Kardan took her time walking down the hill towards Dirk. The information she had received from Graff was encouraging, but it left her a little bothered. The foremost issue in her mind was her arrangement with Dirk. Their business was now concluded, and she had to decide how to handle that. If she was going to be reverting back to her former self she definitely didn't want to explain that to him. She made her decision by the time she reached him at the bottom of the hill; they would part ways at this juncture. Not only would the explanations of her situation be awkward, but she also had begun to care about him enough that she didn't want him getting killed.
"Did you get what you were after?" Dirk asked her as she neared him. "As much as could be got." She replied. Dirk seemed to realise what this meant as well. "Well... what now?" He asked, shrugging. "I had just been thinking that." Kardan began, "and I suppose we are ended." She concluded. Dirk looked a little disappointed, but he didn't argue. "I suppose so." He conceded. There was a long pause while neither knew whether they should walk away or not. "I want you to know that I came to enjoy our...time together." Kardan told him. Dirk nodded. "I wonder if I could ask you to spend one more night with me before we part," Dirk said, "if you want to." He added.
Kardan looked at him a moment, and then smiled.
As evening set on the two lovers they were laying on their blanket near the fire. Dirk was cuddled up behind Kardan, his cock pressing against her backside. He began working her sex with his fingers, causing sighs from Kardan. Moisture built inside her as she turned her head to kiss him. When her excitement had made her ready, he pressed the head of his member against the burning opening to her body. Slowly he slid inside her, feeling her body accommodate him. Kardan pressed back into him, enjoying the feeling of her body being filled.
They intertwined in this fashion for some time and then, desiring her own climax, Kardan pulled away from him and turned. Facing Dirk she crawled on top of him and straddled his hips, she lowered her pussy onto his shaft, feeling the fullness once more. Taking control she began grinding into him, Dirk accommodating her by thrusting up at her pace. Soon she was moaning and crying out, her orgasm overpowering her. Her energy and pleasure drove Dirk to his breaking point as well, and shortly after Kardan started cumming, he peaked as well. He filled her slit with his fluid as they both revelled in the pleasures of their final coupling.
When the cold, grey dawn began kissing Dirk with its dew he awoke - to find himself alone under his sheepskins. He stared a moment, looking at the empty place left behind by the strange woman-fighter he had barely known...
Traveling alone proved faster for Kardan, and by the following morning she was entering a small town on the other side of the hills. She had not eaten for most of a day, and she eagerly sought some place to find some food. A modest inn sat in the center of the town, and she made her way towards it. The entire population of the settlement could not have been more than fifty people, though doubtless more were spread out in the surrounding farms. Those that were there all eyed the strange woman who swaggered in, staring down anyone who met her eyes. Kardan walked up to the door of the inn and stepped into the dimly lit interior.
There were no patrons inside, and the only room was lit by a few candles and some small windows scattered along the far wall. Kardan walked up to the bar, and just as she was about to wonder if she was alone, the owner of the place emerged. It was a woman who stepped out of the back room to greet her. She was perhaps thirty years old, light brown hair tied back from her face. Her body seemed healthy and strong, with a generous bosom to boot. She had a tough look about her. One got the impression she had acquired it from growing up too fast, being a pretty girl in such a time and place as she lived in. Her eyes were a bright hazel, and her mouth was sensual but warned that she had no taste for nonsense.
"I don't know you." She said flatly. Kardan shrugged. "I don't know you either." The owner of the bar looked Kardan over, not sure whether or not she liked her new guest. "Usually it's men who come struttin' in here with swords. I'm not sure what I make of you." She told the warrior woman. "You can make me out to be a friend, unless you have some need of an enemy." The woman nodded, seeming to like Kardan's answer. "Very well then. What can I do for you?" Kardan moved a little closer. "I would like some food, I don't have much money but I do have some." She told the innkeeper.
The woman nodded and moved off, back towards the back room. She told Kardan that she didn't have much to offer besides rice and chicken, and Kardan told her that was just fine. As the food was cooking they gradually began conversing a little more, until they found themselves in a full-out conversation. "My name is Bethany." The woman told Kardan. She told Kardan that she had lived in the same area all her life; mostly in the town she now ran her business in. "What's the business like in a small place like this." Kardan asked. "Not." Bethany answered. "To tell the truth most of the folk around here still hold some resentment for me retiring into honest trade." Kardan raised her eyebrows, and then she guessed what Bethany meant.
"At first the men used to come round, thinking I was still selling my usual services under the luxury of a rented roof. But when they found out that I had started sittin' with my legs crossed they decided to do their eatin' and drinkin' at home." Kardan felt like she should offer sympathy, especially since she had recently experienced the reality that sex was the only trade most men in her world wanted from a woman like her. She wasn't sure what to say though. "Of course, strangers drift through from time to time, though not usually as unique as you." Bethany added. "Well, I've had an odd life." Kardan stated, smiling at how true that was.
