Rachael and the Warlord Pt. 03

Part 3: The Silent Slave

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Chapter 12: End of an Era

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The closure of the Halls of Valhalla is completed with minimal fuss. My uncle Hayk purchases the property as agreed, and I use a small part of my new found wealth towards buying some extra clothes. My position as mistress of Wadi Halaf requires that I dress appropriately, despite my dislike for the discomfort that clothing imposes on my body. Amina is a great help in choosing my new clothing, and modifying them to suit my own tastes. While I must endure the scratchy feel of clothing covering my tits, Amina finds some soft tops that hang loose below my nipples. The short tops at least mean I can keep my midriff bare. A selection of skirts with deep side slits, and light gauzy trousers, mean that my legs can enjoy relative freedom from the incessant rubbing against my skin that clothing invariably causes.

Amina convinces me to transfer the Halls' three unsold slaves to Wadi Halaf to complete their training. In reality, we need the extra help they can provide while the caravanserai is busy with caravans stopping for more than one night. Consequently I add them to the caravanserai's tally of slaves, and place Wadi Halaf collars on them. As the women are new additions to Wadi Halaf's slave stock, I'm allowed to sell them later should they no longer be needed.

A southbound caravan arrives a few days later transporting a coffle of northern slaves. Among them is a young fair haired woman who is exactly the type of slave the Halls of Valhalla specialised in training. However the Halls are no more, and I must now decide whether to take the opportunity to establish a similar operation at Wadi Halaf. I discuss the idea with Amina and Farai and we agree that buying one slave would enable us to test our ability to conduct the necessary training at Wadi Half alongside normal caravanserai business. I make the merchant an offer for the young female slave. He can't tell me her age, but she looks to be between eighteen and twenty years old. After a bit of haggling I acquire her for seventeen solidi. The low price, and eagerness of the merchant to be rid of her, suggests that I've bought a difficult slave. However, she won't be the first rebellious slave I've had to train. My first act is to place an iron collar around the slave's neck.

"I'm Amina. What is your name?" asks Amina of the new slave, adding gestures to make it clear what she is asking even if her words are in a language the slave doesn't understand.

The merchant was unable to provide the slave's name as she didn't respond to any language that he knows. He obviously believes that a name is unimportant when trading slaves as long as she can be clearly identified. In this case, the slave's honey coloured hair is a distinguishing feature. She is simply referred to by her description and apparent age in the bill of sale. When there is no reaction from the slave, Amina repeats the question in several other languages. There's still no response from the slave. It's difficult to believe that she doesn't understand Amina's gestures even if the language is strange to her. She wouldn't be the first slave to stubbornly refuse to respond. Amina and her sisters tried the same trick when I first met them.

"Let her spend a few hours in one of Wadi Halaf's cells," I say. "That may loosen her tongue and teach her to be cooperative."

Amina escorts the slave to the cells while I track down the merchant. I find him overseeing his other slaves as they unload some of the merchant's trade goods from his wagon.

"Do any of your slaves come from the same place as the woman I bought from you?" I ask the merchant, hoping I might learn something more about the woman.

"No. As you can see, this lot are a different race of barbarians. You've bought yourself a strange one there. She hasn't said a word to anybody since I bought her. She was part of a group of six I acquired in one of those unregistered village markets that sell slaves in back alleys so as not to trouble the local tax collector. I sold the other five easily enough, but nobody was interested in slave who won't respond. I think you have your work cut out with that one."

I know many small towns and villages profit from an illicit trade in slaves. The one solidi tax on the sale of each slave in a public market isn't an excessive cost to a slave trader, but to impoverished villagers the saving will undoubtedly make the difference between food on the table and going without. Unfortunately, unregistered markets are notorious for failing to keep records about the origins of the slaves that they sell. Kidnapped citizens can often find themselves sold into slavery through such markets.

I return to main building to find Amina waiting for me by the entrance. She clearly has news for me, but it isn't something she wishes to share in the busy corridor. I motion for her to join me in one of the small multi-purpose rooms that branch off the corridor.

