"A Meeting Most Fortunate"
Chapter 1.
It was still a relatively calm evening at "The Scythe and Sickle", one of many small tavernas in the busy, Greek village but it was the one where you were least likely to find yourself inadvertently caught up in a drunken brawl towards the end of the evening and having to duck for cover from flying chairs and tables, hide from wild-eyed brutes brandishing their makeshift weapons or perhaps finding yourself accidentally skewered by another patron's sword. That's not to say it didn't happen, on occasion, just not as frequently.
Standing at the heavy wooden counter of the bar nursing a large mug of local brew which tasted like the tavern's owner had soaked his soiled loin-cloth in it, was a unique-looking, dark-skinned woman. The wisdom in her face and the worldliness in her manner put her near forty in age although the years had only served to enhance her natural beauty. She was tall with an athletic build. Dark, wiry hair framed her face, the features of which told you her exact mood with her almond-shaped, dark brown eyes that could go from melted chocolate to cold, hard stone in a flash and lips that were full whether she was smiling or scowling. She wore a short, functional, leather garb with strategically-placed armour and hanging from her waist was an intricately crafted, leather scabbard which protected a well-used, well-maintained sword. Overall, she cut a very intimidating form .
Beside the woman, stood a hapless but ever-hopeful young man who was obviously smitten with her.
"Oh, come on, Kate, come out with me just once. I'll show you a good time," he pleaded with a cheeky but unappreciated wink.
"Give it up, Lyceus," the woman answered, her boredom with the situation quite obvious. "How many times do I have to tell you? …. It's not going to happen. You're not my type."
She stopped talking and turned her head to nail him with a dangerous glare.
"And you're starting to annoy me," she warned.
Oblivious to the threatening edge to the woman's voice and the thin ice on which he was skating, Lyceus shuffled a little closer and, desperate for a chance, begged, "At least let me buy you another drink."
Rather than drawing her sword and ridding herself immediately of this pest, Kate decided not to disturb the evening's peace and instead looked around the room for a means of escape. Her eyes fell on a blonde woman sitting alone at a table tucked away in the corner. Kate did a swift double take. She had never seen this woman in here before and from where Kate was standing she looked absolutely stunning despite the forlorn expression on her otherwise lovely face.
Kate rapped her knuckles on the bar to get the tavern owner's attention and then ordered some wine which he served to her in a carved wooden goblet.
"I'm afraid it's just you and your hand again tonight, Lyceus," Kate taunted with a chuckle to herself as she carried her mug of tepid ale and the goblet of wine towards the woman's table, relieved to have found such a divine distraction from the otherwise uninteresting, all male clientele.
On reaching the table, Kate stood opposite the woman who sat poised with her forehead resting in her hands, unaware of Kate's presence.
Kate cleared her throat and asked, "Do you mind if I join you?"
The stranger peered up at Kate in perplexed surprise.
"Pardon?" she said.
"You look like you could do with a drink," Kate replied, "so I've bought you some wine. Do you mind if I sit here with you?"
The woman's initial expression insinuated that she would have preferred to be left to ruminate alone but Kate gave her one of her warmest smiles so, out of politeness, she eventually said, "No…sit down."
Kate put the drinks on the table, pulled out the heavy chair, adjusted the position of her scabbard and sat, all the while the other woman's curious eyes watched her with interest.
Kate then introduced herself.
"I'm Katherine by the way but beautiful women such as you can call me 'Kate.'"
The woman's face coloured slightly with embarrassment at the compliment as she took Kate's outstretched hand and held it briefly, a little tense at the presence of such an imposing figure.
"I'm Caroline," she answered in return.
They each took a mouthful of their drink. Kate used the moment to size the woman up. She seemed preoccupied.
"I come here regularly," Kate began, "but I don't remember ever seeing you here before and I do believe I would have almost certainly noticed someone as lovely as you the moment they entered the room...especially amongst this mouldy lot."
