Storiesonline.net ------- Shasta's Tale by colt45 Copyright© 2006 by colt45 ------- Description: "The facts in this matter are clear, the slave Shasta did indeed kill her master. The punishment for this crime is unambiguous and irrefutable: the slave Shasta is hereby condemned to death." Condemned to die for killing her previous master, Shasta, a slave/sex toy, must learn to live as a salidin slave to the Governor of Safehaven. A sequel to "Sea King." Not much sex in this one, it's about plot and storyline. Codes: MF FF fant slow rom cons slave bi ------- ------- Chapter 1 The room dark, the lamps long since extinguished, but a little light still came off the banked embers in the open-faced brazier. The slave moved cautiously and as quietly as she could. It wouldn't have mattered, the form snoring loudly on the bed didn't move, and wouldn't until he had slept off the wine from the party he'd attended that evening. The slave's master, the honorable Blein deMongue, wasn't in the habit of over imbibing. If he got too drunk he wasn't able to "play" with his toys in the manner he so enjoyed. It was difficult to judge that fine line between maximum pain and mortality. He learned that after losing a few that way. They had had the audacity to die on him before he was ready for that final step. This evening though he had been celebrating the successful signing of a very large contract for dry goods with the Safehaven shipyard. In his exuberance over the expected flow of wealth into House deMongue he had bought round after round for his fellow merchants gathered in the tavern. Of course as "host" he felt compelled to partake of each round he purchased. By the end of the evening he needed the help of both the tavernkeeper's sons to help him find his way back to the boarding house. He could hardly make it up the stairs and into his rooms, but he did get there. Once safely in the room with the door locked behind him he took off his coat and threw it over the back of a chair next to the brazier. On wobbly legs he stumbled over to the bed and stared down at the floor where his latest "toy" was securely chained to the footboard naked. She was pretty, they all were, but he'd had her for half a season or so and now was getting bored with her. At first her sullen resistance was refreshing. Her previous owner had warned him she wasn't the most tractable of slaves. He thought he would have fun breaking her spirit before disposing of her, but she turned out to be more mulish and strong-willed than he anticipated. As a true testimony to his ego, Blein deMongue didn't consider this as failure on his part, but on hers for being such a poor slave. Normally he would unchain her from the footboard and secure her elsewhere depending on what his plans were for the evening's fun. Strapped down over a chair back if it was a whip or cane; maybe spread-eagled on the bed if it were needles, ropes or knifes. It made little difference to him since he could use her for his pleasure either way once he was done "playing" and she had either passed out or screamed herself hoarse. What he had planned for this particular evening remained a mystery. After unlocking her leg shackle he stood up and reached out to grab her by the hair. As he stood he was suddenly overcome by a wave of nausea and he pitched forward onto the bed where he passed out cold. He never even had time to secure his slave. It was the last mistake he ever made. The slave sat on the floor panting for a moment; not realizing her master was dead to the world and wasn't going to complete his usual fun and games that evening. Hands still cuffed together she struggled to her feet and stared down at his motionless body. Slowly she took the small ring of keys he still held in his hand and carefully tried each one until the cuffs unlocked. Moving quicker now she went to the closet and pulled out a set of her finest clothes. After getting dressed she again stared at him, debating with herself on what to do next. Her choices were fairly limited. She could run, but the chances of getting away for any length of time were next to nil. Safehaven was a small community on an island, and although they were known to be "slave friendly" she knew that wouldn't preclude an all-out search for a runaway slave. If, no... when, she was caught, she knew what she could expect from her master: a slow and painful death at best, maiming and continuous pain at worst. There was one option: the result as sure as the first, but at least the nightmare would be over. Decision made she nodded minutely to herself and moved slowly towards the brazier. Picking up the poker leaning against the wall she held it firmly in both hands and made her way determinedly to the bed. Raising the poker over her head, she froze. If she did this the commitment would be final. Whether she killed him or not her life would be forfeit under the law. Jeevel law could be ambiguous and highly subject to interpretation in many cases, but not in the case of a slave striking her master. It was death. For a moment she wondered if his death would be worth hers. But she remembered the pain and cruelty suffered under this beast; she struck down hard. Despair triggered that first blow; hate and fury fueled those that followed. Again she struck, and again. She never knew just how many times she attacked his head. She stopped when her exhausted arms could no longer lift the poker and what remained of his head was little more than a bloody pulp soaking into the silk pillows. Dropping the poker she stepped back. Now her only thought was to flee. Looking down she was just barely cognitive enough to realize that getting dressed before she attacked him had probably not been such a good idea. The front of her dress was covered with spatters of blood, bone and pieces of brain. The euphoria of killing her tormentor drove all care of that from her mind. She giggled and with the calm disposition of the truly fey she unbolted the door and walked out of the boarding house. ------- The two constables strolling down the street that evening expected a quite night. In a previous life they had been marines in the service of the Putram of Malshall. The capture of their ship and subsequent refusal of their Putram to ransom either them or their fellows changed that. Normally they would have expected to be sold to the mines of Jeevel but their present commander, Warrior Dent, now the Governor of Safehaven, had saved them that fate. They considered that humiliating defeat to the luckiest thing that ever happened to them. The town of Safehaven was growing rapidly under its new governor and with that growth came the need for constables and a justice system the small quiet town wasn't equipped to handle. As a temporary measure the governor "loaned" the use of his company guards, in essence a private army, to Safehaven until enough constables could be trained and placed in service. Used to a life of soldiers and bloody warfare the ex-marines actually enjoyed the duty. It gave them the chance to bust heads once in a while and still enjoy the favor of an appreciative citizenry. Given their no-nonsense methods of dealing with troublemakers it wasn't long before the town was almost as placid as it was before they arrived. Now quiet nights were the norm and trouble the exception. So when they saw the obvious figure of a woman moving listlessly down the street toward them it was with curiosity but little anticipation. As luck would have it they met under the flickering light of one of the few lamps on that street. Two things were immediately apparent: first the woman was a slave and second, she was covered in blood and viscera. "Hey!" one said immediately. "What's happened here?" "He's dead," the slave said. She spoke as though she were far away, not really hearing or understanding what was going on around her. "Who's dead?" the other constable asked. "He is," she answered, then she looked at them and smiled. "That fucking pig is dead." "Gods what a mess," one guard muttered. "A name, we need a name." "Oh," she said waving her free hand like the answer to the question was obvious. "Mongue. Blein Mongue." "DeMongue?" the first asked. "You know him?" the second asked. "Know of him," the first replied. Turning back to the slave he asked, "Where is he and what happened." "I hit him," she said still smiling. "I hit him and he died." "Shit!" they said simultaneously. Instantly two swords were drawn and ready. "Where is he?" the first asked. "Show us where!" ------- "Sorry to wake you, Magistrate." The night watch's captain nodded at the deceptively frail looking old man who entered his office. "I know you wouldn't have if it wasn't important, Trieger." Daniel yawned and plopped himself down in the seat across from the captain. "What's the problem?" "Well," the captain started, "it seems simple enough, but enough of the story sounded, strange. In a nutshell: a slave killed her master." "No doubt as to who did it?" Daniel asked. "Oh, none at all," Captain Trieger nodded. "She admits it readily enough. But..." "But what?" "Let's walk down to the cell," Trieger said standing up. "It's easier to show you than tell you." Moments later they were standing outside the small holding cell the watch used. "She's in there," Trieger said. "We stripped her down, her clothes are on the table over there." Trieger motioned to the guard standing just outside the cell and the door was opened. They stepped inside and Trieger held up a lamp so the light shown on the form huddled on the bare cot. "Gods!" Daniel exclaimed. "She was like this before you brought her in?" "Absolutely!" Trieger declared. "She came along quietly, no need for rough handling on our part." "Hmm, I don't know if this really makes any difference if what you say is true." Daniel said slowly. "I know. If you want I can have one of the men take her out back and put her down." Daniel thought for a moment. "No. I want the governor to handle this one." "The governor?" Trieger asked. "Do you really think that's necessary? You know the law as well as I." "I know," said Daniel. "But he's the governor and gets paid for this kind of crap." ------- The rattling of the key in the door woke Shasta from the horrible nightmare she had been having. She was naked, but that wasn't unusual. What was abnormal was the fact her hands weren't cuffed and there wasn't a shackle around her ankle. Sitting up she recognized where she was and all the memories of the night before flooded back. Far from being afraid, at first she was ecstatic remembering how Mongue's head split like a ripe melon, that now the beast would never torture or kill another girl. After the first flush of euphoria a kind of melancholy set in as she realized the opening door was probably the executioner coming for her. Still, she was ready for that. Sitting up proudly she waited with only a slight trembling as an outward sign of her nervousness. The person who actually came through the door surprised her. Unless Safehaven utilized gray haired old grannies as executioners they weren't coming for her just yet. Right behind the old woman the guard did pop his head in. "You going to be all right, Miz Bilinde?" he asked. Then he looked directly at Shasta. "You don't cause no trouble, you hear! You ain't caused no trouble so far so we lets you rest without shackling ya. You just keep it that way." "We'll be fine, Hubent," Bilinde said shooing him back out the door with an arm draped in clothes. In the other she held a pitcher of water and a large bowl. The guard nodded and backed out after telling nobody in particular he would be right outside the door. Bilinde turned around and for a few moments the two women just looked at each other. "Well," Bilinde said finally. "The magistrate was right; we do need to clean you up a bit, dearie." "Magistrate?" Shasta asked confused. "Doubt you remember him last night," Bilinde said as she set the pitcher and bowl on the small table next to the cot. "He did say you were asleep when he looked in on you. Now here is some water and I have a towel in here somewhere. You're quite a dreadful sight, dearie. I'm sure getting at lest some of that, well, stuff, off will make you feel better." "When will they kill me?" Shasta asked suddenly. "Oh, I don't know anything about that, dearie," Bilinde answered as if Shasta had asked when the bed linens were changed. "All I know is the magistrate asked me to bring you some clean clothes and water to wash with. I know he is going to talk with the governor this morning. We'll probably know more after he gets back." "The governor?" "Yes, the governor. Now do you need help here, dearie?" "Ah..." Shasta felt like she was moving underwater, everything in slow motion. "No. No, thank you." "Very well, dearie," Bilinde said placing the clothing down on the cot. "I'll be back in a wee bit with some food for you. I'd say it's for your morn meal, but it's closer to noon now." "Why?" Shasta blurted as Bilinde turned to leave. "Why what, dearie?" Bilinde asked looking over her shoulder. "Why are you being nice to me?" Shasta asked, almost annoyed. "I killed my master and you're going to kill me anyway." Bilinde hesitated for a moment. "I'll not be doing anything like that, youngster," she answered slowly. "I'm helping you because the magistrate asked me to. As for you killing your master... If he be the one that put those marks on your body, maybe he needed killing." "That doesn't matter," Shasta said, realizing she was getting angry with the wrong person. "I knew what would happen when I did it. The law is crystal clear." "Well," Bilinde said. "The law may be clear, but one thing I've found in the past few months: the governor isn't. I'll be back soon." ------- Shasta did her best to clean the blood and gore from her skin and hair before putting on the dress. It was one of hers so someone must have gone through Mongue's room since last night. True to her word Bilinde soon brought a bowl of fish stew, a half-loaf of bread and a bottle of watered wine. She was still picking at it when the door opened again and a distinguished older man strode in before she could react. "Hello, Shasta torMongue," he said. She couldn't say he was friendly, but then he wasn't unfriendly either. "I'm Magistrate Daniel. I've just been to see the governor. He's going to hear your case the day after tomorrow." "I don't mean to seem ungrateful," Shasta started trying to keep the sarcasms out of her voice. "But why are we going through with this farce? We both know there's going to be only one end to this. Why can't we just get it over with?" "Because he wants to hear the facts in your case," Daniel said with a shrug. "It might be best if you think about what you want to tell him." "Like it would make a difference what a slave had to say," she snorted. "Believe what you will," Daniel answered with another shrug. "My guess is the governor is different from anyone you've ever met. His dealing with slaves are... well... strange to say the least. Here in Safehaven we have always been rather liberal when it comes to slaves. He goes far beyond that. I won't offer you any false hope, but if anything can be done he would be the one to do it." "I'll remember that as I'm choking on the end of a rope," Shasta said sarcastically. "If he decides its death, and that very well may be the case," Daniel said gravely. "I can assure you it will be painless and instant. You won't feel a thing." "I suppose that's the best I can hope for," Shasta said staring down at her hands folded in her lap. Then she looked up quickly, "But I wouldn't change a thing. That bastard deserved to die and if I have to follow him, well, it was worth it." "I won't argue that," Daniel said nodding. "I'll be back to look in on you from time to time. If there's anything you need just ask the guard outside the door. Bilinde will be by with your supper later; you can also ask her if you need anything." Saying that he left, stopping only to speak a few words with the guard. ------- For a while Shasta could think of nothing except her upcoming trial and execution, but after a while she became numb to that and cast around for something else to occupy her mind. Not surprisingly, there was nothing else in the cell. She had been captured when she was thirteen and had been able to read a little by then. Of course after her enslavement there wasn't even a thought of further schooling. Her good looks ensured she was used for only one purpose and education wasn't a requirement for a sex toy. Out of nervousness she paced the small cell but after a while even that became boring. Wandering over to the cell door she looked out through the bars of the small window. She could just barely see the top of the guard's head as he lounged on a stool next to the door. "Hey you," she called out. "What you want, bitch?" came the answer. "Ya can't be needing nothing yet." "I'm just curious about this governor everyone keeps talking about." She could see him move slightly as he settled back in his seat. "What you want to know about him?" The answer was a little less gruff. "I don't know. Who is he? What is he like? I've only been here for a few weeks and I don't know anything about him." She continued, "Which House is he from? What did he do to get posted here? He must have really pissed off someone to get sent to this rathole." "Hey there!" came the reply. "Ain't no reason to be saying that about Safehaven. Lived here all my life I have, and it's a pretty nice place if I say so meself. "As for the governor, well, can't say as I know much about him myself. Just what I've heard ya understand. What I do know is he used to be a Guild Warrior, guess he still is since he works out with them every day and all that. Building himself a big house up on the ridge. Big fancy place, but then he's needing it with all them women and servants he keeps with him." "Keeps a lot of women does he?" Shasta gave a nasty little chuckle. "I guess he's not much different than any other noble I've seen." "You best not be badmouthing His Excellency," came the disembodied warning. "Or his ladies, neither. His pet soldiers hear that and they be getting right pissed off they will, and them you don't want to have angry with you; that much I can say." "Why would they care?" she asked puzzled. "He's just a noble to them, isn't he?" "Part demon and part god more like," came the answering chuckle. "Don't know the whole story meself. Them in the company guard don't do much talking with us local riff-raff, but what I heard is he took the ship they was on -- regular Malshall navy I hear -- and when their Putram wouldn't pay their ransom he saved them from the mines. All I know is they worship the ground he walks on and if they hear one word against him, well, a boxed ear is the best ya can expect. And that goes for his ladies, too. Aye, they be slaves and all that. Witch's collars on the three of them and everything, but they might as well be his wives for all he treats them. All his other household slaves got them collars too; even the guards, but them three, they're special. Just my advice: be careful what ya say about them. "As for him pissing someone off to get sent here... That story I heard well enough. Not only did he ask for it, he demanded it. Some payoff under the Warrior's Code, or something like that. Has the appointment for life, or for at least as long as he wants it. "He's young enough too. Ain't much of a looker if ya ask me. Though you'd think he's a God's gift by the way the women around here swoon over him. Don't see it meself. "Not that I got any complaints about him, ya hear? It's him that started the shipyard, and the new warehouses. Wouldn't need no jail guard if it weren't for all the new folks coming into town, so I guess you can say he got me my job. Beats the hell out of fishing, that's for sure. No, no complaints from me." "So everybody just loves him," Shasta said with a huff. "Hell no! Not everybody, that's for sure." The guard again started chuckling. "Should have seen some of them old officials snort and steam. He don't allow no graft or payoff for them that's in office, and that's where they scratch most their money. Course after what he did to Boraic, ya didn't hear too much out of them. Not out loud anyway." "What did he do to this Boraic?" Shasta asked. "Ah, yes, that was a bad business it was." There was a momentary pause and the guard continued. "Boraic always was a bit of a no-account, if ya know what I mean. One night he up and kills his wife and two little young 'ons. Of course that was before the governor got here. We didn't know what to do with him and all that. Doesn't happen around here, ya see. Anyway we had him locked away see, knowed we was going to get a new governor so we waits for him. Soon as the governor gets here he quick-like has a trial and, snip! Fast as a hungry fish hitting the bait he cuts his head off! Ain't one to waste time or words is our governor." "So, that's what I have to look forward to?" Shasta asked quietly. "Oh, yeah... maybe," came the slow reply. "Look I ain't here to hurt you or nothing, just here to make sure ya don't get away. I ain't going to lie to ya and say it won't happen, but if he do, it'll be quick. I know he ain't the kind that's going to hurt someone for no reason." "Thank you," Shasta said quietly and she returned to her cot. ------- True to his word Daniel returned a few times to check up on her, but he had very little to say. Bilinde was in at least twice that day: bringing her food and water, and back again to change out the chamber pot. The guard was changed three times a day but she didn't feeling like talking to anyone after that first conversation. She awoke on the third day as Bilinde arrived with breakfast and a change of clothes. "Got to look your best in front of the governor," she said. "You're a pretty thing and who knows but that it may help. Couldn't hurt now, could it, dearie? I tell you what, child, the whole town knows about that monster deMongue by now. You got us women hoping for the best for you." "Thank you," Shasta said as she changed out of her rumpled clothes of two days and into the clean set provided. "But the past ten seasons of my life have been spent pleasing men to stay alive. I think I'd rather be dead then do so again." "Oh, dearie," Bilinde said with a snort, "I don't think you have to worry about being in his bed; much too crowded if you know what I mean. You'd have to fight through them to get there. You may be scrappy my dear, but I wouldn't want to be up against any of those three alone, let alone all three!" "I heard they were slaves," she scoffed. "I can just see a slave fighting to keep another woman from her master's bed! Fighting to keep him from mounting her, maybe, but never the other!" "Well, I'm sure you know best, dearie," Bilinde said placidly. "You finished there? Good, they're here to get you now." In through the door walked two soldiers in the uniform of the governor's guard. She could understand why the jailer wouldn't want them mad at him. They were big and obviously battle hardened. They paid little more attention to her then they would have a side of beef they were assigned to move. Quickly they cuffed her wrists and led her out of the cell, through the jail and into the street. Neither one spoke a word as they walked her through the narrow street of the town up to what looked like a large house. Without pause they entered the front door and there stopped in the entrance hall. Directly in front of them was the entrance to a much larger room. She could see the walls were lined with people, mostly women. Come for the show, she thought bitterly. And of course the execution afterwards. The room became quiet and she heard someone speaking. "I'm ready, Magistrate. You may proceed." "Certainly, Your Excellency," She recognized Daniel's voice "Bring in the prisoner." Each one of the soldiers grabbed an arm and moved with her into the room and up onto a small platform at it's center. Once she was on the platform they released her and took a step back. In front of her she could see her judge, and most likely, executioner. All's she could see was the white blonde hair, broad shoulders and a rather unhandsome face. If she was of a mind to be kind she would have described it as "rugged." By the gods, she thought as she glared at this latest torment in her life, I'll be damned if I'll crawl for this bastard. They can only kill me once! "Your Excellency," the magistrate began, "before you stands Shasta torMongue, accused in the murder of her rightful master, Blein deMongue." "You have heard the charge, Shasta torMongue," the blonde man said with a nod. "What do you say about them? Is this true?" "Yes it's true!" she said, and this time she did snarl. "I killed the bastard! I took the poker and beat him until his brains spilled out on his fancy pillows." "You realize that by admitting this you condemn yourself to death?" "I was already dead and in hell," she said with a snort. "All you can do to me is to kill this body. He needed to die, deserved to die. At least now he won't be able to hurt anyone else." "Tell me why you believed he deserved to die," the man said as he settled back into his chair. Shasta could almost swear she saw a ghost of a smile on his lips. For a moment she was stunned. She hadn't expected this. She thought it would have been a simple process. She admitted to the crime and he would have had her dragged out and executed. She didn't expect him to question her as to why she did it. "I am Shasta from Gorinth, a small island near Salas. When I was thirteen seasons old my village was raided..." She started her tale of how she was first captured by slavers, the murder of her father and brothers, the subsequent rape of her and her mother, her sale in the slave market of Harv'el and her various masters over the last ten seasons. "I have had a number of masters, some better than others but each of them used me as they would a piece of furniture. I know this is accepted and expected by you barbarians." "Hold your tongue slave," Daniel growled. "Show His Excellency the Governor the respect he is due." "Ha, the respect he is due?" Shasta barked. "I am giving him the respect he's due!" "You know nothing of him, or what he had done for us..." someone shouted from behind the blonde man. Jumping up from her chair was an extremely pretty young woman. She had long dark hair, an oval face, curvy body and eyes that blazed like she was the one that wanted to slit Shasta's throat right that minute. Shasta noted the girl had a beautiful golden chocker around her neck. A Witch's collar, a slave collar. Shasta also noticed that the girl was one of three women sitting behind the governor. Another dark haired beauty sat there; older that the first but at least as pretty, and enough alike the first to be her sister. Next to her sat a golden haired woman, probably close to Shasta's own age. She was as fair as the other two were dark, but equally as beautiful. The younger dark-haired girl cut off her exclamation when Dent raised his hand and gently waved her down. "Or he'll do what? Have me put to death?" Shasta laughed. "Oh I know who you are, one of his trained bitches, collared and cowed. I may be about to die but at least I'll do so as a real woman." "That's enough," Dent said softly. "Please continue. I believe you were going to tell us why this man deserved to die?" Again Shasta stopped short and swallowed the next insult she was about to hurl. She looked at the governor again seemingly puzzled, as if seeing him for the first time. When she continued again it was with a slower, more moderate tone. "About half a season ago my former master sold me to Mongue. I'd thought I'd lived in hell before but that was nothing to what I was now in. He enjoyed pain and hurting others. I have been beaten every day, tied up and, well, you wouldn't believe to what uses he put me. I could show you the bruises, the cuts and the scars, but what does that matter? I know the law and what will be done to me, and I accept it. There were three girls with me during my time with that monster and each of them was killed, slowly and horribly. I won't beg for mercy, but I will ask for the mercy of a quick death." As she stood there all expression left her face and her shoulders slumped in resignation. The governor turned as if hearing some comment behind him. He spoke briefly with the three women. Shasta expected to find triumph and spite in their eyes as they looked at her but found none. Instead she found each one had a pained and imploring expression. The governor nodded and turned back to the table. He quickly looked through an old book lying in front of him. Seemingly finding what he wanted he turned back and said something, this time directly to the older dark-haired woman. The woman glanced at Shasta and answered him slowly. The governor nodded and stood up to address the room. "I have reached my decision," he said loudly. "My personal views on slavery are well know and I have never tried to keep them secret. However in a case such as this the law is very clear and as Jeevel's representative I have no choice but to follow that law to the letter." There were groans from the audience and a muffled sob or two from behind him; the sympathy in the room definitely wasn't for the late Mongue. "The facts in this matter are clear, the slave Shasta did indeed kill her master. The punishment for this crime is unambiguous and irrefutable: the slave Shasta is hereby condemned to death." The groaning in the room was even louder inter-dispersed with some soft crying. The governor cleared his throat and spoke even louder. "The law is also very clear that the sentence is to be carried out at a time and place to be determined by the officer presiding. As such I will hold the execution in abeyance until such time as I determine it to be appropriate. The prisoner shall be remanded to the Governor's household immediately to await my pleasure in the matter." At first Shasta could hear nothing except "condemned to death." It took a few minutes before it entered her mind that he had said something more. "Execution in abeyance," and "remanded to the Governor's household." Slowly Shasta's mind began to chew on these words, understanding came quickly afterward. He was allowing her to live! Her body froze while her mind raced to catch up with this new concept: that she just might live another day! The blonde man remained standing and then started coming around the table to the center of the room. Although Shasta's mind still wasn't functioning perfectly she noticed he was well built, heavily muscled and moved with the fluid grace of a cat. He wasn't particularly handsome; his face far too rugged and although he was right at this moment smiling it look sort of out of place, like he wasn't used to doing so very often. He was moving toward her as she still stood on the platform when he was, attacked was the only word that came to mind, by the golden-haired woman who had been sitting behind him. She practically climbed on him finally reaching his face where she kissed him repeatedly. Following shortly was the younger dark haired girl who accosted him from the other side. Somewhere in Shasta's befuddled mind came the thought that the younger one had been slightly slower only due to her obvious pregnancy. The older woman joined them and although she didn't join in the feminine attack, gave the governor a smoldering look that probably would have resulted in ripped clothing and sweaty bodies if they hadn't been in public. After a few minutes the young governor halted the lavish display of affection by gently grabbing each woman around the waist and hugging them in close to his side. Calmly he turned and looked at Shasta. For a moment she understood how a mouse would feel seeing the hawk plummeting down at her. His was a look of appraisal, but also one of complete and utter confidence and competency. He had total control of the situation and knew it. "Can I trust you to come with us without any trouble or do we need to keep the manacles on?" he finally said. "No trouble," she whispered. "I... I... thank you, Your Excellency." "Good," he said with a nod. Turning to her guards he continued, "Take off the chains; they won't be needed now." "Are you sure, Your Excellency," one asked. "She may still try to run." "Run where?" the governor answered. "We're on an island. Where could she run to?" They unlocked the manacles and as soon as she was free Shasta stepped down off of the platform and dropped to her knees in front of him. Shasta had never felt the urge to kneel in front of any of her masters before, unless forced to, of course. But for this man it felt right somehow. "Oh get up," he said with exasperation. "Our master doesn't require his bitches to kneel for him," the young girl said snidely. "I'll kneel for you, Master," Shasta heard the blonde whispered as she reached up to nip his earlobe with her teeth. The governor grimaced slightly but otherwise did nothing. "I am so sorry," Shasta said. "I thought... I mean... I thought I knew... Oh please forgive me!" "Humph," the young girl grunted. "We'll see, after you get fitted. Maybe you'll find you enjoy being his collared bitch." "Sosho," the older woman said with the tone of an exasperated parent to a willful child. "That will be enough of that. What's done is done. Given the circumstances I think we can forget words said in anger and fear." "Yes, I suppose you're right," Sosho said with a sigh, but then added quickly with a little glint in her eyes, "but she still may like it." Ignoring the younger girl the woman moved over next to Shasta. "Hmm, you are a pretty little thing. Have you ever tended babies?" "N-no, I was never used for that," then Shasta did a double take. "Ah, mistress... ?" "Nesho, call me Nesho. I am Master Dent's senior wife and these two little arm fobs are Sosho, who also happens to be my daughter, and Clarise, Master Dent's junior wives." "Wives," Shasta blurted out, "but you're all..." "Slaves?" Nesho interjected. "True, but wives are what he calls us and that's what we will be until he says otherwise. So you don't know anything about babies. Pity, we'll need a couple of good nannies pretty soon as you might have noticed. Well no matter, we'll find something for you to do." "You mean I won't be servicing the Master?" Shasta said with surprise. "Not hardly," huffed Clarise with a snort from Sosho. "That's our privilege and I dare say between the three of us we keep him well occupied. Isn't that right Master?" To emphasize her point Clarise jabbed Dent in the side with a finger and was rewarded with a sharp grunt and nod. In retaliation he began tickling her under the arm until she was helplessly giggling and begging for mercy. With a girl under each arm Dent started for the door while Nesho beckoned with her hand that Shasta should walk with her a few steps behind them. "So how does it feel being brought back from the brink of death?" Nesho asked casually as they walked along. "I don't know," Shasta answered truthfully. "I feel dazed, sort of in a fog, like nothing is real. Does he really own me now?" "Good question," Nesho said pondering. "My guess is we'll probably hear from your late master's relatives about your 'punishment' and maybe a demand for compensation. That we can take care of easily enough," she added brushing off the potential problem as inconsequential with a wave of her hand. "Or maybe not. Mongue was from Harv'el wasn't he? People there have learned to walk softly around our master, if they know what's good for them, that is. We may never hear anything." "I just don't understand," Shasta whispered after a moment's hesitation. "Why would he do this for me? No noble I have ever met would do such a thing." "Well Dent is like no noble you have ever met," Nesho said giving the girl a big smile. "Someday I'll tell you our tale. It will answer most of the questions you probably have. Come to think about it, it would make a fine story: one with pirates, warriors, scantily clad slave girls..." "It is almost impossible to keep clothes on these three wenches," the governor said looking back over his shoulder. His remark earned him more pokes from his two arm leeches and tickles in retaliation. "As I was saying before being rudely interrupted," Nesho continued. "Once you have been bonded and have a chance to settle in I'll tell you everything. It really is quite fascinating, if I do say so myself." "Can I ask?" Shasta tentatively inquired. "Does this bonding hurt? I've heard of the slave collar before, but I've never met anyone that actually had one." "Only if you're stupid and fight it," the blonde said looking back over her own shoulder. "And that comes from personal experience. I could tell you it's the best thing that has ever happened to me but you'll have to experience it for yourself." "And that you will shortly," Nesho said decisively. Edited by Morgan ------- Chapter 2 The walk to the governor's mansion followed a gentle climb and the road surface was well tended but Shasta's foot began hurting nonetheless. At one point it caused her to stumble and without thinking she grabbed at the only thing nearby to steady herself; that happened to be Nesho's arm. Nesho wasn't expecting that and with her very large pregnant belly she also stumbled slightly. "Oh, I'm so sorry, mistress!" Shasta cried. "No harm done, child," Nesho said as she regained her balance. "Is everything all right back there?" the governor asked over his shoulder, stopping short and looking back. "Everything's fine, dear," Nesho said absently. She frowned and looked down at Shasta's foot. "What's wrong with your foot? Shasta, isn't it? Can you walk on it?" "It's fine, mistress," Shasta said pulling her foot back under her skirt and out of the woman's view. "We'll see about that," Nesho said with a huff. "Dent dear, would you please help me here?" "Of course, love," he said walking back to them. "What do you need?" "I need to look at her foot," Nesho answered. "I saw her limp of course, but now she seems to be having trouble walking. I'd like to see what the problem is." Embarrassed Shasta looked around for somewhere to sit down since it appeared she wasn't going to have any choice in the matter. Seeing nothing was immediately available she had decided to squat on the ground when she suddenly felt an arm lock around her back and another under her knees as she was lifted off the ground. She squeaked as she was held aloft and turning her head she found herself only inches away from a pair of pale blue eyes the color of winter ice. For the second time in less than an hour she felt pinned by his gaze "Well, that's one way to do it," Nesho chuckled as Clarise and Sosho giggled. "There wasn't anywhere for her sit," The governor said affably. "This seemed the easiest solution." "It doesn't hurt you get to carry around a pretty girl, now does it?" Sosho said from behind him. "A bonus of the job," he agreed. "Actually this works out very well," Nesho said as she worked off Shasta's sandal. "Gods, girl! What did you do here?" The sole of Shasta's foot was almost one continuous bruise. "It's nothing really mistress," she muttered, turning bright pink. "Nonsense!" Nesho barked. "How did you get this?" Nesho's vehemence surprised Shasta and she unconsciously pressed herself into Dent's chest. When she realized what she was doing she started shaking and moved back away. "It's all right," he said kindly. "She didn't mean to scare you." "I'm sorry, dear," Nesho said contritely. "He's right; I didn't mean to scare you. But I do want to know where you got this. Is your other foot the same?" Without waiting to hear Shasta's answer Nesho started to peel off the other sandal. The sole of that foot was discolored, but not the same extent as the first. "Hmm, not as bad," was Nesho's verdict. "Now, where did you get these bruises?" "As I told you before." Shasta was doing her best to ignore the fact she was being held up off the ground by a man to whom her weight seemed little more than a child's. That and the distracting warm breath of his that seemed to tickle her neck. Pushing those thoughts aside she continued, "Mongue enjoyed giving pain. One of his favorite ways of doing it was to beat the bottoms of our feet. It was painful but I've lived through worse. I can walk on my own!" "Hmm, maybe..." Nesho started thoughtfully. "Doesn't matter," Dent broke in. "It's only a kilometer or so to the house. We'll get you up there and find you somewhere to sit and Nesho can have a proper look at it." With that he started walking up the road still carrying the protesting woman. "I can walk by myself!" she shouted. "Master," Clarise said walking beside them. "What?" The interruption surprised Shasta enough she stopped protesting long enough to ask. "I can walk by myself, Master," Clarise repeated. "Clarise," Dent chided. "Now isn't the time or the place." "But Dent..." Clarise started, but with a look from him she just gave a little "harrumph" and "Of course, Master." Dent looked down at Shasta and grinned. "It's amazing. With all three of them it's 'dear, ' or 'love, ' or even 'sweetheart, ' until I do something they don't like. Then it's Master this and Master that, until it's coming out of my ears." "Well, you have a position to think about," Clarise sniffed. "You aren't just any meat-headed warrior gallivanting off to wherever he chooses; you're the Governor of Safehaven, a highly responsible and respected station. You deserve proper respect be shown you and that includes your servants addressing you properly." "Like when you called me a ham-fisted buffoon last night?" he said teasingly. "I did not!" she