A novella ~ "Privateer's Desire: Stealing Romance"

[Susurration]

The way you described the whipping made me jump a little bit, so you've done a very good job there with conveying the brutality and viciousness of that. The question in my mind is what our heroine is going to do with the poison .

 

[Tallcajun]

Yes, I really thought it was going to go into Hadad's wine.
Maybe be saving it for herself, should things become unbearable.

 

[cascadiabound]

The way you described the whipping made me jump a little bit, so you've done a very good job there with conveying the brutality and viciousness of that. The question in my mind is what our heroine is going to do with the poison .

Yes, I really thought it was going to go into Hadad's wine.
Maybe be saving it for herself, should things become unbearable.

Good morning gentlemen. Lovely to see you both. Yes...this is the question of the day isn't it? What about that vial of poison?
Read on.

Cascadia

 

[cascadiabound]

It is just past dusk now - the camp torches light things well. I am still in chains. I think... am I always going to be in chains now? The day has been such a blur. Suddenly, I come to my senses.

My love is HERE. He is not going to allow me to remain a captive in this strange land - with this horror of a man - who is fearsome and strange and beats women with whips when they displease him. (Well - she did bite him... and, I wonder, would I have been brave enough to do that?

No - this is not my way - I will escape this place, and it may take courage and quick wits, but I do not think snarling and biting are my best weapons.)

The guard shoves me hard as we cross the makeshift courtyard and I almost trip. These sandals are so strange to my feet, I am terribly clumsy in them. He grabs my arm to catch me, and around my waist too.

My clothing so light, these touches seem very intimate. And he leers at me. Groping one of my breasts through the sheer cloth layers before he steps away again... laughing as he does so.

At the women's tent, the flap opens and the older woman, the same one who was kind enough to bring me mutton, gives the guard a hard look and a torrent of words pass between them.

After the heated dialogue, she takes me from him, tugging on the chains securing my wrists and guides me into the dimly lit tent to a low cot, indicating I should lie upon it.

I do so, gratefully, and once again, she secures my chains to the adjacent tent pole, well above my head. The cot is soft enough, and other women are already asleep.

My exhaustion finally overcomes my terror, my fears for tomorrow, and my deep seated anxiety in this strange land.

A few moments later, I slip into an uneasy unconsciousness, haunted by an interminable ship’s voyage, a slave auction, a beaten girl... and the hope that my love is near and that soon, I pray, I will be reunited with him.

 

[Susurration]

Night time seems like the right time for a heroic rescue to me. The cover of darkness is great for a sneak attack. Let's see if that's what happens .

 

[Mrtenant]

Night time seems like the right time for a heroic rescue to me. The cover of darkness is great for a sneak attack. Let's see if that's what happens .

Man, your continued interest and commentary are heartening. My friend? For you....a little Grog from both us.

 

[Mrtenant]

Mutton Recipe, surely, this is what is served at the encampment? Or something like it

Mutton recipe​

Makes 6 servings

Spice Mixture:

• 3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
• 2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano or savory
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
• 3 teaspoons caraway seed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons harissa, marras, or aleppo pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil​

Roasted Lamb:

•5-to-6-pound bone-in leg of lamb
•1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
•1/3 cup white wine, plus more if needed
•1 1/2 pounds medium or small purple onions, peeled and halved or quartered
•2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon dry​

In a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder, or mortar, grind the salt, oregano or savory, rosemary, caraway, cumin, and turmeric to a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl and add the harissa and chopped garlic. Add olive oil to make a thick paste.

Make 8 or 9 deep slits all over the lamb and insert some spice paste, rubbing the paste all over the surface of the meat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature or, preferably, refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or overnight. Bring to room temperature before roasting.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Place the leg of lamb fat side down in a roasting pan that will hold the onions in one layer.

Roast for 20 minutes.

Mix the lemon juice and 1/3 cup wine in a small bowl. Turn the meat and pour the lemon-wine mixture over it. (If you are roasting the lamb in a clay dish, warm the mixture first, because cold liquid can cause the clay to crack.)

Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and roast for 35 minutes, basting every 10 to 15 minutes with the pan juices. If the pan dries out, add a little more wine.

Temporarily transfer the lamb to a plate and add the onions to the pan, tossing them well to coat them with the pan juices. Add rosemary sprigs or sprinkle with dry rosemary, toss, place the lamb on the onions and continue roasting, basting often, for another 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reaches 135°F.

Transfer the meat to a heated platter, cover with a double layer of aluminum foil and set aside. (Leave the oven on.) If the pan juices are watery, transfer most of them to a saucepan and cook briefly to reduce.

