Rowan's Hammer: Her First Knight, #3

By Ash Gray

While trapped at an inn during a winter storm, Rowan's hammer is lost to bandits during a game of cards gone wrong. Desperate to keep the matter a secret from Saoirse, Rowan sets out at once to retrieve the hammer with Ethne and Lysa along to aid her. While distracting Saoirse from the absence of her fiance, Ava learns more about Liadan's culture and customs, while Ethne learns who Lysa truly is. Don't miss the third installment of this lesbian romance series! 

 

--

Rowan's departure was so abrupt, Ava felt a jolt of shock to realize that she was now completely on her own – completely free to do as she pleased! What should she do first? Dance before the stage? Dance on a table? Perhaps get drunk? The first and last time she was drunk, her father had punished her, and she had never been allowed to drink so heavily again. It suddenly occurred to her that, for the first time in her life, she could do whatever she wished without being confined to a tower. 

"Don't do anything rash, my princess," Lysa begged, as if she had read Ava's mind.  

Ava made an irritated noise and ignored Lysa, instead grabbing the handmaiden's arm with a gleeful expression. "Oh, Lysa!" she squealed. "Stop scolding and let us make merry! Haven't you ever wanted to make merry?" 

"No," Lysa said at once. 

 

--

"What shall you do?" Lysa wondered anxiously.  

"I shall take the hammer back, of course," said Rowan darkly.  

"Without a weapon?" Ethne pointed out, as incredulous as if to say Rowan was mad. 

"I shall kill her with my bare hands if I must," said Rowan. "And I shall do it before Saoirse even realizes what has happened. I must leave quickly and immediately. Tell my old lion I am gone down the lane to lay with the baker's daughter. She'll believe that."  

Ethne laughed flatly. "That Saoirse would be less angry that you bedded another woman than your gambling away of your hammer . . . If you are to slay these ruffians, I shall come with you. It's senseless that you should go alone." 

 

--

"Ah," said Ethne. "I expected we would have this conversation sooner or later. Liadan is angry with you, and you don't understand why, featherhead that you are." 

"I understand why!" said Ava crossly. "She warned me about the men in the tavern, and I did not heed, and because of that, I was nearly hurt --" 

"Aye," said Ethne darkly, "and it isn't the first time you haven't heeded us. Back on the road, you did stray into the wood, though I warned you not to, and were nearly accosted then as well --"  

"Truly? By the gods," said Rowan in amusement. "How many times hath you put herself in danger, Ava? Shall I have to beat the men off with my hammer?" 

"Most likely," said Ethne with a snort. 

Ava frowned irritably. "I didn't come here to be scolded."  

"Though perhaps you should be," said Ethne, laying down a card. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ash Gray
• Release date: Sep 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215213018

Ash Gray

Ash Gray is a lesbian living in California. She writes lesfic (aka fiction for lesbians) in science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal settings.

Book preview

Chapter 1

The inn they stayed at in Hargendon was called Hilvara’s Knickers, a cheeky nod to the goddess of coin and her local temple. With the blizzard raging over the town, many travelers had been stranded at the inn, and the downstairs tavern was overcrowded with laughing men and giggling women, bearded merchants, and even some bandits and ruffians. Many of the men were drunk and lustful and wouldn’t have hesitated to accost any young maiden their eye fell upon. For this reason, Liadan warned Ava that she and Lysa should never venture downstairs into the tavern alone.

Lysa agreed with Liadan’s warnings, but Ava was desperately tired of being a good girl, doing what she was told, and living in fear. She had been a good girl for her father for twenty-two years, and what had it gotten her? Loneliness, isolation, and now banishment and exile. She wanted to have fun for once in her life, she wanted to live!

And so, the next time Rowan took night watch, Ava waited until the other knights were sleeping, and when Rowan announced that she was slipping off yet again to gamble, Ava insisted that she go with the Black Lioness. The princess was annoyed when Lysa awoke and scolded her, and not wanting them to be caught by their respective lovers, Rowan closed her large hand over Lysa’s indignant mouth and dragged the little handmaiden downstairs with them.

Downstairs, the tavern was as rowdy as ever. There were so many people in the room, the crowds were almost a blur of different hair colors and tunics. Serving wenches with trays of tankards hurried back and forth, blushing angrily when their backsides were groped by drunken men. A band played on a small stage, and some of the people were hopping and dancing, as nearby, a fire roared on the great hearth.

Lysa wiggled free of Rowan’s big hand, prying it off her mouth and glaring. Don’t you ever manhandle me like that again! she shrilled.

