The Girl with No Name Ch. 09

Chapter Nine -- The Follower of the Ancients

The first two Followers among those who had left the settlement for the winter returned in the middle of March. The men braved several days struggling up mountain trails covered with icy mud, leading four pack mules loaded with spices, dried fruit, books, and correspondence from Sebérnekt Ris. The men's arrival was a time of excitement in the settlement as its residents spent their meals reading letters and listening to the newcomers' updates on events around the Duchy.

One of the men, a middle-aged field-surgeon named Ermin, also brought some bad news. In October he had left in the company of his pregnant wife, but returned as a widower. In January the wife had suffered a miscarriage and died of blood-poisoning a few days later. Ermin was distraught, because he was unable to help her and never managed to figure out what happened. He spent the day after he arrived with Babáckt Yaga, carefully describing his wife's symptoms and the measures he took trying to save her. The Cult leader kept a journal in which she detailed unsolved medical cases, and now faced the unhappy task of adding one of her Followers to its contents.

Danka never understood why, but of all the middle-aged men in the settlement from whom she had received instruction over the previous summer, she had liked Ermin the best. He had traveled widely and was interesting to talk to. He also was an excellent instructor for the newcomers, patient and capable of explaining complicated subjects so that anyone could understand them. If an initiate did not grasp what he was teaching, he did not automatically assume it was because of his pupil's stupidity or stubbornness.

Precisely because Danka liked Ermin, Babáckt Yaga tasked her with helping him unpack and setting up his bath. The alchemist figured that Ermin needed to talk and knew that Danka was an excellent listener. She also calculated that being alone with Ermin might help Danka begin winding down her relationship with Káloyankt. She disposed of Danka's current lover by sending him on a fishing expedition with another young female Follower.

So...Danka accompanied Ermin to the bathhouse. She took his clothes and dropped them in a tub of hot water as he settled into the bathtub. She stripped as well, taking advantage of the heated water to wash her own clothing. She then covered his head with soap so she could shave his face and scalp. He had not been shaved since the end of January. He sat quietly while his young companion cleared away two months' growth of hair.

After she finished shaving Ermin, Danka told him to just relax while she dealt with their clothing. The Followers had constructed a rolling device to extract water from wet clothes that was much more efficient than trying to wring them out.

She noticed her companion staring at her body as she moved about the room. She couldn't fault him for it: after having spent two months alone, he couldn't be expected to look away from the bare figure of an attractive young woman. Danka realized she was somewhat attracted to him as well. The years had taken their toll and he was not particularly good-looking, but she liked his personality and appreciated his talent for teaching. Most importantly, she found him interesting to talk to. She patiently listened as he described what happened to his wife and his own feelings of guilt and sadness. His situation was frustrating, because he understood medical knowledge was advancing and eventually the ability to help a woman in his wife's situation would be developed. That was fine for future generations, but didn't do him any good.

As she passed the clothes through the roller, she continued with the conversation. Her background did not give her much experience for expressing sympathy, so she did not try to comfort him with kind words. Instead she encouraged him to go into technical detail about what went wrong with his wife's pregnancy and what would have been needed to save her. She prompted him to talk as a doctor and a teacher, not as a grieving husband. As always, she wanted to learn. As Ermin's teaching instincts took over and when he continued to talk about the miscarriage as a medical practitioner, his emotions began to recover.

Danka returned to her companion to rinse off his head and make sure she had not missed any spots. She decided to rub some more soap on his back. Without thinking about what she was doing, she massaged his shoulders. When she inadvertently brushed his skin with her breasts, he reached up, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to his front. He looked up at her with a hungry expression. Suddenly, the mood in the room completely changed.

"You do understand, young lady, that it's been over six months for me. I have not touched a woman for six months. If you wish to tempt me, there will be consequences."

Danka was shocked. She hadn't really thought about sex, but how could she have been so oblivious? She was naked, with a naked man, in a warm room, and had just spent the last hour letting him watch her as she went about her duties. Finally, she was massaging him. Yes, that would indeed be tempting for any man. Yes, there would be consequences. She realized that's what she wanted. She glanced into the bathwater and noted that he was hard.

