The Unseasoned Adventurer (open to all)

[Mimsy_Borogove]

Angeline May was one of three children born to a farmer and his wife. They lived in a happy little farming community, where the poor lead rich lives. They had no want for money. Whatever they needed, they could trade for. It was a content, sleepy little life. Work hard by day, relax at night, rest on Sundays.

Angeline, or Lee, as she was called, was a blossoming young woman. Like her father, she had fiery red hair and sharp green eyes. She had her mother's gentle features and curvaceous frame. Unfortunately, she also had her mother's shortness. Beautiful and radiant, she stood scarcely five feet tall, and at age twenty, she was full grown.

Her folly was fabrication. As a child, she always told wild lies and spun such tales! They were harmless lies, of course, spouted from the mouth of an imaginative child. She'd had her bottom swatted raw on more than one occasion for her fibs.

As she grew older, she grew wiser, changing her tactics. Instead of telling lies, she told stories to the community children, weaving tall tales about damsels, daring knights, brave rescues, evil wizards and nasty dragons. Her twin brothers grew up on her stories and adored them. All the children adored them, as did some of the older folks that stopped to listen. Lee was happy to share her stories, though she desperately wished she could live them instead.

Secretly, Lee craved adventure. She would play at sword fighting with sticks with the boys, tumbling with them and climbing her way in skill to become the best wrestler of them all. She was a happy-go-lucky, red-headed tomboy when not telling stories.

But her parents were distressed. She was too childish, not growing up. She'd become a beautiful young woman, yet they found her mentally immature. They attempted time and again to marry her off, only to have her chase away every lad that came a-calling.

One night, she got into a large spat with her parents about marriage. Her mother was in tears over her daughter's impish and careless behavior. All she'd ever wanted was a sweet daughter! Why had the Gods punished her with a boyish layabout?

And so, that morning, Angeline May, eldest daughter of Thomas and Linda May, snuck out in the wee hours of the morning with a long hunting knife, a satchel or clothes and food, and a whistle on her lips. Lee was abandoning farm life for adventure! If only she knew how much more dangerous the world was than she dreamed it to be...

 

[Bardiche]

At 28 Gray Merrick was a seasoned warrior and mercenary. After the latest campaign his mercenary company had undertaken he had felt the need for something new. He took his share of the loot and picked up his things and took of. There was only few of the men and women in the company that he would miss and he knew that most of them was not caring if he stayed or not. They were all in the mercenary business for the coin. Some were in it for rape and the violence, but those didn't stay for long as the company was one of the few honorable ones.

He was glad to be alone as he walked down the forest path. He had no need for company, never had. Sure, he enjoyed a woman now and then and rather more often than not didn't need to pay them. He was quite attractive with dark hair that reached his shoulders and blue piercing eyes. He was 6 feet tall and athletic built. Not the muscular monsters that had more muscle than brain.

Just as he was about to turn of the path to make a camp among the trees he spotted movement further down the path. It was a human. Of that he was sure. Either it was a boy or a woman. He couldn't tell right away. Gray stood where he was to wait for the person to approach him. Just then he noticed the leafs rustle on the side of the path. He thought he saw a hand holding a dagger. Gray loosened his longsword in the scabbard he had on his back as he cursed silently. Whoever the person coming his way was about being robbed or worse.

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

Lee, of course, was oblivious to the threat ahead. Satchel on her back, her boots tied together and flung over her shoulder while she continued barefoot and carefree, she whistled her song and walked right into trouble.

Sure, adventuring sounded grand and glorious, but she was young, naive. She hadn't given a thought to actual danger. And so danger found her and was about to abuse her ignorance. It was a harsh way to learn, but Lee had left herself open to learning the hard way.

Learn, she did.

Not one, but five bandits sprung from the bushes. They were a dirty, hungry lot, some even lacking shoes. They were all certainly lacking baths! One was fat and borish, a vacant look in his eyes. Three were tall, muscular, lean, and possessed of dark hair and beards. Likely brothers, judging by the similarity in their appearance. And finally, the man that seemed to lead the pack. He was shorter, older, and had a cruel, predatory look to his eyes that Lee didn't like at all.

Her whistling stopped. She stepped back, fumbling at her side for her pocket knife. The moment she looked away from them to the knife, she was charged. It took little effort to knock the small, petite woman over. She didn't even have time to fumble her hunting knife into her grip. The four underlings each seized a limb, the fat one and another her legs, the other two her arms. She struggled and thrashed against them viciously, snarling obscenities and curses that a lady shouldn't know. Good thing she wasn't a lady. But she sure was in trouble.

She did not like the way the leader was approaching her legs.

