"The Ilmani is a dead tribe, woman, have you not heard? And their young queen with them."
"That is not true, I live, and now I have returned to put an end to the war with Border Keep." The laughter was even louder than before.
"Do you believe her arrogance? Now she is not only a queen, but our savior as well!" The third man chuckled.
The man Salk eyed her hungrily, "Well if she is royalty, we will need to give her the royal treatment. You said we could have her when she was conscious. My prick is harder than a palm tree stalk since I had her bouncing in my lap all the way here."
"You will not touch me!" Raaya commanded. The men did not seem impressed.
"Kind of feisty for a slave, aren't you?" The man called Lokti stood and walked over to her.
"Stay away from me!" The force of his hand on her cheek threw her back to the ground and renewed the pounding in her head.
"Shut up! We will do as we like with you, and if you are lucky when we are done we will slit your throat instead of leaving you tied up here to die of thirst." Lokti ripped her tattered cloak off. Salk cackled quietly and crawled over to them, examining simple linen dress that covered Raaya's body. He grabbed her breast with a gnarled hand.
"Ooh, these are nice, I think I will bite them until they bleed." He pulled out a long crooked knife and put it to her throat. Raaya didn't dare move. "Not so feisty now, are you?" Raaya felt anger well up inside of her, she spat at him, and he reared back.
Her cheek burned as Lokti slapped her again, "Salk, give me the knife you clumsy idiot." Salk looked back at Raaya, a cruel glint in his eye.
"I love it when they struggle." He handed the knife to Lokti, who cut her dress. Salk grabbed the fabric and tore it from her body. Raaya screamed, and Salk laughed louder than before, "There is no one to hear you out here, scream all you like. It will make taking you that much more fun." She tried to sit up, but Lokti had the knife at her throat again.
The third man walked over from the fire, "It takes two of you and a knife to handle this one girl. Pathetic."
"I don't need the knife!" Lokti said defensively. He tossed it aside. Raaya immediately began to kick and punch at the two men. The third man snickered.
"I'll show you how it's done." He kicked Raaya hard in the ribs. She felt her midsection seize up and the breath left her body. She gasped, but could not seem to get air to fill her lungs. Her eyes filled with water, and she blinked wildly. She felt her hands stretch above her head. There was a hook at the top of the cave used by the raiders to hold provisions, and they hung her from it by the ropes about her wrists. "We are going to do what we want with you, and then you are going to die. You should try to enjoy your last moments alive, but it looks like we will need to take a little bit of the fight out of you." She watched the third man uncoil a thin whip from his waist.
"Jeord, you are twisted," Lokti said. He walked up to Aria, running his hands along her body, "A pity you will ruin her perfect skin." His dry tongue flicked at her breast for a moment, then he seemed overwhelmed by lust, grabbing at her chest with both hands, and sucking and biting wildly. Raaya struggled helplessly, ordering him him to stop... moments later, he did.
The searing across her back was unlike any pain she had felt before. It was like a thousand tiny needles tore into her flesh at once, tearing jagged rips across her skin. She felt something drip down her back and knew that it was blood. Her scream was deafening and echoed across the walls of the small cave. There was a second crack and Aria felt the whip bite into her flesh again. Soon after the third lash, she began to lose count, and her whole back seared with pain. She felt the blood dripping down the backs of her legs. When she thought that the whip would not stop until her back was in ribbons, suddenly it was over.
She was not prepared for the ropes around her wrists to be cut, and she fell to the ground in a helpless heap. There was no respite, though, for she was thrown on to her back. Sand dug into her wounds, causing her to cry out in pain again. Lokti grabbed her arms, and sat behind her, pinning them to the ground. Salk's hands grabbed at her chest, her hair, her throat, pulling, twisting, and squeezing.
Then Jeord was on top of her, whip across her neck, she felt it constricting tightly around her throat. She tried to gasp, but could not. "Now I'm going to stick my cock inside you and fuck you as you die." Raaya's eyes widened and she tried again to struggle, but the whip tightened around her neck. Her vision began to blur, and her mind cried out in horror as she felt the bulbous head of Jeord's prick at her entrance. She closed her eyes.
THUNK. The next thing she heard was a sickly gargle coming from above her. The pressure around her throat was gone, and air flooded into her lungs. When she opened her eyes, all she could see was the arrow protruding from Jeord's chest, his arms flailing as he died. He slumped off of her. The rough grip that had been holding her arms let go, and she heard shouting. She fought with all of her might to maintain her consciousness, and tried desperately to assess the situation.
The first thing she noticed was the knife. It had been tossed carelessly nearby. Raaya forced her body to move, and she rolled over, grabbing the hilt and scrambling to her knees.
Salk was engaged in a frantic sword battle with a cloaked man. He was out-matched by far, and it was all he could do to stay alive. A powerful clash sent him flying into the fire, and he shrieked in pain. He rolled out of the flames, but the stranger was waiting for him. Raaya saw the flash of light hitting the blade as it drove downward and into Salk's unprotected belly. Blood sprayed and he loosed a final blood-curdling scream before he fell silent.
