After The Rabbit (Waldo Rabbit Series) (21 page)

“Don’t worry Master,” the muscly savage woman said. “I’ll carry them for you.”

“Thank you Belle.”

For a moment he considered turning around and walking away. If it was possible this White Mage was even scarier than expected.

But Frog Street was coming up.

The wizard and barbarian were walking a little ahead of his beauty.

And the red haired woman’s tits still drew the eye. Every step she took, every twist of her shoulders or the way the snug blouse accentuated that chest after each ripple of movement drew the eye. The mere thought of getting his hand on her made him salivate.

He put two fingers to his mouth and gave two quick whistles.

It looked like Markus had gotten things ready in time. A horse drawn wagon pulled out and then stopped right at the top of the intersection, blocking off Sparrow Way. The White Mage and barbarian had been forced to step lively to keep from being run over. The beauty had been trailing a few steps behind and was momentarily cut off.

“You blind idiot!” She yelled. “You almost ran them over!”

This was the moment. He dashed forward, taking the rose out in his right hand as he deftly grabbed her wrist with his left and yanked, spinning her about.

“For you…” That was all he was able to get out.

“Eek!”

The girl backhanded him. Despite being just a woman he was sent flying. One moment he’d been about to present her with his flower. The next he was lying on his back in the middle of the street, his pride and rump suddenly aching. He sat up and saw his perfect rose lying atop a dog turd. This wasn’t quite going as he’d planned.

“I am so sorry,” she came up to him. “I don’t like being touched by men.”

Well this might not be so bad
. He flashed her an embarrassed grin and jumped to his feet. “Then I am sure men from here to the Inner Sea are weeping.”

Women loved being told how special they were. He expected to get some sort of thanks or nervous denial. Instead, he got a sudden look of recognition and, in his imagination, fangs.

“Hey! I know you! You robbed me.”

“True,” he stepped back and gave her a practiced bow which seemed at odds with his ragged appearance. “My name is Daring, Cleptus Daring, I am a master thief. But you don’t need to be afraid, I…”

“Where is my purse?” Her fists were clenched and she took a step towards him.

The reaction caught him off guard. It was something he would expect from a man in a bar. Women were always intimidated when they first realized he was an outlaw.

This girl seemed to be the exception.

“I am sorry my sweet, but as you can see I don’t have it with me.”

She took another step towards him. Instinctively he took one back and slid a hand to one of his daggers. He’d been in dozens of fights and barroom brawls in his life, and he could recognize the signs of menace she was sending. He was also painfully aware she was very strong despite being a mere woman.

“I want my money back or I am going to hurt you.”

Daring swallowed. He actually believed her. This was
really
not going the way he’d expected. His gut was telling him it was time to go, but how could he run away from a female? Especially this gorgeous, if scary, one?

As he was debating what to do there was a loud creak and some shouts and the whinny of a horse. Daring saw the back of the wagon being lifted up about five feet into the air. The homely barbarian girl was holding it up with
one hand
.

“Hey sweetheart, Master wants to get going.”

The decision was suddenly made very easy. Dashing forward he planted a quick kiss on her lips. It lasted just a fraction of a heartbeat, but long enough for him to see her violet eyes widen and to know she tasted as sweet as fresh picked cherries.

“Eek!” She tried to punch him, really punch him, but he was able to duck beneath her fist.

He turned and ran as fast as he could.

“I love you!” He called over his shoulder. “Visit the Inn of the Hungry Snake and we will meet again my lady.”

She was rubbing her lips with the back of her hand. “You disgusting pig!”

He laughed. “I’ve been called worse my love.”

“Come back here! Thief! Stop thief!” She lifted the hem of her skirt and began chasing him.

“Damn it,” he cursed beneath his breath.

The people in his way all stepped aside. The common folk weren’t going to get involved. If he ran into some guards on patrol though, things would get bad.

“I want back what you took from me!”

“You and half the maids in this city.” Looking over his shoulder he was startled to see she was actually catching up. He was fast on his feet and could easily outrun most men. It had been a long while since anyone had threatened to chase him down.

Despite the seriousness of his situation he couldn’t help but gape. Not only were her breasts heaving and bouncing, he was getting a clear view of those shapely legs. The murderous fury only made her even more irresistible. Scary women had a special sort of allure.

Up ahead was a cart resting directly below a second story window. Without breaking stride he ran up onto the cart and leapt off of it, stretching out to snag the edge of the window sill. He swung his legs back and used all of his momentum to fling himself up into the air. He tumbled and landed, on his feet, upon the tiled roof.

