by K MacBurn
As soon as he left Taylor had to take a deep breath of her own to keep from breaking out into tears.
The day went slow with nothing to do in the room. The little Deer servant popped in every now and then to tend the fire, and bring fresh food and water.
Taylor tried to speak with her a few times, but the Deer just squeaked and ran away. The large male Sabre posted outside her door rolled his eyes, but, for the most part, ignored them.
It wasn’t till late that night that the door opened again, and a small group of male Sabres entered the room, with Avis leading the way.
Taylor got to her feet and tensed as the Crow regarded her with a narrowed glare.
“Gag her and bring her to my tower. I need to do a few more tests.” The witch declared. Before the Sabres could move, Taylor shot back.
“You were told not to bleed me without Lord Ransidius’ presence.”
“True, but I don’t need your blood for this. Grab her.”
The Sabres still seemed hesitant, but, in the end, they did as they were told. Unlike with Ransidius, Taylor did not hold back as she struck out with everything she had. It didn’t stop them from taking her, but, at least, she had the satisfaction of leaving a few bruises and scrapes.
Gagged and tied, they hauled her back through the halls to the Crow’s tower.
Inside, the teen found herself lashed to a heavy wood chair by her arms, legs and middle. Unable to move or scream out, she could do nothing as the Crow shooed the males away, leaving them alone in the lab.
“I’ve never been fond of humans,” She admitted as she started to haul out several nasty looking instruments. “Dirty little beasts. But you, you are different. I am going to figure out why.”
Two small, rolling tables were brought closer so the tools were handy. The Crow started with smearing a paste on a patch of skin. It seared, and turned the flesh an angry red.
“And you even had to catch Ransidius’ eye. I mean, what does he expect of me if I let such insolence slide?”
As the Crow continued to talk, she resumed inflicting pain. Some things burned, some numbed her flesh, and some did nothing.
The torture continued for over an hour; the damage being contained to one arm. The Crow decided she was done when she ran out of space. She chanted and moved her hands, similar to what Taylor had seen Jarden do.
With the last word a blue mist shot from the Witch’s fingers to coat the teens arm.
As it dissipated, the Crow froze. The wounds were still there. She tried her spell again.
Nothing.
Frantic, she tried a couple of different spells, but nothing seemed to be working.
Taylor could see the fear in the female’s eyes. Avis’ little night time experiment was not going to go unnoticed, and Ransidius’ wrath was guaranteed.
Pacing, the Crow mumbled to herself, looking up on occasion before continuing on.
The teen would have liked to gloat about it, but the pain was getting to her, and she needed to rest her eyes.
When she came to several moments later, Narseen was standing in front of her.
“What were you thinking you stupid garbage eater.” Narseen sneered at the Witch as she studied the wounds.
The Lioness grabbed the Crow amidst her protests and hauled her out of the lab, leaving Taylor by herself.
Taylor sat staring into the fire. Her arm throbbed with the burns and punctures Avis had inflicted. The Crow had not been gentle, and had clearly banked on her magic healing the damage. When it didn’t, Taylor had seen the panic in her eyes as she had to recruit Narseen to get the girl back down to her chambers.
Taylor heard the roar of voices outside the room long before they even made it to the door. Narseen had told the Sabre Lord, and Ransidius was not pleased.
Ransidius, Narseen and Avis came into the room with purpose.
“I didn’t have any reason to believe the magic wouldn’t work on her. Her blood had components that increase abilities, not nullify them.” Avis was trying to explain.
“That is just not an excuse.” Narseen countered, “After the first test, you should have known it wouldn’t heal. Instead, you decided to be a jealous, carrion-eater that just wanted to see her suffer the most before you had to fix her.”
Narseen seemed to hit the nail on the head with that one, as Avis did not have a retort. She fluffed up and turned from the Lioness’ with nose in the air.
Ransidius was holding his judgment on the matter until he got to Taylor. He didn’t even have to say anything; he held out a hand to her and she knew what he wanted. She stood up to face him and laid her injured arm in his outstretched hand.
The sections of red and pink were mild but the large chunk that had a light blue hue to it was not something that could be ignored. Taylor needed immediate medical attention.
Muscles in the right side of the Sabre’s mouth twitched.
“Mother, what will help this, in your best opinion?” Ransidius asked with a great deal of control.
Narseen looked it over and shook her head. The label he used for the Lioness’ didn’t register in Taylor’s mind.
“I have a cream that would sooth the pain, but nothing to help it heal.” She gave her head a slow shake. “Cleaning the wound might help to keep out infection and promote a faster mending, though.”
If cleaning meant what Taylor thought it meant, it did not sit well with her. Having a Sabre lick her arm from shoulder to wrist was not an appealing option.
The Sabre Lord turned to Avis and leveled a stare so cold she flinched.
“You were told that you were not to touch her unless I was present. You had already received blood and knew it was different. If you do not get out of my sight I might just chain your broken form to the tower rails so your brethren can clean the flesh from your bones.”
The Crow paled and bowed her way out of the room in haste.
