“Mmmm…” Cora moaned as she hugged Dirk’s smaller form against herself, slowly running a hand through his hair. He felt like a stuffed animal, and a part of him wondered if he’d be able to break her embrace if he tried. From the way his joints cracked as she squeezed him close again, he knew the answer was no. Both of them smelled of sex and sweat, and he’d found himself with his face between her thighs again, leaving him completely coated with the scent of her womanhood, still strong in his nostrils and on his tongue.

“Can I get up now?” he asked with a smile.

“No,” she muttered, enjoying the small struggle he attempted in response.

He glanced outside, where the sun had gone down and stars shined over the dim glow “come on, the night is young do you really want to spend the whole evening in the bedroom?”

“Yes,” she replied, that goofy grin still on her face.

He grunted as he put all of his strength into budging the Amazon’s arm, then giving up with a sigh, “seriously, I need to wash up, I can’t just go down there smelling like your-“

“Why not?” she giggled, “it’ll keep the other girls off you and let everyone know who you belong to.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Oh, I belong to you now do I?”

Cora finally released him, sitting up and stretching in the bed as she got up, giving him a view of her perfect behind as she reached for her clothes. She got dressed, giving him a lustful look as he got up and walked to the room’s wash basin, slowly cleaning his face with the provided soap and water.

The reality of everything was slowly starting to sink for Cora, you slept with Dirk, she thought, still not quite believing it, he’s a foreign guy, in Amazon lands without any female relatives or anything to take care of him… he’s going to want you to put up some kind of commitment now that you’ve… lain together. She sighed, trying to think of how to explain to Dirk that she didn’t have much in the way of money or standing…

“So… what kind of dowry amount are you thinking you’d like?” Cora said hesitantly.

His heart stopped, “Dowry? I’m not sure I understand-“

“You know, the wedding gift, something to show I can support you… I guess since you’ve got the ranch already it’s not as important, but-“

“Wedding!?” his voice caught in his throat, “Uh… Cora, I-“

“Don’t worry,” Cora said reassuringly, “I’m not the kind of Amazon who’s just going to use a man and toss him out, I’ll-“

“CORA!” he almost shouted, “it’s fine, really, we had a good time, and I like you and all, but… let’s just slow down on things, okay?”

She blinked, confused, “Uh… okay…” she took a breath, trying to hide her relief. She wanted Dirk, true, but she’d imagined a… longer courtship in her fantasies, regardless of how enjoyable simply taking the pretty foreigner had been.

Dirk finished washing up and sighed, feeling fresh enough to go down the stairs. He walked over to the bedpost and retrieved his hat, fixing it back on his head with a smile.

“You ready?” he asked, nodding at Cora.

She beamed as the two of them left to go join the raucous crowd downstairs.

…

In contrast with the day’s crowds, the tavern was filled almost entirely with Amazons, with a handful of men and the Little Sisters sprinkled among them. Music was being played from somewhere, a fiddle, and as it got faster, he heard a man’s voice singing, and as he and Cora took seats at a table that came up to his chin, they began clapping in time to the song and some even joined in.

Farewell to your bricks and mortar, Farwell to your dirty lime!

Farwell to your gangways and your gangplanks and to hell with your overtime!

Dirk could see the singer now, a man about his age in a black wide brimmed hat, the same as his, with an ebony-colored shirt and trousers tailored with silver trim that glinted in the low light as he danced skillfully across the bartop, the only place a normal sized man could be seen by all the tavern’s patrons. The outfit was also trimmed tight, and Dirk frowned, wondering what material it was that clung to his legs but allowed such movement.

For the good ship ragamuffin, is lying at the quay!

For to take ol’ pat, with the shovel on his back, to the shores of Botany Bay!

At the last line almost all of the amazons in the bar, Cora included, joined in, clapping and cheering wildly at the man’s flamboyant dancing and playing as he pranced like a gazelle before them. Dirk was able to get a better look at him now, he had a handsome face and a short-trimmed beard as black as his shirt, with steely blue eyes that caught Dirk’s own, causing the man to smile and tip his hat.

He looks like the fellow they cast as a demon in cheap morality plays, Dirk thought, politely returning the gesture.

The man leapt off the countertop gracefully, bowing to the assembled Amazons as he placed his fiddle in a small case proffered to him by one of the watching women. Several begged him to sing another song, and from the look in their eyes many would have loved to see a more suggestive dance, but he gave them a flirtatious smile and a few winks before waving them away.

