ElFewja
2nd Level Red Feather
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2007
- Messages
- 1,296
- Points
- 38
Live By The Feather --
--This is long, for one, and there are lots of different tickling scenes, but its all /F.--
A noxious buzzing filled the black void around me, drowning out the clomping rhythm of hooves as they sifted across dry soil. With my head slightly tilted down, I listened to the scraping of leaves below me and to my right while the slapping flutter of a bird's wings whizzed above my head. The horse beneath me vanished for a moment, and I dropped forward, desperately clasping at the saddle as I shimmied back and forth. Reeling in my erratic breaths, I slowly raised my head again as I tightened my grip on the leather reins. With a sigh, I tilted my head up, golden light piercing my blindfold like thin needles. Taking in a deep inhale of earthly aromas, I stretched my head back while rotating my shoulder. I reached back, rubbing my neck, tilting backward slightly. Groping wildly through the air, my fingers grasped around the leather strap once more as I hunched forward. I heard the mocking flutter of leaves as a bird began to chirp an intoxicating song.
Off to my right, I listened carefully for the familiar thumping of my guide's horse, her mount light and nimble, almost gliding across the ground. Holding my breath, I squinted, scrying through the air for the thin scrapings between the light breeze of fresh air and the rustle of leaves. I waited for several moments, my fingers burrowing into the straps they held as the muscles in my forearms tightened, restraining themselves from grabbing my non-existent sword. Just as I caught the narrow notes she hummed out, the clutter vanished and the world around me lulled to a standstill. Out in the distance a rooster crowed a song of victory, and I felt shade wash over me while a sheet of light rippled across my legs. “You may remove your blindfold now.”
For a moment I sat silently, inhaling deeply the brash, earthy air while my mind buzzed and clamored. Reaching up, I grasped the moist edges of the cloth that had clouded my eyes for the past two days and tugged, feeling the knot wheeze then relax out of existence. A cool breeze nestled against my naked brow as I drew the fabric away. It flapped about listlessly in the wind while I blinked and winced, shutting my eyes against the setting sun's vicious assault as I sharply crooked my head away. Peeking my eyes open, I glanced down the curving road that led back down the low incline of the hill, the grass gobbling up the road. On either side of the path a thin stream of purple plants poked above the grass, rolling away and blending into a soft line of violet that shimmered into emerald then back to violet as the winds caressed the land. In the distance a low mountain rolled away into a forest, the edges of the trees nipped by a thin veil of breathing fog.
A whinny caught my attention and I spun forward. My guide's silvery dress flapped through the air, sparkling like a starlit pond as it wavered, glittering and shimmering with mystic light. She had already circled her horse around and begun descending the sharp incline, her stead heading directly towards a small series of buildings surrounded by a white fence. Off to the side a great field of swaying stalks of corn spiraled out towards the mountain as it lapped around, enclosing this small village. Gazing at the crops, my jaw dropped and I felt my tongue grow fat with saliva at the thought of so much of such a rare delicacy growing here of all places. Shaking my head, I squinted towards my companion, her horse already nearing the foot of the hill. Gathering myself and dispelling my idle thoughts, I flicked my wrists upward, slapping at the reins, ushering my horse to follow my guide’s. Directly to my left a grand, singular tree rose, its hulking trunk claiming the very center of the hill. As I trotted through the shade I could hear the shattering sound of its leaves clamoring together, their shivering song conquering the otherwise still air. Even here, from this distance, the sound of shrieking, maddened laughter emanated from several locations. The air was absolutely palpable with that joyful song of life and only grew in a delirious, sweltering scale as my horse sped towards the bottom of the hill and the elusive fence that corralled the strong, stately buildings together.
As we approached, a single woman waited at the gate, her arms knitted behind her back, her chiseled chin raised as though lifted by strings. Her sable eyes flickered with a phantom flame, staring well past me. In a gust of motion she whirled about, tugging the gate apart, the soggy, somewhat rotted boards trembling upon loose nails as they fanned out, welcoming us. The woman bowed so low as we passed that I thought she might topple over, her long golden hair collapsing about her naked shoulders like a waterfall, the strands glittering along her perfectly silver dress. Looking up, I caught sight of ten or twenty women scurrying across the courtyard like mice, their sparkling sterling dresses flapping at their ankles as they swung together in a small crowd. Some smiled while a few crossed their arms and scowled at one another. One raised and shook a pointed finger in the mischievous face of another.
