Chapter 15: The journey to Neambu

We headed westwards at, for us, quite a brisk pace and soon left the paved roads of Chapoti behind us. Sumala led the way along a good, wide dirt road through an agricultural area with wide irrigation ditches and small areas of woodland. Frequently we had to move to one side as a horse or oxen drawn cart carrying fruit or vegetables for the market, took most of the road width. Always we were greeted with friendly smiles and a greeting. With the rising sun now dispersing the chill and mist of the morning, I felt happy and free as we ambled through the undulating landscape. Ahead of us I could see mountain peaks rising up and from what Sumala had said, I knew we'd have to cross them before we reached Neambu, where Allaice lived.

Sumala was in his element, striding along bare-footed with the graceful ease of a young panther and carrying his bulky framed rucksack like it weighed nothing. We, on the other hand, only had small cotton rucksacks we'd bought in the market and, at Sumala's insistence, only brought a single change of clothing, a sweater and a few essential toiletries. I tried to imitate his long strides and found they caused my buttock muscles to complain but I quickly adjusted to a stride length and pace that suited me and was soon lost in thought and admiring the scenery. It was pleasant and homely; different to England but not a scene of forceful grandeur. Occasionally Sumala would stop and point out things of interest but generally we walked in silence. For a while I forgot about Roger holding my hand but gradually I noticed him give a bit of a sigh and have to make a few hurried steps to keep up. I knew it wouldn't be long before he interrupted my reverie. We'd been on the move for only an hour and a half when he gave a little moan. "Here it comes," I thought, "Trust him to spoil things with his whining."

A few minutes later he asked, "Can we have a rest? I'm sure this pack has rubbed my welts and chafed them raw."

"No!' I told him more forcefully than I intended, "We need to get as far as we can while it is still relatively cool. We'll have a break in another hour or so." Sumala turned and gave me a grin.

"I don't think I can go that long without a rest."

I just tugged on Roger's hand and said, "You can and you will. Now shut up. We're all in the same boat. I can feel the pack on my back too and I don't know how Suma can take all that weight on his whipped shoulders without complaining."

"We could go back."

"Don't even think about it."

Ten minutes later, "Ellie, we've got to stop now, my feet are sore."

"And your arse will be sore also if you don't shut up." He kept dragging his feet and slowing me down and constantly I had to pull on his hand. I was fed up. "Stop for a moment Suma please." Roger thought he was getting his way. "Can I have the rope please?" Out of his pack, Sumala produced the twenty feet of so of rope that we'd intended to use when crossing the mountains. Roger was about to slip the pack from his back when I removed the cuff from my wrist and fastened it to his. Both his hands were then linked in front of him by a length of chain. I tied one end of he rope to the centre of the chain and the other around my waist. "You will keep the rope slack at all times," I instructed, "Otherwise I will get Suma use his big knife to cut a switch and he can gee you up from behind like a donkey." He called me a cruel bitch but the threat must have had some effect because it was twenty minutes before he started to complain again.

Rather than having the rope pull directly on my waist, I held a bight of it in my hand. Twice it became tight enough to pull it from my fingers but I didn't remark on it. What annoyed me more was the constant pathetic whimpering.

By now the agricultural landscape was giving way to scrub and the grass road had deteriorated into a track that climbed steadily upwards. Although we could still have walked side by side it was preferable to me to keep my partner at a distance. Three-quarters of an hour later we came to a small clear stream and Sumala suggested we had a five-minute break. We dropped our packs but Roger of course, couldn't get his right off because of the cuffs but he could rest it when sitting on the ground. I took the opportunity to check his back but there was only minor chafing but to shut him up I put some cream on it. The heat of the day caused us to sweat and the back of his shirt and my blouse was soaked.

"Don't drink too much of the cold water," Sumala warned. We did have a drink and I rinsed my face and legs and then sat in the shade of a small tree. "We're doing quite well," our guide informed me, "But we're not a far along as I planned. See that line of trees that are the start of the mountains? A forester, Gordmu, and his family have a hut there. We will be obliged to visit them and they will feel obliged to offer us food and drink. You Miss Bluestone, must act as though you are in full charge of Roger and me. Out here they are more traditional than in the town and they are old and set in traditional ways. When they offer food accept but remember they will not have much in stock and there is no town nearby to get more. If they offer to refill your plate, respectfully decline. The other thing is, they will only speak a few words of english although they will understand much of what you say if you speak slowly. I have some difficulty with their dialect but I would guess that I will have to interpret for them. At our pace it will take another hour to get there and then we can have a proper rest. I think we should push on straight away. What do you think Boss Lady?" He gave me a teasing smile.

"Fine Mr. Guide. Let's go. On your feet Roger."

