“What is Atrocious charged with?” Kira asked the question in a tone that strongly indicated she expected a prompt answer.

The captain’s lower lip trembled as she formed the word. “M… murder.”

“Murder?” Kira threw her head back and laughed. “That girl’s never killed anyone.”

“She slaughtered thirty nuns according to the warrant, ma’am.”

“Thirty nuns?” Kira’s brow darkened as she fixed the unfortunate captain with a stern and searching look. “Have you been smoking that weed again?”

Sylvie took a quick step back. “No maim! I mean ma’am!”

There was a tittering of laughter from the soldiers assembled behind laughed at their captain’s expense. Atrocious couldn’t help but giggle too, the woman was looking sheepish and guilty as hell.
(more…)

They could have argued on and on forever, but the tension was broken with yet more tension as a mail clad fist pounded on the far side of the closed door.

“Open up in the name of the queen!”

“Oh my gods,” Atrocious whispered in a squeak. “They’re here.”

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

“OPEN UP!”

“Get up,” Kira said in a low voice, patting Atrocious’ bare bottom with a calm and comforting touch. Atrocious obeyed immediately, sliding off Kira’s lap and pulling her britches up quickly. It was bad enough being cornered by soldiers, she wasn’t going to be caught with her pants down too.
(more…)

“I hate you all,” Atrocious sobbed, entirely ignored over Kira’s lap.

Rogette gave a little shiver and looked around. Her mother had been a medicine woman and a certain sensitivity had been passed onto Rogette. Sometimes she felt things, premonitions, whispers in the ether. In the moments after Atrocious’ spanking she could feel forces unknown baying for her bottom. With furrowed brow she bit her thumb towards the shadowy little devils who wanted trouble for her.

Ayla caught her eye, raising a questioning brow. “And who was that directed at?”

“I don’t know,” Rogette replied. “I sense trouble.”

“That’s just Atrocious,” Kira said, slapping Atrocious’ bottom lightly.

“Let me go!” Atrocious demanded, finding courage from some dark recess of her brain where her wits had been stunted.

“No, I don’t think I will,” Kira replied. “I think I’ll spank you again.”
(more…)

The shrieking and fighting continued unabated for quite some time. Neither Atrocious nor Rogette were willing to either give quarter or do enough damage to actually hurt the other person so they ended up rolling around near the embers of the fire, forcing Ayla, then Kira to lift their feet as they went past in an awkward tumbling mass of arms and legs and increasingly bare body parts.

The entire place had borne the brunt of their outburst, chairs and tables were scattered hither and thither, some intact, some in pieces. The battle could have gone on forever and a day had their fracas not sent Atrocious hurtling towards the stone surround of the fireplace with dangerous speed. She would perhaps have brained herself if she had not been caught in Kira’s strong hands and hauled summarily over the knee of the very same.
(more…)

“Yeah, you’re a giver alright,” Atrocious said snidely, glaring at Rogette. “You give your body away for all it’s worth, which is apparently nothing more than a roll in the hay.”

“See now you’ve gone and messed with the wrong girl,” Rogette scowled, launching herself at Atrocious in a furious flurry of open palmed slaps that caught the so called thief around the face, ears and wherever else she could make contact. “I’m not going to take your shit, even if they do,” she declared roughly.

“No. Stop. Stop it at once. Or later. Whatever works for you.” Kira spoke in a dry, disinterested drawl, folding her arms over her chest and watching as Atrocious had her ass handed to her by the bandit. Ayla did not seem inclined to intervene either, turning a deaf ear to Atrocious’ squeals for help as Rogette smacked her around. (more…)

Kira took Rogette by the proffered wrist and tugged her away in a spinning motion. “You do not got this,” she said, slapping the robber’s bottom soundly. “Go and sit down.”

“I tried,” Rogette shrugged helplessly at Atrocious who was once again left to the mercy of two angry women.

Ayla was the first to speak. Her voice was cold and hard. “What has gotten into you lately?”

“Don’t know,” Atrocious shrugged.

“No, that’s not going to be enough,” Ayla snapped, putting her hands on her hips and looming over Atrocious. “You’ve been very rude, especially to Kira, to whom you owe your life, I might note. She’s not obligated to be here you know, she’s putting herself at risk on your behalf and all you can do in return is act like a complete little bitch.”
(more…)

Atrocious returned to the inn, where she and Ayla said absolutely nothing to one another. Ayla was so absorbed in her potion making that a small battle could have taken place outside and she probably wouldn’t have paid any attention. Being ignored did not help Atrocious’ mood at all. She sat in the corner of the inn near the door, brooding silently whilst Ayla stirred her cauldron.

Rogette and Kira turned up a couple of hours later. Rogette was looking very well satisfied with a smirk on her face like a cat that had gotten into the cream. The robber was dressed in a robe that was about two sizes too big for her – obviously something she’d stolen at the last moment to make up for her shredded clothing that was probably still littering the bushes. Kira didn’t seem any different, but she did have her arm draped possessively over Rogette’s shoulders, which pissed Atrocious off for reasons she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
(more…)

“What else is new,” Atrocious scowled. “I regret everything I’ve ever done. What makes you think I give a damn if you hit me now? Go on.” She put her hands down and took a step into Kira’s range. “Go on then. Hit me and make yourself feel better. Someone might as well feel good.”

With a sort of mad inspiration provided by wild hormonal imbalance, Atrocious had managed to say one of the very few things capable of stopping an angry Kira in her tracks. Instead of grabbing the little thief and thrashing her on the spot, Kira stopped and looked at her with an incredulous expression on her face.
(more…)

Once robber and thief had been wrangled down from the roof and into the inn, things quickly became interesting. Kira was clearly still interested in punitive action, but she’d given her word it would not occur. She stood with her back to the fireplace, her arms folded across her chest, her expression watchful and grim. Atrocious and Rogette sat very close together at a little table, smiling and whispering all sorts of little secrets and jokes to one another, which only served to make Kira glower all the more.

“How long are we planning on staying here?” The warrior’s impatience got the better of her yet again as she turned to her magical friend.

“A week or so,” Ayla said calmly. She had lit the fireplace and was boiling a travel sized cauldron atop the flames. A scattering of various dried herbs was laid out around her and she seemed quite absorbed in her work, though she had not stated precisely what her work was. A few strands of her pale hair had worked their way loose and floated about her face, making her look ethereal and somehow dainty.

“It’s good you’re staying,” Rogette said to Atrocious. “I can show you a few things.”

“You can show me how you climb the way you do,” Atrocious said admiringly. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“It’s easy, you just need some practice,” Rogette said. “Come on, I’ll show you in the forest.” The two young women scraped their stools back and made for the door, but were stopped by Kira’s voice.

“No.” Kira said firmly. “Atrocious isn’t going anywhere.”
(more…)

Not content to gloat about her daring rescue, the robber danced down off the roof. She was supremely graceful in her acrobatics as she leaped from the thatch to a tree then slid down to the ground. Atrocious, who was not quite so ready to come down and put herself back in the warrior’s path, stayed safely above the fray as an observer.

“Come out here, crone!” Rogette called from the clearing in front of the inn. She was staying well clear of the door, keeping her flight options open. One funny move from Kira and the robber would be able to disappear into the dense undergrowth.

Kira came out and stood a sword’s length away from the robber, her arms folded over her chest. Kira was an impressive sight, especially when her temper rose. All the leather and steel she wore seemed to bristle with her, making her something more than just a woman. (more…)