Chapter
2: Death of a Prince
Shailajas journey
to Prithia began the next morning, although not at all
peacefully. She had managed to
get a few hours sleep, but was not at her best when Kaylan and his men came
for her. She had already been
served a breakfast of oat porridge and venison and was on her feet when the
door opened.
She knew what they wanted
before they entered and decided to make it as miserable for them as she
could. The first man stepped
into the room with his sword drawn, but he might as well have been holding
a broom. She stepped forward
catching him by surprise as he no doubt expected her to back away from his
drawn blade, and slammed her palm into the middle of his
chest. She followed this blow
with a quick fist strike to the throat.
Either blow could have killed as they were delivered with the full
force of her body, however, his leather breastplate and metal gorget saved
him, the impact of the two blows merely serving to knock him back through
the doorway and onto his backside.
She was not fighting to
escape. Given the odds and the
fact that she was trapped, she knew that was
impossible. However, she had
a point to prove, and that was that a warrior of Kaltara could not be treated
in so shameful a manner without
consequences.
Given the outcome of the
battle it might have been better had she submitted meekly, but it was not
in her nature to behave in so craven a
manner. Her attack had the temporary
affect of halting any further attempt by her captors to enter the
cell. Instead Kaylan appeared
in the doorway. So you
can
fight, he grinned, seemingly not the least bit disturbed over what
she had done. I was beginning
to think that the merchant had exaggerated your
ability. However, further resistance
will simply result in your being severely beaten.
I have little to fear
from a coward who fears to challenge a warrior openly, but instead uses hired
scum to perform his treachery, Shailaja replied
contemptuously. Enter if
you will, but you do so at your own risk.
Kaylans face clouded
with anger at this direct challenge to his manhood and without another word
he forced his huge bulk through the
doorway. The advantage should
have been entirely his. He outweighed
her by at least a hundred pounds and was taller and blessed with a longer
reach. In addition, the space
in which she was confined measured barely three paces by
four. However, she did have a
few factors in her favour.
The first was the fact that
although he was big, strong, and fast, she was
faster. The second was his
overconfidence. Like many big
men he felt that his size and strength gave him all of the advantage that
he needed. He was also fully
armoured, a factor that certainly added to his
overconfidence.
He had, however, seen how
easily Shailaja had disposed of the first of his warriors, and in spite of
his assumed superiority he came in with his hands held high, fists clenched,
and ready to defend against any attack.
As a Nahnian prince, however, it was important that he did not show
her too much respect. To do so
would diminish him in the eyes of his warriors, and so he did not quite give
her the respect she deserved.
He came in a little too
fast and too high, leaving his legs and abdomen
unprotected. Shailaja was not
so foolish as to waste her time trying to drive her foot through his armour
plated belly, but the inside of his thighs was a tempting target and one
she took full advantage of.
She struck hard, driving
her foot into the inside of his leg just above the knee, the toe of her boot
jamming into the bunched muscle just as his weight came down on
it. The blow had the desired
result, not only causing excruciating pain, but destroying his balance, causing
him to come crashing down to the floor of the
hut.
He recovered surprisingly
well, but not well enough to avoid her next blow which was a straight kick
to the head, followed by another and another in rapid
succession. She would have hit
him again had not the rest of his warriors spoiled her
fun. They came boiling through
the door like a bunch of aroused bees and she was forced to turn her attention
to this new attack. This time,
however, she did not fare as well.
She got in one or two blows
and probably caused some damage, but the men who attacked her showed almost
no finesse, simply hurling themselves at her and trusting to the fact that
she had only her hands and feet as
weapons. They took the blows
she gave and then simply overwhelmed her.
Kicking and punching, she
was borne to ground and subjected to a thorough
beating. She tried to block as
many blows as she could, but as she was being punched by five of six men,
it was impossible to block all of the
blows. She tried to protect herself,
by remaining on her back, but was struck repeatedly everywhere they could
reach. She was saved from serious
harm only by the fact that so many were trying to hit her that no one could
get in a really good blow. All
the same, she was soon rendered almost senseless and gave up trying to defend
herself. The beating would doubtless
have gone on until she was severely injured had not Kaylan recovered and
called them off.
Kaylan did not save his
rebellious prisoner out of any consideration for
her. In fact, his actions afterward
clearly indicated that he had no concern for her at
all. But she was no use to him
dead or so badly beaten that the Prithian emperor would not pay him the reward,
and so he ordered a halt to the beating.
By that time Shailaja had
little knowledge of what was going on around
her. She was vaguely aware of
being picked up and carried outside.
Too battered to walk, she was carried further until her captors reached
a two wheeled cart. She was lifted
up and pushed onto it, landing in a pile of loose
straw. She did not understand
the significance of this until later as she was barely aware of her
surroundings. She only remembered
Kaylans voice just before her senses
faded. Make yourself
comfortable, princess; this is going to be your home for the next few
days.
She understood what he meant
sometime later when she finally awoke.
She was first aware of jarring movement as the cart bounced over every
rock and bump in the road. It
was a sensation she would become used to over the next few
days. She next experienced pain,
but not just a single sensation of pain, but pain in so many places that
it felt as if her body was composed of layers of
bruises. She could not move a
single limb or raise her head without a thousand throbbing needles being
inserted into her flesh. It even
hurt to move her fingers.
