Completed In the depths of a mine...

[Deleted member 2578]

"You don't understand how this works." He said to her, keeping her held firm. "You will give me The Lady Anya or I will gut you right here. Your choice." Nosdyn knew he had to be devious with their kind. As any kind of slayer, he knew that they would try to lie and use all matter of trickery. But he did not fall for her game that time, he simply held her tight. It felt good to have subjugated her that way, and he knew Anya would approve. "Give me what I seek you are not going to get out of this." He held his sword blade against her throat and pressed it a little harder against her to make her know he was serious.

He intended to hold her firm until he was guided to Anya's exact location. He was growing impatient with the Vampiress. And was half tempted to end her right there, but he would be certain Anya would be able to assist in the kill. He waited for the Vampiress to respond, her time was rapidly running out and Nosdyn knew that was the case.

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

“Alright, I’ll bring you to her. Let me up and I’ll take you,” She says with the slightest hint of panic sneaking into her voice. “I’ll take you to her.”

Letting her up without safeguards would be foolish, but it could be done safely and she was in no position to protest. So he would be capable of handling the situation with minimal risk. And she was not about to risk death by calling her thralls to her. She wash, as said before, at his mercy.

 

[Deleted member 2578]

They were heading into the deeper portion of the vampire's lair.

Nosdyn kept his hold on the woman tight. A part of him rather enjoyed having her that close against him in such a compromising position. But perhaps...another time. Many thoughts cascaded through his mind as they moved through the fortress and eventually he got to where he needed to be. The chamber where Anya was held. As he promised, he released The Vampire Lady. Around there were other prisoners, but Nosdyn kept his word to the Vampiress, which maybe held more weight given the circumstance. He spared her as he promised, he hoped Anya would approve of that.

He walked towards Anya seeing her locked in the cage, and undid the cage. He cut her bonds himself with the silver sword Anya's smithing had made for him. He knelt down towards his companion and friend. "Anya." He said to her simply, hoping to awaken her from whatever state she was in. As he undid her bonds, he held her close to him. For some reason, The Vampire Lady observed the two companions the entire time, with an almost pang of jealousy from what they held for one another. They were friends and comrades...and perhaps something a little more.

He held her against him until she came back around to the waking world..."Did they hurt you?" Nosdyn asked his friend. He ran his hand gently through her hair. "All I could think of was getting you back." Nosdyn told her.

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

Nosdyn kept his hold on the woman tight. A part of him rather enjoyed having her that close against him in such a compromising position. But perhaps...another time.

The Vampiress was strangely less uncomfortable with the closeness to this man than she’d have thought, especially with the makeshift bonds that held her arms bound behind her so securely. Then she was released and stumbled further into the dungeon while trying to regain her balance. Then she turned around and saw the blue orc cut through solid iron chains with a silver lined sword, which to make it sturdier was probably a steel core with a silver cover.

Anya had been awake the entire time, her arms secured by chains that were soon severed. She was slightly injured but not terribly so, and she returned the embrace. And tiredly and jokingly said, “what took you so long?” She sighed and rested her forehead on his shoulder for a moment, then looked up again, “How are the others, you did fight them off right?”

Then she looked up and saw the Vampiress, bound securely by the arms. “I see how you found your way.”

 

[Deleted member 2578]

"I made sure you to use what you taught us." Nosdyn said to her quietly. "I would have come sooner but we had an Empire's general to also kill." Nosdyn nodded, helping her up. He looked at the Vampiress at that point, looking at her. Strangely there was no hatred in Nosdyn's heart by the point. "I will keep my word, you will be spared." He stood close to Anya the whole time. There were no words to express how he felt having rescued his friend. "The fort is safe, Anya. We won the day. I came by myself to rescue you. I could not put anybody else in danger." Nosdyn was embracing her teachings. He understood how the slayer's path worked, and maybe didn't mind it so much. His path though lay along a different walk of life.

Though Anya would always be included with anything Nosdyn decided.

He looked at The Vampiress, there was a hunger for her there. It could not be denied...but he was spoken for by Anya and by Ellsa. Though nobody knew it just yet. He nodded towards her. "You're free to go." Nosdyn said to her quietly as he assisted his friend, walking alongside her. "All I could think of was saving you. But I waited until after the fighting let up. You made me swear before to always protect our people."

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

"I made sure you to use what you taught us." Nosdyn said to her quietly. "I would have come sooner but we had an Empire's general to also kill." Nosdyn nodded, helping her up. He looked at the Vampiress at that point, looking at her. Strangely there was no hatred in Nosdyn's heart by the point. "I will keep my word, you will be spared." He stood close to Anya the whole time. There were no words to express how he felt having rescued his friend. "The fort is safe, Anya. We won the day. I came by myself to rescue you. I could not put anybody else in danger." Nosdyn was embracing her teachings. He understood how the slayer's path worked, and maybe didn't mind it so much. His path though lay along a different walk of life.

