36 Part 02

Another prolonged battle was with the blacksmith to make him wash after each slave had been duly marked. That reduced the number of infections after the operation considerably.

She never got used to her trips to the barracks and she stayed away at market days. She did not want to see to whom or to what 'her' slaves were being sold.

One day a new lot arrived. It belonged to one of the slave hunters that were almost as bad as 'Fish' and the state of his 'goods' was a depressing sight.

For once The Doc was occupied so there had been no inspection round. She had just started from one end and was working her way down the cells.

She was sweating and only had 3 cells to go. Moved to the next cell and looked at the naked and whipped, female body curled up on the bunk.

She sat down on the edge and stroked the back very gentle with her hand. The only reaction was that the skin shivered under her touch.

She began her usual routine. Gently and carefully rubbing the skin with the lukewarm cloth. When she had gotten most of the road grime off on that side of the body, she grabbed the shoulders and turned the girl on the bunk.

Then a loud gasp escaped her. It was her little sister, Rosalina - from the mountain.

She had never thought she would see her again -- and certainly not here and in this condition.

She embraced the girl and rocked back and forth as tears ran down her cheeks.

It took quite a while before Rosalina became aware of what was going on but then she slowly moved her arms around her and held her very, very tight -- sobbing loudly.

Her sister was in a daze. She could see that it had been a long walk and that she had been beaten and abused as much as she herself had been on the road to the city. The heavy iron restraints had left bloody and swollen rings round her neck, wrists and ankles, and her body was full of whip marks. Some almost healed, but some much too fresh.

She talked in a low, musical voice - just comforting words and noises -- as she cleaned and oiled her sisters' body.

Experience told her that her sister was in shock -- as most new arrivals - and it would take some time before she would be able to talk and act like a human again.

Therefore she pushed her gently down on the bed, pulled the blanket up and kissed her forehead. Before leaving the cell.

Later she would have no recollection of what she did or how in the last two cells, but as soon as she had finished, she asked the guards to leave her cart parked for a while and come back for it later.

Then she rushed to Sir Robert.

He had laughed as she had rushed in her usual way. Not caring what he was doing or who he was with. Fortunately, he was just doing some accounts -- alone.

Almost out of breath, she explained the matter to him as his face changed from the initial laughter to a very grave appearance.

Of course, he would see what he could do and he would immediately go to see the slave hunter and try his very best to buy Rosalina off his hands.

She spent the next hour down in the cellar with her old friends. Not telling them why but being jumpy and distraught. Several times they had to repeat something, when they spoke to her and her thoughts and mind was not there at all.

When message came that Sir Robert had returned, she just got up and rushed upstairs. Leaving her friends more than surprised at her different behaviour.

The look on Sir Robert's face told it all. She knew that he had not been successful even before he spoke.

"I'm sorry," he said. "...but the trader thinks he can get more money out of selling her at the open auction than any offer I presented to him."

She felt dizzy and the room spun around: "..but...but...?"

"I know. Showing interest like this makes him think that he has something valuable on his hands, and now I suspect that he will be 'shadow bidding' as he knows I am interested. So, if no one else bids her up he certainly will."

Sir Robert shook his head...

Then she straightened her back: "You've been very good to me from the first day. You have even set me up in my own house, so I owe you everything and have no right to ask you -- but will you buy my sister for me? -- I cannot offer much in return as all I have is yours anyway, but I am willing to go back in slavery, and do whatever it takes -- and whatever you want -- to make you do this!"

Sir Robert smiled and stroked her cheek softly: "No, no. Of course, I will bid for your sister -- and follow the bidding up. I'll even go talk to mother about it, so I will be sure I have the backing and funds to do so -- no matter what the price. I was scolded for overpaying for you then -- and I suspect she will scold me for overpaying for her, but as everyone can see the price I paid for you has turned out to be far too small."

He laughed.

She kissed his hand: "Thank you, Sir Robert! Thank you."

"Now run along and tend to your sister. She probably needs it and you know she has to go through the whole process before we can take her home?"

She shivered and suddenly remembered the inevitable trip to the blacksmith. It was like her own rings - that she almost never noticed -- suddenly felt very heavy.

She spent all her free time in the slave barracks the next two weeks. Tending mainly to her sister, but also doing her duty to the other new slaves as they came in. She counted as the cells were filling up and knew by experience at what point the intake of slaves would be closed, and the slaves coming in after that would be left for the next auction.

Shortly after, the inevitable branding and ringing would take place and as soon as the slaves had healed up, the auction would take place.

Of course, the hunters all knew this, so at the end of a period some very worn and exhausted slaves came in. Being driven at high speed to reach the city in time for the auction.

She gradually got the story out of her sister. Their mother had fallen ill so she had used her last resources to sell whatever could be sold and get Rosalina a place on the island.

Their mother had probably died shortly after according the symptoms Rosaline told 36.

At the island Rosalina had been treated harsher than the other girls. Everybody knew that 36 was her sister and although the official explanation was that 36 had drowned trying to escape, the fact that her body had never been found gave reason to much speculation. Among both the girls and the staff.

They made sure Rosalina would not try something similar, so she was made to wear a leg iron around her right ankle and very often with a heavy lead ball attached.

36 heard her real name spoken for the first time in ages, but told Rosalina to forget about it and just call her '36' like everyone else did. It was her name now and she was quite used to it as well as happy about it.

It gave her a warm feeling that no one had been named '36' after her disappearance and that it was considered an 'unlucky number' on the island.

The Island administration had been relieved and glad to 'load Rosalina off' to a family in town. Here the father had abused her in the stable on a regular basis. She had been whipped, beaten and treated badly -- according to what 36 could drag out of her.

Even though the girls from the island was not allowed to wander out of the town, Rosalina had managed to sneak out one day. It had been market day and her 'family' had all gone to enjoy themselves.

Rosalina had just thought she would walk just outside the town and have a precious, little moment to herself without the constant scolding, beatings and abuse.

The slave hunters had been hiding in the trees and bushes surrounding the town. Just waiting for a victim to come wandering out.

It seemed like they had come from all sides, forced her down on the ground, gagged her and tied her wrists and ankles to a long wooden shaft. Thus gagged and with a bag over her head she had sensed that her captors moved swiftly to get away from the city.

It was dark when they stopped and took the hood off her head.

Then she had had the same treatment 36 knew all too well.

The rest had been one long, terrible walk to the city.

Rosalina did not go into details but they both knew what it was like on the slave trail.

The slave hunters had probably done this before as Rosalina could tell of other girls that had just disappeared from the village as well as 36 remembered similar stories from her time.

No one seemed to care. The family that was deprived of their personal servant just requested another girl from the island.

There were girls enough.

The cells filled up the usual way and the day for the branding and ringing came. 36 knew she had no way of preventing Rosalina from being subjected to the same treatment as everyone else in the barracks.

She had managed with considerable use of her persuasive powers, to make arrangements to drug the slaves before they were taken to the blacksmith. She had organized a wood and canvas stretcher from The Doctor. It was now permanently placed in a corner of the hallway outside the cells.

She gave the slaves a preparatory drink. Mainly consisting of poppy extract and other herbs that rendered them almost unconscious before they were taken to the ringing and branding.

At first the guards had protested. They thought it was easier for them to just frogmarch the slaves down the hall and across the yard -- and then more or less carry them back to their cells afterwards.

A decisive factor was that the smith had found his job much easier.

Although the process had been running fairly smooth before, a lot of the slaves tried to resist and fight the little they could, when the old way was used. Now they were just lifted on the stretcher, carried to the blacksmith, transferred to the worktable and then he could work with a body that was absolutely still -- and did not protest.

As easy as they were brought to the smith's and he did his ghastly job, they were moved back to their cells and unloaded.

36 did not tell Rosalina what was going to happen. She had cleverly avoided answering her questions about the very visible nose ring. A few times Rosalina had seen or felt her nipple rings, but she had also managed to produce evasive answers to that.

Rosalina had complete faith in her, so when she presented her with the drink and sat and held her hand as she drifted into a deep sleep -- all was peaceful and quiet.

As usual she followed the stretcher over to the blacksmith while she held Rosalina's slack hand. She never let go of the hand. Not during the transport nor during the violation of her sisters body.. She did close her eyes when the smith did his business with Rosalina, but could not avoid the pungent smell that seemed to burn the inside of her nose.

36 did not have time to linger in Rosalina's cell afterwards, but did her duty with the next many slaves. Having given them all the drink well in advance.

For the rest of the day and long into the night, she went from one cell to the other. Watching for signs of the slaves waking up, treating the wounds around the rings and the brand and constantly keeping a watchful eye on Rosalina.

Her system was to keep the slaves drugged the first 24 hours and treat their wounds. Then the worst pain had diminished, and she gradually brought them round -- giving them thinner and thinner solutions of the potion every time they showed signs of waking up.

She always spent 24 hours a day in the barracks after the ringing and branding had taken place.

Getting a little rest on a bench in the guard's house.

This time she was lucky: Only two slaves had nasty infections. She sent word to the doc, who came and treated those. A man and a woman. The woman in her right nip, and the man in the penis ring -- of course. It was almost always there the males had infections. The ring going in through the urine opening and then out under the penis head.

The Doctor did his best and soon the infections were under control.

He had all the right remedies -- and plenty of it. He still had years of supplies from the expedition to the concrete bunker.

She had expected her sister to be just as mad at her as she had been with Sir Robert, but on the contrary: Her sister cried -- and cried -- and cried.

She held her and rocked her in her arms, while Rosalina constantly said. "Why did you let them do this to me?"

It took several days to calm her down, explain the situation and demonstrate once again her own rings and brand.

It helped when Sir Robert came by on a quick visit. Assuring them that he had talked to his mother and together they would buy Rosalina -- at any cost!

As auction day drew near, she thought a lot about making Rosalina less attractive. She could make her drink a lot of carrot juice to make her skin and eye colour yellow, and she could also give her a potion that would give her skin a greyish hue, but the slave hunter told her one day that if Rosalina showed the least signs of not being 100% fit he would withdraw he from the auction, leave her in the cells for the next one -- and make sure 36 had no access to her. So, she had to keep her as fit as the rest of the human 'goods' in the cells.

The auction day came and 36 was busy from sunrise. There had always been 4 slave girls attending to the prisoners at auction day, but she had become the natural supervisor, who kept check on everything - and she prepared Rosalina herself.

The sisters had the same chestnut, long hair and the same slim figure with slightly heavy breasts. Rosalina was a little shorter and even though she had been fed well during her time in the cell, she was still considerably more skinny than her big sister.

36 oiled her body meticulously in order for it to shine and reflect the light in the best possible manner. Brushed her hair so it fell nicely around her face and framed her delicate features.

Being ready, they then sat down and waited for The Doctor.

As a warranty that the slaves were free of deceases or faults, he always did a last round before the auction. 36 had several times seen him reject a slave on the grounds of not quite healed wounds or slight fevers. Needless to say he was not the most popular person among the slave hunters as they had all seen one or more of their stock being withdrawn from the auction at the last moment.

A lost income they would have to wait for till later. Sometimes even several months during which period they would have to pay for the slave's cell and food and thus reducing their profit.

The Doc filled a short form on each person and hung it on a clipboard by the bars at the entrance to the cells.

When the guards made the slave line ready to go it was their duty to take the clipboards and keep track of which report belonged to which slave.

As the slaves - one by one - were led up the stairs to the podium at the top of the wall, the guards leading them had their clipboard and left it in the hands of the auctioneer.

Apart from The Doc's notes, the clipboard held the few personal facts know about the slave.

The paper finally accompanied the slave down the front steps to the stall at the bottom, where the buyer would exchange the payment for the slave. In return he would be handed the slave and the paper as a closure of the deal.

The Doc looked in at them as they were sitting on the bench in the cell holding hands. He smiled but said nothing, made crosses and notes on his paper and hung it on the bars. Then went on to the next cell.

Thus sparing Rosalina for yet another degrading probe of her body.

The guards came, put the iron wrists cuffs on Rosalina, locked her hands on her back, and attached her nose ring by a chain to the ring in the wall.

36 noticed that Rosalina was breathing fast and short. She caressed her and spoke softly in her ear. Calming and assuring her that it all would go well.

They heard the slaves being taken out. The noise coming closer and soon it was Rosalina's turn.

The last thing, she managed to whisper to Rosalina was that she would go out in front and see her later.

She stopped at the end of the hall and turned. Watching as the last slaves were taken out of their cells and attached to the line.

As soon as the line started to move she hurried out and ran around the outside of the slave pen to the square.

She had not been at a slave auction for ages, so the huge crowd that filled the square up completely made her stop in her stride.

Her eyes went searching over the crowd and found Sir Robert. The town had respect for the governor so there was quite a wide circle of empty space around him, even though the place was filled to the brim. She pushed and wriggled her way through the crowd to join him.

He gave her a reassuring smile and then they both concentrated on the top of the platform as the first naked figure appeared on the wall.

A very young and very scared looking girl. The guards walked her slowly back and forth on the edge of the wall and then attached the chain from her nose ring to the solid, wooden pole.

One of them grabbed her shoulders and turned her so she was facing the square.

Then the bidding started and the auctioneer did his best to shout out the physical advantages of the girl, who seemed to crawl more and more into herself as she was described in every detail to everyone present.

Fortunately she was bought by a baker 36 knew. He was a kind man and had a pleasant wife, but she knew he needed extra help with their many children - and probably also an extra help in his shop. The young girl could have done much worse.

She was not even all the way down the front steps when the next naked figure appeared on the wall.

It took almost two hours before Rosalina appeared on the platform.

36 had felt her heart beat faster and faster. Thinking about the time she had been standing down there waiting to be dragged up and the slight shock she had had, when she looked out over the crowd and felt everyone's eyes on her naked body.

Sir Robert had repeatedly and discretely grabbed her hand and pressed it lightly. He must have sensed her state of mind and at least he must have felt her sweaty hand.

Now she grabbed Sir Robert's hand and held it so tight that his fingertips turned white, but he did not say anything. Concentrating his full attention on the platform.

Rosalina was obviously a very beautiful young woman. Her hair blowing slightly in the wind and her slim, oiled body shining as she was dragged along the 'walk of shame' at the front of the platform and then back to the post beside the auctioneer's desk. Her new adornments: The rings in her nips reflected the light as her firm, pointed breasts moved up and down with her fast breath.

The brand still an ugly, crusted looking wound, but with the well-known and distinct 'S' shape on her left buttock.

The chain from her nose to the post suddenly looked very heavy to 36.

Rosalina had not looked up once, but had kept her eyes directed at an imaginary spot on the floor right in front of her.

36 saw how she blushed when the auctioneer shouted out the praise for her, using a long, thin stick to point at different parts of her body and making the helpers turn her at will.

Then came the bidding. It went high -- very high. The crowd started to hold their breath and the usual low murmur of voices stopped. Seldom had a girl -- even though a very beautiful one like Rosalina -- reached these heights - and the bidding continued.

36 looked sideways at Sir Robert, but he just calmly raised his hand every time there was a counterbid.

Finally, the hammer fell and she took a deep breath. Sir Robert had won the bidding.

They pressed through the crowds and Sir Robert paid in gold, which the auctioneer's helpers controlled on a small scale at the table.

The chain was taken off Rosalina's nose ring and she was pushed towards them.