Chapter 1: Capture

Prince Ulu and Prince Inhu paddled the canoe around the point.

They were taking their brides, Yalla and Tiki home. They had been promised to each other at the last spring meeting. The boys had arranged to collect their brides early in the autumn before the herds turned up on their migration south. It would be good to have the extra help for the hunt and a nice body to warm theirs during the winter.

Neither of the tall, muscular, handsome young men had much trouble finding a willing body to share his blankets. As they cleared the high cliffs that formed the point, they started heading back in closer to the shore. They were enjoying the sun and sea air and the pull on their young, toned muscles, as they worked together.

They powered the long, wide-bodied canoe through the waves with their double-ended paddles. The girls were in the middle of the canoe and enjoying the ride. Their bride gifts and possessions surrounded them. They were both excited to be starting the next phase in their lives with the men to whom they had been bonded. Neither was unhappy with the man that had claimed them.

The sea smashed into the cliffs to the boys’ left. The undertow was strong, and the rocks at the base of the cliffs were treacherous if you paddled too close. The boys weren’t too worried, as they had navigated this course many times in the last two years when visiting their intendeds.

Ulu looked up and cursed when he saw the ship. The ship must have not long left their home Cove, and it was bearing down on them. The direction the waves were pushing them, was into the cliffs, but also in the direction they wished to go once past them.

Ulu assessed the situation. To turn and paddle back the way they had come was going to be a lot of hard work. They would be fighting the sea and not able to gain any speed fighting against the incoming tide. They had to keep going towards the Cove if they had any chance of avoiding the slavers at all.

Ulu directed Inhu to get closer to the cliffs. At least the big ship wouldn’t be able to follow them. With any luck, they would be passed the ship before they could launch one of the small boats to catch them. Ulu wasn’t so lucky.

The lookout had seen them round the cove before he had seen the ship. They were already dropping the sails and lowering a rowboat to cut them off from reaching the cove. The Captain had guessed that with the canoe loaded down, it wouldn’t be easy to manoeuvre and they were fair game.

Ulu now wished he hadn’t been so macho and that he had thrown in the extra single paddles for the girls. He’d have run back the other way if they had been able to paddle with them. He saw six sailors drop into the rowboat. They started rowing hard on an intersecting course.

Inhu and Ulu tried their best, paddling hard, but they had little chance of avoiding the slavers. Their lighter boat, faster speed, the cliffs and even the waves, worked against Ulu’s escape. As their boat came up alongside the canoe, the two men who weren’t rowing threw three-pronged hooks into the canoe. They started hauling the two boats together.

The rowers on that side pulled in their oars while the other two men helped to push their boat into the canoe. One of the men yelled at the boys to put down their paddles and that they wouldn’t get hurt if they came peacefully. In answer, Ulu lashed out at the man that tried to grab the side of the canoe near him.

He bashed the sailor in the head with his paddle, and the man rolled over the side of his boat and into the sea. One of the rowers had grabbed Inhu’s paddle, and Inhu nearly went overboard when he didn’t let go. He braced his feet and hauled back on his paddle. This time, the sailor didn’t let go quick enough.

The boats had smacked together when a wave dropped them into a trough and then lurched apart on the next crest, upsetting the sailor’s balance, as Inhu pulled. He joined his mate and the fish at the bottom of the sea.

When the boats had joined, one of the rowers had leant across and managed to grab Yalla. With the boys busy fending off their attackers; they couldn’t stop him from pulling her over into their boat. She didn’t go easy, kicking, screaming and clawing at the sailor. He passed the struggling woman to the next man to subdue.

One of the other sailors had managed to tie off his rope, lashing the nose of the rowboat to the canoe. He reached for the canoe again as they came together on the next wave. He held on as another man finished tying the boats together.

The man who had grabbed Yalla then vaulted over and grabbed at Tiki who was on the other side of the canoe. She kicked at him and tried to fend him off. Their goods being stacked around her didn’t give her much room to manoeuvre. He was able to pull her over and away from Inhu, who had tried to dive over the crates to grab her.

Having seen Ulu in action, the man closest to him used his oar to smack Ulu on the side of the head, when he also went to stop the sailor from grabbing Tiki. It was a well-aimed blow, and it knocked Ulu silly. Yalla started to scream as he slumped over the crates.

The biggest man pointed a pistol at Inhu and told him to, “Give it up.” Inhu knew he had to give in. With Ulu down and the two girls being held, he reluctantly put down his paddle.

