Death of a Master Ch. 02

Chapter Two
Return to the Fold

She'd been suspended for a couple of hours now. Sweat was running down her body and her shoulders ached. Her Master knew just what he was doing though, as there wasn't any danger of real injury. The vibrating ben wah balls had kept her pussy wet and her insides churning. She wanted to cum, but knew that she'd need more stimulation than she was getting now. By the time her Master came home, she'd be ready to beg for release; a place He loved to see her in. She wondered how long He'd make her wait; what she'd have to endure once He returned to her tonight. Her body shuddered as she imagined all manner of delightfully painful torments that could be added to what she was already going through.

*****

Three weeks earlier…

Valerie woke up 15 minutes before her alarm, Sally still sleeping comfortably in her arms. She thought back to the night before when she'd been changing to return home.

"Will Sally accept a safety word, Valerie?" he'd asked.

"I think so, Master. She misses serving you."

"I miss her as well. If she does return, I intend to reduce her to a sex object for an entire weekend. I'm inviting several friends for the weekend and Sally will be the perfect entertainment."

"Master, she'll love it. Should I let her know what she's in for?"

"No, you know how much I like to surprise my slaves."

"Of course, Master."

Valerie smiled with a little bit of envy. Sally was going to have fun, provided she accepted a safety word. Val gently shook Sally, rousing her slave.

"Mistress? What can I do for you?"

"We have to talk, Sally."

Sally blinked the sleep from her eyes. "About Master, Mistress?"

"Yes. He'll take you back if you have a safety word. Did you think about it over the weekend?"

"Yes, Mistress. I don't know if I can."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know if I could use a safety word. Mistress, I don't want to stop anything you or He will do to or with me."

"Sally, a safety word isn't a safe word. You won't be able to stop anything from happening to you. All Master wants is for you to be able to let Him know if there's something dangerous happening. You know how safe He plays; it's highly unlikely that you'll need to use it. I want you to have it as well. I don't want to lose you, Sally."

Sally looked pensive as she considered Valerie's request and feelings. For two years, Sally had been safe word free. The thought of being able to stop something, to have the power to take control of her submission, was terrifying to her. She craved the lack of control over her destiny. Yet, her submission to Valerie was about more than that. Sally wanted to serve her Mistress as well; to do what Valerie wanted and needed. Sally would do anything for her Mistress and lover, even this.

"Okay, Mistress, I'll take a safety word; for you."

Valerie hugged Sally and kissed her. "Thank you, my pet. Now, fix breakfast while I get ready for work."

"Yes, Mistress."

At work, Valerie found the grapevine to be working just fine. Calvin was still in the hospital, though no longer in intensive care. The infection was waning and no longer presented an imminent threat. His system, however, was still weak and he was unable to travel, even to his house. With Mary covering as much as possible, he was able to maximize the 2 to 3 hours of work he could manage from the hospital bed.

Nothing major presented itself that morning and Valerie was able to fit a call to Charles during her lunch.

"Master, Sally will take a safety word."

"Very good. I'm glad to have her as a submissive again. She's to report to the mansion Friday night and expect to stay all weekend."

"Yes, Master, I'll let her know."

"I want you here tomorrow night. Pack for overnight."

"Yes, Master. I'm looking forward to it."

That afternoon, Valerie took some time to meet with Mary Carstares, Calvin's secretary. Mary looked up and smiled. She picked up the phone and connected with the front desk. "Imogene, I'm going to be in a meeting for an hour. Can you cover my phone? Thanks."

"Ms. Burbon, step into his office, we'll talk there."

Valerie followed the young lady into Calvin's office. She remembered Mary's enthusiasm when she'd first applied for a job as Valerie's secretary. Valerie had just hired June and wasn't able to give Mary a job. Fortunately, Calvin had also been in need of a real secretary and Mary fit in with the company. To Val's knowledge, Mary had no kinks of her own, yet was fascinated about all things kinky.

As they sat on the couch Calvin kept in his office, Mary asked, "So what do you want to know about pony play, Ms. Burbon?"

"I guess, the short answer is everything; but that's too broad to start. Let's start with why. Why do men and women want to be human horses?"

