A fortune in jewels

"I can pay you another way." You smile in anticipation as you see the proud noblewoman fumbling with the high collar of her robes. It seems that in spite of her outward display of modesty and **** that this fine noblewoman of Athenapolis knew what it was that men wanted. You are more than a little disappointed when instead of slipping out of the embroidered robes and getting down to business with you she pulls free a small pouch that must have been dangling between her breasts. The disappointment is almost all gone when she pours just some the contents of the sack out into her palm. Five perfectly cut gemstones glimmer in her palm.

A large teardrop cut ruby, two slightly smaller blue-white diamonds, a dark blue sapphire and a square cut emerald almost as big as the tip of your little finger are clustered together like candies in a jar and the bag is still more than half full - damn. That one bag might have as much value as the entire chest of gold and silver, all for the weight of a small orange.

"Would this be enough to convince you that I'm serious, Rider?" There is a slight curl to her pretty mouth and you realize that she is laughing at you. Does she think that with enough money she can make you take this outrageous risk?

"That's enough to make me consider helping you." It would be churlish to deny that what she was offering was a significant sweetener to what otherwise seems a fool's errand.

"You can have them all, Rider," her fingers close over the jewels hiding them from your sight, "once you've brought me to see the Lord Marshal." Has this gentlewoman considered the possibility that you might just take the pouch by ****? You watch her carefully pour the cut gemstones back into the leather pouch shaking your head sadly.

Free-Riders are known to be scoundrels with questionable morals. Your livelihood relies heavily on looting and pillaging and captured free-women to be handed over and sold into slavery are a big part of the earnings, but you are not a thief. One of the most fundamental pillars in your own personal code of honor is that if people treat you fairly, then you return the favor. This offer was getting hard to turn down. If the letter Lady Relia found is as genuine as it looks you should get a reasonably warm reception from the United Armies even though you had been opposing them when the siege first started. Even if you are not rewarded for warning the lord Marshal, that bag of jewels would be enough to make this whole stay in Athenapolis worth while after all.

"Put those away Lady Kiriakolis." Needing time to think, you turn away from the noblewoman check the status of the drake-wires that block your escape. The South tower wires are down already, and you see several wings circling lower as their Riders pick likely targets to raid, but over your part of the city the wires are still present. You're not going anywhere, not yet anyway. To make matters worse, organized groups of hoplites moving deeper into the city and ranging well ahead of them gangs of mercenaries are advancing looking for plunder on their own. It's going to be a close thing, but in a way that helps make you make up your mind. Turning back to Lady Relia you tell her your decision.

"I'll at least get you out of the city if the drake-wires fall in time, but I'll need one more thing to seal the deal." You grin wolfishly. "If I'm going to die, I don't want to cross the river Styx with blue balls." Judging by Lady Relia's puzzled expression, it is clear she's never heard that expression so you spell it out for her.

"I haven't had sex in over a week; I need some pussy, and I need it now."