Chapter 34

Amanda crawled across the grass of the Circle towards the peacefully slumbering slave. Her eyes flicked over the young woman's body to determine the correct approach. The slave had curled up on her side with her torso turned just enough towards the ground to make her breasts inaccessible. Not that having the breasts exposed had helped her on the first two attempts. If anything, that was where she kept making mistakes.

She came alongside the sleeping girl and immediately spotted one advantage. The knees were drawn up enough to expose a bit of her sex between her thighs. Amanda knew this particular slave also had a sensitive behind, growing particularly aroused when someone touched her there.

Amanda tried to put everything else out of her mind, but her concentration was terrible that day. Anger and frustration rose before she could quell it.

"Just relax, Amanda," Sirinna said softly from the side.

Amanda cast an annoyed look at her, then caught herself again and nodded. She took a breath and let it go as a quick sigh. She started gently caressing the girl's rear.

Amanda thought she heard a very soft moan, but it was likely just wishful thinking. The slave's only initial reaction was a very slight shift of one of her arms. She continued breathing normally, oblivious to Amanda's touch.

Amanda expanded her caress to the thighs. She tried not to be impatient by constantly checking the slave for any signs of a reaction.

"Just go with it if it feels right," Sirinna had told her earlier. "Don't keep checking. It will throw you off your stride."

Amanda tried to heed these words, but her eyes kept flicking to the side. She tried touching the girl's pussy, but there was no real moisture there yet, and she did not want to chafe the slave.

I think Sirinna used too much sleeping powder on these girls, Amanda thought, even though she herself had seen the dosage used and her Healer experience told her it was the right amount.

Unfortunately, this made her think about Lanno again.

She wondered if Lanno were having sex with Evella every day now. Was that really why he wanted her residing with him? A new sex partner because he had grown bored with Amanda? Or maybe he was hoping she would have some lingering subservience to him that was more than he would get from Amanda?

"Amanda, easy!" Sirinna whispered urgently. "Slowly. Take your time."

"I am, " Amanda hissed through her teeth. She sighed. "Yes, I know. Sorry, Mistress."

Amanda wondered why she was letting this get to her. She wanted to believe that she simply had the same misgivings as Vanlo. It was a nice, safe moral ground.

She was stupid to work for Freya, Amanda thought. Lanno could do better than her.

Amanda told herself once more, like so many hundreds of times before, that she never had a serious relationship with Lanno. Yet she still felt like someone that had been dumped by a steady boyfriend and forced to watch him date someone else.

In a moment of distraction, Amanda squeezed one of the girl's ass cheeks a bit hard. The girl let out a small groan and stirred. Oh gods damn it, no, no, don't wake up, don't... !

The slave's eyes blinked open and she rolled onto her back, stretching and yawning. Amanda pounded her fist into the ground in frustration and bolted to her feet.

"It's okay, Amanda," Sirinna said in a somewhat tired voice. "It's a tricky technique and it takes time to master."

"I would have been fine if you didn't keep shouting corrections at me all the time!" Amanda snapped.

Sirinna gave her charge an admonishing look.

Amanda sighed theatrically. "Sorry, Mistress."

"I'm not sure you are. You just weren't focused today, that's all. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing."

Sirinna looked a bit upset, but she kept her voice steady and kind. "I'm not so sure of that."

"Well, I am! Nothing's wrong. I just screwed up, that's all. Look, I'll just get some more sleeping powder from Master Vanlo and we can try again, okay?"

Amanda started past Sirinna. Sirinna grasped her arm and pulled her back.

"What?" Amanda snapped in annoyance.

Sirinna gestured towards one of the exits from the Circle. Amanda stomped away. Sirinna followed her down the path and stopped her just at the bend. "Now you're being uncooperative and defiant. If you keep this up, I will have to punish you."

"I said I would get you some more sleeping powder," Amanda cried petulantly. "I'll try again, and I promise I'll get it this time."

