Tribal Bonds Ch. 01

"I am not superstitious," he said simply, and then went back to biting his lip. Köle laughed again.

"You are afraid of the Hayalet Valley. You do not hide it well," the wagoner said. All other conversation around the ceased. Eyes turned towards Topu. He looked around and shrugged.

"I am," he said simply, "But that is no superstition. My brother was killed in this valley. Hundreds of brothers and sons have been killed in this valley, maybe thousands." A chill ran down my spine as Topu spoke. He expressed no shame. His fear was, to him at least, justified. I looked out into the shadows around the fire and then quickly looked back to the flames. Fear is contagious, I did not want to catch it. Other men in the circle had apparently already contracted it. They leaned in towards the flames, looking at Topu with alarm.

"What are you talking about?" One trader stated uneasily. Köle laughed again.

"Women, all of you," he said, taking a bite of meat.

"What is this about?" another man asked and Köle laughed louder still. Topu didn't laugh. He barely reacted to Köle's provocation. For a long time Topu sat in silence. His eyes continued to dart off into the darkness, but then he would return to the men around. It was if he was deciding whether to spread the news with the other men, but was too tense to spend all his effort considering the point. Finally, he let out a low sigh.

"This is the Valley of Hayalet," he started. I and the men around me leaned forward, except for Köle, who crossed his arms in front of his chest and smiled smugly.

"I will not pretend to know the full story," Topu said, "for my people are from far away and what I relate happened many years ago. Hundreds maybe. But as I heard it, these lands, this valley was once inhabited by two tribes. The Ulus lived on this narrow side of the river and they raised sheep in the mountains behind us. They had a small city at the eastern edge of the valley, where the river first becomes navigable. The Hayalet, they lived on the broad side of the valley, and had farms and cattle in the plains. They also had a small city, at a narrow part of the river near the western edge of the valley. From there, they could control trade as it left the valley.

"For centuries, the Ulus and the Hayalet were enemies. Raids and thefts were common, though deaths were rare. When the legions came, they allied together to resist Bütün Dünya. But, of course, they could not. They fell together and this valley, the Hayalet Valley and the mountains around it, became a province of the Empire. And for hundreds of years this valley prospered as the former enemies became friends. They grew so rich that the tribute owed to the Empire was hardly even an inconvenience. This was, and is, a fertile valley.

"But then the legions began to recede. And the provincial governors in the lands around this valley began to declare themselves kings. Here, in the valley, the Hayalet remembered their past. They remembered when their city was made of mud huts and their children could not read. And they thanked the Empire for raising them up and the vowed to remain loyal. And the Ulus...they said the same things. But they spoke with forked tongues.

"One night, the night of a harvest festival in the city of Hayalet, the Ulus chief and his retainers arrived in town to join in the celebration. They drank and danced and sang with the Hayalet. And, in the night, when all were drunk and happy, the Ulus chief opened the gates to the city. And Ulus' soldiers poured into the sleeping city. And massacred the men and boys of Hayalet. And the Chief of the Ulus declared himself King. And he marched out into the valley and he killed everyone he could find, to take complete control of the Hayalet Valley. And he wiped the Hayalet off the face of the Earth."

Topu stopped for a moment, he looked out into the darkness around them. He looked back at the men, "But, as you can see, this Valley, while fertile, is empty. The city of Hayalet is ruins at the far end of the valley. You remember, no doubt, that at the mouth of the valley there was no city. The city of Ulus is not even ruined. It has been razed from the Earth. Not a block remains.

"When the Hayalet were killed, down to the last infant son, the Topu believed they would control this province as a Kingdom. But, something began to happen. Isolated farmsteads were burned to the ground. The inhabitants burned alive within. Traders would enter the Valley and never return. Men who walked in the city of Ulus after dark would be found in the morning without their heads. The heads themselves were never found. The entire Kingdom, as it was, was gripped by fear.

"For ten years, the King attempted to learn who was killing his people. Who was destroying the wealth and power of his Valley. Until one morning, he awoke to find that his head was no longer on his shoulders. In his castle. In his bedroom. Next to his still-living, and oblivious, wife. His head was found, on the city's gate, impaled on a Hayalet blade. And the letter "H" was carved into his forehead. And then the people knew. It confirmed what they had whispered to each other but never dared to speak aloud. The ghosts of the Halayet would not let them live in peace in the valley that they had stolen from their erstwhile allies.

