Danica Pt. 04

Danica pouted, thinking she was going to have to get up and go join him at the table to get the man to notice her. A loud cheer erupted, shaking Danica out of her thoughts. Following the eyes of the other patrons, Danica saw a big man with a long mustache standing up on the bar.

"Hoy men -- and ladies!" he shouted, winking when he said ladies. "It's time to start this evening's show!"

Another loud cheer erupted from the crowd. Danica noticed the man with the tattoo turn toward the bar, and that he was watching with interest now.

The man picked up the large glass bowl used to collect the coins at the door and poured half of its contents into another bowl. This he sat on top of a barrel in the dead center of the bar's square.

"A fine prize tonight -- who wants to try for it? C'mon now, don't be shy, ladies!" the big man shouted, beckoning to the room with sweeping gestures of his hands.

Danica guessed that there had to be a hundred gold coins in the bowl. A fine prize indeed, Danica thought. It was likely more money than anyone in this room saw in a month or more.

Large, muscled men cleared out the patrons nearest the bar. A few reached into their pockets, handing over coin, and they kept their seats. Others approached from around the common room and paid coin to sit in the few seats that were vacant there.

The big men -- twenty or more -- then surrounded the bar as the crowd pushed in closer.

"What Ho!" Danica heard the big man on the bar shout. "We have our first! Our own little Dainsey wants to try her luck tonight! She's hoping to turn the trick Gabrielle did last month, and get herself out of my employ I guess," he said with a mighty laugh.

Another cheer went up from the crowd as the man clapped and called for music. Music sprang up from the minstrels who now stood near the bar. It was a light, flighty tune -- likely a drinking song -- and Danica saw one of the waitresses climb up on the bar. A roaring cheer accompanied her ascension.

The woman danced atop the bar, moving around it as she danced. Another loud cheer erupted from the crowd when she unbuttoned her blouse the rest of the way and bared her breasts. She tossed the blouse behind the bar and hopped down to the floor to spin and twirl around the men seated at the bar. No man there made any move to touch her, instead clapping and staring as she danced her way around them with her bared breasts only inches away from the onlookers.

After she completed a circuit of the bar, she whirled in a tight circle and whipped off her skirt. Remarkably, the cheer from the crowd was even louder than those that preceded it.

She took a few more twirling steps and then hopped gracefully up onto the bar. She spun down to a seated position facing a well-dressed man. The dancer pulled her panties down, and then pulled her legs up high to remove the undergarment. A quick snap of her leg sent her panties sailing back behind the bar, and she then stood to dance again.

She made one more circuit of the bar completely nude. Then as the music came to an end, she slid down the bar on her side with one leg kicked up high. Again, she was directly in front of the well-dressed man -- her sex scant inches from him.

The big man hopped atop the bar again to shout over the crowd. "Ho Ho! What a start for a fine evening! Now, get back to work Dainsey -- you're not rich yet!" He let out another booming laugh and gestured to the room, calling, "Who will be the next?"

The blonde woman who sat at Danica's table got up and made her way toward the bar. Danica noticed the man with the tattoo watching with rapt attention.

The blonde woman had large breasts, which she revealed immediately upon hopping up on the bar by ripping open her blouse. Her dance was similar to the first dancer's, although she actually allowed her breasts to brush the patrons. The woman completed her dance and returned to the table breathing hard.

The next to accept the challenge was a dark-haired woman with small breasts. She was very graceful and flexible, which she took great advantage of as she danced.

Danica watched as two more women hopped up on the bar to dance. She saw the eyes of the man with the tattoo never strayed from the bar.

The next time the big man called for another dancer, Danica stood and headed toward the bar.

"What Ho," the big man laughed when he saw Danica walking between two of the bouncers who kept the crowd at bay. Gesturing to welcome Danica up onto the bar, he shouted, "A fresh face!"

Danica whispered into the man's ear, telling him she wished to speak with the minstrels before she danced. He nodded his approval with a wide smile, and gestured grandly toward the musicians.

Danica spoke with the minstrels and found they knew the songs she wished them to play. She told them what cues they should use to switch between the songs, and then climbed back up on the bar.

