What Happened Recently:
Contrez formerly queen of the people of the Smoking Mountains had led her army against the Forest Amazon in what would become a prolonged losing fight. At the end, in a desperate attempt to save her people more than herself she fought Queen Amerlin one on one and after a long struggle lost. Her people now belonged to Amerlin and she was bound by their oath to the warrior goddess to her as Amerlin’s personal slave.
In a surprise move, Amerlin released her back to take charge of her people and to march them from their former home to the Kingdom of the Forest Amazons; there the surviving people would be split among the villages to become new and free citizens of this kingdom. Bound by her oath, and also the fact their former homeland could not support them due to a disaster, Contrez did so and found Amerlin a fair and good queen and mistress. There was however punishment awaiting her as well for leading the war against Amerlin and her people to be administered by the queen herself, but after showing her loyalty and helping expose some treachery among her former subjects and a particularly painful punishment for killing the queen’s male lover herself, Amerlin felt Contrez was ready to start her way back towards being a free woman.
Leaving the exhausted and passed out woman where she laid after her final punishment session, Amerlin removed the first of three black stripes bound around her neck signaling she was a slave to everyone, leaving two more black ones and the two red ones marking her as her own personal slave as well still intact, leaving it where Contrez would find it when she woke up and realize she had taken her first step to freedom.

And Now: The Fourth Part of the Series “The Deadly Bear”

For the next four to five hours Contrez laid where she had collapsed in the competitive struggle with the queen before she woke up, still very tired and sore, but despite no windows in the room knew instinctively it had to be late in the day, and she was still expected to work on the banks of the stream to finish the task the queen had assigned to her and barely a handful of days left to do it. Half stifling a groan as she rose to her feet and slipping on the plain pants that many favored wearing during their work during the day, she quietly left her chamber and saw the queen still asleep in her own bed as she passed through it to reach the outer common hut and then outside where she got tools for her work and went to the stream bank.
To her surprise, she found a taskmaster on the site along with a half dozen men and women working on her task, and alarmed asked them to stop thinking it would get her in trouble because the queen had said she had to complete this herself. Her surprise increased when the taskmaster overrode her and said the queen had given orders for this to be completed by her and those working with her and she had said she was to report to the main taskmistress.
Uncertain what to expect, she did as she was told and reaching her hut she was told to return to the Queen’s hut and rest that day. Pointing at Contrez’s neck and noting the now missing band she added, “The queen came by around high sun and changed the task you were on and said to rest this day as reward for earning the loss of your first stripe. Tomorrow at dawn, you will not come here, but per the queen, you will go to the hut of the hunting women and speak to the hunt mistress, she is to have you join tomorrow’s hunt for fresh meat for the village.”
A smile twitching on her lips the taskmistress also added, “You’re already making a name for yourself locally and not just because you were once queen yourself. Many have become slaves as result of battles, but it often takes months even a year or more just to lose their first stripe, yet Amerlin was speaking with several when she was around earlier praising you. You have certainly impressed her, and suspects you will lose all three of the black bands and become a free woman before a full turn of the seasons have passed, no one has ever done such a thing in such a short time, the earliest so far now is Huntress Spice who lost her three stripes in just under two years.” The words pleased Contrez but she had to ask, since the taskmistress seemed to be knowledgeable in this, “What about the red bands that bind me to her?” At that the smile faded from the lips of the taskmistress, and her voice became quite sober. “There are no laws that set what a person must do to earn removal of the black stripes, though there are guides that all the village’s leaders do use to determine the when and if. The other stripes which in your case is the Queen’s two red stripes are not bound by any laws or even guides. It is solely the right to whom you are bound, what will and will not gain your freedom from them. Since you belong to the queen only she will be the one to decide, and she does not even have to tell you what it would take to win free. Your best hope there is to watch, listen, and learn from her to see what she values greatly and try to achieve greatness in those areas. I known the queen well enough that if you show such an excellence, she would likely free you that you may freely share your gifts and skills with all. Beyond that I can offer little advice.”
Contrez’s face fell a bit at the words, but she quickly hid it and thanked the task mistress and left returning to the queen’s hut where she found Amerlin had already woke up in the hour or so since she had left. Amerlin’s own eyes held a certain glow as her slave came in and they quickly roamed over her body enjoying the overall sight as well as critically assessing her damages and injuries as well, perhaps considering what kind of fun she could have that night with her slave.
For the moment, she contented herself with telling Contrez to go in her room and strip down and then return to her own bedchamber there. This she quickly did and found the queen had stripped as well and had plunged in to the small running water pool near the one side of her chamber, all but submerged in the deepest part, she kept herself up with her arms propped on the sides where it became the floor and regarded her slave as she told her to come over and sit at the edge, her own feet dangling in the water. This done, the queen seemed to give her slave a much more critical examination looking for what damage was still visible, perhaps mindful of the harsh session of the night before that she had made her slave endure as her final punishment.
Satisfied that none of the damage was more than moderately bad, indicating the still sore ribs; she nodded and invited Contrez to enter the bath with her. It was an invite that needed no prodding, and she slid off the edge in the water standing there allowing the waters cooling touch to sooth her as well as wash the sweat of the previous night at long last away. Amerlin ducked briefly under the water in the meantime and came up behind the taller woman and locked her arms around her from behind bearhug style and slowly started to build the pressure up until she heard her gasp in pain and begin panting as her breath became harder to take, and kept raising the pressure, her hands rising involuntarily to clasp the hands locked just under her breasts, glancing over her shoulders to see if she should or not. Amerlin shook her head ‘no’ however and her hands dropped away as she took more and more of the pressure until she was breathing in short hard gasps before Amerlin released her and diving under came up under her, the arms sliding up locking them loosely chest to chest and this time, her eyes held the hoped for invite, and Contrez’s arms rose in turn to wind around the queen.
Before she could tighten down however, Amerlin’s leg slid behind her and she shoved forward hard using her body to topple the bigger woman backwards and under water with no warning or chance to draw a deep breath. The loose bearhug allowed her some motion, and she slid up and got them breast to breast before really tightening down and then went all out crushing both the breasts and the air from the bigger woman getting an involuntary scream from her and then she began to thrash wildly, all her air gone under the pressure and no chance for air, and realizing she had to somehow make the queen break her bearhug to be allowed to surface.
