New to Giralda, I see. Well, it takes all sorts around here. Take that shifty-eyed weasel by the fire.
Oh, he acts looks like a simple merchant, peddling meager wares, but watch what you say around him. The Empire’s got ears everywhere...
See those two there? They seem all chummy now, but that’s only because Var is trying to convince Jarek to desert the navy in Thisbē and join
those lawless bastards who sail from the Spice Isles. I’m sure that one will kill the other before the week is out, once they’ve got what they want from each other.
Then there’s always the usual mercs; bastards who’d happily kill their own mothers for a coin. Oh, they say those twins from Brelan aren’t so bad,
but a merc is a merc, and money is all they see.
At least there're no damned elves here tonight. One got uppity last month when I insisted the
bastard slept in the stables. A damn generous offer for a half-breed, if you ask me!
Mind yourself if you head into the Wilds. It’s full of things that
would happily eat you and shit you out without a second thought. Even the people who hunt those things are more beast than civil.
Anyway stranger,
what'll it be: a room, or a drink?
SKYE
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Post by Callonetta Eilhart on Feb 19, 2022 3:03:33 GMT -6
Lenna: 762 - Lamshi
Callonetta breathed heavily as she stood at the ready. Her skin took on a glossy shine from sweat and the salty drops stung like tiny daggers in her eyes. Beads as salty as tears dripped into her mouth mixing with the dust choked air and iron that she tasted on her already parched tongue. The sun above seemed to shine directly and without mercy on the single patch of land. Her hair was plastered to her scalp, but the two long braids remained intact and shined in the light. The cries of man and beast echoed inside her head accompanied by the thunder of steal against steal. [googlefont=Frijole]KLANK! KLANK! KLANK! KLANK!
She moved again into the clashing bodies, slipping between friends and ducking a sword wielding enemy to stab his companion with her spear. The steel tip ripped into his leather armor, digging into his flesh and bone. Callonetta pulled back as the soldier's body dropped quickly as if his knees had been cut off. She stepped over him, her spear raised as she lunged it at the soldier who arrived next. The spear raised over his shield and it's tip stabbed into his throat spraying warm red blood the second Callonetta ripped her spear free. The soldier choked and gurgled on his own blood as he too fell to his knees like the man before him.[googlefont=Frijole]
THEUMP? THEUMP! THEUMP! THEUMP!
The sounds of hooves and rattling of mail overwhelmed her ears and all sense of location was lost upon a sea of bodies and faint mist of crimson that stained the air. Something heavy drove into her from behind and sent her forward. Callonetta didn't see who it was, only a shape as she reacted swinging her spear into a diagonal parry. The pole of her spear took the full force of the blow-slid off the ax as she turned and spun under the orc stabbing him in his gut. The large beast like man stumbled backwards, his hand holding his stomach. He recovered and attacked again quickly rushing towards her ax raised high. With quick foot work, Callonetta stepped in and stabbed him in the throat with the tip of her spear before his ax could reach her.
In The Valley -
Artemisia leaned low in the saddle as she launched her chestnut horse into a gallop. Behind her, thirty men raced along all clad in armor with shields at their backs, some with bows. They raced quickly from the fort towards the open planes where the battle was taking place. Faster, faster they rode-through the forest spooking the animals that all ran and hid from the approaching horses. Soon they cleared the trees and were racing across the flat green of the planes leading to the battle. The enemy noticed them coming and archers stepped out to fire arrows at them.
The riders rode hard to close the gaps quickly but some were caught in the downpour of steel tipped arrows. Artemisia shifted in the saddle as an arrow grazed off the right shoulder of her armored cuiress. She leaned low to the side peeking around the horse's thick neck as she held her sword at the ready. The archer lowered his bow making quick work of notching another arrow to fight, but he wasn't fast enough to raise the bow before the sharp edge of the long sword severed his head from his shoulders. [googlefont=Frijole]SWWWOOOOSSSHHH! Blood gushed and splattered against the horse's side and sprayed the ground until a full puddle settled in the dirt and muck.