"Well, as I'm sure you're aware; the exact reasons are as varied as the people involved. They can, however, be broken down into a few general classifications. For some, it's the ultimate extension of submission. To be the owned animal of another person is a form of submission that some crave and revel in. Others have much more in common with transsexuals than with submissives. These people feel as if they were born to the wrong species; that they're really meant to be some type of animal. There may be no submission involved in their animal play at all; at least none beyond the natural level that might exist between the animal type and humans in nature. Human ponies with that motivation are frequently in more of a partnership with their human counterparts than in a submissive relationship."

"Yes, the first type I've encountered. Giggy will sometimes submit as Rachael's pet dog. She put me through it once. I didn't enjoy it beyond knowing it was pleasing to her."

"I can understand that. The third broad group of reasons is admiration for the animal itself. Imitating those we admire has long been a human thing, and some people carry that to animals. In the past, such behavior would get you committed to a mental institution; after all, you had to be nuts to want to be an animal. I suppose that could still happen, but today, there's more tolerance for behaviors that don't directly harm others. Beyond those reasons, there are so many more as to defy categorization."

"That's kind of what I thought might be the case. Is sex always a part of pony play?"

"Not at all, though it can be. For the people who view themselves as truly the animal in some way, sex with their human counterparts would feel too much like bestiality. Others find the animalization itself incredibly erotic and wouldn't dream of excluding sex from their play. It's much like BDSM in that way."

"Okay. What types of activities do human ponies and their human counterparts participate in?"

"When we're specifically talking about ponies, the human part of each team is usually called the trainer. The trainers will treat ponies much like a horse trainer will interact with real horses. In the broadest sense, there are three types of play ponies engage in; sport, work, and show. Sport ponies will compete in sporting events similar to many sports for horses. The most common are races, both with riders and with pulled carts. My understanding is that the gathering you're going to will have pony play barrel races."

"I'm not familiar with barrel racing; do you have any idea what it's about?"

"Not much, just that it's a rodeo event designed for women that involved racing horses through a field that requires both speed and expert horse handling. Most traditional rodeo events are intended for men only; you know, bull riding, bronco busting, and calf roping."

"I see. Now, I assume by work, you mean heavy physical labor?"

"Exactly, but performed as a horse would do it. Work ponies are mostly male and the work consists of traditional equine work; usually hauling loads and plowing fields. Plowing, of course, is limited to small, private plots of land and there's little intent to show a profit. There can be work pony contests at events, though they're not as common."

"I take it show is primarily about appearance?"

"You'd think so, but not really. Have you ever seen the Lipizzaner Stallions perform?"

"Yes, they were lovely."

"That's what show ponies are doing. They perform in dressage competitions; which have nothing to do with dressing up. They're judged on the grace and precision of their movements. The events can be very exacting."

Valerie stayed the entire hour, gaining a wealth of information about pony girls and their fetish. She was still trying to assimilate all the information by the time she was heading back home. Fortunately, Valerie had developed a strong memory in her years as an advertising executive. Clients expected their products to be remembered by those responsible for promoting them.

At home, Sally was waiting for Valerie. Valerie went through her mail while Sally curled up beside her on the couch. Valerie's hand played with Sally's hair absentmindedly. Once assured that nothing was urgent, Valerie set the mail aside and sat Sally up.

"Sally, Master will take you back and expects you for the weekend."

Sally teared up with joy. "Oh, Mistress, that's wonderful. What will He require of me?"

"I can't say. I can tell you that you'll feel your slavery fully by the time he's done."

"I'm nervous; a little scared. What if I let Him down?"

"Remember what you told me years ago. Be obedient and you'll do fine. Honestly, I think I'm going to be envious of you. You're going to have a very hard and enjoyable time."

"I hope so, Mistress. I don't want to let Him down after these years apart."

"You won't, Sally. I don't think you're capable of letting Him down. Now, I'm going to be with him tomorrow night through the morning, so you'll be on your own."

"Will you be lending me out that night?"

"Do you want to be lent out?"

Sally blushed and ducked her head down. "Yes, Mistress. I feel so slave-like when you lend me out rather than leave me alone for the night."

"I thought that might be the case. You go finish dinner and I'll make a call or two." Sally rose and walked to the kitchen to check on the slow cooker and the stew it was simmering. Valerie picked up the phone and dialed a number from memory.

"Hello, this is Giggy."

"Giggy, this is Valerie, is Rachel there?"

"Sure, just a minute."

Valerie thought she could hear the sounds of chains in the background as Giggy moved away from the phone.

"Valerie, it's so good to hear form you. What can I do for you?"