“If you would, Mother, please make sure there is some of the cream brought up at your earliest convenience. In the meantime, you may continue your daily rounds.”
The Lioness gave a nod and left.
“Not a word of complaint from you?” He demanded.
“No. What is done is done. I do have a question though: Jarden’s magic worked on me to heal; why doesn’t hers?”
He eyed her with a mixture of respect and annoyance.
“Jarden is a monk; he uses elemental magics. This means his power comes from the natural world, so it acts differently. Avis is a Witch; her magic comes from her deity. Why your body rejects her magic is beyond my knowledge. Remove your shirt and sit on the bed.” He demanded.
“So it’s probably safe to assume you don’t employ any Monks that could heal this?”
“Monk’s stay out of Nexus’ business; the exception being the Jarden. Now, remove your shirt, and sit.”
She tensed, but the look of defiance returned to her eye even through the pain. They had a brief stare down, but Taylor’s mind was weighing the options, and Ransidius saw her posture change as she decided against fighting him.
“Smart choice,” he muttered.
Taylor ignore the comment. The only thing that was making her feel better was she had a wrap on under her leather vest so her chest was covered.
She reached up to undo the tie in the front of the vest, but found her right hand had no strength in it from the wounds. Ransidius, who was watching her, reached up and smoothly released the tie and pulled the vest open in one move.
Taylor was both impressed and embarrassed at how easy he made it look.
“Have a lot of practice at doing that?” She said before she could catch herself.
“I am the Sabre Lord,” he said, as if it was self explanatory and with a smirk.
Taylor pulled her good arm through before she eased the vest off her other arm, being careful not to touch the leather to the burns. Sitting on the bed, she had to face the reality of the situation.
Ransidius slid in behind her on his knees. The heat from his chest
radiated against her back. Taylor flinched from his touch and flushed red in the cheeks as he leaned over her right shoulder, breath tickling her skin.
Just the night before, the big Cat had been threatening her with rape if she disobeyed and now, she had to sit there and endure his touch. The amount of pain was the only thing that made the situation bearable in her mind.
She closed her eyes and wished with every fiber of her being it was Tarak instead of Ransidius, but it was not and she had to come to terms with that.
“So, by how tense you are, and the fact you blush every time I so much as look at you, am I to assume you don’t have a lot of practice at such things?” He whispered as he studied the wounds.
“That’s none of your business.”
“You started this conversation,” he pointed out.
“It’s still none of your business.”
He was right, but he didn’t need to know her only experience with such things was with a clumsy boy her age, and an abusive step-father...and a little bit with a Tiger. The point didn’t get pushed because the Sabre had leaned over, and his rough tongue touched tortured skin. She winced away and gasped at the sudden flare up of pain. He growled and wrapped an arm around her to keep her still.
There was nothing sensual about the process once it started. The idea of someone licking and probing the soft skin sounded intimate, but when an injury was factored in, it was just a new kind of torture.
There were times she thought her eyes would explode with the held-back tears, and as hard as she tried not to make any noise, she found herself whimpered into the big cats chest, gripping his bicep and trying not to squirm.
“Almost done,” He assured her, though the would-be comforting words didn’t quite register; instead, she talked to keep her mind off the arm.
“What’s the story with your pet Crow? Is there a reason she is such a bitch?”
“Could be that your broke her nose, twice.” The Sabre smirked as he said it. Taylor flinched then retorted.
“True. But in my defense, she started it.” Her body recoiled when a tender spot was hit. Ransidius sat back and studied the arm before speaking.
“She doesn’t have the most welcoming personality,” he admitted, “Can you move your fingers?”
Taylor tried to wiggle her fingers, but there was swelling around a couple of the knuckle joints.
She felt the low growl vibrate through his chest. Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
“Enter.” He snapped.
Narseen came in with some supplies in one arm. As she set it beside the pair, she studied the arm.
“Looks better,” She commented. Ransidius continued to hold the teen still as the older Lioness applied a thick paste and bandages. She shot the male a look, but said nothing.
“Keep it to yourself, Mother,” Ransidius growled. Taylor gave a start and glanced at the Lioness; she finally realized what Ransidius had been saying.
“The carrion eater is your soldier, but if she weren’t, she would be spending the next several days in the dungeon thinking about why disobeying orders was a good idea.”
“She will be dealt with on my own terms,”
There was an uncomfortable silence after that. Taylor hadn’t realized the older Sabre was related to Ransidius, but now, looking back, Narseen was always forward with the Lord and had never seemed to cower from him like the others.
“That is the best I can do. Hopefully, the herbs will bring down the swelling by the morning.”
Ransidius slid off the bed and gave his frame a stretch.
“I recommend you change your guard. One that doesn’t follow the Witch’s orders.” Narseen commented as she gathered her supplies.
“I don’t suppose the Lioness’ have any numbers to spare?”
“Not now with the hunt coming up. I suggest one of your brothers’ warriors.”
The Sabre snarled at the idea.