Post by Marielyn Glevissig on Feb 22, 2022 3:43:38 GMT -6
There was a soft whistling that no person involved in the melee would hear coming over the din of battle. The thud of iron and wood striking, piercing through crude armor, and ripping flesh as it buried itself in a wild Orc would simply blend into the other wet thuds and screams that accompanied the myriad of injuries that were being inflicted and suffered on that field of battle. Twelve of them hitting ten separate individuals, lining the left flank of the enemy, was a lot harder to overlook. The screams and falling bodies, happening simultaneously or close enough so, got a lot of attention. But it was too late as another volley struck on a flat trajectory. Even enraged Orcs knew when they'd been flanked, when they'd been outmaneuvered. Even their most dull-witted knew when to turn and run. Of course, that also came too late. For as they turned and started to run they felt the rumble in the ground as the Kaimma closed in on an angle.
The retreat had been expected, the arrows fired on the charge to collapse the flank of the enemy battle 'formation' (if indeed wild Orcs could be said to even have such a thing). It had worked, one had lit out for the dubious safety of being anywhere but there and that set off a chain reaction as their weight of numbers scattered into what was merely a target rich environment. And Marielyn gave a war cry from the back of her beloved mount as his great tusks began sweeping running Orcs off their feet to be trampled by his tree trunk thick legs. Pierced by spikes affixed to his tusks and ankles, trampled, thrown aside, battered. Few Orcs would be stumbling to their feet when the infantry caught up with them in the wake of the combined cavalry charge as the horses came in from the opposite flank with swords chopping. Marielyn fired arrow after arrow, timing her aim and loose to coincide with her mounts thumping gate.
She mainly focused on those who were treating from the center of the Orc lines as they had been spared the charges of either cavalry unit by the luck of being 'behind' the infantry that opposed them. They were as doomed as those Orcs that ran from the flanks, as the now unopposed infantrymen on the army flanks were able to collapse in on the center, encircling those foes, and cutting them down from all sides. The Orcs were too exhausted, few if any would escape this entrapment and overrun. This was a great day, a good victory, and a promise of a safer tomorrow for the civilians of this land. Marielyn headed the command to wheel left, giving the faster horse cavalry the ability to charge forward and pass ahead of them without risking the two units impacting one another on their crossed trajectories. There were center line runners who'd escaped the encirclement, and Marielyn's unit were going to correct that understandable situation...
Post by Callonetta Eilhart on Feb 26, 2022 12:08:01 GMT -6
Lenna: 762 - Lamshi
Callonetta raced towards the orc archers from behind, the clank and rally of her heavy mail gave notice of her arrival at only the last moment. An archer that was slender for an orc but as tall as any turned away from the others to greet her with his arrows. He raised his bow only to realize that the peredhel beauty had already launched her spear at him. The sharp and blood covered steel dagger stabbed into his chest and pierced his heart on impact. He fell to his knees, but before his body collapsed on the ground Callonetta was upon him; and she ripped the spear from his chest, and her studded boot helped his descent to the ground.
She rushed on towards the archers and pulled a long dagger from the leather sheath on her belt. There were three in front of her, their bows drawn towards Artemisia and the other riders. The sudden cry and stumble from the middle archer surprised them all, and as he dropped to his knees they saw the pole arm of a spear sticking out of his back. Another orc turned to look back and turned right into the direction of the buxom warrior's steal dagger.[googlefont=Frijole]SWWIIIISSSH! . Blood gushed from his open throat and splattered against her face and armor before his body fell backwards and tripped another archer.
From behind, another fighter tried to ax her, but the seasoned warrior spun off to her left away from the swing of the orc. Boots dug into the earth, she launched herself at him and sliced his throat open with her dagger. Callonetta went to retrieve her spear and pulled it free of the back of the orc, she adjusted her grip then drove the spear into the back of his skull. More fighters turned towards her, and the Thisbēan warrior ripped her spear free of it's latest victim; then shoved it forward to pierce the gut of the closest orc warrior.
The female orc stumbled backwards as she gripped the spear right into the path of a charging Kaimma. Callonetta watched proudly as the giant beast rampaged through the orcs and sent bodies flying into the winds. The cavalry had arrived headed by Marielyn and the orcs started to retreat back towards the forest. Callonetta stopped next to a fallen warrior and took up his long sword since she'd lost her spear after the Kaimma crushed it along with the female orc. From her hip, she pulled a horn to her lips and blew into it. The sound vibrated across the battle field and a single Kaimma clad in black armor raced towards her.
