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Year of the Rabbit - September

Alternative Payment

By XP Author

The coin purse hit the table with a metallic clunk. She stared at the tiny thing. "The hell is that?"

The burly bear on the other side of the table just shrugged. "Your payment."

She narrowed her eyes at the man. "Really? The bounty was 700. That looks like it's barely 100."

The bounty guild's bondsman just sighed at her, obviously having heard this sort of thing in the past. "It's 120. And the bounty also specifically said the stag was wanted alive. Torvan can't very well face tribunal with his guts spilled on the grass, now can he?"

The black rabbit grit her teeth as she rose from her seat in anger. "He didn't exactly give me much of a choice!"

"Keep your blade stowed, bunny." He pushed the bag closer to her. "Be thankful you're getting anything at all."

She sighed, snatching the purse from the table before the man could change his mind about what little she was getting. "Right. This will barely cover for a few nights at the inn."

As she turned to walk out of the pub, she heard him call after her. "Better luck next time, Angel!" She just gave him a rude gesture, which made him chuckle. She had worked with the man many times in the past. Probably why she got any kind of payment at all. The whole job had been a disaster. She was supposed to bring in some local deserter from the war to face a tribunal. Finding him wasn't a problem, but instead of coming quietly, the young man was in a panic and drew a sword and attacked the moment she got close. He hadn't even given her a chance to talk. She was forced to cut him down before he did the same to her.

The fight itself was a quick one, but he had managed to get a few good blows. Fortunately, her light chain mail was enough to deflect the glancing blows that she failed to parry. Unfortunately, it meant she would have to get the armor fixed up. Her sword, too. The mail had several chinks and kinks and broken ringlets, and her sword was in desperate need of a professional's touch to work out the dings and tiny chips from frequent use. She had hoped to make enough on the job to pay for at least that. Now... well, she would have to hope the smithy was the amiable sort.

Stepping out of the pub, she breathed in the crisp autumn air, only slightly soured by the typical smells of a town. Kardia was not exactly a big town, but it wasn't a small hamlet, either. Located on a main road, it had seen a recent boom in travel from soldiers marching on their way to the war, or refugees fleeing from it. She wanted nothing to do with the war itself. It's not like she was a soldier... except... yes she was. Wasn't she? But not in a war. And not with a sword...

She shook the odd thoughts from her head, not for the first time. "Maybe I should have gotten a drink before I left the pub." Though that would have drained some of what little money she had. She decided to make her way to the smithy before spending any money. It was not particularly hard to find. She just followed the distinct smell of molten metal. The building was no bigger than any other around. More of a small, but sturdy shack, though with more stone than wood. Which made sense, considering the intense heat pouring out of the only window.

As soon as she opened the door, the heat grew more intense by orders of magnitude. Forcing her way into the oppressive atmosphere, she what she could only assume was the blacksmith himself. Another stag, though that was not surprising. Most of the town was populated by some kind of deer. He was not particularly tall, but quite well build, giving him a stocky look with his barrel chest and bulging biceps. He also wore no shirt under the thick hide apron, his tan fur matted by sweat and caked in soot.

He turned to her as she stepped in. "Welcome to Ashentail's. I'm Ashentail, o' course, but ye can call me Ash. Everyone does." He tilted his head. "Anyway, can I help ye, miss?"

She nodded. "I hope so, Ash." She drew her sword, though quickly set it on the counter by the door. "I need you to see if you can fix this old girl up."

He picked the sword up and held it close, examining the blade. "Oh, they've seen quite 'o bit of action, 'aven't they?" He flipped the blade over, looking down the metal. "I can tell ya been tend'n to 'em well, but treat'n 'em a bit 'arsh."

She shrugged. "Hard to treat a sword gentle and stay alive as a bounty hunter."

That seemed to get his attention. "Oh, you're the bounty 'unter folks were talk'n about?" She nodded. "Ah. That explains it then." He set the blade down. "Yah, I can give 'er a dip in the coals and bang out the dings for ye."

Angel smiled. "Thanks." She cleared her throat. "Are you... any good with mail, too?"

The man grinned. "Aye, I noticed yer covers look'n a wee bit battered, too. I can re-ring it, too. Though it'll take some time to get it all done."

She let out a slight sigh. "How long?"

He shrugged. "Ah, shouldn't be more 'en a day." He hooked a thumb at a door behind him. "Ye can use my extra storage room to get all that metal off o' ya. Wait'n on the next shipment o' iron to come, so it's a bit empty now. Though tha's pro'bly be a while, what with the war on an' all." He then quickly added. "Oh, but don' you worry none. I 'ave enough to fix up yer stuff."

