The Erotic Adventures
Of Jaffa La'Feilom
 

 by Trystl

Chapter Three
Stenz's Girl

1

Stenz woke to the muffled sounds of laughing and giggling. He had no idea how long he�d been listening to it, but he knew there was no point continuing to pretend he could sleep; so he stretched his tired body, rubbed his weary eyes and sat up on the edge of the bed.

His body felt like he needed to sleep for a dozen more hours, but his head had that bloated feeling it only got when he had a hangover or he�d been asleep for too long, so despite his weariness he knew it was time to get up. Trying to sleep any longer would only make his headache worse. If he got up now and began to move around it would go away in short order.

Dressing, however, was easier said than done in the dim light of his room. He could just make out several lumps on the floor, which he suspected were probably his clothing. He�d been so tired when he climbed into his bed that he hadn�t paid the slightest attention to where he tossed things.

Nor had he bothered to take a bath.

That, he thought, stumbling towards the curtain that separated the bath, is my first order of business. He stumbled to the hallway door and opening it, took one of the room lanterns[1] off the wall-hook beside his door. Most of the hooks by the other rooms still held their hooded lanterns, so he knew that he was one of the first to rise. Several open lanterns hung between the doors, bathing several tiny pools along the length of the hall in the characteristically warm yellow glow of moon[2] shard.

As he headed towards the bathing area, he opened the lantern�s hood, producing a warm, red glow that the reflecting hood amplified enough to light the whole room. The stones had obviously been charged recently. Over the next several hours, depending on the size of the stone and how many of them were lumped together, they would begin to loose their warmth and their light would fade; but any hot fire could restore their full brilliance within a few minutes.

A brisk scrubbing with fresh water and soap did more to refresh Stenz than the whole sleep period in a bed had. When he was finished he dressed and made his way towards the stairs, to see what, if anything was going on down there. As he passed one of the private sleeping rooms he heard more playful screams and giggling and couldn�t help wondering what was going on. For a moment, he had the strongest urge to open the door to have a look, but politeness stayed his hand and stooping down to the keyhole would have been too undignified. He sighed and forced himself to move towards the steps.

A couple of other people were already up, including the innkeeper who was serving beer and taking orders for breakfast to one of his daughters or wives, who was no doubt sweating the orders over a hot stove in the back rooms.

And that, Stenz thought as his mouth began to water, will be a pleasant second order of business. Sitting down, he looked around as he waited for the innkeeper to finish with his current customers, and notice that a girl had been strung up between the middlemost of three arches that lead into a small alcove in the back. He couldn�t be sure, since she was facing away from the main room and her outline was modified by the ropes and belt, but Stenz thought he recognized Jaffa�s lithe outline.

Stenz wondered whether he should wait for the innkeeper to take his order first or go over and talk to her, now while he was waiting for the man to finish. He hadn�t been mulling the decision over for more than a few seconds when the innkeeper took it out of his hands by hurrying over to his table.

�Good night to you, sir,� the innkeeper said, tapping his short pencil against his ordering pad and nodding towards the girl who was suspended in the archway. �Looks like we might have an entertaining night around here after all. The place gets right dull after the last of the caravans have passed through, and I can tell you we weren�t expecting you, not this close to sailing time. But I expect that�s your business, now isn�t it.�

�I expect it is,� Stenz said with a good natured smile, wondering if the man realized he was the navigator, or if he�d simply spoken more truth than he realized.
 �And what can I get you to eat or drink? People say my Shalina makes a right nice risin� fruit pie, and she should still have a little petchnick jam from last years canning, if you�ve developed the taste for it. Don�t care much for it myself.�

�I�ve never had it,� Stenz admitted.

�Well, if you�re hungry I expect right now might not be such a good time to try it for the first time, as I expect there�ll be lots of orders coming in shortly.�

�I expect you�re right, what else have you got to put in it.�

The innkeeper frowned, �Well, I suppose you could put apples or pears in one, but it would be a little bland without the petchnick jam to give it a little twang. I could have her whip you up an omelet though. We got fresh eggs, milk and even a bit of meat from a pig Gilmer�s wife slaughtered just yesterday. I you like vegetables in your omelet I can add in some turnips, onions, chignuts, celery� lets see� mushrooms... Oh, and there should still be a can of stewed tomato�s with bread and okra. That�s my favorite. Sorry, but the pickings have gotten a little thin near the end of this rainy season. Of course, there�s plenty of sausage and toast which you could have with a boil or fry the egg, if you prefer. Or there�s some cured ham. Or boiled grain, always plenty of that any time of year. Or� �

Stenz waved his hand to staunch the apparently endless flow of words. �Why don�t you just bring me an omelet with sausage, cheese, mushrooms and any other non-crunchy vegetables you feel like throwing in.�

�Guess that would be onions, chignuts, tomatoes and okra?�

�On second thought, skip the chignuts and tomatoes. Although if you�ve got some spicy limesalt I wouldn�t mind a bowlful of those tomatoes with bread and okra.� 

�Sorry, I�ve got pepper and salt, but no limesalt, spicy or otherwise.�

�Maybe I�ll save the tomatoes for later then.� 

�Very good, sir. I expect that�ll be about ten minutes. Would you like something to drink while you wait?�

�Why don�t you bring me a beer,� Stenz said, �And could you bring me a full water bag? I think the girl�s mouth might be getting a bit dry.�

Stenz watched the innkeeper hurry away and turned his attention back to the girl hanging from the arch. He�d been a little worried that one of the other men might go over to her first, but as yet, no one had. That wasn�t likely to last long, however. You didn�t tie a girl up and leave her all exposed and unattended like that unless she was open game for anyone who wanted to use her as they saw fit. He didn�t think Jaffa was the kind of woman who would find it objectionable to service a few men�at least she�d seemed genuinely eager to take care of him�but judging from what he�d seen of her personality, he didn�t think she would deal very well with being tied up like that in such a public place. It wasn�t that he thought she�d object to having men look at her, but when she was the center of attention in her father�s house he imagined that she�d been wearing clothes, walking around in a fancy dress, perhaps even with an expensive necklace hanging between her breasts. She�d been in a position of envy, with her father�s authority to back up the orders she gave to his servants. She had never been forced to see herself as the property of her fieflord. More than anything, he suspected, that was why it had been so difficult for her to accept being sold to Sigmar�and, in part at least, why Sigmar was so eager to humiliate her like this in public. The punishment, while real enough, was only the impetus that had lead Sigmar to do what he would have done anyway if their journey had not been so rushed and he had been given the opportunity to get to know what the girl was like in a more leisurely setting.

Although he thought he understood Sigmar�s motivation�for if the girl was to realize her potential selling price she definitely needed to loose at least some of her arrogance before she reached the auction blocks�still, Stenz couldn�t help feeling a little sorry for her. The poor girl had suddenly been thrown into the harshness of a reality that most other women had known from birth; and when he thought about that he couldn�t help but remember the trauma of his own childhood. Growing up as his father�s designated heir, he had always simply assumed that he would inherit the man�s shipping line and the enviable wealth that came from it. Unfortunately, his father had promised that he would donate three sons to the guild, in exchange for a navigator of his own. As a young man�with the wit and connections to arrange for the shipment of cargo on consignment, but barely enough resources to buy a ship�the youthful bargain had obviously seemed like a fair trade. Unfortunately for Stenz, he had proven to be the son who showed the most promise in the skills needed to perform the navigator�s arts. If he�d known at the time what would happen he wouldn�t have done so well on the tests they had given him. However, they were clever enough not to give him a reason not to do his best. 

Over the years, Stenz had learned to accept and appreciate his position in life, but as a young man it hadn�t always been easy.