 

[Bardiche]

As the men jumped out and attacked, Gray saw that their victim was a woman. He wasn't a noble man. Gray usually kept a low profile. He watched as the men grabbed the woman. With a silent curse he drew his longsword. It was obvious that the men wasn't only out for robbing her. Gray wished he had brought a bow with him. Not that he was an expert marksman but he was at least moderately good with it.

With a bow he was sure he could take out two of the men before they where to close to him. Now with only his sword he needed to take them by surprise. He took a deep breath and ran into the trees and moved toward the men holding the defenceless woman pinned to the ground. He was hidden from their sight and crouched beside the scene. He dropped his belongings to the ground. Only holding his sword in a loose grip. He saw that only the short leader had a weapon drawn. The short older man held a dagger and was grinning from ear to ear as he approached the defenceless woman.

Gray waited for the moment to attack. Even though he was eager to jump into the fray he knew that five men was hard to beat. He needed them to be to occupied to even notice him. The leader used his dagger to cut the belt of the womans trousers and with a grin he said something to her that Gray was to far away to hear. His grip on the longsword tightened as he waited for the right moment to take them on.

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

Angeline struggled hard against them, even managing to jerk her arms together at one point fast enough that the men on either side of her butt heads. She was not released however, and caused them nothing but annoyance. They strengthened their hold on her, each muttering curses at her, demanding that she be still. They each wore a lecherous grin that Angeline didn't like at all.

One man took to kneeling on her arm, which caused Lee a good deal of grief. His weight felt as though he was crushing the arm, and she even heard a sickening, audible snap in her elbow. Pain shot up her arm, causing her to cry out. The man on this arm did not care. With his hands freed, he tore open her blouse, exposing her small, pert little breasts, her nipples crinkling instantly as the breeze ran over them.

The old bastard with the knife cut loose her belt, yanking it off with a single jerk, he murmured to her in a hoarse voice, "Yer a long way from home, little girl!"

The two men holding her legs began working her trousers down. Lee thrashed and screamed, continuing to shout her curses. Though now instead of anger, her voice was filled with panic.

This was not the adventure she had been looking for!

 

[Bardiche]

Gray watched and got angrier by the minute. He couldn't wait much longer. If he did this woman would be raped right in front of him. The old man that seemed to be the leader had allready dropped his dagger to the ground and had lowered his pants. His pale buttocks was really disgusting to Gray. He could only imagine what the female felt as she had a clear view of the front.

All men was laughing as the woman fought a desperate battle to free herself. One of the muscular fellows that held one of her arms pinned down with his knee greedily squeezed her breast with his dirty hand. Her trousers was forced down her legs and Gray could hear the exact moment she went from being angry to being filled with panic.

Gray couldn't wait any longer. He rushed out from his hiding place with a scream that startled the men. The one that held the womans breast fell backwards as Gray's sword cleaved his comrade's skull. The blood covered Gray's hands and part of his leather tunic as he turned to the man that had fallen down. To his dismay he saw that he was running away.

Instead he turned to look at the rest. They were stunned but the leader had picked up the dagger from the ground. Gray jumped over the woman on the ground and shoulder charged the short man that flew backwards. With a sickening thud Grays sword entered the fat man's neck as he stood next to him.

With only the leader and the other muscular man that had held the womans leg in place Gray stood in a ready stance with his sword in front of him. He didn't look back at the woman in fear of being jumped. So far it had all gone his way but he knew that he still had two men to face.

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

One moment, all seemed lost. Her trousers had been torn as they were yanked off, her blouse ripped open down the front. Screaming, shouting, her cursing faltering as she began sobbing, she looked down to find a dirt-smudged and wrinkled old cock about to be shoved into her.

Then, just as she had resigned to her fate, she was splattered with blood. The men released her immediately, and she looked up just in time for a corpse to fall upon her.

She shrieked, shoving the body off of her, scrambling to her feet to get a look around her.

A man had rushed to her aid, thank the Gods! He felled two of them, one running away. Having grown up in a farming community, she'd seen accident. Tools striking limbs as a result of carelessness, severing limbs and fingers. She'd patching her uncle's arm herself after it had been chopped off.

She was still ill at the sight of killing. But she was thankful. Oh yes, she was thankful. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks as she moved back, putting some distance between herself and the men.

She froze, watching as he faced the two men. If he lost this battle, she'd lose quite a bit herself. Snatching the dagger from the man that had first fallen, she flung it at the leader. She'd practised throwing knife at her farm, but a dagger was heavier. It sailed through the air and landed at the feet of the old man that had lead the pack. Lee felt like sobbing. And did.