Meanwhile, return the pan to the oven and continue baking the onions until tender, with browned edges. Turn the oven to broil. Place the lamb on the onions again and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the surface is deep brown and crackling. Carve the lamb and serve, passing the pan juices in a bowl or sauceboat at the table.

 

[Susurration]

Man, your continued interest and commentary are heartening. My friend? For you....a little Grog from both us.

That's very kind, thank you .

 

[Mrtenant]

That's very kind, thank you .

You are most welcome. The old grog cups look a little too worn out. Glasses are great. When we're done, we can throw them in the corner of the room and smash them and order more.

 

[Mrtenant]

Hamad drains his wine in but a single gulp and tosses the goblet to a corner of the tent. The wine serves to whet his appetite for more brutality.

Adjusting his grip on his instrument of pain, Hamad then returns to the task at hand- the faint girl chained to the tent post in front of him, standing slumped in her chains.

The blood and sweat still ooze from her body, criss-crossed with welts and cuts from the ferocious whipping he has already given her. Being Hamad, he has more sinister punishments in mind.

Hamad moves to kick her legs apart and suddenly his vision blurs. Staggering, slightly, he drops the whip already dripping with her blood and tries to rub his hazy eyes.

He sinks to his knees in a stupor, consciousness fading fast as the effects of the wine and the drug you dropped within it take effect. In a panic and more than a little outrage, he shakes his head and groans, trying to clear the fast approaching lethargy. In the span of a minute, Sheikh Hamad is unconscious, laid low by poison.

 

[Susurration]

Ah, so it begins now! The timing has caught me by surprise . Now let's hope that the hero times his attack correctly.

 

[WykdWytch]

.....!!!!

 

[Tallcajun]

Agreed, Sus. He's a patient man.
Does she know what may be going down?

 

[cascadiabound]

Ah, so it begins now! The timing has caught me by surprise . Now let's hope that the hero times his attack correctly.

Ooh can't wait to find out this is a nailbiter!!!!

Agreed, Sus. He's a patient man.
Does she know what may be going down?

Good morning everyone! Glad y'all are continuing to enjoy our tale.
Lovely, as always, to see two of our most ardent fans.
Coffee anyone? Popcorn?
Cascadia

 

[cascadiabound]

CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO TRACK
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in a separate window so you are
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I awake from my nightmares to a living nightmare of screams, gunfire, smoke, and the sound of men fighting and yelling. SOUNDS OF BATTLE(<<<click this link)

Dimly, I come to awareness that all the commotion around me is real. Real smoke. Real screams. Real fighting. I stand from my cot, my chains permitting me a range of about three steps, as the tent fly opens and, as if by a miracle, I see you striding purposefully through the camp, pistol drawn and firing.

My heart flies into my throat as I realize once again you have been good to your word – your promise made so many months ago.

“To my last dying breath I will fight for you, strive in all ways imagined or more to be with you….Fear not, my love, I will find you.”

You are outfitted for battle, sword on your belt, but, never have you looked more handsome to my eyes. As I look on, a bullet whizzes past me and shatters a water pitcher behind me. I fall to my knees and curl on the ground below the cot where moments ago I was sleeping.

The other women are crying out – in fear, screaming and crying, I cannot make out their words, but their meaning is clear.

They are sobbing, murmuring words of reassurance and then screams of fright as the tent begins to fill with smoke and then fire licks at one of the walls.

 

[AKentuckyLady]

Hurry up hero! Come save her! *bites fingernails*

 

[Hornblende]

Hang on - there was no mention of poison in the mutton recipe!

 

[Mrtenant]

Hurry up hero! Come save her! *bites fingernails*

AKL, good morning and great to see you here. The fair maiden's rescue does appear to be at hand! Glad you're still tracking, really!

Hang on - there was no mention of poison in the mutton recipe!

Horneblende, you are correct. There is no mention of it. You get to add that at your own discretion. Can't imagine why. Good to see you.


Thank you to all other readers for staying tuned in. The best is yet to come. Glad you're hanging in there.

 

[Mrtenant]

CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO TRACK
Mr. T & Cascadia recommend you open the audio track
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I duck and dodge even as my Steward stabs and parries with his bloody sabre while watching my back. He and I have done this battle dance many times before.

My pistols blaze in a hail of firepower. All my shots expended, the Steward and I trade pistols quickly throughout the battle. Hamad’s drunken men are no match for us and my tribal warriors and sailors.
SOUNDS OF BATTLE(<<<click this link)

They die in droves. I enter Hamad’s tent as it starts to burn. Catching Hamad’s encampment by surprise was the plan all along.

The combination of my sailors, wearing pants, vests, and peasant shirts; and desert raiders in their colorful billowing robes and curved blades are crushing Hamad’s men with ease.

