The Bandit Scout

Chapter 12 -- The Final Courtship Continues

Carlos entered his tent, still unsure of what to expect, despite Medico James's explanations. He rushed to the bunk and removed Stella's gag. She had not been gagged long and immediately said,

"Carlos, you do not have to free me. You know that we are in the Final Courtship. You can do with me as you wish; it will not just be with my permission but with my blessings. My father has accepted that I love you and want you to be my mate. Unless you end the Final Courtship, you will be my mate."

Carlos continued to untie her as quickly as he could. "Stella, my love. I adore you. I want you as my mate and will do whatever it takes to make that happen. But we must talk freely. I do not want you just as a submissive. Don't misunderstand, your submission is wonderful beyond my ability to describe, and I will always want that. But I also want a partner. Someone who can help me with life's decisions. I'm very skilled in certain areas. But not so good at others. I wish for a partner who can help me in those areas where I am weak and who will permit me to do the same for her. In public, I can play the dominant role. But in private, what we do must always be consensual. Is this acceptable to you?"

By then, Stella was free. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with all of her passion. She said, "Carlos, I have dreamed of something like this, but never believed that it could be possible. How can this be? We were thrown together as enemies, yet fate has made us lovers. And you are the lover of my dreams. Oh, Carlos, I fear that fate will interfere again to prevent this happiness that I am feeling."

Carlos said, "If it does, we will deal with it. Right now, I have a naked woman with her arms around me. I think that if I don't tend to that, I would not be worthy of future happiness."

Stella answered, "Carlos, please take your clothes off. I want to feel your skin on mine." He undressed and reached for her. She continued, "I elect to be submissive. Does that meet with your approval?"

"It does. Lie down on the bunk face down and place your hands behind your back."

Stella did and said, "It's funny. Like most kids, I got tied up sometimes. But I never knew there was a sexual component to tying up and being tied. But there surely is."

Carlos was looping a rope around her wrists, carefully making it completely secure without being tight. When he was satisfied, he turned Stella over and helped her sit up. He sat with his back to the head of the bunk and pulled Stella until she was leaning her right shoulder against his chest.

He said, "Now this is near perfection. With my left hand, I can feel your back down to your butt. I can run my fingers through your hair. I can bunch your hair and pull your head back for a kiss," as he demonstrated that move to her.

His right hand was enjoying her tits, especially her nipples. It also seemed to enjoy the ripped muscles of her abdomen and the freedom to play in the bush of her pubic hair. His fingers rubbed her labia and her clit. He hooked a finger over her clit and pulled on it as he pushed the finger back and forth, stimulating her entire vaginal area. They were both pleased but not surprised when she began breathing deeper and pushing her pussy into his hand. Suddenly, she climaxed, taking a piece of his shoulder in her teeth. But she was ever so careful not to break the skin. As she calmed and regained control of her breathing, Carlos said, "That's one."

Stella said, "In the morning, the Bucks team will enter unannounced at sunrise. They must find me bound much more thoroughly than this. I do love this. I am bound, yet I still have considerable ability for movement. You knew it would happen like this, didn't you?"

"Stella, I had hoped, but I am feeling my way here. I have had some sexual experience, but it has been limited. My life has been very isolated from women, a semi-monastic existence. Do you mind that terribly?"

"No, Carlos. I am completely content with exploring and learning together. Let me pose a question. If you hogtied me with my ankles crossed and then turned me on my back, wouldn't that give your cock access to my pussy?"

"Why Stella, I believe that you are topping from the bottom. But yes, I think that it might, but there is only one way to be sure."

He moved her off his chest and lay her on her back beside him. Just as he had carefully bound her crossed wrists, he carefully tied her crossed ankles. He was even slower in tying her ankles because he kept taking time to massage the bottom of her feet. But finally, it was done, and he turned her onto her belly and cinched her ankles to her wrists. He took some extra time to knead the twin globes of her butt before turning her over again to her back.

He started licking her upper thighs, working his way to her mons. There, he spread her lips with his fingers and licked around her labia until he settled on her clitoris. On the clit he licked and nibbled, and even shook it with his teeth. It did not take long before another wave of passion crested in Stella, and she had to clinch her jaws to keep from screaming.