Someone grabbed Raaya's arm and she whirled to see Lokti pulling her toward him, "Back off, stranger, or I will gut this woman..." Too late he noticed that his intended hostage was armed. Raaya felt the knife in her hand moving, as if it had a will off it's own. It buried itself to the hilt in Lokti's chest. His eyes were confused as he stared, first at the hilt erupting from his chest, then at the woman who had brought him death. Then they fogged over as he traveled to whatever awaited him in the next realm. He fell, limp, into an inhuman heap on the ground.
Raaya's back was against the wall, eyes like a frightened deer's. She had left her only weapon in Lokti's chest and now she was at the mercy of the sword-wielding stranger.
He jumped over Salk's body to rush to her, but when she backed away cautiously he stopped. He pulled the hood of his cloak, which concealed his face in shadow, down to his shoulders. The fire caught the blue of his eyes, making them reflect an eerie glow, like a cat's. But in those eyes was a mix of horror and concern. Nothing Raaya had ever anticipated seeing from Captain Kain Greynon.
"Raaya..." He said, but his voice was distant. Consciousness abandon her, and the last things she felt were his arms, catching her as she fell.
***
The sun woke Nelana gently as it seeped in through the large windows that she loved so much. She sat up and reached to the ceiling, feeling the delightful rush of awareness brought on by the morning's first stretch as her back elongated. She could hear birds singing outside, and rose from the bed, wrapping her robe around her, to open the doors to the balcony. The morning air rushed in to meet her and Nelana drank deeply of it's sweetness. The courtyard was empty except for the birds.
"We overslept, my love, breakfast is being served in the Great Hall, no doubt." Nelana walked back into the room, "My but you sleep like a log. I know that you don't want to miss breakfast." She sat on the bed next to the General, "Wake up, my darling," And stopped...
She had not noticed the absence of his snores, nor the eerie stillness with which he lay on the bed. His flesh was cold to the touch, and as she looked in horror at his face she saw that his eyes were not closed in sleep at all. But open, and staring with the final gaze that meant the sleep of death.
Nelana screamed.
****
The fever had lasted two days. The wounds on the harem woman's back had turned bright red with infection, and Kain had been forced to use much of the
ir limited water supply to clean them. Having spent so much of his life in the field, bandaging her wounds with the tattered remains of her clothing was second nature to him. His own tunic was all he had to clothe her, which would have made him grateful for the warmth of his cloak had he not needed it to keep her from freezing to death during the cold desert nights. Still, he was an officer of the Desert Lord's army, and he had braved worse conditions than this.
Kain found himself silently thanking the raiders on more than one occasion, as the supplies in the shelter, no doubt stolen, were all that had kept them alive. There was food, water, and a few nights supply of firewood. The small cave held the warmth of a fire fairly well, and protected them from the wind. None the less, he had to wonder how many Shadorian soldiers in how many supply lines had died so that this hideout could be so well-stocked. The words of the old sword master who had taught him as a child echoed through his brain, It is a soldier's place to die so that others may live.
It was the third day when the sandstorm began, and the horse had to join them inside the cave. The beast required such upkeep that, had Kain been by himself, he would have slaughtered it for it's meat. However, traveling the desert would have been slow, even if the lady had not been wounded. Under present circumstances Kain dared not give up their mount. Ah well, at least the sandstorm will take care of what the vultures did not, Kain thought of the three corpses he had stacked several hundred yards outside of the cave. Kain had seen people do terrible things in the war, but he had never been so happy to dispose of human remains.
The wind howled outside the cave and Kain surmised by the diminishing light from the entrance of their shelter and the rapidly dropping temperature that night was approaching. He threw another log onto smoldering embers and breathed some life back into the fire. Then he sat back, allowing the warmth to penetrate his bare chest, and thought.
The woman's fever had long-since broken, but still she did not wake. Kain had more than enough time to think. Sometimes, he planned how they would leave, other times his thoughts drifted to the past.
Raaya... If Kain was good at one thing, it was listening. And her name had been in his ears so often lately that he could scarcely get it out. Her refusal of Borus was something of a legend around the kingdom. The harem had always generated rumor and controversy that delighted the Highborn and common people alike. Never before had such a story excited them so, for no woman had ever been able to resist Lord Borus's charms. Not Princesses, barmaids, or anyone in between.
"Brother, this woman is driving me mad." Kain had listened the day that Borus had propositioned his harem woman to journey across the desert. His lord had been flawlessly calm in his request, but the moment she had left the room, he fell to pieces, "She is beautiful beyond words, fierce as the desert sun, and yet I cannot make her want me."
"She is a woman of your harem, what she wants does not matter." Kain had answered flatly.
"You don't understand, brother, I cannot take her that way... I almost did once... and how I wanted to... I could have, and yet, now I know that to simply have her would not be enough. I want her to desire me, as I desire her." Borus growled in frustration, "But she cannot stand me, Kain, and her refusal only makes me want her more. No woman has ever made me feel this way before. So angry, so tormented, and yet so excited."
