Slave Girl Pt. 02 Ch. 16-25

"Kill them!? No, no." I shake my head. "I wouldn't try to kill anybody. I'm just a farmer!"

"Oh?" The commander cocks a brow. "Who do you work for?"

"Well...nobody yet. I just arrived. I'm a land owner you see."

He snorts, clearly dubious of my claim. "What parcel? Where's your farmland?"

"Well...it's not really farmland...it's more of a...forest."

"And you call yourself a farmer?" He shakes his head. "Lying to the law is only going to get you into more trouble." He heaves my back over his shoulder. "That's going to be another charge. Let's get this goblin loving piece of shit outta here."

As the second pair see to the bullies the first two start to lead me away. While there were protests from the spectators nobody goes so far as to actually step forward and plead my case.

Looking over my shoulder I say to Colly. "Take the cart. Go home."

"I will thir." Colly says as she tags along fearfully. "I'm thorry thir. Thith ith my fault."

"It's not your fault Colly. Get out of here, okay? And be safe."

"Yeth thir."

"Just...tell Rosa what happened. Tell her...tell her not to come find me. Tell her to stay away. Tell her that I'll be there as soon as I can."

The commander chuckles. "And you better tell this Rosa not to wait up. Quintus here is going to be our guest for quite some time."

***

Chapter 20

The next few hours are humbling, humiliating, and downright terrifying. I am taken to a guard station, stripped down to my underbreeches, and thrown in a cramped stone and iron cell with three foul smelling lowlifes. I thank my Mom's good food and Ceres' nourishing bounty for growing me so big as I believe it was only my size that kept the others from hassling me. For most of that time I sit on the narrow bench, elbows on knees and hands clasped together, worrying about what would happen to me. And more so, much more so, what would happen to Rosa. I was all she had and in one moment of madness I had left her completely alone in a foreign land. And because of me she was also blind. My failure was so profound that I didn't even know how to fully grasp it. All I could do was pray.

In the cell I am left to rot. At no point am I given an opportunity to plead my case or are charges even presented to me. As I reflect on the scene again and again the more I understand that the pair that came to harass Colly and I had simply been bait, and boy had I chomped onto it. What a fool I'd been. This wasn't the country where we had the freedom to be ourselves. Where slaves and freemen broke bread together after a day of hard shared labor. Where we took care of things honestly, directly and with our own two hands. Where you stood up to bullies and gave them something to think about the next time they wanted to go pushing their weight around. This was the city. The place where weak men hide behind the laws of old men. Fuck!

The sky outside our tiny slit of a window had turned rosy by the time I see a guard again.

"Quintus Quintilianus?"

My head pops up. "Yes?"

"On your feet. You are being released."

Relief doesn't even come close to describing the explosion of emotion in that moment. I close my eyes and praise every last power that I had prayed to these past hours. "Oh thank the gods!"

I am lead down a short hall to an office where there stood a group of familiar faces and one unfamiliar one. There was the officer who arrested me, the pair I had beat up, the orange robed Lydia, and a slender middle aged man in a fine lily white toga that stood at the wizard's side. Both he and Lydia were clearly upset, downright fuming, but whereas he would not even look at me Lydia glared at me with a hot anger that raised the short hairs on the back of my neck.

The officer speaks first. "Due to conflicting eyewitness accounts, a testimony of your character by these two respected citizens of Grumentum, and the fact that these kind gentlemen agreed not to make a fuss about your unprovoked assault, we have decided not to press charges."

"Thank you." I say to the officer, and then to Lydia and what I assumed was her husband. "Thank you."

"Aren't you forgetting us?" The man who stole Colly's squab smiles, a new gap now present in his shit eating grin.

"Apologize to the men." I am ordered.

In another time I would have spit in their faces but I had more than myself to worry about now. With my beautiful demon firmly held in my mind I clench my jaw, swallow my pride, and summon the vomit inducing words. I couldn't even meet their gaze. Staring at the man's chest I say in a low tone. "Thank you citizens."

"I'm just happy a lesson was learned." The man in the brown tunic says. "You did learn your lesson, didn't you Quintus?"

"Yes. I've learned my lesson." I nod. "It won't happen again. I...apologize."

