Tavern Tales: The Rider and the Map

A stream of smoke curled into the night sky from the tavern's chimney. It was a homey, two story building of wood and stone that sat situation at a crossroads just far enough from the prying eyes of civilization.

A lone figure wrapped in a black cloak road towards it from the west, hood raised against the cutting rain. A flash of lightning revealed a sharp jaw with black stubble.

A balding, heavyset man waved the rider into a barn and lead him to an empty stall.

"My thanks," the rider said in a low voice as he slid off his horse. "I assume there's lodging available tonight?"

"Yes," replied the heavy man, now tending to the rider's horse. "Just go on inside out of the rain. They'll take care of ya."

With a nod, the rider strode towards the tavern. The cold rain continued to slice through the air, the wind nearly ripping his hood from his head.

He stepped in to find it mostly empty save for a group of men sitting in front of the roaring fireplace, dressed in cloaks, their weapons set aside, and a young girl sitting alone in a corner, her hood covering most of her face.

A chandelier made from antlers hung in the center of the ceiling, and each table had its own candle, two for the bigger tables. A wooden stairway led up, then turned out of sight just past the bar on his right.

Behind the bar stood an older man, more physically fit than the man in the barn. He wore a smile but his eyes betrayed his suspicion.

He sat at the nearest empty table, unslinging his sword and leaning it against the chair next to him.

"What can I help ya with?" A fiery red haired woman with green eyes asked as she approached. Her green matched her eyes and showed plenty of cleavage.

Gotta get those tips, the rider thought to himself.

"I'll take an ale and some sort of soup or stew. Something warm"

"Ah, there's plenty here to keep you warm," she shot him a wink and a smile.

He chuckled, pulling back his hood. Long dark hair fell around his shoulders, the firelight casting flickering shadows across his face.

"Plenty indeed," she eyed him before walking off to retrieve his order.

He took the moment to pull a tube from his belt, popping the cap off and unrolling a parchment across his table. He studied the map, making mental notes, before he noticed he was being watched.

He didn't turn his head, he kept her in his peripheral, but the line girl in the corner had her eye on him.

He casually laid his arm across the table as if he was resting on it, obscuring her view of the map.

She didn't react.

Maybe he was being paranoid. Maybe she was just curious.

The server came back with his ale, and upon seeing his map, she asked, "where ya headed?"

"I'm still deciding," he replied, taking a swig of the ale.

"At more than one kind of crossroads are ya?" She smiled.

He smirked. "I guess so..."

She walked off again, checking on the group of men.

He rolled up his map, maybe it's best to study this in my room later.

The girl in the corner shifted in her seat.

A coincidence?

It wasn't long before his food was brought to him.

The stew put in front filled his nose with the earthy aroma of carrots, potatoes and beef. It was far from the best he'd tasted, but satisfied his hunger and took the edge off the chill of his rain soaked clothes.

The girl in the corner stood, gathered her things and walked up the set of stairs out of sight.

He took his time finishing his stew. He was exhausted, but he didn't trust that girl. If she was waiting to ambush him, he wanted to make her wait. Unless she was a professional, her guard should slack as time passed, especially if she road in through the same weather he did.

He glanced at the group of men. They were clearly in for a long night before they retired for the night.

He waited as long as he could, but his body ached, his eyelids grew heavier and his soaked clothes clung to him, only slightly more dry than when he arrived.

With a sigh he stood and approached the bartender. "A room, please."

"You got the coin right?" The bartender asked suspiciously.

"Oh, yes, if course." He fished coins out of a pouch on his belt, paying for both his room and his meal.

The bartender eyes him, then grabbed a key and tossed it to him. "Upstairs, last room on the right. Will you be needing a bath drawn?" He gestured toward the server.

The rider eyed her, thinking for a moment. "Nah, I'm too exhausted to bother. I'm just going to sleep."

"Fair enough," the bartender said.

The server almost looked disappointed.

He climbed the stairs, at the top was a hallway with three doors on either side and one at the far end. He went to the last on the right and tried the key.

With a click, he was inside.

He locked the door behind him, and positioned his sword, belt and bag next to his bed in easy reach, and slid a dagger under his pillow. With a sigh, he struggled out of his wet clothes and laid them out, hoping they would dry during the night.

He stood, naked, looking out his room's window at the crossroad outside. It was dark enough where no one outside would be able to see him.

Crossroads indeed.

He lit a candle and unfurled his map across a small writer's desk. Then, he reached in his back and pulled out a small, lense cut from some sort of blue gem with a gold frame around it's edge.

He placed it over where the tavern would be on the map and began sliding the lense in different directions, always starting back at the tavern. The details changed under the lense, revealing hidden pathways and symbols.

He slid the lense north and rested it on a strange interlaced symbol. He stared at it a moment, gave it a few quick taps, then packed it all back up.

North it is.

He laid down in bed, pulling the blanket over his still naked body. He scowled at his wet clothes before rolling over towards the wall and closing his eyes.

His eyes shot open.

He glanced towards the open window. Still raining.

Wait. He didn't remember opening the window.

He listened, holding still.

Nothing.

Just when he was about to roll back towards the room, he heard it. A soft rustling sound.

He threw himself up, twisting his body so that he was sitting on the edge of his bed and reached for his sword.

Almost immediately, something was on him, swatting the sword away while it straddled him, pinning him back down in the bed.

A flash of lighting revealed the girl from the corner. Her cloak was gone, revealing dark hair spilling over one side of her face to her jaw, and kept short on the other. Her pale skin showed bright in contrast to her dark leather corset that laced up the middle and her black pants.

She looked down at him, her teeth flashed a smile in the night. "A little underdressed aren't you?"

He struggled beneath her, bucking his hips to either side trying to shift her weight.

It was doing no good.

"What kind of girl do you think I am?" She asked playfully, nodding towards his thrusts.

"You tell me." He said, trying to subdue his rage.

"I just want the map and the lense. No need to get physical."

He cursed himself for having it out in the open earlier.

She let go of one of his hands and raised a short blade to his throat. "There's no need to die tonight."

He relaxed, trying to work out his next move.

"That's a good boy," she tapped his chest with the blade.

She let go of his other hand and put a finger to his lips.

He seized the moment to reach under his pillow, pull out the dagger and slash up along her body.

She pulled back, his blade slicing the laces that ran up her leather corset, splitting it open.

Another lighting flash revealed pale skin beneath.

She looked down at the exposed strip of skin where there would normally be a shirt with a wry smile. My clothes are wet too."

With her forearm, she pinned his blade hand back to the bed and raised her own blade to his throat once again. "I don't like to kill, just behave and I'll be out of here in no time."

He grabbed one side of her open corest, jerked her to the side while raising his hips in the same direction.

He managed to roll her off him, but she seperated herself before he could get on top of her.

Lighting flashed again, she stood in the center of the room, her corset hanging off her shoulder on one side, revealing a small, pale breast and pink nipple.

He got to his feet, shifting his weight from one side to the other. He felt ridiculous as he could feel his manhood swaying with the motion.

"I'm not giving up that map," he growled.

She pulled her corset back over her breast. "Is it really worth dying for?"

"Yes."

She frowned, tossing her dagger from one hand to the other, then back.

She leapt towards him, her blade flashing in the dark.

He sidestepped, the side of her corset again and yanked her off balance, stumbling past him. He spun, now between her and the map.

"I don't really want to kill you either. I'm. I murderer." He said.

"But you are a thief. That map wasn't yours."

"I need it." He growled.

"You and a million others."

He lunged at her, opting to drop his dagger, grabbing each side of her corset and pinning her to the bed with it.

She struggled and snarled, but the his grasp on her corset wouldn't let her move her arms or upper body.

A flash of lighting lit her pale body, the corset pulled to either side revealing both small, perky breasts and pink nipples.

He couldn't help but look down at her.

She smiled and bucked him off. He stumbled back and she regained her feet.

With a smile, she ripped her corset off, tossing it aside. Lighting flashed again, revealing her toned naked upper body.

"Now what are you gonna grab?" She smirked.

Lighting flashed again and she laughed. "Are you plannin' on stabbing me with that?" She asked, pointing at his manhood.

He looked down, noticing for the first time that he was hard. "Whatever works," he said, trying to hide his shame with humor.

"What if I fuck you for it?" She asked with a smirk.

He chuckled, "I'm still clear headed."

She frowned playfully, "no fun."

In the scuffle she had lost her dagger as well, but now she was closer to the map again.

She grabbed the chair that sat in front of the desk, hurled it at him and made a move for his bag that had the map in it.

He recoiled, but it didn't slow him down long. He lunged forward, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back.

She broke his grip and his hands easily slid off her smooth, toned body.

She grabbed the bag and made for the window, holding it in front of her.

He lunged forward again, this time grabbing her pants by the waistline and yanked her back.

She cursed as she stumbled back towards him.

She spun, breaking his grip and shoved him back.

As he fell to the floor he grabbed her waistline with both hands and pulled her down with him.

They fell, tangled together, the bag dropped.

They rolled back and forth, both fighting for the upper hand.

Finally they came to a halt, with her on top, straddling his stomach.

"Enough," she hissed.

She tried to stand but couldn't. He had a grip on her pants.

She rolled her eyes. "You just want me naked don't you?"

"I want the map."

"Let go," she said.

"No."

To his surprise, she reached back and grabbed his cock, which still stood erect.

"Let go," she said with a smile.

"No."

She ran her fingers over its head and along the shaft. "Let go," she said in a low breathy voice.

"No."

She wrapped her fingers around his cock and began stroking it slowly.

"Let go."

"No," he managed.

She continued to stroke him slowly with the one hand, and with the other, she tugged at the laces of her pants.

"Let go."

"No."

She tugged her laces as loose as she could, and pushed her self up, his grip pulling her pants off her as she rose.

He preparing to jump back to his feet when she sat back down, straddling his stomach again. Her smooth pussy resting on him, creating a wet spot.

"Just let me have it."

"I can't."

She slid her hips back and began to grind her pussy against his cock.

"I'll let you fill me, just let me have it."

"I can't," he gasped.

She frowned playfully while reaching back, taking his cock with her hand and sliding it inside her.

Lighting flashed. She really was beautiful.

She arched her back, her breasts thrust forward and rode him slowly, faintly moaning.

He reached up, grabbing her breasts, thrusting with each motion she made.

The lightning flashed again, lighting up her smooth, pale skin as she rode him.

She leaned forward, shoving her breasts in his face.

He sucked them and squeezed them into his mouth with his hands.

She road him faster, harder.

Lighting flashed again, she looked down at him with a grin, her teeth flashing in the light.

She picked up speed, moaning louder as she did.

Finally, they tensed in unison as he released his seed inside her. She gasped in pleasure and dug her fingernails into his chest as she climaxed with him.

She pulled his face to hers in a fierce, deep kiss.

Then she rolled off him, laying at his side, and giggled.

He watched her quizzically as she rose up, grabbed a small vial from her pants, held it open and let some of his cum run out of her into the vial before shutting it again.

She looked at him and laughed. "Keep your map... for now. With this," she gave the vial a little shake, "and a bit of magic, I can track you anywhere."

She nestled back against him, tracing her finger along his chest. "Tonight, let's enjoy each other. When you wake in the morning, I'll be gone, and you'll have your map. I'll try again for it another time."

True to her word, when he awoke, she was gone, but left his map.

He rose to his feet with a smile, gathering his things to head north.