Disclaimer: I don't know who holds the rights to Queen's Blade. Hobby Japan published the first series of visual combat books based on the licensed works from Flying Buffalo's Lost Worlds in 2005. The anime adaption "Queen's Blade: Exiled Warrior" was produced by ARMS in 2009 and directed by Kinji Yoshimoto. Let's not talk about further anime and manga adaptations, light novels or the video game. One thing's sure: It's not mine and I'm making no money out of this. This was written on a whim for fun and entertainment.

Echidna had seen a lot in the more than thousand years of her life. There was rarely something new to see. A door of light opening in the air at twice her height between the trees of the forest was something new and she looked at it with rising interest. A man stepped through and promptly fell to the floor. The door of light closed with a bang and vanished. The man, though clearly surprised by the drop, landed in a crouch and took in his surroundings. His eyes fastened on her. No surprise their since he was male and a well-trained elf with a combat bustier and a life snake guarding her loins always drew male stares. Echidna's interest dropped.

The man turned around and looked at the rest of the clearing while keeping her in his sight. Finally he stood up and held his hands out at his sides, palms facing upward. He glanced at the sun and addressed Echidna.

"Good day to you," he said. He had an unusual accent and was hard to understand. "I mean you no harm and apologize for my sudden appearance. Please tell me where I am."

"You're in my forest," Echidna sneered. "I kill intruders. Say a prayer to your god and prepare to die."

The man sighed. "You're a violent one." he stated. "Why don't you tell me the fastest way out of your forest and I'll be on my way?"

Echidna shrugged. This old fool wasn't even worthy of her sword or dirtying her hands. Her dagger would do. She pulled the short blade out with her right hand.

"Why aren't you reasonable?" the stranger asked, sounding more tired than frightened. "It's not as I could say 'I want you hogtied with silver chains!' and make it so." He snapped the fingers of his right hand to make his point-

-and Echidna tasted grass in her mouth as she found herself on her stomach, her wrists pulled behind her back, her fingertips brushing her ankles.

"Whoops!" the stranger exclaimed. "Don't you hate magic?"

Echidna stiffened as she saw him approach and pick up her dagger. He moved back after that. It would be a save distance if she were human, but she would be able to reach him, when she got free.

"Don't struggle," the man advised, "you can't escape these chains."

The elf didn't believe in his words and struggled only to find no give in those chains. She was truly bound. A whispered word from her and Keltan began to move.

"I like snakes," the stranger told her, "it would be a pity to kill such a fine specimen. But I will kill it as soon at it leaves your body."

Echidna hissed another word and Keltan stopped moving. She turned her head and glared up at the stranger.

"What do you want?"

"I want many things," the man answered. "For now I want to know where I am?"

"You are in the forest."

"Where is the nearest human settlement?"

Echidna thought about it. There was nothing to gain from holding back non-vital information.

"There's a small town about three days marches to the north from here. It's on the road to the capital, Gainos."

"Thanks. Next question: your name?"

"I'm Echidna."

"Can't really say it's a pleasure to meet you, Echidna. Call me Peter."

Echidna grinned without humor. "Not lord and master?" she sneered.

Peter surprised her again by laughing. "Certainly not! Or are you looking for a lord and master, Echidna?"

The bound elf fumed and spit. "Never!"

Peter smiled and had the audacity to wink at her.

"Next question: Will I meet other elves on the way north?"

"There are irregular patrols. The forest is huge, so you have a good chance of passing unnoticed."

Echidna didn't mentioned that she would hunt him down after getting free. The patrols only had a slight chance of finding his corps.

"Thanks. I have no more questions." Peter said.

"Get it done!" Echidna demanded. "You're going to rape me. Don't waste time beating around the bush!"

Peter looked shocked and then his eyes turned to a look of pity.

"You've been through this before." he stated more to himself.

"I will not rape you," he told her. "While rough play and bondage sometimes can be fun, I never force my attention on a woman." He mumbled something intelligible.

Now he sounded insulted.

"You put me in chains!" Echidna protested.

"You were going to kill me!" Peter shouted. "Be thankful that I didn't ask for lightning to strike you down or for the earth to swallow you up!"

He closed his mouth with an effort and took a deep, calming breath. Echidna closed her mouth that the shock, of what else he could have done to her, had opened.

"I want your word," Peter told the bound elf after a long pause, "that you will not kill or harm me, nor your snake, other snakes, or any other associates trying to harm or kill me by your asking, command, or any other kinds of influence. In return I will set you free and we can both be on our ways."

The elf took her time to think about it. She didn't like to let him go unpunished. She liked being left behind hogtied on her stomach even less.

"I agree," she answered then. "You have my word."

"Fine." Peter said and snapped his fingers.

The chains vanished.

The man dropped her dagger and stepped away.

Echidna rose to her feet and massaged her wrists. She reclaimed her dagger and sheathed it.

Peter had put some distance between them. Now he was walking around the clearing and mumbled to himself. He picked up a few things from the ground and put them on his belt or inside his coat. With some things he fiddled around then tossed them away.

Echidna held her position and watched him.

At last he snapped his fingers. A strange contraption appeared made out of metal with two wheels. Peter mounted it, did something with his feet and rode or rolled away with surprising speed.

The infamous mercenary stroked her pet snake's head deep in thought. While she had given her word not to seek revenge, she hadn't promised not to follow him. At least he was something new and might provide entertainment. She looked around for the things he had tossed away earlier. She found none, not even hints on the grass where those things should have landed. Having made up her mind, Echidna set out to follow the deep rut his contraption had left in the grass.

What she didn't admit to herself, was that his obvious disinterest in her had hurt her as a woman. While she was impressed that he hadn't used the opportunity to rape her, when he had her in his power – and what put him above all the males she had met before – she couldn't help the question if he found something at fault with her as a woman. She didn't consider until much later that threatening his life might have turned him off.

The End – for now.

Author's note: The contraption is of course a mountain bike.

Well, that certainly came out of nowhere. I should continue writing "Feeling Sorry" or "Love Hina How It Could Have Been", but this happened instead. I make no excuse, but I claim the influence of Mercaba's excellent Evangelion/Queen's Blade crossover "The Wandering Pilot" and Shadow0Fire's interesting "Call of Destiny". I will return to my other stories soon, if real life allows it.