Chapter 5

Betty was one of the last to catch her breath, and one of the few who didn’t end up spilling or spitting coffee after Pallah recounted his morning. Irritated by the rooster’s relentless first light squawking, he’d awakened before the sun, went into the coop, and screamed cock-a-doodle-doo at the bird, startling it - and the rest of the chickens - awake as a small measure of revenge.

A little over a week had passed since the General had rounded up Josephine’s thralls along the road and things were going well. The locals were beginning to thin out due to having spent their saved coin. It would be a while before they cycled through the General’s randy soldiers, who were obviously well paid, because they typically left extra for the girls. Word was apparently spreading along the road as well, because they were starting to see many more travelers.

Thanks to the general’s quartermaster and locals trading things for a hump, Betty no longer had to fear short supplies. The girls had spent some of their hard-earned money on fabric for new dresses - most of which Keri was making after demonstrating her skill through the dresses she made for herself and her sister.

Janus had finished the drainage and installed the tub. It was everything Betty had dreamed it would be. Two of the beds arrived, so with Hoss and Mack taking opposing shifts, everyone had a proper bed to sleep in. Soon enough, they would have rooms to put those beds in as well. Thanks to help from her boys and a local Janus had hired, they were nearly ready to be roofed and plastered.

The local was a middle-aged widower who took his wages in humps with Ginny, who had apparently struck his fancy.

Raven had upgraded all the locks - including those on the stable and workshop. The brothers continued to serve as lookouts and spies living out of her kip, as Shad insisted on earning his brothers’ chance at a better life, and the two younger siblings refused to leave until he did. Away from the influence of the prissy local whore, Shad and his brothers proved jovial, amicable young men.

Even Pallah was warming to them - especially young Abel, who seemed to have an interest in Pallah’s work.

The brothers arrived - as had become common - for breakfast, and Betty wondered why Abel and the middle sibling Wynn were alone.

“Where are Raven and your brother?” she asked.

Wynn shrugged. “She was making him practice with his knife and told us to come on ahead.”

She waved them toward the kitchen and said, “Get yourselves fed.”

Betty looked out a window to see two men already waiting with Ghent by the road. Betty had decided to enforce hours as the situation improved, giving the girls time to wake up each morning, then bathe and relax each night before bed. From the smiles on the men’s faces and Ghent’s gesticulations, she assumed he was keeping them entertained enough.

Once the brothers had taken their meal to the workshop, Betty gave a whistle and waved for Ghent to bring up the first two customers of the day, who picked Lana and Ginny. A messenger from Alice arrived only a couple of minutes later, and while he went to have a hump with Lilly, Betty sat down to read.

“Consider stealing away three of my best men paid for,” it began. “Omar got that tub in and I looked like a prune before I got out of it. It was pure heaven.”

Betty smiled. She knew the feeling.

“Was going to buy a few for the houses, but the girls are already putting money together to buy them, and I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth. I get all the good graces by paying up front and letting them pay me back, without it actually costing me a copper.”

Of them all, Alice was the most mercenary when it came to business, which is why she took the reins from the beginning. A general run-down of how things were going at home followed, along with a reminder to write back.

Betty did exactly that, and finished shortly after the messenger had cleaned up from his hump with Lilly. While the messenger set off on his return trip with a sticky bun Keri had baked, Betty saw Raven and Shad approaching.

She knew the reason for their delay instantly from the crooked grin on the younger thief’s face. He’d poked her, but it wasn’t with a knife. Raven slapped his ass as they entered and said, “You and your brothers stay around here once you’ve eaten. I’ll come get you when it’s time to head out.”

He nodded and kept his eyes fixed on her so intently that he almost tripped over a chair on the way to the kitchen.

Raven let out a snort at his clumsiness, and then noticed Betty eyeing her. The thief walked over, leaned in close, and said, “What can I say? It’s been a while since I got fucked.”

“Any good?” Betty asked.

“Eh...” she responded. “He listens well enough, and he’s young enough that all I’ve got to do is look at it to get it hard again. Got me pretty good the second time. Might be able to get him properly trained before this caper is over.”