The thud of the gate crashing shut seemed to send a shock wave through the ground, scattering the women. They cleared the self-asserting road that ran through their camp and formed two lines parallel to one another around it, their heads held high and their shoulders perpendicular to the ground as we walked between them. Behind the women and scattered around the small field, I saw several sets of well weathered stockades lining the fronts of buildings. Some of the devices ran low to the ground, while others rose high up with long benches and tall poles reaching far above them. I noticed that the holes of the nearest stockade were well worn, smoother than a pebble plucked from a stream. One of women coughed and I turned to catch her lowering her head as she covered her mouth. The surrounding women glared and it suddenly felt as though several arrows pierced through me and fell around her, boxing her into a cage.
My guide cantered onward, steering her horse towards a wooden post outside of the large building in the center of the gated area. As she dismounted I looked about, noticing that the women before had vanished, almost as if they had never existed. Spinning my head forward I found my ambassador with her arms crossed. A ray of gilded coral light twinkled over top of the roof, draping through her hair, giving her straight orange locks the appearance of raining star light. In a swift motion she spun over the horse's saddle, sweeping to the side as she spun about. Flashing her arms upward, she dispelled the cloak from her shoulders, the brown flapping wildly as it collapsed onto the post. Her dress rippled with agitation while the toes of her black boots scraped an incantation against the musty dirt. In a huff she whizzed past my horse, her shimmering waterfall of hair shifting backward slightly in her self-made breeze. With a tut, she called out, "We haven't much time if you intend to take the entire tour." Bowing slightly, I jumped from my horse and quickly fumbled with the reins, securing them to the post while the dirt hissed behind me. Turning, I leaned forward, rushing after her stiff backside.
As I stepped to her side she hopped forward, her heels slapping against the ground quickly as she stalked ahead. With a grimace I rubbed at the back of my neck as I coasted along the narrow cloud of dust that my comrade stomped up. Shooting through the courtyard at an angle, we narrow passed the corner of a building before turning sharply towards a sudden, swaying wall of corn stalks. As we stepped along the elongated shadow of the narrow building my eyes ran along its red boards, eventually falling upon the several stockades that lined its walls. I licked my lips as we walked past, my vision skimming the twin holes cut into the thick, heavy looking boards.
Memories of the Duke's wife seeped across my mind, my breath growing heavy within my chest. The hall had been quite full and I had not seen the action. One said she had spoken out of turn, or else said something less than savory towards him, though another claimed she merely lifted her nose and turned away. Regardless the room grew silently. The duke, ever harsh towards disrespect, immediately undid her with words. A heated debate ensued, and then an ultimatum: a night in a cell or an hour in the stockade. The event was made into a show and a single boot was stripped of her. As though to show her her own weakness, he simply ran a finger down her naked foot, then encouraged the party to take advantage of her situation. For the several minutes she squealed and screamed nonstop as the nobles took turns, several at once titillating her small, curved foot , until at last the royal interrogator was called to put an end to her disrespect. She was gagged, and for the better part of an hour his expert hands worked over her sole, her steamy voice calling through the gag as he coerced her to confess a hundred different crimes, including, of all the ridiculous things, not only acting as a spy for Te'lan but that she was in fact the reigning heir of that distant fiefdom, not that a single soul believed her. The interrogator's skills were so great that he somehow tricked the little lady to sincerely beg for more tickling and to have her other boot removed, at which point he ceased and released the exhausted woman. As the last stockade puffed out of my peripheral vision I shivered at the thought of so many women so willingly devoting themselves to such a life, especially if the rumors were true.