exclaimed with mock anger. "I called you a clumsy, ham-fisted buffoon. After all you did break my hand mirror." "Yes, but that was only because you didn't put it away and then jumped on me..." The bantering continued as they walked with Nesho and Sosho joining in from time to time. Sometimes the three of them ganging up on Dent; other times it was two against one, or all three against each other. It was obvious that it was all in play though. This confused Shasta almost as much as anything else had on this very baffling day. For the ten years she had been held captive she had never seen this kind of interaction between slave and master. It reminded her of how her parents used to act between themselves back before her world had been ripped apart. Lulled by the gentle rolling gait of her "mount" coupled by the letdown of her post-adrenalin rush she actually drifted off to sleep... ------- "The poor thing." Shasta woke not knowing where she was. Startled, she opened her eyes and realized she had been leaning her head against the young governor's chest. Struggling upright, or as much as one could when being carried, she looked around. They weren't moving and she was surrounded by three pairs of eyes looking at her anxiously, all right, four sets of eyes, but she tried to ignore him. "Let's bring her inside," that was Nesho talking. "At least we can get her a seat and give your arms a rest." Shasta felt more than heard his rumbling chuckle. "She barely weighs anything. But you're right, of course. We should get her inside so you can get a good look at her feet." "And everything else," Nesho sniffed. "If her feet are this bad I hate to think what else we might find." "Then best be at it quickly," Dent said and he turned toward the mansion Shasta just now noticed. It was big, or at least it was going to be big when finished. To Shasta's untrained eye it looked to be about two-thirds complete. One wing appeared completely finished while the other wing still had framing showing here and there. It was going to impressive when finished, but without the gaudy distractions found on so many of the noble houses in Harv'el. With no fanfare at all the four walked up to the front door, the fifth still being in transport as it were, and entered. There didn't seem to be anyone in the foyer, but there were a number of overstuffed chairs. Dent gently lowered Shasta into one and stood up stretching his arms and flexing his muscles. Nesho squatted down in front of the girl until Dent pulled another chair over for her to sit. Nesho looked at the girls feet again and then scanned her hands, neck and face; everything that wasn't covered. "I'm going to need to examine her," Nesho said finally. "I need somewhere private." "Why don't you wait until the O'Tech technician gets here and fits her with the salidin?" Dent said. Nesho looked up at him sharply. "Why? You couldn't possibly think she could be a danger, do you?" "Not with the salidin," he replied firmly. "This one has the fire, and remember just what she was on trial for." "But..." was all the Nesho got out before Dent raised his eyebrows at her. She gave a little sigh and just said, "Yes dear." Dent nodded and smiled. "It won't be very long. I sent for one before we left and they usually respond fairly quickly." Just as he finished speaking there was a sharp rapping on the door. Dent started towards it but was almost bowled over by a young woman running through the entrance hall. "I'll get it, Master," she said breathlessly. "All right, don't mind me," he said with a chuckle. The maid opened the door and in strode an elderly gentleman. He had a smile that seemed to fit his face like it had never left and when Sosho saw him she squealed and rushed over giving him a big hug. "Don," she said gleefully, "I didn't know you'd be coming." Nesho walked over to him at a somewhat statelier pace and was also graced with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Dent was right behind her, greeting the old man with a firm handshake. "Don, Sosho's right. We certainly didn't expect to see you come for this little task." Dent grinned, "But I'm certainly glad you did. We don't get to see you often enough." "Well," the old man said handing his bag to the maid, "when the governor calls it's best we answer quickly. Besides it gives me a good excuse to get away from the youngsters and see all of you again. We have been busy getting the new station set up and I'll use any excuse to get out for a while. Now I understand you want someone fitted," he said looking over at Shasta still sitting on a chair. "Yes." Dent followed Don's look and nodded at Shasta. "There's a little story behind this one..." "Oh, I heard all about it from Clem." Don shook his head and chuckled. "Interesting things do seem to happen around you; that's for sure. Killed her master, did she? I think we can take care of that. Do you want to do it right now?" Dent nodded and Don motioned for the maid to hand him his bag again. After retrieving it, the four of them walked over to the seated girl. Shasta looked up in dread and tried to scrunch back into the chair as much as she possibly could. "Hmm, you do seem to pick the pretty ones don't you?" Don looked at Dent a raised his eyebrows, Dent blushed while Sosho and Clarise giggled. Crouching down he looked her in the eye. "Now don't you worry, sweet thing. This won't hurt a bit, not you anyway." Looking back up he asked, "To whom do you want her bonded?" "Given the circumstances, I think it better be me," Dent said. "Fine. Stand up here, little one," Don said to Shasta. "Let's make it easy on an old man." "Can you do it with her sitting?" Nesho asked. "I'd rather not have her standing right now." "Well, we could. But it would be easier..." Don glanced down at her bare feet and noticed the heavy bruising. "Oh! Oh my. Yes, well, we certainly can do it with her sitting. My dear, where did you get those?" he asked Shasta, pointing at her feet. "Her previous master," Clarise hissed, making the word master sound like a curse. "Hmm, yes, I understand a little better now," Don muttered, the smile completely erased from his face now. "Shasta," Dent began, "this is Don teNeigho, an old friend of ours. He will be fitting you with your salidin. It won't hurt you but after you have it on there won't be any question about having you in our household. I understand why you did what you did, but without this I can't allow you in my household. It would please me if we could do this without trouble." Shasta's face clouded up like the mere thought of doing something to please her new master was against her very nature. Looking up at Nesho she saw the older woman nod and smile. For some reason she felt she could trust this woman and, biting her lip, she nodded. "Excellent!" Don said. Rummaging through his bag he brought out two boxes. From the first he retrieved what looked like a long thin ribbon of metal the color of dull pewter. From the second box came another box the same color as the ribbon. "Dent," he said, "would you do the honor?" Dent nodded and took the metal ribbon from him. Nesho bent and gathered Shasta's hair together and held it away from her neck. Smiling and looking Shasta in the eyes Dent leaned over and wrapped the ribbon around her neck. Shasta couldn't see what was happening but suddenly the ribbon was snuggly fitted on her skin. She expected it to be cold, or at least cool, but surprisingly it felt warm and soft, not at all like she thought metal would feel. Don plucked a large needle out of his sleeve and Shasta involuntarily grimaced. "Don't worry my dear," Don said soothingly. "This isn't for you." Dent stuck out his thumb and grunted when teNeigho jabbed it. A large drop of blood welled up and Dent smeared it on the metal band around her neck. "Almost done," Don said. Holding the smaller box next to her neck he placed his own thumb in an indention on its side. Immediately the box turned a beautiful golden color, the same color as the salidin around the necks of the other three women. "That's it," he said standing upright. "Now it will take awhile. I don't think the bonding will be quite as easy as your other two. But hopefully not quite as long as someone else's we know of." Clarise turned red and looked a bit sheepish at this. Shasta started to feel a bit funny. Certainly no pain, but it was still very strange, almost like she had drunk a couple of glasses of wine and had it go straight to her head. The feeling started around her neck, she reached up to touch the band around her neck without thinking, but it quickly spread throughout her entire body. In fact, not only was there no pain but the pain in her feet soon receded until there was only a dull feeling; like there should be pain, but it didn't hurt any longer. "You should probably take her somewhere to rest," Don said. To Shasta his voice sounded like it was coming from far away. She could hear and understand him, but it was as if she wasn't part of what was going on anymore. It wasn't a bad feeling; in fact she felt kind of silly and started giggling. "She looks like she been drugged," Shasta heard. She thought it was Sosho, but she couldn't be sure. "Very likely." That voice she recognized; it was the governor. How ridiculous, she thought, a governor as young as she was. She almost laughed at the thought. Looking up at him she tried to focus on his face; she could but it took some effort. Try as she would, she couldn't remember why she had been afraid when she first saw him. "I think she needs to get some rest." That was the older woman, Nesho. Nesho was leaning over her as best she could and looking into her eyes. The care and concern that look conveyed reminded her of someone, but she couldn't remember whom. "Where do you want to put her?" That question was directed at Clarise, the young blonde standing next to them. "Well," Clarise said thoughtfully. "I believe Katern has an empty bed in her room. We can put her there for now at least." "I still don't want her to walk for awhile," Nesho reminded the crowd. "No problem," Governor Dent said. Bending down he scooped up Shasta and again followed Clarise as she led him deeper into the house. They passed workers cleaning up or putting finishing touches on trim who greeted them with a "Mistress Clarise," or "Governor." The work on the residential side of the house was almost complete, Dent insisted on that before allowing the construction of the "public" wing to proceed past the initial framing. Dent could feel the girl in his arms relax moment by moment as they walked down a well lighted hallway reminiscent of the dormitory where the live-in students stayed at his old academy. Clarise stopped at a door and knocked. Hearing no reply she opened the door and beckoned Dent to follow her in. The small room contained two beds, wardrobes and a small table. It was very neat although one half was obviously occupied since numerous items were visible. A vase with flowers, combs and even a book were arranged neatly on the table or next to one of the beds. The other bed was made up with linen already, but seemed empty compared to the other. "Lay her down there," Clarise said pointing to the unused bed. "She can rest here. I'll have Katern see to her in a little while." Clarise picked up a blanket that had been folded on the foot of the bed and shaking it out pulled it up over the dazed girl when Dent laid her down. Shasta looked up at her puzzled. "You just rest here," Clarise said patting the cover. "I'll be back in a while; we have some things to discuss. But that can wait until you feel up to it." Clarise moved over next to Dent and giggled when he pulled her into his side and gave her a kiss. Putting her arm around his waist she tugged him toward the door. "You did well today, Master," she said as they moved out into the hallway. "I hope so," he replied as they walked down the corridor. Shasta barely heard their footsteps as they faded away. Then the emotional drain of the day and the bonding finally caught up with her and she dropped off to sleep. ------- Shasta woke with a start suddenly afraid deMongue would find her lying down and asleep, a guarantee of rougher punishment than was the usual. The memories of what happened came rushing back to her and she struggled to sit up, her eyes darting around the small room. Wide awake now she realized she wasn't alone in the room. Sitting with her legs crossed under her on the bed across the room was another girl staring at her intently. The girl was about her own age, Shasta guessed, brown hair and rather petite, pretty in a rather ordinary way with a heart shaped face and very large brown eyes. "You're finally awake," the girl said. "Good. I was afraid you would sleep the day away and miss the evening meal. How do you feel?" "Ah, fine I suppose," Shasta answered slowly. "Good. Mistress Clarise wanted to talk to you when you woke up, but..." the girl giggled and covered her mouth with one hand. "She's, ah, busy right now. I guess that leaves just the two of us for right now. I'm Katern, by the way." "Uh, I'm Shasta." "Pleased to meet you," Katern said unfolding her legs and letting them come to rest on the floor. "The mistress said if you felt up to it you would probably want something to eat. Are you hungry?" Shasta's stomach rumbled at the thought of food and she smiled involuntarily when Katern giggled again. "Well, supper for us will start soon, so why don't I show you where the privies are and then we can find out what the cooks have come up with tonight?" Katern jumped to her feet and gave Shasta a questioning look. "Ready?" "Ah, yes, I suppose so," Shasta said getting to her feet slowly. "Hmm, are we allowed to leave the room?" "Allowed?" Katern gave her a puzzled look. "How else would we get supper? Oh, I see. You had one of them before, didn't you?" "Them?" Shasta asked as she smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt. "You know, them." Katern said over her shoulder as she walked towards the door. "One of those bastards that wouldn't let you do anything without getting permission first. I was with deBabear before Master Dent took us. From what I hear he wasn't as bad as some, but it was still bad enough. The mistress said you had a bad one but she didn't have time to completely fill me in. You can do that while we eat." True to her word Katern took Shasta to the privies first, for which Shasta was very grateful. Next she was led into a large room with a number of long wooden tables. A few people, mostly women, were already sitting and eating. "They're the ones serving dinner tonight," Katern said pointing them out. "I was supposed to be on tonight but the mistress pulled me off so I could show you around." Shasta thought back to the times she had been forced to serve her prior masters dinner and shuttered. "Will I have to do that?" she asked." "I don't know what they're going to have you do," Katern answered with a shrug. She shepherded her charge through a door in the rear of the room and into the kitchen proper. She demonstrated where to get the plates and utensils. Shasta watched in amazement as one of the cooks filled her plate with vegetables and some kind of roasted meat with gravy. "Oh, yummy!" Katern smacked her lips as they exited the kitchen back into the eating area. "Roast beef, my favorite!" She leaned over and in a conspiratorial voice said, "Don't tell the cooks but I do get kind of tired of the fish stew. I mean it's good and everything, but after you've had it three or four times a week it gets kind of old. Sometimes I wish Master Dent would be a little more demanding in his choice of foods. I swear he could eat hardtack and salt pork every day and not complain. But unless Mistress Nesho or Clarise gets peeved it's pretty much up to the head cook, and she likes fish stew." "Why," Shasta asked between bites of the rich dark bread. "Why would it matter what they're having?" "Because we have what they have," Katern answered. "I know, I know, that's not common, but you will have to get used to a lot of things around here that aren't common. So, what's your story anyway?" "I... I... killed my master and the governor sentenced me to death," Shasta said looking down at her plate. "Really?" Katern said with disbelief. "You'd better not try that crap around here!" Shasta looked up quickly surprised at the intensity in the young woman's voice. She saw Katern looking very intently at the band around Shasta's neck. "Who are you bonded to anyway?" "Ah, bonded?" Shasta said confused. "I... I don't know." "Sure you do," Katern insisted. "Unless you were asleep when they did it." "I really don't know," Shasta said. "Maybe the old guy. What was his name? Dom or Don? Something like that." "No, that would be the Technician that did it, not who you're bonded too." Katern suddenly realized Shasta really didn't know what she was talking about. "Whose blood did they use to activate your salidin?" "Oh," Shasta said taken aback somewhat. "The governor, I guess. You mean when they pricked his thumb and smeared it on this thing?" "That would be it," Katern said, and then she raised her eyebrows. "Wow, Master Dent himself. That's unusual. I wonder why? He usually has one of his wives bond us. Me, I'm bonded to Mistress Clarise. Not that it really matters. Since she's bonded to him I am also, just not directly." "I think it's because he doesn't trust me completely," Shasta admitted. "Didn't," Katern corrected absently. When she saw Shasta's puzzled look she continued. "He didn't trust you. Now he does." "How do you know?" Shasta asked. "I don't think I would." "Because with that," Katern pointed to Shasta's neck with her fork. "With that on you can't do anything against him." "What do you mean?" Shasta asked. "Not that I would," she added quickly. "He saved my life, at least for now. I'm still condemned; I live at his pleasure." "So do we all," Katern said with a shrug. "Such is the life of a slave. I don't know about you but I've lived under that threat all my life. My ma and dad were slaves back in Harv'el. Were you born free?" Shasta went on to tell Katern about where she lived, her capture and some of her life since then. "Not uncommon," Katern said with a nod. "A lot of the girls have a story similar to yours. Seems a lot of the noble houses like to use captured slaves rather than those born to it. Don't know why; they just do. You finished? Get enough? Good, I'll show you where to put your plates and we can get out of here." On the way back to their room Katern asked if Shasta had another change of clothes. Admitting she didn't they stopped in a small storage room where Katern dug through a couple of bins coming up with a few skirts and blouses. "We'll have a few sets made for you, but this'll do for now." "What do we do now?" Shasta asked when they had returned to their room and put Shasta's new/old clothing in her wardrobe. "Just wait for a while would be my guess," Katern replied. "Mistress Clarise will probably want to talk to you after the family's supper. Until then we can pretty much do whatever we want. Maybe now would be a good time to answer any questions you have. I'm sure you have one or two." "Or ten, or twelve," Shasta said with a smile. "This is all so strange and different. Where to begin? How about the 'Mistresses?' Who are they? Aren't they slaves just like us? I assume the master is using them for his bedding partners, but somehow it seems more than that?" "Much more than that, I assure you." Katern paused and then continued. "Most of us consider them to be his wives. Yes, I know slaves can't marry by law, but Master Dent doesn't pay much attention to that even at the best of times. Mistresses Nesho and Sosho have been with him for a long time. I don't know the whole story." "Those are the two sisters, right?" "Mother and daughter, not sisters," Katern nodded when Shasta gave her a look of disbelief. "And moreover Master Dent is related to them some way, I just don't know how. Now, take Nesho: She is as sweet as they come and even Master Dent swears she is the smartest person he's ever known; but let her even think you are doing something to hurt him and she'll cut your throat quicker than you can say when. He tries hard not to show it. Goes out of his way to be even and fair, but everybody knows not only is she his senior wife but she's first in his heart also. It's not that he doesn't love the other two, but she is special; just don't let the master or mistress hear you say it or you're in for a stern talking-to. "Mistress Sosho, she's a bit younger than we are and as full of fire as any demon you never want to meet. She used to run his household when the master first took over from the deBabears, but lately she been spending more of her time down in the village. Now I will warn you, with the baby on the way and all, she does get a bit cranky sometimes. We've all learned just to avoid her at those times and so will you." "What about the third one, Clarise?" Shasta asked. "She obviously isn't related to the other two." "Ah, now that's an interesting story," Katern replied with a grin. "Mistress Clarise was the old master's daughter; and let me tell you a more hate-filled bitch you wouldn't find anywhere. When Master Dent took over the deBabear's property she naturally came with it. I can remember when he first bonded her; what a time that was! We all thought she was going to choke herself to death fighting against the bonding; at least we all hoped she would anyway. And Mistress Sosho: Oh my! We all thought if Mistress Clarise didn't choke herself then Mistress Sosho would certainly do it for her! You see, Clarise took a swing at the master with a sword when he first came for her and that didn't sit well with Sosho. Let me tell you, nobody, but nobody, can hold a grudge like Sosho can! Those two fought like you wouldn't believe!" "But now Clarise, I mean Mistress Clarise, is in charge of the household?" Shasta sounded puzzled. "That seems to be a bit of a twist." "I suppose so," Katern replied thoughtfully. "As it happens so often when two people fight so hard against each other, Sosho and Clarise actually became good friends. 'Tighter than ticks on a dog' I once heard one of the guards say. Happens sometimes," Katern ended with a shrug. "So now she's bedding the master," Shasta said with a snort. "I assume our master beat and bedded her into submission." "Watch your tongue, girl," Katern said sharply. "Master Dent beds nobody but his wives. Mores the pity," she muttered mostly to herself. "You sound like you want him to bed you!" Shasta said accusingly. Katern looked at her coolly for a moment and then sighed. "I suppose you'll find out soon enough," Katern said looking down at her hands folded in her lap. "I prefer other girls for fun at night if and when I feel the need. Oh, don't worry; I'm not looking to you for any of that. I already have a few special someones and none of us are looking for any other partners. Yes, I've been used by the old master in the past, and even a few of his guards. I hated it! Just remembering it makes my skin crawl. But..." Suddenly she looked up at Shasta. "What do you know about the pretty little necklaces we wear?" For emphasis she lifted her hand and stroked her own salidin. "Uh, not much," Shasta admitted. "I know they are supposedly on for life and have some special powers. But that's all I know really." "Well, you'll find out a lot more about them soon," Katern stated emphatically. "But let me tell you this: One of the powers, as you put it, is that you can feel something of what the person you're bonded to feels. I'm bonded to Mistress Clarise now, although at first I was bonded to Mistress Nesho. So I can feel what she does at times, especially if her feelings are particularly strong. Let's just say that when she's in bed with our master her feeling are very strong. I can feel a little of what it's like for her and from what I've felt... Yes I would like to try having him bed me. It's strange but men in general don't excite me, in fact they repel me most of the time; but the master... that's different. If he were to call for me not only would I go willingly but as quickly as I could!" "I can't imagine doing that willingly," Shasta shuddered. "Never again!" "Well, that's something you don't have to worry about," Katern replied with a grin. "With this," she again stroked her salidin, "no man may take you without our master's permission, and he won't give it unless you ask. So, if you don't ask it won't happen." "What do you mean 'No man can take you'?" Shasta asked, again puzzled. "Just that. Somehow the collar acts to protect us." Katern smile broadened. "If one does, he ends up with a great deal of pain and his cock burned. I understand it could even kill him. Even happens if the girl is willing. One of the maids found that out the hard way. She met a fellow in town and she agreed to a little tryst with him. I understand he was in bed for a week healing. Stupid really; all she had to do was ask; he's never refused anyone that I know of." "And that works for all of us?" Shasta asked bewildered. "Yep," Katern replied. "For as long as we belong to him from what I understand." "That's, wonderful," Shasta almost whispered. "To never have a man touch you again, that's just wonderful." They talked for awhile about their childhoods and the differences in growing up free and as a slave. Both were surprised at the differences, but even more surprised at how similar they really were. All too soon there was a knock on the door and another servant Shasta hadn't yet met telling her Clarise wanted to see her. Katern introduced them. E'beth was a little older then Shasta but still very pretty. Shasta wondered if the governor had any ugly, or even plain, women working for him. "Where does she want her, E'Beth?" Katern asked. "The parlor? I'll get her there." "No. The mistress will see her in her room," E'beth replied. "And don't bother getting up Kat, it's on my way." "Okay," Katern said with a nod. Then to Shasta, "E'beth will show you the way. You can just come back here afterwards. Or look for me; I'll be somewhere around the kitchen." With that E'beth hustled Shasta out of the room and up a couple flights of stairs where they ended up on the top floor outside a nondescript room. E'beth knocked on the doorframe and shooed Shasta inside. The room was large, airy and nicely furnished, but with the exception of a small desk set along one wall looked to be largely unused. The desk was obviously well used. It was cluttered, but with what Shasta recognized as organized clutter. Near the desk was a small table with a tea setting and two chairs. Clarise was sitting in one of the chairs but hopped up immediately and came toward them as they entered the room. "Thank you for coming," Clarise said holding her had out to Shasta. Shasta was torn between taking the proffered hand and curtsying, so she tried to do both and almost fell over. "Oh dear," Clarise exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I forgot about your feet! I should have done this down in your room. Come over here and sit down immediately! How are they feeling?" "Thank you, Mistress," Shasta said sitting down. "Ah, actually they don't hurt at all." Shasta suddenly realized this was true; her feet really didn't hurt. Shasta was amazed. "Good," Clarise said with a smile as she sat down in the other chair. "I'd like to say I knew they wouldn't, but to be honest I just plain forgot. I was a little busy before dinner and... Well, no excuse, but I am glad they feel better. Nesho looked in on you while you were sleeping. She was not happy at all about some of your... wounds, but she said you will mend nicely" "It was nothing, Mistress..." Shasta started. "Oh pooh," Clarise snorted. "Not you, also. Look, I can't seem to break anyone else of this 'Mistress' silliness, but since you are new I was hoping... Look, I'm Clarise; you're Shasta, or do you go by something else?" "Ah, Shasta is fine mist... Clarise." "Thank you. See? That wasn't so hard." Clarise picked up the teapot and poured herself a cup then asked, "Would you like a cup of tea?" Shasta nodded and Clarise poured another one. "It really is kind of silly," she continued. "I mean, I'm as much a slave now as anyone else around here. I don't know if you heard or not, but my father used to own most everybody here; he was the deBabear, but since the master took over I'm really no different then anyone else here." Shasta look at the young woman in stunned disbelief. She knew she should just agree and let the comment pass, but she couldn't. That something inside her that kept her in almost constant trouble over the span of many masters just had to surface. "You're just playing with me, right?" she said incredulously. "No, I don't think so," Clarise said looking puzzled. "But-but, you're the master's..." Shasta stumbled to a stop. "Wife?" Clarise prompted. "True, and as such he relies on us to handle the mundane day-to-day things that need to be taken care of. But that doesn't mean we're any better than anyone else in this house." Clarise paused and pursed her lips. "I spent most of my life being the mistress of a household... Well really, the household pet. I never really did anything except cry, whine and push people around. I was a spoiled brat and treated the household servants like they weren't human. It's amazing what being on the other side of the collar does for one's perspective." Pausing again for a moment as if gathering her thoughts she finally continued. "I realize now it was the luckiest thing that could ever have happened to me: the day our master placed his collar on me." "Ah, well, yes..." Shasta replied, not know exactly what to say. "You don't believe me," Clarise stated with conviction. "No. You don't have to tell me any different. I wouldn't have believed it myself not that long ago. But I think you will, given time. Neither one of us can change what we are now; and to be honest I wouldn't change it now even if I could." "But the master at least likes you," Shasta said. "I haven't seen that to be the case for me. All I am is a body to be used. Something they can mount and grunt into until they're satisfied." "But that's the best part," Clarise laughed. Her eyes searched the woman sitting across from her and she sobered somewhat. "I can assure you that won't happen to you again unless you want it to." "So I've heard," Shasta said, the disbelief evident in her voice. "I still can't believe it won't happen." "Can't happen," Clarise responded forcefully. "I don't know what you've heard but with this," she reached up to touch her salidin, "no man can take you without our master's permission. I can assure you he won't give it unless you ask for it. But don't take my word for it; ask Sosho. The Putram of Jeevel himself tried to take her once, to his considerable surprise and a great deal of pain." "It just doesn't seem possible," Shasta admitted. "Believe it or not, it's true," Clarise said with a nod. "As long as you are with Master Dent you won't have to worry about that again. But there were a few other things I wanted to talk to you about. First, how is your bonding coming along?" "Ah, fine, I guess," Shasta mumbled. "Good. You would know if it wasn't." Shasta grinned and blushed a little. "I know first hand what happens if you fight it; it's not worth it, believe me. My advice is: don't fight it, just let it come naturally. Do you feel any differently now?" "I don't know," Shasta admitted. "How am I supposed to feel?" "You would know," Clarise answered, nodding again. "Let me ask you this: Do you know where Master Dent is right now?" "Of course not! How would I know where..." Shasta suddenly looked puzzled. "Point to where you think he would be if you had to guess," Clarise prompted. Slowly, and without even looking, Shasta lifted her arm and pointed in a direction that could either be down the hall or maybe toward the town. "Good," Clarise said with another nod. "Now, how far away is he?" "I-I don't know," Shasta admitted. "That's all right," Clarise said sitting back in her seat. "It may take longer for that. You see, we can all tell exactly where he is, about how far away he is and even what he's feeling. It's actually rather comforting. Clarise went on to explain just what the salidin, the correct term for the "witch collar," was and what it did. The explanation both fascinated and appalled Shasta. "Salidin are a piece of Old Tech," she started, "from before the Turn. Even the ones who use them really don't know what they were originally used for. Now they are used to bond the wearer to someone else. "Simply put, you are a part of the person you are bonded too. Yes, they are used to control slaves. One of their powers, if that is what you want to call them, is to compel you to do what our master orders you to do. Actually it's even deeper than that, not only do you have to do what he tells you it will force you to do what you know he wants you to do. It also prevents you from doing anything you know he doesn't want you to do. It gives the master complete control over what you can and can't do. Luckily our master almost never uses this directly. In fact, you may never feel its direct power. If you are like the rest of us, you will find you don't want to do anything against his will. Now, whether this is the salidin working on us or just a facet of our great respect and love for him I don't know, and frankly I don't care. "Unlike the tattoo on your face this is permanent. It can't come off or you will die. It is there for the rest of your life." "Ah, mist... Clarise," Shasta said reaching up to lightly rub the slave tattoo sprawled across her forehead. "What do you mean "unlike the tattoo?" Isn't this permanent enough?" "Actually, no," Clarise said with a grin. "Did you notice tattoo's on any of the collared here?" "No," Clarise answered with a frown. "I assumed they were servants but not slaves." "The only ones I can remember not having the tattoos were Nesho, Sosho and myself," Clarise said. "Everyone else were slaves in Harv'el before coming here. As you know, they were very much required there. Interestingly enough, about two or three ten-days after bonding their tattoos started fading. We think it has something to do with the healing properties of the salidin. One of the benefits of wearing the collar is it helps you heal faster if you get hurt, and you almost never get sick. Just between you and me, it even helps make your cycle somewhat easier to take. "So, there you have most of it. We are bonded to our master for as long as he, or we, live. Yes, in the eyes of Jeevel we are his slaves and property; the collar doesn't change that. But I doubt any other slave in Jeevel ever felt the way we do. I can only speak for my sister-wives, and myself but it feels more like a family with Dent as its head rather than just our master. We give him the love and devotion he deserves and in return he gives us his love and protection. That is one thing I could never say before: I know, without any possible doubt, that he loves us. That is part of the bond, knowing what he feels. It's really quite wonderful!" "I will be forced to love him?" Shasta asked. "No," Clarise answered. "It compels obedience and loyalty, never emotion. I've been told you could deeply hate the person you are bonded to and it wouldn't matter. Although it seems to me there are definite benefits if you do have feelings towards the one you're bonded to." Suddenly Clarise blushed a bright pink and mumbled to herself, "Yes, definitely there are benefits!" Shaking herself slightly, almost as if she had a chill, Clarise turned back to Shasta. "Well enough about that. If you have questions later, someone should be able to answer them. Don't be afraid to ask." "Now, the second thing I wanted to talk with you about is how you will fit in here. What will you do? There is no real crying need for anything right now, except for nannies here in the near future. I believe you said you haven't had any experience with children, especially babies, so I'm not sure that would be the best choice right now. The question is, what can you do?" "I don't know," Shasta said. She then added bitterly, "I was never used for anything except a glorified plaything. I suppose I could learn just about anything, though." "I'm sure you could," Shasta agreed. "What would you like to do?" "I don't know," Shasta said. "Anything except what I was doing, even emptying chamber pots." "Well," Clarise said with a laugh, "that's as good a place to start as any. It's where I got my start. We can always use a maid for the private residence, especially when the new wing opens. Why don't we try you there?" "Ah, certainly mist... Clarise," Shasta mumbled. "Good!" Clarise said clapping her hands together. "That will work out nicely. Katern works up here most of the time; she can show you everything that needs to be done. No need to start anything today; tomorrow will be soon enough. Do you need me to show you the way back to your room? Or anywhere else for that matter?" Suddenly a glint came to her eye and she grinned evilly, "Or maybe I should call the master in and have him carry you downstairs if your feet are still hurting. I'm sure he wouldn't mind one little bit." "No! T-that won't be necessary," Shasta stammered. "I can find my way back to my room without any problems." Edited by Morgan ------- Chapter 3 The next few weeks went by quickly. The maid's job kept her fairly busy; Shasta found out quickly Clarise wasn't a harsh taskmistress, but she did expect everything to be clean and in their correct place. Given what she had left behind, it was as close to heaven as she could have hoped. Katern was another of the maids and willingly showed her what needed to be done and how to avoid the pitfalls many newcomers fell into. She saw Clarise, Nesho and Sosho on an almost daily basis. Since Clarise was the "wife-in-charge" of the daily operations of the household, Shasta saw her more often then the rest. However Nesho and Sosho, with their advanced stages of pregnancy, needed a considerable amount of assistance, even with the most mundane tasks, such as getting dressed in the morning. Shasta enjoyed this part most of all. While she respected Clarise for her even-tempered way of dealing with the staff and was overawed by her beauty, Shasta was more comfortable with the younger Sosho and completely awestruck by Nesho. To the fisherman's daughter turned slave, Nesho was the epitome of grace, charm and self-assurance. Although heavily gravid with child, Nesho still spent many long hours each day cloistered in her own den/office pouring over reports and producing voluminous amounts of paperwork. The other servants said she was the heart and brains behind the shipping concern their master was involved in. Shasta had less interaction with her then the others, but what little she did left her breathless. She was without a doubt the sharpest person Shasta had ever met. In this household filled with surprises Shasta still found herself amazed at times. Such as by the freedom the Master allowed his "slaves." She still had to be careful about using that word; the master really didn't like it and even if he didn't say anything about it, his "wives" certainly would. They had the uncanny ability to zero in on anything that caused him discomfort like sharks sensing blood in the water. And while they were usually very forgiving and quite fair-minded; if it came to distressing their man, it was safer to take the shark. Although Shasta had never seen anyone beaten for any reason in the deSiso household, the tongues of those three could be sharper than sharks' teeth if they felt it was needed. Master Dent -- calling someone "master" still made Shasta a little bit queasy, although less so as time passed -- never seemed to interfere with anything his women did. In fact he supported them against other freemen, something absolutely unheard of. Shasta clearly remembered a time two merchants came calling on the deSiso house looking for a license for the transshipment of goods. She was dusting Nesho's office when they were announced. One she had seen before, the other was new. The doormaid for the day had ushered them up to the large study Nesho used as her office. Dent's private den was much smaller and cozier, or so Shasta thought. It must have been that the more established merchant hadn't fully explained how and who they would be dealing with here in Safehaven since his partner was utterly shocked when they entered the room and saw Nesho sitting behind the big desk. "Wench, you best get your ass out of that chair before your master has you whipped," he said without thinking. "Ah, György," the other man said nervously. "This is Mistress Nesho torSiso. She is, ah, the governor's, ah, representative in these maters." "Nonsense!" György said shaking his head in disbelief. "No self-respecting man would deal with a slave other than as a comfort in bed. Which I see she has been obviously been used for. And what is this "Mistress" crap, Imre? It's a fucking slave! It's not like it's a real woman." "György!" Imre hissed. "Control yourself. This is His Excellency's personal representative. I told you we wouldn't be dealing directly with him." Turning back to Nesho he cleared his throat and said, "I'm terribly sorry, Mistress Nesho. My colleague isn't aware of the situation and is a bit, well, provincial in his attitude toward, ah, servants. Please forgive him; I'm sure we can work through this misunderstanding." Nesho was about to say something when György interrupted. "There is no misunderstanding, Imre," György said snidely. "I deal with men of my own station. I