Rag-Tag

Tab looked over at Jacoby, who was on the other side of the large tent, picking through assorted clothes, the basket in his left hand already holding a few items.

"Do you have it in a larger size?" she asked the merchant.

"Step back please," he said.

She did so, letting him give her an expert once-over, his hand on his chin in a pensive position.

And then he nodded.

"Give me a moment please."

She looked back over at Jacoby while the merchant dug into a trunk. His attention was squarely on the shirts, tunics, trousers, and skirts laid out in neat piles on that side of the tent.

"This one should fit you perfectly," the merchant finally said, handing over the item.

She accepted it, and took a good look, before nodding in thanks, and handing over the appropriate coinage.

"Pleasure doing business with you, ma'am."

"Likewise," she replied politely, slipping the item into her own basket.

After another glance at Jacoby, she stepped from the tent, back into the afternoon sunlight.

The market was bustling as always, a steady trail of buyers moving from tent to tent and stall to stall. Some were obviously travelers, while others were on less frivolous business, deep in serious conversation with merchants or closely examining the offered merchandise. Two nearby Midland Rangers observed this part of the market from horseback, typical red tunics emblazoned with the organization's soaring hawk sigil. A flag bearing the same sigil fluttered above the entrance to the nondescript building behind the row of tents on the other side of the street, one of many in Rangerroost marking the city as a stronghold for the peacekeeping force.

Tab strolled over to the next tent, and peered inside.

Cases of jewelry were laid out in two rows, ranging from simple to more ornate.

Cam stood in the first row. The merchant was in front of him, a thin, glittering necklace threaded through his fingers. At Tab's approach, the merchant smiled.

"Welcome, ma'am! Anything catches your eye, you just let me know!"

Cam looked back and blushed at seeing her.

"Thank you," she said, continuing over to Cam for a closer look at the necklace.

The merchant nodded.

"I think she'll love it," Tab told Cam.

"You think?"

She nodded.

"It's pretty but not over the top."

Relief washed over his face.

"I'll take it," he told the merchant.

"Wonderful!"

Tab smiled, and headed back out into the sunshine.

Bort was across the street, trying on a pair of bracers made of simple brown leather. Lynn was at the same tent, studying a pair of boots. Saji was nowhere to be seen.

Two figures on horseback came into view from her right, both Midland Rangers, setting their mounts to a slow amble. The one closer to Tab was a woman, broad-shouldered and brown-haired.

"Darla!" Tab called up to the ranger.

Darla looked over, and brought her horse to a stop.

"Tab! What a surprise!"

She swung off her mount, and came over to give Tab a hug.

"How have you been?"

"All good, same as always. Just came for some supplies."

"Oh, are Jacoby and Bort here?"

Tab nodded, and gestured across the street to where Bort was trying on another pair of bracers.

"Bort!" she called. "Look who's here!"

Bort glanced over, and then took the bracers off so he could jog to them. Darla met him with another hug, his head disappearing into her embrace due to the height disparity.

"Good to see you," he told her, smiling.

Tab turned to head back to the clothing tent to gather Jacoby, just as he came out, his basket laden with various items.

"Long time no see!" he greeted Darla enthusiastically, managing an awkward hug due to the basket.

"I've been busy," she said sheepishly.

Jacoby gestured dismissively.

"You've got more important things going on."

She smiled.

"How long are you guys staying? Maybe we can catch up over a few drinks."

"We leave tomorrow morning. But we have nothing planned tonight."

"We're staying at the Honeybee Lodge," Bort informed her.

She nodded.

"Well, I'm about to head out on patrol, but I'll definitely swing by later on. Pretty sure I know where it is."

"Sounds good," Jacoby said. "Looking forward to it."

"See you all later!" she told them, climbing back onto her horse, and spurring it into motion, bidding them goodbye with a wave.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Prince of Air," Darla announced, emphatically slapping the card down on the table.

Bort groaned.

"Damn it, I thought I had that hand."

"Think again."

Jacoby collected the cards and began to shuffle the deck.

"So, if we know a Midland Ranger," Lynn began, his head tilted pensively, "shouldn't that make us untouchable on the road?"

Darla laughed.

"We know one Midland Ranger," Jacoby corrected him gently, holding up a single finger.

"And besides," Darla added. "Not all of us are on the up-and-up."

Lynn arched an eyebrow.

Darla glanced around and then leaned forward.

"Being a Midland Ranger doesn't exactly lend itself to gathering wealth. So, some of us are very willing to accept bribes or be in the pocket of a bandit lord."

"The Midland Rangers would answer to a bandit lord?" Cam asked incredulously.

"Bandit lords can be more dangerous than you'd think," Tab told him.

"The organization would never admit that some members are on the take," Darla continued. "And as long as those members don't do anything too scandalous, or the bandit lords don't overreach, the organization turns a blind eye."

"The problem is," Tab told Lynn, "you wouldn't be able to tell who's on the take until it's too late."

Darla nodded.

Jacoby dealt the cards out, six to each person except himself.

"You're not playing?" Bort asked him.

"Nah, I'm going to head up to the room. Need to pack up the stuff from the market."

"You want help?" Tab asked.

He shook his head.

"Shouldn't take long."

He finished dealing, and then stood.

"Darla," he began, clapping a hand onto her shoulder. "It's been a pleasure. Come by Muddymuck sometime. I know you hate coming back, but it'd be good for the kids."

She stood to meet him for a farewell hug.

"Well, when you put it that way, how can I not visit?"

He grinned, and then nodded at the table.

"You lot shouldn't stay up too late."

"Go get your beauty sleep, old man," Bort shot back, matching his grin.

Cam and Lynn laughed.

"Night all," Jacoby said, saluting the table.

Tabitha idly watched him go.

"You know," Darla spoke up, keeping her voice casual. "The offer to join is still on the table. We could use your skills."

Tab smiled.

"Nah, I've settled down. But thank you for the offer."

"The same goes for you too," Darla continued, turning her attention to Bort.

He shook his head.

"I can't imagine myself at the academy."

"You and Tab could both bypass the academy. Or at least you wouldn't have to stay long. You're both old enough and experienced enough to not need much training."

Bort shrugged.

"I don't think it's the life for me."

"What about me?" Lynn spoke up.

Darla leaned forward and studied him for a few seconds. He returned her look.

"Tab's been teaching me swordfighting. Me and Naga. Only the basics so far but I think we're learning quickly."

She glanced over at Tab, who nodded, and then back at him.

"Well, we're always looking for recruits. Stop by the academy when you're of age and they'll see if you have what it takes."

Lynn nodded solemnly.

"But for now," Darla continued, "I'd like to keep beating Bort."

The next few hands continued in the same manner, and finally, Tab waved off cards from Bort, who had taken over dealer's duty, and stood.

"I should head up too."

Darla met her for a hug.

"Always good to see you guys."

"You too. We know you're busy, but feel free to come by whenever you can."

Darla nodded.

"You two don't stay up too late," Tab told Cam and Lynn. "We need to get up early to get home before dark."

"I'll make sure they get to bed soon," Bort told her.

"Thanks. See you guys tomorrow."

She slipped from the parlor. The lodge was quiet on the way up to the room, save for the occasional moan from behind a closed door.

Jacoby was folding a few shirts when she reached their room. Several packs and baskets were filled with clothes and other items.

"I'm almost done," he told her.

She sidled up behind him, clapping her hands onto his shoulders and kneading affectionately.

"Did Darla try to sell you on joining again?" he asked.

She laughed, leaning forward to leave a kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah. Me and Bort."

"It's an intriguing idea. But the kids would be heartbroken if you left."

"Only the kids?"

He turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I would be a mess."

"You survived without me for long enough."

He leaned in to nuzzle her neck.

"Do you think I should join?" she asked, threading fingers through his hair. "Seriously."

"Yes."

She gently tugged his head back and looked him in the eyes.

"But that doesn't mean I want you to join," he finished, a smile teasing at his lips. "I'm allowed to be selfish from time to time."

She laughed, running her other hand along his back.

"Yes, you are."

He snuck a hand to her ass for a squeeze.

She gestured towards the bed.

"Sit down."

He gave her a curious look, but strolled over to the bed and plopped down on the edge.

"Close your eyes, and don't open them until I say."

He closed his eyes.

She stepped over to her pack.

"Are you practicing for when you arrest people as a ranger?" he asked.

She laughed, taking out the item she had bought earlier.

"Shut up."

"Yes, ma'am."

She undressed, and slipped on the item, appreciating the cool softness of the light, almost transparent fabric.

"Okay," she said, padding over in front of him. "You can open your eyes."

He opened his eyes, and was immediately met with the sight of her.

The simple nightgown boasted a short hem ending halfway up her thighs, and a neckline dipping into her cleavage. She filled out the bust and hips perfectly, the merchant quite accurate with his visual judgment.

Desire sprung to life in his eyes.

"Do I look like a proper lady?" she asked, turning to show him the back, the hem swishing slightly, showing off a bit more of her thighs.

"You do," he said, his wide eyes raking over her. "Come here."

She smiled, a blush rising.

He reached out once she was right in front of him, and guided her into his lap. The short hem left her feeling quite exposed, but she did not care, happy to show off any part of her body for him.

His hands settled on her ass, squeezing it through the fabric. He leaned forward to plant a kiss on her breast.

She pressed herself against him. An unmistakable bulge swelled in his trousers.

"So forward," she murmured, shivering from more kisses, his mouth trailing from breast to breast. "Don't you know you're supposed to wine and dine a proper lady like me?"

"If you're a lady, doesn't that make me a lord?"

"Aye. And what does my lord want?"

"My lady is already in my lap. What more could I want?"

She wagged a finger at him.

"Now is another time for you to be selfish, my lord."

He stared back at her, his hand squeezing again at her ass.

"I want your mouth on my cock."

She smiled, and eased from his lap to her knees, the thick carpet offering a comfortable enough landing.

"Whatever my lord wants," she teased, unlacing his trousers, "my lord will have."

His cock sprang free. He leaned back on his hands, watching her take his trousers down and off and then toss them aside.

She placed a hand on his bare thigh, and leaned down to wrap her other hand around the base of his length and her lips around the crown.

"Fuck..."

She sucked, delighting in the subtle flavor, the firmness on her tongue, his ragged gasps. Her eyes flickered up to meet his, seeing desire she knew was reflected in hers. He groped one of her breasts over the fabric, very little protection provided, very little needed or wanted. She slid her lips further down over the crown, wiggling her tongue against the underside of the shaft, hearing another breathless curse.

His cock twitched on her tongue. She took her other hand off his thigh to slip it between hers. His eyes tracked it, the desire mounting on his face.

She stroked and sucked, the combination leaving him groaning, his cock twitching more on her tongue. Her lips dipped lower, taking in more of him.

"Fuck yes, Tab..."

She rubbed her finger over her slit and bobbed her mouth up and down. He groaned again, his attention divided between her mouth on him and his hand on her breasts. Her excitement left her nipples stiff, indenting against the inside of the gown, offering easy targets for his affections.

She made sure to match the rhythms of her mouth and hand, offering him bountiful pleasure. Her lips dropped further along his length.

"Oh gods, your mouth is amazing..."

After a few more strokes up and down the length, she removed her hand, and drove her lips down, swallowing the rest of him in one determined advance. His cock packed her mouth, poking into her throat. She gagged softly, steeling herself against the slight discomfort, her finger at her slit providing a mild distraction.

"Right there, don't move..."

She kept herself in place. A few thin lines of saliva spilled from her lips. His hand devoted enthusiastic caresses to her breast. She worked her throat around him.

"Oh fuck yes..."

He tugged her back via a hand in her hair. She obliged, letting him slide her up and then off, his cock left waving in the air. Her slick saliva connected it to her lips, a sticky wreathing of bodily fluids.

She smiled, returning a hand to his base, stroking steadily.

"Now I want your cunt," he told her, hands going to her shoulders to help her up.

She stood before him, basking in his admiration. His hands trailed along her thighs.

"How do you want me?" she asked, watching one of them disappear under her gown and then feeling a finger trace along her slit, turning the end of her question into a purr.

He thought for a moment.

"I want you on top of me."

She smiled again, watching him whip his shirt off and scramble from the edge of the bed to lie against the headboard. His cock arced up into the air, shining with her saliva.

Summoning her best sultry gaze, she climbed onto the bed, very aware of how the collar of the gown hung low, giving him a great peek at her breasts swaying to her slow approach. His cock twitched, but he waited patiently, eyes fixed on her approach.

She gave the tip a kiss, drawing a hissed breath from him, and then pulled the gown up over her thighs to straddle him, bringing her sex smack dab against the shaft. Both of them moaned.. His hands took her by the hips. She bit her lip at the press of his shaft against her folds, and eagerly ground herself against it. He gritted his teeth, watching her undulate, a hand shoving underneath her gown to get at her bare breast. The assertiveness made her shiver.

"Ride me," he urged her. "I need your cunt."

She quickly brought her slit to the head of his length, aligning the two perfectly. After a few more seconds to let the anticipation build just a bit, she sank down, taking in the first inch, and then sank deeper, letting his cock push through her channel. He groaned, tilting his head back, his eyes fluttering.

"Gods..."

She eased herself down, shivering again, sighing, her hands splaying against his chest to balance herself. A steady effort soon left her entirely impaled on him, a lovely fullness radiating from her core.

"Is my cunt to your liking, my lord?" she asked, teasing him with a roll of her hips.

"Fuck yes...you know it is..."

She rolled her hips again, bringing herself up and down, her slit swallowing every inch of him. His eyes focused back on her. She sped up, moving with a smooth rhythm. His cock throbbed inside her. A surge of pleasure bloomed deep down at her core.

"I won't last much longer," he warned, switching his hand to her other breast, kneading the soft swell.

She nodded, letting a hand creep from his chest towards where their bodies collided. Her hips sped up again, bringing more force to bear, letting him spear deep into her snug sex.

"Fuck...Tab..."

Her hand reached her clit, rubbing at the sensitive bud, sending a thrill over her, feeding into that surge of pleasure.

"Don't hold back," she moaned, bouncing atop his straining shaft.

He nodded. Her moans soared louder. She found herself idly thinking about the rooms next to theirs and the strangers therein who might think Jacoby had bought himself a whore for the night. The thought did not bother her in the slightest. She let all manner of lewd exhalations ring out, not holding back now removed from the orphanage, where the duo tried to limit the noises they might make.

Her pleasure rose swiftly, thanks to the potent combination of her fingers at her clit, his cock repeatedly filling her up, and his hand on her breasts. She bounced and writhed, loving how he watched every little bit of movement and every last jiggle of her figure.

The throbs running along his shaft grew stronger. He hitched his hips upwards, adding to the force between their bodies. The bed creaked, but beyond that occasional threatening sound, the simple frame held fast.

"Tab, I'm gonna cum..."

She purred, circling two fingers at her clit, working herself onto his shaft, her other hand caressing his cheek.

"Cum for me, my lord..."

He cursed, groping her breasts with both hands now, a careless expression of his desire.

His orgasm struck first. She felt the heat of the spurts, a powerful flood firing deep, and planted herself right on the base of his shaft, taking him all the way down, settling in place in his lap.

"Oh gods," he breathed out, his eyes closing, his hands fixed on her breasts.

Her fingers rubbed at her clit, and seconds later, provided the last push to climax. She came, her body unwinding. More spurts continued the intimate assault. Her channel clutched, greedily milking him. She let her eyes close, luxuriating in the utter satisfaction, filled up with his seed, connected so thoroughly to him.

His orgasm slowly ceased, the spurts dying down. She rolled her hips against his one more time. The tail end of her ecstasy ushered in a relaxing afterglow. She slumped forward, his cock slipping from her, and curled up against his side.

He sighed happily, and threw an arm over her shoulder, offering a comfortable spot for her to nestle into.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bort jolted awake. Flashes of a pale, slender nakedness came to mind, and then just as suddenly disappeared. His cock stirred in his trousers.

A look around showed the same road they had been on when he had nodded off.

Saji was ahead on his massive horse, just out of sight. Cam and Lynn were seated against the opposite side of the wagon interior, resting their feet on sacks laden with clothing. The former was studying a necklace sitting in the palm of his hand. The latter was eating an apple.

"You should put that away," Bort told Cam, shifting from his slumped position to bring his back flush against the wagon wall while artfully hiding his erection.

Cam looked up and then around.

"You don't want to get in the habit of ogling valuables on the road. Might make someone think you have more."

Cam nodded and put the necklace into a small leather pouch and then into his pocket.

Bort glanced over at the road receding behind them. A sign for a town called Bleakhill passed, the words in blocky black lettering, the old wood dappled with several bird shit stains. A few travelers were visible further down that branch off the road.