Warning: This story features bondage and non-consensual sexual content.

Context: This is a short story written for Day 5 of Kinktober 2024 using the prompt words Damsel and Sneak.

Two sets of feet dropped down onto the grassy perimeter of the courtyard with barely audible thumps. The figures slipped behind the low bushes, in shadows created by the flickering torches dotted along the fort’s walls.

The outer wall walkways and the garden pathways within had guards patrolling all over. With good reason. The Western Valley clan who held this fort had two days ago kidnapped the Southern Valley lord’s only daughter, in retaliation to a recent incident at a border between their territories. The daughter would be held in this fortress until tomorrow morning, when a prepared convoy would escort her to the Queen’s palace in the far west.

Tonight was the last chance for her rescue. Which is why the lord had hired the famed ninja Maria, renowned for her ability to sneak into and out of any fortification, notably without incurring casualties. I was her apprentice-in-training, and this was my highest risk mission yet.

Maria slipped forward, positioned perfectly behind a statute, watching the nearest guard pass by. She motioned for me to follow and I dashed forward to occupy her hiding spot, while she moved forward onto the next one.

We were both wrapped head-to-toe in tight body-hugging black cloth, covering every inch of our skin except our eyes. It allowed us to become almost invisible in the shadows. The only other item on us was a satchel strapped against our waists containing essential takedown gear, which it looked like were we about to need.

Thanks to Maria’s knowledge of the clan’s methods, on-the-spot guard patrol analysis and good intuition, we had reached a single-room standalone building deep in the fort. Two guards stood watch in front of a secure looking door.

Maria made a hand-gesture signalling that this was the likely location of our target. I watched her hand flicker silently between different shapes, recalling the memorised meanings of each: “Takedown routine beta. Non-fatal. Me left. You right. 12 seconds maximum. Silence paramount. Await go signal.”

She watched a third guard walk by. He passed the pair at the door, turning around the corner of the building. The second he was out of their line-of-sight, Maria flicked her finger forward.

We darted out of the shadows into the light, little more than two speeding black blurs. The guards only had time for shock to register on their faces by the time we were upon them. The left guard was a taller man, and the right was a shorter but muscular woman.

Almost perfectly synchronised, Maria and I kicked their legs out from under them, causing them to drop face-down towards the ground. In the middle of their fall, we raised a prepared ball of cloth, inserting it precisely into their mouths as they opened into a yell.

Applying gags was one of my strongest skills. I felt that satisfying rush of success when my cloth ball entered the guard’s mouth mid-fall, quelling her shout before it had even begun, right before she slammed to the ground.

We sat on our targets’ backs and taking advantage of their surprise, ensnared their arms up with sturdy ropes. They shook and bucked beneath us but we already had the advantageous positioning we needed to easily overpower them. Seconds later, they were over-the-mouth cloth gagged, with thick cloth-stuffing beneath, and roped into strict hogties.

We dragged them out of sight behind the shrubs in front of the building. Their faint moans of indignation could barely be heard as we stepped back into the light. Maria unlocked the door with a set of keys she’d taken off her guard, and we stepped inside.

Brushing aside a curtain just inside the entrance, we found exactly what we were hoping for. A young woman with long blonde hair was tied spread-eagled to a bed, wearing little more than a short white dishevelled nightdress. She was blindfolded and cleave-gagged with black cloths. She tensed up hearing someone come in.

“Wow. Even tied up she’s just as beautiful as the rumours said.”

“Nina focus! Untie her feet. I’ve got her hands.”

We got to work undoing the ropes. The second the damsel’s arms were free, she started thrashing and crying out.

Maria clamped a hand on her mouth. “Shhh! We’re here to help you. You have to stay quiet.”

“Mmmmmh!!”

“I said we’re helping! Ughh, we don’t have time for this. We have no choice. Nina, takedown routine omega. You take the head. I’ve got the rest.”

I was surprised, but snapped back to focus quickly and got to work. Hesitation is defeat.

Maria and I traded places, her pulling out more ropes and me pulling out more cloths. I took over Maria’s handgag on our damsel, but only for the few seconds I needed to.

