Legends of Belariath

The Quest For The Baron's Silver

Dynamia Crescent - Second Cutlery Set

Wind rustles the leaves of the spring in Belariath as the sweet scent of pollen fills the air. The world alive with rebirth and the budding of many plants to see their days in the forest. A sneeze shatters the quiet of the chirping birds and breeze blown grasses. The ground underfoot sinks into soft leather boot prints as a lone figure makes their way through the deep underbrush to the west of town. The young woman sniffles and rubs her reddened nose...

"Bloody 'ell... why of all time for allergies." The human woman, the knight in training known as Dynamia Crescent, mutters to herself as she pushes another briar bush out of her way. The plant whips back and gently snags on the breeches just above the seam with her boots, the leather brushing off the blow from the barbed plants.

It had so far been uneventful, she mused to herself as she continues in the direction that held an old ruins she suspected held her quarry. She stops and looks towards the sky, then to the trees. She reassesses her position and strikes off in a different direction, making a bank to the right...

Her direction was chosen by the last known path of a small orc raiding party, which she had heard was stealing mostly items of valued “shinnies” by the goblins of the groups. A small farmstead had a young man who provided information as to their path, headed due west of Nanthalion. Not only that, apparently the man’s son had uncovered a key which opened a cave nearby which was supposedly linked to some old ruins out on the foothills.

The sun slowly sets as Dyna wipes her hair from her face, stopping near a small pond. With barely a glance around, the woman sets down her heavy pack and lets her weapons thump to the ground. The sounds of a small spring feeding the pond ripples in the back of her mind as she sits, pulling off her boots slowly, the hot leather stuck to her skin inside. The water is cool on her feet as she lies back to relax, staring into the canopy of trees above, her blue eyes tracking a Jercin tree rat as it scrambles its way across a branch above her.

As light filters through the trees, sun fading to the horizon, Dyna feels herself slipping off into sleep, her head upon her pack, hands resting under her head to add to the pillow effect, and her feet still within the pond, the cool water lapping at her calves. Her mind blurs into the bliss of sleep as the last remnants of the sun vanish over the horizon and dark violet starts to overtake the sky.

Dyna sleeps a sleep more restful than she’s felt in a while… her mind cleared by her duties, her goal. Not often does she get to prove herself, and now, with her mindset, she can rest peacefully set upon her goal with determination. Her dreams are of the sweet sense of the fight, the tension in her limbs from maneuvering and running, and… a stirring within her loins…

She dreams of caresses and tickles and being pressed to the ground, naked, her pale skin born to the light as her petals open to someone. First a gentle kiss, then the tug of fingers as she dreams of being slowly forced open and her juices flowing to make way for something’s probing fingers, tickling her insides. The fingers slowly opened, stretching her channel, allowing 3… then four fingers to press inside, stretching her and eliciting a delightful pain. She can feel the thumb forcing its own entrance as she wakes to an orgasm rushing her senses and jolting her awake.

Dyna blushes as she sees her own hand buried in her crotch, leather breeches around her knees and skirt pulled up with her chain mail, exposing herself to the small pond she was sleeping near. She painfully extracts her hand from herself and strips to quickly cleanse her, drying off as best she can before returning her clothes to their proper places on her person.

With almost a full days walk to the castle ruins, she needed to get moving without too much dilly-dally. Dyna moves at a solid marching pace, continuing west. The forest thins a bit and the stench of orc begins to fill her nose as she gets a strong breeze. She knows that the small base cannot be far off, but knows she cannot waste time.

By mid evening, the young warrior lays low behind some bushes, waiting for signs of orcs. She had finally spied the crumbling structure through the mists which filled the forest and decided to wait to see if any orc patrols worked their way through the area before going brashly into the fray. From the castle’s embattlements, she could see small lights from torches lit by some of the guards, though it seems that the guards themselves did not carry them, simply walked near them.

Sections of the structure were clearly destroyed in ancient wars past, where siege catapults might have blasted away sections of rock and mortar. The sections had been rebuilt in true orc style with large timbers and large rocks, indicating that these orcs likely had allies amongst the trolls or other large kin. The silhouettes of the castle’s inner keep rise above the ruins of the walls, one large blockish building attached to a tall tower that grants a commanding view of the surrounding land. The land around the castle no longer holds any splendor of the civilized flatlands. The ground is broken and cracked in parts, and the forest has been chopped down to feed the fires of the orc encampment.

