Lost in Eros 2: the Forest 12

Lost in Eros

Book II: The Forest

To the Rescue

"Your friend is with a group of warrior women who call themselves the Sisterhood," the Wizard explained.

Don frowned, "I thought she was with the satyrs."

"Well, she was, but apparently the satyrs abandoned her when a scouting party of sisters got too close to their camp. I assure you that your friend has not been harmed. Look," the Wizard indicated one of the mirrors in the dining room where they were having their early morning conference. The mirror's reflective surface blurred and then showed them an image of Tascha sleeping peacefully on a bed in a rustic stone building of some sort. "I certainly would have alerted you if your friend was in any real danger."

"'

Real

danger'?" Nicole pressed. She was sitting next to Don on the opposite side of the table from the Wizard. Shelonda sat on the other side of Don, and Amy sat next to the Wizard. Madeleine listened from the end of the table.

"The sisters can be rather intimidating, but they would not really hurt her," the Wizard said firmly.

"You described them as

warrior

women, though," Don pointed out. "They must have earned that adjective somehow."

"Oh, they can be quite dangerous to anyone who tries to interfere with them or those who they claim as their property," the Wizard nodded. "They train daily in both armed and unarmed combat. They look quite ... formidable."

"I take it that you've been careful to watch this training, my dear?" Madeleine asked with a smile. The Wizard actually blushed a little and nodded.

"What kind of weapons do they use?" Shelonda asked. It was hard to tell if she was asking more from enthusiastic curiosity or to size up her likely opponents.

"Spears, mostly, but they have some swords and a few axes."

"We only have our two staffs," Shelonda frowned, and again it wasn't particularly clear if her expression was of concern or envy.

"I believe I can help with that," the Wizard smiled.

Amy spoke up then for the first time during the meeting, "I'm wondering about something else. You said 'those who they claim as their property.'"

"Yes, I did."

"Do you think they claim Tascha as their property?" Nicole asked with a scowl.

The Wizard frowned, "Um, well, almost certainly."

"They wouldn't be thinking of her as a guest?" Don asked.

"It does not seem likely," the Wizard answered with a shake of his head. "It seems to me from what I have observed and have been able to learn, that the sisters see the world as being divided into three groups: themselves – the warrior women, their servants – men and women whom the sisters claim as property – and then everyone else – anyone outside the castle."

"How many groups is that?" Amy asked.

"Sorry; three: themselves, their servants, and everyone else," the Wizard summarized. "I doubt that your friend has been able to fight her way into the ranks of the Sisterhood, and they have allowed her to stay in their castle, so they must consider her one of their possessions."

"Their slaves, you mean," Nicole said icily.

"Hm, well, yes, I suppose that is an appropriate term," the Wizard nodded.

Before Nicole could voice her entirely justified indignation, Don leaned forward and said, "Tell us more about what these sisters are like."

"They are proud – arrogant, really. They tend to be bullies and the other inhabitants of the forest, like the satyrs, try to stay away from them. The sisters only go out from their castle to gather fruit and to 'patrol', which just seems to mean looking for trouble and booty, like your friend. The castle has a spring in it somewhere, so they don't need to worry about water."

"What about their organization?" Don continued.

"Ah, well, typical warrior class mentality, I believe. It seems that the toughest, most charismatic sister acts as kind of a leader of the pack. They all seem to cooperate with this, though I suspect any dissension would be dealt with violently."

"Trial by combat?"

"Most likely," the Wizard nodded.

"OK," Don smiled a bit enigmatically. "You said you could help us."

It was the Wizard's turn to smile. "I can help you several ways. First, I have a way to get you to your friend that I think you'll like."

When they heard what the Wizard had in mind, both Don and Nicole laughed. Don said, "It's a bit traditional, but it will do, I think. What else can you do for us?"

The Wizard explained his proposal. The girls were clearly not impressed, but Don smiled and said it would do nicely.

Nicole was the one who objected most clearly, saying, "All this is great, Don, but how in the world do you expect to get this Sisterhood to give Tascha up?"

"Well, I thought I would start with asking them," he said with a cheerful smirk.

