The Chronicles of Rapina, Chapters 32-38

Daelrath
Back to, The Touch of Darkness, page
[Rapina]032 Yieraun Castle
[Rapina]033 A Deed of No Importance
[Rapina]034 An Oven's Abode
[Rapina]035 Trolling
[Rapina]036 Daelrath
[Rapina]037 The Dungeon of Daelrath
[Rapina]038 Rampage of the Trolls



[Rapina]032 Yieraun Castle

The expression on Heinrich Li'Yieraun's ruddy face made
it clear he was not happy.  He had recently returned
from the pirate camp where Red Jack had slipped through
his fingers a moment before Heinrich's trap had closed
on him, and that had been only the beginning.  The last
battle had been very costly in terms of lives.  By the
time Nordula was brought up to start dispelling the
darkness, the skeletons and ghouls had killed many men
and terrified even the Li'Yieraun stalwarts.  When at
last the camp was cleared of darkness and some order
had been restored to the Li'Yieraun ranks it was
discovered that the pirates had somehow escaped in the
darkness.  Search parties had been sent out to find
them, but to no avail.  A few of the search parties
failed to return at all.  To make matters even worse,
while Nordula was dispelling darkness and helping to
rally the troops, someone had ransacked his tent and
had stolen everything he had that was not currently on
his person.

Dawn brought relief from the attacks of the stealthy
ghouls, and the illusive shadow that had been blamed
for killing several men.  Nordula had tried to send a
few of the wounded back to Castle Yeiraun to now avail.
It had become evident then that something had happened
to the magic kettle in Nordula's laboratory.  The mage
had only a few scrolls and a book of emergency spells
on his person to study.  After taking a period during
the day to rest and study, Nordula had been able to
teleport again, but he had needed to go with each small
group that he teleported.  The first group back had
included Heinrich and a few of the best swordsmen among
his men.  What they had come back to was an
embarrassment.   Heinrich did not yet know the details,
but he knew there had been a break-in while he and most
of his men were out attempting to defeat the pirates.

A group of stewards and guards were assembled before
him for questioning.  "First of all, where is sergeant
Deinzen?  I left him in charge of the remaining men of
the garrison."



"M'Lord, " Gatekeeper Danzig said.  "He and three
others were let out of a cell in the castle jail by
members of the town garrison fetched by Steward Kriegs
at Lady Li'Yieraun's request.  Unfortunately, the town
garrison's assault on the intruders went awry.  They
had a mage, and he had filled the castle with magical
darkness.  The same stealthy carrion creatures that had
immobilized the guards walking the outer wall earlier
stalked the darkness.  Soon the creatures had paralyzed
all but a few of the town guards.

Deinzen and the men from the wall, including myself,
had snapped out of our paralysis by this time but did
not attempt to defeat the mage within the darkness of
the castle.  When the shadows started growing in the
courtyard and around the gate we fired arrows, but we
were firing blind.  Deinzen organized several mounted
groups to pursue the thieves.  Deinzen and the other
three men from the barracks formed one of the groups,
but they never returned.  Everyone else is accounted
for, M'lord.  No one was killed, we were all just
paralyzed and injured slightly by the scratches of the
creatures, and one of gate guards suffered a nasty rap
to the back of his head.

"What you are telling me, is this mage and his
servitors simply walked into my castle and you were
powerless to stop him!" Heinrich Li'Yieraun fumed.
"Steward what items were stolen?"


"M'Lord, the thefts seem to have been limited to those
items missing from Nordula's chambers and laboratory."

"No thefts?  No deaths?  How kindly of this necromancer
only to prey upon my mage!" Li'Yieraun's voice dripped
with sarcasm.

"Did anyone even see him?"

"M'Lord, I saw him," Private Duntz said.

"How did you accomplish this feat, private?" Count
Li'Yieraun asked.

"M'Lord as you see, I am a town guardsman.  During the
assult we attempted to wend our way through the magic
darkness to find the mage.  My sergeant thought, being
a mage, the intruder would go to Nordula's quarters so
we went there.  We encountered skeletons at the
entrance but I slipped by them.  I saw the mage and
some of his human skeletons and huge draft horse
skeletons in the library stealing books.  I could not
defeat him so I ran when he started casting a spell.  I
was paralyzed by the scratch of a creature shortly
after seeing the mage."

"What did the mage look like, private?" Li'Yieraun
asked.

"M'Lord he looked like a skeleton wearing rich black
robes.  His voice was like I would imagine a dead man's
would be, parched and hoarse," Private Duntz said.

"The man responsible for letting that creature into my
castle will hang!  Perhaps that is why sergeant Deinzen
did not return.  As of now, the sergeant and his group
are wanted men.  Someone will answer for this
travesty!"

---

[Rapina]033 A Deed of No Importance


"Congratulations Rapina," Mortician Ranal beamed. "I
have never seen a perfect score on this exam.  Some of
the knowledge is rather obscure.  Then again no one has
ever wandered into my temple just after lunch and spent
twenty minutes begging me to administer the eligibility
test for a deacon.  Now if I perform the rituals of
sanctification, you will officially be able to serve as
a deaconess at any temple that might request one and
your name will be registered at the central hall of
records of the Church.  Are you sure this is what you
want?

Rapina nodded, and the priest began.

Thane looked at his ring.  A tiny bolt of lightning
flickered within the circular gem pointing towards his
index finger.  "Her choker indicates she is that way."
Thane pointed at the temple ahead of him and looked at
Rames.   A leather mask looked back at him.

"A temple of Mortaebius?" Rames asked.

"We are supposed to be in Mysthaven outfitting for next
month's mountain adventure, now what is that girl up to
getting up so early in the day and slinking out of the
Inn?"

Rames shrugged, "I don't know Guardian.  I'll let you
two play the chess.  I'm still enjoying checkers."

Thane chuckled, "Well it is the one place we should
especially not be seen with her."

"Who's going to see us behind these masks we wear
whenever we are out with her?" Rames asked.

"Heard or recognized then," Thane said. "Disguise your
voice if you need to speak.  Let us duck into the
temple.  I will find a closet and put my death mask on
under the leather one.  That should take care of my
voice."

"...And by the authority vested in me as a living vicar
of Mortaebius, I pronounce thee the life of death,
Rapina a deaconess of Mortaebius."  The priest finished
the ritual with a last flourish of his hand.

"Congratulations deconess Rapina!"

"Yay!  Thank you Mortician Ranal," Rapina hugged the
mortician.

"Now, that you're a deaconess, Rapina, why don't you
tell me a little about yourself."  Mortician Ranal
turned to the sound of approaching footsteps.

"The less you know, the more likely you will not be
struck down by enemies of the church," Thane rasped.

Mortican Ranal looked up, his mouth dropped.

Thane straightened his left arm so that it was pointing
at the floor.  He then brought his left hand up in a
sweeping circular motion from his left side up over the
right side of his chest and then up across his jawbone.
His fingers fanned as they swept in front of his face.

Mortician Ranal gasped, he remembered that gesture from
seminary, and from the books he had read on church
history.  It was a seriously punishable offense and
considered very bad form for a priest even to
demonstrate it.  The order it belonged to existed only
in the holy wars of history.

Ranal was about to protest its use, when the man clad
in dark robes pulled the leather mask he was wearing
away from his face.  The mask of death stared back at
him.

Ranal gasped, "The Shroud."

"Nonsense Mortician, The Order Of the Shroud does not
exist.  It is just a footnote in history, an extinct
order for which there are mysteriously no records, and
an order that germinated and grew only when the blood
of Mortaebius' priests was spilled on a grand scale.

Mortician Ranal inhaled, "As now in Avengene."

"What has this young lady been doing here, Mortician
Ranal?"

"I have just sanctified Rapina as a Deaconess,"
Mortician Ranal said.

Thane looked at Rapina.

Even through the mask she could tell he was glaring.

"Rapina, how could you do this?  I did not authorize
it."

"Well, actually you did, when I asked last night."

"I did?" Thane asked.

You have explained to me that some things are simply
not important to you, such as if I want to reorganize a
cupboard while cleaning or buy a snack from a vendor.
I should simply go ahead and not bother you with the
details.  Last night I asked you if I could become a
deaconess in the Church of Mortaebius, and...

Death slapped a black glove over his face, "...And I
replied, 'It is not important.'"

Rapina grinned.

Thane chuckled in spite of himself, "You really are too
smart for your own good, my dear.  Mortician Ranal, for
your own safety, you shall record this deaconess as the
wandering adventurer, Rapina, and make a note in your
church journal that she came in off the streets as a
complete stranger who soon left town.  Do not attempt
to find out who she is, or what acts of heroism she may
have performed for the church.  The less you know, the
safer you are from our enemies.  "Oh, and one more
thing," Thane said replacing the leather mask over his
face.  "You never saw me or my associate.  We do not
exist.  Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Mortician Ranal said.

"Good day Mortician," Thane rasped.

"Good day, sir -- Guardian.  Please give them hell for
us."

"I assure you Mortician, they will not know what hit
them."  Thane and Rames turned and walked out of the
temple.

Rapina grabbed Mortician Ranal and hugged him once
again, then ran after her guardians.

---

[Rapina]034 An Oven's Abode

Rapina looked up from her book and peered over the edge
of the couch to glance into Nordula's magic kettle
where it sat on the floor beside her.  As she did, she
absently pushed one of the delicate violet straps of
the silk lace bustier she was wearing back onto her
shoulder.  At last, the skeletons had reached the foot
of the small mountain.  For weeks they had been
traversing a nearly featureless, flat plane, like a
giant cookie sheet that had been filled to the edges
with a slurry of clay and then left in an oven for a
very long time.  Rapina capped her reading light so she
could see the image in the kettle better and spoke into
the waters. "Stop, look at your left wrist," she said
checking the compass on the skeleton's wrist.  "Look
straight ahead, now turn slowly."  The mountain rose
from a sea of flatness, like an upside down cup on a
tabletop.

"Sorry I was late for lunch, my dear," Thane said. "I
was working at the font on a new batch of resin for
reaving skeletons.  My divinations have revealed that
several of the corpses of the mercenaries we dug out of
the group grave Li'Yieraun created at the old pirate
camp were viable for that particular advanced
animation."

"It's no problem Guardian Thane, I left lunch in the
oven over a very low flame.  I think it won't have
suffered too badly.  Rapina got up from the couch where
she had been reading and left the cozy lounge that
served as a nexus between several rooms within the
secret laboratory wing where she now lived.  The Lounge
had an attached kitchen that included a dining nook
with a blackboard mounted on the wall.  The wing had
heating that flowed through ducts beneath the stone
floor, and plumbing for both hot and cold water.  Thane
had canceled his plans to install heating and plumbing
for the entire abode.  Instead he had opted for the
less expensive option of concentrating all of the
amenities in the new secret laboratory wing that had
been designed to have them in the first place.  He had
simply added a bedroom for Rapina, a secret library,
and an expanded dining area to the existing layout for
a very satisfying outcome.  Rapina bent and took the
food out of the oven.  She smiled to herself as Thane's
controlled lust tickled her nose.

She talked as she put lunch on the table for him, "What
are Reaving Skeletons like?"

"Reavers are made from the corpses of fighting men who,
in life, killed without scruple for money, or who
served evil or an evil cause.  They are warrior
skeletons similar to my double-animated guards, but
with more exceptional skill at arms and greater
intelligence.  The better ones can talk like Roger or
Elizabetta.  The lesser ones serve silently as soldiers
of Mortaebius.  The relative quality depends somewhat
on the animator's skill, but more so on the quality of
the deceased soul.

"Our normal skeletons just reached the foot of the
mountain," Rapina said.

"Excellent, how many are left," Thane asked.

"We still have nine," Rapina said.

"Good, no further problems with  jackals, natives,
insects or snakes?" Than asked.

"None, Since you watched for the first week, I never
saw any natives and I stopped seeing any jackals before
midweek of the second week." Rapina said.   The insects
have died down now.  I think they ate the marrow out of
the bones of the skeletons and then flew away.  We lost
about four skeletons from heavy burrowing in the joint
areas, but the ones remaining seem fine now.  After the
bugs left, the snakes did not seem to have any interest
in the skeletons anymore.  All I see now are whirlwinds
and blowing dust."

"Excellent, nine of twenty skeletons is well within
acceptable limits.  The natives and the insects took
the biggest toll.  What of the weapons?" Thane asked.

"Swords and javelins are fine, bows are brittle or
broken, so I had them discarded. I had any usable
weapons removed from the broken down skeletons so
ammunition is at one hundred percent," Rapina said.

"We should try to attain the desert through magic.  I
am not sure human flesh is up to that crossing.  We
could send Elizabetta, but I believe she might dry out
and become brittle and worthless.  Roger would be a
better candidate, but Red Jack needs him."

"Have you had any luck getting Nordula's teleport magic
to work for you?" Rapina asked.

Thane's shoulders sagged,  "Alas, I have not.  The sad
thing is that I have seen similar spells before, and I
have never gotten them to work.  My colleagues in the
order praise my talents for advanced animations.  It is
highly unusual for a new mortancer to learn three
different advanced animations in one season.  Yet I am
now confidently producing flaming skeletons and
competent with the rubbery skeletal assassins.  The
reaving skeletons I am currently working on seem easier
than the others I have done so far.  After making a few
of them, I am going to attempt to arrive at a double-
animated reaver recipe.  I believe it should be
possible to improve the reaving skeletons slightly
through double-animation," Thane said.  Unfortunately,
my talents seem to center around necromancy.  I do not
have the same alacrity with teleportation magic.

Rapina nodded, "Would you like to try to create a
graveyard for the mists spell by speaking through
Nordula's amulet and sword while having the skeletons
go through the consecration ritual?"

"Indeed I would," Thane agreed.

A few minutes later Rapina brought Nordula's magic
kettle into the dining area.  In the desert, she had
four skeletons lie down in the corners of a rectangular
pattern.  When Thane finished lunch, they began
speaking the words of the ritual through the kettle to
Nordula's sword and amulet carried by two different
skeletons.

"Hail Mortaebius guardian of the dead, we the dead who
lie here..." Thane began.

"...and thus we close the circle, life and death, the
cycle is complete," both Thane and Rapina spoke
completing the ritual

"I will attempt graveyard mists from the storage room
in this wing a few times if necessary before I return
to working on the skeletons.  Your suggestion of
entombing four skeletons in that room and consecrating
it as a graveyard was excellent.   There is no need to
be traipsing through the upper areas of the abode with
sensitive materials or bleeding corpses," Thane said.

Rapina nodded and smiled,"Good luck"

"Thank you, I hope it will be a simple matter, but I
fear not." Thane hesitated, then smiled.  Soon I hope
to have a way to the mountain, and at that time you
will no longer have to watch the skeletons.  Instead I
will have you copying certain books.  If what I have
done to Nordula ever happens to me, I wish to be
prepared.  Do not fear, however, I will make sure you
have plenty of time for reading as well.  Scribing
books is tedious work.  You may read for an hour for
every hour you scribe.  As your skills grow, I may have
you copy some spells from Nordula's cache as well.  For
now I will transcribe a few spells and trade them to
associates for necromantic spells I desire," Thane
said.

Three days later, Thane had still not accomplished
transfer to the desert mountain.

"I fear we will have to get some camels and try to make
the journey in steps.  We can cover a number of miles,
consecrate a graveyard, return here to replenish our
water supplies and then go back to the desert."

Rapina pursed her lips.

"What's the matter, have you gotten too used to
lounging around here in lingerie to want to ride
through that abominable oven?

"It just seems like there ought to be a way we can
consecrate that ground.  Want to try a wild plan?"

"Indeed, if it has even the slightest chance of
working, it will save us ages of time..."

---

The mists parted and the difference between the
relative chill of the winter at Graveston isle and the
outrageous heat of the desert was soon apparent.

"At last!  Goodness I thought I'd never make it, but
Rapina said she had done the ritual no less than one
hundred times through the skeletons, so I thought it
worth another few tries to get out here."

"It's a great success.  You want to build up there
somewhere?" Rames asked.

"Yes, within the mountain.  I have some navigational
measurements to make.  Please consecrate this graveyard
once again.  I mistrust the strength of Rapina's remote
work," Thane said.

"Of course," Rames said.

Rames started the prayers in the Northeast corner of
the makeshift graveyard.  After saying the prayer of
the dead he crossed to the southwest and did the prayer
of the living, then moved to Southeast for another
prayer of the dead and finally back to the Northwest to
complete the ritual.

From the amulet around the neck of a skeleton came
Rapina's voice.

"The Southern gong just rang here in the abode.
Someone must be coming to the isle."

We will be right with you, Rapina, Rames has just
finished the consecration and I will begin with the
mists now.  Thane began the droning incantations.
After a time Thane and Rames appeared in the cliff-top
gardens."

"Let us see what is out there.  Thane went up to the
telescope room and peered into the eyepiece.  Ah,
there, it is nothing more than a dog, and it appears to
be sinking through that hole in the ice out there.
Nothing we can do about it."

Rames took a turn at the eyepiece, "It's gone now."

The next day Thane sat in the storage room of the
secret laboratory wing.  Rapina sat near his feet
dressed in a shear peach silk teddy reading a large
wood-bound book.  "I really don't know why I let you
talk me into trying that ruse with Rames, your theory
is obviously flawed.  I have tried this four times
already.

"Guardian Thane, how do you expect graveyard mists to
succeed if you believe you will fail?" Rapina asked.

"It's no use.  I just don't think using illusion to
fool Rames into believing we were in the desert with
those skeletons has had the effect of mentally
transporting him there as you thought."

Rapina sighed, "Mental projection is a fact of magic.
If Rames really believed he was there, then in some
sense, he was.  You have always told me that attitude
is all-important for the practice of magic.  I don't
think we should even count the first four times you
attempted the mists spell.  You couldn't transport
yourself to the cliff tops with the attitude you've
had."

Thane sighed, "Perhaps you are right.  I have failed
too many times at this and now I expect failure.  I
will try again, this time I will attempt to revive my
ailing confidence."

"I know you can do it," Rapina said, giving Thane's
lust a tug.

"Uh!  Bad girl, you are the most dangerous vixen.  Now,
let me concentrate," Thane said.

Rapina stood and set the book just outside of the room,
then closed the door as she came back in, "Hail
Mortaebius, shepherd of the dead, May I fortify thy
servants by giving them good head.  Ouww!"  Rapina
squealed as Thane swatted the seat of her peach silk
panties, in the midst of his casting.

"Praise Mortaebius, keeper of the dead, may thy
servants vanquish the false ones by wielding thy
dread..." Rapina intoned.

Sometime later Thane pronounced the last syllable of
the spell and then wiped his brow.  The mists slowly
began to clear.  "Though I did not admire that 'prayer'
you made up at first, now that I think on it, the truly
astonishing fact is that I have almost never heard you
repeat a prayer twice.  You have quite a repertoire."

"It's not too bad at night," Rapina said.

"It?" Thane's head cocked.  As more of the mists
cleared he realized he was standing on a desert pave.
Suddenly he ran forward and snatched Rapina off her
feet.  "Success!"

After using his stone-bending spell to entomb four
skeletons under the desert pave, Thane and Rapina
performed a true consecration ceremony to create a
proper cemetery of Mortaebius and then Thane returned
to the abode with Rapina.  He had been so sure he would
meet with failure that he had not even bothered to
bring his hiking gear, and Rapina was barefoot and
wearing lingerie.

---

At the breakfast table the next day, Thane spoke of
coming events, "Soon we will begin construction on the
new abode, and there will be much work setting it up.
Rames or I must stay on the isle, to fulfill my mundane
position as a member of the Order of Death's Peace, but
Rapina, you can spend much more time in the desert.

Elizabetta and I have already drawn up preliminary
plans for the new abode based on drawings I made from
viewing the layout of the mountain and the foothills
and dunes behind it through my magic pool.  I shall
create the first secret door with magic, and get her
and Kent started supervising our skeletons to begin the
tunneling operations.  It is a waste of her talents as
an assassin, but she is the only undead servitor I have
who has enough brainpower for the job.  Her suggestions
concerning security for the new facility have been
invaluable."