Had anyone been watching in the chamber they would have seen the water roiling and thrashing around as the two struggled in there and then it quieted down and Amerlin rose and dragged Contrez to the surface by her hair and propped her against the side as the bigger woman gagged and gasped and threw up some of the water she had been forced to take on before the Queen had relented and brought them both up for air. Amerlin waited for Contrez to get her breath back, and then soberly said, “If you were in the river and a roper snake decided to make you in to a meal, you would be dead now for it does not understand mercy, kill or be killed is all it understands.” Contrez her breathing close to normal now just nodded acceptance of the words, but there was a spark of fear in her eyes. Swimming was not something the mountain people really did, deep water really didn’t exist around her former homeland, and she had just been introduced to a simulation of a possible threat to her and her people. In the few days she had been working at the river, she had learned mostly by watching others in the water the rudimentary basics of swimming, but the queen seemed to also want more from her as she now added, “You panicked down there, and that’s the worst thing you can allow to happen, and I plan to make sure you don’t though you won’t like the way I do it, as you just experienced a bit of it.”
To emphasize her point, Amerlin backed away to the deepest point again, clearly planning to continue her ‘teaching’ of Contrez and the taller woman had to half suppress a shudder in herself as she saw her do that and straightening up. She followed without being asked, and as she closed, Amerlin closed in her arms rising again and her leg hooking the bigger woman’s and with no chance to set herself, sent her backwards and under again, once more matching her breast to breast, and this time adding a grapevine as well even as Contrez matched the attack locking her arms as well and didn’t hold back as she began to crush in turn, and tried to bend her backwards as well straining the queen’s back with no mercy. Once more, the water’s roiled for a couple minutes as the two submerged women struggled trying to force the break or the passing out of the other before the waters stilled again. Again, Amerlin’s head came up first, but moments later Contrez’s head also broke and she rose on her own power grinning at the queen, she had managed to make the queen break the attack this time, and the queen was matching her grin for grin, though her words that followed were still sober. “A good way to win over me, but against the roper, you’ll have to do better. To find a way to make it want to unwind, as it has no back than be bent backwards as you did mine just now.” Her smile broadened, “At least this time you controlled the panic, though I could feel your heart hammering in the pressing of our bodies down there. For tonight however, it is enough, and will suffice until we practice again tomorrow night, and I give fair warning tomorrow night, one of us will have to drag the other’s unconscious body from the water’s depth.”
An almost mischievous look came to Amerlin’s eyes however as she turned and locked her arms a third time around Contrez, the lesson perhaps not yet over and Contrez raised her arms in turn, but Amerlin looked up in to the bigger woman’s eyes and half told and half asked her, “This lesson is done, though the night may not yet be for you, question is are you ready to get a good night’s sleep? You have certainly earned it, and the few hours rest you had earlier today was no where enough to meet your sleep needs, and you do have to be up early for the hunting team.” The gleam grew in her eyes, and her voice dropped a touch as she added, “Or you might be wild enough to accept an invite to my bed knowing full well all the risks that come with such an invite.”
For a second or so, Contrez debated the two options being offered by the queen. She was certain if she chose rest, the queen would not hold it against her as she had herself pointed out her need for it, but an invite to her bed for the expected rough play was very tempting, and she wanted to get a better feel for the queen’s own mindset in order to guide herself to earning the freedom she wanted from her slave status. Moments later, she smiled and accepted the offer of the queen’s bed. That got them both moving from the ‘bath’, and heading that way. Contrez stopped a moment to dry off, but the queen vetoed the action and the two climbed up and in wet as they were, and within moments, Amerlin had swarmed the bigger woman rolling her over as she got her legs around her waist and locked her in a tight figure four body scissor, keeping the bigger woman face down underneath her and then cut down hard getting a gasp and half stifled groan from her.
Half grinning at her discomfort, she leaned forward and half whispered, “Remember the risks of entering this area, even more so than before you are mine to do whatever I wish to you and get whatever I want from you.” To emphasis her point she cut down harder than before getting a sharp gasp from Contrez, the power in the queen’s legs seemed to be incredible and felt like she was about to cut her in half between her legs. Yet she held herself to the gasp and waited to see what the queen’s pleasure was, certain she had something planned. She was right, after several long seconds, Amerlin eased up on the hold and then unlocked her legs. Uncoiling herself from around the waist, she quickly went to a straddle position, but her next move came as a bit of a surprise as she twisted around and maneuvered herself to a prone position also face down on top of her facing the other way and slid her powerful legs under her arms and then raised them enough to cross the lower legs and lock them behind the head of Contrez and told her to mirror her with her own legs.
As she did as the queen bade her, she was trying to figure out what the queen had in mind, and then she had a flash of an idea, strongly suspecting what the queen was about to do. The suspicion was confirmed moments later as Amerlin had her reach back towards her with both hands and seized her wrists with her own and instinctively matched her grip. Moments later the queen pulled hard drawing Contrez’s upper body up and back arching it painfully and then used the legs locked behind her head to cut down there with a leggy full nelson hold, the combination got a groan from her from the dual attack, and guessing she wanted it started to cut down on her own position attacking the queen’s back and neck in turn.
From the queen’s end came a hiss, half pain and half satisfaction followed by a strained voice as she took the pain and said, “Yes, I knew I had judged you well when I chose you, you’re not afraid to take the fight to me when such is offered, indeed you are willing to overlook my rank and position completely, and I need that!. Now, let’s duel a while, see if you can make me submit with those legs of yours!” Moments later, the queen began to really crank down on the dual hold forcing Contrez’s head and neck way down, even as she drew the back in to a deeper and deeper back breaking arch that brought gasps to her lips as well as several groans. She immediately returned the attempt and heard the queen struggling in a similar manner as she tried to break the queen enough to make her submit.
Fatigued as she was, Contrez felt a new sense of power and desire to rise in her, she wanted more than anything to hear the queen submit this time, she had one submission from down under the water, and she strongly suspected from her words just now, the queen wanted her to do her best to defeat her. The minutes passed slowly, painfully for them both as they struggled trying to cut the breath off by cranking the head down to the other’s chest as well as drawing back on the painful arch, both their backs bowed back and drawn further as both over the next hour got their grips further and further up the arms drawing the arch even tighter, and both rocking back and forth in an attempt to crack the other’s back to the point they would quit. The hour passed and then close to another half hour, the initial wet bodies from the fresh water had long since drained in to the bed but both bodies were soaked slick from the sweat that poured off them both as they endured and punished each other.
