WARNING: This is a work of erotic fiction. It contains depictions of
nudity and graphic sex.

Author: A Strange Geek
Title: Amanda's Choice
Summary: A 14-year-old girl with a troubled home life is swept away to
another world by an older female lover, where she must make the
ultimate choice between love and freedom.

Part: 4 of 19
Keywords: Mf, Mdom, bd, spank

Note: Story codes are for this Chapter. See Chapter 0 for complete list
of codes

Copyright A Strange Geek, 2005

Feedback welcome! Please email me at astraYOURngegeek@comMINDcast.net
( lose YOUR MIND to email me )

Or to send anonymous feedback, use the form at bottom of HTML version:

/~A_Strange_Geek/novels/AmandasChoice/Chapter04.html



---------------

Faintly, a voice came through the darkness.

"Amanda?"

Amanda stirred, her eyes fluttering open. At first it was as if she
were still among the trees, for it seemed as dim around her now as it
had been there. For a brief moment she panicked, disoriented, and tried
to bolt up from where she lay prone on her back. Her muscles refused to
work properly, and when she tried to use her hands to push herself up,
a bolt of pain in her arm made her wince, and shocked her back to
reality.

Amanda felt hands on her shoulders. "Easy!" Sirinna said urgently but
softly. "You're okay, Amanda. You're safe now."

Amanda opened her mouth to speak, but closed it without saying
anything. She turned her head and looked around.

The lighting was as dim as the forest, but at least it was quiet here,
so much so that she could hear the ringing in her ears from the
exposure to the loudness of the storm. It was also dry, except for the
spot immediately under her. She saw that she was no longer outside.
Flickering light from a small oil lamp just barely illuminated the
interior of a circular chamber. The curving walls appeared as regularly
spaced wooden poles, with a tightly-woven thatch-like material bridging
the spans. Above her, the roof rose to a peak in the center. It looked
vaguely Polynesian in design, or some other similar tropical dwelling.
A large, plush bed lay to one side, and she could make out the faint
outlines of openings that headed in three directions.

Amanda blinked, trying to get her eyes to focus better. "What
happened?" she said in weak voice.

"You blacked out as we made the transport," Sirinna answered. "Here, do
you think you can stand? We should get you out of those wet clothes."

Amanda let Sirinna help to her feet. Her legs felt a little weak at
first, but they held her, though an initial surge of dizziness when she
first stood upright made her swoon.

"Easy," Sirinna said again.

"I'm all right," Amanda said, her voice a little stronger. She looked
around again. Behind and above the bed, an opening had been cut in the
thatch, framed with two wood crossbeams to form a wide window between
two poles. She felt a light breeze touch her, carrying a faint smell of
salt, and realized that the window was open to the air. A shade hung
from the top beam, largely rolled up. Through the window, palm trees
framed the vision of a beach that sloped steeply downward to meet the
edge of an deep indigo ocean under a fading purple twilight sky.
Nothing looked familiar to her. "Where am I?"

"My quarters," Sirinna said, paused, then added, "On Narlass."

"Narlass?"

"That's the name of my world, Amanda."

"Your ... oh."

"Here, you're going to catch a chill now that it's night," Sirinna
said. "We need to get you dry."

She started to help Amanda off with her shirt. Numbly, Amanda lifted
her arms to let her pull it from her, making a wet sound as the soaked
material left her body. She looked around again, searching for some
clue that would put all this into some perspective, and finding
nothing.

"I don't understand," Amanda said finally.

Sirinna unhooked Amanda's bra and slipped the cups from her breasts,
even it having been made wet by the driving rain. "I know," she said
with a small sigh. She started undoing Amanda's belt. "But it's going
to have to suffice for now."

"Sirinna, how ... how far away from home am I?"

Sirinna did not respond until she had removed Amanda's shoes and socks
and slid the jeans from her body. "Very far, Amanda," she said in a
low, somber voice.

Amanda had a thought. "Far enough that they can't take me back?" she
asked.

Sirinna pulled down Amanda's panties, the last article of clothing she
was wearing, leaving her naked and damp. "Amanda, right now, no one on
Earth can reach you," she said.

Amanda nodded at this. A week ago, and the thought would have terrified
her. Now, she felt nothing but relief. They could not take her back to
the foster care home. That was all that mattered. Everything else she
could sort out later.

"Wait here," Sirinna said. She went towards one of the doors that
Amanda had seen, a narrow one that stood between two wider ones. As she
entered it, Amanda could now see there was not a solid door there, just
a light curtain, which Sirinna parted with a sweep of her arm. She
reached inside and returned with a large towel.

Sirinna started patting down Amanda's body. When she reached the arm
that was hit by the hailstone, Amanda gave a yelp of pain.

"I'm sorry," Sirinna said. "Here, come over to the light."

Sirinna guided Amanda towards the small table next to the bed. The furs
covering the floor of the chamber were delightfully soft against her
now bare feet. Sirinna reached down and turned a knob on the lamp,
making it glow more brightly.