have no use for some round-heeled trollop, no matter what she calls herself." "Really György, we must..." Imre started. "That's quite all right, Master Imre," Nesho said smiling. "I believe Master Dent is in today. Why don't we see if he is available? Shasta," she said with a gleam in her eye, "would you please find Master Dent and ask if he is available to see these gentlemen? I believe he's in his office right now." "Of course, Mistress," Shasta said and started for the door. As she was leaving she heard the one called Imre say, "Mistress Nesho, I really don't think that is necessary..." ------- Shasta hurried down the hall to the master bedroom. Dent's den/office was off the bedroom. It was very secluded and never meant to be accessible to the public. Shasta had been in there a few times when the master wasn't there. She was still uncomfortable in his presence or even to be in an area he frequented. When Shasta first saw this room she had been amazed at the starkness and its severe functionality. For the most part the walls were bare with the exception of a number of bookshelves filled to overflowing. The desk was smaller than the one Nesho was presently sitting at and meticulously clean the few times she had seen it. The only ornamentation, if you could call it that, was the full dress armor of a Guild Warrior sitting on a stand in the corner. As she entered the room she knocked on the doorframe. Dent was looking at a few papers lying on the desk and looked up as she entered. "Shasta," he said with a smile. "What can I do for you?" "Master," she said with a small curtsy. "Mistress Nesho begs your presence in the main office if you are available." "I certainly am," he said rising. "Is there a problem?" "No," she started. "Well, maybe. There is a man there that doesn't want to deal with her; he wants to see you personally. Said he doesn't deal with slaves." "Is that so?" the smile disappearing from his face. "Then I suppose we will have to give him what he wants, now won't we?" His face now set in stone he quickly walked past and Shasta scurried to follow. Hardly slowing down Dent entered the large office and without a glance at the two men who were just beginning to stand went straight toward the big desk and Nesho who was also struggling to standup. In doing so he walked right past György who had stuck his hand out in greeting. Motioning Nesho to remain seated he moved to stand beside her behind the desk. Bending down he gave her a slow, lingering kiss, the kind that under different circumstances might lead to some private time in the bedroom. If his intention was to make it clear whom he considered important in the room he succeeded admirably. Shasta could see the surprised, almost shocked, expression on György's face, and the despondent look on Imre's. Shasta had to pinch herself to keep from laughing out loud. At least Nesho had propriety enough to blush; although Shasta wasn't sure if it was really embarrassment or just the flush of sexual excitement. Shasta had been there long enough now to know that with Nesho, it could very well have been either. "Gentleman," Dent said straightening up, "I understand there is a question as to whom business-related matters should be directed towards?" "No question at all, my good man," György answered. He appeared to be still flustered from the intended slight but was quickly recovering his composure. "I was just telling Imre here that real men don't discuss business with slaves; we do it between ourselves." Imre's had gone from despondent to a pale pallor. "Is that so?" Dent said slowly. "To whom am I speaking and just what is this business we are supposed to discuss?" "Well, I am György deMongue," György said with a smile. "And our business deals with leasing some space in one of your warehouses for the transshipment of goods." At the mention of the deMongue name Shasta gave a slight involuntary gasp and started to feel a bit faint. Here was a representative of the House of her former master! Was he here also to claim his property for her just punishment? She almost turned and ran except Nesho caught her eye and with a slight shake of her head Shasta froze in place. "I see," Dent said. His eyes had briefly flickered over to Shasta at the name but were now again centered on the man standing in front of him. "You are under a misunderstanding here, I fear. I am the governor and I deal with the administration of this island. All my business concerns with respect to the shipping company are handled by my representative here." He placed his hand possessively on Nesho's shoulder as she smiled up at him. "If you wish to do business with my company, you go through her. That is not negotiable." "This is outrageous!" György sputtered. "Nobody would deal with you under these circumstances!" "I do feel for you," Dent responded with almost a smirk. "I wouldn't like to negotiate with her myself. I've tried and always come up losing. But nonetheless that's the way it is. If you can't accept these conditions, well, you are certainly welcome to turn around and walk out that door." "Ridiculous!" György shouted. "I will not be made jest of because of some bitch of a cow! I demand satisfaction!" "Hmm," Dent looked at György with narrowed eyes. "Dent!" Nesho said sharply. "No dueling is allowed on Safehaven! You know that! Especially you!" "That is true," he said not taking his eyes off of György. "But since I'm the one who made that rule I can also modify it." "No. You. Can't!" she snarled while yanking on his arm. Finally he broke contact with György and looked down at her. "It would be a really bad idea," she hissed, her eyes narrowed into cobra slits. "I mean a really bad idea." Dent's eyes widened just a little in surprise but he only nodded. All of a sudden he grinned at her and the tension immediately left her face. Still grinning he turned back to György and Imre. "Well, it seems I won't be accepting your kind invitation to dance," he said. "I have been gently reminded that it is not the governor's place to duel, even if it were allowed." "That was disgusting!" György sputtered. "I have never seen a man so emasculated! You are no man! You're just a — a — a..." "Imre," Nesho said loud enough for all to hear. "You might want to explain to your friend just how close he came to death just now." All heads turned toward her and then to Imre. "Well, yes," Imre stammered. "György you will probably want to know that the man you have challenged is the best swordsmen in Jeevel and maybe even the world. That's not me talking; I've met a number of Guild warriors over the past few weeks and that's what they say. Remember, he is a Guild warrior." "That's a bit much," Dent muttered. "Also," Nesho interjected, "having two Mongue killed in Safehaven in as many months would be a cause for talk." "Eh, what's that?" György said taken back. "Two? What are you talking about?" "I'm sorry," Nesho said affecting an aura of innocence. "I had assumed you were related to a Blein deMongue who died here these few ten-day ago." "Oh yes, Blein," György said and stopped to think. "My half-brother, not that we were all that close. That's right; he was killed here wasn't he? He never would take advice, that one. I told him once if he was going to play with his toys like that he should maim them first. It may not be as much fun, but it's a lot safer. I heard you killed the bitch." "She was condemned to death as the law required," was all Dent would offer. "A pity," György mused. "You probably had her killed quickly. If I or mine had her she'd be screaming still." "Justice was done," Dent added sharply. "A highly overvalued concept," György said. "Whatever the case, I may have to honor you as the governor but I certainly have no respect for you as a man. I think I will take my business elsewhere. Are you coming, Imre?" Without waiting for the answer he turned and strutted out the door nearly running down Shasta in his haste to leave. "I'm sorry, Your Excellency, Mistress Nesho," Imre said nervously. "I'm afraid my House ordered me to work with that... person. I sincerely apologize and hope this little incident won't affect our future business dealings." Dent just grunted and waved his hand. Nesho smiled and said, "We understand, Imre. There are times when you can't pick and choose whom you deal with. I am sure we can still work to our mutual benefit, but maybe today wouldn't be the best time for that." "Thank you, Mistress," Imre said sounding relived. "I am very happy to hear you say that, and I agree; today wouldn't be the best time. That being the case I will beg your leave and call at a better, less emotional time. Your Excellency, Mistress." Bowing, he also turned and left. Shasta, still flustered after meeting another Mongue and flabbergasted over Dent's actions towards the visitors and his "slave," fled to her room to hide. ------- It was around this same time Shasta began to get strange feelings. They were unlike anything she had ever felt before. At first it was little more than a craving, a want for some undescribable and unknown something. At first it came only at night when she would wake and reach... for nothing. As the days passed the feelings grew stronger and began to invade her dreams. She was used to waking from her nightmares shivering and with cold sweats. Those had started almost from the day she was sold to Mongue and always involved his face as he stood over her, usually with one of his pain-inducing "toys." Although she still had those every once in a while, their frequency had decreased dramatically since joining the deSiso household. Before Mongue her nightmares revolved mostly around the capture of her village, the death of her family and her subsequent multiple rapes. Luckily those particular dreams hadn't returned. These new dreams were different, less clear, and difficult to remember. She knew they involved a man; this caused her to cringe slightly, but who he was or what he was doing remained obscured. These feelings continued to come upon her and grew stronger, at times now hitting her in the middle of the day when she knew she wasn't dreaming. She thought about talking to Katern about them, but she was afraid of sounding like a madwoman. One night it finally came to a head. Shasta had just gone to sleep when the most vivid dream she had ever experienced seemed to reach out and take hold of her. The man was there again, identity still in doubt, but this time he was kneeling between her legs and there was no doubt as to what was going on. She had been the recipient of this type of attention far too often to mistake what was about to happen. This kind of dream she was used to; usually she would wake up screaming before actual penetration, but this time she didn't. He also didn't immediately thrust into her as was her past masters' usual practices. This was different and it confused her. The man was kneeling between her legs but his head was bent down, his mouth going for one of her erect pink nipples. Shasta waited; this seemed far too real and she waited for the pain of his teeth biting into her soft breast. The pain never came. Instead she felt the soft touch of lips gently enclosing her swollen nub and the pressure as he drew it into his mouth and began to slowly suckle. The feeling was unlike any she had ever experienced before. It wasn't an intense burst of pleasure, more like a slow spreading warmth starting in her breast that gently diffusing through the rest of her body. It was an eerie feeling, almost as if it wasn't her body it was happening too. Even more unsettling was the sensation that she wasn't feeling it in just her body. It was like she drifted between the woman's position and the man's. At times she could feel the lips firmly around her nipple and the next she was kneeling between the woman's legs, the succulent nub between her own lips. At those times she could feel his desire, his need, the shock of pleasure as the head his male member lightly caressed the wet, open lips of her sex. In his body she felt her grab his head and firmly pull him up until their lips met and their tongues danced together, first in her mouth and then in his. Shasta could feel the woman arch her pelvis capturing his cock with her sex as her legs wrapped around his body and began to gently draw him into her... Shasta woke with a start. One hand cupping a breast and the other under her nightshirt fondling her own sex, which she was surprised to find was soaking wet. Shasta heard a loud moan and turned to see Katern thrashing around on her bed. Although still buzzing with barely suppressed sexual need Shasta worried about her new friend who was still whimpering and moaning. "Katern?" she whispered as she got out of her bed and crossed the room. "Kat? Are you all right?" She bent down over the writhing figure and lightly touched Katern's shoulder. Almost instantly she was roughly grabbed and pulled down on top of her roommate. Katern's grip was like iron and Shasta was too surprised to struggle. Still whimpering Katern's mouth found Shasta's, the kiss was not one of gentle lovers but that of a lust-maddened animal. Katern thrust her tongue into Shasta as the hands gripping her shoulders moved to wrap around her back and crush her to the other woman. Without thinking Shasta started to return the kiss and wrapped her own arms around Katern. Together they rolled over until they were lying on their sides, each pressing as close to the other as she could. The heat that had been smoldering in Shasta's groin suddenly burst into a hot flame and as one the two girls reached down to hastily draw up nightshirts and jamb their fingers into the others sex. Shasta had never felt such a burning need before as she opened her legs to her partner's probe. Her own fingers were in Katern's moist heat when a blinding flash of pure pleasure coursed through her body... ------- Again she woke, but this time it was different. Not only did she feel wonderfully sated but there was a warm, soft body pressed up against her. Slowly the memory of what happened returned and she was surprised that, while puzzled, she didn't feel the revulsion she would have expected. It was dark in the room but when she looked over at Katern there was enough light to see that her eyes were open and she had a worried look on her face. "I'm sorry," Katern said in a tiny voice. "I'm really sorry..." "Hush," Shasta said, pulling her in even tighter. "It's all right." "You must hate me," Katern started before Shasta interrupted. "I don't hate you," Shasta said giving her friend a light kiss on the nose. "But I am... Well... puzzled. What just happened?" "Do you mean what, or why?" Katern answered sounding relieved. "I guess I mean why," Shasta chuckled. "I can pretty much figure out what." "What was happening was those two were going at it again," Katern said sounding almost exasperated. "I wish he would just knock her up so the rest of us could get some peace around here." "What do you mean?" Shasta asked shaking her head. "Master Dent and Clarise of course," Katern said. "She's been jumping him every chance she gets trying to get pregnant. I guess she feels left out since the other two are, you know. It's not so bad during the day for the most part; you know it's there and can somewhat control it, but at night, especially after you've gone to sleep — well, it can really catch you." "Well, that's nice for them," Shasta said. "But what does that have to do with us?" "Remember when I asked you if you knew where Master Dent was?" Shasta nodded. "It's something like that only more so. It's one of the benefits, curses, of our collars. When the person we're bound to has strong emotions, like when they're fucking, we can feel what they feel, react like they do. Is this the first time it happened to you?" Shasta proceeded to tell her about her recent experiences and feelings. "That's it," Katern said with a smirk. "I guess you don't hate our master as much as you thought you did." "I don't hate him," a startled Shasta answered. "I'm grateful to him, but that's all." "Hmm, maybe," Katern said still smirking. "What do you mean, maybe?" Shasta huffed. "What I mean, lover," Katern again smirked, "is, from what I understand this little reaction only happens when you have real feelings for the one you're bound too." "So you have feelings for Mistress Clarise?" Shasta said trying to change the subject. "Oh yeah," Katern said nodding. "Both of them actually." "But you said you like girls," Shasta said puzzled. "I said I prefer girls," Katern chuckled. "But if I had a chance at our master I wouldn't hesitate for a second. I don't think any of us would. Would you?" "I have no desire to be with him at all, with any man, for that matter," Shasta said firmly. "Hmm," was all Katern would answer. "So this doesn't bother you? You and me? Girl on girl?" "No, it doesn't," Shasta said after thinking a moment or two. "I thought it would, or maybe I thought it should, but right now it doesn't." "Would you be willing to try it again?" "Hmm, probably," Shasta said again after a moment of thought. "It did feel good. In fact I've never felt like that before." "Good," Katern said snuggling in. "Because as often as our stud master does it... Well, it helps." The next ten-day passed uneventfully for the most part, although with each day the air of expectancy seemed to grow until Shasta was sure she could almost see it. Everyone in the household was on knifeedge waiting for the birth of the master's first -- and second for that matter -- child. Although Shasta would never have believed it if she hadn't seen it herself, there was a tremendous amount of betting going on in the servants' quarters concerning their soon-to-be new additions. Shasta couldn't believe it because if the servants of her previous masters would have been terrified to wager on any aspect of their master's life, let alone the birth of his acknowledged child. It would have resulted in a public whipping at the very least, in some cases even a public execution. But here it was all but publicly acknowledged; the tally board with everyone's guess and wager was up in the kitchen for all to see, although at least they had enough decorum to not label it so the master and his three mistresses could pretend they didn't know what it was. Nesho thought the whole idea was hilarious while Clarise gave off the air of supreme indifference. (Rumor had it that while she acted indifferently she had also placed a few bets herself using one of her maids as a front.) Sosho was delighted to discover that a few bets were made having her give birth first. Secretly Shasta thought it was just wishful thinking on a few peoples' parts. While Nesho's disposition became ever more placid and pleasant as her time drew near the same could not be said for her daughter. If anything Sosho's had become more sharp and intemperate as the days progressed. While nobody could be said to be actively avoiding her, it was well understood that a little bit of her temper went a long way. That all changed one afternoon when every servant personally bonded to Nesho or Dent suddenly dropped what he or she was doing and rushed up the stairs to the master's suite. At about the same time Shasta felt an unease that soon bloomed into a worry bordering on panic. She had the overwhelming need to be by her master's side and unconsciously reached for him, felt his presence and started towards him at a pace just under that of a run. There was a crowd gathered around the entrance to the master suite made up of mostly those servants bonded to Clarise and Sosho, although Shasta noticed a number of unfamiliar faces. She rightly assumed these were mostly local people who happened to be in the mansion and followed the crowd up to see what was going on. They were packed so tightly she couldn't push through. So great was her compulsion, though, she resorted to some well-placed elbows and a heel or two to an instep here or there. At least she was able to snake her way through the crowd without using fingernails and teeth which would have been the next step. Finally popping free on the other side Shasta first noticed her master hovering over a grimacing Nesho who was holding her distended belly and sitting on the edge of the bed. Shasta had only known her new master for a few ten day but she would never have guessed he could ever be radiating the panic and uncertainty she was feeling at this moment. She would have sworn he could have looked certain death in the eye and have been cold as ice. It was then she noticed Clarise and Sosho sitting next to Nesho looking almost as flustered as Dent; she reasoned his emotional emissions were affecting them also. Which means they must be affecting Nesho; that was unacceptable! One of the guards bonded to Dent was standing near her looking like he was also on the edge of panic. Taking the few steps needed, Shasta placed herself directly in front of him and reaching up grabbed one of his ears, pulling it down to her. "You useless baboon!" she yelled. "What do you think you're doing?" "Ah, ah, nothing!" he sputtered. The trance broken he looked down, an annoyed expression on his face. That was until he saw the look in her eye, then he tried to take a step back. He might have been able to escape from those blazing green eyes except for the fingers that gripped his ear like a vise. The guard considered himself a modern man of, if not of great intellect then at least possessed of common sense, but for a moment there he honestly believed the stories of demonic possession his old Grams used to tell him. If the redheaded fireball holding on to him wasn't possessed then nobody ever was! "Nothing indeed!" she said shaking his head a little. "Our lady is giving birth, you idiot, not singing in a festival! She doesn't need an audience! Get your ass over there and clear this room and the hallway!" Shaking him once again she pushed his head up as she released and he took a half step backward. "Oh," he said shaking his head as if to clear it. He looked over at the crowd at the doorway and nodded. "Yes mistress, right away." Walking over to the door he growled and started shooing everyone away except Nesho's personal maids. Shasta snorted her approval and turned back to her next project. Marching deliberately over to Dent, who hadn't noticed her interaction with the guard, she set herself and swung her fist as hard as she could, hitting him in the chest. He grunted slightly as her hand bounced off but it had achieved the desired effect as his eyes swiveled to meet hers and the waves of panic seemed to evaporate. "You stop this right now," she fumed. "Ouch!" she continued as she shook her hand, it felt like she had tried to hit a rock wall. "Ah, stop what?" he said with a puzzled expression. "Mistress Nesho is giving birth not dying! She's giving birth and she will do much better if you aren't panicking her with your silly worries!" "She's quite right, dear," Nesho said between grunts. "It is nothing unusual; remember I've already done this once." "Well," he said smiling just a little. "That's true, you may have, but I haven't." "Shasta is right," Clarise said putting her hand on his arm. "You were distracting all of us. I'm sure it couldn't have been pleasant for Nesho." "Sorry, love," he said as he bent down and gave Nesho a gentle kiss. "It's just I'm so worried about you." "I know," Nesho replied. "But it can be difficult enough without having panic imposed from outside." "I'll try to control myself," he said blushing. Nesho smiled and grunted as she tried to push herself up from the bed. "I'd better get down to my room," she said. "I'm going to be abed for a little while and no need to put everybody out." "No!" Dent said with a finality that crushed even the hint of argument. "Our children will be born right here, in this bed. That goes for all of you. Nesho, you will stay here. If the rest of us can then we will do so; if not then there are plenty of other beds to choose from. Our children will be born here, in our bed. Is that clear?" "Yes Master," came simultaneously from four mouths. Nesho, Sosho and Clarise looked at each other and giggled while Shasta just stood with her mouth agape, blushing furiously. "Well, if that is your desire, my lord and master," Nesho started. "Then we'll need clean sheets for in here and another set for after the birth. Someone needs to go down to the village and tell the midwife she'll be needed soon; we have a little time, but soon." "I'll take care of it, Mistress," Shasta said firmly. "Thank you, Shasta," Nesho said with a smile. "But you don't need to do it alone. I'm sure we can find..." "I'll take care if it, Mistress," Shasta said a little more firmly with just a hint of irritation. "Mistress Clarise and Mistress Sosho will stay here to look after you; I will take care of everything else." With that she made a perfunctory curtsy, turned and marched out of the room. "Oh my," Clarise said look at the doorway. "Now what do you think brought that on?" "I don't know," Sosho mused. "But we might as well accept it. Did you see the way she handled Rolth?" Rolth was the guard Shasta had bullied to clear the room. When the others shook their heads she continued. "She had him by the ear and dancing to her tune in no time." "Must be that temper redheads are famous for," Dent interjected with a grin. "Oh, so now you'll be wanting a redhead for a little spice?" Sosho said raising her eyebrows. "Not at all," Dent protested as he put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze. Her stomach was so heavy with child now even he couldn't get his whole arm around her. "I am perfectly content with my placid brunettes and blond." "Placid are we?" Clarise said with just a hint of a smirk. "Well maybe you'll be needing a little taste of a redhead just to keep you in line. Of course we'll have to tell her just where to hit you to keep from injuring her hand." "Well thank goodness she didn't try his head," Sosho followed. "We'd need a healer up here for a broken hand for sure." "Hmm, I don't think she's quite ready yet," Nesho said getting in her own digs. "But maybe in a few months..." The "Let's tease Dent" game continued for a while until the midwife arrived. Later that evening Makro deSiso entered the world screaming at the top of her lungs. To her doting father each cry was the sound of pure bliss. Dent refused to leave their sides except to take care of his own necessities and grab a small bite to eat. Catching a quick glimpse of the scene, Shasta wondered briefly what it would be like to have a man as deeply in love with her as the master obviously was with his three wives. Casting the thought out of her head she turned to the next task that needed her attention. Edited by Morgan ------- Chapter 4 It took a full ten-day before the DeSiso household was able to settle down to any resemblance of normality. Nesho was up and about within a day and pronounced herself fit for duty within three; a remarkable recovery she credited to the healing properties of her salidin and Dent's overly solicitous hovering around both her and the baby. One day Shasta overheard her wondering if she should test the salidin's protective power by taking a broom handle to his head. This was after chasing him out of the nursery for the third time that morning. "I really shouldn't complain," Nesho said with a sigh as Shasta picked up the crib's soiled bedding while Nesho nursed the baby. "I don't think Sosho's father looked at her twice after he found out she was a girl." Shasta noticed that the infrequent times Nesho referred to her former husband it was always as "Sosho's father," never as "husband" or "first husband." Shasta had heard Nesho was a widow, which inferred that at one time she had been a free woman since slaves were forbidden to marry. They could certainly be "bred" by their owners, but never as wives. Shasta still didn't feel comfortable enough to ask about her mistress's past, and wasn't sure she would get an answer even if she did. "He loves her, and you, very much," Shasta said as she spread the fresh bedding in the tiny crib. "He must. It didn't take him but a day before he acknowledged her as his daughter and body heir." Under the laws of Jeevel anyone born to a slave is considered a slave unless the mother's master publicly declares the child his, automatically giving them the status of "Free." Shasta stopped suddenly and turned her head away trying to hide the fact tears had started to well up in her eyes. "What's the matter, Shasta?" Nesho said softly. "Nothing, mistress," Shasta said, shaking her head minutely. "You never knew what happened to her did you?" "How?" Shasta started. "I... I don't know what you mean mistress." "Your mother, Shasta. You don't know what happened to her, do you?" "How did you know I... ?" Shasta stopped. It was said by some of the staff in very reverent tones that their mistress could see into their souls; at times like this it was easy to understand that belief. "No, mistress," Shasta said, her shoulders slumping. "I never saw or heard of her after the slave pens in Harv'el." She was silent for a moment and then continued. "I was remembering what it was like, back when I was a little girl. I remember watching my mother and father together. Seeing the master with Mistress Makro; it was like seeing my father again with my little brothers." "You say you never saw or heard of her again after Harv'el?" Nesho mused. "Maybe we can make some discreet inquiries. We are not without... resources, in Harv'el. Especially in the slave trade." "Thank you, Mistress. I would like to know what happened to her." Shasta didn't say anything more. It was an open secret in the household that Nesho ran an ever-expanding network of spies, mostly concentrated in Harv'el. Many of them were connected to the slave trade or were slaves themselves. Unlike collared slaves, of which there were very few in Harv'el, the slaves only bound by their tattoos held no innate loyalty to their masters. Something Nesho took advantage of often. "I can't guarantee we will find anything," Nesho said gently. "It has been a long time, but we can try." ------- Less than a ten-day later Sosho gave birth to Dent's second child, a son. Nilsen DeSiso was as quiet as his sister had been noisy, although he was half again her size. Dent was once again reduced to a cooing lump, hardly able to leave the nursery. Shasta was absolutely fascinated by this view of the ruling class she had never been privileged to see before. A few of her former masters did have children, and even had them by some of their female slaves, but she had never seen one of them acknowledge or even pay the slightest bit of attention to them. Even the ones they recognized as their legitimate heirs were sent off to be raised by nannies. All of the other servants expressed the same experiences; but for some reason nobody was at all surprised it was different in the DeSiso household. Shasta got to see a great deal of her master and his wives since she for the most part volunteered to be the one responsible for cleaning the nursery. Although she wasn't actually assigned as one of their nurses she ended up spending more and more time with the little poop-factories -- Sosho's description, not her'ss. At first she was a bit hesitant, scared she would hurt them accidentally, but gradually became a very competent caregiver. She had been fond of the babies from the beginning but as the time with them increased her fondness gradually slipped into a full-blown love of the tots. She could understand the mother bear's protective reaction when something new and unknown came around her cubs. If some stranger not properly escorted, i.e., with the master or one of the mothers, it was all she could do not to bare her teeth and hook her fingers into claws while imposing herself between the threat and her babies. She could also understand Clarise's pitiful look of longing and despair when she visited the nursery, which she did as often as she was able. One time Clarise simply sat down and began to cry while holding little Makro. Immediately Shasta took the child and placed her in her crib, then returned to wrap her arms around the sobbing woman. "Hush there, darling," she cooed without thinking. "It will be your turn soon enough. You will give our man many babies; big strong boys and beautiful little girls. It will come soon enough." She would have been mortified if she had realized she had called her mistress "darling," and even more so having referred to Dent as "our man." Right then she had nothing in mind except to comfort a heart-broken woman. "I know," Clarise said still sniffing. "But sometimes... it It just seems like it's taking forever! What if it never happens? What if I'm barren? Some women are, you know. What if I can't have babies?" "Do you really think it matters to our master?" Shasta said. "Do you really think he would set you aside if he thought you couldn't have his children?" "No," Clarise again sniffed and lifted her head. "Then I would suggest that the mistress let time take care of her problem. I am barren and I for one believe it's the best thing that could have happened to me." "How do you know you are barren?" Clarise asked. "I can only assume so," Shasta answered. "I have been used by men hundreds, maybe even thousands of times over the past ten seasons. I think that if I could get pregnant I would have by now." "Hmm, that sounds reasonable," Clarise mused. "We could have Nesho look at you if you like..." "No, Mistress," Shasta said firmly. "While I truly love these little darlings, and I will admit the idea of having one of my own isn't too awful... but I couldn't tolerate what would happen either before or after." "Before or after?" Clarise asked with a puzzled look. "Yes. To get that way a man would have to... touch me. Afterwards my baby would be a slave just like me. How could I live with that?" "But not if..." Clarise stopped suddenly. "Never mind, I see your point. I wasn't thinking of that because of my situation. Well I'd better get along. Much to do and little time to do it in." "Is something going on?" Shasta asked. "Why the hurry?" "Oh, maybe you didn't hear. The master has been recalled to Harv'el for a meeting of the governors," Clarise said with a frown. "There's something about it Nesho doesn't like, but nonetheless he will be leaving a ten-day and a half from now. Well, I'll be off now. Good day to you, Shasta, and keep our babies safe." With that she waved and strolled out of the nursery. ------- "... and I'm telling you something isn't right." Nesho said to Dent as they walked into the nursery. Shasta was already reaching for little Makro who seemed to be well aware that it was feeding time based on the fussy sounds emanating from her crib. Shasta sometimes wondered if Makro's "little" brother Nilsen was really related to her. He would lie there placidly smiling up at whoever passed by, even if Sosho was late for his feeding. Not so with Makro. If her mother was even just a tiny bit late for her feeding... everyone around would know about it! "Why can't you make up some excuse for not going?" Nesho said as she reached for the tiny girl. "Thank you, Shasta." "You know why," Dent said with exasperation. "We've been over this a hundred times. I have to go. I know you think something is up; I even agree with you. Something doesn't feel right about this. But that doesn't mean I can skip it. Yes, I have this appointment 'in perpetuity'. But not if I choose to ignore their lawful commands." "You know my sources have seen that ass deClover outside his rooms more than once lately." She continued talking while exposing a breast for the hungry infant. "That isn't the worst: that bastard from Malshal has been seen around the palace. It worries me because I can't seem to find out what he's up to." "Nothing good, we can assume," Dent sighed. "At least we know something is up. I'll be as ready as I can be when I go there. How have the preparations been on this end?" "Everything you wanted done is done," Nesho said with a frown. "Do you really think there is a danger here? I'm much more worried about you in Harv'el than I am about us here in Safehaven." "Call it a paranoid hunch," Dent answered with a shrug. "Something doesn't feel right, and besides I'm going to be taking two full companies of our marines with me. That doesn't leave a whole lot here." "True, but I feel much better now that you agreed to take them with you," Nesho nodded. "If something minor happens, the household guards and the local constables should be enough. If it's something more, well, the marines probably wouldn't make a difference." "I know, I know," he said. "But I can't help but remember what happened the last time I left you all alone. Well, there's nothing to be done about it. It's either leave all of you here or take all of you with me, and that is definitely not an option. I guess the best we can do is prepare for whatever may come and keep a watch out." They continued to talk as Shasta gathered the soiled bedding and left the room for the laundry. ------- Shasta continued to wonder what preparations were being made and just what their master expected could happen. She was sitting at the dinner table eating with Katern, still musing on these mysteries when someone sat down across from her. Looking up she saw the big guard she had bullied at Makro's birth. Looking around she saw there were a number of empty tables so she idly wondered why he would sit with them. Usually the guards sat by themselves. "Hi," he said. "I thought we should finally officially meet." "Why?" Shasta asked, her nose scrunched up in a puzzled expression. "Well, ah, I just thought..." he sputtered. Shaking his head slightly he took a breath and started again, "I just thought it would be nice to know each other. We're all here together and all that, and well, you are a very beautiful woman. My name is Rolth by the way." She noticed he was handsome, much more so than her master, if you looked at them for the classical sense of beauty. It was obvious he knew it, too. Shasta just shrugged off his compliment and said, "I'm Shasta." "Oh, I know who you are," he said with a grin. "You have been the subject of many talks among the guards. Like I said, you are very beautiful, and, ah, unattached." He looked at her hopefully. "How nice of you and the rest of the guards to think of me," she said frostily. "You don't know just how important it is to me that you think I'm beautiful. You know, my previous masters used to say the same thing just before they tied me to a bed and fucked me. Some even said it as they beat me and jammed their cocks up my ass. It made the pain and humiliation soooo much easier to take. "I am sorry, Rolth," she said with a sigh. "I understand your desires and probably should thank you for your compliment, but I am truly not interested. I have had quite enough of men's attentions for one lifetime and to be honest, the thought makes me a bit nauseous. I would appreciate it if you could pass it around that all I really want is to be left alone." "Ah, sure, sorry," he muttered as he stood and quickly retreated. "Well," Katern chuckled next to her. "I'll bet he didn't expect that." "What do you mean?" Shasta asked. "Rolth and the rest of the muscle boys are used to the ladies around here fawning all over them." Katern grinned and shook her head. "I'm sure he didn't expect to be turned down flat and sent on his way like a little boy." "Why?" Shasta said with a frown. "It's not like he's Master Dent or anything. What's so special about him?" "Oh, so if it were Master Dent it would make a difference?" Katern teased. "No! I mean, yes! I mean if he ordered me to I would have to. Isn't that what you told me?" Shasta said flustered. "I mean he could even order me to enjoy it, couldn't he? I couldn't do anything about it. Oh, you know what I mean!" "Well, there's always hope," Katern answered smugly as she ducked Shasta's flailing fist. ------- The day of Dent's departure finally came and the tearful goodbyes continued even to the dock. They all stood at the quay watching as the rakish merchant ship left the harbor and disappeared around the jagged peaks of the old volcano's rim. It was a subdued group that marched back up the hill to the mansion; even Makro was quieter than normal. It took a few days but life returned to normal around the mansion. Although everyone could feel there was something vital missing: some part of their soul wasn't there with them. Strangely enough they, especially those that were bonded directly to Dent, knew exactly where this missing piece was located. Even though they missed him, knowing where he was and that he was, presumably, still safe, helped. It was about two ten-days later Shasta overheard another conversation, this time between the three wives. They were sitting around a small table in the master's suite sitting room. Knowing they were there, Shasta took it upon herself to bring them not only tea but a light snack as well. "Has it really been that long since we've heard anything from Harv'el?" Sosho asked Nesho as Shasta strode through the door with the tray in her hands. "Oh, thank you, Shasta!" Clarise exclaimed jumping up to take the tray from her hands. "You must be a mindreader!" "Yes, thank you, Shasta," Nesho said with a smile while Sosho just grinned and winked. Shasta blushed and bowed then turned and started to leave when Nesho called after her. "Shasta, I think you had better stay and hear this." "Mistress?" Shasta said somewhat puzzled. "Why do you think Shasta needs to hear this?" Sosho asked, clearly as puzzled as Shasta. "Not that I have a problem with her being here," she added