One thing is certain, however, we must begin to make
our lab work pay.  The new abode will be a costly
undertaking.  I would like to secure a troll so that I
can use its blood for the manufacture of healing
potions for our use and enrichment.   If we want to do
that, we must do it before the mountains Northwest of
Avengene thaw.  Tomorrow we will go to Argos and have
Rapina fitted for a custom leather breastplate as a
token of my esteem for the work she did that allowed us
to transport to the desert.  After that we shall go on
our expedition."

"We have to go while it's still cold?" Rapina asked.

"Indeed.  Trolls regenerate unless one cauterizes their
wounds.  Our flaming skeletons should be invaluable in
that regard, but I have no wish to start any forest
fires.  I will see if I can hire a strong warrior or
two from Red Jack, and then we shall venture into those
mountains and attempt to take a troll.  There are
several types of trolls.  I would prefer a small one,
if that seems possible." Thane said.

"The Baron of Daelath is a warlord, and he worships
Virtusar, a god of heroes, manliness and battle.  Like
most Northern baronies, Daelrath's is sparsely
populated.  My sources within the church, however tell
me that there are new settlements springing up in the
barony that are nothing more than outposts to spread
the tainted words of the vindicator.  In the southerly
areas of the barony are two temples of Mortaebius.  The
warlord is rumored to be a rough and ready sort, a
former adventurer.  He hates trolls and humanoids with
a passion, and he pays a bounty for  the heads of
trolls and has quite a collection of them hanging on
the posts of his various Northerly keeps.

[Rapina]035 Trolling

Thane first transported the group to a cemetery North
of Rosehaven that was serving as the Order's jump point
for travel into areas in and around Avengene.  It had a
special force of guards and powerful wardings to
prevent mages from tracing travelers back from their
destinations, a feat that was difficult to begin with,
but possible for a few mages with exceptional skill at
divination.  After the brief stop North of Rosehaven
Thane again called forth the mists and transported the
group to a graveyard outside Rath Keep.

Snowflakes drifted to the ground around the darkness-
shrouded party.  To the Northwest, Rapina could see a
tiny walled settlement with a keep near its center.
The town walls were mostly stone with some parts
unfinished and shored up with wooden stockades.

"A pity trolls are nearly immune to the scratches of
ghouls, otherwise I might have brought Kent along,"
Thane said.

"For that, I'll consider meself lucky.  It's bad enough
I have ta ride a dead horse," Pike growled from atop
his undead mount.  The Norseman had disguised himself
for the trip by growing a full beard and dying his
strawberry blonde hair a deep auburn.  He wore a
grizzly bearskin cloak over chainmail, and carried a
Halberd in one hand, a double bladed battle-axe on his
back and a heavy hand axe with a broad blade on his
belt.

"These horses are excellent for night travel.  We will
make good time as they can maintain a gallop all night.
We will be limited only by the running speed of the
flaming skeletons.  I had the largest horse outfitted
with a stout metal cage within its ribcage.  It is
there we will house our troll."  Thane was dressed in
his usual black mortancer robes with a leather mask
over the death mask he wore.  He carried a dark staff
and an arsenal of singing bone daggers in the
bandoleers he wore crisscrossing his chest.  With him
he brought mounted skeletons including two brand new
reaving skeletons, and four of his largest double-
animated skeletons including red-eye the half-ogre
skeleton.  All of the armed skeletons were equipped
with halberds and two-handed swords.  Four flaming
skeletons rounded out his entourage.

"I'd hate to ride these horses bareback though." Rapina
smirked.

To help disguise her identity in an area so close to
the barony she grew up in, Thane had treated her hair
with a chemical that removed the color.  He had
insisted her body hair be treated as well, since she
had a habit of loosing her clothes.  Unfortunately, the
chemical seemed to remove the life from her hair as
well.  Thane had remedied this problem by draining life
force from Rapina's reserves and bestowing it on her
hair.  Her blonde mane now looked quite rich and
natural.  She was dressed in a hooded black bear cloak
and a breastplate of form-fitting beeswax-boiled black
leather with formed triangular leather plates that hung
down to cover much of her abdomen and butt.  A leather
strap that went between her legs held the plates tight
to her body.  Under the leather she wore a thick black
silk blouse and breeches.  She was insulated from the
cold by a full suit of angora rabbit wool long
underwear over her normal silken under things.

Rapina was armed with her Montfort rapier and main
gauch, her darkwood bow and two quivers of arrows with
pine-tarred tips.  Five of her arrows were scribed with
incendiary glyphs.  Instead of a halberd, she had the
hose to a tank of turpentine installed within her steal
breast-plated skeletal horse.  She could use her feet
to work a pump that would send a stream of turps out
the end of the hose.  Her mount wore a lit lantern
affixed to it's neck that she could use for lighting
the arrows that she carried.  For longer-range work,
she carried saddlebags with delicate blown glass orbs
filled with turpentine.  They had short fuses, and tar
stoppers.

Rames as Karmoz wore a black bear skin cloak and a suit
of blackened steel plate armor.  He carried two two-
handed swords on his back, a broad-bladed falchion on
his belt, and a halberd in his hand.

The group traveled rapidly Northeast all night, and
then set up camp in some sheltered crags to bed down
until late afternoon.  The skeletons, cowled in thick
black hooded robes and cloaks, stood around the camp
guarding.  They were not at their strongest during the
day, but they would still give an enemy pause.  The
horses were lying around the edge of camp making it
look like the site of an ancient cavalry battle, except
that the leather barding the horses wore was in much
too good shape.  The flaming skeletons were collapsed
into heaps within stone rings outside each of the
tents.  Rames and Pike had dumped ashes on them from a
sack full that Thane had brought for that purpose.  Now
the flaming skeletons were nestled in a bed of ash
looking to the entire world like burnt out campfires.

The horses could carry a good deal of gear, and the
skeletons did not need any, so each living person had a
small tent to her or himself.

"I hope no trolls come while we are sleeping," Rapina
said.

"It's giants you should worry about by day, my dear,"
Thane said. "Trolls are nocturnal.  This area is a war
zone between the giants and trolls so I imagine most of
the action occurs at dawn and dusk.  We will hide out
by day, and hunt by night."

"Can trolls see in the dark?" Rapina asked.

"Yes, exceedingly well, but their night vision is heat-
based just as is the vision of elves.  My magical
darkness is proof against such vision," Thane said.

"That's comforting," Rapina said.

"I'll be in my tent reading for a bit if anyone needs
me." Rapina smiled.

"I need ya wench, why don't ye come ta my tent." Pike
winked.

Rapina smiled and disappeared into her tent.  She took
off her breastplate and boots, and then read for just a
bit.  As soon as the others had retired she sneaked
out, scratched at Pike's tent flap, and then let
herself in.  "Need some help getting to sleep?" Rapina
whispered.

"Aye, I was tired all night and now I'm starting to
wake up."  As Rapina crawled in, Pike took hold of her
tunic and pulled it over her head, then did the same
with the top to her long underwear.

Rapina unbuttoned her breeches and pulled them down
along with the bottoms of her long underwear.

Pike lifted the covers of his bedroll.

Rapina smiled, "You're already naked."

"I know ye better than ye think, red-hot wench," Pike
chuckled softly.

Rapina smiled, slid into the bedroll and snuggled her
back against Pike's heavily muscled chest.

Pike reached down and caressed the smoothness of
Rapina's thighs then brought his hands up over the silk
of her green silk bustier.  This one keeps you caged up
tight," Pike said.

"It makes putting my breastplate on easy.  It was
something like this and a couple layers of soaked
cotton cloth I had on when they slapped the hot leather
on me right out of the vat of boiling beeswax," Rapina
said.

"I wondered why that breastplate fit so good," Pike
unbuttoned the back of Rapina's bustier.  Kroz must be
wealthy ta get ye fitted fer custom armor."

"I guess necromancy is a good living," Rapina grinned.
"If we can get a troll it certainly shouldn't hurt his
finances either."

"Aye and with a troll ye can deal healing potions ta
Jack, and I get one free just fer comin' along."

Rapina nodded as Pike pulled her bustier off and tossed
it atop Rapina's tunic beside the bedroll.  She pushed
her panties down nearly to her knees and nestled her
high, generous cheeks against his belly.  Pikes hand
pushed her panties down a bit more, and then his foot
pushed them right down off her toes.  She could feel
his engorged manhood between her legs, she grabbed it
and slid down into the bed a little deeper.   She
massaged the top half of Pike's erection, while rubbing
the base half against her moistening folds.  She
snuggled her rump against Pike's powerful loins.  "I've
got as much as some men right now," Rapina said,
looking down to admire her borrowed cock.

"Ye want ta try beddin' a wench with that?" Pike said
as he toyed with Rapina's breasts from behind her.

Rapina giggled softly, "I don't think I would fool her
if you were standing behind me."

Pike grabbed hold of Rapina's hips and pulled her
farther up his body.

Rapina squealed as she was moved up.  Her caressing
hands pulled back his foreskin and dipped Pike's pink
head into her well of honey.

Pike moved Rapina's hips back down his body and plunged
into her wetness.

Rapina moaned as Pike entered her and began thrusting.
She took his finger and placed it on her clit...

In the late afternoon Rapina wriggled out of Pike's
bedroll and got her clothes.  He was sleeping soundly
while she went outside, heated some snow and busied
herself cleaning up.  As she began to wash, her nose
tickled with lust.  She finished with the chilly chore
of washing her back and chest and then realized that
the lust was not coming from any of the tents as she
had first assumed.  Furthermore, it did not seem to be
the controlled lust of Thane, the intimately familiar
lust of Rames or the robust lust of Pike.  Without
seeming to notice, she glanced past the source of the
lust as she washed her bottom half.

The man watching her wore a white cloak.  He was
sitting in the snow about forty yards away.  After
finishing her bottom half, she pretended to duck into
her tent, but instead she ducked into Thane's.

"Kroz, wake up," She whispered.  She reached out and
squeezed the lump she figured must be his foot.  "Kroz
there is a man watching the camp from about forty yards
distant."  Not waiting for him to respond, Rapina snuck
to Rames' tent, grabbed his foot and whispered, we have
a watcher.  Unfortunately, she could not get to Pike's
tent without being seen, so she ducked into her tent
own tent and began getting dressed.  As she finished
dressing she heard riders approaching and hastened to
get out and see who they were.

"Hail, travelers," The watcher said.

"Hail, riders what brings you to our humble camp?"

"We tracked you up from yonder valley.  What be your
business in these crags?" The man asked.

"We're troll hunters," Rapina said.

"Well met, in all Ifreanne there be not enough troll
hunters.  It's a dangerous sport.  Were it not for
their war with the giants we'd all be dead men. What
would be all these bones I'm seeing?"

"Um, well, my boss collects them," Rapina said.

"He's a bone collector, is he?" The man asked.

"Yes, it's a macabre hobby, but it works for him,"
Rapina replied.

"You know bone collecting is a punishable offense in a
lot of places, like Avengene for instance," The man
said.

"That's true, but Avengene is very strict.  I have
heard everyone sneers at you or worse if you worship a
god other than the vindicator."

"Yah, I've heard that's true now," The man said.

"Do you have a god you worship?"  Rapina asked.

The man puffed out his chest, "Sure do, can't you tell
who it is?" He asked.

Rapina stepped forward a few paces. "Hmm, I don't see
any holy symbols."

"Oh I am a holy symbol," the man said.

"It can't be the vindicator, otherwise you wouldn't be
looking at me like a real man does."

The riders laughed.

Rapina spotted some heraldry on the surcoat beneath the
man's white fur cloak, but she could not see enough to
tell what it might be. "You look like you know how use
your sword."

"My sword and axe are my best friends," the man
affirmed.

"I have no use for axes, but I can understand a man's
sword being his best friend." Rapina grinned.

The riders chuckled.

"Well it's hard to tell how courageous or manly you are
under that cloak, but if I had to guess, I'd say maybe
you worshipped... Virtusar?" Rapina asked.

"And you'd be right.  You've a keen wit there, can you
handle a sword?" The man asked.

"I've handled quite a few of them.  There's nothing
quite as nice as the feel of a good sword in your
sheath," Rapina said.

The riders grinned.

The watcher smiled, "Where's your boss?"  Oh, he's
rather nocturnal, so are the rest of the slugabed men.
They'll be up shortly.  Rapina put her hand to her
forehead.  The suns starting to sink.  I just got up
myself, maybe you saw."

The watcher grinned.  "You know, for a bone collector's
mistress, you seem a lively woman."

"He has little interest in mistresses.  I have to find
real men where I can get them," Rapina said.

The watcher grinned saltily,  "It's a shame a man with
an assistant who looks like you hasn't got the
interest."

"I used to think so, but it works to my advantage
really, being his assistant I don't have to worry about
one man trying to keep me for himself.  A swordswoman
like me could never be content with just one blade.  It
would be horribly stifling."

"But how can you swing more than a single heavy blade
at once?" The watcher asked.

Rapina shook her head, "Even the finest blades wear
out.  It's best to swing one after another rather than
trying to use them all at once.  Even if I could find a
way to swing them all at once, they would all go dull
at once as well, and that would be such a pity."

Pike's tent flap flipped aside and the Norseman emerged
fully dressed and ready for battle.

"Men, I'd like you to meet Eric; the boss hired him on
to assist in his troll shopping." Rapina smiled as she
sensed a small fraction of the lust was now directed at
Pike who was playing Eric.  He likes axes, but I like
his sword better."

The riders grinned.

Since she had turned towards Pike or Eric for a moment,
Rapina caught just a glimps of Rames' shadowed and
bearded face.  He peaked out of his tent, then put on
his masked leather helmet before moving forward and
standing up.  He too was fully armed and armored.

"This warrior here is Karmoz, another of my master's
assistants."

Rames bowed slightly and then crossed his arms across
his chest as Pike was doing.

"And what would your name be?" The watcher asked.

"You can call me Valkura, but don't call me 'Val'
unless your life depends on a few quick words.  And
what name do you go by, Sir?"

"You can call me Cosh, but if you're feeling extra
stuffy you can call me, Sir Neil Coshus."

"Well met Sir Cosh, you're a knight then, one of baron
Daelarth's?" Rapina asked.

Cosh nodded.

Suddenly the shadows deepened around the entire camp.
Cosh blinked, his had flew to his sword.

"Please forgive the shadows, I am sensitive to the
light, Kroz rasped.  Once a man has died a few times,
he's never quite the same."

"A few times?"

"Every young warrior who sees an animated skeleton
jumps to a hoard of conclusions.  Those conclusions
usually amount to him feeling obliged to interrupt my
reading with a sword.  These bone-heads are often of
little help either, sometimes they just stand there,
and I have to try to get them moving.  I say, 'jump
bones!  Jump now!' and Valkura is often the only one
who listens."

The riders snickered.

"That's why I keep a few living servitors now.  These
old bones just aren't what they used to be.
Unfortunately living servitors require sacrifices on my
part.  I have to keep food around for one thing and Not
everyone bounces back from death as easily as a
necromancer; that's the reason I have to fetch a troll
so I can make healing potions for my helpers.  Now I
hope you men don't feel like hacking my people up,
because I'd really rather waste my humble magic on
trolls. Besides, I gather you are rather important
heroes for the folks in these parts, and from what I
understand, they can use all the help they can get."

"Healing is priceless in these parts.  Why we even put
up with that priest from Avengene don't we men?"

"We sure do.  He can heal a bit, but there is a price
ta be paid," one of the riders said.

"I'll say, an earful of garbage," another man scoffed.

"You put up with him?" Rapina asked.

"Well we want to bust his face, but Daelrath has us on
strict orders not to because the man was some kind of
gift from Lord Avengene.

"Yah, a gift spy," anoher man said.

"Hehehe," the men laughed.

"Does he ever make eyes at the women," Rapina asked.

"Bah, he's always buggin' us about it.  We've precious
few women at the keep, but Bruhnie Daelrath says he
bugs 'is peepers at her."

"What if you were to catch Mr. celebate in the act?"
Rapina asked.

"Not with the baron's daughter, we're not," Sir Cosh
said.

"I see what you mean.  Does she like him?" Rapina
asked.

Cosh chuckled, "Bruhnie told me she'd sooner rut a
cur."

"I guess you're stuck with him then," Rapina said.

"Damn vindicator spies.  If it weren't for that
priest's healing power, I'd break his face," Cosh said.

"The irony of it is that one of the best types of
energy for use in healing magic is sexual energy.   The
vindicator bars his priests from sex altogether, and
they in turn bar his followers from practicing magic,
or any form of sex beyond efficient reproduction with a
single mate.  It is thusly that the vindicator corners
the market on healing and sets himself up as the only
source of holiness."

"Clever," Cosh agreed.

"It is easy to laugh at the practices of the church of
the vindicator, but there is a ruthless cunning behind
every move they make.  The rest is simply window-
dressing that placates the rank and file followers of
the church."

"You seem to know a thing or two about the vindicator,"
Cosh said.

"I am an old, dead man.  I have seen churches like this
before.  They are perhaps the greatest tool a conqueror
can have.  They posses the ability to bend the minds
and wills of the common people to the point that they
will do heinous acts in the name of their god without
the slightest pang of guilt.  Such churches should
never be underestimated."

"My people are about to have breakfast, would you like
to join us for your evening meal?" Thane asked.

"Uh, you're not going to, like, poison us or anything
are you?" the knight asked.

Kroz chuckled, "I really can't escape the stereotypes,
can I?  You have nothing to fear from me save fear
itself.  I will tell you your exact dangers.  All
depend on your actions.  I am only dangerous if you
attack me or seem to do so.  You see my bone collection
is none too bright.  A friendly embrace becomes an
attack in the minds of a brainless servitor.  It is
best simply to stay at least four feet away from me at
all times.  From the stalwart warrior, Eric, you are
only in danger should you attack someone for real, or
challenge him to a drinking contest."

Cosh and his riders chuckled.

"From my warrior apprentice Karmoz, you are only in
trouble if you attack someone for real or attempt to
explain some very obscure magical principle to him,
thus confusing him and possibly causing him to strike
out."

The riders grinned.

"From my apprentice Valkura, your greatest danger is
that she has been in the abode with these boneheads too
long and her pants have grown uncomfortably hot in the
interim for lack of sufficient male companionship."

The riders laughed.

"If she is interested in you and you think you can
satisfy her, then have at it; she is her own woman.
The second greatest danger presented by Valkura is that
after you have camped in her bed you will fall in love
with her.  Love her all you want, but do not fool
yourselves, She cannot be satisfied by one man, she is
not a one man woman, and you will not be marrying her.
The best you can hope for is that you will be one of
her friends."

Valkura blushed.

"Courage in the face of danger men!" the knight said.

A few battle cries rose from the group.

"I caution you, if you dally with Valkura, expect to be
worthless the next day.  She could tire the lot of you
out if she had the mind to, and she often does."

"As for our food, I think you will find that hollow
horses can carry better rations than solid ones can.
My living servitors must put up with a large dose of
the macabre, and I try to make up for that with certain
perks.  Feel free to have some of your men eat only
your food, or whatever you wish.  I understand there
are plenty of unscrupulous corpses in my business.  I
will not think any less of you for taking prudent
precautions, or from turning down my offer altogether."

"Well, it's a tempting offer," Cosh winked at Valkura;
"but Daelrath would have my hide if anything were to
happen to us.  I'll tell you what.  How about if I
invite your living servitors down to our camp.  It's
not far off and we'd feel safer there.  Your men could
bring some extra food for any who dares try it."

"I am content with your proposition, however, in order
to protect me, my servitors must be in sight of my
position.  Perhaps we could strike our camp, and pass
by yours for a little meal on our way out to search for
trolls.  The cooking and packing would take us time,
but we could come by in perhaps an hour," Kroz
suggested.

"That is a good compromise.  We will receive your
people in an hour then."

An hour later Rapina and the men walked out of a patch
of shadow down the hill from the knight's camp.  When
they walked in, the camp appeared to be in full
readiness for an attack.

"Sorry to disappoint you men, but there will be no
battle tonight other than with any trolls that come
by," Rapina said.

"Come by they do, but we are prepared for 'em.
Daelrath is favorably inclined to any who rid this land
of trolls.  Bring him their heads and he'll pay you a
bounty.  Bring him a lot of heads and you'll be heroes
in spite of your bone-collecting habits."