Several hours later, after the Wizard had busied himself with a number of magical projects, during which Don and Shelonda stretched and talked in the garden, and Amy and Nicole busied themselves with the magical closet in their bedroom, the four companions were moving quickly over the forest on nothing less than a flying carpet.

Amy crouched at the front of their ride grinning enthusiastically as the wind whipped her hair back. She was wearing a new khaki outfit, complete with cargo shorts and hiking boots. She was the designated driver of the carpet, although on this part of the trip the magical device was on auto-pilot.

Close behind Amy knelt Shelonda, who was watching the forest passing underneath them with happy fascination. She was wearing an outfit very similar to that worn by Amy at the masquerade in the Manor: a pleated red skirt, a tight-fitting and flexible chest plate of a crimson material that both protected most of her upper body but also managed to accentuate her full breasts, a pair of golden metallic bracers on her forearms, a set of matching shin guards, and a pair of custom made (through magic) martial arts shoes. Her long, straight hair was tied back in a ponytail. Shelonda had her staff held tightly across her thighs.

Standing up in the middle of the carpet, as if he were Aladdin himself, or the captain of a pirate ship, stood Don. He held his staff lightly in his right hand, and rested his left fist on his hip. Don wore chest armor of the same material as Shelonda, though his was noticeably less curvy and black. He also had bracers and shin guards, also black, though the shin armor was concealed under the loose black pants he wore. His shoes were also like Shelonda's. Both he and Shelonda also wore protective cups on their crotches though this could not be seen. Don smiled calmly ahead.

Sitting on the carpet behind Don, and doing her best not to look up or around, was Nicole. She was wearing what could best be described as a naughty nurse costume, complete with white stockings and garter belt. There were prominent red crosses on her chest and her white cap. She clutched a big bag of supplies closely.

"I don't like this plan, Don," Nicole had said. "I don't want to see any more killing."

"Neither do I," Don had replied. "We're going to do everything we can to avoid seriously hurting anyone. How much first aid do they teach pre-med students?"

The answer had been not much, but Nicole had been a girl scout and knew some rudiments. So, she was assigned the role of medic for the rescue mission.

"There it is!" Don said, pointing ahead to where he could just see the old ruined castle poking up out of the forest. "Let's find someplace to land not too far from it."

In another minute, responding to Amy's mental commands, the carpet settled down in a small clearing just a short, wooded distance from the castle's gate. Don, Shelonda and Nicole disembarked – Nicole quite eagerly – and Amy had the carpet carry her back up into the sky. Amy had her instructions. She hadn't liked the thought of being left out of the main action, but had eventually accepted Don's reasoning. At the very least, if Don's plan didn't work, they wouldn't all be captured.

With Don taking the lead, the three on the ground set off through the forest toward the castle of the Sisterhood. It was only a short walk before they came to another, much larger, clearing in front of the gate of the castle. The gate itself was very old, mostly of wood and actually in surprisingly good condition. It had two valves, and the one on the right was standing open. Two women were there, apparently on guard, though they had placed their spears against the wall and were practicing what looked like crude judo take-downs. Don and the others got half way across the clearing to them before either of them noticed.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?" said one, a tall woman with short, jet-black hair. To her credit, her partner, a shorter blonde with longer hair, immediately went to grab both spears and took the opportunity to give a high-pitched whistle through the open gate.

"I'm Don, and this is my student Shelonda and our medical assistant Nicole," Don said amiably as he continued to approach the castle.

"Medical assistant?" the guard asked as her companion brought her spear.

"To help if anyone gets injured."

"OK, that's far enough," the guard said as she leveled her spear at Don's chest, "or you're going to get injured permanently."

Don frowned a little at that. He actually suspected that the XYZ would help his, or anyone's, body repair any injury short of death, but he didn't bother to explain this to the dark-haired woman. Instead he said, "We're here to collect our friend, who we believe has been a guest of the Sisterhood for the last few days."

"Oh you are, are you?" said a voice from above the gate.

Don looked up to see a beautiful woman with long black hair spilling over her shoulders and her armor standing on the battlements over the gate. She certainly seemed to have the regal bearing that would go along with leading the Sisterhood. He decided at that moment that this woman would respond better to a particular approach – one of individual dominance.