"The king's son, and heir, had seen enough. He roused his people on a march. He left this valley, picked it clean of everything of value, and he marched into the neighboring countries. And, propelled by fear, they conquered all before them. For they knew that if they went back, they would die. When they returned to this valley following the conquests, they found their capital had ceased to exist. They gave it up for lost.

"The Ulus forced all the lands around this valley into submission, and made the Kingdom that exists today. And they sealed off this valley. And hardly ever enter it. They always come in force and they never stay at night. For the ghosts still inhabit this valley. Men who enter this valley...they don't always make it back out again. It is not restricted to the Ulus. Travelers, workers...traders...they have all been known to...disappear without a trace. My brother..." Topu began, his eyes glazing as he looked out into the distance and shook his head. He did not finish his thought.

"I wanted to get through the Hayalet Valley tonight. I have slept in this valley before. Twice. But I have never slept well. I prefer to get past the ruins of the old city of Hayalet. To safety. But we did not make good time today. So we sleep here. And I am worried, though no superstitious. Ask an Ulus about this valley. They know that this...is real."

For a long moment, the men sat in total silence. They looked at each other sheepishly, as though they were wondering whether Topu was attempting to fool them. I was thinking the same thing. But then, I believe, they realized the same thing that I did. Topu was not a fearful man, that was true. But he was not a mirthful man. He did not pull pranks. He did not tell jokes. His countenance was hard as iron. At the very least, he believed what he said.

"A superstitious fool," Köle laughed again. But his laughter landed empty among the men, who clearly believed what they heard. Now they bit their lips and gazed off into the darkness as Topu once had. I believe that I did as well. But, after a few moments, I felt something. That familiar feeling of eyes on my body. I looked out into the darkness, half expecting a ghost to be looking back at me. But I could only see a few inches out into the darkness around the fire. While I felt a chill, I could see no ghost. I swiveled my head back towards the fire, and found the eyes upon me. One of the traders. A man I recognized but couldn't name. His eyes bore into me with hate so pure I nearly fell backwards off my log. My eyes cast down.

"That slave wagon, with its heavy metal bars, goes at a snails pace compared to my wagon," I heard the man's gruff voice say, "And its wheel is busted. We are stuck here because of the slave wagon." The man said, his voice rising as he spoke in anger. I heard murmurs of agreement.

"We sold all the other slaves already. Why are we dragging these two halfway across the world?" Another man said, clearly understanding the meaning of the first. All eyes were on me now. The wave of hatred flowing over me. Cilek and I, we were the reason we were stuck in this valley. Without us, the men would be on the far side. Safe.

"These whores are worth their weight in gold three times over in Sehir," Topu said, his voice calm. As he spoke, he rose carefully from his spot around the fire, walking casually until he was standing in front of me and Cilek. He put his hand on his blade. My breath caught in my throat. I had just learned what I had long feared, that I was a whore. And an expensive one too.

"They are both sweet little pieces of Northern ass. I like a girl with blue eyes and straw-colored hair. They look like sisters," another man said, "But there were other whores as pretty as them we left in Geçi-ci. Why on earth would the Empire pay a premium for these ones?"

"They are valuable," Topu said, as though he hoped that would settle the matter. But a general rumble arose from the men, Köle loudest among them. He stoked the fires of their discontent.

"They have slowed us the entire time, my salt pork will go bad before we reach the imperial borders," one man said angrily, "And we are waiting because you have some fantasy about your cute little whores being worth the cost of a princess?" The other men murmured in agreement.

I felt my muscles tense now. I was uncertain what was to come from this sudden burst of anger. I turned to the side and looked at Cilek. She sensed the danger as well, she wasn't as dumb as she seemed, I suppose. Her teeth were chattering and her eyes were wide. I pulled my limbs in close, trying to look small, innocent. I would attack if attacked, but I knew that without a weapon, I stood little chance against these angry men.

"Stand up," Topu said and his voice sounded louder. My head raised slightly and I saw he was looking at me. He was addressing me. His eyes hard, annoyed and scared at the same time.