The meal went rapidly by.  Rapina enjoyed flirting with
the men and tugging at their lust, but she thought
there would be no time for dalliance.

As she sat by the fireside laughing and talking with
the men, Cosh whispered in Rapina's ear, "I happened on
you washing earlier and couldn't tear my eyes away, and
now my oak is giving me no end of trouble.  You're
quite a sight in the buff."

Rapina tingled with the knight's lust.  She went to
whisper something back to him but instead wound up
nuzzling his earlobe.  Soon afterwards she squealed as
he picked her up and carried her into his tent.  He sat
her down inside but She rolled forward onto her hands
and knees.  He reached between her legs and unbuckled
the strap that held the formed leather plates over
abdomen and butt; after that he pulled her pants down
and right off her legs, long underwear panties and all

Cosh looked at the young woman's perfect butt and
hastened to get his own pants down.  After getting them
only half way to the floor he laid down and flipped
over on his back, then pulled her blonde pubes onto his
face.  His urgent tongue teased her nub, and plunged
into her depths on occasion to taste her more fully.

Valkura gasped and writhed as the sensations overtook
her.  Her vulva drooled and clutched at his tongue
until the sensations became so intense she exploded
into orgasm nearly breaking the poor knight's nose as
she bucked her wetness firmly into his face and
pressed.  She felt the touch of his mind and left there
a strong sense of esteem.  It grew out of her own
esteem for him.  He had seen to her pleasure in a
situation where lesser men might have ignored it.
Before she had quite finished her orgasm, Cosh lifted
her hips, got to his knees, slammed his erection into
her and started thrusting like a crazed stallion.  One
of his hands strayed from her hips and massaged her
mound as he thrust.

Cosh roared as a torrent of pleasure nearly flattened
him.

Valkura smiled back at the man who seemed amazed he
could have come with such power.  Actually she had
taken little more than he would have given her
naturally, but he was so aroused his orgasm had been
naturally intense to start with.

"Do you have something to, um?"

Cosh handed the lady a handkerchief.

"Thank you," she smiled as she mopped herself clean.
She kissed him and nuzzled his ear once again, "You
were magnificent.  Now I have an appetite to bed an
army, but I had better not, I've trolls to help slay."

"Cosh chuckled, I don't quite know what to make of you,
Valkura."

Valkura put on her silk panties, her long underwear and
her breeches, and then began buckling her armor.  "It's
not important as long as you can accept me the way I
am," she said.

"A real fireball?" Cosh asked.

Rapina grinned and nodded as she left the tent.  When
she emerged the others were waiting for her.  She bid
the knight's men goodbye and disappeared into the
gathered shadows protecting her master and his
entourage.

"Ah, that was a sticky situation, Valkura.  You must
remember you are all too close to your hometown.  If
someone were to recognize you, there would be hell to
pay.  On the other hand, this barony is on the border
of Avengene.  An ally here would be invaluable.  We
shall have to tread lightly.  Did any of you learn
anything?"

"Trolls seem the currency of this realm.  Cosh said
Daelrath would pay us a bounty on troll heads, and if
we brought him many, we would be heroes in spite of our
bone collecting," Rames said.

Trolls must truly be a problem here, then," Thane said.
"I noticed the remaining wooden walls of the keep had
claw marks in them.  I also realize that Avengene has
been able to put settlements here and to install a
priest in the baron's keep.  He is ingratiating himself
by becoming a desperately needed ally against the
trolls.  My guess is that Daelrath has little choice
but to accept the alliance.  Somehow we must give him
another choice.

The first encounter with trolls came when Kroz spotted
seven in a broad valley.  He renewed the vision in
darkness spells of his compatriots and they galloped
forward.

"Charge them head on, then veer around them at the last
minute, Eric go left.  Reaver one, guard one and three
you will follow Eric and attempt to relieve the trolls
of their heads with your halberds.  Karmoz, go right,
reaver two, guards two and four, you will follow Karmoz
and attempt to relieve the trolls of their heads with
your halberds. Flaming skeletons, approach any headless
troll from the rear and wipe the whole of his neck with
your forearm three times.  Valkura, hang back slightly
ahead of me.  Torch anything that approaches and lure
it away from me.  If the encounter turns ugly we will
run."

Kroz and Valkura pursued the others for a time, then
stopped while Kroz stood in his saddle and began
casting a spell.  Just before the combat began the area
around the trolls was engulfed in impenetrable
darkness.

"Blood!" Pike swung his halberd but only managed to
mangle the hastily thrown up arm of a troll.  The
reaver behind him took the head off clean.

Rames' blade nearly severed a troll's head, and the
Reaver behind him, finished the job smoothly.  The last
guard cleanly removed a second troll's head as he rode
by.

Bwaaaaaaaad!  The trolls shrieked in unison as they ran
towards the sounds of the passing horses.

The flaming skeletons moved in and around the flailing
bodies of the trolls.  One bumped into its head and
began to pick it up, but a skeleton's arm passed
between the two halves of the severed neck, cauterizing
both parts.

The second charge seemed as though it would go much
like the first.  Pike turned his horse and galloped
back towards the approaching trolls.  Not long before
they met darkness engulfed the area.  Frack! Pike
snapped as he lost his halberd in the chest of a toll.
Pike slowed and wheeled his horse.  The skeletal
servitors of the necromancer severed the troll's head
before he could bring his horse around to fetch the
halbard.

Rames missed his stroke by an embarrassing margin but
the reaver and one guard each took a troll's head clean
off.  There were only two of the monsters left.

"Shit" Pike roared as both trolls dove for him.  One
bashed clean through his horse's left foreleg while the
other jumped slamming him off his horse's back.  He
could hear rings popping as it's claws scored his
chainmail.  Pike managed to right himself on the other
side of his horse and drew his battle axe.

He was about to swing when the reaver who had been
following him got around his horse and took the troll's
head off with its halberd.  Pike advanced on the troll
who had toppled his horse while the horses of the
skeletal guards maneuvered to attempt to behead his
assailant.

Rames wheeled and brought his troops back.  "Reaver,
guards, be careful not to hit Eric by mistake."

Gaaaa!  Pike roared in pain as the troll grabbed his
shoulders and rended.  His face was bathed in troll's
blood as a reaver swept the creature's head from it's
neck, but it kept on rending as if following the last
order it's missing brain gave it.

Karmos ordered, "Reavers, remove the troll's arms near
its shoulders."

The reaver nearest Pike cleanly removed one of the
troll's arms with its halberd, ruining the creature's
leverage.

Raah! Pike's axe came up and removed the other arm from
the body.  He staggered back as the hands continued
gripping his shoulders.  He dropped his axe and
attempted to lever the arm off his right shouder.

Rames drew a dirk from his boot and jumped to the
ground.  He grabbed the troll arm on Pike's shoulder
and gritted his teeth as he worked to sever the thumb.
"Ahh! There!

Pike wounded himself more grievously in the process,
but managed to tear the other troll arm from his
shoulder.

Kroz trotted up.  The flaming skeletons were just
finishing up with the necks of the last of the trolls.


"All skeletons, guide your horses away from the
flailing limbs of those headless trolls.  Flamers, wipe
your forearms across the stumps of the troll with the
missing arms.  Good, now stand back."

Kroz dismounted.  "Valkura, Karmoz, Eric, we need to
get Eric's shoulders back in their sockets and to set
any broken ribs.  This will hurt."

Pike nodded and tried to help guide the bones as Rapina
and Rames pulled Pike's arms around and messed with his
shoulders.

Kroz touched Pike's shoulder and shook with pain as he
transferred a portion of his own life force to Pike.
The necromancer bent down and drained from the armless
twitching troll body at his feet then repeated the
process with Pike's other side.

"The trolls have abundant life force even in this
condition, but it will not last.  I will need help
lifting this horse so we can reattach its foreleg and
apply a bone-mending spell."

Pike moved his shoulders around as if trying to
determine whether he was all right.

"Blood! Those creatures are strong.  Once ye've lost
yer halberd, it's a defensive battle ye have ta fight.
If they get too close and get their gloms on ye, ye'll
get yerself torn up like I did."

Rames chuckled, "I'm glad you were the one to discover
that and not me.  My bones are not ready for that
treatment."

"Bah!  It was just bad luck.  I'm a good man with an
axe, but I'm not used to the mile long haft of a
halberd."

"Good job, now lets sever the arms of these trolls and
then the flaming skeletons can lie down on the trolls'
bodies and incinerate them.  I believe these are all a
bit on the large side.  I am hoping for a smaller one.
I am also still mulling over what to do about the
barony of Daelrath. We shall save the heads in case we
wish to collect the bounties."

Several more groups of trolls fell to Thane's party
over the next two days.  The heads of the trolls
accumulated in the rib cages of some of the guard's
horses, but on the third day things turned ugly.

I have spotted a group of ten trolls in a ravine to the
south.  Rames pointed and led the way.

"I mislike the terrain.  Without room to maneuver, our
cavalry could be overwhelmed and there would be no
escape save at the ends of the ravine.  No, I will not
be caught in that trap.  We must lure them out into the
open.  I will send the smallest of the guards.  Guard,
ride within bowshot of those trolls, fire arrows until
they begin to pursue, then come back here." Thane said.

A few minutes later the guard came galloping up.

"Good, let us ride some distance.  We cannot let them
escape into the ravine.  Guard hang back forty yards
but follow."

The group rode off a ways then reformed.  "There now we
shall see what we can do. Form up. Eric go left as
usual, Reaver one, guard one and three you will follow
Eric and attempt to relieve the trolls of their heads
with your halberds.  Karmoz, go right, reaver two,
guards two and four, you will follow Karmoz and attempt
to relieve the trolls of their heads with your
halbards. Flaming skeletons, approach any headless
troll from the rear and wipe the whole of the stump of
his neck with your forearm three times.  The rest of
you are well acquainted with our technique.  If the
battle goes against us we must run.  Our mounts are
faster than the trolls."

The first pass went much as it always did but with more
unintelligible babbling on the parts of the trolls.

Instead of flailing around in the dark, one of the
trolls jumped for the sounds of Pike's horse.  It
crashed into his mount and shattered a hind leg.  The
shear momentum toppled the horse and Pike was left with
a draft horse skeleton pinning his leg to the ground.
The reaver behind him took the head off a troll none
the less as did one of the guards.  It looked like
Karmoz's group scored about the same number of kills.

"Skeletons following Eric, defend him!"

The skeletons followed their orders, one guard was
borne off his horse by a frenzied troll, but a second
troll was beheaded by the second guard.  On the return
pass, Rames' group harvested heads like the scythe of
death; three fell leaving only two trolls.  One troll
managed to tear a guard from its mount after the
skeleton carved its compatriot's head off.

Pike slapped his horse and shook the reigns, "Go!"  As
the horse attempted to rise, the Norseman rolled out
from under it.

Suddenly Rapina heard a croaking from behind her and
there was Kroz looking like he was about to fall off
his horse.

"Enemy caster...Poison spell," Kroz croaked.

"Heads up!  Enemy caster, Kroz is down!" Rapina
hollered.

"You must hit him before he can cast again."  Kroz laid
forward on his horse as if to ride towards Pike and
Rames, but instead he nearly slipped off.

Rapina looked around.  Ten trolls were heading towards
her, and behind them behind the partial cover of a
tree, was an eleventh.  She caught Kroz and pushed him
back over his mount, but the trolls were coming.  She
needed to hit the eleventh troll, she drew an arrow but
realized she could never hit the troll shaman before
the new pack pulled her to pieces and they were almost
on top of her.  She grabbed the nozzle and began to
pump furiously with her legs, turpentine sprayed from
the nozzle, but there was no way she could fire a flame
arrow to light it.  She dipped the tar just behind an
arrow's head into the flame of the lantern affixed to
her horse's neck, then whipped it out under the stream
of turps.

Just when they were within a few feet of rending the
woman and mage limb from limb, a cone of fire erupted
from the woman's hands.   EEEEEIIIIIII!  The trolls
screamed as four of them became living torches.  The
others skirted the flames and ran away towards Pike's
position.  Two doubled back, hoping to get at the mage
from the other side.

Pike roared with pain as he stood up.  Shit!

Rames swung and missed as one of the two remaining
trolls smashed into his horse.  Rames threw himself in
the opposite direction as the horse was falling and
came up standing.  The troll was too close to make it
possible for Rames to get back on his mount, though
thankfully none of the horse's legs were broken.  The
troll that had attacked his mount soon lost its head as
the halberd of a reaver sent it spinning.

Rames blinked as a dazzling ball of light exploded
above the skeletons.  The magical darkness disappeared
and the skeletons steamed.  Had it not been for Thane's
policy of cowling his skeletons in black clothing or
robes, the light would have done even more damage than
it had.   The flaming skeletons that had been dutifully
cauterizing necks paused a moment as they too steamed
as though water had been thrown over them.  Rames saw
four trolls headed straight for him.

"Skeletons, attack these trolls!"

The skeletons rode on their foes, but with the magical
darkness neutralized, the trolls leapt savagely onto
the skeletons, knocking them from their mounts.

Rames swung his halberd at the last of the oncoming
trolls.  It was apparent that this troll had not been
expecting the blast of light and his sensitive vision
had been dazzled even worse than Rames.' The human
warrior's vision in darkness was unaffected by the
burst of light, for it worked on the basis of seeing
gradations of life force like an undead.

Pike drew his battle-axe and found a stout tree to lean
against.

The necromancer held on and rode for cover behind a
huge fir tree.  He could hear Valkura following him and
a flash of light seemed to have come from the location
of Rames and Pike.  When he made it behind cover, the
necromancer's control lapsed and he slipped off his
horse and fell heavily to the ground.

Valkura glanced back, the four trolls she had torched
were blinded and flailing wildly at their flaming
bodies, but two were advancing on her.  She grimaced
and pulled out a glyphed arrow.  She pulled back and
aimed carefully.  The trolls were close but her shot
must be true.  The first arrow sunk through the trolls
eye socket.  For a split second, the troll's eyes
glowed like those of a halloween jack-o-lantern.  Smoke
and steam gushed from its ears, nose and mouth.  Rapina
drew back a second arrow.  The troll began to leap but
not soon enough as the arrow sped into the monster's
open mouth and cooked the base of its brain.

Rapina got behind cover and jumped from her mount.  She
took Kroz's head in her hands and looked into his eyes.
"Kroz, you have to concentrate, use your life drain on
me.  Cast the spell!

Kroz's vision wavered like that of a drunkard but he
seemed to understand and began droning incantations.

Rames could see the skeletal warriors would not last
long under the rending assaults of the trolls, but he
also knew that the skeletons would keep twitching even
after their limbs were severed.  He did not know where
Kroz was, but Pike was wounded and they were
outnumbered.  He jumped onto his mount, kicked it and
commanded it to rise.  "Eric, get up with me, if they
want us, let 'em give chase."

Kroz's first attempt at casting while poisoned did not
go well.  He blinked and started the spell over again
while his apprentice glanced about for the troll
shaman.

Only one troll came near Rames as his horse was making
its escape.

Blood!  Pike roared as his axe sent the troll's head
sailing.  "Come on, mess with me!" he roared as he
jumped up on the horse with Rames.

Rames galloped off with three trolls in hot pursuit.

Rapina gasped as she felt Kroz drain energy right
through her breastplate.  Her reserves were more than
half-exhausted by the single touch, but Kroz began
wavering much less right away.  Rapina saw the life
force of a troll in the distance.   She pushed Kroz
closer to the ground and pointed when they were under
cover once again.

Thane pulled two daggers from his bandoliers.  "Pierce
the troll shaman's eyes," he commanded, peeked up and
then threw the blades.

Rapina waited ten seconds then scrambled onto the back
of her horse.  She rode back towards the site of the
original battle.  The trolls were no longer on fire and
were clawing at their eyes, no doubt they were trying
to clear the burnt parts of their eyes away so that
they could regenerate. She lit another arrow and
smiled.

Rapina made three troll torches before her supply of
turpentine ran out, and then she expended two fire
bombs on the fourth.  She wheeled her horse to and fro
avoiding the screaming trolls while she rode to the
battle site.  There she took a halberd from one of the
downed skeletons.  The flaming skeletons seemed to be
perpetually cauterizing the necks of the many beheaded
trolls.  They were following their last instruction, no
doubt.

Her first attempt at using a halberd on a flaming troll
was a flop.  It took her three hacks before she sent a
head flying.  The second troll's head was off in two.
Unfortunately, as the flames began dieing down, the
trolls became increasingly sensible.  She nearly cut
the head off the third troll before she noticed the
fourth clawing at his eyes.  As she finished the third
head, the fourth troll came after her.  Three more fire
bombs returned it to the status of a living torch.
This time Rapina beheaded it while it was burning
fiercely.

Rames was doing well keeping a bit ahead of the trolls
in spite of trees and other obstacles when he beheld a
wizened troll smashing two bone handled daggers on a
rock littered with the wrecks of numerous similar
blades.

The troll pointed and gibbered at them.  Suddenly their
horse began thrashing as undergrowth beneath the snow
grabbed its hooves.

The abrupt stop unhorsed Rames as Pike slammed into
him.  Suddenly the troll shaman was enveloped in
darkness.  He screeched at Thane and began gibbering
again.  Rames had no time to deal with the shaman.  The
three trolls that had been pursuing him were ready to
do battle.  He swung his halberd but merely nicked the
arm of one of the trolls.

Pike could see one of the trolls crouching to jump.  It
sprang and Pike swung. "Haaa! That's more like it!"
Pike grinned as the troll's headless body fell to the
ground.

The darkness around the Troll Shaman sputtered out.  He
peered into the distance then looked at the battle
nearby and started gibbering utterances and shaking a
skull-headed rattle.  He pointed at Pike and gibbered
and then he pointed at Rames and gibbered some more.

Pike brandished his axe, as a troll lunged for him,
opening a rent in his chainmail.  The Norseman wheeled
the horse and took the creature's shoulder right off.

Rames sidestepped the jump of the incoming troll and
opened its spine with his halberd.

Pike grinned as the troll's other arm joined the first
on the ground.  "Ththth," Pike attempted to speak but
he had begun shaking in time to the rattle.  He shakily
swung his axe. Instead of severing the head as he had
meant to, he cut down into the chest of the troll.

Rames began to Vibrate like a fool; he barely managed
to lift his halberd but another swing proved
impossible.  The shaman's rattle was making him quake.
He saw the wound on the back of the troll he was
fighting begin to close.  The regeneration of the
creatures was maddening.  The other troll opened its
mouth and bit down on Pike's twitching right shoulder.

A roiling dark cloud formed around the shaman's chest
and he weezed as he gibbered and shook the rattle.

Pike dropped his axe.

Rames watched as the troll that he had hit earlier
stood.  The weezing of the shaman seemed to diminish
the power of his spell.  Rames weakly tried to fend the
attacking troll off.  The tip of the halberd bit into
the troll's chest as its clawed hand bashed the side of
Rames' head.  The warrior-priest saw colored lights and
then everything went dark.

Rapina rode through the trees following the sound of
the rattle until she saw the shaman at last.  She broke
a lit fire bomb over his gibbering head as she rode
past him.

Rapina had disrupted the shaman's spell.  Pike could
move again, but the armless troll was trying to sup on
his right shoulder right through his mail.  With his
left hand he drew his hand axe and swung.  The head
still refused to come off as his angle was all wrong.
Groaning he raised the axe for another swing.

Rapina wheeled her horse and sent a flaming bodkin-
tipped arrow through the skull of the troll that was
bending over Rames.  It twitched and stood.  She sent a
second arrow at the troll shaman's head but missed and
hit his thick neck.  When the arrow hit the glyph on it
triggered and the creature burst into flame.  Rapina
wheeled her horse as the troll that had been about to
kill Rames came after her.  Rapina felt her horse
stumble as the troll scratched the bones of its hind
quarters.  It bounded ahead and Rapina began to circle.


She could see Pike hacking at the mangled troll still
on him.  He was bleeding profusely from his shoulder.
Thane was sneaking towards the troll shaman who seemed
to be staggering in circles as its clothing burned.
Rapina glanced behind her, to make sure the pursuing
troll was not too close. She stood in the stirrups and
fired a flaming arrow at the troll shaman's head but
missed and hit a tree next to him.  The troll shaman
was drunkenly patting at his flames.  She started her
horse again as the troll behind her nearly caught up.

