Her auburn hair billowed behind her, falling across her toned shoulders as she turned to face the young gentleman. Richelieu had been pursuing her attention doggedly for hours. But let us not hold that against him. Being the only twenty-year-old amongst a crew of old salty sea-dogs, who can blame him for being so cunt-struck?She was becoming increasingly bored with his lacklustre attempts to conceal his pursuit. She did n...

The snow and sleet bit into my face as I circled Sigrid. She was hunkered down in a defensive position, her shield covering her chest and only her eyes were visible. She held her sword to the side and as she waited for me to attack she winked.“Hilde, stop messing around, and do something,” said Rolf, our instructor.He was a big man, broad shoulders, tall and with thighs like tree trunks. He stood a few feet from us togeth...

I walked into a small meditation room that was draped in soft pastels, flute music droned from an invisible speaker nearby. As I expected, a small indoor water fountain was plugged into a nearby socket and spewed recycled liquid tranquility. I was about to meet the great spirit Marguerite, a long dead, fifteenth century Queen as channeled via a forty-something housewife turned psychic, named Paula.Paula was quietly quirky...

Nothing but the silvery glow of the crescent moon illuminated Matilda's sleeping quarters. The autumn night was calm but cold, and thick layers of furs and blankets kept the young woman warm and comfy. The oaken bed was large and sturdy, and made Matilda's feminine but short body appear smaller still. Only her head poked out of the covers, the skin pale in the moonlight and her locks dark.Electricity crackled. At first, j...

I was among the first of our soldiers to march into Berlin, I didn't expect to be welcomed with open arms, but what we were greeted with was worse, far worse.It was total apathy; these people had endured everything over twelve years of tyranny, twelve years of being careful of what they said or who they said it to!Occasionally, we saw bodies still hanging from lampposts where the last few fanatical S.S. men had hanged the...

    O all you ladies young and gay,    Who are so sweet and fair,    Do not go into Chaster’s wood,    For Tomlin will be there.    From some he takes their golden rings,    Some left without a thread!    Those lucky girls run naked home:    he left their maidenhead!The late Autumn breeze stirs the trees around me as I urge my palfrey into a canter. I love to ride: the familiar warmth of the leather saddle on my smooth ba...

We were very fortunate for many years in the remote village where I grew up, because we had not been raided by the notorious Vikings that dominated the region. We always lived in fear that one day that could change, and regrettably, eighteen summers after I was born that dreaded day finally came to pass. We offered no resistance to our attackers because that would simply have been futile. They raped and plundered wantonly...

Astari– Part One Everything hurt as Matthew de Lacey was making his way back to his tent. His arms and legs were aching, his head hurt even more where the mace had struck his helm and his pride hurt most of all. Defeat was a difficult drink to swallow, had Matthew expected to win the tourney? ‘Yes’, a part of him was saying, he was thrice the fighter than each of his opponents and he knew it well. He had surely demonstrat...

Back in the nineteen thirties when the Great Depression hit hard, like so many young men I found myself on the bones of my arse. One afternoon as I passed by a farm I was starving. I simply couldn’t resist and soon found myself knocking at the front door. All I had eaten over the previous few days was half a loaf of stale bread. It felt like my gut was attacking my mouth in a constant state of tumult, as I constantly sali...

In a pale blue sky, the Winter sun sat looking down over the snow covered landscape of Old London Town and the populace that lived out their day to day lives. The date was the 10th of December 1889 and the oncoming festive season gave rise to an air of eager anticipation despite the hardships of daily living for the majority. Along the banks of the frozen Serpentine, people from all walks of life and social standing were...

"Ow!" said Chelsie. "Stop that!" She looked behind her. Nothing. She looked over her other shoulder. The long, dark corridor was empty. Nothing moved in the gloomy old house. But someone - or something - had definitely touched her behind. Alarmed, she scuttled back to her room and shut the door. To her frustration she saw that although there was a large, gaping keyhole, no key was to be seen. She had heard that in the nin...

I had just turned eighteen, soon to be getting my own residence. My father was a senator in the Roman Empire and if I were to leave our home I would require a guard at all times because of the threat from the East. How exciting was that to have some no-good meat head watching my every move...for my "safety." My father scheduled a meeting of sorts to allow me to choose my guard. I arrived at the Temple to be greeted by the...