quickly. "Shasta has been doing a wonderful job with the children in the nursery," Nesho stated. The other two nodded their heads but obviously still weren't following where she was going. "If worse comes to worse it would be nice to have an extra pair of hands who we can trust with the children." Understanding suddenly dawned in the faces of the other two women. Shasta of course was still completely in the dark. "Shasta, come over here and sit down with us," Nesho said as Clarise pulled up another chair. Shasta sat down hesitantly; she still wasn't comfortable being this informal in front of the master's "wives." "Shasta, we need to fill you in a few things here," Nesho started. "It has been no secret that I did not want Dent to go on this trip. There were a number of reasons why: the suddenness of the summons, lack of precedent, the sighting of our old enemies... Let's just say there were a good many reasons why not to go and only one really good reason to go: he had to. If he didn't it could have been construed as a rebellion against the Jeevel government; he could have lost the governorship over it, and possibly his life. "Knowing this was very dangerous, Dent outlined some things he wanted done in case the worst happened. Part of it involves the transfer of our ownership in case he dies." "Mother!" Sosho cried. She must have been very upset since she only called Nesho mother when very happy or very angry/frightened. "Hush, Sosho," Nesho said sternly. "You know no man is immortal, and Dent is sailing in very dangerous waters now. Only a fool wouldn't at least plan for this contingency, and you are well aware our Dent is in no way a fool. Besides I said 'in case'; you know as well as I do that he is alive and well." Shasta nodded along with the other two; she could feel his presence in the back of her mind and almost looked in the direction she knew he was located. "Not only is he alive," Nesho continued. "But he doesn't seem to be hurting. Worried, yes, and angry..." "He hasn't been laid in over twenty days; that could explain being pissed off," Sosho interjected. Nesho rolled her eyes and sighed. "As I was saying, he is very much alive and not in any critical danger." "Can you really feel that?" Shasta asked. "I can feel him, and of course know he's alive, but as for the rest..." "Remember, we have been with him much longer than you have," Nesho said calmly. "Not only does it take some time for the bond to fully form, but there is a deeper connection that seems to be formed after you have been... intimate with him. After you do, you will understand. Each time you're with him you seem to get a little closer, a little more synchronized with what he is feeling. I wouldn't say we can almost feel what he's thinking, but it seems like it, sometimes." "I-I-Intimate?" Shasta gulped. "Y-You think he will take me sometime?" "Never forcibly, dear," Nesho assured her. "Well," Clarise said with a smirk. "You'd probably have to have us hold him down for you the first time; he's rather shy. That's what Sosho had to do for me, but he came around rather quickly. I'm sure he will for you also." "This coming from the woman who's fucked him so many times lately if he pricked his finger she'd say 'ouch'." Sosho jibed. "'Just trying to make a baby', my butt!" "Well it worked." Clarise said proudly. Suddenly Nesho and Sosho were fawning all over the pretty blonde. "Are you sure?" Sosho squealed. "Fairly sure," Clarise nodded. "I should have started my flow just about the time he left and it hasn't yet. Also I've felt queasy and nauseous in the morning; nothing bad, just like something isn't quite right." "That's wonderful, dear," Nesho gushed as they hugged each other. "Yes, that is wonderful news," Nesho said drying her eyes. "But we do have other things to talk about." "I want to know what you mean by me becoming intimate with Master Dent," Shasta demanded. "I have no intention of asking for that and you promised I would never have to unless I wanted it. Now just what do you mean by that?" Nesho reached over a patted her hand like she was reassuring a recalcitrant child. "Settle down, Shasta," she said soothingly. "You will never be forced. When you are ready for it you will come to us." "I still don't know what you mean!" Shasta wailed. Nesho looked at the other two women and it seemed as if silent communications were buzzing among the three. Nodding to her co-wives Nesho turned back to Shasta with a smile. "Do you want the truth? Or should I lie to you just to make you feel better?" "I want the truth, of course." Shasta said through pursed lips. "The truth is we can feel you becoming one of us," Nesho said matter-of-factly. "Maybe not tonight, or even tomorrow, but we think it will happen. It feels right to us." "How can you talk about sharing your man that way?" an astonished Shasta gasped. "Not that it will ever happen!" she quickly added. "How can the three of us share?" Nesho said with a wave of her hand. "Because it is the right thing for him. If it's the right thing for him then it makes us happy and content. Besides we know he loves us all; one more won't dilute that love. If anything it multiplies it." "It sounds..." Shasta's voice trailed off. "Wonderful? Heavenly? Divine?" Sosho prompted. "Weird is probably closer," Clarise interjected. She looked over at the stunned girl. "I know it sounded weird to me at first, but it doesn't take long before you understand it's the best thing that could happen to you." "Let us leave the poor girl alone," Nesho admonished. "She doesn't believe us anyway and it's just upsetting her." Turning back to Shasta she said, "Just ignore us if you want to. It won't hurt our feelings and this is certainly nothing Dent is thinking about." "That big block?" Sosho chuckled. "Not hardly." "Anyway we have more important things to discuss," Nesho said sternly. "Everything seemed to be fine for the first few days after his arrival. I have been receiving his dispatches that had been coming in on the daily supply ship. Suddenly nine days ago everything stopped." "You mean no more letters?" Clarise asked. "No more letters, no more ships. Nothing from Harv'el, not even coastal traffic," Nesho said grimly. "What does that mean?" Sosho questioned. "I don't know," Nesho admitted. "But whatever it means it can't be good for us. I think we need to prepare for an evacuation." "Do you really think it could be that bad?" Clarise demanded. "Yes," was all Nesho would answer. "You two know what you need to do. Shasta, you come with me. I have a few things I want you to take care of." ------- Nothing changed over the next three days. However on the fourth the Governors household was disturbed by a breathless messenger announcing he had news for Nesho. She met with him in the foyer and when she had finished with him called the entire staff together. "The news from the town is there have been sails sighted on the horizon." A murmur started through the crowed. Nesho raised her hand and they fell silent. "We don't know who they are or what they want. They may not even be stopping here, just passing by. Now, everyone get back to work; I'll let you know when I hear anything further." Later that day the magistrate personally visited. "It's a Malshallian fleet, Lady," he said. "They've sent a representative ashore. He says the Putram of Jeevel has ceded Safehaven to Malshall and that we are to surrender immediately. He also says they have two contingents of marines and will begin to invade tomorrow morning if we haven't done so by tonight." "By all means, Daniel, surrender immediately," Nesho said. "B-But..." his face held a surprised, almost shocked look. "Daniel," she said calmly, "there is no possibility of us holding out against a fleet of this size. Surrender before someone gets hurt." "But you, my Lady..." he started. "We won't be here," she stated. Turning she shouted to the first servant she saw. "Pass the word! Begin the evacuation!" ------- Chapter 5 Nesho's order to evacuate resulted in action somewhat reminiscent of an anthill being kicked over or maybe a beehive that had been whacked by a stick. People were scurrying here and there in what would look to an outside observer to be complete chaos. Chaos it may have been, but a very controlled and productive chaos. Within hours the files pertaining to Dent's shipping business and governmental records were loaded into a cart and hustled off to a predetermined safe location. Most of the servants gathered what little of their personal belongs they could carry and began to disperse to homes in the village where they were to blend into the general population. Shasta was helping Nesho and Sosho gather up the pre-staged supplies for the babies when Paco torSiso, the previous owners seneschal, and presently Clarise's second in command, rushed into the nursery. "Mistress Nesho!" he said breathlessly. "Have you seen Mistress Clarise?" "I think she's downstairs seeing off the last of those going to town," Nesho said thoughtfully. "Aren't you in that group Paco? Why haven't you left yet?" "But Mistress!" he was practically crying. "The furniture! All our place setting! Linens... everything! What's to become of them?" "It doesn't matter," she said shaking her head. "All that can be replaced. Or if it can't we'll live without it. You know as well as I what the master said: abandon everything that isn't immediately useful and easily carried. Now, you are supposed to be in town by now. Get going!" "Yes, Mistress," Paco said, his shoulders slumping in defeat. Turning, he slowly walked out the door. "Do we have everything?" Nesho asked, turning back to the other two. "I think so," Sosho replied and Shasta nodded in agreement. "Then it's time to gather up the children and be on our way." ------- The four women and two guards left through the rear of the mansion. Each carried a pack on their backs containing a few days of food and a very limited amount of spare clothing. Just outside the newly planted gardens they picked up a well-worn trail leading back into the hills and up the mountainside. The babies were held in carriers strapped to their mother's front and about every half hour the women stopped to exchange their burdens between them. There was still just enough light to see when they turned off the well-beaten path onto a much more lightly trod one that looked to head straight up the side of the mountain. There they rested and ate, Nesho and Sosho feeding the babies while Clarise and Shasta replenished their water supply from a small spring beside the path. "Mistress," Balor, one of the guards accompanying them, spoke as they prepared to resume their trek. "It's very dark. Should we maybe rest till morning? It will be difficult to see the path. I wouldn't want anyone to stumble and twist an ankle here." "We can slow down, Balor," Nesho said. "But we can't stop. I don't know how long it will take the Malshallians to reach the mansion, but my guess is as soon as they realize nobody is there they will begin searching immediately." "Won't they think you went into the village?" he asked. "I know I would. And why would they care?" "They may," she admitted. "But we can't take that chance. As for why they would care... This all reeks of a plot to unseat our master. It all fits too perfectly: him being recalled to Harv'el followed by the invasion. If that is the case, then I have to believe they know who to target as potential hostages." "Do you really think whoever did this would consider you three as hostages against his behavior?" Balor continued. "I can't believe any of that ilk would even conceive of a slave being valuable enough to be used as a hostage." "There is certainly one who knows our value," smirked Sosho. "I'll bet he still remembers how his cock was almost burnt off trying to rape us." "Yes," Nesho added. "I'm sure his Excellency the Putram of Jeevel remembers us well. I am also sure the Malshall ambassador remembers. He was there when Dent fought for us. He may be a bastard, but he's no fool. "Even if they don't consider us of any value as hostages, they must have heard of the birth of his body heirs. If for no other reason than the babies they will want to find us." "So," Nesho said with sigh as she stood up. "We must continue on for as long as we can. When we reach the top and start down the other side, then maybe we can stop for a rest." ------- The grade was steep and the path rocky, but there was a partial moon and a cloudless night, giving them more than enough light to proceed slowly up the side of the old volcano's weathered rim. It was just before daybreak when they reached the apex of the path and were able to look down on both sides of the summit. Like a tiny growth of moss clinging to the side of the cone's inner rim, Safehaven was visible. So too were the fifteen Malshallian warships and troop carriers as they rode at anchor in the harbor. "I don't see any smoke or other evidence of fire," Nesho stated as they gazed down at the town. "Hopefully that means there hasn't been any fighting." "I suppose that's good?" Balor said it more like a question than a statement. "Certainly!" Nesho said. "It means our people won't be dying for no reason." "But they would be dying in battle against our enemy!" Balor insisted. "Is there any greater glory for a soldier?" "Well," Nesho started, "most of those people down there aren't soldiers: they're villagers, fishermen, shopkeepers. They have no business fighting anybody. Anyway, Dent had a saying he used to bring up anytime someone asked him about dying in battle. What is it he used to say? Oh, yes. 'The object in battle isn't to die for your lord... '" "... it's to make the other poor bastard die for his lord," Shasta broke in with a giggle. "I don't know how many times he used to say that. A quote from some famous warrior who used to fight inside armored water carriers, or something like that. I never did understand what he was talking about." "I'm not sure Dent ever really understood that either, dear," Nesho said with a smile. "But the idea is still valid. You don't win by dying; you win by making the other guy die. Some day we will return and retake Safehaven. What would be the point if everybody there was dead? "Anyway, it seems relatively peaceful now. That's good. Now we must keep going. Once we start down maybe we can find a good place to rest for a while." Shasta's feet hurt and her back ached where the pack straps dug into her shoulder but she gamely got to her feet and struggled to put Makro's carrier on her chest. It was her turn to carry the child and although she was tired and wanted nothing more than to just sit down and sleep she knew Nesho must be feeling even worse. So, with a groan, she started down the rocky path, being extra careful where she placed each footfall. "But one thing I don't understand," Balor continued, refusing to give up on the earlier conversation. "Doesn't the master have more than a few Guild Warriors under contract? Won't they fight? Don't they have to? I thought they would fight even if death was certain." "They would," Nesho agreed, "but Dent ordered them to declare themselves neutral and retreat into the Guild Hall in the face of overwhelming odds. Again, it doesn't make any sense to kill off your allies in a losing fight. If the Malshallians are smart they'll leave them alone." Balor grunted in agreement. After about half an hour they came to a flat spot next to the path. There they stopped for a rest and morning meal. The sun was still behind the peak so the temperature was still mild and comfortable. Shasta and the others were glad enough for the rest but when they tried to get started an hour later she thought her muscles were going to burst as she stood and shouldered the pack. Everything ached! The only thing good about the pain in her muscles was that it masked the pain in her feet. It didn't take long for Shasta to realize that walking down a step slope was actually much harder than walking up the slope. The next few hours were grueling for everyone in the tiny band. The women were especially burdened since they were carrying the babies in addition to their own packs. Balor and the other guard offered to take a turn carrying them but Nesho refused, wanting them available to use their weapons if the need arose. By late afternoon, exhausted and foot-sore, they stumbled into the tiny fishing village at the foot of the rim. It barely qualified as a village, really little more than a group of five small cottages precariously perched at the water's edge. As they straggled in two men mending nets saw them and shouted, bringing the rest of the village out into the village common. "Can we help you, my Lady?" the older of the two said to Nesho as he approached. Briefly Shasta wondered how they knew to defer to Nesho instead of the guards. Immediately she dismissed the thought; first, she was too exhausted to care; and secondly she realized the answer was obvious. Nesho exuded an aura of calm confidence and competency that seemed to lend itself to people naturally deferring to her in her presence. The fact that she wore a slave collar seemed immaterial; unless she was accompanying Dent she invariably became the focus of whichever group she was in. With him she faded more into the background, but that was only because his presence was so powerful and overwhelming. Shasta knew that well. She could almost taste the power that seemed to naturally flow around him as he moved near her. She would often become a little light-headed and had trouble breathing when around him. She often wondered if that was the effect of the salidin, or just his forceful personality. She had heard he could terrify highborn nobles and even grizzled war veterans merely by staring at them with his ice-blue eyes. All she knew was when he looked at her it was like his gaze pierced her soul to the core and her knees became weak and her heart started to flutter. She always told herself it was fear that caused it. Every once in a while she was even able to convince herself it was true. "Can we help you, my Lady?" he asked again. "Are you Kelemen?" Nesho said panting. "Aye, Mistress, that I am," he admitted warily. "I believe Daniel sent word we might be passing through," she said. "Also, there should be a boat readied for a quick departure?" "Oh, aye," he said with more enthusiasm. "That he did, my Lady, that he did. Aye, everything is pretty much ready for you. A few provisions and such and you'll be ready to go. Would you care to sit and rest awhile? Ya look dead on your feet, if I may say so." "That would be wonderful, Kelemen!" she said with a tired smile. "A place to rest and something to drink would be nice." "Oh, I think we can do a little better than just something to drink my Lady," he said with a grin. "For Daniel's sake, and his, ah, patron's, what little we have is yours." With a sweeping hand gesture he motioned for them toward the cottages. "Thank you, kind sir," she said with a nod. Naturally Makro decided it was time to get fussy and started squalling for her own supper. It just so happened it was Shasta's turn to carry her and the baby turned into her breast and started mouthing the outside of her blouse. "Now, there's nothing there for you, little one," she cooed. "Mama will be ready soon enough." "Feel lucky you aren't full of milk like some damnable cow," grumbled Sosho as she loosened her own blouse preparing to feed Nilsen. "I swear, this one is just like his father. He latches on and won't let go until he's drained me completely dry." "He does seemed very... focused," Nesho chuckled dryly. Although mother and daughter generally fed their own children, they also pitched in and fed either or both when the other was held up for some reason. "And it doesn't seem to matter to him which teat he gets a hold of, anyone will do." "Just like his father," Sosho said smugly. "Yes, just like his father," Nesho sighed, and then grinned. "Isn't it wonderful?" "Did I hear you right, missy?" A big raw-boned woman strolled up behind them. Her face wasn't what you would call pretty, but it held a smile that seemed to be a permanent fixture. "Did your master breed you to the same man," she asked, somehow able to make it sound neither condescending nor mean-spirited. "Oh, aye. I know what them collars mean. Even though I have to admit I never seen one before." "So he bred you to the same bull?" she continued. "That isn't normally how it's done from what I hear. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Jolanta, Kelemen's wife for all my sins." "Pleased to meet you, Jolanta," Nesho said. If Jolanta was the least bit put off by addressing her using her given name she didn't show it. "And I have to say, he didn't breed us to the same bull, he was the same bull." "Both of you?" Jolanta asked with raised eyebrows. "Three of us," Clarise chimed in, and then blushed as she patted her own stomach. "Three?" Simultaneously everyone turned to look at Shasta. "Not yet!" Shasta exclaimed quickly. Realizing what she said she just as quickly stuttered and stumbled over her next words. "I... I mean not me!" "As you said, not yet," Sosho added cattily. Shasta sputtered and fumed trying to find the correct words, but Nesho wouldn't let her as she interrupted the fledgling spat. "Leave her be, Sosho!" she said sternly. She then turned back to Jolanta with a glint in her eye. "I'm afraid our master has put the three of us in 'the family way, ' so to speak. I don't think he has any inclination to let somebody else do his dirty work for him." "Well, at least we know he's not afraid of a little hard work. Now do we?" Jolanta said dryly. With that the three wives, Jolanta and the two guards started laughing. Shasta just sniffed at them, still angry over her own faux pas. "Well, Kelemen mentioned that Daniel said someone might be coming and what to do to prepare for them. But he didn't say who," she said knowingly. "With the three of you and the two wee babes I'd have to be pretty thick not to guess who you are and who sent you. If you're here that means His Excellency feels it isn't safe. Do you know what is happening?" "Safehaven has been invaded," Nesho said quickly as Jolanta and the rest of the villagers within earshot gasped. "It happened early yesterday morning, although as you see we were able to leave before they actually came ashore. I would avoid Safehaven for a while. Let things settle down." "Who invaded us?" one of the villagers asked. "And why?" "It's Malshall, ships and troops," Nesho answered. "As for why? All we know is their representative said the Putram had ceded Safehaven to Malshall. We don't know anything else." "And where is the Governor?" Kelemen asked. "He was recalled to a meeting in Harv'el just before it happened." "I hope he's all right," Jolanta said. "He's alive..." Nesho said. "... and well..." Clarise continued for her. "... and really, really angry." Sosho concluded The three of them just glanced at each other and smirked while the villagers and Shasta just stared at them. Although she had seen it a few times before, it always amazed her when they finished sentences for each other, almost like they practiced it. "You know what he's thinking?" Jolanta asked, amazed. "Oh, it's them witch's collars I'm guessing." "We can't read his or anyone else's thoughts," Nesho reassured them. "But, yes, because of the bond we know what he is feeling." "Well, what is he going to do about this?" Kelemen demanded. "We haven't any idea," Nesho said lightly. "But I'm sure we'll all find out in good time. Right now we are interested only in getting his heirs to safety." "Yes, and you standing here practically dead on your feet while we yak at you. Now all of you get over here and sit down, rest yourselves." Jolanta began shooing them over to the middle of the commons where a number of tables with benches were standing. They were quickly seated and within minutes there was a steaming cup of tea in front of each one of them. "It'll take us just a few minutes to warm something up for you, my lady," Jolanta said. While they waited Nesho and Sosho fed the babies as they talked about what little they knew of the happenings with the villagers crowding around them. True to her word Jolanta soon had a plate of hot fish and some type of crushed tuber for each of them. Shasta had never tasted anything so wonderful! After finishing she started feeling very sleepy and caught herself a number of times beginning to nod off. "The boat is ready at any time, my lady," Kelemen said as the younger village girls cleaned up the meal leavings. "Joska here will be going along with you to take you where you need to go. But I might suggest it would be best if you leave early in the morning. The winds and tides then will make for a much easier and quicker departure. Besides I think you could use a good night's sleep." "I think you're right," Nesho said suppressing a yawn. "But we certainly don't want to put any of you out of your own beds for the night." "This is not a problem my Lady," he answered. "We'll give over one of our cottages to you. For one night the rest of us can share. It would be our honor." "Very well, we gratefully accept." Shasta hardly remembered being led to one of the small cottages and the pallet of fresh straw with a cover. She did remember to un-strap her boots but was asleep even before her head hit the mattress. ------- Shasta awoke as someone softly prodded her shoulder. It was still dark and with the village being on the west side of the volcano dawn was a grayness, slowly increasing in intensity. Not at all like Safehaven where the sun poking up above the distant horizon immediately bathed the town with its golden rays. Even so Shasta quickly got up, still sore but refreshed. The villagers already had a morning meal set up and ready for them. A bit of cold, salted fish slivers along with a rice cereal. Plain, but filling. Gathering their meager belongings, the band followed their hosts down to the seaside where the village fishing boats were partially pulled up on the gritty sand. Kelemen led them to up to one that Shasta's fisherman's daughter's eye told her was a good, sturdy craft. Single-masted and open, with the exception of a small tarp covered area amidships, it looked like one of a thousand such vessels that plied its trade every day in the coastal fishing grounds. There they met Joska again. He was an older man with a well-weathered face. He probably didn't say two words when introduced, just grunted, and he refused to look into the eyes of any of the women. They stowed their gear where they could find places for it as the remainder of the village men pushed their craft out onto the gently rolling waves of the sea. Nesho and Sosho quickly made small beds for the babies under the tarp. The sun hadn't yet crested over the mountain yet, but when it did it would be fierce and this bit of cloth was the only protection they had. Having seen to the children Nesho went back to the stern trying not to trip over the various nets and gear stowed on the deck. Joska was at the tiller having already set the sails to his liking. The little boat was making around six knots through the water, about as well as a working vessel of this type could expect. "We didn't have a chance to talk about our destination last night or this morning, Joska," Nesho said as she sat down on a hemp fender near the fisherman. "Did Kelemen tell you where we were heading?" "Aye, my Lady," he said looking at the horizon. "Lipspit, or if there be trouble there, on to Bluefin." Lipspit and Bluefin were small villages only somewhat larger than Joska's, on nearby islands. Lipspit was a little less than a day's journey and Bluefin about a day further. "Yes, exactly right," Nesho said with a nod. "We can't thank you enough for taking us there, Joska." Joska closed his eyes and mumbled something that might have been "nothing." "Joska," Nesho asked, "why won't you look at any of us?" "Ain't never seen anything as pretty as the four of you, my lady," he finally muttered. "Why thank you, both for myself and the rest of the ladies," Nesho said with a smile. "But, Joska, I promise we won't bite. You can look at us if you want to." "But my Lady," he protested. "The governor... he'd, well, if I..." "I can assure you, Joska," Nesho said with a laugh, "the governor won't mind even a little bit if you looked at us. He isn't the jealous type at all. Well unless you tried to touch us; then he might get a bit peeved." "Oh, no! My lady," exclaimed a horrified Joska. "I would never... ever... not even think of it..." "I know you wouldn't, Joska," Nesho said still chuckling. "So don't worry about it. ------- They had been underway only an hour or so when Joska stiffened and started studying the horizon with a grim look on his face. Shasta saw this and followed to where he was looking. On the horizon she could see the white squares of sails. Big sails on what had to be a big ship. "Shit!" someone muttered under their breath. Shasta whirled around and almost collided with Nesho who had come up beside her. Nesho blushed slightly and said, "Pardon my language." Shasta had never heard her using anything stronger than "darn" before. "Who are they, Mistress?" Shasta asked. "I don't know," Nesho admitted. "But I don't think it's one of ours. Hopefully they will think we are just another fishing vessel and sail on past. If not..." "Shit!" said Shasta. Unfortunately this new vessel didn't let them pass. It sailed right up to them and called out for them to heave too. It was a Malshallian warship with a full complement of marines on deck. There was nothing they could do but comply when ordered to climb up and onto its deck. "Sire," Joska groveled in front of who could only be the ships captain as they lined up on deck. "I am just taking my family..." "Shut up, you worthless sack of shit," the captain said mildly. "These aren't your family, and I'm willing to bet you couldn't afford even one of the collars these slaves have. I don't know about the male slaves, but these three," he said pointing to Nesho, Sosho and Clarise, "with two newborns... I'd bet my pension these are the ones we're to keep an eye out for." Turning to the marine standing next to him he said, "Take them down below and lock them up. All of them. Then burn the boat." "Officer of the Deck!" he shouted. "Set course for Safehaven, best possible speed." Edited by Morgan ------- Chapter 6 The women and children were led down below decks separately from the men. There guards weren't particularly rough, but they did a considerable amount of ass groping and tit squeezing on the way. At the first touch of a hand on her ass Shasta stiffened up and started shaking. The other three just ignored the assaults until one of the marines grabbed Sosho's breast a little too firmly. "Ouch!" she cried. "That hurt! I'm a nursing mother, you moron! These are tender!" "Shut up bitch," the one who grabbed her said as he backhanded her across the face making her stumble. "I don't give a shit if you hurt, slut. You're a fucking slave. Who cares what you feel?" "Hey, that gives me an idea," he said turning back to his fellow marines. "The Captain didn't say nothing about not fucking them. Let's get them in the storeroom and knock off a quick piece. It's been a few weeks since we been in port." "The Captain didn't say nothing about fucking them because he didn't think even you were that stupid, Srecko," one of the other marines said. "What do you mean?" said Srecko. "These are some fine looking bitches. Don't see no reason not to plug 'em." "You really don't know, do you?" the other said with a shake of his head. He sighed when he saw the puzzled look on his comrade's face. "It's the collars," he continued. "Do you see the collars? Those things are made of magic or something. You stick your tiny little dick into anyone of them and it's apt to be burned off, or worse." "You're just shitting me, aren't you?" Srecko said. "I've never heard of that." "Nope," came the answer. "See that color? When it's that color it means they're bound and you can't touch them. Just their master." "Shit! What a waste!" Soon after that they were shoved into a small storeroom. The door closed and locked. Nesho, who had been almost emotionless throughout the ordeal suddenly sat down on a bag of rice and started weeping. "It's all my fault," she sobbed. "I failed. We should have left last night, but I was so tired." As one, the rest of the women surrounded and hugged her. Each telling her in no uncertain terms that it was not her fault. "You couldn't know!" "It probably wouldn't have mattered!" "All of us needed the rest!" After awhile they all lapsed into silence. "I wonder how they knew to look for you?" Shasta mused. The others looked at her puzzled. She continued, "I mean, why would they think you might be trying to escape? Especially by sea. It doesn't make sense. They should have thought we would be surprised. If not surprised, then they should have expected us to go to ground in the village, or maybe somewhere up in the hills. Why would they think we would escape by sea?" "Maybe they just guessed?" Sosho interjected. "Or were covering everything." "Maybe," Nesho said thoughtfully. "But Shasta is right; it doesn't make sense. That ship -- and probably there were more than one -- were in position long before the actual invasion, and with our descriptions... No, there is something very odd here." "They must have known we were planning for an evacuation," Clarise said angrily. "That means someone had to tell them. But who? Who could it be?" "It could have been any number of people," Nesho added. "Most of the village knew what we were planning. We just didn't expect it to get to our enemies. Foolish of us." "It might not be that difficult to find out once we get the chance," Sosho mused. "Its true that essentially everybody knew about the evacuation, but only a few knew that we weren't going to be heading to the village with everyone else. Only Daniel and a very few others knew what we were doing." "Well," Nesho sighed, "we know there is at least one spy out there. Silly of me, really. I spent all my time having my people looking outward; I completely forgot to look inward. I'll certainly change that as soon as I can!" "What do you think they'll do to us when we get back to Safehaven?" Shasta asked. "Hmm," Nesho mused. "Good question. Probably lock us up. We'll find out soon enough. It can't be more than a half-day's sail around to Safehaven. We'll see when we get there." ------- True to Nesho's prediction sometime late in the afternoon they heard the anchor being dropped. Soon after they were taken from the storeroom and put into a launch for transfer ashore. A squad of marines escorted them. The male guards and Joska had their hands bound behind their backs; the women were left unbound. At the dock they were hustled off the boat and marched up the very familiar path to the Governor's Mansion. As they entered the foyer Clarise gasped in shock. The place had been ransacked! Everywhere there were pieces of broken furniture, books torn and strewn about, papers lying where they had been casually thrown. There were even holes punched in the walls! "By the gods!" Clarise whispered. "Why would they do this? There was nobody here! They could have just walked in and taken whatever they wanted!" "You are only used to Dent and the type of soldiers he keeps around him," Nesho said grimly. "These are an entirely different breed. They destroy just for the thrill of hurting something. At least now we know what we are dealing with." The squad leader had left them in the foyer when they arrived. As they were looking around in dismay he returned. "We're to take the bitches up to the general," he said to the other squad members. "Take the male slaves and chain them up outside somewhere." "Sir," Joska said tentatively, his hands still bound behind his back. "Sir, I am a free man. A citizen of Safehaven and Jeevel." "Not anymore," the squad leader laughed. "Welcome to Malshall! Now, take them out back and chain them up." Turning back to the women he said, "All right, sluts, let's go meet your new master." Sosho started to say something but stopped as Nesho looked at her and shook her head. They followed the marine up the stairs and into what had been Nesho's office. There a big man was sitting behind Nesho's desk. "General Andrisek," the marine said upon entering. "Here are the slaves you wanted to see." The man stood up and grinned. He was tall and broad, bordering on fat, dressed in the rich garments, visibly stained, of a noble in Malshall's service. "Yes," he said in a deep resonant voice. "They led us a bit of a merry chase. Strip. Now!" "But Sir!" Nesho started. "Shut up, bitch," he said angrily. "Yeah, I know all about those damn collars of yours. I'm well aware I can't fuck you yet, but I can sure as hell have you beaten! Now, strip I say!" Nesho and Sosho handed the babies to Shasta. Then, they, along with Clarise, began to slowly strip of their clothes until they had nothing on except their collars. "Nice," Andrisek muttered as moved close to them, looking them over. He reached out and fondled each one of their breasts while they cringed away from him "Very nice! You know, part of our agreement was to turn the two dark-haired ones over to that shit-head in Jeevel. But now I've had a look at you I think I'll keep you for my own. At least until I get tired of you anyway." "What about this one, Sir?" The marine said pointing to Shasta. "Eh?" the general grunted. "She has one of those damn collars? Figures, that bastard must have put them on every one of his slaves. Don't matter. He'll be dead soon and we can do what we want with them." "Which one of you was the old governor's top bitch?" he said turning back to the women. When none of them said anything he continued, "Fine, take the young one here out into the courtyard and give her ten lashes. If they don't start talking after that then we'll give ten each to the others. Continue that until one of them talks or one of them dies." "I am our master's senior concubine," Nesho said quickly. "Now see, that wasn't so difficult, now was it?" he chuckled evilly. "That was your first and only warning. Now, when you answer me bitch you will refer to me as 'Master.' Do you understand, bitch?" "Yes, Ma—" as she tried to say the word the collar tightened around her neck preventing her from saying the word. "Well, bitch?" "Mas--!" again she tried but the collar again prevented the word from leaving her mouth. "I can't!" she said when she was finally able to speak again. "It won't let me!" "Shit! Fucking bitch!" Andrisek screamed, little drops of spittle showering the woman. Reaching out he backhanded her across the face, knocking her to the ground. Before he could do anything else to Nesho, another officer entered the room. "General Andrisek," this new officer interrupted. "I have the initial reports from the landing force for your review. What do we have here, Sir?" "It's those three bitches we were supposed to hold," Andrisek grunted. "With these fucking collars on they are just about useless to me." "Need I remind the general," the younger officer continued. "The ambassador was rather insistent that they be sent to him unharmed." "Fuck that asshole," the general grumbled. "I haven't decided if I'm going to send them on or not. What is the situation in the village?" "The situation is optimal, Sir," the Lieutenant continued. "The village is secured; the wharfs and warehouses locked and guarded. I estimate there are abut fifteen hundred living in the village, maybe an equal number outside scattered around. With the three-hundred troops ashore and the five-hundred still afloat we should fine. The population is not exactly welcoming us with open arms, but at least there is no resistance." "Damn well better not be!" Andrisek snorted. "Just in case, round up about twenty of the women, make them young and as pretty as you can find. They'll be hostages for the villagers' good behavior. We can always use them for ourselves; got to better than some skanky whore." "Sir!" the Lieutenant seemed shocked. "I said there was no resistance. If we start molesting the woman they're apt to start fighting." "Then we kill them!" Andrisek roared. "These are our sheep now and I'll do whatever I please with them! Now Lieutenant Dekyska, do as you are ordered!" "Yes, Sir!" Dekyska said snapping to attention. Spinning on his heel he marched out of the room. "You!" Andrisek said pointing to the squad leader. "Take these bitches downstairs and lock them up in one of the slave rooms. I'll deal with them later." ------- The women were taken from the room; Nesho, Sosho and Clarise still naked with clothes in-hand, and marched down to the first floor. There, they were shoved into the first room thy came to. Before he shut the door the squad leader said, "You bitches stay in here. I'll have a guard outside the door for now. At least until I can have a lock put on the door. Stay here if you know what's good for you. The first one I catch trying to get out gets those lashings the general promised out in the courtyard." Without waiting for an answer he slammed the door shut. "They certainly seem to enjoy using the term 'bitches, '" Nesho said with a shudder as she carefully put her clothes back on. "Yes, and that general seems to be a bit common for a noble high up in the military," Clarise added. "I would have expected a bit more polish from someone of high birth. Certainly not that kind of language!" "What an asshole!" Sosho growled, then she shivered. "Mama, what's going to happen to us? Do you think he could really become our — master?" "Well," Nesho said carefully. "Our