Chapter 2

I was approached in the tavern. With the squeaking of the whores servicing customers in the beds above me, murmured conversation around the room and the tang of dirty sex almost on my tastebuds I sipped at my beer, frustrated once more that nothing interesting was going on. I couldn't even afford a whore since I was running out of money; pretty soon I'd have to go back to one of my stashes and get some more gold.

Hoping to get drunk I sat by myself at a table, staring over blankly at the table of card players gambling fruitlessly. Trusting to my magic to warn me I wasn't worried about watching the door which is why I didn't see them enter.

"Sir Pascov?" I heard in a female voice behind me.

Taking another sip I shuffled my chair around to face her and saw two women standing there looking at me, with the other inhabitants of the tavern glancing furtively at us. They were both wearing long white robes, disguising their shapes. Some sort of priestesses I guessed. One was looking old before her time, her hair dark brown but greying and skin cracked and worn, her breasts obviously starting to sag badly.

The other was a lot more attractive, slightly older than I currently looked, but with long braided dark brown hair and large eyes with long lashes. Her lips were full and inviting, and her neck looked long, sleek and wonderfully tasty. Looking down her body she was a decent weight, slightly shorter than me but willowy and supple. I think I started looking too hard at her since her elderly companion started tutting to get my attention.

Suddenly snorting at the idea that a woman probably half my age was elderly I stopped leering at the attractive girl and smiled up at the woman, nodding.

"We have need of your services. You may have an, ahem, interesting reputation, but unfortunately you are the only knight in the area."

Listening to the voice she'd obviously had singing lessons or had a natural gift. I nodded at the chairs the other side of the five or six empty beer glasses on the table. "Join me?" They looked at each other then at a nod from the older they sat down. "Beer?"

They actually winced at that, before she sniffed derisively and stated "We don't hold with such vices."

I took another sip at that, wondering whether this was going to be worth the hassle. "So," I started. "What's the job?"

"Junior priestess Sophie here" she gestured with her head to the young girl, "needs to be in Weltingham in a week for the Midsummer Feast. One of the priestesses there has fallen ill and they need a replacement. We have sent for a carriage and guards but so far nothing has arrived."

"So, what, you want me to take her there." I looked Sophie up and down and licked my lips as she blushed at my obvious appraisal. "I would love to help."

She coughed loudly and sneered at me. "Those of us in our order take vows of celibacy. You will be guarding both her body and her honour, though you may know little of that."

"So, what? I don't make any moves on her? I can do that, I guess. What about if she makes moves on me?"

Sophie gasped and almost shrank, hiding behind the higher priestess' shoulder while she gasped, lost for words.

"To put it bluntly, Sir Pascov, your dick will not touch her in any way. And you will make sure that noone else's does either."

I smiled and nodded, wondering how far down the road I could get into her robe. Then grinned, a stupid plan going through my mind. "So, priestess... ?"

"High Priestess Weller" she sneered.

" ... Weller, as you know we men are unthinking brutes, slaves to our urges." I could almost see the agreement in her eyes. "The priestess Sophie will be a harsh temptation on our travel. If I accept the job, then I must insist that in order to reduce my filthy urges, you provide me with sex."

She gasped again, mouth opening and shutting like a fish out of water.

As if I just realised what I said I covered my mouth and widened my eyes, doing my best not to chuckle. "Oh, I am so very sorry Priestess Weller. I merely meant that you should hire one of the women upstairs for me for the night."

She settled down a bit, taking in my bullshit. I thought I could see amusement in Sophie's eyes at her superior being mocked in such a way. Moving quickly before she started reacting properly I called out loudly "Barman. The High Priestess Weller here is paying for a lady for the night."

Disbelievingly she just gaped, pulling out her purse as if in a dream. Meanwhile I carried on talking conversationally. "So, it will be fifty gold to take her to Weltingham. I will meet the priestess Sophie at this tavern an hour after sunrise. Any question? No, then I will see you tomorrow."

I stood up before she could complain and walked over to the table filled with the whores drinking water out of brown glasses, pretending that it was beer. Looking them over I chose those who seemed to find the situation amusing and in whom I could feel some sexual excitement stirring. "I'll take ... you and ... you tonight. The priestess is paying." A huge breasted blond and a skinny redhead with the most amazing ass stood up as I gestured at them and moved to me.

With a nod to the high priestess as she looked about, wondering what had just happened and at Sophie as she hid a giggle behind her hand I walked up the stairs, a hand on the ass of the woman on either side, grasping firmly.

The next morning I had almost forgotten what I was supposed to be doing. I woke up to the sun shining through the window into my eyes. Still fuzzy from sleep I just watched the light as it flowed across the curves of the two women unconscious beside me on the bed, curled up into me. With the last remnants of the alcohol keeping my head woozy I remembered glimpses of the night before, of fucking the redhead up the arse until she came and getting a heavenly blowjob from the pair, to the breastjob from the blond.

I just smiled to myself as I squeezed the breast of the blond next to me before the memories caught up to me and I sat bolt upright. I had agreed to take someone to Weltingham, a journey of three days of solid travel. What the fuck was I thinking?

I wondered whether I could sneak away before realising that it was probably a bad idea. I had spent three and a half years building a reputation of a sex obsessed rogue who was excellent at fighting, but who always met his commitments. I had agreed to do this so I couldn't run away. Why the fuck did I get so drunk?

At least I didn't have a hangover.

Bitching to myself under my breath I stood up and pulled my clothes on. I wished back to the simpler days of the Black Knight, when I didn't have to answer to anyone. Going downstairs I stretched as I walked out onto the street. The market was just up the road and I bought some just cooked bread and meat for breakfast.

Half an hour later I was fully awake and getting ready to go. My baggage horse Alfred and another of my nameless warhorses was packed and ready to go. For some reason after Terror got run through by lances while fucking another knight's horse I never named another warhorse.

In the early morning light I watched as Priestess Sophie rode down the street towards me, doing her best to look dignified as her horse trotted back and forth, interested in everything. Looking at her horse she obviously didn't have enough baggage for the trip, not even taking a bedroll and blankets, but I was too pissed off with myself to want to give her advice.

She finally rode up to me and nodded, slightly nervous. "Sophie." I nodded back at her. "Wheres my pay?"

She leaned over with a small purse in her hand. I grabbed her hand in both of mine, gently rubbing hers with one of my thumbs and pushing a bit of sexual energy into it as I took the purse with my other hand. As she pulled her hand back, blushing and breathless I opened the purse into my hand and counted five ten-golds.

With a nod to her I turned my horse up the road to the east. "Shall we?"

I really had no idea what to talk about with a priestess. The only contact I'd really had with the religious was with the convent as the Black Knight, and well ... I try to avoid thinking about that.

So, we travelled in silence, just continuing down the road for a few hours. Still full of energy from the night before I kept my senses out to check for watchers, but I quickly got bored. I kept noticing Sophie glancing at me nervously, on the verge of saying something but then shrinking away.

Unable to think of anything else to do, I decided to strike up a conversation. "So ... Sophie. How long have you been a priestess?"

She seemed shocked at the words, but then bit her bottom lip and started to consider. Looking at me she replied "Since I was eight. I went to the convent at Weltingham to learn to read and learn how to be a priestess. For the last year I've been here learning from High Priestess Weller."

I rode along, listening to her speak in a sweet and pretty voice. She seemed to come alive when talking, her eyes more alert, gesturing with the reins in one hand while gripping hard on the saddle with the other. Then she did something that reminds me why I don't really do conversations. She asked me about myself.