Dirk felt himself tense as the strange man began walking towards them, judging from the hat and clothes compared to the natives, he was probably another citizen of the Empire rather than a local, and oddly a pair of Amazons got up with him, following just behind him like guard dogs, scanning the crowd of their fellows as the dark clothed stranger came to their table.

“I’d heard there was another foreign man in town,” he said with a gleaming white smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “Tom Cat, of Cat’s Auroch Ranch, at your service.”

He offered his hand, and Dirk took it, “Dirk Sommer,” he said, feeling the strength in the other man’s grip.

“Yes, I’d heard you would be coming some months ago when your aunt and uncle passed, tragic thing that,” he said without a hint of sympathy, “you know I was actually on the verge of conducting some business with them before all the unpleasantness,” he continued, “I was hoping that, while both of us are in town, we might pick it back up…” He glanced at Cora, “would you mind letting us boys talk alone for a bit?” He made a quick gesture and his own two following Amazons nodded, walking back to the bar.

Cora looked at him curiously, but he reached into his pocket and handed her a coin, “can you get us some drinks?” he asked. She shot another glance at Tom, but nodded, getting up and leaving the two men alone.

“Whew,” Tom chuckled as they left, “I always feel so on guard around them, you know? Suzette and Flora there are my hired hands, and they’re good women, but hell if I don’t feel their eyes on my ass every time I wear an outfit like this,” he gestured down to the trim black clothing he wore.

“Then why wear it?” Dirk asked in a neutral tone.

Tom just chuckled, “you’re new around here yet, a man can still be rich and powerful even in the Amazon Queendom, but you’ve got to know just how to do it… be nice, give the big ladies what they want, or what they think they want anyways.”

“By prancing around like a fool and acting like eye candy?” Dirk asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Dirk my friend,” he chuckled, “if someone came in here looking to harm me, every woman in this pub, hell this whole town, would draw their weapons and gladly kill or die to keep little old me safe, a good chunk of them think they’re in love with me despite the fact that we’ve never said two words to each other.” He shot a wink at a staring woman over Dirk’s shoulder, and the Amazon sitting across the room looked away with a blush. “You might try being nice too…”

Dirk looked over at Cora, who was discussing something with the barkeep, something embarrassing by the look on her face, “I’m doing okay,” he said defensively.

“Ah, well let’s talk about that,” Tom said, “I understand you inherited the old Northstar ranch, and a friend of mine at the bank tells me you even brought all the loans on it current.” He chewed his lip, “that had to be a hefty investment, one maybe you might regret… so I’m going to give you the same offer I gave your aunt and uncle, sell the land and the aurochs to me, I’ll pay you whatever you can get it all appraised for, plus…” he paused, “ten percent, sound good?”

“I think I might put down roots,” Dirk said dismissively, “it’s a kind offer, but I don’t have much back in the Empire waiting for me.”

“Roots,” Tom snorted, “there isn’t room around here for two men running ranching operations, let me tell you this now, in five years’ time I’m going to have my brand on every auroch sold out of this duchy, and I have a feeling that as these Amazons get closer with our own government back home, people back in the Empire are going to start getting a taste for exotic meats. It’ll be real money, the kind you start a legacy on. You really want in I’ll keep you on, but I’m buying it, and I’m running it, fifteen percent over value, final offer.”

“Pass,” Dirk said, staring him in the eye.

“You might think you’re a hardened type,” Tom said, any friendliness leaving his voice, “but in Amazon country different games get played, and there are dangers you don’t see until they’re right on you. Your aunt was tough, your uncle was smart, that wasn’t enough, was it?”

Dirk’s eyes narrowed and his voice grew cold, “what exactly are you implying Tom?”

Tom just grinned, “I’m guessing you were in the army, going by the guns my girls say you’ve been carrying around everywhere, care to guess my occupation back home?”

“Outlaw?” Dirk said, causing him to grin, “going by that holdout pistol in your jacket there,” he nodded.

“Very good,” Tom said, the smile never wavering, “my point is, I have a tendency to get what I want… one way or another.” He grinned and looked at Cora, who was beginning to walk back towards them, “I think I might have to lure that one away from you, I like the way she walks.”

Dirk’s fists clenched, “business and threats are fine, but if you keep talking about Cora we might have to step outside.”

“Everything okay here?” Cora asked, placing a pair of drinks, one amazon sized, and one a smaller pint-sized cup, on the table.

“Cora,” Tom said, a wicked grin on his face, “how would you like to work for a man that’s got twice what your current employer does, twice the aurochs, twice the pay, twice the…” he winked at her, causing her to bite her lip and look at Dirk, “well, I’m sure you know.”