“I can’t trust them; I don’t know Riccem’s agenda.”
“It is the same as yours. He believes in your campaign, just not some of your hires. He will follow orders. Besides, it’s the Crow that you ended up not being able to trust; just give him a chance to prove himself.”
“Fine. I will go find him.” Ransidius glanced at Taylor. “I suggest you rest, I will require your … acting skills, tomorrow.”
Taylor wasn’t stupid enough to argue that, so she nodded as if she had a choice.
Ransidius took his leave.
Narseen glanced up at her.
“For everything you have been though, you seem to be holding up better than expected.”
“Well, it’s either deal with it or slip back into shock.” Taylor shuttered at the thought of not having control over her own body again.
The older Sabre managed a small smile.
“Yes, let’s not have that. Can I get you anything else right now? I have a leaf you can chew that helps with pain.”
Taylor shook her head and got to her feet. The burns and bruises that covered her body from the last few days stood out against her tanned skin. The simple wrap around her chest left a lot of skin opposed, enough that Narseen saw something that made her pause.
“Is that a tiger?” She asked coming around Taylor’s side to see the tattoo.
“Yes.”
Narseen looked confused and just stared.
“We have tigers in our world; they are a symbol of strength and power. In my father’s culture, an Eagle or a bear would also represent that.”
“Do humans worship animals?”
“Some worship, but to most cultures, animals symbolize different aspects of humanity and our relationship with the planet. The Cree believe certain animals will come to us in a time we are searching for our path in the world.” Taylor touched the tattoo fondly. “Although, the Tiger isn’t native to where I am from; I have always felt a connection. More so since I have been here.”
“Tiger’s are something of a revered being to the Sabres. Their strength and battle prowess make them a target for aspiring warriors. Are there Sabres in your world?”
“Well, from what I’ve seen in my world a Sabre would be a lion. And they are viewed as courageous and strong.”
“Hmm. Your world sounds interesting. I would like to hear more about it, but for now, Ransidius is right, you need to rest.” She paused a moment, “Has he seen that?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Maybe keep that covered. Ransidius has a long history with Tigers, and he might not appreciate you being marked with one.”
Taylor gulped a little at the thought of having the tattoo removed by force.
After the older cat left, and Taylor got dressed, she settled into the bed. Her arm throbbed but it had dulled enough sleep did come.
Chapter 12
The next morning, Taylor was pleased to have her arm feel better. She could flex her fingers, and the burns were healing over.
Still, the experience was trying, and she felt exhausted even though the sleep had been refreshing.
The cool water sitting on the small table was nice and just what was needed to set her mind straight and prepare for another day. Hope that Tarak was alive, and that, with Jarden, they were planning a rescue was the only thing she could grab onto.
Narseen returned with some hunting leathers soon after, and Taylor was never so happy to put on pants and a vest. The Lioness had found her some soft doeskin boots as well.
The clothes were a good fit, and Taylor was much more comfortable.
“We will head down to the great hall; it is never wise to keep Ransidius waiting,” Narseen said.
Taylor fell into step behind the Lioness and followed her through the corridors.
The throne room looked much more formal with all the dining tables and food removed. Banners still adorned the walls, and a red carpet was added that led down to the fire pit, encircled it, then another long strip went up to the throne itself.
Ransidius stood at the end with two beasts stand
ing several steps below him. The conversation was heated but civil.
They stopped speaking when Narseen entered and their eyes found Taylor.
The two looked to be Cats of some kind, but what animal they would be from her world, she did not know.
“By the Gods, you really do have one!” The first Cat breathed.
“Do you think I would lie about such things?” Ransidius demanded. “I said I had a human, and I do. Now you can see why I am confident in our territory expansion. Hopefully, this will convince you to join the right cause.”
The first Cat was nodding eagerly while looking at Taylor, but the second didn’t seem so easily impressed.
“It looks different then I remember,” the second Cat said, aware Ransidius was staring at him, “Are we sure it is fully human?”
Ransidius held a hand out towards Taylor. She took the hint, and crossed the room to take it and stood at his side. The Sabre lord did something then that Taylor was not so sure of.
Her hand was offered to the Second Cat.
His orange eyes looked suspicious at first, but then took Taylor’s arm and brought it to his face. She was prepared for him to bite her, because that is what it looked like was going to happen, but, instead, he took a deep inhale.
“It smells human, but different.”
Taylor leaned forward and spoke.
“I am a she, not an it, and my name is Taylor. Yes, I am human, though, where I come from, there are different races so that might be what you are smelling”
The Cat was taken back by the fact she spoke their language, and, by initial impressions, was intelligent.
“Different races you say? Have you tested the effectiveness of the blood, then?” The Cat asked Ransidius.
“We have; Avis has assured me it will work, and is actually stronger than before. If you are satisfied, I need your answer now Ry’irris.”
“Yes. Of course, you have our support in the expansion. Just let us know where you want our forces when the time comes.”
Ransidius nodded his approval.
“Great. You may go with Narseen; she will show you where you can rest and restock your supplies.”