The circumstances weren�t quite the same, but Stenz couldn�t help but identify with the girl, who like him found it so difficulty to leave her father. Perhaps he would ask Sigmar for her now, instead of waiting until they reached the ship, as he had originally planned. It would be a long night, and although he wasn�t a jealous man by nature he preferred to pick a single woman to share his bed. On their very first voyage together�when Stenz was still a journeyman and accompanied by an adept to make sure he could handle his duties�Sigmar had noticed his tendency to go without rather than using someone else when his chosen was already taken; and after that he had insisted that Stenz choose a woman for the voyage. After that, the other men knew to leave her alone.

It was one of the many things that Sigmar had done to earn Stenz� respect; and why when his term of service to the navigator�s guild[3] was satisfied and he was no longer an adept, but a master navigator, he fully intended to remain in Sigmar�s employ for as long as the man would have him. Perhaps then, he would find a woman to be truly his and ask Sigmar to make her one of the head women so she could travel with them whereever they went, without being too much of a financial burden to the man.

If that time wasn�t so far away, Stenz might have considered asking Sigmar for Jaffa. There was something about the willful girl that he found appealing, and even if he couldn�t make her his own, perhaps he could shelter her a little from Sigmar�s wrath; make her transition into servitude a bit less painful.

�Here�s your drink, sir,� said the innkeeper.� And the water bottle you requested.�

�Thank you,� Stenz said, scooping up the water bottle as he stood and began to walk towards the girl. A bit less painful, he chuckled to himself, as he realized that in Jaffa�s case that might turn out to be true in more than just a metaphorical sense�for although Sigmar had other admirable qualities, being kind and forgiving towards his slaves had never been one of them. 

As he approached, Stenz intentionally began to walk with a slightly heavier step; and then, much as he had when she�d been perched atop that stump in the log for their last sleep period, he walked up behind her and placed his hands around her waist. �You poor girl,� he whispered in her ear. �Does it make it easier or harder to be facing away from the crowd?� He whispered in her ear. When she made no response he wrapped his free arm around her waist and let his fingers slide down between her legs.

Suddenly her body jerked, as if she�d been startled. 

�Whah wush daht,� she said, turning her head a little as she tried to get a look at him.

It didn�t seem possible, but apparently she had been sleeping. And now that he realized it, he wished he�d left her alone for a while. If he knew Sigmar, she would need all the sleep she could get during the rest of this night. Still, it was too late to take it back now that she was awake, so he repeated the question. �Sorry, I didn�t mean to wake you. I just wanted to know if facing away from the crowd makes it easier or harder on you? The way you are you don�t have to look at anyone, of course, but you can still hear us eating and talking just behind you.� He nibbled playfully at her ear, tickling the back of her neck with his tongue as he dipped his fingers between her legs. Her damp folds accepted his finger easily, and before long she was moaning softly and moving her hips in counter motion to his probing. �You must wonder how many of us are watching you, thinking about what we�d like to. Some might not even bother to ask permission to use you, since a man generally doesn�t string a woman up like this unless he�s putting his glasses on the table, as they say around here.

�I suppose it�s not very nice of me to tease you this way,� Stenz said, beginning to work his fingers a little more urgently. �But you do have a way of distracting a man while he� trying to eat.�

�Itsh ardor, I hink.�

�What?�

�Itsh hhader,� she repeated.

�I still couldn�t quite understand you,� Stenz playfully lied. �Did you say it was easier?�

She shook her head slightly.

�Harder then?�

�Nuhing ohwlook aht,� she said.

�Nothing to look at?� She had less success trying to nod, but she managed a slight tilt of her head.

He nodded with perfect understanding. It wasn�t the sort of answer he�d expected from her, but it made perfect sense. There were few things he hated more than having plenty of spare time and nothing to do with it. He had his books to read, and his calculations to make. She had nothing but an empty room to look at and immovable bonds to struggle against.

�Would you like some water,� he asked.

�Uh huh,� she said, managing a slightly more enthusiastic looking nod this time.

Stenz reluctantly removed his fingers from her moist warmth and held the water bottle to her lips, gently squeezing until she�d had her fill. It wasn�t as much as he�d expected her to take, but perhaps the belt pressing on her stomach made it uncomfortable to take more. He�d try to remember to offer her regular drinks. It felt surprisingly good to give her comfort, and almost without noticing it, his fingers seemed to gravitate back towards her moist slits.

�I�m thinking of asking Sigmar to give you to me for the remainder of the voyage,� Stenz said, surprising even him self with the sudden admission. �Would you like that?�

 �Uh huh,� she said, managing another rather enthusiastic nod.

�I doubt he�ll let me take you down from here, you understand. Certainly not right away, but he almost always lets me have my pick of any woman I want once we�ve reached the ship. I thought perhaps that might make� things a little easier to beare.�

�Thang eyou,� she said, straining to turn around without success.

�More water,� he asked. When she nodded he dribbled a little more in her mouth. �Well, I suppose I�ll leave you for now,� he said at last. �My food has arrived, and I�m sure it must be getting cold.�

2

Shelana whole body shivered with little spasms of helpless agony and delight as Sigmar chewed gently on the flesh of her underarms. Desperately, she tried not to pull against the rope to her arms, for every time she did the rope scraped against her clit, right where he had so cleverly tied that knot. She hadn�t made such an effort to keep still when he�d first began, and her vicious tugging had rubbed her raw. Now the slightest movement on her part sent little flames of agony slicing through her swollen gland; not to mention the strain it placed on the aching muscles of her arms, neck and upper body.

This torturous stand-off had been going on for what seemed like an eternity, and she didn�t know just how much more of it she could take. She was very close to giving in and squirming again, despite the pain she knew it would cause.

Suddenly, Sigmar switched the focus of his attack, moving from under her right arm to the sensitive patch of neck just behind her left ear. This was even more sensitive area than under her arms, but easier to defend since she could tilt her head to block his path. This time, however, he�d cheated, for without her realizing it, he had grabbed a bit of her hair in his fist, preventing her from blocking his maddening tongue as it flickered against her most sensitive skin. Now that he�d managed to wedge his head into place there was nothing she could do to get away from his nibbling and probing, but begin to squirm again.

Her crotch seemed to explode in flame as an uncontrollable spasm caused her arms to jerk against the ropes. She bucked, trying to keep her back arched as much as possible and leaning against his hands to make it more difficult to reach her.

She felt Resmelda pushing against her ass, and realized that she was again nearly sitting on the poor girl�s face, as she already had on several occasions. Usually this had happened just before Sigmar stopped to ask her if she wanted to continue or if she�d had enough. She honestly didn�t know what she�d say when the moment came�but this wouldn�t be the first time that had been true.

With his mouth so close to his ear, she could hear the change in his breathing as well and realized that if she could hold on just a little longer it would be over and she would have won.

Trembling with the effort, she took a long shaky breath; and tugged at the rope just to give her something to concentrate on other than what his tongue was doing. But then, with his tongue still working on her neck, Sigmar somehow managed to move one of his hands so that it could grip her lattes, while his thumb brushed gently through her underarm hair.

It was too much.

She began to buck again, bouncing up and down so hard on poor Resmelda�s chest that she finally broke free of Sigmar�s grasp and flopped backwards onto the bed. As she landed, the pain ripped through her so sharply that, for a moment, all she could do was tense her muscles against it. Finally she relaxed enough to roll over on her side, where she could arch her back enough to relieve the pressure and breathe a deep sigh of relief.

A moment later she realized what had happened and almost cried as she looked over at Sigmar, who was in the final spasms of climax, and realized what it meant. She had endured so much, come so close, and yet she had failed.

Damn him, it was probably what he�d planned for her all along!