Dirk slid out of his chair and stared at Tom, “get up,” he growled.

Tom couldn’t help but smirk, “really Dirk, that’s not how men settle things here.”

“I don’t care how men settle things here,” Dirk snarled. The bar was starting to go quiet, watching the two men. Instead of the usual anticipation and tension that would fill the air back in the empire, the atmosphere was… amused, almost giddy. Cora seemed a bit nervous, but held her tongue as grinning amazons began whispering amongst each other.

Tom looked around, and with a sigh slid out of his own chair, “Dirk,” he hissed in a low voice, “if you really feel like fighting at the very least let’s go somewhere private, I mean it when I say this isn’t how men settle things here!” 

Dirk frowned, but relaxed slightly, then felt his blood run cold as he saw Tom reaching into his jacket, where he knew the holdout pistol was hiding. Time seemed to slow as he closed the distance between them, and he had just enough time to see Tom’s look of surprise as his fist connected with the other man’s jaw.

Time sped back up as Tom stumbled backwards, if nothing else the man could certainly take a punch, and instead of shock and pain on his face raw anger filled it as he squared up against Dirk. In his hand, drawn from the jacket, was a simple pocket watch, and Dirk’s eyes went wide as he realized the man hadn’t been reaching for a gun at all.

Dirk didn’t have time to apologize as Tom snarled and leapt at him. For all of his play at being a fop and a pretty face for the amazons, Tom was fast and he was stronger than he looked, and although Dirk was able to stumble out of the way of his first few blows soon he felt a powerful punch land on his gut, causing him to sputter as he raised his own fists.

The Amazons watching had gone absolutely wild, and while Cora and Tom’s two hired hands tried to run forward and separate them, the crowd of Amazons in the tavern swarmed forward, laughing and holding all three of them back to make sure the rare, and to them enthralling, sight of two men fighting continued uninterrupted.

“Tear each other’s clothes off!” one drunk amazon slurred, and a cheer of agreement went up from the crowd.

Gods above, they’re getting off on this! Dirk realized as he and Tom circled each other. He didn’t have time to think on it further as Tom came at him again. The man was fast, and the Amazons were rapidly forming a ring around them, preventing either from maneuvering much. Wolf whistles howled and the crowd was laughing and clapping with each blow.

“STOP THIS AT ONCE!” a booming woman’s voice called.

Dirk and Tom stopped their brawl, and the crowd that had been enjoying the spectacle went silent. A group of four heavily armored amazons walked in, decked out in steel plate armor that clanked as the burly women cleared a space. Behind them another amazon, this one an older looking woman with streaks of grey through her dark brown hair, slowly walked in and observed the room. She was wearing a dark green dress, with a slight metallic sheen to it, and while a sword hung at her hip it was bedecked in jewels and clearly decorative.

No one spoke, until Tom suddenly fell to a knee, smiling through the blood that ran from his nose, “L-Lady Griselda, s-such a rare treat to see your radiant face in town-“

“And what’s that running down your face Thomas?” Lady Griselda asked with a smirk. She stepped forward, kneeling down and taking Tom’s face in her hands while he winced, he’d taken a few good hits from Dirk. “You look terrible darling,” she said, standing up and glancing over at Dirk, who stood defiantly.

“Bow!” Cora hissed, having worked her way through the crowd to him.

He sighed, getting to a knee, “Ma’am… My Lady,” he said.

“You get two cute men in one tavern and they fight like roosters,” Lady Griselda joked, causing the tavern full of amazons to laugh nervously.

“Lady Griselda,” Cora said suddenly, stepping forward, “D-Dirk doesn’t know our laws yet, he only just got here-“

Griselda chuckled, “I hardly think he needed to be told not to start a brawl in public, that seems to me to be a fairly universal understanding, even in men’s realms.” She seemed to pause a moment, “you’re the boy inherited the Northstar estate,” Griselda mused, the towering noblewoman looked down at Dirk and frowned, “My deepest condolences, my women did all we could to find your family’s killers…” She huffed, “I do wish we could have met under better circumstances.”

“H-He hit me first my Lady,” Tom said quickly.

“There was a misunderstanding,” Dirk growled, shooting an angry glance at Tom.

Griselda ignored him, looking to Cora with a smirk, “why Cora, I haven’t seen you since the war, are you escorting our new foreign man about town?”

“I uh… have been helping him get settled into his new land,” Cora said slowly.