The apparent master of the show offered Danica his hand as she ascended the steps up to the bar. He then jumped down when Danica stepped onto the polished wood.

The music Danica had requested was a slow, gentle tune, such as might accompany a couple's dance. Danica spun about slowly, gliding around the bar. She ran her hands along her waist and hips, and then to her breasts as she danced.

When her hands reached her breasts, the minstrels increased the tempo of the music slightly. Danica's hands went around behind her to unbutton her gown with quick, deft movements of her fingers. She popped off one of the buttons, but ignored it without missing a beat. The tempo of the music picked up again when she reached the middle button of her dress. Her feet moved more quickly now, and cheers from the crowd grew louder as flashes of Danica's skin were revealed by her spins.

When she reached the last button, the minstrels took their cue and transitioned perfectly from the first song into another -- a faster paced dancer's song. Danica's feet moved faster in response to the music. When a lilting trill of the flute sounded, Danica spun rapidly. The hem of her gown rose up and went out high, revealing her legs very well and drawing whistles from the crowd.

She pulled at the sleeves of her gown one after the other when she finished the fast spin. She pulled her arms from the short sleeves of the dress, holding it up with her arms and then releasing it.

A shout of approval erupted from the crowd when she shrugged the gown off her upper body, revealing the corset and her bare breasts. Danica slid the gown past her hips and let it pool on the bar.

The volume of the shouting rose again as she revealed more of her body. From the people closest to the bar, Danica could hear comments about her barely-there panties. The experience proved very arousing to Danica, and she knew there would soon be a wet spot on those panties.

Danica spun down to a seated position on the bar, and then slid off it. She whirled and twirled her way through the crowd, leaning over the men who had paid for their seats to put her breasts right into their faces. She brushed her panties against their arms and legs with devilish purpose. The breathless look of arousal on her face as she danced was quite real.

She made a circuit of the bar, and then -- taking a cue from the previous dancers -- she paid special attention to the well dressed man who sat in a place of prominence.

When she leaned over him in her dance, she let her nipples brush his shirt. When she stood back up to whirl her way around him, she let the crotch of her panties slide over his leg in a long sensual stroke. Danica let her hands caress him lightly as she moved around him, and then turned away to sway her hips back and forth in front of him.

Bending over the bar, Danica pulled her upper body up on it, looking back at the man as she did so. He was smiling wide, looking directly at the wet spot that had indeed formed on her panties. He smiled wider when she pulled them down right in front of his face and let them fall at his feet.

The crowd erupted in a roar as she popped up to her knees back atop the bar, and then rose to her feet. She spun quickly, causing her pendulous breasts to swing and bounce hypnotically. Sweat glistened over her skin, now covered only by the corset, as she continued to dance with wild abandon.

She dropped down low, and then bent over backwards. She threw her legs upward one after the other and flipped over. When both her feet came back down, she leaned low and moved her body in a wave over the bar. The crowd went wild.

Danica arched her back, jutting out her breasts as she rose from her knees, and then to her feet. She ran a finger between her labia, brought it to her lips, and sucked it as she continued to undulate and dance across the bar.

The music built to a crescendo and Danica whirled with it, spinning down to her knees, and then her back. She arched her back, opened her mouth wide, and snapped her legs wide apart when the music came to a sudden halt.

The crowd screamed and whistled at deafening volume as she got up. Beads of sweat traced down her flushed skin as she strutted with swaying hips across the bar toward the well-dressed man, and eased down off the bar.

"Excuse me," she said with a smile as she squatted down in front of him. She let her breasts slide along his leg as she retrieved her panties and stepped into them.

The man got a good look at the glistening wetness on her folds as she slowly pulled her panties up.

"Ho HO!" exclaimed the master of ceremonies as he hopped back atop the bar. "Now here's a lass who came dressed to dance! This gown certainly hid quite a surprise," he shouted as he picked it up and held it out to Danica.

She smiled and licked her lips as she retrieved her dress.

"Ha! Now there's a lass after my own heart," he commented with a wink to her, and then laughed loudly. "Now, who's next? Don't be shy ladies!"