“Sorry about this. Just trust us, it’s for your own good.”

Before she could yell out, I stuffed cloth after cloth after cloth inside the poor girl’s pretty mouth. For routine omega, the target needed to be silenced to the absolute utmost. Soon her mouth was so densely packed I simply couldn’t physically push another cloth inside, even with force. Only by listening closely could one hear her tiny tearful squeaks under the gag.

I finished the gag off with three final cloths around her head, one over the mouth and two over the mouth and nose, each one compressing all of the cloth gags beneath it. Her strained whimper as I knotted off the final layer did make me feel bad for her. Her cheeks were bulging and her face was red. I knew how difficult and humiliating a gag like this felt from Maria’s extensive training.

Maria finished up her binding at the same time I did. The girl's arms were bound in front, crossed over her chest. Her legs were then bent, pulled up, and lashed securely to her arms and body. With a few additional ropes restricting any remaining possible movements including at her head and feet, she was now contained in a strict very-compact ball-tie. Her short dress was tugged up by the ropes, meaning her round buttocks were unfortunately rather on display.

Small rope ‘handlebars’ were available at several points around the web of ropes. We each grabbed a hold of a handlebar at either side and lifted her up. A neat little package carried between us. The girl had finally settled down a little, although even if she was still struggling her hardest, she’d barely be able to move now. There were still some very faint whining noises. I couldn’t blame her for that.

We peered out of the door. No new patrols had passed by yet. Maria had timed the incursion well. We crept forward, now having to move as a single unit given the weight carried between us. However we knew each other’s pace and movements so well that we were barely slowed down. Now that Maria had formed a full mental map of the patrol routes on our way in, she was able to pick out a faster and more optimal path for our way back.

We were nearly out. We climbed up some stacked crates onto the outer wall. Now we just needed to find a suitable spot to drop down to the other side. Somewhere with a soft landing so we wouldn’t be heard. As long as we weren’t seen and pursued, it would then just be a matter of travelling a few hours to the drop-off location. We’d be done with the mission and paid before sunrise.

It was at this moment that an alarm bell rang out across the fortress.

Maria groaned. “Ugh. The extra takedown on her slowed us down too much. They’re going to spot us before we hit the treeline.”

“We can still make it surely?”

“We can if... Bah. Carrying her alone is going to be a slog.”

“Alone? Why would you have to do it alone?”

“I’m sorry Nina. You really were such a promising apprentice.”

The wind was knocked out of me as Maria’s foot connected with my chest.

I flew backwards, falling over the walkway’s edge, dropping back down into the courtyard. I landed on a bush with a loud crash, tumbling out of it and finally stopping splayed across the stone pathway.

“Here! There’s one over here!”

I had barely pulled myself up to my knees when I was struck and slammed back down. Guards piled on to keep me pinned down.

I looked up and saw the dark outline of Maria and her cargo disappear as they dropped down the other side of the wall. The sound of their fall was unheard over the yelling and commotion around my discovery.

A blindfold went on. A dozen sets of hands were upon me, stripping me of my ninja garb, fondling and smacking my exposed skin and breasts and ass, binding me in endless hemp ropes, gagging me with the entire remainder of my own stash of cloths. They showed me just how bad the Western Valley's takedown techniques could get.

I slowly rotated in the air with my arms tied to the ceiling above. The interrogator stepped back from me as a door opened and another individual marched in. I couldn’t see the new person but they spoke with a tone of authority.

“Anything new from her?”

“No. I’m convinced she has nothing left to share. Once I learned how responsive she is to pleasure and denial, she’s been singing like a bird. While she’s not gagged anyway. I take it the investigating party were able to find the location she told us about?”

“Yes, we found the ninja’s drop-off spot yesterday. It was abandoned by the time we got there. The daughter is likely back home by now.”

“Pity. So what’s to be done with this one? She's not going to be of any more use.”

“Not necessarily. I want to take her with me to the palace in three days, as an apology. The queen is very disappointed that she isn't getting the daughter. She'll definitely want to get her hands on this one personally for that. So keep her healthy. Other than that, do as you like with her.”

The second individual left the room. The first stepped back towards me.

“With pleasure~”