Dyna waits for a few more moment, deliberating out how best to try and enter the old structure… a turret to the south… or the water gate in the western wall… or perhaps scaling a wall or the front gate. She moves from lying prone to a crouch and readies to dash amongst the remains of the forest towards the small iron grate that allows water into the compound.

With a deep breath, she psyches herself up and darts from stump to stump, taking advantage of the falling night to make her way to the rusted grate that makes up the water passage. She presses herself into the passage, knee deep in water. She looks into the dark water, the shadows making it nearly impossible to see beneath the shining surface. She reaches her gauntleted hand into the water and follows the crumbling metal to a hole below the water. She takes a grip of the edges and pulls hard on the rusted metal, a faint snap rewarding her work, as the hole is made larger. With a few more pulls at the metal, she frees enough of it to get herself into position to go under and through the grating.

Dyna carefully slides her spear, then her mace through the grating to the water on the other side, leaning against the metal. She then takes a deep breath and ducks under the water, using her hands to feel for the edges of the metal. She takes hold and starts to pull herself through, grunting as she nicks herself in the face with the metal edge, a line of red drawn across her cheek. She continues to pull herself through, feeling the metal snag on her breeches as well, dragging a large rip in the leather, a pain in her leg as the metal bites her there as well.

She comes up from the water, breathing heavily and dripping wet. She takes her mace in hand and spear over should as she pulls up from the water to look over the inside of the compound. She sees a few goblins making their way around, carrying water buckets, and a few orcs on the embattlements. Off on the far side of the compound was a structure linking the keep and the walls by a bridge. She continues to assess the situation while she regains some of her breath and figures out how to time her run.

Her tactical mind is knocked off by the sudden loudening of voices as she realizes the goblins are approaching the water. She presses herself into the gateway again, hiding as best she can amongst the shadows. Her hand clutches at her belt to free a single clawed strap attachment to her gauntlet. She tightens the strap quickly and waits until she sees the two goblins wade slightly into the water and begin to duck their buckets in. With a sudden leap she lunges at the goblins, punching the first in the head, her claw crushing a portion of the surprised creature’s face, causing him to fall forward into the water, and her other hand grabs for the second goblin’s shoulder.

With a quick shift she slams him face first into the water as well and presses her knees to their backs, letting them thrash under her control as the air in their lungs slowly is forced to leave and water replaces it. With a few final twitches, she knows they are done for and starts a dash towards the nearest structure, a round turret in the wall in the southwest, though she realizes she is slightly off her bearing now that she is within the compound.

She slips in through a large wooden door of the turret and turns to lean against the wall, breathing heavily as she hears voices of alarm outside, her goblin victims already found from all the commotion. She would have to work quickly and now avoid guards actively looking for her. She turns from the door and is suddenly knocked back against the hard stonewall as an orc pins her shoulder to the wall.

“And…. What ‘ave we ‘ere? A ‘ittle stinky ‘uman?” The foul creature smiles with a disgusting leer, “an ‘ittle doggy ‘uman bitch?” it laughs, tightening it’s grip against her shoulder and pressing one of its hands to her stomach, roughly trying to lift her chain mail, the orcs large fingers working their way roughly down to her breeches where it tries to force its hand into the waist. With only a little bit of its fingertips inside, the orc yanks down, shredding the leather along the seams and exposing Dyna’s already damp crotch and legs. “Oi, an ‘ittle slut bitch too…” the orc leers again.

Dyna, setting her face in a scowl clenches her fists in her gauntlets, waiting as the orc goes to touch her sex. She heaves her body forward, bringing the claw of one gauntlet up into the orc’s chin, punching up through the base of his mouth. The creature stumbles back, pulling Dyna away from the wall as it goes to try and extricate her claw from it’s face, only to get walloped with her other metal clad hand, ripping the claw from his jaw and sending him crumpling to the ground, his face a bloody mess. A breeze through the dark window reminds Dyna of her newfound openness to the world. The remains of her shorts still cling to her legs and rear, but the crotch allows her scent to enter the air.

