by Pfantazm

	Those silver grey eyes were gazing into his as he opened them. Sir Bastian smiled when Lennox moved. The mage gripped his shoulder, holding him. "Glad to see you're back," Thom said. Madoc elbowed his partner in the ribs. "Thank you, Sir Bastian," Thom finished. They all looked to be in bad shape. "Come. There's one of them outside. We'd like you there while we talk to him," Sir Bastian said. Lennox followed the others out. He was still shaking. "You better be afraid, Lenny! When Kraid catches up with you--" The man was cut off when one of the shipment guards kicked him in the stomach. Sir Bastian held out his hand. He looked very menacing. "Do not harm this man. He will receive his judgment soon enough." The Marauder was sitting on the dusty road, his hands bound behind his back. It was Cort, a man who loved to fight. One of Damon's favorites. "Invono veridas," Sir Bastian said, crouching by Cort's side, staring the man down. Cort whimpered. "You are ensorcelled; you will not lie to me." Cort could not look away. He nodded. "Has anyone joined the Marauders since Lennox left?" "N-no." "Where have the others gone? Where were you to meet?" Cort's mouth opened and he looked around desperately for help. "Cort," the mage said, making the highwayman jump, "answer me." "I don't know! This weren't supposed to happen! We don't go back to our lair, cuz I might lead you to 'em. Kraid will have to move again. He's sure to be pissed...." Sir Bastian snapped his fingers to get Cort's attention. A spark flew. Cort screamed and tried to get away. He backed into the legs of a guard. He lashed out as a last defense. "I know about you wizards and yer handshake! We'll all be put together and we'll escape and we'll ride again! You watch!" "You won't," Sir Bastian said simply. "You will be executed at dawn, your fate already sealed. There is no escape for you this time." Cort's eyes went wide and he started to kick. Lennox looked up at Thom and Madoc. "That's right," Thom said. "There's something your friend didn't tell you, did he?" Sir Madoc merely nodded to agree. Lennox looked at Cort, bound on the ground, but still fighting for his life. He was going to die. Who else was captured? Which of those people, his only friends for years, would be dead in the morning? "He's through," Sir Bastian said. "There's no more I can get from him. Turn him over." "Wait!" Lennox shouted. Everyone looked his way. What was he doing? "Cort, tell the others... tell them I didn't know. I'm sorry." The thief glared at him until a guard kicked him onto his stomach. Cort squirmed until Sir Bastian grabbed his arms and he disappeared. The air seemed noticeably stiller with him gone. "We'll bury the bodies," Madoc said, "and then you can take the coach back to Fairhaven. Kraid won't take trouble to raid the shipment again." Lennox counted. They had started with six guards. Now there were four. Such loss.... The redhead sat on the road and put his head in his hands. The activity moved around him while he tried to ignore it all. After some time, Sir Madoc came over and laid a hand on his thigh. Lennox looked to him. "They know, don't they. Kraid knows I'm here." Sir Madoc nodded. "Someone noticed you in the open doorway and told the others it was a trap. Soon after that they started retreating." "They're going to kill me. Ulrich could have me in his sight right now." "Ulrich is the archer? We got him. Unless they have another one, you're fine." Lennox started crying and Madoc held him. "I told you, you're fine. They can't get past us." Lennox wrapped his arms around Madoc, who grunted. His armor had a gash in the side, painted bright red. "By the gods! You need help!" Madoc just smiled. "It'll wait. Sir Bastian can heal it anyway." "I've been so selfish, worrying about myself. You're risking so much for me, to keep me here." "I am expected to make such risks. It is my duty. It is not yours. I would be here either way. With your help, we have begun to capture the Marauders. Thank you." Lennox blushed. "Thank you." Sir Madoc looked away and said, "This may be a hard thing to ask, but do you have any thoughts to where they may be now?" "They're going to avoid any places I know about. They know I'm not safe, that I'm helping you." "How long were you with them?" "Four years." "Could Kraid have anywhere to hide that you don't know about? He may be almost as good at escapes and hiding as our mutual friend," Madoc said, smiling, "but he is not all-powerful. There are only so many places where he would be welcome." Lennox sighed. "He'll want somewhere to regroup and think." He didn't know what he could add. Thom crouched next to them, dusting off his hands. He looked only slightly less bloody than Madoc. "They headed off to Erral Pass, over the mountains. There are no forests on that side, only open rock. Could they be going to Annisport?" "Possibly. There are a few places that I've