Legends of Belariath
Astarte
Desire's Betrayal Part 1
Astarte stood in the stables silently.Whisper hastily redressing herself. Daylight was fast approaching and she needed to be back into the forest.By day she remained hidden in the forest, then at night she traveled into town to work. This schedule was the best way to keep a low profile. Which was hard enough to do in a city full of humans. From behind her rose a sharp neigh of one of the horses. Tying her robe shut, the cloth gathered together to hide her naked form. Upon the ground lay the sleeping form of one of her usual human customers named Regnar. He had thought her to be half Elvin with finely angular facial features and lithe frame. His idea of her race was far from the truth. Astarte was a truly rare creature. Tal Darith was a city dominated by humans. Only a few hand full of wolven and cat people inhabited the land. Elvin numbers were even fewer leaving them a rarity. Not a much a rarity as Astarte though.
Brushing her hands against her black robe, she brushed off the straw that clung to the soft material of her dark robe that clung to her slender frame. Through the boards of the ceiling, reddish slivers of light streamed through to touch the floor of the stable. Cursing mentally to herself, she moved swiftly to the sleeping form of Regnar. The poor human had been no match for the skilled Duessa who had left him exhausted and limp as a wet noodle. She hated being behind schedule. It put her at risk of exposure. With a scowl, she lashed her foot outwards. Foot connecting with Regnar's side.
“Pay up human!” she commanded firmly in a sharp voice. From Regnar arose a faint grunt of annoyance at being awakened. The kick had not been hard enough to hurt him, but it was enough to annoy him. As the human struggled to get his pouch from his pile of clothing, the Duessa grew impatient. Astarte never was one to display much patience for anything. Her right foot lifting upwards slightly then lowered sharply in an impatient tapping upon the floor. He finally found the pouch, amongst his discarded clothing.Taking out the coins to pay her, he groggily counted them out. It took two tries before he finally was able to count the proper amount. Keeping what he didn't owe, he tossed the pouch to her. Snatching the pouch in the air, her hands were quick. Holding the pouch in her palm, she tossed it up slightly to test the weight of the pouch to determine the amount within it. Satisfied that it seemed all was there, she slipped the pouch into her pocket.
Tonight had been good for business. With time Astarte had begun to learn how to study her potential customers. Choosing only the high-class men, her profit had increased. The more money they had, the more profit she made. With her exotic half-Elvin features, it was easy to get a lot of business.
Having no time to waste, she exited through the stable's main door. With the parting of the doors, fierce sunlight flooded the room blinding her sensitive eyes. Next time, she would have to remember to wear a cloak with a hood. Making haste, she traveled through town quickly. While traveling she had to ignore the glances of others, her facial features making her stand out. Upon reaching the forest, she thought herself safe from the dangers of man. Little did she know these dangers would soon seek her out...
Throughout the inn, idle prattle filled the air. The entire establishment was a buzz tonight. Seated within his reserved booth, Langos sat in silence. Unmoving as he remained utterly motionless, listening to the prattling of the humans. Sometimes different tad bits of information proved valuable at times making it worth his time to sit there. Tonight seemed fruitless though. The men all spoke of harvesting and their plans of what they would do with the money after crops were sold. Leaning back in his seat, Langos sighed deeply. Pointed ears acutely aware of most conversations. Humans tended to speak loosely and louder after a few drinks. In the booth aside his arose voices as new occupants settled in.
~ She was amazing in how she could use her muscles to make her cunt massage and press against you while you fuck her~ Exclaimed Regnar to his companions.
~ So you had a tumble with her as well' A little high priced, but well worth it for what she does~ Commented one of his companions.
Sitting up in his seat, the Dark Elvin Langos listened to the men. Curiosity now blooming in his mind.
~She looked as fair as an Elvin maiden...but there was something wrong with her eyes. They are a greenish shade with flames within them...I'll never forget them. The look of heat within them...~ Said Regnar with a shudder. Vivid memories of last night flashing across his mind's eye. There seemed almost a sad tone to his voice. He had never gotten Astarte's name. It was most likely he would never meet her again.
~ I heard Ramenal bragging he was going to have his try at her. See if he can make her scream. Most likely in the stables no doubt. ~ Stated one of his Wolven companions named Ripgut. He was small for a Wolven only standing at 5'9. Fur thick and a dark brown shade.
A soft hmm arose from the Dark Elvin as he looked over to his servant. “Return to the manor boy and fetch the girl they have spoken of. I have no doubt you were listening as well,” He commanded firmly in an impassive tone of voice. The young human eyes grew wide as he listened to him. Nodding his head quickly, he darted out of the booth to run outside. On his shoulder Talos, his raven, stirred. Upset by the jobs sudden movements, his wings rustled as he moved along Langos' shoulder. With the raven's movements, its talons sunk into his shirt to pierce his flesh. The Dark Elvin showed not even a sign of pain as Talos hurt him. Rising from his seat, the raven flapped its wings trying to keep itself balanced. A caw of protest arose from the raven. Langos ignored the bird's protest, his thought transfixed upon the description of the girl. Regnar's description of Astarte's eyes brought up an old memory of an article in his research. Could this be one of the Duessa his ancestors wrote of as creatures suited to be perfect pets and companions to his kind?If she in fact was, he could not risk another claiming her first. With that thought engraved into his mind, he left the inn to return home and wait...