Post by Marielyn Glevissig on Mar 6, 2022 9:57:39 GMT -6
The Orcs were mad, insane, all they knew was fight or flight. Those encircled by the infantry fought, those who had seen the trap closing fled. Unfortunately for them they fled directly into a second snare of Kaimma holding archers safely aloft. Most died with arrow shafts protruding from their chests, guts, or eyes. The rest were knocked down and crushed, battered, or impaled by the Kaimma themselves. The Orcs didn't die easily, though, they were powerful creatures filled with blood frenzy and counting mere seconds until they died. They fought, furiously, as only a maddened and trapped creature could. Marielyn knew she'd have wounded Kaimma to attend to when the battle was over. Her unit managed to force down the last of the Orcs, letting their bodies begin the process of matching the ambient temperature around them, and began to form up behind the enclosing lines of foot soldiers doing the same to the larger group of wild Orcs albeit at a slower pace.
She began picking off Orcs closer to the entrapment, red fletched arrows sprouting from any Orc that stood too still for too long in the melee. A horn rang out and that drew Marielyn's attention to the source... she snatched an arrow from one of the quivers in her rig, drew, sighted, and let a slow breath to steady the drop of her hands... she loosed. An Orc, charging at full tilt with an ax pulled back for a massive vertical blow, dropped dead at Callonetta's heels. It's ax bounced harmlessly off to the side. She grinned fiercely and returned to picking her targets elsewhere. As more Orcs fell to the weapons of men the weapons of men began to claim Orc lives all the faster. No matter how powerful and furious, no creature could defend itself from all angles at once. Stout shields began to hem them in so that long spears could pierce them in vulnerable places. Blood loss, exhaustion, vital organs... in short, attrition sped the coming victory along.
A bucket of water was being brought around and Marielyn dumped the first ladle right over her face. Streaks of dust and blood ran away, allowing her to drink the second helping straight without sullying it for herself. She dropped the ladle back into the bucket and shewed the newer soldier away with a gesture as she turned back to applying an unguent to her Kaimma's leg, where a dying Orc impaled upon his leg spikes had take a spiteful swing at the massive appendage before dying. It wasn't a bad wound but she didn't want it getting infected and making him lame. She'd given out a small supply of the stuff to every Kaimma rider in her unit, an old family recipe, and it would prevent swelling and blood fever. Little cuts like this were common back home when training those great creatures who were meant to be war mounts. The unguent prevented attrition from compromising the herd, the training regiment, or the profit margin of providing that sort of training.
She used the moisture on her face to push her hair back as she stood, looking along the line of Kaimma to check on her fellow riders and their animals. She also took the moment to check their surroundings for a particular woman she hadn't seen since sinking an arrow in a cheeky Orc that had tried to take advantage of the war horn's blast to sneak up on said woman...
Post by Callonetta Eilhart on Mar 16, 2022 14:16:34 GMT -6
The battle was won, the forces of Thisbē had taken the advantage and the orcs were in disarray, confused and fearful. The number of green, and grey bodies that littered the ground were more than the number of faintly glinting iron cuiresses of men. Artemisia and her backup rushed the field slaying orcs as they crossed them. They chased down fleeing orcs and executed them with arrows in their backs, or spears. Adrenaline ran high within the chest of the cavalry and it made them fight harder against their foes who dropped one after another in the dirt. Their victory swelled in their chests and brought out a darker side to some like Artemisia who went about crushing skulls of dead orcs under the hooves of her horse for pleasure.
Callonetta took up the flank riding her Kaimma as the now reinforced cavalry worked as one to herd the orcs in one direction. The tactics of the Thisbē army overwhelmed the long fanged brutes and forced them back towards the forest in a hurry. The soldiers of man started to cheer and yell, the excitement of their victory taking hold in their souls and minds. "Oorah! oorah! oorah!" They chanted and loudly banged their swords against their shields. Artemisia drew up the reins to her horse and she smirked as she watched the orcs reach the tree line and disappear into the grove. Callonetta watched as well, but her gaze and attention was more serious than the rest.
Artemisia returned to camp after taking a small group of warriors to scout further to make sure that the orcs had all fled. She returned wearing a proud and confident smile as she dismounted her horse and scrolled into the camp. "Victory is ours! The orc scum has fled back into the forest!" She announced as she took a bucket from another soldier and after removing the ladle, she poured the bucket of water over her head drenching her dark hair and face. "Ah, that tis so much better." she exclaimed as she pushed her soaked hair out of her eyes and away from her mouth.
