Chapter 2: For the people and the land

Late in the afternoon on the sixth day, we found a place for our base camp. We had been climbing into the Dragon's Backbone for two days, riding into cold driving rain since we had left Edina and Lani. The men had been happy to stay in garrison cities for the next two nights, but once we had headed into the mountains, we had left civilisation behind, and had camped out in the cold.

I had felt particularly cold on the fifth night. For the second time the captain had refused to give me my seed. I had cried in my frustration, I knew that I would get no more. But after that I suffered quietly. I was determined to overcome any challenge the captain threw at me; I had to, if I wanted to live. And I had discovered that I did want to live, very much. I had even begun to hope that I might survive this foolhardy expedition, and that I had more future than a whore.

I now knew that some in the squad had similar problems to mine. They were alcoholics, they needed to drink. The captain had said that while we were taking wine into the mountains, it would be strictly rationed, and no one was to get drunk. He had let them go for one last drink the second night we stayed in a garrison. We had left late on the fifth morning after that, a sorry looking bunch of men; all wet, most with hang overs. I was glad that at least I would know that there was no more seed. Although it was always possible that the captain had more yet.

While we unpacked on the sixth day, in our base camp location, Gong used a huge hammer to drive a massive stake into the ground. Once he had finished, the captain called me over to the stake. "Undress" he said, while holding some chains and a manacle in his hand.

I shivered. In my head I saw myself, chained, naked and spread on the ground, with the men standing in a line to use me. Well, I had feared the worst, and now it would come to pass. Here would be my final payment for my innocence, the innocence that Bridget had taken from me, that same innocence I had taken from another. I could not keep the tears from my eyes as I pulled my clothes off. For the first time, the men would see me fully naked, though I had become used to sharing relief stops with them. I took some small pleasure from the look on Gong's face as I stripped, such naked pleasure at my naked body. When I had cast the last of my clothes on the ground, the captain gave me a blanket to wrap myself in.

"You will be chained to this stake until you have recovered. I will look after you until then. When you make too much noise, we will gag you. Scar is going to build you a shelter, and you will have blankets to keep warm."

I did not reply. I decided to say as little as I could while I was chained. I would be dumb. I sat with my legs crossed and my hands on my knees in the meditation pose that the lecherous healer had taught me while I was still his apprentice. I chanted an old calming chant under my breath while they attached my chain and Scar built me a simple shelter with some sticks and a hide.

The captain came to me after the men had eaten and gave me my meal. He sat and watched me eat. When I finished he pulled a small bag from his pocket. "This is the last of the seed" he said. Just out of my reach he built a small pile of wood for a fire, and placed the bag on top of it. Then he left and returned with a burning branch. He was as surprised as I was that I had not moved to see if I could reach the seed while he was gone.

I watched the seed burn. So much was going up in flames with it. Though I didn't know the future, I knew that the last remnants of Zia, whore and seedie, burned in front of my eyes. Soon I would arise from the flame, to build a new life.

The captain looked at me with compassion in his piercing eyes. "Good luck" he said. There was a finality in his voice, as if he would not be speaking to me again.

"Do I get a final request?" I asked him.

"And what might that be?"

"If you could get my girly bag." He nodded, and I told him where to find it. When he came back, he gave me my hairbrush and things. Whatever I faced, it would be easier if I was looking my best.

As the evening progressed, I groomed myself. I combed every knot out of my dirty messy hair. I trimmed and plucked my eyebrows, legs and patch. I had learnt what it was that men liked, and I wanted to be at my best. And I meditated, chanting to myself while I waited for the desire to take me, feeling it growing, growing inside me. I told myself, as I chanted, that whatever came, I must retain my dignity. I must be quiet, I would simply meditate.

Sometime late in the evening I started losing my mind. I saw visions. Fire leapt from the ashes of my seed and burnt me alive, but I was only getting colder. My father came and laughed at me, and reached in and caressed my breasts. I was hanging in a gibbet, I couldn't move to stop him. Then he suddenly changed into beast, terrible in form, and reached down to tear my neck with his horrible jaws. Then the captain leaned down, picked him from my off chest while I lay on the ground, and threw him into the sky where his falcon grabbed him like a small rodent, tearing him to pieces. And then, I believe, the madness truly took me.