She nodded. "Thanks." Moving past him, she stepped through the door he pointed at. The store room was pretty big, or at least felt that way as empty as it was. There was a pair of empty wooden crates in the corner, some straw strewn about, and several bare shelves. It was also notably cooler than the main room, though still sweltering. Closing the door, she worked to get the armor off, thankful for the privacy to do so. It took a few minutes, but soon she had stripped herself of the mail fully. She also took off the thigh guards. They didn't need work like the rest, but there was no reason to keep them on now. Soon enough, she was down to her tunic and leather pants. She decided not to put on the leather vest until she was out of the heat.

Stepping back out, she set all of the armor onto the counter. "Here you go. Thanks again, Ash." She cleared her throat. "Uh... just how much is all of this going to cost me, by the way?"

The stag shrugged. "Dunno, exactly. Depends just how much work all this is goin' ta take." He scratched his scruffy chin. "Pro'bly a couple hundred."

She winced, hoping she would have enough to cover it all. Would mean she couldn't go all out on a meal or get a nice room at the inn. "Right. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Right. I'll be getting right on this. Caught me at a good time, too. No press'n orders what with all the troops 'aven left already. Though they are the ones tha' cleared out me stock." As she was moving to the door, he called out. "Oh, an' if yer look'n for a bit 'o coin, or to pass the time, Henrietta at the inn could pro'bly use a sturdy set 'o hands fix'n up after them soldiers. They do tend ta make a mess 'o things." He chuckled. "Believe you me, I know. My lil' brother's one of 'em."

She smiled. "Thanks. I'll ask her about it." With that, she hastily made her way out of the oppressive heat and back into the cooler mid-day air. She took a deep breath, wiping a bit of sweat off of her forehead and pulling her black hair back into the messy ponytail. "Right. Let's go see this Henrietta."

* * *

Whatever she was expecting Henrietta to be, the actual woman was not it. Quite young, maybe 20 at most, she was tall but very thin, almost sickly. Yet she had a strong personality, friendly and upbeat. The young doe had almost immediately accepted the offer to help around the inn with little question. For the better part of the day, Angel had found herself carting around linens, moving furniture in the rooms, and even helping to repair a broken bed. All the while, Henrietta had talked her ears off about whatever was on her mind. Mostly about the soldiers and how much she respected them. Though Angle suspected there was a little more than respect for one particular local boy turned squire she kept going on about.

Unfortunately, coin was not her reward for her efforts. Though she was given a fairly nice room at no charge, so it wasn't a total loss. Word of her helping the woman had apparently also spread a little, and she was given a discounted meal at the pub by the owner's son, who clearly had a thing for the young innkeeper. All in all, it had not been an unpleasant way to spend an afternoon. She could see herself settling down in a town like this... if she ever had such an inclination, that is. Though the idea of seeing herself as anything other than a soldier of some kind was hard for her to imagine. After all, it was how she... how she... got... here. Something about that thought stuck with her as she laid down that night.

The morning came soon enough, her thoughts cleared of any worry but if she could afford to pay for the repairs to her gear. Even with a free bed and a discount on dinner, the food had cut into what little funds she had. And without a weapon or armor, she would make for a poor bounty hunter. After bidding farewell to Henrietta, she made her way to the smithy. Even so early in the morning, the heat was already pouring out of the place. She wondered if it ever cooled.

As she pushed the door open, she heard the voice of the smith himself. "Welcome to Ashenta- ah! It's our 'elpful bounty 'unter an' errand girl."

She smiled, though still smiled. "I see news travels fast around such a small town."

He shrugged. "Henrietta's a sweet girl. Most in the town look out for 'er after 'er pa died of fever two winters back." He gave a smile, but something about it seemed... off. Almost forced. "Even my lil' brother also 'ad a mind to propose to 'er, but..." His voice trailed off and he quickly changed topics. "Anyway, yer stuff's all fixed up." He pulled her chain mail off of the shelf behind him and laid it out on the counter. Her sword was placed next to it, both looking almost as good as new.

She smiled wide. "Wow. That's some impressive work!" She picked up the sword and held it up to look down the blade. Straight and keen. She set it back down, swallowing anxiously before asking. "So... what's the final price for all of this?"

The stag scratched his scruffy chin again. "Well, le's see. All in all, I think 750 should cover it all."

She winced. "Ah... that's... a lot of money for repairs..."

He nodded. "Ya... Yer sword was in pretty bad shape. I 'ad to use up most of my remaining stock o' steel to touch up 'er up, and I almost didn't 'ave enough for the ringlets for the mail. So that adds a little bit to it." He tilted his head. "Well, I'll give ya a discount for 'elp'n our local innkeeper. Make it 650. But I can't go any lower."

