Protecting Her Own

Writers: Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 13th November 2020
Series: The Assassin's Husband

Characters: Lusilk, Selrin
Description: Lusilk visits Lorican's brother and addresses his behavior
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 6, day 28 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Lorican

Lusilk

Wind gusted down from the hills, stirring up dry clouds of dust, and far
off in the distance, thunder grumbled from a dull grey sky. Although it
was late afternoon, it was already growing dark and bitingly cold. One
unlucky guard shivered at his post, huddling into his cloak and
concentrating more on counting the minutes till the end of his shift
than on watching the road. Any travellers with sense would have already
made it indoors by now.

Geddin's Ford Hold was a collection of a few dreary grey stone buildings
huddled in the foothills near the river crossing that gave it the name.
But it did have one major asset: the tavern that had been built to house
traders and mine workers travelling to and from the gem mines in the
ranges to the south of Garnet Valley.

True, its glory days of prosperity lay in the past, Selrin thought as he
leaned back in his chair and sipped from his glass of dark red wine.
Half the rooms were shut up, and their furnishings, which dated from
before the plagues, were draped in dust sheets. He'd gone for a poke
around when he'd first arrived, vaguely hoping to find something
valuable, but the place gave him the creeps. Much better to remain in
the well-lit bar area, near a cosy fire, and earn a few marks by playing
cards. There weren't any scary men here to trouble him, and he was
starting to wonder if it wasn't safe to return to the main Hold.

Though his luck hadn't been in lately, and the tavern master was getting
annoyingly insistent about his bar tab. He'd have to write to Lorican
again that evening. It had been a while since his older brother had sent
him anything, and in his last letter he'd said he was getting married.
Shards, he hoped the wife wasn't interfering. He'd have to remind big
brother of his responsibilities.

But he could do that later, he thought with a slow grin, as he caught
the eye of a drudge who seemed to be watching him. Selrin was a
good-looking young man, dark-haired and with finer features than his
brother, with only a slight belly and puffiness around the eyes to
attest to frequent late nights and drinking. With his good tunic he'd
bought before he left Garnet Valley, he could pass for a prosperous
merchant or maybe even the Holder's son. The girl wasn't that pretty,
but had a nice enough figure and if she was willing... He winked at her
and raised his glass.

**There you are. And you've finally noticed. ** After a few days of
watching him, she'd followed the man, studied him, learned his
habits. What she learned was more than enough; Lorican's brother was
indeed a pathetic, markless boy who wasn't worth Lorican's time or
effort. It was time for the little boy to grow up.

Lusilk smiled fetchingly at Serlin, purposefully tossing her loose hair
over her shoulder and raised her own glass in return. **Here, little
boy. Come to mama. **

Selrin's lips curved upwards. Yes, writing to his brother could
definitely wait. Or perhaps... He imagined himself composing the letter,
with the hide unrolled over the luscious curve of a naked back and
bottom, and felt himself stirred at the thought of the so-honorable
Lorican reading it and never knowing.

He drained the rest of his wine, got to his feet and approached the
young woman. Gesturing to the barmaid for another drink, he leaned on
the bar with a charming smile. "Hello. I haven't seen you around here
before, have I? You must be new."

"Oh, I am. I just got here." Lusilk put gave a sigh, offering a
sultry, yet apparently tipsy pursing of her lips. **Gotcha.** "I'm
afraid I don't know anyone yet, except just a few other girls." She
leaned forward, trailing her finger through a small little puddle on
the bar. "And that gets sooo boring. What's your name?" She reached
out and touched his shoulder, sliding her fingers over the arm.
"You're not wearing any knots. Just who could you be, hm?"

"I'm a traveller. On family business." Selrin held out his glass to be
refilled with the dark, fruity red, already feeling pleasantly
light-headed. Let her think he was a rich trader's son, or perhaps a
mine holder's. Nothing attracted women like the prospect of wealth. "My
name's Selrin. And I'd ask where you're from..." He eyed her over the
wine glass. "But I'm much more interested in what you like to do now
you're here."