Right there in front everyone I am made to dress. My pack is returned to me...significantly lighter than when I last held it. The guard's hard eyes stare me down, daring me to make a complaint. With my head bowed low I sling it over my shoulder. I swallow hard and say softly. "There was a red neckband. A sort of woven collar."

"Was there?" He says. "Well, it ain't here now."

NO! My chest seizes in actual physical pain at the loss of my collar. Pushing my emotions way down deep inside I take a long, deep breath through my nose and slowly nod. "Yes officer."

"You are free to go Quintus." He says. "Next time we won't be so lenient."

"There won't be a next time." I mutter.

And with that Lydia, the man with her, and I walk from the jail.

We are just out of earshot when the man turns to the wizard. "I will see you at home my pet."

"Yes Sir." She whispers. "I am so sorry for this."

"We will talk about it later." He finally looks at me and holds my gaze a moment. "I hope you appreciate what my wife did for you tonight."

"Yes Sir." Assuming just a hint of my submissive training I bow slightly and say. "I am sorry Sir. It will not happen again."

He nods, appreciative of the respect I showed him. "You are a hot blooded one. Your Lady has much work to do yet."

"Yes Sir." His words are a dagger to my heart. My actions had reflected poorly on Rosa's reputation as a dominant. Could this day get any worse?

With that he heads off in a different direction and leaves Lydia and I making for her tower. We had only gone a half a block before Lydia takes me by the arm and pulls me off to the side of the road. "You brash young fool! What were you thinking?"

"It was a shake-down. They planned it."

"So you just oblige them and go right along with it, huh?"

"No, I mean..." I sigh, my shoulders sagging. I had no will to defend myself anymore. "Yes, I am a fool Lydia."

"It wasn't a shake-down, it was a slap down. It was a message." Lydia explains. "You were probably spotted as soon as you walked into the city with a demon at your side. Being seen with a Kobalos later on would have only confirmed their suspicions of your loyalty." She looks left and right, making sure nobody was listening in. "Tonight was a warning. A warning not to be so...open about things. To respect the balance. They probably would have just hassled you if you hadn't actually gone and attacked the men. Fool!"

"Lesson learned." I say, feeling properly chastised. "It won't happen again Lydia. I am sorry you had to get involved."

"Apology accepted, though I don't know why. I barely know you." She says. "Listen, in Grumentum the peace is kept through a delicate balance between the two consuls. Both sides must be respected. There is a veneer of civility beneath which a war rages for control of the city."

"I didn't know."

"Yes. I understand that now." She says. "But Collywaddle did. And she will be punished."

"What? Why?"

She looks at me like one would an idiot. "Because she's a slave Quin. She needs to be disciplined. She allowed her stomach to get the better of her good sense."

"She never made me strike those men. She was just hungry and happy after our day together. She never meant any harm."

"Oh, I know." She says. "She's barely stopped crying since she got home. I've declared 20 lashes for her but I waited for you. To give you the option of administering them. You are the one who suffered from her foolishness after all."

"What? No. Not me."

She stares into my eyes. "Are you sure? She will receive them either way."

It takes me a second to get the underlying meaning of her question. If I held the whip...I chose the force of the lashes. I clear my throat and nod reluctantly. "Very well."

"Good."

"How is Rosa?"

"Out of her mind with worry about you." She says. "You scared the life out of that poor woman Quin. She truly loves you."

"Hahhh, yeah. I know." I look to the heavens as I blink the tears away. "I know."

"Quin...I realize this is not the best time for you but we need to talk about your slave."

I rub my aching temples. Just by the tone of her voice I knew this wasn't going to be good. "Just tell me Lydia. Please."

"You cannot allow Rosa to pursue magic." She states as bluntly as I'd asked for it. "You will stop her from following this path."

"Right. Of course. Anything else?"

"Quin!" She barks, snapping me to attention. "Listen to me! This...thing she has, this gift, where she can see magic, it is dangerous Quin. Too dangerous to be in the hands of a slave."

"Rosa is harmless."

"No, she is not. She might be the most dangerous person I have ever met." Lydia's expression goes grim. "I demonstrated a simple Droning spell for her, just a common incantation that leaves a sound echo in the air for a few minutes." There is a pause, Lydia's eyes seeing back through time to something that shook her to her core. At a whisper now she continues. "Rosa...plucked the very magic from my fingers! She played with the power as a child might play with water and sand. Sculpting it, shaping it, holding it. I've never seen anything like it before. My Droning spell...sang for her. It sang!" She shakes her head. "If she were not blind, still completely untrained, and so charming, I would have already reported her to our local council and she would be dead right now."