"That's not the point. You're acting like you're angry at everything today, and it's just too much for me to handle right now."

"Well, maybe I am angry at everything! It's not like anything has been going right the last moon. It's like everything I know is falling apart right... " She trailed off and stared at Sirinna.

Sirinna sighed, and her shoulders slumped. "What, Amanda? Please, finish your thought."

"What did you mean when you said you can't handle it right now?"

Sirinna looked nonplussed. "What? I didn't say..."

"Yes, you did, just now."

"Well, I ... I didn't mean it that way, I just..."

Amanda peered into Sirinna's face. "Your eyes are a little bloodshot."

Sirinna looked flustered. "Amanda, please, stop changing the subject, this is about you."

Amanda bit back a retort. She glanced towards an adjoining path, one that would take her in the general direction of the Healer office.

She did not know why she was so obsessed with wanting to fetch more sleeping powder. It was not that she thought she would do any better. Surely she wasn't just trying to find an excuse to see Lanno again. Or Evella. Or what they were doing together if Vanlo happened to have stepped out for a moment.

"Amanda, please pay attention to me," Sirinna said in an unusually irritated voice.

Her gaze snapped back. "I'm sorry, Mistress," she said in a more sincerely contrite voice. "I mean, for everything."

Sirinna slowly nodded. "Are you ready to tell me what it is?" she asked in a softer voice.

"Not yet. I ... I'm not at all sure myself yet."

"I don't understand."

"To be honest, neither do I. But I don't think it's something you can help with."

"Because I'm not smart enough?"

Amanda blinked. "Huh? No, that's not it."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. It's just something I don't think you have experience with, that's all. Experience had nothing to do with intelligence, they're two different things."

Sirinna was not sure she was convinced, but she was too tired to argue. "All right, Amanda. But if it keeps interfering with your training, I will insist you tell me."

Amanda nodded. "I really will try to focus more on it." She paused. "Do you want to go back and continue, Mistress? I mean, any training you want me to do, it doesn't have to be this."

Sirinna slowly smiled. "That would be fine, Amanda. We can practice some skills that you don't get to use very often to make sure you can still do them well."

Amanda tilted her head. "You are tired, aren't you?"

Sirinna looked about to protest but sighed and nodded. "A little."

"You're still having those dreams!"

"Sometimes. Not all the time. It's just a little ... a little upsetting when I do."

Amanda's eyes widened. "You should tell Master Vanlo about this. He said to watch out for this sort of thing."

"Amanda, I don't want to go to him with this right now."

"Then I'll tell him."

"No!"

Amanda was startled into silence.

Sirinna swallowed and held a hand to her cheek for a moment. "Amanda, please, don't go to Master Vanlo about this, not now."

"But Sirinna, you'd never let me get away with not going to him about... !"

"Amanda!" Sirinna said sharply. "No more. I am in charge here, and I'll decide who goes to the Healer about what. I have four new charges to look after until Master Roquan decides what he wants to do about them. I can't have them taken away from me."

Amanda looked confused. "Taken away from you?"

"I mean, I don't ... what would Master Roquan do if I wasn't here to take care of them for him? I'm needed right now. Wait until after I no longer have them and I will talk to Master Vanlo."

Amanda looked warily at Sirinna. "All right. Master Roquan needs to decide about them soon anyway."

"Yes, that's right. It likely will not be more than a few days. I think we can wait that long."

Amanda simply nodded.

Sirinna took Amanda's hand. "Come on, let's go back to the Circle and you can show me what you know."

"All right, Mistress," Amanda said, a ghost of a smile touching her lips.

"I will be succinct," said Uroddus as he faced the Mage Elders, holding his head up with increased certainty and calm. He tried to remember what Q'yros had told him about what he should do when he felt he was right. He did not think the situation called for passion, per se, but he could at least refuse to be intimidated or to look nervous before their scrutiny.