Lusilk mentally rolled her eyes. Did that line of drivel actually work
on women? But instead, she leaned forward, resisting the urge to break
his nose by smiling at the thought of it. "I'm from Crimson Cliff Hold
but I work in the kitchens now." She tilted her head. "Hot and wet
work day and night." She thrust out her lower lip. "I hardly have
anytime for _fun_." The last was said playfully with just the right
amount of sulky air-headedness." Lusilk trailed her fingers over the
embroidery along the collar and neck; nice but a bit threadbare in
places. And it certainly wasn't tailored to him. Shabby. Just like
him.

She inhaled deeply, intending to draw his eyes lower. "You probably
know all about how to have fun." She plucked at the embroidery, finger
tickling along his neck. "Surely a man of your position and looks can
show a girl what to do around this area."

Selrin dragged his gaze up from the neckline of her blouse with an
effort. "I could show you around the rest of the tavern, if you like.
Have you seen any of the old rooms? They can be rather eerie at night,
but I'd be with you, all the time." That would work, he thought with
satisfaction; a timid, giggling girl, pressing herself close to him as
they explored the secluded wing by the light of a single glowbasket.
Perhaps stopping off in one of the more luxurious bedchambers, that he
couldn't have afforded himself... He snapped his fingers for the barmaid
to leave the wine bottle.

**You are making this far too easy. ** It was almost laughable the way
she could read his expectations right on his face. They were alike in
that way, Lorican and his brother: very readable. Except, she thought,
Lorican seemed to prefer her rear ends over her breasts. Then again,
she reasoned, she'd only ever flaunted her rear for Lorican. Pity she
hadn't tried the other. She might never know. She brought herself back
to the present. Lusilk fluttered her lashes and waited until the barmaid
left the bottle. "Ooh... sounds a bit creepy, but with you to protect me
and maybe a bottle to share, " she gestured to the wine bottle, "it
sounds like a bit of adventure. Do you promise to stay close?" She
slipped off her bar stool and moved closer to stand right in front of
him. "I'm a little afraid of the dark. "

"I'll protect you," Selrin said, barely concealing the anticipation in
his voice. "That's a promise." Snagging the bottle in one hand, he
slipped the other around her waist and gave her a little squeeze before
leading her away towards the stairs that led up to the guest rooms.

At the top, rather than head for his modest chamber, he turned in the
other direction and pushed open the door leading to the unused wing.
Inside it was chillier, without the warmth of fires and human bodies,
and the end of the corridor was lost in shadows. Selrin handed the girl
the bottle and took down a glowbasket, opening it halfway to light their
steps. Behind them, the door creaked shut.

"These used to be the best rooms, back before the plagues. Master
Crafters stayed here, big traders, even a Lord Holder or two. Back in
those days there were riches to be made from the mines." He leaned
closer, breathing lightly on the back of her neck as he spun his tale.
"Valuable metals, gemstones larger than anyone's ever seen. There are
stories, of greed, and envy, and foul play...I wonder what these walls
have seen." His voice lowered, mysteriously. "Perhaps blood..."

In the darkness, Lusilk was able to smile but felt positively
disgusted by the stink of his wine-soaked breath on the back of her
neck. She gave a little gasp of false-dismay and turned to cling to
him. "Blood?" She pressed her body purposefully against his. "Do you
think we can see one of the secret or grand rooms?" In the dim light,
she pulled her blouse low to show the curves of her cleavage in the
tantalizing light. "I'm frightened of this hall."

"Good idea." His free hand caressed her backside as he guided them
towards a door he'd chosen at random and pushed it open, raising the
glowbasket to light the room. Drapes hung over the windows and a huge,
four-poster bed, and there was a scent of dust and ancient tapestries in
the air. As he looked around, Selrin's heart suddenly jolted in his
chest and he flinched back towards the door as a strange, hovering light
came into view, illuminating two ghastly pale ovals with dark pits for eyes.