3

Sigmar fell to his knees, hugging Resmelda in a happy state of exhaustion as he buried his face in the curly tangle of her pubic hair. He took a deep breath: smelled his own fluids mixing not unpleasantly with the scent of hers. The juices had smeared against his chin, and he knew that he would need to bathe again if he wished to rid himself of the smell.

It didn�t matter.

He had enjoying himself so immensely, that he almost felt it had been worth arriving at Ingsvel too late to risk going up the mountain. He would definitely have to think of some reason to punish Shelana again before the night was over. And in the mean time, perhaps he would arrange for a similar scenario with one of the other slaves. He wondered how ticklish Jaffa and Razina were. He wouldn�t have to think of an excuse to punish either of them as often as he wanted�but somehow he didn�t think the same scene would cause quite as much pleasure with them. So he would wait, and find a way to punish Shelana again.

�You have a wonderful cunt,� he said, gently kissing Resmelda�s hair before untangling himself from her legs and standing up. The girl looked too exhausted to hold her legs up, and her legs hung over the edge of the bed. One of the pillows had worked its way out from under her hips, but the wooden footboard and the other pillow were still enough to lift her middle, so that her limp repose made it look as if she were thrusting her hips at him. He reached down and slapped the side of her leg gently. �Why don�t you untie Shelana and return to your room, while I bathe again.�

She sighed contentedly, forced herself to lift her legs off the floor and rolled backwards onto the bed. As he turned towards the bathing she was crawling towards Shelana, and by the time he was finished washing up both girls were gone.

Sigmar pulled on his clothes and made his way down the stairs, looking for the innkeeper. The little man was busy tending tables, for apparently in the relatively short time he had been awake several of his men had also risen and come down to get what was no doubt the first decent meal that they�d had in a very long time. Perhaps the walls here aren�t as thick as I thought they were, he thought with a little embarrassment as he realized that the noise his fun with Shelana and Resmelda had made just might be the reason so many had risen so quickly. Although, on second though, he wondered just how long he�d managed to take with Resmelda�he�d delayed just about as long as could, using every trick he knew: change the rhythm of his strokes and even stopping occasionally when he felt that he was getting close; keeping his muscles relaxed; his breathing deep and steady. The longest he had ever gone before was a little longer than an hour, and that time he hadn�t been distracted with his efforts to hang onto a squirming girl while he tickled her. Could it have been as long as two hours? Or perhaps even more? Resmelda had looked genuinely worn out when he�d finished with her, and his own muscles felt a bit stiff. Perhaps it was simply a matter of time that had brought so many down to the main room.

As he slid into a booth, Sigmar noticed Stenz sitting at a table close to Jaffa. It seemed that she was the lucky girl his navigator had taken a fancy, on this voyage. He could always tell the signs. And although it puzzled him how the man could settle on just one when he had so many attractive women to choose from, he understood the girl�s charm. There was definitely a pleasing gracefulness about the shape of her body and the way it moved.

 �Good night to you, sir.� Sigmar looked up and saw the innkeeper, tapping his short pencil against his ordering pad. �And what can I get you to eat or drink? People say my Shalina makes a right nice risin� fruit pie, and she should still have a little petchnick jam from last years canning, if you�ve developed the taste for it. Don�t care much for it myself, but��

�Actually,� Sigmar said, �I�m not feeling very hungry just now, but I am very interested in one of your stable girl.�

�Lushi, I suppose? What�s that friggin� little minx done this time?�

�I don�t actually know her name, Maklan; but she�s a thin girl with short dark hair.�

�And shifty green eyes?�

Sigmar tried to recall her eyes and after a moment of reflection decided that the description suited her. �That sounds like her. You say her name is Lushi?� 

�Lashinda, actually. But, you know, we call her Lushi for short. She would have preferred Shinda, but that too close to Shalina, which is what I call my first wife. Before I purchased her from her father I called her Marshalina Oi�Decala. Now that�s a mouth full, I�ll tell you. Never was so happy to given anyone a pet name in my entire life, even if it does only shorten her name by one syllable. Wasn�t easy getting her to agree to that as it was. And she doesn�t care much for Lushi, not that I blame her, mind you; but there�d be hell to pay if I gave that little minx a name so similar to my precious. Yes sir, never hear the end of it, by the isles, I can tell you that.�

�I�d like to hire her services,� Sigmar said, breaking into the innkeeper�s rapid-fire monolog. �Only until we leave at the end of the night.�

�My wife?� Maklan looked at him with a troubled frown.

�No, the stable girl. Lushi.�

�Of course,� Maklan said, apparently quite relieved. Then he scratched his head in puzzlement. �But what would you want with her when you�ve got so many fine women of your own to choose from?�

�I have a very particular use in mind.�

�Oh,� Maklan said, obviously still a little puzzled but apparently considering the arrangement. �Well now, I don�t know. There�s lot of work that needs doing around here. If I wanted to do the whole night�s work myself, I could just hire her out for four or five times that much, couldn�t I?�

�That�s true,� Sigmar said, nodding with sympathy. �I�m sure her absence will be a considerable burden for you. Perhaps I should suggest to my men that they move to one of the other inns for the long night, to help relieve some of the burden?�

�Hold on how, my friend, no need for that it�s just that. Well, surely one of your own men, or even one of your women, would be better suited to handling any small duties you might need.�

�But I want her!�

�Perhaps another one of my women, then?�

�What is it, Maklan?� Sigmar asked in puzzlement. �Is she your favorite daughter? Are you planning to make her one of your wives?�

 �I wouldn�t touch the likes of her,� the innkeeper said in disgust as he spat on the wooden floor. �It�s just that� well, she�s as lazy as a pregnant cow.�

�I understand, but as they say: a good enough beating will change the mind of even the stubbornnest mule.�

�You�ve my permission to try, if you like.�

�Short of killing or maiming her, I assume.�

�Actually, I�d be quite happy if you did kill her,� Maklan admitted. �I�ve thought about it myself often enough, but I just can�t bring myself to do it. You see, the real reason I didn�t want to give her over to you is because she�s worthless, that one. Strong enough, mind you�considering she�s as skinny as a bridle strap�but she�s little more than another mouth to feed. I�d sell her if I didn�t think the buyer would come back saying I purposely cheated him. And if I didn�t ask anything for her at all, they�d want to know why for sure.�

�You�ve whipped her?�

�Of course, but it doesn�t seem to matter how much I beat her. Not when there are men around. She�ll let anyone stick their dick in her whether they give her money or not. I even caught her once trying to do it with a filthy little dog. It�s like a disease. I tried to cure her of it, but she got pregnant twice despite my beatings. Fortunately, she had miscarriages; and then I had her neutered, so I don�t have to worry about even more mouths to feed. Still, I�ve had patrons complain about her constant pestering. It would be different if she were a little more attractive. I�d sell her to a sex merchant, and make myself a tidy little profit. But who�d have her, even if she didn�t rather sleep in the barn than take a bath.�

�It sounds like I would be doing you a favor by taking her off your hands.�

�You still want her? Even after everything I�ve told you?�

�I do,� Sigmar said.

�I�ll tell you what,� Maklan said, �I�ll give her to you for free; but only if you�ll take her permanently.�

Sigmar thought about it for a moment. He had always loved a good challenge, and this girl sounded like she would definitely be one. Since that magic cargo of that young entrepreneur he�d bilked Jaffa from had fallen through he was likely to have a lot of empty space on his ship. And besides, Lushi wasn�t all that unpleasant to look at. Her face had little hope, but her body wasn�t all that bad. She was twice as skinny as Jaffa, who was a little on the thin side herself; but with the right diet and the proper training who knows, she might just earn him enough at the auction to pay for feeding her during the long trip. And in the mean time, he had plans for her and Jaffa.