"I think I've identified a problem with the new slave, Sai," says Amina once we are alone. "When I was escorting her to the cells, Hugo was behind us, moving heavy boxes from the lower storeroom. He lost hold of the box he was carrying and it fell to the floor with a crash like thunder. I nearly leapt out of my skin at the sudden noise. I couldn't help myself from shouting a curse. While the slave flinched at the noise she didn't make a sound. I was puzzled by her subdued reaction and checked her mouth. Most of her tongue is missing. I don't know if it is a birth defect, or if some form of punishment has been inflicted on her."

"So you are saying that you believe our new slave is unable to speak," I reply. "It would explain her lack of response earlier, but I think we need to make sure before we consider what we need to do. Have Jacinta take a look at the slave and see what she thinks."

"And there's another thing, Sai," adds Amina. "I think she has been kept confined in a cell before. Possibly for extended periods. When I placed her in the cell, she immediately went to the hanging cuffs on the wall and placed her arms in position for me to shackle her. She seemed very puzzled when I didn't place the restraints on her."

I'm unsure what I'm going to do. This isn't the sort of problem I wanted to tackle with our first slave-in-training at Wadi Halaf. There will undoubtedly be a market for a slave who can't blab about any of her master's business meetings she may overhear. Many a business deal has turned sour because the details were overheard by a slave who was then either bribed or tortured into revealing what he or she heard. But there needs to be a means of communicating with the slave in the first place.

"That's useful to know," I reply to Amina's report. "Let Farai know what you have learned and have her interrogate Meghr in her cell."

"Meghr? Is that her name, Sai?" asks Amina.

"No, it's what the trader has recorded as the colour of her hair. But we need to call her something until we learn her true name. I refuse to keep calling her 'the slave'."

Farai has a rare ability to extract information from new slaves without appearing to be interrogating them. She has never had to handle a slave who is unable to speak, so it will be a difficult test of her skills. But if anyone can find a way to communicate with Meghr, then Farai is our best option.

Having spent longer than I intended dealing with my new purchase, I return to my caravanserai duties. I meet with Aren to discuss the current state of the supplies in our storerooms and any issues with the caravans currently in our yards.

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Chapter 13: Communication

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My faith in Farai's abilities to extract information from obstinate slaves is fully justified when she reports her progress communicating with Meghr. In Meghr's case, it isn't that she is being awkward or rebellious, it's simply that she cannot utter any sounds other than a weak grunt. There is still a long way to go before we can learn about Meghr's past, and even her real name remains a mystery. However, Farai has established a means of communicating simple instructions to Meghr through hand signals and pictures.

"Is she ready to begin training?" I ask Farai when she meets with Amina and me to discuss Meghr's progress.

"As ready as I can prepare her, Sai," replies Farai. "She can communicate using about twenty different hand signals. I've shown Amina the ones Meghr definitely understands. Anything else will need to be done using drawings."

I'm reluctant to divert Farai away from learning about Aren's duties any longer than necessary. However I have Farai watch Amina's first session with Meghr to assist with any communication difficulties. I resist the temptation to watch as well. I have too many caravanserai tasks needing my attention, and I don't want to crowd Meghr on her first day of training.

Amina gives me a progress report in the early afternoon while we watch Meghr sweeping the corridor floors. It's a daily task that one of the Wadi Halaf slaves normally performs, but there are plenty of other tasks for them to do elsewhere. I watch Meghr with interest. She is very pretty, and I'm sure that she would be welcome in most men's beds despite her disability. Her posture is good, unlike many newly enslaved women, who tend to slouch. The absence of clothing, other than a loin cloth, doesn't seem to trouble her. That suggests she has at least lived in an environment where near-naked slaves are commonplace. The collar around her neck is clearly a new experience for her. She constantly touches the collar and sometimes briefly lifts it off her shoulders.

"To attract Meghr's attention, we should whistle twice like this," says Amina as she demonstrates what she means. "She can hear sounds, but she doesn't seem to understand any of the languages I've tried so far."

Meghr halts her sweeping and turns to face Amina. A short signal from Amina sees Meghr drop to her knees and bows her head.

"From what Farai told me, Meghr already knew to adopt this position in response to the signal I gave, Sai," says Amina. "Please come and stand in front of her. I think she will demonstrate another response she knew before she arrived here."