The pain, however, did serve
one purpose; it prevented her from falling into a state of insensibility
once again. She was forced to
take stock of her surroundings and became aware that she was riding in the
back of a cart of the sort normally used to transports
goods. It was certainly not intended
for the comfortable transport of people.
But there was little she could do about it as she found that a crude
cage had been lashed to the bed of the cart and that she was within this
cage.
She soon determined, that
crude as it was, it was impossible for her to escape its
confines. Unless someone let
her out she was there to stay. It
was a terrible indignity and she felt like no more than a caged
animal. But there was worse to
come. Reaching full awareness
she realized that she had a raging thirst, a characteristic that was common
to most people who have suffered injury in
battle. Fortunately, she discovered
that someone had hung a water skin from the top of the cage, and forcing
her arms to move she retrieved it and held it to her lips to
drink. It was a tribute to her
strength and powers of recovery, as well as her resistance to pain that she
was able to move at all, but she managed it and drank
deeply. It was then that she
became aware of another sensation, this one almost as unpleasant as the injuries
she had suffered.
Her bladder was filled to
bursting and to her shame she found that she had already relieved herself
while she slept, soaking her breaches through and leaving her even more miserable
than she would have thought possible.
However, with her typical resilience Shailaja channelled her shame
into thoughts of vengeance. That
she could be brought so low angered her to such an extent that for a short
time she was filled with an all consuming rage that drove all other thoughts
and needs from her mind. However,
it did not last long; her bursting bladder would not allow
that.
Stifling a cry of pain she
forced herself to her knees and gripped the bars of the
cage. She could not stand up
as the top of the cage was so low that she could barely sit without her head
grazing the bars, but in the swaying, bouncing cart, standing was not something
she was inclined to do. Just
a yard from her was the driver.
Stop the cart, she demanded, putting all of her effort
into not screaming in pain as she spoke.
Slowly the driver turned
his head. Shailaja saw that he
was not a warrior like the rest of Kaylans men, but a probably someone
hired for the job of carter.
Now why would I want to do that? he asked, above the noise
of the road.
Because if you do
not you will be travelling with the stench of my filth in your nostrils,
Shailaja answered. But
perhaps you would prefer that to stopping.
By this time the fact that
she was awake and speaking to the carter caught the attention of one of
Kaylans warriors. He moved
his horse alongside and demanded to know what she had
said.
The carter obliged him with
an answer and the warrior grinned.
I should just leave you there to enjoy yourself, but the prince
might not like it. Wait here,
I will speak with him.
Shailaja had no idea where
he thought she might go, but it didnt
matter. She slid back into the
straw and enjoyed the ride, trying not to cry out at every
bump. Within a short time Kaylan
dropped his horse back to join her.
He regarded her with clear
displeasure. After your
recent act of stupidity I should just let you foul yourself, but that would
not do for what I have planned for you, so we will stop just
ahead. There is a stream where
you can attend to your needs and clean yourself up as
well.
Shailaja was forced to hang
on for another agonizing quarter turn of the glass before the cart halted
where a small stream plunged down the mountainside and rushed across the
road. There the door of the cage
was opened and she was allowed to stumble to the
ground.
To her chagrin she found
that she was unable to rise and had to be helped to the side of the road
where she struggled to remove her
breeches. She was in full sight
of Kaylan and his warriors, but in her desperation she hardly
cared. Finally, seeing that her
best efforts were not enough Kaylan ordered one of his men to assist
her. Strip her, he
ordered, and make sure she gets a bath before we
proceed. Then return her to the
cage. Keep her clothes; it may
make her more cooperative.
Painful and humiliating
as it was, with the help of her captors Shailaja was able to attend to her
needs. Bathing was another manner,
but the warrior helping her took her under the arms and unceremoniously dumped
her into the plunge pool where the waterfall had hollowed out a small
basin. Fortunately, it was deep
enough that she was not injured but the chill water took her breath
away.
Although bathing in frigid
waters was nothing new to Kaltarans, Shailaja was left gasping for
breath. But calling on her training
and her last reserves of strength, she stood up to the cold and cleaned herself
as best she could.
One benefit of the cold
water was that it soon had her so numb that the pain of her injuries was
eclipsed. However, it soon became
more than that as the cold began to seep deeper within
her. Fortunately, Kaylan was
not about to be deprived of the prize for which he had laid out the equivalent
of five hundred silver pieces and she was unceremoniously hauled out of the
pool and stood naked and shivering beside the pool.
Put her back in the
cage, Kaylan ordered.
Well take a break and eat here before we push on to the
campsite.
They remained by the waterfall
while Kaylan his men ate a quick lunch.
Shailaja was served some it; a chunk of jerked venison and a piece
of waybread washed down with cold water.
Better for you than wine, Kaylan
observed. I want you healthy
by the time we reach the lake. I
have plans for you.
Shailaja could imagine what
his plans might be, but his words let her know where they were
going. They were now travelling
north toward Nahn. From what
she could remember of her geography the route would eventually take them
along the shores of Lake Ellam where the travelling would be
easier. The lake was enormous,
stretching for over a hundred leagues along the western flank of the
Dragons Tail. The boat
traffic that used the lake was much faster than the road and she suspected
that Kaylan intended to take her aboard a ship and complete part of the journey
by water. She had already been
imprisoned once aboard a ship and feared that she would not be so fortunate
as to escape twice. It alerted
her to the fact that she had to do the best she could to restore her strength
in the hope of escaping before they reached the lake.