�Fair enough,� Sigmar said with a dismissive nod. �As always, good keep, you are most gracious. I will recommend your hospitality to all I meet. See me later when the crowd has thinned and we�ll take care of the paperwork, but for now, I would appreciate it if you would be so good as to fetch the girl for me? I�ll like to explain her new duties to her.�

�Of course,� Maklan said with a nod.

The next few sleeps should be quite interesting Sigmar thought as he watched the innkeeper walking away. He suspected that Lushi would prove to be far more malleable than the man suspected but, if he was wrong, he could always toss her overboard while they were at sea. It was not uncommon for a slave merchant to loose a girl during the voyage to ill health; and even if magistrates didn�t invariably looked the other way when it came to such incidents, it would be impossible to prove that she hadn�t died before he put her in the water. He was quite certain that none of his men would tell.

�Pardon me, Fihro. I was wondering if I could talk to you a minute.�

Sigmar looked up at his navigator and smiled. �Have a seat, Stenz. Tell me what�s on your mind?�

�I know that I usually wait until we reach the ship to choose a girl, but� since we�ll obviously be stuck here for the night I thought perhaps you might permit me to choose one now.�

�I take it you have one in mind?� Sigmar said, he glanced over at the girl who was tied in the middle archway. �This one is still being punished, you understand.�

�I do.�

�But she is the one you want. Am I right?�

�You are.�

Sigmar sighed. He had expected this, of course, but Stenz had never made his request before they reached the ship. For a moment he wondered just how much this girl really meant to his navigator. Obviously enough that Sigmar would end up giving the girl to him, but he had also made plans for her. In fact, Lushi be on her way to talk to him about those plans at this very moment.

�The girl has damaged my property on multiple occasions; and I have made public promises of retribution. It would send the wrong message if I were to forgive her completely at this juncture.�

�I�m not asking you to forgive her,� Stenz said. �All I ask is that you allow her to come to my bed when I retire to my room.�

�With you and your books, I suspect you could spend all of your time in your room if you wanted to.�

Stenz chuckled good naturedly. �All I as then is that you allow her to come to my bed when you retire.�

�No,� Sigmar said, waving his suggestion away. �I trust you not to abuse my faith in you. A normal man needs about eight hours of sleep every twenty four. You may have her twelve hours of every day. That should give you enough time to do more than sleep with her. But the other twelve, she�s mine to do with as I see fit.�

�That�s more than generous, my lord.�

�Fine. What time is it now? By Meswitch time?�

Stenz glanced at the timepiece on his wrist, hitting a few buttons to convert the time display. �It would be three o�clock in the morning on Meswitch,�  he said.

�Excellent. Why don�t we say that at twelve Meswitch time you may come to take her to your room, where she will be yours until the following twelfth hour. The other twelve hours she�s mine to do with as I see fit.�

�Thank you,� Stenz said. �That�s more than fair. And now, if we�ve nothing else to discuss, I should get back to my food before it gets too cold.�

Sigmar watched him retreat to his own table; and as he sat waiting impatiently for Maklan to return, he wished that he would have ordered something to eat after all. The sound of forks clanking against plates was suddenly making him hungry.

He noticed one of Maklan�s women, cleaning the food from one of the used tables, and called her over to place an order. She looked around a bit nervously, probably searching for Maklan, but when he told her wanted a drink she took his order into the kitchen and returned a few moments later with a mug of phydmilk, flavored with the vitriol of royal lime. 

The time passed a little quicker with something to drink, and before long Maklan returned with the stable girl in tow. �If you please, sir, this is Lushi.�

�Thank you, Maklan.� Sigmar turned his attention to the girl and said. �Sit down. Would you like something to drink?�

�Whatever you�re drinking, if that�s alright?�

Sigmar nodded to Maklan. �Another ale, please.� As the innkeeper hurried away he took another sip of his drink and looked the girl over.

�How much did he tell you?� Sigmar asked.

�Just that I�m to do whatever you tell me to.�

�That�s good advice,� Sigmar said. �For I have purchased you, and I can assure you that I am not as lenient a master as Maklan. When I tell you to do something I expect it to be done, as quickly and efficiently as possible, without questions, backtalk or protest. Do I make myself understood?�

�I do my work!� Shalinda said, clearly taking offense at his implications. 

�Then we should get a long just fine,� Sigmar said with a pleasant smile.

�So what�s my new duty, then?�

�Your job will be to act as the keeper of another errant slave.� He nodded towards the slave girl who was stretched between the middle arch, on the other side of the room. �Unless I miss my guess, you�ll enjoy keeping her company very much.�

�I beg your pardon, sir, but I�m not some slippery faced ladylicker, if that�s what you�re thinking.�

�Of course not,� he said with a soothing smile. Just then he spied Maklan returning with the girl�s drink and said nothing more while the innkeeper set the drink down and bowed to Sigmar.

�Will there be anything else then, sir?�

�Not for me,� Sigmar said. �But perhaps my companion would care for something.� He looked at Lushinda and raised his eyebrows in a questioning challenge.

The girl smiled with pleasure. Ordering what she wanted from Maklan was obviously a new experience for her. �Perhaps an omelet, with everything?�

Maklan glanced back at Sigmar but he pretended to be busy trying to dig something out of his pocket, so the innkeeper turned back to Lushinda and nodded a bit reluctantly. �Of course, my child, I�ll get it right away.�

�You seemed to enjoy that,� Sigmar said as the man hurried away.

Lushinda giggled with delight. �I did,� she admitted. Then her eyes darkened a little with suspicion. �Why me?�

�Last night,� Sigmar said, his voice suddenly serious and hard, �someone took advantage of the helpless condition of my slave, without asking my permission to do so. I could perhaps forgive such a thing if they hadn�t cut the bindings from her legs�expensive bindings, you understand. Now, since I don�t know who this culprit was, my only option is to punish my slave in their place. She, however, has already proven herself to be rather troublesome�which is why she was bound to begin with. The new infraction compounds the old, demanding that I punish her even more severely than I had intended. My men have just finished one leg in a long and difficult journey, and I would not burden them with chores like this during the little free time they�ll have to pursue their own entertainments. And my slaves, will be kept busy providing my men with that entertainment. Therefore, I find it expedient to search elsewhere for someone to satisfy my needs; and I thought you might have the sort of personality�like my own�that would enjoy dominating and punishing another woman.�

�What exactly do you want me to do to her?�

Sigmar sighed. �I had planned to let you have total control of her for the remainder of our trip. Unfortunately my navigator, Stenz, has requested her company when he sleeps. He asks for so little that I like to accommodate him whenever I can. So you will turn her over to him whenever he requests her; and take control of her when he turns her back over to you.�

�And the rest of the time?�

�She�s already made several escape attempts�so you primary duty will be to keep a constant eye on her. As long as it doesn�t cause permanent damage, you can do almost anything else you want with her. Just make very sure you don�t let her slip away from you�or you�ll quickly find yourself in an even worse predicament than hers. Aside from that, your duties will be quite simple. Feed her, keep her clean and make sure that she�s firmly secured at all times while she�s in your custody. Feel free to use any supplies you need to help you in this. And, as I said, you may do anything you want to her; but remember two things. One, it is not your right to punish her openly unless I publicly command you to or she is resisting your orders in some way; and two, I purchased you because I want you to punish her covertly. In fact, I want to hear her moaning in discomfort as often as possible.�

�And exactly how am I supposed to do that without letting anyone see me do it?�

Sigmar shrugged. �By making sure that you require her to do things that she is unwilling to do, of course. She�s been wearing a chastity belt of some kind or another from most of the last day, I imagine she�s become quite sore by now, so you might find that taking her for long walks will prove to be particularly effective tool. I could also give you the responsibility for seeing that all the supplies in the wagons are carried into a small heating room to dry out; and after they�ve been toweled dry and left to soak up the room�s heat, the wagon�s storage bins will need to be dried out before everything is replaced. I�ll give her a nose ring so that it will be easier to lead her around. Other than that� use your imagination; I�m sure you�ll think of subtle ways to torment, tease and humiliate her as often as possible.�

�I�m sure I will,� she said.

