Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.
You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.
Click here
- "Baitzas." said Glasha. "Merik ordered him to do it."
I didn't need to ask Glasha if she was sure; if she said that Baitzas had done it, then that was all there was to it.
I killed him myself. I didn't have the heart to make him suffer, as Kisa had. I made it swift. Baitzas had no family, no wife or children. I wondered if anyone would miss him.
Merik, though, would understand, when Baitzas was found dead.
***
I took Glasha with me on a short journey. We weren't especially fearful that Merik would try to hurt us again, but that did factor into our decision. I took Glasha, Durgat, three other guards, and plenty of horses.
We left early in the morning, before anyone else was out of bed - and when we departed the Duke's stables, we took Merik's favourite mount with us. It was a stallion named Monke (Merik would never have ridden a gelding or a mare).
We led Monke for a full day and a half, before releasing him.
I would never have killed a horse out of spite, but it amused me to think of Merik searching for his favourite mount. And - if Monke succeeded in finding some mares to cover, then my brother would have his work cut out for him to bring his stallion back under control.
We rode without incident to the home of my friend Hurmas. He was delighted to see me, and then almost struck dumb by his first sight of Glasha. He himself assisted her in alighting from her horse.
- "You are most welcome." he said.
His parents welcomed us as if we were family, or even better than that - as friends. They made Glasha feel completely at home, which was quite an achievement, as she'd never really had a home, other than the barracks.
While his family fawned over her, I had plenty of time to talk to my friend. I told him of my father, and of my clashes with Merik. These weren't closely guarded secrets: rumours were already swirling. I told Hurmas the truth, without embellishment.
- "Damn, Tauma." he said. Then he looked at the ground. "Look - I'm not that far. Would you please call on me, if you're ever in trouble like that?"
I'd been counting my friends, recently. Glasha. Sanatha. Yazgash and Durgat. It was very comforting to know that Hurmas still considered himself my friend.
After a couple of days of eating until we were stuffed, we moved on. My intention was to visit Sezima as well; Hurmas insisted on coming along. We sent a messenger ahead.
Sezima was the Gerdar; he'd organized an official welcome. He was grinning from ear to ear. Sezima slapped me on the thigh, before I could dismount, and then embraced Hurmas the moment he was out of the saddle.
His reaction to Glasha, though, was completely in character.
- "I'm sorry, Lady." he said. "Tauma never told us - I mean, he talked about you - but he never said how beautiful you were."
- "Whereas he has told me a great deal about you, Master Flatterer." said Glasha.
- "Oh - I like her." said Sezima. "I was going to like her anyway, just for your sake, but I really like her."
We were again treated like visiting royalty. Sezima's family and retainers were wonderful. Glasha enjoyed being treated like a Princess.
But Sezima had been thinking along the same lines as Hurmas.
- "The affair with your brother - was it as bad as we've heard?"
- "I don't know." I said. "What have you heard?"
Sezima shook his head. "Don't play with us, Tauma. We're your friends. And we're thinking about the future, even if you aren't."
- "What d'you mean?"
Glasha put her hand on my arm. "Listen to them." she said.
Hurmas and Sezima had been fully prepared to like Glasha, because of all the time I'd spent writing to her, thinking about her, and mooning over her. But now they fell in love with her, too.
- "What will happen when your father dies?" said Hurmas.
- "Can Aludar protect you from Merik?" asked Sezima. "Can you even be sure that Aludar will be the next Duke?"
I didn't know what to say to that.
But Glasha did. "Thank you." she said. "It's past time that we considered such things. But I'll make sure that he does think about these matters."
- "You, Lady, are a pearl beyond price." said Sezima.
***
Yazgash was a cruel task-mistress. In the name of stamina, she ran me until I couldn't raise my arms. In the name of I don't know what, she pummeled me, and left me bruised and battered.
Durgat let me try to hit him. His blocks were nasty; I was supposed to be striking him, but I came away feeling as though I'd been beaten. They were trying to toughen me up; I understood, and appreciated their efforts. That didn't mean that it hurt any less.
Glasha was my refuge. She continued to encourage my physical training, and my lessons with Master Durgulel. She comforted me when I was sore, after my training sessions. She also pressed me to think about the future, as my friends had suggested.
And then my life took several steps in a new direction, when Glasha's father returned to Elmina.
*****
- COMMENTS
Anonymousover 1 year agoThere's is something in canids, (both dogs & wolves), which can be broken when they are young. The result is they become mean; they will bully their siblings, savagely destroy prey, instead of killing & eating, as is normal behavior.
I have studied, witnessed & experienced this malady. In my 20's, I raised & domesticed wolves. The pack alpha usually takes care of the problem, in the wild. The conundrum I found myself in, was I was seen & treated as the alpha. (I had as many as 23 full grown wolves at one time. To go into a compound with 20+ 110-140# wolves you damn well better be the Alpha).
They were not dangerous, I trusted them w-children, including my own, but they are pack animals. A pack of domestic dogs will do the same thing if they are given the short anount of time needed, together to form the pack dynamics & hierarchy. There was a large dog, a Gordon Setter, (think black slightly stouter Irish Setter.) when it got loose from my neighbor's place, it would come to the wolf compound and harass the wolves. It's like the damn thing was taunting them. I had a Springer Spaniel, at the time, and there was no problem with her coming into the compound; it was like the pack took her on as a mascot, or honored guest. They didn't include her pack dynamic displays, nor bully her or threaten her. She was lightening quick, and they could play for hours, chasing each other.
