Ladies of the Tower

Chapter-2: In Service to a Wizard

The wizard was correct. Even though they had yet to receive their first job, they were being "generously compensated."

There new employer went on that night to explain the terms and conditions of their contract: First, they would receive a weekly stipend whether that had anything to do, or not. Next, the got a base of operations at the Tower of Lolamach. From there, they would be paid accordingly (based upon the importance and danger of a given mission—including expenses). Plus, the wizard let them know that he was constantly working for the peace and welfare of the people, and he would never ask them to do anything malicious nor cruel. Overall, they really couldn't ask for much more.

There were a few caveats that they had to abide by: Foremost was that they were never to recruit any members that had not been approved by him, and that they had to accept Sara Monfort as the resident ranger. Also, they were not to take-on any contracts outside of those given by him without being submitted and approved beforehand. Pretty much, they were under exclusive contract to the mysterious wizard, and had to do what he said.

While the draconian, yet generous, terms of the contract made Nora a bit uneasy, she did finally get her ranger.

Evidently, Sara Monfort had been in the employ of the wizard for quite some time. She was a Half-Elf, and had spent the better part of the last twenty-years lending her skills to his agenda. Her human side was most prevalent in her height, standing at five-foot, and ten-inches tall. Selk was the tallest at six-foot-two, then Nora at six-even.

Sara and Selk hit-it-off almost instantly. Nora figured it was because the two were more for the outdoors than the others. But Kerryllon seemed to keep her distance from the new recruit. They all knew that the Half-Elves were looked down upon by the vast majority of Elvenkind, and even though the sorceress didn't seem the type to hold on to the old-ways, the were still the remnants of these ancient cultural-bigotries that haunted her. Even so, Nora reckoned that once they got to know each other, they would be as-thick-as-thieves. And speaking of thieves, Nora thought, with no small amount of irony...

The only one she had to really watch out for was Cira. The Halfling had a rather amorous way of welcoming someone new, and she wasn't sure of the ranger had such liberated views on such activities. But as their first week in to tower wore-on, she found that she needn't worry about the thief, and should have been more suspicious of Selk and Sara's "camping-trips."

***

Selk had just finished the makeshift lean-to as Sara arrived with a pair of fat rabbits dangling from a leather thong.

"Two fat hares, one arrow," the ranger bragged, and then taunted, "Top that, barbarian!"

"By Sif's nipple, you did," Selk retorted, sardonically, "...the same arrow shot twice, I'll wager!"

"You're just jealous, cupcake, because I can hit a squirrel's asshole at a furlong, and you couldn't hit an oxen's ass at one pace," Sara teased, laughing at her own wit.

"But I know who's ass I

can

hit," the barbarian shot back, rage at the insult flaring in her eyes.

"Is that a threat, or a promise, cupcake," the ranger asked, seductively, as she strode up to the larger woman, and ran her fingertips over Selk's exposed midriff. The barbarian let out a soft moan at the Half-Elf's touch, and suddenly all the ire had dissipated from her demeanor."Because, I feel I have been naughty," she pressed, "and maybe I

do

deserve a good spanking."

In that moment, the game Sara had caught was forgotten about as the rabbits fell to the ground, and the pair embraced as they made their way over to the bedrolls. It didn't take long before they were completely nude.

The two kissed each other deeply, as their legs intertwined, and they were rubbing their moistening mounds against each others thighs. They both groaned at the sensations that shot through their bodies as the chilled evening air caressed their naked flesh. "I'm sorry I said such mean things, cupcake." Sara said, as she moved down to the barbarian's hardened nipples, "Let me make it up to you."

She only cooed her answer to the ranger's apology as she started to lick, and gently nibble. Goose-flesh prickled on Selk's skin in response to her lover's workings, and she knew that for the first part of the evening, she would only have to lay-back, and enjoy...

The barbarian's breathing became more shallow and rapid the closer Sara got to her anxious sex. The ranger lingered slowly down from her ample breasts, over her taut tummy. And then came the soft kisses over her hip that led to her inner thigh. Selk opened her legs invitingly to Sara's explorations. But much like the ranger's wit of words, her mouth had other ways to tease as well.

All around her gash that glistened with her wetness, Sara lips, and the tip of her tongue, made light contact on her inner thigh. It got to the point where every touch made her twitch. And it was only then that she felt the brush of her lover's tongue find its mark, and at that, she almost exploded when it gingerly graze across her engorged button.

It was mere moments of Sara licking and sucking at the barbarian's large, tumescent clit before she was launched head-long into a blinding orgasm. Afterward, she would be grateful that they were alone in the forest as her climactic wailing would have shook the stones of the tower. Her muscular frame would lock-and-release spasmodically with every unforgiving wave, and her passionate cries would rise-and-fall accordingly. In the end, when it had abated, she was forced to beg Sara to stop her workings—as she feared she might faint from the sensitivity in her loins, and the over stimulation.

"Please," she panted, pleadingly, at the ranger, "let me rest for a moment before we continue."But it didn't take that long for her body to calm, and her head to clear.

Sara moved to scissor their legs together, and found the barbarian's inflamed, slick sex as she began to rub her wanton pussy against it. At first, she had wrapped her arms around one of Selk's long, muscular legs, but soon they had grasped each others hands as to increase the pressure of their grinding cunts. As the synchronous rhythm increased, the closer the two came to climax, but it was Sara that made it there first.

"Oh, don't stop," she bellowed, as she approached the apex of her passion. Sara bleated and brayed as she came closer, and by the time she was there, she had lost her voice. Now, she was only capable of gurgles and gasps as her body froze in a twitching rigor.