Flaming skeletons, come here!  Thane yelled.

Rapina stopped again, took aim and missed. "Damn!  I
better get closer," she said.  She urged her mount
forward just as it lurched.  The pursuing troll had
leapt and its claws had pierced the rear of the horse's
breastplate just behind her.  Now the troll was pulling
itself up onto her mount.  She jumped off the horse and
ran.  The troll followed.

Rapina heard a familar tune in her mind.  It was Arzeal
humming.  The forest was the elven warrrior's friend.
Rapina drew her rapier and main gauche.  The troll
growled towards her and she jumped aside putting a tree
between her and the troll.  The troll lunged but she
jumped aside again and swung her light, swift blade.
The troll screamed as three fingers disappeared from
its hand.

Rapina jumped and danced her rapier through the air.
The trees were her friends.  The troll was big but she
was small and agile, and the trees were always in front
of her pursuer.  As she sprang from tree-shield to
tree-shield her blade spoke, and the troll steadily
lost claws, and then an eye, and still she danced, her
breath coming quicker with the exertion.  The second
eye was a bit more difficult as the troll was growing
shy.  Rapina dodged between two closely placed trees,
the troll lunged.  The stump of its wrist slammed into
Rapina's chest and sent her into a roll.  She came up
and straight-armed her rapier into the troll's good
eye, for the foolish thing was temporarily stuck
between the two trees.

Thane was sorely winded.  He had used all but two of
his singing bone daggers on the blasted troll shaman.
He had used darkness several times, and seeping death.
He was tired.  The shaman was clawing drunkenly at its
eyes as it burned.  Thane smiled chanted the syllables
and pushed the shaman's back in a place it was not
burning, draining its life force into himself.  "Ahh, I
feel stronger."  The creature turned and Thane hopped
backwards.  Thane crouched over Rames and bestowed life
force on him, then darted back towards the shaman to
replace what he had bestowed.  The burning turpentine
had fowled the troll shaman's sense of smell, and fire
had destroyed its vision, but that would not last long.

At last Pike hacked the head off the troll he had been
working on for so long and let it roll to the ground
while he hobbled away from the flailing body.  His
right shoulder was a ruin, and his right leg was likely
broken.  He used his hand axe as a cane and hobbled
towards the burning shaman.

The troll's fingers were slowly growing back, but
Rapina had some time before the troll would again be
fully armed.  The blinded troll bumped into a tree that
Rapina had already started around.  She sheathed her
rapier and  drove her main gauche in between two
vertebrae in the troll's upper back.  Its legs buckled
as its spinal chord was severed.  Since she left the
knife in, the troll could not regenerate its spinal
chord, and since the knife was in the troll's upper
back, he could not reach the knife to pull it out.

Pike leaned on his axe and regarded the necromancer.
He seemed to be dancing and singing and grabbing the
troll here and there.  Actually, he recognized the life
drain spell, but it did not seem to be doing a lot to
the troll shaman, whose eyes would soon be regenerated
enough to make the necromancer's dance much more risky.
Pike swung his axe.  There was a satisfying crunch, but
the thing's head did not quite roll and the Norseman
fell headlong.

Thane had heard the troll's spine break.  He stuck his
hand into the wound and drained.  Instantly the area of
the troll's spine beneath his hand turned gray and
hardened. It's spine severed, the troll soon fell as
its legs were no longer receiving orders from its
brain.  Thane collapsed onto the ground, grabbed Pike's
right leg and gave it a jerk.

"Yiii!" Pike bellowed.

Thane heard a satisfying pop and then bestowed life
force to the area of Pike's leg that had made the
sound.

Pike's mouth opened as the shooting pain from his leg
became a warm tingle and the break became a memory.

Thane had hoped the draining would recharge him for
casting, but it did not seem to be entirely true.  He
took another dose of life force from the twitching body
of the shaman then sat down to rest.  Rames was
stirring however, and that was a good sign.

Thane smiled as the flaming skeletons arrived, "Flame
one and two, lay on the body of the second troll Pike
had killed here, and flame three, cauterize the troll
shaman's neck.

"Aren't you going to cremate the shaman and the other
one?" Rames asked blearily.

"Nay, I must contemplate on a way to extract the
shaman's knowledge.  Let us cut his arms just below the
elbows for now and bind him tight."  Thane took Rames'
cloak and used it to pat the fires out that had started
on the trees surrounding the troll shaman as the result
of the glyphed arrow.  Then he and one of the flaming
skeletons attended to the troll shaman's arms.  By the
time the laid upon troll's body was little more than
ash, Thane was finished and sitting down for a rest
near the shaman's body, its head beside him.  Rapina
walked into sight with a rapier in one hand, and a
troll head in the other.

"You killed a troll with your rapier?"

Rapina nodded as she came back from putting out the
fire one of her arrows had started.  "It chased me, and
I played tree dodgems and sliced its fingers and claws
off.  Then I took its eyes out.  Then I came around
behind it.  I put my main gauche through its spine in
the upper back and left it there. Its spine was severed
so its legs gave out and I just kept hacking until I
got the head off."

"My dear, you have nerves of steel," Thane observed.

"I'd have to living around you and all those undeads,"
Rapina grinned.  "I got a few gashes, and bruises but
I'm okay.  The light armor helped.  Did we find a small
enough troll?"

Thane looked over at Rames who was now sitting upright.
I have an idea how we can cut one down to size and
spare ourselves any further trouble.  We will simply
return the head to the body of that first one Eric
killed in this location, I have had the flaming
skeletons leave it.  We will cut off the legs and arms,
cauterize the wounds, and there we will have a troll of
the perfect size and lack of mobility.  I suppose we
shall have to leave one arm to the elbow for a good
place to draw blood from, but other than that I believe
the solution is poetic.

Rapina picked Pike's hand axe off the ground and swung
it against the troll's limbs with both hands.

Later we can get some metal end caps for its limbs and
I suspect we shall keep it very well,"  Thane grinned
evilly beneath his mask.  "Now I must rouse myself and
bestow healing on Eric's shoulder.  Then we can free
that horse, move to, rest at the main battle site, and
use my mend bone spell on the various lame horses.
Then we must find a camp, for dawn approaches."

As Rapina finished cutting the troll's arms off, Rames
ordered a flaming skeleton to cauterize the stumps and
then hug the arms until they were ash.  He did the same
for the legs, and then Rapina carefully washed off the
troll's neck wounds and pushed the head against the
neck.  It was almost gruesome the way the troll healed
back together.  Its eyes blinked and it tried to move,
but it had no limbs.  They removed the limbs from the
body of the troll shaman as well, for Thane wanted to
restore the shaman in a safer location where he might
be able to think of a way to extract its knowledge.
Rapina and Rames loaded it onto the horse and returned
to the site of the main battle.  In spite of Thane's
fatigue, Rapina noticed he carried the troll shaman's
head.

Once the troll heads, skeletal horses and skeleton
parts were gathered at the site of the initial battle,
Rapina packed up the troll heads as Thane mended the
bones of the skeletal horses.  From there the group
rode to find a secluded camp.

---


It was late afternoon after the big troll battle, and
Rapina was serving food around the skeleton campfire.

I have been thinking about Daelrath.  Avengene is
insinuating his way into this Barony, and he must be
stopped, however I do not believe Lord Daelrath sees
himself as having any viable allies to help him with
the trolls.  Until now, he was right.  After fighting
the trolls, I believe we can develop better weapons
against them.  When you fired the glyphed arrows
directly into the skulls of those trolls, Rapina, your
brilliance showed its true colors.  Moreover, when you
left your main gauche in the spine of the troll you
killed, you demonstrated another very important
principle.  A projectile that cannot be removed
disallows the rejoining of the flesh that was on either
side of it.  If Red Jack would allow me to borrow
Arzeal, I believe we could run some tests.  Towards
that end, I suggest we consecrate a graveyard here in
the midst of troll country.  We shall return to the
abode, lick our wounds and make ready some prototype
arrows.  After they are tested on a few trolls by
Jack's master archer, we may see that Daelrath gets
some of the more effective ones, but first we must
ascertain how much power Avengene wields over Dealrath.


Rapina, I have an optional mission for you.  If you
choose to turn it down, none will think the worst of
you.  It is highly risky because someone in Keep Rath
may recognize you in spite of your blonde hair.
However necromancers are seldom well received anywhere
and someone must attempt to recover you should things
go awry, so I shall not be going.  The fewer we send,
the better in this case.  You are simply the most
congenial servitor I have, and your talents lend
themselves to gaining the confidence of fighting men.
I would suggest you stay away from any of Avengene's
spies if possible, however.

"I'll do it," Rapina said.

Very well, later you will journey back to Keep Rath.  I
have seen native people use a frame of two timbers
dragging off the backs of their horses as sort of a
makeshift wagon.  Can you construct one for Rapina's
horse, Karmoz?

"I sure can, they are useful for hauling the dead or
wounded when there are few horses.  I have used them
before."

Good, this one must be large, as it must hold our
entire collection of troll heads.

---

[Rapina]036 Daelrath


At dusk four days later, Rapina rode towards the gate
of Keep Rath while the others snuck to its graveyard
under cover of magical darkness.  She opened her mage-
light pendant, took a deep breath and walked her horse
forward.  The wheel-less wagon dragged behind her,
opening furrows in the muddy road.

"Ho!  Who goes there, man or spirit!?"

Valkura, servitor of the deceased necromancer, Kroz!

There was a pause.  "State your business!" The
gatekeeper called.

"I wish to reap the baron's bounty on the heads of his
enemies!" Rapina called back.

"Approach the gate," the keeper answered.

Rapina approached the gate.  It was barely wide enough
to admit a single wagon.  It was made of stout timbers
and the heads of many trolls decorated its upper edge.
As she drew closer, she could see it was scarred in
many places as if trolls had scaled it.  The men on the
cat walk pointed lanterns at her and squinted, but they
needn't have.  Rapina's mage light illuminated her much
better than their feeble lanterns.

She could hear the gate guards talking to one another
as soon as she came close enough for them to realize
that her horse was not a living creature.

"Your horse is undead, how do we know you are not here
to slay us all?" The gatekeeper said.

"My master was a necromancer, I have little to say
about his choice of mounts.  He preferred these
skeletal draft horses.  They are large yet need neither
eat nor drink.  I could not slay you nor would I try.
Kroz had no quarrel with you, nor do I. Sir Coshus
allowed my master to take a troll from the mountains
for his laboratory.  I am here to collect some bounty
and to show you that we struck at your enemy as
promised. Kroz understood that even one as despised as
a necromancer could receive some small degree of
tolerance if he were to assist Lord Daelrath against
the trolls.  Kroz has not yet returned from the land of
the dead, but we had planned to come for the bounty
before we left, and I may need the money if he does not
return," Rapina shouted up to the ramparts.

"One moment!" The gatekeeper said.

After a few minutes, the gate opened.   It looked as if
the entire garrison was there to check her and her
skeletal horse out.   Lust tickled her nose as she
dismounted and led her horse into the keep.  The keep
was actually a very small walled town; there were shops
on either side of the narrow streets.  The soldiers led
her to a shop near the actual keep, a large stone
tower-like structure.  A breezeway led from the keep to
a long building just across the street.  The sign on it
read, "Mead Hall of Rath."  Rapina realized that the
town had probably been added on in stages around the
keep.

"I am Sir Mongrail, Valkura.  Sir Coshus is out on
patrol.  We hope he is along shortly to explain."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Sir Mongrail, Rapina
bowed."

"You may bring your sack of heads into the counting
house here and receive the bounty."

Rapina looked into the counting house.  "May a lady
have your assistance, Sir Mongrail?"

Mongrail blinked.  He was unused to courtly manners at
Keep Daelrath, and although he had been obliged to
learn them, it had not been so many years ago that he
was a simple adventurer, and a member of Daelrath's
group of cronies.  "What does the lady wish me to do?"

"My sack is too large for the door.  I wish you to
catch the heads I toss and set them on the counter to
be tallied." Rapina pulled back the tarp from the
makeshift wagon and tossed the first head to Mongrail.

Mongrail caught the head and examined it.  It had been
severed cleanly and the flesh was firm indicating the
woman had not simply tried to get a troll body to
regenerate several new heads.  On occasion a bounty
hunter would attempt to pass off such heads and receive
more than his due, but the knights of Daelrath knew how
to spot a cheater.  The head was a large appendage, and
the troll's body lacked for the substance to make one
as good as the first.  Given time and nourishment, a
weak, spongy head would no doubt firm up, but Mongrail
had never seen a bounty hunter with patience or
resources enough to farm trolls.  It was probably
easier just to kill new ones.

"A valid number one," Mongrail said.

Head after head passed through Sir Mongrail's hands.
The dark lady rose many notches in his estimation. She
went from dangerous vampire, to despicable rogue, to
citizen, to warrior, to martial artist, to hero of the
realm.  Many of the heads were cut cleanly, some had
obviously taken several hacks.  Some were badly burned,
a couple looked to have been cooked from the inside,
and the necks of all had been cauterized by an
exceptionally hot brand.

Rapina fetched the last head from her saddlebags and
walked into the counting house.  She noticed a few of
the heads were still on the countertop.

"Pray tell what happened to these trolls?" Mongrail
asked.

"These I sprayed turpentine on and torched.  Kroz had a
special horse I rode at first. In it was a tank of
turps and a foot pump.  Trolls flail around aimlessly
when torched and it's not too hard to cut their heads
off when thusly occupied, even if a halberd is a little
too heavy for me to wield effectively."

"What of this one?" Mongrail asked.

"That one was done with a magic arrow.  Rapina reached
into her quiver and handed the knight one of her two
remaining glyphed arrows.  I have only two of those
left.  The glyph bursts into flame, normally in a five
foot radius.  In order to accomplish that, I had to
fire the arrow through the troll's eye or mouth.  A
stronger archer using armor-piercing arrows could
probably hit the skull anywhere and get the same
effect.  The glyph must be inside the brain case when
it goes off.  If it is, the troll dies instantly.

"A fine weapon, may I show this to the baron?" Sir
Derek Mongrail asked.

"Surely.  They can be made by some priests, and most
mages," Rapina said.

The knight nodded.

This last one is special.  Rapina set the head on the
counter.  One night we had a very bad battle, and that
was the last to fall.  I was out of turps, and was
trying to save a couple magic arrows in case I
encountered trolls on the way back here.

Mongrail inspected the neck.  "It took you many hacks
to remove this one."

Rapina nodded, "I killed it with my rapier."

The knight's eyebrows raised.   "How old are you,
m'lady?" the knight asked.

"Sixteen and a half," Rapina said.

"Astonishing!  How was it you wound up serving a
necromancer?" Mongrail asked.

"A mutual friend introduced us.  I desperately wanted
to learn magic but had no funds.  Kroz has a horrible
time recruiting living servitors, so we struck up a
deal."

"No funds, but what of your manners?" The knight asked.

"Kroz felt I should learn deportment," Rapina said.

"You learned deportment from a necromancer?" Mongrail
asked.

Rapina smiled and nodded, "Dead or not, he's very well
educated." Rapina smirked.

"How do you stand working with corpses?" the knight
asked.

"It takes some getting used to.  Once you're used to
it, it's not so bad, but it can get lonely," Rapina
said.

"Then this Kroz lives in an isolated location?" Sir
Mongrail asked.

"Very isolated.  Necromancers are not popular men,"
Rapina said.

"How did he get here?" the knight asked.

"He brought us here with magic," Rapina said.

"I see.  Are those all the heads your group took?"
Mongrail asked.

"There was one more, but I left it, since Kroz may want
it as a trophy.  It was the head of the troll shaman
that sent my master on his latest journey to the land
of the dead," Rapina said.

"Well I'll be damned!"  Mongrail grabbed Rapina's hand
and nearly pulled her off her feet.  "Come, we must
tell the baron!  We have been trying to kill that
bastard shaman for years!" Mongrail said.

Rapina was hussled into the keep.

"Baron Daelrath!  Valkura and her master have killed
the troll shaman!"

A tall, dark, battle-hardened, middle-aged man rushed
down a staircase.

"No!? Really?" Baron Daelrath asked.

"Yes, if this young lady is to be believed, the fifty-
fourth troll her party killed was the shaman, but her
people kept his head for he was the one who killed her
master.  Take a look at this one.  She killed it with
her rapier.  Mongrail tossed the head to baron
Daelrath."

"That bastard shaman was responsible for the deaths of
more of my friends than any troll in the realm."
Dealrath looked at Rapina as if stunned. She was the
vision of a Valkyrie; her blonde hair brought out the
mettle in her emerald green eyes, and her shape was
something men only dreamed of.  "How old are you girl?"

"Sixteen and a half," Rapina said.

"Great Virtusar's ghost!  Bruhnhilda come look at
this!" Daelrath said.

A girl Rapina's age wearing a cumbersome long dress
came rushing down the stairs.  Brunhilda stared down in
wonder at the Valkyrie who stood at the foot of the
stair.  Her hair was blonde, and she wore a black
bearskin cloak that was held open by the Valkyrie's
capable hands resting on her hips.  She wore a black
tailored breastplate and black silk clothing.   Around
her neck was a jeweled silver choker and a fine silver
chain that held a rod of crystal that glowed with
strong light, and on her wide black belt she wore
weapons just like a man!

"This is a story for the mead hall!  Gather up the
knights!" Dealrath ordered.

"But daddy!" Bruhnhilda protested.

"Just this once you can come along, Bruhnhilda, but
only until your bedtime.  Tell Bruhny's governess she
is over at Sir Coshus' with me.  I don't want to have
to argue over this for the next three days with that
nag," Dealrath said.

Food and drink were passed among the knights and
fighting men of Daelrath.  The baron had called for a
hero's feast and most of the warriors in town attended.
Rapina told the story of the adventures she had with
Kroz and his servitors, including the battle with the
troll shaman.  She changed the details slightly to have
Kroz struck down by the troll shaman's flailing claws
as he drained the life out of the troll's neck wound.
Thus he paralyzed it permanently as sure as a firebrand
in the same place might have done.

"What happened to the Norseman?" Coshus asked as he
strolled into the mead hall and took a long, deep pull
on a flagon.


Rapina smiled at him.  "I'm really not sure.  Karmoz
paid him.  He might have left, or he might have staid
with Karmoz waiting for his leg to heal and for Kroz to
come back from the land of the dead and give him a lift
South.  Kroz claims to have died several times, so he
should be back," Rapina shrugged.  If not I'll have to
make a fresh start," she grinned and felt the weight
Sir Mongrail had added to her purse shortly after she
had been escorted to the mead hall.

"Fifty three fucking confirmed trolls and the shaman!
We need ourselves a mage!" Sir Coshus blurted.

Rapina smirked at Cosh; he was slightly gassed on mead
already.

The Baron glared at Coshus, "Bruhnhilda, time for bed."

"But daaady!  I'm older than she is!" Bruhnhilda
protested.

"She is not a baron's daughter.  She is an adventurer
who has had to grow up fast. She might as well be
twenty-five. Come on now."

"Goodnight Bruhnhilda, it was nice meeting you." Rapina
waved

"Goodnight Valkura." Bruhnhilda grumbled as her father
escorted her out.

Baron Daelrath returned a few minutes later.  "All
right men, I know you've been holding back, and I
appreciate it, now relax and lets celebrate the death
of the rattler!"

"Rapina, I know you're only sixteen.  Can you tolerate
drunken warriors, and how late are you used to being
up?

Rapina grinned, "Kroz was nocturnal, so I usually
cooked dinner for Karmoz and I just before dawn.  "As
for drunken warriors," she grinned, "I am always glad
to be around other living people, although it's a shame
when a living man is so drunk it is as though he were
dead."

"Don't worry about the lady, Rathy, she's a fireball.
Her dead master even warned us about her.  He said if
ya dally with her, expect to be worthless the next
day."

The warriors raised their cups, "I'll drink ta that!"

Rapina blushed.