It wasn’t quite a submission but after about ninety minutes or so, Amerlin’s voice came out calling for an end to the struggle, and let go of Contrez and she in turn. It wasn’t a surrender from her and after several seconds she gasped hard and rubbing her back turned and grinned at Contrez and declared, “Another tie between us, I suspect it would have gone like the other night until exhaustion took one of us out rather than the submission, for now it’s a tie, but I do plan to find time to lock us in this again and see who does at long last yield!” Contrez returned the grin albeit weakly, and her voice a bit hollow from the fatigue and strain said, “I look forward to that day my queen and mistress.”
Amerlin noted the obvious fatigue in Contrez’s voice, she had hoped for more this night, but after last night, she was surprised and pleased to some degree she had done this well tonight and told her to head for her room for a final struggle. Once there, she had Contrez lie down on her back, face up and swarmed her positioning her to grapevine her legs open and then wound her arms around her slaves head, the breast smother coming was so obvious that Contrez had no doubts as to her plans, and suspected what the rest would be and was right as Amerlin whispered, “The power of your bearhug versus the power of my breasts to the KO”, and then dropped down and sealed her in to the smother.
Moments later, Amerlin gasped in sharp pain as the arms of Contrez snapped up and around her in response to her command, and would have cried out as well except they had already closed solidly cutting off her air and were steadily crushing the air from her despite her best efforts to keep what she had in as long as possible. She was dead certain Contrez was also getting no air she could feel her trying to suck in air under her and her head was wriggling and jerking in an attempt to break the seal even a moment to draw in some air.
It was not the only struggle they were having as well, Amerlin had the grapevine applied and that was usually the advantage, but Contrez was this time also putting an effort in to thwarting the use of it, slowly forcing the legs to close, either to reach the point where she could break and get her own grapevine on and use it or to allow her to roll them so she could be on top and put her own considerable weight to use in the duel. It would prove to be both apparently, as she got the legs closed far enough and with a powerful twisting of her own body, Contrez forced a roll of the two locked women and got on top, and now it was Amerlin in trouble as Contrez got a leg free and added her own grapevine and then the second free but Amerlin recaptured that one back for her own leaving the grapevine partially in both their control. A twist of her own body and Amerlin forced another roll regaining the top, but Contrez was not willing to go easily and the counter was slow as the two found themselves slowly rolling across the room as each gained brief top position and used it.
Both were rapidly weakening however and the action after close to two minutes slowed to a stop, Contrez on top and both women shuddering from the lack of air and weakening. Contrez then made her key win for the win as she sharply jerked her head up and for a brief second or so the nose and mouth were free of the dangerous seal and she managed a ragged breath in before the head was jerked down and in to the seal again. The damage was done however, the extra bit of air was enough to partially revitalize the bigger woman, and Amerlin was still without air and fading fast. Seconds later, she felt a final shudder from Amerlin and she went still. For once, Contrez had won the duel between them, and she slowly and very tired unwound herself from the queen and rolled off her, breathing hard as her own starved lungs replenished themselves and watched as the queen’s own breath started on its own and the color started to return to her own face.
A couple minutes later, Contrez rose to her feet, unsteady as she was, she bent down and picked up the queen and half staggered in to the queen’s bed chamber and laid her on the bed before turning and returning to her own room and the spot on the bare floor that she usually slept on and laying down, quickly fell asleep as well.
For both women, the events of the last couple of days and night had taken its toll on them both. Exhausted as she was, Contrez failed to wake in time for the dawn departure of the hunting team, and no one was about to enter the bedchamber of the queen to find her and wake her up, people just don’t walk in to there unless called by the queen, it was just that simple. Amerlin herself would be the first to wake up a couple hours after the sun had risen and long after the hunting party had left without Contrez and could hear her slave asleep in the other chamber, apparently having a rough dream from the thrashing around and incoherent words she muttered.
Recognizing from her own fatigue how worn her slave might be, she left her alone and after her usual casual dress went outside. First stop to speak to the mistress of the hunt, still there at the village and told her she had kept Contrez from the hunt, essentially keeping her from getting in trouble with her. Second stop was the task mistress, she wanted a couple changes made to her bed chamber for what she had in mind for her slave, and didn’t go into details, just gave instructions for what she wanted done. That done, she located the village chieftess and with her began a walk around of the village discussing the needs of the village and making plans for the next several days, she was even now thinking ahead about the recent changes caused by the arrival of the former mountain people, and she meant to make sure they were adapting well, and that meant a trip soon to all the villages.
Immediate duties completed here at the village, she returned to her own quarters where work had just begun on the changes she had requested, a part of the floor around the small stream bath was already being ripped up and other had gone to the ground to start digging the ground out to either side allowing the waters to spread in there, the overall plan being to both widen and deepen the stream fed area, turning the small bath area in to a larger pool. The work had also aroused Contrez who came half asleep from the other chamber, her eyes going to the brightly lit window and her mouth shaping an ‘Oh’ as she realized she had overslept and missed the hunt. The queen however seeing her approached and told her what she had done. It got an immediate look of thanks from her and then she asked what the queen’s pleasure was for now. Amerlin in turn smiled as she considered possible options, but told her instead to return to her quarters and rest for now. Her voice turned serious as she pointed out that there was still the matter of the prisoners, who had plotted against her, and she had made arrangements for the apparent leader to be brought tonight to her special chamber to face her, and she wanted her there as well as the former queen to also participate in the questioning of him, and she wanted her well rested for it, before she proceeded with his execution.
Nodding her head in acceptance, she turned and did as she was told, however, as she toward her sleeping area, the queen told her she would be waking her a bit before nightfall, as there was going to be a feast in the village that sunset and she wanted the two of them to partake of it. Nodding her acceptance, she retired to her room to get the expected rest for that night’s activities.
A few hours later, the two women made their appearance at the feast, which essentially involved most of the village, in a celebration of the joining of the two people to make the villages come alive once more. The queen for it had actually done herself up a bit with some kind of formal garb and had allowed Contrez to also get in to her own personal stuff that was being stored, but essentially out of bounds to her to select something appropriate for herself as well. She chose well, and both women looked their best that late afternoon, as the queen gave a short speech praising all for the smooth transition of the two people joining and pointing to the feast all had contributed to, a mix of the cooking styles of both cultures and then everyone dug in for the festivities.