�Good,� Sigmar said. �I hope you enjoy your omelet. But now, if you�ll excuse me, I have slaves to punish; and preparations to make.

4

Despite the fact that they didn�t carry the full load of her weight, Jaffa�s arms had begun to ache. Surely she�d been hanging from these ropes for hours now. She wondered how long her mind had been wandering�she didn�t think she�d actually fallen asleep, it was more like the way her mind always became fuzzy and began to create little pictures just before she fell asleep. It was a condition she had grown almost accustomed to over the past day of traveling in the wagon. The seemingly endless hours had rocked her gently in the steamy heat of the wagon�s padded embrace, but discomfort had prevented her from actually falling asleep. Instead she had existed in a fuzzy world of mental twilight, never quite asleep, but rarely really feeling awake.

Hanging from the ropes, she had drifted easily back into that comforting state. But now the dinning area behind her had gone from a fairly quite place to a room buzzing with the conversations of those eating their break fast meal. She wondered how many of those conversations were about her. She hadn�t thought that much about it until Stenz�s comments, now she couldn�t help hearing the occasional words floating above the rest of the growing din:

�Whipping��

�Fuck her!�

��is what I heard!�

�She�s hanging there�

�Frigid minx!�

��a gutted pig!�

There were other words as well, but it was the ones that frightened and perplexed her that caught her attention most. She couldn�t even turn her head enough to see if they were looking at her as they spoke. That might give her some clues. As it was she had no way of knowing if they were really talking about her or not �which, she realized, had probably been Sigmar�s intensions all along.

As if her thoughts had been a stage cue, she suddenly realized that she was hearing footsteps, lots of footsteps, coming closer. She tried to turn and look but the binding held her in place.

�Take them into the alcove and have them sit on the floor.� Jaffa felt a wave of anticipatory embarrassment as she wondered what was going on. She recognized the voice as belonging to the guard who was Sigmar�s right hand. She couldn�t remember his name.

Soon guards began leading what appeared to be all the slaves into the smaller room. They moved the chairs and tables out of the way and instructed the women to sit in rows along the floor. Jaffa hadn�t thought things could get any more humiliating, but they all seemed to be gawking up at her. Some of them were whispering and pointing, making her suddenly more aware of how helpless and exposed she was with her limbs spread, like this. Jaffa was thankful she was so darkly complected, so that her shame wouldn�t be quite as obvious to all. More slaves and guards continued to entered the alcove, forming several rows�and then the stable girl, the innkeeper, several of his women and even a few men who weren�t dressed in the livery of Sigmar�s guards entered as well. Townsmen, no doubt, come to see the show along with everyone else.

Despite her embarrassment, Jaffa wondered if any of these local men might have known her father from his traveling during his younger days. If her mouth had been unobstructed she might have tried to call a question out to the crowd, even though she knew it would anger Sigmar even further. But the feeble sounds she could manage would have been almost unintelligible, and too undignified to be bearable. It was bad enough to be strung up helplessly before them.  

The anticipation of waiting was horrible. Perhaps she�d been wrong when she answered Stenz�s question. At least with her back away from the crowd she had almost been able to forget about them. Now, everyone was looking up at her with eager or fearful fascination. Her face and body tingled with the heat of embarrassment�this was even worse than being left on the log while everyone ignored her. At least then she�d been able to pretend that no one noticed her awkward situation.

Suddenly she heard someone breathing beside her and realized that they were standing very close. Perhaps the crowd wasn�t actually be looking at her. She wasn�t sure how much, if any, that helped; for now she began to feel a growing dread. No doubt there was a reason they were all gathering around her, and she was certain that whatever it was, it would be something she wouldn�t like.

�Those of you who have been with me for a while have heard this speech before,� Sigmar began in a voice that was conversational and yet somehow managed to carried all the way to the back of the smaller alcove, for none of the slaves seemed to have any trouble hearing him. �Or, if not this very one, then others similar to it. To you I apologize. Normally, I give this speech much earlier in our journey, but there are new men among us who either have not heard it, or who have not heard it recently enough to be expected to remember it.� There was a small ripple of mostly male laughter. �I normal gather everyone together, after we�ve eaten our sleeptime meal, and mete out punishment to those slaves who have earned it and offer my slaves for the entertainment of those guardsmen who have the energy and inclination after a hard day of traveling. The rainy season has made this trip unusually arduous. We�ve fallen behind schedule�making such stops few and far between. I won�t pretend to be happy about our delay here, but despite our best effort and valiant sacrifices, we have fallen short of our goal to reach Ingsvel before nightfall, and traveling up the mountain in the dark would be too dangerous�even for someone as arrogant as me�to attempt.�

There was another ripple of laughter, slightly louder this time.

�The good news is that we will all have several sleeps to regain our stamina before we beginning the last leg of our journey to Milucent, which may well be arduous as well. In the mean time, feel free to make up for those earlier occasions we missed. You may select any woman you want from among my slave, and use them as you see fit� as long as you keep in mind that they are my property, and I will hold anyone who damages them legally accountable. The slave hanging in the archway behind me has already been claimed and is off limits for the remainder of the trip. Unless, of course, you seek special permission from one of her two appointed overseer. Otherwise, it�s first come first serve. If you sign for them, you can take the slaves from this gathering or from their rooms. Those of you here who are not my guards, but townsmen, may also have access to my women� for a reasonable fee.�

Another ripple of laughter spread through the room.

�Faldern will make a roster and post guards at the slaves door. Each of you will take a turn, watching and feeding them. Normally, I assign the slaves to various duties to keep them active, but I have other plans for those chores, so the slaves will need to be exercised in other ways. But I have no doubt there will still be plenty of recreational time to pursue your own interests.

�As I said earlier, I usually give out punishments when we are preparing to sleep, but since our traveling routine has been disrupted, punishments shall be given out after the rising feast while we are here at Ingsvel�and this time we have several slaves who will be requiring severe punishment. There are several ways that a slave can earn a punishment. The most serious are these: first, trying to escape; second, causing damage to one�s self or to another; and third, exhibiting an inappropriate attitude or behavior for a slave.

�This one,� Sigmar said, pointing towards Jaffa with a cold smile, as he approached her, �This one has committed all three offenses, but I will go into the details of only one. A couple of days ago�or rather a couple of sleeps ago�two girls riding in the wagon under Shelana�s care got into a fight and this one caused damage to the other.�

 Despite knowing that she was without real guilt, Jaffa�s face burned with shame.

�I hope her punishment will serve as a warning to others. For the remainder of our journey to Milucent, she will remain bound�as befits anyone who tries to escape. In addition, while we stay at Ingsvel, she will receive no less than 100 strokes from the belt after every break fast meal, and every sleep-time meal. Any of you�man or woman�who wishes to take a turn using their belt should form a line.�  

Jaffa felt herself blushing so deeply that she thought it might show despite her dark skin, as several of the men scrambled to form the suggested line.

�Before we get to her, however, there are others who must be punished.�

Sigmar turned and motioned for someone to be brought forward. Jaffa turned as far as she could to see what was happening. She expected to see Razina, but she was a little surprised when she saw Shelana as well.