 

[Bardiche]

The old man saw in amazement as the dagger flew his way just to land at his feet. He grinned slightly as he took it up. Now holding two daggers. The other man stared at Gray with hatred in his eyes.

"You killed my brother you bastard." He muttered as he drew a short sword. "I will gut you like a pig and then i will rut with the girl and fill her with my seed before killing her." He snarled as he moved closer to Gray.

Gray stood still as the angry hateful man closed in. The man clumsily aimed a strike to his head. Gray dived under the blow and buried his sword between the man's ribs. He died without a sound as blood filled his lungs and gushed out of his mouth. His body weight leaned over Gray and both men fell to the ground.

Gray lay trapped under the man and his sword was stuck in the body. He barely managed to block the dagger that came down. Gray felt the pain and growled as the dagger was making a big gash on his left arm. He looked up at the leader that stood and grinned down at him.

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

Lee let out a loud curse as the dagger not only missed, but was lifted and employed by the enemy. Her freckled cheeks burned as she held the torn tunic shut over the front of her body.

For a moment, she was fearful of the man's threat. She winced and covered her eyes as the two collided. Opening them again, she was just in time to see the man fall dead over her savior, pinning him to the ground. A dead body was heavy!

Lee ground her teeth, not done yet. The lecherous old man approached the man pinned, and it was sure to prove fatal for the fellow. Lee turned, scrambling for the hunting knife she'd brought with her. He'd saved her, so now it was time to return the favor. She would not be a coward!

As the man bent over the pinned man, to score his flesh with his dagger, Lee leapt onto his back, jamming her hunting knife into the old man, wedging it between his left shoulder and collar bone. The feeling of it sickened her, making her feel queasy, but she had the nerve to jerk it out and stab again, this time square in his neck. The old man fell forward, choking and gargling. Lee didn't have the good sense to leap away. She tumbled down with him, giving herself a good smash to the head on a rock. Blood began matting down her bright red hair as she slipped from consciousness. She would definitely have a headache when she awoke.

 

[Bardiche]

Gray had almost accepted his fate as the old man was jumped from behind. He saw a hunting knife in the womans hand. It was over in just some seconds and the man sagged to the ground with the woman on top of him. It all happened to fast for Gray to even blink.

He swallowed as he pushed aside the heavy body that had him pinned. He yanked his sword free from the dead man and wiped the blade against the mans dirty tunic. He looked around before he sheathed the sword to the scabbard on his back. Seemed like all was quiet. Four dead bodies lay where they had dropped. There was no sign of the fleing man.

He turned his attention to the woman that lay on top of the man she had felled. He took her under her arms and lifted her of him. She was unconscious with a bump in her head. Blood was seen under her hairline. He lay her on her back on the ground and crouched beside her. She was beautiful. He wiped away some of her red hair from the wound. Thankfully she didn't seem to have cracked her skull.

Gray leaned back on his heal and looked down at her. Her tunic had separated and he saw her firm but small breasts. With a sigh of appreciation he closed the tunic. Thankful that he had managed to beat the men and saved her from rape and murder he put his arms under her back and legs and lifted her up in his arms.

He walked over to where he had hidden and took up the bag he had left there before he wandered deeper into the forest with the burden in his arms. When he found a good place he gently lay her down and placed his soft bag under her head as a pillow. He looked to it that she was as decent he could before he looked for twigs to use to start a fire.

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

It would not be until after the fire had leapt to burning life that she awoke, her head throbbing. Groaning, she lifted her hands to her head, her tunic spreading open with the action, baring her smallish, perky breasts, her nipples taut with chill. Even her silky mouth of red curls, nestled between her thighs were visible, her trousers torn and useless and left behind. Her figertips brushed over crusty substance at the side of her head. Dried blood.

Lee opened her eyes as she drew in a sharp breath, jerking her hand from the sore bump on her head. Her vision was blurred. What was that crackling noise?

Light drew her attention, and she felt heat. A fire. And...a man!

Lee shrieked as she realized she was exposed. Despite the pounding between her ears, she scrambled to her feet and stumbled into the brush, attempting to flee. Dizziness brought her crashing to the ground, and she felt ill. Little did she know, she had a mild concussion.

 

[Bardiche]

Gray woke immediately as he heard the woman shriek. With a loud curse he leapt to his feat. He had bandaged the cut on his arm but it had bled through the cloth. He saw the woman trying to flee but her legs couldn't keep her up. She crashed to the ground.

With a sigh he approached her carefully. He was unarmed as the sword lay where he had slept. His upper body was naked. But for decency he had kept his trousers on. He walked over to the fallen woman and crouched beside her.