Despite Kardan's laconic form of speaking, the two women became more comfortable with each other. When it came time for Kardan to request a room as well, Bethany had answered before she even finished asking. "Pay what you can," She told Kardan, "I don't want to leave you penniless." Kardan thanked her. She also told Kardan that the back room had a small bath, and that she could heat up some water. This news was very appreciated, since Kardan had not bathed since washing herself in a river after her last night with Dirk. Bethany put the water over the hearth, and the two shared a bottle of wine as they waited for it to warm.
The two woman's conversation never got too personal, just light pleasantries to pass the time and increase their comfort with each other. By the time the bath was ready both women were a little tipsy. Kardan found herself relishing the sensation of being relaxed and worry free, even if it was partially just the alcohol. The two women moved into the back room where the large wooden bathtub sat steaming. Kardan began to disrobe, carefully placing her weapons where she could reach them. "Do you mind if I stay?" Bethany asked, "I'm enjoying talking to another woman for a change. I understand if you want your privacy though." Kardan was also enjoying the relaxed nature of their conversation. She informed Bethany that she would be grateful if she kept her company during her bath.
Kardan could not help but sigh as she sunk her body into the hot water. She had not realised how taught and poised all the muscles in her body had been until she made the conscious effort to relax. Bethany smiled as she watched the warrior woman unwind in the steaming bath water. "It looks like you have been travelling a while." She said quietly. Kardan reclined in the wooden tub and spread her limbs around her. "Longer than I would care to say, with nothing but cold steam water to bathe in." Kardan turned her head and smiled at her hostess. "This," She added, "Is a miraculous luxury." Bethany returned her smile. "I'm glad to have provided it to you." She said warmly.
There was a moment's silence.
"So what is the story of this town? What goes on here?" Kardan asked after the pause. Bethany had brought another flagon of wine with her, and she handed a cup of it to Kardan. The warrior woman took the offered wine and swallowed a deep gulp of it. "Very little." Bethany said in response to Kardan's question. "It is a man's town, full of gamblers and ex-killers. Men come here to get too old for living lives of toil or murder." Kardan nodded. "That does not seem like a place a woman would choose to live, unless..." She did not finish her sentence, but her companion knew her meaning. "Unless she is a whore?" Bethany offered in completion to Kardan's thought." Kardan looked stern, sorry for her words. "Or a devoted wife." She added.
Bethany laughed. "I am not that, to be sure. Though I was once the other." Kardan gave her a look that bordered on sympathy. Regardless of the circumstances, she knew what it was like to have nothing but her body to offer. "And now?" She inquired. "Now," Bethany said with a sigh, "Now I am an outcast. The men resent me for trying to live honestly. By depriving them of my body I have managed to make myself the least popular person in the town. That is why I have so much wine to offer the rare, amiable traveler." Kardan took another sip of her wine. "I am sorry for your predicament, but I do appreciate the hospitality." She said. "It must be hard to live with no friendship. Are there no other women whom you know?"
Bethany looked ashamed, though she tried to hide it. The drink prompted her to honest talk, however, and she answered plainly. "The women in town resent me almost as much as the men." She said. "Why is that?" Kardan asked. Bethany looked her companion square in the eye, staring her down as she answered. "Because it had gotten around that, not only do I avoid men, but I bed women as well." Kardan met her gaze. "Is that true?" She asked. "Yes." Bethany answered. There was a moment's silence as the two regarded each other. "I suppose I have made you uncomfortable." Bethany said. Kardan's smile spread slowly. "Not at all. I have no such prejudices."
Bethany's hand drifted into the warm water, circling the surface. Tiny whirlpools drifted from her fingertips as she swirled them in the bath. She brushed Kardan's leg softy. It was so gentle that Kardan might not have felt it if she hadn't been watching Bethany's finger creep nearer. Even such a slight touch sent a mild shiver up her thigh. Since her transformation she had not had the opportunity to lie with a woman, and the thought intrigued her. The hardened warrior woman found herself getting excited at the advances of this lonely innkeeper whom she had only just met.
With equal trepidation she crept her own hand forward and brushed Bethany's fingers as they approached her a second time. Small as it was, mutual contact had been made. Both women smiled at each other, they eyes looking into one another with growing intensity. No words were spoken, but there was no question that they understood each other completely. Bethany had offered and Kardan had accepted. Kardan reached out of her warm blanket of water and ran her hand up Bethany's arm. The innkeeper sighed and her skin prickled. Kardan's hand kept moving upward until is cradled the back of her head. The warrior played with her hostess' soft hair for a moment, and then pulled her face towards her own. Bethany did not hesitate to return the gesture as Kardan brought their lips together for a tentative kiss.