heard about...." "The Harvest Festival begins the day after tomorrow," Sir Bastian said, joining them. "With all those people around, it would be quite easy to hide and get supplies back. The ones at his present lair he will have to abandon if Cort was right." "He keeps a stash of them in a warehouse! That's where he'll go," Lennox cried. "Then that is where we will try," Sir Bastian said. "But we must rest tonight. We can get to Annisport before sundown tomorrow if we start early tomorrow. I must heal the guards, then they can be on their way. After that, I'll have the energy to take care of Madoc, whose side is worse than your injuries, Thom. When I recover that will be the first thing I do." Thom nodded. Sir Bastian got up and left. The mage laid his hands on Thom's body under his shirt. Thom winced a little, then smiled and relaxed. "How does that feel?" Sir Bastian asked. "Whoo! I feel better than I have in a long time!" "The healing will cure everything: aches, cuts, bruises. Things you didn't notice were wrong with you." "But it also makes you hungry. No wonder Madoc was itching to go hunt dinner." "Next, I'd like to see how we're doing for progress. Lennox?" The thief, who was watching with interest, spoke up. "Yes?" "How many Marauders were there?" "Oh. Let me count. Kraid and Damon, Cort, Ulrich,... Benet, Simon, Vere and Vin,... Addax, um,... Edric, Benet,--" "You said him before," Thom pointed out. "Oh. How many is that? Eleven?" "Ten," Thom said. "There's an easier way. It will also help us to find them in Annisport. I can get their imprint from you. I'll need to look into your mind, though." "Okay," Lennox said happily. "This is not a thing to be taken lightly. I touched Cort's mind to get his name in order to frighten him. A person's name is right on the surface of the mind, though. I'll need to look into your memories. I may learn things you don't want me to know." "Sir Bastian, I trust you." "Then sit before me." Lennox seated himself on the ground in front of the mage. "Lennox, are you sure about this?" Thom warned. "Very," said Lennox. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Stay still," Sir Bastian instructed, "and let me probe. Go where your thoughts take you." Lennox nodded. The mage laid his hands at the sides of his head. Lennox couldn't resist. He reached up and touched Bastian's cheek. Remember. Lennox thought back to his days among the Marauders. New faces, those that died. He was beaten for escaping. He was teased. He was teased for his strange, glowing eyes. He was yelled at for burning down the hayloft and he didn't even know how he did it. They laughed at him. They laughed at him for not wanting to fight, for refusing to kill. They kept him on to cook for them and mend clothes. He didn't know how, but he learned. He learned how to tap and channel the energies within. He found the places within whence flowed the power. It was never easy. He persevered. He persevered. Forget. Sir Bastian looked at him strangely, looking afraid for the first time since he'd known him. "Well?" Thom asked. "How many?" Sir Bastian paused before answering. "Fifteen. We captured nine of them today, leaving six. Kraid, Damon, Benet, Addax, Edric and Ivor. I know their faces now, and if I see one of them now, I can trace him." Just then Madoc returned with a brace of quails. Any further spells would wait until after dinner. Lennox's thoughts were full of Sir Bastian, but the mage never looked his way once. Lennox lay waiting for sleep. There was a tap on his shoulder. Thom was signalling him to follow. The blond was undressed. He looked over to Sir Bastian, who was asleep. Silently, Lennox crept away from camp. Madoc was by the creek, waiting. He came over and hugged and kissed them both. "I've missed you," he told Thom. "And I've missed you, my dear one. I love you." "And I love you." They kissed again. Lennox watched blushing. "And Thom invited you, Lennox," the dark knight said, smiling. "Yes. He's been pining for Sir Bastian and could probably use a night of fun. That and he may help you." Lennox shoved Thom's shoulder playfully at the mention of the mage. "Help how?" "Well," Thom began, "Madoc has taken my ass a half a dozen times now, but he can't open up to allow me in." "I would very much like to," Madoc explained, "but I freeze up." Lennox digested this new information. "What would you have me do about it?" "You can do some amazing things with your tongue, Lennox," Thom said. "Could you lick Madoc's ass? He's clean." Lennox smiled. "Gladly!" The blanket was waiting. Thom lay on his back. Madoc got over top on all fours. Thom wrapped his arms around him and they began to kiss. Lennox examined Madoc's ass. He pushed his nearly hairless legs apart and looked over his prize. "Don't think about what's going on back there," he heard Thom say. "Kiss me." Lennox crouched down and looked under. Madoc's big balls were waiting. The