"What?" I asked meekly. Topu's hand flashed and I felt the back of his hand hard against my cheek. My head swam and I nearly fell from my log.

"You are a slave, Buz girl. I do not need to explain my orders to you. I said stand so stand," he said. No one had ever hit me like that before and I felt rage rising in the back of my throat. But I was also dazed. I complied. Standing slowly and wobblingly. I saw Topu's hand, still on his blade, and realized that the danger meant he would hurt me if he had to. I kept standing, silently. Cilek stood as well.

"I will show you why these whores are valuable," Topu said to the men. Then he turned to me, "Disrobe." I felt terror deeper than anything I'd felt before. In many ways, this request, a simple request for a whore I was sure, was worse than being taken prisoner in the first place. For half a second, I hesitated. I saw Topu's hand raise slightly. I knew he was going to hit me again. There was no point in resisting. The men were going to see me naked.

I bent over slightly and grabbed the bottom hem of my shift. I pulled it up quickly, felt the cool air against my thighs. I closed my eyes and in one quick motion, I pulled the dress up over my head and let it drop onto the ground. As a slave, I had not been permitted to wear anything but my dress. I now stood naked in the cold air. But, despite my Buz blood, I was too frightened, I admit, to even shiver. I knew what the men saw.

I was a blonde girl with long, straight hair that was the same color as clean summer straw. I had the large, round blue eyes of a Northerner, a small upturned nose, and a large mouth. My lips were full and pouty-pink, my teeth white. I was short, even for a Northern girl, and had what might be called a delicate build if it weren't for the tightly knotted (though not bulging) muscles beneath my skin. My skin itself was pale, and freckled. I had small, firm breasts that sad high on my chest and were topped with long, pink nipples. My arms were thin, my legs were slim but powerful. I had a narrow waist with wide hips. A pretty girl.

But I could feel the eyes of the men were elsewhere. Between my legs. Unlike most pretty girls, I did not have a soft, pink cunny easily visible when naked. Instead, growing out the front of me, was a cock. A small cock, to be sure. Now, shriveled in the cold, it was just a few inches long, with a pink tip. The shaft was the same freckled pale color as the rest of my skin, no veins were visible. No hair either, I never grew it there. My balls were large, larger than the men in my tribes. It was not overly masculine, but it was a cock. And it shielded my pink cunny from view.

My parents, of course, had known of my condition. I had been born with it, after all. They had forbid me from mentioning it to anyone in my tribe. They didn't even tell my brothers, they always cleaned me in private. I was not allowed to swim in the summer or to disrobe in front of anyone. I always went deep into the woods when I had to relieve myself. My father had been afraid that knowledge of my cock would impact the price of my dowry. He would pawn off his pretty daughter, and the buyer beware. In the end, he found a better way to unload me.

Nervous from the confused eyes staring at me, I dropped my head. I could see Cilek's clothes, crumpled on the ground next to me, and I turned for a moment and looked at her. I suppose that I understood why the one man had referred to us as twins. We were blonde with blue eyes. We had small builds. We had pale skin and freckles. Though, there were some differences. Cilek's breasts were heavier than mine, her hips narrower. Her nose was slightly larger, her mouth smaller. Still we looked like twins. Right down to the cocks between our legs. Cilek's cock was also shriveled in the cold, but it looked remarkably similar to mine, perhaps a little longer. She also had no hair between her legs. The tip was a darker red color, her balls smaller.

Even with the cold and the fear, I was shocked by Cilek's cock. I mean, I knew that Topu was aware of my...condition. I assumed that my father told him. He always made sure I had plenty of privacy when I relieved myself. But I had never suspected that Cilek had been kept with me because she too had a cock. I didn't know why she and I were the only remaining slaves, hadn't bothered to think about it. Now it made sense. That which I was most ashamed of, perversely, made me valuable to these slavers. My cheeks grew redder.

"Christ, they've got tits and cocks!" one made said loudly, breaking the silence. My eyes shifted forward again. I covered my breasts as best I could with my hands, knowing it kept my cock exposed. The other men murmured loudly among themselves.

"They've cunnies too," Topu said and he reached back to Cilek, grabbed he cock and lifted it up. I didn't know if the men could see her cunny, but if she was like me, it was directly behind her balls. The men murmured loudly.