Hamad’s men had wasted no time feasting and drinking as soon as they arrived in camp. Some were even passed out at their campfires when we stormed in like demons from hell itself.

After emptying my last pistol, I enter Hamad’s great tent. There he lay, asleep as though dead. A whipped slave girl chained to a pole, all but beaten senseless, is slumped nearby.

Kicking Hamad brutally out of my way, I approach the slave girl, her back to me, fervently praying it is not my love, noting with horror her recent wounds. I thank God, it is not you, and yet, upon discovery, I cannot leave the poor girl here to some terrible fate in Hamad’s camp.

Scanning quickly for keys and not finding any, I reach up to the golden chains and give a tug. They are forged of what appears to be pure gold.

Straining with each of her chains, I pull until a link snaps and she is free. I command my faithful Steward to get her out of here and to send another sailor to me.

In seconds, my man arrives. I tell him to secure Hamad, we may need a bargaining chip later. The sailor drags Hamad’s unconscious form out by the arms. Others jump in to loot the tent as I exit whilst searching the camp amidst the growing chaos.

Hearing screams across the way I run towards the women’s tent and, as I scan frantically, my gaze finds you, our eyes lock, and my heart soars, that finally, at long last, in moments – we will be reunited. I am dirty, disheveled from the fighting, my robes rent from errant slashes and powder burns, and I do not care.

 

[Mrtenant]

CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO TRACK
Mr. T & Cascadia recommend you open the audio track
in a separate window so you are
able to listen while reading this post. Enjoy!​

Bursting into the women’s tent, I see immediately, it is really you! At last – oh! how I have longed for you these many weeks!

Your face, your form, whilst clad in the Eastern style, still you fire my heart and my passion. You stand, then run a few steps towards me as I bound towards you and we meet in a tight embrace.

My lips find yours and drink hungrily of your kisses fueling my long pent desire. My heart feels near to bursting. I am like a man suddenly finding water after nearly dying of thirst in the desert.

The screaming and cursing just outside the tent all around us in the camp fade far into the background as I can only focus on our reunion at long last.

I see and feel your tears stream down your cheeks as our kiss, the touch of our bodies, your scent and female softness fill my heart with relief and as much a heavenly joy as could ever have imagined!

The fire in the tent is not lost on me. I slowly pull away from our embrace as the tent itself blazes up in large flames around us. The other women are terrified and beg to be freed.

“Let us get you out of here” I say, causing a smile to light up your face and bring forth a sob of joyous laughter.

Drawing my sword, I cut your chains from the tent pole in a single mighty cut, and do the same for the other three women, ruining my blade in the process.

Together we walk out of the burning tent and into the chaotic night air. The other women crowd behind us as we stand, my arm, firmly around your waist. My heart sings with joy like no other battle previously.

This battle, though, is winding down, with pockets of resistance here or there as we take in the scene of chaos and utter destruction. Hamad’s defeat is complete.

We are joined by Sheikh Alafdahl and Antoine. They are also filled with joy at seeing their Captain reunited with his lover and both bow in respect and greetings.

Surveying the camp, I take a seat on an upturned barrel and guide you onto my lap as the reports start coming in. Your arm snakes across my shoulders as you smile on with interest with each report.

One hand rests on my knee, while the other twirls your soft, thick hair as I take in reports, glancing periodically at the man reporting, then at you. All are unfailingly polite and some blush at seeing your scantily clad form so close with their Captain.

 

[barefootgirl69]

*sits down with a biscuit, tea, and a blanket*
I've finally caught up!

 

[Mrtenant]

*sits down with a biscuit, tea, and a blanket*
I've finally caught up!

*throws another log in the fireplace. *


HI BFG, always a pleasure to see you.

I'm glad you're caught up. Stick around. You won't want to miss
What comes next!

 

[Mrtenant]

This Thanksgiving...

I step into the Autumn air, breathe deep and look around me with a smile of appreciation.

I am grateful for my writing partner, Cascadiabound. It is a privilege my dear.

I am thankful for my people- my family, and friends.

I am grateful for everyone that visits this thread. It is here for you to enjoy.

I am thankful for today. The day given to me and all the blessings of health and home.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Save me a drumstick.​

 

[cascadiabound]

On this Thanksgiving...
I am grateful~

for my writing partner, MrTenant

for friends and family
who sustain me

for more than enough
when so many go without

and, for all of you, dear readers,
who have come along with us
on our tale of
romance and adventure.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!​

 

[Tallcajun]

Thank you and CB for the thread. It gives me something to look forward to.

Far too much to list for which I am thankful. I hope all enjoy their day.