"I sought no personal advancement, reward, or glory. It was Master Q'yros who requested my help, and he was skeptical of my theories from the start. He questioned everything I did and every conclusion that I reached. Not once did I venture my name anywhere as one who was assisting Master Q'yros, save for a few of my close friends.

"Master Q'yros took a long while to convince. Furthermore, it was he that theorized that Portals could be utilized in an invasion, and it was I that had doubted this theory. Katla misspoke slightly in her emotional state."

Katla's mouth dropped open, and she glared at Uroddus' back, muttering something under her breath.

"The courier was not intended so much as a warning as to seek clarification. I contacted Overlord Roquan to see if I could validate or refute Q'yros' theory. It was his belief that slaves could be used to gain access to Noble Lord Palaces..."

A wave of murmuring started at once.

" ... by reading their memories of their time inside those places in order to provide coordinates for the foreign Portals..."

The murmuring rose. "Quiet, please!" Q'land called out, not wishing to disrupt the testimony with the gong again.

"So my intent was to glean information from the Overlord to this effect. I wished to determine if the Overlords had lost any slaves in any large numbers. I have discovered that at least one Overlord had sold a great deal of slaves to a foreign merchant believed to originate from the same power that is behind these Portals."

A Mage Elder shot to his feet. "What? We were not told of this!"

Another bolted up as well. "Why was this information not revealed to us?"

"Yes, why?" demanded a third.

Uroddus slipped off his glasses. "I believe you will need to ask the Guildmaster that question."

Many eyes turned. Even Q'kollan frowned thoughtfully and turned his head as well towards the Guildmaster.

"I have already answered this a thousand times!" Q'ixanna thundered. "Their research is based on nonsense from beginning to end. Just listen to what is being proposed! We are speaking of mind-reading! That is the stuff of charlatans and fairy-tales. Do you think for a moment I would waste the Guild's time on such prattle?"

"But ... but Guildmaster," said one of the Mage Elders, his eyes flicking between Uroddus and Q'ixanna. "Everything that's been happening ... what Journeyman Q'garra just said ... if any of this opens even a possibility that any of it might be true, shouldn't the other Mage Elders have had a chance to examine..."

The Guildmaster jumped from the chair. "Oh, this just descends further and further into sheer madness! Listen to yourselves! You're acting like frightened peasant women!" He leapt forward and grabbed a copy of Uroddus' notes and brandished it above his head. "This means nothing! It is garbage! You would have refuted it in moments! You would have laughed it off your desks!"

"Then if that is the case, Guildmaster," another Mage Elder's voice rang out. "Why did you not disseminate the information and allow us to support your position from the start?"

Silence fell. Eyes again turned. The Guildmaster stared for a long moment. Finally, his face twisted in rage, and he threw down the notes and turned away from the Elders.

"Answer that, Guildmaster!" the Mage Elder persisted. "Why did you clamp down on every conceivable form of information or communication if you believed this was nonsense? Did you attempt to call in even one Mage Elder for consultation, even in private? Does anyone here recall ever meeting with the Guildmaster?"

A shaking of heads. Q'kollan paused, then shook his head slowly as well.

"I do not need to justify my actions!" the Guildmaster bellowed as he sat down heavily in his chair. "But by all means, examine the theory as much as you want. You will come to the same conclusion that I did, and thus you will find that my actions were right. You will find not one shred of proof, because none exists to be found!"

Uroddus put his glasses back on. "On the contrary, Guildmaster, but proof now does exist."

"I beg your pardon?" Q'kollan suddenly exclaimed.

"What is this?" demanded another.

"Is this more information that has been kept from us?"

"If this is true, this puts a new light on... !"

"You liar!" the Guildmaster yelled, silencing the others at once. "You have no proof!"

"You are correct in that regard, Guildmaster," said Uroddus calmly. "I do not have the proof. The proof lies with Overlord Roquan D'ronstaq. He witnessed a Portal opened into the heart of his Manor, twice in succession, without the use of a focus."

The chamber went mad.