situation is, not good, but not entirely desperate either. We know Dent is alive. He seems to be in good spirits. What that means I don't know. But certainly there is hope. "We don't know what his situation is," she continued. "We don't even know if he knows what has happened back here. It is obvious this whole conference of governors was a trap, but my guess is it didn't go as expected; since he is obviously still alive and at my guess still at large. I'm fairly certain the General doesn't think he is. Our best course right now is to endure and keep out of sight as much as possible. "I'm really worried about the villagers though. He certainly isn't starting out like an administrator of a newly annexed province, but more like a conqueror subduing a rebellious population. My guess is, if he really is taking hostages, and he starts using them as he inferred, he'll start having problems. The people of Safehaven are a fairly peaceful people, but don't doubt there is iron under those soft exteriors. We will just have to wait and see." A few hours later the door opened and a soldier looked into the room. "Who in here knows anything about how the kitchen is run?" he said. Both Clarise and Shasta raised their hands. Nobody wanted a repeat of the threats of a beating, or even worse, a real beating. "Hmm, you, blondie, you're one of the three," he grunted. "I don't think you'll be going anywhere. You, the redhead, come with me." "Sir," Shasta said. "I will gladly come with you, but we need food and chamber pots in here, desperately." "Yeah, I guess we can't have you slaves shitting all over the floor." He paused for a moment. "When you're done in the kitchen you can bring some bread, water and chamber pots to these others. Now come with me." Shasta nodded at the others and followed the soldier into the hallway. She followed him all the way to the kitchens where he gestured to the half dozen or so women who were already there. "These dumb sluts don't seem to know where anything is here. We want an evening meal prepared, and we want it in one hour, not one minute more! It's already late and we're hungry. Got that, bitch?" Shasta nodded her head yes, not trusting herself to speak. Without another word he grunted, turned and left the room. Shasta turned around and was confronted by the women -- girls really -- circled around her. They were red-eyed and their lips may have been trembling, but they hadn't broken down. These villagers were a hardy bunch. "You were in the governor's household, weren't you?" one of the older ones asked. "Yes," Shasta nodded. "My name is Shasta; I've been here a few ten-day." "Aren't you the one who killed her master?" another asked. Shasta stiffened and the other girl continued quickly, "That's all right, really. We all heard what happened and were happy when you got away with killing that bastard. I'm Zsofia by the way, that is Piroska and that is Borbala..." she named all the girls present. "What are we supposed to do?" Zsofia asked. "Feed the bastards," Shasta said with a frown. "I wish they would let Clarise out; she'd have a better idea of what to do." "Mistress Clarise is here?" Piroska asked. "Unfortunately, yes," Shasta answered. "She, Nesho and Sosho, along with the babies, are here. They caught us as we tried to escape." "That's terrible!" another one exclaimed, Shasta couldn't remember her name. "What has become of the Governor? What will happen to us? All of us? When they rounded us up they said we were to be hostages for the good behavior of the village. But I don't see why; nobody resisted. We all did what we were told, just like Mistress Nesho told Daniel we should do. I don't like it here! Some of the soldiers have been making comments; like 'now we will know what real men are like.' What should we do?" "I have to be honest," Shasta said slowly. "Their leader is a pig and if his men take after him then they'll be pigs also. It is possible they will try to use you; and yes, I mean rape you. If they do all I can say is, don't fight them. If you fight them they will hurt you. These bastards are the kind that enjoy hurting. Lay back and let them do what they want. Try to think of something else. It may help, a little." "How can you say that?" one gasped. "This will ruin us! No man will want any of us for a wife if we are not pure!" "Any man that can't see past the fact that you were taken by force isn't worth being your husband!" Shasta hissed. "How can I say this? This is how: I have been raped more times in the past ten seasons than any of you can imagine! I have been fucked every way it's possible and beaten more often than not! I'm telling you how to survive! Worry about your imaginary husbands later, if you live! "Right now we have to feed these pigs or they will beat us all! You Zsofia, you've helped with your family meals, haven't you? I'm sure all of you have. Well, I haven't any ides how or what to do. But I do know if we don't have something in less than an hour they are going to take it out on all of us! Now, there must be some kind of meat in the pantry; salted beef, mutton, or if nothing else, fish. Start up a stew, or some kind of roast. Vegetables, tubers, all of that! Let's get going!" Some of the girls had begun crying, or at least sniffling, but they did start looking around to where various foodstuffs were stored. A couple of them got together and started a stew with what they found, while others worked on various side dishes. Shasta was correct; all of these girls had learned to cook by helping their mothers fix the family meals. In remarkably little time they had a basic dinner assembled and cooking. A little less than an hour later another solider stuck his head into the kitchen and shouted; "Hey, you bitches got the officers' dinner ready yet? If you don't, there'll be hell to pay for sure." "Yes, sir," Shasta said demurely. "Where shall we serve it?" "In the big room out front," he grunted. "It's the Officers' Mess now. Better shake your ass and get out there." "Officer's mess?" one of the girls whispered. "Isn't everything they touch a mess?" "I think it's where they eat," another whispered back. "Quiet back there," Shasta hissed. "Why don't you just giggle and draw attention to yourselves? That's a sure way to end up in one of these bastard's bed tonight!" The whispering stopped although someone choked back on a sob. Shasta led the girls into what had been the formal dinning room. Like the rest of the house it had been ransacked. The big table in the center of the room was unbroken but marred by deep grooves in several places. Most of the chairs had been broken and were piled up against the wall. Benches from outside had been dragged in and lined up on either side of the table. One large chair -- it looked like the one from Dent's private office -- was placed at the head of the table. General Andrisek was already seated there. Along each side of the table were his lieutenants, sub-lieutenants, sergeant-majors, and other senior non-noble leaders in his contingent. Shasta bobbed her head at the other girls indicating they should start with the general and work their way down the table from there. She was disgusted to see, although not entirely surprised, that most of the "officers" were already drunk, some actually wobbling on their benches. Andrisek ate like the pig he was. Shoveling food into his mouth with both hands and gulping in between mouthfuls some of what had been her master's finest wine. The only one who seemed to exercise any self-control was Lieutenant Dekyska, who sat at Andrisek's right hand. He sat there grimly, staring at the table in front of him, trying to ignore the slovenly actions around him. Shasta stiffened at the touch of the first grope, the feel of it bringing back memories she had hoped were well behind her. For the most part it was a pinch on the ass, a caress of the breast and she noticed each one of the girls was experiencing the same assaults. As the meal wore on the groping became more openly sexual; the ripping of a blouse to bare a breast; the lifting of a skirt allowing a hand in between thighs. Some everyone of the girls were crying softly while their tormentors laughed and bid on which one they would bed for the night. "I want this one!" one of the non-noble officers shouted. Shasta felt a hand reach up under her skirt and a finger press itself into her sex. Suddenly, around her neck she felt the immediate release of some kind of power; she had never felt the like before. It traveled down, through her body and into the finger being pushed into her unwilling vagina. Instantly the finger retreated and its owner screamed in a high-pitched wail. Looking down, Shasta saw her tormentor's hand. The finger was crumpled, as if it was broken, and blackened liked it had been held in a fire. The man was holding his hand and screaming, "I'll kill you, bitch! I'm going to rip out your cunt and feed it to the dogs!" "Sit down, you mindless piece of shit!" Andrisek bellowed. "I told what would happen if you touched one of the collared cunts. And no, you can't kill her. I have uses for her for a little while at least. Wait till that bastard who used to own her is dead; then you can have her and do with her what you want. But not until." At that moment another solider entered the room, walked over to Andrisek, bent down and whispered in his ear. Andrisek listened for a while and then grinned. "By all means!" he cackled. "Show them in, show them in!" Turning to the table he announced. "It seems we have a delegation from the village. They wish to talk to me about our... guests." Saying this he pulled a sobbing Zsofia into his lap and began fondling her exposed breast. "Sir!" Dekyska suddenly spoke up. "This would be a good time to establish a good working relationship with these new citizens. But not if you mistreat their daughters and..." "Shut up, Dekyska," Andrisek growled. "I've been conquering and subduing rat-shit little wogs like these for more years than you've been alive! You think I got this position just because I'm the Putram's cousin? Just shut-up and I'll show you how it's done! Bring the bastards in!" Into the room walked Daniel and two other men from the village. When he saw how Zsofia was being held and pawed his eyes flamed with anger and one of his two companions nearly leaped at the general. Daniel held him back with one arm but said to Andrisek, "Sir! We have peacefully surrendered to you! There is no need for hostages! We have not, and will not oppose you. These are our daughters, our wives! You have no right to assault them so vilely!" "I do as I please, little man," Andrisek said pushing a crying Zsofia off his lap and onto the floor. He got up and walked over to Daniel. "You did surrender to me, little girl-man, I expected a better fight from a troop of whores. But not from you, it seems. But since you did surrender to me, I own you, all of you! If I want to use one of your bitches for my pleasure, I will." "No! You cannot!" Daniel shouted. For a big man Andrisek was quick. Grabbing Daniel's shirt with his left hand he pulled a dagger from his belt with his right and plunged it into Daniel's stomach. Shasta watched in horror as Daniel turned white and collapsed, blood streaming from his wound. Bending down to wipe his blade on Daniel's shirt, he looked at the soldiers that had grabbed Daniel's companions. "Take these two out and kill them," he said. "Cut off all three of their heads and put them up on pikes in the village square." He turned to look at Dekyska. "This is how you deal with this type of trash." Turning, he grabbed Zsofia by her hair and dragged her behind him out of the room and up to his stolen quarters. edited by Morgan ------- Chapter 7 After the two villagers and Daniel's body were dragged out of the room the scene deteriorated to that reminiscent of the sack and pillage of a city rather than the end of a gentlemen's dinner. Shasta, more than a little sick in the stomach, backed out to the room while most of the "officers" grabbed whichever girl they could get at first and emulated their esteemed leader. She felt lucky to escape the feeding frenzy, although pulling her blouse collar down to fully display her salidin might have helped. Rushing back to the kitchen she quickly told the remaining girls to hide wherever they could, for at least the next hour or so. At least until the initial lust crazed activity had died down. She didn't stay long. She said what needed to be said and then hurried off to a storage closet where she picked up a few empty chamber pots and some spare bedding. Without stopping she headed back to the room where Nesho and the rest were being held. There was only one guard posted there now and although he grumbled somewhat he let her in. Telling the others there was no time to answer the many questions being fired at her she left again and quickly retraced her steps to the kitchen. She was relieved to find that the remaining girls seemed to have heeded her advice and gone into hiding; at least she hoped that was the case since there was nobody in the kitchen when she got there. Quickly she threw together a tray of bread, cheese, water, wine and whatever leftovers from the dinner she could find and hauled it back down to the room. "I'm sorry; this is the best I could do," she apologized. "Everything is going crazy out there!" She began telling them the story as she passed out the food. By the time she finished with Daniel's murder and the bedlam afterwards the three women were white as sheets with Sosho and Clarise holding each other tightly on one of the beds, crying softly. "We've know Daniel since we got here," Nesho explained. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears but her face remained as expressionless as a stone statue. "He was a dear old man and a good friend." Nesho set down the sleeping Marko next to her brother, stood up and walked slowly to the tiny window. There she remained, staring out into the dark nothingness. "Those poor girls!" Sosho sobbed. "What will happen to them?" "They'll live," Shasta said without any compassion. "If they're smart and take my advice." "How can you be so heartless?" Sosho shouted. "Experience," Shasta said looking the younger woman straight in the eyes. "But..." "That's enough, Sosho," Nesho said quietly, turning back to the room. "Shasta is quite right. They will probably live through it. Remember, we have seen this before." While on a trip with her nephew, Dent, their ship had been captured. The women aboard that ill-fated vessel had been taken as slaves, but before being sold in Harv'el they had been repeatedly raped by the privateer's crew. Nesho and Sosho had been saved that fate by the quick-thinking Dent claiming them as his slaves and personal property. "Remember we were saved from that fate only by Dent's wit and strong right arm," she paused momentarily and her hand went to briefly touch her salidin. "Even as he still protects us. If they live we will deal with them later. Right now we have other, more important, things to worry about. This general is obviously either stupid or insane, possibly both. As I see it one of two things will happen now: Either the villagers will completely submit; or they will rebel. Knowing them I think it will be the latter. The question is how do we, or can we, use this?" "Use this?" Clarise said with a shaky voice. "How can we do anything when we're locked up here?" "As I said," Nesho repeated, "that is the question. Our husband will return for us and we must prepare for that. Do you have any doubt about that?" The two young women suddenly sat upright and with eyes wide shook their heads in unison. "Well I don't propose to sit here on our bottoms waiting for him to pull our fat from the fire again. He'll be busy enough when he gets here. We need to make sure we're not part of what he needs to worry about." "How?" Sosho, Clarise and Shasta said together. Nesho just smiled. "I don't know, exactly," she said. "But we will begin to find that out. Shasta," she said and Shasta's head popped up, "you seem to be able to come and go without hindrance." "So far," Shasta agreed nodding. "This could work out well," Nesho mused. "It could be dangerous for you though." Shasta just shrugged. "They haven't connected you with us, except maybe as a servant, or a nanny perhaps. Do you think you can find somewhere else to sleep, somewhere safe?" Shasta looked thoughtful then nodded. "Good. This is how we should start..." The four plotted together for the next few hours. + + + Shasta knew of a secluded storeroom away from the main hallways, which had often been used for trysts between servants or afternoon naps. There was an old mattress on the floor that was comfortable enough, and the room was sufficiently secluded that she felt safe sleeping there. She woke early the next morning and carefully snuck out, making sure nobody saw where she was coming from. Her sleep had been fitful; she had been dreaming about that man again. Although this time she couldn't pass it off as a spillover from his passions with another woman. Chiding herself for acting the moonstruck girl she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and got back to work. Taking care of her necessary business she headed back to the kitchen. Surprisingly, she met no one on either trip, neither one of the officers billeted there nor any of the guards supposedly posted to the mansion. As she crept into the kitchen she recognized three or four of the girls who had hid themselves after the previous nights dinner. They were busy fixing a morning meal of salted fish and fried oat-mash and steadfastly ignoring the sobbing girl huddled against the wall behind them. It was Zsofia. Shasta crossed the room to her and bending down bodily lifted the girl up into a standing position. Zsofia offered no resistance but just continued sobbing with her eyes closed. Shasta's heart when out to the lass like it hadn't before and she pulled Zsofia in against herself, hugging her tightly. "It's all right," she whispered. "It's over for now. You're alive and that's what's important." After a few minutes of this Shasta felt the girl stir and try to push her away. "How can you touch me?" Zsofia cried. "I am so... so... unclean!" "Bullshit!" Shasta hissed, grabbing the girl by the arms and shaking her, hard. Zsofia stopped sobbing for a moment and looked up at Shasta. "What happened was done to you!" Shasta continued heatedly. "You had no control over it! You were raped! Do you understand that? Raped! By the gods, you stupid little bitch, do you understand? You didn't have anything to do with it except to be there!" Suddenly she hugged the younger woman to her and whispered, "Just thank whatever gods you worship that you're alive." Still holding Zsofia she turned her head and looked at the other girls in the kitchen. To a one they were staring at her with their mouths open. "And you!" her eyes encompassed them all. "She needed you to be there for her and you just ignored her. What friends are you? It may scare you, you may not want to look this horror in the face, but last night it was Zsofia, tonight it could be you!" "But what can we do?" one wailed. "For one thing, you can offer comfort to the ones these beasts take," Shasta said. "B-But she didn't want anyone to touch her," another added softly. "Of course not," Shasta scoffed. "She feels like it was her fault. She feels damaged, like nobody will want her ever again. She needs you here with her, for her. Hold her even if she fights you. Tell her you're here for her. Remember any one of you may be right here in her place tomorrow morning, or the next, or the one after that... Be a friend." As a group the remaining girls came forward and placed a hand on Zsofia's. "We're sorry Zsofia." "We still love you." "We're here for you." Shasta released Zsofia and stepped back. "Good," she began. "One of you will stay with her. You others, get busy and make some kind of morn meal for the pigs. When you finish, find the other girls from last night. You know what to do. I have things I need to be about, the mistress's business. Now, does anyone know where the captain of the guard is hiding? Or whatever other idiot they have that claims to be in charge around here?" One of the girls pointed through one of the doors. "Oh, if someone asks for anything other than salted fish, tell them we are out. Understand?" With that Shasta marched off through the indicated doorway. It didn't take very long to find the one she was looking for. A harried looking non-noble with the stripes of a sergeant was issuing orders to a group of seemingly uninterested, and Shasta thought, rather slovenly lower ranks. "I don't want to hear your excuses," he said rather tiredly, "I want it done." "But, Sergeant," one of the ranks blurted out, "there ain't nobody in the village 'cepting a couple of old codgers maybe on the high side of seventy seasons. Them bodies and heads was gone this morning and there ain't nary a soul in the town. Shit, even the whores in the houses is gone." "Now how would you know that? Never mind," the sergeant waved off the question. "The general said he wants a work party of fifty locals to unload stores on the docks; we get him fifty locals. If you have to send patrols out into the hills, they have to be holing up somewhere. Find them." "Yes, Sergeant," they all answered listlessly, sketched something that could be taken as a salute and shuffled off. "What the hell do you want?" The sergeant grumped as he turned to Shasta. "Sir," she said lowering her eyes, "we are running out of food in the kitchen. Where do we go to replenish our stocks? We have little left except salted fish and oat flour." "Fuck if I know," the sergeant replied. "Hell, they make us eat rations out of our own stocks, crap I wouldn't even feed to a slave." He paused for a moment. "Shit, if we don't get something decent for the high-and-mighty officers' mess he'll be on my back like a fucking blood-sucking leach." He sighed, "Go down to the village and see if you can requisition something halfway decent. "I've just received reports that all the villagers seem to have disappeared, but see what you can do. Maybe you can scrounge up something. If not we'll have to have it brought in from one of the cargo ships; salted beef instead of salted fish, but what can we do? Go on. See what you can do. Here," he said, pulling a small wooden disk from his belt pouch, "this pass will let you through the guards. If you're stopped, tell them Sergeant Dejan sent you and show them the pass." "Yes, sir," she said demurely. She was careful not to let the elation she felt show on her face. This is exactly what they had hoped would happen! Quickly she made her way back to Nesho's room to let her know what was going on in the village. + + + Getting into the village was easier than she expected. She was stopped only once, and that was by a pair of rather lethargic soldiers lounging at the mansion gate. Nobody else was visible until she entered the village proper. There she saw a couple of squads of soldiers poking around the houses, ostensibly looking for something. They did stop her, but immediately lost interest, other than a few ribald comments, once she showed them the pass and mentioned the sergeant's name. Other than these two patrols the village seemed to be deserted. Shasta decided to look around anyway. She tried a number of the shops but didn't find anything except overturned display cases and litter on the floor. Either the villagers had taken everything when they left or the soldiers had stolen it all. Despairing of finding anyone she stuck her head in the fishmonger's shop. "Is anybody here?" she called out. Pausing for a moment she was just about to leave when she heard a rustling in the back of the shop, and then a voice answered. "Who is that?" the voice said in raspy tones. "You don't sound like them soldier boys none." "It's Shasta," she said stepping into the shop. "Shasta torDeSiso." For the first time that she could remember she actually felt proud using her house name. Briefly she wondered if she were finally being "broken" to her status as slave, but with a little shrug she let the thought pass. She was proud to be associated with the master; a warm shiver ran through her body as she thought of him and his women. Almost without thinking she turned her head in the direction she knew he lay, and reached out for the bond between them. It wasn't the first time she had caught herself doing it, but this time she didn't try to stop herself. This time as she opened herself up to the experience she could almost feel what he was sending. She could sense a happiness, intermingled with sadness; overtop a simmering anger so hot she hoped to never have it directed her way, ever! Suddenly she realized someone was talking and she had no idea what she had said. "Child!" Have you taken ill?" Shasta look towards the voice and saw for the first time it came from a small, stooped, old woman. Shasta had never seen anyone this old before! She must have been around when this island was first lifted from the sea. The eyes were sharp and clear though; seeming to pierce right through any fabrication Shasta might have wanted to spout. "I-I'm sorry mother," she said politely. "I was thinking of something else just now. I am sorry." "So," the old woman said thumping her cane on the wooden floor. "You are torDeSiso, eh? From the governor's household? I thought you were all in hiding, or at least should be." "Ah, I was with Mistress Nesho and the others," Shasta explained. "We were captured trying to escape and returned here. The mistresses are locked up in the mansion. Luckily I am free to come and go, so far at least." "So, what is it you be wanting, child?" "I'm here for two reasons actually," Shasta admitted. "First I'm here as Mistress Nesho's messenger. I was supposed to contact someone in the village, someone who can get the word out to the rest of them. I bring messages, news, and, we believe, hope." "I think we can at least do that," she cackled. "You named me 'mother.' Truth be told it's more grandmother, but you can call me Agata. I'm pretty sure I can get ahold on who you're looking for. Do you need to meet them?" "I don't think so, G'mother Agata," Shasta said with a shake of her head. "In fact it's probably best if I don't know who it is. Now, this may be dangerous for you. Are you sure you want to do this?" "Child," Agata chuckled, "I or my man can get hold of who is leading the villagers. Between the two of us we have more years then we want to admit. I don't think there's anything they can do to us that we ain't ready for. Now, what is it you want me to pass along?" "Well, you already know about Daniel and his friends," Shasta started. "Aye," Agata said harshly. "Known that boy since he been born. Terrible loss that. That's one they're going to pay for." "Unfortunately there's more," Shasta said. "Remember this, nobody else has died that I know of, but..." and she related what she knew of the hostages to the old woman. Agata's face grew even grimmer as Shasta told the story. "Damn them!" Agata hissed. "All them children defiled and ruined!" "They are not ruined!" Shasta practically screamed. "By the gods! Neither you nor anyone else will judge them for what they had done to them. What happened to them -- is still happening -- is not their fault, and damn you all if you're going to blame them!" "Maybe you're right, child," Agata said blinking at Shasta's vehement response. "But even so, what man would want soiled goods, so to say." "Any man worth having," Shasta snapped back. She caught herself from saying anything further, straightened her back and took a deep breath. "But that isn't for now. That problem is for another day. The truth is they will probably survive. My master and mistress will take care of it when the time is right." "Your master?" the old woman grunted. "Do you really think he is alive still? Even if he is, what do you think he could do about it?" "I know he is alive," Shasta said determinedly. "That's one of the messages I have to bring. He is alive, well, free and, well... I don't know what he's doing, but he is doing something even as we speak. As for what he can do: I have only been with his a short amount of time and even I can say, if he wants to do something, it will be done!" "No need to get huffy, child," Agata said mildly. "If you say he will, I'm sure he will. The Governor has been a net full of surprises since he been here, I'll admit. So you been with him only a short time. Might you be the wench that killed her master this few ten-day ago?" "I am," Shasta admitted stiffly. "Nicely done, that bit o' work," Agata nodded. "Both yours and his. He is a sly one, that I'll grant. You got the spirit too, I'm thinking, if he ain't broke you to saddle yet." "He is my master," Shasta blushed, "but he hasn't broken me to anything. He hasn't even tried." "He's smart enough to let you do it for him," Agata said with a chuckle. "But enough of that. You had more and I'm thinking you haven't got all day to be passing it arguing with the likes of me." "True, I don't know how long I have," Shasta admitted. "We need food, for us and the pigs. Then..." She went on to fill Agata in on their needs. "Aye, I'm thinking we can do that," Agata nodded sometime later. "My man, Jozsef, should be able to bring you up some fixings later this afternoon. As for passing your word onto the rest of the villagers... I'm thinking we can get ahold of somebody to get it to. Don't know about an answer by tonight..." "We wouldn't expect you to try to contact anyone so soon," Shasta said quickly. "Not with all the activity going on around here. Mistress Nesho would not expect you to put yourself in any danger for this. It's not that important." "Don't you be worrying, child," Agata chuckled. "None of these fancy soldier boys will be bothering with the likes of this old nag, nor a broken down knob like my Jozsef. But settle yourself anyway; if we be thinking there's any danger, we'll steer away from it." "Good," Shasta said, sounding relieved. "Then I'd better get back before they think I've run away." "Then you better be off, child," Agata said. She paused before continuing, "Don't know if it means anything, but one of them small boats came into the harbor this morn. You know the kind I mean? 'Packet ship', or some such nonsense, the kind used to deliver messages and such." "I don't know what that means, either," Shasta admitted. "But I'll pass along the information. Maybe Mistress Nesho will know what it means." + + + "You did very well, Shasta," Nesho said nodding. "Much better than I had hoped. We may now have a contact for our missing villagers and a reason for you to continue your excursions to see this Agata. I'm afraid I don't know her, or her husband." "I do," Sosho chimed in. "She's as crusty as a piece of day-old bread, but everybody respects her in the village. I hope she will be all right." "She seemed to think so," Shasta reassured her. "We'll see this afternoon. If her husband, Jozsef, can get up here with the supplies without trouble that will tell us something." "You didn't have any problem with that sergeant?" Nesho asked her. "No," Shasta replied with a shake of her head. "I told him we expected some supplies to arrive this afternoon and he just grunted. He was busy at the time and not all that interested in me. There were a lot of soldiers running in and out; something must be going on. In fact I think I'll nose around a try to find out what's happening." "Be careful," Nesho and Clarise admonished together while Sosho nodded her agreement. Slipping out the door she nodded to the guard lounging in a chair. Shasta made sure every guard -- although rarely was it the same one twice -- saw her and was used to her comings and goings. She headed to the kitchen where she intended to wait for Agata's husband, Jozsef. She had just sat down when Sergeant Dejan strode into the room. Scanning the girls who were getting the kitchen ready for the food preparation his eyes finally landed on Shasta. "Ah, good," he said. "You seem to be slightly less of a fucked up cunt than the rest of them. I need a tray with a flask of wine and three or four cups taken up to the general's office right away. The last bitch I tried to send shook so badly she spilled half the fucking wine before she could get it out the door." "Yes, sir," Shasta said with her head bowed. "I'll take it up there right away, sir." "Right," Dejan said nodding as he turned and moved off to his next crisis. With the help of the other girls Shasta was able to put together a tray of required refreshments and carried it up to Nesho's office. The general was standing in the middle of the room sputtering, his face bright red. Obviously he wasn't happy with the bejeweled officer sitting in one of the chairs with his legs crossed. "I don't care who sent you," Andrisek shouted. "I can't release my reserve force! I'm still pacifying this location." "My dear General Andrisek," the seated officer said languidly. "If you are referring to that sleepy little hamlet I passed through on my way up here, I dare say, it could hardly be more pacified. But it really doesn't matter. Prince Matevz has ordered his reserves forward." "I shouldn't have to remind you that the Putram placed me in charge of this element of the expedition," Andrisek blustered. "I'm sure my cousin..." "You are of course referring to Prince Matevz's father," the seated noble interjected. "I'm quite sure His Excellency knew exactly what he was doing placing you in charge here, General. Just as he knew what he was doing when he appointed the prince as overall force commander." There was a moment of silence that seemed to grow heaver the longer it went when Lieutenant Dekyska, who had been standing off to one side away from the other two, noticed Shasta standing in the doorway. "Honored Sirs," he said clearing his throat. "General Andrisek, Sub-Fleet Commander Ledat, some wine perhaps?" "That would be lovely, Dekyska," Ledat said with a smile. Andrisek just grunted. At Dekyska's motioned instruction Shasta set the tray down on a side table and poured three cups of wine. She handed one cup to Andrisek who practically grabbed it out of her hand. The next she brought to Ledat who covered her hands with his as he reached for the cup. "This is a lovely one," he said looking up at her. "A local product, I assume? I see the duty here isn't all that arduous." "One of that prick's bitches," Andrisek muttered. "With that collar she's as useless as tits on a boar hog to me." "Ah, one of the famous deSiso slaves," Ledat said, taking the cup and releasing Shasta's hands. "That reminds me, our esteemed ally Putram deClover was asking about a couple of slaves he asked us to pick up for him. Have you seen them?" "Yeah," Andrisek grunted again. "I have the bitches. But I'm thinking of keeping them for myself. They're decent looking and should be interesting once the prick is dead. But that brings up the point: why isn't that bastard dead? What the hell is going on over there?" "The situation is... fluid just now," Ledat frowned. "As with all military operations, it isn't going exactly as planned. There has been more resistance than expected, some from rather unexpected quarters. But everything is well in hand and I expect with these extra five hundred troops it will all be over soon." "I suppose," he continued, "keeping the slaves here for a while wouldn't hurt anything. DeClover is somewhat — occupied right now. Besides, he seems to in rather fragile health; I hardly expect him to survive the end of this operation." Both men began to chuckle at this observation. "No, I don't suppose he will," Andrisek mused. "But back to these troops: I really can't afford to release them. The population has taken to the hills and I'm going to need them to dig the wogs out. In fact I was going to unload them today." "You have three hundred men here," Ledat observed. "That should be more than enough to dig a few fishermen out of some caves. If not you'll just have to hold on until we finish and bring some back here to augment you. This is really not up for debate. I'm leaving you with five ships, two of which carry your supplies. That should be more than enough." "Maybe," Andrisek admitted. "I sent a few patrols out earlier; in fact I should have heard from them by now. Dekyska, what have they reported?" "Ah, nothing yet, General," Dekyska said nervously. "In fact they are overdue to return." "All three?" Andrisek asked, dumbfounded. "Yes, sir," Dekyska nodded. "I'm sure we'll hear from them very soon, though." "Shit! We sent out the standard five-man patrols?" the Lieutenant nodded. The general's jaw clenched, "If we don't hear anything in one hour send out two ten-man patrols. Damn it! I want these wogs found!" "Yes, sir!" Dekyska saluted and walked past Shasta out the door. "You see!" Andrisek said to Ledat. "I need those extra troops!" "I sympathize, General," Ledat said shaking his head. "But they are needed in Harv'el desperately." "Desperately?" Andrisek spit out. "I thought you said everything was under control?" "It will be," Ledat assured him, "with these extra troops. Anyway, they will be leaving with me on the evening tide. I took the liberty of giving the orders before I met with you." "You can't..." Andrisek sputtered. "I can and I did," Ledat said as he stood up. "And now, General, by your leave, I must make sure everything is ready for departure. We have a good day's run back to Harv'el and will be pushing as hard as we can." Shasta took that moment to back quietly out the door and hurry down to Nesho's room before they could notice her again. Edited by Morgan ------- Chapter 8 Shasta hurried down to Nesho's room and was surprised to find the door open and the guard missing. Sticking her head in the door she saw the three women were still there, sitting around talking. "Something change here?" she asked. "It seems we don't need a guard and have the run of the house and privies," Nesho said looking up at her. "Somebody came by and told the guard he was needed elsewhere. Do you know what that is all about?" "Maybe," Shasta replied, she then filled them in on everything she had just heard. "Hmm, sounds like they are having more problems than they anticipated," Nesho said thoughtfully. She smirked as she added, "I'll bet Dent has a lot to do with this. I wonder what is really going on." "I'll bet it would be fun to watch," Sosho added. "Just be glad you're not there," Nesho chided. "I doubt if anything is fun there right now." Sosho sniffed at the thought, but then nodded slightly, acknowledging her mother's undoubtedly correct assessment. "So what do we do now?" Clarise asked. "Stay out of the way as much as possible, I would say," Nesho replied. "Help Shasta out as much as possible, but it would be best if they just forgot we were even here." "Oh, that reminds me..." Shasta interrupted. "I was waiting for Jozsef to show up. I'd better get back down there and see if he's been here yet. If he hasn't what do you want me to tell him?" If you get the chance, let him know what you just told us," Nesho replied thoughtfully. "Tell the villagers not to do anything -- if they have something planned that is -- at least until after those ships leave. Oh, have them send word to the Guild house; they'll want to know what is going on also. If it's true they will be leaving only those soldiers they now have ashore... Well, I'm sure the Guild will be able to think of something to do." "Yes, Mistress," Shasta nodded. "If he comes, I'll let him know." "Thank you, Shasta," Nesho said with a smile. "Shasta... ?" "Yes, Mistress?" Shasta said as she was turning to go. "Don't you think it's about time to stop with the 'Mistress'? It's a little silly given what we all know is going to happen." "I-I-I don't know what you mean Mistress," Shasta sputtered. "As you wish, my dear," Nesho sighed. "But you would make this a whole lot easier on all of us if you would just accept it. You feel it; we feel it; and when he returns, Dent will feel it. You can blame it on the salidin if you want to, and it may have something to do with it to be honest. It didn't for Sosho and me, and Clarise doesn't seem to think it did with her. But if it makes you feel better, by all means, blame the salidin. "But," she continued her black eyes staring right into Shasta's green ones, "you know that when you see him again, when you look into those ice blue eyes, your heart will race, your crotch will be wet and it will be all you can do to stop yourself from pulling him into the bedroom, spreading your legs and begging him to force that nice fat cock so far up inside you can fee it in your throat. Then, oh yes, when he cums inside you..." Shasta heard the intake of breath from the other two women in the room, but her eyes were riveted on Nesho. Like a mouse watching the swooping hawk, knowing there was nothing she could do to change her fate, she stood transfixed, unable to move, barely able to breathe. Already her heart was beating hard enough she thought it would bruise her ribs and the pit of her stomach felt empty, craving something she had never had before. Visibly shaking, she looked at Nesho, tears blurring her vision, and whispered, "Why? Why are you doing this to me?" Nesho stood up slowly and crossed the room. Standing very close to the trembling girl she brought her hands up and cupped Shasta's face, using her thumbs to wipe away the tears running down her cheeks. Nesho smiled, but it wasn't a smile of triumph, it was the sad smile of the mother who has to wash the cut on her child's knee, knowing it would hurt, but also knowing it had