In this Shailaja was helped
by the gods. As in all mountain
regions the weather could be capricious and Sulla, the god of storms smiled
upon her and sent a sudden mountain storm that made the road they travelled
impassable. The storm blew up
so suddenly that they barely had time to get the cart off the road and into
the trees before it struck. Rain
poured down in sheets, cutting visibility to just yards and drenching all
of them before quick shelters could be
erected.
Shailaja was left to last
while Kaylan and his men hastily stretched sheets of canvas between tree
trunks. Fortunately, the yeggers,
although startled by the blinding lighting and crashes of thunder, had the
good sense to remain where they were rather than dashing off into the storm
and taking her with them.
Eventually a sheet of canvas was stretched over her cage, leaving
her to sit on the wet straw and contemplate her fate.
Too miserable to sleep in
spite of her pain and exhaustion, Shailaja sat on the floor of the cage and
waited for something to happen. The
rain pelted down, drenching her crude
shelter. It didnt take
long before water was leaking through the canvas roof and her miserable situation
was made even worse. After some
time the lightning and thunder died down, but the rain continued falling
steadily, turning everything around her to a watery
landscape.
From her vantage point she
could see that the road was now a river.
Any attempt at travel would be impossible if not
suicidal. It finally dawned on
her captors that the sudden mountain storm was a bit more than temporary
and they decided to set up a more permanent
camp. It took a little longer
for Kaylan to realize that he could not leave Shailaja where she
was.
I need you healthy
when we reach Prithia, he explained as he opened the cage
door. That means I have
to let you walk around.
Youll camp with us until the storm blows over and then well
find some other way to accommodate you.
With the help of Kaylan
she joined the rest of his men around a fire they had managed to get going
in the shelter of the giants roots of a huge
fir. Concealed in the gnarled
curve of one of the great roots, the fire was out of the rain and they had
managed to find some dry wood under the spreading branches of the other
trees.
Shailaja was allowed access
to the fire, and warmed by its heat she soon felt much
better. However, she was carefully
watched by Kaylan and his men. In
truth, there was little chance that she would attempt to
escape. The brief exercise in
walking from the cart to the fire had caused her so much pain that she knew
escape was impossible. She would
have to wait until she recovered from the beating she had suffered and hope
that an opportunity would present itself.
For three days it rained
and they stayed where they were.
During that time her strength steadily improved and her bruises
healed. On the third day the
sun returned, but they waited one more day to give the road time to dry out
and to allow the tents and other pieces of canvas time to dry as
well.
The delay went a long way
toward restoring Shailajas health.
And she also learned a bit more about her fate from one of Kaylans
warrior companions. The mans
name was Torlen and he took a personal interest in informing her as to what
awaited her in Prithia.
Youre a fetching
enough, bitch now that youre healed up, he commented as he set
down the bowl containing her evening
meal. I can see why Sered is
so interested in you.
Her curiosity piqued and
with nothing better to do, considering her drab existence, Shailaja rose
to the bait. And who is
Sered? she asked.
Youre surprisingly
stupid for someone who fights do well, Torlen sneered.
Do you really mean to tell
me you dont know the name?
It means nothing to
me, she answered. Why
should I know it?
Sered is the Emperor
of Prithia, you fool. The son
of the man you murdered. He has
taken a very strong interest in you.
It was interesting news;
more interesting than she was willing to admit to the oaf who was taunting
her and so she said nothing. But
Torlen was not about to let her get off so
easily. He has let it be
known that he intends to complete what his father
began. He wants you brought before
him in chains and is determined that you will serve as his personal
slave.
Shailaja was not quite sure
what the role of personal slave involved, but she had little doubt it would
be a life of abject humiliation.
She resolved to either escape or die in the attempt before she was
brought before the vengeful emperor.
On the fourth day they set
off again. Once more Shailaja
was placed in the cage and forced to endure the jolting and bouncing of the
cart. Her clothes were not returned
although she was allowed to keep the blanket, and she huddled in the straw,
the blanket wrapped about her, and tried to make the best of
it.
It was a damnable existence
for a warrior. Used as she was
to freedom and exercise Shailaja found the tedium of the cart ride and the
confinement of the cage almost
unendurable. To be forced to
suffer two whole months of such treatment was a torture so great she could
hardly contemplate it. Instead
she focused on thoughts of freedom and plotted her
escape. To this end she studied
her captors, watching their every move and hoping to learn enough about them
that it might give her some small advantage.
Kaylan kept a close eye
on her and seemed to know what she was
thinking. On the seventh day
of her capture he pulled his horse alongside the cart and
spoke. Do not think of
escaping. You ride in the
cage for now because you are too weak to walk, but I have noted how quickly
you heal and know that you will soon entertain such
thoughts. Be assured that before
you are well enough to survive on your own steps will be taken to ensure
that you complete your journey to Prithia.
Shailaja was given no hint
as to what those steps might be and she did not
ask. But she was relieved to
learn that she was not to spend the next two months in the
cage.
It was the next day that
she learned what Kaylan had in mind.
They had come to a place where a fast flowing river boiled out of
the mountains. Here a timber
bridge had been constructed to bear traffic to the other side and a village
had sprung up on the north end of it.
There was, of course, the usual toll collector, but that did not affect
Kaylan. Instead he was instantly
recognized and welcomed into the village with a good deal of bowing and scraping
on the part of the village-folk.