“You don’t think it is?” Betty asked. After a week of quiet, she was on the lookout for locals who could replace Mack and Hoss, so they could return to Alice. She had begun to think the battle was won.

“Not even close,” Raven said.

She went quiet when the man who had been humping Lana emerged from the blonde’s room on her arm.

“Have a good trip home, sweetie,” she said as she released his arm in the front room.

“How could I not?” he responded. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Can’t wait,” she said, and punctuated it with a sensual purr.

The man made his way to the door, and when he looked at Lana before exiting, she gave him a flirtatious wave. The moment the door closed behind him, her false smile faded away and she whispered to Betty, “That one’s up to something.”

“Ha!” Raven delightedly exclaimed. She then motioned toward the kitchen, led both women that way, and once away from potentially unfriendly ears, quietly said, “Good eye. I was just about to say that I’d marked that one at the cunt’s place. Trying to dig up something, huh?”

Lana nodded. “Gave me half again what he paid for his poke, and he was trying to sweet talk me. Not pushing too hard, but he was trying to figure out anything he could about the place. I played the silly girl and didn’t give him anything.”

“The bitch is biding her time and scheming,” Raven said. “Tell the girls to mind what they say to anybody.”

Betty sighed. “I guess it was wishful thinking that she’d accept she had competition.”

Raven shook her head. “Not a chance. Keep Hoss and Mack for a while, and see what you can do about finding some local bully boys. Maybe some that have their own place, so your bricklayer doesn’t have to turn this place into a city.”

“Go ahead and wash up,” Betty told Lana. “Thanks for the quick thinking.” She then asked Raven, “What do you think she’ll do next?”

“Something desperate. She’s running out of hands to play,” Raven said, and shrugged.

“Wonderful,” Betty said, and sighed again.

Raven leaned back against the plastered wall. “I do have some good news, though. I’ve marked your lawman, and he’s definitely shacking up with her. About an hour after dark, he has a couple of his boys sweep the area and stand guard while he sneaks in the back, then again in the morning when he sneaks out. He’s regular about it, so your General should be able to get eyes on him doing it, as long as he sends some scouts who aren’t complete idiots.”

“I’ll let him know. Do you still think we should stay?”

“I would. I think you’re safe enough. Even better if your General gets that lawman pulled out of town and disgraced. The General’s got staggered patrols on the road and in the countryside, and he’s put a couple of men watching this place at night.”

“Really?”

“If you want to know who was watching the night before, it’s the first two who come in for a fuck the next day. Probably how he entices them to sit up all night in the cold and wet without a fire. They get to be first in line. Some of them pay pretty close attention. Some not so much, but it’s extra eyes.”

Betty shook her head and then looked down at the ground. “I thought the worst I would be dealing with was angry women from town scowling at us.”

Raven reached out, lifted Betty’s chin, and said, “Go with your gut. If you stay, I’m right here with you until the cunt is whipped. If you want to head home, I’ll shadow you back to Alice’s. Seems like things are going pretty good, though.”

“Better than I expected, all things considered. I thought it would just be the three of us, still working out of the inn,” Betty admitted. She then jumped when Ghent suddenly exploded into motion. The big man darted over to where one of the crossbows was stashed just inside the kitchen doorway, and Betty quickly moved out of sight of any windows. “What is it?”

“Oh ... Nothing. Just spied a rabbit. Thought I’d try to pop it for Janus.”

Betty let out a sigh of relief. “Go on.”

Raven said, “Breathe. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. I see trouble everywhere. It’s just who I am. You’re smart. Your girls are smart. Lana just proved that. Keep your heads on straight and you’ll do fine.”

Betty shrugged. “One day at a time?”

“That’s the way it usually works,” Raven said with a smirk.

Though things continued without incident over the next few days, Betty found it hard to relax. She suspected every man who wasn’t one of Corra’s soldiers was a secret agent of Josephine’s. Her bookkeeping increased exponentially, as she took to carefully recording anything she learned about the men visiting the house, looking for clues and patterns. Nothing much emerged beyond the one man Lana and Raven had outed, but Betty maintained her vigil anyway.

She was carefully recording the scars she noticed on Jan’s latest hump when Corra’s next two soldiers arrived. One of them presented her with a letter from the General.