Danica pulled on her gown and walked back toward her table as another woman ascended the bar to dance. As Danica walked, she noticed the man with the tattoo had his eyes on her. Instead of returning to her table, she walked over to his.

"You dance very well," he said as she approached him, smiling and raising his eyebrows.

"Thank you. Perhaps I might take the prize," Danica said and sat down. "I was beginning to think I looked terrible. I've been trying to draw your attention for quite some time, before the dancing began."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind. Surely I would not have ignored one so beautiful as you."

Danica turned to look at the woman dancing on the bar, seeing she was already nude and drawing loud cheers from the crowd. "She's pretty, and dances very well," Danica said to see how her target would respond.

Telanor glanced toward the bar for only a moment, responded, "Oh yes," and then looked back immediately at Danica.

Danica smiled when she saw this, but continued to look as if she was paying attention to the dancer, though she was paying much more attention to the man seated at the table with her. The dancer finished, and the big man climbed back atop the bar to try to entice another dancer to come up.

"I think you will win," Telanor declared.

Danica smiled and blushed prettily. "Do you really think so?"

"Oh yes. The crowd was quite enthusiastic -- those at the bar most of all. I believe their vote will weigh heavily in the decision. The barkeep was also most enamored of you," he said looking into her eyes.

"We can only wait," Danica responded, letting her eyelids slip over her eyes in a demure gesture.

"No more takers?" The big man on the bar shouted. "Very well! We shall have those here at the bar who could see best cast their votes, and determine our lucky lass!"

"It appears we will not have to wait long," Telanor remarked.

The barkeep went from person to person, receiving their votes. He then stood up and scanned the crowd from atop the bar as he spoke. "A decision has been reached. It was a close thing, but we have a winner!"

His eyes fell on Danica and he said, "Come on up here, Lass, and claim your prize -- for you are tonight's winner!" He waved both arms over his head in an exaggerated gesture for Danica to approach.

Danica made a little, 'Me?' gesture, which prompted the man atop the bar to laugh, nod his head, and gesture for her to come again. She stood up and made her way to the bar through the crowd, which parted for her to pass.

The showmaster dumped the gold coins from the bowl into a leather pouch as Danica approached, and then handed the pouch to her amidst loud cheers. He indicated for her to follow him to the gate of the bar. He spoke quietly to her as the bouncers moved, allowing the patrons to move freely to the bar once more.

"Lass, this is a lot of coin. It will surely make a target of you for some of the more seedy people about. I can keep the coin here for you to be picked up in daylight. You can rest assured that I will not cheat you. Or, I can send a couple of my men to escort you if you would like?"

Danica glanced back at her table and answered, "I believe I have an escort home, and I will be quite safe."

He laughed, "Very well!" "Oh, and lass -- I lied to the crowd. It wasn't close. It was near unanimous. I have never seen the like in five years of monthly dances on this bar."

Danica smiled, leaned forward, and kissed the big man. "Thank you."

"Ho Ho! You're welcome, Lass. Now, you can dance again any time you want, but you can only win once every six months. Thank you for the fine show and the money it brought me." He loosed a final laugh, and then turned back to his work.

Danica returned to her table and sat down. "I think I should probably be on my way home with this coin before many who know I have it leave ahead of me. Will you come with me and protect me from the prowlers in the night?"

The man broke into a smile, which appeared knowing, and at the same time seemed to hold the laughter of a private joke. "Of course, Lass. Let us go before foul brigands begin to filter outside to await you." He stood up, offering his hand to help her rise.

"I'm more worried about the other women, quite frankly," Danica said with a laugh, and rose as well.

They wove through the crowd out of the tavern and out into the street. "Where do you live?" Telanor asked.

"Atop the hill at the school," Danica answered.

A slight look of worry crossed his face when he heard her answer, but he continued to walk with her. They chatted and learned each other's names. Of course, Danica already knew his, but he confirmed it in offering her his name. As they talked, they crossed town and soon reached the path leading away from the city up to Zoraster's complex.

Telanor continued to look more and more nervous as they approached the complex. Danica moved closer to him, letting her body brush against him as they walked. When she felt hesitation in his steps, she stopped for a moment.