A moment later, he realized what he was seeing: their faces and their
light, reflected in a tall, age-spotted mirror. He let out his breath in
a nervous laugh. "Heh - sorry. I didn't scare you, did I?" Setting the
glows down on a side table, he turned to face her with a distinctly
lecherous smirk. "Now, how about we try out whether that bed's as
comfortable as it looks..."

She wanted to laugh at his sudden jerking movement; Faranth, the man
was a coward, just as she suspected. An indulgent, over-sexed, shabby
coward. How did Lorican and this man come from the same parents? Her
eyes narrowed as she felt his hand on her bottom and quietly debated on
removing his hand from his body. **You aren't getting paid to kill him.
Too much blood and Lorican would feel guilt for the rest of honorable
life. Shardit, but it would be so easy...**

As he turned towards her, her sweet smile remained, and she
approached, sliding her hands around his waist, then his arms, quickly
checking them, then up chest. Unarmed. "The bed? We're don't need the
bed." She smiled up at him, her fingers curling around the nape of his
neck and began to pull his head down as if preparing to kiss him. The
moment he moved she licked her lips, coming a breath away from his
mouth. Then her knee slammed upwards, directed at his crotch. She
didn't wait, when his breath exploded and he bent, she stepped back and
drove her elbow across his cheekbone, pulling her blow just enough to
cause pain and stun him to the ground. "The floor's just fine. "

She immediately straddled his shoulders, pinning him, and pulled a
knife to press against his throat. "Hello, Selrin. Let me introduce
myself. I'm the woman that was hired to kill your brother and I haven't
been paid. "

Selrin made a strangled, high-pitched sound of pure fear, his brief
struggles ending as he felt the cold kiss of the blade at this throat.
His heart pounded and his groin was a mass of agony, and he was suddenly
extremely sober. "Oh Faranth. Faranth! Don't hurt me. Please! You can
take everything. I've not got much but you can have it all." He gibbered
with fear. "I'm not rich. I'm really not. I was lying. Please don't hurt
me."

A surge of fury lit her eyes, not at the pleading, but at the total
lack of shock over her statement. She snarled, snatched a handful of
hair and bent his head cruelly back, exposing his neck. "You knew,
didn't you? You knew they would send someone like me after him to pay
for your mistakes. You knew. " The last was said in a hiss. "Give me
one reason I shouldnt cut you open and decorate these rafters with your
intestines."

The young man gave a strangled shriek, and the sour stench of piss
mingled with the stale air of the abandoned room. "Please - no! He told
me! He wrote to me and said I had to go into hiding, that we were all in
danger." He sobbed in terror, choking as she forced his neck backwards.
"He was just supposed to do a little job for them. No one was meant to
die. Please, please don't kill me. I can ask the Smithcraft for marks.
I'll pay you. Please...please..."

"Shut. Up." Lusilk wrinkled her nose and cracked his head against the
floor, just hard enough to be painful. "Every single person connected
to that little job is dead. Tragic accidents. Tsk tsk..." She kept his
head bent back and lowered her voice to a sultry purr. "All except
Lorican...and you. Lucky for Lorican, he made a deal...a little
arrangement with me. He's safe. But you..." She tapped the blade
lightly against his neck. "You fecked up. It's only because of him
that you're still alive, even though..." She paused, trailing the
blade along his jawline, "you don't seem to be worth it. You cost him
a woman he loved and a son. I don't see how you could ever repay him
for that." Her eyes narrowed and she turned his head enough to allow
him to see a malicious smile on her face. "So, you and I are going to
make a little arrangement."

"Yes! I'll do anything!" Her words were a sudden ray of hope to Selrin,
and his eyes filled with tears of relief. If Lorican was alive, there
might be a way he could survive this. "My brother is a smith. He makes a
good living. He can pay for both of us."