Sirinna carefully picked up Amanda's injured arm. "That hailstone got
you pretty good," she said ruefully. "It's already starting to bruise."

"It really hurts," Amanda whimpered.

"We may have to wait until morning to treat it, I'm afraid."

"Don't you have something you can use on it?"

"No, I have to take you ... " Sirinna paused and sighed, trying to run
a hand through her hair, forgetting it was still wet. "Amanda, one
thing at a time. We got you to safety. The best thing to do is dry you
off and get you to bed."

Sleep? Sirinna wanted her to sleep? Amanda sincerely doubted she could
do that now, not with as many questions as she had spinning through her
head and the pain in her arm.

It was apparent to her, however, that Sirinna was not going to answer
any more questions, so she remained quiet while Sirinna dried her off.
The towel Sirinna was using was nearly as soft as the furs, Sirinna
wiping her with gentle, careful strokes that felt good against her
body. She let herself relax a little, enjoying the feeling of someone
paying attention to her for a change.

Now that Amanda's initial shock had worn off, this place seemed cozy to
her compared to what she had. She turned towards the bed as Sirinna
finished with her legs, reaching out and plunging a hand into the thick
comforter.

"If it helps any, your bed will be almost as comfortable," Sirinna said
with a small smile. "Let me dry myself off and I'll take you there."

"Take me there?" Amanda said, feeling a twinge of anxiety. "It's not
far, is it?"

Sirinna's smiled widened, and she gestured towards one of the wider
doors. "Just in the next room."

"I don't want to be separated from you tonight, Sirinna," Amanda said,
her eyes glistening. "Please. I ... I can't take being alone again
tonight."

Sirinna looked at Amanda for a moment, and then hugged her. "You're
safe here, Amanda," she said softly into Amanda's ear. "I promise you
that."

Sirinna quickly dried herself, squeezing out her hair as much as
possible, before taking Amanda's hand and walking her past the curtain
into the next room. Amanda could see nothing at first, save for another
expanse of deepening twilight through a window over oceanic expanse.
The sound of waves crashing against rocks came to her, just a gentle,
soothing white noise. A pleasantly cool breeze drifted in through the
window.

Sirinna stepped past her. There was a small spark, and an lamp was
lighted.

The room was a smaller version of Sirinna's sleeping chamber. Roughly
circular, with a bed that was smaller but no less plush, the floors
covered in the same soft furs, the walls made of the same wood pole and
thatch construction. Over to the side was a narrow door with a curtain
partially pulled back. Past it she could see a basin, and a large,
wide, squat pot on the floor.

This chamber did have one thing that the larger one did not. In the
center of the room, right up against the foot of the bed, a wooden post
rose about two or three feet from the floor. A thick metal half-ring
protruded from the top.

Sirinna pulled back the comforter on the bed, revealing soft sheets and
pillows underneath.

"Sirinna, I'm not sure I ..." Amanda started.

"Not now," Sirinna said gently but firmly. "Please. Get some rest
first, and we'll start fresh in the morning."

Amanda sighed in frustration and eased herself into the bed, her arm
twinging badly. She didn't want to sleep. She wanted Sirinna to prove
to her somehow that she really was safe.

She sank into the bed. It really was very comfortable. Even her arm did
not seem to hurt as much just lying at her side. But even with all
this, and as Sirinna drew the furs over her, she felt like she could do
anything but sleep.

Sirinna first went to the window and unrolled the blinds, which was
simply a sheet of reeds woven together. She then returned to the bed
and crouched beside it, turning to open a small wooden door in the
little table to the side. She drew out a small cloth pouch with a
drawstring securing the opening. "Now, this should help you to sleep,"
she said. She opened the pouch and pulled out a tiny pinch of dark gray
very fine powder from inside the bag. She held her fingers over the
mouth of the little lamp and sprinkled it into the flames.

The flames crackled and danced for a few seconds, then flickered dim as
wisps of silvery smoke began to issue forth. Sirinna quickly put the
bag away and stood up, and gently wafted the wispy smoke over Amanda's
bed.

Amanda was unsure of what Sirinna was trying to do, and she tried to
sit herself up in bed. At that moment, she breathed in the first of the
vapors. She opened her eyes in surprise, and then let her breath go as
a long, weakening sigh as a deep fatigue came over her entire body. She
slumped back down into bed, and as more of the now thickening vapors
entered her nose, she drowsed, her eyes sliding closed. She fought the
effects of the somnolent mist one last time, her eyelids fluttering as
she struggled to keep them open, but with only one more breath, she
lost the struggle, and slid into a still and peaceful sleep.

Sirinna gazed at Amanda tenderly, taking a deep breath and letting it
go with a slow troubled sigh. What had she done? Amanda was not
supposed to be taken. She was not a Captive. And now that she was here,
if she ever were to go back, Sirinna would be devastated.