Both women joined the others and ate lightly at the queen’s suggestion and avoided some of the more potent beverages to ensure they had a clear head for their work in just a while. After perhaps an hour or so, the queen caught the eyes of Contrez and jerked her head to the hut, and the two quietly left returning to the queen’s chambers. The workers there earlier had also done well. The wood floor removed cleaned up and smooth, and about half the expected dirt and mud already gone, chances were tomorrow they would finish the task and the queen would have her new ‘pool’ ready for whatever she had planned for Contrez. For a few seconds she toyed with the idea of having some personal enjoyment with her slave, but then she rejected it. There was the matter of the prisoner to deal with and that had to come first. Going to the door, she gave orders to the guard to have the main prisoner brought there in a half hour, and then had the two of them strip in the queen’s chamber and wait for his arrival in the special chamber.
He arrived soon enough and with six guards needed to bring him as he was not willing to go quietly if the already showing bruises some of them showed was any indication, and the queen realized she may need both Contrez and herself to deal with this prisoner, he was easily as tall maybe taller than Contrez own height and close to three pounds of meat and muscle, as he looked around and seeing Amerlin glared at her with contempt. “So the whore queen finally has the nerve to deal with me huh? I had wondered what it would take to get close enough to you to try and kill you myself!”
It was challenge, no matter how crudely put and it was one Amerlin was willing to rise up to and meet, confident in her own skills. The prisoner had already been stripped prior to his arrival as was required of all prisoners, and as she stepped forward to formally declare the fight between them to the death, Contrez took her own first real look at him as he stepped better in to the limited light of the room. Realization hit her who this was, and she let out a scream of sheer anger and rage and launched herself at the man, clearly intent on taking him out herself.
Amerlin’s own response was almost as fast after a moment of shock that allowed Contrez to almost reach him, and he started forward as well, clearly willing to fight her as well, his own voice growling “Slut queen! I will hear your final breath in my hands!” Her voice rang out “Seize and hold that man, do not let her strike him!” and made her own move leaping behind Contrez and grasping both shoulders jerked her back to a stop and dragged her screaming away from him. There was ice in the queen’s voice as she spun Contrez to face her, “He has formally challenged me and it is my right as queen to meet him and defeat him, not even you may deny me this right of the queen!”
Contrez was almost bug eyed, and her voice came out sharp and there was no doubt she was serious in her words. “Forgive me my queen, but I must fight and kill him, this is a matter of honor for me, I must do this and if I must, I will formally fight and try to kill you first so I may try to kill him afterwards, though after a fight between us he would probably kill me as well, but I must do this!” Her words shocked the queen, and she had to wonder what would make Contrez throw away her life fighting her just to get at him first, the all but challenge from her lips made her pause a moment, she had to understand why she felt this way. Her voice still cold as ice she challenged Contrez, by what grounds or rights do you demand that I surrender him to you in defiance of the queen’s own rights of a death fight!” Contrez’s own face was a mask of pain and her voice low the pain she must be feeling from seeing him clear in her voice, her words few and to the point. “Please, I must do this; he raped and then killed my sister!”
The breath in the throat of Amerlin froze for several long seconds, and then slowly she turned to the prisoner and her own voice filled with a never before heard anger and barely suppressed hatred she growled, “Look upon this woman your former queen, she has claimed you raped and killed her sister, do you deny this charge by her?” The man turned and looking at her suddenly grinned, “Indeed I do acknowledge it, her sister dared to deny me my attempt to claim her as any man may, and I killed her slowly and painfully, breaking her arms and legs and finally crushed her final breath in my arms, the ribs breaking one by one as she whimpered to be put out of her misery.” His own eyes held a malice few have ever seen, and he growled. “No man should ever bow and be ruled by a woman, it is the males right to rule not the females. I am Suhr, he who is known as the Red Bear of Death and I challenge you both to face me and fight to the death! With both of you gone, it shall be me who will rule over this land as a man should!”
Amerlin’s voice held more than a bit of anger, “For daring to rise against me you earned the sentence of death, for formally challenging me to fight to the death, I also accept! However, you the charge of rape is one of the few crimes punishable by death rightfully so at the hands of that family, and the fact she was of royal blood, makes this even more so. Contrez has the right to fight you to the death even before me as the crimes against her were committed first and were equally wrong!” Suhr’s own voice was ugly and he beckoned for her to come ahead. I accept the pleasure of killing her just as I did her sister, and invite you to join at the same time, neither of you are a match for me individually, but together you might be able to give me a decent fight to remember for more than a few days!”
It was an insult meant to drive them both in to an anger that may make them fight carelessly, but Contrez half turned to Amerlin, a pleading in her voice. “Let me face him first, one on one, not together If I am to avenge my sister’s death it must be by me this fight is won!” Amerlin didn’t like it, there was something about him that spoke of a very dangerous foe here, and she felt it would be better if they both took him down, but her words betrayed her even as she was kicking herself for allowing it. “I give you the right you ask for, you may face him alone and I will try to not interfere, but say the word and I shall gladly join the fight with you to kill him!” Her own voice raised then to be heard by the guard, “Release him, and leave this room, barring the door as normal. Have the guard around here doubled, and under no circumstances even if it is my voice are you to release the door until the second hour of daylight. If he attempts to break out in any manner from this chamber before then, kill him on the spot by any means you can. If however he emerges after the door is released and we are both death, you will acknowledge him a king by right of battle!”
There was looks of doubt on more than a few guards faces at this command, yet they did obey, releasing him and quickly backing from the room and the sound of the heavy wooden bar thumping in to place was heard by all three of them. Suhr, glanced behind him at the door slammed and was barred and then laughed at the two women before him. “Such honor and law bound women, I am my own law and you will learn from me what failure and death is like when it is slow and painful as only I can administer it!” That said, he started to close on the two women. Amerlin still not liking it kept her word and backed away to allow Contrez to try and kill him. Glancing her way and seeing a facial expression she had never seen before, even when they had fought for their kingdoms on her face. She could see a coldness and set that she could not truly put her finger on, but something in the back of her mind said that Contrez had just become extremely dangerous. The question was, to who it may be dangerous for.