The wall of crops rose towards us, each one standing so firmly it looked as though it reached for the sky in an attempt to strangle rain from the clouds. Splitting my lips apart, I clicked my teeth together as we neared, my guide easily sliding between the field that bore the weight of many kingdoms in sheer worth. Slowing, I ran my fingers down one of the leafy husks, feeling the strong veins that lined it. In a moment my guide vanished from sight and I dashed ahead, the husks beating at me as I sped ahead. Catching up with her, I watched in amazement as she held her path without wavering, avoiding each crop without any attempt to do so even while they continually slapped at my face. The lull of earth crunching beneath us as we continued onward nagged at me. Hunching forward, I wrangled my fingers against my neck and nervously croaked out a brief bout of conversation to cut away at the silence. "So.. every one of the women is-- ah-- are they all--"
Without stopping or looking back she spit back "Every woman here." A shrill shriek rattled the air like lightning and several black birds rushed to the sky. They cut sharply through the air, gliding towards the clouds that shrouded the nearby mountain.
Rubbing my hand down my jawline, I pressed my palm into my chin as the words foamed against my tongue "Does that mean – I mean, are you--"
She stopped briefly, her neck craning downward. Casting her arms out to her side, she slowly crinkled her fingers into fists, the muscles in her arms quivering as she firmly planted the words, "Every. Woman. Here." before her. She stamped ahead, kicking up clouds of dirt that streaked against her dress. Without hesitation I dove into the foliage after her.
---
A sigh wept through my chest as I crossed my arms. A bobbing silence oozed over us as the world grew still. The mountains seemed to sigh, and a light, soundless breeze shrugged through the field, forcing the stalks to shiver. Clomping ahead after my guide, I stepped unevenly on the haphazardly raised mounds that rolled up and away beneath me. The breeze picked up, spilling down the mountain side and flooding the field. All around us the stalks shifted and rustled as we swept ahead, the sound of thick leaves catching on one another as the silent wind rained succor through the densely packed crops. Looking around, I could only see a few feet in any direction before the thick swarm of shrugging blockaded my vision. As though the wind bubbled like the sea, a rising tide of shrieking rolled from our side, piercing my spine. Goosebumps cropped up along the back of my neck, and as I listened to the lilting siren's song I felt an enticing wanderlust grip around my heart. My chaperon stopped suddenly, turning her head quickly before diving off towards the alluring melody as it wobbled into a chorus of joyous laughter interwoven with wild screams that shook the ground with buzzing tremors.
--This is long, for one, and there are lots of different tickling scenes, but its all /F.--
A noxious buzzing filled the black void around me, drowning out the clomping rhythm of hooves as they sifted across dry soil. With my head slightly tilted down, I listened to the scraping of leaves below me and to my right while the slapping flutter of a bird's wings whizzed above my head. The horse beneath me vanished for a moment, and I dropped forward, desperately clasping at the saddle as I shimmied back and forth. Reeling in my erratic breaths, I slowly raised my head again as I tightened my grip on the leather reins. With a sigh, I tilted my head up, golden light piercing my blindfold like thin needles. Taking in a deep inhale of earthly aromas, I stretched my head back while rotating my shoulder. I reached back, rubbing my neck, tilting backward slightly. Groping wildly through the air, my fingers grasped around the leather strap once more as I hunched forward. I heard the mocking flutter of leaves as a bird began to chirp an intoxicating song.
Off to my right, I listened carefully for the familiar thumping of my guide's horse, her mount light and nimble, almost gliding across the ground. Holding my breath, I squinted, scrying through the air for the thin scrapings between the light breeze of fresh air and the rustle of leaves. I waited for several moments, my fingers burrowing into the straps they held as the muscles in my forearms tightened, restraining themselves from grabbing my non-existent sword. Just as I caught the narrow notes she hummed out, the clutter vanished and the world around me lulled to a standstill. Out in the distance a rooster crowed a song of victory, and I felt shade wash over me while a sheet of light rippled across my legs. “You may remove your blindfold now.”
For a moment I sat silently, inhaling deeply the brash, earthy air while my mind buzzed and clamored. Reaching up, I grasped the moist edges of the cloth that had clouded my eyes for the past two days and tugged, feeling the knot wheeze then relax out of existence. A cool breeze nestled against my naked brow as I drew the fabric away. It flapped about listlessly in the wind while I blinked and winced, shutting my eyes against the setting sun's vicious assault as I sharply crooked my head away. Peeking my eyes open, I glanced down the curving road that led back down the low incline of the hill, the grass gobbling up the road. On either side of the path a thin stream of purple plants poked above the grass, rolling away and blending into a soft line of violet that shimmered into emerald then back to violet as the winds caressed the land. In the distance a low mountain rolled away into a forest, the edges of the trees nipped by a thin veil of breathing fog.
