Jack and Jill: What's on the Hill

Our story begins in a quite little village nestled in the woods that once belonged to the elvin folk in the days the dragons ruled the mountain tops and reigned terror from the skys. Oakwood is the name of the village and it is home to a small number of people who live there primarily to support the timber industry. As you might guess the timber in question is the oak tree. Oaks from oakwood have been used for centuries to support the Kingdom of Xor and the Xor kings. Although most of the villagers make their way as loggers, a few support the village. Mary, the widow, runs the bakery and village store. She is a rotund woman who likes to double check her baked goods. Then there is Lucy, the little woman that every man in the village has his eye on. Lucy is good for nothing because the men in the village give her everything she needs. Next to Mary in importance is Stan. Stan is the village black smith and with the axes and saws he makes, the lumberjacks would soon be unemployed. Jack is the son of Stan. Unlike his father who has become quite bulkly and muscular from his trade, Jack is scrawny. Some say it is because Jack does not eat right or Jack is too lazy to pick up a hammer. Regardless of your take on it, Jack was neither lazy nor malnourished. He simply had no interest is becoming a black smith like his father. During the long summer days, where the story begins, Jack would find himself in the woods with an oak branch as a pretend spear or a pretend sword, depending on the size of the branch. You see, Jack wanted nothing more, than to be one of the king's men. His father forbade him from even pretending to play soldier. The reason was well placed. Stan was enscripted into military service by the king. Stan and his best friend Mark both were enscripted together. Unfortunately, Stan came back missing more than his left ear. His left ear was removed by an enemy sword blow that Stan almost failed to dodge. Stan also came back from the war Markless. Mark was killed when an enemy arrow found its home in Mark's groin region, severing the femoral artery. Mark died in Stans arms as he bleed out. Mark was the husband of Mary the bakery and village store owner. She did not take her husband's death well. That is when she found solitude and relief in baking and testing her goods. Stan did his best to comfort his best friend's wife who was depress at loosing her husband and the chance to become a mother. To this day she has kept her wedding vows to her late husband. Stan suffered one more tragedy of the war. While he was gone, bandits broke into his home to steal money. When they found no money, the bandits took advantage of Leeann and had their way with her until she died of injuries sustained from their act of violence and disgrace. Jack was only three years old at the time and was staying at a friend's house when this all happaned. Thankfully someone else found his mother before he did. Mary took Jack in and raised him until Stan returned from the war with Mark's body for burial. Jack knew that his mother was murder by evil men. That and his father having won a commendation directly from the king, is what drove Jack to become a soldier. Shortly after his fifth birthday is when Jack's father returned from the war and a week later a royal entourage entered the village. It was King Xor the fifth himself. King Xor came personally to bestowe the gold eagle upon Stan for his bravery in battle. If Stan had not picked up the king's banner at the Battle of Murire Creek, the enemy would have had a major victory that day. Stan took the banner, raised and started yelling LONG LIVE THE KING. After the fifth time he yelled, the king's soldiers rallied around Stan and the banner. Although outnumbered the king's men charged head on into the enemy center breaking the formation easily. Once the formation was broke the enemy general was ungarded and became a pin cushion to many spears. The day was won thanks to Stan. Jack had dreams of becoming a soldier, fighting evil people like those that killed his mother and gaining accolades like his father. He thought nothing of the great loses that war causes or that the enemy soldier has family and loved ones too. Although many thought Jack was scrawny because he looked nothing like his father in bulk, the truth is he is well defined like a Spartan warrior. This was because of his daily practice swing and thrusting with various sizes branches of oak in the woods. Lucy wanted nothing more than to handle a certain piece of wood belonging to Jack. One day she had enough of being rejected and followed Jack at a distance into the woods. About an hour's hike into the woods far from the current logging camp, Jack picked up a large branch and began swing at a tree. The tree had been worked on a lot by Jack as seen in the zone of missing bark. Lucy became dazzled at Jack's powerful swings at the tree. She could feel her blood pressure rising and her under garmets becoming wet with her womanhood. Overcome with desire and temptation, Lucy sprang from the bushes she was crouching in and rushed Jack. Jack turned at the sudden sound of dry leaves and twigs cracking and caught site of Lucy just in time not hit her with his mock sword. Lucy tackled him to the ground and forced herself upon him. Jack was paralyzed with confusion as to what was happening. Before he could say or do anything, little Jack was engorged with blood and soon found himself in the warmth and dampness of Lucy's womanhood. It did not take long before Lucy's lust exploded in o****m in response to Jack releasing his seed. As little Jack shrinked away from Lucy's womanhood, she sat on top of him and said, "See Jack, that was good and I don't know why you have been avoiding it." Jack remained speechless. In one corner of his mind, he was sad that he put up no fight. Jack had no interest in being with Lucy. Her slutish behavior was a turn off for Jack. In another corner of his mind, he was disappointed that