The female Karil was able to do no more than scream as she was taken by the arms toward the first of the enclosures, yet the males moved about in their chains, eager to have their hands upon the haughty female, eager to have her leap to their touch. Thoughtfully I stood and watched a moment, more to be sure that my warriors kept their weapons—and themselves—from the reach of the males than to witness the female’s deep humiliation and fear at the first touch upon her body, then did I turn from the foolishness and pay it no further heed. There were many things yet to be done, perhaps too many things, and though they all must be seen to, I knew not how I, myself, might see to them all.
“War leader, the male is no longer aware of his punishment,” said Rogon, indicating Bariose where he hung insensible in the wall cuffs. “Is there reason to continue the lashing?”
I looked upon the male, the blood flowing from the torn flesh of his back, my warrior with the bloodied lash in her hands standing before him, and shook my head.
“No,” said I, perhaps sounding more weary than was proper for a war leader. “Take him down, place him in chains, then find an enclosure to hold him. He is no longer of interest to me.”
“Jalav, perhaps you would do well to have your wounds tended,” said Rogon in a soft voice, her dark eyes concerned. “Your shoulder has bled heavily, and should you fall victim to the illnesses wounds may bring, we would be leaderless.”
That Rogon had mentioned my wounds was a clear indication that I had indeed sounded more weary than I had intended. All those warriors who had accompanied me were wounded, some so far that they now sat with their backs upon the pink stone of the walls, their eyes closed, their wounds given over to the tending of sisters of their clans. That I had not felt the wounds at the time I had received them meant naught; they had long since made their presence fully known, most especially that in my left shoulder. And yet, how might I have had them tended, save that I saw to the matter myself? The Hosta were elsewhere, captives to males, and Jalav stood alone among strangers. Distant kin they were, and obedient to my word—yet nevertheless strangers.
“The wounds must wait,” said I, straightening somewhat though I, too, spoke softly. “You undoubtedly have the right of it, Rogon, yet there are many matters remaining which must be seen to first. When this dwelling has been secured, then shall I find opportunity to rest and restore my strength. Have the male removed from the wall cuffs, then send to me runners who have learned their way about this place.”
“At once, war leader,” said she, a sigh of resignation upon her. “Remain here, and I shall have the runners attend you.”
With such words did she take herself off, to see to Bariose and send the runners, yet the runners came bearing a large seat, one of wood and leather with softness beneath the leather, into which I was urged. Little liking had I for seating myself within a device of city folk, yet my strength had ebbed and there was much to do. When once I had sent runners to all war leaders scattered about the dwelling, telling them to assign guards about all entrances before bringing the balance of their sets and clans to the room of enclosures, I then allowed myself the luxury of rest.
Save for the laughter of male slaves, there was little sound to be heard in the large chamber. My warriors, of course, ever alert in hostile regions, spoke only those words which were necessary to what tasks had been set to their hands. The captives taken after battle, males of leather and metal bound upon the stones of the floor, had no wish to draw the attention of warriors to themselves. The female slaves, cowering in their enclosures, wept silently as their masters had taught them to do. The sole cause of what sound there was was the female Karil, she who had been taken before the male slaves to be touched and heated. I had not meant to waste valuable planning time personally observing the punishment I had decreed for her, and yet, once noticed, the doings about her drew me strongly. Much shame had been given me through the actions of this Karil, and much would I have preferred facing her with swords, yet city slave-women were taught solely the manner in which to give insult, naught of the manner which allows satisfaction for insult. With city folk it was necessary for warriors to seek satisfaction by other means, means without dignity and honor.
In the absence of a knowledge of honor, the female Karil had apparently made the decision to attempt to retain something of dignity throughout the ordeal she had been condemned to. The warriors who held her had not immediately thrust her against the lines of metal through which the chained arms of the males reached, most likely to afford the female a false sense of safety. They had held her to the extreme reach of the males, each warrior agrasp upon one arm and a handful of hair of the female, thrusting her gently forward so that no more than the fingertips of the males were able to touch her. In such a manner had they taken her past each enclosure of males, leading her to believe no more would be done than that which had already been done, perhaps a number of times as they had returned to the first enclosure, yet surely no more.
Now, again before the first enclosure, the female Karil had regained some shadow of her former arrogance. Her flesh had felt the touch of males, yet she, it seemed, had not fallen prey to their touch. She had feared she would be made to beg her use, yet this final degradation, it seemed, would not be forced upon her. Had she true knowledge of males and females, her understanding would have encompassed the fact that the extreme fear she had felt had allowed the feeling of no other sensation, most especially not of desire, yet this thought had not occurred to her. I realized she must truly be as innocent and untouched as the male slave had suggested, and quickly recalled a thing I had forgotten. Though the female Karil had commanded the males in leather and metal to the task of heating the female slaves in her charge, she had not remained within the chamber of display to see the matter done. It was clear the female had quite a lesson before her, yet the sight of the female, stubbornness in the set of her body against the grasp of my warriors, fury in the sharpness of her glances, insolence in the set of her full lips, all spoke of a lesson completely unexpected.
As the two warriors beside the female again thrust her forward, something of surprise was visible upon the features of the city woman. As she had passed the enclosures once before, she well knew the distance she must maintain to remain beyond the easy reach of the males, and yet, to her frowning inspection, the distance seemed incorrect. Petulantly, snappishly, she spoke to the warriors in whose grasp she stood, yet they, with small knowing smiles, made no answer. Instead they merely watched as the arms of the first male, clasped tight in chains, reached through the lines of metal, all fingers of both hands now able to stroke and fondle the female’s breasts. The male grinned wide as the female gasped in shock, she attempting to back from the touch, yet finding herself unable to do so.
“No!” came the female’s voice, raised shrill and loud as she struggled against those who held her. “Do not allow him to touch me so! He is a slave! A slave!”
“And you are free?” inquired the male whose hands were upon her, his grin turned to laughter. “Run from me, then, high lady. Take your body beyond my reach.” The female, stabbed by the ridicule, attempted to do so, yet was her struggle in vain. “Your excellent flesh remains within my grasp, high lady,” laughed the male. “It would be pleasant to have you within this cage, so that I might teach a high lady the writhings of a slave. See how well your flesh accepts my touch.”
The female whimpered, more than aware of the tightness of her flesh where the hands of the male touched and stroked, also perhaps aware of a new sensation within her body, a burning and need never before encountered. Another male of the same enclosure thrust his arms through the lines of metal with a laugh and a rattle of chain, awaiting his turn at the female, his eyes already upon her. When, after another moment or two, the female was forced against his eager palms, his low exclamation of pleasure mingled with the sob torn from her. The female Karil had indeed begun to writhe, slowly and incompletely, to be sure yet most definitely a beginning toward heat. Her sense of humiliation seemed to be extreme, and yet she had only begun to learn of that which she had so easily and unthinkingly subjected others to. Among city folk, those most eager to do others in a certain manner are often those who have never been done so themselves. Surely this is a necessary state, for how may one treat others with such unconcern, save they be ignorant themselves of the consequences of their actions? And yet city folk are not like warriors, neither in their manner of doings nor in their thoughts; I moved about in the seat of wood and leather, overly aware of those differences. Would there be greater difficulty upon the new fey than I had anticipated, due solely to my having misread these city folk? Would my journey south to the city of the Sigurri be delayed by cause of this? I knew not, and could do no more than await the happenings of the new fey to know the wisdom or foolishness of my plans.