She wasn't sure what to say, but with her free hand she caressed Ermin's arm. So...it was decided. She would give herself to him. That afternoon her body would belong to Ermin, not Káloyankt.

Ermin let go of Danka's arm. He knelt in the bathtub and grabbed the girl's shoulders. He kissed her hard on the neck and ran his wet hands up and down her back. He stood up, kissed her passionately, and ran his hands over her bottom. She massaged his penis, making it as hard as she could. And yes, he was hard. He certainly would have no trouble entering her.

The bath house was not set up for love-making: there was no comfortable place to lie down. Danka noted a sturdy worktable. That would have to suffice. Actually, the table gave her an idea. She placed her hands on the surface, spread her legs, and looked back at him. She assumed the traditional submissive love-making position.

She looked back at him and smiled. I'm yours...take me...I surrender myself to you...

Neither lover really understood what was going on in Danka's mind at that moment. There was no hesitation, nor a single thought about Káloyankt. She was desperate to give herself to Ermin. Without saying anything, he placed one hand on her shoulder and caressed her bottom with the other. He explored her vulva and slipped his finger into her wet pussy. He teased her clitoris and ran a fingertip around her trembling sphincter. He continued to tease to make her desperate...to make her truly want it.

Finally, he pushed her down onto the table and motioned her to arch her hips to expose herself as much as possible. Six months...he had waited six months. He thrust very hard as six months of pent-up desire and frustration poured out of him into Danka's eager body. She squealed with pleasure and he grunted loudly. Oh yes...so good...

Babáckt Yaga stood near the back wall of the bath house listening to her two subordinates. She was deeply satisfied. Hopefully, Danka would realize on her own that her Path in Life did not include staying with Káloyankt. He was a fine young man, but it was not his destiny to be Danka's husband. The alchemist knew that his Path in Life would take him back to Sevérckt nad Gorádki. He would take over his father's house and help transform that city. To fulfill his Path in Life, he needed a girl acceptable to the town's nobility. Danka wouldn't suit him, nor would life among the spoiled aristocrats suit her. They needed to separate. Now that Danka had betrayed her relationship with Káloyankt, hopefully leaving him would be much easier.

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The next day Danka had finished some outdoor chores and was about to return to Babáckt Yaga's study to continue working on transcribing a book. It was still too cold to walk around naked, so she was wearing her coat and boots. As usual, she was bare between her waist and her knees. She saw Ermin repairing a fence. She could tell by his expression that his mood had greatly improved. She now understood the reason that Babáckt Yaga had wanted her to be alone with him and was strangely excited to see him. It wasn't that she simply wanted another round of sex: she wanted something more that she really couldn't define. She realized that she wanted him to take her again. She wanted to submit to him, a desire she had never experienced with Káloyankt.

The two Followers exchanged some comments about the day's chores, before the conversation shifted to the book Danka was working on. Ermin gave the young woman some observations about the translation, but was distracted by the strange look in her eyes. Without really thinking about what she was doing, Danka placed her hands on the fence and smiled. Ervin's penis started to stiffen. He grabbed her hand and led her behind a storage cabin, to a spot that was hidden from the rest of the camp. There happened to be an abandoned barrel partially buried in the ground, at perfect level for what the two lovers wanted to do. Danka got on her elbows and knees, exposing herself as much as she could. Ervin caressed her bottom and teased between her legs. Already she was wet, but Ervin made an odd comment, originally meant to be a joke, that set loose a wild fantasy in her thoughts.

"You really are an undisciplined temptress, young lady, distracting me from my duties and ignoring your own. Perhaps your bottom is more suited for touch of the birch rod than the touch of my hand."

Her heart pounded at the thought of submitting to discipline from him. As her lover's hand gently stroked her bottom, she went wet thinking about what it would be like to endure the birch rod. To be alone with him in a hidden part of the forest, to be bent over, feeling his fingertips on her unprotected skin, but knowing that the sharp sting of the birch rod was only moments away...yes...she knew that she wanted it, as long as it was Ermin wielding the switch. She thought about the anticipation, of going out among the birch shoots and finding the perfect rod, peeling off the bark and cutting it to the right length. Oh yes...then she'd shyly hand it to him...and surrender herself.

