The Adventures of Bard Ch. 03

Gaben called for everyone's attention and the troupe gathered to listen. "Our journey down this road has been uneventful up until now. We'll travel until it is dark and set up camp for the night, well away from this place," he motioned to the nearby mountain of piled up goblin corpses. "I reckon that by tomorrow afternoon we'll be out of these damned woods once and for all. By my count, we should reach Glenhearth just in time for the Summer Festival." Gaben looked around at his people and nodded. "Alright, if there's nothing more, let's move!" A few of the troupe members cheered at that.

The caravan master climbed up into the lead wagon. He helped a woman with silver streaked blonde hair and blue eyes get up into the wagon. She was quite beautiful and looked to be in her early forties. If Bard had to guess, she was Gaben's wife and Gina's mother. Gina quickly followed after the woman until the three blondes were sitting together. Gaben grabbed the reins and glanced down to find Bard looking up at him.

"The guards will ride by horse in front and behind the caravan. Hopefully they'll do a better job this time," he muttered darkly, though there was amusement in his eyes.

Bard nodded at the man's words. "Which wagon should I ride in?" he asked.

Gaben opened his mouth to speak but the woman next to him interrupted him. "With us, of course. Gina, scoot over and make room for our hero. It'll be a bit tight up here but we'd like to speak to you."

The three blondes shuffled in their seats to make room for the thief. Gaben swapped places with Gina so that he could still handle the reins. The thief got into the wagon and sat down next to Gaben, who groaned at how tight the seating arrangements were.

"Forgiveness, caravan masters. I fear that I may be a little fat," the thief apologized. Bard was of course fit and lean. He had probably lost a few pounds by just living off of trail rations over the last four days.

The two women giggled at his ridiculous comment and even Gaben chuckled. "Good man, you look half starved. We'll get some warm food into you once we settle down for the night."

The caravan master cracked the reins and the horses began to slowly move forward. Bard turned his head around to peek at the rest of the caravan behind him. The wagons began to slowly roll forward in single file. Bard looked forward again and grinned to himself. It was good to be off his feet.

***

The Four Corners caravan made good time on the road. Throughout the trip, Gaben and his family spoke to Bard. The thief was correct in assuming the woman next to Gaben was his wife. She went by the name Gillian. The rest of the troupe simply referred to the family as "The Three G's." The family shared several stories with Bard, such as how Gaben and Gillian first met, the founding of the caravan and its members, Gina's birth, and major shows the troupe had performed throughout the Kingdom.

Bard made sure to inquire about the caravan's journey down Darkwood Road. Gaben told him that they had tried travelling through the night but each time they had tried, they never made it too far. It was simply too dark and dangerous to travel without some sunlight. The thief deduced that the caravan must have passed him by during one of the nights while he was sleeping. Perhaps they had even rode right past him while he was busy with the wood elf temptress.

The family asked about Bard and his origins, a subject he seldom spoke about with either friends or strangers. The thief always had a ready backstory in case someone asked though. He told the family that he was the son of simple traders and had decided to pursue a life in justice as a thief catcher. Since Bard was an actual thief, he sounded quite knowledgeable when talking about the craft of catching thieves, smugglers, and other lawbreakers. When Gaben asked if that was why he was heading to Glenhearth, the thief simply told him that he was hoping to find work there.

Gaben reassured Bard that Glenhearth was the largest city on the eastern side of the Kingdom and that it would be full of thieves and other scoundrels to apprehend. Bard pretended to take interest in that particular bit of information but inside he was not enthusiastic. The thief preferred to steal in smaller towns and stay away from the larger cities because of precisely that reason -- competition from too many local thieves. If Glenhearth was truly as big as Gaben claimed it to be, it would have its own Thieves' Guild, as all the major cities in the Kingdom did. Bard knew that this meant there would be a lot of internal politics and rules to follow.

Once the darkness of Darkwood Forest was complete, Gaben stopped the caravan and called for the troupe to make camp for the night. The wagons and carts were parked alongside the road, and the horses were led to a nearby stream for water. Within minutes the caravan had torches, oil burning lamps and several campfires going. A few men and women rushed about, preparing food and cooking by campfire. Other troupe members set up small tents wherever there was space between trees. Bard guessed that the wagons did not have enough space for everyone to sleep inside.

