CutiePie1997
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2016
- Posts
- 1,319
South of the City of Tut:
Eelo spent over two hours creeping, crawling, and slithering through knee high grass to reach a grove of trees sitting atop a small hillock. It was after midnight of the first night of the New Moon; and wearing black from head to boot, she passed through the enemy lines and past multiple Watch Stations to get deep inside enemy held territory without drawing any attention. Then -- having arrived early -- she simply waited in the thick foliage.
She looked beyond the encampment below her at the target of the enemy siege, the ancient City of Tut. Most of the city was now smoldering in ruins, with hundreds of small fires still burning about the perimeter of the Castle, which showed the wear and tear of war but was still intact and secure...
Tut had once been the southern most City in the Sovereign Territory of Ras Rufna. But during the Falling Wars, as the Territory crumbled and was -- for the most part yet not entirely -- replaced by the Frenkish Empire, the Baron of Tut declared his City's independence, and concentrated on protecting his own lands and people.
This had all happened prior Eelo's birth 20 years ago, of course. There had been a succession of Barons of Tut over that time, but Eelo couldn't have cared less. That was all just political poop to her. There was only one think about Tut that interested her: the troops besieging it.
Eelo's people had been fishers on the shore of the Eastern Bight. She had never much liked the sea, so to help feed her family, she'd learned to use a bow and hunted the lands surrounding her village, giving her a badly needed purpose in life.
One day as she hunted, a squad of Horsemen attacked Eelo's village, burning it and killing her entire family. After she learned that the squad of men were part of the army sieging the City of Tut, Eelo found a new purpose in life. She joined the Barony's army, and for the next year hunted the enemy, from the Castle's ramparts, the city's shadows, and -- like tonight -- the woods and fields on the periphery.
This evening, Eelo was doing her part to finally relieve the City from the siege. She looked to the western sky just above the coastal range, finding Torano the Water Carrier. She waited for the agreed upon signal, the last star of the Constellation behind the mountains. Eelo knew that at that moment, archers -- dressed all in black as she'd been -- were now sneaking south from the rubble of the City toward the Rock Creek Bridge, which was just sixty yards below Eelo's position; and that at that same moment, Mounted Warriors were urging their beasts out from the cover of a canyon to the south, heading for that same river crossing.
Over the years, there had been multiple attempts -- all failures -- to take the bridge, which was the last major access point to the City of Tut. Tonight would be different, thought, because this night Eelo of Tut was participating. As the last bright point of Torano disappeared, she removed the black over-clothes that had hid her from the enemy but would now restrict her movement. She notched an arrow from one of the three quivers she'd brought with her, found a target near the bridge, and loosed...
Eelo's specialty had always been killing what was called targets of value. And tonight was going to be no different. Her first arrow went through the back of the Crew Chief of an anti-calvary ballista. The man, who had been standing off in the dark emptying his bladder fell to the ground, unnoticed by the rest of his crew. Her second, third, and fourth arrows also took down targets without alerting the enemy, killing a cavalry officer, a second siege machine officer, and a Lieutenant who had just left his station on the bridge and was heading for his tent.
It was only after her fifth arrow missed and struck loudly into an oil ball launching sling shot that the camp even realized it was under attack. Eelo didn't slow her attack, though. The last arrow had given away her location, but as yet another Lieutenant was organizing a squad to head up the hill to find and stop her, Eelo put an arrow through his throat.
Her side of the fight might have ended there if it hadn't been a sudden rain of arrows from the north. She was practically forgotten as all attention turned toward the City. Eelo continued to pick off her targets of value, moving her position after a squad of troops finally did head for her position. She moved, loosed, moved, loosed, and moved until she ran out of arrows.
Just about then, the sound of heavy horse filled the night. Eelo should have quit then, but as attention on the south side of the bridge turned to the approaching cavalry, she instead slipped closer to the bridge to retrieve the quivers of to archers she'd killed, starting her missile assault anew. By the time she'd exhausted her new supply, the Mounted Warriors had ridden down on the troops guarding the bridge, slashing and hammering them into submission.
Eelo pulled back to her little forest again to watch the remainder of the attack. Behind the archers from the north and the cavalry from the south, additional troops had followed, and by sunup the bridge was firmly in the control of the reinforcements loyal to the Baron of Tut. Now controlling the bridge, a large army from the south -- that had been waiting in the next valley for word on the bridge -- poured onto the battle field, routing the enemy and breaking the siege.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, the Baron of Tut rode out to survey the victory and thank the attack's heroes. He looked about for his most skilled archer, only to be told that Eelo was again up at the little grove of trees. He rode up the hill, dismounting and looking down at Eelo, who -- despite the man's position and title -- remained on her keister.
"Any other warrior," he began, a knowing smile on his face, "would be lashed for not rising, the bowing in respect."
"Any other warrior," she responded, also smiling, "didn't spend yesterday afternoon in your bed."
He laughed, warning as he still smiled, "Any other warrior doesn't need to know that."
They talked for a few minutes about the fight, and the Baron congratulated her on her contribution. "Shall we go inside. I think someone is due some accolades."
"I won't be going back to the city," Eelo said, finally rising to her feet. She smiled again, adding, "To the city ... or to your bed. The siege is broken. You have your victory. My purpose for being here ... the reason I came ... is no more. It's time for me to move on."
He studied her for a moment, then stated fact, "I could make you stay."
"You could," she agreed simply.
After a moment, he asked, "Where will you go?"
"I don't know," she lied, in a way. She knew what direction she was heading, but she didn't honestly know where she would end up. She stepped closer to him, still remaining far enough away to preserve the secrecy of their relationship. She said softly, "I don't know, but ... I could use some help getting there."
His smiled widened more, knowing very well what kind of help she meant. He reached to his belt to remove a purse, tossing it to her. After she thanked him, he turned, mounted his horse, gave her one last yearning look, then turned and rode away.
Ten days later, Eelo reached the Isthmus of Tella-Un, the narrow connector between the Peninsula of Tella-Un and the rest of the continent. She hadn't chosen the direction of northwest by chance. She was here to find someone or, more specifically, some-thing. Another ten days later, Eelo had run out of coin.
She tried to survive by hunting and foraging, but she'd developed a fondness for ale in Tut and there weren't a lot of ale barrels to be killed in the forests. She became a burglar, stealing food and drink, mostly at night; then began pocket snatching coins and valuables from drunks at a variety of taverns and inns while flirting with them. One night, after a man with whom she'd been getting handsy forgot the meaning of No, she pulled a dagger and robbed him, something that resulted in Wanted & Reward bulletins with a description of Eelo popping up all over the region.
With no other way to support herself, she soon became an outright Highwayman, robbing coaches, riders, and merchants by day, then dining, drinking, and fucking by night...
Last edited: