The Harem's Lessons Ch. 03

The heat was searing, even in the shady courtyard. Ariya pulled her wide-brimmed hat over her face to keep the sun off, but it provided little relief. When Lord Bael had first told her of her mission, she had relished the idea of returning to her homelands, but now she found herself delaying her departure from the protective confines of Border Keep.

"My people need you, and so do yours," He had begun, "I cannot continue to fight a war on two fronts. Refugees are an unrelenting plague on my coffers, but also on your people. When the war ends, they can all return home, but who knows when that will be. A few weeks ago, I sent word to three tribal leaders that an emissary would meet with them to negotiate a treaty." She could not hide the shock.

"You desire peace?"

"Truth is, fighting the tribes is more expensive than fighting the Gadenites. We would wipe them out in time, make no mistake, but their guerrilla tactics and ability to survive in the harsh climate make them difficult enemies despite their dwindling numbers. I offer them peace in return for temporarily sharing their lands with the Shadorian refugees."

"Surely you do not think they will agree to that."

"No, surely I do not. Not if you are any example of the spirit of your people. But it is what is best for them. Please don't misunderstand, I do not expect you to succeed in convincing them to enter into a peace agreement with me, but you are the only one with any hope."

"Me... You want me to go?"

"Who else would I send?" Ariya's eyes drifted to the stranger next to Lord Bael. Lord Bael caught her gaze and smiled, "Captain Greynon here deals in a different type of persuasion. I am sending him as your escort and protector. No, Ariya, you are one of their kind, once a Queen of a tribe yourself. If anyone has a chance, it is you."

"He is to see that I don't run off."

Lord Bael smiled, "Don't presume that I need to send my best man with you to keep you from escaping. My greenest guards would serve that purpose well enough. If you truly care for the lives of your people, you will not try to run."

He had her. It was true. Because it was in her nature, she refused him that day. He did not seem surprised. Three days later, however, she changed her mind.

Two weeks was all the time they had to prepare. Not that preparations would have been difficult, except that the rest of the keep was in a state of chaos over the impending arrival of the famous Shadorian General Tsogai. Ariya was grateful that she would be missing his visit. The women of the harem had been fitted for dresses and a dancing instructor had arrived from the Shadorian capital to prepare an awful flashy welcoming dance. They had been practicing four hours a day for a week. Ridiculous.

Saying farewell to her sisters had been difficult, far more so than Ariya could ever have imagined. Lord Bael had allowed her to pick only one to take on her journey. "To attend you," he had told her, although she knew it was to keep her from getting lonely and secretly she was grateful. Against her every wish, and after deep consideration, she chose Santha. She would miss her friendship with Shiv, and the touch of Eri, but she would need Santha's patient wisdom in the weeks to come. Even as delicate as she was, Ariya still believed she would fare better in the desert than her more fragile sisters.

Currently, Santha was directing several of the luggage servants and helping to make sure everything was safely packed aboard the slods. Standing nearly eight feet tall, and twenty feet in length, slods were enormous flat slug-like creatures native to the desert. Probably the only docile creatures in the region, they rippled gracefully across the sand with surprising speed. They were gentle, extremely intelligent, required little in the way of food (they could go months without it, and weeks without water), and they had the strength of six horses combined. There were only two detractions from their perfection as pack animals and mounts, their two greatest defensive tools against their harsh native climate. The first was that they burrowed underground every day at dusk, to avoid freezing during the cold desert night. This limited travel to the daytime only. The other, was that to keep from drying out, they excreted a thick gooey fluid from large pores, and it smelled. Badly. Santha had looked positively green the first time she had seen the slods that would be their transportation, but Ariya assured her that she would adjust to the smell. Already her harem sister had her mind on the practical, and was climbing up the side of one of the slods to give the tie downs one last tug.

"My lady, it is time to go." The man who spoke to her was Kir, Captain Greynon's right-hand man, a large graying soldier in his fifties who had seen many battles in many nations. Ariya had grown quite fond of him in the past weeks, he served as messenger for Captain Greynon himself, who had been too busy to help much with preparations. His face was wrinkled and leathery, but his teeth were white as pearls and used for frequent gentle smiles. Though his hair was silver, he had a full head of it. Conversations with him came easily, and Ariya would have chosen for him to stay by her side the entire trip. Unfortunately that job went to a man that she was much less comfortable with. Captain Greynon himself was a man of few words, his eyes looked right through everything they saw, calculating and intelligent. He made Ariya very nervous. Kir would run the operations of the camp and lead the convoy, Ariya had a feeling she would miss him during the long days of travel.

"Very well." Kir escorted her to the slod that would be her mount. Santha was fortunate enough to have a baby slod for a mount, they were much smaller and rode more like horses. Ariya had to ride in state on the back of one of the giant adults.Seems they have simply reduced the size of my prison Ariya climbed the rope ladder and into the large wicker palanquin on the slod's back. Inside the dome was a circular couch and lots of pillows. The top was covered to provide shade, but the rest of the dome was open and gave a nice 360 degree view of the surroundings. Ariya made herself comfortable on the couch. It would be a bumpy ride.

She opened her small pack. Inside was her days rations, so that she could eat at her leisure, a scroll and parchment for the treaty, and several books- gifts from Merrin, the beloved old librarian. The books were easy, and if she read them slowly she could figure out what they said. It would take her months to get through all of them, and she hoped she would not be away long enough to do so.

The train of slods began it's departure, twenty adult slods to carry tents, food, and of course the envoy herself, and almost fifty baby slods who followed their parents obediently, carrying guards and servants. Ariya looked for Captain Greynon, but didn't see him. Santha rode a slod behind her, and waved cheerily when their eyes met.

They reached the gates to Border Keep when she spotted him. He was speaking with Lord Bael on a tall platform. He turned to face the slod train and pulled out a small shiny object. It was a whistle. It's noise was shrill, and loud for such a tiny object.

With a start, Ariya felt the slod pick up pace beneath her and almost fell off the couch. Her slod raced up to the platform, and Lord Bael reached out to help Ariya up next to him.

"We are ready to make way." Captain Greynon said. Lord Bael clasped his forearm.

"Be safe, my friend, and may the Gods aide you in your quest." Then Lord Bael turned to Ariya, "My lady, I hope you find your travel arrangements as comfortable as possible. I am sorry to put you in this danger."

"You are mistaken, my lord, I am going home, there is no danger there."

"I pray you are right. Until we meet again."

Captain Greynon helped Ariya back onto the slod before climbing into the dome after her. Another sound from his whistle and the slod returned to it's place in line.

Ariya could hear shouts from the front of the train and the slods began to move again. Before she knew it, they were out of the gates and into the vast expanse of desert, Border Keep a tiny speck on the horizon behind them.

***

Lord Bael watched the convoy as it vanished into the distance. He felt strangely uneasy, but hoped that it was just paranoia. He ordered the gates closed and returned to the inner keep. He had other things to worry about, that was why he had sent Cayn Greynon. Ariya had accepted the mission, so Lord Bael had to believe the hardest part of the mission was already a success. He grinned and shook his head. Those tribal leaders didn't know what they were in for.

No doubt the uneasiness Lord Bael was feeling was due to General Tsogai's visit. Only a couple of days left to prepare. The General was touring the Shadorian provinces to raise morale. That was what the letter had said anyway, it didn't take a brilliant tactician to realize that he was checking to see who was still loyal to Shadoria. Rumor had it, however, that the General was rewarding loyalty with wagons of food. It was worth putting forth the effort to impress. The last thing Lord Bael needed was to be considered luke-warm in his affections for the crown, and General Tsogai was a direct representation of the royal family.

The Great Hall was filled with the women from his harem. They were dressed in vibrant colors, thin and revealing, but not too revealing. Designed to tease, to hint, to tempt. The dance they practiced was fast-paced and energetic, and by the sweat dripping from their bodies, Lord Bael guessed that the instructor had been drilling them for quite some time.

Laneeah would have been an ideal addition to Lord Bael's harem were she not a married woman. It had cost a small fortune to bring her from the capital to help with the welcoming ceremonies, but it was well worth it. The girls had spent the first couple of days tripping over their feet, but now they were dancing as though they had been doing it all of their lives. Laneeah saw him enter and waved at the girls to continue the dance. She approached him, giving a formal bow.

"I hope that my Lord is pleased with their progress."

"I am indeed, Laneeah. You expertise is evident in their skill."

"You are kind to praise me. What brings you here, my lord? Do I need to excuse one of these women?"

Lord Bael laughed, "I am content to watch them dance for now, just don't wear them out too much."
"Their energy is low today."

"They are sad, two of their sisters left this morning, and it may be a long time before they come back."

"They are a very close group. I fear for my life every time I give criticism to one of them, the red-head looks as though she might tear me apart." Lord Bael smiled and looked at Melee. She wasn't much of a dancer, she seemed to have an awkward time moving about quickly with her large tits. No man who watched her would care, though.

Lord Bael excused himself and moved to watch the dance from a large couch facing the make-shift stage. He hoped that everything would go well.

***

The sun was setting Ariya stared out into the vast nothingness of her homelands. The sky lit up in brilliant reds and oranges, making it look as though the desert was on fire. Yet a blanket of deep purple was spreading from the East that would soon cover the sands in a cool embrace. There was a peace here, a quiet that did not exist back at the Keep. They had reached the oasis by late afternoon with plenty of time to have the slods cleared by nightfall. Once the various tents had been pitched, the servants began to prepare fires for dinner. Now that the sun was setting they could light them, and food would be along shortly. Even the noise of the camp could not compete with the stillness of the desert. It was as if the land itself did not wish to exist in a moment, but instead a painting that would last forever. The time lingered here, lazy, making this one day of travel seem like a week, yet as you were caught up in the spirit of the desert you did not feel troubled by this. There was no hurry, no rush, time simply did it's best to stand still.

Santha wrapped a cloak around Ariya's shoulders, startling her from her deep thought. "I'm sorry, Ariya. I didn't want you to get cold when the sun sets," she said with a smile before disappearing back into the large tent that the two women shared with a handful of their servants.

The temperature was indeed dropping, and the slods had burrowed into the sand for the night. Most people gathered around the fires, chatting comfortably as they waited for dinner to be served. The soldiers drank wine and laughed, exchanging tales of women and war. As much as they sounded like they had enjoyed the war, Ariya did not sense a bitterness in them for being taken away from it. Kir said that Captain Greynon's men were fiercely loyal and would obey his commands happily whether they were to fight glorious battles, or clean stables.

Captain Greynon had not said two words to her the entire day of traveling. He had simply sat on the edge of their dome, legs hanging over the side of the slod, careless of the slod sweat that would no doubt stick to his pants for days. Ariya had spent most of the day reading or napping, but did her best to keep busy. Then as soon as they had reached their first campsite, he had disappeared. Perhaps tomorrow she would ask Santha to ride with her so she could have some real company.

She decided to wander the oasis for a bit, happy to be able to stretch her legs. She followed the stream that ran through camp. Her instincts told her that it probably gathered nearby in a pool. The heat of the day would have heated the water and now that the sun had set it would be pleasant for soaking. She ran her her hands on the rough bark of a palm tree, one of many that lined the stream. When she was a child, she was always amazed that trees could survive in such great numbers with so little water to support them. They must share it with each other, or they would all die and there would be no more palm trees left to continue their line. Her grandmother had always told her that the tribes were like palm trees around an oasis. They provided each other with shade, shared water, and because of their cooperation their kind could flourish.

Her feet were bare, and she squished the sand beneath her toes as she walked. The sand was wet from the stream, and she loved the feel of it beneath her feet. It was getting dark quickly, but the stars and the moon shone brightly enough to light her way. She looked at the camp behind her, but she didn't see anyone following her. It was nice to taste freedom for the first time in many months... The entire desert opened up before her with it's infinite possibilities.

You are fooling yourself, Ariya she thought to herself,you know you must return to the camp eventually. Your days of wandering and freedom are over. The tribes roamed the desert with the wind, traveling wherever they pleased. But I am no longer one of them. I am the envoy of Lord Bael of Border Keep sent to deliver a message of peace to the tribal leaders. Once she might have been among the ones she was going to meet, but then that was the very reason why Lord Bael had asked her to go.

The stream led her down a rocky dune, and she could hear that she was nearing the pond where that was it's end. She made her way down between the rocks. SNAP! Ariya froze as she heard the reed snap. Something was moving around in the pool. There was a soft splashing noise. Raiders from one of the tribes...? No, too close to the keep. There was little danger of running into them for several days. An animal, perhaps? Some creature wandered down from the mountains? Or perhaps it was a servant or soldier, here for a bath.

As a woman of the Ilmani tribe, Ariya was one with the desert, and knew how to move silently on her own lands. She crept slowly around the corner until she could see the source of the noise.

In the center of the pool was a man, naked, body glistening in the moonlight. His muscles tensed as he washed himself, each movement as fine-tuned as a bird of prey's. His entire body was as ravaged as his face by battle scars, but there was strength and virility in his obvious ability to survive. His hair, which had been in his face all day, was slicked back and wet, allowing her to see the sharp lines of his profile against the night sky. She had to be, perhaps, seven paces from Captain Cayn Greynon.

She felt that, given her luck, what she saw should not have surprised her, but she stumbled backward and tripped. She felt sharp rocks bite into her soft skin and heard several reeds snap beneath her feet. She did not dare to move, but waited for him to come around the corner and to investigate the noise. When he did not come she stood up and peaked around the corner of the rock. Captain Greynon was gone.

Ariya was very disconcerted. She turned to return to camp. Suddenly there was a rough hand around her neck and one of her wrists. She grunted as she was slammed forcefully into a large rock and held there, feet dangling, by her throat. Her hands went for her attacker, preparing to fight for her life. She felt her knuckles connect with skin and looked to see what she had hit.

He met her gaze with eyes of blue fire that seemed to blaze even in the darkness. Then, in a moment of recognition, his eyes softened a little. He lowered her slowly to the ground. Once again she found herself captured by his stare, she could not pull her eyes away.

"F-forgive me... I..." Ariya stuttered helplessly. Captain Greynon lifted his hand from her throat to her chin and moved his face in close to hers. Ariya's breath caught in her throat.

He turned her head with his hand and examined her neck, "Are you hurt, my lady?"

"No..." He released her.

"I will return you to camp." He turned back to the spring and found his clothing in a pile. Ariya waited for him to get dressed and then followed him back to camp, thankful that in the darkness he could not see the flush in her face.

They were the last words he spoke to her for many days.

***

"General Tsogai, it is my honor to welcome you to Border Keep." Lord Bael bowed before the General, who returned his bow, equally low. He was an imposing figure, although not quite so large as Cayn, he stood proud and tall with a long gray beard, bald head, and harsh wrinkled features. His stomach showed that he had not fought a battle in some time, for he was starting to become quite pudgy.

"Thank you, Lord Bael, for allowing my troops to find shelter in the shade of your great keep, and for being such a gracious host. The crown is pleased to have such good friends."

"We are pleased to have such brilliant rulers. May Shadoria prosper under their reign." Ugh, the formalities stuck in Lord Bael's throat like a rotten fruit. It was all he could do to spit them out, "but please, come out of the sun. We have prepared festivities in honor of your visit. Won't you share our wine and break bread with us?"

"My lord is very kind, it would be our great honor to do so."

Whew, that's done, Lord Bael left the servants to attend to the General's affairs, and led the man and several of his high ranking officers into the Great Hall.

The Hall was decorated in colorful flowers, and littered with the Highborn people of the keep. They were like leeches, all too hungry for the attention of powerful men like the General. Lord Bael didn't envy Tsogai once they got a hold of him. He led the General to a row of chairs seated in front of the make-shift stage.

"Perhaps the General would enjoy some entertainment? The women of my harem are waiting to dance for you."

"My lord's harem is legendary, rumored to have all of the most beautiful women in the kingdom. You are a lucky man. I am lucky too, that they would want to dance for me."