The Witch of Aggodar

Maeve awoke early the next morning to find herself alone in Ronin's grove. Her wrists and legs were no longer bound but a not unpleasant ache in her limbs told her that the vines had only recently been removed. She sat up slowly, pulling her dress up over her bare breasts, and walked tentatively to the opening of the grove, poking her head out into the larger cavern. There was no one about and the only sound that she could hear was that of the waterfalls as they cascaded into the pool that surrounded the grove.

The pool sparkled in the light of the fireflies that floated lazily overhead and she could see steam coiling from its surface. Her aching body carried her to the water's edge and after a moment of hesitation, she slipped off her dress and eased herself into the pool with a contented sigh. She placed her feet against the bank and pushed herself out into the centre of the pool, rolling onto her back and floating face up in the clear blue water, her peppermint hair trailing about her head like weeds. She looked up at the fireflies that hovered overhead, wondering how many of them there were up there, when she heard someone enter the chamber.

She trod water as she raised her head and looked around in time to see Ronin striding around the grove towards her. The High Fae was topless and her eyes lingered for a moment longer than they should have on his broad, muscular chest and the vague impression of his cock beneath his linen trousers.

"I thought you might be hungry," he said a little gruffly as he approached the bank. He sat crosslegged on the floor, setting a wooden tray of fruit and cured meats down beside him. His black eyes gleamed as he looked at her, and she felt her cheeks grow warm as she realised he could see everything of her through the crystal clear water.

"Come, Maeve," he growled. "After last night there are surely no secrets between us?"

She hid her scowl as she began to swim towards the bank, her hunger outweighing any embarrassment that she might have been feeling. He poured her a glass of juice and handed it to her as she leaned out of the water, pressing her breasts against the bank to shield them from his eyes.

"Thank you," she said flatly.

He smiled, popping a slice of apple into his mouth. "The water feels good, doesn't it?"

She nodded slowly, watching him watch her, both of them seemingly on edge for different reasons.

"Last night," he said at last, and she felt her whole body tense. "It was... You were..." He sighed and rand his fingers through his hair. For the first time since meeting Ronin, Maeve thought the High Fae looked nervous, maybe even a little afraid.

"You are unlike any mortal I have ever met," Ronin said at last. "You are beautiful and intelligent. You fight like a true warrior and you have a fire in you that I have never encountered in one of your kind before. You belong here, Maeve. You belong amongst the Fae."

She blinked, completely taken aback by what she had just heard.

"I feel a connection between you and I," Ronin continued. "Stay and I shall make you a Queen amongst my people."

Maeve managed to swallow the apple that she had been fiercely chewing on without choking. "Is... Is that a marriage proposal?" she asked.

He nodded. "Stay. I will give you everything you could ever ask for. I will make you my Queen."

Her heart was beating faster than it ever had before. She was painfully aware that she had no intention of staying in the World Roots with Ronin and part of her feared how he might react to that.

"I..." she stammered. "I can't leave Shay. She..."

He snorted. "Shay does not deserve you!" he snapped. "She does not understand you. If you stay here I will love you and care for you and do everything in my power for you."

"Is that what you said to your other concubines?" she snapped before she could stop herself. She wasn't sure where the anger had come from, but she knew she did not like to hear him talk down about Shay.

His lip twitched, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her. She wondered how many people spoke to him as she did, and whether that was what had drawn him to her so easily.

"Esver and Tannith serve me well enough," he said softly. "But they are not worthy of becoming my Queen. I have been waiting to meet someone like you, Maeve. Take my hand and I together we shall rule this kingdom."

She looked into his pitch black eyes and for the first time she saw his emotion in their endless depths. Here was a man used to getting his own way, baring his soul to the one thing he knew he could not control. She was not afraid of him, or what he would do when she rejected him. He would not hurt her because he truly had fallen in love with her.

"Ronin," she said softly. "I can't stay. I gave Shay my word that I would help her and I could never forgive myself if I did not go with her to Aggodar."

His shoulders slumped slightly but his smile did not fade. "Honour," he said with a heavy sigh. "It makes fools of those who have it, and masters of those who don't."