This time, the gong sound did nothing against the shouted debate between the Mage Elders, the bellowed indignation of the Guildmaster, and the shocked conversation between the observers. Finally, Q'land raised both hands, and a tremendous clap of thunder rolled deafeningly through the chamber.

"SILENCE!" Q'land shouted. "ORDER!"

"I will not stand for these lies any further!" Q'ixanna declared. He turned to Uroddus and sneered. "Just what little calculation did you do before these proceedings today, Empiricist? What probability did you compute in that cold little mind of yours that your words would cause this disruption?"

"Guildmaster, that is uncalled for..." Q'land began.

Q'ixanna ignored him and surged forward. Mage Elders quickly scrambled out of his way despite the protection of the table. Uroddus raised a level gaze to the Guildmaster's eyes.

"Yes, calculation, that is what it is all about with your kind, isn't it?" Q'ixanna said with an almost feral snarl. "Cold, hard, numbers that you plug into your little useless formulas so that you have some illusion that you're actually doing work, that your contribution actually means something. Yes, I'm on to you now, Q'garra. You ... you and the other Empiricist trash ... you think you are so much better than the rest of us, that your reams of numbers mean more than centuries of experience! And what better way to show us up but to furnish your own crisis, your own little emergency, so you can come riding in like the Emperor's legions, flying your little flag and expect everyone to bow before it! Well, not this time! The Guild will NOT BE FOOLED!"

The chamber stood in stunned silence.

Uroddus gripped the sides of the podium. His breath quickened. He felt fury rise inside of him, and this time he heeded Q'yros words. Let that passion show. But he would show it in his own way, and on his own terms.

He reached up and adjusted his glasses. He peered at the Guildmaster, his eyes betraying nothing but confidence. "Guildmaster, you are well within your rights to question my logic, my conclusions, and my memory of events. But I find the rest of your words needlessly insulting and beneath contempt."

Several Mage Elders looked shocked, including Q'land, but none said a word in protest. Q'kollan simply looked on pensively, his eyes flicking back and forth.

The Guildmaster clenched his teeth, his eyes blazing. One of his hands rose. Several Mage Elders gasped as Q'land rushed forward. "Guildmaster!"

Q'ixanna stopped, paused, and lowered his hand. He thumped his hand against the table and turned away.

Q'land let out a breath of relief.

"Q'land," said another Mage Elder softly. "I contend that if this claim of proof is correct, it puts a new light on some of these proceedings."

"Yes, yes, we must hear this Overlord and what he has to say, in his own words!" piped another.

"These proceedings are not for outsiders!" Q'ixanna thundered. "This is an internal matter to the Mage Guild! We shall not air our internal problems to the outside world!"

"I agree that this is a most unusual request, Guildmaster," said Q'land. "But it is not without precedent. Rare, yes, but it has been done before."

Q'kollan slowly nodded. "I believe I would like to hear what this Overlord has to say as well."

Q'ixanna turned to him in frustration. "For the sake of all the gods, Granton, you of all of them has been a true voice of reason! Why are you pandering to this now? Resist this attempt to muddy the issue with..."

Q'kollan sighed and shook his head. "I am sorry, Wytho. But this is going beyond what you told me before the start of this court."

"You said you trusted my judgment! You stated yourself I was within my rights to... !"

"I will hear everything there is to hear. No, nothing will be silenced. No more. Silence is what got us here. It will not be what gets us out."

The Guildmaster gave Q'kollan a stunned look before finally turning away and stomping back to his chair.

Q'kollan gave the Guildmaster a lingering, almost pleading look, but Q'ixanna specifically avoided his gaze when he again sat down. The Mage Elder turned to Q'land. "Unless there are any further serious objections, Q'land, I think we want to hear this Overlord's testimony."

Q'land slowly nodded. "Yes. Yes, I concur on that point." He turned to Uroddus. "Are you in contact with this Overlord, Journeyman Q'garra?"

"He Farviews me each evening, Master Q'land."