Both girls were stripped naked, although Shelana wasn�t tightly tied, wearing only a set of  wrist cuffs that were pinned to a set of thigh cuffs with a short length of chain. Razina, however, was tied very tightly, in a tie that was very close to the same one that Jaffa and she had been tied in when Sigmar lead them up the hill to spend the night sitting on the wooden log. Her legs were not free as they had been before. Instead a short length of chain was attached to two cuffs on her ankles. But the biggest difference was that, while her arms were tied behind her back, this time instead of being squared off, her wrists had been pulled high up her back by a rope that connected her wrist cuffs to a metal ring at the back of her stiff, high collar. As before, a rope had been pulled tight around her waist and threaded, from front to back, between her legs, while the end had been tied off to the topknots in her hair. The heavy collar protected her neck, but the rope was pulled so tight that it had her to arch her back, and every time she tried to straighten up it increased the rope�s pressure between her legs.

Jaffa was ashamed to look at the girl, for it made her realize just how ridiculous she must have looked to the other slaves when she had been bound in almost the same way. Not that her current position was much of an improvement�but she realized that things could have been worse.

Sigmar walked over to Razina and grabbed her by the crotch-rope, pulling so hard that it spun her around as he guided her to the bare spot between Jaffa and the crowd in front of her.

�This one,� Sigmar said, spinning Razina around so that she was facing the audience again, �was permanently damaged; and has lost almost all value.�

Sigmar took hold at the back of the waist rope and pulled so hard it forced Razina to take a several steps backwards; then he pushed her sharply forward, so hard that even without the chain to shorten the length of her steps, Jaffa suspected that she would have stumbled and fallen. She sprawled face first on the dirty floor before him, moaning into her gag with the impact, but she didn�t try to move from where she�d landed.

Jaffa winced, imagining how the rock floor must have scrapped Razina�s breast and belly, while the crotch-rope obviously tore at the tender flesh between her legs as her back tried to straighten.

Sigmar ignored her. Instead he looked over at the other women. �You are all my property,� he said. �It�s my right to damage you if I so chose, but when you damage one another�or allow yourselves to be damaged�you are stealing from me by lowering the value of what is mine. I am the only one with the right to decide who among you will be damaged. And how much.�

Sigmar looked down at Razina and placed his foot on the crotch-rope that ran, like a bow string, from the cheeks of her ass to the top-knot in her hair. Pressing down firmly, he forced her back to arch a little more, and Razina couldn�t stifle a gasp at the burst of new pain. Then one of the guards came forward, a look of amused expectation on his face as he handed Sigmar a stiff bamboo cane before stepping back.

Without hesitation, Sigmar brought the cane down across the girl�s ass.

She began to groan even before the stick struck, for the motion placed more of his weight on the rope, then there was a loud thwack that left a bright red welt and tore a scream from her throat. Jaffa could see the tears that sprang to her eyes. She continued to sob until her sounds were interrupted by another thwack and a second scream. This time the welt rose right where Razina�s legs meet her quivering ass. A third thwack left a welt across the back of her legs. The fourth returned to her fleshy ass again.

Even though she wasn�t the one being whipped, Jaffa felt faint with fear and nausea. She wondered if Sigmar was planning to use the same cane on her.

A faint trickle of blood was running down the side of Razina�s leg, and Jaffa wasn�t sure if it came from the welts the cane caused or from the crotch-rope tearing at the tender flesh between Razina�s legs. 100 strokes like that? Surely it would kill her! But no, hadn�t Sigmar said that her punishment would come from a belt�something that wouldn�t be as likely to mar her skin. Razina received the cane because her body was already ruined. It didn�t matter if the stiff bamboo left bloody marks.

When Sigmar had delivered a full ten blows, he reached down and grabbed the rope between Razina�s legs. �Stand up,� he said, tugging on the rope to encourage her. She struggled to rise, but didn�t seem to have the energy. He pulled harder, almost lifting her off the ground, and said. �You will stand and support your own weight, girl. Or I will give you anther ten strokes.�

Razina obviously heard him; and his warning gave her the strength she needed to rise.

When she was standing again, Sigmar nodded to one of the guards and the man came forward and led her away.

Sigmar stood up and faced the group of slaves again. �She was punished for allowing herself to be injured,� he said. �Now it�s time for those who rode in the same wagon, and did nothing to prevent this. All of you are partially responsible. You should have been looking out for one another, but you weren�t. So you too will be punished, although not as severely. Each of will receive ten lashes, from the belt of any man who claims you�after that, what he does with you is up to his own discretion. Shelana, however, as my trustee and the one I hold most responsible for not preventing this, will receive twenty lashes from my own belt now� He turned then, and looked at Jaffa. �Then, you shall receive 100 lashes with the belt on your breast, stomach and inner thighs.� He turned back to his audience. �Those of you in Jaffa�s wagon know who you are. Step forward and we will begin.�

Jaffa watched as the other slave girls from her wagon reluctantly formed a line and Sigmar assigned each of them to one of the awaiting guards, most of whom had already removed their belts. If she could, Jaffa would have turned her head away, as the guards started belting the girls. Instead, she closed her eyes, tears of fear threatening to fall down her own cheeks. Just listening to the horrible sounds was enough to fill her with a growing sense of horror, as each crack of a belt elicited a muffled or not so muffled scream, followed by more and yet more sounds of belts slapping against flesh.

She tensed with the sound of each belt landing, and sympathized with the chorus of vocal agony. She wondered if it wasn�t worse having to wait and listen to those sounds, knowing that her punishment was coming next, rather than simply getting it over with. Each new scream made her want to squirm against her own bonds.

When all the others had received their ten strokes, Sigmar motioned to Shelana. She came towards him obediently, with her head down. Sigmar pushed her head down even further, until her nose was almost touching her knees. �I suggest you brace yourself securely,� Sigmar said. �If you fall down or rise up I will start the count over.�

Without giving her any more time for preparation, he swung his belt across the back of her legs. One leg almost buckled under the force of the blow, but the other held and despite tottering a little she managed not to fall over.

�That�s one,� Sigmar said with an evil grin. �Only nineteen more to go.�

One hundred strokes on her breasts, stomach, and legs�twice each waking period, no less! Jaffa shivered with the thought. The belt obviously wasn�t as bad as the cane, but it was still bad enough. How would she possibly be able to endure it? And yet she would apparently have no more choice than any of these other women. Less, since she was bound so tightly that she couldn�t move. The unfairness of it seemed to cause actual pain. It had not been Hoit�s right to sell her and when Razina attacked her, she had reacted as any normal person would do, to protect herself.

Despite her growing anger and resentment towards Sigmar and the other guards, she couldn�t help feeling a wave of embarrassment to realize that she was so sore (and about to become sorer) that she doubted she�d be able to take care of them without feeling even more discomfort�as if she really was the frigid sort that the stable girl had accused her of being.

�Sixteen,� Sigmar grunted, as he brought his belt across the back of Shelana�s legs with what seemed to be all his might.

�Seventeen!�

Jaffa looked over at Shelana, and was shocked by the naked hatred that she saw on the woman�s face. Then Sigmar swung his belt again and Shelana closed her eyes in pain, grinding her teeth to keep the scream from breaking free.

When Sigmar was done with her, he asked Shelana, �Would you like to watch as Jaffa receives her whipping? Or perhaps you�d like the honor of getting things started yourself?�

�Yes, I would,� she said, her voice tinged first with surprise and then a hint of pleasure.

�Good.� He handed Shelana his belt; then went over to Jaffa and slapped her a couple of times on the inside of her thighs, hard enough that it stung fiercely. �Make sure you pay attention to these areas,� he said, moving his hand to cup her pubic mound and slapping her several times there as well.

