Webcomics and Stories

"It sounds perverse."

"I don't believe it! Mayv of the Friendly Thighs has scruples."

"I am not a striapach," she retorted in a hot manner.

"I'm sure you're not," he soothed, "whatever it is. The problem is easily solved: we will use separate rooms."

Medb was by no means reassured, but her interest had been piqued. Uncertain as to how to reply, she once again looked back at the wrestlers, as if they would somehow signal her an answer.

Röthgâr smiled at her dilemma, but said, "Why don't we go talk with them, see what they have to say about it."

"I would not want to interrupt their current activity; the other patrons may not appreciate it." And indeed, those who were not too inebriated or too involved with their own activities to notice the combatants were boisterously egging the women on, both with words and with coins tossed onto the platform surrounding the pit.

"They only do this to advertise themselves, when they have no better, or more profitable, prospects. They won't mind, and the crowd expects it to happen at some point. Come on," he added as he stood up, "we'd better do it before someone else does." And he proceeded to thread his way around the tables to the ladder. Medb hesitated a few moments, then mentally shrugged and followed him.

The Bear Baocú na Músac had been built into a natural depression in the southeast hills on the outskirts of Ulthar. The cooking pits and a trio of bars had been set up on the rim, and the tables on terraces cut into the sides of the crater, all linked by ladders that were more like narrow, steep stairs. At the very nadir of the basin sat a patio for dancing and other forms of entertainment, and at its center was constructed a tile-lined sink in a natural cavity. When not otherwise covered, the sink could be filled with water or layered with mud or sand and used for various forms of spectacles, such as the wrestling match going on below.

Medb and Röthgâr had been sitting on the bottom-most terrace, so it took almost no time at all to climb down to the patio. As they approached the pit, Medb could see that the two women were kneeling in the thick, gooey mud, one behind the other, facing in her direction. The woman in back had the other in a head lock, and it seemed to Medb that they were both so intent on killing each other that they would not respond to any distraction. Yet they both spotted the patrons at the same time, and immediately disengaged themselves. Still kneeling, they made their way to the wall of the sink, beaming enthusiastically at the mountebank barbarian.

"Good day, ladies," Röthgâr said, and they returned the greeting, nodding and grinning. They then turned their attention towards Medb.

He introduced the former queen, and she could see from their expressions that they recognized her name. "This is Caelí," he then indicated the woman on the left, "and this is her sister, Maorna," he added as he pointed to the other beside her.

Medb nodded to them, but said nothing. They were so much alike that she was having difficulty distinguishing between them; not quite twins, but very close. Caelí was thinner, with longer limbs and a narrower face, while Maorna was broader with a rounder face. The differences were slight at best, but they were enough for her to get a handle on their identities.

The sisters gave her what she interpreted as sultry looks, but Maorna's was downright lustful. Caelí looked back at Röthgâr as he continued his pitch, but her sister kept eye contact with Medb.

"We were wondering if the two of you would like to spend the afternoon with us?"

Caelí glanced at Medb before addressing Röthgâr. "Together or separately?"

"Separately."

Caelí looked at her sister, but when Maorna didn't look back, she punched her in the arm.

Maorna shot her an angry look. "What?!"

"They want to do us separately."

Maorna scowled. "Disappointing." Then she looked back up at Medb. "Are they sure they won't change their minds?" And she licked her lips.

"Quite sure, unfortunately," Röthgâr said; "my friend does not like to share."

Annoyed, Medb gave Röthgâr a look of frowning reproach, but glanced down when she heard Caelí remark, "Pity. My sister and I have never done a three-way with another woman; we would be most eager to try it."

"I have never craiceann a bhualadh le sisters," Medb said, speaking for the first time, "but I have no desire to rectify that."

"We could trade off?" Röthgâr suggested in a hopeful tone, and Caelí looked at her sister with an expression of anticipation.

"I know how much my sister enjoys you," Maorna replied, looking from her to him, "but I find the thought of you sticking your fat sausage inside me and squirting your greasy juices all over disgusting. I can barely tolerate Caelí leaking on me after you two have come as it is. No offense."

"None taken," Röthgâr murmured, smoldering.

"Obviously, this is not working out," Medb declared.

But Caelí replied, "Now, don't be hasty, I'm sure we can work something out. Let me confer with my sister first." She looked at Maorna, who nodded, and the two of them made their way to the opposite side of the pit, where they huddled together and whispered to each other.

"I am not sanguine we can come to terms," Medb told Röthgâr.

"Well, maybe if you weren't so stubborn we could," he shot back. "What's wrong with the four of us being together, or even them both servicing you and me individually?"

"I will not do it," she said, adamant.

"Good God, woman, why does everything have to be your way or the highway?"

"Do not dare to blame me!" she retorted in a hot tone. "We are paying these women for their service; they should be willing to do as we say."

"They offer a specific service, and if we want something different, we will just have to go elsewhere. They certainly have the right to say what they will or will not do with their own bodies."

"Cumhala have no such rights."

"Damn it, they're not slaves! They're entrepreneurs, shit, craftswomen you'd call them." "A cerd cannot refuse to render whatever service his or her airech may demand, even if the latter pays for that service."

"We're not their lords!"

"Once we pay them, we become such, until the service is fully rendered."

"Well, that's not the way it is here."

"Excuse us."

Medb and Röthgâr looked back towards the pit. Caelí and Maorna had returned, and they were standing on their feet, which Medb took to be a sign they had arrived at a mutually acceptable decision.

"We don't mean to interrupt," Caelí continued, "but we'd like to suggest a compromise. If Mayv doesn't mind waiting, Maorna and I will spend time with you first, then she'll go to her while you and I finish up, and when they're finished, I'll take Maorna's place until Mayv is satisfied. How does that sound?"

"It sounds fine to me," Röthgâr said, then looked at Medb. It made no difference to her one way or the other, so she shrugged and nodded.

"Just one other thing," Caelí added; "we want quadruple our usual fee."

"Holy cow! Why so much?"

"You want to have sex with us separately, and we're offering to do you twice. That's the same as if we did four different clients in a row."

"Alright, being separate, you deserve twice. But when you were with me in the past, you let me come as many times as I could manage, for just the one fee."

"We'll still do that, only now we'll be doing it twice for each of you."

When Medb saw that Röthgâr could not answer that, she said, "I have no objection to paying you more for additional service. However, what you are offering is not quite double your normal service. Maorna will only be with each of us for a limited time, even if you will remain until we have exhausted ourselves; therefore, you would be entitled to a full fee from each of us, but she only half. Also, I would not wish to wait while you two service Röthgâr first, so if I agree to it, I would expect some consideration in return. I believe triple your usual fee would be most generous under the circumstances."

The sisters looked at each other, then turned their backs and put their arms around their shoulders and their heads together as they discussed her offer. With her druidically enhanced ears, Medb heard every word they said, and she smiled when they agreed to her terms. But she said nothing before they turned around again.

"Alright, we have a deal," Caelí said. "Help us out." And they raised their hands.

Medb and Röthgâr did as they were bidden, and when the sisters stood between them, Caelí said, "Give us an hour to clean off, then come to our place; you remember where it is." It wasn't a question, but Röthgâr nodded.

"Bring our fee with you; once we have verified the amount we'll get started." And with that, they clasped hands and walked off towards an opening in the wall of the surrounding terrace.

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To be continued