She reached her arm tentatively out of the water and placed her hand on his leg. "I am truly honoured that you think so highly of me, and I'm sorry that my answer cannot be any different," she said, surprising herself with how much she meant the words.

He placed a hand on top of hers and smiled before slipping one of his rings from his finger. It was a simple design, two bands of wood and gold woven together in a circle. He took her hand and placed the ring in her palm.

"I will stop you if that is your wish," he said. "But take this, please. If you ever meet another Fae they will know you travel under my protection. And it is something to remember me by."

She looked down at the ring in her palm, Shay's warning about never accepting a gift from a Fae ringing in her ears. "I do not need this to remember you, Ronin," she said, attempting to give the token back.

"It is yours," he replied, closing her hand on the ring and bowing his head to kiss her fingers.

She shivered as his lips brushed her skin, memories of the previous night flashing before her eyes. She wondered if she would ever see the High Fae again, and again was surprised when she found herself hoping that she would. The ring was warm in her hand. Shay had warned her never to accept a gift from a Fae, but she did not think there was anything sinister behind Ronin's offering. She slipped it onto the middle finger of her left hand, the band being much to big for any of her other fingers, and smiled up at Ronin.

"Thank you," she said.

He nodded, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment longer as if committing her to his memory. When he stood, his expression hardened once again and he nodded towards the grove with his chin.

"Your armour and clothes have been cleaned and your weapons sharpened," he said. "We leave for the surface once you are ready."The he picked up the tray and strode away, leaving Maeve alone in the pool once again.

After she had washed herself, Maeve climbed out of the pool and returned to the grotto where she found her armour and swords polished to a mirror sheen just as Ronin had promised. She pulled on her leathers and strapped her shinguards and vambraces to her limps, double checking each buckle as she fastened them tight. Her thong was still nowhere to be seen but somehow, her lack of panties no longer bothered her as much as it had done before.

Once she was dressed she paused to look around Ronin's grove. She had left her gold dress neatly folded beside his pillow and then another idea came to her mind. She drew one of her swords and very carefully sliced a lock of her peppermint hair from just behind her ear. She placed it on top of the dress, a smile tugging at her lips as she realised that somehow, in a very short space of time, she had come to care for the High Fae after all.

She made her way out of Ronin's cavern and strode through the main cave of the World Root, passing Fae that pointed and whispered as she passed, smiled politely or simply glowered at her. A group of children ran up to her, laughing and asking her questions in their strange hissing and clicking language. She laughed, raising her hands above her heads as their parents hurried over and shooed them away with furtive glances cast in her direction. She continued through the cavern, following the paths between the glades, hills and stones until she reached the entrance to the cavern where Shay and Ronin were waiting in stony silence.

Shay was once again wearing her black leather trousers, boots and low cut corset and had her satchel slung over her shoulders. Her pink eyes met Maeve's as she approached, a flicker of concern crossing her face before she turned back to the High Fae.

Ronin cleared his throat and the Fae that stood behind him immediately stopped their individual conversations and fell silent. "Madame Shay, Lady Maeve," he said, his black eyes resting on Maeve's face. "The time has come for you to leave the World Root. Know that you do so with the blessing of all Fae. I hope you find what it is you seek at your journey's end."

Shay rolled her eyes as Ronin gestured to the tunnel leading up to the surface.

"Our scouts shall lead you to the edge of the forest. They will provide you with enough supplies to see you cross the Arridian Desert."

Maeve looked at the witch, expecting Shay to offer some words of thanks, but she remained stubbornly silent.

"Thank you, Lord Ronin," Maeve said as the other Fae began to mutter. "You have been most generous. We are in your debt."

His lips twitched and he bowed his head towards her. "The pleasure was mine," he said smoothly, watching from the side of his eye as Shay stormed off towards the tunnel. "Farewell, Maeve, friend of the Fae," he whispered. "And good luck."

Maeve looked one final time on the High Fae, hoping once again that they would meet again, before turning and hurrying into the tunnel after Shay. The witch said nothing as they climbed, nor did she speak when they emerged into the clearing at the base of the enormous tree that rose above the World Root cavern. Maeve blinked in the sunlight which was so much brighter than the firefly lanterns she had grown accustomed too and looked around. Three Fae warriors were waiting for them, each clad in leathers and wooden armour, beside five large bucks of varying ages.