After, they both laid in each others arms, recovering from their lovemaking. But before long, they were up, and dressing the hares that Sara had killed, and preparing supper before dark. Later, they would rejoin their amorous activities several times throughout the night until they were both sated, and able to return the next day. Of course they knew that everyone had gotten the idea of what they were up to on their little trips, but know one spoke of it. It was only Kerryllon that gave them harsh looks.

Sara didn't know if this was because of her untoward encounters in the forest with the barbarian, or because of her mixed-blood. Neither would have surprised her, but she figured that one day she would find out...

***

It was almost a fortnight before the mysterious wizard would call on them. Well, it actually wasn't himself, but the village alderman that they had dealt with before. In the future, they would find out that the middle-aged man would be their contact for anything involving their employer that would arise. And each time he would arrive, he would come with a contract, and a specific amount for payment at the completion of the mission—as well as an advancement of gold on expected expenses. And even though it seemed they were kind of forced into his services, they ultimately felt quite amiable with the arrangements and compensations. It was not at all what they expected.

His name was Owen Crue, and he had the look of an adventurer about him—or, at least, a former adventurer. He looked to be around fifty, with graying, dark-blonde hair, and a well weathered complexion. There was an aura of wisdom that shone through his green eyes, and made every word he said seem like it was etched in marble. So, when he spoke, folks would tend to listen in earnest. However, his demeanor was kindly and affable, and expressed a patience of his years. And it was this that had drawn Lia Lunde to him like a moth to flame.

On his first visit, while they were waiting for the other to be summoned, Lia and the alderman sat over a cup of brandywine discussing various issues, and she was somewhat surprised at his level of sophistication and knowledge. She reckoned that there was something about his past that he kept hidden, something of a former life that he no longer wished to discuss. She knew that there was more to Owen Crue than met the eye, and this seemed to intrigue her even more. But the time of reverie upon there first meeting was short-lived as Cira announced that the others were waiting in the main hall of the tower.

"Ladies of Lolamach," Alderman Crue began, "the wizard has sent me with your first contract." They applauded his announcement. In truth, they were kind of excited to see what their first mission for the wizard might be."Don't get too excited ladies," he warned, "it isn't like you will be out to save the world from destruction on your first time. In fact, this job is in both of your interests:

"This tower is a recent acquisition of the wizard, and there are rumors something evil that resides in the warrens, and caverns, beneath it. Your charge in this matter is to journey below, and confirm this rumor. And if it is true, to remove what ever may be down there.

"For this, you are to receive 500 gold coin up-front for expenses, and double your stipend for the duration of this mission. In the satchel I have placed on the table is all documentation pertaining to said rumors. I suggest you examine them thoroughly before setting out on this quest.

"Any questions?"

"Yeah," Selk spoke up, "how do we get below the tower?"

Owen rolled his eyes in exasperation at the barbarian's question, but answered none-the-less, "There's a secret door in the cellar. Its location is described, in detail, in the documents I have provided. Anything else?"

"No, I think we got it from here, master-alderman," Nora said, as to cut-off any more nonsensical questions. Of course, Selk was not that well-versed in the etiquette of civilized society, and she took things quite literally. She did not realize that the alderman was asking to be polite, but did not expect any actual queries. At-any-rate, Nora was just thankful that Selk didn't pick up on Owen's derision—which would have, at least, resulted in a blackened eye, or a broken nose, for the old man.

"You are welcomed to stay for supper, alderman," Nora offered. "It's getting late, and it will be dark soon. I insist you remain our guest for the night, and leave at your leisure on the morrow."

"I accept, Mistress Nora." he replied, with a smile, and a furtive glance at the cleric, "Mistress Lia, and I, have a conversation to finish, anyway."

The Ladies of Lolamach, at present, could only afford two servants for the tower: a cook, and a serving-maid. But, still, it was more than any of them were used to. However, by the time dinner was served, the one serving-maid had helped make a meal for seven, and set the table in the main hall, and brought out all the food and drink, she was exhausted. Consequently, supper was a serve-yourself affair, but no one seemed to really mind.

Laughter and conversation surrounded the dinner-table, but in actuality, all were keeping an open ear, and the occasional eye on, Owen and Lia. Her attraction for the older man was obvious, with every shy giggle, and flip of her black, shining hair. Cira, who was adept in the subtle art of seduction, thought the cleric to be anything but subtle, and to be blatantly throwing herself at the elder gentleman. And to be honest, he did have that stoic allure that only comes with age in men, and she would have given the alderman a go if Lia didn't seem so interested.

Cira always found that thing that human females do quite ridiculous. It seemed that if one of them wanted a specific man, then the others would want to take him from her. But not because they actually wanted him, but just to prove that they could. Halfling females were much too earthy when it came to romance for such games, and she really couldn't understand the logic behind it. She quickly understood that they wouldn't pretty themselves up to be attractive to the males, as much as it was more like a competition with each other. So, it was more like a journey where the destination wasn't the point, but the journey itself. This was the only way she could reconcile, or make sense of, the motive in her own mind.

That night, Nora, Selk, Sara, Kerryllon, and Cira, would all make impromptu calls to the privy hoping to hear or see evidence of amorous activity between Lia and Owen. But all this yielded was a loss of sleep, and more mystery. If they did meet, they were as quiet as mice in a larder, or they met outside the tower. None-the-less, Lia's sisters-in-arms were very curious of her love-life, and it would not end when Alderman Crue left after breakfast the next morning.