“Good. And if you just took the lead vampire, which you did, this fortress is ours now.” She said while getting to her feet with his help. “Maybe we can bring in a garrison, or maybe the old garrison will be willing to defect. But if not, we may as well make this our main fortress and the fort an outpost.”

Then she stood, and to the Vampiress’s relief, she was told she could go free. But Anya had other plans. “No, we can’t let her go. She’ll just come back later, and more prepared. No, we won’t kill her, but we can’t let her go.”

The Vampiress’s heart sank, she’d be put probably in the very cage that Anya hadn’t just been freed from.

 

[Deleted member 2578]

Nosdyn thought carefully at what was being said, and what Anya was saying. "Perhaps there is another way." He knew they couldn't just let her run around free, but Nosdyn did feel a sense of pity for the Vampire Lady. He looked at her. "You gave me Anya back in exchange, I have a proposition for you if you should wish to hear it." A tactician, he had heard everything Anya had to say perhaps there was a way they could all win. "We have a mutual enemy maybe we can all get what we are after here." He looked at Anya carefully, and with a sly look in his one eye.

"Instead of taking this by force, I offer another solution. I am offering you a chance to join US." He asked of the Vampire Lady. "We've long been at odds with The Empire, if you help us here it will be more strategic for all of us in the end." And truth be told, Nosdyn didn't want to kill her anyway...she had other uses.

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

"Instead of taking this by force, I offer another solution. I am offering you a chance to join US." He asked of the Vampire Lady. "We've long been at odds with The Empire, if you help us here it will be more strategic for all of us in the end." And truth be told, Nosdyn didn't want to kill her anyway...she had other uses.

“You’d trust me to be your ally?” She asked, surprised.

“I wouldn’t.” Anya said, being rather biased against vampires. “Not with total freedom. Maybe with leverage I might have a bit more reason to trust you.”

“What leverage? You promised me that I’d be spared.”

“Freedom, you remain conscripted and will only be free when our war is over.” Anya says, clearly not willing to trust her under any other circumstances. “And until such an arrangement isn’t perfected, I don’t trust you not to take advantage of the time it will take. I say you remain bound until me and Nosdyn can reach an agreement on this.”

 

[Deleted member 2578]

There was that edge...that edge that Nosdyn admired so much and come to appreciate.

They were both tired, and Nosdyn had not been thinking straight perhaps because of the Diablerie's effects on him. "It's been a long time of constant fighting. I am just glad I have you back." Nosdyn was beginning to feel the effects of fatigue. "Show me how to completely subjugate her and I will do so." He asked of Anya. She was likely talking about some sort of magical subjugation there. Nosdyn's knowledge didn't extend to the arcane arts.

But he wanted her by his side always. He wanted to always fight alongside Anya. He felt that was where he belonged. "Show me the means and I will see it done."

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

It's been a long time of constant fighting. I am just glad I have you back." Nosdyn was beginning to feel the effects of fatigue. "Show me how to completely subjugate her and I will do so."

“It can’t be done right now. The best we can’t do I say make sure she doesn’t run.” She said, grabbing the Vampiress bu her bound arm and put her in the cage, then locked the door again. “We’ll let her out once the proper preparations have been made. Until then you’re here.”

Then she took Nosdyn’s hand and brought him up the stairs, where a thrall was conveniently there, looking very confused, and at the same time relieved. He looked up. “Hello there, can you point me and my friend towards a bedroom?”

The man took a moment to respond, and replied, “uh, sure, I think. Come with me, I’ll bring you to it.”

And so he did.

 

[Deleted member 2578]

He was always eager to learn when it came to Anya, and what she had to teach him.

There was always more to understand, more to accept when it came to her culture, and she accept his own culture as well. Surprisingly, the thralls lead Anya and Nosdyn to a master bed chamber that caught Nosdyn off guard...he didn't expect such treatment. But he recalled what Anya said earlier: The fortress of the vampires was now theirs. He helped Anya enter the bedroom chamber and he sat down on a chair nearby, it was then that the fatigue truly set in.

It had been weeks of non stop fighting.

It had all dawned on him at that point. "All I could think of was getting you back Anya." He looked at her calmly, the fatigue was a cruel mistress because he knew he would not sleep...he'd have to find some other way to spend the night.

"Still can't sleep." He told her the truth, and the bed was very inviting. But he would do what Anya mainly wanted to first and always, from that moment on...

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

It had all dawned on him at that point. "All I could think of was getting you back Anya." He looked at her calmly, the fatigue was a cruel mistress because he knew he would not sleep...he'd have to find some other way to spend the night.