When he moved out of the way, Shelana directed the first blow to the inside of Jaffa�s thighs.

The tip of the belt just grazed her pubic mound and she jerked against the ropes, screaming. The pain was even more than she had expected. The next blow caught her across the flat of the belly with a frighteningly loud smack that nonetheless caused far less pain.

�I don�t hear her counting,� Shelana said. �Does that mean we haven�t started yet?�

�I do believe you�re right,� Sigmar said.

�Two!� Jaffa said a moment before the third blow struck her across the right breast.

�Haven�t you learned your numbers yet?� Sigmar asked, interrupting Shelana long enough to lean over Jaffa and nibble none too gently on one of her nipples. �That should have been one; this is going to be a very long night if we have to teach you each number as we go.�

�One,� Jaffa echoed, feeling a new wave of embarrassment at Sigmar�s reprimand.

�It�s too late now,� Sigmar said; he bit her nipple again. �The next stroke will be one. And I suggest that you get it right this time, because this is going to be the last time we help you. And if you don�t get it right very soon I�m going to leave you hanging like this all night and let anyone who passes by whip you whenever they feel like it.�

Jaffa got the next stroke right; and each stroke after that.

At several points she did become a little confused, especially during the long pauses�like when the strap changed hands�during these nearly unbearable moments Jaffa�s mind had time to anticipate the next stroke and her mind tended to wander. Was the count at thirty or thirty-one? Had she just said seventy-nine or sixty-nine?

She was so terrified of getting it wrong that she had long ago ceased to feel even the slightest embarrassment, despite the humiliating way she screamed and squirmed. She didn�t think she could stand it if they started over again. And she couldn�t imagine what it would be like to hang like this for the entire night.

If it hadn�t been for the intense pain, Jaffa knew she would have been mortified by the unwomanly way each stroke made her flinch. Particularly when the belt struck her pubic mound, for then Jaffa simply couldn�t help grinding her crotch against the rope, causing the rough fibers to wring painful and yet strangely erotic sensations from her loins. The first few times she�d done that some of the slaves from Jaffa�s wagon had giggled and pointed, making mocking cat calls.

�Looks like she enjoys it!�

�Whip her harder,� That had been Razina�s voice.

�Maybe he should make it two hundred?� Jaffa wasn�t sure but she thought that might have been the stable girl�s voice.

As the whipping went on and on, even the pleasant sensations became tainted with a sharp sting, as her flesh was literally rubbed raw. Still the erotic pleasure was a distracting counterpoint to the endless waves of pain; and Jaffa couldn�t decide is she was thankful for them or not. She was still aware enough to realize how much shame she�d feel when her ordeal was finally over. But for now, keeping track of the count was about as much as her mind could handle.

5

Lashinda rubbed her fingers over her swollen and aching clit, grinding the sexual button as vigorously as she could without drawing undue attention to herself. She was glad she had taken a seat at the far back of the small alcove, for she had been surprised at how excited she�d become as she watched the women being beaten. If there had been others in front of her they almost certainly would have noticed even this subtle quest for sexual relief. Too bad it was over, but Sigmar had said he would allow anyone who wanted to whip Jaffa to take a turn.

Perhaps she would ask. She could almost feel the whip in her hand already.

She noticed that some of the guards were already beginning to lead some of the other girls away, obviously planning to take them somewhere private for a little entertainment; and Lashinda wondered if she�d be able to convince one of them to take her. Perhaps she could use the girl she�d been given charge of to entice a man to take her as well. It wasn�t the first time she�d had the thought, but watching the pool of available men as it began to evaporate made her wish her owner would wrap things up so she could start working on them.

Instead, Sigmar began another little speech. �And now,� he said. �Before any of you slip away with your prizes, I want to make an announcement.� He looked at Lashinda and waved. �Come foreword Lashinda.�

Lashinda was surprised and at first a little uncomfortable at the idea of be called to stand in front of such a large group. The only time she�d ever been the center of attention was when Maklan was scolding her or beating her for being lazy and harassing the customers.  Still, she hurried as fast as she could to the front of the room. It wouldn�t be wise to anger her new owner by something as simple as doodling when he called for her.

�Lashinda and my navigator, Stenz, will share responsibility for Jaffa while we�re here at Ingsvel.� He slapped Jaffa on the leg, causing her to jerk and moan again. �If any of you see Jaffa walking around alone, without one of these two around, please detain her immediately and bring her to me. This is the one occasion when you will not be held responsible for any reasonable damage that should occur if she tries to struggle.� He slapped her ass again. �She will be held responsible for any such damages.� He slapped her ass several times in quick succession then turned back to the crowd. �Those of you who wish to receive favors[4] from Jaffa during our layover should petition Lashinda for permission. She�ll let you know what, if anything is available.�

Lashinda beamed under her new owner�s words, suddenly very proud to have been singled out. Several men were looking at her in a way she couldn�t remember ever having been looked at before�and she liked it a lot. This she realized must be how the girl hanging from the ropes had felt like all the time, until now. Now she was strung up, subjected to abject humiliation, while Lashinda had the spotlight and the power to do almost anything she wanted to the girl; and she was absolutely certain she would be able to use that to her own advantage.

As the crowd began to break up Tazman, a local man who was a regular at the inn�s bar, came foreword, eyeing Jaffa�s body greedily.

�Good night to you, Lashinda,� he said.

Lashinda smiled, enjoying his attention. Despite her frequent sexual advances, Tazman had never shown the slightest interest in her. In fact, he was one of those who had complained to Maklan and gotten her into frequent trouble. And now, for the first time he was greeting her with a pleasant �good night� and smiling at her. She knew it was really the other girl he wanted, but she felt certain that she would be able to get what she needed from this as well.

�Tazman,� she said, refusing to let her rancor show. �You�re looking very dashing tonight.� She moved closer and slipped her hand between his legs, feeling his bulging manhood. She could tell that he was resisting the urge to pull away as he always had before. This was not the first time she had reached for it, but it was the first time she�d found it ready for action--not for her, she realized, but because he wanted Jaffa. He wanted her enough to let Lashinda touch him, and she hated the girl all the more for it. Still, she ignored her feelings and pressed on, determined to get what she wanted. �You feel good tonight too.�

He smiled, although she could tell that it was forced. �I�m interested in spending some time with Jaffa. Maybe we could work something out.�

�Maybe we could,� she agreed, feeling rather important and proud of herself. �Why don�t you get a room from Maklan, and we can discuss the arrangements in a more intimate setting?�

6

Sigmar had watched as his new acquisition talked to the townsman; and then the man had talked to the innkeeper who gave him a key, and then Lashinda and the man had gone up the stairs together. It was pretty much what he�d expected the girl to do, which was why he continued to hang around the bar waiting for her to come down. He had little doubt what they were doing.

After a short while the two of them came back down the stairs and began to untie Jaffa. Without even retying her, the man led Jaffa up the stairs; and before they had completely disappeared another man was talking to Lashinda while looking up the stairs after Jaffa

�Hoit!� Sigmar said as he stood up and threw enough money to pay for the balance of his drinks on the bar. Hoit, who had been sitting with another guard a few stools down the bar, quickly came towards him. �Take one of the other guards with you outside and keep an eye on the windows of the upstairs rooms and the side entrance for me. Make sure the man who just took her upstairs doesn�t try to help her slip out the back.�

�Sure thing, Fihro.�

Sigmar turned towards Lashinda and  headed across the room.

�Excuse me, sir,� he said to the man who was talking to her as he took Lashinda by the wrist. �I must speak to my new fief a moment, if you wouldn�t mind waiting until we�re done.� It wasn�t really a question and he was leading her away before the startled man had a chance to answer.

