OutBorn

e stood for a moment in the red penumbra of the tent, me contemplating the six bodies before me, Claude, I suspected, measuring me. I turned to him.

"Which one?" I was a bit amused myself at the slight quaver in my voice.

"Which one would you like?" He swept his hand in an arc, bidding me choose. I looked right for just a moment, glancing at the tall blonde. Not yet, I thought. It seemed too much, just now. Better to start smaller... I smiled at my own weak wit, and pointed further left.

"That one. She should do nicely, I think." The tiny blonde's eyes glared fiercely, and she strained to loosen her bonds. Beautiful, I thought. Such eyes... Claude clapped his hands briefly and gave an approbatory chuckle.

"A perfect entry model, you'll find!" He laughed again.

Her blazing blue eyes swung on him. I was taken a bit aback. Wildlings do not know Common... She was merely following our by-play, surely. Our intent must be plain, given the setting. Claude strode toward the frames holding the girls, and I forgot my misgivings. From a large pack beside the flap he had retrieved a number of items. He quickly gagged each of the bound women. Then, grasping the frame from which my choice hung, he wheeled it to the back of the tent. I allowed myself a moment to admire the ingenious design of these racks, as he locked the wheels, and tilted my chosen specimen back, so that her head now rested just higher than her feet, just inches over waist-high. I smiled as Claude stepped away and handed me a black leather case.

"I believe you will find these adequate to the task. I wish I could offer more, but the demands of portability..."

I hefted the black case. It seemed much too small, much too light. I recalled the large armoire that could barely contain all my equipment back home. Still, it would have been churlish to complain. I let the case fall open. I should have known, I suppose, after all the surprises this man had provided this day, but still, I had not expected what was within: the case was a marvel of compact design. There were paddles of several sizes, an assortment of short-handled whips, and a large selection of all that I loved - things that would prod, pinch, sting, slap, tickle, cut... things that would now allow me to get from the tiny blonde beside me the reactions that would make my own blood roil with joy.