little Jack rose to the occasion. He had no control over it. After a few moments Lucy leaned forward and kissed Jack. She said, "Next time let's just come her, do it, and enjoy the day together." Jack remained speechless. Lucy got up off Jack and fixed her garments. She blew Jack another kiss and the skipped off in the wood back towards the village. After what seemed like an eternity to Jack, although it was only about five minutes, he stood up, took fresh leaves from the oak tree he had been murdering and attempted to his best ability to clean the now crusting fluids that Lucy left on on little Jack and his groin region. Then Jack sat and cried under the oak tree that now ceased to be an enemy but a friend. It was at this pivotal moment that something in Jack changed. He always associated evil with men. It was men that killed his mother. It was men that the kings of Xor killed. It was men that seemed to be the cause of every calamity he knew about. How could a woman do an act of evil. He sat under the tree for many, many hours weeping and contemplating the act of evil he experienced. He felt in the fibers of his being that Lucy was telling her friends that she had copulated with him. She probably told the whole village that she was now betrothed to him. As the sun started to set, Jack decided to head home. He figured that the cover of dark would allow him to avoid people. He just could not take the idea of people looking at him thinking he was engaged to Lucy or worse that he copulated with her. His worse fear was facing his father. He was sure that his father would notice the smell of male and female reproductive fluids coming off of his body. The dishonor of s****l relations outside of marriage was a huge shame someone could bring on the family. Jack managed to sneak through the village unseen as the last lingering daylight gave way to a star filled night sky. He approached his stone and mortar house with a thatched roof with his head hanging low. Upon entering his home, he noticed his father standing in the corner. "About time you got home. Your dinner is already cold. Go get cleaned up and then come eat." Stan then walked past Jack, petted his boy on the head and then sat down in his wooden chair. Jack walked to the wash room surprised his father had not noticed something was amiss. He proceeded to proceeded to undress himself, taking a moment of sadness when he got to taking his pants off. The water was cold like always but this gave Jack comfort in knowing that he was washing Lucy off of himself. He dumped several laddle fulls of water over his head and began soaping up his hair. He proceeded washing from the top down so that the dirty water always ran past the parts of the body not cleaned yet. When Jack got to his groin region, he stopped and became zombie like. After a moment he picked up the stiff bristle brush that his father uses to clean the grim of black smithing off his arms and proceeded to scrub his genitals. Jack scrubbed and scrubbed and only woke up from his zombie like state when he noticed a drop of blood land on his foot. Jack saw several places in his groin area and on little Jack where little beads of blood were forming on his skin. He took a rag and squeezed little Jack to stop the bleeding. He did the same to his groin region. Once the bleeding stopped he finished cleaning his legs, butt, and feet grimacing every time soap touched his groin or little Jack. After drying himself and making sure he would not bleed more and stain his clothes, Jack got dressed and headed out of the wash room. "Pa, I am not hungry. I don't want to eat." "If you don't eat, how are you supposed to become big and strong like your old man? But ... after what happened today, I suppose you are nervous," Stan said as he stood up from his chair. Jack just knew that Lucy told the whole village that she was now betrothed to him. "I don't want to talk about Pa." Stan walked over to Jack and placed his left arm around Jack and pulled his son into a tight side hug. "From what I hear you landed the prettiest girl in the whole village today. Why don't you want to talk about that?" "Pa ...." Jack dropped his head and sighed. "Pa, I can't tell you what happened today. If I do you will think less of a man of me." "Woe," Stan exclaimed dragging the vowels out. "What transpired today?" "Lucy is an evil lier," Jack yelled in anger. Then tears welled up in his eyes. Stan centered up on his son and placed one hand on each shoulder. Jack responded by hanging his head lower. "My boy ... what happened?" "Pa ... Pa," Jack became silent for a moment. Then he grabbed his father and pulled himself into his chest and began to weep loudly. "What is it boy?" Stan looked perplexed. He thought it was going to be a happy time. A call for celebration. His hands shook from confusion as to whether he should hug his son tight or push his son back and look him in the eyes to communicate that he was there for him. Stan loved his boy. Jack was the only piece of his sweet Leeann that he had left. Stan opted to hug his son tightly. "Jack ... its ok. You cannot bring shame on me, yourself, or this village. You are a good boy. I doubt you did anything to make me think you less of a man." "Pa, I cannot tell you today. I am still trying to understand what happened." "Ok Jack. But I must know about Lucy." "Lucy is the problem Pa." Jack paused for a moment then looked up. "Pa, go ahead and warm me up a small plate. I will pick at it while I contemplate what happened." Stan walked over to the hearth and placed the stew over the fire. "Is there anything that might help take your mind off things for a while?" "Maybe, tell me some war stories from the time you were in the war. I know you do not like talking about it, but right now that is the only thing that might distract my mind." Stan stopped stirring the pot for a moment then sighed and resumed stirring the pot. "Jack, the reason I do not tell stories from the war is because they dredge up memories that disturb