"What!? You would do that?"

"Yes Quin. I would." She says slowly and carefully. "She is an Amazon, sworn enemy of the Empire, and she...is...a...slave. Why are you struggling with this? No matter how much she loves you she will want to be free at some point. Especially once you have no hope of stopping her." She pats my arm. "I know this is a lot. But it's not too late. Luckily she cannot tap into the energy herself. And without being taught to do so she never will. Just promise me that you will not have her trained. Promise me that Quin."

I do my best to take in all I had just learned. "And you will not report her?"

She lets out a huff and nods. "If my Sir asks me directly I cannot lie to him. But yes, I will keep her secret. For now."

"The same goes for my Lady of course."

"If you must. Just understand Quin, her life depends on you protecting her from this knowledge." She says. "Promise me?"

"Yes, of course." I say. "I only want what's best for her."

"I cannot imagine how difficult it is for you. To be Master and boy to the same woman. I cannot imagine."

"Yeah." Closing my eyes, barely keeping it together and nearly welling up with tears right there on the street, I plead. "Can I please see her now?" My voice trembles despite my efforts to hold it in. "I really need to see her."

"Alright Quin." Lydia says softly. "Come along then."

***

Chapter 21

When we turn the corner onto the street of Lydia's business I right away spot Rosa, Colly, and the wingless angel Amadeus standing in the gateway. Unable to stop myself I break into a run, my eyes only on Rosa. Colly tugs on Rosa's dress and points when she spots me approaching.

"Baby?" She calls, her arms out stretched and her wide sightless eyes fruitlessly looking for me.

I rush into her arms and envelop her in a great embrace. "I'm here." We kiss hard and cling to each other as if worried we might slip apart forever if we did not hang on with all we had. "I lost my collar."

"It's okay." She whispers. "It's okay. I've got you. That's all that matters baby." She kisses me and kisses me again and again, holding onto me with a desperate strength. "I love you!"

"I love you too." I say in a hush and humbled voice. All this fear, all this worry, simply because I'd decided to have a bust up with some bigots. What a fool I had been. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry."

"Shhhh. It's okay. It's okay, it's okay, it's okay. My boy. My boy!" Her hands explore my chest and shoulders, neck and face, arms and stomach, as if checking me to make sure I'd returned with all of my pieces in tact. Like me she didn't know what to do with herself but touch me and hold me and feel that I was real. She hugs me tightly once more. "I've got you in my arms again. Everything is okay now."

A few minutes ago I was on the verge of breakdown, my shattered spirit holding together simply on the hope that I would see and feel and smell her again. Now that I had her the pieces start to mend together once more. With Rosa safe and sound in my arms nothing could truly hurt me. And I knew she felt the same. My need for her bordered on addiction and it was an addiction that I was more than happy to accept. My need for my beautiful slave Lady was as necessary for me as water or sustenance.

Slowly it dawns on us that we were being watched. Nothing could have stopped the initial outpouring of love and relief but there would be a better time and place for us to express ourselves when we were alone. I kiss Rosa's head between her horns and stand tall. Looking to my right I see the golden haired Amadeus in the same uniform, though with different insignia, as the officer who had just hassled and stolen from me.

"Hey Quintus. Sorry about what happened." He says. "Things are complicated here."

"Yeah." I say, holding back a host of emotions at seeing that uniform right now I also hold back my words. If I spoke now I would likely regret it later.

Perhaps sensing this tension he says to Rosa. "I should get back on patrol. I'm glad it all worked out."

"Thank you Amadeus. We'll meet again. Okay?"

"See you again."

As he takes his leave I look for Colly who had faded away during Rosa and I's embrace. I spot her hiding behind one of the pillars of the building. "Colly, come here."

Her chubby green hands clasped in front of her Collywaddle steps out. Her plump cheeks were streaked from tears and her huge amber eyes glimmered with fresh ones. At once scared and remorseful she blubbers sadly. "I'm thorry thir."

"Come here Colly."

"Go to him!" Snaps the voice of her owner.

She flinches at the hard tone then approaches me with here head hung low. Getting down on both knees...I pull the guilt-stricken goblin into a hug. "It's not your fault."