In the street below he saw his beautiful maid gazing up at him.

“I know, I’m amazing.”

She was shaking, and he would swear she really did have fangs. “I am going to kill you.”

“You will have to get in line, love.”

He was just about to start laughing when she ran to the same cart and jumped off of it. She missed the window sill… but her fingers clawed into the wooden side of the house with a loud, clear ‘thunk’. She then started climbing up to the roof like a damn squirrel.

His jaw dropped. “I like an aggressive woman, but this is a bit much.”

He started running again.

She pulled herself up onto the roof and began chasing.

“You know I've had women angry with me before, most usually threaten to send their brothers or husbands after me.” He leapt over an alley way and onto the next building.

“I am getting back my money and then I am going to beat you to death for what you did.”

“Do you mean the theft or the kiss?”

“Both!” She leapt over the same alley way without hesitation.

“They were both worth it.” He ran over the tiles and leapt a second, slightly wider alley way. His right foot barely caught the edge and he almost didn’t make it across. He kept running but shouted a warning to her.

“You need to stop now. You are really putting your life in danger.”

She leapt from the edge of the other building and flew through the air as fearlessly as any hawk. Her hands landed and she flipped over, he was gifted with a quick glance of her long, smooth thighs. Then she was back onto her feet and running again.

“May Wotal strike me blind! You are a goddess made flesh!”

“Oh, I’ve heard that before.”

She was drawing close. No matter how hard he ran she kept up with him, and he was starting to get tired.

“Tell me your name.”

Her right hand reached out and he felt her grab the back of his cloak.

“It’s Alice Rabbit, and I’ve got you!”

“My heart at least.” He slid a dagger into his right palm and cut the draw string about his neck to let her yank the garment off as he kept right on going.

Caught off guard she tripped and momentarily fell.

When he came to the end of the roof he saw a street beneath. With no chance of jumping it, and too far up to safely leap down, he spotted a rain pipe. As soon as he wrapped his knees and hands about it there was an ominous creak. He could feel it giving way. Since there was no other choice Daring slid down it as fast as she could. Halfway to the ground it snapped off and collapsed. He let go and tumbled.

The landing was awkward and hard, but he was able to get up. Looking to the rooftop Alice was glowering down.

“Come see me at the tavern love!” He gave her a wave and ran off before she could find a way down.

XXX

There was nothing Alice could do but watch the miserable thief blend into the crowd and get away. She could have caught him easily, and hurt him, really hurt him… if she could have used her wings.

“The tavern of the Hungry Snake.”
She forced herself to turn around and begin to head back.
“…the Hungry Snake…”
Schrrrrrk.
Mortar and rock ground to dust as she past a chimney.
“…Hungry Snake…”
Her talons shaved four uneven, one inch deep gouges into the next chimney she passed.
“You want me, Cleptus Daring?” Along with her claws her tail had also come out and was lashing back and forth. “You’ll get more of me than you can handle.”
 

XXX

Daring made it back to the tavern with a slight limp and missing his cloak.

“You all right?” Markus asked him.

“Just fine.”

Markus noticed him wince as he sat down at the bar. “You sure?”

Daring grinned. “Trust me my friend, a woman like that is worth dying for, never mind a little pain.”

Chapter 18

Proper Thanks

The three of them
returned to the duke’s Keep after completing a circuit of the city and finding no signs of either a Great Monster or the thief.

“We should find out where this tavern is and burn the place down.”

Waldo gave a weary shake of his head. Alice had gone on and on about her encounter. Not only telling him about the chase, but going into excruciating detail about just what she was going to do to this man.

“Won’t it make it hard to get the purse back if we do that while he is still in it?”

“You’re right, darling, I’m letting my feelings get in the way and not thinking this through.”

Waldo nodded.

“We go to this tavern, find him, break his legs, make him tell us where the gold is, and then we burn it down with him still inside.”

Belle turned to Waldo. “See? Didn’t I tell you she was scary?”

“You know Alice,” Waldo said. “There are times when you can be surprisingly cruel.”

“I’m a woman.”

“Why are you so irate?” Waldo asked. “You weren’t this angry when we were actually robbed.”

“It’s because he was deliberately mocking me! He was rubbing what he did in my face and acting as though I were helpless. Not only that he…”

Waldo waited, but she did not continue following her abrupt pause.

“He what?”

Alice began wringing her hands and her eyes flickered to the floor. “He… he kissed me.”

“Kissed you?” Waldo said in surprise. “You didn’t mention that before.”