This particular sentence brought a flutter to her heart and a blush to her face. She had removed her gambeson arming doublet to reveal a simple jerkin and leggings that hugged her form. It was of a red colored material. “Really?”

"Still can't sleep." He told her the truth, and the bed was very inviting. But he would do what Anya mainly wanted to first and always, from that moment on...

With her blush covered face she looked back at him, and looked at the bed, before laying down and waiting.

(The following morning.)

Anya rubbed her wrists, which were rubbed raw by the cords that had bound her wrists the night before, only to be freed when Nosdyn let her free. “That, was fun.”

 

[Deleted member 2578]

He stood up at that point and began to undress.

He was a little heavy of head but he would give her what they both needed. At that point he slid in the bed with her and kissed her deeply...word were not adequate enough for how he felt for her.

He placed a large hand on the back of her head and pulled her close so they could kiss deeply. "I scoured hell itself for you My Lady."

The next morning...

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

Anya stood up from the bed, sore in very many places. She put her armor back on. “We aught to send a message to the fort. And we need a blacksmith and a mage capable of enchantments. This isn’t how we’ll put that Vampire in her place and keep her there. And I imagine that your other lover Ellsa is worried.”

So she got her armor on and began to walk towards the outer wall, “where is this place in relationship to the fort anyway?”

 

[Deleted member 2578]

"Myself, Garreth and Lliam got here on foot from when they first took you." Nosdyn recalled. With a small hint of pain in his heart from having lost his companion. But thankful he had her back now. "I'd say we are a few miles out from the fort, towards the North West." Nosdyn didn't mind walking at all. "We can probably use the Thralls here to good use and send word back to the fort that we are well."

"Anya I am glad I was able to save you. You also saved me." Nosdyn said to her calmly. His headache had gone at that point in the following day. He sat next to her the whole time. Not once wanting to leave her side. He watched her get dressed and walk towards the outer wall of the fortress. The Vampire Lady had good tastes in keeping her base well decorated and equipped with fineries. It was almost overwhelming for Nosdyn, but he felt he could take on any challenge with Anya standing next to him fighting alongside him. He just wanted to fight by her side always.

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

"We can probably use the Thralls here to good use and said word back to the fort that we are well."

“We need to ask them, not demand that they help us. We aren’t them, and we shouldn’t become them. If they are willing, yes we can use their help, and probably give them the same training we gave our current soldiers. And I would estimate basically increase our numbers by 500%. So yes, it’s a good idea, but we need to be better than that wretch, and if they want to go, we should let them.”

Some of them did wish to leave, but most agreed to stay, so a messenger was sent to the fort. And contact was established.

 

[Deleted member 2578]

A few weeks later...

Nosdyn had rescued his companion and beaten incredible odds to get her out of that hell hole.

He kept thinking back to that first night the rebellion started in the mines. He'd rescued Lady Ellsa and Anya, she'd been a source of strength and courage for The Blue Orc even back then. That morning, Nosdyn was scribing as Lady Ellsa had taught him to write. There was a matter that he was deep in thought on. The martial training of Anya's people needed to be taught. He needed to make a record of those teachings.

In the time that he could not sleep, he scribed.

He was formulating his thoughts, the teachings of his marital tactics into a well formed catalog. Moves, techniques, teachings. Anya was nearby. Lady Ellsa was observing as well, she'd grown used to the dynamic of their relationship.

Nosdyn writing his journal down, his compendium, was studying as well. Trying to get a handle on all he had learns. Images, technique, teachings of Anya and the mysterious ways he'd learned to fight since youth poured out from his fountain pen. He was scribbling drawings of his technique and by that point was well into the works themselves, he'd completed several full notebooks by that point. He wanted to do something with all he had learned and pass on the knowledge...and so he wrote in his spare time.

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

Anya, over the past few weeks had been organizing the new additions to their overall fighting force. Teaching them basic formations and how best to fight in a crowded place. One of the newer formations she drilled them on was the schiltrom, basically just a compact circle with shields on the outside and spears sticking out every which way, used when the unit was surrounded. They were given the tall shields and spears typical of their armed forces, which was semi-professional since they had everyone trained as a soldier but they were basically citizens until the need to fight arose.

Ellsa and Anya, mostly Ellsa, had a little difficulty getting past Nosdyn having two lovers. But when Anya explained that her people allowed for a man to have more than one wife and the reasons behind it, Ellsa eventually relented. Any and Nosdyn had improved upon their original shenanigans by getting actual restraints and a few other items, usually leaving Anya and Ellsa very sore.

But there was also the issue of the vampire lady, Anya had sent for the blacksmith to make an iron collar, perfectly fitted for the Vampiress’s neck, and she’d look for someone to have it enchanted. So that they could have the Vampiress more firmly kept in place.