“A fine job you’re doing,” she said, rolling her eyes as she looked at the two bloodied men before her, “and the rest of you, two men start beating each other senseless, and half of you start cheering and I’ve no doubt the other half had your hands down your pants at the spectacle!” She scowled, causing the assembled amazons to look away in shame.

“Do you want me to arrest them, Lady Griselda?” one of her guards asked, stepping forward, “we can go to the guard station and get some man sized chains…”

Griselda waved dismissively, “no no, they’re just men after all, there’s no need to be so harsh… Compliance ribbons, two days.” She smiled, “I think that will go farther to making sure these two don’t quarrel again, it won’t do to have a pair of comely men spoiling each other’s good looks after all.”

Tom sighed, “I applaud your wisdom and mercy Lady Griselda.”

She shot Tom a strange look, halfway between annoyance and affection, “Tom, you’re a pretty man, but I’ve seen prettier, so don’t try your tricks with me.”

Tom smirked, the subservience gone, “Yes Lady Griselda.”

She sighed, “name your keeper.”

“Suzette,” Tom said, pointing behind him.

“My lucky day,” the amazon said with a smile, walking forward to where one of the guards handed her a small pink ribbon.

“It’s only for two days,” Tom said with a flirty grin as she knelt down to tie it around his neck, “I’ll still be your employer when they’re up, remember that.”

“Oh, I will,” Suzette said, shooting Tom’s other hired helper, Flora, a grin, “come along Tom, your next dance tonight is a private one.”

Tom scowled, but stood up to follow the pair as they left. The guards parted to allow them near the door, and Griselda watched him go, shaking her head.

“Now then, Dirk, was it?” she turned to him, “I why did you hit him? Jealousy?”

Dirk raised an eyebrow, “I… thought he was going to draw a gun my lady,” she’s talking to me like I’m a wayward child, not a man who she found in the midst of a street brawl. From the way Griselda’s eyes sparkled with amusement, he almost wished he could have traded her for the screaming and swearing guards that would’ve broken up a fight back home.

Griselda cocked her head, then laughed, a few other Amazons joined in, causing Dirk’s face to go a little red, “that’s really not how men are here darling,” Griselda said, stroking his cheek in a way that felt inappropriately intimate. “Tom is a flirt but he’s otherwise a well-adjusted male, he’s not going to shoot you.” She looked disapprovingly down at his own weapons, “there is no law against it, but you don’t need to be carrying those around town… if you have problems there are plenty of Amazons who will gladly come to the aid of such a…  nice lad in trouble.”

“I’ll bear that in mind,” Dirk said in what he hoped was a polite tone. You can have my pistol when you pry it from my cold dead hand…

“Now then,” she said as her guard brought another of the pink ribbons forward, “who do you want to be bound to for the duration of your sentence?”

He frowned, “I’m not sure I understand-“

“Just select an Amazon or a Little Sister you trust,” Griselda said dismissively. She grinned a little, “unless of course you haven’t met anyone like that yet and would prefer to simply let me tie it… it could be interesting?”

“Cora,” he said without hesitation.

She stepped forward, taking the pink ribbon from the guard, “just hold still,” she said. He sighed as he felt the soft fabric of the ribbon go around his neck, he wasn’t sure what this was, but Cora seemed used to it. As soon as she finished tying the knot he felt a quick familiar electric tingle down his back.

Magic, he realized with a sigh, should have known… He tried to gauge the spell, while not a magician of any sort himself, he was familiar enough with the arcane to parse schools and types of magic, having been expected to protect his military unit from them. This one was unfamiliar to him, but fortunately didn’t feel particularly strong.

“I must say Cora, I’m glad you finally got over your fear of men,” Griselda joked. Her guards laughed and Cora blushed, but smiled, “take young Dirk here to his room and see he doesn’t cause any more trouble.”

“Yes Lady Griselda,” Cora said, standing up to her full height. “Come on Dirk, follow me!”

He felt himself stand up against his will and his eyes went wide, “what is-“

“Say goodnight to everyone,” Cora said with a giggle.

He pirouetted and took his hat off in a deep bow, “Goodnight ladies,” he said, blinking with surprise as he did so. The reaction from the crowd was muted in the presence of the noblewoman, but there were plenty of smirks and a few giggles as he turned again to follow Cora up the stairs.

“Now then,” Griselda said with a sigh, “someone bring me an ale, imported!”

…

“Cora, what is this thing?” Dirk asked, running a finger along the pink ribbon as they stepped into the bedroom.

