and their lives remained perilous enough in these wild lands.

The Black Eldar were a queer lot, or so claimed those humans who had encountered them and somehow managed to remain free. Possessed of rare beauty and malicious glee it was said. Some spoke of their inhuman cruelty, but others claimed they treated their slaves well enough, better than most in fact, and even allowed them the opportunity to regain their freedom in the fullness of time, though it was also said that none who returned from their clutches were ever truly the same. Strangely, it was also rumoured that many slaves, having eventually been released from bondage and servitude, chose to remain in the Eldrich Realm.

Captain Ashunara commanded a half-dozen of her sisters and a dozen lumbering Orcish mercenaries. She was a veteran of a score of raids and her sisters-in-arms had all seen their share of combat, save young Tallis-Mora, their newest recruit. The Dark-Elves were armoured in light leather and chain, suited more for stealth, than open battle, and armed with shortsword, dagger, cudgel, and crossbow. Their gear was blackened, their cloaks hooded, and while their sun-kissed cousins among the Light-Elves could match them in woodcraft not even they could equal their ability to move silently, or see so well, in the hours of darkness.

The raid had gone well so far, and they now led more than a score of prisoners, mostly taken from a roadside inn. Those inside had thought themselves safe behind their fortifications and so the guard was lax, and Ashunara herself had scaled the walls to silently open the gate while her sisters had stealthily subdued the inexperienced sentries by clubbing them insensible.

Once inside the compound, the Dark Elves had silently climbed onto the roof of the inn and sprinkled sleeping powder down chimneys onto the cooking range and the hearth that warmed the common room. Within a half-hour, the powerful soporific effect of the powder had worked its magic. When they and their Orcish sellswords burst through doors and windows the Dark Elves found only a few, the strongest, were capable of mounting any resistance, and most of these were half sleep-addled from the narcotic.

A trio of adventurers and the blacksmith put up a rare fight, but the contest was an unequal one and numbers took their toll. Two orcs wrestled the blacksmith to the floor while others ringed the adventurers with sword and spear.

Sergeant Nyx matched blades with a tall fighter for a while as he tried to ward his companions and it would have been an even match but for the press of orcs that hemmed the man. Elsadore and Azure tackled an almost invisible rogue and bore the slim woman to the floor while a flurry of poisoned darts caused their sorcerer to swoon before he could muster his magicks and he crumpled when a club took him on the back of the head.

The fighter struggled on bravely and made an impressive show of it for a brief while. Even unarmoured and surprised he clubbed an orc from his path with his fist as his weaving blade caused Nyx to give ground. She parried and spun, skillfully fending off his longer blade with her shortsword even as she drew back, and he pressed her, nicking her once on the shoulder, and then again on the upper thigh. Then she flashed him a brilliant wolflike smile, and he felt the prick of a dagger touching his spine as Ashunara whispered in his ear, “You fight well human, and bravely, but it is time to yield. There is no need for anyone to die here. Put up your sword now my dear and I swear, neither you nor your companions will be harmed.”

Looking around he could see only a sea of Orcish and Dark-Elven blades surrounding him, and he knew little could be gained from further fighting save his quick, but ignominious death. He slumped and lowered his tuzla escort sword with a despairing groan.

Nyx moved forward and stepped close enough that he could smell her scent, a heady aroma not unlike cinnamon and incense, and she smiled as she gently eased the blade from his hand. Moving gracefully, she leaned close and kissed him lightly on the cheek as she whispered, “For what it’s worth human, in a fair fight I think you might have had the better of me. Well done.”

The blacksmith had finally been subdued and his hands bound, he was a short but powerfully built man, with broad shoulders, a barrel chest, and thick arms that were corded with muscle. His dark beard and hair were unkempt, and his hands calloused by long hours working the forge. With his great strength he had thrown down the first orc to grab him and his headbutt had staggered the second, but eventually, he had been overwhelmed. The orc he had butted nursed a smashed nose and giving the man an evil grin, punched the smith hard in the midrift. The man grunted but instead of going down he swore sulphurously at the orc and kicked the green-skinned beast squarely in the balls, “Fuck you, ye horn-toothed bastard!”

