Chapter 13

The Baron’s two guards were still standing outside the door to his bedchamber, even though he wasn’t in it. Taking a stone out of the pouch for my sling, I tossed it down the hall so it landed just beyond the guards. The moment it hit the floor, four of us stepped from behind the corner and released our arrows. One of the guards had just started to turn back our way but neither man saw us before the arrows dropped them.

Expecting to find the Baroness in the bed, I was surprised to find it empty, but I found two naked young women manacled to the floor, provided with only a pile of straw to sleep on. They stared at me, wide-eyed and terrified.

“I have the key. The Baron is dead,” I whispered. Both of them broke down, sobbing in relief. Once I unlocked them, they grabbed me and held me tightly.

“Shhhhh, we still have to capture the Baroness and her two daughters,” I told the girls. “Cover yourselves and stay in this room until I return, or I send Nordlinger troops for you,” I told them.

“I can show you their rooms,” one of the girls whispered between sobs of relief. They each quickly pulled a long shift over their heads to cover themselves.

“I’ll take it back off for you anytime you want,” the bolder of the two offered, as she pressed herself against me suggestively.

“Thank you for the offer,” I replied, kissing her lightly on the lips, “but I already have more than I can manage at home.” The other girl wanted a kiss too.

I worried that the Baroness and daughters would scream and alert the two remaining guards, so I sent six men to deal with the armory guards. The shyer of the two girls showed them the way.

“There is a better way to get to the Baroness,” the bolder girl suggested. I followed her back into the Baron’s room where she showed me a passageway that led throughout the castle, including the room of the Baroness. She led me there and showed me the hidden doorway to the room next door to the Baron’s room.

“Once you open the door, the Baroness will be in her bed to your immediate right,” she whispered in my ear, sneaking in another kiss and then quickly groping me.

Once she was out of the way, I set my bow down and took out my knife. After taking and releasing a deep breath, I opened the door. The latch made a quiet click, but the door opened silently. A single candle on the far side of the room let me see that the Baroness was in bed two feet to my right.

“I told you to leave me alone tonight. Go abuse your other toys,” she said angrily, never rolling over to look.

“Shhhhh,” I whispered, covering her mouth with my hand. She tried to get away, but I held her. “Stay silent, don’t struggle, and you won’t be harmed,” I whispered. She nodded her understanding.

“Who are you?” she whispered into my hand when I reduced the pressure on her mouth.

“One of the Morilian troops sent to capture the city,” I whispered back.

“The Baron isn’t here. He’s with one of the young female slaves he has working in the castle. I’ll gladly show you where he is,” she said with some vehemence.

“We already got him,” I replied.

“Oh, thank you,” she sobbed, throwing off her covers to show her lush, gorgeous body. “I hurt everywhere, but use me any way you want,” she sobbed.

I think they were sobs of relief. Even in the dim light of the single candle, I could see her body covered in red welts from her chest to her thighs. “Your offer is tempting, but I wouldn’t enjoy it knowing that it caused you pain. First, you need to heal, and then talk to my wives to get their permission,” I replied.

“Please don’t hurt my daughters,” she begged.

“I have no intention of harming them unless they fight me,” I replied.

“Then please let me speak with them,” she begged, standing up and letting me see her in all her naked glory.

“Put something on first unless you want my men to see how exquisitely beautiful you are,” I warned.

She grabbed a silk robe but didn’t put it on. Taking the lone candle in her room, she guided me back into the passageway.

“Oh, Nazara, I’m so sorry,” she whispered as she hugged the slave girl waiting in the passageway.

“I’m just grateful that it’s over,” the girl sobbed back.

The two women finally collected themselves and the Baroness led me through the secret passage to the room next to hers. I let her go in alone, although I peeked around the corner and watched as she walked to the lone bed where her daughters slept together.

“Shhhhh, be quiet, girls,” she said soothingly as she woke them. The girls were snuggled together the way my wives sometimes did at night, sleeping with their arms around each other.

“What is it, Mother?” one of them asked sleepily.

“Remain quiet, and don’t be alarmed. We’ll be unharmed, but Morilian troops are in the city and have captured the castle,” she said calmly.

“What?” one of the girls asked apprehensively, sitting up in bed.

“Shhhhh,” she calmed her daughters. “They won’t hurt you,” she promised.

“How can you know that?” the second daughter asked in an angry whisper.

“Because the man who came into my room didn’t touch me,” she replied. “He even refused when I offered myself to him. He told me to heal first and then ask permission from his wives,” she replied.

“Where is he?” the girls asked, alarmed, jumping from their bed.

“He’s in the doorway of the back passage,” she replied.

“What?” both girls squeaked in surprise, grabbing for the covers. Their mother didn’t let them have the covers.

“Why would you let him see us like this?” one of the girls asked her angrily.

“I wanted him to see that you are both beautiful young women, hoping he would keep both of you,” she said.

“Keep us?” the first girl asked nervously.

“Female family members of defeated nobles are usually killed or taken as slaves,” she explained. “This man doesn’t seem interested in killing us and I hoped that he would keep you instead of selling you as common slaves.”

“Slaves?” one of the girls gasped.

“You can relax,” I said as I stepped into the room. The girls jumped out of bed and ran behind their mother. “As long as they cooperate, our clan’s slaves are treated like family members. Many of the troops here tonight were my clan’s Nordlinger slaves. If we mistreated them or the Nordlinger women, they would hardly be willing to fight by our side.”