With a huff of frustration, Dynamia heads to a door that leads the direction she thinks she wants to go, north. Listening first for guards, she slowly opens the door and runs from the small room into a long narrow hall. Her leather clad feet pad along the floor heavily as she reaches the next door, from which she can smell a cooking fire… with caution, she opens the door and sees what is left of a small mess hall. She slides along the wall next to another door that a light glow emanates from beneath. She listens again, hearing someone working on the other side.

Dyna bursts through the door, surprising a goblin that was apparently working over a large bonfire style fire built in the remains of the kitchen. Dyna grabs him roughly by the shoulders as he cowers and slams him up against the wall, “Where do you keep your treasure?” she asks in a low voice, bringing her claw to the goblin’s throat. “And if you try to yell, I kill you, you foul thief.”

The goblin clutches at her hands blubbering, “I’s no know what you looking for!” He squeals, “No hurt Krimk, no hurt Krimk!”

“Then talk, little one! I haven’t got much time!” she growls, pressing the dagger lightly into the goblin’s skin. “I need to know what ‘appened to the silver knives that were stolen. Where are they?”

“Krimk has some…” Krimk struggles to say without hurting himself, he points a shaking hand towards a chopping board which has a set of three knives, but the set included 6…

“And what of the rest?” she asks impatiently, striking the goblin against the wall again, “Where are the other three?”

“They’s in mastah’s room. In keep! No kill Krimk. Krimk helpful!” he desperately pulls at the strong woman’s hands to try and free himself.

The sound of orcs in the hall makes Dyna remember she is being pursued, “Feel lucky that I’m in a rush and feeling merciful…” she drops the goblin heavily and moves to the counter quickly to snatch up the case and the knives. She looks back to Krimk, who points to a door at the far end of the room, still shaking. She runs for the door and throws it open, dashing down a short turning corridor before she is led to a door. The door’s bars allow her to see the courtyard outside, and the keep not far, but no doors. The shadow of the bridge above her reminds her that she will have to make it the long way.

She turns and heads for a staircase at the other end of the hall, near the door she came into the corridor. She dashes up the stairs and into another room, a preparation room of some kind. She works her way to another door, this one broken from the hinges and leaning askew against the stone frame. Beyond she can see the bridge. She takes the knives and their case and runs her belt around it, turning it into a shoulder strap after a fashion and slips it on before moving the heavy wooden door. The wood slides slowly to the side, where she carefully lets it rest against the wall before ducking and moving slowly across the bridge.

The bridge, high over the inner courtyard is broken where old attacks must have taken out supports and parts. She creeps across a creaking wooden set of planks set up as makeshift walkways and ducks to the other side, resting a moment in the protective nook of the bridge’s sides. Dyna reaches down between her legs and gently massages herself, attempting to alleviate some of the itch growing within her, cursing herself for getting turned on in tense moments like these. She works one metal clad finger into herself and works it in and out for a moment, getting herself good and wet before pulling out, reminding herself that she has a mission…

She forces herself up to her knees and then to her feet, creeping towards the door of the tower attached to the keep. She reaches out and tugs on the door, pulling it open with a creaking sound. Her mace drawn in hand and senses at the ready, she slowly advances through a darkened room, a dining room of some kind. The glint of silver catches her eye from a plate set with a silver knife atop it… one of the remaining 3 in the set. She reaches out and gently lifts it. She wipes off crumbling food from its edge and wipes it off on her torn breeches. She stops, looking at the blade… thinking to herself. She looks around and leans against the table. She then takes the tip of the blade and gently presses it to the inside of her thigh where some of her breeches were torn away and gently presses the tip into her skin, drawing a droplet of blood. She lets out a sigh of pleasure and closes her eyes… then pulls the blade away and slips it into its case.

She makes her way over to another door, listening carefully. Sounds echo through the halls of the keep as she slips into the corridor and creeps her way along, trying to find the stairs. Practically falling into the remains of a spiral staircase, Dyna climbs up towards the third floor, her personal senses telling her she is on the right path, knowing many old castles from her Imperial training.

She continues to move softly through the keep, another corridor with many doors, most broken open. One is an old bath, another a busted up bedroom, and then, finally, the double doors bearing an ancient and worn crest. She looks behind her, startled by the sound of approaching footsteps. Torchlight begins to fill the corridor just before she ducks into the master bedchamber. Dyna holds her breath by the door and waits.