To see a 35# Springer chasing 2-3 wolves was a sight!
But I digress. To solve the problem of a 'broken' wolf the Alpha will first enforce their dominant status over them. If that doesn't get them to cool it, the Alpha, w- help from others will kill the broken member of the pack.
I've had to do the same, to insure pack harmony.
Merik is broken; likely due to the psychological abuse of his parents. Tauma gave him a warning, and he ignored it, which is typical behavior. Merik is broken, and now, needs to be put down.
Emanresalmost 2 years agoThis gets better and better. I am a bit unsure about killing a man for killing a horse
MimiRayalmost 2 years agoI am completely hooked on this story, and have been ever since "smitten." Can't wait for the next episode.
Comentarista82almost 2 years agoI appreciate the verisimilitude and truth that if people truly wish to communicate and get to know each other, they can AND they do (from the time they exchanged heartfelt letters). While I don’t think it is absolutely necessary to showcase what Tauma and Glasha share sexually, I’m evenly divided on if it should, as some part of me thinks it would endear the readers to them more. One thing I do not understand (and feel needs fleshing out) is the use of time magic: Tauma clearly knows of its existence, but I remember nothing being addressed about it previously–so I would ask you include sufficient detail in following installments.
It amazes me Glasha takes the lead in showing Tauma how to please her, as it seemed she was VERY shy before–but obviously now she’s asserted herself well during Tauma’s absence. It truly surprises me on one level how Glasha later knew about Renna, but chose not to tell him; she then amazes us further by saying that she knew his heart and that he would not be tempted; this establishes both as virtuous and certainly far excelling their peers. Additionally, when you paint Renna’s interactions with him, you display all the common “true interest” body-language cues (very textbook) that Renna uses to communicate she was genuinely interested in Tauma (although she was intended to be sent under false pretenses). I thank you for properly sharing Tauma’s thoughts with us, so we share in the narrative and how he processes these experiences. The real question became what is the true depth of how much Renna knew about that rendezvous? What surprises me is how she backs off–BUT we do not hear from her again in the chapter. I wonder if you will use her as an ally later on? You deliberately obfuscate her origins, as she could be the daughter of a Gerdar or someone with some influence outside of Varna…but you keep your readers in the dark.
I enjoy Tauma’s wit upon seeing Aludar’s baby girl, with him saying, “she didn’t have much to say for herself.” jajajajajajaja. You certainly show him prudent beyond his 18 years–especially when facing Renna’s obvious advances–because he distances himself and turns her down cold. He also didn’t permit Nathal’s (and especially) Merik’s uncouth remarks about Glasha to goad him into a fight he couldn’t have won; I love that he asks Yazgash to teach him to fight, as he sorely needs it; he doesn’t ignore Durgat, but addresses him honestly (which I’m sure Durgat respected). Nice touch to show him listening to Glasha’s suggestion to approach Nathal and speak with him in an effort to see if his move into the spare adjacent quarters ruffled his feathers (no use having another enemy).
You illustrate well the huge gulf separating Nathal (a narcissist), to Merik (extremely selfish and cruel, perhaps a bit sociopathic) and Aludar, someone very down-to-earth. Then you dump a fact into our laps I don’t believe any reader could have predicted, namely Glasha divulging Tauma’s father used Renna to consider each for the right of succession. I appreciate you using Sanatha to parade Glasha around the palace in order to show all should respect her as an equal (something that wouldn’t have happened had it not been done); I’m hoping you show Sanatha off more in succeeding installments, as she could prove an equal lynchpin to helping Tauma advance his own growth as a person and a leader. Later Merik savagely beats Tauma, and we witness truly how detached his father is with him, and only being interested in “appearing” to settle the row Merik caused by trying to rape Glasha. Can’t believe anyone wants less than to see Tauma murder Merik (after the fashion of the story about the grandfather’s succession tale); he increased that likelihood once he maimed Tauma’s horse Kisa with the ground glass: that assures (in my mind) that Merik earned one excruciating death. However, I exceptionally enjoy Tauma’s exchanges with Hurma and how Hurma’s family so welcomes/accepts Glasha. The only reaction outclassing Hurmas’s to Glasha is Sezima’s: I so love how he says, “I REALLY like her (because of her directness and honesty)!!” I think we shall see some powerful alliance formed with both Hurmas and Sezima on these accounts–and rightfully so! About the only thing I look forward to more is how much magic Glasha’s father will teach them both–and how well they will employ that knowledge for proper uses.
Exceptionally well-crafted! That’s why I decided to deliver a truly in-depth review. Despite a few things that could be additionally fleshed-out, this is nearly another masterpiece and much deserving of a 5. Well done.
DistantConstellationalmost 2 years agoAnonymous commenter on the killing of the man for the death of the horse - the ground glass in the horse's feed was itself dramatic escalation. Tauma's attack on Merik in the corridor was tit-for-tat, and it didn't stop things. Tauma's being brutal, yes, but he's also sending a message to Merik's minions - "don't get involved, because I will hold YOU responsible for your own actions." That will tend to isolate Merik. Strikes me as "great power" political thinking. I suspect it will impress Tauma's father more - though that's not, likely, why Tauma did it.
