This is one of my older stories, and it was requested by aporia-canopy.
Contains: consensual kidnapping, bondage, aphrodisiac use, dominant/submissive, and orgasm control.
The night air was sharp and painful in my lungs. A light frost covered the ground, threatening to make each footstep crackle. I moved carefully, keeping to the bare dirt and letting out my breath slowly as to not make telltale clouds. A few fires still pushed back the darkness from the camp, giving silhouettes to the tents looming around me. I examined each shelter, my heart pounding as I searched for the one that held my lover. This was only a game, but it was a game I could still lose. Just because things were agreed upon beforehand didn't mean everything was set in stone; though we would be wedded one way or another, it remained to be seen which of us would wear the more literal bonds of matrimony.
I stopped breathing as heavy footsteps tramped by, far too close for comfort. It was dangerous to stay here for long. Thankfully, I soon found the tent I had visited before, recognizing the markings on the side. My nose was assaulted with the strong scent of leather and fur as I slipped through the flaps, moving as silently as was possible. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the near-total darkness, but I could barely make out her tanned face, half-covered by the blankets that swathed her body. The pile of pelts rose and fell with slow, even breaths; she was deeply asleep and alone, even better that I'd hoped. She knew that I would be coming for her, but she had to rest at some point and it was unsporting to have someone keeping a direct watch. I edged closer, readying two long strips of cloth and crumpling one into a loose ball.
In a flash, I forced her mouth open and stuffed it with the bundled fabric, clamping a hand over her face to further muffle her cry as her eyes shot open. I knelt on top of her as she started to struggle, putting all my weight on her arms and chest to trap her in the bed. She was as strong if not stronger than me, but I had every advantage. It was the work of a few moments to bind the strip of cloth tightly around her head, completing the gag and turning her noises into low grunts. Though it was impossible to make out her expression in the gloom, she definitely didn't sound happy. She was probably hoping to do this very thing to me, looking to gain a permanent upper hand in our dominance games. Both of us could be happy on top or bottom, but there was a struggle for power every time, often ending in a breathless bondage wrestling match like this one.
We were at a bit of an impasse now, though, since I couldn't get at any of her limbs to restrain her. After taking a moment to think, I moved to the side and quickly grabbed her shoulders through the blankets, flipping her over and straddling her lower back. I caught one of her flailing arms and slipped a loop of rope around it, ignoring the way she attempted to claw me. She was putting up quite a fight, but she hadn't used any of our non-verbal signals, so I continued to tie her arms together, making knots by feel in the darkness until all she could do was jerk her bound wrists around. I considered doing her ankles as well, but carrying a full-grown struggling woman was going to be quite difficult and it would be easier to have her ride in front of me if she wasn't forced to sit sidesaddle. I yanked the rest of the blankets away and rolled her over again, finding that she was dressed in pants and a tunic.
"I'm going to put your boots on," I murmured. "I don't want you to get frostbite. Don't kick me, alright?"
She hesitated, then nodded, muttering something unintelligible and ceasing to struggle now that she recognized she was beat. I felt around the floor of the tent until I found soft leather, bringing it over and slipping the shoes on her bare feet. Standing up, I heaved her upright, steadying her as she staggered.
"We're going to run to my horse. If you go slow, I'm dragging you." I raised a hand to her face, stroking her cheek. "Let's not make this harder than it has to be, mhibu."
Reluctantly, she nodded again. I crouched down, ducking my head out of the tent and squinting in the firelight. As far as I could tell, nobody was watching. I grabbed her arm and led her outside, hustling her through the chilly air,
"Sarnai?" a man's voice called, and I broke into a run, forcing her to keep the pace. "Hey! It's the wife-taker!"
More shouts rose up behind us as our feet pounded over the crisp ground. The camp would be in uproar in a few minutes, but that much of a headstart would be enough. We just had to move fast. Before too long, we reached the small patch of bushes where I had tied my horse. I wrapped my hands around Sarnai's waist, heaving her up into the saddle with barely a pause in our movement.
Only... it wasn't Sarnai. The pale moonlight revealed much more than the darkness of the tent, and what it showed was only a resemblance to my beloved. Brown eyes, dark hair pulled into a ponytail, a similar face and body type - enough to fool a hurried wife-taker in darkness, but no more. Ice-cold realization dripped down my spine as I stood frozen, and the woman who was not Sarnai seemed to smirk at me from behind the gag.
Before I could move, something dropped over my shoulders and tightened around me, forcing my arms to my sides. I had barely a second to struggle before a heavy weight slammed into my back, knocking me forward onto the grass and settling on top of me. Dazed and still in shock from the deception, I realized my wrists were being bound behind me and half-heartedly fought back against my attacker even though I had little chance of breaking free.
"My brave Gan," a voice murmured against my ear as the person straddling me leaned down. "A good attempt, but so... straightforward."
"S-Sarnai," I sputtered, trying to twist around and see her. "How-"
"Shh, kipenzi," she whispered. As I opened my mouth to speak again, a strange-tasting wad of cloth was stuffed inside, quickly being held in place by a loop of rope around my head. Now all I could do was make muffled noises, my mind still reeling as I tried to figure out how things had gone so wrong so quickly.
Well... 'wrong'. This was by no means a terrible outcome, as her gentle lips brushing against my neck reminded me, but the noise of approaching hoofbeats made my stomach drop. She shifted off my back and helped me into a kneeling position, allowing me to see both her and the group of people on horseback approaching. She was wearing thick furs and a long cloak like me, confirming my suspicion that she had been waiting out in the cold for some time.
"Sarnai! Odval!" one of the women cried out as the horses slowed to a halt, the breath of man and beast making steaming clouds. "Are you alright?"
"We're fine," she replied, ruffling my short hair as my face burned. "I've caught my little kidnapper, thanks to Odval." The men and women chortled and slapped their thighs, enjoying this reversal of fortune at my expense.
"You're quite the trickster," said the same woman, grinning. "We'll go prepare for your binding." The woman I had captured - Odval, a name I somewhat recognized - mumbled something into her gag, tossing her head to the side, and the people laughed again. "Does your sister need a bit of help?"
"I'd appreciate it if you took her back with you. I'll bring this one in on my own." She patted my shoulder. Helping hands took Odval down and freed her of her bonds, allowing her to come over and peck Sarnai on the cheek.
"I think you made a good choice, sister," Odval said, smiling. "I'm glad I was able to come help." She accepted Sarnai's return kiss on the opposite cheek before taking an offered hand and pulling herself up onto a horse, riding double with one of the rescue party as they headed back to the camp. Now that the two of us were alone, Sarnai crouched down behind me and looped more rope around my ankles, leaving me even more helpless. With a grunt of effort, she lifted me up, carefully placing me sidesaddle on my horse and climbing up to sit behind me. She took the bundled-up blanket - the one that had been meant to keep
her
warm - from the saddlebags, wrapping it around my shoulders and encircling me with her arms as she took the reins, urging the horse into a slow walk towards camp.
"Are you angry with me, Gan?" she murmured, her hand coming up to hold my head against her chest.
After a few moments, I shook my head, nuzzling into her warmth. I was angry at myself for being fooled and nervous as I anticipated the cost of failure, but she was still my love. However things had turned out, we would still be together in the morning.
"I'm glad." She pressed a kiss into my hair, her lips warm against my scalp. "I want you to have fun tonight, even though you lost. Let me know if it gets to be too much."
I nodded slightly, appreciating her affection.