The sailors manhandled them all into their boat and then tied them up. They tied the canoe on behind and rowed back to the ship with their prizes. The pickings had been slim this trip, at least these four would help make it worth their while.

The Captain wasn’t pleased that he was now short two more men. The captives were also older than they tended to like. They were, however, young, fit and handsome enough to bring a nice price.

When he looked through the goods from the canoe, he conjectured that they were newly bonded couples. The young fellas must have been eager to get their prizes home. He could at least sell their wares and make a few extra queks (dollars).

He thought about tossing the young fellas overboard. However, they hadn’t managed to pick up any other lads this trip. Being newly bonded, they should at least behave on the trip, if they were kept together. He always got good money for handsome boys, and these two were at least that.

If his main client didn’t want them, he had other contacts that wouldn’t say no to two healthy young fellas like them. He could always get Druid Gazan to put a ‘behave spell’ on them for him. The girls being a little older, wasn’t really a problem as they were young and pretty enough to satisfy many a client in the brothels in Trenton, not everyone wanted younger teenagers.

The high tides and storms they got here on the continent called Saran made it treacherous to live to close to the beaches. The main villages were placed inland about half a klick. His sailors liked to lay in wait along the main trails and snatch the teenagers and kids from the path.

The tribes had been even more cautious this trip. The Captain decided that he had worn out his welcome. Oliver, his first mate, had reported finding new trails and lookouts. The kids and women now mostly travelled in large groups with guards, if they came close to the sea.

The shore party hadn’t managed to isolate a small enough group in more than a week. They didn’t like to stay in one spot that long. Oliver said that they had to kill the two male guards to claim the four girls they collected from this cove.

However, killing the guards meant they would need to stay away for a while. It had been one of their favourite beaches, but not anymore. If they could get one, they took one of the older girls for the ship’s crew; they had at least managed that from the previous group that they collected from further south.

They tossed the boys with the girl who seemed to favour them, into the cells below deck. They had learned that if they kept at least one of the girls with the boys, they tended to behave better.

One of the hardest things they had trouble finding amongst these people, were virgins. These people tended to start screwing at a young age. The fact most of them had no inhibitions in screwing each other in the cells, no matter what the sex, has been a surprise to his crew.

Coming into the cells and finding them all happily screwing each other, would get the sailors worked up. The Captain had to make sure that only he, Oliver and Kale who was assigned as their keeper, had the keys. He had lost several men not long after he started trading in slaves.

They had entered the cells to join the slaves and got their necks twisted for their troubles. The slaves had then gone over the side of the ship. He had lost eight prime slaves and two sailors that trip. Unlike his crew, the slaves could all swim. They had no problems with going over the side of the ship if the land was still in view.

The Captain looked up into the sky and noted the storm. He decided the safest thing to do was to head to the deep water. While he only had twelve slaves, it would have to do. The tribes here were getting too cautious. The payment for these and their goods would get him and crew through winter at least.

He would have to go further south next trip, he decided.

Ulu woke to find a lump the size of an egg on the back of his head.

The sailor had deliberately hit him with the flat of the paddle, to knock him out but not hurt him too much. He woke to find his head in Yalla’s lap. He sat up gingerly to look around. They had provided a mattress of sorts and several thin blankets.

In the corner was a box that was bolted down to the deck. Upon inspection, it had a hole in the top big enough for him to put his head in. Underneath was a smaller pipe that angled to the side of the ship. A sponge on a stick was chained to a bar. It hung beside a bucket of sea water. A wooden cup held in a metal hoop sat near the bucket for wetting the sponge.

In very rough weather, seawater would wash up the pipe and over the floor soaking everything before washing back down a drain on the seaward side of the deck. It was not pleasant. Hung higher on the bars at the front of the cell, was another small bucket that the crew topped up with fresh water once a day. A short handled ladle on a short heavy chain hung beside it.

The cells were barely 2.5m square, and there were five on this side of the deck and five on the other side. They were set away from the walls so the slaves couldn’t damage the ship. Inhu and Tiki were in the first cell. He and Yalla were in the second cell.

In the cell next to him was Azure a girl from his village and a girl called Olin from a village further south. Two other girls from his village and two from another were in the next one. They were the youngest girls. The last cell held the other two girls. The girls were all aged between fourteen and seventeen.