Callonetta stood leaning against a tree taking in the shade as she removed her gauntlets and tossed them aside. With her hands free, she wiped the sweat from her brow and sighed. The day was theirs, and another brave battle had been fought. The busty brunette swallowed into her dry throat then looked around for where the bucket had gone too. Suddenly water that was somewhat cool poured down over her head and soaked her face and hair, washing away the dirt and grime. Surprised, she spun around while pushing her hair away from her eyes. "Bloody hell, what in the name of the gods!"
Artemisia stood before her smiling as she dropped the now empty bucket on the ground and pulled Callonetta breasts to breasts into a firm hug. "My sister, come and embrace me! For without us three, this battle would not have gone as well!" Callonetta hugged her friend and sister shield warrior back, ignoring her hands squeezing her ass before she pulled away from her. "Well done Artemisia, another hard fought victory for Thisbē. Perhaps now the orcs will go crawl back into their caves and never return."
"If they do." Artemisia added with a smirk. "We will destroy them again and again."
Callonetta agreed, and as she looked around, she searched for Marielyn. She found her mate tending to her Kaimma. She unbuckled the shoulder straps of her armor as she came closer to her and loosen the neck to allow fresh air to wash over her sweaty breasts. "That was a nice shot back there. I had it under control, but t'was a nice shot all the same. How does your mount fair? Anything serious?"
Post by Marielyn Glevissig on Mar 22, 2022 22:21:28 GMT -6
Marielyn had returned to doctoring on her mount when a leathery trunk started playing about her head. She swatted it away a couple of times, trying to focus on her work, until it grew more insistent. "Bertrand! I'm trying to work here," she declared in exasperation but again without ceasing her ministrations. The trunk wrapped around her middle, across her ribs under her boobs over her leather armor and lifted her enough that only her tippy toes touched the ground as she was forcibly turned around and set out in the 'aisle' that had been created by the lined up Kaimma. She was set back on her feet and she gave an annoyed huff, sticking out a lip to direct the air upward to blow a stray strand of hair out of her face as she regarded the direction Bertrand had insisted she look. And there was Callonetta, followed by Artemisia. Cal looked like she'd had a bucket of water poured over her head.
Cal was loosening her armor in an all too familiar way that got an all too familiar look going in Marielyn's eyes as she regarded the situation at hand. She stepped forward, dipped down, and lifted Callonetta up with her arms wrapped around the other woman's middle. "You'll have to forgive a gal for wanting her woman to be up to celebrating instead of having to heal. We've got a big party coming, not even counting tonight's victory celebration." She planted a lingering kiss on Cal's lips that lasted until she just couldn't keep the other woman, her weapons, and armor aloft any longer. When they finally came up for air, Marielyn took a moment to inspect Cal's wet hair with a knowing look. "Bertrand, Art needs a kiss too." The leathery trunk was already halfway to the woman in an attempt to lasso her along with a chuffing sound coming from the Kaimma in his imitation of a theatrical kissing sound like one would hear at the puppet plays during festivals.
Post by Callonetta Eilhart on Mar 26, 2022 12:12:36 GMT -6
Callonetta smiled as she was scooped off her feet and she half wrapped her legs around Marielyn's round hips. She was the only person that the peredhel fighter allowed to handle her in such a way. Artemisia sometimes got a bit handsy, and she had a thing about trying to prove that she was stronger than heavy cavalry comrade, but they had been together for so long and fought through the toughest battles that little things could be over looked. She fell into the kiss, sweet and tender, and relieved that she could taste those lips again. Brown and blue eyes stared up at the taller and slightly more muscular woman as she inspected her damp hair. "You can thank Artemisia for that. Apparently she thought I needed the entire bucket of water to wash off." Cal turned her heterochromatic eyes towards the large beast when Marielyn ordered it to kiss her. "No, no that won't be necessary."
She tried to fend the Kaimma off, but it was no use. The giant animal snaked it's trunk around her torso and lifted her off the ground. There was nothing left to do besides pet it and wait to be put back down again. At home, Callonetta was more relaxed and at ease, but while on the field she preferred to remain professional. Once she was on her feet again, adjusted her cuirass and returned to a subject that Mel had mentioned before. "Now tell me, what tis this about a victory celebration tonight? It sounds promising." There was still concern over the orcs but for the time being she put those thoughts aside to enjoy their moment of victory. "I'm sure that Artemisia will enjoy the party, and she will no doubt seduce the help to wait on her hand and foot."