Gregory spoke to a young boy and then pointed at Bard. The burly man went back to work and the boy rushed over to the thief. Bard recognized him from earlier as the boy that had fist-pumped the air during the goblin attack. The boy grinned at the thief and they spoke for a short while. Bard learned that the boy's name was Jack and that Gregory was his father. The boy's mother was singer. Jack showed the thief to his tent and then ran back to join the other kids. Not really having any other options, the thief opened up the tent flap, looked inside, and then tossed his bag of stolen goods next to a bedroll.

A few men and women grabbed chairs and blankets from a cart and distributed them around the campfires. Troupe members began to take seats and lay down on the blankets. Children chased after fireflies in the dark and parents chased after children. The kids probably just wanted to play and stretch their legs after sitting inside the wagons and carts for so long. Bard saw the group of men from the river taking seats around a fire. He went to join them, and Arnold patted a chair next to his. The thief took the seat and sighed with relief as he leaned back and stretched his legs out.

It wasn't long before the food was ready. Gillian came by and passed bowls of soup to the men. She gave a bowl to Bard and smiled. "There you go, love. Hot rabbit soup with just the right amount of seasoning."

Bard thanked her and admired her figure as she left to do some more cooking. He noted that she also had an impressive rack. Bard now understood where Gina got her good looks from. The thief glanced at Thomas, who slurped away at his soup. Yes, it would be difficult to get the fool together with Gina, Bard thought to himself.

Arnold interrupted the thief's thoughts with a question. "So Bard, I bet you've got a story or two to tell."

The thief ate a few spoonful's of soup and savoured the taste. He nodded his head at Arnold's question. "As a matter of fact, I have a story from just two nights ago." The thief leaned forward and the men did likewise. "Have any of you been with a wood elf?" Bard all but whispered once he had their full attention.

He heard a chorus of "no's" and one man who claimed to sleep with a half-elf once. "Well, I slept with a beautiful wood elf maiden in this very forest," the thief said with a smug look on his face.

The men exchanged worried glances with one another. Arnold put a hand on the thief's shoulder. "But Bard, wood elves haven't lived in these woods for centuries. They left once the woods were cursed by dark magic."

Bard frowned at the man and looked at the burly Gregory. The man shook his head at Bard. "It's true. Most of the wood elves in this part of the Kingdom have fled to the Redwood Forest in the northwest," he said.

The thief looked down into his soup, reflecting back on the night with the wood elf temptress. "Are you sure?" he finally asked. "What if they are simply hiding and no one knows? This one shapeshifted in front of me."

"What do you mean, shapeshifted?" Thomas asked.

Bard described the wood elf's transformation to the men and even by campfire light they seemed to pale. He mentioned her peculiar use of the Common tongue and strange green eyes. Gregory broke the silence once Bard was finished telling his lewd tale. "Bard. That was no wood elf," he stated flatly. "You fucked a dryad."

The men began to murmur, some in awe and some in fear. "A dryad?" the thief inquired. He put his now empty bowl on the ground.

Arnold cleared his throat and spoke. "Dryads are ancient forest spirits. They are guardians of the woods and can be found in almost any old forest in the Kingdom, though there aren't too many of them left in the world. You're lucky to be alive, Bard. Dryads are known to be malicious entities that will attack any strangers in their woods."

The thief sat quietly, absorbing the information. Gregory spoke up again. "My grandfather used to tell me stories of how dryads would lure unsuspecting men into the woods by transforming into beautiful wood elves. They'd have their way with the men and then kill them afterwards." The burly man grinned at Bard. "You must have given her a good and proper fucking if she allowed you to live."

Somehow that comment made the thief smile. He leaned back into his seat and pulled his head back to look at the dark forest canopy above. Bard had fucked a terrifyingly beautiful tree-woman-monster and had lived.

"By the gods... I fucked a dryad and lived. Does that make me a legend?" He began to laugh aloud and the men joined him.

"Seems like you fellas are having a good time," Gaben said from behind the group. He clapped Bard on the shoulder as he passed by him. "We probably won't need to bring out the ale then, am I right?" he said jokingly next to the fire. Immediately the men began protesting but stopped when several women came bearing mugs of ale. As one the men cheered and Gaben laughed at their change of mood. Drinks were distributed and it wasn't long before everyone was happily drunk.