Suhr for his own part was a magnificent male specimen, 6’6” at least and a bit over 300 pounds of meat and muscle layered over the whole body, one that she could see was tempered from a hard and harsh life. His hair was a deep red, and it extended down in a hairy coat over his entire body as well as a beard close to a foot long as well. Every thing about him said this man was a natural fighter and knew it and it showed as he closed with Contrez and swing a pair of haymakers that glanced off her and got a hiss of pain even so, but then she leapt forward and up in a surprise move her hands grabbing at his beard even as her feet planted in to a hard stomach and she jerked hard backwards causing both to tumble forward and down, her feet jerking in to his stomach as she hit on her own back and then she monkey flipped him up and over letting go and he sailed several feet before he hit the floor hard. Showing her own agility, Contrez was on her feet almost as fast as she let go, but the big msn was not damaged yet and he was bare moments behind her in coming to his own feet. With no time for deliberation or consideration, Contrez acted with a step forward and a hard leap in to a drop kick that scored against his chest and sent him staggering back to slam hard in to the outer wall, but he didn’t go down as Contrez had perhaps hoped he would, and he charged forward in turn to catch Contrez as she came up, and delivered a devastating kick to her groin and womanhood that even got a small groan from the throat of Amerlin as she watched and a shriek of pain from Contrez as she doubled over, all but falling to her knees.
Suhr was grinning now, and the grin was an evil one as he bent forward and wrapped his thick arms around her and then straightened up, jerking Contrez up and off her feet and in to an inverted bearhug, holding her upside down even as he cruelly crushed her and shook her side to side like a rag doll for several long seconds before Contrez could recover enough from the initial damage and her hands went to the clasped wrists in an attempt to pry them loose. That lasted a few seconds before she shifted her tactics, and used her legs instead, she was tall enough that they rose high over Suhr’s head and she now bent and caught his head in an improvised head scissors and brought all she could to bear on it getting a half stifled groan from the big man in turn as he now found himself on the receiving end of her powerful thighs.
He was still confident he had the edge on his foe and he continued the assault still crushing her around the waist and shaking her, but Amerlin could see from the side it was starting to take it’s toll on him, his supporting her own heavy weight as well as the physically draining crushing effect of her thighs was starting to perhaps tip the advantage her way and she knew it as she was using her legs and trying to eel herself further up on him, inch by inch lessening the leverage to power crush her waist as well as inch her thighs closer and closer to fully locking around his head where she could do the most damage.
By now, his own face was a deep shade of red mirroring his own dark red hair from the steadily rising pressure and he was having trouble staying steady on his feet, something had to give soon, and it did. It was not however in the favor of Contrez as he stopped her cold by suddenly dropping hard to his knees, her head hanging down as it was she had no chance to brace and he pile drove her head hard in to the floor. Her legs came undone on the instant and he let go as well and watched as she collapsed limply barely moving and clearly badly stunned. The only saving grace was that her scissors had also hurt him, and he knelt there for several long seconds breathing hard and shaking his head until she showed signs of getting her act together and try to rise, then rose to his own feet.
Trying to regain the advantage, Suhr apparently decided it was time to teach her why he had his name as he reached down and half dragged her upright by her hair and then quickly got his arms around her in a chest to chest bearhug and inside grip and started to crush her again. The head of Contrez snapped back in stark agony to the point that Amerlin started forward, but her own steps faltered and stopped as she saw Contrez start to fight back, her arms rising and locking around her hated foe in turn, and she clearly seemed to have power in her if the sudden hiss of pain and air exploding from his own lungs was an indicator, within seconds, he was panting for breath just as she was in short ragged gasps. But the key reason Amerlin stopped and then backed up a bit was Contrez herself, she saw Amerlin start forward and even as she started forward she shook her head ‘No!’ and her own arms rose to begin her fight again, she still was apparently capable of fighting back, and her eyes held a light to them that Amerlin recognized herself in other warriors, she was falling in to a battle fever ready and willing to commit every fiber in her body to the destruction of this man any way possible. Still she watched guardedly as their struggle continued, and Suhr seemed to approve of her fighting back, despite his shortness of breath he half growled “You show fighting spirit, good! I always enjoy breaking a woman’s spirit before I kill them, you might even be a challenge however small.”
Contrez chose to not answer verbally but her arms tensed and seemed to contract tighter and this time there was a distinct groan from Suhr and his breath all but died. For several seconds, the two continued to struggle as he tightened down as well and she countered by tightening as well, neither could breathe now, and from a few feet away, Amerlin could hear the creaking of their rib cages, bones were perilously close to breaking, but she could not be sure whose.
Apparently, Suhr felt he was starting to lose this struggle as he changed his tactics a bit by slamming his knee up between Contrez’s legs repeatedly in an attempt to break her grip. He succeeded as on the third hard impact her hands unlocked and partially fell limp and she sagged a bit, but then Suhr went back to the attack by bearhug shifting his grip to the waist and jerked her off her feet and used his broad chest to start bending her way back threatening major damage to her lower back and spine seeking perhaps to snap it.
The shift in attack did allow Contrez to draw in some breath though she lost most in a series of sharp cries of agony as he slowly bent her back, straining himself in his weakened state to break her back, perhaps his bout of no air also rattled his brain for he also left himself open to Contrez’s move, as her legs higher on his body now snapped around his waist and with them crossed and locked in a scissors started to crush him in turn, but more importantly she used it to force her body up a bit more along his body and to her target as her arms came up initially around his body but then snaked around the head and closed allowing her to drag his face in to her breasts for a deadly smother.
From off to one side, Amerlin breathed a quiet ‘yes’ as she saw the move Contrez had made, although it appeared she was gaining a slow advantage in the mutual bearhug, the change of Suhr had broken that chance to capitalize on it and then he had somehow left himself open like her had, but the man was still alive and still very dangerous as long as he lived and breathed, how he countered this dangerous situation was yet to be seen,
Indeed, Suhr had been surprised by the move, rattled by the bearhug he had to break off when he felt himself weakening at her hands, he had been careless and was now trapped and in a lot of hurt, the scissors around his waist felt like she was trying to literally cut him in half with their power, but the smother had all his attention as being far more dangerous, with no air incoming he had to break the seal and fast! The first instinct was a natural one stopping his own bearhug and grabbing at the arms around his head in an attempt to pry it up off the head. Contrez however had it locked in tight and with every breath she took, more strength was coming back and her grip around his head became more and more firm.
After a dozen or so seconds of futile prying, he realized that was not working and balled his hands in to fists and started to hammer away at the side of his foe’s torso trying to make her break the hold and swinging wildly for the head. Contrez managed to duck the majority of those aimed for her head by bobbing and weaving her head, the rest were hard grazing shots that rattled her but didn’t connect enough to break her desperate grip on the head.
That would take another good minute or so and while he got several groans and cries when the blows did connect to the body and occasionally the head, her grip around his head remained firm and locked tight. The lack of air was now taking it’s toll on him as he sank to his knees, giving up on the blows as well, and resorting to his deadly bearhug once more. But even now, the attack was becoming less and less effective for Suhr, the angle of his arms had to reach higher and he could get less leverage now to crush his foe as he continued to strain in a seemingly vain attempt to break her deadly smother. Contrez was clearly hurting and hurting badly, her breath in short sharp gasps, but he had weakened to the point that he could no longer cut her air off. Question was could he last long enough to weaken her enough to break the smother? Amerlin could see the toll the struggle was taking on them both, Contrez was still in control, but her arms and legs were quivering and it was from the sustained exertion she had to keep on him even as she also weakened.
It would be close to another half minute before either could make a move and then it happened as Suhr’s bearhug faltered, his arms unclasping twice before rising to try and continue, he was clearly close to going out and death would not be far behind after that. Despite her injuries, Contrez was winning the fight and keeping her vow to be the one to kill him, but then she suddenly released him as well as his arms released a third time and pushed him hard, letting him fall backwards on his back where he writhed as he tried to force air back in to his body.
Slowly Contrez rose to her own feet and grabbed his legs and rolled him over on his stomach, while Amerlin stepped a bit closer to see what she was doing, she had expected Contrez to smother him to death, the release was almost as much a shock as a surprise to her. Then she saw what she had in mind as she crossed his legs and started to step between them. Contrez was setting him up for the same dueling hold that the two women had used to battle for control of their own two kingdoms in the recent war, she clearly was planning to first punish and humiliate him with a series of holds, Suhr’s own boast came to her mind of how he made the others beg for the fight to end, Contrez was planning to make him beg as well if she could and break him fully before she ended the fight.
Contrez was having a spot of trouble getting the hold locked right, and Amerlin this time did step forward and helped Contrez get the positioning of both his and her legs right then stepped back, a slow smile beginning to cross her own lips in approval of the punishment the traitor was being dealt as she arched back initially putting all the pressure on his back while avoiding his desperate attempts to grab at her and throw her off. This continued for several minutes as she slowly punished his legs and back and taunted him on his proclaimed endurance and power.
Clearly she was goading him with the taunts and with good reason, she was setting him up just as Amerlin had set up and baited Contrez in to the duel and he fell for it as well. Within seconds she had him locked in the mutual lock, and the two of them began the rolling back and forth across the floor struggling to stay on top and deliver the damage to legs and back that could end the fight for one of them. Suhr was showing he still had the power, and once he got his breath back so did the power return though the stamina was clearly sapped as well, he was fighting an equally powerful woman however, and he clearly lacked the agility that Contrez had and now used to regain control time and again, and then after a sustained time on top, went in to the deep arch rolling under as well for the final back cracking duel.
This was a lot more dangerous however, in the final position of the duel they could have agility meant nothing, it would be a power struggle of their legs to do the arching, and his own legs were even more massive than hers, he could easily regain control here and turn the fight against Contrez. That fact he soon realized as well and the two strained there, both groaning and crying as their backs were both tortured without mercy, both straining not just to keep the other hurting but clearly seeking to crack the spine and end the fight.
The arch for both slowly shifted back and forth both sides holding advantage for a while, but then Suhr began to hold it longer and longer, he was clearly draining Contrez and might soon break her back, indeed she was looking alarmed as well, her plan apparently backfiring and neither of them able to break the hold due to its unique nature. Then Suhr made the big attempt and the arch on Contrez grew deeper an deeper, he was clearly going for the snapped back this time, and Amerlin started forward and again stopped as Contrez saw her and shook her head ‘no’. Slowly Amerlin stepped back, she wanted in on this fight so badly now to help her slave, friend and lover, but her own sense of honor and law also made her honor the wishes of her to do this alone.
A slow screech came from the throat of Contrez she could feel the spine about to go, and then her screech became a shrill war cry and to the surprise and shock of both Amerlin and Suhr, she released and explosive burst of power to her own legs, not only taking the strain off her own back but dangerously arching his back and suddenly he was the one about to have his back broken. The power burst continued and the back arched slowly and bit by bit deeper and suddenly there was a shark cracking sound, it was clear that Suhr’s back had broke and he was finished.
Contrez broke the duel at once and tried to unlock the hold, but Suhr, was still alive and awake and thrashing in severe pain from the irreparable damage. This time Amerlin did come forward grabbing Suhr’s body and holding him long enough for Contrez to unlock their legs, and rolled to one side and then rolled a bit more before she slowly began to rise herself, and it was clear she was also hurt bad.
Once to her feet, she closed however cautiously to see the extent of the damage she had done to Suhr, perhaps hoping it was final and fatal. A closer look showed he might have internal damage and if that would kill him it would be very long and slow. He was still apparently able to fight a bit as he swung a fist as she got close and then they realized the damaged had essentially paralyzed him from the waist down, he would never stand again but he could twist his head, neck and chest and his arms were still clearly functioning as he watched her and tried to follow her movements, clearly hoping if she closed he could drag her to the ground with him and continue the fight, he was going to go out fighting if he could, that much was clear.
Contrez’s own eyes narrowed as she considered her almost finished foe and how to end the fight, humiliation of this man was one thing, but now that his back was broken, she found the long humiliation she wanted she could not do now, she was too decent a woman to do such under these conditions, and she also didn’t want to let him slowly die from the internal injuries either, it would not be a proper way to end the fight. There was still also her personal wish on his punishment yet unfulfilled, and that in itself seemed to help in a way to tell her how to end it.
Closing to just outside his reach she addressed her fallen foe. “You know the damage is fatal however slow, I could easily evade you until it happened, but neither of us would be satisfied with that I think, I can also easily out maneuver you as you are, able to break most anything you might try to kill me with and I think you know that as well even if you won’t admit it. I offer you a choice we can try to end it any way we can or we can lock in one final struggle of my choice that will end in one of us dead, and you will have a chance in the struggle I am considering to defeat me fair and square, it’s your choice, but choose soon or I will withdraw my offer!”