redhead kissed them and licked them. He heard Madoc moan. He licked upward slowly, working his way into Madoc's lovely crack. He skipped sideways, exploring the join where his thick, powerful leg met his body. Madoc shuddered. He could see Madoc's opening. It was cute and small and pink. He ran the flat of his tongue across it. Madoc ughed and squirmed. Lennox grabbed his hips to keep him from writhing away. The thief kept on like that, just teasing the surface, letting the man get used to Lennox's wet, sinuous muscle near his asshole. With the tip, Lennox touched Madoc's hole. He pushed at it again, as though trying to pick something up with his tongue. Madoc was breathing heavily, and grinding against Thom. He was really enjoying this. The redhead felt the muscles around his ass loosen a little, and Lennox ventured a bit farther. Deeper and deeper he went, until he had free movement to fuck his ass with his tongue. Madoc was going mad with lust. He attacked Thom's mouth with an unreserved fierceness. It looked like Madoc would cum, but Lennox did not want that to happen yet. He stopped. The High Guardsman kissed his partner once more before collapsing onto him. He was breathing quite heavily. "How did it go?" Thom asked. "No troubles. I got right in." "Why did you stop?" Madoc asked, breathless. "I got the impression that to now, you've only had failures. Yes?" "Yes," Thom replied. "Here's to your first success," Lennox said. Madoc laughed and kissed Lennox. "Thank you." "Anytime you like. That was fun." Lennox paused. "Thom, what is it like to have a cock in your ass?" Thom thought. "It isn't much like anything," he said, stroking Madoc's side. "It feels... different." Lennox frowned. "Could you show me?" Thom smiled. "Sure. Madoc, let's get ready." "No," Lennox said. "Show me." Thom blinked. "Oh. Uh. Madoc?" The elder knight said, "I already know I'm not the first person you've used that beautiful cock on. I don't mind." "So what do I do?" Lennox wanted to know. "Bend over so I can open you up." Lennox stood up and doubled over, grabbing his ankles. Thom stopped a second in astonishment. "Okay..." he said. He got a pot of grease from a saddlebag lying off to the side. He slicked up a finger and traced a circle around Lennox's hole. Two fingers later, Thom greased his cock. "Are you ready?" Thom asked. "I think so." "Could you just bend over halfway? Your ass is too high." Lennox laughed and complied. He rested his hands on his knees. He felt a heat at his ass and groaned in anticipation. Thom entered him slowly. It felt as though Thom would be feeding his cock into him forever. It filled Lennox up in a way Lennox never knew he was missing before. Lennox leaned back to get more of Thom into him. After several feet, he sensed a soft mat of hair across his ass. Thom bent down across his back. "That's all of me, my friend." Lennox squeezed Thom's dick and reached back for Thom's hand. Madoc stepped in front of them with the grease and rubbed it into his own very stiff member. The both watched as the dark knight covered every inch of his hot, veiny cock. "Stay right there," he told Thom, who was now bent over as well. "Now, wait a minute," Thom said. "You don't think it will work?" said his fellow knight. Lennox felt Thom actually get bigger and harder as he got more aroused. He cooed, feeling his friend grow. "Let's find out," Thom breathed. Lennox was jostled some as Madoc greased Thom and entered him. He looked back to see two hard, naked bodies pressed together. An uncontrollable tremor flashed over his body. Thom's cock twitched in response. "By Braggia," Thom said, "I don't know if I'm going to survive this." The fair knight pulled back out of Lennox, then pushed back gradually. He kept at it, but slowly. Lennox was getting fucked. It was true; there was no way to describe this. It was a new form of pleasure in a new place. He pushed his ass back onto Thom's cock when he came his way again. He looked back once more. Madoc had begun to swing his hips into Thom, driving deeply into him. They were speeding up. The thief felt Thom's heat and size, his hardness touching him on the inside, where no one had ever been before. It was all so wonderful and exciting. There was but one thing missing. Lennox glanced off to the side, and there he was, as though Lennox himself had conjured him there. Sir Bastian was watching them from behind a bush, but there was no way to hide those magical eyes from him. Lennox beckoned him over. At first the mage did not move. Lennox waved again. Sir Bastian timidly stood and came their way. Lennox felt the action behind him stop as Thom and Madoc realized they were not alone. Sir Bastian stood before Lennox clad only in his everpresent robe. It hung open. The mage was quite erect. The redhead reached into the robe, caressing the soft skin of Bastian's sides, reaching up to his chest and down to his legs. He