“Compliance ribbon,” she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “it’s uh… kind of a punishment for boys who get too rowdy, if you get sentenced to one you get to pick who ties.”

“What exactly does it do?” he asked, he pulled at it, but though his fingers found the knot he just couldn’t bring himself to untie it somehow… enchanted so I can’t remove it, he realized.

“Dirk come take off my boots,” Cora said with a giggle. She sat on the bed and watched as he was compelled to walk to her, kneel, and begin unlacing her boots for her. A moment later he pulled them off, one after the other.

“Mind control?” he asked with a sigh.

“Yes, the priestess here in town enchants them for the guards and sometimes for women who want one for their husbands,” Cora grinned, “it’s not a very strong spell, I can’t make you hurt yourself, or do anything you really don’t want to do, and if I try to hurt you it’ll fall off right away, but other than that yeah, you’ll be compelled to obey whoever tied it, in this case me, now take my socks off next.”

He gave her an annoyed look as he slowly rolled her socks down next, the pungent odor of her feet filling the room after a day of travel and errands in town. She wiggled her toes, and giggled at his reaction, slowly she raised her foot up to his face, and with a playful pinch she pressed his nose between her toes before lowering it down to his hands again.

“Rub them!” she ordered.

“This only lasts two days right?” he asked, beginning to give the best foot massage he could.

Cora moaned in pleasure, letting herself fall backwards onto the mattress while he worked, “two days and you’ll be able to pull it right off,” she promised, “the most Griselda will even allow is five, also it won’t let you spit, drink liquor, or swear.”

“Well son of a biscuit,” he said, annoyed at how his language changed somehow by the time he spoke, “this gods blessed ribbon is all I need…”

“You got off easy,” Cora said, sitting back up, “Lady Griselda doesn’t like men who… act out like that, two days with a compliance ribbon for a public brawl is honestly a sentence I’d be happy to get, it beats jail.”

“Do you end up there often?” Dirk asked curiously.

Cora blushed, “maybe once or twice,” she said defensively. She scowled at his amused expression, “I’m not the one being punished today, keep rubbing those feet!” She grinned as he was compelled to do so, “now give them a little kiss!”

He rolled his eyes, but felt his neck bend against his will bringing his lips to her toe, giving it the slightest kiss before looking back up at her, “You know what Tom said goes for you too, I’m still going to be your boss in two days when this comes off.”

“Two days is a long way off,” she said dismissively, “what did Tom say to you that got you so worked up anyway?” she blushed, “w-were you two really fighting over me?”

He gave her a wry grin, “he was poking at me with what he said about you, but honestly… I think he all but said he killed my aunt and uncle.”

Cora froze, “that’s… that’s a very serious thing to claim,” she said hesitantly, “Tom is well liked around here, he’s wealthy, handsome, and every woman wants him… he’s a foreign man, like you, but you should be careful about saying that unless you have proof. What did he say exactly?”

“Just stuff about how they weren’t able to make it out here,” Dirk explained, “also he’s out to buy the ranch, has been for some time apparently, I’m pretty sure he was a killer over on our side of the border… when did he get here exactly?”

“I’ve heard about him for the last two years or so,” Cora said, “but I don’t really know, he got in good with Lady Griselda and the temple priestess, I think he’s the only man she will willingly talk to…”

Dirk chewed his lip, rubbing Cora’s feet as he tried to think of how to deal with the situation, finally he pushed it from his mind, focusing on the amazon who now apparently commanded him for the next few days.

“Since I’m stuck in this ribbon, I guess I can’t say no to anything you ask,” he said to Cora, a grin crossing his face.

“It would be a horrible breach of your trust and a sin against the goddess to take advantage of you like that,” Cora said smugly, knowing full well what he wanted.

“What if I said it’s okay?” he said, trying to keep from sounding too eager.

“Goddess you foreign men are insatiable!” Cora giggled, pulling her own clothing off, “were you this forward with women in your home country?” She licked her lips, “tell the truth.”

He scowled as the ribbon forced him to answer, “no, I had women I was with there, but I never wanted them like I’ve wanted you.”

“Keep going,” Cora said, her face flushed as she stood up, once again naked.

“I don’t think I can go back to my own country’s women after lovemaking with an Amazon,” he answered truthfully.

Cora squealed with delight, scooping him up in her arms easily and tossing him to the bed while she crawled over him like a tiger stalking prey, “you are saying all the right things… tell me how does it feel to be tamed foreign boy?”