A whinny caught my attention and I spun forward. My guide's silvery dress flapped through the air, sparkling like a starlit pond as it wavered, glittering and shimmering with mystic light. She had already circled her horse around and begun descending the sharp incline, her stead heading directly towards a small series of buildings surrounded by a white fence. Off to the side a great field of swaying stalks of corn spiraled out towards the mountain as it lapped around, enclosing this small village. Gazing at the crops, my jaw dropped and I felt my tongue grow fat with saliva at the thought of so much of such a rare delicacy growing here of all places. Shaking my head, I squinted towards my companion, her horse already nearing the foot of the hill. Gathering myself and dispelling my idle thoughts, I flicked my wrists upward, slapping at the reins, ushering my horse to follow my guide’s. Directly to my left a grand, singular tree rose, its hulking trunk claiming the very center of the hill. As I trotted through the shade I could hear the shattering sound of its leaves clamoring together, their shivering song conquering the otherwise still air. Even here, from this distance, the sound of shrieking, maddened laughter emanated from several locations. The air was absolutely palpable with that joyful song of life and only grew in a delirious, sweltering scale as my horse sped towards the bottom of the hill and the elusive fence that corralled the strong, stately buildings together.
As we approached, a single woman waited at the gate, her arms knitted behind her back, her chiseled chin raised as though lifted by strings. Her sable eyes flickered with a phantom flame, staring well past me. In a gust of motion she whirled about, tugging the gate apart, the soggy, somewhat rotted boards trembling upon loose nails as they fanned out, welcoming us. The woman bowed so low as we passed that I thought she might topple over, her long golden hair collapsing about her naked shoulders like a waterfall, the strands glittering along her perfectly silver dress. Looking up, I caught sight of ten or twenty women scurrying across the courtyard like mice, their sparkling sterling dresses flapping at their ankles as they swung together in a small crowd. Some smiled while a few crossed their arms and scowled at one another. One raised and shook a pointed finger in the mischievous face of another.
The thud of the gate crashing shut seemed to send a shock wave through the ground, scattering the women. They cleared the self-asserting road that ran through their camp and formed two lines parallel to one another around it, their heads held high and their shoulders perpendicular to the ground as we walked between them. Behind the women and scattered around the small field, I saw several sets of well weathered stockades lining the fronts of buildings. Some of the devices ran low to the ground, while others rose high up with long benches and tall poles reaching far above them. I noticed that the holes of the nearest stockade were well worn, smoother than a pebble plucked from a stream. One of women coughed and I turned to catch her lowering her head as she covered her mouth. The surrounding women glared and it suddenly felt as though several arrows pierced through me and fell around her, boxing her into a cage.
My guide cantered onward, steering her horse towards a wooden post outside of the large building in the center of the gated area. As she dismounted I looked about, noticing that the women before had vanished, almost as if they had never existed. Spinning my head forward I found my ambassador with her arms crossed. A ray of gilded coral light twinkled over top of the roof, draping through her hair, giving her straight orange locks the appearance of raining star light. In a swift motion she spun over the horse's saddle, sweeping to the side as she spun about. Flashing her arms upward, she dispelled the cloak from her shoulders, the brown flapping wildly as it collapsed onto the post. Her dress rippled with agitation while the toes of her black boots scraped an incantation against the musty dirt. In a huff she whizzed past my horse, her shimmering waterfall of hair shifting backward slightly in her self-made breeze. With a tut, she called out, "We haven't much time if you intend to take the entire tour." Bowing slightly, I jumped from my horse and quickly fumbled with the reins, securing them to the post while the dirt hissed behind me. Turning, I leaned forward, rushing after her stiff backside.