Rowan only shrugged. You were threatening to reveal my deeds!

You mean your misdeeds, said Lysa reprovingly.

Rowan made a face. As if I needed Saoirse to close her legs to me because of your loose tongue.

Lysa huffed and folded her arms. You would deserve to be caught! Gambling behind her back – it's horrid!

Tuh. You sound like Saoirse. I shall do as I wish with my coin, said Rowan irritably, her eyes scanning the crowds.

It is soon to be Saoirse’s coin as well, Lysa pointed out.

Soon to be, Rowan pointedly repeated. It isn’t her coin yet.

Lysa rolled her eyes. We shall have one drink and then return upstairs, my princess, she said to Ava. It is too dangerous here!

Ava wasn’t listening but was blushing pink as she watched a pretty blonde peasant girl dancing on a table, the top of her dress pulled down and her big breasts standing bare and free. They were magnificent breasts, wonderfully plump and large, the pink nipples hard. Ava had never before quite seen a woman with breasts as large as her own. She felt her clitoris start to pump in her smallclothes.

Would you like to dance naked on a table? Rowan teased Ava, having noticed her staring.

Ava blushed brighter but answered with a smile, Perhaps.

Then take heed of what shall happen to you if you dare, said Rowan, nodding at the dancing peasant girl.

As Ava watched, the dancing peasant girl shook her shoulders so that her big breasts wobbled, and the men hooted and threw coins at her feet. But – to Ava’s amazement – so did some of the women!

A towering, burly female peasant—with ripping muscles, rolled up sleeves, and dirty blonde hair—stood up, grabbed the dancing girl by her narrow waist (the dancing girl giggled in delight), and lifted her down from the table and into her arms, so that she was hugging the girl’s waist. The peasant girl squealed when the burly woman buried her face in one of her great breasts and sucked with passion. The men cheered and threw more coins (Disgusting, Rowan muttered), and the burly peasant sucked on, frowning as the peasant woman’s great breast rose against her face. The peasant woman, meanwhile, was gasping with pleasure, her cheeks slowly turning brighter and brighter as she was suckled.

Ava heard Lysa’s gasp, felt Lysa tugging her arm, but could not look away from what was happening. To her amazement, the burly peasant set the peasant girl on her feet and yanked on her dress, ripping it, so that it tumbled away. The peasant girl shrieked and covered her breasts – She was now standing there in nothing but her smallclothes. The burly woman grabbed the peasant woman by the waist again, sat her hard on the table (her big breasts bounced), and crammed a hand down the front of her smallclothes, fingering her roughly. As the men cheered and tossed coins, the peasant girl’s expression softened, and her head fell back as she screamed softly in bafflement and delight. The burly woman stared at her with narrowed eyes as she continued fingering her in front of everyone, hard and deep.

Why is it disgusting? wondered Ava, finally turning her eyes away to look at Rowan.

Rowan was sneering as she watched the peasant girl get slammed to the table by the burly woman and her smallclothes ripped away. The peasant girl’s legs were then lifted in the air and spread, and the burly woman buried her face between her thighs. The peasant girl screamed breathlessly. The men roared approval.

Rowan looked around at Ava with mild surprise, almost as if she’d forgotten the princess was there. She waved a disgusted hand at the hooting men. This inn used to be for women alone. The men have invaded here. They come to watch us make love, as if we were their entertainment. The lechers. They can never let us have our places. She turned her bitter eyes away, her gaze alighting on a distant table, where a group of women in leather armor sat. There are my card friends – or foes, I suppose, Rowan said with a smile. I shall join them. The two of you stay out of trouble – if I am not at all naïve in thinking that possible. And with that, Rowan made her way to the table, pushing through the laughing crowds.

Rowan’s departure was so abrupt, Ava felt a jolt of shock to realize that she was now completely on her own – completely free to do as she pleased! What should she do first? Dance before the stage? Dance on a table? Perhaps get drunk? The first and last time she was drunk, her father had punished her, and she had never been allowed to drink so heavily again. It suddenly occurred to her that, for the first time in her life, she could do whatever she wished without being confined to a tower.

Don’t do anything rash, my princess, Lysa begged, as if she had read Ava’s mind.

Ava made an irritated noise and ignored Lysa, instead grabbing the handmaiden’s arm with a gleeful expression. Oh, Lysa! she squealed. Stop scolding and let us make merry! Haven’t you ever wanted to make merry?

No, Lysa said at