Sirinna reached down and gave Amanda a gentle kiss on her forehead,
holding her breath so as not to be affected by the mist. She drew back
quickly and headed for the door.

Sirinna had parted the curtain when she stopped and looked back, her
eyes falling on a small metallic glint near the floor.

Sirinna bit her lip. Amanda was /not/ a Captive. This was /not/
intended. Surely she didn't have to ... surely Roquan would ...

She sighed. No, she knew exactly what Roquan would say, and at this
point, she knew she was already in quite a bit of trouble with him.

Sirinna crossed back to the bed and swiftly she reached under it. Metal
tinkled softly as she drew out a thin, gold chain. At each end was a
tiny padlock.

Sirinna drew the covers back far enough to reveal Amanda's uninjured
arm. She carefully wrapped the end of the slim chain several times
around the wrist and snapped the padlock closed between two links. She
replaced the covers, and secured the other end in similar fashion to
the metal loop of the post in the center of the room.

Sirinna replaced the covers and headed out of the room.



In another sleeping chamber, a man slowly paced back and forth, quietly
thoughtful. His strong hands were clasped behind his back, the sleek
satin of his robe shiny in the light of the decorative, heatless and
smokeless torch affixed to one of the wood poles. He occasionally
turned his clear, blue-gray eyes towards his bed with a faint look of
longing to his chiseled, handsome face.

It had been a trying day. Another in an ever longer march of such days.
As much as he longed for rest, he still had duties to discharge before
he could allow himself to retire.

As he completed another walk to the far side of the room, he turned and
focused his penetrating gaze upon the curtained doorway to his outer
chamber, drawing a small sigh through his nose. He started towards the
doorway, but as he was halfway across the room, he glanced towards the
small table set against the wall, under the cabinet containing his
spirits.

He paused, brushing at an imaginary nit in his gray-streaked dark brown
hair. He turned towards the cabinet and drew out an ornate goblet and a
cask of deep red wine that he poured generously into the goblet. As he
lifted the drink to his lips, he heard a sound from his outer chamber,
and a figure approaching. The curtain parted.

"Your Lordship?" said the tall, gray-bearded man at the doorway. "You
wished to be informed. I have sensed that the Portal has returned
Sirinna safely to Narlass, despite the misalignment."

Overlord Roquan D'ronstaq gazed upon the Manor's senior Healer and gave
a small nod of acknowledgment. "At least something has gone right out
of all of this, hmm, Vanlo?" Roquan said in a voice with a deep,
commanding cadence. The smile that tugged at his lips was devoid of
humor.

At the door, Roquan's Healer Vanlo G'tort stepped more fully into the
room. He stroked his beard thoughtfully, his tall, imposing presence
balanced by Roquan's broad-shouldered commanding one. He looked at his
Lordship with a small degree of sympathy, knowing as he did the hard
times that Roquan appeared to be having these days. "Has there been
word as to what caused the misalignment, your Lordship?"

"I was hoping you could tell me, Vanlo."

Vanlo smiled very slightly. He knew he was very good at what he did,
but sometimes his master forgot there were limits to what he could so.
"My knowledge of magic is limited to the healing arts, I am afraid," he
said carefully. "True that I can sense the ebb and flow of Portal
energies, but beyond that ..."

"Just your initial impression, that is all I wish."

"I suspect ... and take this with a grain of salt ... that the dewomer
that produces the Portal simply has not been serviced for too long."

Roquan paused to take a sip of his wine. A small sip. He wished his
faculties to be with him when he dealt with the next task at hand in
the chamber behind the healer. "I will summon a Mage to inspect it," he
said tonelessly, trying not to think of how many platinum that will
cost him.

Vanlo nodded, realizing that he was going to get no further information
from his Lordship when he used that tone, despite the Healer's
curiosity. Yes, he was extremely curious, not just at this, but of all
the ills that appeared to befall the Manor lately. He had some small
inkling of a cause, but not enough to approach Roquan with as yet.

"If you see Sirinna, Vanlo, and it is not yet late of hour, please send
her to me," Roquan said evenly. He paused before adding in a slightly
lower voice, his eyes softening, "I have missed her since she had been
gone."

"Oh, no doubt, your Lordship," Vanlo said with a small twinkle in one
eye. "No doubt because she is such a wonderful Trainer. One of your
best."

"No doubt."

Vanlo turned to leave and paused. He drew back the curtain and peered
back into the outer chamber, then back towards the Overlord. "Will you
be requiring my services before I retire for the night?"

Roquan remained silent for a long moment, allowing himself another sip
before placing the goblet down. "No, Master Healer," he said. "Tanyee
is young. Whatever the transgression, I do not expect to punish her
severely. At least not physically."

Vanlo gave a single, respectful nod and left.

Roquan sighed deeply, a rare reaction for him, for it signified that he
was nearing his wit's end. A man that prided himself on knowing exactly
how everything worked, and why it worked, and could control how it
worked when it suited him, was now at a total loss as to understand his
bad fortunes of late. Of all of them, however, one was something he
never had to deal with in such large amounts in his twenty years of
running the D'ronstaq Manor.