"The old corpse said she could tire the lot of us out
if she had a mind to.  If you ask me, she's hotter than
a troll brand.  I know she works for a necromancer, but
she makes every women I've ever slept with seem dead by
comparison.  She's a natural, a real man's woman, a
hero's girl, none of this chaste vindicator bullshit!
She's like a concubine of Virtusar, so wanton and
tireless, it takes a god or a hoard of heroes to
satisfy her!

The warriors all looked at her and cheered.

Rapina smiled brightly as the men bathed her body in
lust.  Rapina fanned her nose,  "I'd say the
temperature just went up a few degrees in here."  She
stood up and reached between her legs.

The warriors gaped.

"Settle down, that's where the strap for my breastplate
is." she grinned as she unbuckled herself and then
craned her neck to the side and began unbuttoning her
armor beneath her left arm.  There, that's much better.
This armor fits nice, but it's still armor.  "Are there
rooms in town I can rent?"

"The Mead Hall has three guest rooms, milady.  The
things you had stowed in the undead steed's chest are
in the room in the back to your left, and you've got
your own door to the outside as well as one that opens
into the hall.  The men didn't trust that undead horse,
so it's parked just outside the gate."

"My thanks for your hospitality, Baron Daelrath; those
arrangements sound just fine.  I'll be right back, I
just want to put my armor in my room." Rapina tossed
her armor into her room next to the pack and saddlebags
from the horse.  As an afterthought she loosened her
belt and hung her rapier and main gauche on the
bedpost, and then walked back into the mead hall.

"Hold up, lady. Me name's Knar Gutsplatter.  I been
wantin' ta ask you about yer blades and now ye left 'em
in your room.

Rapina took Knar's hand and led him to her room.  He
looked over his shoulder grinned and shrugged at the
other men.

Rapina closed the door behind them.  She sat on the bed
and drew her rapier.  "They're made in Montfort."

"Wow, now that's a beautiful blade, the kind a real pro
carries.  I see it's new, but not totally, Knar said
looking at the sheath.  You really know how to
swordfight for real?"

Rapina tossed her cloak on the bed, took the blade and
demonstrated a few standard moves and positions, naming
each one as she did so.  "I've only been at it not
quite a year, but I have a good teacher, and he drills
me everyday for two hours."

"He does?" Knar looked surprised.

Rapina giggled, "Yes."  She sheathed her sword and
showed him her main gauche.

"Nice, matching blade," Gnar said.  "The armor's pretty
too.  Is that breastplate, ah I mean some of the guys
were saying its stuffed with padding."

Rapina picked her breastplate up and showed him it was
just leather with a cloth backing.

"Well I thought maybe ya had the padding on you or
something, like layers."

Rapina smirked and pulled her tunic over her head, "I
do wear a layer of wool underwear."

"Is there padding under that?  You don't uh move
natural," Knar said.

"Oh, I see what you mean.  Rapina pulled her long
undershirt off down to her green silk bustier.  It was
a severe garment, not very sexy, really; it was form
fitting with laces in the back.  She couldn't even put
it on herself.

"Padding in there?" Knar asked.

Rapina giggled, only what nature provided.  She put her
cloak back on but left it open like a cape, then took
her blades and put them back on her belt, and lead Knar
back out into the mead hall.

"Looks like you got half way there, Knar." Bledsoe
grinned.

The warriors laughed.

"Bledsoe Trolltripper, I just wanted to see her blades,
an' this thing she's got on was under her black tunic
and long underwear, an' that's why she doesn't move;
it's not because she's all padding."

"A green silk bustier?  May I?  I have not seen one in
years."

Rapina tossed her cloak onto a chair.

The baron examined her undergarment.  "The stitching is
magnificent, where was this made? Baron Daelrath asked.

"Argos," Rapina said.

Daelrath shook his head.  "That master of yours spares
no expense equipping his servitors.  I have seen only a
few garments like this, and that was during my days as
an adventurer.  Are your swords as fine?"

"Clear."  Rapina drew her blades and handed them to the
baron.

"Montfort forge?  I am not familar with the smith, but
I know of a town called Montfort," Daelrath said.

"It's a new weapons house located in Montfort," Rapina
said.

"Their workmanship is very impressive.  Do you really
know how to use these, a woman of your tender age?"
Daelrath asked.

"Do you fence?" Rapina asked.

"Of course," Baron Daelrath affirmed.

"Then let's spar.  I'm sure you are more experienced,
but I enjoy exposure to the styles of different people.
It helps my defense," Rapina said.

"I have a pair of practice swords; no need to spar with
live steel.  One moment, I will have them fetched."

"Men, move some of these tables back, I'm going to find
out whether or not the lady could really slay a troll."

The warrior's cheered.

Soon a servant arrived with a pair of blunt rapiers and
two masks.

Rapina limbered up and took a mask and sword.

"The trees help a lot for trolls, but I'll show you
what I can do toe to toe," Rapina said.

"Good enough.  You are not the only one who uses the
trees against those beasts, we understand the
technique," Baron Daelrath said.

The two contestants crossed blades.

Rapina could tell that the Baron had a great deal of
experience with blades, but she doubted that he
specialized in the Rapier.  She suspected he used a
heavier blade.  His technique was good; the first few
minutes went buy as her noble sparring partner and she
took each other's measure, strike, parry, parry, lunge,
parry, strike and score, Rapina won the first point.

The men cheered respectfully

In the second round the baron tried much harder, but
Rapina just managed to best him and score a second
point.  Rapina smiled, she was still going strong but
the older warrior was a little winded from the sheer
speed of the exchange.  He had tried to overwhelm her,
but he had failed.  The next round she scored easily.
Finally on the forth round he scored a hit.

The warriors clapped loudly.

"That's it!  You said it yourself, what could a woman
do with a sword?  Wipe the floor with you I think!
Hahahaha!" Cosh hollered drunkenly.

The baron scowled at the half drunken knight but he was
not about to give up the bout in order to discipline
his unruly old friend.

Round followed round, but Rapina was obviously in her
element.  The baron was an experienced warrior, but the
rapier was not his weapon of choice.  She scored four
out of every five hits, until the baron was drenched in
sweat.

"The lady scores again," Daelrath thought to himself.
He was receiving a drubbing and the best he seemed to
be able to do was win about one in five rounds.

"The lady wins, damn it!"  He threw down his sword and
stormed out of the hall.

Rapina grimaced.  After the baron left she sat quietly
and listened to stories of troll hunts, attacks on the
fort, and the glory days of adventuring before Daelrath
decided to build a keep and fight the trolls.  His
dedication had won him a title, but Rapina could not
help but wonder what he had given up to stay and fight
for his besieged chunk of land.

An hour passed, and then another.  After three hours a
servant bent to Rapina's ear.

"The baron would like to talk with you.  Please slip
out when you can."

Rapina bid the men goodnight, then slipped out of her
room and around back of the mead hall.  A single knock
and the servant who had whispered to her opened the
door to the keep.  She was led up the stairs and let
into the baron's chambers.

"I am sorry I... made such a fool of myself," Daelrath
said.

"Rapina looked into the Baron's eyes.  She saw pain
there, not the pain of a single night, but years and
years of pain."

"It's okay, it wasn't me was it?  It was something
deeper," Rapina asked.

The baron nodded, "There was a woman, an adventurer,
headstrong, vivacious, she was magnificent.  You remind
me of her, although she had darker hair; your free
spirit runs with hers.  We were lovers but not for
long.  The baron pointed to the sword and helmet that
rested on his mantle piece, "The troll shaman killed
her.  What you see on the mantle is all I have left to
remember her by." She was the reason I staid here.  Now
I like to think I stay for the sake of the people, but
I could never be certain until you brought me this
news, and granted me the revenge that I prayed to every
god and demon for.  What fell god sent you anyway?"

"Mortaebius," Rapina said.

The baron took a breath,  "The god of the dead?  Are
you a real living woman?"

Rapina nodded.  "I am the servitor of a necromancer
with plenty of flaws and skeletons in my closet.  The
troll shaman attacked us; otherwise we would never have
known there were troll spell-casters.  It was purely
coincidence, or providence if you like," Rapina
shrugged.

"Then why are you here?" Baron Daelrath asked.

"I am a spy, of course," Rapina said.

The baron laughed.  "Of course, but for whom?"

"Mortaebius," Rapina said.

"But why?" Baron Daelrath asked.

"He wishes to know if you intend on helping Avengene
burn his temples in the south of your territory, and if
you intend on turning your daughter into a nag as
unnatural and guilt-ridden as her governess," Rapina
said.

Daelrath scowled, then looked at the helmet on the
mantelpiece, "Mortaebius?  Is the church of the god of
the dead full of necromancers?"

Rapina giggled, "oh sure." She turned to look at the
woman's helmet as well.  "Actually most of them would
scream and run if they could see what Kroz can do.
Most are simply high quality morticians with some
catchy prayers; a few others can cast some useful
spells and consecrations.  Very few could make the dead
rise, and those who could probably don't know it is
possible.  Kroz's art is not accepted within the church
but there are plenty of rumors of its existence.
Morticians are not soldiers, and they are helpless
against the depredations of certain gods whose
'honest', 'natural' and 'forthright' servitors dress as
bandits to burn and sack and desecrate the house of the
dead without so much as a pang of the guilt they seem
to be constantly serving up to others," Rapina said.

Rapina felt the laces of her bustier being undone.
When she heard the laces drop to the floor she turned.

The baron looked at her face and then his eyes dropped
to her mouth, his expression was a combination of lust
and trepidation.

Rapina opened her mouth. She took the baron's arm and
bit on it softly, over and over.  "Oh please, do you
think I'm a vampire?"  She said looking up.  She bit
some more, and then she bit his neck and his cheek,
soon he started laughing uncontrollably.

"I did," Baron Daelrath admitted.

Rapina rolled her eyes, "I get that all the time.  I do
not suck blood.  I suck other things.  I'm just on loan
to Mortaebius from the goddess of lust."

"Oh you are, are you?" Daelrath asked.

"I think so, but neither of them consulted with me.  I
guess it's on a need to know basis," Rapina said.

The baron pulled Rapina's bustier forward off her chest
and set it aside.   Her nipples rose in unison.
Daelrath inhaled deeply as he saw her breasts.  He
lifted her off her feet and carried her to his
bedchamber, kissing her nipples as he went.  He set her
on the bed and began to undo her belt.

Rapina breathed heavily, she quickly undid the baron's
belt and deftly buttoned down his breeches.

"You've done this before, haven't you, milady?"

Rapina grinned lustfully, "Once or twice."  Rapina
stood and wriggled out of her pants and long underwear.

The baron bent and pulled her silk panties down.  He
felt her belly and then reached around and squeezed her
full rump.  His breath caressed her nether lips, and
then his tongue licked them.  "You are so wet."  The
baron stood, took hold of Rapina's butt, and lifted her
wetness onto his erection.  He laid her on the bed and
pumped rhythmically, gasping as clutching waves
caressed up his shaft finishing when the base of his
cock kissed her vulva and then starting all over again
with each and every thrust.  Daelrath knew he would
never hold up to this, he was going to come; he was
going to come hard.  He withdrew and kissed his way
down her body.  He grasped her butt squeezing and
massaging as he began to eat her.

Rapina moaned and spread her long legs wide.  He teased
her with his tongue and played in her well with
slippery fingers until she was practically screaming,
and then with his fingers still playing he entered her
once again with a powerful thrust.  Rapina squealed in
ecstasy as orgasm blasted through her brain.  As she
began to come down from her peak, she touched his mind
with lusty affection.  He continued thrusting and
thrusting as Rapina's inner muscles pulled at his seed.

Baron Daelrath's moan stuck in his throat as his eyes
opened and he poured his seed into the goddess beneath
him.

"You don't know how long it has been since I've done
that," Daelrath panted.

Rapina smiled.  "Was there anyone after the
adventurer?" Rapina asked.

Daelrath rolled under Rapina without pulling out.  She
sat atop his softening erection and smiled down at
him."

"My wife, of course.  It was not the same though.  The
fire was not there.  She was a good woman, an
impoverished noblewoman.  I was a baron by then, but
only by title and not by blood, so the pedigree of my
children became important.  She was not suited for life
in a battle zone.  She made trips south, and about two
years ago the... trolls got her.

"You sound unsure," Rapina said.

"It was probably nothing, but I have been a troll
hunter many years.  There were some tracks I was unsure
of." Baron Daelrath said.

"Then it could have been a political killing?" Rapina
asked.

"It is possible, one made to look like a troll attack,"
Daelrath said.

"Did a woman from Avengene come courting shortly
after?" Rapina asked.

"Avengene came to the funeral with three of his
granddaughters.  One staid for a time, but I could not
stomach it.  Something just didn't feel right,"
Daelrath said.

"Then it probably wasn't.  From what I can tell, the
Avengenes are lions in sheep's clothing who hide behind
a just and pious god who nevertheless lacks the common
decency to leave the churches of other deities alone."
Rapina clutched the baron's half-softened erection
inside her.  She smiled down at him as he reached up to
play with her breasts."

"You are such a sexy young woman," the Baron said.

Rapina giggled, her breasts bobbing slightly.  "Men do
seem to appreciate my body, and I certainly appreciate
men.  My master always warns them, 'Don't fall in love
with Valkura; the best you can hope for is to be her
friend.'"

"Why is that?  Because you're a spy for Mortaebius?"

Rapina smiled, "No, it's because I can't resist a good
man.  If you want a faithful woman, you'd better look
elsewhere.  Sometimes when I get started, I just can't
stop, and it doesn't matter how many men I go through,
I just want more.  It would break the heart of a man
who wanted me for himself," Rapina sighed; "but I am
the way I am."

"A real fireball." Daelrath grinned.

"Hey, that's what Cosh said."

"Sir Coshus is a spy for me." Daelrath said.

Rapina giggled. "He is quite thorough in his reports."

"Only because you are so unusual.  Necromancers are a
rarity.  Cosh may not have let his bravado slip, but he
saw the armed skeletons, the dead horses and the four
mysteriously smoldering fire pits and he became nervous
as he should have.  He also spent a great deal of time
watching you wash yourself.  You had been sleeping with
the Norseman," Daelrath said.

Rapina smiled and looked at the ceiling, "Eric is so
big."

"I hope that is not all you see in a man, the size of
his cock?" Baron Daelrath asked.

Rapina looked at the baron's hands playing with her
breasts and smirked,  "Actually, Rapina clutched the
baron's softened erection, size can be impressive, but
any man is snug when I squeeze him."

"Yes, I could not help but noticing.  Coshus was not
lying about your interior," Baron Daelrath observed.

"Didn't he leave anything to the imagination?" Rapina
smiled lustfully as she felt the baron's erection
growing inside her.  She moved her hips slightly
forward and back, adding fuel to his fire.

"No, he was quite fascinated by your brief encounter,
and I'm sure he will be knocking at your door again.
Quite sure," The baron panted.

Soon Rapina was going full stroke moaning as she rode
him.

---


It was well after midnight when Rapina let herself out
of the baron's chambers.  She had not pulled an
appreciable amount of energy from the nobleman.  He had
simply fallen asleep after his third orgasm.  She had
taken her clothes and dressed in the sitting room.
There she loosely re-laced her bustier and put it on
like a pullover shirt.  Then she opened the door.  A
guard there looked at Rapina inquiringly as she came
out.

"Where did you come from, miss?" the guard asked.

Rapina looked confused, "The baron's chambers.  Does
that door go somewhere else too?"

The guard cleared his throat, "Ah, no. That'd be the
only place that door leads.  What were you doing in
there?"

"I was, um, the baron was entertaining me," Rapina
said.

"Or was it you who were entertaining the baron?" the
guard asked.

"Um, yes, could be.  Do you want to check on him or
something to make sure he's just tired from
entertaining?  I am used to sleeping during the day.
Otherwise I'd stay with him," Rapina said.

"Oh, okay, c'mon in the sitting room.  I'll take a
peek.  The guard went in and bent over the baron, then
came back out.  He seems okay.  He's breathin' good
anyway.  C'mon I'll get you back to the mead hall.
There might be a few drunkards still up.  Most of the
men take their day off tomorrow," the guard said.

As she entered the mead hall, she saw that there were
still six men remaining.  Rapina recognized Sir Coshus
and two of his men sitting around watching three other
men play knucklebones.

"Welll ha-hellow therrre Valllkura," Coshus slurred.

"Good eve, Sir Coshus.  It sounds like you've been
drinking," Rapina said.

"Dammmn right.  Ids my day offf tomorrrow.  The knight
seemed to waver even though sitting.  Hey, I waadded up
fer ya, wanna goo,"  Coshus pointed towards Rapina's
room.

Rapina sat in the knight's lap.  He clumsily cupped one
of her breasts through her bustier with one hand hand.
He held a mug of mead in his other hand.

"Who's winning?" Rapina asked the other men

"Balard is cleaning up right now, but I was ahead
earlier," Sir Markus Stallart said.

"Hey, wanna goo in da uddeerrooom?"  Coshus
ineffectually nibbled at Rapina's earlobe.

"Why?" Rapina asked.

"Ta Fuck!" Coshus said.

Rapina wrinkled her nose as the other men looked.
Rapina turned her head and spoke to the drunken knight
in a low voice, "Coshus, how long have I been sitting
in your lap moving my rump back and forth to get
comfortable?"

Coshus blinked, "A few minuds, why?"

"Cosh!" Rapina whispered, "You've already been fucked
tonight.  Her name was Almeada, and she must have rode
you hard because nothing's happening down there."

"Ohh Shhhit," Coshus said.

Stallart and the other men laughed.  They had obviously
been listening.  "What's the matter, Almeada put the
kibosh on the Cosh?"

Balard refilled Cosh's cup, "If you got no signs of
life with Valkura movin' her ass in your lap, Cosh,
you're as good as passed out now.  Here, finish the
job."

"Oooooo," Coshus moaned.  "Ids dead."

Rapina giggled, "Sorry Cosh, I may be a fireball, but
I'm not a miracle-worker."

Stallart chuckled, "can't you cast a rez-erection spell
on the poor drunken knight?

"He's beyond my help.  Only Mortaebius can help him
now," Rapina said.

"Hahaha, Mortaebius, god of the dead!  I think you need
Valkura's boss to come back and cast animate bone on
you!" Stallart laughed.

Everyone at the table laughed.

"Common over here, lass, sit on a real man's lap.
Leave that pickled pickle out to dry," Stallart said.

Rapina got up, smiled seductively and snuggled her rump
into the knight's lap.

Oooo, I'mmm useless.  I gonnna go ta bed.  Ssee you
tomorrow, Cushus half bowed, half staggered before the
men, and then tippled his way out of the room.

Two other men said their good-byes shortly after the
drunken knight left.  They too were too deep in their
cups to be able to stay awake much longer.

"Hey Stall-heart, for the next throw, I'll wager a
silver against havin' th' wench in my lap," Balard
said.

"You're on, Ball-hard," Stallart said.

"I'm in," Melden said.

"Only one problem with that," Rapina said.

"What?" Balard asked.

"I own my rump, not Stallart.  If you want me in your
lap you'll not get me by betting him," Rapina said.

"Oh." Balard looked crestfallen.  "Hold on."  He dug in
his pocket and came out with a small smooth white
stone.  I'll tell ya what.  Lets say the holder of this
here stone holds the rights of you sitting in his lap
fer a quarter hour."  He handed the stone to Rapina.

"Okay," Rapina said.

"Now I'll bet you a silver against the stone for the
next toss," Balard said.

"I'm in," Stallart said tossing a coin next to
Balard's.

"I'll see that silver," Melden said.

"Oh all right," Rapina smiled and placed the stone down
next to the coins, then she picked up the dice and
rolled a five and a one for a total of six.

Everyone else rolled but Melden beat the pack with a
ten.

Rapina grinned and sat down in Melden's lap.  His lust
tingled pleasantly up her spine, as she got
comfortable.  She could feel his erection growing
beneath her and could not help tugging on his lust each
time she moved her rump to get more comfortable.

She switched laps several times in the midst of furious
betting, and raging hard-ons.

"Could we bet for a token that would get us into your
bed?" Stallart asked.

"No, that wouldn't be right.  I'm a warrior, not a
harlot," Rapina said.

The men looked crestfallen.