pulled Bastian closer by the ass, and lovingly kissed his dick. It was long and straight. Lennox tasted the shiny fluid at the tip, lapping it up with his tongue. Lennox teased more and more of that cock into his mouth, more excited than he thought possible at the thought of pleasing this man who had so bewitched him for a week. Lennox made love to Bastian's cock. The man himself was staring down in wonder and gasping at times with pleasure. The thief pushed back onto Thom's cock as he sucked on the mage and Thom got the message. The knights behind him began their rutting anew. Having Thom inside him was still an incredible thing, but it paled to Sir Bastian's presence. "I'm close," Madoc announced. Lennox's fingers continued to travel across Bastian's skin, caressing him everywhere. His lips and tongue did the same for his manhood. Bastian's hands lovingly stroked Lennox's hair and face. The redhead's one hand drifted down and held his balls, keeping them in his palm like sparkling jewels. He fingered them in their velvety bag, gauging their size and weight. Bastian's legs weakened, but Lennox was there to hold him upright. The mage's breathing became labored. Lennox heard Madoc gasp behind him. Soon Thom was cumming into his ass, hot, searing juice flooding everywhere. Lennox sucked desperately on Bastian. "Lennox, please," the mage whispered, "I'm going to - ah! Gods!" Bastian leaned back, his hips thrust forward as he shot powerfully into his mouth. Lennox greedily gulped it all down. The mage tasted like the richest cream. His own seed spilled out onto the forest floor. Thom pulled out of Lennox. He turned to look. Thom and Madoc were locked in a lover's embrace. "Please, Sir Bastian," Lennox said, "I want nothing more than to kiss you just once." The mage slipped his arms out of his sleeves, took Lennox inside his robe and kissed him, deeply. He clutched the thief's body in tightly as their tongues toyed with each other. Sir Bastian finished the kiss and looked at Lennox with shining eyes. "Into the creek?" Thom suggested. Bastian smiled at Lennox. "Yes. Why don't we?" "Do you need to have your robe? I wouldn't want to get it wet." "I do," Bastian said, taking it off, "But it's only because I get cold." The mage stood there naked. He was not hugely muscled like Madoc, nor lithe and trim as Thom, but still athletic. He was beautiful. His long hair trailed over his shoulders, framing a smooth chest. His legs were considerably hairier. Madoc yelled out, "Last one in's a troll!" and ran for the bank. Bastian, his robe over his arm, dashed after him. Thom stopped Lennox running and said to him, "Be careful. We still don't know that we can trust him." "I do," he replied, and sprinted off. They sat touching, draped in Bastian's robe and his stretchable blanket. "What spells do you know?" Lennox asked. "I can touch a mind, as I did with you. I can move some objects without touching them. The iron handshake, of course--" "The ferreae manicae," Lennox repeated. Bastian grinned. "Yes. Most people don't pay attention to the Old Language anymore." "I remember you saying it," Lennox said. "Can you fly? I've heard witches can fly, sometimes." "No. I have tried, and there are mages who can, but so far, I have not had that success." He paused. "However, there is one thing I can do. I can fly you." Lennox's eyes lit up. "Stand." Lennox got up naked. Bastian arranged his robe around himself. "Take my hand." Lennox did so. Bastian concentrated. Lennox felt his feet leave the ground. He floated upwards gracefully, completely in Bastian's control. He flattened into a prone position. Lennox spread his arms out. Bastian kneeled under him, one arm directly overhead, maintaining the contact. He guided Lennox in a slow circle, allowing him to fly around Bastian's head. It was a marvellous feeling. Nothing was holding him up. He was floating free and naked through the midnight air. Lennox decided to swoop down to where Bastian was. He made his tour around Bastian until their arms were in comfortable positions. The thief dove headlong for the ground, and spun onto his back in front of his new love's face. Bastian's mouth was open. Lennox kissed him, then glided perfectly to earth at his feet. He hugged the mage tight. "Thank you so much." Someone grabbed Bastian by the collar. It was Madoc. He pressed the mage up against a trunk of a tree. "Put it back!" he yelled. Thom rushed up. "Madoc, what's wrong?!" Lennox tried to wrench Madoc's arms away. Madoc cried, "I said to put it back! You have to!" Bastian slowly, and deliberately, wrapped his hands around Sir Madoc's wrists.

Author's Note: What's so special about `lighting it with his finger'? As near as I can tell, the space between `lighting' and `it' is the character that marks the point where I've written half a megabyte about Thom, Madoc, and their friends. That's a lot of reading. Thanks for sticking with me.