Ulu was not pleased with his accommodations. He asked the others if they were all right and found the girls from his village had only been taken this morning. The other four girls had been captured twelve days ago with one of their female guards.

The oldest girl, Olin informed him they knew of at least thirteen crew members and the Captain. Valda, their guard, had killed one of the men when they were taken. They believed the Captain and the first mate Oliver, had raped her for several days as punishment.

They believed she was chained up, upstairs and was being used by the crew. The sailors had to complete their duties to be rewarded time with her. As far as they knew, she was still alive.

He asked if they knew where they were headed. Azure informed him that their main guard, who had said he was called Kale, told them that they were going to Trenton. Ulu asked them to behave for him.

Old Druid Troy, who lived in their village, had said that he needed to go there so they may as well let the slavers provide the ride. He would get them free somehow when they got to Trenton.

‘Somehow, ‘ he thought.

Ulu was the taller of the two brothers.

He stood at 188cm (6’2”) tall. He was well muscled from hard physical labour. His wide shoulders, solid legs and small arse were admired by many. His unusual dark blue eyes with the dark brown outer ring were hypnotic if you looked into them for any length of time.

His skin was a chestnut colour and his nose longish and broad at the base. His lips were wide and full but not pouty. His hair was softly curled, and it fell below his shoulders when it wasn’t tied back. It was as black as polished ebony with a bluish tinge in sunlight.

Inhu was shorter by a couple of centimetres, and his eyes were dark brown with golden flecks. His skin tone was a shade or two darker than his Ulu’s. His shoulders were not quite as wide and his muscles more sinewy.

He had similar facial features to his brother with the same squarish jaw and brow and a slightly wider nose. Inhu’s hair was a deeper, dark brown and it also curled more tightly, but he kept it shorter, so the curls surrounded his handsome face.

The brothers had the same father, but different mothers. Ulu was the older at twenty and Inhu younger by nearly two years. Ulu was the heir apparent, to his father’s rule. They also differed in sexual preferences. Inhu preferred women, while Ulu took whoever caught his fancy.

Ulu had little trouble in finding partners of either sex. He was considered an effective and considerate lover and ensured that his partners were pleased with his efforts. The fact he was well endowed didn’t hurt either.

Inhu was not lacking in that department and had not had any complaints from the woman lucky enough to grace his bed. The princes rarely had much trouble with their chosen partner saying no, especially as they had a reputation for pleasing them.

Inhu had decided Yalla was a good match for his brother. She was as promiscuous as he was. Yet he felt they did care deeply for each other. She was the daughter of the ruler of the northern tribe of their six affiliated tribes.

His own new wife, Tiki suited him just fine. She was the daughter of an Oracle from Yalla’s tribe, who was held in high regard by all the tribes. Tiki was a loving woman with long curly hair. It was the same shade of brown as his, and she was happy to be the only other in his bed.

Tiki was a nice tidy package, with hips wide enough to bear his children and breasts big enough to keep him and them happy. She was only about 160cm tall, but she was lovely to cuddle, and she enjoyed their time together in bed as much as he did. She was accomplished at the women’s arts and famous for her cooking. She was also a fine weaver. He felt that he was lucky that she had wished to be his.

Yalla was a princess of Tiki’s tribe. While she knew the arts of women, she was very good at delegating. She was taller than Tiki at 178cm tall and very beautiful, with her dusky brown skin and full breasts that attracted many a man’s eyes.

Ulu had no complaints about her abilities in bedroom sports either. The fact she was happy to share him as long as he did the same, was fine by him. They often shared the third person together. Their society didn’t have any taboos about multiple partners or bondings.

The boys’ father, Doyen Rahlu, had three bonded wives. Ulu’s mother, Consort Letea was bonded to a second husband, Opinu. When an Oracle determined that he was the father of one of Ulu’s younger sisters, it was agreed that they could bond.

To Ulu’s knowledge, Letea mostly slept in Opinu’s bed these days, unless his father or one of the other wives joined them. As far as he was aware, all five often swapped between the two beds. They were happy enough, so he didn’t worry about it.

In their society, a bonding or marriage was more for maintaining financial and political agreements and assigning responsibility for the care of children. Bonding was a contract between two or more people that indicated who owned what.

It was also to ensure that if a partner died then the others in the relationship and any children they had were looked after. If a bonded pair decided to go their separate ways or there was a dispute on who were the parents of a child, then the oracles were consulted. What they said goes.