Seated upon an overturned barrel, Astarte waited boredly for her customer to show up. He had requested they meet here. Next to her, the black stallion nickered softly. Head lowering to press his soft nose against her cheek. Smiling faintly, her left-hand rose to caress the bridge of the horse's nose. The dark whisper took more of a liking to animals than mankind. Animals were respectful to the earth and coexisted with each other. Men... they destroyed Gaea's land and her beautiful creatures for sport. All that Gaea gave were gifts to the world, yet man continued to defile them. Some days the Duessa was left to wonder if one day Gaea would strike down mankind and take revenge.
Glancing towards the door, she sighed. He was getting to be rather late. Patience was a virtue she had never learned. Shaking her head sharply, she scowled as she got up from her seat. Tonight was a waste if he didn't show up. Patting the horse on the neck, she gave the creature one last show of compassion before she moved away.
Walking to the stable door, she slowed her approach. A voice from outside caught her attention. No...voices. There was more than one person out there by the sound of it. What was going on' Drawing closer to the door, she looked between the boards. Gaze catching sight of four men standing outside the stable. One she recognized as Ramenal. He was supposed to be her customer for the night. Studying the others, she frowned. They were dressed in mithril armor and wielded mithril blades as well. They were well-armed soldiers that much was for sure. Why would they come here of all places'
'Look I'm here to check on my horse. Nothing more, now leave me be.' Ramenal said sharply to the soldiers. Anger evident in his voice. The soldiers exchanged glances between one another. The tallest of the three men spoke up, ' Is your name Ramenal'~ . He asked calmly, Ramenal was looking for a reason to fight. He would not give him a reason though. 'Aye that be my name...' He stated cautiously. Unsure of how they knew his name.
Glancing to the two short soldiers, she sighed in annoyance. The stupid man thought he could trick them. He was wasting their time. The sooner they got done retrieving the girl, the sooner they could return to the barracks. 'I've had enough of his damn fool. Get him out of my sight, we have business to take care of.' He snapped sharply, tone of voice giving hint his word would not be questioned or else. Seizing Ramenal's arms, the two-armed soldiers led him away from the stable. Alone now, the leader of the three looked at the stable door. Seeing him look at the door, Astarte darted away. Fearful he had seen her.
What was going on '' Who were these men' There was no doubt in her mind they were hired soldiers, but whose' From her right, arose the creaking sound of the door as it was shoved aside. Thankfully, she had left her money at her camp in the forest. There was no fear at least of getting robbed of her money. Through the doorway entered the lead solider. Dread ran through her mind, at sight of the man. He was tall standing at 7'0. His height made Astarte look short even though she herself was tall for a Duessa. When he caught sight of her, tricolor orbs meet his brown orbs unwavering. The appearance of whisper seemed wild and challenging. Her entire stance changing as a look of heat entered her eyes. Eyes holding a blatant look that promised him heat, sex, and violence if he believed he was up to the challenge. From his throat arose a faint sound. Feral in nature as the human's basic instincts recognized the challenge she had issued. If she were to escape, it would have to be now while the others were busy with Ramenal.
'Undress...' She commanded softly. Tricolor gaze never leaving his brown orbs. The best bet would be to get him unarmed then make a run for it. Normally, he would have protested to a woman telling him what to do. This was different tonight. What stood before him entranced his every sense. His orders were now forgotten in the beauty of the whisper. Pulling at the straps that binded his armor together, he moved hastily. Showing clumsiness, in his rush to undress. Letting his belt fall, he seemed to believe he was really going to get her to pleasure him. Across her pale lips a smirk formed. Foolish human...
Beneath her breath she began to chant in her native tongue. Exotic words flowing past her pale lips fluidly. With the chanting of her spell, her left hand was at her side. Aura around her hand crackling as Chill Touch surged through her hand. Beneath the skin, her hand glowed light blue. Lunging forward, she made her move. Latching onto him, her left hand seized his left upper forearm. The solider gasping in pain and surprise at her actions. The power of the spell swept out from her hand in a rush and lashed him his shocked form.
Chills spread through his entire frame, numbing his limbs. Groaning in pain, he collapsed to the floor. Form contorting in pain as shivers racked his body. I t was a humid spring night, yet the Duessa's magic made him feel as though he had fallen into a pond in the middle of winter. As he collapsed to the ground, Astarte had released her hold upon his upper forearm. Across her lips, a smirk formed. Although he could do nothing but shiver, she could imagine the anger -most likely even rage- that was forming within his mind. It would be best if she got away before he recovered. Making a dash for the door, she had no idea what trouble she was in as she attempted to escape. Grabbing the door handle, she flung the door open. Everything from then on moved too quickly to follow. Astarte did not even have time to react to what happened next. The guards had returned to her dismay and had heard the sounds of pain coming from their leader. Out of the corner of her eye, she barely saw the blur of an armored fist lashing towards her. The punch connected with her left temple without warning, her vision swirling. Surroundings becoming less distinctive as a blurry haze filled her vision. Blackness swirled in her vision as she felt herself collapsing to the ground in a heap. Landing hard upon the ground, she grunted faintly as the wind was knocked out of her lungs. Darkness swept away all conscious thought as she gave into the darkness....