"I am Halloth," one of the Fae said in the common tongue. "I am to be your guide."

Shay grunted as she turned to the sacks of food that had been prepared for them and began to chant a spell, shrinking each one down to a fraction of its size and slipping it into her satchel.

Halloth frowned, turning his attention to Maeve. "You will ride with us, assuming that you can ride?"

"Of course we can," Shay snapped.

Maeve bit her tongue and nodded, hoping she looked convincing. She had never been much of a rider. Horses made her nervous and she had seen far too many people suffer lasting injuries from riding to make it something that she had ever wanted to learn. The bucks, however, were leaner than a horse and there was something in their eyes that made them seem more worthy of her trust. She also did not want to refuse the Fae's assistance so she figured she would learn on the go.

Halloth led her to one of the younger bucks who bowed its head at her as she approached. The Fae instructed her to return the gesture and once she had, he helped her up onto its saddle. She noticed that whilst her and Shay's bucks were saddled, the Fae road bareback and once she and Shay were seated, (Shay had refused all offers of assistance), the Fae half leapt, half flew up onto their mount's backs. One of the scouts pulled out a horn and blew a single, sharp note that was echoed a few moments later and with that, they hurtled off into the forest.

Maeve had never moved so fast. Her buck sprang across the forest floor, nimbly leaping over fallen logs and up and down gulleys with a speed and sure-footedness that no horse could have ever matched. The creature seemed to know exactly where it was going at every turn, a fact that Maeve was great full for as it meant all she had to concentrate on was hanging on for dear life. She thought the beast could go faster, and new the Fae were probably going slower to accommodate her now fairly obvious lack of skills as a rider, but even so the forest flew past.

By mid afternoon Maeve began to notice that the trees were becoming thinner. Sunlight flooded the floor of the forest and the temperature, which had been climbing all day since they left the Realm Root, was pleasantly warm. She had no idea how far they had come but knew it was many leagues farther than they could have managed on their own, or without the bucks to carry them. The Fae had led them expertly through the forest, taking them along hidden paths that seemed to bring them out somewhere completely different from where they had been.

All of a sudden the forest simply stopped. The Fae drew their bucks to a halt and Maeve stared out of the trees in wonder at what lay beyond. A gentle slope fell away from the tree line to a wide river of blue-green water that seemed to be moving at a fair pace. The river was like a wound in the earth for on the far side of its banks the greenery that she had become so accustomed to had vanished entirely to be replaced by an enormous sand dune that blocked out the horizon and stretched as far to the east and west as her eyes could see.

"This is as far as we take you," Halloth said gravely. "The desert is no place for our kind."

"Finally," Shay grumbled, speaking her first words since they had left the World Root. Maeve wasn't sure if she was more pleased to have reached the desert, or to be seeing the last of the Fae.

To his credit, the scout hid his scowl. "There is a crossing a mile or so east of here," he said. "Though I would advise you to make camp here tonight before venturing into the dunes. The desert is less kind at night than it is during the day."

Shay swung down from her buck, Maeve noticing her give it a swift scratch behind its antlers, and rolled her eyes. "I'm aware of the dangers of the desert," she snapped before marching off to look around.

Maeve smiled apologetically at Halloth. "She is grateful, I swear," she said. "She just has a lot on her mind at the moment."

Halloth held up his hand. "We are accustomed to the witch's attitude," he said. "We tolerate it because she is the High Fae's ex-wife."

Maeve's eyes widened. "The what?" she gasped.

Halloth laughed as he helped her down from her saddle and took the reins from her. "You did not know?" he said. "Why else do you think they hate each other?"

"You mean she was your Queen?"

He shrugged. "Their marriage did not last long enough for there to be a coronation," he said as he climbed back into his saddle. "You are better off asking her about it though. I was but a child when they wed."

Maeve swallowed glancing over to where Shay had begun to set up their camp. She didn't much fancy how that conversation would go.

"Thank you again, Halloth," she said.

"Farewell, friend Maeve," he replied. "May fortune smile upon you." He smiled at her and flicked his reins and just like that, the Fae and the bucks vanished once again into the forest.