Corra’s handwriting was flamboyant, but quite legible. Betty actually found it beautiful the way he added flourishes to every curl of a letter. What he’d written was also a beautiful thing to behold.

“Once again, your information has proved invaluable,” the letter began. “The man I sent to watch the house is no great supporter of me or my family, which will lend credence to his report upon delivery. Having watched the house for two evenings, he is appalled by our countryman’s lack of decorum. I have little doubt that a representative of the Governor will be sent forthwith to confirm his report, which will most certainly end badly for my old friend Roja.”

Betty could almost hear the General’s sarcasm in that line.

The letter finished, “With any luck, we will both see a thorn removed from our sides in the coming days. Good fortune to you in your endeavors, Madame.”

Corra saved his most extravagant embellishment for his signature.

“Good news?” Ghent asked, upon seeing her fold the letter once more.

She nodded.

“Then why aren’t you smiling?”

Betty sighed. “I’m just frustrated. We know she’s spying on us. Planning something.”

As if summoned by her words, a man from west of town entered. He was a reasonably handsome young man, well-to-do if his spending on the girls was any indication, and hardly lacking in the skill and equipment for lovemaking according to Lilly, who had become his favorite. He should have easily been able to charm his way between any number of women’s legs, so paying to get his prick wet was suspicious in the extreme.

“A man - I think he’s one of yours - got thrown from his horse on the road west of town,” the young man said.

Betty and Ghent both stiffened and looked at each other. They were expecting a messenger from Alice, who was running a little late.

“How do you know this?” Betty asked.

“Travelers on the road. I was on my way here when they arrived and asked if I knew of a Miss Betty. Told them I’d pass the word to you, and that they probably shouldn’t mention your name to anyone in town.”

Betty asked, “How bad is it?”

The young man said, “They said his horse was lame and that he was barely awake. Big knot on his head. There was a follower of Heraklan traveling with them, and he stayed to tend to your man while they moved on to town to see if they could find you, since your name was about the only thing he said clearly.”

Betty and Ghent shared a look, and that was all she needed to know he was thinking the same thing she was. If the Heraklan took him into town and Josephine’s thralls realized he was with them, it wouldn’t be good. Betty wasn’t sure she trusted the messenger, though.

One of Corra’s men was still waiting his turn, so Betty turned to him and asked, “Would General Corra object to you riding with us to check on our man? You can have your pick of the girls for free when we get back.”

The soldier answered, “I have leave. My time is my own. I will ride with you.”

“Wagon?” Ghent asked.

Betty shook her head. “Just saddle us up horses.” She then addressed the man from town. “If this is all on the up and up, your fun is free too. Sorry. I just don’t know who to trust right now.”

The local man gave a little nod in response.

While Ghent went to saddle the horses, Betty hurried to her room to retrieve her miraculous healing potion, just in case. With the tiny bottle safely tucked into a pocket sewn into the bodice of her dress, she checked the dagger concealed in the ruffles at her waist, and returned to the front room.

The second soldier emerged from his hump with Ginny, and after a quick conversation with the one who would escort them, he said, “I will wait here for you to return and keep watch.”

Betty saw Ghent leading three horses in front of the house. She turned to the second soldier and said, “Honey, you just paid for your fun.” Ginny returned from the outhouse at that moment, so Betty said, “Give this good man his coin back. I’ll settle up with you later.”

The redhead nodded, and Betty exited the house with their escort in tow. Once outside, he headed for his horse, while Ghent moved to Betty’s. With absolutely no shame, Betty bunched up her skirts to her waist, grabbed the saddle horn, and let Ghent heft her into the saddle.

“Lead, or follow?” The soldier asked.

“I’ll lead,” Ghent answered while mounting up. He immediately gave his horse a kick, and they were off.

Though Betty could ride, she knew without a doubt that she needed more practice. She tried to remember what she’d been taught, but it still felt as if the horse’s back was a knife cutting into her tailbone and her tits were about to shake off. She did her best to maintain her seat and endure it as they galloped down the road, kicking up dust.

Soon enough, they were approaching the entrance to town. Betty gritted her teeth as she stared at Josephine’s palatial house. Somehow, she knew the local whore was responsible. Though she saw no sign of her rival, Betty was so seething with anger that she imagined the woman could feel her piercing stare.