"I am no danger to you." He said softly as he met her scared gaze. "The danger is over." He felt a need to comfort her but really didn't know how. The only women he had known for the past ten years had been wenches and whores. He thought he could count her out of those categories.

He brushed back the dark hair that had fallen in front of his eyes as he slept and gave her a smile. "You are quite safe here." He mumbles as he reaches out and cover her body that was revealed by her tunic. He really needed to get her a belt he thought.

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

Lee cradled her head in her hands, curled quite pathetically into a fetal position. However, not so pathetic was the foul language that spewed from her mouth. The woman swore like a sailor!

She could barely hear the man over the pounding in her head, but she did know that he was speaking soothingly, and he'd covered her with her torn tunic. Raising her hands from over her eyes, she peered at him, her brows furrowed. Her vision was still blurred, but it was focusing. Now, she sould recognize him.

Memories rushed back of the day. She'd nearly been raped, but he'd rushed to her rescue and saved her from a 'fate worse than death'...and even death itself.

She'd killed someone. She felt sick.

Through dry, cracked lips, she would murmur, "Thank the Gods for you. Got any water?"

 

[Bardiche]

Gray had his eyebrow raised as he listened to the curses and foul language coming from her mouth. Had he saved a tavern wench? he thought to himself as he sat crouching on his heel next to her. He smiled to her as she recognised and thanked him to finally ask for water.

He simply nodded and stood up. He went back to his bag that lay close to the fire that was slowly burning out. He threw some twigs on it before digging into his bag and collected a processed skin pouch that was half full of water. He walked back to the woman and crouched next to her again. He handed her the pouch.

"Drink slowly." He said softly. He watched her put the pouch against her lip and start to drink. When she was done he took back the pouch again.

"I'm gonna fill it later in a creek not far from here." He was looking down at her. "But now it is best that we get you back to the fire. It is quite cold here." He didn't feel the need to say that she wasn't dressed for the occation.

"I'm gonna lift you up. No need to fear me though." He say as he lean over and with his arms under her knees and back lifts her up with ease.

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

It seemed like an eternity that he was gone, the pounding in her head receding slightly now that she was lying still. Her swearing had stopped, at the very least. She wasn't usually prone to such a foul mouth, and her mother would have fainted if she'd heard such language from her little girl's mouth. But damnit, she felt sick, her head hurt, and she had panicked when she saw the man and the fire.

When he returned with the waterskin, she spoke hoarsely, "Thank you." She drank slowly and in small gulps, thoroughly moistening her throat and tongue. She drank half of the pouch's contents, her brows furrowed and her face frozen in a wince. She passed it back when she was finished and it was put away.

And now that he mentioned it, she was freezing. Her crinkled nipples were tell-tale of that. "Yeah..." she murmured as she was lifted into his arms and carried back to the fire. She set her head against his chest, appreciative of his efforts, and of his strength. Yes, she would be alright for now. Worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes.

 

[Bardiche]

He put her down in front of the fire. She was so small and vulnerable. He just looked at her for a moment before adding some more twigs to the fire. He took up a blanket from his bag and gently covered her with it. She needed her rest. Head wounds could be tricky though. He had seen his share of those.

Once she was tucked in he sat down beside her and fished up some dried meat and started to eat. Who was she? Why was she here? Well, questions for another day he thought as he lay down beside her. He held her close to his own body to let her use his body for warmth. In a matter of minutes he was asleep while the fire blazed.

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

Lee was too weary and worn out to protest, or even have a thought for decency. If she had, she might determine that decency had gone out the window a while ago.

And so she was laid to rest by the fire and covered with a warm blanket. It wasn't a bed, but it was warm, cozy, and plenty good enough for her. She dozed off the moment her heavy lids touched each other, her breathing slowing to a calm, peaceful pace.

Asleep herself, there was no arguement about the two sleeping together. There would even be a point through the night that she would coil herself around him when the fire died, seeking warmth from him unconsciously.

She would sleep until late the following morning if left undisturbed.

 

[Bardiche]

Gray slept uneasy. He woke up and placed new twigs on the fire. Then he lsy back down and pulled her into his arms again. At one time he woke up with her mumbling something with her face pressed to his shoulder. It felt slightly awkward but as he had no more twigs to put on the fire he tried to sleep again. It took some time as she squirmed against him in her sleep.

Finally he drifted of again. Unknown to both of them they sought warmth by pressing against eachother. Somehow his leg got tangled in between hers and the blanket. In his sleep he drew the blanket to cover them both and by doing so he was directly pressed against her with no barrier. He sighed and pulled her closer.