"Rachel, I was actually going to do something for you. How would you like to borrow Sally for the night tomorrow?"

"Ah, Charles must be having you spend the night. Is she still safe word free?"

"Yes, still no safe word." Valerie knew that wasn't an issue with Rachel, so long as she knew in advance.

"Good, good. As a matter of fact, I could use a limitless slave tomorrow night. There's a small gathering at Stephanie's place and Giggy has to work for Henry; the flu. Are there any limits you want to put on her use?"

"Not specifically, but watch Sandra. She's always trying to go too far."

Valerie spoke from experience, having been subjected to the sadistic lesbian's mean streak in the past. Valerie knew, though, that she could trust Rachel to protect Sally from the worst that Sandra could bring to bear.

"Of course. That goes without saying. I don't think she's forgiven you for diving into the water like that." Rachel was referring to a bet Sandra had made with Rachel over the trust level Valerie would give Rachel.

"Thanks, Rachel. Just pick up Sally whenever you need to. I won't be here as I'm going straight to Master's from work."

Hanging up, Valerie walked up to her lover and hugged her from behind. Sally had been turning the crock pot off and getting some dishes out.

"Love, Rachel will be having you tomorrow. She needs someone to take to a party at Steph's."

Sally bit her lip before asking, "Mistress, will Sandra be there?"

Val gave Sally a hard swat on her ass. "That's Mistress Sandra to you, slave. Yes she'll be there, and you'll submit to whatever Rachel chooses to allow. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Mistress. I'm sorry, Mistress."

"You know I need to punish you, don't you?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Set the table for me. You'll be eating on the floor."

"Yes, Mistress."

When Sally knelt on the floor, Val had her take her clothes off. "First, no clothes of any type until Rachel picks you up. Other than what she instructs you to wear, the ban continues until you join Master Friday night. You're also eating with no hands," Val continued as she clipped Sally's cuffs together. "After dinner, you'll be whipped. Do you understand why you're being punished?"

"Yes, Mistress. I was disrespectful to Sandra."

"Exactly. I also intend to let Rachel know and let her decide if Sandra should be allowed to punish you as well."

Sally's voice broke as she answered Valerie. "Yes, Mistress. I'm sorry, Mistress."

"I know you are. You also know why you need this, don't you?"

"Yes, Mistress. I need you to be firm with me. I need to know I can't get away with that kind of disrespect."

Sally ate her stew from a bowl on the floor, making a thorough mess of her face (Val had tied her hair back) in the process. Val left her in silence while she ate, letting the punishment sink in for fuller effect. Once dinner was finished, Sally was dragged by her hair to the kitchen sink and her face was rinsed with the spray nozzle and cold water. Once clean, she was led to the basement and bent over the spanking bench. Her legs were pulled apart, exposing her cunt to possible attention, and her arms were pulled tight, rendering her totally helpless.

"Sally, you're getting 25 with a crop, and the knowledge that this gives me no pleasure."

Tears in her eyes, Sally whispered, "I'm so sorry, Mistress. I didn't mean to disrespect Mistress Sandra."

"I know you didn't, love; you were frightened of being at her mercy. I would be too; I've been there. But, you're a slave, and even at your most frightened, you need to stay respectful."

"I know, I know. Please punish me, Mistress."

Valerie started laying the strokes on Sally's ass. She gave them slow and measured, letting Sally have time to absorb each blow. Sally sobbed from the first blow; not from the pain, she had endured more pain from Valerie in the past. She sobbed from the disappointment at having failed her Mistress. Sally drove herself hard to always be pleasing to Valerie and when she failed in some way, no matter how small, it tore her up. Her punishments were as much about punishing her as they were about giving her closure to her failure; bringing it to an end.

Her 25^th stroke done, Val embraced her slave and lover, caressing her body as Sally's crying eased. In what had become a ritual between the two women, Sally asked, "Am I forgiven, Mistress?"

"Of course, Sally. I'll always forgive you."

Valerie released Sally and the two showered before heading to bed. Tightly embraced, the two slept soundly, each taking comfort in the presence of the other. Valerie never used physical punishment and isolation for the same offence. Sally needed the closeness after being punished.

Tuesday morning, Valerie had Sally pack her an overnight bag while she called Rachel.

"Rachel, I had to punish Sally last night. She didn't react well when I told her Sandra would be at the party."