They passed the town in a thundering of hooves and rode on. Betty focused her attention on the road ahead, searching for any sign of Alice’s messenger. It wasn’t long before she spotted them. Off the side of the road, she saw a still horse lying in the tall grass. A well-built man in mail and a tabard emblazoned with a lion’s head knelt next to it. Another man was lying in the grass - unmoving. It was Ewan, who had been the first man Alice had sent.

Ghent pointed, and Betty shouted, “I see them.”

“To blazes with the horse, help him!” Betty shouted as she reined in.

“Fear not,” the cleric said, not looking up. “Heraklan has already healed him by my hand. He but rests, and should awaken shortly.”

Betty wasn’t taking his word for it. Once again, she yanked up her skirts, and Ghent dropped out of his saddle to help her dismount. She moved immediately to the downed man. Though his hair was matted with blood, she could see no sign of where it had come from. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully and even stirred as she examined him.

“Heraklan be praised,” the cleric said, and then patted the horse’s flank before rising. “This fine steed shall run again.”

Betty turned to him and said, “Thank Heraklan, and thank you.”

“No need, my good lady,” the cleric said. “I assume you are Miss Betty?”

Betty knew the reputation of Heraklan clerics, so it was hardly a surprise that he was appraising her with his eyes - particularly her exposed cleavage. “I am. Necessary or not, we owe you a debt...” She trailed off and lifted her eyebrows.

He understood that she was fishing for a name and answered, “Trestel.”

“Trestel,” Betty repeated. “That’s not something I take lightly.”

“M-miss Betty?” Ewan asked in a drowsy, confused voice.

“Shhh,” Betty admonished him while cradling his cheek in her hand. “Rest. You had an accident and were thrown from your horse.”

“This was no accident,” Trestel said.

I knew it, Betty thought. She heard Ghent let out a growl as well. “So what happened.”

The cleric answered, “Someone took great pains to drive metal stakes into the earth, hid them in the grass, and drew a rope taut between them. It was not tied. Someone was waiting for your man here.”

Betty followed his gesture and could see the rope lying limp in the road, as well as the disguised stakes. Someone had taken the time to paint them so they blended in with the grass. A line across the road hinted that the rope had been covered in dirt to hide it as well.

“Fucking bitch,” Betty muttered under her breath.

Ewan suddenly sat up and asked, “Is Beata okay?”

Betty put a hand on his chest. “What do you think you’re doing? You shouldn’t be getting up.”

“I’m fine. Really. I feel fine,” Ewan argued, eyeing his horse with concern.

Trestel assured him, “I have healed your Beata as well. See - she stirs.”

The horse did more than stir. It panicked upon awakening, lying on its side. It kicked and lurched, trying to regain its feet.

“Be calm, dear Beata,” the cleric said. The horse ceased to thrash, allowing Trestel to approach. He placed his hand on the horse’s flank and the animal calmly stood.

Ewan let out a sigh of relief, and then said, “Honestly. I feel fine. Great, really.”

Trestel said, “Praise Heraklan, you should both be perfectly fit to travel. I had wondered why mighty Heraklan guided me to travel with men who seemed quite capable of defending themselves, but all is now revealed.”

Betty allowed Ewan to rise, which he did without issue. He stood strong and moved to his horse to check on her. Betty turned to the cleric and said, “We owe you more than thanks. If you hadn’t been here, I don’t want to think what might have happened.”

“I but go where Heraklan guides me,” Trestel responded.

“Well, might Heraklan be pointing you toward a free one with one of my girls? It’s the least we can do by way of thanks.”

Trestel’s face lit up. “Ah, you own a house of pleasure, then?”

Betty chuckled. “Not exactly, but if you’re looking for a good time, we can provide it.”

The cleric caressed his bearded chin and twitched his eyebrows. “I do believe I may hear the whispers of Heraklan.”

Betty smiled at him, but then cautioned, “You might not be welcome in Hard Creek if anyone sees you with us.”

Trestel shrugged and said, “Then I shall pass it by. I will trust in Heraklan to provide.”

“We can take it slow, since he doesn’t have a horse,” Ghent said.