Disobedience.

Roquan swiftly walked towards the door, swept the curtain aside with a
single, deliberate movement, and stepped into the outer chamber.

The room was a not much larger than his bedchamber, but appeared more
spacious because of the the way the furniture was arranged around the
periphery of the chamber, leaving the center space empty save for the
furs that covered the floor. As this was his reception area for guests
and new Captives prior to being collared, it was built differently and
more permanently. The airy thatch design gave way to more solid wood
with stone accents. A large hearth and fireplace was stoked, though its
fire was subdued, its purpose more visual than radiant. To the left
side of the fireplace, the stone wall was peppered with metal hooks,
and from them hung implements of bondage and punishment, while to the
right, a map of Narlass lay in a wooden frame. A large desk was set
near the outside door.

Roquan stopped and gazed upon the center space of the room, which that
night was not empty, but was instead occupied by the form of a girl.

She lay on all fours upon the furs, remaining quiet and still, save for
a slight trembling throughout her nude body. Her breathing was steady,
though quickened. Long black hair spilled to one side of her, and two
almond-shaped eyes were cast downward, glistening and frightened.
Despite the darkness of her features, her skin was fair, her body
smooth and nearly free of blemish, save for one tiny red spot near one
shoulder. Leather cuffs were tightly wrapped about her wrists, a chain
joining them. A similar set of restraints secured her ankles. Clenched
between her teeth was a scroll.

Roquan looked down at Tanyee with a carefully neutral expression,
though inwardly he expressed surprise and confusion. Yes, this one was
young. She had just reached her seventeenth year when she was sent
Abroad not long before Sirinna was dispatched on her first Slaver
training mission. But she was one of Sirinna's former Trainees. And one
of Sirinna's simply does not get unceremoniously shipped back to the
Manor from what he assumed was a now very angry and very dissatisfied
client.

Only the scroll that Tanyee held in her mouth, as she had for the past
three hours that Roquan had left her there since returning home, would
tell the tale for sure. Certainly it was not good news, or Tanyee would
not shaking so.

Nevertheless, Tanyee was a slave. And a slave had to be obedient. He
expected nothing less from any of the others.

Roquan crossed in front of Tanyee and sat down in a chair a short
distance from her. "Tanyee," he said.

The girl quivered, blinking rapidly a few times.

"Until I tell you otherwise, you will continue to act as a dog," Roquan
said evenly. "Save that you are to speak if I ask you a direct
question. Now, bring the scroll to me."

Tanyee crawled on her hands and knees towards Roquan, moving slowly
from the restraints, the chains clinking softly. As she reached him,
she lifted a hand to take the scroll from her mouth.

"That is not how a dog would deliver that scroll to her master,
Tanyee."

Tanyee flushed red with embarrassment. She placed her hands on Roquan's
knees as a dog might place her paws and leaned over to drop the scroll
from her mouth into his lap.

Roquan presented a hand to the girl. Tanyee paused a moment before
giving Roquan's hand a few licks with her tongue, her cheeks now
burning with humiliation as she blinked back tears.

"Return to where you were," Roquan ordered.

Tanyee sniffed once, her eyes even more downcast than before. Roquan's
eyes roamed over her, as if searching for an answer. He briefly looked
at the odd red spot on her shoulder, but ultimately paid it no mind.

Just as he began to unroll the parchment, Sirinna entered from outside.

"Master Roquan," Sirinna said. "I have just returned from ... oh!"

Sirinna stopped when her eyes fell on the tableau before her.

"My apologies, master," Sirinna said. "I shall return when you're not
..."

"No, Sirinna, I wish you to stay," Roquan said, an edge in his voice.
"Perhaps you can help me sort out this matter."

Sirinna's eyes fell upon the now quaking form on the furs, and her eyes
widened. "/Tanyee?/ But I thought she went Abroad. Her contract cannot
be up already."

Roquan cast a hard look at the girl as he unrolled the scroll fully.
"Apparently, to Lord K'garon, it was," he said coolly, and began to
read from the scroll. "My most respected Overlord Roquan D'ronstaq: I
am quite in shock. I expected better of your slaves. You had held the
one called Tanyee in such high regard that I contracted for her despite
her youth. I believe I am tolerant of small mistakes, but I cannot
fathom why you sent me such an obviously mistrained slave."

Sirinna briefly looked indignant at this, but quickly controlled
herself after a single look from Roquan, a look that said he was in no
mood for the slightest breach of protocol that evening.

Yet the burning anger remained inside her. Mistrained! Not even just
untrained, but /mis/trained!

Roquan continued reading. "I do not even mind a lack of skill in
pleasing with her mouth, for I am quite fond of teaching the nuances of
such matters to girls so eager to learn."

Sirinna had to take a slow, deep breath to prevent herself from
reacting. A lack of skill, indeed! Using her mouth was one of Sirinna's
best talents, and therefore it was the same with her Trainees.