Caroline blushed again and hesitated before replying, unsure of how much she wished to reveal to this feisty-looking but seemingly friendly stranger.
"I've never actually been here before," Caroline finally answered quietly, "but I needed to escape the confines of the house and I was walking around rather aimlessly …. Somehow I ended up in this tavern."
As Kate took in the vision that was her new acquaintance, Caroline, she couldn't help but get caught up in the vortex of the dazzling blue eyes and her ability to speak seemed to leave her temporarily so the two women sat, drinking their drinks, in a rather awkward silence until Caroline finally asked, "So what do you do…all dressed up in leather and armour and carrying a sword? Are you some kind of warrior princess?"
"You forgot to mention my knife," Kate added for affect as she artfully pulled a short but potentially-deadly knife from the side of her boot with a well-practiced hand and slapped it down on the table, "and a little less of the 'princess' if you don't mind. The last person who called me a 'princess' now talks with a decidedly higher voice and hasn't fathered any children since…not that his wife minds but that's a whole other story."
Kate then gave Caroline a disarming smile to let her know she was in no danger.
Not one to be so easily intimidated, Caroline asked again, "So what is it you do?"
"Oh… a bit of this and a bit of that," Kate replied ambiguously, "I don't like to put restraints on myself…I'll try anything once. What about you?"
"I'm an alchemist," the woman answered quite self-consciously.
Throughout her life, Caroline had been mocked and teased for having a brain and daring to use it. Spinning and weaving cloth was not for her. She had always felt excluded because of it but she'd developed a seemingly tough hide. However she was unsure and wary as to how this woman would react.
Kate gave a low whistle.
"Impressive…..an unusual pastime for a woman."
"My father was an alchemist and I was an only child …. and a fast learner….so he passed on his knowledge and his shop to me," Caroline explained although she wasn't sure exactly why she was telling these details about herself to a perfect stranger. Perhaps it was her warm manner which, despite the tough facade, was appealing and friendly and right now Caroline felt in need of some kindness. She couldn't seem to help herself….she needed someone to talk to.
As the late afternoon wore on and became early evening the tavern began to fill with thirsty, work-weary menfolk from the nearby fields as well as the local craftsmen, all eager for a drink or three. The atmosphere was becoming noisy and rather boisterous as large amounts of lager, ale and wine were being steadily consumed.
Kate's eyes scanned the room taking in the crowd trying to assess how much longer it would be safe for Caroline to stay and how much time would pass until the first punch was thrown. She figured they had a while longer.
Kate drew her attention back to Caroline and asked in her usual, straightforward manner, "By the way, who passed away?"
Caroline looked at Kate quite taken aback and puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"I assumed the long face was because someone had passed away," Kate explained.
"Nobody has passed away," Caroline answered quietly.
"What's got you so upset then?"
Caroline looked away for a moment as she struggled to control the fresh tears welling in her eyes.
"Oh, it's nothing really," was Caroline's unconvincing reply.
Before Kate even had time to make sense of what she was doing, she reached across the table and gently held each of Caroline's hands in her own, rubbing her thumbs lightly across the woman's knuckles, and to Kate's surprise the woman let her. Although Kate could never be thought of as being shy, particularly with the ladies, she wasn't usually prone to bouts of tenderness with complete strangers but there was something about this woman that made Kate instinctively want to protect her.
From all outward appearances Caroline seemed perfectly capable of fending for herself but Kate sensed a vulnerability lying just below the surface.
"I'm sorry, Caroline. I didn't mean to upset you. I can be a bit …um…pushy at times. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
At the kind words and genuine concern, Caroline lifted her head to look at Kate. A moment later she blurted out, "My husband has left me for another woman….a bard from another village….and he's nicked off to go and live with her."
Unable to think of a sufficiently soothing reply, Kate instead gave Caroline's hands a comforting squeeze.