“Not too slow,” Trestel said. “A good run would do me well, I believe.”

Betty waved to Ghent. “Well, help me mount up and we’ll head back.”

Though they walked their mounts at first, encouragement from Trestel soon had them moving at a fair trot. The cleric kept up with no sign of strain. As they approached town, Betty saw Josephine and her bully boy lounging right at the edge of town. Her pet guardsman stood not far away.

Ghent slowed his mount, and once he was alongside her, he said, “Betty...” with a warning in his voice.

She ignored him and reined in - staring daggers at the local whore, who wore a knowing smile.

Corra’s man said, “The line of where our jurisdiction ends and Roja’s begins is well established, and she is standing just the other side of it.”

“Then I’ll be standing just this side of it,” Betty said. She didn’t even wait for Ghent to help her dismount. Her gaze still fixed on Josephine, she slid down out of the saddle and immediately stalked toward the rival prostitute. Damson moved toward Ghent as he vaulted out of the saddle, and the two big men eyed each other a couple of feet away from the two women.

“Trouble on the road?” Josephine asked, still wearing her wicked smile.

Betty put her hands on her hips and responded, “As if you don’t know, bitch.”

The redheaded whore shrugged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. If you’re having such misfortune, maybe you should find somewhere else to be.”

“We’re not going anywhere. Speaking of misfortune, how are your thugs along the road doing? And where are your cutpurses?”

Betty saw the slightest crack in Josephine’s bored expression. That needle had hit, so she gave it another poke. “Oh, that’s right. They’re working for me now. You see, I actually make promises I keep, instead of just showing them my tits and stringing them along.”

Josephine waved a hand toward her and looked away when she said, “Well, when your tits are that saggy, I suppose you have to improvise.”

“Speaking of sagging, how’s business? My girls are staying busy.”

“Pshh. Camp followers for Corra’s dogs.”

Though she bristled at the camp followers insult, Betty maintained her composure. “You can stop wasting your time and coin sending spies into my house, too. My girls are too smart for that. By the way, how long was it before you figured out Hoss was one of my boys after he humped you?”

Betty barely saw the glint of metal as Josephine shrieked in rage and lunged at her with a dagger. The whole world seemed to slow down to a crawl as Raven’s lessons took over. She was moving before she had time to think about it. Betty turned to the side and stepped back, avoiding the deadly point of the other whore’s weapon. At the same time, she grasped Josephine’s wrist, twisted it, and yanked it toward the redhead’s back.

Josephine’s enraged scream turned to a wail of pain, and the dagger fell to the earth. Betty sent a thought to the ring on her finger, but felt a shock coming from the magic item. Josephine’s goddess was protecting her from the sleep enchantment.

The redheaded prostitute twisted out of Betty’s grasp, and her arm lashed out to claw at Betty’s face with long, red-painted nails. Once again, all of Raven’s lessons paid off, and Betty was easily able to force Josephine’s arm high. A moment later, she doubled up her fist and punched her rival square in the nose.

Josephine’s eyes rolled up in her head and she slumped into a heap at Betty’s feet.

Betty turned to see Ghent struggling to keep away from Damson’s knife. Roja had his sword out, and two other guardsmen had approached, but they were opposed by Corra’s man and Trestel, who had drawn their weapons.

Betty snatched her own dagger from its sheath, knelt down, and put the edge against the unconscious whore’s throat. She then screamed, “Drop it! Right now!”

Though Damson disengaged with Ghent, he didn’t drop his knife.

Seething with rage and filled with adrenaline after foiling the unexpected attack, Betty said, “Drop it right now, or so help me, I’ll slit this bitch’s throat and watch her drown in her own blood.”

The color drained out of both Ghent and Damson’s faces. Josephine’s bully boy tossed his knife back toward her house and raised his hands.

Betty quickly stood and backed away toward the road. She was immediately surrounded by the cleric, soldier, and Ghent. She pointed her dagger at Damson and said, “Now get this bitch out of my sight. Tell her if she tries something like that again, I’ll cut her fucking tits off.”

Betty sheathed her dagger as she continued to move toward the horses. Once she and her guardians were a few feet away, Damson moved to pick up Josephine.