As I stepped to her side she hopped forward, her heels slapping against the ground quickly as she stalked ahead. With a grimace I rubbed at the back of my neck as I coasted along the narrow cloud of dust that my comrade stomped up. Shooting through the courtyard at an angle, we narrow passed the corner of a building before turning sharply towards a sudden, swaying wall of corn stalks. As we stepped along the elongated shadow of the narrow building my eyes ran along its red boards, eventually falling upon the several stockades that lined its walls. I licked my lips as we walked past, my vision skimming the twin holes cut into the thick, heavy looking boards.
Memories of the Duke's wife seeped across my mind, my breath growing heavy within my chest. The hall had been quite full and I had not seen the action. One said she had spoken out of turn, or else said something less than savory towards him, though another claimed she merely lifted her nose and turned away. Regardless the room grew silently. The duke, ever harsh towards disrespect, immediately undid her with words. A heated debate ensued, and then an ultimatum: a night in a cell or an hour in the stockade. The event was made into a show and a single boot was stripped of her. As though to show her her own weakness, he simply ran a finger down her naked foot, then encouraged the party to take advantage of her situation. For the several minutes she squealed and screamed nonstop as the nobles took turns, several at once titillating her small, curved foot , until at last the royal interrogator was called to put an end to her disrespect. She was gagged, and for the better part of an hour his expert hands worked over her sole, her steamy voice calling through the gag as he coerced her to confess a hundred different crimes, including, of all the ridiculous things, not only acting as a spy for Te'lan but that she was in fact the reigning heir of that distant fiefdom, not that a single soul believed her. The interrogator's skills were so great that he somehow tricked the little lady to sincerely beg for more tickling and to have her other boot removed, at which point he ceased and released the exhausted woman. As the last stockade puffed out of my peripheral vision I shivered at the thought of so many women so willingly devoting themselves to such a life, especially if the rumors were true.
The wall of crops rose towards us, each one standing so firmly it looked as though it reached for the sky in an attempt to strangle rain from the clouds. Splitting my lips apart, I clicked my teeth together as we neared, my guide easily sliding between the field that bore the weight of many kingdoms in sheer worth. Slowing, I ran my fingers down one of the leafy husks, feeling the strong veins that lined it. In a moment my guide vanished from sight and I dashed ahead, the husks beating at me as I sped ahead. Catching up with her, I watched in amazement as she held her path without wavering, avoiding each crop without any attempt to do so even while they continually slapped at my face. The lull of earth crunching beneath us as we continued onward nagged at me. Hunching forward, I wrangled my fingers against my neck and nervously croaked out a brief bout of conversation to cut away at the silence. "So.. every one of the women is-- ah-- are they all--"
Without stopping or looking back she spit back "Every woman here." A shrill shriek rattled the air like lightning and several black birds rushed to the sky. They cut sharply through the air, gliding towards the clouds that shrouded the nearby mountain.
Rubbing my hand down my jawline, I pressed my palm into my chin as the words foamed against my tongue "Does that mean – I mean, are you--"
She stopped briefly, her neck craning downward. Casting her arms out to her side, she slowly crinkled her fingers into fists, the muscles in her arms quivering as she firmly planted the words, "Every. Woman. Here." before her. She stamped ahead, kicking up clouds of dirt that streaked against her dress. Without hesitation I dove into the foliage after her.
---
A sigh wept through my chest as I crossed my arms. A bobbing silence oozed over us as the world grew still. The mountains seemed to sigh, and a light, soundless breeze shrugged through the field, forcing the stalks to shiver. Clomping ahead after my guide, I stepped unevenly on the haphazardly raised mounds that rolled up and away beneath me. The breeze picked up, spilling down the mountain side and flooding the field. All around us the stalks shifted and rustled as we swept ahead, the sound of thick leaves catching on one another as the silent wind rained succor through the densely packed crops. Looking around, I could only see a few feet in any direction before the thick swarm of shrugging blockaded my vision. As though the wind bubbled like the sea, a rising tide of shrieking rolled from our side, piercing my spine. Goosebumps cropped up along the back of my neck, and as I listened to the lilting siren's song I felt an enticing wanderlust grip around my heart. My chaperon stopped suddenly, turning her head quickly before diving off towards the alluring melody as it wobbled into a chorus of joyous laughter interwoven with wild screams that shook the ground with buzzing tremors.