"Yet I cannot tolerate," Roquan continued from the scroll, "I will not
tolerate, a slave that not only refuses to swallow a man's seed, /but
spits it from her mouth./"

Sirinna's mouth dropped open, her utter shock at hearing this too much
for her to restrain herself. "Tanyee!" she cried.

Tanyee heard the disappointment in her former Trainer's voice, and
tears began to trickle from her eyes.

Roquan put the parchment aside. "I do not believe I need to go on," he
said crisply. "Tanyee, do you understand everything you have just
heard?"

Tanyee swallowed, her body shaking. "Y-yes, master," she said, her
voice quavering and scared.

"Do you deny anything you have heard, Tanyee?"

Tanyee sobbed once. "No, m-master."

Sirinna was finding it very difficult to remain silent, even though she
knew her master was getting around to the very question she wanted
answered herself.

She did not have long to wait. "Then, Tanyee, can you tell me why you
did as Lord K'garon wrote?"

Roquan's voice never rose to a shout, never raised above anything more
than a conversational tone. Yet the increasing sharpness in his voice
left no room for doubt what he was feeling towards her. Tanyee cringed
as she said in a sobbing voice, "I c-can't, master."

Roquan sighed through his nose again. It was just like the others. "Do
you not know why you did it, Tanyee?"

"No, m-master."

"Did you suddenly find it distasteful?"

"No, master!"

"Did you panic or were you in fear of something?"

"No, master!"

"Then /why/, Tanyee?" Roquan said, frustration in his voice now.

Tanyee's tears dripped to the furs beneath her. "I d-don't know,
master!" she cried.

Roquan looked at the sobbing girl for a moment and looked to Sirinna.
"Do you have any thoughts, Sirinna?" he asked evenly.

While the Overlord tended to confide in Sirinna more than he did his
other slaves, such a direct inquiry of her opinion was rare, and
Sirinna was surprised enough that it took her a moment to respond.
"Master, I still think very highly of Tanyee," she said. "She was one
of my best Trainees in a long time. Whatever happened, master, I am
sure it will not happen again."

Tanyee appeared to be slightly comforted by this, her sobs abating, her
tears flowing less. She dared not raise her eyes to express her
gratitude, not until Master Roquan gave her specific permission. Tanyee
knew she was an obedient slave. She knew she was good. She did not
understand what had come over her. Her actions had come as much of a
surprise to her as they had to her contracted master. Yet the fact
remained that she did do what she was accused of doing, and she knew
she would be punished for it.

Roquan stood. "But you have no explanation for her behavior," he said.

Sirinna paused, giving Tanyee a sympathetic look. "No, master, I do
not."

Roquan stepped around Tanyee, towards the wall near the hearth.
"Sirinna," he said in a mildly admonishing voice that made her fold her
hands in front of her and drop her eyes. "I normally trust your
judgment in these matters, but surely something has happened here."

"Yes, master," Sirinna said in soft deference.

Roquan contemplated a set of wooden paddles and selected a medium-sized
one. "Ignorance of what ultimately caused it cannot stop what needs to
be done. Do you agree?"

"Of course, master," Sirinna said, her voice sincere. She knew as much
as the now panting Tanyee knew. A slave must be obedient. When a slave
is disobedient, the slave must be punished. It mattered not what the
reason was. A slave must know his or her position.

Thus it was with relative equanimity that Sirinna stood and watched as
Roquan swung the paddle and brought it down hard upon Tanyee's young
backside, the flat of the paddle smacking precisely across both ass
cheeks as it struck. Tanyee flinched yet did not cry out, but squeezed
her eyes closed, tears dripping a steady stream as the paddle came down
again and again, each stroke timed perfectly, delivered with the same
strength and the same red flare of pain.

At the same time, Sirinna could not help but feel a surge of sympathy
for her former Trainee. Tanyee was indeed good, despite her youth. She
had the nagging feeling that something else was going on here.

By ten strokes, some of Tanyee's composure began to crack. Her hands
curled into fists, and she sobbed again. Yet again, she did not cry
out. She refused to cry out. She would take it like she was expected to
take it. She was a good slave.

By fifteen, she uttered a tiny whimper.

At the twentieth, she gave just one small weak yelp that she clamped
down on immediately. When she felt no more strikes upon her rear, she
collapsed forward, crying quietly into the furs.

Yet the worst part of her punishment was to come, and when it happened,
she could not control herself. She let out a wail of mortification and
despair when she felt Roquan slip the leather collar around her neck
and secure it with the padlock, giving the chain the traditional snap
that signified the status of the one so collared.

Tanyee had just been demoted back to Trainee.

Roquan stepped past Tanyee and presented the free end of the chain to
Sirinna. "She is yours again," he said.

Sirinna hesitated. Roquan, who knew every nuance of his favorite's
reactions, raised a single eyebrow questioningly.