Carlos said, "That is two."

As soon as she could, she said, "I almost bit my tongue to keep quiet. You could help me here with a gag."

"I love hearing you talk. I might love your scream too. The time will come when we have a place of our own and won't have to worry about making noise. But you are right. Hearing your passion would not be fair to the other men here. I will re-gag you. Let's see if we can do a better job of packing your mouth."

Carlos took a square of cloth and worked almost all of it into her left cheek and between her upper and lower molars. It surely helped the process that Stella did everything she could to assist. Another one went into her right cheek. A third one was rolled up in a short tube and placed against her tongue. There was still room to spare in her mouth, so he continued with others until the packing pressed from the roof of her mouth to her tongue. A large bandanna was folded and knotted in the center. He pressed it between her teeth and against the other packing cloths, and it was wrapped around her head. The bandanna was long enough that he could wrap both ends again between her teeth and behind her neck, where he tied it off.

Alright, we should test it. You have permission to yell. Stella thought she was to cry out and inhaled in preparation. She was caught by surprise when he pinched a nipple hard. "Hmmph!" she said, making only a little noise despite her effort to yell loudly.

"Well, I would say the gag is working," Carlos commented and began sucking on the outraged nipple. "Now you don't have a balanced set. Shouldn't we fix that?" as he took her other nipple between thumb and forefinger.

Stella shook her head no, and he smiled and changed to kissing and sucking on the other tit. Stella smiled as much as she could with the gag. Had she not been gagged, she would have been wearing a huge grin.

Carlos's arousal dictated that he take Stella once more. Fingering her pussy, he found that she was more than ready, also. He took his position between her legs and carefully inserted his cock into her. He started moving his hips with very long, slow strokes, moving back until almost withdrawn and forward until his balls hit her perineum. Stella fell in with the rhythm, lifting her hips to meet him as Carlos entered and lowering her hips as he withdrew. Carlos sensed the wave starting to build in Stella but cautioned her,

"Try to hold off. Let's try to make this last as long as we can."

But in the end, nature had its way, and the orgasm of each plunged them to the edge of consciousness. With the last of his strength, he put both arms around her and rolled so that she was resting on top of him. This took the pressure off her crossed ankles. They lay there for long minutes as the waves of pleasure receded and their breathing returned to normal. Carlos said, "That is three."

He picked at the knot in the bandanna tied behind her neck. He pulled it loose and started ungagging her, saying, "When I was at Unihold, I heard a saying. 'Once a king, always a king. But once a night is enough.' I think that we have demonstrated that to be a false saying."

Stella regained the ability to speak. She said, "This surpasses anything in my limited experience for sure. I agree, more than once is wonderful."

Carlos was sliding her off of him and onto the bunk so he could get to the knots in the ropes binding her. The hogtie was released, and then she was freed of her other ropes one by one.

"That was fun, Carlos. No, it was more than fun. It was as staggering an experience as our session before the feast. Was that only a day ago? I love being tied up by you, but it also feels splendid to be free again. I need to go outside to visit the latrine, and then we both should get some sleep. Remember, the Bucks will be here at sunrise."

Carlos said, "I need to make that visit too. I will wait for you to return."

"You don't need to wait. I am yours, and you are mine. I do not need any privacy from you."

They went to attend to their business and then returned to the tent. Stella said, "It is late and I expect to sleep hard. If we overslept and I am not bound when the Guardians enter in the morning, the Final Courtship would be broken. You should tie me up now. Do it well. Then, the Bucks must be satisfied that I am completely secure."

"Stand up with your arms at your sides," he said, as he formed a lasso and put it around Stella's pelvis. He encircled her several times at the pelvis and then continued encircling her, making a spiral up her body until the loops were above her tits and around her shoulders. Then he tied the rope off. Next, he cinched her left wrist to the bands around her pelvis and continued up her arm, cinching her arm in the encircling rope. When he had gone all the way up her left arm in this manner, he repeated the process with her right arm.