I was cold and disorientated when I woke up. I groaned. My tongue was sore and swollen, and I was dreadfully thirsty. I tried to sit up, but I felt weak. I groaned again. Hands lifted me up, and water was placed to my mouth. I drank until it was taken away. "Enough" a voice said. I forced my eyes to open, and looked into the face of the captain. "What is your name?" he asked me. I groaned again. He gave me more water to drink.

"Zia" I said.

"Welcome back. I will bring you some food."

While he was gone, I looked around. I was still chained to the stake, but we were somehow some where else, in a valley completely surrounded by high mountains. They had moved me. The captain came with small meal. I was ravenous, and wolfed it down. "More" I pleaded, but he refused me. I sniffed. I stunk. "I need to wash." He nodded.

"Wait."

He returned with another of the squad, Drowsy. Between them, they removed my chain. I pulled my stinky blanket tight, and the captain helped me stand, guiding me to a bubbling stream. I dropped the blanket and walked in. It was cold. Bitterly cold beyond anything I had ever experienced. I quickly washed myself and my hair, but I had lost all feeling in my fingers long before I had finished my hair. When I came out, the captain wrapped me in a clean blanket and held me tight until I was merely very cold. I leaned in against him, enjoying his comfort and strength. This was the first time anyone had held me tight for a long time. The first time anyone had simply just cared about me since as long as I could remember. The feeling and the morning sun warmed me quickly.

When I could speak, I asked him how many days had passed. "It's been eight days since I chained you to that stake."

Eight days! But I had survived. Now that I was starting to warm up, I realised that I felt different. For the first time, I truly felt free of the seed. I laughed, great gales of laughter. I was free!

Well, not actually free at this point. The captain owned me. Now, truly, I knew, he owned me, and it was time for me to start paying my dues. I pulled away from the captain, opened the blanket, and presented myself to him. "I am yours, Master." It was the first time I had called him that.

His eyes scanned my body, and he caught his breath. "Yes, and you are beautiful" he said. "But it's too cold for that yet. Come with me and have some breakfast, and then we will talk about your duties."

"How can I perform my duties when I haven't had any thornstar for eight days?"

The captain smiled. "I've been making it for you, and making you have it."

Oh really? How did I know that he made it correctly? Before breakfast he showed me how he made it: properly. The old healer had showed him, he said.

Over breakfast, the captain explained my duties. The men were divided into four teams of four, each on a four day cycle. They would go out on patrol for two days, staying somewhere overnight on the patrol. On the third day, they would patrol the main route through the mountains. On the fourth day, they had a rest day, during which they spent time resting and working on weapons and skills. Also, on that day, they would get a turn with me. The captain and his second in command Whistle were not on the four day cycle, and would get a turn with me as they had a chance. My duties were to make sure that the men were clean, healthy, and happy. They had set me up a little room to do my stuff in, and he would show it to me soon. And did I have any questions?

I didn't even know what "my stuff" was. So the captain showed me inside a log cabin, which was still not complete. I was amazed at the size of the log cabin they had built, how much they had already done. It was fairly low, and dug out below into the ground. One end was curtained off with some heavy skins, and behind this was a small room with a bath and a bed in it. A small fire gave enough light to see by.

"A bath? How did that get here?"

The captain grinned. "Gong and Sock got it here. Ask them, I'm sure they'll love to tell you the story."

There was a channel of running water around the bath, and some complicated set up over the fire that looked like a way to fill to the bath with warm water.

"Your real job is to fill the bath with warm water, get them into it, and wash them, and give them a massage. And to watch their health. This winter will be hard for them, and you need to keep them going."

And to give my body to them, I knew, that went without saying. But now I could see what my stuff was. The bed was a log bed on rocks, I would have to make it more comfortable somehow.

"This afternoon, if you are ready, you will have a practice run on me, I will give you this morning to sort all your stuff out and figure out the bath. Have one yourself."