Kain had not known what to say, so he he did what he felt best in such situations and said nothing. His brother had continued on lamenting until he fell hoarse and went to find some wine, and most likely some unfortunate servant girl to serve it to him.
The sound of Raaya stirring brought Kain out of his head. She was whimpering and tossing restlessly. He knelt by her, is she having a nightmare? I don't know what to do...
His mind went to all of the men he had seen die during the war. He thought of the tears that streamed down their faces, mixing with blood and sweat, and he thought of the way each one had gripped his hand, as if trying to cling to this world. Or perhaps they just needed human contact. A light in the darkness, to guide their way to the next place. Kain found her hand, and gave it a light squeeze. To his surprise, she quieted, and fell into a calm and peaceful sleep once more. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and studied her for a moment.
He had never seen Borus so torn up over a pair of breasts before. But then, no woman had ever refused to spread her legs for him. We seem to desire most that which we cannot have, he mused.
If his brother had been the only one talking about her, he would not have been irritated, but soon Kain's men were speaking of her as well. "I'll bet I could bed her," he heard as he walked through the tents of soldiers, "She would take one look at my dick and beg for me to stick it in her."
"The problem with that is that she would have to be able to find it first. Now, me, on the other hand, I'd show her who is in charge. Can't let a woman have too much freedom, that's his lordship's problem. I'd bend her right over and take what I wanted."
It did not stop with the soldiers. It seemed every man in Border Keep wanted between her thighs, and every woman wanted to be her. Kain had hoped that he could avoid her by sending Kir in his stead to help her with preparations for their journey, but to no avail.
Still, his duty was foremost in his mind as they set off into the desert. He had promised Lord Borus that he would keep her safe, and that he would do everything he could to ensure the success of their mission. Someone would have to stay on the slod to guard her, and Kain did not trust anyone else not to be tempted by her.
Kain found that once in her presence, irritation had quickly given way to curiosity. What was it about her that seemed to attract so much attention? Her beauty was undeniable, but then there were many beautiful women in the world. So Kain did what he did best, he listened, and he watched.
At first observation seemed to confirm his suspicions, that this woman was nothing particularly special. The first time he doubted this was the night she had happened upon him bathing at the oasis. When he grabbed her, her first instinct had been to fight. There was something wild about the look in her eyes that night, something that Kain had only seen in spirited horses and the caged beasts he'd seen at festivals. Their eyes said that they would never be tamed, and that they would fight for freedom as long as their was breath in their bodies. This woman was more than a wild animal, though, for she had a mind that did not stop working. She was disciplined and dedicated to her studies, something that Kain could appreciate. When she was not reading she seemed deep in thought, her eyes were never blank or empty. Her depth of feeling was fascinating, she could go from being completely frustrated to smiling in a matter of seconds without being superficial about either, and with complete commitment to each.
As they began to speak, Kain discovered that she was not so different from him. She felt a strong loyalty to her people, and thought only of freeing them from the binds of war and oppression. He had grown fond of her these past few weeks. When he saw the raiders riding off with her, all sense of duty had fled him. That which drove him to kill an unlucky raider and take his horse, to track her captors to this cave and slay them, to tend her wounds and care for her... was not duty to his brother, but concern for her. It frightened him.
Kain shook his head to wake himself. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he had not seen the light of dawn creeping into the cave. The wind had died down some, and Kain thought he saw horizon in the distance. I must have fallen asleep, he thought. The horse whinnied from where it stood in the corner of the cave. "Very well, breakfast for all of us." Kain said, and moved to stand. It was only then that he noticed that his hand still held hers.
***
Lord Borus was sleeping when Mila burst into his room, "My lord, please wake up. There is urgent news."
It was no secret that the servants always new everything first, and Borus took full advantage of this by employing a few of them as spies in his keep. His little birds, he called them. Loyalty of these women was easily bought. To Mila, he had promised a child, if she
served him loyally for ten years. Any child that he acknowledged, however illegitimate, would be worth a fine house and a generous salary for the duration of the child's lifetime, a proposition that was too good to pass up for a girl of low birth like Mila. Her information always proved valuable and Lord Borus enjoyed the added bonus of being able to "practice" with the pretty young woman at his leisure.
He pulled Mila into bed with him, half asleep, hands moving over her breasts, and following the shape of her curvy body, "Ah, my little bird, I love it when you wake me."
"My lord, please... there is something I must tell you."
"Surely it can wait until after we've had some practice... how many more years is it now?"
"I do not count my lord, for I enjoy serving you and rue the day that my service ends."
"What a handsome liar you are, clever little bird, but no matter. Remove that offensive clothing from my sight."
"Forgive me, my lord, but this news cannot wait..."
All thoughts of sex instantly fled him as Mila divulged the grim news. He jumped out of bed and grabbed a pair of trousers. His fingers shook as he tried to lace them, and he swore loudly. In the end, Mila had to help him. He didn't bother with a shirt, he was out the door and down the hallway toward the General's quarters, one of his bodyguards close at his heels.
A Lesson in Vengeance Page 9