She snarled and cracked his head again. "He's made his deal with me.
He won't be paying for yours." She leaned over him, but kept her
weight on his shoulders firmly. "I'm going to beat you bloody. You're
going to be sore for sevendays but you're going to take it. I'm going
to beat you for my satisfaction because looking at you makes me want
to wretch. But you'll live." Then she caressed his face slowly with
the blade, along the cheek and lips. "Then, you're going to work, boy.
You're going to work at this very tavern until you repay every mark
you've taken from Lorican twice over." Her eyes narrowed. "You try to
leave, try to avoid paying, I will find you and take what you owe out
of your hide."

Lusilk's knife slid to his ear. "First the ears, then the end of your
nose." She tilted her head as she smiled at the thought. "Then, the
hand you pleasure yourself with when a woman won't have you. The
fingers first. Then your toes." She straightened, quickly reaching
back with the blade to press against his crotch just enough for it to
sting. "And if you're still trying to hide from me after that, I will
make sure that you will never be able to infect a woman with your
spawn." She removed the blade and brought it back up to his neck.
"And there will be no begging for help from your brother. You will
write a letter and have it to him by the end of this sevenday with
your abject, grovelling plea for his forgiveness. And you will
_never_" The blade pierced his skin now, allowing for a bead of blood
to gather at its tip, "ask him for marks or his aid again. Is that
clear?"

Selrin whimpered, his hesitation lasting only long enough for the sharp
pressure at his throat to increase. "Yes, yes! I'll do as you say, I
swear. Every mark." His head throbbed and her knees were digging
painfully into his collarbone, and he felt nauseous, the heavy dark wine
bitter in his throat. He longed desperately to be out of here, away from
this madwoman and her savage threats, huddled in the safety of his nice,
warm bed, but knew that nowhere was ever going to be safe for him. Not
any more.

"W-why are you doing this?" For the briefest moment, a faint spark of
his brother's stubbornness flared in his eyes. "What's Lorican to you?"

Lusilk's smile widened as she slowly traced the tip of her blade around
his neck as though tracing the line of a fine necklace. If he'd been
anyone else and if she didn't know that Lorican would be shattered, the
line would have been welling with ruby red droplets that would have
streamed to the floor. "Aw, haven't you figured that out? How would I
know about you unless I read every letter you send him?" Her voice
dropped to a sultry purr. "He rides me until I pop like warm wine and I
see stars, begging him for just a little bit more. " Her lips curled up
and she tapped at the end of his nose with the flat of the blade.
"While _you_ obviously haven't the slightest clue about what a women
really wants." She chuckled and released his hair, stroking her free
hand down his cheek. "I'm your new sister. I'm his wife. "

"His what?" He stared at her in horrified disbelief. Lorican, who'd
never so much as sneaked a pastry from the kitchens in his life, who
blushed at the merest hint of carnal pleasures, married to this
bloodthirsty virago? The world had gone mad. Selrin groaned in despair,
knowing that if she was his brother's wife, then he truly never would be
free. "Then please...sister? Let me go."

"No. You still have a debt to pay." Lusilk tilted her head and quickly
punched him right in the nose. "You grabbed my ass." She hopped up
while he was in pain and leveled a vicious kick to his side with the
pointed toe of her boot, once, twice and then again and again with
each following word. "You. will. never. do. that. again."

The blow to his nose connected with a sickening crunch and agony bloomed
across Selrin's face. Babbling incoherent apologies and pleas for mercy
through a mouthful of blood, he curled up, trying to protect himself as
best he could. As his body shuddered with the kicks and punches that
rained down on him, he knew, deep down, that it wasn't going to stop
until she'd exacted whatever it was she thought he owed her...and that
this was only the beginning.

Last updated on the November 22nd 2020

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Protecting Her Own