Shailaja was an important
object of attention as well, although she hardly welcomed
it. But she could not stop the
villagers from swarming around the cart to have a look at the caged redheaded
warrior. The fact that she was
nude almost certainly added to the
attraction. The people resembled
Kaylan and his men in that they were dark-haired with olive
complexions. For the most part
they appeared to be woodsmen or hunters and trappers of some
sort.
However, the town also had
a blacksmith and it was to this man that Kaylan directed the
cart. Make a set of irons
for her, Kaylan ordered.
I want something that will allow her to walk, but keep her from
running away.
The smith came out to study
Shailaja. Thats an
impressive piece of woman-flesh youve got there, my
prince. Ill work something
up that will keep her by your side.
Excellent, Kaylan
replied. We are staying
by the mill tonight. Have the
work finished by tomorrow morning.
The mill was a large wood
frame building housing various pieces of machinery for cutting and shaping
logs. On one side of it was a
building where sawn timber was stored.
It was really just a roof supported on eight log pillars, but there
was enough room under it to provide Kaylans expedition with shelter
for the night.
Kaylan took no chances.
He let Shailaja out of the cage,
but returned her to its unpleasant confines as soon as she had attended to
her needs and eaten her supper. The
next morning she was taken to the smith.
It was not a visit Shailaja
would have paid willingly, but Kaylan did not let her out of the
cage. Instead the cart was wheeled
over to the smithy where the smith waited, a set of heavy shackles slung
over his shoulder.
These should do,
he said. There is no lock,
but once I hammer them on they should stay.
Kaylan had all of his warriors
with him, and they were needed, as Shailaja was most
uncooperative. It took four of
them to remove her from the cage, pin her arms to her sides by binding her
with rope, and then drag her to the
anvil. Even though she was not
at full strength she put up a good fight and got a few hard kicks in before
she was properly restrained.
Once at the anvil a heavy
shackle was placed on her right wrist and while one man held it in place
on the anvil, the smith hammered it closed and then locked it with a red-hot
rivet. The same was done to her
left wrist, leaving her shackled by a long length of
chain. It allowed her to move
her arms and use her hands, but it placed her under the control of anyone
who held the chain.
From now on you
ride, Kaylan said. We
will make much better time without the cart.
Allowing Shailaja to ride
meant returning her clothing, or at least most of
it. Because of the shackles she
could not put on her cotton shirt, but she could replace her breast band
and sling a cloak about her shoulders. It did not conceal her assets from
the admiring eyes of her captors as much as she would have liked, but it
was an improvement on total nudity.
As Kaylan had promised,
from then on she rode. A horse
was found for her, and although it was not the quality of the beasts Kaylan
and his men rode it could keep up with them well
enough. The length of the chain
connecting her shackles allowed her to handle the reins of the horse herself,
but there was little chance of escape.
Kaylan wound the centre links of the chain around his saddle horn
preventing her from entertaining any ideas of galloping
off. Any attempt to do so would
simply have resulted in her being yanked from the saddle and deposited painfully
upon the ground.
That day and the next few
they made much better time.
Shailaja had to admit that in spite of the humiliation of the shackles
she found the arrangement much more
suitable. She was able to ride
and was spared the jarring and shaking of the
cart. At the end of the day,
in spite of a certain soreness due to the fact that she had not ridden for
awhile, she felt much better than she had after a day of riding in the
cart.
Kaylan must have thought
so too, as her day did not end with the setting up of the
camp. Instead, he remained on
his horse after she had dismounted, still in control of the length of
chain. It is time to properly
restore your strength, he said.
And to that end you need a bit more exercise than a ride can
provide. You and I are going
for a run. With that he
kicked his horse into motion, forcing her to run after him to prevent being
dragged.
After so many days of inactivity
Shailajas body was not used to such vigorous exertion, but she quickly
adopted the long easy stride she had used for most of her life and followed
after him.
Kaylan did not look back
until he had forced her to run several hundred yards at a relaxed pace then
he turned in the saddle to observe her
progress. She could not help
noticing that his eyes were drawn immediately to her breasts as they moved
to the rhythm of her body. He
smiled in obvious enjoyment and then turned back to force his horse to greater
speed.
Soon he had her running
flat out to avoid the painful indignity of being dragged down the road and
it was not long before she began to reach the end of her
endurance. Sweat poured down
her forehead, running into her eyes, and the rest of her body was spotted
with droplets of moisture as well.
She was not yet fully recovered, her body still marked from the beating
she had received, and the sudden exertion after more than a week of inactivity
soon had her panting for breath.
Fortunately, Kaylan saw this, and dropped his horse to a walk and
eventually brought it to a
halt.
From his lofty perch he
regarded her with poorly disguised lust and his comments made his interest
more than obvious. I can
see what Cleron saw in you. In
spite of your unusual colouring you are a most impressive woman; perhaps
the most impressive I have seen, if your martial skills are truly as remarkable
as have been reported.
That is a strange
compliment from a warrior who sees no shame in an act of betrayal worthy
of the most common of bandits, Shailaja gasped, barely able to
speak. Put a sword in my
hand if you care to test my skills and you will see if the reports are
true.