Sirinna ultimately did not disobey Roquan and took the end of the chain
into her hand. The same questioning look remained on Roquan's face.
"Master, while I am honored you believe I can set Tanyee right,"
Sirinna spoke, "There is something I need to talk to you about. It ...
it concerns my trip to Earth."

"As much as I am interested to hear how your mission went, Sirinna, I
do believe it can wait until morning," Roquan said.

"Master, please," Sirinna persisted, to his mild surprise. "The matter
is most urgent."

"Would this affect your ability to re-train Tanyee?"

"Yes, master, it might."

Roquan was even more surprised to hear this. "Very well," he said. He
glanced over to Tanyee, who continued to shed tears. "Calm the girl,
and then come to my bedchamber."

Roquan quickly turned and marched back into his chamber. Sirinna
likewise knew all of Roquan's mannerisms, and that stride told her he
was already angry, and that what she had to tell him better be of the
utmost importance, or she would likely find herself on the business end
of the paddle as well.

Sirinna stepped over to Tanyee and knelt by her. "Tanyee."

The girl looked up, her face screwed up in anguish. "S-Sirinna, I'm
sorry!" she pleaded. "P-please, forgive me! I-I don't know what
happened! Sirinna, I didn't ..."

Sirinna hated to do it, but Tanyee was her Trainee now again, and the
girl had to remember her place. With a flicker of sympathy in her eyes,
Sirinna gave Tanyee a swift slap on her tender backside with her hand
and yanked the chain.

"/Mistress!/" Tanyee wailed, cheeks red with embarrassment again at
having forgotten the proper form of address. "I'm s-sorry! I don't know
what came over me, mistress! Please, y-you have to believe me! I ..."

"Tanyee," Sirinna said firmly, giving the chain another yank. Tanyee
fell silent at once, though tears continued to trickle down her cheeks.
Sirinna sighed. "It's all right, Tanyee. I meant what I said. I think
very highly of you. I still think you're a good slave. Be a good girl,
and you'll get this collar off you soon. Understand?"

Tanyee nodded quickly. "Yes, m-mistress," she said, sniffling back any
further tears. "Thank you, mistress."

"Now, I need to speak with Master Roquan." Sirinna stood up and hooked
the end of the chain on a hook on the wall. "Lay down near the
fireplace here and rest for now. I'll take you back with me when I'm
done."

/If I don't have a collar myself after Roquan gets done with me, that
is,/ Sirinna thought as she entered the Overlord's bedchamber.



As Vanlo strolled down the sandy path through the cool night air, a
brilliant full moon overhead casting a silvery glow over the still
gardens, he came upon the fork that would take him either to his
quarters or to his offices. There was no hesitation in his decision; he
chose the latter.

Vanlo was quite dedicated to his profession and to his Overlord. Having
gained a position that most Healers, even the most senior of them,
always aspired to but rarely attained, he felt privileged, and desired
to show that he deserved it. He wished to dispel the notion that an old
Healer that became a physician for a Manor did little but examine
youthful nude bodies all day and settle down to randy sexual escapades
through the night.

Vanlo entered his offices through the front chamber, where he received
patients and interviewed them to discover their complaints. The chamber
was dark, as was the next where he performed examinations and
treatments. Beyond it, however, in the rearmost chamber, several lights
burned.

Truth be told, Vanlo felt he was past his prime for any sort of
strenuous sexual activity on a regular basis. He realized that he had
the skill to create potions that would restore his vigor in this
regard, but he considered this "cheating" in a way. This was not to
say, however, that he did not take some advantage of the Overlord's
generosity.

As Vanlo entered his lab, a young woman with reddish brown hair looked
up from the large cauldron she stood over and smiled brightly. "Good
evening, master," she said, giving him a courteous nod of her head.

Vanlo smiled as he gazed upon the slave. /His/ slave, according to
Roquan, for as long as he wanted her. He found her to be quite the
beauty. Creamy skin, a nicely rounded figure without being too thin, a
nice bit of heft to her breasts. And he simply adored that hair color,
and the way the small tuft of pubic hair matched it.

"Good evening, Yanna," Vanlo said softly. He strolled into the room,
casting his seasoned eyes about the room. The two lamps in the far
corners of the room provided only part of the light. The rest came from
a large, low fire burning steadily under a wide cauldron. Within, a
syrupy concoction that smelled strongly of lilacs bubbled slowly.

"The Kaylaxxa should be ready by morning, master," Yanna said. "I
should need only to stir it twice more."

"Very good," Vanlo said. He peered into the brew, giving it a sniff. He
glanced over to the side and picked up a wooden spoon from a nearby
table and dipped the spoon into the potion, paused, then quickly
removed it and examined how much stuck to the spoon and how fast it
oozed back into the pot. "In fact, excellent, Yanna. I am quite
impressed."

Yanna smiled. "Thank you, master!"