“Get me on my gods-damned horse and let’s get out of here,” Betty growled under her breath.

She didn’t even wait for the men to remount before trotting off. Her knuckles were white from her tight grip on the reins, and it was all she could do to avoid kicking the horse into a gallop.

Everyone else caught up as soon as they were able, surrounding her. Betty breathed hard as the rush of battle waned within her. As it did, she felt her stomach go sour. She looked over her shoulder after they rode over a small hill and confirmed that she could no longer see the town.

“Betty? You okay? You’re as white as a ghost,” Ghent asked.

Swallowing hard, she answered in a small voice, “Help me down.”

Ghent dismounted without waiting for his horse to stop, and quickly moved to her side. As soon as he lowered her to the ground, Betty hurried off the road, into the tall grass, and retched.

Big hands gathered up her hair, and Ghent asked, “What is it? What’s wrong? Is it poison?”

“After a fashion, I should imagine,” Trestel said. “Such words are surely as poison to one with a kind heart.”

The cleric knelt beside her as well, placed his hand on her back, and after another heave of her stomach, she felt the urge begin to subside.

“Be calm,” Trestel said, “For surely they were just words, spoken in haste, and in fear for one you love. Most surely warranted.”

Betty spit, groaned, and leaned away from the foul-smelling mess in the grass, as it was threatening to turn her stomach again. When Trestel held out a cloth wetted with water from his canteen, she gratefully accepted it to wipe away the spittle on her lips. When he followed by offering her his canteen, she took pains not to touch it with her lips. She poured a little water in her mouth and spit. It did little to kill the taste, but it did dull the burning a little.

After a couple more spits and then a drink, she handed the canteen back.

“Sure you’re okay?” Ghent asked as he knelt next to her in the grass.

“Let’s just get back,” she answered.

Betty felt numb - disconnected - as she rode in the center of the entourage back to the house. When Ghent helped her down, she said, “The townie gets his hump for free. I need to go lie down.”

Ghent asked Pallah to take care of the horses, and then led Betty to the room they shared. He saw her settled into the bed and then asked, “Do you need anything.”

Betty shook her head and said, “Thank you. Just keep things running out there for a while, honey.”

Though she tried, Betty couldn’t rest. The encounter with Josephine kept running through her head, and she still couldn’t fathom where the words passing her lips had come from. Of course, she knew that she’d stolen the first threat from Raven, but it wasn’t so much the words as the emotions behind them that troubled her.

After a while, Ghent peeked in. When he lifted his eyebrows in question, she waved him inside. She noticed he was holding a steaming cup as he closed the door.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Something Keri brewed up. Ginny says it’s good for a sour stomach.”

Betty scooted toward the headboard, but her man was quick to move to her side, put down the cup, and help her sit up. When he handed her the cup, she sniffed. She picked up what she thought was ginger and mint. A sip confirmed it. While the taste was odd, it wasn’t unpleasant, and her stomach did seem to calm a little as she sipped.

“Scared me a little,” Ghent said when she lowered the cup.

“I scared myself.” Betty blew out a long breath from between pursed lips. “I meant it, honey. If he hadn’t thrown that knife away ... If he’d so much as scratched you with it...” She shivered and groaned as shadows of the acidic emotions ripped through her again.

“She started it by attacking you. You can’t blame yourself for anything that happens in a fight. Once the blood starts rushing, you do what you got to do to stay alive.”

“I was needling her.”

Ghent countered, “She started that too. She deserved it. She was the one who actually did try to stick you, remember? Even if you meant it, you didn’t do it. She tried.”

Betty shook her head as the look on the other prostitute’s face during the attack surfaced in her memory. Though twisted with rage, there was something else there as well - fear and pain.

Ghent slipped a hand behind her to the small of her back and caressed her. “That sickness you feel? It’s there after any serious fight. That don’t go away. If it does ... Well, that’s when folk go bad. Just means you ain’t gone all cold and hard.”

Betty turned toward him. The twisted, harsh visage of Josephine vanished, replaced by his, which also held a mingling of emotions. She could see concern, love, and pride in his face - feel it in his touch. She moaned, leaned against him, and suddenly felt a great deal better.