I see no reason to
debate matters of honour with you, Kaylan
sneered. You are my prisoner
and you will do well to mind your tongue when dealing with
me. I will treat you as I see
fit. My only concern is that
you reach Prithia and the emperor in good health, and I see that you are
well on your way to that. Tomorrow
we will repeat this exercise and continue with it every day after that until
you are fully restored.
With that he kicked his
horse into motion and took her back the way they had come, but this time
more slowly. Even at the reduced
pace, however, Shailaja had to admit that when she finally reached the camp
she was truly in need of rest.
The next day the exercise
routine was repeated, and so it went for the next five days, until it became
obvious that Shailaja had regained most of her former
conditioning.
By now the painful bruises
that had covered most of her body were gone and she glowed with good
health. True to his word Kaylan
made sure that she recovered and she was well fed each day, eating the same
food he and his men consumed. Thus
it was that on the seventh day of her nightly exercise she was surprised
when he turned his horse early and headed back to camp.
I see that you are
nicely warmed up, Kaylan observed, grinning down at
her. This evening I have another
form of exercise in mind for you that will require all of your
stamina.
Shailaja knew immediately
what he meant. It was hard to
ignore the way his eyes devoured her body each time he gazed upon
her. Already flushed from her
exertion, her complexion darkened even more at the indignity Kaylan
threatened.
What right have you
to suggest such a thing? she raged.
To take a warrior against her will is the height of
dishonour.
Kaylans eyes went
to her heaving breasts. The short
run had indeed warmed her up, and her torso glistened with
sweat. Her nipples were hard
against the fabric of her breast band, simulating a state of arousal she
did not yet feel. But something
stirred within her as she drank in Kaylans
bulk. Once again she wondered
what it would be like to have that mountain of a body pressed against hers,
and now it seemed that willingly or not she was going to find
out.
That vision occupied her
mind all the way back to camp where she discovered that Kaylans men
had everything ready for the pleasure of their
leader. A tent had been set up
apart from the others and any ideas she had about resisting were eliminated
as they closed about her as soon as Kaylan halted his
horse.
Still panting from her run,
she was forced to her knees and the chain connecting her wrists arranged
in such a manner that she was rendered
helpless. Her arms were pulled
behind her back and a metal link used to shorten the chain so that she could
not move her wrists more than a span.
Then she was force-walked to Kaylans tent, a man on each arm,
and two more close by.
As befitting his princely
status, Kaylans tent was as large as the tent used to house all of
his warriors. Shailaja was pushed
through the doorway and then onto her knees in front of their valiant
leader.
Even panting like
a dog, and bathed in sweat you are truly magnificent, Kaylan said,
as he stood over her. As
a matter of fact, you may be even more magnificent because of
it. If you were not so valuable
I would consider offering you a place as my
swordmate.
I would prefer a liaison
with a scullion to one with you, Shailaja
growled. She strained at the
chains attempting without success to break loose from the link that shortened
the chain.
You have no idea how
much that excites me, Kaylan responded, his eyes moving to her quivering
breasts. And in spite of
your protests I have seen the interest in your eyes when you look at
me. I know that even now your
body heats with the thought of what awaits you.
That is not true,
Shailaja protested. But
unfortunately, Kaylan had it right, and the weakness of her words betrayed
her true feelings.
Even now your body
betrays you, Kaylan gloated.
He moved forward as he spoke and knelt before
her. I will have you and
I will leave you with a special gift for the Emperor of
Prithia.
A gift? Shailaja
gulped. What do you
mean?
We have a month together
before we reach Prithia and I claim my
reward. That is more than long
enough to get you with child. You
have been my prisoner for almost a moon and I doubt that any drug you have
taken to prevent conception will still be in
effect. When you are finally
taken before Sered you will be carrying my child.
Shailaja swallowed in
fear. What he said was undoubtedly
true. She had held herself apart
from men for almost a year and had refrained drinking the brew made from
the leaves of the senna bush. Her
womb was almost certainly fertile ground for Kaylans
seed.
You cannot do that,
she protested. No warrior
should have a child forced upon her.
As I have said,
Kaylan grinned, you are my prisoner and I will treat you any way that
I please. And it pleases me to
honour you with my seed.
Are you too stupid
to realize that the Prithian emperor will have me
executed? Shailaja
objected. I will not live
long enough to carry your child to term.
I think not,
Kaylan answered. I know
that Torlen has told you of Sereds interest in
you. He wants vengeance and what
better way to take it than to force the murderer of his father to serve him
on her knees and back? You may
die or you may not; but not until the emperor has taken his full measure
of pleasure from you.
The callousness of
Kaylans reply left Shailaja without
words. That he would first force
a child upon her and then turn her over to a man who had relentlessly pursued
her for over five years revealed a character completely devoid of any qualities
beyond those of satisfying his own distorted view of the
world. And she was completely
at his mercy.
As Kaylan finished speaking
he pulled away her bandeau, allowing her breasts to fall
free. He cupped each of them
in his large hands and gave them a gentle squeeze that soon turned into a
painful mauling of her tender flesh.
Seldom have I seen or touched more perfect
breasts. Had I known Kaltaran
women were so beautiful I would have made an effort to capture one before
this.
He stepped back, and while
Shailaja watched helplessly, he stripped off his armour and then his
clothing. His movements were
quick and sure and she felt her excitement mount as each piece of equipment
and clothing was discarded.
Eventually he stood before her clad in nothing more than his
breeches.
I have noticed your
eyes upon me, he said.