"Christ, we are going to die for some circus freaks?" Köle said angrily, but then he laughed a little. Topu gave him a cold stare. For a moment, my guts dropped into my knees. I felt all of these eyes on me now, ogling me in disgust and excitement. I had never questioned my parents decision to keep my cock a secret. And now I could see the wisdom in their policy. I was an object for ridicule. And, apparently, I was being taken to be displayed for others. To have thousands of eyes just like these probe my body every day.

"No you idiot," Topu said, "I told you, they are whores. For the Sultanah's harem. She pays a premium for girls like this. More than enough to justify our trip to the Empire." A slight relief was rapidly overcome by dread. I was relived that Köle was wrong, I was not to be a circus freak. But then I learned that I was to be some sort of imperial whore. To be taken thousands of miles to be chained and then perfumed. A lifetime away from the North. Of giving my body to some wealth woman.

"The Sultanah is going to wet her prick inside these whores?" One man asked, leaning forward. Topu smiled and nodded. I had heard of the Sultanah, the imperial leader with a cock like me. I was to be her toy,

"After she pays us," Topu said.

"I've always wanted to fuck a princess," one man said, "If she has a cunny under that cock, I'll fuck her," the man said and the other men howled. The men had passed the last of our other whores several days earlier. They were scared, alone, and they had been feasting on the sight of two naked women. I was not surprised by this response. But I feared it. Topu stopped them.

"These whores are prime young specimen. Unmarried virgins. You will not fuck a baby into their cunnies and ruin our investment," he said finally. But the men continued to stare at us. Finally Köle spoke.

"What does the Sultanah want with these little virgins anyway?" he asked, "Their shriveled little cocks, can they even fuck?"

"I have been told that their cocks work," Topu said uneasily.

"But you don't know," Köle said and, after a moment of hesitation, Topu nodded, "We could arrive in Sehir and be told that they are worthless."

"You don't even know if the Sultanah cares if her concubines have working cocks," Topu said.

"What would she want with concubines who have cocks if she doesn't care if they work?" Köle said, reasonably. Topu sighed.

"What difference does this make?" he asked. Köle grunted and grabbed his cock through his pants.

"If these whores don't have working cocks, then it doesn't matter if we fuck babies into them. We can fuck them, kill them, and get out of this valley tonight," Köle said. I felt my blood run cold, but the men seemed to murmur in agreement.

"You aren't killing or fucking my fucking investment," Topu said, moving in front of us once again. He looked over his shoulder. "Show them your cock works," he said to Cilek. Cilek's was shaking all over and her eyes grew wide. She shrugged her shoulders.

"How?" she asked. And it was a good question. I was summoning my Buz blood, standing firm, and looking out over the men. But my nudity stole much of my pride, and most of my courage. My cock worked. I knew that. I often awoke to find it engorged. But I could hardly will it to action now, cold and frightened. But Topu's eyes turned towards me.

"You, suck her cock. Get it hard," he said to me. My eyes flickered between Topu and Cilek. For a moment, the slaver's words refused to register in my mind.

"What?" I asked, know that I was not supposed to ask questions. Topu sighed and placed his hand on my shoulder. He shoved my down onto the ground, onto my knees. I was weak with fear and I crumpled easily. Topu towered over me. I glanced around at the men sitting at the fire. They were leaning forward, watching me.

"We are men, we do not suck cock, you must do it" Topu said.

"I am Buz. She should suck my cock!" I said, my voice sounding firmer as I asserted my blood. The men around the fire laughed at my anger. I was used to that reaction.

"I don't give a shit what you are. You're already on her knees," he said and her reached over and grabbed Cilek and pulled her towards me, "Suck her cock or I will let these men slit your throat." Topu said these words flatly and I could feel that they were true. He knew that he was outnumbered. If I refused to act, the other men around the fire they would kill me. They would believe that I was not valuable and they'd be happy to save their skins. Topu would not risk his own life, no matter the money, to save me.

I looked away from Topu and turned my head to face forward. Cilek was standing there now, Topu had finally positioned her just a few inches in front of me. So close I could smell her skin and feel the heat of her body. She was shivering still, her hands over her breasts. She was looking down at me wide eyed.