"She disrespected Sandra?"

"Yes. I want you to decide if Sandra should be allowed to punish Sally for the disrespect."

"Are you sure? Sandra can be quite vicious, and I'm not talking physically. She could seriously hurt Sally, emotionally."

"That's why I'm leaving it up to you. I trust you to keep her safe."

"I will. Anything else I should know?"

"She's on a clothing ban until you pick her up."

"Good. I think I'll take her to the party naked. She's nervous about public exposure. It'll make a good mind fuck."

"Okay. I have to get going. Thanks, Rachel."

"Thank you, Val. I enjoy playing with the two of you. Any chance of playing with you sometime soon?"

"I'd like that, but it's up to Master. Bye, Rachel."

Valerie arrived at work like normal. June had her day sheet ready like she always did.

"Ms. Burbon, Susan Thinkle added herself to your schedule. She didn't say what she wanted to talk to you about."

"Susan's coming here? That's not like her. Is my schedule open right after that?"

"No ma'am, you're meeting with Roger Petri right afterwards. Did you want me to cancel?"

"No, I can't miss Roger. I'll have to play it by ear."

Valerie tried to concentrate on her work while anticipating her upcoming appointment with Susan. Susan was perhaps the most submissive person Valerie had ever heard of. Two years ago, Calvin had put her to work as his secretary because it was so hard to find qualified secretarial help that were willing to work at Delgrasi. During the two months Susan had been with the company, she'd been miserable. The idea that Susan would initiate contact with Valerie was startling.

At 2:00, June knocked and cracked the door open. "Ms. Burbon, Ms. Thinkle is here."

"Send her in, June."

Susan walked in, dressed in a surprisingly modest (for Susan) outfit. Her skirt came down to her knees and her blouse covered all of her torso, including several inches of arm. She had stockings on and a casual pair of shoes. She carried a small handbag that Valerie had never seen before. Her face was tense and Valerie's instincts kicked in. As soon as the door closed, Valerie let her voice go harsh.

"Slave, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be serving your Master?"

Susan's face, incongruously, became almost joyous. She hurried to Valerie's side and dropped to her knees. "Mistress, please, I need you. Master hasn't been able to make use of me since he entered the hospital. The staff won't allow me to serve him and he isn't healthy enough to whip me or use me for sex."

"I see. Does Calvin know you're here?"

"Kind of, Mistress. He said I should ask you for help. He doesn't know that I'm here right now."

Valerie saw her predicament. Susan was a full service slave and took her worth from how well she served her Master. Being told she can't serve was the equivalent to saying she had no worth. Valerie saw the reason for an hour long appointment too. Knowing what was needed, Valerie took the bull by the horns.

"Strip, you worthless cunt! How dare you show up at a Mistress' place of work overdressed like this." While Valerie continued to berate Susan (something Calvin did frequently), Susan scrambled to get out of her clothes. When the stockings were clear of Susan's legs, Valerie grabbed them and set them aside. Susan's panties, the last thing she removed, were immediately stuffed in her mouth and one of the stockings was used to tie them in as a gag. The other stocking bound Susan's wrists behind her back. Valerie dragged the bound woman by her hair to the guest chair, throwing Susan across it.

"Don't move, slave. Don't make a sound."

Valerie looked about her office for something she could use on Susan relatively safely. Nothing seemed to present itself until her eyes landed on Susan's handbag. Smiling, Valerie unclasped the ends of the strap and folded it over. The doubled up length of Naugahyde made a satisfying sting and slap against Valerie's leg. She stalked over to Susan, standing in front of her.

"I'm going to hurt you, Susan. I'm going to hurt you a lot." Susan looked up with wide eyes, desire etched in her face. "You're going to be quiet and not disturb June on the other side of that door." Susan nodded vigorously to signal she understood.

Valerie knew Susan's capacity to absorb pain was immense. Secure in that knowledge, Val laid into Susan's ass and thighs with a vengeance. The first stroke caused Susan to arch her back and hiss through the gag. Twin stripes appeared, red against Susan's lightly tanned skin. Susan's hands writhed in their bindings as the second blow hit with even more force. The stripes were now welts, angry and red. Again and again, Valerie laid into Susan's ass and legs, leaving uncountable welts and bringing the helpless slave to tears, slumped in agony over the chair. After 30 minutes of whipping, Valerie stopped and knelt next to Susan's head.