to be done. "Because, dear heart," she said before leaning in to kiss Shasta gently on the lips, "you belong with him and with us." Suddenly Shasta felt two pairs of arms surrounding her from each side. Nesho allowed her to turn her head to one side where another pair of lips, this time attached to blonde hair and blue eyes, was ready to press against hers. This kiss lasted longer than the first and when she felt the soft touches of a tongue against her closed lips she opened slightly, allowing the fleshy intruder to gently touch the insides of her mouth. Shasta heard a low moaning and finally realized it was herself making the sound. Her arms somehow had come up to encircle Nesho, clutching the older woman tightly to herself. Clarise broke the kiss and Shasta moaned again, this time in disappointment, but Nesho didn't let it end there. Gently turning Shasta's head to the other side Shasta was... assaulted... by another set of lips seemingly bent of tasting her tonsils! Shasta eagerly returned the kiss until Nesho finally drew her back around to face her. All four women were panting. Suddenly Shasta had a thought and her face clouded up and the tears began again. "What is it, darling?" Nesho asked softly. "He'll never want me!" Shasta sobbed. "I have been used for everything you can imagine! I'm just another used-up whore! By the gods, I was even forced to fuck a..." Nesho's hand gently covered Shasta's mouth. "That is over," she cooed, "it's meaningless: another life, a bad dream. Now you are a virgin bride coming to her husband." "Didn't you hear me?" Shasta whispered. "I've been fucked by everything, everywhere..." "Hush," Nesho whispered back. "You have never been made love to, darling. What was done to you isn't the same thing. You will see. When your man takes you it's completely different from your master using you. I promise." "I don't believe... can't believe..." Shasta started. "Can't believe what?" Sosho asked from one side. "I can't believe he will want me," Shasta finished. "He will want you," Nesho said with a smile. "He already wants you, dear, and after he gets to know you he will love you." "He didn't love me the first time he took me," Clarise added candidly. "With our bond that's not something that can be hid. But He came to love me; this I know. Just like he will come to love you." "But how can the three of you invite someone like me, a stranger into your... family?" Shasta sighed. Even as doubt clouded her mind the warmth of the three women crowded around her, holding her, stroking her, infused her with a sense of belonging and affection she hadn't felt since her initial capture those ten seasons ago. Even the intimate times she spent with Katern seemed pale in comparison. "We live for him," Nesho said leaning in for another short kiss. "What is right for him, we accept. In fact it is our duty to obtain it for him. You are right for him; we feel it, we know it, therefore we do it. Doing this brings us joy." Nesho leaned back slightly and gave Shasta a slight, very possessive smile. "You will find sharing our man is not much of a burden. You will find he has more than enough love to hold, and satisfy four women. In fact we were wondering if we needed another woman for him. Over the past few ten-day poor Clarise had to sacrifice herself beyond human endurance while the two of us were... unavailable." "It was awful," Clarise chuckled. "But I would do anything for my sisters." "Yeah!" Sosho smirked from the other side. "Like you would have let either of us even close while you were trying for a baby." "That's another thing," Shasta moaned. "I'm barren. What would he want with a woman with a useless womb?" "I seriously doubt Dent thinks about children when he's making love to us," Nesho replied. "Not that he doesn't love and appreciate them when they pop up, but you've seen that. Your fertility isn't a consideration; although I have some small skill at healing and we can look into that when the time is more appropriate. I'm sorry, dear, these," Nesho lifted her hand to touch her salidin, "have already told us where you fit in. You'll just have to accept it. You can try to fight it, but I'll tell you now it won't do you any good. Do you love him?" "Of course I..." Shasta began, caught herself and began blushing. The three women just smiled at her. "So," Shasta started again dryly, "you're telling me I have no choice except to be bedded and loved by one of the most impressive men I have ever met while being welcomed into his harem as a concubine by three of the most beautiful women I have ever seen?" "Yep, that's pretty much how it's going to be," Sosho said with Clarise nodding. "Except you won't be his concubine anymore than we are," Nesho added. "You'll be his wife also. Just another one of the girls." "I still don't believe it," Shasta stated. "He will never say yes to that." "We don't intend on asking," Nesho said. "We'll just tell him. He doesn't get the choice." "You can't do that!" Shasta gasped. "He's the master! He would never let a slave tell him what to do!" The three women each took a step back, looked at each other and started laughing. "My dear," Nesho chuckled, "you have a lot to learn. He is without a doubt the master of our hearts and bodies, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know what's good for him. You will see." "Now," she continued, "I believe you have someone to meet, if he shows up. But," she chided, "you must be extra careful now. You are one of us and we don't plan on losing you. Do you understand?" "Yes Mistress... ah, Nesho." Shasta still looked dubious. "Good, and better," Nesho said with a smile. "You will see it is all as it should be. Now scoot along. Now that we're allowed out a bit we can take care of our own necessities, but we expect you to be back here for bed. You will sleep with us now." "Yes, Nesho," Shasta said looking at the floor. "I'll bring a mattress down this evening." "Why would you do that, dear?" Nesho asked. "We've made up cribs for the babes and we have two beds that easily hold two. Why would we need anything else? Unless maybe you wouldn't want to sleep with one of us?" Nesho raised an eyebrow in question. "N-n-no, I don't mind" Shasta stuttered. Remembering her times with Katern she again started blushing. "Good! Then we'll expect you tonight," Nesho nodded, with a gleam in her eye. "Just to let you know," Sosho teased, "we always sleep naked." + + + Shasta walked the still-silent halls in a daze. Her eyes unable to focus on any one thing while her mind raced from one set of images to another. As she wandered into the kitchen area she noticed a gnarled old man sitting at one of the tables, a cup of tea in his shaking hands. Through the open door she could see a couple of the hostage girls unloading a small handcart with what looked to be fresh produce and unidentifiable baskets. One of the girls working at the counter turned when she heard Shasta enter. "Shasta!" she exclaimed. "Jozsef here said he needed to speak with you before he left." "Hmm, oh, yes," Shasta said, trying to dispel the fog still surrounding her mind. "Hello, Jozsef. You didn't have any problem getting up here, did you?" "No, Mistress," Jozsef answered in a gravely voice. He started to pull himself out of the chair but sat down heavily when Shasta quickly motioned for him to remain seated. She sat down in a chair next to him and leaned over, allowing them to keep their voices low. "Thank you, Jozsef," Shasta whispered. Quickly she filled him in on the information she had. "Mistress Nesho is in agreement with me: if it becomes to dangerous, you are not to come anywhere near here, you understand?" "Now don't you be worrying your pretty little head," he said reaching over to pat her hand. "Ain't nobody be giving this old man even a second look. They all seem to be a-buzzing about something else right now." He stopped to chuckle; it wasn't a humorous chuckle in the least. "I'm guessing them boys they 'lost' be giving them something to think about." "You know about that?" Shasta asked. "Oh, aye," he nodded. "Well, don't tell me," Shasta insisted. "The fewer who know about it around here the better. Now, I have something else to ask about: These women here, the hostages: we need to get them out. Right now they aren't paying much attention to them because of those lost patrols, but when they find out they won't be coming back -- I'm assuming they won't be coming back?" Jozsef nodded and grinned, "They're going to want to take it out on someone. These girls have to get out of here, tonight if possible." "Aye, something can be worked out," he said, nodding again. "Don't know exactly where they might be going, not sure they be welcome back with their families, what with everything been done to them you understand. Might be some already mourn them as dead, if you know what I mean." "Well, let me tell you what I mean," Shasta hissed, "and you can pass this along to those sanctimonious bastards: anyone treats these poor girls with anything less than the respect and the love they deserve, they'll be dealing with me when it's all said and done! I'll have their guts on a stick roasting for the hogs to eat and if they don't take me seriously then they can think of what the Governor will do when he gets back! If that doesn't scare them, then they are fools and will be better off staying in those caves where they're hiding!" Shasta's eyes blazed with green fire and her hands curled like claws, Jozsef's eyes opened wide and he put his hands up as if he were going to fend her off. "Please, Mistress," he whimpered. "I'm just saying what others have said." At just that time Nesho came striding into the kitchen looking like she expected trouble, Clarise trailing on her heels. "What's the problem," she demanded, relaxing somewhat when she saw Shasta still just sitting at the table. "Shasta, what has you so... agitated? We could feel something was wrong, but not what it was." Shasta jumped up and ran over to whisper in Nesho's ear. "We were talking about getting these girls out of here tonight." Shasta glanced over to make sure the girl working at the counter couldn't hear them. "It seems those patrols are going to stay 'lost' and I'm worried the pigs will take it out on them when they finally realize it. Jozsef here was telling me they may not be welcome at home anymore just because of what was done to some of them." "Is that so?" Nesho said frostily. "Fruzina?" She called to the girl at the counter. Fruzina turned around and see who was there ran over and dropped to her knees in front of Nesho as if a free woman kneeling to a collared slave was the most natural thing in the world. "Mistress Nesho," Fruzina sobbed, wrapping her arms around Nesho and burying her head in Nesho's skirt pleats. "Thank the gods you are all right! It has been horrible! What are we to do?" "Settle down, child," Nesho said soothingly, caressing the girl's head. "We will see what can be done. Don't you worry, everything will turn out fine. Now, would you please run outside for a bit? I need to speak with Jozsef for a moment. Clarise? Would you mind going outside with Fruzina here and maybe talking to the other girls if you can find them." "Of course, Nesho," Clarise said, wrapping an arm around the girl as she stood up. "Come along, dear. Let's see if we can find everybody." She nodded to Nesho and Shasta as she led Fruzina to the door. They all watched as Clarise led the younger woman out, then Nesho turned back to the old man with a look that could have frozen water in a glass. "I understand that this is not your doing, Jozsef," she said with a definite edge to her voice. "Mistress," Jozsef was almost whimpering, "I just told the young mistress what I'd heard. I ain't said neither yea nor nay to it ever, I swear." "Yes," she drew out the one word until it was almost a hiss. "But you are our messenger and as such I have a message for the villagers." Her eyes bore into his and Shasta couldn't help but think how utterly amazing that the same black eyes that could look so warm and loving suddenly became two pieces of obsidian glass: cold and totally without compassion or forgiveness. "These young women have suffered terribly. If they are made to suffer again because of a few hypocrites and gossips... Well, that will be remembered. Remembered by me, which may not worry some," Jozsef twitched when she said that, "but it will also be remembered by my husband when he returns. That should worry them. If they won't be taken care of by the families and community they grew up in, then they will be taken care of by their governor, who will remember why. "Now," she continued, "Shasta is right. Because of what the village has done -- and done correctly, I will admit -- these women will be in danger. They must leave tonight. I want two things:[BM1] First I want escorts for them out back, behind the mansion, a little after full nightfall. There needs to be enough of them to possibly take care of any sentries that may be stationed there. Second, a diversion. I believe the majority of the troops ashore are billeted in one of the new warehouses down by the waterfront. It should be a simple task for seafolk such as yourself to approach by water and start a fire that would keep them occupied for a time. Understood?" Jozsef nodded. "Good! Then you had best be getting back. There are people to contact and plans to be made. The girls will be ready to leave as soon as we hear the alarm." "Yes, Mistress," Jozsef pushed himself up and started hobbling to the door. He paused once and looked back over his shoulder. "It's a good thing you be doing, Mistress. I understand what some of them families be thinking and feeling; felt it myself when I first heard about them poor girls, more to my shame. But it ain't right. You be setting things right. I know it, and it be the right course to steer." Bobbing his head again he turned and shuffled out the door to his cart. "Those bastards," Shasta growled. "Don't judge them too harshly," Nesho said with a sigh. "It is their culture, and not theirs alone. If it had been young men forced into bed with conquering women, they would laugh about their noble sacrifice, but let a woman have sex before marriage, even if forced... Well, I can't change their culture overnight, but I can certainly make it uncomfortable for them." "Do you really think our master will be angry about this?" Shasta asked. "After all, he is a warrior and this sort of thing happens in war." "What do you think?" Nesho asked with a lopsided grin. Shasta paused for a moment and then slowly nodded. "They have much to worry about," she said finally. "Yes, they do," Nesho agreed. "They haven't seen him really angry, yet." + + + Waiting is always difficult. It doesn't matter if the waiting is for Mid-season Gift Day morning as a child, or for your monstrous owner to arrive for his evening of torture and pain. Or in this case, nightfall and word from the village. Nesho decided it would be best to keep the hostages back in the kitchen area while she, Shasta and Sosho served the evening meal. Clarise would stay in the back with the girls, riding herd on them as it were, but also because Nesho thought Clarise's bright blond hair would offer too much of a distraction to the men they were serving. Shasta snorted at the thought. True, Clarise's pale golden locks made her stand out in a room where most of the women were darker and somewhat shorter. But... if she had to choose which of the three were the most beautiful -- an almost impossible task since she considered all three to be exquisitely beautiful -- Shasta knew she would have picked Nesho. For all that she had some fifteen years on the other two, Nesho possessed a mature beauty that made Shasta ache when she thought of it. Be that as it may, somebody needed to remain with the terrified girls and equally terrified young women hoping for rescue, in addition to watching out for the babies. Wearing full length dresses as dowdy as they could find, which was not very dowdy at all since even the servants in the DeSiso household seemed to want to dress to display and attract. An earlier Shasta would have been disgusted at this blatant attempt to attract sexual attention, but now she understood it reflected as much their feeling of security under Dent DeSiso as it did a normal flirtatious nature. Still, they were able to find some that could be considered conservative, and with them, scarves to bind and hide their hair, and maybe a little smudge of dirt or grease, they were about as mousy and plain as they could make themselves. Of course they made sure they kept their salidin as visible as possible. It seemed to work since, for the most part, the men sitting at the table didn't give them much notice. It helped that they seemed to be preoccupied. "Still haven't found those damn patrols," one grumbled. "I wonder if they've deserted?" "Deserted?" another scoffed. "Deserted to where? It's a fucking island, and we own it! No, they didn't desert. The stupid bastards are probably still lost, or maybe found a caveful of cunts. Probably they're up there fucking their brains out." "Alls I can say," General Andrisek pontificated from the head of the table, "if these wogs had anything to do with their disappearance I'm going to have the heads of every one of these bitches we're keeping as 'guests' up on a pole in the middle of town. After I have every man in the company use them in all three holes." He laughed and every man at the table laughed with him. "That reminds me," he said squinting at the three women serving the table. "Where are those bitches?" "They're either back in the kitchen or upstairs cleaning the rooms, Your Worship," Nesho said softly as she leaned over and filled his cup to the brim with more wine. Nesho had ordered the largest cups available be set out at each place, and that they be kept as full as possible before, during and after the meal. "Good," the general belched and looked up at her with blurry eyes. He was already half drunk and Nesho intended to get him there fully as soon as possible. "Then I'll know where to find one later tonight." He reached up and grabbed one of Nesho's breasts cruelly. "Too bad you ain't ready tonight, sweet thing. I like mine a bit younger, but I'll bet you're one hell of a fine ride." "Of course, Your Worship," Nesho muttered through gritted teeth, stepping back as the general lost interest and released her. Suddenly there was the sound of pounding boots outside the dining hall and Lieutenant Dekyska burst in followed by two troopers. "General!" he said loudly and without preamble. "The barracks down by the docks are on fire!" "Damn it!" Andrisek bellowed, trying to stand up. "Those fucking wogs are attacking! All of you: Get down there, get down there now! Take the guard unit here with you! We'll catch those wogs and fucking kill every one of them!" "Ah, General," Dekyska tried to delicately interject, "it may be a diversion; they may be coming here. For that matter we don't even know if it was the villagers. It could have been an accident. I wouldn't strip all the troops from the household here..." "Bullshit!" Andrisek screamed. "I just about had it, you little pussy! I say the fucking wogs are attacking the barracks and that's what they're doing! Round up all the hostages and stuff them into one of the rooms back there. Take these other whores and stick them in their room also. Leave a couple of the troops to keep them in there, but the rest are coming with us! Get me my armor!" With that the general stumbled his way out of the dining room followed by the rest of his officers, less Dekyska. Looking after his commanding officer, Dekyska shook his head slightly and sighed. "You!" Dekyska said motioning to one of the troopers. "Take these two here, the dark haired ones, down to their room. We'll round up the blond and the rest of our 'guests' and get them in a couple of rooms across or next to theirs. After that's done I'll send a couple of troopers down to relieve you. I want you with me for this fiasco... I mean, operation." "What about that one?" one of the soldiers said pointing to Shasta. "What about her?" Dekyska shrugged. "She's not one of the three the general talked about and she's not one of the hostages. Leave her be." He beckoned to the remaining trooper and walked out the door towards the kitchen. "Yes, sir," the trooper said with a nod. "All right you two: come with me." Nesho linked arms with Sosho and looked over at Shasta. Shasta nodded almost imperceptibly trying to convey the message she would take care of everything. Nesho nodded back and even gave her a slight smile, then the two of them walked out with the trooper following. Shasta hurried to the kitchen just in time to see the last of the hostage girls being herded down the hall towards the rooms where Nesho and the rest were bound. Shasta stuck her head outside to look around. It was fully dark by now and she couldn't see any sentries, so she slipped out and carefully made her way through the garden in back. For a while she wasn't sure she would find anybody until she heard the bushes rustling a few feet ahead of her. "Yo, over here!" she heard whispered. Moving as quietly as she could she rounded the bush and found five or six forms squatting down on the ground. "You one of them we're supposed to rescue?" one of the forms asked. "Yes, I mean no," she sputtered. "Look, here is what is happening..." Briefly she let them know about the girls all being in the rooms and the guards. "So I need you to follow me in there, take care of the guards, and we'll get everybody out." "I ain't going in there with no guards," one said. "Me neither," another added. There was a muttered support from the remainder of the group. "You have to," Shasta hissed. "That's why you're here, to take the guards out!" "Maybe out here," one finally said. "But I ain't going in there. We don't know how many they really left. Could be two, could be ten. Guess we can go now." With more muttered assent the forms started to move away. "Wait!" Shasta practically screamed. "Fine! You big brave men stay here. I'll go get them myself." She thought quickly and added sarcastically, "Do you think you can handle one or two by yourselves, without me?" "Ya, one or two, sure," the one grumbled. She had called them cowards in so many words and he wasn't very happy about it. "That's nice to know," she spit back. "I'm going back inside. When the rest have left, I'm going to open the door and wave. Can you see me from here?" She got a grunted assent. "When you do, start making some noise. That should draw one, or both of them out here. I'll take it from there." She took their silence for agreement and quickly snuck back into the house. Walking as quietly as she could she moved to the end of the hall where Nesho's room was located and peeked around the corner. There were two guards standing outside the room talking, neither of whom she recognized. Carefully she made her way back to the kitchen, opened the door, stepped outside and waved. Immediately she heard a banging and other noises coming from the garden. Leaving the door open she rushed back inside and hid in a small alcove to one side of the kitchen. From down the hall she heard voices that seem to be arguing as they came closer. "We ain't supposed to leave our post," one was saying. "Well, someone needs to find out what that noise is," another replied. "Okay, you do it then," the first one said. "I'm going to stay here." "Fine, I'll go. It's probably just a couple of cats fighting anyway," the second said. There was a grunted reply and moments later one of the guards strode out of the hall and through the kitchen. "Hey!" he yelled out the door. "What's going on out there?" Hearing no reply he calmly walked out into the garden. There was one guard left, Shasta thought frantically about what she should do. With a small harrumph she took off her scarf and tied it around her neck over her salidin and fluffed her hair. Next she unbuttoned her blouse down to below her breasts and pulled it apart. Shasta had never been happy about the size of her breasts; they had always drawn far too much attention from her earlier masters. This time she wanted as much attention drawn to them as possible. She felt like a slut with her tits almost spilling out of her top, but that's what this was all about. Next she looked around the kitchen and found what she wanted: a long, thin, cook's knife. Picking up a load of towels from the nearby cupboard she hid the hand with the knife under them and walked down the hall. Rounding the corner looking down at the floor she looked up at the remaining guard as if surprised. "Oh!" she said in a plaintive voice. "I didn't know anyone was here." "Hello, sweet thing," the guard grinned, his eyes hardly leaving her much-exposed cleavage. "What do we have here? I haven't seen you before. My, my, the officers do keep the best for themselves." "Oh, you," she said coyly, as she swished over to him in what she hoped was a seductive manner. "I'm just a maid here. Oh, they do grow them big where you come from." Leaning up against him she was able to reach up with her left and finger his tunic, making sure he wasn't wearing body armor at the same time, while still keeping the knife hidden under the towels. "Big?" he leered. "You ain't seen big until you see what I got packed in here." He grabbed his crotch to show her just what he meant. "How about you and me step inside one of these room and I'll show you the present I have for you?" "Oh, that would be nice," she cooed, batting her eyes at him. "But there's only one little problem..." She took a half step back allowing the towels to fall to the floor baring the knife. Grabbing his tunic with her left hand she stepped back into him jamming the knife as hard as she could under his sternum and into his heart. The last thing he saw as he died was the pure hatred in her face and the last sounds he heard were the words she shouted at him. "You fucking pig! There's only one man who will ever be between my legs ever again and you aren't him!" Shasta pushed him away before she got too much blood on her dress. He fell to his knees still looking at her in amazement until he finally looked down at the knife protruding from his belly. Silently he toppled over with a thud. Shasta heard a door being flung open wide and turned to see Nesho and Clarise rushed out into the hall. They grabbed her from either side and hugged her tightly. "Thank the gods, it's you," Nesho said grabbing Shasta's chin with one hand and turning it towards her. She then proceeded to give her a kiss that was neither sisterly nor motherly. Under other circumstances it would have curled Shasta's toes but now it just gave her a tingly feeling throughout her body. "You killed him!" Clarise said, her eyes round as saucers. "You really killed him!" "Well," Shasta groused. "Somebody had to. It sure wasn't going to be those shitheads outside." "Hmm," Nesho hummed, her eyes narrowed. "You'll have to tell me about that later. I have the feeling we need to get going now." "Yes," Shasta said gently breaking their embrace, but not until she had given each one of them a firm squeeze. "Are Sosho and the babies ready to go? We need to find the other girls, and... Wait! I might need this." Bending down she grunted and tugged at the knife until it came out of the body at their feet. The slight odor of feces and urine began to permeate the hall. The knife suddenly came free and she wiped it as best she could on the soldier's tunic. Straightening up she turned and saw Nesho and Clarise had not been idle. Nesho and Clarise were each at a door shepherding groups of young women and girls out of two rooms. Nesho and Clarise were trying to quiet and calm them down but there were still a few shrieks and a great deal of sobbing coming from both groups. "Shut up, you useless baggage!" Shasta yelled, suddenly there was dead silence with the exception of a few sniffles from somewhere in the crowd. "We need to get out of here, now! If you don't shut up and get your asses moving we're leaving you behind, and I'm sure the general would be more than happy to keep you as a guest, especially after tonight." With Clarise to guide them the girls lined up and began shuffling their way towards the kitchen. All of them looked at Shasta, the knife in her hand and the body at her feet as they pressed against the wall as far away from her as possible and hurried along. Nesho came up to her and whispered, "Good job, darling. That will keep them moving. I'm going to get Makro and be right back." Sosho was already standing in the doorway to their room with Nilsen in a carry sling on her chest and Makro on her hip. Wordlessly Nesho donned the other sling Sosho was holding and slipped the squirming baby in it. Both bent down and picked up a basket each of what must have been baby necessities. Together, with Shasta following, they made their own way up the hallway. Sosho did look over her shoulder at the body and then over at Shasta, her eyebrows raised in question. Shasta motioned with her chin in a silent promise to fill her in later. They moved quickly through the quiet house, into the kitchen and out the door. They could hear a murmuring up in front of them and soon ran into the group of women and escorts. "Is everybody here?" one of the men whispered. "Yes," Nesho said. "By my count. It would be best if we go now. You, lead the way." Edited by Morgan ------- Chapter 9 There was a quarter moon that night, intermittingly hidden behind broken clouds. They moved slowly in the dark along a rough path that twisted sinuously around rocks and scrub brush. Their guides seemed to be taking them on a circular route around the town, although they could see a faint glow from that direction. Shasta ended up walking next to Nesho as they carefully picked their way along the rocky ground in a long line. "Here," Shasta said to Nesho, "let me take that basket. You have enough to carry with the baby." "Thank you, dear," Nesho replied handing over the basket. "She is getting to be quite a little package nowadays. Thankfully she's asleep." "That must be quite a fire if we can see it from here," Shasta whispered. "Oh, aye," a male voice chuckled from somewhere behind them. "They was told to set a fire and a fire they did set. It's amazing what a few pots of oil on a wooden building will do. Can't say but that the owner will be very happy when all's said and done." "That won't be a problem," Nesho replied. She turned back to Shasta, "Dent's company owned that particular warehouse. I don't think he'll mind; buildings can be rebuilt, his children can't." "Not to mention his wives or his people," Shasta added. She felt more than saw Nesho nod in agreement. They walked quietly for a good while. Shasta couldn't have said for how long except that her feet were hurting, her arms ached from carrying the basket and the moon had moved halfway across the sky. "Would you like me to take Makro?" Shasta asked. "You must be getting tired." "Thank you, but I'm doing all right at the moment," Nesho answered almost cheerfully. "She sits pretty well in this sling. My feet and my back are going to ache, that's for sure. The price of getting old, I guess." "Old!" Shasta snorted. "You'll walk the feet off the rest of us I'll bet." "Maybe," Nesho laughed softly. "But when we finally stop I wouldn't mind someone rubbing my poor tired back and feet." "That can be arranged," Shasta muttered, glad that it was too dark for anyone to see just how furiously she was blushing right then. "Just a little further, Mistress," came the voice of another of their escorts from further up the line. As predicted they soon came to the entrance of what looked like a tunnel leading straight into the side of the volcano. As they entered someone lighted a number of torches and passed them out to the escorts. Shasta was amazed at what was revealed by the light. The tunnel they were in was almost perfectly circular and about ten feet in diameter, leading off into the mountain. "Who dug this?" she asked in awed tones. "Nobody, Mistress," one of the men standing next to them chuckled. "Or maybe you could say the volcano did. This is a lava tube, or so we're told. Years ago when our volcano was active, liquid rock flowed through these down to the sea. There are hundreds of them all over the island. We've been using them as shelter from the storms we sometimes get." "Won't the pigs be searching them?" Shasta asked. "The pigs?" he answered, slightly puzzled. "Oh... them! Like I said, there are hundreds of them. Most of them are interconnected like a maze. Only us natives know where they are and where they go, and even we don't know all of them. They could search for a hundred years with the handful of men they have and still never find us. And if they tried... Well, the ones they send in won't be coming out." "Follow me, Mistress," he indicated to Nesho. "It's not very far now." True to his word they walked for another fifteen or twenty minutes and the tunnel widened out into a large chamber. It could have easily held five hundred people but there was perhaps half that number huddled around small fires or sleeping on mats. When their group started streaming in, a few of the ones sitting down jumped up and began shouting. Soon everybody was up and rushing over to see the newcomers. Even more were coming from behind woven reed screens along the walls of the chamber that Shasta hadn't noticed until the occupants behind them were roused by the commotion. A few of the hostage girls squealed in delight when they saw what had to be their families, and there were a number of tear-filled embraces between mother and daughter. For the most part the rest stood around sadly looking for, and not finding their own families. In one case a girl ran happily up to a group standing around a fire only to have the oldest man turn his back on her as she approached. The girl held her arms out pleadingly to the woman standing next to the man but she did nothing, although her eyes darted between the two. Shasta would have sworn she heard Sosho actually growl as Sosho, baby still strapped to her chest, stomped over to the sobbing girl, put an arm around her and led her back to their group. If the proverbial 'looks could kill' were possible the woman would have been struck down dead, and her husband -- Shasta assumed that was who he was -- would have been flayed open with a dull knife. "Mother..." Sosho hissed through clenched teeth. Shasta recognized the girl; it was Zsofia. "Not now, Sosho," Nesho said, her face an expressionless mask, although Shasta could feel the anger radiating from the older woman through the strengthening bond they held. "Now is not the time, daughter. Soon it will be, and there will be a reckoning. But not now." "She'll stay with us," Sosho stated. Nesho nodded tersely as if to say, "Of course." Shasta was about to go over and see if she could help Sosho with the distraught Zsofia when one of the village women approached their group. "Mistress," she said nodding to Nesho. "We had hoped you would be coming and we set aside a room for all of you. If you'll follow me I show you where it is. I'm sure you must be tired." "Yes, we are," Nesho answered. "What about the rest of these women?" "If their families aren't in this cave they'll be taking shelter in one of the others. We'll get them set straight tomorrow." The woman glanced at Sosho and Zsofia then over to where Zsofia's mother and father were arguing in what appeared to be a quiet, but rather nasty way. "Some of them... Well, we'll deal with that." "Where is the Women's Council, Ilona?" Sosho said over the top of Zsofia's head. "We expect them to do something about this, or we will." "One battle at a time, Mistress Sosho," Ilona said with a nod. "Right now even the Woman's Council is... not fully in accord. But we will take action." "They may find time running away from them," Sosho replied icily. "For now Zsofia will stay with us, and any other that their families deem not acceptable to associate with." Ilona nodded grimly and beckoned them to follow her. She led them to one of the woven wall hangings and pushed it aside. Shasta walked into the alcove behind the hanging with the others and was surprised at its size. It was easily three times the size of the old room she shared with Katern, more than enough room for the four, now five of them, plus the babies. There were a number of straw-filled canvas mattresses covered with blankets on the floor and a small lamp turned low sitting on a ledge to one size. "I know it isn't much, mistress," Ilona sighed, "but it's the best we could do for now. Hopefully we can get something decent for you in a few days." "This is more than adequate," Nesho reassured her. "We need nothing else. However I wonder if you might know where any other of our household staff are located?" "Aye, mistress," Ilona nodded. "None of them are here right now, but we will be sending for them as soon as possible. We should be able to gather them together by tomorrow, or the day after at the latest." "Thank you, Ilona. Is there anything you need from us?" Nesho asked. "If not then I think we have a couple of babies to feed and change, then I think we will need some sleep ourselves. By the by, where do we take care of our... necessities?" "We have a separate cave set aside for that mistress," Ilona replied. "It's off to the right; just ask anybody. I think sleep would be a very good idea, mistress. Do you require any food or drink tonight?" "Just some water, please." Again with a nod that was almost a bow, Ilona left them and dropped the hanging behind her. Not having much, they settled in fairly quickly. Nesho sat down and started feeding the now whining Makro while Sosho was doing the same to the gurgling Nilsen. "Is there something I can do to help?" Shasta whispered as she knelt next to Sosho. "Not unless you can squeeze some milk out of those big boobs of yours," Sosho chuckled. Shasta blushed and vainly tried to pull the top of her blouse together. "Oh, don't worry about that," Sosho chided. "It's just that I wouldn't mind another set around right about now. This little guy is a real tit man. He can drain them both in nothing flat!" "I mean, can I help you with... ?" Shasta used her chin, pointing to Zsofia who was about ten feet away sorting through the baby things Sosho had brought in the basket. "Thank you," Sosho said with a genuine smile. "But no. I know you probably know more about what she is going through than we do, but -- and don't take this wrong, love -- she doesn't need to be reminded about it right now. I know we'll need you later, when it really hits her and she has to deal with it. I think what she needs right now is just someone to cuddle with her, and that's what Clarise and I will do tonight. Why don't you just take care of Nesho tonight? That would be a big help." "That asshole father of hers better snap out of it quick," Shasta growled softly, "or I'm going to take his balls off." "I like the way you think, sister," Sosho smirked. "You take the left and I'll take the right." They smiled at each other and Shasta nodded. Standing up she went back over to where Nesho was just finished changing Makro's nappies. "What can I do to help?" she asked. "Nothing right now," Nesho said as she stretched her arms up and groaned. I think it's time for bed. "Are you done over there?" she called to Sosho. "Almost," came the reply. "Just need to change Master Poopers here and we'll be ready. Shall we leave the lamp lit?" "Yes," Nesho said. "We'll keep it low, but it would be too much of a pain to have to find something to light it with if we need it. I don't think it will keep us awake tonight." Nesho wrapped up the sleeping child in a blanket formed into a makeshift basinet, stood up and started to take her clothes off. In no time at all she was down to just her salidin and earrings. Glancing over she saw that Shasta was still dressed. "Come on, honey," she said pointing to the mattress and blankets. "I'm sure you're as tired as I am and it's far too uncomfortable to sleep in your clothes. Unless it bothers you to sleep next to a naked woman?" "No, of course not," Shasta mumbled as she peeled off her own clothes. Soon she was down to the same as Nesho and she hurried over to get under the blanket. "So, you have the old lady duty tonight, eh?" Nesho quipped. "Old?" Shasta sighed. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!" "Thank you, dear," Nesho said squirming down under the blankets. Their bodies were touching and Shasta could feel the heat coming off the other woman's body. "I don't feel very pretty now, and I do feel old. My feet hurt and my back aches. I thought we would never get here." "Oh, I promised you a back rub," Shasta said, sitting up. The blanket fell off her shoulders and pooled around her hips. It was a touch chilly in the cave, but not unbearable. The chill did make her nipples stand up, though; at least that's what she told herself. "Oh no, dear. You don't have to do that," Nesho muttered. Shasta didn't answer; she just leaned down and pushed Nesho onto her stomach. "Oomph," was all that Nesho could say until Shasta started working on her back with her fingers and the heel of her hand. "Oh, by the gods that's good, Shasta!" Nesho sighed. "If I knew you could do this I'd had you rubbing me down every night! Oh yes, yes, right there," she groaned. Used to working on a hairy, and usually flabby back, Shasta was sure she was getting as much enjoyment out of this as was Nesho. Her mistress's back was an expanse of absolutely flawless, soft and supple skin. She had drawn the blanket down to just above Nesho's bottom while she worked on the back. But soon Nesho pulled the blanket completely off and whimpered, "My legs, please do my legs!" Now Shasta had a delectably nude woman directly beneath her. Nesho's body didn't have the same feel as Katern's did; it was softer, rounder, more feminine and much sexier. Shasta couldn't help herself; her motions became less that of a masseuse and more that of a lover. Shasta was infatuated by this woman's body; it drew her like a lodestone drew iron, like a moth to a candle flame. Then she could really see how perfect this body really was and she couldn't help but compare it to her own scarred and, she thought, ravaged one. Unbidden tears welled up in her eyes and fell onto Nesho's back. Her vision blurred and she lifted her hands to wipe away the tears. Suddenly she felt herself being pulled down into Nesho's warm embrace. "What is it now, love?" Nesho whispered into Shasta's ear as she nibbled on her earlobe, down along the girls jaw line and onto her neck. "Oh, gods!" Shasta began to cry. "You are so beautiful, so perfect. I... I am so ugly! How can you stand to touch me?" "There, there, baby," Nesho cooed. "How can you say you are ugly? You are absolutely gorgeous!" "But you," Shasta bubbled. "Your skin is perfect!" She brought her hand up to lightly caress Nesho's shoulder and on down to her back. "And me! I'm just one big set of scars! I looked used, I am used!" "Hush," Nesho said soothingly. "You are beautiful and you are ours. Your scars are almost gone, dear heart" Nesho traced a faint white line on Shasta's shoulder. "Soon they will be gone completely." Gently she pushed the still crying woman down until Shasta's face rested between Nesho's soft breasts. "Drink my darling, drink from our love, and know you are beautiful, scars and all." With one hand Nesho cupped a breast and guided it to Shasta's lips. Shasta felt the hard nub push past her lips and into her mouth and without thinking she began to nip at it with her teeth and suckle ever so lightly. "Harder, lover, suck harder," Nesho urged, and Shasta did as she was told. Opening her mouth wider she sucked in the nipple completely and began to suck hard on it. Within seconds she could hear Nesho gasp a sigh of relief and a stream of milk filled Shasta's mouth. She swallowed. It was sweet, thinner than cow's milk, but the taste! The taste was far better than the best wine! "Yes!" Nesho hissed. "Take it all darling, take all of it!" Nesho's hands were now touching everything they could reach on the young woman. Her hair, shoulder, back. Shasta whimpered slightly and rolled slightly onto her side, still keeping her mouth locked to the source of her life giving ambrosia. Given the little bit of room Nesho reached down and gently caressed one of Shasta's breasts, tweaking the rock hard nipple before cupping the orb and giving it a gentle squeeze. Lifting her leg, Nesho wrapped it around Shasta's waist and rubbed it up and down her body. This opened up her sex to Shasta's access. Feeling the soft downy fur of Nesho's pubic hair on her arm, Shasta tentatively reached up to explore her new lover. Shasta was surprised to find Nesho's pubic hair very short and neatly trimmed. Her own was naturally short and sparse as was the case with many fair-haired women. "He likes it short," Nesho whispered. "He will love yours. Play with me my darling; play with me, lover." Shasta did; gently she pushed one finger into Nesho's vagina. Knowing almost nothing about the art of giving and receiving pleasure, she fumbled at what she hoped would please her goddess. Shasta whimpered slightly as the milk from the breast she was suckling slowed to a trickle and then stopped. Quickly she transferred her attentions to the other breast. After a few hard sucks she was rewarded with a flow of the sweet nectar, although in much lesser quantities. This breast had been the one Makro had been feeding from and there was far less milk available. Shasta laughed silently at herself as a little pang of jealousy crept into her thoughts. Silly as it was, she recognized she felt just the tiniest bit of resentment toward the baby for monopolizing this precious liquid. It could be worse, she thought; she could be with Sosho, and from what she's overhead little Nilsen was a two tit man, able to drain her dry all by himself. All too soon the second breast was drained and Nesho sighed contently. "Oh, that's nice! Thank you, dear," Nesho cooed, planting a kiss on the top of her lover's head. "Now, come up here with me." She pulled on Shasta until they were again face-to-face and they could kiss each other softly while their fingers continued to explore each other. "Lay on your back," Nesho whispered after a few minutes. "I want to taste you." Shasta was again thankful of the dark since she wouldn't have been surprised if the flush to her face would have been deeper than the color of her hair. She readily complied without complaint though, that is until Nesho moved to position herself down between Shasta's legs. Shasta lightly grabbed Nesho's thigh to prevent her from moving. Nesho turned back to her and in the dim light of the turned down lamp Shasta could see the question on her face. Shasta smiled and hoped Nesho could see her doing it. She tugged on Nesho's leg until the older woman finally understood what she wanted. With a nod and a smile of her own Nesho moved until her knees were firmly planted on either side of Shasta's head. Bending over she gently pushed Shasta's legs apart and dropped her head to the vee opened up below her. Shasta moaned as she felt Nesho's tongue part the lips of her vagina and slowly explore her cavity. She breathed in deeply and suddenly the scent of highly-aroused woman hit her. Wrapping her arms around Nesho, her hands firmly planted on Nesho's ass she drew the source of that wonderful scent down to her mouth. Shasta had no idea how long they pleasured each other. She was sure she had at least three wonderful orgasms and thought Nesho had about that many herself. All that she could really remember was ending up in each other's arms, kissing each other lightly, and falling peaceably to sleep. + + + Shasta woke up still tangled up with a warm body next to her. She opened her eyes and saw Nesho's eyes flutter just inches away. She was somewhat fearful about what Nesho's reaction to the previous night would be but any apprehension was swept away by the blinding smile Nesho gave her. "Good morning, lover," Nesho whispered and moved over to lightly kiss the tip of Shasta's nose. She sighed and said, "That was very nice; I'm going to miss that tonight." "Why... why not tonight?" Shasta felt suddenly cast adrift. She knew she couldn't command Nesho's attention forever but to be summarily dismissed... "Because there are two others who can't wait to get to know you, silly," Nesho grinned. "We decided we should do it individually before we try the big orgy. Do you have any problems with that?" "Are you sure they want to be with me?" Shasta asked timidly. Her insecurities were starting to surface again. "Oh, yes," Nesho assured her. "I'm pretty sure Sosho wanted to jump right in here with us last night, but Clarise held her back. Clarise probably wanted to, also, but at least she has the ability to control herself, sometimes." "And you do this all the time?" Shasta was bewildered. "Master Dent doesn't mind?" "Actually he encourages it," Nesho replied. "He's said that with only one of him we should all be able to enjoy ourselves. Not necessary really; unless he's really tired he can go through all three of us in one night, leaving us limp and well satisfied. He also says it makes him horny," she said with a wink. "That's why I think he really encourages it. Besides, there are some nights when one of us just wants him to ourselves, and when we do the other two need to have something to do." "It just seems very strange," Shasta couldn't help but press herself in closer to Nesho's body. "I mean, here you control what the master does. I would have been killed or at least beaten to within a fingernail of it for even suggesting something like that. You are a slave like I am but everybody here treats you like a noblewoman. It just doesn't seem natural." "Nobody treats me like a noble," Nesho said with a huff. "Yes they do," came an answer from a pile of blankets a few feet away. "No they don't," Nesho reiterated firmly, "and you can just pin your ears closed, Mistress Snoop." "Ha," came the reply. "She has to learn sooner or later there is no such thing as privacy. She might a well find it out now." There was a pause for a moment and the voice spoke again -- Shasta thought it was Sosho. "By the way, it's my turn tonight so I hope you got plenty of rest!" That was definitely Sosho! Shasta started blushing again and tried to hide her face in Nesho's neck. "As for controlling Dent," Nesho continued softly stroking Shasta's hair. "We don't and we can't. Not if he doesn't want us to. He allows us certain liberties because he knows it works best that way. Like who to sleep with. If the choice was up to him it would be either all of us every night or none. He wouldn't want to take the chance of hurting someone's feelings by doing anything else. We choose who his partners will be for each night and he is happy to oblige. Everything else you see us doing for him is for the same reason: because we do it better, or it's easier for him. But don't fool yourself, if we try to get him to do something he disagrees with... It won't be done. The salidin doesn't matter, just makes it easier for him, but he was stubborn as a rock before and he's just as stubborn now. If he's made up his mind for good and all, you, me the four of us, or the whole hemisphere couldn't change it. If we tried then we, and everybody else would lose. It's as simple as that." "You said 'before'," Shasta asked. "Someone once told me you knew him 'before, ' but I didn't understand what that meant." "When I say 'before, '" Nesho said with a smile, "I refer to the time before I belonged to him. It's a long story, but making it short, I am his mother's sister: his aunt. Sosho is my daughter and therefore his cousin. We were traveling with him when our ship was taken. We were going to be slaves no matter what happened, but Dent made sure they all knew we were his slaves. It was the best thing that ever happened to me," Nesho finished and her whole body quivered. "What!" Shasta gasped. "The best thing that ever happened to you? By the gods, what must your life been like that becoming a slave was better!" "Oh, not becoming a slave, dear," Nesho corrected. "Becoming his slave. You see it wasn't until after this happened I realized I was hopelessly in love with the man I raised. "My sister died about the same time my husband did, so we came to live with Dent and his father. His father was a real bastard and after he was killed it was just the three of us. That's when Dent went into the academy for warrior training. After he graduated we were traveling to what we thought would be his first contract -- Malshall ironically enough -- when we were taken by a privateer. They're not much better than slavers and thieves so any woman or girl taken is automatically a slave, which in Jeevel as you know, is for life. Anyway, so Sosho and I were slaves. The captain of the privateer -- you'll meet him someday, I'm sure -- hired Dent as a Warrior and we were considered his possessions." "Okay," Shasta said still puzzled. "I think I understand that, although I'm sure the story is much more involved than this. It still doesn't explain why you think being a slave is a good thing." "Simply this," Nesho said. "I told you I loved him. As his aunt I would never been able to sleep with him under society's rules. Nobody cares about a slave. He can bed me without a second glance. I could be his mother or daughter and nobody would have cared. Also, if the truth be known, being a slave in Jeevel isn't all that different than being a wife in Salis, or anywhere else for that matter. A widow without money is even worse. So I was essentially a slave to begin with, was one no matter what, and now I can be with the man I love all the time. That's why it was the best thing that could have happened to me." "Now," Nesho said, flinging the blankets off their naked forms as Shasta groaned. "I think it's time to get up and find out what is going on." Edited by Morgan ------- Chapter 10 It was more than just a few minutes before they were ready to meet the world. They dressed quickly and splashed some water on their faces using a pitcher and basin provided. After taking care of their necessities in the cave provided, Nesho and Sosho fed Makro and Nilsen before changing them. While suckling her baby Sosho winked at Shasta and said, "You want to help me out with these also? I'm warning you though: you might have to fight Nilsen for them. He's a greedy little bugger." At first Shasta thought she couldn't be more embarrassed and Sosho giggled at her blush, but it didn't take Shasta more than a few seconds before she straightened up and looked Sosho in the eye. "If he leaves any tonight, I wouldn't mind having a taste," she said. "I'd like to see if sugar-sweet milk is passed on from mother to daughter." Now it was Sosho's turn to blush. "And maybe we'll find out if other parts are as sweet also." Now Sosho was a fiery red and Clarise, who had been listening from a few feet away, was holding a hand over her mouth trying to keep from laughing out loud. Even Nesho, sitting across the room, was smiling. Finally Sosho grinned and said, "I think that would be fun." Suddenly she laughed out loud. "Dent's going to love you!" Turning to Clarise she said, "I can see this one will be getting the Pole of Chastisement fairly often." Shasta suddenly turned white as a ghost. "He beats you?" She whispered. That was one thing she had never imagined this particular man doing. Maybe he was just like all the others. Shasta started shaking. Clarise was on her feet instantly and had her arms around the quivering girl. "No, Shasta, he never beats us," she said, and then she gave Sosho a dirty look. "Our rather vulgar sister is referring to his manhood. In fact only one of us has ever even been spanked." Sosho started blushing again and quickly averted her eyes down to her suckling baby. "I wasn't there to see that, but I understand it was richly deserved." "Maybe I did deserve it," Sosho muttered, her eyes still downcast. Then she looked up with an almost evil gleam, "But afterwards... that was some of the best sex I ever had!" "What?" Shasta gasped in amazement. She couldn't imagine enjoying anything after a punishment, let alone sex! "When he spanked me, it made me horny," Sosho shrugged, quite unabashedly. "Really horny!" "Yes, dear," Nesho commented dryly. "Everybody in The Cracked Cask knew all about it. Probably half of Harv'el did for that matter." Again Sosho just shrugged. "What did you do?" Shasta asked, her curiosity overcoming her retreating fear. "If I remember correctly," Nesho again interjected, "she threatened to stick a broom handle up another girl's ass." "It was her cunt, mother," Sosho said sweetly, "and I would have if that snippy little bitch hadn't backed off." She looked up at Shasta. "The little trollop was trying to muscle in on our man. What else could I have done?" "What else, indeed?" Nesho again added. "Shasta," she said and Shasta rolled within Clarise's arms, not even trying to free herself. "He never beats us. Sosho was acting like a child and was disciplined as a child would be. You have nothing to fear." "She's right," Clarise said grinning. "The Pole of Chastisement, as Sosho so indelicately puts it, is his wonderful cock. With it he subdues us all right, into a quivering lump of exhausted jelly! Did you enjoy last night with Nesho?" Shasta blushed only a little as she nodded. "Good. She is something else, isn't she? I hope you will enjoy being with Sosho and me also. But I can tell you from experience, what you felt last night is pale in comparison to what you feel when you're with him. I could try to explain, but it just wouldn't be the same. We all know you are going to be frightened the first time. Yes, we've talked about it, and we'll talk about it with you too, in the near future. "Now, Sosho and I were virgins when we came to him. Nesho -- the tramp, of course -- was not. We were nervous, although not for the same reasons I'm sure you are. But we are here to help you out any way we can. From what I heard, Nesho raped him, so I doubt she'd understand at all." "You can't rape the willing," Nesho said pleasantly. "At least I didn't use tears to trap him..." "They were good, honest, tears!" Clarise exclaimed, trying to sound indignant. "They certainly should have been," Sosho chimed in. "We practiced them enough times before you did the deed." "They are both trollops and sluts," Clarise sniffed and gave Shasta a squeeze. "We have to stick together or we will never get any of his attention." "Right," Shasta ventured. "I noticed you were seriously deprived for the past few ten-day." "What!" Clarise jumped back in mock horror. "I thought you were my friend, my confidante, my shield! I've been betrayed!" "And a well-struck blow, I might add," Nesho said standing up and then stooping to pick up the baby. "Too true," Sosho exclaimed. "She has certainly used up her allotment for this season." "Don't you remember? I was sacrificing myself to help propagate his line!" Clarise huffed stomping her foot. "Those times didn't count!" Suddenly all four women were silent. They just stood there and looked at each other. Sosho broke and started giggling, then Clarise, Nesho and finally Shasta. When they were all finally semi-coherent Clarise came over to Shasta and put one arm around her waist in a sisterly fashion. "Do you feel better now?" she asked, genuinely concerned. Shasta nodded and Clarise continued, "I promise, it will be all right. We're here for you, no matter what." "You'll be there with me?" Shasta asked. Clarise looked surprised. "Well... If you want us too, sure we will. It's up to Dent really, but I can't imagine he would say no." "We can... No, we will talk about this later," Nesho interrupted. "Right now we need to find out what's going on." ------- The simple answer was that very little was going on. The villagers were hidden in a number of caves dispersed throughout the side of the old volcano. Their escort from the previous night was quite correct: the maggots, as the villagers began calling the Malshallians, couldn't possibly comb through even a small fraction of the caves and had little or no chance of finding them. Without further provocation the villagers decided to remain hidden at least for the time being and leave the soldiers alone. The remainder of the deSiso household were found and gathered together in the cave where Shasta and the rest were staying. Despite her protestations Shasta found it remarkable how everybody -- villagers and fellow household servants --deferred to Nesho just like she thought they would to a noble-born woman. To a somewhat lesser extent they did for Clarise and Sosho also. She even noticed they were doing it to her, to a lesser extent. They seemed to be more like demi-gods: reachable, touchable and someone they were able to talk to, while Nesho was the supreme goddess lording over her subjects. It seemed to really bother Nesho, this being placed on a pedestal. She actually cried once when Shasta teased her about it. She really felt badly about that, promising never to do it again. "This is ridiculous!" Nesho finally said one night as they all lay together under a heap of blankets. The second two nights in the cave had been with Sosho and Clarise individually and Shasta had thoroughly enjoyed herself. Sosho was exactly the way Shasta would have envisioned her: aggressive, predatory, and totally uninhibited. Clarise was gentle and loving, thinner and much less rounded that the other two, but she was still a wonderful lover. Sosho would steal your breath away with her sheer exuberance, Clarise with a butterfly kiss. After being separate for those three nights Shasta could sense their desire to be together and insisted that's what they should do. Of course they insisted she stay with them, and she had ever since. The only exception was when one or two of them needed to stay with the girls Sosho called "The Forlorn". Two more of the hostage women had been refused by their families and Sosho insisted they come and stay with the deSiso household. Some nights they were heard sobbing quietly, sometime not so quietly, and one or more of "the wives" would stay with them, holding hands, caressing hair and generally soothing them as much as possible. Shasta insisted on helping with this duty, although she had to resist speaking out about any of her own experiences; the girls would come to her when they were ready. That was another thing Shasta noticed: the memories of her past experiences, the rapes, tortures and humiliations, were just that: memories. Certainly they were still horrible to think about, but they no longer consumed her every thought. She could even think about them and not shudder with fear; it was as if it had been done to someone else and not to her. She knew they would never leave her completely, but they were fading and had become more than manageable. "This is ridiculous!" she said again. "What's this bowing and nodding and the rest of this nonsense! What do they think they are doing?" She was fuming. "I can understand the household staff, maybe. I mean we were in charge of them. But these silly villagers! It gets worse every day!" "Well," Clarise ventured, "you are Dent's representative, the only embodiment of his power that they can see, touch and feel." "Nonsense!" Nesho snapped back. "They didn't do this to Dent when he was here, let alone one of his slaves." "You're much more than just one of his slaves and you know it," Sosho added. "Besides I think it's that aura of calm, detached leadership you exude around them." "That's ridiculous," Nesho said with somewhat less vehemence. "I exude no such thing." "Well, not when you have your tongue in Shasta's pussy, your hands on my tits and Clarise's fingers in your cunt and butt-hole," Sosho agreed. "Then you're exuding something else — But after that... Yes you do." "You are a crude little wench and I have failed miserably in raising you correctly," Nesho sighed, pretending to take a swipe at her. "They need you as a symbol," Shasta said tentatively. "I've noticed that people usually defer to those they think are 'better' than themselves. They look to you for leadership and a leader must be better than those they lead. Mustn't they? If they weren't they wouldn't lead now would they? In some places the leader must induce fear in his followers and force this type of recognition; here they are forcing you to accept it." "But..." Nesho started but then paused. "I'll have to think about that," she mused. "You know Shasta torSiso, you aren't just another pretty face." "Nope," Sosho chimed in. "She's got nice boobs too." "And a great ass," Clarise added. ------- Being underground it was difficult to think of days passing, it seemed to be little more than time awake divided by sleep periods. The villagers kept an eye on what was going on from a safe distance. All native villagers had been withdrawn, even the old people like Agata and Jozsef. The village wasn't completely abandoned though. The Guild was still there, locked behind their door and protected by their status. The O'Tech priests and their acolytes were still there and well as a number of merchants who had been trapped by the troubles. Many of the whores had returned after the first night or two and were doing a brisk business. For the time being the Malshallians were leaving these groups alone. The Malshall patrols, usually twenty to thirty strong, contented themselves with ransacking the villager's homes, stealing what wasn't nailed down and prying up what was. The village spies likened it to a kicked over ant-hill: a lot of movement with very little getting done. After the first couple of days they started sending large patrols out into the foothills, although they didn't seem particularly interested in searching any of the cave systems that were clearly visible. "Maybe they're just trying to show that they are doing something," one of the men said during a meeting after one of the spy missions. "Be a good time to hit the maggots." "Could be," Nesho agreed. "Or they could be trying to goad us into attacking them. I think we're just fine where we are." "They've been getting them little ships coming in almost every day," another observed. "The messenger ships?" Nesho asked. "I wonder what information our dear general has been getting, and what they've been sending back." "I don't know, mistress," the first one admitted. "Maybe we could talk to the whores. If anybody would know what is going on they would." "I'm sure you'd like that!" a village woman who was sitting near him sniped. "But, all I said was..." he tried to defend himself. "It is an interesting idea," Nesho interrupted. "But not worth the risk right now..." There was a commotion coming from one of the tunnels stopping her short. A young man came running into the cavern yelling and waving a piece of paper. "Settle down, please!" Nesho insisted as he ran up to her. He was breathless and talking far too fast: his words came out as babble. Finally they were able to calm him down well enough for him to be understood. "They're burning the village!" he was finally able to get out. "What? When?" "The maggots are burning the village! Here," he continued. "They have these pasted up all over the village and outside of town." Nesho took the paper from him, scanned it and then began to read it aloud. "... All residents of the liberated village of Safehaven, of the Malshallian Protectorate of Safehaven... are hereby ordered to return immediately to their homes and places of businesses... Failure to comply will result in immediate declaration as being in rebellion to lawful authority, an offense punishable by death... Residences of those declared in rebellion shall be burned to the ground... "... All law biding citizens of Malshall are hereby order to assist in the apprehension of certain property liberated from the previous unlawful despot... All slaves are to be immediately brought before the military administration for inclusion on the tax rolls and branding... "... failure... death,... by order of... death... Signed by His Excellency's Representative, Andrisek, General of Malshall Expeditionary force, Safehaven; and Governor, Safehaven, Malshallian Protectorate of Safehaven. "Well," Nesho said after a pause. "This is interesting." "Do you think we should return, mistress?" one of the men asked, scratching his head. "What if they are here for a long time? We can't stay here forever." "I can't make that decision for you," Nesho said with a shrug. "You have to ask yourself if you really think you would be safe if you returned. Do you really think he won't take more hostages? Make examples? Whose daughter will you condemn to that? Yours?" "But what if Jeevel never comes back?" another asked. "What if this is what we have to deal with from now on? We can't leave; this is our home. You say the Governor will return, but what if he doesn't?" "All I can say is I know he will return..." Suddenly Nesho fell silent. At the same time Shasta felt something, something she hadn't felt for too long. It was her master, her man, and he was coming closer. She stood and was dimly aware of the other three doing the same. She could feel his presence, a force, still distant yes, but definitely heading their way. Determinedly coming their way. Nesho smiled, it was a slow, sensuous smile with her eyes half lidded. Casually waving her hand at the ones talking about returning she said without looking at them, "I wouldn't be too quick in returning if I were you. I told you he would come, and he is. He's on his way back to us now." "Who is coming?" one demanded. "The governor? How do you know? How do we know? You could be making this up to stay out of Andrisek's hands." "I thought we were discussing your returning to the village," Sosho said, her eyes lighting up. "Not us being turned in." "Well, we never said..." one sputtered. "It doesn't matter," Nesho interrupted. "You don't have to believe me; my guess is you will see for yourself in a day or two. I assume he's coming from Harv'el, that's the direction anyway. It's just before nightfall now, so he could be here by tomorrow afternoon." "As for how we know," she continued. "It's part of what binds us to him. Part of the magic, if you will." "Even if he is coming as you say," another interjected. "What if he's a prisoner? What if they're bringing him back in chains?" "No, I don't think so," Nesho said thoughtfully. She had one finger tapping a cheek as if thinking. "Let me see... He's worried, about us I think, how sweet! He's anxious, about what I don't know; and he's really, really angry. But his feelings aren't those of a prisoner. So," she said looking down at the villagers still sitting around them, "I would suggest you wait for a day or two before you decide anything. ------- The villagers grumbled a bit, but word was sent to the other caves informing them of the Malshall directive and Nesho's pronouncement concerning the governor. From what they could gather the villagers decided to wait it out for at least a couple of more days. The next morning brought news of more house burnings. Runners bringing word from the outside lookouts were continually coming and going. Another small messenger ship had come into the harbor late in the morning but stayed only long enough to send a launch to shore and retrieve it before it left. It must have brought some interesting news since shortly after noon there was a flurry of activity around the docks and on the ships at anchor. The lookouts reported they appeared to be readying for sea and that soldiers and looted materials were being ferried from the docks to the ships. "It sounds like they're running!" Sosho exclaimed. "Why don't we go out and watch it?" "No," Nesho cautioned. "Not yet. We don't really know what's happening. Yes, Dent is coming, but we don't know who or what is with him. I won't have him put to a disadvantage just because we got a bit cave-happy. Sosho pouted a bit but understood Nesho's reasoning. "Most of their men are still ashore," one of the runners reported. "It looks like they're trying to take anything else that isn't tied down. We've seen a couple of the merchants nailed to the wall outside their building. The only thing we can guess is they must have objected to having their stock 'requisitioned.'" "Now we know what that last message must have been," Nesho said. "Somebody is coming this way and they were being told to get out." "But even if they started moving their men now it would still take them hours to get them all on the ship," one of the men said. "Why would they waste time stealing timber, cloth and dried fish?" "Greed and stupidity," Nesho mused. "I wouldn't doubt it if Andrisek wasn't perfectly willing to sacrifice all his troops if he thought he could get rich doing it." "Ships! Ships!" Another runner barreled into the chamber breathlessly. "Ships, just outside the harbor! Must be fifteen, maybe twenty of them. Big ones too!" "Whose are they?" Nesho demanded. "Don't rightly know yet mistress," he said catching his breath. "One of the guys says they're Jeevelian navy, another says they ain't. Both say they're sure they ain't Malshallian though." "Well, that tells us something anyway," Nesho mused after the runner had left. "Dent is close, very close. I'd bet he's on one of those ships. But who is he with?" "Do you think there is a new Putram?" Clarise speculated. "Maybe Dent allied with him and that's why he's with the navy." "Hmm, not a bad guess," Nesho reflected. "It would explain the way he feels; not like you would expect if he was a prisoner, but still uncomfortable and anxious. As if he were uneasy about who holds the power... Yes, that would explain a lot." She paused for a moment and sighed. "I suppose we will just have to wait and see." ------- Little enough changed for the next hour or so. Shasta and Clarise nervously paced around the cave while Nesho and Sosho fed and napped with the babies. After about two hours word started filtering in of fairly substantial changes in the situation outside. "The maggots have beached their ships!" exclaimed one runner. "What? Why would they do that?" Nesho asked. "It's true, mistress. Its clear now, the ships outside the harbor: they're Jeevelian navy. Must be half the navy out there! Well, seven of them lined up to enter the harbor when the maggots started towing theirs toward the channel. I tell you mistress, it was something! Their decks was packed with soldiers, must be a thousand of them! The maggots must have seen them too, since they suddenly turned and started rowing for the beach. As soon as they grounded they was over the side like a bunch of ants!" "Jeevel is landing!" another one announced a little later. "They're landing down the quay aways. Guess they're planning to sweep into town from the south." "Where are the Malshallians?" Nesho asked. "Did you see the governor?" Sosho demanded. "The maggots are kind of congregating down around the docks, mistress," he explained. "They're not looking like they're ready for much of a fight if you ask me. The marines haven't headed their way yet; they're still putting men ashore. Won't be too long I'd think; they must have a thousand ashore now, and plenty more still on the ships if we're seeing right. As for the governor, I haven't seen him, nor has anyone else that I know of. There be a lot of officers down there though, and what looks like a goodly number of them Guild Warriors." "Where in the hell is he?" Sosho demanded again. "If I had to guess," Nesho again sighed, "right out in front of the attacking line." "We have to get down there," Clarise said starting to move towards the cave tunnel. Nesho put a hand on her arm to stop her. "Clarise," she said, "we don't know he's down there, or where he is. All you would be doing is putting yourself in danger for no good reason. That won't help him." "I know," she cried, "but I feel so helpless just sitting here!" "So do I, dear," Nesho soothed. "But we have to let him do his job, as we do ours. Ours is to wait for him." Not much latter they received word that the attack had begun. "Not much of a battle, mistress," the runner said. "The marines swept into town and most of the maggots just threw down their weapons and either gave up or ran." "It should be safe for us to go down there now, Mama," Sosho said excitedly. "Oh, no, mistress," the runner interjected. "There are still a lot of the maggots around. The ones that didn't surrender have run for the hills. We were avoiding little groups of them on our way back. It would be best if you remain here until everything is settled down there. Some of the men are going to go into town in a little while and contact the marines. We should know what's going on soon." All four of the women unhappily agreed. ------- It wasn't until the next morning that they heard anything more. Another messenger came into the cavern looking for Nesho. "Mistress," he said. "There is a fellow outside saying he needs to talk to someone of the deSiso household. We thought you should be the one to talk to him." "That would be fine," Nesho said nodding. "Bring him in straightaway." "Yes, mistress," he said, running to do just that. For the next half hour the four, and a few of the other household servants, waited and talked about what this could mean. Their speculation was mostly a way to pass the time since none of them had any idea what was going on. Soon a man dressed in the Putram of Jeevel's colors entered the cavern behind the runner. He walked over to them and after studying them for a moment gave a low courtly bow to Nesho. "You are Mistress Nesho torSiso?" he asked, although his question was more like statement. "Yes," she said curtsy to him. "You are from the Putram?" "No, my Lady," he said. His face was almost expressionless, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I come from the King of Jeevel whose orders are to deliver you into his presence as quickly as possible." "King of Jeevel?" Sosho exclaimed. "What in the name of the gods is a King? Is it that little bastard, deClover? If it is I'm not going! I'd rather die!" "Wait," Nesho said thinking for a moment. "I remember something about kings. Now where did I hear that? Oh yes, it was Vel, Torken Vel. He talked a number of times about how they didn't have Putrams down south; they had kings, and dukes and such. From what I remember him saying, a king was like a Putram, but more so... Whatever that means." "This is all well and good," she finally said to the messenger. "But we don't want to see anybody except our master. Do you know where he is? The Governor of Safehaven? Is he with this so-called king? Our duty is to him first and foremost" "The governor of Safehaven?" the messenger said looking puzzled. Suddenly his face cleared like he had just remembered something. "Oh, yes, the governor. That will be no problem; I'll take you directly to him." "Have you seen him?" Clarise interrupted. "Is he all right? Is he hurt? What is his status? Is he a prisoner?" "Yes, my Lady," he chuckled. "Do I have the pleasure of addressing my Lady Clarise? And my Lady Sosho? Very good, I am glad you are here and well, and the children as well. To answer your questions: yes, yes, not much, highest and not really." Nesho paused for a moment parsing through his answers. She was definitely getting the impression this man was having a great deal of fun at their expense and it was starting to annoy her. "What do you mean, he's not hurt much?" she demanded, "and 'not really' a prisoner?" "Please, My Lady," he said almost laughing now. "I assure you he is fine. Some scratches from the fighting in Harv'el and he is in no way a prisoner, although he complains about being constrained often. I will say he is very anxious to see you five. He almost tore apart the village last night looking for you. It wasn't until we heard you were in hiding and unharmed that he would settle down. I have an escort outside; so if you would gather your things we have some carts. We'll still have to walk I'm afraid, but at least you won't have to carry anything." "To Dent we will certainly go," Nesho said. "But what about this king?" "Him also, my Lady," he said with a smile. "You hardly see one without the other." ------- Nesho, the girls, and the rest of the household servants gathered up what little they had and carried it down the tunnel to the outside. There was a lot of blinking and sneezing at the sun but they quickly grew accustomed to it and followed the cart down the hill. Their messenger hadn't been kidding when he said he had an escort waiting. There were at least twenty Guild Warriors lounging around outside the tunnel in full battle armor, and when Nesho and the rest made their appearance they jumped up and to a man gave them a small bow of respect. Even Nesho was speechless when you think that Guild Warriors rarely bow to Putrams, let alone the personnel and household slaves of the governor of a tiny island. Nesho recognized a couple of them from when Dent had used them to guard her but when she tried to engage them in conversation they smiled and politely told her, "Duty, My Lady," and went back to scanning the surrounding countryside like they expected a whole army to suddenly explode from cover. It was actually a pleasant walk and the fresh air felt good as a change. Shasta thought it couldn't hurt, she felt grubby and dirty given that she hadn't had more than a sponge bath or a decent change of clothing in days. The path they took bypassed the village and Shasta wondered where they were going until they came upon the familiar road up to the governor's mansion. Shortly they were walking through the front gates, past men in the dress uniform of the Jeevelian marines standing at guard. In fact there were hundreds of them all over the grounds and although their entourage attracted attention, one look at their escort quelled their interest. One of the guards next to the broken front doors called inside and stepped aside as the warriors continued their escort into the front hall. Another guard in the hall motioned them into the Grand Hall. The Grand Hall, as Sosho had christened it, was slightly larger than the formal dining room and was envisioned as a place for entertaining when the mansion was finished. Up till this time it had been seldom used and only sparsely furnished. A good thing as it turned out, since there was little for the invaders to destroy or steal. As they entered the hall Shasta barely noted the one table with its few chairs set up along the far wall. Her attention immediately focused on the man standing next to it casually talking to a couple of Jeevelian marine officers, she hardly even noticed the two Guild warriors on either side of him, hands on sword hilts, eyes continually scanning the area. She felt like her heart had stopped as he came into clear focus. Later she would laugh at herself remembering how when she first met him she thought he was -- being kind -- only average in appearance. Right then she considered him to be the most beautiful sight she had ever seen in her life. Suddenly there was a piercing scream and Clarise took off towards him at a dead run followed by Nesho and Sosho who