Am I as pleasing as you imagined?
Shailaja could not deny
that he was. He was massively
muscled; his chest broad and deep, his shoulders and arms powerful from years
of weapons training. Each muscular
thigh was like the trunk of a tree and between them, still hidden but a clearly
visible bulge between his thighs, was a member to rival
Sturms. Shailaja swallowed,
unable to answer, and thus gave Kaylan the answer he
wanted. She gave only token
resistance as he finished removing her clothing, her breathing increasing
and her body experiencing the familiar warming.
You protest and
struggle, Kaylan grinned, but you have wanted this since the
first time you laid eyes upon me.
And now it is my pleasure to give you what you
want.
He pulled her to him, laughingly
avoiding her attempt to knee him where it would do the most good, and used
his own knees to push her legs apart.
She struggled mightily, unwilling to be used again by a man without
her agreement, but succeeded as usual only in exciting him
more. Kaylan threw aside his
loincloth revealing a manhood throbbing with life and every bit as large
as she knew it would be. She
could not help a gasp of appreciation and a moan of anticipation as he bent
her backward using his great strength to easily overpower
her.
Helpless, she whimpered
in pleasure as he nuzzled her breasts and cried out as he took her engorged
nipples into his mouth. He sucked
them hard, raising them into stiff, throbbing points. And then his hands
found her tender mounds, massaging them mercilessly, bringing both pleasure
and pain.
Shailaja arched back, supporting
her weight on her hands and offering her upturned nipples and swelling breasts
for further punishment and pleasuring.
Kaylan eagerly complied, his tongue rasping her nipples and his teeth
pinching the sensitive flesh, eliciting gasps of delight from her
lips.
Although shamed by her response,
she could not control it, pressing her body against his and moving her legs
further apart in invitation.
However, she had not completely fallen under Kaylans
influence. Do not do
this, she gasped. It
shames you as a warrior to take another warrior against her
will.
I see no warrior before
me, Kaylan sneered, just a woman desperately in need of that
which lies between a mans legs.
Kaylan spoke
truly. Her desire was almost
overpoweringly strong, but strong also was the fear of his promise to place
his seed within her. There was
no greater shame than to be forcibly impregnated by an
enemy. Do not do this,
she pleaded. No warrior
should be forced to bear the child of another.
In answer he bent his head
to her nipples once again while at the same time moving his hand between
her thighs. There was no holding
back her cry of passion, or the response of her
body. It made her protests seem
foolish, especially when Kaylan parted her legs further and then gripped
her backside, pulling her toward him.
As his heavy member touched her petals she moaned in
anticipation.
Slowly he rubbed his member
against her, stimulating her to the point of uncontrolled
desire. She longed for him to
take her, but struggled as if fighting to
escape. Would you like
me to stop? he asked as his moved his body in such a manner that his
maleness parted her petals and drank of the dew
within.
Yes, Shailaja
replied through gritted teeth, and then when he complied groaned in
protest.
I think you lie,
he stated. Suddenly he moved
his hips forward, and gripping her bottom tightly, entered Selenes
Grotto. Her unbridled cry of
pleasure proved the truth of his words and the falseness of
hers.
You
dishonour
me, she gasped, and then whimpered in desire as he
claimed her further.
As Shailaja had noted,
Kaylans weapon rivalled that of Sturm, and he made good use of it,
driving deep within her while she writhed beneath
him. She continued to struggle,
but her moans, whimpers, and groans, combined with incoherent prayers to
Marana gave the lie to her resistance.
Soon her body was moving with his. urging him to take her deeper,
harder, faster. And Kaylan was
more than willing to comply. He
used her hard, driving deep within her until she screamed in pleasure and
pain until finally they both lay exhausted, their passion
spent.
Kaylan, however, was far
from finished. His stamina matched
any man Shailaja had ever known and he soon recovered and took her
again. And then
again. Each time she rose to
the challenge, matching his every movement, until finally satiated, they
slept the sleep of fleshly exhaustion.
Morning found Kaylan awake
and moving, but it was a different matter for
her. Not since Shailaja had been
used by Sturm had she been made so sore by a single man, and in spite of
the fact that she found the sensation entirely pleasurable, it was also a
reminder of her shame and Kaylans promise to force her to bear his
child.
Kaylan loosened her chains
so that she could dress and then escorted her
outside. The rest of the warriors
were already awake and had prepared
breakfast. They exchanged knowing
grins with Kaylan and directed lascivious leers in her
direction. Shailaja refused to
look at them, staring straight ahead.
That a warrior should be given such scornful treatment filled her
with anger, but there was little she could do except ignore the ache between
her legs and make her way down to the small creek to
wash.
She bathed under the watchful
and very interested eyes of her ever-present
guards. She felt no shame at
her nudity, but the bruises on her thighs and the bite marks and bruises
on her breasts were marks of shame she could not hide and attested to the
hard use she had received. It
hardened her resolve to escape and take vengeance on those who had wronged
her. She vowed to Mirana that
before she was finished she would repay all those who had wronged
her.
Shailaja mounted up as before
with Kaylan holding the chain that bound her
wrists. There was no escape unless
she could find a way to wrest it from him, but he had it secured to his saddle
so she rode as before, and waited for her chance.
It came sooner than anticipated
and in a most unexpected manner.