One of the girls came over to me, pulling her reluctant sister by the hand. “Please take us and keep us safe. We will do anything you ask of us,” she promised as she knelt in front of me.

Taking each girl’s hand, I pulled them up, so they were standing. That didn’t exactly help matters since both of them leaned against me. Out of habit more than anything, my arms encircled their waists.

“I told you; you are safe. Nobody will touch you,” I tried to reassure them.

“You’re touching us,” the first sister giggled, twisting slightly. Her sister also giggled and followed suit.

“Spoils of war?” I asked teasingly, squeezing a butt cheek on each girl before letting them go.

“We’ll spoil you if you let us,” the first sister offered in a sultry voice, placing my hand on her firm breast. Again, her sister copied her.

“Ladies, I am sorely tempted, but I have other matters I need to tend to right now,” I said as I stepped back. “Please get dressed and remain in this room where it’s safe until I send someone to get you.”

I stuck my head back into the passage. “Get the other girl, find clothing, and then join these three women in this room,” I told the girl.

“Sir, there are two more girls shackled in our quarters,” she said nervously.

“Does the same key release them?” I asked as I handed her the key.

“Yes, and I’ll make sure they are dressed and waiting for you here, too,” she said as she hurried off, her bare feet slapping against the stone floor of the passageway.

“Have them wait in here with you,” I told the Baroness.

“Yes sir,” she replied, pressing herself against me and kissing me.

I opened the door carefully, stuck my hand into the hallway, and waved. “It’s me, Harazar,” I whispered loudly.

“Get lost?” one of the men snickered. “You went into that room,” he said, pointing down the hall to where the men were gathered.

“There are passages behind the rooms,” I explained.

“The armory is secure,” he reported. “We looked out the window overlooking the barracks. The Bajasanian troops are exiting the barracks and there’s no fighting,” he added.

“Stay here with a couple of men to keep the Baroness, her two daughters, and four female slaves safe while I check outside,” I told him. I was a bit uncomfortable when he saluted me.

I finally found my way outside and found Father. “The Baron is dead. The Baroness and her daughters are safe in their rooms with some of the female slaves the Baron abused. The armory is secure,” I reported.

“Excellent work,” Father praised. “Only one of the sentries and three of the troops in the barracks wanted to fight. All four are wounded and paralyzed right now, but they should live,” he said.

“What will we do with the Baroness and her daughters?” I asked.

Father looked at me for a second and started laughing. “You caught them, they’re yours.”

“What?” I gasped, but he was already walking away to talk to Lieutenant Anzekko. As much as I wanted to believe that he was kidding, I knew that Father wouldn’t joke about something like that.

The troops quickly had everything under control. The four wounded men were locked up under guard in the dungeon after their wounds were tended to, not that the paralyzed prisoners could do anything for several hours. Tents were pitched in the courtyard and sentries were posted while the rest of the men went to sleep or back to sleep. Our men who were still outside the city came inside, along with my wolves, although I brought them in through the secret passage, straight into the stables.

The wolves had obviously hunted earlier because they weren’t interested in the dried goat meat I offered them. After wandering through the stable and marking everything, they seemed comfortable in one of the empty stalls, although the horses were still skittish. Karako insisted on following me into the castle.

I knocked on the door of the room the women were in, and the Baroness peeked out. “It’s over, everything is under control so you can go back to sleep,” I told her.

“Is that a wolf?” she asked nervously, looking at Karako.

“Yes, Karako is one of several tame wolves that I have,” I replied.

“Several?” she squeaked, nervously looking further down the hallway.

“The rest are in the stables,” I assured her.

“Where will you sleep?” she asked.

“I have a tent out in the courtyard with the rest of the men,” I replied.

“Nonsense,” she replied, looking again at Karako. “Are you sure he’s safe?” she asked. I knelt and took her hand, motioning Karako over. He sniffed her trembling hand and sat down calmly.

“See, now he knows you,” I said.

“Then come sleep in a soft bed,” she insisted, opening the door. I agreed, although the soft bed was only part of the reason. Soft bodies were the main reason.

The Baroness quickly had help from her daughters as she took my clothes off. That necessitated me explaining how I got the three claw marks on my shoulder. The two slaves I had released from the shackles in the Baron’s bedchamber came over with wet cloths and washed off the accumulated sweat and grime.

“Thank you, ladies,” the Baroness said when they finished drying me. I was surprised to find that her robe had also disappeared. With two candles and four oil lamps in the room, I had a much better view of her nakedness, and she was spectacular, especially her huge breasts. Seeing where I was looking, she grinned and took my hands in hers, placing them on her fleshy breasts.

“You are very tempting,” I told her as I gently rolled her nipples between my thumb and forefinger the way my wives liked, “but you still need to speak with my wives, first. You and your daughters are safe because you were awarded to me,” I added.

With a warm, naked woman on each side of me, I felt as if I was home with my wives and I quickly fell asleep.

Quiet whispers and quiet giggles woke me. “One of the guards came by a few minutes ago and said breakfast would be served soon. The girls and I should go help prepare and serve breakfast,” the Baroness said.

I agreed and got dressed. “Where’s Karako?” I asked.

“He followed Abidora when she left earlier to help cook breakfast,” the Baroness replied.

I only took one wrong turn before finding my way out to the courtyard. “Sleep well?” Father chuckled. “It looks like your wolf abandoned you,” he added since Karako was lying next to him gnawing on a rabbit.

“I slept very well and was surprised that Karako wanted to go back inside the castle last night. He’s not used to being indoors,” I replied to Father’s teasing.