The orcish warriors grinned in appreciation at the man’s spirit even as they forced him to his knees and raised their cudgels. Ashunara stilled them with a casual gesture as she gracefully crouched before the incensed human.

Leaning close she presented a beguiling sight, with her tight leather armour enclosing a slim but well-rounded figure. Her long silver hair was bound away from her face and the smith found himself looking into violet unblinking eyes. She had unfastened part of her armour after the fight, and he struggled to avoid glancing at the enticing orbs of her cleavage as she leaned close. Her hand was cool as she ran her fingers through his forked beard, and her voice almost musical, “Here now, there’s no need for all this fighting, will ye not submit,” she gave him an alluring smile that seemed full of hidden promises, as her hand traced its way down to the powerful muscles of his chest “we’re not so bad after all. You can still be a smith you know if the craft pleases you, and I’m sure there are other things we can give you… that might please you even more.”

The human strained for a moment more before slumping in the grip of the two orcs that held him, “I yield milady.”

The Dark Elf laughed, a musical sound it seemed, full of mischief and delight as she slid a hand down the front of the man’s breeches, “Oh, I’m no lady, I assure you. Mayhap I’ll demonstrate just how unladylike I can be this evening, would this please you?”

The smith gasped, “I’m no skilled lover mistress, just a simple man. I’d…” he blushed, “I’d like as not disappoint ye for I’ve not lain with a wench since my wife was taken by plague last year.”

Ashunara leaned close to the man and as her fingers moved down the front of his breeches, “Oh, from what I’m feeling I think you may have the… aptitude for what I seek, and sometimes a good strong effort makes all the difference my dear. Tell me true now,” she blew gently along the side of his neck causing the man to shiver almost uncontrollably, “would you be willing to make such an effort for me?”

He groaned, “I’d give it my all lass. But they say that Dark Elves kill and eat their mates after love-play, tis this not so?”

The Dark Elves chuckled and Ashunara grinned, “Is that old wives’ tale still told? I think that you and I might end up eating each other quite a bit human, but not like that. Now, will ye behave, or must you be beaten insensible and carried? I mislike bruises on my playthings, but if needs must.”

The man’s broad shoulders shook as she released him, “I’ll be good.”

“Oh, not too good I hope. Mayhap a little defiance is no bad thing. Just a little mind, for too much risks the whip. But I’m sure once we’ve all had our way with you a few times you’ll have well learned what it takes to please us. You’ll even enjoy it, I promise.”

Standing Ashunara glanced around, looking down at the slender figure still struggling furiously in the grip of two of her sisters. They had pulled aside the woman’s cloak and hood to reveal the golden hair and slender features of one of the Sunkissed and the Dark-Elves grinned, imagining the sport they could have with this dainty morsel.

The lithe little light elf had already produced a slender blade from someplace and Ashunara was barely swift enough to deftly kick it from her grasp before she buried it in one of her sisters, “Hey now! None of that cousin.”

“Let me go you black-skinned cow!”

Ashunara crouched before the struggling woman and reached out to grip her chin, turning her face up towards her own. The Dark Elf studied the delicate elfin features of the snarling creature. She was stunning to be sure, with golden hair and sapphire-like eyes of inhuman blue. Her figure was slender but she was obviously pendik escort supple and she could see how much her two sisters were enjoying her writhing.

The Dark Elf spoke as calmingly as she could in the lilting tongue of her kin, “Listen now cousin, you must see there’s no escape for you. Now come, behave yourself, this useless display in front of the humans is unseemly.”

The Elf somehow produced yet another blade and barely missed driving it into Ashunara’s foot before it was wrestled from her grasp.

“Ye Gods girl, but you have a temper on you. Now look, my sisters would like nothing more than to whip the skin from your back and to fuck you and tease you until you begged for the lash. After being passed back and fore between us and tortured, drugged and used all the way from here to our home I doubt there would be much left of you but some poor drooling creature, desperate to please us in any and every way we could ever want.”

“I’m stronger than you think bitch!”