"Thank you for coming with me." She paused, color rising in her cheeks. "I-I knew I wanted you from the moment I saw you," Danica blurted out as if the admission was difficult for her, and leaned forward to kiss him passionately. She pressed her breasts tightly against him and moved her hips to rub against him as well as she kissed him hard.

His previous hesitation vanished immediately. He walked quickly with her for the remainder of the journey up the hill. His concerned expression reappeared for a moment as they passed through the gates and past the guards. When the guards barely paid any attention to them, his pace quickened again.

'Keep him here,' he said, Danica thought as she entered her room with Telanor in tow. She knew a sure way to do that. She concentrated and prepared to cast a sleep spell. Unfortunately, the shimmer of a dweomer around a ring Telanor wore lit up brightly in her second sight. Spell turning, her mind screamed, and she ceased her whispered chant. The ring would block and sometimes reflect spells cast against its wearer. Well, it's the other, then, she thought.

Danica was pulling off her clothes almost as soon as she formed the thought. Telanor quickly followed her example and joined her in the bed. They made love hurriedly the first time. He held out just long enough for Danica to reach her peak. Danica waited a short while to give him time to recover, kissing him and keeping her body well within his vision. After a while, she moved over him and lowered her sex to his face while she used her mouth to coax blood into his manhood. All the while, she wondered what was keeping Zoraster. She assumed that he must know that she had returned, and that she had the man in tow.

She came on his face twice, gushing the second time, much to his delight. When she could manage to move, Danica sat down on his erection and rode him to another pair of orgasms. By this point, she had ceased to wonder what was keeping Zoraster. It was still in the back of her mind, but her arousal and need overshadowed all else.

She moved off him and dropped to her hands and knees. He needed no other encouragement, and buried his cock inside her almost before she had settled. Danica felt his hot cum filling her shortly thereafter, and it set off her own orgasm. They both collapsed to the bed, exhausted.

Danica looked over through half closed eyes and saw that he was sound asleep. She fought hard to keep her eyes open, as she was exhausted from the long day in town, her dance, and their lovemaking. She could not hold back the darkness and sleep overtook her.

Something caused Danica to wake up. When she opened her eyes, she saw Telanor fully dressed, lifting her pouch of prize coin from the dresser where she had placed it.

"What are you doing," she asked and bolted upright.

Telanor didn't even start. He turned slowly and slipped the pouch into a pocket. "It was a fine ride, Danica, but now I must be away. You just keep yourself right there and be nice and quiet." He pulled a knife from somewhere and continued, "I'll just take this little trinket to remember you by and be on my way." With that, he edged toward the door.

What Danica did next did startle the man. She leapt up and grabbed the wrist of the hand in which he held the knife -- the same hand where the Ring of Spell Turning was. She tried desperately to keep his weapon at bay and remove the ring so she could work her magic against him.

He proved to be too strong, and quickly shoved her backward away from him. Moving with catlike speed, he caught her arm, twisting it around painfully behind her and jerking her back toward him. He placed the tip of his knife against her breast, drawing a bead of blood and causing her to wince.

"Bitch, do exactly as I say or I'll cut your tits clean off," he warned, and then shoved her hard to the bed on her face. "Don't move. Don't make a sound. Or I'll ruin your face and body with my blade."

Danica heard a curse, and then a thud from somewhere across the room. Telanor's weight lifted off her at the same time, and she quickly took the opportunity to roll over.

Telanor grasped his shoulder and winced in pain. A dagger still quivered where it had lodged itself in the closet door.

"Walking the dodgy path in my city without consulting with me first? A very unwise decision."

Danica turned toward the door. She had heard no one enter, yet a man stood there. He was somewhere around his mid twenties, handsome, well-dressed, and yet still had the look of a reckless teenager lurking in his eyes.

Telanor went on the defensive, his blade held ready and his feet planted. He stood like a coiled spring, ready to leap into action at the slightest opportunity. "What do you mean -- your city?"

Danica could see that the sleeve of Telanor's shirt was torn, and a thin line of blood soaked the cloth as well.