Anya had a level of respect for Nosdyn’s almost scholarly acts over the weeks, writing down what he had learned and how to use it. Which would have included strategy and critical thinking as well as his skills on the battlefield. Ellsa, took over the role of overseeing finance, which she proved good at.

Now with their numbers being six times larger than they were, they could begin putting effort into producing their own weapons on a larger, more efficient scale, and probably armor too.

“How much have you written?” She asked absentmindedly, taking her armor off after the long day of training.

 

[Deleted member 2578]

He looked at Anya for a long moment and smiled.

After nodding a greeting to her, he pulled her closely towards him, wrapping a large arm around her waist.

He chuckled a moment after that and tapped a nearby stack of five or six notebooks. "Those are completed at this point. I'm working on scribing a few more notes down." He showed her what he was working the techniques and descriptions were detailed written record of all that Nosdyn had come to learn.

It was an impressive work.

"I should be finished before the month's out and we can have a library of the teachings here." Nosdyn said plainly. He had a small, but genuine smile on his face for her.

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

After nodding a greeting to her, he pulled her closely towards him, wrapping a large arm around her waist.

She gladly allowed herself to be pulled in by him. And peered into the book.

"I should be finished before the month's out and we can have a library of the teachings here." Nosdyn said plainly. He had a small, but genuine smile on his face for her.

“Sounds plausible. Oh, the enchanter should arrive tomorrow, and we’ll finally be able to put that monster to use.” She says starting out calmly, and ending on a slightly annoyed note when she was reminded that they’d had a vampire that she was restricted from killing, which irked her.

But she calmed down soon after, “are you sure you want her having any amount of freedom around here? Are you really ready to give her any level of trust?

 

[Deleted member 2578]

"I don't know my moon." He said to her, he'd learned the term the moon and the stars from the deep pondering he'd been having of late. Slowly, his childhood had been returning to him and he'd been recovering some of his lost past. He'd explained his particular tribe of Blue Orcs once revered the stars and the heavens. It probably explained why Nosdyn was such a deep thinker, though he knew he was the last of his tribe. "I will abide by what you say." He nodded to her, always trusting her counsel.

"We have acquired a significant boon to our forces after we embraced hers. So I think we should at least give her a chance to prove herself worthy." He nodded at that point. "She let me have you back." He said carefully. "There is something worth saving there." Nosdyn was not an expert on religion or morality by far. But he knew that the Vampire Lady had risked a significant amount to let him have Anya back, though her life was threatened in the process...she had agreed to help. Regardless of how selfish the Vampiress' motivations were. "We keep her under watch in the beginning at all times, until she earns her keep here. I have to believe they can be saved."

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

"We keep her under watch in the beginning at all times, until she earns her keep here. I have to believe they can be saved."

“Then it seems you’re a better person than I.” She said quietly. “It is good to know that you will keep her under surveillance. Meanwhile, I’ve had our scouts set up outposts, so that they can scout further. We’ll see armies coming if they head our way in plenty of time to react. Eventually these outposts will turn into watchtowers but we haven’t the resources just yet.”

She sat on the bed next to Ellsa, and rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly.

 

[Deleted member 2578]

Nosdyn put his tomes away for a moment at that point when they were waiting for him. He was well mannered by that point in his life and would not keep ladies waiting. He put his fountain pen down and proceeded to stand up at that point and moved quietly to his women with a sly grin on his face. He nodded towards Lady Ellsa and Anya, running his hand gently through their hair. He always liked their hair, it was comfortable to the touch and brought to him a sublime sense of peace in his troubled heart.

He knew from what Anya had taught him more conflicts and wars lay before them all...he was just glad that they had a moment or two of rest from the fighting to collect their thoughts. He kissed Lady Anya deeply at that point and went into their bed laying with them until the next day.

 

[Ser Anya Kinniger]

It was the following day that things started to return to the more normal state of being on constant guard. Anya had brought the hired enchanter to the iron collar they had forged for the Vampiress in the dungeons, and had the proper enchantments put into place. After that was done she dismissed the enchanter with his payment, then went to Nosdyn.

“The collar’s been enchanted.” She handed it to him, “she’s your prisoner, you should be the one to put it on her.”

 

[Deleted member 2578]

He held the enchanted collar in his large hands for a moment, it radiated power.

She'd taught him how the magics worked, but that was beyond his skill level to comprehend. He looked at Lady Anya and then looked at the red haired Vampiress with an almost sad expression in his eyes.

Forgive me... He thought to himself, he was still a good man and good men desired simple things.

He knelt before The Vampire. He would do the deed himself. To show some comfort for the lady Vampire, he touched her red hair gently, running his hand through her hair to help her calm down. "I believe there is still good in you." He said to her.

At that point, he locked the collar in place, and the magics went to work. She belonged to them at that point.