"It is the wish of this court that he make himself available to give testimony before the Mage Elders," said Q'land. "I can have a Portal powered and ready by mid morning tomorrow to transport him here."

Uroddus nodded once. "I will request this of him."

"But with all due respect to the Overlord," said Q'kollan. "His account better be compelling. I would wish ideally for two witnesses rather than one."

"Oh, now, hang on!" claimed another Mage Elder.

Q'kollan raised a hand. "Do not debate me on this, any of you. I insist that a claim of this magnitude be proven, or it is just one man's word against another's. Realize that the merit of this charge ... and possibly of the one before ... may hinge on this testimony."

"I will speak with Overlord Roquan," said Uroddus. "I will attempt to provide as much proof as possible."

Evella smiled and nodded once as she sent the slave on her way. Her gaze lingered on the girl's back, drifting down to her rear as it see-sawed away through the ruddy light diffusing through the skylights. She blinked a few times and let out a small sigh at the warm tingle in her sex.

She turned her head enough to see Vanlo standing in the doorway to the back room, watching Evella with a critical gaze. Her smile faded, and she tried not to feel self-conscious as she cleaned up and put supplies away.

It still felt odd to be wearing clothing again. Not that it was the greatest finery. There simply was no call for ladies' undergarments at a Manor, thus Lanno had to help her make do. He fashioned some plain cloth into a makeshift cover for her sex and support for her breasts. The remarkable thing was that it was more comfortable than the corset she normally wore. Though she could not tell if her enjoyment of the greater freedom afforded by the makeshift garments was real or just a lingering effect of the sexual enhancement herbs.

She turned her head as she finished putting away the last of the supplies she had used to treat the slave's skin rash. She let out a sigh of relief when Vanlo was no longer there.

Evella nearly bolted when a hand alighted on her shoulder. She gasped and whirled around. "Oh, Lanno," she said in a gusty breath, a hand fluttering to her chest.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," Lanno said sheepishly, offering a small smile. "I was just in the storage room."

Evella nodded and managed a smile in return. "It's okay. I'm just still a little nervous, I guess."

His hand lingered for a moment, then slid down her arm. Even through the Healer robe, it sent a shiver of delight through her. Her pussy felt warm again.

She was going to be very happy when the effects of the sexual enhancement wore off. It was a tiny but constant distraction throughout the day. She had very nearly asked him to bed her again at midday before they left for the Healer office. Worse, sexual thoughts flitted through her head each time a slave came into the office.

He held her hand. She thought to pull away, but could not bring herself to do it.

"Is Vanlo giving you a hard time?" Lanno asked in a soft but earnest voice.

Evella immediately shook her head. "He's just ... wary of me. I can't say that I blame him."

"Well, I would. It's not like you can do anything wrong here without either of us knowing. And I know you wouldn't do that."

Evella gave Lanno a forlorn look, her eyes glistening. "Are you sure of that? I mean really sure?"

Lanno looked taken aback. "What kind of question is that, Evella? Of course I'm sure. I trust you."

He squeezed her hand. She swallowed and let out a quavering sigh. "I wish I could say the same. Maybe Vanlo is right to be suspicious, Lanno. Maybe I don't know my own head anymore."

"No, come on, don't say that..."

"But it's true! If you had told me a year ago what I would wind up doing for Freya, I would have thought you were crazy. I would have told you that I would never do something like that. But I-I did. And now a bunch of peasant girls are going to suffer for it."

Tears blurred her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. Lanno drew her into a hug. "Come on, Evella, don't do this to yourself, please."

Evella resisted the embrace at first, but then clutched at him. She felt him breathe lightly against her ear. She swallowed as another shiver passed through her. Heat grew and spread in her nether regions. Her nipples tingled as they rose and hardened.

Stop it, stop it, she chided herself. Pull away from him, don't let this get to you, just ignore it, it's not appropriate...

But her body would not listen to her mind. It became more inflamed with desire the longer he held her close. He finally broke off the embrace enough to look into her increasingly lustful eyes.