The kiss lasted some time, the passion between the two women growing. Bethany's hand dove into the bath again, this time to softy caress Kardan's submerged bosom. Kardan pulled her closer, her excitement mounting. After a short while one of Bethany's hands moved lower, playing over Kardan's flat stomach. Her finger slid still further until she cupped the warrior woman's sex, rubbing it tenderly. Kardan moaned a little and reached up to grope her hostess' breasts through her modest clothes, leaving a wet handprint on the linen. Bethany began to remove her own garments as they attacked each other over and over again.
The innkeeper had to break their embrace to shrug off her dress. Kardan sat up in the tub, watching her lover disrobe. The dress finally fell from her body and onto the floor. Bethany stepped out of it and stood before her guest, fully exposed. Kardan noticed the small scars that adored a few places on Bethany's skin, yet she didn't mind them at all. She knew she had a far greater collection of wounds on her own body, the transformation hadn't changed that. The women locked eyes again, and Bethany approached the tub looking hungry. Kardan reached to meet her, sliding her hands up Bethany's smooth, curvy legs. Kardan was relived in a way, to still find such a soft and feminine body so attractive. She loved how different Bethany looked from her own taut muscles and sunburnt skin.
Kardan's touch reached Bethany's groin, and she slid her finger past the soft pubic hair to tease the folds of her womanhood. Bethany moaned quietly as Kardan began to return the gesture she had performed a few moments earlier. She was surprised as her guest pulled her even closer and craned up to kiss her mound. Kardan smiled and motioned for Bethany to move over the bathtub. The innkeeper felt her body grow even moister as she straddled the head of the tub, parting her thighs. She lowered herself down as her lovers mouth came back up. This time Bethany moaned louder as Kardan began to pleasure her with her tongue.
Kardan quickly brought about the first of her hostess' climaxes this way. When Bethany had finished moaning from her ecstasy, she pulled away from her lover, panting and smiling gratefully. Kardan stepped out of the tub, her body dripping with soapy water. She sat on the edge of the vessel as Bethany slid down to kneel in front of her. Kardan spread her muscular legs as Bethany reciprocated her oral pleasure. Kardan relaxed and succumbed to the sensations her lover was providing. She felt her hostess' finger slide inside her as her mouth worked on her most sensitive areas. The warrior woman played with her own breasts as Bethany devoured her.
As the sun set slowly, the two women found themselves in Bethany's bedchamber. They were still entangled with each other, desperate to bring their lover more and more pleasure. The advantage, Kardan realised, to two women lying together was that they were virtually inexhaustible. The climax no longer signalled the conclusion of their love making, and both women seemed eternally hungry for more. Finally, as the night wore on, the two lovers lay motionless apart from their heaving chests. They were gasping and glistening with sweat as they held each other close. It was many hours after their passion had first been aroused before they allowed themselves to sleep.
The two lovers rested peacefully all night and did not arise until late in the morning. Kardan awoke fist, starting up from the bed with her eyes wide open. It took her a moment to recall where she was and what had happened. As the memory came back to her she looked over at the sleeping form of Bethany and smiled, relaxing back into the bed. Bethany began to stir as well, and her groggy eyes flitted open to see the dark-skinned face of her companion admiring her. Kardan brought her lips ruthlessly down on Bethany's, kissing her hard. The innkeeper returned her kiss with fervour.
It was another hour before the two women came downstairs to make themselves breakfast. Though the mean was merely a second helping of rice and chicken, Kardan was far from disappointed. It had been a long time since she had known the comfort of two hot meals and a comfortable bed, and she was more than happy with her companion. "I suppose it would be too great a hope to think you may not resume your travels, at least for a short time?" Bethany asked as the two of them ate their breakfast. "It is true that I have to depart," Kardan replied, meeting the other woman's eyes. "Yet I believe that I could spare a few more nights before I leave. I could use the. rest." The woman laughed softly, grateful for each others company for as long as it could last.
Their mirth was suddenly shattered by the front door being ripped open. Kardan immediately leapt to her feel and reached out for her weapons which were, as always, nearby. Her eyes darted to the entrance to see the grizzled man who had just kicked it open. His clothing was little more than mended rags and his hair was an oily tail that was tied back from his face. He had a large dagger on his belt and a short sword to accompany it. "Good morrow to thee, whore." The man said, addressing Bethany. He shifted his gaze to Kardan, who was slowly drawing her sword from its scabbard. "I don't know what to call this one, the woman who acts like she is equal to a man and likes to carry a blade."
