As Gryph emptied himself into the Queen's quivering body, the Dragon crept through the shadows across the grounds toward the soldiers' barracks. She stayed low to the ground and hugged trees and wagons as she closed the long distance between the palace and the gray buildings. She had left her sword and the wolf in the room and carried with her only a long knife that she kept sheathed in her pants. She had put her tunic back on after Gryph had left her. She had rubbed the wolf's head, her thoughts whirling until she had realized she had no choice but to attempt to rescue the girl from Eton's cruelty.
She had left the wolf sleeping and crept through the palace until she had found the exit Eton had used. Her green eyes adjusted easily to the night, seeing as well in the darkness as she did in daylight. She saw with her ears as well as her eyes, listening for other wanderers in the darkness. She reached the barracks and squatted underneath a window, listening to the sounds in the barracks. She could hear a man panting and grunting but nothing from the girl. Cautiously, she raised her eyes above the lip of the window. A break between the window's edge and the shade gave her a partial view of the room.
The girl was face down on a long table in the center of the room. Her legs were tied with thick rope to the legs of the table. Her arms were stretched and two more lengths of rope secured her arms to the other end of the table. Beds lined the far wall. She could see sleeping lumps beneath the blankets, oblivious to the girl and the solider standing behind her with his pants at his ankles. He was positioned with his manhood at her rear opening. The girl's cheek was resting on the table, her face toward Bane. Bane could see silent tears rolling from the girl's brown eyes, even though the hood still covered her face. They had not removed the gag from her lips.
The soldier grunted as he finished and pulled out, slapping his hand firmly on the girl's bottom. He liked the mark it left, so he smacked against her three more times. Her body flinched each time. The soldier looked down, surprised to see his shaft rising again. He continued spanking the girl's bottom until he was stiff. Bane tensed with each sound, growing angrier at the poor treatment of the girl. Nothing she could have done would be worth this punishment.
The soldier slid back into her, his hips rocking quickly as he grunted and thrust. Bane pushed the shade a little, attempting to see more of the room. Only one other soldier was awake. He sat straddling a chair, his back to the window, encouraging his comrade. Bane sensed from the motion of his arm that the observer was stroking himself in time with his buddy's thrusts. The two of them would probably switch places through the night until they were worn out, then wake another pair to continue the girl's pounding.
Bane crawled through the window, moving with stealth as she placed her boot on the wooden floor. She gripped the hilt of the knife in her palm and crept behind the seated guard, using the base to knock him unconscious. The man thrusting in and out of the girl did not notice as his companion slumped. It would have been easy for Bane to slice the soldier's throat, but she thought it would be best not to kill any of the guards. She wanted to stir as little water as possible until she was ready for full attack.
The guard at the girl caught sight of her movement but could not stop his rocking in order to combat her. He opened his mouth to wake his comrades, but Bane gripped the blade of her knife and flipped her wrist. The knife swirled end over and over, the blade catching the glint of the candlelight. To both of them, the blade seemed to spin in slow motion before landing solidly in the large apple at the base of his throat. Bane raced across the room and caught the man before he could fall. His eyes fluttered as he fought to breathe around the blade lodged in his throat.
The girl watched as the warrior dragged the man outside. Bane put a finger to her lips and disappeared into the darkness. The girl kept an eye on the door as best she could until the Dragon returned. The warrior cut the ropes and helped the girl to stand. They didn't waste time exchanging words or looks. Instead, Bane grabbed the girl's hand and led her into the night air. She tugged and the girl followed across the dark, undisturbed grounds to the palace. They didn't stop until they reached the Dragon's tiny room.
Bane cut the knot from the lacing on the back of the hood and removed it from the girl's head. She sliced the leather of the gag and pulled it out of the girl's mouth, surprised at how long it was. The girl smacked her dry lips and Bane went to the basin that Gryph had replaced after the wolf had drunk. She filled a glass and helped the girl to drink, then used a towel to wash the girl's face. Bane wrapped a blanket around the girl's shoulders before she moved a chair to sit directly in front of the girl.
The girl took another drink of water and moved her stretched jaw. She studied the contents of the cup, and then looked into Bane's concerned eyes. In this light, they seemed more hazel than green. They were flitting over the girl's face, trying to discern the girl's stability and well-being. The warrior was so intent that when the girl threw the remainder of cold water from the glass into her face, the Dragon instinctively slapped the girl's face. "Typically people say thank you when they are rescued."
"I didn't ask to be rescued," the girl hissed, springing to her feet and pacing the small room. She ran her fingers through her brown hair, combing it away from her face and lifting it where the hood had pressed it down. "Why did you do that?"
The Dragon gaped at the girl, taken aback by the response. She sprang to her feet, watching the girl tread circles in the small chamber. "Because I detest seeing people abused. Do you mean to tell me that you were enjoying those soldiers taking turns on you? Would you have chosen to stay there?"
"No, I didn't enjoy it, but yes, I would have chosen to stay. The punishment now will be far worse then being at the mercy of inebriated guards all night. I know those men and I know what they are capable of. I also know Matayla, and her cruelty knows no limits." The girl stopped pacing and pressed her face in her hands, shaking her head. "Given the choice, I would have taken the night with the guards over Matayla's anger any day. Thanks a lot for being my hero, Dragon," the girl spat, venom dripping from her voice. She moved to the balcony and stared across the grounds. Bane could see the tension in the girl's body. Her muscles were drawn so tightly that she trembled.
Bane closed the distance, standing behind the girl. The blanket had slipped off the girl's shoulders, revealing her upper back and part of her chest. She gripped it in her clenched fists at her bosom. Bane placed her hands on the pale shoulders, gliding her palms over the smooth flesh. Her breath warmed the back of the girl's neck. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. You can tell Matayla it was my fault."
"It won't matter," the girl whispered, shaking her head dejectedly. Bane was relieved that the girl did not pull away from her touch. "Nothing will matter except that she will have an excuse to unleash her poison." The girl's shoulders slumped, her body giving in to the soothing caress of the warrior's strong hands. "What did you do with the one you killed?"