I do as Amina asks. Without any further signal from either of us, Meghr leans forward and kisses my feet before returning to her kneeling position. Then she moves her right hand across her body in a pattern. I recognise the pattern as part of a religious benediction I've seen some men from the west perform on occasion. My immediate thought is that she has been a captive of the Grey Monks, and that she has been subjected to their perverse ways. But on reflection, that doesn't seem to fit with their usual style of operation. Women of the Grey Monks' Divine Harem aren't instructed in religious ways. They are simply there to spread their legs on demand and service the monks' cocks. Besides, Jacinta has already confirmed that Meghr is a virgin and that her malformed tongue is the result of a cruel punishment inflicted on her when she was child. Why it was done, and who ordered the evil deed, must remain a mystery for now.

"She's obviously followed someone's orders before, although I suspect not as a slave, Sai," says Amina. "My guess is that she has lived and worked with a religious order. Given her inability to speak, they may have seen it as their duty to look after her."

"Yes, I was thinking something similar myself. But if that's the case, it doesn't explain why she is no longer with them."

"Religious orders aren't immune from attack by raiders, Sai. It's possible she was kidnapped. You said that the trader purchased her from a back street market. That's where raider's victims who can't be ransomed usually end up."

In the absence of any evidence, Amina's and my musing is nothing more than plausible speculation. Training Meghr to be a useful slave is still going to be difficult. But the extra challenges at least prove that Amina, Farai and I can manage the workload on top of our caravanserai work.

"Use the next couple of days to train Meghr to respond to more commands," I say to Amina. "After that we will see how she reacts to having sex."

It has already become obvious that keeping Meghr in a dungeon cell is unnecessary. She shows no inclination to escape nor to get into mischief. Unfortunately, she refuses to communicate with hand signals when she's around people she doesn't know. Amina and I agree that we must cure her of the habit. The easiest first step is to have Meghr sleep in the harem. The harem is a hive of activity in the evenings with women coming and going as they prepare for their evening duties, and eventually turn in for the night. Amina shows Meghr the routine for claiming a mattress and a sleeping space. Although I don't intend for Meghr to be a permanent addition to Wadi Halaf's slaves, witnessing and participating in the caravanserai's normal activities should be useful training for her. Phoebe takes a particular liking to Meghr and I encourage Phoebe to help settle Meghr into the harem routine.

Like Amina, Phoebe has an aptitude for languages, and she soon picks up on the hand signals we have been developing to communicate with Meghr. She even adds a few of her own which are blatantly sexual in nature. While most women at Wadi Halaf have a healthy liking for sex, Phoebe and her sister, Dania, have a passion for the more extreme forms of debauchery. At first I'm worried that Phoebe's fetishes might have a detrimental effect on Meghr's introduction to sex. Fortunately, Meghr doesn't seem put off by Phoebe frequent fondling and suggestive overtures.

"I think Meghr's training is progressing well, Sai," says Amina when we discuss Meghr's progress later in the week. "Meghr had her face buried between Phoebe's legs yesterday evening. The look on Phoebe's face suggests that Meghr was close to bringing on an orgasm."

"That's promising. What about her skills servicing a man?" I ask.

"It's too early to know, Sai. She's practised with a wooden cock in her mouth, but she didn't take particularly well to that. Her sexual leanings are definitely towards women, but she only hesitates briefly when there are men in the room."

"That could simply be a reaction to remembered experiences," I reply. "But I agree. Meghr and Phoebe seem to be developing a close relationship. Has Phoebe made any comment about it to you?"

"Not directly, Sai. But I think Phoebe sees Meghr as her protégé in performing some of the more bizarre types of sex. I would have put an end to it at once had Meghr not seemed willing to participate. Phoebe's attentions are bringing Meghr out of her silent shell better than anything I can devise."

I talk with Phoebe later. We discuss Meghr's sexual training in more detail. Phoebe confirms that Amina has given me an accurate appraisal of Meghr's progress, and of her sexual preference for women. I remind Phoebe that the training she delivers must be focussed on teaching Meghr, rather than providing Phoebe with sexual gratification.

"See that Meghr is locked in a chastity belt, and have her serve refreshments at tonight's entertainment," I say to Mia, who is in charge of the evening entertainment as usual. "Let's see how she handles herself."