The road they travelled was much narrower than the one the caravan
had taken toward the high pass. In
places the trail narrowed until it was barely wide enough for a single rider
to pass. At such points anyone
approaching would have had to retrace his steps in order to make way for
Kaylans party. However,
they were fortunate enough not to encounter any other traffic in these
areas. In fact, they encountered
little traffic at all. It was
that fact that made Shailaja realize that Kaylan was travelling by a rather
obscure back road, as the path they rode was hardly suitable for
wagons. She wondered at this
and could come up with no other reason than the possibility that Kaylan wished
to keep his prize captive out of sight.
This was confirmed when the trail merged with one that was much more
heavily travelled and they began to encounter other
traffic.
Put this on,
he ordered handing her a heavy cloak outfitted with a
hood. And make sure you
tuck your hair in and wear the hood up.
Shailaja had not thought
of it before, but if she was indeed worth her weight in gold, then she was
a prize many might want. Kaylan
and his men were skilled warriors, but there were only six of them and if
anyone else realized who she was they just might make an attempt to take
her from her present captors.
She did as she was told,
folding the cloak about her so that it hid her body, and raising the cowl
so that her face was shadowed. To
anyone giving her a casual glance she was just another tall
rider. Among Kaylans warriors
she would not be too out of place in spite of her lack of weapons and
armour.
It seemed to
work. Although most others they
encountered gave the six mounted warriors a strong look, no one challenged
them and for the most part Shailaja was
ignored. That was fine by her,
because although she was still a prisoner at least she knew the quality of
her captors. She had no wish
to fall into the hands of someone who might treat her
worse. Kaylan had used her heavily,
but at least she was spared being used by the rest of his men, even if it
did mean he intended to get her with child.
They rode until mid-afternoon
and then stopped at a stream to water the horses and give them a chance to
rest a bit before pushing on.
There is a small town ahead, Kaylan
proclaimed. Tonight we
stay in an inn. It will be enjoyable
to take you in a real bed. I
expect Ill be able to last a little longer.
Kaylan seemed quite pleased,
but this was hardly good news for
Shailaja. The more often Kaylan
used her the greater the chance his seed would take root in her
womb. She had no intention of
allowing him to take her to Prithia, but if he did she could well imagine
the emperors reaction when he discovered that she carried another
mans child. However, things
were about to take a dramatic turn.
In spite of the fact that
she was shackled and Kaylan held the end of the chain that shackled her,
she was closely escorted. Two
warriors rode to her left while Kaylan was to her
right. Another rode directly
behind and two went before.
However, Shailaja knew it
was still a long way to Prithia.
Guarding her this closely would be almost impossible for the entire
distance and she bided her time.
They rode steadily throughout the day, slowly dropping in elevation
as they got closer to the lake.
They now encountered more and more traffic going the other way, but
as before most paid them little
attention. The ease of their
passage and the closeness to the lake relaxed Kaylan and his
companions. They laughed and
joked as they rode and Shailaja did nothing to change their
mood. Let them think her the
helpless captive, subject to their every
whim. They would learn differently
if the situation changed in her favour; and change it
did.
Coming toward them was a
large herd of yeggers. Normally
the three-horned beasts were docile in
nature. However, they are also
lacking in intelligence and when frightened they can react in unexpected
ways. As was normal when moving
yeggers they were linked together in pairs by a heavy
yoke. Each yoke was then linked
to the yoke of the pair behind it.
This not only made them easier to control, but it kept them from wandering
all over the road. There were
well over a hundred of them and they were being led by several men on horses
as well as flanking riders. The
drovers eyed Kaylan and his party warily as they approached, but seeing no
hostile action on their part they took no
action.
Such was not the case with
Shailaja. She acted almost
instinctively, turning her horse toward the nearest rider as he
passed. She had no intention
of hurting him, at least not very much, but he had something she wanted;
the sword sheathed at his side.
She was on him before he
even realized what she was doing. A
blow to the head dizzied him, and then her hand found his sword and she jerked
it free of its scabbard. Her
actions caught everyone by surprise, including Kaylan, who must have thought
her docile after leading her quietly for leagues at the end of the chain
he held.
With a blade in her hand
she spurred her horse directly for
Kaylan. There was little
choice. He still held the chains
that shackled her wrists and if she wanted to be free she had to force him
to drop them; by killing him if
necessary. As for his companions
the choice was theirs. If they
chose to fight she would kill them as well.
Kaylan saw her coming and
tried to pull in the chain, but Shailaja was too close for this to work and
with a curse he let go of the links and drew his
sword. The contest appeared entirely
one-sided. Kaylan was a huge
man and possessed of enormous strength.
He was also heavily armoured and rode a superior horse, but Shailaja
was quicker and had the advantage of catching him almost at a
standstill. She hurtled into
him, her horse catching his in the shoulder and staggering his mount, giving
her the chance for a quick strike.
Kaylan carried his sword
in his right hand, which was on the side of his horse that was away from
her. He struck, but was at the
end of his reach and she easily caught the blade of his sword on
hers. In spite of the fact that
her wrists were still chained there was enough slack between them that she
could wield her sword effectively.