Post by Marielyn Glevissig on Apr 5, 2022 9:45:32 GMT -6
"She just wanted to get you wet and did the best she could while lacking my magic touch," Marie responded with a smirk while Cal was attempting to fend of Bertrand's amorous advances. Of course, all the great creature did was lift her off the ground and hold her close to its forehead while making it's comical kissing sounds. A Kaimma's mouth wasn't made for much aside from stuffing it full of feed and spraying water from its own trunk into. What had led the mother of nature to create such a thing was even beyond Marielyn's own reckoning and she knew more about the creatures than almost anyone on the continent. Bertrand took his pet-pets and set her back on the ground, only nudging her toward the other two once so that she was out where he could see her. The big softy was paranoid about stepping on his friends and family, treating most soldiers like mischievous adolescent Kaimma running around under-foot.
Marie focused on Art and gave her an open once over that made it clear the armor wasn't being envisioned before shrugging and answering her inquiry. "IF the lads can wait til we get back, you know the villagers at that last stop will insist on celebrating our victory. We kept them from a real bad time, after all. What's left of those wild Orcs will be picked off by capable farmers, trappers, those bounty hunters that followed us out here, and any mercenary running a turn as a village constable between here and the north woods. If any of them make it back I'd be surprised but we'll never know about it." She rolled a hand in the air in a gesture that admitted that she'd gotten off topic. "I can't imagine the commander will deny anyone that sort of reward after a job well done. Probably an admonition about not leaving half the girls in the county pregnant before we leave at first light and a 'have fun, kids'." She didn't comment on the nature of seducing their servers, it ended up working in all three of their favors in the long run anyway. "Just means we get our drinks quicker." She gave a wink.
Post by Callonetta Eilhart on Apr 20, 2022 10:37:09 GMT -6
"On the contrary." she added. "Artemisia has succeed rather well, just as you do in your own way." Callonetta wiped her cheek with the back of her hand and give herself a once over. She had been covered in sweet, blood, and grime, but at least she was cleaner now. The warrior of truth was indeed in need of a good bath as soon as they returned to the city. She took two steps forward after the great beast pushed her, and she looked over her shoulder at him as if to say "knock it off" Some of the solders near by watched the show and enjoyed the light hearted moment while others traded short stories boasting about how many orcs fell at their feet. Artemisia noticed them and ventured over to listen to them brag before she spoke up and stole the show. She had come onto a battle where their men were being beaten by orcs and almost single handedly taken them all out.
"Well of course they will, they enjoy celebrations of any kind as long as it doesn't involve depraved activities." Perhaps she was being unkind but the people in town did enjoy celebrations a lot and it was likely because it gave them a reason to drink a lot without the guilt and stigma of being called a drunk. "Did you not hear? Some mercenaries have been seen joining with the orcs recently. I'm not sure what either would gain from this alliance, but it won't be good for us if they restock their numbers with mercenaries." Cal smirked and folded her arms as Marie joked about what reward they could expect. "For her you mean? Let us hope that these drinks aren't spiked with some sort of love concoction." She turned her attention to the sudden burst of cheer and laughter coming from the area where Artemisia stood surrounded by soldiers. The woman did enjoy being the center of attention and being a high ranked officer was a good way to do it.
Post by Marielyn Glevissig on May 15, 2022 11:20:54 GMT -6
"I don't have to use a bucket," Marielyn breathed into her lover's ear in the hopes of running a shiver of anticipation through the other woman. She gave her a wink as she withdrew from the lightly intimate moment and gave a chuckle at Artemisia as the other woman was freed from Bertrand's attentions. Made to rejoin them with a little nudge of encouragement from the great creature's trunk the third woman ended up with them again. Marielyn shook her head as the third woman made her way over to some troops. Mari didn't want her to think she wasn't happy to see her alive as well. Both the other women took too many risks in her estimation and despite what some of the troops liked to say in their stories Mari was only able to shoot at one target at a time. She was good at not showing it but she worried about both of them every fight. It was a big part of why she'd learned to be able to spot them both during mass battles, no easy task in a sea of moving bodies all trying to kill lest they be killed.