Ten minutes later and again in full sun I was soaked with sweat and getting more and more irritable from the chafing of my pack and almost having to tug Roger every step of the way. Worse was his continual griping about the conditions. We stopped again. "Why did you have to agree to this? If you'd agreed to fuck the Major a few times he'd have provided transport. You've fucked nearly every one else and yet you drag me along and torture me in this hell on earth." While he was ranting I whispered to Sumala what I wanted him to do. From the grin he gave I knew he agreed with what I was about to do and chuckling left the track, cut a short stick and then ferreted in his rucksack for some string.

"You've turned into a mean bitch Ellie. I just hope that I don't get on the wrong side of you!" With Sumala's help I forced the stick crossways in Roger's mouth and tied it in place with string around his head. The ends of the stick stuck out several inches either side of his head like a grotesque horse bit.

"Stand him up Suma please." With Sumala holding him upright I undid his shorts and let them fall to the ground. Neither of them anticipated my next more. Undoing the rope from his chain, I formed the end into a small noose, slipped it around the base of his prick and behind his balls and lightly tightened it. Tears flowed from his eyes when he realised the implications. It would be really painful if he didn't keep up. My stuffing his shorts into his backpack only added to his humiliation but we didn't meet any others on our journey.

"I'm leaving you like this until we get to the forester's place so the sooner we get there the better. I will put it back on for the next stage of the trip if you start griping and abusing me again. Understood?" He nodded but his eyes glared their hatred. "You might have a lower pain threshold to us but there's no need to act like a spoilt five-year old, nor is there any need for you to say the vilest things about us, especially when you know they are not true. Now I suggest you grip the rope with your hands so there is no pressure on your balls unless you get too far behind me." He was mumbling something but nothing intelligible came out before I told Sumala to lead the way again.

Not wishing to be too unkind I did keep the pace down but deliberately didn't look behind. Twice when he stumbled, the rope became taut but not enough to tighten the noose. Even so it was well over an hour before we arrived at a group of three grass huts.

Gordmu closely followed by his wife Tuva came out to greet us. Apparently the sons were away in the forest working. He immediately went towards Sumala who stepped aside and indicated that I should go first. The old man hesitated for only a second and then noting my bluestone badge came and hugged me and jabbered in his dialect. I caught the word Gordmu and gathered it was a ritual greeting. Stepping back slightly I answered in my best London accent, "I'm Ellie and I'm pleased to meet you Sir." He nodded and smiled and greeted Sumala before his wife came and greeted me. She indicated for us to sit in the shade outside their hut. I introduced Roger and ordered him to sit and then asked Sumala to remove the gag. "Don't you dare say a word, Roger, or it goes straight back in," I warned when his gag came out. Fortunately he only worked his jaws but kept quiet. Sumala then removed the noose and, on my instructions, tied the rope around Roger's waist.

Tuva through Sumala suggested that we might like to rinse ourselves and wash the sweat out of our clothing in the stream and then sit with them while we had some food and drink. I readily agreed and she took us a short distance behind the hut to where a cold, fast flowing stream from the mountains gurgled past. Without hesitation I shed my clothes and stepped into the chilly water. Sumala did the same and when he was close enough to me, whispered, "Order the boy to wash our clothes." Releasing one of his cuffs and handing the rope that was still around his waist to Tuva to hold, gave the order in a loud voice. Tuva seemed to approve and was amused by his efforts at washing but she didn't intercede to help him.

Roger managed to get himself clean at the same time although he did squeal a bit at the coldness of the water, but a look from me and he shut up. It gave me a little pleasure to take photos of him doing this chore without a washing machine. Tuva touched the welts on my back a few times and asked about them and when we'd returned to Gordmu, she mentioned it to him. Both seemed surprised at the extent of my punishment and the whipping Sumala had. They'd heard about it of course because the boys had been to the market since then.

While our clothes dried, we sat naked outside the hut and talked in a stilted language with our hosts. Sumala soon had a full erection and I wondered if I would be expected to allow him to use it but fortunately Tuva brought out the food; flat bread with a huge pitcher of honey. Gordmu explained that his sons had found a wild bees nest earlier in the week. It was delicious and so different from the refined supermarket stuff that I usually bought. This had everything in it; bits of honeycomb and even bits of bees. I could have eaten it until I was sick but remembered to decline more when I was offered.

Wyche's ointment for my feet came in useful. I didn't have any blisters at the time but there were places between my toes that were red. Sumala put in on for me and whispered that I was being impolite by not asking to service his erection so after he'd treated Roger's feet I did so and noticed the look of satisfaction on our host's faces when Sumala entered and pounded me until he loosed his load. Whatever Roger thought of it, he kept to himself. I wondered if Gordmu would fuck me as well but I guess he was too old to get it hard enough. I almost offered Roger to Tuva but I had already alienated him enough for one day.