Due to the two-handed technique she had learned from Den and practiced
assiduously, she was carrying her sword in her left
hand. It allowed for a powerful
counterstroke; one that Kaylan could not
avoid. At the last second he
ducked beneath the blow and instead of striking him full on the helm, a blow
that almost certainly would have been fatal had it landed, the blow was
deflected, glancing off his helm and striking his right
shoulder. Nevertheless, the impact
numbed his shoulder, making it impossible for him to hold his
sword. As his blade fell from
his fingers she wrenched the chain free from his saddle and turned to face
the rest of his men. Kaylans
warhorse lurched forward, carrying him away from further
damage.
Shailaja could have followed,
but she was busy with the other warriors.
She paid no attention to Kaylan as his horse carried him to
safety. Thus it was that she
did not learn of his fate until a few heartbeats later.
It took her that long to
deal with the remaining five warriors who were no doubt horribly surprised
to find that their once compliant captive could fight better than any of
them. She struck one of them
from the saddle with a left handed blow and then switched her sword to her
right to deal with an opponent on that
side. The maneuver caught him
off guard as he had thought her exposed and unable to respond to his
attack. It was apparent to her
that none of her opponents were familiar with fighting an adversary who could
swing a blade with either hand.
The defeat of two of their
number had the remaining three warriors reeling in
shock. She is
bewitched. A demon, one
of them shouted.
In spite of their fear,
however, they were all true warriors.
None of them ran and she had to battle all of them to ensure her
escape.
Fighting on horseback is
quite different from battling on foot and it was fortunate that in her years
with the Ravens Shailaja had been in the centre of many a cavalry
charge. Her opponents were skilled
warriors, but they lacked her experience, and Shailaja had met few who could
match her in battle in any case.
She charged directly into them, taking advantage of their momentary
hesitation following the death of the first two of their
companions. A single blow took
Torlen out of the saddle. Another
was unhorsed when she broadsided him with her horse, and the third she disarmed
and then struck from the saddle with two quick movements of her
blade. It was a simple matter
to deal with the warrior on the ground after
that. Finished with her brutal
work she turned her attention to Kaylan and a possible attack from the men
herding the yeggers.
Fortunately for her and
for the drovers as well, they made no effort to attack her, but stood watching
as she rode toward them. None
of them were warriors although there were a few who might have been good
in a tavern brawl. In spite of
the fact that she had attacked one of them and taken his sword they remained
where they were. Although several raised crossbows as she rode toward
them.
Lower your weapons,
Shailaja shouted. I have
no quarrel with you; only with the men who kidnapped and abused
me.
Perhaps it was the fact
that she had just defeated six Nahnian warriors in only a few hundred heartbeats,
or that none of those she faced were true warriors, but none of those escorting
the yeggers made the slightest move to oppose
her. Leaning out of the saddle
she appropriated two blades from those she had defeated and then tossed the
sword back to the man she had struck.
I apologize for my
actions, she said, but I was set upon and made prisoner by those
I just defeated and when the chance for escape presented itself I took
it. I will see that you are
compensated for any injury or slight you have
suffered.
This offer was readily
received. Typical of all merchants
and most men Shailaja had known, they put their love of coin ahead of their
sense of honour, and they were quite happy to accept the slight insult she
had offered them in return for personal
gain.
What she was most curious
about was Kaylan. The injuries
she had dealt him were not enough to have killed him, but Marana was not
smiling upon him that day. She
had not seen what had transpired after she had disarmed him, but she learned
from one of the drovers that his horse had surged forward, carrying him into
the line of yeggers. Startled
by what seemed to be an attack, the normally passive draft animals panicked
and acted to defend themselves.
Yeggers are huge animals,
standing as tall as a horses head at the shoulder and in body they
resembling gigantic cattle. Their
heads are also cow-like, but have three horns, two of which spread out to
either side of their heads just above the eyes and then jut forward like
those of most cattle. The third
horn lies between the two and curves
upward. To be caught on those
horns is a painful if not fatal
experience.
Unfortunately for Kaylan
that was his fate. He was hurled
upon the horns of one of the yeggers and without a thought the powerful beast
launched him skyward. No doubt
still suffering from the blow Shailaja had dealt him, he landed hard, the
impact breaking his neck. It
was an ignominious end for a warrior and one that Shailaja would not have
wished upon him in spite of what he had done to
her.
He was still alive and able
to speak as she knelt over him.
So you have won, he
grunted. I should have
guarded you better. Now I will
never see the son I seeded within you.
He was not to know it, as
those were his last words, but his seed had not
taken. His eyes glazed over and
assumed the stare of the dead.
Slowly Shailaja got to her feet.
Events had not worked out entirely to her
satisfaction. Kaylan was dead,
but not by her own hand, and his death had been most
inglorious. However, what she
needed now was freedom from her chains, and that was something else the drovers
were able to offer her.
Remove these
chains, she said, turning to the drovers, and you may have the
horses and gear of the slain warriors.
I will keep just one horse and one set of
armour.
The drovers approved of
the offer and within a short time Shailaja was free of the
chains. By good fortune they
carried with them a hammer and chisel and were able to shear the rivets closing
her manacles. She kept a wary
eye on them as they used it, fearing that they might try to take advantage
of her, but no one seemed interested in assuming such a risk and within a
short time she was free and on Kaylans
horse. She also took his armour
and weapons as due to his size they fitted her
best.
Thus mounted and equipped
she turned her horse back the way she had
come. A few days ride away
was the treacherous caravan owner who had betrayed
her. He had something of hers
that she wanted and she intended to get it
back. Iznad would learn to his
sorrow what it meant to betray her.
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