"...But I am going to my room, so when I'm gone there
is nothing preventing you from dicing with each other
to see who's gets to come to my door first, and who has
to wait till he leaves."

The three men's mouths dropped open and then blossomed
with smiles.

---

Rapina opened her eyes.  She could see daylight
streaming in through both of the high, narrow windows
of her room.  There was a light knock on the door to
the outside.  "Who is it?" Rapina called.

"It's Bruhnhilda."

Rapina grabbed her bearskin cloak from the chair, put
it around her, then padded to the door, and unbolted
it.

Bruhnhilda stepped in and the Valkyrie she had met last
night closed and re-bolted the door behind her.

Rapina went back to the bed, swung her legs up and sat
with her back against the headboard,  "Hi, Bruhnhilda,
I thought you would be Cosh or someone, Rapina blinked.
Aren't they keeping you away from me?"

"Well not exactly, but they would if they knew.  My
governess makes me go to the vindicator's service.  It
starts early, but if I can't get out of it, there is
Sunday school after.  The service to Virtusar starts
later so the hung-over knights can get to it.  Daddy
sometimes goes to both services, but today he got up
late and only went to hear the chaplain of Virtusar
speak.  I told reverend Vindictine that I had homework
to finish to get out of Sunday school, but my governess
thinks I am in Sunday school.

Rapina grinned, "The shell game.  Pull the chair up if
you want."

Bruhnhilda smiled and pulled the chair from under a
small table in the corner of the room and brought it
near the bed.  She sniffed the air, "What's that
smell?"

"What smell?" Rapina asked.

"It's hard to describe," Bruhnhilda said.

Rapina stretched a long bare leg out of the bed and
picked a crumpled handkerchief off the floor with her
toes. "Is that it?"

Bruhnhilda took the handkerchief and practically jumped
when she put it near her nose, "Yes, that's the smell."

Rapina giggled, "That's the smell of men."

Bruhnhilda un-crumpled the handkerchief and looked at
the white slime inside it, "This is men?  What were you
doing?"

Something very fun and natural that your governess has
been working very hard to make seem bad and unnatural
to you from the day you were born.  Someone already
worked very hard on her and the priest when they were
kids, and now they honestly believe it, hook, line and
sinker," Rapina said.

"What is it?" Bruhnhilda asked.

"Sex, of course.  It's what men and women do for fun,"
Rapina said.

"Is it hard?" Bruhnhilda asked.

Rapina giggled, "No but it's like anything.  You don't
enjoy it as much until you get the hang of it."

"But doesn't it make you pregnant?" Bruhnhilda asked.

Rapina got up from the bed; her cloak hung open as she
dug around in her pack.  She tossed a small sealed
paper bag to Bruhnhilda, "Only if you're stupid and
ignorant, but that's how they like their women, dumb
and helpless.  They can't swing a blade, they can't
hold a job of any importance, and all they can take
pride in is having child after child to swell the ranks
of the church. Either that or they can work for the
church to create more people just like them through
instruction."

Bruhnhilda looked confused, and a little angry, but not
at Rapina.

"I'm sorry, I really shouldn't be telling you any of
this.  If you even mention one thing I just told you,
they'll lecture you until they're red in the face and
then cook up all kinds of merciless little punishments
to make you wish you had never gotten out of line.
Does that sound familar?"

Bruhnhilda looked crestfallen, "Yes, it does.  I know
just what you mean."

"According to the vindicator's church, girls mustn't
think.  There's no sense arguing with them anyway.  You
know exactly what they'll do and say already."

"I know, It's terrible."  Bruhnhilda held up the
packet, "what is this stuff?"

Rapina went back to her pack and got another packet,
this one had already been opened.  She took a half-
generous pinch of the herb it contained and dropped it
in her mouth.  Everyday when I get up, I take that
much.   You can't count on it for the first two or
three weeks, but once you have taken it that long and
you don't miss more than a day, you can count on it.
You won't get pregnant no matter how much fun you
have."

Bruhnhilda put the sealed packet in her belt purse and
then dipped her fingers into the packet Rapina held and
took a good pinch.  Is that right?"

Rapina nodded.  "Nothing to it really.  It's a common
herb.  If you know the taste and smell, you can harvest
it yourself if you can find where it grows.  Some
apothecaries stock it too."

Bruhnhilda smelled the herb then dropped it into her
mouth and chewed it.  "It tastes funny."

Rapina giggled, "Well it's not supposed to be food,
it's an herb."

"You're naked," Bruhnhilda said.

Rapina looked down at the fullness of her breasts.  She
shrugged. "I don't have anything you haven't seen
before."  Rapina opened her cloak wider and looked at
herself,  "All women come with the same basic
equipment; there are just variations of shape."  Rapina
felt a slight tickle of lust on her nose.  It wasn't
strong, but it was noticeable, something like she might
expect from Brackston or Slice whose reactions to
handsome men were much more palpable.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Not really," Bruhnhilda said.

"Do any of the men look at you like, you know, like
they're interested?" Rapina asked.

"Sometimes, but the one who looks the most I can't
stand," Bruhnhilda said.

"Oh you mean the reverend?" Rapina asked.

"Yes, he's so disgusting," Bruhnhilda said.

"Lots of vindicator people have their lust all twisted
in knots; It's not clean like a real man's." Rapina
said. "I've noticed almost the same thing from other
men who, for one reason or another, have never gotten
enough attention or feel bad about themselves or their
bodies.   If you have anything sexy to wear, or if you
can just move right, most men will take notice, and you
can usually get the gist of their lust."

"Reverend Vindictine's is so disgusting it's easy to
sense.  Sometimes he touches me and I nearly gag,"
Bruhnhilda said.

Rapina smirked, "If he is really icky you could give
him enough rope to hang himself with, but it might be
dangerous.  It's certainly not the ideal first
encounter with a man. I'm so glad I had some nice
boyfriends before I met my first case of twisted lust."

Bruhnhilda giggled, "Reverend twisted lust, that's who
he is.  How do you mean hang himself?" Bruhnhilda
asked.

"It's a little tricky because you can't be wanton or
ask him or even be too much the perfect vindicator
girl, but if he's pushy, you just get into a situation
where he knows you're going to be alone with no one
nearby to see him, and maybe you swallow some of his
excuses if he bothers to make any, but if he forces
you, and you have someone you trust standing by to get
someone who is big, tough and mean who's word is his
bond...  Well if reverend Yuck gets caught forcing the
baron's daughter he will get thrown out of this keep so
fast it will make his head spin.  Not to mention what
your father might do to him on the way out.  It's a
poor excuse for having power, but it could work,"
Rapina said.

Bruhnhilda sighed, "Being a commoner would be so much
simpler, and I would have more freedom."

Rapina shrugged, her breasts bounced resiliently.  Yes,
I could just beat him up if he tried anything, but your
situation is a little more complex.  Someone would have
to catch him doing the deed while you pleaded for him
to stop.  Then he would be cooked, and his lechery
would come to a quick finish.  "Being a commoner can
get quickly difficult too though, especially if you're
a little too pretty."

"You must have to pry the men off you." Bruhnhilda
giggled.

Rapina grinned, "It's the really icky ones, no, the
really icky ones with lots of power.  Those are the
biggest horrors of my life.  I don't have a problem
with the nice ones; spreading for them is so much fun."

"How do you do it?" Bruhnhilda asked.

Rapina grimaced, "You really don't know?"

Bruhnhilda shook her head.

"Haven't you played with yourself?" Rapina asked.

"A little, but they said it was bad," Bruhnhilda said.

"Gods I hate what they do to girls!  You probably don't
have a live muscle in your tunnel either.  It's like
your legs would be if you had not been allowed to walk
for the first seventeen years of your life," Rapina
sighed.  "They'd probably cut my head off for showing
you.  Have you ever even seen a man naked?"

"Once, but not for very long.  I walked into a privy I
thought would be empty," Bruhnhilda said.

"Have you even seen a stallion?" Rapina asked.

Bruhnhilda nodded.

Men are a lot like stallions only their pipe has no
sheath like a stallion's. It just hangs. Women are sort
of like mares too, only mares get interested once a
month, and a natural woman can be interested just about
all the time.  Men get hard when they are excited and
it goes up.  Rapina made a fist by her crotch then
slowly extended her index finger.

Bruhnhilda giggled and did the same.

Rapina smiled and took Bruhnhilda's finger and pulled
her towards the bed.  "I'll show you kind of how it
works if you want.  You can pretend to be the man for
the moment."

Bruhnhilda came over to the bed with Rapina, who laid
down and pulled her on top.

I'll hold your left shoulder up so you can be a man
with your left finger.  Hold your left hand down where
your crotch is. And hold yourself up with your right
arm.  Rapina held Bruhnhilda's left shoulder up. While
the other woman kept her right arm straight and braced
on the bed beside Rapina.  With her left hand, Rapina
guided Bruhnhilda's finger to her entrance.  "Okay,
that's about right, now if you were a man you would
just thrust your hips forward.  Of course you would be
naked too, but this'll do for a demonstration.

Bruhnhilda thrust her hips forward and her finger went
right into Rapina.  She was warm and wet inside.

"Okay now thrust your hips back then forward and back
and forward with some kind of rhythm.  Not too fast.
If you're not a dead woman like your governess probably
is, you might thrust your hips in counterpoint to the
man, like so and you would squeeze him with your
interior muscles if you have got any strength in them
after what they've done to you," Rapina said.

"Oh goodness," Bruhnhilda said as a wave of muscular
pressure squeezed up the length of her finger.

"Do that for a while and the man will squirt white
slimy seed up inside you just like is on the the
handkerchief, and when he shoots, it feels so good he
can hardly believe it.  Women build up to the same kind
of release, but we don't shoot anything, at least not
so obviously.  It still feels really great.  Most men
have to rest after they shoot.  A well-practiced woman
can come to a peak and then build right back up for
another, so if you're good at it and you have a good
partner, you can have more fun even then your man
does."  Rapina grinned.

If he shoots it up inside, how did it get on the
handkerchief? Bruhnhilda asked.

"just lay down beside me if your arm's getting tired,"
Rapina said.

"Bruhnhilda laid down on the bed beside her semi-naked
new friend, "But why is it on the handkerchief?"

Rapina giggled, "It's a thick liquid, so it will slowly
run out of you, especially if you've got a lot in you
and you stand up.  A little always stays in, plenty
enough to get you pregnant if you are stupid and have
not been taking the herb.  If you have the herb but
haven't been taking it, take five doses the day after
you have a man.  It will make you a little sick, but
you won't get pregnant.  I'm what Sir Coshus refers to
as, 'a real fireball,' which means I like sex a lot,
and I have a big appetite for it."

"How many men did you have in here?" Bruhnhilda asked.

"Three, but one at a time.  It's less confusing that
way.  Most women are content with one man.  I'm a very
greedy girl, more so than most other natural women, and
far more so than a woman who's lust is all tied in
knots like your governess'."

"My governess said she was sure you were not a natural
woman, but some sort of an undead, a ghoul or a
vampire," Bruhnhilda said.

Rapina groaned,  "I get that all the time from working
for Kroz.  He's an unsavory character; I will freely
admit that, and I'm not exactly unstained myself, but
I'm trying to make something out of myself, and free
magic apprenticeships are just about impossible to get.
Rapina got up and put some socks on, then pulled her
boots on but did not tie the laces.  Time to show you
I'm not undead, not that you shouldn't have figured
that out with where you had your finger.  Undeads are
cold corpses."

"Peek out the door."  Rapina stepped out the door; the
noonday sun was bright on the small stoop outside.
Rapina turned and faced the door then opened up her
cloak.  The sun beat down on her naked skin.  She stood
there for quite a while then came back in and re-bolted
the door.  There, I'm not a vampire, or I would just
have been cooked.  I could get a suntan if I staid out
long enough, but Kroz is nocturnal so in winter I get
little sun.  We all go to bed around dawn and get up in
the late afternoon.

Bruhnhilda smiled, "I didn't think you were one, but
its good to know.  I thought maybe you would suck my
blood."

"Rapina giggled, "I'll suck your clit if you like, but
not your blood."

"My what?" Bruhnhilda asked.

Rapina rolled her eyes.  You honestly don't know?

Bruhnhilda slowly shook her head.

"Okay, I'll show you, it's the main female pleasure
center."  Rapina sat on the bed with her legs spread
and showed Bruhnhilda the nub she was referring to, and
several ways to play with it.  "Just don't bother
trying it when there's any chance of the guilt patrol
showing up.  You know you'll never hear the end of it.
It's probably better if you figure out how it works
yourself, anyway.  They'd crack my skull if they knew I
tongued you to a climax.  The only reason I even
offered is because you probably have never even had a
climax, and that is really sad," Rapina said.

Bruhnhilda shook her head.

"Unless you can get rid of those vindicator types, it's
best just to act like they want you to act, but like an
actor in a theatre company playing a part,"  Rapina
grinned as she put on some panties and a chemise.  "The
funny thing is that if you really overdo it, some of
them won't even notice," Rapina giggled.  "I might as
well do my exercises while we talk."  Rapina began to
do stretches.

"You exercise like the men?" Bruhnhilda asked.

"All good warriors exercise.  It makes you strong, and
it gives you confidence and stamina," Rapina said.

Bruhnhilda gaped as she saw Rapina doing pushups on the
floor and then pull-ups to the lintel above the door.
She could not do one pull-up, and could only do a
pushup with her knees on the floor.  Rapina made them
all look so easy.  After she did a bunch of exercises,
Bruhnhilda held out her sheaths and Rapina drew her
weapons and did some moves with Bruhnhilda out of the
way on the bed.

Footsteps sounded outside then there was a heavy knock
at the door.

Rapina motioned Bruhnhilda to open the door, and then
went into a handstand on her knuckles, blades in hand.

Bruhnhilda, kicked the slimy handkerchief under the bed
and then opened the door wide standing near the open
edge of it so that the person on the other side would
get an unobstructed view of Rapina, standing on her
hands with her chemise riding up nearly to her navel .

Rapina lowered her head to the floor and then pushed
slowly back up to a handstand.

For a moment the baron was too surprised to say
anything.  He grimaced as he saw Rapina doing a push-up
to a handstand.  He obviously knew how difficult that
was.

Rapina felt a surge of lust when the baron first looked
through the doorway, but he was obviously surprised as
well.  "Hi Baron, Rapina said almost casually in spite
of the exertion of her exercise.

The baron looked at Rapina, and then at Bruhnhilda.
"Bruhnhilda?"

Rapina lowered the top of her head to the floor slowly,
"She came by to say hello on her way back from church
and we got to talking.  It was really very sweet of
her."

"Daddy, I am the daughter of a war lord and I can't do
one pull-up or even one push-up.  I feel like such a
waif."

"Nonsense, you are a noble lady," Daelrath said.

"I am an ignorant girl who knows how to read poetry,
and prayers to the vindicator, and dress in courtly
clothes and act with manners.  I live in an oft
embattled keep in the middle of troll country with my
warlord father and I cannot even lift a sword.  Please
don't start in on Valkura because she's just been
exercising and listening to my woes, not telling me
what my woes are," Bruhnhilda said.

"I have felt so worthless for so long, and now I meet a
girl my age and she is some of the things I should be.
Strong, self assured, able to defend herself at least
long enough for assistance to arrive.  Daddy I am a
dead piece of skin.  I can't even step one foot outside
this keep.  I cannot do a single pushup, I cannot shoot
a bow, I do not know how to use a spear from the wall,
or dump boiling oil from the cauldrons, or fire a
ballistae.  I cannot ride a horse nor can I cannot
drive a wagon.  If I traveled south and trolls attacked
me, I couldn't even ride away.  I am a helpless,
worthless sitting duck!  My mother is dead.  I am your
daughter, why can't I be a Daelrath!?"

For a brief, shining moment the baron hesitated.  It
appeared almost as though some of his daughter's
outburst had struck a chord.  "Enough of this
insolence!  Go to your room, child!" The baron ordered.

Bruhnhilda looked at Rapina.

"It was so nice of you to stop in, farewell
Bruhnhilda," Rapina dipped and pushed up a bit as if to
curtsy upside down.

Bruhnhilda curtseyed and ran off.

Daelrath looked a little dangerous as he closed the
door.  "Just what do you think you are you doing
practicing with live steel in the presence of my
daughter?"

"She was perfectly safe sitting over on the bed.  The
poor girl just wanted to talk to someone her own age."
Rapina could almost hear Daelrath's anger battling with
his lust for supremacy.  She started doing a leg
exercise that was basically the splits upside down.
Her legs and body became a "T" and then she
straightened her legs again and repeated.

"Damn it you're distracting," the baron snapped.

Rapina smiled and gave the baron's lust a subtle tug.

"What's this I hear about you and a few of the men late
last night," Daelrath asked.

"Hmm?  Did I forget to tell you I was insatiable?"
Rapina asked.

"Well, you did mention it but..." Daelrath said.

"You are a very fine lover, baron, but for me it was in
the middle of the day when we made love, and you know
what Sir Coshus said last night was true. I am the way
I am.  If it helps you to think of me as a cheap tavern
wench then go right ahead, but I'm really very much
like your warriors of Virtusar in matters of affection,
I just happen also to be female.  I love men and I get
what I can get when I can get it," Rapina said matter-
of-factly.

The baron nodded.

"Unfortunately, I normally live with a bunch of walking
corpses." Rapina wrinkled her nose.

"Clear," Rapina fliped up onto her feet with her
blades tucked.  Her nipples traced ephemeral designs in
the fabric of her chemise as they bobbed.  Rapina
sheathed her weapons and stood before the baron.

"I am still not sure what to make of you, other than
that you are gifted between the sheets, and a real
fireball.  I suppose if you were here to charm me you
would not have bedded those three last night,
especially since one was a knight, and sure to report
directly to me," Baron Daelrath observed.

"Charm is overrated.  I am here to find out what is
going on, and to see if there might something we can do
for each other," Rapina said.

"Well there is one thing you can do for me," Daelrath
grinned.

Rapina smiled, it was obvious that this time lust had
prevailed over anger.  Daelrath lifted her chemise off
over her head and tossed it on the floor.  Her panties
found the floor at his hands only a split second later.

Daelrath shook his head, "Your body is positively
unreal.  He touched his palm to her vulva and came away
with a spot of moisture, and you're willing and able to
settle any man's desires."

"Well, not any man's," Rapina said.

"Then how do you decide who is left out in the cold?"
Daelrath asked.

"I take exception to men who maliciously try to torture
and rape me, and to men whose lust is so twisted and
tinged with guilt and insanity that it is dangerous or
revolting.  Plus I don't always have time," Rapina
said.

"Have you got time now?" Daelrath asked.

Rapina nodded lustily as she made quick work of the
baron's belt and his trouser buttons.  Soon she was
wetly moaning over his throbbing erection.

When they were finished, Rapina took some fresh clothes
from her pack and began to walk to the keep with the
baron who had promised to have a bath drawn for her
there.

As they headed down the street, a man dressed in the
black robes of a priest turned a corner in front of
them.

"Good day, Baron Daelrath," the reverend said.

"Good day reverend Vindictine.  This is our visiting
hero, Valkura," Daelrath said.

The reverend looked up at the sun and then back at
Rapina,  "Good day Valkura," the reverend said.

Rapina rolled her eyes, "Good day, Reverend
Vindictine."  She looked up at the sun for nearly half
a minute and then looked back at the Reverend.

Daelrath chuckled.  She lacks the light sensitivity of
a vampire or the scent of a ghoul, and in any case her
body temperature is quite normal.  Daelrath grinned
salily.

Vindictine nearly scowled but caught himself.  "It is
well you are not undead then, Valkura. Such creatures
are beyond hope."

Rapina nodded.

"Carry on, reverend.  I shall see you later," Daelrath
said.

"Goodbye reverend," Rapina curtseyed slightly.

"Sometimes I wonder why that man bothers to stay here.
He can only count on the governess and a few others to
come to his services.  The men are constantly joking
about his lack of masculinity, and yet they expect him
to heal their hurts, a task which he is easily
exhausted at," Daelrath observed.

"As long as he can remake Bruhnhilda in his image, he
has mission," Rapina said.

Daelrath scowled.  "It is easy to see there is no love
lost between the servants of Mortaebius and those of
the vindicator."