“I…” even with the compulsion he wasn’t really sure how to answer that, “I’m not tamed yet!” he finished, shooting her a defiant grin. It was wiped from his face with a gasp as she bore down on him, forcing him inside herself with a rough thrust that drove him against the mattress.

“Let’s fix that!” Cora teased, raising his hands over his head as her powerful form began to grind against him. Dirk looked up to see a pair of massive bouncing breasts, shifting up and down in a steady rhythm as she began to ride him, a blissful expression on her face as her hips forced themselves against the smaller man.

Dirk had no choice but to lay back and watch as she rode him, easily keeping him in place while she brought herself down on him again and again. He grunted and gritted his teeth in pleasure, and the way he fought to keep his expression straight just seemed to encourage her as she picked up speed.

Finally, she went rigid on top of him, crying out as she climaxed, a split-second later Dirk felt himself pushed over the edge, his hands immediately going to those wide rounded hips the moment she released him from her grip. With a final groan while she looked down on him, they were finished, and the two panted there a moment as Cora rolled off of him.

“Gods, how do the men walk around every day in this country,” Dirk muttered, looking at the ceiling, stunned and feeling sore from the ruthless pounding of Cora’s hips against his own.

“Goddess,” Cora corrected with a giggle, “we worship the Goddess here…” she frowned, I wonder if he’ll want one of those Imperial priests if we get married… isn’t the man supposed to work out details like that? She pushed it from her mind, “go get some damp cloths and clean me,” she ordered.

Without a word Dirk leapt out of bed, going to the wash basin and immediately setting to the task, returning to her and slowly running the damn cloth between her legs. She shivered, sighing with relief at the clean feeling as the sweat, juices, and cum were mopped away as she folded her hands behind her back.

“That’s nice,” she sighed, letting him begin to mop up some of her sweat with another rag, “there’s something so wonderful about being tended to by a man afterwards…”

“Don’t get used to it,” Dirk said with a smirk, pointing to the ribbon, “two days, remember?”

“I’ll bet I could get you to do this without that,” Cora said casually, “maybe next time you should use your tongue?” She couldn’t help but laugh at the look of distaste that crossed his face, “sorry, couldn’t help myself, it’s one of those things the men do in uh… some risqué literature I’ve read.”

“If we’re on the topic of mouths, maybe next time you could use yours?” he said, pulling the wash rag away when he was satisfied Cora was thoroughly “freshened.”

Cora looked at him, confused, “what, like use my mouth on your cock?”

Dirk nodded, giving her an odd look, “do girls not do that here?”

“It’s uh…” she chewed her lip, looking for the words, “a lot of amazons say it’s kind of dirty, I guess? Or like you’re letting the man be in charge… I mean some women do it obviously…” her eyes went wide, “I’ll try it for you, if you want-“

“Don’t worry about it right now,” Dirk said, trying not to laugh. Some of the strangest things are different here…

…

As they paid their tab and left the inn the following morning Dirk scowled, seeing Tom and his pair of Amazon lackeys lounging by where their horses were tied up. Tom still sported the same pink ribbon around his own neck, and from the way Suzette and Flora smirked at each other he’d had a very similar evening.

“Tom,” he called, catching the man’s attention and trying to control what was sure to be an awkward conversation.

“Tom, be polite,” Suzette said with a grin.

Tom rolled his eyes, but gave Dirk a smile and tipped his hat, “what can I do for you on this fine day?”

“I think you’re a rotten son of a biscuit,” he said, fighting annoyance as the ribbon prevented him from using the words he wanted, “but… I need to apologize, I sucker punched you and that was a low thing to do.”

Tom glanced at Cora, “did you make him say that with the ribbon?”

“Dirk, tell Tom if I compelled you to apologize,” Cora ordered.

“She did not,” Dirk said truthfully, earning him a raised eyebrow and a nod from Tom.

“Very well,” Tom said mildly, “if we should ever end up drawing on each other Dirk, I’ll do you the kindness of letting you see it coming, face to face as we would back home.”

“Enough of you boys puffing your chests at each other,” Suzette said, pulling Tom’s hat off and ruffling his hair. From the look on his face this wasn’t behavior he would normally tolerate from his pair of Amazonian hired hands, but he just smiled and let it go on. “Come Tom, while you are under my command, I will at least dress you properly, let us go to the tailor,” she beckoned him with a finger and he followed behind her and the other amazon, sparing one quick look back at Cora and Dirk.

“Give my regards to Cassidy,” he said with a sly grin, “tell her I miss her.”

Dirk raised an eyebrow, “I’ll be sure to,” he replied as Tom was led away.