"….and my second son who thinks I'm boring just because I work hard and I'm strict, has gone off to live with him….it's a dirty, rough village…not like here at all….he'll hate it and he won't be able to get back," Caroline finished, her voice reflecting her anguish.
How many children have you got?" Kate asked curious to know more about this attractive stranger.
"Two," Caroline replied, "the older one has gone off to the Academy in Athens to study philosophy."
"So it's just you at home?"
"My widowed mother lived with us up until recently but she's remarried and moved out….so, yes, it's just me," Caroline confided sadly.
Kate was about to offer Caroline another drink when they were interrupted by a much more inebriated Lyceus who had stumbled his way to their table.
"Kate….just one night…you won't regret it," he implored in his drunken stupor.
Kate fixed him with an icy stare that warned him not to play with the fire below.
Through clenched teeth she spoke.
"Lyceus, are you listening? I would rather eat my own feet than sleep with you. Now go away while your head is still attached to your shoulders."
Not to be that easily discouraged, Lyceus turned unsteadily towards Caroline.
"How about you, blondie? Do you want to sleep with me?" he asked foolishly.
Lyceus reached out to touch Caroline's hair but before his hand made it halfway Kate had jumped to her feet and had his arm twisted painfully behind his back. She then lifted him off the floor and tossed him back towards the bar where he made an ungainly crash landing onto a tabletop before toppling into the laps of several unforgiving and rather large customers who were instantly on their feet looking for someone to pummel.
Immediately recognizing the potential for trouble, Kate grabbed Caroline's hand.
"Now is probably a good time to leave," Kate said more as an instruction than a suggestion as she led Caroline quickly to the door.
A barrage of shouting and cursing could be heard from inside amidst the clashing of swords and the splintering of wood as the two women made their exit. The tavern had gone from peaceful to pandemonium in the blink of an eye.
As they distanced themselves from the trouble, Caroline pulled Kate up and said sternly, "You didn't have to do that, you know. I can look after myself."
It wasn't exactly what Kate had expected. She was used to women being a little more appreciative of her gallantry but she decided to brush it aside and keep it friendly.
"I'm sure you can," she answered with a self-assured smile, "but it was just a reflex action….sorry… next time, he's all yours. Whereabouts do you live?"
Caroline pointed a finger down a dark, foreboding lane way.
"Not very far…in that direction…I think."
"I'd offer to escort you home but you probably don't need me to do that either," Kate teased.
"Well…no, I don't," Caroline replied in a less confident voice as she peered into the gloom that lay ahead, "but if you want to keep me company for a bit, you can."
Kate grinned knowingly to herself as they walked off together towards Caroline's home.
It hadn't been Caroline's intention to stay out so late and although she was more than confident walking alone around the village and marketplace by day, it was a foolhardy woman who did so in the night.
Several times, as the two women followed the twists and turns of the grimy streets which were lit only by the pale moonlight and the flame of torchlight here and there, shadowy figures of men with leering smiles and a glint of nasty intent in their eyes appeared from out of the dark labyrinth and made towards them. However, to Caroline's amazement, as these low-lifes made out and recognized the presence of Kate walking beside her, her hand placed restlessly on the hilt of her sword, they quickly scuttled back into the rat hole from which they came like the spineless rodents they were.
Caroline gave Kate a questioning glance.
"How do you do that?"
Kate shrugged her shoulders dismissively in reply and continued to walk nonchalantly down the road.
"Who is this woman?" Caroline thought to herself.
As they passed some stables and the blacksmiths shop with its doors all shut up for the evening, Kate asked, "So how does your adulterous, little worm of a husband earn a living?"
With obvious reluctance Caroline answered, "I'm married to John, the town bard."
"Oh….bad luck…sorry…I mean…"
Kate decided to stop talking lest she dug herself into a deeper hole.
"It's alright," Caroline almost laughed, "I know he's terrible at it but he brings…brought in a good wage….although there was word about the town that they were going to replace him but….he's gone now anyway."
