Chapter 5: Home

They rode into town in the middle of the afternoon, after weeks on the road. Amazingly, the same town held both Ayesha’s home and the inn where Monty’s odyssey on Chaos began. They came upon the inn first, and Monty suggested that they stop there to prepare for Ayesha’s return to her family. He turned to Ayesha and AlvaBeth and told them, “If you don’t already know, the innkeeper is Jesse. He is Autumn’s formal guardian and knows that I am a woman, but I need to keep up my disguise while there.”

Autumn rode ahead, and reaching the inn, dismounted and entered, seeking her former master and current guardian. “Jesse! Master! I’m back and bringing help,” called the young woman as she ran through the empty common room, searching. When she found him, she hugged him and whispered, “Monty is with me and others to help. They know but we must keep the secret.” She released him and rushed to grasp the hands of Ayesha and AlvaBeth, “AND we have other rescued guests, who also know.”

She introduced the pair, then fetched Charles, who greeted the innkeeper, “Hello Jesse, so very good to see you again.” He turned and pulled Sarah and Maggie forward, telling them, “This is the inn where Miriam unhanded the one we call ‘Stumpy,’ Jesse, this is my wife Sarah and my wife Maggie.”

Charles turned to Autumn and asked, “And you, young lady, where were you then, and how did I miss you?”

“Master Jesse kept me in the kitchen,” she told him, “But I peeked at you, lots. When I saw Monty with you at your farm, I knew everything would be okay.”

Jesse was puzzled, too. Looking at Ayesha, he asked, “You seem familiar, but not. Pardon, but do I know you or of you?”

She answered, “My family has visited and occasionally dined in your common room. Tomorrow, when I am free of the detritus of travel, I plan to return home. I hope that I am more recognizable then.”

Then, Ayesha continued, “Autumn assured me of your discretion, and I have need of it. I am yet a maiden, but no longer so innocent and blushing. On our journey here with our rescuers, we guarded one another, fought side-by-side, bathed together, slept together, and shared our intimate secrets. I am loath to give that up until forced to part. May we count on your silence if we bathe and sleep together one last night?”

“But of course, milady,” Jesse responded. “Autumn knows my family and staff can keep confidences. Even were I to be other than honorable, my trade would suffer if I could not keep a discreet establishment.”

With that, Autumn moved to the kitchen to have extra hot water started. Returning, she asked Jesse, “Is the large room upstairs free?” She turned to Monty and told him, “It’s at the other end of the hall from the one you stayed in.”

Assured that it was available, she led them upstairs to see, then they returned to stable their horses and fetch their gear.

It would be some while before enough water was hot enough for multiple, simultaneous bathing. Monty used the wait productively and led Ayesha and AlvaBeth down the street to the bank. On the way he told them, “I don’t know or care if the coins Malcom and his lackey carried were theirs or your father’s, I plan to put them to good use – protecting my friends.”

He explained that he would open a joint account for the pair with his name also a party – “That way, no one can claim a right because you are women. Use it as you will, but there is more than enough for you to travel to Charles and Maggie and seek shelter. If I die, it will still be yours to use. Oh, and don’t fret for Autumn, I have already provided for her.”

The astonished women stopped, and ignoring stares from passersby, they crushed Monty to them.

Business completed, they returned to the inn to find four impatiently waiting companions, four waiting tubs in the bathhouse, and extra steaming buckets of water. Clean clothes were neatly laid out for future use, and a young wench stood ready to assist or fetch more water as needed.

Once the door was closed and barred, the clothes began dropping. Autumn turned to the kitchen wench and told her, “Sophie, we’re short one scrubber. Why don’t you strip and join us?” The startled girl looked at Charles, but Autumn encouraged her, “You’ve assisted here before, and there is nothing new to see – maybe more at one time – but Les is the only man. If you like, I’m sure his wives will let you wash him – or maybe you’d rather he washes you?”

Blushing, the girl stripped and walked over to the tub that Charles had recently entered. She needed no other invitation.

There ensued a long period of soaping, rubbing, scrubbing, gentle touching, and rinsing. Monica sighed and moaned with the extra attention paid to her recently released breasts. Sophie was an eager participant and certainly far from neglected.

As they dried, Sophie took a spare shift from a shelf. Yes, she had indeed assisted before. Autumn, once again took charge of the girl – young woman – and invited her to join them in their room, “You need to get that hair dry. Come with us, and we can help each other. I’ll explain to Jesse, and you can be down in time to help finish helping with the evening meal.”

She appeared, thoroughly sated, in time to resume her usual dinner preparation chores. But, had this not been Ayesha’s and AlvaBeth’s last night with the company, she would have been invited to return for the night.

Charles rode up to the only large house visible at the opposite edge of town, dismounted, and pounded on the large green door. Behind him, Monty sat astride Pinocchio, his left hand holding the reins for the two horses with the tightly wrapped but reeking corpses tied across their backs. His right hand held a cocked crossbow down and out of sight.

When the door opened to reveal an angry servant, Charles demanded, “Summon your master! I’m returning something that belongs to him.”

The door slammed shut, and it was several minutes before a portly man stepped out. With his demeanor and florid face, Charles estimated that the delay had been intended to put the visitor in his place. Instead, the man paled when Monty turned the horses, and two packages, clearly bodies, fell into the street in front of him.

“My name is Les and this is Monty. We were told these belong to you,” Charles began, watching the man’s reaction closely. When he saw tears forming, he knew the father truly loved his daughter, but Charles had little sympathy.

“No, not what you fear.” Charles began again, “We understand that this offal belonged in your service. We caught them in the act, preparing to rape two women. As their master, tell me why your life, house, and property should not be forfeit for their crimes!”

“But, but, bbb,” muttered the startled man, “I but sent them to fetch my daughter home. I had no idea ... Please!” He fell to his knees.

“Stand coward!” Charles told him. “At your daughter’s request, you are spared. BUT there are conditions.”

“My daughter, she’s safe?” asked the again-startled man.