my sleep and make it hard to work during the day." "I think I can understand Pa. But you did promise me when I was a man that you would tell me. I am already sixteen years of age." Stan finished heating the stew and brought it over to the table where Jack had already sat himself. Stan served his son up a small helping of stew and sat across from his son. "Jack. I will make good on my promise. I will tell you one story from the war. It will be one story that causes me less grief. And as I promised, I will tell you the rest of the stories in time because I am a man of my word." Jack looked up at his father and cracked a small forced smile. Usually his heart would jump for joy at finally getting to hear one of his father's war stories. His heart felt too blackened by Lucy to feel any joy. "As I look at you Jack, I can tell something really bad happened today. Oddly its the look I have seen all too often in my war comrades after almost being killed by the enemy." Stan leaned in towards Jack. "How is Lucy involved in this ... never mind. Tell me later. " Stan them resumed his normal seated posture. Jack started to nibble at his food while Stan proceeded to tell him one story from the war. *** "It was winter and the gound was covered in snow. We were treading slowly not just because the ground was slick but also because our feet were numb. As we breached the edge of the forest into an open plain we noticed hundreds of small mounds of snow. We did not think much of it. Perhaps these were just like the fairy mounds found in the eastern part of Xor. Anyhow our troop of one thousand men proceeded with caution into the plain." "Commander Thrain boldly trotted on his white horse about an arrow shot in front of us scouting ahead. We all marched ten by ten in tight formation into the plain. As soon as one unit got an arrow shot ahead, the next ten by ten entered the plain." "Take note of the mounds, Jack." "The enemy was in the dammed mounds. We foolishly walked down the wide path void of mounds. We figured the king of Luthfaze had a road here for travel through the fairy mounds since this was close to a trade route according to our spies." As soon as out whole troop of one thousand men were in the plain, a loud horn erupt form the forest on we just left. the snow flew off the mounds revealing enemy soldiers with in. They had cover themselves in thick fur blankets and let the snow fall from the day before cover them." Each soldier had a javelin and the hurled them at us from both flanks. In an instant Commander Thrain fell, prieces with a javelin. Good thing I was in the middle of my formation. The men on the out flanks of each until fell fast to the javelin barrage." "We lost almost twenty percent of our soldiers in a few seconds and now our left and right flanks were blocked, our commander was dead, and a force we failed to notice emerged from the forest and blocked our retreat. The only way was forward while we tried to defend our flanks and create distance between us and the force to the rear." "We would not be surprised to find another enemy force over the ridge in front of us waiting to completely box us in" "Their advantage was numbers, about two to one at the start of the ambush. Out advantage was that we were at least moving and not freezing al night laying motionless buried in snow. It turns out their sluggishness is what gave us the victory that day and the fact we still had spears while they had to abandon their spears to hide in their makeshift mounds." "This is the battle I lost my ear in Jack." "Mark, Mary's husband and my best friend, saved my life that day. A enemy soldier swung his sword down at my head. I managed to get my head cleared of the sword path. Well almost." Stan chuckled a little. "His sword caught my ear and shaved it off. The sword then crashed into my shoudled. Thankfully my armor kept me from being cut open but the force of the blow broke my collar bone." "I could not move my left arm easily anymore and I lost control of my spear. Mark rushed to my aid and ran the guy through with his spear f4om and behind. Had Mark not done that the next blow I recieved would have been fatal." "Once the enemy force was depleted to about a quarter its initial size they broke ranks and fled. The once white snow was mottled red with blood and nearly a thousand corpses lay on the ground. Well not all were corpses yet." "Killing in war is not just during the battle. After each encounter we would assess the bodies on the ground. Now the clergy that accompanied us would already be doing this in areas where the battle had moved away from. We would take the wound that were able to live and take them to be treated. Those who would not live, such as those whose bowels lay on the gound, we would lift up their arm and ram a spike from their armpit into their heart. This was a mercy killing because their time had come and we knew that death now would better than laying on the ground in agony slowing dying over the course of hiurs or days. And yes we mercy killed the enemy soldiers too. We even treated the enemy wounded that could live if we could. Our men first. Any enemy that live became prisoners of war." Jack listened without a word to the whole story. He also managed to finish his meal and down a second plate. The story was exactly what he needed to hear to take his mind off things. Jack hugged his father, thanked him for the war story and headed to bed. *** Jack proceeded up to his loft and light the candle he uses to see his area. The dim flicker of candle light light the loft enough and Jack proceeded to change his clothes to his night clothes. He brushed his shoulder length blond hair and washed his slightly tanned face in the wash basin before retiring to bed. Jack lay in his bed not sure if sleep would come. His mind constantly wondered back and forth from Lucy's violation and his father's war story. Eventually sleep came and Jack fell into a deep slumber. An unnaturally deep slumber. That is when she appeared.