"They enjoy a few that involve depravity too. Our community may have been pretty milk-toast but I've heard more than one tale of some of the country folk, the paganos, having fertility rituals in the Spring." She gave Cal a wicked smile while leaving just what 'fertility rituals' implied to the imagination. Of course, the community they'd just saved didn't fall into the 'paganos' term. That was an old, old word referencing the folks that lived so far from the cities and other structures of state that they were practically separate cultures unto themselves. Like the Naturals of Lamshi, though they were a separate and distinct matter entirely. These folks the two were talking about were just simple villagers of the tax paying variety, though Mari wouldn't be at all surprised to hear of a bastard or two being born in the village in the next year after the victory celebration she was predicting when they rode back into its physical borders.
Mari scoffed at the idea of mercenaries and wild Orcs 'teaming up'. "More likely bandits that count regular Orcs amongst their number playing on the fear of the wild ones. Like those bandits my father told me about, that dressed as Naturals to raid out of their territory... til the real Naturals caught them." The story had always ended there when she was a child, which had made her imagination run rampant. It had only gotten worse as her experience with war had slid her ideas of brutality farther down the spectrum. "Hah, another love potion? Why doesn't she just seduce us like a grown woman? She's seen us seduce a serving girl or three by now." Mari turned her attention to the noise along with Cal. Obviously Art wouldn't mind being the focus of their attentions if such a thing ever happened. Mari's heart was for Cal, and it had been since they were children, but she'd never been against spreading the love around a little when the opportunity arose like the spark of lust she so often searched for in Cal's eyes.
Post by Callonetta Eilhart on Jul 16, 2022 16:29:29 GMT -6
"No, you do not. Never the less, your method leaves me just as saturated." Callonetta gave her partner a sideways glance and the curl of her lips followed. She lifted her gaze to Artemisia and the beast behind her and spoke in a teasing tone. "You'll only excite her by fighting." The group of men boasting caught one of their attention, but Callonetta had no interest in creating stories. By the time they reached the village the truth of the battle would have been exaggerated to the point of myth while making some of them out to be godly.
"Whenever ale or mead is involved, you can say it's all hat's off." she commented about the villagers. Marielyn mentioned the rituals of the paganos, and to that she replied. "It's not their fertility rituals that concern me." Callonetta had also heard stories about those that lived beyond the veil. Stories of animal and human sacrifices and other strange rituals that were outlawed in their lands. Some said that the orcs practiced strange rituals as well, though not in the same way as the paganos.
"Maybe so, but they're treading dangerous ground. Wild orcs aren't so easily scared. Unlike city orc pride and honor have greater meaning. For them their code is sacred, if another orc doesn't follow the code they are considered less and no better than we are." On the subject of drinks spiked with love potions she added. "I don't know about Artemisia, but you're certainly popular with the servant girls, it would not surprise me in the least if one of them were to spike your drink. We should be on our way soon, it's a long way back and I mean to make sure that the orcs aren't just lying and waiting to ambush us."
Post by Marielyn Glevissig on Jul 26, 2022 12:26:46 GMT -6
Marielyn gave a sly wink to her woman when she got that little comment and smirk, sliding an arm around her and pulling her close while they watched Art ply her bravado into the stories she was telling the other group of soldiers. "And yet, fight I will." She wasn't opposed to getting Art's libido up from time to time just to mess with her either. She was her own creature and able to deal with that sort of thing like an adult. Just like when Marielyn got one of the new recruits going only to leave the poor lad bluer than one of the big frogs that inhabited the puddles of the rainy season out on the plains of Cal and Marie's home village. Marie didn't feel the need to walk away from her favorite woman in the world just to tell those soldiers what they already knew. They'd all seen the number of orcs out in the field with a black arrow with red fletching protruding from one of its vital organs.
She gave a chuckle of agreement at the assertion that the drink (mixed with relief no doubt) would make even the most conservative villagers into party animals in short order. As for the far folk Marie gave a shrug. "The elves are supposed to have done worse, but not my reckoning for a solid religion either way. I've heard some of the mercenaries of the north also worship some sort of blood god. I asked a group once but they all just looked at each other and then denied it. Speaking of which, I bet there's a few in the village by the time we get back. They'll be disappointed." Hunting some easy coin by signing on as short-term reinforcements if the engagement had gone poorly for their detachment. It hadn't, they'd not find coin here unless the villagers scraped something together for a little extended guard duty until everybody was sure the wild orcs had completely left the area. They were as ubiquitous as the whores that followed armies on campaign.