"What do you want, Kren?" Bethany demanded. Kardan was still edging around the table, gaining a better line of attack on their intruder. "Gods, I can smell it on you two." Kren spat, glaring at the two unconventional women. KArdan let her eyes drift out of the smoke-coloured windows of the inn. She saw several other shapes moving around outside. She surmised that there were at least four men waiting around the building. There was most likely another one or two at the back as well. "If you don't want anything then get out," Bethany demanded, "I've already made it clear that I will not pander to your drunken manner." Kren sneered.
"Oh, but I do want something," He said, "As do plenty of other people in this town. I'm here to inform you that you are to be removed from this place. We are casting you out, exiling you. We demand to see you depart from this inn this very moment or we shall remove you ourselves. We will not tolerate your ways any more. Shunning men and corrupting women." Bethany met his gaze with a level stare of resentment. "I shall not let any man in this pile of offal tell me what to do." She said plainly. "To be honest," Kren said, "I held hopes that you would refuse. I find it far more enjoyable to have you resist."
He backed out the door and, before Kardan could stop him, gestured to his friends outside. Almost instantly the main window shatters and a blazing torch crashed into the table. More burning sticks followed. Bethany tried to stifle the flames but it was of no use, soon the inn was smouldering as the fire spread. Kren was standing at the door looking insufferable smug. "Why not step outside, ladies?" He quipped, "I have brought more than enough men to show you what you have been shunning." Kardan understood perfectly. There was only one real option left, and she certainly was not going to allow herself to be violated by a cadre of malicious men.
Kardan's dagger stuck squarely in Kren's chest, much to his surprise. Before it had even struck its mark she was running after it, sword raised. She opened his body cleanly from the throat to his hip, and then stooped to recover her dagger. "Stay behind me!" She shouted to Bethany, "Watch my back!" Bethany only hesitated for a second before dashing after the warrior. Her life there was gone, each moment the flames took whatever was left of it. She knew she was no longer safe on her own.
Outside three men ran to meet the charging valkyrie. She lunged at the closest man, the man on her left. He sword tip arced across her body, gathering her opponent's blade as he swung a clumsy cut at her with his rusty weapon. Pivoting to the outside, she glanced off of the impact of the blade and brought her sword down across his arms, severing them both. She then stepped again and moved behind him as she severed his neck with the false edge of her weapon. The man's body fell at the feet of his two companions and Kardan assumed a low guard.
She moved around the fallen body of her first opponent to engage the man on her right. Her first cut was parried and driven upwards. Her enemy tried to bind the blade high without following up, prompting Kardan to launch a vicious kick into his groin before retreating and throwing another downward blow. This time she connected and her blade split skull and brain on its merciless path. Kardan wasted no time in turning her attentions to the next foe. The next swordsman to face her attacked with a hard rising cut. Kardan attacked in counter time, stepping in and to the inside to ensure her ascending blow landed first. She opened the would-be assassin's belly, leaving him stumbling in his agony. He was quickly dispatched by a thrust to the kidneys.
Kardan spun around, scanning the burning house. As she had expected, there was a man watching the back door. With all the commotion out front he had come running to help his friends, only much too late. Kardan waited patiently for his approach. This final assailant was furious when he saw what was left of his companions. The two fighters began circling each other, one seething with rage and the other dead calm. The first few attacks were tentative, and Kardan dealt with them easily. As murderous as this man was he was not going to risk attacking her in a hurry.
Kardan did not feel she had the luxury of time on her side, not knowing how long it would be before more irate townspeople arrived. She closed in and threw several decicive attacks, but her cautious opponent retreated and parried each of them. Yet he could not run backwards as deftly as she could run forwards. Kardan feinted once and then passed deeply foreword with her back leg, tearing her opponent's blade aside with her guard. She reached out with her left hand across her foe's body and, stepping behind him, threw him over her hip. As soon as he hit the hard ground she drove her blade through his body and into the dirt.
As Kardan looked up, seeking more threats, all she saw was Bethany's stunned face watching her. She withdrew her swords from the last of the fallen men, a small geyser of blood erupting up to follow it. She wiped her blade clean on the dead man's clothes before walking slowly towards Bethany. She smiled weakly at her, sympathetic to the position she was in.
"It is not safe for you here anymore," Kardan said gently, "You must leave. Shall we go together?" The warrior woman held out her hand to her lover, entreating her to come. Bethany was only silent for a moment. She was certain that, if nothing else, she would be safe with this woman. Still shaken, the innkeeper nodded and took Kardan's hand in her own. Together the two women raced away from the smouldering wreckage of the place that one of them had called home.