Vanlo /was/ impressed. He knew that the slave had had healing talents
when she had been traded to Roquan from a fellow Overlord some months
ago, but he had not suspected she knew this much about mixing salves.
Especially Kaylaxxa, which was tricky even for the best Healers.
Perhaps Rennis D'glounaas values intelligence in his slaves as much as
Roquan did.

Impressed, but not surprised.

Vanlo knew it was a common misconception that slaves were mindless, or
that sex was their sole purpose. While sex was a primary function, it
was not the only one. Slaves often became more. Companions, domestics,
nannies, assistants, and so on. Overlords who did not exploit the
additional talents of his or her slaves beyond sex were fools. And
Roquan was no fool.

"Rennis would be quite proud of you, Yanna," Vanlo said.

"Master, is it true that my old master is coming here in the morning?"

Vanlo chuckled and reached over to stroke the young woman's hair.
"Eager to see him again, are you?"

"I wish only for him to see how well I have been doing under Master
Roquan," she said, paused, and then blushed slightly. "And you, of
course, master."

"Ah, but I only put you to work with smelly potions and tending to the
bumps and bruises of the other slaves. Hardly the kind of excitement
most slaves have."

Yanna gave Vanlo a sweet smile and cupped one of her breasts softly
with a hand. "Oh, but I have excitement enough, master," she said in a
husky voice. Her other hand reached down and played with her pubic
hair, flirting with her slot. "For the things you like me to do for
you."

Vanlo was indeed past direct sexual activity, but this did not mean he
did not appreciate what his tired old eyes could show him. He
particularly liked watching Yanna play with herself, pleasing her pussy
or fondling her breasts. He discovered it to be a perfect way to drift
off to sleep on nights that slumber seemed elusive. He would gently
fall asleep to her soft moans of pleasure and the low, wet sounds of
her fingers in her sex.

"Will you be wishing that of me tonight, master?" Yanna said, her eyes
sultry, her finger just teasing her womanhood.

"Alas, no, not tonight, Yanna," he said. "I am rather weary and will
retire as soon as I have checked on my experiment."

"Of course, master," Yanna said, sounding slightly disappointed as she
withdrew her hands from herself.

"You are free to pleasure yourself as you need this evening," Vanlo
said as he turned away from the cauldron and towards a table in another
corner of the room.

"Thank you, master."

Vanlo knew that slaves were conditioned during their training to desire
sexual release on a regular basis and wanted to make sure Yanna
received enough in this regard. Slaves generally were not allowed to
touch themselves unless in view of a master or mistress.

He left off thoughts of the erotic for the time being to concentrate on
the apparatus in the corner of the room. Here he had set up several
flasks attached to glass tubing, steaming fluid oozing through it all
as low flames slowly heated the substances to boiling. In a beaker to
the far right, the condensation slowly collected.

It was into this he peered, examining the reddish-purple fluid that was
accumulating there. "Hrm," he muttered. "Interesting ..."

Behind him, Yanna made a half-step to the side and tried to peer over
her master's shoulder to see what he was seeing.

Vanlo reached into a pocket of his robes without taking his eyes from
the apparatus. He withdrew a small tissue, which had a single red spot
upon it. He tore the spot from the tissue and dropped it into one of
the slender tubes at the top of apparatus

Vanlo tapped a flask, then gave a valve a minute adjustment. "Let's see
if we get the same results with this, hmm?" he muttered to himself.

Yanna quickly stepped back and folded her hands demurely in front of
him as Vanlo straightened up and turned around.

"Congratulations, Yanna."

Yanna paused, looking slightly anxious. "Master?"

"You are the first that I will actually trust to finish a batch of
Kaylaxxa salve on her own and not lose sleep over how it will come
out."

"Oh! Thank you, master," Yanna said promptly.

He crossed over to her and gave her hair another caress. "Don't get to
bed too late, Yanna, as I'll be needing your assistance tomorrow in
distributing the Kaylaxxa to the others."

"Of course, master."

Vanlo headed out the back of the lab, to another path that led to his
quarters. "Good night, Yanna."

"Sleep well, master," Yanna called out after him.

Yanna waited for a few moments after Vanlo had left the room before
acting.

Giving the door one more last glance, she padded quietly over to the
apparatus in the corner and dropped into a crouch as she examined it
carefully. Her alert, quick eyes flicked back and forth, apparently at
random to an observer, but with deliberate purpose in her own mind. Her
eyes shifted to the beaker and narrowed.

He was close. Very close. Damn him.

Yanna took another look towards the door for a second. She then reached
up and nudged the valve that her master had touched, opening it wider
than he had intended. She altered one of the flames minutely. She gave
a light bump to one of the glass tubes, knocking it just very slightly
off center.

She stood up and looked at her work. It was as much as she dared. Any
more, and the Healer would know for sure that someone had tampered with
it. Anyway, she did not need to buy much more time. With Master Rennis
arriving the next day, the plan was coming to fruition. He had received
her missive and would be bringing her what she most desperately needed
for her plan to succeed.