"Dealing with any animal is risky. Even as smart as Bertrand is he can still be driven to madness by pain, then even I wouldn't be safe atop him." She didn't like the thought but she also fought hard to ensure he wasn't injured badly. Too many riders thought of their Kaimma as moving towers instead of mounts, trusting the spikes and barding to tend to the animals while they fought from the relative safety of high ground. There was at least two Marielyn would be turning inside out verbally later for that before the march back to station began but she compartmentalized that for now. "Of course I am. I'm strong, tall, and beautiful; and most of the time my flirtations are harmless unless they get real enthusiastic. But I'll watch out for people trying to steal me away from you, my love." She gave Cal's rear a firm squeeze before turning back to Bertrand. "Well, big guy, you ready to go tell the other tuskers that they did a good job in spite of their riders?"
Post by Callonetta Eilhart on Aug 16, 2022 12:30:09 GMT -6
Callonetta tried to hide her smile when Marielyn boasted about her attractiveness. She was right of course, she was a woman unlike many others. Beautiful and physically powerful weren't two things that were normally found in a single woman but Marielyn had mastered both. She finally smiled when she felt her lover's hand on her rear and she could feel the strength in her hand and the desire in the woman as she squeezed her backside.
"Oh, I'm sure that you will manage. You always do. But I think I'll be the one to buy your first drink." From behind she could already hear a few of the men whispering, they enjoyed seeing the two of them being intimate, even if it was just a simple touch and kiss here and there. Callonetta returned to her Kaimma and climbed onto it's back and signaled for the army to move out. Artemisia, who was well into one of her stories, was more glad than most to be finally leaving and she left the others with a cliff hanger before she returned to her mount.
.....
In town
That late evening a orc tall of length and broad of shoulders entered the dank little dive of a tavern. His hair was cut low, mohawk style, which strains so short they stayed in place despite the fact that he had been working all day. The orc lunged into the tavern, his size large and by the way that he stomped across the floor made it hard for anyone to pass by without bumping into him. He was like a bull, a wild animal that had just come from frolicking outside, and once inside, paid no more attention to his surroundings than he had outside. Without stopping, or checking around him, the orc crossed the floor and met with the bar almost as roughly as he had the stool that he dropped onto.
"Gunthar! Ale and non watered down alright?" he exclaimed, more ordering than asking.
The army arrived back in town just before night fall and all were pleased to see the shanty village buildings seated on flat land in a wide area free of forest trees. People on the roads nodded and waved a hand as they passed, while others stared at the group of warriors riding through on the backs of giant Kaimma and horses. "I need a good drink. Who's with me?" Artemisia asked aloud as she dismounted and landed on her feet. Callonetta glanced at her then turned her gaze to Marielyn. "Might as well go with the flow. She's not going to stop you know?"
Inside the tavern the orc was taking as many drinks as it took to really enjoy himself, or knock him flat in one go. He was also looking for entertainment of the flesh, not that the wilds of a woman were ever truly UN-welcomed, it was all in the fun for the drunk and horny. Armed with a drink, he kicked back and drained his glass as quickly as Gunthar had turned his back to him. A loud knock caught his attention, the almost unmistakable sound of tin against wood making it to his ears. "Bring another, and another!" the orc cried, not nearly as hammered yet.
Not a moment after a young woman entered, with hair as golden as stalks. The orc turned eyes to the fresh face in the room, and what a face it was. Rounded, pale skin with soft frickles dotting her cheeks.
Standing up, and without correcting his poor posture, the orc crossed the distance between them, and taking out another stool on the way over. Taking the seat next to her, he pulled up as if by coincidence and settled in. His empty mug was placed on the table top, and he used his-now free hand to rubbed at his beard. "Aye love. What's say I buy you a drink and you warm my lap?"
Post by Marielyn Glevissig on Aug 31, 2022 13:18:55 GMT -6
With a trunk and a leg up from Bertrand, Marielyn was atop the behemoth in the blink of an eye and smiling at her loves retreating back. "You'll have to be quick, sweetness." She spoke softly to herself. "Else we'll never get to our purses on account of every soldier in this force having delusions of being unnaturally lucky with the both of us." She guided Bertrand down the line of Kaimma and began addressing each of her soldiers one at a time. Kaimma units usually rode at the rear of a marching order for various logistical and tactical reasons so she had time to get through some 'attaboys' and scouldings before the cavalry and infantry got themselves organized and moving enough for the great creatures and her troops to fall in.