Suhr from the floor just glared at her, his breath had slowed to near normal during these several minutes until now, and it was clear his hatred of Contrez was at an all time high because she had met and defeated him. Several seconds would pass before he spoke, “I always thought you a fool, if the positions were reversed I would never consider offering you a chance to still win. I’ll take your offer fool, and I will emerge the one still alive and then if your slut queen and mistress is daring enough to challenge me the same” and his look switched to Amerlin as if daring her to now accept the challenge, then back to Contrez he finished “she will share the same fate, and the hold over our people will be shattered and we will rise and claim this valley as we should have and with a male to lead us!”
The hatred was clearly there, but he had accepted the challenge whatever it may be, perhaps realizing and acknowledging it to himself that it was the best of three options to win the fight, even if he died afterwards, he would have killed his hated foe. Nodding in turn she looked to Amerlin, “My queen will you aid me in this by stepping behind him, pull him upright to his knees and pin his arms behind his back.” Curious as to what she had in mind, she nodded and closed in behind him, and grabbing his red hair, dragged him upright then quickly captured his arms and pulled them behind him in a surfboard style hold that got a grown and hiss of pain from Suhr and a jerk from him, but her own grip was firm and she was fresh and undamaged and after a couple jerks he subsided and settled for a low grumble of “I’ll settle that with you after I’m done with her!”
Seeing him held and in position, Contrez stepped forward and knelt before him settling mere inches from him and face to face, her own face almost a mask right now, she looked over his upper body and then she slowly raised her arms and locked him in a bearhug with an inside grip. Her voice was low, but still easily heard by the two others, “You call yourself the Red Bear of Death and many others also echo it from your record of kills with the bearhug. You killed my sister with it, and I swore vengeance for it, that time is now here. The power of your bearhug against the power of mine, nothing else to the death, dare you accept my death challenge?” Suhr slowly locked eyes with her, saw the commitment and willingness to stay to the death in the fight using just the bearhug, his own voice was low. “I accept and I will make you beg for that death before I allow you to die!”
Her own eyes locked with his, she raised her voice and said, “My queen release him and let us end this.” Amerlin nodded and let go stepping back and to the side to watch the final fight between the two. For a few seconds, Suhr shook his arms to get them ready then they rose and closed around her in turn, it was the outside grip and both knew there would be a struggle to get the best bearhug grip which was the inside in a fight like this. Then both of them at literally the same moment attacked putting all they had in to the final crush to the death.
Air was stopped for them both at the same time, and both began to deliver a series of powerful pulses in an attempt to crush the air from each other as well as to break the ribs of the other and drive them in to the heart and lungs. Within seconds, three shark cracks were heard and the head of both of them jerked, Amerlin could not be sure, but she knew both had broken lungs but who had done the most in those few seconds and how much more was to be done. Apparently none of them had been a deadly break, both lived, the pain etched on both faces and no blood came from the lips to suggest the lungs were filling with blood either. The pulses soon slowed and stopped, a sign Amerlin read to mean the two of them both tired from the long struggle were again weakening fast from the lost air, their determination to outlast the other was the primary force and she could almost image the red and white haze of heat and pain they both were enduring as lungs screamed for air denied and the body cried for release. The minute mark passed then two and still neither breathed, it could not last much longer as both were quivering violently from their efforts.
It was Suhr who finally faltered as a smaller cracking sound from him signaled another rib giving way and Contrez gasped as she found she could breathe at last. Drawing as much breath as she could for now, she continued her steady crushing attempt, no fancy power consuming pulses, just hard pressure to keep the air denied from him. The toll however had been high to her as well, and her arms betrayed her seconds later and Suhr gasped in turn and started to breath, and like her refused to ease up the assault. It was clear the death would not come this way, and they changed their tactics for now and began to work on sustained crushes to drain the other of their strength and stamina to the point they could no longer fight back, and then recover enough themselves to put on the final killing bearhug.
Both of them soaked in sweat from the long encounter, they remained locked there as a puddle grew on the floor and slowly spread around them. It would remain that way for close to another half hour, and Amerlin could see them both close to total exhaustion, and still it was hard to see who was ahead, several times both seemed to be gaining advantage and as she had predicted in those long minutes the inside grip had also shifted several times back and forth. At the moment, they were caught with one arm in and one out after Contrez made another bid to secure the inside grip but got only one, and Suhr suddenly started to lean back as perhaps the last of his strength began to fail and then toppled and they both went prone and began to roll across the floor seeking to get on top and use their weight.
Suhr got the initial advantage there and his heavy weight was making it hard for Contrez to breathe again and might have succeeded but Contrez unlocked her grip for a few critical seconds and attempted to drive her remaining outside arm under his for the full inside grip, and he had to try and block it but this time he was not so successful, and worse, and he was caught trying to drive his own arm back under her for the outside grip and having to deal with both his and her own heavy weight and failed. He would spend the next minute or so with a worthless one armed bearhug and Contrez seemed to gain her own strength and stamina back as a result, then she made her own move and rolled them over to take the top herself. A calculated risk to be sure now with himself on the bottom the weight was on him, but he could finally lock arms again and he did so and tried to regain the edge again.
It was too late however, the long time with no bearhug had given Contrez the edge to keep him drained and exhausted and soon his arms unlocked and fell to either side, he was clearly finished and all but on the verge of death, but even so he refused to beg himself for it to end, and instinctively Contrez knew she could not break him, but she was willing to humiliate him a final time as she killed him.
Slowly, deliberately, she eased up the bearhug and then unlocked her own arms from around him, raising herself up slightly, she looked down at his sullen and hate filled face, he knew he was finished and waited for the final kill unwilling to beg. There was no mercy to be seen in her face either. “This ends now Suhr, and as penalty and as your final humiliation of being beaten by a woman, I will kill you with a woman’s most dangerous bearhug!” That said, she slid up his slick sweat soaked body and locked her arms around his head, her breasts hanging down over his face and he knew what was coming. Slowly, she allowed herself to start to settle the breasts over nose and mouth and then as they began to press down against both stayed there for a couple minutes asking nothing and saying nothing. Amerlin suspected she was hoping he would break, but perhaps she had a final desire for a last scrap with him, as she leaned close to him, her mouth at his ear and her voice barely a whisper meant only for his ears, and not the queen’s.