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

Lee awoke late the following morning with a canopy of trees shading the overhead sun from her face. There were birds singing gaily above her, bidding her to wake and greet the new day.

She was loathe to wake, and she felt dizzy. But she was warm, and she lay on something terribly soft. Whatever it was, it was attached to something else just as warm and soft. Opening her eyes, she peered at the man next to her through half-lidded green orbs.

Her eyes went wide. She was laying on the arm of a handsome man, one who looked damningly familiar. But it was not just he who was draped over her. Her owns hands and limbs were well tangled with his. She nearly panicked at the sight. And then she remembered. The man had saved her life. He had kept her safe. And very warm, apparently, as she lofted her brow.

Noticing then that her torn tunic had fallen open once more, and she lay practically nude against him, she decided it was time to take some action. She pulled gently at her limbs, trying hard not to wake him. She needed to get away! But not with him awake. How awkward she should feel! And she did feel so very awkward, her nipples crinkled to perfect little rosebuds as she turned away, exposing them to the fresh, cool air.

 

[Bardiche]

Gray woke to find that he lay alone. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His sudden movement must have startled the woman that sat not far from him as she turned to look at him with wide green eyes. He couldn't help but seing her breasts between the torn tunic before she covered them.

He needed to get her a new tunic and some trousers he thought as he glanced down at her thighs. He pushed his hair away from his eyes as he looked at her.

"Are you hungry?" He asked her softly. "The only thing i can offer is some dried meat. But it will have to do for now." He smile at her, trying to show his best side so not to scare her. "My name are Gray." He stand up and walk to his bag and take up some pieces of dried meat and offers her two.

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

He must have stirred from her moving away, but thankfully only after she'd put some distance between them, covering herself as best as she could with her tunic. As his eyes traveled over her, she shivered.

At mention of food, she brightened somewhat, nodding appreciatively, speaking in that pleasing alto voice, "Yes, thank you. It's fine." She took the offered meat, adding, "Thanks again, Gray. I'm Lee. Well, Angeline, but just Lee is fine."

She gnawed hungrily at the meat, glad for any form of sustinence. After devouring both pieces, she licked at her fingers. After sucking any remaining meat flavor from each digit, she looked back to him. "Have you seen my bag? I could really use a pair of trousers. And a new tunic."

 

[Bardiche]

He sit back down again, shrugging slightly. "I never thought of looking for it." He took a bite of the dried meat as he met her eyes. "I can go and look for it if you wish me to." He smile at her. "You are quite an distraction the way you are dressed now." He take on his leather tunic and attaches the scabbard with his sword to his back.

He fishes in his bag and take up a long, thin hunting knife and hands it to her, hilt first. "For your safety. You can feel safe with me. I have never hurt a woman in my life." He grins. "If she doesn't want me to that is."

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

Lee laughed, taking the offered hunting knife. "Yeah, if you know where I was attacked. Now quit teasing me! It's not my fault I'm half naked." Moving back, she examined the hunting knife with interest.

Looking back at him, she sniffed, "Besides, I was only in trouble yesterday because there were five of them. I can take one man! I bite, too. So don't try anything funny, mister!" She was jokling of course. She figured if he had wanted to try something, he would have done so already.

 

[Bardiche]

He raised his hands. "I won't try anything funny. There are nothing more dangerous than a angry lady." He say with a smile. He couldn't help but feeling a little regret. In no way he would take a woman against her will but he had to admit that Lee was damn tempting. He had always had a weakness for red hair. And her green eyes was very lively.

He stood up. "I will be back soon. The place are not far from here." He smile to her. "Don't get in danger until i arrive." Then he turn and walk back they way he had gone the previos day.

He immediately found her bag. It was untouched and he took it up. He also took two daggers from the dead men he had left there. There was no sign of anyone travelling this way after he took Lee away from there. Finding nothing more of interest he start to walk back to Lee.

 

[Mimsy_Borogove]

Lee laughed once more, her freckled cheeks turning pink and her nose wrinkling. Impish green eyes regarded him with amusement. "And I can be a scary angry lady! Well, not really. But it sounds good to say so, doesn't it?"

She sat on her knees, tunic pulled shut over her body as she waited for him to return. It would be a quiet, uneventful wait. Boring even, made longer by the fact she still felt a little dizzy.

When he returned, she would murmur her thanks, immediately pulling on the trousers, he getting a flash of her firm, rounded bottom in the process. She fastened them over her hips, then discarded her torn tunic and tugged on a new one. Clad in brown trousers and a thick white tunic, she didn't feel so vulnerable anymore. Turned around to face him once more, she beamed. "That's a hell of a lot better! Don't you agree?"