.....
The march had been unremarkable, Marielyn didn't know if that was because or in spit of sending a couple of soldiers on younger Kaimma out to run flank patrol just in case of pursuit but it didn't matter. They'd come back with nothing to report and that was for the best. Kaimma were dangerous on their own but they were most affective when there were smaller, faster units to force the enemy to either stand their ground or run away in a straight line. Regardless, the road had been uneventful and dusty so there was no one more ready to head into a tavern than she was when everything had been arranged. The soldiers who'd let their Kaimma get most injured were set to the night watch, part punishment and part because they needed to tend to those same animals anyway, and she headed into the village that wasn't at all equipped to host her troop within its boundaries.
"I am," she answered Art's question as she caught up with the other two members of their little trio of trouble before meeting Cal's look. "I wouldn't dream of stopping her. I swallowed enough dust on this journey to spit up a mud golem."[/color] Being at the back of a column on the march meant riding in a nearly ever-present dust cloud. Even wearing cloth across her nose and mouth she could taste the road they'd traveled to get here. "You first, Cal. I'll watch your... back." She grinned, leaving it plain which part of her 'back' she'd be watching. Marielyn clocked the Orc staring at one of the girls almost instantly, her left hand raising a thumb to bump the sword at her hip to ensure it was still there. "Apparently we missed one," she said softly to Cal in semi-joking but half warning tone. Marie bumped a hand against Art's shoulder to make it clear she'd handle this if the other woman wanted her to.
Post by Callonetta Eilhart on Oct 23, 2022 19:36:31 GMT -6
"If I'm not the first than I shall be the last and mine shall be the sweetest of all." he knew what to expect, she and her friends were all gifted physically in body as well as skill. Ever since the early days when she first joined the army she became used to the teasing and advances made by follow soldiers and the like. Back then, they didn't mix words and told her exactly what they wanted to do to her. It wasn't until she gained rank and respect due to her skills in the field of battle that the men settled their voices. They continued to hit on her only now they were mostly respectful in their approach. Callonetta started off the march of the giants and they headed back to town. A group of Kaimma all moving together at once was a sight and sound like no other. Some even said when they marched the ground shook on their approach.
.....
"Aye, then let us join them inside. As I recall, I do owe you a drink." Callonetta walked ahead of her friend and lover, a smirk on her lips as she went into the tavern, never altering the natural sway of her round hips. Inside the place became even livelier when they arrived and men started to toast their return. Callonetta set eyes on the orc flirting with the woman, but her gaze fixed more on the woman who didn't look pleased. Artemisia slipped in between the two and she wrapped an arm around each of their hips as she pulled them closer. "Him? I've seen him here before. He's unlike those wild gremlin we see in the forest. Mayhaps he was banished." She waved it off with ease, more interested in the two women whose backsides she was currently massaging with intent to seduce. "I must say, the two of you don't look in the mood to party. I can think of something else we might.."
"That's Xarpug. He's harmless. Works here in the city and keeps to himself mostly unless he's drunk." The barkeep explained.
"As long as he's not troubling anyone I'm happy to leave him to enjoy his evening." Callonetta replied before she looked to her comrades again. "I thought you wanted to get a drink, but clearly you are seeking to quench your thirst in other ways. I must admit that I am a little tired. Perhaps a good soak and wine would be a better way to spend the night." Her gaze moved from Artemisia to Marielyn curious of her thoughts. In the mean time the other members of the army had settled into seats and posted up by walls, hands full with bread and drink. The place had become so noisy that it was surprise that anyone heard the sound of the stool slam against the floor as the drunk orc stood up. The woman he had perused had gotten up and left the tavern leaving him alone with his thoughts.
"Three cheers to the army! To the bastards that killed my brothern! To the warriors that pillage other land and call it duty! You're no warriors, you're just a bunch of cut throats!" In his anger, he grabbed another stool and flung it at a table where three soldiers were seated. They all moved out of the way in time, but their drinks and food were destroyed along with the table "Stop this now! Stay your hand and your blade or else I will remove both!" Callonetta demanded as she stepped forward and placed a hand on her blade.
"You? You command me?" He growled as he turned and crawled on top of the bar. The orc could barely stand up straight, but his anger and conviction gave him strength. "You want my blood? Then take it. Take it just as you take everything else!"
"Xarpug! Get your arse off my bar you damned drunk!" the bartender called out.