The Chronicles of Shaan -

The Chronicle of Shaan - Blood and Leather

Blood and Leather

Shaan moved fast, hand over hand, fingers grabbing for hand holds on the sharp rocks. A loud click above him sending showers of chipped stone downwards into his eyes reminded him once more of the arrows flying towards him. He swung his leg sideways trying to get more purchase but the stony surface he was holding gave way and downwards he went, the jagged knifelike rocks cutting into his hands and legs.

Tia jumped cat like onto the wall, quickly and silently she ran along it. Reaching the end, she leapt upwards stretching out towards the balcony and grasping it with the timing of an acrobat she flipped herself up and onto the tiled flooring. The double windows had been left wide open but a heavy drape hung down hiding the secrets within. Tia listened with her head cocked to one side but there were no sounds save that of the tutsu beetle calling to their mates in the nearby trees.

Shaan came to a halt in a cloud of dust and rolled sideward as the thwack thwack thwack of three arrows imbedded themselves into a nearby tree trunk. Now ducking behind a rocky mound, he felt safe for a while. His breathing was heavy with the exertion spent on his climb. As if that had not been hard enough now, he had been spotted by bounty hunters and the price on his head made it worth the risk to their lives. And now he spied it, that which he had come for. This presented him with two problems, one, the thing he wanted was out of his reach and two, if he moved from his cover, he would come under fire again.

The large room was dimly lit with candles and glowed orange. Tia let the drapes swing back into place behind her as she softly crept towards the far end. The cedar wood writing table would hold the papers she needed. Tia rummaged through the draws one by one sifting through the many documents contained within while be careful to keep her ears alert to the slightest sound. Yes, there it was, a leather binder containing papers. Tia quickly skimmed them to make sure they were all there and buried them deep inside her pocket. Turning to leave she heard a strange and yet familiar moan coming from somewhere within the house.

Peaking between a crevice in the mound he scanned the mountainside above and to the side of his position. After a few moments he saw the movement, heard the almost silent snap of a twig and brushing aside of a bush. Watched the movement ripple through the undergrowth and removing his bow from his back he notched an arrow and waited a few seconds. Taking a half breath in and holding it he stood, turned, and fired. The arrow cut through the air making a whistling noise for the briefest time before a hollow thud sounded. Now the twigs snapped with low pops and the bushes gave way to the rolling mass that flattened them. Out of the greenery the limp and lifeless body rolled, falling downwards into the ravine below. the hawks and rats would feast well today. Shaan knew the next target would be harder, weary now of the sting of his weapon.

She knew she should not, she knew it was risking all but she had to see. Quietly twisting the knob and opening the internal door her hand slid down to her sheathed knife as she stepped through. The corridor was dark and offered her good protection from a casual glance. There was the moaning again, and she followed the sound. At the end of the passage, a door was ajar and a dim flickering light came from within. Voices came from inside now, a female voice, complimenting her lover on how the tongue had felt on her breasts and neck, the kissing, the gentle biting. More moaning now, and the sounds of movement, passionate and almost violent.

Tia bent her knees and lowered her height almost kneeling but not quite. Slowly one step and then another until she could see into the room, peaking through the crack in the doorway. She almost gasped out loud at what she saw. Lady Rebecca was on the bed, her bodice ripped open to expose her full breasts and the flat stomach below. Sitting astride her was a young woman of maybe 25 years of age. Tia did not recognize her but this was of little interest and she watched. Rebecca's hands were now sliding up the young woman's thighs rippling the dress upwards as they caressed and stroked the soft skin. Expertly it seemed she moved her fingers first along the top of the thigh then sliding them down to the inner thigh making her younger lover breath heavily. Now they moved upwards, fingers outstretched and reaching the desired spot causing the young woman to arch her back and let out a deep moan. Tia's hand subconsciously was rubbing in small circles on her stomach and then at the sight of this it moved lower, sliding under her shirt and dipping inside her pants. She pushed her hand further down and felt the wetness there, a long finger running along the mound and slowly working its way into the crease. Involuntarily her hand moved up and down and the finger pressed harder finding the centre of her own pleasure, as Rebecca was doing now for another. Rebecca's hands now worked their way around the back or her lover, pulling, coercing, and teasing until her tongue could now replace the act that her fingers had been doing. This was too much and a loud wail issued from the passionate lips of her lover and she writhed uncontrollably. Luckily for Tia the noise was so loud that her own soft panting and squeals of ecstasy had been unheard.