�Sit,� Sigmar commanded when they came to a small booth that was several tables away from anyone else.

Lashinda sat quickly. She seemed to sense that she had done something wrong, for she was afraid to meet his eyes.

�I see you�ve already made use of your position to set up a brisk little trade.�

�I�m not sure what you mean,� she said.

�That�s a lie,� he said. �Because you haven�t had time to learn my rules, I�ll forgive you this one time. But I warn you, I do not tolerate lies from my slaves. The next time I hear one you will receive 10 lashes from my belt, along with the others I punish before going to bed.�

�You mean Tazman?�
�He�s the man you let take Jaffa up the stairs?�

She nodded.

�And before that you had him take you up the stairs, as payment to be with Jaffa now.�

She swallowed nervously, but she didn�t dare deny it.

�Understand,� Sigmar said, reaching across the table to lift her chin, forcing her to look at him. �How you handle Jaffa is your own business. I don�t begrudge you getting what you need out of the arrangement, as long as you give me what I need; and already you�ve made two mistakes. First, you allowed Tazman to take her upstairs without making Jaffa pay for it with her body, first. You were selfish and though only of your own payment.�

She nodded. �It won�t happen again.�

�I hope not,� he said. �Because if you can�t control your own urges enough to do the job I�ve given you, I will not hesitate to help you control those urges by placing you in a chastity belt that will quite effectively prevent you from receiving any sexual gratification at all.�

Lashinda�s eyes widened with such fear that Sigmar knew that he had chosen the most effective threat to hold over her.

�And the second thing?� she asked.

He smiled, pleased that she no longer shied away from his reprimand. Despite Maklan�s insistence that she was incorrigible, Sigmar felt certain that she would become a very good slave in short time. �The second is even more crucial than the first,� he said. �You let Tazman take her upstairs without being tied; and to make matters worse, you did not go with them to keep an eye on her.�
 �But Tazman said he would��

Sigmar held up his hand to stall her excuses. �She has a glib tongue and no hesitancy to use it.�

�You think she can convince��

 �I have little doubt that even now she�s promising Tazman all kinds of things if he will just help her escape. And I suspect that a young man, who obviously finds her very attractive, just might be hoodwinked into helping her in exchange for her promise of undying love and the financial rewards of her supposedly rich father. As I said, she can be rather convincing when she wants to be.�

�If there�s such a risk, then why didn�t you stop me before I let them go upstairs together?�

�The risks, while real, are minimal,� Sigmar said. �And besides, I�ve given responsibility for her over to you. I should not need to watch your every move to make sure you�re doing your job. However, if she manages to escape you will pay a very unpleasant price. If she is recaptured, I will be lenient. Your punishment will simply be to wear that chastity belt I mentioned for the next year or so, but if she is not recaptured before the night is over I will not be so generous.�

Lashinda began to rise. �I should go and check on her,� she said, her eyes looking towards the stairs in a wild kind of frenzy.

�I have not finished with you,� Sigmar said coldly. Lashinda sat back down, her eyes still moving towards the stairs occasionally as she waited impatiently for Sigmar to go on. He sat quietly, waiting for her to give him her full attention. At last when she was really looking at him again, he went on. �I suggest that from now on you only allow men to use Jaffa in public; and even if she�s tightly tied, you should never leave her alone.�

�But how will I��

�I suggest that you let Jaffa give you your pleasure, while the men take theirs with her.� 

Lashinda wrinkled her nose in disgust. �I�m not a ladylicker, if that�s what you think.�

�Of course not, but that�s exactly the point. Neither is she. And I can think of no worse punishment than the humiliation of having to service you in public.�

�But I�ll have to endure it as well.�

�I realize you may find this a little unpleasant. I can relieve some of your embarrassment by making it a public command the first time. That way you can claim that you�re doing it on my orders�not because you really want to.�

�That will help some I suppose.�

�I�ve been planning to make such a public request since I took you from Maklin, Lashinda. Do you want to know why I�m telling you now, instead of simply asking you to do it without warning?�

She nodded, a bit reluctantly.

�I pride myself on having slaves that obey me. If they refuse to do as they are told, it reflects poorly on me as their owner. If you refuse me when I give you the public command your punishment will be severe. You see, I know who the man is who raped my slave.�

�You do?�

�Yes, I do!� He glared at her coldly. �I measured one of the footprints I found in the shed, so if I wanted to prove my case it would be a relatively simple matter of finding everyone who might have been in the stables shortly after we arrived and seeing who wears wraps instead of boots and then comparing the size of their feet to the prints that were made.

�It�s really this man�s offense that Jaffa is being punished for, you know. You don�t just have your way with someone else�s slave, without asking permission first. But if you can�t bring yourself to give her what she deserves, then I�ll just have to expose this man.�

Lashinda had been chewing nervously on the inside of her cheek. �But you�ll forget about him and let Jaffa take his punishment, as long as I do this?�

�I think it�s rather fitting for a woman to stand as proxy[5] in this situation, don�t you?�

�Yes, of course. A man�s sensibilities are so much more delicate than a women�s.�

�And in this case, I suspect that she was equally to blame. Unless I misjudge her, she probably tried to convince this young man to do something foolish�like let her go free in exchange for sexual favors, perhaps. As I�ve said, it wouldn�t be the first time, and so, in a way, I am really in this man�s debt. Good intentions or not, however, an offense has been made and someone must pay for it.�

�I suppose it wouldn�t be so bad,� Lashinda said, �if everyone knew I was doing it at your command.�

7

Jaffa went willingly with the man as he led her up the stairs to his room. The whipping she�d received while hanging from the ropes for so long had left her with little energy to do anything else. Her arms and legs ached from the stillness of being stretched for so long. Her body still tingled from the recent sting of leather on her belly, breasts and thighs. Walking warmed her skin; stinging beads of sweat sprang to the surface of her raw flesh, making it feel like her body might be weeping blood. Still the effort felt good. She could feel herself growing stronger as she mounted the stairs, using muscles that had grown lazy with disuse.

This was the first time, in quite a long time, that she was free of restraining bonds and she began to wonder how she might use that to her advantage. Even the ring gag had been removed from her mouth. Once they were in the privacy of a room she planned to talk reason with him. She worked the muscles in her jaw, making sure that she would be ready.

He opened the door gestured for her to go inside.  

She ran her hands over the ridges of his firm chest then reached down and took his hand, pulling him eagerly towards the bed. �What do you want to do to me?� She asked, looking deeply into his eyes and smiling as she led the way. He hesitated for a moment, reaching for his key to lock the door�but she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his neck, whispering breathily into his ear. �Please,� she begged him. �Hanging from those ropes has gotten me so horny. Please, tell me what you want me to do. Do you want me to suck your cock?� She knelt down in front of him and fumble with the front of his trousers, pulling his throbbing cock from it�s place of hiding and taking it into her mouth with such urgency that he gasped aloud and forgot about the key or locking the door.

Letting her push him onto the bed, he lay back while she climbed on top of him, sucking the tip of his throbbing member into her mouth; then flicking the head lightly with her tongue a few times before sucking him deeper into her mouth than she had before.

As he groaned his pleasure, she concentrated all her considerable skills on giving him as much pleasure as she could, watching his response carefully to gather any slightest hint that might tell her what he would like best.

Normally, she liked to work slowly, teasing the man�s skin to heightened sensitivity as she tested various techniques to see which were the most effective. Unfortunately, she didn�t know if she had that much time. And she dare not work too slowly and loose what little chance she had of convincing him to help her. So she ignored her normal exploratory phase and went straight for the techniques that worked the best and fastest on the most men.

 To be Continued...

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