Sirinna swallowed nervously and tried not to cringe when Roquan
regarded her with a stony gaze as he silently crossed his chamber and
took the goblet back into his hand. He lifted it to his lips and
drained a good amount from it before finally opening his mouth to
speak.

"Now, Sirinna ... help me understand," he said. "You say you brought
this girl back from Earth, but she is not a Captive."

"You told me we needed no more Captives before I left, master," Sirinna
pointed out.

"Yes, but I was sure I did not mean to imply you were free to bring any
random outworlder you wished into Narlass."

"Oh, she is not random, master!" Sirinna said, smiling slightly. "Had I
been able to bring one back, she would have been perfect."

"But you /did/ bring her back."

"Yes, master."

"But not as a Captive."

"Yes, master."

"Ah. Now you see where my understanding breaks down, Sirinna."

Sirinna wrung her hands. "Master, you heard me explain about the
storm?"

"You can assume I heard every word you spoke to me," Roquan said
coolly.

"O-of course, my apologies. Well ... I-I couldn't just leave her there
..."

"And why not?"

"She might have been hurt! Or killed!" Sirinna cried. She paused, and
forced herself to lower her voice when she thought she saw Roquan's
face hardening a touch. "S-sorry, master."

Roquan took another pull from his wine and retreated to a plush chair
opposite his bed. "This girl ..."

"Amanda."

"Amanda, then. Why was she of consequence to you? Why should anyone
that happened to be around you be of consequence?"

"She didn't just happen to be there, master, she came after me."

Roquan raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Sirinna's heart thudded in her chest. "Because Amanda fancies me,
master."

"She is /supposed/ to fancy you, Sirinna," Roquan said tersely. "That
is what a proper Slaver does with a potential candidate."

"And I did just that!" Sirinna gushed. "Oh, master, Amanda must be one
of the most sensuous girls I have ever come across. I was her first
sexual experience, and she took to it wonderfully. I even got her to
accept a simple rope around her wrists, and she still was so eager to
please that ..."

"Sirinna."

Sirinna immediately quieted, dropping her gaze.

"Where is Amanda now?" Roquan asked.

"In my quarters, master, in one of the Trainee rooms," Sirinna answered
in a low voice. "I gave her a sleeping mist, so she'll not wake until
sunrise. I put the Captive's chain around her wrist as well."

"I suppose you did not think to give her the Forgetfulness Draught."

Sirinna looked up, eyes wide.

Roquan sighed. "I thought not."

Sirinna felt anxiety twitching in her stomach. She had not even thought
about it. But why would she? Only Captives received that. Only a
Captive would have need to forget her past before arriving in Narlass,
to make her more tractable and easier to train.

Yet the heavens knew that Amanda had plenty of bad memories she would
be better off without.

"Master, perhaps when I go back to my quarters I can ..."

"It is far too late now, Sirinna," Roquan said, his voice hard. "It
must be given within minutes of her arrival for it to be effective, and
that time has passed. It is becoming very clear to me now, Sirinna,
that she is not here because she fancies you, but because you fancy
her."

Sirinna sighed to herself. Any denial would be an outright lie and earn
her worse than she knew she was going to be getting.

"This despite my warnings about such a thing, and your promises not to
become emotionally involved. Again!"

Sirinna cast her eyes down in shame. "Will I be punished for this,
master?" she asked in a small voice.

"Indeed you will, Sirinna, and most severely."

Sirinna's shoulders slumped. "Yes, master," she whispered.

Roquan looked at her intently for a long moment. "But not at the
moment."

Sirinna looked up questioningly.

"I need you too badly right now for you to be punished. You have Tanyee
to re-train, for one thing. And you will need to tend to Amanda."

"Tend to her, master?"

Roquan stood up and stepped up to her. She looked up into his icy gaze
and shivered. "Keep her in your quarters," he said in a low voice.
"Bring her meals and whatever else she needs, but keep her there. I
will summon a Mage tomorrow to realign the Portal energies. In a few
days, we can reopen the Portal and send her home."

Sirinna's breath caught in her throat, but she said nothing. The look
in her eyes, however, spoke volumes.

"This is how it must be, Sirinna," Roquan said. "She is an outworlder.
And what must an outworlder that remains on Narlass become?"

"A slave."

"Yes, exactly. A slave. She cannot stay and be anything else. And where
she has not at all been properly prepared, I do not wish to make her
one, and I do not wish anyone to know we have her here. So she must go
back. And on this point, there will be no further discussion."

Roquan turned away from Sirinna as he drained the rest of his goblet.

Sirinna gazed at him, her eyes darting over the outlines of his broad
shoulders in his robe, at the tight cords of muscle along his arms. She
felt a surge of longing for him, having been away for so long. "Master,
will you be in need of companionship tonight ..." she began hopefully.

"No," he answered sharply. "I find myself far too weary now."

Sirinna sighed softly. "Yes, master."

"Take Tanyee and go back to your quarters, Sirinna. And remember what I
said. Keep Amanda there. She is not to leave your quarters."