It seemed like an age since Shaan had fired the arrow and yet not a sound now. Had the other gone? Maybe scared off so he did not reach the same fate as him comrade. How long should Shaan wait, how long before he could be sure. Without warning a figured dropped, hitting him square on the shoulders and knocking him to the ground, his head striking the hard rock. He started to rise, feeling a warm trickle; instinctively he put his hand to head and saw the red blood run over it. Before his vision had cleared a boot caught him in the jaw and he was down again. Another sharp kick this time to the ribs and the pain coursed through his body. Shaan moved into a foetal position and his attacker took this as a sign of victory, sneering now at the crumpled form of the great warrior, the reputation of who surely had been grossly overstated. Shaan's boot was now closer to his hand allowing him to draw the dirk that he had always carried tucked into a special sheath. It stabbed out like a scorpion's sting into the bounty hunter's calf severing the muscle. Blood gushed as he staggered, the pain seared higher but now another pain, worse than anything he could have imagined. He looked down to see Shaan kneeling, arm outstretched, holding a knife, a knife buried deep into his groin. Blood shot out in an arc taking with it the man's consciousness and he slumped to the ground.

Safe now from attack, Shaan was able to move freely. Taking his hunting knife, he thrust in hard into an earthy part the rocky wall burying it deeply up to the handle. Hanging onto this, he reached out across the void between to rock faces, his fingers snaking out, finger tips touching the prize. A few inches more and he had it, his hand grasping at the stem and pulling. The Magaris blood orchid was famed throughout ancient history and know to only flower once every hundred years. The colour was unique and rich and Shaan stared deeply into it, almost mesmerized. He had risked his life for this one bloom but the one it was for deserved no less.

How she longed to see Shaan and now as she approached his forest home, where he had been in hiding for these past months, her heat began to beat faster. She would take him in her arms, kiss him, hold him, and use her hands to excite his body. Their lips would mingle and her body would be his. He would use his strong arms to lift her and hold her against the wall as she wrapped her legs around his and allowed him to come deep inside her.

She opened the cabin door and rushed inside, a smile on her face and wetness between her legs. It was cold; no one had been here for many hours. The fire had died and in the fading light the place seemed empty and void. Tia waited into the night but no one came. Shaan had been known to be gone for days, even weeks and without knowing when he would return it would be fruitless waiting. Taking the leather binder from her pocket she placed it on his bed, she lit a fire and set a stew over it to cook slowly so that if he came home, he would have something warm to eat and then she left to return to her own home in case Shaam had gone there.

Shaan arrived back at the cabin just before dawn; he was cold and wet after the rain. Opening the door brought warmth to him immediately. A fire burned gently in the hearth and the smell of cooking came from a steaming pot on the stove. Tia, she was here and he was overjoyed. Glancing round the room showed no sign of her so she could only be in one room, swinging the bedroom door open, his broad smile melted as he realized he was alone. On the bed was a binder containing papers which had been opened and read. A full pardon from the high court after an enquiry into the Malavich affair. The fools, he had saved the county from an evil warlord and his henchmen and his payment had been to be branded a murderer and outlaw. He would think twice next time before using his sword arm for the protection of these cowards. He slumped down onto the bed, tiredness overtook him and he dreamt of Tia.

Tia lay on her bed, the blood red orchid that she had found on her pillow in her hand and thought about her distant lover as she drifted off to sleep.