A gruff orcish voice calls out, “Oi, I’s wants all d’ese rooms checked roit quick!” The bellowing voice sounding none too pleased. Scrambling feet herald the approach of several goblins and smaller orcs. Dyna dashes across the room and makes small dive under the bed, rolling over herself to fully hide beneath the furs that flop over the side of the bed. Her nose picks up on the scent of dead as she looks over and sees the sprawled form a slave girl, a silver knife… thrust through her chest… cut marks all across her body, showing the torture she must have gone through. Dyna shivers and feels herself continuing to get excited as the door opens and heavy footfalls tell her that a larger member of the search party now seeks her.

She holds her breath as the figure walks about the room, slowly but surely checking each corner and closet. Finally, one heavily armored foot stands at the foot of the bed, mere inches from her face. She holds one armored hand over her sex, praying her scent doesn’t give her away. The figure stomps its way to the door, throwing it open, “OI!” the voice bellows, the leader apparently… “Check da towa! Oi don’t wont no place unchecked!” He storms out, continuing on his way with lacking scraping after him.

Dyna holds her breath a few more seconds and lets out a slow sigh, realizing she is dripping wet now. She slides herself out from below the bed and looks about the chamber. She moves over to the corpse and gently extracts the knife… then, looking her over… reaches down and pulls the pair of panties from her ankle. “I guess she won’t be needin’ these anymore…” She then works her own breeches off carefully and slips the leather thong on quickly, the fit snug and squeezing her crotch tight, the leather already beginning to feel slightly damp, but it would have to do. On the bed stand the final knife waits for Dyna to retrieve it. She slips the two knives into their case and creeps towards the door, leaning out the open portal to see just what is going on.

With no orcs or goblins visible, she makes her way back into the corridor and towards the spiral stairs. Dynamia quickens her pace as she hears goblins in the hallways, not sure if they are above or below her, but figuring she can make it back to the dining room and too the bridge. She moves into the hallway and towards the dining area, and then jumps as a surprised shriek comes from behind her.

“Oi’ve found ‘er! Oi’ve found tha stinkin’ ‘umey!” a goblin screeches for its compatriots, pulling a nasty looking blade and advancing on the knight.

Dyna pulls her mace from her hip and brings it around suddenly in the tight corridor, knocking the goblin back down the hallway on his arse, his blade clattering to the ground. “She’s ‘eaded fo the bridge!!!” he squeals as she turns and books it into the dining hall, the stomping of running steps coming from the hall beyond the goblin. Dyna throws open to door to the bridge and begins to run across, the clatter of a crossbow bolt ricocheting off of the stonework behind her.

She skids to a stop as the door in front of her opens, 2 orcs stepping out from the servant’s building. She does a quick, stumbling turn just in time to see goblins opening the door she just came through. Her mace back on her belt, she pulls her spear from her back, readying it to fight to the last. A second crossbow bolt hits her squarely in the back; punching through her chain mail just below her ribs, pain searing her flesh. She twists and looks between the two forces advancing.

Stumbling back to her feet, see looks down at the courtyard below. With a sly look to the orcs, she salutes with one hand and jumps high into the air, bringing the spear down under her to hit the wooden planking of the bridge, splintering the flimsy makeshift bridge and sending her and the debris toward the courtyard below. Dyna hits the ground hard and rolls the crossbow bolt breaking in her back. She hauls herself to her feet and makes her way towards the waterway with as much speed as she could muster, throwing herself in the water as several more crossbow bolts land in the dirt and water around her.

Not even caring, the knight in training hauls herself through the grating again, catching her leg again, a deeper cut. She grabs her mace and spear from the other side of the grate and quickly re-slings them on her back before stumbling up and out of the water and booking it for the tree line, yells from the orcish encampment drifting into shadows behind her, a small trail of blood left behind by the fleeing warrior.

As dawn slowly begins to rise over the forest, Dyna collapses near a familiar spring, exhausted. She finally allows herself to sleep, sweet unconsciousness her reward for all her trials. Her last thoughts of that massive orc she was nearly caught by, her hand drifting towards her crotch in her sleep…

With thanks to Dynamia

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