Troupe members walked about freely from one campfire to another, chatting and exchanging stories. Within a few hours Bard had consumed several beers and had talked to most of the troupe members. He learned a little bit more each time a new person sat down next to him. The troupe had a wide variety of talented and interesting characters including jugglers, dancers, singers, escape artists, animal handlers, and even a seer. As a whole, the caravan consisted of a dozen wagons and several carts. The people numbered close to thirty, not including the children. There were young and old people, married couples, and children of varying ages. Bard also noticed that the troupe was quite multicultural, with folk from every corner of the Kingdom.

Ah, The Four Corners. Clever name, the thief reflected. He looked around and saw that a few people were singing and some were even dancing. Even the four guards seemed to be partaking in the celebration. No surprise there, he thought grimly as he saw one guard stumble and fall on the ground. Bard found it amazing that everyone was so at ease, considering the goblin attack that had only happened a few hours ago.

The thief watched a few of the women dancing. He saw that both Gina and Maya were among them. They were both skilled, though it was obvious that Maya was more experienced. Upon closer observation, he saw that Gina must have been eighteen or nineteen years old, whereas Maya was closer to his age. Maya caught him looking and she smiled seductively as she continued to dance. Both women were beautiful and he couldn't decide which one he wanted more. He glanced at Thomas, who was staring hungrily at Gina. The thief sighed, remembering his promise.

As the night grew longer, the people dispersed one by one into wagons and nearby tents. Bard could hear the mixed sounds of people snoring, crickets chirping and even some people fucking. Eventually he remained the last one at the campfire. He yawned and tried to stand up, but a hand touched his shoulder. He turned his head to face the person, but found no one. Instead, Gina circled around him from the other side. She stood before him and smiled shyly. Though it was dark, he could see by campfire how gorgeous the busty blonde was.

"I never got a chance to thank you personally," she said quietly.

Bard opened his mouth to speak but she shushed him with an outstretched finger to his lips. She began to dance in front of him, with her back to the dying flames. Her movements were fluid and sensual. She teased him by rubbing her hands down her sides and across her large breasts. Fuck it, he thought. The thief grinned and patted his leg. She took his meaning and sat down on his lap, not ceasing the dance. She wore a new tunic, but it left little to the imagination with how tightly it hugged her body. He put his hands on her hips as she grinded into his lap.

Gina's big tits were so close to his face. He reached out to touch her right breast but she teasingly pushed away his hand. She smiled mischievously at him and shook her head. Instead, the thief grabbed a handful of her ass which she seemed to allow. She rocked against his body and licked her lips as she brought her ample bosom tantalizingly closer to his face. Despite all the alcohol he drank, his dick was raging underneath his pants.

Gina sensed the growing bulge in Bard's pants and bit her lip seductively as she felt his cock through his pants. He tried to fondle one of her tits again but she leaned back and waggled her finger at him. "Nuh-uh," she teased. Instead she began to slowly bounce up and down in his lap. Oh how he wanted to see her naked breasts bouncing. The busty blonde cupped her own tits and squeezed them together. They looked to be more than a handful.

"You're such a tease," the thief grumbled as he squeezed her ass cheek harder.

She stuck out her tongue and got off his lap. "You have no idea," she laughed as she left Bard sitting on the chair with his raging erection. Thinking that this was part of the show, Bard waited. Instead, Gina left the campfire and disappeared into the wagon she shared with her parents. The thief sat there, listening to the crackle of fire and chirping of crickets. After a while he realized she wasn't coming back.

"No!" he breathed out in dissatisfaction.

Bard got up in frustration and kicked dirt into the fire until it went out. He passed by several dwindling campfires until he got to the tent that the troupe had designated for him. The thief opened the flap and disappeared inside. It was dark so the thief reached in his pocket for a lightstone. Lightstones were exactly what they sounded like -- stones that emitted light. They were made by spellcasters and were very expensive to purchase, which was why Bard had stolen one from a wizard years ago.