"None at all," Rapina grinned.

Rapina's bath was long and luxurious, and when she got
out of the tub, she found her blades and mage light
missing.  She dressed and stepped into the next room.
Six armed knights with swords bared awaited her.  With
them were the baron and the Reverend.  The baron held
her mage light with the clear crystal bared.

"Valkura, we must examine your hair," Baron Daelrath
said.

"Ah, you see, the roots are black, and look at the
likeness of the face," Reverend Vindictine observed.

The baron compared a poster held up by the reverend to
Rapina's face and sighed.  "Yes, and the description of
her body fits her as well.  Valkura, or Brianna, as the
case may be, you are under a rest for the murder of
Reverend Evangeline Avengene.  You will be held in my
dungeon until an armed party from Avengene can come to
fetch you.  I would deliver you myself, but I cannot
spare the men."

[Rapina]037 The Dungeon of Daelrath

Before she could think of what to say, Rapina was
escorted to the dungeon. They went through a barracks,
and then a guardroom.  One of the two guards unbolted a
door and let them pass into a room that ringed a stone-
lined pit under the keep.  Around the bottom of the pit
there were three cell doors.  The floor of the pit
could only be reached using a long ladder, or by being
lowered down via a rope and pulley.  When she saw how
much it looked like Evaneline's dungeon she froze and
became frantic.  Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Noooooo."

The guards carried her to the edge of the pit and used
a rope to lower her.  On the floor of the pit she
assumed the fetal position, shaking and crying as the
guards picked her up, carried her past two upright
posts with manacles attached, and threw her into a
cell.  The door slammed shut as the guards left her.

---

Baron Daelrath turned over for the hundredth time that
night.  He couldn't sleep.  Why was this bothering him
so much?  Hadn't the girl killed Evangeline Avengene?
She had been so confident.  She had worked with spooks,
but as soon as she was dragged into that dungeon she
had come unhinged.  Daelrath could still see her
shaking on the floor, and it was tearing him apart.

The baron got out of bed.  He slid the silver slider of
Rapina's magelight down the rod and the room filled
with red light.  Another push and the light would be
white, but he had found the red light much easier on
the eyes in the middle of the night.  He picked up the
poster.  "Wanted for the murder of Reverend Evangeline
Avengene: Brianna Barter, reward: Five hundred gold
pieces," It said.  It did not even say how or where she
had killed the man.  The baron got some clothes on and
went down to the dungeon with the poster in his hand.

"Good eve milord," the guards said.

Good evening men, "If you heard a fifteen-year-old girl
killed a man, what do you suppose her motive would be?"

"Hard to say milord.  How was he killed?" Guard Gowen
asked.

"The poster doesn't say.  Um, say it was with a
dagger," Daelrath said.

"She could have been robbing him, but it isn't a likely
profession for a young girl.  More likely she'd be a
harlot.   Maybe he caught her pickin' his pocket and
they had a scuffle.  Could be lots of things.  Could be
he wanted to sink his meat in her and she wasn't havin'
any of it.  She's got one hell of a body, milord,"
Guard Gowen observed.

"Yes, yes, she does.  Lower the ladder for me guard.  I
would feel remiss if I didn't at least ask her how it
happened," Baron Daelrath said.

"Yes milord," Gowen said.

It was dark in the dungeon.  The only light came
through the barred window in the cell door from a torch
on the wall above the pit.  There was a cot with one
blanket, a chamber pot and some old corn cobs to wipe
with.  At mealtime there was a candle stub on her tray
so she could see to eat.

Rapina had counted six meals since she had been
interred in the cell.  Once during the first night in
the cell she had seen a strange light flicker on the
wall of the cell, but it had gone out after about ten
minutes.

Rapina heard the guards unbolting the door to the room
that ringed the pit to let someone pass into it.  She
saw red light and heard footsteps.  The ladder was
lowered and someone climbed down before it was again
raised.

The Baron opened the door to Rapina's cell, walked in
and sat down on the cot next to her.  "I would like to
know how it was you killed Evangeline." Daelrath said.

"Penance," Rapina answered.

Daelrath raised an eyebrow.

Rapina began to explain, "Evangeline ran my hometown.
Most people hung on his every word.  He was a nobleman
and a reverend, but for as long as I can remember there
were also rumors that he was a lecher of the first
degree.  My Aunt used to sell petty curses against him
to the young women who he had wronged.  She taught me
about the herbs, including the ones that could control
a woman's fertility.  After a while the reverend had
her hung for her curses.

Sarah Brailings told on him.  She sickened and died.
Brenda Dawes fell from a cliff.  Later when I fell into
his clutches, I learned that all these events and more
were things he had done to young women who had refused
to hold their tongues.  He was above the law and he
knew it.  The constable was a man who was under
Evangeline's command in the past when he was in
Avengene's army.  He said that Evangeline was both one
of the smartest and one of the most vindictive people
he had ever known.

When my aunt was still alive, my mother would not even
let me see her because the reverend's sermonizing had
turned her against her sister.  I used to like to sneak
out and visit my aunt.  When I was twelve, Evangeline
raped my friend Avaine.  She didn't tell many people.
She was afraid.  I knew about Evangeline even as a
child and I was so glad he never tried to rape me,
probably thanks to my Auntie, but then when I was
fifteen my aunt was dead, and daddy caught me with
Raymond Thompson.  He was one of my boyfriends.  He
helped teach me to read while his daddy was teaching
him, but we were not reading at the time," Rapina
smiled.  It had not been the first time I had been
caught, even though I was very careful.  My mother felt
that I was out of hand and beyond her ability to
discipline anymore, so she sent me to Evangeline for
penance.

He had a one-room dungeon under the church.  It was
there from before the constable's office had been
built.  That's where he always kept his latest
victim..."

The baron put his head in his hands.

"His dungeon was similar to your dungeon.  He had to
climb out on a ladder, but he did not have any guards
up top watching him rape and torture, so it was
possible to escape if he could be knocked out, but he
had very carefully selected the furnishings.  There was
nothing you could hit him over the head with, and I did
not know self-defense at the time.  He was a wily
twisted man who tried to convince me that what he was
doing to me was all part of my penance.  The more he
raped me, the purer I was supposed to become, and the
pain of the beatings was supposed to be purifying as
well.  I was very like Bruhnhilda only I didn't even
have her education.  I could read a little bit is all.
If it were not for the prayer book he gave me to read,
I think I would have lost my mind, but instead I was
too busy trying to learn all the words so I could read
the prayers.  He taught me to read a few, and that
helped on the rest.

He raped and tortured me, he fed me only on Sundays,
and he twisted my mind around in knots whenever he
could spare the time.  Before that I had always enjoyed
sex, and I was good at it, but what he was, and what he
was doing was all wrong.  Maybe his horrors activated
some talent that I never knew I had.  I was trying to
tire him out so I could try to escape, and he was
especially crazed that night.  He always got that way
after Sunday services.  No matter how tired I got him,
he kept waking up and pulling me down from the ladder,
beating me and raping me until Mortaebius took his
rotten soul to hell where it belonged," Rapina said
stonily.

The baron shook his head, "No weapon, no marks?" Baron
Daelrath asked.

"Either he just had a heart attack or I somehow drained
the life out of him," Rapina continued.  "I was not
even trying to kill him; I just wanted him to go to
sleep so I could try to get away.  Either way he
deserved what he got, but I was not so stupid as to
believe his family would see it that way, so when he
did die, I escaped.  I became an outlaw; what choice
did I have?  After a while I found out that I was a
hero to Kroz and the protectors of the church of
Mortaebius because I had killed Evangeline, and the
reverend had been very instrumental in convincing his
father that the vindicator was the one true god and all
the others should be disposed of one way or another."

"Unfortunately, it was too little too late, and the
church of the vindicator continues to destroy the
temples of Mortaebius with their secret gangs of thugs.
They have largely cleared Avengene of other faiths and
now they seem to be trying to destroy the church of
Mortaebius outside Avengene.  Up here I think they have
a different strategy.  The population is so low all
they have to do is put up some settlements and convert
your heir through her governess, and Virtusar dies with
you.  They can clean up the temples to other gods in
the south of your barony with bandits from the north.
After all, that's where everyone's used to trouble
coming from anyways."

"Why do I have to deal with all this subterfuge?  I am
a war lord.  I kill trolls!" Daelrath said.

"Evangeline's legacy is that you are stuck in a battle
zone next to a conquering faith.  Doing nothing, or
believing in their false decency and trying to humor
them is the same as letting them take over, and they
would like to make you believe you have no choice.  You
do have a desperate choice.  You can make it." Rapina
said.

"I don't know what I will do.  I don't even want to
give you to them anymore, but as you say, I believe I
have little choice."  Baron Daelrath sighed and stood
up, "I will mull over it further," Daelrath said.

Two days later Rapina was startled as she heard the
raging voice of Daelrath.

"Predator! Charlatan!  Pretender!"

Rapina could hear the sound of someone being punched or
slapped after each expletive, and then she heard the
doors being opened above, and someone being lowered
down and affixed to the posts outside.

"Your manhood is as twisted as your religion!" Daelrath
raged.

Rapina heard the scourge bite hard ten times.  Then she
heard the shackles being removed.  The bolt on her cell
was shot back, the door opened and reverend Vindictine
was shoved in.  Daelrath peered in through the doorway.
The expression on his face was deranged with
vindictive, seething anger.

"Here REVEREND, there's another girl for you to RAPE.
Sorry she's not a virgin, but you'll be happy to know
she was raped repeatedly by your very own reverend
Evangeline Avengene.  Thus purified by his foul seed,
she should be even more palatable to you than any
virgin.  Why hello, Brianna, do you know what this
slime just did?"

Rapina shook her head; she noticed one of the veins in
Daelrath's redened forehead was sticking out, he was so
angry."

"A boy heard something and got two of my knights.  They
snuck into the church and there was Vindictine, RAPING
my DAUGHTER!" the Baron shouted.  She was begging him
to stop the whole time the knights were stealing up on
them."  The baron sounded almost frantic.

"And because you had swallowed his wise council against
teaching her how to defend herself, she was helpless to
stop him, or even delay him.  Fool!" Rapina snapped.

The baron glared at her, "He's a full grown man, she
didn't have a chance!" Daelrath bellowed.

Rapina kicked the reverend between the legs.  Her knee
collided with his forehead as he bent in reaction to
the pain.  His head came up, recoiling from her knee.
As it did, Rapina slammed a snap-kick into the
reverend's solar plexus.  The preacher's back hit the
wall and before he could come to his senses, Rapina's
spinning kick caught him in the side of the head and
sent him to the cell floor.

The reverend tried to get up but he couldn't.  He was
so dizzy and all he could do was cough blood and
whimper softly from the floor.

"She could have taken this man apart!" Rapina said.

Baron Daelrath stood in the doorway to the cell,
muttering, sobbing and slamming his forehead against
the edge of the open door as he slowly sunk to the
floor.  "Fool! Fool! Ignorant Fool!  A warlord's
daughter, and she cannot even defend herself from a
weakling priest!" Daelrath howled.

"She said herself, she cannot do a single push-up, she
does not know how to kick, she cannot lift a sword, she
cannot shoot a bow, and she cannot use a spear from the
wall or dump boiling oil from the cauldrons or fire a
bullistae.  She cannot ride a horse or drive a wagon,
she cannot escape, she cannot defend, and she feels
worthless.  She carries your blood but cannot even be
counted a Daelrath!"

The baron shielded his eyes with his hands as he sobbed
his way to the floor.

"Don't blame yourself, your ignorance was carefully
coached by that paragon of virtue lying next to you,
just like a thousand other fathers have been coached by
similar men," Rapina said coldly.

The baron dragged himself back to his feet and wiped
his eyes with his forearm, "How I would love to lock
him in here with you, lovely black widow, but I
mustn't.  You might do to him what I would like to do;
after all, they can only kill you once. Guards, lock
him up in the cell across the pit.  Give him water to
drink, but feed him only on Sundays."

---

It was just past dusk when the guard heard the horses.
"M'Lord, four riders on two horses approach the gate
wearing the colors of Avengene."

Daelrath had his head in his hands.  How could he do
it?  How could he just turn Brianna over to those swine
when one of their priests had just raped his daughter
only two days before?  Power was a cruel master.  How
could a simple warlord hope to survive if his neighbor,
Lord Avengene became angered at him?

Daelrath stood and rushed outside, "Pardon me guard,
did you say four on two horses?"

"Yes sir," the guard said.

Daelrath raised an eyebrow and hastened towards the
gate.  The gate was just closing behind a horse with
two riders when a troll burst through it.
Simultaneously the alarm was raised.

"Trolls sighted and incoming milord!  We lost the other
horse and riders, it bolted as they came towards the
gate," a gate guard said.

Call out the garrison!  Man the walls!  Every able-
bodied man... and WOMAN grab a pike, damnit!  The
visitors have brought us company!" Daelrath bellowed.

Guards boiled out of the barracks, tradesmen snatched
up their swords and hastily donned armor.

The baron drew steel and joined the men hacking at the
troll who'd just taken a chunk out of the Avengene's
horse and was eating as he attempted to claw at his new
attackers.  The number of attackers mounted and the
troll was soon cut down.

---

The battle died down as the trolls realized they could
not get into the keep to get their prey without being
killed in the process.  The more intelligent trolls
withdrew while their less brainy brothers got
themselves killed.

"Now that the battle is won, let me state my business,
Captain Tarsus of Avengene said.  "I am part of a
fifty-man force sent here to convey the prisoner
Brianna Barter to Avengene for trial."

"Where are the other forty-eight?" Daelrath asked.

The captain sighed, "I will tell you the tale..."

"Let us go up and have a brandy in my sitting room,
shall we?  You can tell me how it was you were wearing
a tail of trolls when you got to my keep," the baron
said.

[Rapina]038 Rampage of the Trolls


Once in the baron's sitting room, the captain drank
deeply and told a harrowing tale.

"That's a sad story, Tarsus.  I am so sorry about the
Northern vindicator settlement, and this shows the
trolls are getting more adventurous.  Perhaps their
campaign against the giants is going well this season.
Their use of tunneling disturbs me, but it is not
unprecedented.  That is why Keep Daelrath sits atop an
outcrop of stone.   It also disturbs me that your
sentries were taken out by stealth or spells, and only
then did a hoard of hunger-crazed trolls come pouring
into your sleeping encampment.  What with the rattling,
and the fact some of your men and horses seem to have
been poisoned out of the blue, the exploding light and
the fear that caused your horses to go out of control,
I would say you faced a troll shaman," I had a bounty
hunter kill a shaman lately, and I had hoped he was the
only one, but I guess that was wishful thinking," the
baron said.

"What is a troll shaman?" Captain Tarsus asked.

"They are primitive mage-priests.  They have magic and
brains, two things most groups of trolls lack.  When
you get one of them, you might as well double or triple
the strength of trolls you are facing.  You were lucky
to have made it out of there with your lives.  This is
godforsaken, dangerous country," the baron said.

"I am charged with the conveyance of Brianna Barter
back to Avengene, can I count on your assistance?" the
Captain asked.

"In view of my new understanding of the priests of the
vindicator compliments of reverend Vindictine, I will
turn her over to you, but only under protest, and
because in the missive to Avengene that fetched you
hither, I said I would.  I will never again extradite a
young woman accused of a crime against one of these
celibate priests, even if he was the Marquis' son.  I
do not believe she is guilty of anything but self-
defense, and I cannot see how she can get a fair trial
in Avengene when the man she killed was not only noble
born, but a son of the lord of the land."

"Reverend Vindictine? how has he instructed you?" The
captain looked confused.

The baron stood, walked over to the captain and drew
his face within inches of the captain's, "Your filthy,
celibate priest raped my daughter!" Daelrath growled.

Captain Tarsus gaped.

"He was still wet with her when I arrived on the scene.
The two knights that had discovered him were holding
their blades on him.  He had been moved only enough to
get his filthy meat out of my little girl," the baron
said.

Captain Tarsus cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"I will no longer tolerate the clergy of the vindicator
in my keep.  This celibacy nonsense is against nature,
and it warps a man, as Vindictine proved.  Furthermore,
you can take my daughter's governess with you when you
leave.  She is every bit as unnatural as that fiendish
priest.  She nags, she is insolent and if she were any
stiffer she'd be a corpse.

I will thank the Marquis of Avengene to kindly refrain
from helping me in the future.  The help he has sent
has proven to be a disaster, and I do not wish him to
try to make it up to me.  A simple apology and a
promise to keep out of my affairs will be sufficient.

When you leave, I will give you a letter to Avengene
about VinDICKtine.  Do not expect a large escort from
me.  The trolls have been brisk of late and I cannot
spare the men.  We will give you an escort to the more
Southerly vindicator settlement.  You can camp there
and recruit a few men to help you on your way back to
Avengene.  Make sure you tell those priests to stay
away from my keep.  They are no longer welcome here."

---

The group of riders left the cover of the forest and
trotted through the frozen fields surrounding the
second settlement of the vindicator.  The stockade wall
looked freshly built and impressive.  Rapina's hands
were shackled together behind her back, and a chain
stretched beneath the girth of her horse from one
manacled ankle to the other.  Reverend Vindictine was
similarly secured.  Sergeant Titus of Avengene led the
mounted party.  Sir Coshus and Sir Stallart followed
the sergeant.  Governess Rhona rode behind the knights,
and behind her rode captain Tarsus who led Rapina's
horse. Behind Rapina rode Balard who led Vindictine's
horse.  Taking up the rear was Melden.

"The gate, sir, it's open," the sergeant observed.

"Can you see anyone?" Captain Tarsus asked.

"No sir, and I don't see a soul on the walls," the
sergeant replied.

"Ready blades.  Titus, ride in and take a look.  Be
careful," the captain ordered.

Titus rode into the walled settlement, and then
returned to the group outside the gate a few minutes
later.  "They're all dead sir, and mostly eaten, but
there are gnawed bones, entrails, clothing and that
sort of thing strewn around.  It looks like the trolls
that got us a few nights ago were still hungry, sir."

"Any sign of trolls?" the captain asked.

"I didn't see anything living sir," Sergeant Titus
said.

"We had better check for survivors.  Balard, the
prisoners, Rhona and I will stay here by the gate," the
captain said.

About twenty minutes later, the warriors returned.

"Nothing but pieces of people, sir," Sergeant Titus
said.

"The trolls are on the move," Sir Coshus observed.
I've seen some bad years, and this one's warming up to
be one of the worst.  The giants must be doing poorly
this year or serving as mercenaries for the orcs North
of Avengene.  Usually they keep the troll population
down a bit.  In any case Captain, my orders were to
take you this far.  If you ride hard, you should be
able to get to a city in Avengene before nightfall when
the trolls are active, or at least a settlement by
afternoon."

"Thank you Sir Coshus.  I will take it from here," the
captain said.

It had been half an hour since the knights had left
them, and the group was riding along a path through a
forest of large fir trees.  Sergeant Titus was still
riding point. Rapina's horse was still being led by the
captain, while governess Rhona, who seemed to enjoy
scowling at her, led reverend Vindictine's horse.

"Damned trolls!  The captain handed the governess the
reigns to Rapina's mare.  Reverend, we have too many
prisoners and not enough blades for a fight.  I am
going to release you on your own recognizance.  If you
bolt, I'll shoot you in the back with an arrow,
understand?"

"Yes sir," Vindictine said.

"Good."  The captain released the reverend and handed
him a shortsword.  "Keep an eye peeled for trolls."

About a half hour later, the group was riding through a
thick area of forest.  As they were going around a
fallen tree, Vindictine cried out.

A green cloud briefly blossomed around the reverend.
"Cough! Cough!  Sir, I feel ill, horribly ill,"
Vindictine gasped.

The captain heard the sound of a rattle off in the
distance.  Damn it!  Hurry, there are not enough of us
to fight, we must ride! Captain Tarsus said.

From the other side of the fallen tree came the
sergeant's voice, "Troll on me!"

Rapina could hear the troll's claws ripping the man's
armor and rending his bones.

Captain Tarsus tossed the lead rope of Rapina's horse
to governess Rhona and rode to help Titus with the
troll.

