other survivors. Venil coughed weakly and spat blood into the dirt. “Sorry about that,” he told Gant, who was lying prone a few feet away on the cold, hard ground.
“That’s okay,” he responded. “I knew what I was getting into.”
A welcome unconsciousness rolled over Venil on the wave of his new friend’s forgiveness.
~
“Wake up.” Venil heard drops of water plopping onto metal above him. “Come on, wake up. We do have little time.” Venil opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar face swim into focus above him. Then he realized the sound he had heard was not water on metal, but this woman snapping her slender fingers in front of his face to get his attention.
“Who?” he began, wondering what this woman was doing in the cage. Had the Artemise moved him while he was out of it?
“We have no time for introductions,” she said. “Not if you want to get out of here with the rest of them. Can you stand?”
Venil sat up, clutching his jaw in one hand. “Might be easier if I had both hands, but I think I can manage.”
The woman looked to Gant, who was struggling to stand as well. “Hold still.”
Gant looked a question at the woman and then, thinking better of putting it into words, did as requested. Venil watched as the woman tore a long strip of cloth from the bottom of her shirt, revealing part of a taut, tanned abdomen of which he knew he would like to see more at some other time. Taking the strip of shirt in one hand, the woman twirled it round until it was one piece of wound up cloth and tied it around Venil’s head, so that it held his dislocated jaw in place. “That will have to do for now,” she told him. “We will take better care of it later.”
She turned toward the open cage door and looked back at the gathered men before stepping through it. “Follow me, and be very quiet.”
As they crept out the door, Venil noted the still form of the Artemise guard on the ground. He did not see any blood, so he assumed the woman was merely unconscious. He hoped that when she awoke it was with a dreadful headache. They made their way around the cage, and he could see that the other two cages had already been emptied of their prisoners. Good to know that this was a tried and true method of escape. They followed the woman out of the camp and down the hill upon which it was based.
Venil did not want to leave without Kelsey, but he knew that he would be of little use to her in his current condition. And it seemed this mystery woman had some knowledge of the Artemise camp. Perhaps she might aid in his rescue of Kelsey, once he was clear of the camp. Kelsey should be safe for another few days, in any case.
As he followed the woman and the other freed men through the wilds of the wasteland, Venil tried contacting Kelsey, but found he could not establish communication with her. He knew the Artemise would not have killed the girl before fulfilling the requirements of their lunar ritual, so he figured he must be out of range of her abilities. Trudging through the wilderness, he admired the muscular movements of the mystery woman’s body from the rear. Her legs, what he could see of them in the moonlight, were toned and well-formed and seemed to stretch forever until reaching that pleasant curve between them and her back.
This area, too, was fit, and Venil felt a stirring of lust that made him envious of the woman’s tight breeches. A loose shirt, torn along the bottom, covered her upper half, but Venil suspected if he were lucky enough to see it removed, he would find what was underneath to be as well maintained as the rest of her. Her dark hair spilled down past her shoulders, stretching to the small of her back. It had been a while, but Venil was not starved for a woman. For this woman, however, he was ravenous. And yet, he was currently in no condition to act upon these feelings, however intense they might be.
The group plodded down a
“That’s okay,” he responded. “I knew what I was getting into.”
A welcome unconsciousness rolled over Venil on the wave of his new friend’s forgiveness.
~
“Wake up.” Venil heard drops of water plopping onto metal above him. “Come on, wake up. We do have little time.” Venil opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar face swim into focus above him. Then he realized the sound he had heard was not water on metal, but this woman snapping her slender fingers in front of his face to get his attention.
“Who?” he began, wondering what this woman was doing in the cage. Had the Artemise moved him while he was out of it?
“We have no time for introductions,” she said. “Not if you want to get out of here with the rest of them. Can you stand?”
Venil sat up, clutching his jaw in one hand. “Might be easier if I had both hands, but I think I can manage.”
The woman looked to Gant, who was struggling to stand as well. “Hold still.”
Gant looked a question at the woman and then, thinking better of putting it into words, did as requested. Venil watched as the woman tore a long strip of cloth from the bottom of her shirt, revealing part of a taut, tanned abdomen of which he knew he would like to see more at some other time. Taking the strip of shirt in one hand, the woman twirled it round until it was one piece of wound up cloth and tied it around Venil’s head, so that it held his dislocated jaw in place. “That will have to do for now,” she told him. “We will take better care of it later.”
She turned toward the open cage door and looked back at the gathered men before stepping through it. “Follow me, and be very quiet.”
As they crept out the door, Venil noted the still form of the Artemise guard on the ground. He did not see any blood, so he assumed the woman was merely unconscious. He hoped that when she awoke it was with a dreadful headache. They made their way around the cage, and he could see that the other two cages had already been emptied of their prisoners. Good to know that this was a tried and true method of escape. They followed the woman out of the camp and down the hill upon which it was based.
Venil did not want to leave without Kelsey, but he knew that he would be of little use to her in his current condition. And it seemed this mystery woman had some knowledge of the Artemise camp. Perhaps she might aid in his rescue of Kelsey, once he was clear of the camp. Kelsey should be safe for another few days, in any case.
As he followed the woman and the other freed men through the wilds of the wasteland, Venil tried contacting Kelsey, but found he could not establish communication with her. He knew the Artemise would not have killed the girl before fulfilling the requirements of their lunar ritual, so he figured he must be out of range of her abilities. Trudging through the wilderness, he admired the muscular movements of the mystery woman’s body from the rear. Her legs, what he could see of them in the moonlight, were toned and well-formed and seemed to stretch forever until reaching that pleasant curve between them and her back.
This area, too, was fit, and Venil felt a stirring of lust that made him envious of the woman’s tight breeches. A loose shirt, torn along the bottom, covered her upper half, but Venil suspected if he were lucky enough to see it removed, he would find what was underneath to be as well maintained as the rest of her. Her dark hair spilled down past her shoulders, stretching to the small of her back. It had been a while, but Venil was not starved for a woman. For this woman, however, he was ravenous. And yet, he was currently in no condition to act upon these feelings, however intense they might be.
The group plodded down a
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