The thief held up his lightstone and activated it. He wasn't really sure how they worked, but he knew that they could be turned on and off by just a thought. Each lightstone emitted a white light, but also had a secondary colour that defined its glow. White-blue light spilled into the tent and the thief spent a moment inspecting it. The tent wasn't a large but it would do. The bag of stolen goods was still next to the bedroll. Bard set the lightstone down on the ground and took off his shirt and boots. The night was warm so he didn't bother crawling into his bedroll but simply laid on top of it. Once settled down, the thief reached over to turn off the lightstone.

For a while Bard just stared at the top of his tent. It had been an eventful day -- from wandering alone to a goblin attack and now being surrounded by a troupe of traveling entertainers. His journey through Darkwood Forest had started off dull but now it was shaping up to be quite an adventure. Bard's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of something rustling outside the tent. The thief sat up in alarm, waiting for whatever it was. He reached over for his shirt but realized that he had no more concealed daggers. He had used them all during the goblin battle.

The tent flap opened and a figure slowly entered inside. Without the lightstone glowing, it was dark inside the tent so he couldn't tell who the person was. Instead he felt a pair of hands reach out in the darkness and touch his shoulders. The hands gently pushed him back down on his back. He heard the tent flap close behind the mysterious person. After a moment the person straddled his lap. He felt a big pair of tits press against his chest and long hair dangling in his face as the stranger leaned down.

"Such a tease," a woman's voice said, her breathe hot on his face. Bard immediately picked up on the Myran accent.

"Maya, is it?" he asked the darkness.

"Mmm, they've told you my name, have they?" Maya answered in an alluring voice that made the thief relax. "What else have they told you?" she asked as a hand began to stroke his hair in the darkness.

Bard's hands went down her sides and found her butt. He grasped her ass cheeks through her skirt and she made a pleasing sound. "They told me you were an exotic dancer and a woman with other talents," he replied.

She giggled and leaned back in his lap as she began to undo his pants. Her hands found his still hard cock, not yet deflated from Gina's lap dance. She pulled it out and he heard her gasp as she began to stroke his shaft slowly in the darkness.

"So big," she cooed. "I wish I could see it." Bard felt her other hand grasp his cock as well.

"Your wish is my command," he said. Bard reached out with a hand and fumbled in the dark until he found the lightstone. He willed it on again and white-blue light slowly began to fill the tent. A person could control and regulate the amount of light radiating from a lightstone by thought alone.

Maya gasped when she saw the lightstone. She looked down at Bard and smiled seductively. "Mmm, a lightstone. Florence has one as well." Bard remembered someone mentioning that the troupe had a seer by the name of Florence. It made sense that a seer would have in possession several magical trinkets and treasures.

"A handy tool to have on hand," the thief said as he looked at the Myran beauty. She wore a black corset and a white flowing blouse top beneath it. Her clothing emphasized her wide hips, narrow waist and large bust. She was truly gorgeous, with her amber coloured eyes, and long wavy brown hair. The thief put his hands on her hips and Maya's grin widened. She was looking at his cock with a look of admiration on her face. She stroked it slowly, feeling his length and width.

"Oh Gina. How could you tease our hero like this?" she cooed as she continued to pump his cock with her hand.

"You saw that lap dance?" he asked as he reached up to squeeze a large breast through her clothing.

"Mmm," she moaned appreciatively at his touch. "If you can call that a lap dance," she said as she stopped stroking his dick.

Her hands went to her corset and she began to undo her top agonizingly slow. With a mischievous eyes she watched Bard's face the entire time. "This is how you tease a man," she said in a sultry voice.

The corset finally came off and Bard's hands immediately went up to fondle her big tits through the blouse top. She giggled at his eagerness but gasped when he found her nipples. He pinched them through the cloth and she moaned in response.

"Oh, you're bad!" she cooed as she grabbed his prying hands. Maya pushed his arms back and he let her win. She let go of his hands and began to undo her blouse instead. The white top came off after a moment and she discarded it, freeing her big tits at last.

Bard liked what he saw. Like all Myrans, Maya had light bronze skin. Her breasts were round and full, with dark areolas and perfect nipples that were begging for his attention. The thief reached out and felt her bare tits in his hands. They were nice and soft, and more than a handful. He squeezed them and Maya gave him a steamy look.