She commented, "At first, I thought this was something that I would be able to pull out of easily. Not so!"

Carlos knelt before her and tied her legs at the ankles and above the knees. Then he scooped her in his arms and lifted her to their bunk. He tied a short rope from her ankles to the foot of the bunk. With another rope, he threaded the ends between her arms and body at the armpits and pulled it through until the bight of the rope was at her chest just above her tits. Then he took the ends of the rope and tied them to the head of the bunk. The ropes at her top and feet had enough slack that she could have some movement in the bunk, but she was surely not going anywhere.

He turned off the lamp, got into the bunk, pulled the covers over them, and gave Stella a gentle kiss.

"Good night, darling," he whispered.

"Good night, my love," she whispered back.

-----

As dawn approached, Carlos and Stella awoke as was their habit. Carlos turned toward Stella and pulled her to him. After moments of just holding her, they kissed. He could not resist playing with her breasts. Unfortunately, sunrise was near, and they would have visitors, so Carlos broke off his fondling and got up and dressed. Just as he finished, the four women Guardians marched in and told Carlos, "You can go on to breakfast. Stella will join you in just a few minutes."

Carlos left, and the Guardians excitedly surrounded the bunk, pulling the covers down. They tested the ropes holding Stella and were satisfied that she was secure. "Tell us, was it good? Are you satisfied? Do you want to continue the Final Courtship?"

Stella answered, "Yes, yes, it was good. And I am highly satisfied. Do any of you think you could free yourselves from this tie? This Final Courtship will go to its completion." The Bucks giggled and lifted her to her feet. With four sets of hands, it was only moments before she was free. The Guardians were not surprised at her answers. Stella happily hugged the Guardians, and they hugged her back. She dressed in her buckskins, and the Guardians escorted her to the latrine, guarding her privacy as she used it. Then they escorted her to Carlos and breakfast.

She saw Carlos talking to Ralph, who had Carmen by his side as well as the Medico. Both Ralph and Carmen were wearing big smiles, matching the ones on her and Carlos' faces. As Stella took a seat next to Carlos, Ralph announced, "I have asked Carmen to be my special assistant during the Katana Project. To accept, she will have to agree to give up her duty to escape. She told me she would give me her answer this morning. Carmen, can I have your support?"

She answered, "This is not an easy thing that you ask. All of my life, the Comanche and Bandit codes have been drilled into me. I have never had cause to question them. Now, everything has been turned on its head. Two primary factors influenced my decision. First, my father agreed to work with Chief Brooks on a new order. I do not have the experience or the wisdom to know if that is a good thing or not. I have faith that my father is doing the right thing. He was willing to die but has decided to live and work with the Bucks. Second, with just two nights with Ralph Rider, my heart tells me that he is a good and honorable man. I have faith in that just as I had faith in what Stella had said to my father and me while we were tied to stakes at the feast, waiting to be burned alive. Before I answer you, Ralph, I would like to ask Stella a question." Turning to Stella, she asked, "How did you come to love an enemy, Stella?"

Stella answered, "Carmen, I can only tell you what we have told each other and my father. It did not and does not make sense. But we simply recognize that it is. Now, of course, we are not enemies but allies. Could you and Ralph be the same?"

Carmen continued, "That is as good an explanation as I can think of. Ralph, I am falling in love with you, and I pledge that as long as you need my help, I will serve faithfully and will not escape. Does that satisfy you?"

Ralph put his arms around her, gave her a brief kiss, and replied, "It more than satisfies me, Carmen, it makes my heart sing. Medico, you no longer have to keep Carmen tied up. She will not escape."

The Medico asked, "Carmen, you have been tied for more reasons than just to prevent your escape. You are sharing a tent with Ralph Rider and have access to the senior people in this endeavor. Does your pledge include not only not harming them but actively protecting them as a warrior if the need arises?"

"I said that I will serve faithfully. That includes all that you have said," Carmen answered him.

"Then this is settled. Will you join my Bucks team in protecting Stella and managing the Final Courtship rituals? That will make you a Guardian. I will explain that to you later. Boss Rider, if she agrees, would that satisfy your concerns?"