“Oh, I’m sure you are, but could you resist our torments for that length of time, could anyone?”

The girl slumped and crystal tears formed in her eyes, “No, but better death than slavery…. I’ve been a slave before, I… I can’t.,,”

“Oh, hush now, I’ve also served under the lash, with me it was humans, Knights they called themselves, but they had the same appetites as other men and were quick enough with their whips if they did not get what they desired. You?”

“Bandits, the same…”

The Dark Elf sat at a table and indicated a nearby barstool, “Sit with me a moment as my guest. What say you? We can always go back to all this strife after a drink and a few words if you wish. Please, will you sit a while?”

The other Dark Elves released her and the Sunkissed cautiously sat upon the stool, looking about her warily.

Ashunara poured some wine from a jug already on the table and tasted it with a grimace, “Human swill, how they can drink this stuff beggar’s belief, but I suspect you wouldn’t trust anything of ours so it will have to do,” she grinned, “mayhap I can tempt you with something more palatable later.”

The Sunkissed simply stared at the tabletop in misery.

The captain rummaged in her pack and tossed a set of manacles to the table, “What do you make of these?”

Examining the metalwork and locking mechanism momentarily the Sunkissed looked up, “Slave manacles, high quality, Gnome-made I should think.”

“Correct, and tell me little Elf, how long would it take a rogue, like yourself say, to pick the lock on those things?”

“Assuming the lock is ensorcelled to prevent such, and assuming I can filch a pick or suitable piece of metal, I should think it would take almost a quarter-hour to open such a mechanism. Why?”

“Interesting. Now look, my kin have no love for you and yours as you know, and my sisters would quite enjoy tormenting you until you begged to use your tongue to clean their boots, or pleasure them on a nightly basis, but,” she casually pointed to the warrior standing nearby, “I promised that man that none of you would be harmed if he surrendered, and he did. Now, my faults are legion, but I like to keep my word if nothing else. So, yield, promise you won’t try and escape and I, in turn, promise none of my party will lay so much as a finger upon you, unless you ask it of them of course, for the remainder of our time together.”

The Elf wept, and her voice was sad but surprisingly steady, “But eventually we’ll reach the Fey realm and I’ll be sold, probably to some brothel, and you cannot deny that there are those among your people who would happily visit endless indignities upon me. Better death I think.”

“True enough, I won’t deny it. But… But I know of a craftsman, a Gnome strangely enough, whom I could induce to purchase you. He would be keen to make use of your skills as a locksmith and rogue. He is an artisan and while I cannot promise he wouldn’t find some use for your body from time to time, for you are comely enough, I would surmise he would far rather probe your mind and skills rather than your cunny. Plus he is a generous soul. I would suspect that even being paid slaves’ wages you would earn enough in his workshop to buy your freedom within a year or two at the latest.”

“Freedom in Dark Elven lands?”

“Freedom is freedom my dear. We have laws that would protect you both as his property, and later, as a freedwoman, and trust me,” she grinned wolfishly, “we are not known for leniency with those that break our laws.”

The Elf shuddered, “No, you’re not.”

Ashunara held out her hand, “Well then, do we have a bargain?”

“Can you promise he will buy me?”

The Dark Elf pondered for a moment, “Noo, in truth I cannot, but I tell you what, if he doesn’t then I will keep you. Now I’m not so kindly a mistress as he would be a master I think, but I’m really not so terrible once you get to know me. I’d promise to at least keep you to maltepe escort myself, and not share you with others if that would sooth your mind,” she gave the Elf a sly grin, “unless you asked of course. And I have no love of inflicting hurt and harm simply for the sake of it, though I confess a little pain and correction, deftly applied, can sometimes be a good thing I assure you.”

“Could I still buy my freedom?”

“I have not his wealth, but again, I really do enjoy making a deal, so lets say this, if you come to be owned by me, I will, if you serve me well and faithfully, grant you your freedom after a period of no longer than three years, assuming,” she grinned again and gently stroked her fingers along the Sunkissed Elf’s hand, “you still want it.”

The Dark Elf looked at her cousin and gripped her hand tightly, “Please, come with us. There’s nothing to be gained by your death. I’ll look after you, I promise. Truly, I think I would enjoy showing you my homeland. Who knows, perchance one day we might even be friends.”

The Sunkissed Elf gave a sigh as she looked up and her lips quivered as she spoke, “In truth, despite my brave words I fear I would be too frightened to end my own life. Very well, take me if you will, I am yours.”

Ashunara gave the girl a brilliant smile and patted her cheek gently, “Excellent!”

Her thoughts were interrupted as Varoona called from the door, “Captain, mayhap you should see this.”

Moving across the inn she peeked out from the doorway and up beyond the lintel. High above and a ways off towards the mountains, she saw the heavy clouds were lit by brilliant flashes, like lightning, and there was the distant rumble of thunder. Suddenly there was a thunderous and deafening crack of noise from immediately above the inn, and the sky was lit by several brilliant flashes.

Shaking her head in wonder she looked to Varoona, “By the Gods that looks to be some storm!”

Varoona looked troubled, “Strange though, no rain, not even any wind, just the thunder and lightning.”

“Hmm, even so, we’d best shelter here tonight and depart in the morning. I’ll speak to sergeant Nyx so we have a good watch posted,” she turned to her companion, “you fought well today Varoona.”

The woman blushed, “Thank you Captain, but they were peasants for the most part, and half asleep at that. Little enough of a challenge.”

“Even so, you took them alive and with no injury save a few bruises, it was well done,” the Captain flicked Varoona a sideways glance, “I saw you strike one of the serving maids a hard blow when she was slow to drop a jug of ale. She seemed more frightened than defiant, was there something I missed?”

The younger Dark Elf found herself avoiding her Captain’s steady gaze and looking down at her gauntleted hand she was strangely slow to answer, “It’s the human’s Captain, since… well, you know, since then they sometimes anger me so. I try so hard not to let it get the better of me, but…”

The Captain rested a hand on her shoulder, “You’re a good companion Varoona, what they did to you was cruel. But it was not these poor souls who harmed you so.”

Varoona hung her head, and her voice was little more than a whisper, “I’m sorry Captain.”

Ashunara slapped her shoulder and grinned, “Do not be ashamed Varoona, we all have our demons, myself included. If you need someone to talk to, I will always be there for you. Besides, you only slapped the girl, you didn’t spit her on your blade, so I’d say all’s well that ends well. Be mindful is all I ask.”

The younger woman looked up and met her Captain’s gaze and she nodded with a small smile, “Aye Captain, I’ll try.”

“Good lass. Now go have some fun, but mind don’t terrify the poor wee buggers too much, they have to travel in the morning. Do any take your fancy?”

“Maybe I’ll go find the serving wench. I must have bruised her, mayhap I can kiss it better.”

Ashunara laughed, “Hey now! If you are going to be so generous with your kisses, I’m sure I have a bruise or two somewhere.”

With a lascivious grin, Varoona glanced across at the hulking bear-like form of the blacksmith and gave her Captain an appraising look, “I suspect you may have a few more come morning methinks, and in interesting places too I’ll wager.”

“Ha! Safe bet. Now off with you.”

After she had gone Ashunara looked about before beckoning to Tallis-Mora, the youngest of their party. At the young woman’s approach, she offered her a goblet of wine, “How did you find your first affray young one?”

The younger Dark Elf smiled shyly, “Equal parts terror and excitement Captain.”

“Well you did better than I did. The first time I crossed swords with a human I tripped over my own feet and dropped my blade. It was a horse-faced guardswoman as I recall, and I think she was as surprised as I was.”

“What happened?”

“The cow would have spitted me the next moment had Nyx not taken her in the throat with a thrown knife. Pity really, she would have made a useful slave, not pretty as such, but strong, and a good fighter.”

“Beg pardon Captain, but why is Nyx not a Captain, she wields a blade better than anyone I’ve ever seen?”

“Oh, Nyx hates officers. Thinks we’re a shower of useless cunts. To be fair, most of us are. Took her a hundred years at least to get used to me.”