I looked at the captain and desire spread through my body and into my voice. "Oh, I'll make sure that I'm ready."

I spent the morning preparing the room and sorting out my things. Mostly I had things for healing or for pleasure. Just a few clothes were for me, and my girly bag. I folded them in a corner, I still wasn't sure where I'd be sleeping myself.

Many of my users had come for a simple suck and fuck. We had called them "In, In and Out" or "Simple Dicks." But Tom had a list of special services that cost more. One of the special services was called "Saucy Bath Attendant" and I had played that role occasionally. Here, it would be more than a role. Another of the special experiences was called "Full Massage Treatment", and I had done that a lot. The most expensive service we had offered was called "Pretend Girlfriend Experience." Bridget had taught me all those skills, using them on each other, and I knew that I would use them here.

I figured out the fire set up, and had a wonderful warm bath. If only I'd known about this bath earlier, I wouldn't have frozen myself in that damned stream. I lay fully submersed in the warm water, caressing myself. It had been two weeks since I had last had sex, and to my surprise I was missing it, a lot. The anticipation of serving the captain was filling me with a pleasant warm feeling inside. I lifted myself onto the edge of the bath, and placed my hand between my legs, imagining kneeling down in front of the captain, both of us naked, his taste and strength filling me up.

I had to stop. I was quite noisy when I came, to which I was surprisingly close, and it wouldn't do for anyone to hear what came next right now. Oh, how I wanted the captain. I had to resist the urge to pleasure myself as I dried myself with a blanket.

I looked through the few small clothes I had bought. Now was the time to put aside the travelling gear and wear some of the other clothes I had bought. I settled on a simple cotton sundress. I would keep the other few outfits hidden for later. I didn't think the dress was quite warm enough for the weather, but I figured I wouldn't be wearing it for long — it was fairly tight and short, and emphasized my breasts wonderfully. Given that I hadn't tried it on when I bought it, I was pretty proud of my choice.

Whistle was outside with the captain, and no one else was around. The astounded hungry looks on their faces filled me with pleasure. I had never dressed like this before I came to the city, and after that it hadn't really meant anything however I dressed or didn't. The look on their faces, it gave me a wonderful feeling. I sat opposite them as we ate lunch, with my legs crossed, and the dress only just covering me. I felt as though sparks were flying across the small fire between us.

I bounced up, leant over the captain, and whispered into his ear. "Just let me get your bath ready, Sir." I gave him the tiniest little growl. I walked seductively back to the log cabin. I was going to drive these men mad if I could.

When the bath was ready, I went out to call the captain, and found him hanging right outside the door of the log cabin. I pulled him into the cabin and kissed him passionately. I could feel him against me, he kissed me back hard. He led me into my room. I started undoing his belt, but he shuddered and stood back from me.

"Uh, hang on, there's a couple of things we need to talk about first."

I had never imagined seeing the great captain flustered but he definitely was right then. Nearly the only time I ever saw him flustered, actually.

"Yes, Master, anything you want." I was nearly purring, pulling the hem of my dress up. How hard could I push him?

He shut his eyes. "Stop that — let us talk, then I will have you."

I let go of my dress.

"Are you up for this? You only came back to us today."

"Just try and hold me back."

He nodded. "OK, just checking that you are ready."

I was ready, no doubt about that. Finally, I was going to get my hands on him.

I undressed the captain. Oh, he was everything I imagined. There was such power in his body. It wasn't just his physical appearance, though that was as good as you could imagine. His muscles were hard and clearly defined, his stomach flat, his bum wonderfully tight. Some men, when they are naked, don't radiate the raw strength they can appear to have when they are clothed. But with the captain, the way he moved and stood radiated his power and commanding attitude perfectly, no clothes required. This is the true mark of a powerful man.

I ran my hands over him. He had a normal amount of hair on his chest, and he was normal sized, I was reassured to see. I like normal sized man. Too small or short, or if they are fat, and I have to work hard to give them what they want, and there's nothing left over for me. Too big, and I have to manage the way they use me, and often it goes to their head too. But normal or slightly bigger, then if the man knows how to use it, I can really enjoy myself.