Ervin's fingertips gently traced her wet labia and teased her clitoris. He was surprised by how wet she had become. Her breathing was coming out in gasps. Fascinated by her reaction, he patted her bottom and added:

"You haven't answered my observation, young lady."

"I...I'd like that..."

Danka was shocked by her own answer. Yes, it was something she suddenly craved, but she couldn't imagine confessing such a strange desire.

"Yes my love, you would like it, wouldn't you? Naughty girl...I knew it. Then I'm obligated to accommodate you. As soon as the snow clears I'll take you to the birch grove and we'll spend a nice long afternoon there."

With that he entered her. She experienced a delicious orgasm as her thoughts filled with the strange fantasy that she was destined to share with her newest lover.

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Káloyankt returned from his fishing trip in a strange mood. He was eager to make love to Danka, but there was something very strange about what he was doing. It seemed he was desperate, as though he wanted to prove to either himself or to her that they were still a couple and still committed to each other. Danka wondered if he suspected her relationship with Ermin. However, she reasoned it was much more likely that he had cheated on her by making love to his fishing companion, which would have been fine with her.

Instead of paying a visit to Altar of the Equinox, the Followers spent March 21 through March 23 stranded in their settlement. A late winter storm covered the entire northern mountain range with heavy wet snow. Nearly half a fathom fell in less than a day, forcing the followers to spend their time cleaning off rooftops and clearing paths instead of giving honor to the Ancients. The leader retreated into her study which, during a moment of crisis, was unusual for her. No one saw her for three days. When she emerged, she was sullen, morose, and appeared depressed. She seemed reduced in stature, as though she had lost something in her soul. She had nothing to say at the moment, apart from announcing that she had decided to send three of the newest Followers to the seminary in Danúbikt Móskt. Out of five recruits, only Danka and Káloyankt would remain behind. After a moment of silence, one of the young women asked:

"So...we shall not be working in the villages this summer?"

"No. That is no longer your Path in Life. Your Path in Life will be to serve the Ancients through the Danubian Church. You'll be safer there than anywhere else."

The young Followers looked at each other. Safer? That was an odd thing for her to say...

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Babáckt Yaga's settlement remained isolated for two weeks following the late snowstorm. The snow started to melt within a few days of the storm, but on March 30 the temperature rose and there were two days of heavy rain. The snow was now gone, but the paths were covered in deep mud and washed out in many places. It wasn't until the second week of April the Followers began using the trails.

Meanwhile, in the settlement Danka continued with her studies and her daily chores. She also struggled to balance the two men in her life. Unlike her relationship with Káloyankt, from the beginning both Danka and Ervin knew their affair was just that, an affair. There was not a chance they could stay together. And yet, he excited her, for reasons she could not have explained, even to herself. She loved being submissive to him in a way that never would occur to her when she was with Káloyankt. With her younger lover she would never even think of assuming the submissive love-making position, but with Ervin it seemed to come naturally. As for the promise of a birching in the woods, had Káloyankt suggested such a thing, she would have brushed him off with a joke. Had he insisted, she would have become angry. And yet, with Ervin, the promised afternoon of discipline and love-making in the birch grove was something she very much anticipated.

As she lay awake, pondering the strange twist in her love life, she wondered what it all meant. She could only hope it wouldn't end badly. She was still known as "Káloyankt's woman" around the settlement and her partner seemed totally oblivious to what she was doing with the Elder. Ervin was tremendously helpful with being discreet. He had his own reason to be quiet: the older women would have disapproved had news about his relationship with the peasant girl become public.