She hugs me back. "Yeth it ith. You were tho nithe to me and I...I... I'm thorry!"

"Hey, whose the citizen and whose the slave here? I chose where to sit. I bought the food. I was the dummy who decided to start a fight right in a public square." Was she blameless? Of course not. A heads up would have been nice. But seeing her so down on herself I knew she had learned her lesson every bit as much as I had. There was no point in piling on now. "It was my fault. Not yours."

"I should have...thaid thomething."

"Wouldn't have helped. I'm a stubborn one. It was my fault Colly. I just couldn't help myself. Don't you even worry about it."

"That he is." Rosa comes in behind me and lays a hand on my shoulder. "I can confirm it."

I take her round cheeks and look into Colly's eyes. "I have to give you your punishment, okay?"

She trembles a little but nods. "I wath hoping it would be you."

Still cupping her jowls in my hands I lean close and whisper in her ear. What I tell her is where my land is located and how to get there. When I lean back and look into her eyes again I say in a low tone that would keep Lydia from hearing. "If you ever get into trouble like that again, or if you've got nowhere else to go, come find us. We've got lots of space and lots of places to hide if necessary. Okay?"

She stares at me stunned. What I had just told her was flat out illegal. After all of the shame of the previous hours my blood still ran hot. The bastards at the guard office might have beaten me into submission for when I was in public, but in private Consul Regula and his cronies had made a new enemy this day. As I'd said moments ago, I just couldn't help myself.

"Y-yeth thir." She says with a nervous glance toward her owner.

I smile and put my finger to her plump lips. "Shhhh."

She nods. "Yet thir Mithter Quin."

Looking up I see Rosa beaming down on us. I knew that look well. That look of pride. I'd told Colly that because I thought it the right thing to do but that look in my Lady's eyes sure made it worthwhile. I stand and address the wizard. "I would like to get this punishment over quickly. We are losing light and I would like to make it home before it gets too dark."

"I know of a reasonably priced inn if you are interested." Says Lydia.

I shake my head. "I will not spend one more minute than I have to in this city. May I carry out the punishment now?"

"Of course." She says. "Colly, fetch the flogger."

"Yeth Mithtreth." Colly runs off to fetch the tool that she would soon feel the bite of.

I knew from witnessing such things in the past that while I might swing the whip it would Colly's owner to count the lashes. And if I was any judge of character Lydia was one to stick to tradition in such cases. A proper smack would have to be heard for the lash to count. Stepping in toward Rosa I whisper. "Quickly, how do I use a flogger so as not to hurt?"

"Mmm, such items were more Danae's forte." She says. "Hold it right at the top of the handle toward the tails, not the end. More control and less force. Keep the blows to the back and buttocks only. Don't let the tips curl around her sides or wrap around anything. Just the back and buttocks. Try to strike with last couple of inches of the tails all at once. Gauge your distance, not too close or too far. Smooth even strokes, let your elbow and wrist do the work." Gripping my shoulder she says. "You are very strong Quin but this isn't about strength. Please be careful."

"I don't like this. I don't want to do this."

"I know baby." She caresses my cheek. "It'll be okay. Colly's a tough girl. She can handle 20. She's told me that she's had much worse. You won't break her. Rub and slap her back and butt with your hand a little at first to warm her up. Let her get used to being touched. And afterward give her a hug. Be gentle with her. Careful with her back. And tell her that she's a good girl."

"What?"

"Just tell her that, okay? Let her know that she's special."

"O-okay. If you say so."

"I do."

When Colly returns I quickly learn that while there was a novice on this side of the flogger there was old veteran of corporal punishment on the other end. She hands me the object, a leather flogger with a braided handle from which sprouted a number of long and supple flat inch wide tails, then marches up to a spot along the front wall and disrobes. Naked to the world she bends forward at the waist and places her hands on the wall with her feet about shoulder width apart. It was the Wall position. I had practiced it many times and I could see all of the little imperfections in the way she held it. But she was there because she had to be, I assumed that position because I was who I was. Seeing her like that...how I wished Colly and I could reverse roles right now. I would so proudly show everybody how well Rosa taught me my positions and what a good boy I was for her. And I would happily accept any punishment without complaint if it meant I didn't have to do this. Beating up a couple of bullies? No problem. Raising a hand in violence toward a woman? No. This felt so gross.