"Ralph said, "That will be fine until we are back at the Ranch. Then she will be fully in my service."

Carmen said, "I owe multiple debts to Stella and would be honored to serve. You do not have to explain the Final Courtship. The Comanche also have those rituals."

Stella hugged Carmen, and soon they were mounted for their second day of the return trip.

-----

The Comanche had a Camp Commander to manage the ordinary affairs of the Comanche. When reports of the capture of the Bucks' bandit scout, Stella Brooks, by Ralph Rider got to the Comanche camp, the Commander thought there might be some opportunity they could exploit. It was clear that the Scout had taken something of great value to Rider. Whatever it was, it was not recovered when the Scout was captured. Most likely, it was hidden in the badlands.

The Commander selected a team of four of his best trackers and observers, supplied them with the necessary equipment and goods to meet possible situations, and sent them to the Rider Ranch. Their primary objective was to find and recover whatever the Scout had taken from Ralph Rider. The secondary objective was to gather intelligence on the Rider Ranch. He designated his team the Rider Expedition.

The Commander had not reported his actions with the Rider Expedition to Chief Gomez because the Chief was busy planning his raid on the Bucks and the Wagon Train. This could be sorted when the Chief returned.

The four Comanche sent by the Camp Commander were in position before Ralph Rider left to catch the Wagon Train. Their riding horses and pack horses had been left up an out-of-the-way arroyo at the edge of the badlands. They had found spots near the Ranch where they could hide during the day and still keep a careful watch on Rider Ranch. Before a day had passed, they decided to split, and the two of them, who were the best at tracking, would try to trace Stella's path through the badlands.

By the time Ralph led his group to catch the Wagon Train, the trackers had found where Stella had stopped running up the arroyo and started crossing the ridges. It took an entire day to discover Stella's path across the first ridge. Stella was no amateur, and she had covered her tracks well. Another day showed them signs of her passage over the second ridge. They did not continue to the third because the second ridge was ideal for an ambush. They believed that Ralph Rider would return the Scout to the Ranch and force her to retrace her steps on the night she had stolen from the Ranch.

The north side of the second ridge that she would have to descend was a cliff except for one narrow place where an agile person could climb down. Sometime in the past, the cliff had collapsed at this point and left a steep but not sheer drop to the bottom of the arroyo. They found signs indicating that this was the way that Stella had come. The trackers were not pressed for time and were able to take extra care to ensure they left no indication of their passage.

They had reasoned that she would eventually return to recover what she had taken from Rider Ranch. They planned to capture her and force her to tell them the location of the booty. Now they had to design their trap. They decided that a net could be camouflaged on the ground where Stella would have to traverse the narrow slope, avoiding the cliffs. The hard part would be rigging it to snare Stella without giving her any warning that it was present. But that was the kind of stealth the Comanche did well.

They left the ridge, taking a route well away from the one Stella was expected to take, and returned to their companions to tell them what they had found.

-----

The day's travel was uneventful. Ralph called a halt midafternoon, announcing, "We should have traveled a couple more hours. We are making good time, and I promised The Medico time for a formal Martial Arts class. Any that wish to join should ask the Medico for permission."

It quickly became a large class. During the day's ride, Carmen asked the Medico if she could participate. More than a dozen from the Mounted Troops and a handful of the Rider Hands joined. And all of the Bucks wanted to practice. They had been in the Medico's classes back in the Bucks camp before the alliance.

Medico Stevens started the class, "In the class, you should address me as Sensei. This originates from the old Earth's Orient and means 'teacher'. Line up in three rows. Experienced students, spread yourselves among the new students and assist where needed.

"Take the seiza position, and we will bow in to start the class." As this was done, "For the new students, I will tell you a bit of Martial Arts history. On Earth, there were many different Martial Arts. It was challenging to know which art to follow. In Earth's 20th Century, a new martial art was born, aikido. It was the most elegant of the arts, but was not successful in combat. MMA, or mixed martial arts, combined techniques from martial arts and combat sports from all over the world. Over time, it was found that fighters who incorporated aikido training into their training regimen tended to excel.