Once she was alone, Maeve took a moment to admire her surroundings. She was farther away from home than she had ever been and the desert that loomed beyond the forest was more alien than anything she had set eyes upon before. She was both excited and nervous by the prospect of setting foot outside of Everdale's borders for the first time in her life but before she did that, she knew she needed to talk to Shay.

The witch was busy erecting the tent as Maeve approached her and she did not look up at her. Despite herself, Maeve could not help but feel a sudden flash of white hot anger rise within her at Shay's foul attitude and her supposed lack of interest in how Maeve was given what she had done to secure the aid of the Fae.

"What's your problem?" she snapped before she could stop herself.

Shay paused what she was doing to glare up at Maeve. "Excuse me?" she hissed.

"You couldn't even be bothered to thank them?" Maeve said, the words tumbling from her lips in a rush of frustration. "Halloth got us here quicker than you or I could have ever managed on our own and you don't have the courtesy to thank him?"

Shay stood, her mouth curling into a sneer. "Oh forgive me for not thanking the people who helped us just because you opened your legs for their master!"

Maeve resisted the urge to punch the witch though she felt her cheeks burn with rage. "Fuck you!" she yelled. "I did that to help us. To help you! And you haven't even bothered asking if I'm alright!"

"Oh, don't worry," Shay hissed. "I saw the doughy-eyed look you gave Ronin this morning. I'm sure he had you begging for more by the end of it."

"Why are you being like this?" Maeve growled, tears stinging her eyes.

"Because I owe that bastard nothing yet he still treats me like I'm the one at fault!"

"Your just jealous!" Maeve growled. She didn't really mean what she was saying but she was so furious that she just wanted to hurt Shay like she had hurt her. "You're jealous that he chose me over you!"

Shay's lip curled as purple magic erupted around her hands. The metal collar around Maeve's neck suddenly grew tight and she gasped as she reached for it, falling to her knees as her throat was squeezed shut by Shay's magic.

"You have no idea what you are talking about," Shay whispered sinisterly as she stood over Maeve. "It's time you remembered your place, Slave."

Maeve barely registered what happened next. Shay grabbed her by her hair and dragged her up against the nearest tree. She spat words that Maeve did not understand but moments later, ropes began to slither and slide about her body. Her ankles were bound to her thighs, a harness pulled tight about her chest and secured to the tree and her wrists were lifted above her head, bound together and tethered to the trunk as well. Shay grabbed her chin, her long nails biting into her flesh, and prised her mouth open wide enough to press a ball gag between her lips, pulling its buckles tight behind her head and beneath her chin. Black spots swam before Maeve's eyes as she struggled to breath. The last thing she saw before the witch pulled a blindfold firmly over her eyes was the fury in Shay's expression.

Maeve whimpered as she strained against her bonds, the rough bark of the tree pressing into her back. She felt Shay's breath against her neck and shivered as the witch's long hair brushed against the tops of her breasts.

"Don't forget who is in charge here," Shay hissed in her ear. "I own you, slave. I can do whatever I want with you."

She slid her hand up Maeve thigh as she spoke, her nails tracking lines in the elf's soft skin as her fingers drew closer to her pussy. Maeve shivered, her back arching, and a soft moan escaped from behind the gag despite her best attempts to stay silent.

Shay laughed cruelly and slapped her thigh hard enough that Maeve could imagine the red mark her hand had left. The witch stood and walked away, leaving Maeve alone, bound to the tree, embarrassed, angry and just a little turned on.

Hours passed. Maeve continued to teeter on the edge of consciousness as her slave collar squeezed her throat just tightly enough to cause her discomfort whilst still allowing her to breathe. She heard a fire crackle nearby and imagined Shay sitting and watching her struggle by its light. She was still angry with Shay for the way that she had treated her, she still wanted to scream that she had only agreed to Ronin's deal to help them escape and so what if he had shown her actual kindness in the end? And yet the idea of Shay watching her, possibly even getting off to the sight of her gasping for breath, drool dribbling from her gagged mouth onto the tops of her breath, excited Maeve. She was once again aware of how powerless she was against the witch and rather than terrify her, the thought thrilled her a little.