“I gave you this brief rest to recover a bit, I grant you three more breaths, use them to your fullest and remember when I seal you in, my own body is wide open and exposed.” Contrez was watching his eyes the only part of his face exposed still the rest partially buried in the cleavage already, and saw his eyes widen and then lock with hers, no words said, but perhaps a look of thanks for allowing him to go out fighting and then he took three slow deep breaths. True to her word, the arms around his head tightened for the final move and his face went deep the seal full and complete, even as she wound her legs around his useless ones and spread them wide to keep him pinned under her.
Her final word had not been lost on him either, she had invited perhaps even dared him in her own way to a final power struggle, pitting the power of her smothering bearhug vs. the power of his arms to finish the damage to her ribs and kill her. Weakened as he may be, those damaged ribs could still prove a fatal error and Amerlin watched as their final struggle began. She had not heard her final words to him, had no clue to the last invite but she could see he was trying a final time to end her life with the power of his arms.
Again, Contrez’s head snapped up and back, her face showing the pain of his arms power that remained and then slowly it sank down and she locked her eyes with his as they continued the final struggle. There was a small crackling sound from her ribs then a sharp crack and she screamed in what was clearly great pain. But then a second rib crackled, no snap thankfully but he had done more damage but then almost all the power went out of him and he began to quiver and buck as the arms unlocked and fell to either side, he had passed out from the lack of air and was entering his death throes. Stubborn to the last, even unconscious, it would take another four minutes before his body went still and Contrez slowly unlocked her arms and rolled off him and on to her own back, breathing in short sharp gasps and her hands slowly exploring her rib cage and wincing several times.
Amerlin in similar turn checked Contrez over as well as the rest of her, she would have a lot of bruises and scrapes but they would heal soon enough but the ribs needed immediate attention, she got up and went to the door intending to call the guards to open up, and then stopped short and cursed aloud. She had given the guards orders to not even open to her voice if she commanded it and not open at all until well after dawn, they would obey her orders fully knowing how dangerous the traitor had been, and refuse to open up. She did however call to the guards and getting their attention confirmed the night was a bit beyond half gone. It would be several hours before help could be summoned, but Amerlin gave orders anyway to have the guards ensure the chief priestess who was also the village’s healer was also there ready to provide aid when the door opened.
That done, all she could do was return to where Contrez laid and sit next to her and wait out the night. Contrez would soon drift off to sleep the exhaustion and the release of tension from the long fight having drained from her at last and Amerlin let her lay there, eventually dozing on and off near her as well but kept waking up soon afterwards to check on her slave and now friend when she shifted and half cried and jerked awake from the pain.
Eventually, the night did pass and at long last the door bar was lifted and several guards came in weapons at ready and expecting a fight, but a quick look around confirming his death, and the two women were alive had weapons up as they saw his body and then the priestess came in and began to inspect the damage on Contrez, and minutes later a litter was bearing her to the small temple where she went to work on Contrez. It would soon be confirmed, three of ribs were broken and two more cracked, and the woman was carefully bound and healing herbs given to ease the pain until she could heal up on her own, with specific instruction to not do anything active for the next month. This last said with Amerlin also present and the priestess looked directly at the queen as she said so, her position making her very well aware of the queen’s rough style, and getting a brief blush from them both. As the two were about to leave, the priestess called the queen aside and briefly spoke to her, “By all rights, those injuries would have killed most women. You can thank the priestess of war that she saw fit to reward that woman with her life and sustained her until the morning, and I could enter.” Giving the queen a stern look she said, “Don’t put her life at risk again with the rough stuff that we both you know two have been involved in, she needs time to fully heal, I recommend a week in bed if you’ll allow it, though I doubt you’ll want to and she won’t want to.”
Able to walk on her own, albeit slowly, the two walked from the hut and started back towards the queen’s own hut, but she changed their route and took Contrez to the village center where the activity was at it’s busiest this time of the day and with close to a hundred to bear witness, she gave orders to some guards to retrieve the corpse where it still laid and drag it to the village center. When it arrived, Amerlin called the attention of all who could hear her with a loud hail and soon many others came as well from adjoining huts to see what was going on.
Pointing at the corpse the queen pronounced, “Last night, we identified this man as not just a traitor to our own people and worthy of death at my hands but he also killed many women from the former homeland of the mountain people who now live with us, including the sister of your former queen!” Pointing at Contrez she continued, “Your former queen showed courage and resolve and begged me to take him on to settle the matter of his killing royalty and long and mighty was that fight lasting well through the night, before finally humbling him and destroying him in a manner worthy of a battle song. As a sign of respect for her great deed and greater courage even when she was often about to lose her life at his hands she signaled me to not interfere as was my own right. I choose at this time to reward her by removing one of the black bands of her slave hood!” Stepping behind her slave she reached up and with pure strength managed to snap the second of the black bands and peeled it from around her neck and then held it high for all to see.
Cheers erupted around the square at the proclamation, this was a historical event with the elimination of a traitor and murderer, and the fact that Contrez had eliminated to of the black bands of slave hood in such a short time was a record never heard of before, and apt to never be heard of again in anyone’s lifetime. Handing the band formally to Contrez to keep, Amerlin called to the crowd, “Let the tellers of tales and song creators be found and sent to my hut that they may hear from her and my lips what happened that they may create song and tale to be spread to all the villages!”
Again cheers erupted at the good decision, and Contrez led her slave away and back to the hut, but as she followed, she saw the same black skinned warrior and huntress called Spice that seemed to dislike her scowling at her yet again and then turned and stalked away, anger clearly in her step. One of the others standing near her that Contrez was friendly with was also standing there and seemed to also know Spice and, turning to the queen asking to be excused a couple minutes and getting it went to her friend and asked her about Spice and why the anger she seemed to have.
Her friend was clearly uncomfortable about the question but after several second she revealed the reason. “Spice was and still was one of the queen’s favored women and lovers, and she had designs to become her chosen one above all others, and the one to possibly be the next queen should she bear no child to succeed her. Now you have come along and she is no longer the one the queen seeks it is you instead, and to her, you are a threat to her, and she is a dangerous woman in many ways. I would watch your back with her; she will try and cause trouble if she can.”
Contrez turned away, a troubled look on her face. She was aware of the practice of favorites and the named title of ‘Chosen One’ now it appears that she was caught in a love triangle with a very jealous woman that could cause for her and Amerlin a lot of trouble.

To Be Continued: