The Aresan Clan is published four times a week (Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun). You can see what's been written so far collected here. All posts will be posted under the Aresan Clan label. For summaries of the events so far, visit here. See my previous serial Vampire Wares collected here.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Aresan Clan pt 43

I have come looking for you,” Orick said to Annsi. He now approached her again with those leering eyes, “I saw what was going on last night. You were in Alles’ tent but you weren’t sleeping with him. Does that mean he’s no longer with you?”

She responded, “He’s worried about the taint of the child passing from me to him. He thinks I may have become a swallow head and my mind’s been consumed by the child’s power.”

Orick smiled, “That’s how it starts. First he kicks you out of his bed then he kicks you out of the tent altogether and then you’ve got no one to protect you.”

“Get away from me,” Annsi said retracting step by step and then bumping into a tree from behind. He still approached her, and she tried to push him away.

“We’re still outside the borders of Lamosa. There is no law to protect us out here, and no way for crimes committed out here to be prosecuted. That leaves a vulnerable woman like you unprotected. Fortunately, I’m willing to offer you my protection. You come sleep in my tent and I’ll give you my full protection from whomsoever might make any advances or threaten violence upon you. Me and my two boys, here. What do you say?” Orick said, “I don’t worry about the child’s taint.”

“I don’t need any of you,” she said defiantly, “I can protect myself.”

“I don’t think so,” Orick said as he reached out to touch her breast, “Women soldiers are just to keep the commander happy. Didn’t you know that when you signed up? They can’t really fight.” She dusted away his hand, but he reached again, approaching closer. She tried to push away his face but his mouth kept moving closer and closer.

“Oh ho! You may be able to swing a sword, but eventually you’ve got to put your sword down and close your eyes to sleep. And how pretty you look when you sleep. No man could resist himself.”

Rock shouted at Orick, “Stop the pillow talk, Orick. Give it to her now so they’ll be some left for Solis and I. Alles might still come by.”

“I’m doing it the way I want to. I want to give her a chance to consent,” Orick said, speaking to Rock, and then turning to Annsi, “It’d be so much easier if you consented” while he leaned in for a kiss.

She turned away and then pushed at his face with her hand. He was getting angrier and grabbed her face and planted a long kiss on her lips while she squirmed. “A good girl like you knows not to scream,” he said, now reaching for her trousers, trying to open them with one hand while the other hand still clung to her jaw. His hand reached down inside her trousers and she tensed all over when she felt hands against her.

Then the sound of a body violently being struck drew Orick’s attention. Rock lay on the ground after Alles had thrown him against a tree. Alles was now walking towards Solis, who fumbled on his lame leg. Solis even drew his sword but he was afraid to use it. Alles raised his foot and kicked him hard on the chest. He fell to the ground breathlessly, his sword dropping beside him. Alles picked up a rock and clenched it in his fist, then he punched the side of Solis’ head with his rock-reinforced fist, knocking him unconscious.

Orick let Annsi go, and he stood rigidly to attention, like a dutiful soldier. Annsi punched him hard in the stomach, then as Orick bent over in pain he threw him into a tree, head first, and Orick collapsed. Alles called over some men to help and the three unconscious men were stripped, then a rope was wrapped around each one of them, around their arms and torse. Then they were all hung from trees like this until morning. They would soon wake up shivering with a soreness all around their chest and arms and would have to endure it all through the night.

Annsi sat timidly on the ground while all these preparations were underway. She had cried but now her cheeks were dry. Alles gave her his hand and stood her up off the ground. He held her hand as she walked and then as she was slow he picked her up in his arms and took her to his tent. He lay her gently in his bed off to the side and gingerly put the covers over her. She watched him longingly as he carefully attended to her.

He then closed the curtain and left her to her bed alone where he prepared himself to sleep in the center of his tent. Annsi cried only a few more tears as she turned onto her side and tried to sleep.


<-- Go to Part 42         Go to Part 44 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

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