Black Arrow Lord Ch. 05

She pulled back the top few blankets and indicated a spot, "Come on and love with us this night. I might have a chance at riding to my garrison tomorrow and he might not even have to listen as I complain over how my hips ache as we go."

The woman looked over at the bed where the others were already trading caresses and kisses and then she looked at the ones there with her and their hopeful smiles and she stood up to throw her clothes off with a slightly nervous laugh. The looks of admiration on their faces went a long way as she decided that for these two, she'd do anything in her duties to them -- for surely they were the finest sort to want her.

"Matsu-san," she began with a soft giggle, "I think now that what is said of his kind is true. They are demons of the best sort and I can see that he has given this demon lust to you, Lady. I hope that I might have a little of it as well for the way that I feel right now if I might share a bed with such a pair of beauties."

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"Have you ever had to please a Gaijin before, mother?" Matsu asked as she watched Masako sitting astride Valdemar as she fucked with him, her features revealing the bliss that she felt.

"Yes," she nodded with a sigh as Matsu's hand slid across her chest to cup one of her breasts and lightly pinch the nipple, "twice, no -- three times that I can recall. Why?"

"I was only wondering a little if they truly are different somehow, that's all."

"No, not really," Masako groaned, "They are the same as any other men, .... Well, other than this fine one that you have here. I thought ... that ... you were joking with me earlier, Lady Mat -- Matsu. ...

Take my earnest advice to ... you."

There appeared to be no more coming from the woman then and at last, Matsu leaned in to kiss her cheek when she had the chance.

"You did not finish," she said with a grin.

"Ah yes," Masako smiled widely, "Chain this one to your bed by the ankle and never let him go. That's the best thing that you can do."

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Aiki waited as she watched Kōichi copulating with Yukiko. She was a little larger and heavier than Aiki, though she really was lovely. Aiki was still in a fair bit of wonder at the way that she'd enjoyed Yukiko's mouth between her legs and even as Kōichi fucked her a little slowly while holding her on his front while he took her from behind the way that they'd often done it.

It had just been such a wonder to look up and see Yukiko come to her and lick her there while that was going on. She had to give Masako credit, she thought. She'd taught her daughter so well.

It had been a lot of fun and she found that she and the girl were renewing their friendship as they now shared something else. But at last, she saw what she thought was her chance and so she excused herself to get out of the bed and wander over to where the others were, drawing on her robe as she went.

"Valdemar-san" she began a little quietly and in a humble fashion, "Is there a chance for me with you tonight?"

Matsu and Masako laughed quietly and reached to pull Aiki down onto the blankets where they pulled her robe away from her as they held her between them.

"Have you any left for this girl, lord?" Masako grinned as she held what he had in her other hand, stroking it with some hope of a resurrection, though she already knew the likely-favorable outcome. "She comes to you in such a soft and quiet hope for herself. Surely there is something that you can do for her, no?"

Valdemar got up on his knees and moved to position himself between her legs with a little smile, "I only hope that I don't disappoint you now."

Aiki sighed and it turned into a groan as she felt him begin the slow slide into her, "I have had this hope from the first moment that I saw you. I love you already, Valdemar-san. You cannot disappoint me."

As they began, Matsu looked down feeling a lot of her own happiness as well as a fair measure for Aiki. When she had the room for it, she leaned down to kiss her for a moment before settling onto one nipple while she stroked the leg which she held up on the girl with her thumb.

"I think that with luck, we can all have what we want," she smiled.

Aiki nodded, looking very happy now, "Though I think that ... I might want ... to see Kōichi with him as well tonight."

Valdemar shook his head with a little grin, "Not anymore tonight, I'm afraid."

Masako laughed a little as she held the other of Aiki's legs for her, "As much as I'd want to see that too, that is a request that you must not wait this long to make, little blossom."

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It took almost a year.

The two major battles and the seventeen skirmishes and the months of beating down attempts to foster guerrilla action across the countryside spilled so much blood over the greedy aspirations of the neighboring daimyo and his small group of advisers.

Valdemar had been there when Matsu took the head of the lord, knowing the way that he'd felt about the place of women in their society.

She didn't have a problem with that specifically. She only wanted that the chance existed for women who wanted to step out of those roles as she'd done. For damn sure, she knew that the homes of warriors who were gone fighting the wars would be better defended then at the least.

Valdemar took the heads of the rest with as close to a joyful expression as he could manage, hating the way that no matter where, the human equivalent to the weasel tried to ply his trade, causing mayhem and bloodshed while never quite having to get his own hands dirty.

Not long into the little war, Kōichi had arrived, and they both taught him as they could, pleased to see him become a skilled and fearless sort of unrecognized warrior who fought with both a sword and a pistol as the need arose -- and yet they also worried for him at the same time.

Valdemar became a nightmare to the other lord in this before it ended -- a fierce ghost who often appeared and then vanished with a few others, leaving a trail of corpses in his wake. More than half a dozen times, the official who stood droning out a nonsensical and oppressive new declaration stopped in mid-sentence to land in a heap some feet away with a thick black arrow in his chest.

Matsu took control of the lands while she and Valdemar searched out and hunted down any opposition that they heard of -- sidestepping more than one neatly-laid trap for them as they did.

At last, Lord Maeda himself led his host onto the field for the last battle which decided things and crushed his opposition. Matsu once more sat in the hall of the dead lord and waited until the imperial court down in Edo finally sat in session to render their decision that Maeda take that land as his own.

Perhaps Valdemar's most distasteful though not very challenging moment was the one where he found Taro leading a group of the southern lord's men. The soldiers that he was there with sawed through them like kindling, and at last, it came down to Valdemar slowly walking after Taro, who'd been wounded in the leg by a gunshot.

When Taro stopped running, Valdemar nocked an arrow and raised his bow.

Taro, who knew of the Dane's skill stood on shaking legs and begged for his life.

Kōichi appeared at the Dane's side and began to speak of the rumors that Taro had spread before he'd left the village and come to the other lord's land. He told of what had been said of Valdemar, and all of them. Not much of it surprised or bothered the barbarian even a little bit.

Valdemar lowered his bow and asked why.

"I see you struggling with your feelings of honor over something which will never be a man to anyone's eyes. Remind yourself of the raids over the border onto the land of his real lord and what was done to common people who knew Taro all of his life.

Who led the raiders and rode off when we came each time? Is that the way that his father would have taught him?" The last thing that was said were the rumors about Matsu, though the Dane stopped him then.

Valdemar used five arrows and took nine minutes before he sent the last one.

As they walked away, Valdemar told two of his men to bury Taro face-down in a ditch.

But before the end, and months before the court even sat to consider in their slow and imperious way, Valdemar became a true lord of that land in a small way by his marriage at a very small shrine to Matsu.

The little place was a bit crowded and Valdemar, having grown used to living a little roughly in that time of war and struggle had looked around, noticing the many other men who stood in small groups as though they were just neighbors talking to each other in an idle way.

He noticed that they were in addition to the men that he'd posted for their security. He also saw that though they were discrete about it they were all armed.

He realized the reason for it when he saw what looked at first to be a trio of peasants approaching him and his bride. But he saw that the one in the middle was far too large and well-built to really be a peasant under that cloak.

As they stood and offered their best wishes, he saw that it was Maeda himself and his two women. Kōichi's mother looked to be having far too much difficulty in her happiness to be able to speak very much, though her cousin had no trouble as she spoke to them with shining eyes.

"Our daimyo wishes for me to say that he intends to see his daughter properly wed once this war has passed. In the meantime, he is pleased at the fame and fortunes of his daughter and son-in-law."

She winked as Valdemar smiled, seeing the way that Maeda discarded his normally stern countenance to smile at them both while he spoke.

Matsu's mother continued then, "And he is relieved to see that his large friend has survived Matsu-san's affections. For my friend and myself, I can say that we feel joy to think that now the lives of the three children can grow better still and move ahead to a mother's most cherished part."

Valdemar stood for a second, trying to understand, until Matsu leaned in and whispered, "They want grandchildren now."

The trio departed only minutes later and the additional men drifted off over about ten minutes after that.

No one in the court really cared as long as Valdemar stayed at the northernmost tip of the empire where the disturbing thought of this might not trouble the dreams of anyone far to the south too much.

At the time when Valdemar had lain down to catch a little sleep, he and Kōichi were headed home to where Matsu sat as the lady in her own hall -- the one that she'd been born into - her father having changed his mind and sent Oda off to the northern reaches before he'd gone to claim his new hall.

He'd passed his daughter on the way as she was on her way to seek the end of this at last and wanted nothing more than peace in her lands and a large man in her arms. There were still a few loyal fighters left of the dead daimyo's army in wandering bands who hadn't gotten the news, so they still had to remain cautious as they crossed the frontier on their way home.

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Valdemar opened his eyes from his fitful nap, tensing a little as he did as soon as he recognized that Kōichi had not shaken him, but had only nudged him a little carefully with his boot.

He sat up in a smooth and silent motion, seeing that the evening had given way to night while he'd rested.

And it was still pissing down rain.

Careful to make no sound, since he didn't know yet what was happening, he crossed his ankles and rose up to stand as he leaned toward his friend to get the whispered news.

"Are your weapons loaded?" Kōichi whispered, "I heard horses a minute ago. Someone is coming up the hill."

He pointed in the direction, "Too dark to see who."

Valdemar nodded, reaching for his rifle and then down to his belt to feel for the comforting presence of his double-barrelled pistol. He bent a little to pick up his bow as well before they stepped silently toward that wall and the few gaps that it presented to see and shoot out of.

"Any chance to get away?" he asked as a sigh into the other man's ear and he saw Kōichi shake his head.

"Too close already.

Besides, I have cooked a marvelous meal as you asked, my friend. I think that I'd feel insulted if you don't think that it's worth defending."

As the minutes passed in the heavy rain, they came at last to the moment where common sense told them that there were two people out there not ten yards distant who were silent in their almost creeping approach and that they'd better decide what they'd do soon.

Kōichi stared the next second as Aiki walked into the barn and as Valdemar stood in a little wonder and relief to see their embrace. Just as his own worry began, he felt the tap on his shoulder and spun around.

Matsu -- his Matsu, the most beautiful warrior in his world stood there with her hand on her hip, a sword in her hand and a grin on her lovely face.

Then, before he could even smile, she was against him with a whispered cry, holding him in her arms.

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"Where did you steal this?" Matsu asked, smiling as she ate some of the meal with Aiki. When she'd learned that her cousin had made the meal, she offered her sincere appraisal that his cooking had certainly improved.

"There isn't any of Valdemar's oatmeal in it at all."

She and Valdemar stood at opposite sides of the barn for the time that it took the other two to make a little love over their joy at being re-united. Their watchfulness precluded being able to talk for the time that it lasted, though they didn't mind at all.

It had been all too infrequent to suit their tastes, but they'd managed to find a little bit of stolen time now and then for a little loving in a few rather imaginative ways and places, including fields, wagons and in one case, up in a tree.

Kōichi and Aiki hadn't seen each other in all of the time that he'd been gone.

They changed places after that, with Matsu pulling off enough of her armor to lie back in the straw and spread her legs for her man as she beckoned to him eagerly.

They slept in watches of two hours each and early the next morning before the sky could decide if it ought to stop raining or not, they were gone, riding the last leg home in the downpour.

"We have to hurry," Matsu said, the rain sluicing down off the rim of the conical hat that she wore, "Well, I'd really like to hurry, though I guess that we must still remain watchful for an ambush.

I can't wait for you both to meet our children."

To that point, Kōichi had been riding point with Valdemar bringing up the rear and the statement caused a lot of wondering looks which caused the women to almost laugh out loud.

"Yukiko-san and Masako-san were both with child from at least one of you and we now have a boy and a girl to start among us all," Aiki said in a very pleased tone.

"You should see the way that Masako-san runs the hall. Sometimes she stands with her little one at her breast and other times, she carries her girl on her hip, but only the happy little thing is immune to her bellowing and commands. and she sometimes laughs in the middle of them.

Masako-san has told me that she never thought to have the joys - and labors -- of motherhood again and this time, she is not destitute. She thought that she would die a poor and forgotten woman. Instead, she and Yukiko-san are the concubines to a noble pair between you and the Lady.

Now she runs the hall and she is a mother again and a grandmother as well in the same year! I have never seen her so happy."

"We'll all have a bit of a mystery in any event," Matsu smiled, "since nobody yet has been able to guess which of you might have made either one. That's why Aiki-san and I are in such a hurry to see them and their mothers again."

Yukiko-san's little boy looks to have blue eyes, but who knows if they will stay that way? He is only a few days old and has not even been outside in the light of day so that I can stare at his eyes and hope to see blue in there. You both make pretty children to my eyes if that is how it went."

Valdemar rode on with a happy and dazed expression; Matsu decided when she looked back -- even if she couldn't see much of his eyebrows.

"We also want to get home as soon as we can so that we can make ours with you as well," Aiki grinned, "I love the happy women in my life, but I've missed our men so much, especially the long nights when we are all together."

Matsu had nothing to add to it but her nod at them, especially Valdemar as she remembered making love with him one night not long before while they'd traveled together, hunting down some of the groups of men still loyal to the dead lord.

She'd been on her back, with her heart rate almost back to normal as she ran her fingers into his hair. He was on his front, still kissing her labia softly.

"It's just a thought that I hold," she'd whispered then, "This is all that I know, but I find that I am prepared to set it down to take up a different life with you. My cousins would like to go with us and it makes me happy."

He'd raised his head to look at her and her smile snagged his heart again. "You know that everything would change there. You would leave your nobility and all of it's trappings here. You would be no one anywhere else -- just like me. You would give up everything to live as a farm woman in a strange and barely half-explored land. Your beautiful appearance alone could cause you trouble."

She stroked his beard with the backs of her fingers as she smiled at him, "I love you so, Valdemar. I try to think of the others as well. I try to think of our children when they come. I do not know all of what might lie awaiting us there, but I want to believe that it might be a better life for us all to go to the new Gaijin land.

But let us leave this talk for later. We see each other only rarely these days and I refuse to only talk to my man when I have him against me for only a stolen night at a time. Come, love me again."

She sighed and spread her legs a little more when she felt his weight lessen on her as she watched him rise up on his hands and come to her.

Her thoughts came back to her as she looked at the people that she loved while they worked their way home again. Remembering what Aiki had said, she nodded, "Then let us spend some nights such as that together with them, Aiki-san. It is our turn now, no?"

As Aiki laughed softly and nodded, the men considered it, and all four of them disappeared into a wall of rain.

The End