"I'm sorry but his stories are so….pointless and …boring," Kate groaned. "I once sat on the side of a cart to listen to him….only because I had absolutely nothing better to do and my horse was being shod at the blacksmith's close by….before he had finished the story I had dropped off to sleep and fallen into the cart….fortunately it was full of straw….. only to wake up several hours later and two villages away….he's a good cure for insomnia. I slept like a baby."
Caroline couldn't help herself as she laughed out loud for the first time in months. It was a lilting, infectious laugh which made Kate feel strangely happy.
"But it wasn't all bad news," Kate continued, "while I was there I met this rather gorgeous woman and we…."
Kate stopped the story there thinking she had probably said too much.
"Anyway, I made it back a few days later with a smile on my face and none the worse for wear."
Caroline stopped walking and turned to face Kate.
"I don't know that I even want him back…my husband…John," she revealed, "he's such a self-centred jerk…and I don't think this is the first time he's fooled around…. but I want my son back."
Even though it was dark, Kate could sense that the woman's blue eyes were filling with tears.
They continued on silently for a short distance as Caroline led the way along the now familiar path until she brought them to a halt outside the village's apothecary.
"This is my shop," Caroline explained to Kate, "and I live in the rooms behind."
Both women were disinclined to go their separate ways quite yet and searched for reasons to linger.
"So you sleep with women?" Caroline asked coyly as they stood outside the mud brick wall that surrounded the small courtyard within.
"Mmm…yes, that is the preferred option…the more delectable choice," Kate answered honestly and openly.
Sensing what she thought was Caroline's curiosity, Kate moved in closer.
"There's something quite heavenly about their smooth, delicate skin," Kate whispered as she ran the back of her hand lightly down Caroline's cheek. She fully-expected the woman to balk or pull back but she didn't. Kate's fingertips made their way across Caroline's mouth.
"….and their lips are always so soft and sensual."
Kate could see that the woman was a little nervous as her eyes flickered from Kate's face to the ground but still she did nothing to discourage Kate's advances so she let a finger continue to trace down Caroline's neck, across her shoulder and towards the exposed skin at the top of her breast. Both women were breathing more quickly.
Tucking her finger into the lacing on Caroline's bodice, Kate was about to pull the woman into a kiss when, instead, she stopped and stepped back. Her conscience told her that taking advantage of this distraught woman was probably not the right thing to do despite her strong desires. Something about her had earned Kate's respect and she decided there and then that if Caroline wanted her then Caroline would have to be the one to make the first move.
As Caroline had noticed Kate draw her in closer and felt the sensual touch of her fingertips, her heart had begun to race. She was sure that Kate had been about to kiss her….an idea that she was strangely unopposed to…but then Kate had stepped away. Definite disappointment had washed over Caroline in that moment.
"Maybe she's not really attracted to me," Caroline thought to herself although she was almost certain that she had sensed some chemistry there.
"Do you have far to go? Whereabouts do you live?" Caroline asked as a way of breaking the tension.
"Here and there…nowhere permanent," Kate replied, "I tend to move around a bit."
"Do you want to stay here tonight?" Caroline offered, "there's plenty of spare rooms …beds….and you're here now, you might as well stay if you have nowhere else to be."
Kate took a deep breath to calm herself. Sleeping under the same roof ….could she do it?
"Are you sure?"
"To be honest, I would like it if you did stay," Caroline explained, "I'm so used to a house full of people…John…the boys…my mum…and now they're all gone and it feels so strange…so lonely."
"Alright…I'll stay…thank you," Kate replied hopeful that she would have sufficient willpower to resist her lustful desires. Beautiful women were always her weakness.