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On April 15 the entire settlement packed up for travelling. There were 50 Followers from Babáckt Yaga's compound and the area surrounding Sevérckt nad Gorádki. The Followers' first destination was the town of Nagorónkti-Serífkti. They spent several days in a frustratingly slow descent as they led pack animals loaded with books, manuscripts, equipment, partially prepared ingredients, and finished potions. The trek down the mountain was uneventful, apart from its physical difficulty. Upon emerging into the flat farmlands of the Western Valley, the Followers put on their formal garments, picked up their skulls, and marched solemnly along the road leading to their destination. They marched at night with their skulls lit, singing ancient hymns in a ritual that had been going on for 5000 years. Along the roads, groups of True-Believer Christians stood quietly and gawked.

Upon arriving in Nagorónkti-Serífkti, Babáckt Yaga's group greeted more of their brethren and set up camp. The town continued to be surprisingly receptive to the Cult of the Ancients, in spite of it being full of True Believers. The Followers had the local Priest to thank for the welcome, given that he was much more concerned about what the Followers could do for his parishioners than he was worried about their Pagan beliefs.

The Followers spent three days in Nagorónkti-Serífkti. During that time, Danka and her companions had little to do, so they took advantage of their free time to walk around the town and the surrounding area. She felt very proud of herself as she showed off to the locals, especially to well-dressed young women and men that were her age. Strange to think, just two years ago they would have dismissed her as an illiterate and dishonored laborer. Had she approached them, they would have hissed and kicked her. Now, they were intimidated. Yes, now, when she looked at them, they were actually afraid of her, afraid of the haughty-looking girl in the sinister back dress.

And the skull on my staff...yes it is real...and I saw the man to whom it belonged when he was still alive. You'll never match any of that. None of you.

Her thoughts wandered to her hometown of Rika Héckt-nemát. It was not far from Nagorónkti-Serífkti; just a couple days' journey south. Could she go there? Oh, how would she love to return in her Cult outfit and show off and then...and then...and then what? Well, if she went back unaccompanied and her neighbors remembered the Beelzebub story, it was quite possible they'd finish what they started: strip off her outfit, tie her hands, and throw her into the Rika Chorna. That thought made Danka understand a very important reality: her Follower's dress only protected her and gave her status if she was with other Cult members. As soon as she was alone, she'd be just as vulnerable as she was while wearing her laborer's clothes.

So...Danka was smart enough to understand that returning home in a Follower's dress wasn't going to do her any good. Her Mistress would never approve such a trip and even if she did, the girl's status as a Follower would be irrelevant. Rika Héckt-nemát was a city of True Believers, where the town council was even more hostile to the Followers of the Ancients than the leaders of Sevérckt nad Gorádki.

However, the temptation of seeking status and power so she could seek revenge did not leave Danka's thoughts. She wondered: if I can't do it as a Follower, then how could I do it? She tried to suppress the idea, but it stubbornly resurfaced.

Status...power...revenge...

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The long solemn line of Followers marched west from Nagorónkti-Serífkti. They traveled slowly, in single file, with their skulls showing their presence and lighting their way. Each night additional groups of Cult members joined the main procession. They sang ancient hymns and chanted as they marched. They only traveled during darkness and stopped to set up camp as soon as the sun came up.

During the day, the Followers not tasked with cooking or attending pack animals engaged in the usual medical routine; spreading out among the nearby villages to vaccinate the locals against smallpox, perform surgeries, and sell medications. The Cult doctors were welcomed by most of the local villagers, in spite of their strange songs and sinister-looking clothing. Babáckt Yaga's subordinates adjusted their prices according to people's ability to pay and were perfectly willing to accept trade goods or workers' services in lieu of silver. When performing operations or delivering a baby, they only demanded payment if the procedure was successful. Even villagers who were totally destitute received attention. The Followers always needed help digging out cave-charcoal, so many of the poorest clients trekked up to the mountains to spend a couple of days pulling black rocks from the ground as reimbursement for medical attention for family members.

With Káloyankt accompanying her as a bodyguard, Danka spent most of her mornings in village squares or marketplaces selling finished potions and recipes. The birth-control paste was the favorite; Danka could count on selling all of her jars within an hour or two of presenting her wares. Nervous young women, many of whom were keeping their purchases secret from their husbands or fathers, furtively approached her with silver coins as soon as they discovered what she was selling.