Meghr serving refreshments wearing an iron chastity belt is an instant success among the guests. She proves remarkably adept at carrying a tray of food and drinks while roaming hands take liberties with her body. I have Amina watch Meghr carefully for any signs that she can't handle the duty I have set her. After a week, I'm satisfied that Meghr tolerates, even likes, the groping and lewd remarks, although she probably doesn't understand the latter.

With little progress being made towards repairing the river bridge, Wadi Halaf continues to have more than the usual number of caravans staying overnight. Consequently, I need every slave available to service the visitors' needs.

Phoebe keeps pushing me to include Meghr in the group of dancers. But that means I must be willing to allow Meghr to be fucked. Meghr seems ready to take that step, and it is only my uncertainty about her future that is preventing me from agreeing to Phoebe's suggestion.

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Chapter 14: Ramiro and Meghr

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Over the weeks that Amina, Phoebe and I are training Meghr, Ramiro makes several visits to my room to report on his activities. Not all of our meetings are focussed on military matters, which, to be honest, bore me to tears. Ramiro is a competent military leader and he is well suited to being city warlord despite his earlier reservations. There is very little I can add to his reports, other than to suggest ways of dealing with meddling aldermen.

Like my father and uncle before me, I find that business meetings are more tolerable if mingled with some personal entertainment. Zoe and I used to keep our respective uncle's cock well serviced during their regular business meetings. These days, Amina and I amuse ourselves by providing Ramiro with plenty to brag about when he is next with his soldiers.

Ever since allowing Meghr to sleep in the harem, I haven't placed any restrictions on her movements within the main building. Farai and Mia usually organise Meghr's daily work schedule, and they only call on Amina if there is a problem with communicating instructions. Consequently there is no reason why Meghr shouldn't be the slave bringing my lunch tray to my room. I see her enter the room, but my mind is preoccupied with Ramiro's solid shaft doing pleasant things to my innards. Her shock at seeing Ramiro fucking me hard on my bed nearly causes her to drop the tray. But she places it on the side table quietly and promptly charges across the room and leaps on Ramiro's back. She digs her nails into his chest.

"What the fuck!" cries Ramiro, more surprised than hurt.

"Wait! Wait! Meghr! Wait!" I shout, hoping that she can sense the meaning of my words.

I untangle myself from Ramiro and prise Meghr off Ramiro's back. To his credit, Ramiro doesn't retaliate to Meghr's assault. My knowledge of the sign language Amina has developed with Meghr is too limited to convey more than a simple instruction for her to stand back. Meghr soon calms down once she realises that I'm alright, and that she didn't walk in on Ramiro forcing his attentions on me. She drops to her knees when she realises her error and lifts her arms towards me with her wrists crossed. It's obviously an act of submission that she was taught before she arrived at Wadi Halaf. While I have no intention of binding her wrists, Ramiro has other ideas. He removes one of the strips of leather he carries on his belt for securing prisoners, and binds Meghr's wrists tightly together.

"It's a Bulaq custom, Mistress," says Ramiro. "By binding her wrists, we are accepting her apology and declaring the matter closed."

"Do you think Meghr originally comes from the Bulaq lands?" I ask Ramiro.

"Her features aren't typical of a Bulaq woman, but she must have spent time with someone who follows their customs. She braids her hair in a style favoured by Bulaq girls."

I'm surprised that Meghr attempted to defend me. Neither of us knows the other well, so I don't expect that degree of loyalty from a new slave. However, it isn't a subject I want to discuss with Ramiro. Amina and Farai might be able to learn more about Meghr's motives later. Ramiro and I abandon our sexual interlude, and Ramiro returns to his duties. I have Meghr kneel on the floor besides me while I eat my lunch. Ramiro didn't say how long I should keep Meghr's wrists bound. Although I've come across Bulaq slaves from time to time, I'm not familiar with this particular custom.

I finish my lunch and unbind Meghr's wrists so that she can return my tray to the kitchen, and resume her duties. I'm due to meet with Aren and Farai in a short while. I would prefer to do that without the distraction of Meghr kneeling bound in my room. Besides, Amina will be looking for Meghr in an hour or so to continue her training.