She sighed, pulling her coin purse from her satchel and opening it. It did not look like it was going to be nearly enough. "Um..." She poured the contents out onto the counter, sorting it out and doing a quick count. "I've... only got... 480..."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Now, yer not try'n ta pull somethin' 'ere, are ya?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm really not. I'm sorry, it's all I have. My last job didn't pay nearly what I was expecting."

He frowned. "Yer last job, eh?" He shook his head.

She held up her hands. "Hey, I'm being honest. It's all I have." She cleared her throat. "Is... there any way I could maybe work off the rest? I could help out like I did with Henrietta."

The stag's demeanor seemed to shift a little, and he got a big grin on his face. "Ah, there might be a way for you to work off yer debt." He leaned forward, his eyes drifting down to her chest. "It's been a while, if ya know my mean'n."

Angel flinched away from his gaze, instinctively folding her arms over her chest. "Y-you can't be serious!"

The man shrugged. "I'm serious. Ya want yer stuff, that's my deal. Pay up with coin or yer sweet self, or get out." He nodded down at the sword. "I could easily make that money just sell'n this blade ta the next fellow that stepped in. The mail could be melted down an' turned inta nails or door 'inges or any sort o' useful thing. So it's yer choice 'ow you wanna go."

While she could easily get new mail, she really didn't like the idea of someone else using her sword. After a long moment, her shoulders drooped and she let out a heavy sigh. "Fine." It was not like she was some bastion of high morals and chaste virtues. "So how do you want me to go about this? Blowjob behind your counter?"

Ash smirked. "Nah. I'd like a lil more 'n just yer mouth, cute as it is." He hooked a thumb to the storage room behind him, the same she had stripped her armor in the previous day. "Let's 'ead back there. More private." She frowned, but still nodded, moving around and heading into the room. It was just as empty as it was before, still a little cooler than the main room, but still quite hot. She heard the door close behind her and turned to see the man stepping in, her gear in his hands. He set both the folded mail and her sword on the empty shelf against the wall. "There ya go. So ya don't think I'm try'n ta pull somethin' 'ere."

She nodded. "Right. So... should I just bend over for you?"

He smirked as he leaned his back against the wall. "Why don't ya start by strip'n those clothes down for me. I'm sure yer real cute under it all, too." She nodded again, reaching down to start unfastening the buckles on her vest. It was set on the shelf near her gear. Her tunic was next, pulled up and over her head to reveal her upper body to him. Black fur covered her whole body, with little thin scars along her belly and sides. With the shirt off, here small yet perky breasts were revealed to him. The stag tilted his head a little as he watched, a smile spreading as her chest came into view. "Yup."

She scoffed, but still accepted the compliment. She started to unbuckle her pants next, pulling the waist loose and letting the leathers fall to the floor for her to step out of, exposing her toned legs and leaving just the cloth undergarments left. Those were also pulled down soon enough, as well, fully exposing her rear and sex to him. After setting all the clothes on the shelves, she looked at him, arms out. "There you go. Your turn."

Ash chuckled. "Yup." He pushed away from the wall and pulled off the apron, dropping it to the floor and exposing his burly, muscular chest. "While I do, 'ow about you move one o' them crates to the middle o' the room." He motioned to one of the empty wooden crates in the corner. She shrugged and went to move the crate, figuring why he suggested it. The fact that she had to bend over to pick it up, thus presenting herself to him, was likely only part of it. Thankfully, being empty, the crates were light and easy to move, though still fairly sturdy. She shifted the thing to the middle of the room easily enough.

When she turned back around, he had already stripped himself fully. She didn't bother hiding that her eyes traveled down his well toned body, eventually falling upon the presented shaft, already hard. He wasn't what she would call massive, but it wasn't tiny, either. The rod throbbed a little as it bobbed and twitched. "Like the view?" He smirked. "I know I do. Though 'ow about you get yerself over that crate and ready, eh?"

Angel nodded, turning around and resting her arms against the crate, putting her rear up in his direction. "Alright. Just get it over with."

She tensed slightly when his meaty hand rested against her ass. "Aw, now don't be like that. No reason you can't go an' enjoy this, too." She gasped when a pair of fingers ran against her slit. "Mmm, see. Yer even nice an' wet already." He repositioned himself, his tip prodding at her moist lips. "But if ya don't want no foreplay..."

"W-wait!" It was too late though, as he pushed forward, shoving the entirety of his shaft deep into her pussy. She yelped, clenching her teeth as he was a very snug fit into her. She gripped at the crate under her as he started with short but rough thrusts, his hips slapping against hers as he prodded her depths.