"Yah!" The chopping of the captain's sword through
troll flesh could be heard over the fallen tree.  "Damn
that was close.  Titus is down, and I'm hit, but not
bad.  Reverend, can you heal?"

"Cough!  I can try sir," the reverend sputtered.

As the reverend rode around the tree a roiling dark
cloud erupted around his body.  Rapina dared not even
smile, but she has seen that cloud once before when
Thane had been having his battle of sorcery with the
troll shaman, only this spell was one Thane had cast.

By the time he got around the tree and could see the
warriors, Vindictine was so ill he fell off his horse.

Rapina screamed and nearly fell off her horse as it
bolted in a sudden surge of unnatural fear.
Thankfully, the chain underneath the animal's barrel
helped stabilize her.  The beast was running as if the
very hounds of hell were chasing it, and it was pulling
the governess and her horse along with it.

"Shit!"  Tarsus dragged Titus away from the flailing
body of the troll and looked over at Vindictine
writhing on the ground.  "Help each other!  The
prisoner is escaping!

Tarsus remounted and turned his horse, and then
suddenly it started galloping wildly.  He couldn't
control it!

"Hellfire!  My mount's been ensorceled with fear!"

When the captain and his fear-crazed mount were out of
sight, dirt fell aside and a cloud of blackness
separated itself from beneath the fallen tree.  Kent,
the darkness-shrouded ghoul made quick work of the
wounded sergeant and the writhing priest.  Once they
were paralyzed he cut their throats with the claws of a
severed troll hand, then he picked up the decapitated
troll's head and stuck it back on its body.  That
finished, he cracked a willow switch across the rump of
the reverend's horse.  The horse ran off.  Kent dragged
the reverend's corpse into the tunnel under the tree.
There he began feasting.

Rapina heard rather than saw the arrow.  One moment the
governess was valiantly keeping up with Rapina's fear-
crazed mount, the next moment she had fallen off her
horse.  Rapina lost sight of her shortly thereafter.

Arzeal crept up in his camouflage clothing and troll-
foot boots.  He cut the woman's throat with the claws
of the severed hand of a troll, and then collected the
small game blunt arrow he had used to crack her skull.

At last the fear spell wore off his mount and the
captain turned the creature back in the direction from
whence they had come.  As he neared the fallen tree he
saw sergeant Titus, or rather pieces of Sergeant Titus.
The troll must have found its head, for it was
devouring the sergeant.  Captain Tarsus did not see
reverend Vindictine at all.

"Treacherous priest!" He snarled.

The troll looked up from its meal and ran after the
captain.

The mare Rapina was riding eventually snapped out of
her fear.  Not wishing to be anywhere near the trolls,
Rapina was at a bit of a loss.  Thane might be out
there, or there might be a troll shaman with a spell
similar to Thane's taint of death.  She decided the
only safe thing to do would be to ride for the keep and
try to catch up with the knights before the trolls
caught up with her.

Two hours later Rapina rode up behind the knights.

"Valkura, er Brianna?  What in Virtusar's name are you
doing here?" Sir Coshus asked.

"We found the trolls," Rapina said.

"Anyone else make it out?" Sir Coshus asked.

"I'm not sure," Rapina said.  "The shaman cast a fear
spell on my horse, I think.  Last I saw Vindictine, who
they freed a half hour after we left you, had been the
victim of a disease spell and a troll had seriously
wounded Sergeant Titus.  Rhona had my reins for a while
after my horse bolted, but she fell off her horse.
That was two hours ago.  If the trolls decide their
meal wasn't big enough and track my mount, we could be
in trouble.

"We could go back and check for survivors," Sir Coshus
said.

"Yes, we could do that.  How many trolls did you see?"
Sir Stallart asked.

"Just one, but there had to have been another one,
because the one that was fighting was not casting the
spells," Rapina observed.

"At least two trolls, and if there were any survivors,
either they are headed this way, or they are trying to
make it to the nearest settlement in Avengene which
from where you were was probably the better bet,"
Coshus said.

"Bah! Good riddance to the lot of them.  With a troll
shaman on the loose, we'd be lucky to find one of them
alive, and we'd be lucky to keep our skins on our backs
in the bargain," Sir Stallart said.

"I'm with you Stall-heart!  Look at the bright side,"
Coshus said, patting Rapina's horse.  "You got your
little mare back, so you can stop grousing that the
baron loaned her to the damned Avengenes."

"Stallart beamed.  Right you are Cosh.  You know I seem
to recall that the baron told Captain Tarsus he would
no longer be sending any young wenches accused of
killing vindicator priests to Avengene.  It appears his
quarry has been lost."

"Gods know we could use more women at the keep.  There
sure are precious few of 'em.  Cosh opened the shackles
on Rapina's wrists.  Unless Daelrath says otherwise,
Valkura, you are a free woman."

Rapina hugged Coshus.

---

It was just past dusk by the time the riders saw the
lights of Keep Rath perched on its spar of rock and
followed the winding road through the cemetery, up the
hill and around to the gate.

For days, Rapina had wondered what had happened to
Thane and Rames, but the troll attack earlier in the
day suggested that they had been far from idle.

"Riders approaching flying the standard of Daelrath,"
hollered a gate guard. "It's Sir Coshus, Sir Stallart,
Balard and Melden, milord."

Baron Daelrath held his daughter, "I am truly sorry
Bruhnhilda, you are right, of course.  The man she
killed was no doubt a lecher of the first degree."

"And Lady Valkura on Stallart's mare milord," The gate
guard added.

"Open the gate!" The Daelrath's ran down the stairs to
meet the new arrivals. "By the gods my heart was
weighted with a mountain of guilt, and now it is
lifted!  Well met, Valkura, by what miracle are you
with us again?"

Rapina finished hugging the baron and held Bruhnhilda
in her arms.  She whispered softly into the girl's ear.
"Thank you so much for saving me from your father's ill
graces, and for ridding your barony of that cad
Vindictine.  Thank the gods he was twisted enough to
reveal the true nature of such priests in a way even a
warlord could understand."

As they embraced, Bruhnhilda whispered in return, "It
was a poor excuse for having power, but I think it will
serve as a foundation for something real.  Daddy has
new clothes in the making for me, and I am already
learning the arts of war."

"Brianna, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Baron
Daelrath asked.

"Please call me Valkura, Baron Daelrath.  I have no
wish to be associated with a name the Avengenes have so
blackened that every two-bit bounty hunter would like
to cart me off to the mockery of a trial," Rapina said.

"I see your point, Valkura. Henceforth let it be known
that I and my knights and loyal subjects shall strike
that other name from our minds.  No man or woman in
this barony shall hold you responsible for self-defense
called a murder because of a veteran lecher's august
title.  Listen well people, titles of nobility can be
earned, but the true tragedy is that they cannot be
lost when an ignoble nobleman abuses his august
position.

Let us go to the mead hall!  Mayhap there is a tail
that you can tell?"

"It's a grisly one but one I'm sure milord needs to
hear," Coshus said as the baron and knights went to the
mead hall.  Coshus sat on a table and spoke as the
others listened, "Picked clean milord with only a bit
of gore and gnawed bones left to mark the settlement's
demise."

"Valkura, what of the escort that was taking you to
that mockery of a trial for killing the noble lecher?
I so regret having sent that missive to Avengene.  Had
it not been for Vindictine doing me the favor of
showing his true colors, I would have been his fool
until I had quite ruined my own daughter to rule
Daelrath.  Imagine it, a pampered noblewoman trying to
rule a border barony like this one!  She would have
been forced to depend on some man to keep her like a
caged bird, and I have a feeling that man would have
come a-wooing from Avengene," the baron said.

"No doubt milord is correct," Rapina said. "After the
knights left us at the destroyed settlement, we rode
East towards Avengene.   Vindictine was freed scarcely
a half hour after we parted from the knights.  As we
detoured around an old downed tree that blocked the
path, a troll attacked Sergeant Titus and wounded him.
Simultaneously a poison cloud enveloped Vindictine.

Daelrath scowled as Rapina told of the reverend's
release from his bonds, then grinned as she told of the
spell that had been cast on him.

"Captain Tarsus rode around to help the sergeant and I
think he was successful," Rapina continued.  He called
on the priest to come around and try to heal in spite
of his condition.  It was then that another spell hit
the priest and he was in bad shape.  Governess Rhona
had inherited the charge of leading my horse, but it
was struck by a fear spell and we bolted away from the
others.  I nearly fell off but the chain and my
reflexes saved me.  At some point I lost Rhona.  I
think she fell off her mount.  After the mare I was
riding calmed down, I tried to find the way back to the
path.  The mare seemed to know the way, and I was soon
trotting by the destroyed settlement on my way to catch
the knights.  Thank the gods for that mare's powers of
endurance."

"Stallart has quite an eye for horseflesh.  It is well
that you were not mounted on some lesser animal.  I
have much to think about, but you are weary from travel
and drowning in road dust, milady.  I will have a bath
drawn for you, and this time I promise your possessions
will multiply rather than diminish when you emerge from
its waters," Daelrath said.

---

The following night just after dusk Rapina smiled as
Bruhnhilda Daelrath demonstrated the simple moves and
exercises Rapina had taught her in her first ever
lesson in the rapier.

"Excellent, It is very good to see you have made a fine
start Bruhnhilda.  Virtusar has blessed us with another
warrior.  I will see that your training at arms
continues, and perhaps even more importantly, you will
learn the art of managing warriors and keeps under
siege by trolls and other undesirables."

"A red light blinks at us from the graveyard milord," a
guard announced.

Rapina smiled, "I think my master has caught up with me
at last.  Mayhap you wish to have a word with him
milord Daelrath."

"Yes, I believe I should speak with him.  Sir Coshus,
have Valkura's things loaded in that skeleton horse
beside the gate and meet me with a delegation of five
trusted knights," Baron Daelrath said.

In the graveyard, the baron, Rapina and his six knights
found three riders sitting skeletal horses.  Rapina
recognized Rames in his masked helmet and Roger with
his scythe. Between them, Thane sat with his leather
mask covering his mortancer's death mask.

Rapina rode forth and fell in beside Rames.  Thane
urged his skeletal horse ahead a length, as did the
baron.

"Good eve, Lord Daelrath," Thane rasped.  "I do hope
the heads of the trolls Valkura provided brought you
satisfaction.  I regret not having sent you the head of
the shaman, but there are still some things within it
that I would like to dig out."

"Yes, I did appreciate the troll kills you made.  It
seems there has been a great deal of death in Daelrath
since you arrived.  I am surprised you have only the
four servitors to protect your person."

"Indeed, I believe this is turning into a very active
season for the trolls, but I do not fear for my safety
in this place.  Where could a servant of Mortaebius be
more comfortable than among these fallen heroes?"

"Hail Mortaebius, champion of the dead, we the living
entreat thee, bless these valiant, fallen heroes
entombed within thy clay, and embrace them where they
lay. Lest their lion hearts sense our direst fray; then
call them forth to save the day," Rapina intoned.

Daelrath grimaced. "You could do that, couldn't you?"

"Like the dead, Mortaebius is content to slumber unless
someone disturbs his rest.  His church is benign and
has coexisted on the best of terms with other faiths
for centuries.  Because death is creepy, Avengene and
his vindicator hoard think they can single Mortabius'
church out for the slaughter without turning other
faiths against the vindicator.  Were they to succeed,
the forces of the vindicator would select another faith
to murder, and another and so on until none were left
to appose them.  They have already cleaned their home
territory of any serious competition," Kroz rasped.

"They are simply taking a slightly different tack
outside Avengene.  The mortuary business is a good and
steady income, one the priests of the vindicator would
love to have to enrich themselves.  In addition, the
church of Mortaebius is well known to make generous
contributions to the war efforts of those allied faiths
that are having trouble with conquering bullies like
the vindicator.  That is another reason we are
dangerous to the vindicator.  The church also keeps
excellent records, and a friend within the church was
able to compile this list."

Thane handed Daelrath a scroll of parchment.

Baron Daelrath squinted.

Thane chuckled raspingly and handed the Baron two mage
lights currently glowing red, one on a heavy silver
chain and the other on a delicate golden chain. "For
you and your daughter."

"Oh, thank you sir.  I see the scroll holds a list of
addresses for what must be every temple of Virtusar in
Clairmont," Baron Daelrath said.

"Your chaplain is a fine warrior, but I believe with
your troll problem you will need a real priest.  With
those addresses you can keep writing temples until you
locate one," Kroz rasped.

"I worry that my troll problem strikes at Avengene with
uncanny accuracy," Baron Daelrath said.

"It is well the trolls have weeded your garden for you.
A man of your integrity would never stoop to killing
that many innocent people.  Unfortunately, your
neighbor to the East has replaced any integrity he
might have had with the backstabbing blade of a rogue.
He has not hesitated to use your integrity and sense of
decency against you.  With his marvelous faith, he can
play both sides of the fence.  The mask of goodness
hides the face of evil.  You will not strike the mask
of goodness, but the face of evil will stab you in the
back nonetheless."

"Damn him!" Daelrath snapped.

"I assure you Mortaebius knows where the dead lie, and
if Evangeline is any indication, you have no need to
worry that he will be damned.  The Avengenes will carve
an empire in the deepest pits of hell while living men
believe they have risen to the highest clouds in
heaven.  This will be a dirty battle, and one to stain
the soul. Yet if it is not fought, the lord of lies
will rule the minds of all from behind the mask of
goodness, and none will be the wiser," Thane rasped.

Now that is enough gravity for one night.  I have
reason to believe that your troll problem will not
abate this season, and I would like to provide certain
knowledge and assistance to help you to handle it.  If
you should fail to do so, I am sure Avengene would be
happy to annex your holdings.  Unfortunately, the King
would probably let him since all he sees is whether or
not there is strength enough to hold the border.  I
shall instruct Valkura in what you need to know and
send her back here from time to time if that is
satisfactory."

"Yes, if it's a heavy season, we will take any help we
can get, and my men appreciate you apprentice," Baron
Daelrath said.

"Good, she gets too little living company in my abode,
and certainly there is no one her own age with whom she
can talk.  With Evangeline the gods placed a great
burden on her shoulders.  The minions of Mortaebius can
do little to lighten her spirit.  It is well she is a
strong woman," Kroz rasped.

"I and my daughter admire her strength.  We of Daelrath
will welcome her and her aid," the baron said.

"Good then, I shall send her back as soon as we have
accumulated a supply of the items you will need to
better defend against the trolls.  For the present we
shall pay our respects to the dead and then take our
leave.  Farewell, noble baron," Kroz rasped.

"Farewell servant of Mortaebius," the baron said.

---

When they had arrived in the large storeroom of the
secret laboratory wing within the abode, Rapina
wrinkled her nose at the great heaps of recently dead
bodies stacked up on the floor.  "Oh my goodness, where
did these come from?" Rapina asked.

Thane took off the death mask and returned it to a
pocket within his robes as his party exited the
storeroom and headed to the lounge.  The mortancer
chuckled, "I'll bet you thought we were idle the whole
time you were working in Daelrath."



"At first I did," Rapina admitted.  Then I realized one
of the spells that hit Vindictine looked suspiciously
like your taint of death spell.  I thought the tint of
the cloud of poison was a bit different from when the
troll shaman cast it too."

Thane chuckled, "As usual your powers of observation
have not failed you, my dear.  I noticed that my
disease cloud spell looked similar to the shaman's
poison spell, and the effects are really not so
different."

"What were you doing while I was inside Daelrath?"
Rapina asked.

"At first we were refining and testing my ideas for
anti-troll weapons for Daelrath.  I felt we needed
something to offer them in order to cement any alliance
you were able to strike up.  We also listened to what
was going on with you through Nordula's stone in your
purse.  Thankfully, I had the foresight to get a
skeleton to wake me when you woke up.  For that reason,
I caught your conversation with Bruhnhilda.  Once you
were in the dungeon we considered trying to break you
out, but it would have been very difficult and might
have inflicted casualties on a potential ally.

Instead we became quick studies at the art of troll
handling.  Did you know, if you cut a troll's leg off
and let it grow back, that he will become voraciously
hungry thereafter?"   Thane chuckled.  "Trolls in such
a state will largely ignore undeads because they simply
do not smell like good food.  Heavy chains and shackles
can hold a troll, and an arrow with an electric glyph
shot into the troll's brain will stun it for a few
minutes.  A lightning glyph in the head will kill it
however, so it is best to use lesser spells.  While the
courier took Daelrath's letter to Avengene, and the
chosen of the vindicator prepared a party to collect
you, we collected some trolls.  We actually had
occasion to save a party of giants, which was an ironic
twist of fate, but more on that later.

Thanks to Lord Li'Yieraun we have a much larger pack of
ghouls than we did formerly. We did the closer
settlement first because that was where we felt the
party from Avengene would camp.  Kent and the ghouls
dug the tunnels into the settlements.  During the day
Rames located the priests using a spy glass from the
trees, and sent Edgar and Elizabetta to assassinate
them just before the main attack at night.  I played
the troll shaman with the help of a skeleton to rattle
the troll's rattle.  With their priests out of the way,
ghouls were sent to neutralize their warriors, and
finally our trolls were released on the sleeping
commoners and warriors from Avengene to go into their
feeding frenzy where it would most benefit us.  Because
of the extra troops that had been sent to collect you,
that battle was much closer.  Luckily, we had more
trolls for that first battle.  For the second
settlement, we only got the ones the Avengenes had
beheaded in the first battle that we restored for the
next battle.

Since I shrouded the ghouls in darkness and instructed
them to use stealth, the loud voracious trolls got all
the publicity from any witnesses. We took the bodies of
the warriors and priests.  Nevertheless, we spread some
of their garments and entrails around for good measure.
We put boots on the ghouls so that their footprints
would be indistinguishable from the footprints of the
human inhabitants of the settlements.  Trolls are hard
on skeletons, but since there really were not all that
many trolls, and they were eating rather sloppily, we
had more than enough gore to spread around in order to
cover the fact of the missing bones.  Kent and the
ghouls got plenty to eat, and Kent's belly is now truly
outstanding."

Rapina wrinkled her nose.

Thane chuckled. "I am so glad I caught that
conversation between you and Bruhnhilda.  Some of the
things you said about the priest and the governess were
quite thought provoking."

"To you?"  Rapina asked as she entered the lounge and
immediately flopped down on the couch.  Rames sat at
her feet and Thane Sat down in a comfortable chair
across from Rapina's end of the couch.

"Indeed, you talked about the way they would lecture
repetitiously, and about the guilt they would heap on
others, in effect perpetually complaining that others
were not living up to the unnatural standards of the
vindicator.  As you may remember, evil complainers are
needed for a certain type of advanced animation I have
yet to try.  I am so excited!"

Rapina grinned, "You mean there is actually some use
for their endless lecturing?" Rapina asked.

"Yes!  The animation is called the moaning skeleton and
it is quite a fine addition to any group of undeads,"
Thane beamed.

"Why, are they really tough?" Rapina asked.

"No, actually the reaving skeletons are much better
warriors, but the moaning skeletons are superb when
combined with reavers and more mundane skeletons and
zombies.  They are ideal for the second or third rank
back," Thane said.

"Why is that?" Rapina asked.

Thane grinned like a child who had just received the
best toy on the block.  "Quite simply, the moaning
skeletons moan.  Their incessant ghostly moaning and
complaining is immanently frightening.  Those who
oppose the moaning skeletons are oft driven to fall to
their knees shaking with fear.  As you can imagine,
this puts them at a grave disadvantage in regards to
attack and defense, thus the moaning skeletons and
their undead allies can cut the quaking enemies down
much more easily.  They are excellent interspersed with
other sorts of undead for general combat and breaking
the charges of enemy troops, and I have several priests
and the governess who should make perfect subjects!"

"Rapina giggled and shook her head.  You and Rames have
the strangest slant on dead bodies.  I'm just glad I
didn't have to kill any of them."

"Each of us has a special talent.  The killing we can
leave to Rames, the ghouls and the skeletons.  The
spells and animations I can do, and the initial
diplomacy and wanton rutting we will leave to you."
Thane smiled.

Rapina grinned and rolled her eyes.

The story continues in [Rapina]039 An Intellectual
Giant

copyright 2001, by Rapina