were slightly slower only because they were burdened by two babies. Immediately the bodyguards' eyes snapped onto her and swords began to be withdrawn from their scabbards. Moving with deceptive speed the blonde man stepped between them and placed his hands on their arms, preventing them from drawing their weapons. Seconds later he was hit by a grubby blond missile who wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist. A heartbeat later he was totally covered by three women and two squalling babies, each woman making sure no bit of his exposed face remained kiss free. Shasta longed to be part of wall of flesh pressed up against him. She tried to hold herself back, allowing the three women their reunion with their man, but the force attracting her was far greater than her resolve and she slowly crossed the room and only stopped when she was standing directly behind them. It took awhile before the caressing, petting, and cooing words of love slowed down enough until they were just standing there holding each other tightly. Finally Nesho and Sosho stepped back slightly, although still close enough they could still touch and caress him. Clarise still had her legs tightly wrapped around him and her face nestled into his neck, her long blonde hair draped so that it hid her face. He seemed to not even notice her weight as she clung to him. "Are you all right?" Nesho finally asked, her eyes locked on his face as if she were memorizing its every curve. Nesho's look of utter devotion, love and serenity almost choked Shasta with her own longing. "I'm fine," he sighed. "I was so worried about you! I don't know what I would have done if something happened to any of you." "We came through it," Nesho said. "But what happened to you? What in the hell has been going on?" "Ah," he started with a grin. "that's a long story and now is not the time for it. I will say it has been... interesting... to say the least." "Who is this king we were told about?" Sosho interjected. "What did you do? Turn the whole of Jeevel upside down?" "Somewhat," he said with a sheepish look. "As for the king," he paused and cleared his throat, "that would be me." Edited by Morgan ------- Chapter 11 "You're what?" Nesho and Sosho exclaimed simultaneously. From then on a constant flow of questions, accusations, recriminations and demands came with such rapidity it was almost impossible to determine who was saying what at any one time. Throughout it all Dent merely grinned and nodded occasionally; Clarise simply sighed and nuzzled into his neck tighter. During the first lull he craned his neck to whisper in her ear. "Clarise, darling," he said, "aren't you getting tired holding on like this?" "No," she murmured blissfully. "Well," he continued. "Would you mind getting down so I can hold the babies?" "You are holding a baby," she said, lifting her head and nipping gently at his neck. "Yes, my love. You are my very precious baby. But I meant Makro and Nilsen, the other babies." "Well," she said with a sultry smile, "I have a baby in me, and you are holding me, so you are also holding a baby." For a moment his mouth hung open and incoherent squeaks were all that seemed able to come out. He closed his mouth, swallowed hard and was finally able to say, "Really?" "Really, da," she said as she untangled her legs and stood up on her own. Her arms were still around her neck when he grabbed her and gave her a hard long kiss. "That's wonderful, love," he said when he was finally done. "Yeah, yeah, you knocked her up," Sosho chimed in sarcastically. "What a surprise. Enough of that; what is going on here? Are you really this king thing? If so, how did you get it?" "Good questions and I promise they will all be answered, but not right now." As he spoke he plucked Makro out of one carrier and Nilsen out of the other. Holding his two babies, one in each arm, he turned back to his three women. "I though you would want to get cleaned up first; besides I want to play with my children for a while. I don't know if the baths are ready yet, but they should be soon." Looking up he saw Shasta and the rest of the household staff standing behind her. "Oh, hello, Shasta," he said with a smile. When Shasta looked into his eyes she felt something snap in her head and a flash of light went across her vision; she rocked slightly as if dizzy. Immediately there was someone there, holding onto her arm, keeping her steady. She looked up at Dent and noticed Clarise and Sosho were holding onto him also. Looking to her side she saw it was Nesho. "That was strange," he muttered. Shaking his head he look at the rest of the household staff and said, "Welcome home! I'm glad to see all of you made it and are well." As one they bent down at the waist and murmured, "Thank you master, we greet you." "We have another surprise for you," Nesho said as she pulled Shasta over to stand right in front of Dent. Suddenly Shasta had no conscious control over what she did. Reaching up on tiptoes, she hugged both the babies and the man, pressing herself against him and attacking his lips with her own. At first he seemed somewhat reluctant but soon he was kissing her back as hard as she as kissing him. Her mouth opened in a moan and she felt the fleshy invasion of his tongue snake in to taste her. Instead of being repelled as she normally would she was suddenly quivering with desire. She wanted nothing more than to drop both of them to the floor and have him mount her right there! Somebody must have had a little more sense as she felt herself being dragged back away from him. She whimpered as she felt their lips part. She tried reaching for him again and was gently, but firmly, pulled away. "That's enough for now," Nesho said kindly. "The rest we save for later." "Ah, ah," Dent gulped for air. "Ah, Shasta, that was, very, nice, but I don't think, my, ah..." "Your wives wholeheartedly approve," Nesho said with a slight chuckle. Dent looked at her blankly. "We will tell you later, not that you don't already know." "But I don't think..." he started. "We've gone over this before," Sosho chimed in. "That's why we're here." "But... I don't want..." he tried to continue. "Can you honestly look at this woman and say you don't want her?" Clarise said sweetly from his other side. "I course I want her, but..." he sputtered again. "Then it's settled," Nesho said as she reached over and patted his arm. "You go play with your babies like a good little king or whatever, and we will get cleaned up. We are fifthly and that's a fact." As the four turned to go Shasta heard him still muttering, "But, but..." Then she heard laughter and turning her head she saw the two Guild members laughing out loud, their hands still on the hilts of their swords and their eyes scanning every corner of the room. ------- "Oh, this is heavenly," Nesho sighed as she leaned back in the big tub. Two of the bathing tubs had survived the occupation and had been filled with hot soapy water. The tubs were big enough for two and Shasta was sitting across from Nesho trying to rinse the soap and tangles from her hair. "It is nice," Sosho groused, "but this hot water is making my tits leak." "You want me to help?" Clarise grinned as she pretended to reach for Sosho's breasts. "Right," Sosho said slapping playfully at Clarise hands, "and just who would be feeding that bottomless pit for milk in the shape of our son? You perhaps? I don't think so, not for a long time. Besides he'd take care of you in one or two gulps. For that monster you need something a little more substantial." She hefted up her own rather impressive mameries out of the water to demonstrate. "You mean like cow tits?" Clarise teased. "Exactly," Sosho agreed, "big cow tits." "Ladies," Nesho interrupted, "enough of the tit talk. We have something to talk to Shasta about." "Oh, yeah!" Sosho moaned. "That was so hot! I though you were going to fuck him right there on the floor!" "Sosho! You crude slut!" Clarise giggled. "She wasn't going to fuck him; she was going to make intense, passionate love to him right there on the floor." "Ladies, this is serious," Nesho said glancing at them. "We have things we need to talk about, like tonight for instance." The other two quieted down and turned to look at Shasta. "Shasta," Nesho continued, "do you think you can wait for one night to be with him?" "I don't think he will accept me," she whispered, avoiding the question. "Nonsense," Nesho said and waved off the answer. "It is a forgone conclusion. The deal is done, and you are signed sealed and delivered. The only question is when is he going to open his present?" Shasta blushed bright red. "So," Nesho continued, "considering your past I think it would be best if he, and you, would be able to take some time. No reason to be in a rush and to be honest, tonight neither he nor you are going to have that luxury. The three of us are horny as hell and I know I won't be able to wait and I'm sure these other two won't either." "It doesn't matter," Shasta said softly, biting her lip. "If he is to take me, he can do it whenever he wills it." "That's just it, darling," Nesho said rubbing her foot along Shasta's leg. "He's not taking you, he's claiming you by making love to you. I know you don't understand the difference. I wouldn't expect you to, but afterwards you will. You're just going to have to trust us on this. Can you trust us?" "With my life," Shasta sighed. "Good," Nesho smiled. "Then it would be best if we three stayed with him tonight and brought you to him tomorrow night." "That doesn't sound fair," Sosho said with a frown. "Its not," Nesho agreed. "But it's the best we can do. Can you honestly say Shasta will get the time and attention she needs and deserves, tonight?" Sosho paused for a moment and shook her head. "Neither do I. Besides it will give us time to have our little talk with him while he's too tired to really think about it, let alone try to say no." "You're right of course," Clarise sighed. "The way I feel right now I'm not sure but that tonight might start right after noon meal, if not before!" "We all feel that way," Nesho said nodding. "It is the best of a delicate situation." "I can wait," Shasta said, trying not to look at the other three women. "Can you?" Clarise asked. "What are you feeling right now? I know, the three of us usually can sense what the other is feeling, but even so it sometimes helps to say it out loud. Also our bond with you is still new; I think I know the answer, but I want to be sure." Nesho and Sosho nodded when Shasta looked at them. "All right," Shasta said taking a big gulp of air. "I'm anxious and needy. I've never wanted to do something so badly in my life, and I've never, ever, been this scared before. There were times when I knew I was going to die, and I wasn't as scared as I am now." "No reason to ask why," Nesho said. "That's why it has to be this way. Now," she said standing up in the tub, "we had better go find our man and rescue him from his, by now I'm sure, screaming daughter. Sosho, you need to find Nilsen before he finds himself another tit to latch onto." Laughing they all dried and dressed in the finery they found waiting for them. ------- They found them out on the lawn where a number of large blankets had been spread out. Makro was happily cooing curled up next to the rather ignobly sprawled king as Nilsen gurgled and gnawed on the hilt of Dent's dirk. "You shouldn't let him play with that!" Sosho scolded, giving him a quick kiss before sitting down and picking up the baby. Without any hesitation she opened her blouse and offered one of her full tits for his use. Latching on like a leech, Nilsen began sucking hard, grinning around her nipple until a little milk leaked out, then he settled down for some serious feeding. "He's not old enough to even pick it up!" Dent protested, getting a kiss from Nesho and Clarise. Nesho looked over at Shasta until she too bent down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Wrong," Nesho said sternly. "Give him a real kiss." Blushing furiously she bent down and presented her lips to him. She felt a flutter in her stomach when she saw he too was blushing and looking extremely shy as he rose up and kissed her chastely on the lips. As their lips touched Shasta again felt a jolt run through her body and heat, starting somewhere south of her belly, flowed out to fill her entirely. Breathlessly she pulled back as they broke the kiss and she panted slightly as she wobbled her way over to sit next to Nesho only a few feet away. "That's better," Nesho said patting her arm. She already had her own blouse open and Makro hungrily sucking at her breast. "Now dear, husband," she said to Dent, "what has been going on and what is this kingship you seemed to have acquired?" "Ah," he said seemingly a little out of focus. "Did I mention how much I've missed all of you? And how lovely you all are? Shasta, I see your tattoos are almost completely gone. As pretty as you were, you are much lovelier now. I never did like the idea of marking women; it detracts from their natural beauty." "And have I mentioned how you change the subject when you don't want to answer a question?" Nesho said sweetly. "Fine," Dent sighed. "I can give you the short version now, but the rest is going to have to wait for some of the other involved parties to get here. A large part of the story is really theirs and they should be allowed to tell it. "Anyway," he continued, "it was all a trap, of course. Set up by deClover and that Malshall's bastard ambassador. Luckily for me deClover sprang the trap a little too early and some friends of ours were in the right place at the right time. It might not have mattered to tell the truth; we were expecting something, the whole setup stank like a day-old fish on the beach. "But that's neither here nor there since he didn't capture us. After that first attempt we were on the run for a few days, hiding out here and there, gathering our forces as it were. I was able to make contact with the Guild and our men on the ships. Festou, by the way, was absolutely invaluable when it came to sneaking around." "Festou was with you?" Sosho asked. "What was that little scamp doing with you there? He was spying for you? Shame on you! He's awfully young to be doing something that dangerous, don't you think?" "Actually it turns out he's not that much younger than you are, darling," Dent chuckled. "Given his naturally small size and how they fed him on board the ship he just appeared much younger than he really was. We figure he's about fifteen seasons, give or take a half." "Fifteen?" Sosho gasped. "But he saw us dressing... and everything... on board the Grip!" "Yes, and he and I have had a talk about that," Dent smirked. "I'm not sure if he really wants you to know this but he is eternally grateful to both you and Nesho." "Why that little..." Sosho fumed. "I'm going to wring his scrawny neck when I get a hold of him!" "I don't think you have to worry about that," now Dent started really laughing. "He got his comeuppance all right. Wait until tomorrow when he and Vel are due in. You can meet his two wives, and let me tell you, they keep a pretty short leash on him, that's for sure!" "Festou married?" Nesho looked like she was stunned. "True enough," Dent chortled, "but wait until you see who it is!" "We know them?" Sosho also looked stunned. "Well, you know one of them," he said slyly. "All right. Give it up before I have to come over there and get rough," Sosho said trying to sound aggravated but having it come out more as intense curiosity. "Peace, woman," Dent chuckled as he raised his hand in mock surrender. "All right, I'll tell you. It's Kelei, Marie's daughter. You remember her, don't you?" "Kelei?" Sosho whispered as she stared at him amazed. "Kelei? Really?" Nesho was almost as surprised as her daughter. "Who is Kelei? Shasta asked. "For that matter who is Festou?" "Festou was the ship's boy they met on the Death Grip," Clarise answered. "That was the privateer that first took them. I met him a couple of times. Cute little lad. But he was just a boy," she protested. "Scrawny, all arms and legs, just a little thing." "Oh, he's still on the small side," Dent admitted. "Probably will be even when he's got his full man size. But his heart's as big as anyone's I've ever met and he fights like a cornered rat when he has to. He, Kelei, and Belinda are one of the reasons I'm able to be here today. But that's his story and I'll let him tell you after he gets here." "But he's too young to have a wife!" Nesho protested. "And just who is this Belinda that she is with our Festou?" "Wives, dear heart, wives," Dent softly corrected her. "He is young I will admit, but not mush younger than someone else we know who is not only a wife, but a mother." "That's different!" Sosho protested. Nesho added a harrumph in agreement. "It always is," Dent said calmly. "But before you rush to judgment you should met them and see them together." "Who is Kelei?" Shasta demanded again. "Oh," Nesho mused, obviously thinking about something else. "You remember the girl Sosho threatened? The one she got spanked over? That was Kelei. She worked in the inn where we stayed when we first landed in Harv'el. How could you let this happen? Besides, she is a slave; he can't marry her!" "Of course not. No slave may marry in Jeevel, can they, wife?" Dent said slyly. Nesho's face clouded up for a second and then she let out a little laugh and nodded, acknowledging his slight jab. Taking pity on her he continued, "Besides, one of my first royal decrees was to suspend that particular law and have it allowed on a case-by-case basis. For his service he asked me a favor, Kelei was that favor. Before you jump to any conclusions, Kelei asked, no, demanded, that she be sold to him. Vel and Maria agreed." "Royal decree? What do you mean by 'royal'? For that matter what is all this 'king' silliness we've been hearing about?" Nesho demanded. "So you're in charge of Jeevel -- can't say as I'm all that surprised -- but why not as Putram? That's what everyone is used to." "A lot of reasons," Dent said with a shrug, "most of which you can discuss with Vel when he gets here. He is now the de facto Minister of Protocol. He tells us all what we're supposed to do and say." "He would certainly enjoy telling everybody what to do," She admitted. "But why change everything? Why not keep it familiar? Why 'king' instead of Putram?" "Well," he said rubbing his chin, "when everything was over and done with none of us were feeling to kindly about any putrams let alone our ex-putram." "DeClover is no longer Putram?" Clarise exclaimed. "Too short," Dent snorted, "nobody would take him seriously." "Too short?" Clarise said wrinkling her nose in what Dent thought was a rather delightful way. "The way I remember him was as rather ordinary, maybe not tall, but not all that short." "Well, now he's too short," Dent said without expression, "about a head too short actually." "Oh," Clarise said, turning slightly green. Sosho laughed and even Nesho smiled. "So, not wanting much to do with the old ways we thought it best to completely break from them," Dent continued. "I suppose we could have made up new names for everything, but Vel said he had everything we needed all ready. So the term is king, which by the way makes you my queens." "What does the Jeevel Citizen's Counsel have to say about all this?" Nesho asked. "Probably a lot," Dent admitted, "if there was one. Unfortunately a lot of them picked sides early: the wrong side. The ones who followed us and survived the slave revolt are mostly trying not to lose everything they have and aren't as interested in politics as they were before." "Slave revolt? Now this I have to hear about!" Sosho said eagerly. "All part of the story, darling," Dent said with a smile. "When everybody gets here... How about now we go find something to eat?" ------- It wasn't that late but Shasta knew it was bedtime. Apparently so did everyone else. The babies were fed, nestled into their cribs and now the tension between Dent and the four women was becoming intense. Nesho, Sosho and Clarise could hardly keep their hands off him and Shasta just barely control her own urges to do the same. "I know, it's time," Shasta said biting her lip. "I'm going to sleep in the nursery with the babies tonight." "I understand," Nesho said sympathetically. "I know this is hard for you, Shasta, but I still think it's the best way. Your night will be tomorrow, I promise." "I know you believe it," Shasta said with a brave smile. "But I don't want you to be disappointed when he turns me away. I can live with that now." "Maybe you can," Nesho said after leaning over to give her a kiss, "but we can't. Tomorrow, you will see." Shasta didn't argue any further; there wasn't much of a point anyway. After checking on the babies one last time she snuggled down in the nanny's bed. Sleep was impossible. It might not have been so bad if she had only to imagine what was going on in the room down the hall, but she didn't have to imagine it. She could feel every caress, every kiss, the parting thighs, his cock first resting on the lips of someone's vulva, the feeling as he gently pushed his way inside her. Three times she felt that, three times she felt him inside her like she had never felt a man before. She was wet, she was needy and she cried herself to sleep when it finally seemed the four of them were done. Waking up a short time later she felt someone slipping into bed with her. "Who? What?" she muttered, trying to see whom it was using the dim light coming through the window. "Shhh," someone hissed and then a short, naked body with large breasts pressed up against her. Shasta knew right away who it was. "Sosho, what are you doing here," she whispered. "You should be with him!" "I was," Sosho whispered back. "Right now everyone's asleep. Nesho would have come but Dent has an arm around her and won't let go and I beat Clarise to the door." "But why... ?" Shasta began until Sosho stopped her by pressing a finger to her lips. "Because we had needs that had to be taken care of," Sosho said snuggling in and pillowing her head on Shasta's shoulder. "But there was no way we were going to leave you to sleep alone tonight." "Thank you," Shasta said quietly. "I love you all; you know that, don't you?" "And we love you," Sosho muttered. "Now shut up and go to sleep. I'm really tired and you are going to need your rest for tomorrow night." Dent spent most of the next day reading reports of what happened in Safehaven and issuing orders. A small Jeevelian messenger ship entered port with a thick packet of papers for their new king. Reading one message Dent grunted and said Vel wouldn't be making it that day but would probably be in the day after next. He absolutely refused to go into any more detail of what happened in Harv'el repeating that it wasn't his story to tell. One thing did take her mind off the upcoming night: the trial of General Andrisek. He had been caught in fisherman's clothing trying to bribe his way off the island. He was brought before Dent out in the courtyard in chains. Nesho Sosho, Clarise, Shasta and all the female hostages were present at the trial. "You'll do nothing to me," Andrisek sneered when he was first brought in. "I am the Putram of Malshall's cousin; if you wish to stay in his good graces you'd best remember that." "Why on earth would you think I am particularly worried about staying in his good graces?" Dent asked looking rather puzzled. "I have taken prisoner a good portion of his army, or what's left of it anyway. Those I may or may not ransom back to him. I also have twenty or so of his ships; those I intend to keep. I would think he would want to be in my good graces, not the other way around. "Regardless" Dent continued. "You are here for the crimes you committed while on this island." "This was a military campaign," Andrisek blustered. "I have done nothing wrong." "Murder and rape are always wrong," Dent said, his eyes narrowing just a little. "Bullshit," Andrisek laughed. "I killed a wog and fucked one of their bitches, so what? It's war." "If you had killed in battle I would grant you that one," Dent said nodding. "But you didn't. You killed him in my house while he was standing before you defenseless. Rape is always rape. There was no class in my academy where it is taught rape is an acceptable tool of war." "It was a fucking wog bitch!" Andrisek said again. "Hell, you got your own slave bitches you fuck every night. Nice looking bitches too, if I may say so. I can understand why you do. I would have if you hadn't put those fucking collars on them." "I see it is useless talking to you," Dent sighed. "But then the ending was never in doubt for any one of the many things you have done. You are found guilty and condemned to death." Dent stood up and started to pull his sword. "No!" said one of his bodyguards sharply. Dent looked surprised. The bodyguard was one of the Guild Warriors that was with him almost round the clock. Softening his voice like he would to explain the facts of life to a new recruit, he continued, "It is not your place to do the dirty work yourself. Your office is important to your country and needs to be held in high regard. Having the man in that office sully his hands by executing a common criminal belittles that which you are." Dent looked over at Nesho and she nodded in agreement. "Fine," he said pushing his sword back into his scabbard. His scowl said he didn't completely agree. "Then who will do it?" "I will!" came a cry from behind them. Turning around Shasta saw a visibly shaking Zsofia step determinedly forward. "This bastard raped me," she said even as tears rolled down her cheek. "He might as well have killed me too. My family won't have me; no man will have me as wife, what do I have to live for? Revenge will do as well as anything now." "Can you kill a man quickly?" Dent asked. "My first thought was to have him dig a pit, bury him up to his neck in the pit, build a privy over it and have all his victims piss and shit on him until he drowned. It was correctly pointed out to me that this would be form of torture and unless we want to be looked at as being at the same level of vermin he is, then torture is not what we want. Make it quick and he is yours." "I've butchered pigs before, Your Excellency." Nobody had yet told her the correct form of address for a king was "Your Majesty." "I'd rather skin him alive one inch at a time, but I can do it quick." Andrisek was hauled backwards and tied to a pole while Zsofia calmly walked up to him. As she approached one of the guards pulled out his own knife and presented it to her hilt first. She took it and nodded to him then turned back to Andrisek. His eyes were wide open and he was struggling to free himself. "I tried to think to myself what I would say to you if I ever had you in a situation like this," Zsofia said as she looked up at the general. "I never could think of anything. Now I know it's because there is nothing worth saying to you other than I hope you enjoy hell." With that she reached up with the incredibly sharp knife, and starting under one ear drew it through his neck to the other ear. She indeed must have had experience with butchering hogs since she cut right through arteries and windpipe. Blood gushed down his chest as he gasped and shook, but in less than a minute his head had flopped over and he was very dead. Wiping the knife off on the general's coat Zsofia handed the knife back to its owner and promptly fell to her knees, becoming violently ill. The man whose knife she had used sheathed it quickly and bent down, helping to hold her hair out of the way. After she had finished he offered her a piece of cloth to wipe her mouth and bent down even further to whisper something in her ear. She looked up at him almost in wonder and gave him a tentative smile and mouthed the words "thank you" and then something else. He gave her a small smile of his own, lips barely twitching up at the corners, and shooed her on her way back to Dent's party. As she walked back, head held high, one of the other girls who had been abandoned by her family asked her what he had said. "He said any man who would reject a woman as beautiful and brave as me because of something someone else did was a fool who didn't deserve me." She stood a little straighter and there was again a ghost of a smile on her face. "He also asked, when things settle down, if he would be allowed to call on me." "What did you say?" another one asked. "I thanked him and said he must ask Mistress Nesho; she is my family now," she said looking at Nesho with a little apprehension. "Quite correct, Zsofia," Nesho said with a nod. "You are a member of our household for as long as you desire to be. I, or any of the wives, would be proud to stand in place of your parents." "So be it," Dent said standing up. "So long as any man who wishes to do so remembers these ladies are under my protection and I am not known for my humor when it comes to women's honor." "I didn't know you were known for your humor about anything," Sosho said taking one of his arms. "He has a wonderful sense of humor," Clarise chided as she took his other arm. "He should anyway; it's just never been used." Dent just sighed and shook his head as they all walked inside. ------- "Are you sure you don't want us in there with you?" Nesho asked for the third time as she fussed with Shasta's hair. "I'm sure," Shasta said calmly. She had a detached feeling, almost like she was moving through a dream. She had been extremely nervous when the other three had started to help her get ready, but now she felt almost nothing. "This is something I must do alone." "Well, not exactly alone," Sosho said from where she was kneeling next to Shasta's chair. She was also fussing, but with the emerald green night robe they had found for her. Finally Nesho stopped and held her hands in front of her. "You are so beautiful," she sighed. Reaching out she held Shasta's chin in her hands while bringing the young woman's eyes up to meet hers. "You are a bride going to her husband for the first time. Remember that." "It's time," Clarise said from the doorway. Shasta stood up and the three women escorted her out into the hall and down to the master bedroom. There were two guards standing at attention on either side of the door. Nesho lightly rapped on the heavy wood door, opened it and lightly pushed Shasta into the room. Shasta heard the door closing behind her. Standing next to a small table with two chairs was Dent, her master, and she desperately wanted to believe, her man. He smiled at her and she suddenly felt light-headed and her legs wobbled just a bit. "You look beautiful, Shasta," he said. "Please, have a seat. Would you like a cup of wine?" "Yes, thank you," she managed to croak out. He walked over to her and placing his hand on her arm guided her over to one of the chairs. She sat down gratefully as he poured wine into two goblets and handed her one. She took a sip as he sat down in the other chair, although she couldn't have told you what it tasted like. Nervously she sipped at the wine as he looked at her. Finally he spoke. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to," he said. She looked over at him sharply wondering if he was trying to tell her to leave. Almost as if he read her mind he set his cup down and reached over to place his hands around hers on the cup. "I am not telling you I don't want you," he said softly. "I'm trying to tell you -- and not doing a very good job of it -- that the choice is yours. It doesn't matter what Nesho and the rest of the hen party want, or think is right. If you don't want it, you don't have to do it." Shasta almost laughed at Dent's description of his wives as a "hen party," but for whatever reason, it helped. "I do want it, master," she whispered casting her eyes down. "But I don't think you will want me when you really know what I am." "And what are you, beautiful Shasta?" he asked softly. "I've been a whore for ten seasons," she said, tears leaking down her cheeks. "I have been used by so many men I couldn't count them. I've been made to perform before audiences with..." she stopped when he placed one finger on her lips. "You were never a whore, my beautiful one," he said. "You have been raped, your family stolen from you. You have been abused and tortured by creatures that make me ashamed to be called a man." He paused and lifted her face up so that he could look into her eyes. She felt like she was falling into those ice-blue pools and she knew, with absolute certainly, that everything he was telling her was the truth as he saw it. "None of that matters to me," he said. "My wives tell me you are one of them, that we belong together, all of us. I believe them, but..." again he paused, "I also know because of what was done to you, you are probably frightened of men and don't want the physical part of that union. I want you to understand that if you feel this way, it is all right with me. We don't have to do this. You will be one of us without the bedding." "You are kind," Shasta said with a tentative smile, "and a liar. I want this more than anything else I've ever wanted. But I'm not good enough for you. I don't know if I can please you, I don't want to bring shame on you and..." she paused, biting her lip, "and I'm barren; I can't carry your child." "Children are a blessing," Dent admitted with a smile, "but I have already been blessed with two and maybe a third. How many do I need? It is not even a consideration. My wives tell me they love you, and that you love them. Is this true?" "Yes, and I love you," she blurted out. "Thank you," he said. "That means more than you could ever know. I will not tell you I love you the same way I love them; I don't know you that well yet. I know that I like you; I admire you, that my gratitude for what you have done for my family knows no bounds. I am told that I will come to love you as I do all of them. I have learned not to disregard anything they tell me; they are almost always right. I can tell you that I want you; as a woman you excite me. There is something about you that draws me; I can feel you through the bond and the soul I feel is one that I want with me, with us..." He couldn't finish because Shasta suddenly stood up and sat down in his lap. The cup of wine, what little was left, crashed to the floor as she disentangled her hands from his and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips hungrily sought his as she plastered herself against him, the heat of his body threatening to burn her. After what seemed like hours she broke away and looked at him. "Am I one of your women?" she whispered. "You are," he said with utter conviction. "Then take your woman to bed," she said. "Please, I beg..." His kiss cut off her plea as he lifted her in his arms and walked over to the bed where he sat down, their lips still locked. "You never have to beg," he said breathlessly. "If anyone will do the begging it will be me." "Then just you make sure you never give me cause to beg," she teased, surprising herself at her own boldness. Grinning, he gently deposited her on the bed itself and started to pull up her night robe. As her legs were exposed she could sense his excitement grow. She was no stranger to men being excited by her body and in the past it had disgusted and frightened her; now it only added to her own excitement. She was proud he found her desirable, that her flesh pleased him and as the robe continued up her body she fumbled with the fasteners on his shirt. She had to stop when he pulled the robe over her head and he was out of reach afterwards because he stood up and began stripping his own clothes off. The body he exposed was not perfect. He was well formed -- heavily muscled, that was true -- but he was also heavily scared. There were the light white puckers of old wounds and the bright pink of new ones. She had thought her own body ill-used and abused. Compared to his she was almost untouched. He was absolutely beautiful and she almost cried. She watched as his cock was exposed and she gasped. She had seen hundreds, been forced to taste them, feel them, accept them into her body, but none were like this one. Yes, he was a little larger than any other she had taken, but that isn't what made it special. This one was hers, all hers! At least for tonight she smiled to herself. When he had removed his trousers she reached out and grabbed its velvet steel and pulled him down into the bed with her. They lay side by side lightly kissing, her hands not able to release his cock, his hands gently roaming over every part of her body he could reach. He tenderly cupped one of her breasts and gently squeezed as she arched her back slightly giving him any access he wanted. Breaking their kiss he dropped his head and sucked the rock-hard nipple into his mouth as she whimpered and moaned. She was soaked between her legs as his hand released the breast, it wasn't going anywhere since he had it well captured by his lips and teeth, and moved down to lightly touch the outside of her vulva. Slowly he pushed his finger into her as her moaning became louder and more insistent. She was shaking with the need for release when he let loose her nipple and started kissing his way down her body. He was a little bit surprised when she released his cock and grabbed his ears, dragging him back up to her face. "They said you would want to do that," she gasped. "Any other time you may do with me as you want, My Lord, but not now, please! Please, I just want to feel you inside me!" "As you wish, my love," he said rolling over on top of her, spreading her thighs. She drew back her knees, opening herself up to him, as he rested the head of his cock in the liquid heat of her sex. "One last time to say no..." he panted. He was never able to complete what he was going to say because she growled like a bear and digging her fingernails into his ass, pulled him into her as hard as she could. He sunk into her until the head of his cock gently nudged her cervix and the base, rested flush on her sex. A perfect fit! As soon as he was inside her she began to shake and feelings like she had never felt coursed through her body. The pleasure she had felt with the other women was pale compared to the molten fire of sensation she felt throughout her body. As she began to settle down a little, she was finally able to breathe again. He began to slowly withdraw and thrust back into her. She screamed and locked her legs around his hips as the sensations came back even greater than before. She opened her dazed eyes and looked up the man, her man, and suddenly she knew beyond any doubt that this was where she was supposed to be, she was his and he was hers. She was there to be his support, the receptacle of his lust and love, and yes, she could feel that love, no matter that he may protest it, he loved her and it would only grow stronger. Every second of the nightmare she had been living for the past ten seasons became both worth it and immaterial at the same time. She was exactly where she needed to be, receiving and reveling in his lust, as she would soon be receiving his seed. His movements became less controlled as he approached his climax and with the increased power and frequency of his thrusts she felt through their bond something growing, about to burst. She thrust her hips back at him trying to drive him as deeply into her body as he was able to go. His seed! His seed! The thought clamored in her head. In me! In me as deeply as possible! He was her stallion breeding his mare and she knew that if she could just get him deeply inside her enough, his seed would reach fertile soil. Without warning he lunged once more into her and held himself as deeply as he could as he began to pump her full of his life-bringing fluid. She screamed again and everything went white, and than black. She started to come around very slowly. For some reason she was very tired, and sweaty, and hot. She could hear someone whispering near her, no, a number of someones. She groaned and clamped her legs together, putting her hand over her vagina instinctively trying to hold her man's seed inside her. Why she was doing this she couldn't say. She already knew, knew, that she was pregnant, that she was carrying his baby. A feeling that proved correct not eight ten-day from then. She smiled as she groaned. "See," someone whispered. She could hear the words now and recognized the voice. Who was it? Oh yes, it was Nesho, one of his other wives, one of four; his harem, his herd, his women. Her sister, friend and lover. Shasta tried to concentrate on the words. "See, she's moving now. She'll be awake soon. You really shouldn't be upset, it's not like you don't do this all the time." "Yes," a deeper voice said, it sounded worried, "but never for so long!" It was him! Now instead of groaning she started moaning and trying to open her eyes. Finally she was able to open her eyes and she saw him, a little blurry maybe, but very close to her face. Slowly her arm snaked up and around his neck, pulling him down into a very soft and gentle kiss. It had to be; she didn't have the strength for anything else. "Are you all right?" he asked after she broke away. "No," she said lazily, and wanted to laugh at his returned frown. "I need more of this." She yawned and rolled over on her side so she could see him through half-lidded eyes as she patted his cheek. "But not now." Another yawn. "I'm too tired. Goodnight." Darkness again. Edited by Morgan ------- The End ------- Posted: 2006-03-02 Last Modified: 2006-04-26 / 10:18:00 am ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------