He reached around to grip one of her dangling tits, giving it a hard squeeze. "Damn, bunny. You are a tight one." He squeezed her breast again, and she couldn't help but let out a gasp. "Don't get much use, do ya?" He grunted as he started to pick up the pace a little bit. "Or maybe ya do. Wander'n 'unter like you. Pro'bly got a fellow in every town that likes stuff'n this tight cunt." The sound of his slapping against her started to fill the room. "Ya. I can tell yer enjoy'n this. Jus' look how wet ya are."

She hated to admit but he was right, at least about enjoying this. At least her body was. He fit in the right way that it sent shivers through her, and she had to struggle to keep herself from letting out moans. "Do you... always talk this much when fucking your customers?"

Ash chuckled. "Nah. Yer a special one. But I do like to get ta know my customers." He shoved himself deep and stayed there. "Ngh... Like ta look inta them a bit. Learn what they do." He shifted his weight behind her to the side, almost pulling her off of the crate in the process, but righted himself a moment later. "An' I learned about ya, bounty 'unter."

Something about his tone put her on edge. "Hey, if you're saying you have some price on your head or something, I'm not after it. So just... finish what you're doing so I can get my stuff and get out of town, okay?"

"Nah. I ain't got no bounty on my head." He leaned forward, whispering into her ear. "My lil' brother, Torvan, though..." Her eyes went wide as he said the name. It was the deserter bounty she had been forced to kill. She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, a pain like no other suddenly lanced through her. He had picked up her own sword, jamming it into her back and shoving it straight through. The tip emerged just under her right tit before jamming into the crate under her, pinning her there. Blood burst from her mouth as well as the wound.

The pain only got worse as he started to fuck her again, harder than before. "Mmm, that got ya tight." He chuckled darkly, his hips pounding into hers as she let out a wet and raspy cry of agony. "I knew he were a fuck up, but you, lil bunny. You cut 'im down like an animal!"

She coughed, a painful endeavor, as her lung had been fully punctured. "I-I... didn't... w-want..." She started to cough again, the effort of speaking almost as painful as breathing, blood in her mouth once more.

He gripped at her hip, thrusting even harder into her, making her cry out in pain as she was forced to shift on the blade. "I don't care what ya wanted! Ya killed my lil brother, ya bitch!" He ripped the blade out of her, a scream ripped from her one good lung in the process. She collapsed onto the crate as the pain was too much, her muscles giving out entirely. She still tried to push herself up, her legs kicking feebly. "You used this 'ere sword to gut 'im. An' then ya 'ad the gall to come ask'n me to fix it!? It shoulda been you left on the side 'o that road, yer blood soaked inta the dirt!"

She tried again to speak, but she could barely get a breath anymore. All she could taste was blood in her mouth, and an odd ringing had started in her ears. Panic had started to rise even more as he continued to rant at her, his cock still ramming into her the whole while. The panic grew as she felt cold, bloodied metal press against her throat. "I'll fix that mistake. I spent all night sharpen'n this ta do jus' this." He pressed the edge of her own blade against her neck and slowly drew it to the side. The edge sliced through her flesh with ease, splitting her neck open. Blood started to gush from the widening wound. Her mouth opened to scream, but nothing came from her as he severed her vocal cords.

Her body started to thrash as he dragged the entire length of the blade against her, slicing ever deeper with every inch. By the time he was done, he had cut almost to the bone. Her wildly beating heart caused her blood to pump and spray from the gash, splashing in great arcs onto the stone floor under her. He dropped the sword and grabbed her by her ears, yanking her head back hard, ensuring the wound remained exposed fully. He also started to ram into her with all his might as her body thrashed and shivered, her pussy clenching hard around him. Her fingers twitched and grasped at nothing, her legs trembling and kicking wildly.

Angel was only dimly aware of his angry grunts as he fucked her. Her world was pain, and a growing cold numbness spreading through her. Her vision was rapidly being taken by dark spots, her mind fading away quickly. Not fast enough that she didn't feel when he rammed as deep as he could and came inside of her. His cock twitched and throbbed as he blasted her clenching, quivering cunt with his seed, filling her deep as she died under him.

He thrust several more times as he shot his load, emptying his balls into her. By the time he ripped his shaft out of her, she had fully faded. Letting her head, go, she flopped onto the crate, laying still. Her neck still drooled blood onto the floor, her cunt drooling his cum. He also noticed at some point she had pissed herself, her legs soaked in it as his jizz drooled down her inner thighs. "Fuck'n bitch." He stroked his still drooling shaft to work out the last of his cum onto her ass. "Ya got what ya deserved." He glanced over at her sword, her blood still coating the blade. "Think I might jus' keep that as a trophy." He smiled a little as he picked it up. "An maybe yer 'ead, too." He brought the blade up with both hands. "Wouldn't that be jus' ironic. 'ead 'unter's 'ead one my wall." With a hard swing, he brought the blade back down, severing through her neck in one chop.

* * *