Caroline opened the door to the shop and took a moment to locate a candle which she lit and then guided Kate through the shop front. With the light from the candle's dim flame she could make out well-organised shelves stacked with a myriad of powders and chemicals and associated paraphernalia, mortars and pestles, scales and other unusual items that Kate couldn't identify. They then went through a door in the back of the shop which opened into modest living quarters where, again, everything was neatly in its place. Caroline took the time to light two oil lamps, one of which she left in the main area while she took the other with her as she led Kate to her room.
"This is…was the boys' room…you can sleep here," Caroline offered as she held up the lantern so Kate could see. The room was mostly empty and had a single mattress on its hardened dirt floor. A pair of worn leather sandals laying in a corner and some old, unused parchment on a low shelf were the only signs that the room had once been occupied.
"It's late. I think I'll turn in," Kate yawned as she stretched her strong arms above her head.
It was the safest way Kate could see of being able to resist temptation.
"I'll get you a blanket," Caroline replied.
While Caroline went to get the blanket, Kate removed her boots, scabbard and gauntlets. Her boots and gauntlets she put in a pile at the end of the bed. However, she kept her sword safely within reach. She was half undressed when Caroline returned. Catching Kate with her outfit partially removed, Caroline dropped her eyes so as not to embarrass her but Kate wasn't shy when it came to her body and continued to undress regardless.
"This should keep you warm," Caroline said as she passed the blanket to Kate, daring to steal a glimpse of the lithe body of her visitor as she did so.
Kate took the blanket and spread it over her nakedness as she made herself comfortable on the wool-stuffed mattress. She stretched out on her back and put both hands behind her head as she looked up at Caroline who was still standing in the doorway, somewhat mesmerised by the sight that lay before her.
"How far away is this town where your husband and son are living?" Kate decided to ask seeing as Caroline seemed intent on remaining in the room with her for the moment.
Realising that she had possibly been staring and that Kate was talking to her, Caroline blinked and then replied, "It's a good two days ride to the north…a small town called Delos."
Kate knew it well.
"Caroline, I've been thinking…what if I went over to this town where your husband is and checked up on your son for you just to give you peace of mind….or I could 'persuade' him to come home and bring him back for you," Kate suggested, "and while I'm there I could perhaps locate your husband and cut off his tiny, pink bollocks."
Caroline gave Kate a horrified stare.
"I was only joking," Kate laughed, "about your husband, that is….I was serious about finding your son."
Looking relieved but not totally convinced that Kate was joking, Caroline gave the proposal some earnest thought.
"But you don't know what my son…or my husband, for that matter…looks like. How would you find them?" Caroline eventually asked.
Kate gave a wry smile as she said, "Locating people is one of my many 'skills'."
"Or I could come with you…," Caroline suggested.
"Or you could come with me…" Kate laughed dismissively.
"No, I'm serious, Kate," Caroline insisted, "It's only a two day ride away. I could go with you."
"Do you even ride?" Kate asked only half contemplating the idea. "It might be only a two day ride but the land between here and there is fraught with all sorts of dangers, particularly for a woman."
"Well, you're a woman aren't you?" Caroline threw back at her.
"Yes…but….I can do this….it's what I do," Kate tried to explain to this obviously strong-willed mother.
Now that the idea was firmly planted in her mind, Caroline was determined to follow through with it.
"I can do it too….and he's my son so I will do it. I want him back here with me."
Not wanting to argue, Kate suggested they discuss the matter again in the morning in the clear light of day. By then she hoped that Caroline may have thought it through a bit more thoroughly and come to her senses.
It was a two day journey at best over rough terrain and through dangerous countryside that harboured thieves and rascals as well as marauders and mercenaries of the worst kind….it was no place for someone who wasn't competent with a weapon or who would hesitate to lunge a sword into another man's chest.
"How do I get myself into these situations?" an exasperated Kate asked herself.
To Caroline she said, "We can discuss it again in the morning. Good night."
With that, Kate pulled the blanket up further and turned on her side.
"We can discuss it but I am going," Caroline persisted and then turned to leave the room. "And, by the way….I do ride…..very well."