"I am," Don nodded. "She became separated from us, and has been here. I would be grateful if you returned her."

"And if I don't?" asked the woman, confirming Don's guess as to her role in the Sisterhood.

"Then I'll have to make you," Don smiled.

The woman laughed derisively, and then said, "Kill him, and take the women."

Without hesitation, the two guards drew back to thrust at Don with their spears. Before they could attack though, his staff came up and spun around in a clean arc through the place where the black-haired one's head had been, carrying her down into a crumpled heap on the ground where she lay unconscious. Immediately, Don reversed the momentum of his staff, batting the blonde's spear aside, and then brought the other end of the staff around to strike the woman's knee hard enough to buckle her leg painfully in the wrong direction. She cried out in pain before Don stretched her on the ground with a blow to the head. The entire exchange had taken less than three seconds.

Don held up his left hand to the half dozen warrior women who had by now come through the gate and who were ready to charge him.

"We do not want to fight the Sisterhood," he said in a loud, calm voice. "We only want our friend, Tascha, who is here in your castle. Give her to us and Nicole here will tend to these good women and we will be on our way. If you do not give her to us, though, I must challenge your leader to personal combat."

"We do not stoop to fight with men," one of the women in front of Don sneered. She was a big redhead with a spray of freckles across her face.

"That sounds like cowardice to me," Don smiled back at her.

"Take them down," the woman on the wall ordered.

At once, the six women, led by the freckled redhead, charged Don and the girls. Don's hypothesis was that the XYZ was supercharging more than just their sex drives, and that if he and Shelonda deliberately sought to direct their energies into good kung fu they would be nearly unstoppable fighting machines. Moreover, he had repeatedly noticed the flexible nature of Eros, in that what a focused mind wanted often made itself available. Don and Shelonda were now throwing themselves into the fray, letting the XYZ course through their veins and expecting the world to bend itself to their will. They leapt higher, dodged faster, and hit harder than seemed humanly possible. In addition, they had a particular advantage thanks to the Wizard; their staffs had been enchanted. Though they were still the light, flexible staffs Don and Shelonda had brought from the Manor, they were now, for all intents and purposes, unbreakable, and struck with a force much greater than normal. There were additional abilities as well, but they were trying to hold back on those, both to keep at least one of them in reserve as a surprise and because they really didn't want to severely injure anyone.

It only took a minute or so before all six of the sisters were lying on the ground around Don and Shelonda, either unconscious or groaning in pain. Nicole quickly began moving about them, checking for broken bones and beginning to bandage ankles and knees.

"So," Don called to the rest of the Sisterhood, who by now were gathered outside the gate or along the walls, "you will not stoop to fight a man, but you will stoop to attacking us three to one. That's very brave. I'm quite impressed."

"I'll take you one-on-one, little man," said a muscular woman with short brown hair. "When I'm done with you, I'll fuck your ass with that staff of yours."

"Always the ass, eh, Wanda?" said a woman from the crowd.

Wanda laughed and stepped forward hefting a good sized battle axe in her strong hands.

Don smiled at her, "If you're nice, maybe I'll fuck your ass with my 'staff'

before

I'm done with you."

The women seemed to like this and laughed at and with Wanda. Though she didn't really seem to mind the teasing, Wanda chose this moment to charge Don. It was a clumsy attack, and Don had no trouble slipping out of the way. His staff flew around and smacked Wanda hard on the butt. He thought the force of her charge would require a few more steps before she could turn, but Wanda surprised him by spinning tightly and swinging her axe across at his mid-section. Don sprang back in time, but only just. With impressive speed, she changed the direction of the axe, swept it up and then arcing down at Don's head. Rather than dodging though, Don stepped in and threw his staff up in both hands, to catch the axe haft as it came down. Neither staff nor axe gave way, as Don expected, though Wanda was surprised that the axe hadn't continued right through the apparently more flimsy staff. Don took advantage of her surprise by kicking her very hard in the crotch. Though this didn't have exactly the same effect it might have on a male, it still hurt, and Wanda winced and pulled back. Don pressed the attack, spinning his staff in a withering barrage of strikes aimed at Wanda's head. While she was able to successfully block each strike, Don was able to throw her off balance enough that he was able to slip in close and punch her sharply in the gut. With a loud "Oof!" Wanda doubled over, leaving herself open to a decisive rap on the skull that laid her out on the ground.

There was a small burst of applause, abruptly cut off, as Don turned to look over the gathered sisters with a cheerful yet derisive smile. He was less astounded by his speed and strength than he was by his endurance; he was barely breathing hard. "Anyone else want to do your leader's fighting for her?"

"You're pretty good with that stick," said a beautiful, tall blonde wearing her hair in braids, as she stepped forward. She was wearing a blue sleeveless tunic hanging down almost to her knees and cinched at the waist, leather wrist bands and sandals laced up the length of her calves. She had all the beauty of Nordic women and a muscular build that indicated both strength and speed. She also seemed to be smiling at Don with genuine good nature. She asked, "Can you measure up without a weapon?"

Don nodded and said, "Let's find out." He tossed his staff to Shelonda and bowed to the blonde, adding, "I'm Don."

"Brigit," she nodded.

Don was acutely aware of the fact that he had just given any attentive spectators a good demonstration of his basic fighting style. This gave Brigit a possible advantage. She certainly had the fire of intelligence burning in her eyes, so Don assumed she had an actual advantage. As a result of these thoughts he did not rush in to attack her, though a fast step in and side-kick was usually a good move in this kind of situation. He relaxed his shoulders, slowed his breathing, and waited for Brigit to make the first move.

Brigit eyed Don calmly as she began to circle him. He noted that she had her hands raised and open, suggesting that she might be a grappler. Though she was ordinarily someone he might enjoy grappling, Don had little taste for wrestling as a form of combat. He was out-massed by the big woman; speed, agility and determination were his assets, two-thirds of which would be sacrificed in a clinch.

He turned as she moved, eventually turning his back on the bulk of the Sisterhood. Don actually thought they were too caught up in the fun of watching the fight to actually interfere, and he was sure Shelonda would alert him if someone made an unsporting move. Rather than attack him, the sisters were taunting both Brigit and him, telling them to get on with it.

Finally, Brigit did just that, taking a few quick steps in Don's direction, but he only danced back laughing. She came in again, this time faster and swinging her right fist in a roundhouse. Don had bounced back, though, and to his left. Before she could readjust, he landed two quick blows on her right side. It felt like he'd punched a wall.

Brigit rounded on him, but he had already skipped back out of the way. Her smile suggested that his punches hadn't made much of an impression. Don didn't mind that; he was still sizing her up.

She came in fast again, but Don could tell she was a bit hesitant; expecting him to evade her she was holding back. Don responded by closing the distance between them. He blocked the blow she aimed at the left side of his head with his forearm and simultaneously punched straight ahead at her nose. There was a satisfying crunching sound as his fist connected. Don didn't leave his fist out there long, but snapped it back in time to block the punch she threw at the right side of his head. If he'd been slower, Brigit's right-left combination would certainly have knocked him senseless; the woman was certainly powerful. He brought his knee up and quickly snapped his heel into Brigit's gut, pushing the two of them apart again.

Brigit's nose was bleeding profusely, and she wasn't smiling any more. Don had to admit that this bout wasn't turning out as playfully as he'd hoped. He thought he'd give the sister a moment to wipe some of the blood off her face, but she came at him again. This time, she tried to close faster and punch straight at him. Don dropped low, under her reach and hit her in the side again, this time much harder. They passed each other and turned, but Brigit took the opportunity to swing her fist back-handed at Don's head. He only pulled back far enough to take the blow on his cheek. The force of the impact knocked him to the side a bit and he tasted his own blood.

Brigit came at him quickly, and Don had to backpedal and block furiously to avoid getting seriously hurt. Finally he was able to strike upward with the heel of his hand at Brigit's chin. Her head snapped back and she stumbled backward. Don sprang forward, taking two steps and then was high in the air, his foot snapped around with blinding speed and Brigit's head twisted to the side. Don and Brigit landed on the ground at the same time, he lightly on his feet and she heavily on her back. As the crowd of women cheered in spite of themselves, Don knelt quickly to make sure that Brigit was still breathing. Nicole hurried up to check as well.